Volume 8 Issue 6, May 2010 - The Heschel School

סיון ה“תש‘‏ ע
May 2010
Helios Volume 8 Issue 6 Volume 8 Issue Page 61
The Official Student Newspaper
of the
Abraham Joshua Heschel
High School
“We stand for what we utter…”
- Rabbi Heschel
Heschel Revises Kashrut Policy
By Becca Schwarz
the school.
named student feels it is “ridiculous that you can be
Members of the student body expressed a suspended if you share cake three times.” In fact,
In response to a recent Helios article regarding
adherence to the Heschel High School’s David Mishaan, a Heschel junior, believed the treats for their friends.
broad range of opinions regarding the guidelines. many students like to bring in birthday cakes and
kashrut policy, the administration decided to clarify policy to be a “good compromise.” Another student Some find the no-sharing guideline to be
the guidelines and communicate them to the student
body in grade meetings. On Thursday, April think the culture of the school is such that people feel no-sharing rule will be problematic. “Sharing is
agreed, claiming, “The new severity is very good… I unrealistic. Junior Anna Rothstein worries that the
15, each grade heard the amended policy from their accomplished when they successfully eat a ham and caring, right?”
grade dean, and parents were notified of the guidelines.
deserve to get caught.”
were strict enough as they were and that they should
swiss in the building, and I think that’s rude and they Some students feel that the kashrut rules
The kashrut rules read:
not have been changed.
Individuals are asked to bring
Aaron Mayer, a Heschel
only cold dairy or parve (nonmeat,
non-dairy) products into
people be allowed to eat a pop-
freshman, said, “Why shouldn’t
the school. To maintain the
tart if it’s not hurting anyone?
kashrut of our cafeteria, all
Rather, we should initiate some
outside food must be eaten in
form of a ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’
other spaces in the building.
policy and allow every food but
Students may not order in food
enforce the no-sharing rule.”
from any establishment during
Often, tours are given during the
the school day. After school
school day to show Heschel to
hours, students may bring in
potential students and their families.
Maintaining the image of
cold dairy or parve foods (as
described above) or kosher
the Heschel School as a kosherfriendly
place is very important.
certified hot, dairy (i.e. pizza)
or parve (non-meat, non-poultry)
food emphasized this concern. “If a
Beatrice Volkmar, a junior,
The real changes regard
cold food and the con-
school saw a kid eating an un-
parent from Heschel or another
sequences that may follow if
kosher meat sandwich… That
students do not adhere to the
would just be a very bad reflection
on Heschel as a Jewish
guidelines. If students fail to
follow the guidelines, first time
school.”
offenders are punished with a
Heschel faculty framed the
reminder and parents are contacted.
A second transgression
Illustration by Julie Maschler
teachers felt that the policy was
kashrut issue differently. Many
results in a detention and parents
are contacted again. After a third violation of Preferring to remain anonymous for fear that term “kosher ingredients,” claiming that the indefi-
far too vague in its use of the
the kashrut rules, a student can be suspended. Upperclassmen
may also lose their off-campus privi-
a second student said, “It is sad that a Jewish school observe the school’s kashrut rules, as well as for the
her comment would be considered too inflammatory, nite meaning makes it hard for students to properly
leges.
needs these rules at all… Why would anyone bring administration to fairly impose consequences.
The Heschel Handbook states that these blatantly unkosher food into any kind of Jewish institution?
I am embarrassed that we have to take away cy] is a nice refresher,” said junior Sami Stein. “If we
“Regardless of the changes, [the new poli-
rules are enforced in order to ensure that “all members
of our community should feel comfortable eating
at both lunch and school functions.” Indeed, the to bring up a third-time punishment.”
policy they’ll be more inclined to think about it next
someone’s going out privileges and that we even have just remind students of the fact that there is a kashrut
main issue at hand is one of respect by students for On the other side of the spectrum, an un-
time they decide to bring in a meat sandwich.”
Dissecting the Ethics of Dissection
By Emma Goldberg
In early 2001 sixth grader Laurie Wolff
of Clark Country, Nevada, petitioned her school
board to provide alternatives
to middle school students who
felt uncomfortable with the
school’s mandatory dissection
policy. Wolff was angered
when her refusal to participate
in several class dissections reduced
her A-average in biology
to a C.
In the past two years,
cow kidney dissections have
been added to Heschel’s 11th
grade biology curriculum. Science
teacher Jon Greenberg
explained the rationale behind
the new curriculum. “Dissection
is helpful because it’s a direct
experience. You can look
at pictures and diagrams, but
if you don’t actually see it you
can’t fully understand it.”
Jon’s view has become
widespread in United States
high schools. Heschel is among
the many New York public and
private schools to include dissection
in the curriculum.
Proponents of dissections say it helps to make more
tangible the abstract concepts learned in a biology
lab. As an alternative to listening to lectures and
taking notes, dissections actively engage students
in studying anatomy.
Though some Heschel juniors recalled dissecting
owl pellets in a fifth grade biology class, for
most the cow kidney dissection was an entirely new
experience.
Matan Skolnik, a Heschel junior, believes
dissection is a helpful educational tool. “My class is
Illustration by Joshua Ashley
supposed to be a lab-based, more hands-on class, and
it would be very helpful and interesting to be able to
actually tangibly study the material we are learning,”
said Skolnik.
Zoe Grossman, also a junior, said that her biology
class has not yet had a dissection activity, but
added: “I am sure it would add to our understanding
of certain concepts being taught in the class. Doing
dissections definitely make sense of certain ideas
taught in the curriculum.”
Junior David Mishaan said, “I must admit,
I enjoyed the activity.”
However, biology dissection
was not a positive experience
for all Heschel High
students. Some students expressed
dismay at the addition
of dissection to the 11th
grade biology curriculum.
Other in this students contrasted
Veguary, issue: a student-driven
venture capable of rallying
456 articles individuals to pledge
vegetarianism for one
month, with the image of
an 11th grade biology class
sorting through the bones
and marrow of a dead cow.
Hannah Kober, a junior
and member of the Heschel
High School Vegetarian and
Animal Rights Club, spoke
out against recent dissections.
Hannah said, “I don’t
believe that is it wrong to
dissect in the context of labs
with scientific experts, but
wasting all those kidneys on
amateurs is simply insane.”
An estimated six million animals are killed
for dissection purposes each year in United States
high schools alone, while many others are killed for
use in elementary and middle school biology classrooms.
Continued on page 3

Page 2 Helios Volume 8 Issue 6 May 2010
Commemorate then Celebrate?
By Anna Rothstein
On April 12, Ahuva sent an e-
mail informing the entire school that
high school chef, Rami Mishani, would
be leaving for one year to participate
on “Krav Sakinim,” the Israeli version
of Iron Chef. Ahuva notified
the students and
faculty that on the next
Friday during lunch, the
school would “officially
give Rami a Heschel
send-off in recognition
of all the wonderful
times and meals he has
provided us.”
Students have
grown close to Rami
over the seven years he
has been at Heschel.
Many are fond of his
cooking and his presence
every day during
lunch. After Ahuva’s
announcement, there
were days of frantic
discussion. Students
were devastated and
complained that they
couldn’t wait an entire
year to enjoy Rami’s
gourmet meals again.
Seniors Matt Grobman and
Shelly Kaplan went around the school
asking students what their favorite
“Rami meal” was. Hours were spent
putting together a goodbye video for
Rami. That Friday the video was shown
in the cafeteria to the entire school.
But what was thought to be a goodbye
ceremony was actually a 2010 color
war breakout!
The first activity of color war
was decorating the halls Freshman
White, Sophomore Red, Junior Blue,
and Senior Black. Students from each
grade signed up for the various competitions
that would be part of the color
war. Everyone showed lots of color war
and grade spirit in a game of knockout.
The Monday of color war began solemnly
commemorating Yom Hazikaron.
During tfillot, a misheberach
was recited, a prayer for sick and injured
Israeli soldiers. Immediately following
tfillah an assembly took place
in commemoration of fallen soldiers.
Rabbi Benji Shiller spoke about his
experiences in the army, the Heschel
Harmonizers performed, and student
musicians played music and sang.
An important question was how the
day would transform from something
so solemn and emotionally challenging
to something cheerful and spirited.
Rabbi Natan worked hard at making
the transition from Yom Hazikaron to
color war happen.
Team captains from each
grade stood in front of the school and
transformed from their black and white
clothes to their color war attire of
white, red, blue, and black. Many students
found this transition to be “awkward”
or uncomfortable.
Junior Sharon Amir said “I
wasn’t offended or anything but naturally,
I was in ‘sad’ mode [during Yom
Hazikaron] so later being all cheery
was a little hard.”
A student who wished to remain
anonymous commented, “Going
into color war, something fun and
slightly chaotic, seemed to take away
from the Yom Hazikaron
atmosphere.” Junior Ari
Meridy said, “It struck a
personal note because I
have friends in tzahal right
now, and going immediately
from [one] to the
other was challenging.”
Others did not find
the transition problematic.
Junior Ariel Abecassis
said, “It wasn’t that hard
because we were in an environment
where it’s not
really different than any
other day, the only real
difference was that we had
a ceremony that was actually
taken seriously.”
Rabbi Natan emphasized
that traditionally
Yom Ha’atzmaut and Yom
Hazikaron are marked
separately on two consecutive
days, a difficult transition for Israelis.
This year he decided to create
this type of transition Monday morning
from the Yom Hazikaron ceremony
to Yom Ha’atzmaut. He called Yom
Ha’atzmaut in Israel “the biggest party
of the year.”
Monday April 19 was an emotional
day for most students, making
team spirit difficult. Many students
felt that it was extremely challenging
to play school-wide game and competitions
on a day meant to commemorate
both injured soldiers and soldiers
who have lost their lives. Junior Becca
Schwarz asks, “On a day where we are
supposed to remember the fallen Israeli
soldiers, how can we either participate
fully in color war or keep them in our
hearts and minds when we do so?”
Racial Profiling:
Immoral, Important, or Both?
By Zoe Goldberg
On December 25, 2009,
Umar Abdulmutallab smuggled a
bomb onto an airplane in his underwear.
A few days later, on January
3, a man ran through Newark
International airport security,
causing a long delay for many
passengers.
These are just two
examples of recent terrorist
threats to airport security.
Why do travelers have to wait
in long security lines, take
off their shoes, and throw out
bottles of water at the airport
if these measures do not solve
all of the security problems?
Many people think racial profiling
is a good way to help
ensure airport security. However,
this is a very controversial
technique.
Some people say that
it does not matter if people
feel offended or angered by
being pulled over and questioned
at the airport, it is necessary in order
to ensure the safety of the passengers,
as statistics suggest that it is
more likely for an Arab, Pakistani, or
North African Muslim man to be a
Illustration by Talia Niederman
terrorist than a white Catholic woman.
However, many people argue
that racial profiling is highly
discriminatory. They say that just
because some Arab men happen to
Illustration by Andrew Udell
be terrorists does not mean that every
Arab man should be targeted at
the airport. Many believe security
officials should focus only on suspicious
behavior rather than on someone’s
race.
People also argue that racial
profiling violates the Fourth
Amendment to the Constitution,
which states that: “The right of the
people to be secure in their persons,
houses and effects, against
unreasonable searches and
seizure, shall not be violated,
and no warrants shall
issue, but upon probable
cause, supported by Oath or
Affirmation, anvd particularly
describing the place to
be searched and the persons
or things to be seized.”
Heschel students also
hold strong opinions on
the subject of racial profiling.
While some think it is
a necessary measure to ensure
the safety of the American
people, other Heschel
students feel that racial
profiling is immoral and un-
Heschelian.
One student commented,
“It is just one small way
that security can try to stop terrorist
attacks,” but another student
said, “It’s not rational. Why should
some guy get stopped at security
just because his skin is darker than
another person? It’s a rude, offen-
Helios Staff
2009-2010
Editors:
Gabriel Fisher
Emma Goldberg
Art and Layout Editors:
Talia Niederman
Andrew Udell
Sports Editor:
Gabriel Klausner
Contributing Writers:
Naomi Blech
Rebecca Cooper
Gabriel Fisher
Emma Goldberg
Zoe Goldberg
Gabriel Klausner
Jesse Kramer
Aaron Ladds
Isabel Merrin
Elizabeth Rauner
Anna Rothstein
Mani Schlisser
Becca Schwarz
Zachary Stecker
Rachel Weisberg
Andrew Udell
Contributing Artists:
Joshua Ashley
Hannah Kober
Rebecca Leeman
Julie Maschler
Talia Niederman
Sigal Palley
Andrew Udell
Faculty and Staff:
Lisa Cohen
Gabe Godin
Audrey Sieger
We would like to formally thank
Samuel Freedman. His dedication
has helped us move Helios to the
next level.
Printing courtesy of Tri-Star
Offset & Barry Goodman
Letter From
The Editors
Dear Readers:
In the last issue in “The Pig in the
Room: Heschel’s Obvious but Overlooked
Kashrut Problem,” the first
paragraph stated that, at a meeting of
Student Senate, principal Ahuva Halberstam
knowingly saw a student eating
an non-kosher slice of hot pizza,
but chose to accept it. Ahuva was not
contacted, however, to verify that interpretation.
Ahuva has informed Helios
that she had not been aware that
the pizza was non-kosher.
Also, despite a statement in an editorial
in the last issue, Ahuva will continue
to work collaboratively with the
Helios staff.
The names of staff members Rebecca
Schwarz and Rachel Weisberg were
inadvertently omitted in the staff list of
the last issue.
Finally, an error occurred in the layout
of the last issue, inserting part of the
article “Tightening the Rope on School
Dances” into the body of “Are We the
Pro-Israel Anomaly?”
Helios is committed to maintaining
high journalistic standards and will
work to prevent such misstatements
and errors in the future.
The Editorial Staff of Helios

May 2010 Helios Volume 8 Issue 6 Page 3
Dissection continued from page 1
Many junior biology students,
including Ciara Sidell and Shevi Epstein,
also members of the Heschel
Animal Rights Club, share Hannah’s
view. They approached Jon, asking for
permission to refrain from participating
in the dissection activity. According
to Sidell, “I was given a choice:
I could either dissect the cow kidney
without making a fuss, or I could sit
and watch, and take in as much information
as possible.” Hannah, on the
other hand, claimed to have felt compelled
to perform a dissection in her
biology class. Jon responded that he
gave his students the option to dissect
a model, but encouraged actual dissection.
In a recent survey by the national
organization Animal Learn,
86% of high school students polled
stated that they believed that high
school biology teachers should make
classroom dissections optional. Ten
states, including California, Pennsylvania,
and New Jersey, have passed
legislation protecting student rights to
refuse participation in classroom dissection
activities. Heschel is in accord
with those laws by providing students
with the option to dissect or not.
However, for some students,
such as Ciara, even being given the
option to dissect can breed resentment.
“On a personal note, I was
somewhat offended when I was told
that I had to sit and watch my classmates
dissect a kidney,” said Ciara.
Hannah, Ciara, and Shevi are
struggling to balance their intellectual
interest in biology with an interest
in preserving respect for animals,
especially given that all three are at
least “partial” vegetarians. Hannah
explained, “I am not a full vegetarian,
however I don’t eat red meat because
those animals are mammals just like
we are, making it even more inhumane
to dissect their body parts without
realizing that these animals are
essentially like us.”
Jon responded that he purchases
his dissection meat from Western
Beef and as such, “The meat is
just a byproduct of the meat industry.
It’s not animals groomed and raised
specifically for dissection.”
Ciara claimed that to deepen
11th grade understanding of the anatomy
of cows and other living creatures,
alternatives to dissection that
do not breach moral codes can be
found. In 28 out of 29 studies conducted
by the Humane Society of the
United States students who used alternative
methods to dissection, such
as computer simulations, performed
as well or better on standardized
tests.
Ciara reported that the Animal
Rights Club has met with Jon
to discuss finding models of animal
anatomy to be used as alternatives to
conventional dissection. Ciara said,
“As a high school student, I feel that
it is important to understand the anatomy
of the kidney, but I can do so
in a different way, virtually, or using
a model.” However, while extensive
research has found that alternatives
to dissection can be effective, inexpensive,
and accommodating to vegetarian
students, some Heschel students
and teachers remain opposed to
removing dissection from the junior
biology curriculum.
Though Jon acknowledged
that there are alternatives to dissection,
he explained that if “you’re taking
apart a virtual frog, it’s not the
same tactile experience as a true dissection.”
Junior Charlotte Marx-Arpadi
agreed, and added: “Dissection
brings all that we learn in biology to
life. Instead of memorizing facts for
a test, through dissection I get to understand
biology in real life form.”
By Andrew Udell
Heschel Holds First
Technology Recycling Drive
The Sustainability Committee
at Heschel, a group focused on improving
and promoting environmentalism
in all three Heschel buildings, recently
ran a technology drive to collect
electronic waste (e-waste) for proper
recycling.
The Sustainability Committee
hoped that lower, middle, and high
school Heschel families would bring
everything from computers, printers,
and cell-phones, to TVs, all e-waste
that can be safely and properly recycled.
Why should e-waste be recycled?
Electronic waste contains many
dangerous toxins such as mercury,
phosphors, cadmium, and flame retardants.
According to the Environmental
Protection Agency, e-waste contributes
more than 70% of the toxins found in
landfills, although in volume it constitutes
only 1% of landfills.
As chemistry teacher Isaac Secemski
explained, the esoteric metals
(found in almost all of the technology
that we throw away or recycle) have
useful and special properties. For example,
he said that, “scandium is used
in stadium lights, yttrium in lasers,
lanthanum in electric car batteries,
etc.” Virtually all of these rare metals
come from China; they are usually
mined under uncontrolled and very
poor environmental conditions. In
addition, China has strong economic
control over the supply of these metals.
According to Isaac, “it is a
very good idea to recycle these old
dergarten next year, there will already
be 2nd, 1st, and kindergarten classes of
75 students each, when the move takes
place in the fall of 2012.
Some Heschel high school students
held strong views on the expansion.
Junior Skyler Siegel did not understand
the reasoning behind the school’s
decision to expand this year, when, in
his opinion, there is not enough room
to hold all the students comfortably. “I
think they can wait two years.”
Talya Nevins, a freshman, disagreed.
“If that’s what the school needs
to do then they should do it,” Nevins
stated. “This seems like the necessary
step the school must take to ensure that
in three years, when they actually relocate,
the new school won’t feel empty
and deserted.”
Another, and arguably larger,
issue is whether Heschel should expand
its lower grades at all. Expanding the
school next year is part of a larger plan
to eventually have 75 students in every
grade in the Heschel school, one of the
main reasons that the school wanted to
build the 60th Street campus in the first
place.
As Roanna explained, there is a
constant and growing demand for open
spots at the Heschel School. Each year
the admissions office is faced with the
tough decision of rejecting many students,
a choice they would prefer not
to make as frequently. Roanna said that
she was particularly struck when she
was first forced to make the decision to
reject the younger sibling of a current
Heschel student, something previously
unheard of. Additionally, it is important
to bring new families into the unique
Heschel community and it is unfortunate
and disheartening to have to reject
so many new families each year. As she
explained, “It became uncomfortable.
We were turning away too many people.”
There are many, though, who
oppose the decision to increase the
grade size and the Heschel community.
Sophomore Andrew Udell understood
the arguments from both sides. “ On
one hand it’s definitely nice to give the
opportunity to kids and families to be
members of the Heschel community,
but on the other hand it definitely weak-
technologies because these rare metals
are recovered and this minimizes
environmental damage due to dirty
mining and allows us some economic
freedom from Chinese pressure. In addition,
some of these rare metals are in
such limited supply that, unless we recycle,
we will run out of them. This is
important for the future because some
of these metals are critical for “green”
technologies, such as hybrid cars and
wind turbines.”
Additionally, some people argue
that electronic recycling will result
in decreased energy and water use, reduce
pollution, and help to keep hazardous
toxins out of the air and water.
A law that will go into effect in July
2010 makes it illegal for New York
City residents to throw away electronic
waste.
If you missed the recent technology
drive, it’s never too late! Check
out the Lower East Side Ecology Center
for their recycling drives or visit
http://www.nyc.gov/portal/site/nycgov/menuitem.59acc4afc8e9fbc880b
be51001c789a0 for more information
and dates for e-waste recycling programs.
Heschel Prepares for Expansion:
New Kindergarten Class on its Way
By Gabriel Fisher
Illustration by Talia Niederman
As the cranes and bulldozers
eagerly wait for the signal to proceed
with the construction of the new Heschel
campus, the Heschel School’s
administration is already making
many changes in preparation for the
big move. The plan is to construct a
new Heschel complex for the lower
and middle school students on two
properties Heschel already owns,
one that is adjacent to and the other
contiguous to the current high school
building. Thanks to the “extraordinary
generosity,” as Head of School Roanna
Shorofsky put it, of a group of
10-12 donors, and a lead donation of
$33 million dollars, Heschel has been
able to move forward far more quickly
than expected with its plans to move
the lower and middle schools to 60th
Street.
As the school continues with
its preparations for the building,
which includes meeting with the architects
and construction companies,
the administration is also exploring
ways to prepare the student body for
the new location. The administration
recently decided that, in anticipation
of the upcoming move, it will open an
additional kindergarten class for next
year.
Currently, the two kindergarten
classes at Heschel accommodate
about 50 students. Under the new
plan, this number would rise to 70
or 75. Although the logistics are not
finalized at the moment, the current
plan is to move one of the third grade
classes to a remodeled library that will
be created to absorb them, and the expansion
class will take over the abandoned
third grade classroom.
The decision to expand the
classes right now, as opposed to later
when the new lower and middle school
are built, stems from the administration’s
concern about the size of the
new space, a 10-story monolith with
two gymnasiums, multiple entrances,
and an environmental rooftop garden,
The administration does not want the
school to appear too big or unwelcoming,
and they want the school not to
seem empty. By expanding the kinens
the tight-knit community. The Heschel
community should remain close
knit and small.”
Roanna recalled that years
ago, when the Heschel School decided
to expand from 15 to 40 students per
grade, opponents made a similar argument
about losing the special closeness
and bond of the Heschel community.
To the naysayers Roanna said, “Has
Heschel ever lacked that communal
feel?”
Finally, by expanding the lower
and middle schools to 75 students
a grade, the school will effectively be
making the high school admissions process
for outside applicants much more
selective. Because the high school is
already at capacity, it means that the
number of outside students joining in
9th grade would shrink significantly.
Right now, the rate of Heschel middle
school students who continue at the
high school hovers around 67%. If the
same statistic applied to an 8th grade
class of 75, 50 Heschel middle school
students would continue at the high
school, a significant increase from the
30 to 35 person minority that Heschel
middle-schoolers currently comprise
in a high school grade.
Tsvi Tannin, a sophomore
who came to Heschel in 9th grade,
hesitantly endorsed the plan to expand
the middle school. “If Heschel was in
a situation where it was forced to be
more selective with its admissions,” he
said dubiously, “the overall quality of
the high school would be dramatically
improved.”
Still others fear that expanding
the Heschel middle school, making the
high school admissions process more
selective than it already is, will deny
deserving students from other middle
schools a Heschel education.
The Helios Staff and Faculty
extend condolences to Sam
Freedman, Helios mentor, on
the loss of his father, Herman
Freedman.

Page 4 Helios Volume 8 Issue 6 May 2010
Sports Commentary: Oh,
How the NBA Has Gone Soft
Gabe enjoys sports, beating Ross Gitlin
in Fifa, and perusing the latest issue of
The New Yorker. His column is not about
spitting back scores, nor is it simply a recap
of the month’s sports happenings. It’s
about candid, frank, and straightforward
opinion. Agree or disagree, gotta respect
a man’s conviction.
By Gabriel Klausner
What a dark time for NBA
fans. What a shame it is to tune in every
night and watch a bunch of 7-foot
men play the game like a bunch of kindergarten
sissies.
I know what you’re thinking
right now. Are you insane, Klausner?
Have you not seen Lebron James and
Kobe Bryant put on dazzling one-of-akind
performances, night in and night
out? I mean, Gabe, the league has two
of the greatest players ever competing
night after night, and you’re trying to
tell me that the NBA is a crying shame,
a disgrace, and, dare I say, a shonda?
Precisely.
There’s no denying the fact
that the NBA is chock-full o’ phenomenal
players at every position. And I
can’t sit here and knock their talent, let
alone disregard the obvious financial
stimulation that comes along with such
a rare pool of skill.
But I will say this: for basketball
purists like myself, the league’s
defense is a joke. And it has been for
too long now.
In the 80’s, the “Bad Boys”
of Detroit were a terror on the court.
Universally recognized as the toughest
and roughest defenders in the league,
the Pistons would never grant anyone
an easy bucket – try to drive to the basket
for a layup and it’s a sure bet that
you’d land on your bottom, on your
way to the free throw line to earn your
two points. However, physicality in the
NBA has virtually vanished.
Since 1990, the NBA has instituted
a host of rules to increase offensive
flow and penalize physical play. Two
of the most detrimental and tragic rules
came in 1994 and 1997. In 1994, hand
checking (placing one’s hand on the offensive
player intermittently to slow his
or her progress) was outlawed and in
1997 forearm checks went out the window
as well. Free-flowing offenses are
now the norm with the floor wide open.
Since the ’97-’98 season, scoring average
has increased by five points from 95
points a game to 100 and there is an average
of four more possessions per game.
Many players and coaches alike
are not happy with the new style of play
brought on by these changes. Charlotte
Bobcats coach Larry Brown said, “You
can’t even touch a guy now. The college
game is much more physical than our
game.”
And I ask, why are 18-year-old
students of the game playing a more
physical brand of basketball than seasoned
veterans who make millions of
dollars to lay it all out on the line night
after night?
Not only am I irked and irate with
regard to how the game of basketball is
played today by the best in the world, but
I also, frankly, feel bad for those young
National Basketball Association fans
who never got to see men battle like warriors.
Six-year-old Johnny who never got
to see David Lee whack a driving point
guard. Or 8-year-old Casey who never
got to see Al Harrington slap the floor and
close out on every angle on defense. It’s
time for the game to return to its glory
days of physicality and absolute tenacity.
Let ‘em play, Commissioner
Stern, let ‘em play.
Biking: A New Way
By Aaron Ladds
Going “green” is the new way
to go. The relatively newly invented
hybrid vehicle, for example, is able to
run on electric power rather than relying
on gas.
Another green
alternative is biking.
Biking to work or
school offers myriad
benefits. One clear
“green” advantage
is that bikes do not
produce any sort of
pollution or other destructive
waste that
can hurt the environment.
Biking can
cut the time it takes to travel to school
in half. As junior Andrew Berson said,
“Before I started biking, it took me
forty minutes to get to school. But now
when I bike it usually takes me fifteen
minutes.”
Biking, then, is not only beneficial
for the environment, but it can
Photograph by Andrew Udell
of Travel?
also allow more sleep.
An additional bonus to biking to
school is the exercise. If a student bikes
for one hour every day, she will, according
to a study done by medicinenet.com, burn
500-600 calories, the equivalent of three
of Rami’s brownies.
Weather permitting,
I try to bike to
school everyday. On
a gloomy and cold
day I asked a fellow
biker next to me why
she bikes. Her answer
was simple, “Because
I love it: the independence,
the breeze, everything!
” She smiled
and continued biking
at twice my speed.
A biker might
bike because of the environmental benefits,
the time efficiency, the health
advantages, or all of the above, but the
biking community is rapidly expanding.
Biking to school has changed my mornings
from being soporific to energetic and
awake, and this alone could benefit everyone.
Photograph by Elizabeth Rauner
Movie Review: Remember Me
By Esther Lenchner
The romantic drama Remember
Me starring Robert Pattinson (the
infamous Edward from the Twilight
saga) and Emilie De Ravin (who may
be recognized from Lost) is, in short,
sensational. Both the plot and the actors’
performances are exemplary.
Pattinson plays Tyler, a rebellious
college boy who attends NYU
together with potential love interest
Ally (De Ravin). Tyler is a brooding,
misunderstood boy, who easily
attracts young women for one night
stands with his charming smile and poetic
soul. Ally is a pretty blond with a
tragic past. Circumstances lead the two
to meet and Tyler talks Ally into going
on a date with him. The date turns into
many dates and before he knows it, Tyler
has fallen in love with Ally.
As a side plot, Tyler has a difficult
relationship with his distant father
who does not adequately take care
of Tyler and his younger sister Caroline.
Tyler and his father continually
clash, and their conflict often evolves
into heated arguments about the father’s
irresponsibility toward his family.
The father, in turn, accuses Tyler of
being immature. Ally is able to relate
to Tyler because of her difficult relationship
with her own father. The two
characters’ conflicts with their fathers
add a layer of drama to the film.
Aside from the complex love
shared by Ally and Tyler, the film’s
most captivating relationship is that of
Tyler and his sister. Tyler is extremely
dedicated to Caroline, and often fights
with their father because he won’t devote
any time or attention to Caroline.
Another highlight of the movie
is Tyler’s best friend Aiden (Tate Ellington)
who is simply hilarious. From prodding
Tyler to change his attitude, to pushing
him to ask out Ally, to his charming
antics, Tate Ellington gives a marvelous
performance as ‘the tag along best
friend’.
The director of Remember Me,
Allen Coulter, has been directing and
producing movies since the late 80’s
and has worked on numerous television
shows, notably Nurse Jackie, The Sopranos,
Sex and the City, and The X Files.
His previous directing experience is evident,
as is the quality of his directing.
The movie has a shocking and
tragic ending that seems to have upset
some critics. I will say that the ending left
me bawling in my seat and unwilling to
leave the theater, humiliated by my wet
cheeks. The movie was so touching and
captivating that it left me (if not the entire
audience) in a state of hysteria. The ending
allowed the audience to realize just
how attached they were to the characters.
This movie provided an entirely
different view of the much beloved actor
Robert Pattinson. Though I personally
was not a fan of Twilight, Remember Me
showcased Pattinson’s dramatic skills
much better. I blame the poor quality of
“Twilight” on the director and staff, not
on the actors. Remember Me gave me an
opportunity to reevaluate Pattinson. Remember
Me allows viewers to value Pattinson
for his true dramatic skills, not just
for his looks and does a wonderful job of
showcasing the talent of the entire cast.
Teacher Profile: Rabbi Benji Schiller
By Lizzi Rauner
This year Heschel welcomed
Rabbi Benji Schiller, a Cleveland native
and Yeshiva University alum. While
Rabbi Benji is a teacher in the Limudei
Qodesh departmentat Heschel, he studied
English Literature and Fine Arts in college.
Growing up Rabbi Benji aspired
to be a doctor. He drew his inspiration
from his own pediatrician whom he
admired for being “a very caring individual,
very thoughtful, and a great teacher.”
Comparing his own high school experience
to life at Heschel, Rabbi Benji noted
that his graduating class at the Hebrew
Academy of Cleveland’s Mesivta High
School contained only twelve students.
In his twenties, Rabbi Benji
lived in Israel for three years and served
in the Israeli army. In addition to joining
the army, Rabbi Benji studied Judaics
while living in Israel. Upon returning
to the U.S., Rabbi Benji taught middle
school English in Monsey and Brooklyn, all
before going to rabbinical school.
Rabbi Benji studied to become a
rabbi at Yeshivat Chovevei Torah, a rabbinical
school in New York. He explained that
he decided to become a rabbi after “thinking
about all the things that I didn’t like about
the world, and trying to figure out what it
would take to go about creating change.”
Rabbi Benji’s goal is to “Devote myself to
exploring and teaching making connections
between Jewish tradition and texts and ourselves
and our world.”
Although Rabbi Benji is a very passionate
teacher, he also has many other interests
and hobbies, including spending time
with his daughters at his home in Riverdale.
“They’re great, and hanging out with them is
really important to me, it’s fun,” said Rabbi
Benji about his daughters.
Rabbi Benji admits to being “absolutely
obsessed with music.” He has a very
eclectic collection of music and believes that
music “brings a whole different dimension to
life.”
Heliostyle: Lee Alexander McQueen
By Isabel Merrin
Lee Alexander McQueen, the
revolutionary British fashion designer, died
on February 11, 2010, at the age of 41. Mc-
Queen’s sudden death caused quite a stir,
shocking his friends, family, loyal customers,
devoted critics, and talented fellow designers.
Though his styles, typically marked
as very loud and flashy, are not worn by
Heschel students, he has many devoted fans
within the Heschel School.
“McQueen was incredibly innovative
and his creativity impacted everyone,
not just the fashion world in which he was
praised,” stated Heschel junior Rachel Krakowski.
Krakowski, who herself is interested
in the fashion industry, sees McQueen as an
inspiration. “McQueen was able to knock
down a lot of fashion barriers,” Rachel explained.
Born on March 17, 1969 in Lewisham,
part of London, McQueen was the
youngest of six children and received his
masters in fashion design from Central Saint
Martins College of Art and Design. With
the help of friend and fashion editor Isabella
Blow, he broke into the fashion industry at
the age of 16, working as an apprentice making
suits for Prince Charles. McQueen never
failed to attribute his success to Blow, who
took her own life in 2007.
Mcqueen’s early success in the
fashion industry serves as inspiration to
many young fashionistas, such as Rachel. In
1996, Lee was made head designer at the clothing
company Givenchy, succeeding John Galliano,
and not long after, teamed up with Gucci
and created his own brand. Over the span of his
successful career, McQueen was the recipient
of many awards, including the British designer
of the year award, which he received four times
between 1996 and 2003, as well as the International
Designer of the Year at the Council of
Fashion Designer Award.
McQueen’s famous designs have
graced the red carpet periodically and have
been worn by many celebrities. His success
has been recognized all over the world and a
special tent was reserved for him twice a year
during the semiannual fashion industry event,
Fashion Week, to display his new seasonal
lines. Heschel student Gabi Ben-Yaish, a leader
in the Heschel High School student-run fashion
club, stated, “McQueen was a fashion icon
and inspiration to all. His designs were eclectic
and represented his individuality in the fashion
world: he was a legend and will not be forgotten.”
McQueen’s animated style also
serves to inspire fashion club members, such
as Gabi, as they prepare pieces for the annual
fashion show held during Heschel’s Celebration
of the Arts.
McQueen’s inspiration and influence
live on, even within the Heschel community,
despite his recent death. As Rachel stated,
McQueen “revamped fashion and the limits
to which it could go, and in turn was able to
change art.”