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Shalhevet news online: When we know it, you'll know it

The Boiling Point

Shalhevet news online: When we know it, you'll know it

The Boiling Point

Shalhevet news online: When we know it, you'll know it

The Boiling Point

Tamar Willis

Tamar Willis, Editor-in-Chief Emeritus

Tamar Willis is a graduate of Princeton University where she wrote and served as business manager for the culture magazine Nassau Weekly.

She joined the Boiling Point staff in ninth grade and served as Staff Writer, Features Editor, Outside News Editor and Sports Editor, winning national awards in feature writing from Quill and Scroll, the American Jewish Press Association and the Columbia Scholastic Press Association.  In high school, English and US History were her favorite subjects, and she loved to read and write, especially for the Boiling Point!

Tamar says that if she were a punctuation mark, she would be an Oxford comma or an exclamation point.  Tamar could eat sushi for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and she thinks Clueless is one of the best movies ever made.

Tamar was Deputy Editor and then Editor-in-Chief of the Boiling Point in 2013-14 school year, leading the paper to its second CSPA Gold Crown Award the following spring.  After graduating from Shalhevet, she attended the international-and-Israel gap year program Kivunim.

 

All content by Tamar Willis
UCI’s Chabad and Hillel put up a joint sukkah this year.  Students participated in a sukkah hop.

With East Coast prices high, Orthodox students are now building communities on UC campuses

By Tamar Willis, Features Editor
November 9, 2012

UCI’s Chabad and Hillel put up a joint sukkah this year. Students participated in a sukkah hop.

CHESED: Seniors Sarah Soroudi and Annie Asch paint a Habitat house last month.

At Habitat house, a day of sun, sweat and spackle

By Tamar Willis, Editor-in-Chief
May 28, 2014

The smell of sunscreen, sweat and sawdust permeated the air at 3305 Magnolia Avenue in Lynwood on Apr. 9. Instead of sitting in...

Party Culture

Party Culture

By Tamar Willis, Editor-in-Chief
March 12, 2014

A full bottle of vodka lay nestled in a bush, out of anyone’s line of vision in the unlikely case a parent would come home. ...

FAREWELL: Retiring U.S. Rep. Henry Waxman is a member of the Conservative Adas Israel synagogue in Washington. Though he has grandchildren living in Israel, he said he could be a good Zionist living in the U.S.

Waxman reflects on a Jewish life in U.S. politics

By Tamar Willis, Editor-in-Chief
March 10, 2014

Standing five-foot-five with a bald head and a thick mustache, U.S. Rep. Henry Waxman may not look intimidating or powerful—but...

Why youre wrong about feminism

Why you’re wrong about feminism

By Tamar Willis, Editor-in-Chief
February 14, 2014

I recently asked a few of the Girls Learn International club members—both girls and boys—whether or not they consider themselves...

SUSPENDED: Debate team members at Princeton Model Congress last fall worked on their bills.  Misbehavior on that trip after curfew has resulted in an earlier curfew for the upcoming Penn trip, and practices have been suspended through Jan. 15.

[Photo] Penn Model Congress back on as administration finds ‘alternative consequences’

By Alexa Fishman, Community Editor
January 1, 2014

SUSPENDED: Debate team members at Princeton Model Congress last fall worked on their bills. Misbehavior on that trip after curfew...

CANCELLED: Shalhevets Model Congress team won 15 awards at Penn last year, above.

Penn Model Congress trip off due to ‘egregious’ behavior on Princeton trip

Administrators have cancelled this year’s annual Penn Model Congress trip due to student misbehavior on an earlier debate trip,...

What’s in a pseudonym?

What’s in a pseudonym?

By Tamar Willis, Deputy Editor-in-Chief
November 20, 2013

Melissa transformed into Mah Lissa. Natalie rechristened herself Nah Tally, and Kaili became Kay Lee...in cyberspace, that is. With...

QUESTIONS: As students watched, members of the Los Angeles Fire Department conferred outside the Annex Thursday morning, Oct. 31.  No cause for the alarm had been found as of Thursday afternoon.

Fire truck arrives on campus after alarm goes off, cause is unknown

By Tamar Willis, Deputy Editor-in-Chief
October 31, 2013

Executive Director Robyn Lewis said that the Los Angeles Fire Department and school officials were not able to find the cause...

PROBLEM: Starbucks across the street from school is closed for renovations.  Sophomore Boaz Williss solution does not work at lunchtime.

Student’s coffee business shut down during lunchtime due to contract with caterer

By Tamar Willis, Deputy Editor-in-Chief
October 27, 2013

Sophomore Boaz Willis stopped selling coffee and iced chai lattes during lunch last Tuesday after Mrs. Robyn Lewis, Shalhevet's...

BAGGAGE: Interviewed at LAX, the former Speaker of the House said Iran poses a much greater threat to Israel than to the U.S.

Newt Gingrich tells BP that for Israel, in a tough neighborhood, ‘survival is victory’

By Tamar Willis, Deputy Editor-in-Chief
October 2, 2013

BAGGAGE: Interviewed at LAX, the former Speaker of the House said Iran poses a much greater threat to Israel than to the U.S....

[Video] VIDEO: Goodnight, Shalhevet

On Review Day June 6, students and staff bid farewell to classrooms at the north end of the building, which is slated for demolition...

Paint confusion sabotages senior prank

Paint confusion sabotages senior prank

By Tamar Willis, Outside News Editor
May 31, 2013

The class of 2013 stayed up all night May 20 transforming the school into what they called “death row” -- a hodgepodge...

LOCKED DOWN: Trevor Brandt-Sarif 10 spent Friday in his dorm room at Pforzheimer Hall (pictured) during the hunt for the remaining Boston Marathon suspect.

Alumni in Boston in lockdown during hunt for second Marathon suspect

By Tamar Willis, Outside News Editor
April 19, 2013

Shalhevet alumni in the Boston area reported varying degrees of abnormalcy on their campuses Friday after a shootout the night...

DIVORCE: PLO ambassador Maen Areikat said there was no future for Israelis and Palestinians living together. But he believes there will be peace in his lifetime, with a two-state solution.

PLO ambassador tells JCC audience that separation is the key to peace

By Tamar WIllis, Outside News Editor
March 13, 2013

Palestinians and Israelis are like an unhappily married couple in need of a formal separation, according to the Palestinian Liberation...

Asking questions and facing danger, alumnus mines complexity of the Middle East

By Tamar Willis, Features Editor
February 21, 2013

SHALHEVET AT 20: A SERIES Editor's note: Shalhevet's first academic year was  1992-93, meaning the school is now 20 years...

Boiling Point wins honors at NSPA convention in San Antonio

By Tamar Willis, Features Editor
November 18, 2012

A seven-student Boiling Point delegation finished off its weekend at the NSPA convention in San Antonio with the paper's first...

2 Boiling Points of View: Steering the right course, Obama for President

By Tamar Willis, Features Editor
November 5, 2012

Oh no! Not another youth vote for President Obama! Wait a minute. Before you pounce, let me make my case. There are a lot of...

Three trends switch your wardrobe from summer to fall

By Tamar Willis, Features Editor
September 7, 2012

The sartorial transition from summer to fall is always a hard one, and especially this year.  With color palettes shifting from...

The Happy Mystery That Is Ghana

The Happy Mystery That Is Ghana

By Tamar Willis, Features Editor
September 1, 2012

In the village of Anloga, Ghana, where I stayed for three weeks this summer, when someone dies people gather in the streets and...

Tamar’s Blog: Something to believe in

By Tamar Willis
February 18, 2012

I am not a deeply religious person, and I never have been.  I’m not entirely sure what to believe when it comes to God.  When...

From soccer to surfing, Sophie’s played it all

By Tamar Willis, Sports Editor
December 23, 2011

Don’t be fooled by her ever-present smile—sophomore Sophie Ouaknine could kick your butt at any sport. Born into a family...

Live blog of Shalhevet-YULA Varsity Basketball game

By Tamar Willis, Sports Editor
December 13, 2011

This live-blog has been brought to you by my iPhone.  Thanks AT&T! 8:34: the game is over. Yula wins, 52-32. Firehawks...

New caterer has taken over the kitchen

New caterer has taken over the kitchen

By Tamar Willis, Sports Editor
October 26, 2011

Say goodbye to cardboard boxes and aluminum tins: Shalhevet has found a new on-site caterer to provide breakfast and lunch cooked...

‘Indispensible’ assistant leaves for Maimonides

By Tamar Willis, Staff Writer
June 29, 2011

After six years at Shalhevet, administrative assistant Rachel Gargir will be leaving to work at Maimonides Academy in West Hollywood. Ms....

Yom Hashoah: A mother’s tale of the Holocaust, told at the piano

By Tamar Willis, Staff Writer
June 3, 2011

Students watched as Mona Golabek played the piano passionately, moving as one with the music. Her eyes were closed and she played...

Students’ AP Psych experiments find students… normal

By Tamar Willis, Staff Writer
June 3, 2011

“It’s clearly line C!” exclaimed junior Yossi Halpert when asked which line matched the others, among three that were projected...

‘Caspian Rain’ author offers insight on Iranian culture

By Tamar Willis, Staff Writer
April 18, 2011

In a school with no shortage of Iranian Jews, it was pretty exciting when probably the most famous Iranian Jewish author of our...

‘Race to Nowhere’ highlights pitfalls of school stress

By Tamar Willis, Staff Writer
March 11, 2011

Panel of experts says school should be different. Imagine a crowd of teachers, students and parents finding out that more than...

Debbie Friedman’s music lives on

By Tamar Willis, Staff Writer
March 11, 2011

Though her name might not be familiar, her tunes and songs are. Debbie Friedman, the renowned Jewish American composer, singer...

Wrist candy: Fun or inappropriate, Silly Bandz and ‘I Love Boobies’ bracelets are all the rage

By Tamar Willis, Staff Writer
January 7, 2011

Unless you’re living under a rock, you’ve seen Silly Bandz and “I love Boobies” bracelets adorning the wrists of tons...

Through organ donation, a pink dot on your driver’s license could save a life if you unexpectedly lose yours

By Tamar Willis, Staff Writer
January 5, 2011

“There is some talk in the Jewish community that donating organs is against halacha," said Dr. Gabriel Danovitch, opening a...

Story of a Model Congress bill: Point, counterpoint, teamwork

Story of a Model Congress bill: Point, counterpoint, teamwork

By Tamar Willis, Staff Writer
December 31, 2010

Sitting in the “Red Senate,” one of four color-coded legislative bodies meeting in full session at Princeton Model Congress...

Debate team finishes strongly at  Princeton Model Congress in D.C.

Debate team finishes strongly at Princeton Model Congress in D.C.

By Tamar Willis, Staff Writer
December 31, 2010

At Princeton Model Congress, Shalhevet’s delegation raked in nine awards, earning three Gavels and six Honorable Mentions, marking...

New resource specialist befriends all kinds of students

By Tamar Willis, Staff Writer
November 1, 2010

Students who are falling behind in classes or have trouble learning have a new Resource Learning Specialist, Mr. Josh Horwatt. ...

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