WeallknowhowitgoesYouhaveabigtest,andyoudon’thavetime toeatbreakfast,soyouforgetitentirely.Youeathalfofthecannoli dipfromthecafeteria,spendingtherestoflunchgettingafinal sssssssss
reviewin.Whenyousitdownandtakeonelookatyourtest,youfeelunfocused. Apitgrowsinyourstomach.Youmightwalkoutofitfeelinglikeyoudidn’tdo well,whenyouhadthoughtthatyouweregoingtoacethisone.Butintruth,the testitselfwasn’ttheproblem It’sthefood(orlackthereof)inyourbodythat makesitexceptionallydifficulttoperformyourdailytasksWhatwedoanddon’t putinourbodiesplaysabigroleinourphysicalandmentalwellbeings
Whilethenumberofcaloriesoneneedsvariesonmanyfactors,teenagersneed tosupplythemselvesproperlytoaidtheirgrowth,especiallyduringthiscrucial stageofdevelopment.Butwithmostpeoplealsoprioritizingsports,clubs,or work,itcanbechallengingtofindthetimetositdownandeatawellbalanced meal.It’seasiertograbagranolabarforbreakfast,ratherthantotakethetimeto craftitscaloriccounterpartofeggsandtoast.Constantlyseekingoutmore efficientdietaryalternatives,shortcuts,andsupplementsismoredangerousthan onemaythink.
Theconsumptionofproteincanfeellikeamajorconcernformanyteens, especiallystudentathletes,whichiswhyhigh-proteinshakesandenergydrinks arebecomingincreasinglymorepopular Consistentlyconsuminghigh-protein fooditemscanactuallybeharmful,resultingindehydrationandkidneystress Proteinshakescancauseseriousandpotentiallylife-threateningirregularitiesin thecardiovascularsystem.Overall,theriskisdefinitelyhigherthanthereward when it comes to these “performance-boosting” products, and regularly consumingthemcanbedangerous.
It’salsoworthmentioningthatinfluencersandathleteswhopromotethese productslikelydonotconsumethemthemselves,astheyareonlypaidtoendorse themWhiletheconstantpraisefrominfluencersmightmakeenergydrinksand proteinshakesseemfavorable,theyshouldonlybeconsumedforspecificpurposes (forinstance,ifyoudon’teatmeat,yourdoctorordieticianmightrecommend proteinsupplements)Instead,drinkingwaterwillalsobenefityouandgiveyou energy,protectingyourbodyintheprocessWaterisalsomoreaccessibleandless expensivecomparedtoproteinshakesandenergydrinks.
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Still,theseexamplesdon’tencompassthefull extent of the damage that media and societal pressurescandotoournutritionalhealth Every time we open our phones, we are constantly bombardedwithinformationaboutthe“idealbody type”andwaystoachieveit.Astudydonebythe InstituteofGlobalHealthshowedastronglink betweentheuseofsocialmediaappsandfeelingsof body dysmorphia Online trends can paint unhealthy practices like protein overloading as necessary to achieve one’s perfect body Many onlinefadsaboutweightlossmightclaimthatthey havereliableandpositiveresults,butmostofthem areineffectiveatbest,anddownrightharmfulat worst.Beforestartinganyweight-lossdiets,itis important to seek the advice of your general physicianoraqualifiednutritionist.
Anotherpossiblecontributortothisissueisthe schoolcafeteria Schoollunchesarevitalpartsto manystudent’sdiets,andcanbethemainsourceof nutritionstudentscangetthroughoutthedayThis meansthathowmuchandwhatkindoffoodthe cafeteriaservesisincrediblyimportant Wespoke withIHS’sschoollunchmanager,JamieZervos, regardingthisissue.Whenaskedhowoftenstudents are coming back in line for seconds, Zervos respondedthatit’scommonforstudentstobedoing suchonadailybasis.Furthermore,UniversalLunch thisyearhasforcedthecafeteriatopreparefoodat fasterrates,comparedtoyearswherelunchwas servedatdifferentperiods,whichmakesitmore difficult to fully create a lunch that will satisfy everyone
IHSstudentJesseRinzel’23alsodescribedhow thesmaller-scaleluncheshaveaffectedhischoicesas astudent-athleteandhowmuchhereliesonschool mealsfordailynourishment.Rinzelexplainedhow heorganizeshispurchasesofmultipleschoollunches aday,andifitweren’tforhisstrategicplanning,the sizeoftheschoollunchwouldnotbeenough Regardingthelimitationsofschoolmealscanimpact otherstudent-athletes,Rinzelstates,“Ifsomeoneis anathleteandcan’tprovidetheirownextrafoodor lunchmoneythentheywouldbeatadisadvantage comparedtothosewhocanbecausefoodasafuelis oneofthebestwaystooptimizeyourperformance.”
Whetheryou’reanathleteornot,consumingthe properamountofnutrientsandvitaminsisvitalto yourhealth.Withstudentshavingtheopportunity topurchasecookies,icecream,orchips,constantly supplyingyourbodywithprocessedsnacks,rather thanwholefoodsisaneasy,yetharmfulhabitThese snacksarenotbadwhenconsumedinmoderation, ssssss
buttheydefinitelyshouldnotreplacewholefoods whichprovidemorenutrients Astudydonebythe CentersofDiseaseControlandPreventionshowed thatin2017,onlyaround7.1percentofhighschool students nationwide met the daily recommended intake for fruits, and 2.1 percent met the recommendedamountforvegetables.
Itisn’tonlythecafeteriastaff’sresponsibilityto ensurewemaintainahealthydiet,however Many classesatIHSlikehealth,biology,andfoodscience have to talk about nutrition Rethinking course materialpertainingtofoodisalsoanecessarystepthat mustbetaken Whengoingovernutrition,teachers shouldavoidusingpolarizinglanguageaboutfood, andshouldencourageconversationsaboutthenuance ofahealthydiet.Whilethereareseveralbaseline recommendationsoneshouldgenerallyfollow,itis important that we can understand that a healthy eatingroutineisn’t“one-size-fits-all”Foodcanbea very sensitive topic for many students, so it is imperative that we ensure the language used in classroomsissensitive,inclusive,andinformative Althoughteens’dietsarebeingthreatenedbythe aforementionedelements,thereareviablesolutionsto theproblem.Knowinghowtopromotehealthyhabits isaneasyandsurewaytostarttochangeunhealthy habits.Thedistrictneedstogivestudentsmoreeasy accesstomedicallycorrectinformationabouthowto maintainahealthybalanceofnutrients,andweshould begiventhetoolstodiscernthetruthfulinformation fromtheharmful Addressingthevalidityofonline claimsaboutdietcultureandmuscle-gainingtrends wouldallowforustomakehealthierchoicessooner Weallneedtoactivelyimplementthesechoices intoourlives,andICSDcanmakeiteasierforusto doso.Itisclearthatthecurrentstructureoflunchis inhibitingthischangefromoccurring.Thecafeteria staffshouldbegiventhetimetopreparemealsthatare bothsizableandnutritious.Thelinesforfoodmustbe changedsothatstudentscanreceivetheirfoodina timelyfashionBesideslunch,breakfastshouldalsobe furtherencouragedforstudentsinthemornings,and thereneedstobeanadequateamountoftimeforitto beservedandeaten,consideringthestaggeredarrival timeofstudentsduetotransportationissues.
Asstudents,ifwewanttolearn,wemustbe providedwithanenvironmentandconditionsthat won’timpedeourlearning.Thisshouldincludethe ability to consciously decide what fuel we give ourselves Weshouldbeinstructedonhowtoavoid bad decisions, and we should be provided with opportunitiestomakegoodonesWeshouldstartto makebetterchoices,andICSDmusthelpusachieve them
Manystudentsareawarethattheminimumgradeteachers areallowedtoadministerhasbeeninfluxoverthepast fewyearsatIHS Beforethepandemic,teacherswere www givenlargeamountsofflexibilityregardingtheirgradingpolicies
Eachteacherhadtheirownsystem,whichwasoutlinedintheclass syllabus.However,overthepandemic’sworstyears,thegrading systematIHSchangeddramatically.Accordingtoanewschool widepolicy,studentscouldreceivenolowerthan55percentonan assignment,regardlessofwhetherornottheyhadturneditin.As ofthisyear,thatminimumhasbeenloweredto45percentfor uncompleted work Although if an assignment is turned in, teachersarestillnotallowedtogivethestudentanylowerthana 55percent,nomatterthequalityofwork
ICSD'sreasoningbehindthepolicyofgrademinimumsisthat itpromotesequityandgiveseverystudentafairshotatreaching theirmaximumpotential.Whilecultivatingequityinourgrading policiesiscertainlyanimportantendeavor,The Tattler Editorial Boardarguesthatthecurrentsystemdoesnotpromoteequal opportunityorstudents’learninggoals.Instead,minimumgrades only serve to increase students’ averages in classes while not helpingthemkeepupacademicallyEquity,inpractice,isgiving studentsthesupportthattheyneedtosucceedItisnot,however, raisingstudents’gradestohideproblematicdatainequities
Policiesliketheminimumgradepolicybecomeanissuewhen they disguise fundamental problems in our education system. ICSD’s focus should be on cultivating a safe and equitable environmentwherestudentscanlearn,regardlessofextraneous factors.Insteadofpursuingpoliciesliketheminimumgradeplan thathavenotangiblepositiveeffectonstudents’actuallearning, thedistrictshouldfocusinsteadonpoliciesthatimpactstudentsin theclassroom suchasmoreconsistentandlessharshlatepolicies andgradingsystemsthatfocusonmasteryratherthanperformance on examinations The Tattler Editorial Board recognizes that improvingthesituationsmakingitdifficultforstudentstolearnis somethingICSDmustcontinuallystrivetoachieve,andthatitisa complexandmultifacetedproblem.However,itisclearthatthe current grading system is failing students, regardless of the implementationoftheminimumgradespolicy.
BenjaminKirk,amathteacheratIHS,statedto The Tattler, “Givingazeroforincompleteorunsubmittedworkispretty ssssssss
disastrousforsomeone’sscore Somebodycouldbegettingthree 90sandthena0andtheirgradeisinthelow70snowIhaven’t donethemath[Three90sanda0resultsinagradeof68]”The minimumgradepolicydoesnotfixthisbroaderproblem three 90sanda45stillresultsinagradeinthe70sThesimplefactisthat theminimumgradereworkemergesfromanunderstandingof gradingthatreliesupontheideathatgradesrepresentlearning. Basedonthisidea,ifminimumgradesincreaseoverallgrades,then itisasimplelogicalsteptoassumethatminimumgradesarealso aidingstudents’learning.However,realityisnotthissimple.Our currentgradingsystemisnotrepresentativeofstudents’learning, andIHSneedstomovetowardsadoptingonethatdoes
Institutingpolicieslikeminimumgradesystemscanbean elementofequitableacademicpolicywhenpartofgreaterchange inaschoolsystemForinstance,systemsofgradinglikestandardsbased grading incorporate minimum grades, but also allow studentstheopportunitytoreassessoncertaintopicsoncethey gainmorefamiliarity.Standards-basedgradinghasalreadybeen adoptedbyvariousclassesacrossIHS,andThe Tattler Editorial Boardencouragestheschoolanddistrictadministrationtostriveto implement such systems consistently across the high school. AnotherideasuggestedbyKirkistheabolitionofnumerical gradesaltogether Gradingwouldreverttoletterscores,fromF throughA+LettergradesareeasilyconvertedtoaGPAStudent stresslevelscouldalsobereducedbynotdistinguishingbetween scoressuchasa93and95,whilestillprovidingarelativelyprecise methodbywhichtomeasurestudentperformance.
Mastery-basedgradingsystemshaveseenbroadsuccessacross theUnitedStates.TheSchoolofEducationatAmericanUniversity proposesamastery-basedgradingsystemthatallowsstudentsto becomeproficientinaskillorconceptandbeabletocontinue learningwithoutthestressoftestingTheshiftawayfromtestsisa newideathatisbeingworkedintoeducationandreflectsamore realisticreallifescenarioofhavingaconcretegrasponthecontent insteadofthecommonmemorizationrequiredtopasstheexam Afterall,mostprofessionswillnotrequirethatastudenttake weeklyexamsandsuccesswilllargelybedeterminedbyhowwell someonecanapplyaconcepttoaspecificsituation.Thisnew approach to standardized grading is already being applied in certainEuropeancountriesandisbeingutilizedasanoralexam insteadofawrittentest.Oraldiscussionsfosteramuchbetter environmentforstudents,prioritizingskillproficiencyratherthan memorization,andastudydonebyUniversityofCaliforniaSan Diego,foundthatoraldiscussionsnotonlyboostfinalexamscores butencouragestudentstoreachoutforhelpandimplement feedback
GradingpoliciesatIHSareindesperateneedofreevaluation. Thenumerical0-100gradingsystemisnotworkingforstudentsat IHSintermsofrepresentingtheirlearningorcreatingamore equitablelearningenvironment,andtheinstitutionofminimum gradesisnotsolvingthisproblem.IfIHSandIthacaCityssssssss
SchoolDistrictasawholemovetowardmoresustainableand modernwaysoflearningthatarebasedonmastery,studentsand teachers would benefit As ICSD continues to grapple SSSSSSSSSSSSSS
withwaystoimproveequityandstudentperformance,solutions mustbecarefullyconsideredandimplementedwithfeedbackfrom studentsandstaff
TwoIHSseniorsswepttovictoryinaSpikeballtournamentduringtheNewYorkStateMathematicsLeague(NYSML)Competitionhosted onApril22,2023atIHS Theduo,LyndonHessandLeiCao,representedtheschoolandexhibitedexcellentteamworkandprecision, leavingopponentsinaweastheydefeatedteamafterteamThepairwascontinuouslychallengedbyalonglineofstudentsfromNewYork City,StuyvesantHighSchool,ScarsdaleHighSchool,andFayetteville-ManliusHighSchool,yetmaintainedawinningstreakuntiltheend
Theeventdrewalargecrowdofspectatorsinthequad nearly100peoplecircledaroundtheplayerstowatchtheaction.Amongthe audience,anavidsupporterandself-proclaimed#1fanoftheIHSduo,MukundGaur’24,exclaimed“Mr.Deppetoldustowin,buthe didn’tsayinwhat.”ThetournamentexemplifiedIHSstudenttalentacrossallfields,fromproblemsolvingandcompetitionmathtoafierce gameofSpikeball.
ByTARANKNUTSON
OnApril9,2023,theWorldChessChampionship(WCC) beganinAstana,Kazakhstan.DingLirenofChinaand IanNepomniachtchiofRussiacompetedina14-game ww classicalmatch,andthenafour-gamerapidtiebreakerforthetitle of World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen (the five-time championfrom2013-2023)chosenottodefendhistitle,andhad previouslybeatenNepomniachtchiinthe2021WCC
Ineachgame,theplayersbeganwithtwohoursontheirclock. Afterfortymoveshadbeenplayedbyeachside,theplayersgained an additional hour, and after sixty moves, they gained ssssssssssssssssss
fifteenminutesaswellasanadditionalthirtysecondsforeach movethattheysubsequentlyplayed.Althoughthisisalotoftime, theclockplayedakeyroleinseveralmatches.Avictoryforeither playerwouldrewardthemwith1point,andadrawwouldgrant eachplayer05SincetheWCCisa14-gamematch,eachplayer couldwinatanytimebyreaching75points
Thisarticlewilldescribemoveswithalgebraicnotation If you’renewtothesystem,youcanfindinformationonchesscom orotheronlineresources.
Ding Liren Wins World Chess Championship
Continued from page 5
Game 1
April9,2023
IanNepomniachtchi-DingLiren ½-½
Nepomniachtchisurprisedeveryonewiththewhitepiecesinthe veryfirstgamewithanunusualvariationoftheRuyLopez opening,inwhichafter3 a6,Whiteplays4 Ba4,refusingto tradetheirbishopforBlack’sknightonc6,butlaterchangestheir mindandplays6.Bxc6.ThepositionbeforeWhite’s6thmovehas beenreachedbytitledplayershundredsofthousandsoftimes,and 6.Bxc6wasplayedinlessthan5percentofthosegames.This moveisobjectivelynotverygood,andNepomniachtchiknewit, butitsmainpurposewastoreachpositionsthatDingwasnot preparedfor Indeed,Nepomniachtchigainedasignificanttime advantageaftertheopening
NepomniachtchiwasabletoinfiltratetheBlackpositionwith hisqueen,butevenwithonlythirteenminutesonhisclock,Ding found the right moves to defend himself In this position, Nepomniachtchishouldhaveplayed29.Bc7andwentforBlack’s a5pawn,butinsteadtriedtocashintoogreedilywithBd6!?, whichsoonallowedBlacktothreatenaninfiltrationoftheWhite positionandforceaqueentrade,resultinginaneventualdraw.
April10,2023
DingLiren-IanNepomniachtchi 0-1
IntheopeningofGame2,Dingwiththewhitepiecesclearly out-prepared Nepomniachtchi, and secured a 30-minute time advantage However, after Nepomniachtchi played an unconventionalknightmove11 Na5,Dingthoughtforthirtythree minutes and played a slight inaccuracy Soon after, Nepomniachtchicreatedaverypowerfulattack(despiteplayinga movebehindduetostartingwithBlack)andpressuredDingintoa 30-minutetimedisadvantagewithasignificantlyworseposition. When Ding tried to create counterplay on move 20, Nepomniachtchisacrificedtherook!20...Rxg5!21.Nxg5allowed Nepomniachtchitoplay21...Nxd4.Soonafter,hewasableto createapassedpawnandthreatenpromotion,andDingresigned.
InGame3,whichwasaQueen’sGambitDeclined:Exchange Variation,Nepomniachtchididnotmanagetocreateanywinning chanceswithwhite,andthegameendedafter30moveswitha drawbythreefoldrepetition
Game 4
April13,2023
DingLiren-IanNepomniachtchi
1-0
BeginningwithanEnglishopening,thisgamewasaspectacle Dingwontheopeningbattleandsecuredaverystrongcenter, latersacrificingoneofhispawnstocreatethepawnchainshown inthepicturedpositionNepomniachtchipresumablyplayed28 Nd4expectingQxf4Qxf4Rxf4andthenpossiblyc6.Dinginstead decidedtosacrificewith29.Rxd4!!whichwasfollowedbycxd4 Nb3 and a subsequent steamrolling of the position as Ding navigatedhisknighttod4andthentof5.Soonafter,Dingwon backanexchangewhenNepomniachtchiwasforcedtoallowa fork,andthenNepomniachtchiresigned
Game 5
April15,2023
IanNepomniachtchi-DingLiren
1-0
Nepomniachtchiwongame5withtheAnti-Marshallvariation oftheRuyLopezopening.Aftersecuringa40-minutetime advantageintheopeningwithexcellentpreparation,hecreateda powerfulattack AfterDingplayed37 hxg5,Nepomniachtchi playedRg4!aspictured ThisthreatenedtoplayNxg5witha checkmate threat on f7, and if Ding had played 38 f6, NepomniachtchipreparedthemoveNh4!!Hisideahereisthatif Dingdidn’ttake,hecouldplayNg6+withmatein3,butifhedid, thenh6!wouldeitherleadtocheckmateorapromotion.Ding instead continued with 38... Ra8, which eventually led to a positionwhereitwasimpossibletopreventpromotion,andhe resigned.Forthesecondtimeinthematch,Nepomniachtchiled byonegame.
Game 6
April16,2023
DingLiren-IanNepomniachtchi
1-0
Dingopenedgame6withtheLondonsystemandproceededto reachthepicturedposition.Whiteiscreatingahugethreatto Black’sking,whileBlackisattemptingtopromotetheirpasseda4 pawn.Dingfoundakeysequencehere:37.Rc7,threatening checkmate,whichforcesBlacktoplayRg8,whichallowsRa7, defendingtheAfile Withthethreatofpromotiontemporarily stalled,hewasabletolineuphisqueenandknightagainstthe Blackking,resultinginNepomniachtchi’sresignation
Continued from page 7
Note:ItisrecommendedtoviewthisgameusingtheQRcode
Game 8
April20,2023
DingLiren-IanNepomniachtchi
½-½
InthisNimzo-IndianDefensegame,Dingreachedanalmost completelywinningpositionafterhismove31Nepomniachtchi’s move, 31 Qh4??, was a bluff, and Ding fell for it Nepomniachtchi’smovelookslikeitsimplyblunderstherookon d8,anditdoes,butitgetscomplicatedforWhiteiftheytakeit. Qxd8allowsQe4+,andifWhiteblockswiththeirbishop,Black hasQh1+,forcingthebishopback,andthreateningadrawby repetition.WhitewillsoonhavetoblockthecheckwithRe2, whichallowsQb1+,skeweringWhite’skingandbishop To avoidrepetitionbyperpetualcheck,Whitewillsoonhavetowalk theirkingallthewaytoe4,andit’samiraclethatthere’sno forceddraworcheckmateDingwastoolowontimeanddidn’t calculatetheselinesintheirentirety,andplayed32 Kd1 He couldhavelaterwonwithabrillianttactic,butmissedit,andthe gamesimplifiedtoadrawnendgame.
Soonafterthestartofgame8,aRedditpostidentifiedtwo Lichess.orgaccountsthathadplayedseveralgamesagainsteach otherthatverycloselyfollowedthoseintheWCC.Theuser correctlyspeculatedthatthesewereaccountsusedbyDingand histrainingpartner,RichardRapport,topreparefortheWCC CommentatorssawitasextremelyirresponsiblethatDinghad trainedusingLichess,asitstoresallgamesplayedonitina database accessible to anyone This was a problem because Nepomniachtchi’steamwasabletoprepareagainsteverything that Ding had played on this account. At the time, Nepomniachtchirespondedtotheleakbysaying“Iamstillmore orlessdoingwhatIwasgoingtodo.”However,aftertheevent, Dingrevealedthathe“realizeditleft[them]withnorealideas,so [they]hadtocomeupwithnewones”duringthematch.
Game 7
April18,2023
IanNepomniachtchi-DingLiren 1-0
Dingsurprisedeveryoneontheveryfirstmoveofgame7by respondingto1e4with1 e6,theFrenchdefenseTheFrenchis muchlesspopularnowthaninthepastbecausemoderncomputer analysisindicatesthatitisnotviableatthesuper-Grandmaster level
Thepicturedpositionhasanendlessnumberoftactical possibilitiesinitasWhitethreatensanattackonBlack’skingand Blackthreatensadevastatinginfiltration.Itisaverytoughposition tocalculate,andbothplayershadonlytwentyminutesontheir clocks.Theywerealsofarfromhittingmove40,whichwould havegrantedtheplayersanadditionalhoureach.Dingfounda promisingsequence,anddespitebeingdownanexchange,hehad veryreasonablewinningchancesbymove32withfiveminuteson hisclockThenhefroze
ManycommentatorswereinvisiblepainwatchingDing’stime tickdown Manythoughtthiswastheendforhim,thathe wouldn’trecoverfromnotonlythisposition,butfromthisgame. Fromahard-foughtandpotentiallywinningposition,Dingspent allbutforty-fivesecondsandplayedamistake.32...Rd2wasnot therightidea.Itdidn’tloseonitsown,butpanickingdid.He resignedafewmoveslaterinacompletelylostposition.Forthe thirdtime,Nepomniachtchiwaswinningbyonepoint
Games9,10,and11werealldrawsinwhichneitherplayerever hadamuchbetterpositionthantheother Theywereincredible games,ofcourse,butnotasexcitingasmanyofthefirstfew Commentators thought that Ding was unlikely to make a comeback.
Note:ItishighlyrecommendedtoviewthisgameusingtheQR code.
Game 18
April30,2023
IanNepomniachtchi-DingLiren
0-1
TheplayersbeganthegamewithaRuyLopezopeninglinethat wasverysimilartowhattheyhadplayedinsomepreviousgames. Nepomniachtchiplayedseveralveryadvancedmovesthatdidn’t workoutverywell,includingsomethatgothislight-squared bishopstuckonb1behindpawnsonc2andb3 Bymove44,it lookedlikeNepomniachtchiwouldsecureadrawbyrepetitionas pictured,withQe4+Kg8Qe8+Kh7andrepeatItalsoseemedlike Dingwouldacceptthedraw,giventhathewasdownaminuteon theclockanditwasarathercomplicatedposition.However,after onerepetition,Dingplayedthemoveheardaroundtheworld.
46...Rg6.Hewasplayingforawin.Soonafter,Nepomniachtchi’s minute of time advantage turned into a minute of time disadvantage.Heplayedseveralmistakes.Itwassimplytoohardto stopDing’spawnavalancheonthequeenside.
IanNepomniachtchitookalonglookatthetrophy,accidentally knockedoneofhiscapturedknightsoffofthetable,andresigned game18andtheWorldChessChampionshiptoDing
DingLiren’sjourneywasincredible Usually,thetwoChess WorldChampionshipcontendersarethepreviouschampionship’s winnerandthewinneroftheFIDECandidatestournament. However,Dingdidnotmeetanyoftherequirementsthatwould havequalifiedhimfortheCandidates.LuckilyforDing,though, Russia invaded Ukraine. Sergey Karjakin, a Russian chess Grandmasterandto-beCandidatescontender,saidsomevery unsavorythingsinsupportofPutinandtheinvasionFIDEmade ssssss
Game 12
April26,2023
DingLiren-IanNepomniachtchi 1-0
Dingopenedgame12withtheCollesystem.Ifthereaderhas neverheardofit,that’sbecauseit’saveryunusualopeningthat doesnotseemtoplayforanadvantage Nepomniachtchilater invitedadoublingofhispawnsonhiscastledkingside,movinghis kingtoh8androoktog8toboosthisownkingsideattackDing’s moveswerenotworkingout,andhewasworsebymove20.
Nepomniachtchi,seeminglytryingtoplayNf3withaforkon Ding’srooks,smokedtheWhitequeenawayfromthedefenseof thef3squarewith27...b4.However,whenDingtookwithQxc4, Nepomniachtchi rather played Rag8?, trying to remove any possiblethreatsonhisking.Nf3wasthebestmove,andmaybehe didn’tlikeitbecauseofQc6,withatripleforkonBlack’sknight, bishop,androokAfterRag8,thegamecontinuedwith28Qc6? Bb8?,andDing’sbestmovewasBxg6 Takingtherookdoesn’t actuallywinmaterial,though,becausetheresultinghxg6traps White’sknightItwasthebestmove,though,becauseafterhxg6, themoved5becomesverystrong.IfBlackweretotakewithexd5 orplaye5,WhitewouldplayNf6andendupwinningmaterialby threateningBlack’sking.IfBlackinsteadweretoignorethethreat withsomethinglikeBe5,Whitecouldtakedxe6andafterfxe6 playQxe6.Black’sbestmovewasQxd5,butaftertheresulting queentrade,Nf6wasstillverystrongforWhite
Noneofthathappened Instead,thegamewasdecidedwhen Nepomniachtchi played an egregious blunder on move 34 Commentators were stunned The move 34 f5?? was unimaginableforaplayerofNepomniachtchi’scaliber It’sso triviallyablunder,infact,thatthisarticlewon’tevencoverthe details. Blundering with sufficient time on the clock is how NepomniachtchilostagainstMagnusCarlseninthe2021WCC. Thescorewastied.
Forbrevity,thisarticlewillalsoskipgames13and14.Although theywerealsoexcellentgames,theydon’tcontributeverymuchto thenarrative SincethescorewastiedafterallfourteenClassical games,theplayersbeganafour-gameRapidtiebreakermatch, withtwenty-fiveminutesforeachplayerandaten-secondtime incrementThefirstthreeRapidgameswerealldraws,andifthe fourthwouldhavebeenadraw,thentheplayerswouldhave continuedwithaBlitztiebreakerwitha5+3timeformat.Instead, thishappened.
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thedecisiontotemporarilybanKarjakinfromeventsoutofrespect forUkraine,andDingwasbroughtinasabackupplayerbecause heheldthehighestClassicalratingofallotherplayers
Then,Ding’svisawasdenied OnemightthinkthatChina would take extra care to make sure their top player could participate,butapparentlythatsomehowwasn’tapriority.Ding fought,andeventually,withlittletimeleft,gothisvisaapproved andwasabletoparticipate.
Ding’sstarttotheCandidateswasnotwinner-strength.Helost hisfirstgameagainstNepomniachtchiandtiedthenextseven, with35/8points Meanwhile,Nepomniachtchiwonfourgames with 6/8 points and Fabiano Caruana had 5/8 Miraculously, though,Dingwasabletowinfouroutofthelastsixgameswith onelosswhileCaruanatrailed Dingfinishedinsecondplace Then,MagnusCarlsenrefusedtodefendhistitleandDingwas promotedtoWorldChampionshipcontender.Andafterallthat, afterbeingdown1pointonthreeseparateoccasionsintheWCC, afterwinningtheRapidtiebreakers,DingbecamethefirstChinese ChessWorldChampion.
IfyouhaveTikTok,youmighthaveseenavideoofaChinese “spyballoon”beingshotdown,possiblyaccompaniedbythe screech of a bald eagle. While shooting down Chinese sssssssssss surveillancetechnologymayappeartobeasimpleactofAmerican patriotism,therealityismuchmorecomplicated.
America’srelationshipwithChinaisatalowpoint,mainly because of competition to become the dominant world superpower This tension involves a struggle for the best technology,strengtheningorweakeningtieswithallies,anda general sense of suspicion by both governments The drama surroundingthe“spyballoon”causedadiplomaticcrisisthatledto thecancellationofadiplomatictriptoChinabytheU.S.Secretary ssssss
Afterinvestigating,theUS governmentfoundthatthe downedballoonhadflownoverfortycountriesonfivecontinents andhasspentaweekinNorthAmericanairspace TheBiden administrationdescribedtheballoonaspartofaglobalsurveillance fleetdirectedbyChina’smilitary.DespitetheChinesegovernment maintainingthattheballoonwasacivilianmeteorologicaldevice, theU.S.governmenthasfoundit“wasclearlyforintelligence surveillance and inconsistent with the equipment on board weatherballoons.”Itisundecidedwhethertheballoonwascharted tofloatovermilitarybasesorwhetheritwasbychanceoreven malfunction
Balloonsareusedlessfrequentlythanairplanes,buttheycost muchlessandarecertainlyconsideredimportantintheChineseAmericantechnologystruggleTheUnitedStateshasalsousedits fairshareofspyplanesandballoons.IntheColdWar,theU.S. sentspyplanestoflyovertheUSSR,andmanycountrieshave usedandcontinuetouseaircraftsurveillance.But,relatingto Chineseaircraft,theU.S.governmenthasdiscoveredatleastfive ChinesespyballoonsinAmericanterritory,threeduringthe TrumpadministrationandtwoduringtheBidenadministration
The2023balloonhasdefinitelygarneredthemostattentionin whatone New York Times guestauthorcoined“TheGreatSpy BalloonFreakout”Theauthor,DavidRopeik,believesthatthis incidentblewupbecauseitcreatedsomuchfear,especiallyabout ssssss
thepossibilityofnuclearwarAdditionally,theballoonshavebeen reportedasmysterious,andtheuncertaintydoesn’taidinresolving anyofthefear
Whatdoesthis“spyballoon”meaninthegreatercontextofUSChinarelations?Thetensionsbetweenthetwocountriesappearto constantly increase, but will they ever come to a head and culminateinviolence?It’shardtodrawanyconclusionsaboutthe balloonsandwhetherornotwewillseethemintheheadlinesin thefuture.
Sincethebeginningofhumancivilizationswehavemadeart
FromtheoldestknowncavepaintingsinIndonesia,tothe papyrus scrolls of Egypt, the perspective pieces of the wwwww Renaissance,andmoderncreationsacrosstheglobe,thehuman specieshasalwaysstrivedtocreatebeauty,tellstories,andmake statements through artistic pieces. Recently there has been increasedcontroversysurroundingtheeducationaluseofcertain artisticpieces Severalteachershaveresigned,beenfired,orbeen relievedofteachingdutiesthroughoutthecountryfordisplaying variousworksofartintheirclassroomsthatweredisapprovedof bymembersofthecommunity students,parents,theuniversity, orthedistrict Thisraisesseveralquestions:Whatartshouldbe accepted as an element of our education? When should the opinionsofstudents,parents,andothersoverridethepre-written curriculum?
Anincidentthatrecentlyreceivedalotofmediacoverage occurredattheTallahasseeClassicalSchoolinTallahassee,Florida. Everyyear,theschool’ssixthgradearthistorystudentsspenda ssssss
portion of their spring semester learning about art from the EuropeanRenaissanceperiod Thisincludespainting,sculpture, architecture,andmoreInmid-Marchofthisyear,anoutcrywas sparkedoverateachershowingimagesofsomeofMichelangelo’s classicalworksofart,includingthefamousstatue David,andtwo paintings, Birth of Venus and The Creation of Adam.Likemany worksofartfromacrossthecenturies,thesepiecesincludenude humanbodies.Inyearspast,parentsattheTallahasseeClassical Schoolhadbeensentanemailnotifyingthemthattheartwould bedisplayedpriortothelesson.However,thisyearthatemailwas reportedly written, but not sent out due to a “series of miscommunications”Thecontentofthelessoncausedabacklash fromparentswhentheyheardtheimageswereshowninclass withouttheirpriorknowledgeOneevenequatedMichelangelo’s statueofDavidto“pornographic”materialAnotherparentstated thatshefeltherchild“shouldnotbeviewingthosepieces.”In responsetotheoutrage,theschoolsentoutanapologyemailto the parents of the sixth-graders, explaining that miscommunicationsontheirpartledtotheemailnotbeingsent aheadoftime.Thethen-principal,HopeCarrasquilla,expressed herapologiesattheschool’slackofproperpriorcommunication; shedid,however,makeherviewonthesituationclearlateron, statingthat“wedidnothavetosendoutaletterregarding Renaissanceart”Carrasquillaresignedsoonaftertheincident,after beingtoldbythecampus’sgoverningboardthatshecouldeither stepdownorbefiredfromherposition.
Thisisnottheonlyrecentincidentofeducatorsbeingfiredfor showingcertainworksofartintheirclassroom.ErikaLópezPrater,anadjunctarthistoryprofessoratHamlineUniversityin Minnesota,wasfiredforshowingsomeancientdepictionsofthe prophetMuhammad López-Praterwasawarethatimagesofthe prophetMuhammadareconsideredblasphemybymanyMuslims, sosheincludedwarningsinthecoursesyllabus,lettingstudents knowaboutthe14thand16thcenturiesworksthatareconsidered by many to be “masterpieces of Islamic art” The instructor additionallytoldstudentsthatparticipationinthissectionofthe coursewasoptional,andinformedthemagainseveralminutes priortoshowingtheimagesaboutthecontentofthelesson. AlthoughLópez-Pratermadeeffortstobalancehercoursematerial withthereligiousbeliefsofsomestudents,oneofLópez-Prater’s studentstookoffensetothecoursematerial,andcomplainedto administratorsLópez-Praterrespondedtothecollegesenior,Aram Wedatalla, with an email apology, saying “I would like to apologize that the image I showed in class made you uncomfortableandcausedyouemotionalagitationItisnevermy intentiontoupsetordisrespectstudentsinmyclassroom…Iam sorrythatdespitemyattempttopreventanegativereaction,you stillviewedandweretroubledbythisimage.”Inresponsetothe complaintsmadebyWedatalla,theuniversityrescindedtheiroffer toLópez-Praterofateachingpositionforthefollowingsemester, issuingstatementsthatherlessonwas“undeniablyinconsiderate, disrespectfulandIslamophobic”aswellassayingthat“respectfor ssssss
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observant Muslim students in that classroom should have supersededacademicfreedom”LatertheUniversitywalkedback onsomeofthesecontroversialstatementsandrephrasedtheir viewpoints,sayingthat“languagewasusedthatdoesnotreflect oursentimentsonacademicfreedom…Itwasneverourintentto suggestthatacademicfreedomisoflowerconcernorvaluethan ourstudents caredoesnot‘supersede’academicfreedom,thetwo coexist.”
Bothoftheseincidentshavesparkednationalandinternational debatewithagreatvarietyofopinionsaboutacademicfreedom andwhatmakescurriculumappropriateRegardingthepaintings shownatHamlineUniversity,theMuslimPublicAffairsCouncil wrotethat“thepaintingwasnotIslamophobic”andadditionally statedthat“religionsarenotmonolithicinnature,butrather, internallydiverseThisprincipleshouldbeappreciatedinorderto combatIslamophobia,whichisoftenpremisedonflatteningout Islam.”Adifferentviewpointwasshownatalocaltownhall, whereJaylaniHussein,theexecutivedirectoroftheMinnesota chapteroftheCouncilonAmerican-IslamicRelation,declared thattheimagesnotonlyhurtMuslimstudents,buttheyhad“no benefit”inthecourse Thevalueofshowingthepaintingshas beenwidelydebatedAnyancientpieceofartwouldofcoursebe valuableinanarthistoryclass;thequestionliesinwhetherthis valueoutweighspotentiallyoffendingstudents’beliefs,ormaking them feel “traumatized,” as Aram Wedatalla described her experience.ChristianeGruber,aprofessorofIslamicartatthe UniversityofMichigan,backedupErikaLópez-Prater’sdecision toincludethematerialinhercoursealongwithextensivecontent warnings. Gruber said that studying Islamic art without the CompendiumofChronicles thetitleofoneofthecontroversial paintings “wouldbelikenotteachingMichaelangelo’s David, ” whichtiesbacktotheincidentattheTallahasseeClassicalSchool
Howmuchinfluenceshouldparentshaveintheeducationof theirchildren?Thishasrecentlybeenaheavilycontestedtopic throughout the United States, with the “Parental Rights in Education’’billbeingpassedlastyearinFlorida,andtheHouse passingthenational“Parents’BillofRights”inMarchthisyear. Both bills increase parental involvement in education, with GovernorRonDeSantisofFloridasigningabillbanningmany additionaltopics,includingthediscussionofanyformofsexual orientationorgenderidentityinyoungerclassrooms However, DeSantisiscurrentlyworkingonexpandinghisbilltoprohibit thisinstructiontoallgradelevelsAccordingtoBarneyBishopIII, thechairoftheTallahasseeClassicalSchoolboard,“Parentsare entitledtodecidewhetheranytopic,anysubject,anyuseof particular sensitive words are going to be discussed in the classroom.”FormerprincipalCarrasquillabelievesthatabalance andcooperationbetweenparentsandschoolsisneededinorderto createthebestcurriculumpossible.Shesaid,“Whatdoesn’twork iswhenyouhaveparentswhoaretryingtosay,‘Thisisyour curriculum,thisiswhatyou’resupposedtobeteaching’”
Inall,therearecountlessviewpointsonwhatisappropriateina sssssssssss
classroomenvironment,aswellaswhatmeasuresshouldbetaken whensomeoneviolatessomeoneelse’sideasofwhatconstitutes appropriatebehaviorormaterialtoincludeinaclassroom The questionliesinwheretodrawthelinebetweenrespectingbeliefs andeducatingstudents.
Disclaimer: This article was written in early May 2023 and may be outdated by the time of publication.
Sudan’s two rival generals Getty; AFP Forces(RSF),aparamilitaryunitledbyMohammedHamdan Dagalo,referredtoasHemetti Thefightinghasdamagedthe city’sairport,killed403civilians,andforced700,000civiliansout ofthecountry.Themainrootoftheconflictliesintherivalry betweenthetwogenerals.However,itisalsotheresultofongoing tensionsfollowingal-Bashir’sdictatorialreignfrom1989toApril 2019.Clasheshavespreadthroughoutthecountryinstrategic militarysites.Sudancontinuestobeashatterbelt(ageostrategic ssssss
OnApril15,2023,violenceeruptedinSudan’scapital, Khartoum,betweentheSudaneseArmedForces(SAF), ledbyAbdelFattahal-Burhan,andtheRapidSupport ww
regionpronetoconflictduetointernaldivides)wherepolitical instabilityhasworsenedthesocialandeconomicconditionsofthe population
In1989,Omaral-Bashiroverthrewtheciviliangovernmentled bySadiqal-Mahdi.Al-BashirruledthroughouttheSudanesecivil warandwasattheforefrontofthemassacreofnon-ArabDarfuri people.Duringhistimeinpower,heabolishedallpoliticalparties. In2019,Al-Bashirappointedal-BurhanasInspectorGeneralof Sudan’sarmedforcesandHemettiastheleaderoftheRSF.Then, inApril2019,al-BurhanandHemettiledacoupd’état,oustingalBashirfrompower Sudan’snewpresident,al-Burhan,attempted todevelopdiplomaticrelationswithglobalpowers,particularly withtheUSAandIsraelHowever,Sudanneededtodemonstrate thatitwasnotadictatorship,attemptingtodenytheoccurrenceof acoupTherefore,inAugust2019,Hemettiandal-Burhancreated theTransitionalSovereigntyCouncil,ruledbymilitaryleadersand civiliangroups.Thisgovernmentwasestablishedtoonlylastthree yearsandthreemonths;themilitaryjuntawouldcontrolthe countryforthefirsttwenty-onemonths,andtheciviliangroups wouldhavepowerforthefollowingeighteenmonths.InOctober 2021,oncetheciviliangroupswereinpower,thetwogenerals overthrewthegovernment,detaininggovernmentofficialsand eradicatingfreedomofthepressandallpoliticalparties
Severalfactorscanexplainthemilitary’sreluctancetohandover power,ultimatelyleadingtothecontinuityoftheirruleBothalBurhanandHemettiwereinvolvedinwarcrimescommitted duringtheSudaneseCivilWar.Hemettiwasinvolvedinthe Darfurconflict.Al-Bashirrecruitedhimtobeacommanderinthe Janjaweed,agroupofArabmilitiasformedduetocentrifugal forces,dividingnon-ArabsagainstArabs.TheJanjaweedwere accusedofcommittingwarcrimesagainstopponentsofal-Bashir’s government during the 2003 Darfur Rebellion Hemetti’s involvementintheseatrocitiesultimatelyelevatedhimtogreater positionsofpower,becomingtheleaderoftheRSFin2013
Similarly,al-Burhanwasaregionalarmycommanderduring theDarfurGenocide.Incontrasttoal-Bashir,thetwogenerals wereneverchargedfortheseatrocities,despitehavingsignificant roles in their perpetuation. The emergence of the civilian governmentwouldhavepotentiallyputtheirpastbackonthe table,threateningtheirlegitimacy.
Moreover,thejuntafearedalossofeconomicpowerResourcerich,Sudan’seconomyreliesongoldexportstoothercountries
Thestate-ownedenterprisesthatcontrolallofSudan’snatural resourceshavebeenaccusedofcorruption,permittingal-Burhan andHemettitogrowtheirwealthattheexpenseoftheeconomic suffering of civilians. A civilian-led government would have decreasedthegenerals’controloftheireconomicwealthbymore fairlyredistributingtheprofitsmadefromthetradeoflucrative resources.
FollowingOctober2021,al-Burhanreintegratedpoliticians associatedwithal-Bashir,allowinghimtoregainthetrustlost fromthecoupd’étatof2019Hemettiwasstronglyopposedtothis
action due to his reluctance towards the Islamist members associatedwithal-BashirThetwopowerfulleadersbegantodrift apartandwouldeventuallyfightforcontroloverthegovernment Astarkdifferencethatdividesthetwogeneralsistheirorigins TheSudanesepoliticalspherehashistoricallybeendominatedby theethnicgroupfromKhartoumalongtheNileRiver.Al-Burhan belongstothisgroupofSudaneseelitepoliticalfigures,which advantageshim.However,HemettiisanArabDarfuri,putting himinapositionofweakness,especiallyintheeyesofKhartoum. TheSudanesegovernmenthasexpressedthattheRSFare“country bumpkins”incapableofleadingthenation
Yet, Hemetti portrays himself as representative of the marginalized communities of Sudan, despite his past actions againstnon-ArabDarfuripeople Additionally,hisresentment towardstheeliteshashelpedhimgainsupporters Inpursuing politicallegitimacy,hehascreatedallianceswithrebelgroups withintheDarfurregionandextendedRSFmilitarybasesacross the country. He desires to be perceived as a proponent of democracyandtoachievethat;heneedstodefeattheSAF.
Meanwhile,theSAFhasproposedintegratingtheRSFintothe SudanesearmyAl-Burhan,havingshiftedfrompreviouspositions, nowintendstohaveonenationalarmythatrulesbesideacivilianledgovernmentAlthoughbothleaderssignedtheinternationally backedagreementinDecember2022,furthertransitioningthe countrytodemocracy,Hemetti’soppositiontosuchaprocedure increased tensions between the two generals. Hemetti wants supremeruleoverthecountry,ashedoesnottrusttheSAF’s abilitytoruledemocratically.Theinabilityofthegeneralsto resolve their rivalry through peaceful negotiations ultimately triggeredthefighting.
ThefightingbeganinKhartoum,whichhasbeenmostly dominated by the RSF Active conflict in the capital is unprecedented,becauseSudan’swarshavegenerallybeencarried outinregionswithlargeminoritypopulations,oftentargeted towardsaspecificgroup Thisconflict,beingbetweenthetwo generalsinsteadofbetweenethnicgroups,hasawakenedfighting inotherpartsofthecountry,especiallyinWestDarfur,wherethe RSF has many military bases. The SAF has expanded its domination throughout the state due to its access to planes, enablingittouseairstrikes.TheRSFhasusedartilleryandtanks intheirattacksAdditionally,thetwosidesarecarryingouttheir attacks in densely populated areas, harming civilians with disregard
Althoughthewarisultimatelybetweentwogenerals,ithas severelytornSudan’spopulationThechaosbeganduringtheholy monthofRamadan.Civilianshaveconfinedthemselvestotheir homesasthestreetshaveturnedintowarzones.Electricityhas becomescarce,makingcommunicationservicesdifficulttoaccess. Civilianshavealsobeenforcedtorationfoodandotheressential supplies.Theyhavebeenconfrontedwiththedilemmaofleaving orstaying,whichishighlydependentontheirfinancialstatus Indeed,thecostoftransportationtoneighboringcountrieshas sssssss
The Rivalry Between Two Generals Causing War in Sudan
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increasedfollowingthewar’soutbreakForinstance,busfaresto Egypthavenearlyquadrupled,risingto$260perpassenger,being outofreachformostofSudan’spopulation
The departure of non-governmental organizations has worsenedthesituationofcivilians.Forinstance,onApril15,the UNWorldFoodProgrammetemporarilysuspendeditsactivities inWestDarfurduetosecurityconcerns.Leftabandoned,withno outside aid or government services, local organizations have carriedoutessentialservices.Thesegroups,alsoknownasthethird army,formedduringal-Bashir’sdictatorship,distributemedicine, provideinformalmedicalservices,andultimatelyplaytherolesof diplomats,police,hospitals,andfirefighters Moreover,theyhave beencreatingmaps,sharedonsocialmedia,thattrackinjured individualsseekinghelpHowever,onMay11,2023,bothparties signedanagreementallowinghumanitarianassistancetoresume sssssss
inthecountry Althoughthisisastepforward,aceasefireseems highlyunlikelyTheUS,SaudiArabia,andtheUnitedNationsare attemptingtoincreasetheirinvolvementinSudanthrougha “ceasefiremonitoringmechanism”Havingbeenproponentsof peacefulnegotiationstowarddemocracy,theseinternationalforces want to ensure transparent reporting through on-the-ground presenceandsatelliteimagerytechnology.Yet,therepersiststobe adebateontheinterventionofinternationalforces,especiallyof Westerngovernments,whodidnotconsiderallfactorswhen making proposals. As the West encouraged the generals to establish democracy, they undermined the difficulty of a democratictransition,consideringpoliticaltransitionsasanalogous worldwide Historically speaking, imposing Western ways of governing can be naive and is a strategy that does not contextualizethesituationsofeachcountry
ByMARKKIEFER
OnMay6,2023,KingCharlesIIIoftheUnitedKingdom ofGreatBritain,NorthernIreland,Canada,andAustralia was officially crowned. The ceremony marked an wwwwwimportant point in British history and was just one of the consequencesofQueenElizabethII’sdeathinSeptember2022. TheCoronationwassignificantinmanyways,includingitscost, history,andmeaningforthemonarchy’sfuture
AccordingtotheAmericanBroadcastingCompany(ABC),the Coronationcostaround124millionUSdollarsafterthemonarchy announcedinFebruarythatitwasabandoningplansofa“scaledback”coronationandwouldinsteadgoallout.Theargumentwas thatitwasaonce-in-a-lifetimechancetoexperiencesuchanevent. KingCharlesisinhisseventies,anditispossiblethatoncetheheir apparent(PrinceWilliamofWales)iscrownedking,itwillbe muchlessgrand.Thisisduetoshiftingpublicopinionofthe monarchyandthepushtoloweritsexpensesontheBritishpublic. TheCoronation’slavishnessthuspromptedareconsiderationofthe legacyoftheBritishmonarchy
Duringthecoronation,thegoldenscepter(representingthe monarch’stemporalpower)andthegoldenorb(representingthe monarch’spoweroverChristendom)wereusedCharlesheldthem inhishandsasheworethetraditionalImperialStateCrown.Both the scepter and the crown contained an important item: the Cullinandiamond,takenfromaSouthAfricanDiamondmineand giventoKingEdwardVII.TheSceptercontainsCullinanI, knownastheGreatStarofAfrica,andtheImperialStateCrown sssss
containsCullinanII,knownastheSecondStarofAfricaBothof thesecarryimportantculturalvaluestotheUKbutalsoarea reminderofBritain’scoloniallegacy Thereisadebateonthe legalityofthemonarchy’sownershipofthediamond,andthe SouthAfricangovernmenthasdemandeditsreturn.TheCullinan wasn’ttheonlysignificantdiamondinthemonarchy’spossession, however.TheKoh-I-Noordiamond,whichsitsamongthecrown jewelsontheQueenMother’scrown,wastakenbyBritishrulers inatreatysignedbyaten-year-oldboy(whowastechnicallythe KingofaregioninIndia)aftertheBritishkidnappedhisfamily, andthegovernmentsofbothIndiaandPakistanhaveclaimed ownershipofitanddemandeditsreturn TheBritishmonarchy claimsthetreatywaslegal,butdespitethisclaim,theroyalfamily chosenottohavethediamondattheCoronationQueenConsort CamillaworeQueenMary’sCrown,whichusedtohavetheKohI-NoorbeforeitwasmovedtotheQueenMother’sCrown. BuckinghamPalacechosenottoholdthediamondplacedonher crownorfortheKoh-I-Noortomakeanappearanceatthe Coronation,whichwasmarketedasasignofrespectforthose harmedbyBritishcolonialisminSouthAsia.
TheCoronationwasalsohistoricinmanyotherways The crownsanddiamondsusedhavebeenusedinalmostallcoronation ceremoniessincethelate1600saftertheEnglishCivilWar The processiontookplaceinagoldenandhistoriccarriage,andmany othereventsmayhaveseemedoddfromamodernpointofview butarerooteddeeplyinhistoricaltraditions.Forexample,the StoneofDestinywasusedduringtheCoronationandisan importantsymbol,signifyingthattheKingrulesEnglandand Scotland. The Coronation was also connected with other celebrations.CanadaannouncedthatKingCharleswouldappear ontheirnewtwenty-dollarbill
Thepeoplewhowereandweren’tattheCoronationalsoplayed abigroleTheQueenConsort,Camilla,wascrownedasQueen afteralongpublicrelationscampaigntomaketheBritishpublic acceptherwiththattitle KingCharles,whenhewasaprince, famouslycheatedonhisthen-wifePrincessDianawithCamilla andhadanastydivorce.PrincessDianawasoneofthemost publiclybelovedmembersoftheroyalfamilyandgavebirthtothe currentheirPrinceWilliam,andthe“spare,”PrinceHarry.After herdivorce,shestatedhergoalwasnottobeQueenoftheUKbut Queenofpeople’sheartsHerdeathin1997wasmarkedbyastate funeralCharlesmarriedCamillain2005,andatthatpoint,itwas understoodthatshewouldneverbeQueen;however,in2022, beforeshedied,theQueenexpressed“herwish”thatCamillabe calledQueenCamillauponCharles’saccessiontothethrone (AlthoughmanyrefusetocallherQueenCamilla,assheis technicallyQueenConsortandnotthereigningQueen.)Many newsoutletsreportedthatthiswasinexchangeforCharlesusing someofhisinheritancemoneytopayforPrinceAndrew’ssexual assaultlawsuitsettlement,althoughthisisnotconfirmed.Prince HarryattendedtheCoronationbutquicklyleft;hiswife,Meghan Markle,didnotattendandinsteadremainedinCaliforniaforher sssssss
child’sbirthdayTheirdeparturefromtheroyalfamilyandactions sincehavegarneredmuchattentionfromtheBritishmedia Whilesimilartoothercoronations,thisCoronationdidhave somechanges BuckinghamPalacewantedtheCoronationtobe anenvironmentally-friendlyandcruelty-freeevent.Assuch,the holyoilusedintheeventwouldnolongerbemadewiththewax ofaspermwhale.Rather,olivesfromJerusalemwouldbeused. Anotherdecisionforatoned-downcoronation(andtokeep attentiononCharlesandCamilla)wasthechoicetobanfemale members of the royal family from wearing tiaras to the CoronationItwasdecidedthatinstead,theywouldwearnewlymadefloralheadpieces,whichjustsohappenedtolookliketiaras TheBritishmonarchyasaninstitutionisbeingquestioned,but withintheUK,itisanimportantpartoftheircultureandhistory TheCoronationwasanefforttohonorthatwhileadaptingto moderntimes.KingCharlesIIIisnowcrownedmonarch,and QueenCamillaiscrownedQueenConsort.Traditionallyinthe UK,whenthemonarchchangesfromaQueentoaKing(andvice versa),otherthingschange.TheRoyalNavy’sHMSshipsbecome His Majesty’s Ship instead of Her Majesty’s Ship. This also occurredwiththeNationalAnthem AfterQueenElizabethII’s death,thenationalanthemwaschangedItisnowGodSavethe King
ChatGPT and Snapchat AI Getty Images/NurPhoto
Artificial intelligence (AI) technology is being used for malicious purposes, especially as we have become increasinglyelectronicandmobileasasociety.Itprovides ssssss anareaforcomputers,robots,andotherdevicestoweavetheir ssssss
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waythroughthenon-fictitiousworldwelivein Therearea colossalamountoffearssurroundingAI,suchasthedecreaseinjob opportunities,identitytheft,andanoverallexpansionofhumanlikeintelligenceinoursocietyTheseconcernswillonlyexpandas thisfeatureevolvesandmatures.
Onecontinuousobstacleeducatorsfaceistheideathatstudents cancheatfromwebsitesthatdirectlyreleaseananswerwithout increasing the knowledge of or teaching the user. Platforms including ChatGPT, Copy.AI, and Synthesia.io provide the possibilityforstudentstomindlesslycopyandpasteinformation thatdonothaveanyrealinstructionalvalueStatisticshaveshown thatoneinfivestudentsuseChatGPTtogetfastanswersontheir school work which ruins the original goals of learning and educatingThoughtheseplatformsareencouragingandhelpfulfor individualswhoarestrugglingtogetanythingdownontheir paper,itcanlaterencouragepeopletostopinteractingwiththeir teachersorschoolassignmentsunlesstheyhaveartificialassistance. Suchplatformscanbeusedforvariousotherpurposesincluding generatingpoems,songs,andillustrationsthatquestionthevery principleofartandwhereitstandstoday.AIhasmanypeople perpetuallyworriedthathumansarebeingstrippedoftheirrightto makemistakesandexpressasoulfulformofart,damagingpeople’s personalviewsandtheiropportunitiestofeelacceptedbysociety Forexample,therearenumerousfiltersonTikTokthatdisplay quickandrapidillustrationsindifferentstylessuchasanime, geometricart,andevenoilpaintingswhichhaverecentlygained strikingpopularity.Itistrulyfascinatingandcaptivatingtowatch aquickstillofyourselforafigurearoundyougetsculptedinto somethingonemayfindatafleamarketinFrance.Whilesome maysmileatthelightheartedartformsontheirscreen,othersare tornabouttheconstructionofthesepiecesandwhattheymeanfor thefutureoftheartindustryInaninterviewwith The Guardian, KaloyanChernev,thefounderofMidJourney,StableDiffusion andDeepDreamGenerator,anAIgenerator,stated,“AIimage generation is largely being used for fun, but it’s rapidly approachingalevelofsophisticationandcomplexitythatwillallow ittogeneratehighlyrealisticandnuancedimages.”Thesecreations arebecomingnearlyinterchangeablewithreal-lifeabilities,which strikesafrightamongthosewithacareerinart,andpeoplewho fearthatthesecomputerizeddesignswillovershadowtheworkthat deservesappreciation
Identityfraudisanotherseriousdilemmaourpopulationhas facedforoveracentury Witheachnewtechnologicalstride comes an even bigger advancement we attempt to contain However,artificialintelligencemakesthisjobmuchmoredifficult SomeofthescariestandmostbizarreformsofAIidentitytheftare displayedonsocialmedia.Forexample,deepfakesaredefinedasa videoofaperson’sfacebeingdigitallyalteredsoanotherperson canuseittoappearassomeoneelse.Thistypicallymalicioustactic isonethatviolatesone’sidentity,andcanbeusedtoharmone’s digitalfootprint Othersocialmediaplatforms,suchasSnapchat, utilize an AI tool (called “My AI” on SnapChat), which SSSSSSSSSS
demonstrates how easily accessible the feature is to users everywhere MyAIconsistsofacomputerizedpersonal“friend” thatyoucanchatwithwhenever,andthatwillrespondinamatter ofseconds Whilethesocialmediaapphasadvertisedthisnew componentascompletelyharmlessandanonymouslyprotectedfor eachuserofthissyntheticfriend,usingMyAIfirsthand,therehave beensomedubiousincidents.Whensendingaphoto,or“snap,”to thisfeature,itwillimmediatelyrespondcoherentlywithwhatisin thephoto.However,whendirectlyaskedaboutthecontentsofthe photo,theAIrespondsthatitcannotseephotos,leavingastrange wonderastohowitcanseethosepicturesinthefirstplaceifthey claimtohavedisappeared
SinceMyAIisconsistentlydevelopingwithSnapchat,oldbugs willdisappearandnewoneswillcomeaboutArtificialintelligence isalwaysevolving,andasarapidlygrowingtechnologicalsociety, wecan’tevenmanagetokeepup.Itprovidessomeexceptional advancementshelpingplentyofpeoplegrowandlearn,butitis alsocontinuingtoreachapointwhereitisgettingfartoomuch forourworld.AIispursuingnewthingsconstantlythatputjobs, careers,creativity,andtheideaofidentityembezzlementatrisk.It mightjustbedoingwaymoreharmthangoodifyouconceptually lookatthebigpictureofourfuturewithtechnology
Flip flops: a pointless type of shoe? iStock uch!”yourfamilymemberscommentsimultaneously asyou’rewalkingalongtheshoreItjustsohappens thatyoulandedyourselvesatabeach withmillions ssssss oftinypebblesscatteredintheroughsand.Asyou’researchingfor aspottostationyourself,yourfeetachewitheachstep.Youlook downattheshoesyouchosetowear thoseawfulflip-flops.
Iunderstandtheinitialthoughtsofonewhowearstheseshoes, asIhavealsoownedpairsoftheminthepast.They’reinexpensive, ssssss
comeinfuncolors,andareeasytoputonWhat’snottoenjoy? Everythingelseaboutthem forone,theabsurdamountofrisks thatfollowwithwearingtheseslip-ons Accordingto Healthline, flip-flopscancauseblisters,reducesupporttovitalareasofyour feet,givedamagetoyourheelsuchasplantarfasciitis,andeven injuriestothebodybesidesyourfoot,likeshinsplintsorsprained ankles. Additionally, these damaging consequences don’t only applytoflip-flops,butsimilarcounterpartslikeslides,sodon’tturn totheotherwhenonedoesn’tworkout.
AccordingtotheMayoClinic,featuresofawalkingshoe includeaheelcollar,insole,andoutsolewhichareallseparate layersthathelptoensureasafegaitandcomfortContrarytothis, flip-flopsgenerallyconsistofafoamsoleandaY-shapedstrap, lackingessentiallayersofprotectiontokeepyourbonesand structuresafeandsturdyInthedefinitionprovidedbyMerriamWebster,shoesare,“anoutercoveringforthehumanfoottypically havingathickorstiffsolewithanattachedheelandanupperpart oflightermaterial(suchasleather).”Bythisdefinition,flip-flops arenotshoes.You’rebasicallywearingpiecesoffoamwithflimsy plastic straps that provide virtually no protection to the ssssssssssssssssssssssss
countlessharmstheymaycause
Iwouldstillliketogiveflip-flopssomecredit,becausethereis proofthattheyaren’tallbadAccordingtotheNationalInstitutes ofHealth,atypeofflip-flopwithamoldedheelshapeactually benefitsthosewithfootpain.Inatrialconducted,thecontrol groupworetheirconventionalfootwearintheireverydaylives, whilethetestgroupworeflip-flopsthathadaheel“cup,”wider straps,andamoldedfootcupforaspanoftwelveweeks.The resultsshowedthatthemolded,cuppedflip-flopshelpedintermsof footpainforthoseinthattestgroup.However,theflip-flops providedtothoseintheexperimentwere“fancy,”andsoitdoesn’t meanthatbuyingapairofflip-flopsforfivedollarsatTargetwill benefityourfootpain
Truthfully,ifyou’restillplanningtowearflip-flopsthroughthis summer,youmightaswellwearnoshoesatallIt’ssummer;atime torelaxduringthesefewmonthsoffofschoolandtotaketimeto takecareofourselves.Youcanreducepotentialstressbymaking choicesthatwon’t“flipflop”yoursummer.Takethisasanearly warninginadvanceforthissummertoavoidthosebeachyflip flops.
Asoflate,I’vebeentryingtogetbackintoreadingpolitical theorytopreparemyselfforcollege Istartedoutby readingacollectionofLenin’sworks,writtenfrombefore sssss the 1917 Revolution to after While reading these chapters, however,Ifoundmyselfhavingtore-readthesamepagesoverand overagain,andeventhenIwasnotreallyunderstandingwhathe wassaying.Anyonewhohasreadpoliticaltheory,particularly Marxisttheory,knowshowincomprehensiblemanypamphletsand books may be. Political theory is wordy, dense, and makes referencetomanydifferentpeopleandevents.Frankly,it’susually anextremelycomplicatedandpretentiousjumbleofwordsthatcan onlybeproperlyunderstoodbyacademicsorpeoplewithdeep prior knowledge of the topic in question This seems counterintuitiveconsideringthewholepointofpoliticaltheory(in theMarxistsense)istoeducatepeopleandhelpthemreachapoint (oftenreferredtoasclassconsciousness)wheretheycaneffectively participateinarevolutionagainstthecurrentsystem.Infact,Lenin himself said, “Without revolutionary theory there can be no revolutionarymovement”inhispamphlet What Is To Be Done? Giventheimportanceoftheorytothestruggle,onewouldexpect ittobewritteninamannerwhichisaccessibleforthemasses.
Ofcourse,it’simportanttokeepinmindthatworkssuchas ssssss
Lenin’spamphletswerewrittenoveronehundredyearsagoin RussianandthentranslatedintoEnglishBecauseofthis,itishard tounderstandthetheory mostpeoplearemissingthenecessary context Russian peasants and workers in the early twentieth century were reading and (presumably) understanding the argumentsoftheBolsheviks Pamphletswerebeingprintedand distributedthroughoutPetrogradandtherewaspoliticaldiscourse happening in the streets among industrial workers and “intellectuals.”Asmentioned,thewholepointofpublishingthis theorywastoinspirearevolutionamongthemasses,andthey clearlysucceededindoingso.However,alltheseyearslater,much ofthistheoryhasbecomeinaccessibletoeveryonebuthistorians andstudentsoftheRussianRevolution
TheideasexpressedinMarxisttheoryfromthetwentieth centuryarestillverymuchapplicabletoourcurrentworldSimilar tobackthen,societyisbeingshakenatitscoreduetopolitical instabilityanddisillusionmentwiththecurrenteconomicsystem, workersarebeingoppressedandthegapbetweenthewealthy andtheworkingclassisgrowing.Theissueisthattheintended audiencefrombeforeisnolongertheaudienceconsumingthese works.AsIreadthroughLenin’s Imperialism, The Highest Stage of Capitalism,Ikeptwishingforatranslatorofsssssssss
Continued on page 18
Continued from page 17
sorts,toputtheseconceptsintowordsIunderstoodUsuallyupon readingapamphletorbookwrittenbyaMarxist,Ineedtogoon YouTubeandlookupsummariesofwhatIjustreadbecauseIfeel likeIprocessedabsolutelynothing ThoseYouTuberswhomake crashcoursevideosonMarxisttheoryarelifesavers:I’velearned morefromthemthanIhavefromanyesteemednineteenthor twentiethcenturyauthor.Thisgotmethinking:thisisexactly whattherevolutionarymovementneeds.Thereneedtobepeople whostudyMarxisttheoryandthen“translateit,”whetheritbeinto shortbooks,podcasts,infographics,videos,orotheraccessible formats Anythingtospreadtheseideasandmakethemeasierto understand for the everyday person would be a benefit Additionally,Ireallywishwelearnedmoreaboutpoliticaltheories andeconomicsystemsatschool,butpeoplewouldprotestandcall that“Communistpropaganda”Regardless,theoryshouldbemore accessible;itshouldn’tjustbeagroupoftwenty-year-oldson DiscorddebatingeachotheroversomethingEngelswrote.Ifonce morepeoplehavelearnedaboutthetheoriesofMarxismandbeen ssssss
abletoseepasttheanti-communistfearmongeringinourcountry, perhapswewillbealittleclosertoanupheavalofthisentire system
Resourcesifyou’reinterestedinlearningmoreaboutcommunism, specificallyMarxism:
CommunistPartyUSA:OnlineMarxistSchoolfromMay20 toJune10(freeandyoucanchoosetocometojustoneofthe classes,someoftheclasses,oralloftheclasses).
InDefenseofMarxism:Anonlinenewspaperwithcurrent events(workersstrikes,negotiations,etc)andtheory Marxists Internet Archive: Practically all the theory ever publishedinavarietyoflanguages @MarxismToday on YouTube: “Left-wing political educationalcontent,videoessays,history,culturalanalysisand more from a modern Irish socialist republican, Marxist perspective.”
TeacherretentionisatahistoriclowthroughoutICSD largelyduetoteacherburnout,lackofcommunication fromdistrictadministration,andpoorsalaries,butCayuga wHeights Elementary School (CHES) has proven itself to be extraordinarilypoorinitsretentionratesAsofMarch28,thedata presentedattheICSDPublicVotingMeetingincludedaprojected teacherturnoverrateofninety-twopercent,nearlyfivetimesthe averageofthesevenotherICSDelementaryschoolsWithsomany oftheirteachersleaving,studentsandparentsatCHESareforced tocontendwithwhatwillhappenintheaftermath.Thedistricthas provenitselftobeunabletorespondtocallsofdissatisfaction withinaschoolenvironmentinatimelyway,unwillingtoinvest inhigherteachersalaries,andhasconsistentlygivenoffanoverall sense of apathy towards how poor teacher retention impacts students’socialandacademicgoals
DuringtheBoardofEducation(BoE)MonthlyVotingMeeting onMarch28,severalparentsofstudentsattendingCHESspoke duringPublicCommentregardingworriesovertheirchildren’s education.Theyexpressedconcernregardingtheschool’steacher turnoverrates,withonenotingthattheirchildhashadonlyone yearwithoutateacherleavingmid-yearandanotherstating,“Ifeel thatmychildrenandthededicatedteachersatCHESarebeing abandonedandthatweasparentshavenowheretoturn.”
Losingateachermidyearcausesahugedisruptioninthessssssssss
learning curriculum and a child’s academic development. ResearchersattheMassachusettsInstituteofTechnologyanalyzed students’testscoresandfoundthatteachersleavingmidyearis associated with lower standardized test scores Although standardizedtestscoresarebynomeansalwaystheperfectmeasure oflearning,theresultsshowanalarmingconnectionbetween teachersleavingandstudentsfallingbehindacademically
Manyparentsatthemeetingwereconsideringenrollingtheir children in another elementary school. Due to this, open enrollmentrequestratesarepredictedtodramaticallyincreasefor the2023-24schoolyear.However,currentdistrictregulations,in effect,limitthisoptiontostudentswithguardianswhoareableto providetransportationtoandfromschool.Thiseffectivelyrestricts open enrollment to high-income families, while leaving lowincomefamiliestobearthebruntofCHES’spoorteacherretention rate,furtherwideningalreadylargegapsintestingscoresbetween studentsqualifyingforFreeandReducedPriceLunch(FRPL)and non-FRPLstudents
Retentionisanationwideissue,butCHESservesasacasestudy intowhatcouldbecausinglargerissuesinthedistrict.ICSDshould be paying attention to teachers’ working environments and stepping in when there is a clear pattern of turnover. Lisa SahasarabudheservedastheCHESprincipalforthreeyearsduring whichtimeteacherturnoverhasskyrocketedInearlyMayofthis year,sheacceptedanewroleastheICSDEquityandDiversity sssssss
Officer,withanewCHESprincipaltakingoverinJulyAlthough hernewpositionissimilartotheInclusionOfficer,heldbyMary Grover,itisnotyetlistedintheschool’sdirectoryWhetherornot thepositionexistedpriortoSahasarabudhe’sacceptanceisunclear
“Teachersleaveforavarietyofreasons,”principalatthetime, LisaSahasarabudhe,claimedduringourinterviewwithherdays beforesheannouncedhernewposition.Theformerprincipal citedherowncareerasateacherinICSDasprooftowhy transferringcanbeapositive.“WhenIwasreadyforachangefor whateverreason,Iwasabletomovesomewhereelsetomake myselfhappier,”shesaid,explainingherthreetransfersinthirty yearsofteaching Bytheendofourconversationsheconcluded thatchangeinleadershipnaturallycamewithahigherrateof turnover),maintainingthat“noneof[theCHESturnoverrate]is unusual” Change in administration is not foreign to ICSD though.NortheastElementaryandCarolineElementaryhaveboth receivedanewprincipalinthelasttwoyearsandyettheir projectedturnoverratesremainlow,attwenty-twopercentand elevenpercentrespectively.
CHESteachersexpressedapprehensionoverpoorworking conditions, echoing the concerns of parents One classroom teacher of over ten years who requested anonymity due to potentialrepercussions,sharedthefrustrationsoverthelackof communication and guidance of the higher administration “WhenIaskbuildingadminquestionsonbuildingpractices,my questionsand/orconcernsaredismissedorrespondedtowithan authoritativeresponse,similarto‘becauseIsaidso.’Idonotfeel myconcernsarefullylistenedto…quick,unthoughtfulresponses aregiven.”Furthermore,decisionsaremadewiththeinvolvement ofveryfewpeople,andonlythosewhochoosetoattendmeetings outsideoftimeinthecontractareabletocontributetomajor decisions “Thisfeelsdisrespectfulofourcontractandtimeand addstothefeelingofnothavingavoice”Suchactionsmayhave contributedtothehighturnoverratesobservedoverthepast severalmonths
Asforanyofficialreasonastowhytheseteacherscouldbe leaving,noofficialexitinterviewsarebeingconductedtooversee retentioninICSD.Sahasrabudhesaidshealwayskeptherdoor opentoteacherswantingtospeakaboutwhytheyareleaving,but hasnotreceivedsignificantresultsfromthis.Theformerprincipal stressedthatshecouldonlyguesswhyteachersareleaving,which begsthequestionofwhyICSDisnottakingmoreproactivesteps tocreateusableexitinterviewdataTheCHESteacherwespoke withwasconcernedwiththelackoftimelinessinaddressingthe poor retention, “[The] problem has only very recently been acknowledgedbytheprincipal.Thisisverylittle,verylate.”
Additionally, this leaves ICSD with another task: filling the positionsofretiredandresignedteachers.Thedistricthasalready beenhavingtroublehiringteachers earlierthisschoolyear,the IthacaTeachersAssociation(ITA)foundthatthirtyteacherswere teachingasubjecttheywereunqualifiedforacrossthedistrict ssssss
Withthisinmind,theremustbeanextraefforttoensurethat everyclassroomatCHEShasaqualifiedteacher “Findingeight teacherswillbeanearlyimpossibletaskWefearoursonandmany childrenwillnothavecertifiedteachersintheclassroom,”Stacy Errichiello,aCHESparentandateacherinthedistrict,stated.
As The Tattler hasmentionedbefore(see“ICSD:Ifourteachers areleaving,wheredoesthatleaveus?,”February2023),teacher retentionisreachingatippingpointinthedistrict,andCHEShas becomeanunfortunateexample.Thesocialandacademiceffects onstudentsarerealandwillbecomemoreandmoreapparentin thecomingyearsICSDneedstoprotectitsstudentsbyprotecting itsteachers ICSD’sbroadandidealisticequitygoalscannotbe workedtowardswithoutsupportingteachers,givingthemthe resources,support,andincentivestheyneedDramaticactionmust betaken,alongwithclearcommunicationonwhatstepsthe districtisundertakingtofixthisissuethathasthepotentialtobe trulydetrimentalforallstudentsandinequitablyaffectFRPL students.AlthoughLisaSahasarbudhe,someonewhoboremuchof thecriticismfortheretentionrate,hasleft,theproblemremains CHESwillopeninthefallandmanyofitslongterm,most qualifiedteacherswillnotbethere
Recently,arivalrywassparkedbetweentwomembersofthe2022-2023editorialboard:FrancesKlemm’23,Editor-in-Chief,andAlice Burke’23,OpinionEditor,onwhosedogissuperiorBothpetsseemtohavealreadycapturedtheheartsoftheirrespectiveownersand sparkedcountlessdebates,resultinginnoconsensus.Asaresult,weembarkonaquesttodeterminetheultimatefour-leggedcompanion whoisthemostqualifiedtoemergeastopdog?First,let’smeetourcandidatesandgettoknowmoreaboutthem.
Meet Tilly, Frances’s best friend
1.Atinyguardiantokeepyousafe!
Althoughsmallinsizeandanadorableappearance,Tillywillalert youtothepotentialdangerscomingyourway.Sheisdedicatedto yoursafety,beingequippedwiththenecessaryawarenesstodetect dangerWithawell-timedbark,Tillycanserveasanexceptional safeguard Pictureafiercedogreadytohelpnavigateyourlife’s obstacleswithconfidence!
2Atail-waggingfriendtogreetyouatthedoor!
Nobodyismoreexcitedforyoutoreturnfromyourtriptothe garagethanTilly.Nomatterhowshortorlongyourabsenceis, shewillgreetyouwithahappysmile,waggingtail,andenough energytoimmediatelyjumpintoyourarms.Shereallymakesan occasionoutofeverything knowingtheperfectwaytorelieve yourfatigueafteranexhaustingdayatschool
Meet Gus, Alice’s best friend
1.Yourdependablecompanionwhereveryougo!
Gusisaveryactivecanine,andisalwayswillingtojoinyoufora longhikedowntown.He’dlovetoaccompanyyouonyour journeytoahealthierlifestyle,encouragingfitnessandoutdoor exploration!Thenexttimeyougoonawalk,Gus’sunwavering loyaltywillstaywithyouthroughoutthetrek!
2Theextrovertedbestfriendyouneverknewyouneeded!
EverytimeGusstandsinfrontofthecamera,hemakessureyou cancapturethefunniestmoments,keepingyouentertainedand engaged.Heenjoysmeetinganyonenew,whetheritbeother animalsorhumans!Gus’sabilitytobecomeacquaintedwithyou makeshimasocialbutterflyandgreatfriend!
Asyoumayobserve,thisrivalryisnoteasytomanage,norcometoaconclusionfor.Weneedyouropinionstodeterminewhichdogis superior!Whatareyourthoughtsabout“UnveilingtheBattleofOurFavoriteFurryFriends”?Goto<https://bit.ly/CTJun2023>orscanthe QRcodeandtelluswhereyoustand!VotesarecollecteduntilJune23,2023,andresultswillbereleasedintheSeptember2023issueofThe Tattler.
May 2023 Voting Results: Pineapple on Pizza?
Inthelastissue,wediscussedwhetherornotpineapplebelongson pizza.Readerswerethenaskedtovoteonthesideforwhichthey preferred.Hereiswhattheythink!
OnMay21,2023,IHShelditssecondannualClimate Exposition Theevent,whichtookplaceoutsideofthe WelcomeCenterandintheIHSparkinglot,aimedto ssssss educatestudentsontheclimatecrisisandsharewaystoincrease sustainabilityintheircommunities.Variouslocalorganizationsand businesseswerepresent,includingBikewalkTompkins,which aimstomakewalkingandbikinginTompkinsCountysaferand moreaccessible,SunriseIthaca,ayouthactivistorganization,and Cornell Cooperative Extension, which aims to connect communities with Cornell’s research Along with the various tables,therewerepresentationsbyanumberofgroupsscheduled throughouttheday,includingperformancesbymembersofthe IHSOrchestra,theIHSchoir,theBeautyofColorClub,Creative Writing Club, and Cornell Cooperative Extension Tompkins Way2Go.
TheeventwaslargelyorganizedbyIHS’sGreenOutdoor AdventureTeam(GOAT),whichcomesfromthesynthesisofthe GreenTeamwiththeOutdoorAdventureClub.AnnaCummings ’23,thetreasurerofGOAT,describedtheclub’striptotheYouth EmpowermentSustainabilitySummit,wheretheyworkedwith otherstudentsandteachersonwaystoinspirechangeinschool districts Theevent,accordingtoCummings,culminatedinthe creationofaclimateactionplanforICSD “Werealizedthatwe neededtoimplementsustainabilitydirectorsacrossthedistrict,”she explained.“Asoftoday,therearepostingsforthepositionsacross thedistrict.”Thehopeofthisclimateactionplanistohavea sustainabilitydirectorateveryschoolinICSDandtwoatIHS. CummingsstatedthatthebiggestgoalsoftheClimateExpowere “toeducateyoungpeoplesothattheyknowwhat’sgoingonin ourworldandinourcommunityandwhatresourcestherearein Ithacathataddresstheclimatecrisis”
Volunteersattheeventalsoemphasizedsimilarideas Claire Russell’23,whorecentlyjoinedtheGOATclubandisaleaderof SupportingWomenImpactingSociety(SWIS),statedthatshe decidedtohelpwiththeeventbecause“GOATisreallygreat,and Ihavealotoffun.Ilovesupportingthisgroupofpeople,andI thinkenvironmentaljusticeandsustainablesolutionstoclimate changearereallyimportant.”EdenLewis’23,aGOATmember whowasoneofthemainorganizersoftheeventlastyear,saidthat thebiggestgoalsoftheExpowereto“telleveryoneaboutwhat ssssss
Ithacaisdoingaroundthecommunitytofocusonsustainability andcreatesustainableactionswithinthecommunity”Shealsosaid anothergoalwas“tohavedifferentgroupsofpeoplewhoare workingonsustainabilityconnectwithoneanotherandmake thoseconnectionsthatcanpotentiallybelastingandlong-term.” IalsospokewithYaYoi,thefounderofZeroWasteIthaca,one oftheinitiativesthatwaspresentattheexpo.ZeroWasteIthaca doesworktoreducewasteandiscurrentlyworkingwithICSDto implementaswitchtoreusablelunchutensils.YaYoipointedto single-useplasticslikethosecurrentlyusedasutensilsatIHSasa dangeroussourceofcontaminants,includingso-called“forever chemicals,”whichareverydangeroustotheenvironment Yoi describedtheorganization’scurrenteffortstoreplaceutensilsin thedistrictwithreusable“sporks” acombinationofaknife,a fork,andaspoonAccordingtoYoi,IHS,alongwiththeBoynton andDewittMiddleSchools,hasadishwasher,soitispossiblefor reusableutensilstoberolledoutrapidly.“Wewanttomakesure thateveryoneunderstandsatfirst,that[thesporks]don’tbelongin trashbins,”Yoinoted.“That’sabigproblem,especiallywith universallunch,becausepeopleareeatingallovertheplace.”Yoi saidthatZeroWasteIthacahopesthatthesporkswillberolledout inSeptember,thoughthescheduleisnotdecidedyet
Anotherorganizationfocusedonsustainabilityinrelationto ICSDwastheFarm-to-Schoolprogram,whichisapartofCornell CooperativeExtensionTheprogram,accordingtoTaraMorgan, the Education Coordinator, helps support school cafeterias in bringinglocalNewYorkStateproduceintotheirmeals.They provideeducationalprogrammingaswell,exposingstudentsto farming, gardening, and food systems. Cornell Cooperative Extensionalsohasacomposteducationprogram,accordingto AdamMichaelides,whorunstheprogramandshowcasedhow compostingworksattheClimateExpo ThePowerhouse,an energyefficienttinyhomethathelpseducatethecommunityon homeenergyefficiency,wasalsopresentattheExposition Jack Wright,thePowerhouseEducator,emphasizedtheimportance that students learn about home energy programs: “I think sometimeswhenfolksheartheseprogramsfocusedonhomes,they think,‘Well,Idon’townahomesoIcan’treallyaccessthese things,’ but I think learning this information now is really importantasyou’remakingdecisions.”Wright’sworkalsofocuses onclimatejusticeOtherprogramsattheexpositionincludedthe Cayuga Watershed Network, which, according to Molly Newman,theprogramassociate,aimstoeducatethecommunity onhowtokeepCayugaLakehealthyandprotected
IHS’ssecondannualclimateexpositioncontinuedthestrong activismthathadbeenpresentatthefirst,anddisplayedawide varietyofdiverseorganizationsandbusinessesworkingonclimate solutions.Astheworldcontinuestotackletheincreasingproblem of climate change, many at the exposition voiced the same thoughts:Students,notjusthighschoolstudents,arethefuture andneedtobothlearnaboutclimatechangeandhaveavoicein creatingsolutions
Kingston’sCuisineisaJamaicanrestaurantlocatedat15 CatherwoodRoadintheK-HouseKaraokeBarnear
IthacaMallTheyareopenonThursdaysfrom6pmto ww 12amandFridaysandSaturdaysfrom5pmto1am
IhadthepleasureofinterviewingRoshawnaThomas,theowner ofKingston’sCuisineRoshawnaimmigratedtotheUnitedStates fromJamaicaateighteenyearsold.SheinitiallylivedinQueens, NewYork,thenmovedtotheIthacaareatoattendTompkins CortlandCommunityCollege.Aftercompletingherassociate’s degree in Elementary Education, she transferred to SUNY Cortland,whereshewasaResidentAssistant(RA).AsanRA,she wouldoftencookdeliciousJamaicanfoodinthedormkitchens
RoshawnagraduatedfromSUNYCortlandwithaBachelor’sin ElementaryEducationandbecameateacherduringtheCOVID19pandemicShelaterrealizedthatteachingchildrenwasnotfor herandthathertalentscouldshineevenbrighterinherfood
WhenaskedwhyshedecidedtostartKingston’sCuisine, Roshawnaresponded,“TheIthacaareaandUpstateNewYork werelackingquality,ethnicfood.Mostrestaurantsserveburgers andfries,anditishardtofindfoodforsomeoneaccustomedto morevariety.”ShefoundedKingston’sCuisineinNovember2021 toaddressthislackoffoodoptions.AssomeonefromNewYork ssssss
City,Icanrelatetotheshockofhavinglimitedethnicfood optionswhenImovedtoIthaca
Thename“Kingston’sCuisine”isanodetoRoshawna’sJamaican heritage RashawnawasbornandraisedinKingston,Jamaica’s capital,whichisknownforitsdeliciousfood.
WhileatKingston’sCuisine,Itriedthefanfavorites,RastaPasta andJerkChicken.WhenItookthefirstbite,Iimmediately realizedwhythesedishesaresopopular theyareabsolutely delicious.TheRastaPasta’sjerk-infusedalfredosauceandperfect balanceofsweetbellpeppersliveduptoitsname.Thejerk chickenbyitselfmadememisshavingaccesstoJamaicanfoodin NewYorkCityIalsotriedtheBarbrifries,whichwereperfectly seasoned IhighlyencourageanyonetograbaplateatKingston’sto experience this delicious food for themselves Customers can DirectMessage@kingstonscuisineonInstagram,ororderinperson. Kingston’s Cuisine offers takeout, eat-in dining, and catering. Their most recent catering service was at Cornell University’sCornellvalfestivalwhichcelebratesCaribbeanStudent heritage.
“The current ‘Core Values’ at IHS are Tenacity, Integrity, Ownership, and Compassion If you could add a fifth, what would it be?”
AddieHitz’23,formerCopyEditor: Her Body and Other Parties byCarmenMariaMachado
ValentinaLebret’25,CenterspreadEditor: The Elegance of the Hedgehog byMurielBarbery
“Thisisacollectionofshortstoriesthatblurs thelinesbetweenmemoirandhorror.”
TaranKnutson’25,BackpageEditor: To Kill A Mockingbird byHarperLee
“Withoutadoubt,thestrangestfeel-goodbookI’ve everreadAtwelve-year-oldgirlbecomesso disillusionedwithlifethatsheplanstokillherselfbut it’sreallyfunny?ThinkEloïseasaphilosophymajor”
CocoHamilton’26,DistributionManager: Mistborn byBrandonSanderson
“Ineedto[readit]forQuizbowl.”
“It’safantasybookaboutacrewofthievesand conartiststryingtooverthrowadystopianempire. Ithasareallyinterestingmagicsystemthatdraws powerfromdifferentmetals”
“EverythingMurakamiwritesisbothgeniusandvery questionable…I’vebeenwantingtoreadthisbookfora whilenowthoughandI’mreallyenjoyingit.It’svery philosophicalandthoughtprovoking,withMurakami’s usualelementsofmagicalrealism.”
FrancesKlemm’23,formerEditor-in-Chief: The Secret Life of Groceries: The Dark Miracle of the American Supermarket byBenjaminLorr
CaedmonSethupathy’25,NewsEditor: Guns, Germs, and Steel byJaredDiamond
“ e functi p ystems thatcreateit.It’sfascinatinghowweseemtoknow somethingsointimately weallgotothegrocery storeallthetime butreallydonotknowanything abouthowitreallyworks.”
“JaredDiamondtakesthereaderonajourneythrough humanhistory,probingthequestionsthatwehave beenconditionednottoask. Guns, Germs, and Steel isa ratherlongandramblingread,butitclearlysynthesizes thereasonsbehindvaryingpacesoftechnological developmentacrosstheworld.”
Thoughthefourcabinetsholdingbundlesofold Tattler issues(andotherrandomobjects)haveneverquitekepta distinctlocation,theirhistoryremainsthesameBeingthe wwwarchivistof The Tattler allowsmetoexplorethetalesandstories thatoncelivedinthehallsofIHS.Whetheryouenjoyhistoryalot ornotasmuch,I’msureyou’llfindsomethingyou’llenjoyinthis section.Withoutfurtherado,here’sjustahandfulofthesepieces, datingallthewaybackto1892!
June 1968
InK-building,thereisaplacethateveryonetakesforgranted.In itthestudentcanbuymanydifferentschoolsupplies.Itcontains everythingfrompencilstopopularpaperbackbooks.
Theschoolstorehasbeenagoingconcernforquiteawhile. Originallyitwasrunbystudentswhogotpaidasmallamountof moneyfortheirlaborBackthenitonlysoldschoolsuppliesInthe lastfewyears,allofthishasbeenchangedandimprovedunderthe directionofMr CharlesSacton Thestoreisnowrunbythe distributiveeducationclassUnderthedirectionofMrSacton,the school store has become a laboratory where members of the distributiveeducationclassputintopracticewhattheylearnedin theclassroom.Thestudentsarerequiredtoworkinthestoreone period a day for two weeks under the supervision of other classmateswhoactthepartsofemployerandbusinessexecutive. Allstudentsaremarkedontheirperformance.Thestudentsorder merchandise,takeinventory,assembledisplays,etc Thestudents
get$160anhour
Anotherchangeinthepastfewyearsaretwobookracksstocked withpaperbackswhicheverybodyfrom“thehot-rodenthusiastto theintellectual”enjoys,asMr Sactonputsit Alongwiththis service,teachersmayorderpaperbacksfortheirclassesthoughthe schoolstore.
Oneoftheaccomplishmentsoftheschoolstorelastyearwasa grossincomeofover$11,000.Thispastfalltheysoldasmuchas $600 $700worthofmerchandiseaday.Asonecansee,theschool storeperformsanimmenseservicetotheschool
Wecometoyouthismonthfullofideas,resolutionsand ssssssssss
promises Ourgospelisthatnextyears’sTATTLERwillbeten timesbetter funnier,moreserious,moresportsbutlessemphasis onathletics,betterplanningbutmoreoff-the-cuff,lesstopicalbut morecurrent,andsoon.Promiseyouanything…Unfortunately foryou,seniors,you’llneverknowifwe’reputtingyouon,nor willyouunderclassmenknowifwecanputourmoneywhereour mouthisunlessyoubuynextyear’sTATTLER.Startsavingup… Youshouldseesomeofthethingswe’vegotinstoreforyou… wow confidentialmeasurementsofallMissIHScontestants Advance scouting of the intramural chess championships Detailedaccountsofthepoliticalinfightingandsmoke-filledroom bargainingfortheelectionofsuchstudentpowerstrongholdsas presidentofMathClub,secretaryofFutureTeachersandtreasurer ofHealthCareersClub…Oh,it’sgonnabegreat.
***
AlanHeppeltellsmethathefeelstheStudentCouncilcould raisealotofbreadbyinvitingabig-timegrouphereforaconcert, asCornelldoes.Alwaysamanofaction,Alanhasgoneaheadand invitedafamousgroupforanengagementnextyear Tickets willsoonbeonsaleforFlattandScruggs ***
EricHolmbergissuingtheAnnualfordefamationofcharacter Imeandisappearanceofcharacter WhenaskedwhyEricwas notintheyearbook,Annualstaffersreplied,“Ericwho?”
***
ThehonorsneverseemtoendforBillHill.Soonafterwinning the Pink-Eye award last month, he was elected president of IYCCA.Finally,hewasselectedasTeenoftheMonthby guess who theIYCCAItmakesonestopandthink
***
Onehearingthefrequentcomplaintsvoicedbyfriends(Paul Dickey)ofmineovergetting“shotdown,”itstruckmethatthese guyswereundergoingagreatdealofsufferingbecauseofmyown selfishness theywereunabletogetdatessimplybecauseIhad neverdisclosedmyownfoolproofapproachestoaskingforadate. Afterall,Itoldmyself,whyshouldIhaveamonopolyonthese tactics,evenifIdiddevelopthemmyself?Tobesure,these strategiescouldn’tworkaswellforanyoldguyasforarenowned loverlikemyself,butthey’dbeboundtoimproveanybody’s chancesforsuccess Accordingly,Iwrotedownafewofthe methodsforgettingadatethatIhaveemployedwithmuch sssssssss
success(Idon’tclaimtoknowalltheanswers,butIconsultedTom Hunt,asecond-greatestloveratIHS,foranyadditionalfinepoints hewasacquaintedwith)
THE PESSIMISTIC APPROACH
“Idon’tsupposeyou’dbefreethisSaturdaynight?”
“Why,yesIam.”
“Oh,well,Idon’tsupposeyou’dwanttogooutwithme?”
“No,Idon’tsupposeIwould.”
THE SADNESS (ROD TAYLOR) ROUTINE
“Luv,I’vejusthadsomebadnewsandI’mreallyshookup. Couldn’twemakeitadate?Itwouldcheermeupso ”
“No,Ithinkyou’dbetterstayhomewithyourmommy”
THE DIRECT ATTACK
“WouldyouliketogotothegameFridaynight?”
“Oh,yes!ItendtoInfact,I’mgoingwithSam”
THE CASUAL TACK
“Hey,areyoudoinganythingthisSaturdaynight?”
“No.”
“How‘boutifwemakeitadatethen?”
“No,Itoldyou,I’mnotdoinganythingSaturdaynight.”
THE EXCITEMENT GIG
“Hey,babe,whatsaywegooutandpaintthetown?Areya readyforalittleexcitement?”
“I’msorry,butIwasplanningtogoskydivingwithmyDad”
Thetimeofgraduationdrawsnear…asdoesthetimeofparting (sob)...Itisasoberingthought[...]Whocanblameseniorsfor theirfeelingsofsentimentastheyleave?Thinkofallthethings theywillrememberandmiss:thecomfortinginaudiblemusicin themorning…thoseearsplittingdanceplugsoverWIHS…the timewhenthejukeboxcameonduringstudyhall thosegreat daysinJanuarywhenthetemperaturegoesto45° inside all thosegreatseniorstudyhalls eventhewaterintheairconditioned fantasticreferendums fantasticDeeb’s fantasticdeodorant fightsinthelockerroom Oh,it’llbetoughtoforget
June 1930
OneSessionSchool
Onesessionschool!Iwouldliketoseesomebodyputupan argumentagainstitthatwouldcomparewithafewofthepointsI wishtodisclose
First,thereareabouttwenty-fivepeopleoutofthewhole populationoftheschoolnumberingnearly1250,whoopposethe plan.Second,innumerabletimesathleticteamsrepresentingthe high school, have gone on out-of-town trips on week days, necessitatingthatthemembersofthesquadmisssomeoftheir classes.Andthird,itwouldallowmoretimeforathleticcontests bothVarsityandintramural,thereforeencouragingmorestudents
AfewyearsagothisplanwastriedoutintheJuniorHigh Schoolandwasasuccess,so,iftheyputitover,whycan’twe,who aresupposedtobemoreintellectual,dothesame?
Y.O.Ming
June 2011
TheRoswellUFOIncident ByKELSEYSHANG
For centuries people have pondered the existence of extraterrestrialcreaturesWhetheronebelievesinthemornot,itis undeniablethatthepublicimageofaliensiseverywhereBesides beingapopularthemewithinconspiracytheories,thefearofaliens isvisiblethroughoutanygiventimeperiodandformofmedia. Withtherapiddevelopmentofspacetechnology,moreandmore peoplemaybeacceptingthepossibilityofintelligentlifebeyond our solar system. One of the most controversial and famous conspiracytheoriesistheRoswellUFOIncident Themassive impactsofthiseventstilltranscendintomoderntimesandremains aheatedtopic
In the summer of 1947, William Ware “Mack” Brazel encounteredastrangepileofdebrisnearRoswell,NewMexicoAs Brazel’spublicitygrew,“brightwreckagemadeupofrubberstrips, tin foil, a rather tough paper and sticks’’ became secretive whisperingof“flyingdiscspossiblyusedbyaliens.”Thestorywas sweptfromthelocalnewspaper,theRoswellDailyRecord,tothe Airforce,andtotheheadoftheFBI.Immediatelyaftercollecting theobjectfromBrazel,theAirForceofFortWorthreleaseda statement deeming the “disc” to be a weather balloon, later identifiedtobefromthesecretivegovernmentalproject,Mogul, instead Whetherthispressreleasewasindeedtrueoramassive coverupbythegovernmentisstillferventlydebated However, themajordiscrepancieswithinthiseventareresponsibleforthe varyingcontradictionbetweeneachaccount.
Yearslater,manywitnesseseagerlycameforwardtoeach recounttheirstoriesofalienorUFOencounters.Whilesome accountswereobjective,otherswereboldandcolorfuloreven falsifiedIn1978,MajorJesseMarcel,IntelligenceOfficerfromthe RoswellArmyAirFieldbase,whenaskedaboutthedebris,said, “Therewasallkindsofstuff smallbeamsaboutthreeeighthsora halfinchsquarewithsomesortofhieroglyphicsonthemthat couldnotbebroken,couldnotbeburned Ieventookmy cigarettelighterandtriedtoburnthematerial…Butsomething thatisevenmoreastonishingisthatthepiecesofmetalthatwe broughtbackweresothin…theboyscametomeandsaid:‘…I triedtobendthestuff…Ieventrieditwithasledgehammer.You can’tmakeadentonit.’”
AnotheraccountincludesthatofGeraldAndersonin1990He sssssssss
From the Archives: Excerpts from The Tattler Issues of Yesteryear
Continued from page 29
claimedthatin1947,healongwithhisfamilyencountereda crashed “spaceship” along with four of its passengers He characterizedthealiensstatingtheyhadeyesthatwere“ovalshaped,andvery,verybigTheywereabluishcolorNotbluelike inhumaneyes,sortofamilkyblue.”Havingonlybeenextremely youngatthetimeofthecrashandyet,rememberinginsuch excruciating detail led many investigators (except Stanton Friedman)todiscredithisclaims.Ironicallyenough,monthsafter theinterview,AndersonreturnedwithadiaryfromhisUncleTed, convenientlydetailingthecrashaswell.However,therewere immediate contradictions For example, Anderson initially describedthealieneyestobebluewhilethediarystatedtheywere blackWhetherthediarywasfalsifiedornot,UncleTedhad“died” beforehecoulddefendhisbookortheinkusedafterhisdeath
TheRoswellUFOIncidentremainsapopularconspiracytheory andholdsgreatculturalsignificancewithinoursociety.LikeArea 51orOrsonWelles’ War of the Worlds,theRoswellincidentisa prominentthemeintelevision,literature,andmusic.
Forexample,theleadvocalistoftheFooFighters,DaveGrohl, hasastronginterestinthesupernatural.Theirbandnameis actuallyanoldtermfordescribingUFOsandtheyhaveevengone totheextentofnamingtheirrecordlabelRoswellRecords The FooFightershavealsoperformedattheRoswellAirForceBase andevenattheverycrashsiteWhetheronebelievesthestoriesor not,thisculturaliconisdefinitelyheretostay
June 1920
Lifebringsusbothjoyandsorrow, There’svictoryanddefeat, Lifeholdsforsome,highesthonors, Fortheseweallmustcomplete.
Onepartofourcourseisended, Thisclosesourhighschooldays, Asteptowardsuccess,completed, Stillforwardwepressourways
Fondmem’rieswillalwayslinger, Tospurusontoourbest, Asourthoughtsturnbacktohighschool, Totheidealsthereexpressed.
Ittaughtustoloveourcountry, Toworkforallmankind, ToleaveresultstoourMaker, FromHimeverytasktofind
Ourlivesmustbefilledwithduty, Withpurposeandhighresolve, Forthemanydifferentproblems Wemaybecalledontosolve.
Mayeachyearindistantfuture Bringdaysmostwillinglyspent Inlovingserviceforothers, Whereinthereistruecontent
GenevieveStone,’20
ByCLAIREPARK,SHAINEWEI,ALIZAPROULX,TANIAHAO,NATALIEPATRONE,VALENTINA
DearMaggie,
It’shardtobelievethatitisalreadyJuneandI’monestepcloserto havingtosaygoodbye ThisisincrediblysadformebecauseI knowIwillmissyounextyear WhenIfirstmetyouonthe editorialboardthispastschoolyear,Ididnotrealizeitwasyour firstyearaswell Youseemedsopassionatefor The Tattler andI reallyadmireyourtalentforfindingthemostinterestingand intriguingarticlesfromthearchives.Itwasthroughyourworks thatIreallystartedrecognizinghowrichthehistoryofour newspaperis.ItjustfeelssocooltogetaninsightonwhatIHS studentsfromupto100+yearsagoweregoingthrough.
Yourworksintheliterarysectionof The Tattler areincredibleas well.Everypoemyouwritehasevokedmyemotionsinthebest waysIhopeyoucontinuewritingincollege,andpleasemakesure tosendthemtome!
Duringthecourseofthisyear,youwerearolemodelformeand many others inspiring us to be great writers, editors, board members,andteammates.Ifonlyyouweren’tgraduating,because Iwouldhavelovedtoworkwithyouagain.Iwishyouthebestof luckattheUniversityofMassachusetts-Amherstnextyear,doing whatyoulove!
funandasvaluableasmine
Claire’25
DearAddie,
I’msurprisedtoseethattheschoolyearisjustaboutover,andyour timeonThe Tattler EditorialBoardissooncomingtoanend.I’d liketosaywithaheavyheartthatI’veenjoyedyourpresencewith usandit’ssadtoseeyougo WhenIfirstmetyou,Iknewyou wereabrightandoutgoingperson,andyou’vemaintainedthat wonderfulenergythroughout Youneverexcludedanyone,and yourpresenceatourmeetingsonFridaysalwaysmademefeel included
Alongwithyourenergeticpersonality,Ialsowanttoacknowledge yourincredibleworkasCopyEditorthisyear.Ididn’tfully understandtheresponsibilitiesoftheCopyEditorpositionuntil ourWriters’WorkshopabouttherolesonThe Tattler Editorial BoardItwasonlythendidIrealizetheamountofeffortyouput into The Tattler Itrulyappreciateyourdedication,aswithoutyou, ourmonthlyissueswouldn’thavebeenpossible!
You’vebeensuchagreatfriendandsenior,andyourcommitment totheeditorialboardwillforeverbeaninspirationtopastand futuremembers.IwishyouthebestofluckatBard!
~Shaine’25
DearAlice,
I’mnotreallysurehowtostartthis,norhaveIfullyprocessedthe realityofyourdeparturefrom The Tattler Theenergyyoubringto ourmeetingsisunmatchedandtrulyirreplaceable.Withasingle comment,youcantransformtheatmosphereentirely youcan lightenthemoodwhenadiscussionbecomestooheated,orbring usbacktocenterwithagrounded,thought-provokingsuggestion. Youroutgoingsenseofhumorhascontributedtocountlessiconic CoolnessSpectrumsandyourattentiontodetailhassignificantly improvedthequalityofourpaper
Yet,itisyourraw,deeplyintimateandvulnerableliteraryworks thatstandouttomemostamongstyourdiversesetof Tattler contributions.Yourabilitytoexpressemotionthroughwritingis incredible.Assomeonewhosepersonalityandlevelofexpressionis completelyinvertedfromyourown,Icanonlyadmireyour powerfulpersonalwritingfromafar.Evenyourprosefeelspoetic. Growingup,youwerearolemodeltomeinsomanydifferent contexts music,sports,andourownsimilarexperiences and althoughwehavebothchangedsincethen,Istilllookuptoyour ssssssss
writingwithaweAndbeyondthat,Iwillneverforgethowyou haveimpactedmepersonally youfoundmewhenIwaslostand forthatIamforevergrateful
The Tattler won’tbethesamewithoutyou,butyourcontributions willberememberedbyeveryoneontheboardandIsincerelywish youthebestofluckinPerunextyear.
~Aliza’24
DearRuby,
Ican’tbelieveI’mwritingthisrightnowOr,moreaccurately,I can’tbelievewe’resayinggoodbyetoyouYou’vebecomesuchan integralpartofourcommunityoverthepastthreeyears Ican’t believeit’sbeenthatlong andit’sgoingtotakesometimetoget usedtoa Tattler withoutyouinit.Ihonestlycannotimagine The Tattler withoutyoureloquent,uniquelycontrarianinsights,your wittyhumor,andyourcalming,stablepresenceinourmeetings. You’vemadesomanylastingcontributionstothispaper,invisible aswellassubtleways,and The Tattler willcertainlyneverbethe samebecauseofwhatyou’veaccomplishedhere
Butbeyondallthat,you’realsoanamazingfriendandunlike anyone I’ve ever met. Your earnest, unwavering confidence, devotiontoyourpassions,andstrongcertaintyinyourbeliefsset youapartandwillserveyouwell,I’msure,inthefuture.You’re themostmatureteenagerIknow,yetyou’realsoalotoffuntobe around.IlearnsomethingneweverytimeIspendtimewithyou. Ourconversationsencouragemetokeeplearning,thinking,and discoveringbecauseI’msoimpressedbyyourabilitytopursue yourpassions
We’vehadagoodrun,buddy!Iwouldwishyouthebestofluck, butIdon’tbelieveyouneeditbecauseyou’reoneofthemost impressiveandambitiouspeopleIknow.
~Tania’24
DearFrances,
Youhavebeenaguidinglightandarolemodelformeandfor manyothersYou’veled The Tattler thispastyearwithastrength and calmness that held together this paper. From the board meetingsyouleadtotheracesyourun,youalwaysdemonstratea highlevelofcommitmentandtenacity.Youhavealwaysbeen thereformetolendahelpinghand,forwhichIamincredibly grateful.
Youreruditionisapparentintheengagingconversationswe’ve ssssss
To Our Departing Members: Live Long and Prosper!
Continued from page 31
sharedaftermeetingsandduringruns,butthedepthofyour wisdomisneverclearerthanitisinyourwritingYourpieceabout yourcollegeapplicationprocesswasincrediblymethodicaland helpful, and the retelling of your journey to Morocco was effortlesslyfunnyandisstilloneofmyfavoritearticlestodate.
Nextyear,I’llmissyourcalmingpresenceatboardmeetings,your wittyconversationsduringcrosscountrypractice,andofcourse yourimpeccablestyle.Iadmittedlyoftenresorttothethought “whatwouldFrancesdo”insituationsthatIjustcan’tseemto solveIsincerelyhopeyouknowhowmuchyou’vedonefor The Tattler duringyourtimeontheboardIknowthatIamnotalone insayingthat The Tattler will continue to look up to your leadershipandyourmethodsasthegoldstandard,andyouwillbe sorelymissedasaboardleader,andasafriend Goodlucknext year,andIhopeyouhaveanamazingtimeinLondon.
~Natalie’25
DearTing,
Workingwithyouonthecenterspreadeachmonthhasbeenone ofthehighlightsofmyyearYoualwaysmanagetomakemymost outlandishandfantasticideasareality,andIamsosogratefulfor yourhardwork!Ialwayslookforwardtoseeingthefinaldesign, usuallyrunningaroundexcitedlyshowingittothepeoplearound me(asmyfamilycanattest!).Yourresponsibility,collectedness, andcreativityhavebeensuchananchorformethroughthehectic schoolyear:whatevertheidea,youalwaysmakeituniqueand beautifulIcanhardlybelieveit’sonlyyourfirstyearontheBoard!
Iamverysadtoseeyougo yourprofessionalismandorganization issoimpressive,andwillbesorelymissedBestoflucknextyear!
~Valentina’25
DearHannah,
Mypasttwoyearsontheboardhavebeenawhirlwindof fascinatingideas,intriguingarticles,andcontrastingopinionsBut outofallofthevariedanddiversearticlesthathavebeenwritten for The Tattler,Icanconfidentlysaythatsomeofthemost interestingarticleshavebeenyoursYourcontributionstotheArts andOpinionsectionshavebeenfascinating,thought-provoking takes that have, many times, spurred me to contemplate a completelydifferentsideofatopic.Frompassionatemoviereviews tointenseopinionarticles,everyoneofyourarticlesisbursting withacertainsenseofpersonalitythatishardtoputintowords. Ontheboard,youbringafreshperspectivetoeachideawesssssssss
discuss,whetherit’srelatedtotheschoolorbroaderissues You havebeenanamazingguidingvoiceforthisnewspaperandan inspirationtoourmeetings,and The Tattler willsorelymissyour contributionsIwishyouthebestofluckforthefuture,whatever itholds!
~Mukund’24
ByMIACHO,VALERYALVARO
UniversalLunch(UL)hasbeenasubstantialadjustmentto manythispastschoolyearIt’sclearthatULhasitspros andcons,butoneaspectthathasbeenbrushedasideisits ssssss
impactonthecafeteriastaff,whomakeULpossibleandwhomake importantcontributionsincountlessotherways.Astheyear comestoanend,wespokewithhighschoollunchmanager,Jamie Zervos,togethertakeonULandhowit’saffectedthestaffthis year
Mia Cho ’26:Tellusalittlebitaboutyourselfandhowlong you’veworkedatIHS
Jamie Zervos:I’mthehighschoollunchmanager.Ihavebeen withICSDforfourteenyears.
Valery Alvaro ’26:WhatareyourthoughtsonhowULhasbeen thisyear?
JZ:Mythoughtsarethatfromourperspective,it’sbeensuccessful withthechangeIthasbeenastrugglegettingenoughkidstoeat comparedtootheryearsWearetryingtofacilitateextralinesfor thekidstocomeandeatbutIalsoknowthatthecrowdsarehard
VA:WouldyousupportoropposehavingULinthefuture?
JZ:IguessI’minagreement.Iguesswhathasn’tbeenthoughtout fromtheothersideistestingandfieldtrips,andhowthatimpacts lunches
MC:WhatcanbeimprovedregardingUL,oranythingelse relatingtothecafeteriaenvironment?
JZ:AlittlemoresupportinthelunchlinesIhavealotofstudents cuttingthelineandwhenapersonfinallygets[tothefront],the foodisalreadygoneorsoldout.Orhavingstudentsrealizethat standinginlinewithafriend[whoisnotbuyinglunch]makes[the line]longerandbackpacksmakethelinelonger.Cominginwith thebackpacksmakesthelineslongerbecauseit’slikeapersonanda halfinline,insteadoffindingaseatandknowingthatthat’syour spaceIguess
MC:HasULchangedyourexperienceatIHS,andifso,how?
JZ:IthaschangedmyexperienceWearenowcookingallofour foodatonetimetopushoutthelunches.Westrategicallythink aboutwhatwecanservebecauseyoucan’tputmorethantwoto threeitemsonaplateasitslowsthelinedown.Tacodayswhere thestudentshavetodothelettuce,thetomatoes,theonions,the salsa,thesourcream,thecheese;ortheburgerday,thesameidea withpickles,reallyslowseverythingdownsowetrytomakesure ssssss
thattheotherlineisjustaspopularwithsomethingtheywantso theywillequalout
VA:WouldyourecommendhavingULatotherdistrictsor schools?
JZ:Idon’tthinkitbenefitsthekitchenpeople,butIdobelieveit probablybenefitstheacademicportion.Forus,withmoretimeand cookingforeachline,Ifeelbetteraboutthefood.Itfeelsfresher,it feelslikeIcareaboutthat[lunch]line.It’sabigheavypushtoget everythingpreparedandcooked,andthenallofasuddenit’slike, “bam!Twelveminutesandit’sallover,cleanupandwe’redone!” soitdoesgofast I’dratherspendmoretimemakingthingsper line
IfULiscontinued,thentheopinionsofthecafeteriastaffshould beinthisdiscussionaswell.Asastudentbody,remembertobe consideratetowardsthestaffforeverythingtheydoinourschool. Toallofthestaffthatworkinourcafeteria,wethankyouonour schools’ behalf for doing your jobs to keep our cafeteria a nourishingandwell-keptarea
I’velivedinIthacaforsevenyearsnowandhaveresigned myselftobeinghereforanotherfourPartofmedreadsthis, butI’vealsolearnedtoreallylovethislittletownandallits ssssss quirkiness.SomuchofwhatI’vewrittenfor The Tattler overthe lastthreeyearshasbeenbitter,critical,andangry.Ithoughtit wouldbenicetogooutwitharareglimpseofpositivity.Hereis whatIlove(oratleastlike)aboutIthaca.
TheonethingaboutIthacathatItrulycan’tcomplainaboutis the food. Whether it be bubble tea or gyros, you can find everythingyourheartdesireseitherdowntownorinCollegetown (Thebubbleteaoptionsweretheprimaryfactorinconvincingme tostayintownforcollege)Ilovethewayeverythingissoclose by afterfailingacalcexam,there’snothinglikewalkingdownto theCommonstogetsomesushiatSushiOsakaIalsoappreciate theabundanceofamazingsmallbusinesses:TheBotanist,Mama Said Hand Pies, and Sweet Melissa’s. (When I go to Sweet Melissa’snow,IalwaysthinkaboutthemonthaftertheAPChem exam,whenwewouldgothereasaclasswithMr.Tuori.)
I’veespeciallygrowntoappreciateIthaca’snatureinmylastfew monthsofhighschool Whentheweathergotwarmer,Ibegan spendingmyfreeperiodswanderingaroundtheneighborhoods surroundingIHS,sittingbythefallsandreading,andpetting outdoorcats ItmakessensethatIthacaisknownforitsgorges becausethesearesomeofthemostbeautifulpartsofourlovely ssssss
town Duringthesummer,swimminginthelakesandspending dayslayinginthesunatFlatRockorFirstDammakesyou (almost)completelyforgettheeightmonthsofsnow,rain,and seasonaldepressionahead.Therearealsoallthebeautifulvineyards andappleorchardsthatyoucanvisitfromspringtofall whenI justmovedhere,Iusedtogototheseoftenwithmyfamily.Andof course,thebestpartofapplepickingis,withoutadoubt,getting appleciderdonuts.
FromPorchfesttotheconstantscentofweedintheair,Ithacais certainlyunlikeanywhereelseThistownhasitsownpersonality thatmanifestsintheoriginalclothespeoplewear,theartandmusic allaround,andthecommonplacepoliticalprotestsandralliesIlove allthemuralsaroundtownandtheexcitementthatbuildsinthe weeksleadinguptoIthacaFest,AppleFest,WizardingWeekend, andmore.There’sacertaincharmtoalltheuniquecharactersof Ithaca:theMagicMan,thegoldenretrieversontheCommons,the womanwhoisalwaysrollerskatingwithmusicplayingfromher speakers.Additionally,asprobablyoneofthesafestplacesin UpstateNYtobeopenlyqueer,Ithaca’sthrivinggaycommunity andprideisunparalleled,especiallycomparedtothesurrounding areas(coughcoughCorningandCortland)
AnotherthingIreallyappreciateaboutIthacaisthepolitical climate althoughthere’sdefinitelyroomforimprovement,this cityisonewithprimarilyliberalandleftistviewsMyfriendsfrom sssssssss
Continued from page 33
backhomewereoftensurprisedtohearthattherearegroupsof self-proclaimed Marxists in Ithaca This political spirit is felt throughout our community, best showcased by the fervent mannerinwhichIthacanshaveshownuptosupportourlocal Starbucks Workers United amidst blatant union-busting. The peopleofIthacaarepoliticallyprogressiveandunified,andthat contributestothecharmofthiscity.Ithacaisalsohometooneof thebiggestandmostwellknownlaborrelationsprogramsinthe world,CornellInternationalLaborRelations(ILR).Manyofthe protestssurroundingtheStarbucksunion-bustingwereorganized byILRstudents,whomIwillbeamongnextyearWhileImove ontothenextchapterofmylife,Ifindmyselfmostlycontentwith mydecisiontostayhereIt’snotperfect,butitishome
Asthelinesbetweensciencefictionandrealitycontinueto blur,onerevolutionarydevelopmentisblazingtheway: CRISPR
CRISPRstandsforClusteredRegularlyInterspacedShort PalindromicRepeats.Itwasoriginallydiscoveredasadefensive mechanisminbacteria.Whenbacteriabecomeinfectedbyviruses, asmallpieceoftheviralDNAisinsertedintotheCRISPRregion ofthebacterium’sgenome.Whenthesamevirusinfectsthe bacteriumagain,theCRISPRDNAistranscribedtoRNA,which servesasaguidetodirectaCas9proteintoaspecificregionofthe viralDNA TheCas9proteinthenactslikescissorsandcutsthe viral DNA, thus riding off this infection American scientist JenniferDoudnaandFrenchscientistEmmanuelleCharpentier, the2020NobelPrizelaureatesforchemistry,discoveredhow CRISPRworksandshowedthatCas9proteinandaguideRNA (gRNA)canbeprogrammedtocutDNAineukaryoticcells.This worksetthestageforCRISPR-basedgeneeditingtechnology.
CRISPRcanbeusedfortwomaintypesofgeneediting:gene disruptionandgenereplacement.ThesefunctionsofCRISPRhave many different applications, ranging from curing diseases to combatingfoodinsecurity Inthemedicalindustry,theCRISPR geneeditingtechnologyisusedtotreatsicklecellanemia,restore vision,andboostcancerimmunotherapy
OnenotableexampleofCRISPR’sapplicationsisitsabilityto treatsicklecellanemia(SCA).SCAisaninheriteddiseasewhere patientshaveamutationinagenethatencodeshemoglobin, whichisaproteininredbloodcellsthathelpsoxygenmove throughoutthebody.ThedefectivehemoglobininSCApatients causesredbloodcellstocurveina“sickle”shape.Thisaffectsthe redbloodcells’abilitytobendandmove,whichcanblockblood ssssss
flowaroundthebodyBlockedbloodflowcanleadtoseriousissues suchasstroke,eyeproblems,infection,organdamage,andepisodes ofpainTherearenolongtermcurestoSCA,soscientiststurned toCRISPR Scientistscanremovecellsfromthebonemarrowof thepatientanduseCRISPRtoeditadefectivegene,nowallowing theredbloodcellstoproducenormalhemoglobin.VictoriaGray,a thirty-nine-year-oldMissouriresident,receivedthistreatmentand isthefirstpersontobecuredfromsicklecellanemia.Since receivingthistreatment,Graysaysherqualityoflifeandenergy levelshaveincreased.Grayhasnotneededanybloodtransfusions orothertreatmentsincetheprocedurewasfirstcompletedinJune of2019CRISPRhasopenedthepathintreatingblooddisorders, and this experimental treatment has now been used to treat multipleotherpatientswithblooddisorderslikebetathalassemia CRISPRisalsobeingusedtorestorevisiontothosewithgenetic disordersthatcausedeteriorationofeyesight.Totreatcancer, scientistsanddoctorstakecellsoutofthepatient,geneticallyedit them,andthenplacethembackintothepatient’sbody.However, thisisnotpossiblewithretinalcells,whicharetoofragiletobe removed from the body. Scientists must turn to a different approach:usingCRISPRtoeditcellswhilethecellsarestillinthe bodyThisisdonebycuttingsmallincisionsintheretinaandthen injectingbillionsofcopiesofaharmlessvirusintotheeyeOncein theeye,eachoftheseviruseswillbeabletomanufactureCRISPR toreplaceadefectivegeneinthegenomewithanormalgeneThis willallowtheproductionofnormalproteinsthatcanrestorethe function of cells in the retina. This approach is drastically improvingvisionforpatientswithLeberCongenitalAmaurosis (LCA),araregeneticdisorderthatcausesthedeteriorationof vision starting at birth, eventually leading to total blindness. MichaelKalberer,asocialworkerfromLongIsland,hasLCAand volunteeredtohavethisCRISPRproceduredoneinthefallof 2021Heisnowabletoseecoloragainafteryearsofnotbeingable to InaninterviewwithNPR,hedescribedhisexperiencesathis cousin’swedding,sayinghappily,“IcouldseetheDJ’sstrobelights changecolorandidentifythemtomycousinswhoweredancing withme!”
Inthepastfewyears,doctorshavealsobeentryingtouse CRISPRtomodifyimmunecellstotreatrecurringcancerswith thegoalofmakingpatients’immunecellstorecognizeandattack cancerouscellsintheirownbody ScientiststakeT-cells,cellsof theimmunesystemthatfightinfectionandcancer,fromthe patient’simmunesystemanduseCRISPRtoeditthemsothatthe immunecellscanattacktumorswhileavoidingthehealthycells ThemodifiedcellsarethenreinfusedbackintothepatientFormer NBAplayerVictorBartolomesufferedfrombloodcancerand wentthroughmultipletreatments,includingchemotherapyand stem cell transplant, and finally this CRISPR-based treatment method.Overayearlater,heisstillinremission.Inprinciple,this experimentalapproachcanbeappliedtomanydifferenttypesof cancerThesetreatmentsaredubbed“livingdrugs”becauseliving cellsfromthepatient’sownimmunesystemareengineeredand ssssss
reinfusedbacktothepatient Treatingcancerwiththismethod willcontinuetogetmoreefficientinthenextfewyears
CRISPRhasalsobeenusedtotacklefoodinsecurity At Washington State University, scientists are working to use CRISPRtoreplaceselectivebreedinginlivestock.Forcenturies, humanshavetriedtoselectivelybreedlivestockforthosethat producemoremeatorhavelessdisease.However,thisprocessis slowandcancausemanynewproblemswhileobtainingthe desiredtrait.
Additionally,eachtime,onlyonemalewiththedesiredtraitsis available for breeding Recently, scientists are trying to use CRISPR to directly edit animals’ genomes to make selective breedingmoreefficientTheyhaveusedCRISPRtosterilizemale pigsandthenimplantedthemwithstemcellsfromapigwiththe desiredtraitsTheoncesterilepigswillthenproduceoffspring,all withtheDNAfromthedesiredpig.Thisprocesswouldallow farmerstohavemorebreedingmalesandgetmoreoffspringfrom adesiredpig,improvingtheefficiencyofselectivebreeding.The goal of this treatment is to “increase the efficiency of food production,”accordingtoleadresearcheronthisproject,Jon Oatley Oatleyarguesthatbygene-editinglivestock,wecan strengthenthefoodsupplyandmakesurethateveryonehas enoughtoeat
CRISPR has transformed genetic engineering and its applications Everythingfromfoodproductiontocuringgenetic disorderstosavinglivesfromcancerhasbeenaccomplishedwith thehelpofCRISPR.Itholdspromiseforadvancingourknowledge andimprovingmanyaspectsoflives.
Manipulating the soft palate, hard palate, larynx, and tonguearejustafewofthedifferentwayshumanscan craft sound Because of these organs’ distinct ssssssssssssssscharacteristics, imitating their particular properties to create convincingartificialhumanvoicesisadifficulttask.Researching differentmethodsofspeechsynthesis,humanshavecreatedvocal pianos,computers,andartificialintelligence,eachwithdifferent strengthsanddrawbacks.Whileartificialvoices’potentialeffecton humanity,ethicalbackground,andfuturedirectionareimportant toconsider,lookingbackonthedevelopmentsthathelpedbringus
hereandexperiencingthesimulationofvoicesgivesusanew perspectiveWiththatinmind,let’sstartatthebeginning Vocalsynthesishasexistedforhundredsofyears,startingwith thephysicianChristianKratzenstein’svowelorgan Createdin 1780,thismachineusedairtovibratereedsandcreatevowel soundsmodelinghumanmouthmechanics.Whiletheorgan’s soundmayseemuncannytosome,itwasthefirststepinthelong journeytocreateamechanicalspeechreplacement.Thisinvention was followed by several other wind operated machines that generateddifferentresultsandmoreoptionsforproducedsound. ThemostnotableofthesewasJosephFaber’sEuphoniain1845,a machinecapableofmimickingmostsoundsinEnglish,French, andGermanTheEuphoniawasusedforperformance,abletosing inanuncannymannerwhilealsodisplayinganaccurateand impressiveshowcaseofthepotentialforspeechsynthesis
Intherealmofelectronics,thefirstbreakthroughwasBell TelephoneLaboratory’sVoiceOperatingDemonstrator,orVoder forshort.ThismachinewasthemostsimilartotheEuphonia, allowingtheusertocontrolthemachine’sspeechwithakeyboard. Additionally,themachineusedacomplexcombinationofspeech filters,atechniquethatwouldchangevowelandconsonantsounds toallowformoreinflectionoptionsTheVoderprovidedamore accurate speech synthesis model than the Euphonia, but was difficulttocontrolandunderstand
Thenextleapincreatingspeechwasadigitalsynthesizer createdbyMaxMathewsontheIBM7094DataProcessing Systemin1959.Thiscomputerwasthefirsttogaintheabilityto talkandperformedthesong“DaisyBell,”shockingtheworldwith thisnewdigitalevolution.Thisperformancehassincebecomea culturallysignificantproofofevolvingtechnology,inspiringa sceneinthemovie2001:ASpaceOdyssey
Jumpingaheadto2004,thefirstcommerciallysuccessful enterpriseofspeechsynthesiswascreatedintheformofvirtual singerpersonalitiesThestudioZeroGreleasedtwo“VirtualSoul Vocalists,”synthesizersingingtalentscalledLeonandLola,for purchaseandprivateuse.Usingthesesynthesizers,producerscould createmusicwithvirtualvoices,allowingforthemassproduction ofmusicusingthesame“singer.”Whilethesefirsttwotalents didn’tachievewidespreadpopularity,theproofofconceptoftheir synthesizer-based,crowd-sourcedmusicproductionmodelspurred theJapanesecompanyYamahatocreatetheirownVocaloididols Yamaha’sownseriesofVocaloidvirtualsingers,createdin2005,is oneofthemostfamousexamplesofsynthesizermusicaltalents
Most of these synthesizer singers use “voice banks,” some thousandsofrecordedsoundsbyavoiceprovider,allowingforan expansiverangeofspeakingandsinging.Themostfamousof Yamaha’svirtualsingers,HatsuneMiku,isvoicedbySakiFujita andiscreditedwithsingingover100,000songs.Additionally,as newvoicesamplesarepublishedforuse,thevocalsofthesesingers arecontinuouslyimproving.
Thismodelofreusingandcombiningaudioclipstocreate music is commonly used in text-to-speech (TTS) programs sssssssss
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Apple’s famous Siri program TTS used voice actress Susan Bennett’svoicetomodelthefirstiterationoftheirSiriprogramin 2011,usingaudioclipstoconcatenateintoaccuratesentencesand provideunderstandablespeechThesamegoesforfamousphysicist Stephen Hawking’s artificial speech device. While his illness preventedhimfrommovinghismusclestospeak,whathecould stillcontrolwasusedtoprovidetextinputtoamachinethatgave himhisfamousvoice.Inthisway,artificialvoicetechnologyhas beenkeyinunlockingindependenceforpatientswholostmajor functionsoftheirbody.
However,thecurrentstageofspeechsynthesishasmostly movedpastthissynthesismodel Newdevelopmentsinmachine learninghaveattemptedtoovercomeissuesofunnatural-sounding voiceswhenunrelatedwordsarestrungtogetherinsentences Thishasledtothecontroversialprocessoftrainingmodelsusing ssss
people’svoices,enablingimpersonationsofthesepeoplethrough “deepfakes”Thistechnologyhasinspiredanewphenomenonof ironicimpersonationsoffamouspeople,includingpastandcurrent presidentsDonaldTrump,JoeBiden,andBarackObama,whostar infakevideosaboutridiculoustopicssuchasargumentsovervideo gamesandsnackfoods.
Theemergenceofnewmodesofexpressionthroughhuman speechcreationissomethingneverseenbefore.Thistechnology enables deceit and dishonesty, but provides a voice and an opportunityforself-expressiontothosewhoareunabletospeak. Therelativeinfancyofthistechnologymakesitimpossibleforus toknowitstruenature,sowhetheritwillbeusedtobuildupor break down society is unknown Imminent societal collapse notwithstanding,IrecommendeveryonetolistentotheIBM’s performanceof“DaisyBell;”itshowshowfarwe’vereallycome
ByFRANCESKLEMM
Thisissueof The Tattler ismyfinalissueasEditor-in-Chief (EiC)andourbelovedadvisor’sfinalissueafterserving The Tattler forfifteenfullyears.IthoughtI’dexplainabit ssssss aboutMs.Lynn’stremendousinfluenceasouradvisorandwhat thathasreallymeantovertheyears
EveryIHSclubneedsanadvisor,andforthenewspaper,that means Ms Lynn reads everything we write and is at every meetingMsLynnhasalwaysbeenasteady,calmingsupporterof ourwork,butsheisalsofirmwhenneededShecaresdeeplyabout studentjournalismrightsandmaintaining The Tattler’svaluesand identityasanewspaper-ofwhichsheneverfailstoremindusof. The Tattler is completely student-run it’s what makes the organizationsospecial butatthetimeswhenI’mbeatendownby toomucheditingandbacklashfromtheaudience,Ms.Lynn remindsmeofthereasonwedothiswork:touplift,highlight,and maintainstudentvoice Sheempowersustostickbyourwords andurgesustomakeadifferenceforthethingswecareaboutMs Lynnhasalwayssatinthebackofourmeetings,sometimes remaining silent, sometimes voicing a teacher’s perspective, sometimes a concerned reader’s perspective, but she’s always focusedonmakingthewordsofstudentjournalistscometolifein thebestpossibleway.Wheneverythingseemstobeamess,Ms. LynnisalwaysthepersonIcancounton.Whenthere’samistake, Ms.Lynnisclearbutneverdismissive.Whenmyphonesomehow failstorecordourwholeconversationforthisarticle,Ms.Lynnis stillwillingtovolunteerhertimetohelpout Ms Lynnhas workedwithfifteendifferent Tattler boardsandhasoverseenthe productionofnearly150issues It’snosmallfeat Soinherlast coupleofweeksatIHS,Ihadthehonorofspeakingwithher abouthertimewith The Tattler.
ssssssss
Frances Klemm ’23:Howdidyoustartinthisposition?What madeyouinterestedinthiswork?
Deborah Lynn:Ibecametheadvisorin2008sofifteenyearsin thispositionIstartedteachingherein2003,sothisrepresentsmost oftheyearsIhavebeenatIHSTheprioradvisor(RozTeukolsky) wasretiring ItsoundedinterestingtomeandIknewthatthe paperwasgoingthroughsomeroughtimeswiththecurrent administration.Iwantedtostepinandhelpthestudentsmaintain asmuchautonomywiththepaperaspossible.Itwasalsoan opportunitytohaveadifferentrolefromteachingphysics.Ithas beenanicebalancetomyresponsibilitiesattheschool.
FK:Didyouhaveanyexperiencewithnewspapersbeforethis?
DL:Ididnothaveanyexperiencewithjournalismornewspaper creation before this I am an avid reader of several journals, newspapers,andbooksIlovetolearnandthiswasanopportunity tolearnsomethingverydifferent.
OneimportantthingIlearnedwastoreadeverywordandnot beshyaboutvoicinganyconcerns.OnetimeIletatroublesome, controversialsentencebeprintedandtherewerelotsofphonecalls fromconcernedparents.IfIslackedoffonreadingeveryword beforeprinting whichwasonlyafewtimes IcametoregretitI alsolearnedtotrustthestudenteditorstodotheirjobsandteach meabouttheprocessSometimesIhadtostepinwhentherewere issuesamongeditorsbutthatwasnotoften Iseemyroleassupportiveandtrytogiveadvicemostlythrough theEiCwhenpossible.OnoccasionIhavetalkedtoeditorsabout howtoalterthetoneofapiecesoitislessdivisive tophrase thingssoreaderswillactuallyreadthewholearticleandnotbe turnedoffbysomeunnecessarytonerightfromthestart.In science,ideallywhenresearchersgivefeedbacktoothers,thefocus isonthework,notonpersonalattacksThisisjustasapplicableto ourworkonthepaper
FK:Whydoyouthinkstudentjournalismisimportant?
DL:Studentjournalismisimportantbecausethisisyourplace whereyouspendsomuchtimeandarelivingundertherulesand policiessetbyothers.Youneedtohaveavoicetoexpressyour concernsandjoys.Thepaperhasdonesometerrificin-depth articlesthathavehadanimpactonpolicy.TheBoardofEducation Representativesreadthepaper.Thesuperintendentandprincipal readthepaperPeopleinthewidercommunityreadthepaperand itisamajorwaythatnewsofourschoolisdisseminatedfroma studentperspectiveInsomecasesithasbeenthemajorsourceof newsitemsItisalsoonewayteachersfindoutaboutthingsgoing onaroundtheschoolthatwemaynotbeawareof.
FK:Whathavebeenthemostgratifyingmomentsfromyour experiencewith The Tattler?
DL:Someofthemostgratifyingmomentsformeareduring editor meeting discussions. I’ve been so impressed with the collaborativeandrespectfulwaydiscussionsarecarriedout.And theroleoftheEiCinfacilitatingthesediscussions(whichcanget intensesometimes)isamazingtowatchItisquitedifficulttobein thatkindofleadershiprolewithpeopleyourownageandoverall, thisrolehasbeenhandledgracefullyandeffectively SometimeswhenanEiChasbeenchosenforthenextyear,I havebeenconcernedthatmaybethatpersonwouldnotbeableto handletheresponsibilities.Ihavealwaysbeenprovenwrong.Itisa wonderfulthingtowatchnewEiCsstepuptowhatisrequired andtoseetherespectthattheothereditorshaveindeferringtothe EiC.
FK:Inyourfifteenyearsinthisposition,whatareyourfondest memoriesof The Tattler?
DL:Ican’tpinpointoneparticularmomentoreventIthasbeena joyandaprivilegetobeassociatedwiththegroupofstudentswho puttogetherthepaper.Seeingyourprideinthework.Seeingthe issuescompletedanddistributed.Itisahugejobthatyoualldo.
FK:Whatareyourplansforyourretirement?
DL:RightnowIamkeepingmyoptionsopenIamtakingatrip toEcuadorfortwoweeksinJulywiththeCayugaBirdClub wherewewillspendhoursjustwalkingaroundlookingatbirds Lastyear,IwentonatriptoadifferentpartofEcuadorwiththe sameorganizationandleader,andinelevendaysweencountered overthreehundredspeciesofbirds.Itwasamazing.Oftenwewere upandoutatfoura.m.andbusyuntildinner.Sometimesanowl walkatnight.Therewillbesomeseriousbirdersonthetripwho have“target”birdstheywanttoseethatareendemictosomeof theareaswewillvisitI’maprettycasualbirder Ijustliketolook atthemandmarvelatthemanycolorsandshapesandbehaviorsin frontofme
IrecentlytookupquiltingIneverexpectedtolikeitsomuch There’ssomethingelegantandchallengingaboutpiecingdifferent fabricsinvariouspatternsanddifferentcolorwaysthatIam findingveryappealing.SoIexpecttodomoreofthat.Ialsohavea grandsonnow,bornDecember2,whoIhopetospendmoretime with,watchinghisgrowthandinteractingwithhim.Havinga grandchildwarmsmyheartinawayIdidn’texpect.Andseeing mydaughterandherpartnerinteractwithhimisajoy.
Ialsoplantodomorereading Ihavealwayslovedreading novelsandhistoricalfictionbutwiththerequirementsofteaching, IhavenotdoneverymuchofthatInsteadIhavetendedtoread shorterarticlesandpiecesindifferentjournals
FK:Doyouhaveanyadviceforthenextadvisor?
DL:Ithinkofthispositionashavingtwomajorgoals protecting studentvoiceandkeepingusfromgettingsued.Readeveryword ssssss
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beforesendingtotheprinters.
FK:Whataboutadviceforfutureeditorialboards?
DL:Keepdoingwhatyouaredoing,runningmeetingssothatall voicescanbeheard,maintaininghighstandardsforthepaperand yourownworkLiketheadvisor,EiCandCopyshouldnotskimp readeverywordbeforesayingitisreadytogoIfteacherswant towritesomething makeitalettertotheeditor.Keepitasyour paperwithasmuchautonomyaspossible.Evenifyouarewriting aboutthingsthataremorenationalorinternational,youcanoften tieitbackintoourschoolcommunity.Takeprideandcarein ssssss
trainingtheneweditors.Keeptheadvisorinformed CConall emails.Besurefactsarecheckedandsourced.Evenopinionpieces shouldbewellresearchedandsupported,notjustarant.I’mso gladtobeassociatedwithalloftheeditorialstaffI’mveryproudof allofyouandhaveenjoyedwatchingfolksmatureintheirroles
Thankyouforeverything,MsLynnIhavelearnedsomuchfrom youovertheyearsonhowtostickupformyvoiceasastudent journalist.You’vecultivatedanenvironmentthathashelpedthis newspaperfosterself-empowermentandautonomyandIknowit willleavealastingimpact.Wewishyouallthebestinthenext chapterofyourlife.
ByCOCOHAMILTON
Cattelan’s Comedian. The Guardian
Thevalueofminimalistartcomparedtothatoftraditional artisthesubjectofintensecontroversywithintheart community.Withitsemergenceinthemid-twentieth ssssss centuryfollowingtheartmovementofabstractexpressionism, minimalist art put a heavy emphasis on visual “simplicity,” excludingallnon-essentialelementsandconcepts.Minimalistart givesfreedomofinterpretationtotheviewerinawayotherart doesnot itencouragesdeepanalysis,whileatthesametimeoften presentingverylittlematerialtoexamineButitisalsoarguablya low-effortartformwhencomparedtootherart
Anearlyinfluenceonminimalismandthebeginningofa century-longdebateisMarcelDuchamp’s Fountain,asculpture DuchampsubmittedtotheSocietyofIndependentArtistsin1917. Thesculptureinitiateddiscussionsontheboundariesofart could ssssss
the“sculpture,”whichwasreallyjustaurinalthatDuchamphadn’t even constructed himself, be considered art? Was it a clever methodofshiftingtheobserver’sfocusandunderstandingofart awayfromitsphysicallimitations,orwasitaninsulttotheentire artcommunity? Fountain’sinfluenceonconceptualist,minimalist, andmodernartisundeniableIt,amongotherthings,sparkedan anti-Renaissance,ofsorts,inartMinimalismmakesanattemptto distance itself from biographical elements and the intense humanismexploredduringtheRenaissance.Itwasanunexplored conceptthatofferednoclearrulesorexpectations.
Increasedminimalistartemergedthroughoutthecentury,each piecesparkingextensivediscussion.EllsworthKelly’s Yellow Piece andBrentHallard’s Knot (Pink) aresomefamousexamples.Some arguethatwhilethesepiecesarestillart,theyhavelessvaluethan other,moreexhaustiveworkssuchasLeonardoDaVinci’srevered Mona Lisa,whichtookhimyearstocomplete(theexacttimelineof the Mona Lisa isdebated,someestimatingittookovertenyears, withothersstickingtoamoretameestimateoftwoorthreeyears) Thisisaviewmanyoutsideoftheartcommunityseemtohold. Whenfacedwithalegendarypaintinglike Starry Night and MaurizioCattelan’s Comedian (theduct-tapedbananapicturedto theleft),peopleusuallyfeelmoreinclinedtoappreciatetheformer. Ifeellikebothargumentshavesomeweight.Artisasubjective experience,andformanypeople,minimalistarthasearneditsplace inmuseumsasmuchasanyVincentVanGoghorArtemisia Gentilseschipainting However,itisimportanttoconsiderthe feelingsofartistswhoworkincrediblyhardontheirart,onlytosee museumwallsfilledwithduct-tapedbananasandurinalsRecently, Cattelan’saforementionedbananawasconsumedinSeoul’sLeeum MuseumofArt.Thisisthesecondtimeanincidentlikethishas occurred.AccordingtotheBBC,whenquestionedaboutthesssssss
occurrence,Cattelansaiditwas“noproblematall.”Ithinkthis highlightsthewaymanyminimalistartistsviewtheirartwork.It’s sortofanexperiment.Howwillpeoplereacttothis?Whatwill theydo?Artisaveryhumanformofexpression,andIencourage ssssss
allaspectsofit.Artisonlyasvaluableaspeopleallowittobe. Regardlessofwhetherornotyouthinkminimalismdeservesthe sameamountofrespectastraditionalart,itisstillafascinating mediumforartiststotakeadvantageof
ByZADIEWANG
Manyteensnowadaysthinkoffilmmakingaswhipping outaphonetomakeaTikTok.ButforLunaKingO’Brien’23,it’sawayforhertoshowcasehertalent ssssss andpassionforstorytelling.King-O’Brien,asenioratIthacaHigh School,isatriple-threatwhenitcomestomediaarts.Notonlyis sheapromisingyoungfilmmaker,butsheisalsoatalentedsinger andactor Ifyouhaven’tseenheronstage(notablerolesinclude FlounderinIHS’s The Little Mermaid,PerchPerkinsinRunning ToPlaces’s The SpongeBob Musical,andGeneralGenghisKahn SchmitzinRunningtoPlaces’s Seussical: The Musical)thenyou’ve missedout.
King-O’BrienhasbeenuploadinghershortfilmsonYouTube since2021.HerYouTubepagewhichshelovinglyreferstoas “[the]homeoftheLunation,”isstockedwithshortfilmsranging from26secondslongtojustshyof11minutes.Mypersonal favoritesinclude“DearElisabeth,”aparodyonthelastletter written by Marie Antoinette, “new hot dating show” (selfexplanatory),andthemusicvideo“TEAMEXTERNALITY,”a hilariousbutalsoimportantPSAontheeffectsofvapingIneach video,youcantellhowhardsheandtherestofthecastandcrew haveworkedtocreatethesefilms.
TodivedeeperintotheworldofLunaKing-O’Brien,Iasked her a few questions about the filmmaking process, her achievements,andfuturegoals.
Zadie
Luna King-O’Brien ’23:Mymomisadocumentaryfilmmaker andsoIthinktheideareallypoppedintomyheadfromseeing thatshemadefilmsIusedtomakealotofiMoviemoviesonmy mom’slaptopandIwouldmakealotoftrailersandmusicvideos. Starting https://www.youtube.com/@lunaisawesome from a youngage,IthinkjustpracticingeditingreallygotmetowhereI amnowintermsofspeedandknowledgeofwhatmakesagood edit.
Tobehonest,Ididn’thavemuchinterestinbeingafilmmaker oranythingofthatsortuntilCOVIDhit WhenCOVIDhitI wantedtobeafamousactor,soIfilmedalotofmyselfactingand madeshortfilmslikethatNowadays,Idon’treallydothatbecause ssssss
Ihateseeingmyselfonscreen,butthat’swhereIstarted.
ZW:Arethereanyartiststhatinspiredyou?
LK:Alotofmusicinspiresme.Ifindthat…myworkreallyonly comestogetherwhenIaddmusictoitUsuallyit’sclassicalmusic that’sacommontheme mostlybecauseit’spublicdomainandI don’thavetopaycopyright IwouldsaywhenIthinkofartists thatinspiremeit’susuallymusicalartistsbecauseIreallylikemusic videosandhowthatworksIwouldsayforfilmmakingartists,I’ve hadalotofinspirationsovertheyears(likeLucaGuadagnino)but they’reverybasicandIdon’twanttosaythembecausepeople makefunofme.
ZW:Whatdoestheprocessofmakingashortfilmlooklikefrom starttofinish?
LK:FirstIcomewithanidea;Itrynottopush[myideas]because whenIpush[them],usuallyImakeabad[film]andit’snotthat good Alotofmyworkisbasedonmyintuition,especiallymy editing.Iusuallymakecutsbasedonif[theidea]feelsright.Ido thesame…forshortfilms;Ihaveadrivetofinishaprojectandget ahandleonit.That’sreallywheremysuccessfulideascomefrom.
Mostrecently,[theplotof]myshortfilm“SerpentShyneStrikes Back”[was]awildidea.Basically,Medusa’ssonfreezesthesethree charactersbuthecanonlyfreezetheirarmsbecausehehasa weakerpowerHespendsallhistimeplayingCallofDutyinstead oftrainingThentheyhavetosaveanudeyogaconventionfrom beingfrozenIthoughtthatwasprettygenius;it’salittlesillybutI thought,“thiswasagreatidea”Icameupwiththatduring storyboarding ideasderivefromotherideasand[thoughtslike] “whatifpeoplejusthadtheirhandsfrozen?”Itavalanchesfrom there,asonewouldsay.
Afterthat,I’llusuallywriteandlistentosomemusicthatcould inspiremeorbeinthefilm.Icouldwriteascript,butalotof thingscomeoutofthefilmingprocessandIhavealotofactors wholiketoimprov IwriteanoutlineorsomescriptsoIhave somethinggoingon[Afterthat]Icontactmypeopleandarrange tohaveashootwiththem thatusuallydoesn’ttakealotoftime, ssssss
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around2-3hours.ThenIgohomeandIedit.Thethingaboutme whenI’meditingisIdon’tstop.Igothomeonetimeafterfilming thePPPmusicvideo(“SpongeBobRemix-PPP”)atsevenandI editeduntilelevenIfinisheditthenextmorningEditingtakesa whilebutIcan’tstoponceIstart it’skindoflikeaflow
ZW: Are you planning to pursue film in college or your professionallife?
LK:Yes!Iwasdebatingthisforawhile Igo[through]phases prettyquicklybutIdon’tthinkthisisaphase.Italsodependson thecollegeprogram…whenlookingatsomecollegeswithfilm programsit’salotofthesamepeople:thesnootypeople,thefilm bros,themansplainersIdon’twanttosurroundmyselfwiththose peopleIwouldratherhavecollaborativeartisticpeers
I’mgoingtoOberlinCollegeandplanningonpursuinga doublemajorinCinemaStudiesandCreativeWriting WhenI touredOberlin,therewerealotofcoolpeopleintheclassesand thefacilitieswereverynice theyweresmallbutitremindedme ofhowIwork.Iwouldlovetopursue[filmmaking]inmy professionallife,I’mnotsureofwhatIwanttodo[exactly].Ihave aninterestindirectingforthestagebutIthinkitjustdependson what happens at college. It would be really cool to be an independentfilmmaker
ZW:Imagineyourdreamfilmmakinggig Whatwoulditlook like?
LK:I’mabigfanofhavinganidea,thendirecting,editing,and producingit.ButIknowobviouslytoworkonafilmyouhaveto havealotofcollaborators,whichIdidonmylastproject.Igotmy goodfriendMillietodoartworkthatwasquitefranklyamazing, andIgotacouplepeopletolookovermyscript.Inmydream world,Iwouldhaveanideaandhavethemoneytoproduceit[I’d liketobeableto]workontheediting,directing,andproducing sides,butthat’snotalwayspossible
ZW:Doyouhaveanyupcomingprojectsthatreaderswouldbe interestedin?
LK:Thisissuchagreatquestion…becauseIdo!I’mworkingon adocumentaryaboutfarming.I’mexploringtheideasofwhatit meanstobeafarmer,interviewing“virtualfarmers” alotofmy friendsplayHayDayandIplayHayDaytoo,Ithinkit’sreallysilly It’skindofanaddictionforsomepeopleIjustwanttoknow theconnectionsbetweenfarmlife,owningandtakingcareofa farm,whetheritbeonlineorIRL
TowatchLunaKing-O’Brien’sshortfilms,scantheQRcodeto visitherYouTubechannel.Youcanalsoseeheronstageas Maureen/LowbuttinRunningtoPlaces’productionofHONK!in July.
ByHANNAHSHVETS
art noun
1
1theexpressionorapplicationofhumancreativeskilland imagination,typicallyinavisualformsuchaspaintingor sculpture,producingworkstobeappreciatedprimarilyfor theirbeautyoremotionalpower.
Asmysenioryearcomestoanend,Ifindthatthehardest thingtosaygoodbyetoisthislittlesectionof The Tattler, whichhasbeenmyhome(andprideandjoy)forthelast ssssss year.WhenIfirststartedwritingforthisnewspaper,Imostly wroteforNews.ThatwasjustwhatIsawmyselfdoing.InMayof mysophomoreyear,Isigneduponawhimtowriteanarticle aboutLilNasX’smusicvideo,“Montero:(CallMeByYour Name)”Iwasn’tparticularlyinterestedinthisstyleofmusicand knewpracticallynothingabouttheartist Idon’tevenremember whyIdecidedtowritethisarticle,butitinevitablychangedthe trajectoryofmy Tattler career.Tothisday,Istillthinkthatwas oneofthebestarticlesI’veeverwritten.What’smoreimportant, however,wasthatwritingananalysisofamusicvideosparkedmy broaderinterestinthisgenreofwriting.Iprobablyre-watchedthe musicvideo20times,takingnotesoneverythingInoticed.I watchedanalysisvideosonYoutubeandreadtweetsonTwitter, untilIfeltlikeIunderstoodwhatLilNasXwastryingto communicate aboutsexuality,genderidentity,andreligion with thisintricatelymademusicvideo
Writingreviews,whetheritbeaboutbooks,movies,music,etc, isaverydifferentprocessandstyleofwritingthanreportingthe news.However,IsoonrealizedthatitwasastylethatImuch preferred.Aftermy“debut”intheArtsSection,Icontinuedonto ssssss
writeaboutTaylorSwift,tattoos,poorlyexecutedhorrormovies, andfavoritebooks.I’mawarehowhorriblyclichéthisis,but writingaboutartisawaytoexploresomanydifferentcomplex societalaspectsNothingexistsinisolation:It’snotjustafunbook ormusicvideo,butrather,whentakeninasocialandhistorical context,practicallyallworksofartareformsofcommentary As PabloPicassosaid,“Artisaliethatmakesusrealizetruth” ExploringthatiswhatIlovedsomuchaboutwritingfortheArts section.
BeingtheArtsEditorwassuchaspecialexperienceasnotonly didIgettocontinuewritingthesearticlesthatIlovewriting,butI alsogottoreadtheworkofotherstudentsandseemovies,books, andmusicfromtheirperspectives.Beingasectioneditoralso meanshavingsomeroomtoinfluencethedirectionofthesection Allofus,includingmyself,areoftenguiltyofconsumingand writingonlyaboutartmadeintheUnitedStatesbyAmericans ssssssssssssssssss
Thisisoftenpainfullyevidentin The Tattler,wherethemajorityof articlesareaboutwhite,WesternartistslikeTaylorSwift.Ienjoy TaylorSwift’smusicjustasmuchasthenextperson,butIwanted thissectiontobeaspaceformorethanjustthatspecifictypeof musicandaudienceIwantedtheArtssectiontofocusonartfrom allpartsoftheworld,byvoiceswhicharesooftenoverlookedthat wasthepurposeofintroducingtherecurringNon-WesternArtist FeatureThisyear,therewasanarticleaboutaNon-Westernartist ineverysingleissueof The Tattler (besidestheLiteraryIssue).By reading and editing all your articles, I discovered amazing, innovative,andtalentedartistsfromallcornersoftheworld.I’mso immenselygratefultothewriterswhocontributedtothis,andI hopetoseethiscontinuefarintothefutureofournewspaper.I havelovedeverymomentofworkingforthissection(andthis publicationasawhole)andIcan’twaittoseewhereNatalie Patrone(ArtsEditor,’25)andallofyouwilltakethis
Astheyeardrawstoaclose,IHSathletesarefinishingup theirspringseasons,andtheCascadillaBoatClub(CBC) varsitycrewisproudtohavehadafantasticone,fullof ssssss
greatracesandimpressivefinishes.AtSectionChampionshipson May6,theteamhadanexcitingfirstregattaofthespring
Competing against Liverpool, Syracuse, Fayetteville, and Baldwinsvillecrews,theCBCGirlsVarsityTeamtookfirstplace inbothoftheirevents:theGirlsSenior4+andtheGirlsJunior8+ The4+wonthe15kilometerracebyalargemarginof132 seconds.Meanwhile,the8+wontheirraceofthesamedistanceby 19.9seconds,andalsofinishedfasterthanalloftheGirlsSenior8+ teamsracingthatday.Forthefirstraceoftheseason,thewins broughtasenseofpridetotheteam,andanexcitementforState ChampionshipsthefollowingweekendofMay13and14.
TheteamtraveledtoSaratogaSpringsfortheNewYorkState RowingChampionships,wherethescorchingsunandhighwinds madeforanexhaustingtwodays Afteranexcitingforty-eight hoursofracing,manycamehomerankingwithinthetoptenin thestatefortheireventTheweekendbeganwithElleDecatur’23 racingtheWomen’sVarsitySingle.Afterqualifyinginthetime trialsforthefinals,Decaturtooksixthinthestate,butwonGoldas thetopfinisherforScholasticRowing,qualifyingherforScholastic Nationals.ThenextraceofthedaywastheMen’sVarsity8+, whichqualifiedforthePetitFinal,inwhichtheyplacedfifth.The finalSaturdayraceforCBCwastheWomen’sVarsityDouble, ssssss
whereSaraBellman’24andGraemChiuten-Black’23madeitto thePetitFinalandplacedfifthfortherace.
TheseconddayofracingattheStateChampionshipswas anothergreatdayforCBC.AlexRachlinski’24andSamEssner’25 racedtheirMen’sVarsitySinglesRachlinskiqualifiedforthefinals andplacedsixthinthestate,takinghomeSilverforScholastic Meanwhile,sixteen-year-oldEssnerwasgivenfantasticracing experiencewitholderrowers,andtheteamisexcitedtoseehis progressionoverthecomingyearsintheSinglesevent The Women’sVarsity4+wasnextthatday,whichqualifiedforthe finalsandcameseventhinthestate.TheWomen’sU178+also madeittothefinals,comingfifthinthestateandtakingBronzeas aClubboat.Finally,theMen’sVarsityDouble,consistingofJacob Merrill’23andGabeMorris’25,qualifiedforthePetitFinaland rankedseventhfortherace,finishingoffanincredibleState ChampionshipsexperienceforthevarsitycrewatCBC
Theteamislookingforwardtothefinalraceoftheseason,the PittsfordRegatta,wheretheyareexpectingtocloseouttheseason withsomestrongfinishesfromthe12kilometerrace Atthis regatta,boatsraceasmanyasthreetimes inthetimetrials, semifinals,andfinals inordertomedal,withonlythefirst-and second-placingboatsreceivingmedals.Withnewlineupsand moreCBCboatsracingthanpreviouslythisseason,theteamis looking forward to an exciting weekend of fun and intense competition
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TheIHSBoys’VarsityTennisteamrecentlywontheir STACchampionshipmatch,andplayersfromIthacawon bothsinglesanddoublesinsectionalchampionships.I ssssss spokewithShaneTaylor,thecoachoftheVarsityBoys’Tennis team,andDavidRiccio’23,oneofthecaptainsoftheteamwho playsfirstsinglesforIthaca
Mukund Gaur ’24:Couldyoubothintroduceyourselvesandtell mealittlebitaboutwhoyouare?
David Riccio ’23:I’mDavid,thenumberonesinglesplayer.I’ve beenplayingontheteamsince7thor8thgrade.
Shane Taylor:I’madeanofstudentsatIthacaHighSchoolas wellasthetenniscoachfortheboysteamthisspring.
MG:Whatdoyouthinkwerethebiggestsuccessesoftheteam thisyear?
DR:WellwewonSTACfinals,thatwasawesomeWereallyhad agoodteam,andourlevelsincreasedalot.Nowwe’regoingfor ssssss
theindividualaccolades.
SH:Wedidreallywellinoursection,butoneofourbiggest successstoriesthisyearwaswhenwedecidedtoleaveoursection. Wewentdowntosectiontwoandsectionfive,andweputfortha reallygoodeffortandhadsomereallygreatmatchesagainst PittsfordMendonandBethlehem,soIthinkthatwasanew addition,aswellasgoingundefeatedandwinningtheSTAC championship
MG:Whatdoyouthinkweresomeofthebiggestchallengesto theteamthisyear?
DR:That’sagoodquestion...Wehaven’thadanychallenges. Makingsureeveryonewarmsup?
SH:Onechallengeiswehavetwenty-twoamazingstudentathletesthatallhavetremendoustennisskill,andit’sreallyhardto comeupwithalineupeachdayIhavetwenty-twostudentsthat deservetoplayinmatches,andeveryoneisreallyrespectfuland patient.SomethingthatI’mproudofisthattwenty-twoplayers ssssss
playedinavarsitymatchthisyear.Wetrytosharewhogetsto playinamatch.
MG:Ithacahasareallybigteamcomparedtotheotherschoolsin thisregion.Whataresomeofthechallengesandbenefitsofthat?
SH:Thechallengesarewhenwegotoplayotherschoolsandthey don’thaveenoughkidsforusIt’sachallenge,andit’salsohardfor ustogetcompetitioninoursectionOurbestcompetitionisour practices
DR:Yeah.
MG:Whatweresomeofthebiggestgoalsforthisseason?Would yousaytheywereaccomplished?
SH:We’reaccomplishingthem,onestepatatimeOurfirstteam goalwastowinthesection,andwinSTAC we’vedonethatAnd nowourgoalistosendsixstudentstostatesIthasn’thappenedin manyyears,butwe’reinagoodpositiontodothatandwe’llfind outatthestatequalifiers.[Statequalifyingmatchestookplaceon FridayMay19andSaturdayMay20].
DR:Ohyeah.OurgoalwillbeaccomplishedonJune4[Statesfor tenniswilltakeplaceonJune4].
MG:Whatdoyouhopetoaccomplishnextseason?
SH:We’vebeenledbysomanygreatseniors,I’mreallyexcitedto seewhatthejuniorsandsophomoresthisyeararegonnadonext yearontheteam.
Mostfifteen-year-oldathletestravelatmosttwotothree hoursfortheirsports,playingforahighschoolanda travelteam.Onlysevenpercentofthesehighschool ssssss athleteswillendupcontinuingtheirsportatahigherlevel,and fewerthantwopercentofcollegeathletesplayinaprofessional league.However,forteenslikeMelanieBarcenas,itisadifferent story.
Barcenasbecametheyoungestpersonevertoplayinthe NationalWomen’sSoccerLeague(NWSL),America’shighest leagueforwomen’ssoccer,thispastApril Atfifteen,shewas youngerthanthepreviousrecordholderby108daysButBarcenas isn’t the only incredibly young player in the NWSL. Chloe Ricketts,JaedynShaw,andAlyssaThompsonhaveallmadea splashintheleague,forgoingatraditionalpathofcollegesoccer, andsigningprofessionaldealsatshockinglyyoungages.
TheUShasbeendominatingwomen’ssocceracrosstheworld formanyyearsanditisnosurprisethatevenyoungplayerscan keepupinthebigleagues However,thepathtowardallowing themtojoinwasn’teasyOliviaMoultriewastheyoungestplayer intheNWSLwhenshesignedwiththePortlandThornsandhad tofighttheleagueincourtforherrighttoplay,andtherightfor otherplayersundertheageof18Sincethen,ithasbecomeeasier togoprofessionalasaminor.
Therearestillvalidconcernsaboutforgoingthetraditionalpath togoingprofessional.Manywonderifthepressuresputonthese teenagers will lead to unhealthy behaviors or burnout. Also, playing at professional levels without the proper care and forethoughtcancauseinjuriesorotherphysicaldamageCollegeis alsoapivotalpartofmostathletes’livesandhelpsthemgrowas playersandaspeople
Continued from page 43
However,theseplayersarenotthefirsttojoinprofessional leaguesorteamsasteenagers.LindseyHoranwasoneofthefirst Americanwomen’ssoccerplayerswhoskippedcollegeandsigned withaprofessionalclub,ParisSaint-GermainShedidthisdespite receivinganofferfromoneofthetopcollegesinthenationfor women’ssoccer,theUniversityofNorthCarolina(UNCChapel Hill).
ForsoccerplayersinEurope,thisisoftentheonlypathavailable. MostEuropeanuniversitiesdon’tofferofficialsportsteams,soitis incrediblycommonforplayerswantingtomakeittoprofessional leaguestoskipthestepofattendingcollege.Europeanclubsalso haveacademysystems,sotheyhaveteamsateveryageleveland playersriseupthroughtheyearshopingtomakethefirstteam,or theclub’smain,professionalteam
Thisalsomeansthatforyoungplayerstalentedenoughtomake appearancesatthehighestlevel,theypracticeandplaygameswith otherplayersthatcouldbeuptoaroundthirtyyearsoldTeenagers andadultshavedifferentneedsandresponseswhenitcomesto intensetraining,soforplayerslikeMelanieBarcenas,trainingand playingwiththetopteamsintheclubcouldbetaxingandharmful totheirstill-developingbodies.
Evenso,thefactthattheseplayerscantrainatsuchadvanced levelshasalotofbenefitsfortheirgrowthNWSLclubsandthe leaguecangainfromhavingyoung,home-grownplayersthatwill furtherthelevelofcompetitionWhilethevariousconcernshave somevalidity,manybelievethatweshouldsimplyletthesegirls play
ByMIRACOHEN
heydeserveit.”ThatwasCoachParker’sresponseto thequestionofwhyitissoimportanttohimtogeta girls’wrestlingteamatIHS Girlsdeservethesame ssssss opportunitiesthattheirmalecounterpartsaregiven Ithacaand ICSDpridethemselvesoncreatingequalopportunitiesandan equitableenvironmentforalloftheirstudentsHowever,whenit comestogirls’wrestling,opportunitieshavenotbeenofferedor beenasavailableastheyareformalewrestlers.Manyoftheschools inoursectionhavecreatedtheirowngirls’wrestlingteamsin recentyears.Girls’wrestlingisonethefastestgrowinghighschool sportsintheUnitedStates,havingthirty-sevenstatessanctionit, manyofwhichdidsorecently.Withflagfootballandgirls’ wrestling becoming popular, Coach Parker is excited about opportunitiesforyoungwomeninsportsHewouldhatetoseean opportunitypassbytogetstudentsintowrestling,especiallygirls Parkeristheheadcoachfortheboys’wrestlingteam,andthisyear forthegirlsaswell Nottoolongago,ifafemalewantedto wrestle,chancesare,shewouldhavetocompeteagainstboys.This wastrueforthesolefemalewrestlerwhocompetedin2009for IthacaHighSchool.Inthe2022-2023wrestlingseasonIonlyever competedagainstgirls.AndCoachParkermadesureIhadevery opportunitytodoso,fromgoingtoall-girlstournamentsto bringingtheboystotournamentsheknewwouldhaveagirls’ section Itwasn’teasyforCoachtogetustowrestle Becauseof ourgenderwehadtobeapprovedandcertifiedtobeableto practicewiththeguysWehadtobeclearedbytheschooldoctor to compete, something that incurred a lot of delays Lyn Reitenbach,ourschoolsocialworker,anadvocateforyoung womeninsports,andanathleteherselfsuccessfullypushedforus tobecertifiedjustintimeforourfirsttournament.
Ahighschoolwrestlingmatchisnormallysixminutes,broken intothreeequalparts,unlessyougetpinnedorpinyouropponent. For those two minutes, not getting pinned and gaining the superiorpositionisallthatmatters
Ididn’twrestleforthatlong Ididn’tknowitwasanoption untilmysenioryearButevenjustthatonewintertaughtmeso much IlearnedtotrustmybodyandknowthatIwillhavethe strengthtogetbackupwhenIaminevitablyknockeddown I becamedisciplinedbyshowingupevenwhenIdidn’twantto.I putintheeffortandwasabletoseemyprogression.Icouldfeelit becomeeasiertowithstandasix-minutematchandIknewIwas gettingstronger.IbecamemoreresilientthanIthoughtIever couldbe.
Showingupwillgetyoufar,IamproofofthatCoachParker broughtmetosomanytournamentsandIwonjustenough matchestoqualifyfortheSTACchampionship,whereIcamein fourth,andSectionals,whereIcameinsixthIamproudofwhatI accomplishedthisyear,andIcansayforcertainthateverytimeI steppedontothatmat,Igaveitmyall.Winorlose,Iputupafight andgavegirlswaymoreexperiencedthanmearunfortheir money.Iwouldhavelikedtheopportunitytowrestleonagirls’ teamforlongerthanjustoneseasonduringmyhighschoolcareer
IfonlyIhadn’tboughttheredone Theblueonewould’vebeenfinetoo Icouldhavepickedanyoneofthem Theredonejustseemedsomuchfun!
NowI’mstuckwithafloatingredgrump Asorryexcuseforafish Iwantedtoteachittojump Butitjustsitstherelikealump
Ithoughtit’dbecutebutit’sratherugly I’mtryingtobenice,Ipromise Butthosebulgingeyesstaresoemotionlessly Itlookslikeitmightwanttomurderme!
ButwhenI’mhappy,myfishistoo AndwhenI’msad,itwinksatme Asifit’ssayingwe’llpullthrough MyfishandI,we’llmakedo
AlthoughIdon’thavea fun fishfriend Iguessit’snotsobadafterall Evenifnooneelsehashelptolend It’llbemyfishandmeuntiltheend!
“Hey”
“What”
“I ”
“Youwhat?”
“Calmdown”
“I’mcalm”
“No,youarenot”
“Willyoujustspititoutalready?”
“Fine”
“Fine…”
“Iwantedto–”
“Hangonasecond”
“Oh,comeon”
“Ihavetotakethiscall”
“No,youdon’t Areyoudone?”
“Yeah,nowspillit”
“I…”
“YOUWHAT?”
“I….forgot.”
1. You need one for international travel
5. Fruit that’s made of over 90% its namesake
6. Narrow water vessel
7. His sword represents imminent peril
8. Sunscreen protection unit
9. Gliding toy
10. Type of clue this is
2 Al fresco meal
3. Forearm-focused sport
4. Headwear to keep one cool?
5. Perseid shower in August
6 Marshmallow stove
9. Carried in baskets in 2-Down
Scan for answers!
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Maybe...
the moon landing was real, but the moon takeoff was fake!
...the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is secretly controlled by the US government!
...the earth is shaped like a donut! Or a cube! Or a hyperbolic paraboloid!
the Tooth Fairy delivers presents and Santa Claus collects teeth!
the Loch Ness Monster lives in the Bermuda Triangle!
11 Herald Square by Owen Mimno
Aries (Mar 21 - Apr 19): Youwillhaveadramaticand epicfallthismonthThankfully, yourfriendscaughtitonvideo andnowyou’reinternetfamous.
Taurus (Apr 20 - May 20): Aftertrippingoveryouruntied shoelacescountlesstimesinthe past,youvowedtoonlywear crocsthismonth.Ithelps,but nowyoustumblebecauseyour crocsarethreesizestoobig.
Gemini (May 21 - June 20): You’lltripoverasidewalkcrack inanincrediblyembarrassing fashion,butluckilynoonewill bearoundtoseeit.
Cancer (June 21 - Jul 22): You’llsliponabananapeelthat yourfriendsstrategicallyplaced infrontofyou.
Leo (Jul 23 - Aug 22): Youwon’tfalloncethismonth. Youhaveimpeccablebalance andflawlessspatialawareness
Virgo (Aug 23 - Sep 22): Whatwon’tyoufalloverthis month?
Libra (Sep 23 - Oct 22): Youwilltripandfallintoa puddleYou’llendupsitting thereforalittlewhile, contemplatingtheunfairnessof life.
Scorpio (Oct 23 - Nov 21): You’llfallinlovewithalizard youfindsittingonthesidewalk. You’llnamehimErnie.Hewill becomeyourbestfriend
Sagittarius (Nov 22 - Dec 21): You’llstumbleintoadeepand endlesspit,andyoushallfallfor twelveyearsasyouslowly descendintothecenterofthe earth.
Capricorn (Dec 22 - Jan 19): You’lltripoveracucumberthat fellofftheshelvesintheproduce aisle.Don’tworry,though. You’llsuethestoreandwin.
Aquarius (Jan 20 - Feb 18): Youwillfallintoavatof radioactivewasteandyou’ll acquiresuperhumanstrength
Pisces (Feb 19 - Mar 20): Watchoutforthegroundhogs. They’replottingyourdownfall.
Cool :)
Ms Lynn New Tattler Editorial Board
Admin duck escort
Chinese Giant Salamander
Cannoli dip TVs as posters
Our school calendar
The smell in H Seniors leaving
Uncool :(