POLY PREP’S Student Newspaper VOL. CVIII ISSUE I
POLYGON the
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2023 Issue
Poly Community Responds to the Israel-Hamas War
polygonnews.org
The Elimination of Affirmative Action JORDAN MILLAR EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
LUCAS BASHAM AND DOV WEINSTEIN ELUL BREAKING NEWS EDITOR AND LAYOUT EDITOR
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he Poly community has acted in a number of ways to support and educate students about the Israel-Hamas war following deadly attacks in early October. The entire community received emails from the history department and Interim Head of School John Rankin over the long weekend of the initial attacks. Students participated in affinity groups, a service learning team, and heard from faculty in assemblies and, in the case of Middle School students, in classes throughout the following week. “It was a thing of such disproportionate ugliness and shock value to the world that it just felt like we had to say something for our community,” said Rankin in an interview with the Polygon on October 16. “To be weighing in on the details of major political events in the world is tricky.” Hamas, an Islamic militant organization considered a terrorist group by the United States and the European Union and the formal government of the Gaza Strip, launched a surprise attack in Israel early in the morning of Saturday, October 7, killing more than 1,400 people and taking more
than 200 hostages, according to the New York Times. Shortly thereafter, Israel declared war on Hamas and launched retaliatory airstrikes into Gaza. More than 7,000 Palestinians have been killed in the recent Israeli strikes as of October 26, according to the New York Times, who noted it got its information from the Hamas-run Gazan Health Ministry. (The New York Times noted that figure could not be independently verified.) The Israeli blockade of food, water, electricity, and fuel in Gaza has brought the growing humanitarian crisis to an “unprecedented point,” said the U.N. aid office. It is unclear if and when an Israeli ground invasion into Gaza will occur as of October 26, when the Polygon was sent to press. The First Days The history department provided resources to follow coverage and learn about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict’s history in their email to the Poly community on October 8. On Monday, October 9, Rankin sent an email to community members. “As the leader of a school imbued with a certain moral agency, I want to express my disgust and in-
dignation at civilian deaths and injury and total violation and disrespect for basic dignity,” also expressing support for families with “personal connections to the atrocities.” The National Association of Independent Schools’ general policy is that a school administration should not comment on current events, according to Rankin. However, he said in the interview he feels that it is “important” to comment “on some occasions.” Over the past four years, the administration has commented to the community on a select few current events: Covid-19, the murder of George Floyd and Black Lives Matter Protests in 2020, the January 6th Capitol insurrection, the Israel-Palestine crisis in 2021, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, according to Head of Upper School Sarah Bates. Rankin said he alone decided to draft an email as the shocking nature of the events became clearer and President Joe Biden publicly decried the atrocities, as well as after he received messages from numerous parents about the history department’s email. “They felt (Continued on page 2)
VIA SOPHIA CHAMORRO
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sing race and ethnicity as a deciding factor in the college admissions process and other areas of higher education has long been debated. But on June 29, the Supreme Court officially ruled in favor of eliminating the use of affirmative action as a factor in college admissions, making former affirmative action programs in admissions processes at universities such as Harvard and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), unlawful. Prior to the ruling, The New York Times reported that nine other U.S. states already banned affirmative action, including California, Arizona, Florida, Idaho, Michigan, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, and Washington. According to The Times, without affirmative action, schools in California and Michigan saw significant declines particularly in black student enrollment. “When you refer to affirmative action, you’re referring to the legal precedent saying that colleges are allowed to consider race as one ele-
ment of a person’s profile as an applicant so that their class is not homogeneous,” explained Upper School Dean Chair Emily Gardiner, who has been involved in college counseling and deanship at Poly since 2015. The two Supreme Court cases regarding affirmative action in college admissions involved Students for Fair Admissions v. President and Fellows of Harvard College as well as Students for Fair Admissions v. University of North Carolina, according to U.S. News and World Report. Both lawsuits claimed that college admissions processes taking race into account discriminated against Asian American students, and in regards to UNC specifically, white students as well. Introduced in the 1960s as a way of addressing the historic racial discrimination within higher education admissions, affirmative action policies “are critical for dismantling institutional practices that limit opportunities for highly qualified (Continued on page 4)
JOHN RANKIN BECOMES INTERIM HEAD OF SCHOOL JESS DOSIK EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
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his school year, a significant change in leadership Poly schools: Lower, Middle, and Upper. However, has taken place at Poly, as former Head of School he said he plans to use his experience as a teacher to Audrius Barzdukas stepped down from his position last year. In the wake of his departure, the school appointed John Rankin, philosophy teacher and former academic dean, English Department chair, and assistant head of school, as the interim head of school to guide Poly through this new transitional period. It is currently Rankin’s 40th year at Poly and his long tenure at the school was a clear factor towards him being such a strong candidate for the role, given he brings with him a wealth of experience in both administrative and teaching positions, according to Head of Upper School Sarah Bates. “I’m sure when the board was looking at what would make the most sense in terms of leadership for this year, his name and his experience came to the top,” said Bates. In an email statement released by Rankin at the beginning of the year, he expressed his commitment to fostering a spirit of collaboration and open dialogue amongst the Poly community. “My excitement for assuming this role has only grown with each conversation that I have with faculty, staff, alumni, and parents, which has served as a steadfast reminder of the bright future in store for our community… As we work together to en- VIA POLY PROFILES act the plan, collaboration is critical to shaping the future of our school and its students,” wrote Rankin. contribute to his current role, and towards making the As Head of School, Rankin is in charge of all the teacher experience even better. Coming into this school
year, Rankin hopes to focus on what Poly as a school has to offer and create a focus on teachers and teaching. “We have to strengthen our course and we have to make our teaching and our programs, and all of that, as strong as it can be…If you ask what’s the most important quality to have in a school, people say curriculum, great teaching, a great education experience. That’s my first priority,” said Rankin. It is for this reason, and because he still enjoys teaching, that Rankin continues to teach a senior philosophy seminar class, despite all of his other commitments. Shriya Nanduru, a senior currently taking Rankin’s philosophy seminar, said, “He’s good at engaging the class and he brings up topics that are always interesting, he knows how to appeal to the class, and he seems really experienced in teaching philosophy. It’s really nice that our head of school is teaching. It’s great to be in a class with him and feel so much more connected.” “What I can say about Mr. Rankin is that he is a teacher first and foremost. In fact, he’s our first head of school in my time here that is still teaching, which I think says a lot about his commitment to the students first and foremost, and his commitment to the classroom… and also his commitment to the faculty here,” said Bates. Rankin is the interim head of school, and as such the search for a new and permanent Head of School to replace Barzdukas is largely underway. According to Bates, the first course of action was to put together a search committee, as well as team up with and hire(Continued on page 3)
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ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR (continued from page 1) that the history department's letter was too neutral,” he said. Poly’s standard protocol is that the administration and Poly’s communications director get in a room and discuss their response and further actions, but did not do so this time, said Rankin. However, Director of DEIB Erika Freeman, Director of Engagement and Communications Jennifer Slomack, and Assistant Head of School, Academics, Michal Hershkovitz had significant input in his draft of the letter to families. He noted that the history department followed protocol in its email, which was of similar nature to its letter after Russia’s initial invasion of Ukraine. Early on the day the attacks began, Hershkovitz reached out to Dr. Virginia Dillon, history department chair, asking that the department draft an email. “We wanted to keep a relatively short email with the primary goal of helping our students find information, especially when there is a news event,” said Dillon. “We want to give our students places where they can go to get trusted news.” “In periods of crisis, there are certain responsibilities that fall to the administration and ultimately to Mr. Rankin,” said Hershkovitz in an interview with the Polygon. “There's relatively little time in [a] time of crisis because the goal is singular and the goal is very clear: to take care of our students [and] provide them with as much educational support and emotional support as we can.” Hershkovitz said the administration received both positive and negative feedback from community members to Rankin’s email. “We heard both appreciation for certain messages and pain at the omission of other messages.” The complexities of the conflict become even harder to address when tackling a student body of fifth to twelfth graders, said Rankin. In the Middle School, students heard about the news in assembly and participated in affinity groups, according to Head of Middle School Daniel Doughty. Additionally, “when students returned to school on Wednesday, October 10, all 1st-period teachers read a message from me, acknowledging the tragic events and their impact on many families within our community,” said Doughty in an email to the Polygon. “How to talk about any sort of history in an age appropriate way, a developmentally appropriate way is important,” said Dillon. Meanwhile, many of the U.S.’s most high-profile colleges and universities found themselves struggling “in a near impossible effort to appease irate activists on both sides of a seemingly intractable issue,” wrote the Wall Street Journal. “The absence of a message can be perceived as a statement in its own right.” “No one has managed to get this right. No one has managed to satisfy all of the involved constituencies with any one statement … neither did we,” said Hershkovitz. “But it wasn't because we didn't care. It wasn't because we see one group and not another. It wasn't because we at Poly Prep as teachers are not aware of the complexities of this conflict.” Horace Mann, another Ivy Prep League School, has also been navigating the conflict. Head of School Dr.
Tom Kelly issued a statement condemning hate of any kind, and in an assembly speech he encouraged students to pick solutions not sides, according to Neeva Patel, the Editor-in-Chief of the Record, Horace Mann’s school newspaper. The Jewish Culture Club at Horace Mann also organized an Israel Relief Bake Sale. “Our school normally addresses almost all current events,” said Patel in an email to the Polygon. “However, it was definitely obvious that tensions were high at school and both students and teachers were apprehensive to discuss the conflict.” Community Responses In an email sent to Upper School students on Wednesday, October 11, Bates addressed the “wanton disregard for human life.” She asked students to be patient, compassionate, and kind to one another, and noted the spaces available to students: Jewish Caucus, Poly’s affinity group for Jewish-identifying students; MENA, Poly’s affinity group for Middle Eastern and North African-identifying students; an optional after-school student forum; and a history department-led information session on the history of the conflict that was later canceled. The information session was canceled because they felt they needed more time to prepare. “We didn't want to present something to the students that wasn't ready and that could lead to more confusion,” said Dillon. “It’s a really big, really important, and really complicated history.” Dillon said the department is still planning something, but she wasn’t sure when it would be rescheduled or in what format. Student affinity groups, including Jewish Caucus and MENA, met the same Wednesday as Bates’ email. Jewish Caucus met in the Legacy Gym instead of classrooms in order to accommodate the higher-than-normal attendance. “Members felt like they had a space to share their questions, thoughts, and emotions which was very important,” said Jewish Caucus student co-leader and senior Hazel Budker in an email statement to the Polygon, also noting that the affinity’s leaders have had several meetings with Poly faculty “to discuss ways that we can best support the students at this time.” (Dov Weinstein-Elul, a co-writer of this piece, is also a co-leader of Jewish Caucus.) In MENA meetings this month, members also spent time discussing the context of the conflict. Additionally, Jewish Caucus and MENA students are considering applying for funds from “Poly for Good,” which would go to “a humanitarian organization that specifically helps children [affected by the war],” said Bond. (“Poly for Good” is a new Poly initiative where “students can apply for financial support from Poly for a non-profit service organization they care about,” according to the official description.) A sub-group of Poly’s Fall Service Learning Team is also working on the curation of two collections of reliable resources for the community, according to Elijah Sivin, director of service learning and history teacher. One collection would be for resources on background information on the conflict, and the other for specific journalists, news outlets, and cul-
The POLYGON
Editors-in-Chief Jess Dosik Jordan Millar
Managing Editors TJ Iannelli Chelsea Lin
Middle School Editor Charlotte Arzouian
News Editors Anjali Budhram Seanna Sankar
Sports Editors Kayvan Dyk Reese Roaman
Opinions Editor William Ling-Regan
Business Columnist Noah Yaffe
Photography Editors Sophia Chamorro IZ Nissen
People Editor Elizabeth Perry
Breaking News Editor Lucas Basham
Online Managing Editor Lucia Zaremba
Features Editor Eleanor Brown Lila Daniels
Arts Critic Lucy Goldberg
Chief of Cartoons and Puzzles Michael Gabriel
Arts Editors Sadie Schoenberger Brianna Sylvain
Head Layout Editors Danielle Jason Charlotte Roberts Layout Editors
tural organizations to stay updated on the war. “This situation has lost considerable amounts of attention, so we want to raise more awareness and educate the Poly community on what’s going on,” said sophomore Noah Pessin, a member of the SLT group, in an email to the Polygon on October 25. “I'm 40 years old with a PhD [in Middle Eastern Studies] who has studied this conflict for many years and lived in the region and I feel like I have an incredible amount to learn,” said Dr. Max Shmookler, who teaches the Israel-Palestine conflict class at Poly. “So hopefully [that feeling is] some model of how we can all be more open to learning.” On Friday, October 13, Poly and other Ivy Prep League schools canceled all after school activities and added extra campus security in response to the current head of Hamas’s diaspora office and former chief's call for a worldwide day of protest. The call heightened tensions and potential for violence in New York City, despite no credible threats, according to the New York Times. The NYPD told Poly that there was an elevated alert, but no evidence of specific threats, according to Rankin. "But out of an abundance of caution, we are canceling all after-school activities," he wrote in an email to the community. Director of DEIB Erika Freeman spoke to the Upper School about the war during assembly on Wednesday, October 18. It was the Upper School’s first gathering as a full group since the war had begun. Freeman asked students to think about someone they cared about, and imagine feeling uncertain about their safety. That night, Rankin addressed families over Zoom about the war in his State of the School Address. Rankin said he was going to meet with families that are a part of the HUGs (Historically Underrepresented Groups) for Jewish Families parent affinity group as well as MENA families, in the October 16 interview. There are many ways to follow coverage on the war, including on social media. Shmookler and Dillon noted the importance of mindfulness and awareness when it comes to consuming the news on social media. Hershkovitz said that social media often leads to “performative oversimplification and false analogies,” which actively harms both students and adults. “When it comes to such an emotionally-tinged topic like the Israel-Palestine conflict, you have a lot of people who are getting a lot of misinformation,” said Shmookler. The hashtags #Israel and #Palestine have individually attracted tens of billions of views on TikTok, and more than 50 million posts on the topic have been posted on X. The European Commission formally requested that TikTok, X, and Meta turn over details on efforts to stop the spread of terrorist, violent content and hate speech on their platforms, reported Reuters. “I think we should all approach this conflict with humility. There's a lot to know, and we don't know very much,” said Shmookler. “There are a lot of different experiences and there's a lot of pain and that pain hurts everyone. And so I think the more humble you can be, the more honest and open you will be to learning.”
Emma Arden Amber Dosik Chloe Guedes-Smith Nyjáh Harrison Carolina Lisk Dov Weinstein Elul
Copy Editors Maia Kovaleski Ziah Adediran Gabi Winitzer
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 submissions should be emailed to polygon@polyprep.org and must include the author’s name. The Polygon reserves the right to edit all submissions for spelling, grammar, and length. Letters should be no longer than 200 words, and opinion pieces should be no longer than 750 words. You can find the full Polygon editorial policy online at polygonnews.org. Faculty Advisor: Rachael Allen The Polygon
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2023
EDITOR’S NOTE: HOW WE COVERED THE ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR
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he Polygon always strives to fully cover any and all major events that undoubtedly need to be brought to the community's attention. As journalists, our goal was to report on and accurately cover this major event due to its impact both within the Poly community and the broader global context. The Polygon recognizes that this topic is one that will resonate with many members of our community and may bring up lots of difficult emotions. At the beginning of the reporting process, with the understanding that this was a topic that we needed to cover in our paper, we assigned two of our senior writers to complete this task. We were mindful in our reporting to attempt to include a wide va-
riety of perspectives in order to accomplish this, including several administrators, affinity group student and faculty leaders, history department teachers, other faculty members from Poly as well as students from other Ivy League Prep schools. The Polygon acknowledges that one of the co-writers on this piece is a leader of Jewish Caucus. However, as Polygon students are involved in a vast number of community spaces, it can be difficult to avoid all potential conflicts of interest. We do our best to separate our lives from our jobs as student journalists. Nevertheless, we always ensure that all information is as unbiased as possible and thoroughly fact-checked by our staff. Our fact-checking pro-
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cess is extensive as we make sure that multiple staff members have carefully reviewed and checked every quote, piece of research, and potential discrepancy. We checked all language throughout and consulted a variety of news sources, websites, and the AP style Israel-Hamas topical guide. The Polygon will continue to report the most up-to-date information on the situation as possible, and acknowledges that the situation is constantly changing as more information comes out. We encourage anyone to voice their response of the Polygon’s reporting by sending a letter to the editor or a comment to polygon@polyprep.org. We also welcome any story ideas that should be covered in our next issue.
John Rankin Becomes Interim Head of School (continued from page 1)
a search firm. Poly is current- contact a final group of candi- Head of School is estably using the search firm Car- dates who they will then send lished starting next year. Junior Hannah Goldney Sandoe to lead the search to the search committee, comfor a new Head of School. posed of Poly faculty, staff, and berg said “I think that, so One of the search team’s trustees, to interview the re- far, Mr. Rankin has done a first tasks once hired was to maining candidates for the job. good job this year. We’ve walk through the school and After a final narrowing down, heard him speak at a few do a complete and thorough the finalists will be invited onto events, and I’m looking forevaluation of the climate and campus for a few days, and fi- ward to seeing his impacts environment at Poly. They nally the decision of who to hire for the rest of the year.” “We’re in good hands held a variety of faculty drop- will be made for who to hire. According to the “Head of going forward as we wait ins and, spoke to administration, teachers, and students, School Search” section on the for an extra permanent leadand now they must come up Poly Prep website, “[Poly in- er. Mr. Rankin’s wealth of with a position description for tends] to have a new Head of experience, commitment to the Head of School based on the things that they saw. This “It’s a new year and I think it’s a great position description, accord- chance to emphasize all of the things ing to Bates, will be “a multi- that Poly’s done well.” page job description showcasing the school, showcasing the -John Rankin opportunities for the new Head of School, the challenges that School in place for the start of students, and commitment to they may face, and then a list the 2024-25 school year, but the adults on campus is goof personal professional quali- finding the perfect candidate ing to serve us exceptionally fications.” This job description who reflects, represents, and gal- well this year,” said Bates. “It’s a new year and I think will then be posted publicly, vanizes our amazing communiand the firm will begin taking ty is our priority above all else.” it’s a great chance to emphaFor the time being, though, size all of the things that Poresumes, according to Bates. After many rounds of go- Poly is fully prepared to be ly’s done well,” said Rankin. ing through resumes, they’ll led byto Rankin until a new
Have a story idea? Email us at polygon@polyprep.org.
Performing Arts Center Building to be Completed Soon TJ IANNELLI MANAGING EDITOR
VIA MARK MINKLEY
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oly Prep’s new Performing Arts Center (PAC) has been a long awaited addition to campus, bringing the school’s visual and performing arts to a new level. Students and faculty are eagerly anticipating the building’s opening. The PAC is currently on track to open by January 2024. According to Mark Minkley, principal of Zubatkin Owner Representation (a company that works with the owner and contractor to keep projects on track, and owner's rep for Poly Prep), while September 2023 was the optimistic goal, the January 2024 deadline was always to be expected. He explained that “there were some
jazz band member Noah Saivetz said, "I'm really happy that I'm going to end my senior year in such a beautiful building." In this new building, the first floor will be a large community space, extending outward from the old Richard Perry Theater lobby. In addition to new furnishing in the space, the lobby will serve as a gallery for 2D and 3D artwork with video monitors for digital photography and film. The second floor will feature two large rooms: one for music and the other for dance. According to Robinson, both spaces will be state-of-the-art, with the music room now able to hold the entire band and the dance room able to repli-
“The team really cares. The hope here is that we deliver a very successful, beautiful, jewelbox of a project to [the students and faculty].” -Julie Geden setbacks with the foundation of the building, [specifically some existing conditions during excavation of the site] and poor weather, but with those now resolved the building is back on track to its original deadline.” Julie Geden, senior principal of Zubatkin, said, "The team really cares. The hope here is that we deliver a very successful, beautiful, jewelbox of a project to [the students and faculty].” Michael Robinson, head of the arts at Poly Prep, said, "It is going to be an incredible community space for us, not just the specific arts disciplines that are being housed there, but for the school as a whole. It is going to really unify that whole side of campus in a way that includes places to gather, and a celebration of the arts at Poly in a way that we just haven't had before." Poly Prep senior and active
cate stages for rehearsals. The dance space is also designed to be multi-purpose, featuring flexible risers and the ability to host events like presentations, recitals, or school gatherings. Though the PAC is a new addition, there have been multiple proposals over the years, dating back to before Robinson was at Poly Prep. "It has taken us a long time to get there," said Robinson. Still, Robinson feels the new space will meet many of the performing arts needs of the school and is excited to see it finished for the students and faculty. Robinson added, "This is a really wonderful new addition that will distinguish us from other schools. When alumni, students, and family come to our campus in the spring, we are going to be celebrating a new view of Poly."
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The Elimination of Affirmative Action (continued from page 1) African Americans and other marginalized racial minorities, according to the American Bar Association.” Associate Head of School Kyle Graham, who has an extensive background in college admissions, stated “In the context of the work that I was doing, I took it [affirmative action] to mean trying to level the playing field, trying to help people who come from different backgrounds, different circumstances, [and] who are perhaps underrepresented in higher education.” When news of the Supreme Court ruling broke, colleges and universities were quick to send out public announcements via email and social media, assuring that despite the illegality of affirmative action, schools would remain firm in their commitment to creating a diverse student body. However, Poly’s Upper School Deans sent out their own email to the Upper School community, alerting students that over the summer “admissions offices and college counselors will begin sharing practices to navigate this landscape, and we will be keeping close tabs on these developments. Our paramount goal is to identify the best strategic approach for every single student we work with, and our feelings about this [Supreme Court] decision do not diminish our determination on that score.” In the past ten years during her work at Poly, Gardiner has seen the concept of affirming on the basis of race play out in several ways: “One thing I think affirmative action has done is create...a lot of incredibly toxic dialogue for the private school kids that I work with, and I think anyone in my role and our role at a similar school to this one would say the same. There’s a lot of toxic dialogue about deserving and merit.” Upper School Dean and Poly alumna Chekira Lashley noted similar conversations surrounding questions of merit and legitimacy in relation to affirmative action, especially when she was a student at Wesleyan University. “There are so many misconceptions around who benefits from it [affirmative action]. The idea is [that] there are white students with more merit that are overlooked because they’re trying to meet a racial quota and then black and brown students with less merit get in with a lower GPA or lower standardized test scores,” Lashley explained. With affirmative action now gone, Lashley stated that the ruling will hopefully dispel such narratives. Colleges have managed to find somewhat of a silver lining when it comes to continuing their efforts in creating a diverse class. According to The New York Times, in an excerpt of the Supreme Court majority opinion written by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr, it states that, “Nothing in this opinion should be construed as prohibiting universities from considering an applicant’s discussion of how race affected his or her life, be it through discrimination, inspiration or otherwise.” “They feel like that language gives them the
ability to continue affirming students as long as the student is not saying, you know, categorically ‘I’m part of this demographic and this demographic has been oppressed.’ It’s more [so], ‘here’s how my situation has affected me specifically’,” added Graham. As stated by Gardiner, several colleges have rewritten their supplemental prompts in order to encourage students to share important aspects that play a crucial role in who they are, that may not be found elsewhere in their applications. For instance, as reported by the Harvard Crimson, in response to the affirmative action ruling, Harvard College’s application now contains five required 200-word short answer questions, including “Harvard has long recognized the importance of enrolling a diverse student body. How will the life experiences that shape who you are today enable you to contribute to Harvard?” Similarly, Duke University amended its application by telling prospective students to “Feel free to tell us any ways in which you’re different and how that has affected you.” “They’re asking those questions because they want to be able to continue to affirm students,” Graham said. “Now, whether that ends up in more legal drama, I don’t know — so we’ll have to see this year. What I can tell you is that the friends that I talked to suggested that they plan on continuing to do the work they believe is right.” Given Roberts’ statement in the majority opinion, Graham explained that signaling (the act of letting colleges know how you racially and ethnically identify in more inexplicit ways) has become an integral part of the senior class’ college applications this year. Since schools will no longer see the racial checkbox on applications, according to Graham, “now, the only way they’re going to be positioned to be able to affirm a student is if somewhere in the application, they get a sense of the student’s identity and that the student crosses that threshold of satisfying Roberts’ condition in that little language.” In order to ensure that aspects of a Poly student’s identity are clear in all areas of their application, Graham noted that this year, Gardiner and the deans changed the template of letters of recommendation so that each contains some short context about the applicant, their family, and background. More often than not, college admissions officers spend very little time reading students’ applications. According to an article from the Wall Street Journal in 2018, some of the most selective schools dedicated 8 minutes or less for an application due to rapid increases in application numbers. “You want the reader [of an application] to like the kid, to like the file — to take it from just an abstract reading, the stats about SAT score and GPA, and turn it into something human. I think the way human nature is, you’re more likely to be pulling for someone once
you have a sense of their story,” Graham explained. This fall, Lashley has also noticed students signaling their identities in other areas of their applications. “I’ve seen a couple of different pathways, such as some people saying their ethnic name in addition to their American name or just people sharing ‘as a black student in a predominately white space…’” However, Gardiner still assured that the “qualitative writing about the student’s life, for example, their financial situation, whether their parents went to college, all of the personal qualities that are highlighted in, for example, a counselor letter about what they bring to school or what they’re doing with their education,” also plays an important role. Though the impacts of the ruling are hard to pin down this early on, Gardiner explained that if anything, the court decision will continue to encourage and facilitate constructive conversations within the school community. “This sort of throws down the gauntlet to us once again to get our seniors talking about this in an intelligent way, so that we are not allowing a shallow understanding of the imperatives to create a representative class at selective colleges. Our shallow understanding of that causes us to judge each other in completely inaccurate ways,” Gardiner said. On September 27, the Upper School Deans hosted a discussion on the Supreme Court’s affirmative action decision along with two colleagues at major highly-selective universities: an admissions reader and a Dean for Intercultural Engagement. Though the deans and guest speakers acknowledged that there are many unknowns going into the college admissions process this year, they assured Upper School students in attendance that they feel hopeful for the future. “I feel like we’ve been doing a pretty good job post this decision, making sure students know how to do [signaling] right, how to do it effectively. [For] other kids who don’t have as sophisticated counseling, who don’t have as [much] personalized attention, maybe there’s a chance they don’t know how to signal. So if the highly selective colleges don’t have as many kids effectively signaling it’s going to help the kids who did,” Graham said. In the coming years, the school hopes to gain a better understanding of what the college admissions process will look like without affirmative action. “We’re going to see how colleges choose to respond to the decision. And my guess there will be some variance where some colleges will continue to do what they’ve always done and some colleges will stray from that and chart a new path,” Graham said. “What we’ll do is try to use the data and use our conversations with reps as they come in, as we go to fairs and conferences and just try to help best support our kids.”
THE BLUE DEVIL DELI RELOCATES ELIZABETH PERRY PEOPLE EDITOR
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he Blue Devil Deli was relocated from the Quad on the consumption on a daily basis, the sales seem Tent to the Student Center this school year be- to be steady in the way it was last year,” said Rossini. cause the certification of occupancy, which is the perReactions from both students and faculty have been mit from the city of New York necessary for the tent to be used, had recently expired. Sarah Bates, the head of the upper school, explained, “In 2021, we extended the certification of occupancy from the city of New York for another year or two. Unfortunately, in anticipation of this school year, our operations team got notification from the city that we no longer had the permit for the Quad Tent, or what had become the Blue Devil Deli.” “The Deli was a great meeting space and we had good options for students, faculty, and staff. It was eventually determined that we were going to move the food services into the Student Center,” continued Bates. According to Chef Louis Rossini, “My main goal was to find a location that was easily accessible to students, without taking up too much of a footprint. Even though the couches disappeared, [I] figured that it would VIA SOPHIA CHAMORRO be better for the students to have Deli access.” The transition to the Student Center has demon- mixed. According to an Instagram poll conducted by strated several improvements, including increased Poly’s student government account in October 2023, convenience for students. Rossini also noted that the 48 percent of students voted to bring back the old Stumove hasn’t deterred the Deli’s popularity. “Based dent Center and remove the Deli completely, while
52 percent of students voted to keep the Deli as is. Junior Gianna Denis shared “I don’t love the new location of the Deli because it feels unclean to be doing homework while there is food being served.” Dennis also expressed her disappointment over the absence of the couches. Gemma Pauls, a senior, explained her appreciation for the change. “I love the Quad being open because I really love sitting outside at the picnic tables with friends when it’s warm and the sun is out. It’s also nice having easy access to the Deli while doing work in the Student Center. ” In previous years, the Quad Tent has also served as a crucial space for Pack-Out days, where students actively participated in collecting donations and repackaging them to be donated at “friendly fridges” across the city. Elijah Sivin, the director of service learning, expressed his dismay over the relocation, noting that “in addition to being a good working space, the Quad Deli space turned out to be a perfect space for packout day, because it was cool, indoors, and contained, so you could keep pests out. I am not exactly sure where that leaves us for this year without use of the Deli.” As the new school year begins, the Poly community continues to adjust to an altered Student Center.
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OPINIONS
Is the Press Damaging Democracy? TJ IANNELLI MANAGING EDITOR
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he Press is considered integral to safeguarding democracy in the United States. But how does the Press actually promote and secure democracy? And do some of our news networks do more harm than good today? How might we change that without limiting the legal rights of the Press? The Press is not a singular category- it consists of a broad range of media networks. On the left, there are networks like CNN and NPR, and on the right, there are networks like Fox News and NewsMax. There are also moderate networks like the Wall Street Journal and PBS News. Partisan networks seem to be the cause of our problems today. A study from 2021 analyzes the difference between respondents in a news bubble and those who are not. A news bubble is defined as when people get “political news in a given week only from outlets predominantly used by people who align with them politically.” On the left, Democrats in a news bubble had CNN, NPR, and the New York Times as their main sources, making up 21%, 18%, and 9% respectively. This effect is even more exaggerated on the right. Republicans in a news bubble get 70% of their news from Fox News. Both these bubble groups consider themselves to be strongly ideologically aligned with their parties as well. All of these statistics are significantly more extreme than moderate respondents from both parties. Individuals in a news bubble also have the most polarized views on a given subject, as proven by a Pew Research Study on how Americans in a news bubble disagree with the other party more than all other Democrats and Republicans. Highlighted Note Important For Understanding Groupings: The Fox News cable channel and talk radio shows such as Sean Hannity or Rush Limbaugh have audiences that lean Republican and conservative. CNN, MSNBC, NPR, New York Times and Washington Post have audiences that lean Democratic and liberal. Sources whose audiences are more mixed include ABC, CBS or NBC network television news. This difference is most notable when it comes to “Reducing illegal immigration” for Democrats and Republicans in a news bubble, who had an 86 percent gap. Across the entire table, the gap of agreement between “All other Rep / Lean Reps” and “All other Dem / Lean Dems” is less than that of the right-leaning and left-leaning audiences in a news bubble. These news bubbles are only creating more division and pushing Americans further apart from each other. This is certainly more extreme on the right, with Fox News being the predominant media source, but to only focus on the right would ignore the smaller but still critical issue of a media bubble on the left. Both sides are to blame when it comes to polarization, and a
solution is certainly not to go blaming a singular side. The results of this study could be interpreted to argue that the Press has influenced people’s views to be more
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distant from each other. But people are not necessarily to
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blame. Even with the human psychological instinct of taking a side, the news seems to only amplify this division. This division is extremely unproductive, so why would news networks promote it? There seems to be only one real reason news networks amplify this division: money. In a recent legal battle, Dominion Voting Systems sued Fox News for $1.6 billion, claiming the news outlet aired multiple allegations that the company’s voting machines were rigged against Trump in 2020, knowing the accusations were false. In Fox News’s defense, they argued that, “the Fox stars relaying them on the air re-
flected an appropriate journalistic response to stark claims about the functioning of American democracy, as they involve “questions to a newsmaker on newsworthy subjects” and “accurately report on pending allegations.”” Fox’s lawyers chose to settle with Dominion for $787.5 million out of court and publicly admit in a statement that some of the information that the network aired about Dominion was proven false. This case proved that networks can be held accountable for their intentional lies, and can be forced to report accurate information. This ruling should hopefully apply across all networks in the United States, though only time will tell if the high cost of lawsuits will be enough to persuade media outlets. Some might argue that this lawsuit limits networks from publishing pending allegations, but that is simply not the case nor the goal of this lawsuit. A series of texts and emails released from the case revealed that people throughout Fox News, from senior executives to young journalists, knew that what was being broadcasted was false. The only reason they kept the false information going was because they knew they would lose viewership otherwise to competitors like NewsMax. This is not to say that any pending or controversial ideas shouldn’t be published. In a journal article, Rochelle DuFord argues that conflict is actually good for democracy and helps it grow and improve. Importantly, though, there is a difference between productive and wasteful conflict. Productive conflict would be the publishing of controversial topics by news networks to bring light to an issue. A wasteful conflict would be what Fox News did: spreading information they knew was false simply to maintain their viewership. This important differentiation must be noted. This is not an attack on freedom of the press, this is an attack on intentional extremism for profit. The Press is an extremely influential institution in America, and its power should not be overlooked. Right now, some media outlets are using their platforms to gain viewership and ultimately profit. The Press is meant to serve democracy, not tear it apart for the sake of a better quarterly report on the company’s finances. This fixation on profit can be changed by holding networks accountable for their blatant lies by taking away the money they made by stating false claims for viewership. The future of American democracy doesn’t have to be hopeless and deemed irreparable, but with the current state of the media, that division is being aired by some networks. With both sides of the media polarizing their audience to hatred, there is no chance for change. The answer starts with where Americans get their information: the Press.
What Is the Best Lunch Time?
LILA DANIELS FEATURES EDITOR
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s a sophomore, I have officially partaken in all of the bustling lunch periods at Poly Prep. From sixth to tenth grade, my lunch periods have gotten earlier and earlier as the years go by. In fifth grade, I enjoyed Poly’s tasty lunch at a late 12:45 p.m. Now, as a sophomore, I indulge in that delicious chicken and rice at a premature 11 a.m. — merely two hours after breakfast. This drastic time change over the years has led me to ponder the question: what is the best lunchtime at Poly? Poly’s campus has lately been buzzing about this question. An email sent out on September 6 from Megan Caro, Upper School Dean Coordinator, stated, “There are no Upper School students allowed in Commons from 12:45 to 1:15 p.m.” because Commons is at maximum “capacity.” This announcement caused distress among Upper School students who dine earlier. Senior Sophia Kong, like many other Upper Schoolers, was instantly affected by the email. “Some days I grab lunch at 12:40 p.m. since I would
rather do homework or am just not hungry at 11 a.m.,” said Kong. Of course, all lunch periods have their pros and cons. The 11 a.m. period is wonderful if you happened to miss breakfast or want the first go at the salad/sandwich bar. There is nothing like being the first person to scrape the granola and strawberries
the fifth and sixth grade chaos. Considering all of these factors, I had trouble determining the prime period for eating lunch, and in order to make my final ruling, I needed some outside input. Sophomore Olivia Sperling said, “12:10 was definitely the best time to eat, and I miss when we could eat then in 8th grade.” On the contrary, junior Aish-
“11:40 is absolutley the perfect lunchtime.” - Aishwarya Malhotra off the top of the yogurt. Although the 11 a.m. lunch has advantages, I can’t help but place it lower on my list because most days, I am not hungry enough at 11 to fully immerse myself in the Poly Prep lunch experience. The 11:40 and 12:10 slots are great happy mediums with the ideal amount of time before and after lunch, allowing for a satisfying after-school snack. I also enjoyed eating at 12:45 (before I was banished from the cafeteria), although it never seemed worth to eat then amidst
warya Malhotra believes “11:40 is absolutely the perfect lunchtime. I’m never starving but I am always hungry then, and it gives a good amount of time before and after for classes.” Sophomore Quinn Foley seconds that, and said “11:40 all the way.” This time reflecting upon my years eating lunch at Poly has been nostalgic. To come to the final answer, it took a long time attempting to recall the emotions I felt eating at each lunch period. It has been challenging, but I have made my final ruling on the best lunchtime at Poly: 11:40 a.m.
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THE BUSINESS COLUMN NOAH YAFFE BUSINESS COLUMNIST Whether you’re a budding entrepreneur, an economics enthusiast with a passion for understanding market trends, or simply curious about how the world of business intersects with our academic sphere, The Business Column is your spot. We invite eager Poly students — whether you’re already on the Polygon or not — journalists to help us dissect the latest trends, profile local businesses, and explore the inventive companies involved on our campus. The Business Column aims to bridge the gap between the classroom and the corporate world, tailoring stories to the interests of aspirational students. The column is open to entertaining all ideas you might wish to write about, and I am here to offer guidance as you craft your narrative. It is my hope that The Business Column becomes a trusted source for updates and opinions on global trends, and the business aspects of Poly. Please reach out to myself, Jess and Jordan, or Ms. Allen if you wish to join in on this exciting journey — where commerce meets campus, and where the innovative spirit of the Poly community is celebrated and fostered.
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y name is Noah Yaffe, I am in 12th grade, and I am proud to unveil the latest addition to the pages of the Polygon: The Business Column. This column is intended to be a gateway to the dynamic, ever-evolving realm of business, economics, and entrepreneurship, set against the backdrop of Poly’s vibrant campus community. The Business Column is here to keep you informed, inspired, and engaged in the world of business as it impactsinsights the lives of Poly students.
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Created using the Crossword Maker on TheTeachersCorner.net
Across 3. What did middle school free time used to be called? 7. He who shall not be named. 8. A favorite post race dessert for the Cross Country Team (two words, no spaces) 9. The event that happens in the Oval during Homecoming (two words, no spaces). 11. The nickname of the ice cream man who used to throw cones at Poly students (It's also the title of a horror movie). 12. Pizza _________ is a 'True Bay Ridginal' located at 86th street and 5th avenue.
During the Year of the Rabbit, Save a Bunny CHARLOTTE ROBERTS HEAD LAYOUT EDITOR
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uring one unusual middle school spring recess period, current senior William Ling-Regan spotted a small and domestic-appearing bunny huddling under a bush in the Poly Prep Memorial Garden. While seemingly unusual at the time, Poly Prep, as a unique 25-acre grassy campus in an otherwise urban setting, would soon become wrongfully established as a hub of animal, particularly bunny, abandonment. “[During recess] we would see bunnies either crouched in the forest or running around by the garden that people had just left there,” recalled Ling-Regan. “We saw
“I’ve never lived somewhere where this [bunny abandonment] happens as often as it does here.” - PJ McKosky
MICHAEL GABRIEL CHIEF OF CARTOONS AND PUZZLES
Down 1. In October we think _________. 2. Alum who used to represent the congressional district in which Poly is located (first and last name, no spaces). 4. I went to the Summer __________ Camp here at Poly. 5. The ________ invented everything. 6. When will the new performing arts center realistically open? 10. The book that documents the school year.
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2023
a chicken one time, we have seen cats, there were a whole bunch of animals.” Unfortunately, the spring timing of these bunny sightings was not random. According to Abandoned Rabbits, an informational blog dedicated to advocating for abandoned pet rabbits, while rabbits are the third most popular animal companion in the US, they are also the third most abandoned, especially in the months following Easter. At Luv-NBunns, a rabbit rescue in the Philadelphia area, the shelter’s Director of Intake and Adoptions, Elizabeth Luczyszyn, estimates that of the 150 rabbits taken in by the shelter annually, 75 percent are Easter purchases. “A lot of people think it’s a really cute gift to get their kids a little Easter bunny,” said Luczyszyn in a Billy Penn article. “Then, there’s an influx of people wanting to return them.” After impulsive and uneducated holiday purchases, people realize the true commitment of correctly caring for a bunny, and many are quickly surrendered. Along with bunny abandonment, neglect itself also poses a significant issue, as four out of five rabbits bought as pets near Easter are abandoned or die within a year, according to Metro News. In past years, the bunny abandonment and neglect problem has been particularly magnified in New York. In a DNA Info article, P.J. McKosky, a volunteer
for the Brooklyn-based rescue group Empty Cages Collective, said, “I’ve never lived somewhere where this [bunny abandonment] happens as often as it does here. We’re getting calls every week.” Reportedly, within these abandonments, Poly Prep Country Day School, Prospect Park, Sunset Park, and Central Park are popular “bunny dumping grounds” because of their perceived “natural” landscapes that, in reality, are completely unfit for a domesticated bunny. Although bunnies are commonly misconstrued as a “starter pet” because of their small size, they often require the same care and attention as larger pets such as cats and dogs. Especially in New York City, while people might think of bunnies as more of an “apartment sized” pet, bunnies require an enclosure of at least eight square feet, and as active and energetic animals, should have access to an exercise space of a minimum of 24 square feet in which they can exercise in for at least five hours a day, according to House Rabbit Society, an international nonprofit animal welfare organization. While some may argue that a quick fix to bunny abandonment is to stop keeping all bunnies as pets, there are many bunnies out there, especially mistreated abandoned or former lab bunnies, that deserve to be adopted to live an ethical and deserving life with a fit and responsible caretaker. According to a questionnaire of 1,516 rabbit owners conducted by Sarah A. McMahon and Ellie Wigham, bunnies truly experience emotions, and their health, happiness, lifespan, and overall welfare are greatly influenced by their living conditions, food, and time spent with their owners. As many of these criteria are compromised within labs or shelters, seasoned pet owners looking for a ten-year commitment of a bunny who are willing to educate themselves on their needs should opt to save one of the 6.2 million sheltered bunnies nationwide, according to Faunalytics. But, unless you are willing to anticipate the true responsibilities of correctly caring for and owning a bunny, when assembling your easter baskets in the coming years, stick with chocolate bunnies as holiday props. A real bunny able to live up to ten years doesn’t deserve a disposable shelf life.
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FEATURES
Devil’s Advocate
A Look Back at Poly’s Lower School History JORDAN MILLAR EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
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espite being located separately corner of Brooklyn.” After exploring from the “verdant 25-acre col- various other location options and lege-like campus” that houses the potential deals, including negotiaMiddle and Upper School in Dyker tions with The Village Community Heights, Brooklyn, Poly Prep’s Low- School in 1988, the school’s Board of er School serves as an integral part Trustees determined that Park Slope of the school’s community and cul- would be a suitable neighborhood. ture. Though it can be easy to as- As stated by former Assistant Headsume that the school’s beloved low- master for External Affairs Maureen er campus, open to students from Walsh in the newspaper article, “It’s Nursery to Grade 4, has been pres- a very big neighborhood with a lot of ent from the beginning, few people young families so that we really fell are aware of the history behind the there were a lot of children. Plus, it’s Lower School’s late establishment. a very diverse neighborhood and we According to a 1995 Polygon felt that it would be a nice balance to article, “In order to expand its offer- be in Park Slope and in Bay Ridge.” ings to include elementary education There were several reasons Poly (Nursery to 4th grade) and to reach wanted to establish a Lower School. more deeply into northern Brooklyn, The absence of families with stuPoly founds its own Lower School in 1995 in Park Slope and buys the historic Hulbert mansion at 50 Prospect Park West.” The mansion was previously the site of the former Wo o d w a r d Park School. The establishment of the Lower School marked a crucial point in Poly’s history, for as noted in the Polygon article, “Al- VIA POLY PREP ARCHIVES though the community has seen a number of reforms dents in lower grades made it more and improvements in the last year, challenging to secure interested famranging from the refurbishment of ilies and their donations. As stated the Fifth Form Room to the construc- by Williams in the New York Times tion of the fitness center, there has article, “Not having an elementary been no change as exciting and revo- school, we have to be aggressive in lutionary for the school as this since our recruiting.” Williams added in the first admission of girls in 1977.” a report to a 1995-1996 issue of the Why a Lower School? The Stra- school magazine , that “We needed to tegic Reasoning Behind Expansion compete for families who had made Extending education offerings an early commitment to private edto students in lower grades was a ucation…the movement to coeducaprimary goal of Poly’s as early as tion made the acquisition of a feedthe 1970s. In an article for the New er school very important to Poly.” York Times in February of 1995, Through expanding its communiWilliams explained: “The chal- ty deep into Park Slope, the school lenge is finding where you want the aimed to increase enrollment while school to go,” he said. “You have also improving the diversity of its to know what the next step is.” families. At the time, Williams statThough the possibility of build- ed to the Polygon that “I feel that the ing a separate Lower School on the major advantage is one of assuring a Middle and Upper campus was con- broad, diverse, and strong applicant sidered, according to the Polygon, it pool at a time when tuitions keep was ultimately decided that students going up. We always wanted an elwould not want to stay in the same ementary division because we’re the space throughout their entire career only major private school in the city as students. Additionally, according that doesn’t have one and that has to the 1995 New York Times article, always been a disadvantage in terms “board members also feared that few of competition for our students.” parents of young children in the lowWriting Support Assistant and er grades would be willing to allow former history teacher Susan Beiles, them to be bused to the far southwest who has been teaching at the school
since 1979, added in an interview that “I think this was a strategic move that had community support [...] the idea of having a Lower School was desirable because it could get children in at an earlier age [...] without a Lower School, young children would go someplace else. And would they then come to Poly middle school? Who knows?” The addition of a Lower School, according to Beiles, was also helpful in increasing the school’s income. “Poly was a smaller school then in total numbers, and so I think that fiscally it was for economic reasons. It was also desirable because it would bring in more revenue,” Beiles said. The absence of an elementary school, according to Williams, was also a burden for students that entered the school during fifth grade. A main entry year even today, in addition to returning students, a significant amount of incoming students come to Poly from m a n y different schools. “Everyone is at a different level in mathematics. It takes half the year to get them together. The culture, the attitudes, and the values of the school have to be shaped gradually,” Williams said in the magazine. Through adding a Lower School, Williams hoped to streamline the process of transitioning new students to the Middle and Upper School campus. Making a Dream a Reality: Finding the Perfect Fit The school’s accession of its Lower Campus was almost predestined, for according to the New York Times, the chairman of the trustees at the Woodward Park School “approached Poly Prep with a proposal that said, essentially, ‘Take our school. Please.’” The Woodward Park School had been struggling in the years leading up to this proposal. With a decrease in enrollment from 200 students in 1990 to 130 from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade, the school became plagued with financial troubles and overdue rent payments to the Brooklyn Ethical Culture Society. As stated in an article published on the Brook (continued on page 8)
WILLIAM LING-REGAN AND ELEANOR BROWN OPINIONS EDITOR AND FEATURES EDITOR Dear Devil’s Advocate, I’ve just started high school, and I’m kind of overwhelmed. The classes are much more intense than before, there are so many new people I don’t know, and I feel like the friend groups in my grade are already so set in stone. What advice do you have for the transition into high school? Sincerely, Frightened Frosh Dear Frightened Frosh, We were all freshmen once. During our freshman year, we were masked under tents with a virus looming over us, so your year is already off to a better start. We know how different high school feels from everything before it: your life goes from a comforting community of homerooms that migrate together, to a hodgepodge of constantly changing classes, clubs, and social groups. Whether you’ve been at Poly since before you could read or just arrived this year (if so, welcome), you’re entering into a new environment as the lowest on the totem pole. So, even though we had a very different freshman year than you, we can offer a few suggestions to help you make the most of your first year of high school. Our most important piece of advice for thriving in high school: talk to people. This starts in your classes. Poly’s faculty can seem intimidating, but communicating with your teachers is the most surefire way to succeed in your academic career. Whether it’s asking that “dumb” question in class, taking that flex period to go get extra help, or just going out of your way to say “hi” in the hallways, show your teachers you care. If you don’t get the grade you want on an essay, review it with your teacher and learn what to do next time. If you enjoyed their lesson today, let them know. If, like us, you just can’t wrap your head around geometry, we’re sure your teacher understands and they’ll be more than happy to support you. Believe it or not, your teachers care more about your commitment to their class than how “good” you think you are at the subject. Geometry may never be your forte, but as long as you keep trying with those proofs and reaching out when you need help, you will definitely be more than okay. And don’t limit your communication to just your teachers. Start conversations with everyone in your class — the people who sit near you, your partner on a project, or a small discussion group. We would never tell you to talk during lessons, of course, but make sure you use the time teachers provide to speak to your classmates. You’ll hear their perspectives and see the material in a new way, and you’ll also make connections and friendships with the people you’ll be seeing in class for the rest of the year. One of the best things about the Poly community is the range of social connections. No one is confined to their friend group, class, team, or even their grade. More often than not, people want to connect. So wherever you go throughout the day, try to talk to someone new. The bus is a great place to meet new people, especially ones in other grades. So are clubs, affinity groups, practices, and even the lunch line in Commons. All it takes is a few words to start a relationship that could last the rest of your four years here, or even the rest of your life. It’s difficult to step outside of your comfort zone, and it may feel like everyone already has their friend group, but as seniors, we can tell you that we’ve had many different groups throughout high school and are always looking to meet new people. So, Frightened Frosh, what we’re saying is to just start talking to people at any chance you get. High school is a rollercoaster of new experiences, anxiety, energy, and discovery. But just like any rollercoaster, it feels so much better if there’s someone sitting next to you. So start reaching out, and we’re sure you’ll take your high school experience from hell to heaven! Sincerely, The Devil’s Advocate The Devil’s Advocate is the Polygon’s advice column. Need advice? Write polygon@polyprep.org a letter explaining your problem and we’ll publish it anonymously with advice from the Devil’s Advocate.
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A Look Back At Poly’s Lower School History (continued from page 7) lyn Friends School titled “Miss Woodward, innovator at BFS and beyond from 1900 to 1951,” the school also had “decreasing enrollment resulting from the ‘Baby Bust’ of the 1960s and 1970s which caused many NYC independent schools to close or merge during the 1990s…” According to the school’s magazine, Williams stated that “the merger began with my discussions with the chairman of the board in the middle of November, 1994. This led to meetings of the two boards and eventually to an agreement for them to dissolve as a corporation.” After getting approval from the New York Secretary of State, the two schools were able to solidify the deal. “The funds to acquire the Woodward Park School came out of Poly’s endowment. Acquiring the Woodward School as the Elementary Division of Poly Prep is a capital investment in the School; it is a valuable asset,” Williams said. Opposing Cultures and Teaching Methods: The Challenges of Merging Schools One of the primary challenges of the project, according to the Polygon, was gaining access to the building. Designed and built by architect Montrose W. Morris, the Hulbert Mansion was completed in 1892. According to an article from Brownstoner by historian Suzanne Spellen, “this house was Montrose Morris’ largest private house to date, and was commissioned when he was at the height of his Romanesque Revival period, and was busting out as one of only several go-to Brooklyn architects of the uber-rich.” As stated by Spellen, 10-15 years after the Hulbert Mansion was constructed, everyone began switching to white stone to mimic the building’s design. Officially recognized as a landmark since 1929, the Mansion’s historical significance made it “necessary to convince the owners of the building, The Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture, to sell it to Poly.” Though efforts to secure ownership of the building were drawn out by other developers, the sale was approved on February 19 and on February 22, the boards of the two institutions came to a consensus on price and terms, solidifying the deal. According to the Polygon, Walsh was set to become the director of the new Lower School, which would offer enrollment for nursery, beginning with two and a half year-old students, through the sixth grade. Present faculty were asked to remain at Woodward, while the director of Woodward Park held the position of Educational Director at the new lower school. In the Polygon, Walsh had stated “one of our real goals is to make sure there’s a sense of continuity and we don’t want to make a lot of changes next year. If there’s change we want it to be in stability and resources but not in personality and method.” Former Middle School Dean Peter Soto was attending the Woodward Park School in the sixth grade when Poly acquired the Hulbert Mansion. Soto’s moth-
er, who worked at Woodward Park, went on to teach at the Lower School, where she still works today. With a total of just six students in his grade, Soto said “The Woodward Park School was a really ahead of its time progressive, small Montessori-ish school, which means that grades were mixed together and it was more of a community feel in the classroom.” The Woodward School’s educational practices were based on philosopher and education reformer John Dewey’s concepts of catering to the natural interests and curiosity of the children rather than having a set curriculum. Once the two schools merged, Soto attended Poly for the first time starting in the seventh grade, making him a member of the first class to transition from Woodward to Poly. Referring to the transition as a big shock to the system, Soto explained that “It was very nerve wracking and we definitely felt a significant difference coming from a place, talking about a lot of social emotional things and not a traditional classroom. My saving grace was that I knew a lot of kids that were there [at Poly] through sports growing up and playing in the park.” In comparison to the Woodward Park School, the Polygon stated that Poly had a “reputation for being a tradi-
“I think there was concern about different values of teaching and learning in those initial days in the Lower School.” - Susan Beiles tional school, at least in terms of policies such as the dress code and grading.” Beiles also attested to the differences between the two institutions, stating “I think there was concern about different values of teaching and learning in those initial days in the Lower School. And then how would those children be absorbed into Middle School?” Such cultural differences were addressed by Poly’s administration, for according to the Polygon, the Woodward School was still allowed and even encouraged to maintain its personality and policies after merging. “It is hoped that by forming a connection with a progressive children’s school, Poly will be opening its doors to innovative methods of teaching,” the article said. Williams, optimistic for the Lower School’s future, stated that “Poly can capitalize on Woodward Park’s strong early elementary program. Their teachers are marvelous; they have wonderfully bright children and families who are dedicated to the school… We expect the school to be the strongest in Park Slope…” Examining the Present and Looking to the Future:
Despite hesitancy from a number of parties throughout the process, the Lower School remains an inseparable part of the Poly community today. As time has progressed, the school has also endured renovations while maintaining the historic beauty of the Hulbert Mansion. Lower School Music Teacher Jennifer Nelson, who has been on the faculty since 1997, recalled that “the school grew fast, tuition was raised, bussing from other neighborhoods became part of the package and we needed more space. During that time the 3rd and 4th grade was taught at Beth Elohim on Garfield Pl. Specialist teachers had to travel back and forth between the two “campuses.” After being approved by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, during the 2006-2007 school year, according to PDBW, “eight classrooms, a 2,400 sq. ft. gym, faculty offices, a dance studio and a new ADA compliant entrance to the school. A gathering area within the school’s campus was created outside the new entrance to facilitate the arrival and departure of students and their parents at the busiest times of the day.” Constructed with the intention of maximizing sustainability, the modern renovations earned the Lower School a LEED Silver distinction, making Poly the first LEED-certified school building in New York City and the first elementary school building in the state. Two years later, in April of 2009 the Lower School received a Lucy B. Moses Award from the New York Landmarks Conservancy for, as PDBW states, creating “a harmonious transition between old and new.” Today, Poly’s Lower School continues to thrive under the leadership of current Head of School Francis Yasharian. With a total of 251 students, each day the school strives to provide its young students with early but unforgettable memories that will define their Poly experience. Each day, “they enter a landmark building whose beautiful hallways, stained glass windows, and sculpted wooden staircase are brought to life by their voices, their questions, their dances, their musical renditions, their art, by everything they are and all the energy they bring to learning,” the school’s website states. As the Lower School continues to educate Poly’s youngest students, Nelson expressed that “My hope is that we hold on to the best of the past and find ways to nurture the future. Child-centric, artistic teaching is why I am still teaching here. There is a freedom, a positive outlook and a love of learning here that makes the future look bright. We are not afraid of change, improvement, discussion and differences,” Nelson said. Excited about the direction in which the Lower School is headed, Nelson added that “I would like to see us serve the outside community more, as well. We can do a lot with all of our blessings. It still stands with early childhood lessons....we must learn to share.”
Stem in the World: How Did It Go Wrong for Red Bull Racing? TJ IANNELLI MANAGING EDITOR
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n this column, I will discuss recent events or discoveries that connect our world and activities to technical details within STEM fields. This may range from why a Formula One team performed so poorly over a weekend, to a new medical discovery that has revolutionary implications on everyday society. I hope that in writing these columns, I introduce people to interesting and comprehensible information about said STEM fields. Red Bull Racing’s historic 14 consecutive race wins in a season came to an end in Singapore last race weekend. Many believed Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and car, the RB19, would be unbeatable in the 2023 season. Up until the Singapore GP (Grand Prix), the duo dominated nearly every race weekend, even winning by a margin of over 33 seconds, nearly half a lap, at the Hungarian GP. Yet in Singapore, Verstappen finished 5th, and Sergio Perez, Reb Bull’s other driver, finished 8th. Some believe Red Bull’s poor weekend with the car was because of new regulations. According to Motorsport.com, Red Bull’s team principal, Christian Horner, insists that the new technical directive (TD), regulations on how the cars can be constructed by a team, had no effect on the car’s performance, but what do these technical directives even do? TD18, introduced just before the Singapore GP, “was implemented to remind all teams of their responsibilities to not deliberately design and employ bodywork – namely front and rear wing assemblies and
floor edges – that somehow twist and flex excessively while the cars are in motion,” according to The Race. Flexible aerodynamic elements, things like the front and rear wing, are against the spirit of the sport
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according to the FIA, Formula One’s governing body. The battle against flexible aero is not new in Formula One either. Dating all the way back to the 1990s, some teams introduced a flexible structure to their
rear wings that would bend backwards and down at higher speeds, reducing the drag, while staying rigid and upright at lower speeds, creating more downforce. Downforce is like an upside down airplane wing, instead of lifting up, it pushes the vehicle down. As for the rear wing, think of it as a flexible square of plastic upright in your hand. If your main goal is to move your hand as fast as possible, the plastic will bend with the direction of motion, reducing drag and making it easier to go faster. But say you also wanted this plastic to slow you down when you start reducing your speed. While you slow down, the plastic will become upright again, creating more drag and slowing you down. In the case of Formula One cars, when they turn, the cars still need downforce and therefore still need these aero elements in the first place. This bendable surface helps create higher top speeds while also maintaining downforce at lower speeds. Horner insists that TD18 had no effect on the RB19, claiming instead that in the three practice sessions the teams get before the race, Red Bull simply set up their cars wrong. Still, flexible aero seems to be an elusive technicality that the FIA will always have to revise and scrutinize as a regulation. Only time will tell if teams try to continue to push the limits on legal vs. illegal aerodynamic elements.
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Two New Deans Join the Upper School WILLIAM LING-REGAN OPINIONS EDITOR
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his year, the Upper School welcomed two new deans: Cherkira Lashley and Everett Nelor, who are taking over for former deans Douglas Wong and Alexis Perez. Lashley and Nelor face the challenge of building new connections with their cohorts and guiding seniors already halfway through their college processes. However, in their first two months as deans, Lashley and Nelor have already adapted to their new roles and dedicated themselves to supporting students in any way they can. Lashley and Nelor joined deans Alex Carter, Perri Meeks, and Francesca Walker, all of whom were new to the role last year, making Upper School Dean Chair Emily Gardiner, a dean since 2015, the only one with more than one year of experience in the role. Gardiner acknowledged that this rapid turnover is not ideal for the school, given that the dean model is based on four-year relationships between students and their deans. However, she noted that while the nature of the position does provide Poly deans with the experience to make them candidates for leadership roles at other schools, the turnover is largely due to factors outside of Poly’s control — former deans have moved states, wanted to return to teaching in the classroom, or become freelance college consultants. “My goal is that we have longevity in the group,” said Gardiner. But since every dean has had individual reasons for leaving, Gardiner said, “all I can do is hire people that I think are awesome and clearly love us.” She said that with Lashley and Nelor, “I think we’ve got that.” According to Gardiner, Lashley and Nelor were selected after “a very democratic and extensive hiring process” that involved students, faculty, and administration, noting that since this process was implemented in the last two years, every current dean except herself has gone through it. She continued, “I just would want those who might see this [process] as haphazard to know the extensiveness of our thinking” about the selection of new deans. Gardiner also pointed out that both Lashley and Nelor have a wealth of relevant experiences, which she called “head starts,” that make them natural fits for the job. “Ms. Lashley’s head start is that she knows the institution,” said Gardiner. Lashley is a Poly alumna of the class of 2011, making her start at Poly this year a homecoming as well as a new beginning. Between her stints at Poly, Lashley taught English at Advanced Math and Science Charter School and Friends Academy, where she also served as a dean, college advisor, and basketball
coach. At Friends Academy, “kids would just be in my room all the time, confiding in me, talking to me about themselves,” Lashley said. “I found myself gravitating toward all the touchpoints I had with students outside of teaching English, and it made me feel like perhaps I want to be in the school as an educator but supporting kids in a way that is not exclusively academic.” When Michael Junsch, her former Poly basketball coach, reached out
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and told her about the dean position at Poly, it was the perfect opportunity for her to provide this kind of support. “It felt like I was coming full circle,” she said.
“I feel like I understand how sensitive a process college application is, from personal experience, and I understand how competitive this environment can be, and so the opportunity to come back here feels super personal to me and like an alignment with vocation.” - Cherkira Lashley Nelor also has extensive experience in independent schools, having been a dorm parent, college counselor, track coach, and club advisor at The Peddie School and,
most recently, a dean at Avenues (The World School). Prior to that, he worked as an admissions counselor at Occidental College, an experience that has already proven valuable as he advises seniors through their college applications. Senior Marisa Triola, a member of Nelor’s cohort, said, “I miss my old dean, but transitioning to my new dean has been pretty seamless because of all the support I’ve gotten. My new dean has been really nice and helped me a lot through my college process, so I found it to have gone really smoothly.” Both Lashley and Nelor started at Poly on July 1. In the months before the start of school, they took part in a dean team “retreat,” where they began their onboarding process and worked with the other deans to develop an agenda and group projects for the year. Throughout the summer, they were trained in different aspects of the deans’ job, including academic advising, college counseling, and addressing challenging student situations. Lashley and Nelor also began meeting with their students, getting to know them, and, in the case of seniors, getting to know their college plans. As a result of these summer meetings, “by the first day, I was recognizing faces,” said Nelor. His students were also grateful for the opportunity to talk over the summer. Sophomore Sylvie Dorsch said, “I was originally very sad to hear Ms. Perez was leaving, but once I got to know Mr. Nelor, I was so excited for my new dean. He reached out over the summer to get to know us and has been so helpful and supportive ever since.” This summer transition period allowed the new deans to familiarize themselves with Poly and their roles, ensuring that by the time school started, they were ready to go. As Lashley said, “I got to bump my head a little bit in the summertime before it became high-stakes, and now that I’m physically here, I’ve worked out the kinks.” When school started in September, the deans were immediately flooded with add/drop requests and college questions from seniors, necessitating an adjustment to the pace of the school year. Lashley said, “I’m certainly still adjusting. I think I’ll be adjusting all year.” Gardiner thinks that this adjustment has been a positive one, as she said “even one month in, I feel like they’re bringing so much to us that we didn’t have before.” Lashley and Nelor’s students agree. Senior Khari Freeman said, “it seems like it would be a bit hectic at first, getting a new dean senior year. But after working with and getting to know Ms. Lashley, it’s (continued on page 10)
John Rankin: The Little Things REESE ROAMAN SPORTS EDITOR
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f John Rankin had an entire Sunday to himself (which is currently very rare), he would spend it the following way: First, he would wake up early, walk outside in the crisp morning air, and buy a coffee—a black coffee, specifically. “It’s more convenient,” Rankin laughed. “But you have to be really discriminating about the taste because once you put cream in it, it all tastes the same.” Following coffee, Rankin would go home, read from various philosophy, literature, or history texts, and then go to brunch. This brunch would last around two hours. “My father was a military officer,” said Rankin, Poly Prep’s current Interim Head of School. Due to his father’s occupation, Rankin grew up all over the map. He spent his childhood years in the Netherlands and in the United States between Arizona and the West Coast. Rankin’s family settled in Ohio, where they remained for nearly a decade. “What was I like in high school?” Rankin asked, “I have always been a little bit of a loner and…a reader, so I would spend a lot of time like that.” He played some sports here and there, but books were his primary companions.
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Rankin attended the University of Dayton for college where he had a professor who was highly influential on him. This professor was from New York, and frequently shared about his love for the city. “There was always this thing I wanted to do about New York,” he said. “It was partially intentional and par-
tially because of these circumstances.” For ten years, Rankin has had a cat named Montcrieff. Rankin made sure to point out that Montcrieff does not know that his name is Montcrieff. People usually refer to the cat as “you” or “the cat.” Named after an imaginary character in an Oscar Wilde play, Montcrieff is a tabby cat. Hes about 12 or 13 years old, and spends his days doing laps up and down the stairs. Partially stemming from his love of reading, Rankin hoped to pursue a career in writing. He realized in his twenties that writing was not necessarily a stable career. Teaching had always interested him, so he attended graduate school at Columbia University and began teaching English at Poly Prep in 1985. Rankin’s talent took him far within Poly. According to the Poly Prep website, Rankin served as the advisor for The Polygon, an academic dean, assistant head of school, and was twice named a New York State Outstanding Teacher. In 2020, Rankin created the school’s inaugural Grade 12 Philosophy Seminar. Justin Mondesir ’23, who took Rankin’s philosophy seminar as a se-
nior, recalls his professor’s passion for the subject. “There was a very intriguing quality about him. Sometimes, it feels like teachers are just teaching to teach, but with Mr. Rankin, you could tell how much he cared about the material and that he actually wanted us to learn it,” he said. “Poly is taking up most of my free time these days,” Rankin laughed. “I still like to exercise a lot. I am still a reader.” Rankin emphasized that he has never been too “consumed by technology, media, or television.” Rather, he labels himself as a “film buff.” He was previously completely enamored with European films, especially French films, but he has now come around to American productions. Rankin was heavily leaning towards retiring from his teaching in 2023, but when the Board of Trustees proposed the interim head of school position, he was convinced to stay at Poly. “Right now, I am just going to see how it goes,” said Rankin. “I think there is a strong chance I will just retire after this tenure happens,”he added. It is safe to say that Montcrieff would approve of that decision.
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New Deans Join the Upper School The Man Behind the Cart Two (continued from page 9) been much better than I thought it would be.” Lashley said, “coming back into this role, for me, felt like an opportunity to reconcile some gaps I felt as a student,” in the guidance she received. “I feel like I understand how sensitive a process college application is, from personal experience, and I understand how competitive this environment can be, and so the opportuni-
DOV WEINSTEIN ELUL LAYOUT EDITOR
to pay special attention to the start of the Upper School experience. “I really want to focus on my ninth graders,” he said. “I feel like that’s such a pivotal part of transitioning to high school, so [with] my ninth graders now, we’re all learning Poly together as newbies.” He continued, “I know it’s hard to balance all four grades, but that’s one of my goals, to really make sure I have
“I know it’s hard to balance all four grades, but that’s one of my goals, to really make sure I have solid connections with my ninth graders, because it’s going to pay dividends.” - Everett Nelor
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he bright yellow and blue awning protects Essam Sayed from the sun as he races to put the dog in the bun. “You want a drink too?” he calls out. “Gimme a coke, Sayed,” a man replies as his hand reaches out of his car window, both to grab his food and shake the seller’s hand. Dressed on occasion in Poly merchandise, Sayed has been selling hot dogs on 92nd Street and Parrot Place, only a few steps from the front gates of Poly, for the past thirteen years. Sayed, 66, was born in Egypt, a country that he said he loved but left over 40 years ago in search of a better life. He initially moved to Italy, working as a food vendor there (Sayed still speaks fluent Italian to this day). In 1984, he moved to New York City, where he initially worked on Mulberry Street at an Italian restaurant, where he was able to put his fluency in the language to good use. He eventually moved to America for the same reason he claims every immigrant does: in search of economic opportunity. Sayed is an animated man. He talks with his hands almost as much as he does with his words, fully engaged in even the most mundane conversations. Despite missing most of his teeth, his voice booms. When he’s not selling hot dogs, you might catch him kneeling on a prayer rug on the sidewalk, or reading religious texts. In 1994, Sayed, with the desire to start his own business, began selling hot dogs in Bath Beach, Brooklyn. He worked there for 15 years, before moving to his current location in 2009 for a couple of reasons. First, the golf course and park, located right next to his stand, attracted a lot of customers. Second, there used to be a doctor’s office located right next to Poly, where The Greek School of Plato is now, that Sayed was endorsed by. Patients at the office would frequently stop by for a hot dog at Sayed’s stand when they were done. Since that move, from the hours of 11:30-6:30, Sayed has become a staple in Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights. “I’m very nice to everybody here. I’m friends with everybody here,” Sayed said. Many people — construction workers, old friends of Sayed’s, neighborhood residents — come to Sayed’s stand, not only for a hot dog, but also to stop and chat. Some crack jokes with Sayed, some ask about the business, others chat about neighborhood jargon that only a long-time member of the Dyker Heights community could understand. Sayed never turns away anyone who’s looking to talk, and frequently has his friends and family with him at his stand. Unfortunately, Sayed had to take
a three year break from his job when COVID hit. Sayed suffered economically during this time and received unemployment payments from the city. He had to give up smoking during this time, which he said has been good for him. Since he returned though, he has seen drastic differences in the success of his business. “After COVID, it’s not so good. Some people died, some people moved. It’s different people now, and business is moving very slowly. It’s not the same as it was before everything changed.” Despite his proximity to Poly, almost no teachers or students from Poly stop at Sayed’s hot dog stand. In fact Sayed can recall the only teacher that ever used to shop at his stand. “One teacher came once, but she left now. She came and bought two diet pepsis.” Although Sayed is not very popular amongst Poly teachers and students, his stand is still a crucial spot for other members of the Poly community: the bus drivers. “Some drivers eat sausage, some drivers eat hot dogs, some drivers drink coke,” Sayed explained. A huge amount of Sayed’s business comes from drivers passing by. From their cars, drivers will place their orders to Sayed by mouthing their requests and signaling how many they may want. By the time they approach in their car, he already has their order ready. They then pull over and roll down the window. They hand him the money, and he hands them their order. “One, two, three, easy. It takes one second,” said Sayed. However, Sayed’s duties extend beyond just hotdogs. Despite not being an official worker at Poly, Sayed is an unsung guardian for the Poly community, helping out the security guards with wandering pedestrians.“You can’t make trouble with the school. If someone steps into the school, I say ‘Yo! Go back.’” In addition, he helps guide drivers attempting to street park on 92nd street. “Nobody can [park] here, even if you go to the school.” Even on the weekends Sayed acts as a helpful member for lost members on the Poly campus. “On Sundays, if you have a game, everybody stops [on 92nd Street]. I tell them ‘No, no, go to Seventh Avenue.’” Of course I had to try one of Sayed’s hotdogs, and I must say, it was good and very quick. So if any students or teachers are looking for a cheap and easy hot dog with ketchup, mustard, onions, or sauerkraut on it, Sayed has got you covered. But even if you are not looking for a hot dog, Sayed’s work for the people at Poly deserves appreciation.
ty to come back here feels super personal to me solid connections with my ninth graders, because and like an alignment with vocation.” As a dean, it’s going to pay dividends.” After a conversaLashley hopes to bring integrity, humanity, pos- tion with a current senior, he realized that deans itivity, and a focus on student voice to the col- can seem inaccessible to ninth graders who do lege application process, and to all of her work. not yet feel comfortable with them, and set out to Her students have already felt her compas- change that. So, to ninth graders wondering “am sionate approach firstI only supposed to go hand. Junior Lena Sha[to my dean] when mos said, “it’s been great I’m in trouble?” Nelor to get a new perspective wants them to know on my school experience that “no, you can just and my future, and I’m come hang out and do looking forward to the a puzzle!” Nelor also year ahead.” Lashley’s hopes to get involved new perspective also in the “fun” side of the includes a different way Poly community-“it of thinking about failseems like y’all have ure: she believes that a lot of fun already,” it is “the most normal he observed. He plans part of education.” She on immersing himself encourages her students in arts events, and “is to be comfortable with looking to start a knitfailure and admitting ting circle” as well. what they do not know, As one of the steps and leads by example, in selecting Lashley promising that “I will and Nelor, Gardiner never pretend to know called their former more than I do.” So, to colleagues as referher students wondering VIA SOPHIA CHAMORRO ences to learn more if they have a less exabout them. “What perienced dean, she says, “yeah, you do. But sticks in my mind” from those calls “is how you have a dean who’s committed to learning. much the emphasis was on how students just A dean who’s never going to steer you [wrong] couldn’t get out of their offices,” she said. “I thought about the way Mr. Wong’s office was, “I thought about how I thought about the way Ms. Walker’s office is. important it is for us to I thought about how important it is for us to be be welcoming, and crewelcoming, and create a feeling of belonging ate a feeling of belongand happiness and support and ‘there for you.’ It ing and happiness and was so clear what they would bring to the kids.” support and ‘there for Already, the feeling of “there for you” in both you.’” Lashley and Nelor’s offices is palpable. Students - Emily Gardiner are constantly coming in and out: seeking Lashley’s advice among the colorful posters on her because she feels like she has to pretend.” walls, or sitting on Nelor’s couch and chatting Looking ahead, Nelor said that he wants to with him while working on a puzzle. As Garmake social-emotional learning a priority, and diner said, “students just want to be with them.”
The Poly Grid
MICHAEL GABRIEL CHIEF OF CARTOONS AND PUZZLES
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2023
PEOPLE
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Josh Srebnick: From Clinical Psychologist to Stand-Up Comedian ELEANOR BROWN FEATURES EDITOR
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I think ultimately I did what I was supposed to do with my life,” Josh Srebnick said, sinking into his sofa. “If you asked me what my ridiculous fantasy job would be, the only other thing I might’ve been good at would’ve been to be a talk show host.” He mutes the Late Show with David Letterman in the background. For the past 18 years, Srebnick has lived three lives. In the mornings, he’s a clinical psychologist, subwaying into Greenwich Village at the crack of dawn, piling in meetings with kids, evaluating them for learning disabilities—ADHD, autism, dyslexia. In the afternoons, he treks back to Brooklyn Heights, also where he resides, to the Packer Collegiate Institute, a K-12 private school, of which he is the school psychologist. He continues to meet with kids, talking them through social dynamics, familial struggles, and learning disabilities. Around 4:30, when the school day winds down, Srebnick returns to his apartment on Montague Street, firing up the stove to prep dinner for his wife, son and daughter, and Cooper, their Norwich Terrier. Srebnick began his career in the entertainment business, writing for the New Yorker and working for Paramount Pictures. “My colleagues were giving everything to it,” he explained. “I was just kind of mailing it in.” However, Srebnick remembered his long standing passion for working with kids. In high school, he had worked as a camp counselor, and
when he attended Vassar College as an undergraduate student, he worked in a child center, counseling on a regular basis. “I knew I didn’t wanna be a teacher, so ultimately I decided on psychology because it was the most interaction with kids and their lives. It felt meaningful.” With the World Health Organization reporting that about 12% of teenagers experience an anxiety disorder or depression, Srebnick’s role has continued to grow in importance. “I think that with mental health—anxiety, depression, social issues—since we can’t see them, I think there’s still this belief and stigma that if kids just plow through, it’s all gonna be okay,” he shared. And this stigma is real, as a survey from Verywell Mind, an online publication for mental health and psychology, stated that 61% of Americans spend more time working on their physical health than mental health. “I worry that those kids that are actually struggling are being lumped in with those kids who are just having a shitty day. That’s problematic because you’d never lump in a kid who’s a little under the weather with a kid who has cancer.” Despite the heroism Srebnick has provided for these kids—saving them from self-harm, diffusing abusive families—he finds the less heroic acts the most satisfying. “I had a kid about ten years ago who was a real pain—he would push limits, he was a bit of a bully, he was more precocious than the other kids,” Srebnick said.
“Over the years, I worked very hard with him, and he graduated, went through college, and now has a very great career… If you sat through some of our sessions, you’d be bored out of your mind. But it’s like driving a car where the axle isn’t great. You just keep moving it back into the middle of the road so it doesn’t steer off. It’s not particularly interesting driving, but you’re keeping the car from crashing.” As much of an advocate for mental health Srebnick is and as hard as he works with his clients, he’s also had to learn to balance the difficult weights his job often brings. “There are times I come home with things that are just so sad or upsetting. Like a kid who was taken away from their parents because he was found with two broken wrists, or a one year old abused in foster care.” As time passed and he’s grown his own family, Srebnick has had to detach from constant therapizing. “You have crises where a family calls you at 11:30 at night, and you have to drop everything because a kid has locked themselves in their room. Once I had kids of my own and also a school-based job, I had to give up on that. It was just so all-encompassing.” As a kid, Srebnick was an avid magic lover, taking weekly magic lessons at the local Manhattan shop and performing for friends at school. Over the years, he’s learned to bring a lightheartedness into his work life with his love for magic. “One thing I often do with kids in my office is magic tricks as a way of getting them
comfortable,” he shared. “I’ll promise to teach them a trick at the end so it keeps them focused.” At home, in his social circles, and with his family, Srebnick is the local comedian. Talk shows and sitcoms are constantly running on the television, and he has cracked so many jokes that his family has begun to find him unbearable. “I think that’s my outlet, or my defense,” he said, chuckling to himself. “All that kind of stuff where my wife is like, ‘Ok Josh, enough jokes about farts and body parts. You’re not 11 years old.’” Living the triple-life that Srebnick does, balancing the hundreds of other lives of his clients, he’s learned to ground himself in entertainment. “I’ve never had the courage to write up all of my little bits into something and go onstage; I think that takes a tremendous amount of courage,” he said. “I love being silly and funny, and I do it in smaller things, like I’m a big one to give speeches at people’s birthdays that go on forever and are basically stand up routines. It’s my way of being really narcissistic.” While his life is ever-moving, his sense of humor stays the same, and he’s found an incredible link between his two worlds. “I think entertainers are able to touch on some part of the human condition that we can all relate to. I think that they’re a vessel, and I think a good psychologist can also be a kind of vessel. They figure out how to reach people in different ways, but in both cases they make people feel understood.”
The Craft of Oyster Shucking OPAL WILLIAMS LAW CONTRIBUTING WRITER
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It’s definitely my designated party trick,” said Poly Chemistry teacher Matthew Sagotsky . It all started three years ago when a friend of Sagotsky taught him how to shuck an oyster. Oyster shucking is a craft of sorts as the technique and precision you need to have are immense. “I think I’ve shucked about a hundred oysters,” said Sagotsky. Sitting in his office, Sagotsky’s face immediately lights up when asked about his passion for shucking oysters, which he describes as an extremely precise procedure. “To open it, you have to have a special knife, and you kind of wiggle it into the hinge,” he explained with a giddy smile. Secondly, you give the oyster “a little twist, and it’ll just pop open, and then you have to separate the muscle from the top VIA POLY PROFILES and the bottom,” he described while motioning with his hands. While cranking the shell “you try and keep the oyster liquor in the shell” because “so much of the [oyster’s] flavor” is made up by “the water that they’ve been in.” According to Sagotsky, the most important part of an oyster is the “liquor” it produces which is essentially the oyster juice. The “amazing thing about oysters is that they all taste different because they all are consuming different environments which all have their unique tastes,” Sagotsky said with a beaming smile. The key to taking care of the oysters before eating them is to preserve them on ice leading up to the moment before shucking, as the ice completely numbs them. Oysters are alive in the shucking process and are only just recently dead when eating them so preparing them the correct way is crucial. What intrigues Sagotsky most about oysters is that they are filter-feeders, which means that they can soak up and filter the environment around them. Oysters draw water from their gills and filter through plankton and non-food particles. This filtering feature is a lot more important than most people know. Oyster shells are “porous, which means that they can filter out pollutants like nitrogen and phosphorus from the water” according to the Water Filters System. This filtering plays a huge role in cleaning the ocean as it takes harmful bacteria and organic particles out of the water. Additionally, oysters are a keystone species, meaning that their presence or absence can affect the health of an ecosystem. Growing up in New York, Sagotsky always loved oysters, and he loved the taste and the luxury of eating them. However, as Sagotsky has gotten older, he has grown to appreciate oysters’ impact on the ecosystem as well. “People used to call New York City the Big Oyster because, in Jamaica Bay, we had a boatload of oysters,” he explained. The East Coast is “notoriously” known for its seafood, specifi-
cally its fresh oysters, New York being one of the “major oyster producers” in the United States. Sagotsky personally gets his East Coast oysters from Prince Edward Island, New Jersey and Maine. However, when he wants to eat international oysters he will look at places like New Zealand but he usually sticks to the East Coast oysters. However, “much like how oysters pick up the taste of their environment, they also pick up the pollution in their environment,”said Sagotsky. New York City’s population density, abundant public transportation, and city size concentrate its pollution. “So… these days, you probably won’t see too many New York City oysters on the menu,” he said. Nevertheless, there is a possible solution to help with this concentration of pollution—oysters. When Sagotsky was explaining his love for oysters he brought up an organization that he “passionately” supports. According to The Billion Oyster Project’s website they have restored 100 million live oysters, collected two million pounds of shells, and has had 11 thousand NYC students engage in their cause. New York’s harbor was once home to 220 thousand acres of oyster reefs and worked as an “ecosystem engineer” according to The Billion Oyster Project. Restoring oyster reefs in New York City could foster biodiversity, filter the water, and create a natural storm barrier. According to Untapped New York, “Oysters are one of New York Harbor’s best shots at clean water, as well as one of its best chances at protection from future storm surges.” There is an important cause at hand. “Oysters could completely clean New York City’s waters.” Sagotsky proposes that Poly should have an oyster night which would include learning more about The Billion Oyster Project and enjoying east-coast oysters prepared by Sagotsky himself. He feels that the Poly community should learn more about the project because oysters could potentially be the solution to cleaning New York City’s waters. “It’s up to the Poly community,” said Sagotsky.
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ARTS BARBENHEIMER TALIA BARRO-PARSOFF AND LULU ADEFRIS-YAXLEY CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
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ho would’ve thought that the story of the man who led the project to create the atomic bomb and the story of the light-hearted doll from our childhoods would be so closely intertwined?
Barbie all the way in Barbie Land. After Stereotypical Barbie has a sudden existential crisis — where she can’t seem to repress thoughts of dying — she ventures into the Real World to find her human
his eventual fall due to the 1954 security hearing. In December 1938, nuclear fission was discovered and he realized that it could be weaponized. This led to him being recruited for the Manhattan Project. Oppenheimer was a Jewish man driven by competing with the Nazis to create the atomic bomb; he believed his bomb would end the ongoing war. Once proven successful by the Trinity Test, President Harry S. Truman ordered Hiroshima and Nagasaki to be bombed, causing Japan to surrender and leading to the end of the war. Oppenheimer was publicly praised for bringing WWII to an end with
“But while both movies do focus on the advancement of capitalism, they also critique the products and systems they revolve around, sexism and war.”
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This overlap all started with a date: July 21. The juxtaposition of Oppenheimer’s nuclear weapons-based storyline and
counterpart. As these thoughts start to grow she experiences more human qualities, like flat feet, as opposed to the clas-
“Who would’ve thought that the story of the man who led the project to create the atomic bomb and the story of the light-hearted doll from our childhoods would be so closely intertwined?” Barbie’s sunshines and rainbows is an unlikely pair, yet these two movies have more in common than one might think… Directed by Greta Gerwig, Barbie follows the story of Stereotypical Barbie (Margot Robbie) in Barbie Land, the home of all the Barbies and Kens, and don’t forget Allan (Michael Cera)! In Barbie Land, women run everything, from being the president to being a judge on the Supreme Court or to being construction workers and physicians. Kens’ (Ryan Gosling) only purpose is to hope that Barbie will smile at him, and give him her validation. Every Barbie is connected
sic Barbie heel, and cellulite, an imperfection on her plastic body. When she gets to the Real World, accompanied by Ken, Barbie is confused but mostly horrified by what she sees: a world in which women are looked down upon. This film explores Barbie’s journey to self-acceptance, teaching the viewers that it’s okay to be imperfect– you’re only human after all! Alternatively, Oppenheimer is a biographical drama film about Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) directed and written by Christopher Nolan. Oppenheimer was an American theoretical physicist known as the “father of the
The term “Barbenheimer” started as a widespread social media meme representing the release dates of these two movies, however when we piece together compelling similarities the common release date does not seem like such a coincidence. to a little girl in the Real World whose actions and emotions can influence their
atomic bomb.” This movie tells the story of his studies, the Manhattan Project, and
his creation, but he had to live with the shame of the mass destruction and fatalities that occurred as a result. His political influence wavered after this due to his alleged communist ties, and he later passed away from throat cancer in 1967. The term “Barbenheimer” started as a widespread social media meme representing the release dates of these two movies, however when we piece together compelling similarities the common release date does not seem like such a coincidence. Oppenheimer and Barbie together display two positions in one situation: Oppenheimer tells the story of the creator — the creator of destruction, an atomic bomb that wiped out more than 200,000 people — while Barbie tells the story of the creation — the doll who is obviously living with no control on what happens in her life. In Oppenheimer the civilians are living the life of Barbie, constantly living powerlessly with a vague sense of dread that their whole world could change at any moment. And in Barbie, the male CEOs were playing the part of Oppenheimer, treating the Barbies as pawns to grow economically. The end of each movie had jaw dropping outcomes. Barbie changes Barbie Land forever and starts working towards equality regardless of the CEOs request to keep it how it was. As for Oppenheimer, in the closing scene, his conversation with Einstein reminds us that although he is the creator of the weaponry, when nuclear war is a possibility he is a pawn as well. He made the bomb but that doesn’t mean he can decide when it’s used. These two movies end with the idea of the creator becoming the pawn; the CEOs can’t control Barbie’s storyline anymore, and Oppenheimer is not the hands the end of the world could be in. While both movies take much different approaches in getting their message across, both movies reveal the fragility of reality, and how easily our world can be turned upside down by the simplest
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2023
SEPTEMBER/ OCTOBER PLAYLIST Lacy Olivia Rodrigo Something About Her Stephen Sanchez Wide Open Spaces The Chicks Love of My Life Harry Styles All I Want Kodaline If I Fell Remastered 2009 - The Beatles Slipping Through My Fingers Abba Dive Ed Sheeran invisible string Taylor Swift Compiled by Brianna Sylvain of ideas. Revolving around two historic inventions – Barbie dolls and the atomic bomb – these movies were able to allure viewers because of their cultural impacts on society, specifically American society. They are both extremely American products that symbolize a capitalist end-goal. For Barbie it was the amount of accessories and add-ons you can buy, with the sole purpose of making more money by “empowering” a doll and the fact that she is seen as this kind of idealized embodiment of femininity, which makes Barbie into this perfect idea of what a woman should be: able to do everything and anything society demands of her. Meanwhile, the atomic bomb was an invention that tremendously altered America’s control economically, politically, and militarily, from WWII until today. It started the nuclear competition countries have continually engaged and destructed with. But while both movies do focus on the advancement of capitalism, they also critique the products and systems they revolve around, sexism and war. Along with a line directly calling Barbie a “fascist,” the film spends a lot of time talking about gender inequalities in society, arguing that it not only affects women, but men too. Oppenheimer points out that the creation of the atomic bomb, and the decisions that led them to dropping it on Hiroshima were cruel. Sadly, while both movies have critiques of the dangers of their products and systems, they ultimately are for-profit: one long Mattel ad and a story that makes us sympathize with the man who created a death machine that altered our world forever.
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ALBUM REVIEW: MAISIE PETERS’ ‘THE GOOD WITCH’ LUCY GOLDBERG AND CHLOE GUEDES-SMITH ARTS CRITIC AND LAYOUT EDITOR
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ritish pop star Maisie Peters released her album, The Good Witch, on June 23, 2023. The young artist plays with fun, petty, and sarcastic lyricism in this record, which, released at the onset of the summer, encapsulates the fun and excitement of the season. We are all aware of the story Peter Pan, but we don’t hear much from Wendy’s perspective. In the song “Wendy,” Peters retells this known story through
wake up.” This is everything that they have wished for and more, leaving a fulfilling feeling in the listeners’ hearts.
“The Good Witch is a great album, and fortunately for listeners, this 23-year-old musician will only continue to grow.”
“The young artist plays with fun, petty, and sarcastic lyricism in this record, which, released at the onset of the summer, encapsulates the fun and excitement of the season.” the eyes of Wendy. Peters sings: “You could take me to Neverland, baby / We could live off of magic and maybes ” expressing how Peter is unreliable in his relationship with her . She has to choose if she wants to wait around for him, or face reality and stand her ground. As well as showing the choices Wendy has to make, it also highlights how women are categorized in society: “And you’re pretty like a girl / ‘Til VIA CREATIVE COMMONS you’re vicious like a man.” Through this catchy was living in the Little Rock laundry room.” There were line, Peters conveys the dynamic persona of this person. lows, but because the band was experiencing it together, The song, “The Band and I” celebrates the close rethey made them highs. This song symbolizes her ‘I made lationships and experiences of Peters and her band. This it moment’, when she and the band realize they are livis the moment in the album where she stops to look at ing their dream. “It was a far-flung wish when we were their experiences and see it through a more romantic young /Now we’re living the dream and I hope we never lens: “Yeah, it was power cuts / it was certain doom / It
SUMMER ALBUMS NATHANIEL HYMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
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ver the summer, we were blessed with many anticipated new albums. In June, pop icon Kelly Clarkson dropped her album Chemistry. This was a mix of pop and pop-rock to illustrate “the arc of an entire relationship,” related to Clarkson. On that same day in June, a newer artist named Kim Petras debuted with her album Feed the Beast, while Maisie Peters released her second album, called The Good Witch. Both of these albums contained many pop songs perfect for dancing. Famous rapper Lil Uzi Vert released his album Pink Tape, featuring stars including Nicki Minaj. Fast forward to July 7, 2023, when global superstar Taylor Swift re-recorded and re-released her third album Speak Now, now entitled Speak Now (Taylor’s Version). This incredible
album came with five new songs, “From the Vault,” which excited ‘Swifties’ across the globe. On July 28, Travis Scott released his long-awaited album “Utopia”. This album features stars such as SZA and Future. Singer and TV star Reneé Rapp released her debut album, “Snow Angel”. Towards the end of the summer, in September, Olivia Rodrigo released her second album, “GUTS”. Although there were many incredible works released over the summer, my favorite was Speak Now (Taylor’s Version). Partly because of the nostalgia of this album but also because of how much better she sounded in songs such as “Enchanted” and “Last Kiss.” The new “From the Vault” tracks were also beautiful. Such as “Timeless” and “I Can See You.”
“Lost The Breakup,” the most popular song on the album, is an upbeat telling of a girl’s thought process post breakup. While she sadly reminisces about the good days of the relationship, she realizes that her ex isn’t as affected. She states how she is hurting while he is busy with other girls. By the end of the song, she recognized that she had moved on and is doing better, or, to say it in her words, she “won the breakup.” “The History of Man” is the closing track to the album, and leaves the listener thinking. The whole premise of the song is that humans continuously make the same mistakes that are almost impossible to break free of. “I tried to rewrite it but I can’t / It’s the history, the history of man.” Peters talks about how, no matter how hard she tries, there is nothing she can do; we are doomed. Later in the song, Peters also touches on gender, writing “Women’s hearts are lethal weapons / Did you hold mine and feel threatened?” She says that women are underestimated, including her, and that when people saw her full potential, it scared them because she was succeeding. The rest of the album continues the theme of making it out of a difficult experience. In the song “You’re Just A Boy (And I’m Kinda The Man)” she explores how she wanted to explore other things with someone, while realizing that it ended up better because she left him. The Good Witch is a great album, and fortunately for listeners, this 23-year-old musician will only continue to grow.
Paolo Javier: A Poet at Poly LUCAS BASHAM BREAKING NEWS EDITOR
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t took a long 10 minutes to find the right spot on campus to talk. Paolo Javier, an English teacher at Poly, peaked into classrooms, rejected the full library, and turned away from Commons. “This’ll work,” he said, opening the door to the back of the chapel. Warm-up scales echoed through the empty pews from a student practicing the piano on stage. It had been almost two years since the first interview for the first profile -- a longer, life-story conversation outside on a bitter November afternoon. Since then, Javier has published another of many books of poetry and moved onto his third year of teaching at Poly. “I feel like I’ve got my land legs here,” he said, despite “still trying to find my place.” Javier has struggled to find his place in the past. He grew up in the outskirts of Manila, moved to Westchester at age 12, attended high school in Cairo, and went to the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. After a stint teaching in Miami, he ultimately moved to and fell in love with Queens. Similarly, Javier needed time to figure out exactly what poetry meant to him. The restlessness of Queens is found in his poetry books, which are filled with far more than words. “Oh my, the elevator pitch for it.” Javier took a deep breath before explaining the style of his newest book, True Account of Talking to the 7 in Sunnyside. “It’s anchored in poetry but has images, has collaborations with other artists but is really interested in collage and in capturing the flux of being a poet in a very diverse, plural, fluid place like, like Sunnyside and Western Queens.” Javier’s experimental poetry finds itself far from the bounds of poems found in “bougie journals” like the New Yorker, as he puts it. He allowed himself time to push away industry norms and publish his own version of poetry. Between 2010 and 2014, he was the poet laureate of Queens before becoming the Program Director of an organization called Poets House. Javier said that 98 percent of poets have second jobs.According to a 2013 NPR article, “that job has overwhelmingly involved teaching in university departments of English and/or creative writing.” In 2021, in the midst of the COVID pandemic, Javier introduced himself to another community. “The fact that Poly brought me in really made me believe in Poly’s seriousness to welcome the strengths that I bring into teaching: this [Asian American Pacific Islander] AAPI lens, this immigrant lens,” he said. This fall, he’s teaching the first AAPI literature class at Poly. The History Department is offer-
ing its first Asian American history course this spring. “How I teach my classes, I think really welcomes students to think about literature in addition to the domestic lens, and really think from the outside,” said Javier. After a significant number of faculty departures, Poly has brought in a wave of new, diverse faculty this year. Having bounced around a lot in life, it’s notable that Javier is, in fact, still here. “I actually really love teaching here at Poly,” he said, attributing his longer-than-usual stay to the school’s commitment to growth, his genuine enjoyment of teaching at Poly, and his colleagues in the English Department. “I count quite a number of them as mentors, even though they resist that term.” But more than anything, Javier notes that he’s giving himself time, the same way that he gave himself time to settle into Queens and find his place in poetry. “So just to be honest and fair, I’m giving myself as much time as possible,” he said, “and to earn myself as much time as possible here at Poly to really grow with the community and be a part of the solution.” While navigating Poly, a new challenge arose: Javier spent the past year helping his partner navigate her cancer battle. “It really does shake the ground under you.” According to the New York State Health Department, 115,000 New Yorkers are diagnosed with cancer each year. “I owe so much to [my partner],” said Javier. I owe my joy. I owe my life as an adult, as a parent, as a partner, and as a father to her. The website cancer.net highlights the different changes in a relationship after a cancer diagnosis, including emotional needs, relationship roles, and responsibilities. Javier said he’s been in caregiver mode and childcare mode more than ever. “Seeing and supporting my partner in this new role and seeing her as a survivor … really made me reconsider a lot of things that mattered to me in my life,” said Javier, “and definitely affected how I plan moving forward.” It took him time to open up and share that experience in the interview, just as he’s needed time his whole life. Javier’s path is a stark contrast from the mainstream TV show themes that are now crescendoing from the piano on stage, through each challenge, he finds his way. At Poly, Javier is giving himself time to find his place, to find his voice. “I think that’s been my main goal in terms of trying to really be present in my department,” he said. “[to] have a voice, and to give myself permission to have a voice.”
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MIDDLE SCHOOL CORNER Mr. Doughty Takes On How Chuck Nwoke went from Head of Middle School Role Professional Skateboarding to
Teaching English
ELLA KLINGENSMITH CONTRIBUTING WRITER
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his school year has brought on many new changes to the faculty, including Daniel Doughty becoming the new head of the middle school. As an individual who has already been part of the Poly community for 18 years now, Doughty has served as a former music teacher, performing arts department chair, and director of music. The process for hiring the new head of middle school involved many different groups’ opinions. According to Michal Hershkovitz, assistant head of school and academics, “When we were looking for a new middle school head, we were looking for someone who loves middle school,… to embrace the challenges that [middle schoolers] are capable of reaching and meeting.” Hershkovitz explained that hiring processes for this level of administration are commonly managed by a professional search firm, who comes to the school and meets with various groups of faculty, students, administrators, and families to see what they would want in a new head of middleVIA POLY PROFILES school. The firm also meets with other external candidates. In reflecting on his years at Poly, Doughty recognized how the skills he has developed will help him in his new position. For instance, as performing arts department chair, he was “overseeing a lot
“I went into this year knowing that every experience is going to be a first and that it’s an opportunity to learn, grow, and think about how to make it better for the future.” - Daniel Doughty of hectic schedules, planning big events, and coordinating with other departments in the school, such as admissions and operations,” which Doughty said have all been useful resources in his new role. Likewise, he shared that, as a music teacher, he was often working in large groups and building community, something he has taken with him as he interacts with his middle school students and faculty. Hershkovitz emphasized that, because middle school is a time of learning and transition, Poly needed someone who was going to embrace this unique chap-
ter. Similar to his students, Doughty is also embarking upon his own journey as he transitions into his new role. “It’s all a growing experience,” Doughty explained. “I went into this year knowing that every experience is going to be a first and that it’s an opportunity to learn, grow, and think about how to make it better for the future.” When asked if Doughty missed his former arts-oriented role, he said, “Of course, I will miss making music with all my singers. I have enjoyed getting to know a broader group of students in this different role.” Doughty mentioned that he still feels connected to the students, just in a different way, and that he will continue to make music with his allmale identifying acapella group, The Blue Notes. In addition to the responsibilities he has as the head of middle school, Doughty is also supporting recent hire Vincent Iannelli, the new choral director and music programs coordinator, in his transition to Poly and the music department. Iannelli described the transition as fun and interesting. “[I’m] trying to learn all there is to know about chorus, while trying to learn everything there is about the rest of the music department as well,” he said. Freshman Lauren Pauls had Doughty as a teacher in middle school. In an email to the Polygon, Pauls said that Doughty was always one of the fun teachers and that he made sure to include every student in the room. “I remember many students felt uncomfortable about singing in front of an audience, but he changed that and brought the group together,” Pauls said, noting that “he is a true leader.” “I really like Mr. Doughty,” said current seventh grade student Brendon Merchant. “It’s been really fun with him because I’ve been in his music classes, [...] and now that he is the head of middle school, he’s kept his role in the Poly community,” Merchant continued. “He’s a very kind person. He helps out people in need, and I’m very happy that he got the position,” added Jon Balikci, another seventh grade student. “I feel that we are so lucky [and] blessed to have him in this role, where I am certain without a shred of doubt that he will be as successful and creative and thoughtful as he has been in every other position he’s held,” Hershkovitz said. Additional reporting by Charlotte Arzouian.
DOV WEINSTEIN ELUL LAYOUT EDITOR
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eachers at Poly use a variety of methods to travel around the city: the train, a car, a bike, walking. But one teacher uses a perhaps more unusual mode of transport: a skateboard. Before he was grading eighthgrade English papers, Chuck Nwoke was a high-flying, trick-landing, rail-grinding sponsored skateboarder. Nwoke sat back with a smile, recalling the travel, the thrill, and even the slams that came with being a professional skateboarder in high school. “I never thought I would be an English teacher. I was a solid C student in high school,” Nwoke said, clearly still surprised he is now a teacher. “Everything was about skateboarding.” Nwoke started skateboarding in the 1980s: a time he referred to as a “skate-
know what I was good at,” he said. But it ultimately gave way to an unexpected new obsession: English Literature. “I was flying through books. I became obsessed.” Nwoke soon began writing. His innate talent was quickly recognized by his professors, who encouraged him to keep writing. He started pursuing English studies, ultimately graduating with a Humanities degree focused on cultural criticism. At 23, Nwoke officially stopped skateboarding professionally, looking to fully pursue writing. Out of college, Nwoke moved to New York after one of his old teachers, proud of the writer Nwoke had become, set him up with a job at “The Village Voice” newspaper. At the newspaper, Nwoke focused on music reviews. However, after a few years
“Skateboarding is all about creativity. So with my students, I’m all about trusting your ideas and your thoughts.” - Chuck Nwoke boarding renaissance.” He remembered the movie “Thrashin’,” which tells the story of two rival skateboarding gangs battling it out for a girl, serving as an inspiration for him to start skateboarding. “From that moment on it was every day, every moment,” he said. “I was even practicing in the house.” As a skateboarder, Nwoke’s childhood was far from normal. Nwoke, originally from Texas, would frequently travel to participate in national competitions with other skateboarders, which mostly took place in California, the skateboarding hub at the time. “I repeated my senior year of high school because I missed like 40 days for traveling,” he said. Nwoke also struggled with his racial identity, as one of the only African-American professional skateboarders in the 1980s. Nwoke is thrilled to see that in the modern era of skateboarding, racial, sexual, and even gender boundaries have been shattered. Despite these struggles, he still loved the rush and community that skateboarding brought him. “I was spending vacations in California in my sponsor’s house with a bunch of other skaters,” Nwoke said, smiling at the thought. “It was the best time of my life.” Old clips from “Debbie Does Blockhead,” a 1992 skateboarding mixtape, show Nwoke dressed in baggy clothes and baseball caps doing “360-Kickflips,” “Rail-grinds,” “Shuv-its,” and other tricks, as posted on Facebook. Although his success as a skateboarder took him far, his mother would never let the importance of academics escape him. “[I’d tell her,] ‘Mom, I got first in this contest!’ ‘What about school? [She’d say.] ‘Mom, they want to turn me pro.’ ‘What about school?’” So Nwoke, unlike many other skateboarders who were not pursuing levels of education higher than high school, enrolled in college at the University of Houston. While there, in his early 20s, he sustained an injury that kept him off his skateboard for a few months. At first, this time off caused Nwoke stress. “I was lost. I didn’t
as a journalist, Nwoke decided it wasn’t for him, and began focusing on his solo writing and teaching at private schools. Now, as a 49-year-old English teacher in his second year at Poly, Nwoke has not stopped skateboarding. “I’ll skate to get to the grocery store, I’ll skate to pick up stuff, I’ll skate to a park far away, I’ll skate home,” he said. Although he skates solely for transportation now, he misses the old days. “I do get seduced by the idea of a perfect handrail or ledge when I see one, but I don’t mess around.” Nwoke now has to find other ways to fulfill his adrenaline addiction. One of his remedies is surfing at Rockaway Beach, often making time to go before school. “I’ll get out there at 6:00, be out of the water by like 7:30, then be here,” he said. “Hurricane Lee was nice to me. It was fun, swell,” he joked. Nwoke also still keeps up to date with all the skateboarding news. “Surfing and skateboarding are the only reasons I’m on Instagram.” He loves seeing his childhood skateboarding friends as successful adults now, who have pursued careers ranging from owning skateboarding companies to working on ESPN. Nwoke even sees his skateboarding past affecting the way he teaches. “Skateboarding is all about creativity. So with my students, I’m all about trusting your ideas and your thoughts,” he said. “I want people to be as creative as possible.” Along with teaching, skating, and surfing, Nwoke still finds time to write. His stories, which focus on struggles with race and identity, have been featured in many publications, including “The Huffington Post” and “London Magazine,” as a winner of the Short Story Prize. He is currently writing a novella about a young skateboarder’s rise to fame, based on his own journey. Though it seems unlikely he’ll go back to competitive skateboarding now, he’ll never forget what it was like. “I’m a skater for life, that’s for sure,” he remarked.
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SPORTS
Jane Littleton: Mindset Over Matter REESE ROAMAN SPORTS EDITOR
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n 2016, Jane Littleton was interviewed for an NPR podcast, where she learned the story of Kay Massar, the first girl to play Little League in the 1950s. To close off the interview, Littleton was asked, “If you could play for the rest of your life, would you do it?”
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“Yes,” Littleton confidently responded. “Like in high school and professionally even?” “Yeah.” “You would do it?” the interviewer asked. “Definitely.” Littleton had already set her goal. She was ten years old. Six years later, Littleton’s mental tenacity has not wavered in the slightest, and she is en route to becoming a collegiate athlete. To some, Littleton might seem certifiably insane. She wakes up at the crack of dawn to lift weights, stretch, study, and begin her daily intake of 140 grams of protein. She then transitions to hours spent on the field, working tirelessly to hit a yellow ball as hard as she can, to throw it as hard as she can, and to make diving catches on the softball field look as effortless as she can. Off the field, she is spending time sitting on a piano bench, refining her classical skills with Chopin. This is all while maintaining an academic standard that her best friend Lucia Zaremba describes as “insane and borderline disturbing.” Most people would wonder why any sixteen-year-old would commit herself to seeming torture. Here’s why: when she was eight, Littleton started playing baseball. She started locally — inspired by her older brother’s pursuit of the game — and didn’t stop until she was fourteen and competing at a high level nationwide. Littleton was often the only girl on her team, but described her experience as entirely positive. “I was very serious about getting better, the same way my teammates were,” Littleton stated, “and I think they respected that. No one ever gave me any trouble.” “My parents were always my biggest support system,” Littleton pointed out. “They just wanted me to work hard at what I was passionate about, so they were completely supportive of my baseball journey.”
In her early years, Littleton’s classmates noticed her refined work ethic and drive. Lowie Giles, a current student at Poly Prep, recalls attending elementary school with Littleton. Throughout her elementary career, Littleton “could dominate any student in any competition with no hesitation.” Littleton was envied by her classmates for her ability to take home all the trophies on field day and win all games during recess. She did not just shine through athletics. “Her drive was on and off the field,” said Giles. “She had a certain energy in the classroom that demonstrated true intelligence, not just the ability to achieve good grades.” Littleton recognizes her baseball background as a likely contributor to her current mindset and skill. However, she’s hesitant to include it as a part of her story. “When some people learn that I grew up only playing sports with boys, they make the assumption that that’s where my athleticism is derived from. I think that narrative can be damaging. I always try to stress that I was just an athlete that was taken seriously. It really didn’t have so much to do with the male-dominated environment, just the fact that it was an environment that took me seriously. I think that’s always important to point out.” Additionally, Littleton believes people wrongfully misplace her current drive and seriousness as a product of her athletic career. In reality, Littleton explains, “it really has more to do with life experiences than anything that happened on a field.” In September 2017, when Littleton was 11, her Dad was diagnosed with metastatic stage 4 kidney cancer. While struggling to accept the reality of losing her father decades earlier than she had imagined, Littleton began taking on the challenges of unwanted emotional maturity, independence, and family responsibility. “Yeah, it was definitely hard,” Littleton said with a sigh. “It was hard for my family. I looked up to my Dad, so it was difficult to see him get sick.” Littleton admired her Dad’s ability to take care of her family and set her and her brothers up for success, even after his terminal diagnosis. While her Dad fought a three-year battle with cancer, Littleton described a shift in her mindset. “I was forced to re-evaluate what I wanted out of my life,” Littleton explained. “It was something that I would have rather not had to figure out at eleven,” Littleton said with a dry laugh, “but looking back, I think I figured out my core values pretty early on, and for that, I’m grateful.” Littleton witnessed her father’s passing just two weeks after she turned thirteen and described that moment as “completely transformative,” both spiritually and mentally. While her experience was incredibly difficult and brought on immense change for her family, Littleton believes that the experience gave her a “new sense of clarity and focus that [she] wouldn’t have found otherwise.” After her Dad’s death, Littleton began working harder to practice her core values daily. “Experiencing loss and grief made me not want to waste anything,” Little-
ton explained. “I wasn’t thinking, ‘oh, I have to work hard and achieve this and that to make my Dad proud.’ I thought of it more as, ‘my Dad gave me this opportunity to work hard, and I’m not going to waste it.’” When Littleton started high school, she saw the
her office to talk about their day or getting physical assistance, John and Alyssa’s is where students want to be.
staff,” she notes. Alyssa’s love for Poly Prep trails all the way back to her work at Poly as a college student. Alyssa was studying to be an athletic trainer at Long Island University (LIU) Brooklyn from 2015-2017, and during her last semester she got placed at Poly Prep as a clinical site, where she met John Pomponio, her future co-worker. Following her experience at Poly as a clinical site, Alyssa knew it was where she wanted to spend her career as an athletic trainer. John, whom Alyssa shadowed during her time at Poly, fully supported her in these dreams. John is has been the Head Athletic Trainer at Poly Prep since 2006 and also attended LIU Brooklyn to receive his credentials as an athletic trainer, according to Poly’s website polyprep.org. Alyssa and John stayed in contact even after she graduated from college, as John knew how much Alyssa loved being at Poly. They worked so well together, and Poly was where they both really wanted to be. “If he ever needed extra help, he would call me …Even if he didn’t pay me, just needed an ex-
“When some people learn that I grew up only playing sports with boys, they make the assumption that that’s where my athleticism is derived from. I think that narrative can be damaging. I always try to stress that I was just an athlete that was taken seriously.” -Jane Littleton switch to softball as an opportunity to play at an even higher level and took it. She made varsity in 8th grade and has been impacting the team since. “Everyone on the team calls Littleton ‘Alpha,’ said Lucia Zaremba, “She always works the hardest and puts in full effort to everything she does, on and off the field.” In 2022, Littleton tried out for Stars National Coleman, a nationally ranked softball team, and made the roster. Being on this roster entails 12-18 hours of training every weekend in southern New Jersey and traveling across the country this summer with the aim of getting players recruited and winning a national title. “It’s what I want out of a team,” Littleton stated. “To push myself to my breaking point and compete with teammates who want to be their best selves too. I think the mindset that kind of process builds is incredibly rewarding. In sports and in life too.” Going into her sophomore summer, Littleton was confident that every early morning wakeup, late night study session, lift, practice, and sacrifice will be worth it. “I’ve never put in the work and had that work not be worth it.” Littleton reaffirmed. “I truly believe that every day is a blessing. My Dad taught me not to waste those blessings, so I won’t.” This September 2023, six years after her Dad’s cancer diagnosis in 2017, three years after his passing in 2020, and two years since her switch to softball, Littleton announced her commitment to play Division I softball atYale University. I asked Littleton if her intense work ethic and mindset will change now that her childhood goal has been achieved. She stated that she won’t stop until she secures a “natty” with her Stars National teammates and Ivy League championships with the Yale Bulldogs. “And then? Will your work ethic change after that?” Littleton laughed as if throughout my year of following her journey, that was the dumbest question I had asked her.
Alyssa as in “John and Alyssa’s”
LUCIA ZAREMBA ONLINE MANAGING EDITOR
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Let’s just go to John and Alyssa’s,” agreed the congregation of students as they stumbled down the stairwell leading to the Poly Prep Athletic Trainer’s Office, more commonly known as “John and Alyssa’s’ ‘. Another student in the group exclaimed, “I cannot wait to tell Alyssa what happened at practice yesterday,” almost shouting at the excitement of this realization. The others agreed, and they continued their journey down to John and Alyssa’s. Student athletes at Poly Prep fill up the Athletic Trainers Office throughout the day days, often seen either chatting with Athletic Trainer Alyssa Alaimo in her office, or sharing a laugh with other students as they get their ankle wrapped. The room is always bustling with chatter, except for the 35 minute period once a day where Alyssa goes out to eat lunch, and the Athletic Trainer’s is deserted. During this time, students will can be seen deserted outside the office, depressingly staringstairing at the “out of office” sign.Whether it is sitting in
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Alyssa has been an Athletic Trainer at Poly Prep Upper School since 2018. “I love the coaches, I love the athletic
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Alyssa as in “John and Alyssa’s”
tra set of hands, I would call him in a heartbeat,” she says, “Just because I loved here so much.” In the summer of 2018, Poly Prep opened up a position for a new athletic trainer. John recommended Alyssa and she quickly got the job. “It was... Aamazing because I sent my resume, within 24 hours I had an interview, and within 48 hours of my interview I had a job offer,” she explains, smiling up at the thought of it. “Like it all hap-
“John and Alyssa are a great duo, they just work so well together. Everyone knows it.” - Gianna Denis pened within like a week. It was insane,” she continues. Since coming back to Poly to work full time, John and Alyssa’s personal and professional relationship truly began to blossom into the one that Poly students know them for today. Their friendship is such an important aspect of their jobs that it quite literally became the name of the Athletic Trainer’s Office. “There are crazy times where we share like a brain it seems like but it’s because he taught me so I have part of
his working ethics in me,” Alyssa explains. John taught Alyssa time management and how to handle responsibilities as an athletic trainer. He invested time into making Alyssa a great athletic trainer, and an even better co-worker. “[...]bBecause we have that outside relationship, we know like, alright, ‘this is how Alyssa likes things, this is how John likes things’,” says Alyssa, “It helps, like iIt really helps to know each other’s personality.” John and Alyssa have a close relationship outside of Poly,; they even get along great with each other’s significant others, she proudly explained. “John and Alyssa are a great duo, they just work so well together,” says Eleventh Grader junior Gianna Denis, “everyone knows it.” Denis is on the Poly Prep Varsity Softball team and often finds herself in the Athletic Trainer’s for either arm care or advice on how to keep her body safe from injury. Other times, she finds herself there during her free periods or before practice to just “hang out” in John and Alyssa’s. Alyssa and John worked together at a PT clinic outside of Poly for a couple years, and this is when Alyssa realized that a high school setting is where she wants to be. “I love the high school setting because you get to really... Hone in on an athlete’s growth, like as a person, as an ath-
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lete, as a student, you get to be part of that,” she explains. The University of Idaho created an article identifying the importance of having athletic trainers in high schools. Within this article they listed the purposes of an athletic trainer, including “injury prevention, recognition, diagnosis, and care,” “therapeutic interventions”, and “administrative duties”. While John and Alyssa do all these things, they also do way more, going above and beyond their duties as athletic trainers. John and Alyssa’s friendship is the basis of this climate that athletes travel across campus to access. What students know as “John and Alyssa’s,” started at just the Athletic Trainers Office. “And then he, you know… rescued me,” explains Alyssa. But John recognized the potential in Alyssa as a trainer and as a co-worker, and together they transformed the aAthletic tTrainers oOffice into the space it is today. As the Athletic Trainers Office transformed, so did Alyssa. Their friendship and the opportunities John gave Alyssa her helped her blossom from a young, dreaming, college student, into a successful athletic trainer at the school of her dreams. “I’m very fortunate enough, too, that I actually [to] have a friend like John,” says Alyssa fondly.
Fall Sports Recap KAYVAN DYK SPORTS EDITOR
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from junior Landon Lipton and sophomore Harper Goergen. On Monday, they face Brooklyn Tech away in what is sure to be a thrilling match. Girls’ Tennis: Preserving through a delayed start to the season, Girls’ Tennis secured an outstanding win against the Dalton School. Senior Violet Taub claimed the singles #1 win with a score of 6-1 4-6 10-6. Junior Mykah Lieberthal crushed singles #2 with a score of 6-2 6-2. Sophomore Lila Daniels dominated singles #3 with a score of 6-3 6-2. Senior Lauren Klein and sophomore Ashi Malhotra played a nail biting game and unfortunately lost 8-10 in the tiebreaker. Senior Anjali Budhram and Junior Reese Roaman powered through a four-set match and unfortunately lost in the tiebreaker 8-10. The girls are excited to play Horace Mann this coming Monday, and we wish them the best of luck in the upcoming Ivy League tournament!
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aturday October 7th: Football: Poly Football traveled up north to the Bronx and defeated Riverdale 35-14 after standout performances from seniors Trent Winston and Marco Smith, who combined for 308 rushing yards and three touchdowns. The win improves their record to 3-2 overall after winning three games straight. The team looks to continue their streak as they host Morristown Beard next on Homecoming (October 21st.) Wednesday October 11th: Volleyball: Girls’ Volleyball defeated Riverdale 3-0 at home. This week, they play Trinity on Monday, Fieldston on Wednesday, and Dalton on Saturday. Be sure to support them in the Legacy Gym after school, as all games are at Poly! BVS: Boys’soccer suffered defeat at Riverdale 2-1 after a hard fought game and a goal scored by sophomore Bayo Maathey. The team looks to bounce back on Monday as they host Trinity. GVS: Girls’ soccer triumphed over Riverdale at home 2-1 after goals
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VIA JEFF AMURAO