It’sbeenweekssinceyou’vepickedupabook(notcountingtheShakespeare playyou’rereadingforEnglishclass) Therejustdoesn’tseemtobetime anymoreMaybeyouhaveanever-endinglistofbooksyouwanttoreadthat doesn't
doesn’tseemtobegettingshorter,ormaybeyousimplydislikereading.Maybe youreadalotinelementaryschoolandhaveneverbeenabletoreadasmuchas yourthirdgradeselfdid.Readingissomethingthattakestimeandenergy,andits easytolosesightofitduringapackedschoolyearinhighschool.
Thereissomuchvalueinsimplysittingdownandreadingabook,evenforjust fifteenminutesaday AccordingtoHealthline,readingcanimprovefocusand memory,reducestress,andmakeyouamoreempatheticpersonUnfortunately, formanyIHSstudents,lifehasbecometoobusytoprioritizereadingThereading doneinEnglishclasses,whenpairedwithassignmentsandtests,cansometimes feelstrippedofcreativityandself-expression.However,readingdoesn’thavetobe achore;therearemanywaysinwhichyoucanincorporatereadingintoyour dailylifeinanenjoyableandrewardingway.
TheIHSlibraryanditslibrariansareamazingandoftenundervaluedresources. Ifyou’relookingtofindabookthatcapturesyourinterest,therearealways recommendationsaroundthelibraryYoucantalkwithoneofthemanylibrary staff,likeMrLira,tohelpfindabookyouenjoyWespokewithMrLiraabout booksandhowtofindtimetoreadinyourbusylifeSomeofhissuggestionsfor readingmoreincludedcarryingapaperbackbookyoulikearoundwithyouand readingitwheneveryouhavefreetimeToMrLira,readingis“kindofoneof thebasicsoflife;youpickupsomuch.Yourvocabulary,yoursentences,your ideas,becomesogreat.Igetlostinthesebooks it’slikeI’minanotherworld.I thinkpeoplearemissingalot[bynotreading]."Heshowedusawornpaperback copyof The Fly on the Wall byTonyHillerman,whichhe’scurrentlyre-reading, andsharedthatit’simportanttoreadbooksthatyoufindinteresting.Mr.Liraalso suggestedreadingtoyoungchildreninyourlife cousins,nieces,orsiblings in ordertoinstillaloveofreadinginthemfromayoungageandalsogetan opportunitytoreadaloud“Whenyouread[outloud]youlearnhowtouseyour voice,”MrLirasays
WhenwespokewithIHSEnglishteacherMrD’Alterio,hesharedhispersonal experienceswithreading.Hetalkedabouthisreadingjourney,startingwithhis interestincoming-of-agenovelsasanunderclassmanandhistransitiontomore seriousbookslike Fight Club byChuckPalanihukand The Autobiography of Malcom
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Malcolm X byMalcolmXandAlexHaleyashecontinuedthrough high school. Currently, Mr. D’Alterio is reading Nevada by ImogenBinnieinabookclubwithhisfriends Hesaidthathe wouldn’thavepickedupthisbookindependently,butisnow enjoyingit Iffindingnewbooksandprioritizingreadingis difficult,readingwithfriendsandfamilycanbroadenyourscope andprovideextrinsicmotivation.Notonlydoesreadingwith others solidify your commitments, but it also helps forge connections with others who have similar interests, as the experienceofsharingabookcanbringpeopletogether.There’s evenabookclubatIHSthatyoucanattendeveryotherMonday afterschoolinroomG110.
Althoughmakingtimeforpersonalreadingisoftendifficultfor bothstudentsandadults,Mr D'Alteriosaid,“Findingtimefor readingtakesintrinsicmotivation,"and"youhavetobemotivated to seek out a story and carve out the time to enjoy it” Nevertheless,hestressestheimportanceofreadingindependently: “It’satimelessformofescapism…Becausewearesoinundated withmedia24/7,welosethepracticeofimagining,andwhereare wetofindnewideasifwenevertakethetimetoexplorenew worlds?”
Wecanclaimthatwe“justdon’tlikereading,”butperhaps we're just reading the wrong books There are hundreds of differentgenresandwritingstylesoutthere,andallcanbe valuable Personalreadingshouldbearelaxingandenjoyable experienceAsMrLiraexplained,readingisrewardingregardless ofthebookyoupickup,justasthepositiveeffectsofreading aren’tlimitedtotheclassics.“Justpickupabook,evenagraphic novel,orshortstory,orpoem,andstartreading.”
Considergoingtoyourlocallibraryandwalkingaroundand readingthedescriptionsonthebacksofbooks.Additionally,the biannualFriendsoftheLibraryBookSaleisapproaching.Starting onMay6,youcangetboxesofbooksforaffordablepricesBythe finalweekend,youcancarthomebagsfullofbooksforonlyafew dollars
Ifit’shardtofocusonthewordsonthepageoryousimply don’thaveenoughfreetimeinyourday,audiobooksareanother greatwaytogetintoreading.Youcanlistentoaudiobooksfor freeonthe Libby app whichhasapartnershipwiththeTompkins CountyPublicLibrary(TCPL)andNewYorkPublicLibrary (NYPL) whilewalkingtoschoolorworkingout.TCPLhas countlessresourcesforyoungpeople,suchasbookclubs,volunteer opportunities,andablogthateveryonecancontributetowith reviews,opinions,andbookrecommendations
Therearenumerousonlinesourcestohelpbringmorereading intoyourlifeTheapp SimplyE allowspeopletoaccesstheentire NYPLontheirpersonaldevicesThesite Goodreads hascountless reading challenges that you can partake in to increase your motivation,andyoucanalsoseewhatyourfriendsarereading. Likewise isasocialnetworkingappthatisalsoagoodsourceof book recommendations and hosts a community specifically centeredaroundreading.
Theburdenoffindingspaceandtimeforpersonalreading shouldn’tonlybeshoulderedbystudentsthemselves IHScould alsoencouragestudentstoreadmore Itwouldbebeneficialfor independentreadingtimetobebuiltintoEnglishclasses,butwith analreadypackedcurriculum,thiscanadmittedlybedifficult However, the school itself can introduce interesting, reading relatedeventstoengagestudents.Forexample,bookfairsand authoreventsareagreatwaytobuildexcitementaroundthe prospectofreadinganditmakesbooksmoreaccessibleforstudents topurchase.Scholasticbookfairsarecommonplaceinelementary andmiddleschools,andwouldbewelcomeatourhighschoolas well LocalbookstoreslikeBuffaloStreetBooksandOdyssey Bookstorealsohaveauthorvisits,afterwhichIHScouldmodel theirownevents
The ever-present stressors IHS students face school, extracurriculars,andsociallife canmakereadingforpleasure seemhardtoschedule.However,thisdoesn’thavetobethecase. Readingevenjustforafewminutesthroughouttheday,perhaps beforeyougotobed,canhelprelievesomeofthebuilt-upstress fromtheday.Carryingaroundabookyoulike,utilizingresources liketheIHSlibrary,gettinginvolvedinbookclubsandchallenges, andlisteningtoaudiobooksarejustsomewaysinwhichIHS studentscanfindtimeforreadingNotonlyhasitbeenshownto bebeneficialtobothone’smentalandphysicalhealth,reading constantlyoffersnewworldsandideas Withthediversityof subjectsandstyles,therereallyissomethingforeveryone
ByJENNIFERZHAO
Thisyear'sbuildseasonforCodeRedsawalotofchallengesduetotheuniquegamedesignthatwas"ChargedUp,"butstudentsovercame problemstodesign,program,andmanufacture“TyrannosaurusRed.”Thebuildseasonalsosawthereturnoftheclub’sannualOpenHouse, hostedforthefirsttimesincethepandemic,whichattractedovertwohundredmembersofthecommunity.T-Redfeaturesawheel-based endeffectorwithafour-barlinkagearmattachedtoatiltedchaindrivenelevatorandweighsninety-fivepounds.CodeRedattendedtwo regionalcompetitionsatFingerLakesRegionalandTechValleyRegional,winningtheInnovationinControlAwardatTechValleyand competinginplayoffsastheeighthseedalliancecaptain.
ByMUKUNDGAUR
ConstructioninG-Buildingrecentlyfinished,endingwiththeconstructionoftwonewbathroomsontwofloorsTogether,theyhavefour stalls,eachoneenclosedfromfloortoceiling achangefromthepreviousbathroomstalls,whichhadatraditionalstalldoorthatcovered onlypartofthedooropening.Theopeningofthenewbathroomshadresultedinsomeconfusionforstudents,astheonesonthelower floorweredenotedasmens’andwomens’restroomswithpapersigns,butthebathroomsontheupperfloorweredenotedas“Bathroomsfor AllPeople.”Somestudentstheorizedthatthepapersignsforthelowerbathroomswereplacedtherebyotherstudents,buttheIHS administrationhadinfactplacedthemthereinanattempttocompromisebetweenhavingsomegender-neutralbathroomsandsome genderedbathrooms.AsoftheFridaybeforeAprilBreak,thepapersignsonthelowerbathroomswerenolongerpresent,havingbeen presumablytakendownbystudentsorstaff,whilethesignsaying“BathroomsforAllPeople”wasstillinplaceontheupperbathrooms.
ByMUKUNDGAUR
“ParentsDefendingEducation,”aself-proclaimedparentalrightsgroup,filedacomplainttotheDepartmentofEducationOfficeofCivil RightsinNewYorkagainstIthacaCitySchoolDistrict,claimingthatICSDengagedinracialsegregationbyhostingaffinitygroupsfor studentsofcolor.TheVicePresidentoftheorganizationstated,“IthacaSeniorHighSchoolintentionallysegregatedstudentsfromactivities associatedwithBLMWeekofActionsolelybasedonthecoloroftheirskin.”ICSDhad,aheadoftheevent,informedparentsthatthegoal oftheBlackLivesMattereventwasto“embracedifferences,examinebiases,andadvocateforjustice.”ActivitiesatIHSbeyondtheaffinity groupsincludeddisplaysinhallwaysthatconnectedtosubjectsincludingBlackjoyandtheBlackLivesMattermovement.Itisunclearwhy theVirginia-basedorganizationtargetedICSD,inparticular.
ByGENEUSTACEWICAKSONO
Thisyear,IHS’sDevTeamparticipatedintwocompetitions:TheWICC(WomeninComputingatCornell)contestwhichtookplaceon March4,andtheCornellHighSchoolprogrammingcontestwhichtookplaceonApril1Bothcompetitions,accordingtostudentswho participated,wereveryfunexperiences.OneofIHS’sgroupswonthebesteffortawardatthefirstcompetition.Atthesecondcompetition, manymemberswereabsent,duetoaconflictwiththeTechValleyFRCregional.Thecontestorganizersprohibited"hybrid"participation whereonegroupmemberisinpersonwhileanotherisvirtual.Despitetheconflict,thosewhowereabletoattendenjoyedit,withone sayingthatitwasa“supercoolexperiencetodoproblemsthatrequiredalgorithmsstudentslearnascollegeseniors.”Thewinnerswerefrom NewYorkCity’sStuyvesantHighSchool.
Lastacademicyear(2021-2022),The Tattler EditorialBoard wroteaneditorialaboutsexualharassmentandassaultat IHS The issues mentioned then are still very much helloo000 present,andmanystudentsareunsureabouthowICSDaddresses suchviolations. The Tattler spokewithLilyTalcott,Deputy Superintendent,abouttheproceduresinplacetosupportsurvivors ofsexualassaultandholdviolatorsaccountable.
Whenrespondingtoareportofsexualassaultorharassment, Talcottsaidhermainpolicyistoensurethatthesurvivoris“inthe driver'sseat”AgroupofadministratorsworkswithTalcotttoput inplaceaplanthatwillmakethepersonreportingthesexual harassment/assaultfeelsafeandcomfortableatschool Thiscan includecounseling,regularcheck-ins,changingthescheduleof theperpetrator,planninghallwayroutestominimizecontact betweenthesurvivorandviolator,andmore.ICSDalsoworks withtheAdvocacyCenterandlocallawenforcementtosupport survivorsoutsideofschoolhours.However,Talcottmadeitclear thatifasurvivordoesn’twanttotaketheircasetothepolice,that’s completelyokayaswell
TalcottexplainedthatduetoNewYorkStatelaw,the administrationcan’tshareconsequencesinplacewithsurvivors Sheacknowledgedhowfrustratingthiscanbe,andhowitcanfeel likenothingisbeingdone Althoughspecificsofacasecan’tbe shared with anyone, Talcott says she can give a range of consequencestothosewhohavereportedsexualharassmentto givethemanideaofwhatmayhappentoholdtheperpetrator accountable.
Currently,ICSDadministratorslikeTalcottarefocusingon sexualharassmentandassaultpreventionOneofthewaysthey’re doing this is by working with elementary school kids and teachingthemaboutconsent,especiallyindigitalspacesTheK-5 healthcurriculumisalsobeingrewrittentofocusonprevention, withthehelpofMs Jordan,oneoftheIHShealthteachers Teachingkidsaboutconsentfromayoungageisimportant, Talcottsaid,andit'seasierthantryingtohelppeopleunlearn behaviorsinthefuture.
There’sstillsomuchtobedonetoensurethateveryonefeels safeandcomfortableatIHS,butitappearsthatthedistrictdoes havesomeproceduresinplace,andisworkingtoaddressthe problem
Homelessnessin2022intheUnitedStatesincreasedby3.1 percent andthisincreaseisnothingnew.Everyyear,we seethehomelesspopulationcontinuetoriseallacross helloooAmerica Alreadythisyear,582,462peopleacrossAmericaare experiencinghomelessnessaccordingtothe U.S.Departmentof HousingandUrbanDevelopment.Ithacaisnoexception,ittoo hasahighhomelesspopulation.Manymembersofthispopulation havefoundhomesinencampmentcommunities,wheretheycan buildsheltersandliveinrelativepeace.TheCityofIthacahas,for sometime,beentryingtofindawaytoimprovetheliving conditionsoftheencampmentsinIthacathroughvariousprojects aimingtoeventuallyhousethehomelesspopulation Aproject calledTIDES(TheIthacaDesignatedEncampmentSite),which wasdiscussedinAprilof2022,wasoneofthefirstinstancesof anothertypeofsolutionbeingproposed onewhichfocused moreonprovidingtheencampmentareaswithresourcessuchas kitchens,bathrooms,andshowers.TheTIDESprojectdidnotgo through,butthereisanewprojectthatisbeingproposedalonga similarveintoTIDES,aprojectwhichmightnothavethe positiveimpactIthacaislookingfor
Tolearnmoreabouttheencampmentareas,aswellaswhat Ithacaisdoingtocombathomelessness,IspokewithNatalya Cowilich,thecoordinatoroftwooutreachprograms Thefirst programiscalledtheDowntownCommunityOutreachWorker Program, a street-based outreach program in the downtown corridor of Ithaca. The second is called the Rural Outreach WorkerProgram,apilotprogramthatwasfoundedrecently,and coversallofTompkinsCounty.AccordingtoCowilich,both programs work within the community, aiming to build relationshipswithdisadvantagedandhomelesspeopleinplaces suchaslocallibrariesandfoodpantries Theyalsoworkwith hospitalsandcrisislines,actingasanalternativetogettingthe police involved with people in crisis Both teams have two memberswithlimitedbudgetsandresources Theyhavebeen workingtogethomelessanddisadvantagedpeoplefood,hygiene products,andotherhelptheymightneed.Theprogramshave madearealimpactandwereabletohouseoverfortypeoplefrom
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encampmentsoverthelastfewyears.Theyhavealsohelped numerousothersthroughtheirworkwithinthecommunity.
Alongsidehercurrentendeavors,Cowilichhasalsoworked closely with the encampment communities specifically the encampmentcommunitycommonlyreferredtoas‘TheJungle’ TheJungleisanencampmentalongIthaca’swaterwayand railroadtracksthatcanholdanywherebetweeneighttofifteen peopleduringthewinter,anduptosixty-fivetoseventyinthe summer.Cowilichandherteamworkedtoprovidethepeople therewithwater,snacks,connectionstohousingservices,and telehealth communications. Cowilich explained that “Our approachasanoutreachteam,asoutreachworkers,istomeet… [people in the encampment communities] where they are, encourageconnectiontohousing,butletpeoplegoattheirown paceandbereadyforthemwhenthey’rereadyforus”This approach,whichtakesintoconsiderationthefeelingsofthe peopleintheencampmentswhoarebeingdirectlyaffectedby programs,isdifferentfromtheprojectIthacaisconsideringnow.
TorevisittheCityofIthaca’sprogram,TIDES,inmoredepth; itwasaprojectwhosegoalwasequippingtheencampment communitywithshowers,individualcabins,andkitchens.The plan,asIpreviouslymentioned,didnotgothrough.However,a newlyproposedandlesscostlyprojectisstillbeingnegotiated Thenewproject’splanistoessentiallymovethepeoplethatare livingoutsideintodifferent,designated,outside,andfenced-off spaces Thesenewspaceswouldbethefirststeptofindinga permanenthomeandaddingstabilitytotheencampmentsites Criticsoftheprojectnotethatalthoughitistheoreticallya helpfulproposition,uponcloserinspection,theflawsoftheplan becomeapparent.Cowilichillustratessomeofthefailingsofthe project,saying,“Fromaserviceproviderstandpoint,Idon’tlove theplan.Movingahomelesspersonfromoneareaoutsideto another only prolongs their homelessness The plan is problematic,inmyopinion,anditdoesn’talign,necessarily, withtrauma-informedcarepractices”Shegoesontoelaborate onwhattheplanwouldinvolve,“Thecityhasanideatomove everybodytoacertainconcentratedarea,and keepthem there,andthen,policy-wise,theywouldmakeitillegaltocamp inotherplaces.”Inevitably,thiswouldresultinmorepolicingof thehomelesspopulation,aswellasmorelimitationsbeingplaced ontheiralreadylimitedlifestyle.Restrictedlocationscanalso haveaseriousimpactonhomelesspeople’slifestyles whatifthe newencampmentsitesarefarawayfromtheirjob?Whatifthey nolongerhaveaccesstotheresourcestheyneed?Theproject appearstolackforesightintheseareasCowilichalsoarguesthat italsodoesn’ttakeintoaccountthemorecomplexstrugglesthat homelesspeopleface
Homelesssheltersaren’tfree.AccordingtoCowilich,theycan chargeuptoseventy-fivepercentofaperson’sincome.Ifthe peopleatthesheltersareattemptingtosaveuptotryand improvetheirlivingsituation,thehighpricethatshelterscharge isoftennotworth,asCowilichdescribesit,“sleepingonamat on
ontheground.”Someofthesesheltersalsoprovideanunsafe environment,especiallyformarginalizedgroups,suchaswomen andpeopleofcolorManypeopleleavethesehomelesssheltersto campsothattheycankeepthemselvessafe,andthissafetyoften comesfromisolation Somearguethatforcinghomelesspeople into the designated campsites proposed by the new project, currentlypopulatedmainlybywhitemen,couldbeharmfultothe marginalizedpeopleforcedtolivethere.
Thoughtherearedefinitelyproblemswiththenewproject, Cowilichsaiditbestwhenwrappingupourinterview:“Thereare alotofexpertsandcompassionatepeopleinthisfieldinour community,wehaveanentireoutreachteamthathasorganically cometogethersincethebeginningofthepandemic,[including] healthcareprofessionals,peoplethatareexperiencedwiththelegal systemandincarceration,peoplethathavecomefromallwalksof lifehaveteameduptotryandaddressthisAndwe’vebeenpretty successful,forthemostpart( )thereisprogressbeingmade, despite the rhetoric out there that nothing is being done.” Homelessnessisundoubtedlybeingfoughtbymembersofthe community,aswellasthecityitself.Therearepeoplelike Cowilichandherteamwhoaremakingarealdifference,and helpingtomakeIthacaabetterplace.Whereverthenewproposed project goes, programs such as the Outreach program will continuetobetterthecommunity
Eachyear,ICSDvoluntarilyreleasesitsEquityReportcard, anexpansivereportofhowthedistricthasfaredinterms ofenrollment,statetestscores,absenteeism,andmore. helloooo Thereportcardalsoprovidesinformationonhowthisdatavaries betweenstudentsofdifferentraces,FRPL(FreeorReducedPrice Lunch)statuses,andstudents’disabilitystatuses.The2022report card(forthe2021-2022schoolyear)isthefirstpost-pandemic EquityReportCard.IttellsthestoryofhowICSDhasrecovered fromtheongoingeffectsofthepandemic.Aftersittingdownwith District Data Analyst and equity report card creator, Lynn Klankowski,Igatheredmoreinsightintohowthedistrictis interpretingthisnewdata
Thefirstnumberthatissignificantisthefour-yeargraduation rate,currently878percent,astatisticKlankowskisaysthedistrict focusesmuchofitseffortson Theaveragegraduationratein NewYorkStatefortheClassof2022was86percent,tocompare. InICSD,thegraduationrateincreasedby3percentagepoints from2021(seeFigure1).Thegraduationrateforwhitestudents in2022wasthehighestsince2016,andthegraduationratefor Black students increased by nearly 25 percent from 2021. Although she acknowledges it as a victory for the district, Klankowskiwondershowsustainablethisgraduationratewillbe forthefuture,theorizingthattheincreasewasduetothelackof RegentsexamstheClassof2022hadtotakeascomparedtothe Classof2020andtheClassof2021WhenRegentsrequirements returnatfull,theseratescouldfallagain.IfNewYorkStatewere toeliminatehigh-stakesassessmentsliketheRegentsandswitch toafocusoncoursecredit,Klankoskibelievesthat“graduation couldbemoreattainableandhopefullylessculturallybiased.”
Staffandteacherdataareincludedforthefirsttimesince2015, showing a disproportionate amount of non-white classroom teacherstonon-whitestudents(Figure3)Thedatawasincluded thisyearduetoanewNewYorkStaterequirement:Dataon employeeraceisnowtakenathiresothatdatacanbereported properly
Flippingthroughtherestofthereportcard,perhapsthemost startlingnumberwastherateofmathproficiencyamongBlack studentsonthestatetestfrom3rdgradeto8thgrade:6.3percent, droppingastartling12.1percentagepointsfrom2019.Only6out of96Blackstudentstested“proficient”(3orabove)ontheMath statetest.Thepercentproficientamongallstudentsisstilllowbut isconsiderablymorenormalat447percent,downfrom535 percentin2019,anumberMs Klankowskiishopingwillbe improvedbyonlinemathprograms
Anotherlargeincrease,perhapsthemostnoticeabledifference from last year (among all students) was the rise in chronic absenteeism. Klankowski explains it’s “the topic of every hellooooooo
conversation:Howcanwegetkidsinschool?”Astudentis countedasbeingchronicallyabsentiftheymissmorethan10 percentofschooldaysinayear.Inthe2021-2022schoolyear,the rateofchronicallyabsentstudentswas33.2percentcomparedto 2018’s 16.4 percent (Figure 2). The data analyst believes measuringabsenteeismwillbeabaselinemetricthedistrictwillbe watchingclosely,theorizingthesharpuptickcouldbeduetoa lackofstudentengagementintheclassroom,makingthemnot wanttocometoschoolandstudentsbeingmorelikelytostay homewhensick
Althoughsheadmitsthereisstillalotofworktobedone, Klankowskiwanted The Tattler tonoteafewthingsthatdeserve celebration, including the increase in elementary music participation,up21.2percentfrom2021,thetightnessinthegap betweenthepercentageofBlackteacherstoBlackstudents,and theincreasedgraduationrate despitepotentialshiftsinthefuture.
Othernoticeablepointsinthereportincludedtheconsistent declineinenrollmentoverallandtheconsistentincreaseinthe numberofstudentswithdisabilities,bothofwhichKlankowskiis watching but are not sources of any concern Otherwise, Klankowskihopesthatinitiativessuchasgettingstudentsmore involved in administrative decisions, decelerating math, and givingteachersmoreresourcesinclassroomswillbetheanswers toafewofthedistrict'sworstgaps.
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BusinessesinIthacaarestruggling.Eversincetheonsetof theCovid-19pandemic,unemploymenthasskyrocketed. TheUnitedStatesBureauofLaborStatisticsrecordeda record record-highunemploymentrateof11.4percentinApril2020. Now,inMarch2023,unemploymentrateshaveloweredback down to normal, about 3 percent. But businesses are still strugglingtostayafloatbecauseofalackofemployees.Whereis theworkforcethatsupportsoureconomy?
Thedisappearanceofhundredsofworkersthatiscausinglocal businessestofocusentirelyonhiringandforgoanyimprovements inoperationsorserviceappearstocomefromaslewoffactors Whentheeconomyshutdown,workersoverfifty-fiveyearsof agefoundthemselvesabletodownsizeandselltheirhousesWith themassiveriseinhousingpricesduringthepandemic,many retiredearly.Thissectoroftheworkforcewhichoriginallyheld numerouslabor-intensivejobshasnotbeenfilledbythenew generationofyoungpeopleenteringthejobmarket.Thistrend, whichindustriallaborresearchersareseeingmoreandmore,has becomeextremelyprevalentasyoungpeoplearediscoveringnew innovativewaystoearnanincomethatdoesnotinvolvenine-tofiveworkdaysfivedaysaweek
Youngpeoplearelookingtowardsmoresustainableliving incomeswithwhichtheycouldworklessandstillbeableto supportthemselves.Thisnewmodelisalmostimpossiblewhen workingatjobsthatareinsuchhighdemandbecauseofthelow payandlackofbenefits.Thislackofworkerscouldalsostemfrom alackoflivablewagesthatsupporttheworkforce.Thispastyear theTompkinsCountyWorkersCenterraisedthelivablewagein Ithacato1661dollarsperhour,yettheminimumwage,which was1320dollarsperhourbefore,onlyroseonedollarto1420 dollarsperhourIfjobsinIthacaofferedasustainablewagewith supportivebenefits,itispossiblethattherewouldbeamuch smallerneedforemployees,andbusinesseswouldbenefitaswell Hiringemployeesatahigherstartingwagehasbeenshownto leadtomuchgreatergrossprofitforthebusiness.Researchers explainthistrendbycitingthatemployeeswhoenjoytheirjob andfeelthattheyarebeingadequatelycompensatedtendtowork muchmoreefficientlyandtheiroutputis,onaverage,much higherthanacounterpartbeingpaidminimumwage
ThejoblossesandturnoverinIthacaareexemplifiedatthe YMCA,wherethereareonlythreeleadershipstaffmemberswho wereemployedtherepre-pandemic,andalloftheyear-round lifeguardsarepost-pandemichires.IntheIthacaCitySchool
District Transportation Department, job shortages are also prevalent,andthedistricthasbeenstrugglingwithdrivershortages forthepastfewyearsEveryday,arotatingnumberofroutesdo nothaveabusdriveravailable,andaffectedstudentshavetowait untilanotherbusdropsoffadifferentrouteandcomesbacktopick themup Studentshavereportedarrivingalmostanhourlateto schoolbecauseofthis.Inthiscase,laborshortagesarehavinga severe effect on students’ abilities to learn. Because Ithaca is growing constantly, and new buildings and businesses are appearingacrossthecity,itisimportanttonotethatthelabor populationismuchsmallerthanitwaspre-pandemic,andeven already-establishedbusinessesarestrugglingtoretaincurrentstaff andhirenewemployeesbecauseofthisnationwideissue
Disclaimer:ThisarticlewaswritteninearlyApril2023and maybeoutdatedbythetimeofpublication(May2023)
OnMarch16,2023,PresidentEmmanuelMacronof FranceusedArticle49.3oftheFrenchconstitutionto bypass France's hectic National Assembly and force throughthrough a controversial pension reform bill. This action, announcedbyprimeministerElisabethBorne,triggeredamassive waveofstrikesandprotestsinFrance
Thebillinquestionwasanewlawthatwouldraisetheageof retirement,atwhichcitizensgainapension,tosixty-fourBefore thelaw'spassage,itwassixty-twoIntheUnitedStates,theageis sixty-five withmanypoliticianspushingtoincreaseit.Thelaw isdeeplyunpopularinFrance,wheresocialbenefitsandpensions areconsideredcrucialtoFrenchsocietyandculture.Two-thirds oftheFrenchpeopleopposedthepassageofthelaw.However, Macronandhisgovernmentbelievethelawisnecessarytoensure France'sgovernmentcankeepabalancedbudget,andtoprevent thepensionsystemfrombecomingunderfunded Inaddition, Macronwantstofundotherenergy,technology,andmilitary projects,usingthemoneysavedfromtheincreaseinthepension age Article49.3wasavitalpartofthepowerfulpresidencyformer PresidentCharlesDeGaulleenvisionedinFrance'sfifthrepublic. It was established in the context of an unstable parliament. Macronhasusediteleventimesinthissessionofparliament, whichbeganinthefall.Itallowstheexecutivebranchofthe governmenttoforceFrance'smoreliberalandunstableNational Assembly to pass a necessary bill France's generally more conservativeandstableSenatemuststillapprovethebillforitto becomelaw Topreventabuse,Article493hasasignificant drawback:TobypasstheAssembly,theexecutivebranchmustput itsexistenceontheline.Ifano-confidencemotionisintroduced andpassestheNationalAssembly,theprimeministerandthe cabinet are fired, and the President must appoint a new government.Thebillisalsorejected.Francecameninevotes awayfrompassingano-confidencevoteasthecenter-right Republicansweredividedontheissueanddidn'tfullycommitto passingtheno-confidencemotion
ThesubversionoftheNationalAssemblyledtomassiveprotests againstPresidentMacronandhisgovernment Manyleft-wing politicalpartiesandpoliticians(nearlyallofwhomvotednoconfidenceinhisgovernment)endorsedtheprotests,alongwith manyfar-rightpartiescampaigningoncost-of-livingissues,and France'slargestlaborunionsledstrikes.Agarbageworkerstrike in Paris resulted in smelly streets and worries about a rat infestation.Inaddition,someFrenchpartieshavepointedoutthat theentireconstitutionofthefifthrepublic,whichcenterspower intheexecutivebranch,isundemocraticandagainstFrench values There have been growing calls by some parties, particularly the left-wing France Unbowed, for a new sixth republicthatwouldgrantmorepowertotheNationalAssembly andParliamentasawhole,takingitawayfromtheexecutive
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government.Theycurrentlyhold74outofthe577seatsinthe NationalAssembly.
Theprotestscomeaspartofalargercost-of-livingcrisis worldwide, particularly in Europe, which has been further exacerbatedbythewarinUkraine Fringefar-rightandfar-left Europeanpartieshavebeengainingsteamacrossthecontinent duringthecrisis,particularlyinFrance,Germany,andSpain,and havecomeintopowerinPoland,Hungary,andItalyTheprotests arethemostsignificantthreattoMacron'sadministrationsincethe YellowVestMovementin2018duringhisfirstterminoffice. Whileameetingbetweenthegovernmentandlaborunionsfailed, andthegovernmenthasrefusedtowithdrawthebill,oppositionto thelawisexpectedtodecreaseslowly,andthestrikeswillend.
ByTARANKNUTSON
OGPT-4 writing itself, courtesy of GPT, prompted by author penAIunveileditsnewmultimodalAIlanguagemodel, GPT-4,onMarch14,2023Thismodelismuchmore capablethanitspredecessors,scoringmuchhigheron various
variousexamsandalsoacceptingimageinputGPT-4hasalmost athousandtimesasmanyparameters(aunitofmodelsizein machinelearning)asGPT-3,whichmanyofusarefamiliarwith, butoneofitsmainappealsisn’trawstrength:themodelcanbe tunedbyuserstoperformamuchwidervarietyoftasksthana one-size-fits-allmodellikeGPT-3can.
GPT-4 was also implemented into ChatGPT Plus, a subscriptionserviceforanimprovedChatGPT.Thisversionof ChatGPTisespeciallynotableforitssupportforplugins.Inan OpenAIdemonstrationofthisfeature,auserasksforavegan restauran
restaurantrecommendationaswellasaveganrecipewithits calorie count. ChatGPT replies with all of the requested information,withaveganrestaurantcourtesyoftheOpenTable plugin, a chickpea salad recipe made by GPT-4, a calorie computationfromaWolfram|Alphaplugin,andalinktoorder theingredientswiththeInstacartplugin What’ssoimpressive aboutthisintegration,comparedtoearlierlanguagemodels,is thatGPT-4figuredoutwhichpluginstoconsultandhowtouse themtofulfilltheuser’srequest Anotherincrediblepartofthis storyisthattheWolfram|Alphapluginwasfullyrealizedjusttwo andahalfmonthsafterStephenWolframoriginallypitchedthe ideaofpluginstoOpenAI.
OneofGPT-3’smainlimitationswasthatitstrainingcorpus consistedofonlydatafromtheyear2021andbefore.OpenAI addressed this by creating a plugin of its own that allows ChatGPTtosearchtheInternetforanswerstocertainquestions Themodelcomesupwithitsownsearchtermsandcaninterpret websiteswithcomplexformattingThishasthepotentialtoallow asinglesitetogreatlyinfluenceChatGPT’sresponses,whichis notideal,buttherearewaystoworkaroundthisproblem.
OnepriorityforGPT-3andGPT-4istheabilitytocode. WhileGPT-3possessesaproof-of-conceptlevelofcodingskill, GPT-4 can write hundreds of lines in many programming languages,makingnuancedprogramsthatworkoutofthebox. Critically,whilepastmodelsaremainlyusefulastime-saversfor codingexpertswhoknowexactlywhattheyarelookingfor, GPT-4canhandleimprecisioninrequests ChatGPTPluscan evenwritepluginsforitself YoutubeuserCandlesanrecently usedonlyGPT-4codetowriteaFlappyBirdclone,althoughhe notesthatonlythosewithcodingknowledgewouldcurrentlybe abletodothis.
An independent developer who goes by the username “SignificantGravitas''createdatoolcalled“AutoGPT,”which allowsalocalversionofGPT-4torecursivelypromptitselfand execute Python scripts on a machine This has enormous potentialAutoGPTcantestandimprovecodeitwrites,aswellas createfilesandfolderstobuildmuchlargerprojectsthanGPT-4 can on its own This behavior is only made possible by AutoGPT’sself-promptingsystem,whichallowsGPT-4tobreak largetasksintosmallerones;thisallowsthemodelto“remember” morethingsatonceandthinkonalargerscale.Toquoteone AutoGPTuser,“AutoGPTwastryingtocreateanappforme, recognizedIdon'thaveNode[aJavaScriptruntime],googled howtoinstallNode,foundastackoverflowarticlewithalink, downloadedit,extractedit,andthenspawnedtheserverforme Mycontribution?Iwatched”Whenanotheruseraskedforhelp startinganE-Commercebusiness,theirversionofAutoGPT browsedtheinternetforideasandsavedthemtotextfilesforlater use
GPT-4 already satisfies many standard definitions of intelligence,andthelatestdevelopmentsinlanguagemodelsare the closest humanity has gotten to a true artificial general intelligence.Thisarticle,however,wasnotwrittenbyanAI.
Pineappleonpizzaisacommondebatethathasnotbeenreconciled.Neithersideiswillingtoconcedetotheother,buthopefullyat leastonesidecanacknowledgetheother’spointsbelow.
Pineapple: A Tasty Addition to the Pizza World
1.Pineapple ThePaletteCleanserAndNottheOnlyFruit!
Pineapplecanbearefreshingadditiontothepizza,leavingyour tastebudsyearningformore,insteadofconfused Additionally,if you’reagainstfruitonpizzas,enjoyyourpizzaswithoutanytomato sauce
2Sweetisthemostlikedtaste
Sweetisknowntobethemost-likedtasteinthenation.Havinga pineapplechunkwithyourbigbiteofpizzagivesyoualittleflavor boostplusitactsasapalatecleanser.Notonlydoyougetsaltyfrom theotheringredients,youalsogetthesweetfromthepineapple!
Pineapple:ADisgustingThingThatDeservesNothingBut Exile
1.Taste-wise
Thesweetnessofthepineapple—alowlyfruit—simplydoesnot belongwithothertraditionalpizzatoppingslikesavorytomato sauceandcheese,orevenspicypeppers,ifyou’resoinclined.It simplyservestoconfusethetastebudsand,inturn,proves unfavorabletothetaster.
2.Texture-wise
Pineappleisajuicything,asmostfruitsare.Asitcooks,muchof thejuicecanbedispersedacrosstherestofthepizza.Thelawsof diffusiondon'tlie:theresultwillbeasoggymessthatis unrecognizableaspizza.
→Thereareseveralotherreasonswhyonemaybelievethat pineappledeservestobeincludedorexcludedfromthepizzarealm. What are your thoughts about “Pineapple on Pizza”? Go to <https://bit.ly/CTMay2023>orscantheQRcodeandtelluswhere youstand!VotesarecollecteduntilMay14,2023,andresultswill bereleasedintheJune2022issueof The Tattler
April2023VotingResults:RelocationofAdministration PersonneltotheTopofHighway13
Inthelastissue,wediscussedanuncontroversialtopicofwhether ornotICSDadministrationshouldberelocatedtoHighway13. Readerswerethenaskedtovoteonthesideforwhichthey preferred.Hereiswhattheythink!
Scantovote:Doespineapple belongonpizza?
80%thinkthattheadministration shouldcertainlybemovedtothetop ofHighway13
20%thinkthatthe administrationshould notberelocated
ByMARKKIEFER
ssomestudentsmayremember,beforethisyear’ssystem ofUniversalLunch(UL),lastyearwehadastaggered lunchschedule:studentswouldeatinthethird,fourth, and andfifthperiods.IHSchangedthisforafewreasons,includingto complywithNewYorkstandardsandallowstudentstoeatwith friends.Whenthechangewasbeingmade,animportantquestion cameup:shouldthenewscheduleaddanextraclassslot(eight periods+UL)orremoveaclassslot(sevenperiods+UL)?Since studentswouldn’tbeabletotakeclassesduringwhatcouldbe theirlunchanymore,theymayhavetodropcertaincoursesIHS chosetogowithsevenperiodsandauniversallunch,increasing classtimesbyafewminuteseachbytakingtimeoutoflunch ThiswasthewrongchoiceAnextraperiodcouldbeaddedtothe IHS schedule and help support students' learning without decreasingdailyclasstimebyanoticeableamount.
Ifweaddedaperiodtotheendoftheschoolday,IHSwould haveeightperiodsbeginningat9:00amandendingaround4:00 pm,asitisnow.Zeroperiodwouldstillbeoffered.Moreover, classperiodscouldbeshortenedtofortyminutestomakeupfor the change Combined with a forty-minute lunch and five minutesinbetweenperiods,thatisasix-hourandforty-minute schoolday exactlythelengthitisnowThelastminutesofclass areoftenspentpreparingforittoendanyway Becauseofthis, learningtimewouldremainthesame
Havinganextraperiodcomeswithmanybenefits:themost significantbeingthatmanyfewerstudentswouldhavetotakea zero-periodclass.Sinceoneofthemainpurposesofa9:00am start time is to support students’ sleep, this would have a significanteffectonthementalhealthofmanystudents.Those whostillchoosetotakezero-periodclasseswouldhaveastudy hallintheirdayoraperiodslotforafunelectiveclassIHSoffers manyexcitinganduniquecoursesthatmanyotherschoolsdon’t Anextraperiodwouldgivemorestudentsachancetotake advantageofthisschool'smanyopportunitiesandfindtheir passion.Finally,studentswhowillfillupallofthecourseslots withAPandHonorscouldtakeadvantageofUniversalLunchto stillhavetimewiththeirfriendsatschool.IHSadministrators shouldnotethemanybenefitsofhavingmoreclassperiodsand considerimplementingtheminthefuture.
Content warning: violence, school shootings
Policeofficerstookseventy-fourminutestoendtheUvalde massacre,threehourstoshootthegunmanatthePulse nightclubmassshooting,andfourteenminutestoendthe Nashville Nashvilleshooting Onecouldpraisetheameliorationintime efficiency,yetthisimprovementcannotbeseenasanend The livesofthreeinnocentchildrenandthreestaffmembersmay numericallybelessthanthedeathtollofColumbine,Marjory Stoneman,orBuffalo.However,thosesixlivescouldhavebeen saved,notthroughafasterresponsebutthroughgunlaws.There areplausibletacticstoameliorateemergencyresponse,suchas improvingpolicetrainingorincreasingsecuritytechnologiesin schoolsandpublicspaces.Ultimately,theseresponsesareband-aid solutions,distractingoursocietyfromtheurgencytoaddressthe underlyingissuesattherootofgunviolence
TheAdvancedLawEnforcementRapidResponseTraining (ALERRT)wascreatedtorespondtoactiveshootersituations followingtheColumbineschoolshooting Ithasreceivedover seventy-twomilliondollarsinstateandfederalgrants.Over 130,000 first responders have voluntarily attended training sessions,practicingemergencyresponsesinthemostrealistic conditions.Themethodologytaughtiscenteredaroundtheidea ofimmediateconfrontationwiththeshooter.Inthepast,road patrolofficershavewaiteduntilSWATteamsarrivedonthe scene EventhoughSWATteamsmaybemoreefficientin stoppingtheshooting,intermsofnumbers,theyarefewer,thus notcoalescingwithsituationsthatrequireurgency
Duringthe Uvalde shooting, officers waited for higher-ups and more advancedofficers,whichdelayedtheresponse.Yet,thefirst respondersinUvaldehadattendedasimilartrainingprogramto ALEERTwithinthelasttwomonthsleadinguptotheshooting. This sparks uncertainty regarding the efficiency of these programs.Althoughofficershavebeentrainedatthiscentersince 2002,therehavebeenseveralinstancesduringwhichthepolice weaklyresponded SomeofficerswhorespondedtotheMarjory StonemanshootingwerechargedwithneglectVictimswerealso
forgottenandneglectedatthePulseNightClubshooting.
Ontheotherhand,policeofficersswiftlyenteredCovenant ElementarySchoolregardlessofrankinpolicingPolicingexperts acrossthecountryhavestatedthattheresponsefollowedthe textbook method; getting to the assailant as a priority and shootingthemwhenreloading Itisimportanttonotethatthis responsewassuccessfulinsomewaysduetopureluck.Ofcourse, theofficersusedstrongdecision-makingandcommunication skills,buttherewasalsogreaterproximitytopatrolunits,and they could catch the assailant reloading. In addition, police officers nationwide have expressed pride in the response. However,itisextremelydifficulttoassociatepridewithapolice responseDespitetheabilitytosavelivesandreducecasualties,the policeresponseisnotoneofpridebutrathertheirjobDuringthe Uvaldeshooting,reportsclaimedofficersfearedconfrontingthe shooterandriskingtheirlives Althoughthisclaimmayalign withhumannature,attheendoftheday,thepoliceofficerhas signeduptodoso.Expertsinresponsetoviolentsituationshave explainedhowthebodyandbrainreact.Officerswhohavenot beenthroughstressinoculationwillgetsignificantphysicaland mentalsymptoms,suchastunnelvision,lossofhearing,oreven lossofcontrol.Evenifpolicerecruitsreceivepre-traumaticstress training,dependingontheirday-to-dayroles,theyarenotlikely to confront active shooter situations regularly One cannot underminehowmentallydifficultthesesituationsaretoconfront Outofthe800,000lawenforcementofficersintheUS,they cannotallbepreparedtorespondtothesesituationsThepolice takeoversuchawidevarietyoftasksinourcities.Unlike firefighters,whotendtobeconfrontedwithsimilartasksdaily,a policeofficer’sjobcanrangefromconductinginterviewsto responding to violent situations. Their dominance lacks foundationandspecialization.Untilrecently,officersresponded tomentalhealthcrises,whichisproblematicbecausetheyhave littletonoexperienceandknowledgeofpsychology
Nevertheless,ifwearetoestablishspecialization,itwould requiresubstantialnumbersofforcesthroughoutthecountry It wouldalsobeextremelycostly Furthermore,specializationor extensivetrainingreinforcestheacceptanceofdeathsanddoes notaddresstheunderlyingissueofgunviolence.
Whileitmayseemlogicaltoimprovepoliceresponse,itmay notbethemostefficienttacticiftheendgoalistoreducedeaths. Of433activeshooterattacksintheUnitedStatesfrom2000to 2021,249endedbeforethepolicearrived Fortheinstances duringwhichthepolicemanagedtogettothescenebeforethe attackended,halfofthetime,thepoliceshottheassailant This goestoshowthatthepolicearefarfromentirelyreliablewhenit comestoresponsetoshootings Regardlessoftherapidityof dispatch,thepolicecannotoutpacetheintensityoftheweapons system. Even with substantial training and a proficient communication system, police responses cannot prevent all deaths,asaresponsetoanattackimpliesthatithasalreadybegun.
Onemayimaginethatdevelopingsafetytechnologiescould allowabetterresponsetoattacksorattemptstoattack.Schools andcollegesareincreasinglyinvestinginsecuritytechnologies and resources Some products acquired are gun-detection scanners, facial recognition software, and high-tech threat detectorsoundsystemsAccordingtoOmidia,in2021,31billion dollarswerespentonsecurityresourcesinschoolsandcolleges nationwide.TheBipartisanGunSafetyBillpassedinJune2022, providesasupplemental300milliondollarstofortifyschool security by strengthening the incentive to improve security. However,thesestepstakentocreatesaferschoolsarefueledby anxiety,butmostimportantly,accompaniedbyrhetoricthat promotesmaterialself-defenseAsgunviolencecontinuesinthe UnitedStates,individualsseektoprotectthemselves Withthe riseofguncultureandtheinfluenceofpoliticians,manybelieve thatgunsandweaponrywillprotectthem DonaldTrump’s presidential campaign of 2016 reinforced this idea, and it continuestopersisttoday.
Further,individualsaremoreandmoreresortingtoguns. Womenandpeopleofcolorareincreasinglybecominggun owners as a means of defense from discrimination. Antonia Okafor,thedirectorofthewomen’soutreachforGunOwnersof America,seesaclearrelationbetweenhersafetyasawomanof colorandownershipofguns Althougharmingteachersand increasingsecuritytechnologyarenotthesame,theyareboth defensetacticsthatsteerawayfromthemainissue,whichisguns inthefirstplace
Inaddition,thereislittleevidencethatsupportstheefficiency oftheseinvestments.Althoughacquiringthemdoesdemonstrate theinstitutions’willingnesstoaddresstheissue,thistacticlacksan understandingoftherootofgunviolence.Italsodoesnot considerstudents'input,whotendtobelievethesetechnologies makethemfeelsafeIndeed,theseinstallmentscouldintrudeon students’privacyandconstantlyremindthemofthehorrorsthey could face The widespread fear these technologies induce removestheideathatschoolsshouldbesafe AJohnsHopkins University study showed that school security technology contributes to a negative perception of their education experience.Someevenfeelasiftheywerepayinga“safetytax.” Moreover, increased security technology accentuates discriminationagainstBlackstudents,
Centralizingpolicyaroundpoliceresponseisacceptingthe deathofthousandsItappearsabsurdtogivethatresponsibilityto thosewhooftenperpetuategunviolence Asan“emergency response”tomassshootings,policiesaroundgunrightshaveto change Reimagining police response is distracting us from confrontingtherealissue Instead,wemustreimaginetherole gunsplayinUSsociety.Gunculturemaybeanobstaclebutitis notabarrier.Wemustelectleaderswhoplantoreducethe accessibilityofgunsdrasticallyandholdaccountablelobbyists, especiallythosegrowingunderthepretextthattheyaren’tas adfkjalsdaf
Why Investing in Police Training Shouldn't Be a Priority.
Continued from page 13
harmful,suchastheNationalShootingSportsFoundation(NSSF). Endinggunviolencewillonlybepossibleonceweaddressthe “gun”ingunviolence
Irememberthroughmyelementaryschoolyears,therewas alwaysaposterintheclassroomthatstatedtheGoldenRule–totreatothersthewaywewanttobetreated.Obviously, there
therearecountlesswaysthisrulehasnotbeenimplementedwellin theworld.Ifinditalittleironicthatthisposterwasinaclassroom, becausethisruleisfarfromthetruth,especiallyregardingthe treatmentofourteachers
Iamnotateacher,soIcannotexpressthetruesideofoneI alsodon’twritethistobea“teacher’spet”,buttoopenoureyesto the unfair aspects of being a teacher, especially in the US Unfairnessanddisrespecttowardsteachershasescalatedthrough theyears.InMarch,schoolsinLosAngeles,California,hadto temporarilyshutdownduetoteacherstrikesfromagroupofat least 30,000 educators. And you can’t blame them. In the TompkinsCountyarea,teachersareseverelyunpaid,ontopofthat workinghoursupontheiractualshifts.InICSD,4.3percentof teacherpositionswereopenasofDecember2022,whichwasthe highestvaluecomparedtotheGroton,Dryden,andLansing schooldistricts
Evenfromanon-statisticalperspective,respectforteachersis notbeingtakenseriouslyenough RecentlyinMatanzasHigh School, in Palm Coast, Florida, a seventeen-year old student attacked his teacher leaving her unconscious and in critical condition,alloveraNintendoswitch.Heiscurrentlybeingheld onaonemilliondollarbail.Anotherabsurdincidentthatrecently occurredwasasix-yearoldshootinghisownteacheratRichneck ElementaryinVirginia,onJanuary6ofthisyear Bothofthese incidentsareoutrageousfornoreasonHowisitfairthatateacher isattackedbytheirownstudentjustfordoingtheirjob?
InvariousAsiancultures,respectforteachersisacoreandcrucial valueThe2018GlobalTeacherStatusshowedChinaandMalaysia hadthehighestrespectfortheirteachers,rankingthem100ona
100ona100pointscale,and93.3outofvariousotherprofessions intheirareas.TeachersinTaiwanwererankedasimportantasthe roleofadoctorHoweverintheUS,thelevelwasmuchlower, withtherankforteachersa371outof100
Theinformationinthelastfewparagraphsshockedmeabout howpoorlyteachersintheUSaretreated It’sclearwhythese positionskeepopeningup,becausetheyarenotreceivingnearly enoughforwhatisbeingputin.Toanyteachers,educators,or anyoneworkingforaschoolfacility,Ithankyouforthework youputineveryday,tomakeitpossibleforusstudentstoprogress throughtheseyearsofdevelopment.TheGoldenRuleisjusta smallsteptotaketotrulyhonorourteachers.Butperhapswecan workclosertoachievingit,bygivingbacktothemintheway thattheydeserve
BYMARLEYTHOMSON
consumetoomuchsaltanddon’tdrinkenoughwater
Assummerapproaches,onethingisconstantlyonour minds–hydration.Thoseblisteringhotdaysseemtoextract thelifeoutofus Thisfeelingisamplifiedwhenwe consume
AccordingtotheCDC,about90percentofAmericans2years oldorolderconsumetoomuchsodiumTheaveragedailysodium intakeforAmericans2yearsoldorolderismorethan3,400mg. This is a whopping 1,100 mg over the daily limit. Overconsumptionofsodiumisdirectlycorrelatedwithhighblood pressure,heartdisease,bloating(swelling)ofthebody,andstroke. Thiscanalsoleadtokidneystonesandkidneyfailure,leading those effected to undergo painful dialysis treatment. Before someonereadingthissays,“Well,yourbodyneedssalttobalance itselectrolytes,”the2300mglimitismorethanenough Even whensomeonedrinks“alotofwater,”itisrarelyenoughto counteracttheeffectsofsodiumoverload
Forthosewhoworryaboutthecosmeticeffectsofthings, sodiumcanleadtobloatinganddryskin.Sincesodiumdehydrates thebody,yourskincannotretainasmuchmoisture.Dryskin reducesskinelasticity,leadingtoprematureaging.Dehydration alsoleadstobrittlehairandnails.
TheunhealthyAmericandietcausestheoverconsumptionof sodium ManyAmericansresorttosaltinsteadofaplethoraof otherseasoningswhenpreparingfoodWhenorderingfrenchfries atarestaurant,thedefaultisusuallytoserveover-saltedfries
Althoughchainfast-foodrestaurantsmustindicateifanitem contains sodium over the daily limit, non-chain fast-food restaurantsdonot,leavingconsumersunawareoftrulyhowmuch sodiumisintheirfood.
Consuminglesssodiumalsohelpstheenvironment,especiallyin drought-proneplaces.Freshwaterisscarceinplacessuchas California,manyareasoftheMiddleEast,andnowanincreasing portion of the United States When your body has sodium overload,itrequiresmuchmorewatertostaytrulyhydratedThis leadstoanincreasedthirstforpeoplealreadyexperiencingwater insecurity
Saltmininghasalsobeenproventodamagetheenvironment. AccordingtotheNationalInstituteforHealth,saltminingin Kenya’sMagariniDistrictrevealedseveralenvironmentalimpacts, includingfreshwatersalination,airpollution,andincreaseddust levelsinthearea.
Thenexttimeyouaregoingouttoeatorpreparingyourown food,takeamomenttoconsiderjusthowmuchsodiumyoumay beconsumingWhenpreparingyourownfood,tryreducingthe amountofsaltyouusetoseasonandoptforgarlic,onionpowder, coriander,paprika,oranyotherseasoning
otsofthingsaredemocraticallyrun,somethingmany participantstakepridein.Iamoneofthosepeople,butI alsofeelthatdemocracyisfarfromperfect.
TaketheclassofficerelectionatIHS.Anyonecanrun,andwill endupwithresponsibilities,buteveryoneknowstheelectionis reallyjustapopularitycontest.Youcouldsaythatthisisbecause thevotersarestudentsgoingthroughpuberty,butsimilarthings havehappenedintheUSA'sdemocracy,whosevotershavetobeat least18 Forexample,the2016electionofTrumpwaspartly causedbythefactthatmanypeopleweregettingdisinformation aboutmanythings,tothepointwhereit'salmostlikesomepeople werelivinginadifferentuniverse
Inbothcases,democracyseemstobeputtingpowerinthe handsofthepeople,buttherealpowerbelongstothepeoplewith themostinfluenceoverothers,whetherthey'rethemostpopular insocialgroups,orhaveabigenoughstagetoconvincepeopleof thingsthataren'ttrue.Thethingis,thesearestillimportant decisionsthatwillaffecteveryone,sotheyneedtobemadeby peoplethinkingabouttheconsequencesIfpeoplearevotingbased onmisinformationorbias,itcouldbebad
Idosupportgivingthepeoplepower,butwhatifthepeople hadtoworktogethertofigureouthowtousethatpower,rather thaneachpersonmakingtheirownvotebasedontheinformation andbiasesthattheyhad?Themainproblemwithvotingisthat everyonehastheirownideaofwhatthebestoptionis,butthe logicbehindsomeoftheseideasisflawed.Ifeveryonecould explaintheirlogic,andbewillingtolistentoothers',maybe everyonecouldagreeontheoptionthatwouldbebestforthe people
Todothis,adebate-basedsystemcouldbeused,asadebate providesthespaceforarespectfulargumentinwhichpeopleare willingtoactuallyconsiderwhattheothersideissaying,andthink critically Thesystemcouldconsistofabunchofsmalldebates betweenpeople,oronelargeonebetweentwogroups.Youmay bethinkingthatnoteveryonewouldbewillingtohaveanopen mind,butthiscouldbechanged,especiallyifathirdpartywere presenttomakesurepeoplewerebeingrespectful.Ofcourse, planningoutthiskindofsystemtodealwithlogisticalissueswould behard,butIdofeelthatit'spossible
Overall,ifwecouldgetittowork,thiskindofsystemwouldbe betterthan"majorityrules,"asitwouldmakesureeveryonewas educatedwhenmakingimportantdecisions,rootingoutbiasand misinformation Insteadofwhatafewpeoplewantedothersto believeordo,thefocuswouldbeonwhatwasactuallybestfor everyone.Butlikeademocracy,everyonewouldstillhaveanequal say.
destroytheirownneighborhoodsThereactionofmanywhitesto theseriotsistoblameonlytheperpetrators Butuntilthewhite raceinAmericawillaccepttheresponsibilityofthreeandahalf centuries of neglect of the [African-American], and unite to eradicateracismandallitseffects,Americawillknownoracial peaceandnointernalstability.Therecouldbenofinertributeto the memory of Dr. King than to dedicate ourselves to the enormoustaskthatfacesus.
B.M.ATalkWithMrsParker ByMEGARCHIBALD
FollowingisapersonalinterviewwithMrs AethneaParker, IHSFrenchteacher.
I'vebeenalong-timeenjoyerofhistory,andworkinginthe archivesletsmeseeanewthestoriedhallsofIHSstraightfrom the
ByMAGGIEBONASSAR the students who have come before us They allow us to experiencetheworldastheydid,throughtheirmindsandideas thatsurvivelongaftertheyhavegraduatedPlease,aboveallelse, enjoy!
Note:Allexcerptspresentedherearepiecesofhistory,andshould betreatedassuch.Opinionsexpresseddonotrepresenttheviews ofthecurrent Tattler EditorialBoard.
May1968
ThegreatesttragedyoftheassassinationofDr.MartinLuther King,Jr.isthathisgoaloffullequalityforallcitizensisstillmerely agoal.Inacountrywhichpridesitselfonhavingagovernment“of thepeople,bythepeople,forthepeople”,ashamefullylarge segmentofourpopulationcouldnot,untilrecently,somuchas registertovoteinseveralstatesbyreasonofracealone Ina countrywhichpridesitselfonlovinglawandorder,[AfricanAmericans]inthisdecadewhosoughttosecuretheirlegalrights have had their homes and churches bombed, their families harassed,theirlivestaken Inacountrywhichpridesitselfon sincerity,citizenshaveelectedapresidentwhotenyearsagostated “Iamnotnowandneverhavebeenanadvocateofcivilrights.II don’tthinkIeverwillbe”,whilenowconsideringhimselfa championofcivilrights.Inacountrywhichpridesitselfon consideringallmenequal,residentsofanall-whitesuburbof Chicagothrewrocksatpersonspeacefullymarchinginsupportof therightof[African-Americans]toliveinthatcommunity Ina landof“equalopportunity”,proponentsofcivilrightsfoundit necessary to stage a mammoth “March on Washington”, to pressureCongresstooutlawdiscriminationinemploymentand publicaccommodations.Inalandofdemocracy,largenumbersof [African-Americans]havebeensofrustratedinurbancentersasto destroytheirownneighborhoods.
Q:Wherewereyouborn?
A:InSanFernando,TrinidadandTobago.
Q:IsitalwayscalledbothTrinidadandTobago?
A:Yes,bothislandsareunderthesamegovernment.
Q:Isthecountryindependent?
A:Yes,since1962,beforethatwewereBritish
Q:Didyoulivetherethroughoutyourchildhood?
A:Yes,ononeislandortheother
Q:Wheredidyougotoschool?
A:IwenttoaprivateschoolrunbyCatholicSisters.Thenyouhad topaytuition,butwhenwewere11,wetookanexamcovering manysubjects.Ifyoudidwell,youreceivedascholarshiptopay fortheremainingsevenyears.
Q:Didyouwinascholarship?
A:Yes
Q:Howdidthelengthofyourschooldaycomparewithours?
A:Webeganat8:15From12to1wehadanhourforlunch,and thenwentbackuntil2:45
Q: How old were you when you finished your secondary education?
A:18.IhadtoremaininschoolanextrayearbecauseIdidwellon myfinalexams.Oftenifyoureceivedgoodmarksontheexams, theschoolmadeyoustayanotheryearsoyoucouldtakethem again;thisaddedtothegoodnameoftheschool.
Q:Theschoolwasabletomakeyoustay?
A: Yes, then the teachers had the most authority over your educationwhileyourparentsweregenerallycontenttoleave thingstotheteachers Soiftheteacherswantedyoutoremain anotheryear,youstayed
Q:Andyoutookthesamecoursesoveragain?
A:Yes,theonlydifferencewasintheliteraturecoursewhereIread differentbooks.Itwasawastedyear.But,thathaschangedsome now.
Q:Wheredidyouattendcollege?
A:IwenttoattendSt Andrew’sUniversityontheeastcoastof ScotlandandLondonUniversityInstituteofEducationinLondon, England
Q:Whatdegreesdidyouearn?
Q:Whatdegreesdidyouearn?
A:AtSt Andrew’sIgotmyMaster’sdegreeinFrenchand Spanish,andinLondonaPostGraduateCertificateofEducation
Q:Didyouattendcollegeonascholarship?
A:No,myparentsfinancedthatUptorecentlyourgovernment wasn’tabletoprovidemanyscholarships.Theyoffermorenow withthestipulationthattheholdersofscholarshipsreturnhome toservefor5or6years.
Q:Wherehaveyoutravelled?
A:Duringvacationsfromcollege,IstayedmainlyinSpain because I like Spain very much, but I also visited France, Germany,Denmark,Holland,andtheBritishIsles
Q:Whatdoesyourhusbanddo?
A:He’sworkingonhisPhDinCivilEngineeringatCornell
Q:WashealsoborninTrinidad?
A:Yes,inTobago.
Q:HowlonghaveyoubeenintheU.S.?
A:IhavebeenheresinceSeptember.Myhusbandsince1959.
Q:SoyouhavelivedonlyinIthaca?
A:Yes,butforshortperiodsoftime,I’vevisitedNewYorkCity andWashington,DC
Q:HowlonghaveyoubeenteachingFrench?
A:ItaughtbothFrenchandSpanishforoneyearinBermudaand twoyearsinTobago
Q:Whichoneisyourfavoritelanguage?
A:Well,IalwayslikedSpanishbetterbutsinceIhavebeen teachingFrenchIfindthatIlikeitmoreandmore.
Q:Sinceyou’vebeeninthiscountry,whatareyourgeneral impressionsofAmerica?
A:Well,Ineverreallywantedtocome.
Q:Whynot?
A:Ihavebeentryingtofigurethatout Perhapsit’sbecauseI nevermetmanyniceAmericans InTrinidadandTobagothe Americansweremainlyservicemenstationedtheresincethewar, whokeptmuchtothemselvesontheBase Maybeitwasalso becauseofthestoriesoneheardaboutdiscriminationinthis country. Personally, I have had no unpleasantness, but the atmosphereissotenseanddiscouraging.InTrinidadwehave manyracesandracismisaquestionbutnotamajorproblem.In the1930’swehadsomeracialdisturbancesandconditionshave improvedconsiderablysincethen.
Q:WhatisyouropinionofthequalityofAmericanEducation?
A:FromwhatIhaveseenhereinIthaca,itseemsgood The teachersareverycapableandwillingtodoalotfortheirstudents Ialsothinkthatthevocationaleducationprogramisexcellent, becauseitmakesprovisionforothersthanthecollege-bound students.
Q:WhatdoyouthinkofAmericanstudents?
A:Studentsherearesocrazyaboutgrades.Goodmarksarefine incentiveandyoushouldtrytoearnthem,byallmeans,butdon’t losesightoflearningforknowledge’ssake.It’snotthekid’sfault; it’saproductofthesociety
Q:Inyouropinion,islifeintheUStoofastandpressured?
Q:Inyouropinion,islifeintheUStoofastandpressured?
A:Yes,athomelifeismuchmorerelaxedandspontaneousYou takelifeasithappensratherthanalwaysworkingtomakeit happen
Q:HowlongwillyoubestayinginIthaca?
A:Definitelyforanotheryear.
Q:Thenwherewillyougo?
A:Myhusbandwillhavetodohisnationalservice,soIdon’t knowwherewe’llbesent.Ihopeeventuallytogobackhome.
June1899
TheWreckers
Forthfromtheharborcalmandstill, Aroundtherockyhead, Straightonhercoursetotheopensea, Ayankeeskippersped.
Thebreakersroaredontherockyshore Theseawaslashedinfoam; Andtheroaringoftheangrywind Thatnighttoshriekhadgrown
Thesailorsprayedforthebreakofday Orawelcomebeaconlight Tospeedthemoverthemaddenedsea Andterrorsofthenight.
Butsoonfaroffontheruggedshore Thereflickeredandburnedasign; Loudwasthecry,“ ashelteredbay Forrestfromtheseethingbrine”
Herhelmwasturned,theshipspedon, Themariner’shopeswerehigh; Whenloudandclearthenightwatchcalled “Forwardthebreakerslie.”
Butalltoolatethiswarningcame, Thetimberscreakandgroan; Andrushingontheawfulrocks Shefounderedfarfromhome
Nextmornthatmightystormhadceased, Thebillowsmoanedandsobbed, Andhomewardthevillainsstoletheirway, Fromthevesselwreckedandrobbed.
Butlongintheirheartsthisdeedremained, Theyburnedthebeaconlight, Andburied‘neaththeangrysea Theirvictimsofthenight
From the Archives: Excerpts from The Tattler Issues of Yesteryear
Continued from page 17
AtlastNeptunewaskindandthedivineUlyssessailedupthe mightyCayugatoreturntohisbelovedIthaca.He,withhismen, landed on the Canal bank and disembarked almost directly oppositetheLehighValleypalace.Strainsofwildmusicgrated harshlyontheearsofthemenastheyhesitatedinuncertainty
FinallyUlysses’oldPal,Min,sometimesknownasPallasMinerva, spoketohimintheformofasmallstreeturchinandtoldhimto leavehismenneartheshipandgointothecityalone
Headingtheadviceofhisguide,Ulysseslefthismenand steppedintotheroadonlytobedirectlyinthepathofahideous creaturewhichwasmovingtowardshimasonwings.Suddenlya terriblebrayingsoundedfromthebeastanditcamesnorting withintwofeetofhim,thenlurchedtoonesideandpassed.
Whattrickofthegodswasthis?Surelyhehadthoughttorest inpeaceifhewereallowedtoreachhome
Hopingtoescapeanyothershockthatmightoccurhestarted runningsouthtowardtheStatehighwayAsheturnedaroundthe corner,hecollidedwithahumanformonaframeworkofsome kindofmetalthatkeptturningandturningalwaysinthesame direction.Themanewasgoingthruverypeculiarmotionsand themuchenduringdivineUlyssesthinkinghewasintrouble turnedtoofferhelp.Themanhaddisappearedfromview.
ThefaceofUlysseswasnowaconflictbetweenastonishment, fear,andbewilderment.Hewantedtohidebutcouldnotfindno placetogo.
Hewalkedfurtherandfurther Thepeopleseemedtobe comingfromeverydirection Thenaclankingasofwararms soundedandthedivineUlysses[seemed]tobemoreathomeA chariotonwheelsrolledby,butstrangetosayitmovedwitha fixedpath.Itsqueakedandsqueakedalongandstoppedevery nowandthenwithajerk.Ulyssesthoughtthatperhapstheidea hadoriginatedfromasmallanimalhehadonceheardMentorcall thesnail.Itcertainlyresembledthelocomotionifnotcolor.
Fromallpartsofthenear[-]bycitygreattorchesflaredinthe sameinstantandUlysses,thesonofLaertes,whohadnotyet arrivedatthespectaclestage,wasblindedforashortwhileThe divineUlysseswascertainlyenduringmuch
BynowhehadreachedtheHardestPalaceofthecitywhichwas currentlyoccupiedbyaTree-manandhisKingFromthefront ofthispalacetheadvantageofthemainhighwaycouldbeseento someextent.Thesnortingbeastswerestillabout,butgreatly multiplied,andnowtwogreatglaringeyesshowedintheheadof thecreatures.Greatsquirmingsnakescoiledupanddownpoles and other objects at different intervals. These evidently representedthedifferentpalaces,becausenotwowerealike.
Thedressofthepeoplewasmostpeculiar Hecouldnottell men from women One person that appeared to be a man droppedsomethingjustashereachedUlysses Heputhishand intohispocketandbehold,whenhetookitoutabrightlight
men from women One person that appeared to be a man droppedsomethingjustashereachedUlysses Heputhishand intohispocketandbehold,whenhetookitoutabrightlight streamedfromhishandHestooped,pickeduptheobject,puthis handbackintohispocketandwalkedon Wonderofwonders; wouldtheyevercease?
InadazethemuchplanningUlyssescontinued.Whenhe finallyreachedadoorofasmallpalacehisonlyideawastogoin. Heenteredthevestibuleandopenedthedoor.Theroomseemed filledwithpeopleintentononething.Helooked.Fromthe oppositesidesofaroomtwomencameclashingtogetherThey twistedandturnedandfoughtThestrugglebecamemoreheated andoneman,thesmaller,sanktothefloorunderthepressureof hisopponent’sgraspwhichwasclosingaroundhisneck The peoplesatbackintheirseatsandcalmlylookedonUlyssescould notunderstand.Asthestrainbecametoogreatherandownthe isle,sprangontheplatformandassailedwithhisfists thecurtain. Criesfromallpartsofthehousewentup.
“Puthimout!”
“He’sanescapedlunatic!”
“Thecountryrube!”
AllthisbabblewasinanunknowntonguetoUlysses With muchnoiseandgesticulatinghewasfirmlyshownthedoor Inanguish,withhishandtohisheadhestaggeredafewyards more Stumblingoverastonestephefellagainstadoor Later whenitbegantorain,heopenedthedoorandventuredin. Nothingjumpedoutathimormadehideousnoises.Allwas quiet.Heslowlymountedsomestairsandlookedaround.Allwas quietandcool.Upanotherflightofstairshewentuntilhefound himselfinacorridor,brightlylighted,fromwhichdoorsopened intospaciousrooms.Heenteredandlookedaround.Oh!joyof joys,afamiliarsightatlast[]ThewallswerecoveredwithEuclid, sometimescalledGeometryThruproblemafterproblemhewent inrapture,heedlessofothersurroundingsHavingfinishedallthe workonthewallsbesidessomeofhisownconstruction,he walkedtoanotherroom.ThereLatinmethisdelightedeye.Was anything ever so wonderful after a terrible nightmare? It is sufficienttosaythatthereinthefamoushallsoflearning,Ulysses thesackerofcitiesfoundsweetcontentandrefugefromthe surroundingworld.
LGN'23
“It’saseeminglysweetbookaboutafamilywithsome darkerthemes.I’mnotveryfarintoitbutI’mprettysure it’sgoingtomakemecry.”-TH
“Readthisbookforbeautifulwriting,anail-bitingplot,an explorationofpain,and,mostofall,revenge!!”-EA “Thisbookisatwisted,heart-wrenchingtalethatblursthelines betweenrealityandfictionIfyouliked Bunny byMonaAwad, definitelygivethisaread!”-AH
"Tobehonest,I'monlyasixthofthewaythrough,sodon'tholdme toanything,butit'sinterestingthusfarIgotitatGay'stheWord thebestbookstoreinLondonThestoryfollowsathirty-something womanasshepursuesajobinLondon'sartmarketHerrelatableand self-deprecatinginnermonologueisfantastic. Insatiable fallsintomy favoritegenreoffiction:bookswithslightlyirrationalandrelatable femalecharacters!"-FK
"It'stheonlybookthatexplainswhat wouldhappenifPlutoweremadeof Plutonium."-TK
Written by VALENTINA LEBRET
Everyone knows that roses represent love, but in the Vict Everything in a bouquet had a special meaning, from the flo While these things may seem very distant from everyday lif face it, clear communication can be tricky! Life would be a sations,” wouldn’t you agree? If so, here’s a quick ru century needs:
If you want to confess your undying love for someo and baby’s breath for everlasting passion. Of cou by candlelight, but the bouquet is a start.
Many things in life are challenging, but one of the worst is havi striped carnations for refusal and arborvitae for unchanging frie something a little more punchy, combine geraniums and orange
For a melodramatic and possibly criminal bouqu and birdsfoot trefoil (my revenge). Declaring war ha enemy’s locker!
Lastly, the perfect “girl in red?” bouquet: green carnations (q Enjoy all of your flower arranging! Just remember to
orian Era, the possibilities for symbolism were limitless. owers, the ribbon, and even which hand you held it with. e, they can actually be extremely helpful. I mean, let’s ot easier if we could avoid pesky things like “converundown of Victorian flower arranging all your 21stne, send pink camellias for longing, daisies for loyalty, urse, you get extra points if you write a beautiful love letter
ng to reject someone. If you want to respond kindly, send them ndship, placing them firmly in the friendzone. If, you’re thinking lilies, representing stupidity and hatred.
et (?), go for cabbage (cash), oleander (beware!), s never been easier—just sneak tansies into your ueerness), savory (interest), and hawthorn (hope).
heck for any pollen allergies before starting.
Staff Picks: What is the Tattler Editorial Board Reading Right Now?
Continued from page 19
“Fungitakingovertheworldandturningeveryoneinto cannibalsdoesn’tsoundtoounlikely”-RZ
“I’vebeenmeaningtoreadthisbookforawhile,andit’san excitingforayintodarker,adultfantasythemescomparedto thebooksI’musedtoreadingIfyou’relookingtoreadA GameofThronesyourself,Iwouldhighlyrecommend checkingcontentwarningsfirst,assomeofthematerialcan beupsetting”-MB
Alice Burke, Opinion Editor, '23: One Last Stop byCaseyMcQuiston
“Whenschoolisstressfulandoverwhelming,Iliketoturntofun romancenovelsasawaytoescape.OneLastStopisaboutamodern womannamedAugustwhofallsinlovewithapunklesbianfromthe 1970swhowasmisplacedintimeandtrappedontheNYCsubway. Thisbookcombinesromancewithaslightsupernatural-mysteryvibe reallywell”-AB
“AFrench-KoreanwomanworkinginKoreaformsatensefriendship withaFrenchgraphicnovelist,whovisitstogetinspirationforhis work.It’sareallyinteresting,andattimesdisturbing,explorationof cultureandidentityassheworkstoreconcileherperceptionofherself withhisimpressionofher.”-VL
CuratedByLILYWANG
“If I gave you a dollar right now, what would you do with it?”
“I’dpaymyfriendbackbecauseIowehertwodollarsandIonly haveonedollarinmybagrightnow” - Alisha Lyons, '26
"Idon’tknow,maybegotothevendingmachineandbuy somethingforChloe”- Mireille Antaki, left, '24
“Saveitforlater” - Chloe Joseph, '24
Disclaimer: This article was written in early April 2023 and may be outdated by the time of publication (May 2023).
Americanswithaccesstoreproductivehealthcareservicesiscrucial, andhesupportstherightofpregnantindividualstochoosefor themselveswhetherornottogetanabortionDuringBiden'sVice PresidencyunderPresidentBarackObama,same-sexmarriagewas legalizedinallfiftystates BidenremainssupportiveofLGBTQ+ rights,stating"WebelieveLGBTQ+rightsarehumanrights''ina 2021 speech. Biden believes strongly that climate activism is desperatelyneeded.Hehassaidthathisgoalistoreacha"one hundredpercentcleanenergyeconomyandnet-zeroemissionsno later than 2050." However, Biden recently approved the controversialWillowprojectinAlaska anoildrillingprojectthat willcreatejobsandprovideaccesstothenaturalresourceslocated intheregion WhiletheWillowprojectwillboostthelocal Alaskaneconomy,itwillhavedetrimentaleffectsontheclimate andgreatlyimpairBiden'sprogressiveclimategoals
Amidstaragingpandemic,votersflockedtopollingstationsfor the2020presidentialelection Thiselectionsawarecord-high increaseinvoterturnoutwith668percentofeligiblecitizens voting anincreaseofseventeenmillionvotersfromthe2016 electionTwoandahalfyearslater,newandreturningcandidates are preparing their campaigns for the sixtieth United States presidentialelection,tobeheldonNovember5,2024.Inthis election,viewsonabortionaccess,climatejustice,andLGBTQ+ rightsareexpectedtobeespeciallycrucial.Notallcandidateshave announcedtheirelectioncampaigns,buthereisalookintosome possiblecandidatesforthe2024electionofthepresidentofthe UnitedStatesofAmerica
ProminentCandidates:
Joe Biden (Democrat) istheincumbentpresident.Hehasyet toofficiallyannounceareelectioncampaign(asofearlyApril), leadingtospeculationaboutwhetherhemightchoosenottorun againduetohisage;ateightyyearsold,heiscurrentlytheoldest UnitedStatespresidentevertoholdoffice.Manysupportersare voicing concern over his deteriorating health and what implicationsthishasonhisabilitytolead Biden'stimingin announcinghiscampaign,however,isnotunprecedented For example,formerPresidentGeorgeW Bushwaitedtoannounce hiscandidacyuntilMay16,2003Surroundingthepressingissue ofabortionaccess,PresidentBidenbelievesthatprovidingall tattlerrr
Donald Trump (Republican) announcedhiselectioncampaign in November 2022. This is former President Trump's fourth campaignrunningforpresident,and,ifhewon,thiswouldbehis secondterminoffice.ThereareconcernsoverTrump'srecent indictmentoverhush-moneypaymentsmadetoaadultfilmstar precedingthe2016elections,however,theformerpresidentstated thatwhetherhewasindictedornot,hewouldcontinuehis campaign While this is legal, his administration could be challengedbytryingtohandlebothacriminalcaseaswellasa presidential campaign simultaneously Trump has previously workedextensivelytorestrictaccesstoabortion;inthiscampaign, however,theformerpresidenthasworkedhardtoavoidthe subjectentirely.RegardingLGBTQ+rights,Trumphasstatedthat heis“fine”withsame-sexmarriage,however,hehaspromisedto endgender-affirmingcareforminorsifheiselectedforasecond term in 2024, equating it to "child abuse” and “child sexual mutilation"Whendiscussingclimatechange,theformerPresident has been known to call it a "hoax" and to say that it is "nonexistent"Duringhispresidency,Trumproutinelyputthe profitofcompaniesaboveclimateimpacts However,hehasalso madestatementsthatclimatechangeis"veryimportantto[him]" and"aserioussubject."
Marianne Williamson (Democrat) isthefirstDemocratic candidatetoannounceacampaignforthepresidentialraceof 2024, and so far Biden's only challenger for the Democratic nominationWell-knownasanauthorandspiritualleader,shehas writtenseveralNewYorkTimesnumber-onebestsellers,with many books focusing on self-help and spiritual healing Williamsonraninthe2020Democraticprimaries,butshelostthe nominationtoPresidentBidenAsidefromherpoliticaland
authorialcareers,Williamsonisthefounderofseveralcharity organizations including Project Angel Food, a volunteer organizationthatbringshotmealstohome-boundpeoplewith HIV/AIDS, and the Peace Alliance, a nonprofit organization focused on "peace-building" through educational and spiritual methods. On the controversial topics central to this election, WilliamsonhasviewssimilartomuchoftheDemocraticparty.She hasstatedthatshebelievesabortionisa"moralissue,"butshehas saidthat"Ibelievethedecisionofwhetherornottohavean abortion lies solely with a pregnant woman." Surrounding LGBTQ+ rights, Williamson believes that "every American deservestolivefreefromfearofdiscrimination,regardlessofwho theyareandwhomtheylove"Shehassaidthatifelected,shewill worktointroducelawsprohibitingthediscriminationofLBGTQ+ peopleonthebasisoftheiridentity Whenaskedaboutclimate changeinacandidatesurveyWilliamsonstatedthat"wemusttake immediateandpowerfulactionnowtoreducecarbonemissions andtoincreasetheresilienceofcommunitiestodealwiththe impactsofclimatechange.”
Nikki Haley (Republican) announcedherelectioncampaign inFebruary2023AsaformergovernorofSouthCarolinaandUS ambassadortotheUnitedNationsunderTrump,Haleyhassome experienceinpoliticsHaleyisthedaughterofIndianimmigrants andthefirstwomanofcolortobeamajorcandidateinthe Republicanpartynomination.Shedescribesherselfaspro-life,not purelybecausesheisconservative,butbecause"Iappreciatelife andI’mforeverblessedforthosethingsinmylife."Ataspeechin NewHampshire,HaleyannouncedthatshebelievesFlorida'snew "ParentalRightsInEducation''law,alsoknownasthe"Don'tSay Gay"law,signedbyFloridaGovernorRonDeSantis,doesnotgo "farenough"Insteadshebelievesthat"schoolsneedtobeteaching readingandmathandscience,"andthatwhentheydooffersexeducationatamucholderage,itshouldbeonlywiththesigned consentofaparentHaley'spoliciesonclimatechangearefocused onamethodofcapturingemissionsaftertheyarereleasedintothe atmosphereratherthanreducingtheemissionsthemselves.
Ron DeSantis (Republican) hasnotyetofficiallyannounceda campaignforelection,butheiswidelyexpectedtodosobefore longDeSantisisaformermilitaryofficerandhasbeenservingas thegovernorofFloridasince2019 Hisrisingfamehasledto increasedpopularityamongcertainvoters;DeSantissometimes surpassesformerPresidentTrumpinpollsofpossiblenomineesHe hasrecentlygainednationalfameforhisseeminglyextremeviews alongwithmanyofthestate-widebillshehaspassed.Thisincludes a"StopWokeAct"whichlimitswhatbusinessesandschoolscan say about race, and the aforementioned "Parental Rights In EducationAct,"whichlimitshoweducatorscandiscusssexual orientationandgenderidentity.Aheadofsigningthebillin2022, DeSantisstatedthatteachingkindergartenchildrenthat"theycan be
bewhatevertheywanttobe"was"inappropriate"Headdedthat "it'snotsomethingthat'sappropriateforanyplace,butespecially notinFlorida"DeSantishasadditionallysignedabillbanning abortionsafterfifteenweeksinFlorida,sayingthathewould happilysignastricterbillbanningabortionsaftersixweeks.As governor,DeSantishasdealtwiththeeffectsofrisingsealevelsand otheraspectsofclimatechangeonhisconstituents,buthehasnot focusedonthecausesoftheissue,preferringtofocushiseffortson thepeopleharmedbytheeffectsofclimatechange.
Additional2024PresidentialCandidates:
Asa Hutchinson (Republican) isaformerArkansasgovernor, congressman,directoroftheDrugEnforcementAdministration, andundersecretaryforborderandtransportationfortheUS DepartmentofHomelandSecurity.Hutchinsonhasannouncedhis campaignfortheRepublicannomination.
Vivek Ramaswamy (Republican) is an author and an entrepreneurwhofoundedabiotechcompanyfocusedondrug development Ramaswamyhasannouncedhiscandidacyinthe 2024presidentialelection
Joseph Allen Maldonado (Libertarian) isaformercandidate in the 2016 presidential primaries and the 2018 election for governorofOklahoma.Maldonadohasannouncedhiscampaign. HeisalsoknownbythenameJoeExoticandiscurrentlyservinga twenty-one-yearprisonsentence.
Mike Pence (Republican) isaformergovernorofIndianaand VicePresidentunderthepresidencyofDonaldTrumpPencehas sincecriticizedtheformerPresidentforhisinvolvementinthe January6attackonthecapital Hehasnotyetannouncedhis candidacy,butthereisspeculationthathemightbeplanningtodo sosoon
Mike Pompeo (Republican) wasadirectoroftheCIAand secretaryofstateduringthepresidencyofDonaldTrump.Pompeo hasyettoannounceanyplansforacampaign.
Tim Scott (Republican) hasbeenservingasaUSsenatorof SouthCarolinasince2013andistheonlyBlackRepublican senatorScotthasnotyetannouncedcandidacyplans
heatinghasalwaysbeenaprobleminAmericanhigh schools,andIHSisnoexception.Studentscanstarttofeel overwhelmedbyschoolworkandseecheatingastheonly option option Inthepast,educatorshavealwaysbeenabletocurtail cheating within their classrooms by employing tools like GoGuardianwhichtrackstudents'onlinebehaviorduringthe schoolday.Whilethesemethodscanstillbesomewhateffective, therecentriseofchatbotssuchastherecentChatGPTpresentsan enormouschallenge.Suchplatformscanwriteessays,poems,and creativestoriesinavarietyofstylesandgenres.ChatGPTcan performatthelevelofahigh-achievinghighschoolermostofthe timeSubmittingitsworkasyourownoriginalcompositionisan increasinglytemptingoption,regardlessofacademicstanding Studentsstrugglinginlower-levelclassesmayseeitasalow-risk guarantee of passing the course, and highly motivated overachieverscanfindthemselveswithmoreworkthantheyhave time to do. Cheating using artificial intelligence is thus not confinedtoonesectorofthestudentpopulation.
Cheatingisappealingtoeveryone,andcheatinghasbeena pervasivepracticesincethebeginningoftime.Modernhigh schoolersarenoexception.Itseemsthatmanyofushavelosta sense of moral culpability Machiavellian principles (results of actionsjustifytheactionsthemselves)aretolerated,andinsome cases, even nurtured Some students may feel that lying and cheatingarenecessarytoachievetheirgoals,soitispardonableIt’s thisattitudeofmoralrelativismthatcultivatesasocietyinwhich peoplefeelnoshameinappropriatingtheworkofarobot.
Iammorallyagainstacademicdisintegrity.Obviously,somedo notsharemybeliefs.However,Icaninsteadmaketheargument thatinorderforsocietytofunctionwemusthaveeducationin whichstudentsareforcedtocreatetheirownwork.Wewantour doctorsandnursestobecompetentandskilled,andnottohave cheatedthroughmedicalschool(ChatGPTcanhelpyouonyour brainsurgeryquiz,butitcan'tperformthesurgeryforyou)Those inspecializedpositionsmustbecapableandknowledgeableIfwe rewarddishonestyandplagiarism,thenwewillpromotepeople wholackthenecessaryskillsandtalentstoimportantroles.
Regardlessofthesocietaldegeneraciescreatingtheissueof widespreadcheating,schoolsmustfindawaytoaddressthe problem.Someteacherssaythattheycantellifastudentisusing ChatGPTbycomparingittotheirwritingfromearlierintheyear whenthetechnologywasnotavailableButsuchsystemswillnot beeffectiveinfutureclasses,inwhichstudentshavehadaccessto chatbots since day one Although occasional in-class writing sssssssss
assignments may provide a general picture of a student’s capabilities,theyareoftennotlongenoughtoprovidemuch helpfulinformation.Theonlysolutionappearstobethemore regular administration of in-class essays and other extended writingassignments.Inshort,tomonitorcheatingmoreclosely andeliminatethethreatofartificialintelligence,wemustrevert backtoasemi-pre-digitalageclassroomsystem.Asassignments wouldbebuiltintothestructureoftheday,theamountof homework would be reduced The benefits would include a decreaseinstudents'stressanddepressionlevels It’scleartoany observerthatsocietycannotreverttopenandpaper technology haspermeatedustoogreatly,sotheaforementionedin-classessays shouldbetypedusingschoolChromebooks.Allinternetaccess shouldbeshutoff,withGoGuardianactivatedtoensurenoonline searching.
Nodoubtsomestudentswilltaketothisarticleunkindly becauseitpresentsaveryblack-and-whitepicture:cheatingisbad andhonestyisgoodWhiletherearecertainlyexceptionstoevery rule,Icanseenosituationwithinthenormalboundsofstudentlife inwhichstudentsmustcheat,plagiarize,orappropriateothers’ worksfortheirownpurposes
PerhapsthehardestpartofeliminatingcheatingusingAIis whattodowiththeoffenders.WhileIdobelievethatwedo childrenadisservicebyallowingthemtogounpunished,wemust alsoconsiderthathighschoolerspossessincompletelydeveloped brains (the prefrontal cortex does not fully mature until age twenty-five) and may come from backgrounds or home environmentsthatareimpossibletopredict Thedifficultyof enforcinganybehavioralruleisthatauthoritiesmuststraddlethe linebetweenlove,discipline,andgraceAllthreeareneededina child’sdevelopment Noonerulecanaddressthewaywedeal withlawbreakers Eachsituationmustbehandledwithextreme careandconsideredindividually,especiallywhendealingwith adolescents.Regardless,Ibelievethattheaforementionedideas could reduce cheating and increase student morale. Less homework,in-classessays,andcarefulonlinesupervisionismy adviceforhighschoolsstrugglingwithChatGPTandotherforms ofdigitalcheating
BLACKPINK’sJisoohasrecentlyreleasedasolo“FLOWER” whichhasachievedthehighesttwenty-four-hourview countofanyK-popmusicvideoin2023Shehasreceived both bothpositiveandnegativefeedbackfromfans,withsomesaying thatit’stheweakestsoloreleasethusfarfromBLACKPINK Meanwhile,Jisoohasalsomanagedtobreaktherecordsforboth thehighestfirst-daysalesandthehighestfirst-weeksalesachieved byanyfemalesoloartistinHanteohistoryonthedayofhersolo debut.Ithought"FLOWER"wasgreat,asitwasverycatchyandI likedJisoo’svocals.Ialsothoughtheraccompanyingmusicvideo danceperformancewasverybeautiful.
TaylorSwiftiscurrentlyonherthe"ErasTour",whichisher sixthheadliningconcerttour Havingnottouredforherstudio albums Lover (2019), Folklore (2020),and Evermore (2020)dueto
theCOVID-19pandemic,Swiftisincludingallofheralbums, includingherlatest, Midnights (2022)onthistour.Describedby Swiftasa“journeythroughallofmymusicaleras,”an"ErasTour" showlastsforoverthreehours,andconsistsofperformancesof forty-foursongsdividedintotenactsthatportraySwift’sstudio albums conceptually. 3.5 million people registered for Ticketmaster’s presale program for the US leg of the tour Althoughthecompany’swebsitecrashedimmediatelyafterthe presalebeganonNovember15,over24millionticketstothetour weresoldthatday,breakingtherecordforthemostconcerttickets soldbyanartistinasingleday
LanaDelReyreleasedherninthstudioalbum, Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd onMarch24,2023,with manyclaimingthatit'shermostvulnerablealbumyet.LanaDel Reyseemstolovelongtitles,asdemonstratedbythismostrecent albumandhersong,“Hopeisadangerousthingforawomanlike metohave-butIhaveit?”LanaDelRey’snewalbumissixteen trackslong,filledwithdensecompositionsthatreflectonloveand life
PinkPantheress’andIceSpice’s“Boy’saLiarPt2”iscurrently trendingalloversocialmediaandwasreleasedinFebruary2023 “Boy’saLiarPt.2”ispresumablyaboutanuntruthfulguywho keepsonleadinghisgirl,makingherquestionwhethershewas evergoodenough.There’snowonderwhythissongistrending, manyfansrelatetothissentiment.Thebeatisveryaddicting; PinkPantheresshasestablishedherstyleasupbeatelectro-pop.Her uniquestyleisrootedinthevibrancyofearly2000sR&Band dancemusicHersignaturesoft-spokenvoiceworkswellwiththe swiftkeyboardchordsanddrummachinebeatsthataccompany hersong
Note: In this production, the roles of Ariel, Ursula, and Sebastian were double-cast. Henceforth, the symbol “^” will refer to the blue cast (Friday night, Saturday matinee), and the symbol “*” will refer to the purple cast (Saturday night, Sunday matinee).
Lastmonth,IhadthepleasureofwatchingIthacaHigh School’sannualmusical, The Little Mermaid.Theshow madeitsBroadwaydebutin2007,andsixteenyearslater, the
thestageofKulpAuditorium. The Little Mermaid followsAriel (LilyRyan^,
Continued from page 27
(LilyRyan^,SabethaHersini*),asshelongstobehuman When theseawitch,Ursula(AnyaPackard^,RowanModisher*),castsa spelltogiveherachanceontheshore,shehasthreedaystomake PrinceEric(SuzzieMorey)fallinlovewithherWiththehelpof her friends, Scuttle (Daniela Forbes), Flounder (Luna KingO’Brien), and Sebastian (Myn Adams^, Saint Cassel*), Ariel exploresthehumanworldthatshe’dlongedtobeapartofforso long.
DirectorandMusicalDirectorGabrielladaSilvaCarr(Miss. Ella)wasthrilledtobebackatIHSforanotherproduction.“This wasthemostrewardingteachingexperienceofmycareer,seeing how much growth and confidence people found during our process,”MissEllagushed“WhatIwillremembermostisthelove thecasthadforoneanotherandtheloveandappreciationMegan andIhaveforthestudentsandviceversaIwillmissbeingthere forthestudents,whetherthat’sscreamingintheaudiencebecause someoneslayedtheirbeltorbeingashouldertocryonwhen someoneishavingatoughday.Itmatterstomethatthecreative teamisaplaceofsupportwherepeoplecancomeastheirfullest, mostvibrantselvesandbeacceptedforallofwhotheyare.”When reflectingonIHS’snewcommunity-buildingpracticesintheater, shesaid,“Iwasoneoftheonly‘out’kidsinhighschoolandit’s amazingtobepartofcreatingaspacewherebeingqueerand/or transisjustwhoyouareandyouareenoughItmeansalottome togivethattostudentsbecauseIdidn’thavethatinhighschool I’msoincrediblyproudoftheworkofthestudentsonthisshow andthisshowhadenoughsolosandopportunitiesforeveryoneto getachancetoshine.”
AlongsideherontheproductionteamwereFreyLetton (assistant director), Megan Omohondro (choreographer), Steve Brookhouse(setdesigner),LizKitney(costumedesigner),Indira Clairborne (stage manager), and Quinn Charsky and Maggie Bonassar (assistant stage managers) Music was provided by JonathanFleischman(pitconductor),EmLudek(accompanist), andthepitorchestra
DuringFriday’sperformance,IwasthrilledtoseeLilyRyan^ back on stage. From the opening note, you could tell how enthusiastic she was about her performance. Ryan, who is a sophomoreatIHS,saidaboutherperformance,“Itwasabsolutely incrediblethatIgotthechancetoplaysuchanamazingrole! BeingArielwasadreamcometrue,andoneofthebeststage experiencesofmylifeAsalittlegirl,Iwouldstandinfrontofmy mirrorandsing'PartOfYourWorld'atthetopofmylungs, hopingthatIwouldonedaybeabletobejustlikeaDisney princessLittledidlittleLilyknow,shewouldbeabletoliveher fantasy.ItwastrulyamagicalmomentIwillneverforget.”On Saturdayevening,SabethaHersinistunnedtheaudienceasArielin herfinalIHSshow.“Thiswasafantasticshow,”Hersinisaid.
Inthenumber“FathomsBelow,”freshmanSparrowFaraday, whoplayedthepilot,steeredtheshipandthecasttowardsuccess duringthisopeningnumberMersistersChloeKing,LeAnnZhu, AniRassnick,LauraWard,RoxyNelson,andLilaHolmesputona spectacular show during “Daughters of Triton” King, a sophomore,hadweekstolearntheroleafteracastingconflict,and
sophomore,hadweekstolearntheroleafteracastingconflict,and boydidsheturnitout!“Steppingintoarolelateisalwayshardand tookalotofworkbutitabsolutelypaidoff,”Kingremarked “I feelsoluckyformymersisters(andLunaofcourse)becauseIdon’t thinkIcouldhavedoneitwithouttheiramazingsupportIdon’t knowthatI’veeverfeltsoconnectedtoacastbefore every memberofthecasttooktheinitiativetosetasidetimeduring lunchtopracticeandworkedsohard.I’msoproudofevery memberofthecastandtheshowthatweputon!”
OurfirstlookintoUrsula’s(AnyaPackard^,RowanModisher*) lairwascomposedofadelightfullyevilsong(“Daddy’sLittle Angel”), villainous plotting, and ssslippery eel dancing from Flotsam(RoxyNelson)andJetsam(HaydenSheley)
OnFriday night,IwasenchantedbyPackard’swickedactingchoices,andon Saturday,Modisherengagedtheaudiencewithherdelightfultone “Itwaslovelygettingtoworkwith[Modisher];herinterpretation ofthecharacterwasalotdifferentthanmineIlearnedalotfrom herinthewayshecarriedherself,”Packardsaidaboutthedoublecastingexperience.
Theiconicnumber“PartOfYourWorld”didnotdisappoint. Ryan^andHersini*bothtooktheopportunitytoputtheirown twistsonclassiccharacterswhilestillkeepingtheDisneymagic alive AssheswoonsoverEric,hersistersandFlounder(Luna King-O’Brien)performed“She’sinLove”completewithglow-inthe-darkHeelys “[Iwas]exhilaratedwhilezoomingaroundon mytwo-wheeledshoes,”King-O’Briensaid andOmohondro’s effortless choreography King-O’Brien dazzled the stage once again,completelydeservingtobeinthelimelight.
WhileIwasimpressedbyeveryactoronstage,Iwasespecially blownawaybySuzzieMorey’sportrayalofthedashingPrince Eric.During“HerVoice,”Eric’ssolo,Moreytookcommandofthe stageandcapturedmanyoftheaudience’shearts.Icouldsense howstrongofanactorMoreyisthroughtheirperformanceand wasthrilledtoseetheminthisrole
Another well-known number, “Under the Sea” did not disappoint CompletewithKitney’suniqueseacreaturecostume designandchoreographybyOmohondro,“UndertheSea”atIHS wasthetheatricalmasterpieceitwasmeanttobe.MynAdams^ wowedtheaudienceintheirfirstleadingroleduringFridaynight’s show. “[Acting as] Sebastian was altogether an amazing experience,”Adamsstated.“I’msogladthatIwasgiventhisionic roleasmyfirstlead[andthat]Iwasabletobringthischaracterto life”Thenextday,SaintCassel*beltedtheendingandhadthe crowdcheering“It’smyfirsttimeplayingsuchanemotionalrole so I’m grateful my Ariel [Sabetha] was so intense so I had somethingtofeedoffof,”Casseltoldme
InthefinalscenesofAct1,FlotsamandJetsamssstoletheshow Theeels’duet,“SweetChild”,hadmyjawonthefloor.Nelsonand Sheley’schemistryonstageaddedsomethingextratothealready captivatingexperience.OncereturningtoUrsula’slair,Packard^ ,and Modisher* delivered Ursula’s signature song (“Poor UnfortunateSouls”)inawickedlyfantasticstyle.Packard’svocal runhadtheaudiencecheering;Modisherheldherownandhexed thecrowdwithhersopranobelt“Ihadsomuchfunembodying
thecrowdwithhersopranobelt“Ihadsomuchfunembodying Ursulaonstage!IwassogladtoworkwithAnya,Hayden,and Roxytomakeourscenesasdeliciouslyevilaspossible,”Modisher reflected
AnotherstandoutperformancecamefromjuniorDanielaForbes intheroleofScuttle.Ifoundhertakesontheclassiccomicrelief charactertobeuniquelyhumorous.In“Positoovity,”Forbesand herbackupdancers(RoxyNelson,AniRassnick,SabethaHersini^, andAnyaPackard*)tap-dancedandliftedAriel’sspiritsinajoyful number.
AfteranothergorgeoussolofromAriel(“BeyondMyWildest Dreams”),ChefLouis(CameronGreco)tookthestagetoperform “LePoissons”PrinceEricandArielthenperformedanintimate dance number (“One Step Closer”), which brought a new perspectivetothecouple’sgrowingaffection “KissTheGirl” showcasedSebastian’sloveforAriel,withhelpfromhergilledand featheredfriends.
Byfar,myfavoritenumberintheshowwas“IfOnly” a quartet performed by Prince Eric, Ariel, Sebastian, and King Triton.Isensedtheactors’commitmenttotheircharactersmore thaneverinthisnumber,andIthoughttheydidawonderfuljob ofblendingtheirsoundstogether
WhenUrsula’splantotakebackthecrownwasfoiled(“Poor UnfortunateSouls(Reprise)”),thecastjoyfullycelebratedArieland Eric’smarriage(“FinaleUltimo”)Itwasagreatwaytoendsucha lovelyperformancebyhavingeveryoneonstagetogether.After theperformancesonbothnights,theaudiencestoodupand cheeredfortheactorsastheybowed.
Overall,Ithoroughlyenjoyedwatching The Little Mermaid at IHS.ThiswasatrulyexcellentshowandI’mexcitedtoseewhat thefutureholdsfortheseactorsandforIHStheater
Whenyou’reveryslowlychippingawayattheworkload youhave,letthisplaylistbeyourcompanionMostlychill,but alittlenot.
starttocomplainthatthere'snorain.”Thisone’sboundtobestuck inyourheadforawhile,butalsomightinspireyoutoopenup yournotebookandgettowork
“PIRATE RADIO*” by Jean Dawson
Thisone’sbeautiful,andDawson’svoiceringsinyourearsashe sings,“Allofit’sgolden,mybodywasfloating/I’mstillalive/My paddleisbroken,I’moutintheopen/I’llneverdie.”Thesong discussesbeinglostatseaandlostinternally,andismadepowerful bythewordsthatsoundlikethey’rebeingsungfromfaraway,in additiontoechoes.Youcangetafullparagraphwrittentothis one.
“Maps” by Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Foramorerelaxedvibethantheprevioustwo,thissonghasa deepeffectbecauseofthespacingbetweenlyrics Thelyricsare simple,too,andKarenOsingswithacalmnessandbeautythat’s difficulttoreplicate.Youmightconsidereatingsomepopcornas youlistentothisandsortofcompleteyournote-takingona documentaryforhistoryclass.
“Yellow Ledbetter” by Pearl Jam
Thisone’sabitofanenergybooster,butalsooneoftheband’s morechillsongsEddieVedder’sgrittyandpassionatevoicemight justgiveyoutheenergyyouneedtofinishthatmathproblem ormaybeyou’llinsteadpackupyourbagandbeltthissongalong withhimThatis,ifyoucanunderstandasinglewordhe’ssaying
“Next To Me” by Emeli Sandé
Sandé’smagnificentvoice,incombinationwithastrongband, makesforamoreupbeatgroove,asshesings,“Youwon’tfindhim tryna chase the Devil/For money, fame, for power, out of grief/Youwon’teverfindhimwheretherestgo/Youwillfind him,you’llfindhimnexttome”Thisonewillmakeyougetup and dance a little before sitting down again to resume the homework
“Burning” by Maggie Rogers
Forsomesappinessanduppervocalrange,Rogersgivesusa sweet,chillbop.You’llsoonfindyourselfwhistlingalong,even beforeyoulearnthewords,“Letmehelpyouwakeyouup/Letme helpyoubreakyouup/Letmehelpyouopenup/I’minlove,I’m alive,ohI’mburning”It’sfairlyobvious,butthissongisabout beinghead-over-heelsinlove Acoupleofquestionscanbe accuratelyansweredonyourpracticetestforscienceclassasyou listentoit!
“Teardrop”
Thelowvolumeofthelyricsinthissongallowsyoutofocusa littlemoreonyourhomeworkandalittlelessonthesongitself. Thisonecangoonrepeat it'sjustthattypeofbeat.Plus,youcan finishreadingyourtextbookchapterasyounodalongwiththe song
Continued from page 29
song.Ifyoudohappentotakealistentothelyrics,youmaybe baffledbythemeaning.Althoughitisnotconfirmed,manybelieve thatElizabethFraserwrotethesongintributetoherlateboyfriend, JeffBuckley,whotragicallydrowned “Waterismyeye/Most faithfulmirror/Fearlessonmybreath”
You’realmostdonestudying,andthisonewillhelpyoufall asleep,headonyournotebookandcomputerscreenglaringatyou. Butit'snotaboringsong,justaverycalmone.You’llreally contemplatethelyricsforthefirstminutebeforetheyfadeinyour earsasyoudozeoff.“AndI’vemovedfurtherthanIthoughtI could/ButImissedyoumorethanIthoughtIwould/AndI’lluse youasawarningsign/Thatifyoutalkenoughsense,thenyou’ll loseyourmind”
People whom history has silenced are made heroic and beautifulinthepaintingsofChineseAmericanartistHung Liu Dubbedthe“greatestChinesepainterintheUS”by The TheWallStreetJournal,thesubjectmatterofLiu’spaintings comes from historical photographs Through a style she calls “weepingrealism,”herartworkbreathesnewlifeintothestoriesof thosewhohavebeenmarginalizedbysociety“Ihopetowashmy subjectsoftheir‘otherness,’”sheoncesaid,“andrevealthemas dignified,evenmythicfiguresonthegranderscaleofhistory painting.”
Liuwasbornin1948inNortheasternChinaaspolitical upheavalgrippedthenation.Inherearly20s,duringChina’s CulturalRevolution,shewasforcedtoundergofouryearsof “reeducation”bydoingfarmlaborinaruralvillage.Shetook refugeinsecretlydrawingandtakingphotographsofherfellow villagers Itwasduringthistimethatshecreatedthecollection Countryside Drawings, a series of pencil sketches of Chinese villagersthatdisplayseachsubjectasstartlinglybeautifuland humanSomeevenincludehandwrittendescriptionsofthesubjects inthemargins;onedrawingofaneighty-six-year-oldmannotes thatheusedtosellflowerbouquets. Countryside Drawings wasnot publisheduntilfortyyearslater,whenLiuwaslivingintheUnited StatesafteryearsofstudyingandteachingartinChina.
“I Found” by Amber Run
Continued from page 30
Despitebureaucratichurdles,LiumovedtotheUnitedStatesin 1984tostudyartattheUniversityofCaliforniaatSanDiegoIn 1985,shehadherfirstone-personexhibitionattheSheppard GalleryattheUniversityofNevada,andin1989,acollectionof herpaintingsdebutedinNewYorkCity.Shebeganteachingat MillsCollegeinCalifornia,whereshestayedformanyyears.At thesametime,herownartbegangainingmomentum.
PhotographshaveadeepemotionalmeaningtoLiu,whowas forced to burn many childhood family photos under China’s Communistregime.Herpaintingsoftendepictrealpeoplefrom historical photographs sex workers, farm hands, and children duringtheGreatDepression innewwaysKimSajet,directorof theNationalPortraitGallery,describedLiu’sartas“alwaysrooted in history as she transformed marginalized subjects into monumental,heroic,contemporaryfigures”Themonochromepaintedfiguresaresurroundedbysplashesofvibrantcolorand symbolicimagesandmotifs,creatingtheillusionoflifebursting fromLiu’spaintings.
OneofLiu’smostfamouspieces,“StrangeFruit:Comfort Women”(2001)paintstheportraitsofKoreanwomenforcedinto sexual slavery without those of their captors, separating the women’sidentitiesfromtheircircumstances.Thepaintingisa primeexampleofLiu’ssignaturetechniqueofdrippinglinseedoil overthecanvas,whichlookslikeaveiloftears.AccordingtoLiu’s personalwebsite,theseflowingtearsoflinseedoildepict“akindof weepingrealismthatsurrenderstotheerosionofmemoryandthe passageoftime,whilealsobringingfadedphotographicimages vividlytolifeasrich,facilepaintings”Asinmanyofherother paintings,“StrangeFruit:ComfortWomen”alsousesmotifsfrom traditionalChineseart,butterflies,andpomegranates,tosymbolize femininityandpaytributetothestoriesofthesewomenandthe horrorofwhattheyendured.
Liu’sartworkspansculturesandtimeperiodstodepictthe universalstrugglesandinnatehumanityofhersubjects.Herseries After Lange wasinspiredbyphotostakenbyDorotheaLange duringtheDustBowl,whichremindedLiuofthefamineandwar herfamilyhadexperiencedinChinaandwhichresembledthe likenessesoftheChinesepeopleshehadoftenpainted Liu’s rtwork,aboveall,honorspeoplewhohavebeenlosttohistory“I paintfromhistoricalphotographsofpeople;themajorityofthem hadnoname,nobio,nostoryleftNothingIfeeltheyarekindof lostsouls,spiritghosts,”Liusaid.“Mypaintingisamemorialsite forthem.”
Inotherworks,shemergessocietalcritiquewiththemessuchas identity and feminism. Her series Daughters of China (2007) repaints the propaganda film of the same title as a feminist narrative Resident Alien (1988)isanexplorationofimmigrant identityintheUnitedStatesintheformofasatiricalrenditionofa greencardwithLiu’sownlikeness,renamed“FortuneCookie” artwork
AlthoughLiu’slinseedoil-veiledportraitsarehermostfamous works,herartworkencompassesawidevarietyofstylesandmedia Inthecollections Crime and Punishment (1990)and Confucian Family (1991), hanging canvases are combined with physical shelves,birdcages,andboxessecuredonthewalltocreateamerge oftwo-dimensionalandthree-dimensionalmedia.Inthe1994 sculpture Jiu Jin Shan (Old Gold Mountain),Liulaid20,000fortune cookiesonarailroadtosymbolizetheChineseimmigrantswho builttheTranscontinentalRailroad.
In2019,theprestigiousUCCACenterforContemporaryArtin BeijingscheduledanexhibitionofLiu’sworksHowever,Chinese censorsobjectedtonineofthepaintingsinthecollection,oneof whichwas“Avant-Garde”AlthoughLiuagreedtowithdrawthe ninepieces,theauthoritieseventuallydecidedtocanceltheshow, tohergreatdisappointment
LiuwouldgoontowintwoNationalEndowmentfortheArts PaintingFellowshipsandhavetheHungLiuEndowedFellowship createdinherhonor.Herarthasbeenfeaturedingalleriesand museumsacrossAmerica,includingtheNationalGalleryofArt, the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery, the Metropolitan MuseumofArt,theMuseumofModernArt,andmore
Liudiedin2021attheageofseventy-threeSheleftbehinda legacyofgreatstrugglebutalsotriumph Throughherart,she exploredherowndifficultidentityandrestoredhonorandbeauty topeoplewhohadbeenforgottenthroughouthistory Although herpaintingsdisplaythebleaknessandhorrorofhumanity,herart isultimatelyhopeful.“Itisastoryofdesperation,ofsadness,of uncertainty,ofleavingyourhome,”LiuoncesaidoftheAmerican dream and the immigrant experience. “It is also a story of determination,and morethananything ofhope.”
TheBuffaloBillsseemtobecontinuouslyonthecuspof greatness,butcannevergetoverthehump.Yearsofclose lossesandfalsehopehavetakenusfansthroughthestages of ofgriefmoretimesthanishealthyForthepastthreeyearstheBills have been among the highest-performing teams in the NFL (NationalFootballLeague),butheartbreakinglossestotheKansas CityChiefsandCinncinatiBengalsintheplayoffshavekeptthem fromreachingtheSuperBowl.
ThereleaseofstarmiddlelinebackerTremaineEdmunds, startingrunningbackDevinSingletary,andwidereceiverIsaiah MckenzieleavestheBillswithextracaproomandadireneedfor talentonbothsidesoftheballThefollowingaretrade,draftpicks, andlineupdecisionsthatIbelievecanguidemyteamtothe championshipthiscomingyear
1TradeforMikeEvansfromtheTampaBayBuccaneers
MikeEvanshasbeenoneofthemostconsistentreceiversinthe NFLforthepastdecade,withninestraightonethousand-yard seasons,fourprobowls,andaSuperBowlring WhiletheBills possessthedynamicStefonDiggsaswidereceiverone,other weaponsareinshortsupply.TheyoungGabrielDavishasshown signsofimprovementbutamoreveteranplaymakercouldturn Buffalo’swidereceivingroomintoanelitesquad.
EvansislikelytobereleasedbytheTampaBayBuccaneersand whiletradingforsuchastarwouldbecostly,Ifirmlybelievethatit wouldbeworththeprice BillsquarterbackJoshAllenhassorely lackedadownfieldtargetwithjump-ballcapabilities,andEvans wouldfitwellinthatniche Hissix-foot-fiveframegiveshima hugecatchradiusandanadvantageoversmallercornerbackson downfieldthrows
4MakeJamesCookstartingrunningback
JamesCookeperformedverywellonhislimitedcarrieslast seasonHeaveraged58yardspercarryonthewaytorushingfor morethanfivehundredyards,bothgoodmarksforarookie. However,theBillscurrentlyhaveplacedhimasthesecond-string runningbackbehindrecenttradeacquisitionDamienHarris. HarrishadaworseseasonlastyearandlacksCook’sspeedand explosiveness.TheBillsshouldreversethisdecisionimmediately andmakeCooktheday-onestarter,providingtheteamwithits firstelectricrunningbackinyears
5Draftamiddlelinebackerinoneofthelastfewrounds
2DraftPeterSkoronskiinthefirstorsecondroundoftheNFL
Draft
NFL.com rated Skoronski as this year’s highest-value incomingoffensivelineman.Heliftedtwo-hundredandtwentyfivepoundsforthirtyrepetitionsduringtheNFLcombineand hasbeendescribedasatalentedrunblocker.Duetothelossof Singletary, Buffalo possess a younger and more untrained runningbackgroupthanlastyear.Morehelpontheoffensive linewoulddefinitelytakesomepressureoffofsecond-year runningback,JamesCook(ifheisallowedtostart)
3DraftAndrewVorheesinthesecondorthirdround
WhileSkoronskiwillbeawelcomeadditions,theBillswill stillneedadditionalsupportontheoffensivelineWhileVorhees lackselitemobility,hetestedasthestrongestprospectinthe entirecountryattheNFLCombine.Hissizeandstrengthcould makehimacenterpieceoftheoffensiveline,buthemayrequire afewyearstohonehisskills.Thisissomewhatofalong-term investment,butIbelievethatVorheeswillmakeanimpacteven asarookie,especiallyintherungame
Aspreviouslymentioned,thelossofTremaineEdmundsis devastatingandtheBillsfrontofficemustfindareplacementfast TyrelDodsonhasbeennamedastarterbutheisuntestedandwith nobackupoption,theBillsmustselectalinebackeratsomepoint intheNFLDraft.
Ingredients
Iwasalwaysdreamingofhisarrival, Onlytobeshockedtofindouthewascoming. Hecameoutoftheblue, ButIliketothinkhewasrightontime. Withsomanyrushingthoughtsswirlinginmyhead. Ididn’tknowwhattothinkatfirst.
Joy wasFear
Instructions
1.startwithcherryblossomsonthetree,lappingupthebreeze withtheirsoftpinktongues
2addinblue-grayskiesthatwidenasyoulookup,never-ending gulfsofinhalations
3 slowlycombinethecrackedrubberofanoldtireswing,the creakychainsayinghelloasitmakeslazycircles
4.mixinapinchofamangosmoothie,allcreamyandorangeand abittoosweet,drippingdownyourchinlikebutterflytears
5.whiskwiththequietbuzzofaflyhoveringattheedgeofyour shoulder
6.bringtoasimmerthesmilesofthetreebranchesasthey welcomeyouback
7stirinbarefeetleavingimprintsinanoldflowerquilt,parkgrass pebblythroughthefabric,thesoftdivotsbeckoningyoutopress yourfeetdownfurtherandfurtherandfurtheruntilthereareholes intheearthandyouarecoveredinablanketofsoftwetdirt
8.bakeatatemperatureof60degreeswherethesunandthe breezespeaksoftlytoeachother
9.servewithaleatherybookoraglisteningglassoflemonwater
Fear wasalsoexcitement
Themonthsuponhisarrivaldragged Buttheycouldn’thavebeenshorter. Idon’trememberthosemonthsatall, ButIcouldtellyouallaboutthem.
WhenhefinallycameIwasindisbelief
Yeteverythingfeltsoright.
Hecamesoabruptly Andfitrightin
HewasthislittlecreaturethatIwasholding ThatIcallmylittlebro
IstillfeelthatsameshockIdidwhenIfirstsawhimwhenIlookat himtoday, Butitwouldn’tfeelrightwithouthimhere.
We’retenyearsapart
Buthe’smytwin
Hemakesmegocrazy
Buthe’salwaystheretosettlemedown
He’sprettywild
ButsometimesisthecalmIneed
He’sstillsoyoung
Butteachesmeinsomanyways.
Youcan’treadrightnowforthewayyoucanyell
It’sokaythough,
Youmightbekindaoldifyoueverseethis, Butyou’llalwaysbethesamelittlerascalthatyouare Ihopeyouneverlosethosepuppyeyesyoumakewhenyouwant someofmyicecream
Don’texpectthemtoalwaysgetwhatyouwant Maybeyou’llreadthisoneday Ornot.
Butnomatterwhat, Iloveyou,littlebro.
ItwassometimeinMaywhenIcompletelydisappeared ItbeganinlateJanuary,rightaroundthattimewheneveryoneis gettingsickandsoburntoutthatnoonecouldbeexpectedto noticethatyourrightforearmisalittlelessopaquethanitusedto be.
Ididn’tnoticeitatfirst,either.Itdidn’tseemtoaffectanythingI didMyarmstillfeltassolidasithadalwaysbeen itjustlooked transparent Ithoughttherewassomethingwrongwithmyeyes, untilotherpartsofmestarteddisappearingtoo ThenIstarted thinkingthattherewassomethingwrongwithmyhead,because nooneelsecouldseethattherewasanythingunusualaboutit, evenwhenItriedtoshowthem.
IstartedwearingtheheaviestsweatersIcouldfindbecauseIwas scaredofwhatwouldhappenifIdidn’tweighmyselfdown,andit wentonlikethatforafewmonths.Ithoughtitmighthavebeen theresultofchronicsleepdeprivation.IkepttellingmyselfI’dask someoneaboutit,butIguessInevergotthechance.
ItwasaroundMarchwhenIstartedseeingandhearingthingsa tinybitdifferentlyIguesswhenpartsofyourbodystartreturning toairanddust,youbecomemorein-tunewiththelittlethings
Thingsliketheshiversofbladesofgrassrubbingagainsteachother andthewhispersofcloudsastheytraveledoverhead.Itriednotto thinkaboutit,whichwasn’tthatdifficult.Therewerealotofother thingstooccupymymindwith,andeventuallyIjustacceptedit.
ThenonenightIlookedupfrommydeskandeverythinghad gonecotton-candypink.ItwasjustthechairIwassittingin, supportedbyamassofclouds.Theirgigglingwhispersfloated aroundmeandIstillcan’texplainit,buttherewassomething aboutthedreamspacethatwassopleasingtobein:thepalepink sky,happyclouds,andwinkingstarsabovemeEverythingwasso light and free that I stepped onto the clouds below without thinkingandwassurprisedwhentheydissipatedbeneathmeand droppedmeintodarkness.
Idismisseditasastupiddreamanddidn’tthinktoomuchabout it,untilIfoundmyselfinthedreamspacethenextnight,andthen thenext.Itbecameadailyoccurrence.Beingamongthosepink clouds,tissue-paperjellyfishfloatingaroundme,mademefeel lighterthanadragonflylettingitsshimmerywingscarryitthrough thewind
Oneday,Itookastepontothecloudsanddidn’tfallThatwas whenIknewIhadcompletelydisappeared
Content warning: Blood, implications of self-harm
shardsofglasssparklelike twinklingstarsastheyricochetoff yourbody
theyembedinyourfleshand paintyourskinred,rivuletsofblood runningdownyourforearms, remindingyouofthosenightsyoufinallybroke skininneatlines carvedbyyourownhand.
butthesewoundsaredifferent, youknowthisas theblooddripsfromyourfingertips andpoolsonthefloor: glassandbloodandtheshatteredremains ofme.
howmanypiecesistoomanyto piecebacktogether? iwanttoaskbutwealreadyknow youputyourfistthroughglassthatwas nevermeanttolast
andnowi’msplinteredglass andnowyou’rebloodiedforearms
andmaybe apersonwithatendencytocut shouldneverlove apersonasfragileasglass.
ByALIZAPROULX
Gravel,winding,autumn,vibrant fear
Memory is distorted
Adrenaline,excitement,elation,escapism alone
Photos are misleading Wind,sunset,euphoria,forever exhaustion
Who are you?
Powerful,superior,persistent,everlasting justanarcissist
Not me.
wecameupfromthestream, anddriedourlegsinthewindoffthemountain untilwefellasleepinthemidday sunningontherockslikefish
butthen
awhitetreefellinthewoods wethoughtitwasafeather, asnakethatswamoutofthesky butitsbarkpeeledoffsonicely andwemadeourselvessomenewskin
butthen abutterflykiss, twodogsdraggedbyaneagerkid werealizedwewereallalone runningdownthemountain, wewerefarfromhome
May1 May2
5pm Boys Junior Varsity Baseball v. Horseheads @ IHS
TatascoreField
5pm Boys Varsity Baseball v. Chenango Valley @ IHS
TatascoreField
5pmGirlsJuniorVarsitySoftballvHorseheads@IHSSoftball Field
5pm Girls Varsity Lacrosse v Westhill @ IHS Moresco Stadium
May3 May4
5pmGirlsJuniorVarsityLacrossev.Corning-PaintedPost@ IHSSweetField
5pmBoysJuniorVarsityLacrossevHorseheads@IHSSweet Field
5pmBoysUnifiedBasketballvElmira@IHSQGym
7pmBoysVarsityLacrossev Horseheads@IHSMoresco Stadium
May5 May8 May9 May10
5pmBoysVarsityBaseballv.Horseheads@IHSTatascore Field
5pmOutdoorVarsityTrackv Corning-PaintedPost@IHS
MorescoStadium
5pmBoysVarsityBaseballvAthens@IHSTatascoreField
5pmGirlsJuniorVarsityLacrossev.Binghamton@IHS
SweetField
6pmBoEVotingMeeting(comeat7pmforthepublicsession)
7pmGirlsVarsityLacrossev.Binghamton@IHSMoresco Stadium
5pm Boys Varsity Baseball v Owego Apalachin @ IHS
TatascoreField
7pmGirlsVarsityLacrossev.JohnsonCity@IHSMoresco Stadium
May11
5pmBoysJuniorVarsityLacrossev.Corning-PaintedPost@ IHSSweetField
7pmBoysVarsityLacrossev.Corning-PaintedPost@IHS MorescoStadium
May13
11amBoysJuniorVarsityLacrossev Cicero-NorthSyracuse @IHSSweetField
1pmBoysVarsityLacrossev Cicero-NorthSyracuse@IHS MorescoStadium
7pmGirlsVarsityFlagFootballv.Corning-PaintedPost@ IHSMorescoStadium
May15
5pmBoysUnifiedBasketballv.Horseheads@IHSQGym
May20
7pm Girls Varsity Flag Football v Johnson City @ IHS MorescoStadium
May24
7:30pmIHSBandConcert@KulpAuditorium
May29
MemorialDayRecess
May31
7:30pmIHSSpringChoralConcert@KulpAuditorium
Scan QR code for answers
2. Lily of the ____, May birth flower
3. Cup-shaped flower
5. May Birthstone
7. Zodiac sign from May 21 - June 21
1. Pillar of the May Day celebration
3. Zodiac sign from April 20 - May 20
4. _____ moon, name of May's first full moon
6. Greek Goddess and Origin of "May"
Green Anole by Ruby Zawel
Amazona by Ruby Zawel
Taurus (Apr 20 - May 20):
As you’re hiking the Adirondacks one day, a slightly large squirrel will come out of nowhere and land on your head. You’ll scream, bash your head into a tree to get rid of it, and end up in the hospital with a severe concussion. The squirrel will get away unscathed.
Gemini (May 21 - June 20):
Your brother will be annoying again, so you will throw the laundry basket at him. He will retaliate by throwing the TV at you. Ouch.
Cancer (June 21 - Jul 22):
At the zoo one day, a hippo will escape from its enclosure. As it eats innocent children, you will muster up the courage to jump on top of it and steer it away. However, you will forget that the hippo is covered in mud, so you’ll slide right off. And get trampled by it.
Leo (Jul 23 - Aug 22):
A hawk will fly into your first-period class, right through that open window next to your desk. As it ferociously attacks your poor teacher, you’ll try to be the hero and grab the huge bird. It’ll just tear off your nose, before swooping down the hallway to attack Ms. Hardesty … who will quickly emerge victorious.
Virgo (Aug 23 - Sep 22):
You can take on absolutely any animal that gets in your way. Bring ‘em on.
Libra (Sep 23 - Oct 22):
A coyote will show up on your doorstep. You will yell at it. It will jump at you. You will shove it away. It will bite off your head. The End.
Scorpio (Oct 23 - Nov 21):
You think you’re all that and can fight any animal because you go to the gym twice a day. Yeah, well, apparently not … because when you try to wrestle a raccoon in Q-Gym, it will easily evade your grasp, while you’ll end up with a broken femur, bloody lip, and extreme humiliation.
Sagittarius (Nov 22 - Dec 21):
One by one, ants begin to take over your backpack. Despite your efforts to get rid of the anthill forming underneath all the binders, your bag will be destroyed by next week.
Capricorn (Dec 22 - Jan 19):
You’re fed up with the classroom rat, so you will drop a potted plant on it. Too late: it will have already hidden under some tape covering up the asbestos. And you will have made a mess— there’ll be soil and leaves everywhere. Shame on you.
Aquarius (Jan 20 - Feb 18):
You’ll battle a hammerhead shark while swimming in the Atlantic Ocean, and manage to blind it with your sequincovered bathing suit. Good job!
Pisces (Feb 19 - Mar 20):
A swarm of bees will follow you around the quad. As you run around, arms flailing wildly, your teachers will laugh hysterically from their classrooms. There’s no way to beat a swarm of bees.
Aries (Mar 21 - Apr 19):
When a seagull in the quad steals the remaining half of your Cafeteria cookie, you’ll start a student-led rebellion against all animals besides people on the IHS campus. And guess what? You’ll succeed. Congrats.