March 2020

ALL THE NEWS THAT’S FIT TO TATTLE.

MARCH 2020 VOL. 127 #7

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

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NEWS

The January 28 and February 11 Board Meetings

By ALEXANDER YOO

T

he January 28 and February 11 Board of Education (BoE) meetings had a few interesting moments. As always, some of the more intriguing topics came up during the public comments period. During the January 28 meeting, a middle school teacher brought up the concern of teachers’ mental health.

She discussed some of the difficulties she was having at that time.

She highlighted, however, the good parts of her week, the homeroom activities she did with her sixth graders such as washing the bathroom and putting up positive quotes. She pointed out that administrators had no part in planning these homeroom events.

Instead, administrators were consistently bringing up how to hold the teachers accountable for their jobs. She felt that this situation was unfair, and when the BoE asked if she had any ideas for possible solutions, it boiled down to being able to sit down and discuss the problems. A few of the comments made were that “administrators should not be making the teachers’ jobs harder” and that the BoE will try to get out and discuss this concern more.

At the February 11 meeting, the public comments centered around an announcement made over the loudspeaker at Northeast Elementary School regarding gender identity. The message stated that anyone could choose their own gender and no one else could choose for them. Four different Northeast parents brought up their concerns regarding the message that was delivered. Some of them were confused and concerned on how the topic related to Black Lives Matter. They didn’t specifically disagree with the content, but rather the way it was delivered, and overall felt uninformed. For some other parents, they disagreed with the content, feeling that it wasn’t an age-appropriate topic, or that the school was assuming parents don’t teach their kids about morality. To them, this was a political issue, and the school should try to stay out of it, not favoring one side over the other. In response to these statements, the BoE emphasized that this was a complicated and multifaceted issue, and that time would be needed. They also pointed out the difference between Black Lives Matter and Black Lives Matter In School, and how they, although related, are not the same. Black Lives Matter In School targets specific goals and principles of the Black Lives Matter Movement, like teaching black history. The BoE assured the parents that they would be discussing this concern in the days to come, and would include this in upcoming curriculum committee meetings.

On January 28, Todd Noyes and Steve Weissburg presented on the upcoming fourth annual Morocco trip and its itinerary. The trip is to take place in April with a group of twenty-four kids. They cited the very successful fundraising efforts in lowering the payments so that students with financial aid would only have to pay less than a thousand dollars. This year, the trip will be in a desert and the students will be working with and visiting a school in Marrakech. In response to a question from the BoE regarding the purpose, the teachers stated that the trip provides an opportunity to interact with a Muslim country, and acts like an “antidote to some of the things that kids hear in the media.” In order to prepare, the students taking part in the trip will be taught about Muslim culture and history. Eventually, students from the trip will come in to talk to English classes to promote the next trip and get applications. The trip is open to anyone at IHS, regardless of grade or course selection.

The February 11 meeting devoted a large portion of its time to a discussion of IEPs, or Individualized Education Plans, largely taking place in elementary and middle schools. IEPs are plans that map out unique paths for students, in order to better address their needs. IEPs existed before, but changes are being made with the goal of involving students as much as possible. The main goal from this change is to hear from the students and how they feel about their own strengths. The BoE cited the book Getting the Most Out of IEPs as a source of the changes. One of the largest parts of this is shifting from a deficit model to a strengths model, where rather than focusing on the students’ weaknesses, they focus on the students’ strengths. Not only that, they emphasize empowering the students to take control of their own decisions. They provided examples of students across the spectrum of involvement, with some taking full control and others doing so with encouragement.

One student, without being asked, provided work from October to January to show their improvement as to better exemplify where they were sitting in terms of knowledge. The BoE acknowledged and pointed out that sometimes students know what they need more than adults and appreciated the student-centered approach.

The January 28 and February 11 meetings were especially interesting in terms of the public comments, but otherwise were fairly standard in content, regarding funds and discussion of committee happenings.

NEWS

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Trump Acquitted of Two Impeachment Charges by Senate

By LOUISA MILLER-OUT

O

n February 5, 2020, President Donald Trump was acquitted by the US Senate of abusing his power and obstructing Congress. He had previously been impeached by the House of Representatives. This sequence of events made him the third US President to be impeached and subsequently cleared of all charges.

As of now, no President of the United States has been removed from office through impeachment.

In many ways, this was an expected outcome.

In a Republican-controlled Senate, Democrats getting the two-thirds majority required to remove Trump from office was extremely unlikely.

The impeachment process has certainly exacerbated tensions between the two dominant political parties and sharpened the divisions that were already present in the US political system. In fact, the votes for both articles of impeachment aligned almost exactly with party lines. The only exception was Republican Senator Mitt Romney, who chose to stand with the Democrats and vote to impeach on the charge of abuse of power. He was promptly attacked by his own party for this decision, and praised by Democrats for his bravery. According to top Democrats, a number of Republicans in the Senate wanted to vote against Trump, but shied away for fear of harsh backlash akin to that which Romney received. These allegations can of course be taken with a grain of salt, as this impeachment trial was clearly rife with partisan tension.

The trial of President Trump has been widely criticized as unfair because there were no witnesses presented, as decided in a 51-49 Senate Cover image by Jacob Yoon

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

To read The Tattler online, visit our website at www.ihstattler.com.

vote. Some prominent politicians have even gone so far as to say Trump has not been acquitted yet because there was no proper trial. Democrat Adam Schiff stated, “Rob this country of a fair trial and there can be no representation that the verdict has any meaning.” Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi agreed, describing the President as “impeached forever” and “not vindicated.”

In the aftermath of the trial, Nancy Pelosi dramatically ripped up a copy of Trump’s State of the Union speech, symbolizing the sheer amount of bitter resentment along partisan lines that had built up during the impeachment process. She was lauded by Democrats and scolded by Republicans for this action, which she justified by explaining that “almost every page had something in it that was objectionable.”

It has been speculated that Trump’s reelection campaign will be strengthened by this verdict.

Already, he and his campaign managers have been using this outcome to establish the idea of Trump’s innocence and claim vindication. He seems to be rallying his supporters by convincing them that the Democratic Party is out to get him and all those associated with him. Trump has frequently characterized the proceedings against him as a “witch hunt,” and this vote was exactly what he needed to assert his innocence and complete his portrayal of himself and his supporters as victims. Trump is the first impeached President to seek reelection, and it doesn’t seem that impeachment proceedings have substantially damaged his base of support. Of course, moderates voting in November could be more inclined towards the Democratic nominee, swayed by the fact that the incumbent was even accused of such serious crimes as abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.

Impeachment is a bitter, divisive process that leaves our country perhaps more fractured than before. However, a crucial element of our democracy is that the American people have the ability to either protect the authority of a righteous leader or bring a corrupt one to justice. Hopefully, this country will make a decision that is in its best interest. Above all the lies, obfuscation, fighting, and confusion, one thing is clear: this November will be an important one.

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NEWS

The Coronavirus Epidemic

By VICKY LU

E

veryone has heard about the coronavirus (or “the new Ebola”) now, whether it be from family members that work at Cornell, trends online, or your social media homepage full of memes. However, with the sheer amount of information and statistics circulating the web, it’s easy to miss some of the details of the coronavirus.

Wuhan of China’s Hubei Province is largely accepted to be the origin of the outbreak, also known as “ground zero.” Coronavirus was first identified in Wuhan in early December of last year after forty-one people were admitted into the hospital, suffering from pneumonia with no clear cause. Lately, research has provided increasing evidence demonstrating the link between the coronavirus disease and other similar known coronaviruses circulating in bats, which are hunted and sold directly to restaurants in certain parts of Asia.

Coronavirus is not a new disease that has come to bring the apocalypse—it’s been around for quite some time now, although most of its strains stay within the animal kingdom. COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019) is the official scientific name, but it also goes by “2019-nCoV,” in which the “n” stands for “novel.” This is to differentiate it from SARS-CoV (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus), an earlier strain that hit East Asia in late 2002 and continued into mid-2003. SARS-CoV had an infection toll upwards of eight thousand people and a death rate of ten percent before it was mostly contained, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). nCoV has a significantly higher number of infected people, at 43,100 by the WHO’s count on February 11, 2020. However, the death rate is much lower at only 2 percent, or a little over one thousand deaths.

Map of areas with COVID-19 outbreaks, courtesy of CBC News.

It is important to note that, while most cases of nCoV involve contact with a Chinese person, your Asian classmate with the sniffles is almost guaranteed not to have the coronavirus (unless they have been in China sometime in the past two weeks).

Symptoms of CoV include coughing, sneezing, fever, and a runny nose or sore throat. These are all common in respiratory illnesses, but the danger in nCoV is how easily transmissible it is.

Symptoms might not show for two to fourteen days, known as the incubation period, with an average of five days until the onset of symptoms after initial infection. During this time, the virus can still be passed on to other people through coughing, sneezing, or close contact.

As of February 11, 2020, the statistics from the WHO’s website state that the People’s Republic of China has 42,708 confirmed cases, with 7,333 severe cases and 1,017 deaths. Outside of China, there are 395 confirmed cases spanning twenty-four countries with only one death. In the US, there are thirteen cases, none of which are in New York State. This totals up to 43,103 confirmed cases and 1,018 deaths globally.

Again, with a death rate of only 2 percent, most fatalities involve the elderly or people with already-compromised immune systems. For many students of IHS, this information will understandably not negate worries. However, there is not much to be done outside of upping your hygiene routine. Wash your hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based sanitizer every time you enter or exit your home, avoid touching your face with your hands, and maintain a distance of about a meter (three feet) between yourself and sneezing or coughing individuals.

NEWS

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The Ninth Democratic Debate

By FRANCES KLEMM

T

he ninth Democratic debate was a political battle that lasted an intense two hours. Earlier debates were informational and became repetitive, but the ninth debate, which took place on February 19, was different. One, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg joined the stage after gaining in the polls. Two, the primaries have started, and this was one of the candidates’ last chances to prove themselves as the right candidate.

From the moment the moderator asked the first question, it was as if the candidates had just heard, “now, let the Hunger Games begin.” There was no more politeness. This debate had the feel of the last hundred meters of a race, and the candidates had to give it their all.

Bloomberg entered his first debate facing a constant onslaught.

It was as if the one thing every candidate could agree on was to take Bloomberg down. The billionaire faced his history with sexual harassment allegations and the racist policy of stop-andfrisk. Bloomberg got an introduction from Senator Warren, who described him as “a billionaire who calls women fat broads and horse-faced lesbians.” When Tom Steyer was on the stage, his billionaire status seemed like something other candidates gently teased him about, but with Bloomberg, Warren and Sanders were out for the kill. Throughout the two hours, Bloomberg seemed genuinely uncomfortable and regretful towards not sticking to his five hundred million dollar television ads. Klobuchar and Warren stood by each other for the most part, taking turns shooting feminist zingers, coming in handy when Bloomberg was faced with his history of non-disclosure agreements and sexual harassment complaints.

Warren was a force of nature, taking down everything in her path. Not only did she lead the attack on Bloomberg, but there were at least two incidences where she took a shot at every single person on the stage within thirty seconds, calling out every candidate personally. Often, the senator didn’t seem to even bother with Bloomberg during the group strikes because he was already in his own Warren-created heap of rubble. Out of every candidate, Warren won herself the most speaking time with almost seventeen minutes under her belt. If anyone could be called a winner of this debate, most experts would point to Warren.

The rocky start to the debate became even more tense when Senator Klobuchar was questioned about her forgetting the name of the President of Mexico. Mayor Buttigieg was quick to call her

out, but the attack quickly became personal as many pointed out that they looked like they wanted to physically harm each other.

At one point, the senator accused Buttigeig of calling her “dumb” and of being overly personal. Senator Warren swung in with her take on the disagreement, stepping in to defend her fellow senator, saying “It happens to everybody on this stage.” Over the course of the evening, the unity between the only two female candidates seemed stronger than any alliances witnessed in the past. The two senators defended one another on numerous occasions.

This debate took a big swerve from the former “party unity” speeches. Unlike prior debates, Democratic unity was not a topic anyone came back to. Whether an effect or a cause of the lack of unity, President Trump was not mentioned. Often candidates can find common ground when Trump is discussed, but there was a notable lack of that discussion, which eliminated the talk of a larger, united goal of the Democratic Party and instead led the candidates to focus on their individual priorities. Without talk of a united Democratic Party, the glowing stage turned into a bloody battlefield.

Biden seemed to have successfully faded into the background.

Bloomberg seemed to have also wanted to fade into the background, without as much success. Klobuchar fared better in the early caucuses than predicted, but many doubt that will actually give her a shot at the nomination. Warren seems to be in the same boat as Biden in terms of caucus results, but she remains strong in the debates. Senator Bernard Sanders avoided major conflict and escaped without any major scratches. After wins in New Hampshire and Nevada where he succeeded with numerous demographics, Sanders remains a frontrunner for the nomination.

Since June, America has watched debate after debate as a stage of twenty candidates narrowed to six, and will only get smaller.

Poll highs came and went for each candidate. Democratic voters have put themselves in a seemingly endless circle of wondering whether they should care more about a candidate’s ability to win or their policies. Throughout it all, the question has remained: will Democratic voters pull through? Currently, there are thirty million registered Republicans and forty-two million registered Democrats. Voter turnout has been an overarching problem for years, and with the 2020 presidential election, each party needs their voters to show up.

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OPINION

Mamba in Memoriam: Kobe Bryant

By WILL THOMAS

W

hen Kobe Bryant perished in a helicopter crash on January 26, 2020 at the age of 41, the basketball world erupted. Kobe was an inspiration, one of the greatest players ever. He bridged the gap from MJ to LeBron to become one of the most recognizable stars in America. Kobe was a basketball hero to many young players and was the reason many played the game. Hell, we yelled his name after throwing crumpled papers into the recycling. We hated him for beating our teams and we respected the hell out of him for doing it so consistently for so many years. He was by all accounts, a basketball legend, and a man worthy of our love. A man that meant so much by a sport that means so much to so many people globally.

Kobe is remembered for all of these things, but is also known for being accused of raping a 19 year-old who worked at a hotel.

The only penalty he received was the loss of some lesser sponsorships (Nike, his most prominent one, merely suspended his shoe line), while Bryant settled for 2.5 million dollars. He was accused of committing one of the most heinous acts possible and it seems the world just forgot it. When looking at his legacy, it is impossible to capture the full story without this event.

Bryant did a lot to try to redeem himself after the allegation. He became an ambassador for the game, a devoted husband, a doting father, and a strong WNBA supporter. He became the beloved figure that he was when he passed away. As such, there are two very divided sides with different opinions concerning Kobe. One side reveres him. These are the people who he inspired, the ones that didn’t understand the allegations against him, or believed he became better. The others revile him, call him a monster, and bristle at the sound of his name. These are people who don’t know the effect he had on basketball and the world, don’t understand how a mere basketball player could have had as big an impact as he did, or aren’t willing to let his actions after the allegations change or even factor into their perception of him.

Kobe was an amazing basketball player and did a lot for the sport and its players, and as someone who plays the sport myself, I can understand that. However, he is also an example of how fame and money are “get out of jail free cards” for people in this country.

He was able to escape prosecution due to his financial resources because of a culture that is willing to forgive the rich and powerful simply because they are rich and powerful.

You can love him or you can hate him, and either side is understandable and valid. You also can’t hate the other side or judge

them based on what they believe about Kobe, you can’t refuse to listen to them, and you can’t make personal attacks on them. This is a topic worthy of discussion, but it’s also one that you can’t answer no matter how deeply you dive into the ethics of the question. Did Kobe make up for being accused of one of the most awful crimes possible? Mourn Kobe Bryant or don’t, hate him or don’t, but either way pushing your own opinion onto others and then hating them if they don’t agree with you doesn’t solve anything.

Kobe Bryant left us with many unanswered. Either way you feel about him, his death is a deep loss for the global basketball community, and he will be missed.

FEATURES

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Lindy’s Cheesecake Review

By MJ STUELKE

Image Provided

Lindy’s Cheesecake Serves 8 - 12 For the Crust 1 cup flour 8 tbsp. unsalted butter, cubed ¼ cup sugar 1 tsp. lemon zest ¼ tsp. salt 1 egg yolk ½ vanilla bean, seeds scraped and reserved For the Filling 2 ½ lbs. cream cheese, softened 1 ¼ cups sugar 3 tbsp. flour 1 ½ tsp. orange zest 1 ½ tsp. lemon zest ½ tsp. vanilla extract 5 whole eggs, plus 2 yolks ¼ cup heavy cream Instructions For the crust: Combine flour, butter, sugar, zest, salt, yolk, and vanilla seeds in a bowl; rub with fingers until dough forms. Form dough into two rounds; wrap each in plastic wrap. Chill for one

This classic New Yorkstyle cheesecake is brightened with orange and lemon zest. hour. Press one dough round onto the bottom of a 9” springform pan; pull off pieces from remaining dough and press around sides of pan. Set aside.

For the filling: Heat oven to 500 degrees. Beat cream cheese, sugar, flour, zest, and vanilla in a large bowl on medium-high speed of a hand mixer until smooth. Add eggs and yolks, one at a time, beating after each addition, until smooth; stir in cream. Pour filling into ban, and bake until top begins to brown, about 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 200 degrees, and bake until just set, about one hour more. Transfer to rack, and let cool completely. Cover and refrigerate at least eight hours or overnight, Remove cake from pan and cut into slices to serve.

This cheesecake is the best I’ve ever had. My entire family loves it, and I’m sure you will too. Making the crust was really interesting, as all the crusts I’ve ever made before used water and very cold butter to hold them together, but for this one, you use an egg! You also have to use your hands for this, as for the dough to come together, the butter has to melt slightly from the heat of your hands as you are working it. When in the oven, make sure that the cake isn’t too close to the top burner so it doesn’t burn on top. Also, have a pan under it to catch the drips. To check if it’s done, stick a thermometer into the center of the cake, and when it is 160 degrees, it should be done. Enjoy!

ARTS

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Image Provided

Album cover of The Slow Rush by Tame Impala

There’s No Rush: An Analysis of Tame Impala’s The Slow Rush

By ETHAN CARLSON

O

ne of the most anticipated album releases of February 2020 was The Slow Rush by Tame Impala, a psychedelic rock band led by Australian musician Kevin Parker. Parker founded Tame Impala in 2007 and the band grew in popularity with the release of their third album, Currents, in 2015, which won Best Alternative Music Album at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards. The new album builds on Currents and is best characterized by a series of calm rhythms and tones, which flow nicely between the songs.

The main focus of The Slow Rush is the passage of time and how easy it is to forget that life is short by getting caught in the demands of the present. As Parker puts it in an interview with Apple Music, “We won’t be young forever but we sure do live like it . . . Our time here is short, let’s make it count. I have a plan.” And that plan was this album.

The songs in The Slow Rush speak of the chaos and impulsivity in life, the beauty of the past’s nostalgia, the choices we all have to make in the present, and the ambiguity of the future. These complex themes are conveyed within groovy beats, dramatic syntheses, calming acoustics, and touching lyrics. In many ways, it is a remarkably good album. However, some listeners may find some of its cuts a bit long, as the twelve songs on it log in at over fifty-seven minutes. Yet, the length is one of the strengths of this album.

Patient listeners will find it likely to grow on them with repeated listenings. Parker noted that he wants listeners to “observe the stillness of everything as time races faster than ever,” as if he was living life at a slower and calmer pace than everyone around him.

The Slow Rush is a mesmerizing album that deserves a full listen-through. The music is consistently high-quality and unique, and no single song is especially worse than the others. However, there are a few songs that summarize the essence of Parker’s album, included below, that should be listened to first to get a good sense of the album as a whole. Each song listed has a quote from Parker talking about the song during his interview with Apple Music: “Borderline”: “Standing at the edge of a strange new world. Any further and I won’t know the way back. The only way to see it is to be in it. Long to be immersed. Unaware and uncontrolled.”

“Lost in Yesterday”: “Nostalgia is a drug, to which some are addicted.”

“Is It True”: “Young love is uncertain. Let’s not talk about the future. We don’t know what it holds. I hope it’s forever but how do I know? When all is said and done, all you can say is, ‘we’ll see.’”

ARTS

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All Show, No Tell: An Analysis of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

By ETHAN CARLSON

U

nfortunately, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, the finale to the epic Star Wars franchise, failed to live up to all the hype surrounding its release. While the film did give its viewers stunning CGI and a series of elaborate and fast-paced laser-shooting and lightsaber-swinging battle scenes, it also forced them to listen to a script that could have been written by a twelveyear-old in a seventh grade English class.

The dialogue of this film came across as if someone had just watched way too many action and space films and was just cobbling together the clichés that appeared in all of them into a single film. In addition, the characters only spoke their lines during brief interludes between the fight scenes, giving the audience only snippets of meaningless conversation instead of longer moments that would have allowed emotion and reflection to be shown. And when there was dialogue, it was either ridiculously shallow or filled with the type of psychology one could find from a children’s book. Phrases like, “I am afraid of myself,” were as deep as The Rise of Skywalker ever got. At some points, it even seemed as if the director of the film realized how bad it must have sounded and tried to salvage the dialogue in the film by throwing in a callback phrase and/or action. But this only made such scenes more cringy.

As a result, it ended up being difficult to care much at all about what happened to the characters, which was sad as we have been watching many of them for years.

In addition, the plot itself makes little sense either. I will not spoil any details about how it unfolds, but I think it is fair to say that there are a lot of holes in the story, and these are made even worse through the repeated use of flashbacks of moments never mentioned or even hinted at in previous films. One could argue that the point of this plot device is to “uncover lost memories” of the main characters and to show their motivations as they embark on their final quest. But in many cases in the film, these supposedly pivotal moments are quite literally pulled out of thin air. It feels like they could build another entire film series just off of the partially explained backstories building up to this finale (which will probably happen as Disney seeks to make even more money from the Star Wars brand).

By the time the film is over, almost none of the conflicts created during its course are resolved. Yes, some main characters are killed. Others survive. But, we don’t really have any clear sense of why, how these events have tied to what has happened before in the Star Wars universe, or what will happen next. In other words, the whole film is essentially a string of non sequitur fighting glued together by patchy backstories, poorly executed callbacks, Deus ex machina, and war tactics that are woven together in a way that is illogical.

Overall, this film is terrible, with its only strong suit being the fight scenes, which are amazing to watch because of the film’s

use of top-notch CGI and special effects. So, watch this film if you want to see a bunch of stuff getting blown up in cool ways in outer space and various biomes. But if you are looking for something with any meaning, or closure to the run of the franchise, you will be sorely disappointed. Also, before watching, you will have to watch (or rewatch) every single Star Wars film that came out before The Rise of Skywalker because otherwise, this film makes absolutely no sense.

Image Provided

The fact that the film advertised in this poster got a fifty-two percent on Rotten Tomatoes tells a lot about just how bad Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker really is.

ARTS

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2.5

BY ADOWYN ERNSTE

A hero must wage their OWN battles and climb their own mountains…

But I’m no hero. and I’m falling Down Down Down

Down

Down

Down

Hey, Tin Can. What’re you doing down there?

Leave me alon

e.

their reward is to look out upon the sea of Fog through which they had wandered*…

* Caspar David Friedrich

You invented a new sound spectrum…

Come on, things aren’t so bad.

Along the way, you did some pretty cool things too: You made the yummiest gingerbread disaster I’ve ever had.

and You played an incredible trombone solo in front of the entire school!

some things didn’t go as planned, but even after you fall, you have to

get back up and stand tall. come on out of the Fog, Seymour…

Thanks for being there, Norma Jean.

You don’t have to stand alone in the rain.

whatever I feel like, Gosh.

ARTS

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Annual Book Awards

By FRANCES KLEMM

L

ooking for something to read? Take a look at these brand new, award-winning novels.

John Newbery Medal New Kid by Jerry Craft

This book is aimed towards younger audiences, but it’s still worth a shot. The novel tells the story of a young boy who is forced into an elite private educational institution where he is one of the only kids of color. The middle schooler tries to navigate between the world of his neighborhood friends and family and the world of his new school but he doesn’t feel like he fits into either.

National Book Award for Fiction Trust Exercise by Susan Choi

This award-winning novel is set in a 1980s high school, following the romance of two teens at a highly competitive performing arts school. The plot then follows the actions of a charismatic acting teacher as he interrupts their love story. The book deals with issues many teens have to face, such as academic pressure, adult life, and family life. Susan Choi molds fiction with reality and leaves readers of all ages with a greater understanding of the true capacities of adolescents and of the powers and responsibilities of

adults.

National Book Award for Non-Fiction The Yellow House by Sarah M. Broom

Sarah M. Broom writes an autobiography, illustrating one hundred years of her family history. The highly acclaimed book is set in New Orleans, where Broom writes of growing up, place, class, race, the seeping rot of inequality, and the internalized shame that follows.

Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction Lost Children Archive by Valeria Luiselli

Luiselli wrote a novel about a family driving across the place where America intersects with the southwestern border of Mexico as the immigration crisis is in full swing. As they travel south to Arizona, the family learns more and more about the crisis as they listen to hours of the radio every day. The family is slowly falling apart along the way, as the story asks questions on how we document our experiences and how we remember the things that matter most.

Continued on page 11

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ARTS | SPORTS

Annual Book Awards Continued from page 10 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction The Overstory by Richard Powers

Unified Bowling

By CAROLINE SINE

M A novel about nine Americans whose connections to trees bring them together, Richard Power’s writing spans half a century. The book highlights the multiple dimensions of dependence on trees, organizing the text into four main parts: Roots, Trunk, Crown, and Seeds.

Powers brings to light the vast parallel between the world of nature and trees and our own lives.

The Costa Award Book of the Year The Volunteer: The True Story of the Resistance Hero who Infiltrated Auschwitz by Jack Fairweather

As the debut book by Jack Fairweather, a former Washington Post corresponder, the heavily-researched novel tells the untold story of a World War II hero. The Volunteer details Witold Pilecki’s infiltration of Auschwitz as the underground operative who formed an army in the concentration camp. His inside reports of Auschwitz were sent west and would eventually shape the Allies’ response to the Holocaust.

any sports teams in numerous high schools are very homogenous: full of young men and women with similar physical attributes. This restricts their ability to learn from each other due to their sameness.

Unified Sports is an inclusive team that brings together athletes with all levels of capabilities. It allows those with diverse talents to play together, learn together, grow together, and work towards a common goal.

Samantha Little, the Director of Athletics and Wellness in ICSD, was a pioneer in establishing Unified Sports at IHS. Seeing the opportunity for all students to gain the benefits from participating in a team sport, she first proposed Unified Sports to ICSD Superintendent Dr. Luvelle Brown in 2017. Thirty-five years ago, high schools did not offer any program similar to this. Today, IHS is one of around 4,500 schools nationwide that are part of Unified Sports. The first year the program was put into place at IHS, the basketball team only had nine student athletes, and competed against seven schools. By 2019, the league has spread to thirteen schools, and the basketball team has over twenty-five players at IHS. Unified Sports is supported by the Youth Activation Committee (YAC) at IHS, which consists of around twenty student leaders. Before this year started, I had little knowledge of the goals of YAC and how it contributed to our community. I am happy to now be a part of a group that spreads inclusive efforts through our school and community. We are very excited about this year because the success of Unified Basketball has led to the opportunity to add a new sport at IHS, Unified Bowling.

Bowling allows even more students of all ability levels to participate. Many IHS kids wanted to both score points in a high school game and have fun supporting teammates, but last year, there weren’t enough spots for everyone. With the addition of a bowling team, this year we have the opportunity to include even more passionate athletes in an accessible (but equally high-stakes) game.

The Youth Activation Committee isn’t just to support Unified Sports. Those who are a part of the program are also charged with inclusion throughout the entire day—not just during practice. Students involved are also expected to look for ways to make others feel included throughout the day, such as sitting with new people during lunch, pledging to not use the r-word, and pushing other students to participate in school activities such as dances and sports games. The YAC at IHS works to raise money for our IHS Unified teams, as well as for the Special Olympics. The Polar Plunge, in which Dr. Brown, Ms. Gray, and ICSD students jumped into Cayuga Lake during the winter, raised over two thousand dollars.

Unified Sports can be life-changing for those who do not typically get the chance to play sports. Students in Unified Sports receive many benefits. Ms. Valletta, the Unified Basketball coach, mentioned hearing a player say, while putting on the Ithaca jersey, “. . . This is the first time I’ve ever worn a uniform.” Experiences that are taken for granted by many students can be life-changing for those who often feel excluded without the typical opportunities.

We should all be proud of a community that supports and constantly makes an effort for inclusion. Unified Bowling and Basketball is all part of a bigger picture.

We at the YAC hope that you will join us. Make other IHS students feel included.

We would appreciate students to support our Unified Team as you would any other sports team. According to the Special Olympics official website, “[Unified Sports] is inspired by a simple principle: training together and playing together is a quick path to friendship and understanding.”

SPORTS

13

Maia and Cookie: Hurdling Towards the Gold

By ADOWYN ERNSTE

W

hen Maia Kubick ‘21 arrived in Florida on January 9, 2020 for the US Equestrian Awards Banquet, the spectacular, end-of-the-year celebration held two main attractions. The first was a chance to meet her idols, including Olympic gold medalist rider Beezie Madden. While this was a thrilling experience in and of itself, the main reason for Maia’s excitement was the two Welsh Section B Hunter awards that she had received from the US Equestrian, which recognized her outstanding performance as a rider on a national level. This is the most prestigious award possible in the entirety of the Welsh community’s junior age group, a goal that Maia had been working towards since she began riding seven years ago.

The Kelviden Equestrian Center in Enfield, where Maia rides, is located less than twenty minutes from IHS. Even so, the sport of riding remains somewhat of a mystery to most of the student body.

As someone without any former knowledge of Welsh riding, the experience of sitting down and listening to Maia patiently unravel the complexities of her sport was an enlightening experience.

What exactly was Maia’s path to the gold? The answer is a familiar one to anyone who has participated in a sport: countless hours of practice over a period of several years. For most days of the week during the riding season, Maia spent three or more hours a day at the Kelviden Equestrian Center, either spending time with Cookie (the Welsh pony that she rode this year) or at a lesson with her trainer.

These lessons were focused almost solely on the two primary competition events for Welsh riding: flatwork and hunters (more commonly called jumping). In both events, the judges watch for clean and precise technique and form. As a result, most of the many hours that Maia spent with Cookie were spent one-on-one with her trainer in preparation for the many shows throughout the season.

For the hunter event, the jump is based on consistency and speed, distance to the jump at liftoff, and the form of the horse over the jump. The height of the jump depends on the size of the horse, which largely depends on its Section.

During the pleasure event, the horse moves through the different gates (walk, trot, and canter), turns around, and then does the same thing in the other direction. The judges gauge their score based on the horse’s movement in each gate as well as the pony’s build. In addition to performance events, there are halter events called “in hand.” For these events, judges evaluate how the rider handles the horse and how the horse moves, as well as its physique.

At each competition, points are awarded by the judge based on evaluation of the three competition events. Over time, these points accumulate towards potential annual awards in each event for the rider with the most points.

Riding is a yearlong sport with competitions in both the summer and winter, and restarts annually on December 1. Some riders choose to compete year-round in Florida, but Maia’s performance season is from March to October. However, the Kelviden Equestri-

Image Provided

Maia and Cookie competing in the hunter event. an Center has an indoor ring, which allows riders to practice even when the weather is cold and snowy. During the winter months, Maia uses this ring to continue practicing throughout the year.

When the weather gets warmer, the outdoor ring is also used in order to accustom the horses to different environments.

Cookie is a Section B Welsh pony. Although this label may seem confusing at first, the classification of Welsh ponies is actually relatively simple. Welsh ponies come in four types. Section A and Section B horses differ mainly in size. Cobs, Sections C and D, have a larger build and can be identified by their “feathers,” which create a “bootcut” effect on the area surrounding the pony’s lower leg. Cobs are also stronger, which makes them more difficult to handle. For this reason, Maia prefers to ride mainly Section A and Section B ponies. Cookie, a Section B, is a sweet and friendly Welsh pony that Maia loved riding during their year together.

However, not everything about the commitment to riding was smooth and easy. Managing a full schedule of riding practice as well as staying on top of schoolwork presented a challenge that often times involved doing homework between classes or in a hotel room. At a competition, Maia recalled, “During a lunch break, I sat by Cookie’s stall and did homework near him. He was not very interested in US history and took a nap.”

But there were memorable moments too. During an October competition, all the horses, trainers, and riders dressed up in costumes to get into the Halloween spirit. Cookie was dressed up in a dollar bill costume, truly living up to one of his nicknames, “Cookie Buckey.”

Looking back to experiences throughout the year, Maia recounted the amount of time and effort spent in pursuit of her goal—all of the weekends and after school hours spent focused at practices and competitions. After achieving such a successful outcome, Maia’s riding medals are clearly the product of many years of determination and hard work.

LITERARY

14

By Jefferson Sheng

By Jefferson Sheng

LITERARY

15

Elegy on the Dialectic

By Raia Gutman The sky has awoken, but still you are not here.

You are in a bed somewhere or caught in the folds of time and space, and yet I can smell you.

I will be happy with all the patterns here, striped wood floor, floral bedsheet, red numbers on the clock, but only if you too are a pattern.

I feel you sitting next to me with sleepy eyes, but I keep forgetting your face.

Your glasses are placed somewhere in my room while you sleep but you are not here.

I touch this red pen to my lips like a cigarette and exhale.

How does it feel to know you will never touch my hand and are bound to forget my face in a year?

It feels like clockwork.

Your eyes are closed, but you are awake, and your mouth is a thin number 1 on my digital clock.

Words Around Me

By Louisa Miller-Out

Why Bother?

By Leland Xu [redacted] [redact-] [-ed] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redact-]

It’s your world Salvage the bones Young, peculiar ones, Unravel The dark magic On the other side of freedom Shatter The shadow plague Chase A choked dream It’s an axiomatic world Brave the city of ashes Brave the city of glass Run out of the easy Let the rain reign Relish the sea of stories Sing, sirens Sing To the land of new heroes I’m your world Salvage the power Piece me together

16

LITERARY

Ratthew

By Louisa Miller-Out There was a young teacher named Matt Who was constantly plagued by a rat.

He cursed day and night, Till it finally took flight, But loads more of them came after that.

They nibbled his nice leather stuff, And took bites out of every suit cuff.

They ate all of his snacks, Till he got out an axe And showed them that he’d had enough.

‘Twas a brutal and grisly attack, And the rats were quite taken aback.

So the beasts ran away, But to Matthew’s dismay, They solemnly swore they’d be back.

Rebuttal

By Anna Westwig Some say quick haikus Could be done by anyone, But the critics don’t.

LITERARY

Let’s Celebrate Pi Day With a (Very Hard) Crossword Puzzle!

By Ethan Carlson

17

LITERARY

18

Winner of the March Caption Contest

April Caption Contest Each month, The Tattler provides a cartoon in need of a caption. If you would like to submit a caption, check your school email for the March 2019 Caption Contest Google survey. The winning caption will appear in the April Issue.

“Some of you may die, but that’s a sacrifice I’m prepared to make in the name of science.” ~ Jess ~ Thank you to all fifteen participants for responding.

March Sudoku 6

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PENULTIMATE

Surrealio

By Ethan Carlson

19

The Coolness Spectrum Cool

What Type of Ads Annoys You the Most?

Birds chirping

No more swim unit

By Ethan Carlson

Spring sports Pisces (Feb 19 - Mar 20): Pop-up ads: No matter where you go, no matter how productive you are at the moment, they will always follow you.

Aries (Mar 21 - Apr 19): Side-bar ads: You never know when you might accidentally click on one.

Taurus (Apr 20 - May 20): Billboard ads: They’re such a waste of space!

Gemini (May 21 - June 20): Video ads: NO, I DON’T WANT TO SWITCH TO GEICO©!!!.

Cancer (June 21 - Jul 22): Cable ads: I don’t understand what half of them are selling.

Leo (Jul 23 - Aug 22): Ad 1 of 2: Should burn to ashes.

Virgo (Aug 23 - Sep 22): Door-to-door salesmen: It’s a

waste of my time and theirs.

Libra (Sep 23 - Oct 22): Super Bowl ads: Isn’t it ridiculous what advertisements have come to?

Waiting for April Fools

Scorpio (Oct 23 - Nov 21): Drug ads: Half of the ad time is just side effects interluded with happiness-joy-happiness garbage.

The erratic weather

Sagittarius (Nov 22 - Dec 21): Movie trailers: They’re either too short to understand what they’re about, or too long and give away the whole plot of the movie they’re advertising.

Capricorn (Dec 22 - Jan 19): Unskippable video ads: It’s a waste of my time and the company’s money.

Aquarius (Jan 20 - Feb 18): Children’s toy ads: They’re loud, obnoxious, cringy, and all the same!

Feral rats in the school

Chromebook cursors not working

Uncool