February 2020

ALL THE NEWS THAT’S FIT TO TATTLE.

FEBRUARY 2020 VOL. 127 #6

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

EDITORIAL

The Plight of the Mall

By THE TATTLER EDITORIAL BOARD

Image from ithaca.com

T

he Shops at Ithaca Mall is a wasteland: that much is apparent after taking even a short stroll through the local shopping center. Online shopping has led to a decline in customers for brick-and-mortar stores nationwide. Core department stores at our local mall such as Sears, and more recently, The Bon-Ton, have closed due to bankruptcy. A plethora of local, specialized, and vintage businesses have also gone quietly into that good night, only to be replaced by seasonal businesses, such as Halloween and party supplies retailers, that eventually share the same fate. As a result, shuttered shops and gloomy storefronts riddle The Shops at Ithaca Mall.

Although it still has visitors and consumers, there’s no doubt the mall is in decline.

Josh Sanburn, writer at TIME magazine, lists the causes for the “dying mall.” He blames the “blow of the Great Recession,” an increase in retail space that is largely being left unused, and an American cultural consumer shift from leisureliness to efficiency. Going to malls, argues Sanburn, takes time and planning that most Americans don’t have time for, especially when alternatives are so much easier to access online.

The result of this general trend is, of course, mall carnage. Credit Suisse, a Swiss financial services company, grimly estimates that a 20 percent to 25 percent of American malls will shut down by 2022. While many Ithacans don’t feel attachment to the chain-store businesses that frequently inhabit America’s malls, it’s important to note that malls also house boutique stores and local businesses.

Unlike giants like Target, which can recoup 2

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some sales through price matching programs, these smaller retailers don’t have as streamlined a supply chain, and thus can’t take the heat. Sarah Schiffling, a researcher at Heriot-Watt University, noted that small shops were significantly threatened by online shopping. As a result of the leverage they already have, successful mass-retailers suffer limited losses while local businesses and boutiques take a big hit.

Thankfully, American politicians are beginning to take note of the eerily rapid decline of malls and are proposing solutions to this national issue. Andrew Yang, a Democratic presidential candidate polling at seven percent in a late January Washington Post-ABC News poll, has proposed what he dubs the American Mall Act. According to his campaign website, Yang believes the revitalization of malls as local centers for socialization and shopping is critical. He vows to “secure a $6 billion fund to help struggling malls . . . find new uses for the buildings and commercial spaces.”

But what changes could be made to resuscitate our friendly neighborhood dying mall? It’s clear that malls are becoming less popular as shopping hotspots because online shopping dominates in terms of selection and prices. So it’s evident that malls, including the Shops at Ithaca Mall, need to reinvent themselves to stay alive. The mall needs to be a place to hang out, relax, and seek refuge from Ithaca winters, not just a place to shop. In order to transform its image, our mall specifically should add more family-friendly spaces.

It should add green to its interior in order to

make it more aesthetically pleasing and welcoming. The mall could also introduce green roofing. Sure, green roofing doesn’t exactly make the experience more enjoyable, but it makes the mall more environmentally friendly. According to the U.S. General Services Administration, green rooftops attract wildlife and can reduce roof storm runoff by up to 65 percent. They also cut down on heating bills, and could help the aesthetics of the mall fit in with the Ithacan spirit.

Another option could be adding public indoor play spaces so parents can bring their children. Scottsdale Quarter, a shopping center in Arizona, saw significant increases in revenue when it began to think out of the box and redesign itself for an experience that people can’t get online.

In short, we need to make the mall more inviting and have a purpose greater than shopping. The mall has no viable future if its sole purpose is to be a shopping location. It has to be a community center, where Ithacans and other locals can come to hang out on weekends. It needs to be a place where parents are comfortable bringing up their children. To this end, playgrounds and breastfeeding spaces should be added to fill in some of the vacant storefronts. The mall should also utilize public spaces and rotating art exhibits.

C.J. Hughes, writer for the New York Times, uses the example of Miami’s Aventura Mall in his article, “Dying Malls? This One Has Found a Way to Thrive,” to prove how malls can be more than just a commercial center.

Art pieces such as “figurative sculptures” are featured often and “events are also part of the equation . . . weddings, fashion shows and art exhibits.”

The future currently looks bleak for the Ithaca Mall, and it will only continue to, unless the Shops at Ithaca Mall revamps its game plan. Malls around the country are losing business to online shopping, and therefore, following the same modus operandi that worked twenty-five years ago is no longer viable. Malls, and The Shops at Ithaca Mall, should be a recreational space and a pleasant shopping space, not just a barebones collection of chain stores and unoriginal retailers.

NEWS

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Top Iranian General Killed in US Airstrike

By LOUISA MILLER-OUT

O

n January 3, 2020, a US airstrike on Baghdad International Airport killed Iranian general Qasem Soleimani and several others.

Among the deceased was Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy chairman of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) and commander of one of its militias, the Kataib Hezbollah. The PMF is a group of Iraqi militias that are supported by Iran.

President Trump took to Twitter in the wake of the killing in an attempt to defend his actions and went on to state that he was “ready and prepared to take whatever action is necessary” if “Americans anywhere are threatened.” Simultaneously, demonstrators and politicians in Iran, Iraq, and elsewhere strongly condemned the attack and made their stance abundantly clear: Trump had overstepped a line and would not be evading the grave ramifications of his decision.

To many, this disaster may seem to have arisen entirely out of the blue. However, it was preceded by a chain of events that escalated tensions between the US and Iran. On December 27, 2019, several Americans were wounded and one was killed in an attack carried out by the Kataib Hezbollah at an Iraqi military base. Trump responded by going straight to his guns, ordering airstrikes in Iraq and Syria. A few days later, supporters of Kataib Hezbollah stormed the US Embassy in Baghdad. On New Year’s Eve, Trump tweeted that Iran would “be held fully responsible” for the assault. He directly threatened Iran in a later tweet, saying that they would “pay a very BIG

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PRICE.” He confirmed that the social media post was “not a warning,” but “a threat.” And he finished it all off with a rather chilling message: “Happy New Year!”

Several of Trump’s statements, made in the wake of the airstrike, were a cause of profound concern for many as he made clear his intent to “find and eliminate terrorists who harm or intend to harm any American.” People believe that these events lead us down a slippery slope where killing people simply for their perceived intentions is acceptable.

All of this, unsurprisingly, has serious implications for the US. For one thing, our relationships with Iran and Iraq have become exceedingly strained.

Many believe this crisis has placed us at the brink of full-blown war, and we most likely won’t be out of the woods any time in the near future. The actions of Trump have amassed a tremendous amount of harsh criticism in just a few days. Condemnations and promises of retaliation flooded in from the Iranian government. Javad Zarif, Iran’s foreign minister, called the airstrike an “extremely dangerous and foolish escalation.” Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has threatened “harsh retaliation” against the US. If anything was clear in the midst of this chaos, it was that America would not emerge from the conflict unscathed.

Since then, Qasem Soleimani has been continuously mourned in Iran and lauded as a selfless national hero by many. Massive protests and demonstrations have rocked both Iran and Iraq, further condemning the airstrike that killed him and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis. Grieving people have taken to the streets of Tehran and Baghdad.

Iran also carried out a ballistic missile attack on Ayn al-Asad, an American military base in Iraq. No service members were killed, but it is safe to say that retaliatory action by Iran is far from over. Many have speculated that potential future action could manifest in the form of cyber-attacks. The consequences of this event are still unfolding around us, and we cannot fully predict the magnitude and manner of the repercussions.

FEBRUARY 2020

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NEWS

The 11/26, 12/10, and 1/14 Board of Education Meetings

By ALEX YOO

D

uring the 11/26, 12/10, and 1/14 Board of Education meetings, there were a few interesting topics and situations brought up. On the 11/26 meeting, an assistant head coach presented on how he had filled in for the head coach position for a school team. Due to trouble with an individual, however, he was ready to quit. When he finally had the opportunity to meet with said individual, the assistant coach expressed his concerns with the individual’s actions, especially over him being called a racial slur by the individual. By the end of the meeting, the assistant head coach found out that he would be terminated. He explained that he felt discriminated against and that he had been called a racial slur for doing the job he had been given. The board didn’t have a clear resolution for him and explained that they couldn’t say anything about it publicly, as it was something they had to discuss.

The 12/10 meeting had no public comments.

On 1/14, there were a few public comments. A man brought up his thoughts regarding the accelerated system and how the Ithaca City School District should encourage more gifted/accelerated programs. There was also a woman who brought up her concerns and disappointments regarding the lack of funding for New Roots. Other than that, there was a woman who was concerned about the lack of jerseys for the boys’ basketball team and how it seemed like certain students were almost always benched. She attempted to talk about how one of the players needed to play because of a bad tragedy, but she was cut off. The board was relatively limited in its response. Doctor Brown stated that more information about New Roots and other similar programs would be presented 4

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at the 1/28 board meeting. He emphasized that they have paid every cent they are legally allowed to give to New Roots Charter School and that there are external processes where the state steps in and decides what goes where. Regarding the basketball jersey issue, the board said that talking about student stories is a privacy violation that they had to shut down.

The main points of discussion during the 11/26 meeting were the curriculum visit and the policy committee’s update. Lily Talcott led instructional rounds for a few of the board members throughout IHS. They presented their thoughts on some of the courses. The English class, they thought, had an extraordinary facilitation of learning, and in the biology and social studies classes, extensive student engagement was seen and they were impressed with the preparation that went into the classes. The policy committee stated that the discussion largely had centered on the use of care animals in buildings and the regulations surrounding them. Not only that, they went through the 8000 series of policy, a collection of policies including policies like the Fire Drill Policy and the Hazard Communications Policy, in order to keep everything up to date.

During the 12/10 meeting, a few notable things happened. The first wasn’t by the board but was a presentation of the Aspiring Educators Program by Mr. Mitchell. He explained how they were working to learn about educators of color and would get a chance to collaborate with Ithaca College in the future.

A few of the students taking part in the program were there and they presented their reasoning behind wanting to become educators. In response, the board responded that seeing kids wanting to be educators inspired

them as educators as well. There was also an update from the Early Childhood Advisory Council Committee. They discussed the Pre-K attendance and schedule. Apparently, the number of absences on Fridays averaged sixteen versus absences on the other days of the week, which averaged six. This is likely due to the half-day on Friday for some Pre-K classrooms. There was some discussion on the amount of education that such absences were affecting and how changing the schedule might be part of the solution.

Finally, in the 1/14 meeting, there were two especially notable presentations. The first was by two tech teachers: Mr. Breigle and Mr. Buchner. Recently, an article was published naming ICSD the second-best STEM school in New York State. The technology system is seen to be a major contributing factor to this commendation. They presented on the tech programs that exist in the middle schools and the high school, including clubs like TSA and Science Olympiad. They discussed increasing female attendance of tech programs and getting greater overall participation from students as goals.

A few of the board members talked about how their children had benefited from these tech programs and how other minorities should also be reached out to. Lastly, there was a discussion about possibly instituting a new tax, but there was disagreement on doing it with or without a vote. There are numerous pros and cons regarding both sides, but according to the board, they need funds.

Overall, the three board meetings were fairly eventful, with some important discussion regarding the schools, but no significant action is being taken immediately.

NEWS

Recap of the Seventh Democratic Debate

By FRANCES KLEMM

O

n January 14, six candidates lined up on stage for the debate. The candidates ranged from Senator Elizabeth Warren, Senator Amy Klobuchar, Bernie Sanders, former Vice President Joe Biden, Pete Buttigieg, and billionaire Tom Steyer. This was the first debate in which there was not a single person of color on the stage, due to Cory Booker withdrawing from the race and Andrew Yang and Tulsi Gabbard not having the support and funding to appear. The frontrunners have not changed, with Biden, Sanders, Warren, and Buttigieg all having a shot at the Democratic nomination. At the moment of the debate, there were only three weeks before the Iowa caucuses, a specific voting form used in early primary states. This was the last debate and the last chance for these candidates to make their mark on American voters before the first caucuses.

The debate kicked off with a few pleasantries, then the mediators launched right into who should be commander-in-chief of the US. Biden and Sanders quickly distinguished themselves on foreign policy immediately, comparing the effects of the wars they both voted for. Every candidate agreed on removing troops from Iraq, though moderate candidates (such as Klobuchar, Buttigieg, and Biden) are planning on leaving some troops in the Middle East to train against and combat terrorism. The conversation then sidelined into the current political situation with Trump before anyone could get too far into the Biden vs.

Sanders debate.

Another moment from the debate that

the news couldn’t stop talking about was the dispute between Warren and Sanders.

For weeks before the debate, the public has watched the surrogates and supporters of Sanders and Warren, the historically peaceful duo, have their first quarrel. To sum it up: Warren accused Sanders of telling her in a private meeting that a woman couldn’t be elected as president. Sanders denies ever saying this, but the press and mediators have been eating the unusual disagreement up. The two brushed off the suggestions of conflict and steered clear of any arguments. This didn’t halt Warren and Klobuchar from making sure that everyone knew that a woman could be elected, beginning a great number of zingers from the two female candidates, including Warren’s memorable “The only people on this stage who have won every single election they’ve been in are the women, Amy and me.” The crowds went wild and every candidate grinned. This was a crowd-pleasing moment compared to the intense debates on foreign policy and trade deals.

For the first time, Sanders got called out on how much his healthcare plan costs.

In the past, he has rarely gotten attacked, instead often being used as an example or anchor compared to other candidates.

However, as he led in Iowa at the time of the debate, the unspoken peace on Bernie’s healthcare situation was broken. For a while, his healthcare plan was a way to call Warren out, stating that at least his was easier to comprehend than Warren’s plans.

And with that, the same healthcare debate that we’ve seen for the last six debates

kicked off once again: Sanders and Warren want Medicare for All while everyone else thinks people should be able to choose between public and private healthcare. Both plans cost billions, but the main debatable topics are how candidates are going to get that money, if it’s too much money, and if the population will be satisfied with the plan chosen.

Overall, the debate had very few attacks, and experts assume this is because candidates are scared of adding to their disapproval ratings which seem to spike when a candidate becomes a verbal aggressor.

Biden was able to come out unscathed. The frontrunner seemed to talk only on issues he was most comfortable with and was able to lay low with no tough questions from the mediators. This became true for Warren as well, who spoke clearly, shining on her policies and making the issues more personal.

The only female frontrunner was deemed the overall winner of the debate by experts, but many wonder if this will have an effect on her sliding polls.

As of January 15, Biden is in the lead, with 27 percent of the National Average and the four frontrunners (Biden, Sanders, Warren, and Buttigieg) are still tied neck and neck. Only time will tell who will surface as the Democratic nominee. Remember to tune into the results of the Iowa caucuses and check the polls regularly. The winner of this nomination holds the future of the party and the nation in slippery hands.

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NEWS

Australia On Fire

By VICKY LU

S

pring. Summer. Fall. Winter.

Fire.

Fire season in Australia has always been a dangerous time. For example, the Black Saturday fires of 2009 killed 173 people. The 1974 wildfires caused around 37 million USD in damages. So why are we hearing so much about it this year?

The 2019-2020 Australian wildfires are concentrated on the eastern coast, notably in the southeast. Damage estimates have been devastatingly high, estimating at around 46 million acres (186,000 square kilometers or 72,000 square miles) of land burned, 5,900 buildings destroyed, and 29 people dead as of January 10, 2020. Arguably, the hardest-hit state has been New South Wales, with upwards of 100 fires. Parts of forests would burn for weeks, untamable, before the fires began threatening towns and taking lives.

Fires have been starting earlier in the season and spreading with greater intensity. In December of 2019, a heat wave reaching over 40 degrees Celsius (ranging from about 113120 degrees Fahrenheit, according to CNN) broke the record for Australia’s highest recorded temperature. The nation is currently in the middle of one of its worst droughts in decades as well, and strong winds have spread fire and smoke much further than usual. In fact, these factors have been worsening for years, which experts say is likely a product of climate change.

What happened to the environment?

In December 2019, the air quality index (a federal unit of measurement for air pollution) in Sydney was more than twelve times the hazardous level. Strong winds would transport smoke from nearby wildfires. By NASA’s estimation, 306 million tons of CO2 have been released as part of the smoke.

Keep in mind that this is the accumulation of only 2-3 months when you compare it to Australia’s total annual carbon emissions of 535 million tons in 2018, which makes for a concerning mental image.

Additionally, although Australia is home 6

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to many forests of photosynthesizing life, these forests were the main casualties of these fires and are unlikely to help in reducing the levels of CO2. The drought has been highly detrimental to the forests’ attempts at regrowth to the point where scientists worry it could take decades.

Though bushfires are not uncommon in Australia, they are usually of lower scale and intensity that only affect small parts of the overall distribution of where species live.

Besides immediate mortality from the fire, there will be on-going mortalities after the fire from starvation, lack of shelters, and attacks from predators such as foxes and cats that are attracted to fire-affected areas to hunt.

According to ecologists from the University of Sydney, the number of total animals affected could be as high as one billion. A third of New South Wales’ koala population is almost definitely gone, and countless other endangered species may have just seen their numbers decline beyond foreseeable recovery.

The federal government has sent help in

the forms of military manpower and aircraft, search and rescue, clean-up efforts, as well as organizing and providing for evacuation.

Reinforcements numbering in the hundreds were called in from all over the country to assist and relieve exhausted local crews, as well as international firefighters from New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore, Canada, and the United States, to name a few.

Firefighters on active duty against the flames are, more often than not, volunteers.

However, the prime minister of Australia has stated that those working for ten days would be compensated for up to $4,200 for their hard work. Australia is only halfway through the summer, which means that the fires could be months away from stopping.

Many urban areas have been rendered unlivable. You can help by donating to the following organizations online: the Australian Red Cross, Salvation Army Australia, the NSW Rural Fire Service, Port Macquarie Koala Hospital, and Currumbin Wildlife Hospital.

The thoughts and prayers of the IHS community go out to all victims of Australia’s latest fire season.

NEWS

The Iowa Caucuses

By FRANCES KLEMM

T

he concept of the Iowa caucuses is hardly understood by Iowans themselves, much less New Yorkers. Usually, on Election Day, everyone goes to the polls and clicks buttons and shades in dots for about five minutes of their time. It’s not that simple for the Iowans. On February 3, Iowans gathered in large public places, like town halls or schools. Across Iowa there are over 1600 precincts, and each has a designated area for Democrats in that region.

Democratic caucuses are convened with registered Democrats in the precinct gathering. Supporters of specific candidates speak and make their case in hopes to convince people to support their candidate.

This includes a number of one-on-one discussions and debates for people who at this point still might not have decided on who they’re endorsing. This is a time to see who can make the best argument for their candidate and to convince undecided voters.

This is when the room is split into different sections, as supporters for different candidates go to specific corners of the room.

The elected chair, who is elected early on in the meeting and whose job is to keep order, will calculate the percentage of people supporting each candidate, including how many undecided caucus attendees there are. If a candidate is non-viable, meaning they do not hold 15 percent of the room, then the candidate’s supporters have to move to another candidate’s area. This is called re-caucusing due to supporters of viable candidates having to make an argument to persuade people to join their side.

This is all very literal, and could just be about 100 adults walking around a school gym for a couple hours, discussing candidates and their views.

At the end, when every voter has made

An Iowa caucus gathers in a town hall. up their mind on who they want to support and all candidates are viable, the elected chair calculates the amount of support each candidate gets and reports the results.

If you live in Iowa, or if you one day plan on retiring to the Iowa cornfields, make sure you attend a caucus. Every precinct matters to winning Iowa as a whole. It’s even a running joke to most Iowans how they can’t go anywhere without a presidential candidate trying to shake their hand.

Sometimes it can be annoying but more often than not, Iowans know that the situation is more sweet than bitter.

This process has always been in Iowa, most likely because candidates always promise they will make sure the caucuses

Image Provided aren’t moved if the Iowans vote for them.

Iowans get the unique experience of talking with politicians, and the process allows voters to actually talk with multiple candidates and let lesser known candidates rise in the polls. Because the Iowa caucuses are the first real contests, it makes an impact on how other states vote. Winning Iowa can mean winning the whole country (remember the guy nobody knew—Barack Obama?)

Thank you to Joanna Deming, former Biden campaign manager, and Catherine Deming, Iowa caucus goer, for your help!

FEBRUARY 2020

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FEATURES

Intimate Partner Violence

By FRANCES KLEMM

I

ntimate Partner Violence (or IPV) is defined as an act against an intimate partner that results in physical, emotional, sexual or psychological harm. IPV was legal in the U.S. until the 1870s and was not addressed until the feminist movement of the 1970s. The few clear statistics we have on IPV today do not tell us the full scope, as only half of IPV situations are reported.

Even with this fact, there are over 200,000 phone calls to domestic violence hotlines every year. 1 out of every 3 teenagers in the U.S. are likely to experience dating abuse.

1 in 3 women have been in abusive relationships. No one would ever imagine they would face IPV. When I began researching domestic violence, I had this one-layered version of what IPV was supposed to be, and how it could easily be solved. The more I learn, the more I can see the cracks in this single-minded ideology, the cracks in U.S. laws, the cracks in systems that are there to protect victims, and most importantly, the cracks in relationships that cause half of female homicide victims to be killed by an intimate partner.

I’ll refer to victims as women even though IPV can happen to anyone regardless of gender, but it is important to notice that 90 percent of victims are female. IPV is an effect of racism and sexism, with a disproportionate amount of victims being women of color.

One of the many terms for Intimate Partner Violence is Private Violence, coined because of the inability to recognize and prosecute it. Even though Private Violence makes up 15 percent of all reported violent crimes, detecting it has proven more difficult than any other violent crime; as its name suggests, Private Violence will always be behind closed doors. This fact could be an end to the conversation; one could conclude that sometimes Private Violence will stay behind those doors, and women who want to open that door will simply do so.

However, the hard truth is that there is so much more that can be done to stop domestic violence. We just aren’t doing it. When 8

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victims open up, our gut instinct is to shut them down. There is a way to crack open these cases and find solutions for victims, but the majority of the time, laws and a lack of funding limit the attention that needs to be put into every single case. The activist and journalist Rachel Louise Snyder states, “The United States spends as much as twenty-five times more on researching cancer or heart disease as it does on violence prevention, despite the enormous costs of violence to our communities.” The lack of attention to the issue causes ill-trained officers, attorneys, judges, nurses, and others who have the chance to be vital in saving the lives of victims. In many cases, police files remain dormant without thorough investigations.

Attorneys and judges who are not trained in recognizing domestic violence do not realize that 70 percent of the time, victims of domestic violence recant their statements.

After a victim recants, there is no longer a case, and the criminal justice system moves on, not stopping for uncooperative witnesses. Nurses who might deal with victims of IPV every day save lives when they are trained to recognize certain injuries, ask the right questions, and write referrals that will help in court.

In police officer families, the rates of domestic violence are 2 to 4 times higher than non-officer families. These officers are the ones who are in charge of diffusing a situation, talking to victims, and making arrests.

If officers don’t have specific training in domestic abuse interactions, they can anger abusers, convict the wrong person, and play a large part in the anger of the abuser and the life of the abusee.

There are so many sides and narratives to the worldwide struggle against Private Violence, but covering the cycle that traps victims in this abuse is something to look at closely. The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) recognizes the Cycle of Abuse to be a factor played out in the majority of abusive relationships, stating, “Abuse is cyclical. There are periods of time where things may be calmer,

but those times are followed by a buildup of tension and abuse, which usually results in the abuser peaking with intensified abuse.”

The cycle of abuse is an engraved part of so many IPV situations. It seems simple when looked at on the outside, and yet is often completely unrecognizable to victims.

Many ask why victims don’t leave, but in reality, it can almost never be as simple as that. When children are involved, leaving can put more lives in danger than just one’s own; this is because many women in fatal IPV situations risk losing their lives because the power dynamic is so intense. Many times, the only way victims can escape is through shelters, which means uprooting their entire lives. Sometimes love can still exist in a violent relationship. This doesn’t mean that victims are weak, it just means victims are human. There are so many reasons for abusees to stay in their IPV situations. No victim should be judged; rather, they should be supported so that they can find the strength to leave safely. Stopping Private Violence is an intensely slow and often dangerous process, but it can be done.

There is always hope.

If you know someone who might be experiencing Private Violence, it’s important to reach out and ask questions. Provide a safe place where a victim can talk. Make sure you never share judgments, and always assume that the victim tells the truth. Always make sure you know when it’s time to talk to a trusted adult or authorities.

If there is violence in your home or in your relationship, remember there are people you can talk to anonymously. You can also find a friend or trusted adult; there is always someone who will listen to you.

Even if you are unsure if it is really domestic violence, talk to someone about it, call a hotline, do some research, and/or tell a trusted adult or teacher. Domestic Violence Awareness Month might be in October, but this conversation can’t be put on pause.

FEATURES

Obscure National Holidays

By RAIA GUTMAN

O

bscure national holidays are a little-known treasure. We all know Thanksgiving, Mother’s Day, and Valentine’s Day, but how many of us mark “Tweed Day” on our calendars? Taking a few minutes to find out which obscure national holiday happens today or falls on your birthday is guaranteed to put a smile on your face. Some are heartwarming, some practical, and some simply odd. Below I have listed the best obscure national holidays of each month.

JANUARY 27 - National Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day Engineers Marc Chavannes and Alfred Fielding sealed two shower curtains together in 1956 and made the first sheet of bubble wrap!

FEBRUARY 22 - National Cook a Sweet Potato Day

Sweet potatoes are versatile and tasty.

They deserve a holiday.

MARCH 18 - National Awkward Moments Day Awkward moments happen nearly every day of the year, so at least one day celebrating them is a given.

APRIL 3 - National Talk Like Shakespeare Day Put those English class iambic pentameter lessons to use!

MAY 3 - National Two Different Colored Shoes Day Don’t limit yourself to mismatched socks.

JUNE 20 - National Hike with a Geek Day Someone really wanted their geeky friend to hike with them one summer and designated this national holiday.

JULY 22 - National Rat Catcher’s Day Those in upstairs G know we could use a

rat catcher at IHS! AUGUST 8 - National Sneak Some Zucchini onto Your Neighbor’s Porch Day Do it.

SEPTEMBER 8 - National Ampersand Day Everyone’s favorite abbreviation for “and” and keyboard roommate to 7!

OCTOBER 30 - National Frankenstein Friday Alliterative and harkening back to a more Romantic time!

NOVEMBER 12 - National Pizza with the Works Except Anchovies Day What about pineapple?

DECEMBER 16 - Barbie and Barney Backlash Day Remember the weirdly violent parody songs we all somehow knew back in elementary school threatening Barney with murder?

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FEATURES

Hall Monitor

By RAIA GUTMAN

If there was a movie about your life, which actor would you want to play you?

Anais Vanek-Raphaelidies ’22: “Saoirse Ronan.”

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Hannah Logue ’21 (right): “Erin MacLean.”

Erin Maclean ’21: “Awwww!”

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Alice Lee-Kleinberg ’21: “Scarlet Johansson.”

Veery Evans ’23: “Sophia Lillis.”

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In Memory of Paul Fisher-York

By JUSTIN HEITZMAN

Image Provided

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HS student Paul Fisher-York ‘18 sadly passed away in December 2019.

Paul made a profound impact in several extracurricular communities.

Below are some memories of Paul from current and former members of Code Red Robotics, one of the communities to which Paul brought interest and joy.

Benigno Mckain ‘21: I remember Paul as a very smart and helpful team member in Code Red Robotics. He made an impact on the team through his efforts.

Patrick Yuan ‘20: In Code Red Robotics, Paul educated me and other freshmen about compression algorithms. Blew my mind.

Emma Hagen ‘20: One of my memories was watching Paul sit in the hallway to lay out the electronics board. He would sit in the hallways for hours to criss-cross and lay out wires.

Filip Jander ‘18: Some of my fondest memories of Paul are Code Red competitions. Paul dyed his hair red with us for most competitions and was an essential part of the team. One year, he programmed the entire robot in one night. He always had a lot of good ideas and quick fixes for what went wrong on the robot during competitions. Whenever something went wrong, we would all jokingly scream “PAUL” to get his help in fixing it.

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ARTS 2.4

BY ADOWYN ERNSTE For seven long weekends, I prepared for that day….

BEGIN! you have exactly 60 minutes.

alright class, As you all know, each of you has been tasked to design and decorate a gingerbread house for your final project.

after years of carefully analyzing the world’s greatest chefs, I knew this was my chance to finally prove myself!

Those fools know nothing of how to bake! But you, Mr. Shmoop …

You know just what it takes!

Oh, it w nothin as I’ve m g. ad much e bette r before.

Seymour, you must teach my class for me!

I’ve never tasted such moist gingerbread!

There, it’s finished.

Listen up, class. You have five minutes remaining, So you’d better

Y ginge our rb hous read e

sham

s here...

More word

the n es o art ble bakinof g!

Oh.

The other students’ results pleased Chef Max.

Making Lemonade…

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How to Set Up a New Aquarium

By MJ Stuelke

Image Provided Fishkeeping is a popular hobby, and is always on the rise. However, the number one cause of death in fish and other aquatic animals is something called “New Tank Syndrome." This is caused by a spike in ammonia levels, burning gills and killing fish. Thankfully, there is a relatively easy way to prevent this deadly consequence.

To create a healthy environment for your fish, you first need to establish the nitrogen cycle in your tank.

This process is called “Cycling.” During this process, you are allowing beneficial bacteria to grow in the substrate (i.e. aquarium gravel or sand) and in your filter.

Unfortunately, many newbies are told by overworked pet store employees that you can simply run your tank for two months, and then it will be ready for fish. However, this simply moves the water around, and nothing will grow. In order to stimulate growth, you need to add a source of ammonia for the bacteria to feed on. When the bacteria eat the ammonia, they transform it into nitrite, which is equally harmful to fish. Another form of bacteria turns the nitrite into nitrate, which is less harmful to fish, but a large quantity is still not good. This is why water changes are necessary. With this cycle established, chemicals 14

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that would normally kill your fish are naturally broken down.

There are two ways that you can go about cycling: with fish and without fish. The latter process, fishless cycling, is much more popular. For this mode, you simply add fish food to the tank, and let it decay.

As it breaks down, it will produce ammonia for the bacteria to feed on. If you are going to do cycling with fish, make sure to get very hardy kinds of fish, such as Cory catfish, that aren’t as susceptible to water quality problems.

This process can take anywhere from two to eight weeks, but there are multiple things that you can do to speed it up. One is to keep your aquarium light off.

Most lights emit UV rays, and while they are good for plants, they are very bad for bacteria and will kill off the colonies. The second is to keep the temperature high. This will encourage the production of ammonia and growth of bacteria.

For the cycling process, you are going to need test kits for both ammonia and nitrite levels. When both are at zero parts per million, the tank has been successfully cycled. It’s time to do a water change, and then you can add your fish!

Image Provided FEBRUARY 2020

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Parasite: A Review

By JINHO PARK, LOUISA MILLER-OUT

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.arasite (2019), a riveting social satire directed by Bong Joon-Ho, is the film of the year. Described as “some nerdy family version of Mission: Impossible”

by Bong, Parasite is a film about a parasitic relationship between the poor Kim and the wealthy Park households. Once the son of the Kim household receives a job as the tutor of the daughter of the Park household, the remaining members of the Kim family scheme to be employed by the Parks, often ousting existing employees.

In order to be accepted as a part of the Parks’ polished retinue, the Kims have to adopt certain mannerisms and social conventions to seem more “upper-class,” a part they play impressively well. They seem to have finally found a way to pull themselves out of destitution and into a better life using their resourcefulness and street smarts.

However, the illusions melt away when the Parks take a vacation and the Kims have the house to themselves, free from judgemental scrutiny.

The planning and rehearsal that goes into the infiltration of the Park household can be likened to that of a Mission: Impossible episode; every move that the Kims make is relentlessly refined. Only the smallest of details manage to elude them: the ten-yearold son of the Park family eventually notices that each of the members of the Kim family smell the same, even though they pretend to be complete strangers.

The film itself is refined as well: the cinematography, music, and editing are all tasteful. The pacing, too, is impeccable.

The storyline and the introduction of new characters congeal to create a compelling narrative about characters that you care for.

But the film truly shines in its commentary on the rigidity of the Korean class system through, quite surprisingly, humor.

Parasite showcases the elements of Ko16

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rean culture that aren’t highlighted in the romanticized K-pop revolution. The stratified class system, of course, is at the center of the film. The way that the two families live starkly contrasts: a rainstorm for the Parks is a triviality, whereas for the Kims, it threatens the survival of their home. The disparity between the Parks’ spacious, immaculate residence and the cramped, squalid semi-basement that the Kims inhabit is symbolic of the massive wealth inequities in modern industrial society.

A more subtle distinction between social classes is represented in the Park patriarch’s understated jabs at the father of the Kim family, particularly repeated comments about his unpleasant smell. This speaks to the cold dismissal of the lower classes by the upper ones; the cruel indifference and intolerance sometimes wrought by success.

Another example of this is seen in the beef that the Park family eats. The highest grade of beef in Korea is called hanwoo, directly translated to beef that is produced and given a grade in Korea. The demand for hanwoo far outweighs the supply, and as a result, hanwoo has become ridiculously overpriced. The Parks can easily afford this outlandishly expensive beef, while the Kims have literally been reduced to folding pizza boxes for a living and eating for free at buffets intended for truck drivers.

Despite the variety of labels that the film has received, it is a satire at heart. Parasite is a film that grapples with the Korean class system and showcases its idiocy until the film becomes hilarious. The title itself carries an interesting double meaning. At first glance it may appear that the Kims are feeding off the Parks, surviving off the products of their financial success. But eventually, it becomes evident that the Parks are helpless and parasitic in their own right, as they’ve outsourced essential tasks like cooking, cleaning, and

even some aspects of parenting.

For instance, the mother of the Park family is so scared of disruption in her perfect life that she isn’t aware that her son isn’t actually an artistic genius or that her daughter is secretly kissing her tutor instead of studying for her exams. The detached father of the Parks seems to be a stereotype, but is actually quite characteristic of the parenting strategy that has taken over Korea: parents are often providers for education, not mentors.

Even when the film isn’t tackling large concepts, it is still hilarious. In one particular scene, the poor neighborhood is being fumigated, and instead of suggesting that they close the windows to the toxic gas, the father suggests that they accept the free fumigation. In another, characters mock the tone of North Korean broadcasters.

In America, the most likely criticism of the film will be that it isn’t in English, a factor that will likely dissuade potential audiences from watching the film. And quite frankly, from the perspective of a Korean speaker, it’s difficult to disagree. The subtle nuances of language, the slightly imperfect translations, the inability to capture the entire shot due to the subtitles: these are legitimate concerns. However, English speaking countries are the minority; inevitably, films of incredible caliber will be produced from foreign countries.

The director of Parasite, Bong Joon Ho, argued this exactly: “Once you overcome the 1-inch-tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films.”

Parasite has been nominated for six Oscars this year, among them Best Picture and Best Director, a record for a Korean film.

It is humorous and cerebral, inventive and novel, and best of all, it’s in Korean. Parasite is 2019’s film of the year: overcome the subtitles and watch it.

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Cats Is Fun, But Not Worth The Money

By RAIA GUTMAN

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alking into theatre seven of our local Regal Cinemas, I was not expecting to see a good movie. Instead, I hoped to momentarily forget the boredom of holiday break and perhaps laugh a little. If nothing else, I can say that Cats (2019) succeeded in that sense. There were six people in the theatre: my two friends, me, and three people in the row in front of us. By the time the movie was halfway over, we were the only ones still there. This, combined with the fact that Universal Pictures lost at least seventy million dollars from Cats, tells you all you need to know about the film.

The first few moments of the movie got me so disoriented that I momentarily forgot what I was watching. Once I gained awareness, I laughed aloud and didn’t stop. The appearance of the characters was surreal and bizarre in the most hilarious way. The Jellicle cats had small, furry bodies and human lips, eyebrows, eyes, noses, feet, and hands. Their bodily movements were disturbingly erotic, and what was even more disturbing was their proportions. They were small—perhaps the height of real cats?— but shaped essentially like humans. Needless to say, I did not enjoy the animation.

The plot, too, was lacking. As someone who had not looked into the story before watching the film, I had trouble not so much with deciphering the plot as with wrapping my head around the fact that there really was not a plot. It can be summarized in two sentences: a new cat joins the Jellicle cats, who all introduce themselves throughout the movie and compete for a chance to ascend into the sky and be reborn. They encounter conflict with the nefarious Macavity, a strikingly naked villain cat with the unexplained ability to teleport. Much of the movie was spent meeting new characters and watching each of them flirt with the main character. The plot was unsatisfying and strange, leaving the audience to wonder why in the world any feral cat would care enough to viciously vie for victory at a reincarnation ceremony.

As someone who is not very familiar with Cats (the musical), I am not nearly qualified to analyze the character development as it compares to the original musical. Still, the characterization was bizarre. The only two characteristics of the protagonist, Victoria, were her curiosity and ability to flirt with literally anyone else in the movie. She extended a seductive foot toward the Rum Tum Tugger’s face, nuzzled up to Mister Mistoffelees, and exchanged flirtatious glances with Munkustrap, all the while creepily moving her white tail and widening her eyes. Macavity had no depth—his development was limited to the removal of his trenchcoat and hat to reveal silky fur the color of Idris Elba’s skin, making him appear remarkably nude.

Conversely, the music was easy to listen to, catchy, and

well-performed. Odd things certainly happened and were done by various characters during the songs, but the songs were good nonetheless. Performances by Taylor Swift, Jennifer Hudson, and Robert Fairchild were especially fun. The movie featured impressive choreography as well. The music and dancing were probably the most, and only, impressive aspect of Cats. Of course, this does nothing to diminish the atrocity of the animation, plot, and character design.

Considering that I did not have high expectations for Cats, I think the movie succeeded for my purposes. The ridiculousness of the storyline and animation brought me to laughter, and reading other reviews was hilarious as well. Cats is harmless as long as you don’t take it seriously or expect to be entertained by high-quality cinema, which I can’t imagine anyone would after watching the trailer.

Allow me to summarize by quoting a friend after I told her that I had seen Cats: “Poor T.S. Eliot.”

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An Interview With New Orchestra Director Jonathan Fleischman

By GRACE LIM

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his school year, the IHS orchestra has had two temporary orchestra teachers. That’s quite a lot, considering we are only halfway through the year. Recently, ICSD finally hired a new permanent orchestra director, Jonathan Fleischman! Previously, he has taught in schools in Syracuse and Georgia and has graduated from our very own Ithaca College. I spoke with Mr. Fleischman about his new and fresh ideas for orchestra, his hobbies, and his opinions of teaching.

Grace Lim ‘23: First, why did you decide to come to Ithaca?

Jonathan Fleischman: Because it’s a place I know and love. I lived here for a couple of years in school, and I knew the reputation of the program and community. When I think of my own personal aspirations as a teacher and as a performer, I see a lot in common with this program and myself. Since that alignment is there, I think that not only can I help the program retain its reputation, but also this school can help me improve as well.

GL: Based on your first impressions of Ithaca High School, are there any differences in the community or school environment than at the district you were previously at?

JF: Yes, that’s for sure. One of the things is that there is such a strong support for the arts and music. You don’t really see that everywhere in the fact that if you go down the street here, you can say, “I play the violin,” and people are like, “Oh, that’s awesome.” Whereas you go someplace else and they go, “What’s the violin? I don’t know what that is.” I don’t want to say we take it for granted, but I think it’s awesome that we have that.

GL: Is there anything that surprised you 18

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about the community or high school student body?

JF: Well, surprised isn’t really the word for it, but I knew based on coming here in the fall and getting to conduct and do this interview, IHS is a very welcoming place.

When I think about the fact that this is only my second week here, it almost feels weird. It feels like it’s been so much longer because it is a very welcoming place and a very supportive environment. I feel very supported and everything like that, which

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is awesome.

GL: How would you describe yourself as a teacher?

JF: Being supportive. Caring. Those are the biggest things that I try to do. I’m going to say accommodating as well. Music class especially, you will have ability levels all over the place because of circumstances, musical ability, and talent and so on. I try to make a very conscious effort to accommodate all of that. For example, if you think the music’s too easy, I can give you another part to work, or if you’re struggling, we can come in after school and can work on it together.

GL: What’s your favorite aspect about teaching?

JF: The reason I first got into teaching is because of the “pay it forward” idea.

Growing up with music, specifically orchestra in general, brought a lot into my life. I know that by doing this [teaching], I can help other people realize the potential in themselves as well. So I’d say that’s my favorite part.

GL: On the flip side, what’s your least favorite aspect about teaching or something people may not know?

JF: Well it’s not easy, let’s say that. I think you’d actually get a kick out of this. This is very specific, not just teaching in general, but the fact that we, here at IHS, we have some really accomplished players.

I previously taught middle school before this, and in terms of instruments, cello and bass are not my own. There’s a lot of the [IHS orchestra] parts that if you told me to play them right now, I would not be able to and I would have to work on that.

It’s something that I’ll grow into and get used to. It’s like not being able to sightread a piece perfectly from the start. It’s

interesting. It’s a jump you sometimes have to do.

GL: To connect with students, what are your hobbies and things you enjoy?

JF: Let’s see . . . in my free time, it’s kind of gone in other ways lately, but I’m a runner. I enjoy cooking. And then just, you know, taking it easy and relaxing. It’s underestimated just to sit and do nothing.

GL: After talking with some students about their experience with the temporary orchestra teachers, they mentioned that they didn’t really find orchestra appealing anymore. What do you think you can do to make orchestra enjoyable, or is there anything new you can bring?

JF: Basically, I think when you have people that you referred to as temporary, you don’t really want to rock the boat that much. You don’t really want to shake things up because you know that you’re only there temporarily. When you have longevity and where you can settle and make roots, there’s a chance to do more interesting and different types of music.

One of the things that I really want to do in the future is to enact more composition type stuff because I know we have a lot of really talented composers, arrangers, etc. in our group. If you’re doing something that you yourself wrote, then it’s not as boring. It might have also been the level of music as well. One of the things that I quickly found out after coming here last week is that when I gave the group music, it was way too easy. So then the next day we said, ok, let’s step it up from here. And then we had some harder stuff. I think we’re slowly finding that level where it’s a challenge, but at the same time, it’s doable.

the Ithaca High School orchestra?

JF: Well, I think that’s definitely founded upon the fact that this program has a legacy to it. So I think it’s retaining that reputation, but also seeing how we can go up from there. One of the things that I would love to say, just because I think it’s been lacking in the last few years, is maybe not even so much doing competitions, but doing tours, and going to different places. When we’re in our room rehearsing, that’s great. But one of the ideas of being a musician and being in a performing ensemble is that you perform for other people, whether it’s getting out into the community, into Ithaca itself, or going to Syracuse. Not only will it make a bigger name for our orchestra and the music department at the school, but it would also provide, as a musician and you as a member of the ensemble, that kind of satisfaction, saying: “Yeah, I’m a part of something that’s bigger than just the school orchestra.”

GL: Do you have any good orchestra music jokes?

JF: Oh, goodness gracious. Well, I’m a viola player, so the possibilities are endless. The only one that I can think of that comes off the top of my head—because it’s a viola joke, of course: what’s the difference between a violin and a viola? The viola burns longer! Because it’s a bigger instrument. It’s a really bad viola joke. But it still counts.

GL: Is there anything else you want to add or wish students knew about you?

JF: Just that I’m really happy to be here.

It’s an awesome place with really awesome people, students, and staff alike. It’s good to be here.

GL: What goals do you have in mind for FEBRUARY 2020

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Little Women On the Big Screen

By ANNA WESTWIG

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reta Gerwig’s 2019 reimagining of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women is a fragmented ode to the story that so many little women grew up on. It details the lives of the four March sisters: Meg (Emma Watson), Jo (Saoirse Ronan), Beth (Eliza Scanlen), and Amy (Florence Pugh) during and after the Civil War in Massachusetts. They live well but seem poor to their peers, especially their neighbor, Theodore Laurence or “Laurie” (Timothée Chalamet).

Jo quickly becomes fast friends with Laurie, and he becomes entangled in the bold lives of the March sisters. In preparation for watching the movie, I read the book. I’m glad I did, because without prior knowledge of the book, I would have been confused, if not completely bewildered. Gerwig makes the bold move of starting the movie when all the sisters have already grown up, while the book moves chronologically from childhood on. She then switches back and forth between that time period and their childhood incessantly, distinguishing the two time periods with a blue-toned palette for the present and rich red and green hues for the past. This made the transitions between time periods easier to parse and emotionally moving at many parts, though not always seamless. Gerwig makes clever use of the transitions, especially in developing relationships between characters over time.

The clear stars of the movie are Jo March and her little sister, Amy. Pugh and Ronan are both so talented that they bring depth of character to snippets of plot that would’ve felt lacking otherwise. The tension between the two is developed in both time periods and is proven to be about so much more than Laurie, who both of them love in various ways. Laurie is an interesting figure, with a much smaller character than the women that surround him. Gerwig beautifully shows how he falls in love, not only with one of the sisters, but with all of them. Bereft of any family or femininity, he is locked away in his grand home with his stern grandfather and his tutor until he nearly starves for fun and affection, provided by each of the sisters 20 FEBRUARY 2020

in turn.

Gerwig dedicates less screen time to the other two sisters, Meg and Beth, so they have less opportunity to grab our attention.

Their characters have always been more demure and less sparkling, so less emotional connection was made with each of them.

But Gerwig sneaks in lines of dialogue that give you insight into their character. That’s a common occurrence: Little Women is full of painful, tender one-liners. For example, after Laurie rebukes her for dressing up at a party, Meg says: “Let me have my fun. I promise I’ll be desperately good for the rest of my life.”

While switching between time periods allowed Gerwig to make a lot of parallels clear and even heart-wrenching, it also served to fragment the story into pieces that you had to pick up off the ground. Luckily, I had my knowledge of the book to orient myself and make connections for why characters were doing one thing. But without the book, it felt as though plots simply happened because they did. The motivations for characters’ actions were dropped out. There was one scene where Amy was pressing down on her nose, but we’d never been informed that she disliked her nose because it wasn’t aquiline enough for polite society. Many of these small moments were sprinkled throughout the film. They were like little prizes for book-readers but anomalies for those who weren’t familiar with the story. This also carried over to larger plot points, like the relationship between Friedrich Bhaer (Louis Garrel), a German professor, and Jo, as they were both tutoring children in New York.

It was as though Gerwig loved Little Women enough to slavishly adapt some scenes to film, but not make a coherent movie out of it. That’s not to say it wasn’t successful.

I was crying for at least an hour of the film straight, and I could feel my heart shatter into fragments. But I wonder if it could elicit the same kind of reaction from viewers who hadn’t read the book and gotten emotionally attached to the characters.

Sound is also crafted lovingly and used in

every scene. Little Women is, to say it plainly, noisy. Even the score that Gerwig told Alexandre Desplat to create by mixing “David Bowie with Mozart” nearly crosses the decibel threshold of enjoyment. But that’s as it should be. The book was always boisterous, and that is translated to the screen as well, though nearly on the border of raucous.

Sonically, it’s a feast, and every shouting overlay of the girls is there for a reason. In one time period, Jo tramps down the stairs with a loud “thump, thump, thump.” The next second, she runs down them again with hardly an echo—and it tells you all you need to know about the scene that comes next.

The girls shout and squeal and scream— they take up so much space! It’s refreshing to see women speak most of the dialogue and be in most of the scenes. It’s their story, and no man in it can steal it from them.

Little Women is a story by women, about women whose souls aren’t little in any sense of the word. Little Women’s feminism isn’t new; it was there in 1868 when Alcott wrote it. The story has always been about balancing independence and wanting human connection. Jo wails to her mother in tears, “Women have minds, and they have souls as well as just hearts. I’m so sick of it—sick of it that they think love is all a woman is fit for . . . But I’m so—I’m so lonely.” Gerwig also manages to balance the ending on the perfect edge between truth and fiction. Alcott was forced to marry off all of her characters to sell Little Women, so Gerwig tries to be faithful to both the text and Alcott’s intentions. Using the lighting she’s set up throughout the whole film and deft interweaving of dialogue, she manages to have her cake and eat it too.

Little Women cannot stand alone, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth watching.

It stands with Louisa May Alcott struggling against the world in the 1800s and it stands with every woman who ever found themselves in a story that made their lives, their everyday, domestic lives that have been erased by history worthy of a book—and now a film.

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Star Wars Episode IX: A Spoiler-Free Review

By HEEWON AHN

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he saga finally comes to an end. Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker was released into theaters at the tail-end of 2019, marking the end of a story that has been the subject of much glorification and debate for over forty years. As is common for a Star Wars film, critics and fans are intensely divided amongst themselves over whether or not the installment serves as a worthy conclusion to the epic space opera; but first and foremost, the film can be analyzed through two primary means: plot and context.

The actual plot of the film is decidedly more concise than its direct predecessor, Episode VIII: The Last Jedi. Director J.J. Abrams abandons the unnecessary side plots that plagued the last installment of the franchise, choosing to focus on the main characters rather than to somehow force casino slave animals into a film about epic intergalactic quests. What results is a lot more of what fans actually want to see— namely, the continuation of Rey’s journey as a Jedi—than to develop unnecessary side characters that make little to no bearing on the central plot. This “slimming down” of the sequel trilogy is certainly a commendable move on the part of the writers, catering to the true desires of the fans rather than to some director’s obscure creative vision.

That being said, the storyline undoubtedly falls short of what one would expect from the terminal film in the most successful film franchise of all time. Granted that no one could ever concoct a Star Wars film that satisfies everyone, the glaring lack of emotional investment created by the movie seems like a glaring oversight. The galaxy is in danger of falling into evil—so why can’t I bring myself to care at all? Perhaps it’s because the overarching plot of the sequel trilogy differs very little from the originals. An intergalactic empire dominates the realm; a small group of young heroes must come together to defeat evil; the main characters fight temptations to join the Dark Side, et cetera, et cetera. The sequel trilogy is, at best, a cleverly written rethinking of the original trilogy with a handful of nostalgic

references thrown in. This realization especially hits home upon watching the final scenes of the film, in which everything begins to seem all-too-familiar for returning fans. However, only so much can be said within a spoiler-free review.

Of course, The Rise of Skywalker is not a standalone film. The franchise it belongs to is one of the most popular—if not the most popular—media franchises in the world, and the fact that Episode IX marks the conclusion of the newly dubbed “Skywalker Saga” makes its role that much more significant. Not only that, but the Star Wars saga is no stranger to disappointing releases. The prequel trilogy arguably plays just as important of a role in the context of the overarching saga, and yet its confusing storylines and unnecessary side plots have forever marked them as entertaining but disappointing installments of the franchise.

So how does the film stand up compared to the other episodes? The answer is resoundingly . . . mixed.

On one hand, the film touches upon the epic potential of the franchise’s premise like no other movie has. Star Wars, at least in theory, is an epic story about knights, empires, and mystical powers that takes place entirely in space. Such a tale deserves grand lore, groundbreaking visuals, and a true sense of immense scope. However, the original trilogy was limited by the technology of its time. Although the filmmakers wished to incorporate epic, world-bending visuals fitting of the story’s scope, the 1970s offered little more than elaborate physical models and cameras on wheels with which they could attempt to carry out their vision.

The prequels do incorporate much more of the lore and visuals that were simply not possible at the time of the original series’ conception, filling every frame with epic CGI and visually stunning action scenes.

However, their underdeveloped plots prevent them from realizing their true potential. Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker is the first installment that truly manages to carry out the original vision for the franchise. The visuals of Exegol, a newly introduced planet, are nothing short of epic. For

the first time, the larger-than-life potential of this “knights in space” premise feels as though it has been realized to a large extent.

However, the film makes a surprisingly miniscule attempt at making itself feel like the true conclusion to the saga. Avengers: Endgame, the closest parallel to Episode IX in terms of its role within its series, explicitly took its viewers down memory lane to highlight some of the greatest moments from the past ten years of Marvel heroism.

In contrast, The Rise of Skywalker does not tie its story back to its predecessors as much, not even referencing Anakin Skywalker—the central figure of the first six films—by name. This not only represents a missed opportunity on the part of the writers, but also a disservice to longtime fans of the series. It makes Star Wars seem like a hastily planned collection of disparately related characters, one which shifts dramatically in tone with each reincarnation. The Rise of Skywalker is a fine film by itself, but it feels as though Abrams put more focus into guaranteeing that its plot would not be as criticized as The Last Jedi than delivering a satisfying conclusion to the epic saga that millions around the world have grown up with for over four decades.

If this review has any overarching thesis, it is that The Rise of Skywalker can range from an utter disappointment to the first film that truly delivers on the franchise’s potential—depending on the angle from which one chooses to analyze it. At the end of the day, Star Wars is a series primarily designed to delight and inspire new generations with its epic scope and iconic characters. Episode IX does have its flaws; but its above-average plot, stunning visuals, and the way in which it recreates the childlike wonder of the saga’s premise ultimately renders it an overall success. As much as fans love to analyze every detail of every single installment (as demonstrated above), the ultimate benchmark is whether or not the movie succeeds in bringing delight to a new generation of Star Wars fans.

For Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker, the answer is yes.

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SPORTS

Liverpool: A Team of Future Legends

By JINHO PARK

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he date? April 27, 2014. The setting?

Anfield, the home of one of England’s most illustrious clubs, Liverpool.

Liverpool are playing Chelsea. Liverpool are first in the table by six points, but second-place Manchester City are hungrily following them with a game in hand. At the very end of the first half, Mamadou Sakho passes the ball to Liverpool legend, Steven Gerrard, who is the last man. As the ball zips towards Gerrard, he is prepared to caress the ball to a rolling stop, as he has thousands of times before. Somehow, as the ball finds the smallest of gaps under the studs of his cleats and escapes: opposing striker Demba Ba sprints to get the ball, and as Gerrard tries to recover it, he slips. Ba scores.

The infamous Gerrard slip is characteristic of Liverpool’s attempts to win a Premier League. Despite Liverpool’s rich history and devoted fanbase, they have always been millimeters from securing the title. Even last year, despite holding an early lead over Manchester City, they faltered in the closing moments of the season, losing the title by a narrow margin of one point.

After the Gerrard slip, the team largely fell apart. Star striker Luis Suarez moved to Barcelona in the summer following the devastating failure to win the title, and with Gerrard’s retirement, the future seemed bleak.

This year, however, their coronation as title-holders seems inevitable. At the time of this writing, Liverpool is fourteen points clear with a game in hand: for reference, a win earns three points, so Liverpool is effectively five or six wins ahead of the nearest competition. They ruthlessly pick apart 22

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teams and create chances with ease: the sheer number of chances they create means that they can afford to miss a couple opportunities.

Head coach Jurgen Klopp has assembled an incredible roster and has utilized his “rock and roll” soccer philosophy to create a winning machine: Liverpool have gone undefeated in the league for over a year.

To begin with, the acquisition of worldclass wingers Mohammed Salah and Sadio Mane have provided endless inspiration upfront: the speed, technical ability, and goal-scoring prowess of the two have provided the backbone for this Liverpool juggernaut. Perhaps more importantly, Liverpool’s defense has improved in spades under Klopp. The purchase of Virgil Van Dijk, center back, and Alisson, goalkeeper, has solidified their defense considerably. Van Dijk was voted as the second-best player in the world in 2019 behind Messi, and his towering presence in the Liverpool defense gives them a solid foundation to build from.

Fullbacks Trent Alexander Arnold and Andrew Robertson are also integral. The pair have revolutionized the position of fullback. Despite their defensive duties, they often drive forward, creating assist numbers greater than most midfielders. Their passing is insightful, accurate, and consistent: they allow the team to transition from defense to attack in mere seconds. They are young, too.

Arnold is 21 and Robertson is 25, so they still have the majority of their careers left.

Klopp’s strategy has also been crucial to Liverpool’s success. Klopp is attributed to his philosophy of “gegenpressing,” which is best explained as intensely pressuring the

opposing team at full throttle when they have possession. Although it can seem rather chaotic, Liverpool has won a remarkable number of balls back, simply due to their incredibly high work rate.

Klopp has also ensured that his players coalesce into a team. Often, with higher caliber players there are issues related to ego, but Klopp has fostered a loving community in Liverpool where players feel understood, and as a result, the team performs better.

There have been whispers that Liverpool will go undefeated this year, a feat that has only occurred once in Premier League history by the Arsenal “Invincibles” squad of ‘03’04. And perhaps they will. Monikers such as “greatest Premier League team” and “unbeatable” are becoming common too.

But even without the accolades and records broken, this Liverpool team is fun to watch. Every game, they innovate with their audaciously ambitious passes, run more than what appears to be the possible limit, and most importantly, score with ease. After Gerrard’s slip and last year’s fiasco, perhaps it’s fitting that the first Premier League title-winners for Liverpool would be a record-breaking team.

The fans, the players, the manager, the board: all have waited eagerly for a year like this. But until they inevitably win—and if they don’t, this will go down as the greatest “choke” in soccer history—Liverpool fans will be enjoying the games on their seat every weekend, waiting for the day captain Jordan Henderson lifts the Premier League trophy.

LITERARY

Valentine

By ANNA WESTWIG The bees creep along the doorframe,

golden-lacquered wings brushing the corners of chipped, white paint.

Crystals of sugar have crumbled into forgotten places and decayed

in the way that bad memories don’t.

The gentle rasp of their wings,

tucked tight against their abdomens, against the rose petals.

Engorged on chocolate liquor, pressed into heart-shaped candies; obvious devotion.

The sky swirls with heat,

drunk on its heaviness and the bees weave spirals

between the champagne and the sickly frosting of a wedding cake, cheap as the pasted smiles.

They are dizzy on woodsmoke

and drowsy on forgetting why they were ever made.

Force-fed all this sweetness, cavities forming in their teeth

and in the pockets of their hearts, air bubbles leading to

myocardial infarctions and cholesterol clots.

The blood sugar roils to a boil in the girl’s cheeks, flushed bright rose-pink.

The hive undulates

in the buzzing of thousands of synchronized wings The perfect fourth shone bright in the brass trumpet’s fanfare.

A wasp lands on the bride’s hand,

climbing the mountain that her green veins form.

She smiles and the stretch of skin around the corners of her rouge-painted lips Is too tantalizing and

the stinger pierces; the flesh bubbles and swells.

The flower girl chases after a bee with pudgy hands And she traps it with glee.

Captured in a mason jar,

bonking stupidly into the glass like everything translucent is a way out.

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LITERARY

Not My President

By LOUISA MILLER-OUT An Anti-Love Poem Misogynist, ableist, floundering brute, He makes people fear a white man in a suit.

He’s vile and heinous, a villain at large, And somehow America put him in charge.

Blundering, foolish, intransigent, rude, Ignorant, selfish, disgusting and crude.

Stupid, ridiculous, bourgeois buffoon, I really hope we will be rid of him soon.

Crusty and orange and racist as heck, A vacuous, evil, incompetent wreck, Irresponsible, clueless, deranged, a disaster.

I’d love it if we could get rid of him faster.

Dedicated to My Shower Gel

By RAIA GUTMAN Cucumber and melon I feel tied to the earth with a heap of you on my fingers.

I haven’t eaten melon since summer, cucumber I had last week.

I don’t miss your predecessor, body lotion that smelled like my lover, my lover who is gone, who smelled like strawberries.

I felt dizzy every time I smelled strawberries.

Rich in oatmeal like I’m a kid again, waking up early to finish Harry Potter and coming downstairs for juice and oatmeal.

Rich in aloe like the plant I held on my lap in the backseat, held like a child or a newborn kitten, on the way home at sunset.

Its thick, rubbery leaf engrossed me, I bit it on impulse and it didn’t taste good.

I put it on my bug bite and felt like Demeter.

I rub gel between my hands and want to grow like a cucumber.

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LITERARY

February Haiku Contest Winner:

Censorship

By MAYA BLANCHARD Sometimes [redacted] And then I [redacted], but [redacted] and . . . yeah

How to Feminism

By MAYA BLANCHARD If a woman’s place Is kitchen, then a man’s place Is IN FRIDGE. Like sauce.

Nectar of Disappointment

By MAYA BLANCARD Dedicated to Charlotte Hoekenga I’ve had letdowns worse, But sipping Sprite Cranberry?

Not your best, LeBron.

Come Cheese With Me

The Extinction of the Orangutan

By MAYA BLANCHARD

By LELAND XU

Getting hard to breathe The room is filling with cheese Enter if you please.

The orangutan Is nowhere near their own home And The Tattler.

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LITERARY

March Caption Contest Each month, the Tattler provides a cartoon in need of a caption.

If you would like to submit a caption, check your school email for the February 2019 Caption Contest Google survey. The winning caption will appear in the March issue.

Winner of the December Caption Contest:

“Only capitalist pigs here, no communist swine!� ~ Anonymous ~ Thank you for all 44 participants for responding.

February Sudoku 3 9

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FEBRUARY 2020

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PENULTIMATE

Surrealio

By Ethan Carlson

FEBRUARY 2020

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The Coolness Spectrum Cool

Well, It’s Halfway Through the School Year. What Have You Learned?

To NOT finish your homework the period before it’s due.

Leo (Jul 23 - Aug 22):

I apparently have tons of paper just sitting at the bottom of my backpack.

Pisces (Feb 19 - Mar 20):

Virgo (Aug 23 - Sep 22):

Aries (Mar 21 - Apr 19):

Libra (Sep 23 - Oct 22):

Adjusting to five hours of sleep is essential to a successful school career.

That stapling my library card to my face is the only way I’ll remember to bring it.

Taurus (Apr 20 - May 20):

That this winter’s going to be terrible.

Gemini (May 21 - June 20):

Sagittarius (Nov 22 - Dec 21):

I have completely lost track of my planner, or anything near “time management.”

The suspense of waiting on regular decision

Scorpio (Oct 23 - Nov 21):

That I still don’t know any of my classmate’s names.

Cancer (June 21 - Jul 22):

Halfway through the school year!

That the second semester will be MUCH worse.

I was not prepared for midterms!

Without test corrections, my grades would be horrible.

Parasite movie

Valentine’s Day candy

By Ethan Carlson

Aquarius (Jan 20 - Feb 18):

The curve on the Physics C midterm

That practically all of the most convenient entryways to this school are locked in the morning!

Cats movie

Kobe Bryant passing away

Capricorn (Dec 22 - Jan 19):

That getting here is just HALF the battle (I still got a sense of humor).

Uncool