For the first time in Ramaz history, the Upper School is dividing the Student Activities Director role into multiple positions, with four administrators now overseeing GO, clubs, assemblies, and student programming. Rabbi Kenny Schiowitz, Associate Principal, explains the change comes as the responsibilities of the student activities role have grown too extensive for one person to manage. “It [the responsibilities] felt like it was too much for one person to do all of them well,” he said. The new structure is intended to give each area more attention, including having a dedicated administrator spend more time with clubs after school. Rabbi Schiowitz highlights the need for somebody who can solely manage the clubs: “I feel like, for many years, [it] was really hard for student directors … to really focus on…managing the clubs and guiding them, … so we thought [of] having a separate person who is focused more on the clubs, who could always be there after school…”
Ms. Samantha Milowitz explains how she is planning to run clubs differently, “I really want to make Club Hub more of a thing then it has been and really encourage faculty and students to use it more for their clubs so that we can track all this information. I’m also going to spend some time after school with the clubs; this will allow me to really get a pulse on the clubs at Ramaz and showcase how each one is making a difference at Ramaz.”
The Student Activities responsibilities are now split into four positions: 1) GO is now being run by Ms. Eva Bernfeld, Associate Director of Guidance; 2) Clubs are now being run by Ms. Samantha Milowitz; 3) Assemblies are now being run by Ms. Ilana Wilner; 4) Student Programming is now being run by Ms. Yocheved Sobol and a part time employee.
Ms. Yocheved Sobol, Student Programming Coordinator, explains that she will try to create a “Fun vibe in the school and create good energy amongst the students and faculty!” However, Ben Abayve `27, GO President, commented, “…The idea of splitting one person’s job… is very worrying”. Ben finds this approach alarming as he prefers fewer people to talk to in order to get change for the school done. Club leader Gabi Flatto-Katz `27 sees the value in more than one person taking on the responsibilities that the old Head of Student Activities had to do and highlights the club aspect specifically. Gabi said, “Club management over the past few years has sometimes been confusing, whether it was about how to use Club Hub or when your club needed to meet. So I am excited about the prospect of having somebody dedicated to making guidelines clear and working with club leaders to make sure that the clubs are working the way they should be.”
Clubs will now get a lot more attention at Ramaz and Club Hub will now become more central in club affairs.
