Septmeber 2015 • Estd. 1892 • Vol. 123 #6 • Published Monthly • www.ihstattler.com Ithaca High School, 1401 N. Cayuga St, Ithaca, NY 14850 • FREE
BoE Appoints Four New Admins By JOHN YOON
IMAGE PROVIDED
IMAGES PROVIDED
Liddy Coyle, David Brown, Lilly Talcott, and Jeff Tomasik
The Board of Education (BoE) appointed Liddy Coyle and David Brown last June to the ICSD Executive Team, which assists Superintendent Luvelle Brown in overseeing various aspects of administrative operations, human resources, and academics across the district. The structure of the district’s central administration has evolved over the years to meet different needs and challenges based on the changing financial situations, according to Superintendent Brown. “As the organization evolves, the leadership team must evolve as well; it can’t be static,” he said. Prior to these new appointments, the district’s central administration consisted of Superintendent Brown, Chief Academic Officer Matthew Landahl, and Acting Chief Administration Officer David Johnson, who temporarily filled the position that Jason Trumble vacated when he became principal of IHS. While the number of central administrators has increased from last year, according to Superintendent Brown, the BoE was able to do so without significantly increasing cost by eliminating other administrative positions elsewhere in the district. As Chief Academic Officer, Coyle will oversee curriculum, Continued on Page 6.
ICSD Adopts New Science Standards Early By EMMA KARNES
Educational reform is never far from the top of the priority list of many nationally. Distressing statistics of students in foreign countries outperforming Americans loom over our entire schooling system, prompting a never-ending debate over learning philosophy and a surplus of tests designed to supposedly measure progress. The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), created in 2011, aims to revise science plans to be more strategically organized, and to more thoroughly integrate technology and engineering into students’ experiences and understandings. Not all districts have adopted the NGSS as it is still pending for approval by New York State. ICSD has not officially put NGSS into effect, but teachers are making swift moves to begin its implementation. “We anticipate that the state will be adopting them soon,” Superintendent Brown said in an interview. “We’re just making the transition. The sooner we can crosswalk, the better.” Rather than a change in curriculum, the standards are a modification of student performance expectations. This method of standardization allows for flexibility in terms of classroom process and learning technique, while still maintaining a universal level of achievement for all students. The creators of the NGSS are hoping the new standards will raise the standard of learning for students across the country, and its specially-designed aspects, like application of technology, will have long-term effects on American success in global science and industry. Continued on Page 4.
Welcome back to school! Do you want to write or become a staff writer? Join us at the first writers’ meeting of the school year held after school on Monday, Sept. 14 in H-Courtyard. Everyone is welcome!
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September 2015
Editorial
There’s No Rush IMAGE PROVIDED
Staff 2015 – 2016 Editor-in-Chief
John Yoon ’16 editor@ihstattler.com
News Editor
Pearse Anderson ’16 news@ihstattler.com
Opinion Editor
Liz Rosen ’16 opinion@ihstattler.com
A keyboard on a Chromebook.
Reactions have exploded over whether technology in classrooms is enhancing or hindering education both in our district and throughout the world. Technology has given rise to an unending source of entertainment—social media, YouTube, and Netflix. The blurring of play and learning is rife in the lower grades. Researchers at Princeton and UCLA have shown pen-and-paper notetakers recalled information better than typers. This is the progeny of an ill-conceived integration of 21st-century tools like laptops, smartphones and tablets with ageold classroom styles like lecture and debate—certainly a jarring union. Parents have real concerns about excessive screen time—which is especially hazardous for young children in the elementary level. There are too many studies showing the dangers of long hours of screen time. However, technology in education seems like it’s here to stay. Granted, the issues that plague education technology are major — cheating, distraction, privacy concerns, and price. But remember when a TI-84 was the most technologically advanced tool in the classroom? We don’t. Smart Boards have even moved their way into becoming a regular classroom tool of many teachers at IHS—whether as a projector or a whiteboard. Teachers demand typed copies of writing assignments all the time. Technology has always been a part of our high school reality. But with time and through much exploration and experimentation with new technology by teachers—who are granted, rightfully, the freedom to do whatever the district makes available to them in
whatever way that makes sense to them —there will inevitably be better, smoother, and more effective uses of new technology. That is why the district does not— and should not—mandate teachers to use a certain device in a certain way. “I’ve moved away from calling it the one-to-one initiative. It’s more of a mobile device implementation,” Superintendent Brown once said. DeWitt Principal Mac Knight also said, “A Chromebook is not a teacher, not an instructor, not a curriculum, but a tool … to empower teachers in the learning process.” Teachers district-wide have been preparing for the arrival of Chromebooks for several years, some with anticipation and, clearly, others with timidness. This timidness is acceptable. Continued watchfulness for students’ well-being, emotional growth, social growth, mental health, and education is a crucial part of any educational initiative. “I don’t know how early kids should have unmonitored access to the Internet,” one ICSD teacher said. “But if we have a clear goal of what we’re using the technology for, and it’s monitored, I think they can learn to use it as a proper tool.” That goal being, as always, to engage, to educate, to empower—to facilitate collaboration and instilling creativity and intellectual passion.
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Deborah Lynn advisor@ihstattler.com The Tattler is the student-run newspaper of Ithaca High School. It was founded in 1892 and is published monthly. As an open forum, the Tattler invites opinion piece submissions and letters to the editor from all community members. Drop off submissions in E25, email them to editor@ihstattler.com, or mail letters to: The Tattler 1401 North Cayuga Street Ithaca, NY 14850 The Tattler reserves the right to edit all submissions. Submissions do not necessarily reflect the views of editorial staff.
September 2015
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NEWS By CHLOE WRAY
IMAGE BY SEABAMRIUM
Cooling off in a gorge.
We all know and love the saying “Ithaca is Gorges.” It is a region that boasts natural features unlike anywhere else, drawing in tourists and locals alike to explore the lakes, waterfalls, and gorges. For years, however, controversy has surrounded some of these areas, which has heightened in light of a recent death. On July 27 at Second Dam, Eric Richardson, 24, tragically drowned and died. This was not the first death that has occurred in one of the gorges, but there have been numerous accidents, often fatal, dating back decades. The accident has increased and focused attention on this illegal swimming spot. The discussion has become even more prevalent as the community tries to find a solution to stop dangerous activities. Since the death of Richardson, patrols have increased, although this has not shown to deter swimmers.The distribution of tickets, essentially fining anyone found swimming, is one of the city’s current attempts to stop the swimming. From issues of public access and the authority (or lack thereof) park rangers have, it has been debated many a time as to whether swimming in the gorges should be allowed. Often, swimming-related deaths have been linked to the usage of drugs and alcohol. Despite the deaths and the known danger, the gorges have continued to be a favorite hangout and party spot for high school and college students, attracting large crowds. The high dams that serve as part of the city’s reservoir system allow for exciting jumping conditions. With cliff jumping being a popular pastime at the gorges, it is particularly worrisome to the community that people may be intoxicated while jumping from serious heights, reducing control
ad awareness, and increasing the likelihood of accidents. In past years the supervision of the area has been minimal, consisting mainly of the occasional visit courtesy of a park ranger who has very little actual authority. Even though the commonality of injuries and deaths in the gorges is well known, this has been of little discouragement to those who frequent the gorges. People have continued to swim and cliff jump, pursuing this thrill with little recognition for the potential dangers, all the while allowing the threat to be amplified by the use of various substances. This year, attention was drawn to the dams early in the season seemingly more than in past years. Hypodermic needles were found, suggesting the usage of hard drugs during late night parties. Loud music has been heard by residents near Second Dam in particular, and the numbers of people swimming in the gorges has drastically increased. Arguments continue to be made throughout the community suggesting solutions to ending incidents in the gorges. Both sides—either suggesting the increase of patrols to enforce no-swimming rules throughout gorges or making swimming legal with more supervision—are met with the fact that resources are limited. Making swimming legal, however, could create it’s own revenue if there were a charge for swimming, paying for itself while allowing continued enjoyment of the gorges by the public. With the community still digesting the events of two months ago, as well as the lack of resources burdening the dialogue about the future of the gorges, little has been done to alter the ways of gorge swimmers. Second Dam will have to be repaired in the coming years, according to the city’s assistant superintendent of water and sanitation Erik Whitney. What happens then may determine the future of gorge swimming. Until then, it is up to young adults such as IHS students to make the conscious decision to avoid dangerous swimming activities. IMAGE BY EMILY NAZARIO
An Update on Gorge Swimming
Second Dam, with a semi-regular large crowd.
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NEWS
September 2015
IHS Students Debate & Exchange Culture at Cornell By TRISTAN ENGST
Students from the IHS Debate Team—Jacob Silcoff ’17, Ruth Silcoff ’17, Max Fink ’17, Mrinal Thomas ’17, Khamin Chaorenkajonchai ’18, Ella Mead-Van Cort ’18, Josh Slusar ’17, Richard Gan ’16, and I—attended Cornell’s international debate camp, which started on August 3. We showed up amongst a throng of international students, most of them Chinese, at Cornell’s ILR school. The next five days consisted of three things: debate, college lectures, and cultural exchange. Ithaca’s debaters learned the World Schools debate style, in which teams of three make four speeches over 40 minutes. Teams face off in one-on-one matches where one team adopts the “government,” or proposition, side of an argument and supports the motion, while the other team is the opposition and attempts to attack it. World Schools is increasingly used in high-school venues worldwide. After learning the style, campers formed teams and began a debate tournament. Several teams partially made up of IHS debaters fared well while debating motions such as “The house supports the expanded use of civilian nuclear energy” and “The house would pay teachers based on the academic performance of their students,” to name a few. At the
end of the tournament, Slusar was on the 6th place team, while teams including myself and Fink took 5th and 3rd places, respectively. More impressively, Jacob and Ruth Silcoff ’s team won the tournament with an aggressive style in a close final debate, coming up with a 5–1 record. Jacob said, “Our team won because we worked together well and we had our prep time on a fixed and effective routine.” He emphasized that “if the camp sounds interesting, kids at IHS can get a similar experience in our debate club. … We get the same Cornell coaching and plan on preparing for a World Schools tournament.” Another aspect of the camp was listening to lectures by some of Cornell’s more popular professors. I recall using data from a lecture about global warming by Professor Bruce Monger in debates about nuclear power and whether or not space travel was justified. Other informational lectures were about how executives were paid and about Cornell’s undergraduate admissions. Additionally, Theo Black, the Cornell Speech and Debate Union’s head speech coach, gave a very interactive lecture about eloquent speaking. While IHS’s debaters learned all about debate and the topics they might use in it, they also got to know the many
Chinese students who were also at the camp and learned about their lives back home. We also taught English to the Chinese students, who were in the process of learning the language. A girl I knew who went by the English name Isabella was very proud of learning to pronounce words with a “v” sound without difficulty. Jacob and Ruth’s partner, Molly, would quietly practice words that were sure to come up in the debate round, repeating them over and over. I learned that many Chinese students go through similar high-stakes testing stresses that American students experience. College admissions in China use the gaokao as the major exam, much like the SAT. I learned that unlike the SAT, students only get one try to take it per year, so they lose a lot of sleep studying for it. Another difference between the two tests is that college applicants in China aren’t considered holistically like they are in America—just by their gaokao score. We were all teens of the digital age, so the week concluded with a flurry of selfies and exchanging email addresses. Looking back on it, the main reason we didn’t debate the motion “The house believes that Cornell’s International Debate Camp was fun” was because the opposition teams would have lost.
ICSD Adopts New Science Standards Early Continued from Page 1. NGSS aims for a more relevant science education at every grade level, better preparing students to participate in modern industry and compete globally, both in school and later in the workforce. Throughout the summer, there have been definite steps being taken at ICSD to begin to incorporate them during the new school year. “Teachers have gotten together often over the last year, and they did a lot this summer, to unpack the standards, talk about what they are, the shift,” Brown said in the interview. In preparation of the integration of NGSS standards into classrooms, the Board of Education appointed former South Hill science teacher Jennifer Wilkie as Teacher on Special Assignment in science, technology, engineering, and math in its last August 25 meeting. Her job will be to work to integrate NGSS concepts into the science curriculum in the district in a way that is representative of ICSD’s mission and
philosophy, she said in an email. “[NGSS] will improve teaching in ICSD,” she wrote, citing the success of a pilot lesson she and her colleague Chris Barley administered last year with elementary-level students, in which students examined their role in the ecosystem through study of local geography and wildlife. Based on new educational standards, this case study allowed students to interact with peers and their natural community while adhering to the standardized expectations of scientific understanding. However, Wilkie maintained that “What we do with those standards in Ithaca is the big question.” The success of any type of curriculum or standard shift depends entirely on those directly involved—the students and teachers: how open they are to change and how much they are willing to put into their lessons and education, she said. John Yoon contributed to this report.
NEWS
September 2015
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Ask the Admin: Luvelle Brown By JOHN YOON
JY: A recent New York Times article brought the issue of nationwide teacher shortages to the public’s eye, highlighting that some districts are hiring people without the proper teaching experience, let alone credentials, to teach. How does Ithaca fit into this big picture? LB: Everyone here is qualified and we are not running into teacher shortages. … As of right now, we aren’t as significantly impacted as some of the schools that you read about, but it’s definitely not making it easier for us, either. On occasion, we’ve seen some pools not be as large as before. We would have around 70 to 80 people apply for a position. Now that’s down to 35 and 40. At times, we’ve seen the quality is not as good as we’ve seen in the years past. However, we’re still attracting and able to hire the best people out there. JY: The Chromebook initiative is going into effect this fall. But at the high school, where most of class time is spent with lecture (with the smart board) or group discussions (without any technology), I can’t envision teachers using the technology tools so much in class. I am afraid they’ll become like Smart Boards today. They’re used by many teachers as projectors and not interactive whiteboards while the touch feature was their biggest selling point. LB: When we were implementing [the Smart Boards], it was more about the projector and being able to project
IMAGE BY JOHN YOON
John Yoon ’16: Could you talk about your job in the summer? Luvelle Brown: I’ve always said that at this level, the central office level, the summers are as intense and oftentimes more intense than the regular academic school year when students are here. … We’re doing a lot with budgeting, facility, capital improvements, so we’re really busy in the summer as we look to finish out one school year and prepare for the next. Not a lot time off, not a lot of downtime. It is tougher, I would say, for me, because we don’t have the students here to provide that inspiration and motivation that often we get from young people every day.
Dr. Brown speaks about the various changes in the district throughout summer.
from a device onto a screen. That was the biggest selling point. Most of our classrooms didn’t have a projector or a document-camera in them. And teachers were begging for that. JY: Can teachers decide not to use the technology? LB: I ask the teachers to engage, educate, and empower. And I trust the outstanding faculty that they do that every day. If that’s going to require our learners to use the tool for 10 minutes, 20 minutes, 30 minutes a day, then so be it. If it means they don’t even take them out of their backpacks, I’m empowering us to have that decision. I trust folks to make the right decisions as far as teaching and learning. JY: Some teachers I have been able to speak with have said that Chromebooks are useful tools for research and collaboration. What is your opinion on teacher websites and online course, which are not just tools for research and collaboration
but actually aim to teach? LB: The videos that are out there that support this “flipped approach” still rely on an outstanding teacher helping facilitate the conversation and the learning. The Khan Academy videos and the other videos are just a resource, a website, to find some valuable information. JY: In the future, do you foresee mobile technology completely replacing textbooks? LB: Not right now. In time, I see the majority of textbook and written material being available in the digital space. I think that’s a few years off from now, but everything we read, all the trends that we see, the way that they are updated dynamically and for free, when we’re paying 100s of dollars for textbooks that out-date when they’re printed, it’s pretty obvious that we’re going to be transitioning to digital spaces, but that will take some time. Continued on Page 6.
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September 2015
NEWS
BoE Appoints Four New Administrators Continued from Page 1. professional development, and instruction. Coyle has been active in the district in various roles as a teacher, academic intervention specialist, staff developer, and master educator. The positions that she previously held were eliminated with her moving. David Brown, as Chief Administration Officer, will support human resources as well as oversee student and family supports, transportation, food services, athletics, and building maintenance. With this appointment, Brown left his position as ICSD’s Director of Fine and Performing Arts, which he held for the last three years. This position is temporarily being held by an interim, Superintendent Brown said in the interview. Coyle and Brown are joining Superintendent Brown, Deputy Superintendent Matt Landahl, Chief Operations Officer Amanda Verba, and Chief Human Capital Officer Robert Van Keuren on the team. The Deputy Superintendent oversees principals and instructional directors, superintendent hearings, safety, and special education. He is also in charge of the Inclusion Plan, a new district-wide initiative to help inclusivity in schools, Superintendent Brown said in the interview. The Chief Operations Officer handles fiscal management, grants, capital projects, and administration of the Dignity for All Students Act. Finally, the Chief Human Capital Officer oversees negotiations with employees, labor management, and recruitment. “I feel like we’re at full strength, for the first time in a long time,” Superintendent Brown said in the interview. “Due to budget cuts and reductions over the past years, we’ve, from my perspective, been understaffed at the central level.” Later, in July, ICSD appointed former Northeast Principal Jeff Tomasik as the new principal at Boynton Middle School after former Boynton Principal Joe Dhara resigned to take a position in another district.
WRITE! Email editor@ihstattler.com
After a community input gathering meeting and a monthlong, nationwide search, ICSD announced Lily Talcott as the new principal of Northeast Elementary School in August. Talcott is making the transition to Northeast after having served as a Master Educator in the district since 2013. Prior to serving as an administrator, she had been a teacher in the district since 2006. In addition to these changes, the BoE allocated additional money to the budget cycle last year—around $200,000— to support the Annual Professional Performance Review (APPR), a form of teacher evaluation mandated by the state. With this money, the BoE will be hiring more administrators who will observe and evaluate teachers. Ask the Admin: Luvelle Brown Continued from Page 5. JY: What will the technology initiative look like in 5 years? LB: My vision in 5 years is that we won’t be having this conversation about technology, that these tools will be as integrated to the good teaching and learning process as a pencil. I’m hoping that in 5 years, folks will think of this as silly to ask me about a Chromebook as they would be to ask why we’re using a pencil in the classroom. These tools are necessary, from my perspective, in order to build the kind of knowledge our young people need to build today to access the kind of information, to stimulate their thought, to collaborate with people all over the world—to create in digital spaces. Those things are necessary for college- and career-ready young people. I’m hoping and wishing for the conversations to shift away from which tools we’re using, how many are going to be there. And so in 5 years, I hope we’re there. “Ask the Admins” is a recurring column that anyone can write. Contact news@ihsattler.com.
September 2015
7
Opinion No Homework is a No-Go IMAGE PROVIDED
By DANIEL XU
Hollande’s views on education are as blurry as his glasses.
By PJ FINLAY
While walking through Best Buy last summer I saw a group of middle school–aged kids excitedly checking out Chromebooks while talking about how they were going to get one when school started. At the high school, however, this excitement for the Chromebooks—low-cost laptops designed by Google primarily for access to the Internet—seemed to be unanimously evaporated. ICSD is under a false impression that it is doing a fantastic job using technology in classrooms. While Superintendent Dr. Brown was praised by Seth Peacock, former vice president of the Board of Education, for his “strong professional development plan and seamless curriculum integration” behind his technology initiatives, the majority of teachers use their very expensive Smart Boards—interactive whiteboards with a touch interface— merely as a projector, or don’t use them at all. Student inquiries have revealed that many teachers feel the incoming technology was forced on them and that most have no real desire to use it. With this in mind, any suspicion felt by students towards more technology spending by the district is certainly understandable. The iPad and laptop labs never seem to work as intended either. It usually takes 15 minutes for the class to get logged into the laptops, and then when the class tries to use the Internet the network slows to the point of being frozen. The IT department has said the network has been improved over the summer to allow more bandwidth, but will this take care of the problem? You can’t really blame IHS students for not being excited about Chromebooks, seeing as so far the official ICSD policy towards technology seems to be “If you buy it, they will learn.” Dr. Brown’s Chromebook program won’t succeed if teachers do not adopt the new technology effectively in their teaching and the school’s network bandwidth is not dramatically increased. IMAGE PROVIDED
Three years ago, President François Hollande of France shocked millions when he proposed abolishing homework nationwide. France, once a global forerunner in educational standings, had gradually dropped in rankings to become merely average. Hollande believed that homework was part of the problem, and that eliminating it was the first step to reinvigorating France’s student body. His reason? Hollande, a socialist, emphasized that homework was causing disparity between the performances of the rich and the poor. Students with more frugal backgrounds or difficult home situations were believed to perform worse in school due to an inability to seek help from their parents. With the doing away of discrimination at home, an area the educational system cannot directly influence, everyone would be treated equally in the classroom. “Work should be done at school, rather than at home,” Hollande said. Other discussed benefits of homework’s elimination include the freedom to participate in more extracurricular activities and spend time as one wishes. Homework has always been a thorny issue and discussion topic for students and teachers alike, but an executive-level addressing on the topic is nearly unheard of. Hollande’s announcement generated a lot of buzz in the following weeks concerning the radicalism of the idea’s scale, and frankly, how he had no idea what he was doing. He really didn’t. The advantages of homework’s existence far outweigh those of its absence. While extravagant piles of homework do encourage students to slack—according to researcher Continued on Page 8.
The Coming of the Chromebooks
The future of education?
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September 2015
OPINION
Presidential Candidates: The 2016 Elections Donald Trump, No Caption Needed IMAGE PROVIDED
By SARAH COUILLARD
other Republican candidate. Consult also said he was polling better with male voters. Speaking of voting, Trump isn’t very good at it. In 2011, news station NY1 reviewed records and found that Trump had failed to vote in mayoral primaries for over 20 years. Additionally, he’s neglected to vote for the position that he hopes to attain. In 1988, 1996, and 2008, he cast no vote for the POTUS primaries. If his supporters’ voting habits are as poor as his own, Trump’s opposition has nothing to worry about. One thing is for sure: if he makes it to the White House, there’ll be hell toupée. Trump’s first catastrophe: no comb-over.
I am not sure how exactly to begin writing about Donald Trump. I’d be hard-pressed to find a person without an opinion on him already, and for good reason; the well-known politician, TV personality, and real estate mogul consistently churns out provocative statements paired with horrifying hairdos. On June 16, the multi-billionaire announced his candidacy for President of the United States (otherwise known as POTUS). Since then, what little policy he has released is self-contradicting and ill–thought out. But beyond that, he’s kept up his abrasive reputation and has been speaking regularly at GOP debates. Believe it or not, Hillary Clinton thinks that Trump is a bit of a racist. She said in June that his remarks on Mexican immigrants in his presidential launch speech were “inflammatory” and “unacceptable”. Possibly his most quoted passage is, “When Mexico sends their people… they’re bringing drugs, they’re bringing crime, they’re rapists.” But don’t worry, he’s not talking about all of them—he made sure to clear things up by saying, “Some, I assume, are good people." Perhaps these good people are the reason he thinks he’ll get the Hispanic vote. It’s a good thing he has “a great relationship with the blacks,” or so he said on radio station Talk1300 in 2011 (he’s confident he’ll get that vote, too). He thinks that President Obama has done such a bad job that the U.S. won’t see another black president for generations, but that’s probably just because “Laziness is a trait in blacks”—or so he said in 1991. 1991 must have been a rough year for Trump. That’s also when he said to Esquire, “You know, it doesn't really matter what [the media] writes as long as you've got a young and beautiful piece of ass”. The man clearly knows how to charm the ladies. He said in his book, How to Get Rich, “All of the women on The Apprentice flirted with me—consciously or unconsciously. That's to be expected." If it’s hard to believe even one person would vote for him, try hundreds. According to Morning Consult’s mid-August poll, Trump was holding 32 percent of the vote, at least 21 percent higher than any
No Homework is a No-Go Continued from Page 7. Harris Cooper, any more than 10 minutes per grade level of homework a night will have diminishing returns—such a scenario can easily be averted with effective implementation by teachers. Homework tests students’ abilities to manage time and their level of responsibility. It is a memory aid, reviewing both material covered in class and its applications. Students who neglect homework in a more rigorous course are throwing away opportunities to learn, and will inevitably have worse results than the ones who follow along. Hollande suggests that all learning can occur in school. More schoolwork, however, will replace the independence encouraged by homework, resulting in more concentrated and less varied methods of learning. Meanwhile, a more conventional benefit of homework’s elimination—free time—is in direct contradiction to Hollande’s stated purpose of homogenizing academic potential. The rich have significantly more cultural opportunities outside of school, and with the elimination of a time commitment, they receive a far greater boon than the less well-endowed. To many socially disadvantaged students, performing well in school is all they have, and homework is a conduit to achieve their goals. Hollande’s claim that socially disadvantaged students are unable to take advantage of homework’s benefits is not only unsupported, but does not account for a personal drive to succeed. Parents in a difficult situation should be more, not less, likely to aid their children because their success in academics comes as a great joy to them when other successes are rare. Although families in disadvantaged situations are exactly the target of France’s homework reform, they were some of the strongest voices against it. Hollande’s proposal is still in limbo, and it remains unclear if it will ever pass, despite the president’s fervent promises.
OPINION
September 2015
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Femininity, Feminism, and Caitlyn Jenner By CASEY WETHERBEE
IMAGE PROVIDED
The famous cover of Vanity Fair.
When Bruce Jenner came out as a woman this April in an interview with Diane Sawyer, I wasn’t at all surprised to see a huge media reaction. Thousands of people expressed their support and, as was expected, many others expressed their bigotry and hatred. What I didn’t expect was backlash from one particular group: feminists. Not all feminists conveyed distaste towards Caitlyn Jenner, as she is now called, but many did—namely, radical feminist activist Elinor Burkett and her supporters. Some may remember her from “pulling a Kanye” at the 2010 Oscars by interrupting director Roger Ross Williams’ acceptance speech, griping “Just like a man, never lets a woman talk. Isn’t that just the classic thing?” Yeesh. Written shortly after the unveiling of Vanity Fair’s famous “Call Me Caitlyn” in the beginning of June, Burkett’s article makes the claim that Caitlyn Jenner is less of a woman than those born with a vagina because she didn’t live her whole life as a woman. This claim is extremely damaging based on its principle alone, but it is even worse considering that it uses feminism as support, when really, feminism contradicts it in every possible way. It is important to make the distinction that Caitlyn Jenner is not defining herself as a representative of all transgender people or all women. Critics—Burkett and others—have lambasted her choice to appear on the cover of Vanity Fair as the “stereotypical male fantasy of a woman” (taken from a Letter to the Editor of The New York Times praising Burkett). Personally, I don’t see why this should make anyone uncomfortable, especially feminists. Feminism is all about allowing women to make their own choices. Caitlyn Jenner has the right to be as superficial and stereotypically feminine as she wants. It isn’t harmful for women to embrace makeup, and women who do certainly don’t represent women as a whole. In the interview with Diane Sawyer, Jenner said that her brain is “much more female than it is male.” Burkett latches onto this and uses it to launch a transphobic tirade against the proposition that female brains are different from male brains. Taking this quote out of context, she uses it to declare that the notion that “some sort of gendered destiny is encod-
ed in us” is absurd and sexist. Burkett directly contradicts the neurobiological community’s evidence that men and women do indeed have slightly different brains. As Ben Barres, professor of neurobiology at Stanford, wrote: “There is now plenty of evidence that male and female brains are wired differently. … The compelling need of transgender people to change sex is easily explained by such innate differences.” These differences are not to say that women are less than men. Burkett compares Jenner’s comments on the “female brain” to those of Lawrence Summers, former Secretary of the Treasury, who declared that women’s brains were wired in such a way that made them inferior to men in subjects like math, explaining the dearth of women in STEM fields. Jenner’s statements are not comparable to Summers’ statements. She is only speaking for herself, not for women as a whole. Furthermore, she is not taking away from women by declaring that they may be different from men. Trans-exclusionary feminism is inexcusable and does nothing but take away from what the movement is supposed to mean. Feminists shouldn’t tolerate people who claim to be feminists and yet try to delegitimize the experiences that other women face. Feminists shouldn’t tolerate anyone who tries to say that trans women aren’t women or that trans men aren’t men. It is the duty of feminists to root out those damaging opinions.
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September 2015
features GrĂźĂ&#x; aus Deutschland: German Exchange Trip Review By LIZ ROSEN
IMAGE BY JOHN YOON
The whole gang.
On July 6, I boarded the sports bus with 23 students and three teachers, suitcases in hand. We were bound for an exchange trip that promised to change our lives, a promise that certainly was fulfilled. Since 1988, IHS has held an exchange every two years with the Otto-Hahn high school in Tuttlingen, Germany. The program is supported by the German-American Partnership Program and is open to 10th and 11th grade students taking German. Last October, the German students and teachers descended on IHS for three weeks for their half of the exchange. This summer, the Americans went off to complete their half, spending around three weeks in Tuttlingen then three days in Munich. Exchange programs offer the opportunity to briefly live a radically different life, and I strongly recommend such exchanges to anyone who wants to experience a culture from more than a tourist perspective. While I cannot speak for
the other people on the trip, I personally had a wonderful experience in most respects. Although attending school, which lasted from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. most days, was difficult for us after having had only a few weeks of summer break for ourselves, it allowed us to see how German schools work. In Germany, for the most part, high schoolers remain with a single group of classmates all year rather than changing groups with each period; teachers change rooms just as frequently as students, and a larger number of subjects are studied each year. I was surprised to find that, at the school in Tuttlingen, the focus in history class was primarily on Europe and English-speaking countries. Perhaps one of the few places American education comes out ahead is its inclusion of African, Asian, and South American history. Another important difference between the German and American school systems is that in Germany, religion class is a requirement. The only specific religions offered are CaContinued on Page 13.
FEATURES By LIZ ROSEN, CHLOE WRAY, and ANNIKA BROWNING
Summer vacation. No other words are needed to evoke idyllic scenes of relaxation (except perhaps for incoming freshmen) and a lack of mandated education, times we will remember as both students and teachers settle back into school life. And what better and trademark way exists to spend your two months of leisure than to go visit a beach? From both coasts of the United States to different countries, people have gone far to visit these locations in their prime— and are ready to talk about them.
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Santa Cruz: Chloe Wray IMAGE BY CHLOE WRAY
Beach Reviews
September 2015
Lake Constance: Liz Rosen IMAGE BY LIZ ROSEN
One of the less-populated beaches of Santa Cruz.
This summer, I, as well as 23 other IHS students, went to Tuttlingen, Germany on the German-American Partnership Program exchange. While we were there, almost all of us went to the Bodensee at some point. Located just an hour away from Tuttlingen, the Bodensee is one of Europe’s largest lakes and forms the borders of Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. The area is famed for its beauty, as well as the historic towns that dot its shores. One such town, Konstanz, recently celebrated the 600th anniversary of the Council of Constance, where thinkers from all over Europe came together to deliberate for four years on which of the three popes at the time was the real pope. With that in mind, the Bodensee receives high marks for culture and history. Although its beaches are hidden among vineyard-encrusted hills and rustic pastel buildings dating back to the 1500s, there is an undeniably international and worldly air about it. Beaches are small and scattered about, but they’re fairly sandy and there are plenty of sailboats out at all times if you want something to watch. One warning though: because it’s Europe, there’s a bit of nudity. It’s restricted mostly to young children, but when you see a butt-naked child running across the beach, don’t say I didn’t warn you.
IMAGE BY CHLOE WRAY
A vinyard on Lake Constance.
Situated in central California, the city of Santa Cruz is nestled in the northern corner of the Monterey Bay just over an hour south of San Francisco. The city houses a population of almost 63,000 and is home to the popular UC Santa Cruz. The beach at Santa Cruz has earned its name as a destination spot for many of the residents of California’s northern half, who crave a beach but wish to avoid a long trek down south. One thing that we on the East Coast don’t realize is that the drive from San Francisco to Los Angeles is almost 6 hours. So for the inhabitants of the Bay Area, having Santa Cruz so much closer makes it a prime option. Practically smackdab in the center of California, it is literally a middle ground between the frigid waters that northern surfers brave and the virtually year-round beaches of southern The boardwalk of Santa Cruz. California. Santa Cruz provides its visitors and residents with almost any beach-going experience you could want. With a boardwalk that has been named the best seaside amusement park in the world, part of Santa Cruz’s appeal is the family-friendly atmosphere that the boardwalk and main stretch of beach provide. The main beach is generally filled with tourists, and although on most summer days parking will be difficult, the beach itself has never seemed extremely crowded. Nevertheless, if you were to continue west along the rim of the bay, you would pass rocky bluffs and crashing waves before reaching Natural Bridges State Park, a lesser-known but favorite spot of many locals. With a much smaller beachfront Continued on Page 13.
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September 2015
FEATURES
Teaching in China IMAGE BY DANIEL XU
By DANIEL XU
Daniel Xu ’17: Master student teacher.
This past summer, I went to China primarily for my annual visit to my extended family. Then I was faced with an unexpected obligation: Nie laoshi, a friend of my parents, was running a camp for Chinese high-schoolers to learn English and he invited me to participate as a student teacher. I was initially apprehensive due to the suddenness of the request. I wasn’t confident in my own ability to communicate with the students, many of whom were older than me, and there was a marked lack of information concerning the actual setup of the camp. Although I eventually agreed to go after my cousin (living in the U.S., and five years older than me) was invited to accompany me, coming in I knew nothing about what was expected except that I had to “Help out, and speak English.” I didn’t even know what the purpose of the school was—and as it turns out, neither did the other teachers. The big reveal on the first day was that the teachers had one week to teach the 13 participating students English Parliamentary Debate. The students would be entering a competition right after the camp ended. Getting through all the material seemed pretty impossible, considering the amount of information previously offered (nothing), the amount the teachers had prepared (nothing), the English-speaking ability of the students (poor), the English-speaking ability of the students’ English teachers (about as poor), the students’
knowledge of Parliamentary Debate (none), and the teachers’ knowledge of Parliamentary Debate (none). But apparently creating this kind of scholarly situation is common practice in China, and in fact considered an excellent test of both the students’ and teachers’ abilities. Nie laoshi, who ran the camp and spoke Chinese and English fluently, left us on the first day for some other business with a candid “good luck.” We really did need it. To be honest, the teachers were somewhat useless, in part due to how unmotivated they were (“I really wish I never came here,” groaned one of them on the evening of the first day), and the only one actually working to teach was Kelvin, a college graduate from California who spoke very little Chinese. This left a bulk of translating work to my cousin and me when we weren’t supposed to be doing much work in the first place. I suppose Nie laoshi anticipated the situation and thought leaving more duties to me would make for a better learning experience, and I can’t really argue with that. The first problem we faced was the language barrier. Kelvin was the one preparing all the lectures for the students, but he did so in English, the language we were expected to speak exclusively in the classroom. Unfortunately all but two or three of the students couldn’t understand even the gist of Continued on Page 16.
FEATURES Grüß aus Deutschland: German Exchange Trip Review Continued from Page 10. tholicism and Protestantism, so if one does not believe in those two faiths, they take an ethics class instead. Coming from a country where the separation of church and state is enshrined in the Constitution and protected by Supreme Court decisions, the presence of any sort of religion class was quite shocking. One additional benefit of an exchange is the chance to try out a new family. While some people struggled to fit in with host students with whom they shared little in common, I had a wonderful time with my host family. In Ithaca, I live with just my dad; in Germany, my family more than doubled as I gained two host siblings and two parents. The radically different family dynamic was just as fascinating to me as the sights I saw with my host family on the trips we took to Lake Constance and Nuremberg. There was also the cultural component to living in a different country. Although both countries are fairly liberal, there is some variety in values. My host sister told me that homogeneity is valued far more in Germany than individuality; the uniqueness that, if not always celebrated, is usually accepted without much comment in the U.S. would be highly stigmatized in Germany. Conversely, actions which are in some ways stigmatized and certainly frowned upon by the American establishment, such as smoking and drinking heavily, are celebrated as part of German culture. There, people start consuming alcohol as young as age 16 and those over 18 are allowed to smoke. Beach Reviews Continued from Page 11.
IMAGE BY ANNIKA BROWNING
and a secluded location, it offers a gorgeous view of the bay and a more low-key vibe. Neither of these beaches seemed preferable for surfing, but Santa Cruz definitely does deliver for the surfing enthusiasts. If you look a little harder and put in a little more effort to lug your board down a cliff (there’s a path, no worries), the best surfing spots are close by the Natural Bridges State Park and are not heavily frequented. From lively fun and amusement great for families to more secluded beaches and the perfect surf spots, Santa Cruz’s beach options are endless.
Beautiful beaches of Nantucket.
September 2015
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Of course, a trip to Germany means that, of necessity, its recent past will be revisited. Reminders of the Holocaust and World War II are everywhere throughout Germany. In fact, the school we attended in Germany is built on the site of a former forced labor camp, where first prisoners from Eastern Europe then French prisoners of war worked for the local medical supply company. Our group visited the original concentration camp, Dachau, when we were in Munich. The experience was chilling, the place disturbing; several students cried. A group of Jewish students, myself included, said the Mourner’s Kaddish in Hebrew for those lost in the Shoah. My visit to Dachau, and the frequent reminders I received throughout my time in Germany of its role in World War II, led me to struggle with huge questions: how can I embrace the wonderful experiences I’ve had in Germany while remembering the horrifying human suffering that was inflicted by the Nazis just 70 years ago? Visiting places like Dachau, the Documentation Center at the Nazi Party Rally Grounds in Nuremberg, and the Jewish Museum in Munich did not answer that question for me. Rather, they made me think all the harder. That’s better than an easy answer, I think; I owe it to the victims of the Third Reich to struggle with that question. If the answer was easily attained, the memories of the tragedy would also be easily lost. In a country filled with wonderful, ancient castles, beautiful forests, and delicious food, there’s a lot to be amazed by. But the most important are the people. It’s the people who force you to engage with history and actually think about the past, and it’s the people who fulfilled the promise to change our lives through the exchange. Nantucket: Annika Browning Located 30 miles off the coast of Massachusetts in the Atlantic Ocean, the island town of Nantucket was founded in 1795 and has a population of 10,172. Nantucket was formerly famous for its whaling industry, but is now a very busy tourist location in New England. It takes about an hour to get to the island by ferry from Cape Cod. Information on the most visited locations at Nantucket is easily available. Since the island encompasses 45 square miles, the most common way around for non-locals is by bike. There are many bike trails throughout the island that lead to several beaches. The beaches on Nantucket are famous for their tall, strong surfing waves and even their sharks. In fact, sharks are one of the island's biggest attractions, and many people, experienced or not, go in search of them diving or in cages. The food on the island is incredibly diverse. From French to Mexican to fusion, each restaurant has a central theme of seafood but with its own twist. Although some of the food may be pricey, a good meal that is worth its cost can easily be found. When I visited Nantucket over the summer, it was, as I expected, a very nice island full of fun summer activities. The many beaches and views bring great attraction and adventure to the island, making Nantucket a great summer getaway.
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September 2015
Center Spread
Students’ Advice for “More open to taking student suggestions and turning them into action.”
“Ease of communication between students and decision-making bodies.”
“A system that would specifically deal with people’s complaints.”
“A better way of evaluating teachers and dealing with teachers who need improvement”
“The administration should not push their initiatives without providing tangible results of previous endeavors.”
“An advisory committee that could help students connect more with the school.”
“Gender-neutral bathrooms.”
“The administration does not get involved unless you really bug them.” “The counselors should give deeper insight to post-high school life and useful advice for students so that they can achieve their full potential, whether that is in getting jobs they want or getting accepted to colleges.”
September 2015
the Administration
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Responses gathered by JAMES YOON, Image by JOHN YOON
“Make sure that the staff provides comfortable environments for students and their families. Things like a staff member’s negative attitude can discourage familes to come back to them, leading to fewer problems addressed.”
“Transparency.”
“There should be more of an effort put into breaking divides within the student body.”
“Let students freely move within the campus.”
“Guidance, not instruction.”
“A student’s schedule should be sculpted based on his or her needs and wants.”
“The administration should be more receptive and sympathetic to people’s concerns.”
“Fund sports other than football.”
“Ms. Linton gets to school and leaves so early. There should be a representative for her so that students can perform duties pertaining to after-school activities.”
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September 2015
Teaching in China Continued from Page 12. what he was saying, and they were too self-conscious to admit it. What ended up happening on the first day was Kelvin giving a few two-to-three-hour lectures while the students nodded along as they pretended to understand him. He came up with some activities for them to participate in, but they had a difficult time with those as well, and only evaded notice because the few students who could understand him passed the message along. I only found out that the vast majority of the students could not understand Kelvin’s English after talking to my roommate in the evening, who confirmed that neither he nor his friends really had a clue what was going on. To remedy this, I spoke to the teacher in charge of organizing the schedule and he added a two-hour “English Corner” in the evening where my cousin and I would be in charge of explaining confusing material. Suddenly, I was very much needed—I had more responsibilities than the “real” teachers. The English Corner was the equivalent of me co-teaching a high-school class. It turns out that there were six English-language books the students were supposed to have read prior to the camp as background knowledge for the debate. Naturally, not a single student had finished a book—but not because they weren’t motivated to do so; all of the students were eager to learn. The books were just too difficult in vocabulary and style for them to persist through alone. So my cousin and I decided to run the English Corner as
FEATURES a group reading circle, just like what one would find in an American English class. I was (apart from Kelvin) the only person at the camp who spoke English without a Chinese accent and would thus read as the students repeated after me. My cousin would then translate any incomprehensible vocabulary and have the students summarize what they had read. It seemed like a pretty good system to me at the time, and I believed that even without real teaching experience I could get through all the English Corners of the camp intact. On day two, after I got better about helping the students understand Kelvin’s day lecture, I ran the first English Corner of the camp with my cousin. We used the system we had thought up the previous day, and when it came to the summarization—our comprehension check, as it were—we allowed the students to speak Chinese, which we hoped would lessen their apprehension of messing up. It didn’t work. When my cousin asked for volunteers to summarize, not a single student raised their hand. I wasn’t sure what to do. Calling on them didn’t work, either. There’s nothing like an awkward silence to make you wonder if you made a mistake. No matter how much you keep prompting, nobody wants to answer. When you call on someone, they freeze up and don’t respond, and the others look to you expectantly as if you have to somehow ameliorate the situation. My cousin and I ended up summarizing all that we read ourselves. I was pretty miserable at the conclusion of the class; it seemed like a failure to me. And
Visit our brand new website.
so it was a big surprise when the next morning I received enthusiastic feedback from the students, who genuinely thought it to be a nice change of pace from lecture. While I perceived the difficulties in recruiting a summarizer an embarrassment, they never even mentioned it. And so we continued doing the same thing for successive English Corners, and the students gradually got more comfortable with answering questions and summarizing. I was asked a lot of questions in private, and I could see that most of the students had a drive to improve their English and speaking skills—they just didn’t want to mess up in front of everyone else. And when they learned, they really learned fast. I felt proud when my roommate, a quiet boy who never spoke in class because of his poor pronunciation, read along loud and clear at the final English Corner I led. By the end, I felt I had contributed a lion’s share to the camp. During Kelvin’s lectures, I had developed a routine of circling around, checking up on the students’ notes, and explaining or translating when they were confused. When the teachers were unable to delegate quiz-writing effectively, I wrote one of the quizzes. My cousin and I came up with example debate topics and sample debates after doing a morning of research. I put in effort and improved just as the students did, and they appreciated my help. At times, I was frustrated, maybe because my translations were off, or I said something stupid. But the knowledge that I was part of the team and helping as best I could made it a rewarding experience.
www.ihstattler.com
FEATURES
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Tattler Readership Analysis
Chart 3
September 2015 If so, why do you read the Tattler? To be well-informed about current news & affairs & events 13%
By JAMES PARK
When those fresh copies mysteriously materialize in front of classroom doors in neat stacks once a month, it’s common to see students engrossed in the pages of the Tattler rather than the class at hand. Yet, there are some who prefer to flip to the Back Page for the puzzles, leaving the issue trampled on the ground to be found by a janitor with only the Sudoku and crossword half-filled out. Many others claim not to have read a single issue in their high-school career, citing a lack of material to sustain their interest. Curious to see how people really read the Tattler, Tattler editors asked 112 students from randomly selected English classes—29 seniors, 21 juniors, 31 sophomores, and 31 freshmen—to fill out a survey during the last week of school. Here’s what we found. Note: Due to the length of this analysis, responses to open-ended questions have been omitted, although some have been included in the analysis where appropriate. Chart 1
Occasionally 26%
No 14%
Yes, but I only look for puzzles on the Back Page.
What is your primary source of news outside of IHS? Conversations 2% Other 5% Blogs 5%
Both 26%
22
Yes, because I enjoy the content.
48
Occasionally, because there isn't much that I am interested in.
17
Occasionally, because I have limited time to read it.
No, because I don't find it important.
Chart 3 It always seems as if the first few periods on the dayChart of 4a Tattler release are filled with students engaged with the issue rather than the class, to the chagrin of many teachers.
20
Yes, because I like reading articles written by my friends.
No, because I don't have time.
To learn more about the IHS community 22%
14
Yes, because it is informative.
No, because I don't find it interesting.
For certain coverage that I am interested in 21%
Home 0%
Do you read the Tattler? (detailed breakdown)
No, because I often find it outdated.
As a relaxing way to spend time between (or during) classes 44%
Chart 1 With 60 percent Social networking sites Print 30% 15% of respondents confirming that they do read the Tattler and 24 perOnline news site Television 21% cent more saying 22% that they read it occasionally, it’s clear that the Tattler isn’t just appealing to a Chart 4 small niche of stuHardly surprising results here. Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, dents. Perhaps a and more have all allowed students to not only get news and breakdown of the opinions fast, but also directly engage in and discuss these Chart 2 responses can pro- events. Television and online news sites, of course, always vide a little more have and will be extant. detail. Where do you read the Tattler?
Do you read the Tattler?
Yes 60%
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29 2 1 10 11
Chart 2 Most people don’t pick up a Tattler issue just for the Sudoku, that’s for sure. Most people who read the Tattler claim to do so because they enjoy the content. Interestingly, the chart also shows that people who read the Tattler occasionally end up doing so from a tight schedule, suggesting that more people would read the Tattler given the time.
School 74%
Chart 5 Virtually no one reads the Tattler solely at home, but 26 percent of respondents claimed to read it both in school and at home—perhaps to finish up a particularly difficult puzzle or a lengthy article.
Char
Chart 9
Chart 6
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FEATURES
September 2015
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How many times did you pick up an issue of the Tattler?
What types of content are most important in the Tattler? Student opinion & essays Student and teacher feature Sports Puzzles Playlists News on ICSD administration National & international news Ithaca news Entertainment Current school news Creative writing Creative writing 2 Comics 1
27%
13% 11% 9%
10%
10%
8% 5%
4%
2%
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
1%
7
8
9
10
53 35 31 43 16 37 27 45 42 69 28
Chart 7 Chart 6 Overall, 27 percent of respondents said they picked up an Chart 9 issue of the Tattler every month in the last school year. Opinions vary greatly here, but a clear outlier is for current school news, with 69 people believing it to be the most How interested would you be in reading Tattler articles online? important. When you add in the fact that 53 people think Very interested; would prefer online student essays and opinions are the most important, it’s evi9% dent what people think that the Tattler should focus on: IHS’s own community.
The content of the Tattler is high-quality. Moderately interested; would read both equally 35%
Not interested; would prefer hard copy 56%
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19
6
Chart 7 1 First of all, yes, the Tattler did launch a new website last June. However, a few people have commented that they Strongly Disagree Unsure Agree Strongly wouldn’t take the effort of actually looking up articles ondisagree agree line. If it’s there, people will read it; if not, they aren’t going to try to find it. On the flip side, with smartphones being Chart 11 widespread among students, reading articles online could be A majority of respondents either agreed or strongly agreed Chart 8 even easier than reading a hard copy, and the responses re- with this statement—a reassuring claim for the Tattler. flect that. Tattler articles are inThe Tattler covers a wide What types of content do you read the most? depth. scope of topics. News Opinion Features Arts Reviews Hall Monitor Sports Puzzles Back Page Comedy I read everything equally Varies I don't know
10
11
33
36
5 2
28 22
4
19
5 7 2 17
7
1
9
6 5
0
0
2
Chart 8 Although no one just reads the Back Page, it nonetheless appears as if the Back Page is the most read section in the Tattler. Meanwhile, News and Opinion contest for second place in popularity.
Strongly Disagree Unsure disagree
6
Agree Strongly agree
Strongly Disagree Unsure disagree
Agree Strongly agree
Chart 13, 14 While most people believe Tattler covers a wide scope of topics, a large amount of respondents were unsure if they are in-depth.
Cha
Chart 15
FEATURES Tattler writers are wellinformed and clear.
September 2015
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on these results, however, it appears as if most people are at least content with the way the paper looks.
Copies of the Tattler are easy to find.
31 23
47
17 8 18
0 Strongly Disagree Unsure disagree
Agree Strongly agree
Chart 15 Again, more people are more unsure than strongly agreeing. Especially with both experienced and new writers creating articles for the Tattler all the time, the abilities of writers can vary, and it’s very important to make sure that one is well-informed on topics that may carry a large amount of controversy. Chart 17 The Tattler covers topics that are engaging and interesting to me.
8
7 2
Strongly Disagree Unsure disagree
Agree Strongly agree
Chart 19 Chart 17 Unless you’re coming into school late on the day of an issue release or looking for an extra copy a few weeks later, it really shouldn’t be hard to find a copy (protip: try looking at the doorway of your classes in the mornings).
I enjoy reading in-depth coverage of local issues. 31
37
21
25
17 11
8
6
3
2 Strongly Disagree Unsure disagree
Agree
Strongly agree
Perhaps not every article is someone’s cup of tea, but most people seem to find something they appreciate. A number of respondents did comment that Teacher Features were not particularly engaging for them. I like the design of the paper. 37
25
12 4
3
Strongly Disagree Unsure disagree
Agree Strongly agree
Chart 18 A few people have commented how they would prefer an actual newspaper style to the current magazine look. Based
Strongly Disagree Unsure disagree
Agree Strongly agree
Chart 18
Chart 20 Many respondents additionally noted in their surveys that they would like to see a larger focus on local rather than international news. Chart 21 A bit more difficult to see anything obvious here, but on the whole, it seems as if a majority of people would prefer a little more than just a summary of events. Especially for News and Opinion, including more than the bare minimum would certainly help out. Perhaps these results could be associated with concerns about writers being well-informed.
I prefer to get news in summary form containing only the most important information with few details. 22
22 15
12 8
Strongly Disagree Unsure disagree
Agree Strongly agree
Chart 22
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FEATURES
September 2015
It is important for the Tattler to cover sports (IHS, national).
Tattler reporters should be suspicious of higher authority (i.e., ICSD administration, government).
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25 18 15
16
15
14
13
7
Strongly Disagree Unsure disagree
Agree Strongly agree
Strongly Disagree Unsure disagree
Agree Strongly agree
Chart 22 Respondents were heavily divided on this topic, revealing a glimpse of the ongoing controversy on how much trust we should give our authorities. The Tattler itself does not deliberately attempt to “fight the system;” rather, it tries to uncover or explain a hidden aspect of events that the administration of our school—or even higher-up governments—may not always agree upon.
Chart 25 People seem rather divided on this one—while sports are a major part of IHS (or really any high school), Chart 23 it can be difficult to find oneself interested in certain sports unless knowledgeable on the subject. Compared to the News and Features sections, which showcase more general articles on a wide variety of topics, the more selective Sports and Arts sections may find themselves with a smaller group of readers.
A newspaper should play an active role in improving the community, sponsoring community forums on important issues.
It is important for the Tattler to cover entertainment news. 25 22
29 24
14
22 9
10
6 1 Strongly Disagree Unsure disagree
Agree Strongly agree
Chart 23 Very few people disagreed with this statement, and it reflects the student body’s willingness to allow groups such as the Tattler to provide a voice for many people in helping to improve our community.
Strongly Disagree Unsure disagree
Agree Strongly agree
Chart 26 Although how much “entertainment news” is needed in the Tattler is disputed, a similar aspect can be observed from our survey results. A large amount of respondents, when asked about what they would like to see more of in the Tattler in a separate question (not included in the analysis), responded “humor”. In fact, many went on to explain that humor would help to catch their attention more and stated that the Tattler should try to be more humorous overall.
Chart 27
FEATURES I listen to playlists in the Tattler. 34
September 2015
21
It is important for the Tattler to cover national and international news that is relevant in the local community. 34
19 16 20
10
14
2 Strongly Disagree Unsure disagree
Agree Strongly agree
9 4 Strongly Disagree Unsure disagree
Agree Strongly agree
Chart 27 Not completely unexpected, but still, it’s surprising to see that a large amount of students don’t seem to respect peermade playlists all that much. In fact, many respondents commented that the playlists were their least favorite part of the Tattler.
Chart 29 Chart 29 For the most part, the distribution of responses is centered closer to “Agree,” but it is necessary to consider those that are unsure or don’t want the Tattler to have bring about change. Even with these data, a simple conclusion cannot be made.
The Tattler should be a strong force in solving problems at IHS and the wider community.
Conclusion What does all this mean? That we should stop publishing playlists altogether, or that the singular Back Page should become Back Pages? Of course not—rather, this data helps the Tattler find its weak points. Information like this allows us to assess the complaints of individuals in the scope of a larger group to see if they amount to a relevant problem. Equally important, it allows both budding and veteran writers of the Tattler to realize their own abilities and shortcomings in writing. At the same time, however, we should take this data with a grain of salt. A problem or strength that may seem glaringly obvious could in reality be less severe or merely trivial, a result of unknown error or bias. As AP Stats teacher Ben Kirk once wisely said, “All models are wrong”—words to keep close when observing our world.
28 22 16 9 6
Strongly Disagree Unsure disagree
Agree Strongly agree
Chart 28 Again, tying back to previous results that we’ve seen, people seem to prefer reading about news that has some relevance to their own lives.
The Tattler Staff contributed reporting.
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September 2015
aRTs Jurassic World Review
Grassroots 2015
By JAMES PARK
By CHLOE WRAY
IMAGE BY CHLOE WRAY
IMAGE PROVIDED
Oddly familiar logo.
I may not be the biggest Jurassic Park fan, but having read the books and watched the first few movies, I was excited to hear about the release of Jurassic World, the fourth installment in the Jurassic Park movie franchise. This excitement only grew when one of my friends offered tickets to watch it in IMAX 3D at the Carousel Mall in Syracuse. Despite it being well-stocked with action, however, lackluster characters and a sparse plot left the film vaguely underwhelming. Jurassic World takes place 22 years after the first Jurassic Park film, which helps explain its brand-new cast with the exception of B. D. Wong, who reprises his role as Dr. Henry Wu from the original film. The island of Isla Nublar, also from the first film, has been remade into Jurassic World, a popular theme park. Two kids, stereotypical adolescent Zach (Nick Robinson) and apparent boy genius Gray Mitchell (Ty Simpkins), travel to Jurassic World to visit their aunt Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard), the workaholic operations manager at the park. There, the character of Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) is introduced as a Velociraptor trainer. Of course, something is bound to go terribly wrong, and this something rises as (what else?) a dangerous genetically engineered dinosaur—Indominus Rex—breaks free and sends the entire island into a chain reaction of destruction. From the beginning, I noticed that the characters weren’t as fleshed out as they could be. For instance, I was rather disappointed with the way that the two Continued on Page 24.
Blindspots performed two sets, on Thursday and Saturday, to adoring fans.
Summer rolled in, blessed us like a long-awaited family reunion with temperatures above 60 degrees, cursed us with tan lines and humidified hair big enough to hold secrets, and made us realize we will never have quite enough money to live that Tumblr summer we’ve been dreaming of all year. While we may have had grand expectations of what we wished summer could be, it always seemed to leave something to be desired. For some people, it’s more trips to the beach, more days to spend with friends, or longer nights by the bonfire. But for me, it’s for Grassroots to last forever. I wish Grassroots were a year-long affair, instead of a four-day one, and I’ll probably never stop hoping for a lifestyle of eternal festival-going, but I know that some of its magic must lie in the wait, the lead-up, and the anticipation. As years pass, Grassroots just seems to keep getting better. I’m not sure whether the festival itself is improving, its organizers having learned a few things about running it in the past 25 years, or if I have just learned to appreciate it more over the nine years I have gone there. It may be a mix of both, but as I’ve gotten older, rather than playing in the mud and running through the grass throwing water balloons (although I still enjoy a little of both), I’ve started to gain a real appreciation for the wide array of bands and music at the festival. With four stages, from the small and intimate Cabaret to the boot stompin’, floor pounding Dance Tent, to the jam-packed all-night Infield and the classic Grandstand, there is never a shortage of things to see at Grassroots, no matter the time of day. Continued on Page 23.
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GI Joe Rides Again
Grassroots 2015 Continued from Page 22.
By ABE MESSING
IMAGE PROVIDED
From the early morning band competition, which gives the winner a slot at next year’s festival (this year’s winner was the Busted Subaru—a Sim Redmond cover band with a twist—who performed beloved Sim songs as metal rock anthems), to funky, upbeat dance music that keeps the party going late into the night, the music selections at Grassroots attract every age group. The music is only half the fun—with the new and old friends you encounter and the endless selection of food, there is rarely a dull moment. If you do find yourself lacking some excitement, just look a little further and you’re sure to find it. Grassroots provides a break from the mundane and monotonous, which makes it such a joyful, meaningful time for so many. Every year, a new lineup is offered to veterans and newcomers of the festival, bringing out festival classics like Donna the Buffalo and Ithaca’s favorites including The Blind Spots and Gunpoets. It also offers favorites from the festival’s counterparts in Miami and North Carolina Shakori Hills like the up-andcoming bands Telekinetic Walrus and Lanzallamas, both of which have quickly gained themselves a following in the Finger Lakes. Telekinetic Walrus first performed at the festival in Trumansburg last year, making lasting impressions on many. On the first night of the festival they truly made themselves recognized when they hypnotized the crowd with their rap fusion that they describe as “experimental psychedelic hip hop, funky electronic bass and weirdness” which can easily be summed up as “out of this world.” Another band, A Tribe Called Red, left the Infield crowd raving, introducing what they have dubbed an “electric pow wow”: simultaneously honoring Native American culture while branching into the thriving electronic scene. On the other hand, favorites like Rockwood Ferry and Driftwood emphasized the power a fiddle has to get a crowd moving, and stayed grounded in the festival’s folk roots. Sim Redmond, whose zydeco island vibes seem to put time at a standstill, is always a festival must-have as the crowd sways to lovely lyrics and a drum beat that keeps fans coming back. Hailing from New Orleans, this year’s must-see was Trombone Shorty. Although he was undoubtedly quite a talented trombonist, he seemed to be on the repetitive side—worth stopping by, but once you had heard one song you had basically heard them all. With a music selection as diverse as the festival’s attendants, it’s no wonder that every year more and more people are drawn to the fairgrounds, coming to hear old standbys and leaving with new obsessions. Whether it’s the music, the people, or the general abundance of happiness, dancing and laughter—once you come to Grassroots, it’s easy to find a reason to keep coming back. The festival will leave you with some of the best memories of your year. It’ll have you counting down the next 361 days until you can march onto the Trumansburg fairgrounds, clad in attire you could only get away with at Grassroots, claim the perfect campsite, and scope out the easiest route to the creek to take a mid-weekend bath. Each year, you’ll kick-off the festivities yet again, and as it’s been called before, you will begin to think of Grassroots as Christmas in July.
September 2015
[SPOILERS] The Stars.
In 2009, Hollywood released the first installment in the GI Joe trilogy, GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra, a recreation of the 1983 cartoon series. In the film, amidst the conventional action and gun violence, a deeper storyline develops. Early on, GI Joe soldiers Rex (Joseph Gordon Levitt) and Duke (Channing Tatum) are portrayed as good friends and allies and seen fighting a common enemy. The two are soon separated on the battlefield and Rex is thought to have been killed by an explosion. This leaves Duke distraught over the loss of his close friend, and he remains this way for the duration of the film—until he learns that his most detested foe, the Cobra Commander, was actually his allegedly deceased friend Rex all along. This interesting plot twist made for a decent movie. Five years later, Hollywood remade another TV show in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Many action movies are inherently similar: a heroic protagonist shoots his way through the movie while following a dramatic plotline. Both Captain America and GI Joe are no exception. However, after examining the movies side by side, it becomes hard not to notice the striking resemblances they share. Captain America opens with a familiar intro—Captain “Cap” America (Chris Evans) loses his best friend while they are fighting a common enemy on the battlefield, causing Cap to endure the same mourning that Duke went through with his companion. Throughout the movie, Cap fights the opposition, with the thought of his friend lingering in the back of his mind. His enemy, the Winter Soldier, is a mysterious character who hides behind a mask and goggles to conceal his true identity, just as the Cobra Commander does. After butting heads with his nemesis for the better part of the film, he is incredulous to learn that, surprise, his enemy was actually his friend! This shocker is almost predictable after watching GI Joe. Not only do the two movies have nearly parallel plot lines, but the presentation of the villain is almost identical. Both the Cobra Commander and the Winter Soldier have faces that are hidden by a protective black mask, which is later removed Continued on Page 24
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Back to School Playlist By LUCA GREENSPUN
“A Thousand Miles”: Vanessa Carlton
Back to school, “faces past … and I miss you”. This song perfectly sums up that back-to-school excitement of seeing all your old friends, but missing your summer days.
“Maggie May”: Rod Stewart
“Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard”: Paul Simon
School is in the title. A fun tune about breaking the rules.
“My Girl”: The Foundations
A classic, deserving of your ears every once in a while.
A terrific song about a young guy who’s skipping the “Honky Cat”: Elton John first few months of school to be in a relationship with an A song about getting back to what you know, and older woman. Worth a listen. stepping back into your usual routine.
“Colt 45”: Afroman
“Still Got It”: Tyga ft. Drake
“Brown Eyed Girl”: Van Morrison
“Tangled Up in Blue”: Bob Dylan
A good jam to help you get back into the swing of things. Song speaks of summer but sounds like autumn.
“These Days”: Nico
This song is palpably reminiscent of a crisp fall day.
A passionate track. Don’t be afraid to take a day off; do what Tyga would do. Bob Dylan’s finest work. The lyrics speak of faded passion, and wistful longing for better days— something that we can all relate to when school is starting back up again. Jurassic World Review Continued from Page 22.
to divulge the familiar face that the heroes once knew. Hollywood is constantly under scrutiny for regurgitating old material and failing to produce original features, and after releasing two recreations that seem to mirror each other, they are not gaining any ground over the critics. By removing the fluff from the two movies, it's not hard to see how similar the premises are. While both films are well made and entertaining, they are practically the same movie.
brothers, Zach and Gray, were portrayed. Their character developments started and ended with “two kids in the wrong place at the wrong time,” and they seemed to be put in just as an excuse to revisit the island. A few scenes of brotherly bonding and camaraderie helped me feel some degree of empathy for the two, but in the end I couldn’t think of any reason for their presence other than a couple of chase scenes and a need to have children involved in the plot in some way. Speaking of chase scenes, the thriller segments of the film were plentiful and engaging. I admit that I found myself on the edge of my seat more than once as I experienced scenes ranging from stalk-and-kill to frantic and fast-paced as characters found themselves chased by various carnivorous and/or dangerous dinosaurs. The computer-generated dinosaurs were fantastic to look at as well, especially during dino-on-dino battles. With all this combined with a nostalgic soundtrack by Michael Giacchino including some trademark themes by John Williams, the film managed to pull off a few impressive scenes, but fell short of truly being noteworthy. By trading some plot and character development for action, Jurassic World presents itself as a decent film that brings back fond memories of the first movie, but little more. If you’ve got nothing else to do, try this one out.
IMAGE PROVIDED
GI Joe Rides Again Continued from Page 23.
The cast of Captain America: The Winter Soldier
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Sports Athletes and Questionable Tweets By ANNIKA BROWNING
Social media is an important part of a teenager’s life. During the fall sports season, athletes have various thoughts to share on some sort of social media like Twitter. And there have been many instances where an athlete has been punished, either in school or on the playing field, because of inappropriate tweets. Many people use Twitter today as a way of broadcasting information, but there is also a side to Twitter that is thought to be used “privately” by many students. Although these tweets may seem private, they are very much public and can be seen by almost everyone. There were few events in past years that have brought serious consequences to the students involved with such tweets. During the 2013 Girls’ Varsity Section 4 Swimming Sectionals, an athlete from Horseheads High School who has since graduated tweeted a very offensive screenshot of a conversation with her and her boyfriend trash talking the IHS Girls’ Swim Team, a team that she was competing against in the meet that day. The tweet was shown to USA Swimming officials, who were concerned and took the situation very seriously. The offending tweeter was disqualified from the meet by USA Swimming. USA Swimming has official policies about Twitter and social media use, but the NYS Public High School Athletic Association has yet to implement these rules. There have also been some students who were caught bullying others using Twitter and got in trouble with their school. Twitter accounts used for cyberbullying are often reported by users who see these tweets—or even Twitter itself. Students who have tweeted pictures Continued on Page 27.
Should Student-Athletes be Exempt From Gym When In Season? By ABE MESSING
For 40 minutes every other day, most students are required to take gym class, intended to interest students in physical activity and keep them healthy. But most students lose their enthusiasm for gym by the end of elementary school and by the time they reach high school–level gym, they feel no need to participate or try to make the best out of the class. Some students even grow to hate exercise and are discouraged from trying it in the future as a result of their experience in gym. The result of this is a group of perfunctory students whose time could be better spent doing other things, specifically, schoolwork. Granted, gym is challenging and beneficial to some people, but the 40-minute block in our schedules could be put to much better use. Continued on Page 26.
Boys Soccer Preview By MARLO ZORMAN
Last year, IHS Boys’ Soccer ended the season with an overall record of 14–4, culminating in a loss to Fairport in the state semifinals. With the heavy support of fans, the team won every home game and beat IHS’s longtime rival, Vestal. After the regular season ended, Ithaca went on to beat John Jay in the Class AA regional finals and made it to the state semifinals, where they lost 2–1 to the Fairport Red Raiders. Despite last year’s stellar performance, the team will have a lot to prove in the upcoming months. Even after the team’s loss of several starting seniors, many players remain confident. “We have a lot of good players coming up, and the experience that our rising seniors got last year will leave them plenty prepared,” Andrew Araneo ’16 said. The JV team’s performance last year, especially their 12–0 win over Binghamton, is proof that the Class of 2017 will be able to fill the gaps left by graduating seniors. However, before the season starts, the team will have to replace the starting defenders who graduated after last year’s dominant season. “One of our biggest challenges will be replacing our defense from last year, as we lost all four starting defenders.” Tristan Cornell-Roberts ’16 said. Continued on Page 27.
SPORTS Tips for Athletes: Good Grades and a Good Season
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By ANNIKA BROWNING
As fall sports begin and the new school year starts up, so does the stress of balancing good performance in school and on the field. Every student athlete knows the constant struggle of keeping both grades and performance up during a sports season, so I have put together some tips to help you succeed. The most important thing to remember (although we athletes may not want to admit it) is that your schoolwork is more important than practice. If you do poorly academically, you won’t be eligible to participate in your sport. Use homework help and your teachers! Talking to teachers is one of the most helpful things you can do if you are falling behind or just didn’t understand a lesson. Even if you only go in for 5 minutes after school, seeking help is much more beneficial than just ignoring a problem and hoping it makes sense in the end. It is especially important to focus in class earlier in the year, because the rest of the year’s curriculum is usually based on the earlier topics. Last year, while struggling with a class, I began to use the help room during my lunch period. This small extra step dramatically increased my grade and made the class a much more enjoyable experience. Outlining a clear plan for the work you need to do can also help you greatly. Being organized and on top of all your assignments and practices can help you feel more in control, and will make it easier to plan ahead to make sure all of your work is in on time. If you are someone who gets distracted often, or you find yourself playing Candy Crush 25 minutes after you paused your work to respond to a text, think about putting your phone on the other side of the room on silent while you complete your homework. On the computer, it can be a little harder to avoid distractions. Download an app onto your computer that prevents you from visiting certain sites for a set time period, like FocalFilter and StayFocused. Multi-tasking might seem possible, but the quality of your work will be lower if you don’t put all your focus to it. A large part of sports is mental well-being. To maintain good mental as well as physical health during your sports season, it is important to sleep a lot and replenish your body. The stress that athletes put on their bodies and minds after a full day of school and practice is huge, but it can be relieved by going to bed at a reasonable time and making sure you get a good 7–9 hours of sleep a night. Sleep is very important and you should plan for it in your schedule. An hour of sleep will save you more than an hour in the long run. Another very important part of replenishing your body is to make sure you eat lots of food and keep a balanced diet, as well as drink lots of water (suggested eight cups a day). These tips will help keep your body in good shape to support you through sports and school. When you join a sports team, you agree to work your hardest and keep your team high on your priority list. This means you must try to do your best. You need to be prepared
to make sacrifices, and although they may seem annoying and unnecessary, they will pay off in the end, and will set you up for a great season. If you pay attention to these tips, you’ll find yourself having a good year academically as well.
Should Student-Athletes be Exempt From Gym When In Season? Continued from Page 25. Gym should be made a reserve class, an alternative to not playing a sport. It makes sense to include some form of physical education in the public school curriculum, but pretending gym is effective at advocating a healthy lifestyle is silly. Everything important that we learn in gym could be taught in health class. Instead of making a superfluous and time-wasting gym class mandatory, students should be encouraged to play sports in a different way. If students were promised a study hall during their gym period as a reward for playing a sport, it would be universally beneficial. Students would then be inclined to play sports for their school, strengthening school spirit and the sports teams while making the participants healthier. The study hall could then be used to catch up on work—an academic premium. Despite this, gym teachers wouldn’t be put out of work. Not all students are going to play on the teams, so there will always be classes for them to teach. It’s no secret Ithaca wants to improve its sports teams, if building a multi-million-dollar weight room is any indication. Omitting gym from the schedule would be an even more effective way to bolster Ithaca’s athletic programs. Certainly, this incentive program would add bodies to many teams and increase the competition. One of the main reasons teams such as the wrestling and football team are not as good as they could be is due to the lack of players. If setting aside one hour and thirty minutes after school for practice is not too big of a commitment, potential players would certainly come out for the teams. Making gym an alternative class has numerous secondary benefits aside from making healthier students. Representing your school is a great way to create loyal and proud IHS students. Furthermore, having a study hall in their schedule would provide some relief in the stressful agendas of many students. In short, there is no reason to keep gym as part of the mandatory curriculum. If students are playing a sport, they should be exempt from taking gym for the duration of the season. This way, students become healthier, school becomes more manageable, and athletics become stronger.
SPORTS Athletes and Questionable Tweets Continued from Page 25. or text about drinking or doing illegal drugs in or out of school have also been penalized for their actions. This is controversial because some may see it as an invasion of students’ privacy, but it is nevertheless important for making sure they are making good, safe decisions in their social life. College coaches will often look through their potential high-school recruits’ social media accounts as a means to judge their character, and if they find tweets or pictures they think are inappropriate, they will rule out that particular recruit. As school approaches and scholastic sports seasons draw near, athletes need to remember one thing: “Think before you tweet.” As tweeted by Brandon Chambers, an assistant men’s basketball coach at Marymount University, “Never let a 140-character tweet cost you a $140,000 scholarship.” When athletes are worrying about trying to get scholarships, it is always better to be safe rather than sorry. Some coaches also check to see how often the recruits are on social media. If a recruit appears to be spending more time tweeting than hitting the weight room, a university or college may actually rule out that particular recruit. When using social media, always think about what others will think about your postings. Always assume that everyone can see your tweets, and make sure that what you say on social media truly represents your best self.
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Boys Soccer Review Continued from Page 25. The loss of seniors won’t just affect the roster. “We lost a lot of great leaders,” Cornell-Roberts said. Members of both the senior and junior classes will need to step up as leaders if the team hopes to make it to the playoffs. When asked about the team's biggest upcoming challenge, Alex Patz ’17, one of two sophomores to make the team last year, commented on “the lack of senior experience and team chemistry.” He noted that the new players will have to work together and bond if they want to make it to the playoffs again. Many of the players have been playing club soccer throughout the summer, so the transition into pre-season will be natural. “Most of the team is playing pre-season with our club coach Lamar—it’s great for getting in shape and being ready for the season,” Cornell-Roberts said. Before their season starter against Elmira, the team will be practicing twice a day to make sure players’ skills are ready. Despite the loss of many graduating seniors, members of the Varsity soccer team have prepared rigorously throughout summer and are excited for a successful season. “I look forward to defending our four titles through hard work and dedication, and winning the state finals,” Patz said. With the team's track record and upcoming talent, a state championship may not be so far-fetched.
The COOLNESS SPECTRUM Five Free Apps for Fun Five-Minute Study Breaks on your Phone By CLAIRE SALOFF-COSTE
Smash Hit The concept is simple: don’t crash. In this addictive game, you throw glass orbs at barriers and crystals to try to survive as long as possible. Hitting crystals gives you three extra orbs to throw, crashing makes you lose ten, and the game is over when you run out.
Colorfy This app is designed to reduce stress. You are given two to three dozen black and white outlines to color in as you see fit, from floral prints to mandalas.
Clumsy Ninja This game is adorable and creative. Basically, a little ninja wants to save his friend, but his ninja skills are lacking. Over the course of many levels, you earn belts and train your ninja, who becomes visibly more capable as you progress.
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New bathrooms? The Emmys ft. Andy Samberg
Nono Islands Traverse dangerous island paths, collecting maps and key pieces. The graphics are really nice in this one!
End of summer Jon Stewart’s last show
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Stephen Colbert’s new show
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New Ithaca Commons
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