27
TEACHERS HAVE RESIGNED SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL YEAR
86.4% -$4,913
OF TEACHERS [1] SAY THEY NEED MORE PAY/MORE FINANCIAL SECURITY
LESS ON AVERAGE (-8.2%) THAT EDUCATORS AT ICSD ARE PAID COMPARED TO EDUCATORS AT LANSING, GROTON, AND SYRACUSE [3]
50%
OF EXIT INTERVIEWEES STATE SELF CARE/ BURNOUT/MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH AS A PRIMARY REASON FOR LEAVING [2]
30+ 2/3
TEACHING ROLES IN ICSD FILLED BY UNCERTIFIED ICSD TEACHERS
OF TEACHERS SAY UNDERSTAFFING DRAINS THEM [1]
Ourdistrictmustprovideteacherswithhigherpay,improve communication,andprioritizeretentionovershort-termcost cutting.
ByTHE TATTLER EDITORIALBOARD
Foryears,ICSDhasbeensheddingteachersindroves Astheseteachers depart, our district has opted for a rotating door policy of hiring inexperiencedteacherswhomtheycanpaylessoverretainingcertified,
experienced,long-termteachers.Researchconductedbythelocalteachers’union, ITA(IthacaTeachers’Association)andpresentedattheJanuary3rdBoardof Education(BoE)meeting,aswellasinterviewsbyThe Tattler EditorialBoard presentastartlingretentionissuewithinICSDAsstudentsofthisdistrict,weare callingfortheBoEtostopsacrificingthequalityofoureducationforshort-term costcutting
AccordingtotheITApresentation,4.3percentofICSDteacherpositionsin December2022wereleftunfilled,faroutstrippingSyracuse,Groton,Lansing, Dryden,andRochester,withanaverageof2.14percentofpositionsgoing unfilled.AtleastonebuildinginICSDhasa50percentturnoverrate.27teachers haveleftdistrictwidejustsincethisschoolyearbegan.Morethan30uncertified teachersarefillingpositionsinthedistrict theseareteacherswithouttheproper credentialsandtrainingtobeintherolestheyoccupyBehindthesestatisticsisa simplefact:ICSDteachersareleavingfasterthanthedistrictcanreplacethem ICSDstudentsneedourdistricttocreateanactionplanaimedatkeepingour teachersheresothatwecanhaveaccesstothehigh-qualityeducationwedeserve ICSDisinthethroesofaretentioncrisis,anditmustactwithurgency.
Insteadofaddressingretentionproperly,theICSDadministrationhastriedto shifttheblamewithillogicalexcuses onememberoftheBoardofEducation wentsofarastosuggestthatthecoldwinterweatherinIthacawaspartiallyto blameforourdistrict'spoorteacherretention(althoughhedidn’texplainwhythe weatherdidn’taffectLansing,DrydenorSyracuse’sretention)Notonlyaresome
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ICSD: If our teachers are all leaving, where does that leave us?
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excuses illogical, others simply blame retention issues on the teachersthemselves,questioningtheirwillingnesstosupportthe progressivevisionofthedistrict Inresponsetothepresentation donebytheITA,DirectorofHumanResourcesRobertVan Keurenstated,“Wedon’thidewhoweareSomepeoplegethere, inwhateverjob,administration,teacher,busdrivers Theythink theycanbeateacherhereliketheycanbeanywhereelse.[…] Thosefolksarenotgoingtobeallowedtodothathere.”
Ifthedistrictisaskingteacherstogoaboveandbeyondfortheir vision, ICSD needs to provide three things, pay, proper communicationandaidwhenunderstaffingorelseICSDwillfind itselfdiggingafardeeperhole.
Certainlythemostimpactfulreasonforteacherdepartureisthe lackofpay Ourteachersarebeingpaidsignificantlylessthan teachersinneighboring,comparabledistricts Inresponse,HR AssistantDirector,GladiraVelasquezSimms,emphasizesthatthe districtreceivesover75percentofitsbudgetfromtax-payers,as they receive less federal and state funding than neighboring districts.Tofindthemoneytoincreasesalariestocomparewith ourneighboringdistricts,ICSDwouldneedtorelyonincreasing localtaxes,anunwelcomeactioninacitynotoriousforitshigh taxes.Butifnothingisdone,ITAPresident,AdamPiasecki, believesthestaffingshortagewillgetfarworse,and“it’sonly goingtoincreaseaspeoplefindoutthattherearevacanciesin placeswheretheycangetupto10,000dollarsmore”864percent ofthe151teacherssurveyedbytheITAsaidthatmorefinancial securityandhigherpayisoneofthemostimportantthingsthe districtcandotosupportthem.
OnegroupofemployeesinICSDseemtohaveexponentially growingsalaries:administrators.Thereisamuchgreatergap betweenadministratorandeducatorsalariesthaninanyother comparabledistrict.Piaseckiexplainedthatcuttingrecentlyadded administratorpositionswon’tnecessarilyleadtomakingupthe millionsofdollarsneededforraisingteachersalariesbut,“Could thatfewhundredthousanddollarsbeseenasmoneygiventothe teacherunit,orESP[EducationalSupportProfessionals]unitor otherservicestaffunit?Absolutely!”AccordingtotheNewYork 2019-20SchoolYearFinancialTransparencyReport,IHSspends
6.5 percent more per pupil on administration than our neighboringdistrict,LansingCentralSchoolDistrict,and2.2 percentlessthanLansingperpupilonteachersalariesandbenefits. Thelastteachercontractwasnegotiatedin2019,andwillbein placeuntil2025 However,thepercentraisesthatthecontract guaranteesteachershavebeennearlydoubledbyinflationratesin thepasttwoyears,sotheirqualityoflifeisactuallyworsethanit wasbeforetheraises,sincesalarieshavenotbeenadjustedto accountforinflationatallThedistrict,inastatementtothe Tattler EditorialBoardinresponsetoallegationsofteachers’lowpay, arguedthatunionswereinchargeofcontractnegotiation,“itis ourunderstandingthateachoftheagreements[paycontracts] passedbyhealthymarginsof‘yes’votes.”However,thisfailsto
addressthefactthatthelastcontractwasnegotiatedin2019,prepandemicandpre-inflation.Thesimpletruthisthatourteachers, thoughtheymayhaveapprovedthesmallraisesgiventothemas theirbestoption,arehardlypaidclosetoacomparablesalaryto nearbydistricts
Teachersaren’tsimplyleavingthedistrictforhighersalaries though.Piaseckiisawareofanumberofteacherswho’veleftthe districttomakeverysimilarsalariestothoseatICSD.Instead, manyICSDteachersaredealingwith andleavingbecauseof uniquelyhighburnoutrates.ChristopherCarver,anAPHuman Geography and Economics teacher at IHS, told the Tattler EditorialBoard,“Thereisnodoubtthattherearesignificant headwindstoteachinginthisdistrictrightnow moraleisquite poor”
ArtiJewett,theScienceDepartmentheadatIHSandtheAP Biologyteacher,citesincreasedpoorstudentbehaviorandlackof supportfromadministrationwhendealingwithsuchbehaviorasa primaryreasonforburnout.Jewettexplainsthatissuesofschool violence,poorstudentmentalhealth,andtroublewithdrugssuch asmarijuanahaveincreased.Studentbehavioralissuesareoften metwithfailurebythedistricttoproperlycommunicatewith teachers on how best to deal with students misbehaving. According to Carver, “there is almost no support from administrators”intermsofattendance Jewettwouldliketosee moreguidancefromtheadministrationonwhattheprocedureis forcertainbehaviors,suchascomingtoclasshighWhenteachers doreachouttoadministratorsforhelpwithspecificcases,thereis littletonofollow-upcommunication.Jewettadded,“Wedon’t needtoknowdetailsbutwedoneedtoknowwhattheresolution is.”
Communication,anissuethat65.6percentofteachersbrought upintheITAsurveyasaprimarydrainintheirposition,remains a district-wide issue Carver explained, “I couldn’t imagine communication that is less poor” He brought up a recent administrativedecisionofinstituting45sastheminimumgrade thatwasmadebeforegettingfeedbackfromthewholeteaching staff,whichhesaidisamongalongstandingpatternofimpactful decisionsbeingmadewithoutpropereducatorinputorconsent. Jewettaddedthatsheunderstandsthatsometimesit’strialand errorintermsofimplementingnewpoliciesbutbelievesthata cost-benefit analysis is often neglected and that “more of a deliberativeprocesswouldbeagoodthing.”
Therearemanysolutionsthatneedtobeimplementedwhen handlingaproblematthisscaleandweexpectthedistricttolook ateverysideofthisproblem Onesolutionweknowwillbe effectivewillbeatexceeding,oratleastmatching,teachersalaries ofneighboringdistricts Ateacherworkingmultiplejobs asa numberofteachersinICSDare becausetheycan’tsupport themselvesonanICSDsalarywillnotbeabletoteachtothebest oftheirabilities.Teacherswholeavemid-waythroughtheyearto seekpayandconditionsarealsohurtingstudents.Everydaythat thedistrictdoesnotrespondwithurgencyandeffectivesolutions, oureducationsuffers
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Moreover,whenimplementingpoliciessuchasnewgrading systems and new schedules, talking to teachers and actually includingthatfeedbackinpolicyimplementationisvitalTeachers willnotstayinthisdistrictiftheydon’tfeelheardWithburnout asahugeissue,ICSDcannotsimplywriteitoffasa“nationwide issue”Instead,ourdistrictneedstorespondwithconcreteburnout plans.Districtandschooladministratorsneedtoprovideincreased supportandguidelinestoteachersdealingwithpoorstudent behavior.Additionally,thedistrictshouldalsoconsiderhiringstaff whoarespecificallytrainedtohelpwithstudentbehaviorinways thatarefairtoboththestudentandtheteacher.
Teachersleavingisanexponentiallyworseningcycle:Asmore teachersdepartfromthedistrict,theywillbefollowedbyaneven largernumberofteacherswhocannotkeepupwithwoefully understaffed departments This is clearly already occurring in ICSD:662percentofteacherssaidthatunderstaffingwasastrain ontheirjobsaccordingtotheITAsurvey
Nowinher8thyearofteachingatIHS,Jewettsaid,“Wego intothisprofessionbecausewevalueeducation,andwebelieve ourstudentsdeservethesamearrayofopportunitiesasstudentsin otherNewYorkschools.Itissadandfrustratingwhenwecannot helpstudentsgettheeducationalopportunitiesthattheywant.”
OuradministratorsandtheBoEareawareofthisproblemAre theychoosingtoignoreittosavemoney?Notreactingproperlyto ourteachers’needsunderminesthequalityofoureducationas ICSDstudentsWedoacknowledgethatthereisnoeasysolution tothisButthisissuehasreachedacrisispointIfthedistrictisnot doingeverythinginitspowertoraiseteachersalariesandlistento them when they say they need support and a voice, every administratorwhosejobitistosupporttheeducationalpursuitsof thisdistrictisatfaultforloweringthestandardofourlearning.
ByTHE TATTLER EDITORIALBOARD
Asstudents,wemostlypayattentiontothoseweinteract with Our minds are occupied with friends, parents, teachers peoplewhoseactionsareattheforefrontofour routines.Weoftenfailtoacknowledgethosewhoworkbehind thescenes.ThecustodiansatIHSarriveeverydayinthreeshifts, cleaningclassrooms,dusting,mopping,takingoutthegarbage, andensuringthatourschoolenvironmentisclean,safe,and optimalforlearning Thisessentialworkdeservesrecognition, and,importantly,goodworkingconditionsandcompensation Withallofthehardworkthatcustodiansdo,they’reseverely underpaid.CustodiansatIHSarecurrentlypaidastartingrateof 14.89dollarsanhour.Toputthisnumberintoperspective,living wageinIthacaforonepersonwithnochildrenis18.76dollars. Additionally,minimumwageis13.20dollars,only1.69dollarsless thantheirhourlywage.Withanhourlyrateaboutfourdollars belowthelivingwageinIthaca,custodiansmighthavetotakeup asecondjobtosupportthemselvesandtheirfamilies Inthe surroundingschooldistricts,custodialstaffarepaidsignificantly more,asGroton’sentrylevelhourlywagestandsat1750dollars anhour,Trumansburg’sat1600dollars,andSyracuse’sat1877 dollars.NotonlyareSyracuseCitySchoolDistrictcustodianspaid aboutfourdollarshigherperhourthantheICSDcustodians, Syracuse’slivingwageis16.36dollarsforoneadultwithno children,makingthedisparitystriking.
AnotherchallengethatthethirteencustodialstaffhiredatIHS experienceisoverage,whichcomesasaresultoftheschool’s unfilledpositionsAccordingtoScotTaylor,thedistrict’sassistant headcustodian,thereare5openpositionsdistrict-wideandtwo openatIHSspecifically,withanotherjobopeningupsoon Addedwithvariousabsenceslikesickdaysorpersonaldays,there couldbeasmanyasfourorfiveIHScustodiansnotcurrently workingatagiventime.ScotTaylormentionedthattherewere “secondshiftworkerscoveringthirdshift,”asabsenceandunfilled positionscreateanendlesscycleofcustodianshavingtotakeon morethantheyshould.This,coupledwithaturnoverratethat
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canreachashighas10employeechangesayear,showsaserious problemincustodialretention.TaylorsaidthatCOVID-19is partiallytoblameforthis,asthepandemichasmajorlyincreased jobopportunitiesandthattheamountofunfilledpositionshas increasedinrecentpost-pandemicyears Tayloralsociteslow payasareasonfortheabnormallyhighturnoverrate
Inadditiontolowcompensationandahighturnoverrate,the custodialstaffareexperiencingawiderangeofotherdifficulties.
According to Jeff Holcomb, the head custodian at IHS, custodians working at IHS have so many unacknowledged roadblocksthattheymustface,thatthereare“toomanytolist.” Custodianshavethetaskofcleaninguptheschoolafterus they doeverythingfromtakingoutthetrashthatweproduce,to getting rid off the graffiti students make, to cleaning the bathrooms In addition to their regular duties, they’re also thrownadditionalresponsibilities,suchasthemovingofallthe chairsanddesksneededforexamweeksintothegym,andthen movingthembackattheendoftheweek.
Asstudentswhobenefitfromtheworkcustodianscomplete,it is important that we aren’t actively contributing to their workload.Inaperiodofcustodianshortagesandabsenteeism, doingourparttocleanupafterourselvesisvital.Leavingthe bathroomsclean,pickingupourlunchmesses,andrefraining fromusingthewallsascanvassesareactionablestepswecantake tomitigatetheseissuesWehavearesponsibilityasacommunity tohelpeachotheroutintimesofneed
Whiletherearestepswecantake,moresubstantialchanges wouldhavetocomefromtheEmployeesAssociationandthe District,whoengageinbargainingtosettlestaffcontracts.In regardstothecurrentsalary,Taylorexplains:“Youcan’tblameit ontheDistrict,youcan’tblameitontheUnion,butyoucan blameitonbothofthem.”Thecurrentcustodiancomplications throughoutthedistrictwillonlygetworseifchangesarenot madeInvestinginthecustodialstaffisthesolutiontothecurrent highturnoverrate,unfilledpositions,andoverage ICSDmust prioritizesecuringalivingwageforitscustodians
ByLOLARINZEL
#MeTooisasocialmovementthatfirstemergedin2006when activistTaranaBurkeusedthehashtag“MeToo”onMySpaceasa waytoamplifythevoicesofwomen,particularlyblackwomen, whohadundergonesexualabuse Thismovementhassince becomemorevisibleandhasservedasaglobalinspirationto survivorswhowanttosharetheirexperiencesandsupportone another'sprocessofhealing.Whilethismovementoriginatedin theearly2000s,itwasreinvigoratedandwidelypopularizedin 2017 after the infamous Harvey Weinstein case, generating questionsaboutwhereitistoday,andwhatthemovementhas produced.
InOctober2017,inlightoftheallegationsofsexualassaultand rapetowardformerfilmproducerHarveyWeinstein,actress AlyssaMilanotooktoTwittertowritethefamedwords:“If you’vebeensexuallyharassedorassaultedwrite‘metoo’asareply tothistweet”Withnearlytwentythousandrepliesandover19 millionhashtagstoday,#MeToocreatedadominoeffectfor victimsofassaulttocomeforwardwiththeirpersonalexperiences andcementtheideathattheyarenotalone.
StatisticsontheMeToowebsite(metoomvmt.org),revealthat 81percentofwomenand43percentofmenreportedenduring sexualharassmentorassaultintheirlifetimes Thosewhohave beenabusedhavehistoricallybeensilencedbysociety,soTarana Burke’smissionhasbeentohelpthosewhohavesuffered,and offerthemasafeplacetoprocesswhatthey’vebeenthrough BurkeherselfexplainedherfearswithinthemovementinOctober of2022,“ifthephrase‘MeToo’getspopularinthiscontext… andwe’renotheretogroundtheconversationandgiveitsome context,thenwe’regonnagetlost.Andthisworkwillgetlost.”
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Aftertheoutburstofrecognitiontowardvictimsofsexual assault,supportersofthemovementhadhopethatsomething mightbedonetoholdpredatorsallovertheworldaccountable. AccordingtoTheNewYorkTimes,“The#MeTooexplosionthe nextyearbroughtnewcommitment.Sincethen,22stateshave passedlawstomakeworkplacessafer.”Thisisastepforthe movementandsignifiedagreaterchangeinworkplaceculture washappening
Theterm,“MeToo”hasexpandedsince2017andsome supportersfeelasthoughthemeaningbehind#MeTooismoving awayfromitsoriginalpurpose Someconsiderittohavebeen usedbeyondwhatBurkehadintended,andhasstartedincluding topics of gender bias, domestic violence, and verbal abuse. Thoughthenamerecognitioncouldbesaidtohavestrengthened itsobjectivetosupportsurvivors,TheNewYorkTimesmadethe pointthatit“makesitachallengeevenforsupporterstodefine clearobjectivesortabulategainsandlosses.”Sothepopularityhas made people question the real focus of this movement, and whetherornotitwasdeterioratingfromitsoriginalmeans Othershavearguedthatwhiletherewerenotahugeamountof governmentpolicychanges,theprincipleofaidingthemental health of these victims and encouraging the voices of these individualswasinandofitselfanaccomplishmentforoursociety andfuturegenerations.
Manyindividualsforsolonghavechosennottocomeforward duetothefearthattheirstorywillbeoverlooked,thatnoonewill believethem,andtheurginganxietythatwhenpeoplelookat them,that’sallthattheywillsee The#MeToomovementhas changedthenarrativeforvictimsofrape,sexualassault,and harassmentAlthough,afterfiveyearsofinitiallygoingviral,some spectatorswonderifthemovementisstagnatingbehindthe massivesocialprogressionithasheld
ByMUKUNDGAUR
TheBoardofEducationmetonDecember13,2022,and January10,2023.TheDecember13meetingdiscussedretiree healthinsurance,apresentationonLearningForwardICSD,as wellasadiscussionbroughtupbytheRepresentativestothe BoardofEducation(BoE)regardingtheLegislativeAdvocacy Committee,thenewCodeofConduct,studentaccesstoIHS,and parkingatIHSMeanwhile,theJanuary10meetingdiscussedthe workthattheRepresentativestotheBoEhavebeendoingin implementingmentalhealthdaysatIHSandimprovingmental healthsupport,theHumanResources(HR)Committeemeeting fromJanuary3atwhichconcernsaboutteacherretentionand recruitmentwerepresented,questionsaboutthedistrict’sresponse toanincidentwhereastudentthreatenedtoshootupabusin Octoberof2022,andanupdatefromGraceLim‘23onherwork regardingsexualharassmentandassaultpreventionandeducation.
TheDecembervotingmeetingwasprecededbyapublic hearingonthenewCodeofConduct,whichaimstofocuson restorativepracticesand“challengenon-traditionalideas”For instance,oneoftheprimarygoalsofthenewCodeofConductis torejectsuspensionorexpulsionexceptwhenrequiredbylaw Manystudents,caregivers,andmembersofthecommunityatthe meetingvoicedtheirsupportforthenewCodeofConduct.Some attendees did bring up concerns, including inadequate representationofteachersandstaffmembersontheadvisory councilfortheCodeofConductsinceitwasn’tpossiblefor educatorstoparticipateatthelevelexpectedduetoteacher demands.
ThevotingmeetingthattookplaceinJanuary,openedwith publiccomment,whereamemberofthecommunitywhohad spenthercareerteachingprimarystudentsinICSDbroughtup thedistrict’sdecisionsinretireehealthcare Thistopichasbeen discussedatboardmeetingsseveraltimesinrecentmonths,with retireesbringingupissueswithAetna’sadvantageplans which theywereswitchedtobythedistrict.WhiletheBoEdefendsits choiceoftheAetnaadvantageplans,theystatethattheyaretrying theirbesttogatherinformationontheissue.
PubliccommentwasfollowedbyapresentationonLearning ForwardICSDbyMaryGrover,thedistrict’sInclusionOfficer, andLilyTalcott,theDeputySuperintendent Thepresentation stressedstudentreviewofthecurriculumoverthesummer,anda goaltoconnectwithstudentsinthecurriculum
TheStudentRepresentativestotheBoEalsopresentedtheir workwithJasonTrumble,theprincipalofIHS,andJennifer Dobmeier,theStudentActivitiesDirector,tostreamlinesystems for planning events and fundraising. A student and advisor handbookisbeingdevelopedtosupportclassandclubofficers, andorientationsfornewofficersarealsointheworks.The RepresentativesalsobroughtupthedissolutionoftheLegislative Advocacy Committee, which had been working in part to introducestudentvotingtoBoEelectionsTheBoardresponded that there were not enough resources to continuedthe Committee’s
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workatthistime,butthattheyarewillingtoexploreandhelp addressstudentvotinginBoardelections.Inresponsetothe shortageofteachingsubstitutesthattheStudentRepresentatives broughtup,theBoardrespondedthatstaffingissuesarewidespread andthattheyareworkingtosolvetheissue
AseparateupdateonbathroomsbytheCapitalProjectinformed thecommunityandtheBoEthatworkonIHSbathroomshad commenced,asmanystudentsatIHSalreadyknow.Allfour multi-stallbathroomsinG-buildingarecurrentlyunusableand underconstruction Theywilllikelybecompletelyrenovatedat somepointinFebruary
AttheJanuary10meeting,theStudentRepresentativesbrought uptheirfurtherworkwithmentalhealthdaysandmentalhealth supportatIHS.Newideasthatwillpotentiallybeimplementedin thefutureinclude:animprovedsystemwiththeadditionofdirect, onlineschedulingofappointmentsbystudents,andadesignated officespecificallyfordrop-insduringtheschooldayTheStudent RepresentativesalsoraisedconcernsovertheresultsoftheJanuary 3 HR Committee meeting, where the ITA (Ithaca Teachers’ Association)SolidarityCommitteeandtheITApresentedanarray ofstatisticsonpoorteacherretentionandrecruitmentinthe district.Inresponse,theBoardofEducationstatedthattheyare still trying to “unpack” the results of the HR meeting, and emphasizedthattheirHRdepartmenthasbeenworkinghardon recruitingnewteachers Theyaddedthattheirgoalistobe “collaborative”
AftertheStudentRepresentativesquestionedtheBoardon ICSD’sresponsetothebusshootingthreatmadebyastudentin October districtofficialsincludingDistrictSuperintendentDr. BrownwererecentlysubpoenaedtoacaseintheNewYork Supreme Court regarding the district’s response the Board rebukedtheDistrictAttorneyforstatingthattherewas“noexcuse fortheschooldistrictnottoimmediatelyalertlawenforcement” MoiraLang,theVicePresidentoftheBoard,statedthatthe situationwasnot“blackandwhite.”TheRepresentativesalso raisedstudentconcernsoverthenewbathroomsatIHS,whichwill all be gender-neutral, and the potential for increased sexual harassmentorassault
CommitteeandvotingmeetingsoftheBoEareopentothe public,andthosewhowishtoattendvotingmeetingsshould arriveattheBoardbuildingaround7:00pm,astheBoardwill likely be in executive session until that time. Additional informationincludingtheBoE’sagenda,timesofmeetings,and morecanbefoundontheICSDhomepage
ByACEDUFRESNE
AIthaca Town Hall, courtesy of The Cornell Daily Sun gainstthebackdropofheightenedpublicawarenessof policebrutality,racism,andcallsacrosstheUnitedStates forpoliceandcriminaljusticereform,Ithaca’sCommon CouncilvotedunanimouslyfortheReimaginingPublicSafety resolutioninMarch2021.Thecentralpieceofthisresolution statedtheCityofIthacaintendedtoreplacetheIthacaPolice Department, which currently has exclusively armed police officers,witha“DepartmentofPublicSafety.”Thiswouldinclude botharmedandunarmedofficersandwouldhaveacivilian superintendent for increased accountability This way, police officerswouldonlybearmedinsituationsthatcallforsuch measures,whichishopedtoreducetheriskofpoliceofficers’ presenceescalatingsituations
OnthewebsiteofPeopleFortheAmericanWay(anon-profit organization former Ithaca Mayor Svante Myrick is now ExecutiveDirectorof),MyrickwritesabouttheReimagining PublicSafetyresolution,ofwhichhehasbeenaleadingadvocate. Hestates,“Thegoalwouldbetoreducethefrequencyofsending armed officers to address situations that really call for social workersmedicalormentalhealthpersonnel Thesesituations couldinvolveresidentsexperiencingmentalhealthcrises,crises arisingfromhomelessness,andotherchallengesChangingthe
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city’spolicytoanunarmedresponseinthesecasesdramatically reducestheriskofviolenceorinjurytoresidents,andmakes everyonesafer”
InJuly2022,theCommonCouncilvotedeight-to-twoinfavor of accepting the Report of the Reimagining Public Safety Working Group and continuing to seek public input on community-centered public safety. As part of the vote, the governingbodyagreedtocreateacivilianleadershippositionthat wouldoverseetheCity’spublicsafetyresponsesystems.The CommonCouncilalsopledgedtocreateapublicsafetycommittee, requirecommunity-centeredtrainingforfirstresponders,provide improvedtechnologyforcommunitysafetyefforts,implement public reporting, and improve data collection Alderperson (member of the Council) Cynthia Brock voted against this resolution,citingethicalconcernsabouttheinfluenceofoutside groups such as the Park Foundation, the Center for TransformativeAction,theDorothyCottonInstitute,andPeople fortheAmericanWay andmonetarycontributionstothereport. AlderpersonJeffreyBarken,whosaidthatnegativepublicopinion aboutpoliceandReimaginingPublicSafetyitselfcausedmultiple officerstoresign,alsovotedagainsttheresolution.
Followingthisvote,IthacaCityAttorneyAriLavineannounced thattheCityofIthacawouldbehiringalawyer,KristenSmith,to investigate Alderperson Brock’s ethical concerns A second investigation into Former Mayor Svante Myrick, a strong supporter of police reform, and the third-party organizations involvedintheprocesswouldbeledbytheEthicsAdvisoryBoard TheCityjustifiestheinvestigationsintotheReimaginingPublic SafetyprocessbyarguingthatBrock’sethicalconcernsmustbe investigatedinorderfortheReimaginingPublicSafetytobeable toservethecommunityinthejustandtransparentwayitaimsto. However,asMyrickseesthematter,AlderpersonBrockaskedfor theseinvestigationsinordertodistractfromReimaginingPublic Safety’simportantworkandthegeneralneedforpolicereformin Ithaca
InDecember2022,KristenSmith,theCity-appointedlawyer, releasedasixty-pagereportwhichfoundnoethicalviolationsby theCityofIthacaduringtheReimaginingPublicSafetyprocess, but some transparency and communication issues. While the reportfoundnoevidencethatoutsideinfluencehadanimpacton theoutcomesandrecommendations,itdidhighlighthowsomeof Myrick’sandothercityofficials’lackofjudgmentandtransparency opened the door for potential outside influence from the organizationsmentionedaboveTheEthicsAdvisoryBoardisstill investigatingandthisstoryisstillevolving Meanwhile,police reform advocates wonder whether these investigations are anythingmorethananunfoundedandexpensivedistractionfrom theworkthathastobedonetoendpoliceviolenceanddismantle systematicracisminIthaca.
MayorPhillipD.JonesofNewportNewswouldhave never believed a six-year-old boy would shoot his teacher.OnJanuary6ofthisyear,asix-year-oldboy wastakenintopolicecustodyafterheshotateacheratRichneck ElementarySchoolinNewportNews,Virginia.NewportNews’s PoliceChiefSteveDrewsaidthatthefemaleteacherwasshot insideaclassroomandaddedthat“thiswasnotanaccidental shooting.”Accordingtopolicereports,therewasanaltercation betweentheteacherandthestudentwhohadthefirearm,anda singleroundwasfiredNootherstudentswereinvolvedMayor PhillipDJonesofNewportNewspostedastatementonTwitter: “Itisalmostimpossibletowrapourmindsaroundthefactthata six-year-oldfirstgraderbroughtaloadedhandguntoschooland shotateacher;however,thisisexactlywhatourcommunityis grapplingwithtoday.”
GunviolenceisacrisisintheUnitedStates.Asreportedbythe EducationalFundtoStopGunViolence(EFSGV),gunsarethe leadingcauseofdeathforchildrenonetonineteenyearsoldinthe UnitedStates,andeveryyear,117,345peopleintheU.S.areshot. TherateofgunviolenceintheUnitedStatesiscontinually increasing According to EFSGV, “ we must advocate for evidence-basedsolutionstomakegunviolenceintheUnited Statesabnormalandrare”
The Newport News’ Shooting and Gun Violence in the U.S.
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Everyday,morethanonehundredAmericansdiefromgun violence,andtwohundredAmericansseekhelpfornon-fatalgun injuriesThirty-twopercentofAmericanssaytheyownguns,and overwhelmingevidenceshowsthatgunownershipandaccessto gunsareassociatedwithincreasedsuicide,homicide,unintentional gundeaths,andinjuriesAccesstoaguninthehomeincreasesthe riskofdeathbysuicidebythreehundredpercent.Theseinjuries anddeathsarepreventable.AccordingtoEFSGV,“it'sacommon misconception that people living with mental illnesses are responsible for gun violence, but when compared to other countries,theU.S.hassimilarratesofmentalillness,yetwehave muchhigherratesofgunviolence.”Thestatistics,then,clearly show that mental illness does not lead to gun violence the problemisaccesstoguns
Canada’slowgunhomicideratedisplaysthebenefitsofgun controllegislation GuncontrollawsinCanadaarefarmore rigorousthanthoseintheUnitedStatesTheUSDepartmentof Justicereportedasignificantdecreaseingunhomicideratesin Canadaaftertheintroductionofstringentguncontrollegislation in1976,whichtheyclaimislikelytheresultofdifferencesinthe rigorandpervasivenessofguncontrollegislation.Accordingto theDepartmentofJustice,handgunscanonlybelegallyownedin Canadabypoliceofficers,thosewho“demonstrateaneed”for handgunsintheirworkorforprotection,andlegitimategun collectorsandgunclubmembers Meanwhile,guncontrollaws andcriminallawintheUnitedStatesaredeterminedlargelyby statelawratherthanfederallegislation
Amonghigh-incomecountries,theUnitedStatesisanoutlierin termsofgunviolence.TheUShasthehighestgunownershipand highest gun-related death rate of twenty-seven high-income countries.ThegunhomiciderateintheUnitedStatesisnearly twenty-fivetimeshigherthaninotherhigh-incomecountries,and thegunsuiciderateisnearlytentimeshigherthaninotherhighincomecountries
Ina2017PewResearchsurvey,two-thirdsofgunownerscited protectionasamajorreasonforgunownership Thisindicatesa notable increase from the mid-1990s, when the majority of Americangunownerscitedrecreationastheirprimaryreasonfor gunownership,andfewerthanhalfofthemownedgunsprimarily forprotection.Thisincreaseinperceivedsafetyisreflectedin people'sreasonsforgunownershipintheUnitedStates.Perceived safetyislikelyabigreasonwhygunownershipintheUSishigh. However, easy access to guns is ultimately why so many Americansownguns
Teachersarebandingtogetheracrossthecountrytoworkon solutions,withsomeinTexaspickingupfirearmsandbulletproof vests trainingforthenextintruderLegislationthatadvocatessay wouldprotectchildrensandteachers’livesisbattlingwhatothers sayisaconstitutionalrighttobeararms.Thisproblemisnot outsideofanyone’sreachandisnotanindividualanswerasittakes acommunitytoraisehealthychildren.Violencehasmanyfaces: inequity,poverty,hunger,neglect,exclusion,andlonelinessare onlyafewofthem Withouthopeorsupportortrustineach other,thenumberofthoselostonlyrises
Overthepasttwentyyears,astechnologyhasdeveloped, the way we communicate has drastically changed Today,someonecouldbecomefamousfromsomething asinsignificantasaTweetorcommentthatgainstractionand goesviralThosewhowanttobeinfluencerscantakeadvantage ofthisandbecomeacelebrityseeminglyovernight
Thoughmanyoftheseinfluencersdohaveapositiveimpacton socialmedia,asexemplifiedbygrowingmovementslikethe #MeToomovement(see“#MeToo:Whereisitnow?”pg.?)and thebodypositivitymovement,therehavebeenothersthatuse theirplatformtospreadveryharmfulandoffensiverhetoric.
Oneinfluencerthathasrisentonewheightsbecauseofhislessthan-savorycommentaryonwomenandtheirroleinsocietyis AndrewTateBorninWashingtonDCin1986,thesocialmedia personalitystartedhiscareerinkickboxingwhenhewasfifteen yearsold,becomingarespectedplayerwithawardsincludingthe 84.5 kg International Kickboxing Federation (IKF) British CruiserweightTitle,andthe81.5kgISKABritishFull-Contact LightHeavyweightGoldenBeltTitle.However,itwasn’tuntil 2016thatTategothisfirsttasteofmainstreamfame.
Itwasrevealedin2016thatTatewouldbejoiningthereality TVshow,BigBrother.Theshowisarealitygameinwhich contestants live on a set that resembles a house They are constantlyundervideosurveillanceHowever,afterjustfivedays
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onBigBrother,Tatewasremovedfromtheproductionbecausea videoofhimbrutallyattackingawomanhadbeenreleasedtothe public Tatealsowentontotweetthatwomenshould“bear responsibility”forbeingsexuallyassaulted,acommentwhich ultimatelyresultedinhimbeingbannedfromTwitter
ThiswasnotTate’sfirsttimebeingviolenttowardswomen though,priortohisappearanceonBigBrother,hehadbeen arrestedintheUnitedKingdomin2015whileunderinvestigation forrapeandsexualassault.Thoughhewasneverformallycharged withthesecrimes,multiplewomenhadaccusedhimofbeing violenttowardsthem,withoneevensayingthathestrangledher. Atthistime,Tatewasalsorunningawebcambusinessoutof Luton,wherehewasaccusedofassaultingthewomenwho workedforhimOnewomantold VICE News,"Meandanother girlwouldwakeupinthemorningwiththese,like,red,Icanonly describethemasfrecklesaroundoureyes Itwasfromwhenhe chokedmesohardthatmybloodvesselshadliterallyjustburst"
AboutayearafterappearingandbeingremovedfromBig Brother, Tate moved to Romania, explaining that he did so because“corruptionisaccessibleforeverybody”intheeastern Europeancountry.However,Tatewasn’twidelyknownuntilthis pastyearin2022,whenhebecamenotoriousonthesocialmedia appTikTok,forsayingrevoltinganddisturbingthingsabout women and the way he views them Tate quickly grew a following,themajorityofwhomwereyoungmen,asmanybegan toopenlyagreewithhimandappearedtobecomeemboldenedin theirmisogyny
Tateevenwentontocreatehisownuniversitywherehestated thathewouldteachmenhowtogaincopiousamountsofmoney, becomeskilledintalkingtowomen,andoverallbecomewhathe deemed “alpha males”. Although the so-called “Hustlers University”appearstooperateonabusinessmodelsimilartothat ofapyramidscheme,manysigneduptoattendtheschool, garneringTatearevenueofoverelevenmilliondollars
Tatehasstillbeenaprominentfigureontheinternetoverthe pastfewmonthsbutinthelastcoupleofweeks,hehasbeenfacing mountingbacklashfromthepublic VICE News publishedanother articlethatincludedanaudiomessagesentbyAndrewTatetoa womanthatheraped.Tatesaid,“AmIabadpersonbecausethe moreyoudidn'tlikeitthemoreIenjoyedit.Ilovedhowmuch youhatedit,itturnedmeon.”Hecontinuedonbysaying,“Are youseriouslyoffended,thatIstrangledyoualittlebit?Youdidn't passout,chillout”Thewomanwhoreceivedthismessage,whom theinternetiscallingAmelia,wasrapedbyTatein2013butnever spokeoutagainsthimbecauseotherwomenthathadwereshut downandtoldbyofficialsthatTatewouldn’tbeprosecutedforhis actions Shewentontotell VICE News thatsheis“struggling everyday”becauseofTate’sgrowingfameandthepossibilityof himretaliatingagainsther,butrefusestohideherstoryifit
meansshecouldhelpstopotherwomenfrombeinghurttheway shewas.
Thisaudiomessageisn’ttheonlythingTatehasbeeninthe newsforinthelastcoupleofweeks,though.Tatewasarrestedon December29afterhishomeinRomaniawasraidedbylocal authorities.HeandhisbrotherTristanwerebothsentencedto thirtydaysinjailuntilauthoritiesdecidewhethertoprosecute themonchargesofhumantraffickingandforminganorganized crimegroup.Iffoundguilty,theycouldfaceanywherefrom twentyyearstolifeinprison.Thoughtheauthoritieshavedenied this,manypeopleontheinternetbelievethatTatewaslocatedby theauthoritiesbecausehepostedaphotoofhiminaredrobe holdingapizzaboxfromalocalrestaurantafterhehadgotteninto aTwitterfeudwithclimatechangeactivistGretaThunberg.
Sincetheirarrest,Tateandhisbrotherhavebeenheldinjail andwillcontinuedtobeimprisoneduntilthefutureoftheircaseis decided.Despitehisarrest,Tate’ssupporterscontinuedtoclaim thathehasbeendetainedandjailedwithoutevidence,andthathe isinnocentofthecrimesthatheischargedwith.Theinvestigation intoAndrewTateiscurrentlyongoinginRomania,andthisisa developingstory.
Whenlookingforadviceonstudyingforatest,you’ll oftencomeacrosstheadviceof“don’tprocrastinate.” Studyingconsistentlyisconsideredtobebetterthan crammingthenightbefore Thisisawrongandfoolishidea Procrastinationisoneofthemosteffectivewaystomanageyour time There are no negative consequences, aside from some uninformedpeopleactingasifitissomehowwrong
TakeahypotheticalsituationwhereagirlnamedBethatinewas givenanassignmentforherAPFrenchHistoryclass.Itrequires hertotraveltoParis,takeavideooftheEiffelTower,andwritea ten-pageessay.Shehasthirtydaystocompletetheassignment. Ononehand,shecouldtaketheinitiative,research,writepartof theessayanddeparttoFranceInthismanner,shecouldcomplete theprojectbyspreadingtheuseoftimeoveramoresignificant period Thisisthemostineffectivemethod Instead,Bethatine shouldnotconsidertheexistenceoftheassignmentfortwentyeightdays Onthesecondtolastday,beforetheduedate,she shouldsimplyinventteleportation,writetheessay,andrecordthe videoinFrance.Thisisveryeasytodoandcouldresultin absolutelynostressattheendofanassignment.
Thecriticalthingtonotewhenusingthecomplextechnique knownasprocrastinationisthatthefuturewillneverhappen.If
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theassignmentisdueonthe28th,the28thistoofarawayto happenTodayisthe27th,notthe28thItcan,therefore,never bethe28th Sincetimeisn’treal,procrastinationistheonly effectivewaytocompleteaproject
Alltheseareeffectivewaystoprocrastinateandsuccessfullyget throughhighschoolwithoutstressordamagetoone’smental health.That’sallIhavetosaysincethisarticleisdueinafew hours.
Everfeeltired,drained,ordisorientated?Stayedupalittle toolatefinishinghomework?Doyouneedaneasyboostof energyortorefreshyourmind?Well,howabout somethingsimple–acupofwater?
It’srecommendedthatanindividualdrinksatleasteightcupsof wateradayHowever,theaveragepersondrinksabouthalfofthat amount (at 39 cups), according to the US Department of Agriculture’sAgriculturalResearchServiceOfcourse,thiswater isconsumedindifferentwaysItcouldbe
throughfruits,vegetables,orahighlypopularizedone-energyand sportsdrinks.
Don’tgetmewrong,thesedrinkscanbegood.Yourestorelost electrolytesafteraworkoutandfeelmoreenergized,andsome mayfindthetastemuchbetterthannormalwater.Withabout fifty-sixpercentofadolescentsengagedinsometypeofsport,it’s understandablethatfrequentconsumptionoftheseproductsis consideredtobe“normal”However,adailyintakeofthese specialdrinksmaydomoreharmthangoodinthelongrunifyou haveconsumedinanunnecessarymanner Accordingtothe AmericanAcademyofPediatrics,“Excessiveregularconsumption of carbohydrate-containing beverages increases overall daily caloric intake without significant additional nutritional value. Therefore,frequentconsumptionadverselyaffectstheappropriate balance of carbohydrate, fat, and protein intakes needed for optimalgrowth,development,bodycomposition,andhealth.”Of course,everyonehasdifferentmetabolisms,routinesandhealth needs Idon’tmeansportsandenergydrinks(ordrinkswitha relativelyhighsucroseamount)shouldnotbeconsumed,butthey shouldn’tbedrunkinanunreasonablequantityorasasubstitute forwateronadailybasis
Perhapsthebestwaytostayhydrateddailyisthroughplain wateritself.AccordingtotheMayoClinic,watermakesupabout fiftytoseventypercentofyourbodyweight,andyourbody dependsonitforallbodilyprocessestohappen.Whenyourbody lackswater,youbecomedehydrated,whichcancausemoodiness, disorientatedthinking,andmore.
Iknowitmaybedifficulttohavetogulpdowneightcupsof wateraday,letaloneremembertoevendrinkit(again,the amountofwatersomeonerequiresdependsontheperson) But therearewaystoincorporatedrinkingmorewaterintoyourday toreachthisgoalifyouaren’talready Forexample,havinga quickhalfcuptoonecupofwaterinthemorningafterwaking upisagoodwaytohelpmeetthisgoal,andhopefully,helpto wakeyouupalittlemore.Keepingawaterbottlewithyoucan helptoremindyoutohydratedaily.Thesearealllittlestepsyou canincorporateintoyourlifetokeepyouhydrated.
It’seasytoforgettohydratewithsomanyotherthingsgoing on,especiallyasahighschoolstudentButperhapsthislittlehabit canhelpyoudothetasksyouneedtodomoreefficiently It’s importanttorememberthat,tobeabletodotheactivitiesinour dailylives,weneedtobephysicallyandmentallyhealthyAsmall andeasywayofdoingthatcanbetakingaminutetodrinkwater, torefreshandsteadyyourmind.Sowhileit’sfreshinyourbrain, whydon’tyougogetyourselfaglassofwaterasyoureadyour nextarticle?
ByCLAIREPARKandCAEDMONSETHUPATHY
ConstructionprojectsintheGbuildingbathroomshavebeenongoingsincethebeginningoftheyearItwaspreviouslydecided uponbythedistrictthatthemulti-stalledbathroomsinGandHbuildingwouldberedonetobegenderneutralThesenew facilitieswillwelcomeallgendersinacombinedhandwashingspaceandfloor-to-ceilingstallsWhilethiscouldpossiblyhelp
alleviateanxietyforgendernon-conformingandtransgenderstudents,therearealsoworriesthenewbathroomscouldalsoleadtoan increasedamountofinappropriatebehavior.Thismonth,wearediscussingthebenefitsandchallengesthatcouldensuewithhaving exclusivelygender-neutralbathrooms.
In support of the districts’s decision: Gendered labels on G and H bathrooms should be torn down.
1Transgenderand/orgendernon-conformingstudentsdon’thave accesstogender-neutralrestrooms,limitingstudentcomfort.
Before construction, the multi-stall bathrooms were either specifically designated for men or women. The lack of representationforotherscouldcausesometofeeloutofplaceor uncomfortableusingabathroomthatdoesnotalignwiththeir assignedgenderatbirthNationally,LGBTQ+childrenhavebeen bulliedseverelyfortheirchoiceofabathroom,whichcanleadto extremeanxiety Makingfacilitiesgender-neutralcouldhelpto respectstudents’genderidentitiesandalleviatestigma
2.ICSD’sgoalsandvaluesystemsrequireinclusivity.
Makingallwelcomeinthespacereflectsourcommunityculture, andalsothevaluesoftheschooldistrict.Notonlyshouldthe diverse representations of gender be reflected in interpersonal aspectsoftherunningofaschool,butalsothephysicalaspects Havingallbathrooms,includingthemulti-stalledfacilitiesgender neutral is one way this progress towards inclusivity could be reached
Disapproval of the districts’s decision: Gendered labels on G and H bathrooms should be kept.
1 Thereispotentialforinappropriatebehaviorandincreased harassmentinsharedspaces.
When all genders share the same facilities, there are more opportunities for sexual misconduct and breaches of privacy. Peoplewhoarenoteducatedorrespectfulaboutbathroomneeds canmakeothersfeelunsafeanduncomfortable.Additionally,the freemenstrualsupplieskeptinthecurrentgirls'bathroomscould bedestroyedbyotherpeoplewhodon’trespecttheneedsofthose whomenstruate
2Highschoolerscouldfeelveryuncomfortablehavingtousethe samefacilitiesaspeopleofothergenders.
MostchildreninAmericahavebeentaughtthatitisappropriate forgenderstobeseparatedinbathrooms.Ifthisweretobe suddenlychangeditcouldleadtodiscomfortforpeoplewhofelt saferintheoldsystemandnowareworriedaboutsexualassaultor harassmentingender-neutralbathrooms
→ThereareseveralotherreasonswhyonemaythinktheIHSGandHbathroomsshouldbelabeledacertainway.Whatareyourthoughts about"TheLabelingofIHSMulti-stalledBathrooms"?Goto<https://bit.ly/CTFeb2023>orscantheQRcodeandtelluswhereyoustand! VotesarecollecteduntilFebruary11,2023,andresultswillbereleasedintheMarch2023issueof The Tattler.
November2022VotingResults: TheQuintessentialCommunicationContraption Inthelastissue,wediscussedwhichwritingutensilcouldbe consideredsuperior:penorpencilReaderswerethenaskedtovote onthesideforwhichtheystood.Hereiswhattheythink!
66.7%preferusing
Scan to vote: How do you think the IHS G and H bathrooms should be labeled
Ihave personally always been a big fan of New Year’s resolutions Maybeitisn’tparticularlyrationaltoactlikea switchfromoneyeartoanotheristheonlytimeyoucan
improveyourself,butit’sacomfortingritualnonetheless.Youcan makeresolutionsatthechangeoftheseasons,onthefirstofthe month,oratthestartofaweekButforsomereason,whentheyear isfinallyover,it’snicetothinkyoucanfinallyputasideallthe horriblethingsthathappenedtheyearbefore,andstartallover Youcanbebetter,kinder,healthier,andhappier Throughmy yearsofwritinglonglistsofresolutions,thesearethethingsI’ve learned.
ContrarytowhatyourP.E.teachersmighttellyou,Idon’tthink resolutionsshouldbeSMARTgoals.It’saninsaneamountof pressuretoputonyourselftodefineexactlyhowandwhenyou’ll achieveacertaingoal Ihateconcreteresolutions,like“lose pounds”Ifyou’reanythinglikeme,you’llendtheyearhaving actuallygainedthatmuchweightandthenyou’lljustfeellikecrap Awaytoavoidthisdepressionistonotgettoospecificwithyour resolutions,soyoucaninterpreteveryyearasasuccessInsteadof saying,“have friends,”say“expandmysocialcircleanddeepen bondswithexistingfriends.”
Mostpeopledon’tgothroughwiththeirresolutions,andendthe yearwithevenmoredisappointments.That’swhyIdon’tthink resolutionscanorshouldbelife-changing.It’sthelittlethingsthat actuallywork,likewhenIwrotelastyearthatIwouldgetmy driver'slicense,gotobedearlier,andgetbettergradesIthinkIget alittlebetteratthingseveryyear,justlikewhenIwrite“bemore confidentaboutmybody”everyyear Thisisdonethroughsmall steps,brokendownthroughoutmany,manyyearsYouhave
(practically)aninfiniteamountofNewYear'saheadofyou,so whymakethechangesallatonce?Takeitalittlebitatatime. Don’texpecttogofromzerotoonehundredin365days
Ithinkit’salsohealthyandfuntogiveeachyearabroadergoal, suchas“healthierrelationships”,“physicalhealth”,“school”,etc, andhaveyourresolutionslargelyfocusonthatLastyearwasmy yearofrelationships,bothplatonicandromantic.Ispenttheyear concentratingonformingconnectionswithpeopleandlearningto acceptthatsomethings(andpeople)aren’tmeanttobewithyou forever.Theyearbeforethat,mygoalswerecenteredaroundselfconfidence. I began to experiment with different things like clothes, hairstyles, and piercings, quit an extremely mentally destructivesport(ballet),andIstoppedkeepingtrackofmyweight andpantssize
AstemptingasitistofillyourNewYear'sResolutionslistwith serious things, I recommend throwing in a few silly or unimportantthingsaswellItcanfeellikealotofpressureforall yourgoalstobeschool,future,andhealthorientated.Having thingslike“TryallthedifferentdrinksatCTB”or“Dyemyhairat leastthreedifferentcolors”canmaketheyearaheadactuallyseem funandexciting.Changingyourselfforthebetterwillalwaysbe stressfulanddifficult,butthatshouldn’tbeallyouhavetodothat year Justlikeweneedrestdays,wealsoneedrestresolutions resolutionsthatdon’tfeeloverwhelmingandcanfillupspaceon thepagewithoutbeingtoodifficulttoaccomplish
It’seasytowritedownresolutionsandthenforgetaboutthem bytheendofJanuaryIpersonallycansayI’mguiltyofthisThat’s whyIliketokeepmylistinaneasily-accessibleplace,soIcan remindmyselfofwhatI’mhopingtoachievethatyear.Lastyear,I tapedthelistrightabovemydesk.OndayswhenIwasuptill midnightdoinghomeworkandfeelingthatlifewashorribleand stupid,Iwouldlookupatthelistandgetmyselfbackontrack.It sortofgroundsyoutohaveyourgoalsnearyouallthetime;you remindyourselfwhatyouwanttodoandwhoyouwanttobethat year
Bythetimethisarticlecomesout,itwillalreadybeFebruary Maybe all the resolutions we planned out will have been abandoned.Youdon’thavetonecessarilywaittillthenextNew Year'sEvetostartalloveragain.Maybe,justwaitforMarch1and thengiveitanothergo.Orwaitforspring,whichofficiallystarts March20.Ifyou’reespeciallydetermined,startrightinthemiddle ofthedayonarandomWednesday.Iadmirepeoplewhocando that;I,personally,needtowaitforsomesortoftransitionalperiod toworkonmygoalsWhetheryouhaveoneresolutionortwenty, IwishyouallluckAndhey,there’salways2024!
I’llbethefirstpersontotellyouI’vemadehorribledecisions. IfImadealistofalltheterriblethingsI’vedonethroughoutmy life,it’dseeminglyneverendIwouldreaditandfeelasifi'd
failedatbeingagoodfriend,son,orevenhuman.Ithinkthatif you’reoldenoughtoreadapageofabookordobasicaddition, you’veprobablyexperiencedthewonderfultortureofwishingyou couldundosomethingyousaidorhowyoutreatedsomeone,and allyoucandonowismopeandcowertothecircumstancesyou’ve nowcreated
Someofushandleitbetterthanothers,butI’dbethefirstto admitIcouldusesomehelpwhenitcomestoovercomingfeelings ofregret.
Icanalmostguaranteethateverysinglepersonwhowillread thisarticlewillatsomepointfeelwhatIjustdescribed.Ialsothink it’scrucialthatpeoplelearntohandlethesefeelingsearly,when theyhavetimetolearn,ratherthanhandlingthemoncetheyreach adulthoodandthestressesofresponsibilitypreventgrowthAndas someonewhohasfirst-handexperiencemakingbaddecisions,I feelasifImightaswelllendasmuchasIknowtothesubject
Thisiswhat’shelpedmethemost
Firstoff,ifthere’sanythingyoucandotomakethesituation better,doit.Thinkcarefullyanddelicately,butdon’tbeafraidto apologizewhenyou’rewrong,ortotalktothepersonyou’ve wronged,abouthowyoufeelandwhatyouthinkyoudidpoorly. Peoplecanbemoreforgivingthanyouthink.
Secondly,ifyoucan’tdoanythingtomakethesituationbetter, thenthesaying,“itiswhatitis”mightbethebestpieceofadvice foryou Ifyoucan’tchangeyourcircumstances,youhavetolet yourselfmoveon Thattakestime,energy,andagruelingfew monthsorevenyearsThere’snothingyoucandoaboutthat Feelingtheemotionsyouarefeelingisunavoidable,butyou havetoforceyourselfnottodwellonitfortoolong.Thatdoesn’t meanyoucan’tfeelregret,butsometimesyoujusthavetotell yourself,“itiswhatitis”andtrytothinkaboutsomethingelse.
Thirdly,youhavetohavepatience.SometimesIwishIcould justforgetwhathappenedandmoveon.Sadly,lifedoesn’twork thatwayYouneedtotellyourselfthatitmightsuckforawhile,
maybeevenalongtime,buteventuallythingswillgetbetterYou justhaveto“wait”yourfeelingsout Ifyoucanbepatientwith yourself,youmayultimatelyberewarded
ThefinalthingI’llsayisthateventually,youwillfeelbetterIt mayseemlikeyou’llnevergetpastyourcurrentemotionsand sometimes,youdon’tevenwanttomoveon.That’snormaland human.AllIcanreallysayis:everything’sgonnabeok.Ipromise.
I’mnoexpertonanyofthisstuff;I’mstilljustakidtryingto navigatetheupsanddownsoflife.Thesetimesarechallengingfor allofus,myselfincluded.Ithinksometimesinaneffortto improve,weforgetthatit’soktofeelembarrassed,guilty,or shameful,butwe’reallhumanintheend
Ifanyonefoundanypartofthishelpful,thenI’msatisfiedIsat downtowritethisevening
Growingup,mygrandmotherwasalwaysagainstripped jeans,somuchsothattothisday,Ican’tstandthetexture andavoidbuyingpre-rippedjeansasmuchasIcanBut asdistresseddenimbecomesmoreandmoreinfashion,Icouldn’t helpbutwonderwhereitallstarted.
Thepunkmovement,oftendescribedasameshofdifferent aspectsofyouthculturepost-WWII,emergedintheUnited Kingdom during the 1970s Then, in the 1980s, the punk movement began to dilute: different aesthetics emerged, and subculturessuchas“newwave”and“streetpunk”cameontothe scene Much of punk ideology is centered around antiestablishmentandpro-individualismviews
Earlyoninthepunkmovement,consumergoodsandfast
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fashionwouldbetornapartinprotest Asawaytoshowtheir angertowardsociety,peopleinthepunkmovementwouldoften tearapartdenimthenusesafetypinstoholdthembacktogether, oraccessorizejacketsandjeanswithslogansInthe1990s,thisstyle ofdistresseddenimjeansandjacketsresurfacedwiththegrunge movement.
Thegrungemovement(sometimesreferredtoasthe“Seattle sound”)isasubgenreunderthelargepunkumbrella.However, grungeinfusedelementsofpunkmusicwiththatofheavymetal anditoftenlackspunkstructureandspeedMuchofgrungemusic iscenteredaroundsimilarthemesofanti-corporationseeninthe punkmovement,butthisthemeisoftencombinedwiththemesof neglect,abuse,andsocialalienation
AsthegrungemovementemergedontheWestCoast,teens oftenworeclothingsuchasflannels,layeredT-shirts,andloosefittingrippedjeansinordertotakeananti-conformistapproachto fashion.Thisapproachbecamesynonymouswithcasualstyles,and thelookcarriedoverintothe2000sasitbecamemoremainstream.
Despitetheirmainstreamappeal,jeansremainmostpopularin NorthAmericaandarelesscommonintherestoftheworldJeans areviewedassomethingdistinctlyAmericanInfact,inthe1950s and60s,theSovietUnionviewedjeansasawesternwayoflife, andjeansbecameasymbolofrebellionamongSovietteenagers Thegovernmentresistedsupplyingpeoplewithjeansbecauseit wouldstimulatethemarket acapitalistprinciple.Thisledtothe bootleggingandpurchaseofjeansontheblackmarket,whichis nowviewedasanimportantculturalaspectoftheSovietUnion’s history.
Interestingly,distresseddenimoftencostsmorethanregular denim itseemsit'smorepopulartobuyyourclothespartly destroyed Thepunkmovement,wheretherippeddenimlook originated,wouldsurelynotapproveofthemassproductionof pre-cutpantsPunkrockersmighthavetakenusforageneration ofcapitalistconformists
Icheckedtheweatherforecastataroundeightinthemorningon December23forupdatesontheblizzardthatwouldbehitting westernNewYorksometimethatday.Iwasplanningtogo
spendChristmaswithmyfamilyinNiagaraFalls.ItlookedlikeI wouldbefine,andthattheworstweatherwouldcomejustasI wouldbearrivingthere.SoIbroughtmytwokitties(Dorothyand Buster)intothecarandstrappedtheircatcarrierssecurelywiththe seatbelts.IleftIthacaataround10:00a.m.,hopingforthebest.
ItraveledonRoute96,andotherthanafewslipperyspots,the drivewasfineIgotontheNYSThruwayinGenevaatroughly 11:00amTheroadshadbeenplowedtothepathway,butIcould feeltheturbulenceoftheblusterywindsshakingmycar,andI graspedthesteeringwheeltightly,whiteknucklesalltheway.
MyGPSreroutedmeoffthethruwaytoExit46beforebringing meback.Thewindresumed,andasIcontinuedwest,Isawan overturnedSUVaboutone-hundredyardsofftheroad.Ithought tomyself, that’s an ominous sign of things to come.
SotheGPSreroutedmeoffthethruwayattheBataviaexit, whichisusuallyaboutanhour’sdrivefrommyparent’shouse I wasnowonsideroads,andthesnowfallwassteadilyincreasing Thevisibilitycontinuedtogetworse,andallthevehiclesthatI sawhadtheirhazardson,butIwasmakingprogress,thinking aboutseeingmyfamilyIcametoastopsign,and,withahandful ofotherpeople,endeduphelpingamotoristwhosevehiclewas stuckgetgoing.WhenIgotbackinmycar,IrealizedthatIwas stuck,andthreedriversgotoutandpushedmethroughthe
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intersection(Thankyou,strangers!)
Ihaddrivenforaboutamilewhenthevisibilitydroppedto almostzero Therewereshortwhiteouts,thenIcouldseefora fewseconds,thenmorewhiteouts ItwasterrifyingandIknew thatIhadtopullover
Iturnedintothenextdriveway.Thereweretwovehiclesthere thatwerenearlyburied,andcolossaldriftsofsnowblockedthe garagedoor.Itlookedlikenoonehadbeenhereinawhile.I textedmysistertoupdatemysituation,andIthoughtthatImight bestuckhere,inOakfield,NY(asmalltownthatIneverheard of),foracoupleofhours Afterabouttwentyminutes,aman cameoutofthehouseandknockedonmywindow
“Doyouwanttocomeinside?”
“Yes,butIhavetwocats.”
“Youcanbringthemintothegarage.It’sheated.”
SoIgrabbedthetwocatcarriersandbroughtthemintothe garage“I’mEarl,”themansaid,reachingouttoshakemyhandI toldhimthatIdidn’thaveanycatlitterasIsetDorothyand Busterfree
“Noproblem,”EarlsaidHegotonhisknees,reachedundera coveredcarinthegarage,andsmiling,pulledoutatrayfilled withcatlitterthathehadbeenusingincasethecarleakedany fluids.Itremindedmeofamagicianconjuringarabbitoutofa hat.SowegotthekittiessetupandIfollowedhimintohishouse.
EarlintroducedmetohiswifePamela,whoaskedifIwanteda venisonhotdog.Iwasn’tplanningonbeingtheretoolongsoI declined.Theyinvitedmeintothelivingroom,whereImettheir daughter,Maddie,whowaswatchingTVWemadesmalltalkfor awhile,andEarlinvitedmeintothefamilyroom Hetoldme thathehadrecentlyretired(well,partiallyretired)fromLamband Webster,afarmingequipmentcompany,andwegottoknow eachother.Hespokeofhisfamily’spassionforhunting,whichhe hopestodomoreofinretirement.Healsotoldmethathisfather madetengrandfatherclocksforhisfamilymembers,asIadmired theoneinhisfamilyroom.EarlthentoldmethatIwaswelcome tohelpmyselftoanythinginthekitchen.Igrabbedsomepotato chipsandcheeseandreturned.
Earlwascheckinghisphonewhenhesuddenlysaidtome,“I thinkyoumightwanttohaveadrink”Iaskedhimwhy,andhe responded,“Ithinkthatyou’regoingtobestuckhereforacouple ofdaysIjustcheckedthelatestweatherforecastThesnowwill notbelettingupanytimesoon”
SoIhadthedrink.Icommunicatedwithfamilyandfriends, lettingthemknowthatIwassafe.Earlhadbeeninthekitchen, andhecamebackintothefamilyroomandsaid,“We’rehaving porkchopsfordinner.Ifyoudon’tlikeporkchops,Icanmake youasteak.”Iassuredhimthatporkchopswouldbegreatand thatI’measytoplease
SoIhadadeliciousdinnerwiththeLaGroufamily(who happentobeoneofthefivefoundingfamiliesofMontreal)and wetalkedandsharedstories ItoldthemaboutmyGrandpa Asklar,whogotstuckinastranger’shouseforseveraldayswhen hegotstrandedduringtheBlizzardof’77,andEarltoldmeabout anexperiencethathehadafewyearsback,whenhewasstranded at a neighbor’s house. Apparently, Oakfield has some bad snowstorms.Earltoldmethatbreakfast,notdinner,wasactually hisfortéandthathisdaughters’friends’favoritepartofsleeping overattheLaGrouhousewasthebreakfaststhathewouldmake.
“Youcanhaveanythingyouwant!Pancakes,Frenchtoast, bacon, sausage, eggs however you want them scrambled, sunnysideup,overeasy,poached,younameit!”Iwasshockedat hishospitality Afterdinner,weplayedboardgames,andthey treatedmelikeIwasamemberoftheirfamilyOneofmyfriends textedmeandaskedifIfeltawkward.Irespondedwithan emphatic“No!”IfeltlikeIwasplayinggameswithmyown family.Lateron,Earlgotmesetupcomfortablyforthenight,and Isleptlikeababy.
Thenextmorningwehadcoffeeandbreakfast,andEarldid notdisappointIhadbacon,eggs,coffee,toast,andlotsofsausage ItwasthebestbreakfastthatIhadinmonths!Wecheckedonthe kittiesandEarlopenedthegaragedoor Thesnowdriftsmust havebeenfivefeethighEarlputonlayersofclothesandusedhis snowblower to clear the driveway He even went to help neighborsdigoutoftheirdriveways.Whenhereturned,oneof hiseyeswasnearlyfrozenshut.
SohereIwas,onChristmasEve,stuckinOakfield,NY.Iwas delightedtohearthattheLaGroushappenedtobebigBuffalo
Continued from page 17
fansSowepreparedtowatchtheBillsplaytheDolphinsinarare ChristmasEvegame WealldonnedourBuffaloBillsclothing, andPamelamadesomedelicioustacosforthegame Itwasan excitinggame,andweallyelledinexcitementwheneverBuffalo madeagreatplay.IfeltlikeIwaswatchingthegamewithmy ownfamily.
Wehaddinnerlaterthatevening stuffedshellsandsalad.I spenttherestoftheeveningtalkingandtextingwithfamilyand friends,andhopingforaChristmasmiracle:thatthesnowwould stop,theroadswouldbeplowedbymorning,andIwouldbeable togobewithmyfamily
IwokeuponChristmasmorningandpouredmyselfacupof coffee Ilookedoutthewindowandnoticedthattheroadswere clear,withtoweringsnowdriftsoneachside Ibeganpacking thingsintomycar.EarlandPamelasoonwokeuptohavecoffee withme,andtheysharedsomedeliciouscinnamonbunsthatone oftheirneighborshadmade.Earlcheckedtheforecastandassured methatitwassafetodrive.Igoteverythingreadyandthanked themforsavingmylife,andforbeingsuchamazing,gracious, generous,kind,andhospitablepeople Igotmykittiessituated, hoppedintomycar,andbeganthedrivetoNiagaraFalls
ItwasbittersweetleavingChateauxLaGrou,asMaddiereferred toit;sayinggoodbyetomy“hostfamily”feltlikeIwasleavinga lovelyB&BButIwasanxioustoseemyownfamilyOntheway, Ipassedhundredsofabandonedvehicles,buriedincolossalsnow drifts,andIconsideredseveralscaryscenariosofhowmysituation couldhavegone.IwassoluckyandthankfulthatIpulledintothat drivewayinOakfield,NY.Thisexperiencereaffirmedmybeliefin the inherent compassion and goodwill of humanity. I am overwhelmedanddelightedbythekindnessofstrangers
Note:ImadeadonationtothePatriciaAllenFund,benefiting JohnR OisheiChildren’sHospitalofBuffalo,inhonorofthe LaGroufamilyItamazesmethatpeoplelikethisexist!
CuratedByMAGGIEBONASSAR
I'vebeenalong-timeenjoyerofhistory,soworkinginthe archivesletsmeseeanewthestoriedhallsofIHSstraightfrom thestudentswhohavecomebeforeusTheyallowusto
experiencetheworldastheydid,throughtheirmindsandideas thatsurvivelongaftertheyhavegraduatedPlease,aboveallelse, enjoy!
February 1920
ConstitutionoftheTattlerBoard
TheobjectoftheTATTLERshallbetobringthepupilsinto closertouchwitheachother;tostrengthenandunifyschoolspirit; togivepupilsabusinesstrainingobtainedbyactualmanagement ofthepaperandaneditorialtrainingobtainedbyliteraryworkfor thepaper;tosupportalltheactivitiesoftheschool;andthrough exchangeswithotherschoolpaperstobringourschool,withallits interests,totheattentionofothercommunities.
“THETATTLER”asanorganizationofthepupilsoftheschool shallbesubjecttotherulesandregulationsoftheBoardof EducationandtheGeneralCouncil.
Therefore,we,themembersoftheTATTLERBoard,dohereby formandestablishthisconstitutionfortheTATTLERBoardof theIthacaHighSchoolinorderthatthedutiesandprivilegesof themembersofsaidBoardmaybemoreclearlydefinedandset forth
ARTICLEIPurpose:ItisthepurposeofthisBoardtopublisha schoolmagazineorpaperatleasteighttimesduringtheschool year.
ARTICLEII.Name:Thenameofthisbodyshallbeknownasthe TATTLERBoardoftheIthacaHighSchool.
ARTICLEIII.Membership:Themembersshallbechosenby competitionfromthestudentbodyoftheIthacaHighSchool,or, ifnecessary,selectedbyacommitteeconsistingoftheFaculty AdvisorsandtwomembersoftheBoard
From the Archives: Excerpts from The Tattler Issues of Yesteryear
Continued from page 18
Section1 Election: TheretiringTATTLERBoardshallelectthe Boardfortheensuingyearkeepinginmindtheeditorial,business, orartisticqualificationsofthecompetitors
Section2 Vacancies: AtleastonevacancyamongtheAssociate EditorsandoneontheBusinessStaffshallbelefttillJanuarytobe filledbymeansofcompetitions.
Section3. Qualifications: (a)Thecompetitorforeachvacancy mustbeasubscribertotheTATTLERandhissubscriptionmust bepaid.(b)Hisattitudetowardstheworkandtowardstheschool shallbeconsideredinmakingtheselection(c)TheAssociate Editormusthavecontributedandhavehadacceptedatleastone articleprecedinghiselectiontotheBoard(d)Inmakingthe selectionfortheSecondAssistantBusinessManagertheamountof moneyturnedinthroughcollectionsandtheamountofwork doneshallbethebasisoftheselection.
ARTICLEIV. Members:ThemembersoftheTATTLERBoard shallbe:Editor-in-Chief,ManagingEditororAssistantEditor, ArtisticEditor,AssistantArtisticEditor,atleastfourAssociate Editors,Secretary,FacultyAdvisors,BusinessManager,andother officersdeemednecessarybytheTATTLERBoard
ARTICLEV Duties of Officers:
Section1 The Editor-in-Chief (MajorOffice)shallpresideatall Boardmeetings,callaregularmeetingatleastonceamonth,be responsibleforthegeneralsupervisionofthepaper,including make-up,form,contentsandpolicythereof,andarrangeforthe readingoftheTATTLERConstitutionatthefirstregularmeeting oftheBoardeachterm.
Section2. The Assistant Editor or Managing Editor (MinorOffice) shallnotifyallmembersoftheBoardMeetingsatleasttwenty-four hoursbeforethehoursetforthemeeting,callandpresideatall BoardmeetingsincaseofillnessorabsenceoftheEditor-in-Chief, beresponsibleforcutsandmaterialtakentotheprintersandsee thatallsuchmaterialisreturned,andmakethearrangementsfor theprintingoftheTATTLER
Section3. The Artistic Editor (MinorOffice)shallhavechargeof alldrawings,cartoons,anddesignsandsupplysuchforeachissue aftertheapprovaloftheheadoftheArtDepartment,andwiththe adviceoftheArtDepartmentshallincreasetheArtisticStaffby meansofcompetitionsamongthestudents.
Section4 The Assistant Artistic Editor (MinorOffice)shallassist theArtisticEditorashemaydirect,andberesponsibleforthesafekeepingandclassificationofallcuts
Section5 The Business Manager (MajorOffice)shallbe responsibleforads,subscriptions,distributionofpaper,andthe selectionofHomeRoomCollectors.HeshallincreasetheBusiness Staffbycompetition,ifnecessary.
Section6. The Assistant Business Manager (MinorOffice)shall assisttheBusinessManagerashemaydirect.
Section7. The First Associate Editor (MinorOffice)shallhave entirechargeoftheJingerJarSectorandincreasethestaffby competition,ifnecessary
Section8 The Second Associate Editor (MinorOffice)shallhave
entirechangeoftheExchangeSectionandseethatreportsare madeineachissueoftheTATTLER
Section9TheThirdAssociateEditor(MinorOffice)shallhave fullchargeoftheOrganizationSectionandseethatall organizationactivitieswrittenupforeachissueoftheTATTLER.
Section10. The Fourth Associate Editor (MinorOffice)shallhave fullchargeoftheAthleticSectionandseethatallathleteactivities arewrittenupforeachissueoftheTATTLER.
Section11. The Secretary (MinorOffice)shallwriteupthe minutesoftheBoardMeetings,keeparecordoftheroll,have typewrittenallmaterialhandedin,andnotifyallnewlyelected membersoftheBoard
Section12 The Faculty Advisors,oneappointedbythe SuperintendentofSchoolsandtheotheroneselectedbythe TATTLERBoardfromtheEnglishDepartment,shallapproveall materialbeforegoingtopress,andshallbepresentatallBoard Meetings.
ARTICLEVI. Free Copies: ThemembersoftheTATTLERBoard shalleachbefurnishedwithtwofreecopiesofeveryissueofthe TATTLEROnecopyofeachissueshallbepresentedtotheHigh SchoolLibrary
ARTICLEVII Amendments: TheconstitutionoftheTATTLER BoardmaybeamendedatanyregularmeetingoftheBoard,bya majorityvoteofthosepresent,whenratifiedbytheGeneral CouncilandtheCommitteeonStudentActivitiesasprovidedfor inArticleVIII,Sections3and8oftheRegulationsoftheBoardof Education.
ConstitutionoftheTATTLERBoardrevisedandamended, January,1920.
February 1898
TheAdMan
Youmaytalkaboutyoureditorswhositineasychairs, Andtrytobossthewholemachineandputonlotsofairs, Andseektomakethepeoplethinkit’swhattheyhavetosay Thatkeepsthebusinessonthemove,andmakesthepaperpay. Butdon’tyoueverthinkit,forthewholetruthsimplyis, Theeditor’snotinitwiththathugeconceitofhis; Forthere’sonlyoneessentialinthewholenewspaperplan SuccessdependsaloneupontheAdvertisingman
Themenwhoedittelegraphandwritethelocalstuff, Withinthelittlefieldstheyfillmayanswerwellenough: Thesportinganddramaticmenandsmallfrysuchasthose Whogobbleallthepassesandwhovisitalltheshows, Andlikewise,too,thepoets,whoinsisttheymustrehearse Thesimplethingstheyhavetosayinblindandhaltingverse; They,oneandall,haveunderstoodsincepapersfirstbegan ThattheyweremereassistantstotheAdvertisingMan
It is difficult to set a start date for tourism in large part because it is such an ambiguous term Merely traveling for the purpose of discovery, education, or pleasure has existed for thousands of years Religious pilgrimages undertaken by Muslims, Catholics, Buddhists, and many more date back to antiquity. However, long-distance mass tourism by westerners was pioneered primarily in the last few centuries.
“The Grand Tour” was a voyage around the European continent undertaken by young men in the 17th and 18th centuries. It served as an educational and exciting opportunity to encounter new places and cultures Many well-off families would send their sons on these multi-year tours around the age of twenty-one However, tourism quickly expanded beyond Europe in the coming years, as explorers discovered new lands and peoples The public intrigue generated by such expeditions led to an interest in global travel
An important factor in the history of tourism is westerner’s curiosities regarding “exotic” people This is illustrated by the enlightenment philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau who coined the term “noble savage” in the 18th century to refer to non-Europeans, whom he believed to be morally pure due to never having experienced civilization. Additionally, for far-off hundreds of years, mapmakers and travelers had told stories of lands with fantastical people and animals in order to capture the imagination of their European listeners Given the chance to explore such foreign lands, Europeans were primed to jump at the opportunity
Thanks to tourism, many cities are becoming ‘destinations’ rather than homes. Streets are increasingly overcrowded and noisy, and many locals are opting to leave their homes. Once vibrant communities around the world are trampled by thousands of tourists every day. As time passes, their cultures are increasingly diluted and commercialized.
Due to the influx of tourists with disposable income, prices are higher than ever in places deemed tourist destinations. Affordable rental apartments for residents are hard to find, as tourists are willing to pay a lot more per night for an Airbnb, than a local who lives in their city year-round could.
Tourists have historically harmed and sometimes destroyed parts of local culture and history At the hands of tourists, historical artifacts such as a sarcophagus from Ancient Egypt, historical monuments such as the Colosseum, and holy places such as a sandstorm formation sacred to Native Americans, have been vandalized Tourists have broken ancient art while taking selfies, assaulted officials, tried to steal ancient artifacts and destroyed monuments on a whim
Tourists also often show ignorance and insensitivity to local people and their history This could look like tourists being disruptive at a monument in honor of victims of the Holocaust or tourists yelling at service workers because they can’t accept American currency While these are often isolated incidents, they’re a recurring pattern for locals
However, because of the money tourists bring in, businesses often cater to tourists rather than residents Small local shops have slowly given way to souvenir shops, fast food restaurants, and expensive tourist restaurants, altering their culture to fit the western foreigner's narrative Nature, once a place where locals could enjoy themselves peacefully, has time, and time again been replaced by resorts for tourists. In Cambodia, hundreds of residents of a ‘floating village’ and fishing community along the Mekong River were evicted from their homes to make way for a resort. As the borders were closed during the pandemic, they were expelled with nowhere to go.
Tourism is a large industry with the ability to bring a lot of money and respect to communities and countries around the world. However, many problems arise when because of the opportunities and possibilities tourism has to offer, tourists are put before the residents, history, and culture of a city or country itself.
Throughout the 18th century, tourism was still primarily limited to wealthy individuals and families. Coastal tourism for natural beauty and relaxation began in areas such as Malta and Madeira
In 1875, Thomas Cook and his son John Mason pioneered worldwide mass tourism by establishing a travel agency that sold trips to Norway, and later Egypt This period of time also saw the advent of cruise ships, an efficient way to see famous sites without having to learn new languages or cultural practices Cook and Mason’s company was particularly revolutionary in its ability to cater to the lower classes by offering inexpensive holiday trips, greatly increasing the number of consumers
Fast-forwarding to the modern day, tourism has become a global industry with westerners traveling the world. The history of tourism is tied up in European exploration, expansion, and colonialism. Native peoples were required to capitulate to westerners in order to avoid destruction, and the resulting European takeover of the globe led to more opportunities for travelers to infringe on indigenous culture as spectators
Tourist attractions bring people together from all over the world with the allure of spectacular sights But have you ever thought about what these activities do to our ecosystem and shared environment?
Cruises are one of the most popular forms of tourism all year long and certainly allow you to see some amazing sites, but it may not really be worth it In addition to their high prices, cruise ships pollute the water tremendously and practically harm everything the boat comes in contact with, including animals and their environments; birds, fish, and other animals are forced to live in contaminated waters for the sake of people’s own entertainment The marine ecosystems get impacted as soon as pollution enters the water Certain cruise lines, such as Princess and Carnival, have been known to dump oil from engine waste into oceans. According to The New York Times, “Princess Cruise Lines has pleaded guilty to seven felony charges and will pay 40 million dollars after employees on a cruise ship were caught dumping oiled waste into the seas and lying to cover up their actions.” Yikes. And all of this in addition to the food that gets wasted and thrown away on cruises also contributes to global warming and the melting of more ice caps
Resorts are often popular destinations worldwide where people stay during holidays and breaks Water is one of the most overused resources there, and tourism makes this issue worse Water is a resource that Americans overuse on a daily basis, especially when people travel, as they tend to overuse water in hotels and places that aren’t their own homes Not only is this unsustainable for our environment but it’s harmful to local residents in tourist towns, as the amount of clean water that is available to them is then cut down. This is an ongoing issue in many communities. Water isn’t just used for personal use but for farming, agriculture, and energy production The U S especially tends to overuse resources that other countries have limited amounts of According to the World Health Organization, “Over 2 billion people live in water-stressed countries, which is expected to be exacerbated in some regions as a result of climate change and population growth ” Tourism is just one of the many excuses that people use to justify wasting resources The earth does not need any more greenhouse gas emissions, as it’s already at a breaking point
This just goes to show the many complications that come with tourism that we don’t always consider before traveling. Additionally, as this industry develops so quickly, it cannot be supported sustainably and the environment is being harmed and deprived of its natural resources Everyone's a little guilty of wasting water and food to a certain extent, but some accountability is important This is a community effort and people must start collectively caring in order to make a difference and improve environmental conditions for ourselves, other communities, and the nature around us
From the Archives: Excerpts from The Tattler Issues of Yesteryear
Continued from page 19
‘Tistruetheadvertisingmanhasnaughttodobuttalk, Yethe’stheonewho,afterall,permits“theghosttowalk;” Forwhiletheeditorstheirpensintrashystuffengage, Hetoilsonsomethingworththewhile theadvertisingpage; Andifyou’llbutinvestigatesufficientlyyou’llfind Heworksmoremen,andhours,thantheothersallcombined. Tohimbelongsthevictor’scrown,thisbravecatch-as-catch-can, Keen,money-getting,business-boomingAdvertisingMan. Exchange.
January 1918
INTERESTINGLECTUREBYSNYDERRAPPLEYE'16
TellsofExperiencesasAmbulanceDriveronWesternFront
OneofthemostinterestingtalksthatthestudentsoftheHigh School have listened to was given by Snyder Rappleye on Assembly,Thursday,December6.Herelatedhisexperienceswhile servingwiththeAmericanAmbulanceUnitwiththeFrencharmy foraperiodofsixmonths ShortlyafterlandinginBordeaux,in thespringof1917,heandhisnewassociatesconstructedacamp fortheRedCross,whichisnowintheserviceoftheAmerican army Alittlelatertheyreceivedtheirambulancesandwere stationedintheVosgesMountainsFromthisinactivesectionMr RappleyewastransferredtoVerdun.Theterritoryaroundthe fortress,hesaid,hadbeenfoughtovertosuchanextentthatthe forestswhichoncecoveredthesurroundinghillswerecompletely demolished.
Thecontinuousfiringmadeitimpossibletoapproachcloser thanonemiletothefirst-linetrenches,necessitatingthatthe woundedbecarriedthatdistancethroughthecommunication trenches Takingadvantageoftheslackeningoftheshellfireat night-fall,theambulanceswouldraceoutafterthewounded;but bythetimetheywerereadytoreturntothehospitaltheshells would be bursting all around them, making their trip more interesting.
Mr.RappleyesaidthattheFrenchpeoplewereenduringintense sufferinginordertocarryonthewar.Thereispracticallynofuel inFrance,andnotenoughfood.Theinhabitantsofthesmaller townsnearthefrontspendtheireveningsindug-outstoprotect themfromthenightlybombingraidsoftheenemies’aeroplanes
Everyable-bodiedmanisintheuniformofhiscountry,andthe womenhavegivenupeverypleasureandarefillingthepositions vacatedbythemen
Themanspeededuptoseeifhecouldn’tbeatthetraintothe crossing.Hecouldn’t.
Themanstruckamatchtoseeifthegasolinetankonhisautowas emptyItwasn’t
AmanpattedastrangedogtoseeifthecritterwasaffectionateIt wasn’t
Themanlookeddownthebarrelofhisguntoseeifitwasloaded Itwas
Themanaskedthegirltomarryhimtofindoutifshewas engagedShewasn’t
Themancalledtheothermanaliarbecausehethoughthecould lickhim.Hecouldn’t.
Themanlefthisumbrellahometoseeifitwouldrain.Itdid. Themanswallowedapintoseeifhecoulddigestit.Hecouldn’t.
February-March 1893
Editors of The Tattler:
Perhapsyoumightbeinterestedinadescriptionofajourney betweenZurichandFlorence,Italy,madebymeduringtheXmas vacation.Thejourneytakesinthemostinterestingpartsofthis beautifullandaswellastheApenninedistrictofNorthernItaly.I madethejourneymostlybynightincompanywithanItalianwho spokeonlyItalianandFrench,soourconversationwasrather limited.AtMilan,whereIwaitedaboutthreehours,Iwassitting inthestationsketchingaratherpicturesquepeasantcostume,and mytraincameandwentwithoutmyknowingit Ihadtostay twenty-fourhoursinthiscity,somadethebestofmytimevisiting thegreatcathedral,whichisoneofthelargestandmostbeautiful inEurope Theinteriorisonehundredandfiftyyardslong,and threeorfourpriestscanpreachinitatthesametimewithout interfering with each other. The outside is decorated more elaboratelywithstonecarvings,andtherearemorethantwo hundredstatuesinwhitemarblerepresentingthemartyrdomof variousancientreformersandreligiousvictims.Thereareover fiftyspires,eachsurmountedbythestatueofsomesaint,among whichNapoleon,whofinishedthecathedral,putagildedfigureof himselfThegreatspireiscrownedwithalargegildedstatueofthe Virgin, as is quite common with Italian churches From the cathedralIwenttotheBreragallery,wheretherearemanyvery famousoldpaintings,perhapsmoreinterestingthanbeautiful.So muchforMilan.
FlorenceisthenextstationatwhichIstayedlongenoughtosee anything.Thecathedralhereisalsoamostwonderfulandbeautiful edifice.ItisevenlargerthanthatofMilanandentirelycovered withmosaicsandgreatslabsofrareporpheries TheBaptistry, whichstandsinfrontofthecathedral,istheplacewhereallthe babiesborninFlorencearebaptized ThegalleriesofMizziand Pittiarealsohere,world-famedforthemasterpiecesinartand sculptureofMichelAngelo,FraAngelo,Murillo,Raphaelandall otherfamousartistsofthefourteenthandfifteenthcenturies.
Oneofthemostinterestingandimposingbuildingsisthe PalazzoVecchio(AncientPalace),whichstandsattheheadofthe courtoftheUffizi.Itisinterestingonaccountofbeingthecourt houseinwhichallreligiouscontroversiesweresettled,andin whichSavanarolawasconfinedinacelltenfeetsquareandnot roomenoughinhisbedtostraightenhimself,andfromwhichhe wasledbytheignorantandbigotedtoseeiftheLordwouldsave
From the Archives: Excerpts from The Tattler Issues of Yesteryear
Continued from page 22
himfromdeathatthestake.
AcrosstheriverArnofromUffiziistherowofhousesinwhich theMedicislived.Onecanstillseethewindowsfromwhichthey threwtheirenemieswhomtheyinvitedtodineandthendrowned themintheriver,whichrunsconvenientlybeneaththediningroomwindowsFlorenceisthecitywherethisterriblefamilytook itsriseandwhichitheldforitsheadquarters Thereareeighteen palacesbearingthearmsofthisfamily,ablueshieldwithsixballs representingpills,theupperonewiththreeFrenchlilies.Inoneof thesquaresisacolumnsurmountedbyafigureofJusticeholding thescalesinherhand.
Aboutthreehundredyearsagoayounggirllivingnearwas accusedofhavingstolenapearlnecklacefromarichneighbor.She wastried,foundguilty,andtorturedtodeathThreeyearslaterthe figureonthecolumnhadtoberepaired,andwhileoneofthe workmenwasfixingthearmthatheldthescales,hediscovereda magpie’snestinwhichwasfoundthemissingnecklaceIstaidin this ancient city two weeks, which were, I think, the most enjoyableIeverspent.
ThereturnjourneyImadebyday,comingthroughPisa,and seeingLeghornfromthetopoftheleaningtower.Bytheway,is thestageoftheWilgusstillgracedbythe“PortofLeghorn”?I didn’thavetimetogooverthetownitself,andsocouldnotswear astotheaccuracyofitsportrayalonthecurtainofWilgusOpera House
PisaistheworseplaceIeversawforbeggarsandmatchdealers IreallythinkIwasassailedseventy-fivetimesbetweenthestation andthetower,awalkofabouteightminutesOnemantriedtosell mesomematchesadozentimes,beginningwiththirtycentimes (sixcents)abox,andatlasttwoboxesforonecent.Itisalwayssafe toofferone-fourththepriceaskedforthingsinItaly,thencome uptoone-thirdandcarryoffyourpurchaseatthatprice.Iwas fooledthreeorfourtimesbeforelearningtheirtricks.
The“LeaningTower”isaverywonderfulandinterestingpiece ofarchitectureItisaboutonehundredandninety-fourfeethigh andinclinedthirteenfeetatthetop Itismadeofwhitemarble, andhasnearlytwohundredpillarsaroundit,allowingthirty-four feetforeachofthesixstories Itisnotknownwhetheritwas intendedtobestraightornot.Therearesevenbellsinthetop whicharerungatnooneveryday,andIhappenedtobethereone dayatthathour.Ittookelevenmentoringthem,thebigone requiringfour,theothersthree,twoandone.Fromthetopofthe tower, one can see Apennines with their white marble tops looking,andlikesnow,theMediterraneanSea,andthebroadplain between,throughwhichtheriverArnowindsandflowsintothe seaatLeghorn
ThejourneyfromMilantoZurichisthemostinterestingand beautifulofallTheItaliansceneryisnothingtoSwitzerland’swild grandeur.Onepassesthroughoveronehundredtunnels.SixtyeightbetweenPisaandMilan,theremainderintheGothard region.Thereisoneaboutsixmileslongwhichentersamountain atthefootwhereallisgreenandcomesoutthetopoftherange abovesnow-line.Thewonderfulthingaboutthistunnelisthatit
goesthreetimesspirallyaroundthemountain.Itisawonderful pieceofengineering;foritwasbegunatbothendsandmetexactly inthemiddle.
TheAlpsbetweenGothardandherearemuchmorethanIcan attempttodescribe TheSwisslakesarealsomostbeautiful The mountainsriselikegreatrocksoutofthewaterleavinginmany placesnobeachatall
Ihavealreadyusedmuchvaluablespaceinyourcolumns,andso willclosemyfeebleattempttodescribeEuropeanbeauticsand wonders.Therehasbeenonlyanapologyforwinterhereuntillast weekwhenthethermometersuddenlyfellandithasbeentoocold tosnowuntiltp-day,althoughtheskatinghasbeengood.Hoping thismayfindplace,inpartatleast,inyourpaper,andthatitwill notprovetiresometoyourreaders,Ibegtoremain
Yourssincerely, LouisAFuertes
January 1893
Ringouttheold,ringinthenew, Ringhappybellsacrossthesnow: Theyearisgoing,lethimgo Ringoutthefalse,ringinthetrue
Ringoutthefalseprideinplaceandblood, Thecivicslanderandthespite, Ringintheloveoftruthandright, Ringinthecommonloveofgood.
Ringinthevaliantmanandfree, Thelargestgreat [sic],thekinderhand, Ringoutthedarknessoftheland, RingintheChristthatistobe
interviewthemandhearabouttheirartandinspirations
Ruby Zawel:Whatledyoutobecominganartist?
Nicholas Carbonaro:Emotionalsurvivalasateenagerandyoung adolescent.
RZ:Forhowlonghaveyoubeencreatingandsellingart?
NC: I’ve been creating and selling my work officially since eighteen,andIamfourty-fournow
RZ:Whatmediadoyouuse?
NC:Istartedoffinfineartsdoingdrawingandpaintingand sculpture,andthenwhenIwenttotheFashionInstituteof Technology(FIT)inNewYork,IdecidedIdidn’twanttospend collegelearningaskillthatonlytalkedaboutmypointofviewand myemotionsoftheworld SoIswitchedfromFITtoIthaca CollegeforTheaterArts,soIcoulduseallofthosecreativeart skillsbut givethemavenuethatdidn’talwayshavetobeso personalandgut-wrenchingIhavegonefromfinearttotheater art,soit'ssortofeverythinginbetween I’vedonefineart,scenic art, costumes, masks, wigs, makeup, prosthetics because it overlaps[different]skills,soIjusttrytokeeplearninghowthe skillsoverlap.
RZ: Whatcommonthemescanbefoundinyourwork?
NC: Alotofabstractedportraits,eitherwithphotographyor drawing Emotionalresponsestotheworld,opposedto“WhatI seewithmyeyes”It’ssortofacombinationofboth,soit'salotof observation.Andemotionalportraitsofpeople,usingdifferent texturestogetapointacross.
RZ: Whatworkofyoursareyoumostproudof?
NC: I’mreallyproudofhowIstartedmycareer,andalotofthe thingsIlearnedrightaway,soIcanspendalongtimetryingto builduptowhereIthoughtIwantedtobe,soIcouldgettoa creativeplaceandthenmakedecisionsOneofmyfirstjobsright outofcollegewasMadameTussaudsWaxMuseum,workingin thestudio.Igotaviewrightawayofcelebritiesandhowpeople respondtocelebrities,andthentheresearchofhowyou
lookatsomebody,andhowthat’salldeveloped,likeforapopstar orapoliticalfigure Iwasabletoreallyseethatrightawayasa viewoftheworldandlearnaboutitandstudyit,andhavemy ownlaboratoryatthetopofTimesSquareandthreehundred figurestoworkoneveryday.Andsothatwasareallycoolwayto go, oh wow, all these things that people celebrate, whether it be money or I’m working in the morgue of celebrity and fame! Andsoitreally wasverygroundingrightawaytounderstandwhopeopleare, because we have files of people, and all these pictures and dimensionsandhistoryaboutallthefiguresinthemuseum,soit justmakesyourealizehowgroundedeverybodyis everybody comesfromsomeplacereallynormalI’mhappythatI’vebeenable tocontinuedasanartistthiswholetimeandmakemyown decisions,[thataren’t]necessarilyallaboutmoney.I’vebeenable tostaybeinganartistmywholelife.Evenbeinghere[intheIHS Library],I’musingmycreativeenergyatthehighschooltothink alittlebitoutoftheboxandtrytoconnectpeopleandconnect students.
RZ:Howdoyoufeelartimpactssociety?
NC:Artmakespeoplethink,makespeopleself-reflect,makes peopleseepeopledifferently,calmsanxiety,stimulatesthebrain, teacheskidstolearn,teachesbabiestolearn.
Local Artist Feature: Nicholas Carbonaro
Continued from page 24
NC: GrowingupinNewYorkCityinthe80sand90s,someone likemewasn’treallyallowedtobeineducationAndiftheywere ineducation,theyhadtobeashellofthemselvesintheprofessional environment.I’mworkinginaplacethathasrainbowflagsand,as farasIcansee,nooutwardbullying definitelynotlikewhatI grewupwith.Ifeelveryblessedtobeworkinginanenvironment wherethisistherealityofwhereeducationhasgonecomparedto twentyyearsago.
NicholasCarbonaroalsocurrentlyworksatMisWuwaxing salonat420EddyStreetinCollegetown,whereyoucanview moreoftheirvisualartworkVisitLawson-carbonarosquaresiteto makeanappointment VisitNlawsoncarbonaroonInstagramto viewtheirartandreachout,whetheritbeabouttheirworkin generalorsettingupaprivateappointmentforviewingtheirart. ForthoseatIHS,Nicholasisavailableforhairandwellnessadvice wheninthelibraryandCommunityCloset.
ByADDIEHITZ
Oneoftheartisticfieldsmostdominatedbywhitemenis filmmaking,specificallydirectingHowever,Cameroonian moviedirectorandproducer,EnahJohnscott,istaking steps stepstochangethat.
BorninMarchof1982,inWum,Cameroon,Johnscottfirst brokeintofilmwithhis2012movie Triangle of Tears,adrama starringAkwaDesmondHethenwentontodirectmoviessuchas Decoded (2012), Whispers (2013),and The African Guest (2013)He alsodirectedtheTVshow, Samba,whichwasnominatedfor awards at the Pan African Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou(FESPACO)in2017.Thisfilmfestivalisbiannual andhighlightsfilmsthatweremadebyAfricanfilmmakersand wereprimarilyshotinAfrica.
In2020,Johnscottwonhisbiggestawardyetforhisfilm The Fisherman’s Diary Directedandco-writtenbyJohnscott,thefilm followsayounggirlasshestrugglestoachieveeducationina villageoffishermen,wheregirls’educationisseenastaboo This moviewasnominatedforsevenawardsandwonfive,threeof whichwereattheAfricanMovieAcademyAwards(AMMAs)and therestwereattheLeonidKhromovInternationalFilmFestival (LKIFF).JohnscottspecificallywonBestScreenplayattheAMMAs andwonBestDirectorinaJuryPrizeatLKIFF.Themoviewas alsoselectedastheCameroonianentryforthe93rdAcademy AwardsintheInternationalfilmcategory.
The Fisherman’s Diary iscurrentlystreamingonNetflix,and withasoundratingofseventy-eightpercentonRottenTomatoes, it’sdefinitelyworththewatchUnfortunately,muchofJohnscott’s earlyworkisnotstreaminganywhere,but The Fisherman’s Diary is afascinatinglookintoeducationforgirlsandwhatitmeanstobea womaninaworlddominatedbymen.
thananyothercreator,though,thevideosofTimmChiusanostick withme.Withover900thousandfollowersandthirtymillionlikes onhisTikTok(@timmchiusano),Chiusanodedicatesmuchofhis pagetothedocumentationofhisdayslivinginNYC Often startingatfranklyabsurdhoursofthemorning,hetakesyou throughadaypackedwithtrainingformarathons(thoughthat chapterclosedwiththeendoftheNYCmarathon),meetings, food,familytime,andbitsofadviceandguidancehetakesfrom eachday.ATuesdaymightfeatureasix-milerun,traincommutes, hoursofmeetings,homeworkwithhisdaughter,adatenightwith hiswife,theever-recurring“snackhour,”anightcap,andaperfect looprightbacktothebeginningoftheday.
Eachdayfoundonthepageisjustthat:adayTheyaren’tall astoundingorincredibleorentirelyoutoftheordinary Thatis, however,partofwhatmakestheever-expandingseriesofvideos specialYes,thedaymightbeamazingonthewhole,oritmight beparticularlyhard,butit’sneverwithoutanythingtodocument Thereareroutinethings(likethesoundof“Sunday”byHNNY, whichplaysinalmosteveryvideo)thatmightseemmundaneor repetitive.Thoseroutinethings whichareoftentakenforgranted inourownlives areinsteadfocusedoninthevideostogreat effect. “Sunday,” for example, has the ability to switch from melancholytooptimisticThat’spartofwhattheseriesdoesquite well:itgetsyoutothinkaboutyourowndaysItchallengesyouto feelallthefeelingsandthehighsandlows,theaccomplishments andthebrickwallsAndmakenomistake,thebrickwallsarenot excluded OnaFridayinOctober,aparticularlytoughdayof workleavesChiusanotiredandquestioning,askinghimselfifthe thingshe’stakingonaretoomanifold.Whileaddressingthese questions,hecomestotheunderstandingthathisdaysareno longerjustabouthim.Hewatcheshisdaughter’skaratemovingupceremonyandfindshappinessinsomeoneelse’sday.Thereare peopleinhislife,andcertainlyinoursaswell,thatmakelifejoyful onadaywhenitfeelslikeyou’rebarelyscrapingbyTheunsaid messageofthedaysthatmightfeelunremarkable:“Noteveryday isgood,butthere’ssomethinggoodineveryday Andifthere isn’t,you’vegottomorrow”
Beyondtheuniversalmessagestobetakenawayfromthese videos,therearequiteafewthatarerelevanttohighschoolersFor one,managingresponsibilities Forseniorsinparticular,thestress ofcollegeapplicationsandtheimpendingtransitionintoadultlife combinedwithschool,clubs,sports,andfamilycommitments, makeitallfeelliketoomuchSimilarly,theeighteenwakinghours ofChiusano’sdaysarefulltothebrimwiththingstodoandpeople to meet. The jam-packed daily calendar, Chiusano says, is somethinghesoughtout.Aconsistentthemeofhisvideosisdoing thingsforareason,notjustforthesakeofdoingthings.When overwhelmed,areminderthatallofthesethingsdomakehim happyandareworthwhile,alongwiththeunderstandingthat beingoverwhelmeddoesn’tmeanthatyou’reincompetentorthat yourlifeisoutoforder,isenoughtoheadoffthefeelingsof anxietyAnotheroneisthepreviouslytouched-uponappreciation ofeachdayForseniors,thisisthelasttimewedoallthisIt’sthe lasttimewegotohighschool.Formany,it’sthelasttimewetruly liveinthetownwegrewupin,possiblythelasttimewelivewith ourparents.Howdoyouproperlyprocessandappreciatethat? HowcanyounotkickandscreamatTimeasitpullsuscloserto thatspaceofcompletechange?Thereisnoanswertobefoundin Chiusano’svideos,butthereisadviceForone,understandingthat thebadwillpass,notjustthegoodIt’seasytofeelasthoughthis yearisanend,butit’salsoasteppingstonetoanewplace,onethat youcanchoosetobeexcitedaboutorresignedto Justaswith everywhereelse,noteverydayinthatnewplacewillbeperfector evengood.ButjustasNYC,hishouse,hiscommute,hisfamily andfriends,andevenhisjobareappreciatedinChiusano’svideos, socantheaspectsoflifeinwhateverplaceyouendupin.Itmight notbegoodorevenokay,butifyouseekoutthethingsthatmake youhappy,atsomepointitwill.
Idon’tnecessarilyknowwhyitisthatChiusano’svideosstrike suchachordforme ItcouldbeanyoneoftheelementsI’ve discussedsofar Itcouldbebecauseit’ssatisfyingtoseesomeone livingalifetheyhaveworkedhardforItcouldbebecauseitmakes itseemlikeit’llallpayoff,likeeverythingyouworkforisgoingto endupwithyoulivingahappyandfulfillinglife.Maybeit’s becausepersonally,Ithink(fear?)thatImightendupincorporate Americaoneday.Whateverthecasemaybe,Chiusano’sdepiction ofakick-assSundayinhisfortiesisworthyourattention.You might
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getsomethingoutofavideo,pickupatrickfordealingwithstress orappreciation,finditsatisfyingtoseealifewell-livedorjustlove seeingthesightsandsoundsofNYCthroughneweyes.Andifyou don’t,iftodayisn’ttherightdaytolearnfromorappreciate,you’ve gottomorrowHisandyours
Ilovehorrormovies inthelastyear,horrorhasprobably becomemymostwatchedgenre.However,agoodhorror storycanbehardtocomeby.Often,filmsrelytooheavilyon jumpscares,ratherthanfocusingonasubstantialplot.Othertimes, thethingsthathappenjustdon’tmakesense,andclearlyweren’t thoroughlythoughtout.Oneoftheworstblundersahorrormovie canmake(inmyopinion)isbeingoverlypredictable.Thisis wherethegenreof“artificialintelligencegonewrong”oftenfits
M3GAN isa2022moviebytherelatively-unknownNew Zealand director, Gerard Johnstone I honestly wasn’t even planningonwatchingit;thescaryrobot-dollthingissohorribly clicheHowever,whenthehorrormovieIactuallywantedtosee The Menu wasnolongerintheaters,Idecidedtogive M3GAN a go.
Fromtheverybeginning,itwasobviouswhatwasgoingto happen.Foreshadowingisgood,butthismoviewasalittletoo intensewiththeforeshadowing Theplotwasjustsoincredibly predictable,whichleavesforaprettyboring102minutes Iwillconcedethatthereweresomevalidcritiquesofartificial intelligenceinthismovie,buttheyweren’texploredasmuchasI wouldhaveliked.Thestoryfollowsarecently-orphanedgirl, Katie,whoserobot-designingauntgiveshertheprototypeofatoy she’sworkingonasawayofkeepingherentertained.Katiesoon becomesoverlyattachedtoherdoll,Megan,andhersocialskills begintosufferasaresult.There’salotofdiscussionaroundthis concerninourworldtoday manyparentsworrythatinour highlytechnologicallyadvancedworld,childrenwillfailtoform real,humanconnectionswithotherstheirage Thismoviecould havegonemuchfurtherwiththispoint,butinstead,itendedup beingahighlyoverdramaticstoryofarobotdollgoinghaywire andkillingeveryoneinherwayItissafetosayitwasnotthemost originalplotI’veeverseen.
Additionally,Ihaveissuesingeneralwiththewhole“artificial intelligence gone wrong” genre of horror. I don’t think it’s productiveinanyway,andjustcreatesanirrationalfearof progress.Therearedownsidestoartificialintelligence likea decrease in available jobs, declining social skills, and an overrelianceontechnology buttheideathatrobotswillgoevil andkilleveryoneisjuststupid It’ssooverusedatthispoint,and I’mtiredofit
Theactualqualityofthemoviewasgood:theactingwasgreat, andthebackgroundsandspecialeffectsweresuccessfulTheactress whoplayedKatie,VioletMcGraw,wasextremelyfamiliar.Ifyou wantanactuallygoodhorrorrecommendation,Iwouldconsider watching The Haunting of Hill House,whichalsostarsViolet McGraw,aschildNelly.Don’tgetmewrong: M3GAN wasn’t awful itwasgenuinelyentertainingandenjoyableatthemoment However,it’sjustnotthatincredibleofamovieItgoesintomy categoryof“basicbutfunhorrormovies”Othertitlesinthis categoryinclude The Invitation, Old, The Nun, Men, It Follows, Ouija, and IT (Iknowpeoplearegoingtobemadaboutthis one…).Thebest,mostoriginalhorrormoviesthatIcanthinkof rightoffthebatare Silence of the Lambs, Get Out, Us, and Midsommar.
Ifyoudisagreeorhaveanymoviestoaddtothisshortbutnonexhaustivelist,Iencourageyoutowriteanarticleaboutitfora futureissue!
Afamilyhuddledclosewatchestheclosingseconds. Theybitetheirnailsandgnashtheirteeth.
Thelastplaysthatdetermineaseason, Thelasttimeateamwillgracethefieldforayear
Thisiswhatafanlivesfor
Andthusthethousandswhowatchtheirfavoriteperishtimeand timeagain, Willalwayscomebacktodieagain. Wewatchjustforawish. Wewatchtomakeourheartsfinallyfeelbliss.
Buttacklesalonedon’tmakeagamegreat. Thestratagem,theballetdancingofarunningbackthrougha lane,
Thefeatheryhandsofareceiverintheendzone
They all teach a story different than that of crashes and concussions
It’sartthattheyplay. It’smusiconlightlytappingfeet,artinaswirlofmotion. It’snotjustdirtbutalsothesky.
Wehoveraroundthetelevision, Eyesgluedtosomesmallfigurerunning,ducking,swerving Hisbodyissmashedinonehundreddifferentdirections
Buthekeepshisshoulderdownandpressesforward Suchisthenatureofthegame
Itisforthosewhofight, Thosewhoarestillgrowlingafterbeingknockeddowntimeafter time.
Theysaythatthegamemakesmanamonster, Thatthecrunchofbonesprovesitso Butthroughfirstdowns,touchdowns,fieldgoals,andpicks, Themanisnotmadeananimal,hesimplyreleasestheanimal withinhim
It'sasportofhardhits,ofthosewhoneverquit, Ofthosewhoneversayno, Nevercrywiththeirheadsinthedirt. It’stheperfectshowcaseofplayingthroughthepain, Theperfectexampleofshovingdowneachandeveryobstacle.
Warwiththeabsenceofguns, Ahuntwiththelackofdeath, Suchisitsnature
Nowordscanexplaintheadrenaline,theferocity Noscreamcanexpressthejoyofacomebackandnosongcansing thejoysofvictory.
Soyoucancallfootballstupid, Youcancallitbarbaric ButIwillnotlisten
Becauseitissomuchmorethanthat Footballisloyalty,sacrifice,sweat,andblood
Footballisfightingforagoalandreachingoutyourarmstograsp thatfinalprize.
Footballisalegacy, Itisaninheritance, Andmorethananythingitisadanceupanddownonehundred yards,
Eachtryingtoout-jukeandmaneuvertheother
It’sarecitalandaringallinone
That’swhatmakesfootballgreat
It’splayingchesswithaballandendingincheckmate
Theyearwas2010.Inalargemeetingroom,someofthe world’smostimportantfacesinsoccergatheredforthe announcementofthe2018and2022FIFAWorldCup hosts.WhenSeppBlatter,theFIFApresident,proudlyannounced Qatar’sname,hewasmetwithcheersandapplausefromtheQatari delegation,whoexcitedlyembracedeachother.However,itwas clearthattherestoftheworlddidnotfeelthesameway.Qataris notonlyacountryaboutthesizeofConnecticut,itsuffersfrom theswelteringheatinthesummerandatthetimehadonlytwo stadiumsthatcouldbeusedfortheWorldCup
SowhydidQatarwanttowintheWorldCupbid?Themain reasonfortheircampaigntohosttheWorldCupwastoimprove theirimageandreputation.Todothis,theyusedapracticeknown assportswashing.Sportwashingisawaytominimizeornormalize wrongdoingthroughengagementwithsports,suchashosting tournamentsoreventsandcenteringthefocusofthepublicon athletics.Thishasbecomeasignificantproblem,especiallyin soccer,becauseitisasportthatcanbefoundacrosstheworld
Theprocessofselectingthe2022WorldCuphostlasted throughmultipleroundsofvotingbyFIFA’sCongress,withQatar winningthefinalvote14-8againsttheUnitedStates Blatter claimedhewasexcitedtospreadthemajorfootballeventintonew regions.However,inlateryears,hestatedthatQatar“isamistake …thechoicewasbad.Itistoosmallofacountry.Footballandthe WorldCuparetoobigforit.”Also,itofficiallycameoutin2020 thatQatarhadusedbriberytosecuretheirspotsashostofthe WorldCup.ThiswasfollowingalonginvestigationbytheU.S. DepartmentofJusticeintoFIFA’scorruption,whichculminatedin
2015 with the indictment of fourteen top FIFA officials for bribery
Qatarisoneofthewealthiestcountriesintheworld,andthey sparednoexpensefortheconstructionandpreparationofthe2022 WorldCup.Qatarspentover200billiondollarsontheWorld Cup,mainlyoninfrastructure.Ithadtoundertaketheenormous challengeofbuildingenoughstadiums,highways,andhotelsto hostthetournament.However,duetoQatar’ssmallsize,ithadto rely on a large number of migrant workers during the constructionprocess Migrantworkersmakeupalmostninety percentofQatar’spopulation Theseimmigrantsaremostlymen fromSouthAsiancountrieswhoarepromisedemploymentand moneyfortheirfamiliesHowever,migrantworkershavereported wagetheft,unsuitablelivingconditions,andexcessivehours.With dangerousworkingconditions,around6,500migrantworkers diedincreatingthe2022WorldCup,accordingtoareportdone by The Guardian thatcompileddatafromthehomecountriesof themigrantworkers.Qataroriginallystatedthatfortymigrant workersdiedintheprocessofbuildingtheWorldCup,withonly threeofthoserecordedaswork-relateddeathsRecently,aQatari officialstatedthenumberwassomewherearoundfourhundredto fivehundred,butthatwasquicklyretractedasamistake Qatar’shumanrightsrecordisn’tasniceasitsbankaccountsA reportmadebyHumanRightsWatch,intendedasaguidelinefor reporters,outlinesdiscriminationagainstwomenandLGBTQ+ people,thecriminalizationofsame-sexandnon-maritalrelations, andrestrictionsonfreedomofexpression.Qatarusesamale guardianshipsystem,whichlimitsthecontrolandactionwomen haveintheirlives,suchasbeingunabletomarryortravelwithout theconsentofahusbandorfather Lawsagainstnon-marital relationsalsomakeitpossibleforwomenwhocomeforwardabout rapetobeprosecutedforit,andLGBTQ+peopleareharassed, discriminatedagainst,andcriminalizedsimplyforwhotheyare Ontheopposingside,somebelieveQatarisonlycomingunder criticism because it is an Islamic country. FIFA is one such supporter,repeatedlyfiringbackatcriticsfor“hypocrisy.”Thisis anunderstandableviewpoint,anditwouldbeinterestingtoseeif opposerstotheQatarWorldCupcontinuedtheireffortswhenthe 2026WorldCupisheldintheUS,acountryfacingrecordlevels ofgunviolence,restrictionsplacedonreproductivehealthfor women,andmanyanti-transpoliticiansinpower
Broadeningthelens,sportswashingisnotanewphenomenon, andoccursinsportsotherthansoccerThe1936Olympics,right beforetheoutbreakofWorldWarII,washeldinBerlin,
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Germany,withAdolfHitlerandtheNaziPartyoverseeingthe ceremoniesThe1934WorldCupwashostedinItalyunderthe shadowofMussoliniandhisfascistregime
CurrentexamplesincludetheLIVGolfTour,financially supportedbytheSaudiArabiangovernment,whichangeredboth theProfessionalGolfers’Association(PGA)Tourandthoseagainst themultitudeofhumanrightsissues.SaudiArabia’sPIForPrivate InvestmentFund(thesovereignwealthfundofSaudiArabia)also purchasedmajorityownershipinanEnglishPremierLeaguesoccer club,NewcastleUnited.
So,howdowestopcountriesandpeoplewithbillionsofdollars andpowerfromusingsportstocleanuptheirimages?It’ssimple Don’tgetdistractedSportswashingonlyworksifweallow ourselvestobetakeninbythespectacle
On December 18, 2022, the world cup concluded on Qatar’sNationalDay QatarisaGulfcountryonthe ArabianpeninsulaManypeoplehaveconsideredthisfinal matchtobeoneofthebestWorldCupfinalsinalongtime,and accordingtoaBritishBroadcastCenterpoll,surveyrespondents rankedQatar’sworldcupastheirnumberonefavorite
Argentina’svictorywashistoricItlaunchedthewinningnation intoastateofcelebration andFrance’sdefeatputtheminsecond placeThiswasmassiveasitmeantFrancedidnotrepeatasWorld Cupchampion.France’sKylianMbappe,however,didscoreahat
trick(threegoals)andreceivedtheGoldenBootawardforthe mostgoalsscoredduringtheWorldCup.Furthermore,formany, thewincementedArgentinacaptainLionelMessi’spositionasthe greatestsoccerplayerofalltime
ThetournamentalsohadotherexcitingdevelopmentsArguably the most notable of which was Morocco’s success in the tournament.Moroccomadeittothesemifinals thefarthestofany AfricanorArabcountryinhistory.Theybeatoutteamsthatwere predictedtowintheentiretournament,defeatingPortugaland taking Ronaldo out of the running for the GOAT position, althoughheonlyplayedforpartofthematch.Duetothis, MoroccowasselectedtohosttheClubWorldCupinFebruary.
Qatar,thehostcountry,alsoleftitsmarkontheWorldCup AfterMessi’svictory,theypresentedhimwithanhonorablerobe knownasa bisht,whichdenoteshighclassinArabculture FIFA andmanyvisitorspraisedQatar’sWorldCupforbeingthesafest andcleanestinhistoryQatarspentover200billiondollarsonthe project,whichmayhavebeenacontributingfactor.Thestadiums inDoha(Qatar’scapital)arenowbeingrefittedtohavehalf capacity.Inaddition,Qatar’sstadium974wasdismantledofits shippingcontainerpartsandwillbesenttoothercountries.
TheGulfnationislookingtobethehostoffuturesportsevents. Ithasalreadybeenselectedtohostthe2030AsianGamesandisin abidtohostthe2036OlympicsinDoha ThisispartofQatar’s attempttousetheWorldCuptofurtheritseconomicandtrade progressThenextWorldCupisalsofastapproachingItwillbe hostedintheUS,Mexico,andCanada,withmostmatchesbeing intheUSatrepurposedNFL(NationalFootballLeague)stadiums. CurrentspeculationsbelievethefinalwillbeheldinNewYork CityatMetLifestadium.ThenextWorldCupwillhavetwelve moreteams.However,thedetailsofhowthiswillbeimplemented haveyettobeannouncedbyFIFA.AlthoughthisWorldCuphas ended,thechampiontitlewillbeupforgrabsagaininjustfour years
Iusedtolookupatthestarswithyou, Andinthem,seeyoureyes. Imemorizedtheconstellationsthatyouliked butnowIcan’trecallthemformylife.
Iusedtokeepthe tchotchkes yougaveme buttheynowresideinthetrash
Iusedto wakeuptoyourvoiceandfallasleeptoit, butnowit’sjustamemory andIcanbarelykeepit
Iusedto cravetherushofcloseness, hopelesslyintense. Usedto thinkwewereonthesamepagebut ourstoriesdon’tmakesense
Inarage,I tookdownallourpictures clearedthestorageyoutookup, Iburnedwhatmademethinkofyou becauseitmademefeeltough. Andno,Ididn’tleave,butIwantedsomethinggone Ifigureddistancestopstheheartfromgrowingfond.
ButnowI
craveallofthememories
Itrainedmyselftolose
MaybeifI’dbeenhappy I’dbeabettergirltoyou
Nowyou’relookingatthegirls whoIwillalwayswanttobe, andmaybeitisso
thatsoon
you’recompelled
tolookatmeidentically
shewasalwaysquitegoodatsweeping bringingalloutintotheopen brushingthehiddenthingsintopiles untiltheywerecaptiveinthestarkwhitedustpan but oneday blackcloakedbeingsdashingabout angrylikeswallowedflies washed-upcrocodiles underfallingoaktrees
whitepearlslingeringoverthebeatofastrainedheart tarnishedbrassglisteninginarelentlesssun gravyspillingdownawhitetablecloth purplefootprintsacrossthedarksand thescreaminghonkofatrainhurtlingpastaburningcity waterpipesbursting bloodspurtingfromasoftstonewell arooster’sdesperateplea willingthesuntorise justonemoretime
herfearsentered andneverleft neverstoppedcreepingin accumulatinginthedarkcrevices
toomanytosweepupwiththedustpan
Personapoetrytellsastorythroughthevoiceofacharacter otherthantheauthor.Forthismonth,thepoemistoldfromthe perspectiveofaworminarainstorm
Wormssurfacewhenit'srainingforvariousreasons,including lackofoxygenunderground,easeofmigrationinmud,andfear thatthesoundofraindropson
Persona of the Month: Worm on a Rainy Day
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thegroundisthesoundofapredator Personapoetrycanbe inspiredbyanythingandanyone,frompeopletoplants,animalsto inanimateobjects
Rainbeatsdownontherooflikeadrum
AlreadyIcanfeelourhousebegintofallapart
Thewavescrashinfromeverydirection, destroyingeverything,myroomalongwithit
“Timetogo,”wechant, asweslidetowardsthesurface
Andalthoughwecannotsee weknowwhenwehavereachedtheUpperWorld
Theworldisourplayground
slipn’slidesandrollercoasters
Butsoonit’sclearwearenotsafe
We’renotmeanttobeherelong
Children’sshoesandrobins’beaks comeswoopinginfromtheheavens Alifeshort-lived,amuddymess
Trickedbyfallingwater
DedicatedtoCharlotteBonassar(1937-2022)
It’shardtothinkabout
Howtheworldkeepsgoing
Whenyou’renotinit
YouhadfaithandIdidn’t
Andnowyou’regone
AndIknowthatyou’rehappier
ButIdon’tthinkI’lleverseeyou
Evenwhenmytimecomes
IcannotweepforAdonais, NorcanImournCaesar, ForIdidnotlovethem
AsIlovedyou;
Theydidnotknowyourlove
AsIdid
Iwillcryforyou,Charlotte, Forallthatyouhavelovedandlost, AllthatyouwillseeinHeaven WhereSaintPeterwaitswithopenarms
IwishIwasstrongenough Tosaygoodbye, Toholdyourhandonelasttime ButIamselfish,young AndIhopeyoucan Forgivemeforit
Ďakujem,Nana Iloveyou Imissyou
ByLILYWANG
IamtheKingofMonkeys, SunWukongismyname. Don’tcallmeordinary, I’mfarfromit. Iwasbornfromrock, butI’maballofenergy.
Iamanimmortal ABuddhaofsorts
Mylifehasspannedcenturies, somespentundermountains, aspunishmentforbeingme. Thegodscannotcontrolme, Ideservetobehonored.
MynamewasremovedfromtheBookofLifeandDeath, Ihavethatpower. Youdon’t.
Icantravel108,000liinonesomersault, furtherthanyoucouldeverdreamofreaching Myformsareever-changing, Icouldfitinyourear orcauseearthquakeswithjustmypinkyfinger. Andmystaff, agoldenrod, controlstheseas andreachestheheavens. Itsweightisunimaginabletoyou Onestrandofmyhaircangrow, turningintoaduplicateofme
Monkey King
Continued from page 33
Myeyesarespecial, theyseethroughyoursoul Icantellyourtrueform, Beitdemonorhuman IdefeatedBaigujingthreetimes, untilshewasnolongerathreat. Thishelpedmeprotectmymaster TangSanzangonhisjourney. YoucallittheJourneytotheWest, thetriptogathersacredBuddhisttexts.
Iamcunning, mischievous, butloyal Peoplemisunderstandme, butIsticktothetruth. Iendurepunishmentafterpunishment, Ialwayskeepmypromise. Istaywithmymaster, untilhereachestheend.
SunWukongismyname
Iamfarfromordinary, aforcetobereckonedwith
Note:SunWukongisacharacterintheclassicChinesenovel JourneytotheWest,whichfeaturestheMonkeyKing’smissionto protectBuddhistmonkTangSanzangastheytravelwestwardto retrievetraditionalBuddhisttexts.Baigujingisavillaininthetexts andsheisaskeletondemonesswhotriedtoeatTangSanzang’s fleshtobecomeimmortalSheattemptedtoattackTangSanzang threeseparatetimesindifferentdisguisesbecauseshewasvery cunning,muchliketheMonkeyKing Liisameasurementof distance,and108,000liisequalto54,000kilometers
Therewasagirlwholivedinthesky Herfamilywasthedragonwithsparklingscalesandthebird with ink pools for eyes. During the daytime, they bounded throughthecloudsanddrankpurplenectar.
Duringthenighttime,underthesweetlightofthestars,the dragonandthebirdtaughttheirmagictothelittlegirl.Every nightasshetwirledhergoldenspear,theylookedonandtoldher thatshewouldbewhattheyneverwereWheneternityendedand theskyfell,theytoldher,shewouldcarryonthroughtherainand thefog Shewovenetsfromstarlightandtheytoldherthatshe wouldshinebrighterthanallofthem,forallofthemandallthey hadsacrificed.
Thelittlegirlneveryetlefttheboundlesscloudsandsoftwind. Theywereenoughforher.Thedragonandthebirdhadtoldher storiesoftheplacesbeyond,wheretheworldwasfilledwith unimaginablehorrorbutalsoincrediblebeauty.Thedragonand thebirdhadtriedtoliveinthatworldbefore,armedonlywith dreamsbiggerthanthemselves,buttheywereshunnedfortheir originsandtheyfledOneday,shewouldreturntothatworldand bringwithherthedreamsofherfamilyButnow,shesat,wideeyed,feetdanglingoffthewispyedgeofacloud,listeningtothe dragonandthebirdtellheraboutthoseseedsthatweretheir dreams,nursedandshelteredthroughthetumult.
Oneday,asapassingherdofdeerwasmakingitswaybackto itsancestrallands,thedragonandthebirdleftthegirlalone.She stretchedonacloudandfellasleep,awokenonlybyunfamiliar voicesShewriggledupright;thiswasnotthelighttinklingvoice ofthebirdorthemelodiousrumblingofthedragon Instead, peekingovertheedgeofthecloud,shesawsomethingwondrous: Twopeoplejustlikeher,withtwohandsandtwofeetandeyes, drinkinthewholeworldTheyweresofarawayfromher,yetstill soclose.Shewatchedinwonderastheyfrolickedinameadow, carefullypickingflowersandberries.Roughlaughsescapedtheir lips,nothinglikethesilkysongsofthedragonandthebird,but stillshelovedlisteningtothem.Afraidtomakeasinglesound,she stoleglancesfromatopherclouduntilherfamilycametofetch her
Whenshetoldthedragonandthebirdabouttheencounterthat night,theirgazesturnedhardandtheyremindedheroftheir sacrificesandtheirdreamsTheyremindedheroftheplanandthe trainingandthewaitingAndbecauseshewasloyaltothem,she grippedherspearharderandpushedon.Butthestarlightunder whichtheystoodthatbeforehadseemedsosoftandwelcoming wasnowcoldanddistant.
Sothedayspassed.Thelittlegirlbecamenot-so-littleanymore, andstill,sherememberedthetwopeopleshehadseenlongago. Theyneverlefthermind,andthedragonandthebirdknewthis, andtheyweresilent Onenightasthegirlrested,hersleep weighedsoheavilywithalongingthatthecloudblanketingher slowly drifted downwards, and she awoke startled when it dissipatedandleftheroncold,hardground
Shehadneverfeltearthbefore.Itwassolidinawaythatthefree windsintheskywerenot.Shedugherfingersintothedirtand marveled at how it was so gritty and real. That night, she wandered,feelinginexplicablyanchoredtothegroundbeneath her.Sheatesweetberriesandwadedinmuddywaterandfeltwhat itwasliketobeweigheddownandpresent
Whenshereturnedtothesky,thedragonandthebirdsmelled thescentoftheearthonherandweresilentThenextnight,she camebackdownandfelttheroughbarkofatreeThenightafter that,shelayinthesandandlookedatthestars,herstars,from below.Thenightafterthat,shebefriendedasmallgraycatwith yelloweyes.Thenightafterthat,shewanderedintoabustling marketplaceandwassooverwhelmedthatshereturnedhome shortly.
Shetrainedharder,andmoreseriouslyafterthat.Thedragon andthebirdlookedon,nolongertellingheraboutthesacrifices andthedreams Whenthedaycamethatshesaidgoodbye,they werenotsurprisedTheygaveherthespearandthestarlightnet Fromeachoftheirhearts,theygaveheraseedthatwouldgrow intoadream Thedragonleaneditsstarryscalesonherandthe birdcurleditssoftfeathersaroundherforthelasttimeinalong, longtime.Thegirlpromisedtoplanttheirseedsandshinethrough rainstormsandfog,bigotry,andoppression.
His Crime
Iusedtocarrywithmeallthescars
Heforcedupon andcoveredup
It’slikehe’sproudofeveryslashhemade
‘causescarsdon’tburnwhenit’snotyourcut
Iusedtopityhim
butifI’dgobackintime
I’dcrosshisnameandhiscrime outofmymind, hehadnolife
outsideofwantingtobemine
I’dgomonths,wedidn’tspeak
Iwasreeling,buthoursfeltlikeweeks
Andnow,Iseehimatonepm
‘causehiscrimelovestodanceinmyhead becauseIcan’tgetridofyou.
NowItrytobepolite
inhopesthatI’llforgethiscrime sonooneseesthatthisboyruinedme
NowI’mbuildingmyselfback
I’mtakingbackallthetimehehad
Andallhealmoststrippedaway.
Mybody.
Mytime.
Futility
Whenwewalksobrieflyonthisearth, Dowetoowalkinthelightsofthestage, Theeyesofthecosmicaudienceonus?
Whatkindofapplause,Iwonder, WillIreceivewhenIdie?
Whenthescenesaredone, Theplayerscalledforward, Willweseethelightintheeyesofcheeringadmirers?
Ourlifeisbrief, Ourlinesandnumberscutandamended, Butwhatcamebeforethosecuts?
Howlongwastheplay,thelifeofman? HowmuchofmylifedidIcutawaybymyownhand?
Iliketostandinthewings, It'swhereIfeelmostcomfortable, Watching,seeing,pullinginvisiblestrings, Butnow,Iwonder, Whopullsthosestringsforme?
Whenmylifeisdone, Thecurtaincalled, Thesetsdestroyed, WillIleavethelimelightandstartanew, Pullingthestringsofsomeoneelse'sshow?
Hiscrime
Feb1
5:30pmGirlsJuniorVarsityBasketballv.Elmira@IHSQ Gym
7:15pmGirlsVarsityCheerleadingv.Elmira@IHSQGym
7:15pmGirlsVarsityBasketballv.Elmira@IHSQGym
Feb.7
5:30pmBoysJuniorVarsityBasketballvHorseheads@IHS QGym
Feb10
7pmWinterFormal@StatlerHotelBallroom
Feb.13
Springsportsregistrationopens!
Feb.14
6pmBoardofEducationVotingMeeting(comeat7pmfor thepublicsession)
Feb20-14
Feb.28
6pmBoardofEducationVotingMeeting(comeat7pmfor thepublicsession)
February Crossword
4. Flower that blooms in early spring
5. Zodiac from Jan. 20 - Feb. 18
8. February birthstone
1. 's day (the other February holiday)
2. Organ symbolizing Valentine's day
3. Number of weeks in February
6. Zodiac from Feb. 19 - March 20
7. 2024 will be a year
To my shoes: Thank you for being there every step of the way.
Youlightupmylife
Tomyunfinishedassignments: You'rethefirstthingIthinkaboutinthe morning , Andthethoughtofyou keepsmeupatnight.
To the crack in the sidewalk: I barely noticed you at first, but when I did, I fell hard.
Andhelpmeseethingsmore clearly .
San Fransisco, by Urban Hopkins Bridge to Somewhere, by Ruby ZawelAquarius (Jan 20 - Feb 18):
You will assume it was thrown by someone trying to get your attention but don’t care to look.
Pisces (Feb 19 - Mar 20):
You will take this as a sign that the next year will be a blank slate, because the snowball is blank, y’know.
Aries (Mar 21 - Apr 19):
You will look around and try to find who it was, and when you can’t find them after ten seconds, you’ll go on with your day.
Taurus (Apr 20 - May 20):
You will sit in stunned silence for a while, sad that this happened to you. It really ruined your day as you stepped in a puddle on your way to school in the morning as well. This is really the worst day of your life.
Gemini (May 21 - June 20):
You assume that the snowball was thrown by the love of your life. That’s what happens in the rom-coms, right? You look around and can’t find them. Maybe this is the beginning of a quest?
Cancer (June 21 - Jul 22):
You will catch a glimpse of their hair color and spend the rest of the week suspicious of people with that color hair. You’ll tell everyone you know to look out for the thrower and drop hints that it’s that one person you don’t like even though you don’t know if it was really them.
Cool :)
Leo (Jul 23 - Aug 22):
You call the police, obviously. That could’ve had metal or ice in it.
Virgo (Aug 23 - Sep 22):
You look at yourself in the mirror when you get home and laugh because you have snowy eyebrows.
Libra (Sep 23 - Oct 22):
You assume that the snowball thrower was having a bad day so you don’t say anything to them even though you can tell that it’s your neighbor who owes you three hundred dollars for crashing into your car.
Scorpio (Oct 23 - Nov 21):
You will chase them down with a ball purposefully full of ice. They will not mess with you again.
Sagittarius (Nov 22 - Dec 21): You’ll scream at them until they run away, scared.
Capricorn (Dec 22 - Jan 19)
You will alert the neighborhood message board with a rousing message of distress. Did you actually get a bloody nose from it? No, but the people need to be entertained.
Summer Vacation
Midterm Survivors
Chunky Yarn
Donut Fundraisers
Valentine's Day International Door Shortage
Regal Closing Seeing Your Teacher at the Botanist
Warm Water Fountain Water
Uncool :(
Cover photo by Tolga Ahmetler on Unsplash