THE COUGAR Feature Magazine
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Feel free to keep me, or return me to the green Cougar Bin on the 4th floor.
is Celebrating its
83rd Anniversary! 1934-2017 Thanks To all of you! 83 years on Broadway and 80th St. The longest running show on Broadway
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WELCOME
Hey Cougars! Wow. The school year is coming to an end. As a community, we have truly thrived this year. Freshmen: Congrats! You survived your first year of high school, which is an enormous accomplishment. Sophomores: Keep up the good work, and strap in for Junior year. You got it! Juniors: This year was challenging, but we all survived. Senior year will be a grind as well; however, it will all be worthwhile! Next year, we will have great responsibility in the high-school and have big shoes to fill. Seniors: I don’t know where to start! As a grade, you have all been incredible leaders in and outside of the classroom. You will all truly be missed! This edition is created to celebrate the authenticity and diversity throughout the Calhoun community. The Cougar is officially one year old! Sincerely, Sara
Discover the Theme: Urban(ity). Look for the white dogeared pages. Where is the Cougar? Also, look for our fellow Cougar throughout the publication. He makes three appearances!
Ch Lily arl B es ergof Sto ne fen
Mi ch ael a
Ha rve y
is r r a D h t e b d a z li Gol E e n p Once again, a Ho elm thank you Keizo d Fish for designing E this edition’s cover! ily ty r L o n k o n a l K B Josh Chico er Romi r sa feff e ide r e e T wP n ch tero e S h t e a Mat lly Joell ella Pl Ke own St ike o i X r d B a n i w t e Jus o Fish ael N Kan b u y z i Ke Raph Oum ade Sha H h e a n o i N er h t r a e K Potok n in F k c i y N Lizz Phil Tedeschi Hailey Kim Beth Krieger Lorenzo Krakowsky Nahuel Fanjul-Arguijo
Contributors
thank you
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_TEAm thecougarmagazine@calhoun.org
Editor-In-Chief
Sara Barker
Layout Editors
Anna Dolgon-Krutolow Rea Brayshaw Teresa Chico Anna Cohen Tallulah Hunt Talley Sacks Oumy Kane Lizzy Finn
Photography Editors Nick Potoker Matt Potoker Josh Blank
Copy Editors
Heather Sundaresan Lily Edelman-Gold Romi Konorty Teresa Chico Stella Platero
Art Editors
Sydnie Hyams Rahul Das
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Justin Brown
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Josh Blank
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Jumbled Thoughts of a Sunflower Kid Hope-Elizabeth Darris
I did not go looking for flowers; they found me. I did not just wake up one day and think to myself, “I’m gonna put a flower crown on my head and prance around like a flower child.” I don’t know crap about flowers. My flower crowns aren’t even of superb quality, just some little things from Claire’s. But here’s the thing about flowers: real or not, I can place them anywhere upon my body and feel like art. They get lost in the kinks and coils of my thick black hair; they are found in my necklace, crafted from the most tender hands in Venice; and they are found on my worn down Docs that make me feel like a badass. Off topic (but also very much on topic), I honestly feel that there are few things greater than defying the odds placed against you. There are a number of roadblocks set before me because I am a black woman, but I fight and try to knock down each obstacle with a flower in my hair. And each night, regardless of whether I’ve conquered or I go to bed in defeat, I place the flower on my bedside and think to myself that I am only human--I cannot defy all odds in one day, and I cannot defy them alone. As I drift to sleep and hear someone outside my window singing beautiful unknown melodies as they exit the train station, I remind myself that I am a force of nature. Resilience and strength run through my blood; there is a fire that burns deep within my heart, and I can fight every battle with a flower in my hair and emerge victorious. I’m not sure if these thoughts, ideas, and daydreams make sense, but there is something incredible about defying all the odds placed against me with a flower knotted in my 4c hair. And it’s funny, because I never went looking for flowers; they found me.
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Xio Kelly
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Keizo Fish
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The Grind
Raphael Nwadike
In every sense of the word, I find the grind beautiful. I think the struggle to success is way more beautiful than the glamour and glitter at the end. I love the feeling of waking up early and preparing for the grind. Personally, I don’t like when things are easily given to me because that’s not reality: there’s no pride in that. The resilience and grit you build are way more valuable than the final destination. I wake up at 5:50 and I get on the train to school. Afterwards, I go through a strenuous 8 hours of school, then an extra 2 hours of practice every day. I love the feeling of knowing I am being productive; it brings a completeness that can’t be filled with anything (not even money).
“There’s beauty in the struggle, ugliness in the success” - J Cole
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Josh Blank
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The steamy bath water cast a spell of serenity. The murky scent of soap had faded away, banished to outside the bathroom window, and Euna continued to sit in her steamy bath, ignoring the taunting figure sitting on the toilet seat. Euna’s knees were pulled to her chest, naked body somewhat shielded from the unwelcomed presence in company. The figure was something of another physical form, not much like a ghost but definitely not a human—more something in between. He had gangly arms and was sickly pale, taking the form of a rebellious boy with barely tamed hair reaching just to about his shoulders. He reeked of death and made Euna want to vomit. A knock came at the door. Euna watched as her girlfriend, Calista, pushed the door open a smidge to stick her head through. Calista’s electric eyes soothed Euna’s anxiety, for she always did have a certain way. “Is everything okay?” The endearing question left Calista’s lips in a worried jumble, her words nearly incoherent from the exhaustion taking over. It must have been half past one in the morning. Carefully, Euna dipped her hand in the cold water, swishing it around playfully as she pondered over what would become of their relationship if she were to tell the truth. “Yes,” Euna replied simply. “I’m okay.” Calista sighed, dragging a hand through her pixie cut, leaning her head on the door as she shuffled on her feet sleepily. Dark hair still wet from the shower taken hours ago, Calista looked captivating. Yesterday’s mascara was an oddly attractive look on her. “Would you tell me if you weren’t?” Calista asked honestly. She bit her bottom lip in a stressed manner, and Euna nodded her head, almost obediently, as if trained to agree to whatever proposed. “Okay.” The door shut softly. Euna was left with the unwelcomed guest watching her. She recognized him as the one in her head with a habit of spitting nasty words. “Leave me alone,” the teenager mumbled, staring down at her hands. Leaning her head on her knees, Euna closed her eyes nervously. “I want to talk to you.” His voice was rough, a low rumble of a cackle escaping after the demeaning phrase left his cracked lips. “I don’t want to talk to you.” Weakly, she puckered her lips courageously and grabbed a shampoo bottle, holding it in her hands as she pondered over whether or not to throw the object. Never had Euna tried to interact with the mysterious beings that visited her. This was the first time she’d ever been so close. “Go away.” “You can’t escape the truth, Euna.”
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LIAR STELLA PLATERO
“Don’t say my name like that.” Terrified, Euna shook her head, lowering her hand from the shampoo bottle. “Like what?” “Like you know me.” “I do know you, and I know that rotten girlfriend of yours, too—“ Euna grasped the shampoo bottle tightly, a sudden burst of anger bubbling in her stomach because of the insult. She threw it in the direction of the figure, watching him dismember into a cloud of shadows. Drifting out the window, he left Euna, and she was glad to be alone again. Shampoo had spilled all over the floor. There were some splatters of product on the wall, and it formed a single word Euna had grown familiar with since the beginnings of the supernatural visits. LIAR Rising from the bathtub angrily, she almost fell into the water. She rushed out of the tub and slammed into the wall, using her hand to wipe away the injustice staining the walls. The blonde girl rinsed her hands in the sink, scalding hot water burning off any previous evidence of the visit. She felt disgusting. She always felt this way. Tears blurred her vision, long, sopping wet hair cascading down in front of her eyes as she began to sob quietly. Enveloped in her own universe, Euna was so blind to what was occurring around her, how Calista placed a towel around her shoulders, murmuring words of sincerity in Euna’s ears as she guided her troubled girlfriend back to the bedroom. How Calista didn’t even ask if Euna was able to get herself changed, because the answer was no, and it was always no. Euna continued to cry, eyes squeezed shut in painful memory, as Calista lifted up her arms and shoved a shirt down her damp, freckled skin. Euna cried until she was tucked into Calista’s velvety covers, until her girlfriend was holding her so tightly, so intimately, that it comforted her trembling skin, brought warmth to her insides, and touched her heart in a whisper of “We’ll get through this together.” Calista’s arms enveloping Euna’s frail body. Anxiety ridden nights were terrifying, for both Euna and Calista; neither girl truly knew what to do. They just worked at it until the panic attack finished and Euna could sleep peacefully. Face shoved in her girlfriend’s shoulder, Euna didn’t want to open her eyes. “Are you okay now?” The words dripped from Calista’s lips clumsily. She was growing sleepier with each stoke to Euna’s head. Euna thought back to the bathroom, to the figure sitting on the toilet seat, what he had confessed to her and how he warned her to be careful. Opening her eyes, Euna’s gaze fell behind Calista’s body. The haunting figure leaned against the wall, smirking sinisterly. Euna pursed her lips. “Yes.”
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Noah Shaub
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Who is ReaDY for Summer Break?
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JOELLE SCHNEIDER
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Hope-Elizabeth Darris
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Sara Barker
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Lizzy Finn
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7 Ways to Alleviate the Stress of this Presidency (Number 5 Will Absolutely SHOCK You!) Charles Stone [WARNING: The views expressed in this article are not those of The Cougar. Any angry mobs can be directed towards Mr. Stone specifically.] Well folks, the world has ended. Everyone’s favorite orange-hued man/Christ figure has been elected to the highest power in the land, and the faith in the backbone of America has practically been snapped over the metaphorical knee of injustice. Without the proper actions, the next four years are going to feel like twenty. “But Charles,” I think I hear you cry, “How do I avoid despair in a time that feels like I should huddle in a corner?” I’m glad you asked, student/teacher whom I don’t know: 1. Go for a walk. Since this school is conveniently located near Riverside Park, you have the ability to take nice leisurely strolls through it. Preferably, walk uptown, as walking downtown will make you see HIS residential apartments. 2. Enlighten yourself with knowledge about this world. It can be knowledge about the struggles of our country, the background of the new populist movement, or news on how we as the opposition can do as little damage as possible to America. But it probably shouldn’t be from Buzzfeed. No amount of clickbait can heal this. 3. Talk to people about how you feel. Getting stuff off your chest will do you more favors than disservice. Engage in some discourse with people you hate; depending on how open-minded you are, you might walk away with new tactics. However, there is one exception to this: 4. Whenever talking about the president, please, for the love of God, STOP comparing him to that evil dude from the Harry Potter series. Despite what Ms. Rowling has said on the matter, the bad dude in office has not split his soul into seven homunculus (or whatever the heck you call them) and corrupted the Department of Magicians (or something like that). 5. You quickly moved your eyes to this entry just so you could see what shocking thing was in this, right? Yeah, sorry, the information given here is to refrain from replying smugly whenever that literary genius of a leader tweets in hopes that he’ll change his mind about an issue. I’m kind of a hypocrite about this. Whatever, let’s move on. 6. Protest, with a capital P. That Women’s March, the day after the inauguration, got you craving, didn’t it? You’ve tasted it, now go out there and protest some more. The Bill of Rights gives you this right; now go and create something new. 7. Finally, you can ignore everything above this, play the Roman fool and…eat a Caesar salad to get rid of the despair. What did you think I was gonna say?
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Sam Ross
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Lily Edelman-gold
Lizzy Finn
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MiChaela Harvey & Oumy Kane
To learn more about the story behind this piece, see pages 34-35.
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lemonade Oumy Kane
Its tangy, citrus flavor plays with your tastebuds. Its light shade of yellow teases you due to its borderline transparency. It’s your solace on a hot summer day. Lemonade. Or should I say, Lemonade? What was it? All I knew was that it was Beyonce related, so that meant I had to see it or was it listen to it? No one knew anything except for the title and that HBO was airing it. The ambiguity was clearly intentional because Lemonade left me in a vulnerable daze. It was like nothing I’d ever seen before. Lemonade was a masterpiece. It was beautiful. It was magical. The diligent attention to detail paired with the horror film-style camera work made many cultural references through personal stories. The usage of Southern gothic aesthetic and haunting spoken word enhanced every shot. Lemonade is an ode to black women everywhere. Beyonce was embracing black culture and black feminism while exposing the multigenerational African-American issues that continue to run deep in our society. Beyonce was telling us that we are so much more than just angry and expendable, undesired things. We are magic. That was the moment I knew magic was real. I always believed in it, but I couldn’t explain why. I never had a reason. Now, I did. I finally had something tangible, something I could show people if they dare say it doesn’t exist. Lemonade was proof. Lemonade was magic--specifically black girl magic. While white men have always laid claim to black women’s bodies, deciding their worth solely based on their physical aspects, Beyonce was telling us “not anymore” because there is one thing they could never take from us--our magic.
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Black girl magic is the ineffable quality about us. It is what we exude, what we radiate. It’s our very own je ne sais quoi. It festers in our bodies, epitomizing in our intelligence, humility, talent, wit, beauty, sassiness and so much more. It’s more than a hashtag. It is also a declaration. It announces our pride to the world, pride that was hard-earned. Beyonce challenges this damaging lens that constrains black women to a box. She reminds us of our multifaceted nature, the thing that makes black women unique. Beyonce reminds us of the things we may have forgotten as we face adversity everyday. She reminds us to be unapologetic in the magic that we brew and spread. And that is exactly what I intend to do. At the Grammys, Beyonce’s groundbreaking visual album, Lemonade only took home two awards. This caused outrage among fans and critics alike. An article published by Cosmopolitan said, “This is a problem. American popular culture has always been enamored of blue-eyed soul, rewarding it to the detriment and exclusion of the very black artists who pioneered these musical traditions. The history of black women’s routine exclusion from the major Grammy Award categories provides critical context for Adele’s speech: The last time a black woman won the Record of the Year was when Whitney Houston took home the award in 1994 and the last time a black woman won the Album of the Year was when Lauryn Hill took it home in 1999. That means that no black women have won the two top awards in the whole of the 21st century.” Adele essentially asked what do black women have to do to win something they deserve? On wood, I painted a black person making lemonade. It is surrounded by black which symbolizes darkness. We are not only expected to exist in spaces that are not meant for us, but to make something of ourselves while we are at it. The only choice left is to have a positive outlook on things in the face of adversity. In Lemonade, between songs Beyonce quotes Malcolm X, who said, “The most disrespected person in America is the black woman. The most unprotected person in America is the black woman. The most neglected person in America is the black woman.” Who knew something said in 1962 could be so relevant to my life today? As I finished the hour long visual album, those words stuck with me. Malcolm X was talking about my neighbors, my friends, my sisters--me. I am living that quote, taught to make lemonade when life hands me lemons.
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Josh Blank
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Nick Potoker
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Allie Leavitt
The march was beautiful; everyone was kind, passionate, and, at the same time, deeply unsettled. It was comforting to be among hundreds of thousands of people that all agreed something was wrong, especially after having lost complete faith in the American people in November. However, I wish there were more of a focus on intersectional feminism. I saw 100+ signs saying, “My pussy grabs back,” or “Get your laws out of my vagina.” While those signs are necessary and good, I did not see as much emphasis on protecting women of color, women without vaginas, or poor women. I was primarily surrounded by what seemed like upper-middle class white women and it made me wonder whether the same women would be there if white-feminism wasn’t so trendy.
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After returning from Washington D.C., I was filled with hope. I was sure that this would be the movement to spark our generation into action—prolonged action, not just a small spurt of inspiration. I am saddened now because I was wrong. In the wake of Donald Trump’s inauguration, protests slowed, only to come to a grinding halt. The people in my community lost interest, or at least lost the motivation to actively do something about the problem. I came to the conclusion that in a world of smart phones and fast communication, the youth of today don’t have the same ability to work. We do, however, have new tools at our disposal. We have social media; we have the ability to spread a message or share an interest with the touch of a button.
Lily Edelman-Gold
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Romi Konorty
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_FASHION
“I tend to wear black, white, and neutral colors because they go with everything--that way I can look like half coordinated sometimes, without trying.”
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“My fashion sense is very dependent on the day. Sometimes I feel like dressing up and wearing chokers and earrings, but other days I feel like wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt. Either way, I still think I look fashionable with anything I wear!”
“I would describe my style as clean, sometimes modern, but chic and classic at the same time. I almost always wear black, white, or gray because I like keeping it simple. To finish the look, I wear a some kind of black Chelsea boot. Another way, I like add some flare is throw on a wrap or a scarf, it always does me well.”
“Unique, yet basic. The clothes I wear always depend on my mood, but my clothes always tend to be black and white because they complement each other well.”
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Sick Kicks!
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Sara barker
Food For Thought: Our Plastic Lifestyle We, as a society, need to have a talk about our plastic dependency. Katherine Hade
Upon what material things do you depend? What do you consume everyday? I, for example, consume quite a lot of CLIF Builder Bars. I choke one down, then crumple the wrapper into my pocket. I would throw it away, but I know where it will end up, and I am afraid of putting it there. Do you know where everything you throw in the trash, never to be thought of again, ends up? Most of the trash you and I produce ends up in a landfill far away. The trash will then sit in disgusting piles, be buried, or be burned. But there are times when our trash doesn’t end up in landfills, instead ending up in our “pristine” oceans. This is incredibly worrisome, as a large portion of the waste we dump in the oceans is plastic. We produce over 300 million tons of plastic every year. 8 million tons of that plastic ends up in our oceans. The large dilemma with this phenomenon is the lifespan of plastic. Plastic is not biodegradable—it merely breaks down into tinier and tinier pieces. Consequently, every piece of plastic ever made is still around, and every piece of plastic you’ve ever touched will still be around after you die. The problem? It is polluting our oceans, collecting into large floating islands such as the pacific ocean garbage patch: Sea creatures, such as whales, often eat the plastic and die because they cannot digest it. Other times, sea animals get wrapped in plastic or choke on it. Additionally, plastics in our oceans release toxins and kill sea life. Plastic is making our oceans sick and dirty. The solution? Become aware of your own plastic waste and consumption of plastic materials and items wrapped in plastic. You have the power to make decisions that could save an animal’s life or, better yet, could keep the planet clean to save all life on this Earth. Other tips include using a reusable water bottle, declining plastic bags (take paper bags or get a reusable cloth bag), and making an effort to recycle every bit of plastic that you can. There are many ways you can combat plastic pollution, but you must first educate yourself. Understand the dangers of plastic, and you will feel more empowered to avoid it. Documentaries such as A Plastic Ocean are great ways to teach yourself about our plastic dilemma. Just because this issue is not getting the attention it deserves does not mean it is illegitimate or trivial. Plastic pollution IS an issue, and we DO have the power to stop it. Fighting this issue begins with starting conversations about it: we need to start by talking about it with friends and family. It is our responsibility, as citizens of this planet, to take care of it. We only have one Earth, one home.
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Josh Blank
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Class of 2017 Matthew Pfeffer The Class of 2017 embodies the Calhoun culture of leadership, independent thinking, and giving to others. This grade is a closely-knit group, many of whom have been together since kindergarten. They are supportive of each other and other members of the community. The Class of 2017 as a whole is hard working, disciplined, and compassionate. Many of the students have been actively involved in Calhoun leadership positions throughout their four years of high school. As a testament to their dedication to the community, the overwhelming majority of the grade applied for a Peer Leadership position. Students have taught classes, fundamentally changed the structure of town meetings, published their artistic projects, and participated in problem solving for science competitions. The Class of 2017 has demonstrated their compassion through students’ work with various community service organizations. Students have worked with The West End Residences, West Side Campaign Against Hungry, and The Manhattan Children’s Center. Additionally, students raised money for a men’s shelter through a fundraiser called Hoops for Housing. As a member of the Class of 2017, I am proud to call these individuals my classmates. I will sorely miss them after graduation.
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THE COUGAR Feature Magazine
Scan QR Code to access online.
Feel free to keep me, or return me to the green Cougar Bin on the 4th floor.