December 2019 Volume 20 Issue 2
Year Two of Scintilla By Jacob Ross
In the 2018-2019 school year, Harvey introduced Scintilla, which took place at the end of the school year, as finals were moved to March instead of having them in November and June. Scintilla groups are learning communities of your own choice, where students can focus on topics they enjoy. Dean of Academics Dianne Mahony first introduced this concept in September 2018 at a morning meeting.
Featured in this issue: l Reports
Last year, Scintilla was six days long, from approximately 8:10 a.m. to 3:10 p.m. Although, there were breaks for meetings and lunch. Each group had at least 10 students and two teachers. Some even had 20 plus students. For example, the Game Show Scintilla group had over 20 people, so they used two different classrooms. Learning communities varied in topics such as cooking, movies, outdoor exploration, and paranormal activities. The Pulse interviewed some students about their views on Scintilla last year and how they feel going into year two.
l News from The Harv
The first student interviewed was Rion McLaren, a senior who participated in the Game Show Scintilla learning community. McLaren stated, “Before the start of Scintilla, it was confusing not knowing exactly what it was, and the thought of doing something for seven The game show Scintilla. Photo courtesy of Jacob Ross. hours a day for six days was too much at first, most part, students seemed to enjoy the but once we understood experience, but they also had ideas about it, it went a lot better.” He continued by how the process could be improved. saying his favorite moment from last year was the presentation in front of the Student Council President Dan entire school. “It was really rewarding to Galgano was the last student who was hear everyone’s positive feedback.” interviewed by The Pulse, and he par Another student who was inter- ticipated in the Criminal Justice Scintilla viewed was Harry Galloway-Kahn, a ju- with Mr. Cook and others. Galgano nior who participated in the Architecture stated, “It went pretty well. It can be better though, if each student forms a and Design Scintilla group. He spoke detailed schedule of what they will do in about his thoughts before, during, and after Scintilla. “I was worried about how these long days.” much we would be able to do in those Additionally, The Pulse asked six days. However, it went pretty well, and we went to New York City.” For the Galgano what the student government Year Two of Scintilla: cont. on back cover.
Literature and Coffee
l Reviews
By Daniel Patrick Galgano
At the beginning of the year, Librarian and Media Specialist Jillian McCoy announced the continuation of the Upper School Book Club.
are allowed to keep their copies. In their October meeting, Book Club members elected to read “Unnatural Creatures,” a collection of fantasy short stories collected and edited by New York Times bestselling author Neil Gaiman.
The Book Club is often overlooked by students and faculty, partially due to the fact that it does not meet during the standard Thursday club meeting time, but instead, it convenes before classes start. The Pulse was able to interview Ms. McCoy, who runs the club, and talk about the Book Club and its future at Harvey.
According to the book’s publisher, HarperCollins Publishers L.L.C., sales of “Unnatural Creatures” benefit the Washington D.C. charity “826DC.”
The modern Book Club was first brought into existence two years ago, upon Ms. McCoy’s entry onto the Harvey campus, and has since played a significant role in the workings of the Mennen Library.
The Harvey School 260 Jay Street Katonah, NY 10536
“826DC is a nonprofit orga-
Photograph of the Upper School Book Club during their nization dedicated to supporting students ages 6-18 with their creative Oct. 31 meeting. Photo courtesy of Librarian and Media Specialist Jillian McCoy. and expository writing skills, and to
While Ms. McCoy is the founder of the Book Club, the idea for the organization was “inspired” by Upper School Dean of Academics Dianne Mahony, who encouraged the library to form a club or extracurricular activity. The Book Club meets once each month at 7:30 a.m. The club typi-
cally meets on a Friday, so that students can sleep in the next day. Ms. McCoy allows for the Book Club members (who consist of both students and faculty) to vote on the book that the club will address. Although members are not restricted to specific genres, mystery and thriller books generally win out in those votes. According to Ms. McCoy, although the Book Club does not maintain an independent budget, the Library will acquire copies of the book through the departmental budget, and the members
helping teachers inspire their students to write,” according to 2017 forms filed with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. In the Book Club’s Oct. 31 meeting, multiple faculty members, including Ms. Mahony, English Chair Jeffrey Seymour, English teacher Amy Baxter, English teacher Megan Taylor, history teacher Sarah Zeigler, Latin teacher Samantha Saraniti, school registered nurse Kerby Lewis, and Director of College Guidance Christine Cahill were all in attendance.
OP/ ED
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Jewish Heritage Club Gone The Pulse Staff
Dear Editor-in-Chief, On Oct. 7, the Jewish Heritage Club at Harvey officially disbanded. There are a lot of reasons why the club ended, but a major factor was the loss of Jewish faculty member Mike Rubenfeld, who took a position at his alma mater.
Editor-in-Chief Daniel Patrick Galgano
After Mr. Rubenfeld’s departure, it became clear how difficult it was for the Jewish Heritage Club to find another Jewish faculty member to help facilitate the club. The Jewish Heritage Club also lost the connection with the Jewish scholar who came to teach the club.
Sports Editor Jacob Reid
This opened the question about the lack of Jewish teachers at Harvey. The ending of the club shows that the Jewish population at Harvey may not be properly represented by the faculty.
Samuel Aidan Steven Chase Grant Doherty Max Edelman Ben Goodman Jacob Ross
In my recent interview with former club president Ryan Piken, she talked about the demise of the club.
pate.”
Piken said, “It was difficult to continue the club, as it was hard to find a teacher who was able to partici-
When hiring for diversity, Harvey should begin to look for more Jewish teachers, as Harvey has an abundance of practicing Jewish students.
She went on to say that the club was mostly run by Mr. Rubenfeld, and he was able to bring in a Jewish speaker with his connections to Jewish Student Union (JSU). Unfortunately, when the club reached out to JSU, they were informed that they would not be able to provide a Jewish speaker. To clarify, the JSU had a conflict with the date and time. In an interview with the Dean of Students Gary Dunn, he pointed out that Ms. Zeigler was able and willing to cover the club. However, the JSU and Ms. Zeigler could not schedule the right time for the JSU. At this point, the lack of outside Jewish speaker was the final blow to the club.
Faculty Advisor Virginia Holmes
To continue the discussion on the club’s possible return, Mr. Dunn said that the Jewish Heritage Club is open to continuing in the Winter Term. As stated, Ms. Zeigler, who is not Jewish, was more than willing to help, but she (and the club) felt like they needed the outside Jewish scholar to make the club time more meaningful. The conversation with Mr. Dunn then transitioned to Harvey’s hiring policies. When it comes to hiring for diversity, specifically in terms of religion, Mr. Dunn stated that while obviously Harvey always looks to hire the best person available for the job, a wide and diverse faculty and staff is vital. The Harvey School has a fairly large Jewish population of students, and as we learned this term, not a large population of Jewish faculty. Obviously, Harvey should continue to hire dedicated and experienced teachers, and I acknowledge that for legal reasons Harvey should not pointedly ask about a potential teacher’s religious beliefs, but I hope that Harvey will consider the lack of Jewish faculty during the next hiring cycle. Sincerely, Jacob Reid
Fall 2019 Pulse Staff
News from the Harv
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The Specialist Behind the Scenes By Samuel Aidan
According to Child Mind Institute, a learning specialist, also known as an education therapist, is a trained professional that evaluates and helps children with learning disabilities. They produce strategies to compensate for these students’ disabilities.
This neuropsych report then helps Harvey evaluate the need for specific accommodations in school and on standardized tests. These accommodations are tailored to their learning disabilities and intend to help them achieve their academic goals.
The Pulse decided to interview Ms. Meyer, the learning specialist at The Harvey School, regarding her position and everything in between. Ms. Meyer is the first learning specialist at The Harvey School, and she is in her third year at this school. Before working at Harvey, Ms. Meyer was a founding teacher for a charter school based out of East Harlem, New York
Ms. Meyer also, occasionally, gives students extra help in areas that they need support in, such as different classes and organization of long-term projects. As a learning specialist, Ms. Meyer is also tasked with receiving and transmitting accommodations for students on the ACT and College Board exams.
The learning specialist at Harvey helps teachers with their curriculum and informs teachers of the students’ different learning styles. According to Ms. Meyer, she also “reads neuropsych and psycho-ed evaluation reports, taking them apart and creating a learning plan that’s useful to be shared about a student to their teacher, so that their teachers know what is going on with their learning profile.”
When asked about the motivation regarding Harvey’s hiring of a learning specialist, Ms. Meyer said, “My understanding is that the teachers really wanted to understand the students more, and I have a special education background, so I am that bridge between all the information coming in and how the teachers can use it.” The path to using a learning specialist is very different for each student. Some schools are designed
for certain disabilities, so once they come to Harvey, it is already known that they may need more support. “Other students have identified disabilities that have IEPs (Individualized Educational Plan),” according to Ms. Meyer. When the parents have an initial meeting with Harvey, parents send in all of the documentation, and the accommodations review process happens. The school then knows that this student may need some extra support. That is where Ms. Meyer comes in, making their learning plans and assessing the best possible environment for each student. Ms. Meyer also said, “Students can always come by. I’ve had students come by that maybe don’t have documentation but are having a hard time with some tests, so we’ll meet a few times and just do some test review strategies. So, it’s really
Ms. Meyer working in her office. Photo courtesy of Samuel Aiden.
them seeing the big picture of what they need academically.” The Pulse would like to extend our thanks to Ms. Meyer for this interview and for the help that she offers to our community.
Sports News Homecoming Success: Football Team in the Win Column By Ben Goodman
Harvey’s varsity football team lost in disappointing fashion Saturday, Oct. 12, to The Gunnery School Highlanders in Harvey’s first home game of the season. In the second meeting of the two teams this season, Harvey was looking to retaliate against the previously victorious Highlanders, and the start of their second meeting was very promising for Harvey. The Cavs took the opening kick, marched down the field 55 yards, and opened the scoring with a 5-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Charlie Stuhr to senior captain Grant Doherty for a 6-0 lead. Gunnery brought the game to 6-6 after an interception, and on a Cavs’ fumble, the Highlanders completed a 26-yard touchdown pass for a 14-6 lead. After the Cavs lost the ball on downs on the 5-yard line, senior captain Jacob Ross ripped the ball from the hands of the Gunnery halfback and sophomore Jayden Kass recovered it on the 17-yard line. Two plays later, Doherty received a beautiful pass from Stuhr for an 8-yard touchdown throw to tie the game 14-14.
As Gunnery punted, the
Cavs’ brought the football close to the Highlander’s end zone before Stuhr hit senior Colin Costigan with a 17-yard beauty to put the Cavs up, 20-14. The game went into halftime tied at 20. As soon as the third quarter came around, Gunnery scored three more touchdowns in under five minutes, putting the game away. The final score of this game was 58-48. Looking for a better game the very next weekend, the Harvey football team battled Forman School Oct. 19, 2019, in front of a crowd of alumni on Homecoming Day. That’s exactly the fortune they claimed, as they took the first victory of their season by a score of 32-22. Winning the opening kick, the Cavs were hot straight out the gate, as a 17-yard run by Ross and two passes to Doherty brought the ball close to the end zone. Ross ran the ball five more yards to pick up the touchdown and give the Cavs a 6-0 lead. The Forman Lions turned the ball over on downs during their first possession, and Stuhr threw a perfect strike to Doherty for 40 yards to put the ball on the Forman 4-yard line. Stuhr finished his own job with
his own 5-yard run, to score the touchdown. A pass on the twopoint conversion attempt reached Costigan to put the Cavs up 14-0 after one quarter. Forman struck back quickly, however, as two long runs by a Lions running back led to a 5-yard touchdown run by the fullback. In four plays, the Cavs lead was cut to 14-8, but Harvey responded on the next play when Stuhr rolled right and threw a pearl of a screen pass to Ross, who ran 65 yards for a TD. He also completed the two point conversion as he ran the Cavs into a 22-8 lead. As the kickoff for the second half came around, Coach Delaney instructed senior captain Brandon Marshall to kick the ball deep. After a series of undisciplined play led to two additional personal foul calls, the Lions were forced to punt and Doherty broke through the line and blocked it for a safety and a 32-14 Cavs lead. Forman found the end zone again early in the fourth quarter to make the game 32-22. The Cavs tried to run the clock out with two
Senior Captain Brandon Marshall kicks the ball deep into Harvey’s Endzone. Photo courtesy of Erin Phillips.
long drives, but Forman got the ball back with less than three minutes remaining, and it looked as if they had something brewing. On a bad snap, the Forman QB fumbled the ball which was recovered by Marshall. The turnover ended any comeback hope for the Lions. After the game, Doherty praised his teammates.“The guys did a great job of staying focused on the game and not letting anything distract them,” Doherty said. “As great as the win was, they kept their heads in it and really showed how composed we are as a team,” said the senior captain.
Sports News
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HVAL Roundup- Championship Out of Reach By Ben Goodman
A loud home crowd of students cheered on Harvey’s volleyball team Monday, Nov. 6, as the Cavaliers opened the HVAL playoffs with an impressive 3-0 victory against Chase Collegiate in a quarterfinal match. The Cavaliers sprinted past Chase in the first set 25-17 and soonafter swept them with a 25-11 victory in the second set and a 25-12 win in the final set. Freshman Kira Ortega and sophomore Kathryn Ogg did a great job of setting up the game to allow junior Amanda Bartley, freshman Savannah Thompson, and seniors Cameron Thomas and Kayla Johnson to produce strong hits. Bartley had four kills, while Thomas followed closely behind with two. Johnson, along with seniors Cathy Ye and Marina Man, came up with strong plays to keep the Cavs ahead in the game. Overall, Harvey’s serving was the best of the season, only missing three serves in all three sets. Junior Emily McKenna, sophomore Giselle Groff, and seniors Sammy Ferman and Olivia Shore, contributed solid assists and passes. Harvey Head Coach Denis Arnautovic was more than content with the team’s effort. “The energy was great on the court, and the girls
did a good job of keeping it going throughout the entire game,” Coach Arnautovic said.
In other sports news, Harvey’s girls varsity soccer team saw its season come to an end Monday, Nov. 6, with an 8-0 loss to Watkinson in the opening round of the HVAL playoffs game in Hartford, Connecticut. Watkinson scored four goals in the first half and four more in the second half against the Cavaliers.
The team then played their semifinal match Wednesday, Nov. 6, hoping to make it to the league championship match for three years in a row. The Cavs crumbled, however, in a 3-0 loss to Christian Heritage in the HVAL semifinal that day. Harvey’s hopes were high in the first two sets in a hard-fought battle throughout the full game, but the Cavs just came up short in each set, as Christian Heritage won the first set 25-20. The Cavs came even closer in the second set but lost Senior Cameron Thomas spikes the ball on passes by a close score of 25-23. Harfrom Kira Ortega and Kathryn Ogg. vey was hoping to win the third Photo courtesy of Ben Goodman. set and put itself in a position to throughout. stage a comeback, but Christian Heritage turned on the jets and, by a landslide, took the final set 25-9 to Despite the loss, Coach finish off a clean sweep. Arnautovic said that the match was “a great end-of-the-season game.” Coach Arnautovic said, “The girls Johnson had four kills, had some great serves, passes, and Bartley had three, and Thomas and sets; the energy was high, and the Thompson each had two. McKenna, communication was consistent.” Man, and Ortega also contributed many strong digs, as Ortega and Ogg With a hard-fought loss in the HVAL semifinals, Harvey’s varsity volleyalso set the Harvey hitters up for ball team finishes the season with an them to compile some great attacks. overall record of 9-10. The team showed strong passing
The highlights for Harvey included the performances of junior Adama Abdul-Wahab and sophomore goalie Kate Champlain. Abdul-Wahab made a number of impressive defensive plays, while Champlain made 19 saves in front of the net. While Harvey struggled to put up offense, it was not because of any lack of effort. “Our girls fought hard throughout the game,” said Harvey head coach Sarah Zeigler. “Our defense has gotten stronger, but we’ve struggled with creating those offensive opportunities,” Coach Zeigler said. The Harvey girls finished with an overall record of 1-9-1. They were winless against HVAL rivals.
Proving the Impossible Is Possible By Grant Doherty
On Saturday, Oct. 12, in Vienna, Austria, a Kenyan runner by the name of Eliud Kipchoge became the first person to run a full marathon in under two hours.
While Kipchoge was the first person to ever finish a full 26.2-mile run, it will not go down as a world record marathon time. The reason for this is because the event was not a race. It was specifically done so that this seemingly impossible task could be achieved. Not to worry, however, because Kipchoge does hold the world record with a run in 2018 during the Berlin Marathon with a time of 2:01:39, according to Time News.
The event was called the Ineos 1:59 Challenge, and every little piece of it was set up so Kipchoge could break the two-hour mark. The runner used the newest and best gear along with a group of pacemakers and even a lead car to keep the perfect rate of speed. Kipchoge was the “no brainer” choice, as he has dominated the sport for many years and has the titles and medals to show for it. At the age of only 34, he is an eighttime marathon winner and a threetime Olympic medalist, according to The New York Times. This was not the first time that he has attempted the seemingly impossible. During May 2017 in Monza, Italy, Kipchoge fell just short of the goal, finishing with a time of 2:00:25. This event was put on by Nike and was called Nike’s Breaking2 project, according to Runner’s World magazine. Many experts believe that if the temperature had only been 5 degrees cooler, then the time would have been achieved.
This time would be differ-
Eliud Kipchoge standing in front of the timer. Photo courtesy of PBS News.
ent, though, with a start temperature in the 40s and humidity staying at about 90%. The condition was “perfect” for the run, according to Runner’s World. The only slight hiccup in the weather report was the prediction of a small chance of rain, which turned out to be true. The course was in Vienna, Austria, and it was chosen because it is very flat and straight, resulting in a fast route. Another accomodation that Kipchoge had to help him complete the impossible was a group of 41 other professional runners. These runners were used to set the
pace. At any given time, there were five runners in front of Kipchoge and two behind him. According to Time News, these runners would switch in and out throughout the run. When asked about how big of an impact they made, Kipchoge said to Runner’s World after the event, “The pacemakers did a great job, they are among the best runners of all time,” and “I thank them and appreciate them for accepting to do the job.”
After the run, Kipchoge took to Twitter and posted, “Today we went to the moon and came back to Earth! I am at a loss for words for all the support I have received from all over the world. Thank you to all who gave me the opportunity. Asante.” Kipchoge posted four pictures of himself finishing the race, holding a flag, receiving a hug, and being lifted on top of others’ shoulders. After finishing his run, Kipchoge stated, “It is a great feeling to make history in sport after Sir Roger Bannister in 1954. I am the happiest man in the world to be the first human to run under two hours, and I can tell people that no human is limited.” He continued, “I expect more people all over the world to run under two hours after today.”
Sports News
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NBA Versus China By Max Edelman
On Oct. 10, 2019, and Oct. 12, 2019, the Brooklyn Nets and the Los Angeles Lakers were set to take each other on in two preseason basketball games in China. It was going to be a celebration of the culture of basketball and the great relationship between China and the National Basketball Association (NBA). In the days leading up to the event, however, this “celebration” became a nightmare. According to ESPN, China is by far the NBA’s highest-grossing international market. According to CNN, China currently makes up 10% of NBA revenue, and many analysts believe that by 2030 that number could rise to 20%. On Oct. 4, 2019, less than a week before the first game was to be played, the relationship between the NBA and China began to sour. It all began when Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey posted a tweet with a photo that stated: “Fight for freedom, stand for Hong Kong.” Morey quickly deleted the tweet, but not fast enough. The damage had already been done.
The owner of the Houston
Rockets, Tilam Fertitta, sent out a response later that day stating, “(Daryl Morey) does NOT speak for the Houston Rockets beliefs.” But this wasn’t enough to please the Chinese government. CCTV, China’s state broadcasting agency, announced that NBA games would no longer be televised in China and urged the NBA to “clarify and immediately correct their mistakes.” This implied that China was urging the Rockets to fire Morey. The Chinese Basketball Association, the governing body of basketball in China, suspended all relationships with the Rockets following this incident according to The Washington Post. The president of the Chinese Basketball Association is a former Rockets superstar and NBA Hall of Famer, Yao Ming. Yao Ming is a 7’6” center who spent the entirety of his Hall of Fame career with the Houston Rockets. Because of his time with the team, Ming had made the Houston Rockets one of the most popular teams in all of China.
Ming was also the leader in the effort to close all communications with the Houston Rockets. According to The Washington Post, the deal between China and the NBA to broadcast their games was around $1.5 billion over the course of the next five years. With this deal now being canceled, the NBA will be losing out on this mega income opportunity.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver Photo courtesy of Sports Illustrated.
This decision was a major loss for the NBA. According to CNN, more than 500 million people watched the NBA last season. This would mean that out of the 1.3 billion people living in China, over onethird of the largest population in the world watched basketball last season. The loss of this international market could substantially hurt the NBA. On Oct. 7, 2019, The NBA made its first statement regarding the matter. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver stated, “Profits can’t come before the league’s principles.” Silver is claiming that the NBA would put the integrity of the league before making
money. But the NBA cannot ignore the significant income it makes in China. Despite all of the controversy, the NBA decided that the two Nets versus Lakers games scheduled for Oct. 10 and 12 would go on as scheduled. The Nets won both games against the Lakers, but neither games were broadcast to the Chinese public, meaning that there was no way to see the game other than to attend the games in person. In the aftermath, players such as Los Angeles Lakers superstar Lebron James have commented on the issue, but many have refused to comment any further.
NCAA Approves Players’ Use of Likeness… or Did They? By Jacob Reid
On Oct. 29, the National Collegiate Athletic Association, better known as the NCAA, reached a historic decision to allow college athletes to benefit from the use of their name, likenesses, and their celebrity status, after months of heavy deliberation that was sparked by California’s “Fair Pay to Play Act.” The new rules that will take effect in 2021 will allow each player to profit off their name and likeness within the structure of the “Student-Athlete” and NCAA model of business. The “Student-Athlete” name has come under the microscope in recent years, as it has raised questions about the NCAA methods when it comes to handling their athletes. Former Duke basketball star and current ESPN college basketball commentator Jay Bilias was very critical of the new NCAA rules, calling the NCAA a “fraud” and claiming the new rules are nothing except a “delaying tactics” while they still plan to sue the state of California for their new laws. During an interview with USA Today, Bilias was quoted as saying: “When the California (“Fair Pay to Play”) law came out, they responded by calling it an ‘existential threat’ to college sports, that it’s going to ruin everything if athletes are paid,’ and suggesting California could be annexed from the NCAA. Now, like they always do, they’re
reacting. They’re reacting to different state and federal governments forcing action. They’re trying to stall and say, ‘Look at what we’re doing.’ Their abandonment of any form of principle is frankly embarrassing.” In a subsequent interview with USA Today, the president of the NCAA Mark Emmert said, “One of the other clear distinctions that is often overlooked by the general public is the collegiate model is also predicated upon students being recruited and making their own choice about where they’re going to go,’ ... ‘There’s no draft. It’s not the Olympics where you go by virtue of your passport. So even though we all recognize that some schools have advantages and disadvantages in recruitment, one of the biggest
concerns the working group has spent a lot of time and is going to keep spending time on is how do you allow liberalization and not have it just become part of the recruiting wars? That’s going to be one of the biggest challenges in coming up with real bylaws.”
school in Memphis. On Nov. 12, however, Memphis University decided to play Wiesman even after he was declared ineligible by the NCAA, Memphis received a temporary injunction to allow Weisman to play… for now.
On Nov. 13, Ohio State University football star Chase Young was suspended by the NCAA for two games against both Maryland and Rutgers for taking illegal benefits from Ohio State boosters.
ESPN reports: “Wiseman’s attorney, Leslie Ballin, said at a news conference that Wiseman has been ruled ineligible by the NCAA after findings that Hardaway helped Wiseman and his family move to Memphis. The school says that Hardaway -- deemed a booster by the NCAA due to the aforementioned $1 million donation to the school in 2008 -- provided $11,500 in moving expenses to Wiseman’s family in the summer of 2017. Wiseman files a lawsuit against the NCAA.”
University of Memphis basketball star James Weisman was also suspended by the NCAA for taking $11,500 from Memphis head coach Penny Hardaway to get Weisman to play for Hardaway’s former high
Also according to ESPN, the NCAA issued a statement midway through Memphis’s game, saying: “The University of Memphis was notified that James Wiseman is likely ineligible. The university chose to play him and ultimately is responsible for ensuring its studentathletes are eligible to play.”
Memphis Star basketball player James Weisman during a game earlier this year. Photo Courtesy of CBS sports.
While the NCAA is attempting to amend for its previous history, many people find its latest attempts to solve the issue as nothing more than a stunt to gain favor while NCAA officials await the rulings in California.
Reports
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Mascot Ignites Tensions By Daniel Patrick Galgano
In 1989, the John Jay Campus Congress (the governing body of the John Jay High School in Cross River, New York) passed a resolution to discard their mascot, “The Indians,” and choose a new standard. Nearly 30 years later, it seems that the congress’s resolution has finally come into effect. The Katonah-Lewisboro Union Free School District (KLSD) Board is now addressing their mascot, due to many complaints that the name was outdated and insensitive to Native American populations in the region. Multiple organizations such as the National Congress of American Indians, the Intertribal Council of the Five Civilized Tribes (representing the Chickasaw, Creek, Cherokee, Seminole, and Choctaw Nations, the United States Commission on Civil Rights), the New York State Department of Education, the Anti-Defamation League (a Jewish non-governmental organization), and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (a civil rights organization) have all recommended that schools not use Native American or “Indian” mascots for athletic teams, due to the societal harm that they cause, according to the KLSD Board. Additionally, according to John Jay Campus Congress VicePresident Sawyer Reed, 58 percent of students voted last year to remove
the mascot, paving the way for these conversations amongst the district’s administrators. The Board’s deliberations have sparked substantial controversy. Many parents and students have argued that the mascot should stayin-place, due to the historical significance of the mascot. Many have also argued that the change to the district’s mascot will lead to broader name changes, such as the Hamlet of Katonah (named after Native American leader, Chief Katonah), according to The Journal News. However, proponents of the change argue that the “Indian” as a symbol is offensive and plays on outdated stereotypes. Many members of the community have lashed out at supporters of the mascot by calling them “ignorant” and “racist.” Chief Dwaine Perry, representing the Ramapugh tribe, whose territory lies approximately 40 miles from Katonah, stated to News 12, “They’re not honoring us by ignoring the true history of the country…And it’s painful to the younger people.” Several parents and community leaders, most prominently those supporting keeping “The Indian” as the district’s symbol, have called for KLSD Superintendent Andrew Selesnick to hold a referendum on the matter or to delay the decision further.
A 1989 New York Times article addressing the John Jay Campus Congress’s decision to discard their mascot, “The Indian. Photo courtesy of The New York Times Historical Archive.
In response, Superintendent Selesnick released a statement saying, “Last night, I said to our Board that if they believe there are enough reasons to consider the John Jay mascot no longer appropriate, then this is one of those rare instances when nothing may be gained (and, in fact, more may be lost) by additional discussion. I have no reason to believe that supporters of our mascot are ill intentioned, nor that they are likely to have a change of heart. Taking time to seek additional input, only to reach the same outcome, will likely frustrate and possibly anger those who take time to participate.” Superintendent Selesnick went on to say, “So although our Board of Education asked me to develop a process, last night I recommended a decision instead. In 2019, maintaining the mascot is at odds with our educational mission. If we are to teach our students the importance of truly listening when someone or some group tells us that our behavior or our words are harmful
or unwelcome, then we as a District should serve as a model.” This statement seemed to kill any hopes of a plebiscite (presumably as a ballot measure during the Nov. 5 local elections or the 2020 General Election) or substantial community deliberation. As reported by The Journal News, the Katonah-Lewisboro district administration agreed to ‘retire’ their mascot Nov. 7, but they have not yet chosen a new figure. Many community members have suggested that the district’s symbol should have more to do with the middle school’s and high school’s namesake, America’s first Chief Supreme Court Justice John Jay. Names such as the “John Jay Justices” or “John Jay Patriots” have been proposed as preliminary options.
Finally! The American Dream! By Max Edelman
After years of anticipation, construction delays, and mystery, the American Dream Mall in East Rutherford, New Jersey, finally opened its doors to the public Oct. 25, 2019. The mall, now the largest in North America, is built to be a major tourist destination just steps away from Metlife Stadium, home of the Giants and the Jets. American Dream is a megamall that is opening in phases over the next few months. The first phase, which opened in October, consists of the Nickelodeon Universe amusement park, which is now the largest indoor theme park in North America. It consists of roller coasters, thrill rides, and other amenities found at an everyday theme park. Also, an NHL sized ice rink opened in October. But it does not stop there for the American Dream Mall. On Nov. 27, 2019, the DreamWorks water park will open its doors to the public. Upon opening, it will be the largest indoor water park in the world. According to the American Dream website, when it opens, it will be home to 40 waterslides and 15 attractions. But the American Dream mall will not stop there. On Dec. 5, 2019, the BIG SNOW, an indoor
ski slope, will be the first indoor ski slope in America when it opens. Inside the slope, it will feature ski shops and other stores and restaurants that would make anyone feel like they are outside skiing in the mountains. And on top of it all, in March 2020, the mall itself will finally open and will over 400 shops and retail stores. It will also feature a bowling alley, miniature golf course, an aquarium, a children’s playspace, an indoor climbing wall, and an observation Ferris wheel. While it may seem at first glance this mall is a brand-new attraction that is just now taking the Northeast by storm, the construction of this mall did not come easy. According to The New York Times, the mall actually began construction in 2004, and after 15 long years of work halts, ownership changes, and other setbacks, the mall has finally opened its doors to the public. In 2004, the mall broke ground under the name Meadowlands Xanadu. At that point, it was owned by Mills Corporation (now Simon Property Group), a company that owned a number of different malls across the world and planned to open
the first indoor ski resort in the United States. The mall was set to be completed in 2007, but that was obviously not the case. And in 2008, the construction of Meadowlands Xanadu came to a halt.
A rendering of American Dream Meadowlands as it will look when completed. Photo courtesy of Forbes.
In 2008, Lehman Brothers went bankrupt, and in 2009, Lehman Brothers cut off funding for the project. And to make matters worse for the mall, many New Jersey residents began to criticize the exterior color scheme of the mall. According to NJ.com, New Jersey governor at the time Chris Christe called it the “ugliest damn building in New Jersey and maybe America.” The future of the mall was in doubt. But in 2011, the mall was purchased by the Triple Five Group. The Triple Five group were owners of two of the largest malls in North America: The Mall of America in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and the West Edmonton Mall in Alberta, Canada. According to the Triple Five website, upon purchasing the mall,
Triple Five planned to add a Water Park and an Amusement Park to the mall. And when they purchased the complex, they renamed it the American Dream Mall. In 2015, after a six-year work stoppage, the American Dream mall finally resumed. There was a short work stoppage in 2016 due to a delay in a bond sale needed for funding, but in 2017, after securing 1.6 Billion Dollars, Triple Five resumed construction for good. After 15 long years, the mall has finally opened its doors. And in March 2020, the mall will be completed. It is only a matter of time to see if the mall will be an American Dream or an American Flop.
Reports
Page 7
Representative Resigns By Steven Chase
Californian Democratic Representative Katie Hill stepped down from Congress Oct. 27. There have been many accusations and reasons why Katie Hill might have resigned, but the truth is slowly coming to light. According to a Twitter post by former Representative Katie Hill, she stated, “It is with a broken heart that today I announce my resignation from Congress. This is the hardest thing I have ever had to do, but I believe it is the best thing for my constituents, my community, and our country.” Inside this post, she also included her official statement of resignation. Katie Hill stepped down from Congress because of the allegations of having relationships with other staffers. According to The Washington Post, “Hill has acknowledged having a consensual relationship with a campaign staffer but has denied having a relationship with a staffer in her D.C. office.” Katie Hill denies the more serious claim that would be the reason for her to be kicked out of Congress. The rule is a relatively new one, passed during the #MeToo Movement. The law states that it
is illegal to “engage in a sexual relationship with any employee.” This means that Hill’s relationship with the Congressional staffer would be legal because they do not work for one another. However, the other relationship, with the staffer in her D.C. office, would be illegal because they work for each other. A frequently asked question is, why is she resigning if she denies some of the more severe claims? Hill hasn’t given a direct response to the questions such as this one simply saying, “I believe it is the best thing [her resignation] for my constituents, my community, and our country.” There is some irony to Hill being the first one to lose her seat due to these new rules, as the new laws were driven by Democrats to stop men from leveraging their power for sex. However, there is a lot of controversy about Katie Hill resigning. To a lot of supporters of Hill or just people who want more women in the house, this resignation seems extremely unfair. Hill has chosen to resign, the ethics investigation had just started, and Hill was not accused of sexual harassment. In Hill’s last speech in Congress, she railed the “double
standards” and “misogynistic culture.” Hill continued, “I’m leaving, but we have men who have been credibly accused of intentional acts of sexual violence and remain in boardrooms, on the Supreme Court, in this very body, and, worst of all, in the Oval Office,” she said on the House floor the day before she left office. Hill also claims that she is a victim of her Katie Hill’s final speech. Photo courtesy of ABC News. husband’s revenge. She stated that she Another photo shows her naked was in an unstable relationship with with a tattoo on her waist of the Iron her husband and was in the process Cross, a symbol used by the Nazis in of divorce. Hill’s husband posted World War II. explicit photos of her to the internet and the forum site “Reddit.” The imAs of Nov. 7, Hill’s position ages did not have Hill’s consent to be has not been filled. We will have to displayed. wait and see whether or not Hill’s seat will go red or stay blue. The photos have caused a lot of controversy. One photo shows Representative Hill smoking marijuana (the photo was taken before marijuana was legal in California).
YouTuber Ready to Change the World By Grant Doherty On Oct. 25, 2019, the YouTuber known as Mr. Beast posted a video that started a nationwide movement to plant trees. The YouTube star created a video of him, his friends, and a large group of volunteers attempting to plant 20 million trees. Jimmy Donaldson, Mr. Beast’s real name, got his start on YouTube in 2012 at the age of 13. While his channel is mostly run by Donaldson himself, he is almost always joined by a group of his friends. With years of making videos for the media platform, he has been able to gain millions of subscribers and has accumulated over a billion total views on his videos. In the past, whenever he would hit a million mark in his subscriber count, Jimmy would challenge that person to an activity. Then, if he completed it, he would give them whatever million the number was of something. Taking on the almost impossible challenge is nothing new for Mr. Beast and his crew. He has done things like driving around a drive through window 1,000 times and spending an absurd amount of money in a short time frame. After hitting the 20 million subscriber mark, Mr. Beast was
mechanical approach, Mr. Beast did what he does best and connected with people. Knowing that even a large group of volunteers would not come close to achieving the goal, Mr. Beast teamed up with Arbor Day Foundation. This is a non for profit organization that plants trees. Together, they set up a website called teamtrees.org, where a donation of one dollar is the same as donating one tree.
Mr. Beast’s 20,000,000 tree video cover. Photo courtesy of Mr. Beast YouTube.
looking for a challenge to celebrate the milestone. His fans took it upon themselves to create one. It took many Tweets and comments on videos, but the fans were finally heard. On Oct. 13, Mr. Beast took to Twitter and asked all creators to join the biggest collaboration “of all time.” Then, on Oct. 25, he told his subscribers on Twitter to watch his new video, and that it was very important. In the video, Jimmy is joined by a fellow YouTuber and a former NASA engineer Mark Rober, who helped put a rover on Mars. In the video, the two, joined by others,
spent the day planting 300 trees, and then they went their separate ways with one goal in mind. While Mr. Beast got onto social media and asked his vast following to come out to a field in Oregon to help out, Rober went further north into Washington and metwith a group called Done Seed. This is a group that is working on building and testing drones that have the ability to plant trees. The drones replace burnt trees after wildfires in places that are still too hot for humans.
With Mark taking a more
It is not just Mr. Beast trying to accomplish this feat. He has help from over 600 other YouTubers. #Teemtrees is what the movement is called, and it is being backed by big names like PewDiePie, The Slow Mo Guys, and even Marshmello, who all have double-digit million subscribers. Along with other YouTubers, the movement had been gathering attention from billionaires and news networks. According to the team trees website, Elon Musk donated the second most money, at $1 million. He was only outdone by Tobi Lutke, who donated 1 million and one dollars. As of Nov. 11, 2019, there have been 14,747,661 trees planted. If you are interested in donating to team trees, go to teamtrees.org and choose the amount of money you would like to donate.
Reviews
Page 8
The Joker’s ControversySPOILER ALERT A Movie Review by Samuel Aidan The thriller film “Joker,” directed and written by Todd Philips, will leave you trembling after the movie. The movie’s star-studded cast includes Joaquin Phoenix as the Joker, Zazie Beetz as Sophie Dumond, Robert De Niro as Murray Franklin, and Brett Cullen as Thomas Wayne. The blockbuster release was Friday, Oct. 4, 2019. Much controversy has surrounded the movie due to the sick plot that tells the story of a troubled adult living with his mother. The Joker, played by Joaquin Phoenix, is a poor clown in Gotham that is not able to stop laughing, even if it doesn’t match his feelings. This issue causes him to face the “bullies” of Gotham city and eventually lose his job. On the subway home after being fired as a clown, he starts uncontrollably laughing at a group of three Wall Street men. When they confront him, he continues to laugh in their faces. This angers them, and they begin to beat him up. While they are kicking him, the Joker pulls out a gun that he was given by a colleague and shoots the three men. This starts his insanity, and he goes on a killing spree, harming his workers, “Murray Franklin,” and even his own mother. All these violent acts cause a movement from the underworld of Gotham toward Thomas Wayne and his capitalistic ideas. The movie grossed $93.5 million in revenue in its first week showing. A large amount of this was contributed by the controversy surrounding the gory, serial-killer plot. People believe that it promotes violence and killing for satisfaction. Hauntingly, throughout the movie, Arthur Fleck, the soon-to-be Joker, would peacefully dance after killing his victims. Furthermore, the movie uses music made by convicted pedophile Gary Glitter. Critics also believe that as Arthur Fleck inspires a movement of mass violence throughout Gotham City, the movie itself may inspire a movement of violence and mass shootings around the world. The Outline, however, dismisses this idea of “the assumption that violent media breeds violent behavior.” (SPOILER ALERT) The one thing that changes this whole controversy is the fact that we do not even know if the movie is reality or if it is just in the Joker’s mentally unstable mind. Throughout the movie, the animations hint to a hallucinatory state, especially regarding his “girlfriend” and his fantasy of the Murray Franklin Show. These contradictory scenes allude to the fact that the
Joker cover. Picture courtesy of Forbes Magazine
Joker is really killing all these people and starting a movement. Rather, in the last scene of the movie, it cuts to Arthur laughing and talking to his therapist in Arkham, like the beginning of the story with Arthur banging his head in the same room. This led many to believe that the whole story was just happening in his head while he was in that room. This ending seems regular for a Joker story, since his origins have always been unknown and are a puzzle to solve. Phillips, the director, said that one of the main influences for the film was an original comic called “The Killing Joke” in 1988. In this graphic novel, the Joker tells the audience that if he were to have a past he, “[Prefers] it to be multiple choice.” Phillips also said that the Joker’s character in this movie may not even be the one that eventually will fight against Batman. He gave this away when he said, “We would never do that. No, no. We’d just want to see where [Arthur] goes from there.” This leads the audience to believe that the Joker in this story may have influenced another character to become the one that audiences know. In the end, Phillips gave Entertainment Tonight some insight about the future of this series regarding the puzzling ending of the first movie. He said, “One day I will say what we think and what we meant when we were writing it.” I believe that the movie was a genius masterpiece, but I understand how people might become upset after seeing the movie. The message that psychopaths should be glorified for their craziness also did not sit well with me. The ending was probably the most important, as well as the hardest part to understand. It made us wonder if the whole movie was just a big joke that Arthur thought up as an Arkham patient. Like the Joker said to the therapist and everyone watching, “You wouldn’t get it.”
‘Madden 20’: The Best ‘Madden’ Yet? A Video Game Review Jacob Ross
I’ve always been a huge fan of sports games, specifically the “Madden” games, and I always look forward to playing the game right when it comes out. “Madden 18” was my game, and I would play it almost daily. Once “19” came out, I thought it would be difficult to beat, but it ended up exceeding expectations. I knew “Madden 20” would have to be even better, especially because it’s the season celebrating the 100th year of the NFL.
The first thing that I noticed right when I played my first game was the visual quality, as every year “Madden” games continue to improve how “real” they look. If, however, you’re a fan of franchise mode, you may not be too happy. Many players are either rated too high or too low. For instance, Philip Rivers is rated in front of Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, and this year’s front runner for league MVP Russell Wilson. Although this isn’t new for the “Madden” games, the cards for Ultimate team aren’t as welldesigned According to Electronic Arts (EA) Sports, “Madden 20” improved the fluidity of player movement, which was destined to happen. Players can sprint and change directions, and a wide receiver can move up the field without stopping. In the past, “Madden” only had franchise mode, where you are able to create a player and play with him, but this year’s “Madden” allows you to go into the college playoffs and then compete in the combine. This feature is almost supposed to replicate the show QB 1 by taking your player through the journey instead of going straight to the draft. Additionally, you receive new Madden Ultimate Team or MUT missions and new superstar X-factor players, including last year’s league MVP Patrick Mahomes with perfect passing accuracy on cross body throws. There are some cons to this excellent game, however. Many
Patrick Mahomes., Photo courtesy of Xbox wire
people have been complaining about the clock management and how the whole “no huddle” is ruined. Also, the CPU is much too easy, and if you have played the more recent “Maddens,” you can easily throw up the middle and burn the DBs. The spin move, one of my personal favorites, went from being overpowered to non-existent. Lastly, the players look strange while their helmets are on, but the game’s facial features have improved. When their helmets are on, they look more cartoonish. Even though the game starts at $59.99, there are a few different editions which include additional Ultimate Team Players and packs. The Superstar Edition costs $79.00, which includes seven gold team fantasy packs and a small training quick sell pack. The Ultimate Superstar Edition is the most expensive edition on the market, and it includes 10 gold team fantasy packs, large training quick sell pack, past and present elite player pack, and a “Madden” championship series pack. After playing the game and previous “Madden” games, I would say the Standard Edition is worth it, but the Superstar Edition and the Ultimate Superstar Edition are a bit overpriced. The extra “Madden” packs shouldn’t cost over $10, and if you pay extra money, there has to be an addition to it. Overall, the game is pretty solid, and I give it an 8/10. Even with that rating, I’m expecting EA Sports to make next year even better, but in the meantime, buy “Madden 20.”
Year Two of Scintilla: cont. from cover.
has to do in the process this year, and he stated, “We don’t have a direct role in choosing groups. They told us that the school will be taking money from grade trips and putting it into Scintilla, so each can have their own budget for each trip. We are making sure money is used properly.” Lastly, The Pulse interviewed Mrs. Mahony, because what would a Scintilla article be without her? When asked about her reflections on Scintilla, Mrs. Mahony said, “I was really happy with it. We figured out a lot of things on the way.”
She continued, “To improve this year, we put in an add-drop period in February so students can test out the Scintilla group and, if needed, make a change. Also, we have scheduled more Scintilla meetings throughout the school year in an effort to support the program as a year-long process that will culminate in those final Scintilla days. I think in year two, everyone will have a better idea of how to use them.” After all the interviews, it is safe to say that Scintilla will get even better from here on out.