Summer SAT/ACT: To Study, or Not to Study?
Adam Vasserman ’21
September 2, 2019
During the summer, when Ramaz students aren’t getting stuck in elevators or polishing of the school’s renowned chocolate-chip cookies, they are scattered throughout locations as close as Saba’s on the Upper East Side and as far away as New Zealand. For rising Juniors and Seniors, ...
Do We Have Too Much Summer Homework?
Charles Spiegelfogel ’21
September 2, 2019
Summer homework typically involves read- ing one or two books for English class and a Talmud reading assignment. Incoming freshmen have two books, sophomores have one book and are required to learn select chapters of Pirkei Avot, juniors have one book and two articles for Talmud, and seniors ...
What Happened to the Other Hemisphere?
May 28, 2019
I wasn’t the only student who felt the school should’ve said something about the New Zealand shooting a month ago or mentioned the attacks on Sri Lanka. For every attack on a Jewish location, whether it be vandalism of a synagogue or a terrorist attack in Israel, the school has taken at least a mom...
Senior College Decisions from the Junior POV
May 28, 2019
Every spring, juniors suddenly feel the college crunch. College visits, college night, adviser meetings and standardized tests all set the stage for the frenzy of what is known as the “College Admissions Process.” Juniors also bear witness to the “College Acceptance Process” of the senior class,...
Social Media
Esti Beck ’19
February 20, 2019
Adults like to tell millenials that social media is evil. I used to roll my eyes just like everyone else, and kept on using Instagram and Facebook as if it didn’t make a difference. I had a Snapchat account for a quick second in freshman year before I decided that close-ups of my face with dog ears wasn...
Make Your Own Test Schedule
Esti Beck ’19
February 20, 2019
This year, seniors did not receive a set test schedule at the beginning of the quarter. Instead, as the year went on, teachers would periodically announce, “We need to have a test next week. What day works for you?” Now, on the one hand, this is every underclassman’s dream. I can’t even co...
The Tonight Show: A Highlight of the Ramaz Open House
Sophia Kremer ’20, Writer
December 7, 2018
The Open House is Ramaz’s most important recruitment event. The evening acts as an opportunity to share our school’s mission statement, as well as to showcase how those ideals are expressed throughout the building on a day-to-day basis. Short lessons on catchy subjects presented by our outstanding fa...
The Pittsburgh Catastrophe In My Eyes
Gabrielle Ostad ’21, Writer
December 7, 2018
Never had I experienced a morning like that of Saturday, October 27. Like many of us, I was at synagogue that Shabbat morning, but my arrival home was not per the usual. I vividly remember my mom saying “There was a shooting at a synagogue in Pittsburgh this morning.” As soon as these words left ...
Fake Clubs
William Kremer ’21, Writer
December 7, 2018
Once upon a time, every extracurricular activity available at Ramaz was entirely legitimate. Think Math Club, Chess Team, Debate Team, Model Congress, Mock Trial - these clubs, with only a handful of others, are the foundation upon which Ramaz’s extracurricular catalog was built. Each of these clubs ...
A Depersonalized Lateness System
Tammy Palagi ’21, Writer
December 7, 2018
You’ve barely slept, faced a stomach ache, braved traffic, and missed your train when, at 8:15 AM, you arrive to school and dreadfully tap in, knowing you’ll be getting a lateness email from noreply@ramaz.org later that day. There is nobody there to help you, no one to whom you can explain just how when everyt...
Skirt Length Struggle
December 7, 2018
It’s no secret that Ramaz has struggled with the issues surrounding skirt length for a long time. One of this year’s biggest topics of discussion has been dress code, following a modified policy in Preludes. Just how effective has this new policy been? Honestly, not very. At the beginning of ...
“Would You Like to Carry the Torah?”
November 21, 2018
“Would you like to carry the Torah?” I ask, approaching a junior or senior girl during Shacharit. More often than not, the answer is a polite shake of the head paired with “I’m really tired today,” or “I’ll drop it!” Even after being assured that none of the girls who have carried the ...
