The Spectator The Stuyvesant High School Newspaper HUMOR
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Convalescent Plasma: A Potential Treatment for COVID-19 Science writer Sonya Sasson discusses the potential of convalescent plasma, which contains critical antibodies, to serve as a treatment against the coronavirus.
It’s MyTalos Now, Buddy Jasmine Wang provides a scathing critique of the new Talos interface and explains how to navigate through the new site for those who have been lost wandering in the old Talos.
see page 23
see page 18
Volume 110 No. 14
May 1, 2020
June Graduation Ceremony Cancelled for Seniors By LUCY BAO, LEXI CHEN, JENNY LIU, EVELYN MA, VEDAANT SHAH, and CHLOE TERESTCHENKO
Many seniors have expressed similar sentiments after losing most traditions and aspects of their last year at Stuyvesant, particularly their graduation. Due “[Three and a half] years of to the ongoing COVID-19 panStuy [are] filled with all-nighters, demic, the Parents’ Association moments where you just cry be- (PA) and the administration decause you can’t handle it, and a lot cided to cancel the graduation of work in hopes of spending your ceremony for seniors, which was lastsemesterwithyourbestfriends originally scheduled for June 23. The decision to cancel graduaand community before you part tionwasexpectedbymanyseways for college. Personniors given the crisis. “It ally, I’ve dreamed makes sense that about my we canceled highschool it in adprom and vance,” graduation Senior ever since I was a Caucus Cokid, and that bePresident Zeynep ing taken away Bromberg feels kind of said. like a void “ E v in my high eryone school exs o r t perience,” senior of has Khandaker Ridwan a good wrote in an e-mail sense that the world interview. “Given the Mand y Li/ [would not have] The circumstances, there’s Spec tator returned to nornot much I can say besides ‘yes, it’s fair, and I’d rather be safe and malcy by the time graduation sound.’ At the same time, I just continued on page 2 wish none of this had happened.”
stuyspec.com
DOE Announces Opt-In Grading Policy for This Semester
By MADDY ANDERSEN, TALIA KAHAN, ERIN LEE, and KAREN ZHANG
own individual grading systems. In the DOE’s press release, Chancellor Richard Carranza said, “Our adjustments to grading maintain clear expectations that acknowledge each individual student’s experience while creating a consistent, equitable system across all schools.” The DOE released a tentative plan on Friday, April 23 to student leaders and elected officials in which all high schools would use their original grading system, marking failing grades as “incomplete.” After receiving backlash, the DOE revised their policy to include the CR option in their final plan. SU President Vishwaa Sofat views the new policy as an improvement, though he also acknowledges that it is not perfect. “Compared to the original policy that we were invited to comment on on Friday, this one is certainly a much better policy. There are still issues. When you have an opt-in policy, that doesn’t take away the discrepancy or resources that are underlying and were the biggest
The Department of Education (DOE) announced an updated grading policy for the remainder of the school year on April 28. High schools will continue using their school’s current grading system. Students, however, will be given the option after the year ends to replace any of their grades from this spring term with a CR, which means that while students will receive credit for the course, the grade will not impact on their GPA. Additionally, teachers will issue “Course in Progress” (NX) in place of a failing grade, allowing students to complete said course by January 2021. The systems for elementary and middle schools are very different; elementary students will receive either a “Meets Standards” (MT) or “Needs Improvement” (N),whilemiddleschoolstudents will receive either MT, N, or NX. The DOE is not allowing schools to determine their
Slicing the Stuy Pie Chart: a Look Into Students’ Political Views
By ANGELA CAI
The Spectator distributed a political typology survey to better understand the Stuyvesant student body’s political alignment and beliefs on key topics such as race, climate change, welfare, and foreign aid. A total of 512 students responded: 141 seniors (27.5 percent), 130 juniors (25.4 percent), 122 sophomores (23.8 percent), and 199 freshmen (23.2 percent)—or roughly 16 percent of the entire student body. Here are their political stances:
At a school like Stuyvesant where a myriad of STEM clubs and classes are offered to students, the issue of gender disparity is a familiar one. The Undercurrents article “Where Are the Girls in Math Team?” written by junior Erin Lee in 2018 shined a scrutinizing spotlight on the lack of female representation in math team. Crediting some of the reasons to the abrasive behavior of boys in the classroom and girls feeling pressure to do well on competitions, the article featured a variety of girls’ experiences on the team— some negative, some positive.
Race should not be taken into account. Race should be considered among other factors. There should be a designated number of spots for minorities. Unsure / Other
75% 12.5% 6.5% 6% Democrat Republican Green Libertarian
Michael Hu / The Spectator
Despite the fact that 75 percent of students identify with the Democratic Party, around two thirds of the respondents believed that race should not be taken into account at all in college admissions. Such statistics may be the result of the fact that the Stuyvesant student body is 74 percent Asian; with the recent Harvard lawsuit and traditional images of the “model minority,” Asian students may believe they do not have the advantage that other minorities receive due to affirmative action and that the college admissions process holds them to a higher standard.
CORONAVIRUS CONTENT Still Alive! Celebrating Birthdays During Quarantine, p. 9 Elmhurst Hospital: the Unforgettable Epicenter, p. 13 Privacy During COVID-19, p. 14 It’s Okay if You’ve Done Nothing During Quarantine, p. 15 How Music Has Changed Quarantine, p. 22 What Your Quarantine Activity Says About You, p. 25 reasonspeoplewantedapass-fail policy in the first place,” he said. In a survey sent out about the students’ grading preferences—which received over 2,400 responses—80.5 percent said they would be okay with passfail, and 63 percent believed continued on page 2
“Where are the Girls in Math Team?”: An Update
By THE EDITORIAL BOARD
To what extent should race play a role in college admissions?
“The Pulse of the Student Body”
Though the story was published over a year ago, the experiences of girls on math team continue to evolve, and not in a good way. “I was there when a group of non-senior boys on the senior team said that Erin’s article was ‘unreasonable’ after it was released last year,” senior and math team cocaptain Nancy Kaung said. “Instead of talking about the core issue of the article, they instead decided to point out every single minor error that they spotted just to discredit her article.” In spite of this, the coaches have tried to provide as much continued on page 10
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The Spectator • May 1, 2020
News DOE Announces Opt-In Grading Policy for This Semester continued from page 1
pass-fail would be the best option for Stuyvesant. While the majority supported pass-fail, a portion (16 percent) of students strongly supported numerical grading. Some students view this policy as a compromise. “While it’s not the pass-fail everyone was hoping for, it gives all students the option to switch grades to CR after seeing their grades which is a fair compromise instead of forcing everyone to keep numerical grades,” junior Alisha Heng said in an e-mail interview. Sophomore Emmanuel Abayev feels content with the new grading policy. “If you have a grade that will help you and that you worked hard on, you can add it to your GPA, while if you have a grade that you feel doesn’t represent what you did, you can make it not count against you,” he said in an e-mail interview. “It’s the best of both worlds.” From a guidance perspective, however, students may still feel demoralized should they receive a low numerical grade, even if they can replace it with CR. “It’s nice that you can replace a number grade with a CR, but what
is that going to do to your mental health to see that 65 first—to see that 70 first—when that’s not indicative of the type of student that you were pre-COVID?” Assistant Principal of Pupil Personnel Services Casey Pedrick said. Students also voiced negative sentiments about the change. “Even with the option to just receive credits for the courses without an effect on our GPA, at Stuy, our mentality is not just to pass the course, it’s to excel in all our classes,”sophomoreSyedaZahan said in an e-mail interview. “There is so much to gain stress from at this time, especially from trying to maintain a very high average, and school should not add to that.” Juniors especially expressed concern about how the new grading system would affect college admissions next year. Junior Sebastien Beurnier said, “[T]hough it does say we can choose to mark the grade as ‘CR,’ in which case it does not count [toward] our GPA, I’m not sure how colleges will feel about this, especially since junior year grades are pretty important,” he said. Junior Henry Michaelson agreed, saying: “The [juniors will] want to opt out of these [hard] classes but will be forced
to make the difficult decision of opting out of these classes and having that noted when applying to college or not opting out and [having] their GPA suffer.” Junior Lamia Haque agreed, saying: “I’ve already seen countless posts on whether high 80s should be counted or whether CR would be better than that.” According to Director of College Counseling Jeffrey Makris, however, juniors need not worry about how grades will affect college admissions. “We will be sharing exactly how the Stuy community was impacted by COVID-19 with our admissions representatives via multiple modalities, and applicants will be able to share their individual stories within their applications,” he said in an e-mail interview. “Excellent grades this spring will be viewed positively, of course, but those students who struggled should rest assured that colleges will know that in many cases, this was due to the obstacles we faced and not a true reflection of yourabilitytosucceedincollege.” While college admissions will likely adjust, some teachers feel that the grading policy will prevent them from properly assessing second semester grades.
“Without tests, I cannot assess students’knowledgetothedegree that I can differentiate between a 92 and a 93 (or even an 80 and 85). And if I gave online tests, we would have to pretend that no one cheated,” physics teacher Thomas Strasser said in an email interview. “The decision to insist on number grades is disingenuous at best: we all pretend that these grades have a meaning that they can not possibly have.” Makris was also disappointed by the DOE’s announcement. “The chaos wrought on our entire school community by the coronavirus pandemic certainly justifies the need for an altered grading scale,” he said in an email interview. “A numeric grading system lends itself to penalizing these students if they aren’t able to perform as they normally would have in the face of all of this unforeseen adversity.” Instead, Makris prefers for schools to decide on their own policies. “I have worked in three very different NYC public high schools over the course of my 20-year career; it is clear to me that policies and processes that were best suited for one high school would not be in the best interests of the students and
staff at the others,” he said. Pedrick, on the other hand, likes the universality of the policy. “I was pleased to see that the city even came out with a grading policy,” she said. “It just makes it that much easier for us to share that message with the colleges when all their New York City kids are given the same grading policy.” As for second marking period grades, the administration announced earlier last month that they would use an ESNU scale. “Second marking period grades are going to be letter grades, whichinsomeways,isnotenough for a student to know what their actual grade might be,” Sofat said. “We’re going to ask the administration to get some sort of shadow grade so that they know what the numerical grade is.” Pedrick hopes that Stuyvesantteacherswillbeunderstanding of students’ circumstances amid the grading change. “If [teachers] can approach the grading by puttingthemselvesinsomeone else’s shoes, I think [the policy] can be very helpful,” she said. “If more peoplecouldexperiencetheliving situations, perhaps they could be more empathetic. We shouldn’t be held to the same standards as whenschools[are] infullsession.”
June Graduation Ceremony Cancelled for Seniors continued from page 1
would’ve happened, so it’s good that we solidified this before.” The PA and the school administration are currently working in accordance with the Senior Caucus for an alternative solution. As of now, however, there is no set alternative for graduation. “There have been a lot of ideas thrownaroundwhetherit’shaving a bunch of smaller ceremonies in December or having a more formal one,” Bromberg said. “We’re just kind of trying to explore any options we might have [because] we do want to give the senior class something to look back on.” One popular alternative being considered is a virtual graduation. Whileexploringthis solution, however, the administration encountered several issues. “A problem is that we haven’t yet found a vendor who could provide that [type of service],” Coordinator of Student Affairs Matthew Polazzo said. “I’m sure there must be a company that can do something like that, but we haven’t really gone down that road yet.” Anotherideabeingconsidered is hosting graduation in the December of the upcoming school
year when most students will be coming home for winter break after their first semester at college. Some students, however, are reluctant to accept this idea. “Since graduation is in December and after a semester of college, some people would rather stay near their college, go travel, or be less inclined to go to their graduation. Me personally, I’m most likely going to go, but it would be pretty sad to have a graduation where not everyone shows up,” an anonymous senior said. Due to the novelty of the current circumstances, planning a later graduation has also presented several challenges, such as expenses. “There’s a whole list of different things […] my [main] concern is paying for it. We are currently in the process of refunding […] and recalculating the cost of senior dues so that people don’t have to pay for graduation tickets. As we see [it] right now, graduation isn’t happening,” Bromberg said. “If we do end up somehow postponing graduation, […] we’d have to go through a whole other round—paying enough money to pay for Carnegie, […] if Carnegie is even open by then.” Seniors have currently been asked not to submit any dues un-
til graduation plans are finalized. Despite this, some seniors are hesitant to attend a later graduation. “Coming back for graduation sounds fun, and it’s a nice way to meet all my friends again, but at the same time, it’s money,” another anonymous senior said. In addition to the monetary challenges, the senior class is having difficulty coming to a consensus as to what kind of graduation to hold and when. “Each alternative has [its] pros and cons […] I don’t know if in December the seniors would still want a graduation,” Senior Caucus Co-President Hana Kim said. “Personally, I think a lot of seniors do want some form of ceremony, […] but there’s no real way of knowing until we actually do a polling of the seniors. We could do it right now, but we don’t know if their opinions will shift by thetime[graduation]rollsaround.” Polazzo hopes for a physical ceremony of some form, but the complications of the pandemic make the prospect difficult. “Unfortunately, there’s really no way that I can speculate about that because we don’t know how long this situation is going to go on for,” he said. “Even if they do open up the economy, I suspect that large gatherings will be the
last things that they will allow. I think I can speak for the administration when I say that we’ve […] felt really terrible about this, and we’re obviously going to do the best that we can to try to make up for as much of this as we can.” Apart from graduation, there are many traditions that are held on the last day of school, such as prom and the conga line, that the seniors this year will likely miss out on. To make up for the loss, the Senior Caucus is planning a virtual, makeshift celebration for the senior class, such as virtual apparel day, a senior class Instagram account, and Zoom videos. Many seniors are upset about losingthesesenioreventsandtheir lastdaysatStuyvesant.“Eventslike spiritdays,seniorprankweek,SOS, club events, prom, senior cut day, graduation, [and] summer events are all things I’ve been looking forward to [but won’t have],” Ridwan said. “Quarantine has also taught me that I miss learning in a classroom and talking to my teachers. I really wanted to give gifts to some teachers and faculty and just have a conversationwiththemasidefrom lessons before I’d leave for college. That’s another thing I won’t be able to do in person anymore.” Amid the pandemic, the Se-
nior Caucus is appreciative of the senior class for their understanding and communication during this time. “I want to thank them for being understanding of us. It’s nice that they’re not mean about it. They take it. We really do try to be as transparent as possible and deliver the blow in as nice of a way as possible. It’s a hard time for all of us,” Kim said. Bromberg agreed, saying, “[It is]extremelydisappointingthatwe can’t have a graduation ceremony whenit’ssomething[…]Hana[and I] and so many other seniors have been looking forward to for our entire Stuy experiences […] I’m in chorus, so I’ve gone to [graduation] for the past three years. It’s really sad that I’ve seen so many others, but I won’t get to see my own.” Though many of the senior events have been canceled, the Senior Caucus Co-Presidents remain optimistic and hope that the senior class will be able to experience them eventually in the future. “What’s more realistic is that […] if schools reopen by September, which I have my fingers crossed for, […] we have some kind of day where seniors come back and live out their senior traditions, like the cong[a] line,” Kim said.
Big Sib Program Hosts Virtual Open House By ANA-MARIA SKARICIC, SUBYETA CHOWDHURY, MAX KOSTER, and STEPHY CHEN After incoming freshmen receive their acceptances midMarch, they and their families tour Stuyvesant, learning about the courses and clubs that fill our halls and classrooms. The Big Sibs cheer and applaud families as they file in and then take small groups on tours throughout the ten floors, from the pool to the library to the cafeteria. This year, however, the class of 2024 will experience their Open House online. Thanks to the efforts of the administration and newly chosen Big Sib Chairs— juniors Anaïs Delfau, Elena Hlamenko, Andrea Huang, Henry Michaelson,andAkiYamaguchi— families of incoming freshmen will be able to get to know the
Stuyvesant culture and academic life through a virtual Open House, despite the COVID-19 pandemic and the closure of schools. The virtual Open House will contain information that would have been presented during a physical Open House, which was originally scheduled in March. It is composed of six different videos: one of the administration, one of the assistant principals of each department, one on extracurriculars, one on sports teams, one answering frequently asked questions (FAQ), and one a floor tour. The Big Sib Chairs aimed to capture what a tour of Stuyvesant feels like and what students would have
seen had they had the chance to walk around the school. The Big Sib Chairs, who were selected a week prior to Stuyvesant’s closing, predicted
Andrea Huang / The Spectator
that schools would shut down in the near future and spent the last week filming footage in the building. “When we all found out that we’d become Big Sib Chairs, there was already a possibility that school would be closed due to COVID-19. And so in case of school closures, we wanted to be able to put something out for the eighth graders that were making the decision,” Michaelson said. The idea for a virtual house tour was suggested by Assistant Principal of Pupil Personnel Services Casey Pedrick and was spearheaded by the Big Sib Chairs, who received assistance from many other students and faculty members. They worked especially closely with the
Faculty Oversight Committee, which consists of Pedrick, Director of Family Engagement Dina Ingram, guidance counselors Sarah Kornhauser and Undine Guthrie,andpupilaccountingsecretary Carol Carrano. “By the time we learned that we were chosen to be chairs and needed to make a virtual Open House, we only had three days in school to film, so as you can imagine, it was extremely hectic. We had to contact a lot of people for their inputs in our videos, such as the Faculty Oversight Committee, [Principal Eric] Contreras, the assistant principals, and multiple different clubs. The previous chairs also helped us out throughout the process,” Huang said. With the help of The Spectator Photo Department, the Big Sib Chairs first took videos and phocontinued on page 4
The Spectator • May 1, 2020
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The Spectator • May 1, 2020
News By JADY CHEN, ISABELLA JIA, LEXI CHEN, VICTORIA GAO, ANDY CHEN, additional writing by JAMES LEE
mand for seats for these exams is going to be enormous, and quite possibly far more than test sitescanpossiblyaccommodate,” he said in an e-mail interview. “If any of our students plan on testing this summer or fall, they should register as soon as registration opens to give themselves the best chance of getting a seat.” Students are also uncertain as to how this decision will affect their college application process, which normally relies heavily on standardized tests, such as the SAT, scores. “I have been doing virtual college tours, and many colleges have said they will be accommodating with SAT tests, with many turning to the test-optional option. So I am not sure if I will take the SAT again,” junior Tori Lieberman wrote in an e-mail interview. “As for subject tests, I may not take them at all because evenmorecollegesarenotrequiring SAT IIs. I have not decided what tests I am or am not taking, and since everything is up in the air,I’mnotsurewhatwillhappen.” Junior Michael Nath, who had plannedtoretaketheSAT,wasdisappointed by the cancellation of the June exams. “I was really hoping to boost my score a couple of points by taking the SAT in June. I was actually getting ready to take the test. I ordered the books, and Iwasgettingreadytoschedulemy study sessions. And so, a few days ago, I got an [e-mail] saying it was canceled,” he said. “Taking it in June would have been a lot better because I would have had the entire summer to dedicate to writing essays and researching colleges. I’m going to have to spend a third of that summer studying for the SAT, which really sucks.” Because the way colleges are assessingundergraduateapplications is uncertain, students are still considering taking the test. “My assumption is that the test will be less impactful [on] college admissions, though it prob-
ably won’t hurt to take it. Because of this, I still plan on taking it in August,” junior Liam Kronman said in an e-mail interview. The cancellation of the June tests has also become an issue for manystudentstimewise.“Though the colleges have changed their standardized testing requirements, many students will still struggle to take the same amount of tests in a shortened time period in order to gain that advantage for college applications,” junior Cynthia Or said in an e-mail interview. The exam cancellations have alsoaffectedstudents’workloads. “Cancellations cause more stress because I signed up for the June SAT II with a plan that would spreadmyworkandtestingschedule over a greater amount of time. Now that the testing is pushed back, my workload becomes more concentrated,” Or said. On the other hand, some students felt the College Board’s prior notice of seven weeksprovided them with sufficienttime to reorganize their study schedule. “I was planning on taking two subject tests in June but hadn’t begun studying. If the tests had been canceled later, I would probably have been more disappointed because my studying would’ve been futile,” Kronman said. Some students are still continuing to study for their examinations despite the June SAT cancellations. “Despite the June exams being canceled, I plan to continue studying for the assessment in hopes of retaining the information I have learned thus far. I don’t seeareasontonottakethebiology SAT subject test,” freshman Kitty Wang said in an e-mail interview.
Wang also felt that the change was beneficial for her. “I neither prefernorrejectthesenewchangesbecauseIseesuchalterationsas imminentandnecessary.However, the rescheduled availability of the exam does open the door to morepreparationtimeandamore flexible schedule,” Wang said. Though the changes are not ideal, students understand the rationalebehindcancelingtheSATs. “I don’t prefer these new changes, but with everything, I think that they are necessary. I wish I could take the tests at the times I planned to, but I don’t think there is another solution. We can’t do remote tests because people couldeasilycheatwhichwouldn’t be fair to everyone else, and we can’t do tests at school because of the virus,” Lieberman said. ThoughtheCollegeBoardhas yet to release information about the possibility of online testing, Or strongly supports Andrea Huang / The Spectator
In alignment with public health guidance and nationwide school closures due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, the College Board has decided to cancel the SAT and SAT Subject Test (SAT II) examinations scheduled for June 6. If public health guidelines permit, the College Board intends to accommodate for the cancellations by administering the SAT tests once a month, beginning in August and ending in December. Students will be able to sign up for the new test dates beginning in May, with early sign-ups for those who had registered for the June tests or are current juniors and have not yet taken the SAT. The June examination cancellation followed that of the March and May SATs, which were canceled earlier in mid-March. In response to the exam cancellations, many undergraduate admissions offices have waived standardized testing requirements for college applications for the class of 2021. In the event that schools remain closed through the fall, the College Board plans to create an online version of the SATs, which are similar to the online Advanced Placement (AP) exams being administered this May, so that students can take them at home. This would allow the exams to be “accessible to all and valid for use in college admissions,” according to the College Board’s announcement. Director of College Counseling Jeffrey Makris is concerned about the College Board’s plans to accommodate testing for everyone, particularly for students who have not had a chance to take the SATs yet. “If [the] College Board is able to offer live SAT exams this summer and fall (and that’s still a big IF), the de-
College Board Cancels June SAT Exams
online testing over traditional classroom testing. “College Board should host online tests like with the APs. While cancelingin-persontestingisdefinitely a good idea, there will be an increased number of people takingthetestswhenschoolsareable to [reopen], which still poses a risk in the aftermath of the pandemic. Opening online tests will reduce that number of people,” she said. Other students, however, are opposed to taking an online SAT
test. “It gets really loud in my household, which makes it hard to take a three-hour test without any distractions, like using the restroom, and it also wouldn’t feel the same way,” Nath said. “Taking a test on paper versus taking a test electronically,yougetacompletely differentexperience,andifyou’re a student [who has taken] paper exams for most of their life, then switching to electronic testing would be a vast, drastic change.” Likeremoteeducationandonline AP examinations, online testing raises concerns for students whoaretechnologicallydisadvantaged and have issues with maintaining a controlled testing environment for exam-takers. “For students though, there is the everpresentissueoftechnologyaccess for some of our students and accommodations for students with special needs. A digital SAT may come with more equity issues,” Makris said. “And there is a deeper concern: will college admissions offices see a digital version of the exam as having the same validity as the traditional SAT?” There is also doubt among students about the validity of a remotely administered SAT for college admissions. “Colleges will understand that the SATs this year will be very screwed up, and so they might not really consider that 1600 if it was taken electronically. A lot of other students could have gotten that 1600 but [would not have been able to] because they had no Wi-Fi or no device,” Nath said. The cancellation of the June SAT examinations is one of the myriad of impacts the COVID-19 crisis has had on the Stuyvesant community and another change that students—especially juniors—will need to adjust to. “I guess I’m just bummed out that the SAT is getting pushed,” Nath said. “I’m just bummed out by this entire coronavirus situation.”
Stuyvesant Introduces Updated Talos By VEDAANT SHAH, SARAH HUYNH, NEIL SARKAR, CHRISTOPHER SULLIVAN, JAKOB GORISEK-GAZZE, and MOMOCA MAIRAJ Talos creator Rodda John (’17) and the Program Office introduced a “new Talos” to the Stuyvesant community on April 20. The transition is just in time for fall course selections, and students may use the new Talos to view their transcripts and take daily attendance. Contrary to popular belief, the administration was uninvolved with the creation of a new Talos; instead, John planned the update on his own, after Talos expanded to Bronx Science High
School. “[Work on the new site began] probably around a year ago,” John said in an e-mail interview.“Manylongawaitedfeatures [like] pronouns will be supported shortly on new Talos, in addition to a bunch of programming features that you all can’t see.” These features include fixes that will prevent new Talos from crashing,anissuethathasoccurred frequently in the past. “New Talos is built on a virtualized auto scaling infrastructure such that an algorithm of mine controls how many virtual machines underlie the site. Most of these variables are in flux, but if, for example, response times for the 95th percentile user exceed 400ms, then an additional virtual machine is
spawned. Hopefully no one is experiencingspeeddelays,”John said. “Students will see a lot of new features once the new blog/ document section is released, in addition to the next stage of programming and program changes. Additionally, the code for the updated Talos is entirely new and does not rely on any old features or programs. “[The] biggest change is likely just that many settings that used to be controlled in code are now controlled through various GUIs that administrators canaccessandchange,”Johnsaid. This means that other schools may implement Talos without hiring John to manage their site, as the new code is much clearer. Though some students have
voiced concerns about the new website—noting that new Talos does not have tabs for checking outtextbooksandmanaginglockers—many are satisfied with the newwebsiteandfeelthatitismore stable when handling many users at once. “The new site is more structured and runs smoother as compared to the old site. It’s also prettier and more appealing in a sense,” freshman Faima Safwana said. “It’s more helpful because there are more options to explore, [but] some tabs are hidden, so it would be better if they were positioned in a more obvious place.” Freshman Kathleen Zhang added, “I remember that the old Talos was really slow, and I couldn’t log in. The new
site is pretty similar to the old Talos, but I was able to find the forms I needed quickly.” The new system also includes usability improvements for counselors and administrators, allowing them to more easily access students’ grades and parent contact information. “I can download certain reports into Excel, and I can drag things into boxes, making my life a little easier,” guidance counselor Sandra Brandan said. The counseling department is optimistic about shifting to the new Talos. “I am hoping that it’s easier to learn [than the old Talos site] and user-friendly. Change is always scary, but once you get used to something, you see its benefits,” Brandan said.
Big Sib Program Hosts Virtual Open House continued from page 2
tos of the school building. “It was extremely difficultto take nice pictures because we couldn’t get our hands on proper cameras besides our phones on such short notice. Luckily, The Spectator Photo Department offered to help us on the last day before school closed,” Huang said. “We have multiple videos in the works currently; some are more completed than others, but we plan on finishing all six videos by the end of April.” Yamaguchi added, “We also reached out to Big Sibs and asked them to talk a little about their experiences […] reaching out to many different organizations within Stuyvesant, we collected clips from leaders and
footage to create the videos.” Timing and gathering enough content were not the only obstacles the Chairs faced. “An additional layer to this process was that none of us had actual videoediting experience,” Hlamenko said. “Though our primary platform, iMovie, is fairly simple to use, working with a few hours of footage and the fact that not all of us have the platform available to us made the process lengthier and encouraged collaboration.” While the Big Sib Chairs’ virtual tour will showcase the ins and outs of Stuyvesant, incoming freshmen may have additional questions. In preparation, the chairs are scheduling a panel to answer questions in real-time. “We’ve released a form to that class to give them a forum to ask
questions,andthenwe’llseehowit goes from there. The video will be included with others on the website and is essentially a frequently askedquestionspage,”Delfausaid. The current Chairs are also recruiting previous Big Sib Chairs to answer questions. “[The FAQ] is […] a recorded Zoom meeting of Big Sib Chairs ’21 [and] Big Sib Chairs ’20, where we answer questions that are commonly asked at Open House by freshmen,” Huang said. The Big Sib Chairs intend to distribute the videos by emailing a link to the parents of incoming students. “We want the decision to be easier for eighth-graders, and so they can get a taste of what life is like at Stuy. [T]hough it’s not 100 percent possible to replicate what an in-school Open House would
be, we want to get as close to that as possible,” Michaelson said. Aside from their virtual Open House, the Big Sib Chairs have had to make other changes to their program. This year, potential Big Sib interviews are being held over Zoom. Additionally, the Chairs are beginning to map out the transition to an online Camp Stuy Part I. “We will be working with the administration, especially regarding placement exams and tryouts, closely for this project,” Huang said. Yamaguchi is proud of how, despite the short notice of school closures, the Chairs have been able to meet the challenge of recreating an Open House. “It was definitely a little nerve-racking at first because we knew that it was unclear when school was going
to be closed,” she said. “It’s honestly incredible how we jumped into this. I just loved how we all clicked and knew this was something that we needed to get done.” On behalf of all the Big Sib Chairs, Huang would like to thank the Stuyvesant community for their patience and participation in the recording of the videos. “We would like to thank everyone who has been involved in the process of creating these videos,” she said. “It is difficult to get in front of a camera knowing that hundreds of eighth graders and their parents are going to watch you speak, but everyone has been so cooperative, and we are truly grateful for their contributions during these difficult times.”
The Spectator ● May 1, 2020
Page 5
Political Typology Slicing the Stuy Pie Chart: A Look into Students’ Political Views continued from page 1
RACE, IMMIGRATION, AND WOMEN’S RIGHTS Should the government fund programs for birth control, and if so, how? 4.3% 4.3%
In what situation should someone be able to get an abortion?
Stuyvesant students took a mostly progressive stand on publicly subsidized contraception, supporting its widespread availability; only four and a half percent Yes, it should be of students available in schools do not support some form of governand licensed clinics. ment-subsidized availability. One such student felt It should be to clarify that he or she did not see it as a implored available in licensed moral issue but as a spending issue. Contraception clinics to anyone (e. provision g., Planned was also one of the issues where students Parenthood) felt most confident and most comfortable selecting It should only be a provided category; only three students wrote in available in licensed answers. One clinics to those over claimed lack of sufficient knowledge, another clarified support for contraceptive provision 18 butgovernment not for abortion, and the last believes that the The should not fund any government should not be using “taxpayer dollars to programs to provide birth control give preferential treatment to any clinic.”
4.5% 4.5%
18.4% 18.4%
72.5% 72.5%
Other / Unsure
It should be available in licensed clinics to anyone (e.g., Planned Parenthood). It should only be available in licensed clinics to those over 18.
Yes, it should be available in schools and licensed clinics.
The government should not fund any programs to provide birth control. Other
Which policy regarding undocumented immigrants best aligns with your beliefs? Despite our Democratic-majority student body, the split of opinions regarding undocumented immigrants is highly varied. While the most popular option (“Only undocumented immigrants without a criminal record should be given a path to citizenship, and those with one should be deported”) was the most in line with standard moderate Democratic beliefs, it received just over one-third of the total votes, followed closely by the far-leftist support of completely halting deportations until U.S. Immigration Laws have been reformed. In addition, a select number of students wrote in that all illegal immigrants should be deported. All undocumented immigrants should be given a path to citizenship, and all deportations should be halted until the USCIS has been reformed. All undocumented immigrants should be given a path to citizenship, with limited deportations continued. Only undocumented immigrants without a criminal record should be given a path to citizenship; those with one should be deported.
Abortion be allow circumst
83.2% 83.2%
3.7% 3.7%
Only undocumented immigrants without a criminal record should be 20.7% given a path to citizenship.
33.5% 33.5%
20.7%
Only undocumented immigrants protected under DACA should be given a path to citizenship.
22.5% 22.5%
48.7% 48.7%
Unsure / Other
Unsure / Other All undocumented immigrants who are protected under DACA should be given a path to citizenship; those who are not should be deported.
Decrease until our national debt is reduced one percent to five percent. 160
26.9% 26.9%
Yes, it’s important to recognize gender preferences. Yes, it’s important to No, legal documents recognize gender preferences. should reflect bioNo, legal documents logical sex, not gender should reflect preferences. biological sex, not gender preferences. No, this decision falls No, this decision falls within the domain within the domain of of state state affairs. That said,affairs. That I do think states said, I do think states should put a nonshould binary gender optionput a non-bion legal documents, of nary gender option on their own volition. legal documents, of Other their own volition. Other
Around half of the students answered that all legal documents should recognize gender preferences. Of the students who disagreed, almost half of them said that while they support recognizing non-binary gender preferences, they believe that the issue should be left to the states. This statistic indicates that most students support these rights—even though it may initially seem that only half of the students do. On the other hand, 26.9 percent of respondents did not support any option that would allow for a non-binary gender option on all legal documents.
When, if ever, should the U.S. intervene in another country’s affairs?
The U.S. government should in If U.S. dominance intervene if U.S. thedominance global spherein is threatened. the global sphere is threatened. The U.S. government To should provide intervene to provide humanitarhumanitarian aid to ian aid to groups oppressed groups oppressedby by another country’s another country’s government.
91 91
287 287
government.
160
The U.S. government should If an ally gives its intervene if permission an ally gives its peror requests mission or requests American American intervention. intervention.
148
105 105
Abortion be allow there is a danger to the mom
The bulk of the students who participated in the survey (80 percent) believe that abortion should be allowed within the bounds of Roe v. Wade, which ensured an individual’s right to a safe abortion by a medical professional. There are a number of participants, however, who support both ends of the spectrum; some believe that all women should have the right to obtain an abortion, while others are entirely against it. These responses correlate with the statistic that 80 percent of participants would register as a member of the Democratic Party, which generally supports Roe v. Wade.
All undocumented immigrants should be given a path to citizenship, with limited deportations continued.
Students were divided on the question of how the U.S. should alter its foreign aid budget, with 160 students supporting a reduction in the budget to reduce national debt by one to five percent. Almost as many students—148—wanted to increase aid-spending to third-world countries, and several picked both options, favoring an overall reduction but an increase in spending to countries with a greater need. One hundred ten students favored no change or minimal change to the current budget, and 105 took a more hawkish view, favoring reductions in spending to hostile countries that could pose a potential threat. Fourteen students indicated that they were not sufficiently educated on the topic to provide a response.
Abortion allowed bounds o Wade, w an indivi to a safe medical
All undocumented immigrants should be given a path to citizenship, and all deportations should be halted until the USCIS has been reformed.
30.0% 30.0%
How should the U.S. government spend its budget on foreign aid?
Decrease, but only for countries that are a potential threat.
13.7% 13.7%
Should the federal government mandate that all legal documents (birth certificates, passports, driver’s licenses) have a non-binary gender option?
12.2% 12.2%
FOREIGN POLICY
Increase the current investment to third-world countries only. 148
3.1% 3.1%
Abortion should be allowed within the bounds of Roe v. Wade, which ensures an individual’s right to a safe abortion by a medical professional. Abortion should not be allowed, unless there is a direct danger to the life of the mom. Abortion should not be allowed under any circumstances.
The budget should stay the same.
The U.S. government The U.S. government should should never intervene never intervene in affairs the affairs of in the of other other countries. countries.
110 110
Unsure 14 14
The Decrease, but Decrease until Increase current Thebudget budget Increase current Decrease, but Decrease until should our national only for investment to staythe the our national shouldstay only for investment to same. countries that debt is reduced third-world
Unsure Unsure
257 257
30 30
Stuyvesant students were generally in support of the opinion that some American intervention in foreign affairs is justified. The most popular position (287 students) was that intervention on humanitarian grounds is justified. Almost as many—257—said that the U.S. government should intervene if an ally gives its permission or requests American intervention, and 39 people selected both options. An additional 91 students supported American intervention when U.S. dominance in the global sphere is threatened, and only 30 said that the American government should never intervene in the affairs of other countries. Of the strict non-interventionists, six also selected choices which directly contradicted that position. Overall, Stuyvesant students were accepting of American intervention in foreign affairs—more so than their other professed positions would indicate.
Page 6
The Spectator ● May 1, 2020
Political Typology Slicing the Stuy Pie Chart: A Look into Students’ Political Views continued from page 5
DOMESTIC POLICY Should low-level, nonviolent crimes like drug possession be punishable by jail time?
How should federal and state governments provide financial aid to students? Need-based financial aid should Need-based financial aid be available for be available forshould students in pubstudents in public universities. lic universities.
5.7% 5.7%
14.1% 14.1%
No,No, theythey should not be not be should crimes at all.at all. crimes
should be No,No, theythey should be punishable by or a fine or punishable by a fine by mandatory rehabilitaby mandatory tion. rehabilitation. but for only for repeat Yes,Yes, but only offenders repeat offenderswith with the time deterthe of timeincarceration of mined by the judge. incarceration Yes, forbyalltheoffenders, determined with set minimums on judge.
33.4% 33.4%
Fees for public Fees universities for public universities should be significantly should belowered significantly lowered in addition to existing in addition to existing needneed-based financial aid. based financial aid.
42.8% 42.8%
time.
Yes, for all offenders, Other with no limit on jail time. Other
Just under half of the students (42.8 percent) believe that non-violent crimes should not be punishable by jail time, instead saying that offenders should be punished by a fine or by mandatory rehabilitation. Just over 30 percent answered that only repeat offenders should receive jail time, and the next most popular answer (14 percent) was that low-level crimes should not be crimes at all. The responses align with a standard Democratic perspective on low-level crimes. As over 75 percent of students identify most strongly with the Democratic Party, our results were unsurprising.
Other Other
149 149
3 3
While the results show that the student body has evenly divided views on this issue, almost all students believe that the government should provide some form of financial aid to students. Slightly less than 32 percent of the students believe that the government needs to increase need-based financial aid and decrease the tuition of public universities. About 26 percent of the students believe that the federal government should increase need-based financial aid without changing tuition. However, a sizable minority of the student body thinks that tuition for public universities should be made free for low-income students or even all students, regardless of income. Another student advocated for tax benefits for colleges that offered more generous financial aid. This is in line with the statistic that 46 percent of the student body at Stuyvesant qualifies for free or reduced lunch.
What should government welfare spending look like?
Everybody should be subject to background checks Everybody should be subject fortopurchasing background checks for firearms, and people purchasing firearms, and peopleawith a history of mental with history of illnessillness or domestic violence mental or
11.0%
138 138
Public universities should should be free Public universities be for all students of free for regardless all students regardless of family income. family income.
To what extent should the government impose restrictions on firearm purchases? 4.3% 4.3%
213 213
Low income should be Lowstudents income students should able touniversities attend public able to attend be public universities for free. for free.
jail time.
Yes, for all offenders, for all offenders, withYes, set minimums on jail with time. no limit on jail
177 177
8.8% 8.8%
12.3%
should not be allowed to
People should never purchase guns. be allowed to buy People guns undershould any never be allowed to buy guns under any circumstances.
10.2% 10.2%
45.9% 45.9%
circumstances.
People should be be able to People should able to freely buy firearm that is freely buy any any that isweapon. notfirearm an assault not an assault Restrictions should not be weapon. imposed.
74.1% 74.1%
31.1% 31.1%
Restrictions Unsure / should Not specified. not be imposed. Unsure / Not specified.
In line with the generally left-leaning student body, over 70 percent of respondents were in favor of subjecting firearm purchasers to background checks and preventing those with histories of mental illness or domestic abuse from buying these weapons. The number of responses on both extremes are almost identical: about 10 percent of students believe that civilians should never be allowed to purchase firearms, while just over 10 percent state that all non-assault weapons should be available for purchase to the general public. There are only 26 students who believe that no restrictions should be imposed.
The current welfare state and its proThe current welfare grams should be state and its programs expanded to create should be expanded to acreate social safety net. a social safety. The welfare state The welfare state shouldcontinue continue should as itas it currently currently exists.exists. Current welfare Current welfare programs should programs should be be scaled back and scaled back and replacedbyby a unireplaced a universal versalincome basicprogram. income basic program. Programs like social Programs like sosecurity should cial security continue, but allshould continue, but means-tested welfare all means-tested programs, which welfaredirect programs, provide aid to people poverty, whichinprovide should direct be aideliminated. to people in poverty, should Unsure / Other be eliminated. Unsure / Other
Consistent with the Democratic-majority student body, nearly half of the respondents think that government welfare spending should be increased to create a safety net. The number of students who support the remaining options corresponded with how liberal the answer choices were. Furthermore, a number of students wrote in that while welfare should not be expanded to reach more citizens, it should be expanded in the sense of allowing for recipients to become self-sufficient.
What should federal taxation policy look like? Income tax should take the
Income tax should take the form of form of a flat tax, with all a flat tax, with all loopholes closed. loopholes closed.
112 112
currentsystem bracketshould system The currentThe bracket should be maintained, be maintained, though potentially though potentially with with minor adjustments.
119 119
minor adjustments. The current bracket system The current bracket system should should be maintained, but be maintained, capital gains capitalbut gains should be taxed should be taxed like income. like income. More tax brackets should be More tax brackets should added added for higherbeincomes, for higher incomes, a toprate marwith a topwith marginal of ginal rate of 70 percent or more. 70 percent or more.
126 126
240 240
There should beshould a wealth on tax There be a tax wealth massive fortunes.on massive fortunes. Unsure Other Unsure / /Other
466 466
6 6
In general, Stuyvesant students took a progressive view toward taxation, with strong support for policies like wealth taxation and massive increases of top marginal tax rates, widely associated with Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D - Mass.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D - N.Y.), respectively. Though only two students took the hardline libertarian stance that there should be no taxes, a substantial minority of students—nearly 20 percent—support the flat tax, a conservative tax policy that had its most major recent proponent in Sen. Rafael Edward “Ted” Cruz (R Texas), who included it as part of his platform when he ran for president in 2016. It also seems, however, that many students who claimed support for a flat tax did not know what a flat tax was; a flat tax is a tax with an equal rate across all incomes and is therefore in direct contradiction of a 70 percent top marginal tax rate or maintenance of any sort of bracket system. Of the 112 students who claimed support for a flat tax, 21 claimed support for a 70 percent top marginal rate as well, and an additional 18 claimed support for maintaining the current bracket system—nearly 35 percent of all flat tax supporters altogether.
The Spectator ● May 1, 2020
Page 7
Political Typology Slicing the Stuy Pie Chart: A Look into Students’ Political Views continued from page 6
Which of the following healthcare policies best aligns with your beliefs? The federal government should make Medicare available, but not required, for all citizens. The federal government should implement Medicarefor-all, making Medicare the only insurance available for most types of care. The federal government should become the primary provider of both American health insurance and American health care, directly owning hospitals and employing medical personnel. The federal government should keep the Affordable Care Act in place. The federal government should repeal Obamacare and replace it with a viable alternative. Unsure / Other
3.5% 3.5%
The federal government should make Medicare available, but not required, forJust all citizens. under 50 percent
10.0% 10.0%
10.5% 10.5%
39.8% 39.8%
with the response that over 75 percent of students identify
Themost federal strongly government with the Democratic Party. Of the remainshould the primary ingbecome students, the most popular opinion was: “The federal provider of both American government should implement Medicare for All, making health insurance and health Medicare care, directly owningthe only insurance available for most types of care and eliminating most private insurance.” hospitals and employing medical personnel.
14.1% 14.1%
However, there are students on the opposite end of the
The federal government spectrum. Despite the fact that “no government-provided should health keep the Affordable care” was not a provided option, a few students Care Act in place.
wrote in responses supporting this idea.
The federal government should repeal Obamacare and replace it with a viable alternative.
22.1% 22.1%
Unsure / Other
What should the U.S. do about climate change? Fund renewables and actively limit greenhouse gases and nuclear waste. Fund renewables but do not actively limit greenhouse gases and nuclear waste.
of students answered: “The federal
should make Medicare, which currently only Thegovernment federal government should implement Medicare-citizens, available to all citizens, allowing covers senior for-all, making Medicare the into it if they wish but continuing to let people to buy only insurance available forexist.” This moderate belief corresponds private insurance most types of care.
Do not fund renewables but actively limit greenhouse gases and nuclear waste. Let the market run its course, as the invisible hand of the market is more efficient than central planning.
Fund renewables an actively limit greenh gases and nuclear w
3.9% 3.9%
Nothing. Climate change is the planet’s natural reaction, and we should adapt to it within existing structures. Other
Fund renewables bu not actively limit greenhouse gases an nuclear waste.
5.5% 5.5%
Do not fund renew but actively limit greenhouse gases an nuclear waste.
Given the largely liberal stance in Stuyvesant, it’s unsurprising to see that an overwhelming majority (83 percent) voted to fund renewables as well as actively limit nuclear waste and greenhouse gases. A minority of students support either negative or positive incentives, but not both. Total laissez-faire policy constitutes a very small portion of votes (2.73 percent), and outright climate change denial was all but nonexistent (1.56 percent). Before sending out the survey, The Spectator debated including an option for students in favor of nuclear energy and renewables and against greenhouse gases, but ultimately decided not to in the interest of limiting convolution. However, this may have been a mistake—and a fair number of students (nearly four percent) felt so strongly about the importance of nuclear energy that they wrote in answers in support of it. Most of these answers supported the use of nuclear energy alongside renewables, but three focused solely on the former.
Let the market run course, as the invisi hand of the market efficient than centra planning.
Nothing. Climate c is the planet's natur reaction, and we sh adapt to it within ex structures.
83.2% 83.2%
Other
Do your friends share your political ideology? Does your family share your political ideology? Unsure 18.0%
Unsure 24.2%
No 11.9%
18.0% 18.0%
24.2%
11.9%
63.9%
Yes 63.9%
No 19.5%
19.5% 19.5% 62.5% 62.5%
Yes 62.5%
Over half of the students share the same political ideology with their family and friends—62.5 percent and 63.9 percent, respectively. The proximity of these answers is surprising due to the generation gap and corresponding differences in ideology between students and their parents.
If Bernie Sanders had remained in the Democratic primary, for whom would you have voted? BERNIE SANDERS
59.5%
JOE BIDEN
40.5%
Page 8
The Spectator • May 1, 2020
Features The Journey from Student to Teacher faculty at the Juilliard Preparatory Division, Special Music School, and School for Strings, and he has played piano on the Third Coast Percussion 2017 Grammy-winning album. After Hofstra University placed him at Stuyvesant to observe its music classes, he voluntarily returned to Stuyvesant for student teaching. “I really liked Stuyvesant for its multifaceted music program and the fact that all music classes [meet] every day,” he recalled. To Hagen, the processes behind teaching or learning are distinctly connected. “Beginner band was a particularly fun challenge in that I’m still learning all the fingerings for various wind instruments. It was invigorating to test my newly developing skills in that department. It was also fun to come up with experimental beginner exercises,” he described. Stuyvesant’s chorus and orchestra have typically collaborated together to perform a piece of music. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the chorus and orchestra had been working on a piece by Christopher Tin titled “Calling All Dawns.” Unlike many traditional works for chorus and orchestra, “Calling All Dawns” is written in 12 movements, with each section drawing inspiration from a different language. Beland coached the chamber orchestra in weekly sectionals. “In many ways, the ‘Calling All Dawns’ chamber orchestra was the most professionally rewarding [class to teach],” he stated. Instead of focusing on purely technical issues, Beland was able to center on musicality and sound-sculpting. “[The chamber orchestra] has a sunny, almost amber timbre. It’s rare to be part of that type of ensemble, and I truly enjoyed it,” he explained. Prior to teaching at Stuyvesant, Beland had observed music
By CHRISTINA PAN and SAMMI YANG The concept of the student teacher is perhaps a contradiction in and of itself. Neither the master nor the apprentice, a student teacher seeks to balance both sides of learning, from the recipient to the giver. Stuyvesant’s music department has heavily relied on student teachers to foster not only student learning but also growth among teachers and colleagues. The music department at Stuyvesant is unique in part due to its vast size and variety of music class offerings, ranging from a multitude of performing ensembles to an Advanced Placement (AP) Music Theory class and Music Appreciation classes. Though there are currently only four teachers involved in the music department, the tasks covered are far and wide-ranging. Student teachers are thus involved in a variety of settings—some familiar and others foreign. Student teacher Matt Beland primarily specializes in teaching string instruments. “Of course, being a violinist, conducting orchestra is comfortable. However, my favorite class to teach was the Music Appreciation class,” he stated. Beland has taken many music history courses in the past that served to enrich both his style of playing and broaden his knowledge to explore deeper interpretations of music. Sharing this experience with students, however, was a different experience entirely. “I feel like I have all this knowledge inside my head [and] never the opportunity to share it. It was, in a way, cathartic that I could share my favorite pieces with my students,” he explained. Former student teacher Oliver Hagen is a conductor and a pianist. Hagen is currently on
classes at P.S. 116 and NEST+m but never at the high school level. Because different age groups learn and benefit differently, teaching at Stuyvesant was a very different experience. “High school students have a much stronger identity than the younger grades,” Beland explained. While many elementary students are exploring music for the first time and making learn-
of leeway at Stuyvesant to try new things,” Hagen explained. Music coordinator Liliya Shamazov works closely with student teachers to operate the music department: “The student teachers are a great help to us if they are willing to take risks [and] not be afraid in front of the class,” Shamazov explained. When a student teacher steps onto the podium, Shamazov is
“Working with students is a joy. Teaching young people, seeing how they grow and mature, and helping them present a performance [that] they are proud of is a joy.” —Liliya Shamazov, Music Coordinator
ing teacher-centered, specialization in high schools incurs a sense of student and community learning rather than a student to teacher approach. The connection between the student teacher and the faculty, however, is perhaps the most important aspect of the student teacher’s integration into teaching. Though both Hagen and Beland have taught at other institutions—some more prestigious and established, others smaller and less known—teaching at Stuyvesant was distinctly rewarding due to the students and teachers involved. “It’s a question of specific chemistry with other teachers and students. I was greeted with a great sense of open-mindedness and plenty
free to help individual sections and provide more feedback by listening as an audience member rather than a conductor. Though Stuyvesant is primarily a STEM-dominated school, many students look to expand their musical knowledge through musical performance, theory, or history. “Perhaps unexpectedly, we have many exceptionally-talented music students in this specialized science school,” band director Gregor Winkel said. Student teachers help to nurture and develop these skills by aiding the faculty in teaching the student body. The role of the student teacher, however, is not limited to simply teaching the students. The addition of a fresh person-
ality and teaching style often helps an ensemble progress. “With a new face, students are often curious and snoopy; they ask personal questions,” Winkel stated. “It is always fun to have something fresh and new in the classroom once in a while.” At the end of each semester, Stuyvesant’s music department hosts a concert showcasing the band, chorus, and orchestra. Student teachers traditionally conduct a major portion of these concerts. This experience often displays the culmination of a student teacher’s work during their semester at Stuyvesant. “Conducting an ensemble,” Shamazov explained, “is both a celebration of hard work and a very valuable learning experience.” The experience of conducting at a concert is one that many student teachers seek, but it is more than just a learning experience. The opportunity to do so is also a sign of gratitude. “Usually, they are contributing something important to our student’s music education. We signal to them that they were not just standing on the sidelines, observing,” Winkel voiced. “We are acknowledging their accomplishments with this gesture.” This perspective is not limited to the student teachers, however. The process of learning, whether through teaching or through study, catalyzes a common sentiment through all levels of mastery. To Shamazov, the process of teaching music serves as a special, almost rare connection: “Working with students [and] teachers alike is a joy,” she explained. “Teaching young people, seeing how they grow and mature, and helping them present a performance [that] they are proud of is a joy.” From student to teacher, learner to master, and all student teachers alike, the learning never stops.
Living and Breathing Music Senior Christopher Brown didn’t always know he was destined to be a musician. As a child, his parents forced him to take piano lessons even though he barely practiced and never gave much care to it. It wasn’t until Brown’s sophomore year at Stuyvesant that he was able to discover his true musical passion: songwriting. That year, he decided to begin taking music a bit more seriously. He made a New Year’s resolution to write new songs every week. For the next 49 weeks, Brown would post his songs to his YouTube channel, “Laundry Socks,” inspired by his favorite artist Jon Bellion, who released a series on YouTube about the development of his songs. “Jon Bellion is the type of guy who really lives and breathes music,” Brown said. “It was really wild just watching someone create something in front of me and just go wild, and I think that was what inspired me to start writing my own music.” Still, writing a song a week was not always fun. At times, Brown would think, “This is awful; I hate it so much.” But no matter what, Brown pushed
through and was able to meet the deadline. All the self-imposed practice paid off, and Brown began to notice an improvement in his songwriting.
and others I really liked [that] I relistened [to but] sucked.” Every song in Brown’s songwriting process began with an idea (typically inspired by his
“I learned that it takes a lot of practice, and you are going to put out a lot of [EXPLETIVE] before you get anything good,” Brown said. “There are some songs that I really hated writing that turned out to be good
own life) and chord progression. His piano training, perhaps unexpectedly, also proved to be helpful—Brown’s knowledge of music theory aided him in his songwriting. Brown participated in an
Courtesy of Chris Brown
By LAUREN LEE
event hosted by Stuyvesant’s vocal music and music technology teacher Harold Stephan called “The Songwriters Hall of Fame Master Sessions” in 2019. In the prog r a m , aspiring songwriters performed for a panel of songwriters, publishers, and other music professionals who then offered their advice and encouragement. Brown was preselected to perform one of his songs for the panel. With Stephan’s guidance, Brown decided to showcase his song “Weak,” sung by senior Zeynep Bromberg in front of two wellknown producers, Mark Hudson and Steve Greenberg. The
song was a slow contemporary piano ballad with touching lyrics about love. It received laudatory responses from the panelists. Hudson complimented its melody and chord changes. The critics also suggested that Brown add a bridge to the melody. Brown’s journey and success as a songwriter made him qualified to become the director for the a cappella group at Stuyvesant. He had joined the a cappella group in the spring of his sophomore year to learn how to sing, and he eventually learned how to compose and arrange songs. Brown arranged “All Time Low,” originally sung by his inspiration Jon Bellion, in 2019. His songwriting journey had come full circle. During quarantine, Brown has had more time to write songs and develop his musical skills. His artistic talent and songwriting skills continue to grow as he writes more songs and sings covers on his YouTube channel. Brown’s dream career is to pursue music, and he has advice for other songwriters who seek to do the same: “Write a lot and finish songs,” he said. “Do whatever you want; there are no rules.”
The Spectator • May 1, 2020
Page 9
Features Still Alive! Celebrating Birthdays During a Pandemic By CLARA SHAPIRO Huzzah! Another year older. Cut the cake and give the piñata a good whack. Sing the song. Blow out the candles (and don’t forget to make a wish)! Birthday kid gets the first slice! These days, the celebratory spirit can be hard to muster—COVID-19 has killed over 100 thousand people. Shuttered businesses are sinking, and employees are going down with the ship. Schools are closed through the summer. As the world sweats out a fever, a birthday bash can seem out of place, and from a purely logistical view, impractical. “It’s hard to celebrate your birthday during quarantine because you can’t do anything in person,” freshman Lara Ongan, who celebrated a friend’s birthday in quarantine, said. Because of the lockdown, Ongan and her two other party planners had to get creative: “It was a surprise,” Ongan said. “We each FaceTimed her with our own little pastry. She was turning 15, so the three of us had five candles each to make up 15. We lit them and sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to her.” Despite
the physical distance, Ongan’s friend was really happy. “She thanked us a bunch after it. It was really sad she had to celebrate her birthday during quarantine, but we tried to make it better for her,” Ongan said. For many people celebrating birthdays, making it better is the most that can be hoped for. “We weren’t able to go outside and have a nice dinner,” freshman Ryan Lee said, recounting his mom’s birthday. “But we were still able to buy a birthday cake and everything. We had a massive FaceTime with a bunch of family members, so that was fun.” Family-centric celebrations like Lee’s are coming into
vogue, perhaps out of necessity. Seeing friends is difficult in the age of social distancing. “My father came in and brought gifts,
Ivy Jiang / The Spectator
cards, and money,” sophomore Jenna Mackenroth said. “Afterwards, we had ginger ale, Fanta, and I don’t like cake, so I had macarons because they are de-
licious and beautiful. Then, we simply sang the song, ate the food, had a discussion, and voila. That was the end of my birthday.” Senior Emma Linderman spent her birthday similarly—minus the cake hate. “My mom made a cake,” she said. “[It was] vanilla with chocolate icing.” In some ways, family celebrations are a way of easing the disappointment of canceling normal birthday plans. It’s a gentle pat on the shoulder. “I am now 16 and was preparing for a largerthan-normal birthday thing,” Mackenroth said. “Normally, I don’t do too much, but I was hoping to amp it up this year. Then COVID came, and I was stuck at home. But I got over it.”
As families carouse in quarantine, friends of the birthday boys and girls look for ways to celebrate from afar. Most people go digital—Facebook messages, phone calls, and in one case, a surprise party on Zoom. “I thought I was calling [my friend], but it turned out to be a Zoom link to a giant call with about 30 people and a completely edited video of combined birthday wishes,” junior Max Kahn said. “I almost—almost—cried.” But as COVID-19 death tolls rise, some might feel that celebrating anything at all, even in 2D, is incongruous and even insensitive. Kahn disagrees. “It’s very important to still celebrate birthdays at this time,” he said. “Especially since it feels like we’re losing our normal lives, it’s important to retain any possible shred of normalcy to remind us [of ] who we are and that there are still these bright moments even though we’re in a dark tunnel right now.” So take out the party poppers. Give them a good blow. Just don’t share.
Decoding the CS Dojo By ARPITA SAHA At Stuyvesant, computer science (CS) classes are some of the most popular and soughtafter classes. Students fighting for a spot in Artificial Intelligence during spring program changes or ranking Advanced Placement (AP) CS as their first choice AP is not an uncommon sight. Therefore, it makes sense that the CS Dojo exists and serves as a tutoring service for students. Students who take CS courses or work on individual CS projects are often found there. Though it is mostly known as a place to seek help for CS, the CS Dojo does much more than just that, providing fellow CS students a sense of community. Before the CS Dojo, the main system of CS tutoring consisted of something similar to after school academic intervention services (AIS) tutoring. CS head JonAlf Dyrland-Weaver would run AIS CS tutoring twice a week, but the CS teachers found it ineffective. Ideas about a new system of tutoring came about during the summer of 2013. CS teachers Michael Zamansky, Samuel Konstantinovich, Topher Brown Mykolyk, and Dyrland-Weaver began a program called SHIP (Summer Hackers Immersion Program). “The program was designed to provide [a] meaningful CS education to students that may not have access to it in their own schools,” said Dyrland-Weaver. It ran for four weeks and was hosted at St. Joseph’s University in Brooklyn. In the program, Stuyvesant students learned advanced topics, worked on projects, and served as teaching assistants (TA) for the regular non-Stuyvesant participants. A group of four regular participants would have
an assigned TA to guide and vsky, and Emma Choi. work with them on their final The current Dojo system of projects. This system seemed four senseis ensures that at least to work much better, and the one is on duty during a Dojo students were benefiting more, session. Senseis usually stay in as opposed to the conven- the front and are in charge of tional AIS tutoring sessions. It ensuring that everything is runsparked the conversation about ning smoothly. Five to 10 senimproving the CS tutoring pais are method, and eventually, the CS available to help at each Dojo was born. Dojo session. They a r e “Remove the stigma of tutoring, make the environment more inviting, give students the ability to take ownership of their own learning, and create a space for the CS community to grow,” outlined Dyrland-Weaver. These were the goals of the new CS Dojo. The term “Dojo” described the purpose of the new CS tutoring system perfectly: a place where students could improve their skills through the guidance of a student tutor or on their own. The Dojo began running in the 20132014 school year. The initial group of head tutors, known as “sensei” in CS Dojo terms, was Sunjung Bok and Andrea Huang / The Spectator composed of Miranda Chaiken (’14), Jenny trained on how to effectively Baran (’14), and Nadia Saleh help students and walk around (’14). Senseis, typically seniors, the Dojo to help students reare the overall leaders of the CS quiring assistance. Dojo and apply at the end of Zborovsky, who enjoys CS the school year. They have to classes and helping others with be senpais first and are selected it, became a senpai at the beafter being evaluated and inter- ginning of his junior year. “The viewed by CS teachers and the community of other senpais current senseis. Senpais, typi- and senseis is quite welcomcally juniors, go through a simi- ing and open for discussion,” lar process but are interviewed he said. He described the enby the senseis, with guidance vironment of the Dojo as very from CS teachers. The cur- relaxed and friendly. “Stayrent senseis for the 2019-2020 ing connected with the CS school year are seniors William community, actually helping Cao, Brian Moses, Greg Zboro- people, [and] seeing the same
people come in, clearly learning and building on what you’ve shown them or clarified before” are the most rewarding parts, Zborovsky stated. Now, he is a sensei, and his role consists of mostly management—making sure that no visiting students are going unnoticed, communicating between the teachers and students, and operating the physical CS Dojo room. Choi’s motivation to become a sensei came from her personal experience of initially being intimidated by CS. “A lot of your ability in CS is your belief in whether you can do it or not and whether you can keep pushing o find a solution, and I wanted to help motivate other kids to be able to make CS more approachable to them too,” Choi said. A stereotype that senseis and senpais are trying to get rid of is that the Dojo is just for those who need help. “Along with the past couple years of sensei, we’ve done a lot of outreach and emphasized that the Dojo is for people of all levels, whether you’re struggling in the class and need some help, or you’re working on your own personal project and need some feedback. We’re also open to any student who just wants to use the computers to do their homework in a chill, laid back environment surrounded by people,” Choi emphasized. The CS Dojo has also been highly beneficial for visiting students, offering a pleasant atmosphere and giving them the necessary guidance. Sophomore Rickey Dong started visiting the CS Dojo a few months into
the first semester when the NetLogo homework assignments from his annual CS class started getting difficult. “I went to the Dojo, and the senpais were extremely helpful. Since then, I’ve been going to the Dojo whenever I [have] the time and a hard homework assignment I needed to work on. Had I not gone to the Dojo, I probably would’ve lost countless hours of sleep, especially over the NetLogo final project,” said Dong. He described his experience at the Dojo as very positive: “The senpais and senseis there really know their stuff, and they’re really friendly and willing to help out. The atmosphere is nice and inviting, and they have a nice variety of music playing in the background.” In the current quarantine due to the COVID-19 crisis, the Dojo has been running online through Slack, an online chatroom for operations. This system started on April 1, and the senseis and senpais are continuing to provide assistance. It has been working well, but the senseis are already thinking about what more they can do to further reach out to students. As for improving the Dojo, one improvement DyrlandWeaver and Mykolyk had in mind was making the Dojo run all day so that more students could have access to it. The CS Dojo has grown significantly over the years from the standard AIS tutoring service to an open community that welcomes all kinds of students, whether they are struggling with a CS concept or simply want a place to work on an independent project. Its welcoming environment is appealing to the mentors and mentees that go there, providing a safe haven for students in the Stuyvesant community.
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The Spectator • May 1, 2020
Features Some PE Classes That Just Work Out By ISABELLE YAREMENKO Stuyvesant High School is well known for having a plethora of classes that students can take. This abundance of opportunities applies to anything from art courses, such as painting, to physical education (PE) electives. Even though Stuyvesant has a reputation as a school centered around math and sciences, our physical education program is considered to be one of the best in the city, according to Stuyvesant PE teacher Dr. Anna Markova. “I definitely think physical education in our school is the best in the city and, I would not be hesitant to say, in the state,” Dr. Markova said. While the traditional PE courses are available for all grades, upperclassmen have the ability to choose a specialized PE elective that interests them, such as ballroom dancing, rollerblading, boxing, running, lifeguarding, water polo, or cycling. Here is a look into some of these specialized classes:
Cycling
Ballroom
Dr. Markova helped bring the indoor cycling elective to Stuyvesant because she wanted to help students be “comfortable to walk into any spin studio, join the class, be safe, and know the moves so they can enjoy the workout without any hesitation.” Dr. Markova herself has taken many classes at SoulCycle, Flywheel, and her gym to get inspiration and ideas for the class and does spinning up to four times a week. Dr. Markova was drawn to cycling because of her love for music and dance; she saw that this was the perfect way to combine her passion for exercising with her love of the arts. Dr. Markova explained that “spinning is like dancing on the bike,” and that she wanted to share this experience with students at Stuyvesant. Dr. Markova makes sure that safety is a priority in her class and that her students learn how to properly handle and set up their bicycles. The best part of the class comes after the warm-up when Dr. Markova teaches “technique[s] like different moves, how to follow the music, [and] how to bike effectively and efficiently with proper body position and alignment.”
Ballroom is currently taught by PE teacher Silvana Choy. Choy first began teaching this course when the former teacher, Martha Singer, retired. Choy teaches a rich curriculum where students get to learn both Latin and swing dance; a few of the units she teaches include the tango, waltz, and foxtrot. Each class is a “fun and social” affair and involves students pairing up and learning new dances together. Senior Samantha Zheng, who is currently taking the class, explained that Choy is very helpful and attentive during classes: “Choy is awesome and definitely helps you a lot.” When asked about her experience in the class, Zheng said, “It has been great; it’s definitely more enjoyable because it’s not like any other class that I’ve been in.” Both Choy and Zheng emphasized that ballroom “is a life skill that can be enjoyed well into your senior years.” Zheng further described that students will utilize the skill set learned from ballroom because “you will dance with people in the real world [and] at weddings.” Lifeguarding
Aishwarjya Barua / The Spectator
Lifeguarding is an immersive class that PE teacher Anetta Luczak believes can help teach students how to act in an emergency—even in life or death situations—and practice teamwork. While Luczak is required to follow the American Red Cross lifeguarding curriculum, she works to make this class a fun and social experience in which students have the opportunity to learn more than just what is required by the curriculum. The main goal of the American Red Cross lifeguarding curriculum, aside from educating students on how to keep swimmers safe, is to make sure that students master water proficiency, which includes being able to swim 300 yards using freestyle or breaststroke, retrieving a 10-pound brick from the bottom of the pool, and treading water for two minutes. All of the skills that lifeguarding students learn are tested with two written tests provided by the American Red Cross lifeguarding curriculum at the end of the semester. Because the majority of the American Red Cross lifeguarding curriculum is online, Luczak asks students to watch the videos online. This is so that Luczak can utilize the time she has in class to teach students hands-on activities in the pool. Luczak aims to help students have as much firsthand experience as possible. By the end of the class, students will have both a CPR and a lifeguarding certification and know everything there is to know about “spinal management, distressed swimmers, rescue breathing, CPR, and working in small groups [and] teams,” Luczak said.
“Where Are the Girls in Math Team?”—An Update continued from page 1 support as they can. For instance, they have encouraged girls’ participation in math competitions by organizing trips to competitions such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Math Prize for Girls—the world’s largest scholarship math competition for young women. “The trip was organized in part because a lot of the students would not have been able to go otherwise, as their parents were unable to take them. In fact, Nancy Kuang’s parents were unable to take her, so we took her instead, and she placed in the top 15,” math teacher Stan Kats said. The coaches also organized a trip for a team of girls to compete at other more local competitions taking place at Trinity School and Spence School last fall and plan to continue doing so in the following years. Junior Grace Yang described how when she was a freshman, math teacher Brian Sterr actually pulled her aside and asked what changes could be implemented. “[He asked how I,] as a girl, feel about the gap in gender representation in math team and what I think could close the gap,” she said. “It’s been two years, and I still don’t have an answer.” But despite the teachers’ best efforts to close the gender gap, many girls are still feeling
left out, no one more so than Kaung. When Kuang was interviewed a year ago, she told Lee that she didn’t encounter as much gender discrimination as her peers. Since becoming a cocaptain, however, Kuang’s experience has changed: “I’ve realized that respect meant much more than not having the boys on the team outwardly say condescending things to you.” Their actions convey the same message. Kuang recounted an instance when she and her fellow co-captains, who were male, were assigned to create a problem set as competition practice for the underclassmen: “[I gave] multiple suggestions, such [as] that the problems were too difficult, but they would call me ridiculous and ignore me.” Instead, they consulted the advice of math team coach and math teacher Jim Cocoros, or that of former math team captain Milan Haiman (’19), who both “gave the exact same critiques.” This instance was not the first time Kuang has encountered such blatant disregard for her opinions. “I’ve worked on math problems with a few people this year who rejected my ideas without a second of consideration, mainly because these ideas were coming from me and not themselves,” Kuang voiced in frustration. “I’ve seen them do math with others, and
they do not have the same attitude.” For many girls looking to join and stay in the math team, this flippant attitude can be very disheartening. But this behavior pales in comparison to what junior Megan Gupta-She has heard on multiple separate occasions. Gupta-She said, “I have actually heard guys on the math team say women are less intelligent than men or that we are given special treatment because of our gender.” Seating arrangements during after school practices are also a physical testament to the gender divide. Grace Yang described after school practices where “the boys sat on one side and the girls sat on the other. Unless we were randomly assigned teams, the teams would not be co-ed unless their friend group was of mixed gender.” “There are some really close friend groups in math team,” noted sophomore Xiaoshen Ma. As a result, without a strong support system, math team’s competitive environment can cause “some people to end up feeling isolated and intimidated.” More often than not, the students most affected by this are girls. “Most of the girls in my grade, including those who were placed on NYCIML teams during their freshmen year, dropped math team. Now,
there is only one other senior girl on the Stuy team, and both of us had done math team in middle school,” Kuang said. Their mathematical abilities may give them confidence, but, as the number of girls on math team continues to shrink, that confidence may waver. In response to this, former math team co-captain Hans Yang (’19) reflected on how things have changed since entering college: “A lot of the passive discomfort that I’ve had has gone away, and I have increased freedom to associate with the types of people and groups that I want and approach situations with support from people.” Similarly, Grace Yang managed to overcome these adversities by reminding herself that the score marked on top of her paper isn’t an accurate indication of her worth: “Your scores and standings should matter, but at the end of the day, they’re just numbers,” she said. Her main priority is to have fun, and she takes advantage of after school practices to forge bonds and get to know her peers. There’s no doubt that the issue runs deep, but prospective solutions to this issue remain just as ambivalent.“Whenever I think of possible solutions, there [are] always holes,” Grace Yang explained. “If we were to give separate instruction to boys and to girls, sure, that’ll improve the girls’ standings but would
forgo the integration necessary for co-ed team competitions. If we gave instruction based on skill level, it could further separate the extremes because people become more self-conscious and less confident while others continue climbing the ranks.” Perhaps it is too early to give a definitive answer, and a select few individuals aren’t a good reflection of the entire department. Both the coaches and students are committed to change, but these things take time to be implemented. Given the fact that only a single school year has passed since the publication of Lee’s article, noting any significant changes in such a short period of time can be misleading. “If you’ve covered algebra or trig[onometry] stats, you know that one data point isn’t enough,” Kats said. In a school full of students who pride themselves in academic excellence, it seems that some still fail to understand the most valuable lesson of all: respect. Lee’s article might’ve provided deep insight into the issue of gender disparity in math team, but there’s still much work to be done. Starting with spreading awareness, people should learn to change their mindset and be more considerate of those around them. If not, the gender gap in math team will only continue to widen.
The Spectator • May 1, 2020
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Features TikTok Goes the Clock: A Rundown of Stuyvesant’s TikTok Usage own content. The app’s scrolling system makes it highly addicting: as soon as one finishes watching one TikTok, they can scroll to another one. Sophomore Benjamin Hamel (@bben_hamel) mostly makes comedic TikToks that explore the realities of being a
Every few years, a new social media platform seems to rise from obscurity and capture the attention of millions: Myspace in the mid-2000s, Facebook a little while after, then YouTube, Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, and Vine. Now, TikTok, a platform for creating short dances, lip-sync videos, and comedy videos, is emerging as the latest Internet craze in 2020. The app first took off four years ago in China and later merged with American app Musical.ly after it was bought for $1 billion. While Musical.ly was almost universally perceived as embarrassing and an app for little kids, TikTok has (somewhat) shaken off this stigma and transformed into one of the most popular apps of our generation. Here at Stuyvesant, the app is no less popular. The content on TikTok (aptly referred to as TikToks) varies: some people make comedic skits, some do well-known TikTok dances, and others sing. Each video is short—anywhere from a few seconds to around a minute. One of the main features of the app is its use of audio. Users can choose from a large library of audio ranging from popular songs to movie dialogues and use them in their
Jason Lin / The Spectator
By RAYMOND WU and RACHEL VILDMAN
16-year-old Stuyvesant student. “My TikToks are most surely under the comedy department, as people need to relieve themselves of their horrific stresses during these times,” Hamel explained. Hamel films TikToks both to entertain himself and to entertain others. “Comedy is a great way to relieve stress, and TikTok is a place to either laugh or make others laugh,” he said.
While TikTok is a great platform for relieving stress and escaping reality, it can take up a lot of time. Providing followers with content, Hamel explained, “comes at the price of sleep and/ or doing my work to the quality that is expected of a Stuy student.” But Hamel takes his duties as a TikTok user seriously, perhaps more seriously than his duties as a student. Hamel shared, “I love TikTok, unlike school, and I think it’s a calculated decision.” Unlike Hamel, junior Tiffany Wu has a different approach when it comes to splitting up her time between schoolwork and TikTok. “I usually delete it [TikTok] when school is in session,” Wu said. “But during breaks when I do use it, I end up scrolling through it for most of the day.” This system allows Wu to stay focused on her schoolwork while still being informed of the latest TikTok trends. Ever since school went virtual, Wu has found herself using the app a lot more. “My screen time last week was the highest it’s ever been this year at eight hours a
day, and most of it is because of TikTok,” she admitted. Wu herself usually makes cooking TikToks “because they’re fun and easy to make,” though she does enjoy learning TikTok dances like Cannibal with her friends. Students aren’t the only ones who can enjoy the content TikTok has to offer. English teacher Lauren Stuzin first started using the app after their students urged them to try it out. “I got TikTok after my sophomores told me like 10 thousand times to get it. They said ‘it’s better than Instagram,’ and ‘the only good content on Instagram is TikToks,’ and I kind of started to feel like they were right!” they said in an e-mail interview. Though using TikTok can seem incongruous with Stuzin’s job as a teacher, they have found a way to meld their English course with TikTok. “I’ve seen kids filming in the halls [and] outside of school, [so] I asked students to make literary TikToks for the class. It blew up in a short amount of time, but I think that’s the Gen Z thing!” they said. Though many Stuyvesant students are TikTok evangelists, the app doesn’t appeal to everyone. Senior Joshen Zhang never had an interest in the app. “For apps like YouTube, Gmail, or even Reddit, I saw a reason for using it. In regards to YouTube,
I could watch videos [that] taught me things or simply entertained me. Reddit is a way for me to quickly gather news on niche interests of mine,” he explained. Zhang believes that he isn’t missing out on much by not using TikTok. Another concern that keeps Zhang from joining TikTok is its feeble privacy system, something that Stuzin also mentioned. “The app is destined for failure because it literally tracks everyone’s data,” Stuzin said. “I think, however, that this is a sign that Instagram and Facebook leave a lot to be desired, and we are all ready to start moving away from those platforms.” It’s difficult to determine whether TikTok will maintain or continue to grow its popularity in the coming years. During quarantine, with all the extra time people now have, TikTok has had a massive surge in popularity as more people have switched from being just consumers to content creators themselves. It remains to be seen if this popularity can be sustained, something that can only be known two, three, or even 10 years into the future. “There’s a yearning for something different in the world of social media, but we don’t know what it will be yet,” Stuzin said.
A Stuyvesant Staycation By ELLEN PEHLIVANIAN During any other year, April would be the time when roads bustle with cars filled with families on their way upstate, blocking the crosswalks. Airports would be clogged with luggage and travelers, most fast asleep in the lounge seats of their terminal. But with the emergence of the coronavirus pandemic and the subsequent shelter-in, highways are empty and airplane runways are quiet. Traveling is impossible, and Stuyvesant students who made spring break plans prior to the pandemic have had to deal with the aftermath. Junior Zoe Piccirillo had plans to visit California colleges: “I had plane tickets and reservations that were booked in December or January [to visit] the Claremont schools […] and then [fly] to San Francisco to visit Stanford and Angel Liu / The Spectator
UC Berkeley. I had organized everything really well, and I was looking forward to seeing all of the schools,” she shared. Piccirillo weighed in on her apprehension about the entire situation, given that she’s not sure when she’ll get that chance again before she has to start applying to colleges. Moreover, Piccirillo’s plans to spend Easter with her father and two younger brothers, who live in Brazil, were ruined due to the pandemic: “I visit them once or twice a year […] I haven’t seen my brothers since December and haven’t seen my father since February,” she said. “Right now, everything is up in the air because Brazil closed its borders, so it’s impossible to travel back to New York.” For some, it isn’t just spring break plans that have been ruined. COVID-19 has dragged the summer down too. Senior Mia Gindis had plans to visit Prague with her two closest friends in July to participate in a four-week program that would allow them to become certified for teaching English as a foreign language. Gindis would then have been able to teach English anywhere in the world. “When we told our parents about it, [and] they initially refused to let us go, but as it turns out, they had actually reserved our spots in the course and were planning to surprise us with plane tickets,” she reminisced. But Gindis remembered to put her disappointment into context. “Obviously, there are far worse tragedies transpiring across the globe right now, but it just sucks that this trip, on which we were supposed to celebrate our friendship and our perseverance through four years of Stuy, probably won’t happen,” she said. Sophomore Andrea Khoury and her family had arranged to travel to California during spring break. “We were planning on going to Disneyland
and going to the Walk of Fame and doing a Warner Bros tour. I was [...] so excited because I’ve never been [there],” she said. Her plans were ruined by the pandemic, and she was devastated by the cancellation and the entire situation. “To be honest, the fact that it would be canceled never even hit me until last week. I feel like this whole quarantine has kind of felt surreal,” she reflected. As for the process of cancellations, Khoury was grateful for the cooperation of the companies she had scheduled her trip with. Sophomore Semoi Khan and her family had also planned to go away for spring break. For Khan’s sweet sixteen, she was supposed to “go on a road drive or fly to Washington, D.C. because it’s pretty there at this time of the year.” Khan shared her other potential plans for the
break, adding, “I wanted to go to Disney World, but [...] that’s not happening [until] I move out. Or maybe a road trip to California, I’m not sure.” Also hoping to travel outside of the city, sophomore Alicia Yu was looking forward to visiting China over spring break. “My mom had booked our tickets a couple of months in advance, so I was super excited,” Yu recollected. “I haven’t gone in six and a half years, and I missed the country a lot.” While some students planned on traveling, senior Andrew Smsaryan, sophomore Matt Melucci, and junior Maryna Illyanok had plans within the school over the break. They had arranged for eight members from the Stuyvesant Wellness Council to come in over spring break and paint the remaining five pillars in the cafeteria with
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floral and plant-like patterns. “Since the six pillars we already painted showcased physical activities such as yoga, stretches, and soccer, our upcoming designs will focus more on plant life and staying green,” Smsaryan said. Smsaryan believes that plant life can improve mental health. He had hoped to spread positivity and leave a productive message for the school following the break. Smsaryan ended his story with an optimistic note, adding that the Stuyvesant Wellness Council expects to “beautify more of the cafeteria next year.” The rest of Stuyvesant hopefully has the same outlook on the outbreak—a positive mindset that will bring all of us out of the pandemic just as optimistic as we were before.
The Spectator • May 1, 2020
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Editorials Upon Our Return It is your first day back at school. You’ve completed your second semester of junior year in the confines of your bedroom on Google Classroom and video calls. With your senior year starting, you know today won’t be like any other first day. You wake up before 7:00 a.m. to the sound of your alarm, which hasn’t been set that early since March 13. You put on a fresh pair of clothes that you picked the night before in anticipation of finally getting to learn outside your pajamas. You begin the hour-long commute to Tribeca, your first subway ride since the spring. Even with the quarantine lifted, your parents have instructed you to avoid standing particularly close to any other passengers, though it is to no avail, as the subway car is packed. The streets too are bustling, reminiscent of the New York you knew before the crisis struck. After getting off the subway, you make your way to the breakfast cart, where a long line of students has already formed. You order the usual: a coffee loaded with milk and sugar, complete with a brown paper bag and red plastic straw tucked inside. Coffee in hand, you make your way down Chambers Street and up the creaky wood-planked floors of the Tribeca Bridge. When you arrive at the steel Stuyvesant door, you instinctively reach into your pocket and pull out your ID card. The sight of Eric Witsotsky reminding students to take off their hats and headphones makes you chuckle, and you make your way to the two-to-three escalator, silently praying that it will be functioning. Out in the hallway, you see old friends and race toward each other, shriek-
ing. As you hug, you wonder, “Should we even be hugging?” These apprehensive thoughts cloud your mind, making you feel as if you are a mere spectator puppeting through the motions of a normal school day that speaks nothing of normalcy. Perhaps it’s no longer needing to communicate through a blue raised hand. Perhaps it’s the loss of protection that you feel from no longer being able to shield yourself by turning off your camera. Hidden amongst the buzzing conversations between lively friend groups lies a student, quiet and reserved, who you always saw out of the corner of eyes, but never stopped to acknowledge. What if she lost a loved one? What was her story? Inspired by a newfound sense of kinship, you tilt your head in her direction and smile at her, almost as if to say, “I am here for you. I don’t know your story, but my heart goes out to you.” All of a sudden, the end bell rings, causing you to snap out of your thoughts. You dart down the escalator and exit out of the bridge for your lunch period, mind set on one place and one place only: Ferry’s. But something stops you just as you are about to open the door: a small white sign taped to the front door stating, “Out of business. Thank you for all these years of service.” Your heart shrivels a little, taken aback by the fact that the one place you thought would restore some much needed regularity to your routine was now stripped away. After hearing the end bell’s last ring, signifying the conclusion of your school day, you’re overcome with a peculiar sense of accomplishment that you haven’t felt since the beginning of March. Maybe it’s because
you managed to get through your classes without yawning, or maybe it’s because you did some cardio today going from the first to the seventh floor. Back when classes were online, all you had to do to get to Spanish was click the Google Meets link you were given, sit back, and maybe doze off a little, all from the comfort of your bed. In-person teaching is unfamiliar. During quarantine, you barely saw your junior year history teacher’s face because he was one of the many teachers who chose not to do faceto-face digital meetings. Now, you’re overcome with sadness as you wave to him as you pass by in the hallway––you realize you’ve lost three months of face-to-face interaction that you won’t ever get back. On your way down to the gym for the sports practice of the school year, you see your best friend as she leaves the building. She spots your windbreaker and mockingly expresses her jealousy—her sport was canceled because of the pandemic. She’s joking, but you can’t help but sympathize with her. She is going to have to wait another six months before she can finally play with her teammates again. You’re both able to continue the conversation as if you hadn’t been separated for months, though the pandemic has undeniably left deep imprints on both your minds. You’re both wondering, how will this impact my future and specifically, college? How will my junior year teachers write good recommendation letters for me if they’ve only really known me for three-quarters of a year? How will I take my SATs and SAT IIs this year? You take a deep breath before heading into the gym. You
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know that the pandemic has stretched your circumstance way beyond your control. There isn’t much you can do about the College Board’s SAT policies, or your teacher recommendations, or the fact that senior year is going to be weighed much more heavily. You, and the rest of the student body, can only get
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through these first months of adjustment and trust that everything will turn out okay. You walk out into the white lights of the third-floor gym, put your bags down on the bleachers, stretch, and let life start anew as a Stuyvesant senior.
How Ukrainian Comedian-Turned-President Failed His People By JOSHUA GINDIS In early April, bored by social distancing and hungry for new media to consume, I browsed the homepage of my Netflix, hoping to find something interesting. Eventually, I spotted a show my dad had recommended to me long ago but which I had never thought to watch: “Sluga Naroda,” or “Servant of the People”—a comedy produced by Ukranian studio Kvartal 95. The show details the story of Vasyl Holoborodko, a history teacher who is elected president after giving an impassioned speech about Ukrainian affairs that goes viral. The populist, Holoborodko, fights to rid his country of the vast corruption that plagues it. The show is a satire, but it deals with real problems the Ukrainian people face and posits real solutions. By the end, I even found myself feeling patriotic for a country I had never visited. What I didn’t realize, however, was that the main character—or rather, the lead actor—was now the real president of Ukraine. I was shocked to discover this—though television personalities becoming heads of state seems to be a trend these days—but I understood it com-
pletely. Of course, the character an actor plays is no indication of who they really are, but Holoborodko (played by current president Volodymyr Zelensky) was a man of strong moral character who truly loved his country, and it’s hard to separate the role from the actor. Not to mention, considering just how corrupt and broken the Ukrainian government is, it follows that the people would be desperate for an outsider to finally institute change. Zelensky wasn’t scared to make changes, but he would soon disappoint his people anyway. At Zelensky’s inaugural address, the new president dissolved the entire parliament, citing deep-seated corruption as the cause of this radical move. Soon thereafter, he signed into action a bill about public procurement of elections, upsetting voters. This bill mandated that election sites be overseen by the government rather than the private sector, and was necessary to uphold the integrity of the snap election Zelensky had called following the dissolution of parliament. However, Zelensky had campaigned on the promise that his first bill would provide a mechanism for referenda, and breaking that promise mere days
after being inaugurated was a huge betrayal of the voters’ trust. From there, the situation only grew more dire. Zelensky vowed to rid Ukraine of corruption and lessen bureaucracy, weaken reliance on Russia, and ensure Ukraine’s bid for NATO and EU membership in 2024. Though Zelensky’s policies are popular in theory, he has failed to make these reforms a reality. The Ukrainian government employed 69,000 officials in 1992. Now, it employs over 380,000—even though the population has fallen by nearly five million since the collapse of the USSR. This overwhelming bureaucracy makes infrastructure projects in Ukraine nearly impossible to execute and is a huge loss of revenue for the nation, which is the poorest in Europe by GDP (tied with Moldova), even though it is one of the most resource-rich in the world. Ukrainian officials are notorious for fraud and money laundering, so Ukraine has plenty of millionaire and billionaire oligarchs who live cushy lives and whose children study abroad, while 60 percent of Ukrainians live below the poverty line. The reach of these oligarchs is immense, stretching beyond international borders. Just last year,
a group of Ukrainian oligarchs was tried for secretly taking out a series of fraudulent corporate loans, using Ukrainian PrivatBank “as their own personal piggy bank” to buy property in the U.S. and “enrich themselves and their associates.” The group had become the largest real estate owner in downtown Cleveland, and for years, nobody even knew. The root of this issue lies largely in the lack of transparency regarding the finances of officials. Higher-ups in the government often inflate their wages, form illegal partnerships with foreign companies (frequently with ties to Russia, one of the greatest obstacles to Ukrainian accession to the EU), and launder money through complex schemes involving fabricated businesses. In Norway, tax returns are public information—not just those of government workers, but of all citizens. This holds members of the government accountable for their personal finances and allows for a more accurate understanding of the economic state of the populace. Such a system could prove highly beneficial in Ukraine. Of course, there are privacy concerns. Norway’s solution? When someone has their tax returns
checked, they receive an alert containing the name of the person checking. However, there’s no use publicizing tax returns if nothing can be done when tax laws are violated by politicians. Many Ukrainian government officials have political immunity, and even when they’re caught committing tax evasion and do face punishment, they flee to nations like Monaco or Cyprus and avoid all consequences. Without the threat of real punishment, the issue of corruption will never be solved. But before we can hold all 450 Ukrainian members of parliament accountable for their shady dealings and immoral schemes, we must hold the president accountable for his failure to make good on his promises. Zelensky advertises himself as a true “Servant of the People,” even naming his political party for the show that brought him fame. Populism brought Zelensky his office, but the facade has begun to crumble. Zelensky’s real-life presidency bears frightening resemblance to the presidency of his character in “Servant of the People.” Zelensky has his roots outside continued on page 13
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How Ukrainian Comedian-Turned-President Failed His People continued from page 12
of politics. He was thrust into office as a man of the people. Zelensky has appointed some of his closest friends to high-level positions of the government— a charming plot point in his television show, but a blatant display of corruption and nepotism in reality. “Servant of the People” makes an effort to avoid getting into the complexities of Russo-Ukrainian relations, at most throwing around a joke or two about Putin. Likewise, Zelensky has shown an inability to
end or even improve Ukraine’s military involvement in the War in Donbass, which the majority of Ukrainians say the president must do to gain their trust. Most worrisome are the president’s ties to prominent Ukrainian oligarchs, especially Ihor Kolomoisky, a businessman and politician accused of siphoning millions in fraudulent loans from the bank he owned. Under Zelensky’s leadership, Kolomoisky has returned to Ukraine from self-imposed exile in Cyprus, sparking reasonable suspicion. Zelensky has made
undesirable deals with oligarchs such as Kolomisky, promising to halt investigation into their nefarious dealings and allowing them to retain their monopolies in exchange for symbolic gestures, like new ambulances for the medical service. Not to mention, Kolomoisky owns the network on which Zelensky’s show first aired, meaning the two could very well have been in kahoots from the start. The story of modern Ukrainian politics is truly a tragedy. Each president seems to be worse than the last, and the
roots of corruption seem to grow deeper with every election cycle. The Ukrainian people deserve better than politicians who constantly lie and cheat to fill their pockets, while everyone else has to struggle to stay afloat in a society where social mobility is nearly nonexistent. The potential of the Ukrainian state is immense, but there can be no prosperity when gross power remains unchecked. Zelensky has failed to keep even the most basic promises which allowed him his office and so the Ukrainian people go on suffer-
ing. At the conclusion of “Servant of the People,” Zelensky’s character stumbles upon a little black book detailing the system of corruption that plagues Ukraine, allowing him to put an end to it once and for all. In the real world, there will be no little black book. The road to honest and democratic governance in Ukraine will be long and arduous, but, hopefully, there will come a day when Ukraine will find itself the star of a joyous comedy the likes of which even Zelensky himself could never have imagined.
Elmhurst Hospital: the Unforgettable Epicenter By YEWON CHANG After New York City confirmed its first case of COVID-19 on March 1, our once shimmering metropolis spiraled downwards into a hellish nightmare. As the pandemic ruthlessly pursues our struggling ghost town as its favorite hostage, New Yorkers hang on tightly to a loose thread of hope that the curve has finally begun to flatten. Yet for medical professionals, the situation on the front lines remains disastrous. As an overwhelming number of coronavirus cases continues to stream into New York City hospitals, exhausted workers work relentlessly to save lives. And after the daily average of 149.4 deaths inevitably strikes hospitals at the end of the day—a tragic cost in the form of human lives—they must return the next day to repeat the same routine. Elmhurst Hospital in Elmhurst, Queens is a 545-bed public city hospital that has been particularly affected by the pandemic since its beginning stages. The hospital began to gain mass media attention when The New York Times published a video on March 25, in which an emergency room doctor, Dr. Colleen Smith, revealed the abysmal conditions that patients and medical professionals suffered through. By reporting on crises such as the lack of equipment and the worsening conditions of patients, she aimed to inform the public that hospitals were struggling to surmount the concentrated COVID-19 assaults despite frequent local and federal reassurances. “This is bad,” she stated bluntly in one of the clips. “People are dying. We don’t have the tools we need.” From there on, the city watched in horror as Elmhurst fought the full force of the New York outbreak. The hospital was operating far beyond 100 percent capacity, with every bed occupied by an intubated COVID-19 patient. Residents stood in barricaded lines that stretched across the block, waiting to be tested in Elmhurst’s makeshift tents. Potential COVID-19 patients made up more than 80 percent of the emergency department—patients who would then die in the emergency room while waiting for a bed. Their bodies would be transferred to the refrigerated trucks that stood outside the hospitals as ancillary morgues, a
last resort for our city that has now run out of morgue space. Elmhurst’s medical professionals, who had to continuously witness such jarring sights during their everyday battle against the pandemic, were overburdened with the sudden onslaught of cases. In an interview with Buzzfeed, an anonymous Elmhurst doctor spoke of the small number of pulmonology and critical attendings (specialists in critical respiratory diseases), as well as the lack of respiratory therapists who were needed to tend to vented patients. All Elmhurst employees, no matter what their specialty was, were forced to take on the
than once, but Smith described how she had to wash, disinfect, and reuse her N-95 mask each day. Buzzfeed’s anonymous doctor spoke of how he and his colleagues were forced to improvise with their PPE: “Some people bring in face shields from home. Some are wearing goggles... Some are walking around in cutaway scrubs.” The Center for Disease and Control (CDC) estimated on April 9 that 9,282 health care professionals had contracted the coronavirus. The lack of proper PPE when dealing with a highly infectious virus is suspected to be one of the top contributors to this number, which the CDC
of contracting COVID-19. Yet there remains a beacon of light amid this dark medical calamity. Councilman Francisco Moya of Queens reported on April 16 that Elmhurst has mostly stabilized since the “tidal wave” of COVID-19 cases in late March. The hospital has been adapting quickly to the disaster, managing to remain one precarious step ahead of the biting pandemic. They keep non-critical patients outside the emergency room and in isolated tents to prevent further spread of the virus, while also increasing their numbers of nurses and assistants. COVID-19 patients are now contained in
Daniel Berlinsky / The Spectator
complicated procedures of intubation and multi-organ failures. Despite all these efforts, the fact remained that Elmhurst was significantly understaffed and outnumbered—far from the ideal “1-to-1 ratio of doctors and perfect staffing” needed to deal with the coronavirus. To further exacerbate Elmhurst’s catastrophe, there was concern over the lack of medical supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) amidst an increasing number of hospitalizations. In late March, the hospital feared that, with the influx of COVID-19 patients, there would soon be massive shortages of specific equipment medical professionals needed— ventilators, CPAP machines, N-95 masks, and protective eye gear are all examples. The Food and Drug Administration strictly advised the general public to not wear N-95 masks more
warned was a vast underestimation in the first place. Though the pandemic has spared few New York City hospitals, Elmhurst Hospital has unanimously been dubbed as the “epicenter of the epicenter.” A fifth of all Elmhurst residents are at or below the poverty line, with many living in small, crowded apartments and working as high-risk essential frontline workers to support themselves and their families. Coincidentally, Elmhurst is one of the leading neighborhoods in terms of coronavirus cases. Elmhurst has 1,893 confirmed cases as of April 13 and an estimated rate of 20.1 cases per 1,000 people compared to New York City’s average of 12.4 per 1,000. These numbers can be explained by Elmhurst’s demographics— its primarily poor, workingclass, minority residents are at a disproportionately higher risk
an isolated section of the hospital under negative pressure to decrease the risk of crosscontamination. And the ventilator crisis seems temporarily resolved, with Mayor Bill De Blasio’s statement on April 12 that New York City had “barely” enough ventilators and PPE for the week. Governor Andrew Cuomo then announced an executive order that allowed New York to “redistribute ventilators and [PPE] to hospitals with the highest need.” Thus, though the risk of equipment shortages still remains at large, the situation at Elmhurst has improved considerably since March. To ensure that hospital conditions continue to improve throughout the pandemic, New Yorkers must take immediate action to help hospitals in need. For example, Pictures for Elmhurst is a relief effort specifically geared toward financially as-
sisting Elmhurst Hospital. The organization will sell prints by New York-based photographers until April 20, with all proceeds contributing to the direct purchase of protective and medical equipment needed by the hospital. New Yorkers may also donate to NYC Health + Hospitals and other instrumental relief organizations like DirectRelief, which would aid in alleviating the pandemic on a wider scale. Non-monetary donations, such as extra surgical or N-95 masks and extra lab goggles, would also help temporarily replenish their supplies. One of the most significant and easiest ways to help the situation is simply to stay home. Officials and frontline workers are in unanimous agreement that social distancing is what slows the spread of the coronavirus and thus helps flatten the curve—its effects have been proven by the decreasing numbers of hospitalizations and deaths since April 13. To break quarantine for nonessential social gatherings is not only extremely selfish, but it also undermines the painstaking efforts of the Elmhurst personnel fighting to save lives. Finally, New Yorkers must remember not to lose hope. The situation has undoubtedly been frightening, but we must seek inspiration in the medical professionals who, against all the odds, have braved a devastating and unprecedented pandemic to care for their fellow citizens. The past few weeks have been difficult and may become even harder in the future, but all New Yorkers are united in the struggle against this crisis. We must uplift one another to maintain the uniquely strong morale that has carried us through all of history’s worst disasters and we must trust, appreciate, and help the courageous individuals on the front line to the best of our ability. Elmhurst Hospital has seen and suffered the very worst of a deadly pandemic that tore through everything it could find. Yet despite all odds, it has risen from its struggles as a shining paragon of sheer resilience and flexibility. If New Yorkers come together to help their hospitals in the fight against COVID-19, their efforts will start a spark of revitalization throughout the city and our darkened ghost town will begin its transformation into a brighter, shimmering metropolis once more.
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Opinions Asian Americans: Choose Awareness, Not Compliance. By ANNE RHEE Andrew Yang penned an OpEd in The Washington Post on April 1 about the racism occurring toward the Asian-American community as a result of the rapid spread of COVID-19, in which he wrote: “We Asian Americans need to embrace and show our American-ness in ways we never have before. We need to step up, help our neighbors, donate gear, vote, wear red, white, and blue, volunteer, fund aid organizations, and do everything in our power to accelerate the end of this crisis. We should show without a shadow of a doubt that we are Americans who will do our part for our country in this time of need.” Notably, he pointed out a historical example that he considered patriotic on behalf of the Asian-American community: the volunteering of Japanese Americans during WWII. As noted by some members of the Japanese Americans in an NBC article, however, in making this statement, Yang ignored the persecution and internment of Japanese Americans during WWII in concentration camps. After Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, the subsequent internment was used as major national propaganda to propel anti-Japanese sentiment and emphasize the importance of patriotic duty. While many Japanese Americans ended up getting recruited for military duty, like the Nisei linguists who translated key documents for the government, the removal of Japanese Americans from their homes was framed by the government as a form of patriotic duty on the part of the victims—despite the fact that many of those who were removed did not consent and fell into economic hardship after the
war. This is not the first time that Yang has been met with backlash from the Asian American community, however. During his presidential campaign, Yang’s statements about his experience as an Asian-American man seemed limited; he made jokes about knowing lots of Asian doctors, wore an I Love Math T-shirt, and responded to Shane Gillis’s racial slurs by saying that the comedian deserved a second chance. While Yang’s careful choices of how he chose to paint the story of his experiences as a minority were intended to avoid polarization between communities (understandably, given his position as a Presidential candidate), his passive replies indicated that tackling racism was not his biggest priority. This was disappointing for members of the Asian-American community, myself included, since discrimination toward us is rarely addressed on a national scale. Yang instead pointed to his immigrant success story to evoke the personal revelations that led him to some of his policy proposals, such as Universal Basic Income, but his remarks surrounding the immigrant experience seemed limited to generic immigrant success stories and stereotypes. One of Yang’s favorites was the model minority stereotype: the idea that Asian American immigrants can succeed through stereotypical traits of being hard-working, compliant, and diligent. The usage of the model minority stereotype throughout history remains especially problematic—not only does it push forward a homogenized image of an Asian American, it has also been used as a tool of white supremacy to pit minorities against each other. For example, the stereotype has been used to degrade the black community’s accomplishments and success through the rhetori-
cal question: if Asians are so successful, why can’t other minorities be this successful? Andrew Yang’s choice to not discuss matters of race in a particularly polarizing way as a presidential candidate was designed to disassociate himself from identity politics. In fact, on June 8, 2019, Yang tweeted, “I understand the impulse, but identity politics are a great way to lose elections. We need to bring people together.” Choosing not to fall in the “trap” of solely being associated with representing a single group of people (presumably, the Asian American community) and instead appealing to a wider electorate could have been understandable, since as the third East
is especially important—as a politician, Yang’s remarks could possibly set a precedent for letting those who make discriminatory remarks, such as Shane Gillis, off lightly. Ironically, in lieu of his appeals to unite the nation, Yang has also made statements that contradict those ideals. In September of last year, Yang came under fire for tweeting that discrimination against Asians was often not taken as seriously as discrimination against African Americans. This strongly parallels the concept of Oppression Olympics when it comes to race—a problematic notion, because different forms of racial discrimination cannot be comparable, as violence and racism cannot and should not be quantifiable. This conflicting and often assimilationist rhetoric regarding the topics of race and identity politics is also present in his responses to the coronavirus, as he argues that Asian Americans should prove their patriotism to dispel the snap judgements and hatred surrounding the community in the present. However, it is not the responsibility of Asian Americans to prove their worth to non-Asians. While his intentions to build bridges and communities remain clear, Yang’s desire to combat racism through appealing to the white community by “helping out” is just a desire to comply; it does not solve the
Anna Ast / The Spectator
Asian Presidential candidate, Yang must appeal to everyone, regardless of race. Yet while he should not be forced to define his identity singularly as “Asian American male,” he also shouldn’t be remaining compliant with racism altogether. This
large-scale racial discrimination against a community that remains in danger. To make matters more complicated, people of color have represented to the white community a sort of existential insecurity since the early ages of colonialism. As emphasized through Social Darwinism and the superiority of the “white race,” people of color and minorities are seen as a threat to the security of white civilization. It is also clear that regardless of how much time has passed, the white community is very much willing to return to their traditional fear of POC, heightening danger in the age of a pandemic when it is already magnified because of stereotypes and language like the “Chinese Virus.” Yang remains correct, however, when he says that simply stating “racism is bad” is not enough. It’s inadequate for us, as a community, to stay pessimistic or cynical in an attempt to keep up with reality. Instead, maintaining and increasing awareness of discrimination remains the most important solution, particularly for us high schoolers. In an age when we cannot even leave our homes, technology remains our biggest tool for educating others through increased awareness and visibility. So, repost those articles reporting hate attacks and violent crimes. Have in-depth conversations with friends about what it means to be a person of color during a pandemic when tensions remain high. Write journal entries documenting your own fear or hate to which you can turn back to later for reflection. While it may seem trivial, if we choose to productively spread awareness, we can stay strong and survive. These should be our responsibilities in order to be able to move on— otherwise, after the pandemic, we will remain where we were, and it would have all been for nothing.
Privacy vs. Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic
By EZRA LEE
out having to enforce major lockdowns. In fact, several other countries have followed suit. The UK is using drones to monitor public areas to prevent residents from going there. Moscow used facial recognition technology to catch a Chinese woman who broke out of quarantine. Israel is using its Shin Bet intelligence unit, ordinarily reserved for terrorism, to track possible patients through telecom data. But this marked success initially came with significant drawbacks. For years, the South Korean government has had an unstable relationship with its
citizens. Half of all the living former South Korean presidents are currently in prison due to crimes ranging from embezzlement to corruption, and many are unhappy with how the government approached the
Emily Young-Squire / The Spectator
As we open our phones to sensationalized headlines and turn on our TV screens to breaking news during this uncertain time, we see and are disappointed by the poor response of some countries to the crisis at hand— our own included. The United States has failed to protect medical staff, provide enough testing kits, and produce enough ventilators for all the sick and dying to use. However, several other countries have fared significantly better during these trying times. Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan, for example, have utilized effective methods such as closing land borders, restricting travel, and creating testing kits in advance. But what sets apart these Asian countries most is their use of controversial methods, ones that ensure their citizens are protected during this crisis—even if at a personal cost. This is one of the first pandemics in which governing bodies are given the choice to use technology as a weapon, and many are making use of that opportunity. Since our phones and internet usage are greater than ever, apps can be used to notify citizens where COVID-19 victims have been and at what times. Governments can use tracking devices to keep people from violating rules, and many countries that have digital infrastructure have also been able to use surveillance for authorities to collect data. These measures
all allow people to be more wellinformed about their communities during these times of crisis. South Korea, for example, uses satellites and technology as part of an intense contact tracing and testing campaign. When each new case is confirmed, the government tracks down places the confirmed patient has been to as well as all the people they have interacted with. People who have interacted with the person are then tested and isolated. If another person also tests positive, the cycle continues. People living in the area are automatically alerted to places that infected citizens have been to via an app, allowing them to take special precautions and avoid those areas. The country also plans to build a smart city database by requiring quarantined individuals to wear a tracking bracelet. The use of electronic bracelets intends to reduce the time spent finding those who are confirmed to be ill and yet still attempt to break quarantine laws. They do so by allowing investigators to collect data on a patient’s whereabouts, CCTV footage, and credit card transactions. On the surface, these methods appear to have been extremely successful, allowing the country to effectively minimize the spread of the disease with-
pandemic because the country did not release all of their information to the general public. This was especially true at the beginning of the pandemic, when the government didn’t release information about which facilities COVID-19 patients were staying in. This already strained relationship between the people and government has been exacerbated by the new methods of tracking and testing, which allow a select few from the government to have access to everyone’s personal information, leaving many ambivalent. Since then, the government has been more transparent throughout the pandemic and has utilized techniques and methods that have proven highly effective. As the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths decrease, the general public has become content with the success of the government’s efforts to “flatten the curve,” even if it means that the public loses some of its privacy in the process. Nowhere has this been clearer than in the results of the 2020 South Korean election, which was held on April 15, 2020 and wherein the country saw a turnout of 66.2 percent, the highest turnout in a parliamentary election since 1992. The report also states that President Moon Jae-in’s Democratic Party won 180 of 300 seats in the National Assembly, marking the biggest win by any party since the current democratic constitution was created in 1987. This margin can
likely be attributed to the effective response of the president and his party during the outbreak. But the issue has proven more complicated in the United States and Europe, as many dislike the idea of the government invading their privacy by tracking their phones, while others believe that these measures are essential during times of crisis. And even if the issue weren’t this divisive, because of how large the U.S. is compared to countries like South Korea, it would be difficult for us to copy their exhaustive methods. Still, these techniques—like creating apps to notify locals of confirmed cases or forcing people to wear electrical tracking bracelets to prevent them from escaping quarantine—have their benefits. It comes down to a question of how willing the general public would be to give up some of their personal information in exchange for the greater good. Though the methods that South Korea and other nations use are controversial and difficult to implement, the United States should still heavily consider all the benefits. An invasion of privacy may sound frightening, but in times like this, we need to prioritize the health of the masses over all else, even if it means sacrificing a little bit of our own privacy. South Korea was able to preserve its economy and national health while still maintaining the favor of the general public—and so can we.
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Opinions It’s Okay If You’ve Done Nothing By KAYLEE YIN With the number of confirmed cases rising by the day and a post-COVID-19 world unclear, it’s not news that the only way to mitigate the spread of the novel coronavirus is to stay at home. However, as we remain inside with only limited comforts like snacks or Netflix, people across the Internet have resorted to toxic hustle culture, encouraging us to get off the couch and chase after our aspirations. While it is great to put our quarantine boredom to use, we seem to have forgotten the responsibilities we have to ourselves and to those around us: making sure we all stay safe and well during this ever-precarious time. So, instead of turning to our loved ones and checking in, we turn to distracting ourselves by being productive and by pushing others to be productive with us. This, unto itself, is no malicious act, but in the context that we are now in, these actions feed into a toxic hustle culture that only adds to the peril of our plight. Nowhere has this been made clearer than in writer and musician Rosanne Cash’s tweet, which reads, “Just a reminder that when Shakespeare was quarantined because of the plague, he wrote King Lear.” The tweet has since garnered over 50,000 retweets and 250,000 likes, and in response, people have launched an online debate over just how productive we should be amid the quarantining and social distancing that COVID-19 has brought upon us all. It’s understandable why people feel that they should stop being “lazy,” channel their inner Shakespeare, and work toward
achieving their goals. After all, many of us have all the time in the world to do whatever we want now, especially since over 95 percent of Americans have been asked to stay at home. However, the situation we are living through is different for everybody. While celebrities are faced with the dire dilemma of quarantining in their lofty New York City penthouses or opulent Malibu beach houses, one in eight New Yorkers remains food insecure. For many, this pandemic will be sorely remembered by long lines to city soup kitchens and the seemingly impossible struggle to find a shelter that isn’t at maximum capacity. Cases and death rates rise by the hundreds in a matter of minutes and thousands of people are left vulnerable to the depths of capitalism, unsure about what to do next as small businesses shut down and jobs are lost. Millions more are left sick and worried for themselves, their friends, and their families. While these numbers grow exponentially, others, like the number of solutions available, remain stagnant, hovering at zero. By perpetuating hustle culture, we are being insensitive to those who do not have the privilege to see quarantine time as a luxury; and while it is great to be productive if you have the chance to, that by no means makes it necessary for you to push your idea of quarantine as hustle time onto others. Furthermore, beyond Cash’s needless comparison between ourselves and one of history’s most beloved playwrights, pushing hustle culture serves as a means of illustrating the unfortunate reality that many of us are encouraged to sacrifice our well-
being for money. Even before the outbreak of COVID-19, people were boasting about working 18hour long days and being able to #RiseAndGrind. These hashtags and captions detailing unhealthy work habits continually urge us to push past our breaking points. In spite of our current situation, it seems that toxic hustle culture has only been exacerbated as a result of the pandemic. With the free time many of us have at home now, it’s almost inevitable for others to suggest that we use it to our advantage by learning a new language or exploring an untouched hobby. Though it is great to be able to spend time in quarantine doing something you didn’t get the chance to do before, by doing this, we tend to ignore the issues we truly need to prioritize: spending time with family and caring for ourselves. Izzie Ramirez, a freelance culture and activism reporter, writes, “Even in the moments where we need [to pause] most, we are encouraged to turn our attention to doing something else instead of addressing our needs.” Hustle culture has been so ingrained in all of us that we don’t even realize when we are a part of it. We have become so obsessed with the idea that we always need to be doing something that we don’t realize it’s okay to do nothing. That’s why it’s so crucial that now—more than ever—we take some time off from the constant hustle and bustle of our typical everyday lives to just breathe— to reflect on the issues we face rather than bury them under an ever-increasing load of problems, to really use this situation to recover from the stress life has given all of us, and to take a break from the nonstop grind of
Lauren Chin / The Spectator
school and work. Because in reality, there is no issue in getting all of your work done before noon one day but struggling to finish a single assignment the next. We’re human. We need time to find where our priorities lie and how we can focus more on our wellbeings. We need time to allow ourselves to rest and to reflect on the situation at hand. And most importantly, we desperately need time to recover from the physical, emotional, and mental toll that the pandemic has taken on us all—not to focus on writing that new book proposal or learning piano overnight. So, while the tweet about Shakespeare writing one of his greatest plays may have been intended as a slight glimmer of hope in these dire times, we have to recognize that hustle culture does not have to be as toxic as we have been making it. As Tim Marcin, a writer for the digital media company Mashable, wrote, “If you find some time to be productive, that’s awesome! Just don’t compare yourself to
Shakespeare.” Simply put, there’s no issue in not being productive constantly, and even if you are, you don’t have to push the idea of productivity during a pandemic onto others. With that in mind, instead of planning on making an Instagram post to brag about waking up at six to start your homework, use your platform to encourage others to use this time to just rest. We need to focus on bettering our own selves without disregarding the limitations of others, especially when so many of us are not privileged enough to see this quarantine as mere time to turn a hobby into a side hustle. So, to those who haven’t been “productive,” it’s okay if you woke up at three in the afternoon yesterday and stayed in bed watching movies. It’s okay if you wanted to start journaling this past month but never had the time to. It’s okay if you haven’t gotten to cleaning your room yet. We’re all going through a hard time right now—it’s okay if you’ve done nothing.
An Option Two for Number Two By RAE SEONG JEONG Living in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic, during times so unprecedented that I now attend church services via Facebook live stream, I found myself asking God this past Easter to save my ass—literally. Because for the first time in my life, I’ve come face-to-face with a genuine fear for toilet paper insecurity. But I don’t live in a wartorn country in the Middle East, where water or food shortage can run rampant. I live in a country where people are fortunate enough to panic-buy the shelves empty from the largest supermarkets in the world. So, in a sense, I’m grateful that toilet paper, of all things, is a bigger concern for my family than water and food are. But it raises an interesting question—are countries in the Middle East toilet paper insecure, too? Well, strangely enough, they aren’t. Majority-Muslim countries in the Middle East don’t have toilet-paper crises like most Western countries do. Take Iran, for example—the Islamic republic has become one of the hardest-hit coronavirus epicenters of the world, with over 75,000 confirmed cases and a death toll topping nearly 5,000. In spite of this, a 39-year-old citizen in Tehran recently told TRT World that Iranians have looked at the world’s toilet paper crisis with a raised eyebrow—panic-buying is nonexistent, “with people shopping just like any other time.” The United States, whose supermarkets have long been the largest and most prolific in the world, has been brought to its
knees by the coronavirus. Why has Iran, whose economy is so exhausted from American economic sanctions that even fresh produce is a rare find on grocery shelves, remained immune from the toilet paper shortage? Iran’s immunity doesn’t come from their economic vitality—it lies in their culture. Toilet paper was invented in New York in 1857—by the 1970s, it had grown ubiquitous in the United States, and Americans couldn’t live without it. But to other countries, especially those in the Middle East, toilet paper was still just that—a foreign invention, one that most didn’t adopt. Indeed, to this day, most living in the Middle East don’t use toilet paper at all. They depend on water to clean up after a trip to the toilet—whether it be with a shatafa, which is essentially a mini shower head that attaches to a toilet, or a simple basin. The same goes for countless other countries around the globe. Italy, for example, never got around to adopting toilet paper as Americans had, so when the coronavirus laid waste to the country with over 160,000 cases and 21,000 deaths (and counting), unlike the United States, toilet paper wasn’t panic-bought off the shelves. They, alongside countries like Japan, South Korea, Australia, and many more, rely on their own version of the shatafa: the bidet. But for most Americans, the bidet is an alien concept. TUSHY, one of the few companies in the United States that sells bidets, asks them: “If a bird pooped on you, do you wipe it?”
That question, plastered on their website’s homepage, is promptly followed by an equally simple answer: “No, you wash it off.” TUSHY sells all kinds of bathroom accessories, ranging from towels to toilet stools—but most notably, they sell bidets, a small water spigot that attaches to a toilet under its rim. The device washes your rear with water, removing the need for toilet paper altogether. It’s proven to provide a far more effective cleanse than
Jenny Chen / The Spectator
toilet paper (a wash versus a mere wipe), and it’s also incredibly more comfortable to use. By nature, they render toilet paper abrasion nonexistent, and it’s not hard to imagine how a gentle stream of warm water can be easier on your anus than the scrape of a tissue. And in response to the toilet paper crisis, more and more Americans have begun discovering the luxury that bidets have to offer—companies like TUSHY have seen their bidet sales spike, running 10 times ahead of projections. In addition, online searches for “bidet” reached an all-time high. But it’s for better reason than most realize. Not only do bidets
remove the need for toilet paper and provide a more comfortable and effective cleanse, but they’re vastly more environmentally friendly. Each year, the United States needs to cut down about 15 million trees to support the total annual consumption of 36.5 billion rolls of toilet paper. On top of that, it takes 473.6 billion gallons of water, 253,000 tons of chlorine, and 17.3 terawatts of electricity to manufacture the annual supply. The chlorine severely pollutes local water sources, and each year, in order to cut costs, toilet paper companies recycle less and less, meaning more and more trees are cut down. As it stands, the toilet paper industry is one of the most lucrative and environmentally damaging industries. But bidets offer a graceful alternative—not only do they prevent widespread deforestation and massive chemical pollution, but on a day-to-day basis, they also save water. To satisfy the 57 toilet paper sheets-per-capita consumption for the average American, the manufacturing process requires nearly four gallons of water. On the other hand, the bidet only requires an eighth of a gallon. And during a time when hygiene and health prudence are more critical than ever, the bidet delivers. Because they provide a more effective cleanse, health experts have found that they reduce the risk of infections like urinary tract infections. In addition, because they can alleviate anal resting pressure, bidets have also been found to provide symptomatic relief to patients with condi-
tions like hemorrhoids. But despite the benefits, for some reason, the United States has yet to catch on the bidet wave. It’s not a new invention— the bidet originated in France around 1600 as a simple washing basin beside the toilet, and a multitude of variations and advancements have been made since. In Japan, more than half of all households have bidets, which often come decked out with other features, like hot air for drying that follows the water and even toilet-seat warmers. These high-tech bidets are also popular in South Korea—having visited the country and tried one out for myself, I can personally affirm that bidets are as comfortable and effective as they’re made out to be (they’re so accurate that it’s scary—seriously, how does the water never miss?). In spite of these advancements, American consumers have yet to find the bidet palatable. Some theories explaining the absence of bidets in the United States speculate that when American soldiers stationed in Europe were exposed to them in World War II, bidets were associated with sex work. Even before then, douching was seen as a pregnancy preventative measure, so Americans associated bidet basins with birth control, perpetuating the taboo. Whatever the reason for it may be, the stigma around bidets is outdated and unfounded. In light of a crisis where toilet paper is a scarcity, in a country where corporate environmental negligence threatens the planet as we know it, and in homes across the globe where hard-working people have yet to be given the treatment they deserve—bidets await your call.
The Spectator • May 1, 2020
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The Spectator ● May 1, 2020
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Science The Next Pandemic Is Under The Arctic By RANIA ZAKI
surface is a thawing ice layer known as the permafrost. When animals die on this surface, they don’t decompose. Rather, they freeze, becoming a part of the permafrost itself. When the 2016 heatwave occurred, the permafrost thawed rapidly, exposing a reindeer carcass infected with anthrax. The anthrax spores from the reindeer’s body
ness who lived during the plague that ravaged the city of Florence in 1348 described to Italian writer Giovanni Boccaccio that “many ended their lives… and many others who died in their houses were only known to be dead because the neighbors smelled their decaying bodies. Most of them were treated in the same manner… [People
over many millions of years, making it one of the most biodiverse and special places on the planet. Antarctica is an isolated continent, but unfortunately, now with climate change and human activity, all natural barriers are being broken,” Bruning said. Between 2009 and 2017, Antarctica lost an average of 252 gigatonnes of matter a year, mainly in ice. Currently, its annual ice loss is six times greater than that of 40 years ago, a direct effect of its increasing temperature and varied seasonal fluctuations. But this dire present state foretells a desolate predicament for the future; one insight into imminent predictions occurred during the year 2016. The children in Siberia anticipated many things for the summer of 2016, but what the Siberian community near the Arctic ice hadn’t foreseen was an epidemic sweeping across their communities. In places like Siberia, underneath the majority of the Arctic
found their way into a top layer of soil before being picked up by thousands of migratory reindeer grazing in the area. More than 2,000reindeer soon contracted the deadly bacteria and passed it along to the nomadic people. A 12-yearold boy died, and at least 115 others were hospitalized by the end of August. That was the community’s first encounter with anthrax in 70 years. It’s not just bacteria like anthrax that are appearing. The bodies of the 1918 influenza pandemic, a pandemic which many now compare to the current coronavirus pandemic, is still buried in the Arctic permafrost. And centuries after smallpox raged in the 1890s, the victims that had been buried have begun resurfacing. Within some of the corpses that lie lifeless in the permafrost is Yersinia pestis, the nasty bacteria that terrorized cities during the 16th and 17th centuries, claiming the lives of at least 50 million people. An eyewit-
were] more concerned with getting rid of the dead bodies than moved by charity [toward] the dead.” As the Arctic warms twice as fast as the rest of the world, its ground is starting to thaw. Microbes once buried in the permafrost could emerge from a long hibernation, haunting us with the dead. There exists another indomitable challenge for the future as the permafrost thaws: there are microbes that have never been recorded before lurking in it. An ancient group of giant viruses, coined “pandoraviruses,” prevailed about 30 thousand years ago. In 2014, researchers successfully revived two of these ancient viruses, which were found 100 feet underground in the tundra along the coast. None of these viruses were able to infect humans. Well, not yet. Jean-Michel Claverie, a bioinformatics researcher at AixMarseille University in France involved in the study of these pandoraviruses, said, “There is now
Courtesy of Ignacio Garrido and Paulina Bruning
Antarctica is popularly known for its lacerating winds, creatures that survive amidst raging tempests, and a frigid atmosphere where frosty mountains and ice sheets evoke wonder and unfamiliarity. But now, science foresees the future of the continent in a fearful way, one much warmer with barren seas and dying polar bears on its ice sheets. Due to climate change, its icy terrain is rapidly melting under the brazen sun; its once structured climate is now a fluid disaster. Recently, the gradual rise in temperature—the highest measurement this year at 64.9 degrees Fahrenheit—has led to an ecological consequence never seen before on its harsh terrain: its first non-native species. When marine biologist Paulina Bruning dove into the 36-degree water of Antarctica’s Fildes Bay, a coastal region near the southern tip of South America, she was focused on collecting native coral and sea sponges. But back in the lab at King George Island, Bruning spotted an invader clinging to one of her specimens: several dozen juvenile mussels smaller than a pencil tip thriving on an orange sponge. That was unexpected— mussels aren’t native to Antarctica. In fact, until then, there had never been any evidence of those bivalve mollusks surviving in such cold water. Bruning’s team sequenced the mussels’ DNA, concluding that they were a subset of Patagonian blue mussels most likely originating 500 miles north near South America. The mussels’ departure from the mellow subtropical waters around Patagonia to that of Fildes Bay was likely via ship to an area near the South Shetland Islands. The animals likely released their sperm and eggs in Antarctic water, where fertilization occurred. Burning’s team suggested that the orange sponge had cocooned the mussels from the freezing water as they grew into juveniles. But this isn’t an accidental occurrence. Ships frequently pass through Antarctica since the 19th century as countries and travel agencies augmented their own economies via these freights. Mussels were commonly attached to these ships, especially those sailing through the Chilean and Patagonian waters where the mussels pre-
dominantly thrived. Still, it wasn’t until this year that researchers encountered a mussel colony, or any invasive colony, despite having gone on over 200 Antarctic expeditions. What changed was the environment of Antarctica. “[Antarctica’s] native biota has adapted to the region’s extreme conditions
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a non-zero probability that the pathogenic microbes that bothered [ancient human populations] could be revived and most likely infect us as well.” But if these viruses have been extinct for a long time, then our immune system is no longer prepared to respond to them. This unfamiliarity, likewise to that of the novel coronavirus, may just precede a harsh and severe immune reaction. However, some are skeptical of a ravaging pandemic rising from the Arctic’s ice. Curtis Suttle, a marine virologist at the University of British Columbia in Canada, said, “It is true that viruses will be archived in permafrost and glacial ice, but the probability that viral pathogens of humans are abundant enough and would circulate extensively enough to affect human health stretches scientific rationality to the breaking point.” Nonetheless, what we do know is that if the Arctic continues to warm as quickly as scientists are predicting, an estimated 2.5 million square miles of permafrost, about 40 percent of the world’s total amount, could disappear by the end of the century. The daunting outcome of the compromised environment we live in is the beginning of an alarming future following a similarity to the current pandemic. But from China, Russia, and Norway blocking an Antarctic ocean sanctuary plan to a U.S. president that denies climate change, there is a desultory solution in the hands of our politicians to the consequences of climate change. As a nation, we face the risk of being unprepared again as we are with the current crisis. If there’s one thing we can learn from the virus currently ravaging communities around the globe, it’s that we need to prepare better before the next disaster strikes. And this undeniably includes combating global warming, which increases the frequency of disasters, before it’s too late. As for the mussels, their influence on the native fauna is uncertain. When Bruning and other researchers returned to Fildes Bay last summer, there was no sign of these tiny creatures. It seems that they may not have endured the brutal winter. Nonetheless, their appearance is a major warning that should not be disregarded as we fight against both the pandemic and the global warming crisis.
The Spectator ● May 1, 2020
Page 18
Science Convalescent Plasma: A Potential Treatment for COVID-19 In recent months, the COVID-19 pandemic has ravaged cities, nations, and continents all over the world. It has taken over 145,000 lives as of April 16, uprooted hospitals and clinics, and pressured scientists to scramble for a cure. This growing burden on our world’s medical workers has forced them to work tirelessly around the clock, looking for something that can stop the spread and save lives. Scientists previously thought that no antiviral agents existed to treat patients suffering from the coronavirus because the virus’s strategy of hijacking the host’s cells makes it more difficult to find drugs that target the virus but don’t attack the host in the process. This assumption changed, however, with a recent study conducted by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), in which researchers explored the promising effects of convalescent plasma (CP) transfusion, a procedure commonly performed on severe influenza patients. CP therapy is a classic adaptive immunotherapy technique used for the prevention and treatment of many infectious diseases—most notably, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). According to the NAS, CP therapy was successfully utilized in the treatments of SARS, MERS, and the 2009 H1N1 pandemic with “satisfactory efficacy and safety” over the past two decades. All three of these potentially fatal diseases have one thing in common: like COVID-19, they are highly contagious respiratory illnesses. Analysis derived from 32 separate studies of the SARS infection as well as severe influenza revealed a significant reduction in the likelihood of death following CP therapy compared to no therapy or a placebo. Researchers observed that the virological and
clinical characteristics of SARS, MERS, and COVID-19 shared several similarities and thus drew the conclusion that CP therapy might be a promising treatment option for severe coronavirus patients. There are many components of CP therapy, the most crucial being a convalescent blood product from coronavirus survivors: plasma. Blood plasma is the liquid component of blood that suspends blood cells and carries proteins throughout the body. More importantly, it contains antibodies, proteins that chemically combine with foreign invaders in the blood, such as viruses, that counteract the foreign invaders’ adverse effects by binding to a specific antigen. Antigens are “red flag” molecules present on the surface of a virus that alert the immune system of an invader in the body. Antibodies play a key role in CP therapy because individuals who have recovered from COVID-19 have the very antibodies needed to combat the virus floating through their own plasma. Thus, COVID-19 survivors contain the antibodies necessary to neutralize the virus and are considered valuable donor sources for CP therapy. In a NAS study, 10 severe COVID-19 patients were each given 200 mL of CP derived from recently recovered donors. Within a few days, the results were promising: the disappearance of viremia (the presence of the virus in the bloodstream) in seven days, the improvement in clinical symptoms within three days, and varying disappearance of lung lesions (as shown by radiological examination) within seven days. If the therapy had not taken place, the patients would have attained maximum concentration of viremia in the blood, rapid worsening in clinical symptoms, and uncontrolled growth of lung lesions. Moreover, after CP transfusion,
the level of neutralizing antibodies in the patients themselves increased rapidly, demonstrating the ability of the patients to use antibodies from donors as “templates” to create their own. In addition to a significant improvement in clinical symptoms, there was an increase in oxyhemoglobin (combination of
diseases” are illnesses that place the patient in a life-threatening situation. The study’s outcome showed that “CP therapy was well tolerated and could potentially improve the clinical outcomes through neutralizing viremia in severe COVID-19 cases.” Nevertheless, whether the risks
oxygen atoms with oxygen-carrying hemoglobin proteins) saturation within three days. This increase is significant because oxyhemoglobin is the molecule responsible for carrying and distributing oxygen throughout the body. Compared to pretransfusion, the patients also exhibited an increased lymphocyte (white blood cell) count and decreased amounts of C-reactive protein, a protein produced by the liver during increased inflammation in response to severe diseases. “Severe
of CP therapy outweigh the potential clinical benefits is still to be determined. Though no severe adverse effects were observed in this particular study, there have been reports of inadvertent infection with undetected pathogens present in the donor’s plasma. There have also been reports of the potential worsening of immune-mediated tissue damage when antibodies target the body’s own tissues by mistakenly recognizing itself as a pathogen. But thus far, evidence for these un-
Andrea Huang/ The Spectator
By SONYA SASSON
favorable outcomes remains largely theoretical. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is currently collaborating with a number of organizations in order to move thousands of units of plasma to the patients who need them in the coming weeks. Moreover, the agency is working with the healthcare industry and its government partners to develop hyperimmune globulin, a biological product manufactured from CP. The FDA is working to get hyperimmune globulin on the market and encourages people who have fully recovered from COVID-19 for at least two weeks to consider donating plasma. One of the problematic elements of CP therapy is that each “package” of donor plasma contains a different number of antibodies. This is because every donor has a unique immune system, and scientists have no way of controlling the concentration of antibodies in the plasma. Regardless, in partnership with the Red Cross, the government organization plans to conduct additional testing and urges survivors to donate and potentially help save the lives of those suffering from the virus. Despite some of the concerns raised by CP therapy, this potential treatment for severe coronavirus cases does offer hope for patients and researchers alike. There is so much information scientists don’t know yet about this relatively new discovery, such as its optimal dose, clinical benefits, and age restrictions. However, the fruitful results of the NAS study and the past successes of CP therapy indicate that scientists are well on their way to a groundbreaking discovery. Though this recently-surfaced treatment for COVID-19 leaves several questions unanswered, it may play a critical role in the world’s everlasting fight against disease.
SIGMA: Stuyvesant Research Club’s Publication
By KAITLYN LEE and KIMYA FIROOZAN
The Stuyvesant Research Club, run by senior President Justin Wangying Lam and faculty advisor and biology teacher Jason Econome, has been dedicated to providing research experiences and opportunities in different areas of science for Stuyvesant students. The club meets every Friday and engages in several research-based activities meant to develop students’ understanding of techniques frequently used by scientists in laboratories. Many partake in the Research Club, as it introduces countless opportunities for students looking to pursue STEMrelated careers. The Research Club has many upcoming projects, such as the Stuyvesant Research Mentoring Program (SRMP), which pairs a member with an upperclassman. But the club prides itself most in running Stuyvesant’s only science research magazine: Stuyvesant SIGMA, a publication that relatively few students are familiar with. SIGMA is executed under the supervision of junior and Editor-in-Chief (EIC) Neil Sarkar, with assistance from junior and EIC-In-Training Stephen Lee. Together, they oversee SIGMA proceedings and edit articles, many of which are written by Regeneron students participating in research under professional lab supervision. SIGMA’s most recent issue published a research paper written by Ian Fried, which examined the effectiveness of indocyanine green, a dye used for medical purposes, in screening cancerous tissues. Fried conducted research on a more precise method of screening malignant growths called fluorescence polarization imaging, which uses a monochrome source of polarized light (light with a wavelength of 390 to 770 nanometers) and a
filtered Charged Coupled Devices (CCD) camera with the addition of a polarizer. CCDs are sensors used to capture moving and still images, while a polarizer is an optical filter that allows specific light waves to pass through. Using these materials helps detect tissues that retain the indocyanine green dye, such as tumors. As stated by Fried, this cancer-screening technique could be a new alternative, as it “is cheap, free of ionizing radiation, and minimally invasive.” SIGMA consists of four departments, all of which collaborate with the board of the Research Club. “The Processing and Revisions Department streamlines the paper and makes changes to ensure clarity,” Sarkar explained. “The structure of SIGMA is relatively new, as the process was more fluid only a year ago and did not involve the interconnections between various departments, something which can be observed today.” The Annotations Department defines scientific words embedded within the research paper s o it can be understood by the general Stuyvesant community. Annotations Department members generally begin their work by reading over each article and pointing out particularly difficult terminology and words that may potentially confuse readers. It then requires members to phrase the definitions of these words in a way that is understandable and can be casually read by a student. Annotations bring the entire research experience together in a way that highlights the personal and technical effort put into the project. The Layout Department plans the general design of the magazine and organizes the papers in a professional, presentable manner.
After receiving the texts created by the Annotations members, Layouts members are tasked with moving the research papers to LucidPress, the prominent platform used by SIGMA to produce the magazine. This department develops the “look and feel” of the publication and makes an outlay of the entire magazine to ensure that all components fit together nicely. The SIGMA board has recently welcomed a fourth new department: the Creative Works Department. This department is solely meant to focus on new, creative writing projects. One of the Creative Works department’s standout pieces is the
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“ A Decade in Science” piece, which featured scientific advancements in the past decade. “The Creative Works Department [is] dedicated to churning out pieces like this,” junior and vice president of the Research Club Ethan Samuel Lin explained. SIGMA begins the publication process by selecting research papers that will appear in the magazine. Students who have conducted research are contacted either via Facebook or e-mail, and those interested in having their research papers published submit them to SIGMA. While research papers are selected on a first come first serve basis, SIGMA often receives fewer papers than they would like. Lin also plays a role in overseeing the publication process. He, along with the rest of the board, diligently works alongside Regeneron seniors and faculty to facilitate the workhia
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ings of SIGMA. Acquiring research papers is a needed step in this process, and the Research Club’s board pushes SIGMA to put the quality of the papers over quantity. Lam works with the department heads to resolve any issues that may arise during any given stage; then, closer to the edition’s completion, he goes over the entire magazine to give any comments before a final approval. After SIGMA receives all its entries, the reports undergo a thorough process of editing and annotating before they are published to ensure they are up to SIGMA’s standards: brevity, readability, and design. Even during this time of crisis, SIGMA continues to run smoothly and manages to find opportunities in a continuous effort to expand the magazine’s reach. “In some aspects, I would say the pandemic has strengthened our club both digitally and socially,” Lin said. “Our publishing software LucidPress is digital and most communications are hosted on Slack and Messenger, [so] we did not have to change much.” Sarker added that the SIGMA board and department heads communicate through Zoom calls and create a bi-weekly update for each department on Google Docs “to make sure that everyone is on the same page.” SIGMA has also adopted a new quarantine project: a social science study that “will entail sending out a questionnaire asking students about their views on mental health,” Lam described. “The results will be analyzed in aggregate, and a formal research report will be written and published in SIGMA.” This social science report is only one of the many such projects that SIGMA is implementing during the quarantine. For its spring
edition, SIGMA plans to start an update on the current COVID-19 global pandemic, as well as give an overview of the virus and its impacts. SIGMA is also opening its magazine to other science-related works, such as science fiction short stories and science comics. SIGMA has also decided to begin publishing research papers written by students from Park East High School in its spring 2020 edition. Sarkar believes the publications of work by students outside of Stuyvesant is a big leap for SIGMA, as they are “broadening [their] horizons and the reach of the magazine.” The purpose of SIGMA is to “strengthen the research community within Stuyvesant by offering a unique experience that blends both STEM and the humanities [and] spark [students’] motivation to pursue research themselves,” Lin explained. If the SIGMA board and members continue to put their efforts in improving the quality of each publication, SIGMA will see its profound impact in informing and inspiring the Stuyvesant community about research and its importance. To Lam, the goal of SIGMA is “to make scientific knowledge freely available to the general Stuyvesant community, faculty and students alike. We hope that we inspire the next generation of researchers by showing them what are the possibilities in scientific research that high school students can engage themselves in.” Under normal circumstances, copies of SIGMA would be located near the bridge entrance for taking, but for now, the club continues to persevere in promoting the development of the magazine even when limited to purely online tools. So in the meantime, the Stuyvesant community––both faculty and students––are welcome to easily access SIGMA online and dive into the scientific world.
The Spectator ● May 1, 2020
Page 19
Science By CHLOE TERESTCHENKO and ZOE PICCIRILLO
Earth’s orbit and into the Sun’s. Though it’s unclear when this officially occurred, scientists estimate that it was around March 7, 2020. This constant dance between the gravitational forces of Earth, the Sun, and the Moon will continue, however, and 2020 CD3 will not be gone from Earth forever. It is expected to pass again in August 2038, or in another 25 to 50 years, according to Eric Christensen, the director of the Catalina Sky Survey. The Catalina Sky Survey is the NASA-funded project through which 2020 CD3 was discovered. The future of 2020 CD3 once it returns near Earth is unclear. It’s possible that 2020 CD3 will not be pulled into Earth’s orbit again. But if it does orbit again, scientists do not know when it would leave. Scientists also acknowledge the possibility of its collision with Earth if it enters another geocentric orbit. Its recent orbit was so chaotic that it neared Earth several times, so a collision would not be impossible. Unfortunately, there is virtually no straightforward way to precisely predict 2020 CD3’s future path due to the combination of the gravitational forces of Earth, the Moon, and the Sun. Some scientists even predict that the Earth constantly has minimoons, but they are too small to detect—even smaller than 2020 CD3. Grigori Fedorets, an astronomer at Queen’s University Belfast, predicts that with more
advanced technology, astronomers could discover a new mini-moon every few months. Whether or not Earth has more mini-moons, the discovery of 2020 CB3 proved that though the Moon may be Earth’s only natural satellite, it is certainly not its only satellite. Minimoons might also be use-
into the asteroid belt. As Dr. Robert Jedicke, who is based at the University of Hawaii, said, “I hope that humans will someday venture in the solar system to explore the planets, asteroids, and comet— and I see mini-moons as the first stepping stones on that voyage.” 2020 CD3 is not the first of
ful for space exploration: they could be destinations for human exploration as a way to visit an asteroid without needing to travel farther than the Moon. They could also be used for low-budget robotic space probes. Lastly, they can also be used as logical places to run early experiments—it would be faster than a mission
Earth’s mini-moon to be discovered. French astronomer Frederic Petit noticed a second moon circling 11 kilometers above the Earth’s surface in 1846. This discovery seemed implausible: the boundary between Earth and space is set at 80 kilometers by the Karman line, and such an orbit would decay almost imme-
Courtesy of public domain
Some planets have dozens of moons. Jupiter, for example, has 79 moons. Others have no moons, like Mercury and Venus. Most people believe Earth has only one moon: the one on which Neil Armstrong took one small step for man, but one giant leap for mankind. For a year, however, they have been mistaken. Kacper Wierzchos and Teddy Pruyne, astronomers at the Mount Lemmon Observatory in Tucson, Arizona, discovered on February 15, 2020 a tiny asteroid captured by Earth’s gravity: a mini-moon. Its name is 2020 CD3. Estimated to be only six to 12 feet in diameter (the size of a car), scientists believe the mini-moon entered Earth’s orbit sometime between 2016 and 2018. It orbited Earth until March 2020. and it began traveling to the Sun. 2020 CD3 has a relatively low speed, which is likely why Earth’s gravity was able to capture it. Unlike the Moon’s orbit, which is elliptical, 2020 CD3’s orbit around Earth was a long, twisted path, with several loops and turns, like a knot that’s impossible to untie. It adopted this chaotic orbit under the influence of not only by Earth’s gravity but also that of the Moon and Sun. These multiple gravitational forces are also what caused 2020 CD3’s escape from
2020 CD3: Earth’s Latest Mini-Moon
diately due to atmospheric drag. Nevertheless, it got media attention. Jules Verne incorporated the idea of mini-moons into his novel “From the Earth to the Moon.” The concept has been continuously discovered and focused on; the German astronomer Georg Waltemath noticed a mini-moon in 1898. Clyde Tombaugh, who discovered Pluto, spent four years in the 1950s looking for minimoons. Since then, there have been reports of debris patches with the same orbit as the Moon—but either 60 degrees ahead or behind it; these zones are called Lagrange Points. A Hungarian research team believes these dust clouds exist but don’t qualify as moons. Then, in 2006, Eric Christensen discovered a 2006 RH120 in orbit around the Earth. Though it was small and seemed like it might be an old piece of NASA’s Apollo hardware, it officially became the earth’s second moon. If scientists can spot more mini-moons, they will be able to study space rocks much more efficiently. Mini-moons can provide insights on space rocks without having to research the asteroid belt hundreds of millions of kilometers away from Earth. If scientists can predict a mini-moon’s orbit despite its chaotic nature and locate it to collect samples, the wonders of outer space could be discovered closer to home.
Scientifically Debunking Misinformation Regarding COVID-19
By JENNA MACKENROTH
When the coronavirus first garnered international attention, people immediately had several burning questions such as, “where did the virus come from?” and “who is at risk?” Public news corporations and the media were quick to report every new detail on COVID-19, often disregarding the reliability of their sources of information. In the presence of social media, such reports spread like wildfire, and the line between opinion and fact blurred as the smallest Twitter pages, our very own political leaders, and everyone in between dished on the dramatic “details” about COVID-19. Ironically, in a mad dash for information, many of us had become deeply misinformed. One of the most blatant examples of misinformation involves the media’s coverage of COVID-19. Rather than using technical jargon, many politicians and media outlets have addressed the virus as “the Chinese virus” or “the Wuhan virus.” This identification of COVID-19 is incorrect and strongly implies that the disease is Chinese in nationality, despite the common knowledge that COVID-19 affects those of all ages, ethnicities, and races. Another example of misinformation lies in where the novel coronavirus actually originated. The task of establishing a point of origin for the virus would allow doctors and other specialists to properly develop preventative measures, plans for action, and prospective cures. A study conducted by 29 Chinese researchers published in a medical journal called “The Lancet’’ indicated that a wet market located in the capital of the Hubei province, Wuhan, was the origin of COVID-19. Although this study never stated that COVID-19 could have originated anywhere other than the Wuhan wet market, a state-run newspaper called “The People’s Daily” reprinted an article that indicated that the virus may have
originated in the United States. This story was spun into the tale that the novel coronavirus had not originated in Wuhan but rather in a leaky U.S. bioweapons lab. Within several days, the story had altered once more. Now, the virus had supposedly been planted in Wuhan by American operatives as a deliberate attack against the Chinese government. Similarly, those in the West have also speculated that the virus had been located in the Wuhan Institute of Virology and had been accidentally released as a result of carelessness. Although such theories have taken hold in several people’s minds, it has become
of newly discovered nucleotides. Like other viruses, SARS-CoV-2 carries its genetic information in a long chain composed of a ribonucleic acid (RNA) molecule. This RNA backbone includes several nucleotides, or molecular units of genetic information, that were previously undiscovered and/or not developed in a lab. The fact that these nucleotides were not previously encountered further disproves the idea that the virus was created using previously known genetic material. Another distinctive feature of SARSCoV-2 is a site on the ge-
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quite obvious that the novel coronavirus is of natural origin. Theories stating that the virus was lab-constructed are implausible for several reasons, including the current state of technology and several distinctive features found within the genetic makeup of SARS-CoV-2, the name of the virus itself. Given the state of current technology, a manmade virus would most likely be composed of other previously existing viruses. However, genetic analysis of the RNA backbone indicated that SARS-CoV-2 developed naturally. This idea is most supported by the existence of several distinct features present within the genetic makeup, such as the existence
nome called the receptor-binding domain (RBD). An RBD is a part of the coronavirus genome that allows it to bind to a receptor and infiltrate cells. In a virus developed in a lab, it would make the most sense to use an RBD which allows a virus to enter cells in the fastest and most efficient way possible. In the case of coronaviruses, they all bind to a receptor called Angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE2). However, a study published in the American Society of Microbiology’s Journal of Virology has shown that although the RBD present within SARS-CoV-2 is more functional than that within most other coronaviruses, it is actually much less efficient at binding to the ACE2
receptor than the virus responsible for the SARS outbreak of 2003. If SARS-CoV-2 had been developed in a lab, we most likely would not have seen a clearly disadvantageous trait, and the fact that it is present indicates that SARS-CoV-2 developed naturally. The fact that the RNA backbone of SARS-CoV-2 shows some similarities to that of HIV has also caused some to believe that the virus could have been manufactured using HIV as a template. Emma Hodcroft, a molecular epidemiologist at the University of Basel in Switzerland, debunks this idea. “Essentially, their claim was the same as me taking a copy of the “Odyssey” and saying, ‘Oh, this has the word “the” in it,’ and then opening another book, seeing the word “the” in it and saying, ‘Oh my gosh, it’s the same word, there must be parts of the “Odyssey” in this other book,’” she says. “It was a really misleading claim and really bad science.” One of the clearest indicators of COVID-19’s root in the wet markets of Wuhan is the existence of the ACE2 receptor not only in humans but also in bats and small animals called pangolins. Because there is a demand for their meat and scales, pangolins are smuggled into China and often end up in wet markets like those in Wuhan. Because bats, pangolins, and humans all have a common ACE2 receptor, diseases that enter a bat or pangolin through the ACE2 receptor can also enter a human. Thus, since the RBD present in SARSCoV-2 is able to bind to the ACE2 receptor in bats and pangolins, it is also able to bind to the ACE2 receptor in humans and enter the respiratory system. Because bats and pangolins are commonly sold in the wet markets of Wuhan, a singular diseased bat or pangolin may have transmitted the virus to a human who subsequently spread it to others around them. Although it may seem obvi-
ous that COVID-19 was created naturally, the effects of misinformation have not gone unnoticed. The language used by many Western politicians has unfairly targeted those of Asian origin, leading to a dangerous increase in hate crimes against Asians. Videos have surfaced showing those of Asian descent being subject to unwarranted verbal and physical harassment. Additionally, political tensions have increased between the United States, the People’s Republic of China, and other countries as leaders attempt to gain political leverage while trying to alleviate the effects of the pandemic. The dramatic narrative regarding COVID-19 is especially appealing because of the unfamiliarity of the current pandemic. Because people know so little about the novel coronavirus, they have become understandably afraid; consequently, they have turned to every source of information that they can find, credible or not. Untrustworthy information can come from anyone, from media companies trying to profit off of dramatic and hyperbolic headlines, governments attempting to calm the panicking public, or even those with the best intentions, trying to inform friends and family to stay safe. The unfortunate result of misinformation is a positive feedback loop that leads to the development, spread, alteration of, and reactions to false information. The obvious results are dangerous to the public, as misinformation has put several people’s lives at risk. With the news and social media, fabricated “scientific” reports are easy to access, and we should all take precautions when educating ourselves about the novel coronavirus. As with any unfamiliar situation, knowledge is power, and it is our responsibility to maintain the veracity of that knowledge. Doing so rightfully preserves the protection of not only ourselves but of those around us from mistreatment and harm.
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Arts and Entertainment By ANSON GUAN On “Future Nostalgia,” Dua Lipa is back and bolder than ever. So bold in fact that she immediately sets the standard for her sophomore album with its own title. Lipa truly brings “future” and “nostalgia” together on the album, pulling the dance-pop sensibilities of the ‘80s and ‘90s and mixing them with the directness of music in the modern era. The result is a dynamic, punchy project that showcases Lipa evolving into a true artist. The Lipa found on “Future Nostalgia” is a far cry from the one on her breakout 2017 debut. Released two years into her music career, the modelturned-musician’s first album was a mediocre release that failed to differentiate her from her contemporaries. While it certainly did have its highlights, like the anthemic “New Rules,” it wasn’t until “Future Nostalgia” that Lipa started to control the direction of her music. Becoming more active in the production and taking sonic inspiration from the classic artists she loved, Lipa comes into her own, radiating an authentic and all-consuming confidence. This dominant personality ties the album together as it switches from bouncy electro funk to glittery disco, with Lipa’s commanding lyrics and relaxed voice setting the stage for each track.
Television By SHIVALI KORGAONKAR Imagine if the next President sitting in the Oval Office was a cowboy from Oklahoma, taking calls with a 10-foot liger by his side. That’s what Joe Exotic had hoped for during his 2016 Presidential campaign. Instead, by way of Netflix, Exotic is taking to our screens for a different reason, as millions of viewers look on to watch the unconventional life of this self-proclaimed Tiger King. In this eight-part docuseries, “Tiger King” displays the unfiltered life of Exotic through interviews with ex-husbands, police officers, employees, enemies, and fellow tiger owners. This series focuses on how and why Exotic created a semi-legal private zoo with over 200 tigers and big cats and how it all came crashing down. While his fame made its way onto TV screens across America, Exotic found himself fighting against his worst nightmare: Carole Baskin, arguably both the protagonist and antagonist of the show. Baskin spent millions of dollars striving to show the negative aspects of animal captivity and shut down privately owned zoos like Exotic’s, who inhumanely breed big cats. In the first few episodes, the series is set up like a reality
Television By LIANNE OHAYON Judaism has existed for centuries all around the world and with many different sects. Though many Jews are secular, Ultra-Orthodox, or Hassidic, Jews maintain strict customs that distinguish them from others. Now, their lifestyle isn’t the norm. Secluded from most technology and secular schooling, UltraOrthodox Jews have strict rules
While the album pulls from a wide variety of influences from Madonna to Jamiroquai, it never feels aimless. Almost every song is lean, catchy, and purposeful, with the singles serving as the perfect example. “Don’t Start Now” is an empowering song about rejecting an ex’s advances, with a heavenly pre-chorus dropping into a powerful, pulsating chorus. The title track and single “Future Nostalgia” is a great opener, perfectly introducing the album with its addictive beat and playful lyrics and highlighting the album’s theme of female empowerment. “Physical” is an over-the-top piece of power pop that could soundtrack the training montage of an ‘80s movie, and “Break My Heart” is a fantastic modern disco track with an infectious chorus and a killer baseline. As “Future Nostalgia” progresses, it becomes clear how much thought was put into making the album a cohesive project. The tracks are arranged so that the album never loses its steam. For every moment of respite, like the barebones “Pretty Please,” there’s another track that immediately picks up the energy, like the high-energy “Hallucinate.” The momentum of the album is only bolstered by the strength of each individual track. While the singles are obviously great, almost every track is just as catchy and wellmade to the point that it’s hard to
choose favorites. “Cool” serves as the album’s first lowkey moment, and while it does sound relatively modern, the combination of its chill synths and Lipa’s strong vocals make it a welcome rest stop. The aforementioned “Pretty Please” and “Hallucinate” are a hard-hitting one-two combo, with the minimal ode to losing yourself immediately transitioning into an explosive track about a love so powerful it transcends reality. There’s also “Levitating,” which is instantly catchy and one of the most purely fun songs on the album, and “Love Again,” an outrageous disco throwback that sounds like nothing else in mainstream pop. If there is one point where “Future Nostalgia” falters, however, it is in the final two tracks. “Good in Bed” departs from the ‘80s influence of the previous nine tracks with a cheap piano sample and unfitting trap production. The track is also weighed down by a repetitive chorus and weak prechorus vocals. Perhaps the worst song though is the final track “Boys Will Be Boys,” a generic piano ballad that feels completely out of line with the vibrancy of the previous tracks and has some of the worst lyrics on the album. With the album already projecting a strong message of female empowerment, the decision to end with a boring song filled with feminist platitudes is a disappointing one. While
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Music
Dua Lipa’s “Future Nostalgia” Looks to the Past to Carve out the Future
these two tracks certainly don’t kill the album, they do kill its constant energy, which is one of the best aspects of listening to it in full. Despite the weak final tracks, “Future Nostalgia” is one of the best pop albums of 2020 so far and an incredibly strong showing from Lipa. Even with the album’s influence from multiple eras of pop, Lipa has created an album that sounds ultimately timeless. She is not just mindlessly following modern pop trends or flatly imitating the sounds of the ‘80s, but taking influence from
them to create something that feels wholly original in the current pop landscape. It is a shame that Lipa didn’t get the success she deserved due to the outbreak of COVID-19, which hurt her sales and led to the cancellation of her live performances. While it would have been understandable to postpone her album’s release, Lipa wanted to spread joy in a time of uncertainty and released it early. Let’s hope good things come her way then because “Future Nostalgia” is what we all need right now.
How the Tiger King Captured our Hearts show, with seemingly dozens of underlying conflicts bubbling beneath the surface. With Exotic ending up in jail for a murderfor-hire charge against Baskin in the final episode, however, the purpose of this show extends far beyond the screen. The candid nature of this show can be credited to Exotic himself, who recorded every second of his life, even before his true stardom hit. The producers of the series were able to catch every single argument and injury in the most realistic nature. Early in the show, we catch the exact moment one of Exotic’s long-time employees gets his forearm ripped off by a tiger. We also see the moment Exotic’s alligator farm shed is burnt down, killing eight crocodiles and alligators, the moment when (one of ) Exotic’s husbands shoots himself, and countless other moments that definitely shouldn’t have been recorded. Through this strikingly candid footage, we’re able to see the good that comes with passionate animal enthusiasts and the bad that comes with keeping wild animals in a cage. While many would oppose animal captivity of any form,
the Tiger King’s ability to gather viewers’ empathy is quite astonishing. The producers make an effort to present all the show’s material in a generally unbiased manner. It’s up to the viewers to form their own opinions about each character and the series of events that ensue throughout the show. So why do many viewers end up supporting the tiger
Saadat Rafin / The Spectator
captor over the tiger protector? Exotic, the self-proclaimed Tiger King, is unlike any human on this planet. With a blond mullet, a glittery vest, two husbands, an arch-nemesis, and hundreds of feral pets, Exotic limps around with a confidence unique to someone in his precise position (which is to say, just him). Yet at
the same time, it’s evident that the pompous Tiger King isn’t, and has never been, happy in his life. He grew up gay in rural Oklahoma and attempted suicide toward the end of his adolescence. Later on, he and his parents struggle to pay the neverending legal bills coming from large-scale animal protection agencies, and in the end, he gets put in jail for hiring a hitman to kill Baskin, though the hitman never ended up completing the task. It’s difficult not to empathize with this figure because, while he has constantly been portrayed as the evil, inhumane zookeeper, viewers are constantly reminded of his tumultuous upbringing and feel a sense of relatability regarding his misrepresentation. Exotic is a no-nonsense type of guy who doesn’t hide his craziness. And because of this, many celebrities, including rapper Cardi B, have vowed to free Exotic from jail. On the other hand, Baskin’s mysterious motives and potentially murderous history confuse the audience, making the “hero” no longer easy to recognize. She is first presented as an innocent, whole-hearted woman, wearing
flower crowns and animal print shirts. As the show progresses, the audience discovers that she actually owns her own zoo with unpaid volunteers and animals that don’t appear to be in much better conditions than Exotic’s. Interestingly, this seemingly pure and righteous woman has triggered an online movement, dedicated to finding out what happened to her first husband, whose cause of death is unknown. Many believe that Baskin fed her husband to the tigers, while some think he isn’t actually dead. Viewers actively trying to find out more information about the show’s topics is a clear sign of a job well done by the show’s creators. “Tiger King” documents murder, lies, crime, and deceit from numerous different characters, while still finding a common thread to tie them together. When a show is able to have such a profound impact on viewers outside of the hour-long episodes, its success can’t be argued. “Tiger King” is a story without heroes or happy endings. As humans, we want every case to be closed, so our interest in this show stems from knowing that justice hasn’t been served. For this reason, I have a feeling this isn’t the last we’ll see of the Tiger King.
The Originality of “Unorthodox” on how they live. Unfortunately, many Americans are uneducated about Judaism. But with a message of rejecting social norms and selfexpression, “Unorthodox,” a new Netflix special, gives viewers a glimpse into what Ultra-Orthodox society entails. “Unorthodox” is a drama mini-series that follows Esther “Esty” Shapiro (Shira Haas) as she flees from the Ultra-Orthodox community in Williamsburg,
Brooklyn and heads to Berlin, Germany. Esty, a 19-year-old bride of a failed arranged marriage, is fed up with the closed-off, separated world of the Satmar Jews and eager for a way out from a community that restricts her ambition of being a mother and housewife. Esty successfully makes it to Berlin with only a passport, some cash, and an address and adjusts to her new, secular lifestyle. But her past quickly catches up with her. Her
ex-husband, Yanky Shapiro (Amit Rahav), and Moishe Lefkovitch (Jeff Wilbusch), a Hasidic Jew once ostracized for leaving the community, travel to Berlin in an attempt to bring Esty back to Williamsburg. “Unorthodox” is notable for the flashbacks that are woven into the plot. From Esty’s wedding with Yanky to her conversations with a Hasidic sex therapist, the flashbacks vary the plot structure
and give the audience a look into the insular and sheltered life of Satmar Jews. Utilizing colors to depict Etsy’s emotions, the scenes in Berlin are fun, eccentric, and vivacious, while the scenes in Williamsburg are drab, upsetting, and dull. Esty’s clothing in Williamsburg is muted, and the streets are quiet, indicating how continued on page 21
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Arts and Entertainment Television
The Originality of “Unorthodox” Yanky’s need to fit in determines how he behaves around Esty, his family, and his friends. “Unorthodox” is loosely based off of Deborah Feldman’s memoir, “Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots.” Feldman also escaped from the Satmar Ultra-Orthodox community as a young girl with the hope of a better life. After living through a dysfunctional arranged marriage, the denial of sex education, and the overwhelming pressure to bear children, Feldman knew that once she got pregnant, she had to find a better life for herself and her child. Anna Winger, the creator of “Orthodox,” recalled drawing inspiration for the flashbacks from the memoir, though Etsy’s present day narrative is fabricated. Considering the unique culture and experiences in this memoir, the creators tried to make the portrayal of the Ultra-Orthodx Jewish lifestyle as authentic and realistic as possible. In “Making Unorthodox,” creator and writer Alexa Karolinski said that they
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Berlin, however, the bustling streets and her vibrant clothing typify her freedom. Haas is a force to be reckoned with. The Israeli actress skillfully embodies Esty’s desire to fit in and struggle of feeling out of place in Williamsburg. Haas effectively delivers Esty’s emotional challenges, such as when Esty gets her head shaved. A Hasidic woman shaves her head to show modesty, and it is a rite of passage for women who turn eighteen. Haas, who shaved her real hair for the series, tapped back into her childhood—when she shaved her head due to her cancer treatment—bringing depth to Esty as a character. Meanwhile, Rahav moves the audience with Yanky’s naive and underdeveloped ideas about the real world. As the model child, Yanky conforms to society. The pressures from his parents and peers mold him into a rule-abiding and desperate person, a contrast to Esty. Rahav fully captures how
Video Games
took two research trips to New York to “watch and look and touch everything [they] saw” and to “meet people who are still in this community.” The production team was able to correctly depict the Ultra-Orthodox lifestyle through the clothing, traditional customs, and atmospheres of the different locations. One could criticize “Unorthodox” for scrutinizing the Ultra-Orthodox community, leaving little room to represent the positive aspects of the Hasidic community. Many people are content with following the Orthodox way of life, while others pursue a more liberal path. The series focuses on the aspects of the Hasidic community that makes someone want to escape, hence Esty’s departure. But this does not represent the opinion of the entire community, and “Unorthodox” would’ve been more accurate had it provided a character with a more positive outlook on the culture. Furthermore, the “Unorthodox” ends on an abrupt cliffhanger, leaving too many loose ends. While
“Doom Eternal”: The Heavy Metal Gaming Experience
Cindy Yang / The Spectator
Cindy Yang / The Spectator
By GAVIN MCGINLEY “Doom Eternal” is the ultimate power fantasy. The fifth installment of the “Doom” series, the game is 20 hours of increasingly bloody murder and rage, complete with all of the Satanic imagery and stylized violence that has disturbed parents since the first game launched in 1993. With the first-personshooter genre dominated by hundred-person battle royales and hyper-realistic tactical shooters, “Doom Eternal” stands out with its single player, run-n-gun style and absolutely rabid gameplay. Despite some minor flaws in gameplay and a storyline that is essentially nonexistent, the game serves as an incredibly fun, if not a bit over-the-top, experience. One thing important to know going into “Doom Eternal” is that the game has almost no plot. While those who missed its 2016 predecessor may be confused by the disembodied, all-knowing robotic voice, the convoluted lore, and the pentagram burned into the Earth, an understanding of the game is hardly needed to enjoy the it. The story of “Doom Eternal” is more of a tool used to justify changes in gameplay and environments and has little ambition at immersion or worldbuilding. “Doom” is incredibly self-aware and seems to revel in its cheesy, comedically edgy tone, mixing lofty, pseudoreligious theming with rocket launchers, chainsaws, and everything else that one might find on the cover of a death metal album. The soundtrack follows suit, being overly aggressive and obnoxiously loud, pounding away behind the acts of horrific violence. The main character, a silent, muscled marine in an high tech exosuit, is even named “the Doom Slayer,” a title that crosses the line from dark to satirically exaggerated. Most single-player shooters revolve around two mechanics: stealth and a cover system. While confrontations in multiplayer can be determined by player skill, AI opponents are consistent and frequently miss the gap between insurmountably challenging and child’s play. Tactical mechanics provide more thoughtful gameplay
many good series end unexpectedly, the final episode of “Unorthodox” leaves many questions unanswered. The producers filled up many plot holes through the flashbacks and insightful dialogue, but the last episode as a whole seems rushed. “Unorthodox” is really a one-of-a-kind due to its perfect balance of gripping scenes that showcase the reality of living in a Hasidic neighborhood and the events afterward that show what the world has to offer outside of following a religion. As the first Netflix series made in Yiddish, a mix of German and Hebrew that is typically spoken in ultraorthodox Ashkenazi communities, “Unorthodox” is a leap for Jewish cultural representation, further adding to the authenticity of the show. Each actor showcases their character’s development in their respective emotional arc while simultaneously defying social norms that resonate with the real world as well. “Unorthodox” is, frankly, unorthodox. And that’s what makes it so special.
and alternatives to direct combat with overpowered foes or the brutal idiocy of massacring thousands of enemy combatants. “Doom Eternal” has no problem being violent and stupid. The Doom Slayer is hilariously overpowered, with the player’s main concern at most moments being the finite amount of ammunition. The slow playstyle that other games promote is nearly impossible, with enemies blitzing the player and spawning on top of them, leaving little to no time for strategizing. Encounters only have one course of action: head-on assault, and the game has no problem letting people shoot and punch their way out of any situation. This mindless gameplay works perfectly with the game’s excessive violence and gore, updated for the graphical capabilities of 2020. While other shooter games may reward a successful hit with a burst of blood or an enemy doubling over and fading from existence, Doom games are famous for their satisfying yet disgusting displays of murder. In “Doom Eternal,” players can blast the flesh off of demons, blowing them to bits, cutting them in half, or shooting
off their limbs with a shotgun. It doesn’t take long to learn that grenades can be shot into demons’ mouths to explode them from the inside. There is even a move called a “Glory Kill” that can be performed on low-health enemies in which the Doom Slayer will kill such combatants with his bare hands, crushing skulls, ripping off arms, or in some cases, shoving eyes down throats. Such carnage may be tasteless and often controversial, but it definitely makes the game more enjoyable. Despite its satisfying gameplay, “Doom Eternal” still has its flaws. One very clear problem with the structure of the game is the occasional insertion of platforming sections into otherwise actionpacked levels. Though most of these segments are laughably easy, they bring the pace to an abrupt halt as the precision and timing required for platforming requires a kind of pacing not found elsewhere in the game. It brings the focus from the insanity of mowing down a room full of demons to the mundanity of trying to time a dash between two rocks, de-escalating the game at crucial moments of tension.
Another problem is the frequently unfair combat mechanics. In particular, the feature of demons spawning on and around the player, while manageable at lower difficulties, can lead to one getting physically stuck between enemies in the game’s tight areas. This is especially bad when on the “Ultra-Violence” and “Nightmare” difficulties (the easier difficulties being “I’m too Young to Die” and “Hurt Me Plenty”), as enemies can deal considerable amounts of damage while being difficult to kill. Even worse is the arcade-style “Ultra Nightmare” mode, in whichthe player gets one life, and an unfair death can mean hours of wasted time. Furthermore, the music, while perfect for the high speed, run-n-gun portions of the game, feels excessive and incompatible with moments of exploration, platforming, or any section without direct combat. While this may contribute to the game’s tongue-in-cheek dark aesthetic, these moments end up being quite panicked and ridiculous when accompanied by a slightly quieter version of the normal heavy metal soundtrack. When the game maintains such high levels of intensity as a baseline, there is very little room to build-up high stakes moments like boss battles or exceptionally difficult levels. Even “Doom Eternal,” which is focused around excitement and speed, can benefit from slowing down for a bit. Though it is not without issues, “Doom Eternal” is still an incredible game that deserves all the praise it has been receiving these past weeks. Through the rejection of the typical tacticbased gameplay of its genre, it manages to be, while admittedly quite brain-dead, a satisfying and entertaining experience. At times, its exaggerated edgy aesthetic can feel overwhelming, but its ragefueled soundtrack and hyperstylized, graphic displays of violence ultimately make the game more enjoyable and much more memorable. “Doom Eternal” is truly cathartic, delivering as one of the most exciting, intense, and unique experiences in gaming.
Playlist Throwback Jamz By THE ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT DEPARTMENT For this playlist, the A&E department has assembled songs from the years 2010 to 2015. These tunes give us a big kick of nostalgia, and we hope they do the same for you!
Red Taylor Swift Pop We Are Young fun. feat. Janelle Monae Pop Stolen Dance Milky Chance Alternative Rock Teenage Dream Katy Perry Pop Billionaire Travie McCoy feat. Bruno Mars Pop Ribs Lorde Pop / Alternative POWER Kanye West Hip-hop Pumped Up Kicks Foster the People Alternative / Indie Somebody That I Used to Know Gotye feat. Kimbra Alternative Rock / Pop Payphone Maroon 5 Pop This Is Gospel Panic! at the Disco Rock Fireflies Owl City Pop Only Girl (In the World) Rihanna Pop Hall of Fame will.i.am Pop Rock The Monster Eminem feat. Rihanna Hip-hop Dynamite Taio Cruz Pop Blank Space Taylor Swift Pop
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Arts and Entertainment Entertainment Now that school has moved online for the rest of the year, it looks like we are going to be spending a lot more time at home. It’s probable that some of your daily routines now include waking up at noon and bingewatching eight or more hours of Netflix. And as enjoyable as that is, there comes a point when you begin to speak using only emojis and forget what day of the week it is. So, we’ve compiled a top-notch list of other activities one can do whilst quarantined, to remind us of the world we once lived in and to keep ourselves busy and optimistic! Welcome to your personal guidebook for what to do… When you’ve forgotten what the world outside of your apartment looks like, here are some movies to remind you of beautiful vistas, grimy subway rides, and the peculiar sensation of sunlight on your face. When you want to remember more of New York City than the square foot you can see outside your window, watch the classic ‘60s crime film “Taxi Driver” (1976) to get a feel for the more questionable parts of the city that will make you feel lucky to be inside. Alternatively, watch “Frances Ha” (2012) to remember a more modern and vibrant NYC. If all you crave is the social, urgent feeling of a city, watch “Chungking Express” (1994) set in Hong Kong or “Heat” (1995) set in sunny Los Angeles. Perhaps it’s something beautiful you crave: a lush meadow, glowing beaches, or a humble daisy tilting in the wind. If so, try “Call Me by Your Name” (2017), an aesthetically pleasing romance set in ‘80s Italy, or “Moonrise Kingdom” (2012), a colorful depiction of New England coastlines. Maybe you’re bothered by your parents, infuriated by your siblings, and just need to escape to a world with little human interaction. Try the sentimental documentary “March of the Penguins” (2015), or the more disturbing and isolating film “Into the Wild” (2007). If fiction and escapism are what you desire, watch the classic sci-fi film “The Matrix” (1999), or rewatch (hopefully) the Harry Potter series and revel in a world
Music By THEO KUBOVY-WEISS I’ve always loved being alone. There’s something incredibly comforting about solitude, and it is in isolation that I find myself at my most introspective, genuine, and relaxed. After the past three weeks though, I cannot stand it. In our normal, nonquarantined lives, each day consists of the decisions we make within it; each day is defined and remembered by with whom we go to lunch, which extracurricular activity we decide to go to after school, and what time we go to bed. Now though this series of decisions has been replaced with the monotony of quarantine, where the scope of our choices is limited to what cereal we eat in the morning and which Netflix show we watch in the afternoon; both the number of decisions and the
with entirely different problems from your own. And if for some reason you find yourself missing the bustle, stress, comradery, and occasional embarrassment of high school, indulge in a few classic high school films such as “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” (2012), “Lady Bird” (2017), “American Pie” (1999), “Jennifer’s Body” (2009), or “Dead Poets Society” (1989). When you realize you’ve been in bed for days and have started to go cross-eyed from watching TikTok endlessly, here are some low-effort activities guaranteed to keep you occupied. For starters, why not have a dance party? Make it a bedroom disco, and just dance your heart out to your favorite tunes (or the A&E playlist)! Alternatively, if things feel really overwhelming right now, try doing a little yoga and meditation to calm yourself down. There’s no better time than now to pick up a new hobby! Whether it’s learning or practicing that instrument you’ve always wanted to play or picking up a pen and paper to start some sketches, you might as well give it a shot. You can even call your friends and make it a social event. Perhaps take up group knitting. One can never have too many sweaters anyway. And if all else fails, try redecorating your room. If you’re going to spend all day there, you might as well revamp it. This is the perfect time to start all the things you’ve wanted to do before, but never got around to doing! Though we’d advise taking caution when it comes to hairdressing— just because you had an existential crisis one night and no one will see you for the next month, doesn’t mean that people can’t see the uneven bangs or overbleached hair over Zoom calls… When you’ve listened to the same songs about 10,000 times, and they’ve all just blended together into one long, meaningless string of nonsense, here are some new artists from every genre to revamp your playlists! • Rock: Paul McCartney! Not many people are aware that after his time with the Beatles, he went on to pursue a solo career and is still making music to this day. • Hip-hop: The Weeknd! While his new song “Blinding
Sammi Chen / The Spectator
By AGATHA EDWARDS, CHRISTINE LIN and ISABELLE SANDERSON
What to Do (in Quarantine) When…
Lights” is very popular today, he produced many hit songs during the 2010s that a lot of people forgot about. • Indie: Bastille! While this band is mainly known for its album “Bad Blood” (2013), they created other albums in later years that are just as great. • Classical(-ish): The Piano Guys! These brothers take classical music to a whole other level, playing popular songs from artists like Adele and One Direction, but only using the piano, string instruments, and drums. • Folk Music: Cat Stevens! While most of his music was created in the ‘70s, he remains one of the best musicians to listen to whenever you’re feeling down. • Country: Garth Brooks! He was a country legend back in the ‘80s and ‘90s, and while
he turned into more of a rock/ pop artist over the years, his older songs are how people remember him today. • Disco: Listen to Donna Summer, the “Queen of Disco,” to feel like your parents when they were young! In a good way! • Or try something completely new! Google “Danger Music” or “Schranz Music.” We dare you. When you’ve eaten every “experimental creation” your younger brother has made, every egg-white-and-spinach omelet from your mother, and have enough empty chip bags to build a house, here are some low-effort recipes to help you take back your kitchen! • Easily make and customize your own cookies: cake mix, vegetable oil, and eggs.
• Heavenly pull-apart bread: sliced bread, melted butter, and eggs. • Baked Fruit: Literally just that! Pop some fruit in the oven, and wait for the magic to happen. It’ll taste like candy, minus the guilt. • Alternatively, freeze fruit and yogurt! When it gets warmer, you’ll be glad you have a cold treat to indulge in. • Miss your morning deli bagels? Make your own: water, flour, oil, and yeast. • Make a smoothie! Throw in any old fruit, yogurt, and milk, and blend them right up. Or if you’re one of those healthy people, you can use vegetables too. We hope you give some of these a try the next time you’re in search of something to do, quarantined or not!
How Music Has Changed Quarantine consequences of those decisions of his death set the tone for a are reduced in this new way of soulful, relaxed time. Jaden Smith’s living. “ERYS” evoked nostalgia and a This has led a lot of people, yearning for summer during an myself included, struggling to find otherwise uneventful Thursday. Delia Qiu / The Spectator variation in our daily routines. Kanye West’s The transition “Graduation” from the chaos made a drab of normal life Tuesday into to the lack an uplifting, thereof in social exciting isolation is a moment. rather jarring one, and T h e one that can take a heavy effect music emotional toll. collections Music has helped me have had through this. Listening to on my time different albums, artists, in quarantine playlists, etc. has dampened extends beyond the homogeneity of life the mood of the from six feet apart by setting music itself; they have different moods and atmospheres helped me reminisce about throughout the day. Listening times past with which I associate to Bill Withers’s “Just As I Am” certain albums. The Lumineers’ following the announcement “Cleopatra” brings back vivid
memories of my first summer at camp. Lil Peep’s “Hellboy” evokes feelings of a cool autumn breeze and the looming stress of school. Memories of late-night debate tournament preparations are brought back by Chet Baker’s eponymous album, “Chet Baker Sings.” These albums have all had such a profound role in my life, serving as my personal soundtrack through emotional and chaotic times. Listening to them again now has been enormously enjoyable in returning to memories from better times before “flattening the curve” was a common phrase. Music has also served as a great pastime and hobby in quarantine. Making playlists and meticulously curating my Apple Music profile has become a favorite social distancing activity of mine. Exploring new artists’ catalogs or more deeply exploring those of
my current favorites has consumed much of my time in quarantine and has kept me motivated and engaged. I’ve always thought of music as something that is enjoyed best in high-intensity, high-emotion, and high-impact times. This makes sense—the profundity of the most beautiful parts of music are most effectively personalized when you can relate to the strong, intense emotions conveyed through music. But this is not true. Many of my strongest and most special connections to certain albums stem from times of tedium and ennui, as it is my uninteresting environment that allows me to most deliberately and pointedly explore music. And any opportunity to build more meaningful relationships with music is one I am happy to have, especially if it makes my isolation just a little more bearable.
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Humor These articles are works of fiction. All quotes are libel and slander. By JORDAN BARAKAT This past month has been really weird. Look, I’m a dog. Here’s how my day usually went until life became weird: first, I woke up at 7:00 a.m. sharp in order to get those coveted walks in the park with my human. Then, I ate something on the ground, and I guess my human wanted that thing on the ground because she grabbed my mouth and took the thing out. Then came the best part of my day! There were a lot of people on the street who would smile and wave at me and sometimes even pet me! I love being petted. Then, my human left me behind in the apartment, and I got bored and sad, but then she
came back, and I went for another walk and ate more floor things and got petted more! Last month, everything got weird. My human stopped leaving every day, which is great because now I get to sleep in her bed with her and play with her all day. One thing that annoys me, though, is that they are on that glowing rectangle thing with those buttons that they need to press to make stuff happen on the screen a lot. They’re always talking to people on it, and every once in a while, they’ll pick me up and show me off to the other people they’re talking to. They also make a lot of bread now, and honestly, I don’t mind. They give me the bread that they have left over, and I dig in as fast
Please Pet Me as I can. They’re getting better at baking, not gonna lie. They wear the same clothes every day without changing as well, and I’m here like, what’s the point? I don’t wear clothes, and I’m perfectly fine. Do you need clothes to survive? But don’t get me wrong; I’m happy that they’re always home. The problem is the walks. So much has changed! For one, my human puts some sort of mask on before they walk me. They tried putting a mask on me, but it felt weird, so I refused to put it on. Eventually, they gave up. Every time we come back up to the apartment, they force me to put my paws under the water with some soap before they do the same. What’s up with that? The soap
doesn’t even taste good! There’s no more weird food on the ground, but for some reason, the squirrels are still here. And the worst part is that there are no more people to pet me! Darn it, there are usually so many people on the streets who ask to pet me while I internally g o “PET ME. PET ME. PET ME,” and jump up on them. But now, there are no more people on the street, and the few that I get to see also wear those weird masks and always stay so far away from me and my human. Every time I try to say “hi” to them, my human pulls me
back and says something about “social distancing.” It’s been a month since I’ve been petted by a new person. It’s like all of them are afraid of going near me! I’m not mean! I just want to be petted! Please pet me! I’m not going to bite. Pet me, please.
Afra Mahmud / The Spectator
It’s MyTalos Now, Buddy By JASMINE WANG
No, because we sent out all the information in an email longer than this quarantine. Use your eyes, people. Got dunked on by
Sabrina Chen / The Spectator
It’s been a long, long road. Every year just gets crazier and crazier, and we here at Stuyvesant High School were feeling a little left out, so why not up the ante with a whole new Talos system specially designed to confuse our poor souls even more? Sorry, not just Talos but MYTalos! That’s right! We’ve got a brand new system. But don’t worry, it is still confusingly mashed together with normal, boring Talos, so you get to be EXTRA confused when trying to take attendance! Our genius truly escapes our own minds sometimes. The clean new interface lulls you into a sense of security and safety, but under the surface, the design flaws truly come to light. Why is it impossible to do anything?
That’s not your business. Why didn’t we put course selections and course exceptions together? That’s because we wanted you to have the full experience of clicking through five different pages, each taking a solid three minutes to load, only for you to realize that you didn’t even need a course exception in the first place! (Can you believe this is Rodda John’s full-time job?) But don’t worry, we reset all of your passwords to your OSIS numbers. Will this cause issues?
someone who knows your OSIS? That’s not important! Don’t even bother trying to figure out more about your potential “education” (like that’ll ever happen) because every time you click on a course, BOOM. Error 403 message. But hey, we have cute little photos to cure your wounded, struggling heart! Don’t forget the cute little “photo failed to load” icon that shows up every time under “Eligibility Requirements.” I’m not capable of designing a website, but I was required to do it anyway. That’s what we call real-world applications, people. Take notes. Imagine not knowing what a 5-tech is because of our website. And I don’t have to imagine—I don’t know what it is, and that’s why our website refuses to
explain anything to you. Take that! Hey, we’ve covered all the issues of the future and the present, but what about the past? How can we mess up every single plane of time? It’s by not properly displaying your graduation requirements! You say you’ve taken three years of language as you enter your senior year… but HAVE you? It’s not a design flaw if we caught you sleeping in your Spanish class one semester! We at the Program Office want to make sure you don’t have the easiest, most exciting, and aesthetically pleasing experience, but rather an experience you can complain about years later when you come back as a grumbling alumnus! So what are you waiting for? Log in and say goodbye to whatever hope you had left!
Eulogy for the Regents By EMILY CHEN Most of us had our first experience with Regents in eighth grade. Oh Regents, how could we describe you? Perhaps as statewide tests, measuring the amount of knowledge we had soaked up in a year of school? Or rather, how much information we could stuff into our brains in a night with coffee and Barron’s prep books? Especially within Stuyvesant, Regents were a testament to our general superiority in the New York City education system, an opportunity to raise the GPA that would eventually get us into the
top universities in the world and a chance to hide the 68 we got on our math final the previous semester. As most of you know, our lord and savior Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on March 20, 2020, that Regents have been taken away from us this June. When this was brought to your attention, I’m sure that most of you remembered the lovely times you had while taking these tests. Remember when you were on question 24 of the Geometry Regents and then you realized your scantron said number 25, so you went back and saw that
Sophia Li / The Spectator
you had skipped bubble number three? Or do you remember when you had just finished your Chemistry Regents, but you realized you had gotten a short answer question wrong, so you sat in Whole Foods with a calculator and plugged in numbers to see if your average would get the halfpoint boost it needed to round up to a 90? The Regents have been our saving grace these past few years, and we’d all like to thank them, wherever they are. I’m sure they’re in a better place with wellbehaved kids who treat them the way they deserve, proper wooden Ticonderoga pencils and all.
To the teachers and staff of Stuyvesant, I haven’t forgotten about you, just like how the Regents didn’t forget either. Remember Regents week? It was a perfect excuse to make students travel all the way to school, wait outside on the bridge in the freezing cold, and take tests worth 20 percent of their grades. Regents gave all of you a reason to drop tests, (though whether you did or did not depended on the person). For that, we are all eternally grateful. An old friend who many of us met back in eighth grade is now yet another victim to the
Ismath Maksura / The Spectator
coronavirus pandemic sweeping the nation. But, you ask, how can we properly pay tribute to the Regents in the midst of a pandemic? First, we cannot consider them just another victim. They will always be with us. You will remember them when your test average of that one class remains the same, you make THAT post in the Buying and Selling Facebook group with all of your test prep books, and you realize that you missed out on your chance to take a fat nap in a classroom without a teacher deducting your classwork grade.
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Humor And Now, An Announcement from the College Board By HELENA WILLIAMS Hello, Stuyvesant students. It’s me, David Coleman, the Lucifer you’ve probably never heard of because none of you have tried to bribe me for test scores like the Loughlins. However, the rumors are true: I’m CEO OF THE COLLEGE BOARD! Mwahaha! My reason for reaching out to you, as always, is to inflict the maximum amount o f
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if you were studying for an SAT II exam, you’re double-screwed! For those of you who already took the test in 2019, we’ve ensured that half of your favorite colleges no longer want good test scores, meaning that your precious 1590s are USELESS! Or… how should I put it? Does “given less weight in the holistic admissions process”
The Spectator
pain while raking in the greatest amount of profit. This is, of course, why we canceled the June 6, 2020, SAT administration: you’ve already spent all your money on getting practice tests and textbooks, but now you can’t take the test. And
sound right to you? Man, I love rubbing in just how hard I’ve pawned all of you. Now that I’ve graduated from Stuy, I get to come back and give you guys nightmares! It’s the perfect revenge! Now that we’ve put that aside, I’ve got a NEW change to the Ad-
vanced Placement (AP) exams to announce! We’re actually making them all 15 minutes long. You heard me right: this year’s AP students, the ones who thought they were so cool for taking advanced classes, will have WORTHLESS test scores! All of your Princeton Review and Barron’s books? Pointless! And just to ensure that these tests won’t count for anything, they’re going to be, well, different. I’d urge you to examine the test formats below to comprehend this. AP Computer Science A Exam Description: Students will have five minutes to read and respond to Question 1 and then five minutes to upload their responses. After uploading the responses to Question 1, students will have five minutes to respond
to Question 2. Once their responses to Question 1 have been submitted, they cannot go back to them. Question 1 will be about how to add elements to ArrayLists, and Question 2 will be about how to use “for loops.” We’re not even kidding. This is somehow barely more specific than our 45-minute test format. But you’d better take it anyway since everyone else is, and you already paid for it! AP U.S. History Exam Description: Students will have 15 minutes to write an introductory paragraph with a thesis for a long essay question. The prompt will be derived from the time period between when the signers of the Declaration of Independence began signing the Declaration of Independence to when they finished, and it will be focused on the Revolutionary War. In fact, let’s just tell you the prompt: “Did the Americans win the Revolutionary War?” If you can write a good paragraph for this, then we’ll give you a 5. AP European History Exam Description: Because European History needs to be the hardest course we offer, we’re actually going to make this test
double the length of the other tests. That’s right: it’s a full HALFHOUR long. Students will have to complete 300 multiple choice questions, list all the kings of every European country in chronological order, list every single pope and what they did, and write five essays describing different viewpoints at the Congress of Vienna. If you manage to avoid dying during the test, we’ll still probably only give you a 2! AP Physics 1: Algebra-Based Exam Description: Students will have 15 minutes to… oh whatever, it’s just KINEMATICS! KINEMATICS! That’s all we’re testing you on. Can YOU divide 15 meters by three meters per second? And yes, that is the first and only question on the exam, so don’t make any memes about it because the contracts that minors sign are definitely legally binding. Bonus Round: The New SAT Exam Description: We still need colleges to take this test seriously so that we don’t lose any of our conspicuous amounts of money… well, drat.
The Curse of the Class of 2021 And the Causes of This Curse By KATHERINE KIBATULLIN As one of the most prestigious high schools in the city, there is no doubt that there is much to uncover at Stuyvesant. Your years at Stuyvesant may have raised many questions: How does one meet the ghost of Peter Stuyvesant? Why do the seniors keep saying he’s in the lecture halls when exactly two people are there embraced together? Why is it that day after day, I ascend, descend, and transcend those stairs yet never seem to gain any muscles? C’mon, where are my biker-worthy quads? My maximum gluteus maximus? Why do I never at least lose weight (hint: the large amounts of cookies bought from Ferry’s)? Are the humongous robotics team donations a cover to pay for the maintenance of the REAL robots: the Student Union (SU) presidents and vice presidents? I mean, $1 million? That’s a lot of money. What do they use it for? It’s obvious. Robotics team = robots. Obviously, they use it for making SU robots. Plus, I’ve literally never met Vishwaa Sofat. I mean, I think he was the guy in front of me in AP U.S. Government, but was it REALLY HIM? You can’t prove that it was him. It probably wasn’t. How come my socks are always wet? And… the SU never takes my applications. I mean, I’m everything they could want in a member. I have all the defining traits of a good applicant: I am corrupt philanthropic, I embody the TRUE voice of the student body, and I am very hot. But year after year, application after application, they never ever even consider me for second rounds! It’s probably because the SU is exclusive to ROBOTS! Specifically, THEIR robot members that they plant in the student body to make it seem like they’re hiring. And another thing— Why do my teachers only respond to my emails at 3:00 a.m.? How come when my teachers see
me approaching, they run in the other direction? (Did they leave something in their classroom? I’ll wait for them. I’ll wait.) Yet the biggest question our juniors have been asking themselves lately is this: Why have all my years at Stuy gone to [EXPLETIVE]? And that’s not referring to our poor life choices, grades, or mental health. No, you see, year after year, us future graduates of 2021 have faced toil and trouble adjusting to this school, only to be met with disaster dogging our footsteps at every turn. Just look at what we’ve experienced in our freshman and sophomore years and look at what we’re living through now as juniors. Fear and terror, f e e t eating
escalators, fires in elevators, and now, quarantine as the city scrambles to rearrange itself to meet new challenges. Plus, you know, the usual workload your hellish teachers dump on your broken backs. You stay up late trying to finish it all, cursing your teachers all the way (though you might have finished it earlier if you had stopped playing Minecraft earlier). There’s no reason to think that the cause of it all could be, y’know, your poor life decisions combined with other people’s poor life decisions. What could possibly be the cause of the turmoil throughout our years at Stuyvesant? So, we juniors have come to a conclusion: we are cursed! But how? I’ve come up with
several reasons as to why this could be happening to us. Reason Numero Uno: By forcing Principal Contreras to stay, we’ve doomed ourselves. Let me explain: Mr. Contreras was ready to leave at the beginning of our Stuyvesant years. Granted, it was because of the DOE’s meddling fingers in our Stuyvesant pie, but still, he announced his
zodiac. Wait, wait, don’t leave just yet! This isn’t some sorta Libra crap! Listen: the first year here, 2018 was the Year of the Dog. The next year, it was the Year of the Pig. This year is the Year of the Rat. What do all of these animals have in common? They poop a lot. No wonder your life has gone to the crapper. What, you want to reverse your luck? You’d have better luck nailing a horseshoe to your head. Yeah, t h a t ’s
Susannah Ahn / The Spectator
resignation at the beginning of the year, and then the toe-ripping escalator incident happened. Then, Principal Contreras saw how important and vital he was to our community and chose to stay. Stuyvesant hasn’t changed since then… or has it? I mean, I’m pretty sure only the Latin teachers could chant ancient Latin invocations. Actually, maybe they couldn’t before. They do now, though. They all do now. And whenever Mr. Moran is nearby on the fifth floor, the lights flicker ominously, and my iPhone begins to play the screams of disembodied tormented voices, which is new, but it lets me know when to hide my phone, so I’ll take it. Reason Two: The Chinese
right, next year is the Year of the Ox. Ox are basically mean cows. Have you ever seen a cow poop? (And if you think you have seen one do that, well, that’s just [EXPLETIVE].) The Final Reason: It’s all a scheme made by the true conspirators: the SU robots! Obviously, who else has the funds to run this sort of long-term con? Not President Trump, for sure. Oh, their plan took the long road for sure. It’s been set since the day you stepped into this school. First, they prime you with those “Big Sibs.” They prep you for life at Stuyvesant, cheering you up when you’re down, always hanging around. Whenever you feel any sort of great amount of
emotion, the Big Sibs are there to guide you through it. But in actuality, they’re selecting the level of emotion you should feel regarding things like grades and certain teachers. Also, “Big Sib” stands for “Business Informatics Government Simulation Interface Beef ”. The next step was to acquire further machinery, but the robotics team demanded the Big Cash™. Of course, the SU needed more funding to reach that million, so they turned to their side businesses, including illicit sales in the boys’ bathroom on the 13th floor and hustling Principal Contreras. However, Principal Eric Contreras told them that they needed the money to keep the (extremely outdated) escalators running. In the SU’s eyes, though, that was funding they weren’t getting. That meant the escalators needed to go: thus, the “Sudden Collapse” occurred. Wow, now all the escalators are shut down? How unfortunate, Principal Contreras. And then, the Robotics Team got their million. (They didn’t really need that much, but who’s going to say anything, huh?) Soon, the items were ready: brainwave-manipulating interference frequencies. These, of course, used the school’s WiFi, thus weakening its signal. However, it was of no matter to the SU. The quarantine provided ample time for the devices to gain the most power without the WiFi being used by the smelly gym-uniform-clothed freshmen on the half-floor. Once we’ve all returned to school, we’ll all be ready to be subjugated by our SU superiors. The SU’s first act from this point is to sekhser aser aoser aoseraseraoseraseraosehroashero ia seroiasheroaisehroaisheroiahesr oieshr aoisehraoseihroaies
The Spectator • May 1, 2020
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Humor Pants Made Mandatory on All Zoom Calls By KRISTA PROTEASA
idea to yank Indechaet’s laptop by the keyboard and drag it off of his bed at the perfect angle. Needless to say, an image appeared on all the participants’ screens that shall be permanently b r a n d e d into their memories
Sophie Poget / The Spectator
It has come to The Spectator’s attention that a group of students has chosen to live life on the WiLd sIdE and only dress the top halves of their anatomies while attending their online classes. Personally, I believe that this is absolutely despicable. While all our teachers now mandate us to present ourselves in the way we would in our usually confining classrooms, students have exhibited a lot of liberty in abiding by that rule, as the teachers’view of them is restricted to their top halves. So, as the best Spec Humor reporter in existence, I have decided to take on this project and discuss an incident regarding that liberty to perhaps show my extensive capabilities and worthiness and so that my editors won’t send me back to the writing plantation. Let me get into the juicier details of the real reason why pants have been made a requirement. It all started on March 27, 2020, when there was a high of 69 degrees and a low of 50 degrees.
A Stuyvesant student, sophomore Ef Indechaet, decided it would be of the utmost intelligence to not wear pants during a Zoom call with his European Literature class. Keep in mind that Indechaet has a very hyperactive dog. Anyway, this class started as any Zoom call does: with an unnerving amount of awkward silence followed by English teacher, Haed Enuff, returning from confidential teacher duties 12 minutes late because he has the power to do as he pleases. Enuff greeted the caffeinedeprived class as they all reminisced about the days when they didn’t have to see their “lovely” classmates in the comfort of their own homes. Enuff proceeded to give the students a prompt to respond to, and as they were doing so, Indechaet’s rather large dog decided it would be an astounding
for as long as they live. Well, you can probably guess what they said.
Indechaet now has a very colorful nickname in their group chat: “genitals.” I asked Indechaet to share his thoughts on the matter. “Please, wear pants,” he said. “I don’t know what I was thinking. I really thought I was about to hack the system. The system ended up hacking me.” Rookie mistake. I also decided to ask Indechaet’s close friend in that class, sophomore Skaardfohr Lyf, about the incident. When I Zoom-called her for an interview, I found her repeating the phrase “There were no pants. Why were there no pants? There were no pants. Why were there no pants,” over and over while rocking back and forth on the floor. This went on for a good hour until I had to leave. Clearly, Indechaet’s mistake has made a very lasting impression on his peers. To avoid any future incidents featuring this R-rated content, Stuyvesant has implemented a rule requiring all students to wear pants to video calls, effective immediately. You also might be
wondering how this will work because of how a certain school policy has a notorious reputation of being broken frequently. Unfortunately, the enforcement of this new law comes at the expense of some privacy. At the start of every video call, students and teachers alike will be required to present their clothed undersides for assurance. While dubious and barely legal, this requirement is justified, considering the immense embarrassment you are now saved from experiencing. Indechaet is doing fine now, in case you were wondering. Granted, he still wakes up to mountains of mockery in his inbox every morning, but he’s sure to live this down as soon as the next big thing happens, like a chameleon learning to skateboard or “Teletubbies” (1997-2001) returning for season five. There will be no more frolicking in your own selfconfidence as long as your camera is on during a Zoom call and there are other people who can see you. It is for the greater good.
Spending Your Free Time Wisely By LOGAN RUZZIER Now that we’ve all been encapsulated by a membrane of 11:00 a.m. coffee and the grease from our computer screens, it is finally time to get off of your (hopefully) sanitized ass and get some stuff done. It is an absolutely smashing time to tackle what you were too busy to attempt otherwise. Here is a list to whip you back into shape and leave you feeling more fulfilled than ever: 1. Go work out. It is important that not only your wrist stays in shape. While the gyms may be closed, there are plenty of exercises you can do at home! Despite popular belief, leg lifts and five-pound dumbbells aren’t only for prissy, middleaged women. Don’t you want to be one of those show-offs who max out their score on the FitnessGram? Those 75 curl-ups aren’t as challenging as the gym teacher makes them out to be. 2. Discover a new hobby. It is finally time to make use of the things you have but never use. Use that baking soda Uncle Jack got you that one time as a gag gift. Reverse engineer your DS Lite from 2011. Use those drafting supplies you dumped in your
closet to draw an orthographic projection of your neighbor’s cat. 3. Descend into a trancelike state after several consecutive hours of online content consumption. This feat is accomplished by blinding your mind’s eye and silencing your inner voice, diminishing reality to only the screen in front of you. This is a necessary transitory state for adjusting to your new life behind closed doors. Dulling the pleasure receptors in your brain is the first step to the complete enjoyment of your time off. 4. Find out if your house has lead paint. This is actually really important to do since you and your family could be in serious danger. The best way to do this is to scrape chips of paint off the walls in different parts of your home. Then, taste them. That’s right, put them right into your mouth and chew them thoroughly. If the paint tastes slightly sweet, that means there is lead in it and you need to remove it immediately because breathing it in can lead to various health consequences, such as fatigue and mental retardation. 5. Organize your living quarters, redecorate your room, and rearrange your living room furniture. The same setting is bound to get dull eventually, so
it is important to switch things up so you don’t start tearing your hair out. Also, it is about time you pack up that K-pop poster in your room. It isn’t doing you any
favors. 6. Hang out in your backyard. It’s probably the first time you’ve stepped out there in six years, anyway. It has been shown that being in nature has a good effect on your mental health. Being away from all of your friends is no excuse to get depressed. Get that vitamin D. If
you don’t have a garden, just open your top floor window and reach out as far as you can. Same thing. 7. Reshingle your roof. Now that you’ve got all this time
to spare, it is important that you ward off water damage in your home. It is also a valuable step toward gentrifying your neighborhood and keeping the lower classes out! Now that you’re up there, consider sunbathing on it to encourage a healthy lifestyle. 8. Finally, write that biography on Kaiser Wilhelm
II. This is probably the most essential item on this list. In these trying times, it is important to focus on education and not repeating history’s mistakes. The world, more than anything else, needs to know this great historical figure’s story. Instead of spending time with your family, chilling out to reduce stress, or preparing for the economic Armageddon that will soon be upon us, you should learn about Kaiser Wilhelm II. He should be the focus of all your energy, the goal of your faculties, and the axis around which your will revolves. He should be the skeleton which the flesh and muscles of your soul bend and contort around. Without Wilhelm II, there might have never been the First World War! I highly recommend following the advice contained within this comprehensive list for the sake of your sanity and the betterment of the world around you. It is vital for all of us to stay strong in these trying times and give support to those who need it. If you don’t follow these guidelines, you will definitely get sick. Whether it’s a result of accidental exposure to an infected person or from drinking the water I contaminated, you’ll never know.
What Your Quarantine Activity Says About You By CAROLINE PICKERING Ms. Rona has kept us trapped in our houses for one and a half months as of May 1! Of course, that means we have to come up with new ways of running from our problems, all without leaving the safety and comfort of our own homes. Instead of succumbing to the darkness of being alone with our thoughts, everyone is trying something new. Here is my 100 percent real, factual, evidencebased analysis of the type of person you are based on your quarantine activities. • If you’re going on family walks, you’re too afraid of your parents to tell them you don’t want to spend time with them.
You also live in Brooklyn. • If you’re binge-watching Netflix, you think you’re super hip and trendy, but you’re really just annoying! Have fun living with yourself, because no one else does! • If you’re listening to music, you’re actually a qualified culture expert. • If you’re learning TikTok dances, I hope you get the virus. I don’t have anything to say about your personality. • If you’re going outside for non-essential reasons and hanging out with friends, you’re gonna catch these hands! Stay home! • If you’re actually doing your schoolwork, you’re a nerd, but you’re also the only one of your friends who isn’t getting beaten
by their parents. Stay strong, my fellow scholars. • I f
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you’re baking, you’re the favorite child right now. • If you’re trying to study for the SAT or the ACT, either your parents are really strict, or you’re a people pleaser who shouldn’t be trusted. • If you’re doing something creative like writing, making music, or painting, quarantine has affected you more than the average person, and this is your coping mechanism. You tell yourself it’s helping, but in reality, it’s just giving you an even bigger existential crisis! • If you’re exercising, I doubt you can even READ this
article from your high, high, oh so very high horse. You also are way too worried about your selfimage. • If you’re just doing nothing proactive to help your future self, you should become a part of the federal government. You’ll fit right in! • If you’re learning a new language or other skill, you are filled with seething, unbridled rage for the Ice Age Baby. I don’t understand you, but I respect you. • If you’ve succumbed to the void that is your own mind and are drowning in the realization of the extent of your childhood trauma that has shaped you into the disgusting, decrepit leech on society’s back that you are today, congratulations!
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The Spectator ● May 1, 2020
Sports Sports Editorial
By JOSHUA SPEKTOR Ever since the crash and burn of the original XFL in 2001, fans of both football and professional wrestling have shared a strong sentiment that WWE tycoon Vince McMahon would be willing to rectify what is often cited as one of his all time greatest public failures. After all, it was his baby, and if the annual spectacle that is WrestleMania is anything to go off of, it’s clear that he doesn’t give in until his big idea prevails. Though it may have taken 17 long years and a list of other public relations nightmares too long to write out, McMahon finally chose to take on the challenge of reviving the spring football league, announcing its debut for 2020. Unlike the previous XFL, which sought to capitalize on the soaring popularity of both the WWF and NFL in the early 2000s, this rejuvenated version was to be more focused on the NFL’s shortcomings, like slow gameplay and many off-field controversies. Instead of compensating for terrible football with intertwined wrestling storylines and scantily clad cheerleaders, it would provide an enjoyable, fast-paced, and professional product for the fans. Basically, it would try to provide what the NFL couldn’t: more fun in football. And on many fronts, this XFL delivered. The shorter play clock, the three-point conversions, the double forward passes, and the new punt return rules all introduced a level of freshness to the gameplay. The football was sound enough to draw attention from NFL teams looking to bolster their own rosters (and would eventually help 14 of its early standouts, including passing yards and touchdown leader PJ Walker and interceptions leader
Mayhem in McMahonland
Deatrick Nichols, earn another chance in the big league). The league’s all-access approach to presentation, from sideline interviews during games to live sound from the players and coaches during playcalls and in the locker room, made for an environment suitable for new fans of football as well as those wishing to experience something they couldn’t with the NFL. Above all, the league seemed to have elements of light-heartedness and fun that allowed it to immediately gain traction with fans. Not only were the players given the freedom to be their unique selves, whether during sideline i n t e r-
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prove to be true, as it was only a matter of weeks before the league realized that it was not financially immune to the pandemic, resulting in the termination of the majority of its staff and its filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. These filings, however, opened up a whole new can of worms in McMahon’s more established WWE empire, as it was revealed that WWE owned almost a quarter of the Class B stock shares in the XFL—contrary to his earlier claims that the two were entirely separate entities. Moreover, XFL commissioner Oliver Luck could not be found on the list of creditors,
views or in the locker rooms, but the fans were also encouraged to join in on the excitement and develop their own signature traditions. And then, of course, the coronavir us ruined everything. After only five weeks of play, the upstart league was forced to suspend its inaugural season on March 12, following similar action from the NBA and NHL; it initially told its fans that it would be able to resume operations the following year. Unfortunately, this statement did not
despite apparently being on a contract owing him a guaranteed $25 million over the first five XFL seasons. This reckless lack of transparency has already caused several lawsuits from both WWE shareholders and Luck to fly Mc-
Mahon’s way. McMahon is absolutely no stranger to being reckless in dire situations. Though his escapades have mostly remained within the walls of his WWE bubble due to wrestling’s negative image in mainstream culture, he might now be under a bigger microscope than ever, considering his decision to continue live programming without an audience from his Orlando Performance Center venue while all other live events are down. He was granted the opportunity after a baffling (but most definitely politically motivated) decision from Florida governor Ron DeSantis to give the WWE and other sporting media “essential business” status in an executive order. Apparently, the reason WWE had continued running live shows was to honor its $400 million television contracts w i t h Fox and NBCUniversal, which only allowed them to pre-record three shows a year. Despite the fact that they could run shows to full capacity and still make most of their income, the company still chose to claim financial troubles and follow through with mass cuts to their roster on April 15, releasing dozens of wrestlers and furloughing a portion of its other employees. The fact that McMahon had publicly committed to investing $500 million in the XFL over its first three seasons makes this decision all the more confusing. All this does is ironically ex-
pose the WWE’s financial stranglehold to performers. It always has the ability to offer the most lucrative deals in order to keep the talent it will never use from working for other companies, but now that those other companies cannot operate, they have become expendable. It’s truly abhorrent, but there’s little the wrestlers can do about it because in the eyes of the company, they are merely independent contractors with no bargaining power. Despite the fans’ visible frustration with the company and plummeting television ratings, the show will amble on. Though considering the dozens of personnel working in the confines of the venue and all the performers constantly being flown in and out of Florida at a time when social distancing is paramount, it’s only a matter of time before everything starts going even more downhill for McMahon. After all, it had already been confirmed earlier in April that an employee had tested positive for coronavirus, though the company later dismissed it as a nothing-to-see-here matter. In all of this mess, there appears to be a pretty interesting pattern developing. Vince McMahon has always been notoriously involved as the owner of the WWE, but the unprecedented success of the new XFL in the short time it was alive (in contrast to its gimmicky forerunner) proved that a more hands-off approach can sometimes be better for business. However, especially in times of uncertainty such as now, some things are just bigger than business. And though McMahon’s people might have already helped him figure that out with football, he might have no choice but to make that call himself with the WWE.
Sports Editorial
By BERNARD WANG With two minutes left on the clock, Grant Lindsley of the New York Empire launched a forehand throw from midfield. Cowbells clanged and “oohs” and “ahhs” filled the air as the frisbee darted 50 yards across the field, its white shell piercing the purple clouds of the summer evening sky. As the disc began its descent, two players sprang up from the ground, one vying to catch the disc and the other vehemently attempting to knock it away. The audience watched in suspense as it hung in the air until it was finally caught by the tallest person on the field—6’6’’ Empire player Ben Jagt—who came down with the disc tightly secured in both hands. With that, the Empire’s lead over the Dallas Roughnecks increased to 25-22, garnering immense applause from the bleachers. It was momentous for the Empire, as the team had all but sealed its victory in the 2019 American Ultimate Disc League (AUDL) Championship game. The NY Empire went on to win the national championship game with a final score of 26-22, capping off a season that was historic in many ways. The Empire went undefeated throughout the entirety of its season, becoming the first team in AUDL history to do so and leading the franchise to its first-ever championship. While several teams from other sports have also experienced a level of success and dominance simi-
Hammers, Championships, and Spirit: A Fresh Look at Ultimate Frisbee
lar to that of the Empire, only a tiny fraction of mainstream sports fans are aware of the undefeated AUDL champions’ existence. Ultimate frisbee, also referred to as ultimate, is one of the most underrated and under-covered sports in the world. Very few people know how to play ultimate, let alone follow the various frisbee leagues and teams that play throughout the country. While it’s not yet part of mainstream sports culture, there are many aspects of ultimate that make throwing frisbees more than just everyone’s favorite picnic activity. Ultimate frisbee was invented in a New Jersey high school in 1968 and has been expanding ever since. Ultimate is played in a similar fashion as football or soccer, but it has its own unique rules and tempo. Each team consists of seven players who work together to score by completing a pass into the opposing team’s endzone. Players have 10 seconds to throw the frisbee to a teammate, and they are not allowed to move while they are holding the disc. If the disc hits the ground or is caught by a player from the defending team, a turnover occurs, resulting in an immediate change of the team in possession of the disc. Everyone but the person in possession of the disc is in constant motion, so all players must be capable of playing both offense and defense. There are two standard positions in ultimate: cutter and handler. Cutters mostly operate downfield, while handlers
are the main throwers on the team. However, both positions are very fluid, allowing players to fill in as needed. Ultimate utilizes elements from other sports, but it still stands out in many key ways. Like in football, players have to make their way down the field and score in one of the two end zones. Like in soccer, players pass the object of play—in this case, a disc—back and forth, and are constantly moving until either team scores. However, unlike most sports, no score can be executed unassisted, making ultimate a true team game. The assist—and the assist to the assist—is just as valuable as the catch in the end zone. One of the most unique traits of ultimate frisbee is that it is mostly self-refereed. From high school leagues to club championships, it is very rare to see referees. Instead, players call their own fouls. In the case that foul disputes do occur on the field, players must resolve it amongst themselves. Sometimes observers —designated people who provide sideline perspectives— are present, but the final ruling comes from the two players involved, proving that ultimate truly is a sport that prides itself on sportsmanship and competition. Ultimate encourages players to embrace the “spirit of the game,” an official phrase in ultimate terminology that reinforces the idea that competitive play progresses with respect between players. Allowing the players to discuss foul calls is
a testament to the integrity that all ultimate players are proud to possess. It is one thing to learn the rules, but another thing to actually play the game. One of the most beautiful yet challenging aspects of ultimate is that there are many more ways to pass a frisbee than to throw a football or shoot a basketball. The basic throws that all players learn first are the forehand and backhand. Overhand throws are trickier to learn, but are very useful as they are hard to stop. Hammers and scoobers, two types of overhand throws, can be uncorked just outside the reach of any outstretched arms. Another challenge most throwers face is knowing how to precisely angle the disc before releasing it and the amount of spin that needs to be applied in different playing conditions. Even a little bit of wind warrants a large adjustment to throwing mechanics; throwing against the wind is vastly different from throwing downwind or without wind at all. Playing ultimate on the highest level requires familiarity with all of these variables; mastering every frisbee throw is a true test of skill and technique. Many ultimate frisbee leagues have emerged since the sport was invented over half a century ago. It is played at the college, club, and professional level in America, with many players playing in multiple leagues at the same time. The AUDL held its first season in 2012 and has been the longest
standing professional men’s league since. However, many national club teams have existed even before the creation of the AUDL, displaying skill levels equal to, if not better than, those displayed by professional teams. Club teams even have their own Triple Crown Tours, consisting of the U.S. Open, Pro Championships, and National Championships. There are also a few notable international tournaments. The World Ultimate And Guts Championship is held every four years, and the World Junior Ultimate Championship is held every two years with U-24 (under 24) and U-20 (under 20) age groups. For these two tournaments, the best players from each participating country come together to compete for their respective nation. In addition, the World Club Championship, which features games between the best club teams in the world, is held every four years. Tournaments are usually divided into men’s, women’s, and mixed divisions, each of which further divides into different age groups. While ultimate frisbee is still not considered a mainstream sport, it has gained plenty of attraction in the past couple of decades. Frisbee will be getting more national airtime, as the AUDL has recently signed a two-year deal with Fox Sports 2. continued on page 28
The Spectator ● May 1, 2020
Page 27
Sports Athlete of the Issue
How This Tennis Player Serves His Game to Emory University
By AKI YAMAGUCHI
biggest struggles? I sent my first e-mail to coaches right after my sophomore year— that summer between sophomore and junior year. A bunch of coaches watched me play that summer because I had a bunch of national events. I started taking unofficial visits spring semester of junior year and I kept in touch with everyone. Emory made their final decision this summer after junior year and they saw me play all the nationals. We kept talking and I finally took some official visits in September of my senior year. I committed on September 14. For me, [the biggest struggle] was junior year because I had both a full schedule and tennis.
Courtesy of Sujay Sharma
Sujay Sharma Height: 5’9” Eye color: Brown Hair color: Black Birthday: 4/6/2002
1. When did you start playing tennis? I started when I was five years old. My brothers played recreationally and I used to watch them. That’s how I got interested—they got me a racket and I started playing.
3. Do you focus on singles or doubles? Are there any skills you want to improve on? [Coaches] look at both. A lot of times, they take people who aren’t as good at singles but really good at doubles, because they want double wins, too. For me, I’ve always been more of a singles player, so that
2. What was your recruitment process like? What were your
Coach of the Issue
Courtesy of John Carlesi
Coach John Carlesi Height: 5’7 Eye color: Brown Hair color: Who knows? He’s bald. Birthday: 8/29/1967 Coaching at Stuy for 17 years.
2. How did you get to Stuyvesant from Lincoln? Long story—the Stuyvesant baseball team was coming down to a baseball camp in Florida, which my family owned. As I was working there, the former coaches asked if I would work with some players. The second year Stuyvesant went down to Florida, that’s when they
4. How was your experience on the Stuyvesant tennis team? I liked the whole team atmosphere when it came to tennis—it’s very individual. I liked playing on the team because it’s more fun to have people support you and all that. 5. How do you deal with schoolwork and tennis? Any tips? I didn’t really deal with it well because it was working smarter, not harder. For me, it was focusing
on the subjects where I struggled more. I would be spending more time on physics than U.S. History. I also had to take three APs, which was very tough, but it was all subjects that I liked, so it was easier for me to do all that. It was about working smarter rather than putting [in] all the hours studying. I think I finessed pretty well. The academics do matter more. You’ve been practicing for so long, so you can afford to take the time to study because it’s junior year and your most important year. Get all the standardized stuff like the SAT done quickly. When I took it, it was in October or November, so I got it done pretty early. That helped me because I had time to focus on my actual schoolwork as a result. 6. What would be your advice for anyone who wants to be recruited for a college-level sport? Communication is very important. I did not send any e-mails because I was lazy and it hurt me a little bit. Try to maintain commu-
An Interview With a SuperCoach
By SAM LEVINE
1. How did you get into coaching? Well, since I was a little kid, my family purchased a baseball camp and I was always around top-notch coaches. During my senior year of college, I was asked to coach the junior varsity team and to be a starter on the varsity team. After college, since I didn’t get picked up by any major league team, I decided to go into teaching, which led me to becoming a coach. I started at Lincoln High School as the junior varsity coach.
helped me. My gameplay is suited for college tennis, which a lot of coaches like[d] and wanted to develop. When I visited Emory, I saw one of the practices and it was a lot of fitness. It’s really hot down there—it’s like 100 degrees—and the coach [was] making us run sprints for two hours. It’s a lot of fitness, so I need to improve on that in order to keep up in college. I didn’t really have the time for that at Stuyvesant.
asked if I was interested in coming on as a coach because the former coach was going to retire. 3. What is your favorite memory so far during your time coaching at Stuyvesant? It was 2008. We were 6-8, and we had to be .500 to make the playoffs. It came down to the last two games against Beacon, which has always been a big rival. We won the first game, and then, we had to win the second game. It came down to the bottom of the seventh at [Pier 40], and a kid hit a walkoff to get us into the playoffs. It was exciting.
4. What is the funniest thing that’s happened during your time coaching? There are so many funny things. It’s more of what Stuyvesant players say instead of do because of the lack of common sense. We were leaving NYC during Easter break, and they had to deice the plane. One of the players noticed all the smoke around the plane and asked me what they were doing. I told him they were deicing the plane because there was snow coming down. After a week went by in Florida, we were boarding the plane on Easter Sunday, and as we got on the plane, the same kid noticed the condensation coming down from the AC unit on the plane. He turned to me and said, “Look, coach. They must be deicing the plane.” I looked at him with that “are you serious” face, and I said to him: “It’s 93 degrees outside, and we’re in Florida. What ice?” He looked at me and said: “Oh yeah, I forgot.” That was the funniest thing that was said. The funniest thing that ever happened is when a kid slid one time and lost his pants in the middle of a game. He stood up and didn’t realize it, and he was just standing there in his jockstrap. 5. What is the biggest
challenge as a coach? At Stuyvesant, coaches obviously get what they get. They can’t pick and choose their athletes. So, every year, coaches are in the dark of what types of athletes are coming in, and you hope that you can get two or three athletes each year. 6. What’s the best individual performance by a Stuyvesant player that you’ve seen? It had to be Nolan Becker’s (‘09) perfect game with all strikeouts. There was only one foul ball and it was a very late swing. There was one batter he actually went 3-0 on and he came back and threw three straight strikes and struck him out. We mercied the team in six innings, so it was 18 strikeouts that game. That year, he was a senior and he won the Wingate award, which is like the Heisman Trophy of high school sports. His plaque is actually in [Peter] Bologna’s office. Nobody [respected] the perfect game; they kept talking to him and laughing with him, and I was getting mad. Nobody realized until about the fourth inning that nobody had gotten on base yet. 7. What advice do you have for young athletes?
nication with the coaches as much as you can. Try to show that you’re interested, and if you are at a showcase, try to talk to the coaches. One of their major things on top of your game is your personality and how you would fit on the team, so that’s very important—more important than you think. 7. What is your proudest memory and funniest memory? I won a pretty big nationals competition when I was eleven years old. During high school, I also made finals of two pretty big nationals, so that was pretty fun. My funniest memory has to be when I played tennis in a hot dog costume on Halloween. Drink of Choice: Chocolate milk Favorite food: Buffalo chicken pizza Motto to live by: Trust the process. Fun fact: I have a bichon frise named Lia.
Follow your dreams. If you want something hard enough, you’ll work at it and you’ll find the time to put into it. You’ll find your academic time and you’ll find your athletic time and you need to balance both of them out because being on a team is probably the coolest thing you can do in high school. 8. What were you looking forward to most about this season before the coronavirus hit? I wanted to see how the younger guys were going to cope with it, since the sophomores are pretty much the key to our season this year. Other than the four seniors, they make up the base of the whole team. I really wanted to see how [the] guys were going to do under pressure and I wanted to see some of [those] guys’ first time playing on varsity baseball. I liked what I saw in the fall and at the beginning of the season, but I would’ve liked to see it under pressure and in league games. Drink of Choice: Iced Tea Favorite food: Dumplings Motto to live by: It’s a good day when you wake up breathing. Fun fact: I love superman things.
How Have Sports Made You a Better Person? By THE SPORTS DEPARTMENT
As athletes and spectators, sports play a pivotal role in our lives, constantly pushing us to be better versions of ourselves. Join the Sports department as we reflect on the ways in which sports have made us better people.
Julianne Yotov, junior “I am constantly amazed by just how much I have learned from sports. Just a few months after I joined a running club team in the fourth grade, I began to realize the importance of being part of a team. I learned how to work with my teammates to achieve a common goal. I learned how to celebrate collective and individual accomplishments and to learvn from disappointments. Most importantly, I learned how to be a compassionate teammate. I continue to discover how to be a better teammate each and every day. Quite simply, being a member of a team has helped me realize the importance of taking pride in your team’s success and contributing as a supportive teammate.
Rudolph Merlin, junior “I have been in love with soccer since I was four—I began playing in a recreational league. As I got older, it got more serious, and I was always eager to take my skills to the next level—to learn more and to be better. I suffered a huge setback a couple of years ago, though. It destroyed my confidence and it took away my sense of desire to play soccer. But soccer, like all sports, has a way of inspiring you. It tells the story of professionals who obtained fame and wealth from practically nothing. And if they could do it, why can’t I? After taking a break, I slowly started to get back into my routine. Sports has given me a desire to win, to be aggressive on the field and be respectful off it. Sports pushed me to be the best athlete I could be. Entering my senior year, I hope to be just that.”
Yaqi Zeng / The Spectator
Shivali Korgaonkar, sophomore “I’ve been playing soccer since I was four. I’ve been a Giants and Lakers fan since I was born. When I was younger, I was never confident in the work I produced. I knew there was always someone smarter, faster, and better than me. Playing soccer allowed me to dedicate myself to something I loved, and I constantly sought improvement. I built my own voice on the field, and that was reflected in the classroom and in my friendships. Playing and watching sports taught me the importance of patience. One win is the result of numerous losses. I have seen and endured more failures than I can count, but I credit my ability to bounce back to sports.”
Sam Levine, sophomore “Sports have taught me more than one can imagine. Since I started playing baseball when I was probably three in my backyard, they came easily to me. But as I grew older and competition became better and more serious, it wasn’t enough to do well based on pure skill. I learned that in order to do well at something, whether it be sports or really anything, you have to work hard. I learned the quote, ‘Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard,’ and that’s something that I strive to live by on a daily basis.”
Krish Gupta, sophomore “I have been playing soccer ever since I can remember, and I am a huge sports fan as well. Sports have taught me so much about myself and about life in general. When I was younger, playing at Chelsea Piers came easily and naturally. As I got older, the competition increased and I had to work hard to become the best version of myself. Sports have taught me to have a strong work ethic—on and off the field. Also, playing soccer has allowed me to develop many friendships with people I never would have met otherwise. The sense of community that comes with playing team sports has taught me all about collaboration and encouragement, and it made me a happier person overall. Being a fan of New York franchises like the Giants and the Knicks is definitely tough sometimes (or in the Knicks’ case, all the time), but fanbases rally around each other despite their team’s incompetency and have taught me to bounce back and persist in the face of failure.”
Page 28
The Spectator ● May 1, 2020
THE SPECTATOR SPORTS Sports Editorial
The Only Way Liverpool Can Never Walk Alone By RUDOLPH MERLIN
By KRISH GUPTA Sports have been put at an unprecedented halt due to the COVID-19 outbreak, and leagues are scrambling to decide what to do with what remains of their seasons. The NBA has been suspended indefinitely. The Olympics have been postponed for a year. March Madness was canceled altogether. The English Premier League (EPL) is no different, and the season has been postponed until further notice. Unlike American sports leagues, the EPL has no playoffs, opening up the debate for whether runaway leader Liverpool should be handed its first Premier League trophy after an agonizing threedecade wait. Looking at the Premier League Table, it seems that Liverpool is the far and wide
Andrea Huang / The Spectator
The 2019-2020 Premier League season has been one of the most fascinating ones to date. This season has ushered in a new era of clubs, including Wolverhampton and Sheffield United, which are adding to the list of teams that can compete at the highest level. The hierarchy has changed with midtier clubs such as Burnley and Crystal Palace having several stints in the top seven and top-tier clubs such as Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur outside of the top five. Most impressive, though, is Liverpool’s rapid ascension to the top of the Premier League table. However, due to coronavirus concerns, we are unable to see how the season will finish, with only 24 percent of the season left to play. But despite that, throughout the near 30-game season, the 20 Premier League teams have shown millions their level of play at their best and their worst. It is only right that the best in the league clinches the title. As a result, Liverpool’s continuous dominance over the span of many months and large lead over its competition should be enough justification to award them the title. There are a few objections to giving Liverpool the title: Manchester City still has a chance to claim first place, some teams have played one less game than others (so the final standings are not solidified), and this was a shortened and inconclusive season. The first argument is undoubtedly the strongest. Manchester City has a chance, albeit a small one, to pull off a series of victories that would propel them to the top of the Premier League. However, it is important to mention that we can speculate about the outcome. The Premier League clubs have had more than enough time to compete amongst one another, and have had months to develop their best starting 11 and substitutes. Essentially, 29 games are enough to determine which team should be crowned champion from the current standings. Liverpool has been dominating its opponents since the beginning of this season and thus deserves the title. Giving the championship to a team during a shortened season is not a new concept. European soccer leagues, including the Belgian First Division A, have already awarded the title to its best team. Though many leagues, including Serie A and La Liga, hope to continue playing in the summer, with the current coronavirus crisis far from over, an early violation of social distancing laws will spark a resurgence that would put its clubs into financial difficulties yet again. From this debacle over championship rights arises another issue: relegation. If Liverpool doesn’t earn the title, should the bottom three teams be relegated? If relegation doesn’t take place, will the top two teams in the English Championship not be promoted as they rightfully should be? The third team to be promoted, which is determined from a playoff series between teams ranked third through sixth, does not need to be considered, as it would be impossible to determine who would advance because they will be unable to play their games due to coronavirus concerns—just like every other team in Europe.
Fortunately, there are a multitude of answers to this question. The Premier League can do anything to resolve this dilemma. Their first option would be to award Liverpool the title and not have relegation, let the top two teams of the Championship advance, and relegate five teams next season. This would increase the level of competition in the Premier League and would generate more profit for the clubs, thus solving—or at the very least limiting—the loss of their profits from this season. A second is Aston Villa (25 points), which has played one fewer game than the teams in 17th and 18th place (both which have 27 points). Therefore, the league can determine the result of the 29th game through a random number generator. Before every EPL match, analysts make predictions of the outcome, which are represented as percentages. The league could determine Aston Villa’s chances of winning, drawing, or losing to their next opponent and use a random number generator to determine the result. For example, consider a scenario in which Aston Villa has a 15 percent chance to win and a 20 percent chance to draw. If a number from one through 15 is generated, award Aston Villa with the win. If a number from 16 to 36 is drawn, give them the draw, and so forth. Opponents of this idea would argue that statistics don’t always accurately represent the outcome. In that case, the league can leave it up to chance: flip a coin. If it is heads, Aston Villa wins. If it is tails, Aston Villa loses. If Aston Villa supporters are unsatisfied with the decision, then perhaps their club should have played better to not be in the relegation zone in the first place. As I previously stated, 29 games is enough to determine the final result of the 2019-2020 season, especially one in which Liverpool has a 25 point lead. If the Premier League were to freeze the standings, that would automatically allow the top four teams to enter the UEFA Champions League next year, while the team that comes in fifth would enter the Europa League. However, UEFA is unsupportive of freezing the standings, and claims that the clubs of whatever league does so would risk not playing in the European competition next year. However, this should not be a concern for the clubs that qualify, and I support not having international competition next year. This would free up months for clubs and ease scheduling, giving each European League more time to play more games as compensation for the shortened season. The idea of playing out the remainder of the games in the summer without fans would do nothing to resolve the financial situation of smaller clubs, and would do nothing to change the amount of time they are reliant on financial support from UEFA and to a larger extent—FIFA. The coronavirus pandemic has destroyed the football season, but in the hearts of club supporters, it has not been forgotten, and let it never be forgotten. Every season ends with a champion, and with the current crisis, it is unreasonable to consider that the leagues will hastily finish their seasons. With all said, it is time for Liverpool to have its rightful place in history as 2019-2020 Premier League champion.
Halt the Celebrations
winner. Surely, if the Premier League had gone on, it would have comfortably won. But giving its players the title would rob its nearest competitor, Manchester City, of a chance, albeit 0.1 percent. If English soccer has taught us anything in the past few years, it’s that anything can happen. Look no further than 2015, when Leicester City won the league after entering the season with 5,000-1 odds. So you’re saying that there’s a chance? Always. If Liverpool is given the league title, the Premier League would be forced to continue with the normal relegation and qualification rules. The top four teams in the Premier League qualify for the prestigious UEFA Champion League, and the fifth place team makes the Europa Cup. Glancing at the standings, it is clear that there is a much tighter race to advance, with five teams within eight points of Chelsea, which holds the final Champions League spot. It would be blatantly unfair to award Chelsea a trip to the Champi-
ons League when several teams are just behind them, especially when factoring in strength of schedule. Chelsea was set to play Manchester City and Liverpool, in addition to several other top teams contending for its position, in their remaining nine matches. Wolverhampton and Sheffield United, in sixth and seventh place respectively, were surprise success stories this year and were close to taking down an English heavyweight and qualifying for the Champions League or Europa Cup. If the Premier League were to declare the rest of the matches null and void, these teams, which have spent time in lower divisions of English soccer, would be denied the opportunity of a lifetime. In addition, English soccer has a relegation system in which the bottom three teams of each division are demoted and the top three promoted into a superior division. The Premier League, being the top flight, is always the ultimate dream for small town clubs. This year, there is an extremely tight race to not be the one of three teams relegated from the Premier League. Norwich City, sitting at the bottom, has 21 points, Aston Villa has just four more, and above them there are three teams tied for 27 points. If Liverpool is given the title, Bournemouth would be robbed of its spirits by a tiebreaker on goal difference—just one goal. This excruciating reality has the potential to scar a franchise forever. The race to be promoted is just as tight in the second division of English soccer, the EFL Championship. The top two teams, Leeds United and West Brom, have relatively comfortable positions, but this is where it gets interesting. The next four teams on the standings are to compete in a playoff to claim the third spot to be promoted. There are eight teams within six points of qualifying for the playoff to send them to the greatest league in soccer. Teams receive massive bonuses to qualify for the Premier League, and it would be unjust to rob teams of that chance. In global soccer, it is not uncommon to see teams crumble from bankruptcy and financial hardship. Every year in the volatile cycle of English soccer, a few teams disappear from lower divisions, lacking funds to stay in the league. The most pragmatic solution the Premier League can take would be to resume games over the summer and play out the remaining season in front of no fans. Scheduling issues are inevitable, but this is the fairest way to ensure all teams get an equal chance to determine their own destiny. Don’t feel bad for Liverpool. Fans will likely just have to hold their “You’ll Never Walk Alone” victory renditions for a little while, perhaps making victory even sweeter when it comes. Conquering the 19 best teams in English soccer and a global pandemic to end a Premier League title drought spanning three decades? The Reds truly would be on top of the world.
Sports Editorial
continued from page 26 In addition, Youtuber and Empire player Marques Brownlee, better known as MKBHD, exposed millions of people to the sport through his posts on social media. Though the sport was excluded from the 2024 Olympics in Paris, the World Flying Disc Federation (WFDF) will apply to be included in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. Given the rich history of frisbee
Hammers, Championships, and Spirit: A Fresh Look at Ultimate Frisbee
in the United States, there’s a decent chance that the proposal will go through. The sport has grown quite a bit in New York City, and Stuyvesant is no exception. Started in the early 1980s, the Stuyvesant ultimate frisbee team, the Sticky Fingers, has enjoyed plenty of success in the city league, state championship tournament, and tournaments around the country against out-of-state teams. Head coach
Devon Huang took over in the 2008-2009 school year and is still the man in charge today. Not being a part of PSAL allows Stuyvesant ultimate frisbee to be a three-season sport, with outof-state tournaments held in the fall, conditioning practices held in the winter, and the city league held in the spring. Stuyvesant has three frisbee teams: the boys’ A Team, boys’ B Team, and girls’ team, with the boys’ A team and girls’ team being
strong competitors for the city and state titles every year. After both teams won their respective leagues in 2018, the Stuyvesant High School Alumni Association set up an endowment for the teams, marking a huge step forward for ultimate frisbee at Stuyvesant. Ultimate may not sell out giant stadiums like football and basketball do, but the future’s still bright for this rising sport. Maybe one day the AUDL will
rival the NBA and NFL as powerhouse leagues in America. But until then, the popularity of ultimate frisbee will continue to grow and the level of competition will continue to increase as new players discover the beauty of this exciting sport and veterans continue to push the bounds of the game they love so much. Hammers will be thrown, championships will be won, and athletes will play frisbee out of spirit and joy for the game.