The Spectator The Stuyvesant High School Newspaper
Volume 112 No. 12
March 21, 2022 SPORTS
“The Pulse of the Student Body” stuyspec.com
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Olympic Breakdown Allowing teens to participate in a competition under a cloud of potentially state-sponsored drug use is irresponsible both to them and the sport, and is something that cannot continue. see page
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What a Polka Dot Pumpkin Can Teach Us During the Pandemic Yayoi Kusama is living proof of the importance of self-expression and the human need to strive for creativity, especially during challenging times. see page
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SING! Coverage starts on page 12 Mask Mandate Lifted in All Public Schools By SARAH DIAZ and JAMES KANG With the COVID-19 pandemic persisting, many public spaces, including restaurants and schools, made masks a requirement to enter their premises. Following the general decline in cases, with averages showing less than 1000 cases per day, Mayor Eric Adams made an announcement to lift the mask mandate, which had been in effect since blended-learning last year, for all students in NYC public schools starting March 7. Despite this marking a shift in the return to normalcy, the majority of Stuyvesant students still wear masks. This announcement caused mixed reactions from the Stuyvesant community. Some people, such as Principal Seung Yu, felt both relief and anxiety about the mask mandate being lifted. “In one way, I’m relieved as I believe many of us, including myself, are exhausted from the pandemic. I’m ready to go back to some semblance of being around others where we can see [each other’s] faces and feel more comfortable,” he said in an e-mail interview. “Simultaneously, we’re still in the pandemic and there is continued anxiety about our health and well-being. It will still take time for all of us to gain
some level of comfort.” Some students, like sophomore Julia Chernobelsky, felt relief about the lift of the mandate but were also concerned about the risks the new developments would bring. “When the mandate was lifted, I felt relieved. I thought that finally life was going back to normal and COVID-19 rates were declining,” Chernobeselsky said. “Then I was a bit conflicted about whether or not I wanted to stop wearing it because I wanted to be cautious.” Additionally, Principal Yu and Director of Family Engagement Dina Ingram have made e-mail announcements to the student body establishing their commitment to safety. The school will still be providing masks for those who need them and will continue encouraging students who don’t feel well to stay home. Students who experience a five-day isolation period after receiving a positive COVID-19 diagnosis or having COVID-19 symptoms without testing will be required to wear masks for five days upon returning to school. These announcements also acknowledge how the updated mask guidance will be a slow transition depending on the comfort of students, with an emphasis on the importance of respecting everyone’s
decisions. For many students, the factor of peer pressure was a large concern affecting the decision of whether to wear a mask. Therefore, some students took the initiative of creating Instagram polls to aid them with the decision-making process. “I was just going to side with the majority on this one,” sophomore Dinah-Luba Beylison said. “If most people were wearing masks, so would I, if most people weren’t, so would I.” Beylison’s poll showed a result of 90% of students choosing to wear masks. In a survey conducted by The Spectator, it was found that out of 417 responses, the main reasons for students to continue masking despite not having to are health reasons and self-consciousness. Students were permitted to select as many reasons not to wear a mask as applicable to them, with the statistics showing that health reasons was selected 239 times, self-consciousness was selected 217 times, social reasons (detailed as not wanting to be the only student in a classroom unmasked) was selected 179 times, and parent pressure was selected 69 times. 59 continued on page 2
Investigating Stuyvesant’s Representation of Black History Month By MAGGIE SANSONE and SAKURA YAMANAKA February is recognized as Black History Month and is an acknowledgement of Black achievements and hardships that often go unnoticed due to a lack of awareness of African American culture and history. In response to this annual observance, some students have brought up concerns regarding the shortcomings of the administration in promoting education about Black history and culture. In 2021, only eight Black students were admitted to Stuyvesant in a freshman class of 749 total students. Despite efforts by DOE to promote diversity, an underrepresentation of Black students has remained a trend in Stuyvesant’s admission rate. In light of Black History Month, the Stuyvesant administration shared resources and opportunities with the school community to educate students on Black history. The Stuyvesant library also provided book recommendations to spread awareness about the topic. Additionally, Principal Yu shared a message via e-mail in which he recommended that
students visit local events and exhibits to learn more about Black history. The Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee and Equity Team at Stuyvesant also hosted a small group discussion with Black and Latinx families alongside alumna Candice Morgan (‘00). Stacey Wright, a parent involved in the Parent Association, has also created a Facebook group called Stuy Mosaic for Black and Latinx families. “We know there is much work to be done, but hearing their honest feedback and knowing they were comfortable sharing [their stories] made the event a success,” Director of Family Engagement Dina Ingram said in an e-mail interview. Sophomore and Black Students League (BSL) Communications Manager Amanda Cisse noticed the greater effort the administration put into recognizing Black History Month this year in comparison to previous years. “From the morning announcements mentioning specific events to the posters educating students continued on page 2
