October 2016 • Estd. 1892 • Vol. 124 #2 • Published Monthly • www.ihstattler.com Ithaca High School, 1401 North Cayuga Street, Ithaca, NY 14850 • FREE
THE CREATION
WHAT TRIGGERED CLUB FEATURE: JACOB THIS MONTH
CYCLING CLUB
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OF SCHEDULES
Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars of NYS Club Funds Were Not Accounted For By JAMES YOON
On June 17, 2016, Thomas P. DiNapoli, the New York State Comptroller, released an audit called “Extra-Classroom Activities,” which disclosed how ineffectively officials (school principals, district treasurers, student activities directors, and school treasurers) from six different school districts (Deposit, Dryden, Greene, Ithaca, Laurens, and Livingston Manor Central) in New York State kept track of extra-classroom activity funds (ECAFs) from July 1, 2013, through May 8, 2015. The New York State Education Department (SED) defines ECAFs as cash raised by means other than taxation or a board of education (Board). The audit found that while the School Boards had already adopted policies for properly recordkeeping cash receipts and disbursements, the Board and district officials “did not ensure that policies were being followed or that procedures were adequate.” The findings were these. Out of the 442 cash receipts reviewed, totaling $299,000, “158 receipts totaling $113,800 were unsupported and 193 receipts totaling $164,400 were submitted to the Treasurer either untimely or [the study] could not determine timeliness due to inadequate records.” In fact, “None of the Districts we reviewed ensured that each activity requiring a profit and loss statement had one to support the fundraising event.” The audit also reCONTINUED ON PAGE 4
Music Department Takes on Fresh Look IMAGE BY DANIEL XU
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
By DANIEL XU
Bill Makin in his office.
The IHS Music Department is beginning the school year with new faces and a dramatic change in class structure. Bill Makin was hired as the new Orchestra director to fill the vacancy left by Samantha Hecht, who departed at the end of the last academic year. Makin, who led the music program at a preparatory school in Phoenix, Arizona, before coming to IHS, is enthusiastic and excited to take on his new role. “I am very impressed by the caliber of musicians that are here. The students seem dedicated and hardworking. The facilities are very nice, so the students here are very fortunate—and so am I,” he said. “The number-one goal of mine is to help the program grow, become successful; so that involves a lot of recruiting.” Makin emphasized that he wanted to facilitate a smooth transition between conductors and that instead of putting his own spin on things right away, he would focus on making sure everyone feels comfortable. CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
OPINION
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THE TATTLER • OCTOBER 2016 • ihstattler.com
Editorial
Get Rid of the A+ Emphasizing excellence over perfection would also make classes more relaxed, as fewer students would work to get every last possible point, benefiting even students who rarely get above a 90. Fewer students would have unproductive arguments with teachers over the wording of questions, or lie awake at night brooding over a yet-ungraded test. Less stress is good for everyone, as is class time spent learning and not fighting over the context of a specific multiple-choice question. Removing the incentive for students to desire perfection can make small mistakes seem less undesirable, which would lead to an environment in which students feel comfortable asking more questions rather than pretending they know what they’re doing. Saying “You did fine” might take its literal meaning, rather than “Stop agonizing over it!”
Editor-in-Chief
Daniel Xu ’17
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ILLUSTRATION BY JOSEPH YOON
In today’s high-pressure, must-get-intocollege climate, many high-performing students attempt to maximize their scores before anything else. They grade-grub and burn the midnight oil studying to turn their A’s into A+’s. These habits are endemic to a culture of increased classroom stress levels and tension, in which getting perfect or near-perfect grades is more important than actually learning or forming meaningful social connections. Most high schools and colleges just emphasize earning an A rather than an A+, and use a 4.00 GPA scale wherein A+’s are calculated as though they were A’s. IHS, however, factors A+’s into students’ GPAs, using a 4.33 GPA scale wherein A+’s are weighted towards that extra 0.33 at the top. This leads one to wonder: if IHS simply made every grade above a 92 the same and reported the grade as an A to colleges, what would be different? We at The Tattler believe that the change would increase an emphasis on learning and make classes a lot more fun to be in—for everyone. Most importantly, students would be better able to work towards getting an education, not just a grade. In few classes does a sound knowledge of all course content get a student exactly a 100; likely such understanding would be graded somewhere in the 90s. After all, no one is perfect. Yet grades—not learning—are on students’ transcripts. If a comprehensive grasp of course material is the goal, then it should be awarded the maximum grade. Thus it makes sense to not discriminate between an A and an A+, in the same way that AP exams do not discriminate between 80 percent and 90 percent; both scores are reported as a 5 and show a fair degree of mastery. Students who took AP exams last year should remember that the 1–5 grading scale—with the boundary between a 4 and 5 at roughly 70 percent of questions answered correctly—did a lot to make the difficult tests more relaxed. Students could focus on showing a fair amount of mastery rather than nitpicking over a few tricky questions. So who doesn’t benefit? Aside from whoever has to change the documents in which grades are reported, anyone—people and organizations like that arrogant kid in your math class or the reach school you apply to—who evaluates students solely on their grades might just have to grow up and realize that school should be about experiences and learning, not a number.
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The Tattler is the monthly student-run newspaper of Ithaca High School. All currently-enrolled students at Ithaca High School are welcome to submit writing and photographs. As an open forum, The Tattler invites opinion submissions and letters to the editor from all community members. Email submissions to editor@ihstattler.com or mail letters to: The Tattler 1401 North Cayuga Street Ithaca, NY 14850 Send submissions by October 17 to be included in the November 2016 issue. The Tattler reserves the right to edit all submissions. All articles, columns, and advertisements do not necessarily reflect the views of editorial staff. To read The Tattler online, visit our website at www.ihstattler.com.
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THE TATTLER • OCTOBER 2016 • ihstattler.com
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NEWS
Behind the Creation and Changing of School Schedules School schedules are a complicated animal to pin down. The nature of course requests ensures that some students will inevitably be dissatisfied with the schedule they receive at the beginning of the school year. However, when all is said and done, a schedule is very difficult to change.
Creating schedules In the spring, students receive time in their Social Studies class to make course requests for the next academic year. These requests are confirmed at an individual meeting with a school counselor that typically occurs in April. “Typically the counselor will try and fit everything into the student’s schedule, but if they can’t and it’s between two different electives, for instance, the counselor might call or email the student and say ‘I can’t get both in, which one would you prefer to get in?’ and then they’ll try and honor the one the student wants the most. But there are also those issues where courses get closed out,” said Sharon Gublo, the head counselor at IHS. “After [the counselor meeting], it’s all really up to SchoolTool.” SchoolTool, a student information system, processes each student’s course requests and attempts to build up the most desirable schedule that accommodates everyone. Restrictions on class size, section size, and certain classes occupying the same sections is what creates the conflicts that nudge some students out of a course. According to Jean Amodeo, the head of the English Department, SchoolTool uses an algorithm that takes a whole slew of factors, including gender balance, into account. Because of this, the program is optimized towards finding the easiest way to satisfy its requirements. “From what I understand, [the algorithm] goes by seniority, then it goes by required courses based on electives, so it tries to schedule required courses first,” Amodeo said. “The hardest classes to get into are those of single section electives, because they get put in last.” This year, one such course that concerned a small student outcry was AP Physics C, a notoriously difficult elective requested almost exclusively by seniors. Low student eligibility has restricted the course to one section from year to year. As a science class, Physics C comes bundled with a lab period, making it
By DANIEL XU
even harder to fit into schedules. Carlan Gray, head of the Science Department, said that four or five students were locked out of taking Physics C at one point. “In the spring, we had around 32 students request Physics C. By [the time schedules were being assembled], there were around 35 students. 35 is a really hard to number to build into sections... there’s both a low enrollment and a high enrollment,” Gray said. According to Gray, max enrollment for a single AP section is generally limited to 30 students, while enrollment for Regents and Honors classes is limited to 28. This means that SchoolTool recognized five excess course requests in the case of Physics C and selected the five students with least accommodating other courses to remove from the class. The section bounds are more than just a product of pedantry or bureaucratic policy. When expanding sections, teacher expectations change, and along with them matters of money. “Ms. Lynn [the Physics C teacher at IHS] and I have talked about this a lot. To make another section, I would need another [30 percent] of a teacher salary, which is upwards of $20,000, so it’s not just a thing we can do,” Gray said. As a result, section size has mostly stayed consistent from year to year, with only dramatic trend changes in enrollment causing shifts. Sending out schedules This year, there was plenty of grumbling among students that many schedules were sent home only two or three days before school started. There was a general expectation that schedules should arrive earlier, as they may have in the past, to accommodate preparation, discussion with peers, and ability of students to facilitate changes before the start of school, among others. What really infuriated some, though, was the unevenness of the distribution. “There was a ninth-grade Open House and the ninth graders who went to that got their schedules,” Gublo acknowledged. The Open House occurred on August 30. Since many students didn’t receive their schedules until September 5, this constitutes almost a oneweek gap between schedule deliveries. According to Gublo, the compromise be-
tween allowing students to anticipate their classes and having the most accurate possible schedule results in discrepancies between who gets their schedules when. In addition to individually resolving scheduling conflicts, of which there were over 110 per counselor this year, the counselors spent the summer processing 79 new entrants to IHS. Gublo said that this year there were changes that needed to be made right up to the first day of school. “Well, there was some conversation around when the schedules were going to be sent because we are continuing to change those schedules right up to the first day of school, so if you mail those schedules several days in advance or several weeks in advance, that’s not the finalized schedule. And so it happened again this year where schedules were mailed out and then labs, support labs for instance, like AIS Math, and Study Halls, Study Periods were added in, so the first day of school, students were given another [up-todate] schedule,” Gublo said. “But it varies from year to year; I can remember several years ago the schedules went out in early August. But that was a mess, because we were continuing to fix conflicts throughout the latter part of August.” The reasoning for the sequencing this year remains unclear. “I think I would like to see where it’s more first day of school, just for accuracy, but that is really an administrative decision,” Gublo said. Making changes There is a policy behind what can and can’t be changed in an individual’s schedule once the “final” versions are handed out on the first day of school. To make changes at that point, students must set up an appointment with their counselor at Student Services because approval from parents and teachers must be factored in. The most common request counselors have to deal with after school starts may be level changes in required classes: changing from Precalculus BC to AB, for example. “A lot of students in the beginning of the school year were coming in to ask for level changes—we can’t do level changes—and we really need to have students stay in a class and see how they do in that level,” Gublo said. Changing electives, especially AP classes, CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
PAGE 4 “CLUB FUNDS” CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
viewed 330 disbursements totaling $281,000 and found that “72 disbursements totaling $64,000, or 23 percent, lacked appropriate support at the club level.” This meant that district officials lacked competent supervision over ECAF disbursements, which made it difficult to assess the amount and validity of disbursements. Thus, districts faced an increased “risk of fraud or misuse of these funds.” Gabriel F. Deyo, Deputy Comptroller, released information that pertained specifically to ICSD. In LACS, the audit reviewed 61 receipts totaling $19,400 and “could not determine if 43 receipts, totaling $8,400 were deposited in the bank” due to a lack of deposit slips or poor recordkeeping. Also, at LACS, disbursements totalling $21,000 lacked sufficient documentation and 15 electronic transfers totalling $18,500 were either not approved or lacked a record of approval. The data regarding ECAF transactions at ICSD middle schools were revealing as well. At Boynton Middle School, “No or minimal records existed for 13 cash receipts totaling $25,100” and 11 out of 13 tested disbursements totalling $12,500 lacked appropriate recordkeeping. At DeWitt Middle School, the study simply “could not determine if all receipts were accounted for due to record keeping practices.” However, the audit did not find significant issues relating to cash receipts and management of cash disbursements at IHS, albeit “minor deficiencies with District officials.” Alice Linton, IHS account clerk typist, said, “In addition to the state comptroller auditing our books last year—this was the only audit done by them since I’ve been at IHS; I started in 1998—we are audited every year by an accounting firm. The accounting firm has not found significant problems, so we have not undergone any recent changes.” Linton attributes this success to the few new procedures that were added over the past few years. “All club student treasurers are now asked to keep a student ledger in addition to the ledger that I keep. That needs to be turned in at the end of each school year so the auditors can compare it to my records,” she said. Linton is also looking forward to some changes. “This year, we may start a new procedure where student treasurers bring their records to my office at the end of the first semester to make sure we are in agreement. This can save a little time at the end of the school year if there are any discrepancies,” she said. “Generally, everyone was pleased with IHS and the controls that we have in place.” The audit did suggest that district boards adopt and enforce policies that better oversee ECAF cash receipts, disbursements, and recordkeeping. It also recommended that district officials ensure that school treasurers, faculty advisors, and student treasurers follow the policies and keep “adequate and appropriate accounting records.” All six of the reviewed school districts released letters in response to the auditors, acknowledging the mismanagement of the recordkeeping and depositing processes. Superintendent Luvelle Brown and Mr. Robert Ainslie, President of the BoE, initiated a few changes at Boynton Middle School, DeWitt Middle School, and LACS. Linton said, “They have all moved to a computer program designed for extracurricular activities and have gone through training for that.”
NEWS
THE TATTLER • OCTOBER 2016 • ihstattler.com
“MUSIC DEPARTMENT” CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
The idea of a transition is especially relevant because of the section split just implemented this year, a momentous change that stirred plenty of discussion as the 2015–16 school year wound down. Concert Band, Orchestra, and Choir, all formerly limited to a single section, have added new ensembles: Wind Ensemble, Chamber Orchestra, and Chorale, respectively. As audition-based groups, these new sections allow for more manageable practice and better catering to different skill levels, all while making high enrollment a positive rather than negative factor. “People can hear themselves; I can hear each person,” said Nicki Zawel, IHS’s longtime Band director. “I can address more individual concerns, not only as they pertain to each human being, but each specific instrument, of which there are a dozen or more in each ensemble, each with their very own specific idiosyncratic technique issues.” Zawel noted that the split Band had only practiced for two weeks at the time of writing, but was still confident in assessing the impact of the change as “incredibly positive.” “It’s a change we’ve been working towards for three or four years, and the benefits are just going to be fantastic in terms of the music education that each student receives… any concert we put on is going to be at a much higher level,” she said. Makin also brought up that the section split allows students to perform more difficult works as class repertoire. “The Chamber Orchestra is working on a piece right now that’s by John Williams called Air and Simple Gifts, which is about as hard of a string orchestra piece as possible, so it’s a special-order piece of music,” he said. Although some returning students were initially wary of the split, most have adjusted to the new environment and agree that many more possibilities and better pedagogy is being offered. “The split orchestra really helped to make a more unified and focused group of players,” said Jeong Hyun Lee ’17, the concertmaster of Chamber Orchestra. To accommodate soaring total enrollment in band—50 students in Wind Ensemble and 70 in Concert Band—ICSD hired Kelsey Boyce to help out on Fridays. According to Zawel, this change allows students to continue attending their sectionals while only missing each of their other classes once per marking period. Boyce will teach at Northeast Elementary School in addition to her role at IHS. For more details on the reasoning behind the section split, read “Music Dept. Eyes Drastic Changes” by John Yoon ’16 in the May 2016 Issue at ihstattler.com. “SCHEDULES” CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3
has been a source of confusion. “Sometimes a student chooses a very, very difficult group of classes, and if they are going to be unsuccessful in any of the classes because they’ve overdone it, with the decision of the department chairs, the parents, the teachers, and the counselors, if we feel that it’s in their best interest to drop that course, we’ll drop it. But adding new courses; you picked your classes, so as far as I know we haven’t been adding new classes that weren’t picked prior,” Gublo said. Nevertheless, there have been exceptions, and some students have been able to add new AP classes to their schedule after dropping one or more classes. According to Gublo, cases such as this are rare and highly dependent on individual circumstances, and require working with the department, the teachers, and the administration in tandem. “We don’t look at it broadly; we look at it more individually for that student’s needs,” she said. About changes based on personal preference in general, Gublo said, “Really and truly, students need to learn to adapt to their environment, so to speak, so we can’t have students teacher-shopping, for instance. Whatever schedule you get is the schedule you get.”
THE TATTLER • OCTOBER 2016 • ihstattler.com
PAGE 5
OPINION
The Hardest Year of High School IMAGE PROVIDED
By STERLING WILLIAMS-CECI
Friends don’t let friends drink milk from cartons this big.
As a senior at IHS with all the typical worries and fantasies on my mind—college applications, Casino Night, graduation, etc.—I have realized that senior year has given me a chance to reflect on my time spent here. I have had four very different experiences during each of my years: as a scared freshman, a studious sophomore, a harried junior, and now a laid-back senior. When asked about the hardest year of high school, most people say junior year due to the scrutiny one comes under by college admissions officers and all the standardized tests one has to take. However, I disagree with this view, for I believe that my hardest year was definitely my freshman year. I believe this both because of how I acted and how the school, staff, and students around me acted. Many people agree that meeting a new crowd of people at a new school can be either worrying or exciting depending on one’s temperament. For me, my freshman year was more worrying than exciting—I wondered, “Would people like me? Who would I hang out with?” Being a shy kid for most of my childhood, I had the normal concerns about how to find my classes, compounded with additional worries about making friends. Eventually, I stuck with a small group of close friends from middle school, and concentrated mostly on my schoolwork because the prospect of making new friends seemed too hard. This was part of the reason that my freshman year was my hardest—I thought I was happy only socializing with a few people at school, but I realized later that I needed something much more fulfilling to be truly happy. I became much less shy that year, and that summer I resolved to meet new people during my sophomore year. As I progressed in time, I totally changed the person I was because I realized that my classmates would like me if I allowed them to get to know me, and that there was nothing to be afraid of. Today, I consider
myself to be socially awkward at times, but overall a very likeable person who’s funny and friendly. I have lots of friends, and I have been happier than I ever was as a freshman, despite the academic load getting harder. However, it wasn’t just my own behavior that made my freshman year the hardest. The school was a different building, with more rigorous classes and more demanding teachers than I had been used to, and it took me all of that first year to fully adjust. Additionally, I believe upon reflection that my peers were more similar to me than I once thought: all of us were scared and trying to make friends while not being overbearing or overeager, making it an uncomfortable year for many. This quickly changed as we all became more familiar with one another during our later years of high school, and I think that many of my peers are different people today than they were as freshmen. They are more willing to make mistakes in front of others and laugh about their imperfections. Now, I look at my many acquaintances and friends, and I see different people than the freshmen they once were. I see people who have evolved over the years. I am now ashamed of how I sometimes comported myself as an unfriendly and cold freshman, and I believe that my friends regret how they acted, too—whether they were trying too hard, immature, or just didn’t dress well. But I think we all realized at one point or another that our freshman year was a natural part of growing up, and that we should focus on the proud people we are today instead of dwelling on the past. To all freshmen new to this great school we call IHS, I want to say that high school gets easier as time goes on, not harder. Additionally, upon writing this article and realizing how nervous I was as a freshman, I would like to formally apologize to my freshman sister, Wynne, and all her friends, because I often scoff at them and tell them that I’m an elite senior. To you guys: it’s only my senioritis kicking in.
OPINION
PAGE 6
Voters Are Right To Be Concerned Over Hillary’s Health By CHLOE CRAMER
Is Hillary Clinton on the verge of death, or is she perfectly healthy and all claims otherwise are just part of yet another vast right-wing conspiracy? Well, it depends on who you ask. It’s true that over the past several years she has suffered from episodes of dizziness and fainting spells. In 2005 she fainted while giving a speech, in 2009 she fell and fractured her elbow, in 2011 she collapsed while boarding a flight, in 2012 she fainted and sustained a concussion, and just weeks ago she collapsed while hastily exiting a 9/11 memorial service that was still in progress. You’d be worried if your grandmother fainted that much, so maybe it’s right to be worried if the potential future head of state is fainting that much. In addition, she’s suffered blood clots in her head and neck, and after her concussion in 2012 she began to wear Fresnel prism glasses, which are usually used to correct double vision. However, she never said exactly why she was wearing them, which has led some people to believe that she was suffering some symptoms of post-concussive disorder (she stopped wearing them a few months later). Most people agree about these basic facts, but the problem starts when people begin asking, “What does this all mean?” Adding to the controversy are the episodes caught on camera. Epic coughing fits, moments where her mind seems to go blank, the viral video in which she appears to be having a seizure—or some other neurological episode—or simply making a very awkward joke. Concerns about these issues have been brushed off by many Clinton supporters as conspiracy theories. Clinton’s campaign released a report signed by Clinton’s doctor declaring the candidate “healthy and fit to serve as President of the United States.” But some of the public does not seem to trust or be reassured by this doctor’s assertions, and for good reason. In early September, when Clinton was seen on camera fainting as she exited the 9/11 memorial service, Clinton’s team led people to believe that it was a result of her being overheated, or possibly her allergies. However, the incident was later said by Clinton’s doctor to be an effect of pneumonia. Clearly, Clinton’s team doesn’t seem to be as focused on being transparent to the public, as they are too busy protecting her. A Huffington Post survey shows that 38 percent of Americans feel that Clinton is not in good enough condition to effectively serve. Some of the public note that something is wrong with Clinton’s health. The lack of a plausible explanation leads to wild speculations. This leaves voters lost and not knowing who or what to believe. The main thing people are concerned about is Clinton’s cognitive ability. If she were to become president, she would need to be able to work in stressful environments, make decisions that have the potential to put many lives in danger, and respond to crises with a clear head. The American people shouldn’t be left in a position where they feel like it is up to them to diagnose Clinton. But the public can’t trust Clinton’s doctor any more than they can trust Trump’s physician who pronounced him in “astonishingly excellent” health. The time may have come to mandate presidential candidates to be examined by impartial doctors; otherwise, we are left uncertain about the health of the future Commander-in-Chief.
THE TATTLER • OCTOBER 2016 • ihstattler.com
What Triggered Jacob This Month
Dress Codes By JACOB SILCOFF IHS, just like nearly every other school in the world, has a dress code. If students are caught violating it, they may be taken out of class, asked to change, or sent home. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia also has a dress code, and the Saudis take it very seriously. In 2002, the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice—the Saudi religious police—locked 800 girls inside a burning school because they were improperly dressed, leading them to be trampled and burned to death. In examining these two systems of attire regulation, an American may be very quick to point out the vast differences between them, feeling a sense of disgust at how “barbaric” the Saudis are. Through the lens of cultural relativism, however, it becomes very clear that the systems are more similar than an American may like to believe, differing mainly in their rationale. It seems that the IHS administrators, like their fundamentalist Islamic counterparts, decided on a system that is objectively sexist: while it is perfectly acceptable for boys here to swim or run shirtless, young girls caught showing their midriff are seen, at least by the adult admins, as improperly dressed and in need of changing. The Atlantic writes that “female-specific policies account for a disproportionate number of the attire rules included in school handbooks,” leading to “the implication that women should be hypercognizant about their physical identity and how the world responds to it.” The Huffington Post adds that such codes “perpetuate rape culture.” Likewise, Saudi women take the brunt of attire law and punishment, being forced to cover their entire bodies with an abaya, unlike men. This can be no surprise coming from a country where women aren’t allowed to go anywhere without a chaperone, let alone drive or vote. The two governing bodies also decided to choose body parts to fetishize that seem somewhat arbitrary. In Saudi Arabia, they find the hair and the face particularly arousing, though nothing gets a Saudi man’s mind wandering quite like a woman’s exposed arms or legs. At IHS, it is interesting to note that administrators seem to be particularly alarmed by a girl’s bra straps. Just like the Saudis, rule-makers here in Ithaca have no problem viewing men for what they are: sex-crazed soon-to-be rapists that need to be CONTINUED ON PAGE 9
THE TATTLER • OCTOBER 2016 • ihstattler.com
OPINION
PAGE 7
Why I’ll Never Spend Another Penny At Regal Cinemas
Sentimentality vs. Development By CHLOE WRAY
After the first week of classes, I went with three of my friends, whom we’ll call Lamie Jovette, Klison Ae, and Suth Rilcoff (to preserve their anonymity) to Regal Cinemas to watch War Dogs. This was the only film playing that seemed remotely bearable—let’s face it, if you liked Suicide Squad, you probably also liked Star Wars Episode VII. IMAGE PROVIDED
“How much development is desirable?” prompts the Downtown Ithaca 2020 Strategic Plan, published in 2010. Cited as “a plan for Revitalization, Development, Management and Promotion of the Downtown Ithaca Business Improvement District for the period 2010–2020,” this informational pamphlet is a peek into all that the city has planned and has hoped to accomplish in terms of development since 2010. It speaks of creating housing in large quantities, accommodating pedestrian traffic, and enhancing local business. Despite this all sounding beneficial to Ithaca’s economy and urban appeal, there is an argument to be made against the desirability of development in favor of maintaining Ithaca’s current character. Referencing the Strategic Plan, “There are community residents who moved to Ithaca because of its small city scale. There would be reluctance on the part of these residents to support growth that would substantially change or alter the character of the community they chose as their home.” Not only are there community members who have moved recently after being drawn in by Ithaca’s charm; there are lifelong residents who are not willing to see change and development alter their beloved haven. At a Common Council meeting I attended on September 7, four long-term Ithacans spoke out against a current plan to build a five-story apartment building on lower College Avenue. If you are unfamiliar with the road, upper College Avenue is home to Collegetown apartment buildings, retail, and student housing, while down the road lie old two-story homes, many of which are single-family or duplexes. The residents were severely concerned with the prospect of a building so large being plopped in the middle of historic, character-filled homes. They argued that if a five-story building were to be built among homes in Collegetown, what would stop zoning laws to be passed that would allow this to happen in Fall Creek? I stand with these residents, seemingly stuck in their ways to oppose development, yet driven by their love of Ithaca. Our city is old, it is historic, and it is filled with natural beauty. Its homes are impressive in their architecture and age, and our downtown is distinct for its preservation of these buildings. With large new buildings being built almost every year, residents have reason to fear a loss of character. It’s not the building of strip malls or commercial complexes in the downtown district that residents fear, but rather the building of high-rises and streamlined buildings that boast a high number of housing units and efficient use of space. Do residents approve of the area surrounding the Commons and continuing down the State St. corridor to the West End being built up even further? The city makes it seem necessary and inevitable, yet it may come at a cost to the existing buildings, destroying or simply overshadowing them into obscurity. The Strategic Plan asks “What if we, the people of Ithaca, choose not to act to continue to nurture and grow our downtown urban core?” In response, I ask, why is growth synonymous with nurturing? Can the downtown area not thrive without the building of additional high-rises, or could we nurture the area to expand and repurpose existing buildings, growing in creativity and not just size? For invested Ithaca residents, yes, making housing affordable is important, and yes, transportation should be accessible. However, the answer should not always just be to build up, as seems to be the plan for the Trebloc building and potentially the old library. First and foremost, the character of the city should be the priority, emphasizing nature and architecture over capacity. Residents should not have to fear a new city appearing before them or a district of five-story buildings expanding further and further beyond the Commons, and should advocate for innovative ways to maintain the city’s character.
By JACOB SILCOFF
As I’m going to buy my ticket, they ask for my ID, which I happily provide them, along with a reminder that their policy on enforcing MPAA ratings was archaic and forced conservative values down my throat (more on that later). Unfortunately for me, Klison decides to take that moment to loudly state she was only 16 (she was worried about getting in trouble—not everyone is good at lying about these things). The mustachioed ticket vendor, who clearly takes his job very seriously, refuses to sell her a ticket to the movie. So, assuming, as one should, that this was a policy no one took seriously, we just had Klison and Suth buy a ticket for a different movie. There was no real intention to be subtle; we assumed if we gave them an excuse to let us slip by, they wouldn’t care. However, as we’re about to walk into the theatre itself, a disgruntled Regal worker lay waiting for us. It was at this point that she refused to let us in, and I lost my cool. What ensued was a five-minute-long rant in which I condemned the MPAA, accused Regal Cinemas of supporting homophobic bigotry, and got to watch the ticket vendor lie to me about federal censorship law (when I asked where I could file a complaint, he told me to write to my congressmen, and when I asked him if the policy CONTINUED ON PAGE 11
OPINION
THE TATTLER • OCTOBER 2016 • ihstattler.com
IMAGE PROVIDED
PAGE 8
For the Garfield High School football team in Seattle, the anthem is anathema.
The National Anthem: Sit or Stand? By MATT MACKENZIE
Recently, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick caused quite a stir in the media when he opted to kneel on the sideline during the National Anthem at a preseason game instead of standing with the rest of his teammates. In an interview with NFL Media, Kaepernick explained that he chose not to stand in order to protest discrimination and wrongdoings against minorities, specifically African Americans. His protest was not an isolated incident. Since that preseason game against the Green Bay Packers, many NFL players and other high-profile athletes such as Megan Rapinoe have followed suit, along with lower-profile college athletes and even high-school students. Those who have decided to take a knee believe that it is wrong to take pride in one’s country when that country allows discrimination, inequality, and injustice to pervade the lives of its citizens. As Kaepernick said, “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people. To me, this is bigger than football, and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way.” Still, there are other ways to protest inequality and discrimination in America besides refusing to stand for the national anthem. People can attend local protests in their communities, start a social media campaign, or even organize events themselves. A symbolic display before the game runs the risk of distracting from the fact that there is actually a football game going on by creating a controversy, unnecessarily or not. For example, an anonymous player for the Indiana State Sycamores football team decided to take a knee before an away game against Minnesota. After the game, a perusal
of most media outlets would lead you to the same amount of coverage for the pre-game protest as there was about Minnesota’s thirty-point win. Fans and writers alike thought a unilateral protest by one player deserved just as much attention as the collective performance of an entire team. More importantly, though, Kaepernick and other players are ignoring something important about our country: it is still possible to take pride in your nation, even if injustices do occur in that country. The United States as a whole is not directly responsible for the actions of those who discriminate or mistreat minorities. In that same vein, it is illogical to treat parts of certain entities (racists, in this case) as the whole entities they represent (the U.S. as a whole). Protesting does not preclude patriotism, and in this instance, there are other methods that are equally viable alternatives, especially considering that the NFL would not exist as we know it today without our country’s dedication to its professional sports. I respect an athlete’s right to sit during the National Anthem, and if it would further progression of equal rights, I am not opposed to it. However, everyone should be aware of the pros, cons, and potential repercussions of sitting or kneeling before they decide to do so. Standing for the National Anthem is not just a means of avoiding controversy, but also a sign of respect for one’s country: not local, statewide, or national problems, but ideals and values. I encourage athletes to honor the country in which they live and work together with their fellow citizens off the field to solve nationwide problems such as inequality and racial discrimination.
THE TATTLER • OCTOBER 2016 • ihstattler.com
OPINION
PAGE 9
Chromebooks: One Year Later
“DRESS CODE” CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6
By JOSEPH YOON
ILLUSTRATION BY JOSEPH YOON
The emergence of the Chromebook in ICSD in September 2015 gave thousands of students a new way of learning in and outside of the classroom. Although the new emphasis on digital assignments and saving paper sounded like a great idea to many in the beginning, after watching hundreds of Chromebooks being handed in for repair, it became clear that there were problems with how students were handling the $200 devices. With a mix of excitement and cynicism, approximately 3500 students lined up to receive their brand-new Chromebooks. However, within the first month of distribution, there were already reports of broken screens and keys. It was clear that even “responsible” high-schoolers couldn’t be trusted to bring the devices home or even handle them during school hours. Despite the initial criticism and frustration directed towards Chromebooks, students adjusted to the use of Chromebooks in their classes, finding them useful and fun in most situations. Their ability to facilitate interactive activities and games greatly helped engagement in the classroom. New problems emerged in the censorship of social media and “unknown” sites, which aggravated students who needed to promote clubs in social media, download images from unlisted sites on Google, or research a project during school. This led to a handful of students revolting and “hacking” their Chromebooks into Developer Mode. It was extremely difficult for the IT staff to manage and prevent the “hacking,” which led those actions to be heavily publicized and punished. This kind of frustration stemming from the inconvenience and limitations of the new devices often led annoyed students to intentionally damage their Chromebooks, some going so far as to throw them across the room or smash the keys until they became unfixable (please do not do this). After all incidents such as this—which were all too common last year—students would then reluctantly haul their damaged Chromebooks into the library the next day, making up some story as to how the device broke and why they required a new one. Over the 2015–2016 school year, approximately 19 percent of the 3500 assigned Chromebooks were brought in to be repaired for cracked screens, power issues, corrupt operations, damaged cases, internet issues, or broken trackpads. Approximately 5.7 percent of the Chromebooks were damaged or lost beyond the ability to repair, with 4 percent of these recycled or decommissioned and reused and 1.7 percent stolen or lost. The district paid $190 per Chromebook and charger, with about half of the cost covered by state aid, according to Zach Lind, the Chief Information Officer at ICSD. Almost a quarter of the Chromebooks were broken and lost due either to their lack of build quality, or more commonly, lack of care and patience from students when handling the devices. That’s approximately $821,000 down the drain for the district. Many students complained that the Dell Chromebook 11, the model chosen by the district, was too flimsy and weak. Although this is expected of a relatively cheap laptop, perhaps the purchase of a more durable model could have saved the district the costs in repair and replacement of these Chromebooks. So, are the Chromebooks really the bane of our sanity, and are they really that bad? Yes, but they can be pretty useful; maybe that’s the sole reason the district is continuing the usage of Chromebooks currently.
protected from their own instincts. Men, of course, should not be offended that they are being accused of being sex-obsessed perverts who would be unable to concentrate on anything if women dared show their bra straps in public. A boy certainly couldn’t be blamed for staring at a girl’s buttocks, provided her shorts were shorter than the extent of her fingertips (any longer, and then the boy will be at fault for ogling). After all, making disgusting assumptions based on someone’s gender is only offensive if it’s not true for everyone of that gender. What sets the Saudi and American systems apart is their rationale. For their part, the Saudis claim that their dress code comes from Sharia law. In other words, they exercise harsh punishment on women because they believe the literal word of God told them to. While it may be difficult for a Westerner to admit, this is actually the most logically solid reason to do anything, provided that you believe in God. It would be insanity to defy an all-powerful and all-knowing creator that explicitly wrote a set of laws to enable maximum prosperity for humanity. Relative to a being that is all-knowing, how could we possibly be so arrogant as to think our lowly interpretations of God’s law are meaningful? Now, you may see Sharia law as utter nonsense, but it is clear that if, as the Saudis overwhelmingly do (or, at least, their conservative government), you believe the Koran to be the word of God, their actions are justified. On the other hand, IHS admins support their policies by claiming that improper dress is “distracting.” However, this notion has never been supported by scientific consensus—Li Zhou of The Atlantic writes that “research on dress codes remains inconclusive regarding the correlation between their implementation with students’ academic outcomes,” and we are thus forced to throw out the notion of “distraction” on its face. Science is (supposedly) our standard for legitimacy in the U.S., and if we do not meet our own culture’s requirements for logical validity, maybe we shouldn’t start making rules on our baseless assumptions after all. In this light, the severe punishments and beatings of the Saudis, while disturbing on an emotional level, are logically fitting. This may be very, very difficult to digest; that’s the problem with cultural relativism. We grow so accustomed to a Western style of thinking that we struggle to understand and perhaps appreciate the laws and practices of foreigners. But given that, even by Western standards of thinking, our dress code makes little sense, it’s about time that the administrators start writing less archaic policy.
OPINION
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Villains
IMAGE PROVIDED
&
IMAGE PROVIDED
Heroes
THE TATTLER • OCTOBER 2016 • ihstattler.com
Secretary of State John Kerry (pictured), who has negotiated a ceasefire in Syria with Russia and some other combatants. In the past, he has been an avid environmentalist and anti-Vietnam War activist.
Wells Fargo (pictured), the nation’s third-largest bank, whose employees fraudulently opened at least two million fake accounts—without customers’ permission—just to hit sales targets. The accounts, which started appearing in 2011, often incurred thousands of dollars in fees, and the bank fired over 5,000 employees in response.
The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, which is standing up against the Dakota Access Pipeline that would destroy some of their ancient burial grounds and pose an environmental risk. The tribe is staging a nonviolent protest, and some members have taken the issue to the UN Council in Geneva. Colombians, who negotiated a ceasefire between the leftist FARC and the government, hopefully ending a 50-year war that ravaged the country. Fariah Syed, who organized a protest that built a beach outside the French embassy in London to protest France’s burkini ban. She and other protesters then held a “wear-what-youwant beach party.”
Ahmad Khan Rahami, who is the suspect behind the bombings that injured 29 people in Chelsea, a neighborhood of New York City, on September 17. He also planted bombs in several areas in New Jersey. Betty Shelby, the Tulsa police officer who shot and killed Terence Crutcher and is now being charged with manslaughter.
Heather Bresch, who, as CEO of Mylan, raised the price of the EpiPen by over 400 percent in recent years by exploiting their monopoly in the epinephrine market. Over 43 million people who suffer from severe allergies are bearing the brunt of these price increases.
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THE TATTLER • OCTOBER 2016 • ihstattler.com
OPINION
PAGE 11
“REGAL CINEMAS” CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7
was mandated by the government, he told me it was voluntary). Once we had our tickets refunded, we left. I will never go back. So why am I so up in arms about the MPAA when I can just torrent the movie at home? To me this is a matter of morals. The MPAA, or Motion Picture Association of America, a private organization responsible for rating movies in the U.S., is not only terrible at its job in terms of giving movies fair ratings, but supports homophobia, sexism, sexual repression, and censorship. First, some basics: The MPAA is a political group that originated in the 1920s, with the goal of actually preventing censorship. The idea was that if the movie industry self-policed, they wouldn’t need to worry about local governments doing it for them. The original rules they used to determine if a movie was fit for viewing included a ban on any criticisms of religion, to give you some idea of the organization’s stringent “moral” standards. Since then, the MPAA has morphed into an advocacy group that largely fights against piracy; it financially backed the controversial Stop Online Piracy and Protect IP Acts (SOPA and PIPA), which, had they been passed, would have allowed copyright holders to shut down web content without a court order. The ratings board itself, the Classifications and Ratings Administration (CARA), is run by the MPAA, and is responsible for doling out those all-important letter ratings (G, PG, PG-13, R, NC-17). The CARA is made up of completely anonymous, non-democratically elected members who have absolutely no accountability for their votes. Ratings are based on sexual content, nudity, language, violence, and drug use. On its premise, I find the idea of any organization deciding what is “acceptable” for children to watch to be fundamentally flawed considering the immense subjectivity of such a decision. What exactly is the harm of having kids see or know swear words? Everyone eventually gets exposed to them, and in most cases this exposure is usually not traumatic. Violence, while slightly less controversial, seems to be an incredibly subjective subject indeed. Cartoons such as Tom and Jerry depict incredibly senseless violence, but you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who thinks the shenanigans of these animated characters should be censored from children’s eyes. Likewise, nudity and sexuality seem to be so culturally relative that to give a rating to these is to force certain values upon an audience. In some cultures, a woman so much as showing her hair is akin to nudity in another. Should such movies receive an R rating? Of course not. Even more questionable is why the MPAA chooses to differentiate male and female nudity (this is a hard question, but the answer might rhyme with “sonservative cexism”). The same can be said for sexuality. There was a time in this country when showing a man and a woman in the same bed together was taboo. The line between hand-holding and sex is a gradual one, and to plot a point at which viewing it becomes traumatic is nothing short of impossible. More importantly, creating these ratings demonstrates incredible naiveté on behalf of the raters. The theatre industry is forgetting the immense power of the Internet. Today, kids can watch hardcore pornography as soon as they learn to type and parents can do very little to stop it. Even websites as benign as Wikipedia contain stories that are graphically violent, sexually charged, and profane. A simple search for “profanity in english” will give you results worse than anything you’d find in an R-rated movie, and if you want some disturbingly sadistic content, read up on a guy named Albert Fish. Likewise, you can find plenty of nudity and sexual content. Most kids can access this kind of content, and yet Wikipedia has no need to censor their content, pro-
vide ratings on articles, or ID people that want to read on their site. There once was a time when the theatre represented an opportunity to see things that only aired on the big screen, but that time is long over. And guess what? Nothing bad has come of this! Kids aren’t being corrupted, they’re not dropping out of school en masse, and they aren’t all suddenly becoming sex addicts. Nor are they becoming any more violent. This isn’t just my observation—the data agree. In a 2008 study published in the Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment, & Trauma that examined a sample of 355 young adults, the researchers found that violent media consumption had no impact whatsoever on actual, real-world violence. The findings for porn (discussed in my June 2016 article on the subject which can be read at ihstattler.com) are equally fuzzy, fluctuating between claiming that porn increases and decreases sexual desire, without causal evidence of any sort. Worse is how the ratings system impacts the movie industry itself. MPAA ratings are far from optional for movie producers (you’d be hard-pressed to find a theatre that would play an unrated movie), and an R rating cuts down the possible audience dramatically. The result is a ton of movie producers trying to get their movies to fall in the PG-13 sweetspot so that it can be viewed by a wide audience, yet still be exciting or provocative. Some producers go so far as to send in a version that contains all sorts of disgusting content so that they can cut it out when they go for a second rating and seem tamer in contrast. Also keep in mind that each rating can cost upwards of $25,000, which prevents smaller movie makers from having their movies shown. This PG-13 bubble prevents important artistic freedoms on the part of the director. Take the movie Bully, a documentary that received an R rating for using too much profanity. In capturing the reality of how terrible some bullies can sound and using appropriate diction to make an impactful point, the movie triggered the MPAA to prevent high-schoolers—their target audience— from seeing the movie. The rating was only lowered after public outcry when people realized how stupid the rating was. The fact of the matter is that sometimes a swear word can be potently characterizing, violence can be emotionally moving, and nudity can be a powerful humanizing tool. There’s a reason nude portraits are common in classical art. The MPAA also demonstrates homophobia in their censorship of homosexual intimacy. The British film Pride was given an R rating despite only containing incredibly mild intimacy (pretty much limited at kissing). Peter Tatchell, an LGBT advocate in the UK, described the rating as “outrageous, knee-jerk homophobia,” in The Guardian, going on to say that “there’s no significant sex or violence in Pride to justify strong ratings. The American classification board seems to automatically view any film with even the mildest gay content as unfit for people under 17.” This all brings us back to Regal Cinemas and why I hate their policy of enforcing MPAA ratings so much. In trying to “protect” kids from seeing “inappropriate” content, they choose to do a job that ultimately should be the responsibility of a parent. If a company started spanking kids for swearing in their stores, people would be outraged. It is fundamentally wrong for Regal to be making parenting decisions for their customers based on traditional bigoted values. If a child’s real parents have concerns about them watching a certain film, maybe they shouldn’t leave the kid to wander the mall unattended, but it should be no business of the theater itself. They’ve lost my business until this patronizing policy is changed, and I recommend they lose yours as well.
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THE TATTLER • OCTOBER 2016 • ihstattler.com
FEATURES
IMAGE BY ARMIN HEURICH
Club Feature: Cycling Club By MADELINE TURNER and WILLEM VAN OSSELAER
Members of the Cycling Club pose for a photo at one of their events.
If you’ve ever noticed a group of kids on bikes at the bottom of Renwick Road or heading out of IHS onto Cayuga Street, chances are you got to witness Cycling Club in action. The IHS Cycling Club started about four years ago with Ben Stewart ’15, Anna Sylvester ’16, and Toby Brisson ’18. Club advisor Armin Heurich, one of IHS’s librarians, explained, “We owe a great amount of thanks to Ben Stewart’s dad, Gary Stewart, who was unrelenting in his pursuit of the formation of a cycling club. When my kids were old enough I decided I could take on the responsibility. It started off really small and then we quickly added a few members—we were about five or six people strong for our first two years. The goal of the club was never about competition or racing, but about developing a lifelong love of cycling. That’s the birth of it. We made some mistakes the first two years of trying to use the new gym to work out when the cycling season was over, but in the last two years we have chosen instead to switch to hiking and cross-country skiing in the offseason.” Currently, Cycling Club has nine members, but that number is constantly in flux as many join only after fall sports have finished. The club welcomes new members at any time because flexibility is important to the team. As Heurich sums up, “The growth of the club has been organic.” Heurich helps the club become better cyclists and a more tightly knit community. Some who joined Cycling Club last year were completely new to road cycling and had never been up a major hill. After less than a year, we completed a 100-mile bike ride with almost 4000 feet of elevation around Cayuga Lake. This is a testament to Heurich and his skill in working with the club. When asked about his first ride with Cycling Club, one of the new members, Tom Hohn ’19, remarked, “It was fabulous. Nice riding in a group and having people of different skillsets working together to get up a hill.” This is what is emphasized in the club. People of all different abilities come together, learn more about cycling, and develop a love for the sport. For many, this has translated into getting involved in the greater cycling community in the Ithaca area through the Finger Lakes Cycling Club (FLCC). Three other club members competed in the Hollenbeck’s race in April, and several are planning on participating in the upcom-
ing Cascadilla Hill Climb. The club is also involved in and volunteering at events through the FLCC, such as the opening ceremony for the Black Diamond Trail on October 2 at Cass Park. This works both ways, as Heurich remarked: “Groups like the FLCC gain a greater appreciation for recruiting young people to participate in regional cycling activities. Parents have been amazingly supportive of Cycling Club as well, which is critical because without them it just couldn’t happen—from snacks to buying kids appropriate accessories to supporting their need to ride non-weekends. They are greatly appreciated for all their support, because this is a oneof-a-kind club in our school because we meet on the road and in the fields.” Cycling Club’s main challenge last spring was preparing for the AIDS Ride for Life. Many members committed to the goal in the spring, and they began fundraising by starting a bike repair workshop after school on Thursdays with the help of Elliot Richards ’17. Anyone who was free would stay after school to work on bikes sent in by IHS staff and family members for a flat fee of $10. The group raised around $300 this way. For the Ride, the group banded together as a community to complete the challenge, raising $1,897 for the Southern Tier AIDS program through a lot of hard work and dedication. To train, the group would ride through resources like Strava (social media for athletes—the club members love it). The members plan rides and hill challenges together to train as a team. Speaking from personal experience, Cycling Club has been one of my favorite things in my time so far at IHS. I started doing the women’s Wednesday night rides in the spring and loved them because they were a great way to carve more time out of my schedule and meet other riders. I took a big leap by deciding to join—I was scared, I had no idea how to road bike, and I didn’t know who else would be joining—but it was one of the best decisions I’ve made. I have gained a lifelong love of the sport, a gateway into a large, relatively unknown part of the Ithaca community, and a greater appreciation for the area I moved to. I now understand the Ithaca area and have a community I love and feel supported by. As Heurich said, “Tuesdays are my favorite days of the week.”
THE TATTLER • OCTOBER 2016 • ihstattler.com
FEATURES
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Teacher Feature: Richard Horan By CASEY WETHERBEE
IMAGE BY JAMES PARK
I and most other AP Lit students were surprised, to say the least, when our schedules abruptly switched from “Amodeo” to “Horan” right before school began. His name was nowhere in the staff directory, and no one knew what to expect. On the first day of class, he told us a little bit about his various experiences teaching, traveling, and writing. Immediately I knew that I had to interview him to find out more.
Richard Horan demonstrates some of his boxing moves.
Casey Wetherbee ’17: Tell me a little about your early life. Richard Horan: Okay, well, I grew up in a middle-class family in Fairfield County, CT. They had this sort of classic American Dream motivation and my sister and I were raised in a very affluent town, among students very much like those in Ithaca. The high school I went to, Darien High School, is probably very similar to IHS. I did all the sports. I actually played football and baseball and decided that wasn’t a career opportunity for me. But I did go to Boston University and got into boxing; I had also been a boxer as a little kid, it had actually been my favorite sport, and so I boxed in the New York City Golden Gloves as a 17-year-old kid. My mother grew up with a famous fighter, a guy named Chico Vejar, who never won the title but fought five times for the welterweight/middleweight championship. He was beyond his fighting years but he liked running around our house, and then he taught me how to box. And then actually when I was in college I did a lot of boxing. And actually had six professional fights before I realized I had other options in life. So it remains probably the most important early experiences. So at 22 I didn’t do any more sports. I was done. But after that, I had all these fun jobs. I worked in a hospital while I was at Boston University. Then I graduated college, and I took a year-and-a-half out of my life and I hitchhiked around the United States. And then I ran out of money. I made it as far as Seattle and then I ran out of money. I had a degree in English, so everyone would always laugh when I told them, because in the early 80s everyone was getting degrees in business and finance. I was pretty lost. So I went on the road again, and I ended up in Milwaukee, WI, where I wrote a 700-page novel that will never be published, but I lived there by myself for two years. That was probably the most important experience of my life, living by myself; I didn’t know anyone. And it was there, ironically, that I worked in a mental hospital, because I had the experience working in a hospital so I ended up being a nurse’s aide. I sort of wrote the reverse story of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest; I told it from the nurse’s aide’s point of view. For two years, I’m writing this long book about working in a hospital, but later on, after I got married, I wrote this book, which was initially entitled Notes from the Nuthouse, but the publisher thought it was a little condescending. I met my wife there, and together we decided to move to Europe. My wife got a job as a singer, and so she was on the road for a year-anda-half while I was still in Milwaukee, and then we moved to Italy and
lived there for two years; I taught English and she sang. And then I got chased out; I didn’t have the right papers. I almost got arrested sitting in St. Mark’s Square in Venice. Some guy came up to me and started talking in Italian, so I talked to him and then realized that he was a cop. And then [I] got married and went to grad school, and then did a lot more traveling and teaching and more writing. In all that time, in the back of my mind, I was writing that one book, Life in the Rainbow, and that was published in 1995. I was overseas teaching in Korea when that book was published. So, I’ve lived a very itinerant life, but I’ve got all this magical experience doing all sorts of crazy stuff. When I was about 27 or 28 and I got my Master’s degree, and I had kids and taught, I sort of settled down. CW: So what motivated you to become a teacher? RH: Teaching in Italy. When we went to Italy and lived there, my wife had work; I was hard-pressed to find work, but I quickly found work as an English teacher. I taught at first privately and then at the Wall St. Institute. It was funny; they never asked if I had working papers, and then thought I was British, so I guess that shows how terrible their English skills were. So I taught there and really liked it. I realized that I had some talent for teaching.
CW: How many books have you written and what are they? RH: I have four published books. The first is Life in the Rainbow, which was really more of a memoir, but because I fooled around with the chronology—I also worked in a group home in graduate school, so some of the characters from the group home I peppered into some of the other story about the mental institution—they said it had to be a novel, but since then they’ve come out with this new genre called creative nonfiction, so I think the book would have done a lot better had it been published that way. Then I wrote a book after coming back from Korea, where I found that the environment had been completely decimated, where it’s overpopulated, they’ve cut all the trees down, etc. So I was very motivated to get into the environmental movement. And then I moved back to Wisconsin and fell ass-backwards into the Ho-Chunk Nation, which used to be called the Winnebago people. I ended up writing a trickster myth novel, about Wakdjunkaga, who’s sort of their Jesus figure, but it’s sort of a black comedy too. Anyway, that was called Goose Music, and it did quite well; I won a lot of awards, but I’m still teaching. I’m not a famous writer but I’m a good one. So after that, the fiction market kind of collapsed. You have the Harry Potter books and then a lot of vampire books, and lots of these rape books, like “the girl with the golden tattoo” or whatever it is…. And so literary fiction just was really hard. I ended up writing two nonfiction travelogues. The first one’s called Seeds. I went around the nation gathering seeds from the trees of my favorite authors’ childhood homes. So these were the trees that had literal physical contact with those people like Mark Twain and Henry Miller and Eudora Welty. Originally it was just supposed to be my heroes; a lot of athletic heroes, a lot of boxers and so on. Muhammad Ali’s house and the tree that was in his front yard are in this book. And so the publishers at HarperCollins really liked it and so while I was writing that they asked me to write another one, where I went around to all of the farms in the United States, small family farms, and participated in the harvests of famous American crops. And that was a really extraordinary journey for me. I used to CONTINUED ON PAGE 16
FEATURES
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THE TATTLER • OCTOBER 2016 • ihstattler.com
Rosh Hashanah: A New What Steve and Ms. Gray Year Shofar So Good Learned in Georgia By STELLA WHITTAKER
There are many different cultures across the globe that have their own New Year celebrations: for example, the Chinese have their New Year, the Ethiopians have theirs, and both are characterized by their own set of customs. I celebrate the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, which literally means “head of the year” in Hebrew. The Jewish calendar is a lunar calendar that differs from the commonly used Gregorian one year to year. This time around, it transitions from 5776 to 5777, and Rosh Hashanah falls on October 2 on the Gregorian calendar. The holiday is characterized by beginning to reread the Torah—the Jewish bible, consisting of only the Old Testament— from B’reshit (Genesis) Chapter One, which starts with “When God began to create the earth….” Rosh Hashanah marks 10 days before Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. These days collectively are called the Days of Awe, during which we are supposed to recognize God in all His glory and prepare to atone for our sins. We do this on Rosh Hashanah by doing what is called “Tashlich,” or “casting off,” in which we metaphorically cast off our sins from the previous year by throwing bread into a stream, symbolically breaking off the sins and sending them away. The custom is that on Rosh Hashanah, God opens a book that declares whether we’re going to have a good or bad year, and the idea is that we have 10 days to look at our deeds and make amends with friends to try and change the book. On Yom Kippur, after a long fast and much prayer and self-reflection, the book is closed and the deal is sealed until next year. Another custom for Rosh Hashanah is blowing the shofar, a ram’s horn that is hollowed out and blown like a trumpet. A shofar is blown to announce a new month and the piercing sound of the shofar can remind people of many different things. Rabbi Abihu said that the shofar is sounded in order to remind people of the binding of Isaac—how a ram was sacrificed instead of Abraham’s son Isaac as a test of Abraham’s faith in God. The shofar, in Leviticus 23:24-25 (“…on the first day of the month, you shall observe complete rest, a sacred occasion commemorated with loud blasts”) is used to remind people that this is a holy day. It is an obligation for Jews to hear a shofar sounded live every Rosh Hashanah. One more tradition that occurs on Rosh Hashanah is the eating of apples and honey. These foods remind us to have a sweet new year, as the foods themselves are sweet. Every year my family and I bake honey cake to try and make the new year as sweet as possible. This goes along with a popular saying on Rosh Hashanah: “L’shanah tova,” or “To a good year.” Rosh Hashanah provides each of us with an opportunity to be a better person, strengthen relationships, and do more mitzvahs, or good deeds. Because there is no official concept of heaven and hell in Judaism, the bettering of ourselves throughout the year is purely to be a better person for the world. Anyone, at any time, can right the people they have wronged, turn over a new leaf, and start fresh with vows to be a better person, whether or not religion is involved.
By FRANCESCA CHU
This summer, math teacher Steve Weissburg and science teacher Carlan Gray traveled to Georgia, a small country bordering the Black Sea and Russia. They were there for a little more than a month as consultants for the International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX), a nonprofit organization that works on international education. Steve and Ms. Gray each designed 24-hour training programs for Georgian teachers to help revamp their education system, much of which has been carried over from the Soviet era. They worked on these projects eight hours per weekday in Tbilisi, Georgia’s capital, with Georgian consultants as their partners. They also found time to travel to several locations in Georgia and learn about the many unique aspects of Georgian culture. Francesca Chu ’18: What different locations did you visit? Carlan Gray: The first weekend we were there, we went to Kazbegi. Kazbegi is very northern and if you Google it, you’ll see it’s got a pretty famous— Steve Weissburg: —monastery— CG: —up on a mountain. SW: And then we went to Kaheti— CG: —which is the wine region— SW: —near Azerbaijan, and we went to Borjomi, the famous springs. Oh, and we were in Tbilisi, which is pretty interesting in its own right. CG: We stayed right in the center of Tbilisi in this place called Freedom Square, which is relatively new since 2008, because Georgia was at war with Russia. And so there are a lot of really new structures that are a byproduct of post-war building, but you also have buildings that have been there for hundreds and hundreds of years. And there’s no zoning—it’s just kind of all together, and there’s sort of this post-Soviet feeling to buildings that are unfinished. SW: But then some of the old Tbilisi, it just sort of feels sort of old and European, I guess. CG: So, we lived in a hotel and we sort of worked out of the hotel and we worked out of the teacher professional development center for the whole country of Georgia. FC: In general, how were you received as Americans? SW: People were really nice to us. They like Americans. CG: Yeah, I think it was hard to come in and pretend like you were an expert in anything, but it’s a very kind, welcoming culture and people. And so I think it was a little more disconcerting going home back through Turkey because we were there at the time of the coup and the bomb in Istanbul—and we got offered to be rerouted. We all came home through Istanbul, and we all kept the reservations just because it seemed to make sense. SW: Georgians are very hospitable, because of their geography. Basically, they’ve been invaded by everyone: the Ottomans, Persians, Russians; so they’re pretty accepting of other cultures. CG: But I think the alphabet and the language thing, that was a huge challenge. I mean, the alphabet isn’t even something that—like, Steve was good about learning his alphabet—but... SW: Yeah, but I’m forgetting it. CONTINUED ON PAGE 17
THE TATTLER • OCTOBER 2016 • ihstattler.com
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Hall Monitor By FIONA BOTZ
What are you grateful for?
“I’m grateful for my dog because he is a really good listener and he gives really good hugs.” — Hannah Zimar ’17
“I’m grateful for my mother. I’m grateful for education. And I’m grateful for true friends.” — Tyriah Mccoy ’19
“I’m grateful to have people I can trust.” — William Rendleman ’19
“My mustache.” — Micaela Moravek ’17
“My parents.” — Jamar Nembhard ’18
“I’m grateful for my friends, family, and wonderful teammates.” — Grace Wolczanski ’17
“I’m grateful that I have really good teachers this year and that I feel like it’s going to be a good year.” — Mira Driskell ’19
“I’m grateful for my family.” — Ben Gutchess ’18
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THE TATTLER • OCTOBER 2016 • ihstattler.com
That Sounds Like a You Problem
Tips for the College Application Process By ABBY KATZ
Q: Hi Abby. I’m a senior, and I’m starting to get really stressed about the whole college application process. I’ve barely looked at the Common App and to be honest I don’t even have a good sense of where I want to apply yet. I don’t know where to start! Any advice? Signed, Hyperventilating in H-Courtyard
A: Hi Hyperventilating! Good question. The first thing you should know is that Application Season is a stressful time for everyone, so you’re not alone. Despite this, it’s important that you repress your feelings whenever possible. Not only will this give you the appearance of having everything figured out, but it’ll also give you the opportunity to make the students around you feel even worse about their own uncertainty and lack of progress on their applications! Project your insecurities onto other people; this will allow you to distract yourself as you descend deeper and deeper into the pit of denial you’ve constructed. It’s also a great way to make friends. Once you’ve gone through these first few crucial steps, it’s time to start your actual application. If you’re not sure where you want to go yet, that’s fine; just add every prestigious school you can think of to your list. The more the merrier—I’d recommend googling “50 most selective colleges in America” and then applying to every single institution on that list. Don’t bother adding any safety schools; that is a waste of time and ultimately meaningless. I can assure that you’ll be fine without them. Obviously, one of the most important parts of your application is the essay. I’m sure you’ve already heard all about what not to write; every online article on the subject will tell you to avoid clichés like winning the big game, wanting to be a doctor after a loved one got sick, or how some celebrity is your personal hero. All of those topics are incredibly overdone. Clichés are like negative numbers, though—they cancel out. So pack as many cheesy ideas into 650 words as possible. Take all of the suggestions above, for example, and mash them up into one giant orgy of an inspirational anecdote. Bonus points if this anecdote happens to take place on the same day as your bar mitzvah. If your essay is too long and you’re having trouble shortening it, just go through the entire thing deleting every third word. This speeds up the revising process tremendously, and will undoubtedly result in every college hailing you as a creative visionary. As far as supplemental essays go, there’s really no reason to take them seriously. Every school’s prompts are slightly different, but they’re similar enough that you can get away with copying and pasting the same generic diatribe into each one. The only thing that you need to change for each application is the name of the school—make sure you write “Harvard” on your Yale app and “Yale” on your Harvard app. Admissions staff love it when prospective students play hard to get, so this will really give you an edge. The final step to consider during this process is getting letters of recommendation. If you haven’t talked to any teachers about this part of your application yet, don’t worry. In fact, bringing it up this early in the year just makes you seem overzealous and obnoxious. Nobody likes that kid. In order to seem as laid-back as possible, don’t ask teachers for letters until your deadline is less than a week away. For additional points, feel free to actually draft the letter yourself and then just give it to your recommenders to refine. After all, you wouldn’t want a college to know what your teachers actually think of you, now would you? If you carefully follow these guidelines, your application process will be a breeze. You’re welcome. —Abby
“TEACHER FEATURE” CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13
really admire writers, but having been in that world for a long time, I realized that there are a lot of jerks, that most of the writers I meet, especially those that are famous, are not the nicest people. But farmers are really great people. So now I have a new hope and a new cohort of heroes. CW: Finally, do you have any advice for young writers? RH: I really have a tough time answering that question. Because it’s like all the arts. It’s a wonderful art, but it’s a terrible profession. The professional end of it, like getting published, getting agents, getting money, is really awful stuff that I still have no handle on. So, first thing is you have to give up control of all of that. Try and forget about it and just write your story. Like, I have two novels written and I’ve shown them to people, and usually what agents do is say “Oh yeah yeah, I’ll
read them,” and then you’ll never hear from them again. And that’s how miserable it is, they won’t even respond. It’s a pretty lonely business. So I guess my advice is that if you have some story to tell, just write it, finish it, and work on it until it’s really nice and clean. The only real advice I can give for the business end of it is that there’s someone you have to meet that will help you. It’s been my experience that there’s some sort of magic to books, and that eventually if there’s a reason for them to be published they will, and somebody’s going to come along. So if you’re really interested in trying to get published, you really have to meet people. But most of the people who write are really inspired by writers so they’ll meet a writer and those connections in the end are really good. Mr. Horan currently teaches Honors English 9 and AP English Literature and Composition here at IHS.
‘GEORGIA TRIP” CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14
IMAGE BY CARLAN GRAY
FC: Georgia has had recent conflicts with Russia and some of its ethnically distinct regions, such as Abkhazia. Did you notice any signs of this political turmoil? SW: I mean, there isn’t really political turmoil now, but a lot of people expressed frustration that they still have two regions that have been occupied by Russia since 2008. CG: And when we were down on the border by Azerbaijan, they were saying, “Oh yeah, Azerbaijanis are still occupying some of the Georgian churches,” and so it’s a place in the world where borders seem to be— SW: —yeah, a little fluid— CG: Fluid, and disputed. Not in a wartime way, but there’s just a constant border dispute in every place you go. SW: It’s all so old and culturally diverse that pretty much everyone can point to a piece of land and say, “Yeah, my people lived here a thousand years ago.”
Carlan Gray in front of the Gergeti Trinity Church.
FC: What was the most striking cultural difference you noticed? CG: There were a couple that stood out to me. Smoking is still really important, and smoking everywhere and in enclosed spaces. SW: Yeah, people smoked a lot in restaurants and that was a bad thing. But I would maybe say their open-mindedness to other cultures. There are lots of Russian tourists, there are lots more Russian tourists than American tourists, and they were just invaded by Russia eight years ago. CG: And they’re not mean or sad or bitter about it—they’re just like— SW: —“There’s the Russians, they invaded
FEATURES
us; there’s some Turks, they invaded us.” CG: Yeah, their kindness and acceptance toward everyone [stood out] and there’s not a place in the world that I can imagine has been that invaded and that accepting of all people still. But yeah, I think on a very basic level, there were some things that were very different, like the smoking thing. But on the larger, more important level, it was just a pervasive kindness of the people that you don’t really get a sense of here. SW: They definitely have a food culture, I would say. CG: A food and wine culture.
FC: Can you tell me more about the food? SW: So, they have lots of really great vegetables—the tomatoes were amazing—and they’re really into bread. CG: They’re really into bread. They make these things called khinkali, which are like dumplings, and you fill them with all kinds of things, and they’re huge. They make khachapuri, which is this— SW: —bread with cheese. CG: It’s like a prenatal pizza kind of thing, [and] there’s a lot of meat on a stick kind of situations.... SW: One thing is, if you go to a Georgian restaurant, you can’t really just order a meal. CG: Everything’s family style, so you have to go with a group, and everybody eats out of everybody’s dish.
FC: What was the highlight of your trip? CG: Well, for me, it was definitely the people we were working with—sort of the group that we had of Americans, and just the little adventures we’d have on the weekends. And it was a very nice, fun group of people, and they all had amazing life experiences. Three of them, including Steve, had been in the Peace Corps, and one of them had been in the military. SW: I felt like they were all superheroes and everyone had different powers—so, yeah, that was definitely a highlight. And I got along well with my counterpart too. I really liked him and in fact, we still email each other. Afterwards, I went to this remote region of the country, and that was pretty fun, too. It was like going back to the Middle Ages, basically. Everyone just gets around with oxen and horses, and so that was pretty cool. And they didn’t even speak Georgian there—they spoke another language that was beyond incomprehensible to me. FC: Do you have any last thoughts about your experience? CG: I guess I would say that in retrospect, from a lot of the experiences that I’ve had as a teacher, that most of the really amazing
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IMAGE BY CARLAN GRAY
THE TATTLER • OCTOBER 2016 • ihstattler.com
Steve learns some Georgian phrases.
ones that I’ve had have been from a global experience. So, traveling with students, or working with teachers from different places, I think you learn the most about yourself and the most about teaching and learning when you’re in that kind of context. It just sort of extended my thinking about that already. I had already kind of known that international trips and thinking about what’s going on outside of this building have always been really important, but it just makes that all the more real and meaningful. And I think it’s important for kids to have that experience too, so I want to think about how to continue to provide that for myself, but also how to do that for students. And thinking about your education as kind of more than what happens in a classroom, I think, is probably my takeaway from that. SW: Yeah, I would agree. You always learn stuff when you travel. To me, what was interesting also was just how diverse and different it was. And a lot of those people didn’t necessarily have a lot in a material way, but they still had a lot of richness to their life, so it’s kind of nice to be able, on some level, to experience it and partake in it. It makes you able to have a little perspective when you get back to your work. It was also a good experience to be in a room with people who were all really intimidating and smart and capable. Probably all of us, at some secret point, were like, “Why am I here? Everyone knows more than me. They made a mistake.” CG: But it also makes you realize that what you do have to offer is valuable and important and that there is something that you can offer people, whatever that may be. Even if it’s just inappropriate humor.
New Faculty at IHS:
What are your goals or hopes for this year? By VAYNU KADIYALI and DAVID SHENG
Karen Jordan, ESOL: I look forward to learning about the unique backgrounds of my students. I hope to facilitate the acquisition of the English language while inspiring my students' hearts and minds to open to life's experiences.
David Turner, Science: My goal is to blow up all the things that should explode and not blow up anything that shouldn't explode. FOR SCIENCE!!
Robert Greer, Science: As a new teacher, one of my goals is to find ways to connect myself within the community of Ithaca and IHS. I want to build positive relationships with students while also allowing them to have opportunities to build relationships with each other in the classroom. I also hope to make the exploration of biology fun and exciting both inside and, at times, outside of the classroom. By the end of the school year I want my students to have the ability and motivation to interact with science topics that relate to their lives, a skill they can take with them going forward through high school and beyond.
Richard Horan, English: I am hoping to connect with students and to offer them relevant and singular art and ideas that will embolden and inspire them along their journeys through life.
Crystal Sessoms, Associate Principal of Freshmen: My goal as Associate Principal is to work with the freshman class and their teachers to adjust to the change in culture at the high school. It’s a change in mindset and environment, and they need support in this process. I look forward to getting to know this class of students, and I hope to make their adjustment smoother in any way possible!
Bill Makin, Orchestra: My goal would be to create a program that students are excited about and furthermore want to be a part of.
Eva Heffner, Counselor: My main goal for this year is to meet every one of my students and help create an ideal educational plan for them. I hope to explore this school and to embrace its culture, as well as to get to know teachers and students.
Aeriana Cederstrom, Spanish: My goal is to successfully communicate with students and families through the use of the Internet. I hope to take advantage of the technology at our disposal, such as Google Classroom and virtual assignments; I want this to increase the organization of my students and my classroom.
Amanda Blake, Math: My goals for this year are to build a strong rapport with all of my students and for all of them to be successful in my classes. And my hope for this year is that we actually have snow days, unlike last year, because who doesn't like snow days?
Kamela Willett, Medical: I came back to the high school from Boynton Middle School after being there for two years. My goal this year is to re-establish my connection with the students I worked with while at IHS, and continue my connection with the freshmen coming from Boynton.
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THE TATTLER • OCTOBER 2016 • ihstattler.com
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“There was some little magic chemistry that happened between us that seems to appeal to each generation as it comes up,” George Harrison once said.
The Beatles: Eight Days a Week A Movie Review By AMALIA WALKER
The Beatles: Eight Days a Week—The Touring Years, named, of course, after the classic early Beatles song, follows the band through its four-year touring period during which it defied all standards of fame, captivating an entire generation of teenagers and inadvertently driving them mad. Footage of seemingly psychotic girls nearly dominated the film, never failing to trigger laughter, increasingly so as it became clear that these girls dominated the era as well. I wondered, based on the demographics of the film’s audience at its Cinemapolis screening, if some of the uncomfortable laughter may have been coming from audience members seeing themselves on the screen screaming, crying, and/or passed out. Images of Beatlemaniacs are not too hard to come by, but such extensive footage is. Combined with the sheer masses that emerged whenever there was a chance of seeing a Beatle from a mile away, the intense feelings people had for the lads could not have been clearer. It’s difficult to comprehend. It’s unlikely that so many people have ever been, or will ever be, so passionately united around any one cultural phenomenon. The film backs the notion that much of this madness is attributable to the charisma of the group: “There was some little magic chemistry that happened between us that seems to appeal to each generation as it comes up,” George Harrison reflects. If you know anything about the Beatles, you probably know they stopped touring well before their breakup. Performing “A Day in the Life” live wouldn’t be doable, let alone do it justice, whereas “Twist and Shout” and “Help,” for example, evolved directly out of the shows the band had perfected in the clubs of Liverpool and Hamburg where they got their start. Their studio experimentation could not have been replicated on the stage. Of course, it wasn’t that the Fab Four didn’t perform because their new material couldn’t be performed. Their decision to stop performing allowed for their shift away from their simpler, Buddy Holly–esque love songs, first evident in Rubber Soul (1965). Their
new material was revolutionary; their themes and sound far more complex. This was also in part due to their increasing drug intake, but their increased studio time and absence of a 24/7 touring schedule (and accompanying hysterical fans) should be credited. The Beatles’ need to retreat from the crazy touring schedule and wild groupies was a necessary condition for their more creative studio work. According to The Beatles: Eight Days a Week, it was George who introduced and pressed for the reality check that they couldn’t go on touring forever. The music wasn’t being heard. It had become a circus, a freak show starring the audience. Their venues were getting bigger and bigger, peaking at Shea Stadium in New York City in 1965 with an audience of 55,600. Thirty remarkable minutes of this show are featured following the documentary—specially designed 100-watt amps were made for the concert, but they weren’t nearly loud enough, especially over the screaming crowds. Again, the music, literally, just wasn’t being heard. In an archived interview with George, he says, “We were normal and the rest of the world was crazy.” The documentary certainly supports his claim; it’s far easier to identify with the overwhelmed young men than the girls who act as if serious tragedy has befallen them. The Beatles didn’t really understand what was going on: John said, “I always like singing ‘Help!’ because I meant it; it’s real.” Director Ron Howard succeeded in showing us the Beatles through time. Though its production by Apple Corps, a corporation founded by and loyal to the Beatles, likely skewed Eight Days a Week in favor of the boys, it’s the memory we want to have, and no one is complaining. He appealed to people across generations, like the Beatles have. He took us on the emotional ride that the Beatles endured for four years, the ride that paved the way for four more years of revolutionary staples in the history of music. They couldn’t “go on forever as four clean little moptops saying ‘she loves you,’” but we love them that way too.
THE TATTLER • OCTOBER 2016 • ihstattler.com
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Porchfest: Ten Years of Music in the Streets By SOPHIE WRAY kids and the animals enjoy Porchfest as much as everyone else. You get to see kids dancing and playing during the festivities, bringing back memories of when I would do the same thing. The streets are blocked off by crowds of people, roadblocks, or bands playing in the middle of the street, allowing for a fun and safe environment. I’ve learned that you can never expect what will come out of any Porchfest. Each year has a personality of its own, and this year there were several moments that made the festival unique. An especially interesting moment from the weekend was seeing two women going porch-to-porch performing interpretive dances. Another major highlight from this year was getting to listen to music from the Gunpoets’ newest album, Bombs Away. Porchfest is a great opportunity for groups to perform their new music and gives people unique experiences every year. IMAGE PROVIDED
Every year since 2007, people from all over Ithaca have come down to the usually quiet neighborhood of Fall Creek to listen to great local bands, dance, and mingle with their neighbors. This year was the tenth annual Porchfest in Ithaca and it was bigger and better than ever, with more bands, more people, and more street art. There were 185 local artists, allowing for huge variety in genre and spirit. There were upbeat rock ‘n’ roll bands just porches away from slow and folksy ones. Some were big names of the region, like the Gunpoets, while others seemed more impromptu and free-spirited. Fall Creek’s energy, usually mellow and quiet, lit up for the day. Each street was filled with something new to see and there’s a different sound every corner you turn. Porchfest isn’t limited to front porches; people set up to play in parks, front lawns, and even in the middle of the street! Not only is the music great, but the recent addition of food trucks to the truly special Ithacan event brought equally enjoyable refreshments. Popcorn, lemonade, and cookie vendors also made their way through the crowds or set up in yards to sell their snacks. Growing up in Fall Creek, I have had the opportunity to see Porchfest after Porchfest unfold. It’s such a personal event in that one is able to walk around with their friends, neighbors, and family, or even see them perform alongside other familiar faces. Each year has been different and never lacking in excitement. According to porchfest. org, there are over 60 cities in the U.S. and Canada that host similar events, but it all started here, in our very own town. As usual, Ithaca has proved to be an innovative and creative trendsetter. Though every Porchfest is different, some things will always stay the same. I always love seeing the streets crowded with people with dogs and their little kids running around. You can tell that the
Porchfest serves as a conclusion to a summer full of fun, free music events, like the CFCU Summer Concert Series on the Commons and Saturdays at Taughannock Park. It wraps the carefree nature of an Ithacan summer into one last Sunday, serving as the final hurrah before locals go into hibernation.
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THE TATTLER • OCTOBER 2016 • ihstattler.com
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Swiss Army Man Review By ISAIAH GUTMAN
“[Radcliffe] really does pull off being a corpse.”
This summer was a severe disappointment in the world of blockbuster films. While many were surrounded by major hype, none of them seemed to live up to expectations. Of the many films I saw this summer, one in particular stood out to me. It was not a cynical, made-for-money movie like Suicide Squad or Independence Day: Resurgence; this one was different. When I walked into Swiss Army Man, I didn’t really know what to expect. I had heard contrasting reports, from it being dubbed the “farting corpse movie,” to being boldly labelled the best movie of the year. After seeing the film, I affirm that both are true. While it may include more than its share of crude humor, it has messages that linger for a while after seeing the movie. The sheer humanity on display in this quirky picture is very impressive, and the ambiguity of much of the film only adds to the intrigue. The premise of Swiss Army Man is fairly straightforward. A man stranded alone on an island thinks of ending his life. While in the process of preparing for his death, he sees a corpse, played by Daniel Radcliffe, wash ashore. What ensues is an extremely humorous and yet deeply introspective journey to reach humanity once again. There were scenes when the entire audience was bursting with laughter and others where sniffles could be heard. The movie can best be described as a transformative cinematic experience; one that needs to be seen multiple times to both understand the more intricate bits of humor and similarly to better grasp the fine points of the social commentary. It may come as a slight shock to see Daniel Radcliffe in a movie of this kind, as he is, of course, better known for much higher-profile and less solemn projects. That said, he really does pull off be-
ing a corpse. Radcliffe additionally has great comedic timing in his role unlike in those he has had before. Paul Dano, who plays Hank, the main character, captures the essence of a man separated mentally from society, portraying an essentially crazy character and making him seem very relatable. The acting is not the best part of the film, but Dano and Radcliffe make their respective characters seem believable, or at least as believable as a moving corpse can be. The real strength of the movie stems not from the acting but from the vision of the directors. The film was helmed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, better known collectively as the Daniels. They are most known for the viral “Turn Down For What” music video, which was as wonderfully weird as Swiss Army Man. The film truly is quite odd, but does not get hurt too badly from its quirks, as it fully embraces its oddity and quality of out-thereness. This movie is overall a work of cinematic genius for its ability to combine humor with deep contemplation on aspects of human society, while making this highly unlikely scenario relatable to the viewer. It’s not every day that you can get a laugh from a situation of this intensity and pure despair; this is one of the best reasons to see Swiss Army Man. If you can’t follow a complex plot, this movie may not be for you. There are several instances in which you have to stop and think about what just happened, but for me this just makes it better. Add the underlying commentary about acceptance and the purpose of life, along with a heaping of humor, and you have yourself a film for the ages, or at least a defining film of 2016. Swiss Army Man is definitely worth seeing.
THE TATTLER • OCTOBER 2016 • ihstattler.com
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The Get Down: A Review By CHLOE WRAY
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The Get Down is the Bronx in 1978. Suddenly you are there, walking past graffiti-covered trains, singing along to disco tunes, dancing down the street. You pass vibrant neighborhoods, riddled with crime. A few blocks away, plumes of smoke rise above the rooftops. Landlords are paying to have their buildings burnt, collecting more in insurance than they do in rent. Drugs are everywhere and drug dealers are idols. The Bronx is suffering, and politicians are more invested in the borough’s voting potential than in aiding the people in the fight against poverty. Yet in the midst of this plight, the Bronx lives in music and art. It’s 1978 and soul, punk, and hip hop are colliding.
This period piece seamlessly addresses a multitude of problems, weaves them together, and offers music as the solution. Music has the power to speak for a culture, a generation, and an attitude. The Get Down offers diversity in the styles of music featured and the problems that each represents. For Mylene, disco offers an escape from the Bronx. Her angelic voice has the potential to give rise to endless opportunities as long as her father, a priest, doesn’t crush her dreams, preaching disco as the devil’s music. Mylene represents the clash between the young and old, and the commitment of the younger generation to a better future. Zeke starts out rather apathetic, but Mylene’s ambition inspires him to pursue rap and to stand up and showcase his talents, not hold himself back with doubt. While his initial mentality embodied that of many at the time, who thought nothing could be done to save the Bronx and were unwilling to fight for improvement, Zeke’s rap evolves into something political and revolutionary. Dizzee is a graffiti artist involved in the punk scene, and represents the need for self-expression despite the pressure of officials to end graffiti. The problems facing the Bronx were just as multifaceted as the music scene in the late 70s, and the two become incredibly intertwined in The Get Down. With a relevant and cohesive plot, The Get Down is characteristic of most Netflix Originals. The show’s creation by Baz Luhrmann comes as an added bonus; Luhrmann is known for his extravagant style in films like The Great Gatsby, Moulin Rouge!, and Romeo + Juliet, yet the Bronx is not exactly known for its decadence. Nonetheless, his vision is apparent in the tasteful romance he brings to the Bronx through costumes and sets. He contrasts run-down apartments and dirty streets with extraordinary clothing, bringing color and charm to the characters. He has created a show through a creative lens, allowing viewers to see the best of the Bronx. The vibrance of the period is clear, and through Luhrmann’s emphasis on the arts, he shows hope for the neglected borough.
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A Blonde Bombshell By IAN WILKIE TOMASIK
After the memes, the waiting, and the almost complete obscurity of Frank Ocean’s plans as an artist, Blonde is finally here. Ocean is one of the least understood artists of our generation. He takes pride in his privacy from the press and the public. After the massive commercial success of his 2012 album Channel Orange, featuring sprawling melodies, full instrumental sections, and well-handled interludes, many of us wondered how he could improve coming into his sophomore commercial release. Ocean has kept fans in the dark for the better part of four years. But now, a visual album, a magazine, and finally Blonde are all here. Let’s get into it. The album starts out with a driving Drake-esque 808 beat on “Nikes.” An autotuned Ocean enters the track. Many of the lyrics are snippets of his thoughts or ideas on various subjects. Ocean laces the song with references to the murders of Trayvon Martin, A$AP Yams, and the death of Pimp C, along with personal stories that are neither here nor there. This opening track is disjointed; the lyrics seem like snippets of unrelated ideas thrown together. Also, the lengthy autotuned section could be a turnoff. Despite the lackluster opening track, the album ramps up with the song “Ivy.” This dreamy love song is pure sonic pleasure. The rhythmic guitars on the track provides structure that “Nikes” lacks. Next is “Pink and White.” The instrumentation chosen for the beat takes me to a tropical vacation. The track is focused and well-executed, and its aesthetic is super sweet, with Beyoncé on vocal backups. These two songs are highlights, and are among the more accessible tracks for those who are not already Frank Ocean fans. However, accessibility is not a trait that defines the album as a whole. Towards the middle of the album, the tracks move in a deeply personal direction. “Solo” and “Self Control” are the two most personally revealing songs on the album. Personally, these songs serve as catalysts for reflection in my own life. They demand regard for the lyrics. The lyrics of “Solo” reveal much of Ocean’s struggle with both his artistry and his sexuality. “Self Control” features autotuned vocals from Austin Feinstein and later from Yung Lean, a Swedish internet rap success. The recurring lyric “Keep a place for me” is particularly moving, and the autotune on this track is far better executed than that on “Nikes” due to a more convincing blend with the instrumentation. Next on the highlight reel is “Nights.” This track is popular because of its upbeat beginning; however, “Nights” has lyrics fragmented in a manner similar to those in “Nikes.” Then we’re treated to the “Solo (Reprise),” which features an astounding verse from André 3000. As the album comes to an end, the tracks get more and more ethereal. Tracks such as “White Ferrari” and “Seigfried” are some of the most low-key on the entire album. It’s true, this type of track may test the patience of even longtime Ocean fans simply due to the fact that sonically there is not a lot going on. The lyrics are slow; the instrumentation is sparse. One really has to be in a certain mood to appreciate these songs, but I think they’re an appropriate wrap-up to this laid-back album. Overall, Frank Ocean has crafted his most personal, sensational, and enjoyable record yet. It sacrifices the grandeur of production for which Channel Orange is renowned in favor of a more subtle sublime taste. Simply due to the low-key nature of the project, I don’t think he will be gaining many new fans off this release, but those who are already committed are in for a treat.
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THE TATTLER • OCTOBER 2016 • ihstattler.com
Odin’s Finest: A Viking Metal Playlist By LUC WETHERBEE Viking metal has been, for most of my experience with metal as a whole, one of my favorite genres of metal ever. Typically it consists of folk, power, death, and black metal, with common lyrical themes being war, glory, Norse mythology, and (sometimes) alcohol. However, some “Viking” metal bands lean more towards Celtic culture, mythology and history, or that of other pagan folks. I assume most of you have not dabbled in Viking metal. Generally, heavy metal is not one of the most accessible genres, so I hope to give everyone a taste of metal glory. Whether you want to power through your homework or hype yourself up for some exercise, Viking metal is the way to go. Give this stuff a try; though it definitely isn’t for everyone, I’m sure at least some of you will love it.
“Eldhjärta” (Fireheart): Grimner “Jag skall aldrig ge vika, här står jag fast och i hjärtat brinner elden vilt.” (“And I will never waver, here I stand fast and in my heart the fire wildly burns.”) Named for one of Odin’s many disguises, Sweden’s Grimner is deeply engrossed in the glory and pride of Viking culture. Though “Eldhjärta” is easily their most popular song, they have been quite prolific this year. Even from the intro, this song is groovy and enjoyable, with a clean and harsh vocalist and gorgeous folk instrumentals. “Trollhammaren” (The Troll Hammer): Finntroll “Trollhammaren! Svepen igen! Hugga ned, broder igen!” (“The troll hammer sweeps again! Chop down, brother again!”) Finntroll is a charmingly weird band. Though they are from Finland, their lyrics are in Swedish for a more troll-like effect. They use a Finnish style of polka in their upbeat death metal songs to create what the band affectionately calls “trollish hoedown metal.” Finntroll is always fun to listen to, and the intro to “Troll-
hammaren,” especially, is excellent.
“Fields of Gold”: Turisas “Firmly we keep our course, fighting through fields of gold!” Named for a Finnish war god, Turisas is about as immersed in Viking metal glory as they come (seriously, Google them and check out that war paint). They expertly combine power metal and death metal with orchestral elements to form epic songs like “Fields of Gold.” This song inspires us to never give up in the game of life as we all move forward.
“Hold the Heathen Hammer High”: Týr “Heathen heart! Pagan pride! Faring far! Sword by side!” Týr is named for the Norse god of war, law, and glory. The members hail from the Faroe Islands, which is an archipelago between Norway and Iceland and an autonomous country of Denmark. Faroese culture mixes those of the Celts and Norse, and Týr’s “Hold the Heathen Hammer High” is a song of ancestral pride. They have a style more like power metal, with clean guitars and vocals, and lots of swords and pagans. “For Those Who Died”: Brymir “By their valor we’ll light up the stars with the fire they held in their hearts!” Brymir is a lesser-known band that I absolutely adore. They formed their band in a music summer camp and have covered other Viking metal songs, though recently they’ve taken their band more seriously and have released some original stuff. “For Those Who Died” is a song in honor of those who died in battle, asking everyone still alive to remember the names of the fallen as they go forth to Valhalla, the hall of the slain. “Odin’s embrace, Valhalla awaits!”
“March of Conquest”: SuidAkrA “Relentless, fearless, battle-scarred, to the south the legion marched.” This song is unlike most within its genre, because instead of talking about pagan cultures, it is about the (Christian) Roman Empire. Some other bands, like the next one on this list, have songs about
the oppression of pagan groups by the Romans. This is one such song. The lyrics ironically glorify the brutality committed by Roman soldiers in regions such as Gaul. In addition to this subtle meaning, the harmonies in the song are interesting and the changes in tempo are excellent. “From Darkness”: Eluveitie “The day is born from the night; on the third night of Samon the year is born.” Eluveitie beautifully incorporates multiple folk instruments into their brand of death metal, drawing on Gallic history and religion in their lyrics. “From Darkness” is about an interesting aspect of the religion in Gaul: unlike most groups, the Gauls believed that the night came before the day. The darkness of night and the light of the moon are very important in Gallic faith, as opposed to the reverence of the sun in other religions. Just listen to the flute and violin solos! “In My Sword I Trust”: Ensiferum “Tyrants and cowards, for metal you will kneel! In my sword I trust!” A great Viking metal anthem, “In My Sword I Trust” is among Ensiferum’s greatest. They are one of the most famous bands of the genre, and their combination of power, death, and folk metal attracts listeners from all parts of the metal community. The lyrics are powerful and inspiring, but unlike many other bands, they are easy to understand the first time through. I highly recommend Ensiferum as one of the big names in Viking metal.
“Soil of the Corpse”: Korpiklaani “I’ll throw soil in your spirits; you are to taste the might of death!” Korpiklaani is a lightweight folk metal band compared to most others in this playlist. They are typically very upbeat and happy in their style and musical themes. “Soil of the Corpse” is about a Finnish tradition in which people in need of money make a deal with the devil. The devil tells them that they have to curse people by throwing graveyard soil into their drinks, driving them to insanity or killing them. Spooky, yet very fun.
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THE TATTLER • OCTOBER 2016 • ihstattler.com
The Iris Flowers of Hori Kiri, Tokio, by Theodore Wores.
JapanAmerica at the Johnson By JULIA LUNA
Have you ever stared at something and noticed that it is not quite right? Like you weren’t sure if the frame was crooked or if it was just the photograph itself; you are nearly certain it’s the photograph, but you are not convinced. Certain yet perplexed is exactly how you will feel going to the current JapanAmerica exhibition at the Johnson Museum of Art. Certain that something is either Japanese or American, perplexed because it is both. After the opening of Japan in the late 19th century, the Western world fell into a dizzying “Japan Craze,” or Japonism. Everything Japanese was a source of inspiration to both artists and commoners alike. Westerners, beginning in Europe and spreading to America, were fascinated in two very different ways by Japanese art and culture. Some thought the exoticism of Japan served to reinforce Western customs and values. Others, such as the avant-garde, looked at Japanese art and customs as unconventional and thus innovative. Nonetheless, this cozy yet cataclysmic mix created very interesting hybrids. While American artists longed to produce Japanese art, Japanese artists seemed to send us a pat on the back by making their art just a touch Western. The effects that Japonism had on people and art are bizarre and fascinating. For example, many American women would request their portraits to be done in the Japanese style. Women would dress up in kimonos and style their hair and pose with stereotypically Japanese items such as tea sets and pottery. Imagine you, an American woman, absolutely dying to show your guests a portrait of you in a kimono, or you and all your sisters in kimonos, as is the case with one piece in the exhibition. The melange truly becomes chaotic when Japonism mixes with art deco and you get decorative pieces of stark silver and gold bamboo shoots that attempt at delicacy, yet are unmistakably brash. The Americans
also tried to emulate the Japanese tradition of tranquil, remote nature motifs. In this category, I recommend The Iris Flowers of Hori Kiri, Tokio, by Theodore Wores, or A Cup of Tea by Charles Pearce. These are some of the few American paintings in the exhibit that truly translate such feelings. My personal favorite were pieces, such as posters, pamphlets, and paintings, inspired by the ukiyo-e prints. Ukiyo-e are Japanese woodblock prints often depicting nature or pleasures such as geishas and sumos. The Impressionists and other artists sought to imitate the bold lines, two-dimensional quality, and rich color of these prints in their art as a way to break from tradition. While very different from the Japanese ukiyo-e prints, the American pieces, such as Mary Cassatt’s Peasant Mother and Child and the black and white commercial magazines, are quite interesting and beautiful. If you do see the exhibit, there is a game I recommend you play called “American or Japanese.” It is simple: look at the painting, drawing, or decorative piece and guess its origin: America or Japan? You will probably guess right in most instances. It is fascinating that while American art is trying to emulate Japanese, it is still very obviously American, and vice versa. To compare, many original, non-Westernized Japanese pieces can be found on the lower floor of the museum. These pieces offer infinitesimal detail and tranquility that Americans so longed for in their own pieces, which can also allow you to see the difference in Japanese art that caters to Western tastes. This exhibit is definitely worth seeing, as it sheds light on an often-forgotten American trend. From an artistic point of view, it is an absolutely one-of-a-kind interaction between two very different artistic cultures coming together to create unique and visually rare pieces of art.
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THE TATTLER • OCTOBER 2016 • ihstattler.com
SPORTS
Four 2016-17 NBA MVP Underdogs By VAYNU KADIYALI While we are a month away from the upcoming NBA season, analysts have already begun determining the frontrunners for the league’s MVP race. LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Russell Westbrook lead the odds, and for good reason. Also in the mix are the talented trio of Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant, and Anthony Davis. It is evident, however, that many top talents are being discredited due to slight flaws in their game. Here are four sensational players who are being overlooked.
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Damian Lillard Lillard is a clear fan favorite, a supreme but highly underrated talent. He has the likeable mentality of an underdog, consistently striving off of the notion that others undervalue him. This was demonstrated when the league didn’t include him in the 2016 AllStar Game and he responded by putting up a dominant 28 points per game (PPG) after the All-Star break and by making the allNBA Second Team over many Western All-Stars. This was also demonstrated when star LaMarcus Aldridge left Damian Lillard and the failed Trail Blazers bench for the Spurs, and Lillard responded by still making the playoffs and—like Aldridge’s team— getting eliminated in the second round. Now, we can only dream of what’s in store for the Trail Blazers and Lillard next season. With a better bench after free agency and with this year’s Most Improved Player C. J. McCollum to start and score voluminously alongside Lillard, the team is poised for success. If Lillard can channel his motivation and his uplifting story into upping his PPG by three or four and having more buzzer-beating and clutch moments, he should be a clear contender for the MVP.
Get out your raincoats; it’s about to start raining threes.
James Harden After having to carry a Houston Rockets team with huge Dwight Howard–related chemistry problems to a .500 win season and a disappointing playoff finish, scoring superstar James Harden
returns with a grossly overpaid but nonetheless revamped supporting cast. His odds next year depend on whether he gets an improved version of this year. If he can replicate or increase his insane 29-points-per-game scoring, maintain his perfect gamesplayed record, and focus on improving his abysmal defense during this offseason, he may have a chance—Harden is already a top-10 talent, known for being an entertainer and fan favorite. Harden proved this season that he can lead his team with stunning statistics, and if the Rockets can secure a top third or fourth seed with him in command, don’t be surprised to see Harden and his beard once again in MVP contention. Kyrie Irving Irving has been playing the last two seasons under the shadow of LeBron James, without whom many critics believe the Cavaliers wouldn’t have made it as a top-tier team in the east. However, Irving disproved all criticisms after playing beautifully in the NBA Finals alongside LeBron, and was easily the second-best player on the court at all times. His status as one of the league’s best finishers, shooters, and ball handlers is no longer contested, and his incredible resume at only the age of 24 shows that he is built to succeed the LeBron era in Cleveland. After also proving his worth as a starter on the gold-medal-garnering U.S. Men’s Basketball team, there is every reason to believe that Irving will come back to the next NBA season with his eye on the prize. Honestly, it will just take him upping his PPG and establishing himself as the Cavaliers’ best regular season scoring option, leading his team to five to 10 more regular-season wins, and making consistent crossovers and buzzer-beating plays, to contend for the MVP.
Paul George After the shrewd offseason moves orchestrated by the Indiana Pacers, they will emerge as a rising power in the Eastern Conference with superstar Paul George in the lead. George is already the second-best player in the East; he is among the top 10 offensive players in the league right now as well as one of the most talented perimeter defenders. Doubters seem to have forgotten what George has gone through and underestimate what he is capable of. After overcoming an injury that would have left most players unable to ever play competitively again, George proved that he was alive and well last year. In nearly upsetting the Raptors in the playoffs, he showed that he would stop at nothing to get to the next level. It is impossible to not respect his humility, hustle, and consistent effort, and his story and highlight reel will give him a charm similar to that of 2011 MVP Derrick Rose. George will have to lead the Pacers to the first- or second-best winning record in the Eastern Conference to win MVP, and will need to remain hawkish on defense and improve scoring figures in every statistical category on offense. This seems like too much to ask, but is within reach for the man who consistently demonstrates the ability to overcome such adversity.
THE TATTLER • OCTOBER 2016 • ihstattler.com
SPORTS
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World Series Predictions
The Olympians that Bob Costas Didn’t Mention
By ISAIAH GUTMAN
By EMMA KARNES
This current season has been an odd one for Major League Baseball. Ardent fans will notice that the standings look quite different from those of past years. For one, as of September 20, the Cubs possess the best record in baseball, and the Indians and the Rangers are the best teams (in terms of record) in the American League. As many already know, the Indians haven’t won a World Series since 1948, while the Cubs haven’t won since 1908 and haven’t even appeared in one since 1945, when they lost to the Tigers. That year was when the Cubs were cursed by a man with a billy goat who was denied entry to a game of the World Series, and they haven’t been back since. The Rangers have had the most recent appearance of the three, back in 2011 when they lost to the Cardinals in their second of two back-to-back World Series defeats. This year, I do not think they will return. My prediction for this year’s World Series is that the Boston Red Sox make it back for their fourth time in the 21st century to face the Chicago Cubs, who will of course be looking for their first win in 108 years. My confidence in these predictions comes from the commanding offense of the Red Sox and the formidable pitching of the Cubs. Now, that is not to say that the Cubs have poor offense and the Sox have poor defense, but these two categories respectively are where they excel. Led by David Ortiz in his final year, Boston leads the league in batting average, doubles, on-base percentage (OBP), slugging percentage, and runs. The Cubs, with Cy Young Award– winning pitcher Jake Arrieta, have given up the least runs and hits in the league, as well as having the lowest ERA (earned run average) and WHIP (walks + hits per innings pitched) as a team, along with the lowest batting average, OBP, and slugging against. It is because of their respective dominance in offense and pitching that I predict that the Red Sox will meet the Cubs in the World Series this year. I also predict— surprising myself a bit, I will admit—that the Cubs will emerge victorious when all is said and done. This prediction stems from my belief that pitching is more important in the playoffs than hitting, and the Cubs have pitching in spades. If these teams do make it, it will be a World Series for the ages. Imagine: the Red Sox, a team that had “The Curse of the Bambino” upon them until 2004, playing against the Cubs, a team that had infamously been cursed as well. The Sox has been one of the most successful teams of the 21st century, while the Cubs had their most consistent decade in the 1900s. These teams seem fated to finally meet up in the World Series for the first time since 1918. Will we get a repeat of when the Red Sox prevailed four games to two, or will the Cubs finally get their World Series? I, for one, can’t wait to find out.
This summer saw one of the most exciting Olympic Games to date. Americans fell in love with Simone Biles as she became the most decorated American gymnast in history, applauded as runners Nikki Hamblin and Abbey D’Agostino stopped to help one another after falling during the 5,000 meter race, and bowed their heads in shame after Ryan Lochte lied to the media and generated an embarrassing scandal. But after the closing ceremonies on August 21, most spectators around the world clicked off their TVs and returned to the mundane routine of life without omnipresent record-breaking competition, abjectly oblivious to the fact that such competition, actually was not over. It lived on, streaming out of Rio for the first two weeks of September as disabled athletes participated in the Paralympic Games. What began in 1948 as a small tournament for paralyzed British World War II veterans has evolved into a renowned international competition involving 4,300 athletes from over 160 countries. Since its origins, the Paralympics has expanded to accommodate athletes with a wide variety of disabilities, including paralysis, visual impairment, limb deficiency (amputation), and intellectual disabilities. In an attempt to ensure fair competition and bridge disparities in the severity of impairment, disabilities are broken into ten classes, pitting athletes with similar disabilities against one another. While each sport cannot offer competition for each class, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) is committed to offering opportunities in the highest number of sports to the highest number of participants. In 2016, athletes took part in 22 sports. Double amputees raced the 5,000 meter; a man without arms took the gold in the 100 meter backstroke. Teams of five completely blind athletes played soccer, and wheelchair-bound contestants fenced fiercely. The Paralympics received an outrageously low amount of television coverage. In 2016, the Paralympics aired for roughly 66 hours on major channels, compared to the 6,755 hours of coverage given to the Summer Olympics. For those who find mental math tedious, I’ll provide the statistics: the Paralympics drew less than 1 percent of the broadcasting time that the Olympics did. While this is an increase from the four-and-a-half hours the Paralympics got in 2012, so short a duration can hardly do justice to the extraordinary skill and dedication of Paralympic athletes. All athletes at the Olympic level must overcome incredible odds, endure fastidious training, and show unwavering dedication to their sport. The obstacles of Paralympians, though, simultaneously obvious and unimaginable, make their level of finesse, their physical and mental achievement, that much more inspiring. These are people who have decided to succeed when they were told they could not; people who have pushed the limits of what is possible for them to do and of what is possible for others to believe; these are the people, as one commercial put it, who are the real “superhumans.” It may be difficult to find sufficient coverage of this remarkable event, but there exists 66 hours of it somewhere on the Internet and TV networks. I recommend looking it up. It still isn’t necessary to return to the banalities of un-Olympic occurrences. Even after the end of the Olympics, athletes of every country and level of physical capability continue to shock, to shine, to soar.
SPORTS
Just Seconds before Second
THE TATTLER • OCTOBER 2016 • ihstattler.com
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By EMILY HONG
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Even after four consecutive wins so far this season, the IHS girls’ swim team is underappreciated and unpopular among many of the people in the community. The swimmers have shown off their skills with an intense fourth-place finish by a couple seconds. The team refuses to lose and has won every single meet that they have competed in this season. Our girls’ swim team deserves more attention and accolades for their accomplishments. On September 20, Ithaca won at their home meet with an outstanding 28-point lead, adding up to a point total of 107. It was the most extreme meet yet, for it was only seconds before Horseheads had come after. During the 100-yard backstroke event, the team scored first, second, and third. People who scored first would get 6 points, second place would get 4, third would get 3, fourth would get 2, fifth would get 1, and sixth place would get 0 points for each event. It was an iconic race to watch, for the first and second scorers were both approximately four seconds ahead of the opposing team. The pool, with its reputation, no longer looked as frightful as it is described, for the champions brightened over the battlefield. The glowing lights illuminated the scene as both the teams and the audience cheered. The usually still, jello-like pool was suddenly full of energy and noise. The BandAids and usual makeup residue were no longer apparent as our pertinacious swimmers raced for the win. 28 points ahead—it was a success. After dominating their meet, the team walked out victorious, as always. However, their best point total, 122.5, was at their away meet at Binghamton, at which they beat their opponents by 67 points. Although not as competitive as the home game, it is still worth noting due to the drastic point difference. The conspicuous speed and artistry of the swimmers is what makes the team so reliable. Little Red remains undefeated and is improving day by day. After winning all four meets with empowering point differences, they still continue to practice with resilience and determination for the win. We have great confidence for the upcoming meets this season, as we have for the past few years. Many people at IHS joke about or poke fun at the girls’ swim team. However, the swimmers have nothing to prove to the school, for they are already excellent as they are. They are worthy of praise and deserve more attention.
Kerber is escorted to the trophy by former first-ranked Williams.
The Fall of the Titans By ASHA DUHAN
The 2016 U.S. Open took place from August 29 to September 11 in New York City, and marked the end of Serena Williams’s 309 consecutive weeks as the number-one player in women’s tennis. It also reflected an end of an era of dominance for Novak Djokovic, after two unsettling defeats in Grand Slam tournaments as well as an early exit in the first round of the Olympics. Serena Williams faced a relatively easy draw up until the quarterfinals, in which she met a familiar opponent in fifth-ranked Simona Halep. Williams and Halep battled in a three-hour match that lasted three sets. Throughout the match, there were glimpses of Williams’s earlier shoulder injury in her lack of usual quickness around the court. After winning the third set 6–2, though, Williams advanced to the semifinals, in which she faced a 24-year-old upcoming star from the Czech Republic, Karolína Plíšková. With her large 6’1” frame, Plíšková served at speeds rivaling those of Williams herself; around 120 mph. Plíšková out-served the handicapped Williams and used old-time classics, including a masterful showcase of the serve and volley technique, to win the match. Plíšková’s cool demeanor during stressful points really helped her defeat Williams. However, Plíšková later fell to Angelique Kerber of Germany in the final. In an epic, three-set game, Plíšková’s laser-like groundstrokes and hard serves were no match for Kerber’s high level of consistency and intensity during the key points that decided the match. Kerber won the final 6–3, 4–6, 6–4, and in doing so amassed enough points to surpass Serena Williams and become the new number-one women’s tennis player. On the men’s side, two greats fell relatively early in the tournament. Fourth seed Rafael Nadal fell to Lucas Pouille, a young Frenchman who played the match of his life, in the fourth round. Nadal was coming off numerous injuries and surgeries, and still has not returned to the high level of play he had pre-surgery. Second seed Andy Murray, one of the favorites in the competition, lasted longer than Nadal, but fell to the underdog Kei Nishikori (sixth seed) in the quarterfinals. Novak Djokovic, the number-one player in men’s tennis, faced an almost comical draw after two retirements and one walkover, and advanced into the semifinals without being tested whatsoever. After defeating Gaël Monfils in a match of spectacularly low-quality tennis, Djokovic faced third seed Stan Wawrinka in a final that epitomized the high quality of men’s tennis. Wawrinka dominated the second, third and fourth sets after losing the first set in a tiebreak. Wawrinka’s power on both the forehand and backhand sides proved too much for Djokovic, who seemed shaky throughout the match. In addition to losing the title, Djokovic also lost many of his fans by showing a lack of sportsmanship; he stopped the match two times in the third set because of an “injury” that required instant medical attention from a trainer, which turned out to be a blister on his pinky toe. Although he remains number one, Djokovic’s reign as the best player in men’s tennis seems to have come to an end. Overall, the 2016 U.S. Open foreshadowed the great future and potential of young stars in tennis and marked the end of dominance for both of the number-one players in the world.
THE TATTLER • OCTOBER 2016 • ihstattler.com
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How to Look Like You’re Halfway Decent at Fantasy Football in Five Easy Steps By MATT MACKENZIE Are you sick of finishing last in your Fantasy Football league? Are your friends laughing at you for wasting your first-round pick on a tight end? Do you want to end this constant cycle of losing, embarrassment, and forgetting to set your lineup? You need some easy steps to get your team back in contention, some that don’t cost you immense amounts of time or require that you redraft your entire team. Consider this your unofficial IHS pocket guide to not finishing last at Fantasy Football. 1. Set your lineup This seemingly obvious step falls through the cracks more often than not. If you’re not setting your lineup, your team is doomed to slowly trickle down the standings. Bye weeks, injuries, and facing a good defense are all annoying phenomena that, unnoticed, can ruin your chances. Also, even though almost all of the games are on Sundays, some leagues will lock your whole lineup on Thursday night. Be aware of deadlines and get the right players in the right slots.
Bonus tip: It doesn’t hurt to have a backup at every position so you don’t have to scramble for a last-minute replacement off the waiver wire.
3. Opponents matter too Let’s do an example here: if you have Derek Carr and Andrew Luck as your two quarterbacks, and Carr is facing the 30th ranked defense but Luck is facing the 5th ranked defense, you should start Carr. Their difference in opponent strength outweighs Luck’s talent edge. Here’s the rule of thumb: if you have a good backup and your starter is facing a good defense, change up your lineup.
4. Don’t draft a quarterback in the first round Save this tip for next year’s draft. I know, to most football fans, quarterback seems like the most important position on the field, but it’s not in fantasy football. This year, Cam Newton, ESPN’s top-ranked Fantasy Quarterback, was ranked just 37th overall, behind eighteen wide receivers, two tight ends, and sixteen running backs. Most fantasy leagues only allow you to start one quarterback, but two running backs or receivers. This is even more important in a PPR (point per reception league), where wide receivers are the most coveted picks in early rounds. Bottom line: save the QB for later.
Oh, and one more: Finally, remember to have fun and not to stress about it. Most high schoolers (perhaps with a few exceptions) are playing Fantasy Football for free, so taking it too seriously or being overly obnoxious on your league message board can ruin it for everyone. Enjoy the season, and remember to never root against your favorite team just to help your fantasy team. Don’t be that guy. Good luck, IHS! ILLUSTRATION BY JOSEPH YOON
2. Pay attention to bye weeks Look through your roster. If one of your backups has the same bye week as a starter at the same position, you should either drop or trade the backup and find someone else. Otherwise, you don’t accumulate any points at a certain position for that bye week. That’s practically an automatic loss.
5. Think about the team defense When you’re looking for a quarterback, you want one who plays on a team with a bad defense. That team will usually be playing from behind, and therefore looking to pass more, so players such as Drew Brees or Luck will accumulate better numbers. Conversely, when you’re looking for a running back, you want one who plays behind a good defense. Teams tend to run the ball to kill the clock when they’re ahead, giving players more carries and more yards. This makes players such as Adrian Peterson, Lamar Miller, and C. J. Anderson good picks.
SPORTS
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THE TATTLER • OCTOBER 2016 • ihstattler.com
Rape Culture in Athletics rapists. However, it is important to acknowledge that athletics is one of many ways that negative conceptions of manhood and power are ingrained in young men. On top of athletes being more likely to commit violent crime, they are also more likely to get away with it. NCAVA found that the general population has a conviction rate of 80 percent for general crime. The conviction rate for athletes is just 38 percent, or less than half of that for regular citizens. This happens for many reasons; one example is victim blaming. This was definitely the case in People v. Turner, with Brock Turner’s lawyer asking Turner’s victim questions such as “What were you wearing?” “Have you ever considered cheating on your boyfriend?” and “How much had you had to drink?” In a robbery case, you would never hear a lawyer asking the victim “Did you leave your door unlocked?” “Have you ever considered pawning all your possessions?” or “Did you intentionally leave your curtains open so anyone could see your flat screen TV?” Athletes in particular are also likely to get away with a light sentence—or no sentence at all—in cases of rape because they are believed to be too valuable to society to waste away in prison. This was also evident in the Turner case, during which news outlets such as The Washington Post would unnecessarily include his swimming times in their articles, calling him a “record-setting swimming prodigy” as if to downplay his crimes. Rape is rape, regardless of one’s achievements or athletic skill.
IMAGE PROVIDED
In March, Stanford swimmer Brock Turner was found guilty of raping an unconscious woman behind a dumpster. Although the maximum punishment for his crime was 14 years in prison, he got off with a measly sentence of six months in jail and three years of probation. Many were justifiably outraged with the “slap on the wrist” Turner received, arguing that Turner was only given such a lax sentence because he was an upper-middle-class, white, male athlete. While there’s no denying that his race, gender, and socioeconomic status gave him the upper hand in this court case, it is important to specifically take a closer look at how sports culture plays a role in rape culture, how athletes are treated unequally, and how that can be amended. Men’s sports are a contest of strength and skill. Sports involve intense physical activity, so it’s natural that the importance of strength and dominance will be highlighted to the players. For example, in football, tackling other players is rewarded. This can potentially create an environment that correlates violence with power, and, if unchecked, this mindset can continue off the field, making athletes more likely to behave violently. A three-year study done by the NCAVA (National Coalition Against Violent Athletes) showed that while male student-athletes comprised only 3.3 percent of the United States population, they represented 19 percent of sexual assault perpetrators. Another NCAVA study found that one in three college sexual assaults were committed by athletes. This doesn’t mean that athletes are
By ALYSSA PAULO
Stanford rapist Brock Turner.
Luckily, the world doesn’t have to be this way. Hypermasculinization and glorification of violence are by no means necessary in athletics. The status quo can be shifted by having tough conversations about the idea of masculinity, rape, and consent, as well as the expectation of athletes to be role models. These conversations can and should be encouraged by coaches, teachers, and parents. The first step to change is acknowledging and discussing the problems at hand, no matter how difficult that may be. The longer people avoid talking about rape culture and recognizing its factors, the longer rape culture will prevail in our society.
Submit your creative writing! Send works of short fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry to literary@ihstattler.com to be included in our literary section.
THE TATTLER • OCTOBER 2016 • ihstattler.com
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LITERARY
Untitled
By MARIA LIMA VIEIRA
The leaves are falling The sunset faster coming Fall is on its way
Haiku of the Month
Diving
By STERLING WILLIAMS-CECI
Diving deeper down Crystals of water collapse Passing Poseidon
Midwest Road Trip By ABBY KATZ
cornfields everywhere JESUS IS COMING—REPENT!!! oh look, there’s more corn
Untitled
By ALYSSA PAULO
It’s watching you now. Pretend like you don’t notice Its breath on your neck.
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LITERARY
THE TATTLER • OCTOBER 2016 • ihstattler.com
Soap By JULIA LUNA
She sat staring at herself in the mirror. Existential crisis? “Am I allowed to self diagnose?” Yes, existential crisis. Acute. SOS. “You will not sit here and feel sorry for yourself. Reinvent. Remember, in a world of 7 billion people you are ‘unique.’ At least that’s what they say. What does unique even mean? Is there a cutoff? Oh my god, stop.” As she entered the shop she was subdued and calmed by the pastel lavender, white trim, subtle wafts of lemongrass. Powders and perfumes. Body oils and rose petals. Soap. Piles of soap in the most brilliant little alcove, like a child peeking behind a door frame. Pink floral wrapping, thick cream-colored paper, dainty yellow flowers, blue rococo swirls, ribbons and no ribbons. She was surrounded by so many different scents. Pungent, weak, old-fashioned, and vanilla, too much vanilla, vanilla is so unassuming, why do people like vanilla? However, in rocks you find gems. The ideal scent is that which is tranquil, but strong. The kind of scent that you don’t even smell at first but slowly… a blooming flower, addictive. Years ago her great-aunt had sat her down and decided that in her old age she should spill her secrets quickly before people started mistaking honesty for senility and feeling bad for her. “Did you know that for every boy I went out with I had a different bar of soap?” She sat, puzzled, waiting for the logic. “You see, it didn’t matter if anyone liked it or not. I needed to be distinct, memorable. I wanted that boy to walk through rose bushes and think, Her. I wanted another one to walk past a coffee shop and grasp at the air as if trying to materialize something, me. If they were angry at me, the smell would tantalize them. It could be pungent or weak, complicated or simple. Except vanilla, so unassuming. I needed to be memorable, distinct, never unassuming.” For some reason she could never get her great-aunt’s confession off her mind. “No one will be remembered forever, so what’s the point? Or perhaps memorable meant character, personality. Yes, I think that is what it meant.” Character, distinct character. Coffee and cardamom. Rose and cream. Simple lavender. Mint and lemongrass. Soap.
THE TATTLER • OCTOBER 2016 • ihstattler.com
LITERARY
A Kid Named Moes By BENJAMIN SALOMON
There once was a fat kid named Moes, So large he could not see his toes. He kept eating his sweeties ‘til he got diabetes, Poor old chubby chub Moes.
Down the street lived a fat girl named Rose. She had her eye on fat Moes. They went out for lunch, Moes said on a hunch, “Gee this could work out, who knows?” Moes and his lady kept dating. They met some thin folks who were hating. They closed both their eyes And kept eating their pies, But soon Moes got tired of waiting.
ILLUSTRATION BY JOSEPH YOON
One summer’s day in the sun, Moes told Rose to meet for some fun. He got on one knee, And said with a plea, “You are my stars, my sun.” “So please marry me my dear Rose,” Said our big little man Moes, She said yes with glee, Pulled him off that one knee, And kissed him square on the nose.
There once was a fat kid named Moes, So large he could not see his toes. He kept eating his sweeties, ‘til he got diabetes, But now he’s got his gal Rose.
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LITERARY
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THE TATTLER • OCTOBER 2016 • ihstattler.com
Most Every Sunday
By EMMA KARNES
Most every Sunday the man is here, sipping from a ceramic coffee mug and playing himself in rock paper scissors. He has hair like an angry wind; each gray strand disagrees with the one next to it. Today his tie is green, but usually it is a shade of red. The mug, too, is red—scarlet, the color of my pleated skirt for middle-school graduation—and it says Warning: Child-Spoiling Grandpa with the same graphics as a sign on a chain-link fence warning of hazardous waste. I watch from my own spot on the long bench diagonally across the walking path. I make bets about the rock paper scissor game. His right hand always wins, at least four out of five times, but I’m always naive in my bets, and hold too much optimism for the underdog left hand. Today is Easter Sunday, and the sky has opened to a sunlit plain of sapphire that tastes like spring water to my parched mouth after winter. I don’t know if the world is joyfully proclaiming Jesus’ resurrection, or if it woke up and decided to be lovely, or if I woke up and remembered to see beauty. It is not the sort of thing you can aspire to calculate. I tilt my head and feel its softness, wiggling my toes in their boots. Diagonally across from me the old man doesn’t look up, or even breathe more fully than usually. He stares at his hands, curling and striking with such unpredictable deliberateness, and then at his mug, which I can see steaming from across the way. Asking about his grandchildren seems the only reasonable way to start a conversation; I realized this weeks ago, but since then have made no advancement. Although he is so concentrated, his back so straight and unflinching, I worry about wounds: I worry about the hot coffee, and the pressed tie, and the affectionate label on the mug. Where is his wife, his grandchild? Why don’t the pigeons gather at his feet, like they do all the other old men who sit and ponder on their separate benches? A band of young Christian men appear coming down the pathway, one with a banjo, two with silver bells they chime in time with the string melody. They are singing a country-Christian song, no doubt written in their old family basement together, and they seem not to notice the stares from other people, whether hostile or simply curious, but continue parading in celebration, their blushed faces lifted towards the horizon. When they pass by me, and one of their feet steps on the lace of my left boot, I try to focus on the words. And golden Jesus was arisen, and the people all a-singin’, and the sinners gone a-hidden… Only seconds later, they pass the old man, and as though he is only now hearing the music, he looks up abruptly and reaches to grab the arm of the banjo-player. He says something I cannot hear, and the banjo-player looks to his brothers briefly, and then shrugs in easy resignation. The three musicians squeeze onto the bench with him and cease their song, gently laying their instruments on the blacktop. The man offers them a sip from his mug, and they politely decline with a quick gesture of a waving hand. And then the four men straighten their collars, and begin to play one another in rock paper scissors. I seem to be the only one who can observe the scene, and the only one who misses the music. In its absence, the agitating buzz of human movement clouds my thoughts, and I find it difficult to regain the rhythm of my breathing. The old man is beating the banjo-player time and time again. With the other two, it is always a draw. I tell myself that these four know each other from church, and that they thought paying one another cordial company on a holy day was only proper and Christian. I tell myself that during the week, they see each other around the neighborhood and say good-afternoon as any good acquaintances do. I comfort myself: the rock paper scissor game is a special tradition from years ago, when the brothers were young and the old man was like a revered uncle: the kind of rare child-adult relationship where there are no conditions, no rules, and no materialistic gifts of baseball cards or candy. It’s all in good fun, I assure myself. There is more to it than what I am seeing. And yet never before on this bench on a Sunday have I felt so antsy, so afraid. I have the sense, watching the four men, of impending chaos; the same feeling as knowing that somewhere far away a child is unraveling the scarf you’ve spent a lifetime knitting. If that is it— just three brothers and a strange old man, just coffee and a banjo, just rock and paper and scissors—if that is it, then I could have gone to sit with him months ago. Worse: if that’s all there is, I can retie my loose laces and walk diagonally across the path right now, beneath the unfolded sky, and squeeze onto one end of the bench. If that is it, then nobody would notice, and none of us would be changed.
THE TATTLER • OCTOBER 2016 • ihstattler.com
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PENULTIMATE
Dolphin’s Distress By JAMES PARK
“I feel as if my life has no porpoise.”
Tristan’s Angst
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PE Department Proposes Adding Fun to the Curriculum
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In a recent press release, the IHS PE department announced the addition of fun to gym classes under the new PhUN (Physically United Nation) curriculum. “We feel it’s very important for students to have fun and be engaged in school,” noted one teacher. “Under the new curriculum, students will see an increase in testing in gym. The previous SLO exams and occasional tests just weren’t enough.” Also as part of the curriculum change, the school pool got a renovation after years of complaints about the water, which at certain times may have directly absorbed oxygen from the air and replaced it with chlorine gas. However, the addition of fun to the curriculum will bring other changes. “Rather than play sports in gym class, students will take long tests and quizzes with questions about the rules of different sports and fitness,” said Billy Bozawkowitz, a spokesperson for the Department of Unilateral Mindless Bureaucracy (DUMB), the sponsor organization of the new curriculum. To preserve some semblance to the old curriculum, the mile walk will be kept under the changes. “We feel this will make kids who never even changed for class eager and excited to come,” he continued. In the past, the PE Department relied on SLO exams, a few quizzes, and a final exam at the end of the semester to make its courses fun. “But under the new curriculum, the nearly constant testing will provide a mountain of data for the DUMB,” noted Bozawkowitz. “We have no idea what we’ll do with all of it, even if it’ll be in any way important, but we’re sure students will love the change!” he concluded.
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BACK PAGE
Horoscopes By ABE MESSING Virgo (Aug. 23–Sept. 22): Danger would not be so scary if it were obvious. Don’t ever take your eyes off your back; a close friend might stab it. Libra (Sept. 23–Oct. 22): You are savvy savage with a quick wit. Never let your inner lantern fade, for it is the brightest light that will lead your way in the darkest of times.
Scorpio (Oct. 23–Nov. 21): You don’t always have to open your eyes to see. Maybe your vision is best when you’re blind. After all, the vision of love is blind, and it has never turned wrong. Sagittarius (Nov. 22–Dec. 21): A cerebral mind is analogous to an unknown conscience. It’s a checker among chess pieces, a cookie among crumbs, or a string among ribbons. Count your chickens, but not until they have laid their eggs.
Capricorn (Dec. 22–Jan. 19): Your thought process is unique from all others—you carry your greatest weapon and weakness in the same pocket, like carrying your sword and heart in the same hand. Aquarius (Jan. 20–Feb. 18): A foggy brain is one that has been subjected to a mystifying world. Clear the mist from your head, and conquer the things you have missed.
Pisces (Feb. 19–Mar. 20): A sad crook is one without a victim. Let it be known that you are neither crook nor victim, and therefore you are untouchable.
Aries (Mar. 21–Apr. 19): A cultured soul is more valuable than a Japanese tattoo of “courage” on a spray-tanned arm. An alternate perspective has more merit than a yin-yang t-shirt. You can only fool others with the same level of ignorance. Taurus (Apr. 20–May 20): To lead is to capture the hearts of your own, but to win is to capture the hearts of your enemy.
Gemini (May 21–June 20): A confident brag is an oar that strokes the water in the opposite direction of acceptance island. More praise and less haze will keep the world one large island among the stars.
Cancer (June 21–July 22): Time is sweetest when you give it space, but time’s relationship with space is confusing. One wants to be connected and the other wants to make it work long distance. Maybe one day we will understand their relationship. Leo (July 23–Aug. 22): Why must you quiver at the mention of silence? Dare to leave the air empty, in a cocktail of unspoken emotions and feelings.
The COOLNESS SPECTRUM
COOL Home football win
Uggs on Timbs
Brain Team’s #6 national rank
Apple Fest
Pumpkin spice
Bigly
Brain Team
Gym warm-ups
UNCOOL