Tattler May Issue

May 2019 • Estd. 1892 • Vol. 126 #9 • Published Monthly • www.ihstattler.com Ithaca High School, 1401 North Cayuga Street, Ithaca, NY 14850 • FREE

Editorial

Editorial: Make AP Classes More Accessible By the Tattler Editorial Board

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P students at IHS are all too familiar with a routine that takes place in AP classes on the first day of school—many teachers begin their classes by disclaiming the large amounts of homework, the high levels of difficulty, and the low AP pass rates on the tests that they teach towards. Others present the abnormally high pass rates for students in their classes, ensuring students that they are in good hands. While both of these scenarios seem honest and forthcoming, they are in fact part of a worrisome trend at IHS—that not enough students are being encouraged to take AP classes, and that the unnecessarily high standards in these classes may drive away students who want to participate in them.

The extent to which IHS AP test takers outperform national averages is astounding. Over a third of all IHS AP test takers receive the highest possible score of 5, meaning that they are designated by the CollegeBoard as “extremely well qualified” to take their exams. IHS’s mean score of 3.91 also far surpasses the national averages on the tests for every AP class offered at IHS, indicating that IHS students are much better prepared to take their AP exams than most students around the country. This is seen as a point of pride for administrators in the school and district, showing a high level of rigor in AP classes, and a high level of proficiency among students who take them. However, these impressive statistics may show something very different—IHS’s unusually high scores, coupled with relatively low rates of participation in AP classes, show that obstacles to taking AP classes 2

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are a real problem; students of all backgrounds do not have the opportunities or support systems in place to take AP classes.

There are trends that can partly account for the relatively low national average—in some districts, all students in a grade level will take an AP exam as a test of proficiency, and some school districts receive increased funding if a certain percentage of students take AP exams. Nonetheless, the low national averages on AP exams are much better explained by the design of the tests—AP courses consist of college-level material, and the exams are intended to be difficult and representative of a college experience.

Universities around the country recognize this design, and most accept scores of 3 or higher in place of college credits. These universities, and the CollegeBoard, believe that the goal of AP courses is not only to teach students high-level material, but to prepare them for the skills and work ethic needed in college. An attitude adjustment is needed at IHS, so that students feel more comfortable challenging themselves and being satisfied with a lower score while gaining a valuable college-difficulty experience while still in high school.

Given that scores of 3 or higher are regarded by the CollegeBoard, and by most universities, as a passing score, the extremely high mean scores at IHS may be an indication that the rigor in some AP classes is much more than what is expected.

By making the course content and homework load greater than necessary, many AP courses at IHS may dissuade students who are taking their first AP class. The unnecessarily large workload also makes the experi-

ence unpleasant for students who decide to take a risk to gain enrichment, which may dissuade them from doing so in the future.

In order to solve both of these problems, classes should strive to appeal to more students by streamlining the workload and only assigning what is necessary to be prepared for the test.

Another reason why students are less willing to challenge themselves is because of tracking in regents-tested classes at IHS. As an example, students who start off with AP World History in 9th grade are encouraged to take AP European History in 10th, and who take European History are encouraged to take AP US History in 11th.

In contrast, these options are not advertised as strongly in Global History classes, taught at a regents or honors level. Rather than scaring students with the amount of homework and the difficulty of the classes when presenting these course offerings, part of changing the culture surrounding AP exams is making clear at the outset that feeling challenged is an acceptable and common outcome. The enrichment gained from these courses is the end goal, and they should be advertised as learning opportunities and not as gruelling experiences.

In a district that prioritizes equity and inclusiveness, advanced classes must be more accessible to students of all academic backgrounds. AP classes don’t need to be as difficult as they are at IHS, and streamlining curricula in some classes, as well as changing the attitude towards AP classes throughout IHS, could be crucial in providing educational opportunities to children of all backgrounds.

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BoE Confronts Discipline Problems at DeWitt Middle School

By VAYNU KADIYALI

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he Board of Education (BoE) meeting on April 23 was the most packed in the last year, with parents and educators from around the district gathered to talk about a rise in disciplinary challenges throughout the district. They attribute this uptick to a shortage of Educational Support Professionals (ESPs) in ICSD schools, and parents and ESPs alike spoke about the need for more support staff, as well as the increasingly difficult job of ESPs currently in the district.

The first speaker, a parent of a child at DeWitt Middle School, set the tone with shocking accounts of disciplinary issues. She said that her child had overheard the N-word, the display of white power gestures, homophobic and racist statements, and upperclassmen harrassing underclassmen, particularly girls and LGBTQ+ students. She noted that DeWitt’s ESP staff has shrunk, and commented that teachers don’t have support because staff aren’t being replaced and are being paid better elsewhere. She closed her remarks by stating, “Our children deserve better,” and implored the BoE to act with the stern declaration, “This is a crisis— please listen and respond.”

The second speaker, a parent of a neurodiverse child at DeWitt, provided context to the situation.

She noted that the district has cut 38 ESPs and teacher aides district-wide in the last year, and that the incoming 6th grade class at DeWitt is 224 students, nearly double the 8th grade class of 120.

She also mentioned an alarming statistic from

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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 May 17th to be included in the May 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.

ICSD’s equity report card: special-needs students are suspended at rates over six times greater than other students, and that this strategy has huge negative consequences over the long term.

Other parents told stories of specific discipline violations. One mother, who is an ESP at Cayuga Heights Elementary, commented that an ESP fell onto her child while being tackled by other children in the class, and that the teacher hadn’t been able to react because she was preoccupied physically restraining another child—she noted that “this is not a learning environment in any way.” Another Cayuga Heights parent noted that one teacher’s arm is currently in a cast due to a student-inflicted injury, and that parents weren’t alerted after a second grader brought in a hammer to school with the intent of injuring a peer in the cafeteria.

After the tense public comment period, the members of the BoE had the opportunity to respond to concerned community members. BoE Member Bradley Grainger spoke first, mentioning that only 4.5 ESP staff members have been cut at DeWitt, and that these changes result from the specific Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) of special-needs students. He also told parents “you need to be speaking to your state legislators,” noting that ICSD is capped in terms of taxing households to increase funding.

The next few Board members to speak were empathetic with their remarks, reminding parents that they are or were parents of ICSD students, and that student welfare is at the forefront of their priorities. That said, many spoke about changes to teaching social-emotional wellbeing as a solution, with BoE Member Eldred Harris noting that children should have the tools to moderate their own emotions so they are able to participate in the classroom. Perhaps the most contentious moment of the night was when Harris stated that the solution to discipline issues isn’t having ESPs

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BoE Confronts Discipline Problems at DeWitt Middle School Continued from page 3 “police” special-needs students; an ESP in attendance objected to that language, and mentioned that ESPs play a role not only in enhancing the education of special-needs students, but all students in a classroom with them.

Interestingly, this meeting also happened to be the one at which the DeWitt administration, Principal Mac Knight and Associate Principal Donna Lucy-Lender, gave a presentation about changes at DeWitt over the past year. Given the tone of the public comment period, Knight chose to focus on advances in social-emotion-

al learning over the past year. To replace in-school suspension rooms, DeWitt now has “Restore and Relax” rooms, in which students who are unable to regulate their emotions can collect their thoughts and reflect on what caused their outburst. Knight stated that this change has led to increased engagement, stemming from the fact that students may re-enter classrooms when they’re ready to learn. He also spoke about DeWitt’s new Student Voice Council, which allows students elected in homerooms to bring and discuss issues they face—so far, these have included mental health resources, sanitizer and wipes to clean desks, and a quiet zone in the lunchroom.

The night ended on a positive note, with it being clear that DeWitt administration is

May Elections: What’s on the Ballot?

By JULIAN PERRY

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n Tuesday, May 21, voters in ICSD will have the opportunity to vote on the 2019-2020 Budget, the 2019 Capital Project, and the candidates running for the Board of Education (BoE). Although local elections often have lower voter turnout than federal ones, ICSD elections like this one have special significance for IHS students: for many seniors, this is the first election for which they are eligible to vote; for underclassmen, this election will influence the education they receive in their remaining years at IHS. On the ballot will be the BoE’s proposed budget for the 2019-2020 school year. Listed as “Proposition 1,” here voters will have the chance to vote yes or no on the BoE’s proposed budget for the upcoming school year. For taxpayers, this will dictate property taxes for the coming year, and for students, this will determine how much money goes towards funding various parts of their education.

The next measure on the ballot, “Proposition 2,” will authorize withdrawal of money from the district’s Capital Reserve Fund to support minor infrastructure improvements at several elementary schools, as well as the purchase of eight new buses.

The next part of the ballot, listed as “Proposition 3,” will be a vote on ICSD’s “Capital Project,” a $120 million infrastructure plan. The plan, if passed, would fund the project in phases over the next twelve years, and would remain tax neutral by taking aid from the state and taking on new debt. The ambitious plan would include security upgrades at every ICSD school, as well as larger infrastructure projects such as upgrades to parking lots, playgrounds, and bathrooms.

The final part of the ballot will be the vote for members of the BoE. BoE terms are three years in length, and three of the board’s nine seats are up for election. Incumbents Robert Ainslie ‘74, Bradley Grainger, and Eldred Harris are all running for reelection, and community member Erin Croyle is running a write-in campaign.

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trying hard to make positive changes within their means. Nonetheless, it was concerning to parents and ICSD staff members that the BoE doesn’t have any clear answers about recent ESP cuts. Superintendent Luvelle Brown said in his remarks that the district hasn’t been “cutting” funding for ESPs, and that it’s simply been “relocated” to other sources. With disciplinary violations on the rise throughout the district and with ESPs continuing to leave the district, a re-evaluation of these priorities may be necessary in the coming months.

News

How Do Mental Health Support Systems at IHS Compare to the Surrounding Districts?

By ASHA DUHAN, PEARL WOOD

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very other Wednesday, a group of teens from IHS, LACS, Dryden, and New Roots meet at the Ithaca Youth Bureau (IYB) to tackle issues affecting the teens of Tompkins County. Youth Council is a student-led organization that meets with local representatives and elected officials to represent the youth of Tompkins County. The mission of the Ithaca Youth Council Ambassadors is to “listen and speak for the youth of Tompkins County.” They have met with principals from various school districts, Superintendent Luvelle Brown, Rusty Keeler from the Free Range Kids organization, Melanie Little from the Mental Health Association, Mayor Svante Myrick, and others. Their focus areas are promoting mental health awareness, creating safe and free spaces for teens, and addressing racism and discrimination in school. This year, the Mental Health Awareness group’s main focuses are to understand ways to address teen mental health issues, and to dispel misconceptions and stereotypes in the community.

To help teens in Tompkins County improve their knowledge of healthy coping mechanisms and the state of their overall mental health, the first step taken was to listen to what the students themselves had to say. To gauge student input, the group created a survey that was sent to the ICSD community and beyond. Eighty-five percent of students across all schools said that they knew someone who was struggling with mental health issues. Many of the responses were similar between schools, but the responses greatly differed when it came to the question that had to do with mental

health support systems between schools.

This difference in perspective was especially notable in the results to the question, “If you were to experience a problem with your own mental health, would you feel safe talking with someone in your school about it?” Four main schools were surveyed, and in the end, 45 percent of the IHS students who took the survey responded that they would not feel comfortable talking to someone in the school, 20 percent said they were not sure, and 35 percent said that they would. This result came in stark contrast to the answers from LACS, which conveyed that 45 percent of students who were surveyed would feel comfortable, 26 percent were unsure, and 29 percent would not feel comfortable. In addition to these two vastly different results, in the New Roots survey results, 37.5 percent replied that they would feel comfortable, 37.5 percent replied that they would not feel comfortable, and 25 percent were unsure. When it came to Dryden students, 38 percent replied that

they would feel comfortable, 22 percent replied that they would not be comfortable, and 40 percent were unsure. However, it should be taken into account that the framing of this question was very open-ended.

Despite this, these statistics do reveal important issues regarding the strength of the school community and students’ perceptions of the resources that are available for them.

The survey results and comments indicate that mental health education is lacking in all of the schools, including at IHS. What is lacking at IHS that could be improved? How can things as a whole be improved? Should IHS follow the model for mental health resources and support systems implemented at other schools, such as LACS? Students have the power to determine the answers to these questions and to help create these shifts; they also have the power to help work towards de-stigmatization through talking openly about mental health with friends and peers.

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Features

IHS Bathrooms Review: The Complete Analysis

By ADOWYN ERNSTE

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he bathrooms at IHS have long been a subject of discussion. However, the fact remains that no matter how tirelessly the dedicated custodial staff work to stock, clean, and maintain the bathrooms, all their efforts may very well be a lost cause.

Recently, a variation on the scholarly CRAAP research method was used to rate the IHS bathrooms using a set of rigorous criteria. In its original form, CRAAP is a method used in many college English courses to evaluate the quality and accuracy of information. While the central goal of the algorithm remains the same, the specific criteria have been slightly altered for the purpose of evaluating the IHS bathrooms.

This new variation of the classical method, similarly named CRAP, is constructed upon the following categories: Cleanliness and Visual Appearance, Range of Space in Relation to Population, Accessories and other Necessary Paraphernalia, and of course, the Putrid Factor.

Cleanliness and Visual Appearance contains several subcategories, ranking the aesthetics and cleanliness of the wall and floor tile, mirror(s), facilities, and whether there is graffiti.

Range of Space in Relation to Population rates the bathroom based on its size compared to its populus. This crowd factor is meticulously calculated using a three point system: first add the number of sinks and stalls (working or otherwise) and then subtract up to three points, depending on how excessively crowded the bathroom may be.

Accessories and other Necessary Paraphernalia assesses the functionality and existence of the sinks, toilet stalls, and paper towels and/or blow dryers (at least 1 per three stalls). This number is shown as a percent of the functioning facilities divided by the total facilities.

Finally, the Putrid Factor ranks the bathroom’s ‘rank’, its overall smelliness between one and six points, where a 6 is a Tokyo cherry blossom on the first day of Spring, and a 1 is the festering inspiration apple Sir Isaac Newton kept in his desk drawer.

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As anticipated, there were many variables and data to digest, but the algorithm successfully churned out a significant pile of CRAP. After considerable effort, the system was able to output the following results:

tion: 9/11, or 82 percent • Accessories and Other Necessary Paraphernalia: 10/14, or 71 percent • Putrid Factor: 6/6, or 100 percent Total: 35/43, or 81 percent

Kulp Classification: ADEQUATE • Cleanliness and Visual Appearance: 8.5/9, or 94 percent • Range of Space in Relation to Population: 2/3 , or 67 percent • Accessories and Other Necessary Paraphernalia: 4/4, or 100 percent • Putrid Factor: 5.5/6, or 92 percent Total: 20/22, or 91 percent

Upper G Classification: PUNGENT • Cleanliness and Visual Appearance: 9.5/11, or 86 percent • -0.5 for loudly buzzing light, -0.5 for words scratched onto the mirror • Range of Space in Relation to Population: 3.5/5 , or 70 percent • Accessories and Other Necessary Paraphernalia: 7/7, or 100 percent • Putrid Factor: 4/6, or 67 percent Total: 24/30, or 80 percent

K-wing Classification: BARELY PASSABLE • Cleanliness and Visual Appearance: 11/13, or 81 percent • -1 for toilet paper on the ceiling • Range of Space in Relation to Population: 14/14 , or 100 percent • Accessories and Other Necessary Paraphernalia: 11/16, or 69 percent • Putrid Factor: 6/6, or 100 percent Total: 42/49, or 86 percent Upper H Classification: HIGHLY QUESTIONABLE • Cleanliness and Visual Appearance: 10.5/11, or 95 percent • Range of Space in Relation to Population: 4/6 , or 67 percent • Accessories and Other Necessary Paraphernalia: 7/8, or 88 percent • -1 for sinks taking an inordinate amount of time to turn off • Putrid Factor: 5/6, or 83 percent Total: 26.5/31, or 85 percent Locker Rooms Classification: DINGY • Cleanliness and Visual Appearance: 10/12, or 83 percent • -1 for oxidized piping on sinks • Range of Space in Relation to Popula-

Cafeteria Bathroom Classification: ABANDON HOPE ALL YE WHO ENTER HERE • Cleanliness and Visual Appearance: 9/11, or 82 percent • Range of Space in Relation to Population: 4/7 , or 57 percent • Accessories and Other Necessary Paraphernalia: 9/12, or 75 percent • Putrid Factor: 3/6, or 50 percent Total: 25/36, or 69 percent E wing Classification: MARGINALLY APOCALYPTIC • Cleanliness and Visual Appearance: 6/11, or 55% • -0.5 for burnt-out light in one stall, -0.5 for pipe sticking out of wall • Range of Space in Relation to Population: 3/5 , or 60 percent • Accessories and Other Necessary Paraphernalia: 5/6, or 83 percent • Putrid Factor: 2/6, or 33 percent Total: 15/28, or 54 percent Lower G (“Out of Order”) Classification: LOCK. THE. DOOR.

Features

Reviews of the Performances Seen during the IHS Music Trip to NYC Introduction by JACOB YOON

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he New York City trip is an annual excursion where students and teachers in the band, orchestra, and chorus classes at IHS have an opportunity to explore the culture of “The Big Apple” through eye-opening and diverse musical performances. This year, the group attended three events: My Fair Lady, a performance by the New York Philharmonic, and Wynton Marsalis and Ken Burns: Country Music at Jazz at Lincoln Center. These performances were a well-balanced exposure to the huge world of music for the students.

My Fair Lady

By ANDREW LIM

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'm going to be honest from the start— I'm not much of a theater person. The musical that we watched during this year's NYC trip, My Fair Lady, is only the third live theater performance I have ever seen. I know that's pretty bad, considering the multitude of opportunities I had living in Ithaca and going to NYC to see theater performances. Yet, My Fair Lady left such an impression that I just had to write a few words.

My Fair Lady is a musical written by Alan Jay Lerner based on George Leonard Shaw's Pygmalion, and this production took place at the Lincoln Center’s Vivian Beaumont Theater. The towering stone theater and the big staircase leading up to the second floor, where we sat, left an overwhelming first impression. Although the opening set was simply a street with a couple of lamps, the intricacy of detail and the positioning of the set really allowed me to believe that I was looking down a pre-World War 1 London street.

Inside the colorful set, a talented group of actors play their roles. Shereen Ahmed plays the role of Eliza Doolittle, a street girl that rises up and becomes a proper lady with the help of Professor Harry Higgins, played by Harry Hadden-Paton. The play centers around these two characters when Higgins is challenged by his friend, Colonel Pickering, played by Allan Corduner,

to correct Eliza’s speech from street talk to the language of the nobility. Throughout the play, Eliza learns how to talk and act like a noble-born lady, all while exploring her personal relationship with a borderline-abusive Professor Higgins. Although there is a budding romance, Eliza cannot shake her doubts about the professor, as he exposes his true personality, which is cynical in contrast to a more gentle and kind Colonel Higgins.

Not only was the plot interesting enough to watch, but the actors truly brought out the personalities of the characters they were playing. Although she was filling in for the usual lead actor, Ahmed played her role spectacularly. I was impressed by how she managed to stay in character during the emotional scenes between Eliza and Higgins. All of her facial expressions seemed to match the mood of the scene, and she allowed Eliza’s wit and emotion to come through to the audience. She managed to keep a soft face during most of the performance, which matched her character’s calm and composed personality. Hadden-Paton also had a spectacular performance that afternoon. I loved his erratic hand gestures, which emphasized his aggressive and imprudent nature. The subtlety, between the facial expressions and the movements of both actors, allowed for realistic drama between the characters, and I felt like I was watching a real story unfold in front of me.

If one was not impressed by the acting, they definitely would've been awed by the musical aspect of the play. The hidden gem of this musical was the pit orchestra, and I cannot express how much they brought out the emotion of each scene. Each musician payed close attention to detail and it was clear that they made an effort to match the mood of the scene. For example, while Eliza and Higgins were in a heated argument about Eliza’s treatment, the pit played an aggressive chord followed by a melancholy tune to match Eliza’s sorrow. The actors themselves also had beautiful and powerful voices. I could feel their emotion and energy from the top of the second floor.

Besides the music and the acting, the plot of the play is very touching and real.

It explores relevant topics like masculinity,

feminism, and empowerment. I could feel myself and some audience members connecting some of the scenes to their personal lives or recent political and social events.

This made for an interesting show, and surprisingly, among my fellow high schoolers, there weren’t many people napping during the performance. The combination of the realistic acting, emotional music, and touching storyline all combine to make a stellar musical which everybody can enjoy.

Although I’m only a novice in experiencing live theater, I wholeheartedly encourage everyone to go see My Fair Lady, specifically at the Lincoln Center, because you won’t find a cast elsewhere that can deliver such a striking and sensational performance.

The New York Philharmonic

By NICK MCQUIRE

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n Saturday’s concert, guest conductor Semyon Bychkov conducted two symphonies, Thomas Larcher’s Symphony No. 2, "Kenotaph,” and Johannes Brahms’s Symphony No. 4. These pieces had unique melodies that emulated contrasting, interesting moods with music that resembled the hardships and violence of war.

The 21st-century composer Thomas Larcher substantially enhanced the percussion section for more intense orchestral sound. With performers going back and forth between dozens of strikeable, shakeable instruments, large and small, the one that stole the thunder and captured my attention was the slide whistle. When creating this work, the Austrian composer took note of current events relating to immigration controversies that have mostly disappeared from US news media. According to the UNHCR, the desperate attempts of North African and Middle Eastern refugees to reach Europe in small, overloaded vessels continue to be ignored, resulting in countless deaths per day.

With whip and slapping sounds during the scherzo piece from the symphony, the

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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 the 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.

May 1968 Seniors Enjoy Senior Week IHS observed Senior Week, April 22-26. Monday of that week, seniors attended a first period talent show assembly in Kulp Auditorium.

Tuesday was Senior Costume Day and included a lollipop sale. Seniors were allowed to wear shorts on

May 1994 Senior Supplement NAME: Bryan Bangs NICKNAME: Banger PERSON/OBJECT OF LUST: Y.L.M. PLACE MOST OFTEN FOUND: In court, L.C’s house FAVORITE PASTIMES: playing basketball BEST MEMORIES: Jan. 30, ‘94 winning the intramural basketball championship against P.W.T, the I.S.S room.

WORST MEMORIES: K.B., Chinese fire drills, all of I.H.S. FAMOUS LAST WORDS: “You love it.”

BEST THING ABOUT BEING A SENIOR: Freedom, don’t have to go to classes, almost out of this depressing school, having 3 classes.

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Wednesday and those who purchased cards attended a dance featuring the Cat’s Meow, from 1 to 4 pm.

Thursday was Senior Dress-up Day, and willing seniors were permitted to teach classes. The week’s activities concluded with Senior Privilege Day. Special rights accorded to seniors that day included going to the head of the lunch line, exclusive use of H-Courtyard at lunch, using underclassmen as “slaves,” and using the picnic tables in the middle of E-building during cafeteria study halls.

LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT: I leave all the freshmen my attitude—don’t let anyone control you.

HOW WILL WE RECOGNIZE YOU AT OUR 25TH CLASS REUNION?: I will be pulling up in a police car arresting all you drug addicts.

NAME: Amy Carrier NICKNAME: Amer PERSON/OBJECT OF LUST: Mikee Poo, The Neck, White-out.

PLACE MOST OFTEN FOUND: Used to be T.Rnow at Weggies with the rest of the world.

FAVORITE PASTIMES: Hockey games, drawing, arguing my point.

FAVORITE SAYINGS: “Hi Hon,” “Sweetie Pie.” BEST MEMORIES: D.I., C.C., M.C., B.B and I at Pizza Hut, N.K, and volleyball, Hot Tamale, Yellow Jeans, Reigning Chubby Bunny champ, being a freshman with a junior boyfriend, “MIKEES,” Erin, Oz, Mike and I walking through Cornell, Driver’s Ed

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with Mike, Cornfields and Peacocks with Kim, Billy Joel (or was that the worst?)”

WORST MEMORIES: Could it be E.C.?. Halloween with Erin, Jeff and Mike, leaving my lights on . . . again, min. Wage. “I have to call my mom”- Oz. FAMOUS LAST WORDS: “No, I won’t tell anyone.”

PARTING WORDS OF ADVICE: “Don’t get caught.”

BEST THING ABOUT BEING A SENIOR: I can finally go to IC., being closer to real life, we’re almost done.

LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT: I leave the carpeted shelves and my monogamy to Suzanne.

HOW WILL WE RECOGNIZE YOU AT OUR 25TH CLASS REUNION? Mike will be on my arm. I’ll be loving that red convertible BMW that I passed up for my blue Buick.

PREDICTIONS: Tim will really show up in a hot car wearing sunglasses at our 25th. I’ll learn how to Ballroom Dance, someday I’ll do 21 marshmallows, I’ll have more shoes than Imelda Marcos.

NAME: Jessica Nicole Caroline Brooke Elvis Chase NICKNAME: “Jessica Rabbit,” Jess, Jess-meister.

PERSON/OBJECT OF LUST: Silk ties.

PLACE MOST OFTEN FOUND: A-building (of course).

FAVORITE PASTIMES: Stealing sweaters, bothering Loomis and Lloyd, driving the Brothers White home, writing to Utah, scheduling extra sectionals.

BEST MEMORIES: Toronto ‘92, Boston ‘92, New York City ‘93, Retreat ‘92 and ‘93, the Combined Court, AP English with Mr. Pullman, Madrigals ‘93, “Pajama Game,” “Guys and Dolls,” Itha-

ca College Composition Festivals (Gizmo Shop!) Mr. Trumble’s tie rack, Baldwinsville invitationals. Senor Prom ‘93, Hallelujah Chorus, water wars at Music Dept. picnics, Erin’s parties.

WORST MEMORIES: Earth Science freshman year, Congress in Action, the American History AP, my debut as a butterfly in “Into the Woods.”

FAMOUS LAST WORDS: Hey Aleks- I love you more than Anna does! Hey Aaron- you better join choir next year!

PARTING WORDS OF ADVICE: Register to vote so that we can knock a few high-and-mighty school board members out of office.

BEST THING ABOUT BEING A SENIOR: Stepping on sophomores.

LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT: I leave my position as choir slave/toady to any naive freshman with no life. Lots of kiwi-strawberry Snapple and my knack for chattering endlessly to Aleks who needs it desperately. My senioritis to Erin Schlather and Siza Balada. My position as president of the ABW society to Nadya.

Siderules, cubbyholes and elephant glue to Jen. Lots of elephant glue to Lisa, Beth, Kelly. Frostys, “Casey runs,” and Cabaret Night crepe paper Anna (I’ll get you!). All the Steinway grands and Hershey kisses in the world to Michael Aaron.

HOW WILL WE RECOGNIZE YOU AT OUR 25TH CLASS REUNION? I’ll be the one in the Laura Ashley maternity dress with seven happy kids pattering after me.

PREDICTIONS: Eric Boyd will finally publish his book; David Possen will win a Nobel Prize; Ryan and Rika will have lots of cute kids.

May 1994 Excerpt from Editorial: Sappy Seniors Four year ago, we stood bewildered, staring at the ominous, intimidating buildings. We silently prayed that our teacher would be nice, we would make friends quickly, our lockers would open, and we would find our way around the giant maze.

Together, we’ve survived three different principals, seven vice-principals, and two Directors of Students Activities. We’ve watched as our teachers and parents debated over a new contract with the school board. We’ve experienced frozen budgets, attendance policies that changed every few months, and the beginning of heterogeneous grouping.

We’ve watched as programs and classes were cut.

Despite these conflicts and irregularities, we, as a class, managed to continue believing in the school, if not the school’s leaders.

We’ve matured collectively, as well individually.

We’ve learned, if not to accept, at least understand other people’s differences and opinions. We came to IHS ninth grade, feeling alienated and in despair while idolizing the “old” seniors. In the past four years we’ve found our identity, establishing who we are and where we’re going.

We’ve watched as friendships were made and broken; dreams created and destroyed; goals successfully met or painfully missed. We’ve become friends with people we never associated with in middle school, realizing that we all share common interests. We’ve supported these friends in their endeavors watched them grow, and listened to their problems and concerns.

Not everything has been perfect. The administration hasn’t listened to us, and homeroom was destroyed for a semester. The cafeteria was painted an ugly brown, and JV Tennis and Marching Band vanished. Some of our classes have been boring, and some of our teachers bad. There hasn’t been a Senior Snack Bar for two years, and we’ve been censored and limited in many ways.

We’ve observed many positive changes in our school as well. We have latches on most of the bathroom doors, and hall monitors were abolished. We finally adopted a real sexual harassment policy.

Flowers were planted around the school, and swinging benches were added to the Quad. We no longer have to change in gym, even if the pool is still really gross. We’ve had a lot of fun. And, of course, our school newspaper has improved greatly.

Our senior year began, and we no longer have to listen to announcements for SATs, PSATs and Achievements. They were for juniors to deal with

Continued on page 10 MAY 2019

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Features

From the Archives: Excerpts from the Tattler Issues of Yesteryear Continued from page 9 now. Many of us received college acceptance letters, and we all began preparing for next year. Senioritis struck and we all complained about the never-ending school year.

We await graduation, anxiously counting the weeks and days until we are free. But ever in our excitement, we can’t help admit that we may actually miss the school, some teachers, and our

Reviews of the Performances Seen during the IHS Music Trip to NYC Continued from page 7 classical orchestra style strayed away from its normal sound to more aggressive effects.

The music showed a counterpoint between sections where sections played as if speaking in dialogue.

Larcher’s creatively constructed composition and the Philharmonic musicians received only respectful applause at the end.

Audience members clearly were encapsulated by the music, as between each piece, everyone retained their coughs until brief pauses, which was humorous yet representative of how deeply the music impacted people.

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MAY 2019

friends. We suddenly find ourselves sappy, signing sappy messages in the yearbooks, saying sappy things, and writing sappy editorials.

But it’s all part of being a second semester senior.

Now we stand in front of the buildings that housed our schooling for the past four years. The once-intimidating buildings feel safe as we proceed cautiously and enthusiastically towards our futures. No matter where we go or what we do, however, the friends and memories established at IHS will live on forever.

Jazz at Lincoln Center: Country Music with Wynton Marsalis and Ken Burns

K

By DIEGO IÑIGO-PAYNE en Burns and the Jazz and Lincoln Center Band put together a unique, inspiring performance during our visit to New York City. Ken Burns, a celebrity historian and documentary maker, had some very special guests lined up to join the Orchestra, such as Emmylou Harris, Rhiannon Giddens, and Marty Stuart, who contributed to the un-

veiling of his documentary series about the evolution of country music.

Throughout the performance, the band would play and then stop for a bit to play some clips from Burns’ documentary. The audience learned the background to many famous songs and artists that have influenced jazz and country music over the past century. The performers sang their songs with the help of the live orchestra just behind them. At times, they would stop singing and the jazz band would jam out for a couple minutes.

Although I am not a fan of country, I loved the jazz part, and would highly recommend going to Jazz at Lincoln Center to see the orchestra perform.

Features

IHS Students Create Civic Debate Forum

By CHLOE MOORE

T

his year, Fun Fact of the Day founders JT Stone ‘20 and Dyshawn Lawton ‘20 founded a radio show, “Youth Voices,” as a segment on WRFI’s Youth Radio Project (88.1FM in Ithaca, 91.9FM in Watkins Glen from 4-5 pm on Wednesdays). The show features students with opposing viewpoints engaging in civil debate about important and controversial issues. After I appeared on the pilot episode, I talked with Stone and Lawton about the show.

Chloe Moore ‘20: Can you give readers an overview of the show?

JT Stone ‘20: The show has three essential goals: to serve as an outlet for students, whose ideas are often overlooked by society; to give listeners a well rounded view of every topic discussed by bringing two opposing sides together in order for people to make their own judgements on where they fall on the issue; and to make people realize that we have more in common with someone on the other side of a polarizing issue than we think we do. The philosophy of the show, especially in today’s polarizing political climate, is that by having these healthy discussions we can learn to understand each other again, so that we, as a society, get to a point where we can focus on progress and love, not division and hate.

“Youth Voices” is also unique because it is not solely a political podcast. Each episode will feature two local students debating any relevant topic they wish, from national controversies such as abortion and gun laws to international affairs and local issues. But truthfully, we welcome any discussion ideas that students are passionate about and that can be debated. While all the students who have been featured on the show thus far go to IHS, it is open to all students from middle school to college in Tompkins County. Along with being broadcast on the air, the audio for each episode will also be published online on WRFI.org and in The Ithaca Voice.

CM: What inspired you to create the show?

JS: Although I created the show, it was inspired by Dyshawn Lawton’s ‘20 dream. We’ve been best friends since 6th grade and have always enjoyed discussing world issues we care about. One day, Dyshawn told me about his dream of changing the world to be more caring and united, which is what truly inspired me to create “Youth Voices.” The show is my way of helping my best friend’s dream become a reality.

Since the show has launched, Dyshawn has served as my main consultant, as we discuss every issue and question discussed on the show along with ways of improving the show moving forward.

Dyshawn Lawton ‘20: What inspired me was seeing people’s potential to come to common ground on hot button issues so that people can realize that we all want the same thing: to be happy and safe with the people we care about. Also, so that people can put away their bi-

ased opinions about other people.

CM: Why is it important to focus on youth voices?

JS: It is important that we focus on youth voices in particular because no matter what your political views are, I think we can all agree that student voices have usually been overlooked or stigmatized in society, especially when it comes to political matters. I am proud to provide students with a platform where they are free to have the same in-depth discussions adult leaders do. It also serves as a great opportunity for students to get experience debating and forming their own arguments on issues they care about. And as the next generation of leaders, we also believe that if students start having these important discussions it will make us all more enlightened and prepared to shape the future we wish to live in.

CM: Why is civil debate so important, and how does the show help foster that?

JS: I believe civil debate is essential to a functioning and democratic society by allowing people to express their opinions through bipartisan discussions. We live in a time now where people are attacked for saying they are a Democrat or a Republican, or simply for feeling a certain way about a specific issue, because people have been led to form preconceived judgements about others and their character based on solely their political beliefs. In order to foster a fair debate, we make sure to research the topic and find the key points on the opposing sides beforehand in order to brainstorm questions that tackle the key disagreements. Additionally, in order for people to take a step back and see one another on a more personal level, I make sure to ask the questions, “Tell me a bit about yourself,” and, “Have you ever felt attacked for feeling this way about an issue,” so listeners feel more connected to every student that comes on the show, rather than simply seeing them as representing their “side.”

DL: Civil debate is important because without it we wouldn’t be able to advance and grow as a society, and the show helps foster that by making it public and by giving people sides to relate to.

CM: Do you think debaters’ minds will be changed after being on the show?

JS: Whether or not the debaters’ minds will change afterwards depends on the topic and the students discussing it, but if having the discussion changed their impression of an opposing side or gave them more insight on a topic than before, then the show did its job.

DL: Yes, I believe debaters’ minds will change after their experience on the show, because every opposing side has pros and cons to it. So, even if they don’t radically change their views, they will take away a thing or two that will allow them to look at the other sides in a different light.

CM: Where do you see the show going in the future?

JS: I see the show becoming a source of civil and insightful discussions on both political and non-political issues for the people of Ithaca and Tompkins County. Future topics will include healthcare policies, gun laws, school theater/sport stigmas, and democracy vs. monarchy. We are also planning on having panel discussions with two or more people on either side of a particularly broad topic.

DL: I hope that the show will be recognized statewide, and that it will change the way people think about other people and their beliefs… [and will] make people realize that we’re not so different after all, and that we individually have the power to change things and make a difference in the world by sharing a common goal.

MAY 2019

11

Study Techniques

By Anna Westwig

Pomodoro Method The entire basis of the Pomodoro method is to break down a task into manageable intervals. The Pomodoro method was first conceived by Francisco Cirillo in the 1980s and has seen continued use since then. The original six steps are as follows: 1. Set the Pomodoro timer (traditionally to 25 minutes).

2. Work on the task.

3. End work when the timer rings and put a checkmark on a piece of paper.

4. If you have fewer than four checkmarks, take a short break (3–5 minutes), then go to step 2.

5. After four Pomodori, take a longer break (15–30 minutes), reset your checkmark count to zero, then go to step 1.

The usage of these chunks of time is meant to reduce the influence of external interruptions and the breaks are to aid the assimilation of the material being studied. It’s a time-management technique that becomes more effective when you can predict how many Pomodori are necessary to complete a task. Using the Pomodoro method means you are less likely to burn out when studying.

Center

Mnemonic Device

Derived from the Greek word for memory, a mnemonic is a helpful tool to remember confusing information. A mnemonic device is a broad category, referring to a memory technique to encode information in your brain so that it can be recalled more quickly. One example is “SohCahToa,” which one can use to remember how to find the sine, cosine, and tangent, respectively. Rather than memorizing each one individually, you memorize the sound of Soh-Cah-Toa. Mnemonics work so effectively because they utilize the human brain’s natural talent at making patterns. This is why the more senseless the original material is, the easier it is to use a mnemonic. The brain can engage with the material in a way it wants and understands, allowing information to be retrieved with cues. The best usage for mnemonics is for rote memorization. While concepts are the most important, some facts and formulae just have to be known and this is an effective and fun way to learn and remember them.

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MAY 2019

Memory Palace Though the BBC’s hit show, Sherlock, is responsible for most of this method’s fame, memory palaces have greater applications than solving murders (for one, passing geometry). Originally named loci, after the Latin “locus,” meaning place, the memory palace is a method of organizing information that is a subcategory of mnemonic device. First developed by scholars in ancient Athens, this method of memory retrieval was popularized in the 1960s. A memory palace is a location visualized in your brain where you store information relating to the places. For example, you could be “walking” down a street in your mind, where each shop or building corresponds to a piece of information. Memory Palaces can make it easier to remember things when they are organized visually in our brains.

rspread Mind Mapping

Mind Mapping is a technique that puts information down on paper in relation to itself. Rather than a list of all the facts/formulas/people that you have to know, you can relate bits of information so that there is a logical progression of what connects. It’s a minimalist method that focuses on condensing concepts and clarifying them with diagrams and not words whenever possible. You start with a general idea in the middle, and then you draw spokes off of it with related concepts of key terms, and off of each of the spokes, you draw more lines. For example, you could start with the process of cellular respiration, and radiating from that process would be the Krebs cycle. This process helps your brain to solidify connections between facts and interrelated concepts more easily so that it is easier to recall the things you need to know on a test.

MAY 2019

13

Features

Why You Should Try Bullet Journaling

By KATIE LIN

Image provided

J

ournaling can be a burden. There is a constant obligation to write indepth about every single thing that happened, and to fill up pages and pages of a book. Journaling can start to feel like a chore, and because of this, many people are turned away from it. Bullet journaling, however, is a whole different experience. This method makes journaling enjoyable again, and has numerous benefits.

As many people have, I’ve picked up a brand-new journal multiple times, telling myself that, for real, I am going to fill it up. These efforts have burned out every time. However, once I started bullet journaling, the book is actually filled. Bullet journaling has a different set-up than standard journaling, and brings feelings of peace and organization.

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MAY 2019

Bullet journaling has a fantastic setup. The writer records in a notation called “bullets,” which are a few to-thepoint sentences that help the writer log entries quickly. In front of every log entry, the writer puts a symbol. Symbols are personal drawings or figures the writer creates to represent different categories, like tasks that need to get done, important events that happened, sports, etc.

For instance, if the writer chose their sports symbol to be a baseball and just had sports practice, then on the left hand side, they could draw a baseball, and next to that symbol, they’d write about the practice. This helps to efficiently organize your entries. And if the writer feels they need to write more, they can log it, then write in-depth on the next page. In addition to symbols, the writer separates

each month with a calendar page, which is a two-page spread of a hand-drawn calendar with numbers and days, a monthly task page, goals, and anything the writer would like to add. Bullet journaling has a personalized style that regular journaling doesn’t have. And, when the writer looks back on their bullet journal, they’ll clearly see what they did that day in an organized way that is both simplistic and satisfying.

Currently, I am in the middle of my second bullet journal. The first one I had wasn’t very “artistic.” The pages were filled with black ballpoint pen. The second one currently has different designs, watercolor, decorative tapes, and pretty borders. Both were equally rewarding.

The first one focused only on the symbols and the writing, and it gave a feeling of

Features

accomplishment to see it all plainly beautiful and complete. For this second one, I decided to make the calendar more bright, and I put more effort into the designs of the pages. It is rewarding to see aesthetically-pleasing pages that make me happy.

There is no wrong way to bullet journal. You can fill the pages with one color, adding a simplistic effect, or you can mix your writing with decorative layouts. The bullet journal is your own and unique to you.

If you decide to go the decorative way, don’t be fooled by bullet journal designs you may find online. These are only photos of the very best design the creator drew, and most likely took a long time; don’t force yourself to make your bullet journal look as nice as theirs. The journal is your own, and it won’t feel personal if you go farther than you want to and create as if someone is constantly judging your work.

Bullet journaling is also very peaceful. It is recommended to spend at least five minutes a day in the morning and at night with your bullet journal. At night, it can be very therapeutic to sit in comfortable surroundings and write without feeling pressured. Whether you are writing about your day, setting up a calendar page, or decorating borders, it’s actually quite calming to have that time to yourself after a frustrating day at high school.

This method of journaling is also beneficial for goal-setting.

In your bullet journal, you could record your personal goals, along with any goals you may have in school, business, and sports. You could even create a symbol to represent goals, so it is very easy to clearly see them laid out. The bullet journal becomes your own place for thoughts. Some people choose to have monthly goals, and they create a special section on their calendar spread for this to remind them.

Bullet journaling differs strongly from standard journaling.

Bullet journaling is about the concept of not feeling forced

to write in-depth about everything. As opposed to traditional journaling, there are bullets that are personally categorized by symbols. Bullet journaling does not feel like a chore, and is very peaceful. You gain a sense of self-awareness of goals and your time, and there is no wrong way to bullet journal. If you decide to begin bullet journaling, I recommend you begin with the Leuchtturm 1917 Bullet Journal. Found at Barnes and Noble locally and online, it is equipped with a tutorial on getting started. Find a pen you like, and begin recording your life in a way that is both organized and enjoyable.

WHAT HAPPENED IN GUATEMALA IN 1954 THAT PROFOUNDLY INFLUENCED ITS HISTORY AND TODAY’S IMMIGRATION? If you knew the answer, you get an A+.

If you got the answer by a Google search or some other way, you get an A. If you aren’t going to get the answer, you need to recognize that today’s students will be tomorrow’s leaders and ask yourself how tomorrow’s leaders can make wise decisions without some knowledge of history.

WITH SOME KNOWLEDGE OF HISTORY, WE CAN AVOID ACTIONS WE HAVE TO APOLOGIZE FOR LATER

OnPointFacts.org Image provided

Our Mission: To deliver accurate information about issues important to people, democracy, and the environment.

MAY 2019

15

Features

Hall Monitor

By JEFFERSON SHENG

What was the last piece of music you played on your phone?

Adam Saar ‘22: “Gorgeous” by Kanye West

Raquel Martorell ‘21 and Ulyssa Presley 22’: “Next Song” by DaBaby

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MAY 2019

Elias Stroock ‘21: “Vivaldi Recorder Concerto”

Features

William Wang ‘19: “Silhouette” by Kana-Boon

Flynn McCarthy ‘20: “Riptide” by Vance Joy

Jade Joo ‘20: “2002” by Annie-Marie

Ryan Cunningham ‘20: “Kiss Me Through the Phone” by Soulja Boy

William Gephart ‘21: “Headstone”

by Flatbush Zombies

Ishan Ethridge ‘20: “To the Moon”

by Isaac Waddington

MAY 2019

17

Arts

V 1.5

By adowyn ernste

The essentials If I’m going to fail a test, it shall not be because of a broken pencil.

aCKc!k

CCRrA

Just a few other necessities, including these calming smiley erasers.

He’s going to fail!

I’m going to fail.

And what else do we have here…

Seymour, is there a problem?

There’s only ten minutes left to do the exam.

Hey, mr.

Smithereens!

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MAY 2019

Whoa, slick lampshade…

Arts

An Interview With Darlingside

By CHLOE MOORE

O

n April 12, Darlingside, the fourman indie folk band from Boston, MA, returned to Ithaca’s Hangar Theater, having played The Haunt last February. The most recent show, which I attended, was as brilliant as the other three shows I’ve seen, with their unique sound and breathtaking harmonies translating in a seemingly effortless fashion from studio to stage. The band played songs from their new EP, as well as tunes from all three full-length albums, and even revisited old favorites like “The Catbird Seat” (per audience request). Their onstage presence was as witty and cohesive as always; mandolinist and violinist Auyon Mukharji introduced his bandmates, Don Mitchell (guitar and banjo), Harris Paseltiner (guitar and cello) and Dave Senft (bass and kickdrum), by detailing the roles each member had played in his dream the previous night.

Prior to the concert, I had the opportunity to sit down with Senft, and talked to him about the band’s songwriting process and the new direction their music took on the most recent full-length album, Extralife. The 12-song album features new instrumentation and moves into a slightly more digital soundscape, in keeping with some of

the lyrical references to video games. However, the earthy motifs are not lost, and the lyrics continue to center, in many cases, around the natural world, although they now occasionally serve as a warning about the cost of human damage to the planet.

More recently, the band released a 6-track EP titled Look Up and Fly Away.

Chloe Moore ‘20: With the new album there’s been a shift in your lyrics from reminiscing and nostalgia to this new exploration of what the future might hold, and it’s more dystopian, so what drove that? Was it outside influences or personal influences that affected that songwriting and lyrical shift?

Dave Senft: . . .We didn’t really talk about it, we don’t sit down and plan what an album is going to be about . . . We write democratically, we write and we edit each others stuff and we give each other ideas and then the songs just kind of take shape. With Birds Say [the second album] there was a lot of reminiscing, there was a lot of childhood stuff, and looking back it was more escapist, finding happy things to think about to kind of get away from thinking about some of

the more depressing or scary things in the world and that was kind of what we needed at the time. With Extralife, without talking about it, the feelings that were coming out were much more confrontational, thinking about and addressing some of our anxieties more head-on and thinking about the world and the direction that things are going. A lot of the lyrics came together in late 2016, right during election time, so there was a lot of anxiety and . . . being kind of afraid of the direction of things and wanting to talk about it a little more headon. We still are fairly subtle in some of that stuff, but people pretty quickly picked up on the things we were feeling, and it feels good to be a little more confrontational as opposed to escapist. Again, it wasn’t really a thing we talked about, it just kind of happened.

CM: Some of the stuff you guys seem to be confronting is very nature-centered, and seems to be about how we’re treating the Earth. Is that meant to be a commentary on climate stuff?

DS: Definitely, I mean, how can you not be thinking about that stuff right now? At least for us it just seems like . . . there are so many issues of our time, but the fact that scientists are saying we have maybe a decade left before everything that we’re doing to the planet is completely irreversible, and it’s just a really scary thing. Not that you need to have kids to appreciate that, but I have a son and I want him to have the ability to live on a great, healthy planet and it’s a really sad, scary thing that might not happen, so it’s definitely on all of our minds.

Some songs talked about that pretty directly, like “Futures,” with the [line about] “underwater forests.” I think there’s just a general existential dread that goes beyond climate stuff and more into the nature of world politics that’s just scary to think about. So it all kind of comes out.

Continued on page 20 MAY 2019

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Arts

An Interview With Darlingside Continued from page 19 CM: In keeping with the new tone of the lyrics, there’s a new instrument on the new album, a septavox. What made you guys decide to branch out? Extralife is different from both of your previous albums; what catalyzed that production shift?

DS: Pilot Machines [the debut album] was super different because we had a drummer at the time, so we were maybe a “prog rock” band at the time, and that shifted pretty dramatically when we moved to the four piece format around one microphone. We called that kind of folk or indie folk, but then that again changed when we added the septavox, which is a whole new digital thing . . . it’s a rudimentary synthesizer that makes Gameboy sounds. With the title “Extralife” and that song [of the same name] there were some video game references lyrically and thematically, so that was sort of a sonic tie-in to that stuff. Getting to combine the digital sounds with the tradition-

al folky stuff just felt like a really cool new direction.

CM: In January, you guys played at The Egg (in Albany) and you guys had the Maine Youth Rock Orchestra with you. How different did that make it for performing with the songs fleshed out in that new, orchestral way?

DS: It’s a totally different thing, and people loved it, and that’s something I hope we get to do again. It’s not just musical; the feeling is very different when you have 20 additional people on stage with you and you know they’ve been rehearsing this music that you wrote for months. It’s a very humbling experience and you feel very privileged and flattered. To have that many people on stage playing your music is a really unique experience, so we felt super lucky to do that.

CM: You talked about writing songs that kind of deal with outside anxiety more directly. When you’re touring and you’re going to a lot of different parts of the country,

do people respond differently to the kind of subtly political concerns that you may be voicing in some of the songs? How does the audience react to your commentary?

DS: I think there’s some of that. It’s surprising though how similar everywhere can feel. We’re often playing in cities, and cities tend to be more or less homogenous, just because that’s how culture works . . . sometimes I forget what city I’m even in. Especially since we show up in a town and we go into the venue and for me I may not even be outside or get a chance to walk around or get a chance to interact that much with people other than for a few minutes after the show… But that said, you can notice that from night to night, some of the things you might say will get a slightly different reaction, and that often can honestly more depend on the demographic . . . whether it’s a younger crowd or an older crowd, you can definitely feel, for example, “Oh, this might not be a room that resonates with that so much!” But it’s super dependent on [the city] and venue in terms of what the vibes are like.

2019 NBA Finals Prediction

By TONY YANG GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS 4, MILWAUKEE BUCKS 2

W

ith Lebron James finally out of the East and missing the playoffs for the first time in 13 seasons, the Eastern Conference is up for anybody’s taking this year. Despite an early exit in the playoffs last year, the Milwaukee Bucks have transformed their roster with new player acquisitions and significant player development, resulting in their ability to obtain the best record in the NBA. Although the Bucks may be missing Malcolm Brogdon for the first few weeks of the playoffs, Giannis Antetokounmpo and his strong supporting cast of Khris Middleton, Brook Lopez, and Eric Bledsoe are still very formidable.

The two-time defending champion Golden State Warriors are still the favorites to win the West despite a rocky regular season. Even without Demarcus Cousins,

20 MAY 2019

the Warriors will still have one of the most potent offenses and defenses in the league.

The only significant weakness of the Warriors is their bench players, but the strength of the Warriors’ stars should be able to over-

come those deficiencies, allowing them to reach the Finals once again. The Warriors, having more talent and playoff experience than the Bucks, should be able to win the NBA championship in a six-game series.

Sports/Literary

What Happened Untitled to Real Madrid?

By Anna Westwig

By MAX PETROV

R

eal Madrid have been hands down the most successful team in Europe over the past five seasons, winning the Champions League four out of the past five years. No one has been able to even come close to them with this record. If we look at the actual games, though, it becomes evident that there is a certain element of luck involved in Real Madrid’s success. In fact, over these years, there have been many dodgy referee decisions in Real Madrid’s favor in Europe, such as instances in which offside was not called on obviously-offside goals, as well as similar calls against opponents. Of course, we also cannot forget the real reason for Madrid’s success: the presence of the Greatest of All Time (GOAT), Cristiano Ronaldo, on their squad. When Real Madrid were not at their best, Cristiano Ronaldo simply carried them to victory, as seen with his record Champions League goal tally of 125.

As such, his departure last season to Juventus was a crushing blow on Real Madrid. In addition to losing the GOAT, Madrid did not make any significant signings, and their other forwards simply weren’t any good. Also, the coach who led Real Madrid to such success, Zinedine Zidane, also left and was replaced with an inexperienced international coach, Julen Lopetegui. All of these factors contributed to a horrific season for Real Madrid. They crashed out of every competition that they were in, and posed no real threat for FC Barcelona in the Spanish League. Now, Zinedine Zidane has returned to Real Madrid, and rumor has it that they have given him 300 million euros to spend on a new squad. Next season will certainly be interesting for Real Madrid fans.

Big Red

By Zachary Foley The red that isn’t hell On the hill I see Cornell The sewing needle of the sky At the heart does the clocktower lie A college campus full of youth This was the college of Justice Ruth With gorges deep and water flowing This college keeps on growing A library with looks from Harry Potter This is Bill Nye’s Alma Mater Lots of work but some play Students have fun on Slope day Students come in the fall But winter is best of all When faithful fill a crowded rink And hot chocolate is a favorite drink

Spring has swept in, silver and wanting, and the swinging of the axis is giving me nausea as the seas slosh back and forth like a bathtub full of wild and foam.

Time wends its way between my interlaced fingers as I clutch a river close to my heart and spit out peach pits where water batters against the swollen banks.

They spin away on currents, pinging off crumbling rock and soil as it slides from its slate foundations.

Black rotted things that accrued in Winter, like the layers of snow and ice captured in a frozen lattice, are expunged by rosy sunrise.

“Spring is for cutting. ” My father snatched a grapevine from the fence and smelled the green splintering out from its brown-haired casing.

Growth is all about pruning.

He steps back twice and views his work. What is in sight is sad but promises bounty.

Daffodils have rushed to the surface, greedily reaching for the sun with tender green spikes.

But March is a capricious season and with a frosty smile, She transfixes them, cold.

Every morning I ask a purpose and a draw a milky blank, smooth like the casein that binds my china back together.

Just when I think I’ve escaped, Amnesiac Spring’s pharyngeal jaw darts out to bite me.

Bide your precious time; Spring is not for blooming.

MAY 2019

21

Literary

Surrealio

By Ethan Carlson

Bananas Askew

By Julian Grace-Martin I enter the room Bananas are all around That stinkin’ monkey

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Literary

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5 MAY 2019

23

The Signs as Songs by Some Local Singers that Sound like the Start of Spring

The Coolness Spectrum

By SOPHIE WRAY

Taurus (Apr 20 - May 20):

“Blues in a Bottle” This Ithaca Bottom Boys tune is impossible not to smile and dance to, and I can’t help but think of Grassroots when I hear it, reminding me of sunshine and warmth both inside and out!

Gemini (May 21 - June 20):

Scorpio (Oct 23 - Nov 21):

“Winter Biking” Despite the title, this Ithaca Bottom Boys song makes me think of warmer weather, knowing that the slipping and sliding of slush in the winter months is long gone!

Sagittarius (Nov 22 - Dec 21):

“One Sign” A song by the Sim Redmond Band that beautifully begs for “one sign.” A sign for what? For spring, perhaps.

“Winter Biking” Despite the title, this Ithaca Bottom Boys song makes me think of warmer weather, knowing that the slipping and sliding of slush in the winter months is long gone!

Cancer (June 21 - Jul 22):

Capricorn (Dec 22 - Jan 19):

“Buffalo Street” This Driftwood song builds up just like the anticipation of spring/summer. It’s full of waiting and wondering what will happen until there is a new beginning, one that, in this case, is down on Buffalo Street!

Leo (Jul 23 - Aug 22):

“Daydream” This song by the Fall Creek Brass Band makes me feel like I am laying in a park daydreaming about what’s to come, what could be, and what I someday hope to have.

Aquarius (Jan 20 - Feb 18):

“Build a House and Burn It Down” A very twangy song by The Horse Flies that is deep and intense, reminding me of a huge rainstorm, one likely to be seen in these next warm and rumbling months.

“Before I Rust” This song by Driftwood is twinkly and makes me think of the long winter passing into something bright and new, entering a time of sun and smooth, cool breezes.

Virgo (Aug 23 - Sep 22):

Pisces (Feb 19 - Mar 20):

“Trampoline” This song is so bouncy. The Blind Spots’ song adds a lovely little spring in your step while dancing to it.

Libra (Sep 23 - Oct 22):

“What I Need” This ¡Viva Mayhem! song wishes for some kind of change in the scenery, and in Ithaca, that change is bound to come soon! Leaves on the trees! Flowers in the garden! Rain in the streets!

Cover illustration by Jacob Yoon 24

MAY 2019

“New Persona” Another Blind Spots song! This one preaches adopting a new persona, something that we can all do if we want to in this ever changing world, especially with the start of a new season.

Cool The new Tattler board!!!

Mental health awareness month (active minds) End of April showers, beginning of May flowers Justin Heitzman '20 Vaynu Kadiyali '19 The sun is shining; you can take it or leave it Having to start wearing sunscreen again Dead worms on the side walk AP/final exams Former Tattler editors graduating

Aries (Mar 21 - Apr 19):

“All I Ever Want” All we ever seem to want is a change in the season, which is exactly what we’re getting right about now, and this Sim Redmond Band song perfectly embodies that want, that need, that change.

Uncool