The Polygon: February 2021 Issue

POLY PREP’S Student Newspaper VOL. CVI ISSUE IV February 2021 Issue

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POLYGON

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2021 Ap exAMs

What to expect this coming May as the college board scrambles to adapt to the circumstances of the pandemic

CHARLOTTE KNUTSEN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

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or many tired AP students, this year has provided a new and colorful array of stresses: shortened class time, new learning environments, and countless adjustments to a different way of ‘going to school.’ When, despite this year’s abnormal obstacles, the College Board decided to administer full-length AP exams, there were a substantial number of concerns raised by students. Shouldn’t exams reflect the reduced class time? Why were only last year’s exams shortened, when this academic year has been more affected by COVID? Won’t some students be at a disadvantage since every school has adapted differently?

Based on similar feedback from AP students and teachers, College Board’s explanation for their decision centers around students’ ability to demonstrate their knowledge: a shortened exam simply does not provide students with enough of an opportunity to demonstrate the abilities they refine in an AP course. One AP Literature teacher said, “This is a chance for students to display the skills they have worked hard to develop. Last year’s truncated exam put a great deal of pressure on students to write one great essay in 40 minutes; having more essays will lessen the pressure, even though it will take longer.” This view

VIA CREATIVE COMMONS is shared by many other Poly AP teachers, along with a confidence in their students’ ability to do well despite the circumstances. In the words of one beloved AP US History teacher, Ms. Beiles, “AP students are serious, hard-working, and intellectually engaged. I am totally confident that my students will meet their own high standards.”

The College Board has also offered many online resources for teachers and students who feel the pressure to catch up, which readers can access at apcentral.collegeboard.org.

Of course, providing online resources is one thing, but addressing all of the health

The Green Administration?

A Look into the 46th Presdient’s Climate Policies

and safety concerns that arise with in-person exams is another. To give students the chance to take an adequately rigorous exam while also accommodating those who do not wish to take APs in person due to COVID risks, the College Board has decided to offer a range of options. This year’s AP exam schedule provides three testing dates for each subject, each one falling into one of three groups of dates, or ‘administrations.’ Each administration will have a different ratio of pencil and paper exams (which can only be administered in school) to digital exams (which can be administered either in school or at

home). The first will be only paper exams, the second will be half-and-half paper and digital exams, and the third will be mostly digital exams, which now differ from last year’s APs in that they cannot be taken on a smartphone (due to the longform responses that need to be typed). To give students the most possible choices, AP exam coordinators can authorize students to mix at-home and in-person testing dates.

Despite the bang-up job that College Board has done in terms of providing resources for students and making sure that exam administration is fair and accessible, there is some merit in the argument that no matter the extra resources available, this year’s APs will just be harder. Countless students attending virtually have lost an important part of the learning experience, and the psychological toll of isolation also plays a factor in students’ ability to do well on exams (not to mention mental health).

However, in terms of AP exams, students should be bolstered by the fact that their teachers and the College Board are doing everything in their power to make sure students are being assessed fairly, and (more crucially) that they are learning and growing as people. In the words of one Poly teacher, “Breathe deeply, sleep well, and do the best you can.”

Middle School

The Polygon is publishing its first ever middle school section to amplify the voices of younger students.

“The major problem, however, is that this improvement will not be universal and will worsen existing economic inequalities within our community.”

- Matthew Jordan, “The Use of Personal Computers” “She has a history. She has inspired and united tons of people. She has used the most powerful tool ever to do this. Words.”

- Zoe Panzo, “Amanda Gorman: An Inspiration”

JORDAN MILLAR STAFF WRITER

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VIA CREATIVE COMMONS

hortly after assuming office, President Joe Biden announced his ambitious plan to tackle the worsening climate crisis. In addition to ending the COVID-19 pandemic, restoring the economy, and combating racial injustice, taking measures against climate change is among his highest priorities. Biden vowed to not only reverse the damage that the Trump administration did to major climate and environmental policies, but also to push the United States further on climate and global warming action than it has ever gone before.

On Wednesday, January 20, the first day of his presidency, Biden signed a series of executive orders, one of the most significant relating to climate change. Hours after being inaugurated, the president re-entered the country into the Paris Climate Agreement, the international accord in which nations pledge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and stop global warming. Former President Donald Trump pulled (Continued on page 3)

“Affinity and alliance groups have just been reintroduced to middle school in efforts to start gradually bringing Poly back to normal in the second semester of their school year. However, just because affinity groups have been officially reinstated does not mean that students are utilizing these spaces and attending affinity groups.”

- Brianna Sylvain, “Middle School Affinity Groups”

Meet the new Middle School staff and read more on pages 5 and 6

THE POLYGON

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FEBRUARY NEWS

The Biden-Harris Inaguration An overview of the history-making day

ALIDA LISSAK CONTRIBUTING WRITER

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ven though the Biden-Harris Inauguration shortly followed the insurrection at the Capitol, then-President-elect Biden was not going to let this violence cast a shadow over his inauguration and the celebrations that were planned. This inauguration was unlike any other because there was no crowd of cheering supporters: just a select few COVID-19-tested officials,supporters and about 191,500 U.S. flags representing every state and territory in lieu of the usual throng. Another detail differentiating this inauguration from others was the former President Donald Trump was not in attendance nor was any of his family. Determined to celebrate just as lavishly as usual, however, the day included swaths of musical performances, speeches, and even poetry.

Early in the morning, Lady Gaga performed “The Star Spangled Banner” punctuated by her pointing to the flags on the Capitol building in reference to the recent insurrection while singing the line “Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.” Jennifer Lopez sang two peaceful songs: “This Land Is Your Land” and “America the Beautiful.” During a pause in one of the songs, she exclaimed, “Una nación bajo Dios con libertad y justicia para todos!” or in English: “One nation under God with liberty and justice for all!”

Around 10 AM, now Vice President Kamala Harris was sworn in by Justice Sonia Sotomayor, becoming the first woman to hold the position, as well as the first woman of East Asian descent and first woman of African descent. Following this, Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr. swore in the now President Joseph R. Biden. Biden then gave his inaugural address in which he said, “We must end this uncivil war that pits red against blue.” Then, there was another speech and musical performance, but one performance stole the show that morning: The First National Youth Poet Laureate, Amanda Gorman, read an orig-

inal poem titled ‘The Hill We Climb’. It was beautifully crafted and delivered with ease. She ended her poem with these lines: “When day comes we step out of the shade,/aflame and unafraid/The new dawn blooms as we free it/For there is always light,/if only we’re brave enough to see it/ If only we’re brave enough to be it.”

The festivities continued at 8:30 PM with a 90-minute musical tribute, hosted by Tom Hanks, centered around the theme of a new beginning. Vice President Harris and President Biden both spoke.

Harris was introduced by Sarah Fuller, who in late 2020 became the first woman to play in the major conferences of college football. The night began with Bruce Springsteen singing “Land of Hopes and Dreams” while accompanying himself on guitar. He sat alone in front of the Lincoln Memorial with a single spotlight focused on him. Demi Lovato, Justin Timberlake, Ant Clemons, the Foo Fighters, John Legend, Eva Longoria, and Kerry Washington were among other musical performances throughout the night. Another performance of note was our very own Jon Bon Jovi, whose children went to Poly, who sang “Here Comes the Sun” filmed in Miami while the sun rose over the water behind them. Between performances, ordinary Americans, who’ve made a difference in the US since COVID-19 hit, were honored. One such story was about a little girl who had raised money through a virtual lemonade stand to then donate to a food bank. Finally, to conclude the night, Katy Perry sang “Firework” as a phenomenal fireworks show exploded over the mall and Washington Monument. Cameras panned to the enthusiastic Second Gentleman accompanying the Vice President and the President with a loving hand on the First Lady, all overlooking the fireworks show signifying the beginning of a new and hopefully bright era.

VIA CREATIVE COMMONS Photos from the inauguration ceremony

Poly’s Transition to an Indoor Learning Model The behind the scenes of returning to school inside BRIANNA KHRAKOVSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

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s the temperature dropped and it was no longer viable to learn outside, Poly had planned to be virtual. However, it was then announced, over winter break, that Poly Students would be going inside during the cold winter months. Students got the option to choose whether or not they would prefer to go inside, or if they would rather stay home. Poly was ready to split up the students based on their last name, and alternate weeks of when students would be on campus. Due to the distribution of students that decided to stay home, juniors and seniors were able to attend school every day.

Deciding to go inside was a complicated endeavor. The safety of everyone in the Poly Prep community is a top priority, which is why so many precautions have been put into place to make the transition as smooth as possible. Some of the things that Poly included to maximize safety include, but are not limited to: upgrading HVAC systems with UV light sanitation filtration, installing HEPA filters in all rooms, requiring daily health screenings as well as testing every week, and making all bathrooms,

-----“The second challenge we are facing now that we didn’t face in the Fall are new strains of the COVID-19 virus which is estimated to be 50%-70% more transmissible than the previous strain…, we have NOT seen spread within our community.”

-----water fountains, and hand sanitizer stations touchless. Despite these precautions, the Poly Prep community was nervous that the outcome wouldn’t be great.

Going inside had changed the dynamics of the virus’s ability to spread. There wasn’t enough room to be as spread out as students would be outdoors. Amy Sch-

lansky’83 P’22, Covid-19 Safety Coordinator said, “The first challenge is that as the city-wide infection rates rise, so do the cases at Poly. We learned of 19 positive cases in the first 12 weeks of outdoor school and we currently have 16 cases in the first three and a half weeks of indoor school. We don’t believe the increase has to do with ‘indoor school’ but is a result of the citywide and national surge in cases.” She shares this as one of 2 main challenges with being indoors: “The second challenge we are facing now that we didn’t face in the Fall are new strains of the COVID-19 virus which is estimated to be 50%-70% more transmissible than the previous strain…, we have NOT seen spread within our community.”

When asked if indoor school may continue through the end of the year, Sarah Bates, Head of Upper School said, “I want to do whatever is safest for the community and is of the most benefit to the students...I imagine that some combination of indoors and outdoors will happen in the spring. There are many classes that could benefit from being outdoors and

VIA CREATIVE COMMONS may even prefer it Aside from the challenges, being inside does hold some benefits as well.

During the fall months, when students were outdoors, it wasn’t a rare occurrence that school was closed due to weather conditions. However, being indoors, school can be in session, even with rain. Another benefit is the social aspect of attending school. Being in school, as opposed to

THE POLYGON

FEBRUARY NEWS

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Opinions on the Biden Administration Students share their current views on Biden’s presidency thus far, specifically his climate and transgender policy changes BEATRICE LARKIN STAFF WRITER

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here have been many changes put in place with President Biden’s new administration.

These changes have provoked Poly students to discuss their opinions on specific actions he has taken. First, on rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement.

Sophomore Rory Schoenbergersaid, “I am elated that the US is rejoining the Paris climate accord because it signifies that our government is moving in the right direction by starting to attempt to take action and fight climate change.” This was the general consensus among the students who were passionate about battling climate change.

Sophomore Hannah Crowley furthered the sentiment of working to combat climate change. She furthered the statement by voicing the opinion that, “It’s fantastic especially because

the US is responsible for many climate issues, it’s only fair that we pay the cost of our actions.”

Sophomore Alida Lissak agreed, stating that, “We really need to have goals in order to clean up the mess we’ve made in terms of the environment.”

Additionally, students articulated their unanimous support for the repealing of the transgender military ban. They spoke on how they felt it was insensitive and unfair that the ban was there to start with.

Sophomore Summer Hornbeck stated, “I am in support of the abolishment of the transgender military ban. The act of discriminating against someone due to their gender identity is despicable, especially when they are risking their lives for their country. I believe that everyone should have the opportunity to

VIA CREATIVE COMMONS fight and serve their country if they desire to.”

Sophomore Hannah Crowley echoed this statement, “I think that the transgender military ban was completely a violation of rights for transgender people.” And Sophomore Rory Shoenberger agrees, “This ban was such an evident signal of transphobia within the govern-

The Green Administration?

(Continued from page 1) out of the agreement in 2017.

Biden also ordered federal agencies to begin reviewing and restoring over 100 of the climate regulations that Trump’s administration rolled back, and he withdrew the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, a project that would bring large amounts of oil from Canada to the U.S. to be refined.

Although Biden received some backlash for signing these orders, his first moves send a promising message that the United States intends to drastically reduce its emissions of pollutants. But, there is still a lot more work to be done. The president’s agenda has very aggressive goals, starting with the enactment of a $2 trillion plan over the next four years to start the transition to clean energy, and upgrading 4 million buildings to make them more energy efficient. By 2035, Biden wants to achieve a carbon-pollution-free power sector, and eventually, a 100% clean energy economy with net-zero emissions no later than 2050.

On January 27, Biden signed off on another series of executive orders that help to tackle the climate crisis at home and abroad, while creating well-paying union jobs and an equitable clean energy future, building modern and sustainable infrastructure, and restoring scientific integrity. The order itself is very long and detailed, covering broad areas of climate policy, and spanning departments from the Treasury to Defense to State. So far, it confirms that the president will host a Leaders’ Climate Summit on Earth Day, April 22, 2021; and it also kicks off the process of developing the United States’

nationally determined contribution, as well as a climate finance plan.

Among other things, the executive order helps in creating more sustainable jobs in areas like construction, manufacturing, engineering and the skilled-trades. The president’s administration is aiming to connect the effort of reducing planet-warming emissions, with restoring the economy and creating jobs.

To start executing his plan, Biden announced the key members of his climate change team, each with much experience. Their skills and background are very crucial, because slowing down climate change requires an “all hands on deck” approach. Biden created a new position, called the Special Presidential Envoy for Climate. Former longtime U.S. Senator from Massachusetts John Kerry, who previously served as the U.S. Secretary of State, was appointed to the new role. Gina McCarthy, the former administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency under former President Obama, is now serving as the senior White House advisor on Climate Change.

Despite his elaborate agenda, some scientists (though not all) are still hesitant about whether or not the United States can reach Biden’s demanding goals. Zeroing out greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2050 is technically possible and economically feasible, but it will take a lot of hard effort to get there. So far, Biden’s administration has made good headway, but because the country has previously struggled to meet its climate change goals, the president has his work cut out for him.

ment and that’s not something that America should be promoting, they should be promoting equality instead.”

Sophomore Summer Hornebeck sums up the general consensus perfectly when she articulates that, “I am glad Biden has taken so many steps to better American lives in his short time in office.”

While these topics tend to be di-

visive, Poly students were passionate about sharing their views on the new administration’s decisions.

The students interviewed all had similar thoughts and feelings, but the act of discussing them is an integral part of being involved in our communities.

The POLYGON Editors-in-Chief Elizabeth Bentsianov, Honor Seares, Emily Ng Emma Spring.........................Managing Editor Tessa Marker.................................News Editor Carly Pyles..............................Opinions Editor Hailey Tobman.........................Features Editor Samantha Rodino............................Arts Editor Shepherd Dzina...........................Sports Editor Benjamin Mansfield......................Copy Editor Thalia Glyptis............Online Managing Editor The Polygon is published at least eight times a year by the students of Poly Prep Country Day School. We welcome both letters to the editor and guest opinions pieces of interest. All submissions should be emailed to polygon@polyprep.org and must include the author’s name. The Polygon reserves the right to edit all submissions for spelling, grammar, and length. Letters should be no longer than 200 words, and opinion pieces should be no longer than 750 words.

Linda Busetti...........................Faculty Advisor John Rearick.................Writing Studio Liaison

The Polygon c/o Poly Prep CDS 9216 7th Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11228

FEBRUARY OPINIONS

THE POLYGON

Calm After the Storm (of tweets):

The Future of

Right-Wing Extremists

Trump is Stripped of Social Media Platforms following Capitol Riot EMMA SPRING MANAGING EDITOR

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ver the course of his presidency, Donald Trump’s Twitter feed became his favorite form of communication to directly control the political narrative. Rather than inform citizens, Trump used it as a platform to spread lies and violent rhetoric.

Social media has become town square for Americans, through which we communicate with each other: it is at the center of our daily interactions. But it also has become the perfect breeding ground for hate behind anonymous accounts to verbally attack fellow users without repercussions.

Twitter recently doubled down against the eruption of bullying, threatening language, and false information online headed by Donald Trump. Twitter began tagging many of Trump’s tweets as “violating the Twitter Rules about glorifying violence” or alerting users that the facts of his tweets were “disputed.”

Just a day before the January insurrection on Capitol Hill, Trump took advantage of the platform for his “Stop The Steal” campaign, encouraging supporters to “FIGHT” and threatening if the election was not overturned in his favor.

Taking after their leader, many pro-Trump supporters across social media warned of a “civil war,” using the platform to plan acts of violence with pepper spray, knives, and guns, as per one video on Facebook. Twitter took power into their own hands when “plans for future armed protests [began] proliferating on and off-Twitter, including a proposed secondary attack on the U.S. Capitol.” On January 8, Twitter, as well as Facebook, Instagram, and Reddit permanently suspended the former president’s account for his “glorification of violence.”

These actions illustrate not only companies’ influence over online conversation and social media’s influence over politics, but also during a time when democracy is being tested.

Many were infuriated and viewed Twit-

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How are extremists using the internet as a platform for communication and increasing engagement?

ter’s actions as stifling dissent and free speech in the current meeting place of ideas online.

People accused Twitter of illegally censoring free speech against the First Amendment.

While Twitter, initially a platform titled “the free-speech wing of the free-speech party,” did step away from neutrality and into politics, they did it to preserve democratic stability. They suspended not only Trump’s account but also those of QAnon and Neo-Nazis, moves that were several years overdue.

Twitter could not stand back as their platform was exploited to pin people against another with manipulations that could tear down the country and the company down with it.

As intended, Trump losing access to Twitter cut him off from generating support by directly lying to his supporters. Since President Biden’s inauguration and truly since Trump’s social media suspension, it feels as if the news has gotten calmer and more straightforward.

The heat of Trump’s verbal fire has largely cooled down, and even the word “slept” was trending on Twitter for a while.

VIA TWITTER

LUCAS BASHAM STAFF WRITER

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fter the violent attack on the Capitol on January 6, many are asking what role social media played in the event. In the days following, social media companies raced to ban and delete accounts connected to the riot. Twitter banned more than 70,000 accounts associated with QAnon. Facebook banned over 600 accounts that were leading militarized far-right movements. Former President Donald Trump was essentially deplatformed.

Members of groups with hundreds of thousands of followers on Twitter and Facebook realized that their violent images and language would no longer be permitted on these larger platforms, so they migrated to smaller platforms. Many of these far-right extremists fled to apps like Parler and Gab, two smaller social media companies.

Parler immediately soared to #1 on the app store. Both are advocates for free speech and were seen as a place to get away from the rules and restrictictions of Twitter and Facebook. But a day later, Amazon Web Services decided they would no longer host Parler, and it was completely kicked offline. Meanwhile, Gab was so overwhelmed with new users that their servers were incapable of running the platform smoothly. It took minutes to open a single post.

From there, these extremists realized they needed to go elsewhere. They ended up in the encrypted parts of the internet, on platforms that have been around for years: Telegram and Signal. Both Telegram and Signal offer encrypted channels where messages and chats are only stored on a single device and are not stored anywhere in the cloud. This bottom layer of messaging and social media became a place for right-wing extremists where anything goes. Down there, it is much harder for law enforcement to track people.

Sheera Frenkel, a reporter for The New York Times, joined dozens of these groups on Telegram and Signal. She found that ideas for future action were spread across the board. Some wanted a march in Washington, D.C., others wanted marches across all 50 U.S. capitals, and others wanted protests against mainstream media and social media platforms. But most groups were saying things like ‘come armed at your own discretion.’ Overall, these extremists are planning for a long-term war. Many plan on going quiet for a few years and then coming back unexpectedly. They’re not done yet.

All things considered, these right-wing extremists are left less organized and with fewer people engaged, yet in places where it is much more difficult to be tracked by law enforcement. They’re left asking themselves if being hidden from law enforcement is worth the loss of tens of thousands of engaged followers.

The Walk-Abouts and Mindfulness Meditation: Poly’s New Physical and Mental Health Initiatives

LOLA PITMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER Upon the recent reopening of in-person school, there have been new activities put in place for the health of the students.

I have experienced these new activities myself, formulating my own opinions on whether or not I enjoyed, or thought them useful. Before I judged, I wanted to learn more.

I first thought the activity was called meditation, but, corrected by Dr. Ezra, I now know it is actually meant to be called mindfulness. Dr. Ezra explained mindfulness, pertaining to how it will help the student body, “Through techniques which involve breathing, focus, relaxation and sometimes stretching, mindfulness cultivates an awareness of one’s thoughts, feelings and sensations and provides an opportunity to quiet our minds and bodies during the course of a busy day. There’s a great deal of research that has been done on the benefits of mindfulness in schools.

Mindfulness enhances overall psychological well-being and has been shown to reduce student stress, anxiety and de-

pression. It boosts academic engagement and focus and leads to better outcomes in other realms as well, including athletics and performing arts.”

Knowing how stressful this past year has been, mindfulness seems like a great way for students to take a few minutes to breathe. With all the benefits of mindfulness, these few minutes out of a students day could really benefit their mental health and abilities. Since activity is not mandated, one is always encouraged to participate. If a student decides to not take part, they can rest for the 3 minutes that the exercises take. From recent observations, students seem to be taking part rather willingly, using this time to participate and hopefully affecting their mental health in a positive way.

Along with the mindfulness exercises, another activity I have taken part in is the walks around campus during studyhalls.

Being cooped up inside due to COVID-19 has prevented students from spending time in the sun and in nature.

Mr. Barzdukas, the head of school, seems to have noticed this and expressed why he decided to implement this activity. “My

grandfather was a great walker. He loved his daily stroll around his adopted city of Cleveland. Every day, Prospect Park is alive with walkers. Our campus is a natural walking spot. I just thought we should take full advantage of having the most beautiful campus in New York City.”

Even though I do believe that these walks are beneficial, because it’s important to separate oneself from their computer screen, , I believe it should be an optional choice. Therefore, I expressed my concern with Mr. Barzdukas; since students that partake in after school athletics often use the study hall as a time to get their work done, is there a way for these students to forgo these walks? I have since answered this question myself, needing study hall time for in school workout at the weight room or to finish up my homework rather than go for a walk. By emailing a coach or dean, a student can be exempt from study hall and walks. Having this possibility presented to students as an alternative to walks is a sensible idea, but going for a walk is always beneficial to a students health.

These activities benefiting students’

VIA @POLYPREP mental and physical health are a great addition to Polys curriculum, hopefully taken advantage of by those who have the time or the desire to do so . If students can’t experience meditation due to time management or lack of interest, they should at least all be informed on how meditation can improve focus and concentration and lessen overall stress.

Going for a walk seems to provide similar benefits, as both activities are meant to help with the mental and physical health of the student body.

THE POLYGON

FEBRUARY FEATURES

PAGE 7

WORK IT! Discussion Panel

Poly Alum came together to discuss Work It!, a film directed by Laura Terruso ‘99, and their career experiences SEANNA SANKAR STAFF WRITER

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he third Poly on Film event, highlighting a multipart discussion and featuring Poly Prep alumni who are currently working on film and TV, appeared on a live Zoom webinar on Wednesday, January 27 at 6 PM. Film director Laura Terruso ‘99, dancers Lauren Perilli ‘00 and Noah Aberlin ‘00, current Poly Dance Team captains Ella Barnett ‘21 and Lola Williams ‘21, and dance faculty member Ashley Hacker heart-to-heart about the Netflix film Work It!, their past Poly experiences, and their career fields in the arts! The discussion was moderated by Poly’s Director of Arts Outreach, Robert Aberlin ‘62 The film, starring singer actress Sabrina Carpenter as Quinn Ackerman, and actress and comedian Liza Koshy as Jasmine Hale, was directed by Terruso and produced by singer-songwriter Alicia Keys. Work It! is a high school comedy about a stellar student who hasn’t put time into anything else besides academics, but finally follows her heart and pursues dance in order to achieve her college desires. With her newfound friends, they wind up achieving near-perfection, against all odds, in a nationally-ranked dance competition. The movie premiered worldwide and placed number one for its’ first weekend, staying within the top 10 for 2 weeks.

Whilst the webinar began, many former and current Poly faculty/alum watching the webinar from home welcomed the three back to Poly grounds after graduating. “My time at Poly was so important and wonderful. It’s really an honor to be back,” Terruso said.

Terruso reflected on the beginning of her career, and said, “I worked as a film researcher for Getty Images after college. Working in an archive was amazing and I learned so much about the craft of filmmaking and its power to shape our ideas,” sprouting her first inspiration for the craft.

She found the inspiration to strive at what she does from independent filmmaker, Joe Swanberg, known for his solely independent films and extensive use of improvisation.

Terruso said, “He [Joe Swanberg] was making these movies by himself and that was sort of my inspiration and I thought, well, I should know how to use every piece of equipment, so that I understand every aspect and when I am fortunate enough to be on a real set, I will continue to interact with the different craftspeople and understand what they’re going through. I knew it would make me a better filmmaker.”

The main cause of the successful new Poly on Film series: Robert Aberlin, discussed the ups and downs while hosting such an event.

As many had to adjust to COVID, so did the Poly Arts Outreach team. Robert Aberlin said, “I went to Poly, my kids went to Poly, so I have this history of knowing people. It was all part of this mission to bring artists in to meet the greater community. COVID changed all of that and a lot of what we were trying to do, we couldn’t do because of it. But in fact, film turned out to be easier and in my mind it is the better way to do it, so it was one of the very few positive things that, for me, came out of Covid.”

“Part of my job is bringing artists to poly; to meet kids, to meet teachers, to meet the bigger Poly community. I started that across all different forms of art, so we’ve had artists in, we’ve had choreographers in. It [in person discussions and interviews] was a great experience, but doing it this way [virtually] is much easier. People can watch the film on their own time on Netflix or Amazon because they’re major films!” said Robert Aberlin.

Dance team captain, student panelist, and senior, Ella Barnett, said “I had seen the movie before being on the panel and it was a very interesting experience being able to learn about how the film was made. She [Terruso] discussed not only how they decided on the cast but also the way different scenes were shot in order to preserve the movement and how often they went into the dance rehearsals with just the emotion they wanted the dance to convey and how the choreographer really made it work.”

Dance team captain, student panelist, and senior, Lola Williams said, “One of my favorite parts of the movie was the slo-mo scene where Quinn was first auditioning for a spot on the Dance Team. Within this scene, we can hear her counting and communicating the steps in her head. This resonated with me because when learning choreography, I can sometimes be too focused on the counts and dynamics of the movement, but with time I am able to establish my own style, perform unapologetically and showcase my talents.”

Barnett said, “As a person who dances solely for the experience and has never taken very seriously outside of Poly, I related more to Laura rather than Lauren Perilli (current dance studio owner) and Noah Aberlin (actor/ dancer). Laura discussed how her experiences learning to dance at Poly and how the experience still impacts her to this day. I can see my time dancing at Poly affecting the way I push myself and explore new topics in my adult life”.

Terruso co-wrote and directed Good Girls Get High and when returning to LA, she said, “It [producing Good Girls Get High] got me in the room to pitch Work It!,” she said. As part of her pitch for why she should direct the film, Terruso shared a dance clip with Noah Aberlin in Crazy for You. Lola Williams said, “It was great to hear how many of the Poly alumni were able to continue their passions outside of poly while also remaining in contact with past poly faculty and friends.

During the panel, I also really admired how a small clip of the musical “Crazy For You” was premiered featuring the alumni. Similar to them, being involved in the Poly musicals has become an integral part of my Poly experience, and I hope I can take what I’ve learned from the arts into my feature.”

When asked what a common response when interviewing alumni is, Robert Aberlin said, “I think it’s been really interesting in several of them that they touch on important topics, not fabulist topics. Based on all of the people involved so far, these aren’t whimsical, comic book stories. There’s a lot of meat to them and I think a lot of it comes from a solid base pertaining to others.

While being in the community of Poly people as kids, it was important to them.”

Current health teacher and Poly faculty member of 25 years, Patti Tycenski said, “I absolutely loved the panel with my former students who were talented when they were at Poly in the arts (and more) and continue as adults too. I actually watched the panel with my youngest daughter, Megan, who loved Laura’s movie Work It!, and I loved it too. Our favorite part was the dancing in the nursing home. Megan also saw Noah in The Wizard of Oz at Madison Square Garden as the Scarecrow when she was a little girl! I have been keeping in contact with them on social media for a long time now so have been so lucky to follow their successes all along. I love the fact that they have all managed to do what they love all these years later.”

“One of the least known facts about my years at Poly is that I was the stage manager for probably close to 15 years of our dance concerts when Ms. Kohn was in charge of dance at Poly. It was so fun and working behind the scenes watching Lauren and Noah dance; it was an amazing experience,” said Tycenski.

Prior to the discussion, panelist Laren Perilli held a dance workshop for Upper School dance instructor Danielle Bensky’s A-block class.

Freshman Anna Sophia Chamorro from Bensky’s class describes her experience as exciting and quite meaningful to learn about the “behind the scenes” of choreography.

I am so proud of how far the arts programming and offerings have come and all that Poly Dance can now offer. I particularly loved meeting with Lauren P and getting a glimpse at the work she did with the Upper School Dance classes.

“I liked her high energy and the way she encouraged each and every one of us to accept the feeling of discomfort at times and exhibiting a feeling more of freedom while dancing. I learned more about the process that goes behind choreographing dances for productions since she did share some of that journey with us,” said Chamorro.

Pirelli taught the group a dance mainly in the style of hip-hop, with small hints of other dance styles.

Chamorro said, “It was quite fascinating to have her come in and teach us. She joined us for 2 or 3 days to teach us a similar dance to the one in the actual movie “Work-It” but we also got an insight into how she worked as a choreographer. She spent the whole class teaching choreography while also occasionally telling us why she chose/the meaning behind movements. She would also watch us in smaller groups, consistently giving us personal constructive feedback.”

As advice for students or young alumni who might be driven towards a career in filmmaking, Terruso said, “Start now! The iPhone has a better camera on it than I had access to in college. Start making short films with your friends, telling stories, and editing them. YouTube and TikTok videos count. Just start expressing yourself through a visual medium. Also, volunteer on film sets! You’ll learn so much simply by watching other people.”

Aberlin said, “These are such great opportunities to hear from these people who have become extremely successful. To hear some of these people talk, it’s not something you always get the opportunity to hear.”

Middle school dance Faculty member, Ashley Hacker, displayed deep appreciation and honor being a part of the Poly community after the panel.

After the discussion Hacker said, “Hearing the deep tradition, love of poly faculty and growth of so many individuals is beyond inspiring and makes me feel like I am truly part of a legacy. It warms my heart to know that I have been a small piece of my students journey’s and to know how much support they’ll have from our alums when following their dreams.”

As a take away, Hacker said, “I left the discussion with a deep appreciation of Robert Aberlin, Michael Robinson, our dance team captains and our alums. The three alums are all still very deeply involved in the arts field and the captains have been deeply entrenched in Poly arts and just beginning their arts journeys. I hope the dance captains were able to take a moment and aspire to all of the wonderful possibilities out there and I hope the alums looked back fondly on their time at Poly and how much they have accomplished then and now.”

“I am so proud of how far the arts programming and offerings have come and all that Poly Dance can now offer. I particularly loved meeting with Lauren P and getting a glimpse at the work she did with the Upper School Dance classes. She now runs a successful dance studio which was the beginning of my dance training and sparked my love for dance so it was so interesting to hear about her journey and what brought her to where she is now,” said Hacker.

“I’m always so excited to learn about Poly and its history. It makes me proud of everything Poly does to integrate the arts and how much our programming has changed and evolved over the course of the years. Poly is so proud of their alums and they all have such interesting stories and trajectories,” Hacker added.

Hacker loved hearing Terruso explain the scene under the bridge from her point of view with wholeheartedness. “I had no idea how much work and time went into that one scene, nor how much her vision and her wants drove how the dance was seen by the audience through a lense. It gave me a new and deeper appreciation for choreographers all over the world right now that are struggling to create for our new virtual world,” Hacker said.

From the extravagant film, Hacker’s favorite moment was the very end, “Of course I loved the spectacle of the final dance competition but really what I appreciated most was the true acceptance and joy in realizing a passion and being open to something new.”

THE POLYGON

FEBRUARY MIDDLE SCHOOL

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MIDDLE SCHOOL MEET THE STAFF:

Matthew Jordan is a middle school student, who joined the poly community in 6th grade.

He has been involved in student government, serving as a senator then president in the senate. He loves going on long bike rides, and enjoys eating Italian food. He looks forward to working on the Polygon.

Hi, my name is Brianna Sylvain. I’m in the sixth grade, and it is my first year at Poly. I joined the middle school corner because I want to write and spread awareness issues that are important to me and the Poly community.

I’m so glad that I have been welcomed into the Poly community and the Polygon. Happy Reading !

Frances Brooks is an Eighth-grader at Poly.

Her favorite subject is English and she loves to write. In her free time, she plays squash, draws, and listens to music.

Zoe Panzo started writing for the Polygon in 2021. She is on the Poly Debate Team and a 7th grade representative on the Middle School Senate. She enjoys reading, watching tv, and sometimes knitting. Outside of school you may find her playing tennis or hanging out with friends.

PAGE 5

Welcome to the Polygon’s first ever Middle School Section! This new section strives to give Middle Schoolers an outlet to develop their writing skills and write about topics that are important to them.

This is Sonia Kushnirskiy. She loves to play tennis, and listen to music. She also likes baking. Her favorite subject is English and she likes writing poems.

Eliana Cochrane ‘24 is a writer for the Polyon’s Middle School Corner and started writing this year. During her free time, she likes to write short stories and listen to music. She also takes care of a stray cat named ‘Whiskers’ with her neighbors.

s

FEBRUARY MIDDLE SCHOOL

THE POLYGON

PAGE 6

The Use of Personal Computers

Middle School Affinity Groups

Middle school students feel that personal computers should be allowed in order to improve the virtual/hybrid school experience

Why has middle school attendance for affinity spaces been so poor?

MATTHEW JORDAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

BRIANNA SYLVAIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

T

echnology is a major aspect of learning at Poly Prep.

Technology and computers have served a vital role in connecting students to teachers, especially during Hybrid Poly. However, the school’s standard computer, the Chromebook 11 3189, is unable effectively use all of theapplications necessary for education. From both personal experience and further research, I and other students feel that Chromebooks are unable to perform the basic actions necessary for virtual or hybrid learning. I believe the solution to this issue is to allow students to use personal computers.

There are many pros and cons to allowing the use of personal computers on campus. There will be an immediate increase in the accessibility of classes.

The major problem, however, is that this improvement will not be universal and will worsen existing economic inequalities within our community. However, I think that improving the lives of students outweighs the potential increase in inequality. Also, allowing personal computers will only be a temporary solution until the technology department can get new Chromebooks or find a better solutions.

Another potential problem is an increase in computer diversity, meaning that there will be different computers with different chargers, parts, and problems.

To remediate this potential problem, students could carry Chromebooks as a backup in case of the personal computer failing.

Currently, Upper School students are allowed to carry their own computers, and I believe that it is unfair for them to be able to do so while middle schoolers are not.

There is also weak enforcement of the ban on personal computers. In my classroom, there are several students who already use personal computers without any

A

VIA CREATIVE COMMONS major problems, showing that this rule change could work effectively.

There is widespread support within the middle school for legalizing the use of public computers. In a recent poll, 41.8% of students said personal computers should be allowed as a backup for Chromebooks, and 53.2% said they should be allowed regardless of the state of a Chromebook, meaning that about 95% of students support some form of personal computer legalization.

Although legalizing personal computers would lead to a temporary increase in inequalities, more students would have greater access to their classes, making school better and learning easier.

AMANDA GORMAN:

ffinity and alliance groups have just been reintroduced to middle school in efforts to start gradually bringing Poly back to normal in the second semester of their school year. However, just because affinity groups have been officially reinstated does not mean that students are utilizing these spaces and attending affinity groups.

The reason some kids choose not go to affinity groups is because they do not feel that they qualify for nor identify with any of the available groups.

Soleil Peña said, “I don’t go to affinity groups because I do not qualify for any of the criteria to join an affinity group.”

Affinity and ethnicity are two topics that seem the same but are not. Affinity has to do with something that a part of your identity while ethnicity has to do with culture and heritage. Some students may think that ethnicity is what determines if they can go to affinity, but that is not entirely true. There are affinity and alliance groups that don’t have anything to with affinity such as M.E.N (male empathy network) When asked if she would go to affinity groups if she qualified Peña said, “I would go to an affinity group because I would have a safe environment to share my feelings”.

I agree affinity groups are free places where you can share your feelings, which is why students should go to these meeting. If a student does not identify with an affinity group, they can always talk to their teachers about starting a new group.

An Inspiration

Gorman inspires students by overcoming her speech impediment through poetry ZOE PANZO CONTRIBUTING WRITER

S

ince Amanda Gorman was a child, she has and continues to struggle with, a speech impediment. She has used poetry, songs, and many other forms of writing and vocalizing to overcome her speech impediment and has never let it stop her from becoming successful. Being a poet is one of the most verbal professions and until a few years ago Gorman said that “I couldn’t say the letter ‘r’ ” and “I would listen to the song, ‘Aaron Burr, Sir,’ which is just packed with r’s…”

Gorman, a big fan of Hamilton, said that it has helped her overcome her impediment. Lin Manuel Miranda tweeted that her inauguration poem The Hill We Climb was “perfectly written, perfectly delivered. Every bit of it.”

She mentioned in an interview before the inauguration that when people heard her poem there she wanted them to “feel that they are represented and well established.”

“I think that Amanda Gorman’s poem was inspired by hope.” Seventh-grader Maggie Callahan said, “I think Amanda Gorman knew this and decided

that the poem she wrote needed to bring people together.”

After the inauguration social media exploded with people praising her and saying how inspired they were. As she used writing to overcome her impediment she also used songs like Aaron, Burr Sir to overcome the impediment.

She is very accomplished and has written a children’s book titled Change Sings and is coming out with an entire poetry collection.

“One of the most rewarding moments in my career is when I am speaking to a child that tells me they have you know the same speech impediment that I had to overcome…” Gorman said to Jeffery Brown (PBS NewsHour.)

She is not forgetting about or ashamed of her speech impediment. She embraces it and with the youth literacy program, she created, One Pen One Page, she makes sure youths don’t lose their voices.

She was raised by a single mother and has two siblings including a twin sister. Her twin sister is also very successful and went to UCLA Film and Television School. Gorman wants to become even more

successful and aspires to become president in 2036 when she is old enough.

“Living as a minority who is running for president, Amanda can give light to many different voices and opinions that are often ignored.” Seventh-grader Kaya Freeman said.

She lives in Los Angeles and is a United States citizen so she would understand where people were coming from and could represent them.

“Being a young black woman, Amanda Gorman will understand the challenges that young people, black people, women of color, people of color, women, and black women go through in our country,” Freeman added.

Amanda Gorman is an amazing and strong woman who aspires to become president but she is also a poet that had a speech impediment which she overcame. She has a history. She has inspired and united tons of people. She has used the most powerful tool ever to do this. Words.

VIA CREATIVE COMMONS Gorman performing at Biden’s inauguration

VIA CREATIVE COMMONS Gorman’s books

THE POLYGON

FEBRUARY ARTS

PAGE 7

Wanda Vision: Phase 4 of MCU A review of the new show that’s streaming on Disney+ SAMANTHA RODINO ARTS EDITOR

O

n January 15, the first two episodes of WandaVision premiered on Disney Plus. Since then, Disney has been releasing one more episode per week, now having four of the nine episodes on their site.

However, by the time this issue of the Polygon is released, all of the episodes will probably be out.

Starting off Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, WandaVision stars Elizabeth Olson as Wanda Maximoff, who seems to have created a new reality in the style of a 1950s sitcom. As the show goes on, we see that each episode is a new decade, the second episode taking place in the ’60s, and the third being in the ’70s. The fourth episode, however, drifts from this pattern, showing the perspective of the SWORD agency, the extraterrestrial organization at SHIELD that is trying to study Wanda’s new reality.

The first two episodes, “Filmed Before A Live Studio Audience” and “Don’t Touch That Dial,” left many Marvel fans with hundreds of questions and theories on which direction the show is going. Some of these theories have been proven to be correct in episodes three and four, while others are still too early to prove.

When the first two episodes came out on January 15, there

FEBRUARY PLAYLIST

Daniel Kenigsberg Pretty Vacant

by Sex Pistols The Rain Song

by Led Zeppelin

The Phantom Lord

by Metallica Screaming for Vengeance

by Judas Priest Rock Me to the Top

by Tesla Surf Rider

by The Lively Ones were many mixed opinions. Some fans loved the sitcom feel of the beginning of the show, while others thought it was a little slow and unnecessary. Yes, the first two episodes lack the epic superhero fight scenes that the MCU is known for portraying, however not all the episodes are out yet. Even Marvel Studios has addressed this, saying that

the fight scenes are worth the wait.

I personally think WandaVision is going in the right direction and I have high hopes for the upcoming episodes. If you’re a Marvel fan looking for something to watch, then this show is definitely for you. However, if you’re new to the MCU, I would recommend watching some of the movies first.

Upper School Musical PREVIEW:

“SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD”

Students are filming the Upper School Musical while following COVID-19 safety protocols by social distancing and wearing masks

Into the Void

by Black Sabbath Among the Living

by Anthrax