October 2017

October 2017 • Estd. 1892 • Vol. 125 #2 • Published Monthly • www.ihstattler.com Ithaca High School, 1401 North Cayuga Street, Ithaca, NY 14850 • FREE

DECARCERATE TOMPKINS COUNTY STOPS LOCAL JAIL EXPANSION Page 4

FRESH FOOD

MUSIC IN GPA:

CLIMATE CHANGE:

COMES TO IHS

THE ADMINISTRATION’S HYPOCRISY

STILL A PROBLEM

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Page 8

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Editorial ALL THE NEWS THAT’S FIT TO TATTLE

WHY SOCIAL MEDIA COMPANIES NEED TO CENSOR HATE SPEECH AND THREATS

Staff 2017 – 2018 Editor-in-Chief

Vaynu Kadiyali ’19 editor@ihstattler.com

News Editor

Julian Perry ’19 news@ihstattler.com

Opinion Editor

Isaiah Gutman ’19 opinion@ihstattler.com

Billions of people worldwide use social media sites like Facebook to connect with each other. In the United States, approximately seven out of ten people use social media. These websites serve as important forums for everything from news to political discussions to connecting with friends. However, anonymity online—and the failure of social media companies to enforce regulations on speech on their sites—can result in dangerous real-life consequences such as the organization of violent events and terrorism.

The question of how much social media companies should censor its users is complicated and controversial. Limiting what people can say on social media carries risks and at first glance might appear to be a violation of the First Amendment. For one thing, it can be hard to draw the line between dangerous opinions and opinions that merely express dissent. Another concern is with the way that companies would enforce these regulations; many use systems in which users can “report” others for inappropriate content, which can also result in the suppression of minority opinions.

However, it is becoming increasingly clear that social media companies need to censor hate speech and threats of violence more consistently and effectively.

The violent events in Charlottesville in August and their aftermath reveal how white supremacy is gaining traction on social media sites. Moreover, with the failure of the government to respond effectively to violent white supremacy, it becomes the moral responsibility of social media companies to prevent the circulation of threats and plans for violent demonstrations.

Currently, many websites handle hate speech differently from communications from terrorist groups like ISIS. YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter all have rigorous policies for removing material related to terrorism. Facebook, for example, uses artificial intelligence extensively to identify posts that contain terror-related information. In contrast, threatening materials from white supremacists often slip through the cracks. Tech companies should commit themselves to improving the way that they censor and remove threatening material 2

from white supremacist groups.

This is not to say that social media companies should ban all material related to white supremacy and alt-right stances. Instead, they should devote more resources to identifying threats and hate speech by white supremacists. For example, white supremacists often disguise their messages by using code words and “dog whistles.” If social media companies devoted more resources to combating hate speech and threats on their sites, they could more effectively identify these euphemisms and prevent the spread of violent and hateful ideas.

In fact, it’s important to note that social media companies are privately owned businesses, not platforms owned by the government. Although some people fear the possibility of these companies having totalitarian control over the Internet, by tightening their restrictions they will simply be upholding their regulations more consistently in the name of safety. This stronger reinforcement of the regulations will ultimately help the social media companies to fulfill their mission statements and goals: to help people come together and participate in open but safe discourse.

As always with free speech and censorship, there is a delicate balance to strike between the unfair suppression of ideas and the cultivation of a safe environment for everyone. But by devoting more resources to the identification and removal of violent messages--and not just those of white supremacists--social media companies will be taking a step in the right direction.

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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:

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The Tattler 1401 North Cayuga Street Ithaca, NY 14850 Send submissions by October 12 to be included in the November issue. The Tattler reserves the right to edit all submissions. All articles, columns, and advertisements do not necessarily reflect the views of editorial staff.

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News

CLUB FUNDING AT IHS

By Francesca Chu

W

ith approximately 50 different clubs for everything from K-pop to magic to tiddlywinks, IHS offers one of the most comprehensive student activities programs in the state. Unfortunately, this great variety of clubs comes at a price and ICSD’s funds dedicated to clubs at IHS are being stretched thin.

Currently, most clubs at IHS receive $400 per year as an advisor stipend paid by the district. This sum is the only monetary compensation that club advisors receive for their efforts, though clubs can earn their own money through internal fundraisers.

For clubs that meet for an hour a week over approximately thirty weeks, the stipend of $400 amounts to a wage of about $13 per hour for the advisor. However, many advisors end up spending the $400 on club expenses; moreover, many advisors dedicate far more than thirty hours to their clubs.

Mr. Soucy, the current advisor of the Mock Trial club, noted that the stipend does not vary depending on the amount of time advisors spend working with each club. “I’ve advised clubs where I really only do one hour of work per week, and then I also advise a club like Mock Trial, where some weeks are one hour and some weeks are more like six or seven. It would be great if we had a system that took the time into account rather than just a flat advisor stipend,” he said.

Although $400 may seem like a small amount, it is significantly larger than the stipend of $281 that clubs received last year. The stipend will be $408 next year and $416 the following year. The Ithaca Teachers Association (ITA) was instrumental in negotiating these increases with ICSD. Some of the largest clubs at IHS operate on a different system, in large part because of the travel and extra hours that they involve. These clubs, which include Brain Team, Model UN, and Code Red Robotics, have separate district resources to pay advisors outside of their normal hours. The advisors of these clubs receive $26 an hour up to approximately 150 hours. They also have access to additional resources and are receiving more district support than they have in past years.

Karl Mellander, the director of student activities at IHS, emphasizes that it may be difficult for the district to allot even more money to clubs. “Negotiation is complicated because we have such a huge array [of clubs]. To get a significant raise, we’d have to have fewer clubs,” he said.

Mr. Mellander also noted that ICSD has been extremely supportive of the addition of new clubs, explaining that he can put in requests for the formation of ten to fifteen new clubs each year without any problems. Still, according to Mr. Mellander, “It’s hard for staff members to actively engage with a lower stipend than they deserve.”

For now, it looks like the diversity of IHS’s clubs is here to stay, but advisors will have to wait for more significant raises.

FRESH FOOD COMES TO IHS

By Thea Clarkberg

S

chool lunches are notorious for providing students with foods high in carbs and sugar, but a person cannot survive on Uncrustables and Pop-Tarts. The issue of poor nutrition in school lunches has started to get attention nationally, and our school district is following suit by working to get students eating fresher, healthier foods.

In an ICSD press release, ICSD Child Nutrition Program Director Denise Agati said, “Providing healthy, affordable meals to students is our priority, and we are committed to producing quality meals from fresh ingredients.” At IHS, students may have noted a shift in this direction after the hiring of a new cafeteria manager, Jamie Zervos. Ingredients from local farms such as apples, kale, onions, peppers, tomatoes, and potatoes are incorporated into the menu. Vegetables from the greenhouse on IHS grounds are also used, especially in the spring.

The cafeteria has stopped buying frozen pre-made products and has started offering vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options every day. Due to a resulting increase in the cost of products, the price of lunch has increased by 5 cents to account for these changes. “Our goal and hopes are to feed every student. We welcome all feedback, positive and negative. . . . If you don’t like it, what is it that you don’t like?” said Zervos.

On Thursdays, IHS has special menu items as part of the “Cool School Food” program, a partnership of the ICSD Child Nutrition Program, the Coalition for Healthy School Food (lead agency), Moosewood Restaurant, Cayuga Pure Organics, Wood’s Earth, and Simeon’s on the Commons. These special items have plant-based protein such as beans, lentils, or tofu.

Often, the ingredients are local; for instance, there are beans from Cayuga Pure Organics and tofu from Ithaca Tofu.

Another new ICSD food program is the Farm to Table Program (ICSD FTT) that is provided for second- and third-grade students from the Belle Sherman, Beverly J. Martin, Cayuga Heights, and Enfield elementary schools in the summer and after school. ICSD FTT addresses nutrition, gardening, and cooking, according to another ICSD press release from August.

The students will be directly connecting to the source of their food through hands-on learning outside and by visiting local farms and food facilities. Programs such as this one will make the new lunch items more appealing to picky eaters, because as any cook knows, if you make it, you’ll eat it.

Many much-needed changes are finally being made to the ICSD nutrition program. IHS students will be able to enjoy healthier and tastier options for a small increase in the daily cost of their meals, and students around the district will have new and innovative meal programs to supplement their normal lunches. Bon appétit!

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News

DECARCERATE TOMPKINS COUNTY STOPS LOCAL JAIL EXPANSION

By Magdalena Smith

D

ecarcerate Tompkins won a major victory in Ithaca when the Center for Governmental Research (CGR) decided this past July that it did not need to expand the Tompkins County Jail and instead would invest in local alternatives to incarceration. The Ithaca community organization Decarcerate Tompkins is working hard to facilitate coordination between mental health services professionals, drug rehabilitation services, the county sheriff, and the Ithaca Police Department in order to keep the jail population below expansion level through alternatives to incarceration.

Barbara Regenspan, a retired Colgate University professor, the current creative writing teacher at New Roots, and Decarcerate Tompkins activist, stated, “If you build more cells, you will fill them. . . . We need a police force that doesn’t want to put people in jail, [but] wants to protect public safety through a deeper understanding of what makes people safe.”

Drug use and mental illness tend to have more dramatic effects among people of lower socioeconomic status, and Decarcerate Tompkins is working to decriminalize mental illness and drug addiction. “Many people whose basic problems are mental illness or drug addiction need extensive services in the community, not in the jail,” explained Regenspan. To this end, Decarcerate Tompkins is working with Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion, or LEAD, a program meant to help people exit a cycle of nonviolent addiction-related crimes. The Ithaca LEAD plan focuses on the idea that the job of the police is not necessarily to make arrests, and that large numbers of arrests for petty drug-related crimes (for example, someone who commits a robbery in order to obtain money to buy drugs) will not solve the city’s drug and opioid problem. LEAD’s Ithaca Plan stated, “We cannot arrest our way out of the drug problem.”

The long-term goal of Decarcerate Tompkins is to make the jail and prison cells obsolete. “We need alternatives to mass incarceration,” Regenspan said. “A very long-term goal is dismembering the systems of mass incarceration, which are racist and classist.” According to Regenspan, people 4

of color make up the vast majority of the prison population because the systems of oppression make many people live without what they need to survive. One important way Regenspan said this could be accomplished is for the nation to institute a guaranteed basic income.

But the group’s goal in the immediate timeframe, according to Regenspan, is to “work with existing organizations in Tompkins County to develop every possible alternative to mass incarceration.” Right now, in addition to promoting coordination between agencies, this includes challenging the bail system. Poor people are often stuck in jail due to their inability to pay bail, which is unfair, said Regenspan. Decarcerate Tompkins “wants to make sure bail is only used in cases where someone is a danger to the community, which are not most mental health and drug-related cases.” As an alternative to jail time, Decarcerate Tompkins is working to provide drug rehabilitation programs and mental health programs in the community. “We need people to understand that the dynamics of community safety means everyone has the opportunity to live a decent life.”

When asked her opinion on fighting racism in general in the community, Regenspan said, “Ithaca has a vocal commitment to fighting against racism.” She went on to say, however, that while vocal commitment is a good start, “Globally, we need to challenge the power of extreme concentration of wealth among relatively few people.” Not having access to decent housing impacts a person’s ability to keep a stable job and build a stable life, for example, which is a larger systemic problem. Decarcerate Tompkins works not only to have a local influence but also to “be part of a worldwide conversation about ending mass incarceration.”

Rich John, recently elected as a Tompkins County Legislator, is the head of the Jail Study Committee. To enforce the decision by the Center for Governmental Research (CGR) and keep the incarcerated population low enough to neither expand nor build a new jail, John is left with alternative options such as supporting affordable housing, drug rehabilitation, and mental health services.

Opinion

THE ISSUE OF NORTH KOREA

By Ned Carlson

L

ocated on the Korean peninsula, bordering China, Russia, and South Korea, North Korea has always been sandwiched between major powers, and has been for decades a source of international tension and conflict. This status was cemented during the active phase of the Korean War (1950-1953), and has continued to this day with the border between North and South Korea often called “the most dangerous place in the world.”

In recent years, the danger posed by North Korea has grown in dramatic fashion, as under Supreme Leader Kim Jong-Un, the country has actively sought to develop a nuclear weapons program that threatens not only South Korea, but the entire Asian region, and even the US. More specifically, over the course of this summer, North Korea conducted a number of successful tests of long-range missiles, as well as underground tests of nuclear weapons. It is due to the emergent threat to the United States that North Korea has become a hot topic in American media. As a result of these developments, most security specialists now agree that North Korea has the capability to launch nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) that can hit the United States. This is obviously is a serious threat, especially considering the volatility of the North Korean regime. This begs the question: What should we do to stop the development of North Korea’s nuclear capabilities?

In the past, US presidents have dealt with North Korea by essentially keeping the issue in limbo in order to prevent the outbreak of war. This was visible during the Bush and Obama administrations as both tried to do as little as possible to provoke the country and its leadership. Simultaneously, they worked to hold Kim in check through working with the UN Security Council and placing extreme sanctions on his state. While effective in crippling the economic output of the nation, if anything, the sanctions have pushed the North Korean regime to further pursue nuclear capabilities to act as leverage in the tense balancing act of preserving their state.

President Trump inherited the problem of North Korea from his predecessors. It is not a problem of his making, but at the same time, his approach appears to have made what was already a bad situation even worse.

Throughout Trump’s presidency, he has shown he has little understanding of foreign policy and the fragile nature of key issues. So far, it seems as though every interaction the president has had with North Korea has been one of provocation. By stating that the United States would respond to North Korea with “Fire and fury, the like of which the world has

never seen,” Trump has effectively demonstrated his willingness to use nuclear weapons, and is further inciting the North Korean regime to make nuclear warheads.

We all know the devastation nuclear weapons bring to the table, but let’s just say Trump doesn’t. If he were to genuinely attack North Korea on a preemptive strike he would be killing hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians, in addition to permanently scarring the environment of North Korea. To add to this devastation, the North would surely retaliate, not by striking the US mainland, but by attacking our allies in East Asia.

Seoul, South Korea’s capital, lies a stone’s throw from the North Korean border, and tens of millions would be killed, thanks to American hotheadedness should this situation arise.

While actions by the North Korean regime may seem irresponsible and rash, they are tactical—Kim Jong-Un is simply aiming to continue his consolidation of power over the country. Sam Ellis of Vox states that “They saw the US invade Iraq and topple Saddam Hussein because they thought he might have nukes. . . . The Kim Dynasty is determined not to be next.” The motives of the Kim dynasty have been clear all along, and it is the job of the US president to react accordingly.

While it is important to note that Trump has taken action on a subject that his predecessors have avoided, many of his actions could have catastrophic results. He simply doesn’t understand the nature of the North Korean situation enough to make tactical decisions regarding the region.

He clearly doesn’t understand that the regime’s pattern of boasting about nuclear capabilities and testing warheads is a power play to negotiate with the global community from a position of power.

Trump’s lack of understanding has created tensions with many Asian nations. He has criticized South Korea for not contributing enough financially to the United States, and has recently attacked them for not helping enough with the issue of North Korea. Despite the potential danger South Korea is in, they don’t have nuclear weapons, something Trump has come scarily close to stating a desire to change. Similarly, by not filtering his ideas on the matter, he has further aggravated China’s desire to maintain North Korea as a buffer between their borders and a close American ally in South Korea.

There are no correct answers to the issue of North Korea, but there are wrong answers. Trump has been rash in his decision-making regarding the contentious situation, and if the United States continues in the direction Trump has pointed us in, we may all have to face the consequences.

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News

THE STATUS OF CHROMEBOOK PRIVACY

By Ryan Cunningham

The world has entered the digital age, an era in which technology is everything.

Representative of this paradigm shift is IHS’s transition to Chromebook usage. Assignments once distributed in the form of paper are now posts on Google Classroom; the reduction in paper usage and the ability to share information quickly are often cited benefits of the use of Chromebooks.

However, there are multiple major concerns that are associated with the Google Chromebook, and one issue potentially troubling for users is the issue of privacy with the Chromebooks and school Google accounts.

First, a brief background on Chromebooks: Chromebooks are manufactured by Google, and run on the Chrome operating system. Their purpose is to provide an affordable cloud-based computer that will be able to access the web and Google’s proprietary suite of applications, but not too much more (that is, without the installation of a new operating system).

ICSD has purchased them through the “Google for Education” program, which allows Chromebooks to be easily set up for a school environment and managed by the district’s IT team.

One of Google’s guarantees about Chromebook privacy is that the personal information of students will not be sold. In response to a frequently asked question regarding the sale of information to third parties, Google states, “We don’t sell your G Suite data to third parties, and we do not share personal information placed in our systems with third parties, except in the few exceptional circumstances described in the G Suite agreement and our Privacy Policy.” While initially hesitant, in January 2015, Google finally signed the Student Privacy Pledge, a pledge that prohibits the collection and usage of student information.

However, Google’s estimated $72 billion footprint in the advertising business and the inherent cloud-based nature of Chromebooks has a number of users skeptical about whether their Chromebook and Google Account data is truly private. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), a “leading nonprofit organization defending civil liberties in the digital world,” has complained to the Federal Trade Commission that Google was collecting data on students when they shouldn’t have. The EFF’s studies suggested that Google was using information that was automatically synced from school accounts for data-mining purposes, albeit not for advertising purposes. The sync option is presented in Chromebook settings, and by default, it syncs all data (including browsing history and bookmarks) to Google’s servers. If these claims are true, Google violated the Student Privacy Pledge by collecting and using personal student data for non-educational purposes without parental consent.

Following this event and the controversy that followed, Google released a public statement saying that they do not use the data-mined information for ad-targeting. However, they have not ceased their col6

lection of data in non-Google Apps services, along with their collection of Chromebook data, including Chromebook model, hardware settings, system activity, and more.

Additionally, Google, as a contractor, is able to identify itself as a “school official” to be exempt from regulations on getting student data set forth by FERPA, the federal student privacy statue. Contractors are not under the same restrictions that necessitate parental consent for gaining access to student data as other private entities.

There’s no doubt that the rapid introduction of Chromebooks and similar classroom technology into our public education systems is changing the scene. However, the past behavior of Google regarding student privacy—along with their current policies—leave it unclear if Google has the interests of students and parents in mind with their Google Chromebooks, and whether the forfeiture of the right to personal privacy is inevitable in this day and age.

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WHY STUDENTS NEED BETTER CHROMEBOOKS

Opinion

By Patrick Yuan

T

he introduction of Google Chromebooks into ICSD in 2015 was met with great enthusiasm from the student body, as we have long desired to play games during lunch and surf the Internet during class. Chromebooks have also grown to play a very large role in our school curriculum since their introduction and will most likely keep growing as more teachers transition to teaching on digital platforms. This trend makes it essential that the Chromebooks students are given today are of high enough quality to remain intact through years and owners, aiding current students to be as productive as possible. However, with the introduction of the Celeron-based Dell Chromebook 11 (3180) into the sophomore class, it is clear that ICSD doesn’t fully grasp how subpar these Chromebooks really are, or why students need adequately functioning hardware in order to be productive and happy.

There are a multitude of issues with these “new” Chromebooks that cause them to be so slow, the primary reason being the CPU, or central processing unit.

Dell Chromebook 11’s are each equipped with an Intel Celeron N3060, which has a turbo burst speed of 2.5 GHz and base speed of 1.6 GHz over two cores. While 2.5 GHz isn’t a bad turbo burst speed figure, ICSD students don’t get to enjoy the benefits of this boost.

Due to their thin physique, poor cooling system, and design for long battery life, our Chromebooks are incapable of supplying the CPU with more than its typical TDP (energy), which is 6 watts, and as a result, cannot turbo boost. Hence, the Chromebooks are maxed out at around 1.6 GHz, which is really, really bad. And to compound this issue even further, Intel’s Celeron

line of processors are notorious for their low IPC (instructions per cycle), which means that the Chromebook CPU’s are even slower than what one would assume from its speed. It even seems like Dell is embarrassed to state that Celerons are in these “new” Chromebooks; the “Intel Inside” sticker conveniently leaves out the “Celeron” part, in contrast to the “old” Chromebooks that have i3’s.

This abysmal functionality shows in the benchmarks of this CPU. Passmark, which is a website that has benchmarked thousands of CPU’s for over a decade with tests such as prime numbers, encryption, string sorting, and numerous other features, gave the processor in these Chromebooks a score of 989 over 139 samples. To put that into perspective, Passmark rates the processor in the i3 version of our Dell Chromebooks a “2457”—nearly three times faster than the Celeron version—and the processor in the iMacs a “7391,” more than seven times faster than our Chromebooks. In fact, the processors in our Chromebooks are so slow that they are comparable to the average laptop CPU in 2008, nearly a whole decade ago! The low processor speeds are very noticeable as well; if you open the task manager and move your mouse around quickly, the CPU usage will skyrocket right before your eyes. In addition, oftentimes six Chrome tabs is enough to cause significant lag and more than ten will cause the screen to freeze.

Another factor that makes our Chromebooks so slow is their amount of random access memory (RAM), an area to store program instructions to increase system speed. While two gigabytes of RAM would usually be sufficient to run a normal Chromebook, our Chromebooks are not normal.

Loaded with a large amount of pre-installed software from ICSD that immediately begins eating up RAM, our Chromebooks can barely handle more than six to seven tabs at a time, or even just one tab that contains several pictures or a large PDF. Examples of this pre-installed software includes GoGuardian, which is that annoying app that blocks almost everything; Lightspeed Agent, which blocks more content; and Chromium M and Chromium License, which work in tandem to track and regulate everything you do on your Chromebook. As a result of this pre-installed software and limited RAM, opening up more than six tabs will often cause major lag, and more than eight will force the Chromebook to restart.

Even opening up five tabs and the Camera app simultaneously pushes the Chromebook to the brink of crashing.

So why does any of this matter? The low level of quality of the “new” Chromebooks limits the productivity of students and is extremely annoying. When web pages take twice as long to load on a Chromebook than on a regular computer, or when a Chromebook crashes because it couldn’t handle more than ten tabs or a large PDF, valuable time is being wasted that could have been spent working.

It is extremely frustrating to not be able to open a large document and a Google document at the same time to take notes, since the Chromebook doesn’t have enough RAM and is overloaded with software. It’s profoundly irritating to have to do research on Chromebooks as it can’t handle a Google doc and more than three to four sources at the same time, and it is very annoying to have to turn down the quality of YouTube videos be-

cause the Chromebooks can’t handle medium resolution. These are just a few complaints; buying sluggish Chromebooks is detrimental to students.

Computer speed aside, the physical build of the Chromebook itself is cheap and careless—the trackpad is loud and difficult to use, the keyboard is crammed to fit into an 11.6-inch frame, and the small screen frequently makes reading and writing harder than it need be. These Chromebooks are barely usable, which is far from what students or the district should want.

To fix this Chromebook problem, I would suggest that ICSD switch to an i3 based Chromebook, such as the Acer c720, which costs only $50 more than our Chromebooks, for every student in grades 6 through 12. Chromebooks would be examined at the end of each year, and any student who damages his or her Chromebook significantly would be re-assigned a low quality Chromebook for the entirety of the following year. Middle schoolers would get low-quality Chromebooks to cut costs. While this would cost a lot of money, it would benefit the district and its students in the long run. Higher-quality Chromebooks make students more productive while also incentivizing caution while using them, thus reducing the number of repairs the district would have to do. Furthermore, higher-quality Chromebooks last longer, delaying the next time ICSD will have to upgrade by a few more years.

The new Chromebooks that ICSD is buying are extraordinarily slow and painful to use. ICSD should consider buying higher quality Chromebooks to ensure that students are being as productive as possible and better facilitate the digital teaching trend.

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Opinion

THE HYPOCRISY OF THE

ADMINISTRATION ON

MUSIC AND GPA

By Ania Pracel

Tenacity: the quality of being persistent in maintaining, adhering to, or seeking something valued or desired. Compassion: sympathetic consciousness of others’ distress together with a desire to alleviate it. Integrity: firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values. Ownership: an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for one’s actions. Our school’s administration has declared these to be the “four core values” of IHS. However, contrary to these values, they have struggled to adhere to these qualities themselves in regards to music classes and GPA. Since I was a freshman at IHS I have always wondered why music classes weren’t incorporated into GPA. As a committed band student, I feel that the academic rigor of music courses is no different from that of any other discipline at IHS—we are assessed in sectionals and part checks, made to write analyses and reflections on each concert, and asked to practice and come prepared every day for rehearsal. I have found that the work done in music classes, while not traditionally academic, is as intense and important as any other course at IHS, and I see no reason why my peers and I shouldn’t get any academic credit for the hard work we do.

To find answers and hopefully see changes made to better the situation, I decided to pursue getting school administrators to include music courses in our high school GPAs. I dedicated time and work in my junior year to speaking with various ICSD and IHS administrators to implement music courses into students’ GPAs. The previous Student Council officers and I had many meetings and conversations dedicated to this project, and we worked closely with the three performing arts teachers, Ms. Zawel, Ms. Zaryski, and Mr. Makin, with administrators, and with our fellow students to gather input and to propose our changes. Responses were unilaterally supportive, so we were eager to ask ICSD administrators to reconsider their longheld stance on the issue.

We tried to find out why music classes were excluded from GPA to begin with and who made that decision, and came up with nothing. The whole topic had essentially been swept under the rug, and even Ms. Zawel, who has been working at the high school for ten years, hadn’t even known about the issue until her third year teaching at the high school. After presenting all this information to the necessary administrators in the board building and the high school, we received approval in May of last year, and were excited to see the fruition of all of our hard work.

When checking to make sure that changes would appear immediately in the new school year, I was crestfallen to see the result—school administrators had completely ignored my request. I was maddened and shocked 8

Dropping the ball on this project has consequences that affect more than a quarter of the high school’s student body. to discover that this hadn’t happened. After all, after demonstrating compassion by addressing the concerns of my fellow students, tenacity and ownership by pursuing my goal until the very end, and integrity by staying true to my belief on the matter, I felt that my goal of including music in the high school’s GPA was very much in line with the core values of IHS. ICSD’s inaction wasn’t tenacious or compassionate, and was the polar opposite of a demonstration of integrity or ownership. After all, dropping the ball on this project has consequences that affect more than a quarter of the high school’s student body. In a meeting with the chief academic officer, Ms. Coyle, I have been told that this will be resolved by the end of the first quarter so that students can have a full year of music classes included in their high school GPAs no matter what school year they are in. We’ll see how that goes.

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Opinion

CLIMATE CHANGE:

STILL A PROBLEM

By Ned Carlson

Climate change is a fact.

It is a phenomenon that has been proven with a wealth of empirical data and a consensus within the scientific community. Despite the clear truth in the theory, in recent years, some Americans have begun to question this man-made phenomenon. This has largely been the work of Republican Party politicians, who, lobbied by companies who depend on profits from oil and gas industries, have publicly become increasingly skeptical of the very real problem of climate change.

Amazingly, even after a number of Category 4 and 5 hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico pounded the US coast, climate change deniers have stood by their claims saying we should stop trying to “politicize” these natural disasters by linking them to global warming. This pushback underscores the partisanship that has developed around climate change. These hurricanes and other natural disasters, while not caused by climate change alone, are increasing in frequency and magnitude as temperatures rise worldwide. In other words, things are bad and are getting worse as a result of man’s impact on the environment.

During previous presidencies, climate change had been battled by limitations on carbon dioxide emissions in addition to restrictions on fishing, construction, and other activities that could permanently damage the environment. However, just within the first six months of Trump’s term, many of these policies and laws have been dismantled by his administration simply because of partisanship and self-interest.

The main cause of this Republican partisanship on climate change can be attributed to the party’s debt to large gas and oil companies. This dependence is clearly demonstrated through Trump’s cabinet appointment of Rex Tillerson, CEO of Exxon Mobil. This is one of many examples of conflicts of interest. Insiders in the Trump administration have incentives to relax controls on climate-harming behaviors.

One such cabinet member is Scott Pruitt, American lawyer, Republican politician from the state of Oklahoma, and now administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). His has subjected his department to cuts, and many of his actions appear to be influenced by his denial of climate change. As the head of the EPA, he is the chief enforcer and policy maker tasked with looking out for the interests of the environment.

Despite this position, Pruitt has bluntly stated that he does not believe in climate change.

This is not to say all Republicans deny climate change, but it is the case that a large number in the Party have shown no concern for the environment. We can see this in studies such as that performed by the Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan think tank based in Washington DC, that found that only 20 percent of US Republicans say that climate change is a serious issue. On a global stage, this low percentage of Republicans is embarrassing as the same study found the global median to be 54 percent. Still, this global median is alarmingly low and is a representation of how far down the wrong path we have come. However, there are definitive measures and examples of how we could improve our country, and ultimately the world, in a better direction.

California’s state government is a great example of how we should be approaching climate change. They have passed innovative and meaningful legislation over the past decade. One interesting development emerging from their climate-conscious approach is the Carbon Cap program. This program, according to The Washington Post, “is built into California’s existing cap-and-trade system, a carbon-pricing initiative that aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by placing a ceiling on the amount of carbon companies are allowed to emit and penalizing those that exceed the limit.”

This legislation has been instrumental in the cutting of California’s carbon emissions to below their goal. According to Jeffery Greenblatt, a scientist at the Depart of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley Lab, “not only will California meet its 2020 reduction goals under AB 32, but it could achieve reductions of at least 40 percent below that level in the 2030 time frame.”

If legislation and policies similar to those in California were implemented on a national scale, the benefits would be of even greater significance.

Other solutions lie in renewable energy, especially in developing solar energy. Solar panels were once expensive and unattainable for much of the upper lower to middle class, but now prices have been cut significantly. With greater government incentives for people switching to solar, we could reduce carbon emissions even further.

These are just a few examples that would have an enormous positive impact on the state of the environment and the future of our planet. However, none of these solutions will change anything if we as a country can’t set aside our politics. Politicians must realize that what is at stake is far more important than any corporation or lobbying effort.

9

Opinion

Bill Nye’s new show, Bill Nye Saves the World, was criticized for being too political.

IMAGE PROVIDED

LET CELEBRITIES SHARE THEIR POLITICAL OPINIONS

By Justin Heitzman

M

ore than ever before, today’s celebrities have the wherewithal to share their opinions with people around the world. The combination of more traditional platforms, such as song lyrics, and modern ones like social media has ushered in a new era of the ways in which celebrities communicate with average people. Whether this manifests itself in Taylor Swift’s endless breakup ballads or Jaden Smith’s musings about the reality of mirrors, we now have a historically unprecedented window into the lives of the most scrutinized people in our society. The myriad opportunities for expression are used by some luminaries in different ways than others; while some shy away entirely from sharing their beliefs, others use the spotlight to share their political views. With the innately divisive air that politics takes on, more and more people are seeing the political ideas of celebrities as something that cannot be ignored.

All of this has culminated in a disheartening trend in which people renounce their admiration when they don’t agree with the celebrity’s political views. The simple rejection of someone based only on their political opinions is never correct, no matter the scale.

For instance, Tom Brady may be a Trump supporter while I am not, but that doesn’t compel me to hate him; my dislike for him is based on 10

pettier, more football-based reasons.

To use a popular example of a celebrity who has expressed their political ideology profusely, consider Bill Nye. Back in the day, Nye won over the minds of many a child with his show Bill Nye the Science Guy, in which he discussed scientific concepts through entertaining skits.

However, when Nye released a series on Netflix entitled Bill Nye Saves the World which partially focused on Nye’s own liberal political leanings, his public perception instantaneously tanked. The internet was quickly flooded with videos dismissing Nye as a “lying SJW cuck” who attempts to “brainwash the youth with the liberal agenda.” All of a sudden, a large subset of people stopped idolizing the man and instead vowed to never again watch his content or show it to their children (even including Bill Nye the Science Guy). What I have never understood about this concept is the readiness of people to change their views of a celebrity as soon as they realize that a celebrity might have an opinion contrasting with their own.

In a way, this kind of ruthless renunciation of positive opinions about celebrities can be seen as a representation of the complications of discussion about politics on a more personal scale. The kind of person on Twitter who verbally lacerates Dennis Rodman for a proTrump tweet is likely the same kind of person

to surround himself with an echo chamber of anti-conservatives in his own personal life.

When we block ourselves off from other ideas in this manner, we end up worsening our biases and polarizing ourselves further. It’s a vicious cycle, and when one stops paying attention to the work of certain celebrities because of their political views, they are only further confining themselves to those biases.

At the end of the day, cutting off discussion and denouncing the freedom to express ideas only worsens the American political situation, whether the person who opines is an illustrious superstar or just an average person. Yes, you have the same freedom to disagree with a celebrity on their political views just as that celebrity does to express those views in the first place. However, it is important to remember that celebrities are people too; their political opinions are only one small aspect of their lives, and choosing to reverse one’s opinion of celebrities and their work based on a small aspect is disrespectful not just to that person but to one’s own worldview. For that reason, we need to not only let celebrities express their political views, but seriously consider those views and understand where they come from.

As Bill Nye once said, “Everyone you will ever meet knows something you don’t.”

Features Mix Social Dining, located on Elmira Road, serves a wide variety of dishes, including this marinated sesame tofu.

RESTAURANT REVIEW

MIX SOCIAL DINING

By Vaynu Kadiyali and Isaiah Gutman

L

ooking to try a new eatery in Ithaca, we decided to visit Mix Social Dining on Elmira Road for dinner on a Saturday evening. The restaurant, open since August of 2016, is branded as a tapas restaurant featuring larger portions designed to be eaten by all people seated at a table. We were excited to taste the diverse menu and try their unique concept.

Mix is located in the building formerly occupied by Lucatelli’s, and it is clear that their ownership has completely revamped the restaurant’s interior. While the exterior still looks drab, we entered into a sleek waiting area and were seated in a well-lit room with modern finishes. College football played on a giant television, and many patrons sat at the restaurant’s several bar areas.

Our friendly and proactive server welcomed us to the restaurant, and within ten minutes, our order was placed.

Before any of our tapas arrived, our server brought us the night’s complimentary amusebouche. The one-bite dish—a citrus chicken lettuce wrap—was served as a minced jumble of chicken and bits of green. The dish had an unappetizing appearance, but was spiced well, saving the dish.

Our first dish of vegan crab cakes arrived as soon as the amuse-bouche was removed from the table. Many online reviews included rave reviews of the vegan crab cakes, and we had to see what the hype was about. The crab cakes were spectacular—they were light, of the right consistency, and substantial, just like a real crab dish. The cakes were seasoned with a hint of cit-

IMAGE BY ISAIAH GUTMAN

rus, and the dish was accompanied by an edamame bean salad and a tomato sauce. Shortly after the crab cakes were served, we were brought our side: pommes frites. They were as good as expected, and paired well with the garlic aioli that they were served with.

Next came the meat-based dishes we selected: garlic butter shrimp with avocado toast, and Italian meatballs with sausage and pepper arancini. The shrimp were presented well, with each sizable piece sitting on a small slice of toast topped with mashed avocado and kernels of Peruvian corn. The shrimp may have been the highlight of the night, as it introduced us to a brand new flavor combination. The meatballs and arancini weren’t nearly as pretty, but they still tasted great. While the meatballs were nothing new, they were stellar, with a slightly softer feel than we were used to. The arancini was slightly disappointing, as it contained far less sausage than expected, and instead was nearly all grain. While they paled in comparison to the garlic shrimp and toast, the Italian meatballs and arancini were quite good too.

The final dish—marinated sesame tofu— was decent, but not nearly as good as the other dishes we had. The presentation included an awkward slice of unpeeled pineapple, and while the dish looked saucy and flavorful, garnished with sesame seeds, almonds, and a sweet and sour sauce, it fell short of our high expectations.

When we decided to order dessert, our largest complaint of the night emerged. After requesting the dessert menu, we had to wait a

Mix Social Dining’s tapas menu is innovative and spans a broad range of cuisines.

full fifteen minutes before our server attended to us again. This interaction was a disappointment in an otherwise stellar customer service experience. Our server finally presented us with a platter including all of Mix’s dessert options for the night. It was dizzying to hear the extensive list of items, and by the end of the presentation, we hardly remembered any of the choices that we’d been offered. We ultimately settled for a white-chocolate crème brûlée, perfectly browned on the top and smooth inside, and with a mixed-berry crumble served with vanilla ice cream, a perfect fruity pairing with the extremely rich crème brûlée.

Despite high prices, Mix Social Dining’s tapas menu is innovative and spans a broad range of cuisines, meaning that anyone’s tastes or dietary restrictions can be accommodated.

We would recommend that you go with a large group to split the cost and to try as many menu items as possible. Overall, we had a very pleasant experience at Mix, and would recommend it to anybody wanting to try a new restaurant in the Ithaca area.

11

Features

BOOK REVIEW

WORDS WILL BREAK CEMENT: THE PASSION OF PUSSY RIOT

By Magdalena Smith

W

ords Will Break Cement: The Passion of Pussy Riot by Masha fense strategy with their lawyers. The trial’s unfairness and obvious orchesGessen is a book that follows the story of the Russian femi- tration by the Russian government drew international outrage. Support nist punk band called Pussy Riot. The plot focuses on the band came especially from the music community, most notably from Madonna, members Nadya Tolokonnikova, Maria Alyokhina, and Yekaterina Sam- who held a performance in Moscow during the trial with the words “Pussy utsevich, and their fight against the Putin regime through punk resistance Riot” emblazoned on her back. Despite this international support and the art while dressed in their iconic neon tights, dresses, and balaclavas (an three women’s moving speeches, they were convicted. Gessen illustrates identity-concealing face mask that covers all of the face except the eyes Pussy Riot as a perfect example of the human rights’ abuses, and the fearand mouth). Gessen illustrates how the story of the three Pussy Riot band and propaganda-enforced ideologies that constitute Russia’s reality today. members exemplifies the horrors of Russia’s dictatorial regime, and how Since the publication of this book, the Pussy Riot members have finlittle has changed in terms of Russia’s authoritarianism since the Com- ished their prison time and been released. In prison they endured countmunist era. less humiliations and horrific violence that violates international human Pussy Riot staged their concerts in public spaces with historic sig- rights law, such as round-the-clock hour work days, no hot water, and nificance, culminating in a performance at the Cathedral of Christ the two-stall bathrooms for five hundred inmates that often had sinks that Savior. They performed songs beseeching the Virgin Mary—and anyone spewed urine and feces due to prison authorities’ negligence to fix the else listening—to become a feminist, and demanded an end to human broken drainage system. Regardless, the Pussy Riot women made some rights abuses by the Putin administration. This particular location em- meaning out of the experience to study and become better human rights phasized the corrupt connection between Putin’s regime and the Russian advocates. The three women documented human rights abuses within Orthodox Church, an ally of Russian the prisons, at high risk to themselves dictators throughout the centuries, from both the institution and fellow Gessen illustrates Pussy Riot as a perfect and it spotlighted how the influential prisoners. Multiple times, they comChurch promoted followers to com- example of the human rights’ abuses, and the promised their own safety to bring ply exactly with Putin’s regime. The fear- and propaganda-enforced ideologies lawsuits against the prisons’ gross huChurch has traditionally emphasized man rights abuses. Maria Alyokhina that constitute Russia’s reality today. that noncompliance with the governimmersed herself in the legal system, ment would make Russians bad citibecoming more eloquent and knowlzens and bad Christians, and Pussy Riot attempts to challenge this notion. edgeable than even her lawyers. When they could find no other option, Of the five young women in Pussy Riot, three were arrested at the Cathe- they compromised their health and physical safety through the use of dral and sent to detention facilities in remote areas of Russia to await trial. hunger strikes in protest.

After months in detention centers, they were tried in what were essentially Since getting out of prison, the women have focused worldwide media show trials and were sentenced to remote prisons, convicted of “felony attention on the inhumanity of Russia’s regime through interviews and hooliganism” (or in other words, political dissidence against the regime). new songs. As tensions between the West and Russia worsened, TolokonThe courage of these young women captured international support and nikova and Alyokhina took their activism and radical anti-Putin messages brought worldwide media attention to the Russian totalitarian regime. outside Russia. They were particularly embraced in the United States.

The women of Pussy Riot began to see themselves as modern incar- They met with 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, who Tweetnations of the political dissidents of Russia’s Soviet past, and their letters ed that they were “strong and brave.” They spoke at Harvard University from prison camps and detention facilities are just as heartbreakingly sad. about the difficulties of engaging in political activism in Russia.

Tolokonnikova, Samutsevich, and Alyokhina were subjugated to a collecIn New York, they participated in street protests following the 2014 tive show trial to determine their fate after arrest from the Cathedral per- death of Eric Garner, who was put in an illegal chokehold by police who formance, aided by inarticulate lawyers and tried by a judge predisposed ignored his repeated cries of “I can’t breathe,” and the band created a subagainst them. Nominally, they were prosecuted for moral and theological sequent music video expressing their solidarity with the Black Lives Matoffenses, and the court refused to acknowledge Pussy Riot as political, al- ter movement. Following the election of President Donald Trump, Pussy though the trial was in actuality used as an example of the state’s power to Riot released several music videos advocating for the rights of women, crush opposition against the regime. gender and sexual minorities, and communities of color. Despite oppoOver the many days of the trial, the women were permitted virtually sition from the strongest powers, the women of Pussy Riot will not be no sleep, food, or water; they were also given no time to discuss their de- stopped.

12

Arts

IMAGE PROVIDED

Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olsen star in Wind River, which takes place in modern Wyoming.

MOVIE REVIEW

WIND RIVER

By Isaiah Gutman

S

now falls as a young woman runs across the white ground during deep night. So begins Wind River, a haunting film with deep meaning. Directed by Taylor Sheridan, writer of Sicario and Hell or High Water, Wind River combines slow drama with intense thrill, producing a truly great film.

Starring Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olsen, the film takes place in modern Wyoming, which informs the feeling of despair that dominates the vistas shown. A hopeless teenager is depicted fleeing towards the wilderness in the opening scene, in stark contrast to a hopeful poem read during the scene. From there, Renner’s character is introduced, a grizzled public worker who hunts for a living. He ends up having a very personal connection to the main conflict, and Renner portrays his strife well, with an understated pain. Olsen plays an inexperienced FBI agent who has no idea of what she’s getting into when she’s assigned—alone—to go to Wyoming to investigate a girl’s death on the Wind River Indian Reservation.

While Renner turns in the most important performance, Olsen, too, is excellent, as her character grows noticeably from start to finish. However, personally, I connected to supporting actor Gil Birmingham’s performance most easily. He plays the father of the young woman who was killed, and he represents well the attitudes in the Native American community towards the government and white Americans.

While the movie is, at face value, about the search for a killer and the solving of the mystery, it touches on the experience of Native Americans in a sensitive and informative way. In particular, the film strives to raise awareness for thousands of cases of sexual violence against women on reservations. This focus helps turn the film from a soulless drama to a thriller that has serious emotional weight. Generally, the direction is solid, as Sheridan does a good job of conveying tension and a struggle for survival in the characters.

That said, Sheridan’s lack of experience showed itself in many instances. He had trouble with pacing, as the film was generally quite slow, even in the most intense scenes. And while the message of the film was apparent, it was not reinforced as much as I would’ve liked, seeing as it was only mentioned about twice or thrice overall, and seen mostly from the viewpoint of Renner’s character. Additionally, Sheridan wasted the acting talent of Jon Bernthal, a favorite of mine. He cameos in a spoiler-ish role, but suffice it to say, he is severely underused.

Wind River was not the flashiest or the most exciting film of the summer, but it never intended to be so. It is filled with introspection and forces the viewer to do some introspection themselves. Sheridan’s directing is far from perfect, but it is human, and that makes Wind River one of the best movies of 2017.

13

IHS New Staff Joseph Yoon, Aurora Wulff

Being new to the area, I’d like to get to know the school and the community and find out what resources in the community are available to both teachers and students.

I want to challenge the diversity of learners I have in front of me in the classroom, and I’d like to really collaborate with my new colleagues and find out what great things they have going on in their rooms and learn as much as I can from them.

Finally, I’d like to get to know the students as people and what they are involved in, and make sure they are having fun in the classroom while being challenged in their reading, writing, thinking, listening, and speaking skills.

SamueL Innes: English

As a new TA, my goals for this school year include getting to know my students and figuring out how to help them effectively. I’m also looking forward to developing my school spirit by going to pep rallies, sports games, and performances.

Elizabeth Caruso: SPED TA

I am a new Teaching Assistant at IHS. I support students in Consumer Chemistry, Algebra 1, and Geometry. I have several goals, both professional and personal. In my professional role, my first priority is to get to know my students’ strengths and challenges, as well as their interests. I do my best to help students feel secure in what they know so that they can venture into new territory.

Among my many interests outside of school is swing dancing. It is so much fun! If you ever see anyone dancing with friends to music that they love, I guarantee they will be smiling. My goal for this coming year is to advance from the Newcomer division to the next level up, which is the Novice level. It is so gratifying to get better at something so joyful.

Kendall McAdams: SPED TA I am a new librarian at IHS this year. My biggest goal for the school year is to get to know the students and to work with Mr. Heurich, Mrs. Barr, and Mr. Lira to make the library a center of community engagement for the whole school. We have a huge graphic novel section, board games on Fridays, and comfortable chairs in the library for students to relax in. I love that so many students choose to eat their lunch in the library, that was not an option when I was a student at IHS last century! Additionally, our library loves recommendations, so if you want a book that we don’t have or have an idea for how to make the library better, please drop a note in our suggestion box at the library front desk.

Rachel McDonald: Librarian

I am an Assistant PE teacher here at the high school. My main goal is to make sure my students have fun in physical education and develop an appreciation for physical activity. I am hopeful they will continue to have fitness and physical activity as a mainstay in their lives moving forward from IHS.

Shelly Matheny: PE I have been in the district, primarily at Boynton Middle School, for seven years. I am new to the role as Senior Typist in the Associate Principal’s Office. I am looking forward to becoming a part of the IHS community and am excited to build new relationships with the students and staff. One of my goals is to become an important part of the daily interactions between students and faculty. I believe good communication and teamwork are the foundation to success.

Michelle Franklin: Senior Typist I am an Account Clerk Typist, which means that I am the Secretary for Mr. Trumble. You can find me in room J15. One of my goals for this school year is to get to know more students and attend more events, including athletic contests, concerts, plays, and dances. Another goal is to put a face to all the names of faculty and staff that I have learned in the last ten months. Another one of my goals is to strive toward being paperless. I don’t think we will ever be completely paperless, but I have had a good start on making most documents and systems electronic. Good luck to all students and staff this school year and feel free to stop in, say hi, and introduce yourself!

Brenda Powers: Secretary I am a new teacher in the English Department’s Reading and Writing Lab. You can find me in the lab, room GK101, pretty much all day and after school every day. Although I’m technically a new teacher this year, I have been working at IHS as a teaching assistant in both the Special Education and English departments since September 2006. My goal for this year as a full-time teacher in the Reading and Writing Lab is the same as always: to continue the good work the Reading and Writing Lab has come to be known for over the years, and to increase the number of students we serve. Come on down! I look forward to adding your picture to my bulletin board wearing your graduation gown, either this year or by June 2021. Whether you are working on the Great American Novel, your college essay, or just trying to get a passing grade on a writing assignment, I want to help you sharpen your skills while learning more about you, because that is the most fulfilling part of my job.

Sarah Ostrom: English My immediate goals for this year are to get to know everyone and be able to successfully navigate the building. I’ve already gotten lost a few times! So if you see me, please introduce yourself and help out if I look like I don’t know where I am going.

For this school year, I hope to instill more math confidence in my students than they walk in with. I want to increase their enjoyment for the subject, even if just a little. This year, I am going to try to implement more technology in my classroom. I am always working to improve so I really have a plethora of #teachergoals. Most importantly, I’m looking to build relationships, especially with my students. This is the reason I do what I do. When my students smile, my heart is happy.

Cassandra Valenti: Math

IHS New Staff

My goal is to become assimilated with IHS, with its faculty, staff, and students. I want to become part of the school community and culture, and to hopefully change the way students look at counselors, so that they know that we are here for more than just academic and school counseling.

Amanda Poirer: Counselor My goal is to get to know the students and the school. I want to make sure students know that I am available to them, and help them with whatever they need, academic or not.

Jamie Maccarone: Counselor Other New Staff Melissa Weiner: Math Llanya O’Kane: Math Matthew O’Neil: Social Studies

Graphic by Jacob Yoon 16

Arts

OCTOBER PLAYLIST

By Annie Wang A blend of warm acoustics and soul-healing melodies, this playlist is perfect for cold mornings at your favorite local coffee shop.

“Spirit Cold” - Tall Heights Bittersweet, angsty, and gentle all at the same time, “Spirit Cold” captures the hues of autumn leaves and melancholy.

“A Sunday Kind of Love” - Etta James A slow-paced, love-inducing, classic pancakes-and-coffee kind of song.

“If I Ain’t Got You” (Alicia Keys Cover) - James Bay James Bay’s sultry singer-songwriter style is incorporated into an already revolutionary song to create a modest cover full of heart and soul.

“Georgia” - Vance Joy One of Vance Joy’s most popular songs, “Georgia” reflects youthful infatuation with the singer’s classic acoustic guitar melodies intertwined with melting deep tones.

“Cherry Wine” (Live) - Hozier Similar to Vance Joy’s music, “Cherry Wine” is a humble guitar-based song with a gentle disposition complementary to a cup of hot apple cider at the Farmer’s Market.

“Rivers and Roads” - The Head and the Heart Subtle while passionate, the Head and the Heart sing about growing up and making bonds that will never break.

“Rivers and roads, rivers and roads, rivers ‘til I reach you...”

“The Girl” - City and Colour This song is evocative of soft sweaters, grey clouds, mug of tea, and a book you didn’t

think you’d love as much as you do.

“She” - Ed Sheeran Ed Sheeran goes old-school with his low-key, relaxed instrumentals while singing about a girl, as always.

“Dive” - Ed Sheeran A song off Sheeran’s most recent album, Divide, “Dive” mixes his traditional singer-songwriter style with a cleaner production, similar to his older track, “Thinking Out Loud.”

“Easily” - Bruno Mars A slow beat and a smooth bass sets the tone of this track, along with an ambient electric guitar with sounds of silk and velveteen.

“Put Your Records On” Corinne Bailey Rae Released in 2006, “Put Your Records On” remains the perfect feel-good song for the softer seasons with Rae’s gentle but penetrating voice.

“Valerie” (The Zutons Cover) Amy Winehouse Amy Winehouse’s cover managed to be even more successful than the original, which is completely understandable with the icon’s renowned deep contralto vocals and the blissfully calming nature of the song.

“Feeling Whitney” - Post Malone If you heard this song on the radio or randomly playing in a coffee shop, you likely wouldn’t recognize it as Post Malone’s. The rapper completely shifts tones from his usual trap and R&B styles to beautiful folksy acoustics in this tune about loneliness and love.

IMAGE BY ALEXANDRA GIBBONS

The X-Ambassadors take the stage at the Cayuga Sound Festival.

CAYUGA SOUND FESTIVAL

By Alexandra Gibbons On Saturday, September 23, I was lucky enough to be able to attend the Cayuga Sound Festival with a press pass. The festival, a collection of performances to celebrate Ithaca, took place in Stewart Park and was packed with people from around upstate New York. The performers were all talented and well-renowned, and while the festival had a similar vibe to Grassroots, it felt far more intimate and community-oriented. Unfortunately, one band ended up cancelling their performance, which threw off the schedule, but the organizers did a good job to make sure that everyone still had a good time.

The X-Ambassadors, the band that helped create the festival, was the headlining act of the night. They drew in the audience with heartfelt stories about attending Stewart Park Day Camp when they were growing up, and explained the connections to Ithaca in their songs. The X-Ambassadors also debuted two songs that they had never before played in public, a thrilling experience for all involved. As they moved along to their bigger hits, they encouraged the audience to sing along and start dancing. The X-Ambassadors had a strong stage presence and definitely lived up to my expectations.

The Roots followed the X-Ambassadors, and were the last act of the night. Although they performed well, I did not find the performance to be as engaging as others had been, and it was clear that others felt the same way as the audience slowly shrunk throughout the performance. However, because the performance was the culmination of a whole day’s worth of festivities, many people were simply too tired to stick around for the final performance.

Overall, the festival was a blast and seems to be a great tradition for Ithaca residents to begin embracing. The festival will take place again next year, and I would highly recommend that any music lover buy tickets for next year.

17

Arts

ITHACA IN FULL SWING: GOODMAN’S VISIT TO ITHACA

By Jefferson Sheng

F

ifty-two years ago, spring of 1965. Accompanied by a police escort, the world famous clarinetist Benny Goodman was driven into the biggest crowd IHS has ever seen when the news of Goodman’s visit swept the streets of Ithaca.

To this day, Benny Goodman is considered to be one of the biggest celebrities of jazz. Often referred to as the “King of Swing,” the Chicago native helped initiate the thrilling swing era during the peak of the Great Depression. Swing music, with its roots from the already well-known big-band jazz style, is especially unique for its emphasis on the offbeat or weaker pulses of the music.

Goodman started his career with financial motivations, as his Jewish immigrant family from Poland was struggling with twelve children in the house. Goodman left school at the early age of 14 to pursue his music career, and debuted that same year with his first full-time professional band, the Ben Pollack Orchestra. In 1928, after a stint leading the orchestra, Goodman left for New York City to work for radio shows and form an orchestra of his own. His worldwide career was kickstarted at the wellknown 1938 Carnegie Hall Jazz Concert, where Goodman and his orchestra made history for being the first group to perform jazz at Carnegie Hall, a place known for its classical music. Goodman contributed the the shift of jazz’s already established popular culture setting to American high culture through this legendary concert, numerous top selling albums, and commissioned works.

Among Goodman’s colleagues, he was known as a terrific leader but had an uneasy relationship with some members of the bands he played in.

Pianist Jess Stacy went as far as to say that “If I’d had any spunk I’d probably have thrown the piano at him.” Often, Goodman had a caustic intolerance for imperfections, but his intensity and pickiness were the traits that led him to the top of the jazz scene.

In the 1960s, the IHS Band was under the direction of the wind ensemble legend Frank Battisti, who led the IHS Band to national recognition as one of the best school bands in the United States. One day, Mr. Battisti took his chances, not expecting any results, by writing to Benny Goodman and inviting him to come to a school assembly. Battisti noted in his book One Band That Took a Chance that the popular IHS Jazz band was having its biggest concert of the year, and he had run out of ideas for candidates to perform with the band. With time ticking and his colleagues growing skeptical of their chances at landing Goodman, Battisti noted in his book that the IHS Band, a frequent commissioner of pieces, finally received interest from Goodman since he also had interest in commissioned works, commissioning pieces from composers such as Aaron Copland, Paul Hindemith, Malcolm Arnold, and Béla Bartók to expand the clarinet repertoire.

Weeks passed, and one morning over the phone, a short-lived, three-sentence conversation took place between Goodman and Mr. Bat18

IMAGE PROVIDED

Benny Goodman plays for an enthusiastic audience at IHS.

tisti, with the confirmation on a visit to Ithaca. As the news spread, the community went ballistic about the fact that one of America’s all-time favorite musicians was about to set foot on their doorsteps.

Initially in disbelief about the caller being the real Benny Goodman, Battisti only made the arrangements with followups from Goodman himself. The visit was only a quick stop during Goodman’s to visit his daughter, who was studying at Boston University, though the IHS community was nevertheless thrilled to have him. Reluctant to play at all, the students somehow buffaloed Goodman into playing during the assembly. With a burrowed Selmer clarinet, Goodman was introduced into the assembly after the jazz band jammed out few swing classics, such as “Tuxedo Junction.” He and the IHS Jazz Band shared the stage on one of Goodman’s signature tunes, “Sing Sing Sing,” which opened with the iconic drum solo performed by an IHS student.

Thundering roars were heard from the audience after the performance.

It meant a tremendous deal to the IHS students onstage as they were regarded highly enough that a legend like Goodman would play with them.

After the concert, Benny Goodman signed students’ sheet music and hung out with them, intrigued by the school and its emphasis on music.

The legacy of Benny Goodman is a gem in IHS’ ongoing musical tradition and will always be important in American music history.

Sports

WHY YOU SHOULD GO TO A CORNELL HOCKEY GAME

By Justin Heitzman

T

he Ithaca area doesn’t have too much going on in terms of sports outside of IHS. The nearest major league teams are far off in Buffalo and New York City, and even the closest minor league baseball teams (the Auburn Doubledays and my personal favorites, the Binghamton Rumble Ponies) are 45and 65-minute drives away, respectively. Cornell and Ithaca College may have sizable lineups of varsity athletic teams, but many of those are not exactly competitive—take Cornell’s basketball team, which struggled to an 8-21 record last season, or their football team, which finished 4-6. Attendance at these events is rather lackluster these days, and it’s not hard to see why; college students have better things to do than watch sports teams fail to perform consistently.

However, there’s one collegiate sports team in Ithaca that is not only perennially competitive but creates a fun and entertaining atmosphere for both students and us “townies” alike: Cornell’s hockey team. After a few years of frustration and missed potential, Cornell finally broke through to the NCAA hockey tournament last year for the first time since 2012. Despite a disappointing loss to UMass Lowell in the first round of that tournament, Cornell looks to have convincing potential heading into next season.

The team returns their top three goal-scorers from last year, most notably Mitch Vanderlaan and fifth-round NHL draft pick Anthony Angello. Meanwhile, the Big Red’s defensive core will stay strong, with the dynamic Alec McCrea leading the group. Returning defenseman Yanni Kaldis should also be able to provide some offensive firepower from that position. Perhaps the most interesting and significant question remaining to be answered, though, is at the position of goalie. The only returning goaltender on the roster for Cornell this year is Hayden Stewart, who is the presumptive starter after the graduation of three-year starter Mitch Gillam. Stewart will be challenged by freshmen Matthew Galajda and Austin McGrath, who both have shown considerable talent on their previous junior hockey teams. Though this forces a difficult decision onto the shoulders of coach Mike Schafer as he enters his twenty-third season, it is always better to have too much goaltending talent than too little. The solid combination of talent and experience for the Big Red at just about every position could very well get them a return to the NCAA tournament in the spring of 2018.

The important thing to note, however, is that the entertainment value of Cornell hockey is not limited to the high probability of the team’s success. Just about everyone can find something to love about the experience of attending a game, whether it’s the fast-paced and competitive play, listening to the absurd chants of the student section, or just having an excuse to eat overpriced junk food. Therefore, I recommend that everyone tries to make it out to at least one game this year for a sports experience that anybody can enjoy.

IMAGE PROVIDED

The team celebrates a goal at Lynah Rink.

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Sports

WHY THE CELTICS WON THE TRADE OF THE DECADE

By Isaiah Gutman

O

n August 22, speculation began to emerge that the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics were engaged in trade talks involving a swap of their star point guards. A couple of hours later, the deal was done.

As a Celtics fan, my initial reaction was shock and disappointment—not only did Celtics General Manager Danny Ainge give up beloved star Isaiah Thomas, but he even dared to include solid role player Jae Crowder, prospect Ante Zizic, and a potential top-five draft pick from the Brooklyn Nets, eventually throwing in a second round pick to seal the deal. This immensely valuable package was solely for Kyrie Irving, a player that many would argue is as good as Thomas alone. However, Celtics fans shouldn’t be concerned about this trade—while there are plenty of reasons to be nervous about their current team, the future looks bright. Not only do Irving’s age, potential, and attitude spell hope for the Celtics, but serious concerns are emerging about the assets they traded away.

Both Irving and Thomas were drafted in 2011, but besides that, their careers could not have been more different. As Irving was handed the keys to Cavs as the number-one pick, eventually getting gifted with the chance to play with LeBron James when he returned to Cleveland, Thomas was taken with the last pick in the draft and was forced to fight his way to spots on the Kings and the Suns.

After years of playing as an underdog, Thomas was traded to the Celtics and quickly became a star, leading the team in points for the past two seasons.

While none of us fans will ever truly know the full reasoning behind Ainge’s execution of this trade, a few key details stick out when comparing Irving and Thomas. Both players, while gifted offensive talents, face heavy criticism for their defensive woes. However, while they appear to be shockingly similar players, Thomas is 28, while Irving is more than three years younger. Age matters in the NBA, and Irving hasn’t been given the chance to reach his full potential while playing with James.

In Boston, with the opportunity to take the reins of a title contender, I expect Kyrie to noticeably improve, although he won’t be without hic20

cups in his transition to leader. If he can channel his legendary playoffs performances, he will without a doubt win over Celtics fans and improve the team. Thomas, on the other hand, will likely do nothing but decline from here, despite his great work ethic. His hip injury sustained during last year’s postseason won’t help, and age never does good things to NBA point guards nearing the wrong side of 30. If the Celtics had kept Thomas, they would’ve been forced to pay him a maximum contract after next season, a luxury they cannot afford for a player who will inevitably begin to decline in the coming seasons.

Irving is a much better bet given that he has an extra year left on his contract, seems willing to sign an extension, and is much younger, sturdier, and likelier to sustain his output. A big part of this is the height difference between Irving and Thomas. Thomas may have been psychologically fueled by his stature, but there is no doubt that it hurts him both on defense and offense, especially near the basket. Irving is a full six inches taller at 6’3”, so he can certainly improve on the defensive end, while Thomas cannot. Furthermore, Irving now has the perfect coach to allow him to do so in Brad Stevens, one of the most brilliant minds in basketball. Thomas may have the guts to succeed, but Irving is the smart choice both for the short term and the long term for the Boston Celtics.

Now, you may be thinking, “Sure, Irving may be a bit better, but the Celtics are still giving up so much. . . . How on earth can they win this trade?” Well, the Celtics’ current front office has pulled off the deals that won them their their latest championship, got them Thomas in the first place, and signed Al Horford and Gordon Hayward in the past two offseasons. However, if you still don’t trust their judgement, I’ll break down why the other pieces don’t matter as much as you may think.

I’ll start with the easiest one: Zizic. While he has had some moderate success in Turkey, Ante Zizic is possibly the least proven prospect in the NBA. In the Summer League, a practice league with mostly rookies and second year players, he showed he is out of his depth near NBA players. He looked completely lost on offense and defense, and while he is able to get a rebound or

two due to his height, his box-out techniques are weak and he is nowhere near ready for primetime.

While both the Cavs and Celtics desperately need rebounding, Zizic is too raw and unpolished to be given significant minutes during games.

While the Brooklyn Nets’ 2018 draft pick was an important piece in the trade, it may very well turn out to not be as valuable as NBA observers believe. The Nets were horrid last year, it is true, but with the acquisitions of D’Angelo Russell, Allen Crabbe, and DeMarre Carroll, the Nets will be able to give middling teams a challenge. With a multitude of tanking East teams and the depth of the West, the Nets could end up vying for the final playoff spot in the East, as they have no incentive to try and get a high pick. Now, all of that could be rendered moot if the Cavs decide to sell high and get another star for the pick and another asset, but if they keep the pick as insurance in case LeBron leaves, they could be burned badly.

Finally, the biggest addition alongside Thomas has to be Jae Crowder. Under contract for two more seasons, Crowder is a bargain—he shot 40 percent from three last year, plays good defense, and is being paid around $7 million a year. Cleveland needs a player to back up LeBron and Kevin Love, so Crowder is a precious piece who will be used well. However, Crowder brings nearly nothing to the table on offense besides threes, and will be lost among the Cavs’ excellent shooters. He also plays good defense, but without LeBron, the Cavs are lost on that end; one could even argue that they’re lost with LeBron on the court.

Crowder won’t do enough to help the Cavs’ team defense, so he may not be as important for the Cavs as one may believe at first glance.

If LeBron does leave, as he seems likely to do, the trade is all but wasted for the Cavs. Thomas will likely leave for another team in such a scenario, and the Cavaliers may have too much salary committed to veteran players to embrace a youth movement. At the same time, the Celtics will be laughing all the way to the Finals with their young core of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Marcus Smart along with vets Horford, Hayward, and Irving. Check back in five years, and the Celtics will have easily won this trade.

Sports

KNICKS SEASON PREVIEW 2018

By Vaynu Kadiyali

A

fter seven tumultuous seasons as a member of the New York Knicks, Carmelo Anthony and the team finally parted ways on September 23, when Anthony was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Enes Kanter, Doug McDermott, and the Chicago Bulls’ 2018 second round draft pick. While Knicks fans were initially left with a familiar feeling of dismay after getting robbed in the trade, this time will prove to be different. It’s been clear since January 2017 that the Knicks need to rebuild around Kristaps Porzingis and surround him with defensive players, and removing the final relic of their failed past is undoubtedly a step in the right direction.

It is immediately clear to any observer of the NBA that the Knicks lost this trade. They gave up Carmelo Anthony, still an extremely productive offensive option who can score efficiently and at ease if surrounded by the right talent, for two low-quality assets.

Enes Kanter is a center who simply isn’t built for today’s NBA— he is a post-up player who can’t stretch the floor, and he is one of the NBA’s worst defensive centers.

The Knicks, already pathetic on defense, will be far worse with him on the floor. Kanter’s contract is also a tough one to accept in return for a player of Carmelo Anthony’s caliber—he makes nearly $18 million a year and has a lucrative player option for next year that he is unlikely to decline, forcing

the Knicks to pay big money to an offense-only player that they could instead use to acquire a productive and well-rounded starter. Doug McDermott, while a solid shooter, will not come close to matching Anthony’s offensive output, and will also be a liability on defense.

The Knicks have acknowledged that their franchise needs a reboot.

Despite the clear downsides of this trade, the Knicks needed a jolt to initiate their rebuild, and this move will certainly push them in the right direction. Last season, when future star Kristaps Porzingis should have been the focal point of the Knicks’ offense, both Derrick Rose and Carmelo Anthony were given more chances to shoot the ball. The Knicks now get the opportunity to design plays around Porzingis, removing all restraints and making him the rightful first option in their offense. Porzingis will resultingly be free to shoot the ball at will, and will be given the chance to post-up and exploit matchups more frequently this season. It is fair to assume that his teammates will be told from the start to give him the ball.

This season will also finally allow the Knicks to develop a modern offense. Ex-President of

Basketball Operations Phil Jackson mandated that the Knicks use the archaic triangle offense last season, and Knicks fans had to endure countless wasted possessions during which the ball stayed in Carmelo Anthony’s hands for far too long while little was done to create open shot opportunities.

Now, the Knicks should look to develop a fast-paced offense built around shooting and ball movement, and the Knicks will better utilize some of their existing roster, including well-rounded shooting guard Courtney Lee, to have better spacing.

However, despite causes for optimism in the Knicks’ new situation, it’s clear that their current roster will be one of the worst in the league, and their priority right now should be on losing games to acquire a top draft pick (aka “tanking”). Already one of the worst defensive teams in the league, the additions of Enes Kanter and Doug McDermott should be enough to ensure that the Knicks will lose most of their games this year, thanks to their defensive woes.

While the Knicks will be painful to watch in the short term, losing now will allow the Knicks to draft a top prospect to pair next to Kristaps Porzingis. In the 2018 draft, the Knicks could choose a low-usage defensive big man like Mohamed Bamba, DeAndre Ayton, or in the best case, predicted number-one pick Marvin Bagley III, all of whom could complement

Kristaps Porzingis’ shot-blocking abilities well to create a formidable defensive frontcourt while not interrupting his style of offense.

Alternatively, should the Knicks determine that their existing center Willy Hernangomez is their longterm option next to Porzingis, they could select a shooter, with potential options including European prodigy Luka Doncic or the incredibly athletic Michael Porter Jr. In the meanwhile, the Knicks should focus on playing Kristaps Porzingis along with their younger players, including 2017 draft pick Frank Ntilikina, free agent signing Tim Hardaway Jr., and the aforementioned promising big-man Willy Hernangomez, to see whether any of these players can be useful assets for them in the long term.

By trading Carmelo Anthony, the Knicks have acknowledged that their franchise needs a reboot.

While the assets they got in the trade are certainly not comparable in value to that of Anthony, the Knicks will still be in a favorable position entering the 2017–18 NBA season. With a future superstar in Kristaps Porzingis on the roster, Knicks fans will not have to endure a half-decade filled with losses like the Philadelphia 76ers did to get to their current state. If the Knicks stick to their rebuild and make necessary changes to their style of play, they should be back to winning in just a few seasons.

21

Literary

Crowds flocked to Arthur Ashe Stadium on Long Island to watch the brightest tennis stars in action.

IMAGE FROM SPORTS ILLUSTRATED

THE 2017 US OPEN

By Asha Duhan

T

he 2017 US Open took place from August 22 to September 10 in Flushing Meadows, New York City. On the Men’s side, the tennis tournament was characterized by the emergence of younger, lower ranked players who were able to advance into the further rounds of the tournament. Meanwhile, on the Women’s side, the tournament was dominated by four American players: Sloane Stephens, Coco Vandeweghe, Madison Keys, and Venus Williams, all of whom reached the semifinals, marking the first time in 36 years that all of the US Open Women’s semifinalists were American.

Rafael Nadal claimed his sixteenth Grand Slam title and third US Open title when he defeated Kevin Anderson in three straight sets in the Men’s Final. Nadal had a very favorable draw, with the highest ranked player he faced being only twenty-fourth seed in Juan Martin Del Potro, his semifinals opponent. However, Nadal still faced trouble in the early rounds of the tournament. In the first round, Taro Daniel, an American-born Japanese player, won the first set against Nadal by firing winners off both his forehand and backhand. However, the experienced Grand Slam champion Nadal outlasted the young Daniel and went on to win the match in four sets.

The next major opponent Nadal faced was the aforementioned Del Potro, who had defeated one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Roger Federer, in the quarterfinals. Del Potro used his tall stature for huge serves and powerful forehands to win the first set against Nadal. However, the veteran Spaniard battled back against Del Potro, and with his high level of consistency and intensity won the match in four sets to reach his fourth US Open Final.

In the final, Nadal faced Kevin Anderson from South Africa. This was Anderson’s first Grand Slam final, and he relied on his big serve and powerful ground strokes in an attempt to win the match. However, Anderson’s game was no match for Nadal’s, and Nadal won the match with relative ease to win the tournament.

Overall, on the men’s side, the tournament was less interesting when 22

compared to previous years, primarily because five of the top ten Men’s players did not participate in the tournament. Another narrative from the tournament was the affirmation of Rafael Nadal’s dominance after a series of injuries and early losses in Grand Slam tournaments that had led some to question his ability. Instead, Nadal shut down all criticism and cemented his legacy next to Roger Federer as one of the best tennis players of all time. With sixteen Grand Slam titles, Rafael Nadal is edging ever closer to the record of Roger Federer’s nineteen Grand Slam titles, and will very likely surpass him in the near future. As of now, Nadal is the dominating figure in men’s tennis.

On the women’s side, unranked Sloane Stephens won the tournament after missing eleven months of the professional tour because of a stress fracture in her foot. Stephens faced numerous highly ranked players in the tournament (including ninth-ranked Venus Williams and eleventh-ranked Cibulkova) and endured many obstacles in the first few rounds. In the first round, Stephens played Cibulkova and won in three sets. In the semifinals, Stephens faced Venus Williams, the two-time US Open Grand Slam champion, and in a very contentious and close match, Stephens’ consistency and speed enabled her to win the match in three sets. In the finals, Stephens faced another young American, Madison Keys.

Keys never appeared to be fully invested in the match, and Stephens won the final in two sets with relative ease and efficiency.

Stephens won her first Grand Slam ever and is now considered one of the major forces in the women’s professional tennis tour. Furthermore, Stephens’ win was significant as it marked the first time since 2002 that a US Women’s tennis player not named “Williams” won a Grand Slam tennis tournament. By winning, Sloane Stephens opened the door for a future generation of great American tennis players, both men and women, and demonstrated that she has a very bright future. Overall, the 2017 US Open showcased the current generation of great men’s and women’s tennis players, and cemented Rafael Nadal as one of the greatest of all time while also launching Sloane Stephens into the spotlight.

Literary

What If the Earth Stopped Spinning?

By Aidan Foley

IMAGE BY RULA SIBAI ON UNSPLASH

June 15, 2018. A relatively normal day by most people’s standards.

Newscasters reported the weather, politicians played their various roles in the governing bodies of the world, street vendors sold their goods, the sun followed its daily path across the sky, and life continued to follow the same general path that it had been following for quite a while. That was until around noon. Nobody noticed anything at first, for there wasn’t much to notice. It was virtually impossible to see the movement of the sun over the course of a few minutes. Eventually, people began to notice that although the time had moved, the sun hadn’t. This, as you can imagine, was very stressful for the majority of people that noticed. Those who didn’t notice immediately, whether that was because they were inside or didn’t really care about what happened overhead, were soon informed through the news.

Of course, people were frightened. Religious leaders saw the end of days, scientists worked furiously to figure out what had happened, and flat-earthers were utterly flabbergasted. All manner of people turned to their respective leaders, crying out for answers. Politicians and military leaders scrambled for answers. The UN erupted into chaos as countries blamed each other and nobody had any idea what to do. After all, no one had designed a protocol for this situation; nobody thought in a billion years that our planet would ever stop spinning.

Yet it had happened, and humanity was utterly helpless. A day was lengthened to the time of a year, every point on the planet getting about a half-year’s exposure to the sun consecutively. One side of the Earth baked while the other froze. Conventional agriculture became virtually impossible, and many parts of the planet started to experience huge shifts in weather patterns. Much of the Internet broke down, as it relied on geostationary satellites based on the Earth’s old rotation. Governments could do little to quell the mass riots and looting as people scrambled for resources as they became increasingly scarce.

As global weather wildly fluctuated and nations began to break down, any ideas that could have saved us were squashed under the panic that enveloped the world. The vast majority of the population, especially those nearest to the equator, died in the panic, unable to cope with such a drastic change and lack of resources. Small, isolated groups survived near the poles, where the change was somewhat less extreme, and many retreated into underground northern shelters that were mostly unaffected by the climate, and they were able to grow crops under artificial circumstances.

Humanity had been reduced to a mere husk of its former self, and despite our amazing ability to adapt to change, this was far too drastic for most people to live through. Such an unnatural event was beyond the scope of our preparedness. Perhaps, had we taken measures to ready ourselves, there would have been a more favorable outcome, but, as most know, we never expect the unexpected.

23

Literary

Never There

By Lillian Hwang-Geddes

Untitled

By Eleanor Randl She drew dragons on her paper the girl with sad eyes two green marbles blinking long and hard between smudges of fire and scaly skin timid and clumsy she was a freckled fish drowning in allocutions trying to kill the bees in her stomach with rum and gin buzzing her peers tsk-tsked turning their heads back and forth like mechanical dolls touched by angels drowsy and liberated she let herself drift away to what she always imagined home would feel like for mere hours she ran free in tall grasses that tickled her thighs releasing her fiery orange hair to dragons who flapped between her ample arms starch white fingers fed a burning breath but pink clouds turn black and clear water turns murky so she fell from the ground home draining from her ears like sweet molasses left only with holes in her head and soggy bees in her stomach

24

In this world Wings come from nowhere I could fly above the world If only I could get my feet off the ground Fragments of this world Swirl before my eyes Running, swimming, flying Always trying to reach the water or the sky Maybe no one knew That the water led to A world of golden light Maybe it wasn’t right Does it matter?

The world was never there.

A Night of Stripes

By Isabel Rubin Jumping They dance to the songs they chose.

Nickels and dimes into the jukebox as people awkwardly look on Their throats tickle As they swallow up the night and Coca Cola.

Their cheeks flushed From laughter but never embarrassment They giggle at what ifs and maybes As the owner again comes to yell At their deaf ears which can focus only On the buzzing of the night.

IMAGES FROM UNSPLASH

Literary

A Trip Back to Elementary School

By Annie Wang It’s been awhile since I last walked through the doors of Cayuga Heights Elementary School. With a heart full of hope and ambitions, I was so excited to grow up.

A few days ago, I decided to take a stroll down and reflect on my childhood at the very place where a great deal of it occurred. When reminiscing at a place like your elementary school, it’s hard not to think about what’s changed and what hasn’t. One prominent example is that when I was younger, my older sister would often take me and my brother to the playground after dinner, only half a mile away. Now, my sister lives in San Francisco, in her mid-twenties, out of college and working at some finance company with a job I could never even begin to understand. My brother has just started college and I’m in my second year of high school, thousands of miles away from both of them. A few weeks ago, I took a family friend’s son down to the playground and watched as he played on the same structures I loved when I was his age. Suddenly, I wasn’t the little kid anymore.

I attended Cayuga Heights from first grade all the way to fifth. In first grade, we caught caterpillars (two of which had decided to defecate on my hands) and released them as butterflies; harvested sap from our maple trees, which we boiled down to syrup and ate with pancakes; and played.

A lot. I had also met one of my best friends that year. We let our creativity bloom with our seemingly limitless imaginations, coming up with new role-playing games to act out every day and thinking about the amazing lives we were destined to live. That year I learned to have fun and dream, in contrast to the 4.0-GPA–centered, stress-induced era of the present.

In second grade, I had one of my favorite teachers, Mrs. Magnosi. I was a shy kid, so besides my best friend, I didn’t really have anyone else to talk to. Mrs. Magnosi probably noticed, but to my gratitude, she never pointed it out. I was only eight, but having just one friend wasn’t really something I was proud of. She did, however, hang out with me when I was alone, walk me to the cafeteria when all the other kids had already left, and secretly let me pick out the snacks for the class out of her treasured food closet. I wanted to visit her on the first day of third grade, but she had left to go teach at another school, so I never saw her again. Her kindness and empathy towards the small scared little kid that I was has really impacted my vision of the type of person I wanted to grow up to be. In second grade, I learned how to care.

Third grade was great too. I grew a little taller, got a little smarter, and played a lot harder. I also had my first crush, and my second. Most importantly, I started to learn cello through the school’s music program. I loved it immediately and practiced even more than I do now. I was able to progress quickly enough to join the fourth and fifth graders in my first orchestra. Thursdays were my favorite days of the week because that’s when we rehearsed. In third grade, I learned to love. I learned to love other people and I learned to love something as much as I loved music.

Fourth grade was when things got a little more challenging. I mean, it was fourth grade, so it wasn’t like calculus or anything, but I wasn’t used to being forced to read anything I didn’t want to read; even a chapter of Tuck Everlasting a night seemed cruel and excessively laborious. For some reason, I strongly remember learning the vocab words “reluctant” and “melancholy” that year. Sounds a lot like how I started to feel about growing

up by this point. I also joined Math Olympiad by the forceful suggestion of my mother, where I somehow earned the Highest Individual Overall Score Award of the entire club of around forty students. I also won several national honor roll medals. Looking back on it, it seems blaringly ironic considering that I almost failed out of Algebra 1 in eighth grade. I never even liked math to begin with.

My teacher also made me be part of an “advanced learning program,” where all I did for about an hour a night was spell random words I never planned to use. You can imagine my lazy, obnoxious ten-year-old self in anguish. But was I really lazy or obnoxious? Or did I just not want to waste my time doing busy work that would never matter in the long run?

Another interesting thing that I’ll not-so-subtly humblebrag about (sorry guys) would be a little sign business I started. Although I stopped playing role-playing games and had distanced myself greatly from my best friend from first grade, I still had a little bit of creativity behind the “cool and aloof ” curtain I was trying to hide behind. I designed name tags for other kids to put on their desk, backpacks, or to decorate their folders. They thought it was cool. It wasn’t. Kids are stupid. Whatever. I made a total of seventy-seven signs in the span of about four months. But most of the time, I didn’t even want to do them. I wanted to play Club Penguin, but I made them anyway because I was taught that it was impolite to say no to someone’s request. That year I learned about doing things I didn’t want to just because I had to, even if I didn’t really understand why.

Fifth grade was honestly just sad. It seemed like my teacher hated us, and I learned that I hated geometry more than the world and that taco day was the only highlight of my week. I was also scolded for saying “dagnabbit” because it was “harsh language.” Nothing made sense. You stopped getting praised for getting something right, but you were given disappointed looks every time you did something wrong. Learning wasn’t even about learning anymore. Learning was about not making mistakes.

Some of you are probably like, “Annie, this was fifth grade. It wasn’t that bad. Chill out.” Honestly, yeah, I’d agree. I’m probably exaggerating. But if I had to trace back to exactly when I truly started to hate learning, I would choose fifth grade. There wasn’t a defined life lesson I learned that year, but it opened the gate to an internal discussion that still goes on in my head about tough times and feelings of futility in my journey through school.

My stories of elementary school may be long gone and only a fraction of my still-continuing childhood, but they will always remain so close to my heart. I never thought about it then, but the memories made and lessons learned really allowed me to figure out who I am and who I want to be.

Elementary school is undoubtedly where the foundations of my youth were laid. I won’t forget falling in love with my hopes of the future while running down the grassy hills, or admiring and looking up to the “big kids” (who were in reality, twelve), and praying I’d grow up quickly so I could be as important to someone as they were to me. Watching kids run around the playground now, I wonder if they feel the same way I did nine years ago, and I wonder how their own little coming-of-age story will turn out.

25

Literary IMAGE BY JORGE GUILLEN ON UNSPLASH

IMAGE BY ANDREW SMALL ON UNSPLASH

IMAGES (FROM LEFT TO RIGHT) BY ANDREW SMALL, JORGE GUILLEN, ANTHONY DELANOIX, AND LUISA AZEVEDO ON UNSPLASH

Memories with the Seasons

By Fiona Botz Red and orange leaves float down and land silently on the backyard lawn, while she laughs and lets herself sink deep into the pile of leaves below her.

Just when the little boy thought his snowman couldn’t get any taller, he manages to stick even more fluffy white snow on top of the already mountainous pile on the snowman’s head.

She walks her way into a field with itchy eyes from the fresh spring flowers all around; the air is filled with a sense of something new to come.

Standing on the rock’s edge, he waits patiently. When he sees a few friends glance his way, he makes the most extravagant dive into the bright blue, frigid water. Hearing his friends’ muffled voices cheering him on, he makes his way up to the surface even faster, greeting them with soaking wet hair and the biggest grin he can make.

Unique moments are captured during certain chapters each year; they are created by the marvelous periods of time we call seasons. One does not, and cannot, do all of these things in one week, or even within a month, because nature is the decider. Nature, and what it brings to our senses (like the sun on our skin in the summer or the cotton candy sunsets in the spring) provide us with a gift unlike any other: to be surrounded by light and vivacious qualities, but also by darkness and mystery in times of transition.

We cannot have the spring, with its abundance of flowers and sunshine, 26

without the snow melting away and revealing its grey and dirty grounds underneath. We cannot have the calm winter nights without all of autumn’s vibrant leaves falling to the earth after holding on for so long. This is not only a flawed system, but is beautiful. It is a perfect and wondrous system because not only can we love and cherish the flashes of “perfect” times, like falling into the leaves or diving into the water, but we can learn and contemplate during times of transition. We can stay inside and enjoy the view, but since the storm is not over yet, we can only remain indoors and focus on ourselves. No one truly enjoys the soggy brown leaves and the previous year’s dirty fall remains, exposed by the melted snow, as much as they enjoy the cheerful cherry blossoms that reappear year after year in the spring. However, it is in times like these that we learn to be okay with being in uncomfortable situations; we figure out that, in the end, we will learn, change, and evolve with the seasons.

The seasons are not only a measure of time, but are also a reminder that time is indeed passing. Memories are recalled when each season comes, but new ones are also formed in the process. The seasons are a model of life: there are times of darkness, such as when you think the winter will never come to an end, but there are also times of light, such as the sunshine on a walk in a field filled with flowers and butterflies. If we didn’t have the darkness, we would never cherish the light as much as we do, knowing what it is like to not have it.

Penultimate

TRICK OR TREAT, SMELL MY FEET, HERE’S A CROSSWORD FOR YOU TO COMPLETE!

Trick or Treat,

By Sophie WraySmell My Feet, Here’s a Crossword for You Across 3. Jeans! Leggings! Cords! Sweatpants! What are all of to Complete! these things?

7. You wear this with a jacket to ensure complete coziness and warmth, usually wrapped snugly around your neck 8. Sounds the same as “chili” but is actually cold 9. Apple _____ hot or cold, the season’s most delicious drink 10. Place where you can roast marshmallows 12. Fall’s seasonal version of steamed vegetables 14. Don’t be afraid of _____; they don’t even have any brains!

15. _____ cocoa, Tamales, stuff, damn 16. Autumn _____: bookstore with a name perfect for this crossword

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Down 1. A chilly type of “soup” 2. Place where all the pumpkins grow and you can go to pick them!

4. You’ll look cute wearing these without a doubt, and you’ll be perfectly comfortable in them until late afternoon when you go outside and begin to severely overheat.

5. Anything you want to be you can be, on _____!

6. Fall’s version of the summer solstice 7. _____ and sandals, an acquired taste 11. This month 13. I’m sitting at Gimme eating an _____ turnover

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Fall Fall Fall!! Search Search Search!!

E UI E B LE AV E S ISRK FALL FALL FALL! R MJ E T ZW OY V G ECEE SEARCH SEARCH SEARCH! S E A S O N A L V G H B R E K B WS N H CN NJ S P OOKY

By Sophie Wray H GN C H IL LY T D QKAF A NI G S PI CE N S MJAL Pumpkins Harvest R EK B O NF IR E S CFUA Halloween Pies V QP H A LL OW E E NBTN Knits Equinox E UM K N KS WW K I DOUN Sweater October S IU N N EW CQ L M SOME Boots Seasonal T NP I V TE ZO J T ETNL Leaves Cocoa J OB T B LA LR C Q ISWS Autumn Spice R XP S D PT IL V O PLQF Spooky Chilly N OC T O BE RR U G AZSZ Flannels Bonfires P PC N B ER IA V Q VGPE

eans! Leggings! Cords! Sweatpants! What are all of e things?

ou wear this with a jacket to ensure complete ness and warmth, usually wrapped snugly around r neck

type of cold-ish weather, sounds exactly like "chili"

pple _____ hot or cold, the season’s most delicious k

Place where you can roast marshmallows

Brussel sprouts, carrots, potatoes, put 'em on a pan stick them in the oven to _____ them

1. A chilly type of “soup”

2. The place where all the pumpkins grow, where you can go to pick them!

4. You’ll look cute wearing these no doubt, cable-knit n’ all, and you’ll be perfectly comfortable in them until late afternoon when you’ll go outside and begin to overheat severely.

5. You could be a baseball, you could be a witch, you could be a horse! Anything you want to be you can be, on _____!

6. Spring and Fall’s version of Summer and Winter’s Solstice

Birds are afraid of _____, but you don't have to be, don’t even have any brains!

7. _____ and sandals, and acquired taste

_____ cocoa, tamalis, damn, stuff

11. This month, right now

Autumn _____bookstore with a name perfect for this sword

13. I’m sitting at gimme! eating an _____ turnover

Pumpkins

Halloween

Knits

Sweater

Leaves

Autumn

Spooky

Flannels

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Back Page

OCTOBER HOROSCOPES

By Sophie Wray

Libra (Sep 23 - Oct 22)

Your balance is too good to “fall” into the new season; you’ll just glide.

Scorpio (Oct 23 - Nov 21)

Calm and cool, just like you. Hopefully October is too!

Sagittarius (Nov 22 - Dec 21)

It is said that you like changes and you’re always up for an adventure. Good thing it’s fall because change is all around.

Capricorn (Dec 22 - Jan 19)

It is fall, and your Druid sign is an apple tree, so there you go: perfectly aligned with the season already!

Aquarius (Jan 20 - Feb 18)

You’re unpredictable . . . almost as unpredictable as the weather in Ithaca this time of year.

Pisces (Feb 19 - Mar 20)

You’re very affected by your environment, and that current environment is cool and breezy—just go with the flow of fall.

Aries (Mar 21 - Apr 19)

Exciting and energetic as can be. You’ll get along quite well with autumn as it’s full of energy and excitement. You’ll fit right in.

Taurus (Apr 20 - May 20)

It is said that you have an eye for beauty.

Well, this month, you will not have to strain your eyes much to see all the beauty October has to offer.

Gemini (May 21 - Jun 20)

You have the ability to easily adapt to any situation; that means that you’ll be smoothly sailin’ into fall.

Cancer (Jun 21 - Jul 22)

Your mascot is the crab, but that is something of the summer. Come out of your shell and jump into a fall state of mind!

Leo (Jul 23 - Aug 22)

Regal like a lion, a golden lion like the leaves. You and fall are the perfect fit.

Virgo (Aug 23 - Sep 22)

Delicate like the leaves that dance down onto the ground, crunching beneath feet... though I doubt anyone is going to crunch you underneath their feet this month. You are most likely safe, and can just do the leaf crunching yourself.

The Coolness Spectrum COOL Halloween The smell of fall Apple Festival Pie!!

80-90 weather in fall (debatable) Finishing Common App in time for early decision (and other college worries) Cold season.

Worms in your apples Being too old to trick-or-treat

UNCOOL