Polygon: November Issue

POLY PREP’S Student Newspaper VOL. CVIII ISSUE II NOVEMBER 2023 Issue

the

POLYGON

New AI and Late Policies Introduced ANJALI BUDHRAM NEWS EDITOR

W

hile AI offers numerous benefits in education, there are also concerns related to data privacy, security, and potential biases in AI algorithms. Proper implementation, ethical considerations, and the safeguarding of student data are crucial when introducing AI technologies in schools. Additionally, teacher training and professional development programs are essential to ensure educators can effectively integrate AI tools into their teaching methods. The integration of AI in education is an evolving field, and it has the potential to revolutionize teaching and learning by providing more personalized and effective educational experiences. However, it should be done thoughtfully and ethically to maximize its benefits for students.

Believe it or not, that was written by ChatGPT using the prompt “AI usage in schools.”

It is hard to define the influence that Artificial Intelligence (AI) has on a community; for one, it has not been around long enough to cite as evidence concerning actual data, but more importantly, it sees no parameters. A technology of this power cannot be limited, which is one of the many reasons why Poly is constantly reforming its approach and policies.

Poly encourages students to graduate with a well-rounded education and experience. Mov-

Midterms at poly get a new format PIPER LIPTON CONTRIBUTING WRITER

VIA AMY HAO

VIA YONGHWI KIM

ing away from the Advanced Placement (AP) curriculum has allowed for more specialized classes, giving students opportunities to discover deeper academic interests. Beyond the classroom, Poly offers a multitude of arts courses in every discipline and provides full access to sports and training. Amongst all of these offerings comes an institutional understanding that external factors can affect students’ workload and time management.

Over the last two academic years, AI and its usage has grown astronomically. At the beginning of this school year, Poly, among most other institutions, reformatted its policies concerning AI and late work, as well as how the two operate in tandem within an educational environment.

Late Policy According to previous reporting from senior Lilly Belford in the 2021-2022 school year, she quoted Head of Upper School Sarah Bates stating that “the Poly Administration, department chairs, and teachers are no longer deducting late points, but “they are accounting for it in other ways” as well as how Michal Hershkovitz, assistant head of school, academics, pitched the idea of a No Late Penalty policy.

In an email to the Polygon, Chair of the En (Continued on page 3)

polygonnews.org

P

oly will have a week in January solely devoted to midterms this year. This midterm week will replace last year’s in-class midterms, which was a change from the previous system: a midterm week before winter break in December.

In the past, Poly held its midterm week before winter break, but changed the policy last year. According to Head of the Upper School Sarah Bates, many of the faculty and administrators expressed concerns about the uneven number of weeks between the fall and spring semesters, which was a problem specifically concerning electives that only span one semester. Having midterms before winter break meant that fall semester electives were a few weeks shorter than spring semester electives, which led to challenges for teachers trying to cover the same material each semester.

Bates said, “[December midterm week] ended up taking an already shortened fall semester and shortening it even more because you lost a week of teaching time due to that midterm week.” She also added that teachers were especially concerned about a reserved midterm week post-COVID, when they were dealing with the learning loss that resulted from online learning.

Although the administration was hopeful after replacing midterm week with in-class midterms, Bates said, “It ended up not really doing us any favors.”

Instead, “Teachers were still feeling like either students weren’t fully attentive because they were going into an exam or just coming out of one, or they were already giving up some of their own teaching time so that kids had time to study for a test,” added Bates.

English teacher Gerald Stone agreed with Bates that having midterms in class led to distractions, and prefers an official midterm week. “If [students] were in class they’d be thinking about their next day’s finals. That’s not really a healthy situation. So it’s better to just take a break and make sure kids are here for their [midterm],” said Stone.

Stone believes midterms are a crucial part of learning because they provide “a real opportunity to

do some reviewing and to take stock of where we are at the mid year.” The Brandeis International School supports his view, as it found that midterms “are often the first indicator of how well a student is absorbing, processing, and retaining the class material.”

Stone explained that teachers do lose teaching time when there is a midterm week, but he thinks this comes with something valuable. He believes that students “gain a real good, strong experience, which we think is more valuable than the teaching time lost.”

Poly midterm week prepared University of Pennsylvania sophomore Holden Lipton ‘22 for challenging midterms in college. “The process of accumulating your notes and studying the material in a timely and efficient manner was important,” Lipton said, continuing by adding that “Poly does a really good job in general” of preparing students for intensive testing in college.

Math teacher Geeta Vir also said that longer midterms have benefits that extend beyond just learning material for the class. Most Poly students end up taking the SAT or ACT, which are multi-hour exams.

Vir said longer midterms are helpful because “it’s important that we prepare [students] solely for the actual sitting time” required for standardized testing.

Vir believes that students will gain the necessary knowledge from either midterms in class or in a formal midterm week. She prefers midterm week for practical reasons. “Having it in class, there’s so many different factors you have to take into consideration. What if there are sports events and some students will be absent for one day but not the second part of the exam?”

In a January 2023 Polygon article, senior and Polygon News Editor Anjali Budhram reported that one of Poly’s goals in eliminating the dedicated midterm week was to reduce student stress. However, for junior Cici Malley, midterm week was less stressful than having in-class midterms. “I was definitely less stressed when we didn’t have classes in between the tests and everything, because the classes gave me additional work that I didn’t need in order to do my midterms,” said Malley.

Senior Julia Rosenberg agreed that in-class midterms were more stressful than midterm week. Rosenberg said, “I think that I would have done better last year if I actually had a full week to study and prepare.”

However, Stone believes midterm week might be more stressful, stating that midterm week means longer exams and entire grades of students taking the test together in the gym, which raises the intensity level. Still, he thinks the increased stress is worth it because midterm week “is getting Poly back to being a bit more rigorous, like before the pandemic.”

How Institutions Are Responding to the Israel-Hamas War LUCAS BASHAM BREAKING NEWS EDITOR

O

n October 12, Columbia University’s iconic South Lawn was divided in two. Student protestors with the student groups Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) stood to the East, while opposing protestors with Students Supporting Israel (SSI) stood to the West. A month later, Columbia banned SJP and JVP from holding protests on campus until the end of the semester, saying they had violated university policy.

Students protested again and faculty staged a walkout.

“We’ve said it before, that our voices are louder and more powerful than the money that you receive, Columbia,” Mohsen Mahdawi, a Columbia student and a Palestinian refugee, told The New York Times. “We won’t be silenced.”

As the war reaches its third month, U.S. college and university campuses continue to be rattled by the conflict. Not only have campuses been host to countless

protests since the war began on October 7, but college presidents have angered students and alumni with statements and lack thereof. Both leaders who chose to stay quiet and those who put out statements faced backlash.

Meanwhile, groups of parents and teachers reacted with outrage to a string of memos released by New York City public schools. In late November, students at Hillcrest High School in Queens stormed the hallways in protest to a teacher’s attendance of a pro-Israel protest. While large scale responses are less prominent on the high school level, administrators are facing the same problems in their response as university leaders.

“Universities kind of backed themselves into a corner,” Tom Ginsburg, a law professor and faculty director of the University of Chicago’s Forum for Free Inquiry and Expression, told The Wall Street Jour-

nal. “Even if they want to move to a policy of neutrality, they are going to have a hard time doing it.”

Williams College’s president Maud S. Mandel chose not to send any emails regarding the conflict, aside from a statement explaining her silence. “Earlier in my presidency I sent out public statements about various world events,” she wrote in a letter to the community. “After conversations with members of our community and colleagues at other schools, I have become convinced that such communications do more harm than good.”

At Harvard, more than 30 student groups initially signed a letter that blamed Hamas’ attack on Israel’s treatment of Palestinians in the past decades. (At least five groups have since withdrawn their signatures, according to The Harvard Crimson.)(Continued on page 4) President Claudine Gay’s initial

2

NEWS

NOVEMBER 2023

Guest Speaker Max Stossel Discusses the Realities of Social Media TESSA COOPER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

O

n October 23, E-block classes were canceled for guest speaker Max Stossel, an award-winning poet, filmmaker, and speaker. He spoke to Poly students and faculty during assembly in his first in-person session, as well as parents later that day over Zoom about the world of social media. Stossel engaged with Poly students by telling them to talk to someone next to them about their most freeing, happy experiences. Most of the students’ responses were from times they were not using social media. This posed the question of whether or not social media is a good environment to involve yourself in.

In addition to sharing important insights on social media, Stossel inspired many students to take steps toward limiting their time on these apps. Daniel Doughty, head of middle school, said that “a few of the kids, I think, definitely thought that they were going to delete some of the apps that they already had, like Snapchat and other social media.” He also said that “what I liked about the presentation is that it gave everyone realistic options that weren’t just ‘delete everything.’” The presentation suggested apps that would help you moderate your screen time such as “one sec.”

Middle School Counselor Tynesha Wright-Lindo explained that after she heard Stossel’s name come up in many conversations, as he was featured on CNN, BBC, and BuzzFeed, she started researching his website to VIA LINDA BUSETTI get in touch with him. She said, “it sounded like it would be a good fit for students here at Poly.” Juliet Moretti, director of student support, also played a role in bringing Stossel to the Poly campus. She discussed how “we had such good reviews on him from schools that were similar in volume in terms of the impact that his assembly had and how students were talking about it and faculty and parents.” She also noted that his website, called Social Awakening (socialawakening.org), had clips of him speaking that allowed them to “research his goal in this world of social media.”

Stossel’s presentation touched upon many different points, including the way social media can consume our time and energy. Moretti further explained that his goals, “are not to scare people who are told to stop using social media. It’s fair for

The POLYGON

us to ask questions and say, hey, is what you’re doing on this app in our best interest?” One of the most important questions that she mentioned Stossel asking was, “is this [app] making you feel good?” In fact, many students realized that they don’t leave their social media apps feeling good. They often leave the apps feeling drained or bad about themselves. Sophomore Samantha Menkes said, “I might delete Snapchat because I feel really drained after using it and there is no purpose and I don’t feel productive.” She adds, “I feel like real life experiences are more fulfilling.

Many wondered whether something happened at Poly to trigger the response of bringing Stossel in. Moretti answered by saying, “I don’t think there was one event or a series of events. We do see many issues across all grades around social media and the content that people are viewing and sharing and commenting on.” Although there was not one issue at Poly to trigger this response, it was necessary to bring to the students’ attention the impact of social media and to encourage some new limits. Doughty added to this point, saying, “we took it as a good opportunity to recommit to teaching kids how to use social media and how to uphold quality standards while on social media. So it wasn’t something where kids got in trouble, or anything. But we wanted to have that conversation before they got in trouble.”

There were many positive reactions from the students at Poly. Moretti said that “the kids were really engaged” and she “did see a handful of students stay after to ask him questions.” Sophomore Sasha Gilyadoff said that “I think it was really cool how we got to see how technology can impact our brains and our daily routines so much through life.”

Moretti admitted, “all of social media is a messy and complicated and often scary world, and we knew that that was something that resonated with our students as well.” She added, “we just want to always share more resources about mental health and to help students feel more empowered to seek and find and utilize this information. That’s always first of all.”

Editors-in-Chief Jess Dosik Jordan Millar

Managing Editors TJ Iannelli Chelsea Lin

Sports Editors Kayvan Dyk Reese Roaman

Photography Editors Sophia Chamorro IZ Nissen

News Editors Anjali Budhram Seanna Sankar

Breaking News Editor Lucas Basham

Online Managing Editor Lucia Zaremba

Opinions Editor William Ling-Regan People Editor Elizabeth Perry Features Editor Eleanor Brown Lila Daniels Arts Editors Sadie Schoenberger Brianna Sylvain Middle School Editor Charlotte Arzouian

Business Manager Petros Dulos Arts Critic Lucy Goldberg Head Layout Editors Danielle Jason Charlotte Roberts Layout Editors Emma Arden Amber Dosik Chloe Guedes-Smith Nyjáh Harrison Carolina Lisk Dov Weinstein Elul

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. All Chief of Cartoons and Puzzles submissions should be emailed to polyMichael Gabriel gon@polyprep.org and must include the author’s name. The Polygon reserves the DEIB Reporter right to edit all submissions for spelling, Izzy Leyton grammar, and length. Letters should be no longer than 200 words, and opinion pieces Business Columnist should be no longer than 750 words. You Noah Yaffe can find the full Polygon editorial policy online at polygonnews.org.

Copy Editors Maia Kovaleski Faculty Advisor: Rachael Allen Ziah Adediran Lulu Adefris-Yaxley Aerin Genatt The Polygon Gabi Winitzer c/o Poly Prep CDS Opal Williams-Law

9216 7th Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11228

NOVEMBER 2023

3

NEWS

New AI and Late Policies Introduced (Continued from page 1) glish Department Peter Nowakoski explained, “After discussing three years under our COVID guidelines, academic leadership (Division Heads, Hershkovitz, and Department Chairs) spent some time over the spring and summer deciding what to do. After agreeing on a couple of baseline policies, departments met to finalize departmental policies in August.”

A late policy has been reinstated school-wide, but in a different manner than before. All work is still expected to be turned in on time, and teachers still understand extraneous circumstances as long as the student handles the situation in a proper and timely manner. However, from department to department the policy’s intricacies now shift.

The English Department has implemented their policy as such: “You can expect no more than seven calendar days to complete the work without penalty including in-class work missed due to an excused absence. After seven calendar days the grade will stand as a ‘Not Turned In’ and the student will not receive credit for the assignment. For major assignments whose grades make up the majority of a student’s final grade, after seven days late work will be penalized at the rate of a full grade per day after the deadline. Grades on such assignments may not drop below 50% of the total possible value; however, students must complete all major assignments satisfactorily in order to receive credit for a class. Also, students may not revise late work for a grade after the fact and should expect less detailed feedback.”

Similarly, the Math Department set their policy on a seven-day deadline: “Students have one week to reach out to their teacher to let them know when they will be able to submit their late work. If students do not communicate, they must attend their next scheduled mandatory study

hall to complete their work.” wrote Dr. Maria DiCarlo, chair of the math department in an email to the Polygon.

The logic behind why each department chose how to govern this policy largely derives from how students were acting in the past as well as the type of work that is “normal” for that subject. Chair of the History Department Dr. Virginia Dillon shared her department’s policy in an email to the Polygon: “Students will receive a one week grace period after a graded summative assignment is due with no repercussions. After the grace period has passed, if an assessment has not been completed and submitted appropriately (as determined by the teacher), the student will receive a 1 percent grade penalty on the assessment per calendar day. Teachers may also require students to attend mandatory study hall to complete late work. If extenuating circumstances exist, a conversation will be had with the student, dean, and family.”

AI Concerning AI, departments have not yet completely solidified their policies, either sticking to the school-wide understanding or something more applicable to departmental standards and procedure.

DiCarlo, Nowakoski, and Chair of the Science Department Dr. Ramesh Laungani have all set their departments to follow the school-wide policy: “As with other work, students may use AI as a guide and a tool but must explicitly reference their use and discuss it with their teacher. Attribution is essential, mandatory, and non-negotiable. Inappropriate use of AI will result in immediate and severe consequences and any violation of these requirements as denoted in the Poly Honorable Use Policy will be handled similarly to plagiarism.”

DiCarlo stated that the Math Depart-

ment is still working on their official policy.

Dillon shared the precedent that the History Department has set:“We will approach AI as we do all innovation, with a learning and growth mindset. We are committed to ongoing faculty and student development that will empower us to use AI tools to extend learning and skill development rather than compromise or bypass them. Commit to being an ally in this important work, not a disrupter. As with other work, students may use AI as a guide and a tool but must explicitly reference their use and discuss it with me. Attribution of AI tools is essential, mandatory, and non-negotiable on all assignments you submit under your own name. Inappropriate use of AI tools and/or resources will result in immediate and severe consequences, and any violation of these requirements as denoted in the Poly Honorable Use Policy will be handled similarly to plagiarism. If you are wondering whether you used AI ethically and productively, ask your teacher.”

Nowakoski shared his own feelings surrounding AI: “After dealing with it for almost a year at this point and discussing it, the department agrees that in its current form, generative AI interferes with genuine student learning at every level. Used in approaching difficult topics, it simplifies and flattens the kinds of complex texts and ideas that are the core of a good humanities curriculum. Likewise, at no point in the writing process does AI build on student work; it merely replaces it.”

As Poly is constantly working to adapt toward developing educational standards, Laungani stated, “AI is a rapidly changing tool and many educational institutions are still evaluating their relationship with AI so that it can be a tool that positively impacts student learning.”

Runway4 Camera Crew Comes to Poly Prep CAROLINA LISK LAYOUT EDITOR

T

his September, there was a camera crew traveling around Poly Prep’s campus. The crew was brought to Poly in order to create a video for the school’s website that would authentically capture the lives of students at the Dyker Heights campus. Throughout the week-long filming process, students were able to engage with the crew and even participate in the construction of this project.

The Communications Team brought in the camera crew from a creative group, called Runway4, who filmed content contributing to a three-part episode series to capture the experiences of Poly students within the Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools. with each division given their own chapter. Laura Grimm, the senior manager of the Communications Team, added that “the concept behind this trio of videos is a day in the life,” here at school.

The Communications Team gave the camera crew simple directions to effectively capture student life without including any biases. To do so, they also gave students little to no instruction on how to behave around the crew. This approach aided the visual representation of the Poly community in a way that was as natural as possible.

VIA LAURA GRIMM “[The goal] was really to capture the life of Poly authentically,” said Jennifer Slomack, the director of engagement and communications.

Slomack’s intention for the video was to visually display student life at Poly for new applicants who are looking for a community in which students really enjoy all aspects of school. “[We were] trying to capture that students are happy here, above all. [As well as the fact that] they are serious in classes,” she explained. The overall goal of the video was to show, not tell, the life of Poly; most importantly, it was to be done accurately.

The team refrained from writing out the experience one might have at Poly, and instead, they wanted new appli-

cants to explore it themselves through the video. This meant that the video needed to have a specific creation process in order to allow the viewer to feel as though they are welcome in the Poly community. The production process of the video was fairly simple, since there was minimal scripting involved, according to Slomack.

The camera crew specifically angled their cameras so they shot level to all the students. Additionally, some students even got the opportunity to wear a camera, which portrayed Poly through a student’s eye. “We really wanted the viewer to experience Poly as if they were

a student walking through the halls,” added Slomack.

The Communications Team made sure to holistically capture all of the programming offered at Poly, from classes, to sports, to instrumental ensembles, as well as the visual and performing arts. It was imperative that the crew could visit as many classes and after-school activities as possible.

In the spring of this year, the Runway4 crew filmed a similar video at Poly’s Lower School campus, located in Park Slope, Brooklyn. The short video can be seen on the school’s website, and is structured similarly to the videos being created for the Middle School and Upper School. The project includes all aspects of the Lower

School from science, to dance and music classes, with each clip captured from a student perspective or angle.

The video is composed of short clips from around the school, layered with upbeat music that was carefully selected to match the energy of the Lower School. After the video was filmed in the spring, it took the team around two months to complete the editing process. This process entailed many things, such as color correcting the images and choosing clips to use in the final cut of the video.

Finally, after completing the editing process, the Lower School video was put on the website earlier in the summer.

The student perception of the crew can be seen as a reflection of the project’s overall goals. Sophomore Margaret Cochran said, “I think it was really cool how they’re making the video about every different part of our school, and how it’s not about one specific thing, so you can see the variety.” Even though the crew immersed themselves in the student life, most people didn’t find them too distracting in classes or extracurricular activities. Sophomore Samantha Menkes said, “I feel like they did the best they could, but they have to get in the way either way.” Overall, student interaction with the crew was pretty positive, and according to Slomack, no students objected to wearing a camera, making this process a lot easier for the team. Naturally, some students may have shielded themselves from the crew, but nothing that interfered with the overall creation of the project.

The Middle and Upper School videos will be up on the Poly website as a resource for new applicants to understand our community by late November. “I’m excited that this shows Poly in a really authentic way that gets people excited to actually come to campus and meet our admissions team and meet our students and meet our teachers,” Slomack said.

4

NEWS

NOVEMBER 2023

How Institutions Are Responding to the Israel-Hamas War (Continued from page 1)

email drew backlash from corporate leaders with connections to Harvard for not condemning the students and expressing enough outrage at Hamas’ attack. Even after a follow-up email and video message, some organizations still cut ties with the school, including a foundation that had funded Israeli students pursuing master’s degrees at Harvard for more than 30 years.

After establishing themselves as moral arbitrators on campus with responses to past news events,

including the murder of George Floyd and gun violence in Texas, high school and university administrators alike are expected to publish statements, but saying the right thing has proved impossible.

A few days after Columbia banned SJP and JVP demonstrations, roughly 200 Columbia alumni gathered outside the campus to protest the ban in a protest organized by CUAlumni4Palestine, a group of alumni and affiliates of Columbia that

formed in the wake of the SJP and JVP’s suspension.

“Whenever students have decided to protest, they’ve always taken a very reactionary stance,” Tanaquil Jones, a Columbia alumni and speaker at the demonstration, told the Columbia Daily Spectator. “Change only comes when people are willing to stand up for what they believe, and usually it’s a minority of students that do that.”

Winter Formal Welcomes Entire Upper School JORDAN MILLAR EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

P

oly will be hosting its second annual Winter Formal this December. The school hosted its first Winter Formal on December 10, 2022, in the Novogratz Gym, intending that the event would be for just 11th and 12th grade students. As written in an email to juniors and seniors and their families last year, the school explained; “We have worked in partnership with the Upper School Student Government to ensure this new community tradition is student-driven. We believe that events like this grow Poly spirit and serve as milestones and create memories for our students as they move through their Poly experience.” But this school year, the Winter Formal has undergone some structural changes, including the event now being open to the entire Upper School, rather than just upperclassmen.

The decision to expand the attendees for the formal came after receiving feedback from last year’s 11th and 12th grade students. According to Director of Student Life Jared Winston, “On the one hand, the first time you do something you’re going to have less attendance.” Winston used Poly’s Senior Sunrise, another recent school tradition, as an example. Last year’s Senior Sunrise had only approximately 50 students in attendance, while this year, the number of attendees was over twice that amount, reaching nearly 110 students.

“The Winter Formal last year was a re-introduction to school dances for our Upper School students, which meant a lack of familiarity on behalf of students with what it would or could be. And so attendance came in at about 175 students for a possible 300 students to attend,” Winston said.

If the event was only designated for students in grades 11 and 12, Winston estimated that roughly only 200 students would be present, not amounting to much of a difference.

“As we grow, the presence of school dances back on campus, [we] also recognized that 25 more students at the dance would not address the wish of the [older] students, which was to increase the amount of kids there. To open

VIA EMMANUEL KAMBOURIS

it up to grades nine and ten as well, not only addresses the impulse that students want more people involved in the dance, but it also opens up a great opportunity to build community across the four grades,” stated Winston.

According to Winston, students in grades nine and ten often interact with upperclassmen, particularly through student organizations, clubs, plays, musicals, athletic teams, or even siblings. “Opening this dance up to all students in the Upper School [is] a really great way to bring the division together and say, ‘Hey, you come here in ninth grade, you’re going to have four years of school dances where you’re going to be able to open up and let loose with kids

VIA CREATIVE COMMONS

across grades, build connections, create relationships.”

Another important part of this year’s upcoming Winter Formal is increasing student engagement in the planning process. Student Government, as stated by Winston, has been largely involved in organizing the event and conducting student outreach. Recently, Student Government opted to solicit student ideas and input for the formal theme, which after conducting a poll on their Insta-

gram story, was set to be Winter Wonderland. Winston added that another issue students had at the first Winter Formal was the inability to make song requests for the D.J., but he assured that this will not be the case this year.

“We are going to have a D.J. who is going to take student requests, and we’re really excited about that. At the end of the day, we want programs like these to feel like they belong to the students. This isn’t an opportunity for adults to say no to kids,” Winston stated.

Through opening up the formal to grades nine through 12, Winston has already noted that more students have RSVP’d for the dance this year compared to last year. “We’re hoping to have over 300 students there this year,” said Winston, asserting that there are no meaningful differences to the program that will impact the winter formal dance in any negative ways.

“Dances are such a key part of the high school experience so I think it’s cool they brought it back,” said sophomore Maggie Cochran in a message to the Polygon.

“I really love how they are making a point to make sure every student feels included, dances are just another key aspect to the high school experience,” added sophomore Madeline Gross in another message.

“Coming out of the pandemic, it’s really important that we provide students with social opportunities on campus and safe ways to connect and engage in those moments that historically throughout American education have served as rites of passage in the winter,” he added. In comparison to other school communities, which Winston says are leaning away from hosting events such as school dances, “It’s really important to us and our students that we provide opportunities like [these]. It made me happy to know that there are experiences here at Poly that our students are going to receive on our behalf that make this community special when compared to peer institutions,” Winston added.

NOVEMBER 2023

OPINIONS

5

SOS: Save our SAT From Going Digital JESS DOSIK EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

W

hen I was studying for the SAT, the first thing my tutor told me was to use a method called 5P’s. One of those 5P’s was having an “active pencil.” Using your pencil to underline, circle, or even follow along with words made answering questions and reading passages easier. Since then, I’ve always utilized this tip, and I have found that it has actually helped me a lot. Being able to develop that physical connection with the pencil and paper has allowed me to stay focused on the task at hand, as well as notice important parts of texts and questions .

A key part of active pencil is, quite obviously, having a pencil. I never thought that something as simple as a pencil would be denied from students taking the SAT. Until now.

Beginning this school year, the SAT transitioned to an online model. This new version of the test is drastically different from the paper version and will be administered on tablets. But changing the test from pen and paper to digital is a major concern. Many students, including myself, have a hard time comprehending written instructions and texts when presented on a digital screen. A professor of literacy at the University of Stavanger, Anne Mangen, conducted a study where she had students read a specific text, with half of the students reading from paper and the other half reading from PDFs. The students then took reading comprehension tests on what they read. The results showed that “students who read the texts on computers performed… worse than students who read on paper.”

A large part of reading on paper is the textural and

physical connection of tracking words with a finger or pencil and flipping through pages, an element of reading that is lost online. According to Scientific Ameri-

VIA SOPHIA CHAMORRO

can, “the sensory experiences typically associated with reading matter to people more than one might assume.

Text on a computer, an e-reader and on any touchscreen device is far more intangible than text on paper.”

The SAT focuses the majority of its policies on ensur-

ing that everybody has the same environment and experiences while taking the test to ensure fairness. The SAT College Board website states, “we work to strike a balance between preventing anyone from gaining an unfair advantage and providing testing opportunities for the majority of students who follow the rules.” Completely transforming the SAT to a digital format is unfair to both students who work better online and those who work better on paper. These personal preferences do not mean that one type of student is smarter than the other; they just mean that the new SAT only caters to one specific kind of learner.

According to NPR, the new SAT “will shrink from three hours to two, [and] include shorter reading passages.” Some argue that because of this reduction, the test will be easier for students to take and proctors to distribute. However, regardless of the length of a passage or the amount of math problems they have to complete, no student should feel as though they are having a hard time with a problem not because of its difficulty but because of their discomfort with the test format.

A digital model of the SAT may be a good idea, but it should be an option, not a requirement. The SAT tries so hard to stay as fair as possible, and for some, a digital SAT is unfair. To maintain fairness, students should be able to take the format of the test that best fits their needs, whether that means choosing the new digital SAT or, like me, continuing to use their active pencil.

Q + A With Service Learning Teams Addressing Contemporary Issues WILLIAM LING-REGAN OPINIONS EDITOR

T

he students in Mr. Sivin and Mr. Larose’s fall service learning team have been working in three groups to create service projects addressing the Israel-Hamas war, poverty in New York City, and bias and hate speech at Poly. I interviewed the members of these groups to learn about their perspectives on these issues, the work they are doing to address them, and the impact they believe it will have on the Poly community and the world. This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

Israel-Hamas War Service Learning Team Alex Basham, Evan Fischer-Harbage, Harper Giskan, Noah Pessin, Brody Rothenberg, Lasse Savkar Why did you decide to focus on this conflict?

Lasse Savkar: The October 7th events had just taken place maybe four days before that, and all of us who chose it found it interesting and thought that it would be significant to dedicate our time in service to the people affected by it. Personally, I’ve known a lot about the Israel-Palestine conflict for a while, and I think everyone in the group has some sort of personal affiliation to it in some way.

What is your group’s project? How will it address the conflict?

Evan Fischer-Harbage: The main way we thought we could best contribute was to educate people at Poly about the issue, and the way we decided to do that was to create a newsletter and send it to everybody at Poly with a bunch of sources that we curated and thoroughly went over and wrote disclaimers for.

How did you decide which sources to choose?

EFH: We went through a lot of popular sources and gathered a twenty-source list of recommendations that came from the History department, other faculty, and people in the group, and then evaluated them ourselves as well as evaluating them through this website called All Sides, that evaluates a source’s bias.

Beyond your newsletter, how should Poly students identify what makes a reliable source on this conflict?

EFH: Bias is very prevalent in a lot of sources, and it can be really hard to find, because the bias doesn’t always come in the form of what is said in the source, but rather what is left out. Especially if you don’t have background knowledge, you could be reading a source that goes through what they’re claiming is the history of the conflict and leaves out several key events.

What else can members of the Poly community do to understand and respond to this conflict?

Noah Pessin: I want them to do their own research, because this is such a big deal and it doesn’t seem like there’s going to be an ending very soon, [students should be] doing what they can to educate themselves on their own time.

Brody Rothenberg: I want to see students feel free to talk about the issue without being scared to say the wrong thing, but they also should have information that is accurate, instead of just talking about what they see on TikTok or something.

Urban Poverty Lucy Lavanigno-Sisk, Diangely Llano, Madison Shepard, City Smith, Ijeoma Stanley What is your group’s project? How will it address urban poverty?

Lucy Lavanigno-Sisk: We had a bunch of different ideas of what we could bring to Poly to address urban poverty, especially because we’re talking about issues in New York…We thought of the idea of doing an information session at the Packout Day last weekend. We showed a short video and created pamphlets.

Madison Shepard: We also wanted to talk about addressing positionality, and how the positions that we’re in could positively or negatively affect the stereotypes we hold with us when approaching other people in our world.

MS: This weekend, there’s going to be a forum with One Love Community fridge about urban health, and we’re moving forward with trying to create Financial Literacy as not an elective, but as a required course, or something you can take that falls under the History or Math requirements. We’re really looking forward to seeing that happen this year.

How can members of the Poly community become involved in your work?

Ijeoma Stanely: Since we partnered with One Love Community Fridge for our Packout Day, googling the organization and looking at all the locations of their fridges around New York City would be really useful, [so that] they can donate their own fresh fruits and vegetables. On the pamphlet, we explain which neighborhoods in New York are considered food deserts, which don’t have access to nutritious or inexpensive food.

Bias and Hate Speech Lowie Giles, Sheimy Solis, Samuel Swartz, Jordin Walker Why did you decide to focus on addressing hate speech?

Jordin Walker: We’ve interviewed deans and other teachers [about hate speech]. After we interviewed them, we got an idea of what [hate speech] was like, how it was back then for them, and how it has grown progressively over time up to now, where we see it not only on social media, but also at schools, on the street. It’s kind of everywhere.

Sam Swartz: I was interested in this because I think everyone has a different perspective and a different idea of what hate speech and bias look like, and everyone has had different experiences, so I was interested to see and hear different stories from different people.

Sheimy Solis: I honestly chose [to focus on hate speech] because I feel like it’s a very prominent thing in our modern-day society, and it’s either not really addressed or it’s just sort of accepted, and I don’t think that’s okay.

What is your group’s project? How will it address hate speech at Poly?

Lowie Giles: What we’ve been working on with help from a multitude of staff and also Ms. Freeman is creating informational slideshows not only for an assembly, but also for a possible staff meeting. From students speaking to students, and also students speaking to teachers, we can create a new perspective on how hate speech looks in this current day and age…so we created two slideshows defining the concepts of hate speech and bias. [For the slideshow that] we would theoretically put in assembly for high school students, we did research about experiences kids around the country had with hate speech. For a faculty-based meeting, we specifically looked at an incident [of blackface] that happened in 2019 that was not handled correctly and caused a lot of controversy for the school to inform teachers about student response and how they can more properly handle students’ emotions and how to navigate a situation like that.

6

OPINIONS

NOVEMBER 2023

Advice for SAT and ACT Prep Cranberry Sauce: A Confection, a Condiment, and a Side Dish W in its Own Right FIONA SPILLANE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

BRIANNA SYLVAIN ARTS EDITOR

VIA CREATIVE COMMONS

E

very year I seem to find myself in the same position at the Thanksgiving dinner table: drowning in vats of gravy, mounds of mashed potatoes, and a sea of other dishes that meet the criteria of “Thanksgiving food.” The only flotation device in sight, rescuing me from my pumpkin-flavored demise, is the

VIA CREATIVE COMMONS

often overlooked and extremely underrated cranberry sauce.

Unlike anything else on the table, cranberry sauce is a confection, a condiment, and a side dish in its own right. Cranberry sauce is sweet in a way that complements the savory flavors of the other dishes, unlike cinnamon sugar and pumpkin spice. People try to replicate this ability of cranberry sauce by adding things like marshmallows and brown sugar to their meals. However, these attempts have always fallen flat, lacking the unique flavor profile of cranberry sauce.

Now there’s the great debate: is it okay to eat cranberry sauce that’s from the can on Thanksgiving? And my hot take is, yes, it is okay. Of course, everything tastes better homemade, and canned

cranberry sauce’s consistency is more similar to that of jello rather than an actual sauce. However, cranberry sauce is cranberry sauce: whether it’s spent hours simmering in an antique pot over low heat and being stirred gently every couple of minutes, or whether, you just dump it from a can into a chipped dish and move on with your life, it’s going to taste great. When it comes to cranberry sauce, the negative connotation surrounding the use of canned food items disappears because it’s just that incredible.

If you really think about it, cranberry sauce is the superhero of Thanksgiving. It swoops in every November and prevents the turkey from being dry, adds a subtle tartness to the cornbread, offsets the blandness of the potatoes, and after doing all this, still tastes great the next day with leftovers. So this year, if you find yourself sitting at the Thanksgiving table overwhelmed by the assortment of food in front of you, reach for the cranberry sauce. You won’t regret it.

VIA CREATIVE COMMONS

ith the beginning, or for some, the end, lor Swift the whole way there. At the same of standardized test season, I want to time, Lena reviews some minor math and Enoffer some advice to people new to the pro- glish topics to prepare for the test. Once she cess who may be overwhelmed. However, enters the room, she pictures herself getting this is not your typical “get a good night of the email with the score she has been working sleep and eat a hearty breakfast” advice. This for and carries that energy throughout the test. is a collection of detailed recounts of superSenior Nina Harris follows a routine that stitious preparation routines from various closely resembles that of the standard. The students who are currently in or finished with night before, she usually tries to have a “chill” the standardized testing night. She doesn’t process, and, of course, do homework or any a guide to what you last-minute study“should” be doing from ing to reduce her an Upper School Dean. stress. When she I consider my routook her ACT, she tine extremely unconwould pack her bag ventional and do not the night before with recommend it to others, everything necessary but it works for me. The to take the test: pennight before I take a cils, calculator, and standardized test, I eat snacks. The morning pasta for dinner. I don’t of, she has a “gooddo any homework, I just sized” breakfast so relax and watch a show,VIA SOPHIA CHAMORRO she doesn’t get too usually something with hungry during the intelligent people in it. I go to bed at 1 AM be- test, which would cause her to lose focus. cause when I get more sleep, I’m more tired in The Dean Team, as expected, recommends the morning. The next morning, I wake up at 7 a very customary routine. Beginning with the AM and get dressed, putting on my lucky Pa- night prior to a test, they advise that you avoid tagonia fleece. I fill up my water bottle and en- caffeine and sugar after midnight, but realistisure my ID and testing ticket are in my pencil cally, no one is doing that (sorry!). They then case; then my mom and I leave at 7:15 AM. On suggest putting your testing ticket, ID, calcuour way to the testing center, we stop at the 7th lator, and writing implements in your bag the Avenue and 9th Street Starbucks, and I pick up night before so that you are prepared for the my Venti Iced Chai and butter croissant. Once morning. While getting ready for bed, they adwe arrive at the school, I grab all my stuff and vise staying off screens one hour before sleepenter the building, ready to lock in for the test. ing. They say that on the morning of the test, A fellow junior, Lena Shamos, has a simi- you should wake up early and eat a healthy lar routine, but much more standard. The night breakfast to keep you fueled for the long hours before the test, she similarly eats a nice bowl of testing ahead, and then get to the test center of pasta for dinner. For dessert, she has a Cin- early to avoid unexpected traffic and feeling nabon “because that’s [her] lucky food.” She rushed. Finally, they explain that you should gets in bed early and falls asleep while listen- “steer clear of any students who seem to have ing to her favorite music. She sets her alarm to nervous energy!” You wouldn’t want that to wake her up with the same tunes for a joyful impede your confidence going into the test. start to her day. She then gets dressed in her Many different combinations of these lucky Patagonia fleece and a pair of slippers routines can all lead to success, so ultiso she is comfortable. Then, she and her mom mately, do what works for you. Good luck! drive to the testing site while listening to Tay-

Sephora Gift Guide TALIA BARRO-PARSOFF AND LULU ADEFRIS-YAXLEY CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

7

NOVEMBER 2023

FEATURES

Teachers Share Thanksgiving Recipies ISABELLA INCATA CONTRIBUTING WRITER

VIA IZ NISSEN

Devil’s Advocate

WILLIAM LING-REGAN AND ELEANOR BROWN OPINIONS EDITOR AND FEATURES EDITOR Dear Devil’s Advocate,

Now that I’m finally a senior, I’m taking advantage of our off-campus privilege to get lunch or a snack during the day. What are some places I can go to for great food and still make it back in time for class?

Sincerely, Starving Senior Dear Starving Senior,

VIA LINDA RUSSO

Mr. Nowakoski - Cranberry Sauce Ingredients for Raw Cranberry Sauce 1 pound bag of cranberries Zest of organic orange (has to be organic so you don’t grate chemicals) Juice from an entire orange 1 cup of sugar ½ teaspoon of Cointreau 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice Directions: Take your cranberries and wash them.

Put them into a food processor until slightly chopped up.

Add in the orange zest, orange juice, sugar, Cointreau, and pumpkin pie spice Pulse it in the food processor until it’s chopped and even, but not overly chopped that it’s like a paste.

Ingredients for Cooked Cranberry Sauce 1 pound bag of cranberries 1 cup of water (or apple cider if you have!)

Zest of an organic orange (has to be organic so you don’t grate chemicals) Juice from an entire orange 1 cup of brown sugar ½ teaspoon of ground cloves ½ teaspoon of coriander 1 teaspoon of allspice 1 teaspoon of cinnamon ½ teaspoon of ground cardamom Directions: Take your cranberries and wash them.

Then, put them into a two-quart saucepan and add your water until the berries are submerged. Let these simmer for a few minutes until they start to boil.

Add in the orange juice and zest, brown sugar, and all of your spices.

Cook it slowly until the berries fall apart and it makes a jam-like consistency. An excellent way to test is if the sauce sticks to the back of the spoon.

Optional: put it in the fridge when you finish Chef’s Note: “I like to keep it simple on Thanksgiving. It’s nice when everybody can contribute something. I was always the youngest kid of six and so it was a big thing for me to have something to make on Thanksgiving, even if it was as simple as a cranberry sauce.”

Mrs. Russo - Pecan Pie Ingredients: ½ stick butter 1 cup light brown sugar 3 eggs 1/8 teaspoon salt 1 cup light corn syrup (dark corn syrup doesn’t work) 1 tablespoon flour ½ teaspoon vanilla ½ teaspoon cinnamon 1 cup of pecans unbaked pie shell Directions: Preheat oven to 350°F. First, coat your baking pan with butter or cooking spray.

Cream the butter and brown sugar.

Beat the eggs with the salt and add to the butter and sugar.

Add the corn syrup, flour, vanilla, and cinnamon.

Once it’s all combined, add your mixture to your unbaked pie shell. Top with pecans and bake for about 50 minutes.

Optional: Add extra pecans when it’s done baking for an extra crunch.

Chef’s Note: “A glass pie dish always works better than metal. Another helpful tip is to take aluminum foil and put it around the circumference of the pie dish so that you don’t burn the edges of your pie crust. Additionally, make sure to let the pie cool. Do not serve it right away because it will still be gooey and you want it to solidify. My son and I have been making pecan pie together every year since he was born, so it was always a fun, mother-son bonding activity.”

See polygonnews.org for more teacher recipies!

The start of senior year is a stressful time. We’re trying to do as well as possible in all of our classes, running extracurriculars, and applying to college at the same time. The one respite from this constant hustle? Great food. Of course, we all love the Commons classics like chicken and rice or after-school curly fries, but, occasionally, it’s good to explore the other options out there.

That’s not just true for seniors— while younger students can’t go off campus during the day yet, you should definitely take advantage of everything the neighborhood has to offer after school. So to give you a guide, we’ve compiled a list of some of the best food far down on the heights called Dyker.

To begin, there’s the holy trinity of Poly favorites, the places where you’re always sure to run into a classmate and consistently have a delicious meal .

Dyker Park Bagels Only three blocks away from Poly’s front gate, Dyker Park Bagels has every combination of bagel, spread, and topping you can imagine, as well as coffee, sandwiches, and hundreds of baked goods. We love their bagels with lox and cream cheese or the classic bacon, egg, and cheese, but nothing beats their signature Chicken Ridiculous, a legendary tower of a sandwich that truly lives up to its name.

BurgerFi Just a few steps away from Dyker Park Bagels lies Poly Prep’s third campus: BurgerFi. During the day, seniors will come in for lunch and a shake, while in the hours between the end of school and an event like Blue Devil’s Night, this fast food joint’s tables and booths overflow with what seems like seventy-five percent of Poly’s student body. There’s a reason this place is so popular. Wherever you fall on the burger vs. chicken sandwich debate, BurgerFi has something for you, and a side of fries to go with it.

Baya Bar No matter what’s on it—coconut flakes, fruit, granola, honey, or Nutella— an açaí bowl from Baya Bar never disappoints. The base is tropical and refreshing, while the toppings add a punch of flavor and a satisfying crunch. If you’re not an açaí fan, you can settle for a smoothie, fresh-pressed juice, or an oatmeal bowl.

But if you really know what you’re doing, you’ll always order the Bella Nutella.

These three places are Poly classics, but if you want to venture beyond and try something new, we’ve gathered a range of spots for you.

Paneantico On the corner of 3rd Avenue, Paneantico is perhaps the closest you can get to Italy within walking distance from school. They offer an overwhelmingly extensive menu for breakfast and lunch, along with tantalizing cases of Italian pastries and prepared foods. Their paninis are incredible, but we recommend splitting one with a friend, as they’re pretty generous with their portion sizes. Make sure to get it with their balsamic vinegar and finish it off with their fresh lemonade.

Nino’s Pizza Right down the block, nestled between storefronts, Nino’s offers up a classic New York slice that is exactly what you need to satiate a cheese craving. If you’re rushing back to campus, grab a quick slice, and if you have a little extra time, get their garlic knots as well.

Bridgeview Diner Across the street from Nino’s is another unmissable spot. Bridgeview is a classic diner, with big green booths to settle in and the same hospitable staff every day. You’ll always be able to snag a table, and within a few minutes, you’ll feel at home among the towers of pancakes and french toast. Their menu is so extensive that it’s almost hard to pick up, so you can be sure that Bridgeview truly has something for everyone.

Dave’s Hot Chicken You may have seen him online, or perhaps on a trip to the West Coast, but Dave has finally made it to 86th Street. Dave’s Hot Chicken serves some of the crispiest chicken sandwiches out there, along with some necessary crinkle-cut fries. The sandwiches come in seven different spice levels, so your friends of every spice tolerance level can come, but be warned that you have to sign a waiver to try their hottest sandwich: The Reaper.

Kung Fu Tea No list of food recommendations would be complete without a beverage, and Kung Fu Tea is the place to go for Poly students. This place on 5th avenue provides a wide selection of fruit and milk boba teas in a range of sizes and levels of ice and sweetener.

We know that a great meal can take your day from hell to heaven. With this list, we hope we’re pointing you in the right direction.

Sincerely, The Devil’s Advocate Need advice? Write polygon@polyprep.org a letter explaining your problem and we’ll publish it anonymously with advice from the Devil’s Advocate.

8

FEATURES

NOVEMBER 2023

What is the “A+ Rule” Across Departments?

LILA DANIELS FEATURES EDITOR

P

oly Prep teaches students how to strive for greatness, excellence, and to exceed expectations. Teachers and coaches alike have the objective in mind to push students to the next level, intellectually and physically. In the classrooms, there is one thing — a concise combination of a letter and a symbol — that epitomizes the essence of what that excellence is, something that seems attainable. However, as soon as you feel you reach the elusive standard, the goalposts get further moved back. This state of true mastery is represented within the coveted A-plus.

Rumors like “my teacher says that only one student per year can get an A-plus” and “humanities classes aren’t permitted to give A-pluses” have been circulating the halls, provoking confusion among Poly students. The student body is owed an explanation of the approaches teachers in all departments take when granting this grade of superb achievement. What’s behind the A-plus?

When COVID-19 hit Poly, administrators were tasked with reevaluating the school’s grading policy. A “grading floor” was instated during virtual school, meaning that whatever grade students retained before entering the virtual classroom, they could not dip below that grade.

Assistant Head of Upper School Michal Hershkovitz says that was the moment “that started us down a path of revisiting our grading policies. We started looking at some of these new policies and looking at our existing grading policies through the lens of equity.” The Administration evaluated their grading policies, ultimately decided to offer extra credit no longer, and made sure that all grading is accurate, bias resistant, and motivational to allow students to grow and learn. Hershkovitz, along with the chairs of each academic department, curated a grading template. Each department filled out that template with its own information, including questions such as “What types of assessments does your department give?” and “What are your grading rubrics?” “[This template] explains to students in terms of what their expectations are, what the teacher’s expectations are, what will constitute a grade, a high grade, and what will constitute a grade that suggests you, as the student, need to do more work,” Hershkovitz said.

Some departments require a precise answer to obtain that perfect score, and others obligate “publishable quality,” Hershkovitz said, for an A-plus. What do the thought processes look for granting the craved A-plus, department by department?

HISTORY DEPARTMENT: Although some might presume that earning an A-plus in their history class is plainly impossible, the truth is that it can happen. Dr. Virginia Dillon, chair of the his-

tory department, helped to peel back the covers and reveal the thought processes behind History A-pluses. “We don’t have a strict policy in terms of A-pluses. It’s possible you can get an A-plus in history on a paper, I suppose, even for the semester. It’s not that it’s impossible, but it is really rare. The A itself is exceeding expectations, going above and beyond what was asked of you. An A-plus is sort of like even above ‘above and beyond.’ It’s got to be publishable quality,” Dillon said. There was a department chair meeting earlier this school year that made it clear to teachers that they are permitted to grant an A-plus but for the purpose of rewarding exceptionally strong students. It just so happens that this level of incredibility is quite rare.

VIA SOPHIA CHAMORRO

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT: Similarly to the history department, English courses being part of the humanities department, tend to be centered around confusion on A-plus policies. Since grading an analytical paper or poetry analysis can be subjective, the lines around giving A-pluses in English can be blurred to a student’s eye. Chair of the English Department Peter Nowakoski hoped to clear some of this confusion.

“We often have conversations about what constitutes an A-plus, and I think the department agrees, broadly speaking, that an A plus should be a rarity at best. We don’t really use numbers to grade that much. I mean, yes, we do, we put things into rubrics, rubrics out of numbers, but those are always just sort of subjective fields. You can accurately tell the difference between a 96, a 97, or a 98 less clearly in humanities courses where you’re grading things that aren’t easily captured by quantitative methods. [Receiving an A-plus] should involve something

beyond not just simply completing the assessments and doing really well on them, but some other kind of bigger result.” Nowakowki describes one of his hard-working A-plus recipients as “almost graduate student level.”

LANGUAGE DEPARTMENT: The language department takes a more mathematical approach to granting A-pluses, in contrast to humanities classes. Chair of the Language Department Elisabeth Mansfield, said, “An A-plus is a mathematical equation, 96.5 to 100. So, if that’s your average, you get the grade that you deserve. To me, it’s just a simple calculation, I don’t think that there’s ever been a policy against giving an A-plus [for the language department].

The Head of Upper School, Ms. Bates, handed us a grading scale that had an A-plus on it as the top grade.”

MATH DEPARTMENT: The math department’s A-plus policy is forthright.

Chair of the Math Department Dr. Maria DiCarlo has an explicit answer to the confusion. “There’s no policy on [giving a-pluses]. It’s all very objective. Like for our tests, if you get the question right, you earn the points. Many years, like 20 years ago, there were some grading policies, but they’re in terms of like number of A’s or something like that. I mean, I’ll say that if your whole class is getting an A-plus [for the semester], then you should maybe question if you’re challenging your students,” DiCarlo said. All in all, the math department calculates A-pluses simply like a mathematical equation.

SCIENCE DEPARTMENT: Similar to the math and language departments, the science department grading policy takes the numerical approach. Ramesh Laungani, chair of the science department, said, “there is no formal policy in the science department for or against A-pluses. We follow the Poly grading scale, which I believe states that if a student earns a 97 or above on a given graded assessment, whether that’s an in-class exam or a graded project, or if they earn a 97 percent at the class level, they will have earned an A-plus [for that assessment or] for the class.”

Hopefully, a dissection of each individual department’s grading policy in terms of giving A-pluses helps alleviate some of the confusion students feel surrounding the coveted grade. So no, your history teacher hasn’t declared receiving an A-plus impossible, and it is feasible to receive an A-plus in your English class! The standards aren’t unreachable; they are merely subjective to the class and to the teacher. Keep working hard, Poly!

STEM in the World: Car Suspension TJ IANNELLI MANAGING EDITOR

A

s 2023 comes to an end and the colder months arrive, some might notice their car tire pressure light illuminating for no apparent reason. This is due to the decrease in temperature which causes air to take up less space, resulting in lower air pressure. According to one of the largest tire manufacturers in the world, Continental Tires, “Inflating your winter tires according to your car manufacturer’s recommendation helps maintain good traction and handling on slippery icy surfaces, no matter the temperature change.” In fact, a vehicle’s tires are one of the most important parts of a car’s suspension, as it is the only part of the suspension system that actually touches the ground. This poses the question: How does suspension actually work?

While there are many different kinds of suspension, at its very basis, a suspension consists of springs or coils, which control the height and weight of the vehicle, and shocks or dampers, which absorb energy that the vehicle’s tires receive when they’re in contact with the road. There are also more complex and costly suspension systems using compressed air or even magnetic systems that provide an even smoother ride. Without any of these systems, driving a car anywhere besides the most perfect of surfaces would be very uncomfortable.

A car’s tires are meant to be in contact with the road

surface constantly, so every imperfection in the road that displaces the tire displaces the entire car. With the help of suspension, this displacement is dampened but varies

VIA CREATIVE COMMONS

depending on the surface or size of the imperfection in the road. Think of it as running on a road with very supportive and cushioned shoes versus having no shoes. The cushioned shoes are much more comfortable, as most of the force from the ground is dampened and dispersed by the shoe sole.

Without shoes, every force will be felt through the entire body, causing considerable discomfort. The type of suspension also varies for the purpose of the vehicle, and there are cases where performance is prioritized over comfort.

In the case of race suspension, the system is significantly stiffer than road cars, with the main purpose being to keep as much contact between the tires and the road surface as possible. This would be like comparing walking shoes to track spikes. While the walking shoes provide more comfort for long-term reliability, track spikes ensure that the maximum amount of traction and energy is being used to its greatest potential.

Suspension systems involving tension and flexibility also exist in many other ways. One way is how large skyscrapers are designed to flex back and forth in the case of an earthquake or high winds. In some buildings, a large weight is used as a dampener that counteracts high winds. Additionally, suspension bridges, like the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge next to Poly Prep’s campus, are possible thanks to engineers’ understanding of tension and distribution of weight.

Without suspension, many things used everyday like cars and bridges would be extremely unsafe or impossible to use.

9

NOVEMBER 2023

PEOPLE

Senior Spotlight: Trent Winston KAYVAN DYK SPORTS EDITOR

W

ith all the talented student-athletes at Poly, it’s hard to choose just one. Nevertheless, Senior Trent Winston stands out amongst the rest as a threesport athlete, being an integral part of the Poly football, lacrosse, and track teams.

Winston began his athletic career with basketball, then progressed to lacrosse and

This season, Winston proved that he is not only a standout defensive player but an offensive weapon as well. He ended the season leading the team in rushing and receiving yards, with 1186 combined, and total touchdowns, with eight. Senior and Team Captain Abe Herzog said that Trent has “been running over everyone in the league. I can count on him getting

VIA TRENT WINSTON

100 yards and a touchdown every single game.”

Winston commented that “the football team especially is like family to me” and their chemistry definitely translates onto the field, judging by their success this season. “I love blocking for him because I can drive my guy five yards back and then just watch Trent go to work,” said Herzog. Winston said that he “spends more time with them than anyone else during the season,” practicing, watching film, and of course, going to BurgerFi after summer practices. “So the bonds are very close.”

Being a three-sport athlete, Winston has had to learn how to manage his time effectively. When asked about life as a student-athlete at Poly, he said: “It’s definitely a struggle to manage my time because of practice and games. I get home super late and I’m often extremely tired and still need to complete homework and study.”

Unfortunately, after coming off an impressive playoff victory at home against Riverdale 21-14, Winston’s senior football season ended in an uncharacteristic defeat to Rye Country Day in the MIFL League Championship. Nevertheless, there’s no debating the impact he’s had on the program and now he can look to the future, with the indoor track season just around the corner and lacrosse following it shortly after.

football as he got older. He played youth football for the Rosedale Jets and began playing for Poly his freshman year, making a significant impact on the team ever since.

Winston was one of two juniors in a team full of seniors, starting defense for Poly’s football team in their 2022 championship-winning season. He has been a mainstay in the team’s defense ever since, and a lockdown cornerback, only allowing a single touchdown in nine games last season.

Winston continued to perform in athletics in his junior year, even after football sea-

“I can count on him getting 100 yards and a touchdown every single game.”

- Abe Herzog son, as he had a prolific indoor track season, finishing in the NYSAIS top six in the 55 meter dash. He wasn’t done there however, as he started for the Poly lacrosse team as the FOGO (face of get off) in the spring and earned an All-League Honorable Mention.

Sunday Routine: Mr. Farrar DOV WEINSTEIN ELUL LAYOUT EDITOR

B

enjamin Farrar, one of Poly’s computer science teachers and a recently retired World of Warlock professional player, spends his Sundays watching sports, exercising, and relaxing.

Farrar normally starts his Sundays at 8:30 in the morning to watch a Formula One race. “It’s a primarily European sport. It mostly takes place in the mornings here because it’s the afternoon for them,” he said. He explained that he loves how easy the races are to understand. “It’s a really fun sport because there’s only 20 people. Whereas, with football or baseball or something, you have to know everybody on every team to really get a sense of the storyline. But with only 20 people, that’s like a reality TV show.” These races last around two hours, leaving Farrar with the entire rest of the day to still do what he likes, such as gaming or playing guitar. On weekends, when these races aren’t on, Farrar often sleeps until noon.

After 12pm, Farrar usually tries to get outside in a number of ways, often with a run. Farrar said he once ran from tip to tip of Manhattan, which took him over two and a half hours, and frequently runs down avenues for long distances. “It’s fun to see it change as you go through different neighborhoods.” Despite his frequent runs, Farrar doesn’t consider himself a runner. “It’s more about experiencing the city to me rather than trying to set a fast time,” he said.

On other Sundays, Farrar will go play a round of golf. “Golfing in the city is really tough because it’s so crowded.

So, oftentimes I’ll try to go in the winter when there’s nobody there,” he said.

Farrar has played at various golf courses around the city, including Van Cordlant, Dyker Beach, and Marine Park.

After that, Farrar said he has his “cozy time.” For Farrar, this often means playing video games. His current favorite is Animal Crossing, which despite releasing in 2020, he is just getting into. “I would describe myself as a patient game player, in the sense where I’m not gonna buy something right on release,” he said. Recently, Farrar, who had been playing World of Warlock professionally since 2007, retired from

the game. “I was really highly ranked but it just sort of became too much for my schedule. I was dedicating 30 to 35 hours a week to it at least. Still, Farrar said he is happy with his decision now, since he has gained a lot of free time. “It’s nice to get a break,” he said.

After playing video games, Farrar makes himself dinner, which is often pasta. “I make a lemony brussel sprout spaghetti kind of deal. I make a pretty decent bolognese,” he said. Farrar has recently gotten into the habit of making dessert as well.

“I’ll do an apple crisp or a mulled apple cider or an apple cobbler. It’s fall and we’re from New York, we should use the apples,” he remarked.

After dinner, Farrar begins grading assignments and planning for the upcoming week. In his Sunday downtime, Farrar often watches recordings of his lessons to note if he felt anything could be improved. “So being like, I didn’t explain that very well. I can fix that for next year or oh, what if I put this new idea? What if I explain this in a different way?” he said. “Usually, I find I do my best work between nine and midnight. Actually, I’m kind of a night owl. So I’ll let that kind of sit for most of the day and then I’ll punch in three solid hours of work at the end of the day,” he explained. During the summer, Farrar’s work schedule takes a turn, as he tends to go to sleep at six in the morning. “It’s so peaceful and dark and calm, and nobody expects anything of me,” he said, describing his preference for the quiet hours of the night.

Then, Farrar gets ready for bed. “My wife and I use this word ‘Smonday,’ which refers to Sunday evening when all you’re worried about is the upcoming inevitability of Monday morning,” he said.

Farrar then tries his best to be in bed by midnight. “Overall I would say my routine is pretty good, although it would be nice to have less prep work to do!

I’m sure students can relate to having ‘homework’ always due on Monday.”

Mr. Nowakoski’s Recipes: Thanksgiving Without the Turkey TJ IANNELLI MANAGING EDITOR

A

s November comes to a close, nearly 90 percent of its own or slice it and pan fry the pork loin with some Americans will have a turkey at their table this Thanks- cranberries, apple cider, a few apple chunks, some giving, according to the National Turkey Federation. breadcrumbs, herbs, salt, pepper, and “probably a lot Peter Nowakoski, former chef and current head of Poly Prep’s English Department, was once tasked with creating an alternative to the traditional turkey main course while working at The Cranbury Inn, a restaurant in New Jersey. The restaurant was being featured on the Food Network TV Series “The Best Of” when Nowakoski was asked to do a cooking demo for the show, the second time he ever cooked on television.

“Because it was Cranbury, and New Jersey is a major producer of cranberries… I came up with a cranberry stuffed pork loin,” said Nowakoski. Preparing the dish for the first time a few weeks before Thanksgiving, he took a whole pork loin, about three feet long and weigh- VIA PETER NOWAKOSKI ing in at about six pounds, and cut it open into a big flat piece. Then he made a cooked stuffing with cranberries, of butter, a lot of butter to keep it moist because pork sage, herbs, allspice, and apples. Then Nowakoski rolled loin will dry out,” said Nowakoski. The whole proit up and tied it together before roasting the whole roll in cess of pan frying should take just about ten minutes. the oven, creating neat pinwheels of stuffed pork loin.

To make the cranberry sauce, Nowakoski has two opTo attempt such a dish for yourself, Nowakoski tions. One is a raw sauce with small diced onions, spices, said there are a few ways one can go about it. The first sugar, and some Cointreau. The other is a cooked sauce way is to get a pork loin, which you can either roast on with chutney spices, similar to a mango chutney sauce, but

using cranberries instead, with a little extra sugar to make up for the difference between mangoes and cranberries. As for specific sizes, “the French chef in me always wants to match the sizes of everything,” said Nowakoski, but suggests leaving the apple chunks a little larger if you’d like.

As for the apples, Nowakoski suggested honey crisp for a good cooking apple. A few other options are golden delicious, cox pippin, stayman winesaps, and empire apples. These apples will all hold their shape without disturbing the taste of the dish.

To cook the complete dish, Nowakoski suggested for those at home to use a technique similar to basting in a pan with butter to ensure the pork loin doesn’t dry out.

Another option is to use an oven, cooking the pork loin to a temperature of about 135 degrees, monitoring the temperature with a needle thermometer. He suggested cooking at a fairly low temperature, below 350 degrees, to ensure the pork loin cooks properly. Then, you put it all together with the cranberry sauce plated over the pork loin. Lastly, whether you attempt to cook the pork loin or not, give cooking at home a shot this Thanksgiving, as Nowakoski said, “Try never to eat out on Thanksgiving, everybody’s unhappy, cooks are unhappy, servers don’t want to be there… it’s a bunch of miserable people.”

PEOPLE

10

NOVEMBER 2023

DEIB Column: Iman Stultz and Carmelo Larose Take on Role as New Heads of Upper School DEIB IZZY LEYTON DEIB REPORTER

I

n our first issue including a section for DEIB, I profits, elected officials, and other NYC library systems. wrote to one of the new Co-coordinators of DEIB, How is your role different from Mrs. Freeman’s Director of Campus Library Services Ms. Stul- and how do you work together as a team to lead these tz. Read more to learn about her role in DEIB at Poly. efforts?

A Q and A with Mr. Larose will come next issue.

Coordinators are members of the DEIB DepartHow did you come to be involved with DEIB at ment who work under the leadership of the Director, Poly?

Part of my job as a librarian is to ensure that we constantly promote diversity and equity of access.

During my first year at Poly, I was a Middle School Librarian and wanted to use my acquired skill set and experience to enhance student life, so I started HBCU Week with the support of our former DEIB Director and helped coordinate MS Affinity Group cross-collaboration. When Poly’s DEIB Department was restructured last year, I served as a Conferences and Special Events Co-coordinator and on the DEIB Newsletter committee. Over the years, I worked with students and faculty to promote DEIB at the library through collection development, book, and digital displays (for instance, land acknowledgment of the Lenape Nation during Native American Heritage Month), programming such as virtual author visits with Chandra Prescod-Weinstein and Victoria Christopher-Murray, and in-person with YA author Camryn Garrett. We themed our inaugural Libraryoke: Rainbow Edition program in honor of Pride Month. I have also continued HBCU Week, adding a new afterschool event called PHAM (Poly HBCU Alumni Mixer) last VIA POLY PREP COMMUNICATIONS year, and our recent programming this past October.

Did you have experience with DEIB while you Mrs. Freeman. The Upper School DEIB team consists were in school or in a previous position? of two Co-coordinators (myself and Mr. Larose), and Librarianship is heavily steeped in DEIB work. In my fellow Department members, Mr. Eddie Fitzgerald and most recent position prior to Poly, I worked for Brook- Ms. Fannie Santana. The Co-Coordinators liaise with lyn Public Library (BPL), first as a Children’s Librarian, US Affinity and Alliance groups and their Faculty adserving the NYC public and becoming active in a num- visors and the US DEIB team collaborates to develop ber of committees and projects, eventually organizing DEIB discussion group plans. We work together on all BPL employees through Slack after George Floyd’s mur- US DEIB programming, with input from Mrs. Freeman. der, which led to organization-wide forums that resulted Mrs. Freeman is in charge of the DEIB Department, which in the formation of BPL’s Diversity Council, on which I means she works with the Coordinators of the respective served as one of the founding members. I also served as schools and the entire DEIB Department to facilitate BPL’s Civic Engagement Manager, which involved a lot and build all of Poly’s DEIB programming and manages of community programming and collaboration with non- all Upper, Middle, and Lower School DEIB initiatives.

Why do you think DEIB is important at Poly?

DEIB is important for achieving an equitable society as a whole. Poly’s guiding principles are diversity, the pursuit of excellence, and community. We have a diverse community of students, parents, and staff, and we want everyone to feel that they belong by discovering our commonalities, acknowledging our differences in positive ways, and celebrating what makes us unique. DEIB also allows the Poly community to define and uphold equitable practices and encourages us to come together under common identities, interests, and goals.

How is DEIB different at Poly compared to other private or public schools? Do you meet with the DEIB heads of other schools?

Through conferences and professional development, I’ve learned that each school has its own unique DEIB practices, which can adjust from year to year. I hope to meet with other DEIB coordinators at upcoming conferences like the NAIS People of Color Conference and the NYSAIS Diversity Symposium.

How do you help oversee the different affinity groups?

We support the Affinity and Alliance groups by maintaining an open channel of communication between the US DEIB team and the student leaders and faculty advisors of these groups. The Upper School DEIB team works together to meet with student leaders and advisors; Mr. Larose and I liaise between the DEIB team, students, Mrs. Freeman, US Faculty, and Mr. Winston to align communication and program logistics.

How do you think the DEIB program can improve?

I think that as a school community, we can all benefit from more opportunities to collaborate, be that through professional development for staff, student workshops, or joint Affinity group meetings. We’ve also received a lot of feedback from students and faculty about the DEIB block, and our team is working toward making favorable adjustments.

Cherkira Lashley: From the Courts to College Counseling ELIANA FRIEDMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

A

s a Poly Prep alumna, Cherkira Lashley is well-known for her love of the school and her deep devotion to basketball. Now that she has returned as an Upper School dean and assistant coach to the girls varsity basketball team, she is committed to bringing her wealth of experience to not only the Upper School, but the entire Poly community.

Lashley’s presence as a new faculty member in the school community allows her to reflect on her experience at Poly when she attended as a student. “I do feel like, in my first stint here, I was confined to the identity of a basketball player,” Lashley said. “So to be back more fully realized is exciting, and I think that I’ll be learning how to integrate all the things that I’m interested in and I feel that I’m gifted in as I go.”

Before transferring to Poly for high school, Lashley was predominantly “playing basketball informally” in the backyard with her siblings. Lashley said that “[basketball] felt like our love language, and so initially, me playing was just truly an expression of love and communicating with my siblings.” She had only just started playing on a team, and it was her coach, Michael Junsch, who motivated her to pursue the sport more seriously. Junsch is the girls varsity basketball coach and has been since before Lashley started attending Poly. Regarding his four years of working with Lashley, where she was a starter for Poly’s team, Junsch said that “she was just a delight to coach.”

Another large part of Lashley’s identity has always been her connection to her religion. Growing up, both of Lashley’s parents were pastors and this aspect of her childhood helped shape her into the person she is today. According to the Poly Prep dean page, “[Lashley] comes from a family of educators and storytellers,

which is the root of her passion for education and the oral word.” She went to church at least twice on the weekdays during high school, and of this experience, Lashley said, “It was a lot of church, so I was anchored to the community in that way.” Her relationship with God and her Christian community gave her comfort and peace.

However, Lashley was not always able to bring this part

VIA POLY PROFILES

of herself to her work. Throughout her time attending college at Wesleyan University, Lashley found it difficult to find a community that supported her same beliefs. Lashley said, “I definitely didn’t feel like my faith was being nurtured in that space. If anything, it would have been something that isolated me from social spaces at Wesleyan.”

But college was a new playing field for Lashley, and while her lifelong passion for basketball continued, she also fell in love with spoken word poetry. Slam poetry was a way for Lashley to make new connections and “it was definitely a way to build community with others, but also just understand my voice,” said Lashley.

Coming out of college, though, Lashley felt she needed to rekindle her relationship with her Christianity. According to an article published on the New Visions Charter High School website, Lashley explained, “I was focused on doing something entirely different when I graduated from college. I went on a 40 day fast and did not eat food for 28 days. I just drank juices and water and just prayed in isolation every day.” Lashley felt that by cutting off distractions and simple pleasures, she would be able to strengthen her spiritual awareness.

Lashley said she has adapted to her faculty position at Poly and has enjoyed meeting new people. The same is mirrored back to her by the faculty members she works alongside, one of whom is the chair of the Upper School deans, Emily Gardiner. Ever since the hiring process, Gardiner, with the rest of the interview and admissions team at Poly, found that Lashley was no ordinary candidate. Gardiner said, “I remember very clearly the way [the admissions team] all ran down the hall and said, ‘This is a very special person, this is a very special person.’” In the eyes of Gardiner, Lashley is a very positive asset to the Poly community and will bring everything that makes Poly stronger as a whole.

Gardiner continued, “I got the sense that her office was just a magnet for people, I got the sense that she helped fix situations that were difficult. Sometimes in our role… you sort of realize that someone is a reason the place is stronger.”

NOVEMBER 2023

11

ARTS

Album Listening Club: Culture, Character, and the Teacher that Inspires it All SASHA LONDONER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

F

our Poly students founded the Album Listening Club this fall. developed an understanding that sharing and listening to muLeo Mullin ‘25, Archie Neibart ‘24, Levi Jacobson ‘25, and sic “can be a little academic; [it’s] learning new things and atMax Penachio ‘25 are friends bonded through their love of mu- tempting to expand your taste and broaden what you listen to.” sic and desire to share their passion with others. Each meeting, Despite how enjoyable these club times are, their time togethclub members vote on an album to listen to and create a queue er is often limited. Because of the thirty minute split schedule for of music they’re interested in exploring. Jacobson stated that their clubs block, Album Listening Club members never finish listening “[group] members have a very broad taste to what they have in music….the [listening] suggestions planned.

“Our were a Morgan Wallen album, a Kanye club leader calls album, [and] a Taylor Swift album.” it the EP ListenAs Neibart would describe it, these ing Club because suggestions not only foster “a calm, safe we can never do space in the middle of a busy weekday,” a full album,” but also spark discussion of experiences joked Jacobson, and the education of others. Mullin says “but, you know, that although members have drasticalwe make the ly different musical tastes, “the people best of what we in the group tend to keep a really open have.” Additionmind,” their shared love of music beally, the group coming a medium that enables members also faces issues to expand their understanding of others. with turnout.

Matthew Sagotsky, the club faculWhile many peoty advisor, plays a large role in contribple are interestuting to this. In addition to his role as ed in attending, a Chemistry teacher, Sagotsky enjoys VIA CREATIVE COMMONS multiple clubs DJing as a hobby. The club founders state take place during that his genuine interest the first half of the clubs block, which causes issues for attendees. “[it’s] learning new music fuels conversa- “Our group is relatively small,” said Mullin, “we have, like, ten memthings and attempting in tion and initiates educa- bers show up each time, so it would be great once this article’s in the to expand your taste tional discussions. “[An] Polygon, to get some new members to come along and listen with us.”

According to Penachio, the club’s final goal is to get “Sagand broaden what you album he played before was considered intellecotsky to do a full set during one of [the] club periods….get the listen to.” tual dance music, which lights low.” Until then, they plan to spend each meeting enjoy- Levi Jacobson is….not something I ing their time with one another, expanding their taste, and learnwould listen to on my ing through their passion for music. “If you like music, show up,” own time,” said Jacobson. He adds that through Sagotsky’s said Jacobson. The club’s relaxed environment and enjoyable willingness to share his interests with others, members have atmosphere is best described by Neibart in one word: “vibes.”

NOVEMBER PLAYLIST

Dawns (feat. Maggie Rogers) Zach Bryan, Maggie Rogers There She Goes The La’s Closer to Fine (From Barbie the Album) Brandi Carlile, Catherine Carlile Waterfalls TLC Just a Cloud Away Pharell Ophelia The Lumineers Stick Season Noah Kahan Hummingbird Metro Boomin, James Blake

Compiled by Brianna Sylvain

Grades 9 and 10 Put On ‘A Comedy of Errors’ BRIANNA SYLVAIN ARTS EDITOR His vision was to “ground [A Comedy of Errors] in the design aesthetic of Beach Barbie meets the Circus.” Hence, the bright costumes and wacky props. McDonald also saw this obscure theme as an opportunity to appeal to several demographics. McDonald said, “This play and the way we approached it as a theatrical team made it fun for all ages.”

Assistant costume designer Madeline Gross ‘27 explained her job “[could] range from sewing and cutting costumes to helping out backstage.” Gross shares her perspective on the fresh take of the work, relating that “Shakespeare has such complex language and such out-there plots that you can do something as chaotic as a Barbie-clown theme for a show made hundreds of years ago and it still works.”

Dorotea Sabbagh ‘27, who starred in the play as Adrianna, said that she joined the play because “over the years, [she’s] built a community of friends through theater and wanted to spend time with them.”

McDonald expressed he was “ most proud that [the] actors rose to the challenge [he] set out for them; to live truthfully on stage, inside heightened language, and entertain a diverse audience.”

VIA POLY PREP COMMUNICATIONS

O

n October 27th and 28th, thespians in grades 9 and 10 took the stage to perform Shakespeare’s A Comedy of Errors. However, this play wasn’t your average take on Shakespeare. Swords were traded for pool noodles, traditional Renaissance attire was exchanged for circus-esque costumes, and subdued Shakespearean sets became vibrant and neon. All in all, great hilarity ensued!

A Comedy of Errors, which was first performed in 1594, is known for being one of William Shakespeare’s shortest and most farcical plays. The play follows two sets of twins who create web confusion and deceit because their identities are constantly mistaken. One of the play’s most notable aspects is its intense use of slapstick comedy. Physical behaviors were exaggerated, situations that seem improbable were brought to the stage, and any limits on physical comedy and witty humor were surpassed.

The show was directed by Interim Upper School Theater Teacher, Keith Contreras-McDonald. McDonald explained in an email that he “chose A Comedy Errors because it is one of the most succinct, clever, and funny storytelling in all of Shakespeare.”

However, McDonald didn’t want to take the traditional route when directing the play.

VIA POLY PREP COMMUNICATIONS

12

NOVEMBER 2023

‘GUTS’: A Bittersweet Successor to ‘SOUR’

The ‘Tiktokification’ of Music

P

H

SASHA LONDONER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

op star and actress Olivia Rodrigo released her second studio album, GUTS, on September 8. In GUTS, Rodrigo continues themes of heartbreak and teen romance included in SOUR, her previous album, while adding an early 2000s rock sound to her songs. “Get him back,” “bad idea, right,” “pretty isn’t pretty,” and other tracks on this album all stray away from the

decides to act on her reckless and impulsive desires, which mirrors the depiction of her partaking in the self-destructive habit of biting her nails on the GUTS album cover.

Another way in which the artist details the damaging effects of harmful relationships is through her songwriting in “love is embarrassing,” and “vampire.” Within these songs, Rodrigo shares the complexities of

LUCY GOLDBERG ARTS CRITIC

ave you ever heard a song, and loved, liked, or even been content with it?

What happens if you feel this way about a

VIA CREATIVE COMMONS

VIA CREATIVE COMMONS

melodramatic pop melodies of SOUR by heavily featuring electric guitar and drums.

Despite the pivot in musical genre, Rodrigo stays true to the classic imagery of SOUR through her album cover. GUTS features Rodrigo laying atop a purple background, which evokes the cover of SOUR through their similar backdrop colors. Although, in GUTS, the shade of purple is a few shades darker, possibly alluding to a new, more mature age of Rodrigo’s musical career while still maintaining aspects of her classic look and sound. Additionally, Rodrigo’s cover features the singer biting her nails, symbolizing the themes of self-sabotage that actively being in an unhealthy relationship causes. This is furthered in the song “bad idea right,” where Rodrigo states, “seeing you tonight/its a bad idea, right?/whatever it’s fine.” Despite her acknowledgment of her rashness, Rodrigo

adolescent relationships and the heartbreak and disgust that comes with discovering the true nature of a trusted romantic partner. In “vampire,” Rodrigo refers to her ex-relationship as a “bloodsucker, dream crusher” who was “bleeding [her] dry like a damn vampire.” Referencing her fame, Rodrigo conveys the heartbreaking emotions of being exploited by villainizing her previous boyfriend in an illustrative way.

Moreover, while Rodrigo does stray from her classic pop-music genre in GUTS, she still maintains aspects of her old style, through her album cover and song themes. Regardless of one’s opinion of pop-rock, GUTS is an engaging album that encapsulates the emotional rollercoaster of teen romance in 2023 through nuanced and emotional lyrics.

tune that gains popularity online, and begins to repetitively play as you scroll? If the overplayed song becomes irritating after the constant sound of it on TikTok, you are most likely experiencing one of the negative effects of TikTok: a phenomenon colloquially referred to as “tiktokification” According to Urban Dictionary, tiktokification is “used to describe or refer to any negative effect TikTok leaves or has on something.” In this circumstance, tiktokification is being used to describe the way music has been altered due to TikTok. This effect can lead to a changed perception, opinion, and taste of music.

From Olivia Rodrigo’s “drivers license” to “What Was I Made For?” by Billie Eilish, songs have trended across the “for you” pages of millions of TikTok users and have permeated the mainstream all around, constantly filling our ears with the repeated audio. No matter how much someone likes a song, there is a certain amount of it you can take before it has been overplayed to an unbearable extent.

But there is a difference between a song being overplayed and being overhyped.

Overhyped is usually defined by a song that is proclaimed to be great and is con-

tinuously played, while not necessarily reaching the hype. As for overplayed, almost any song can be the victim of being overplayed. For instance, Taylor Swift’s “Blank Space” has been played over one billion times, which can clearly get repetitive and annoying for many, including me. But when originally hearing the song at the age of 6, I thought of it as an incredible and catchy song.

Through the years I have been able to ignore the overplayed aspect of the song, and enjoy its sole identity, and it seems that through the many Swifties screaming the lyrics at The Eras Tour, they have grown to love it again too.

When “drivers license” first came out, I was listening to it sporadically. Yet, once the song was playing every other video I would scroll through, I found myself despising the sound. I stopped listening to it, and immediately skipped any video with that audio. But more than two and a half years later, once the song somehow re-entered my life, I found it enjoyable. I even appreciate the lyrics, vocals, and production to this day.

This is just one example of the tiktokification phenomenon, which (with time and patience) can be conquered.

Another way that we see tiktokification today, is the way in which TikTok can bring songs to popularity before they are highly recognized from other outlets.

Recently, the TikTok audience has been made aware of Noah Kahan’s “Stick Season”; the tune has reached an extreme height of popularity. A key factor of this song’s rise to fame is that it isn’t necessarily being played constantly, but sporadically enough that the song is well-known while having a reputation of being wellliked. With the power and reach of TikTok, Noah Kahan has now been nominated for his first Grammy as “Best New Artist.”

Remembering Pop Music’s Golden Age: ‘1989 (Taylor’s Version)’ Review LULU MCDONALD CONTRIBUTING WRITER

I

f there’s anything Taylor Swift isn’t gonna do, it’s go out of style. Nine years after the release of her record breaking album 1989, the singer is back with her version, and it’s just as much of a blockbuster in 2023 as it was in 2014. Filled to the brim with timeless hits, catchy dance tunes, and classic breakup anthems to scream in your car, 1989 (Taylor’s Version) transports us back to the good old days of 2010s pop music (when the genre peaked,

VIA CREATIVE COMMONS

of course). Deftly mixing heavy-synth hits like “Welcome To New York” with bittersweet ballads like “This Love,” 1989 has always been considered some of Swift’s best work. Now, Taylor’s Version is a refreshed narration of the ups and downs of Swift’s 2013 superstardom.

Throughout the re-recording process, Swift and her producers have amplified the sound of her older music, re-layering vocals and sharpening the instrumentation. My personal favorite example of this on 1989 (Taylor’s Version) is “All You Had To Do Was Stay,” in which Swift sings a high pitched “stay!” in between lyrics. While sometimes tinny and grating in the original version of the album, as her voice has matured over nine years, she now sings the note smoothly, perfectly complimenting the harder vocals of the song. Similarly, the elevated synth in “You Are In Love” evokes some kind of magic that transports the listener to the snowglobe the lovers dance in during the bridge. Inevitably, this altered production sometimes misfires, with certain spots sounding sloppy in their production. For instance, the slightly altered intro of “Style” now feels a bit awkward. Regardless, the album still captures the glittery pop paradise it achieved in 2014.

The vault tracks are, in my opinion, the best of all the re-recorded albums so far. From the ruthless lyrics (“You dream of my mouth before it called you a lying traitor / You search in every model’s bed for something greater, baby”) to the tongue-in-cheek ones (“I don’t have to pretend I like acid rock / Or that I’d like to be on a mega yacht / With important men who think important thoughts”), the songs perfectly combine Swift’s confessional style with her expert wordplay. It’s a testament to her songwriting ability that the songs she wrote in her early 20s are still as sharp and poignant as the ones she writes now in her early 30s.

However, the vault tracks might have benefited from production more cohesive with the main album. To a casual listener, the tracks blend together in a soup of dreamy synth pop that has Jack Antonoff written all over it. Sonically, “Suburban Legends” is an exact replica of “Mastermind” on Midnights. The tracks had such potential to follow the explosive pop perfection of the main album, with scream-worthy choruses like the one in “Say Don’t Go.” Instead, they stick out like a sore thumb in the sparkly soundscape of the original album, doomed to a deepcut burial in the indie-pop graveyard of Swift’s discography. It’s really a shame, considering the lyrical depth of each individual track.

Of course, this lyrical depth may be the reason they were left in the vault. In contrast with the glamor of the original album, the tracks reveal the darker side of Swift’s early 20s.

Lyrics like “I think about jumping / Off a very tall something / Just to see you come running” and “If they call me a slut / You know it might be worth it for once” are brutal confessions that wouldn’t exactly have aligned with the shiny popstar image Swift projected during the 1989 era. Back then, they may have been too revealing for Swift’s untouchable persona. Now, they are thrilling insights into her life. Whether these songs are about Harry Styles or Dianna Agron (hint: it’s not the two-month long PR stunt), every fan wants to know why Swift was “standing in a 1950s gymnasium” and whose “mega yacht” she was apparently forced to be on. I’d also personally like to know why Harry Styles hasn’t had his driver’s license revoked yet, considering Swift’s mention of his questionable driving skills.

These days, it seems like all of Swift’s releases are destined to break records, 1989 (Taylor’s Version) being no exception. As a longtime Swiftie, it’s incredibly fun seeing these songs chart just as well (if not better) nine years after their original release, and it’s even more fun feeling like I can experience these albums for the first time again. With two more re-recordings on the way, it’s safe to say that Taylor Swift is truly lightning on her feet when it comes to the music industry. I’m not sure if my eight year-old self could have predicted that I’d be listening to another version of 1989 just as emphatically all these years later, but that’s just the power of Taylor Swift.

13

NOVEMBER 2023

MIDDLE SCHOOL CORNER

How 5th Graders Are Supported Through Transition to Middle School SLOANE MILLAR AND ELLA ROSARIO CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

T

VIA LINDA BUSETTI

he transition from fourth grade at the Lower School to fifth grade at the Middle School is always one of the most difficult in a Poly student’s academic life because they have to change campuses. Additionally, while it is difficult to navigate the many classrooms and halls in the Middle and Upper School, there is a great support system and always a friend or teacher to help you. The Polygon interviewed new fifth graders, deans, teachers, and the new Head of Middle School to gain perspectives from the Poly community on this transition.

First, the Polygon spoke to two people in the fifth grade coming from the Lower School, Leo Capone and Mila Smith. Leo said, “I liked the Lower School because we have a lot of free time where we can play and have fun.” He also stated, “Lower School is very different from Middle School because we have a lot more responsibilities.” Mila said “I liked the Lower School because there were lots of good people. It was fun because we got to be with the little kids. Although, the Middle school is different from the Lower School because it’s such a bigger campus.”

Next, the Polygon got the perspectives of two students in the fifth grade who are new to Poly: Karina Simeon and Hudson Williams. Hudson said “I liked my old school because it was quite a friendly community. However, the timing and size of the school is different – it’s much bigger. Before, lunch at my old school was at 1:30 instead of 12:45. The transition has been going well [...] But probably the hardest part of the transition is leaving my friends. However, I’m looking forward to learning more challenges.”

Karina added that she liked her old school because it let her learn a variety of things.

According to Middle School Dean Amanda Rose, “We help 5th graders from the Lower School with the transition by letting incoming students visit the Upper School and [we] organize a fun time where they get to visit and learn about the campus and the dean team.”

Rose added that the Middle School has several events to help fifth-grade students with the adjustment, such as the Meet Your Dean event and Poly Palooza, where you can meet your Poly pal and Dean (or someone who has been to Poly and is your age and can tell you about the school).” For all students, the deans also organize summer meetings

The Poly Grid

MICHAEL GABRIEL CHIEF OF CARTOONS AND PUZZLES

where they get to know students and families and answer any questions before school starts. In September, the fifth grade had a two-day orientation instead of only one day, where younger kids on campus got to know how there are support systems and lots. [do you guys have the rest of this quote? Right now I think that this is an incomplete thought] “The current fifth graders at Poly superstars, they’ve been wonderful as a grade and showed lots of commitment, joy, and confidence,” Rose said.

Head of Middle School Daniel Doughty added “We thought hard about how to get [them] all acclimated; this year we organized a special fifth-grade-only orientation. All the other kids were off campus but we wanted [them] to have some extra time to get used to the layout of the school, meet some other teachers, figure out some other things like how to use the library and where the nurse is [...] throughout the first month we tried to have activities in advisory and cohort to help you get to know other kids and to get to know Poly and our expectations.”

Teachers have also been helping their fifth-grade students. Middle School Librarian Samantha Owen, enjoys assisting her 5th graders with books. “I think having stories that we can read that are about what we’re going through can be really helpful with transitions,” Owen explained.

“Those first couple of weeks it’s a learning curve, so it’s very different from the Lower School – you’re going from class to class, so I noticed, in the beginning, there’s a lot of asking ‘Where do I go’ and ‘Where is my classroom,’ sometimes getting turned around in this very big school. But something that I’ve noticed recently is less people asking me where their classroom is and everyone knowing exactly where they need to go and being confident as they navigate the school,” Owen added.

As students continue to adjust, Rose left them with some suggestions: “My advice to grade five students is to be yourself, and whenever you feel troubled or not yourself lean into any of your support systems.

Also, take advantage of not having grades and study hard to make you have good grades for the rest of your academic career.”

VIA POLY PREP COMMUNICATIONS

14

NOVEMBER 2023

Middle School Students Get Involved in Upper SchoolSports AVIVA TREISTER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Getting to Know Arnelle Williams LIAM RODRIGUEZ-JOHN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

VIA ARNELLE WILLIAMS VIA SOPHIA CHAMORRO

T

he fall sports season has just concluded, officially ending the reign of women’s tennis, soccer, and volleyball for the year. However, during practices for the last couple of months, you may have seldom noticed a couple of middle school students dashing to practices across the fields, serving a volleyball, or hitting a tennis ball. Starting in 8th grade, students can participate in high school sports. commonly playing on Junior varsity (JV) or even varsity teams. Because playing a sport requires commitment and dedication, players must have impeccable time-management skills to deal with the difficulties of school along with busy schedules and practices that last

tennis team in 8th grade along with Eleanor. Emma seems unbothered by the fact that she is one of the youngest players on the team saying “[she] does not think about being one of the youngest on the team while playing.”

She agrees with Eleanor saying “It’s really hard to manage [her] time getting home so late.” Along with all this stress she says “[she] likes it and it is really fun.” Emma loves playing tennis and enjoys spending her afternoons playing it. She uses the optional PE period she has to get in extra practice for tennis and also plays over the summer in camp.

Many middle school students may think of JV sports as an extracurricu-

VIA ELEANOR KEMPF

nearly two hours a day. Practicing nearly every day except game day, the tennis players typically get home around 7:00 pm, still having to prepare for upcoming assessments and complete homework.

Eleanor Kempf joined the JV tennis team as an 8th grader this year and describes her time on the team as “an exhilarating and fun experience.” However, she also describes JV tennis as having ups and downs, saying “At times it can be stressful due to managing [her] homework on top of tennis, and [she] also stays up a lot later than [she] otherwise would.” Eleanor does not let that stop her, for she works hard in tennis and perseveres through rough times. She is described by one of her teammates as being “really good” moving forward to say how she is “first doubles in 8th grade.”

Emma Schlesinger joined the JV

lar activity that is time-consuming and exhausting. While it is difficult to manage time along with sports, Eleanor and Emma are dedicated to their sport and make great role models for people of any grade level thinking of joining JV Tennis. They epitomize the statement that with the right dedication and perseverance, their dream is in sight.

Emma and Eleanor try to encourage middle school students to join a JV team, expressing their love for it. With all the challenges they may face starting their nightly routines two hours later than the rest of 8th grade, both have still managed to maintain an academic and athletic balance, even receiving student excellence awards in sports: Emma received the Ralph K. Dupee Award while Eleanor received the Maryanna Sheller Spirit Award.

A

rnelle Williams is a faculty member of the English department, club advisor, and the DEIB coordinator at Poly Prep of three years.

When asked what inspired her to become an English teacher, she said, “it just fell into my lap.” Unsure of her career path, Williams attended a program called Teach for America, which places recent college graduates around the world to teach. “Through that experience, I developed a love for teaching,” she added.

Williams believes Poly should hire more faculty from different backgrounds to diversify the community. By employing this initiative, a sufficient number of teachers will be available to advise affinity groups and foster connection with the diverse students attending the school, one aspect Poly prides itself on. Williams also advocates for Poly to promote more of the DEIB work (such as…) the students do at the school, to en-

VIA ARNELLE WILLIAMS

sure a student’s education is comprehensive of their diverse cultures, experiences, and events, such as school trips and projects.

Williams’s favorite part about being the DEIB coordinator is interacting with a range of students and teachers, even if she wouldn’t normally work with them. Currently, she is helping advise Christian affinity with Basketball Coach Michael Junsch.

“It has been rewarding because it is students I usually doesn’t teach, but I get to learn a different side of them,” said Williams.

Her favorite part of teaching English is how there is “never a dull moment.

Kids interpret the stories very differently and always have a lot to say about the characters, so I find myself fascinated by what the kids have to say.”

Her favorite part of being a Poly teacher is coming to campus every day, and seeing her colleagues, students, and the faces of people who show up to work hard.

NOVEMBER 2023

15

SPORTS

Intro to Winter Sports

SERGIO ABBOUD, ARIN BUDHRAM AND OSCAR KOLZ CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

T

here comes a time in every calendar year when winter comes around. It starts to get colder, the trees no longer have their leaves, the quad is empty, the library starts to pile up with students, and your days begin to feel colorless. However, have no fear Blue Devils! After an exciting fall season, Poly is ready to bring in the Winter Sports, who are here to save you and put some color in your day. Poly’s winter sports lineup includes Boys’ and Girls’ Basketball, Indoor Track, Squash, and Hockey.

Indoor Track As the fall season comes to a close and winter sports season gains momentum, our attention turns to the highly-regarded and thrilling Poly Prep indoor track and field team. The team is looking to aim higher than their previous season with Coach Daniel Winn noting, “We won some championships, but we think we have the talent to really dominate and compete on a really high level, so we won’t be satisfied equaling the level we were at last year.” In order to achieve these ambitious goals, Winn is leaving no stone unturned in preparing his athletes. Winn notes the two primary factors to a successful team are, “One: not being afraid of failure, and understanding it as an integral part of athletic growth and two: being consistently personally accountable. I’m always trying to make my athletes understand that while physical peak performance is necessary, mental performance is indispensable.”

As preseason begins to wrap up, the Indoor Track and Field team has their eyes set on their first meet. We can do nothing but wish them the best of luck and cheer for them from the sidelines.

Squash The Boys’ and Girls’ Varsity squash teams are ready to hit the court this year! Preseason and tryouts are wrapping up, and the team’s first match is steadily approaching on December 8.

The squash team is coming off a decisive and exciting 22-23 season. They are eager to take it all this year and bring glory to the Poly Prep squash program.

With the loss of some notable players, Coach Omer Khalifa has brought in some new talent with the incoming class of 2027. He is looking, “to rebuild and develop a strong team. Although it may take some time for the new players to fully integrate and adapt to their roles, with proper coaching and teamwork, the team can still perform well and perhaps even exceed previous achievements.”

The new Coach is also looking to instill crucial skills into his players in order to strengthen their chances of winning the Ivy Prep League championship. Khalifa noted, “Squash, like any sport, relies on consistent effort, disci-

pline, and teamwork. I will make sure the players under my command will remain dedicated to their training, maintain a positive attitude, and effectively work together, if they can learn and manage these skills the team will 100 percent be a winning contender.”

Poly squash is now feeling motivated and strong coming into the 2023-2024 winter season.

Boys’ B-Ball The Boys’ Varsity basketball team is primed for yet another exciting season, proudly holding the mantle of their three-time NYSAIS state champion title and the Class B Federation State Championship they clinched in the previous season. Head Coach Edgar De La Rosa, who led the team to victory last year alongside Assistant Coach Doug Elwell said, acknowledging new challenges with the departure of key players,“We will be looking to see which players will be able to fill in for those who are no longer on the team.” Both Poly JV and Varsity teams have already been in the gym for workouts before official season practice begins. “The group has been working hard, and we look forward to facing some good teams,” Rosa said. The Varsity team’s first scrimmage against Curtis High School marks a return to organized play, setting the stage for the 2023-2024 season. “If we can stay healthy and get help from some of the returning players, we should be solid,” said Rosa. The team is poised to extend its winning legacy on the basketball court, and ready for a season that promises both challenges and victories.

Girls’ B-Ball The Girls’ basketball team is ready to dominate this season, and their prospects are even higher with the return of Head Coach Michael Junsch. After recently retiring from coaching Poly’s Girls’ Basketball, Coach Junsch is “looking forward to coaching again.” He spent the summer enjoying his retirement, but found he could not stay away from coaching as his “enjoyment with coaching” and his love “for this group of girls” overpowered his initial decision to retire. The team lineup includes Gettysburg commit and current senior Brianna Robles, who says she “knows this will be an amazing season. No matter the results, the team has an undeniable bond, and I can already see our success.” Robles’ commitment to the team’s success is a testament to the unity and determination that unites this group of athletes. The players began conditioning before tryouts and are ready to produce another successful season.

Hockey After a year-long hiatus, the hockey team is finally back and ready for another successful sea-

son on the ice. The team looks forward to holding their title as the Big Apple Hockey League (BAHL) champions. Due to the unfortunate loss of their star player, the 2023 Will Grifo MVP in the BAHL Ezra Zizmor ‘23, many fans fear they have lost a key piece to the puzzle. But have no fear Poly fans, the hockey team has many young prospects who are looking forward to making a name for themselves and keeping this team at the top of the league. One of them, sophomore James Nicolaidis, is “excited for this new season” and believes that they are “still the heavy favorites” to lift the much-desired BAHL title. Nicolaidis has been a part of a team since 8th grade, but he believes that “this is the strongest team he’s ever been a part of” due to the many up-andcoming prospects, and the great experience they have with “a tremendous senior class.” Poly Hockey is determined to satisfy all fans this season by keeping the BAHL title in their hands.

McNally View Bill McNally serves as the school’s Sports Information Director, a P.E. teacher, and Poly Prep Basketball Camp Director.

For 20 years, McNally served as the Head Coach of Poly’s Varsity Boys’ Basketball team.

His teams compiled a record of 353-147, including 13 Ivy Prep League Championships and three NYSAIS Championships. McNally has been working night and day these past few weeks trying to make each sports season better, and is ready to make this winter season the best yet. His favorite part of the season is the beginning, as “everything is still possible.” McNally pointed out how “happy” he is to be fielding a Girl’s Squash Team this year” and is excited for the Poly community to see the “new cool uniforms at the varsity level and new swag” that will be available for purchase. What makes the winter season especially entertaining for him is the combination of “exciting fast-paced team sports as well as some of our best individual student-athletes in action.”

In order to make this winter season even more special, McNally is “planning to host a 4th grade basketball game as part of the Oasis Night activities” in order to involve the lower school even more. This event is similar to the lower school soccer game at the halftime of last year’s homecoming football game. But if this is all not enough for you, McNally “has three other on and off-campus events in the works that will be inviting the whole community to come and enjoy.” Thank you to Coach McNally for making this winter season even more special!

End of Fall Sports Recap SERGIO ABBOUD AND CARLO CARSON CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

VIA POLY PREP

W

ith the fall season coming to an end for most sports, here is an up-to-date recap as to how Poly did this Fall season.

Boys’ Soccer After a 3-0 start to the season, the Poly’s Boys’ Soccer team slipped to third in the standings in the Ivy Prep League standing by the end of the regular season. They ended the season with a disappointing 2-2 draw versus Hackley, thanks to two late goals by captain Carlo Carson ‘25 and Brady Hill ‘26. Unfortunately, due to a surprise decision by the NYSAIS committee, Poly Boys’ Soccer was denied an almost definite playoff spot due to only one Ivy League team, the league champions Horace Mann, being allowed into the tournament. Although this was a sorrowful ending to a rather promising season, Boys’ Soccer is looking to next year to finally lift that desired NYSAIS championship.

Girls’ Soccer After a prolific regular season, Poly’s Girls’ Soccer team fell short of first place and finished in second due to an unexpected loss to Horace Mann in their last regular season game. Girls’ Soccer headed into the NYSAIS playoffs as the seventh seed but had an unlucky first-round exit to the number two-seeded Fieldston after a competitive 1-0 loss at home. Although this team seemed to have it all fall apart for them in the end, they are looking forward to re-establishing the Poly Girls’ Soccer dynasty next Fall.

Cross Country The Poly Prep Cross Country team had a successful season, with many standout runners.

Notably, Natalie Murphy ‘26 ran a 15:37 in the 2.5-mile event, ranking in third place for Varsity Girls E, while leading them to second place out of 21 teams in NYSAIS. Dorsey Smith ‘26 ran an impressive 13:55 in the 2.5-mile event and led the boys in a ninth-place finish. The team is very youthful and has a promising future.

Football Poly Prep Football has historically been an incredible program, and that success continued in their 2023 campaign. The team had a 4-1 league record and made it to the MIFL championship, coming off a 21-14 semi-final win against Riverdale. Unfortunately, the team lost to Rye Country Day School, in an uncharacteristic per-

formance with Rye winning 38-6.

The team had many bright spots, such as Trent Winston ‘24, who averaged 120 rushing yards per game and scored 9 total touchdowns on the year. The team will look towards the 2024 season, as they begin their road for revenge.

Volleyball Despite having a rather inexperienced team including no seniors, the Poly Girls’ Volleyball team surprised many with their success in the regular season. Their young team seemed to make it work finishing second in the regular season. The team entered the NYSAIS tournament as the seventh seed and won their first-round matchup against 10th-seeded Chapin. But after this triumphant victory, they unfortunately called a stop to their season after a 0-3 set loss against 2-seeded Avenues in the second round. Although they did not live up to the results of Girls’ Volleyball in recent years, this young team has proved that they are going to be a dominant force to be reckoned with in the coming years with their astonishing potential. They are almost certain to run it back with this same group of girls and restore the Poly Girls’ Volleyball Dynasty next fall.

Tennis The Girls’ Tennis team finished with a tough losing record in the Ivy Prep League this season. Although this is not up to the standards of their recent years, they are set for the next few years due to the immense young talent they have on the junior and varsity teams. Despite a rocky start, the Poly Girls’ Tennis team trained and fought hard as the season progressed in an attempt to keep their season alive.

They ended their season with a hard-fought loss against Hackley which unfortunately denied them entry to the NYSAIS tournament.

The Poly Girls’ Tennis team is looking forward to strengthening their abilities over the next few months and coming back to restore the Poly Girls’ Tennis dynasty by reclaiming the desired Ivy Prep League title. The team is set for a success-filled future with sophomore Lila Daniels who received the First-Team All-Ivy reward, and junior Mykah Lieberthal, recipient of the Second-Team All-Ivy award.

NOVEMBER 2023

16

NBA Rookies Through Week 1: A Mixed Bag ELI FLOYD STAFF WRITER

The NBA season is finally underway, and a multitude of teams have enlisted the services of their 2023 NBA Draft selections. Though these newcomers are exciting, their performance as a draft class has, at least thus far, been underwhelming. This list will discuss the three rookies I am most concerned about, and the three I think have made the biggest impact and will be valuable assets to their ball club during the remainder of the season.

The Bottom 3: - No order Scoot Henderson (R1 P3) - Portland Trail Blazers Henderson was a highly touted prospect approaching the draft. A product of the G League team Ignite, he was discussed as being the potential #1 overall pick, if another name on this list wasn’t in the draft. With the departure of perennial All-Star guard Damian Lillard, the young Portland backcourt pairing of second year man Shaedon Sharpeo and newcomer Scoot Henderson was marketed as must-watch TV. Through four games, Henderson is averaging 8.2 pts, 4 asts, 2.8 rebs, and nearly a steal per game in just over 30 minutes of action. Though these numbers sound passable for a first year player on a below average roster, his poor shooting efficiency and lack of awareness on the defensive end is readily apparent. Henderson is shooting a putrid 33.3 percent from the field, and an unheard of 5.6 percent from the three point line. Even though he was not labeled as a “shooter” coming into the league, these numbers are obviously unacceptable. I think Henderson will learn to utilize his explosive first step as the season progresses, but as of now, he may be in danger of losing his starting spot.

Jordan Hawkins (R1 P14) - New Orleans Pelicans Hawkins’ draft stock soared after winning the college national championship with the Uconn Huskies in April of 2023. Though he is more of a defensive minded wing, his three point stroke has only improved since coming off his March Madness run. Experts tentatively compared him to Klay Thompson and Steph Curry due to his ability to come off screens and get right into his shooting position. Hawkins joined a young Pelicans roster with some question marks in the frontcourt, namely Zion Williamson and the aging veteran CJ McCollumn.

He has struggled thus far in limited time, shooting 21.0 percent from three in about fifteen minutes per game.

Though Hawkins was by no means going to be a huge part of the Pelicans rotation this year, he could be a late season breakout candidate. Keep an eye out for him to be a contributor if the Pelicans roster is depleted due to injury.

Gradey Dick (R1 P7) - Toronto Raptors Though Dick is off to a slow start, if I were to choose one of these three to buy stock in for the rest of the year, it would be the former seventh overall pick and Kansas Jayhawk. Dick doesn’t fit the traditional Raptors wing build of 6’ 7”+, freakishly athletic and defensive minded, OG Anunoby and Scottie Barnes come to mind. What he does provide is an unparalleled offensive IQ. We consistently saw Dick come off pin down screens and off-ball sets at Kansas, where he shot 44.3 percent from three, but that hasn’t translated to the NBA just yet. This is partially due to the fact that the Raptors aren’t running plays for the sharpshooter, but also when he does get looks, his shots aren’t falling. I think Dick will prove the doubters wrong and will be a bounce-back candidate for the second half of the season.

The Top 3: - No order

projecting as breakout candidates this year (Gilgeous-Alexander more of an MVP candidate), the Thundersrebuild is near over, and they will be a thorn in the side of elite teams in the Western Conference for years to come.

Victor Wembanyama (R1 P1) - San Antonio Spurs The most hyped prospect since LeBron James, Wembanyama has been the focal point of this young NBA season so far. The Spurs won’t win this year, but with the arrival of the most notable prospect in decades, to go along with a young developing core and an all-time coach in Gregg Popovich, they are looking to build for the future. So far, Wembanyama is averaging 18.8 pts and 8.5 rebs to go along with 2.3 blocks on 44.4 percent shooting from the field. He is everything that he was said to be and doesn’t leave much to be desired from a talent standpoint. The Spurs are an ideal fit for him, and I see them being a competitive team in the West as soon as 2025.

VIA CREATIVE COMMONS

Chet Holmgren (R1 P2 - 2022) - Oklahoma City Thunder The long-awaited debut of the Gonzaga product Chet Holmgren is finally here, and it was just as advertised. So far this season, Holmgren is averaging 17 pts. 8 rebs and 2.7 asts, on 55.5 percent shooting from the field. He also contributes on the defensive side of the ball, which is an area the Thunders are actively trying to improve as they were around the middle of the pack in terms of defensive efficiency rating last year. Holmgren has solidified himself as a frontrunner for Rookie of the Year, putting up numbers rivaling those of Victor Wembanyama, the first overall pick in this year’s draft. With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen William, Josh Giddey, and Holmgren all

VIA CREATIVE COMMONS

Dereck Lively II (R1 P12) - Dallas Mavericks The Mavericks took a shot on the seven-footer out of Duke in the lottery and, so far, it has paid off. Lively has been seeing anywhere from 15-30 minutes of action on a given night and is averaging 9 pts, 7 rebs, and a block a game on an efficient 77.7 percent from the field. Interestingly enough, these numbers are better than his days at Duke, where his career high in points was just 13.

Lively II has been an integral part of the Mavs lineup thus far and may find himself in the starting lineup before the All-Star break, as he offers a more dynamic set of skills than the current Mavericks frontcourt rotation.