Focus Issue 1 December 2020

A Blind Brook High School Student Publication

Issue #1 January 2021

Getting to Know Dr. Chirles

Life With Covid: Hybrid Learning

By Jonny Hamburger ‘22

By Jennifer McKay ‘22

Photo Courtesy of Natalie Steinberg

Due to the coronavirus, schools have had to make many adjustments in order to allow students and teachers in the buildings. While prioritizing health and safety, school districts all over the country tried to come up with safe and effective ways to open schools. When New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced in late July that schools may open in September, districts worked on finalizing their hybrid plans. Every school had to follow guidelines from the state, but most were able to set up a hybrid system around those restrictions. Blind Brook ultimately decided that it would be best to have two cohorts- one going in on Monday and Tuesday, and another going in on Thursday and Friday. The whole district would be online on Wednesday, giving the school time to be cleaned and giving students an opportunity to engage with classmates in a different cohort.

Everyone was nervous, but excited, when hybrid learning at Blind Brook started on September 21st. The cohorts were determined by geography, because kids who live near each other are more likely to carpool or go to each other’s houses.

It also makes the bus routes less time consuming than if the bus had to pick up students with last names in a specific range.

It is important that there are less students

in the building each day to allow space for social distancing. There are many people who would prefer that everyone was in the building on the same days, but having two different cohorts is the safest option.

Hybrid learning has been a big adjustment for all the teachers at Blind Brook. Teachers not only need to focus on the kids in the classroom, but also the kids at home. In order to make sure both in school and online students are learning, some teachers make two different assignments. One assignment is designed to complete asynchronously while the other is designed to be completed synchronously inside the classroom. Teachers also have to rely on technology to teach kids in and out of the classroom. Ms. Cuevas, a physics teacher, stated, “When relying on technology a lot can go wrong.” With all of the different apps and websites being used, it is extremely common for teachers to have technical difficulties.

One issue with technology that occurs is when the wifi is weak, and it is hard to get a good signal on Zoom. Students have been kicked out of the meeting because their wifi does not always have the strongest signal. When relying on technology, there are always going to be issues.

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Following the resignation of Dr. Derek Schuelein in April of 2020, Blind Brook High School sought to appoint a new principal with a set of progressive educational ideals. Blind Brook started the search for a new and qualified principal to be of utmost importance. The search, a rigorous one, began with an applicant pool of around fifty candidates. The very accomplished applicants endured several screenings as well as multiple rounds of interviews from the Board of Education, students, administrators, teachers, and support staff. After meeting with Dr. Jennifer Chirles, it was clear that she was the perfect match for Blind Brook.

Chirles, an experienced educator, has been a teacher for twelve years and a principal for five. It was no surprise to hear about how much she has been enjoying her time at Blind Brook thus far. She cheerfully stated, “I’ve loved it. It has been really great. Everyone is very nice, students have been very kind, and I’ve loved being able to get into the classrooms and everything.” Immersing oneself in any community during COVID-19 poses many difficulties, and breaking into the tight-knit Blind Brook circle is all the more difficult.

Dr. Chirles, being that she is very personable, has been very successful nevertheless. She expressed, “The hardest thing is getting to know kids because I only see them two days and I see a whole different group for two days and so that part has been a little hard. But I’ve liked it a lot.”

Despite these challenges, Chirles has relished every minute of her new job. Upon being asked about her favorite things about Blind Brook, she responded, “So far I really like that it’s a small tight-knit community. I like that everyone really values

“I think I’m driven... no creative! Driven and creative!”

education and having a good educational experience. I really appreciate the high quality learning and teaching that goes on in the interactions between the teachers and the students. What the teachers and

Features

Viewpoints

Politics

Sports

Read about the new changes being made in our school.

See student opinions on topics varying from PE exemption and social media.

Catch up on politics both local and national, in what was certainly an eventful year.

Check out how the world of sports is adapting to a season during a pandemic.

Photo Courtesy of Jennifer Chirles students have done has been really impressive.” It is evident that Dr. Jennifer Chirles is truly passionate about being the principal of Blind Brook High School.

When she is not in the classroom, Dr. Chirles finds herself enjoying some of her favorite hobbies. “I like to cook a lot, I started taking up oil painting a few years ago, and I like to read,” she said. Being that she is so involved with the students, she voiced, “I like to read things that kids are reading at school, just so that I get an idea of what you guys are learning.” Some of Dr. Chirles’s favorite titles are: The Alchemist, Passage, and Untamed. Untamed particularly interests her because “it’s a dystopian fiction about vampires but you don’t know that they are vampires. A virus that gets out so when the pandemic hit I was like oh my gosh it’s just like my favorite book. I really liked it because it was bouncing back from the present day to the future- hundreds of years in the future and what happened after the pandemic and so I thought that was an interesting way to look at it.” Upon being asked what three words describe her, Dr. Chirles exclaimed, “I think I’m friendly…

I’m a bit nerdy… I think I’m driven… no, creative! Driven and creative!” She shared an anecdote about her experience in the honors shapers of the world class: “Today I went into honors shapers and they were talking about Vincent Van Gogh, and I shared one of my favorite mem-

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Inside Focus...

Features.......................................1 News............................................3 Viewpoints..................................4 Arts and Entertainment............7 Health and Science..................10 Politics.......................................12 Sports.........................................14 1

Features

A Blind Brook High School Student Publication

By Danielle Cappelli ‘22

Issue #1 January 2021

Communities Come Together

Chloe Ng, the president of the Roots and Shoots club, stated, “It was something that happened at multiple sites on the same day at the same time. Everyone just working to clean up whatever was in their area, so I guess it was a way to get everyone involved and connect people from across the township.” The cleanup was very successful, as several hundred pounds of trash was collected across all the cleanup sites.

During the cleanup, everyone was required to wear masks and gloves to protect themselves, thus staying safe from the coronavirus. Additionally, the Roots and Shoots club hosted a celebration following the event at Crawford Park with refresh-

helps students get involved in community service is the SADD club. SADD, which stands for Students Against Destructive Decisions, is a national organization.

Each month there is a particular theme and the club conducts different prevention activities to help promote healthy decisions. Students can obtain community service hours by participating in the club, and the SADD club has set up a few events this year in order to help the community. In October, they collaborated with the Blind Brook Community Coalition to hold a drive-in movie. They promoted healthy lungs during the month of November, which is very timely since the coronavirus heavily affects the lungs.

Photo Courtesy of Chloe Ng

On November 7th, local communities came together for a community cleanup at Bowman Avenue. The Town of Rye Sustainability Committee set it up, and the Blind Brook Roots and Shoots club got many Blind Brook students involved. This community service event

involved people from Port Chester, Rye Brook, and Rye picking up garbage from the whole street of Bowman Avenue.

There were also other cleanups that took place at the same time as this one, which were located in Crawford Park, Disbrow Park, and downtown Port Chester.

Photo Courtesy of Chloe Ng

Photo Courtesy of Chloe Ng

Life With Covid: Hybrid Learning Continued from page 1

This system has also been a big adjustment for students. Since they are only in the classroom two days each week, most teachers schedule quizzes and tests on these two days. 11th grader Johnny Ramirez claimed, “When needing to prepare for multiple tests on the same day, it can be extremely stressful, especially as a junior.” Since it is very difficult for teachers to schedule tests on different days, one occurrence that may result is a student taking as many as three tests in one day. In order for this to not occur, teachers would need to give tests while students are at home, which may be complicated.

Learning at home is very different from learning in school, and there are many consequences to being at home all day. Although Zoom is the closest thing to a real classroom environment at home, being on the

platform all day can be very wearying.

Zoom fatigue is a real problem, because looking at a computer screen all day can make it hard to concentrate. Junior Josh Rosenblut said, “Sometimes it is easy to be distracted while working at home.” Having trouble getting work done due to distractions is a problem that many students struggle with. The best way to focus at home is to create a designated space for school, and eliminate as many distractions as possible.

Although hybrid learning may not be the most liked way of learning, it is the best compromise for now. With safety being the priority, everyone who is working and learning in the school must learn to deal with what is best healthwise. Hybrid learning is absolutely necessary until the pandemic ends and life goes back to normal.

ments offered to those who contributed.

The Roots and Shoots club has partnered with the Town of Rye Sustainability Committee for many events. A sustainable native bird scavenger hunt took place at Crawford Park, where they put up signs with facts about native bird species, and painted wooden birds as well.

The Roots and Shoots Club also sets up fundraisers. Their first fundraiser was a bottle drive, in which they collected plastic bottles and exchanged them for 5 cents per bottle. The club made a total of about $50, and donated the money to an organization that plants trees.

Last year, the club set up a candy gram fundraiser. They sold eco-friendly chocolate truffles along with letters to write to their friends. Chloe Ng explained, “It was a nice way to raise some funds and get people to send nice letters to each other.”

Another club at Blind Brook that

There are many other opportunities for students to obtain community service hours outside of clubs. The advisors of community service for Blind Brook encourage students to create their own community service projects, which dont have to be connected to a larger organization.

For example, assisting an elderly neighbor with chores would fall under this category. Students may also write letters of cheer to people in nursing facilities. This is beneficial during the pandemic, because it is harder to go out and help in ways that require contact with other people. Community Service Club advisor, Mackenzie Gasparini, explained, “If people feel like they’re constrained because of the Covid restrictions, we keep offering [the independent service projects] as an option.”

Further information about independent service projects is on the Community Service Club Google Classroom page.

Getting to Know Dr. Chirles Continued from page 1 ories of Vincent Van Gough when I watched him on Dr. Who, and nobody in the class knew who Dr. Who was! I’m the nerd who knows who Dr. Who is!”

Dr. Chirles entered Blind Brook with a vision. She firmly believes that high school should be a place where students can learn about themselves as learners in order to ultimately contribute to society.

Chirles outlined one of her long term goals for Blind Brook by stating, “I want to develop avenues for students to really explore who they are as learners and as people. I want students to be able to, in creative ways, really develop themselves as members of society that can contribute meaningfully. So I want students to develop research skills, public speaking

skills, ability to look at a piece of literature or music or mathematics and really be inquisitive about it and really break it apart and put it back together- to really cognate on what’s really going on. I hope that when students graduate they had a great education and that they learned a lot about themselves as learners but also about the world around them and how they fit into the world around them and make the world a better place.”

From speaking with Dr. Chirles, I am confident that she is a wonderful addition to the Blind Brook community.

She is very experienced in an academic setting and she clearly values spending time getting to know the students and the various classes around the building.

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News

A Blind Brook High School Student Publication

Poland vs. Abortion

By Zoey Possick ‘24

Issue #1 January 2021

Debate Team Makes Difficult Adjustments

By Natalie Steinberg ‘23

Photo Courtesy of University of Oregon

Photo Courtesy of Christian Davies / The Guardian

On October 22nd protests in Poland erupted due to a ruling by the country’s Constitutional Tribunal that imposed a near-total abortion ban. The ruling stated that a pregnancy could no longer be terminated due to fetal irregularities. More than 100,000 people marched in the streets of Warsaw in protest of the announcement. Due to the massive demonstrations, Poland has delayed the implementation of the ban. A former judge at the Constitutional Tribunal, Ewa Letowska, deemed the government’s delay of the ban illegal.

The Polish prime minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, has made an effort to speak with protesters. Andrzej Duda, the President of Poland, is a supporter of PiS which is the national conservative political party. He suggested a new proposal that would permit abortion if birth defects were life-threatening, but not for other conditions. Before the Constitutional Tribunal made this announcement, Poland allowed for abortion under four different circumstances: in the case of fetal abnormalities, a threat to the mother’s health, incest, or an instance where the pregnancy was non-consensual. Polish families do not receive government support if they have disabled children, leaving parents on their own once the child is born.

Support for both Duda and the governing party has plummeted since the protests have started.

The Parliament intended on con-

sidering the President’s proposal last month, but has since been postponed to mid-November. A member of the governing party stated that the session has been postponed due to the pandemic. An opposing lawmaker has said otherwise, stating that the session was postponed due to the protests.

The Polish government has been under fire due to other issues and protestors have expressed their built up anger at the rallies. They accused the government of destruction of the Polish democracy and targeted the government for the way the country handled the pandemic. Experts accuse the government of taking control of the judiciary as well. The protests have not remained peaceful. Protestors have disrupted church services and confronted priests, ultimately challenging the Catholic Church. The Church itself is a close ally to the government, and is a staple of Polish society after supporting their struggle against communism.

Protestors have been met by hundreds of police officers, wielding tear-gas and arresting protestors. Additionally, Conservative activists have expressed their anger using pepper spray and flares.

Overall, examiners say that the proposal has slim chances of getting the support it needs from lawmakers. The proposition does not gratify either side of the debate; conservatives feel it does not take enough measure against abortion, and protestors feel it is too harsh.

The protests will likely continue until lawmakers have made their decision.

Due to the Coronavirus, schools, schedules, and clubs have all had to redirect how they function. At Blind Brook all clubs have become remote and connect via zoom and google classroom. But, what about the clubs that are meant to compete and travel? Well, the debate team has it all figured out.

Explained by board member Dylan Erenfryd; the debate team meets every Monday evening and is

able to go over upcoming dates, as well as practice on their debating skills and creativity. Erenfryd stated, “It is hard to pretend like everything is the same as it was last year, but we all want to be here and have fun. That is all we really need.” The debate team’s normal tournament regiment goes as such: they travel to local schools and receive resolutions that can be up for debate, the

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FOCUS Staff Anna Baker Butler Ryan Campbell Danielle Cappelli Joshua Dweck Kevin Franzblau Rachel George Brooke Gerchick Michaela Goodman Jonathan Hamburger Alexa Hoberman Jenna Kamin Lilly Kleinhandler Melina Kohilakis Kenneth Konigsberg Emma Kron

Nicholas Laterza Kelly Ma Alexander Manko Andrew Margolis Noelle Palombo Zoey Possick John Ramirez Zoe Richman Justin Schuster Natalie Steinberg Riley Storch Thomas Wemm Abigail Zahl Olivia Zahl Julia Zislis

Editor in Chief: Chloe Ng Managing Editor: Sam Lazar Operaitons Manager: Abby Ochs Webmaster: Natalia Terentiev Features Editor: Nick Laterza News Editor: Jennifer McKay Viewpoints Editor: Carly Mallah Arts and Entertainment Editor: Samuel Knee Health and Science Editor: Shira Mallah Politics Editor: Joshua Rosenblut Sports Editor: Zachary Schutzer Social Media Editor: Claire Limb Layout and Design Editor: Janell Lim Photography Editor: Rachel Wallenstein Faculty Advisor: Andre Soto 3

Viewpoints

A Blind Brook High School Student Publication

Issue #1 January 2021

Lessons Learned From 2020

On December 11th, 2020, Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine was approved by the FDA for emergency use in the United States. Just days ago, Moderna’s vaccine became the second to be approved.

Shipments have already been rolling out.

For the first time since our school shut its doors last March, it seems as though we may finally see an end to the pandemic that has upended our daily lives. With a new presidency and a cure on its way, we may finally be able to put this part of our lives behind us. For those of us at Blind Brook, this news comes at just the right time. We have spent the last few months in anticipation of the end of our socially distant days. Couples postpone their dinner plans, friends refrain from physical contact, and travel plans are safely shelved,

ready to be reopened when the restrictions are lifted. Many people have treated the pandemic as simply a brief departure from their normal routine, but now that it is reaching its end, we have to ask ourselves what a return to normalcy means.

At least 1.71 million people worldwide have died due to Covid. Meanwhile, the price of Zoom shares has quadrupled, rising from $68 in the beginning of January to its current price of over $400.

Thousands of small businesses have gone bankrupt. The hashtag #quarantinememes now links to 522k posts on Instagram.

These statistics, and many others like them, represent a larger shift in our ways of life. In light of these shifts, I wonder if we can really go back to how we were before.

2020 has changed the way we

live and exposed the shortcomings of society in a way that wouldn’t have been possible otherwise. If the past year has taught us anything, it is that we have a lot to work on. As a society, we can no longer ignore climate change, systemic racism, and the failings of our healthcare system and our democracy. The bright side of this trainwreck of a year is that only after identifying a problem can we solve it. We now have the opportunity to build back, better than before, but it isn’t a task that one person can handle on their own. The Covid vaccines have shown us what is possible through international cooperation and the coordinated effort of scientists, corporations, and governments.

We can use this experience to adapt our response to future global challenges.

The widespread distribution and administration of the vaccines will take time. It’s likely that most Americans will not have access to it until spring or summer. Gaining the public’s trust in the government and the vaccine may take even longer. Still, for many, the vaccines represent a light at the end of the tunnel. It is now our job to make sure that we emerge in a world that is better than the one we left.

Chloe Ng Editor-in-Chief

All Varsity Athletes Should be Exempt Continued from page 5

cess would benefit anyone struggling with time management due to sports.

At all grade levels, a study hall instead of a gym period would be beneficial.

One could also argue that students on all grade levels would be more willing to play sports if they entailed this exemption. This would strengthen school spirit and sports teams while making the participants healthier.

Younger students might feel more inclined to go out for a varsity team, which would increase favorable competition in athletics. Sometimes an incentive is all it takes to motivate students, and a P.E. exemption would act in this manner.

For all those not involved in sports, P.E. is crucial in providing an opportunity to be active and exercise.

But, at any age varsity athletes should

be exempt from P.E. for that season, as they are getting adequate exercise on a daily basis. To conclude, this practice would be largely beneficial to those trying to take on multiple commitments, including a varsity sport. In order to further one’s studies and promote school spirit, varsity student athletes in any grade should be exempt P.E..

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Viewpoints

A Blind Brook High School Student Publication

Issue #1 January 2021

All Varsity Athletes Should be Exempt

By Katelyn Faustino ‘22

A tradition in Blind Brook for seniors has been exemption from gym class during the season in which that individual plays a varsity sport. Students, faculty, and particularly athletes know how massive of a commitment varsity level sports can be; practice up to six times a week for upwards of two to three hours, along with extremely competitive games. Why has this exemption only been permitted to seniors? Shouldn’t all varsity athletes, regardless of grade, be exempt?

Let’s get one thing clear; physical education classes are a great outlet to encourage healthy exercise habits. For students who aren’t involved in sports, this is a class that provides them with a way to stay active. However, student athletes are already active by par-

ticipating on their sports team, and therefore don’t necessarily need another time of the day dedicated to exercising.

Most varsity athletes can agree it is a commitment similar to any other extracurricular or clubs at school, but can be more physically exhausting at the end of the day. Balancing homework and studying can be trickier with extremely limited time and energy. In order to better a varsity athlete’s academic career, gym being turned into free periods or study halls would provide extra time to be productive. This could aid student athletes in staying on top of their work.

Seniors undisputedly have a lot of their plate: focusing on college decisions, current schoolwork, and juggling other extracurriculars. At each academic Photo Courtesy of Charlotte Striar

Photo Courtesy of Charlotte Striar

level comes new challenges, and sports can be tough to manage in a busy schedule.

This system of being exempt from the P.E. requirement should be available to all student athletes on a varsity level, as younger teammates are making the same commitment to the team that any other member is.

Naturally, a senior in high school will have a larger amount of potentially more challenging school work compared to a freshman, but adapting to more and more work is a gradual process. It can feel overwhelming going into each year and accepting more responsibilities. As seniors have unique challenges to face, younger students have the challenge that each new year inevitably brings in terms of a more rigorous course load. While very often the majority of varsity sports athletes are seniors, the other grades resonate

with the P.E. exemption as well and often face the same struggles in commitment.

Additionally, junior year is arguably one of the most difficult grades in high school. This is because that year determines one’s class rank when they apply to college, one’s ACT and SAT scores are determined, and colleges are looking at your grades prior to admission. It would be immensely helpful for a student in their junior year to receive the opportunity for exemption as well.

However, high school is not a competition of who and which year has it hardest; I’m sure we can all agree it is difficult in a unique variety of circumstances and at every stage of advancement. That’s why an opportunity for academic suc-

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P.E. Exemption- How Good Is It Really?

By Julia Zislis ‘22

Physical Education (P.E.) Exemption. With P.E. exemption, senior varsity athletes (or all varsity athletes) do not need to attend P.E. class during the season of the sport in which they participate. The thought process behind this is that the students who are exempt fulfill the P.E. requirement on their own time, and thus they no longer needed to participate in P.E. class. Although a blessing for many, there are other reasons to object this said exemption.

Who is to imply that those who land a spot on the varsity squad try harder than those on a junior varsity team? A common misconception is that those who are varsity athletes work harder during practices. More often than not, junior varsity players try harder because they are the ones giving 100% to impress the captains and the coaches. Junior varsity athletes are the people who aren’t on the squad, and their spot isn’t as secure, so they do everything in their power to ensure that their skills are seen and acknowledged. So, what is it that makes being a varsity athlete any more difficult than those on the junior varsity teams?

Don’t junior varsity players deserve to be exempt from physical education as well?

This policy is unfair to those who show up to practice each and every day and try the hardest they possibly can. Not getting exempted almost seems like a punishment to them because they are trying as hard as those on varsity squads, and maybe even harder. This can cause certain select

students to reflect poorly on themselves and ask themselves why they weren’t the ones chosen to get exempt as well. It is not considered a great representation of inclusion because it is not applicable to athletes who work extremely hard.

Students need to concentrate and focus during their classes, and there can occasionally be distractions that disrupt that focus- receiving a grade, noise in the hallways, or even a fire drill. The sole purpose of P.E. exemption is to provide students with an extra period of time

Is P.E. exemption really worth all of this struggle for others?

concentration levels and ability to complete that test within the given amount of time. If students are roaming around the school producing too much noise others diligently working in class would be harmed. A student could’ve gotten a better grade if they weren’t so distracted trying to tune out the students in the hallway; to a degree, shouldn’t those who were causing interruptions be at fault? Students deserve to do well in their classes and this success is a direct result of their focus and dedication to the course. It is unjust to hinder student success by avoidable distractions, and because of this, those who are exempt must be stopped from making too much noise in the hallways.

It might be better to direct the exempt students out of campus, if the district permits, or to a space within the building that won’t cause any distractions for anyone else, or just stop exemptions altogether.

Is P.E. exemption really worth all of this struggle for others? What might seem like a reward and benefit for one is really a great obstacle for the others. The exempt students might feel a relief from their stressful school day, but who is to say that they aren’t causing others stress and anxiety because of this exemption? It seems as though some may be looking at this positive exemption from too broad of a perspective and need to take into consideration the effect that it is having on others.

that should be spent studying and or finishing schoolwork. The hope is that these students utilize this time diligently as it is rewarded to them in a way. However, this hope is not always the reality of the situation. Some students take this time to de-stress, which is acceptable, but manage to intrude on other classes that are in session. When taking a test, especially one that covers material one is not so familiar with, one may be concerned about their

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Viewpoints

A Blind Brook High School Student Publication

By Emma Kron ‘22

Society Needs Social Media

Modern day society is based heavily on social media and its influence on people. People all over the world — students, teachers, parents, and more —use social media daily and in various ways. Social media is an incredible form of communication between friends and family. People that live across the country, or even the world, are now at the tip of our fingers. Maintaining relationships with these people is now simplified immensely. The constant flow of ideas between people teaches individuals more about themselves and introduces them to new ideas. People can now discover more about their interests and passions while surfing the internet by surrounding themselves with so many new ideas.

Especially during challenging times like these, where maintaining a social distance is necessary, communication through social media is of great importance and becoming increasingly prominent in the lives of many. Celebrating birthdays, holidays, or even bar mitzvahs over video meetings on Zoom has become a social “norm”. This, to me, is a very, very special thing. When people felt deprived of socialization during this global pandemic, social media was there to fill a void.

Sure, communication through a computer is not always preferable, but it is safest during these times. Without the prevalent use of the technology to remain in contact, people would lose touch and miss special milestones, among other things. I am sure I am not the only one who has gone almost a year without seeing my grandparents. With not much to do, our

By Jenna Kamin ‘22

Issue #1 January 2021

weekly FaceTime calls are a great motivation during the week and highlight of the week for both them and me. For them our moments in life whether big or small are things that they look forward to. Along with this, communication platforms like Zoom stepped up to assist in the transformation to online learning. Working in cohorts at school, students are able to experience class and learn lessons thoroughly, no matter where they are. Academic assistance is more targeted towards the student and can be even more personal than prior to these changes. Furthermore, teachers record videos to instruct students that are online. These videos can be watched and rewatched by either cohort to clarify what was learned, help complete the homework, or even study for an upcoming test. Not to mention, having a snow day, or a day out sick is now more productive thanks to online learning.

Another way that social media is helping strengthen society is the multitude of resources that have been made available to the majority of individuals online.

Doing research on anything from history to sports, there are hundreds of websites or databases to choose from. With the election just behind us, there were so many different resources online to not only educate yourself, but to learn about the situation live. Information about the coronavirus and research being conducted is all over the internet. It is extremely easy to educate oneself on any topic because of the abundance of information.

When doing research for a school project, even if it is extremely specific, it feels like

the internet is able to cater to your needs.

Websites have information about everything and can help you in multiple ways at a time. Social media is great for society in the way that it can work to promote good causes. When scrolling through Facebook or Instagram, there are so many charitable organizations that people donate to on a daily basis. Whether it is something personal, or something that a person is passionate about, so many different causes are targeted to online audiences in order to gain support. It is so easy to contribute money to these organizations if one is able to, or simply take part in sharing them with others. Social media is the main

VS.

form of advertisement for many companies. Companies use commercials, ads, and other online platforms to promote thir products. This benefits their income and their popularity immensely. There are many popular creators on multiple different platforms that promote products from a variety of companies. Seeing their opinion on the products, and being a “credible” and “trustworthy” source, influences a lot of people to invest in said products.

Overall, it’s evident that social media has an indelible and essential place in society, benefitting the world around us.

Social Media Is Ruining Society

For many people, especially teenagers, social media is a very big part of their daily lives. Picturing a day without social media seems virtually impossible for many. Nowadays, there are over ten main social media platforms that many people use everyday. The most popular ones include Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Tik Tok and Youtube and they have been found to be extremely addicting. All of these platforms were created to help people and bring people together. However, as time goes on, the inverse relationship between social media increase in prevalence and declining mental health of many has become exceedingly evident. The initial positives of the aforementioned apps are beginning to fade away while the negatives are simultaneously taking over.

Looking at the world around us makes me question, did all these platforms really intend to advance our society, or just create countless issues for humans?

One of the main issues seen with social media is the decline in human interaction. People often choose to call each other over FaceTime instead of meeting up in person. Yes, during a time like this where a global pandemic has taken over, FaceTime has been essential to catch up with our friends and family. But, before all of this the loss of human interaction became clear. More than ever, teens are feeling lonely. This may seem confusing since we have a way to be in contact with our friends 24/7. The problem is, instead of interacting in person, people are working harder to build relationships through

social media. People think that the more friends you have over social media may make you happier, but in reality this is not true. The loss of in person friendships is causing our generation to rely on social media for entertainment. This often creates the feelings of loneliness.

Social media has also added a flaw in many of our personalities. Jealousy has become a huge issue people face when they open up these apps. Most people can agree that checking Instagram and seeing people living their best lives and on luxury vacations can cause feelings of jealousy. I feel as though this issue has created such a toxic environment among not only teens, but all social media users. The initial idea of sharing our best moments and memories turned into a competition to whose life is the best. This idea of competing against when another has been brought into real life. I feel that a lot of teenagers, especially nowadays, are always thinking about how they can look “cool”. People who deal with F.O.M.O. (fear our missing out) are especially hurt by this. It can cause feelings of anxiety and cause you to stay on social media even longer. When people feel this way, they tend to pick up their phone even quicker, to be updated on everything they are missing out on.

Which makes them feel even worse. In reality, social media can be very fabriced, only showing the highlights, but when you are sitting in your bed, feeling down and seeing all the celebrities glamorous posts one will become upset.

One of the worst things to come out of social media is the toxic environ-

ment around body image and looks. Waking up to a feed of supermodels and photoshop can be very unsettling. More than ever, people feel the need to fit a certain body type, even though it can be very unrealistic. We are seeing advances in companies advertising to be more real, but the ideal looks will never go away. Social media has overall caused a lack of confidence in people. It creates the feeling of never being good enough. These platforms have not only crushed people’s confidence, but also created a serious risk to mental health. The addiction we, as a generation, have to our phones has created a

serious increase in poor mental health.

We are more distracted, easily triggered, and feel isolated at times. On top of all this, cyberbullying has become very prevalent among young people. Instead of the school issues we used to see, kids are getting phones earlier and earlier. Causing them to, in certain ways, grow up faster.

While they should be dealing with issues face to face, kids tend to take it out on each other online. Cyberbullying is considered the most harmful way of bullying.

With all of these issues, it appears to be quite clear that social media is ruining our society.

6

Arts and Entertainment

A Blind Brook High School Student Publication

I’ve Seen The Lights Go Out on Broadway

Issue #1 January 2021

The Laramie Project

By Lilly Kleinhandler ‘22

By Joshua Dweck ‘23

It is March 12th. What used to seem like a distant thought was now a reality. The coronavirus had come to New York, and schools and shops were all closing down for what would be no longer than a few weeks, people thought. As the weeks turned to months, the severity of the coronavirus only increased. While many industries have adapted to this “new normal,” Broadway is on track to hit its one year anniversary since the curtains first closed.

The thing about Broadway is it rarely ever closes down. When Covid hit the U.S. back in March, Broadway was gearing up for its most important time of the year with the anticipated 2020 Tony Awards right around the corner. The majority of Broadway’s newest releases tend to open to the general public in late March and early April just in time for the important award ceremony. Nevertheless, there were a handful of musicals like Moulin Rouge, Jagged Little Pill, and Tina - The Tina Turner Musical that got their debut before the shutdown and the 2020 Tony Awards, which recently announced its list of nominees, will honor those musicals at its to-be-determined ceremony date.

The worst thing about the Broadway closure is without a doubt the effect it has on the actors and the economy. The actors will typically perform seven or eight times a week, and that isn’t even including things like rehearsal, which made the closure of Broadway sting even more.

The sudden closure of Broadway came as a huge surprise to these actors, and the little knowledge of Covid-19 made getting back to work a mystery. “With nearly 97,000 workers who rely on Broadway for their livelihood and an annual economic impact of $14.8 billion to the city, our membership is committed to re-opening as soon as conditions permit us to do so,” Charlotte St. Martin, president of the Broadway League, said in a statement last month. With Broadway’s reopening being pushed back even further to late May 2021, the lack of work available to actors doesn’t

seem like it will go away anytime soon.

In order for a Broadway show to become profitable, at least 80% of the seats need to be filled. With social distancing rules, it is pretty much impossible to achieve this, and that is what one of the main causes of Broadway shutting down was, and is what making Broadway reopen a very difficult task.

Another effect of the coronavirus on Broadway is the upcoming shows getting canceled or delayed. The pushbacks of Broadway resulted in many shows operating on small budgets having very little to work with, and many highly anticipated shows are postponed indefinitely.

Photo Courtesy of Samuel Knee

Not even Covid-19 could stop English/Theatre Arts teacher Christina Colangelo and the Blind Brook Theater Department from going ahead with this fall’s production of The Laramie Project. Although the play will not be live, everyone will be able to view and enjoy

mented that “as a society, we think we are progressive and making a lot of strides, but we still have a long way to go. Matthew Shepard’s murder was only twenty years ago and that really isn’t a long time. Although we have become more accepting of all people, there is still work to be done.”

Some highly anticipated shows are: Mrs. Doubtfire This Broadway rendition of the comedy movie follows father Daniel Hillard. After going through a divorce with his wife, in order to keep seeing his kids he dresses up as an old nanny, Mrs. Doubtfire, and acts as a nanny to keep seeing his kids.

West Side Story This show is about two lovers from opposite sides of enemy gangs. It opened up to break huge box office records a month before Broadway shut down, so many people still haven’t been able to see it.

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

The show takes place over one long evening where the audience watches in sadness as the couple, George and Martha’s relationship slowly falls apart.

Photo Courtesy of Samuel Knee the show from the comfort of their own homes. Filming has wrapped up, and the release date will be released shortly.

Based on the true story of Matthew Shepard, an openly gay college

In addition to the compelling story, the format of The Laramie Project made it adaptable to the restrictions surrounding Covid-19. This play is ideal because it doesn’t require

The Music Man The story of a traveling salesman who makes his way into a town in Iowa where he slowly befriends the citizens.

It is no secret that Broadway holds a special place in many American’s hearts.

Broadway inspires millions of people every single day. “The closing of Broadway

Continued on page 9

Photo Courtesy of Samuel Knee

Photo Courtesy of New York Times

student, The Laramie Project explores the causes and effects surrounding his 1998 murder in Laramie, Wyoming. According to Colangelo, “through the actions of the townspeople, the audience will walk away with a better understanding of tolerance, acceptance, and self-love. The show encourages you to overcome prejudice, while also challenging you to be a better person.”

The Laramie Project also influenced the ideas and beliefs of those belonging to the cast and production team. Tess O’Brien, the production’s student director, com-

too many interactions between the cast since it is primarily monologue-based.

Rehearsals took place over Zoom from October to early November. After two weeks of in-person blocking and rehearsals, the play was filmed throughout the week of November 16th. “Filming went well, says Colangelo. “All of the students were prepared, helpful, and eager to perform.”

With a cast of 32, it was certain-

Continued on page 9 7

Arts and Entertainment

A Blind Brook High School Student Publication

Issue #1 January 2021

Blind Brook Bands

By Olivia Zahl ‘22

I think that we can all agree on one thing: Covid-19 has pretty much messed up everything. As for the Band Program at Blind Brook High School, it’s pretty obvious that it is impossible for it to run the way it used to. No more sitting and playing instruments within close proximity of each other. No more weekly band lessons. No more Jazz or Chamber Ensemble. The entire situation is extremely unfortunate, yet high school band instructor Brian Lotze will not let these crazy times stop the band from playing on.

Lotze exclaimed, “When I heard that band as we know it wouldn’t be possible this year, I knew that I had to come up with a way to continue the performance-based class that students grow to love in band. The most satisfying part of playing in a band is the camaraderie you form with your fellow musicians. The only other time that this same synchronized teamwork occurs is out on the field or court in sports. In order to provide this same performance-based growth, I decided to totally switch gears and have all the students signed up for band play in a percussion ensemble.” This is a bold move, clearly, as most of the students in the Band Program have never even

Photo Courtesy of Samuel Knee

Photo Courtesy of Samuel Knee

touched a percussion instrument. Yet, it seems to be the only plausible way to continue the program. When asked how students, especially those who have never played percussion before, are handling the change, Lotze replied, “As with any new instrument, it takes time for the non-percussionists to get used to the new muscles they need to develop and techniques they need to master. Now that we’re a few months into the school year, I’m seeing huge growth from all of Blind Brook’s musicians! I hope that will be apparent when we create our videos for the Winter Concert.” Evidently, as for the in-school band program, so far so good.

Shifting gears to remote learning.

Running the Band Program from home seems to be a bit more challenging. “Students who are working from home have a unique challenge. It’s absolutely impossible to recreate the ensemble experience through webcam-based services. The latency that exists when we video chat is just enough that everything is thrown off by a few milliseconds. In order to attempt to recreate this, I’m having all of my students complete SmartMusic assignments at home. We’re learning a piece together while apart! SmartMusic is an awesome program that listens to the student play their instrument and follows along with

Continued on page 9

Is the Box Office Dead?

By Ryan Campbell ‘22

2020 has been a trying year for the film industry, to say the least. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the traditional practice of going to a theater to experience a new movie has been completely uprooted. As a result, many 2020 films have been sent to streaming services instead, while other releases have been delayed multiple times. This year has necessitated ample adaptation and adjustment, and it has been interesting to witness the new ways in which movies are both released and consumed. So, what does this mean for the film industry as a whole?

Can the box office survive these troubling times, and what does the future look like?

Both the production and release of many major motion pictures have been delayed indefinitely, creating a heightened sense of uncertainty for an industry that relies heavily on consumerism. The first major movie to delay its release due to Covid-19 was No Time to Die, the latest James Bond installment, originally scheduled for a November 2019 release. This was later moved to April 2020, plagued by both a change of directors and a pandemic. No Time to Die is

Continued on page 9

Photo Courtesy of the New York Times

8

News/Arts and Entertainment

A Blind Brook High School Student Publication

Issue #1 January 2021

Is the Box Office Dead?

Continued from page 8

now slated for an April 2021 release, more than a year after its original projection.

Other major franchises, such as Marvel, Avatar, and Star Wars will feel the effects of this shift into 2021 and beyond, putting the trajectory of already-planned productions in jeopardy. When one film in a franchise is postponed, it creates a cascade of delays that, although inevitable, is upsetting to both movie lovers and those involved in their production.

Despite this challenged and changed industry, some releases have forged ahead, capitalizing on the rising popularity of streaming services such as Disney Plus, HBO Max, Netflix, and Prime Video. One such example is Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, released on Amazon Prime Video, which has been met with both critical and public success.

Additionally, Disney’s Mulan remake was released on Disney Plus after having been pulled from theaters. It was not met with the success Disney had hoped for, but it was a major step for such a cinema-de-

pendent company to release a streaming-exclusive film. The rising popularity of movie and television streaming services has subsequently been huge, growing around 37% in the past year, according to Antenna Analytics. But what does this mean for the movie theater industry?

Some releases, such as Tenet have taken the risk of opening in theaters, and, despite becoming the year’s fourth-highest-grossing film, it failed to meet the explosive debut it was expected to have due to sharply limited cinema capacities. This film did also not widely increase the success of cinemas as some anticipated, which is detrimental to these businesses that rely on the presence of their customers. Overall, the US market size of cinemas in 2020 has decreased by almost 63%, largely due to decreased capacities and widespread closures.

The Covid-19 pandemic has also interrupted the 2021 Academy Awards, which will honor films released between January 2020 and February 2021. Origi-

Blind Brook Bands

The Laramie Project

Continued from page 8

Continued from page 7

an accompaniment replicating playing with a full band. It’s not perfect but it’s better than practicing alone all the time!” Lotze seems to have a strong grip on the Band Program at Blind Brook, and it’s only his second year here! Go Mr. Lotze!

Continuing, not many are aware of the great lengths Lotze and his students are going to uphold their program. Lotze has started an Instagram page (@blindbrookhsbands) to “shine a light on the amazing things that musicians at Blind Brook are accomplishing, even with the many obstacles we face!” Additionally, Lotze, along with the Concert Band and the Wind Ensemble, are running a merchandise sale to raise money for our senior gifts.

The gear features a brand new logo for the band.

In the end, adapting to the new procedures and Covid-19 protocol has not been easy. “As with any class or activity, the adjustment period has been prolonged and fraught with difficult situations to manage. I can’t have asked for a better group of students to help me through this time. At every step of the way, they’ve been eager to learn and willing to work with me and my many mistakes! I think that at this point in the school year we have a great rhythm going and it will only get better from here on out!”

Lotze describes the year so far as “exploratory.” Considering the drastic changes the band, along with all other factions of education have encountered, this simple word perfectly sums it up.

ly a challenge to bring The Laramie Project to life in this “new normal”.

“We had to be creative with camera angles and placement of actors to avoid being close together,” explained Colangelo. Masks and social distancing protocols were enforced at each rehearsal. However, when it was necessary to remove masks for filming purposes, actors were re-

Photo Courtesy of Samuel Knee quired to be at least twelve feet apart.

After the disappointment following the cancellation of last spring’s musical, Les Mis érables, the theater depar tment feels so fortunate to have had this opportunity despite all the changes and restrictions.

“This production has shown us that even being six feet apart, with masks, we can work together and share our love and support for each other,” said Clara Hastings, who plays the role of Catherine Connolly. Hastings explained, “Even with all of these guidelines put in place, it shows the power of the BBHS Theater community.”

Make sure to stay tuned for information regarding the production’s release date!

nally planned for February 28, the ceremony will now take place on April 25 to increase flexibility for the production and release of films in 2021, and their criteria have changed as well. Films released on subscription services but were originally planned for theatrical releases will be eligible for nomination to accommodate for the pandemic’s impact on the industry. With cases rising in the United States again, the certainty of this ceremony is still quite unknown, but time will tell if it is feasible or not.

Overall, the Covid-19 pandemic has warranted an immense shift in the film industry, with unprecedented chang-

es felt in its every corner. Streaming services have reaped many benefits, serving as accessible platforms in replacement of cinemas, but those cinemas have suffered greatly due to limited capacity and closures to comply with health guidelines.

Although this is a time of immense uncertainty, movie lovers are still able to explore a multitude of films at their leisure, which is comforting in a time where nothing feels normal. Despite the immense changes felt in the film industry this year, the ability to enjoy a great movie is something that remains, fostering a sense of much-needed normalcy for everyone.

I’ve Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway Continued from page 7

shows is a huge letdown for actors and fans,” said James Gallagher, a sophomore. “Actors are being forced to look for other jobs and ways to earn money instead of being able to do their dream job. Fans are sadly losing out on one of the greeted attractions in New York City.” If you want any evidence of the amount of influence Broadway has, look no further than the Hamilton craze that took place just a few years ago.

It is truly a shame that Broadway had to close down, putting all of these talented actors out of work, and preventing the millions of people from coming and experiencing it. On average, a total of 11.66 million people annually watch Broadway musicals. Even with all of these obstacles in the way, hopefully we will see the return of Broadway soon.

Debate Team Makes Difficult Adjustments Continued from page 3 team then comes together, gets organized and brainstorms possible solutions. Unfortunately, it is clear that coming together as a team and on an even bigger scale isn’t an option at the moment. It may be different and communication may not run as smoothly. Debate team member Jackson Weisnstein explains that, “We all are split up in breakout rooms that still allows us to meet new people from different schools. We also have group chats with the team keeping us all in the loop. That is the best part because we somehow are still able to make memories while still in our home. There are some challenges making a personal connection with the judge, which often helps in making your case.

But despite what our community is going through, the debate associations have done an incredible job at preserving the integrity and success of our competitions.”

Any student involved in a club can attest that the casualness of meetings and socializing has been extremely altered due to the fact that they are not able to see each other in person. That huge part of socialization and getting to know others has been lost. This is extremely harmful for teens and they have to work twice as hard to maintain contact with others. A

huge part of clubs is the opportunity for upperclassmen and lower classmen having the ability to bond. This shows the importance of advisors and leaders making the most of any contact with students/ members. After speaking with Timothy Lewis, the debate team advisor, he explained that they are definitely at a loss for they can not meet in person. But he adds to the fact that there are some pros to this con. For example, he says that there is much more flexibility to finding meeting times and that more people can participate in online tournaments. According to Lewis, there are more new members and more people have been showing up to meetings than in any year past. He explained that he feels “at a loss” that he can not have that in person aspect with all members. But he is grateful for the amazing leadership that adds to the structure of the team. Mr.Lewis would like all team members to know that he is “really proud of this team and so astonished by their quick adjustments. We put in hard work and I am excited to see how this season plays out!.”

It is extremely difficult to find the little lights throughout such a dark time. But finding the time to come together makes it all worth it.

9

Health and Science

A Blind Brook High School Student Publication

Students Suffering at the Hands of Tech

By Andrew Margolis ‘23

Issue #1 January 2021

Overcoming Covid Challenges

By Ryan Campbell ‘22

Photo Courtesy of Stefano Magrella Photo Courtesy of Antonio Guillem / iStock

American author, Neil Postman, once stated, “I am not a Luddite. I am suspicious of technology. I am perfectly aware of its benefits, but I also try to pay attention to some of the negative effects.” There is no doubt that technology has vastly improved the world in many ways. It is a vital part of life and some would even deem it a necessity. Since the COVID-19 outbreak, technology has become more useful than ever. In order to slow the spread of the virus, remote learning has taken over academics. Students do the majority of their work online, and use “Zoom”, a video communications device, to interact with their teachers and classmates many days of the week. While this process may seem highly beneficial, the consequences of this increased screen time can not be overlooked. Students and teachers have had a significant increase in screen time, and although it may not seem like it, it has been taking a toll on their health already. If a change is not made, this increased technology usage will lead to negative mental and physical health effects going forward.

Increase in screen time, due to remote learning, has negatively affected the social, emotional, and mental healths of students and teachers. A blogger named Edward Roesch noticed that many students miss the social aspects of the learning experience. His study states, “55% of students still find the lack of social interactions troubling. They learn better with fellow students, and for 45% of students, this could lead to underperforming in their academics.” He also ex-

plains how remote learning can cause nerves and anxiety, resulting in academic underperformance. Roesch also states that students with lower grades generally are more likely to struggle with distance learning. In addition to this, members of the University of Colorado Boulder polled many of their own students on this topic. They asked students about how remote learning has been affecting them, and the results are quite alarming. When they sent out their poll, 94% of students said that remote learning has negatively affected them, 71.7% stated that they are doing worse in school, 64.7% said they were more stressed at home, 98.5% responded that they have a lack of motivation to complete their homework and 85.5% of students find school harder as a result of online learning. Based on this evidence, it is safe to say that remote learning has been vastly hindering the quality of education that students have been getting. People have become less academically motivated and find it harder to focus via online schooling. They are more stressed and feel as though they need to work harder than ever to do well.

In the Blind Brook community, James Gallagher, a sophomore, even stated, “I find it harder to do well in remote learning. I sit behind a screen for seven hours a day only to have more work to do after school. I am just unmotivated in general and hope we can return to school full time soon.” James is not alone. Many people in

Continued on page 11

To say that the transition to hybrid learning has been difficult would be an understatement. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the ways in which students, teachers, and administrators are able to work with one another has been dramatically altered, and nobody quite knows when things will go back to normal. More than two months into the school year, this setup is still very foreign to many, and it has brought its fair share of problems as well. There is a sense of uncertainty that lingers on with the hybrid learning model, and it is definitely taking some getting used to. It is of utmost importance, that the district, to adheres CDC guidelines in order to maintain a safe, healthy environment, but that does not make it easy by any means.

Being a high school student is challenging enough, but with a brand new learning model and a global pandemic, these challenges are amplified.

The leadership of our administrators is greatly appreciated, however there is still an intense amount of difficulty and stress that inevitably comes along with hybrid learning. Amongst my peers, there is a general consensus that “at-home” days are the hardest due to the monotony and excessive screen time. “Zoom burnout” as some have dubbed it, is a real and relatable phenomenon, bringing about fatigue and angst that may prevent students and teachers from doing their best work.

This monotony can make it “really hard to stay motivated”, junior Archana Kumaran explains, and she is definitely not alone in that. Such a large dependence on screens for education is an unfortunate aspect of this model, so trying to limit screen time otherwise is very important.

Although it brings a sense of much-needed normalcy for some, in-person learning comes with some challenges as well. Many hallways and staircases in the building have been designated as oneway, and many students seem to be struggling with this. “There may be a class you have to get to that is pretty closeby, but to get to it, you have to do a loop around the entire school. It’s really annoying” says junior Jackson Campbell. Additionally, junior Vivian Car valho notices how “people don’t actually pay attention to [the arrows]” which is a problem that definitely needs to be addressed from a safety perspective. These adjustments have proven to be tedious and annoying for some, but

they are crucial in maintaining the health and safety of our community. In addition, a problem that has been brought up is the large number of “in school” tests in one given day. Typically, students are only allowed to have 2 test in a day, however, with hybrid learning this number has not been adhered too. This has added a significant amount of stress to the lives of students, however it generally is unavoidable because students are only in school 2 days a week. Clearly this model has its flaws, and students are not the only ones feeling the effects of them. These past few months have been especially stressful for teachers and administrators who are tasked with providing guidance and support in such a time when stability feels impossible. Their cooperation, flexibility, and leadership does not go unnoticed, and we as students are very lucky to have such a strong support system during this strange time.

Although everyone is doing their best with the situation at hand, the ways in which many teachers are used to teaching has been uprooted! Managing so many different cohorts, classes, and lessons can be overwhelming. Health and Physical Education teacher Ms. Carlone explains that “[the] block schedule and hybrid model make it very difficult for “every other day” classes with consistency and content...

There is also a lot of back end work to be done to make sure lessons run efficiently.”

As a student, it is easy to forget the effort that goes into our quality of education, but it is so important to be sensitive to the fact that we are not the only ones faced with stressful challenges in regards to this model. Remaining sensitive and remembering that this is a period of adjustment for everyone is of utmost importance.

Despite all of these challenges, everyone is doing their best to adjust in these unprecedented times, and everyone’s persistence has been amazing. All students, teachers, and administrators have been effortlessly doing their part to allow this model to continue on, even when it has not been easy or perfect.

Our school has been able to stay opened when many other schools have had to close down, thanks to the contribution of everyone in the Blind Brook community. Nobody knows what the next few months, weeks or even days will hold, but over these past few trying months, we have proven to ourselves that we are capable of anything when we come together.

Photo Courtesy of Antonio Guillem / iStock

10

Health and Science

A Blind Brook High School Student Publication

Issue #1 January 2021

California Wildfires

By Kelly Ma ‘22

In this century, it is not difficult to find the perfect recipe for monstrous wildfires. In order to survive, a fire requires heat, fuel, and oxygen. But what makes California, in the words of bioclimatologist Dr. Williams of Columbia University, “a perfect recipe for fire”?

Of all the California fires starting from 1932, the largest ten all occurred within the past twenty years; five out of those ten occurred in this year alone.

Since 2012, California has not gone a single month without a wildfire burning.

They can be sparked in many different ways-from power lines falling, lightning striking, and even to igniting smoke-generating fireworks at a gender reveal party!

To no scientist’s surprise, the first major cause is climate change. US Forest Search researcher Alan Ager claims that “climate change is amplifying fire behavior and fire size.” Temperature changes of only two or three degrees Farenheit higher than normal dries out vegetation and makes areas more susceptible to burning. In fact, a heat wave recently hit the state, with Los Angeles County reaching a record of 121 degrees and Death Valley reaching 130. In this increasingly warming climate, ecosystems will only continue to dry out; as a result, fires will continue to grow more fierce and more

frequent. Fire season will also drag on.

California’s forests face frequent, intense droughts with intense periods of rain.

Known as “weather whiplash,” which promotes thick underbrush growth. When the subsequent drought occurs, the underbrush becomes a perfectly susceptible tinder, which again is causing California to be the “perfect recipe for fire”.

“Fans only make flames hotter”; this saying holds true with winds and jet streams to wildfires. A study published by the journal Environmental Letters suggests there are two fire seasons in California. From June to September, fires are driven by warm and dry winds.

Each fall, gusts of wind, known as Santa Ana winds, bring in dry air from the Great Basin area into southern California (and in the north, the region faces similar winds known as the Diablo). The other season typically lasts from October to April. The reason why these winds help create wildfires is because winds can make already-dry conditions even worse, making areas more susceptible to fire.

Along with drying out vegetation, winds can move embers around which spreads fires. If they are fierce enough, fires can even jump over eight-lane highways due to wind, taking over the landscape.

As sea levels rise, people in Cal-

Photo Courtesy of Business Insider

Photo Courtesy of Ringo Chiu / AFP - Getty Images ifornia have been encouraged to retreat inland. Because of this, unfortunately, these inland locations that are at high risk for wildfire now have a higher population density. This puts more people in danger, and creates a higher likelihood of fires!

People are always creating small sparks, which can lead to monstrous fires. In Dr. Williams’s words, “As the dry season wears on and stuff is drying out more and more, the chance that a spark comes off a person at the wrong time just goes up.”

Now that it is clear why these wildfires occur, what is the effect of them?

“Wildfire smoke can affect health almost immediately,” said Dr. Yao. In her study, she found evidence suggesting that within an hour of smoke settling after a wildfire, the number of ambulance calls for asthma, chronic lung disease and cardiac events increased by 10%. When wildfires burn in urban areas, the smoke produced can contain toxic air contaminants, such as hydrogen cyanide, hydrogen chloride, and even metals. Air pollution has been linked with increased risk of respiratory illnesses, including pneumonia and bronchitis. Even residents who live some distance away from fires can be harmed by air pollution in the amounts of carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and other volatile compounds. Smoke itself contains a wide variety of harmful pollutants and chemicals. PM2.5 are tiny particles that can lodge deep within one’s lungs, decreasing lung function, aggravating asthma, and causing heart attacks and strokes. Scientists have also found that intense fires release up to 30% as much mercury as other industrial sources. In this manner, mercury can travel downwind and contaminate

watersheds or harm fragile ecosystems.

If mercury ends up in waterways, it can change into methylmercury, where it can be found in fish and other seafood (this is an example of biomagnification, where the concentration of toxins increases with higher levels of the food chain; this is also why doctors recommend for pregnant women and children to steer away from fish). Mercury poisoning can lead to impairment in speech, hearing, and walking while also causing muscle weakness and vision impairment. Although they may think so, younger generations are not invincible when it comes to the effects of wildfires. Dr. Prunicki, director of research at Stanford for smoke studies, found that “in teenagers, [their blood was drawn] after a wildfire, [there was] a systematic increase in inflammatory markers,” and many chronic diseases are linked to inflammation.Clearly, the health effects of wildfires are dramatic and devastating.

The wildfires in California are a result of many different factors coming together to create the perfect recipe for wildfires. Climate change, winds, and human activity all are causes that contribute to this environment that is so prone to wildfires. The fires have numerous health effects that are impacting the population of California, and will continue to do so. There are many factors that need to be investigated further for officials to make a concrete plan in combating the wildfires, but it is clear that something needs to be done, and fast.

Students Suffering at the Hands of Tech Continued from page 10 Blind Brook feel as though online school has been hindering their motivation levels and has lead to underperformance in general. It is obvious from all of these different sources that socially, emotionally, and mentally, students have been negatively affected by online learning.

It is reasonable to say that mental health might be the aspect that has been negatively impacted the most. This is proven in early data from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) study that began in 2018, which indicated that children who spent more than two hours a day on screen-time activities scored lower on language and thinking tests. In addition,

some children with more than seven hours a day of screen time experienced thinning of the brain’s cortex, the area of the brain related to critical thinking and reasoning.

Due to remote learning, students spend at least 7 hours on screens a day, if not more.

Clearly, if student’s brains are functioning at a lower level, and their cortexes may experience thinning, something needs to change! In addition to this, screens emit blue light. According to Harvard Medical School, blue light “can disrupt sleep patterns by suppressing the secretion of the hormone melatonin.” Melatonin is vital for sleep, and if students are overtired, their health will inevitably deteriorate.

Karen Katzman, an occupational therapist, added that she works with a lot of children who unfortunately spend a lot of their time on a screen. When asked how it affected them, she responded in one simple word, “poorly.” She then elaborated by saying how “increased blue light intake and screen time leads to hyperactivity and a decreased attention span.”

She then added that these issues could be prevented if “children spend less time on devices.” Through this evidence and scientific research, it is clear that screen time must be minimized in order to prevent future health problems. If not properly handled, remote learning will contin-

ue to harm students across the globe.

Although this will be difficult, in the distance learning system, excessive screen time must be reduced. Students and teachers are experiencing many negative effects as a result of sitting behind a screen all day during online school and will continue to do so as long as nothing changes. All aspects of one’s health are in danger, and student’s brains will continue to deteriorate if this screen time is maintained. Based upon an abundance of scientific research and discussion, it is evident that something must be done to limit the amount of screen time experienced by students.

11

Politics

A Blind Brook High School Student Publication

Local Politicians: George Latimer

By Josh Rosenblut ‘22

In this column I will be interviewing different politicians that represent Rye Brook. I will be asking each politician many of the same questions.

I hope that these interviews will help you learn about the people who represent us in government. For my first interview, I spoke with George Latimer, Westchester County Executive.

Prior to being elected Executive of the 7th most populous county in New York State, Latimer was a member of the New York State Senate, beginning in 2012. Latimer previously served on the Rye City council, in the Westchester County legislature, and in the New York State Assembly. Latimer was elected Westchester County Executive in November 2017, defeating incumbent Republican Rob Astorino. Below are selected excerpts from our 30 minute interview:

What or who inspired you to get involved with politics?

“I grew up during the Vietnam Era, I was in college during the Watergate Era. Politics was very prominent to people in my age group. These events created a political level of interest for my generation. I didn’t think that I was going to go into politics. I started out in a corporate career, my political career didn’t start until I was 50 years old.

What was your career before going into politics?

“I worked in the hospitality industry prior to going into politics.” County Executive Latimer stated that he gained a great deal of experience from his corporate job which helped him later in life when he went into politics.

What is your favorite part of the job?

“Definitely Pre-Covid! I am comfortable interacting with people of all different sorts, my corporate career helped as I was a salesman and you must be comfortable interacting with people of all different sorts. I am comfortable with lots of diversity.” Latimer grew up in a lower income and extremely diverse neighborhood in Westchester and says he was able to use the experiences he gained from growing up in that setting when he became a politician. “In politics you get the chance to create a result that matters more to people than just you. Corporate jobs don’t really help other people, and don’t have any lasting effect. If I stayed at a corporate job I would’ve missed out on the chance to help people and make a lasting difference. In politics you get a sense of accomplishment for helping people.”

What is your least favorite or most difficult thing about the job ?

“The climate of hyper partisanship really concerns me for your generation.

Partisanship has switched from saying we’re both Americans to you’re my enemy and I hate everything that you stand for. That is really concerning to me, I worry about the America of the future if we can’t find a solution to these issues.”

What surprised you the most about the job?

Issue #1 January 2021

An Election to be Remembered

By Michaela Goodman ‘23

Photo Courtesy of New York State Senate “The vastness of the county, I had represented only ⅓ of the County, I thought I had a good handle of the County, but when I became County Executive I saw that the County was more diverse than people thought. Westchester is looked at as this wealthy County, but in reality not everyone is wealthy and there is poverty.”

How did Covid impact your work?

“Bumped us off of many of the things we intended to do. We had to postpone our initiatives. For example, we had a plan to evaluate the airport, but when Covid hit all of the plans stopped. We don’t know how long we will be in this situation, we could be heading into a lockdown again and that causes lots of problems at both a health and an economic standpoint. I hope for the best, but we have never seen this in my lifetime or your lifetime before and we are just trying to figure everything out as we go along.”

How did your day to day change with Covid?

“We were keeping many people home from work as early as March and just had a skeleton crew running the top of the County government. We did the basic services, not much beyond. Much of what we were doing related to Covid, I had daily updates about the numbers.”

Advice For Future Public Servants “If you’re interested in government or politics in high school, the first obvious thing is to get the education you need. I think a career in politics really has to tie into policy and that the reason you run for office is to accomplish something you think is a good thing as a policy. I think young people get caught up in the glamour of the game, the winning, running the campaign. If you know what you want to do, move into that direction, because you will be a far better politician once you start a career and live a normal life, the people who only think about politics tend to see everything through a political lense. You can’t begin to persuade others unless you have a real idea on how your constituents live their lives, and that requires you to live your life.”

On November 3rd, 2020 our country underwent the most salient election of all time. Millions upon millions of citizens went out to cast their ballots on who they thought to be the best choice for our nation’s future. Former Vice President Joe Biden came out victorious with an electoral college vote of 302 as well as a popular vote of over 79 million votes while President Donald Trump concluded the four day election with 232 electoral votes, and 73 million popular votes. Although Biden’s success sprouted directly from the voices of we the people, there were many factors that contributed to this election.

The most important component being the influence of modern social media.

As we are all familiar with the news channels like CNN, and Fox News that have been around for decades, they unfortunately do not appeal to the younger generations. Nonetheless, important information from these two sources is transferred to a more modern form of social media that is able to target younger generations. It is an extremely popular as well as sensational app referred to as Tik Tok in which users can display 15-60 second videos showing off their creativity which includes, but is not limited to; dancing, singing, comedic jokes, etc… As the election grew closer, Tik Tok became infiltrated with political discussions and heated arguments regarding which candidate would best meet the criteria of what citizens thought our country needed.

Those on the app would often scroll down their “For You Page,” an explore page specifically wired to the user’s personal interests, and find snippets of Presidential debates sourced from different news channels. Children who were not able to vote yet would watch said clips, and find themselves forming political opinions of their own, and engaging in heated debates amongst other users. One of the most popular topics of discussion over the debates was President Donald Trump’s insensitive comment towards Vice President Joe Biden’s second oldest son, Hunter Biden. Hunter had previously struggled with a drug addiction in the past, but had overcome it in recent years. Trump’s attack on Vice President Biden’s son hurt

millions of American families touched by the storm of drug abuse, including users on Tik Tok. Not only did citizens begin to lose respect for their President, but they also began to advocate against him.

Within the app, underage users would encourage those, who were of age, to go out and vote for Biden. They displayed links directed to voting websites, and shared tutorials on how to register. Other users came up with catchy slogans, such as “Vote Blue” or “GenZ for Biden” which soon spread all over the app. Celebrities entered the app to also display efforts to persuade others to vote for Joe Biden as well. Nonetheless, Trump supporters soon followed and downloaded the app to set forth their own political opinions, and convince Tik Tok users to vote red. They began to display certain clips of other debates, and focused their attention on Joe Biden’s stage presence rather than the arguments or points he was making during the actual discussion. Those in favor of Trump began to come up with certain catchphrases such as “Sleepy Joe” or “Slow Joe” in order to demonstrate to their followers why they thought President Donald Trump was the best fit. Right-leaning users also made comments about Vice President Joe Biden’s speech impediment, a stutter, to ridicule not only him, but his following as well. Both of these tactics used to support these candidates were significant for they had a direct impact on the outcome of the election. Many users were persuaded to vote one way over the other based on what they had seen on this platform of social media. This is exactly what made the 2020 election unique, and different from all other Presidential elections in the past. Millions of people, all different ages, were able to get involved through the most recent as well as popular form of social media, Tik Tok. Younger generations were able to encourage, and demonstrate their own political views which in turn helped to shape the older generation’s voting choice. However, no matter the amount of satisfaction or discontent over the outcome of the Vice President’s landslide victory, everyone can agree on one thing. That being that this election will certainly be one to remember.

Future Goals and Aspirations

“I expect to run for reelection next year, it’ll be my second term and I hope to serve it well. I did sign a term limit bill for the County Executive position so I will only be able to have two terms. I did this because executive power in the wrong hands is the most dangerous thing in the world. Perhaps after my second term a

Continued on page 15

Photo Courtesy of ABC News

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Politics

A Blind Brook High School Student Publication

Issue #1 January 2021

First Time Voters Are The Most Important

By Abby Zahl ‘23

Many things are possible, but knowing who was going to win the 2020 Presidential Election was definitely not one of those things. No one could have accurately predicted whether Joe Biden or Donald Trump was going to be the next president of the United States of America solely based on evidence before all of the votes were tallied. There was no notion as to which of the 50 states were going to be Democrat or Republican. States that were red in 2016 could have easily changed to blue in 2020. This was implemented as the polls began to close. It was important that every person exercised their right to vote. In this election especially, every vote mattered.

Abe Baker-Butler, a Blind Brook Alumni and Yale University student, realized how crucial one’s vote could be. With Abe’s judgement and knowledge on the election and how important one’s vote could be, FroshVote was born. Targeting freshman and firsttime voters attending college in swing states, it was FroshVote’s goal to get these students registered in a state where their vote would be most impactful.

FroshVote adopted the idea of relational organizing (a volunteer, or in this case, an ambassador reaching out to someone they already know to get them to vote instead of a stranger) because it has been proven to be more effective and influential than phone banking. Ambassadors at FroshVote would then reach out to those who are attending college in or are from different swing states. The swing

states from the 2020 election were Georgia, Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Texas, North Carolina, Nebraska, Florida, and Ohio. Ambassadors contacted their family, friends and acquaintances that they knew of who were in any of these 10 states. By keeping in touch, the ambassadors did all that they could to help these people and make sure they were registered to vote and had a confirmed voting plan which was either in-person or by an absentee ballot. An easy misconception one may have is that FroshVote sends the people their ballot. This is not the case considering only Boards of Elections can send people their ballots.

Instead, FroshVote encourages those who are eligible and aids those who are voting.

FroshVote was very important to the past election. Because of the impact the younger voters made, our new President was elected. Here are a few words from the founder, Abe Baker-Butler: “While youth voter turnout has been growing in recent years, it is still much lower than any other age group. And during the age of COVID-19, it’s become even harder for incoming college freshmen to connect with in-person voter registration resources on campus. That’s why we started FroshVote: to use the power of our networks and high school connections to get swing states college freshmen informed, registered and voting. The power of the youth is mindblowing. In most swing states, there are more college students than the typical electoral margin of victory. Yet, very few of these

Photo Courtesy of Justin Merriman / MPR News students vote due to the many obstacles placed in front of them. Young voters going off to college in swing states have tremendous power to shape the election, charting the course of our nation for the future. At FroshVote, our innovative model uses relational organizing, digital engagement, and crowdsourced content to enfranchise these votes and empower them to make a meaningful impact on the future of our nation. With our generation heavily invested in activism, voting is a natural way to turn our beliefs into a policy change (Baker-Butler).”

A political change was made in 2020. Because of the dissemination of FroshVote and the importance of voting, the results of the election turned out to be what they are.

If it weren’t for Abe Baker Butler, his ambassadors and FroshVote, swing states that went blue or red could have gone a different way. Because of the strong team at FroshVote and their determination, more college freshman and first-time voters were persuaded to send in their ballots. The more people that express their thoughts about our government by voting the better. It is important to take advantage of your rights. FroshVote is proud to confidently announce that this past fall they had successfully mobilized 1500 swing states college freshman voters.

Let’s hear it for Abe and his fellow team members, who truly know how to make a positive change in American politics.

Kamala Harris Shatters the Glass Ceiling

By Anna Baker-Butler ‘23

Photo Courtesy of Noah Berger / Getty Images

In the 231 years since John Adwas recruited to the San Francisco’s Disams became the first vice president of trict Attorney’s Office and then the City the United States, there has never been a Attorney of San Francisco. In 2010, she woman, South Asian, or black Vice Preswas elected Attorney General of Califorident. On January 20th, 2021, that will all nia and was re-elected in 2014. Now, 56 change when U.S. Senator Kamala Harris year-old Kamala Harris has been elected takes all of those titles. Born the daughas Vice President of the United States, ter of Jamaican and Indian immigrants, which is significant in a number of ways.

Harris became U.S. Senator of California First, she is paving the way for minorities in 2016, and the running mate of Presito hold the highest office in government. dent-Elect Joe Biden, in 2020. The child Harris credits many of her accomplishof immigrants herself, Kamala Harris ments to her late mother, Shyamala Gopledged to offer a path to citizenship to the palan Harris, an immigrant from India, millions of undocumented immigrants in who was a breast cancer researcher and the United States. Harris graduated from civil rights activist. Kamala Harris wrote Howard University and the University of in a post about her mother, “And she was California, Hastings College of the Law. the kind of parent who if you came home Her career began in the Alameda Councomplaining about something, she’d say, ty District Attorney’s office, before she ‘Well what are you gonna do about it?’

So I decided to run for President of the United States.” Harris is the first black person to be elected Vice President of the United States. In addition, Harris is shattering the glass ceiling for girls and women all around the country and the world, showing them that they can have a voice and a future in whatever they dream.

As the first South Asian Vice President, Kamala Harris is a trailblazer who broadens the horizons of South Asian women and girls. Simryn Sharma, a sophomore at Blind Brook High School explains, “I am Indian so having an Indian in a [high government position] is inspiring to me. It’s just more personal to me because she is part of the minority group and she can motivate me more. She [ran for] vice president so if she can do anything, I can do anything.”

Harris’s win also motivates young women to see expansive futures for themselves. “A lot of industries, especially things like STEM and politics are so male dominated, so seeing someone in power who could be you is just so cool,” senior Kate Jaffee says. “If [Kamala Harris] can do it, I can do it too,” Jaffee remarks. Harris can bring change to both the country and the lives of young women who have large aspirations for their life. Sophomore Alyssa Trokie believes that the election of Kamala Harris is really important for the evolution of the United States. Trokie states, “I feel that it’s important because women haven’t really been represented [in positions of power] until now. I think it’s important for women empowerment and [Harris] actually cares about women and will focus on

[issues] involving women because she is one herself. A lot of Vice Presidents and Presidents have talked about abortion and other [matters regarding women] but it’s different when it’s from a woman’s point of view.” Many women are optimistic that women’s rights are more likely to be addressed in depth with Harris in office.

Kamala Harris was only the second black woman to serve in the U.S Senate and she was a candidate for the Democratic nomination for President, having launched her campaign in January 2019. While her own campaign for the presidency was ultimately unsuccessful, Joe Biden selected her as his running mate and she was deemed victorious alongside Biden. Harris is a major advocate for global warming and was a co-sponsor of the Green New Deal. She is also pushing for stricter gun legislation and the banning of assault weapons.

Sophomore Rachel George says, “I feel like she could do a lot of beneficial things and she can help this country in ways that need help like poverty and Black Lives Matter.

I believe she will do many things that past vice presidents didn’t do.” It is anticipated that the Biden-Harris administration will intensely address racial injustice.

The significance of Kamala Harris’s election as Vice President is major.

Being the first woman, black person, and South Asian person as Vice President is an unprecedented step for Americans and opens up new opportunities and pathways for young people. Harris is an inspiration to millions of people worldwide who feel like doors have finally been opened for them and their futures.

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Sports

A Blind Brook High School Student Publication

Effects of Covid on Fantasy Football

By Kenny Konigsberg ‘21

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected virtually every part of life. Fantasy Football is no exception. Fantasy Football is a game in which you act as a manager of a team of individual NFL offensive players and a defense in the NFL. Each week, your team plays against another team in your league, with the scores determined by the statistics of the players in real NFL games.

You select players for your team in a draft at the beginning of the season, can trade for players, and can also pick up players that are not already on other Fantasy teams in your league on “waivers” during the season. Fantasy football is very popular. According to the Fantasy Sports and Gaming Association, approximately 45.9 million people aged 18 or over in the United States played Fantasy Football in 2019.

The game is one of strategy. You have to strategize what you do in drafts, on waivers, trades, and in weekly lineup management. Each week, you set your lineup with the players you think will score the most Fantasy points and give you the best chance to win in that given week. As we have passed the midway point of the 2020 NFL season, the COVID-19 pandemic has affected games all around the league. A few players on each team have tested positive at some point during the season, which caused some games to be postponed. This affected Fantasy Football because Fantasy managers with players in postponed games needed to adjust how they managed their roster for that given week. In week 4, for instance, over twenty Tennessee Titans players tested positive for COVID-19. The virus spread to approximately one third of the players on the team. The NFL postponed the Titans matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers, so any players on the Titans or the Steelers would not score any fantasy points in week 4. Titans star running back Derrick Henry, a top five pick in many Fantasy drafts this year, was now unable to play because of the postponement of the game. That left a lot of Henrys’ Fantasy managers in a panic. The same was true for managers with the top-ranked Steelers defense. Fantasy managers had to pick up a player or a defense off of the waivers to fill in for their roster in week 4.

Most fantasy managers know that having depth at the running back and wide receiver position is important, but not all managers actually value depth.

Some Fantasy managers like to trade

Photo Courtesy of ESPN two or three valuable backup players for a bonafide star at a specific position of need. While you might consider the bonafide starter the right deal to make, this year depth is more important than ever.

If a fantasy manager traded multiple players of their depth, who could be valuable starters in a given week for a star player like Derrick Henry, that team most likely felt the loss of not having depth in week 4.

One of the most important things to have in this fantasy football season are handcuffs. Handcuffs are backup players to the starter players on each NFL team. For example, Carolina Panthers superstar running back Christian McCaffrey has missed most of the season so far due to multiple injuries. McCaffrey was the first overall pick in most fantasy drafts this season so it is a huge loss for fantasy managers who did not have a backup plan. The Panthers backup running back Mike Davis has performed well in McCaffrey’s absence. Fantasy teams that were able to have Davis as a handcuff to McCaffrey should still be in a good position to win, since Mike Davis has been a top 15 running back in all scoring formats this season. Fantasy managers who did not plan ahead and pick Davis up or draft him ahead of time, could be suffering because of it. Handcuffs are also important this season if a player is put on the inactive list due to a positive COVID-19 test.

It is well worth it to pick up a handcuff to make sure you have a backup plan in case one of your star players gets hurt or is unavailable to play due to COVID-19.

As we move to the final stretch of the season, depth is crucial this year for success in Fantasy Football. You never know when a game that your star player is playing in could be postponed, cancelled, or your player will be out of the lineup.

Issue #1 January 2021

The NBA Bubble

By Jonny Hamburger ‘22

On March 11th, 2020, the world began to quickly shut down. The NBA announced that their season would be suspended for at least 30 days. Utah Jazz Center Rudy Gobert was the first player to test positive for COVID-19 prior to his game that night. The NBA had been tracking COVID-19 closely, so they knew once one player tested positive they needed to suspend the entire league right away.

When the NBA season was suspended in March, it was about 80% complete as most teams had already played 65 games out of 82. The NBA decided that they were going to skip right to the playoffs as they began searching for a place to hold their bubble. They narrowed it down to 3 locations: Disney World, Las Vegas and IMG Academy. The NBA ended up deciding to finish the season at Disney World in Orlando. While the playoff bubble was a huge, $190 million dollar investment for the NBA, it turned out to be a great success. Twenty-two teams were invited to finish out the season (the top 16 teams in the Eastern and Western conferences, plus six more teams within six games of eighth place in the two conferences). The players arrived on the week of July 7th and the real games started on July 30th.

The Players’ Association spent a long period of time preparing for the NBA Bubble. They wanted to be sure that the Bubble would be a safe environment for all the players and coaches. They sent a 113-page health and safety manual to players based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). When the players first arrived on campus, they had to stay isolated until they received two negative COVID-19 tests at least 24 hours apart. Players were assigned to stay in the same hotels as their teams. There were 3 hotels: The Gran Destino, The Grand Floridian and The Yacht Club.

The teams with the best records got the privilege of staying at the Grand Destino, which was just built in 2018. While the players were in quarantine, they were delivered meals and given Amazon Fire TV sticks and gaming consoles.

There were many other rules that were set in the NBA Bubble. When players were not playing basketball, they were expected to maintain social distancing at all times and wear a face mask. The NBA’s commissioner Adam Silver was very convinced that the NBA’s campus at Disney was way safer than being anywhere else off campus. Silver really stuck to his word as the NBA Bubble could be the most successful Coronavirus success story. All of the games ran very smooth-

ly and the players said that they felt safe and they had enough entertainment.

The one complaint that most players had was that they really missed being with their families. The NBA decided that each team that made it to the 2nd round of the playoffs would be allowed to invite guests. Players’ families were allowed into the Bubble starting on August 24th. Each player was allowed to invite up to 4 family members and those family members would need to follow the same quarantine procedures and also follow the same rules after quarantine. The players could not see their family members until they were out of quarantine but there were some great videos of players seeing their families for the first time in over a month.

As the playoffs went on, there were eventually only 4 teams left: Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Lakers. The Miami Heat went on to beat the Celtics in 6 games with Miami winning 4 games and Boston winning 2. The Heat performed very well in the Bubble and not many thought they would make it to the Finals. On the other side, the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Denver Nuggets in only 5 games. This was not a huge surprise that the Lakers were in the finals as they came into the playoffs as the favorite. In the Finals, Lebron James and Anthony Davis got out to a hot start and the Lakers won the first 2 games. Jimmy Butler on the Heat played his heart out each and every game against the Lakers, but the Heat ultimately fell short in Game 6. The Lakers went on to win their 17th NBA Finals in a crazy 2020 season. Lebron James became the first NBA player to win a championship with 3 different teams and he also was the 2020 Finals MVP. After the game, Lebron said “‘I want my damn respect.”

This was a huge championship for him as the 2020 season was like no other.

The NBA bubble was the real MVP of the 2020 season. The Bubble was a great success as there were zero COVID-19 outbreaks in the 3 months while the Bubble was active. The Bubble system was a proven model as it was also used by the National Hockey League (NHL) in Canada. The NHL set up a bubble for their playoffs, similar to the NBA, and they had 0 COVID-19 outbreaks. Unlike the NBA and NHL, the MLB tried to complete their playoffs without a Bubble and they had numerous COVID-19 outbreaks. The NBA Bubble showed that sports are possible in 2020, but they must be played in a controlled environment.

Covid-19 and the NFL

By Alex Manko ‘21

The COVID-19 pandemic has marched through the world at a devastating rate. Despite the tragedy, the National Football League has gotten through over half of a season, which was entirely unexpected. How did they pull it off?

Prior to the season, the NFL and NFL Players’ Association put together a collection of rules and standards to ensure that all NFL players and workers would be as safe as possible when the season began. First, they created an incredibly advanced and impressive testing system in order to find those with the virus and allow them to

isolate to stop the transmission of the virus. They divided the entire NFL into three sections: “Players and essential football personnel” are section 1, “essential personnel” who are less associated with the players are section 2, and people that “perform essential facility, stadium or event services” are section 3 (NFL/NFLPA COVID Agreement).

Sections 1 and 2 people are tested every day with players needing a negative result the day before a game in order to participate. Section 3 people are tested less frequently, around once a week.

Continued on page 15 Photo Courtesy of Disguise

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Sports/Politics

A Blind Brook High School Student Publication

By Melina Kohilakis ‘23

Issue #1 January 2021

BB Soccer in the Midst of a Pandemic

During such uncertain times for all aspects of life, student athletes were unsure if they were going to be able to have a fall sports season. The Blind Brook High School Girls and Boys Varsity soccer teams were fortunate enough to have a season, with a slight twist. Fall sports were to begin much later than previous years.

Teams faced many difficulties with playing under these circumstances. For example, some teams were unsure whether their scheduled game for next week will occur because the other team may have to quarantine! The Blind Brook teams were definitely thrown some curveballs, but in the end, it was a memorable season. Blind Brook Girls Varsity soccer captain, Brynn Korpi, felt as though the season went really well. The girls team advanced to the quarterfinals where they lost to Pleasantville after double overtime in penalty kicks. Korpi said, “We ended on such a good note although I wish we had won against Pleasantville, I don’t think we could have played better than we did.”

The varsity girls soccer team played various schools in the South Western Small School Section 1 roster. The captain also said, “the team did a really good job of taking what we learned in practice to the field for games. In addition, we always worked really hard and were always im-

proving.” For the girls soccer team it took a little bit of time for everyone to get adjusted to having to play in masks. Though these circumstances provided many challenges, the team was just happy to get this opportunity to play all together during these hard times. The Blind Brook Boys Varsity soccer team also reflected on their experiences’ from this season. The team had four captains: Andrew Lynch, Jesse Zimmerman, Justin Schuster, and Gabe Steinart. Andrew Lynch felt that their first few games everyone came out of the gates really strong. Lynch said, “Although the record displayed a rough season, I couldn’t be more proud of the team. Every game I saw kids giving their all on the field.” The captain felt as though the team needed to finish the countless opportunities they were creating for themselves in order to improve the game. Each game that the boys went into was a clear fifty-fifty battle.

As all high school soccer athletes adapted to the circumstances of playing with masks, several things were revealed. This included an amount of conditioning with masks and the ability to run with masks.

Lynch was surprised by how well the team managed the whole situation of playing with masks and thinks the team’s gratitude played a huge factor in that. Justin Schuster was one of the Boys Varsity soc-

Photo Courtesy of Erin Locascio

Have something to say?

Photo Courtesy of Erin Locascio cer captains and goalie for the team. After four straight cancellations, Schuster felt it was very difficult for the team to bounce back. Reflecting on the season, Schuster said “I know that Andrew, Gabe, Jesse, and I stepped off the field Monday with zero regrets. We gave it all we got. We’ve played together for over ten years and the overflow of emotions in that moment just made me reflect, and I can confidently say I wouldn’t trade a second that I had playing with them and the other guys on the team.” He felt the team could have improved on scoring and if they had scored a few more goals toward the end of the season that they might have been looking at a championship. Though the season did not go the way they all planned, they came together given the current situation and built strong relationships with each other. Schuster also said “The uncertainty felt among the seniors prior to the school year considering we may not have been given the chance to have a season was honestly really nerve-racking. Hearing the news we were set to begin September 29 was music to our ears.” Both the Boys and Girls Varsity soccer teams were grateful for the opportunity to have had a season despite the immediate presence of the pandemic, and the seniors are forever appreciative for making this last ride possible.

Local Politicians: George Latimer Continued from page 12 statewide race. But a statewide race is humungous, it is expensive, you have to have a lot of hubris to pull it off. We will just see what happens at the end of my second term.”

Covid-19 and the NFL Continued from page 14 All of the NFL workers’ have rapid COVID-19 testing, with lab tests being for teams with COVID suspected, and antibody tests available if requested. This system is obviously very advanced and intricut, but what happens if somebody tests positive for COVID-19? Players without symptoms must spend 10 days away from the team or have two negative results a day apart. Players with symptoms must spend 10 days away from when symptoms started and must be symptom-free for at least one day. So far, 95 NFL players have tested positive, along with almost 200 other workers (Chicago Tribune). Despite these alarming numbers, teams have acted appropriately to ensure that the transmission of the virus within a team is low, which has allowed the season to continue on.

As for fans, there are extremely strict rules that must be obeyed in order to allow them to go to games (NFL Fan Gameday Playbook). There is social distancing from fan-to-fan and fan-to-player. Additionally, there is a mask requirement in order to slow the spread of COVID-19. Like in Blind Brook, there are one-way paths in order to ensure social distancing.

As of Week 11 of the 2020 NFL Season, things have been running relatively smooth with regards to COVID-19, and these rules have clearly been effective.

In order for the season to continue safely, all players, workers, and fans of the NFL must continue to take the pandemic seriously and prioritize health over gameplay.

Anything else you would like to share with the readers at Blind Brook?

“You have to have an ego in the world, but you can’t be arrogant and we have seen four years of that in the Executive branch. My attitude is one of gratitude and I hope I can continue this job and finalize some of the achievements and then have a sense that it all matters.”

Photo Courtesy of Corey Sipskin / Shutterstock

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