Articles by Makena Owens

Hanging My Hat

By Makena Owens • Published: May 15, 2016 • Comment ()
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Anybody who knows me well knows that Aritzia is one of my favorite places to shop. Everything about the clothes, the storefront, the bags and even the weird gift cards (featuring gaping mouthfuls of braces—why?) stimulates within me a general joie de vivre. But the best part is the return policy. When you receive a […]

Equalizing Excellence

By Makena Owens • Published: February 10, 2016 • Comment ()

Uniformity, or diversity? That’s the binary that has recently been pushing teachers to one side of the educational fence. While the debate about national standardization in schools and testing in America rages in educational boardrooms, smaller-scale conversations about uniformity within a department are taking place at our very own institution. Last week at a Beren […]

On Anonymity and Owning Your Ideas

By Makena Owens • Published: December 9, 2015 • Comment ()
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Since my time at The Observer began, one question editors often contended with is that of anonymity. Occasionally a writer will submit a piece, often to the Opinion section, and not wish to be credited by name. Instead, he/she requests to be listed as “Anonymous.” Some editors are quick to give such a writer an […]

Concerning Women and Rabbis

By Makena Owens • Published: November 13, 2015 • Comment ()
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There are a lot of things I want to do with my life, but becoming a rabbi is not one of them. In a recent resolution entitled “Policy Concerning Women Rabbis,” the Rabbinical Council of America (RCA) repeated its determination (first released in 2010) that it “cannot accept either the ordination of women or the […]

If You Want the Truth, Become Your Own Journalist

By Makena Owens • Published: October 19, 2015 • Comment ()

The way I see it, we readers now have to do more journalistic work than the reporters who are commissioned to do that work for us. In the past month, Palestinians have initiated attacks on Israelis every single day, murdering innocent civilians at knifepoint, driving cars through bus stops and a myriad of other violent […]

Student Leaders Debate Responsibilities in Light of Iran Deal

By Makena Owens • Published: September 22, 2015 • Comment ()
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Prior to the fall holiday break, Yeshiva University undergraduate student leaders met to plan an event educating their peers on the Iran deal. Yet due to a number of conflicts, both scheduling and otherwise, the event was unable to take place. When the presidents of YSU, YCSA, SCWSC and those of YUPAC and the Israel […]

Education Is Not Gender-Biased: A Response to Rabbi Willig on Women’s Talmud Torah

By Makena Owens • Published: September 18, 2015 • Comment ()
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Over the summer, one of our own Roshei Yeshiva published a derasha on Parashat Eikev entitled “Trampled Laws.” Rabbi Mordechai Willig, Rosh Yeshiva and halacha professor at Yeshiva University, urged his Modern Orthodox readers to carefully observe the mitzvot, even when others “trample” over them. He writes that “We must observe the laws upon which […]

BREAKING: Yeshiva, Montefiore Reach Final Agreement Over Einstein Governance

By Makena Owens • Published: September 10, 2015 • Comment ()

Early this morning, Yeshiva University and Montefiore Health System officially announced their final agreement regarding the governing responsibilities of each institution over Albert Einstein College of Medicine. While Montefiore will assume daily operational responsibility at Einstein–including fiscal responsibility–Yeshiva will maintain academic authority. This includes issuing and granting degrees. “This is part of a journey that […]

Stop, Drop and Don’t Just Roll With It

By Makena Owens • Published: August 25, 2015 • Comment ()
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For all of our young lives, and certainly to this day, we’ve all heard our parents stare someplace far away and exclaim in wonderment, “Things sure have changed since I was your age.” As the daughter of somewhat older parents (without divulging any real numbers—you’re welcome, Mom and Dad), it never struck me as odd […]

Carmelle Danneman Directed, Produced, and Acted in Her Own Award-Winning Short Film

By Makena Owens • Published: May 12, 2015 • Comment ()
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In only nine short minutes, Carmelle Danneman’s debut film Send in the Clowns manages to captivate and tug at the viewer. “I wanted to make this film so that it would remind people to never give up and to never lose hope–and of course, to never stop smiling,” the Stern College junior told The Observer […]