March 2019 • Estd. 1892 • Vol. 126 #7 • Published Monthly • www.ihstattler.com Ithaca High School, 1401 North Cayuga Street, Ithaca, NY 14850 • FREE
ICSD Moves Forward Addressing Lead in Water
Board Meeting— Enfield Update and LACS Initiative
The CCOYO: A New Outlet for Young Musicians
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Editorial
Balancing the Teacher-Administrator Pay Gap By the Tattler Editorial Board
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he Ithaca Teachers Association has been negotiating a contract with the district since December, and union representatives were not alone when they arrived for that first day of negotiations. On December 20 both students and teachers rallied behind the school, cheering on the negotiating team with the hope that this year’s contract would bring a much needed raise to Ithaca’s teachers. Pay is low for teachers in Ithaca, less than in some surrounding districts, while Ithaca’s costs of living remain sky high. Salaries for ICSD’s teachers are simply not competitive, and that needs to change. Ithaca is an expensive place to live. According to the Ithaca Journal, the average cost to buy a house in our school district was approximately $275,000 in 2017, a significant increase from just $120,000 twenty years ago. In a district where costs of living have grown so high, it would make sense to also pay high salaries to the teachers the district employs. However, teacher salaries in ICSD are not even the highest in Tompkins County: Trumansburg CSD’s median teacher salary of $54,315 is a step above ICSD’s $53,319, and Lansing CSD surpasses both, with a median teacher salary of $62,389. The sad truth is that an
ICSD salary is rarely enough to afford living in Ithaca, and to work in ICSD many teachers must live outside of the city and endure long commutes every day. Although the median salary for ICSD teachers is lower than the national median, administrator salaries are higher in ICSD than they are nationally. Last year’s median salary of the principals of ICSD’s twelve schools was $112,875, over $18,000 more than the national median for school principals in 2017, the latest year for which data is available. Additionally, the number of district administrative positions is growing, with positions such as Director of Special Projects and District Inclusion Officer having been created over the previous few years. Salary-wise, ICSD is a good place to be an administrator, but the same cannot be said for teachers. The district manages to spend generously on some priorities, while teachers remain secondary, receiving salaries that are far too low given the costs of living in Ithaca. Teachers do important service to students and entire communities, and often do work to help their students outside of just the school hours for which they are paid. Some advise and coordinate extracurricular ac-
tivities for students, contributing to the growth of the school community, but the compensation for doing so is only around $200. Despite all of the time commitments of being a teacher, both during and after the school day, Ithaca’s teachers often have to take on additional jobs in order to support themselves, not just in the summer but sometimes during the school year as well. Anyone who goes into teaching—a profession that requires both a master’s degree and a genuine interest in supporting students—should not need to work multiple jobs. Teachers around the district often go above and beyond to perform public service, and they are owed recognition for their efforts. As the school board negotiates salaries with the teachers association and tries to plan budgets for upcoming years, supporting the district’s teachers should be more of a priority. Ithaca has a reputation for valuing education, but the salaries for its teachers don’t reflect that. At the end of the day, the ICSD’s mission is to educate, a task that is carried out by the teachers themselves. Paying those teachers less than they deserve hurts the entire ICSD community.
Letter to the Editor
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n last month’s edition of the Tattler, Isaiah Gutman writes an article asking where today’s “left” is. He explains the lack of a “left” in modern American society, which he brands as a group of people who “oppose oppression wherever it may arise,” He claims that with prevalent economic and social oppression today, the lack of a “left” in both global and American society is troubling. Following his definition, most of us are “left”. Very few people openly support oppressive behaviors in modern politics — to claim that there are purposeful oppressive measures from an ad2
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ministrative standpoint is inflammatory. Gutman’s strange assertion that most of us are either bystanders or supporters of oppression today is quite frankly horrifying to me. In his article, Gutman cites that there are few “left” groups, and even those that exist such as the DSA (Democratic Socialists of America) have little influence as a whole. Yet within his definition of the left (the opposition of oppression in whatever form it takes), aren’t other programs also “left” programs? By his definition, a “left” program is simply a program that fights oppressive behaviors, no matter what form it takes.
Health-care programs, help-lines, charities: these are all examples of individuals rallying to help the “oppressed” in the world. There are clear measures taken to help those less fortunate in our society. While their success is inevitably the larger issue, the existence of these organizations cannot be questioned, and I believe that ignoring them is disrespectful to the efforts made thus far. Later, Gutman talks about a clear enemy in today’s grossly unequal society. He says: “The enemy is nameable, and any respectable left must name it: the enemy is capitalism. His assertion that capitalism is responsible for today’s oppres-
News
Staff 2018 – 2019 Editor-in-Chief
Vaynu Kadiyali ’19 editor@ihstattler.com
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Julian Perry ’19 news@ihstattler.com
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Isaiah Gutman ’19 opinion@ihstattler.com
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sions is outlandish. While capitalism supports economic inequality, it’s ridiculous to fault the entire system when countries with different political ideologies (ie: North Korea) have more oppressive regimes. He claims that with the absence of a political left, there are clear missing points in American political discourse. He says that issues such as environmental concerns and mental health are treated “as a result of the tragic flaws of humanity, a simple folly that we must resist within ourselves.” He creates false popular opinions in the media. He says that the common belief is that environmental issues are created due to a “human drive to destroy” and cites that “brain chemistry” is the common belief regarding rising numbers in mental health issues. Not only are these untrue “popular” opinions — PewResearch states that people 75% of Americans report concern for the environment and HealthAffairs finds that 74% believe that mental illness can happen to anybody — their essence has been riddled with opinionated hyperbole. I find that it’s a good example of exaggeration in an
opinion article — Gutman creates a very polarized world in his article, one that unfortunately mirrors today’s political climate. Making up “popular” opinion justifies his claim temporarily, yet at second glance, makes the reader question the intent with which it was written. Was it to support or to purposely mislead? He paints a world with no hope. With an absence of those who fight against oppression, a looming enemy that takes face as capitalism, and flawed common beliefs, who could have faith in our political climate? In the end, his claim that America lacks a population opposed to oppression is representative of the overall argument — the opinions are well-stated, yet the basis with which they are supported are not. — Jinho Park Class of 2022
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ICSD Moves Forward Addressing Lead in Water By JULIAN PERRY
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ebruary 2019 marked the third anniversary of ICSD shutting off drinking water in district buildings. Three years without drinking fountains. Three years of water coolers. (Almost) three years of plastic cups, rolling around on the floor after students aiming for the recycling bin missed their shot. This era, however, is approaching an end. This January, ICSD released a statement announcing that most elementary schools would have drinking fountains available for use by the end of February, with installation of new drinking fountains at other ICSD schools to follow. The exception is Caroline Elementary School, where water testing in 2018 found elevated chloride levThe Tattler is the monthly student-run newspaper of Ithaca High School. All currently-enrolled students at Ithaca High School are welcome to submit writing and photographs. As an open forum, The Tattler invites opinion submissions and letters to the editor from all community members. Email submissions to editor@ihstattler.com or mail letters to: The Tattler 1401 North Cayuga Street Ithaca, NY 14850 Send submissions by February 15th to be included in the March issue. The Tattler reserves the right to edit all submissions. All articles, columns, and advertisements do not necessarily reflect the views of editorial staff.
els even though lead concentration had been reduced to below the “action level.” Caroline’s drinking fountains will remain off, even though the district stressed in their statement, “There are no safety concerns associated with elevated levels of chloride.” What this means, however, is that the necessary updates for pipes at other schools, including IHS, are on their way. The original implementation of water coolers around the district began in February 2016 when, in some district elementary schools, lead levels were detected above the “action level” for which intervention is mandated. This was enough to warrant replacing piping at every elementary school, a process that is only now coming to an end. While the district website has documents verifying the lead testing at all elementary schools, no such documents are available for IHS. Only now that faucets and pipes have been replaced at elementary schools will they undergo the same process at IHS, with no date announced for when the school’s water will be safe to drink. Among students currently at IHS, only the seniors have attended the school at a time when all of the building’s drinking fountains were functional. Soon, however, that could change.
To read The Tattler online, visit our website at www.ihstattler.com.
March 2019
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News
Board Meeting—Enfield Update and LACS Initiative By VAYNU KADIYALI
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he Board of Education (BoE) meetings in late January and February were a time of reflection upon successes in the district over the past year, as well as a shift into preparation for the upcoming budget and capital funds project votes in May. In both respects, the Board finds itself in a unique position—the effects of policy and administrative decisions made last year are finally beginning to have tangible effects, and February is the calm before the storm of trying to finalize plans to present to voters on election day. The January 29 meeting had a celebratory mood, largely due to a presentation given by Enfield Principal Keith Harrington and Associate Principal Kristin Herman. Last March, a BoE meeting was the platform for a heated discussion about frequent disciplinary violations at the school, many of which were violent and directed at teachers in addition to students. The Board made the decision to implement a new leadership team at Enfield to tackle this problem, and the successes of this effort were documented in Harrington and Herman’s presentation. They began their presentation by stating their guiding philosophy—that expressing emotions verbally and teaching strategies for self-regulation would be the cornerstones of a turnaround. One of the most powerful ways in which these strategies are taught is in a newly allocated time slot for a morning meeting in every classroom. These meetings include physical exercise, discussions about how to express feelings, and group activities in which students take turns complementing one another to set the tone for the day going forward. Harrington noted that the efficacy of this meeting comes from its ability to teach students an emotional vocabulary with which students 4
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can avoid and de-escalate confrontations. He also mentioned that although the meeting cuts into learning time, it ultimately enhances the quality of learning that takes place because students are engaged and ready to participate. Although Enfield has often lagged behind other elementary schools in terms of enriching educational or extracurricular opportunities— not having as close a connection to Cornell University, Ithaca College, or programs like the Greater Ithaca Activities Center (GIAC)—the current leadership team has sought to change that. They have focused on creating authentic experiences for students, consulting with specialists to create case studies, a farm-to-table nutrition program that students are involved in, and a weekly STEM Friday. One such case study came from a student question to a teacher about the environmental impact of plastic cups in the school. This led to a greater investigation about the effects of plastic, bringing in a science perspective, as well as involving math skills when students estimated the districtwide spending and environmental impact of the policy. The theme of progress continued at the next meeting, held on February 26 due to a snow day. In this meeting, seniors from LACS presented alongside South Hill Elementary fourth graders about a case study they conducted that examined how cultural biases could play a role in the ICSD academic calendar. The LACS students began the project to meet a graduation requirement, which is to find a source of bias in their lives and try to eliminate it. They examined this question by sending a questionnaire to all ICSD students from grades 3-12 to see if students felt that their religious beliefs were accommodated by the district.
Over 600 ICSD students responded to the questionnaire, giving thoughtful responses to its many free response questions. Some of the results were worrisome—70 percent of students who responded that they had missed school due to religious observances said that they were expected to turn in assignments assigned during their absence, despite district policy clearly stating the policy for religious exemptions. Concluding their study, the students proposed having school closed on 3 or more days of non-Christian religious observance, as well as having clearer policy, and especially clearer implementation, on work assigned during religious holidays. The level of engagement from students involved, and the positive response from the Board, signalled that change could be on the way. Both meetings included brief presentations on the ongoing steps in the district’s capital funds project. At the first meeting, a fiscal report about the stages of the project was presented, while at the second, a clearer outline of specific changes at IHS, as well as finalized plans for the new York Lecture Hall space, were presented. With positive changes being made around the district, both thanks to the engagement of students and the success of decisions made by the BoE, district officials and voters look to the future to see what the student experience will look like down the road. The Board will continue its meetings with the public about the capital funds project, and will soon have public budget meetings at local schools. They encourage everyone, especially students, to attend; specific dates and times will available on the district website in coming weeks.
News
Brain Team Breaks Record, Rises in National Quiz Bowl Rankings By JULIAN PERRY
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or some students, learning in school is about more than just getting a good grade or test score. For the IHS Brain Team, knowledge across a range of subjects has translated into national recognition on the academic quiz bowl circuit. On February 9, Brain Team attended a tournament at Geneva High School using the latest question set from National Academic Quiz Tournaments (NAQT), the primary producer of questions for quiz bowl tournaments. Not only did IHS win the Geneva tournament with an undefeated 9-0 record, but the Ithaca A team of Isaiah Gutman ‘19, Julian Perry ‘19, Kaelan Imani ‘20, and Rohit Lal ‘22 broke the national record for the highest points per game on a standard NAQT high school question set. With 632.22 points per game, IHS beat a record set almost two years ago by Hunter College High School of New York City. Since the tournament, IHS has risen to a rank of 11th in the country on hsqbrank.com’s rankings of high school quiz bowl teams. Academic quiz bowl is played in games between two teams of up to four players each. Each game consists of 20 paragraph-length “tossup” questions, which begin with obscure information about a topic before moving on to easier clues. Each team races to be the first to buzz in and state the correct answer. Each of those questions is followed by three “bonus” questions for the team that answered the tossup question. Questions ask about a range of subjects including history, literature, science, fine arts, and even popular culture. The wide range of topics rewards teams for having knowledge of diverse subjects, with each team member having their own specialties. In a given game, a team might have to answer questions about topics ranging from Shakespeare to calculus to the history of Wakanda.
IHS started the season off strong, retaining almost every player from the previous year’s team. The season began with a tournament at Columbia University, where Ithaca A won with a victory over Hunter College High School in the final. Hunter, a longtime rival of IHS and winner of multiple national championships, had been the highest ranked team in New York for the previous three years. On the most popular site for quiz bowl rankings, IHS now holds that distinction. “Being on a highly ranked team is something new for me this year,” says Isaiah Gutman ‘19, Brain Team president. “There is some pressure associated with it since we now have a target on us. Lucki-
ly we aren’t the number one team in the country; I’d be a lot more stressed if that were the case.” The team plans to attend national championship tournaments at the end of the school year in Atlanta and Washington, DC. Although Brain Team has found competitive success, to its players, quiz bowl is about more than just winning tournaments. “Quiz bowl has taught me how to work with others towards a collective goal,” Gutman says. “The best part of my four years in quiz bowl has been the bonds I’ve formed with my teammates,” says Vaynu Kadiyali ‘19, who was on the team from Ithaca that tied for fifth place at the 2017 National Championship in Atlanta. He adds, “Quiz bowl has also broadened my worldview and increased my number of interests. I came in as a 9th grader only being able to get questions in one category, but through quiz bowl, I’ve gained an appreciation for varied topics like music and art, mythology, and science. I find myself having greater interest for content taught in school too, because the fun competition that quiz bowl creates has encouraged me to broaden my horizons.” Even though the “A Team” of IHS’s top four players competes at a highly competitive level, students of all skill levels are able to join Brain Team, and IHS sends more than one team to most tournaments. Brain Team meets every Monday after school in G102, the classroom of team coach Mr. Kirk.
IMAGE FROM BENJAMIN KIRK Brain Team after their victory in Geneva. MARCH 2019
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Features
From the Archives:
Excerpts from the Tattler Issues of Yesteryear By AURORA WULFF
There is a small handful of people at IHS who know about a very small, very pink room at the very end of the E-wing. Although small and unassuming, this room is the deepest one can go into the chronicles of IHS. In that room, there are four average-looking filing cabinets that contain annals of IHS Tattler history, dating back 126 years. Here follows a selection. Read more online at https://tattlerarchive.wordpress.com/ Note: The current Tattler does not necessarily endorse the opinions published in historical Tattlers.
March, 1976 Editorial
Voting and democracy In American society, where practically all citizens over 18 years of age are eligible to vote, an embarrassingly low number are actually doing so. For a democracy to truly represent the people, more of the people must vote. In the presidential election in 1972, only 56% of all people over 18 chose to vote. In 1974, during the congressional elections, only 38 percent voted. These figures are appalling. Some people decide not to vote on the pretext that their vote doesn’t “count that much anyway.” However, in at least two recent elections for President- Kennedy-Nixon in 1960, and Nixon-Humphrey in 1968- the results could have easily gone the other way if more people voted. Some people aren’t voting because of disenchantment with governments. Then why, one must ask, aren’t these people making the effort to elect those politicians who are also disenchanted and have hopes of reforming government? Contrary to some people’s beliefs, all politicians are not bad, and government can be reformed. Other potential voters are suffering from something that is all too common today-apathy. What
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happened to the people who took part in the movements of the 1960’s and early 1970’s? They’re obviously not voting, as can be seen by looking back at McGovern’s campaign in 1972. Moreover, even though a large percentage of the eligible voters are under 30, the average age of the American voter is 45. How are these people going to have their ideas and beliefs expressed in government if they do not go to the polls and elect officials they believe in? Assuming the downward trend of voting by Americans continues, only about 54 percent of the eligible population will vote in the Presidential election this fall. This ignominious figure can be compared with Great Britain’s 71 percent participation, Canada’s 74 percent, and Australia’s figure of 97 percent. What can American society do to have more participation by the people? The method of registering voters can be simplified. More encouragement can be given by the government for the people to vote. Or, along a more drastic vein, the government can do what Australia does and make voting compulsory. Whatever happens, though, if our democracy system is to work as it was designed to do, more of the populace must step forward and profess their desires by means of the voting booth.
Features
March, 1923 Senior- “Do you like fish balls?” Frosh- “I don’t know I’ve never attended one.” “Well,” said an old admiral to one of the applicants for appointment to a naval college, “What must an officer be before he can have a funeral with full naval honors?” “Dead,” replied the boy. Scenario Writer- “Then two burglars enter and the clock strikes one.” Actor- “Which one?”
March, 1980 Tattler Opinion Poll: The Draft By Jean Darlington and Amy Holman We asked several juniors and seniors for their opinions on the possibility of a draft. Among their responses were these: Steve Hile, senior: “I’d go if I were drafted. I’m against it. People who don’t want to go, they should make them.” Richard Hirleman, senior: “I don’t think it’s necessary- if war does break out, enough people will go.” Philip Hollanel, senior: “That draft- that’s a political war. They’re not doing anything to better our country.” Elizabeth Young, senior: “I hope that it is not deemed necessary. If it is, I think women should be required as well as men.” Heidi Habicht, senior: “I’m against it definately. It’s morally wrong to go to war at all. She was against drafting women as well as men, saying, “They’re giving us responsibility before they include us into the constitution.” (the ERA) Ellen Grady, senior: “The draft is a violation of our rights as American citizens. If this country is a democracy, why are we forcing people to fight against their will?” The following questions were asked of the juniors, in this order: 1. Do you think that there should be a draft 2. If men are drafted, should women also be drafted? 3. Would you want to be drafted? Here are the responses: Jim Lee: 1. “Yes, since we’re militarily behind the Russians.” 2. “100 percent yes, definitely, because I sup-
Sophomore- “Teachers are worse than immigration authorities at Ellis Island nowadays.” Alumnus- “How come?” “They’ve swiped the slogan, ‘They shall not pass’.” “Harry Love is certainly absent minded.” “Why?” “He said this morning on the way to school that he’d left his watch at home, then he took it out to see if he had time to go back for it.” Miss W.- “A fool can ask question that a wise man can’t answer.” Senior- “That’s why I flunked the Regents.”
port the ERA.” 3. “I wouldn’t care, since I would probably go to ROTC in college.” Christine Aggson-Fejer: 1. “Yes.” 2. “Yes.” 3. “Of course nobody wants to be drafted, because nobody wants a war.” Tammy Wang: 1. “Not sure.” 2. “Yes, both.” 3. “Not sure. I would probably go.” A junior who wished to remain anonymous: 1. “I think that, if there is a war, the draft is necessary, but in general, I am opposed to the idea.” 2. “Women would not be used for combat, and therefore fewer of them would be drafted, so in theory it’s good but it seems rather pointless.” 3. “I think war is inevitable, but I, personally, will not support it. If I could, I would leave the country. I doubt I would qualify for C.O. (Conscientious Objector) status, so if I couldn’t leave, I would join the army before going to jail. Of course, women always have the option of getting pregnant. I guess it would depend on my mood at the time.” Another junior who wished to remain nameless: 1. “I think so, but more liberal. That is, there should be more ways to getting out of it.” 2. “Yes.” 3. “In time of war, yes.” So, as you can see, students’ views are radically different from each other. Some are as adamantly in favor of a draft as others are against it. Our only hope is that there will be no war!
Continued on page 8 MARCH 2019
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Features
From the Archives: Excerpts from the Tattler Issues of Yesteryear Continued from page 7
March, 1976 Ever feel that IHS is just too crowded- that you’d like to just escape the masses of people you encounter in every hall between class? Ithaca High’s Alfred a Knopf, fashion designer and artist, has produced the following drawings representing the latest in escape wear.
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Features
Restaurant Review: Shahi Pakwan By VAYNU KADIYALI
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aving been a loyal customer of Mehak for nearly the past decade, I was hesitant to change my ways by trying Ithaca’s newest Indian restaurant, Shahi Pakwan, when it opened in August. Nevertheless, one day during winter break, my curiosity got the better of me, and I ventured downtown with my good friends Tony Yang ‘19 and Isaiah Gutman ‘19 to give it a try. Shahi Pakwan is tucked away in a corner of the Gateway Center on State Street, occupying the space that once housed Sticky Rice. Little seems to have changed in terms of decor with new ownership, although the restaurant’s cozy interior seems much cleaner and less cramped than that of Sticky Rice. In comparison with the other three Indian restaurants in Ithaca—Mehak, Sangam, and New Delhi Diamonds—Shahi Pakwan has by far the easiest parking, and I entered the restaurant feeling grateful to not have to face a long walk back to my parked car in the bitter wind. The friendly waiter, who I later learned was the restaurant’s proprietor, Raaj Singh, situated me and my friends as soon as we arrived; within a few minutes of placing our order, our appetizers had arrived. I ordered the vegetable pakoras, or assorted vegetables coated in a spiced batter and fried. Very often, restaurants tend to undercook pakoras, and I was pleasantly surprised that all of the pakoras were cooked all the way through, with a satisfyingly crisp coating with every bite. To start, Yang ordered chicken samosas. Although they were well seasoned and their outer shells perfectly golden brown, he noted that the meat was quite dry. Gutman chose the vegetable
samosas instead. While they too were well spiced, the filling appeared to only contain potatoes, a disappointment considering they were advertised as also containing peas. Our appetizers came with three condiments—a refreshing mint chutney, a tangy tamarind chutney, and pickled onions. I was impressed by the consistency of both sauces, which were liquid enough to cling to the appetizers, but not at all diluted or watery. Soon after finishing our appetizers, our plates were cleared for our entrees. I ordered the shahi paneer, or Indian cottage cheese cooked in a creamy, spicy sauce. I asked for my entree to be cooked at a medium spice level, but my first impression of the dish was its incredible heat. Despite being accustomed to eating spicy food, this dish was about the highest level I could tolerate without discomfort, and I’d suggest being cautious with spice levels when ordering. However, aside from the spice, I was very impressed by the quality of my meal. The paneer was cut into small, bite-sized pieces, and the flavor of the complex, creamy gravy seeped all the way through. Although this is a butter and cream based dish, it didn’t feel too heavy or rich, unlike at many other Indian restaurants; instead, it tasted homemade, a welcome change from most Indian restaurant fare. Yang and Gutman each ordered a chicken dish—Yang chose the butter chicken, which was coincidentally cooked in the same gravy as the shahi paneer, while Gutman chose the chicken tikka masala, or pieces of chicken cooked in a creamy tomato sauce. Both dishes contained many pieces of tender chicken, and although the spice level in the butter chicken was on par
with the shahi paneer, the chicken tikka masala, also ordered at a medium, was considerably less spicy. These dishes, both staples of Indian restaurant menus, also tasted balanced and homemade. Aside from the spice, both entrees received abundant praise from my friends. While all three dishes came with rice, we ordered garlic naan to pair with our entrees. This to me was the most impressive aspect of the meal— I’ve had many a doughy, thick naan, but this one was perfectly cooked. It was so good, in fact, that I didn’t even try the rice, though my friends reported that the rice was also well cooked. Overall, my experience at Shahi Pakwan was a very positive one. While my initial impressions of the space were off putting, the food and hospitality more than made up for it. I also found the pricing quite reasonable—while eating Indian is certainly more expensive than most cuisines, especially when ordering an appetizer and breads, the pricing was no more expensive than at any of the other three Indian restaurants in town. Shahi Pakwan also offers something that neither of the three others can claim—it offers dosas, a savory crepe that no restaurant in Ithaca serves; dosas are among my favorite foods. I was apprehensive to try dosas, a South Indian specialty, at a North Indian restaurant. However, after experiencing the lighter, more balanced style of cooking at Shahi Pakwan, I’ll be sure to order one my next time there. If you want to try a new regional cuisine from India, or if you want to enjoy your favorites made in a more home-style way, I’d highly recommend Shahi Pakwan for your next outing. MARCH 2019
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Social Justice Week By Abigail Glickman 1) Theme Our Social Justice Week Planning Committee is organizing our upcoming week (March 25-29, mark your calendars!) around the overarching theme of citizenship. This is inspired by Claudia Rankine’s book of poetry, prose, and images, Citizen: An American Lyric, which we are inviting students and speakers to read. We are eager to see how presenters choose to incorporate the theme into their topics, and to see how students choose to make connections. We hope that introducing a common text will give us a shared reference point for thinking together about the presentations of the week. The Committee received a grant to provide 25 copies of Citizen and we plan to put up a display in the IHS Library, so keep your eyes peeled! The book is very short and powerful, and Rankine uses different mediums throughout. It is a fast read and a must-read! If you are particularly interested in reading it as soon as possible, feel free to contact me at my school email: abigail.glickman@ icsd.k12.ny.us.
2) Motivation Planning Ithaca High School’s Social Justice Week is an intellectual experience beyond the classroom. We discuss broad social and political issues, and address them concretely, on a smaller scale, by inviting experts and activists from our community to share with us. Throughout the week of presentations, York Lecture Hall and Activities will fill with students from different grades, who ask questions and learn about experiences that are unknown to many of them. Fostering community in school, Social Justice Week also encourages students to engage outside school, and even beyond Ithaca. After all, isn’t that what it means to be a citizen?
3) List of Events Julia Taylor, Tompkins County History Center: “Oral Histories Workshop” Local history, local stories. In this workshop, The History Center in Tompkins County will present clips from Oral Histories with local community members to explore people’s experiences of this place and what it means to be part of the community. Tilden Chao, IHS Senior: “Witnesses to Internment: Patriotism and Citizenship in Shocking Injustice” During World War II, the United States incarcerated roughly 120,000 Japanese-Americans in internment camps in the West and Midwest. These internees— the vast majority of American citizens—lost their jobs, dignity, and livelihoods in what would become one of the greatest civil rights abuses in American history. Japanese internment occurred under President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Chief Justice Earl Warren, and a slew of other progressive politicians. So—how could this happen? In my presentation, I’ll discuss the stories of my interned relatives, the broader struggle of Japanese-American internees, and the Japanese-Americans who chose to serve in the Army during the war. In this year’s overarching theme of citizenship, I’ll explore what it means to be a patriot, what it means to be a citizen, and how we 10
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can move forward socially in American society. Lastly, I’ll draw connections to modern-day immigration policy and the way we perceive otherness in America. Lynn VanDeWeert, ICSD Evaluation Officer: “The ICSD Equity Report Card” In this session, participants will be led through a series of interactive data-based activities to gain knowledge about the demographic and achievement patterns that exist in our district and in their school. Participants will be asked to reflect on questions such as: • Where do you see yourself in the data? • How does the data mirror your experience of the district/school? How does this differ from your classmates’ experience? • How does the data serve as a call to action to each and every one of us to consider how we can contribute to the goal of equity in our own roles in our schools and our community? Anna R. Haskins, Cornell Professor of Sociology: “The Complicated Intersection between Schools and the Criminal Justice System” Two of the most powerful social institutions in the U.S. are schools and the criminal justice system. Understanding how these two institutions interact is key in understanding how inequality and opportunity are transmitted within and across generations. Melissa Tuckey, Tompkins County Poet Laureate: “Poetry for Social Change” What is the role of the poet or artist in a time of crisis? How can we utilize our creative gifts to create a more just and humane world? Tompkins County Poet Laureate Melissa Tuckey, editor of Ghost Fishing: An Eco-Justice Poetry Anthology, and co-founder of the national poetry organization Split This Rock, will read from her book, Ghost Fishing, and talk about the role of poetry and the arts in social change. Joe Margulies, Cornell Professor of Law and Government In practice, do the poor have the same right to citizenship as the wealthy? Liam Audet, Tompkins County Workers’ Center Our presentation will be focused on workers’ rights in the State of New York. We will explain minimum wage, anti-discrimination laws, and touch base on occupational health and safety at work. We will also go into the current fight for the living wage and explain why a living wage is important. A lot of people don’t know their rights when they are straight out of high school or college, so it’d be nice to go over what we feel you all may need to know as you enter the workforce. Keyra Naves, Prison Reform Activist, and Cornell Senior Even though the U.S. makes up only 5% of the world population, it houses about 25% of the global prison population. Considering our disproportionate use of incarceration, the criminal legal system no longer functions within the confines of deterrence and public safety. But rather, it serves as a tool to determine who gets to advance in American society, who is worthy of citizenship, and ultimately, who gets to be human. During my talk about the American prison system and its relationship to citizenship, I hope to discuss the ways in which the criminal legal system affects specific populations and how we can get closer to handling important issues of justice and rehabilitation more productively. Jonathan Boyarin, Professor of Modern Jewish Studies at Cornell University I will cover why anti-Judaism and anti-Semitism are very old but historically changing forces; why anti-Semitism can be powerful but almost invisible at the same time; and some of the relations between anti-Semitism and other forms of racism and discrimination today.
4) Who can people contact if they want to get involved next year? After Social Justice Week, we will be sending out a survey to get feedback from teachers and students. There will definitely be a section in which students can put down their emails if they are interested in getting involved with the Planning Committee next year (do it, you won’t regret it!). In addition, anyone should always feel free to directly contact me with any inquiries. Again, my school email is abigail.glickman@ icsd.k12.ny.us.
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Arts
Album Review: Weezer’s The Teal Album BY LELAND XU
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over songs, and to a lesser extent, cover albums, have always been integral to the musical medium and industry. They allow artists to perform established songs with their own unique interpretations, sometimes facilitating a new musical subgenre or even eclipsing the original song in popularity or iconicity in the process. When someone thinks of “All Along The Watchtower,” do they think of Bob Dylan or Jimi Hendrix? When someone thinks of “Hallelujah,” do they think of Leonard Cohen or Jeff Buckley? When an artist covers a song, they have the creative opportunity to make someone else’s work their own; when Johnny Cash covered Trent Reznor’s “Hurt”, Reznor lamented, “that song isn’t mine anymore.” It’s strange, then, that alternative rock band Weezer’s fifth eponymous album, also known as The Teal Album, was released without any prior advertisement on January 23 despite featuring a tracklist comprised solely of cover songs, primarily iconic tunes from the 1980s. But first, some context: Weezer, famous for songs like “Buddy Holly” and “El Scorcho”, had recently hit public success with a cover single of Toto’s “Africa” prior to the release of The Teal Album. The single, made as a meme to capitalize on the cult Internet status of “Africa,” hit unexpected success, reaching number one on the Billboard charts. Its music video, starring Al Yankovic, has over seven million views. The cover was even acknowledged and approved by Toto, who covered Weezer’s song “Hash Pipe” in response. Rivers Cuomo, frontman for Weezer, motivated by his success, likely concocted The Teal Album to make use of his adrenaline high. But is The Teal Album a good cover album in its own right? Not really. The Teal Album 12
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reminds me of what makes a good cover album instead: a unique interpretation of the songs being covered by the artists covering them. Is there really a reason to listen to any of Weezer’s covers when I can just as easily listen to the original songs? No. Cuomo and his band don’t really experiment with any of the material they’re given; Weezer’s instrumentation and vocal performance for every song almost always matches their respective original down to a T, which makes every track seem more like Cuomo’s private karaoke session rather than a serious project. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The covers are still fun to listen to, and for the most part, retain the original spirit and energy of its original. They show off Cuomo’s vocal flexibility and consistency as he jumps with relative grace from songs like Tears For Fears’ “Everybody Wants To Rule The World” to R&B tracks like TLC’s “No Scrubs.” Ultimately, though, it’s worrying and apparent that The Teal Album is a petty grab for relevance and for money, seeing as they covered iconic songs for the attention with no actual intention of putting their own unique spin on them. Its timing was suspect, given that it came weeks before the release of Weezer’s The Black Album, set to release on March 1st. Rivers Cuomo obviously didn’t decide to cover “Billie Jean” with the intention to beat Michael Jackson at his own song. It’s disappointing to see such obvious cynicism in The Teal Album: that music is no longer sold for the sake of music, but instead primarily for monetary and media recognition. The Teal Album, overall, is a half-decent album with covers that may spark some interest from listeners, but the covers are far too familiar and lackluster to be worth anyone’s time.
The CCOYO: A New Outlet for Young Musicians By ADOWYN ERNSTE
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an you imagine a fourteen-year-old performing Dvořák’s New World Symphony? To clarify for those nonmusic-geeks among us, it’s fast. And it’s hard. And it’s among the greatest musical works of all time. Just last year, this feat was accomplished by the Cayuga Chamber Orchestra Youth Orchestra (CCOYO), a group comprised mostly of high school students from ICSD and surrounding districts. Since its formation a year and a half ago, CCOYO musicians have been challenging themselves to play and to be exposed to difficult repertoire. Students get the opportunity to play in a full symphony orchestra with combined wind and string sections. The CCOYO’s conductor, Kirsten Marshall, is a professional violinist who plays with the Cayuga Chamber Orchestra (CCO), the “parent” orchestra of the CCOYO. Maestro Marshall formed the CCOYO as an advanced regional orchestra to give young musicians a chance to play great music in a full symphotic setting. Reflecting on the second year of the CCOYO’s existence, Ms. Marshall remarked, “Our level of playing has soared throughout the orchestra, because each musician has really invested the time and effort through steady practice.” Like any time commitment, either for music or sports, consistent effort is always the key component. Everyone knows that they should practice. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always happen. Sitting down with a six-page symphony orchestra part may be intimidating, but the only way to get better is through relentless practice. From middle school musicians to high school seniors and Continued on page 11
Arts beyond, there is always more to learn. Tricky rhythm? Spend some quality time with a metronome. Key signature and accidentals tying you up in knots? Work it out slowly. Switching clefs every three measures? Try harder. Without a great deal of persistence, the occasional individual frustration, and a lot of hard work, the CCOYO would never have been able to come as far as it has in the last two years. As Ms. Marshall can testify, consistent practice is key. Looking towards the future of the youth
orchestra, what will happen remains to be seen, but Ms. Marshall continues to set a high bar in the repertoire she chooses. On March 16 at Ithaca College’s Ford Hall, the CCOYO will be playing a thrilling piece by Arturo Marquez, “Danzon No. 2”, alongside the CCO. The concert will also feature a saxophone concerto by Alexander Glazunov, Alberto Ginastera’s Variaciones Concertantes, and a performance of a ballet by New York composer Karen LeFrak. In the years to come, Ms. Marshall hopes to continue
Telling Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s Story: A Cinematic Comparison By ANNA WESTWIG
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y mother rarely watches movies, and if she does, it’s always within the shelter of owning the volume control and controlling the number of people involved. But in 2018, my mother asked me to go see a movie with her. Obviously curious, I asked what it was. As it turned out, it was RBG, the documentary on the life of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who overcame insurmountable obstacles to attain her seat. Ruth Bader Ginsburg may be an unlikely hero for this generation, but for my mother, she is the symbol of a strong female. It was something we could both agree on: Ruth Bader Ginsburg is flippin’ amazing. This pattern of my mother asking me to the movies was repeated in 2019 when my mother and I saw On the Basis of Sex, a more dramatized version featuring Felicity Jones as Ginsburg and Armie Hammer as her husband and fellow lawyer. These were very separate experiences. RBG is a comprehensive documentary, while On the Basis of Sex is more like an origin story. RBG was simply a more satisfying experience. It glosses over her early cases but includes voiceovers of the justice eloquently taking down gender discrimination laws one by one. Every single victory is hammered in, which made me feel both proud and humbled. It is women like Ruth Bader Ginsburg who made my future what it is. The shortcomings of RBG, however, were in the cutesy moments. They take an eighty-year-old Supreme Court justice and set her lifting five-pound weights to intense rock music. It seems almost demeaning to take a legal powerhouse and put her in this kind of montage, but the importance of Ginsburg is in her image. She is the Notorious R.B.G., a symbol for female empowerment across generations. On the Basis of Sex focuses mostly on Ginsburg’s struggles with
collaborating with other groups and to find more performance venues for the CCOYO. Of course, beyond the many hours of rehearsal and practice, the most exciting part of any great musical work is discovering the underlying heartbeat of the piece itself. Beneath the many layers of technique and practice, the most rewarding experience of being a musician in the CCOYO isn’t learning how to play the music; it’s learning how to bring the music to life.
her family. It’s true that taking care of a child and a husband diagnosed with cancer in his twenties, all while attending law school, is a massive feat. The film felt heavy-handed at times, though, as it shouts this message over and over again. On the one hand, there are touching and all-too-real scenes, like the one where Ruth and all the other women attending Harvard law are asked why they deserve a seat that could have belonged to a man. Ruth stands with a sly smile to her compatriots, and says she would like to understand her husband’s work more. On the other end of the spectrum, an interviewer refuses to give her a job at a law firm because the wives of the male lawyers “might get jealous.” One of the most poignant moments is when Ruth’s fifteen-yearold daughter, after being catcalled in the middle of the street, defiantly holds up a middle finger, saying, “Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?” Ruth looks on with a mixture of shock and pride. It is then that she realizes that the culture has changed and so must the law. On the Basis of Sex takes a single case—a pivotal case, but still only one—and stretches it into multiple hours. RBG manages to take dozens of brilliant cases and leave you with something in your chest that is a mixture of pride, awe, and ambition.
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Sports
Knicks Fans—Don’t Get Your Hopes Up By VAYNU KADIYALI
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t the NBA’s February 7 trade deadline, for the sixth straight season, the New York Knicks remained out of the playoff picture. On paper, this season’s circumstances seemed more dire than ever before—the Knicks had lost 14 straight games prior to the deadline, and after months of quietly exploring trades, the Knicks made the shocking move to deal all-star Kristaps Porzingis to the Mavericks. Surprisingly, despite the Knicks’ atrocious season, fans have displayed a sense of optimism about the direction of the team. Although two decades overdue, the Knicks appear to have finally committed to a rebuild, with success stories like Mitchell Robinson and Allonzo Trier to show for it. Even more, with rumors about superstars having interest in coming to New York in the offseason, some believe that the team could be poised for success as early as next year. As much as I’d like to have something to look forward to as a Knicks fan, I find myself highly pessimistic about the current vision for the team’s future. To me, the Kristaps Porzingis trade was the first red flag in the Knicks’ path back to relevance. Leaked information suggested that Porzingis would have turned down the maximum contract that the Knicks would have offered him in the offseason. Instead, sources say that he would have instead signed a one-year qualifying offer to become an unrestricted free agent in 2020, where the Knicks would lose the ability to match a contract offer from another team. However, coming off of an ACL tear and with a long history of lower body injuries, I find it extremely hard to believe that Porzingis would have turned down a guaranteed $157 million in the offseason in place of his $4.5 million qualifying offer. While Dennis Smith Jr. is a talented prospect, and although the first round picks and salary flexibility the Knicks received in return are undoubtedly a positive, it’s disappointing that the organization did not try harder to
mend relationships with and re-sign one of the NBA’s most talented young players. I also find it extremely worrisome that the Knicks are hedging their bets on the NBA draft. Unlike in previous years, where the worst team in the NBA would have a 25 percent chance at winning the draft lottery, the NBA’s new draft lottery system gives teams with the four worst records an equal 14 percent chance at the top pick. While the Knicks have done a splendid job of losing games to be one of these four teams, there’s a very high probability that they won’t end up with the top pick in the draft. Seeing the 2019 draft’s top prospect, Zion Williamson, in a Knicks jersey would be incredible, but almost certainly, the Knicks won’t have the chance to select him. This will leave them with one of the second-tier prospects in the draft—RJ Barrett, Cameron Reddish, Ja Morant, Nassir Little, or Romeo Langford—each of whom has glaring weaknesses despite their upside. Outside of Williamson, this year’s draft appears to be one of the weaker ones in recent memory, and despite the Knicks’ terrible record, they may not find themselves able to add a game-changing talent to their young core. Finally, the greatest delusion in the path to winning for the Knicks is the idea that the team will attract one, or possibly even two, all-NBA caliber talents in the offseason. While numerous sources have tied the team to Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, among others, unless any of these rumors is substantiated by league sources or by the players themselves in the coming months, I see no reason to expect a marquee free agent to come to New York. After all, the Knicks have been an incredibly dysfunctional organization since the turn of the century, with countless examples of incompetence and with the league’s worst winning percentage over the past 20 years. Even though the Knicks’ current front office appears to have a steadier hand than those in the past, and while Head Coach David Fizdale has been
a solid locker-room presence during his tenure, neither of these elements are close to enough to convince a top free agent to spend their prime in New York. Additionally, while the Knicks have a few interesting young prospects, none of them have shown the potential to be a second or third star for the team next year, when such a free agent would play with the team. There’s very little else besides the atmosphere of playing and living in New York City that would convince any free agent to sign with the Knicks. Even if a free agent takes the risk to join the team, without another star or a solid supporting cast, the team won’t go very far. In the very likely event that the Knicks strike out in free agency, they need to be extremely cautious about signing role players to large contracts. It’s a troubling sign that the current front office is the same one that signed Tim Hardaway Jr. to his monstrous contract, and annoyingly, there are plenty of mediocre free agents this year that could pique the interest of the front office and receive unwieldy contracts. The Knicks can and most certainly should avoid this path, instead keeping their cap space for future offseasons. Meanwhile, the organization should focus its efforts on re-signing on affordable contracts players like Emmanuel Mudiay and Noah Vonleh, both of whom have flourished in New York after being written off earlier in their careers, as well as finding other such diamonds in the rough in the 2019 free agency class. If there’s anything to be optimistic about in New York, it’s not the unrealistic, grandiose vision that many have for the Knicks. Rather, fans should be excited that the organization has made many great, small moves in the past year, and that the toxic culture of the 2016-17 season has been shed. If the Knicks continue along their slow but steady trajectory, the future will look much brighter down the road than if they act hastily to go from tanking to contention in this offseason. MARCH 2019
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Sports
The Physics Behind Figure Skating By KATIE LIN
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t the 2019 US Figure Skating Nationals, 13-year-old Alysa Liu successfully completed a total of three triple axels. Most women who do this jump in competition are in their twenties. It’s jaw-dropping jumping feats like this that always prompt spectators to ask, “How does she do that? How is that possible?” Personally, when asked about how I jump on the ice, I’m at a loss of what to say. All skaters know what they’re doing, but when we’re learning a jump, many times we just kind of throw ourselves in the air and hope for the best, which sometimes doesn’t end too well. But looking at it from a scientific perspective, how does a skater jump and skate? I haven’t taken AP Physics C, so the science of figure skating is in very simple terms to me, but it is still very interesting for anyone to know. The moment of inertia plays a large part in figure skating. The moment of inertia is a measure of how much a body resists angular acceleration, which acts as a form of resistance. The moment of inertia is calculated based on mass times the distances from the radius squared. When attempting a double or triple axel, a skater wants to decrease their moment of inertia. If the skater can reduce the average radius, which is the average distance of their mass to their axis of rotation, then their moment of inertia is decreased; this increases their angular velocity, meaning that the skater rotates faster. When a skater jumps, they pull in their arms and cross their legs tight. By doing so, this radius is shortened. The moment of inertia is decreased, and the skater spins faster in the air because of a higher angular acceleration. A skater must rotate fast to finish all the revolutions in the air so the jump is not cheated (short on revolutions) and to make the jump look easy and get a good grade of execution which is the grade the judges give on how well the element was completed. Alysia Liu would not have been able to complete all three and a half revolutions of a triple axel if she hadn’t pulled in tight and had a decreased moment of inertia. 16
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Also, when the skater performs certain positions in spins, like tucking one leg and bending over, they are squeezing themselves to be as small as possible. They are also reducing the moment of inertia to spin faster so the spin goes around the required amount of times. Weight also affects inertia. The more mass the person has, the more inertia, or resistance to change, their body provides. Thus, skaters need to be light, and if the skater has more weight, then it will be harder for the skater to complete all the revolutions in the air. In a documentary Alina Zagitova and Evgenia Medvedeva, the 2018 Olympic Gold and Silver figure skating medalists, respectively, discussed how people believe they can
eat anything they want because they burn so many calories skating. In reality, they have to strictly limit what they eat for their jumps. Another part of physics that lies behind figure skating is the center of mass, which is the weighted center of the body. Skaters have to keep their center of mass over their skates in order to be stable. My coaches always tell me to imagine stacking my head on top of my hips, or to imagine I’m a doll with strings attached to me, and the string on the head is stretching as high as it can go. When jumping, if the skater doesn’t center their mass over their landing leg, then they’ll most likely not be able to land the jump because their body is not prepared. Liu’s air position was straight and she was right over her landing leg, allowing her to land the triple axels successfully. Even if the skater doesn’t know what’s scientifically going on while they’re skating, the science is everywhere. The moment of inertia, weight, and the center of mass play key roles in figure skating. To do what they do, skaters practice a lot, utilizing physics to efficiently rotate and maintain stability.
IMAGE FROM UNSPLASH
Literary
La Calle por Pueblo Nuevo By Tilden Chao 0 kilometers [the beginning] The only road in Pueblo Nuevo has no name. It has no driveways, no street lamps, and no mailboxes. Its houses have no addresses. When you write letters home, it’s a game of description on the envelope. My home is about two kilometers from the center of town. It’s the “last house before the whitewater rapids, across from the blue whale mural, and beside the stable for the white horse.” 0.2 kilometers [coexistence] The houses don’t have ceilings—just peaked tin roofs that sit elevated off the top of each wall. During the daytime, townspeople leave their doors wide open. Pueblo Nuevo is rural and secluded enough to escape the worst crimes, but the menacing dogs chained to every door act as a deterrent anyway. 0.5 kilometers [life] In several bushes by the road, a few hundred butterflies emerge from their chrysalides. I watch quietly as brown and orange wings wrestle themselves out of confinement—wet, quivering, and curious. I watch one butterfly’s proboscis extend for the first time. It touches a leaf, then quickly curls in surprise. Two huge grasshoppers watch too. They’re black and red, with a massive muscular crest running down their backs. When one jumps, the entire leaf shakes. When one lands, the stem rebounds violently. 0.8 kilometers [left and right] At the top of a hill, a developer has built a stunning ranch house with three satellite television dishes. There’s a small guard dog tied to the house’s barbed wire perimeter. It growls when you get close. At the top of the hill, I can see two mango trees, drooping under the load of ripe fruit. After a week of neglect, dozens of mangoes slowly decompose under each trunk. If you’re lucky, a fallen mango will roll down the hill, through a gap in the fence, and into the ditch. You can yank it out of the thick mud, wash it, and eat it. But the mangoes are otherwise closed off from the neighborhood. Jagged boulders under the first layer of barbed wire send a clear message—keep out. 0.8 kilometers [right and left] Directly across the street and down the slope, there’s a small lean-to house built from wooden planks, mud, and old shirts stuffed into the cracks. A one-eyed, three-legged dog stands watch, while a young child plays with a deflated soccer ball. Each kick seems to make the ball smaller. Through unpatched spaces in the walls, there’s faint light coming from a soccer game on a small square television. From a corner of the house, shower water flows into a muddy hand-dug reservoir below a sagging clothesline. The boy looks at my shoes, then at my shirt, and then at me.
A black-haired boy lobs a handful of rocks at a faded pink house on the right. After the rocks hit the thin tin roof, I hear a thunderous explosion, then echoes off of smooth concrete floors. He says no one lives there anymore. There’s a huge termite colony metastasizing on a second-story window, slowly eating away at the wooden walls. Weeds erupt through the stone walkway, and trees and vines begin to creep up the exterior. Soon, the jungle will swallow the home—concrete and all. 2.1 kilometers [the end?] It’s the rainy season here, and the gravel road swells with water, bleeding into the surrounding ditches. The whitewater rapids rage red from sediment churned up by the storm. The river licks up over the road and sucks in chunks of gravel. After the rain subsides, a man walks out to the end of the road with a shovel. He quietly rebuilds what washed away. Why not the midwest
I am By Airaklah Clanton I am stubborn and realistic I wonder about death and the after-life I hear the Devil’s laughter I see Hell’s gates I want to understand everything I am stubborn and realistic I pretend to be okay I feel Hell Fire I touch Heaven’s clouds I worry for the future I cry for the past I am stubborn and realistic I understand I had to write this poem I say everybody dies but not everybody lives I dream about death I try to be a normal being I hope to be okay one day I am stubborn and realistic
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Literary
TI-84 Plus CE
Being
By Zachary Foley
By Eleanor Randl
It can draw lines But it cannot make art It can solve any equation But on its own it can’t start It doesn’t need to sleep But dies without a charge It is sleek and thin But in my hand, quite large It can find x But doesn’t know why It can tell truths But cannot lie It can connect But needs a cord It can play games But only when you’re bored It goes to school But not to church It knows googol But it cannot search
When the cold begins to seep beneath my clothes, I watch the dogs with wet backs and soft eyes. During the quiet, they gallop and glisten. Their legs lumbering and flying in their awkward way. Not able to keep up with their hearts, streaked with wind, trembling, and beating. As the sun falls lower in the sky, I wonder, at what point exactly is a word a part of the past? After you say it? After you think it? After you feel it? And, if words are beings, piling up, riddling our pasts, then how lonely is the word alone? I envy the dogs, as they shake their fur, paws heavy on ice because if there is a now, between the worlds of before and after, the dogs, they live within it.
Surrealio By Ethan Carlson
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Penultimate
Haiku Contest Untitled (Winner) By Charlotte Hoekenga Why do aliens Always invade big cities Why not the midwest
Inversion By Yoonsuh Kim Look! Syllables are the same! Wait, there’s two more now!? ...I think I really screwed this-
Fly Me to the Moon By Ryan Cunningham Mist from the Pale Fire The heavens pierced by tall spires The grain is acquired
March Sudoku 5
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Back Page
The Coolness Spectrum The Signs as Things That Start to Happen in the Spring
Cool Spring is here!
Getting accepted to colleges
By SOPHIE WRAY
Pisces (Feb 19 - Mar 20):
Seasonal depression ceases to exist.
Aries (Mar 21 - Apr 19):
Little flowers poke their heads out of the frozen earth that’s begun to thaw.
Taurus (Apr 20 - May 20):
Libra (Sep 23 - Oct 22):
Hopscotch on the sidewalk till the rain washes it away.
Scorpio (Oct 23 - Nov 21):
The lovely reality that the school year is relatively close to being over sets in.
Chirping birds come back, you can hear them outside your window each and every morning.
Sagittarius (Nov 22 - Dec 21):
Gemini (May 21 - June 20):
Capricorn (Dec 22 - Jan 19):
It’s time. For some shorts baby. No more long johns. Shorts time.
Cancer (June 21 - Jul 22):
Fixing your vitamin D deficiency is a top priority.
Leo (Jul 23 - Aug 22):
The bees. They’re comin’ back (hopefully).
Cherry blossoms! Magnolia blossoms! All the blossoms! They’re here! Spring cleaning. It’s a blessing and a curse but everything is nice and clean afterwards so there’s no complaining allowed.
Aquarius (Jan 20 - Feb 18):
Finally it’s warm enough to sit outside at school or in a nice little park on the weekend.
Social Justice Week
Women’s History Month
Spring reports begin
Mamrock shakes
Mud n’ Slush
Losing an hour of sleep
Getting rejected from colleges
Virgo (Aug 23 - Sep 22):
Time to ditch the clunky winter boots for sneakers and sandals.
Cover art by Jacob Yoon 20 MARCH 2019
Uncool