The Phoenix 2014-2015 Issue 4

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A Student Publication of the Yeshivah of Flatbush Joel Braverman High School • Issue 4 • 2014 | 5775

INSIDE: Mr. Engel’s Sweater Guide • How to Survive Finals • Untrue Rumors • Quietdrive Album Review

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New Testing Schedule Aims To Lower StressHannah Waide, 2-HR

In an effort to avoid burdening stu-dents with multiple tests on the same day, Yeshivah of Flatbush has institut-ed a new school-wide test calendar that grants each department specific days each month on which they can schedule tests. The new testing schedule goes into effect for the coming spring semester and for now, applies only to the freshman and sophomore grades.

Every Flatbush student has experi-enced the stress and worry of having multiple tests on one day—especially this year due to class changes. As one anon-ymous sophomore put it, “Having to go day by day having all of one’s thoughts solely consumed by the oncoming tests, projects and finals is enough to make anyone (or everyone) go insane.” Lucki-ly, the administration and grade advisers have realized that students are overload-ed with tests and they are doing some-thing about it.

The schedule counts only for normal class tests, meaning it does not restrict AP or elective tests in any way. Quizzes may still be given on any day and by any subject, provided they are no more than 10 minutes long and cover only one unit.

Under the new schedule, each depart-ment is assigned a day of the week on which it is allowed to give tests. There will be a two-week cycle, meaning that for two weeks there will be a different subject on each day and for the third and fourth week the subjects will repeat. This should lower the occurrence of a class having more than one test per day; however, even when two tests fall on the same day no two secular or two Judaic tests will be on the same day. Students may only have one secular and one Judaic test per day at most, and students will never have more than two tests per day.

An example of the schedule would be that for the 10th grade, English tests may

be given only every other Monday and chemistry tests may be given only every other Thursday.

Both Wednesday and Friday are open to all subjects; however, those days will be on a first-come, first-served basis. For certain subjects that require more testing days, such as math, days that other de-partments have not used are open for the taking.

Each grade will have a different sched-ule, as the schedule is based on when ev-ery class in a grade meets the same day of the week for a particular subject. The fact that there are specific subjects on cer-tain days also makes the testing schedule predictable for students, allowing them to prepare in advance for upcoming tests.

The new schedule was developed by Ms. Goldberg, who said she believes

Several fliers enticing readers to re-spond by e-mail if they read the flier mys-teriously appeared on bulletin boards in the school staircases in mid-December and stayed there for approximately one week. The fliers were the work of The Phoenix as part of an attempt to deter-mine whether students are actually read-ing (or even noticing) the many fliers that are posted around school through-out the year.

The PurposeA common method for teachers or

commissions to reach out to the students to convey a message is through hallway flyers. The purpose of this experiment was to see if that method is efficient.

The MethodologyThe fliers were posted after school

hours on Wednesday, December 17, (with permission from Rabbi Levy). The flyer read, “Did this catch your attention? If so, please email [email protected] with the title ‘Read.’” To determine in

which staircase the flier was viewed, each staircase had a different e-mail address—[email protected], [email protected], and [email protected]. The flier was white with black lettering, but used three different fonts and spac-ing methods to break up the flier visually in hopes of making it more noticeable and appealing.

The ResultsIn total, 28 students responded to the

fliers by e-mail, with three repeats, and one coming from an e-mail address end-ing in “.edu.” While those numbers are

rather minuscule in comparison to the number of students and teachers in the school, the information gained is quite telling.

Several of the e-mails came in after school hours, possibly after an extracur-ricular activity, ranging from 8:12 p.m. and 10:31 p.m. Additionally, two e-mails were even time-stamped at 8:00 on Sat-urday night! (Do Flatbush kids ever go home?) The majority of these e-mails, however, were sent during school hours—specifically, during class time (usually a few minutes after the second bell had rung).

Bulletin Board Experiment Shows Surprising Results“Did This Catch Your Attention?” Fliers Yield Unexpected DataMichelle Harari, 3-HR

Mr. Kweller EngagedAmanda Heskiel, 2-HR

On behalf of the Yeshivah of Flatbush faculty and students, The Phoenix would like to congratulate YOF history, law, and marketing teacher Mr. Leor Kweller on his engagement to his fiancée, Zoe.

It was a romantic proposal. He took

her out for a ride to Rockaway Beach and then pretended that his car broke down. He got out of the car to check the prob-lem and he knew she would be curious as to what was wrong. Sure enough, she approached him at the front of the car, at which point he turned to her and popped

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2 | www.theflatbushphoenix.com

The Phoenix StaffEditor-In-Chief: Shani ZenilmanManaging Editor: Abby ShegelmanReligion Editor: Sarah LevyEntertainment Editor: Rebecca ZamiSports Editor: Joey CohenFun Page Editor: Merle CohenStandard of Fabulous Editors: Emma Burekhovich, Nicole YankovichPhotography Editor: Robyn DweckWeb Editor: Joey BaumJunior Editors: Albert Dweck, Merle Dweck, Michelle Harari, Sarah Torgueman, Gabriel VizganSophomore Editors: Mimi Lazerowitz, Jane ZakayDesign: Therese BerkowitzFaculty Advisor: Adam Hofstetter

Rabbi Raymond Harari Head of School

Rabbi Ronald Levy Principal

Ms. Jill W. Sanders Director of Admissions Associate Principal

Ms. Sari Bacon Associate Principal

Rabbi Joseph Beyda Assistant Principal

High School Administration

the question. She was not expecting the proposal at all and thankfully, she said yes!

Zoe graduated from Brandeis Uni-versity, where she majored in interna-tional relations, and she then earned a master’s degree in public health from Colombia University. Zoe worked with the Council on Foreign Relations and is currently working at NYU Medical Cen-ter.

The two met because Zoe is one of Mr. Kweller’s sister’s friends. Mr. Kweller’s sister and Zoe used to volunteer together in a Hebrew school and were classmates at Brandeis. “My sister has many friends, so I hadn’t met Zoe in particular,” said Mr. Kweller. His sister tried to get them

to meet spontaneously but it didn’t seem to happen, so she eventually set them up.

That first date was just a little over a year ago. Now there’s a wedding to plan. The only news we have so far about the wedding is that Zoe’s cousin, who is an orthodox rabbi, will officiate at the cer-emony.

Zoe jokingly described Mr. Kweller as “a riddle wrapped in an enigma wrapped in another riddle.” More seriously, she added, “I am incredibly lucky to be mar-rying my best friend and I can’t think of anyone better to spend the rest of my life with.”

Mazal tov!

Meet a Freshman: Ronnie MenasheRobyn Dweck, 4-T

RD: What class are you in?RM: 1-HRRD: What elementary school did you

attend? RM: I went to Magen David Yeshiva

for elementary school. RD: Do you have any sibling who at-

tended Flatbush? RM: I have an older sister, Susan, who

graduated from Flatbush and another sis-ter, Helen, who is currently a senior.

RD: What is your favorite subject? RM: My favorite subject is English.RD: Are you on any sports teams?RM: Yes, I am on the track team. RD: Are you involved in any extracur-

ricular activities?RM: I am in chamber choir, regular

choir, Hebrew Play, and Traveling Troupe. RD: What was the hardest thing to ad-

just to when you came to Flatbush? RM: The hardest thing to adjust to

was definitely the hours, especially when you have a Tsei ul’mad or rehearsal after school, but I enjoy it.

RD: What are you looking forward to in Flatbush?

RM: I am looking forward to meeting new people, seminar, and more fun!

If you are ever looking for Ronnie, just look for a bright pink Flatbush kippah; he hasn’t missed a day of school with that kippah.

Ness Azizo, 4-HN

President Barack Obama passed an executive action on December 17 ending America’s embargo of Cuba and restor-ing American–Cuban relations for the first time in over 50 years. The reestab-lishment of relations was coupled with the release of Alan Gross, an American Jew who had been held prisoner by the Cuban government for about five years. The deal, which was negotiated with the help of Pope Francis, is not only historic but also controversial.

Many conservatives and Cuban ex-iles have criticized the executive action, claiming that the United States has given into the communist regime headed by Raul Castro. They also claim that Amer-ica shouldn’t negotiate with the harsh Cuban government, which reportedly beats its citizens.

The embargo began in the early 1960s under President John F. Kennedy. Fidel Castro had just recently staged a

successful revolution and created a com-munist Cuba. One of the first actions of the new government was the national-ization of private businesses. Many of these now government controlled busi-nesses previously had been owned by Americans. President Kennedy retaliat-ed by enforcing an embargo on the is-land nation, with the hope that it would create a regime change. Since the Cuban Missile Crisis—a military standoff with nuclear implications—Americans have seen Cuba as an iniquitous state.

Over the years the Clinton and Bush administrations eased the embargo in various ways. These governments al-lowed aid to flow into the country and lifted certain travel restrictions. Presi-dent Obama’s executive order restores diplomatic relations, and included the announcement that an American em-bassy will be opened in Cuba. It also allows an increase in travel and com-merce between the United States and Cuba. However, traveling to Cuba for

the purpose of vacationing and Cuban exports (such as Cuban cigars) will still be outlawed. Only Congress can enact change in those sectors. Many American companies, most notably Major League Baseball, have shown support for the ex-ecutive action and have stated that they have interest in doing business in Cuba.

While this deal was announced, the two countries engaged in a prison-er swap that was an integral part of the deal. Alan Gross was released after being held for espionage. He attempted to set up telecommunications in Cuba, which is illegal. He claims that he was trying to connect the Jewish community in Cuba with the Internet. In return, the United States freed several Cubans who were accused of spying.

It may take years, but Cuba eventu-ally will become another destination island in the Caribbean. One day soon you might find yourself enjoying winter vacation on Cuban beaches.

The Whole Story: Is Cuba the Next Aruba?

Shani Zenilman, 4-HR

Seth Nadler, who graduated from YOF in 2007, has made a lot of prog-ress since high school. After attending Brooklyn College as a member of the Scholars Program, Nadler went on to graduate from University of Minnesota Law School. At both institutions, Mr. Nadler earned many awards in a wide variety of subjects.

Currently, Mr. Nadler is an attorney for the Administrative Conference of the United States (ACUS), a federal agency in the executive branch that makes rec-ommendations for all federal agencies, such as the IRS, EPA, Department of Ed-ucation, and the Department of Labor. When asked to elaborate, Mr. Nadler explained that his area of law is admin-istrative law, and he is the Staff Counsel to the Committee on Rulemaking. The committee is used when federal agencies make rules. Before enacting a rule, the agency must allow for “notice and com-ment” in the Federal Register, and then everyone in the country who is affected by this change can write letters detailing their views, whether negative or pos-itive. “I make sure everyone follows all these processes,” Mr. Nadler explained.

He also used the Food and Drug Ad-ministration (FDA) as an example in or-der to explain this job: “If the FDA wants to stop importing food from China that has a certain chemical in it, well, how does the FDA do that? The FDA has to change its old rules, so I’m the federal attorney to Committee on Rulemaking and I help all these agencies [follow] all these rules.” To further clarify this point, Mr. Nadler gave another, more relatable example. “Let’s say the high school made a new rule that said that everybody had to go to minyan—even if they had sec-ond minyan or if they didn’t have a first period AP. The school would put that in the handbook and all the students would have a couple of months to write letters … and say why it’s a good idea or bad idea.”

When asked if anything from his days at Flatbush impacted his career choice, Mr. Nadler responded that tak-ing AP Political Science helped him. Al-though it wasn’t directly related to how he got his job, it helped him understand how the government operates. He stat-ed that Flatbush “exposed me to a wide area of topics and classes,” which made him “well rounded.” In terms of what he would change about his high school career, Mr. Nadler said that he would

have concentrated less on AP’s and would have taken other electives, such as the expository writing or Shakespeare classes that were offered. His advice to current school students is to do a lot of different internships outside school, which will help them build a network. He explained that during his time in high school, he was part of Masterpiece Workshop, which took its members to a variety of performances. Because of the connections he made from the work-shop, Mr. Nadler was able to intern at Lincoln Center and eventually study abroad in Paris.

Alumnus Profile: Seth Nadler

“Kweller Engaged” cont’d from front page

YOF Alumnus Seth Adler

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How to Survive FinalsDavid Azrak, 2-HR

“Ahhhh,” you scream as you realize that it’s finals week—a time devoid of sleep, tranquility, and all around “peach-iness.” Yes, the most wonderful time of the year is just around the corner, which means cramming for most of the day right before each final. With that said, dealing with the stress that arises from finals can be a difficult task if not handled correctly. Here are some tips to help you survive finals, as suggested by various students and faculty members.

1. Don’t procrastinate. This one might seem obvious but the key to keep-ing up with finals is to simply start and work your way through in small, 15-min-ute intervals with two-minute breaks in between. By doing this, not only will you space out your workload into digestible parts, but also stopping short in the mid-dle helps your brain develop a desire to “finish what it started.”

2. Do what makes you happy. Wheth-er it be video games, sports games, board games, or anything else that has the word “game” in it (music helps, too), set aside some time during the day to focus on your recreational activities. After all, human beings are not machines—you need some time to relax and forget about your prob-lems or you’ll end up an overworked mess.

3. Create a schedule. Having a plan going in to anything is the key to suc-cess, and the same can be said for finals. Depending on the subject, estimate how long it will take you to study, and then or-ganize the information into short sections. Creating a plan to deal with the workload makes it seem much more doable.

4. Get a good night’s sleep and eat a balanced breakfast. Pretty much every-one else has told you this but it really is astronomically important to get enough sleep the night before the test so you feel refreshed and energized. Also, make sure to eat some slow-releasing carbohydrates (whole-grain breads, fruits, etc.) for breakfast so you don’t crash in the mid-dle of the test.

5. Blow on your thumbs. Courtesy of Mr. Amzalag, this trick might seem a bit outlandish but by stimulating the “vagus” nerve in your thumb, you can essentially lower your blood pressure and heart rate, making you feel more relaxed during a test.

YOF Girls Bake to Beat CancerSheila Franco, 2-HR

A group of Yeshivah of Flatbush and Magen David girls worked together to hold a joint bake sale on Friday, Decem-ber 12, to help raise money for the organi-zation Cookies for Kids’ Cancer. The girls reached out to local bakeries of the com-munity and sold a variety of baked goods, including cookies and cupcakes. The cookies were sold at both schools, along with beaded bracelets that were fabricated with colors that represent pediatric can-cer. The bake sale sold out completely at both schools, collectively raising $2,400 without a single cookie remaining!

Cancer, the number one disease killer in the United States, has taken the lives of millions of children. After hearing how Cookies for Kids’ Cancer was founded, “We were so inspired by the organization

and knew we must help,” said volunteer and Flatbush sophomore Raquel Cohen.

When two-year-old Liam Witt was di-agnosed with cancer in 2007, his parents, Larry and Gretchen, were astonished when they were informed that, due to a lack of funding, their child would not be able to receive optimal pediatric cancer treatments. Liam’s parents were commit-ted to improving the cancer treatments and research for their son and future can-cer patients. With the help of 250 volun-teers, they baked and sold 96,000 cookies, raising a sum of $400,000, which was all donated to cancer research.

Unfortunately, Liam died one month before an effective treatment for his con-dition was discovered. People nationwide were informed of the Witts’ commitment

and organization, and they were mo-tivated to help and unite in this cause. As time progressed, Cookies for Kids’ Cancer was established, providing funding for medical treatments and development in pediatric care for children with cancer.

When a video was shown to a few vol-unteers, their immediate response was that they were “so touched by the orga-nization, and wanted to get involve by helping,” said Sally Franco, an organiz-er of the December bake sale. Although cancer has been a worldwide scourge suf-fered by millions of people for years, these students aided the development and ad-vancement of cancer cures and provided hope for patients one cookie at a time.

Diana Hoffstein, 2-V

Ms. Schwartz, who teaches 9th and 10th grade Chumash, Navi, Gemara, Halacha and Accelerated Tanach, is one of the newest additions to the Yeshivah of Flatbush family. We decided to learn more about her by ask-ing some direct questions about her life.

DH: What was your childhood Chanu-kah like?

MS: I have vivid memories of sitting around at my grandparents’ table and grat-ing potatoes to make latkes. I’m not sure who decided it was smart to trust a kid with a box grater, but it was always a lot of fun. There was always a heavy emphasis on be-ing together as a family.

DH: What was your first job?MS: The first time I ever had a real job

was in college, when I was a coordinator for a leadership program run by NCSY. I ran

chesed trips, leadership missions, and To-rah learning events for high school students from New York and New Jersey. We built houses and ran programs for elementary schools, and I got to see firsthand how ca-pable 15–18-year-old students can be when given significant responsibility.

DH: What do you love most about be-ing a teacher?

MS: I love the looks on my students’ fac-es when they connect to something mean-ingful during class. Judaic studies is really difficult, especially when there are tests to study for and classes are conducted in a language that many of them haven’t been speaking since they were born. When a stu-dent connects to those lessons, the material becomes more meaningful and impactful. The material itself is important, but the les-sons are what stay with you long after the last bell rings.

DH: If you weren’t a teacher what would you be?

MS: I would probably be very sad. Be-ing a teacher is a unique job because it’s ex-hausting but energizing at the same time. I constantly have to be thinking on my toes and coming up with creative ideas to en-gage my classes. I wake up in the morning excited to come to work every single day, and I can’t imagine doing anything else!

DH: What’s your favorite holiday?MS: Believe it or not, I love Yom Kip-

pur. Once you get past the no-eating-and-drinking thing, the amount of spiritual fo-cus that a person can achieve when you do nothing else for a whole day is amazing.

DH: If a genie gave you three wishes, what would you wish for?

MS: I can’t wish for more wishes, right? I would wish for less traffic in the morning, split pea soup in the cafeteria every day, and

28 hour days (24 hours is never enough!)DH: What was it like for you to be Jew-

ish as a kid in Brooklyn?MS: I didn’t grow up in Brooklyn—I’m

from Long Island, and being Jewish there was great. When some of my neighbors were putting up Christmas decorations, other families were putting up Chanukah

New Teacher Spotlight: Ms. Schwartz

Sarah Torgueman, 3-HN

Parashat Vayechi relates the mo-ments before Yaakov’s death. He gath-ers his 12 sons and his grandchildren to grant blessings to them. Yaakov gives such powerful blessings that they are re-cited still today. He blesses Yosef ’s sons, Ephraim and Menashe with an eternal blessing. As it is written in the Torah, “I will make you fruitful and multiply your offspring. I will make you a con-gregation of nations. I will give this land to your descendants after you as a per-manent possession” (Beresheit 48:4-5). While delivering the blessing to Yosef ’s two sons, Yaakov crosses his arms. He puts his right hand on the younger son, Ephraim, and left hand on the older son, Menashe.

Why does Yaakov bless the young-sters before the adults? Why does Yaa-kov cross his arms during the beracha to Ephraim and Menashe? Ultimately, why does he use his right hand to bless the younger child and then left hand to bless the older child?

By giving blessings to Ephraim and Menashe, Yaakov treats them as his own sons and part of the 12 tribes. Ephraim and Menashe make up two tribes and

represent Yosef, their father. They are el-evated to the level of respect of Yosef ’s brothers, Reuven and Shimon. Yaakov evidently favors Yosef ’s children over his other grandchildren.

Hashem teaches us a valuable lesson through Yaakov’s actions. We must nev-er choose favoritism toward one child or employee. Favoring one person over another sparks tension. To prevent fight-ing and jealousy among siblings and peers, we need to abandon the notion of favoritism. Due to favoritism, Yaa-kov’s blessing to Ephraim and Menashe opens the door to possible tension. There could have been major tensions between Ephraim and Menashe, among the other grandchildren, and among the other tribes. Ephraim was favored over Menashe by receiving a blessing from Yaakov’s right hand. Yosef ’s sons were favored over the other 12 tribes because no other grandchildren were elevated to the status of the tribes.

The Torah does not mention any con-flicts between Ephraim and Menashe after Yaakov’s blessing is given. This shows that these brothers refrained from showing any discontent. Instead, Me-nashe accepted that Ephraim received

his stronger blessing from Yaakov’s right hand, while Menashe received the weaker blessing from Yaakov’s left hand. Throughout Sefer Bereshit, there are major tensions between siblings. From Kayin and Hevel to Yaakov and Esav to Yosef and his brothers, hatred and con-flict erupt frequently within families. In Parashat Vayechi, the last parasha of Sefer Bereshit, Ephraim and Menashe do not fight with each other. Sefer Bereshit ends with these two brothers to show a contrast between their relationship and the sibling rivalries mentioned previ-ously in the Sefer. We can extract from Ephraim and Menashe’s response that peace is a possibility.

Today, parents bless their boys to emulate Ephraim and Menashe. Par-ents bless “Y’simcha Elokim k’Ephraim v’k’Menashe,” meaning that Hashem should make you be like Ephraim and Menashe. This traditional blessing comes from Parashat Vayechi. Parents bless their sons to resemble the brothers because the brothers maintained their brotherly love and respect for each other. The Jewish peo-ple pray that there won’t be sibling rivalries and that the Jewish people will be united and love each other.

D’var Torah: An End to Sibling Rivalry

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EntertainmentGame Console Buying GuideMikey Shammah, 4-HN

Music Review: QuietdriveRebecca Zami, 4-HR

Quietdrive’s newest album “The Ghost of What You Used to Be” is a downward shift from the alternative-rock group’s catchy boy-band sound. After their ren-dition of Cyndi Lauper’s “Time After Time” became one of many of our an-thems of 2006, Quietdrive settled into the background, with a small, dedicat-ed fan group, and stayed there. Howev-er, sadly, they now emerge with a more generic, repetitive pop-rock tone that taints their original image.

The opening song, “Tattoo,” has its roots in pure pop/boy-band style, which is a disappointment. The hushed vo-cal technique used in this song is used repeatedly throughout the album and doesn’t provide much depth. By the third song in which this appears, it borders on annoying. Another overused tech-nique is the short lines, which make the rhymes predictable and, in this case, lim-its any depth of the lyrics. The content of the album is undoubtedly superficial and trite. Also, the frequent screaming in songs like “Run Away” and “World War U” is distracting and doesn’t fit the style of the songs.

Most tracks follow a similar rhyth-mic pattern and unchanging use of the few instruments used. The ordinary four chords and basic strumming of the electric guitar with the melody in the background is overused and tiring. The occasional techno-inspired aspects of some songs, like the automated voices in “Just Another Day,” fall short and don’t mesh with the sound of the remainder of the album. The bridge of each song lasts about seven seconds maximum and, sticking to the usual idea of singing the chorus with a slightly less orchestrated background, provides no dynamic to the song whatsoever. The closing song of the album, “Forget the Lies,” basically sums up all the failed attempts at displaying these often-successful techniques. It’s a shame they weren’t successful here.

All that Quietdrive has managed to achieve here is to produce a shallow, un-derdeveloped album, a letdown for fans from the previous decade. It seems as though the band is very quickly slipping into the archetype of the typical boy-band sellout, which raises the question: is it better for a band to stay true to itself with a small, devoted fan base, or achieve major fame and success to ultimately get lost on a downward spiral?

There’s always a lot that can go wrong when putting on a play. Lines botched, props lost, misplaced mics, broken lights, lead actors getting sick, or cho-rus members getting stage-fright—all of these things can and do happen. As the clock winds down on rehearsal time these mishaps occur less often, but still happen nonetheless. The goal is to put on a perfect—or at least near-perfect—show that students will be able to enjoy, as well as appreciate the hard work of

those involved.A lot of work goes into a successful

performance. From the moment the cast is assembled to the final curtain call, blood, sweat and tears are shed. Cast members must undergo two months of lunchtime and after-school rehearsals in order to give the Flatbush student body their annual Hebrew play. Every year the Preforming Arts department strives to bring prettier music, more spectacu-

lar special effects, and a funnier script. This year is no different. The amount of drama and aggravation leading up to the opening curtain this year was also no different than usual. However, this year’s show, Aladdin, was one of the most im-pressive performances ever given at YOF.

The performers spent many hours memorizing their lines as well as learn-ing complex dances in the hopes of daz-

Behind the Hebrew CurtainAn Insider’s Look at AladdinGabe Vizgan, 4-HN

November 21 marked the one-year anniversary of the XBox One, the most re-cent current-gen console release, while the Sony PlayStation 4 and Wii U were released on November 15, 2013, and November 18, 2012, respectively. Each console speaks to a different audience and a different type of player. So, now that you’re flush with Chanukah gelt, which one should you pur-chase? Let’s take a look.

Wii U: Nintendo unsuccessfully tried to build off the success of the Wii and ap-peal to the casual gamer. When it was first announced no one knew what it was—a new control or a new console. By the end of 2012, it had sold a little more that 3 mil-lion units worldwide. Unfortunately, the momentum of the launch passed, and in 2013 it sold only 2.8 million more units. Within the first three quarters of 2014 few-er than 1.5 million units have been sold; the holiday season sells the most and sales should pick up during the fourth quarter. In the past two years, the Wii U has sold more than 7 million consoles.

While sales are lacking, software hasn’t been. Third parties have been reluctant to port their games to the Wii U, but most of the major publishers (Ubisoft, Ac-tivision, EA) still do. Any Nintendo fan should jump on the opportunity to play the incredible first party that is offered: Mario Kart 8, Super Mario 3D Land, Don-key Kong Country Tropical Freeze, Super Smash Bros., and so many more. Using their roster of characters, Nintendo keeps itself afloat with classic Nintendo games. The average Metacritic score of 28 Wii U exclusives is 69; there are still games on the horizon, including HD Legend of Zel-da, StarFox Wii U, as well as Ultimate NES Remix. Wii U is now being priced at $300 for the standard model.

XBox One: When it was first revealed no one really knew who the XBox One was trying to appeal to. Microsoft branded it as an “All in One Entertainment Machine,” but unfor-tunately for them that’s not really what gamers want. On top of that they announced that the console would be always online (angering Middle America gamers) and they announced DRM (angering all gamers). Within two weeks, Mi-crosoft reversed the lat-ter policies and within the first year the orig-inal XBox entertain-ment division was laid off. By the end of 2014 XBox looked more like a hardcore gaming con-sole than it originally intended to be; fortu-nately they are selling more consoles than ever before. As of November 12, nearly 10 million consoles have been sold to retail outlets, and analysts estimate about 6 million of those sold through to consumers. These are excluding Black Friday sales, where it’s reported that XBox almost doubled the sales of the PS4.

As with most console releases, there was a lackluster lineup for the first several months, but this holiday season it has hit its stride. Forza 5, Dead Rising 3, and Ti-tanfall were the only big AAA exclusives

released before September. Once fall came around, so did Sunset Overdrive, Forza Horizon, Master Chief Collection, Project Spark, and Geometry Wars 3. Among all these AAA games there are also indie ti-tles, such as Super Time Force. Microsoft has been trying to boost its repertoire of indie games. In 2015 the titles to look forward to are Halo 5: Guardians, Crack-down, ScaleBound, and Ori and the Blind

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The cast of Hebrew Play

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Students Trash the LunchroomJane Zakay, 2-R

Unexpectedly, a few e-mails were a bit entertaining. Some were genuinely curi-ous about this project and one responder sought the opportunity to send a coded message declaring we meet in a certain spot because “the mission is a go, I repeat THE MISSION IS A GO!”

No Flatbush teachers responded. As for students, the largest percentage that e-mailed in was the seniors, followed by the juniors, with a few freshmen trailing behind them and only a couple of sopho-mores lagging in last place.

The AnalysisThe timing of the e-mails may indi-

cate either of two things. First, with se-nior staircase traffic and lunch-bell hav-oc, chaos erupts in the stairwells, making it very difficult to whip out a phone to send an e-mail while trying to avoid get-ting run over. So it would seem logical for kids to wait to send e-mails until they get to class or before minyan or even after school hours. Alternatively, it may be that students do not notice the bulletin boards during the between-class rush, leaving only the latecomers to peruse the boards when the stairwells are emptier and thus friendlier to dawdling.

So what about the “.edu” e-mail address? The name attached to that ad-dress is unfamiliar, which could indicate that it is from a Touro teacher or student.

Meanwhile, where are all the Flatbush teachers? The same number of flyers were posted in Staircase C as in both A and B (10 per staircase), even going as far down as the school office, in hopes of receiv-ing some teacher e-mails, but to no avail. Perhaps it is the constant frenzy of get-ting to classes on time that did not permit teachers to linger in the staircases to read the flyers.

Although the data did not conclu-sively reveal how many students read the bulletin boards or when they read them, they did divulge one particularly valuable piece of information: if you’re in a rush and cannot use Staircase C, Staircase A is more likely to be less crowded than B.

The Analysis of the AnalysisAs I excitedly came to my first stair-

case to begin hanging up the posters, a sudden realization and understanding befell upon me. It’s no wonder so many students ignore the bulletin boards—they are rarely updated! I saw posters hanging from events that had already passed—some as far back as October!

Another reason for lack of respons-es may very well be blamed on the fact that students weren’t alert and missed the flyer, or on the fact that they are unable to e-mail at the moment and then for-get to later, or on a lack of enthusiasm. About 3% of the total school population e-mailed in, but interviews with students and teachers indicate that a higher per-centage of students saw the fliers without responding. Why then, didn’t they email? Let’s take a look:

“There was no e-mail. I was so con-fused,” said junior Shira Zikry.

“No, I didn’t see it. … That’s so weird—I always look at the bulletin boards!” said Chen Benamo, a junior. Several other students offered similar re-sponses, including juniors Sari Esses and Isaac Shalom.

“It seemed silly. I don’t take orders from posters,” said senior Raymond Bra-ha.

“Who are you?” said a freshman who asked to remain anonymous.

“It was both an inconvenience and a hassle to e-mail without knowing the particular reason,” said senior Sammy Dayan.

“It was way too long,” said Sharon Chappan, a sophomore.

“I saw them in passing, did not stop to read them—too much text to read on the fly,” Rabbi Lubner said.

The students who responded to the flier explained that they had nothing to lose by doing so, or that it seemed fun, they were curious, or it was something new. Rebecca Zami, a senior, said, “I nev-er saw something like it in Flatbush. It caught my eye. I was so interested to see if it would turn into a fun little game. It made me so curious to know who did it.”

The Bottom LineAlthough we still may not be certain

whether students read and ignore or don’t read at all, we are certain that many of them at least acknowledge the flyers. So to all teachers and commissioners: as long as your flyers do not require any immediate effort or action taken from the reader and are comprehensible and short, your message will most probably be received. And for all of you who now wonder why you disregarded the flyers, perhaps it is time to be more observant. You never know what’s headed your way!

zling the audience. Colorful attire was chosen and professional set designers worked hard to design, construct, and paint the auditorium stage in order to give life to the Disney classic’s Arabian setting. The show featured intricate, syn-chronized dances as well as solo gymnas-tics and tap-dance routines. A favorite of both performers and audience members was the much-anticipated appearance of Rabbi Levy, who gave voice to the magic cave as well as all-knowing spirit.

We, the performers, spent many hours memorizing our lines as well as learning complex dances in hopes of dazzling the audience. The actual perfor-mance was an exhilarating experience. A certain magic could be felt on stage as we took on the personas of our characters. The amount of praise and congratula-tions we received from our friends and classmates was unbelievable. It was truly an amazing experience.

“Aladdin” cont’d from page 4

“Fliers” cont’d from front page

Weather, Delays Weaken Blood DriveNaomi Shapiro, 4-HN

Yeshivah of Flatbush students are known for the enormous amount of char-ity that they do. The biannual blood drive held on December 9 was a prime example of their love of chesed. All told, 136 pints of blood were donated by a total of 122 donors, including students, faculty, alum-ni, and outside participants. Since one pint saves up to three lives, our school and community donors have potentially aided in saving roughly 405 lives.

Although the blood drive ended on a successful note, it started on a very rough one. Due to inclement weather, the blood drive equipment arrived over one hour late, at 10:00 a.m. instead of the scheduled 8:30. This led to much chaos, as numerous students were unable to give blood during their original time slots. This caused a chain reaction of appointment delays. Many students were forced to wait, some-times for over an hour, for their appoint-ment. Despite this delay, everyone who wished to donate was able to do so by the end of the day.

In comparison with previous years, this blood drive was less successful. Typ-ically, more outsiders donate; roughly 30 pints more of blood were donated last year. This year’s blood drive began chaot-ically but once the equipment arrived and the commissioners worked in tandem to make all of the necessary preparations, the day continued on smoothly.

Inevitably, some participants reacted negatively to their donations. Jack Sas-son, one of the commissioners, stated, “A

few fainted, but I’m not exactly sure how many.” The majority of these students were females, and several more got light-head-ed. However, according to commissioner Joyce Nasar, “It was nothing so serious. After a couple of minutes, they were fine and on their feet again.”

Sophia Chabot, another commission-er, shared her personal anecdote of why she takes great pleasure in being a part of such a cause. “I don’t reach the require-ments to donate blood, because of my height and weight. So I love being on the blood drive commission so I can still take part in this amazing chesed.”

The blood drive is one of many char-itable programs that the school organiz-es. Commissioners and donors alike ex-pressed hope that next year’s blood drive will be an even greater success. Despite the weather and a few obstacles, the suc-cess of the blood drive emphasizes the fact that the Flatbush family never fails to lend a hand—or an arm—to those in need.

See you again in the spring semester!

At the Yeshivah of Flatbush many teachers have started to notice that most students do not clean up after they eat in the lunchroom. Teachers have also in-creasingly complained that students leave papers and food on classroom floors.

Ms. Black, the new gym teacher for the girls, has brought up the fact that the stu-dents should start leaving the lunchroom looking the way it was when lunch first started. She states that she’s never seen any other school where the students didn’t have to clean up after they ate.

Many teachers, including Ms. Stein and Ms. Schwartz, notice that the stu-dents don’t care enough to clean after themselves in any room. Ms. Schwartz claims that she came into a classroom and there was food all over the floor. She also witnessed a group of boys leaving all their trash on a lunchroom table and watched the janitors have to clean it. However, if the boys cleaned up after themselves, she said, it would have taken them only a few

seconds compared to the 10 minutes it took the janitors to do so.

The students shouldn’t rely on other people to do their work for them. Some teenagers in the Yeshivah of Flatbush may rely on their housekeepers to clean up after them at home. Thus, at school they don’t think about cleaning up after themselves. They know that someone will eventually do it for them. This is a bad habit that most people have; even the nic-est people may have it because they don’t realize that someone else will have to do what they themselves should feel obligat-ed to do.

It also takes the janitors longer to clean the lunchrooms. Jimmy, one of the custodians, stated that it would be a dream if the students started to clean up a little more. Instead of everyone taking a few seconds from their lunchtime to clean up, the custodial crew has to take 45 minutes to clean up students’ messes.

decorations. I always felt like even though there are some aspects of Christian hol-idays that were adapted by Jews (who doesn’t love getting presents?), the concept of decorating your house to show off how proud you are of your holiday is definitely in the Chanukah spirit of “pirsumei nisa.”

DH: What’s your family like?MS: I grew up in a very small family and

we all still live very close to each other. My grandparents and great aunts and uncles were all teachers, so they were very proud that I decided to go in to the family busi-ness.

DH: What’s the most interesting thing about you?

MS: I come from as Ashkenaz a family as it gets, but I have a fascination with Sep-hardic traditions, especially the food! Right now I am very into making Persian food. Persian culture is very focused on the home

and the family, so the women would spend all day together in the kitchen preparing amazing foods. Because they spent all day cooking, the preparation takes forever, but the food is amazing!

“Ms. Schwartz” cont’d from page 3Senior Mark Esses gives from the heart


Ask MerleMerle Cohen, 4-HR

Fun & GamesUntrue RumorsMerle Cohen, 4-HR

1. The Bargads are coming back.2. James personally knows President

Obama.3. Rabbi Harari has his own bathroom.

Wait, I think he actually does...4. Rabbi Prag stores his wafers between

gemarot.5. We never actually had a nurse.6. Rabbi Besser makes up all those

kumzitz songs himself.7. School renovations will be finished by

winter break.8. We have a boys hockey team.9. Rabbi Levy is getting rid of the

rooftop tennis courts.10. Psych! We’re not getting rid of the

pool.11. You can rent out rooms and sleep in

the annex.12. Everyone has the wifi password—

yeah, right!13. We only invite teams we can beat to

Hausdorff.14. Teachers have weekly meetings to

schedule tests on the same day.15. You can leave after 15 minutes into

the class if the teacher isn’t there.16. Every rumor on this list is actually

true.

Pop QuizMerle Cohen, 4-HR

1. Which one of these teachers is a figure skater?

a) Mrs. Ginsberg b) Mrs. Wielgus c) Ms. Mizrachi

2. Who didn’t graduate from Flatbush? a) Mrs. Winkler b) Rabbi A. Harari c) Mr. Rothbort d) Both A and C

3. Who speaks the most languages? a) Senora Ovadia b) Senora Birman c) Senora Shterenzer

4. Who teaches the most subjects? a) Mr. Lazar b) Rabbi Lubner c) Ms. Zaltzman

5. Who wasn’t born in the United States?

a) Rabbi Rosenblum b) Ms. Stein c) Mr. Hofstetter

6. Who stockpiles the most food? a) Rabbi Prag b) Mrs. Hanon c) Both A and B

7. Whose children are currently in Flatbush?

a) Maya b) Rabbi Harari (Is this a trick

question?) c) Mr. Engel

8. Who has the corniest jokes? (Please remain calm.)

a) Mr. Rothbort b) Rabbi Rosenblum c) Rabbi Besser

9. Which departments have the biggest rivalry?

a) English vs. History b) Science vs. Math c) Hebrew vs. Judaic Studies

10. Who spends the most time at school?

a) Rabbi Besser b) Mrs. Sanders c) Rabbi Levy d) Mrs. Bacon

Forest. You can buy the XBox One on sale for $350 until January 2 before it goes back up to $400.

PlayStation 4: The PS4 came out swinging; Sony revealed its console first, fo-cused on games instead of entertainment, and even had a cheaper price point than Microsoft. They rode the wave of momen-tum, becoming the bestselling console for 11 months up until November. Sony cap-

italized on everything that Microsoft did wrong, and it has worked for them. It be-came the fastest-selling console ever, with over 14 million sold through to consumers. PlayStation seemed to be doing everything right for so long—until this holiday season.

The PS4 launched with three big first-party games: Resogun, Killzone, and Knack. Right from the get-go we could see the diversity in Sony’s library and only continued throughout the year with games

like Transistor and Infamous: Second Son. Unfortunately there hasn’t been a working AAA console exclusive since The Last of Us Remastered, and this holiday season was hurt by it. Driveclub was released as a broken game and The Order 1886 was pushed off until March. XBox capitalized on this and pulled ahead in console sales in November. Sony has placed an empha-sis on indie games and has proven its re-solve in creating unique experiences and

helping developers; this shines through with games like Contrast, Don’t Starve, and Everybody’s Gone To Rapture. In 2015 we can look forward to games like Uncharted 4: A Theif ’s End, The Order, Bloodborne, and Drawn to Death.

Whether you decide to buy a Wii U, XBox One, or PlayStation 4, there is no wrong choice. If you buy any of them, you should be happy with it and each will be good for gaming as a whole.

“Testing” cont’d from front page

that teachers will follow the schedule for two reasons. The first is that all teachers wish to see their students succeed and it doesn’t benefit students if they have too many tests on one day. The second is that teachers will know when they are al-lowed to give tests and will plan accord-ingly; the main reason there are conflicts between teachers about testing is compe-tition for testing days before the end of the marking period.

Ms. Goldberg stated, “I have worked in many schools over the last 20 years. It is rare to find a school that takes the con-cerns and feelings of the students into account and actually does something to fix the problem.” She expressed gratitude to Rabbi Levy and Rabbi Harari, as well as the department heads, for giving her the chance to implement the schedule.

If all goes as planned, Ms. Goldberg is the one who will be receiving thanks—from the students who will have a bit less stress to deal with on any given day.

Dear Merle.I’m a freshman girl having a hard time

with my first finals at Flatbush. I don’t know what to do and I’m scared of fail-ing.

Sincerely, Freshman’s Failing Phobia

Dear Freshman’s Failing Phobia, Finals time can be a little crazy

around Yeshivah of Flatbush for teach-ers and students alike. The tricky part is knowing how to manage those half days. What I usually do is try to get everything done before the finals. Have your study materials, know who you’re going to study with (if you want a study group), and if it’s a lot of material start reviewing beforehand. Finals seems intimidating the same way the first day of school does; once you acclimate the nerves will dissi-pate. Best of luck! And once you get into the flow of Flatbush finals, you’ll do just fine.

Yours truly, Merle

Dear Merle,Whenever I walk into my second

period class, the seniors there from first period are having a party! They’re either dancing the Macarena or baking pita bread. I don’t understand. It’s an AP class, yet it seems like all they do is have fun.

Sincerely,Confused StudentPS: Isn’t Ms. Agassi so cool?

Dear Confused Student, Let me welcome you to Ms. Agassi’s

first period AP Art History class. As a member of the course myself I can give you a little inside scoop on this class conundrum. Due to the fact that this is one of the most information-packed APs, we feel the need to ease the stress by occasionally throwing themed fiestas. Perhaps you might have heard our luau soundtrack, tasted our Oreo milkshakes, or grooved with us during “dance week,” but either way we strive to cut the stress in half without cutting our class time in the process. Best of luck! And next time you hear suspicious sounds coming from 401 just come over and join the party. And yes, I agree Ms. Agassi is in fact the bomb dot com.

Yours truly, Merle

Dear Merle,One of my teachers always expects

me to know current events. There were even two current events questions on our last test, and it isn’t even a history class! This isn’t something I can study, and now it’s costing me points. I don’t have time to read the newspaper every day. What should I do?

Sincerely,Clueless to What’s Going On in the

World Right Now

Dear Clueless to What’s Going On in the World Right Now,

Wow, I’m not going to lie: this ques-tion sent me on a little adventure down the Google search engine. Educationally speaking, current events is important for any class, but may seem excessive, espe-cially when you have Rabbi Prag on your case about the breaking news in Uruguay. Twitter, Facebook, and whatever social media outlets you kids use today aren’t a bad way to brush up on world news. So on your way to school quickly check your feed for the update. I’ve also found a web-site for you (just check with Ms. Kaplow-itz on its credibility): www.breakingnews.com. With a name like that, how could you go wrong? Best of luck! Now you can go out into the world well read and polit-ically versed.

Yours truly,Merle

Dear Merle,Why is it that only the vending ma-

chine closest to the music room accepts dollar coins? I don’t like it when my snack choice is limited, especially if it’s five o’clock and I still have an hour left of AP Bio. C’mon, standard of excellence!

Sincerely, Disgruntled and Hungry

Dear Disgruntled and Hungry,I can honestly say that I’ve never en-

countered a problem like this. I’m a big believer in getting snacks with quarters, or whatever miscellaneous change I have in the deep recesses of my wallet—just never dollar coins. I’d say have a chat with Leiby, or if you know this is a recur-ring issue switch out your coins for paper cash. Best of luck! No student should ever be hungry, especially during AP Bio.

Yours truly,Merle

“Game Consoles” cont’d from page 4

| 7

Standard of Fabulous

Mr. Engel’s Guide to the Perfect Sweater

Fashion Fact of the MonthThe first pair of Doc Martens was made from old tires.

All Bundled UpSophia Abed, 4-S

As winter creeps in, the time of year has come again to get all bundled up. Who says wearing a jacket means hid-ing your outfit? Finding the right winter jacket can be a very hard challenge, and I know from experience. Either they’re not warm enough or just plain ugly.

Finding the right coat can balance your outfit. Puffers, trench coats, and even ponchos are some jackets and over-coats taking the spotlight. There is a per-fect jacket for every occasion!

For a sporty look, try a puffer jacket for warmth and flexibility. If you’re going for a dressier look, a long wool coat with buttons or a calm trench coat would do the trick. There’s no outfit that wouldn’t look good with some fur accents.

And whoever thought that ponchos would be in style again? They are now hotter than ever! For a cozy, warm vibe, sweater ponchos fit the look!

Shoes are another important item to keep in mind in this chilly weather. As people say, “shoes make the outfit.” Ugg boots keep you warm with insoles of fur; however, they’re not the greatest for rainy or snowy weather. Over-the-knee boots or booties are good for those times you’re looking for a little extra height and can make your outfit more sophisticated.

Of course, pairing your winter outfits with accessories will make you feel warm and fashionable. Knee-high socks, funky tights, hats, gloves and scarves can glam your winter bundle and are perfect for keeping you cozy and warm. Remem-ber to stay warm without compromising your inner fashionista!

Fabulous Freshie: Lydia Cohen, 1-HN

This month’s Fabulous Freshie’s simplistic yet funky style portrays her outgoing personality. With a fashion icon like Olivia Pope, it’s no wonder where Lydia gets her fashion-forward and modern style inspiration. Even though Lydia prefers not to wear bright colors, she still knows how to make an entrance with her favorite grayscale colors. The next time you’re walking down the halls, keep an eye out for this trendsetter who sure knows how to rock a pair of Nikes.

What’s Hot in 2015Nicole Yankovich, 4-HN

Winter Must-Haves Raquel Erdos, 3-HN

1. First, you need to know what the weather is projected to be. Some sweat-ers are fall through spring sweaters, and some are simply winter sweaters.

2. Next, you need to know what color shirt you intend to wear. The color of the sweater should complement the color of the shirt. I’m not so big on matching per se; I just want to make sure my color combos don’t blind people.

3. It’s also important that the sweat-er you choose to wear not be the same color as the sweater you wore the day before.

4. Sweater texture is something to consider, too. Fluffy fleeces, coarse ca-ble-knits, smooth cotton pullovers, ar-gyle patterns—each sweater type can be selected to fit your mood.

5. Finally, it’s also a good idea to co-ordinate your sweater choices with col-leagues and friends. For me, Mr. Hof-stetter and Mr. Lazar are good places to start.

Follow these five steps and you’re sure to have a successfully sweater-full winter!

Fur, capes, feathers, fringe ... What’s not hot in 2015?! Here are just a couple of the latest trends that you should ex-pect to start seeing on the streets in the new year:

Pantone just announced its 2015 color of the year: marsala, a warm, red-dish brown that compliments all skin tones. You can spice up your outfit with a leather belt, shoes, jacket or even nail polish in this fashion-forward color!

Now don’t forget about the just-as-stylish metallic gold pieces. Gold is no longer limited to jewelry. Try some me-tallic gold sneakers or a cool gold belt. Make a statement and don a super bold metallic gold dress. Simply, everything looks better in gold!

Enough about colors; let’s get down to business. Drop-waist dresses are a

flattering, fun piece that dates back to the 1920s flappers. The fitted shape makes it girly but still sophisticated. They come in all colors and patterns, so you’re sure to find one that suits your style. For a bolder look, try one with fringe or feath-ers at the bottom and you’ll look super chic!

Now for some accessories: Ear jack-ets are the newest, coolest accessory this year. No, they are not jackets to keep your ears cozy. They are funky accesso-ries that clip onto the earring post from behind the lobe and hang, following the curve of the ear (as seen in the image).

That’s the fashion forecast for 2015. Feel free to e-mail your pictures or thoughts of these new trends to [email protected] for a chance to be featured in the next issue.

It’s no surprise winter is here—a tad earlier than usual, but it’s here. The tem-perature dropping into the low 30s at night only supports the idea that our fall wardrobes can take their dusty places in basement storage. It’s time to whip out (or in my case, shop for) winter must-haves.

Here are two key staple pieces for the season: • Chunky knit sweaters: Sweaters are

so effortless, and if you’ve never ven-tured into the “sweater realm,” I sug-gest you do before summer quickly returns. For summer, we constantly have to worry about accessorizing our looks, because quite frankly, layering is not an option when trying to avoid a heat stroke. With sweaters, you can just throw them on, add a scarf, and run. Simple ... at least I think?

• Flannel shirts: Winter is yet anoth-

er great excuse to slip on all of those flannel tops you have. My personal favorite way to wear a flannel shirt is under a sweater, letting the collar, sleeves, and bottom edge peek out. You can even add some wool socks in coordinating color.

Don’t stick your nose up at flannel if you think it’s not for you. You just need to find the perfect way to style a flannel shirt to your liking. Try Flannel Fridays—you’ll learn to love these soft, plaid, checkered, cozy shirts. It might just become your favorite new tradition. I know it’s mine!

Don’t lose hope on looking good even when the weather isn’t cooperating. Try wearing some super cute chunky knit sweaters and flannel shirts; that just might be the answer to all your prob-lems!Mr. Engel and the Standard of Fabulous stay warm


SportsNBA Midseason Analysis: Wild WestRay Braha, 4-HR

Sportsman Spotlight: Rochelle TawilMary Jajati, 1-HR

Rochelle Tawil, the captain of your Flat-bush Falcons Varsity girls’ volleyball team and former captain of the JV soccer team is a prominent and valuable player. Even though Tawil didn’t start playing from a young age, she is nonetheless extremely talented. She says she fell in love with the two sports because of the mental challeng-es as much as the physical. She loves how “the sports aren’t only played on the court but are also mind games, because you con-stantly have to plan and anticipate.” Tawil added that the team efforts also intrigue her, saying, “volleyball has become a sym-bol of working hard for something with passion and commitment, and that’s what I love most.”

After putting a ton of work into her volleyball skills last year, Tawil became a starter, and her love for the games has only grown stronger the more she has played. Tawil states “during JV volleyball our goal was merely to get the ball over the net, but in Varsity volleyball, not only are we expect-ed to have a consistent serve, but we have to use our serves to be offensive.” She added, “Your skill from JV isn’t nearly enough to compete at a varsity level.”

She also admires how close the teams are because “we are able to connect with each other in order to work on our weak-nesses and perfect our strengths.”

As for soccer, Tawil was quick to answer that the soccer team is shaping up big time. The new assistant coach, Eddy Coslow, seems to be as tough as it gets. Although the season doesn’t officially start until Feb-ruary, Tawil praised the soccer team for the strategies they use at practice, saying, “be-ing able to play on both offense and defense helps us get a feel for both halves so we can work better with the entire team on the court.” Of course, she also added that she is proud to be a Flatbush Falcon!

This NBA season the Western Con-ference has been nothing short of fas-cinatingly spectacular. The top seven teams all have a legitimate shot at the championship, while there are five teams competing for the final playoff spot. The standings are so tight; every game makes a difference in terms of playoff position. In order to attempt to understand the craziness, we’re going to break the West-ern Conference into three tiers.

Tier 1: The New Kids on the Block Golden State Memphis Houston PortlandAll of these teams made the playoffs

last year, but they’ve never been this high in the standings. As I write this, Golden State has won 16 straight games. With the dynamic backcourt of Steph Curry and Klay Thompson each scoring over 20 points a game, along with Harrison Barnes and Andre Igoudala playing their roles, the offense seems unstoppable. With a healthy Andrew Bogut and Dray-mond Green now heading the defense, they’re only allowing 95 points against a game per 100 possessions, including holding opponents to 49% shooting at the rim, the best figure in the league. They’ve clearly established themselves as the team to beat in the league.

Memphis is usually hanging around

the 7 or 8 seed but they’ve stepped up their game this year. Their defense is still hounding opposing teams as they’ve always done, but now the offense has picked up the pace. The ball is moving, as 58% of their made field goals have been assisted. The Rockets have been led by James Harden’s MVP-caliber play. The defense has been stellar, and it’s only get-ting better as Dwight nurses his way back into the rotation. Portland’s young stars are just getting older and more mature, and they hope to be able to make a run in the playoffs.

Tier 2: We’ve Been There Before San Antonio L.A. Clippers DallasThese guys know what it’s like to be at

the top of the standings. They’ll be in the playoffs, and they know what to do when they get there. You can never count out the Spurs, who will be daring to repeat in what could be the last season for Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobli. Greg Po-popvic is always going to win the coach-ing matchup, which will keep them in ev-ery playoff series. Meanwhile, Chris Paul has been carrying the Clippers with his insanely high 4.69 assist to turnover ra-tio, as he’s been doing for years. But how far will he be able to carry them? They’ve yet to finish atop the Western Confer-ence, and we’ll see if an angry Blake Grif-

fin can help Paul lead the charge and take them to the Promised Land. Dallas’s of-fense has been nothing short of remark-able thus far, leading the league with 113 points per 100 possessions. With clever design from Rick Carlisle and All-Star-level play from Monta Ellis and Dirk Nowitzki, the offense cannot be stopped. With their ability to score, they have a chance in any playoff series.

Tier 3: Fighting for the 8 Seed Phoenix New Orleans Oklahoma City SacramentoThis is where the madness happens.

Five intriguing teams fighting for one spot. You have the Suns and their high-paced, point-guard-driven style of play currently holding that prized playoff spot. Right be-hind them are the Pelicans and Anthony Davis, who has been the best (and uni-brow-iest) player in the NBA this season. Sacramento is right there; although they’ve been struggling with Demarcus Cousins sidelined, they’re a scary team with him on the floor. Oklahoma City is knocking on the door, too, and they’re perhaps the most intriguing team of the bunch. Used to cruising into the playoffs, it hasn’t been easy this year with Kevin Durant and Rus-sell Westbrook out with serious injuries. Now their stars are back, and they’re mak-ing a run for the 8 seed.

Sports StandingsAll standings are as of December 24. All information received from MYHSAL.com.

Western ConferenceTeams W L Pct.Bruriah Lightning 7 2 0.778SAR Sting 7 2 0.778Frisch Cougars 5 3 0.625Maayanot Rapids 4 4 0.500Hillel Hurricanes 3 4 0.429Kushner Cobras 3 5 0.375

Eastern Conference-1Teams W L Pct.Ramaz Rams 9 1 0.900Flatbush Falcons 6 4 0.600HAFTR Hawks 5 4 0.556North Shore Stars 4 7 0.364HANC Hurricanes 2 5 0.286Central 1 8 0.111Heschel Heat 1 8 0.111

Western ConferenceTeam P W L OTL TieRamaz Rams 16 8 4 0 0SAR Sting 15 7 2 0 1Kushner Cobras 13 6 2 1 0TABC Storm 12 6 0 0 0MTA Lions 12 6 2 0 0Frisch Cougars 7 2 2 2 1JEC Thunder 6 3 7 0 0Heschel Heat 0 9 0 0 0

Eastern Conference Hockey VTeam P W L OTL TieHAFTR Hawks 17 8 0 0 1DRS Wildcats 16 8 2 0 0HANC Hurricanes 12 5 2 1 1North Shore Stars 10 5 7 0 0Rambam Ravens 9 4 6 1 0Flatbush Falcons 7 3 5 1 0SSLI 4 2 8 0 0MDY Warriors 4 2 11 0 0

Hockey Varsity Standings

Western ConferenceTeams W L Pct.Frisch Cougars 8 0 1.000TABC Storm 6 2 0.750Hillel Heat 6 3 0.667Heschel Heat 6 4 0.600Ramaz Rams 7 5 0.583JEC Thunder 5 5 0.500SAR Sting 3 7 0.300MTA Lions 3 7 0.300Kushner Cobras 0 10 0.000

Eastern ConferenceTeam W L Pct.HAFTR Hawks 8 0 1.000DRS Wildcats 8 1 0.889North Shore Stars 9 3 0.750MDY Warriors 4 3 0.571YDE Thunder 5 5 0.500Flatbush Falcons 4 5 0.444HANC Hurricanes 3 6 0.091D. Hatorah 1 10 0.091Rambam Ravens 1 11 0.083

Boys Basketball Varsity

Girls Varsity A Basketball

Rochelle Tawil, 4-HR

The Phoenix 2014-2015 Issue 4

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Transcript of The Phoenix 2014-2015 Issue 4