Friends of HBHA - November 4, 2009

The Academy Voice The Student Newspaper of HBHA 5801 West 115th Street, Overland Park, KS 66211 913-327-8150 www.hbha.edu Senior Editor-Elana G. News Editor-Maggie H., Op-Ed. Editor-David H., Sports Editor- Hannah A., Photo/A&E Editor-Jonathan E. Staff Writers: Ari W., Mikayla D., Josie T., Hannah C., Max F., Michelle N. Please contact Faculty Advisor James Wilcox at jwilcox@hbha.edu with comments, concerns, or questions about The Academy Voice
Science Inside and Out Hannah C./The Academy Voice Seventh-grade students become scientists for the day during the TRUE Blue science clinic! The TRUE Blue science clinic is a two-part program led by Kate Delehunt. On the first day, Delehunt informed the students about the water quality of the streams in the local areas and how to improve the quality. On that same day, the students were taught how to perform different tests on the water. During the second part of the program, students got the chance to go out to a local creek or stream and carry out the tests they learned. This year was Principal Gayle Gray’s first time being involved with the clinic. Gray said, “The neat thing about this clinic is that it starts with an educational in-house program, and then takes the students to the field. It is very valuable, in education, for students to be able to experience this type of program.” The seventh-graders went to Indian Creek, to do their research and testing on Oct. 22, 2009. Middle school science teacher, Cody Welton, went with the students to help Delehunt and her team with the students. Seventh-grader, Elle K. said, “The TRUE Blue clinic was really fun and I learned a lot. It was so cool, but kind of gross to see what is actually in our water. All together, it was really fun.” Red Ribbon Week Maggie H./The Academy Voice Stuffed animals, canned goods and red t-shirts, were all a part of Red Ribbon Week 2009. The Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy held its annual Red Ribbon Week from Oct. 26-28 and provided students with the opportunity to commit to a healthy, drug-free lifestyle. In honor of Red Ribbon Week, HBHA students collected two large boxes filled with stuffed animals that will be donated to Children’s Mercy Hospital. Students also brought in fifty canned goods to be donated Harvesters. Campus Health Coordinator Elisa Pener, was pleased with the amount of items collected. In the future, she hopes to expand even more on Red Ribbon Week. “Red Ribbon Week didn’t have as big of a push this year as it has in the past. We will be doing many more programs in mentoring with the upper and middle school students," Pener. Service to the Community Elana G./The Academy Voice On Tues. Oct. 22, the Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy National Honors Society volunteered at the Village Church Food Pantry. Every week the pantry, located in Johnson County, receives commodity groceries from the federal government. Students Elana G., Ilana H., Maggie H., David H., Hillary G., Joel M. and chaperones Danny Altshull and Laura Hewitt helped the pantry store their commodity items on the shelves. Junior Maggie H. really found the experience meaningful. “I was so happy to be able to help others. In these hard economic times, it is even more important to help people”. The entire process took about an hour. On the way out, many regular volunteers from the pantry thanked the students for coming. The National Honors Society bylaws state, “The chapter shall determine one or more service projects for each year” and “All members shall regularly participate in these projects”. The 2008-2009 National Honors Society decided to work at Village Church Food Pantry as a group in order to fulfill their requirement. This year, the National Honors Society decided to continue working there. They will continue to attend the Village Church Food Pantry once a month. The Village Church Food Pantry is the largest food pantry in Johnson County. Senior David H. said that the experience, “allowed me to help people. We exist in a self-contained bubble. One of the things we don’t realize is that there are poverty stricken people in the area where we live. It is important, especially for the National Honors Society, to go out and do community service." Wear Pink, Help Find a Cure Hannah A./The Academy Voice On Fri. Oct. 23, the Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy held a fund raiser for breast cancer. Students were allowed to wear a pink shirt and jeans if they brought in a five dollar donation. All the proceeds went to the Susan G. Komen Pink for the Cure Foundation. Nurse Elisa Pener, hoped to raise two-hundred and fifty dollars. HBHA nearly doubled the goal, raising nearly five-hundred dollars. *Speakout* "What do you think about the new schedule?" Students and teachers views regarding the new change. Read their comments below: Max S. Eighth Grade- "I think the new schedule is a little bit confusing. It is changed so often that there is no time to remember when your next class will be." Joel G. Seventh Grade- "I think it's terrible because the new schedule means the middle and upper school have to eat together. By the time I get through the line at the Café , I only have ten minutes to eat." Cody Welton Middle and Upper School Science Teacher- "I really pushed for the schedule change. Personally, I felt that the splitting the class for lunch was a bad idea. The kids would come in for twenty minutes and then leave for lunch. This is my time to teach. They can eat after i'm done teaching." Sam A. Freshman- I don't see the need to change the schedule so that we have to eat at the same time as middle school. It was working just fine before, this was clearly an unecassary change. Kara K. 8th Grade- "I love the split periods because it makes the long classes easier. With a break in the middle of class, it gives us time to stretch and relax. I don't like how middle and upper school sit together at lunch. There is clearly not enough room for all of us." Julie Pellman Middle and Upper School Math Teacher- "I loved the new schedule. The lunch is longer and we no long have split periods which in my opinion, is a very good thing. The split periods made everything much more confusing." Rebecca B. Senior- "I don't like how they extended eighth period. Eighty five minutes is too long. I do like how they shortened mentoring and extended our lunch." Tyler M. Eighth Grade- "The new schedule is better compared to my old school in Indiana because the longer classes means more time to learn and it also makes me fell less rushed to get work done." Students to Learn about Water Pollution in TRUE BLUE Science Clinic Hannah C./The Academy Voice The Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy seventh-grade will participate in the TRUE BLUE Science Clinic on Tues. Oct. 20, 2009. The program will include a presentation about pollution in streams from speaker, Kate Delehunt. In the second segment of the program, students will visit a stream in the area. They will test the water for different compounds and pollutants. On the first day, the students will learn how to properly perform tests and learn how to minimize pollution. During the second day of the two day program, students will be in the field, taking water samples and putting their classroom knowledge to the test. The students will be in different groups and will compare results when the day is finished. *Ten Years Ago in the Voice* Ten years ago in The Academy Voice, Rams varsity basketball team had a record of 11-4. “Our team this year will be the best ever in the Academy,” said Dan Krashin, “because of hard work and determination. We would like the support of everyone.” Ten years ago in the Voice, The Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy had a debate team. “Debate is a very interesting class where we can talk about topics relating to our society. It is a chance to learn about other people’s views and to learn more about actual debating,” said Bajeana Nebrat. Ten years ago in the Voice, there was a boy’s baseball team, girl’s soccer competitive team, and a golf club. “The HBHA golf team inspired me to get involved with golf and because of the club (no pun intended), I bought my own set of clubs,” said Andrew Schlachter. “Hopefully, the club will be continued again this year.” Riding in Style Michelle N./The Academy Voice On Tuesday Oct. 6, the top ten magazine sellers from the Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy's second through fifth grade went on a limousine ride with Headmaster Howard Haas. The group rode around the Overland Park area. The two hour ride ended with a lunch in the Sukkah at Kosher Subway on College Blvd. Among those top ten magazine sellers was fourth grader Moly K. “My favorite part was being in the limo and going to Kosher Subway,” Moly said, “We went with Mr. Haas and we listened to the radio the whole time.” Alexandra F. and Mirra G. were also top sellers with a total of 17 and 21 magazines respectivly. Mirra's favorite part of the ride was “the mirrors on the wall [of the limo]. They were cool because they made your face look big.”	Swine Flu Hits HBHA Mikayla D./The Academy Voice The Swine Flu, or H1N1, has hit the Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy. The Flu started to affect HBHA during the week of Oct. 5 through 9. Some of the symptoms of the swine flu is a high temperature, unusual tiredness, headache, runny nose, sore throat, shortness of breath or cough, loss of appetite, aching muscles, diarrhea, and vomiting. If two more of the symptoms are present, there is a possibility of having the Swine Flu. The real panic of the Swine Flu started in late March of 2009, but the Swine Flu was first detected in pigs in the 1930’s. HBHA Junior Davida R. said, “I think that the Swine Flu is just like the regular flu, but I am a little worried about getting it because I do not know what to expect”. Head of the English Department at HBHA Cynthia Knight unfortunately had the Swine Flu. She said, “it felt just like the regular flu, I had some body aches and a fever. I went to the doctor and they said that I was influenza one positive, and they said that I had Swine Flu”. A Night Under the Stars Jonathan E./The Academy Voice On the night of Oct. 28, forty-eight high school age students from the Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy and other public schools attended the Student Council sponsored dance, the Fall Mixer, which is the first of two. This will be the first time in HBHA’s forty-three year history that the HBHA upper school will be hosting two dances. The students attended the mixer all decked-out in their metallic clothing, following the theme of "A Night Under the Stars." The three hour mixer had HBHA Freshman Daniel G. looking forward to the next dance this spring, "This was a great way to kick off high school! The fact that we have two dances now is so cool. Everyone says the Spring Formal is great, and after seeing how great this one was, I can't wait to see what the next one will be like." The Jewish Jordan Ari W./The Academy Voice On Mon., Oct. 26, basketball player, Tamir Goodman made a lunchtime presentation in the Jewish Community Center Social Hall for the Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy middle and upper school students. During the presentation, Goodman spoke about how he has always put his Judaism before basketball, and how much support and encouragement he has always received from his teammates and fans. He encouraged the students at the HBHA to chase their dreams, but to put Judaism first, because according to Goodman, “if you put [G-d] first, He will help you.” “I couldn’t believe that [Goodman] rejected a full scholarship to [the University of] Maryland because it has such a great basketball program. He could have gone pro. That was really inspirational,” said HBHA junior Aaron T. Goodman started playing basketball at the age of five. When he was in seventh-grade at the Talmudical Academy of Baltimore, he was already playing for the varsity basketball team. In eighth-grade, he was the starting point guard, averaging over 30 points per game. Goodman received a full scholarship to the University of Maryland, which was one of the top-ranked basketball teams in the country. However, the team’s schedule meant that he would be required to play on Friday nights and Saturdays. Being a religious Jew, he refused and gave back the scholarship to the University of Maryland. Goodman accepted another offer from Towson University. Towson University rearragned their schedule just for Goodman, that way he did not have to worry about conflicts with playing on shabbat. He played through the end of his sophomore year. Goodman moved to Israel and signed a 3-year contract with Maccabi Tel Aviv in July 2002. He went on to serve in the Israel Defense Forces. In his time in the military, he suffered a knee injury. After Goodman left the IDF, he played for several other professional teams at different levels. The last team he signed with was Maccabi Haifa in July 2008. On Sept. 16, Goodman announced his retirement from playing basketball. He has been devoting his time to teaching children with special needs and disabilities to play basketball. Sports Illustrated dubbed Goodman “The Jewish Jordan”. Cost Concerns Focus of March of the Living Meeting Jonathan E./The Academy Voice On the evening of Mon. Oct. 26, students and parents interested in the March of the Living met to discuss the upcoming trip. Fifty participants attended the meeting and learned about many important details regarding the upcoming trip. The focus of the second half of the meeting, led by Associate Executive Director of the Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City Alan Edelman, discussed the cost of the trip. The base cost of the trip will be $4,990. Edelman proposed a different trip that would cut the trip by nearly $2,300. On this trip, students would travel to Poland with a group of Israeli students rather than the March of the Living program. Upon arriving to Israel, students would stay in home hospitality with the Israeli students from the trip. “Maybe this trip makes more sense. If cutting twenty-three hundred dollars means our kids walk with fifty kids instead of seven thousand, then maybe we should consider it.” One parent proposed to the group. “Twenty three hundred dollars could be a make-or-break deal for many of the people in this room.” As the discussion continued, Senior Hannah G. brought her opinion to the debate, “In my opinion, the most meaningful part of the March is walking with the thousands of other kids in Poland. We need to work to raise the extra money so that we can have the same experiences that our older brothers and sisters had.” The March of the Living is a two week high school trip to Poland and Israel. Students spend the week in Poland touring Concentration Camps and learning about the devastations of the Holocaust. On Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Memorial Day, students march three kilometers from Auschwitz to Birkenau, the largest concentration camp complex built by the Nazis during World War II. Students march with thousands of other high school age kids from around the world. After a week in Poland, the students fly to Israel for a week of remembrance and celebration. During the week, Israel celebrates two holidays; Yom HaZikaron or The Day of Remembrance and Yom Ha’atzmaut or Israel Independence Day. On Yom HaZikaron, students remember the fallen soldiers of Israel. On Yom Ha’atzmaut, students march through the streets of Jerusalem in celebration of Israel’s Independence. The two week long program usually ends the day after Yom Ha’atzmaut. Rabbi Leonard Matanky of the Ida Crown School in Chicago led the first half of the meeting via video conference. Matanky read an outline of how the trip will run. Afterwards, parents asked questions to the Rabbi regarding the trip. Although no final decisions have been made on which trip the students will take, parents have already begun planning ways to raise money. The first meeting regarding the fundraiser will be held on Mon., Nov. 2 at 7:30 p.m. at the Jewish Community Center. KC Symphony Visits HBHA Jonathan E./The Academy Voice The first, second and third graders of the Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy are ready for their moment in the spolight at Carnigie Hall. On Oct. 19, lower school students from the HBHA had an intimate lesson with two of the volunteers from the Kansas City Symphony. The two volunteers taught the students the tricks and traids behind each of the instruments. "I learned so many new things about instruments," first grader Brianna K. exclaimed. "The man taught us that the instruments are in different families like woodwind and string." After the short lesson regarding the symphony itself, the program became hands on. Students played a variety of the orchestra instruments such as the violin, cello, trumpet trombone and flute. First Grader Nehemiah M. loved interacting with the instruments. "I played the violin. It was my favorite instrument. I didn't know how to play violin but when I picked one up, I could play. It made a beautiful sound", he said. *The Fairy Queen* Maggie H./The Academy Voice Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy is adding a little bit of culture into the school day of the seventh and eighth grade students. On Wed. Oct. 14, the seventh and eighth-grade students attended a performance of the opera, The Fairy Queen, at the Goppert Theatre at Avila University. “The opera was really cool and very fun to watch. It was fun to watch because of the costumes. The singing was good and clear. The dancing was spectacular especially the ballet which was very impressive,” said eighth-grader Kara K. The Civic Opera Theater of Kansas City performed excerpts from Henry Purcell's Fairy Queen. This opera was a collaboration of the Kansas City Chamber Orchestra (KCCO) and Owen/Cox Dance Group Experience. The performance included music, dance and opera. “It was nice that the school could give the students some cultural experience,” said Middle School science teacher Cody Welton. Seventh-grade student Sofia P., also enjoyed the performance, “It was a lot of fun to watch. The costumes were beautiful and helped keep me entertained throughout the entire performance”. Washing Cars to Get to Arizona Josie T./The Academy Voice On Fri., Oct. 2, 2009, seventh grade students of the Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy held a car wash to raise money for their class trip to Arizona. The car wash was took place from 12 to 2 p.m. in the circle drive of the HBHA parking lot. “The car wash was successful, fun, and really cold,” said seventh grader Brynn S., “there were a lot of cars and donations to raise money for our exciting Arizona class trip”. There was no specific charge to wash the car, people just gave donations and the seventh graders washed their car. The car wash raised 319 dollars. Seventh grader, Ian Y. said, “It was fun but it was too cold to wash cars outside. My job was to hold up the sign by the street, promoting people to come to the car wash. I held the sign for most of the time and enjoyed yelling at people to get their car washed.” There was a parent meeting on Wed. Sept. 30, about the car wash, and students recieved a lot of support from the community and the families. “I think the car wash went okay, I wish there were more cars to wash because there wasn’t a lot,” said Laura Hewitt, director of testing and teacher development. “We are even thinking about trying the car wash again sometime next week”. Scat, Bebop, Jazz and Soul Highlight Student Trip Jonathan E./The Academy Voice Scat-doowap shoowap, tang tang! Scatting, bebop, jazz and soul were among the many types of music heard by high school students at the Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy. On Thurs. Oct. 1, students headed down to the Jazz District of 18th and Vine, in Kansas City, Missouri, to learn about the history behind the music. The students began the museum tour with a twenty minute presentation about the development of jazz and the African American community in the Kansas City area. The film, which featured famous Kansas Citian Buck O’Neil, showed images and told stories of what living in the 18th and Vine district was like some fifty years ago. During their tour, the students learned about Jazz legends like Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington and Charlie “Bird” Parker. The students walked around the museum and heard recordings of these singers' performances, including some of their most noted work. “The music was so clear,” Senior Rebecca B. exclaimed, “I felt like I was in the Apollo Theatre listening to Ella from the front row.” After the thirty minute exploration of the Jazz Museum, students took a short walk across the hall to the Negro Baseball League Museum. The students viewed historic artifacts and pictures from the days of the Kansas City Monarchs. Senior David Ha., who is a huge baseball, was amazed by the museum. “The hall of fame had an interesting feel to it. It had a setting similar to an old stadium. It was nice to be able walk right up to the trophies and replicas of the famous players like Satchel Paige and Buck O’Neil. It was a very powerful experience," he said.	Rams End Season With a Win Hannah A./The Academy Voice The Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy Varsity Rams Soccer Team left everything on the field during their last game of the season. They ended with a victory against Lincoln Prep on Thurs. Oct. 22, at 4 p.m., at the Overland Park Sports Complex. The game started off slowly for the Rams. At the end of the first-half, the Rams were down 1-0. Minutes into the second-half, senior Joel M., was fouled in the penalty box which led to a penalty kick by Justin R. The shot went into the goal, tying the game. With the score tied 1-1 at the end of regulation, the game was decided by a shoot-out. Five players from each team were chosen to shoot penalty kicks. The five players from the Rams who were chosen were Justin R., Aaron T., Jacob M., Joel M. and Ricardo Z.. Aaron T. and Jacob M. Both teams scored during the shoot out, tying the game 2-2. Goalie, Jake R. blocked the final shot for Lincoln Prep. Senior Joel M. kicked the ball and it bounced off of the Lincoln Prep goalie’s hands and went into the goal, sealing the Rams victory. “I thought that it was a great way to end our season this year and I’m so excited that I scored. It was a great way to start off my senior year season” said Junior, Aaron T. After the Rams, shook hands with Lincoln Prep, the team stood in a line holding hands to go thank their fans for coming to all of their games. After the Rams victory the soccer team had a team dinner to recognize the seniors players on the Rams team. The Rams finished their season 4-4-3, which was the first time the team had scored with an even record under head coach, Austin Benton. Tied Again Max F./The Academy Voice The game went down to the wire for the fourth time in the last five games. This time the Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy Rams played the Berean Christian School Brave in Olathe on Oct. 20, which was the Rams last away game of the season. Berean started the game off strong by controlling the ball in Rams territory. The Rams were missing two senior defensive players, Turner S. was out with an injury and Ben W. ineligible to play due to a red card in the previous game. Eventually the Brave capitalized on their ball handling skills and scored a goal midway through the first half. For Senior Turner S. who ended his season early by tearing his anterior cruciate ligament, the game was frustrating at times to watch. “My only regret was not being able to play” he said. The second half started out strong for the Rams with Jeremy G. playing the ball through the Berean defenses to Junior Justin R. who added his eighth goal of the season. With the temperature dropping and sky darkening, it was evident that both teams were running out of time to score. The Rams played harder than they had all game, but the as the three whistles sounded to signify the end of regulation play and the score was tied 1-1. “The game was really exciting in the last burst of energy” Freshman Zac P. said, “but the game wasn’t up to our teams very high standards.” As the two teams lined up to start the first overtime the Coaches had a meeting and decided that two five minute overtimes were to be held due to lack of visibility as Berean’s field did not have any lights. Right before kickoff, lightning was spotted in the distance and the referees blew their whistles again, but this time the game did not resume. “It was an exciting game and we fought it out to the end and never gave up.” Sophomore Jeremy G. said. “If weather would not have played a factor in the outcome I feel as if we would have won.” Although this tie cost the Rams a winning record, they still have a chance to finish five-hundred record. Currently the Rams are 3-4-3, but the Rams last game, which is also Senior Night, will be played on Oct. 22 at the Overland Park Soccer Complex at 4 p.m. Rams Tie Lions, Again Max F./The Academy Voice A rematch of two even teams comes down to the last minutes again. The Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy Rams played the home schooled KC East Lions for the second time this season. The first game on Sept. 1 ended in a 1-1 tie after two overtimes at the Sprint Field. This time the two teams met on Oct. 19 at the 40 Acres and a Mule Soccer Complex. The game started at 4:45 and the field the game was held on was only reserved until 6:00, meaning there would be no overtimes, if that became necessary. Five minutes after the kickoff Junior Forward Justin R. scored to put the Rams up 1-0. “We came out with intensity and good ball work which led to an early goal giving us lots of momentum” Head Soccer Coach Austin Benton said. Five minutes later the Lions responded with a goal of their own shifting the momentum back to their team. The half ended with a 1-1 tie, although both teams had numerous scoring opportunities. “In the second half we had some costly fouls which led to a red card and 10 men the remainder of the game.” Benton continued, “KC East jumped on this opportunity giving them a 2-1 lead. Justin R. saved the day by scoring on a 25 yard free kick with just under 10 minutes left in the game.” This goal was Justin’s team leading seventh goal of the season. The Rams then dropped the whole team back on defenses to preserve the tie. The strategy worked and due to time restrictions preventing overtime the Rams and Lions tied again. “We played well as a team” Sophomore Jacob M. said, “we distributed the ball and we were looking really good.” The Rams are currently3-4-2 and have two games reaming as they try to finish with a winning record. Rams Battle For a Win Ari W./The Academy Voice The Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy Rams Boys Varsity soccer team won their third game of the season on Tues., Oct. 13. They played tough through the cold and rain to beat the Whitefield Lions 1-0 at the Overland Park Soccer Complex, bringing the Rams’ record to 3-4-1. HBHA junior Justin R. scored the only goal of the game. “I think the game was really well played. We all gave it 100% and I was really proud of our whole team,” Justin said. “The game play was pretty even for both teams. We had some good breaks, and the Rams had some good breaks. Overall, it was a really exciting game,” said Whitefield player Joshua P. HBHA Athletic Director Austin Benton said “I felt that the teams were pretty evenly matched all the way through the game…We played with a lot of intensity in the second half for one of the team’s best halves of the year. Jake R. played goalkeeper really well.” “Both teams played well given the rainy conditions, and I think both teams were evenly matched,” said Whitefield soccer coach Matt Jackson. Starting Off the Season Hannah C./The Academy Voice The basketball season officially began on Mon. Oct. 12, 2009, as coaches, parents, and athletes met to discuss the upcoming season. Senior Ben W. said, "I think its good we are taking a serious tone for the season. It's something we really need to do. It was a good way to start off the season." The Weiner Tournament, in Baltimore, the expectations for all of the teams, and expectations as parents, coaches, and fans. Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy Athletic Director Austin Benton said, "Last night's meeting was intended not only for players and coaches, but for parents to get the in the right mindset for this basketball season. Specific guidelines were set in hopes that our players will be challenged throughout the season." This year the parents will have a chance to be more involved and will have an educational "practice" to learn how to work the scoreboards. While they are learning, the players will have a shootaround. The first official practice is on Oct. 25, 2009. Sprinting to the Finish David H./The Academy Voice On Oct. 6, the Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy arrived at the Barstow School to participate in their second, and last, Cross Country meet of the season. Seniors Elana G and Ilana H, juniors Hannah A and Maggie H and freshman Sarah H, made up the Rams Girls Varsity team. They ran in the first race. Although none of the girls finished in the top ten, they all finished the race. The flat terrain of the five kilometer course allowed the girls to harness their true potential and nearly all of them decreased their time from the previous meet at Swope Park on Sept. 23. There were no HBHA Boys Varsity runners so the next race for the Rams was the Junior Varsity meet. In the mixed gender race, eighth grader Ethan S got off to an early start getting securing the second place position. Although he soon fell into third, Ethan was able to battle back and finish the race in second place. Freshman Avery P also struggled hard in the JV heat to settle within the top ten runners. Avery battled hard the entire race but fell behind a few times. In the final leg of the race, Avery fought back and was able to finish in the tenth place spot. “It was really cool and I feel very accomplished. We worked hard building up to it and it feels good to be over,” said Avery. As the temperature began to drop and the winds began to pick up, the Rams bundled together to cheer on their remaining teammates, the middle schoolers. As their race began, the Rams quickly fell behind but did not give up. They continued running the mile and a half course, cheered on by their coaches and teammates. Sixth grader Gabby C. said that the race was amazing. “It was a good exercise, it was just really hard. Co-Head Coach Todd Clauer said that it was a great afternoon for the Rams. Additionally, Clauer said that every runner decreased his or her time from the Swope Park race. Now the Rams will enjoy some well-deserved time off until next year, when a new cross country team will begin preparing for their new races and challenges.
The Bigger Lessons of Cross Country Elana G./The Academy Voice On Wed. Sept. 23, the Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy Cross Country team participated in their first race of the season. The Rams performed well, winning several medals and award. It was the life lessons the HBHA runners took from the meet that made the day special, however. The schools participating in the race were schools in the Kansas City, Missouri School District. This was particularly relevant because on Sept. 5 and 6, the HBHA upper school watched the Metro Sports documentary City Ball, which chronicles the lives of several student-athletes and the harsh lives they face in the Kansas City, MO School District. The opposing runners were all from these schools. After watching the movie, this race made the movie more realistic. It really hit home when the HBHA runners shared their healthy, post-run snacks with the other teams because they realized that those kids might not get to eat dinner. Cross Country is a team sport, but more focus is put on the individual. Team coach Marla Brockman said, “Cross Country is one of the nicest sports. Everyone is rooting for each individual runner regardless of what team they are on”. Sports are the ultimate equalizer, which is what the documentary showed. During the race, the HBHA runners and the other runners were just competitors, their socio-economic status did not matter and that is the greater lesson that the HBHA team learned on race day. Why It's So Hard to Be a Royals Fan Maggie H./The Academy Voice "Three strikes and you are out". The Kansas City Royals have certainly had their fair share of strikes and outs. However, I have not given up on them. As cheesy as that may sound, I will always be a Royals fan. Why is it so hard to be a Royals fan? The answer to this question is easy. It is hard to be a Royals fan because the Royals rarely win. They may score lots of runs in the beginning and just when you think they will come away with a win, they lose the game in the last innings, probably the worst kind of loss. The Royals have had losing season after losing season. The real question is, why am I still a Royals fan after all the disappointment? Honestly, I have never really thought about this question until I began writing the article. As I was attending my last game of the 2009 season, fan appreciation night on Sept. 26, the answer finally dawned on me. The Royals play with heart. I am not a Major League baseball fan; I really only follow Royals baseball. After spending sixteen seasons at Kauffman Stadium, watching Royals baseball, I even learned to walk at Kauffman stadium, I realized that Royals players must really love to play the game of baseball. They don’t play for the glory like other big name players do. At that last game, the opposing team, the first-place Minnesota Twins, seemed to lack something the Royals had. Everything the Twins did was perfect, almost robotically perfect. This would explain why they are fighting for first place in the Central Division and a playoff berth. However, it seemed as if the Royals played with so much character and love for the game. The Royals may not be perfect, but I can tell that they are really trying out there. There is one player on the Royals team that plays with so much heart and skill that I just don’t know how any fan could not cheer for him. Zack Greinke helped save the Royals this season. His amazing pitching inspired fans to root for the Royals this season. He was a hero that fans could look to and be proud of. Grienke is this generation’s George Brett, and although he has not led the team to a World Series win, he did get Kansas City fans excited about watching Royals baseball, which after many losing seasons is no small accomplishment. The Royals may have had a disappointing season, but they play with so much love for the game. How could I ever give up on them? Besides the Royals will win the World Series eventually. A Mix of the Old and the New Marks Fall Televsion Season Mikalya D. and Ari W./The Academy Voice This fall season is packed with a combination of new and recurring shows, many of which include actors with award-winning careers. Glee, the popular new musical comedy-drama series is a show about a teacher, William Schuester (played by Matthew Morrison), who takes over a failing Glee Club at McKinley High School. The group, mostly made up of misfits and outcasts, find themselves dealing with the pressures of high school life. With the help of their inspirational teacher, the kids work together to perform there first song “Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey. "Glee is the most amazing show ever,” Hyman Brand Hebrew Acadmey Senior Ilana H. said “I wish I could sing like they can". FOX network made the decision to air Glee’s first episode on May 19, 2009. The network hoped that by doing this they could build up the excitement over the summer. The show premiered for a second time on Sept. 9 for its second episode. Also premiering this fall is a comedy series Modern Family. The show, which aired Wed., Sep. 23, gives a view into the lives of three different families and the trials each of them face in their own unique way. HBHA senior Turner S. said "Modern Family is a funny show because even though it looks like three families, it's one big family." A popular show, Monk is returning for its eighth and final season. Adrian Monk (played by Emmy Award winner Tony Shalhoub), is a former San Francisco detective crippled by his Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. He uses his disorder to solves numerous crimes. However, for him, the case that counts the most is the case of his wife's murder. Freshman Sarah Herman said, "In the beginning of the show, during the first season, Trudy Monk is murdered, but we don’t know by who and one thing that I hope we learn in the final season is who killed her”. The final season premiered on Aug. 7, but the series first aired on USA on July 12, 2002. NBC’s 30 Rock is a Golden Globe and Emmy Award winning show. The star of the show, Tina Fey who plays Liz Lemon has been awarded an Emmy this year. Liz Lemon, head writer of the sketch comedy "TGS with Tracy Jordan," must put up with her arrogant boss, Jack Donaghy (Emmy Award winner Alec Baldwin), as well as a crazy star named Tracy Jordan (Tracy Morgan), without losing her mind. 30 Rock premiered on Oct. 11, 2006.