draft

A Blind Brook High School Student Publication

Sam Savitt Named Regeneron Scholar

Business is Booming

By Danielle Cappelli ‘22

Photo Courtesy of Aquinas College

Business is booming in the DECA Club! DECA is a club at Blind Brook High School that helps students learn about finance, marketing, hospitality, and business management.

Each year there are role play events, an exam, and an online business simula-

tion that the club members participate in

There is also an award ceremony at the end of the main role play competition. Each category has first, second, third, fourth, and fifth place winners. Participants also get a grade on how well they did when presenting to the judge, as well as the exam that they must take beforehand to qualify.

Last year, the competition that Blind Brook DECA participated in was at Rockland Community College. For the role play event, each member chooses what category they would like to compete in. They receive a prompt, along with their role in a certain business situation, and the certain points they need to hit while talking. Ten minutes are allotted to take notes on the prompt, and the time

Continued on page 2

Photo Courtesy of Natalie Steinberg

Issue #2 February 2021

By Jennifer McKay ‘22

Blind Brook’s very own, Sam Savitt, was recently named a Regeneron Scholar. The Regeneron Science Talent Search (Regeneron STS) is best explained by school science research teacher Dr. Sugantino. She notes that, “The Regeneron Science Talent Search, a program of Society for Science & the Public, is the nation’s most prestigious science and math competition for high school seniors.” This explains the community’s great excitement when Savitt was awarded the title. He was chosen to be in the top 300 scholars out of a staggering 1,760 students! On top of that, these students were from 611 high schools in 10 countries. Explaining just how prestigious this honor is, Sugantino says, “Alumni of STS have made extraordinary contributions to science and hold more than 100 of the world’s most distinguished science and math honors, including the Nobel Prize and the National Medal of Science.”

It is no secret that Sam Savitt is passionate about his field. Savitt explains his fascination with airplanes, stating, “I’ve been obsessed with airplanes since I was ten. There was this flight simulator that I had on my computer, and the thought that I could be the one making flight happen was just the coolest thing.

I spent countless hours on youtube and online, learning the ins and outs of flying, and further exploring the world of aviation, and I haven’t looked back since.” His interest in airplanes is what influenced him to study structural health monitoring and condition-based maintenance of bearings, using vibration data loggers for rotorcraft applications. His main intention was to make maintenance systems for airplanes and helicopters more efficient. Rather than checking and replacing a certain aircraft part based on time, Savitt worked on creating a sensing system that could monitor the condition of that part and alert aircraft operators when it would fail. He outlined his research by saying, “I tested sensors in both the lab (2 summers ago) and in an actual airplane (this past summer) to prove that the sensors and overall system was effective.” Ultimately, his project is the most cost effective and safe approach to maintenance, as it maximizes parts’ life without jeopardizing the safety of passengers.

Features

Viewpoints

Health and Science

Politics

One of Blind Brook’s very own has won a prestigious award.

See student opinions on topics varying from cancel culture and music streaming services.

Catch up on the latest in covid news and Biden’s climate plan.

It’s 2021, and much has changed in the political world.

Photo Courtesy of Sam Savitt

Although Savitt’s research came by his own merits, he worked with his mentors, Mr. Attila Lengyel and Mr. Rob Parent, through the Blind Brook science research program. Savitt lays out his experience with Blind Brook’s program, claiming “My experience with Doc (Dr. Sugantino) and the science research program as a whole has been great. Doc truly cares about helping us pursue our passions in science and preparing us to pursue science in the real world, as researchers, communicators, and presenters. My classmates are all super talented as well, and getting to work with them has been humbling and they have pushed me to do my best work. The science research program is a tough one for sure, as it’s time consuming and requires serious dedication, but it’s opened up a world of possibilities I never thought could be possible in high school, and I’m so grateful to have had the experience.” It is evident that Sam Savitt is very passionate about aviation and science, and that his experience has helped prepare him for his future. The Blind Brook community will continue to cheer on Sam when he advances to the next level, where he is now eligible to be selected as one of the top 40 Finalists in the program!

Inside Focus...

Features.......................................1 News............................................3 Viewpoints..................................5 Arts and Entertainment............7 Health and Science..................10 Politics.......................................13 Sports.........................................15 1

Features

A Blind Brook High School Student Publication

Issue #2 February 2021

Blind Brook School Construction

By Johnny Hamburger ‘22

As many people in the community already know, in October of 2017, the Blind Brook school district passed a 44 million dollar bond. The money in the bond was going to be used to change many parts of the Ridge Street Elementary School, as well as an addition to Blind Brook High School. The largest part of the construction is a new building to replace the Butler Building at Ridge Street Elementary School.

The Butler Building that is being replaced was due to be knocked down, considering it was built in 1960. Typically, metal buildings have an average lifespan of 20-30 years. The Butler Building at the

Photo Courtesy of Mary O’Neil

aspect of the construction includes redesigning the bus circle and parking lot.

The new parking lot will have a school bus loop for the arrival and dismissal of students, which will separate the school buses from individual vehicles.

Phase one of construction was planned to start in the summer of 2019, and would include starting the replacement of the Butler Building and renovation in other parts of the Elementary School. Phase two of the construction was planned to start a year later in the summer

Photo Courtesy of Mary O’Neil

ementary School is complete, there will be tons of new useful features. The plans include adding a two story building with ten classrooms, a cafetorium (combined cafeteria and auditorium), a new kitchen, and even a new courtyard. The new

Photo Courtesy of Mary O’Neil Elementary School was over 50 years old before being torn down. Simply renovating the building was not seen as a real consideration because the district wanted to expand upon what was already in the building. The new building will replace outdated smaller classrooms with new and flexible learning spaces to meet the current needs of the twenty-first century.

Once the construction at the El-

Photo Courtesy of Mary O’Neil cafetorium will be where students eat lunch, but there will be retractable seating for up to 350 people for events and assemblies. This new addition will allow the school and community to offer many programming opportunities. Another

Photo Courtesy of Mary O’Neil of 2020, which includes other renovations and infrastructure. Originally, all work was supposed to be completed by August 2020, but similar to many other construction projects, delays are very common.

Last summer, the date of completion was moved to January 2021. Although it is now past January 2021, the timeline for completion of the Elementary School is still very uncertain. In order to get back on track, the construction management team must form a new schedule to stay on pace.

Although the Elementary School construction has had many delays with no predictable completion date, the construction at Blind Brook Middle/High School is nearly complete. Part of the bond that the district passed three years ago included the addition of a Fabrication Lab, or “Fab Lab”, for middle and high school students to use. The Fab Lab will allow Blind Brook to expand upon their STEAM cur-

Photo Courtesy of Mary O’Neil

riculum, but also their humanities work as well. Students will be able to create new ideas and explore different features of the new Fab Lab. One new course that will be held in one of the Fab Lab classrooms is Entrepreneurship. In this course, students will use their creativity and create solutions by designing new ideas like true entrepreneurs. The Fab Lab is an innovative new facility, and once it is done, students will definitely enjoy what it has to offer.

Despite the delays, the construction in the Blind Brook School district will vastly improve the district’s facilities in many areas. The elementary school will have a whole new building with brand new classrooms and courtyard areas. The high school will have a new place for students to use creativity and solve real life problems.

Once these buildings are finally finished, life at Blind Brook will be affected greatly.

Business is Booming Continued from page 1

with the judge is about five to ten minutes.

When presenting, participants are alone with the judge, and not in front of a large group of people. Most members from last year’s competition won awards, and Blind Brook DECA even qualified for states.

This year, the club is running a little different due to the pandemic, but that is not stopping Blind Brook DECA from participating in important events. They actively hold online meetings and take every opportunity to partake in virtual events.

The club members still took the cluster exams, as they were planning to hold a virtual competition this year. They were to submit a video of their role play as a YouTube video link, and have the judges

review it. Unfortunately, this part of the competition was suddenly cancelled, because the role plays were complicated to hold virtually. Thus, the competition was based only on the cluster exam scores. Although this was disheartening to its members, Blind Brook DECA is still getting involved with other engaging activities.

Junior Treasurer Carly Mallah explains, “I think [DECA] is a really good opportunity to see how different businesses work and there are a lot of fun competitions and simulations that we do.” In addition to the exams and role play events, DECA members can also still participate in a simulation where the participants run their own business. They can run

restaurants, hotels, stadiums, and more.

DECA has partnered up with Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM), to organize the FIDM Entrepreneur of Tomorrow challenge.

The Blind Brook DECA Club encouraged its members to participate in this challenge, because it would teach them the fundamentals of entrepreneurship.

The participants were to design their own product and explain it in a four minute YouTube video. In the video they had to explain how it works, their target market for that product, pricing, and other important business aspects.

Second year member of the club, Jennifer McKay, participated in the

FIDM challenge. She worked with two other Blind Brook students, Kelly Ma and Danielle Cappelli. The young entrepreneur explains, “My group is working on a business called Sustainable Stitches. We upcycle plastic bags into fashionable accessories.” McKay says that this is a great opportunity to not only help the environment, but to help people develop their sense of style along the way!

McKay expresses that “FIDM is a great way to prepare students for future entrepreneurship, and get creative as well.”

The DECA club as a whole has proved to be a great way for students to get involved in the business world in creative ways.

2

News

A Blind Brook High School Student Publication

Issue #2 February 2021

Life in a Day

‘Life in a Day, 2020” premiered on Youtube in early February. It’s an hour-and-a-half-long compilation of clips filmed by people all over the world, on the same day: July 25, 2020. As a sequel to Life in a Day, a similar project produced by the same director in 2010, the content for the 2020 film is almost entirely crowdsourced. Over 324,000 people submitted thousands of hours of footage. In the film, you’ll see them: laughing, crying, sharing their joys and fears. In between weddings and funerals, there are moments of simple peace. People wake up, brush their teeth, and get ready for the day. Each scene is a window into the life of one in seven billion.

I think “Life in a Day, 2020” is meant to be a time capsule: a piece of 2020 that will be preserved for future generations to learn from. Amidst the chaos of the past year, the film is a tribute to solidarity and resilience of humankind, and a celebration of the human experience.

What struck me most were the references back to the original 2010 documentary. We saw how things changed for the individuals in it, over the past ten years. A mother’s son passed away. A father got remarried. The nature of time was expressed in individual terms, within the context of larger societal changes.

We tend to brush over the individual in news headlines. Covid cases number in the millions, political issues have effects on an international scale, and even construction at the school is spoken about in terms of the community. This isn’t a bad thing. In fact, it’s a necessary way to transfer important information about the world. Sometimes, though, it’s worth looking at individual perspectives and individual days. It helps us slow down and appreciate our place in the world.

In high school, there is a tendency to lose yourself in the monotony of life.

Each day passes: Sitting through classes,

staying up late doing homework, studying for chemistry, submitting Focus articles before the deadline.. But as my time as a Blind Brook student comes to an end, I look back fondly on each day. I hope that by the time we leave here, each of us will be satisfied about how we have spent our years at this school. I know some of us can’t wait to get out, explore the world, and break free of the bubble we’re in. But until then, I hope we can remember to look around and notice how special it is just to be alive, as a human in this world.

Chloe Ng Editor-in-Chief

Former Blind Brook Student Named Communications Director

By Jennifer McKay ‘22

Photo Courtesy of Justin Schuster

Former Blind Brook student and Focus writer Seth Schuster (Class of 2016) was named the Regional Communications Director for the White House under the Biden administration.

This title is a very prestigious one in Washington! Schuster is just one of President Joe Biden’s many senior staff members. He is responsible for developing and promoting the agenda of the president as well as leading his media campaign.

Social media is becoming more and more pertinent in today’s political climate, and the communications office is effectively adapting to utilize the Internet.

More specifically, social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter are utilized in order to reach out and convey the president’s vision to the public. Schuster also has to develop communications strategies in order to promote the president’s agenda through all media outlets. Some of which include: the

State of the Union address, televised press conferences, statements to the press, and radio addresses.

Seth Schuster’s younger brother, Blind Brook senior Justin Schuster, is overjoyed with his brother’s accomplishments. He proudly states, “Seth getting this job is really incredible. He’s only 22 and it seems he’s doing something so many could only imagine doing. His commitment is an example of what I strive to accomplish, and because of that, he’s a great role model, and I couldn’t be more proud of him.”

This commitment, described by Justin, is a testament to Schuster’s work ethic and passion for helping those who can not help themselves. Seth Schuster is very pleased with his new job.

He said, “It’s a tremendous honor to serve the Biden-Harris administration. I’ve spent more than a year and a half working for President Biden in some capacity -starting as an intern- and each day has been exceedingly more rewarding than the last. The days are long and hectic, but it gives me pride to know that I am serving something bigger than myself.” Schuster finds the most joy in knowing that he is positively impacting those who might not always have an opportunity to be heard.

The communications director is appointed by and serves at the pleasure of the president without the need for United States Senate confirmation. It is no question that Schuster has a special bond with Biden.

He concluded with, “The last thing I’ll say is that being appointed to this job is a culmination of the last four years of my life. In December 2016, my dad was diagnosed with glioblastoma- the same

terminal brain cancer that killed President Biden’s son Beau. Since that time, I’ve felt I’ve had a unique connection to Mr. Biden that has

helped give me a purpose and a drive.”

The Blind Brook community will continue to cheer Schuster on through this thrilling time in his life!

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

News

A Blind Brook High School Student Publication

Issue #2 February 2021

Chaos at the Capital

By Zoey Possick ‘24

Photo Courtesy of CNN

What started as a rally to prevent the certification of the 2020 election results turned into a storming of the Capitol Building. For many weeks

inside the private offices of the Capitol. The National Guard arrived approximately five hours after the riots began, and were able to secure the

Photo Courtesy of WBEZ Chicago

prior to January 6, 2021, the day of the riots, President Trump was urging his supporters to go to Washington and put a stop to the certification of the election results. Supporters were at first peaceful, but began to show force as they harassed officers and eventually breached the buildings’ outer perimeter. Officers were forced further and further towards the Senate chamber, and the gap between the rioters and senators closed rapidly.

At around 2:00 PM, close to two hours after the riots began, protesters broke into the building and forced their way toward the Senate chamber, where the meeting for President Elect Biden’s certification was in progress. Members of Congress had to shelter in place while the riots continued within and outside the Capitol. As the hours progressed, the rioters became increasingly violent, beating officers and setting foot

Capitol. The members of Congress continued President Elect Biden’s certification, and officially certified him at 3:40 A.M. the next morning.

Following the riots, a citywide curfew was put in place from 6:00 P.M. until 6:00 A.M the following day. To ensure the safety of those inside the Capitol, mayor Muriel E. Bowser issued an order extending the city’s public state of emergency for 15 days. He warned that extremist supporters in favor of President Trump would likely return to the Capitol, especially because President Elect Biden’s inauguration was close to follow in the coming weeks.

Due to the day’s events, companies including Twitter and Facebook permanently suspended the President’s accounts in order to prevent future violence. Additionally, Twitter removed President Trump’s tweets, which repeated his false claims of election fraud and expressed sympathy and appraisal for his followers who had forced their way into the Capitol. Many senators have since recognized that the violence occurring that Wednesday was incited by the President. President Trump’s actions have led to a call for his impeachment, just fourteen days before President Elect Biden’s inauguration.

Photo Courtesy of BBC News

Photo Courtesy of John Minchillo/AP Photo

4

Viewpoints

A Blind Brook High School Student Publication

Spotify Is Better Than Apple Music

By Julia Zislis ‘22

Apple Music Is Better Than Spotify

By Emma Kron ‘22

Photo Courtesy of RespectMag

Spotify has been considered such an amazing streaming service for years now, but now more than ever Spotify has gained immense popularity. How? There are numerous reasons as to why Spotify has become this popular of a platform, and these reasons are listed below!

Being an avid Spotify user, I can tell you that Spotify’s app design and software is very user-friendly and easy to navigate. Their streaming and music sharing capabilities have been broadened significantly over the past few years, and it has made Spotify that much more popular! Being able to stream my music throughout the house, in the car, and even on my television has been very helpful and extremely effortless. It takes a lot of stress off of me and other users out there since they don’t have to worry about their music or technologica; capabilities with the devices they are trying to connect to.

Something also extremely popular with Spotify is their curated playlists. Spotify pays attention to the music genres and specific songs you listen to, and later updates specific playlists that are considered your “Top Picks.” I can 100% say that if you are not the playlist-making type yourself, this feature is very much up your alley! You don’t have to take the extra time to create a series of songs you enjoy since it would have already been done for you! Now all you have to do is open the app and play the selected playlist made particularly for you!

These playlists are amazing as is, but an additional feature that Spotify creates for their users is the ability to download songs and playlists. For years I would struggle in places without any internet connection, and would thus be unable to play my songs for me or others. With this downloadable functionality, Spotify users are able to play their music whenever they want, wherever they want, without needing any sort of wifi connection or cellular service. It is something that is so helpful for all of these users since the couple minutes spent using Wifi to download these songs are spent over the course of months, even years, listening without

any concern regarding connection difficulties. Wifi can often have it’s glitches and sets of technical problems, so this feature is a MUST for streaming services.

The final and by far the most beneficial aspect of Spotify in of itself is that any interested user can listen for no cost at all! Most streaming services require subscriptions after short trials, but Spotify is one that is unique to the majority. With the cost of occasional advertisements between songs, the public can listen to millions of songs for free!

This is so amazing to those that don’t feel it’s necessary to pay to listen to music, and is for sure an amazing factor that makes Spotify stand out from the rest!

For the reasons listed above, I believe that Spotify is such a unique platform that truly caters to the needs of their audience and because of that, I am someone who will continue to use spotify as my regular service. Has this made you change your mind on where you plan on listening to music?? If so, download Spotify today, you will not regret it!

Photo Courtesy of Rachel Wallenstein

Issue #2 February 2021

Photo Courtesy of Macworld

Music is an extremely important form of communication, expression, and connection for people all over the world.

It is a driving force in our society, and has developed along with us. It’s no secret that music never fails to create a positive environment, and provide an escape for people from the world around them. Surrounded by darkness or sadness, music is where we all come together, and forget about our differences. No matter the genre, the message, or the artist, music is a unifying force in our world. Different people can connect through music, and learn more about each other, and themselves.

Staying connected through music is made possible and easy through Apple Music.

Apple Music is a great platform for music lovers to listen to their favorite songs, albums, artists, and more. Apple Music is not only extremely beneficial to the individual, but for families as well.

Groups of people can sign up for Apple Music accounts under a family plan, allowing them to access each others’ music, playlists, downloads, and more. The family plan is more cost effective, and practical for people who would want to share their music. Sharing music with people under different family plans, though, is quite simple. With an Apple Music account, you can share playlists or songs to your friends, and download theirs into your library.

You can follow each other, and stay connected and up to date with recent activity.

One of the greatest things about a large platform like Apple Music, is the large variety of what it has to offer. Not only are there songs for people to listen to, download, and add to their library, but there are radio stations, movies, and TV shows that are available to download.

There is a large amount of different radio stations available: local and international

broadcasters, stations recommended for you, and genres ranging from metal, to classical, to electronic, to holiday music.

Apple Music listeners are also able to access live radio hosted by radio hosts, or artists themselves. Interviews of your favorite artists can also be found under this area.

Another great thing about Apple Music is that there are generated options as well. Apple Music listeners are not limited to their keyboard and their search bar, there are automated playlists created by the app itself to cater to everyone’s individual needs. Generated playlists are a great way to step out of your comfort zone and introduce yourself to something new. Some generated playlists are more general: “chill”, “wake up”, and “new music”. A very popular general playlist is a playlist containing music from the Apple Music Awards. Very famous artists that performed at the awards will have their songs on this playlist, and people who enjoyed the awards could experience the songs all over again. Other playlists are more unique, like “favorite songs”, or “recently played songs’’. There are dozens of different playlists to choose from if you don’t want to make your own. For example, “favorites mix”, your “personal station”, “featuring artists you like”, and “popular music”. When viewing the library of songs you download, there is a customizable list of things at the top of your screen that could make your experience easier. If you find yourself constantly going to your playlists, you can make it so that it is one click away. Getting rid of unnecessary items like your genres of music, can lead to an easier experience and a quicker way to access what you need. Music also strongly represents time periods in peoples’ lives, and can serve as a form of nostalgia. Looking back on previous time periods through music is an incredible way to stay in touch with your past self, and past emotions. Apple Music has “replay” playlists from each year, containing the top songs you listened to in that year.

Who knows, those songs from 2015 could become your favorite songs all over again!

The top 100 wrapped is also a way to reflect on your old music taste, throughout the past year. Every December, Apple Music listeners can look forward to receiving their year wrapped, and seeing which artists they spent the most time listening to, and which songs got the most plays that year. People enjoy sharing their results with friends and family, and seeing what they can find in common.

Apple Music is incredibly useful in many ways and is a reliable tool to use in order to stay in touch with yourself and others through the love we all share for music.

Damaged Democracy Continued from page 6 was rewarded with a promotion and the opportunity to escort Vice President Harris at the Inauguration. Despite all the madness and chaos of this month, it was relieving to see that certain heroes were recognized. Social media and internet users worldwide are praising Goodman for his courage and dedication to the safety of American politicians and citizens.

While these rioters luckily did

not succeed in their endeavors, they have caused significant damage and posed as a direct threat to American democracy.

The United States of America is to serve as a symbol of democracy and spread the message of “liberty, peace, and justice for all”. The Capitol Riot on January 6th shows once again to countries across the world that corruption, chaos, and distrust are present in this ‘exemplary’ government.

Photo Courtesy of Deutsche Welle

5

Viewpoints

A Blind Brook High School Student Publication

Issue #2 February 2021

Damaged Democracy

By Katelyn Faustino ‘22

election fraud, Trump says: “A great report by Peter. Statistically impossible to have lost the 2020 Election. Big protest in D.C. on January 6th. Be there, will be wild!” These tweets and his refusal to concede are being thoroughly considered as threats to democracy. Politicians and experts argue that he has committed treason and should be impeached un-

in history, the Capitol building has since been used to host the traditional Inauguration for the 46th President of the United States. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were sworn in as the President and Vice President and kicked off executive orders within the first few hours. Biden acknowledges the riot’s effects but reassures citizens that unity is present, saying “now,

Photo Courtesy of Mother Jones

The United States Capitol, otherwise known as the Capitol Building, is where Congress meets to write the laws of our nation, and where Presidents are inaugurated and deliver their annual State of the Union messages.

On January 6th 2021, this building suffered an attack where rioters vandalized the building, invaded rooms, and threatened the safety of Congressmembers. What happened was terrifying and outrageous, but not all that surprising.

It was in essence a culmination of anger that built up among ProTrump mobs and was finally released with an act of domestic terrorism. Many rioters believed the election results were unfair, despite The Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Judicial Courts, and Election Officials all explaining there was no evidence of voter fraud or corruption. Not to mention re-

By Jenna Kamin ‘22

counts that occured in states like Georgia and Wisconsin which only further confirmed the results. January 6th was the day that the electoral votes would be counted and Biden was to be confirmed President-elect. It is clear that these terrorists, as well as Donald Trump himself, did not want that moment to come.

This day was disappointing but may not have come as a surprise for American citizens, especially if they had come across Trump’s twitter account. In the coming weeks before the electoral count Trump has been inciting this behavior and promoting a protest in Washington D.C. Some tweets include, “....

Republican Senators have to get tougher, or you won’t have a Republican Party anymore. We won the Presidential Election, by a lot. FIGHT FOR IT. Don’t let them take it away!” posted on Dec. 18. If this wasn’t direct enough, the next day in a tweet praising Peter Navarro who alleged

Photo Courtesy of Politico der Title 18, Chapter 115, Section 2383 of the United States Code. This section about rebellion and insurrection states “Whoever incites, sets on foot, assists, or engages in any rebellion or insurrection against the authority of the United States or the laws thereof, or gives aid or comfort thereto, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both; and shall be incapable of holding any office under the United States”. This is not the first time Trump has been put up for impeachment but it will be the last.

In the time between that sixth day of the new year which will go down

on this hallowed ground where just days ago violence sought to shake this Capitol’s very foundation, we come together as one nation, under God, indivisible, to carry out the peaceful transfer of power as we have for more than two centuries.”

Another acknowledgement during the inauguration was given to Eugene Goodman, a Capitol Police Officer who was crucial in facilitating safety.

During the insurrection he diverted a mob of rioters and led them away from the Senate Chamber. This brave officer

Continued on page 5

An End To Cancel Culture

Over the past decade, society has developed a new idea: cancelling someone. Cancelling somebody means to dismiss them for an action they took and to stop supporting the person for good. Being politically correct and a role model for others has become increasingly important for all people, especially celebrities. Social media has been around for over a decade and now posts from celebrities past are coming back to bite them.

This is seen with many popular artists and actresses posts on twitter resurfacing years later, but this does not only apply to celebrities. Anybody who is found to make any sort of convertsial or offense post can be “cancelled” to some extent.

It is evident that social media was the reason for this new concept. As people say, what you post online stays on the internet forever. There is no going back after pressing send. Should posting something on the internet demonstrate who one is as a person forever? The direction our society is heading in with teaching everyone the correct political terms is very good, and it should be taught to

children everywhere how important being careful about what you post on social media is, and how much one’s words matter. But then again, if there is a mistake, should it risk one’s whole future?

What is the point you may ask?

Researchers have said that cancelling someone for their actions brings people together. It creates a sense of unity that society will no longer stand for a certain kind of behavior. Feeling like you’ve shown people the new standard can be powerful.

Our world is so politically divided that cancelling people, in an odd sense, brings everyone together. The problem with cancel culture is the toxic society that it has created. Cancel culture has completely taken away the opportunity for people to grow and learn from their mistakes.

There is no longer room for mistakes. For children, it seems very severe to permanently punish them for a mistake made while young, children should be allowed to make mistakes. Yes, some punishments should be more severe than others, but it should not be an universal punishment for everyone. Taking away the chance to prove you are a better person leaves no room for self improvement. Isn’t that what growing up is all about? The chance for kids to make mistakes and learn from them.

Naturally, celebrities are held at a higher standard. Many celebrities who have faced being cancelled are older. They have had time to grow and learn for their mistakes. But, for celebrities and even adults who have never faced any controversy before, why should their whole career be over in one day? When

we read some of the career ending tweets or posts, they can be very harsh and offensive. But, like I said, being politically correct was never as prevalent as it is today. People were more offensive, but there was never any cancelling or standards. Even in the early 2000’s society’s standards were completely different. It is similar to how we learn about the awful things that happened or were said in history. So many things that we look at today as socially unacceptable were deemed as normal back then. It is very crazy and unsettling to think about, but it shows that just like people, our society has made immense progress. People should defiendly

be held accountable for their actions, but it is very ruthless to rid them of a second chance. We now have society standards, that if you choose to go against, sometimes consequences are a necessity.

This all depends on the situation, certain mistakes should definitely have harsher punishments. And if the mistake is that bad, then sometimes people deserve to be cancelled. We see the excitement cancelling has brought to our society, and how we have to be more careful when distinguishing the difference between letting people accept and apologize verus cancelling. People cannot grow if they never get second chances.

6

Arts and Entertainment

A Blind Brook High School Student Publication

Issue #2 February 2021

Remembering Alex Trebek and the Future of Jeopardy

By Lilly Kleinhandler ‘22

Photo Courtesy of Eric McCandless/ABC

America’s favorite game show… what is Jeopardy!? America’s favorite game show host...who is Alex Trebek?

The original Jeopardy premiered in 1964; however, the game show, as we all know it, with Alex Trebek as its host has been around since 1984. Contestants participate in three rounds of trivia with themes ranging from entertainment and media to history and science. Round one, also known as the Jeopardy round, consists of five clues per each of the six categories. This is followed by Double Jeopardy, where the questions are more difficult and the winnings are more significant. Contestants who finish Double Jeopardy without retaining any money are disqualified from participating in the final round. This round is one question only and contestants take their chance by putting all their

money on the line for the grand prize.

The winner of Final Jeopardy returns to the show the following day until they lose.

The show has aired every weeknight for the past 36 years and is consistently one of the highest-rated shows in syndication across the country.

Throughout his career, Trebek has hosted more than 8,000 episodes. Jeopardy won’t be the same without its longtime host, Alex Trebek, who passed away on November 8, 2020, from stage four Pancreatic Cancer. He was very open about his experiences with this terrible disease and became an advocate for honesty and speaking the truth. In the final months of his life, he made clear that while he may no longer be around, Jeopardy must live on to comfort the nation.

The coronavirus pandemic

wreaked havoc on many regular television programs, including Jeopardy that was required to stop production until it became safe again to film. While on hiatus during the summer, Trebek made it his mission to get it back up and running, and Zoom auditions, set redesigns, and Covid-19 precautions, were instated. Trebek was determined that the game show he began hosting 36 years ago in 1984, would go on and continue to bring joy to trivia buffs and game show fans despite their sadness from his recent passing.

Junior, Emily Thau, says that “Jeopardy is a time when my family sits down and watches together. A year ago, I was able to see the set of Jeopardy and it was very interesting to see what went on behind the scenes.” Trebek’s legacy, one that is intertwined with the beloved show

he hosted, is that of dedication, inspiration, and motivation. In my own home, come 7:00 PM, ABC must be switched on. While I am not as poised to respond quickly to the trivia questions, I always try my best and occasionally find myself correct. It was comforting that each time I turned on the show, not only would the theme song provide me with great comfort, but Alex Trebek did as well. Thau “will remember Alex Trebek by continuing to watch Jeopardy. He was always able to make the players feel comfortable and special. He was also very personable with the contestants and tried to make a connection with them.” Many contestants and members of the production team have described him as a father-figure and will remember him with great admiration.

Alex Trebek embodies the essence that is Jeopardy, one that is irreplaceable. Even though nobody will be Alex Trebek himself, he had always hoped that Good Morning America anchor George Stephanopoulas, CNN’s Laura Coates, Turner Classic Movies host Ben Mankiewicz, Los Angeles Kings announcer Alex Faust, and most of all, the winner of Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time (GOAT) Ken Jennings, would take his place. He has truly stepped up to the plate as interim host.

Personally, I would love to see the other two GOAT contestants, James Holzhauer and Brad Rutter, host a few episodes.

Ultimately though, I believe that Ken Jennings embodies similar characteristics and values of Alex Trebek, and therefore would be the best to uphold his legacy. Due to his 74 game winning streak, Jennings knows all of the ins and outs of the game. He witnessed the greatness of Alex Trebek and was on the receiving end of his kindness and compassion. Even though Trebek was never a contestant on the show, in the Jeopardy hall of fame, he is the true GOAT.

BB’s Digital Music Production Club

By Ryan Campbell ‘22

Photo Courtesy of Ryan Campbell

As a Blind Brook student, there are endless opportunities to get involved in a bounty of different clubs and activities, spanning from business and politics to the arts and world languages. This year, students can join a new club, Digital Music Production, to get the creative juices flowing and to work with others who share a passion for music. Digital Music Production Club currently meets

on alternating Tuesdays and Thursdays to accommodate the two cohorts, however, students at home also have access to a music production platform called Soundtrap to be involved remotely as well.

As club advisor, Mr. Brian Lotze explains, “It’s a place for students who are interested in creating their own music on the computer. It’s a space where they can have an hour once a week to really be able to use all the tools that we have available to create music and … to have me there to answer any questions that they might have. I like to think that I have a lot of knowledge to offer the students, but also we learn together.”

Senior club member Andrew Lynch illustrates his personal experience in the club: “I personally benefited from this club in the sense that I had no clue there were so many kids within Blind Brook who had such a strong interest in music technology. It’s awesome to see the range of kids it brings out. I think there’s a musician within us all. This club’s mission is to bring it out so we can develop our skills further in a community where

kids feel comfortable sharing their music.”

Such a club is of extreme value to Blind Brook students, who, by nature, are extremely academically-driven, facing pressure that can feel mind-numbing at times. A creative outlet to express one-

self is so necessary in creating interesting and holistic people who can contribute the most to society. Mr. Lotze notes how having a more artistically-focused goal

Continued on page 9

Photo Courtesy of Ryan Campbell

7

Arts and Entertainment

A Blind Brook High School Student Publication

Issue #2 February 2021

Fauci Says Fall 2021 For Live Music, Is it Actually Possible?

By Olivia Zahl ‘22

Photo Courtesy of Evan Vucci/AP/Shutterstock

As the vaccines are beginning to roll out and hope for the future increases, one might wonder: when exactly can we go out and enjoy some live music? Well, entertainment executives seem confident that the idea of music festivals seem much more plausible in the next year as major music festivals are releasing their dates for the 2021 music festival season.

The Governors Ball Music Festival is a three-day music festival held on Randalls Island headlined by popular hip hop, pop, indie, and electronic groups.

Last spring was supposed to be GovBall’s 10th Anniversary headlined by Miley Cyrus, Tame Impala, Stevie Nicks, Vampire Weekend, and many more. Recently, GovBall released their dates for 2021 with a soon-to-be-announced new lineup and an additional option for customers to transfer their unused ticket funds from 2020. GovBall chose a late fall date of September 24-26 and they feel confident in their decision. According to a statement on their website, “Given that vaccines are rolling out and many experts predict a return to live music events in the Fall, we are

hopeful.” And Governer’s Ball isn’t the only music festival that is hoping for Fall 2021.

The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, an annual festival traditionally held during the springtime in New Orleans, Louisiana was just rescheduled to October 8 through October 17 for 2021. Also, The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival held in Indio California originally released dates for April 9-18th 2021, but it is likely those dates are moving to the first week in October, according to sources that were interviewed by Rolling Stone magazine.

So the question is: why does Fall 2021 look so promising? On January 9th, the Association of Performing Arts Professionals held a conference with Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Fauci believes that it is all coming

down to the vaccination rollout, and he is optimistic that with 70 to 85% of Americans vaccinated, achieving herd immunity would allow for “people feeling safe performing onstage as well as people in the audience.” But that doesn’t exactly mean it will be back to normal. Masks will likely still be mandatory and many safety measures will be in-place like social distancing and adequate ventilation and air filtration for indoor performances.

But was Fauci jumping the gun?

With the new UK variant of Covid-19 that spreads more easily between people and the poorly executed vaccination rollout due to lack of federal guidance from the Trump Administration, it is becoming debatable if the Fall is looking bright.

Zachary Taub, a Junior said “I don’t think we will be there just because of the mass uncertainty towards the actual vaccine.

Photo Courtesy of Scott Roth/Invision/AP/REX/Shutterstock Additionally, the vaccine will only really work if there is herd immunity, which needs time to develop. Another Junior, Siena Piacente agrees that “We won’t see concerts return until late 2021 or early 2022.” Picante believes that “these concerts and festivals would be the last thing to open up just because it is such a large gathering of people from all over.” Although a respected Fauci holds a hopeful belief, it is evident that many are uncertain and do not exactly agree with him.

But even once the venues open, are people going to feel comfortable attending festivals with large crowds. Keep in mind, by the time venues open, it will have almost been two years since the world first shut down in March 2020. Piacente says “If it’s 100% safe and things are 100% normal then I’d probably be okay, but still a little hesitant just because of everything that did happen in the past.

But, assuming the vaccines are out and people have been vaccinated, I think I’d be okay.” Taub similarly replied, “For me, I would be comfortable as long as I got the vaccine. I’d feel comfortable for myself because of my age, but, to others, I could easily spread the virus, so I would be nervous and hesitant for that reason.”

Photo Courtesy of Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG

Continued on page 9 8

Arts and Entertainment

A Blind Brook High School Student Publication

Issue #2 February 2021

Does Pixar’s Soul only Cater to Older Viewers?

By Joshua Dweck ‘23

[Spoilers] Soul follows the story of Joe Gardner, a middle school band teacher who believes his true purpose in life is to be a jazz musician. When Joe finally lands a gig after years of auditioning, he falls into a sewer and dies. After trying to escape death and fulfill his true purpose, he ends up where souls go before they are born, in “The Great Before.’’. In the Great Before, Joe mentors a soul named 22 and convinces her to help him get back to Earth so he can finally be a jazz musician. The film explores one’s purpose and existential questions of life that have been following mankind around for millennia.

Pixar movies typically ask “why?” and this entry explores the biggest “why?” of all.

While the movie was met with mostly all praise, receiving a 96% critic score and 88% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, some claimed that the movie’s mature theme and complex plot resulted in the movie not being very kid-friendly. I interviewed two students; one who disagreed with the criticism, and one who did agree with it.

Interview with Sophomore, Andrew Margolis:

What are your overall impressions of Soul?

I personally don’t get the appeal and I do not see why everyone is praising it. I just think it was an average movie.

What makes you say that?

There were some parts that I didn’t really enjoy, like how I found that us not knowing what happened to Joe was not very satisfying.

Photo Courtesy of Entertainment Times

Going into the holiday season this year was very different. Covid-19 was still lurking, so it made way for a less tra-

Fauci Says Fall 2021 For Live Music, Is it Actually Possible?

Continued from page 8 It is clear that once these festivals and concerts start back up again it will not be an immediate return to normalcy. Yet, the fact that festivals are even being discussed and dates are being released gives people a great sense of hope and excitement. towards 2021. “The atmosphere that these festivals and concerts create is honestly indescribable with words,” said Zachary Taub. “There is a connection between everyone [at these musical festivals and concerts] because you all listen to the same music and the same artist.”

ditional Christmas. With many families staying home, the decision to watch the newly-released Disney/Pixar movie, Soul, on Disney+ was a very common one.

Soul was originally planned for release on June 19, 2020, but the pandemic resulted in the movie getting pushed back farther and farther until Disney decided to release it on Christmas Day on Disney+, where the movie met critical acclaim.

How do you feel about some people saying it isn’t very kid-friendly?

I could see how people thought that. I thought that the open-ended nature in the ending could be confusing for small kids.

Interview Moore:

with

Sophomore,

Jacob

What are your overall impres-

sions of Soul?

I believe that Soul was one of the few good things that came out of last year.

It’s animation and message is all very well done for such a broad concept.

How do you feel about some people saying it isn’t very kid-friendly?

I think Pixar appealing to adults rather than kids is something they have done before, but not to this extent.

Care to elaborate?

Most of their movies have premises that kids wouldn’t like, such as a rat that can cook. They realize that animation is an art form, not a genre, and have used that to appeal to any demographic. It’s one of Disney’s most valuable assets because both kids and adults will go pay a ticket for their movies and enjoy It throughout.

As for where my opinion lies, I found the film to be accessible for all sides of the age spectrum. What makes Pixar special is how they have been able to sell these broad themes and messages in ways for a child to understand, as well as an adult.

An example of this could be shown in Inside Out. One of Inside Out’s messages is how it is ok to be sad sometimes, and this is conveyed through personifying the emotions of a kid, as they go on an adventure through a maturing child’s head, and we see the impacts of their actions as they play out, in the real world. This different form of storytelling allows for these mature themes to be understanding to the younger viewers and older viewers alike.

Soul is the same way. 22 exhibits the same traits as a child. She is playful and curious, which allows for children to easily connect to her. When she takes the form of Joe and is experiencing life for the first time, children understand this because 22 embodies the disobedient temperament that children can relate to, while also using her wisdom to teach Joe that life is about enjoying the small things.

Just because a lot of the concepts were more complex, it doesn’t mean it is too much for kids to handle, especially since Pixar has done this multiple times before.

BB’s Digital Music Production Club Continued from page 7

makes for a club that has more to offer the community: “My goal for the students is to give them really awesome, creative, developmental skills. [For instance,] I love making my own music. It’s super rewarding to me. That’s a great thing I learned to do for the extended community … I think those benefits to students as they grow, and learning these creative processes, are great. It’s also fantastic because you can’t necessarily show, like, a really wonderfully written DBQ with your community, right? You don’t go out to a dance club to read a DBQ. Nobody’s gonna sit down and read it. But, you can share a really awesome three-minute song that you’ve created. People will listen. People like art. It can be a really awesome representation of something.”

The atmosphere of the club is one that offers a healthy and fulfilling

sense of camaraderie, and all students can find their place here. Lynch notes, “Just about anyone would enjoy this club. We all listen to music, it’s pretty much baked into our systems to enjoy a song when it comes on. So, to me, it’s a no brainer that learning the skills to create said songs would be extremely fulfilling. You learn new ways to approach challenges and … to listen to music differently.

It truly is a great club with a great head leader. If you don’t join for the music, at least join for the sake of Mr. Lotze. He is just a great, loving, knowledgeable person who is loads of fun to be around.”

The collaborative element of this club is emphasized through the fact that no prior knowledge of music production is necessary to be successful. Mr. Lotze points out how “really any range of experience can come in as [they] are. And

if [that] means you figured out how to open Logic Pro and how to connect your piano to a computer and type in notes, that’s great! And if your hour looks like fine-tuning the sidechain compression on an EDM dance track, you can do that too! The best part about it is that you can have somebody brand-new working next to somebody who might have made a bunch of stuff already. Now people are talking and sharing what they’re doing, and even beginners have a lot to offer because they get to look at this program through a fresh set of eyes … In making music there’s no right answer. You make what you make and that’s great.” This club offers a unique opportunity for creative and collaborative expression that is difficult to find anywhere else at Blind Brook, and students who join will be amazed to see what they are capable of.

9

Health and Science

A Blind Brook High School Student Publication

By Ryan Campbell ‘22

Issue #2 February 2021

President Biden’s Climate Plan

Photo Courtesy of Kriston Jae Bethel/The New York Times

The looming threat of climate change has been a particularly menacing issue in recent times. Although it is important to be aware of how one’s own actions affect the climate, it is up to our world leaders, to pass legislation in order to aggressively fight against this persistently raging issue, and to ensure a safe and clean world for generations to come.

Unfortunately, the policies of former President Donald Trump exacerbated this crisis, hastening the global warming process and giving the world less time to fight it before its effects be-

By Kelly Ma ‘22

come irreversible. On June 1, 2017, Trump withdrew the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement, which seeks to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions and have each country individually do their part in reaching reduced emissions goals. This widely criticized move cut $3 billion worth of climate change research funding from the Green Climate fund, and will make it even harder for the United States to achieve its goals once it rejoins. Additionally, the Trump administration widely supported the use of fossil fuels and other nonrenewable resources,

while also removing carbon emissions limits and encouraging coastal drilling on previously protected lands, such as the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska.

However, following the inauguration of President Joe Biden on January 20, there seems to finally be a glimmer of hope in regards to this urgent cause. Within hours of his inauguration, he signed seventeen executive orders, including one to rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement, getting the United States back on track to tackle climate change. Additionally, he targeted many Trump era policies by

Continued on page 12

Covid Compared

Photo Courtesy of CGTN

COVID-19 has consumed our lives since its outbreak. Millions of people were infected, businesses closed, and masks became part of the new norm.

revoking the Keystone XL pipeline permit, reintroducing vehicle emission standards, and suspending oil and natural gas leases as well. That was all on day one.

The rest of Biden’s climate plan is just as assertive and ambitious, offering a rejuvenated sense of urgency to a cause that cannot afford to be ignored any longer. One main goal of Biden’s climate plan is to achieve a “100% clean energy economy and net-zero emissions no later than 2050.” This will be enforced by both the United States Environmental Protection Agency, along with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, working towards legislation to invest in climate research and implement such innovations as soon as possible. It also entails methane pollution limits on gas and oil operations, the implementation of the Clean Air Act and new fuel economy standards supported by the Department of Transportation, along with the investment in new biofuels and energy sources like wind and water.

Another key point of Biden’s climate plan is to strengthen the economy.

Global warming is already leading to increased sea levels, more intense storms, flooding, and wildfires that ruin communities and infrastructure, and thus the economy as well. Biden’s investment in a clean energy economy and revolutionary infrastructure system has the potential to create up to ten million new jobs, not to mention the improved efficiency in the fight against climate change. The Biden administration will also uproot the current rail system, introducing high speed railroads that will unlock new and affordable ways of travel without the need for airplanes and their extreme pollutants. Clean energy is a fast-growing industry that has the potential to do

But some may be familiar with an earlier pandemic: SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome). Coined the “first pandemic of the twenty-first century”,

SARS was first reported in Guangdong, China in November of 2002 and subsequently swept through continents and a total of twenty-nine countries. Both

pandemics are caused by coronaviruses, which is a large family of viruses that have a casing of lipids, or fats. This casing protects the virus and allows pathogens to survive on surfaces for a certain amount of time. But the important distinction is that the coronaviruses are slightly different--COVID-19 is caused by SARSCoV-2 and SARS is caused by SARS-CoV.

Evident by the names, both diseases are closely related to each other. The RNA genomes are 86% identical.

For a virus, 86% indicates the two are extremely similar. Viruses mutate rapidly-a virus makes thousands of copies of its genetic information in a matter of hours.

Symptoms for both viral diseases include a high fever, dry cough, and shortness of breath. However, COVID can also lead to a loss of taste and smell, fatigue, congestion, chest pain, and confusion. When both viruses were first reported, there were no diagnostics, vaccines, or therapeutics available. By April of 2003 (middle of the SARS pandemic), three diagnostic tests were in development. But of those three, one was unreliable and the other two could only be used late in the course of the disease. For COVID, this development occurred at a much quicker rate: by September 2020,

Continued on page 12 10

Health and Science

A Blind Brook High School Student Publication

By Andrew Margolis ‘23

French virologist, Luc Montagnier, once stated, “It’s clear that prevention will never be sufficient. That’s why we need a vaccine that will be safe.” Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, it is evident that in certain cases, vaccination is the only way to eradicate a pandemic. This virus lurked in the shadows since December 2019, not posing a legitimate threat in the US until early 2020. Needless to say, people around the world have had enough.

They want to go back to times when they did not have to worry about simply going outside or shopping for groceries.

Thanks to science and sufficient research, scientists have invented vaccines that have proven to be effective in preventing people from getting the Corona Virus.

While many are ready and eager to take it, others are hesitant. Today we will take a deeper look into the basics of this vaccine, its composition, the way it works, and whether or not it is safe to use. We will also examine its distribution plan throughout the U.S., because what good is a vaccine if it is not distributed properly?

Many people are hesitant to get this vaccine due to a lack of knowledge. They simply just don’t know anything about the Vaccine and its contents.

The Food and Drug Administration has actually compiled a list of its ingredients so people know what exactly they are putting into their bodies.

According to the FDA, the Covid Vaccine is composed of the following ingredients: mRNA, lipids ((4-hydroxybutyl)azanediyl)bis(hexane-6,1-diyl)bis(2-hexyldecanoic), 2 [(polyethylene glycol)-2000]-N,N-di tetradecyl acetamide, 1,2-Distearoyl-sn-glycero-3phosphocholine, and cholesterol), potassium chloride, monobasic potassium phosphate, sodium chloride, dibasic sodium phosphate dihydrate, and sucrose. Because this information may not address many concerns, the FDA also explains more about how this vaccine is used, and its side effects. While this vaccine has been proven to be relatively safe, of course, there can be unprecedented results upon reception. This is illustrated through the potential side effects that include: injection site pain, tiredness, headache, muscle pain, chills, joint pain, fever, injection site swelling, injection site redness, nausea, feeling unwell, swollen,

Issue #2 February 2021

Left in the Past

Photo Courtesy of Dado Ruvic/Reuters and lymph nodes (lymphadenopathy).

However, these unruly outcomes don’t do the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine justice. Based on these potential side-effects, employees at Market Watch noted that only 2% of users experienced headaches and only 3.8% experienced fatigue. Based on these statistics, it is up to the patient to decide on whether or not Covid prevention is worth a potential headache. Karen Katzman, an occupational therapist and previous receiver of the Vaccine even stated, “It has been a couple of weeks now and I haven’t felt any worse than I did before I got vaccinated. While there are potential risks, I feel as though getting vaccinated is a necessity. It was my obligation as a social worker to make the environment I work in as safe as possible.

It is the only way the world can move on and leave COVID in the past.” This tends to be the common belief of people who have gotten the vaccine, and experts agree

Photo Courtesy of University of Maryland

that in order to move on from this pandemic, many will need to be vaccinated.

The COVID-19 vaccine interacts in the body very uniquely. It helps our bodies develop immunity to the virus without giving us the illness. Members from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention state, “Different types of vaccines work in different ways to offer protection, but with all types of vaccines, the body is left with a supply of memory T-lymphocytes as well as B-lymphocytes that will remember how to fight that virus in the future.” It normally takes a couple of weeks for the body to produce T-lymphocytes and B-lymphocytes after vaccination. Therefore, it is possible that a person could be infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 just before or just after vaccination and then gets sick because the vaccine did not have enough time to provide protection. While many people fear the symptoms, the CDC actually

states, “Sometimes after vaccination, the process of building immunity can cause symptoms, such as fever. These symptoms are normal and are a sign that the body is building immunity.” This just shows that there isn’t really a lot to be afraid of when receiving the vaccine because these mild symptoms only mean that it is working.

Now that we have an effective vaccine, people have begun to question how this vaccine will be distributed.

While there is a lot of doubt in distribution, and the government appears to be making an attempt to vaccinate everyone as time goes on. For example, members at VeryWellHealth explain, “The first phase of COVID-19 vaccine distribution will prioritize healthcare workers, residents of assisted living facilities, essential workers, adults ages 65 and older, and people ages 16 to 64 with high-risk medical conditions.”

This method of distribution seems reasonable and demonstrates that there is indeed a plan. This is also exhibited when this organization stated, “State and local health departments are managing distribution, and states are determining order of eligibility.” In addition, with a new administration in the White House, there has been a new vaccination goal set. The Biden Administration hopes to administer 100 million vaccines in 100 days! This proves the fact that the government is working tirelessly to cure the country of the plague.

While it may not seem like it, the COVID-19 vaccine is safer than most people are willing to admit. We have analyzed its contents and the way it works in the body. In addition to this, we examined the side effects and symptoms of being injected with the vaccine. While there are some negative effects, it is evident that the benefits outweigh the potential cons.

The possible side effects are not critical to most people’s health, and even if the injection results in a headache, the person is now immune to the most deadly pandemic holding our planet hostage. The government is working to distribute this vaccine to everyone across the nation in hopes that we can leave COVID in the past for good.

11

Health and Science

A Blind Brook High School Student Publication

Issue #2 February 2021

Covid Compared Continued from page 10 the FDA had already authorized two hundred thirty-five tests, including a variety of molecular, antibody, and antigen tests.

So why has the world shut down for COVID but not for SARS even though SARS has a much higher fatality rate? SARS was not as devastating largely because it is not as easily transmitted.

SARS spreads from much closer contact, for example, between family members.

It can’t be spread through pre-symptomatic transmission, which means a person does not spread the virus, even if they are infected, unless they show symptoms.

And once a person shows symptoms, they are quarantined or hospitalized, meaning it becomes harder to spread.

According to Stephen Morse, an epidemiologist at Columbia University, “almost all of the transmission of SARS was within the health care setting. [...] you could control SARS by improving infection control and prevention in the hospitals.” Ultimately, SARS mysteriously disappeared. The virus was aggressive and lethal, but strict quarantine measures fought the threat. By July of 2003, WHO declared the pandemic over.

On the other hand, COVID spreads extremely easily from person to person. Casual interactions are enough for COVID to spread, and pre-symptomatic transmission causes numbers to climb through people who are unaware of the fact that they are infected at all! Virology professor John Oxford believes the two viruses are very different: “We were very lucky in this regard with SARS in 2003. It was nothing like as spreadable as the COVID-19 coronavirus. [...] in the end [SARS] ran out of people to infect, it just ran out of steam.”

COVID is also changing the future for science, especially related to vaccines. The

Photo Courtesy of MarketWatch Photo Illustration/Getty Images fastest any vaccine had been developed was four years, but this past December, the Pfizer vaccine became the first immunization approved for emergency use.

SARS in this aspect is much different. In November of 2003, WHO predicted a vaccine would take between two to five years to develop.

However, as isolation and quarantine measures proved to be enough to contain the virus, a vaccine for SARS

was never made. Dr. Atmar, a professor at Baylor College of Medicine, explains: “To bring a vaccine all the way through clinical development and licensure, it’s going to cost tens, if not hundreds, of millions of dollars.” Because the public health system effectively contained the pandemic, the virus was virtually eradicated without a vaccine. For COVID, it is clear that there is a need for the vaccine, and that the pandemic will not end in a timely

manner without the use of the vaccine.

As diseases, both SARS and COVID share certain characteristics.

Transmission occurs through respiratory droplets, risk factors include old age and underlying conditions, and both have the same enzyme (ACE2) that acts as a receptor for the virus to enter a cell. But the pandemic trajectories are immensely different. SARS was contained in a span of eight months, but COVID may last for years.

Biden’s Climate Plan Continued from page 10 so much, not just for the climate, but for American workers as well in terms of economic diversity and job security.

Finally, it is important to recog-

nize that climate change does not affect every community equally. According to Rachel Morello-Frosch, author of The Climate Gap, “People of color and the poor

will be hurt the most [by climate change] – unless elected officials and other policymakers intervene.” Issues such as air pollution disproportionately impact black

people, who are three times more likely to die from asthma-related complications than their white counterparts. Additionally, half of all US Latinos live in counties where the air quality fails to meet the Environmental Protection Agency’s health standards. Poverty-stricken communities often have a harder time recovering from natural disasters worsened by global warming, since they simply do not have the funds or resources to do so. Cities such as Flint, Michigan, have already experienced these disasters firsthand, making water infrastructure and pollution monitoring systems a top priority for the Biden administration. Biden will also reintroduce federal protections for such communities, working with the Department of Justice to support community-based efforts and to hold polluters accountable, from individuals to corporations.

It is evident that the fight against our changing climate is an uphill battle, and President Biden’s climate plan is just the beginning. It is up to everyone to do their part in order to protect our climate, whether that looks like protesting insufficient pollution laws or simply using a metal straw instead of a plastic one, the small things can and do add up.

Biden’s climate plan may be widespread with a huge scope, but we all have the power to start our own fight against climate change right here and right now.

Photo Courtesy of Drew Angerer/Getty Images

12

Politics

A Blind Brook High School Student Publication

Local Politicians: Steve Otis

By Josh Rosenblut ‘22

Issue #2 February 2021

New Year, New Executive Leaders

By Abby Zahl ‘23

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 second interview, I spoke with Steve Otis, New York State Assemblyperson for the 91st District.

Prior to being elected to the Assembly, Otis was Chief of Staff to State Senator Suzi Oppenheimer, as well as Mayor of Rye from 1998-2009. Otis was elected to the Assembly in 2013 and was just recently elected to his fourth term in office. Below are some excerpts from our 30 minute interview which took place in late December, 2020.

What or who inspired you to get involved with politics?

“When I was a kid I knew I wanted to work in public service, not necessarily as an elected official, but in some form.

I was fortunate that when I was young I knew what I wanted to do and I’m sure I will do it for the rest of my life.”

Photo Courtesy of Alex Wong/Getty Images

Photo Courtesy of The Rye Record

What was your career before going into politics?

How did Covid impact your work?

“After college I knew I wanted to work in government, so I pursued a master’s degree in public administration. Being in that program I applied for a fellowship in the New York State Senate and worked for the Senate for many, many years prior to getting elected to the Assembly. For much of that time I was Counsel and Chief of Staff for State Senator Suzi Oppenheimer. While working for her I got involved in my local community in Rye. I was on the Conservation Committee and then was Mayor of Rye for 12 years. When Senator Oppenheimer retired 8 years ago I decided to run for the Assembly. All of these things fed into each other in a really nice way.”

“Covid related issues are about 90 percent of what I have worked on since March, helping people apply for unemployment,dealing with problems for nursing homes, school districts, local governments, individuals, small businesses, every single one of these categories have their pandemic-related share of issues. Right now the big concern is the whole vaccine rollout and lots of questions related to that. It is the number one thing that I am working on. We are in a dangerous time, it is hard work, but we want to help as many people as we can. There are many state policies that affect many different types of people, businesses and institutions, so part of my job is to try to make adjustments to make sure things are working correctly.”

What is your favorite part of the job?

Advice For Future Public Servants

“I like solving problems, I like working on issues and coming up with solutions, one of my biggest concerns is clean water. In 2015 I helped develop a statewide program to provide grants to municipalities to do very expensive clean water projects. That program has been a huge statewide success, it started with 75 million dollars in the first year and in the five years it has been in existence it has given out 1.2 billion dollars in grants, including a great deal of funds to Westchester.

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

“I really love what I do, I don’t know if I could pick anything I dislike. During Covid, I miss seeing people. I like when there are tough issues, that’s good work, that’s fun, that’s rewarding.”

What surprised you the most about the job?

“I don’t think anything really surprised me about the work that I do. I have been in this field for a long time, so I am not easily surprised. Of course, the pandemic has surprised everybody, it has had such a massive impact on our society and our world.

“I think the standard that I recommend, hold myself to, and recommend to others is to be effective, you’re not just there to spend time, you’re there to get things done. I feel very strongly about getting my bills passed. I am very good about getting legislation passed, getting budget priorities moved, and solving problems for school districts and local governments. I believe the job should be about results and that’s the standard I hold myself to. Whether it is public service or in business, your goal should be, to be successful and effective in what you do.”

Future Goals and Aspirations

“I love the position I have in the Assembly, I am able to be very effective there.

My goal is to continue to get things done.

One of the big challenges in the upcoming year with the state budget is to see that we have funding to deal with a lot of the environmental things I support. A lot of those are related to public health, like clean water, which is not just for clean water’s sake, it’s for the quality of water that we drink or for where people recreate using water. Funding for education is also a huge issue, those are probably my goals for the next year.”

It is the year of a new presidential term. On Wednesday, January 20th, Joe Biden was sworn into office as the 46th President of the United States of America. Alongside him, Kamala Harris was sworn in as being the 49th Vice President of the United States. The 2021 Inauguration was definitely one to remember. It was a celebration for America that included speeches, special performances and multiple historical events.

The Inauguration ceremony began at 11:15 am, on January 20th, 2021. It started with Kamala Harris being sworn in as the United States of America’s newest Vice President. This was a monumental moment in American history. Kamala Harris has officially become the first female Vice President, in addition to also being the first woman of Black and South Asian descent to hold a position in office.

“Here we stand looking out to the great Mall where Dr. King spoke of his dream.

Here we stand, where 108 years ago at another inaugural, thousands of protestors tried to block brave women from marching for the right to vote. Today, we mark the swearing-in of the first woman in American history elected to national office -- Vice President Kamala Harris. “Don’t tell me things can’t change,” Biden stated during his inaugural speech. Following her swearing, Lady Gaga sang the National Anthem, followed by performances from Jennifer Lopez and Garth Brooks.

At noon, President Trump’s four year term in office officially ended, no longer making him the current president of the United States. At this time, Joe Biden was sworn into office. Following his oath, he then gave his Inaugural Address: “Today, on this January day, my whole soul is in this: Bringing America together. Uniting our people. And uniting our nation. I ask every American to join me in this cause.

Uniting to fight the common foes we face: Anger, resentment, hatred. Extremism, lawlessness, violence. Disease, joblessness, hopelessness. With unity we can do great things. Important things”, Biden proclaimed in his speech. Talking about his pride for America and his plans for the future, Biden is ready for his four year term.

President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, in addition to Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff met up with former Pres-

idents Obama, Bush, and Clinton and their spouses (President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump were not included in this as they were in Florida at the time, absent from the occasion), as they made their way to Arlington National Park. Together, they were present at the wreath-laying ceremony located at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

After this serious and somber event, the celebrations began at 3:15 pm. There were live drumline performances from Biden’s alma mater, The University of Delaware and Harris’s alma mater, Howard University. To add to this special event, many more dances, songs and speeches were performed remotely to carry out the parade safely in the midst of the global pandemic.

Sadly, the inaugural balls and galas were not able to be held this year because of the health guidelines, but that did not stop the celebration from continuing. At 8:30pm eastern times, the “Celebrating America” event, hosted by Tom Hanks began. Consisting of live performances from Justin Timberlake, Demi Lavato and others, this was definitely a night to remember. Many traditions were unable to take place this year, but that did not stop America from creating new ones.

46th president, Joe Biden is set and ready to start his four year term in office. In addition to his 100 day plan, Mr. Biden already has his intentions set on how he wants to spend his first 10 days in office. According to Biden and the results of a poll taken by the American people, the four most important topics that need to be addressed during these ten days are climate, racial inequality, the economy, and Covid 19.

The following 90 days will declamate immigration, taxes and LGBTQ+ community rights and policies, all in addition to the main four categories previously stated.

Biden wasted no time with getting his presidency rolling. On the day of his inauguration, a few hours after he was sworn into office, Biden signed 17 executive orders. These orders had to do with the pandemic, immigration and visas, climate change, racial and LGBTQ+ equality, the economy, and lastly government accountability. “Think of all the people’’ Biden stated in an NBC exclusive interview with Lester Holt, “All the people’’.

13

Politics

A Blind Brook High School Student Publication

Issue #2 February 2021

New York’s Support Of Voting Reforms

By Michaela Goodman ‘23

As Andrew Cuomo said, “The right to vote is one of, if not the most, sacred pillars of our democracy and for too long, bureaucratic red tape has made it unnecessarily difficult for New Yorkers to exercise this right,” On December 22, 2020 the Governor of New York State, Andrew Cuomo, signed the New York Automatic Voter Registration Act which was initiated during Cuomo’s 100Day Justice Agenda. The goal of this new law is to help increase voter registration, while simultaneously minimizing the administrative barriers in order to process voter registration applications. This new modernized system will also achieve a more efficient process for New Yorkers at designated agencies to register to vote.

Additionally, this historic new law will allow for eight days of early voting before an election, synchronize federal and state primary elections, allow voter preregistration for teenagers, provide voter registration portability within the state, and close the LLC loophole. Many have approved as well as endorsed this reform. For example, Assembly Member Latrice M. Walker said, “I am proud to be the prime sponsor of this monumental election reform bill.

New York’s antiquated voter registration system is in dire need of updating and modernization. It is time for New York to join the growing number of states who have implemented Automatic Voter Registration (AVR). This bill will remove one of many barriers in our election system to help New York improve its dismal record of voter turnout. This modernized voter

registration system automatically transmits voter registration information from some of our most utilized state and local government agencies. This will reduce costs involved in processing voter registrations and maintaining updated and accurate voter registration lists. Thank you to my colleagues for joining me in the fight to make our process more equitable and thank you to Governor Cuomo for signing this landmark AVR legislation.”

In addition, Senate Majority leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, also touched on the subject. She praised Governor Cuomo as she says, “Voting access is one of the core foundations of our democracy.

With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we must ensure that no New Yorkers feel pressured to put their health and well-being at risk to exercise their Constitutional right to vote. I thank the bill sponsors for advancing this legislation, and my Senate Democratic Majority colleagues for their ongoing commitment to empower New York voters and Governor Cuomo for signing these bills.”

In addition, the New York Automatic Voter Registration Act gives voters the right to request an absentee ballot due to risk of illness to themselves or others. Senator Alesandra Biaggi shares her agreement of this new voting reform through her statement of approval. To illustrate, the Senator says, “COVID has upended every aspect of our lives -- but we cannot allow it to undermine our democracy and New Yorkers’ sacred right to vote. I introduced S8015D to ensure that

Photo Courtesy of The New York State Senate no New Yorker will have to choose between their health and fulfilling their civic responsibility. Unfortunately, during the June election too many New Yorkers had to make that very choice because they did not receive their ballots on time. I want to thank Governor Cuomo for signing my bill to provide every New Yorker with the assurance that they can vote via absentee ballot come November and to give the Board of Elections the time they need to prepare. I also want to extend my gratitude to Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and my colleagues in the Legislature for their partnership and commitment to protecting our democracy.” Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte furthers this point later by concluding, “The legislation the governor is signing today will ensure that New Yorkers’ right to participate in the electoral process is protected. We saw unprecedented absentee voter turnout during the primary,

but because of financial challenges at the United States Postal Service, many ballots did not receive timely postmarks. We must rise to the occasion and make sure that voters across the state can safely and effectively cast their votes. This legislation will help to address problems with the Post Office, by ensuring that absentee ballots that do not receive a postmark are considered timely if they are received by the Board of Elections the day after an election. This protects the integrity of votes and enfranchises the voter. I thank Gov. Cuomo for signing this bill and my colleagues in the Legislature for supporting New Yorkers by ensuring that their constitutional right to vote is protected.”

In conclusion, the Automatic Voter Registration Act was a huge success. It has allowed for every single New Yorker to share their voice, as well as their opinion.

It has protected not only the first amendment, but our democracy as a whole.

A NY State Senate Supermajority Makes History

By Anna Baker-Butler ‘23

Photo Courtesy of Hans Pennink/AP Photo

Following last November’s election, while millions of people around the world were focused on the transition from the Trump administration to the Biden administration, many overlooked a major governmental change right here in New York State. Although for two decades, Democrats have had a supermajority in the New York State Assembly, in November, for the first time in New York’s history, Democrats in the New York State Senate gained a supermajority.

This development is of the utmost importance, because with control of two thirds of both the Assembly and the Senate, the balance of power has shifted, and Democrats can now ensure passage of legislation even over Governor Cuomo’s veto.

Here’s why a supermajority matters: In New York, when a law is proposed and both chambers of the State legislature approve the bill, it is then given to the governor to sign. If the governor vetoes the bill, a two thirds majority of each house of the legislature, i.e., the Senate and the Assembly, is required to override the veto and turn the bill into law. Although the Assembly has had the required Democratic supermajority for twenty years, until November’s election, a supermajority eluded Democrats in the Senate, ensuring that Senate Republicans could prevent a Democratic override of the governor’s veto. Now, however, the Senate can override the veto and pass a law without the approval of the governor.

New York State Senator Shelley Mayer, a Democrat whose district encompasses the Blind Brook School District, recently explained her priorities now that the Senate has a supermajority. She said that her main focus is to pass bills that protect school districts and provide more money for schools. During this time of the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for money in schools is of utmost importance as districts struggle to provide students who have fallen behind with additional services. Another of Sen. Mayer’s goals is to provide free broadband for every child in school so they don’t have to pay for high speed Internet during online school. Sen. Mayer’s other priorities include fair distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine, rebuilding the economy, and addressing the pressing problem of hunger.

Given that Democrats now have a supermajority in the Senate, there is a greater opportunity to override a veto. As Sen. Mayer explained, the governor has a tremendous amount of power to put policy into the budget, as well as on fiscal matters. Before the supermajority, if the Senate disagreed with a policy the governor proposed, they were obligated to agree to it. By having a Democratic supermajority now, the Senate has much more influence and bargaining power, she added, giving the Senate more voice on the budget priorities. Even though Gov. Cuomo is also a Democrat, there are policy areas where he and Senate Democrats may disagree.

These include issues relating to gambling, details about recreational marijuana use, and benefits for New Yorkers who are ineligible for unemployment. Sen. Mayer anticipates that one controversial item on her legislative agenda will be an increase in taxes. Sen. Mayer has a bill that imposes higher taxes on people earning over $5,000,000 a year. These taxes would go towards education of K-12 students, SUNY schools, and CUNY schools. Gov. Cuomo has often opposed bills increasing taxes, she explained. But with the new supermajority in the Senate, his veto on such tax legislation could be overridden.

Sen. Mayer believes there were a couple of factors that contributed to New York being one of the only state legislatures where Democrats achieved a significant gain in the most recent election.

First, there were qualified candidates who represented the values of their districts very well and supported the kind of progressive policy changes that the Senate has achieved during the two years it has had a Democratic majority. Also, people who were opposed to the Trump Administration were highly encouraged to vote in local elections. As a result, Sen. Mayer explained, many Democratic Senate candidates benefitted from the activism that grew as a reaction to the Trump presidency.

The Democratic supermajority in New York State presents the opportunity to address concerns that are relevant to everyone, including Focus readers.

14

Sports

A Blind Brook High School Student Publication

Issue #2 February 2021

NFL Playoffs Summary through the Divisional Round

By Kenny Konigsberg ‘21

The NFL playoffs began with the first “Super Wild Card Weekend” in NFL history on January 9th and 10th.

After many decades of having 6 playoff teams from each conference, the NFL decided to expand the playoff pool to 7 teams per conference for the 2020 season and beyond. This meant that only the #1 seed in each conference would get a first round bye while the 2nd through 7th seed had to battle it out to see who would advance to the Divisional Round. The Kansas City Chiefs (1st seed in AFC) and the Green Bay Packers (1st seed in NFC) both were off during a fun wild card weekend.

In the AFC, the #2 seed Buffalo Bills played the #7 seed Indianapolis Colts. The Bills had not won a playoff game in 25 years but this was their chance to change that. After a back and forth first half, the Bills were able to take control of the game in the second half and hold on for a 27-24 victory.

The second game of the AFC playoffs was between the #4 seed Tennessee Titans and the #5 seed Baltimore Ravens. The Titans had won two consecutive matchups against the Ravens in last season’s Divisional Round and in Week 11 from this season. The Ravens were looking for revenge while the Titans looked to continue their winning ways against Baltimore.

Although Tennessee jumped out to an early 10-0 lead, the Ravens were able to shut down the Titans offense the rest of the game and the Ravens came out with a 20-13 win.

The final matchup in the AFC’s wild card weekend was between the #3 Pittsburgh Steelers and the #6 Cleveland Browns.

The Browns had the longest active playoff drought in the NFL before the 2020 season but this was a far different Browns

By Jonny Hamburger ‘22

team than in seasons past. The Browns absolutely dismantled Pittsburgh in the 1st quarter, jumping to a 28-0 lead and amazing fans across the world with their dominating performance. Although the Steelers were able to make a run and chip into the deficit, they never truly posed a threat to the Browns in this game and the Browns went on to win 48-37.

In the NFC side of the bracket, the playoffs began with a matchup between the #3 Seattle Seahawks and the #6 Los Angeles Rams. The Rams relied on their #1 ranked defense in the NFL to defeat the Seahawks 30-20.

The second game of the NFC wild card weekend was a matchup between the #4 Washington Football Team and the #5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Although Washington was the higher seed, the Buccaneers were a much better team as their regular season record was 11-5 compared to Washington’s 7-9 record. The Buccaneers were able to handle their business with a 31-23 win.

The final game of the NFC wild card weekend was a matchup between the #2 New Orleans Saints and the #7 Chicago Bears. The Saints were heavily favored in this game and they easily took care of the Bears 21-9 as Chicago’s only touchdown came on the final play from scrimmage.

The Divisional Round in the AFC began with a matchup between the #2 Buffalo Bills and the #5 Baltimore Ravens. The Bills were able to shut down reigning MVP Lamar Jackson on their way to a dominant 17-3 win led by their defense. The other AFC Divisional Round matchup was between the #1 Kansas City Chiefs and the #6 Cleveland Browns.

The Chiefs were heavy favorites and they were able to get a 22-17 win even though

they lost their superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes to a head and neck injury.

The Chiefs will host the Bills in the AFC Championship game with their superstar quarterback’s status in question. The winner will represent the AFC in the Super Bowl. In the NFC, the first matchup of the Divisional Round was between the #6 Los Angeles Rams and the #1 Green Bay Packers. The Packers were favored to win this game and they easily won 32-18.

The final matchup of the NFC Divisional Round playoffs was between the #2 New Orleans Saints and the #5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Coming into the game, this was probably the most difficult

game for experts to predict because most people thought that Tom Brady would respond in a good way after getting swept by the Saints 2-0 in the regular season. These division rivals battled it out in a very closely contested game through three quarters with the score tied 20-20 heading into the 4th. Tampa Bay was able to take control of the game and won 30-20 to advance to the NFC Conference Championship game in Green Bay on Sunday, January 24th.

Overall, it has been a very exciting playoffs to watch so far. It will be intriguing to see how the final games will play out and who will win Super Bowl LV in Tampa, Florida.

College Football Playoffs

Photo Courtesy of ESPN College Football

The College Football Playoff (CFP) is a postseason tournament that decides who the National Champion is in Division I NCAA Football. Since 2014, four Division I teams have been invited to the College Football Playoff and they are ranked one through four. A 13-member board selects and ranks the four teams to take part in the CFP. In the semi-final round, the #1 seed faces the #4 seed and the #2 seed faces the #3 seed.

Photo Courtesy of Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

In the 2020-2021season, the four college football teams selected were Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State and Notre Dame. Alabama (#1) and Notre Dame (#4) faced each other first in the Rose Bowl. The Rose Bowl is normally held in the Los Angeles suburb of Pasadena, California but due to COVID-19, the game was moved to AT&T stadium in Arlington Texas. AT&T stadium was permitted to allow limited capacity to watch the Rose

Bowl and attendance was 18,000 people on gameday. Alabama came into the game as a heavy favorite and they did not disappoint. Alabama went on to win the Rose Bowl 31-14 and moved on to the College Football Playoff National Championship.

The second semi-final game was between Clemson (#2) and Ohio State (#3) in the Sugar Bowl. The Sugar Bowl was played at the Mercedes Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. Only 3,000 fans were allowed to watch the game in person and the crowd was made up of mostly friends and family of the players.

The Sugar Bowl was set up as a great matchup as both teams had top quarterbacks in College Football. Both players will be drafted in the 1st round in the 2021 NFL draft. Clemson and their top notch quarterback Trevor Lawrence, came into the Sugar Bowl as the favored team but the game did not turn out the way they had hoped. Ohio State and their quarterback Justin Fields, ended up winning the game by a large margin of 21 points. This was a shocking result to many people as most people were expecting Trevor Lawrence, the #1 ranked player in College Football, to put up an impressive performance. Justin Fields ended up stealing Trevor Lawrence’s spotlight, leading to a Ohio State win.

The College Football National

Championship game was played ten days later on January 11th. The #1 seed Alabama was set to play the #3 team Ohio State for the National Championship. The game was held in Miami Gardens, Florida at the Hard Rock Stadium where the Miami Dolphins normally play and where the Superbowl was held last winter. 14,926 people were in attendance and these people were excited to see the much anticipated matchup against these two teams that went undefeated during the entire season.

Alabama finished the regular season 11-0 and Ohio State finished their season 6-0.

Both teams also had star players. Ohio State had quarterback Justin Fields and Alabama had wide receiver Devonta Smith.

Alabama was expected to beat Ohio State by a pretty large margin and they did just that. Alabama ended up winning the game 52-24 and now Alabama has claimed the National Championship Title 18 times. This was also Alabama’s third time winning the National Championship game in the last seven years alone.The College Football Playoffs is something College Football fans look forward to all year because it is awesome to see the best teams in the country play each other. This year’s College Football Playoff Tournament did not disappoint and it was great that there were no cancelations in a year with many obstacles.

15

Sports

A Blind Brook High School Student Publication

Issue #1 February 2021

BB Soccer in the Midst of a Pandemic

By Melina Kohilakis ‘23

As the school year progresses throughout these unprecedented times during the pandemic, many student athletes and families have been left wondering when their high school sport seasons will start. In years past, there has never been a season of any sport cancelled. The COVID-19 virus has tested the resilience of the student athletes in a wide array of ways. DJ Goldman, the head of the athletic department at Blind Brook High School, said “I am hopeful that the school is permitted to run all of the sports we normally offer, unfortunately the Governor has not permitted high-risk sports to begin.” Several low and moderate risk sports that Blind Brook offers that are approved as of now for the rest of the school year include indoor track and field for the winter season. For the spring season, sports which are due to start on April 19th include baseball, golf, girls lacrosse, softball, boys tennis, and track and field. On the other hand, there are various high risk sports that are not currently approved.

Cheer, football and volleyball, all fall season sports, are hoping for a March 1st start date. There is no specific time to begin basketball, ice hockey and boys lacrosse as these are all high risk sports not approved by the Governor yet. School districts are taking precautionary measures both inside and outside the classroom to protect students and the community. The uncertainty surrounding the sports seasons occurring has a great impact on the students athletes in countless ways. School sports allow students to partake in beneficial activities which have many physical and mental health benefits. Individuals who play competitive sports in high school demonstrate leadership skills and a greater sense of self-respect. Furthermore, for many at Blind Brook, school sports pro-

By Alex Manko ‘21

Photo Courtesy of Charlotte Striar vide a social experience. It gives you the opportunity to be on a team with boys and girls in grades above or lower than your own. There is a special bond which grows between teammates and by the end of the season, a great sense of camaraderie. The world of sports plays a significant role in building a healthier society by bringing people from all ages and backgrounds together. Sports encourage an active and healthy lifestyle. Many seniors hope that

their season will not get cancelled, as it is their last chance to participate in a high school sport before graduating. Earlier in the year, the boys and girls Varsity Soccer teams were fortunate enough to have a season. Though there were several challenges posed to the athletes throughout their short season, all were very thankful for the opportunity to play together and for the seniors’ last ride. Going forward, all announcements will be communicated

Covid-19 and the NBA

Photo Courtesy of Duncan Smith

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to rule daily life, the National Basketball Association has recently started the 2021 basketball season. After a very successful end of last season, in a bubble in Orlando, Florida, the league has started a new season with all teams playing in their usual facilities.

to the school, and athletes will be notified which sports seasons will occur and when. Since it is not in the hands of our administration to decide which sports will take place, students will stay hopeful. They understand that to increase the chance of having a season, all students must engage in safety and health precautions. Though the future of sports at Blind Brook High School are uncertain, student athletes will continue to hope for the best.

In order to ensure for the safety of all players, the NBA has released a robust set of protocols. One example is a specific procedure when players test positive for the virus. Players must wait 10 days from the beginning of symptoms or a positive test, or they must test negative twice, at least one day apart from

each other. These dual tests must be PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction), as these tests are able to detect asymptomatic cases, under the circumstance that a player’s symptoms are gone but they are still contagious. Another protocol is a drastically decreased number of people per airplane flight when players travel. Only 45 peo-

ple can travel at a time, 17 of which being players. This dramatically cuts the number of team personnel that can travel with the team. Perhaps the most interesting change is a new rule to protect players that tested positive. Positive players are not allowed to participate in physical activity for ten days, and when they do resume exercise, they must be watched by team medical officials. This is a way to monitor and prevent post-COVID-19 heart and lung conditions that some people develop.

The more important thing is whether or not these protocols have actually helped the spread of the virus in the league. Unfortunately, the results have not been as strong as many had hoped. 40 players have received positive test results, more of them being recently.

23 teams out of 30 have had games postponed because of contact tracing. Several teams have had to play games without their superstar players, leading to a decreased quality of play. Many connect the increase in cases to carelessness on the court, as players continually highfive and forget to distance themselves.

As the National Basketball Association continues to play the season, many fear that conditions are too unsafe to continue. We will have to wait and see, as we hope the new vaccines will improve the safety for all the players.

16