To Our Dear Readers,

Being part of The Rampage for the past four years has been incredible. For three years, we wrote for the paper, and this year, we were so excited to be your editors! We have loved every minute of the job, from working with our writers to late-night editorial board Zoom meetings and hours debating InDesign layouts. Each month, we were humbled as the paper arrived in the lobby, and we watched the words of our writers spark conversation between students and teachers.

We learned so much from our writers – the topics you brainstorm and interviews you conduct always amaze us. We know that being a journalist was difficult with the hybrid schedule, but you worked hard each month to produce a though-provoking, enlightening paper. 

The Rampage is so special because it is written by students, for students. Therefore, this year, we wanted the school paper to focus on YOU, the students. We did that by adding the student spotlight section to highlight students who are involved with out-of-the-box activities or who started interesting clubs. We created the Ramaz Round Table to feature your opinions about different issues from how you chose political candidates to whether or not  vaccines should be required for in-person attendance. We made an increased effort to include photos of you, both in our in-print paper and online.

Part of making the paper more relatable to the students is connecting with you in the format that we, as teenagers, know best: online media. We increased our Instagram presence and worked to constantly update it with exciting photos, videos, and student takeovers. This year, we also created the broadcast section of the paper. For the first time ever, our writers had the opportunity to create video interviews with their teachers and students. Sports broadcasts, interviews with the administration about Covid protocols, and video footage of student rallies brought you the latest news. 

Dr. Milowitz, thank you for the time you spent teaching us. Since our freshman year, you have been providing us with a platform for our voices to be heard. You taught us to appreciate the opportunity to publish our opinions. When we were intimidated about addressing a controversial story, you taught us to be “real journalists” and report facts, even if they may cause tension within the school. And, of course, thank you for reviewing articles and giving us advice, even as the paper was going to print.

When we were in third grade, the four of us started a paper: The Ramaz Times, reporting on the breaking news of the Ramaz Lower School. Years later, we are so grateful to our Rampage team and readers for giving us the opportunity to continue writing and leading a Ramaz paper together. We will have a hard time saying goodbye to The Rampage.

Have an amazing summer!!

Love,

Caitlin Levine, Rebecca Massel, Gabby Ostad, & Samantha Sinensky