April 2021 by The Tattler

IHS TATTLER APRIL 2021 | VOL. 128 | NO. 8

ALL THE NEWS THAT’S FIT TO TATTLE.

Established in 1892 Published Monthly www.ihstattler.com Ithaca High School 1401 North Cayuga Street Ithaca, NY 14850 FREE

EDITORIAL

IHS Needs Black Teachers By THE TATTLER EDITORIAL BOARD

t Ithaca High School, a school with over 100 Black students in attendance, there are zero Black teach-

ers. In a video testimonial addressed to ICSD administrators, IHS student Saba Weatherspoon ‘21 says, “I’m a senior now and I’ve never had a Black teacher, ever, period.” Weatherspoon believes that she would feel more comfortable speaking up in predominantly white STEM classes if there were other Black people in the room. This sentiment is not only her own; Black student achievement has been shown to drastically increase when students are taught by Black teachers. A series of Johns Hopkins University studies from 2018 have shown that Black students are 13 percent more likely to attend college if they’ve had at least one Black teacher, and 32 percent more likely if they’ve had two. The same study showed that white teachers were 40 percent more likely than Black teachers to predict a Black student wouldn’t graduate high school. These studies point out a profound issue affecting Black students both at IHS and across the country: teachers underestimate their abilities based on racist assumptions. Jolie Babatunde, an IHS junior who has been in the district since second grade, explained her concern with having no Black teachers in her student testimonial to the administration: “I’d say that one of my biggest issues is with people doubting my intelligence and doubting my ability to do certain things.” The importance of expectations must not be underestimated. Stereotypes can actually cause students to underperform due to anxiety over people’s negative assumptions of them. This represents a documented psychological phenomenon known as stereotype threat. According to a study published in the Sage Journal by Jason A. Grissom and Christopher Redding, “Black students are predicted to be assigned to gifted services three times more often in classrooms with Black teachers than with non-Black teachers.” This is just one of the hundreds of statistics showing that Black teachers see far more potential in Black students. However, one cannot always assume that a teacher will understand a student better simply because they have similar ethnic and racial back-

grounds—teachers of all races must be trained to fight their implicit biases and have more cultural sensitivity so they do not stifle student potential based on assumptions. Beyond having higher expectations of Black students, Black teachers can also be influential positive role models. Because teachers have such a profound impact on their students’ academic success and personal growth, teacher and student demographics should be similar. Students should be able to see themselves represented in the teaching staff, and it is unacceptable that Black students are deprived of this experience at IHS. The fact that so many educators are white also contributes to establishing whiteness as the default. White students have a majority of teachers that look like them, so representation of their race is something they can take for granted. This is a harmful phenomenon that perpetuates white supremacy and often leads to the ostracization of students of color. Having more Black teachers will not only reduce discrimination against Black students in the classroom but will reduce the disproportionate rates of punishment and policing that Black students experience. At Ithaca High School in 2019, 10.37 percent of Black students were given an out-of-school suspension, compared to only 1.62 percent of white students. These unjust suspension rates are representative of racial bias at IHS. As concluded in a study done by professors from American University and University of California, “although we find reductions in referrals for a number of different types of offenses, we find particularly consistent evidence that exposure to same-race teachers lowers office referrals for willful defiance across all grade levels, suggesting that teacher discretion plays a role in driving our results.” The presence of Black teachers is not just beneficial to Black students—it’s good for everyone. Having teachers and role models of different races and ethnicities helps all students “reduce stereotypes, attenuate unconscious implicit biases and help promote cross-cultural social bonding,” according to the Shanker Institution’s research on the topic. The report also claimed that “all students benefit from

being educated by teachers from a variety of different backgrounds, races, and ethnic groups, as this experience better prepares them to succeed in an increasingly diverse society.” Creating a more diverse classroom environment will not only help to reduce achievement gaps between students of color and white students but will also help to create a more interconnected generation with less racist bias. IHS’s commitment to diversity must be steadfast, ongoing, and proactive. When diversity is normalized and not just tokenized, Ithaca High School will become a better environment for everyone. In June 2020, Superintendent Luvelle Brown assured the ICSD community, “As we look ahead to reopening, we are doing so through a lens of anti-racism.” If IHS wishes to fulfill this commitment, hiring a diverse teaching staff is the first step. Moreover, the work doesn’t end at recruitment. This includes changing starting salaries to compete with other districts, putting the work in to make it clear to Black teachers that our district will support them. A study done by the Learning Policy Institute in 2018 found that Black teachers have a four percent higher chance of changing professions or moving schools than white teachers. To improve the retention of teachers of color, ICSD needs to evaluate the reasons behind these statistics. At the moment, the district doesn’t conduct exit interviews to ascertain teachers’ motives for leaving, but this is a vital tool, according to Work Institute: “When used effectively, exit interviews reveal the true causes of employee turnover and inform targeted strategies to improve employee retention.” This is something IHS desperately needs in order to provide a safe and productive work environment for all employees. According to a 2015 survey of 430 Minnesota educators of color, several of the biggest contributing factors to teacher turnover were dissatisfaction with the administration, lack of mentoring and support, racial isolation, and lack of autonomy and influence. Gathered from the same survey, many of the teachers also felt they were not respected by their white colleagues and were expected to be disciplinarians for their students and everyone else’s far more than white teachers. From

EDITORIAL | NEWS

Staff 2020 – 2021

the Harvard E.D. magazine, a Black teacher in Massachusetts says, “If you’re the only teacher of color in a school, you become the house mom for all the students of color. It’s not sustainable if there’s one of you to meet the needs of so many.” These issues are all things IHS needs to seriously consider when looking for Black teachers and making IHS a place where Black teachers feel comfortable applying and doing their job properly. The fact that Ithaca High School has no Black

teachers is unjustifiable. The benefits are overwhelmingly clear: from reduced suspension rates to higher test scores to less biased students, having a more diverse teaching staff would benefit the entire ICSD community. Though it may be challenging for the ICSD administration to make it accessible and welcoming for Black teachers to apply and work here, they must create a welcoming, sustainable, antiracist environment, or the district’s commitment to antiracism falls short.

The Pandemic’s Onslaught of Anti-Asian Hate By TANIA HAO

t’s an ordinary February day in New York City. 61-year-old Noel Quintana boards a train in Brooklyn, heading to the first of his two jobs. Quintana stands in the crowded train car, a tote bag containing his belongings in his hand. A nearby man kicks the tote and Quintana moves it away, but when the man kicks his bag again, he asks, “What’s wrong with you?” The man lunges at Quintana, who assumes he’s been punched until he puts his hand to his face and sees blood. He notices people’s shock and spots a box cutter in his assailant’s hand. His face slashed and bleeding, Quintana appeals to his fellow subway-goers for help. When nobody moves, he gets off the train and finds a station booth where he is interrogated by police and given medical attention. He ends up with a scar across his face, running from ear to ear. Quintana is from Manila and became an American citizen in 2013. Though he doesn’t want to believe it, Quintana told People magazine that it’s possible his race is the reason he was

attacked. Quintana’s attack reflects the experiences of thousands of Asian-Americans across the US. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Asian-Americans—elders in particular—have been victims of racially-motivated hate crimes. The Bay Area of California has borne the brunt of these crimes, along with New York. California has the largest Asian-American population in the US, with nearly 6 million Asians living in the state, according to the US Census Bureau. Though anti-Asian hate crimes have been happening before and throughout the pandemic, they mainly entered the public’s view in January with the death of Vicha Ratanapakdee. The 84-year-old Thai man was taking a walk in Oakland when a man raced across the street and pushed him to the ground, causing fatal injuries. Days after Ratanapakdee’s attack, a 91-yearContinued on page 4

The Tattler is the monthly student-run newspaper of Ithaca High School. All currently-enrolled students at Ithaca High School are welcome to submit writing and photographs. As an open forum, The Tattler invites opinion submissions and letters to the editor from all community members. Email submissions to editor@ihstattler.com or mail letters to: The Tattler 1401 North Cayuga Street Ithaca, NY 14850 Send submissions by April 15 to be included in the May issue. The Tattler reserves the right to edit all submissions. All articles, columns, and advertisements do not necessarily reflect the views of editorial staff. To read The Tattler online, visit our website at www.ihstattler.com.

Editor-in-Chief

Anna Westwig ’21 editor@ihstattler.com News Editor Katie Lin ’22 news@ihstattler.com Opinion Editor Jinho Park ’22 opinion@ihstattler.com Features Editor Frances Klemm ’23 features@ihstattler.com Arts Editor Louisa Miller-Out ’22 arts@ihstattler.com Sports Editor Rohit Lal ’22 sports@ihstattler.com Literary Editor Adowyn Ernste ’22 literary@ihstattler.com Back Page Editor Ethan Carlson ’21 backpage@ihstattler.com Center Spread Editor Dorothy Hamilton ’21 centerspread@ihstattler.com Copy Editor Heewon Ahn ’21 copy@ihstattler.com Photography Editor Hannah Shvets ’23 photo@ihstattler.com Graphics Editor Aidan Hayward Toland ’22 graphics@ihstattler.com Layout Editor Jacob Yoon ’21 layout@ihstattler.com Business and Advertising Adam Saar ’22 business@ihstattler.com Webmaster Alexander Yoo ’21 web@ihstattler.com Distribution Manager Mollie Abelson ’21 distribution@ihstattler.com Archivist Raia Gutman ’22 archivist@ihstattler.com Faculty Advisor Deborah Lynn advisor@ihstattler.com

NEWS

The Pandemic’s Onslaught of Anti-Asian Hate Continued from page 3

IMAGE FROM NY1

old, a 60-year-old, and a 55-year-old were all pushed in Oakabuse across America between March 19 and December 31. land’s Chinatown. The neighborhood, and other Chinatowns Leaders in the Asian-American community attribute the panacross California and the US, have been overwhelmed by an ondemic’s dramatic rise in hate crimes to racist remarks made by slaught of robberies and assaults, including an incident where politicians blaming COVID-19 wholly on China and East Asian an Asian woman was robbed in an herbal shop. Carl Chan, prespeople. Manju Kulkarni, the executive director of the Asian Paident of the Oakland Chinatown Chamber of Commerce, has cific Policy and Planning Council, names former US President stated there have been at least 20 robberies since January 31. Donald Trump specifically, and calls out the hateful sentiment Furthermore, in Los Angeles, a 27-year-old Korean-American that stemmed from his frequent use of phrases like “kung flu,” Air Force veteran was beaten in Koreatown in February. In an “China virus,” and “Wuhan virus” to address COVID-19. “What interview with NBC, he described being knocked to the ground, President Trump did was to foment hate against Asian-American beaten, and hearing his attackers shout racial slurs at him. communities and really put people in harm’s way,” Kulkarni told Other countless incidents floating around news and social NPR. “We need so much work to be done to undo some of the media include the verbal harassment of an Uber driver, a shovharm of the prior administration.” ing that left a 75-year-old brain dead, and death threats shouted In addition to physical harm, these hate crimes—especially at people walking on the street. those of verbal harassment—have taken an emotional toll on Nearly three thousand miles away, Asian-Americans in Asian-Americans. Many report feeling unsafe, saddened, and New York City are facing the same violence. On February 16, a scared to go outside. A member of Ithaca’s Asian-American com52-year-old Asian woman was shoved into a metal news rack outmunity told The Tattler, “I do not feel safe walking on streets side a bakery. As described by NBC, prosecutors say the assailant even during the day.” attacked her after she asked him about the line in front of the Steps have been taken to support Asian-Americans. In late bakery. A little over a week later, a 36-year-old man was stabbed January, the White House released a memorandum condemning in NYC’s Chinatown, ending up with critical injuries. In both casanti-Asian sentiment, and in February, California passed a bill es, the attackers were not charged with hate crimes, leading to a dedicating $1.4 million to tracking and prosecuting anti-Asian rally outside the District Attorney’s office on March 1. Protesters hate crimes. NYPD’s Asian Hate Crime Task Force is devoted to demanded that the man responsible for the stabbing be charged fighting hate crimes in the city. Regular citizens are also offering with a hate crime. However, because such charges require solid, support in other ways, and many have taken to social media to irrefutable proof that the crime was racially motivated, most end share videos and raise awareness. Jacob Azevedo, an Oakland up unprosecuted. resident, has also started a volunteer service to accompany elCrowds fed up with the violence had previously gathered in derly residents outside, as well as a GoFundMe to buy personal rallies at NYC’s Washington Square Park and Foley Square in alarms for elders. late February. NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio, New York Attorney However, activists say more needs to be done to combat the General Letitia James, Congresswoman Grace Meng, and Senate racist and stereotypical messages that are causing these crimes. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer were among those who spoke “I feel disheartened, isolated, and excluded,” added the Ithaca at the Rise Up Against Asian Hate rally in Foley Square, allying resident. “I love Americans and I hope to be loved back. Now I themselves with the Asian community. feel I am too naive to believe that could even happen. … I start Asian-American businesses are also facing extra duress and to worry about our next generation who has to face hostility beare struggling to keep workers safe. As Chan explained to NPR, cause of where their parents come from.” the surge of violence in Oakland’s Chinatown has prompted many businesses to close early to protect both customers and employees. Jason Wang, CEO of a small chain of NYC-based restaurants, described having employees hurt on their way to or from work. “We used to be open later but we’re closing early because we want to get our employees home safely,” Wang told the New York Times. “We close at 8:30 now. Not many restaurants close that early in New York City.” The New York Police Department (NYPD) reported that anti-Asian hate crimes rose 1900 percent in 2020. Before the pandemic, they had been on a steady decline, with 5 reported cases in 2018 and 1 in 2019. Stop AAPI Hate, an organization dedicated to ending hate crimes against Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders, released a report entailing 2,808 incidents of harassment and Protesters stand against anti-Asian hate in Foley Square, NY, on February 27

NEWS

Crisis in Myanmar: Military Seizes Power By LOUISA MILLER-OUT IMAGE FROM ASSOCIATED PRESS

Anti-coup protesters in Yangon, Myanmar (Content warning: This article contains mentions of rape, genocide, and murder)

n February 1, 2021, Myanmar’s nascent democracy was thrown into turmoil. The country’s military, known as the Tatmadaw, staged a coup, deposing members of the National League for Democracy (NLD) who had just won by a landslide in a general election. Organizations such as Human Rights Watch noted the disenfranchisement of Rohingya people and other ethnic minorities, but the outcome was still virtually undisputed. Nevertheless, the Tatmadaw used election fraud as a pretense for the coup, under a clause in the constitution allowing them to seize control under circumstances that could cause “disintegration of the Union, disintegration of national solidarity, and loss of sovereign power.” At the time of this writing, the deposed NLD officials, including the controversial Aung San Suu Kyi, are in detention. Two of them, Khin Maung Latt and Zaw Myat Lin, have already died in custody, sparking allegations that the military is torturing the officials and holding them in inhumane conditions. The leader of the Tatmadaw, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, has declared a yearlong state of emergency at the end of which elections will supposedly be held. However, many citizens of Myanmar are concerned about living under military rule and have been vehemently protesting in favor of the release of Suu Kyi and the detained NLD members, and the restoration of democracy. The Tatmadaw has an extensive history of human rights abuses. During the country’s decades under military rule, they have waged war on minority ethnic groups such as the Rohingya, Kachin, Shan, and Karen, often clashing with militias seeking to protect these groups. According to a United Nations (UN) Human Rights report on the persecution of Rakhine, Chin, Mro, Daignet, and Rohingya communities, the military has orchestrated “disappearances and extra-judicial killings of civilians; massive civilian displacement; arbitrary arrests, torture and deaths in custody; and the destruction of civilian property.” Since 2017, a brutal campaign of village burnings, rapes, and murders has caused more than 750,000 Ro-

hingya people to flee to nearby Bangladesh. These actions have been designated genocidal by the UN. During recent armed conflicts in Rakhine, Shan, and Kachin states, the Tatmadaw has used civilians as human shields, porters, and fodder for land mines, killing them if they failed to comply. Furthermore, soldiers have committed horrific acts of sexual violence against women and girls in their own homes. These crimes run rampant and often go unreported, echoing the systematic rape of women during the 2017 crackdown on the Rohingya. Decades of violence and terror provide a solid explanation for the fear among women and minority ethnic groups now that the Tatmadaw has seized power. Aung San Suu Kyi, chairperson of the NLD and former state counsellor of Myanmar, enjoyed popular support up to her deposition. She spent 15 years under house arrest during and after the 1990 general election, in which the NLD would have won 81 percent of the seats in Parliament had the results not been nullified at the hands of the ruling military junta. During her political imprisonment, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her nonviolent efforts to democratize Myanmar. However, after her release and assumption of the office of state counsellor in 2011, she garnered criticism for her denial of abuses committed by the military and the ongoing Rohingya genocide, as well as her persecution of journalists. Some argue that Suu Kyi and the NLD were never really in control, and that the iron fist of the Tatmadaw still ruled and the coup simply revealed the true nature of Myanmar’s political situation. “Even though Myanmar always had the veneer of democracy, it was never a new democracy in any sense,” states Azeem Ibrahim, a director at the Center for Global Policy. “The military still held all the cards. They had, essentially, power without any accountability whatsoever.” Despite being lauded as a champion of peace and human rights and a “mother figure” to much of the public, Suu Kyi may have perpetuated massive injustices during her time as head of state. Nevertheless, thousands of protesters in Myanmar are risking their lives every day to demand her restoration to power. The protesters carry signs bearing anti-coup messages including “We want our leader,” “Fight for Democracy,” and “Free Daw Aung San Suu Kyi” (Daw is an honorific term meaning “aunt”). Recently, a 19-year-old girl named Ma Kyal Sin, also known as Angel, was shot to death by a military sniper at an anti-coup protest in Mandalay. In the last moments of her life, she was rallying the protesters around her and flashing the Hunger Games three-fingered salute, a symbol of resistance adopted by pro-democracy groups. She was clad in a black t-shirt proclaiming “Everything Will Be Okay” on the day the fatal bullet struck her in the head. In just a few days, she has become a martyr for the movement, and her death is tragically emblematic of the military’s violent repression of peaceful protestors. The Tatmadaw has made use of water cannons, rubber bullets, and even live ammunition to disperse protests. More than 60 people have been killed at the time of this writing, and over 1,500 have been arrested. Kyaw Moe Tun, Myanmar’s former UN ambassador, who was fired for opposing the coup but remains at the UN General Assembly in New York City, shared his thoughts on the protests and entreated the world not to turn a blind eye: “I appeal to the international community to help us in whatever way they can. Many of us inside the country, especially those young, young people who are on the streets, are helpless. And not only them, but all of us —all people of Myanmar—also feel helpless. My purpose here is to fight back the military regime for as long as I can ... Democracy should prevail. Democracy must prevail.”

OPINION

Ciao, Cuomo: Sexually Predatory NYS Governor Should Be Deposed By LOUISA MILLER-OUT

“

e careful around the Governor.” This is what a friend of Lindsey Boylan told her when she was promoted to Chief of Staff at the New York State Economic Development Agency. Sure enough, her experience working with Governor Andrew Cuomo was peppered with inappropriate touches, comments, and gestures directed at both her and other women in his administration. Boylan said that shortly after she began working with Cuomo, “My boss ... informed me that the Governor had a “crush” on me.” She has stated that she feared being alone with Cuomo, and her worst trepidations were confirmed when he kissed her on the lips without consent in his NYC office on Third avenue. After that instance of sexual harassment, she felt terrified and nauseous coming in to work everyday. She eventually resigned in 2018. Six women have accused Cuomo of sexual harassment at the time of this writing. Boylan was the first to come forward, which likely helped other women feel more comfortable sharing their experiences and publicly condemning the Governor for his sleazy behavior. Ana Liss, a former aide to the Governor, stated that Cuomo called her “sweetheart,” touched her lower back, and kissed her on the hand. Karen Hinton, another former aide, revealed that he held her in a “very long, too long, too tight, too intimate” embrace in a sketchy hotel room. Hinton is adamant that, “It was inappropriate. We both were married. I worked for him and it was too much to make it so personal and intimate.” Although survivors of sexual harassment and assault should not need corroboration to be believed, Hinton even has two witnesses in whom she confided shortly after the incident. She also mentioned that Cuomo made hiring decisions based on how women looked—he told her he had declined to employ a woman because she “wasn’t attractive enough for the job.” In a futile attack on her credibility, a spokesman for Cuomo stated of Hinton’s allegations, “This did not happen. Karen Hinton is a known antagonist of the Governor’s who is attempting to take advantage of this moment to score cheap points with madeup allegations from 21 years ago.” This is a textbook example of gaslighting—a form of abuse in which people are made to question their sanity or recollections by the abuser. Contrary to this dismissive and invalidating statement, Hinton has little incentive to lie: her husband is lobbyist Howard Glaser, a longtime ally of Cuomo who has worked closely with him as his director of state operations and senior policy advisor. Her testimony, combined with those of the five other known women who report similar experiences, is enough to place the Governor under serious scrutiny. Cuomo’s inappropriate transgressions were not isolated incidents, but part of a larger pattern of behavior. According to Boylan, “Governor Andrew Cuomo has created a culture within his administration where sexual harassment and bullying is so pervasive that it is not only condoned but expected.” This pattern is appallingly common among wealthy and influential men in America—Harvey Weinstein, R. Kelly, and Bill Cosby being prominent examples. Even politicians like President Joe Biden, Justice

Brett Kavanaugh, Donald Trump, and Rep. Patrick Meehan have been suppressing sexual harassment and assault allegations for years. Boylan said that Cuomo’s treatment of her resulted in “an uncomfortable but all-too-familiar feeling: the struggle to be taken seriously by a powerful man who tied my worth to my body and my appearance.” Sometimes, powerful men own up to their crimes and resign. More often, they ride out the criticism, laying low until people latch onto the next scandal in a month or two and forget all about them. This appears to be Governor Cuomo’s route of choice. An independent investigation by NYS Attorney General Letitia James is under way. If the allegations are verified, Cuomo must resign—for the well-being of the women he violated and of the people of New York State. Workplace sexual harassment and bullying, while normalized even at the highest levels of government, are extremely detrimental. They result in toxic work environments and make jobs untenable for women due to stress and discomfort. Many, like Boylan, quit their jobs, only to see their abusers continue to receive publicity and praise without a shred of recompense or accountability. The pain of the initial harassment compounds even after they escape the situation. Furthermore, Liss believes that the New York State government is currently not a safe place for young women to work, because of the constant objectification and degradation they face. Besides the obvious threat to mental health that comes with inappropriate and dehumanizing treatment, these patterns of abuse are shutting women out of politics. And without accountability for the abusers, the responsibility falls on women to keep themselves safe. It’s always “Be careful around the Governor,” and never “Let’s get rid of the Governor.” Systemic issues require systemic solutions, and sexism will obviously not be solved with the resignation of one offender. But it would be harmful to allow Cuomo to continue governing an entire state and making over 200,000 dollars a year doing so, when it is so clear that he lacks basic respect for women. Three years ago, Cuomo called for NY Attorney General Eric Schneiderman to resign over assault allegations. However, he has been extremely self-defensive up to this point, denying any wrongdoing. “I’m not going to resign because of allegations,” he stated. He and his staff are attempting to excuse his actions by discrediting his accusers and suggesting that his nonconsensual kisses, uncomfortable embraces, and lewd comments are normal behavior. Cuomo said of alleged verbal harassment, “That’s my way of doing friendly banter,” and a senior advisor characterized him as someone who hugs and kisses people all the time, and insisted that his behavior was typical of politicians. It is. And that’s a problem, not an excuse. If Cuomo is allowed to retain his job despite the harm he has done, the public will see a continuation of this awful trend: wealthy, powerful men committing dastardly crimes with impunity. It signals to future generations that you can successfully evade the consequences of sexual harassment. It reflects negatively on the whole of New York State that our governor does not

OPINION respect women’s bodily autonomy or treat them as equal human beings. He must be held accountable for the hurt he’s caused, and if he has any scrap of human decency or remorse, he will not only profusely apologize, but step down as Governor. In the words of State Senate majority leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins: “We have

allegations about sexual harassment, a toxic work environment, the loss of credibility surrounding the COVID-19 nursing home data and questions about the construction of a major infrastructure project… For the good of the state, Governor Cuomo must resign.”

Biden Unsurprisingly Neglects Campaign Promises of Peace By HANNAH SHVETS

n the campaign trail, Biden promised to “end forever wars.” Less than 100 days into his presidency, he has already ordered an airstrike in Syria, targeting an Iran-backed militia. Clearly, the wars that have ravaged Western Asia for decades because of Western superpower intervention are bipartisan; no recent US president, Democratic or Republican, has held office and not upheld the US’s long-standing tradition of imperialist policy. The airstrike occurred on February 25, as a response to a series of rocket attacks from Iran on an Iraqi airport, which killed a Filipino contractor working with the American military, and injured six others. As tragic as these casualties were, this airstrike, which is estimated to have killed twenty-two “pro-Iranian fighters,” will not bring back the dead Filipino contractor and creates further tension with Iran, Syria, and even Russia. Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov reports that they were given little to no warning about the upcoming airstrikes, which could have resulted in even more American soldiers’ lives being lost in a clash between the two countries. These kinds of miscommunications can result in rising tensions and even lead to full-out war. Even if we choose to overlook the unnecessary violence and tension these airstrikes will cause, Biden simply did not have the right to order this without consulting Congress. The tripartite government exists for a reason: to maintain the balance of power and protect America’s incomplete democracy. Biden claimed he didn’t need Congress’s approval because of the 2001 Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) against Al-Qaeda and other “terrorist” groups. However, Democrats in Congress rejected this outlandish interpretation of AUMF, considering that the bill was passed two decades ago under completely different circumstances. The US media and government have made a habit of calling every single resistance group in the East a “terrorist organization.” The events leading up to 9/11 and the “War on Terror” extend far beyond one incident or one retaliation. Many Biden supporters may claim this airstrike is a one-time event just to intimidate Iran, but I wouldn’t be so sure. Biden’s foreign policy has always been one of aggression, no matter the costs, to fight so-called terrorism. Under Obama’s presidency, US drone strikes rapidly increased in the name of counterterrorism. Biden did advocate for closing Guantanamo Bay detention facilities, but that seems to be about the one good thing he’s done. As Vice President, Senator, and in his first month and a half as US President, his actions have never reflected his supposed morals. However, this attack runs far deeper than one incident; Biden’s airstrike is representative of the US’s historical disregard for the well-being of people in the Middle East.

Although the US has been a part of the Middle Eastern conflict since the early 20th century, it expanded its power and influence after WW2 and during the Cold War with the USSR. Originally, the US was in Saudi Arabia for oil but ended up getting involved in war after war and backing Syrian rebels. Although backing the Syrian rebels protesting against Syrian president Bashar al-Assad could have been a good thing, it caused the destabilization of the region. As the saying goes, “the cure was worse than the disease.” Now, you may be thinking that the US is just trying to help— however, the US has never done things for the good of others. The US stays in the Middle East to assert its control over Russia (formally the Soviet Union), completely ignoring the millions of Syrians who have been displaced, injured, or died in these never-ending wars. These wars have brought money and power to the US and its elite, at the cost of thousands of lives. America’s CIA has also shown little to no respect for democratic elections, planning and leading a coup to remove democratically elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddeq because of Iran’s plans to nationalize the oil industry and force foreign countries to leave. Just like always, the US did not worry about who it would hurt by establishing a dictator, as long as the American ruling class made a profit. The nationalization of the previously privately-owned oil industry would have caused the US to lose their investment, so putting someone in power who America could control was their top priority. The US also invaded Iraq in 2003 because of supposed “weapons of mass destruction” that were never found or proven to have existed (“weapons of mass destruction” which the US also has; apparently it’s only a problem when other countries might). In January of last year, people started panicking that a third world war would begin after Donald Trump ordered drone strikes, killing Iran’s top general Qasem Solemeini. The US has ignored international law in its invasion of Iraq, and undermined democracy abroad. There’s a clear pattern here; where the US goes, destruction follows in its wake. Now, this may seem like a long tangent, but this is all relevant to Biden’s actions just last month. The airstrikes in Syria just last month go against the things he pledged to do during his time in office. He promised steps toward peace but has been doing what American presidents usually do—being the aggressor. It’s time for the US to leave the Middle East once and for all, and it is Biden’s responsibility to facilitate that withdrawal. He must be held accountable for these actions which he did not run by our Congressional representatives and in which the American people had no say. The airstrike was the wrong decision to make, and building tension will lead to even more war in countries that have already been torn apart so the US and Russia can profit.

OPINION

Why Hydrogen Cars Won’t Be the Future of Clean Transportation By MUKUND GAUR

ydrogen is not tame—the element brings to mind rockets, fire, and explosions. This association is for good reason too. Hydrogen is an extremely flammable gas often used as rocket fuel. But hydrogen cars are no futuristic technology. Toyota has sold nearly 11,000 hydrogen fuel cell cars as of December 2020, and the Hyundai Nexo hydrogen powered car has gone through the full set of tests from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and received the highest possible safety rating, meaning it definitely didn’t explode. But how are hydrogen powered cars sustainable, or even safe? Unlike conventional fuel powered vehicles, the hydrogen is never ignited or brought close to ignition (the hydrogen tank is lined with kevlar in case this occurs by mistake), but since hydrogen cars produce their own electricity and don’t use combustion, they’re more complicated than a conventional electric or gasoline powered car. All three hydrogen cars available for purchase are powered by hydrogen fuel cells. These fuel cells take fuel from a tank, just as gasoline cars do, but in this case, the fuel is extremely pressurized hydrogen. The hydrogen gas is not burned (burning the hydrogen fuel would either make this a rocket car, or more likely cause it to explode), but is instead chemically combined with oxygen to make water. This process releases electricity and is considered extremely clean since the only byproduct is water (pure enough to be drunk), which is released from the tailpipe as water vapor. This process is similar to what happens in a battery, except a battery contains a limited supply of fuel, whereas a hydrogen car can be refilled. The electricity can be used to run the car as a normal electric car does. This all seems like a complicated way to go about making electricity, though. What are the benefits and drawbacks of hydrogen

IMAGE FROM GREEN CAR REPORTS

Hyundai Nexo’s new hydrogen-powered car

cars, and could they be a more sustainable option for the future than electric cars? We can begin by looking at the benefits of hydrogen cars. Since hydrogen cars store their fuel more densely than electric vehicles do, they are generally capable of traveling farther distances. Furthermore, despite revolutionizing developments in charging for electric cars, hydrogen cars can still be fueled up much faster, which is not surprising considering that 1kg of hydrogen fuel holds 236 times more energy than 1kg of lithium ion batteries (used in electric vehicles). Hydrogen cars also do away with the challenge of considering what happens to lithium ion batteries at the end of their life. Hydrogen fuel cells have a lot of benefits, so what’s the catch? Electric cars have a few benefits over hydrogen cars. One of these benefits is fuel efficiency. According to Forbes, the total energy loss in an EV from energy generation to use in the car is 20 percent, whereas in hydrogen cars, the total energy loss is a whopping 62 percent. Another enormous challenge for hydrogen car drivers is infrastructure. While there are 26,000 electric vehicle chargers in the US as of July 2020, there were less than 45 hydrogen refueling stations in the US as of 2019. The infrastructure for hydrogen powered cars is years behind the infrastructure for electric cars, which makes the adoption of hydrogen cars difficult for the average consumer. But while all of these obstacles represent substantial challenges, there is one challenge which makes hydrogen cars extremely impractical as a solution for climate change. Hydrogen is the most common element in the universe. But unfortunately, pure hydrogen does not exist naturally. Hydrogen must be produced from other compounds such as natural gas, water, and fossil fuels. While there is a clean process for doing this—the reversal of the electrolysis of water—it requires a lot of energy and is extremely expensive. Most hydrogen today (about 95 percent) is instead produced with the cheaper method of natural gas reforming, which produces carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide, two greenhouse gases. To compound this problem, the process of getting natural gas can often cause damage to the environment (drilling, fracking, etc.). To conclude, hydrogen powered cars themselves are extremely clean; they produce no emissions and allow cars to travel longer distances than most electric vehicles. However, hydrogen cars face practical challenges which make them unlikely to succeed as a solution for climate change in the near future. Looking forward, it is possible that reversing the electrolysis process of water could become more efficient and cheaper with new breakthroughs or new methods of extracting pure hydrogen are developed. However, it is far more likely that our future highways will be ruled by electric cars.

OPINION | FEATURES

Cancel Culture is Problematic By WILL THOMAS

ancel Culture—there’s no doubt you’ve heard of it. The phrase often carries a negative connotation, implying that there is an epidemic of “cancellations.” Many view this form of public shaming as a dangerous and negative thing, tying people to thoughtless comments they made before they knew better. While there are certainly negative and frankly ridiculous examples of cancelling being done without full context or understanding of the issue, cancel culture serves a valuable purpose today. How else does one deter people from making racist, sexist, homophobic jokes or comments? One can’t sue them, not unless their comments somehow break American law (they almost never will). Shaming happens to be one of the most effective tools of getting someone to reconsider what they’ve done, difficult as it is for the one being shamed. Shaming won’t work every time, but it’s much more sure to provoke thought on the subject than simply letting someone get away with something. However, there is a need for communication and ground rules—otherwise, cancel culture can get out of hand. The internet can be a confusing place, as there are often little defined rules or guidelines other than public opinion. With that said, there are very basic social norms that are not being observed on the internet. People seem to have forgotten that our understanding of

“dark” and “edgy” has evolved to a more nuanced position. This position acknowledges that jokes that challenge societal norms can be funny and thought-provoking, but that racism, sexism, or homophobia aren’t funny at all. Laying consistent groundwork for what is worthy of a cancellation is important, and holding people accountable is even more so. The main issue with discussions of cancel culture is the misdirection that often occurs. Often, there is a troubling amount of pushback against undeniably deserved cancellations. Dr. Seuss’s recent cancellation is a prime example of this. For context, several of Dr. Seuss’s books were pulled by his estate for containing racially insensitive content. And even though his own estate recognizes that Dr. Seuss’s work was racist, some claim that this is an example of cancel culture gone too far. Clearly, Dr. Seuss, despite his status as an idolized children’s author, deserved to be canceled—and to claim that his cancellation is representative of “cancel culture gone too far” is nonsensical. However, on the internet, where everyone is obsessed over drama, “cancel culture” can get so out of hand that it distracts from real issues. Cancel culture should serve as a means to regulate those who make inappropriate comments, and it serves this invaluable role in our society today.

How to Save the Planet By LOUISA MILLER-OUT

ou’ve all heard some variation on the classic adage “turn out the lights, conserve water, go vegan.” Switching to public transportation and carbon-free activities like cycling and walking is also frequently recommended. These are the steps everyday people are urged to take to prevent the destruction of planet Earth. While these actions are objectively beneficial, there’s something insidious going on that cancels out all our good work. We are not the group with the biggest negative impact on the planet. Even if the average American did everything right, it wouldn’t end the burning rampage of climate change. Individual impacts are dwarfed by the ponderous footprints of corporations. If we continue to allow fossil fuel companies to burn through nonrenewable resources and rowdily belch pollutants into the atmosphere, Earth will become uninhabitable. According to a Stanford report, greenhouse gas emissions must reach net zero by 2050 in order to minimize damage to societies, and we must halve them by 2030. The 2017 Carbon Majors report by the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) tells us that just 100 companies are responsible for 71 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. One hundred. That’s all. With just a few major sanctions on fossil fuel companies, we could be well towards our goal of a carbon-neutral future. For too long, companies have been allowed to drain the Earth dry of her nonrenewable resources with impunity, doing whatever it takes to make a profit. Currently, using dirty energy is too

good a business opportunity to pass up. This must change if we are to curb the emissions of the biggest polluters. One way to do this is for investors, stockholders, and shareholders to hold corporations accountable. If the companies do not serve the interests of humanity, these stakeholders need to cut them off. By divesting and boycotting irresponsible corporations until they are about to go under, consumers place pressure on them to do better. It is sad and frustrating that negative incentives are necessary to make corporations clean up their act, but this is the stage to which the climate crisis has progressed. If fossil fuel companies will not cooperate, they must be abolished. This is only a stopgap: in the long term, the systems that allow them to arise must be eradicated. Governmental action is also necessary to cut carbon emissions. Heavy carbon taxes, stringent regulations on emissions, and mandatory transitions to clean energy are the bare minimum if we wish to truly achieve carbon neutrality. Creating economic motives for corporations to behave themselves seems to be the only way to get through to them at this point, considering that progress towards carbon neutrality has been sluggish under the climate-change-denying Trump. His administration rolled back what meager climate protection policies America had to begin with, and the current administration must be absolutely uncompromising in their strides towards carbon neutrality if they are Continued on page 10

10 How to Save the Planet Continued from page 9 to offset the damage caused by years of climate denial at the highest levels of government. I fear that the Biden administration will be too compromising to achieve this goal. We will not somehow achieve a “happy medium” by pandering to people who will gladly let the world burn as long as they profit. Bipartisanship is certainly not the solution, but I question whether even the more progressive of our two major political parties is motivated enough to achieve carbon neutrality. Clearly, neither party is interested in ending capitalism, the system that brought us natural-gas-guzzling giants of industry in the first place. As long as capitalism survives, corruption and profit-over-planet decisions will be rewarded. If the government will not hold corporations accountable and eradicate capitalism as swiftly as possible, the people must

FEATURES hold the government itself accountable. According to CNBC, the US Department of Defense is the world’s largest institutional consumer of fossil fuels. Therefore, if the US slashed military spending and diverted it towards clean energy goals instead, the effect would be twofold. President Biden should reduce the costly and unnecessary American military presence in Afghanistan, Bahrain, Iraq, and other Middle Eastern countries where the “war on terror” has ironically been a source of terror for innocent civilians for decades. Choosing peaceful relations with other countries and ending American imperialism will undoubtedly have a positive impact on our climate, not to mention prosperity in the regions that the U.S. has been repressing for far too long. In conclusion, we cannot stave off the destruction of our planet through individual lifestyle changes alone. We must attack the systems that are the main source of the problem: capitalism and its highest

form, imperialism. We must end corporations who prioritize profit over sustainability and government departments that do more harm than good. Earth day is April 22, but environmentally and socially conscious people do not have to wait until then to take action. Before, during, and after this Earth day, let’s run fossil fuel companies into the ground. Let’s protest pipelines that ruin indigenous lands and facilitate the transportation of crude oil, ripe for burning. Let’s strike down the institutions with the biggest carbon footprints, even if they aren’t explicitly fossil fuel companies, like the US Pentagon. Capitalism and imperialism have characterized America since its conception and have critically wounded our prospects of saving the planet. In fact, if it weren’t for these systems, perhaps the planet would not need to be saved at all. It is time to decide whether America cares more about profit or planet Earth. Let’s make the right choice.

Job Training Programs at Finger Lakes ReUse By ANNA COHEN

s part of their commitment to the community, Finger Lakes ReUse (FLR) has been offering ReSET, a free job training program, since 2013. ReSET is a program that helps underserved members of the community obtain skills and experience needed to obtain future jobs. This 10 week, unpaid, entry-level program allows participants to pursue skills in one of three tracks. The technology track teaches understanding computer components, repair, software, and troubleshooting, for 16 hours per week. A 2018 ReSET promotion writes that beginning a career in IT (Information Technology) can feel very daunting, and ReSET Tech is a way to give people underrepresented in technology fields, like women and people of color, a starting point into a tech career. The second track is for retail and customer service, and the newest offering is a pilot program, started in December 2020, called Green Energy Workforce Training. The green energy pilot track is a collaboration of the ReUse center with Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE). I contacted Dr. Aloja Airewele, the CCE member who leads this training. He graciously had a Zoom conversation with me, and I got a better understanding of the program and his role. The Green Energy Workforce Training focuses on teaching employment skills for people who may enter sustainable industries, such as green construction and renewable energy. As a track within ReSET, Green Energy Workforce trainees get general instruction at FLR and work with Aloja to concentrate on 10 modules in the “Roots of Success” curriculum. This curriculum teaches environmental literacy on issues of waste management, transportation, water treatment, and agriculture, as well as skills like financial literacy, job interview preparation, and community organization. The variety of topics gives trainees a well-rounded

education on environmental problems and professional skills, both of which trainees can use when pursuing careers pathways. Aloja is currently working with four adults through a hybrid learning model. When in-person, trainees get instruction and do hands-on work at FLR’s newest location, “The ReUse Caboose and Training Center,” at 700 W. Buffalo St. When at home, trainees Zoom into the lessons. Aloja told me that just last week, the group finished their building module and went on a field trip to observe the green aspects of design at Gates Hall on the Cornell Campus. When I asked Aloja about his favorite part of his job, he told me that he feels gratified by the educational component. “I love hearing trainees say, ‘Oh, I didn’t know that before!’ when learning about the carbon footprint of their sandwich, or the energy consumption of incandescent light bulbs versus LEDs,” Aloja said. When referring to human-driven climate change, he mentioned, “I like helping ordinary people ‘get it.’” The trainees may or may not end up in the green sector of the economy, but either way, Aloja likes teaching them more about the world and skills to help them attain future jobs. At the moment, Aloja is content to have the small group of trainees, but when the pandemic subsides, he imagines having around 15 participants. His green energy program, like the other tracks of ReSET, is completely free, and it is a great way for people to learn new skills and build pathways to future employment. If you are a high school senior interested in going straight to the workforce after graduation, consider the ReSET program (ithacareuse.org/ reset) to improve your job readiness. Training programs are just one way that FLR contributes to our community, and if you want to learn more about Finger Lakes ReUse in general, check out my related article.

FEATURES

Not an Ordinary Thrift Store: My Experience with Finger Lakes ReUse By ANNA COHEN

IMAGE PROVIDED

The Ithaca ReUse Center storefront (214 Elmira Road), with the mural painted by Terrance Vann last fall

efore this January, my knowledge of the Finger Lakes ReUse (FLR) organization was limited to its thrift shops, where my family had gotten various kitchen utensils and a pair of cross country skis in the past. After the past few months as a volunteer, I am grateful for everything I have learned about the services, community, and goals of this local non-profit. On a Thursday in mid-January, the skies were bright blue, despite the chilly temperature, and I met up with Shannon Bittner ‘21 and Evelyn Kim ‘21 to get a FLR orientation. Yasmin Rashid, the workforce coordinator greeted us and explained the expectations for volunteers, as we walked through the rows of sports gear, furniture, and electronics. Right from the start, I was assured by the high standards of inclusiveness and respect that FLR requires. Yasmin made sure to ask our pronouns and told us about the diverse group of employees, including those with disabilities and those who have previously been incarcerated. The orientation felt very professional, yet still welcoming. I felt that even as a volunteer, I would be a valued part of the ReUse Team, and I was excited to start. I began helping at ReUse Community Hardware, the newly acquired storefront in Triphammer Marketplace that opened in May, 2020. As the name hints, this location sells hardware, thanks to a deal that FLR made with previous owner, Ace Hardware. FLR has been selling Ace’s old inventory at a discount, and now the majority of the space is taken up by books, toys, kitchen appliances, housewares, and more. As a volunteer here, I have helped employees price, shelve, sort, and organize items. The staff community is very appreciative of the volunteers, and they always want to teach us new skills. I recently learned how to use a warehouse pallet to transport heavy, boxed items. This is not a skill I would have intentionally sought out to learn, but if I ever wind up with a warehouse job, I’ll be prepared. As Shannon Bittner ‘21 tells me, “I have been learning to use FLR’s electronic checkout system and cash register, and I feel supported by my mentors as I learn and practice these customer service skills.” In general, I find it fun to see how the FLR organization operates daily in their storefronts, working to accomplish their greater goals. I would say that they are very successful at accomplishing their mission statement, which is “enhancing community, economy, and environment through reuse.” I have already discussed my positive interactions with the FLR community, but I learned that this non-profit does so much more. Starting in 2017, FLR created the ReUse Materials Access Pro-

gram, which provides community members in need with store credit. Any local human services agency can refer clients to this program, and FLR has helped over 1,100 households by providing over $156,000 in ReUse retail value items. FLR has an eCenter (at the Elmira Road location) where anyone can buy used computers and get affordable tech support and repairs. The eCenter provides local non-profit organizations with discounted IT services in another effort to support community groups. I have to mention the amazing job training program that FLR offers, but it deserves more space, so check out my related article, which features current program coordinator, Dr. Aloja Airewele. In terms of sustainability, FLR takes in donations throughout the year that may have otherwise been sent to the landfill, reducing material waste overall. Anyone can bring used goods to Ithaca ReUse or Triphammer ReUse throughout the year (just check the website to make sure they will accept your items). Additionally, the environmental impact of constantly producing and transporting new products is enormous. The less we rely on huge greenhouse gas emitters, the better. By processing items that are already in the community, FLR doesn’t create any manufacturing waste. Additionally, FLR always tries to make products affordable for shoppers. When I was helping price items, the manager made it clear that the goal at FLR is never to sell items to make the most profit. As a non-profit organization, they make money to cover their programs and staff’s paychecks. You can be assured that employees are being paid fairly, as FLR is a certified Living Wage Employer. Shopping at FLR is a great way to save money if you have a tight budget, and it is also exciting because you never know what treasures you might find. During my last visit to Triphammer, I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw a Texas Instrument graphing calculator, looking practically new, with a price tag of $25. High school math students, we all know that those can cost well over a hundred dollars. Anais Vanek-Raphaelidis ‘22 is a frequent shopper at FLR and tells me, “I’ve gotten really high-quality items, like the $5 sewing machine I use for all my projects and a beautiful cherry dresser for my room. I also like to check out the clothes department where I’ve gotten a lot of trendy stuff.” Finger Lakes ReUse is an inclusive organization that welcomes all shoppers, employees, and volunteers, with aims to create a just, resilient, and waste-free world. You can support these community-centered goals by shopping, donating, or volunteering.

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Unexpected Lessons from Abroad: Why a Six-Year-Old Documentary Should Be on the Top of Your Queue By RUBY LA ROCCA

hèvre, camembert, chilled grapefruit, scallops in a creamy mustard sauce, raw carrot and red cabbage salad, lamb with saffron, baguette, water, and an hour to eat it and appreciate the sensation of each course while making polite conversation and practicing mealtime etiquette. This is school lunch in France. Not school lunch at an expensive, private, collegiate institution, but the average lunch served at a lower middle-class elementary school near Normandy. And according to the school’s chef, it costs less than the frozen and defrosted, congealed and coagulated, canned, sugar-saturated school lunches American children are served. A table of French ten-year-olds refuse a glass of Coke and are horrified to see images of American cafeteria food—saying, “Is that bread?” and “Seriously, what is that?” which elicited one schoolmate’s response of “a bizarre sauce.” Or consider what Italians expect in terms of their vacations. The average Italian worker gets a minimum of seven weeks of vacation every year. Not including the 12 days of national holidays or the 15 days for a honeymoon or the five months of maternity (and paternity) leave or the days they didn’t use last year. And every one of those days is paid. In the US, the average employee gets ten days of paid time off, if they’re lucky. And on January 1st, if you haven’t cashed them in, they disappear. New mothers in America receive only two months’—unpaid—leave on average. Two gloriously tanned and smiling working-class Italians, Gianni and Christina Fancelli, are aghast at the news that most Americans don’t expect any paid vacation. These are glimpses of what goes on in other countries, as provided by Michael Moore in his 2015 documentary Where to Invade Next?. These visions of an alternate life are startling and thought-provoking, but actually aren’t the reason you have to watch this film. Rather than complaining about our own failing systems in the U.S.—namely education, healthcare, tax, and law enforcement—or cornering and filming bad politicians or fanatical Americans, Moore travels to foreign countries (Tunisia, Finland, Italy, and others) to see what they are doing right. But I’m not dredging up a six-year-old documentary for no reason. This film is especially relevant now because of what it has to say about education. Moore “invades” foreign countries, claiming their ideas for America, and what he discovers is affirming, positive, generative, and includes exciting models for how we can counteract the current impoverishment of education in America. By that, I mean exponentially inflated college tuition costs, an epidemic of standardized tests (and our habit of “teaching to a test”), copious and stifling levels of homework, the rampant removal of books from curriculums, the reduction and simplification of content, the elimination of advanced learning options, and a pervasive lack of funding that makes teacher and student support near nonexistent. In contrast, think of Finland (Moore’s third destination), which has held the top spot in global education rankings—the US, by comparison, is currently number 26. In Finnish schools, the con-

centration is on “finding what makes you happy,” because “there’s this very short time [people are] allowed to be children.” Finnish students don’t spend more than 10 minutes on homework a night, don’t have multiple-choice exams, aren’t taught to think in terms of tests, and have more time to be children and explore what they love—music, art, science, language, math, sports. “Your brain has to...relax every now and then. If you just constantly work, work, work, then you stop learning. And there’s no use of doing that for a longer period of time,” says a Finnish primary school teacher. This is why, Moore says, “Finland’s students have the shortest school days (3-4 hours) and the shortest school years in the entire Western world. They do better by going to school less.” And unlike in America, where “education is a business,” private schools don’t exist in Finland; in fact, it is illegal for a Finn to set up a school and charge tuition. Every school is as good as the other schools because “there is nothing different” in any of them. In Slovenia, another one of Moore’s most exciting sojourns, you (yes, you, American!) can go to university for free and graduate completely without debt. For students in Slovenia, the concept of owing your school money for an education is entirely foreign. (For some perspective, many families pay an average of $10,000 a year or more to attend university in America.) An American student at the University of Ljubljana—which offers more than 100 programs in English—tells Moore that even international students can receive a free and quality education because “education [in Slovenia] is seen as something that’s really a public good and the issue is once you start charging foreign students for education, you automatically open up the idea that you can charge everyone. And as soon as anyone starts paying tuition, the entire idea of ‘free university for everyone’ is under threat.”

Slightly higher taxes in France mean a wealth of free and high-quality services that aren’t provided to the American taxpayer. (Image courtesy of Michael Moore.)

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Americans pay the equivalent of French taxes twice over when they must take the costs of healthcare, daycare, and tuition out of their income. (Image courtesy of Michael Moore.) In the most unexpected revelation of the film, Moore (prompted by his interviewees) divulges that many of these ideas originate in America—they are merely European variations on an American theme. A Finnish teacher tells Moore that “many of these things that have made Finland perform well in education are initially American ideas. We try to teach them to think for themselves and to be critical to what they’re learning. We try to teach them to be happy people, to respect others and respect yourself.” The film’s subjects suggest that in our desperation to make money and become “number one,” we just forgot to be curious. We became insular and unreceptive to the needs of our own citizens. We’ve set up systems that just aren’t working, yet we refuse to acknowledge our mistakes and actually make changes in the ways our institutions function. In case you haven’t yet seen how incredibly relevant this film is to our current moment, take a look at Iceland (Moore’s final destination), an island nation that suffered acutely the financial crisis a dozen years ago. In 2008, the US housing bubble—wherein the housing sector exceeded its fundamental value by a large margin—burst and sent global economies into chaos. It was caused by the greedy and foolhardy buying and selling of subprime mortgages (mortgages that are unlikely to be paid) and the securities they backed for many years. This crisis crippled the American economy, but flattened Iceland—“Iceland’s collapse was the fastest in history, with 85 percent of the economy wiped out in weeks,” states Moore. Interestingly, “there was only one financial institution, Audur Capital, in Iceland, that did not lose money for its customers. It was founded by two women on the investment principle of “if we don’t understand it, we’re not buying it.” This is yet another reason to watch the film. Moore’s interview with several of these female financial CEOs and their role as women in Iceland’s banking system is illuminating and empowering. One of the women says in a message to the American people, “Every kid should have the same opportunity… The basic opportunity to get education and health care. It’s not Communism, it’s just a good society. You [Americans] play more solo. ‘I’m taking care of myself and my family and the rest, I don’t care about.’ But we are more like a big group and we try to take

care of each other within that group.” Surprisingly, the Icelanders’ successful prosecution of their “financial bad boys” was actually modelled after the American legal proceedings in our savings and loan scandal, says a Icelandic prosecutor who worked closely with American lawyers on many criminal charges against those responsible for the market crash. Then, when the pandemic started a year ago, Iceland’s COVID-19 response was hugely proactive and science-based. Partnering with the Icelandic genetics company deCODE, the government and healthcare force started to implement isolation, quarantine, and contact tracing measures in the beginning of January and testing residents in early February of 2020—more than two months before the U.S. shut down and four months before testing began. The health of every SARS-COV-2 positive patient is tracked in Iceland. They are isolated for 14 days in an outpatient clinic. Their symptoms are documented and added to a comprehensive list of symptoms, of which fever isn’t one. (News flash: Americans’ insistence on checking for fever—because we are desperate for measurable symptoms and reassurance—makes us look outdated and ridiculous. And because they did genomic testing on everyone who tested positive, Iceland has been able to offer the world one of our most startling statistics about COVID—almost half of infected people are asymptomatic.) Over 55 percent of the country’s residents have been screened. Iceland has recorded only seven deaths per 100,000 (for a country of 359,000 residents). The U.S. is averaging 80 deaths per 100,000 people, with a population of 328 million. Here’s the kicker: all the scientific methods Iceland has used for testing, tracking, isolating strains, and sequencing genetic material were developed in America, says Kári Stefánsson, CEO of deCODE. Stefánsson maintains that “the same approach could work” in the US if not for “regulatory and administrative obstacles” faced by labs and “a lack of federal leadership.” One of the most compelling arguments made in the film is by a Tunisian journalist named Amel Smaoui. She was working in the media at the time of the 2011 revolution in Tunisia during which a massive popular uprising forced the conservative government to add women’s rights to the new constitution (the Equal Rights Amendment has yet to be ratified in the United States). Moore asks her if she would like to say something to Americans. Here is what she said: Americans are lucky they belong to the most powerful country in the world. But being the strongest one maybe stops them from being just curious. I know a lot about you guys. I know your music from the 70’s until today—I danced to your music. I speak (as much as I can) your language. I know Henry Miller, Kerouac, F. Scott Fitzgerald. I wear your clothes, I eat your food, but I also have my culture. What do you know about my culture or Estonian culture or Zimbabwean culture? I read an interesting article about the average time Americans spend watching the Kardashians’ show. Why do you spend your time on this? You invented the most powerful weapon in the world. It’s internet, guys—use it the right way. Check, read, watch, and then come to visit us. It’s a little small country, her name is Tunisia, it’s in North Africa. And I really think we deserve (as much as the other countries) your attention. If you keep this way of thinking that you are the best and you know everything, it won’t work.

ARTS 3.6 Greetings, Fellow Mathletes!

By adowyn ernste

Why does this always seem to happen to me?

I command you, search out the traitor king, Seymour Shmoop, and I shall restore order to our hallways.

Do it in the name of math!

It is I, Leonard Ego, here for revenge at long last! Let it be known that your true king has returned!

Let us Unite, brothers and sisters! Let us not fight amongst ourselves but instead celebrate the harmonious truths of math!

Everyone, don’t be fooled by that nerd! We are gathered here Listen to me, decker the to celebrate the one Great Pi, your very own great truth that binds math-scot. us all together.… After him, my minions! Bring me the head of Seymour Shmoop!

Should I be relieved or horrified?

Run, Shmoop. It’s too late for me now… but You… you must survive. Don’t let this sacrifice be in vain!

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Join us, Seymour! Join us!

There is no escape, so why Even try to run from us?

Phew, looks like I lost ‘em!

Don’t be afraid! It will be painless!

Heya Tin Can. I heard there was a bounty on your head…

Heeeey Norma Jean! Heh heh… Wow, I didn’t see you there! Listen, I’m really sorry about everything that’s happened but

let’s talk about this… ok?

Please don’t kill me.

Man, you should have seen the look on your face! I can’t believe you Actually thought I’d hand you over to Mega Nerd!

And here I thought being hunted by a mob would be the biggest surprise of the day…

Spring Bucket List By DOROTHY HAMILTON 1. Plan a prank for April Fools’ Day 2. Plan a picnic—grab a book and go alone, or convince a friend to tag along (but make sure to social distance) 3. Visit the Cornell Botanical Gardens as the flowers bloom 4. Binge watch college decision reaction videos as you wait for yours to come in 5. Thank one of the IHS librarians on April 4th, National School Librarian Day 6. Learn to skateboard—or roller skate, or rollerblade, or bike, really anything with wheels to take advantage of the snow-free roads, or the Waterfront Trail 7. Submit photos to the yearbook 8. Do your taxes on Tax Day, April 15th! If you work a part time job, you have to do these, so don’t forget! 9. Get your COVID vaccine 10. Go for a hike—between Taughannock, Treman, and Buttermilk, you’re sure to find something enjoyable 11. Get a head start on your spring cleaning—also, take advantage of other people’s spring cleaning by checking the Salvation Army for new donations 12. Get a Shamrock Shake at McDonald’s while they’re in season 13. Go get some potatoes from Taco Bell, recently added back to the menu! 14. Visit the Farmers Market! Saturdays at the Pavillion start back up on April 3rd, and Sundays start again in May 15. Enjoy your spring break, April 5th-9th 16. Go mini golfing at the Sciencenter 17. Relive early quarantine from this time last year—rewatch Tiger King and Outerbanks, make whipped coffee, or do a Chloe Ting workout 18. Do some self care—spring is one of the best times to treat yourself, especially as the snow melts along with your seasonal depression. Take some time for yourself to read, meditate, or even just do a face mask 19. Listen to Taylor Swift’s re-recordings of her album Fearless, released April 9th 20. Go camping in your own backyard

21. Dress up like a tourist and conduct your own tour of Ithaca’s waterfalls 22. Get snacks for your picnic at the new Trader Joe’s 23. Go kayaking along the inlet--Puddledockers has single and double kayaks for rent 24. Study for your AP exams—or don’t 25. Bike the Black Diamond Trail to get ice cream at the end at Not My Dad’s ice cream in Trumansburg 26. Go to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology 27. Have a clothing or book swap with your friends to revamp your wardrobe or personal library 28. Grab a friend, and do the entire Sagan Planet Walk 29. Plant a garden 30. Get some supplies at Michaels and go paint the sunset from Sunset Park

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IHS Bands Host Virtual Performance By ANNA WESTWIG

he concert opens as any other would: Ms. Zawel, director of IHS Bands, standing in front of a darkened auditorium. There is a polite silence throughout the rows of Kulp’s redplush chairs, one that should soon cede to riotous applause when the stage is flooded with light. But the lights never rise. The applause never comes. Instead, the friendly and, by now, long-familiar chime of Zoom signifies each newcomer’s arrival, as the time ticks closer to 7:00 PM. Ms. Zawel welcomes each one with a smile. Some videos are black screens, but many are on, revealing students nestled in corners with headphones, teachers tuning in from their homes, and large families all aligned on a couch. Each of them have come to listen to a months-long project, masterminded by Ms. Zawel. Although she acknowledges what she’s organized “could never replicate or replace an in-person concert experience,” she found herself “getting pre-concert jitters just as I do for in-person concerts—the excitement of sharing music was still there, for sure!” But as the format morphed, so too did the typical wind band feel. Over the course of an hour or so, there was beatboxing, kalimba, an oboist singing with a Vocoder, and a flutist on the electric guitar. There was a dazzling variety of moods and genres, but all of it was based on the melody of a single Scottish folk song: Black is the Color of My True Love’s Hair. Originally inspired by Alfred Reed’s Symphonic Prelude, which is based on the same folk song, Ms. Zawel always wanted to use the piece as a vehicle to “teach about phrasing, texture, and lyrical playing.” But in one of IHS’s ubiquitous two-week lockdowns after a confirmed COVID case, she was forced to find ways to be productive virtually and to check all students’ understanding and participation. Thus was the first part of the project born: learning the melody by ear. Each player memorized the melody, just by listening to it, and recorded themselves playing it. At the concert, Magnolia Mead ‘21, a senior flutist, demonstrated the original melody live. The other component of this first part was also there from the get-go: learning the context and comparing different versions and interpretations of the melody. Ms. Zawel presented Nina Simone’s elegant and mournful piano-flourished version next to a sparse arrangement by the Hi-Lo’s and an upbeat country one by the contemporary singer Rhiannon Giddens. After comparing and contrasting different versions, Ms. Zawel then asked each player to create their own. There were no limitations or guidelines on this second part, only that the final product had to be at least twice the length of the unadorned melody. In total, 140 separate versions were made. For students, it was an unexpected, but certainly not unwelcome, assignment. Nyah Ernste ‘24, who plays flute in Concert Band, says, “It was not only an exciting separation from the learn and record cycle, but it also brought back a part of band that we have missed this year. Learning how your own part combines with the other sections is a normal step in learning band music. But this year, we haven’t been able to do that...because we can’t hear each other over Zoom.” For this project however, students “had to listen carefully to how different parts and harmonies worked together.”

Most of the projects were created and recorded through the Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) Soundtrap. Although both bands had been working with Soundtrap since early in the year, getting more familiar with the DAW was a major impetus for the projects. Both in preparation for the third part, where students would record their individual parts of Reed’s Symphonic Prelude, and for future recording projects. Although there was a significant learning curve, especially for students who had not previously composed, Wind Ensemble percussionist Malcolm Longaker ‘21 thinks Soundtrap is “a breeze to work on and record even if you have no experience. It lets you create projects with anyone else with an online account, so it’s really what has allowed us to feel connected as a band and create musical projects.” Max Rubenstein-Miller ‘21, who plays trumpet also in the Wind Ensemble, says, “Ms. Zawel has adapted to the virtual music-making environment in unparallelled ways, using the technology to everybody’s benefit rather than a hindrance.” Certainly, by the end, everyone’s facility with the program increased. Connection was another impetus for the composition projects. Ms. Zawel says, “my students inspire me daily and I thought that giving everyone a chance to create something unique from the same material would help me to know them better.” It also definitely connected students, across both bands. Generally, Wind Ensemble and Concert Band work on separate repertoire, but are still linked by a strong sense of community. In the virtual environment, there was much more of a tangible divide, and when surveyed, an overwhelming number of “upperclasfolk suggested overlapping activities” between the two bands. Ms. Zawel says, “the band community is one rooted in cross-grade, cross-ensemble involvement and this was an opportunity to keep that going.” Both seniors experienced in composition and freshmen new to the process were represented. Rubenstein-Miller describes his process in making a lush and polished brass quintet: “I played the original melody on trumpet, listened to it, and reflected on my instincts in that moment to figure out how I would harmonize that melody. After some thought, I realized that a brass ensemble would be best to embody the type of feeling I wanted to express through the traditional folk melody.” He recorded multiple tracks of trumpet, mellophone, trombone, and tuba on Logic Pro X, a more advanced DAW than Soundtrap. But Ernste and Anna Fowler ‘24, both Concert Band flutists, used Soundtrap and collaborated over Zoom when making their ambient and soothing composition. Their first step was to catalogue all of the instruments available to them, which included not just their primary instruments, but also guitar and kalimba—untraditional band instruments. Many of the tracks were similarly atmospheric, but all with different tones. Some utilized rain sounds; others, like Artemis Inzinna’s ‘23, took advantage of the full range of the bass clarinet. The first project shared under “anonymous” began with the howl of the wind and a single explosive note, the first one of the original melody, trembling on Soundtrap’s electric guitar. The rest of the projects were just as singular, and Ms. Zawel expressed that “the similarities...could be found in the bravery and experimentation demonstrated in the processes and products of

ARTS

the musicians.” When I asked those who presented their favorite part of the concert, without exception, everyone highlighted hearing another student’s project. Many, like Wind Ensemble trombonist Daniel Zawel ‘22, found that their horizons broadened. He says that although he was “not always a fan of this genre,” after listening, he revised his previous stance on electronic music. Throughout the entire sharing experience, praise was immediate and overwhelming. Not a single project was not marveled at. Ms. Zawel noted that Zoom’s chat feature “was bursting with so much love and gratitude in real time. Often, we forget to congratulate and appreciate if a little time has gone by after a performance.” The immediacy of the virtual experience created a community in real time. And there was still love leftover for more projects: Ms. Zawel expressed a joyous surprise that everyone

who left feedback wanted to hear more than just the 20 compositions shared. But the chat fell silent in the third part, perhaps in reverence for the ghosts of in-person concerts past. If individuality was the theme of the second part, in the final section of the concert—the unveiling of Symphonic Prelude, which Ms. Zawel painstakingly stitched together in her own personal trial with Soundtrap—it was community. One hundred forty players, each recording alone next to a computer somewhere, merged together, while photos of Ithaca’s snow-draped trees and slushy streets flickered across the screen. The photos may have been colorless, but the music was far from it. It murmured and soared and, if you closed your eyes, you could pretend, just for a moment, you were under Kulp’s hot lights, joining in the sound once again.

The Hill She Climbed: Amanda Gorman’s Journey to Youngest Inaugural Poet By ELLA KEEN ALLEE

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or there is always light, if only we’re brave enough to see it.” On January 20th, 2021, the Inauguration Day of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, Amanda Gorman’s words boom through the microphone, reaching the audience present and the millions of viewers at home. She wears a sunflower yellow suit jacket; her braids have been brought back into a large bun accessorized with golden beads and a wide, gorgeous vermillion headband. In the light of the sun, her gold jewelry glints and shimmers, including the hoop earrings gifted by Oprah herself. In the days that followed her inspired reading, Gorman’s followers on her social media would increase by hundreds of thousands almost every hour, with her Instagram going from 50 thousand to 2 million followers on Inauguration Day alone. But how did Amanda Gorman become the youngest inaugural poet in history? What was her journey, from her school years to now? Does she have any other works? We’ll explore all of these things, and what we can expect to see from the 22-year-old poet laureate in the future. Amanda S. C. Gorman was born on March 7, 1998, in Los Angeles, California to a single mother, Joan Wicks. She has a twin sister, Gabrielle Gorman, also an incredibly creative mind; she is a filmmaker and digital artist. According to the New York Times, her mother kept the TV off most of the time, giving the children the opportunity to use their imagination while building forts, reading books, and playing outside. Because Wicks was also a teacher, she emphasized reading and writing and taught the children at a very young age, helping to develop Amanda’s love for literature. As Gorman told the Harvard Gazette, she has an auditory processing disorder, causing her to “hear and process information differently from other people”. She also had a speech impediment and had to go to speech therapy, making her early school years quite difficult. She didn’t let this stop her, though: rather, she saw it as a strength, a superpower, allowing her to

further delve into the world of reading and writing and develop advanced skills. Gorman claimed that at age five, she realized that what she was reading in books and writing in her notebooks was the “voice she really wanted for herself”. According to a New York Times article, she first wanted to become a poet in third grade, when her teacher read Ray Bradbury’s novel, “Dandelion Wine”, to the class. A metaphor struck Gorman—“I don’t remember what [the metaphor] was exactly—something about candy—but I lost my mind. It was the best thing I’d ever heard. Pure magic!” Gorman revealed that the author that really helped her find her voice was Toni Morrison, specifically her book The Bluest Eye: “I realized,” she remarks, “that all of the stories I read and wrote featured white or light-skinned characters. I’d been reading books without black heroines, which nearly stripped me of the ability to write in my own voice, blackness and all.” Morrison’s diverse characters allowed Gorman to develop a distinct, unapologetic, black feminist voice of her own, one that would be silenced no longer. According to an article featured in the Harvard Crimson, Gorman attended New Roads School, a private K-12 institution known for its non-traditional curriculum and emphasis on social justice and creativity. Gorman expressed her gratitude for the school, as it had allowed her to really experiment with what she wanted to do when she grew up. In the Los Angeles Times, Shelly Fredman, the third-grade teacher who read “Dandelion Wine” to young Amanda, remembered the “precocious little girl who’d listen raptly to her class readings”. After watching the Inauguration, Fredman added, “If we do it right, they become the teachers”. Alexandra Padilla, Amanda’s 10th grade English teacher, also spoke of her former student’s pure passion. After reading Sandra Cisneros’ “The House on Mango Street”, Gorman had written a Continued on page 18

The Hill She Climbed: Amanda Gorman’s Journey to Youngest Inaugural Poet Continued from page 17 poem inspired by the novel’s unique style. Padilla still had the poem, and talked about Gorman’s ability to analyze Cisneros’ writing enough to absorb it and write her own iteration. Keren Taylor and Michelle Chahine Sinno, the founder of and a mentor for WriteGirl, an organization connecting young writers with mentors, also got their chance to work with Amanda. Both were emotional after the Inauguration, Sinno proudly stating that she remembered giving the young poet a Maya Angelou book to grow her poetry knowledge. Now, Amanda was following in Angelou’s footsteps as an inaugural poet, even wearing a ring gifted by Oprah Winfrey of a caged bird, a reference to Angelou’s “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings”. But Inauguration Day was not her poetic debut. In 2014, Gorman was named the first youth poet laureate of Los Angeles, allowing her to share her talent with the people in her city. A year later, she was named the Youth Poet Laureate of the West, putting her in the running for National Youth Poet Laureate, which she was awarded in 2017 while a sophomore at Harvard University. She has written many different poems for many different occasions, including one as a tribute to black athletes for Nike, and another, “Earthwise”, about the climate crisis. She also presented a poem at the Library of Congress, according to the Harvard Crimson, commemorating the inauguration of Tracy K. Smith as the National Poet Laureate. A Baltimore Sun feature mentions that Gorman has also secured a deal with Viking Children’s Books for two books, the first of which, “Change Sings”, will come out later this year. What can we expect from 22-year-old Amanda Gorman in the future? As the National Youth Poet Laureate and youngest inaugural poet, the sky’s the limit. According to many sources including Gorman herself, her next goal is to run for president in 2036. “I always say the really, really long-term goal, meaning 2036, is to become president. So that’s the longest-term goal I have, which means I do want to become a public servant,” Gorman stated in an interview with the Boston Globe. She also hopes to publish works that aren’t poetry, and to run for a political position in her native Los Angeles. Amanda’s just getting started, as she alludes to in her poem “In This Place (An American Lyric)”: “...it is here, it is now, in the yellow song of dawn’s bell, where we write an American lyric we are just beginning to tell”.

ARTS

SPORTS

Athlete Profile: Luke Vandermark By AYA OULIDA

hat is an athlete without an athletic season? That is the question COVID-19 posed to many sports and athletic events around the world as it mercilessly shut them down in spring of 2020. Almost a year later, at IHS, school sports have managed to occur, though playing is impinged by necessary precautions such as distancing and wearing masks. Luke Vandermark ‘23, who plays Junior Varsity (JV) Soccer, is an IHS athlete who is well-equipped to discuss the changes to his sport during a pandemic. Soccer is a big part of Luke’s life: it has brought many friends into his life and created many lasting memories with family and friends. Soccer has brought Luke joy, ever since the age of two. He wasn’t going to let something as ineffectual as a pandemic stop him. Supported by his parents and older brother, Luke plans to continue to progress in soccer and overcome any obstacles along the way.

soccer. I was able to watch him play and learn from him.

practice the coach should be able to understand the situation the athlete is in.

AO: What are two traits a leader should have or develop?

AO: How has your sport influenced who you are today?

LV: The most important trait a leader should have is definitely to be a role model, being able to always keep right minded thoughts off and on the field. If you have a leader who isn’t good at what they are doing, it will be hard to learn and follow after them. A leader should be skilled. A leader needs to be able to teach other teammates. Maintaining good academic performance is also another important trait, because if you have a leader who is focused in school and attends classes, they will be able to play their sport and be a good leader without missing any practices or games.

LV: Soccer has helped shape me into a more amiable person. I’m able to make more friends because I can relate to people who love their sport. Soccer is a famous sport, no matter who you are or what language you speak everyone knows the language of soccer.

Aya Oulida ‘23: Explain the basic rules of soccer.

LV: Teammates should be able to be coached, It’s going to be hard to have a teammate who is ignorant. Bonding with your team is very important, a teammate should be part of a team because in order to play well you need to have good chemistry. Teammates should be able to support each other and not neglect others opinions on how to play. Another important trait is having a teammate who knows their role and what they have to do on the field. You have to remember that when you’re playing your position regardless of your feelings on the position you have to remember that you are part of the mechanical machine that is working the team.

Luke Vandermark ‘23: The rules of soccer are exceedingly simple. Your goal is to try to outmaneuver the team and get the ball into the back of your opponents net by passing the ball up or down the field. AO: What do you like most about Soccer? LV: I love how soccer gives me a chance to unwind and take a step back to just collect myself after a long and hard day. Soccer has brought me so many lifelong friendships with people in my community. When I’m playing nothing runs through my mind so I have time to focus on the next plays and I’m able to have a good time. AO: Why do you play soccer? LV: I grew up playing soccer so for me it has always been there. I enjoy playing with my friends and how soccer lets me feel free and have a clear focused mindset. AO: How long have you been playing soccer? LV: I’ve been playing soccer since I was two, so around 13-14 years. I have an older brother, Ethan Vandermark, who played

AO: What are some traits that a teammate should have?

AO: What are some traits a Coach should have? LV: A coach has to be a good role model; they should know you on and off the field. They have to make sure that you’re caught up on your academics and be able to help out the ones who are struggling and succeeding but not just in soccer. Experience, you have to be able to understand the sport and know how to polish up your athletes. You have to know what drills and warmups are going to work. Having a relatable coach or a coach that can empathize with the team is very important. If an athlete is having troubles and they can’t come to a

AO: How have your supporters helped you in your soccer career and progress as a person? LV: All my coaches have helped me evolve my skill set and encouraged me to work out and get bigger and better. They gave me small and important things to work on like my touches. My parents and brother helped me a lot. I was able to watch him play and learn from him. My parents were able to buy me the gear I needed and put me in clubs to continue developing my skills and progress in soccer. AO: Has COVID-19 affected your season? If so, how? LV: COVID has 100 percent affected my season. We now have less games and are unable to play the big important games with spectators. COVID has made it less adrenaline-driven: you wont get as much tension when you play because there are not many people there. In a good way, COVID gave me more time to practice and focus on myself. Masks make it harder to play by modifying the speed we can go. It’s harder to run in a mask and it affects your endurance. AO: How have you developed as an athlete during quarantine? LV: Last year around March and the start of quarantine, I would go to fields around my field and play soccer and other sports. I used my time working out to get better at my sport. I could worry more about myself, and make sure I am a good teammate to others in a setting where others criticize.

Continued on page 20

Athlete Profile: Luke Vandermark Continued from page 19 AO: What changed about your season this year due to COVID-19? LV: COVID has changed many things in my sport, the amount of drills we can do are limited because of contact. Soccer is all about being close and working on closse drills. When everyone is in a line and spaced out it makes it harder to do drills quickly because you have to make sure everyone stays distanced and you have to remind others. In the end, COVID just slows down the process. AO: Do you think things will go back to normal? LV: I hope things go back to normal, with the vaccine that came out it might speed up the process. There are always chances of recurring viruses and new strains of viruses. It would be nice to be able to play sports without worrying about masks and mandates again. AO: What quote has pushed you to persevere in soccer? LV: “You miss all of the shots that you don’t take”- Wayne Gretzky. If you don’t take a shot there’s no way you’re gonna know if you’ll make it or not so you might as well go for it because you might have a chance of making the shot.

SPORTS | LITERARY

Haiku Contest This month’s winner:

On My Sleeve By Louisa Miller-Out Plaster-white flakes fall Slices of impermanence With glass spider legs

Distance

#1 Dad

By Lily Grover

By Donovan Redd

Sometimes I feel like Parts of the world float up in Bubbles I can’t reach

I am a good dad I ate my children’s crayons aquamarine’s gas.

Buchenwald

From the heavens

By Alex Jordan

By James Robertson

They count us each morn, Then work us late into night. Our people, forlorn.

Golden rays of light Gold light breaking through the clouds Gift from the heavens

AO: What is good advice you have for athletes during this time? LV: You definitely want to take advantage of the weight room. Soccer isn’t really known for getting big and muscular but it’ll help you be competitive. You want to have any physical advantage that you have on your opponent and you want to be the person who takes the first touch. AO: Who are your role models and why? LV: My family, My parents would drive me and my brother to soccer practices or lacrosse practices and that would allow me to learn from watching my older brother play. Having people to look up to and people who you know will always support you helps you move on in life and learn more about your sport.

Satisfied By Anna Westwig Wake up, all froth and sea foam, and scrawny dreams. You swear your blood is crystallizing; from the pattering leaf-shade, watch the lift of seven league boots whirl on by, their owners chasing fresh hopes. You possess all that bounty now. You may still and bask and still never lack reward. But, glaze-trapped bee, you stuffed, stagnant thing, the nectar of gully clover is sweeter undrunk. By definition, you can’t want what you already have.

Ciucarun By Louisa Miller-Out The tower stands deserted It looms over the plains Where once there was a village Nothing but this remains A mute, imposing monolith With lonely tales to tell For there are few things sadder than A tower with no bell

LITERARY

Discordia By Louisa Miller-Out Te extraño más que nunca Sin que yo sepa por qué Has salido en la noche Y mi corazón se fue

Questions By Lily Grover

My entire persona was clay And you mushed it and led me astray If you say I’m lame The person to blame Is you, ‘cause you made me that way Why Do I Love The thing That kills me Day by day? I Don’t know Please Don’t go Or you’ll take It away O cogitationes Vos obsecro, tacete Non possum legere Vos iubeo exire! Now, if you’ll excuse me, I will go outside and play I fear, if I don’t get some sunlight soon, I will decay.

Why is it that nature Is so inspiring? That when I hear a bird chirp I want to sing along and Flit from my world to his? That I grow envious of the bee, Their nose buried in a blossom So vibrant and vivid? That clinging to the branches Of a tall and sturdy tree I feel I could touch the sky And it would shatter at my fingertips? That when I’m where there’s No ticking of clocks Time ceases to exist? Why is it that in a world Where so much is moving All I want is to stop and listen? But In a world Where so much is moving One can not stop for they would fall And there might not be A flower To catch them.

Writing Prompts By Adowyn Ernste • • • • • •

• • • •

Write about something that is perfect in every way except for one. How much can happen in a single moment? Devote one paragraph (or stanza) to each event, and use as much detail as possible. Write a poem about beginnings. Write an abstract commentary on the view from a moving vehicle (an airplane, a car, a train, a bicycle, etc). Think of the most ridiculous premise or the most overused cliché and use it to create something dramatic and insightful. Roll a dice! • If you roll 1 or 2: The second word of each line must rhyme. • If you roll 3 or 4: The final letter of each word must form a sequence that repeatedly spells out a word or phrase. • If you roll 5: Stare at a blank page until the first line is fully formed in your mind. Now, make this first line the last line. • If you roll 6: Roll again. Write a poem in which the first line is a question and the remaining lines are an answer. Can something be false and true at the same time? Create a humorous scene detailing the grave consequences of a misunderstanding. List Poetry: List poems connect a group of people, places, objects, or ideas in a way that tells a story, often using repetition. Normally, the greatest emphasis is placed on the last item.

LITERARY

Surrealio By Ethan Carlson

LITERARY

April Sudoku March Solution

PENULTIMATE

What’s Your Favorite Ending? This Horoscope Will Give You Some! By Ethan Carlson Aries (Mar 21 - Apr 19): Good Ending: You read the entirety of this newspaper, and you have never felt happier. Taurus (Apr 20 - May 20): Half Ending: You read half of this newspaper, but got bored and never finished it. Try again! Gemini (May 21 - June 20): Neutral Ending: You read the entire newspaper, but did not find it very entertaining. Oh well… Cancer (June 21 - Jul 22): Sudoku Ending: You came only to play the sudoku and nothing else! Leo (Jul 23 - Aug 22): Bad Ending: You never picked up this newspaper. Virgo (Aug 23 - Sep 22): Best Ending: You wrote an article last month and got to see it in this newspaper. Congratulations! Libra (Sep 23 - Oct 22): Sharing-Is-Caring Ending: You picked up more than one copy of this newspaper and gave them to friends and family.

Scorpio (Oct 23 - Nov 21): Quarantine Ending: You didn’t pick up a copy of this newspaper. Instead, you decided to read the online version that can be found at this link: http://www.ihstattler.com/. Sagittarius (Nov 22 - Dec 21): Sad Ending: You lost your copy of this newspaper before you could read the whole thing! Capricorn (Dec 22 - Jan 19): Weird Ending: Your copy of the newspaper is missing some pages. I guess we’ll never know why. Aquarius (Jan 20 - Feb 18): Inspiration Ending: After reading this newspaper, you decided you want to become a Tattler editor. The journey will be long and difficult, but you will succeed with enough perseverance. Good luck! Pisces (Feb 19 - Mar 20): S̷ ě̦ ̵ ̖͑ c̸̨͐ r̶̜̽ ě̶̪t̸̪̓ ̸͓̽E̸̙͌n̵͔̏d̸̗͝ i̵n ̯͊ ̴ ̒ ͜ĝ̷̰ : !uoy truh dna eil a llet annog reveN !eybdoog yas annog reveN !yrc uoy ekam annog reveN !uoy tresed dna dnuora nur annog reveN !nwod uoy tel annog reveN !pu uoy evig annog reveN .dnatsrednu uoy ekam attoG .gnileef m’I woh uoy llet annaw tsuj I .yug rehto yna morf siht teg t’ndluow uoY .fo gnikniht m’I tahw s’tnemtimmoc lluf A .I od os dna selur eht wonk uoY .evol ot sregnarts on er’eW

Stable

Unstable

The Coolness Spectrum Internally Combusting

Illegible

File Corrupted

Arson

Marx’s Dog Whiskey

Radioactive Decay

Scurvy

Eldritch Horror

Broken Chair

Glitching

Cathode Ray Tube

International Relations

Mitski

Loose Change

Impartial Spectator

Effervescent

Isthmus

Upstairs K

Capybara

Clay

Waitlisted

Kumquat

Twilight Blue Tint

Kayak

L.H.O.O.Q. by Marcel Duchamp

Floccinaucinihilipilification

Ibuprofen

Swim Unit

Nominative Determinism

Samoyed

Stuck in the Suez

Parabolic Hyperboloid

Stratonimbus

Sludge

Lunar Tardigrades

Flame Resistant

Introverted

Extroverted

APRIL FOOLS’

The (Biggest) Problem with Schools By BESTY DEVOS

ublic schools in the United States are plagued by countless inefficiencies, controversies, obstacles, and difficulties. Moreover, the specific manifestations of these problems vary between school districts based on the school’s funding, geography, number of students, and a wealth of other factors that change the issues schools deal with. Considering these discrepancies, you might be surprised that there even is one definitive “biggest problem”. Some might point to improper state funding, others to a lack of federal support; still others might refer to an improperly structured curriculum and teaching style. However, this disregards the true source of the broken educational system in the United States. Why do teachers have so many assignments to grade, projects to coordinate, and lessons to plan? Students. Who is at the root of the myriad complaints and issues that already overworked school counselors must address? Students. Which group creates the vast majority of costs that an (often underfunded) system is obligated to settle? Students. The solution to the endless list of problems related to the student body in public schools is its removal. Schools without students are unequivocally a better organization of the education system. Besides, the current system clearly has problems—otherwise, there wouldn’t be a gap between the percentage of white students in AP and Honors classes when compared to Black and Hispanic peers, nor would there be such vast racial disparities in graduation rates. Schools without students have significantly higher graduation rates, college acceptance rates, and test scores; in fact, such schools do so much better that the improvement is mathematically undefined. The scientific graph shown here demonstrates some key factors that play into the success of student-less schools:

Beyond the academic benefits, ridding schools across the country of students has innumerable economic benefits, too. For example, schoolbusfleet.com reports that a new school bus comes in at upwards of fifty thousand dollars, and school districts like ICSD have entire networks of free school buses to transport students to and from school. The costs of obtaining and maintaining those school buses could be entirely eliminated in a student-free school. Moreover, the School Nutrition Association states that the federal government spends billions of dollars each year on public school lunches. These are expenditures that, once again, could be

avoided if a student-free policy was instituted. Below is a compilation of the most precise calculations and projections of school district expenditures as they relate to the number of students in those districts.

However, the most important factor is the increase in mental health. It’s no secret that American schools have increasing numbers of students with deteriorating mental health as a direct result of their experiences in schools. The staff in those schools are affected, too. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has brought more challenges and a much larger workload upon teachers who haven’t been afforded the proper resources to handle them. And then, on top of this, they have to organize online classes and put on a smile for a screen of emotionless, muted profile pictures. With all the media coverage and focus on the declining mental health of teens (which is undoubtedly an issue), teachers are sometimes overlooked. However, this neglects the fact that, unlike a student-less school, a teacher-less school is inherently contradictory and impossible. Furthermore, consider this: teachers are only one part of the group that we call staff. Counselors are one other part. ICSD employs five counselors to deal with over one thousand students. As The Tattler Editorial Board explains in one February Opinion piece, these five hardworking individuals have endless duties catering to the needs of too many students. A student-free school would allow these overworked counselors more time to take care of themselves and deal with fewer tasks each day. Public schools, particularly middle and high schools, have a lengthy and growing list of complications. School districts and their varied approaches to education all have their own unique flaws and misunderstandings, each with their own ‘solutions’ which in turn create budgeting headaches or even just more problems in other areas of education. As incredulous or suspicious as it may sound, the data and evidence that we have points to the student-free educational model being the one categorical answer to the scores of problems that schools have. If federal and state governments really have any interest in bettering the lives of those involved in the public school system, then the one focus that they should have in the future is to phase out the role of students in schools as quickly as possible. The clock is ticking!

APRIL FOOLS’

Serial Face Thief Still at Large By MAXI LO FACIAL

“

’m terrified,” one student wrote in a recent anonymous survey. “I thought I would be safe in my own home, but now that I know that...thing...is out there, I live in constant fear that I could be next.” I could be next: these are the words that trouble the minds of IHS students and staff alike. The case of the “Serial Face Thief,” as it has come to be known, has created a growing sensation of fear in the community, causing IHS administrators to advise students to double-check their locks and lock screens before bed. “Lock your Windows and doors. Or if you’re on a Chromebook...Well, they block everything, so you should be safe,” administrators said when asked for commentary, revealing the lack of knowledge regarding the Thief’s methods of attack. At this time, little remains known about the culprit. No one can be sure how the Thief is infiltrating the victims’ homes, nor can we say what sort of atrocities take place. Is it a single individual? A group of vandals? An incorporeal entity? Only those who have lived through the experience can enlighten us, but unfortunately, it has been impossible to make contact with the victims following their encounters with the Thief. Whether this is because the victims are left physically unable to speak or traumatized by the experience remains unknown. Only one thing is certain: since the first day of school, faces have been disappearing one by one from virtual classrooms. What started off as a seemingly-innocent trend has grown exponentially in recent weeks. Mrs. Crowly, a 10th grade Honors English teacher, tearfully described the slow demise of her once-vibrant classroom environment. What was once a Google Meet filled with awkwardly-smiling sophomores has been transformed into a cold, empty void of avatars. One by one, the faces disappeared, leaving behind only a sinister silence and the nostalgic memory of what once was. At first, Mrs. Crowly was unconcerned—a reaction shared by

most teachers in the earliest days of the scare. At first, it seemed likely that students were simply shy, or perhaps embarrassed to show their faces on camera. But as even the most rambunctious and outspoken students began to disappear, it became clear that something else entirely was going on. “I would ask a question and just...silence,” Mrs. Crowly said. “No matter what I tried, there was no response. Then I heard the rumors and realized: my students hadn’t just lost face. They actually lost their faces!” Mrs. Crowly invited skeptical administrators to see for themselves, but when administrators logged onto her 2B virtual classroom on Tuesday morning, they were horrified by the sea of silent icons that confronted them — a certain “Jennifer Crowly” among them. This shocking revelation only reveals the extent of the danger posed by our unknown assailant. No one is safe, not even our beloved teachers. There is one bright side to come from all of this. While the Thief’s victims may no longer be with us in any visual or auditory form, we are cautiously optimistic that they are still alive. The remaining teachers continue to report near full attendance as well as the abrupt departure of students at the end of class time. Although we are unable to communicate with the icons, we can at least take comfort in the knowledge that the Thief’s victims possess enough life within their empty, faceless shells to click the Google Meet link at the start of each class. To those members of our school community who have spent sleepless nights staring up at the ceiling with silent dread, rest assured that your fate is surely not death, though it could be much, much worse. As for our faceless friends, we can be reasonably sure that they are most likely alive and well. Probably. In a recent statement, IHS administrators wrote, “With a little bit of tenacity and ownership, we will reach the other side of this mountain together, IHS! Be strong, stay str— ” before their tangible forms permanently disappeared from

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CollegeBoard to Use uQuiz to Administer AP Exams By A BENEDICTINE MONK

he one-year anniversary for the school shutdown has just passed, and that means AP exams are rolling around the corner like a high-speed car with sanded tires that is actively enveloped in flames and blasting 100 gecs from the miraculously-functional speakers. For the all-new online AP exams, CollegeBoard has completely revamped the system, even creating their own app that all students must download before taking their exams in May or June. Students have been speculating about the exam format, with rumors that the test will be fully multiple choice. That particular rumor has been confirmed and a new report has just revealed that the technology for the app is just the website uQuiz, an online quiz making tool, downloaded and rebranded with the CollegeBoard logo. When news outlets reached out to officials, they defended their choice and revealed that students would actually be receiving their personality results at the end of each hour-long test. I reached out to a CollegeBoard official whose address I knew and who had liabilities I could exploit. “We wanted something to be intuitive to the youth, that they already knew how to use. uQuiz just seemed like the best option—and who doesn’t want to know what brand of medieval monk they would have been?” After asking for more context, I discovered that learning which medieval monk you were was not for the AP European History exam, but AP Physics C: Mechanics. There seems to be no rhyme or reason between tests: AP Latin assigns you a type of breakfast sandwich; AP World History which of the seven deadly sins you are (initially, they thought there was a glitch, as all the CollegeBoard executives they tested it on kept getting greed); AP Earth Science which syllable of “effervescent” vibrates at the resonance of your soul; AP Music Theory which BTS member you should date. Students taking portfolio-based exams shouldn’t worry about missing out: CollegeBoard has set up AP Art to be a multiple choice format. Each question corresponds to a piece in your portfolio with an image for each possible answer. Students will simply choose the image which most closely resembles their own piece. Directly after taking the exam, students will get their personality results, but will have to wait months—and pay good money—to receive their scores. CollegeBoard has stated emphatically that the scores will only be released in July: “I want to clear away any misconceptions students may hold that personality results correlate with their performance. The personalities are based on the vibes of the answers alone.” So if any students are comparing results, a BLT is no more likely to signify a five than a Turkey Melt (although anyone getting a Turkey Melt on a personality test should seriously consider counseling). The official also explicitly warned those taking the AP Calculus exam: “The associated personality test is actually which number between one and five encapsulates the general feel of your family trauma, and is not indicative of your actual score.” A major criticism is that students will only be able to take one question at a time, and will be unable to change their answers after each question. This restriction, however, is meant to ensure the

accuracy of the results. “If people are allowed to waffle on their answers, they’ll game the system. We want students to select their answers through intuition, not reasoning or using the other questions. I mean, we wouldn’t want someone who’s really meant to be a Benedictine monk fooling us all into thinking they’d be a Franciscan. That’s just not right!” It became clear, however, that CollegeBoard had attempted to buy the actual scored quiz feature that uQuiz offers, but realized that would automatically display the scores to students and employed no one with the technological prowess to fix the issue. All of their programmers were focused on making sure that the exams would conveniently crash just before the end of the submission period. I questioned the official, who admitted, after prodding, mild extortion, and threatening their two siamese cats named Corporate and Corruption with a spray bottle, the reason for artificially creating this grading delay: “All of our buildings are actually supplied by generators that run off of the general misery and anxiety in high school students, and while we would certainly get some from those getting 1s, it wouldn’t really be enough suffering for us to get by. It’s either making students wait for months to see their scores and whether they are good enough to get into the college of their dreams, or continuing to sabotage the release of Lorde’s third album. Is that so bad of us?” I raised my spray bottle. Maybe they should’ve listened to “Liability” from Melodrama more frequently.

board members to the students’ statement or an explanation of the actions of the board president. Attendees were left feeling confused and, in the case of the students and their parents, violated. Since the meeting, members of the board have reportedly received many angry letters demanding the post be taken down as well as the resignation of Aimlessly, all of which have gone unaddressed. “I’m honestly not surprised,” says one district stakeholder who prefers to remain anonymous. “‘This is a private issue’ can easily escalate to the public disclosure of sensitive information about minors.” When requested for comment, Jason Trumble, principal of Ithaca High School, said, “This is what you get for messing with Big Luve and his

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Big Board.” As of the week following the meeting, the Reddit post remains on the internet and has gathered a number of comments, some linking videos of the students’ perceived transgressions and some stating commenters’ intentions to intimidate the students. Parents worry about the safety of their children and the fitness of the board members, both those doxing the students and those complicit in the doxing, to serve the community. Parents and teachers have discussed creating a petition to take down the post and order the dismissal of Aimlessly, but have instead opted to dox the nine members of the BoE in retribution. Their addresses are listed in a Reddit post under the subreddit r/Ithaca.

Big Luve in GQ

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By THE STUDENT REPS TO THE BOARD

thaca City School District (ICSD) students were surprised to find an interview with Superintendent Luvelle “Big Luve” Brown on the website of popular magazine GQ this week. The article featured a high-definition portrait of Dr. Brown in his signature suit and tie, and outlined the superintendent’s transformative plan for ICSD. In an interview with journalist Wesley Lowery, Dr. Brown announced his plan to transition from a traditional school district to a more progressive model, establishing an agency called the Department of Education and Learning. Instead of the current teaching positions, the department would employ both paid Education Professionals and unpaid Learning Solution Workers, the equivalent of current paraprofessionals such as TAs and substitute teachers. Current ICSD teachers would have to reapply for positions in the new district model, a point of contention between the plan and the teachers’ union’s response. Brown says the district has battled with the teachers’ union over discipline for problematic teachers in recent years, including one teacher who was caught on an iPhone camera bragging about inadequately preparing students for the AP European History exam, and another who was found to have contaminated district water with pencil lead. Dr. Brown has expressed concern for the quality of teaching, but so far has not enacted any punitive measures. “This is my 10th year overseeing the district. And at times I feel like I’m the hot twenty-something lifeguard at a public pool that somebody peed in,” he said. “When that happens, you have to scoop a gallon of pee water out, and put fresh water in, and the tank becomes a little less uri-

nated with each gallon. This is a way of demolishing the pool and building condominiums in its place.” Dr. Brown holds the belief that there is a systemic problem in teaching all over the country. He has adopted abolitionist rhetoric, describing the plan as an effort to abolish teachers without abolishing teaching. According to a report compiled using input from focus groups including both educators and students, most students agree with their superintendent’s assessment. In fact, some want to take it further. “With the increased district budget needed to build a new model, the superintendent should think about employing police officers to monitor teacher activity,” says Raia Gutman, a prominent Blue Lives Matter supporter at Ithaca High School. Despite early setbacks, such as the teachers’ union’s hostile response to the proposal, Dr. Brown is confident in the future of the new education agency. He plans to bring the proposal to a vote by the Board of Education, known for its impartiality and reluctance to form personal friendships that hinder its objectivity, and if passed, begin enacting the plan as soon as the marking period ends. “Everyone wants teachers to perform better when they show up, everybody wants that. What this plan is saying is that we also want teachers to show up less—and that’s a radical thing for a school district and superintendent to do,” Dr. Brown said in the interview. He seems to expect the nation to recognize his progressive actions once again after his initial ascent to notoriety as a master educator, adding, “Fox News will lose their s***.”

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Lead in School Water Finally Eradicated By CRAZY RICH ASIAN

n a stunning turn of events, Ithaca City School District (ICSD) Superintendent Luvelle Brown triumphantly announced at the Board of Education meeting last night that the lead in the schools’ pipes and water was completely eradicated. “With clean drinking water,” Brown exclaimed with a grin, “we can truly accomplish anything. It just goes to show how far a little tenacity and elbow grease can get you.” The issue of lead in the drinking water has plagued ICSD since August 2015. In a particularly interesting interview with The Tattler, Brown described how he saved massive amounts of money in order to fix the problem: “Jason Trumble was the one who came up with the solution, actually,” he recanted. “It was two in the morning and he knocked on my door, still wearing his red and gold pajama pants, and told me he had an idea… and the rest is history.” Legend has it Trumble figured out how to cut costs across the board. One change included ceasing to buy anti-vaping posters to hang up around the school after realizing that, although large in number, had little to no effect on the students. Another concrete solution was to eliminate the math elective Fractals and Chaos, claiming it was “just too chaotic” and the materials were overly expensive. The district also made the monumental decision to eliminate AP US History from the IHS curriculum. According to Trumble, the course was just about “a bunch of old white guys who did or didn’t do something for America. And besides, we have Hamilton to teach students that. It just made more sense to cut it.” By not having to purchase the course textbooks, the district is projected to save thousands of dollars—and, as an added bonus, students will be saved from hours of emotional distress.

The most effective solution, however, was cutting the funding to IHS’s renowned E-Sports club. Trumble noted, “Hey, I love League of Legends as much as the next guy. But there are just more pressing issues right now.” The saved money was allocated to replacing all the pipes in ICSD schools. If the district keeps making essential budget cuts to address internal issues, it’s quite possible that in the future, teachers might even be paid higher salaries, perhaps enough to lead a comfortable lifestyle—but “chances are quite low,” says Brown. The question remains of why the district waited nearly six years to finally address the problem. Brown said he finally got the inspiration to take action while buying bowties off Amazon and listening to his Spotify “Hype Beast” playlist, which included songs like WAP by Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion, Wrecking Ball by Miley Cyrus, and The Fox (What Does the Fox Say?) by Ylvis. While gazing into the distance, Brown, overcome with emotion, recounted his epiphany to a Tattler reporter: “I decided enough was enough. Much like Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion empowered women with their prominent words, I too felt empowered. I realized it was my turn to come in like a wrecking ball. It’s always, ‘what does the fox say?’ and never, ‘what can the fox do to help?’ I decided to change that.” In the weeks to come, ICSD plans to reinstate the drinking fountains and gradually phase out the water coolers clad with plastic cups. When asked by a parent whether their next plan of action would be to address students’ crippling depression, the board members chortled and reassured the concerned parent they would do everything possible to cultivate a supportive culture of love for all 6000+ thinkers.

Board of Education Doxes Student Reps to the Board By CHILD WELFARE ADVOCATE

n the most heated Board of Education (BoE) Zoom meeting yet, the student representatives to the board hailing from Ithaca High School delivered a public rebuttal to the recent actions of the BoE concerning the allegations against Superintendent Luvelle “Big Luve” Brown. They condemned the board’s efforts to silence them, citing the mission statement of the district, which encourages district leaders to “gaslight, gatekeep, and, er, empower” students. BoE’s actions have garnered considerable press attention, as seen in the Ithaca Times and Ithaca Voice articles quoting interim BoE President Robert Aimlessly and displaying a video of him discarding a school lunch into the snow. The lunch District stakeholders have also spoken up to challenge the board’s treatment of the student reps and encourage them to illuminate the situation further. The situation reached its peak at the latest board meeting when the student representatives accused the

board of attempting to silence them. The rebuttal was followed by a few minutes of awkward silence as the students waited for a response and Aimlessly could be seen typing. Then, Aimlessly shared his screen with the hundreds of attendees, displaying a list of the full names and addresses of each of the student representatives. The students looked confused, and when no one spoke out because of the moderator’s control of attendee settings, one student requested that the list of addresses be taken down. Aimlessly ignored the request and instead posted a link in the chat. When meeting participants clicked on the link they were led to the popular website Reddit, specifically to a post that identified the full names and private addresses of the students accompanied by the message, “I’m sure they wouldn’t mind a visit.” The meeting ended shortly after, without a response from the

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