Ursum Literary Magazine, Issue Nine, Spring 2021 by Casey LaPlante

Table of Contents Cover artwork by Emma Hansen Take Care by Adesuwa Okoro

Surreal Hallway by Claire Heinze

A Memorable Time In Nature by Savannah Rijske

The Tragedy of the Shakespearean Sonnet by Olivia Ashe

The Male Gaze: Making Misogyny Glamorous Since the 19th Century! by Juliette Marzo

Ode to the Nissan Cube by Jacob Ivanov

Perfect Paradise by Natalie Taylor

Ocean Blue by Hannah Lloyd

Earth's Toxic Blood by Peter Fulwider

Grass Is Ass: In Support of a Natural Lawn by Prior Waskan

To the Pandemic by Nina Nolan

Chestnuts to Mammoths--We Can Do It by Kevin Jones

Monochromatic Animal Portrait by Noah Collen 19 City Arrival by Dylan Totten

An Open Letter to My Past Bullier by Ally MacDonald

A Memorable Time in Nature by Rachel Larson

Passion by Kylie Downs

Corona-Lie-Rus by Sam Banever

To a Year of Pain and Gain by Ellie Karabetsos, Lauren Roy, and Maddie Kennedy 27 Artwork by Jorja Baker

An Open Letter to Anyone Who Has Ever Once Doubted a Woman’s Athletic Ability by Alexa Bajek

The Clock by Ty, Elena, Harlem, and Nick

A Letter to the College Board by Ryan Ziskin

A Sonnet by Zach Brewer

An Open Letter to the American Education System by A Passionate Student

Take Care by Adesuwa Okoro Tranquility, some look at you in spite. Yet, others know you to heal and take care. It's from within that someone must ignite: Your true beauty that still does not compare.

When I embrace you, I can guarantee That I'll feel a certain safety and peace. If green grass and clear skies, only I see, Then all negative thoughts will start to cease.

I've began to love your calmness in waysLeading me to seal the knot of a bond. Bound for eternity and countless days From there I continue to look beyond.

Embracing your comfort mends my bruised heart, Shall I not lose sound mind and grow apart.

Surreal Hallway Claire Heinze

A Memorable Time In Nature By Savannah Rijkse

Last year, one of my best friends, Alyssa Wilson, moved from Granby CT to Denver CO. From the second I found out she was moving, I began planning my trip to visit her over the summer for my birthday in June, but due to COVID-19, the trip was pushed back to August. After following proper COVID-19 travel protocols, my mom and I landed in Denver and began a trip I will never be able to forget. Although there are a million memories I could talk about from my stay in Colorado, the most memorable adventure Alyssa and I went on was our hike through the Garden of the Gods, a public park, nature center, and attraction in Colorado. We spent almost an entire day hiking, talking to new friends (socially distanced and with mask on of course), taking pictures, even getting lost a couple of times, and just enjoying each other’s company in general. Nothing compares to the feeling I felt when we finally reached our destination at the top, and there was nothing around except my best friend, our moms, and the new memories we just made. It was surreal to say the least. This memory pops up everytime I begin to miss Alyssa, and it just reminds me of how lucky I am to have someone like her, to cherish the amazing wonders our world has to offer.

The Tragedy of the Shakespearean Sonnet by Olivia Ashe My dull sonnet, you inspire me to write. How I hate the way you hint and describe, Invading my mind day and through the night, Always dreaming about the boring vibe.

Let me compare you to a textbook read. You are more heavy and terrible. Words flow off in complicated threads It has made the project a struggle.

How do I hate you? Let me count the ways. I hate your complicated flow and style. How your personality fills my days! My hate for you is a confusing mile.

Now I must away with a roaring heart, Remember my bad words whilst we're apart.

The Male Gaze: Making Misogyny Glamorous Since the 19th Century! By Juliette Marzo

Cameron Diaz’s entrance in the 1994 cult classic The Mask is nothing short of iconic. The shot shows Diaz adjusting her shoe, then follows her as she stands up, the camera slowly panning from her legs to her torso, and finally to her face as she fixes her hair in riveting slow motion. She’s gorgeous (obviously), but what else? That question, you’ll find, is harder to answer. The sole purpose of Diaz in The Mask, and so many female characters like her, is to entertain heterosexual male desires. This phenomenon, coined the “male gaze” by Laura Mulvey in 1975, is the most pressing problem in modern cinema that impacts how society treats women. In her essay Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema, Mulvey asserts that “women are simultaneously looked at and displayed" so they "connote to-be-looked-at-ness.” Simply put, the value of women in cinema depends on their appearance. While men are allowed to have complex storylines and traits, women get reduced to their bodies. Life imitates art. Oscar Wilde said it once, and we’ve repeated it a million times. As a society, we constantly interact with what we see on the screen: In a rom-com, we root for the couple; in a superhero flick, we want the bad guy to “get what’s coming to him.” Movies have the extraordinary power to make us feel what they portray. A study from Psychology Today suggests that the feelings we get when watching films translate into our real lives until they become standard behavior. So, what happens when a young boy watches the camera linger over Megan Fox’s waist during that Transformers scene? Suddenly, her objectification becomes acceptable to him. 81% of women have experienced sexual harassment, as found by a 2018 NPR

study. Hollywood normalizing objectification isn’t helping. Take a look at the notorious Harley Quinn. A New York Times article highlighting five filmmakers notes Cathy Yan, director of Birds of Prey, as a figure rejecting the male gaze. In her film, she trades out the overtly sexualized “Daddy’s Lil Monster” T-shirt from Suicide Squad for equally revealing clothing, along with a more compelling look at Harley’s personality. This change results from focusing on the actors’ faces because, as Yan states, “that’s where you tell the story.” A simple change in perspective makes all the difference. Am I suggesting that we stop watching movies that demonstrate the male gaze? Of course not. Don’t turn away from these scenes, instead turn towards them. Acknowledging the male gaze is an essential step in rectifying the ever-accepted misogyny in Hollywood. While you’re at it, start watching more films with complex female characters. Lady Bird, The Farewell, and Promising Young Woman are a few excellent examples to get you started!

Ode to the Nissan Cube by Jacob Ivanov My Nissan Cube, you inspire me to write. How I hate the way you accelerate, Invading my mind day and through the night, Who knows its status in Kuwait?

Let me compare you to an elder’s will? You cause more issues and annoyance. For when you crash, you become nill, In a flaming ball of flamboyance.

How do I hate you? Let me count the ways. I hate your aerodynamics and low mileage. Thinking of your payment plan fills my days. You're as convoluted as the electoral college.

Now I must away with a hostile heart, Remember my crass words whilst we're apart.

Perfect Paradise by Natalie Taylor Since I was young, my family, or my extended family rather, had a house on a place called Fishers Island. It's a small island off the coast of New York, full of rich people and country clubs, however, my family does not fit the bill for the people who frequent this island. Nevertheless, it is the home of some of the best memories of my life. One that sticks out in my mind however, it isn't what you would expect. Almost every morning when we were there, I would wake up and take my dog for a walk. I would leave the house, walk down the street which was the home of a small graveyard, but the graveyard was quite beautiful, and never felt too morbid, especially because it's where my late grandfather is buried. I would cross the intersection, where the only dangerous traffic consists of cruiser bikes and golf carts. The air always smells like honeysuckle and beach plums, and that smell will forever remind me of my home. I would continue walking, and since I was up so early, the only people I would see were people on their porch enjoying their morning coffee, and runners who I will never understand their drive to wake up so early. I would reach South Beach, one of the many beaches on the island, and I would let my dog off her leash and watch her sprint towards the water. The air on the beach smelled like salt, as well as the honeysuckle I mentioned before. I would sit down on the sand, eating the nectar of the honeysuckle, watching my dog play in the water, and all I could feel was pure, genuine happiness. Nothing in the world could ruin this moment. Nothing bad really ever happened there, and I can remember so vividly everything I saw, smelled, or felt. Fishers Island was deep down my real home for the first 13 years of my life, because after that we sold the house. I miss it a lot so these memories are so significant to me, even the ones like this that are so simple and seem so miniscule.

Ocean Blue by Hannah Lloyd Oh, salty ocean, how you inspire me to write I love watching your waves, rolling and crashing. How the moon reflects on your surface throughout the night, Always dreaming of your crystal waters thrashing.

Let me compare you to a peaceful sky? You are more beautiful, gracious, and lively. Hiding a home to all creatures below who stay shy, From the churning surface that goes dark nightly.

How do I love you? Let me count thy ways. I love your alluring mystery, color, and shore. Thinking of your vast body consumes my days, As I return to your shallow beaches wanting more.

Oh majestic ocean, like a siren's call I am drawn to you, I long to feel your embrace once again, my dear ocean blue.

Earth's Toxic Blood by Peter Fulwider The world is home to many wonders, wonders which we admire but don’t preserve. As these wonders blossom, capturing our awe and admiration, insidious blights creep their way into the very heart of our planet. One particular infection has sunk its roots into the untapped bloodstream of our world, feeding our vampiric society with its lifeblood. And yet, as our host grows weaker, our thirst grows stronger. We begin to tap this artery indiscriminately, no matter the environmental repercussions. One such proposal which would result in further decimation was deemed the “Keystone Pipeline.” And, for a time, it was a keystone for the environmental discourse in America and Canada. We must continue to underline the present threats of such a fuel line, even in light of President Biden’s executive decision to cease construction of the line.

The cancellation of the pipeline, according to the New York Times, is part of an effort to reverse President Trump’s environmental decisions and return to President Obama’s environmental policies and regulations. And yet, where others have failed, yet others may still succeed. The cancellation of the pipeline doesn’t mean that the line is gone, it simply means it’s still in an unfinished state. The fact that the line still exists means that it is still a danger to the environment, both regionally and globally. This multi-billion dollar effort has left 48,000 tons of pipes which, according to Bloomberg.com, are valued at almost 51 million dollars.. No steps have been taken to ensure the destruction of this massive pipeline, but sale of its materials would constitute a success. In an interview conducted by the Rapid City

Journal, the founder of a protest camp against the line told the journal, “The camp will remain until we confirm all KXL construction sites have been shut down and the pipes removed.” The pipeline to him presents a danger of major water pollution in their area if not halted.

The dangers of this line are unmistakable, but what can be done to stop it? Support for the Cheyenne river Sioux tribe is essential for the effort’s success. The popular hashtag #StopKeystone has become less active since Biden’s executive decision, but if the line is to be destroyed, then you must speak out. Contacting environmental officials with your concerns is also viable. Pipes like the Keystone are not unique, so awareness and protest against these, our world’s diseased veins, are becoming much more necessary. Please, defend your values. Protect your world, and join the cause today.

Prior Waskan

Grass Is Ass: In Support of a Natural Lawn Congratulations! You are a murderer. Or, more specifically, your yard is. For many families in The United States and Canada, lawn upkeep is a part of daily life. I, too, participated in lawn upkeep, duped into believing that a good lawn is the mark of a good neighbor. However, despite their appearances, “good” lawns are anything but green.

Monocultures, areas where only one species grows, are inherently unnatural and unstable things. They are especially weak against disease, competition, and herbivory. Unfortunately, these monocultures are the exact things we have in today’s suburbs. And of course, instead of letting these lawns die out and replacing them with the diverse plant life that our local animals need, we are actively maintaining them, despite their negative effects.

Runoff from the pesticides and herbicides we use to keep our lawns homogenous drain into water supplies and kill plants and animals. Even without insecticides, most lawns comprise invasive grasses that are inedible to insects. Non-native grasses also usually require better conditions than their surroundings. In California for example, the need for green grass yards has dramatically increased water consumption, often causing or worsening drought conditions. You know that “Kentucky” Bluegrass that everyone likes so much? It’s an invasive species from Europe. That front-yard “nature” that you adore? It’s as far from natural as you can get. I could go on and on why this is a bad thing, but take a look at the bird population in The U.S. and Canada instead. Due in no small part to the lack of bugs to feed their young, caused by a

15 lack of the native plants they feed off of, the bird population has decreased by over 25% from 1940.

Luckily, I have prepared a simple solution: plant native plants. It’s as simple as that. By planting endemic grasses and flowers, you will be providing a habitat for wildlife to thrive in. Not only that, but it will need no poison of any kind to maintain, because indiginous plants live naturally in your climate. In some states, there are even government stipends for landowners looking to convert to native yards, making it even easier to switch.

Unfortunately, homeowners associations and even local governments aren’t our biggest fans. Having a lawn that others see as “wild” can bring down property values and provide a home for parasites like ticks. If you want to let mother nature back into your yard, but can’t, the best thing you can do is try to educate yourself and others on why we need native lawns now more than ever. And for those of you with no restrictions: good luck on your journey! I’m sure your lawn will thank you.

To the Pandemic by Nina Nolan It isn't the first time you've come to haunt us It won't be the last either You've taken away the school bus Some of us really needed a breather

However, you did bring us together But held the world at a standstill We enjoyed the fair hikes and weather And we didn't ditch the Advil

Each one of us did the best we could Through trial, error, and good humor We had to avoid political falsehood And become a better consumer

In catastrophe we refrain from going out But most of the world survived your knockout

Chestnuts to Mammoths- We Can Do It By Kevin Jones I have seen a tree you have not. Your great grandfather saw it, your great grandmother saw it, and everyone before them saw it, but certainly not you. Although the one I saw was 99.9% as pure as its ancestors, and maybe twenty feet tall, I saw the same leaves, burrs, and leathery bark that North American ecology has depended on for tens of thousands of years. I’m talking about the American Chestnut, specifically one genetically modified to withstand the blight that wiped them out starting a century ago. First, we must recognize it is our own failure that led to the chestnuts' loss. Introduction of pathogens through international trade gave way to a fungal blight no American Chestnut was prepared for. Today, the only surviving remnants are frail bushes no taller than you or I, unable to reproduce. But with the help of science, we will see the reintroduction of this beautiful tree in our lifetime, all thanks to a genetic tweak scientists have implemented. As Dr. Maynard of SUNY ESF describes “We’ve added the OxO gene… to the chestnut genome, which contains around 40,000 other genes,” recreating a slightly new version of the old tree. As the Chestnut restoration process takes place and is successful, we should continue to support resurrection research. And although some may fear bringing back the dead, I fear a dead world more. The mass execution of biodiversity due to humans, also known as the Anthropocene, threatens us with a fragile and empty biosphere. Chestnut projects can take place for the passenger pigeons we shot, dodo’s we clubbed, and mammoths we speared.

We know we can bring back species. Take for example the Grey Wolf, who has in the last 50 years completely rebounded from human overhunting, all a result of simple conservation. The chestnut, a ‘half extinct’ species, is now on the return. And next, the mammoth. Bringing back the mammoth will take time. Nonfiction writer Ben Mezrich explains, “you synthesize the genes, place them into the embryo of an Asian elephant, put the embryo back into an Asian elephant, and the Asian elephant then gives birth to the Woolly Mammoth.” And although this may seem impossible to some, this is very similar to the chestnut modification I described earlier. It has also led me to believe in a new mammoth. I have a new sense of faith in humanity. Our generation can be the one who returns species, not mercilessly eradicates them. It is not only morally correct, but a new form of conservation that not only conserves, but revitalizes our suffering ecosystems to pre human conditions. So help me, yourselves, and our planet, by supporting the science of resurrection.

Noah Collen

City Arrival by Dylan Totten Flying high, up in the sky My eyes gaze down, upon the ground, I am pleased, just flying around, As gravity, I do defy.

I look about, and there I spy, a great big mound, Another aircraft inbound, To the countryside I wave goodbye.

The city approaches fast, trees become streets, The skyline outstanding, Skyscrapers blast on past, A final turn the plane completes, As we come in for landing.

An Open Letter to my Past Bullier by Ally MacDonald You changed me, changed me for the better. In 7th grade your words kicked me to the ground to the point where I didnt want to ever get back up. You made my year a real life nightmare. I thought your descriptions of me, my abilities, my talents, my family, even my personality were what everyone viewed me as. You seemed like the 7th grade king, where your views were what everyone followed and cherished. Thank you for making me feel like the oddball of our grade, the one that no one liked, and the one who spent her time alone in her bedroom. Thank you for showing me what bullying really was.

In 7th grade I was the misfit of my friend group. I had friends, but to you not good friends, not friends who cared for me as I cared for them. I was the kid who focused on school more and more everyday because you told me I was dumb and stupid. I was eventually the kid who stayed home on the Friday nights and weekends because I didn't believe anyone liked me. I was the kid who almost changed who I was because of someone who is now a distant memory.

As you said many times, “No one will ever stick up for you, I could do this all day long and everyone around will just sit here and watch”. This is what stuck with me all these years. I can hear you saying those words over and over in my head even now, 5 years later. It wasn't the names you called me and my family or what you told me I could or would ever achieve in my life, but rather that no one else cared to stop you.

Looking back I shouldnt remember any of this, or rather I shouldn't care about any of it. I'm happy now, I'm happy with where I'm headed and what I've achieved. I have the best group of friends and support I could ever ask for, and this is all thanks to you.

22 I hope you're familiar with the work of American writer Henry David Thoreau, and If your not, let me tell you about him. His essay Civil Disobedience is all about following your conscience, and that is the biggest takeaway from what you taught me in 7th grade. All my conscience told me that year was not to change, not to care, and not to say things back to you but at the time it was hard not too. Even without knowing it then, I followed what Henry David Thoreau says, to follow your conscience by not adding to the problem. I stood by not changing myself, but also not sticking up for myself. I'm proud that I didn't stoop to your level or change myself but sometimes I wish I hadn't.

I don't mean I wish I would have changed myself to make you stop, but instead I wish I hadn't followed what Thoreau says about not adding to the problem, and to follow your conscience but not take action on your beliefs. I didn't stand up for myself and neither did anyone else. Maybe everyone else agrees with Thoreau about staying quiet and not adding to a problem but I completely disagree. If someone had added fuel to the fire, you would have been out of fuel. you would have been shocked if someone stood up for me, I don't think you would have known what to say back.

When It comes to bullying, following your conscience can not be done without acting on your belief. Following Thoreau's idea on not adding to a problem makes people a bystander of bullying. Everyone around me was a bystander. Looking back, I'm sure 90% of people watching you talk to me didn't agree with what you were saying. Maybe some people did, clearly you did, but I think people wanted to jump in. People wanted to tell you to stop, or wanted to say to me that none of it was true and that you were acting ridiculous, but they were afraid of you and it pushed them to not follow their conscience.

23 A Memorable Time in Nature By Rachel Larson

In February 2020, I visited Quebec on a school field trip. There, we visited La Chute-Montmorency, a huge waterfall with a suspension bridge going across. The water was half frozen, but there was still a lot flowing. It was quite peaceful, with the only sound you could hear being the waterfall itself. Walking across the bridge, we overlooked the Saint Lawrence River, which was completely frozen. It was a wonderland of white snow, bordered with the thinned trees. I remember one specific moment there. With all of my friends, I stood on the edge of the suspension bridge, peering over the edge. We all looked at each other and then threw huge snowballs off the bridge. It was so quiet and peaceful as we all watched to see whose would hit the water first. I remember just smiling looking at the snow fall and crash into the water below. We all looked at each other and laughed, just enjoying the scenery. This was significant to me because I was so happy at that moment. It felt like I was in a teenage coming of age movie. I realized how important the people who were around me were and how happy they made me. It is memorable because it made me feel like everything was finally coming together. I will never forget taking that trip and I'll never forget overlooking the waterfall.

Passion By Kylie Downs

Corona-Lie-Rus Editorial by Sam Banever Nobody is guilt free of innocently bending the truth for a little extra convenience in life. It’s normal, lying is a normal part of human interaction. However in an age of a pandemic, the consequences of falsities are anything but normal. As the COVID pandemic has dragged on, months have turned into a year, and in turn, awareness has turned into lenience.

Social distancing has taken its toll on everyone. Perhaps one of the most dreaded aspects of this pandemic is the meticulous contact tracing that aims at eliminating the train of exposure as efficiently and quickly as possible. Most of us, including myself, have experienced the unfortunate circumstance of possibly being exposed to the virus, and having to stay at home for two weeks at a time before we can do anything. Some people have taken into their own hands their will to live normally by bending the truth about their exposure. The New York Times gave an example of this where, “In March, a New York man lied about his Covid-19 symptoms to gain access to a maternity ward to see his wife, who later developed flu-like symptoms. The same month, a woman who flew from Massachusetts to Los Angeles and then to Beijing was placed under investigation after she was accused of lying about her symptoms.”

This chain of events is just a piece of the problem that is posing itself in our strange world today. We know how fast COVID spreads, and how lethal it can be to

some individuals, and ideally this fact alone should be enough to encourage people to be truthful. However it isn’t, and shaming isn’t going to do the trick either.

CBC News outlines what happens in Nova Scotia when someone is caught lying about their exposure: “...the medical officer of health as well as public health inspectors have far-reaching powers if a person is deemed to be putting public health at risk. Fines, into the thousands of dollars, mandatory quarantine at a special facility, involuntary medical treatment and even a prison term are possibilities if you break the rules.” This makes me wonder, why aren’t we doing this in the States?

Of course, CBC also explains that these processes are expensive and time consuming, and that they are considered a last resort by government. However, shouldn’t we be using all resorts in a time like this? During a global pandemic where half a million people have died in the United States alone? Yes, people do have the right to freedom, but there is also a responsibility to the safety of the whole, and at this point in time, that responsibility needs to be priority number one, in order to contain this monster that is plaguing our society.

To a Year of Pain and Gain by Ellie Karabetsos, Lauren Roy, and Maddie Kennedy To a year of pain you did me dirty Now my soul feels like it's thirty And it hurts my brain

I just got my vaccine My arm is pretty sore The rest of the day will be a bore At least I'll be a COVID-free queen

I can't wait for my second dose For now I'll keep washing my hands And I'll keep my distance while we stand But soon I'll be a complete vaccine host

While we wait for normal life to return We will take forward the lessons we did learn

Jorja Baker

An Open Letter to Anyone Who Has Ever Once Doubted a Woman’s Athletic Ability By Alexa Bajek

“Women aren’t as strong as men.” “Women don’t have the same potential as men.” “Women weren’t built to compete.” These common phrases women athletes hear and are provided for as a “reason” for the injustices we face are not accurate. Thank you for your doubt, but boy, have women proved you wrong. Let’s take a look at our reality in the sports world, specifically U.S. Soccer: The U.S. Women’s Soccer Team has won four world cup championships, while the U.S. men’s team has won none. Yet, the women’s team receives less pay than the men, despite their success. How does this make sense? When I look around at my teammates on my high school soccer team, it makes me wonder what they will face when some reach that higher level of playing, if they will still face these issues. Even though women have come so far in the fight for equality, I’m hoping, no I’m praying, justice is reached with the gender pay gap in the U.S and women will someday not have to prove anything to anyone. This fight has gone on for too long, and I hope America can bring women to the end of the tunnel, so we can finally see the light: Justice. The U.S. Women’s Soccer Team ended their championship in the 2019 world cup with the crowd shouting “Equal Pay! Equal Pay!” The women’s team has been facing serious gaps in the pay between them and the men's team. They filed for a lawsuit against the U.S. Soccer Federation on March 8th, 2019 (ESPN), before winning the World Cup, for “denying them the same working conditions and professional development as their male counterparts'' (NBC). As of last December, the lawsuit

reached a settlement on working conditions. The women, in addition to unequal pay, also receive unequal treatment with flights, hotel rooms, and other parts of team traveling. The lawsuit was a push back and forth between the girls on the team who filed against the USSF (United States Soccer Federation), under the Equal Pay Act and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. There have been problems women soccer has faced for many years but until recently, is being faced. Part of the argument behind all of this from U.S. Soccer is the continued argument that “men are stronger and faster than women”. Yes, this is seriously part of the reasoning-U.S. Soccer claims this disparity is somewhat justified from this biological difference, leading more people to watch the “faster men” over the women. How does this explain this gap, when the USWNT is more successful than the men? In March, 2020, Carlos Cordeiro, then president of the USSF, sent an open letter regarding the lawsuit-it didn’t go over well with the United States Women’s National Soccer Team. Team spokesperson, Molly Levinson, claimed that Cordeiro’s letter was “riddled with falsehoods” and that the timing indicates “that it is more important to USSF to diminish the women’s team than it is to support them on the field” (Insider). In reaction to this, the USWNT went back to their SheBelieves Cup (a tournament for women’s teams founded to empower girls to reach their dreams) by wearing their warm-up jerseys inside-out to hide their sponsorship logos and the US Soccer crest. With the women’s reaction, Cordeiro faced a lot of pressure from sponsors leading to another statement, filled with apologies, yet it wasn’t enough: From the pressure of the board, Cordeiro resigned. With the resigning of Cordiero, this was a sign of hope for the women, as maybe they could come to a settlement with the leaving of the sexist president of USSF. The fight continued and fast forwarding to today, there is still a gap. They reached a settlement “on working conditions” (NBC), where the settlement doesn’t address

“pay inequity after a judge ruled in May that the suit could only continue if it focused on working conditions inequities” between the men and women’s team. They made some progress with the settlement providing women with the equal travel conditions as the men. This makes me wonder why a small gap in something like this even existed- why should the women’s team face bad hotel accommodations and are deprived of other services just because of their gender? The team plans to continue to work on achieving equal pay, as Molly Levison, spokesperson for the U.S. women’s team players says, “for the ‘next generation of women who will play for this team and this country”’. But why do we even have to face this inequality? This makes me angry because I don’t understand why we haven’t changed anything when women have been doing the same things as men, sometimes better, for the past years, where the USWNT has won many more world cups compared to none men have won. Women have been doubted and underestimated, a basic stereotype that has stopped a source of income: People watching their games. People don’t sometimes think about watching the girls games, because of this idea that it won’t be as good as a men’s game. In addition, the stereotype that the USSF claimed for their “reasoning”, regarding the speed of men versus women, may be biologically true, but it doesn’t give justice to make this okay and used for reasoning for a wage gap. Looking at the statistics, the women are a lot more impressive than the men, not saying that they should be paid more, but at least the same. When the women are standing up for themselves, peacefully, it makes me think of Henry David Thoreau. Thoreau was a famous American philosopher, author of On Civil Disobedience and through his nonviolent protest, he believed that as Americans, we need to stand up for what we believe in. The USWNT is following these ideas with

the start of fighting for equality, nonviolently, such as their protest with their warm-up jerseys- it would’ve been Thoreau approved. Their fight will continue with hope of equality in the future, peacefully. Even with all of this said, somewhat bashing of the USSF and the whole system America has been built on, I do have hope. I have hope that women athletes will achieve equal pay. That more people will watch and support women's sports games. That there will be a day when it doesn’t matter your gender to receive pay for work you deserve. I have hope that my female teammates who go and accomplish their goals, in any sport, will have equal pay by then. I have hope that women continue to stand together, for this fight that has gone on for WAY too long. I have hope that we will continue to prove anyone, who once doubted what we are capable of, wrong. And I have hope that we will be at the end of the tunnel of a fight sooner than later, and someday this will be frowned upon for even being a fight. Sincerely, Someone with a lot of anger, yet a lot of hope for the future

The Clock by Ty, Elena, Harlem, and Nick Red is the race car which glues to my eyes Hung with purpose, above the door It seems the attention of students you store. Your evil hands that institutionalize.

I take a glance with sighs, Watching your hands. I implore An increase in your rotations evermore; You never listen despite my tries!

And then at last, it seems to me That you yourself have flown by fast, And your cheerful chime, rings to hear. I do believe you've heard my plea As my pleas now preside in the past And the timeless future now draws near.

34 A Letter To The College Board Dear College Board, You claim to be a nonprofit organization, asserted in your mission statement. In that, you also claim that you are “committed to excellence and equity in education.” The mission of your company is to provide fair education to all, yet I have to pay an unrealistic amount for exams that I’m not even sure I will pass. Your organization is gatekeeping higher education: you have monopolized the college preparation and application process, you have ruined learning for thousands of students around the world, and you have placed a price tag on our future. Let’s consider my situation as a high school junior: I am currently taking AP Lang, AP U.S. History, and AP Calc BC. If I want to take the exams in May, I need to pay $99 for each, meaning a total of $297 for only three courses. Now let’s look at my high school experience in totality. By the end of my senior year I will have taken thirteen AP exams. This means that I will have had to pay around $1287 for just tests, which is a lot of money. Yes, this is a step down from the high cost of tuition, but with the competitiveness of college applications these days, you need to take AP classes to have a chance at a top school, so it is understandable to request that the price be decreased. You claim to provide equal educational opportunities for all, but if I want to challenge myself academically, the cost reaches into the thousands. That isn’t even the end of it. According to College Vine, a website that offers insightful information about college applications, the average student applies to ten colleges, and it costs $15 to send your AP scores to each. If I were to apply to 10 schools like the average student, that means that I spend an additional $150 on my score reports, bringing the total up to $1437. This doesn’t even begin to include application fees that are specific to individual colleges and adds yet another cost to the college application process. Let’s consider a scenario: Iin May, I get a 2 on my AP U.S. History Exam and decide I don’t want to send that score on my report to the colleges I’m applying to so that I can get the best possible chances at admission. If I want to leave this score out of my application, the fee is $10 per score, per college, totalling $100 just to leave it out of the report of the

35 average student. Assuming that I only leave out one score from my applications the total rises to $1537. Advanced Placement fees don’t even begin to cover the influence that the College Board has on education. The newly-administered Pre-AP curriculum for high schools comes at an annual charge of $3000 per district. $3000 that schools have to pay each year, for one each class that ends up getting restricted to a curriculum in a greedy effort to build up the foundational skills necessary for AP classes and the SAT. I understand why this is necessary for classes like English, as schools - including mine - are eliminating complicated texts that mimic those featured on standardized tests such as the SAT, but at this point you are making our whole high school experience revolve around the SAT. That is not an education. I am so thankful that I didn’t have to take any Pre-AP classes during my time in high school so I got to at least enjoy my classes. Let’s take a look at Pre-AP English I. The rubric for this course outlines 4 units, each topped off with a “performance task” that specifies both genre and length of the task, leaving only the title up to preference. That is not engaging; that is not fun; that is not a good use of time. In the FAQ section of your website, you You might claim that Pre-AP courses are “designed to support student success in AP, SAT, and other college readiness indicators” (Pre-AP FAQ), but the fact that a freshman has to be studying for the SAT is insane. Your whole high school experience should not revolve around one test, and that one test should not be one of the most influential factors impacting your future. On the topic of the SAT, it is an inaccurate measure of intelligence, and is fundamentally designed so that your organization can make your money at the disadvantage of students. Allow me to set the scene: I am a junior in high school about to take my SAT March 24th, 2021. I am able to see what I got on my exam on April 9th. For the case of the argument, let’s assume that I was really stressed out and didn’t do as well as I would have hoped, getting a 1030. In this case, I would be angry at myself and want to take the next test immediately after, which would be on May 8th, 2021. The problem with this is that the deadline for registration for this date is April 8th, the day before I get my score from the March 24 test, meaning that if I wanted to take the next available SAT, I would need to pay

36 the late fee. This is the case for every single SAT date if you compare score releases to registration deadlines on your website. Hundreds of students in the fall of senior year experience this issue and have to scramble to get applications in on time because of it. The fact that score releases and registration deadlines are exactly one day apart is not a coincidence; it is a purposeful move by your organization to make more money. Yes, most colleges did adjust the requirements for an SAT submission to make it optional because of the pandemic, but that doesn’t change the fact that it can be an impactful factor if you take it. The whole concept of placing a huge part of college applications on one number is ridiculous in and of itself, but the fact that your organization is making it even more difficult for us to have a fighting chance is unacceptable. Jumping back to price, it costs $46 to register for the SAT, and with the late fee that price jumps to $75. This means that if I want to retake my SAT, I will have to pay a total of $121 according to the situation outlined above, just to take the assessment. What if I want to submit my scores? Well, based on your website, I need to pay $12 for each college I send it to, and for the average student, that total amounts to $120. This means that for the SAT alone, I will be paying $241, bringing up our running total to $1778. Your company has lost all of its integrity to the point that it is becoming solely focused on money. On your website, you encourage parents to make their children take the SAT at least twice because “most students get a higher score the second time.” This is not about education, this is about a number, a number which plays a critical role in my future. I am not claiming that the point quoted is invalid, but the fact of the matter is that your website recommends students take it twice for three paragraphs, and only references the option of taking it once with one sentence. Twenty words. That was not an “unintentional” piece of information on your website. You are trying to bribe students into paying you money; and it’s working. But what about those that can’t pay, what will they do? The only real option they have are fee waivers, which make them eligible to take the SAT twice and send them to unlimited colleges if they fit the specified criteria, including participation in the NSLP, being an orphan, and needing public assistance. These criteria are incredibly restrictive, and this issue brings

37 up the question of people who can’t fit the criteria but need it. For example, what if a state or city doesn’t offer public assistance programs? Families that need it will not receive that help, and therefore won’t be eligible for the fee waiver and can’t get the benefits of it. Yes, the fee waivers are a step in the right direction, but it isn’t far enough. What about the actual studying for the SAT? Most students take practice tests and go through various preparatory courses, myself included. These can cost upwards of $1,000 and you recommend them. This high price on information is seen in the test scores. Families with an income of over $200,000 have a score that is, on average, 200 points higher than those with an income of less than $20,000. This is due to education and the inability for some families to have access to the resources needed. The fact that this is an issue is the problem. You claim to provide equity in education but when it comes to economics you are only in it for the money. Your organization is placing a complete monopoly on education. Over half of all students take the SAT. Over half of all students pay you for a test. A test that is required for almost all colleges as a criteria for admission. A test whose influence has only just been reduced due to a pandemic. It took a pandemic for colleges to gain some sort of understanding of the struggles students have to go through. You are making some strides forward, but it is not enough. You eliminated the optional essay on exams as well as the subject tests, which is a step in the right direction. However, the decision to make AP exams not standardized on exams but rather standardized on content is ridiculous. Students are going to cheat, no matter what measures you put against it, but making it so that some students take it in person and some don’t is completely unfair. Not only this, but we are in a pandemic. My classes meet half as often as they used to, so my teachers have to move double the speed to cover everything. I am no longer a student, I am a robot that absorbs and spits out information. You are the reason for this. I am so hyper fixated on my future because it all hinges on numbers: my SAT score, my AP scores, and even my family’s income. You need to do better, not just for me, but for students everywhere. Sincerely, Ryan Ziskin

A Sonnet by Zach Brewer A sonnet, I don't know what to write ‘bout, I'm not a poet I've never been one It always takes too long to figure out, I wish I could just do it and be done,

But it always takes me too long a time Since I don't like to read about poetry And I don't like it when I have to rhyme I'd rather hit my head on an oak tree

Then I would not have to write a sonnet And I don't know what to put for this line If I could do this fast I'd be all set I'm so bad at these one might think I'm nine.

Maybe I will go and hide in a tent Then I'd not have to do this assignment.

39 An Open Letter to the American Education System

Dear American Education System, You are failing us. The millions of students who attend school to attain the supposed ‘great’ American education system, are being failed. Every Monday morning students enter an atmosphere in which they are encouraged to conform to like-minded individuals, to become students who don't question authority, leaving all students subject to a lack of real world preparation. Every student in the United States education system is encouraged each and every day of the week to conform to one type of person. The person who goes to school every day, works as hard as they can to get good grades, and to move onto the next step of college. These ideals are reinforced through repetitive teaching styles including common core curriculum, and other forms of traditional and outdated teaching methods. The College Board also reinforces these ideals through the SAT standardized testing system, as well as AP testing. The idea that a student’s intelligence can be determined by one test is absurd, and can cause the world’s most brilliant minds to feel defeated because they cannot represent their dexterity through a specific exam. The education system also puts strong emphasis on the idea that all students must go to college to be successful. However, this ideal is far from true. The world’s greatest minds either dropped out, or chose not to enter college, such as entrepreneurs like Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, and Mark Zuckerberg. In the words of Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, “I don’t consider going to college evidence of exceptional ability, in fact, ideally you dropped out.” It is those who do not conform to what it is that we ‘should be doing’ that are the most successful. Our school system should be reinforcing these ideals rather than shy away from them. Henry David Thoreau encouraged Americans to value individualism. In his piece On the Duty of Civil Disobedience he says, “I was not born to be forced. I will breathe after my own fashion. Let us see who is the strongest.” With the school system continually putting emphasis on conformity, it prevents students from recognizing and

40 becoming their best selves. Students have this idea that they must go to college and get a good job stuffed into their brains every school day. Rather, they are far less encouraged to follow their dreams, become a great individual and become the best version of themselves. Students are taught to never question authority in school. It is one thing to read books and discuss questioning authority, but to physically question it is an entirely different premise. Students are taught to stand up for what they believe in, but only when appropriate. Questioning a teacher is deemed disrespectful, rather than insightful. Because students fail to question teacher authority, they become reliant on it. Students begin to fall into the pattern of everything must be done a specific way in order for it to be done correctly. In real life, this is far from true. A good employee does what they are told, but does not need to be told how to do it. Our school system enforces the exact opposite. A good student does their work how the teacher wants it done. Since students become contingent on this authority, they are less likely to be the next CEO, superintendent, head chef, etc. The system is teaching them to become subordinates, not the entrepreneur. The American school system is training students to bow down to authority, rather than to confront and question it. We see benefits to confrontation of authority in our own readings such as The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. In a trip down a river in a raft, teenager Huck Finn finds himself questioning the racist authority around him, as he learns to befriend his fellow runaway, Jim the slave. This question of authority benefited Huck as he was able to see a new perspective to life he had not been able to view due to the racist ideals he was surrounded with. Given the overpowering sense of authority in schools, students are unable to break through and reach their full potential. They will never think outside of the box or try to do things their own ways because they have been trained to simply do it the teacher’s way. We also witness a lack of real world application in the school system. The American School system glorifies the ‘sponge mind’; the idea that a student should absorb information and squeeze it all out onto a test, and move on. In school there is less emphasis on understanding the material, and more on memorization. An example of this is studying vocabulary terms. Students spend time memorizing the definitions of words, and a week later

41 struggle to recall half the words they studied. Students who are able to master the ‘sponge brain’ method excel in school. Therefore, those who cannot conform fall behind. School needs to put a stronger emphasis on understanding and mastering material, compared to just being able to take a test. The American education system does not prepare students to enter the working world. Students who enter the working world, regardless of how much education they have received, will be just as clueless as any other first time employee regardless of education. That notion alone is absurd. A student who pays hundreds of thousands of dollars to attend college should know how to operate in a workplace because of their extensive education. Instead, every first day employee is completely useless, despite their education. Schools should prioritize better preparing students for their first days in the workplace. This way they can enter the workforce effectively, rather than being a useless employee for the first month of employment. Rather than prioritize how to effectively enter the workforce, school focuses strongly on learning subjects that feel useless to students. Because of this lack of real world engagement, students lose interest, or feel unprepared for the future ahead of them. With such strong emphasis on test taking and less on making real world connections, students begin to shift their focus in school from learning to simply memorizing and reciting information. Others may argue that having a uniform system of education allows for efficient teaching. However, by doing this, children’s education lacks individuality and prevents our world from seeing it’s greatest minds at work. Every child’s mind works differently, therefore having such a uniform education system that lacks individuality, question of authority, and real world applications prevents students from reaching their full education potential. We also see dangers from our past of using a like mind in The Crucible. We see in this 1950’s play the dangers that conformity causes. We watch as people give up their individual thoughts to group think, causing the tragic deaths of many people of Salem during the Salem witch trials. Education in America puts so much emphasis on educating a large group, rather than educating the individual.

42 After identifying the many flaws the American education system presents, we must take action to solve these issues that we see. Students themselves can take matters into their own hands. Students should question authority, and continue to do so despite the social norms of allowing teacher authority to be the end all be all. Students can also seek their own individualized education as well. If a student has another educational interest in school that they feel is not being addressed or discussed enough, they can pursue it individually, or work alongside school admin to incorporate more of that subject into their everyday education. Teachers as well should identify these issues and work to make changes. Teachers should seek to do unique activities in class that better students understand in a new way, and also work to make real world applications more prevalent in education. They should also encourage questions of their authority. Rather than act offended, teachers should take pride in the fact that they are molding the brains of young student advocates, who are able to stand up for what they believe in. Changes must be made to the education system, and everyone can start today in making those changes a reality. Sincerely, A passionate student