Patriot Post Issue 2 (2nd Quarter 2022)

The Patriot Post Broward Campus Vol. 25 Issue 2 2nd Quarter 2021

Editors-in-Chief |Nithisha Makesh, 11| |Ellaheh Gohari, 10| Online Editor-in-Chief |Eva Pierre-Antoine, 12| Staff Writers |Anya Pinto, 10| |Irene John, 10| |Shreya Shanmugam, 10| |Kayra Dayi, 9| |Zoe Horwitz, 9|

Dear Heritage,

Music makes up a major part of our lives, and it influences our feelings on a day-to-day basis. We both feel that music can help us gain the strength to overcome any obtsacles or challenges thrown at us. This issue is about all things music, whether it be our favorite songs, new bands or the impact it has on all of our lives. We hope you enjoy this issue and take some time to appreciate the music that surrounds you. We also hope you gain some inspiration from our favorite songs.

Adviser |Ms. Diana Adams| Copy Editors |Joseph Richards, 12| |Nithisha Makesh, 11| |Ellaheh Gohari, 10| Sports Editor |Joseph Richards, 12|

The Patriot Post

Social Media Manager |Eva Pierre-Antoine, 12|

the American Heritage student news magazine Vol. 25 Issue 2 2nd Quarter 2021 The Patriot Post is an award-winning studentproduced hybrid publication that influences readers through editorials and entertains through features, as well as reviews, all achieved through responsible reporting held to high journalistic standards.

We strive to create content that adheres to the highest standards of journalistic integrity.

Any queries about our content can be directed to patriotpost@ahschool.com or to a staff member in room 25310.

With new posts on our online newspaper almost every day, the content doesn’t stop at the last page of this magazine. Visit ipatriotpost.com for more information and subscribe for email notifications.

Entertainment and Cover Story Editor |Nithisha Makesh, 11| Features and Opinion Editor |Ellaheh Gohari, 10|

The Patriot Post is featured as an online pdf on Issuu for free. American Heritage has 2,500 students and 141 faculty members.

American Heritage School 12000 W. Broward Blvd.

Plantation, Fl 33325 954-472-0022 ext. 3300 patriotpost@ahschool.com ipatriotpost.com

follow @ipatriotpost

2 Welcome

Issue 2 (Design/Nithisha Makesh)

Editorial Policy The Patriot Post limits opinion to opinion articles, columns and editorials. All editorials reflect the majority opinion of the staff. Opinions detailed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of administration, faculty or the student body. At our own discretion, we will publish letters to the editor either in print or online at ipatriotpost. com. We reserve the right to edit these letters for grammar and layout restrictions and will not publish any content we deem libelous to any students, faculty or members of the community.

Do you have a response to a column or article that was published in the news magazine? We accept and encourage letters to the editor by students, faculty or parents in response to opinion pieces. post@

ahschool.com.

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Table of Contents 3

MUSIC INDUSTRY

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stifles female success

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ittle girls have always looked up to their favorite female singers — because, who runs the world? Girls! — but even eyes of admiration cannot see higher than the glass ceiling that confines these artists. This “glass” ceiling is made of concrete, though: clearly observable and indisputable, if we care enough to open our eyes. Unfortunately, sexism remains a prevalent theme throughout history, and the music industry is no exception. Women lack representation in music, and those who make it endure sexism in the form of sexualization, objectification, double standards and belittling comments in their careers.

Acutely underrepresented in the music industry, women have a significantly lower probability of success in music professions. Over the past decade, the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative reviewed Billboard’s Top 100 published at the end of every year

PUBLIC RAGE: (Photo/Wikimedia Commons)

4 Editorial

FEMINIST: (Photo/Wikimedia Commons)

and Grammy nominees in all categories to determine the percentage of women in various parts of the music industry. They found that less than three percent of all producers, 22 percent of all artists, and 13 percent of all songwriters are women. Only 13.4% of 2020 Grammy nominees were women.

Societal misogyny reveals the real reasons for these staggering statistics -- first, major streaming platforms’ song recommendation algorithms are sexist. Spotify, on average, recommends six to seven songs by male artists before one by a female artist. The country music genre exemplifies sexism; for instance, songs recorded by women only make up 10% of all songs on country radio. A Michigan radio station, 98 KCQ, tweeted that they were not permitted to play two consecutive songs recorded by women on the radio.

Women in leadership positions such as producers threaten men, according to a study published in the Personal and Social Psychology Bulletin, and therefore it is infinitely more difficult for them to succeed.

These malicious tactics trap female potential, thereby preventing success.

Issue 2 (Design and Graphics/Anya Pinto)

Women who achieve stardom are held to unreasonably higher standards than men. For live shows, record labels implore their female performers to create elaborate dance sequences with dozens of background performers and costume changes, while men are generally not forced to do the same.

The female body is commodified and sexualized against the will of musicians. Analyzing 147 music videos, the University of Missouri discovered that women “revealed significantly more body parts on average and played primarily decorative (rather than instrumental, or useful) roles.” When women turn the tables and control their own sexuality, society erupts in unconscionable outrage. For example, Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s hit single “WAP” is all about female pleasure and sexuality, leading to a conservative uproar.

Singer-songwriter and Grammy winner Taylor Swift has experienced sexism in the music industry throughout her almost two-decade-long career.

The public criticizes her for writing about her ex-lovers, but praises male artists who do this. Interviewers frequently ask her when she plans to settle down and have children, a question that is rarely asked to men of the same age. Society treats 30 years old as the end of a woman’s musical career.

“I’ve learned that society is constantly sending very loud messages to women that exhibiting the physical signs of aging is the worst thing that can happen to us,” Swift said. Women are treated as less capable, with Swift as well as rappers Nicki Minaj and Iggy Azalea faced with skeptical questions about whether they really write their own music, despite the fact that their names appear in the credits.

Women are more than competent and they deserve to be treated like so.

Music suffers as profit outweighs passion Today’s music quality spirals as incentives for artists disappear.

Irene John | Staff Writer pl249171@ahschool.com

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hile the 2000s and 2010s are well known for hit songs such as Bruno Mars’s “Uptown Funk,” there is simply no comparison to music from past decades. There has long been a battle between different generations over the quality of music produced by them.

In 2016, singer Ed Sheeran found himself caught in a heavy lawsuit filed by X Factor winner Matt Cardle, who claimed Sheeran’s song “Photograph” was completely stolen, “note for note.” The two songs shared 39 identical notes. The case was privately settled by both sides in 2017.

STOLEN:

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(Photo/Vogue Taiwan)

Overall, the caliber of music has significantly decreased since the start of the 2000s. Ultimately, this means our parents might be right: music just is not what it used to be.

COPYCAT: TIMELESS:

Modern-day songs have become less about the artist’s love for the craft and more about earning the highest profits. Logically, this trend makes perfect sense considering the decline of profits among artists. A 2018 investment report led by the financial institution Citi, estimated that artists only make 12% of the total music industry’s income. Previously, artists wrote and released their own music. Nowadays, there are many additional costs such as producers, lyricists, record labels and copyright licenses. They have to sell more music to garner enough of a profit, prioritizing quantity over quality.

This results in a loss of authenticity. For instance, the background music of Camila Cabello’s hit song “Havana” is nearly identical to Selena Gomez’s “Same Old Love,” leading many of Gomez’s fans to suspect plagiarism.

(Photo/Picryl)

Ultimately, lawsuits and copyright claims prove how far music quality has declined as artists lose interest in their profession.

Even science has proven that current generations favor earlier music to the hits of today. In 2019 a group of researchers from New York University conducted a psychological study to determine if music from the past was recognizable to millennials. They surveyed about 650 million young adults in the state of New York and found that not only were the participants able to identify most of the songs from previous generations, they also seemed to prefer them.

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(Photo/Rappler)

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Opinion 5

Students struggle to earn a spot As college becomes a widespread American rite of passage, students face difficult challenges.

Joseph Richards | Sports Editor pl234911@ahschool.com

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owadays a college degree is almost always required for a job in modern society. As a result, more people have been attending college over the years. However, with more college applications comes less acceptances.

The acceptance rates of the top American colleges (ranked top 50 on usnews.com) have significantly decreased within the last decade, as per Henry Steele, a researcher for Signature College Counselling. The overall top college acceptance rate in 2006 was 35.9%, whereas in 2018 that figure dropped to 22.6%, and for a top ten college, the already low admission of 16% in 2006 decreased by nearly 60% in 2018, making it a mere 6.4%. It is undeniable that colleges have become more selective in their admissions, but what are the reasons for colleges suddenly needing students to be flawless?

Partly to blame for this is the increase in the number of applicants to colleges. The transition of the Common App from requiring a physical application to an online one made the application process more convenient and affordable for the general public, which in turn increased the number of overall applicants and drove down the acceptance rates of certain universities.

Another reason contributing to lower college acceptance rates across the board is the fact that students are getting smarter. The average GPA and standardized test scores have been steadily increasing over the past few years, forcing colleges who weren’t particularly selective in the past to raise the standard for applicants, and

forcing already prestigious colleges to look even closer at applicants with perfect scores. Michael J. Petrilli and Pedro Enamorado of Education Next conducted a study to confirm this idea, using SAT scores as a measure of selectivity to compare colleges’ application requirements in the past to the present.

They found that the median SAT scores for the most selective institutions rose significantly over the last generation, as the average score for the incoming freshman class increased by 93 points,

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6 Opinion

A lot of these students who were very qualified didn’t get in.

- Christopher Rim, CEO and founder of Command Education, CNBC

from 1216 to 1309 (using the currently outdated 2400 point SAT scoring scale).

Universities like Boston College saw a 170 point increase in scores from 1190 to 1360, and Ivy League Brown University also saw an increase in their median score, improving from 1335 to 1490.

Another reason for decreased college acceptance rates is a more recent factor than the others discussed: COVID-19. The pandemic has made it more difficult for incoming freshmen to get into “elite” schools.

Due to the pandemic, students had to take extra risks when completing standardized tests, potentially endangering their health and their family’s health for an SAT or ACT score, a risk universities understand people aren’t willing to take. As a result,

many colleges including some of the most prestigious ones no longer required standardized test scores for students to be admitted, significantly driving up application numbers.

With the exclusion of a need for scores, more students felt as if they could potentially be qualified for elite schools based on their GPA and extracurricular activities. According to CNBC, Dartmouth noticed a 57% increase in applications from 2019 to 2020, while Harvard experienced a 29% increase in applications for the same period. However, with increased application rates come decreased acceptance rates, a trend seen with all Ivy League universities and other colleges ranked in UsNews’ top 20. Harvard and Dartmouth had notable increases in applicants, yet their early decision acceptance rates sank from 13.9% to 7.4% and from 26% to 21% respectively.

SAT AP Prep GPA PSAT (Graphic/Shreya Shanmugam)

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Ella’s Electoral Elucidations In this reoccuring segment, Ella shares her thoughts on important political issues.

Ellaheh Gohari | Co-Editor-in-Chief pl236951@ahschool.com

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hose of you who know me know I love learning about politics. Something about watching grown adults acting as petty and immature as two-year-olds amuses me.

In all seriousness, I like politics because I want to learn about what’s going on in the world. After all, if we don’t know how our world works, how can we change it? That’s why I decided to start this column, and I hope that even if you disagree with me, we can still respect each other’s viewpoints.

The U.S. government has a problem: its members are too old and have held onto their power for too long. At age 78, President Joe Biden is the oldest President in history; second-in-line Nancy Pelosi is 81 and third-in-line Patrick Leahy is also 81. These seniors have held office for longer than the youngest members of Congress have been alive, and their outdated, out-of-touch views have no place in today’s government.

The average age of members of the U.S. Senate is 64 years old, according

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The U.S. government has a problem: its members are too old and have held onto their power for too long.

- Ellaheh Gohari

(Graphics/Shreya Shanmugam)

to the Congressional Research Service, with eldest members Dianne Feinstein and Chuck Grassley both 88 years old.

This makes today’s Senate the oldest in history. Many of these Senators have held onto power election after election—Grassley is on his 6th term with 40 years in office, while Feinstein served for 29—and their age shows.

During hearings for Facebook and Google, many Senators were baffled as to how their phones and the internet worked. “How do you sustain a business model in which users don’t pay for your service?” longest-serving Republican Senator Orrin Hatch asked (he has since retired), confused when the answer was a simple “[Facebook] runs ads.”

The 2018 Google hearing—clips can be found on YouTube—is filled with meme-able quotes from House representatives who cannot seem to grasp the concept of opt-in services and algorithms. People who do not understand modern-day technology should not be making decisions that could destroy them.

Also, Feinstein, Grassley and most of the Senatorial caucus grew up in a time where gas was 27 cents a gallon and the median home value was less than $10,000. Those numbers today sound unheard of, yet their refusal to get with the times is shown by their voting patterns.

When asked to explain why he didn’t support increasing the minimum wage to a livable $15 an hour, 60 year old Senator John Thune responded that he “started bussing

(Design/Shreya Shanmugam) Issue 2

tables at $1 an hour… [when he] finally made it to cook, which was big time, that was $6 an hour.” By not considering that times have changed and viewing his own childhood as the golden standard, Thune doomed millions of hard-working Americans to poverty.

Finally, politicians like Mitch McConnell, Grassley, Feinstein, Pelosi, Biden and so many others have held onto power for far too long, enriching themselves to the detriment of American society. In a caucus where a net worth of 3 million dollars is seen as “poor,” according to “The Gazette,” there is obviously a problem when it comes to transparency and accountability.

When people are in power for this long, there is bound to be some corruption as they can essentially bend the law to their own benefit. Insider trading, or selling/buying stocks based on prior knowledge unknown to the general public, is illegal in Congress, but that didn’t stop three senators from “coincidentally” trading their stocks after a confidential Senatorial hearing right before the coronavirus recession, as reported

by Forbes. These senators managed to avoid insider trading charges, with two of the three still in office today.

It is obvious that term limits and age limits are necessary for the betterment of the country. We cannot progress as a nation without new, younger faces who have unique opinions and views. The Senate and House are supposed to represent all Americans, not the super rich senior citizens, and it’s time our government reflected that.

Opinion 7

Academic students benefit from learning music Nithisha Makesh |Co-Editor-in-Chief pl246981@ahschool.com

PIANO PRODIGY: Junior Mudit Marwaha, piano player of seven years, plays “All of Me,”

by John Legend for his piano class at school.

“When playing an instrument, you spend a lot standing all the other markers on a piece; learning to analyze those annotations in an things in other classes,” he said.

(Photo/ Mudit Marwaha)

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“At any point of the day, I see a piano in my head and start to mix notes that help me understand how the piano works in my mind. This discipline taught me how to apply the same method of thinking in my other classes, like remembering numbers, visualizing elements on the periodic table or memorizing themes and key points of a novel,” senior Julián Villegas, who plays four instruments: piano, guitar, bass and drums, said. His hard work has since paid off, as he was recently accepted into the Berklee College of Music.

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hose who are interested in learning music but also want to ensure that their academic life does not suffer, might just be in luck.

There is a direct correlation between learning music and better memory, thinking and motor skills, according to the Arts Education Partnership.

Learning an instrument takes lots of practice which teaches diligence and persistence. Once you get better, you start obtaining more muscle memory which sharpens your brain skill.

-Arisa Porter, a seventh grader and a violin player for almost six years

8 Features

Issue 2 (Design/Irene John)

In addition to visualization, music improves overall academic performance, specifically in math oriented subjects. To understand concepts in music theory, musicians must also learn ratios and fractions which are concepts in math as well. The more they practice, the more their cognitive functions sharpen; thus their critical thinking skills and reflexes sharpen as well, according to Scientific American.

RISING SUPERSTAR: Julián Villegas has a where he uploads music covers, such as this one where he sang the song “Lonely,” by Justin Bieber. “I strongly reject the idea that music is separate from academics. Music is as complex if not longer. amount of studying and work to master,” he said. (Photo/Julián Villegas)

Artists breaking gender norms Harry Styles, BTS and Jaden Smith are among the many artists refusing to conform to society’s gender standards.

The son of actors Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, Jaden Smith, has been wearing non-binary fashion for some time now. He even created his very own gender-fluid clothing line, MSFTSrep, in 2016. “[MSFTS is for] the girl that wants to be a tomboy or the boy that wants to wear a skirt, and people try to condemn,” Smith said.

Kayra Dayi | Staff Writer pl241681@ahschool.com

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n his 2020 photoshoot with Vogue, Harry Styles wore a baby blue dress styled with a Gucci jacket. As soon as Harry’s Vogue pictures were released, fans addressed their avid support for him. “LOVE what he and @theebillyporter are doing for fashion and stereotypical gender roles,” said Gidget Goes World, a fan of Styles, on Twitter.

COMPLEMENTARY COORDINATION:

At a concert in Incheon, South Korea, BTS (Photo/ Wikimedia Commons)

BTS, the Korean pop music group, released photoshoots from their new album, Butter, on Instagram. The photoshoot featured Jimin, one of the seven members, wearing a skirt. This photo gained a lot of support from their fans on Twitter. On June 27, 2021, Twitter user Nicholas Liddell commented: “Jimin wearing a skirt and fuzzy boots. Taking time to stop gender stereotypes, we love our king.”

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INTERNATIONAL SUPERSTAR: British

singer songwriter Harry Styles amzed fans by wearing a shimmering gold suit at his 2018 Denver concert. Styles is known to wear glamorous clothing when performing. (Photo/ Wikimedia Commons)

However, not everyone supports him with his clothing choices. American political commentator Candace Owens mocked Harry Styles, saying, “There is no society that can survive without strong men. Bring back manly men.”

Great style is wearing anything you enjoy, no matter the gender.

-Jungkook, member of BTS known for his unique sense of style

Issue 2 (Design/Irene John)

MASTER OF DESIGN: Jaden Smith, known follow any gender when designing. (Photo/ Wikimedia Commons)

Overall, the music industry is starting to accept artists regardless of their fashion choices.“I think male artists, such as Jimin, are excellent role models because they show that men can be more feminine and still look cool,” freshman Santiago Agualimpia said.

Features 9

The criminal minds of the music industry

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Musicians continue to profit from ideas stolen from past decades.

Irene John | Staff Writer pl249171@ahschool.com

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d Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud.” “Ice Ice Baby” by Vanilla Ice. “Stairway to Heaven”

by Led Zeppelin. Completely different songs from completely different genres, yet they have one similarity: they were all accused of being stolen.

Music copyright means that the artist who created the song, or the record label they are signed to, has direct rights to share, remake and profit from the music. There are two main types of copyright: composition and master.

Compositional copyright refers to the actual substance of the music like lyrics, chords and melody. Typically, this type of copyright is held by songwriters and composers. They are issued by music publishers, who manage this right by signing contracts and writing claims for all music produced by a songwriter or composer.

Master copyrights are issued by record labels and grant rights to performing artists. The record label gets a portion of the money made from the master copyright. If artists are not signed with a record label, they own all of the rights to their music.

In some cases, the artist may be the songwriter, in which case he/she receives royalties from both composi-

The main issue is that in today’s world almost no music is completely original.

- Irene John

tional and master copyright. Most of the time, however, there are multiple people who work on the same song, such as producers or assisting lyricists.

While the idea of music copyright appears relatively straightforward, many problems arise when the laws are actually applied. The main issue is that in today’s world almost no music is completely original. Music recording began in 1877 with Thomas Edison’s invention of the phonogram.

More than a hundred years later, it is nearly impossible to think of lyrics or melodies that have not already been used. American pop singer Ariana Grande was accused by hip hop artist Tommy Brown of directly using lyrics from his song “You Need It, I Got It” for her hit song “7 Rings” without giving credit.

One copyright case that received a large amount of media coverage concerns singer Taylor Swift and record executive Scooter Braun. The case

(Graphics/Shreya Shanmugam)

10 Features

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does not involve originality; instead it focuses more on the master copyrights belonging to Swift. In 2018, the countryturned-pop singer left her prior record label Big Machine Records with whom she had recorded her first six albums.

By leaving the label, she lost the majority of her master copyright rights to her music.

Braun’s company Ithaca Holdings purchased Big Machine Records in 2019 for over 300 million dollars, therefore earning most of the rights to Swift’s original albums. In a Tumblr post, Swift expressed her shock and outrage at the announcement as she had no idea that her music had been sold. She also explained how Braun had bullied and manipulated her in many situations and she believed that her music was not safe in his hands.

Swift never got back the rights from her master copyright, but she does make a profit from compositional copyrights placed on a number of the songs.

The singer eventually decided in late 2019 to begin rerecording her old albums. “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)” officially released April 9 of this year and is already the second-best selling album of the year. Her version of her 2012 album “Red” is set to release on November 12. When asked about her decision, Swift reported that: “It’s going to be fun, because it’ll feel like regaining a

Students’ and teachers’ favorite songs by year Ella Gohari | Co-Editor-in-Chief pl236951@ahschool.com

Student Favorites

B

Teacher Favorites

ased on the 60 students surveyed in the graph above, 85% prefer songs that came out in the 21st century, with nearly 75% enjoying songs released in the past decade. Looking deeper in their song choices, students have more variety overall in music taste, with favorite songs ranging from classical to K-Pop, but close to half prefer pop music to all else.

Students tend to favor songs based on their beat or lyrics. “Opening with a calming yet nostalgic melody, [‘No More Tears’] puts the listener into a relaxed state.

As the song progress[es], it switches its tempo to a more upbeat feeling, allowing the vocalists to really show off their voice,” junior Nicholas Gall said about his favorite song, “No More Tears” by Barbra Streisand and Donna Summer.

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he graph above shows the results of 21 teachers surveyed and the years their favorite songs came out. Sixty-seven percent of teachers like songs released in the 70s and 80s, the decades they grew up in.

Many of the teachers surveyed chose their favorite music because it reminded them of their childhood or a significant moment in their lives.

“When I was 10 years old, my mom bought this album… and I memorized all of the lyrics from all the songs. My dad sang [“You’ve Got a Friend”] to me at my wedding, and it’s my song to my daughter now,” Lisa Levin from Marketing said when asked about her favorite song, “You’ve Got a Friend”

by Carole King.

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Features 11

Music in our lives Guns n’ roses Sweet Child O’ Mine

Guns N’ Roses (GnR) is a rock band from the 80s wellknown for their heavy metal repertoire, but their most iconic song and the one that shot them to stardom, “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” is a beautiful rock ballad that still holds up today. While originally written by Axl Rose, GnR’s singer, for his then-girlfriend, the song’s meaning has evolved in pop culture to represent a father’s love for his daughter.

The first half of the song is about how much he loves his “sweet child,” so much that if he “stare[s] too long, [he’d] probably break down and cry.” The second half includes one of the greatest guitar riffs in history, according to sources like “GuitarPlayer” and “The Independent,” creating a perfectly-crafted tune to go with the descriptive lyrics. “Sweet Child O’ Mine” holds a special place in my heart since my music taste is heavily influenced by my own father. Whenever I hear this song, I can’t help but think of him, especially since we saw it performed live in concert.

- Ella

Taylor Swift

Getaway Car

The song begins in a hushed voice — suspenseful and intriguing the listener. The first line, “It was the best of times, the worst of crimes,” begins the song like it’s a tale of crime. As the lyrics progress, Swift lets the listener in on the story, describing the events that lead to the end of her romance. The climax hits the listener with a wave of sound contrasting the softer beginning and highlighting the doom of the relationship. The relationship ends with the song as Swift says “goodbye in a getaway car.”

BTS

Pied Piper

A song meant to convince fans not to spend so much time obsessing over BTS or the material they release, BTS wrote “Pied Piper.” It’s ironic to me that they made such a well-developed song only to say “stop watching and study for your test.” The song references the children’s story: “The Pied Piper of Hamelin.” In the story, a piper wearing multicolored clothes leads 130 children out of their town, where they disappear forever. The English translation of rapper Suga’s lines, according to Genius, include: “Maybe I’m a bit dangerous like the Pied Piper.” BTS compares themselves to the Pied Piper; fans are drawn to them and can’t escape them. However, BTS also claims they understand their fans’ plight and will still be there for them, even when they take a break from BTS to devote their time to other things.

I mainly love the catchiness of the song and the way BTS performs it, but I also find the meaning behind it interesting.

- Nithisha

Bob Marley

Could You Be Loved

“Could You Be Loved” remains one of Marley’s most rhythmic and enjoyable songs, combining reggae and disco and premiering off of his final album, 1980’s “Uprising.” With the prominence of the guitar as the main instrumental, Marley blended disco into this song to push it into the mainstream American music population. This song never fails to bring a smile on my face, as I listen to Marley belt this dance tune. The true meaning of this song is debated, with some saying that Marley was instead singing about the poverty and lack of education that surrounded him, while others think that he was singing his appreciation to the love he felt from the Brazilians. Whatever the meaning, whenever I feel stressed, this song will always cheer me up.

- Shreya 12 Cover Story

Issue 2 (Design/Ellaheh Gohari)

- Eva

Anson Seabra

Somewhere in Ann Arbor

Completely self-written and produced, “Somewhere in Ann Arbor” is the third song off Anson Seabra’s debut album, “Songs I Wrote in my Bedroom.” The song tells the story of a man who has a perfect life, but no one to share it with.

The unique message of how success does not always mean happiness has always strongly resonated with me. In the chorus, Seabra writes that the main character has everything he ever dreamed of as a child, but he still feels an overwhelming surge of emptiness. Honestly, my favorite part of the song is not the message, but how unknown it is. Anson Seabra is not exactly one of the music industry’s mainstream artists, so this song has remained relatively undiscovered. I love the feeling of having such a personal connection to a song that hardly anyone has ever heard.

BTS

- Irene

I Like It (Japanese Version)

One of BTS’s few Japanese songs, the Japanese version of I Like It will always remain at the top of my list. This song is the eighth track on their first Japanese album called “Wake Up” and the sixth track on their second Japanese album called “The Best of BTS-Japan Edition.” Although BTS is a popular boyband, I think this song of theirs is very underrated. The Japanese version of I Like It Pt.2 never fails to lift up my mood or cheer me up when I am feeling down.

For me, it reflects the feeling of youth and the feelings that come with it. Most people stare at me blankly whenever I mention this song, but I will never stop recommending it.

Lil Wayne Mirror

- Kayra

In his song, “Mirror”, Lil Wayne dives into the struggles that come with becoming rich and famous in the music industry. As the rapper grew in popularity, he noticed himself making a lot more friends than when he was still in the underground scene. Though this may seem like a benefit of becoming renowned in the music industry, Wayne and Bruno Mars express in their lyrics that the friends who come as a result of increased fame are usually more concerned about the artist’s pockets rather than their well-being, making them feel as if the mirror on the wall is their only true friend. The combination of exemplary production and meaningful lyrics makes the song a certified classic of the rap genre and a personal staple of my playlist.

Taylor Swift Love Story

Throwing it back to 2008, “Love Story” is still at the top of the list of my favorite songs. Written and sung by Taylor Swift (who at the time was 17), it shows Swift’s love, allegedly for Joe Jonas according to Genius, through its lyrics. The song references Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet,” through lines “That you were Romeo, you were throwing pebbles, and my daddy said, ‘Stay away from Juliet.’” This song reminds me of sleepaway camp, where I’ve spent a total of seven summers. “Love Story” was one of the main camp songs when I was there for my first summer at eight years old. The camp changed the lyrics “It’s a love story, baby just say ‘yes,’” to “It’s a camp story, please don’t ever end.” It always reminds me of the joy, free-spirited and carefree feeling sleepaway camp has provided and the friends I have made from near and far away.

- Zoe

Billy Joel

Vienna

In “Vienna,” Billy Joel recounts his father’s advice to “slow down” and take a break from the bustle of life. Joel lived in New York City while his father was from considerably more peaceful Vienna. A metaphor for the rest of one’s life is described by the line, “Vienna waits for you.” The lyrics iterate the senselessness of rushing through life and trying to accomplish everything immediately, by highlighting that it is better to move slower and prevent burnout. My father loves Billy Joel, and I’ve grown up listening to his music at home. “Vienna” reminds me of my dad because he plays his guitar and sings it to me on a stressful day. The song speaks to me and teaches me to relax, so I find myself listening to it whenever I feel anxious about something .

- Anya

Listen:

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Cover Story 13

(Photo/Free SVG)

FASOTM: Artist Wesley Wray was chosen as the Fine Arts Student of the Month Joseph Richards | Sports Editor pl234911@ahschool.com

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enior singer, actor and pianist Wesley Wray realized his musical talent as a kindergartner at Dade Christian School in Hialeah.

As Wray was randomly singing at recess one day, his teacher overheard his voice and was impressed by what she heard.

Consequently, the school chose Wray to sing “Hero” by Mariah Carey at his class’s kindergarten graduation, officially marking the beginning of his music career.

As Wray got older, others began to notice his consistent musical improvement. Soon enough, he was recommended to get involved with the African Heritage Cultural Arts Center of Libery City, Miami by a close friend of his family. “I was really excited to work at the arts center for the first time.

Many of the musical greats I look up to have worked with or at the center, like Sir Rex Nettleford and Gilbert Lewis. Working there felt like I had something in common with some of the greats,” Wray said. Although the center gave him the opportunity to elevate his singing voice through multiple classes, Wray’s biggest takeway was the fact that he met Mr. James Booth.

Booth used his past experiences and his B.A in theater performance from Florida A&M University with a strong performing arts program, to help Wray.

“

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SINGING REEL: Wesley posts a video of him

singing on his Intagram account. He put “#icantmakeyourunchallenge” on his caption, taking part in the singing challenge. (Photo/ Wesley Wray)

Performing arts has opened many doors for me in my life. I’ve made a lot of friends out of classmates and teachers.

- Wesley Wray

Issue 2 (Design/Kayra Dayi)

“I never would be where I am today without Mr. Booth. From helping me adjust my tones and pitches for different songs, to general life advice, he really helped me a lot,” Wray said.

Booth helped Wray take many positive steps in his musical journey, one of the most important ones being his recommendation for Wray to enroll in Norland Middle School, a Miami institution with a strong performing arts program.

There, Wray would spend most of his evenings after class rehearsing his lines or warming up his vocal chords for school musicals and concerts, a schedule that would prepare him for future at Heritage.

On December 24th, after all his hard work and dedication to music, Wray has received a 2022 YoungArts Honorable Mention, the organization’s second-highest honor, in Popular Voice.

American Heritage Broward, on Instagram, reports, “Wray has been recognized for his caliber of artistic achievment and joins 720 of the most accomplished young visual, literary, and performing artists throughout the country, chosen by esteemed discipline-specific panels of artists through a rigorous blind adjudication process.”

Wray is both thrilled and excited to watch how his future plays out.

Obscura: Ëggÿ Kayra Dayi| Staff Writer pl241681@ahschool.com

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Songs Eggy has 19 songs available on their Spotify so far. Their most-streamed song is “Golden Gate Dancer,” which currently has 22,398 streams.

Eggy’s songs generally have a chill vibe, with instruments in the lead role, rather than vocals.

Tour Eggy started their tour on October 7th. They will be playing in 15 different states, beginning from Kansas and ending in Connecticut. So far, Eggy has only played in the United States.

There is no clear answer on whether they will plan on going international any time soon; however, that does not mean it is not possible.

Background Jake Brownstein, the guitarist, and Dani Battat, the keyboardist, used to play together in high school. Mike Goodman, the bass player, came to meet them as he was in the music industry, being a Berklee School of Music trained musician. The three formed Eggy and started playing as a band officially in 2013. However, after Alex Bailey, the drum player, lost to Eggy in a battle of the bands, a music contest, he joined the band. The name, “Eggy” is based on the nickname of Jake and Dani’s high school friend Edward Torrence. Judge Rothschild said, “He insisted that the band not name themsevles after his nickname, Eggy, but they did it anyway. Edward passed away, but his name lives on with the band.”

round 7:30 a.m. on a weekday, on the second floor of the 2500 building, music blasts. The music is almost always from the band Eggy. The teacher in this room, Judge Michael Rothschild, who is very close to the members of Eggy, recommends the band to anyone interested in discovering an underrated band group.

As of November, the boy band Eggy is on their way to fame with 4,372 followers on Instagram and 1,661 monthly listeners on Spotify. By scheduling many events for a short time range, Eggy is trying to earn a reputation for their name. They have some concert tickets available for December in Connecticut.

Members In Eggy, Jake Brownstein plays the guitar, Dani Battat the keys, Mile Goodman the bass and Alex Bailey the drums. All four of these men are respon-sible for vocals, having no member who serves as lead vocalist.

Merch Eggy has some merch available on its website for their new or hard-core fans. There are apparel, accessories, posters and CDs available.

Eggy has their logo, a cracked egg with “Eggy”written on it, on almost all their merchandise.

(Graphic/Kayra Dayi)

EGGY INFORMATION : Eggy

(Photo/Kayra Dayi)

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has a website with information about them. The website includes things such as their tour dates, music, merch and much more.

(Photo/QR Code Generator)

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Students recount nostalgic music Anya Pinto | Staff Writer pl248442@ahschool.com

“Banana Pancakes” by Jack Johnson “I remember eating banana pancakes with my parents on weekends, and this song makes me think of that. It also makes me think of watching the show ‘Curious George’ with my father. My mother has probably had the biggest impact on my taste in music, as she would play her music around the house all the time. Even now, we still listen to the same songs!”

-- Bailey Vergara ‘24

“Call Me Maybe” by Carly Rae Jepson

BABY BAILEY: As a child,

MUSIC MEMORY: Julia Seifer watched a Carly Rae Jepson concert with her family when she was younger. (Photo/Julia Seifer)

“‘Call Me Maybe’ used to be one of my favorite songs. Every time I hear it, I smile and think of my summer camp performance.”

-- Julia Seifer ‘22

Vergara enjoyed cooking with her parents. (Photo/Pixabay)

OLD SONGS: Anderson recalls hearing “Stereo Hearts” at school.

(Photo/Brennen Anderson)

“Stereo Hear ts” by Gym Class Heroes & Adam Le vine “This song was popular back when I was in first grade so when I went to parties I used to dance to it with my friends. My friends from sleepaway camp have definitely influenced my music taste.”

-- Brennen Anderson ‘27

A NIGHT TO REMEMBER: Shaw

watched Harry Styles’ Sunrise, Florida concert in October 2021. (Photo/Liliana Shaw)

“This song makes me feel like a girlboss. I saw Harry on tour.

“Kiwi” was the best and last song he sang.

He was so jiggy and happy. It was amazing.

-- Liliana Shaw ‘24

TIMELESS ART: Artist Billy Joel plays

“Piano Man” by Billy Joel

the piano and sings. (Photo/Flickr)

“My dad showed this song to me when I was 12; it was the first one I ever really listened to. I can’t go a day without having a song stuck in my head. Music is the perfect backdrop to life. Classical music, salsa and merengue are important to me and my family.”

-- Maya Hernandez ‘23

“22” by Taylor Swif t “I always get excited when ‘22’ comes on the radio. I remember dancing around and singing loudly with my sister when I was young.”

-- Madilyn Rice ‘24 BIRTHDAY BEAT: On her eighth birthday, Madilyn Rice felt “22” with her elder sister Kaitlyn. (Photo/Madilyn Rice)

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“Kiwi” by Harry Styles

Issue 2 (Design/Anya Pinto)

American music evolves through decades over the past century Shreya Shanmugam | Staff Writer pl251121@ahschool.com

The 1920s filled the country with variety when it came to music, with genres such as ragtime, jazz, blues and dance.

African-American culture infused most genres with upbeat, light music, and artists such as Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington were on the rise. Hits such as “Swanee” by Al Jolson and “West End Blues” by Louis Armstrong filled record players throughout the decade.

Strong singers such as Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, and Whitney Houston showcased their talent through the decade. Grunge, alternative rock, hip-hop and bubblegum pop highlighted the mood of the music in the era.

The 90s also showcased a dichotomy between grunge bands and rappers versus manufactured pop groups.

Much of the 00s reflected the 90s as many of the past decades’ artists stayed popular, and pop music stayed extremely popular in both decades.

Some of the most popular genres included dance-pop, emo, indie rock and pop-punk. Eminem, Rihanna, Miley Cyrus, and Beyoncé rose as notable artists and still are today.

The blues, country, jazz, swing and pop stayed popular throughout the 1930s.

As the Great Depression hit, artists addressed the country’s issues in their songs. Music during the era, however, stayed widely optimistic as it was an escape for many citizens. Artists such as Duke Ellington conquered the decade with hit songs like “Three Little Words.”

Hip-hop, new wave, heavy metal and pop characterized the mood of the 80s. Music videos became a must in the industry and the decade was led by the iconic artist Michael Jackson.

With the rise of music videos, artists released dramatic videos which popularized genres such as hair metal.

Drill, trap, hip-hop and rap all rose in the 2010s. Different cultures infiltrated American music with Latin music and K-pop also becoming established genres.

A new form of music, EDM, also rose in popularity. Kesha’s hit “Tik Tok” was the most popular song of the decade.

Swing, jazz and big band continued as the leading genres of the decade.

Much of the music reflected the dire situation of World War II but also concentrated on entertaining American troops with positive music. Frank Sinatra ruled many hearts in the decade and continues to remain an icon.

The 70s showed a dichotomy in its popular genres. Disco emerged in the decade, and many popular artists released disco music throughout the era. However, rock and punk rock music also emerged in the decade almost in retaliation to disco. Diana Ross and Billy Joel rose as two of the decade’s most notable artists.

Although the decade has just started, notable artists have already started dominating the industry. Pop, rap and R&B are the most prominent genres in the decade, and artists such as Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift, Megan Thee Stallion, Harry Styles and more continue to rise to the top and characterize the music industry.

The 50s introduced different genres and moods, such as rock n’ roll and r&b both of which became widely popular. Traditional pop music also dominated the era. The decade gave rise to some of the first superstars, such as Elvis Presley and Chuck Berry.

The 60s were marked by the British Invasion with artists such as the Beatles topping the charts. Other well-known names, such as The Rolling Stones and Simon & Garfunkel, emerged in the decade. The paradox of both musical innovation and highly commercialized and manufactured music characterized the years.

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Entertainment 17

The effect of age on sports Talent isn’t the only factor in an athlete’s success Shreya Shanmugam | Staff Writer pl251121@ahschool.com

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abies born in January are more likely to play sports professionally than people born in later months. This phenomenon doesn’t mean that Capricorns are just better athletes but is instead known as the Relative Age Effect.

“The relative age effect is a phenomenon in which children born in, or close to, a critical age cut-off period may have an advantage in both athletic and academic endeavors,” Science for Sport article writer Tom Green said.

With the current cut-off periods, athletes born in the beginning of their quarter can be about 10% older than their younger counterparts.

“Those who are relatively older appear stronger, faster, etc., but they’re really just older and therefore more

advanced in their maturation,” Joe Baker, a professor at York University who researches the relative age effect said.

These older children are more likely to be picked to be on the team during school and with more coaching and practice, they become better players than the younger children who may have been just as talented. The relative age effect also causes a reverse effect known as the “underdog effect.”

It is more difficult for younger athletes to achieve professional levels, but if they manage to reach a high enough level, they are more likely to be in the very-elite of the sport. Because it is so difficult for younger athletes to receive the same opportunities as their older counterparts, they must develop other skills instead of maturity, such as speed or better technique.

PLAYED INTO PERSPECTIVE: A study done by Player Development Project on the rel-

(Photo/Littles Photography)

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The relative age effect almost reverses among elite athletes: “Players born later for their year were overrepresented among the very elite, accounting for a combined 55% of players,” FiveThirtyEight, a sports news website, writer Tim Wigmore said.

School selection is rigged toward older players depending on the cutoff date; however, working through this despite age, will give athletes better chances of becoming top players. The phenomenon of the relative age and underdog effect greatly impacts the athletes seen on TV today.

For example, “58% of National Hockey League players were born in the first six months of the year, when the selection year in youth matches begins, and just 42% in the last six months,” Wigmore said according to a study done on the relative age effect in the National Hockey League.

To give all children an equal chance, people have proposed alternative methods not related to the age of players but rather their height and weight. The method known as “bio-banding” arranges players based on their measurements and has been proposed instead of cut-off dates.

This phenomenon will continue affecting the sports industry by determining the variety of athletes in professional teams until a fairer way is introduced widely.

Benefits of football players taking ballet Zoe Horwitz | Staff Writer pl255131@ahschool.com

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ootball teams nationwide practice on the field to improve their game and destroy their competition.

However, according to BalletHub.com, taking it from the field to the dance floor has been proven to show many benefits in one’s game such as increased strength, memory, balance and flexibility. Taking the skills it has to offer into consideration, ballet is a practice that could improve the performance of many athletes -- including football players.

Ballet is a practice that could im-

and eventually pointe shoes are used in ballet to get up on relevé and do mo-

Strength Ballet involves quick movements that exercise the calves, glutes, hips, core and back muscles. Through going on pointe, quick jumps, leaps, barre work and pliés, the body gets a workout in ballet sessions that makes one stronger. This allows athletes to add more speed and power into their game.

Core and leg exertion from ballet exercises can increase athletes’ speed for both long distance and short sprints.

Memory

CLEATS VERSUS BALLET SLIPPERS:

(Photo/Zoe Horwitz)

Flexibility

Balance Considering ballet’s footwork, coordination, turns and lifts, balance is one of the key components for ballerinas, and it can also be beneficial for football players. Football players could learn a lot from this poise. According to Boss Ballet Bars, “Football players need great balance in order to make those leaping catches and keep their feet on the ground when opponents attempt to tackle them. Practicing ballet is a wonderful way to improve balance.”

“

Learning choreography in ballet can come in handy when remembering plays in football. According to an article on danceacademyusa.com, “Learning anything new, such as choreography to a dance routine, is an effective way to create new neural pathways.

As a result, your brain has an easier time accessing stored information and memories, such as names and places.” Football teams typically have playbooks to try and outwit their opponent’s defense. Learning choreography can help with memorization, making it easier to recall plays during a game and hopefully one step closer to a win.

[Ballet] increases balance and you have to focus a lot on your individual moves, as you do in football as well. [If one of my athletes said they wanted to try ballet], I’d say go right ahead.

Football may be composed of strength and athleticism, but flexibility also is important. Ballerinas stretch their bodies out constantly through barre work, routines and leaps, and they are often shifting all directions to perform ballet poses.

This flexibility learned in ballet is useful in preventing injuries in muscles and mobility. Flexibility also allows players to move their body in different ways to prevent getting tackled and makes stretching before games easier.

Considering some skills learned in ballet and how they can reshape an athlete’s game, switching cleats for ballet slippers could be a great way for football players to show improvement on the field. Strength, memory, balance and flexibility are important factors for football players, so enrolling in a ballet class could be a step in the right direction to upgrade their game.

-Coach Travis Spiva

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College commitments Joseph Richards | Sports Editor pl234911@ahschool.com

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eritage is home to a plethora of exemplary student athletes across many sports. Every year, a select few of these students have the privilege to sign their names under a college contract, finalizing the next four years of their academic and athletic careers in university at the college level. Although it is still early in the school year, and many athletes at the moment may only have college offers and interests as opposed to commitments, there are a few students already ahead of the curve who have confirmed their college commitments as juniors and seniors in their first semester.

Four star footbll athlete Jacolby Spells committed to play at West Virginia University.

(Photo/@BearJordan84 on Instagram)

Three star offensive tackle Miguel Cedeno committed to Rice University. Cedeno also received offers from FAU, Tulane, Utah and Southern Miss.

(Photo/Elizabeth Zhu)

Football For football, there have been six confirmed committed athletes: five seniors and one junior.

Three star defensive lineman Richard Thomas committed to Indiana University.

(Photo/@BearJordan84 on Instagram)

Three star linebacker Jaeden Kinlock committed to Harvard University. Kinlock had amassed five additional Ivy League offers, including Brown, Yale, Princeton, University of Pennsylvania and Dartmouth as well. (Photo/Elizabeth Zhu, Ty Law)

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Three star defensive lineman Belizaire Bassette committed to Syracuse University. (Not pictured) Issue 2 (Design/Zoe Horwitz)

Junior Brandon Inniss initially committed to Big 12 football powerhouse Oklahoma University in August of 2021, but revoked his commitment three months later to keep his options open. Oklahoma University’s head coach Lincoln Riley resigned from his position, coincidentally leading to a number of decommissions.

Inniss had a total of 37 offers from the top football programs in the country, some of which include the University of Georgia, Clemson University and the University of Alabama.

(Photo/@BearJordan84 on Instagram)

Baseball The next sport with the second highest number of commitments so far is baseball, with a total of five senior commits. These committed baseball athletes include Brandon Barriera, Evan Dobias, Ray Bermudez, Brandon Gonsalves and not pictured is Erik Blair, who is left - handed and committed to the University of Florida. In last year’s 2020-21 season, Heritage baseball was one of three teams from Broward selected to be in the list of the nation’s top 50 high school baseball teams for the preseason, specifically putting them as the third best team in Broward County that year. Even though they weren’t able to carry home a state championship last season, the team now has five first division committed veteran seniors to lead the squad through the high school tournament

Left-handed pitcher Brandon Barriera committed to Vanderbilt University.

Right-handed pitcher Evan Dobias committed to the University of Virginia.

(Photo/Evan Dobias via Instagram)

Lacrosse and Soccer

There are also three other sport commits for the graduating classes of 2022 and 2023 as of right now: two for lacrosse and one for soccer. Though both teams had a positive win record last season, they still plan to improve upon their final result in this 202122 season, which would be a district championship for the boys and girls lacrosse teams and a regional championship for the girls soccer team.

Senior lacrosse midfielder Lola Mancuso is headed to Cincinnati, Ohio, to play for Xavier University in the fall of 2022.

(Photo/Lorena Mancuso)

Right-handed pitcher Ray Bermudez committed to the University of Miami. (Photo/Ray Bermudez via Instagram)

Senior soccer defender Alexa Garcia is staying local to play at Barry University in 2022. (Photo/ Right-handed pitcher Brandon Gonsalves committed to the University of Central Florida.

(Photo/Brandon Gonsalves via Instagram)

Alexa Garcia via Instagram)

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Junior lacrosse defender Andrew Klis will play at Dartmouth University in the Ivy League come the fall of 2023.

(Photo/Andrew Klis via Instagram)

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Number of injured athletes spike Recent studies show Covid breaks for sports may have caused an increased amount of athletes to become injured since 2020.

Irene John | Staff Writer pl249171@ahschool.com

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ne miscalculation and one sack is all it took to end quarterback Dak Prescott’s season. After two surgeries and more than a year spent in physical therapy, Prescott, the quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys, returned to the field to help the Cowboys defeat the Philadelphia Eagles 41-21 in their first game of the season. Prescott experienced a gruesome ankle injury in a game against the New York Giants October 11th, 2020, completely ending his season.

However, Prescott was not the only athlete to experience a severe injury on the field last season. According to Kevin Pelton, a writer for ESPN, players in the National Basketball Association (NBA) missed more time in the 20202021 season than any other season with the average number of players injured per team being 5.1. The next highest was the season of 2009-2010 which had an average of 4.8 players injured per team.

While athletes have always been more prone to injuries considering the physical activity they put themselves through, in the past year, athletes have become more prone to injuries throughout different fields of sports.

“It [is] from the whole toll and resuming physical activity following a

lockdown.” During the pandemic, gyms and parks were closed due to safety concerns, and athletes found it difficult to stay active during the extra time off.

While many athletes and coaches implemented new virtual training options, such as the U.S. women’s artistic swimming team who practiced individually while connected through a Zoom call, it seems there was no alternative for in person training. American gymnast Suni Lee cited the difficulties of not interacting with her team as a source of stress. “We haven’t had a national team camp in a long, long time, and I miss it because I miss seeing my friends.”

Furthermore, athletes found it difficult to cope mentally with the challenges that the pandemic brought. Traditionally, athletes exercise daily and travel to play games, so the abrupt pause was difficult to manage. A study published in the Oxford Academic Journal surveyed a total of 565 athletes regarding their mental health and stress levels.

63.6% of participants claimed their daily mood was disrupted, and 54.3% said their mental health had declined since the beginning of the pandemic.

A study published by the Oxford Academic Journal displayed the drastic

effects the COVID-19 pandemic had on athletes. Mental health, sleeping patterns, mood, productivity, and social life were all impacted negatively.

The return to the world of sports marked the onset of new injuries, as suddenly, practices were back on and athletes had to return to their normal schedule. This caused another decline in mental health as they struggled to return to their old routine.

A review published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine elucidates how attempting to readjust can cause “feelings of anxiety and depression.”

Dr. Greg Rhodes, a licensed psychologist in Bend, Oregon stated that limited training during the pandemic resulted in many athletes experiencing a decline in their strength and overall endurance.

They are also more susceptible to muscle tears and bone fractures.

The good news is that this injury streak will not last forever. Janet Simon, associate professor of athletic training at Ohio University, admitted that it will take time for athletes to adjust, but she has full confidence that “in a year or two, the increase of injuries will no longer be a problem.”

TENDING THE INJURED: Sports trainer Mrs. Nicholle Galleti nurses recently injured junior running back Jerry Dinkins back to health. Physical trainers at the school use many methods to rehabilitate students athletes, such as electric therapy, cupping, applying ice, heat etc. (Photo/ Joseph Richards)

The sharp increase can be partially attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic - Dr. Nicole Belkin

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Navigating troubled waters

Coach Tan discusses his passion for swimming and his commitment to the varsity swim team.

Shreya Shanmugam| Staff Writer pl251121ahschool.com

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he hours of coaching and teams of kids to empower don’t faze him as he has been passionate in helping others succeed ever since he was a young boy. Coach Nobutaka Tan considers becoming a swimming coach his greatest accomplishment in life. He chose to train students because he loves kids and teaching life skills. He believes that good coaches not only teach sports but also teach students about life.

He started swimming when he was 7 years old and later noticed that he loved helping people become better competitors more than the competition itself. Helping his teammates gave him joy ever since he was young.

His students’ perspective of him reflects his passion for swimming.

Through his job, Coach Tan has

“

Coach Tan is a great coach and is always supportive even if you aren’t feeling like you are doing your best; he pushes you through - Gillian Leon

learned patience and to never give up on his swimmers. He explained that he has also learned to always have a positive attitude and encourage his students through tough times. Knowing winning isn’t everything and one is successful as long as they improve is something he lives by. His method of being patient and encouraging significantly impacts his students.

Through his methods his boys have won state championships in 2013, 2014 and 2015. The girls team also made runner up in state championships in 2011.

“He helps everyone become better swimmers by giving us advice on what we need to work on during practice so that when we are competing, we do the best we possibly can,” Leon said.

In addition to being a teacher,

Coach Tan is also very adventurous. He loves camping with his family, riding his mountain bike and his Jeep.

However, of all his past times, his favorite is watching his students grow up over the years.

“

I love my job; helping our swimmers overcome their challenges and seeing them achieve their dreams.

- Coach Nobutaka Tan

CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS: Coach Nobutaka Tan writes down the scores of his swimmers so

that he can work with them individually and help improve their times. He managed to carry a total of 6 swimmers to the state championship for their respective races. (Photo/Little’s Photography)

(Design/Joseph Richards)

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