February 2020 Volume 20 Issue 3
Featured in this issue: l Reports l News from The Harv l Reviews
Australia in Crisis By Max Edelman
While most of the world enjoyed a fresh and happy new year, Australia has experienced quite the opposite. More than 100 fires burned throughout Australia, killing thousands of animals in the process and destroying millions of homes as record-high temperatures have ravaged the island nation. And, as of now, there is no end in sight. Wildfires in Australia are not uncommon in the summertime. Hot and dry temperatures in the summer do make it prone to wildfires. But since the fires began in late July, the number of fires continues to grow. According to CNN, air quality in Sydney measured “11 times the hazardous level” in late December. CNN reports that, as of Jan. 13, more than 2,000 homes have been destroyed, and 28 people have died, and that number is projected to rise. Fires have hit each state in Australia but have hit the hardest in New South Wales in the lower part of the country.
While the fires may not be permanent, the damage they caused will last forever. According to the BBC, half a billion animals have been affected by these fires. It is believed that a third of all koalas in New South Wales have been killed as well as hundreds of different species of mammals, birds, and reptiles. The fires in Australia show no signs of stopping either. The fire season in Australia usually hits its peak in the months of January and February, and until the Australian summer concludes, there is
little firefighters can do to contain these fires. However, Australia is making a very large effort to contain these fires. Many people and businesses around the world have pitched in to help end the wildfires. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos donated $690, 000, and according to the BBC, as of Jan. 7, there has been $30 million raised in Australia relief efforts and that amount is sure to grow as the year progresses.
Australia in Crisis: cont. on inside cover.
Harvey Sports: Four Straight for Hockey By Ben Goodman
Harvey’s hockey team cruised to a 6-0 victory Friday, Dec. 13, against Kiski School from the town of Saltsburg in Pennsylvania. Two Harvey defensemen, sophomore Will Welburn and senior captain James Mettler, scored two goals each to lead the onslaught. The Cavaliers got off to a quick start in the first, scoring three times in the opening frame. Sophomore Luke Potter, playing in his first game of the season, found Welburn at the point just 2:34 into the game. Welburn’s wrist shot found the top corner to open the scoring 1-0. Despite seeing Kiski become more physical, Harvey continued to find opportunities. Mettler picked off a neutral zone pass and broke to the goal, firing a low shot past the Kiski goalie for a 2-0 lead. Later in the period, the Cavs found themselves on the power play and extended their lead to 3-0 on a Jacob Ross wrist shot from the slot.
The Harvey School 260 Jay Street Katonah, NY 10536
According to the BBC, as of Jan. 9, over 130 fires are burning across New South Wales and more than 50 of these fires remain uncontained. 1,800 houses in New South Wales have currently been destroyed leaving millions homeless. The fires in Australia. Photo courtesy of the Wall Street Journal.
Harvey coach Alex Morse said, “We pushed the pace of play and were solid in our own end getting back defensively.” In the second period, the game saw both teams occupy the penalty box on many occasions. The only goal of the period came from Mettler, who once again picked off a pass in the neutral zone and ripped a shot past the goalie from the high slot. Early in the final period, Jacob Ross passed the puck to Welburn who again shoved a wrist shot past the goalie from the point. The Cavs added a power
School in Stamford, Conn., where the Cavaliers hit the ice for the final time in 2019.
The Cavaliers huddling before their matchup against Hamden Hall on December 15th, 2019. Photo courtesy of Ben Goodman.
play goal later in the period for their final goal. With a 6-0 lead, Harvey focused on preserving the shutout, working to make sure to limit Kiski’s odd-man situations. “This was our best defensive effort this year as we limited second-chance shots and got back defensively all afternoon,” Coach Morse said. Goalie Jake Hellinger made several big saves during Kiski power plays. He stopped 23 shots for his first shutout of the season, along with the first of his Cavalier career. The victory improved Harvey’s record to 2-1 on the young season. The Cavaliers then played two league games this week, hosting Hamden Hall Monday, Dec. 16, and beating them in 10-0 fashion. They then traveled Wednesday, Dec. 18, to play league rivals King
The Cavs started fast in each of the first two periods and continued their excellent play to earn a 5-0 road victory. During the 30 seconds of the game, after some heavy forechecking by senior captain Luke Baumgartner, Aidan Cammisa came up with a loose puck behind the goal and found freshman Jordan Freund wide open in the slot. Freund collected his first goal as a Cavalier. Later in the period, Freund added his second of the game off another Cammisa pass to put the Cavs up 2-0. The secondary assist went to Will Welburn. Harvey outshot the Vikings 16-7 in the period. The second period saw Harvey strike quickly again. While King was on the power play, James Mettler poked a puck past a defenseman for a breakaway. His shorthanded goal gave Harvey a 3-0 just 23 seconds into the period. Less than a minute later, Cammisa found Baumgartner in front to score Harvey’s fourth goal. Again, Harvey outshot the Vikings 16-6 in the period. Baumgartner collected his second goal of the game halfway through the final period, when he found a rebound off the stick of Welburn and sent a shot past the King goalie to close out the scoring, 5-0. Harvey Sports...: cont. on page 5
OP/ ED
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The Memes Must Stop The Pulse Staff
Dear Editor, In the recent turn of events between the United States and Iran, much “buzz” has been flowing around the internet through Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, and most of all, Instagram. The “buzz” could not be farther from the truth and is worrying many Americans. Many social media pages have been posting memes calling this conflict World War III. A meme is a humorous image, video, piece of text, etc., that is copied (often with slight variations) and spread rapidly by internet users.
Editor-in-Chief Daniel Patrick Galgano
These memes started Jan. 1 after President Donald Trump killed an Iranian terrorist in Iraq. This sparked controversy, and famous meme pages took advantage of it by deeming the tensions World War III. Many children were even getting excited in videos about going to Iran to fight with their boys! Numerous videos on Tik Tok and Instagram show friends dancing with one another after getting a text that they had been drafted. Other videos also depict people making their case as to why they should not be drafted to the war.
Sports Editor Jacob Reid
Some memes even talk about the skills that regular people have learned from shooter games such as “Call of Duty,” “Fortnite,” and “GTA.” In the pictures about these shooter games, people state how different video game players would handle themselves in Iran.
Samuel Aidan Thomas Buchmueller Steven Chase Grant Doherty Max Edelman Ben Goodman Lauren Grauer Jacob Ross
Some memes have even suggested the idea of a draft to the army for teenagers around the world. One, in particular, shows a video of President Trump walking up to the presidential podium to the music of the NBA draft. This compares it to a sports draft where people are taken in order of the highest demand. This is outright disrespectful to soldiers who have prepared for years in combat training to protect our nation. The memes lessen the worth of real soldiers and also veterans who have fought for the United States in the past. The memes about the draft twist the story so much because our army has more than enough manpower, weapons, and skill level/strategy. Thus, the jokes mostly worry uneducated people about the situation. Many people have said that, although the jokes can be funny, they are also just scary to see. I believe that the people spreading these jokes about a serious issue should be stopped. The adolescents see these memes and just become more confused. Most of the people who are spreading the memes do not even know about the real issues. Instead, they just follow the trend of posting these pictures just to get popularity and likes. The people seeing the memes are also part of the problem. They repost these memes on their page, sharing them with their followers. This starts the internet cycle of viral memes.
Faculty Advisor Virginia Holmes
In this case, the people that can actually stop the memes are we the viewers. If we do not give these memes the attention that they are looking for, the creators will stop posting them to social media. In addition, the lack of knowledge about the situation is mostly related to the main problem: social media. Most people nowadays receive all or almost all of their news from social media. Sometimes the news can be trusted, but many times, the posts are just rumors that are circulating through different pages and accounts.
Since there is so much false news going around social media right now, but people looking for what is really happening should look at real news sources. Some of these include BBC, Fox, CNN, NBC, or The New York Times. Readers, please use better sources to attain your news. Importantly, these memes and the spreading of these memes need to stop. Sincerely, Samuel Aidan
Australia in crisis: cont. from cover.
However, this money will not nearly cover the damage caused by these fires. According to The New York Times, the damage will cost an estimated $3 billion. However, much of the damage has no price tag as much of what has been lost is irreplaceable.
Winter 2020 Pulse Staff
The loss of nearly one billion animals already has begun to destroy species forever. However, there are ways that members of the community can help Australia recover from these horrible events. There are many different websites and services that are hosting donations that promise to donate all proceeds to the fires in New South Wales, such as Google and the Red Cross. Even here at Harvey, things are being done in an effort to assist Australia. On the bul-
letin board on the stairs to the lower hallway in Carter Hall, there was a poster that includes facts, statistics, and information regarding the fires. This bulletin board was created by Harvey’s Environmental Club. It is going to be a long, painful road for Australia. The summer has just begun, and if nothing is done and done soon, it could be a long summer for the island nation. It is very important for the world to step up and help Australia. The entire koala species could depend on it.
News from the Harv
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The Light in the Dark: The Wells Speech Contest By Daniel Patrick Galgano
On the Thursday before Winter Break, The Harvey School student body attended our yearly event full of grand oratory, persuasive speeches, and emotional stories: the Wells Speech Competition. After three weeks of painstaking writing, editing, practicing, and public speaking, the finalists for the Wells Speech Competition stood before the student body and a panel of judges to present their persuasive speeches. For the Speech Competition, all English teachers ask their students to produce a three to five-minute persuasive speech about a topic which they are passionate about. Students then spend two to three weeks polishing their speeches before presenting them. The first round of the competition occurs in students’ individual English classes, where the teacher (and in some classes, even the students) decide on two contestants to proceed to the semifinals. The three-day semifinal round started Dec. 13, when students were asked to perform their persuasive speeches to a panel of English
teachers. Those teachers then pick two contestants from each grade (in both the Middle School and High School) to move onto the final round. At last, the Wells Speech Contest Finals took place Dec. 19. The entire student body and faculty were ushered into the Ladson Theatre to hear the speeches of all 15 middle school and upper school finalists. The finalists gave speeches on a variety of topics, including homelessness, societal pressure on women, LGBTQ+ representation, and statistics. Finalists for the Middle School included sixth-graders Ryan Dey and Nicholas Ritenis, seventhgraders Ryan Byrne and Helen Katis, and eighth-graders Anissa Khanna and Riannah Wallach. Finalists for the Upper School were freshmen Jacob Weisberger and Emiliana Knauer, sophomores Zachary Grann and Wendy Lichtenberg, juniors Elias Lichten, Sadie Radzin, and Joseph DiGrandi, and seniors Allan Dilone Rodriguez and Jacob Sklar.
However, in the end, the
three-judge panel announced Annissa Khanna, who gave the speech “G.R.I.T.” and Jacob Sklar (who is also The Pulse’s Sports Editor), writer of “Not about Winning and Losing.” The Pulse sat down with Sklar to discuss his speech and his experience with the contest. Sklar stated that his speech was a “very emotional topic” for him, and that it was “very fresh.” Sklar came up with his speech topic after his cousin succumbed to cancer late last year. Sklar said that he chose Wells Speech Competition winner Jacob Sklar. to give the speech because he Photo courtesy of Daniel Patrick Galgano. felt that many of his family and friends implied that his cousin as an opportunity to open up about tophad “lost” to his disease, and that he ics on which they would not normally disagreed with that description. speak publicly. He stated, “This is the platform for everyone to say what’s Sklar was an eleventh-grade on their mind…students should take finalist in last year’s contest, so, while advantage of that.” he described the experience as nervewracking, he said it was less so than The Harvey School English last year, due to his prior experience. department always chooses a panel of judges from outside of the Harvey When asked what he thought community to select the winners of the students should take away from his speech, Sklar stated that he hoped The Light in the Dark: cont. on back cover. students would take the speech contest
Reports Rest in Peace Juice WRLD By Steven Chase
Juice WRLD, also known as Jarad Anthony Higgins, was pronounced dead at the age of 21 on Dec. 8. Higgins was at Chicago’s Midway airport when he had a medical emergency. Higgins was an influential rapper who came out with many top-chart songs that date back to the beginning of 2018. Higgins initially hit his first break and began gaining popularity back in May 2018, when he released his single “Lucid Dreams,” which hit No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. After that, it was nothing but up for Higgins, releasing new music that would end up doing well.
When the police searched Higgins’ plane, authorities stated they found “it was carrying approximately 70 pounds of marijuana in 41 vacuumsealed bags; six bottles of liquid prescription codeine cough syrup, three firearms, including two 9 mm pistols and a .40-caliber pistol, along with metal-piercing bullets and a highcapacity ammunition magazine.” As of now, there have been no drug charges placed on any of Higgins’s friends and crew. Authorities are saying that all of them are being cooperative since the death of Higgins.
Back in 2019, Higgins was on his private jet and was seen in high spirits, joking around and having a fun time with his friends. When they landed and walked out of the airport, everything changed in an instant.
There has, however, been gun possession charges. According to The New York Times, “Two men identified as security guards for Mr. Higgins — Christopher Long, 36, and Henry Dean, 27 — were charged with misdemeanors for illegally possessing guns and ammunition.”
Higgins supposedly had a “medical emergency,” according to the police, but the real cause of death is unknown as of Dec. 16. The police were waiting outside of the airport for Higgins to arrest him.
Even at the beginning of January, the cause of death has much speculation to it. It has been noted that the rapper had a seizure most likely caused by the multiple Percocet pills that he took in an attempt to hide from the police.
The police were initially going to search Juice and his crew because of a tip that the pilot of the airplane they were on gave to the police. The information had allowed Chicago police to have a suspicion of contraband on the plane. According to the Chicago Juice WRLD performing. Photo courtesy of Vox. Tribune, “officers and agents had been waiting at the Atclaim it was a standard luggage check lantic Aviation hangar at Midway early that led to his bust.” It was shown Sunday because they suspected the pri- that Higgins’ friends and supporters vate plane was carrying contraband.” attempted to say that Higgins was targeted because he was a young, rich, Higgins’ friends and famblack man. ily have said that Juice WRLD’s death and search at the airport were a Higgins’ family has come part of an elaborate pattern of racial out to try to use Higgins’s death as an profiling. The accusations date back example to others on the reality of batto 2018 when the rapper’s bags were tling with prescription drug addictions put through x-rays and set off alarms. or any drug addiction. Higgins’ mother When the bag was searched, 2 ounces said to TMZ, “Addiction knows no of marijuana and codeine were found. boundaries, and its impact goes way Higgins was arrested, and the police beyond the person fighting it.” His went out to say that it was a standard family reminds his listeners of how procedure. Higgins expressed his problems with addiction in his music. TMZ reports, “Juice WRLD’s 2018 arrest at LaGuardia Airport had Higgins’ funeral, attended by nothing to do with racial profiling -- so friends and family, was Friday, Dec. say law enforcement sources… who 13.
Reports
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U.S. and Iran Conflict By Grant Doherty
While the world celebrated the new decade, the U.S. and Iran started a standoff that could have resulted in a war. According to the BBC, a U.S. drone strike targeted and destroyed a convoy carrying an Iran military leader named General Qasem Soleimani. In a tweet, President Trump wrote that Soleimani was responsible for the deaths of thousands of Americans. After a few days of intense standoff, Iran responded to America’s action by firing missiles targeting U.S. military bases in the Middle East. President Trump said in a news conference that no one was killed in the missile strike, and that he wants to start negotiations with Iran and not war. While many people look at these conflicts as the U.S. “versus” Iran, they have a much greater world effect than meets the eye. First, take a look at Iraq. According to the BBC, Soleimani’s convoy was destroyed just a few miles away from an airport located in Baghdad, Iraq. Then after many stressedfilled days, Iran bombed U.S. military bases once again in Iran. To recap, both the U.S. and Iran launched missile attacks, and both of those attacks hit Iraqi soil, a nation
that has nothing to do with the conflict. However, this intense standoff has affected more than Middle Eastern nations with missile strikes. Since Iran controls a large portion of the world’s oil reserves, the threat of war has had an effect on the planet’s oil prices. In an article by BBC, it is stated that the price has “soared by more than 4%.”
People cleaning after the missile hit the Ukraine passenger plane. Photo courtesy of France 24.
This has monstrous effects on the planet because these last several weeks might be just the beginning. If the conflict continues to stay the way it is or worsens, there is a chance that oil and gas could be in short supplies as they were during The Cold War. Another aspect that many people overlook is the effect that this could have on the Middle Eastern cold war. This version is much like the one that the U.S. fought against the Soviet Union. The one difference is this one is on a much lower scale. According to a YouTube video by Vox, the war is fought by American ally Saudi Arabia and Iran. Like cold wars of the past, these two nations have fought each
other through proxy wars. However, the question is would Saudi Arabia take this chance to declare war officially on Iran? Another impact that these events have on the world is Iran’s attempt to create and stockpile nuclear weapons. Back in 2015, Iran agreed to disassemble much of its nuclear weapons. However, in 2018 President Trump pulled the U.S. out of the deal because he felt that it was not good enough. From then until now, Iran continued to slowly get rid of its dangerous weapons, but that stopped after the killing of Soleimani. Feeling angered by America, “Iran announced plans to
halt most of its commitments to the deal,” as stated in an article by Council on Foreign Relations. No outside country has been affected quite as much as Ukraine. According to an article by USA Today, when Iran was firing missiles at the U.S. bases, they hit a flight full of people. The plane was struck by a missile, resulting in the deaths of 176 people. The world will continue to watch as this conflict continues to unfold.
The Hate that Needs to End By Jacob Ross
Throughout time, there has been much hate toward Jewish people, but now, specifically in the month of December, there was an unusual amount. Although the Dec. 28 Monsey attack at a Hanukkah event was the most known, there was an attack almost every night of Hanukkah. According to The Brooklyn Eagle, there were four attacks over a 30-hour period, including three in Brooklyn. The spree began on the second day of Hanukkah when two young boys ages 6 and 7 were attacked from behind at 8:40 p.m. They suffered minor injuries. According to the New York Post, a NYPD representative said, “It’s usually better safe than sorry,” and it is being investigated as a hate crime. Councilmember Stephan Levin of the Brooklyn area tweeted, “It pains me to hear that the antiSemitism that we are seeing — which is often directed at those Jews who are ID’ed by their clothing — is being directed at children in their own building.” Levin went on, saying, “Every person of good faith has to call this out [and] ensure hate has no place among our children.”
On the same day, according to The Brooklyn Eagle, a man was attacked wearing a yakama on the Upper East Side. On the following day, two more attacks occurred in Brooklyn. A 25-year-old man experienced antiSemitic slurs being yelled at him while he was walking on Kingston Avenue. However, no one was injured. One of the men who was yelling took a video and even threw a drink at him. Later in the day, a 56-year-old man walking on Union Street was attacked from behind by a group of people. He refused any medical attention. All these incidents are being investigated by the NYPD’s Hate Crime Task Force. Regional Director for ADL New York and New Jersey Evan Bernstein said, “We are appalled at the sheer frequency and aggressive nature of these incidents. They’re made particularly heinous by the fact they are occurring during a time when society is supposed to come together in peace for the holidays, and as the Jewish community is particularly on edge as it’s reeling from the deadly attack in Jersey City on December 10.” On the same day, gunmen shot a Jersey city police officer to death before going to JC Kosher supermarket where they opened fired and killed six people, leaving the commu-
nity in shock. Mayor Bill de Blasio even had something to say, stating, “It’s not enough to condemn anti-Semitism — we have to confront it,” which he tweeted Dec. 10. “The despicable crimes commitMemorial event in Jerusalem. ted against our Photo courtesy of The Jerusalem Post. Jewish community over The New York Police Dethe last 24 hours are an attack on ALL partment announced that the suspect New Yorkers. The NYPD is actively had been arrested in Harlem and was investigating all of them and will bring turned over to the authorities in Rockthe perpetrators to justice” (Brooklyn land County, which is around where Eagle). the attack took place. The suspect is a 38-year-old man named Grafton The last known Anti-Semitic Thomas. However, they have yet to event took place Dec. 28, 2019, at a prove it was him. rabbi’s house, where five people were stabbed and were in critical condi All this hate must end, and tion. At 10 p.m., many people were if anyone sees or hear’s about any sort celebrating Hanukkah at Chaim Rotof anti-Semitism, speak up. It can save tenberg, a Rabbi in Monsey, an area many lives! with the largest ultra-Orthodox Jewish population. According to The New York Times, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo visited the rabbi’s home on that Sunday morning and called the attack an “act of domestic terrorism.”
Sports News
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Remembering Mamba By Max Edelman
On Jan. 26, 2020, basketball, America, and the world lost a hero when NBA legend Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, and seven others died in a helicopter accident in Calabasas, California. According to CNN, the helicopter dropped more than 2,000 feet a minute before crashing into the side of a hill. The death of Kobe Bryant sent shockwaves across the world, and for good reason. The impact he had as a basketball player, as a parent, and as a person will not be forgotten. Kobe Bryant was drafted No. 13 overall during the 1996 NBA draft straight out of high school by the then New Orleans Hornets but was traded to the Lakers on the night of the draft. What the Hornets and the rest of the NBA did not realize at the time was that the Lakers had traded for an NBA legend. Kobe Bryant immediately made an impact in the NBA. During his rookie season, Bryant was a member of the NBA’s all-rookie team. But he continued to grow as a player and was an all-star for the first time in his second season. According to Basketball Reference, over the course of his career, Bryant would make the all-star game 18 times, the second-most for
any NBA player. Only Kareem Abdul Jabbar has more, with 19. Bryant’s accomplishments did not stop there. Bryant led the Lakers to five NBA championships over the course of his 20-year career. He was also NBA MVP during the 200708 season and won five NBA championships during his time in Los Angeles. The entire sports world seemed to stop that day. However, despite the tragedy, six NBA games were still scheduled to be played that day. NBA teams still found ways to pay tribute to Bryant. During the SpursRaptors game the day of the crash, both teams started the game by taking 24-second shot clock violations, paying tribute to the No. 24 that Bryant wore for the majority of his career. Some NBA players did not play following the tragedy. Nets point guard Kyrie Irving and Thunder point guard Chris Paul both sat out their games following the death of Bryant due to the connections they had with him. However, games continued to be played around the league. The impact that Bryant had on the lives of millions was immediately evident. Lakers legend Jerry West called the day Bryant died the “worst
day of his life.” Shaquille O’Neal, long time teammate of Bryant, told TNT, “My spirit left my body, I wish I could say one thing, one last thing to the people we lost.” The Lakers were scheduled to play their first game after the tragedy on Jan. 28 against the Clippers, but the game was postponed. Instead, on Jan. 31, Kobe and Gianna Bryant. Photo courtesy of Fox News the Lakers played their first game at tion tonight. This is a celebration of home against the Trail Blazers. the 20 years of the blood, the sweat, the tears, the broken-down body...the The game was a celebration determination to be as great as he could of Kobe Bryant’s life. While Usher’s be.” performance of “Amazing Grace” and cellist Ben Hong gave beautiful perforThe final sentence of James’ mances, it was Lebron James’ pregame speech was the most moving. “In the speech that gave the true perspective words of Kobe Bryant, Mamba out. on what Bryant meant to him, the But in the words of us, never forgotNBA, to his family, and to the world. ten. Live on, brother.” Kobe Bryant might have been taken from us, but the Lebron James started the impact he had on the world will never, speech by immediately dismissing the ever be forgotten. speech he had previously written and said he would “speak from the heart.” He stated, “I look at this as a celebra-
Shredding the Gnar: The 2020 Harvey Ski Team By Jacob Reid
Ski season is underway at Harvey. After a lot of losses in team members, including captains Morgan Chapman and Alex Breitenbach along with other senior Olivia Ciancio, the team has a lot of new skiers this year. New captain Colin Hogan said in an interview with The Pulse, “It is exciting to have new members of the team this year that we can bond with and learn how to become better together.” Hogan said that the team will likely be carried by himself and other senior Spencer Waxman. Hogan stated, “Spencer and I will be the leaders of the team. We have the most experience and are excited for the upcoming season.” Hogan went on to say, “The Harvey Ski Team is excited to add new members like Dylan to our team this year.” Last year, the ski team had a productive season. In the Harvey roundup, coach Simon Lebovic said, “Harvey had a strong showing, with three top-10 finishers. Of a field of 48 racers, co-captain Sebastian Wallach finished third with a time of 90 seconds while co-captain Alex Breitenbach finished fourth with a total time of 93 seconds, and Alex Olsen finished seventh with a total time 98 seconds.”
ter than I thought they would be, and they are big contributions to our team this year. Hopefully they will continue to grow as skiers and get us more wins in competition.”
Hogan is very excited for the rest of the season, and it will be interesting and intriguing to watch the Harvey Ski team.
The Harvey Coed School Ski Team. Photo courtesy of the Harvey School Development Department.
The team also had a very strong start to begin this year, and the ski team had a positive showing, with senior Spencer Waxman winning the meet. The Harvey website roundup stated, “Senior Spencer Wacksman came in first place Wednesday in the first race of the season for the Harvey coed ski team at Mohawk Mountain Ski Area in Cornwall, Connecticut… Wacksman finished No. 1 in a field of 38 skiers.” Also, according to the Roundup from the meet, “Wacksman’s winning time of 36.20 seconds was just one second better than the secondplace skier. His teammate, sophomore Asher Berni, finished strong at No. 10. Three other Harvey skiers finished in
the top 20 with Alex Piper at No. 13, Evan Goldblum at No. 15, and Colin Hogan at No. 17. Lilly Sanders at No. 27 finished with the best time among the girls on the Harvey team.” The races consist of the skiers weaving their way through cones and going down the mountain as fast as possible to win. Skiers have to go wide around each gage to get down the mountain, which can be difficult due to the lack of snow making the mountain conditions not great. Sophomores Asher Berni and Alex Piper have been off to impressive starts individually as well, finishing in the top 15 in the recent competitions. Hogan says he’s very impressed with the newcomers, stating, “They’re bet-
Harvey Sports...: cont. from cover.
“I thought we created a lot of quality scoring chances,” said Coach Morse. “We tip our cap to the King goaltender who was excellent in defeat, but I liked our puck movement,” Coach Morse added. Jake Hellinger was once again excellent, stopping all 23 shots he faced for his third consecutive shutout of the season. “I was really proud of the way we played defensively against King, with everybody backchecking and being aware of their positioning on the ice,” Coach Morse said. After the Cavaliers gave up seven goals in their first game, they have allowed only one goal in the last four games. Harvey went into the winter break at 4-1 overall and 3-1 in the FAA.
Sports News
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HVAL Roundup: Not Much Luck at the Court By Ben Goodman
Harvey’s girls varsity basketball team was hoping to get in the win column Wednesday, Jan. 8, in their first game of the new year. Sadly, injuries to two starters and many missed shots contributed to a 54-30 loss to HVAL rival Christian Heritage in Trumbull, Connecticut. Harvey coach Robert Bruckner said his girls, who played Dec. 18, “looked very rusty after the long break.” The coach saw his team do well on defense, highlighted by a solid performance by freshman Emi Knauer. Harvey struggled to keep pace with Christian Heritage, who controlled the boards and connected on six of nine attempts from the foul line. The Cavaliers made only one of seven shots from the line. Freshman Kira Ortega had the hot hand for Harvey, picking up where she left off before the break, netting a team-high 24 points. Despite seeing his team lose for the fourth time in four tries, Coach Bruckner thought his girls had some good moments that fell short. “We were playing some very good defense, but we couldn’t secure the ball, and as a result, we gave Christian Heritage too many opportunities to score,” Coach Bruckner said. While the girls suffered a loss, the boys varsity basketball team
celebrated the new year Wednesday, Jan. 8, with a big 62-57 comeback victory at home team against HVAL rival Christian Heritage. It was a low-scoring game in the first half, as the two teams battled to a 21-21 tie at halftime.
their first six games to start the season, the Cavaliers are poised to turn the page looking forward to the second half of the season. They are now 2-2 in the league and 2-5 overall.
The visitors were taking control of the game in the second half before the Cavaliers fought back and took the lead on junior point guard Syrreal Watson’s basket and ensuing foul shot. Watson finished with 14 points, as did sophomore Kirk Ortega, who also recorded three steals. Sophomore Charlie Hildebrandt’s two 3-pointers played a big role in helping the Cavs seal the victory.
Harvey’s JV girls basketball team also were in action Thursday, Jan. 9, against Wooster. Playing the match on Wooster’s home court in Danbury, the two teams were deadlocked until the final two minutes of the game, when the home Generals pulled out a 13-10 hard-fought victory in a low-scoring match.
Senior Kaden Humphrey had a team-high seven rebounds, along with Ryan Horowitz dominating down low with 17 rebounds. Sophomore Sam Alexander won the game’s Sportsmanship Award.
After the Wooster girls grabbed an early 6-2 lead in the first quarter, the Harvey girls had a string of solid passes that led to baskets to tie the score at 8-8. Each team’s defense kicked in as the score remained knotted for the remainder of the second quarter and throughout the entirety of the third.
“I’m so proud of the players who got a chance to come off the bench and stand up against a tough opponent,” said Harvey head coach Denis Arnautovic. “I believe that we have the team this year, and all we have to do is look inside the paint for easy buckets and do the pressure defense correctly and know when to use it,” Coach Arnautovic added.
Having won only one of
Coach Robert Bruckner addressing the team during their game against Christian Heritage. Photo courtesy of Ben Goodman.
The teams traded baskets in the fourth quarter to make it a 10-10 game with just two minutes remaining. Harvey and Wooster remained stalled on offense before the hosts pulled the game away on a game-winning 3-pointer. “The Harvey girls were excellent on defense and in creating posi-
tive turnovers through many steals,” said coach Samantha Saraniti. Celia Baer had a standout game, leading Harvey in scoring with six points and grabbing eight rebounds, recording a steal, and blocking the Wooster girls with a couple of very emphatic blocks. Freshman Loveleigh Viera was strong under the boards with eight rebounds. Sophomore captain Wendy Lichtenberg was a force on defense in making four steals. “Although we didn’t win this game, it was a competitive event and very high energy,” Coach Saraniti said. “We know what we need to work on before our next game,” she added. As of Jan. 9, 2020, the JV girls are 1-3 overall.
Assault in The NHL By Sammy Aiden
The National Hockey League (NHL) has begun cracking down on assault cases throughout the league. Gary Bettman, the commissioner of the NHL, spoke Dec. 10 at a news conference following a stretch of the assault allegations by Akium Aliu, Michal Jordan, Patrick O’ Sullivan, Sean Avery, Brent Sopel, Chris Chelios, and more. In the conference, Bettman said, “We won’t tolerate abusive behavior of any kind.” This is a major step for the NHL community in regards to assault behaviors, since it is clear that these behaviors are more common than the public eye sees. This progressive action will be enforced by the Four-Point Plan, which was formed by Bettman in order to prohibit inappropriate conduct from happening in the future. The Four-Point Plan establishes an anonymous hotline for players to report inappropriate conduct by others in the organization. Additionally, management/coaching staff must attend a yearly meeting about inclusion and harassment. The NHL has let all 32 teams know that if they do not report inappropriate conduct, there will be serious consequences for the neglect.
Bettman also said in the con-
ference, “We have to ensure that future generations of hockey players do not face the barriers and racism that I have throughout my career. Together we can do something truly great and transformative for hockey.” Although Bettman did not go into much detail about the exact punishment from inappropriate conduct, it is assumed that each case will be treated differently, since the cases are very hard to assess. The NHL still has yet to implement a code of conduct, being the only North American professional sports league without one (NFL, NBA, MLB all have them). After Bettman’s news conference, Akim Aliu, a player in the league, tweeted, “Now the hard work begins of focusing on specifics and implementing the policy that will make this sport more diverse, safer, and accountable.” Aliu was one of the worst victims of inappropriate conduct going through racial profiling. During a Halloween party in 2011, the equipment manager of the Colorado Eagles dressed as Aliu and put on blackface to attain his skin color. Aliu’s comments could not be more truthful. The harder part
comes now, which is following up on the promises and policies made by Bettman and the league. The NHL has made a progressive reform, but now it must make sure not to take another step back.
Gary Bettman speaking at a press conference regarding assault. Photo courtesy of Sportsnet.
Johan Franzen was another victim who spoke out about recently fired Coach Mike Babcock. Allegedly, he was verbally assaulted to the point of a nervous breakdown, according to Chris Chelios. Franzen recently confirmed this information, saying, “I get shivers when I think about it. ... It was coarse, nasty and shocking. But that was just one out of a hundred things he did. The tip of the iceberg.” Franzen also called Babcock a bully who was attacking people. Franzen played 11 years in the league and has battled post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression since then. Aliu and Franzen are just two of the numerous cases of inappropriate conduct around the league which has shown a new dark side to the NHL.
Although the league has
scheduled annual meetings for coaches, general managers, etc., the National Hockey League Players Association (NHLPA) has yet to make a program for players to discuss the matters that have been going on in the league. Bettman said, “We will focus the programming on training and initiatives to ensure respectful locker rooms, training facilities, games, and all other hockey-related activities, and teach to ensure bystander intervention techniques, anti-harassment, anti-hazing, non-retaliation, and anti-bullying best practices.” The NHL executive vice president for social impact, Kim Davis, aims to form a council to discipline people around the league that commit inappropriate acts in the future.
Sports News
Page 7
Houston, We Have a Problem By Thomas Buchmueller
The 2017 Houston Astros were one of the best baseball teams of the decade. They won 101 games and won the World Series. But in early November, they were discovered to have been cheating throughout the 2017 season and possibly before. In baseball, the pitcher and catcher communicate by using hidden signs so they are on the same page about which pitch is going to be thrown. The catcher will put down a certain amount of fingers between his legs to tell the pitcher which pitch to throw. The catcher will make sure he is positioned so that the hitter will not be able to see which pitch is coming. There is a long history in baseball of stealing signs, such as the Red Sox using Apple Watches and the long history of steroids. However, there has never been this elaborate of a setup before. According to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports and The Athletic, the Houston Astros are being investigated for allegedly setting up a camera in center field directly across from the catcher, and he would zoom in to see how many fingers the catcher was holding down. This information would be relayed to the Astros’ dugout, where someone would bang on a trashcan a certain amount of times to indicate which pitch is about to be thrown.
The investigation started after former Astros and current Oakland A’s pitcher Mike Fiers revealed this information to the media, and since then, three other people have come forward and made similar accusations. In early December, the Houston Astros front office formally admitted to these allegations and said they will fully cooperate with the investigation. Depending on what information Major League Baseball finds, the Astros could serve severe penalties such as a loss of draft picks, fines, or suspensions to high level employees in the Astros organization. The investigation over the Astros could leak over into punishments for other teams as well. Recently hired Mets manager Carlos Beltran was an outfielder on the 2017 Astros team and played a large role in the scandal. Red Sox manager Alex Cora was the bench coach of the World Series Astros team, and both Cora and Beltran could possibly be subjected to a suspension. Over the next few months, Major League Baseball will continue its investigation by interviewing several people involved with the Astros’ organization. According to CBS Sports, these may include the previous-
ly mentioned Beltran and Cora as well as current Astros manager A.J. Hinch and recently fired assistant general manager Brandon Taubman. The biggest The Houston Astros celebrating their 2017 World Series source of information victory. Picture courtesy of Associated Press. from this investigation has not come from the private investigators that Major League League Baseball season, Major League Baseball and its players association beBaseball has hired but has actually gan to pass new rules in an attempt to come from an independent journalist crack down on players and teams from who watched hours of footage of the 2017 Astros to look for evidence of the stealing signs. These included restrictions on where cameras can be placed team stealing signs. A baseball YouTuin the stadium and restrictions on who ber who goes by the name of Jomboy in the dugout can watch live broadcasts Media was one of the first people to of the game. break the news about the Astros stealing signs in a video which now has Update: MLB suspended the more than 2 million views. Astros manager and general manager, and they fined the team $5 million. The Astros had no choice but From there, the Astros decided to fire to admit to their wrongdoings after a clip from their team made World Series their manager. The Mets and the Red Sox also fired their managers, as they documentary actually showed their were linked to the scandal. setup for stealing signs, which was located in the hallway that connected the Astros’ dugout to the home locker room. The setup was exactly how Mike Fiers described it with a monitor setup on a table next to a trash can.
Before the 2019 Major
Reviews
Eat Like a King at Kings County Imperial By Lauren Grauer
If you are looking for a taste of delicious Chinese cuisine in a modern atmosphere, Kings County Imperial is the perfect place for you to dine. Kings County Imperial has two locations, one in Brooklyn, New York, and one on the Lower East Side of New York City. The restaurants are open Monday through Thursday from 5:30 p.m. until 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday from 5:30 p.m. until 11 p.m. Lastly, they are open on Sundays from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. and for dinner from 5:30 p.m. until 10 p.m. Kings County Imperial includes a myriad of different dishes all throughout its menu. Some of the particularly mouthwatering dishes include Cold Sesame Noodles, Copper Well Street Noodles, and White Broiler Chicken Dumplings. The best dish on the menu is the Cold Sesame Noodles. The noodles are served with cucumber and chili oil, making them taste almost refreshing. Sesame Noodles are known to have a very strong peanut taste, but at Kings County Imperial, the taste of peanut is not as prevalent. The noodles are served in a very small portion size and cost $9.
The Copper Well Street noodles cost $14 and will bring out your most exotic taste buds. The noodles are served with Chili Oil, Shrimp, and Chinese greens. Copper Well Street Noodles give Lo Mein some pretty heavy competition. The moment Copper Well Street Noodles hit your tongue, you will be presented with a vast array of flavors in your mouth. The White Broiler Chicken Dumplings will allow you to taste amazing flavors you didn’t even know existed. Inside the dumpling is a flavor of Cinnamon Red Oil, making the perfect mesh of sweet and savory. The dumplings can be ordered steamed or fried, both at the same price of $10. Unfortunately, not every dish on the menu is one to remember. The Handmade Scallion Chicken Buns, also served steamed or fried, cost an undeserving $12. The Buns contain a lot of dough, which takes away from the Chicken Scallion flavor. As my mouth wrapped around Kings County Imperials Soup Dumplings, a sense of joy flowed from my mouth all the way through my body. These delightful dumplings were removed from the menu in late 2019. We can only hope Kings County Imperial’s Soup Dumplings are brought
back to life sometime in the near future. The prices at Kings County Imperial make it somewhere you should go on a special occasion. There are so many delicious dishes to choose from, and you should definitely go with more than one person and eat family style. If you intend on viewing the online menu before arriving at Kings County Imperial, please note that not all the dishes are on the online menu. Do not judge your arrival at the restaurant based on your online menu viewing. The servers at Kings County Imperial are very knowledgeable regarding dietary restrictions that customers may have. The restaurant is not nut-free, so if you have dietary restrictions, be sure to tell the server before they take your order. The ambiance at Kings County Imperial is one to remember. The room is lit up in dark color with streaks of red. The restaurant is always busy, but this is not a downfall because it gives the restaurant a lively vibe. One of the main draws of Kings County Imperial is how “photogenic” the food is. You can catch peo-
Chinese Delicacy at Kings County Imperial. Photo courtesy of Isabelle Kaminsky.
ple all around the restaurant snapping pictures of their glossy perfect noodles and dumplings and then adding the food pictures to their “insta stories.” Social media has really helped the spread of the restaurant’s popularity through famous food Instagram accounts, since social media has brought in a tremendous amount of customers, and most of the customers are in their twenties.
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Reviews
A New Caliber: “1917”
A Movie Review by Daniel Patrick Galgano After winning the Best Motion Picture at the 77th Golden Globe Awards, the movie “1917” picked up international attention from film and history buffs. Of course, with a production budget of $90 million and with the marketing muscle of both Universal Pictures and Entertainment One Ltd, the World War I film was bound to catch the eye of worldwide film critics. Books and films that take place during the First World War are notoriously scarce in the entertainment industry, as they are often overshadowed by their World War II counterparts. The only other major World War I pieces that have reached widespread recognition are “All Quiet on the Western Front” and “Laurence of Arabia.” However, “1917” seems to be the exception to that scarcity. The film, directed by Sir Samuel Mendes and starring George MacKay, DeanCharles Chapman, Mark Strong, Andrew Scott, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Richard Madden, has a chance to break the Hollywood trend of not producing films about the First World War. The film opens up on a picturesque shot of the French countryside. British soldiers are lounging by the trees in the lull of battle. The audience is then quickly brought into the disorganized and filthy allied trenches of the First World War. Injured soldiers are being carted from place to place, the walls of the trenches are crumbling, and the infantry is exhausted. The two main characters, Lance Corporal Blake and Lance Corporal Schofield, are given a mission by their commanding officers to relay a message to an attacking column of 1,600 men (two battalions) from falling into a German attack.
Promotional art for “1917.” Courtesy of Universal Pictures. However, not all aspects of the film were entirely accurate or free of continuity errors. For example, despite the commanders saying that the countryside being a dangerous no man’s land and being almost completely abandoned. We see multiple columns of troops being moved throughout the roads of the countryside. Another historical error was with the horses near the beginning of the film. While cavalry was used on the Eastern front (with the Austro-Hungarians, Russians, and Ottomans), they had been almost completely abandoned on the Western front by the year 1917. Sir Mendes makes a point of moving the cameras over the corpses of a group of dead horses, right outside of the trenches, in the beginning scenes. However, those who know about the history of the period are aware that this imagery does not entirely make sense. A few errors aside, the film was incredibly good and mostly historically accurate. One of the main selling points of the film is that it is done in one shot, with continuous action. Except for a brief moment where the main character is unconscious, the producers stick to that claim.
It is never quite explained why two relatively junior officers are tasked with the lives of two British battalions; however, it is mostly just an excuse to get into the enemy trenches and into no man’s land.
The morning tension of having a contact shot truly shows the cinematic skill of the director and the actors. The apparent lack of cuts or harsh film editing is incredibly unique, and it really helps portray the constant action of this type of warfare.
I would warn viewers that “1917” is not for the faint of heart. There is a large amount of violent and gut-wrenching imagery. Sir Mendes places corpses of soldiers, horses, and dogs throughout the film.
“1917” is a real cinematic and cultural masterpiece. With a film of this high quality and with the high acclaim that it has gained thus far, Hollywood may be enticed to make more films about this period.
While these images are often a bit disgusting, they work exceptionally well in the film, as it builds the tension of the apparent danger of crossing no man’s land and the enemy trenches during this period.
As of publication, “1917” has received the Best Director and Best Drama Film Golden Globe Awards, the Best Cinematography Award from the Chicago Film Critics Association, the Best Director, Best Cinematography, and Best Film Editing from the Critic’s Choice Awards, and was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, as well as many more.
One of the most striking historical accuracies in the film is to do with the trenches themselves. When the two main characters enter an area with abandoned German trenches, they are amazed by how much better prepared and organized the German forces are compared to their forces. This was absolutely the case during the Great War. The German trenches were widely known to have had amenities like electricity, large barracks, supply caches, and wooden floors. The comparison between the German and British trenches is particularly salient at the beginning of the film.
The film industry has not seen a film about World War I of this caliber for many years. In fact, one could say that “1917” has created an entirely new grade of historical films for Hollywood.
What’s the Fuss About Disney Plus? A Review by Max Edelman
Unless you have been living under a Disney-sized rock for the last few months, I am sure you all know about Disney Plus (Disney+). According to Variety, it has sold 20 million units. Disney Plus has truly changed the media world forever, but is it worth $6.99 a month? With a purchase of Disney Plus, you gain access to nearly the entire Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars and National Geographic Library as well as 21st-Century Fox content such as “The Simpsons.” While most of the library is available, many of the movies, such as “Avengers, Infinity War” and “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” are not available currently; they will be within the next few months. As a huge Marvel and Star Wars fan, I spent most of my time on Disney Plus watching Star Wars and Marvel movies. Being able to watch almost every Star Wars and Marvel movie for one price instead of having to pay four dollars to watch each individual movie is awesome. Probably the most talkedabout show on Disney Plus is by far “The Mandalorian.” “The Mandalorian” tells the story of a bounty hunter and his adventures through the Star Wars galaxy. “The Mandalorian” meets many characters along the way, most notably Baby Yoda. “The Mandalorian” is not the most talked-about show on Disney Plus for no reason. Each week of “The Mandalorian” presented a different story with different characters each week. No two episodes are the same, and each episode presents the action-packed nature of Star Wars with the storytelling only a Disney product could produce. While “The Mandalorian” is the only current Star Wars and Marvel original series on Disney Plus currently, there will be many new original series coming to Disney Plus over the next few years. These include “The Falcon and Winter Soldier,” which will be coming to Disney Plus this year. “Star Wars, the
The Disney Plus logo. Photo Courtesy of Digital Trends
Clone Wars” will also be airing new episodes on Disney Plus this February. “The Clone Wars,” once a popular Cartoon Network show, has not released new episodes since 2014. Unlike streaming services such as Netflix and Hulu, Disney Plus does not release the entirety of an original show all at once. Instead, each week, one episode of the show is released, leaving plenty of suspense for fans. In my opinion, I prefer this because it gives me something to look forward to every week. While original shows are a major piece of Disney Plus, the endless amount of content is what makes Disney Plus truly something special. There is something for everyone on Disney Plus. Whether you are a Pixar fan, a Disney Princess fan, a Star Wars or Marvel fan, or just a casual movie fan, there is something for you on Disney Plus. If you have to choose between Disney Plus and another streaming service such as Netflix, I strongly recommend Disney Plus. Not only does Disney Plus present the best media library, but it only has one price. For only $6.99 a month, you can watch Disney Plus on up to separate devices at a time and watch movies in 4K quality. If you want these features on Netflix, it is $15.99. This makes Disney Plus not only the significantly cheaper option but the better option. After reading this, I strongly recommend that you buy Disney Plus. For just $6.99 a month, every Disney product you could imagine will be at your fingertips. Don’t waste any time. For one price, feel the Disney Plus magic wherever you want, whenever you want.
The Light in the Dark: cont. from page 3.
contest. This year, the three judges were Trent Dawson, Anne Twomey, and Adrian Bonenberger. Dawson is an actor, writer, and director for Broadway companies and other organizations. The University of Colorado awarded him a B.F.A. Excellence Award. He was nominated for three Emmy Awards for his work on the “As the World Turns” soap opera, and is a founding artist director for the Katonah Classic Stage. Twomey is an actor, both in New York’s Broadway and London’s West End. She was nominated for a Tony Award for her performance in the Broadway production, “Nuts,” and she runs a theater program at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility.
Bonenberger is a writer and a veteran of the U.S. Infantry. After earning a journalism degree, Bonenberger wrote articles on military affairs, national security, and veterans affairs, for organizations such as The New York Times and Forbes. This year’s speech contest featured a variety of interesting and persuasive pieces. In the dark days of winter, the speech contest is a chance for the student body to come together and hear our fellow classmates speak about what they are passionate about.