Volume 28 Issue 2

Vol. 28 Issue 2

Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School, Rockville, MD.

December 7, 2010

College recommendations overload teachers, cause confusion ers. Students would give paperwork and self-addressed envelopes to their teachers, who would write the letter and send

by Josh Boxerman Managing Editor

hered to ‘meet the deadline for the college, and if you can’t meet the deadline for the college do the best you can to meet it shortly thereaf-

As the current crop of CESJDS seniors is no doubt acutely aware, the college application process is one of the most stressful aspects of high school. Between essays, standardized tests and decisions, many students barely have time to 70 breathe during the beginning 60 of their final year at JDS. Students overlooked, 50 however, the amount of work that goes into each 40 college application beyond what they complete them30 selves. Behind the scenes, teachers write numerous let20 ters of recommendation while the college guidance office over10 sees the entire process.

0 This year, however, an effort science english other math history by the college guidance office to numbers according to College Guidance Department streamline the process resulted in graph by Noah Zweben added stress for teachers and added confusion for students.

Second-year Director of College Guidance Susan Rexford instituted it directly to ter.’ And it’s always worked fine for a number of changes for the 2010the college. Under us,” science teacher Laura Jacobs 2011 school year. Before this year, that system, teachers had a certain said. the process of requesting and sub- amount of flexibility in regards to This year, all letters of recommitting a letter of recommendation deadlines. mendation were submitted eleconly included students and teach“In the past, we’ve always ad- tronically to the college guidance

office, and teachers were obligated to complete each letter within 30 days of receiving the requisite paperwork from a student. According to Rexford, the changes were made in an attempt to submit the letters, along with counselor letters of recommendation and student transcripts, in a single, electronic package.

While the electronic compiling system was never set up, Rexford emphasized the value of channeling the entire process through a central location in the college guidance office.

According to Rexford, having college counselors handle the transportation of letters would guard against student error and consolidating the disparate pieces of the application would allow colleges to more quickly process students’ applications.

Rexford also said that the “30day policy” was not, in fact, a change in policy from last year.

“That is not a new policy. That is a policy that has always been in effect­­­­­—has always existed, has not always been enforced,” Rexford said.

At a meeting before the school year began, Rexford said that she specifically pointed out the change

College recommendations by department

Local Jewish-Islamic programs bridge troubled relations

by Arielle Panitch Senior Reporter In contrast to the interfaith chaos in the Middle East, local Muslim and Jewish teens are coming together to engage in dialogues and community service projects.

The Jewish Islamic Dialogue Society (JIDS) was founded in February 2009 by Daniel Spiro and Hytham Unis. JIDS’ goal is to help foster local Jewish-Islamic relations in hopes of achieving understanding.

“There are two reasons why the Jewish-Islamic relationship is unique and necessary. One, because there are so many similarities between the religions… and two, because we are both interested in Middle East peace,” Spiro said.

Junior Micah Nelson was a panelist for an interfaith dialogue at the Idara Jaferia Islamic Center last spring. She said that she was very excited to attend when she first heard about it.

“I thought it would be really interesting to hear what the Muslim teens had to say. I’ve always been really interested in different cultures and building bridges,” Nelson said. “I thought it would be a nice experience, too, to represent the Jewish community.

I don’t always get to do that. I don’t always get a chance to step out of the Jewish bubble.”

Nelson said she enjoyed the experience and was surprised by some of the responses from Muslim teens.

“One of the girls… said she wanted to study fashion… to design more fashionable yet still conservative outfits for Muslim women,” Nelson said.

Seniors Mira Fein and Amy Lieberman participated in a Jewish-Islamic community service projphoto courtesy of Charlotte Rest ect on Nov. 7 to clean helping hands Kaylee Model and Tahagod Mohamed volunteer toup Meadowbrook Local gether to clean up Meadowbrook Local Park in Chevy Chase.

Park. Whether it is called “tikkun olam” in Hebrew AMS) participated in the com- an e-mail, “While we have coursor “islah” in Arabic, community munity service project as well. es (including “Star, Crescent, service is a core value of both Ju“I know that there are a lot Cross”) that introduce students daism and Islam. The JIDS pro- of tensions between Jews and to Islamic history and thought, gram culminated with Muslim Muslims in the Middle East, but we occasionally welcome Muslim and Jewish prayers.

I don’t think we should let that speakers to the School... we have “I love the idea of the pro- affect local relationships. It’s im- not been involved recently in gram. Bringing Muslim and Jew- portant to remember that both substantial partnerships with the ish youth together can help build religions just really want peace,” local Islamic community. I would a bridge between the two cultures Mohamed said. “I would like to be very open to our exploring and raise a generation of future come to [JDS] and see how you such opportunities.” leaders who grow up with an em- go through a whole day... I’m Spiro said, “we absolutely phasis on coexistence and mutual curious and want to learn about need young people at our social understanding,” Lieberman said.

Jewish religion and culture,” Mo- action programs and dialogues. If Tahagod Mohamed of the All hamed said. we don’t talk and work together Dulles Area Muslim Society (ADPrincipal Michael Kay said in we can never reach peace.”

in enforcement to teachers writing letters of recommendation. However, several teachers interviewed

by The Lion’s Tale said that they were never told of the policy.

English teacher Caroline Fitzpatrick said that while she was unable to attend the meeting, those who did attend returned with the message that the recommendations would now be submittted electronically through the college guidance office, with no mention of a 30-day window for writing letters.

“At no point was this new policy effectively communicated. I think there seems to have been a misunderstanding,” she said.

Jacobs did attend the meeting and said she did not recall hearing that teachers had 30 days for writing letters.

“At the meeting that we had, what I heard was that students had to give me 30 days, and what I heard was that guidance was going to get them out, so I was thrilled.

So maybe I suppressed the information that teachers had to write them within that 30 days. Maybe I missed that if it was said verbally,” she said. see TEACHER RECS, page 4

WHAT’S INSIDE ? news.................2-4 sophomore violinists plays around the world op ed................5-7 addressing the lion’s tale’s critics lion’s blend.......8-9 procrastination in depth........10-11 depression features.......12-13 sleep chadashot....14-17 jewish youth groups sports............18-20 bvb season preview

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December 7, 2010

Page 2

Marine alumnus talks about boot camp

by Brooke Friedman Senior Reporter

ready! Aim! Fire! Pfc. Noah Katz (‘09) concentrates on his M16A2 qualification test. After graduating Recruit Training, Katz left for his second stage of basic training in California, which involves both class instruction and practical application on infantry.

Sophomores accepted to youth orchestra Arielle Panitch and Vivian Franks will play at Strathmore and around the globe, as members of the Maryland Classic Youth Orchestra

by Samantha Weiner Senior Reporter When sophomore Arielle Panitch was five years old she saw Itzhak Perlman on television and told her parents: “I want to do that.” Ten years and hundreds of lessons later, Panitch was accepted into the prestigious Maryland Classic Youth Orchestra.

Sophomore Vivian Franks, too, was accepted to the orchestra.

“Six years ago, I was trying to be cool and pick an instrument that not a lot of people played.”

The orchestra performs annually with the National Symphony Orchestra in cities around t h e globe.

The auditions involved playing selected scales, playing a

prepared solo and sight-reading music.

Franks auditioned with six other harpists.

“I think that this year, I decided to audition for any form of orchestra as this year, as opposed to other years because I wanted to challenge myself,” Franks said.

As members of the orchestra, Panitch and Franks practice every Wednesday evening with the group from 7-9 p.m.

For Panitch, picking up the violin and playing it is second nature. But the paths to becoming a proficient violinist or harpist is not easy. Panitch practices playing her violin for five to six hours per week. Franks practices harp every day for at least 30 minutes and meets with her teacher once a week.

Panitch and Franks enjoy being part of the orchestra.

“It’s crazy, there are so many incredibly talented kids there that you know are going to make a career out of it,” Panitch said. “The kids that I’m playing with are the future Itzhak Perlmans, it’s so humbling just being in their midst. It’s very incredible.”

“I am excited about playing with the orchestra because they are all so good,” Franks

photo by Dani Marx

said. “Playing with other musicians is a learning experience.

I have already learned how to count better, how to read music better and a lot about music in general.”

“I don’t plan to make a living out of it,” Panitch said.

“I don’t see it as a profession, but I can’t see my life without it. Whatever I will be doing, I will be playing violin.”

Franks hopes to continue studying harp.

“I hope to go to a university where they have a good music program and I can study music there.” additional reporting by Shira Becker debut Sophomores Arielle Panitch (right) and Vivian Franks (left) practice together three times a week. Right, Arielle Panitch plays Antonio Vivaldi’s “Allegro.”

photo by Alex Zissman

NEWSBRIEFS

Dodgeball Tournament

More than $100 was raised during a dodgeball tournament on Thursday, Oct. 28.

The tournament was held after school from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. It was sponsored by the Student Council.

The tournament raised money for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure breast cancer charity.

“We had a list of charities, and [the Student Council] voted on it. Breast cancer came up on top,” said Secretary of Student Life Henry Baron said.

Disabilities Program

The seventh-grade participated in a “Living with Disabilities” program on Nov. 16.

Dressed in uniform, private first class Noah Katz, a CESJDS alumnus from 2009, spoke to several high school classes on Oct. 26 about his decision to join the Marine Corps and about being Jewish in Marine boot camp.

Katz was one of two Jews in his platoon.

He said that it did not matter if someone was a different color or religion because they were all experiencing similar hardships and difficulties during their training.

The High Holidays were challenging for him because he could not partake in traditional Jewish rituals.

Katz said he tried to do little things in order to stay in touch with his Jewish side. Instead of fasting on Yom Kippur, he requested and was granted permission to wear his Star of David necklace during a rigorous run.

Freshman Gabrielle Mendelsohn said that she was inspired by Katz’s commitment to Judaism when he was in boot camp.

Katz said that boot camp was one of the most difficult things he has done. He said there are always people screaming at the top of their lungs and that the only thing a person can do is scream, move fast and try not to mess up.

Senior Ilia Esrig enjoyed listening to Katz speak.

“I think it’s good that we’re able to see someone who is a JDS alumni come in and talk about his accomplishments in [Marine] boot camp,” Esrig said.

Esrig was surprised by how much Katz had changed since he graduated from JDS. “The only thing that was really surprising to see was how different he was. I remember when he was at JDS. I just remember [him] and it’s so different from how disciplined he is now,” Esrig said.

Joining the United States Marine Corps was a difficult decision for Katz. However, he said he liked the competitive nature and the attitude.

“This is something that I could see myself doing,” Katz said.

Katz is currently training at the United States Marine Corps School of Infantry in California.

compiled by Abigail Birnbaum and Penina Graubart

The program featured seven speakers, with varying levels of disability.

“I hope that kids take away from this that there is an entire range of disabilities,” said English department chair Thomas Worden. “It’s not just people in wheelchairs and it stops there.”

Students took part in activities that simulated the symptoms of various disorders, such as dyslexia.

“It is not just people in wheel chairs and it stops there. There are people that you would never say from first say ‘that person is disabled’,” Worden said.

“I saw that people with disabilities still have full lives and jobs and are still living the way they would be without disabilities, and that was really inspiring,” seventh-grader Eliana Katz said.

December 7, 2010

Page 3

Admissions in a tough economy

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new

Walking for a cause

iro said.

by Emily Shoyer Susan Brinn Siegel, Reporter chief financial and opStudents walked around the school If you attend CESJDS, chances erating officer, has taken and raised more than $1,000 to fight are that you have met Robin Sha- on an increasingly large homelessness at this year's Mini-Walk for piro, director of Upper School role this year in the adthe Homeless.

The event, held on Oct. admissions, or Susan Cohen, di- missions department and 28, ties into the Hadash club's theme of rector of general admissions. For in the school’s marketing.

Homelessness Awareness. more than a decade, this duo has Under her leadership, the The walk was coordinated in assoadmitted each class of students school unveiled its new ciation with the Fannie Mae Foundation, and helped ease the transition be- website, www.cesjds.org. which matched all funds raised. Money tween grades.

“We wanted the new from the walk benefited the Emery BeaOver the years, Shapiro and site to reflect the divercon of Light Foundation, which provides Cohen have adapted how they sity of the school and all the homeless with opportunities for selfreach out to prospective parents. of the things a family gets sufficiency.

In light of the recent enrollment out of coming to JDS,” The Hadash Club sponsored a Rosh decline, they are focusing their Siegel said. “In the new Chodesh assembly on homelessness a recruitment efforts on providing site, visitors … get a betweek before, where two speakers spoke more individualized attention to ter sense of more parts about personal experiences to spread the students and their families. of the school, such as our message of helping the homeless.

“We used to try [to reach] many strong arts and athletics “Having that Rosh Chodesh assemparents together,” Shapiro said. programming that were bly was really helpful, ” Hadash-member “[Now,] we are trying to do a lot not conveyed adequately sophomore Katie Hamelburg said. “It more connecting with our parents, before.” really helped people realize what homea lot more making sure everyone Siegel hopes she and lessness was about and helped everyone in this building is available for our her colleagues can keep prepare for the walk.” parents to answer questions.” retention up by narrowFewer people registered as walkers Cohen maintains that the ing any gaps parents perthan in previous years, although walkers school does not compromise its ceive between the Lower were appreciative of the opportunity to standards for admitting students, and Upper schools. participate. no matter the admissions climate, “The new site auto“It is really cool that it really benefits and that the school’s process is matically shares news our society that we do the walk at our meant to benefit both the school from both campuses by photo courtesy of the Washington Jewish Week school," sophomore Aron Cannon said. and the prospective student. default in its calendars …

“We do it to help people we don’t even “I would not consider us a se- so parents in the Lower additions to admissions This advertisement for JDS appeared in the know. ” lective school because we require School can learn more Washington Jewish Week on Nov. 11. The school also advertises in the “Homelessness can happen to anyno outside testing for admission, about the Upper School Washingtonian, the Washington Post, the Washington Diplomat, the Gaone, ” Hamelburg said. “These people are but we screen every child to make and vice versa,” Siegel zette and Bethesda Magazine. The school is in the process of redesigning humans just like us, and they deserve evsure they can and will succeed at said. all of its promotional materials. ery bit of help they get.”

JDS,” Cohen said. “Our criteria has Shapiro is optimistic about not changed, and we accept most the school’s ability to thrive in students who apply. But there are the tough admissions climate, alstudents we are not able to ac- though enrollment at the Upper commodate, who School is down “Students love their nearly 60 stuwe help find more suitable environschool and are will- dents since 2005. ments.” “[JDS] stuing to spread the This past year, dents love their

by Adam Weinberger word to their neigh- school and are JDS advertised in Editor in Chief the Washingtonian, bors and friends.” willing to spread the Washington Acting Academic — Robin Shapiro the word to their Post, the WashingDean Robert Snee has neighbors and ton Jewish Week, already visited 70 classes friends,” she said. the Washington Diplomat, the Gain his first two months at In one initiative, students atzette and Bethesda Magazine.

CESJDS. If you have not tend community events and “We try to focus on publica- school orientations as school seen him in one of your tions that families who are think- ambassadors in order to speak to classes yet, expect to see ing about the education of their prospective families. him soon. children would look at,” Cohen “I couldn’t possibly Sophomore Molly Schneider, said. “So we particularly advertise who recently worked as an amhelp teachers out if I in the education issues of various bassador for the Jewish Primary didn’t know what was gonewspapers and journals, and on Day School (JPDS) trip to JDS, ing on in the classroom,” the ‘kiddy pages’ that young par- enjoyed the opportunity to share Snee said. “It’s really just ents often read in local newspa- her experiences as a student with to give me a sense of pers.” what the school is like.” visitors.

Additionally, Shapiro and CoSnee, who is taking “I felt like I could really help hen leverage the school’s commu- kids who were thinking about over Arts Director David nity ties to bolster recruitment.

Solomon’s previous role enrolling get a feel for JDS,” Sch“As a school, we are building neider said. “I think I was espefor the next year, said relationships with synagogues, cially helpful to the students from his job involves helping community organizations, theater JPDS because I could tell them department chairs deschools and various other groups [first-hand] about the transition velop their department’s so that people know it is possible they were thinking of making.” curriculum and keeping to transfer to CESJDS in the Upteaching methods up to Seventh-grader Adam Landa photo by Alex Zissman per School,” Shapiro said. “Many appreciated how welcoming studate. people don’t think of us as an op- dents were when he was considSnee taught Spanish look, listen, learn Academic Dean Robert Snee observes Steven Mantion for their child, assuming that ering the switch to JDS last year. at the high school and ley’s eighth-grade history class. After reviewing a class, Snee offers critiques it would be too difficult to transfer college level in Mary- and suggestions to the teacher.

“At one point when I was visinto a dual curriculum school in iting, there was free time in the land, Pennsylvania and the upper grades.”

Virginia. He was a principal for 17 years at George website, CASIE is a non-profit that prepares stugym. The other kids were playing To Shapiro, admissions are vital basketball and everybody was Mason High School and then at the Washington In- dents to be global citizens. because of their financial ramifica- asking me to join their teams,” Although he has only been here a couple of ternational School upper school. tions for hiring and tuition. months, JDS has already made an impression on The year before he came to JDS, Snee lived in Landa said. “It was a really cool “The key is for [everyone] to experience. It seemed like people him.

Atlanta and was the executive director of the Cenunderstand that the number of wanted me to be part of the soul “One of the things that I’m really impressed by ter for the Advancement and Study of International students you have in the school of the community from the mois the sense of community in this school,” Snee said.

Education (CASIE). According to the organization’s affects tuition and budget. So, ad- ment I stepped into the building.” missions affect everybody,” Shapby Daniel Liss News Editor

Snee succeeds Solomon for academic dean position

N texting : Not worth dying for SADD club raises awareness about potential dangers of distracted driving ews

December 7, 2010

Page 4

dent, and I wanted to pick something that was more relevant. We decided that an issue that students didn’t think “No text is worth dying for,” read signs that much about was texting and drivaround school on Monday Nov. 8, beginning ing, so we decided to focus it on that."

Junior Maya Lieber felt that the topa week dedicated to raising awareness of deic of distracted driving was beneficial. structive driving.

“I really liked how SADD had an The week was planned by the CESJDS chapter of Students Against Destructive awareness week about something I Decisions (SADD) to raise awareness of the could easily relate to. The ones about drugs just taught me about how drugs dangers of distracted driving.

SADD is a national organization whose are bad, but they didn’t really affect my mission, as stated on its website, is “to pro- life in any way,” Lieber said. “But disvide students with the best prevention tools tractions while driving is a topic that possible to deal with the issues of underage everyone thinks about every time they drinking, other drug use, impaired driving get in the car, whether or not it is texand other destructive decisions.” The week ting or changing the station on the rafocused specifically on the potential dangers dio.”

Over the course of the week, SADD of texting while driving.

"I have been involved in SADD since members read stories over the loud ninth grade, and every year they had done speaker of both teenagers who had things about drunk driving and drugs and I killed someone as a result of distracted thought that it didn’t really reach the driving. Stories of the family of a teenager who had died in a car accident because of distracted driving were also read. SADD club members handed photo illustration by Dani Marx out red ribbons and pins to memorialize those who drive with care SADD club planned a week dedicated to raising awareness of distracted have died as a re- driving. The week focused specifically on the potential dangers of texting while driving. sult of distracted aware and they would hopefully stop.” world have submitted online. The pledges driving.

Lieber said that she learned a lot from the promised to stop texting and driving. pho to c our “When you week and she has made decisions to become “[The pledge] is really so that kids will be tesy of looked down at a less distracted driver. conscious of the fact that every time you get rev iew s.ca your wrist or at the “I have to admit, I used to text at red lights, into a car you are at risk, and distracted drivphoto courtesy of createvitality.com rre vie pin on your chest you and I kept my phone in my lap as I drove. I ing is really dangerous,” Marmon said. “We w.c om would remember that never thought about how dangerous it is to thought that if kids signed it saying that they people do die from it ev- have your phone as a distraction while driv- would do everything they could to prevent eryday,” Marmon said. ing,” Lieber said. “But now, after the SADD’s being a distracted driver, then they will be SADD presidents put up facts and awareness week, I haven’t done that since. more reluctant to do it.” hkicker.com quotes around the school about the I never had thought about how serious the Marmon hoped that students, teachers esy of healt rt u co o ot ph consequences could potentially be.” and administration all learned the perils of students. I dangers of texting while driving.

“I didn’t even realize how dangerous it The SADD club also decided to create distracted driving. don’t think that the students “If you saw the signs that said ‘No text at JDS are really dealing with that problem,” was until I really started researching it,” a pledge that students could decide to take SADD co-president and senior Kateyln Mar- Marmon said. “I think once we showed the based off of Oprah’s “No Phone Zone Pledge” is worth dying for,’ it makes sense. It is not mon said. “Shelby Cole, who is also the presi- school how dangerous it was, it made them in which over 400,000 people around the worth it,” Marmon said.

by Dani Marx News Editor

RECOMMENDATIONS from page 1 Jacobs confirmed that the policy was explicated in written instructions but felt that it wasn’t enough to convey the message.

“I’ve been writing recs for JDS students for 30 years,” Jacobs said. “Quite frankly, I didn’t read the instructions until I actually sat down to write the recs and there, in the instructions, it said that teachers must also get the recs out within 30 days.”

As a result of the miscommunication, some teachers were surprised to discover weeks later that earlier due dates were being enforced.

“One of my colleagues who is writing a lot of recs got some urgent messages in the middle of October saying, ‘You haven’t written recs for this one and that one and this one and so on and how could that be’ and all of that, and they weren’t even due until Nov. 1,” Jacobs said. “However, they were 30 days after the student gave the recs in.”

With the misunderstanding increasing stress that came with the quicker turnaround, multiple teachers, including Jacobs and Fitzpatrick, were forced to take administrative leave in order to complete their letters within the shortened time frame.

“That was a day when I wasn’t here to help my ninth graders work on their papers. I wasn’t here to help my eleventh graders research secondary sources,” Fitzpatrick said. “It was a critical moment for the I-Search and a critical moment for ninth graders, and I had to take a day and not be here for that.”

Fitzpatrick said that she hoped more time could be structured in for teachers to work on letters of recommendation ”without potentially

doing harm to their other students.”

“The college counselors- I’m in awe of them.

They’ve really done a fabulous job,” Fitzpatrick said. “Perhaps the administration and the college guidance counselors can brainstorm with the teachers to develop ways to build time into the schedule for teachers.”

If such solutions could not be found, Fitzpatrick said that she and other teachers would need to limit the number of letters that they agree to write.

“I had 23 recommendations to write this year.

It takes at least two hours to write one,” Fitzpatrick said. “I feel like 10 is a more manageable number, and if I’m going to be held to a 30-day window, then I might be inclined to limit the number that I’m able to write.”

Rexford said that the challenges the college guidance office and classroom teachers faced were to be expected.

“The letters that the teachers from this school write are phenomenal. They are absolutely heartfelt, well-thought out, well written and take time. I understand that,” Rexford said. “This was not something that the classroom teachers were accustomed to doing. It was not something that our office was accustomed to handling. And so I think we had a few growing pains which I think is going to make the process run more smoothly in the future and is also going to make for a better process in the long run, which is going to serve the students better.”

Rexford added that the changes were made with the best interest of the students at heart.

“I think the bottom line is all the letters got out and all the letters got out in good time, and I don’t think any student was disadvantaged in this process,” Rexford said.

You’ve.got.mail@cesjds.org

by Jacob Schaperow Copy Editor Have you ever seen an e-mail address that was so ridiculous it made you want to laugh? Like Joe654Sch8moe965@hotmail.com?

CESJDS students will soon be getting official school e-mail addresses.

The e-mails will be unveiled during the next semester and will be formatted as username@students. cesjds.org. They will be accessible from any Internet browser at www. mail.cesjds.org.

They will be assigned to students in grades five through 12 and will be active through the summer after each grade graduates.

“It will make the college counseling office very happy,” Director of Information Technology David Ritzmann said. “It will allow students to do all their correspondence using a school e-mail address [rather] than a potentially unprofessional hotmail account,” he said.

The e-mails are integrated into www.cesjds.org.

“The school e-mail addresses will also be pre-populated into the website, so teachers won’t have to guess at students’ e-mails. They will just be in the system. Students will be able to

use the account for school assignments as well.”

English teacher Caroline Fitzpatrick said that new e-mails will help her contact her students.

“Anything that facilitates better communication between teacher and student is a good thing,” she said.

Ritzmann said that the e-mails should be used for school matters only and the school is able to see how students are using the e-mail accounts.

“We would actually need to change your password and then log in as you to read your messages. At that point you would know, because your password is different, that something was up. At the same time, if we suspect that there is something illegal or a danger, we will do that, but we will try to respect your privacy,” he said. “[The new e-mails are] convenient but also annoying because some people may have 50 e-mail addresses and not be able to keep track of the passwords or the e-mail address itself,” said eighth-grader Leah Fogel.

According to Ritzmann, students who would rather use their old email addresses will have the option to “forward their e-mail to a different address.”

December 7, 2010

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Engaging with non-Jews should be a pillar of our identity It doesn’t take an in-depth examination of Jewish history to understand the importance of interfaith dialogue and education to the Jewish people. A cursory look will do just fine, and anything more detailed would only increase one’s admiration for the efforts by JDS to advocate for interfaith action.

The school accomplishes this in several ways.

First, while still creating a Jewish community and Jewish environment, the administration also takes pains to inject diversity. Though no study cataloguing the hiring practices of Jewish day schools around the country exists for comparison, The Lion’s Tale commends the administration for making the hiring of nonJewish faculty a priority.

Second, the JDS classroom is a place where questions about faith and education about other faiths are not only tolerated, but encouraged. For example, Star, Crescent, Cross, a popular sophomore course, is dedicated to comparative religion. There, students learn the history of the three major monotheistic faiths from a critical historical perspective, even going so far as to read from Christian and Muslim

sacred texts. This class gives students the skills to interact with peers of other religions and enter those conversations from a position of knowledge.

Third, the school actively facilitates interfaith dialogues. Juniors and seniors in the Church-Jewish relations course, for example, participated in a joint field trip with Our Lady of Good Counsel High School on December 1.

Using the background given to them by JDS, the students were able to engage with their peers from Good Counsel on a wide range of topics.

However, there is always room for improvement.

While these two classes are a good start, we encourage the administration to build on them and make interfaith dialogue something all students participate in at some point during their time at school. After leaving JDS, students will live in a non-Jewish world, and knowledge of the beliefs and practices of other religions will be important. Adding a comparative religion requirement, either through Star, Crescent, Cross or adding new courses to the Jewish History curriculum would help graduates navigate the challenges presented by a diverse

and complex world.

Additionally, the guidance department could mandate that a certain amount of students’ community service requirements be fulfilled through interfaith programs such as the Jewish Islamic Dialogue Society event attended by two seniors on November 7.

Principal Michael Kay has said that he hopes to explore new opportunities for interfaith engagement. We at The Lion’s Tale hope that these sentiments are acted upon so that JDS can improve its already impressive record with regards to dialogue and send far more than two students to participate in worthy projects.

With a greater emphasis on engagement on a whole-school level, JDS can be a place that shapes students who are building a process of dialogue and interaction that can only improve the status and station of the Jewish community in American society and promote greater understanding amongst the cultures of the world. And isn’t that what a Jewish Day School is for?

Point/Counterpoint: Newspaper’s relationship with the community Something to “Wein” about

You can’t stump the Schwab

The Lion’s Tale gets unfairly scrutinized

The Lion’s Tale needs your involvement

by Adam Weinberger

by Danny Schwaber Editor in Chief

Editor in Chief

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his column is for Noah in to be graded. From the perspective of Berman. Yes Noah, you can someone on the paper, it’s not worth it add me to the long list of to drag out production even longer just people that have called you out in to polish it to perfection. public, a list that includes Ms. Fitzpatrick Another complaint I hear is that our and Dave Barry. But it’s not just for Noah article topics are irrelevant and poorly Berman, it’s for anyone who complains chosen. There is some validity to this to me about The Lion’s Tale but is not complaint. I admit that putting Start actually on staff. Read this before you It Up on the front page wasn’t one complain to me about this issue. of my wisest decisions because the The Lion’s article didn’t tell Tale is a good The Lion’s Tale is on par if not students anything high school didn’t know. better than most high school they newspaper. I However, I also newspapers I have seen. know it is. I have challenge readers looked at dozens to find a more of other high school newspapers and suitable front page topic.

The Lion’s Tale is on par if not better The only other news article that than most of them. Our articles are rivaled Start It Up in importance was just as well written, our layout is just as the article on new department chairs. It attractive and our columns, of course, is difficult to uncover interesting article are way better. But seriously, word for topics in a school as tightly knit as ours word, we stack up. where information flows quickly by word Still, people run up to me to point out of mouth. typos, inaccuracies and mistakes. Why? It is not easy to help lead a staff of For one, The Lion’s Tale used to be a over 35 students. My dad manages a national award-winning paper. While we similar-sized staff and says it is difficult may not win any awards this year, we to have anything more than a moderate improve with every issue. The issue that hold on things. Our staff doesn’t get was pulled last year was obviously of paid and has school work to deal with. I inferior quality. But I challenge student commend them for putting in the effort readers to inspect our last few issues they do. and not say the articles within weren’t The Lion’s Tale can always get better. at least as well written as their latest We can always try harder to stick to history essays. deadlines and stay organized. But how One complaint I hear is that the day many JDS students can truly do that in after we finish the paper we don’t read their own lives, with their school work? it cover to cover. It’s not that simple A large portion can’t, according to our though. Oftentimes, taking an extra day procrastination survey. So write us a to read the paper over can postpone letter before you come up to Danny, or our publication date by days. I bet most Josh or me, and complain about this or students don’t proofread their essays any other issue-- just ask yourself, would multiple times before they hand them you do a better job?

I

’d like to start this column This is a paid professional, whose by saying that I too have felt job, as described by the Post on its disappointment and been hurt website, is as an “internal critic” who when after weeks of work on an issue of “represents readers who have concerns the paper, one of my peers comes up to or complaints on a wide range of topics me and pointed out including accuracy, a typo in an article, or fairness, ethics and It is our responsibility have made a negative the newsgathering to listen to and take comment on a story. process.” comments from the school He writes I also agree that The Lion’s Tale is a columns pointing community to heart. very strong scholastic out comments from newspaper. Having said this, I differ with readers and faults in the paper in order Adam in the way we look at complaints to give constructive criticism for the and comments on The Lion’s Tale. future.

The Lion’s Tale mission statement (at I am not suggesting having our the end of the staff list) states, “The Lion’s own “ombudsman” but rather having Tale is a forum for student expression. the community act as a means of Its purpose constructive criticism and is to inform a means of making the This paper is our community’s as the CESJDS paper better. forum for our collective community So, what is the role of and to the community in The voices to be heard. express the Lion’s Tale? views of its This paper is our staff and readers…” community’s forum for our collective This is something that I have tried to voices to be heard. It is not just the take to heart since becoming editor in paper of our staff. chief of this paper.

Our newspaper is not like a work of The Lion’s Tale is the entire art. community’s paper and although no We don’t want to put it out just to be one likes criticism it is our responsibility admired or criticized from afar. Instead, to listen to and take comments from the it should be an interactive media where school community to heart. your voices can be heard and where we We would not be doing our jobs if constantly can work together to make it we ignore your comments. Instead I as good as it can be. challenge you, as the readers of this We need you to get involved. In order paper to come to us. for us to fulfil our mission statement and Tell us what you liked, tell us what be responsible we need the help of the you hated, and tell us if something made community. you laugh or if something offended you.

Give us your input and make a The Washington Post has someone difference in the paper. who they call the “Ombudsman.”

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pinion

December 7, 2010

Page 6

Editors In chief Danny Schwaber Adam Weinberger Managing Editor Josh Boxerman Copy Editors Jacob Schaperow Jonathan Waksman News Editors Daniel Liss Dani Marx Sports Editors David Weinberg Zachary Wexler

In Depth Editors Ranana Dine Michael Greenberg Feature Editors Haley Cohen Meryl Kravitz Hadashot Editors Briana Felsen Eitan Sayag Lion’s Blend Editors Shira Becker Rebecca Rubin Graphics Editor Noah Zweben

Senior Reporters Emily Dworkin Nathan Forman Brooke Friedman Jonathan Kader Elana Leone Arielle Panitch Elana Schrager Josh Singer Samantha Wiener Staff Adviser Megan Fromm Adviser Emeritus Susan Zuckerman

Reporters Abigail Birnbaum Jonathan Block Jacob Dorn Penina Graubart Julia Schwalb Emily Shoyer Sydney Solomon Devin Yolles Photo Editor Alex Zissman

The Lion’s Tale is a forum for student expression. Its purpose is to inform the CESJDS community and to express the views of its staff and readers. The staff has made every effort to ensure the accuracy and objectivity of its news.

Editorials reflect the opinion of a majority of the LT board. The Lion’s Tale encour­ages its readers to write letters to the editor and reserves the right to edit letters for length and clarity. All letters must be typed and signed. Letters may be e-mailed to jdslionstale@gmail.com.

Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School Annette M. & Theodore N. Lerner Family Upper School Campus 11710 Hunters Lane Rockville, MD 20852 phone: 301.881.1404 www.lionstale.org

Guest Columns Forman an opinion

Student absences and tardies should not be shown to colleges

by Nathan Forman Senior Reporter

I think of myself as having some authority when it comes to issues involving attendance, and the new policy involving them and transcripts. As a student who has covered the school’s new attendance program for The Lion’s Tale and is marked tardy on a nearly weekly basis, I think I can offer unique insight into the school’s new policy.

Among the changes that are in the process of being implemented or are already being implemented is a change that will take effect on the transcripts of students currently enrolled in at JDS, though other specifics have not currently been decided.

Once the kinks are worked out, students’ absences and tardies, in some form, will be shown both to parents and colleges. What would actually be displayed is up to debate. While there is no clear consensus yet as to whether all absences and tardies, only unexcused absences and tardies, or some other combination will be displayed, it is clear that the absences and tardies marked on our first trimester report cards were not desired by any of the parties involved.

When I received my first quarter grades I was not pleased to see 12 tardies and one absence looming in the bottom right corner of the page. It was especially confounding for me because I had legitimate reasons for

my one absence (I was home sick, and my parents and I went through the proper channels to make sure that my absence was excused), and various legitimate, albeit somewhat abnormal reasons for at least a few of my twelve tardies.

When I inquired as to what all of these absences and tardies meant, it was explained to me that there had been an error in the PowerSchool program, and that the report cards display every tardy, excused or otherwise, to every class, including minyan, of the student receiving the card, as well as every single one of his or absences, excused or unexcused.

As the school moves towards deliberation on what will be included on next year’s transcripts, absences and tardies should not be included on our transcripts at all. I say this as a student who is often tangled into absences and tardies, excused or otherwise. I am a student for whom “normal” things do not always happen when it comes to attendance.

Already this year on my way to school I’ve run over a deer, found my car keys at Walter Johnson High School instead of their usual place at my house, and had the neighborhood street I take to school shut down by police for unexplained reasons. Last year had even wackier moments. I somehow managed to contract bronchitis

twice in the same trimester, causing me to miss roughly two and a half weeks of school combined. At one point last year, my tires lost one third of their pressure while I was driving, forcing me into a gas station to use its air pump, and therefore off the road.

Experiences like this seem to happen weekly for me, and because I have to stop at the security desk almost weekly about late notes, I know that I’m not the only one for whom timely attendance is a problem.

I am not proposing that parents should be kept in the dark of their children’s truancy. In fact, I actually think that allowing parents to see the absences and lateness of their children is perfectly reasonable and potentially helpful to parenting.

However, I do not think that colleges need to see my or any other student’s absences and tardies. If they are able to see, students who, like me, miss school for often eccentric reasons come off as irresponsible, when in reality there oftentimes is much more nuance to our stories.

Editor’s Note: The day after this column was penned, the writer was involved in a three-car accident. He was 27 minutes late.

The babbling Brooke The next step in JDS news: an online video experience

by Brooke Friedman Senior Reporter

As we have all seen, the future of news is moving toward mobile technology and the Internet. Everything is online, including new sources like blogs, Facebook and Twitter and traditional sources like newspapers. More and more, students are using their smartphones or computers to access the latest news, from PerezHilton.com to The New York Times.

I think it is now time for JDS to be more involved in this transition. Our website has already been redone, and it looks great. The different features such as forums and the classroom teacher website section have made it easier for students to collaborate with peers and stay organized. But this is only the first step.

Our school should have a news broadcasting team that streams to the web. This would help the community to receive news updates immediately. This would also

CORRECTION: In the October issue of The Lion’s Tale, senior Rebecca Seigel’s name was misspelled. Also, an article profiling new department chairs omitted Chair of Jewish History and Israel Engagement Aileen Goldstein. The Lion’s Tale regrets the error.

• • • • •

give students an opportunity to learn about the craft of broadcasting. Many area high schools have broadcasting classes and clubs, and Montgomery County even uses its presence on local cable to give students a platform for their work. And since JDS doesn’t have its own channel on TV, the new website is the perfect platform for a potential system.

In order for this to happen, we need to design a media production class that would teach students how to create and edit a piece of video, how to speak clearly and effectively in front of a camera when reporting a story, and how to start blogs and respond to blog posts. Also, students could work with the Technology Department to run the online aspect of the system, and gain valuable experience in that subject area.

After taking this class, students would be able to be

a part of a news broadcasting team. Similar to The Lion’s Tale, students would cover stories and conduct interviews.

However, instead of print, students would digitally record and post their stories on a website which they would constantly update and manage. The JDS community would be encouraged to post and blog about the videos broadcasted on this website, attaining an incredible level of interactivity.

This class and a news broadcasting team would be great additions to JDS publications because both would give students the experience of participating in news broadcasting. The final product, the website, would be beneficial for students, faculty and parents because it would allow them to access immediate news updates, and it would accommodate members of the community who usually read and view their news online.

How to Write a Letter to the Editor

Think to yourself, “Gosh, I really agreed, disagreed, loved, hated, developed an opinion about, or generally reacted to the editorial, columns, or articles in this here issue of The Lion’s Tale. I also may or may not have an opinion about something else in school that I’d like to share with the community, or maybe I just want to chat.”

Sit down at a computer and put your thoughts in writing, any way you want to, as long at it’s in the form of a wellwritten, 200-250 word letter.

Open your e-mail.

Send us the letter as an attachment to jdslionstale@gmail.com.

Congratulations! You’ve done it!

December 7, 2010

Page 7

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To the Editor

Clarifying the role of Educational Support Services To the Editor: I am writing in response to last issue’s page 1 story regarding Structured Study Hall.

In addition to wondering why it was run on page 1 (there was no “news peg”), I feel the need to address some of the article’s content.

The reporter’s lead states that when students enter Upper School, they “experience a sense of freedom and independence” but that for students in SSH, “new responsibilities” are “closely monitored” and that students in SSH are given homework help by a learning specialist.

In fact, learning specialists are not homework-helpers; they are there to demystify students’ learning profiles and

to teach them metacognitive skills and study and testtaking strategies, including organization, time management, memorization, and research skills—none of which were mentioned in the article.

In addition, students do not get a psycho-educational evaluation to “give the school an idea of whether or not the student will benefit from the program” but rather to determine if the student qualifies for certain accommodations, such as notetaking help, computer use for essay exams, and extended time testing. Not all students in SSH get accommodations; some are in SSH for help with organization.

The statement attributed to me at the end of the article reflects only part of what I said in response to the reporters question; it is critically important that Lion’s Tale readers

A Physics requirement for juniors?

Although we began studying physics at different times and have very different career goals, we both agree: all juniors should be strongly encouraged to take physics, and all juniors in Scholars math should be required to do so.

Noah Zweben

Susan Zuckerman Chair, Educational Support Services

The Forgotten “Forgotten Option”

To the Editor:

I chose to take physics in junior year because I was not very good at chemistry and because it was what my brother had done. I ended up loving the subject. But I am not writing this letter to convince you that you should love physics—I am writing because I believe it is necessary for every high school student.

Physics, just like chemistry and biology, is a fundamental part of a high school education. The skills that I learned in physics class helped me in various classes throughout junior and senior year, and many of the concepts we learned overlapped in math, especially in Calculus I and MultiVariable Calculus.

Physics helped me to understand the world around me, teaching me how to take abstract concepts from math class and turn them into practical, relatable situations. Even though I do not wish to pursue physics as a career, I am grateful for my background in physics; of all the course decisions I have made throughout high school, choosing to take physics in junior year was the most beneficial both in the short-term and in looking forward.

Galit Krifcher senior

know that there are students who are part of the Educational Support Services program (SSH is only a piece of ESS) who have verbal (i.e., language-based) IQs in the 99th percentile, and that many of our students are super-bright and are able to achieve on a high level despite slow processing speed or written output problems—and that they go on to attend the finest colleges.

I am happy to further clarify any aspect of the ESS program.

I chose not to take physics junior year because I loved, and still love, chemistry, and thought it would be too much to take two sciences. Did I regret this decision then? No. Do I regret this decision now? Yes—and I wish that I, as a science-inclined student, particularly one in Scholars math, had been forced to take it last year.

The curriculum for Multi-Variable Calculus has a heavy focus on applied math, very often including physics principles. Consequently, students who began learning physics last year are simply more comfortable with the course’s material and need less explanation. Half of the class feels that they are forced to re-learn material, the other half of the class feels guilty for slowing down the class, and our teacher is forced to deal with two very different knowledge bases.

The current system benefits no one, and could be remedied and streamlined by requiring Scholars math students to take physics at the same time, in junior year.

Dina Lamdany senior

To the Editor: I enjoyed reading “The Forgotten Option: students consider military programs.” The article discussed the different military academies and appropriately mentioned Mr. Connell’s graduating the United States Military Academy (West Point), as well as his 20 years of military service to our country.

However, the article did not mention Jesse Marder (’07), who will be graduating from the United States Naval Academy (Annapolis) at the end of this year and will be commissioned as an Ensign in the United States Navy.

Perhaps Jesse, too, will begin a long career of military service to our country. JDS should be very proud of Jesse Marder and his accomplishments.

Paul J. Blank Jewish Text, Thought and Practice teacher

Minyan hopes to raise awareness To the Editor: We are the high school egalitarian minyan and we have become aware of an important issue we feel our school should know about. Human Trafficking is defined as the recruitment, transfer, transport, harboring or receipt of a person by means of force.

Examples of Human Trafficking include slavery, forced prostitution, or any other means of forced labor. Many are not aware that Human Trafficking is still an issue let alone a threat in the United States and even in Israel.

The US Department of State estimated that there are approximately 600,000-800,000 individuals (mostly women and children) who are trafficked across nation borders. Human Trafficking has increased significantly throughout the years. In 2003 35% of countries in the world had reported cases, and in 2008 it reached 80%.

Not only is Human Trafficking a much bigger issue than most are aware of, but it mainly targets individuals such as ourselves. Slavery is thought by most to be a very minor issue but in actuality it is still very alive today here in the United States and in Israel.

People are suffering and we have an obligation as members of a community to help these people. As a school we can join together and help advocate and work towards stopping this issue.

In order to raise money we have thought up a few ideas such as selling tee-shirts, hosting fundraisers, and donating the proceeds of these to an organization that helps put an end to human trafficking.

If you are interested in supporting this cause please visit our minyan in room 706 or support us by donating money. End Human Trafficking!

High School Egalitarian Minyan

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December 7, 2010

‘127 Hours’ is two hours of unforgettable courage

by Rebecca Rubin Lion’s Blend Editor Movie Review What would you do if you were trapped in a cave for five days with your arm pinned under a boulder?

If all you had was a bottle of water, a dwindling supply of food, a camera and various hiking supplies? What would you do to survive?

The movie “127 Hours,” based on a true story, is about Aron Ralston. He went to spend his weekends biking to his “home away from home,” the Grand Canyon.

He would leave his car and bike 20 miles to start an adventure. However, while he was exploring numerous caves and crevices one Saturday, Ralston made a mistake that he thought would cost him his life.

He fell hundreds of feet and was pinned in a cave with a huge boulder that crushed his arm. Ralston tried everything, but after many attempts to get out, he started to run out of ideas.

Though the majority of the film was focused on Ralston alone in the cave, Ralston’s sense of creativity kept the film from becoming boring. Things such as making a talk show with himself showed his willingness to have fun even while stuck in his horrible situation.

Ralston’s optimism was uplifting and made it easier to enjoy the film. His reaction to his horrifying situation made me think of times where people are in tough and stress-

once stuck in the cave, Ralston’s attitude started to change and as the viewer I saw that. Ralston’s sense of independence was affected when he realized just how much he needed someone’s help.

Before Ralston took this adventure, he didn’t tell anyone where he was going. He made no phone call to his parents; he never said goodbye. This one mistake had a major effect on Ralston’s feelings while he was stuck in the cave.

Watching Ralston realize what he wished he had done before the trip made me think of what was crucial in my life, and the things that I would wish I had done if I were in Ralston’s situation.

What things are important in the bigger picture? A simple five-minute call with his parents before taking his risky and adventurous trip would have saved Ralston from having feelings of guilt and regret.

The last hours in which photo courtesy of http://hypebeast.com/forum/showthread.php?p=2787175 Ralston was in the cave are the hardest to watch. Ralston started ful situations. Those are the times when an losing supplies and ideas, and perindividual’s true identity is revealed. sonally, I thought that he would not get out Earlier in the film, Ralston came across as of the cave. However, there was a sudden an adventurous man who thought he could change. Ralston had a hallucination and saw accomplish anything on his own. However, a glimpse of his future. In this vision he had

Dating advice from your teachers: Grace McMillan Jewish Text, Thought and Practice Teacher You have to know, enjoy and be your full, best self in order to find the “right” person. That’s the best advice I can give as I look back on 25 years of unsuccessful dating, followed by a year of successful dating. I hated dating because I constantly turned myself inside out to be the person I thought a guy I was interested in wanted me to be.

The longer I presented myself as a selfless person, who always put his needs first, the less I liked myself and the more I resented the unwitting guy because he did not really know who I was or what I needed. Well, no wonder, I hadn’t bothered to tell him!

To have the courage to be your full, best self, you Matthew Feldman Math Teacher Dating is like math….Add up all the positives and subtract the negatives and find a sum (or a boyfriend/ girlfriend).

For boys… flirting is a foreign language. Boys need direction. My suggestion is to say what you mean. No really.

Tori Ball Math Teacher Once, in fifth grade, I agreed to go out with some boy because his friend gave me a burrito. Always make sure you’re getting something out of the relationship.

The boy later called my house to ask me to a movie. My mom intercepted the call and gave the boy a firm rejection. She felt I was too young to be dating. Mom usually knows best.

In ninth grade, my boyfriend left me for some other girl. My mom had really liked this boyfriend.

have to first know who you are. Getting to know yourself can be lots of fun, but it can sometimes be scary.

Exploring your passions, seeing your strengths and weaknesses clearly, recognizing your fears, creating your dreams, having new experiences, going to new places, spending time alone – those are a few ways you can get to know yourself.

Along the way, you will find the pleasure of who you are, uniquely as yourself. The more you dive into your self, the more your natural radiance will be reflected to those around you, attracting people who like you for who you know yourself to be.

Add to that having a sense of humor about yourself and life and having empathy and forgiveness for yourself and your date and you will find yourself enjoying yourself with a companion. Then the question is whether or not you enjoy that other person enough to have a second date!

Fear is only F.alse E.vidence A.ppearing R.eal, so don’t be afraid to ask someone out. What you think is real, just might not be. When you do ask someone out, be very clear that it is a date. Communication is key.

You can stumble, just don’t fall.

When you are feeling soooooo strong about someone and don’t know how to stop yourself from saying or doing something… dumb… catch yourself, check yourself before… you know the rest… and breathe. Yes, the all life-sustaining breathing. Notice each breath.

Be aware of the air filling your lungs, and maybe, just maybe you will have avoided a life altering event/error.

She wrote him a long letter telling him how much she would miss him. On second thought, better not to have mom too involved in your personal life . . .

Once, during college, I borrowed my parents’ convertible for a date. It started raining and I had no idea how to put the roof up. This date ended poorly. Dating is an adventure – be prepared for anything.

Admittedly, the person I had taken out in the convertible was sort of a jerk – and really didn’t like me very much at all. This may have contributed to the lackluster quality of the experience. Strive, above all else, to find someone who likes you for who you are.

As fun as it is to turn yourself into the person someone else wants you to be, real happiness starts with being the real you.

a son.

This inspiration really had an effect on Ralston’s attitude. Previously in the cave, he started to reflect on his life and realized that he was selfish and needed to accept help from others. Ralston’s vision that he would have a family confirms the change in Ralston’s personality and livelihood; he then understood who he had to become.

Due to this inspiration, Ralston did the only thing left to do. He cut off his arm, which allowed him to leave the cave. This long process was hard to watch because Ralston used a dull, made-in-China knife.

Though challenging to watch, the sense that he completed his goal made it worthwhile. Witnessing how Ralston was able to do such a thing was very motivational to my life and made me think of how to handle things when I run into challenges.

When I saw what Ralston learned from his situation, it made me realize the importance of others in my life. When it comes down to it, the connections I have with my family and loved ones are the connections that help me go through life.

The support which my family and loved ones give, provide my motivation and inspiration. The viewer saw this when Ralston realized the importance of his family. I think that this is a movie that is important to see, and I left the theater thinking of how to improve my life and strengthen my connections with others.

When are you crossing the ‘on’line?

by Gabriella Mendick Reporter Facebook is an Internet phenomenon, but is this social network exempt from rules of etiquette and common courtesy? According to www.facebook.com, there are now more than 500 million active users of Facebook, 50 percent of whom log on to Facebook on any given day.

Though it may be appropriate to leave proper grammar and spelling to the classroom and other more formal circumstances, many believe that there is, indeed, certain etiquette necessary for Facebook.

Sophomore Jonathan Galitzer said that although some may see Facebook as a place for saying straightforward and honest opinions, people should still be aware that their actions and words can come off as offensive.

“Sometimes it is easier to say my honest opinion to a friend when I am not talking to them in person, for example on Facebook. However, I am still aware of what is appropriate and what may come off as rude over the Internet,” Galitzer said.

Besides communication, there are other forms of interaction on Facebook that can bring discomfort to students. Freshman Ariel Ingber said she dislikes being tagged in unflattering pictures on Facebook.

“I hate when my friends tag photos of me that are clearly pictures I don’t want people to see when they check out my profile. I am talking about the pictures where you are making a weird face or just doing something plain embarrassing. No one needs to see me like that,” Ingber said.

Active Facebook user sophomore David Solkowitz, said he believes that one should consider the number of people who see wall posts, comments, pictures, and any inappropriate language used.

“I think that if you want to use substitute words, like freaking or shoot, that’s okay, but I don’t really curse on Facebook, and I am not a fan of it,” Solkowitz said. “Plus, I am friends with my parents and other grown-ups, so I have to watch what I say.”

Some students said that answering a serious Facebook chat with short, uninterested responses shows a lack of consideration.

“I hate it when I have something really important to tell my friend and I chat them on Facebook with a reasonably long message, but my friend responds with a minimal word response such as ‘srry,’ or ‘ok.’

It makes me feel like they don’t care,” sophomore Sahara Reiz said.

Lilly Kantarakias was quoted in the New York Times Magazine saying that one’s words and actions, despite what one’s original intentions may have been, are likely to be misinterpreted on Facebook.

“We know only how to judge people off of a Facebook page or we easily misinterpret texts or e-mails,” Kantarakias said in the magazine.

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December 7, 2010

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lion’s blen

Procrastination: not just for students

by Shira Becker Lion’s Blend Editor

Teachers within the school community, such as Jewish Text, Thought and Practice With a major psychology assignment, teacher Grace McMillan, are also affected by two quizzes, and an oral presentation due procrastination.

“Throughout high school, college and in genetics the following day, senior Solomon Shapiro decided to spend his Thursday well into graduate school, I almost always night watching a Wizards’ game and talk- waited until the night before a paper was due to start writing it. I would often do the ing with friends. Because of his reading and research ahead of time, procrastination, Shapiro went to sometimes endlessly, but I alsleep at 3:30 a.m. and was overways found it hard ly tired the following day. to start writing Procrastinators distract ahead of time,” themselves by watching McMillan said. television and going “In my curonline, instead of dorent job, it ing work. This can takes me a cause them to lose long time to sleep and lack fofinally sit down cus in school the and start grading next day. Experts in the same way it says procrastinaalways took a hard tion can lead to Ima deadline to get me to long-term cong e tion C .org ourte sit down and start writsequences. /inm sy: h otio ttp:// ing a paper when I was in Shapiro said n/ju ww l_a w.am ug_ p school. ” he spends his study time u t 07/ pap ee-coal iers.

According to the book watching sports games and htm l “Procrastination: Why You Do It, checking fantasy football. Senior Liel What to Do About It” written by Jane Carmel said he spends his time on FaceB . Burka and Lenora M. Yuen, when an book and watching TV. “What I do to procrastinate is very sim- individual completes an assignment at the ple. [When] I come home, I turn on my last minute and still manages to earn an accomputer, open up Facebook and turn on ceptable grade, that individual feels more my TV, which is conveniently placed right compelled to procrastinate the next time next to my computer. These things keep around.

This is the case for sophomore Natalie me pretty distracted throughout the night,” Eyob. “When I do my homework the day Carmel said.

Some students use procrastination as a before it is due I usually feel very confident method of avoiding responsibilities and un- about the assignment because procrastination does not seem to have a negative effect wanted tasks. “[I procrastinate because] I personally on my grades. In turn I usually procrastihave difficulty with pressuring situations nate on most assignments,” Eyob said.

McMillan offers reasons behind her and difficulty dealing with responsibility, even though long term, I know it has nega- procrastination problems she experienced tive effects,” sophomore Estelle Ostroff said. while a student in school.

“I have come to realize that most of the “[Procrastination] provides short-term relief and distraction from things I feel I can’t things I procrastinate are things that I feel some kind of anxiety about. In school, I deal with.”

1

think I was afraid of not doing well enough preparing for it as soon as I have recovered on my papers or maybe I was afraid of being from any other big assignments or tests I judged for my ideas or how well I explained was previously studying for. I definitely do or defended them,” McMillan said. “I think not leave all my studying and work for the that somewhere mixed in with my anxiety night before it is due.” is also probably some perfectionism. I want In order to stay focused, sophomore my work to be perfect, and I know it can’t Debi Smith said she stays away from the ever be, so I put off doing it because I am computer. putting off confronting my own imperfec“I know as soon as I have my Internet tions or being disappointed in myself.” open I’ll be tempted to message my friends According to www.psychologytoday. and go onto Facebook,” Smith said. com, procrastination can have a lasting imMcMillan offers suggestions to students pact on one’s health and immune system. dealing with procrastination. She suggests “Just over the course of a single academic that setting aside rewards for doing work on term, procrastinating college students [ex- time or even ahead of time can help some hibited] evidence of compromised immune people. Also, having a schedule and sticking systems [such] as more colds and flu, and to it is useful. gastrointestinal problems,” the site stated.

“I would encourage students to try tellShapiro said he feels sick when he does ing themselves that they don’t need to be not get much sleep because of procrastina- perfect in their work, just to do their best. tion.

I think recognizing the anxiety or fear, you “Every morning I feel tired, and if I go an are feeling is important because once you entire week without getting enough sleep, name it, then you can figure out a way to due to procrastination, I begin feeling sick. deal with those feelings, which helps with Sometimes my tiredness can lead to a sick the procrastination and sometimes with feeling similar to that of a cold,” Shapiro other things related to those feelings,” Mcsaid.

Millan said.

Senior Evan Szymkowicz offers an explanation for the negative results that procrastination Identify your type of procrastination : causes.

“When it gets really late, you start to care more about Self-Doubt - These people feel there are rigid standards about how things ought to be done, and finishing assignments and they fear they will fail. They second-guess themless about doing well on selves and delay taking action. them. You start to cut corners, and when you get the Discomfort Dodging - These people avoid activiassignment back you see ties that will cause them distress, discomfort or mistakes that you would not anxiety. Rather ironically, the act of dodging have made with more time the activity doesn’t make it go away, so tensions to do it,” Szymkowicz said. mount because of this avoidance.

However, there are plenty of students who choose to Guilt-Driven - These people feel guilty over tasks not procrastinate. undone, but rather then correct the original lack “I’m a very organized of action, they continue to procrastinate in order person, [which] helps a lot,” to not face up to the feelings of guilt. freshman Rina Bardin said.

“If I have a test, I’ll start Habitual - These people procrastinate so often that

2

it becomes an ingrained response. They no longer think about why they do it, they feel it’s just a part of themselves. It becomes an automatic response to say, “This is too hard,” “I’m too tired,” or to laugh it off as a character flaw.

Source: http://depression.about. com/cs/selfhelp/a/procrastination.htm

Guess Who? A. Jonathan Cannon

B. Roz Landy C. David Solomon D. Michael Kay

3

4

1-C, 2-D, 3-B, 4-A

B

Answers:

ars

photo courtesy of David Solomon, Roz Landy, Jonathan Cannon and Michael Kay

graphic by Noah Zweben

I

n depth

December 7, 2010

Page 10

Shades of Gray: Teen

by Michael Greenberg In Depth editor Sometimes, there is a trigger to Brittany Johnson’s* depression.

Other times... it just comes. Unlike most of her peers, who have phases of sadness that last for a few hours or for several days at most, Johnson has clinical depression, which can sink her into an abyss of sadness for up to a month at a time. “[Depression is] just part of who I am,” she said.

Though colloquially, the term “depressed” is often used to convey feeling down, annoyed or mildly saddened, clinical depression, according to the Mayo Clinic, is “more than just a bout of the blues. Depression is not a weakness, nor is it something that you can simply ‘snap out’ of. Depression is a chronic illness that usually requires long-term treatment.”

The personal stories “It feels awful, I can barely get out of bed. I don’t want to eat. I lose a lot of weight,” Johnson said. She has been battling manicdepressive bipolar disorder, as well as clinical depression, for four years.

Her manic-depressive bipolar disorder, which she said she inherited from her grandfather, unpredictably brings her emotions to serene highs and nearly unbearable lows. One of Johnson’s coping methods is self-seclusion—it is calming and puts her at ease.

Besides that, she said she sees a therapist and also frequents a psychiatrist who prescribes her palliative medicines.

In addition to suffering from manicdepressive bipolar, Johnson said that some life circumstances also contribute to her depression.

“My whole life I’ve sort of felt like a little bit of an outsider,” Johnson said. “I don’t always fit in right away. My school friends—I don’t really hang out with them outside [of school] and sometimes that’s a cause of pain because, you know, I want to feel close to people at school. Sometimes I lay the blame on myself that I can’t do more and that I don’t know how to fit in, and that also contributes [to my depression].”

Still, Johnson said she has been able to forge close friendships outside of school through her youth group and in her neighborhood. She said her neighbor from down the street is her best friend “in every sense of the word,” and together, they are “two in tandem.”

Johnson’s friend is often able to come over at a moment’s notice and is willing to talk to her and comfort her when she is depressed.

Aside from these social factors, Johnson said her depression is exacerbated by the amount of work that she has (she is in some honors and scholars level classes and participates in extracurricular activities), and during the months of January and February, which she describes as “dark,” “dreary,” and “gloomy.” The latter ailment is called Seasonal Affective Disorder, which can cause annual depression, often during the winter, for people affected by it.

Johnson is not alone. Since eighth grade, sophomore Mariah Finkelstein said she has also been facing depression, a condition to which she, too, said she is genetically predisposed. She describes every day as “sad, heavy and boring” and “just like the next.”

One especially malignant aspect of Finkelstein’s case of depression is that it began around the same time that she developed insomnia. The combination of the two problems produces a perni-

cious synergy—as her insomnia makes her increasingly weary, Finkelstein’s depression gets worse, which leads her to even more restless nights, and thus, even more severe depression.

Finkelstein began medication in mid-November, and because it is a long-term treatment, she is not yet sure of the effect.

A third student, Martha Parson,* felt that conflicts between she, her family and friends are the main causes of her depression. She also said that teasing and bullying directed at her have a large role in triggering her depression, a condition that she sees as ongoing in her life.

Despite her feelings, Parson said she has not yet sought professional help. “My mom and other people wanted me to try therapy, but I just never got around to it,” she said.

During her emotional lows, Parson said she takes to asking herself questions such as “Why am I living?” and “What’s the point of me being here?” Parson said she has not contemplated suicide. However, another student within the school, Jack Angler,* said that he has.

“I wrote a really long note, tried to figure out how to kill myself. [I] brought a knife to my wrist a few times but never actually cut myself,” Angler said. “Overdosing on pills was an option that I didn’t try because that can take a lot of time and hurt a lot—jumping off a building always seemed like the smartest move . . . [but] with most large buildings, the windows, you can charge at them, [but] they’re so strong that they won’t break.”

Angler said he has gradually begun to feel better and is no longer suicidal.

Angler said that in the evenings, he often becomes thoughtful and pensive, and reflects on the happenings of his day.

During these periods, Angler said he often turns to worrying about how happy he will be in his life.

“It feels awful, I can barely get out of bed.

I don’t want to eat. I lose a lot of weight.”

- Brittany Johnson*

The JDS response Jaime Benheim’s situation, in terms of emotional well-being, is similar to that of most CESJDS students. Benheim said she regularly faces work overloads and high levels of stress, which often lead to late-night study marathons and exhausted days in school.

Benheim said that like most teenagers, she faces emotional difficulties at times, but is not clinically depressed.

“It’s not like every single day I come home and have a mental breakdown,” Benheim said. “[But] occasionally, I get upset about things. Occasionally, I get sad.”

Many JDS students, Benheim included, get frustrated and upset by academic stress. This typical aspect of high school life does not generally lead to depression.

Whether stress does contribute to depression can depend on whether students feel that they are succeeding academically, are overwhelmed or believe they are unable to complete their myriad tasks. Whether academic stress can become depression also relates to the external affairs of the individual student’s life, guidance counselor Rachel Soifer said.

“The pressure to succeed and be the best in all areas can be very taxing, especially for teenagers who are already going through so many hormonal changes,” physical education teacher Tamsyn Ryan-McLaren said.

T h e three main catalysts of stress and depression, according to RyanMcLaren, are burdensome and unmanageable workloads, social drama or isolation and issues relating and family life. She said she sees all three of these issues JDS students.

However, Ryan-McLaren said that although depression ness that can be caused by uncontrollable factors, there are which students can mitigate, or even fully alleviate the sym This can be accomplished through the help of strong and ive community members, helpful guidance counselors, app medications and even sympathetic teachers.

Where students seek comfort

One way in which students can find solace is by shar problems with others. A common place for this is in Hum velopment class, where Ryan-McLaren said she tries to c open and understanding environment in which her stud comfortable talking about depression.

Because of the atmosphere she creates, some students h able to share their problems with the class in an outright Other students, who only reach a moderate level of comf disguise their problems during class discussions as issue friend or a cousin has.

The Statistics: 186 Upper School students surveyed. Results are rounded.

19% of Upper 87% say they 78% say School students say major feel like they have they would go to problems have made them someone to share feel depressed** their problems with **depression was not defined in the survey

a friend with their problems

December 7, 2010

Page 11

in dept

H

n Depression at JDS

Teen Depression: An Overview

By Emily Dworkin Senior Reporter According to the American Psychological Association, about 20 percent of teens will experience at least one episode of depression before completing high school. Between bullying, school work, lack of sleep, familial issues, hormonal changes, genetic predisposition and societal pressures, many teens become overwhelmed and depressed. But when does stress and sadness turn into depression?

Am I depressed?

Many students at JDS also talk to their parents and

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friends.

According to the survey, 78 percent and 58 percent of students, respectively, feel comfortable sharing their problems with these outlets.

“Kids here [at JDS] are more willing to come forward for their friends, and there are many available adult supports and resources here. The teachers are more ready to respond when they have 20 students instead of 40 in a class. And we’re available, and there’s a lot of resources here at school and at home—more so than maybe in another environment,” Soifer said.

Though most cases of depression require some kind of treatment, being diagnosed with the illness does not have to be a determiner of fate. For many, effective coping methods can be enough to remedy, or at least improve, a difficult emotional situation.

“To cope I just draw or play music . . . I just try to express myself somehow,” Finkelstein said. “It’s just something to keep my mind off of things.” * Names have been changed at students’ requests.

Graphic by Noah Zweben Page Design by Ranana Dine

53% say that worry over major

problems has affected their sleep

Everyone feels sad and overwhelmed at times, but there is a fine line between typical sadness and depression. Clinical depression is defined as a mental disorder characterized by low moods that last for a minimum of two weeks. A “low mood” can include feeling angry, irritable, weepy or lethargic, but depression is often not easy to identify.

“In most cases, depression is very subtle. People can walk around with a big smile on their faces and still be depressed . . . The typical signs of being depressed are just [feeling] very down, but a lot of kids have come to me who have no outward signs [of depression] that I can see,” physical education teacher Tamsyn Ryan-McLaren said.

“An important sign is a loss of joy . . . things that used to bring you joy no longer bring you joy. Also, changes in sleeping patterns, sleeping too much, not being able to fall asleep, changes in eating, eating too much or not eating enough, irritability and anger,” guidance counselor Melissa Gartner said.

Determining whether or not someone is actually clinically depressed can be tricky. “[If a situation] is such that it is severely impacting their lives on multiple levels for a prolonged period of time . . . then I think that we’re dealing with something a little bit beyond stress,” Gartner said.

Depression can worsen over time if it is not treated through therapy and/or medication. Without treatment depression can lead to self harm, drug use, harm to others and suicide. Because depression among teens is different than depression among adults, many adults do not recognize the symptoms.

“Adolescents with depression are angrier, and so I find it may look less like depression and people think it’s just anger,” said Dr. Ilana Bar-Levav, a practicing therapist in Rockville and mother of eighth-grader Leah Fogel. “Nationwide, among teens ages 15-19, suicide is the third leading cause of death.”

What causes depression?

While there is no one cause of depression, there

can be many contributing factors. Teens in particular are prone to depression due to the stresses inflicted upon them in school and social relationships.

Along with upsetting events, stress often serves as a prompt to depression.

“Stress is just something that exists on the outside that can cause pressure—depression is an illness. . . stress is often a trigger to depression but doesn’t necessarily cause it,” Bar-Levav said. “Sometimes the things that unmask depression is when there’s a lot of external threats . . . stress triggers depression.”

In addition, many teens are more vulnerable to depression due to low self-esteem.

“Teenagers are just learning what that self of self is about. The brain doesn’t fully mature until about age 25,” Bar-Levav said.

Also, depression often correlates with the time of year.

“There are certain times of the year . . . that can be more sensitive … seasonally, you can watch how your moods vary, around the holidays is a time when a lot of people go through changes in feelings [because of] more family stress,” guidance counselor Rachel Soifer said. “When the work bunches up, whether it’s the end of the semester or the end of the trimester, or the end of finals, when stress is mounting for kids might be times to pay extra attention to how you’re doing, make sure you’re getting enough sleep, and that you’re eating well and taking care of your basic needs.”

Coping Whether it is depression or overwhelming stress, it is crucial for all teens to develop healthy coping mechanisms. “[Coping strategies are] different for every student . . . for some students it’s exercise and EC [extracurricular] activity, journaling, talking with friends, taking a bath, getting a massage, it could be a wide variety of things,” Gartner said.

In addition, speaking to a guidance counselor, parent or other adult is often beneficial. There are also numerous therapy techniques used to treat depression. A commonly used technique by therapists is called cognitive-behavioral therapy, a type of psychotherapy that focuses on patterns of thinking and how those patterns affect emotion.

“There are lots of ways to get help, but you’re not going to know what they are if you’re holding everything in, but there does have to be that first step of telling someone that you trust,” Soifer said.

Other ways to alleviate depression symptoms include getting more sleep, eating healthier foods and building strong friendships.

Resources for Teen Depression

If you think you or a friend may be depressed, talking to your guidance counselor, parents or friends can be a good way to start getting help. Or, find more information on the Web: http://kidshealth.org/ http://www.teensuicide.us/ http://www.apa.org/topics/depress/index.aspx http://www.thekeltyfoundation.org/index.html http://www.aacap.org/cs/Depression.ResourceCenter http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/depression/index.shtml Tree and Bird image, in order, from: http://karenswhimsy.com/public-domain-images/tree-silhouettes/images/tree-silhouettes-1.jpg http://depts.washington.edu/natmap/facts/red-winged_blackbird_sil.jpg

F

eatures

December 7, 2010

Page 12

The Lion’s Tale asks: Is there diversity at JDS?

by Meryl Kravitz Features Editor

Asaf Wurmbrand, junior - Israeli

Everybody is Jewish, so we can’t be that diverse. Just because most of the people in the school are white, does not mean that others are excluded. Race is not a big thing.

Our school is not racially diverse, but that does not mean people judge each other because of race. I don’t think there are cliques based on photo by Alex Zissman race at JDS. Our community is very non-judgmental and I have never been excluded because of my race. Sometimes I am made fun of because of my race, but it is in a joking way.

I don’t get insulted by it because they aren’t serious about it. ... At least I hope not.

Matthew Goodman, junior African-American

There is diversity at JDS, but I wouldn’t call JDS’s community a “diverse” one.

The community is mostly white, and we are all Jewish. I do’t think there are any social cliques based on the same racial background. I don’t think students in our community base friendships based on race. Race photo by Alex Zissman is an irrelevant factor in a friendship. People are never excluded because of race. Our community is very inclusive, and I have never seen kids bully one another because of race.

Sure, there are jokes made about being a different race, but these jokes are friendly. I have never been excluded for not being white, and I’ve never seen anyone else excluded for not being white.

Gabriel Wilk, senior - Mexican

Since biblical times, people have always pondered God’s existence. Students at CESJDS are no exception to this.

Religion classes give students the opportunity to learn about and discuss God in a Jewish context.

“JDS has educated me well about the Jewish ideas on God. So when I decided to become an atheist, I wasn’t making a blind opinion,” sophomore Mariah Finkelstein said.

Finkelstein says she believes that God is simply “a figment of imagination.”

“The way there are so many conflicting religions, I just don’t see God being a real thing,” she said.

Finkelstein is not alone in her beliefs. Senior Daniel Azhdam has grown up in an observant family and said his dad was not happy when Azhdam told him he was an atheist. Azhdam said his decision came as a result of him growing up.

“When you’re a kid, you believe in the tooth fairy, but you grow out of it. But most people

by Haley Cohen and Meryl Kravitz Features Editors

I think there is racial diversity, but you can’t confuse race and culture. We all have similar cultures, so racial aspects like the way we look and talk don’t create social barriers. Race can be how to define someone initially, but I don’t think it has an effect on friends. Israeli groups of friends form because they photo by Alex Zissman are culturally similar. They are also racially similar, but someone with Israeli parents born in the U.S. would fit in culturally with the rest of the school. Sometimes I’ll be made fun of for being Mexican. Only a few times the jokes were offensive. Our school has never been exclusive to me.

Hayley Cohen, sophomore Caucasian

I honestly don’t think that JDS is diverse at all.

Some people view that as a bad thing, but the purpose of Jewish day school is to create a Jewish student population, which in and of itself is not diverse. The only clique based on race that I can think of that could actually function in this school is an Israeli one because photo by Sam Hofman there is just not enough other people of a minority ethnicity to create a clique. But an Israeli clique is, I think, based on the fact that new kids want to group together and have something familiar. I don’t think that people are excluded because of their race, but then again, that may only be because there isn’t enough diversity to exclude.

Atheist students explain perspectives

by Haley Cohen Features Editor

Getting to know Lupe Meija

photo by Alex Zissman

Safety first Meija directs traffic as sophomore Noa Levin crosses the street. Meija helps ensure that students are safe when arriving at and leaving school.

Q: How long have you been working at JDS? A: I’ve been working at JDS for 10 years.

Q: Where are you originally from?

A: I’m from El Salvador.

Q: How is living in America different from life in El Salvador?

A: Life is very difficult in El Salvador. I like it there, but I also like it here. All of my family is here including my two daughters.

Q: What is the best part of your job?

A: My favorite is doing carpool and security because everybody is friendly. I like seeing everyone come into school.

Q: What is your favorite aspect of the JDS community?

A: I like to see everybody. Everybody is so smiley. I feel close with the students and the teachers, I like seeing them every day. I’m so happy to meet everyone here.

don’t grow out of God. But as I Torah is more effective than havbecame more knowledgeable, I ing an intellectual discussion. minds of some students, others did,” Azhdam said.

“I don’t subscribe to long are more set in their way. “One Similarly to Finkelstein, Azhdebates about God’s existence. of my problems with religion is it dam credits JDS for giving him People need to see the beauty of teaches you to be satisfied with enough background knowledge Torah. People need emotion not answers that aren’t even really to make his decision. just intellectual discussions,” he answers at “[The school] taught me about “All of us are really just trying to answer the ques- all. There’s a lack of creationism and tion of how we came to be and why we’re here.” e v i d e n c e . how we humans — Daniel Azhdam, senior Logic and are created by science are God. But it’s remy main ally something reasons to called evolution. I have learned said. not believe,” Azhdam said. some good moral lessons, but I If learning Torah alone is not Because their beliefs differ feel like most of them are already enough for a student to feel infrom the typical Jewish idea of decided by society and religion formed, Slater will explain his God, going to a Jewish school just re-emphasizes them,” he said. reasoning behind God’s exisis not always easy for atheists.

Jewish Text, Thought and tence.

When asked what he would like Practice teacher Reuvane Slater “I try to explain that because to change about the Judaic ashas seen a rise in students choosthe world is so complicated, it pects of JDS, Azhdam replied, ing to be atheists. must have a designer. The same “Not having to wear a kippah “In each class I’d say 20 perway a computer has a designer. because I view it as a piece of cent of students claim to be Intricate things beg a designer. I cloth with no value.” He also feels atheists. I find [especially] with try to use people’s own logic to that attending minyan should be younger students, it’s [seen as] discuss it with them. If they unoptional so that students who posh to be atheist,” Slater said. derstand a computer’s design, I choose not to pray don’t have to While Slater said that some try to make it comparable. I tell sit through minyan. Finkelstein students are firm in their decithem to at least be open to disalso chooses not to pray, but she sion and he can not change their cussing this the same way you does participate in Jewish holimind, if a student is willing, would discuss any life or death or days and Shabbat.

Slater will discuss their reasoning topic,” Slater said.

“I just go along with it bewith them. However, Slater said While having a discussion or cause it’s culture. But I will not that in these situations learning learning Torah may change the

pray,” she said.

While Azhdam and Finkelstein believe that God does not exist, there are other students who believe in the possibility of God’s existence.

Junior Rachel Cotton is one of these students.

“There’s just as much reason to believe in God as there is to not believe in God,” she said.

Like Cotton, junior Sara Barth is skeptical about God’s existence.

“I don’t necessarily not believe in God, but I don’t like the feeling that my life isn’t in my control. I feel that people who are [sure that God exists] are looking for an easy answer,” Barth said.

Slater acknowledges Barth’s response as a common one.

“For some God may be an [easy answer]. People may rely on God as a crutch. But it’s a wobbly crutch unless there’s something backing it up in desperate times,” Slater said.

While both sides may not agree, Azhdam sums up both perspectives in a simple sentence.

“All of us are really just trying to answer the question of how we came to be and why we’re here.”

Page 13

December 7, 2010

S

feature

You don’t snooze, you lose

Sleep deprivation takes its toll on school performance during the day

are tired the whole day, and you have no energy. When I sleep a little, I get really hyper in the morning and then I crash really early. Sometimes I get really bad headaches,” Every morning at 7:00 a.m., sophomore Haile Wilk said.

Zola jumps out of bed, gets dressed, and grabs Sleep can also affect one’s mood. Sophomore Avichai something to eat in the car on her way to school.

Ozur Bass experiences the emotional effects of sleep Zola sleeps late in the morning to regain a few exdeprivation. tra minutes of sleep after going to bed at midnight “When I don’t get a lot of sleep, I’m grumpier,” Ozur the night before.

Bass said.

“I get to bed whenever I’m done with homework,” Throughout middle and high school, the guidance Zola said. department focuses on educating students about health Zola is one of many students who stay up late to and wellness, emphasizing different aspects in differfinish their homework. The Lion’s Tale conducted a ent grades. survey of 385 Upper School studentsto determine In tenth grade, the department concentrates on their sleep habits and the effects of sleep deprivathe importance on sleep. tion on their daily lives.

“In tenth grade, the whole high school experience Seventy-nine percent of students checked becomes more intense. We are concerned that with “Homework” as a factor that keeps them up at so many demands on a student’s time, we don’t want night. them to sacrifice their health,” Soifer said.

Extracurricular activities can also push bedEnsuring that students get enough sleep is one of times back. Participating in clubs and after-school the guidance department’s goals. activities limits the amount of time students have “I think it’s a great idea to remind kids that takto complete their homework. ing care of themselves is just as important, if not more “I’ll have rehearsal and then go straight to a capimportant, pella. I won’t be home until eight, and then I have than all the other accomplishments and goals that to eat dinner, have to do other things. Then all of they have in school and in life,” Soifer said. a sudden I realize I have so much homework left,” Despite the awareness gained through these projunior Eden Katz said. grams, sometimes work load and time constraints preHomework and other after-school activities are vent students from taking the recommended actions. not the sole contributors to students’ late bedtimes.

“The information they told us at the grade meeting Sometimes, the culprit is Facebook. Forty-nine perabout sleep was helpful, but some nights I just have so cent of students said that Facebook impacted their much work that I feel like I have no choice but to bedtimes. Facebook, as well as video games, readjust stay up until I finish it,” Zola said. ing, watching TV and other forms of entertainment The administration has taken measures to adcause students to go to sleep at later hours, according dress students’ insufficient sleep by implementto the survey. ing guidelines on the amount of work a teacher “I have a lot of homework because of the toughness of art by Noah Zweben can assign. my course load, and I also procrastinate too much.

“Over time the school has tried to reduce the Those two together cause me to go to sleep really night owls Between homework and Facebook, it is usual for a student homework load and really take a close look. It’s late,” junior Alex Halpern said. to be awake until early in the morning. Forty-nine percent of students not something that is ignored, it is something that Guidance counselor Rachel Soifer said that pro- identified Facebook as a large contributer to sleep deprivation. the teachers, faculty and administration take sericrastination is unavoidable. ously, ” Soifer said.

“In the past, I’ve often seen seniors falling asleep, espe“It is not reasonable to cut out 100 percent of One thing the school does to reduce stress is to limit the procrastination or having fun or whatever those things are cially when they are doing college applications and schoolamount of work that students can be assigned. work.

They don’t know how to balance that extra work, ” that might seem like wasting time. You can’t be ‘on’ 100 perThe 2010-2011 Student Handbook says that, “Students in McMillan said. cent of the time,” Soifer said. the Upper School may have a maximum of two tests, two maLack of sleep affects one’s physical health.

The school The combined effects of homework, extracurricular acjor assignments due or a test and a major assignment/project nurse, Bette Hoover, said some students complain about tivities and procrastination make it difficult for students to due on one day. ” sleep deprivation. get enough sleep. The National Sleep Foundation recomThe administration also gives extension passes to high “About six or seven students come in every day with mends that teenagers sleep at least nine and a quarter hours school students to extend their deadlines for assignments complaints about not getting enough sleep, ” Hoover said. per night. This research shows that there is a direct correlaand tests.

Students may postpone extended assignments for “Often times they have symptoms like headaches or gention between the amount of sleep one gets and one’s acaup to a week. eral complaints that I can usually trace back to not getting demic performance in school. In the Lion’s Tale survey, 95 Sophomore Molly Schneider used an extension pass for a percent of students reported that, on average, they get less enough sleep.” science test.

Sophomore Andrea Wilk said she suffers the natural than the recommended 9.25 hours of sleep per night. The “I was going away for the weekend and I knew I didn’t consequences of sleep deprivation. most common bedtime among students that participated in have time to study before the test. I would have had to stay up “If you don’t sleep you can’t really concentrate, and you the survey was 11:00 p.m. late on Sunday night to Sleep deprivation can affect be able to have time to Why Do You Stay Up Late? one’s academic performance in study and I didn’t want How Many Hours of Sleep Do You Get A Night? school. to stay up late to study In an article titled “All About because it would be in100% Sleep” on www.kidshealth.org, effective to study late at Dr. Steven A. Dowshen, a pedi79% night, ” Schneider said.

80% atric endocrinologist, wrote that Sophomore Hayley 33% sleep deprivation in teenagers can 31% 60% Cohen said she recog49% 49% lead to “decreased attentiveness, nizes both the need 38% decreased short-term memory, 40% 33% 33% for balance in students’ 28% 26% inconsistent performance, and de22% 20% lives, and challenges of 20% 14% 13% layed response time.” achieving that balance.

Katz notices the effects of sleep 11% 0% “I don’t think that it’s 14% deprivation in her inability to con5% 3% impossible to find a balcentrate in class.

Homework Facebook 2% ance [between studying “If I don’t get sleep during the Texting Hanging out and sleep].

Despite the night I will not concentrate. I can’t TV Eating 4 Hours 5 Hours possibility, I don’t think concentrate in class and that sucks Reading Video Games it’s likely for the majority 6 Hours 7 Hours Insomnia Sports because then you lose information of students to be getting Extra-curricular Activities Other 8 Hours 9 Hours that you need for a quiz,” Katz said. the amount of sleep that Lack of sleep can lead to stu10 Hours they should when the dents’ catching up on sleep durpressure from school reGraph by Devin Yolles ing class. Throughout her career, Graph by Devin Yolles mains the same,” Cohen Jewish Text, Thought and Practice Why students are going to bed late In the survey, average hours students sleep each night Masaid. teacher Grace McMillan has no- students were asked to indicate reasons for going to jority of students say that they get eight hours of ticed students falling asleep in her bed late. Homework was selected as the leading consleep. Only 11 percent of students get the recomtributer to students’ sleep deprivation. class. mended nine hours of sleep.

by Elana Schrager and Samantha Weiner Senior Reporters

Why so tired?

Counting sheep

December 7, 2010

Page 14

Socializing strengthens Jewish identity Youth groups enrich student life

by Emily Dworkin Senior Reporter With Hebrew classes, Jewish text classes, Jewish history classes and minyan, CESJDS students have plenty of exposure to Judaism. Yet, many students are also involved in Jewish youth groups outside of school.

“It’s kind of like my safe haven,” junior Sarah Barth said. “When I started in a new school and things were never settled at home, it was always the one place I could go to. I can actually be myself there.”

Barth has been a member of the B’nai Brith Youth Organization (BBYO) since eighth grade and is currently a member-in-training mom for her chapter, Beth Kadima.

While serving as a place to escape social conflicts at school and at home, she feels it also helps her to confront these issues.

“Being in BBYO helped build my confidence. Freshman year I was awkward, but because of BBYO, I learned to accept who I am and work it to my advantage,” Barth said.

Though some students, like Barth, benefit from the Saturday night programs and Monday night meetings offered in BBYO, others feel it is too time consuming. Senior Scott Kevy chose to join United Synagogue Youth (USY) over BBYO. “I wanted to have more variety of events and more of a social life, BBYO has events every weekend but USY [is] more spread out,” Kevy

said. He has been co-president of his chapter, Kehilat Shalom, since he was a sophomore.

The religious aspect of these youth groups also allows students to explore their Judaism in a different way than in school.

“It’s more spirited, unlike at school, people are there because they want to be,” senior Sarah Segal, co-president of B’nai Shalom of Olney’s chapter, said. “They find ways to make it connect to you. They make it so you find Judaism in your own way rather than having it given to you.”

“I liked how at [the] Fall Conventions for example for the Sunday morning services there was music and videos added into the service to keep the energy higher, and there were teens playing their instruments throughout the service and moving all around the room,” Kevy said.

Junior David Dabrow, a member of National Conference of Synagogue Youth (NCSY), founded in 1954 by the Orthodox Union, spends his Thursday nights at “Latte and Learning,” where he sips Starbucks coffee and listens with his friends to someone speak about Judaism.

“I feel more in touch with my Judaism in NCSY because I’m not in a structured educational environment,” Dabrow said. “Because I’m with my friends, it makes me sort of live it.”

Middle School celebrates the miracle of lights

by Emily Shoyer Reporter

photo courtesy of Adam Hammerman

jammin’ jew style Junior Jonathan Zuckerman plays guitar at the USY Fall Convention on Nov. 21 during their Sunday morning service, “Sunday Shacharit Live.” He played along for the service in front of an audience of USY members.

Middle-school students kicked off Hanukkah in style at the Knesset Hanukkah party on Friday, Dec. 3 during ninth period.

The celebration took place in the cafeteria. Students ate Hanukkah treats, played games and danced to the music of a disc jockey. The party was planned and sponsored by the middle-school Knesset.

Last year, the Knesset used time during clubs and after school to have the party.

The Knesset used class time for the event.

This year, class time was used. Knesset member eighth-grader David Kulp said that this year they wanted to do something different.

“Last year, we did it after school and during clubs and the kids didn’t enjoy it,” Kulp said. “So we thought it would be fun to take the kids out of class this year.”

Students were looking forward to the party and the Hanukkah season.

“I think the party will be a good way to bring the middle school together,” eighthgrader Abigail Israel said. “And a great way to kick off Hanukkah.”

For the seventh-graders, the party will be a new experience.

“I am excited for Hanukkah,” seventhgrader Zoey Bennaim said prior to the event. “I have never been to a school Hanukkah party so I am excited to see what that will be like.”

The Hanukkah party was the first joint event this year for the middle-school students.

“We really just want the kids to have fun,” Knesset member eighth-grader Danielle Galitzer said.

Rallying for Gilad Shalit’s release photo courtesy of www.habanim.org

by Arielle Panitch and Eitan Sayag Senior Reporter and Chadashot Editor Approximately 30 CESJDS students participated in a rally on the National Mall to mark Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit’s 1600th day of captivity by terrorists in Gaza.

The rally, “1600 for 1600,” which took place on Thursday, Nov. 11 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., was primarily organized by the Zionist Organization of America’s University of Maryland chapter. The Washington Jewish Week estimates that there were over 1,000 people at the rally.

JDS’ Club Israel helped publicize the rally in school during the week prior to it. The members put fliers on the lockers, passed out slips of paper with information about the rally before and after school, made announcements on the loudspeaker and made posters to take to the rally.

A group of about 10 students traveled to the rally together on the metro after school.

“I loved going to the Gilad Shalit rally and I loved traveling with JDS to get to the rally,” Club Israel member sophomore Katie Hamelburg said. “Being able to hold a sign made me feel that I was part of the Jewish community.”

“It’s an issue that lots of kids know about.

It’s an issue that’s important for Israel,” Club

Israel member seof Israeli Ambassador Michael nior Laura Avigan Oren. Oren was originally said. “Lots of kids scheduled to speak, but was came, people were unable to, due to Prime enthusiastic to Minister Bibi Netanyahu’s come and I think trip. that we did raise “I spoke with Gilad’s faawareness ther, Noam throughout Shalit, this the commumornnity.” ing, and There he is were many perspeakers, insoncluding JDS ally parents. David Bernstein, a professor at George Mason University and father of eighthgrader Joshua Bernstein, spoke.

Deputy Ambassador to the Unitphoto by Eitan Sayag ed States, Dan Arbell, father of junior Hila Arbell and fresh- supporting our soldier Juniors Aviva Weinstein and Arielle Schoenman Gil Arbell, burg show their support for the release of Gilad Shalit at a rally on Nov. spoke in place 11. The members of Club Israel brought signs to the rally.

touched by this special gesture of young Americans coming together on the National Mall to raise awareness about his son’s perilous situation,” Dan Arbell said, according to the report in the Israeli newspaper, Ha’aretz.

“To hear of young people traveling across the U.S. gathering in Washington on behalf of Gilad is a sincere commitment.”

There was also a small counter-protest by pro-Palestinian demonstrators to call attention to Palestinian prisoners in Israel.

Shalit’s captivity is a controversial issue within Israel because of Hamas’ demand for approximately 1,000 Palestinian prisoners to in exchange for Shalit. Many of the prisoners are accused murderers and terrorists. Hamas has rejected previous offers by the Israeli government for a prisoner swap.

“It’s a really tough issue. Obviously there are advantages to both sides and disadvantages,” Avigan said. “I am honestly undecided.”

In the future, Club Israel hopes to plan other events to bring attention to this moral dilemma that grips Israeli society.

“As a future soldier in the Israeli army it is important for me to support Gilad Shalit,” junior Asaf Wurmbrand, who attended the rally, said. “Because I would like the same to be done for me if I was in that situation.”

December 7, 2010

Page 15

Conversation is key in Judaic courses “I love that class because it gives me the opportunity to express my view point on certain issues, and the class is relaxed and not stressful,” freshman Leah Imagine walking into your ninth period class and Schaperow said. finding a blank white slip of paper at your seat. You Jewish Text, Thought and Practice teacher Rabbi turn the paper over and see the name of a woman. The Reuvane Slater teaches Jewish law to sophomores. The card informs you that she is pregnant and single, with goal of his class is to break down a student’s day Halathree children waiting for her at home. Your teacher chically. then asks each of your classmates to read their slips of “Jewish Law is very discussion-based, and I love paper. that because There is a ninesometimes you “Jewish Law is very discussion-based, and I learn year-old boy, a more baby girl, a worklove that because sometimes you learn more through discusing father and his sions and heartwo kids. You are through discussion and hearing other people’s ing other people’s told that these peoopinions than [through] only taking notes.” opinions than ple were in a boat —Gabriella Amige, sophomore [through] only crash and there are taking notes,” only enough supsophomore Gaplies to save nine out of the 15 people. briella Amige said.

Whom do you choose?

Slater also teaches a Talmud course called Musar for In Ethical Dilemmas I, taught by Matthew Lipman, juniors. The course asks students to analyze five human each student is given a scenario in which there are only character traits­—self esteem, anger, truth, jealousy and enough supplies to save nine out of 15 people from enthusiasm. The students then explore these traits uscertain death. They are given each person’s name, age, ing the stories in the Torah. family history and ambitions. The students are then Musar students were asked to keep a lie log. They told to face this problem using logic instead of their had to write down any lie or any moment in which they emotions. exaggerated the truth during a three-day period. This Lipman’s freshman Ethical Dilemmas class is in- project revealed to them how many times they tell a tended to give the students an opportunity to discuss little lie or exaggerate throughout the day without even and formulate their own opinions about some of the realizing it. very difficult and complicated issues in the world to“I think it was a very creative, but difficult assignday. It is also a way for the students to look as these ment,” junior Nechama Nelson said. issues from a Jewish perspective.

Students appreciate the relaxed atmosphere of some Lipman teaches his class by having students partici- Judaic classes after their often stressful secular subjects. pate in deep discussion about a certain issue and listen “I like connecting Judaism to my life, and I like havto each other’s arguments. ing a break from my secular courses,” Amige said.

Israelis visit for a reverse mifgash

by Sydney Solomon Reporter

The Kislev assembly’s got rhythm

by Briana Felsen Chadashot Editor

Rosh Chodesh Kislev was celebrated by students who performed pieces by Jewish American composers, the program was called “The American Songbook.” The second Rosh Chodesh celebration was held on Monday, Nov. 8.

The theme of the program was the importance of a JewishAmerican identity. Many students said they enjoyed seeing their friends on stage.

“I thought it was really good.

It was very community-based. I really liked how it was a whole high school assembly and it gave everyone the chance to appreciate the arts,” junior Nicole Nabat-

khorian said. “Also I really feel like the school is more appreciative of the arts because they are integrating it more into the programs.”

The songs included “The Hills Are Alive,” from The Sound of Music, and “You Can Close Your Eyes,” by Carol King. Some students struggled to see the connection between the assembly and Rosh Chodesh Kislev.

“I didn’t really understand how the singing had anything to do with Rosh Chodesh or Jewish identity,” junior Sarah Rubinstein said.

In the place of the Tevet Rosh Chodesh assembly there will be Hanukkah programming.

Additional reporting by Devin Yolles

photo by Alex Zissman

getting jazzy Senior Jake Romm plays saxophone at the Rosh Chodesh Kislev assembly.

photo by Alex Zissman

switching it up An Israeli participant in the Reverse Mifgash program and senior Victor Irony engage in dialogue. They discussed the relationship between the state of Israel and strong Jewish identities.

by Josh Boxerman Managing Editor For the second year running, CESJDS hosted foreign visitors participating in the Reverse Mifgash program.

The program is run through Birthright Israel and the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington. It features Israeli and Russian Jewish young adults who travel with Americans in Israel and then participate in an equivalent trip to the Washington, D.C. area.

As part of their survey of the local Jewish community, the Israeli and Russian Jews on the trip visited JDS on Nov. 10, where they met with seniors taking Israeli related Judaic courses taught by Jewish history teacher Doran Goldstein and Chair of Jewish History and Israel Engagement Aileen Goldstein, who jointly planned the program.

“Our goal was to really have this as a dialogue, but a dialogue that was meaningful,” Aileen Goldstein said. “Most of the focus was on fostering conversation through ‘Agree and Disagree,’ through statements that we put out there that were po-

tentially belief statements but that would also provide fodder for conversation.”

Senior Jonathan Reich, a participant in the program, said he found the experience to be interesting.

“I loved the collaboration between the two groups, how we always think of experiencing their culture, but I never think of them experiencing our culture,” Reich said. “It was neat for them to say how much different it was to live and go to school in America. I have a very strong view toward Israel. I’m very pro, but it was very surprising to see some Israelis say no to some of the questions that I thought were more obvious.”

Aileen Goldstein said that she hopes the student participants will use the program to think about their upcoming class trip to Israel.

“We really hope that this will start to put into your [seniors’] minds new directions for thinking,” she said. “To start really seeing it as an experience for [themselves] in terms of identity and not just for fun and games, which is also important, but that there is something behind it.”

Operation Embrace combats stress for victims of terror

by Eitan Sayag Chadashot Editor

photo by Alex Zissman

teaching under fire Professor Ariel Fedelstein talks to the junior class about living with the constant threat of rockets in Sderot. Fedelstein spoke about how Sapir College was affected by terror attacks.

In response to the deadly Second Intifada, Operation Embrace was founded in 2001 to support victims of terror in Israel. On Nov. 8, speakers from Operation Embrace met with juniors to share their experiences and insight. The speakers included Edna Bahat, Michal Fedelstein and Ariel Fedelstein.

Operation Embrace was founded by Jocelyn Krifcher, mother of senior Galit and freshman Yael, and Anne Clemons, mother of senior Danielle. The founders were also present at the assembly.

Bahat spoke in Hebrew about her experience as the mother and grandmother of suicide bomb victims. Her son was murdered in 2003 in a Haifa restaurant by a bomber, and her grandchildren were severely injured.

“I thought it was very powerful,” junior Arielle Schoenburg said. “I also thought it was really beneficial that it was in Hebrew because she was able to express herself better,

and it was a good medium because we also understood it.”

Michal Fedelstein is a social worker who works with Operation Embrace in Sderot. She told the juniors about the difficulties facing Israelis in Sderot due to the constant threat of rocket attacks. Sderot is a city in southern Israel along the border of the Gaza Strip, which is controlled by the terrorist group, Hamas.

“I was wondering how anyone could ever handle that kind of job,” junior Henry Baron said. “She is a very brave woman for going to work every day with a smile on her face when she’ll be working with people who don’t.”

Ariel Fedelstein, Michal’s husband and a professor at Sapir College in Sderot, spoke about how the rockets have affected his college and the students there.

Operation Embrace has many ongoing projects both in Israel and locally. These include the Adopt-A-Family project, where an American family or community volunteer to partner with and support an Israeli family of terror victims.

They also partner with Bar and Bat Mitzvah-age students for community service projects.

December 7, 2010

Page 16

Discussing the Arab-Israeli conflict

Putting the “Jew” in Jewish

by Eitan Sayag Chadashot Editor

photo by Alex Zissman

looking for a solution Sophomore Jonathan Galitzer listens in Dual Dialogues club and prepares himself for the club discussion about Israeli borders.

by Abigail Birnbaum Reporter Seniors Dov Block, Benjamin Cannon, David Greenberg and Gregory Weiss took advantage of the new initiative for student-run clubs and started Dual Dialogues, a club where students can discuss the Arab-Israeli conflict.

They got the idea for the club after taking the Arab-Israeli Conflict class, which is offered second semester of junior year.

“We thought that it was a shame that [the discussion of the conflict] had to wait to second semester of eleventh grade,” Block said.

“We wanted to bring that to younger grades in high school, so that they can start talking about the conflict and learning about it in a very balanced way and not just from one side of view.”

The club is only for high school students because of the complexity of the issues. There are about 10 members. The club meets on Tuesdays.

The club members discuss a different topic or theme every time they meet. There are also assigned readings so that the students are prepared for the next session.

“So far we’ve tried to basically look at the main core issues in the conflict and present them and try to look at different perspectives on the issues,” Block said.

“The goal and the intention is for the students who are participating to be exposed to multiple perspectives on the narrative of the Arab-Israeli conflict and to really begin to understand some of the challenges involved in the conflict from a much more complex level,” Aileen Goldstein, the club adviser, said.

photo by Alex Zissman

wrapping his tefillin Seventh-grader Ofir Wurmbrand makes tefillin with Rabbi Noah Greenberg. In early November seventh graders made their own sets to help them fulfill the commandment of L’Haniach Tefillin.

Recently, there has been a lot of debate regarding Israel’s identity as a Jewish state. There is now a law being considered which would require new citizens of Israel to pledge their allegiance to a “Jewish and democratic” state. The Israeli government defines the term “Jewish state” as “the nationstate of the Jewish people.” However, it is still a very controversial phrase.

The idea of a Jewish state made me wonder, what makes CESJDS a Jewish school? Is it the Jewish student body, the religious observances, the name “Jewish Day School,” or is it the dual curriculum?

I believe that the significance of JDS as a Jewish school is that it allows each of us to be Jewish and practice however we may choose. We are not told that we must conform to secular society, nor are we told that we must be ritually observant. We are each free to be Jewish in our own way, through the minyan

program, Judaic courses and holiday celebrations. We are encouraged to feel comfortable with our individual choices.

I think that this is extraordinarily important. According to the Jewish Virtual Library there were about 550,000 more American Jews in 1992 than 2006. The American Jewish community is dwindling in numbers, as many Jews are losing their connection. At this point, the United States still has a thriving Jewish community. But I believe that Jewish day schools allow young Jews to solidify their identity and commitment, which is necessary to keep our Diaspora community thriving.

As a Jewish school, JDS teaches us to discover our own beliefs and encourages us to develop a strong bond to Judaism. Every student responds to this opportunity in a unique way. But it is the fact that we are offered this opportunity that makes us a Jewish school. Just as our Jewish state allows us to maintain our religious and national identities, our Jewish school allows us to formulate our individual relationships to Judaism.

Remembering a champion of peace

by Julia Schwalb Reporter As they arrived at school on Nov. 4, students heard solemn Israeli music and saw a flower display with yahrtzeit candles in somber commemoration of former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin’s assassination.

Rabin was killed by a Jewish extremist in 1995 who opposed his policies. Nov. 4 marked 15 years since his assassination.

“It was the 15th-year anniversary of his death, so we wanted to make sure there was a special environment in the school and that people knew,” Club Israel leader senior Miriam Duffy said.

Club Israel adviser Aileen Goldstein and Duffy planned the day.

Goldstein said that although she facilitates the club, all the ideas originate from the students, and she is there for guidance if the students have questions. “One diffi-

culty was that we only had one club period to plan the day,” Goldstein said.

Some students thought an assembly could have been more effective.

“Personally, aside from the announcements, I did not notice anything different than normal about the day commemorating Yitzchak Rabin,” sophomore Hayley Cohen said. “There’s always a table at the front of the school [with] someone selling something or something else, so I don’t think it stood out as something special.”

However, Duffy felt that the memorial merited student interest. “[Rabin’s assassination is] really important to the Israeli people. For them, it is like the assassination of JFK or MLK, and I understand that kids here don’t really feel the connection and don’t really care because they don’t feel the connection, but I expected and was hoping for a little more reaction, but now we know that for the future assemblies are more effective,” Duffy said.

photo by Alex Zissman

rabin memorial day A table was set up in the front of the school on Nov. 4 in memory of Yitzchak Rabin. Club Israel planned the memorial.

December 7, 2010

Page 17

A fresh look at morning minyans

by Briana Felsen Chadashot Editor A new minyan program for Drisha students requires them to visit another minyan once a week in order to experience different methods of worship. In the past, Drisha Minyan has had its own service led by Jewish Text, Thought and Practice teacher Paul Blank.

Many of the students feel that the new program is beneficial because they do not feel like they are placed in a minyan that they do not want to be in or participate in. Most students enjoy the visits because they are not stuck in their minyan.

The students have a fresh experience every morning.

“I like the new program because it allows more flexibility

and the old one wasn’t working too well anyway,” junior Alex Tritell said. “No one was participating.”

“I like the idea in theory, but not so much in practice.

Some of the kids are respectful of our minyan rules, but others disregard them and have no interest in participating,” said High School Egalitarian Minyan leader and science teacher Laura Jacobs.

Teachers need to make sure that everything with their minyan regulars run smoothly. The teacher has to make sure that the Drisha students fully understand what is going on in the minyan with the customs and the day to day routines.

Some students will never be satisfied with praying in minyan, it does not matter where they are or what setting they are in, sophomore Dmitri Shufutinsky said.

“I don’t like visiting other minyans because I don’t like praying. I mean isn’t that the point of Drisha? To be for the kids who don’t like praying? ... It just feels like the school is trying to change out minds and make us more ‘Jewish,’” Shufutinsky said.

Sophomore Gabriella Amige said, “I don’t enjoy visiting other minyans because I don’t feel like I have a connection to structured prayer and I don’t want to be invasive or distracting to other minyans.”

“I think there should be more art by Noah Zweben freedom of where

photo by Alex Zissman

praying her heart out Junior Ilana Hirsch davens with tefillin and talit in the Traditional Egal Minyan.

Traditional Egal gives students the opportunity to participate in more rigorous prayer in an egalitarian setting.

students get to see different ways of prayer and get different minyan experiences. Students can also find a new minyan that they would feel comfortable joining and praying with on a regular basis.

“I think that it is an interesting concept and has a lot of benefits in really allowing you to see the daily acts of community in a way I didn’t know, like [I] didn’t know how amazing Sephardic minyan was until a couple of days ago,” Roark said.

B’nai Mitzvah Tzedakah Project

Shabbatons help grades bond and come closer together

by Michael Greenberg and Scott Goldstein In Depth Editor and Senior Reporter

by Jonathan Block Reporter Both the junior and senior classes recently had their annual Shabbaton retreats.

The senior Shabbaton was held on Nov. 12-13 at Capital Camps and Retreat Center. The seniors roasted marshmallows at a bonfire after havdalah. Students led sessions related to the class theme, Ner Tamid.

The junior Shabbaton gave students freedom to walk around New York City during the afternoon on Saturday, Nov. 20. The Shabbaton lasted from Nov. 1921. Upon arrival, they were given the opportunity to explore the Upper West Side with a scavenger hunt.

The theme was the American-Jewish community. In order to stick to this theme, the students went to services at local synagogues of their choice. Some of these synagogues had historical significance in the American-Jewish community.

Students had the option of spending their Saturday afternoon in Central Park.

“I really liked relaxing and bonding with all my friends in Central Park,” junior Alex Tritell said. “I became closer with people who I didn’t know as well beforehand,.”

After havdalah, the class attended the

we want to go once a week,” junior Max Ungar said.

Others feel uncomfortable.

“I think it can be a little intrusive because you don’t know the customs of the minyan and you haven’t formed a connection with them,” senior Simone Roark said.

Through this program,

photo courtesy of Julie Carmen

sharing a laugh Seniors Danielle Clemons and Jeremy Dingott engage in conversation during their senior shabbaton at Capital Camps. Their final Shabbaton featured student-led programming. off-Broadway musical, “The Fantasticks.”

They also saw “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1.”

At the senior retreat, Marissa Cytryn shared her personal struggles with eating disorders to the rest of her grade. Many students in the grade felt very moved by her story. “[The Shabbaton] was an incredible experience and really brought me closer than I ever thought possible to the individuals [in] my grade,” senior Jordan Weisz said.

For the past two months, members of the class of 2015 have participated in the fifth annual B’nai Mitzvah Tzedakah Project. The project was started in order to help commemorate Charles E. Smith’s love of philanthropy and to teach students about giving tzedakah.

This year, in addition to appropriating money allocated by parents, students are also fundraising for additional capital. They are selling muffins on Monday mornings at the entrance to the school.

After the Oct. 29 kickoff, students had the option to nominate a charity to receive funds.

The students who chose to nominate organizations had to research and then prepare a pitch.

Some charities that were nominated were Hope for Henry and Operation Embrace. At the Nov. 15 fair, students set up a display and presented to their peers.

On Dec. 6, students divided into ‘granting groups,’ and decide how much money they want to allocate to each non-profit. In these groups, students will also talk about what makes their

cause worthwhile.

“When they’re [going] to be counted in a community, they don’t want to be just the recipient of things, they want to be able to give back,” Middle School Director Joan Vander Walde said. “They were saying, ‘Look, how many gift cards do I really need?’”

Eighth-grader Zoe Orenstein said she liked the increased responsibility that she felt this project gives to the students in her grade.

“The [B’nai Mitzvah] project is based on what we actually want, not what the teachers want. [It is] something independent for us to do,” Orenstein said.

Orenstein made a presentation for Operation Embrace, an organization that provides things such as therapeutic horseback riding to traumatized citizens in Sderot, a city in Israel at the front lines of the Israel-Gaza conflict.

However, not all students were as invested in the project as Orenstein.

“I don’t really care about it that much. ...

I don’t have time for this extracurricular. … I have the science fair going on at the same time,” eighth-grader Evan Kravitz said.

Celebrating Hanukkah one grade at a time

by Jacob Dorn Reporter This year’s Hanukkah celebration will differ from last year’s musical “Channukafe.”

This year’s plan is to have “grade-wide celebrations on Hanukkah, involving playing games, a little bit of learning, singing, etc.,” said Director of Programs and Jewish Life Miriam Stein.

The celebration is expected to occur in place of the normal Rosh Chodesh assembly on Dec. 8.

For Stein, the goal of the Hanukkah celebration is “two-fold.”

“One is, we want to highlight some of the key themes of Hanukkah, including the bravery

that the Maccabees and the Jewish people had to display during the time when they were fighting against the Hellenists ... and second-fold is also just highlighting some of the spiritual elements we now celebrate today,” Stein said.

Stein who is in her first year at CESJDS, hopes to get some student involvement in the planning.

“Students are the most important things in this school,” she said.

Stein said that there may not be enough time to involve students as much as might be desirable. She also said that students should look forward to “fun, decorations and hopefully some good food.”

S

ports

December 7, 2010

Page 18

Fall wrap-up Sports briefs compiled by David Weinberg, Shira Becker, Michael Weinberg

Boys and girls MS soccer

Both boys and girls middle school teams lost players to the newly created girls and boys junior varsity and varsity teams.

“Even though we lost most of our games, it was still a great season and we had a lot of fun,” eighth-grader Danielle Galitzer said.

The girls team was coached by English teacher Kelly Enochson and went 1-6 this season. The boys team is coached by Gus Stathes.

Girls junior varsity soccer

Two out of seven girls junior varsity games were cancelled this year because of rain. Out of the remaining five games, three were won by this year’s team.

Coaching the team this year was Tamsyn Ryan-McLaren, who coached the girls varsity team last year.

This team was created this year to accommodate the large number of girls that tried out for soccer. The team did not participate in any tournament.

Boys junior varsity soccer

This year the boys junior varsity team lost in semifinals to Washington International School, 3-0.

The team was coached by Ray Istas, who has coached the team for the last three years.

Girls varsity soccer

The girls varsity soccer team finished with an overall record of 4-4-1. The girls lost in the semifinals, where they were defeated by the Washington International School, 0-2.

“It was a really exciting and really close game. You could tell that we worked really hard because we only lost by two points, as opposed to our five point loss to them earlier in the season,” sophomore Arielle Fontheim said.

Boys varsity soccer

The boys varsity soccer team was 6-4 before losing to Sandy Spring Friends School in the PVAC semifinals.

The team was led by 16 seniors, most notably captains seniors Max Kershner, Kevin Brooks, and Gregory Weiss.

Kershner received First Team All- PVAC, while seniors Victor Irony and Solomon Shapiro received Second Team All-PVAC and Kevin Brooks received honorable mention AllPVAC. The varsity team also received Notable Contribution for having many young members on the team such as eighth-grader Joel Halpern and freshmen Matan Meloul and Jonathan Orbach.

Skating on new ice Joshua Singer Senior Reporter With a new coach and a revamped attitude, the Lions hockey club looks to have a successful season this winter. In its third season, the team is still in its infancy, and a new coach has come on-board in order to try to help the team grow.

With an extensive background as a hockey player, Coach Nick Shackford joins the team in his first year as Head Coach. For the first two years, the hockey team’s Head Coach was Jason Kersner.

“I just came in and had a conversation with Jason and he referred me to JDS,” Shackford said. “Afterwards they [JDS] called me and offered me the job and I took it.”

Shackford comes from a high level of play. He has coached a wide variety of teams and players from across the United States. He played varsity hockey in high school and three years of Division III hockey for SUNY Cortland University.

“I’m not very familiar with this level of play,” Shackford said. “I’m coming from a higher level, so I don’t really know how we will compare to the rest of the competition, but we will have to wait and see.” photo courtesy of Adam Hammerman “With the loss of a couple of players this season, the team will have to put in more blood, sweat and smooth skating Senior Brandon Varone practices his skating before a tears than ever before,” junior Daniel Weiss said. “We game. Varone has been on the team for four years and is captain for this don’t have nearly as much talent as we had in previ- season. “We might not be the most talented in the league, but we sure ous years, so we’re going to have to rely solely on hard work the hardest,” Varone said. work and good stamina in order to win games.”

Weiss has been the team’s goaltender and has penalties a game,” Shackford said. been one of the team’s leaders since its inception in 2008.

Shackford has wasted no time getting started, as he is already “For me, the game is not about my stats or how I look on implementing some offensive and defensive systems in practice. paper,” Weiss said. “I want the team to be successful as a whole, “We usually start with some skill-based drills and then move and in order to be successful, we will need to dig deep and really into scrimmages towards the end of practice,” Weiss said. put forward 100 percent effort every game.”

“We’ve got some guys on our team that have some pretty In its first season, in the winter of 2008, the team advanced good size,” Shackford said. “I hope they can use it and if not, they to the state quarter-finals where it fell short to Linganore High will be taught how to use it. “ School in a close point match-up.

“The kids are good kids. They work hard. I was brought in In order to be successful Shackford said he has a few tricks here to provide JDS with a winning record and to provide enup his sleeve. tertainment to the school and I look forward to doing just that,” “We’re going to play a very physical game. We’re going to Shackford said. out-physically-play every single team. I’m willing to take ten The team’s record as of Dec. 3 is 0-2.

Take him to the mat

Girls varsity volleyball

The girls varsity volleyball team lost in the PVAC tournament semifinals on Oct. 26 to the Washington International School.

Seniors Sarah Dicker, Miriam Duffy, and Mira Fein guided the team as captains. The team was coached by Patrick Dudash, who was assisted by alumnus Daniel Feinberg (‘09).

“The season as a whole was really a different experience than any other GVV season. This year, I feel we really connected as a team from freshman to senior, and the unity was there all the way from the beginning,” Dicker said.

Boys and girls cross country

The cross country team had its most successful season in years, with the middle school team and the girls varsity team bringing home PVAC championship banners. The boys team finished sixth at the championship meet.

Sophomore Shira Winston received First Team All-PVAC with a second place overall finish in the girls championship meet. Sophomores Yaly Levy and Haile Zola and freshman Rachel Sniffen also received All-PVAC honors.

Junior Scott Levengard received Third Team All-PVAC.

photo by Alex Zissman

head rush Junior Sam Cohen wrestles senior Alex Gilden during a practice match. “It’s a great sport that challenges its athletes physically and mentally,” junior Daniel Neuberg said. Neuberg has been on the wrestling team for three years.

December 7, 2010

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MSB begins new season with new coaches

by Jacob Dorn Reporter The boys and girls middle school basketball teams are preparing for an eventful year.

Sixth graders are being included for the first time, the girls team has a new coach and the boys team will try to keep pace with last year’s 11-2 record, despite having few tall players.

The boys team has three players returning from last year’s 11-2 blue team, including last year’s starting point guard, eighth-grader Joel Halpern.

“We were the core members,” said fellow returning blue team player eighth-grader Benjamin Lieberman. “We were quick, and we learned a lot from the people on the team last year.”

While there are returning players, the team may have trouble doing as well as last year.

“For blue, I think that we’re going to be pretty good,” eighth-grader Alec Schrager said. “But not as good as last year, [be]cause a lot of eighth [graders] were the center of the team last year.”

“We might have some trouble with height,” eighth-grader Drew Hein said, “because there’s not too many tall kids, but I think we’ll work it out.

The girls team is returning four players and last year’s gold

team captain.

Both teams also have some skilled new players, among whom are two sixth graders, one on each blue team. The girls team had only two try out, but they received praise from teammates.

“One of them is, like, extremely amazing,” eighth-grader Shai Mesika said.

“It’s sort of lonely,” said sixth-grader Danielle Katz, who made the blue team, “[be]cause there’s like only one other sixth grader here, and they’re all bigger than me.”

On the boys team, seven sixth-graders tried out.

“Almost all of them look like they’ve had experience playing the game and know how to play the game,” said assistant coach and high school varsity coach Matthew Feldman. “It’s very exciting.”

Both team’s coaches represent fairly unique situations.

Feldman’s position as an assistant to middle school coach Cory Burns and the varsity head coach gives him the opportunity to help the JDS basketball program and to help develop players, as well as allow him to prepare for future years.

“Already, I’m thinking: What’s the memory going to be like when I tell that boy, ‘I remember you at your first middle school tryout,’ in an important game, to calm him down and to make him laugh and to think of a memory,” he said.

The girls team’s situation is quite different. The team chose its coaches, Christina Landis for the blue team and Benjamin Foote for the gold team, and this is the their first time coaching.

Still, players said they are happy with the coaching.

“The coaches are really nice,” sixth-grader Aviva Solkowitz said. “They don’t yell at you, but they try and help you with your skills.”

Landis, who will attend Rutgers as a graduate student in the spring, played travel basketball for eight years and has a bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science with a pre-med concentration.

“I’m going to learn just as much from them as they are from me,” she said.

On some teams, veteran players can take major leadership roles. On the middle school teams, there are some players who are ready to take on leadership roles.

Eighth graders “help the seventh graders especially,” Mesika said. “I know how it feels to be under pressure. I know when I was a seventh grader, I was really scared and I jammed my finger, which sucked. But a lot of the eighth graders helped me, and even though I did make the gold team, I was captain.”

GJVB has new coach

by Nathan Forman Senior Reporter The girls junior varsity basketball team has a new coach for the 2010-2011 season. Brian Westerman this year succeeds Patrick Dudash as coach of the team. Dudash now works at the Lower School as a physical education teacher.

Westerman has been preparing the team through practices and two scheduled scrimmages for their first game on Tuesday, Nov. 30 against the Holy Cross School.

Sophomore Elana Handelman was also on the team last year. She experienced practices under Dudash and now Westerman.

“Practices are not that different

with the new coach,” Handelman said.

“They are a combination of fun and hard work. Coach Westerman makes it clear to us that if we finish what we need to get done, we can have fun at the end of practices and scrimmage.”

Handelman, despite the fact that she does not feel much of a change in coaching style, does not feel that the team is the same as it was in the 2009-2010 season.

“There are a lot of young new players. It feels different,” Handelman said.

In the team’s first game, which was against Covenant Life, the score was tied, with 10 seconds left. At the buzzer, sophomore Handelman made a lay up to win the game.

Upcoming games BVB @ Sandy Spring - 12/7/10 BVB vs. Grace Brethren - 12/13/10 BVB vs. Hebrew Academy - 12/18/10 GVB vs. St. John’s College Prep - 12/8/10 GVB vs. Grace Brethren - 12/13/10 GVB vs. Hebrew Academy - 12/18/10 BJVB @ Poolesville HS - 12/7/10 BJVB vs. Grace Brethren - 12/13/10 GJVB @ St. John’s College Prep - 12/8/10 GJVB @ Quince Orchard HS - 12/20/10 BMSB @ Queen Anne - 12/9/10 GMSB @ Grace Brethren - 12/13/10 Hockey vs. DeMatha @ Wheaton Ice Rink -

12/15/10 Wrestling vs. McLean School, Edmund

Burke - 12/9/10

photo by Dani Marx

where’s the open man? Looking for another player to pass to, Elana Handelman scans the court.

Boys JV puts its guard up

by Gabriella Mendick Reporter Despite fewer juniors on the team this year, the boys junior varsity basketball team anticipates great success for this season.

Last year, there were seven juniors on the junior varsity team, while this year there is only one junior. There are also four sophomores and nine freshmen. This means that there is less experience on the team this year. However, Coach Vernon Buckle said he views this fact as an advantage.

“We get a fresh start, new legs, new personalities, new talent,” Buckle said.

Having fewer more experienced players means more playing time for the younger students on the team.

“We recently had a scrimmage against the Heights School and we lost by 17, but it was our first time playing together as a team, and there is a lot of room for improvement,” team captain sophomore Ethan Walfish said.

Despite their loss, Walfish believes that there is a great deal of potential going into the season.

“We won the finals last year and haven’t lost a regular season game in two years, so I hope this team can continue the success,” Walfish said.

The team has already begun training hard with the season’s first practices.

“My expectations this season are to torment other teams’ defenses with our constant attack at the basket and to smother opposing teams’ offenses with the pressure, enough to bust pipes. I feel very positive about the season,” Buckle said.

The players take basketball seriously, and practice every day after school. Many of the students said they play basketball to help them loosen up after a long school day.

“Basketball makes me forget about all the stress I have from school and friends. I’m a different ‘me’ every time I step on the court,” sophomore Jonathan Galitzer said. “It allows me to be myself and realize how far I can push myself out there on the court.”

Buckle is very optimistic about the upcoming season. The team will have to work very hard to live up to the expectations carried over from the previous year, but with a high level of determination they plan on achieving them. “[Our] goals are to be a high octane machine on the court, to set examples on and off the court, to continue our winning tradition, have fun and learn all at the same time,” Buckle said.

Players said they are hopeful that all the hard work will make for another winning season.

“You have to work hard and practice hard, but the reward is great,” said freshman Jonathan Prigal.

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December 7, 2010

Lady Lions focused on their prey er,” junior Naomi Eyob said. “We will have a better connection.”

Last year’s captain senior Tamar Bardin said she understands the decision yet sympathizes with the lower class The girls varsity basketball team will start this season women. with a brand new coach and a brand new attitude. Science “There were a lot of girls who tried out this year, so I teacher Nick Rich is serving as the team’s coach and he is understand the decision to keep only juniors and seniors on bringing the heat. varsity,” said Bardin. “However, as someone who has been on “I want them to be tough- er, faster and stronger than varsity since ninth grade, I know that having at least one lowthey have ever been in the er class woman on varsity really helps the future of the past,” Rich said. program. But at least this “I want the Rich said he plans to m to be tou way, the ninth and gher, faster bring a new team attitude a tenth graders will get th n d a n s tr they have e onger and a new practice schedver been in a lot more playing the past,” ule, in an effort to change time and continue to -C oach Nick R the results at the end of the ich improve.” season.

The team will also This year, the team is made up of 13 juniors and be getting accustomed to seniors. a new practice schedule.

Besides the new coach, the team will be advised by the Players will meet four days a week and will have some new Athletic Director Michael Riley.

Sunday practices.

Although sophomores and freshman may have mixed re“Basically we’re stepping it up as a program,” said Rich. actions about the decision, Rich said he has a strategic reason “After only three days of tryouts and one day of pracfor the makeup of the team this season. tice I can already see a difference in the team from last year,” “We are trying to build a family, a community within the said Bardin. “Our team chemistry is right on the mark, and I team,” said Rich. “Our number one goal this year is to have know it will be fun to play with these girls.” this group of girls be closer than any other group before. The Rich is planning on using his strategy and challenging improved team chemistry will help us as the pace of play inpractices to make the team tougher and better. creases and the games get tougher.”

“I am really excited about the team this year,” said BarThe players on the team agree with the decision to have din. “I think that if we keep practicing hard we can do some only juniors and seniors on the team. serious damage in the PVAC.” “Since it’s only juniors and seniors, we all know each othby Emily Shoyer Reporter

photo by Dani Marx

take a shot Senior Tamar Bardin jumps to catch a pass from her teammate during a game against Covenant Life on Nov. 30.

BVB prepped and ready for new basketball season

by Adam Weinberger Editor in Chief Off the court, the members of the boys varsity basketball team are known for being goofy and boisterous.

Eleven of the 13 spots are filled by seniors, four of whom were voted for the yearbook’s Class Clown contest. However, on the court, the boys are all business.

“We do have jokesters on the team, I happen to be a jokester sometimes,” senior Joshua Rosenberg said.

“But when it comes to basketball, as most people know, I’m a very serious person.

So before and after practice it’s fine joking, but I think it’s an understanding that all the players have that if you’re going to be a part of this, you’re going to take it seriously.”

Like most CESJDS basketball teams, this year’s bunch has played together for most of their lives.

Coach Matthew Feldman said the familiarity the players have with each other and with him is one of the team’s strengths.

“The kids can be together for 13 years, so they really like each other. And even if they don’t like each other, they are at least used to being around each other and respect each other enough to know that this is a common goal,” Feldman said.

He also praised the team for its strength

and desire. The players agree ing back down is easier,” Rosenberg said. that they train and play with In addition to competing in organized intensity. leagues, the players spent the offseason “We’re a team made up of practicing together and training in the guys who like to work hard. weight room, as well as having team dinYou see that in the offseason, ners and taking yoga classes. and you see that in the games.

This year’s team will start three guards People in the fall league recand two forwards, instead of four guards ognize that JDS just plays and one forward like in previous years. hard every possession.

However, these two forwards will not be That’s something that we the primary scorers and instead will be take pride in,” Rosenberg used for screening and passing. said.

“They are not post-up players. They Over the course of have to really develop the concept of ‘I the season, Feldman have to submit to the team’s mission.’ said he wants to work Sometimes that takes a week, a month, a on flexibility, discipline year, and that depends on how successful and mental toughness, we can be,” Feldman said. among other things.

The boys like to score off the fast In order to improve break and do not rely on a single player mental toughfor points. ness, the players “The type of basketball we try to play do an armsis sharing the ball, running hard and rearoundbounding. A key for us right now is rethe-world bounding and sharing the ball,” Rosenberg d r i l l said. “We really need to learn to not force w h e r e the ball and play smart. As coach says, they must ‘The strong take from the weak, and the stand in an smart take from the strong.’” photo by Alex Zissman athletic position for ten going hard Senior Josh Rosenberg dribbles toward the Approximately 40 students tried out minutes without moving and hoop during a scrimmage. This is Rosenberg’s second year for the varsity and junior varsity teams while trying to stay relaxed. on varsity and first year as captain of the team. this year, a higher turnout than in previous “[The drill] helps us and years. helps us keep our cool during In addition to the 11 seniors, one junior Whitman High School. the game,” senior Kevin Brooks said. and one freshman made varsity.

Feldman said he had different goals for As in past years, the Lions competed The freshman, Daniel Kravitz, also plays the team during the summer and fall leagues. during the offseason. They played against American Athletic Union (AAU) basketball.

The summer league goals were to be private school teams from Washington CathHundreds of NBA and NCAA basketball successful and give reserves playing time. olic Athletic Conference, Mid-Atlantic players have competed in AAU basketball.

The fall league goals were to build chemistry, Conference and other conferences in a “He’s been getting a lot more playing be competitive and evaluate strengths and Montgomery County sponsored summer time than a lot of the seniors that have alweaknesses. league. ready been on the team for awhile. [He is] The higher level of fall league play helped During the fall, they played in the Chuck just a good overall player,” senior Solomon the boys work toward these goals Costolo Fall League against public school Shapiro said. The players and Feldman are “Even though there were some games teams, including powerhouses like Damaspositive about the outlook for this season. where we got crushed [in the fall league], it cus and Quince Orchard.

“When they play 100 percent, all 10 or all was always a good experience because the The team went 10-2 in the summer 12 or all 14, I don’t think anybody is better level of play in there is so much above the league and lost in the playoff semifinals than us,” Feldman said. level of play in any other league that we’ve to Covenant Life. They went 1-9 in the fall The team lost their first game 52-40 at been in. It takes awhile to learn to get into league with their lone victory against Walt Covenant Life School on Nov. 30. that level, and once you’re on that level com-