December 2013 Volume XVI, Issue II

Student Council Vision Revealed

This Years Student Council Plans for the Best Year Yet

The

VOiCE
he possesses a unique love of fun and awesomeness, and the fact that Im proud to be awesome. President Schlanger eagerly touted Mr. Gottesman: He is the best! He comes up with ideas that people would never even think of. He is very involved and makes sure we are always having meetings and coming up with great suggestions. Student council is lucky to have him in charge. Mr. Gottesman outlined major activities for each grade, such as Freshmen Action Day a few weeks ago, Sophomore Sleep-in, the possibility of a Junior Shabbaton, and of course the Senior Trip. Though Student Councils focus is centered on the Shabbaton, it is also planning other exciting events. If you recall, at the beginning of the year Student Council brought an ice cream truck to the school, which was immensely popular. Although they would not give us specifics on similar future events, President Schlanger did hint: Lets just say we will be feeding the students since we all just love food. One of the most important things Student Council must keep in mind is the will of the people. What do students want to see from Student Council this year? I want to see the Student Council helping us out when we have a lot of things to do, said Maya Sasson 15. Maybe once a month schedule a blackout day. Maya also suggested how Student Council could address a common student problem. It would be pretty helpful if they sold good pencils and pens cheaply . . . or even better, gave out free pens and pencils for tokens you can earn from those riddles that they put up on the message board every week. continued on page 8

B
By Dalya Dickstein

est year yet! promised Student Council in posters that covered Kushners walls at the beginning of the year. But what exactly is going to make this year better than any other? What does Student Council have in store for RKYHS? Perhaps youve asked this question yourself, only to receive the standard response from someone on the Council: Its confidential. Well the time has come to shed some light on the awesome activities students of RKYHS can expect in the coming months. Right now our main focus is the amazing school Shabbaton, said Student Council President Orah Schlanger 14. Every year much work goes into planning for the Shabba-

ton, but President Schlanger promised that this year will be even better. We are planning more interactive activities with the students, great bonding experiences, and there will be great grade videos. Treasurer Mia Lang 15 added, Were going to get people really excited and really into the things we have planned by making the activities appealing and fun for everyone. One of the highlights promises to be the Saturday night activity, which is planned by the Student Council. Members of the Council refused to reveal any details, but Treasurer Lang said, Lets just say its gonna be quite the partay! Student Activities Director Josh Gottesman is one of RKYHSs newest arrivals. What qualities and new ideas does Mr. Gottesman bring to the table, and how does he plan on making this year the best year yet? Mr. Gottesman explained that

inside
The 2013 Tiyul Keep Standardized Testing? Coach Sandusky

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News Eytan Shamsian, Editor Jacob Stein Dalya Dickstein Jordan Shanskhalil Jakey Ostrove Ilan Slonim Sam Raab Ilana Hafner Carlie Ratzker Ashley Miller

News
The Voice Staff
Jonathan Pedoeem, Editor-in-Chief David Esterlit, Assistant Editor-in-Chief Dalya Dickstein, Senior Editor Opinion Shep Gerszberg Estee Wagner Ariella Shua Natani Bondar Jacob Mendelson Reviews Eitan Scher, Editor Joey Kirsch Gabe Zuckerman Yonatan Raskin Sports Jerry Miller, Editor Josh Perlman, Editor Joe Berger Effie Auman Gabe Maron Jonah Bash Greg Artman

December 2013 Volume XVI, Issue II

Humor Alex Akman, Editor Miki Kestler Joe Amster Jesse Zucker Caryn Kaplan Sara Kirsch

This year The Voice has launched several new additions to the student paper. We have added a new Reviews section for student reviews of movies, games, books and TV shows. We have also added a Statistics department to administer and analyze polls of the student body. Data from these polls will provide our articles with up-to-date and accurate reflections of student sentiment on a range of topics

From the Editors Desk

relevant to student life at Kushner. On top of all of that, our Opinion section now has an advice column. With all these additions, and with our dedicated and talented staff, we are committed to working our hardest to continue serving you as the Voice of RKYHS. All the best, Jonathan Pedoeem Editor-in-Chief

Photography Yael Rabin, Editor Alex Silver, Editor Maya Silver, Editor Lindsey Blenden Avery Bell Estee Wagner Sydney Stroulowitz Ron Sroor

Layout Jacob Stein, Editor Sammy cherna Ben Wagner Koby Stadtmauer

Statistics Shaul Hafner Avery Bell Greg Artman

Rabbi Pearlberg, Advisor

Humans of Kushner
Interview by Eytan Shamsian
Whats in your serpent cup? Is it serpents blood? Haha. No, its usually Coke, Mountain Dew, or water. Theres a late night talk show host, Craig Ferguson. He has one. One year for the holidays my father-in-law got myself, my wife, and her siblings all the same cup cause he was at the museum where they make them. Where did you study before you came to Kushner? While I was in High School I took a summer and I studied in Cambridge University. I studied History and Theater. For college I went to Penn State University. I studied Archeological Science. While there I also studied in Egypt doing an Archealogical dig in the summer of 2006. How did you end up in Egypt? I had a professor who was in charge of doing a number of different excavations. One was this dig in Egypt, and basically it was a mission to save the site. How did this influence your life? I had a great respect for the things that our ancestors had made with such basic tools. Stuff that we have a hard time figuring out how they even did it. Then seeing it in person, you look up at the Pyramids you can
Mr. Klein, 2nd from right, in Egypt

Mr. Klein, Science Teacher

I do photography, most of that is for myself. I have done 15 years of martial arts and sword fighting. Ive been with it for a long time. At Penn State I was on the taekwondo team. What is the hardest part of martial arts? It has to be keeping focus. I had different things I would do with swords, particularly. One of them was, my father would hold a cucumber lengthwise on his neck and I would cut the cucumber in half while it was lying on his neck with a sharp sword without cutting him. In order to do that I had to be extremely focused so that I cut the cucumber and pulled back at just the right time without cutting my fathers head off. Where did your hat go? Just time for a change, something different. Any fashion advice for your students? Haha. Yeah, I guess scarves are cool. I wear scarves a lot. Wear what you like, thats whats important. If you werent a teacher, what would you be doing? You know, I dont know. I honestly cant think of anything else Id rather do as a profession. Maybe work at a science museum but other than that it will still be education based.

barely see the top from standing right there. Its awe inspiring. Powerful. What influences did you have that contributed to you becoming a teacher? I had a lot of good teachers growing up. I think that helped inspire me to pass on that legacy of being a good teacher and influencing others, spreading knowledge to the populous. And I know that I wouldnt be who I am without certain teachers. So I hope to one day be that for other students. What do you exactly like about science? It is truth in its most pure form. Science is factual, science is proven. How is the Kushner high school experience different from the experiences you had attending and teaching at different high schools?

I went to public school. I taught at the school that I went to school. Public school is very different from here. [Here] days are longer. The students are generally more involved here. The students are generally more respectful. This is the place I have come to teach at where students actually say thank you on a daily basis. You dont get that at a public school. What are the benefits of teaching at a private school like Kushner ? I can teach the way I want and the material I want. At public school everything is designed for you. At my last school, I wasnt even able to make my final exam. What are some of your hobbies? I have a lot of different hobbies. I mainly just like interesting things. If I find an activity or group thats interesting Im going to look into it.

December 2013 Volume XVI, Issue II

By Jakey Ostrove

Is RKYHS Following the National Trend?

Cheating on the Rise

News
17 suggested that, Students are nervous about their grade on that test, and maybe theyre just blanking on the answer which is bothering them, so they cheat. According to Rachel, when the pressure of a test causes students to blank out on answers their first instinct is to cheat. Lindsey Blenden 15 had a similar explanation. I think failure scares some people, she said. Or if getting a lower grade on a test will affect the persons grade; then a person will cheat. Maybe cheating doesnt come from the pressure of a test, but from the pressure to succeed in the future. According to Arielle Zadok 16, cheating happens because of the pressure

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commitment to integrity and honesty. With every lie or deceitful action character is injured. We need to be vigilant and at the same time speak often about the importance of good character and integrity. According to Rabbi Rubin, its not up to the teachers to stop cheating by catching the cheaters, but for the students to strive to do the right thing. Mr. Plotsker also expressed a similar opinion. He said, Im not sure if people fully understand the consequences of their actions. Not only in schools, but in business and life people are always trying to get to the next level. Cheating is morally and ethically wrong, and when someone cheats, it becomes harder for them to justify why they shouldnt if they dont get caught. Sometimes cheating doesnt have to have such a complicated reason. Gabe Maron 17 offered a more basic reason for cheating. Kids cheat, he said, because they want to do well. Short, but to the point. Perhaps hes right. The reason why students cheat may come not from the outside pressures, but from within themselves.

Cheating. Its wrong, and everyone knows it. But why do people continue to do it? Do they do it just to break the rules? Getting caught while cheating is a very costly thing, so why take the risk? Although there is a big focus on preventing cheating, students continue to do it. According to a study conducted by US News, 72% of students reported one or more instances of serious cheating on written work. Additionally, 51% of high school students did not believe cheating was wrong. Though Kushner may have fewer students, we are not immune from this plague either. The Kushner Voice Statistics department found that 58% of students admitted to having cheated on their homework and 27% admitted to having cheated at least once on a test. (Based on a sample size of 75 students margin of error 9.5%.) Twenty-seven percent may not sound terrible; however, that means one out of every four kids have cheated. Kushner students gave a variety of explanations for why kids cheat in High School. Rachel Mendelsohn

of the parents or teachers and even getting into college/ high school. In addition to the student body, this issue interested many faculty members. Rabbi Rubin said, Unfortunately, cheating in our society is pervasive. Sports figures, politicians, businesspeople and even educators cheat to get ahead or for any other gain. It is so commonplace in society that it is almost taken for granted that people cheat. There are many reasons why students cheat: pressure to perform, transcript enhancement for college, shame for not doing well, parental pressure to excel in many other reasons. Cheating will be eliminated only when students demonstrate a

Were in the Beis and...

Teachers and Students Wonder if the Beit Midrash is Being Used Properly
By Sam Raab
The Beit Midrash is an essential part of any Talmud class. Teachers give students the opportunity to learn in chavrutot and to try to work their way through a Gemara. The expectation is that the students will stay focused on their learning and complete their assignment. However, according to the Kushner Stats department, 51% of all RKYHS students say that they fool around in the Beit Midrash instead of completing the material they were assigned. Although this statistic has an 9.5% margin of error, in the worst case scenario instead of 51% it would be 42% of students, which is still very significant. Many students start off with good intentions, but then get lost along the way. Sometimes I can effectively learn, but when I get stuck on the Gemara, and my teacher is too busy to help, then I start wasting my time and I give up, says Simon Mendelsohn 16. In fact, many students feel the same way. Once they get stuck and they are not able to learn anymore, they start socializing and fooling around. Even more so, they feel like they dont learn as much in the Beit Midrash as they do in class. When asked the reason

as to why teachers bring their students to learn in the Beit Midrash, Rabbi Schlusselberg responded its in order to show how Gemara was classically learnt in a chavrutah, and because youre right near the Aharon Hakodesh and you are surrounded by sefarim so you really feel the walls of Torah while you are learning. Furthermore, he believes that if you make the students responsible for learning a specific amount of material, they will not fool around.

Rabbi Miller explained that there must be a certain decorum in a Beit Midrash, especially in a place where there is a Sefer Torah. Therefore, when students start conversing and they start to fool around, it is possible that they may say something inappropriate which is halachically not okay to do in a place of learning. He added that a Beit Midrash is for the sole purpose of learning, and students should not be hanging out and relax-

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Class of 17 Largest Ever

Effects of the Freshman Class on the School
By Esther Wagner During the eighth grade moving up ceremony, Rabbi Rubin gave a wonderful speech. He stated that the eight grade would be the largest class in RKYHS history. Without a doubt, this is proof that the Rae Kushner Yeshiva High School is always growing and always becoming a greater, better community. A larger freshman class creates more vibrancy and energy in the school, said Rabbi Rubin. Each student brings his or her special qualities to our community, which enhance every students learning and social experience. Rabbi Rubin did acknowledge one of the challenges so many students could potentially have for the school. The larger freshman class positively contributes to every aspect of school life. Our only concern is to maintain class sizes that are consistent with our educational standards. Even with a larger freshman class, we are committed to

News
maintaining our standards of personal attention and focused instruction. Hopefully the school will continue to blossom in the future with even larger classes than the class of 2017. But will the school be able to stretch and grow to take in more students? Our school has some room to grow without negatively affecting the quality of our educational program, said Rabbi Rubin. We are operating at our target number and, thankfully, our school has been steadily growing every year.

December 2013 Volume XVI, Issue II

The future growth of the school that we forecast should remain comfortably within our current school program. Recently I sat down with Elisheva Feldman 17, someone who has been going to Kushner since prek, and asked her about how so many students in the freshman class affects her. My grade has always been largethis year it only increased by about ten students, Elisheva said. I think of having a large grade as

a greater opportunity to make new friends. With more kids theres a greater chance of finding someone with the same interests as you who you can connect to. She did add one potential concern. With so many students, it is impossible for teachers to have a close relationship with everyone. Though that does not mean the teachers wont be able to help us. However, as all students and faculty know, school isnt just about classes. Socializing, programming, and extracurricular activities are a large part of student life and the school structure. All in all, the school knows well what to do in case of larger classes and can take care of its students in however many numbers they may come, whether it be seventy or seven hundred.

Mixed Reviews Reflect Range of Expectations

By Ilana Hafner, Carlie Ratzker, and Ashley Miller Each year as the tiyul approaches, students all think the same thing: Another day of sports and food at a random camp. However, this year the school decided that the Kushner students should experience the pleasures of tiyul on a boat ride around New York City. This was a high riskhigh reward decision that created varying expectations throughout the school. Im expecting it to be very fun, said Rachel Mendelson 17 when she first heard about the tiyul. Gabriel Zuckerman 17 said he thought it would be exhilarating, and was looking forward to the sheva brachot. Many sophomores were also highly intrigued. Maya Benzaken 16 said, Its going to be fun but much different because its on a boat and thats something theyve never done before. Some students were more skeptical. It will be much different than previous tiyuls, said Jordan Shanskhalil 16. I dont know what to expect. Students who had already been through at least two tiyuls were more apprehensive. Its going to be interesting said Tal Stern 15. Joey Kirsch 15 added, I have a feeling its going to be really bad compared to the other ones. The seniors, however, seemed optimistic about the change. Hana Fusman said, Hopefully it will be really fun, and it will be a good way for freshmen to branch out and make new friends. Jeremy Shechter said, It will be fun, very nice, very relaxing but it wont be as enjoyable as the others because there wont be any sports involved. After actually going on the tiyul, students had an equally wide range of opinions. Most freshmen,

Tiyul at Sea

Beis
(cont.)
ing in a Beit Midrash. On the contrary, multiple students believe learning in the Beit Midrash is beneficial. Leana Silverberg 14 said, We have the ability to learn Talmud and Tanach by ourselves, and apply it in a way that

Although the Beit Midrash has its disadvantages, it also has many advantages which can allow a student to prosper and grow mentality if used correctly
is special to us. Multiple other students stated that learning in the Beit Midrash is also requisite for the students who dont assert themselves in class, because then they have the ability to participate in the Beit Midrash. Although the Beit Midrash has its disadvantages, it also has many advantages which can allow a student to prosper and grow mentality if used correctly.

continued on page 12

December 2013 Volume XVI, Issue II

Teachers Hold Unreasonable Expectations But Responsibility Goes Both Ways

By Natani Bondar
Ill open this by being brutally honest: Im not that much of a davener. Its never had the spiritual grasp on me that it has on other people. I am religious and spiritual in other ways and Im proud of those. Davening for me isnt very meaningful, and therefore I dont do it as often as is probably expected of me. I figure: if it doesnt have much meaning to me, why do it? Davenings just empty words with no feeling behind them. In minyan, though I might not daven, I try to keep quiet. Sometimes I manage, but I fail more often than not. That, I know, is wrong. Its disrespectful and insensitive to those who are there to daven, to have that connection. And I work on it. But thats when Im already in minyan. The problem is, I dont make much of an effort to actually get there. Lateness is a problem in all minyanim, especially in the senior minyan. I dont think a day goes by in which Rabbi Chamudot isnt admonishing us for our tardiness. And this too, I admit, is wrong. Davening is required by our school, and we choose to go here. As such, we agree to abide by the schools rules, and one of them is showing up on time to davening. But to write this off as simple rule-breaking would be to ignore an underlying problem. Why do some students not want to daven? Why is it so hard to get them to rabbis and teachers who are unbelievable Jewish role models. So we have those resources. Its just how we dispense them that will make the difference. There are already chugs and classes dedicated to such questions (with the exception of the honors classes). Would my outlook on prayer be different had Foundations of Prayer not been taken away from honors classes in my freshman year? Who knows. But the responsibility of educating, learning, and questioning does not fall solely on the faculty and the administration. It also falls to the students. We could have the best facilities available (and most of time, we do) but theyre useless without students exploring them. So I implore students if something troubles you about your beliefs, ask a Judaic studies teacher about it. If you have questions concerning davening or your faith, go to someone who can answer your questions and approach their answers with a clear and open mind, not one of cynicism. This is how questions are explored and doubts addressed. And maybe through this dual responsibility: teachers and faculty providing answers, students providing questions, students will want to pray, instead of being forced to.

Students Feel Little Love for Davaning

Opinion
come to minyan? It seems that there is a systemic issue with the way the school approaches davening. While I admit that coming late is wrong, it bothers me that were so reprimanded by teachers and faculty for not approaching davening with the same intensity that they do. Of course not! They already have the connection! They take for granted that everyone has that same internal fire for prayer that they do. Do they expect us to just automatically accept prayer as an integral part of our Jewish identity? And, there is a deeper question to all of this: had the school done more to instill in us the values of prayer, would they have a problem with student apathy towards morning minyanim? Lets be honest again: yeshiva is about Jewish education and forming a bond with our Jewish national and cultural identity. But its also about asking questions. Questions about the things that bother us, the things that we struggle with. I think I am correct in saying that, for many students, meaningful prayer is something that they seek, but also something that they are unable to find because they havent been instilled with those values. Their tough questions havent been answered. There hasnt been a meaningful dialogue about it. Or maybe kids who do not have that connection will never have it. Thats always a possibility. But since theres nothing we can do to change that, Id rather not dwell on it. I dont know if my outlook on prayer and davening would be different had I had a different high school experience. Probably not. In fact, RKYHS is filled with great

Are Freshmen Thinking Too Much?

Freshmen are Overthinking College
and if they are marked down a point then their overall P.E. average will go down and that will bring down their actual average which in turn will ultimately affect which college they get into. Now as a freshman I do believe things matter a whole lot more in high school, and Ill try not to be late to P.E. class, but I dont think that if I receive a 4 as opposed to a 5 in P.E. it will affect what college I go to. Ill admit, I do look for extracurriculars or anything that could look good for college but if I dont like something then I definitely wont stick with it. I dont think that joining a club or team just because it looks good for college is a smart idea because if you are just faking your way through an extracurricular colleges will see right through the ruse. Plus there are so many fun extracurriculars that also look good for college that it is easy to do both. That brings me to the second type of freshmen, those who join extracurriculars because it is both fun and looks good for college. My impression is that the majority of freshmen fall into this category. Many of these freshmen know how important college is but rarely stress or think too much about it. One reason for this might be that they are focused on the tasks at hand and not so much on where they will be going to college. In my opinion this is a healthy way for freshmen to look at the college situation. Additionally, it allows them to focus on tests and

By Gabe Zuckerman
Freshmen all around the world are finally settling into high school, and while some are acting as if every second of every day will affect whether they get into the college of their choice, most arent too worried or stressed about college. I think there are three types of freshmen when it comes to thinking about college. There are the extreme type who think that each and every moment will affect whether they get into a good college, and that everything they do should be for college. For example, they rush like crazy to get to Physical Education (P.E) on time because if they are late they fear that they will be marked down a point,

projects that will more likely affect which college they get into as opposed to rushing to gym class. The third and final type of freshmen are those who are not as concerned as maybe they should be with college. This type doesnt really think or stress too much about college and are not thinking about college when making decisions to join clubs or teams if they are at all. This is not necessarily bad, but eventually they should start thinking about participation in activities that might look good for college.

The Case For Standardized Tests

Opinion
By Jonathan Pedoeem
Students, especially students of Rae Kushner Yeshiva High School, are always under a tremendous amount of pressure. This pressure usually stems from the double curriculum that we all take in addition to the multitude of extracurriculars in which most students participate. To make it worse, standardized tests like the SAT and ACT increase the anxiety. time, after years of honing innate abilities and developing new ones. Standardized tests level the playing field. There is another important aspect of standardized tests. As I mentioned before, Criterion-referenced tests grade you on your mastery of a certain material. Thats it. Its you against the material. Standardized tests are norm-referenced tests, which measure your scores against those of everyone else who took the test. Both you and your college of choice potentially benefit from this situation. Comparing you against the nation helps you understand where you stand compared to everyone else in the country. This is a powerful tool for deciding which college is a viable and realistic choice for you. This comparison of students across the nation also helps collages decide which students to take in, more than any individual grade can ever do. Yes, you might say, that the grades can help a collages decide which students are better and work harder. But the fact is, these individual grades are wholly dependent on how good your teacher is, how hard the tests are, how much time the teacher gives you to study, and many more factors that are variables that can change from school to school. While many people claim that these tests are pointless I rally against this. These standardized tests are integral parts of education and without them the collage process would be harder and unfair to a significant part of the student population. The beauty of standardized tests is that they are standard.

December 2013 Volume XVI, Issue II

The Case Against Standardized Tests

Standardized Tests Have Negative Effects
expectations, college expectations, and, lastly, students own expectations. Because of these expectations, many students spend countless hours studying for these tests, which sometimes even takes priority over school studies. Additionally, when students do not meet the expectations set for them, often they feel they have less chance of success in life. This is the worst sentiment a student can have. Students should not be worrying about doing well on a stan-

Standardized Tests Play an Important Role in are School System

By Shep Gerszberg
Standardized tests--you have been exposed to them from a young age. From the TerraNovas to the ACTs and SATs they have been a part of every kids life. These tests are quite important and cannot be removed or downplayed. This is because they test a totally different aspect of a student that is equally, if not more, important than what is tested in a school setting. In a school setting, you are tested for whats known as criterion-referenced material: mastery of a specific section of material. While this is good for evaluating the level at which a student learns something new, it does not assess other integral parts of a students development, including abilities such as logic, time management, and test-taking skills. One of the reasons standardized tests exist at all is that their creators recognize that to truly assess a student more is required than simply assessing how well he understood a specific amount of information in a specific amount of time, as he is assessed in school. Standardized tests gauge how well a student can apply the information he has learned over the years, how well he can use logic, and how well he has developed his innate abilities (which are typically not tested for in a school setting). Taking away or putting less emphasis on the SAT just wouldnt be fair to those students who are not good at studying but are good at logic or have great innate abilities. These abilities are just as important for colleges to know--if not more so--than how a student performs in a restrictive and monothematic school setting. Standardized tests allow for a more egalitarian and free environment because, at their core, they test skills which are gathered over

I will admit right off the bat that there is a need for some sort of standardized tests for colleges and high schools. However, I believe that the focus placed on these tests is unnecessarily stressful. Students are placed under the impression that these tests define their life. While some adults and teachers may argue that students are not defined by their standardized test scores, students are still under the impression that they are. Additionally, standardized tests are still a big factor in college admissions--which does affect many different areas of life. The pressure from these tests is supplemented by parents expectations, school

dardized test. Rather, they should be focusing on their own interests. They should be investing their time to learn about things that actually have value to them. I would go the extra mile and say that most students would actually rather do that than study for standardized tests. After all, why should students waste time learning tricks that they will probably forget after the test, when they can be learning about their favorite historical period or science subject? Others may argue that these tests actually teach students about important subjects, such as math, grammar, and reading comprehension. Although students may learn

continued on the next page

Dear 7-on call, I have been having a lot of problems with social networking. Everybody has a Facebook, and I dont have one. Its not that I dont want one but my parents say that I shouldnt get one; plus, all these cyber-bullying stories are scaring me. All my friends have one and, as a result, they get information on clubs and sports and stuff--things Im in-

terested in. People in my class also post party invites on Facebook and because I dont have one, I end up missing out. (I think it makes me seem uncool and geeky that Im in high school and dont have a Facebook.) Ugh, this is so frustrating! Yours truly, Un-updated Dear Un-updated,

Advice Column

Do not feel pressured to get something you do not want. There are plenty of different ways to receive information that you would otherwise receive on Facebook. For example you can ask a friend to always alert you when invites, sport, and club related things are posted. Also no one looks down on someone who doesnt have a Facebook. In fact, many high school students

dont have a Facebook profile because it is too much of a distraction from school work. Definitely do not go behind your parents back and create one--youll only get in trouble. Instead, why dont you talk it over with your parents and see if you can have a Facebook profile, strictly for academic reasons. Best of Luck, 7-on call

December 2013 Volume XVI, Issue II

Captain Phillips
Salute the Captain!

Reviews
men at age 7 and to Minneapolis, Minnesota at 14. He won the role out of almost 800 people auditioning. His fellow pirates performed admirably as well, but Abdi really stole the show. He has already started to attract Oscar buzz, and if he wins, it would certainly be well deserved. While Captain Phillips was definitely great, it was not a perfect film by any means. Director Paul Greengrass use of shaky cam was distracting at times, and did not really add much to the movie. The middle act stagnated a bit, especially compared to the mind blowing last act. The final scene was so powerful, and while I cannot say more about it for fear of spoilers, anyone who experiences Captain Phillips will know why it is so amazing. Captain Phillips is a definite must see. The Good: A thrilling, and emotional journey through the Indian Ocean with fantastic acting performances all-around and a masterful conclusion. The Bad: Excessive use of shaky cam, iffy middle act that treads water. The Bottom Line: This powerful and exciting film tells a wonderful story that should not be missed.

Welcome To The Community

will be resolved by the return of Dan Harmon as the show runner, who had been let go for season four. I would recommend this show for a few reasons. First, the acting is superb, especially by Danny Pudi, who plays Abed Nadir. Abed is a movie and TV-show loving, movie making, emotionally detached guy who doesnt really understand feelings. The way that Pudi is able to portray that sense of disconnection and lack of interest in the world around him is amazing. Another reason I would recommend this show is that its extremely funny, yet every character is also flawed. The characters are hilarious in the way they seem to be deeply flawed to the point where they almost personify those flaws. Additionally, for the television enthusiast, there are TV and film clichs in nearly every episode. The show keeps current with the times, referencing the latest pop culture news and obsessions. Finally, the new season is starting on January 2nd, so if youre planning a bingewatch (and I suggest you do) then youd better start soon. The Good: This show makes me laugh in every episode. It perfectly balances humor with its ability to make me love, and be deeply invested in, all the characters and their storylines. The Bad: Some may feel there is too much emphasis on clichs and stereotypes and might be slightly offended. The Bottom Line: Community is a very clever and entertaining show. I would recommend it to everyone.

Community

By Eitan Scher
This winter many critically acclaimed movies have come out. With well known titles such as Gravity and 12 Years a Slave, it is sure to be a tough competition for Best Motion Picture. Captain Phillips promises to be another challenger for that crown. It tells the story of Richard Phillips, captain of a cargo ship transporting goods to Africa in 2009. Things go awry as a band of Somalian pirates attempt to commandeer the vessel, and things go downhill from there. The story of Captain Phillips will keep viewers, on the edge of their seats the entire time, as the Maersk Alabama and her crew try to navigate and survive the perilous journey. Tom Hanks does a wonderful job portraying Richard Phillips, a man who has been referred to as a hero for his actions during the dangerous adventure. Hanks was very good throughout the movie, but his true shining moment came at the end, proving again why he is one of the finest actors today. More interesting, is the performance of Barkhad Abdi, who plays Abdukhadir Muse, the leader of the Somalian party that hijacks Phillips ship. This was Abdis first acting role, and he was phenomenal. Born in Somalia, Abdi moved to Ye-

By Joey Kirsch
As a major TV-show watcher, I feel comfortable saying that I have seen many of the good shows on TV right now. Dramas, comedies, action: you name it, I have probably seen it. That does not make me special, though, because many other people have seen these shows, too. In fact, there are a lot of us who love to sit around and discuss the latest escapades of all of our favorite TV show characters each week. There is one show, however, that not enough people talk about that more people really should. Community, which was created by Dan Harmon and is loosely based on his life, is about a group of friends who go to Greendale Community College. Greendale isnt exactly your normal college. Students have to deal with a lot of things that definitely wouldnt happen at a normal college. The main characters, Jeff, Britta, Abed, Annie, Shirley, Troy, and Pierce, are a loveable bunch of misfits who have all sorts of crazy adventures at Greendale. They all have their own very different personalities that together create humor in everything they do, no matter how simple. While Community overall is great, there are a few flaws. For example, if you dont know all that much about pop-culture (TV, movies, etc.), you might not get all of the jokes. Also, many people have said that they didnt like the fourth season (the most recent) as much as the others. Hopefully, this issue

The Case Against Standardized Tests

(cont.)
some useful vocabulary, they will probably not gain much more from studying for these tests. Most classes and tutors stress the use of tricks that will not help you in any situation other than a standardized test. For example, the most common trick used for the math section is either plugging in numbers or working backwards with the options that are given. However, in the real world, those two strategies are not applicable. You are not going to be given four different options when deciding at what angle to mount a rocket to successfully launch it. In my opinion, the simple solution to this problem is to completely redesign these tests so that they do not require students to study random and largely useless facts. Possibly something similar to an IQ test. More importantly, I think students, including me, parents, schools, and colleges should put less of a focus on standardized tests. Instead, they should focus on actual GPA and the subjects that interest the students. As Mark Twain famously said, I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.

By Gabe Zuckerman

The Eyes of Minds by James Dashner

Reviews
VNS, a branch of the government whose purpose is to control all those within the VirtNet. The government promises Michael that he will be set for life if he cooperates, and if he does not do it they will cut him off completely from the VirtNet. Michael has an impossible task in front of him: locate and track down Kaine. To do this Michael must use all of his hacking skills to stop Kaine from killing more gamers. The Eye of Minds by James Dashner is a thrilling book, even though it contains some minor flaws. This book was really enjoyable because it introduces the VirtNet, which I found extremely interesting. Additionally, after reading The Eye of Minds and James Dashners previous series, The Maze Runner, Dashner is definitely one of my favorite authors. One thing that I do not like about The Eye of Minds is that Dashner needs to keep inventing new ways that gamers physical bodies will be affected by what they do in the VirtNet, or else there is no interest because it is known that Michael will live in the end. Overall The Eye of Minds was a great book written by an even better author. The Good: First, the plot is extremely interesting and introduces a whole new type of dystopian world. Furthermore, there are constantly twists and turns that will completely shock you. The Bad: Some of the faults of the book are that 99% of the action and main events take place in the VirtNet. That is not necessarily a bad thing but it makes the action a bit less exciting because it is not real. The Bottom Line: The Eye of Minds is an excellent book with some minor flaws. The Eye of Minds is packed with action at every bend, and a huge mystery that will shock you. Most, if not all, of the action in The Eye of Minds takes place in the VirtNet, which I personally dont like. Still, The Eye of Minds is a great book and definitely worth reading.

December 2013 Volume XVI, Issue II

The Blacklist

By Yonatan Raskin Raymond Reddington has been on the FBIs most-wanted list for twenty years, somehow always managing to escape their clutches. Suddenly, he insists that he wants to help the FBI. Reddington gives them a Blacklist, a list that he has compiled of top criminals and terrorists. For reasons unbeknownst to the viewer, he refuses to talk to anyone else in the FBI except for one person: rookie criminal profiler Elizabeth Keen, a woman who has had no previous encounters with Reddington whatsoever. She is suddenly and unexpectedly thrust into the dangerous business of hunting down wanted criminals and suspected terrorists. Why does Reddington only want to speak with Elizabeth? Will the FBI catch all of the criminals that Reddington notified them about? Find out in The Blacklist. The Blacklist is highly original and puts a twist on your everyday cop show. Instead of police tracking down criminals, one of the most wanted fugitives of the United States helps chase down wanted criminals for reasons only known to him. Reddington is a very well played character in the show and I cant wait to see what happens next in the series. The Good: The characters are well played and the plot is exciting and easy to follow. The Bad: The episodes are a little random when it comes to which criminals are being chased, but this overall adds to the plot. The Bottom Line: The Blacklist is a highly original, entertaining and action packed series that will make you wish the episodes never end.

What if you could fully submerge yourself into a video game, a video game that is so addictive and realistic that you never wanted to come out? In James Dashners The Eye of Minds, the VirtNet is the future of gaming. It allows for full body and mind submersion, and allows you to do things you could only dream of doing in the real world. But the VirtNet is experiencing some major technical difficulties: A cyber terrorist named Kaine has started holding

players hostage in the VirtNet. The presumption of the VirtNet is that nothing can harm you, but Kaine has found a way to take gamers hostage in the game, and make them brain-dead in real life. Michael, a gamer extremely skilled in coding and hacking, has been recruited by the

Student Councils Vision (cont.)

Yovel Krasner 15 said, I think movie nights would be really fun . . anything that gives students a chance to interact and have fun in a more relaxed environment is definitely a good idea. Yovel also mentioned that she would like to see more planned trips for the students. If there were more schoolwide trips we would have a lot of fun and it would be a really good opportunity for everyone to bond. So far Student Council has done a great job anticipating the desires of its electorate. Freshman year we had a pep rally, Krasner recalled. I think if Student Council brought it back it could be really fun. Well, Yovel and the other RKYHS students are in luck, because that is exactly what Student Council has planned. We have already begun planning our December pep rally, President Schlanger disclosed. We are aiming to have more fans at the games especially the home games. Go Cobras! Director Gottesman explained that they are planning ways to promote sports games, through announcements, special events, and dinners. The final message that Mr. Gottesman would like to leave with the students is: Get ready for the best year yet!

December 2013 Volume XVI, Issue II

The New Man on Campus

Basketball Coach Jan Sandusky Returns with a Mission
dle-school championship. After all of this, Coach Sandusky felt that he had really done everything that could be done at Flatbush. Luckily, Rabbi Kirsch still kept in touch with him. After talking to Rabbi Kirsch, Coach Sandusky decided that the right move for him would be to return to Kushner. As he said, I always loved Kushner and the people here I never really wanted to leave. Coach Sandusky is also fond of Rabbi Rubin, and commented: I love the direction Rabbi Rubin has taken the school. You can see the difference now and kids are happy to be here. The players on the team are also extremely happy to have Coach Sandusky back, and they all notice a significant difference from the past couple years. Hes a dedicated, hardworking coach who knows so much about the game, said Jeremy Shechter 14, captain of the Boys Varsity team. And he really cares about his players. The overall vibe around the school is that Coach Sandusky is a phenomenal coach,

Sports

By Greg Artman
The Kushner boys basket ball team has a new coach, Jan Sandusky. He is regarded as one of the best coaches in all yeshiva league basketball and is one of the most caring guys you could ever meet. Coach Sandusky coached at Kushner back in the day when Mr. Singman roamed the hallways, from 2001-2005. In this five-year span, he was extremely successful. He took Kushner basketball to the playoffs every year, even though before he came they had not made it once. He brought Kushner basketball all the way to the top of the Yeshiva League. Then, Coach Sandusky left Kushner due to some disputes with the administration, and headed to the Yeshiva of Flatbush. At Flatbush, Coach Sandusky was also very successful. He coached there for seven years, made it to five championship games, and won both a varsity championship and a mid-

and the right person to turn the basketball program around. In Coach Sanduskys mind, he knew that it was time to return to Kushner, and pull the basketball program from its recent slump back to its glory days. I understand that it might take some time to build a nice basketball program here, said Coach Sandusky. But Im ready to do whatever it takes. Coach Sandusky couldnt be any more motivated to restore Kushner basketball to where it used to be. Along with his assistant coach David Ptalis 08, Coach Sandusky has the team aiming high. With all the students and faculty behind them, there is no telling what they can accomplish in the near future. So come out and support the 2013-14 Kushner boys basketball teams, and you will be able to see the man himself in action. The one and only, Jan Sandusky.

3 on 3: More The Ride to Than Basketball the Superbowl

Second Annual 3 on 3 Tournament Comes Back Better Than Ever Predictions for the Superbowl
By Gabe Maron
Halfway through the NFL season, predictions of the playoffs start to arise. Many fans will look at the teams like the Kansas City Chiefs and predict that they will win the Super Bowl because they have a lot of wins. In my opinion, however, that prediction is completely wrong. True, the Chiefs do have a very good chance of reaching the playoffs because of their number of wins. However, there are also many great teams in the league that are possibly even better than the Kansas City team. For example, the 10-2 Denver Broncos, the 9-3 Patriots, the 11-1 Seahawks, and many more teams may be better than the Chiefs. In order to ascertain whether a team is actually

By Joe Berger
RKYHS is hosting its second annual three-on-three basketball tournament. Last year, Jonathan Pedoeem 15, Eytan Shamsian 15, and Joey Kirsch 15 organized a basketball tournament during lunch as a fun competition for those interested. The tournament was a smashing success. More then twenty people signed up and played throughout the tournament. It was a great opportunity for everyone to play organized basketball, particularly those who were unable to commit to an afterschool basketball team. Louis Reiz 15 praised the tournament for allowing more intense games and enabling people to spend less of their lunch period messing around,

waiting to organize a game. In response to the great success last year, the three student organizers decided to enhance the tournament this year, adding some exciting and important aspects to the competition. Last year, the tournament was one of free entry, and any student was allowed to join. While this was very convenient, there were complaints that many players did not take the games seriously, as they were playing for nothing meaningful. In response to these complaints, the directors of this program have decided to add a cash prize and an entry fee of five dollars. This is not only a way

continued on the next page

good, one must thoroughly comb through the various factors that play into that teams success. According to Sam Bernstein 17, The Denver Broncos will win the Super Bowl because Peyton Manning is having his best year yet, their wide receivers are great and they have a great defense. David Goldstein 16 adds, I think it is going to end up being Seahawks and the Broncos, with the Broncos winning because it is nearly impossible to stop Peyton Ma n n i ngs offense. Espe cial ly with the weapons he has like Welker, Thomas, and also a great running back such as Knowshon Moreno. On the other hand, the Patriots also have a good chance of winning the

continued on the next page

10

3 on 3 (cont.)
to make people play harder and intensify the competition, but is also a way to help others. Fifty percent of the money raised from the tournament will be donated to Friends of Jaclyn, a nonprofit organization that pairs student athletes with children who are battling brain tumors. A donation to an organization like this can help those in great need for a small price. We wanted to pick a good charity, something that we feel will have the most use for our money, explained Jonathan Pedoeem 15. Another student in the school, Maya Silver 15, has been raising money for the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation for a little while now and we decided it was a good charity to donate to. Hopefully this years tournament will attract even more students than last years. Eytan Shamsian 15 believes that students will be more involved and play with more passion

Sports
since it is for a charity and the winning team gets a small jackpot. Additionally, this time the tournament is starting earlier in the year to ensure that the tournament will be executed to the highest potential. Joey Kirsch 15 mentioned that while last year there were over 20 participants, this year they are hoping for even more. More participants will result in a higher cash prize, more competitive games, and most importantly, more money donated to charity. This small donation can not only result in a ton of fun, but also make a tremendous difference for someone in need.

December 2013 Volume XVI, Issue II

Superbowl
(cont.)
Seahawks have also forced the most sacks so far this season. All of these teams have an equal chance of reaching the Super Bowl, but at the end of the day only two teams can make it. Ultimately, in my opinion, the Denver Broncos will beat the Seattle Seahawks 27-20 in the Super Bowl. The chemistry between the teams veterans, Peyton Manning and wide receiver Wes Welker, is unstoppable and so the Seahawks stand no chance.

Super Bowl because of their veterans Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski. When Brady and Gronkowski are both on the field, the other team must be nervous; the two have 38 career pass-catch touchdowns. Furthermore, even without Gronkowski, Brady by himself is still an impressive force. Another highly ranked super bowl contender is the Seattle Seahawks. Russell Wilson, the teams quarterback, is in his second year in the NFL and has posted incredible numbers. As of week 13, the Seattle Seahawks possess the highest ranked defense. A main contributor to this impenetrable defense is key cornerback Richard Sherman. The Seattle

Will the Reigning NBA Champions Prove Unstoppable Yet Again?

By Jonah Bash
The big question about the NBA 2013-2014 season is: Will the Miami Heat win the NBA Finals for the third year in a row? Many people believe that the Heat will win, since they have all of their great players from last year, including the best player on the planet, LeBron James, and the talented players, Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade. The other key element to the teams success is its chemistry. There are other teams in the league with multiple superstars, like the Los Angeles Lakers, but their lack of chemistry was demonstrated in their disappointing season last year. The Brooklyn Nets, who acquired standouts Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett from Boston, may end up on the same path as last years Lakers because this is the debut with the Nets for these players. However, there are teams in the league that can contend with Miami without a stacked lineup. One such team might be the San Antonio Spurs. They almost took the championship from Miami last season, and may return this year to get their revenge. So far, they have started off on the right foot. The Los Angeles Clippers possess a lot of talent and could potentially bounce back from last years disappointing first round pete against Miami. Lets not forget about the other talented teams in the East, either. minus Rose, these guys still might have the talent to potentially take down Miami. Interestingly enough, a majority of Kushner students disagree with my predictions. According to a survey taken by the Kushner Voices Stats department, 56 percent of the students surveyed do not think that the Heat will win the finals again this year. But there are plenty of sensible reasons why that would be. We are a school located in the northeast and most of the teams that our students root for are rivals with the Heat. I dont think the Heat will win, said Avery Bell 17. Though he did admit: Im a rabid Knicks fan. Im never going to give in and say that the Heat will win. There is another reason why students, and many NBA fans, say the Heat will lose. I think the Heat ruin the Eastern Conference since they have so much talent, said Zach Israeli 17. However, in contrast to the majority of the Kushner student body, my personal opinion is that the Heat will three-peat, and win the finals this year.

Miami Heat Three-peat?

exit. One of the main worries for the reigning champs will be the Oklahoma City Thunder, who almost took Miamis first ring in this amazing streak in 2012. Their All-Star pointguard Russell Westbrook injured his meniscus in the playoffs last year, but has returned this season to com-

The Indiana Pacers, who gave the Heat a run for their money last year, have come back strong again. Also, the Chicago Bulls have their stellar point guard Derrick Rose back from last years injury. Unfortunately for the Bulls, he recently came down with another injury. However, even

December 2013 Volume XVI, Issue II

Girls Team Generating More Early Interest Than Boys Team

By Sam Shersher
Kushner has had quite a few athletic teams in its illustrious history: basketball, baseball, hockey, soccer, volleyball, wrestling, and so on. However, until recently no attempts were ever made to create a swim team. Swimming is a great sport, for exercise, sportsmanship, and bragging rights. In a school where athletics are so important, it was a shame that we hadnt yet endeavored to form a swim team to compete with other schools. However, this year brought an unprecedented change in our athletics: for the first time, we were able to get together a boys team and a girls team and even arrange weekly practices. So far, the girls team has drawn over a dozen swimmers. Im definitely excited about it, said Rachel Luxenberg 16. I really hope that people will continue to be interested in the coming years. In fact, the girls have already competed in their first meet and are looking forward to swimming in their second meet on December 14th. Unfortunately, the boys team has not yet elicited the same degree of excitement, attracting only a handful of swimmers so far, though Rabbi Kirsch hopes that more will join. Aside from the lack of male swimmers, a few other problems arose in the formation of the swim teams. For instance, our school doesnt have a pool, which meant Rabbi Kirsch had to figure out how to get access to one from a nearby facility. Luckily, he struck a deal with the Golds Gym of Whippany allowed him to rent out their pool and also their entire gym for two hours every Saturday night. Since practices on Saturday nights are inconvenient for many swimmers, Rabbi Kirsch is searching for ways to have practices on weekdays. So far, Rabbi Kirsch has contacted at least half a dozen pools, but unfortunately none of them could accommodate the swimmers on a weekday. Many people ask whether the swim teams will be able to be competitive. The girls team certainly has enough swimmers to compete with sister schools like Mayanot, Bruriah, and Flatbush. As for the boys team, there simply arent enough swimmers yet to compete. We probably will first need to get a few more kids involved before we can swim against other schools, said Rabbi Kirsch. In fact, currently there is not even a yeshiva league for boys swimming, but that might and probably will change, especially since more and more yeshivot are organizing their own swim teams. Rabbi Kirsch and all our swimmers are very optimistic that more boys will join once we get some swim meets off the ground. This is the first time in Kushner history that anything like this has been attempted, and so far, it has been going quite well.

New RKYHS Swim Teams

Sports

11

12

The Punchline
having had little to compare it to, thought it was a great experience. The tiyul was great, said Avery Bell 17, especially the Nachman dancing. That made it great for me. If we did more it would have been better. Zoe Eisenberg 17 also thought the tiyul was fun, but they should have provided more for us to do. Older students whod been on previous years tiyuls had more to compare this one against. Sarit Tubul 16 said it was worse than last year. The rocking boat was a problem, but it reached my expectations. On the other hand, Jesse Zucker 16 said, The tiyul was very fun and very different from last year. Some of the juniors who went in with low expectations, thought the yacht experience turned out well. It was fun, said Jacob Mendelson 15, better than I thought,

December 2013 Volume XVI, Issue II

Chug Review: Ultimate Frisbee

Tiyul at Sea
(cont.)
but worse than past tiyuls, because in the past we were in a bigger place so we had more freedom to do what we wanted. Abigail Rubin 15 thought the tiyul was good, and it was different from other tiyuls because it was on a boat and the boys werent playing sports. Rachel Zucker 14 said it was super fun and very different from other tiyuls. It was good because boys and girls were all together instead of separate. Rafi Snyder 14 added, It was fun, and I had low expectations, but it was fine. Overall, there were a lot of different opinions about the tiyul, some people thought it was just right, while others thought it was not as good as previous ones.

By Sara Kirsch On Tuesday mornings we, the students of RKYHS, get to choose an elective, also known as chug. One of the chugs happens to be Disc Golf, also known as RKYHS Ultimate Frisbee Chug. This reminds me of an episode from a show called Zoey 101, in which the gang hated their gym class and, being the smart high school students (like us) they are, they started a disc golf team to get out of gym. Now we all know why they called it disc golf--because its as boring as golf. I wondered, though, why the name was changed to Ultimate Frisbee, so I did a lot of thinking and came to the con-

clusion that the word ultimate is just there to make the game sound like a real sport, because we all know that in reality, it is as much of a sport as bowling. This might come as a shock to you (#mindblown), but there is nothing interesting about throwing plastic disks into a basket. This sport is a disgrace to athletics. In short, the Ultimate Frisbee Chug looks like a lot of fun and I recommend it to all students. Now, what have we learned? If you can, get a group of friends together and create an entirely new club in order to evade any physical activity during the school year. Perhaps curling will be next?

By Jesse Zucker

Pop Culture Grid

What is your favorite color in November? What tree do you associate yourself with? If you use hand soap, What is one she plus which one do you one she? use? What shampoo do you use? Ginger Red Oak Orange Beauty She She Head and Shoulders

Jakey Ostrove: Freshman Levi Jacob: Sophomore

What does that mean?

Eucalyptus tree

The soap that suds when you rub between your hands

Tushe

Old Spice

Sasha Sherman: Junior

What does that mean? Wait, what are you doing?

Christmas tree

I dont use it.

5 sheep

Oil Shampoo

Rafi Snyder: Senior

Fuchsia

Pine tree, because its prickly and annoying.

Cucumber melon Suave

Tunechi

Leave me alone