Features

Comic Books in the Classroom

By Kate Rosenblatt • Published: April 29, 2013 • Comment ()

Historically, texts comprised of only words have been the predominant form of literature taught in English Literature classrooms. However, since the 1970s, the comic book industry has expanded tremendously, giving educators more options for their classrooms. According to the Curriculum Review, many university researchers in more recent years consider some comic books, also known as [...]

Dean Strauss and The Entrepreneur-in-Residence Program

By Miriam Hier Dubin • Published: April 29, 2013 • Comment ()

Dean Strauss, the Associate Dean of Sy Syms School of Business, recently sat down with The Observer to speak about the Entrepreneur-in-Residence Program, a program initiated to help students develop and launch their entrepreneurial business ideas. Through the Program, Dean Strauss not only offers students his dedicated attention, valuable advice, and friendly conversation. He offers [...]

Caffeine: The Pros and Cons

By Daniella Forman • Published: April 29, 2013 • Comment ()

Can’t get by without that cup of coffee every morning before running to class? Always think you need that extra caffeine boost to keep yourself awake all day? A number of beverages enjoyed around the world contain caffeine. Whether it is in their morning cup of coffee or in their late afternoon iced tea, many [...]

Questions in the Face of Tragedy: Coping after the Boston Marathon Attack

By Miriam Hier Dubin • Published: April 29, 2013 • Comment ()

On Monday, April 15, Americans routinely went about their typical Monday afternoon when a brutal reminder of life’s fragility shook the country in the form of two explosions that injured runners and spectators at the Boston Marathon. This terror attack was one of many tragedies to strike America in the past year, including the shooting [...]

Music and Brain activity: Is it all in our head?

By Jackie Benayoun • Published: April 29, 2013 • Comment ()

For those who have the minhag not to listen to music during sefirah, it’s been a difficult few weeks thus far. A recent study published in the journal Science may explain exactly why this is so, exploring the linkage between music and activity in certain regions of the brain. The April 12th study found that [...]

Google’s New Goggles

By Chana Zaks • Published: April 29, 2013 • Comment ()

Revolutionary new product can change humanity’s experience of the world. YU students are both excited and apprehensive. I’m getting googley eyed. Google has come out with a new piece of technology that makes me think we’ve reached the beginning of the space-age. Glass is the new brainchild developed by the mysterious Google X Lab. It [...]

Tizmoret Shoshana: Growing Through the Arts

By Sara Olson • Published: April 29, 2013 • Comment ()

Walk into the living room of Dr. Mark and Mrs. Chana Singer’s apartment in Baltimore, MD, and you know this is the home of a couple who are artists by profession.  Brightly colored, framed paintings line the wall behind the red love seat; there is a collection of papier mâché puppets on a table on [...]

Israel at 65

By Davida Kollmar • Published: April 29, 2013 • Comment ()

Directions: Answer the questions on the quiz. Then draw a 9×9 grid. Label the columns A-I and the rows 1-9. Once you have the grid, go back to your quiz answers. Next to each answer there is a direction. If the direction says to start or to jump, blacken the destination square only. If the [...]

Comic Books in the Classroom

By Kate Rosenblatt • Published: April 29, 2013 • Comment ()

Historically, texts comprised of only words have been the predominant form of literature taught in English Literature classrooms. However, since the 1970s, the comic book industry has expanded tremendously, giving educators more options for their classrooms. According to the Curriculum Review, many university researchers in more recent years consider some comic books, also known as [...]

Herman

By Deby Medrez Pier • Published: April 29, 2013 • Comment ()

Last year I became friends with Herman. Herman is like no one you have ever met before; he is something in between Woody Allen and The Lubavitcher Rabbi. Herman is in his eighties. He has been living in this apartment in the Lower East Side for his entire life. I met Herman three years ago [...]