Volume 112 Issue 14 by The Stuyvesant Spectator

The Stocktator The Stuyvesant High School Newspaper

Volume 112  No. 14

April 14, 2022

Mr. Peng: The Solo Act Stuyvesant’s Personal Finance elective was just implemented this school year, yet in the short time since the course was vitalized, its popularity has risen to the extent that students are requesting to audit the class. This semester, 67 seniors (nearly double the amount of seats available) requested it as their number one choice elective. However, the willingness of these students to sit on the floor in order to attend the class becomes less perplexing upon closer investigation. Advocates of the course have cited the in-depth curriculum and hands-on projects as evidence for accrediting Personal Finance among the most relevant classes available at Stuyvesant. The Personal Finance elective is taught by mathematics teacher David Peng (’06), a Stuyvesant alum all too familiar with the inadequate availability of financial literacy courses at Stuyvesant. Yet in the nine years Peng has gone from a student to teacher at Stuyvesant, similar frustrations regarding the lack of curriculum on necessary skills persist. “The school doesn’t really prepare anyone for finance. [Stuyvesant] prepares students really well for math—just the analytical parts, but in terms of actually understanding markets, there aren’t any courses,” Peng said. “When I wanted to buy a house, I had to teach myself, do my own research [...] There is a lot of nuance for things like even finding an apartment, finding a mortgage, applying for credit cards. These are things that schools don’t really teach well enough or don’t prepare students for.” Peng’s background in and personal experience with application of finance compelled him to design the course. “I created this course because I believe financial literacy is a fundamental course that needs to be taught well before you start working and making money,” Peng said. “The first source was during my househunting phase a few years ago. The whole process of budgeting, saving for a down payment, ap-

plying for mortgages, and understanding taxes was fascinating to me, but I can see how it can be very overwhelming or confusing to others.” Peng shares that though his personal experience with the applications of finance pushed him to design the course, a Spectator article titled “Calculus Before Checkbooks?” by Anisha Singhal was what caused him to present the idea to the administration. “Before the article was published, I had already planned out what I wanted to teach in the course and was ready to pitch the idea to former Principal Eric Contreras. However, when the pandemic hit and caused many electives to be cut, I felt it was inappropriate to introduce a new elective at the time,” Peng said. “The week

savings, credit, student loans, and the college financial aid process. He originally planned for Personal Finance to be a full year course but condensed it to just one semester so more students could take the class. The purpose of the course is to allow students to apply these skills in their own lives. “Going into this class, there were many words being thrown around like mortgage, loans, credit score, and debt, terms that we’ve all heard in our lives, but we don’t know how they truly work. But luckily, this class will teach you everything you need to know to understand said terms,” senior Fahim Khan said. Senior Arian Rahman also added how the class has aided him in the college application process. “It’s also incredibly helpful if you’re a senior applying to college.

that Spectator Opinions piece came out, I decided to meet with Principal Seung Yu and [Assistant Principal of Math and Computer Science Eric Smith] to discuss introducing this course for the fall semester. They were both fully supportive of the idea and wanted to proceed with creating the course.” The material covered in Peng’s 12-unit course includes checking,

The only reason I was able to understand any of the terms in my financial aid letter was because of Personal Finance,” he said. “The class is a must-take and is honestly the most applicable class at Stuyvesant. I’d say that it should be a mandatory class for everyone, like Health.” Unlike a simple math course, Peng aims for the class to be application-based. He takes much

Afra Mahmud / The Spectator

By ISABELLA JIA, LAUREN LEE, MAYA NELSON, ANISHA SINGHAL, and JANNA WANG

“The Pulse of the Student Body” stuyspec.com

A Note to the Reader Dear Readers, While the “real world” may seem distant to us as high school students, it won’t be long before we’re seated in front of a stack of papers wondering how we’re supposed to pay back our college loan—and why we were never taught how to. While Stuyvesant currently offers a personal finance course, there is only one section available and it is limited to seniors, meaning that only a small fraction of the student body receives the basis of a financial education. In order to expand the educational opportunities at Stuyvesant, the Editorial Board has collected a variety of student voices and alumni anecdotes on how they would like to see financial literacy implemented in the Stuyvesant curricula. We’d like to extend a special thank you to Anisha Singhal for her exceptional and diligent work in organizing this project. We hope the administration will hear our concerns and consider placing more emphasis on such an essential topic that all students should be educated on. —Momoca Mairaj and Maya Nelson Editors-in-Chief of his course material from Next Gen Personal Finance, a nonprofit organization looking to implement personal finance into the curriculum of all American schools. “I think the big thing about class is that there are a lot of hands-on activities because personal finance is hands-on. You can’t really experience any of the things we experience in theory until we actually get to practice it,” Peng said. The projects are tailored to the students’ experiences. For instance, after college acceptances, seniors created personal budgets for college expenses based on the financial aid forms they received from their respective colleges. “I think this should be a requirement for all students because it better prepares them for financial decisions. I have learned so much from this class, and the knowledge I have gained will benefit me my entire life,” senior Khujista Umama said. Numerous students have expressed their appreciation for the class. “Amazing class, 10/10 would recommend. I learned a lot by going here, and it is a lifechanging experience. I feel less stressed about money now,” senior Yamin Rahma said. In addition, a survey conducted by The Spectator found that 100 percent of Personal Finance students would recommend the class to a friend. Because the class only has one section of students, students who could not enroll in the class

have been trying to audit it. “My request to take the class was not accepted, but I sit in on the classes when I can to absorb some of the essential information Mr. Peng is teaching,” senior Sarah Cheyney recounted. Peng also noted that over the years, Stuyvesant has maintained continuity in limiting its finance courses to standalone electives. Though decentralized electives are not uncommon at Stuyvesant, dependency on individual teachers has hindered the longevity of Stuyvesant’s finance courses in the past. “Though Stuy[vesant] is a STEM school, not all students will land a career in STEM. From my experience, some of my peers ended up in business-related fields, such as finance, entrepreneurship, marketing, accounting, and consulting,” Peng said. “Right now, there aren’t any elective courses that encourage students to explore business-related topics. The last business elective was probably [former social studies teacher] George Kennedy’s Wall Street course, which disappeared once he retired in 2016.” Moving forward, Peng believes that the course should be accessible to more students, both at Stuyvesant and beyond. “The big picture would be to make this a required class for everyone. A lot of high schools do make it a required class. Some make it an elective, like what we are doing here. I think it is beneficial if every student has access to it,” Peng said.

Calculus Before Credit Scores? By ANISHA SINGHAL We focus so much of our lives on scores—the SHSAT, SAT, ACT, and GPA are all quantifiable measures of our work and aptitude that we strive to perfect. But how many of us are preparing for the most important, ongoing score of our lives: our credit score? After graduating, some of us may never solve a calculus problem again. Others may never look under a microscope. But every single one of us will have to manage our finances. And our ability to manage our finances will impact every facet of our lives. Yet these are the skills that high schools aren’t teaching us. Financial unpreparedness is a national catastrophe that is constantly chipping away at people’s livelihoods. A study by the Na-

tional Financial Educators Council found that the lack of education on personal finances costed Americans a collective $352 billion in 2021. Only 34 percent of Americans can score at least a four out of five on a basic financial literacy test. Such high rates of financial illiteracy have detrimental impacts on people’s savings and economic stability. Nearly half of Americans don’t have enough savings to get through three months of expenses, and 36 percent are financially fragile (meaning they cannot gather $2,000 within a month if faced with an emergency). Of course, external factors such as low wages and high living expenses greatly influence savings and debt, but if schools instill good financial habits in their students, future generations will be a lot more prepared

for economic hardships, such as global pandemics or housing crises. Student loans are such a critical concept that they are one of the frontline issues in many political campaigns. For instance, President Joe Biden has forgiven $16 billion worth of student debt, a financial burden that about 45 million Americans carry. As people graduate from college, an overwhelming amount of debt weighs them down, sometimes up until their fifties. Yet when I go off to college and am looking to take out a loan, I would be clueless about where to even begin if it weren’t for my parents’ support, research, and knowledge. Many high school students are at the doorsteps of momentous financial decisions that may influence the course of the rest of their lives, but are

educationally unprepared to make them. When schools fail to deliver education on essential life skills, families are forced to pick up the burden at home. Despite this responsibility, 69 percent of parents have some level of reluctance to discuss money-related matters with their children, meaning many students do not get any financial education at all. Unfortunately, the students who are most negatively impacted by insufficient financial education are usually those whose families may also lack that knowledge. People are generally confident and willing to discuss fields in which they themselves have been successful. Therefore, more affluent parents with abundant financial knowledge are much better equipped to discuss financial matters with

their children than parents who struggle financially. This educational disparity regarding money, a matter that plays a critical role in everyone’s life, further increases the divide between the rich and the poor. Even worse, students may not know that they are financial illiterate until they are thrown headfirst into making their own financial decisions and find themselves completely unprepared. To understand the lack of financial education, we must look to the educational requirements that state legislation has outlined. While 23 states technically require financial education, only nine states require it to be a standalone class. Other states (including New continued on page 4

The Spectator • April 14, 2022

Page 2

The Stocktator Students Call For Financial Literacy By ERICA CHEN, SAMANTHA HUA, AFRA MAHMUD, MAYA NELSON, AVA QUARLES, ANISHA SINGHAL, VIVIEN TEO, and RAYMOND YANG To better understand how much Stuyvesant students really know about financial literacy, The Spectator polled and interviewed students about their level of knowledge in personal finance and interest in personal finance courses. Most of the interviewed students responded that they had little confidence in being able to manage their finances and currently rely on their parents and family members for help. The school isn’t considered a viable resource for learning about financial literacy, as there is only one class that focuses on it, Personal Finance, and it is only available to seniors. In addition, the class, which is taught by mathematics teacher David Peng, isn’t very well known to many students; some students felt that the class isn’t promoted or incentivized enough to invoke any sort of interest. While most freshmen do not yet see the value of a financial literacy course, by sophomore year, students start to think about their financial futures and want the chance to take a financial literacy course. An overwhelming 93.2 percent of students polled believe that Stuyvesant is not doing enough to promote financial literacy, and 90.4 percent would like a class to be offered as a five or 10-tech requirement. The rest of the survey results are shown below. Do you know what the process is for taking out a college loan? Yes 11.1%

If you were given $1000 to invest in the stock market, would you know how to go about doing that?

Do you know how to open a bank account? Yes 30.6%

Yes 26.9%

No 69.4%

No 88.9%

In your household, how often do your parents talk to you about finances? (Earnings, rent, bills, taxes, etc.)

Would you be able to explain the difference between a credit and a debit card to someone? No 11.1%

No 73.1%

I know what the difference is but not well enough to explain it to someone

Never 13.2%

35.2%

Occasionally (once a month) 41.5% Rarely (once/twice a year) 28.3%

Yes 53.7%

Regularly(once a week) 17.0%

Would you like to have a personal finance/financial literacy class as a 5-tech or 10-tech option? No 10.1%

Yes 5.6%

Do you think Stuyvesant is doing enough to promote financial literacy?

FUEL YOUR JOURNEY AND GET STARTED

No 8.3%

No 94.4%

Yes 89.9%

Do you want more financial literacy education at Stuyvesant?

Yes 91.7%

Stuyvesant Students’ Concerns on Financial Literacy “I think it would make a lot more sense to offer a couple day seminar or something of that sort rather than a full semester class that I would have to commit a full period of my day to. I would love to learn about financial literacy to a greater extent, but I feel that I would not want to spend a full semester in class learning about it, nor do I feel that it is necessary to give that much attention to it.” —Elizabeth Harris, sophomore

“I see financial literacy as something that could be lumped into a larger ‘life skills’ class, along with stuff about the college application process and stuff that was formerly included in home ec[onomics] classes.” —Nora Miller, senior

“In my opinion, a financial literacy class would be a better use for life than something like drafting [or] art appreciation.” —anonymous

TEST PREPARATION SAT | ACT | AP | Subject Tutoring

Announcing a new member of our teaching faculty. Current member of the exam development committee for the AP Calculus Exam

PERFECT SCORE GUARANTEED SAT | ACT Math COLLEGE CONSULTING Application Guidance College Essay

GPA MANAGEMENT FINANCIAL AID APPLICATION

FINANCIAL AID SEMINAR ZOOM Meeting : 818 - 9196 - 9923 Password : 9781588

CALL US NOW for a FREE 1hr CONSULTATION www.naviconsultingny.com info@naviconsultingny.com

888 978 1588 42 - 02 192st Flushing, NY 11358

“Stuy is not doing enough to promote financial literacy and the school should implement a class. I have no idea how to do my taxes and somewhere down the line that might be an issue.” —Eileen Lin, junior “I would be interested in a class but I’m concerned that an entire period is a big commitment.” —Riya Sundaram, freshman “I’m worried about taking out a college loan after high school.” —Mehruba Tithi, sophomore

“I would want a financial literacy class as a requirement, because I wouldn’t take it as an elective.” —Mehruba Tithi, sophomore

“I don’t know what financial literacy is. If the class was an elective I would take it.” —Faiza Mia, sophomore

“I’m taking personal finance right now but there should definitely be more sections of that class, literally a million times more important than something like art app or music app.” —anonymous

The Spectator • April 14, 2022

Page 3

The Stocktator Wisdom From Our Alumni By REBECCA BAO, OLIVER HOLLMANN, INARA RABBANI, and ANISHA SINGHAL In order to assess the extent to which Stuyvesant prepares its students for managing their own finances in the real world, The Spectator asked alumni about their financial experiences after high school and how much they learned about personal finance at Stuyvesant. The unanimous decision among alumni clearly indicates that Stuyvesant lacks the resources necessary for college-bound students to understand or even recognize vital aspects of financial literacy. According to the data gathered, Stuyvesant did not effectively prepare students to independently manage their finances and gave little to no information on topics relating to personal finance. Ninety-two percent of the alumni surveyed reported that Stuyvesant taught them nearly nothing about the basic elements of personal finance, and a majority ranked their financial preparation coming out of high school at a one out of 10. The overwhelming consensus among alumni was that Stuyvesant needs to play a more involved role in educating its students on these important topics so that they can be better equipped for life after graduation. Especially since many Stuyvesant students come from first generation families or are first generation immigrants themselves, the need for a financial literacy class is greater than ever before. “If it doesn’t exist at Stuy yet, there should be a required financial literacy class. It’s critical.” —Ali Dib (’89)

“The little I learned was presented in a dry, academic manner rather than tangible things a young adult could use. For example, I didn’t know that the cost of college textbooks could be used for a tax write-off. But I know how to calculate monthly payments on a mortgage, for some reason. Before you make a new class devoted to this, you have to realize that juniors/seniors won’t take anything that’s not AP or ‘good for college.’ But I support the effort nonetheless.” —Max Zlotskiy (’18)

“I just finished paying for my student loans. I had to learn how to manage my budget while in college, as I put textbooks on credit cards and only paid minimum payment for a couple of years before realizing I was basically paying interest and not much toward what I owe to get my balance back down faster. My parents were immigrants, so really, they weren’t savvy with the financial matters themselves. In NJ where I live now, financial literacy is a class that is required for graduation, and I’m happy my kids have to take it.” —May Chan (’90) “I most definitely misused credit. Got to the point where I had to declare bankruptcy back in ‘13. Currently, I’m living comfortably on a fixed income, primarily due to my keeping a spreadsheet showing exactly what my financial situation is on a daily basis, month-tomonth and even with yearly comparisons.” —Daniel Gersten (’63)

“[I’ve experienced] credit card debt, not knowing how to manage my money when I won a lawsuit and had a windfall, and ending up in bankruptcy. The only class I had that even touched on finances was economics, and all I remember from that is supply and demand and that my teacher talked about his daughter.” — Eryka Peskin (’92)

“I think I had no financial literacy and wasn’t aware of how important or necessary it was until after graduating college. In my senior year I took Economics but like the class didn’t help me connect with the real world and my real life. It’d be great if there was a Stuy class dedicated to everything you gotta know about taxes [that] just put information on any kind of loans in an easy to understand way that’s relevant to the current world. Also, I feel very behind [compared to] my peers who studied business-related majors in college (I studied civil engineering) in terms of my knowledge of investing and stocks because the vocabulary is hard to follow along and I do not feel like I have real life skills in a financial sense at the age of 22—half a decade after graduating [from] Stuy. Would be awesome if Stuy kids leave high school more prepared for the real world than me.” —Anonymous (’17)

Which of the following topics did Stuyvesant inform you about before you graduated? Taking out loans, Credit

2.0%

Effective budgeting

“I still don’t fully understand how to do taxes and was especially confused about withholdings information my freshman year of college. [A Personal Finance class] would have been a lot more helpful than taking classes like jewelry design and drafting. I’m a business major in college and even though [...] we learned about interest rates [in finance class], there was no class covering any other area of personal finance. I guess we were just expected to learn about these things on our own. The Internet is a good place to start but it’s difficult to know who to turn to when we have questions. I can’t really think of a course in Stuy that taught me valuable skills in life but personal finance could definitely be helpful.” —Anonymous (’19)

Did you incur student debt after high school?

Do you own property?

No, and I do not plan to

2.0%

Interest rates

2.0%

No, but I plan to

No 39.2%

2.0%

Budgeting

2.0%

Mortgages

2.0%

Yes 60.8%

37.3%

Yes

58.8%

None of the above

70.6%

Economics at Stuyvesant: The Place for Personal Finance? By PETER GOSWAMI, NICOLE LIU, ISABELLA JIA, ANISHA SINGHAL, and ZIFEI ZHAO Economics is a required course for a New York State high school diploma, counting for half a credit out of the mandated 44. At Stuyvesant, the offered courses which fulfill that requirement include a general Economics course or the equivalent AP Macroeconomics and AP Microeconomics, each a single semester course. Stuyvesant has a uniform curriculum for Economics, but teachers have the freedom to personalize their lesson plans to focus on certain topics. This is a reason why there is no uniform Economics final for students. “We more or less know what we’re supposed to teach but there’s a lot of individual freedom for each teacher to decide their own content and what they want to focus on,” Economics teacher David Wang said. “I think it’s good that we have a variety of different curriculums as opposed to [a] one-size-fits-all thing. This way teachers can teach what they’re interested in and, for the most part, that should bring out the best in them.” Many students taking Economics agree that the class differed from their expectations. Though Economics is currently categorized as a social studies class, it still retains a focus on mathematics.

“[I think] there’s a common misconception that economics class is very social-studies heavy,” senior Maya Dunayer, who took AP Macroeconomics during the fall semester and currently takes AP Microeconomics, said. “I’m more of a humanities person myself. It’s definitely more math-based than I thought it was.” Across the board, many students echo the sentiment of expecting a class focused on the application and use of economics. However, since economics covers a broad range of topics, many students were surprised at the class’s curriculum. While Economics is considered a social studies class, the course includes several mathematical topics as well. “I know a little bit more about what interest rates are and some things about the economy, like inflation and deflation,” senior Grace Chen said, who took the course in her junior year during remote learning. The class also addresses various real-world concepts, though in a simplified form. “I do think that the basic concepts that we’re learning can be applied. And hopefully, later on in further studies in [Economics], there’ll be more applicable stuff,” Dunayer said. “It’s a pretty good foundational type of thing.” Economics relates current events subjects to the curriculum, as junior Somaia Sultana mentions. “We’re learning about demand curves, supply curves, and why cer-

tain product prices rise. [We spent] a while on Ukraine and the war and how it’s affecting economics,” she said. The theme of current events is typically common within all Economics classes; however, there is a distinction between regular and AP Economics classes. “We all try to connect it to current events. I would say I’m more of an in-between ground between an AP class and regular AP classes,” Wang said. “The APs focus a lot on economic theory and the textbook but the regular ones focus more on current events and topical topics. I touch a little bit here and there [on] personal finance and what I think might be useful.” Though students find Economics classes to be relevant, the classes do not extend their scope into helping students understand managing money in their daily lives. “I think it’s more applicable than other history classes, but it’s not like we’re learning about opening bank accounts and stuff,” Chen said. “I think we kind of did personal finance a little bit,” she added. “We learned microeconomics, which is like personal stuff, so I think we did learn some stuff related to personal finance.” Sultana has also felt concerned about not learning enough personal finance. “I definitely do think that I’m learning stuff, but [Economics] would definitely use a bit more material like [...] credit

and how taxes work and how to file taxes. We don’t think about [those topics] right now, and it’s just like how are you supposed to learn that?” However, the belief that microeconomics is the same as personal finance is a common misconception. Microeconomics focuses on how business decisions impact the economy and focuses on incentives and behaviors, utility theory, production theory, and price theory. Meanwhile, personal finance focuses on how an individual manages, saves, and invests money. The lack of personal finance content can be attributed to the fact that students are not required to learn it. “Some classes touch upon personal finance. And sometimes, maybe like in AP classes, you don’t touch on it at all, just there’s no time. So it really depends on the class and the teacher,” Wang said. “Overall, I think there’s not enough of it because it’s not a requirement. We don’t treat it like we treat science or English and have a requirement to say this is what you must know, before you graduate and become an adult.” Senior Katherine Lake also expressed her doubts about incorporating financial literacy into these courses. “There [are] some basic budgeting ideas in [AP Microeconomics]. But it has nothing to do with financial literacy. So at least in Micro, it has no space. And I think Macro is more focused on general

global interactions with different markets with different products. And I also don’t think it’s appropriate there. So I feel like it would need its own course,” she said. Others have also expressed concern about how economics is a one-semester course, and so there would not be enough time to cover personal finance topics in a helpful way. “If you’re going to incorporate it into a one semester econ, you can’t get deep enough for you to actually use it for your personal gain and the future,” said senior Jonathan Ho. To him, Economics is a finance class geared towards learning the most basic economics of the world rather than deeper, specific topics that would be explored in college-level courses. Students agree that Economics is not the ideal platform through which personal finance education should be delivered, since the topic would not mesh well with the rest of the course curriculum. At the same time, some feel that there is a need for greater opportunities for financial education at Stuyvesant. “[Economics has] such an overreaching curriculum. We have such limited time that I don’t know where it would fit in,” Dunayer said. “But I do think more classes like Personal Finance, which I didn’t get a chance to take but I really wanted to, would be useful for incorporating financial literacy into Stuyvesant students’ everyday lives.”

The Spectator • April 14, 2022

Page 4

The Stocktator Operation Personal Finance: Implementation Blueprint Many Stuyvesant students, whether as freshman or in the last moments of our senior year, remember the first few months of school when we had virtually no say in the classes that we took. As part of the Stuyvesant graduation requirements, students must not only take the usual core classes, but also have to receive credit for completing five-tech and 10tech courses. The underclassmen have always had limited ability to choose courses according to their preference, typically taking the mandated music, art, and computer science classes, while the scope of available tech courses increases considerably for upperclassmen. Despite presenting a wide range of options open mainly to juniors and seniors, these 10-tech classes lack any practical business or finance-related courses that would likely be valuable for Stuyvesant students as they enter the real world. An immediate solution to this problem would be to expand the number of sections that the current Personal Finance elective offers to students. This would allow more students to be able to

take the class, which would help them become financially literate. In addition, making this elective available to underclassmen such as sophomores would also be ex-

ber of students who are interested in the topic to take the class. The current sophomore electives such as Molecular Science, Urban Ecology, and Nutritional Science

tremely beneficial, as the elective options open to them are not as abundant as they are for seniors. Not only would this allow students to learn about managing their own finances earlier, but it would also allow a greater num-

are all STEM-based, and having a financial literacy elective would expand the scope of the elective options. If Stuyvesant were to expand sections of the course, there would need to be more teachers

Vivian Teo / The Spectator

By THE EDITORIAL BOARD

to instruct the class. Some viable instructors could be any teachers who may have background knowledge in finance and feel comfortable teaching the class. The same way that AP Psychology, for example, has both science and social studies sections, Personal Finance can be dually taught by math and social studies teachers, or other teachers with sufficient experience in the subject. The administration should place emphasis on hiring teachers with such finance backgrounds to teach these additional sections. Mathematics teacher David Peng has already developed an extensive curriculum for his Personal Finance course, which numerous students have applauded. If implemented as a tech requirement, the Personal Finance class would become one of the most highly demanded tech classes in the future. Stuyvesant students appreciate its value and want to see the class grow. In the long-run, the Personal Finance elective should be expanded into a five-tech or 10-tech requirement. In order to make sure all students are getting the financial education they need, it would be ideal to have it as a mandatory class, like Health. As

an alternative, however, it should be added as a tech-class option. If the school can have Drafting and Video Game Design be tech requirement options (which, while they are fascinating classes, may not be as urgent to a student’s future), then it is only logical for Personal Finance, a class whose lessons will be applicable to every student’s life, to be a tech requirement option as well. Though the class is not by definition a tech class, it does have technical components, and there are dozens of other non-tech courses that fall under this requirement, such as Biology, Social Science, Math, and Chemistry Regeneron. If these classes can fulfill the tech requirement, it is plausible that a Personal Finance class would be able to as well. While we appreciate the administration’s creation of the Personal Finance elective this year, the implementation of a single section class offered solely to seniors is not enough. We hope the administration will recognize financial illiteracy as the epidemic that it is and fulfill their obligation to provide Stuyvesant students with the most cohesive and useful education possible.

Calculus Before Credit Scores? continued from page 1

York) simply require it to be integrated into another course. This means that at Stuyvesant, personal finance is touched upon in Economics classes for the sake of fulfilling the New York State Education Department requirement without a comprehensive commitment to delivering quality education on the subject. As of now, there isn’t even a unit on

personal finance in most Economics classes since teachers often exclude it when shaping their packed curriculums. Regardless, a mere unit on personal finance cannot do justice to the complexity of the topic. Economics and personal finance are two very different subjects which deserve separate attention. In the long term, New York should mandate financial literacy education, which multiple organizations are lobbying for. But in the short

term, Stuyvesant, as a prestigious high school, should take accountability for the quality and purpose of its own education. When preparing for AP exams, we have a full year of loaded content and robust curriculums. But when it comes to preparing for life exams, we have one section of a semester-long class that only 68 fortunate students—8 percent of each senior class— can take. There are a plethora of non-state-required classes (such

as electives and tech classes) that Stuyvesant provides for the enrichment of a student’s learning—classes such as drafting and ceramics which while interesting classes, are not nearly as impactful and relevant as a personal finance course. Providing financial literacy education to students is an imperative step toward safeguarding their futures from the stress caused by early financial cluelessness. We are in the financial capi-

tal of the world and yet are failing to build the foundations for financial knowledge. Over time, our GPAs will fade into inconsequential measures of past excellence; it’s our credit score that has the potential to define our futures. (This article is an adapted version and continued dialogue of “Calculus Before Checkbooks?” which appears in Volume CXI, Issue 9 on The Spectator.)

We Know that We Don’t Know Enough By THE OPINIONS DEPARTMENT

From a study of more than 1,000 American adults, only one in five people felt that they were sufficiently educated about finances in school, meaning 80 percent of Americans lack basic financial literacy. Despite the importance of financial education, it isn’t part of the core curriculum or emphasized at most schools—including Stuyvesant. In my household, finance is a regular topic due to my parent’s interest and frequent investment in major financial outlets such as the stock market and cryptocurrencies. I had always assumed that knowing what a credit score is or the difference between credit and debit was common knowledge. However, many families aren’t as proactive as my parents are in the world of finance, and as a result, school is one of the only other places for most people to receive this financial literacy. If schools were to implement an official financial literacy class, I would really like to see it teach topics such as personal, corporate, and public finance. The world runs on an understanding of finance to move up and down the economic social ladder. Stuyvesant needs to bring financial education to its students so they’re not only intellectually capable but also financially literate. —Stefanie Chen

My father came to the United States with only $20 in his pocket and a scholarship. This is why, from a very young age, I have known that college is expensive and that we need to save for it. My sister is going to college next year, so in the past few years, my family has been talking a lot about budgeting. Thus, we regularly discuss income, how much of that goes to tax, and how our college funds work. We also talk regularly about things like healthcare and insurance—a good chunk of us have autoimmune disorders, and we need different medications and doctors visits for those. We did briefly cover insurance in health class, but because there was so much else in the curriculum, the lesson felt a bit rushed. There are other things that I have never been taught in school, and though my parents have tried to explain them to me, it would really help to learn them formally in school. I only really know about things like student loans in terms of the process my dad went through for international students around 35 years ago. There are other types of loans that I know vaguely about, such as mortgages, but I cannot explain the different types of mortgage loans (and the calculations for rates). I can tell you that it’s better to have a good credit score to get a loan, but I can’t tell you why. I barely know what a credit score even is, and I am sure that I cannot explain it. I know a bit about the stock market—my father has shown me how stock investments work—but it’s so complicated that it would really help to discuss how people make actual careers out of this. —Ushoshi Das

Going to school at Stuyvesant often makes me forget about how the majority of America lives. Here, we live in a tiny bubble—one where all that is expected of us is to graduate, go to a well-known college, and get a high-paying, professional job. Students getting a GED to go into trade professions or taking on a small family business are practically unheard of. Yet despite most student’s high-achieving goals, many of us haven’t even worked our first job or begun to understand the inner workings of finance. Stuyvesant teaches us how to survive college, but not how to survive life. Most of us have no clue what taxes, savings, and investments actually are—myself included. Having immigrant parents who can barely handle their own finances means that I do not have any opportunity to even be aware of such topics. With the dozens of questions asking about your financial state in the financial aid forms, I am uninformed about how to apply for college. I am not alone in this, either. Many of my friends who also have immigrant parents are just as worried about this. Getting high school students comfortable with the subject of money and aware of the terms surrounding personal finance is incredibly important, whether it is specifically tailored to college or simply for life in general. It is important to build a foundation for students, especially high school students, to gain knowledge about money and to avoid mistakes that they cannot take back once they start making their own financial decisions. Stuyvesant needs to do a better job of properly educating its students in all aspects of life, not just academic. —Erica Li

Stuyvesant can best be described as a college preparatory school. From the moment students are thrusted in, they are prepared for the rigor and difficulty of college. Many students take college-level courses from the very first day of school here and survive on a mere few hours of sleep per weekday. Stuyvesant prepares its students well for college, but Stuyvesant’s impact appears to be minimal beyond the college level. A student is well prepared for college but is dependent on the college they attend for being prepared for the complexity that is life. Even during college, skills related to financial literacy are essential to survival. A Stuyvesant student can be completely unprepared for the financial skills necessary in college, so financial literacy education must be offered. —Muhib Muhib

The Spectator

“The Pulse of the Student Body”

The Stuyvesant High School Newspaper

Volume 112  No. 14

April 14, 2022 OPINIONS

stuyspec.com HUMOR

First Comes Conceive, Second Comes Paid Leave

I Want YOU To Fund the Best Department of The Spectator (Please)

Paid family leave should not be an extraordinary privilege for new parents—it is a necessity.

The humble Humor Department is officially broke. Here is why you—yes, YOU—should fund the best department of the Spectator.

see page

Stuyvesant Science Olympiad Team Places Third at State Championships Ping-Pong Parachute, and Trajectory. For competitions, each team’s overall score is determined by the placements of individual events in the Study or Tech divisions. With

division captains recruited members, taught them the necessary material to do well at events, and selected who competed in each event. “SciOly is a no-cut club, but selection [for] teams is much

do compared to other members.” Preparation processes differed for each division. Competitors in the Chemistry Division frequently did practice tests, while other divisions, such as Earth Science, fo-

Stuyvesant’s Science Olympiad (SciOly) team was one of the sixty teams competing at the New York State Science Olympiad Championships at Le Moyne College in Syracuse from March 18 to 19. At the competition, Stuyvesant’s team ranked third in the state and first in New York City with a score of 286, the highest that the team has ever ranked at this level. Ward Melville High School won first place and Great Neck South High School placed second, each receiving a total score of 176 and 241, respectively. SciOly is split into Study and Technology divisions. Study divisions include Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Earth Science, in which members compete by taking multiple choice tests consisting of 100 to 200 questions. The Technology division consists of members who compete in building innovative constructions in events such as Bridges, Detector Building, Gravity Vehicle, Wright Stuff,

each team participating in one of the 23 events total, the teams are ultimately ranked by their combined lowest score. Leading up to the competition,

more intensive,” senior and SciOly president Olivia Chen said. “That requires students to take mock trials, where the event leaders create their own test, [to] see how they’d

cused more on collating content into a reference book. “Earth science questions are more content, such as astronomy, climate, and rocks and minerals. To do well at

Courtesy of Science Olympiad

By JADY CHEN, NADA HAMEED, ZIYING JIAN, MAGGIE SANSONE, and SAKURA YAMANAKA with additional reporting by Isabella Jia

Stuyvesant Students Organize Fridays for Future Climate Strike By MADELINE GOODWIN, ELAINE HUANG, and MAGGIE SANSONE Under the slogan #peopleoverprofit, Stuyvesant students marched in Fridays for Future New York City’s (FFFNYC) international climate walkout to demand climate change reform on March 25. Participants from Stuyvesant convened at both Borough Hall in Brooklyn to start the climate march and at Foley Square, where it ended. The strike gained citywide traction as protestors marched and chanted across the Brooklyn Bridge before congregating at City Hall. Speakers hosted include 2020 Youth Poet Laureate and Stuyvesant alumna (‘21) Meera Dasgupta; representatives from various local organizations, such as community opposition group “No North Brooklyn Pipeline,” the Sixth Street Community Center, and youth climate justice coalition TREEage; and S.L Franjola, the winner of a FFFNYC writing contest. The climate strike was organized by the New York City branch of Fridays for Future (FFF), in cooperation with the international Fridays for Future group and other youth-led organizations. Junior and FFFNYC

co-director Anna Kathawala and freshman Helen Mancini collaborated to bring the strike to Stuyvesant. Through posting flyers around the school building and spreading word on social media, Kathawala and Mancini generated greater awareness for the strike among the Stuyvesant community. “Stuy[vesant students] play such a leadership role among other schools in the city, so a big Stuy[vesant] presence at the strike means a lot,” Kathawala said in an e-mail interview. Another purpose of the strike was to advocate for the passage of specific legislation on a local, state, and national level. “We want one, for the construction of the North Brooklyn pipeline, a highly hazardous and environmentally racist natural gas pipeline, to be stopped; two, for the NY State Senate to pass the Climate Can’t Wait bill package in this legislative session; and three, for the US Senate to pass the Green New Deal for Public Schools Act in this legislative session,” Kathawala said. The slogan of the strike, #peopleoverprofit, asked that the wellbeing of people be valued over profits of countries, corporations, and the wealthy. “I’m very tired of people being constantly displaced in the name of making a couple extra bucks,

in the name of getting what you want,” junior Daria Minhas said. “By advocating for climate justice, we are putting more power in the hands of the people and [taking power] away from the major corporations that run society.” Though this strike was under the umbrella of FFF, the New York strike was organized independently from the larger organization. FFFNYC organizers coordinated local logistics and ensured local efforts aligned with national and international demands. “The international Fridays for Future decides on the strike date and sends it out, and Fridays for Future [branches] in each state or province area organize their own strike,” Mancini said. Strike attendees echoed the urgency expressed by the organizers of the strike. Notably, many attendees of this strike attended Climate Strike NYC, a similar NYC youth-led strike from 2019, and felt that the continuity of the youth-climate movement reflects the lack of government action. “I went to [the September 2019] strike and I really felt passionate about it,” junior Brigid Allen said. “Most people have no idea of the scale or urgency. I really wanted to take action, because I felt there

was nothing I was doing.” FFFNYC strike organizers invited fellow climate organizations, emphasizing that these groups’ shared vision of change ultimately inspired them to mobilize alongside one another. Among these groups is the Extinction Rebellion, a similar international climate movement defined by its emphasis on civil disobedience. “Extinction Rebellion is focused on [using] non-violent civil disobedience to solve the climate crisis by taking over the cities, lying out in the middle of the streets, sending a message, and shutting things down,” Mancini said. Though the two strikes are similar, the FFFNYC strike was unpermitted, unlike the 2019 Youth Climate Strikes. Organizers expressed that the unpermitted nature of the strike allowed for a greater sense of solidarity. “In this case, we are not using a stage, we are striking on public property, which is completely within our rights, in order to make a statement and [make] demand things from the government,” Mancini said. “A lot of other protesting groups don’t believe in permitted actions becontinued on page 6

competitions, you need a good binder and [know] the topic content really well,” senior and division captain of Earth Science Eric Shi said. Preparation in the Tech Division was more interactive and involved trial and error. In one instance, teams designed and built a bridge under specific requirements with the goal of achieving the highest structural efficiency. “For the Bridges Event, they gave us a set of parameters,” junior and Tech member Kate Alvarez said. “Then you basically just start building, test it, and make another one and it gets better each time.” Typically, Science Olympiad teams use optional tournaments called invitationals to prepare. However, due to COVID-19 restrictions, members found it difficult to gain experience and practice before the State Championships. “One of the issues we faced this year was the lack of in-person experience. We had so many inperson invitationals that we had registered for, but unfortunately, they were all moved to virtual or canceled,” Chen said. “The lack continued on page 8

NEWSBEAT Congratulations to the Shakespeare Recitation Competition 2022 winners Clara Shapiro, Sloan Ireland, Nicole Itkin, William Summit, and Claire MacDonald. The Counseling Department hosted a Spring Term Organization Day, providing free books and supplies along with advice for how students can be more organized. Stuyvesant’s Mock Trial Team hosted guest speaker Scott Fenstermaker, whose experience as a criminal defense attorney in New York helped give students some insight into the real world applications of trial practice. Congratulations to freshman Iago Macknik-Conde for being named as a 2022 Inklings Book Contest winner. His story will be published in the 2022 Inklings Book Anthology. Stuyvesant’s Muslim Student Association (MSA) competed at the Muslim Interscholastic Tournament (MIST). The Sophomore Caucus hosted a Student Teacher Basketball Game on April 5, which featured staff, such as Principal Seung Yu, competing against students.

The Spectator • April 14, 2022

Page 6

News Stuyvesant Students Organize Fridays for Future Climate Strike “Once I got [to Foley Square] I stood on this raised platform and I looked back and there were people pouring over the [Brooklyn] Bridge, I’m thinking where did everyone come from? It was just so great to see how many people showed up for the climate,” Hunter College High School sophomore and strike organizer Mars Vazquez-Plyshevsky said. However, organizers expressed the participation of Stuyvesant students was lower than anticipated “I was kind of disappointed by the Stuyvesant turnout,” Allen said. “From schools like Bronx Science there were upwards of 300, 400 [students] there. We had like 25.” Furthermore, though the strike garnered a significant number of participants, juniors Lea Esipov and Minhas noticed a lack of enthusiasm from the majority of protestors. “[In] the strike itself, there were tons of people, which was super great. The very front of [the group] was all of the group organizers so it was super loud and they had all the press. And then everything behind it was just pretty dead.”

continued from page 5

cause they feel you are not protesting against something if you are filing for the right to protest.” The scope of the strike, especially because the demonstration was unpermitted, required extensive hands-on involvement from student organizers, including collecting necessary items like megaphones and establishing communication with the NYPD. “We had to organize press [coverage], decide on the type of strike, [...] and look into getting legal support marshals who [...] maintain the groups of people in the strike,” Mancini said. Organizers also reached out to the Department of Education, as well as Stuyvesant administration, to request that absences for the strike be excused in order to encourage student participation. Though the requests were ultimately denied, administration ensured that students could exit the building in an orderly fashion. Many attendees felt inspired by the sheer number of people who participated in the strike.

Esipov said. “Me and my friends were running back and forth with megaphones in people’s faces trying to get them to scream.” For those interested in educating themselves on climate change, Kathawala recommends joining climate-focused organizations in addition to conducting independent research. “Finding issues that you’re interested in outside of climate change, like fashion, politics, architecture, or engineering, and researching how the climate crisis impacts those fields is a great way to become more educated. The climate crisis is so intersectional, which is one of the scariest things about it, so there are resources about it in all fields,” she said. Moving forward, Mancini hopes to see further action against the climate crisis taken by the Stuyvesant community. “I personally [have] noticed a lack of focus on the environment among Stuyvesant students who are focused on academic success and their own personal futures and not what is happening right now. We need to change this mindset because we are running out of time.”

Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons and NASA

WORLDBEAT With the Senate vote of 53-47, President Joe Biden’s Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson was confirmed to become the first Black woman to serve on the nation’s highest court on April 7. Led by Christian Smalls, a former Amazon employee, New York workers voted to unionize JFK8, the Amazon Staten Island warehouse, on April 1, officially establishing the first Amazon Labor Union. American actor Will Smith was banned from attending the Academy Awards for 10 years for slapping presenter and comedian Chris Rock at the 94th Oscar’s event. Puerto Rico suffered the biggest blackout across U.S. territory on April 7, leaving at least 1.2 million power customers without access to electricity after an overnight fire at the Costa Sur power plant. New York Attorney General Letitia James plans to hold former President Donald Trump in civil contempt after investigating a potential fraud at the Trump Organization, with the addition of a $10 thousand fine per day until the required documents and records are turned over.

Stuy Legacy Places Second at BOOM Dance Competition Stuyvesant’s dance team, Stuy Legacy, won second place at the BOOM competition based at the College of Mount Saint Vincent in New York City on March 25. The competition was hosted by the dance team Filament Dance Troupe, and there were eight teams, five adult teams and three high school teams, competing in total. The competition was Stuy Legacy’s first competition since SAYAW XI in 2020. Each team showcased their sets for five minutes and was then scored by three judges. Multiple choreographers in Stuy Legacy created separate pieces, each comprising roughly a minute of the total dance set, which combined to create a cohesive set for the competition. Stuy Legacy is a hip-hopbased dance club established in 2016 for Stuyvesant students interested in dancing. “Stuy Legacy is a dance team [where] no previous dance experience is required, so anyone who’s slightly even interested in dance, think about coming out and trying to audition,” said junior Roy Park, a choreographer for Stuy Legacy. For the BOOM competition, Stuy Legacy’s dance set consisted of five pieces, each choreographed by a different person. Park choreographed the opening piece to “Start a Riot” by Banners. The second piece was choreographed by junior Fiana Lin to “I’m Legit” by Nicki Minaj, followed by a piece choreographed by junior Suki Ferguson to “Solita” by Kali Uchis. The following two pieces were created by junior Caleb Song and senior Melody Lin, to “Homicide” by Eminem and “Cold-Blooded” by Jessi, respectively. Some of the BOOM competition choreography was reused from previously performed sets, such as their earlier performance at SAYAW XI at Stony Brook

University. However, they all required a significant amount of reworking. Park noted the collaborative process of putting the competition set together for the BOOM Competition and the creative freedom that choreographers had throughout the process. “We all get together as the whole artist board and discuss

season, we had a very sad and emotional set correlated to the [theme] of COVID-19,” Park said. “And now we want to have an angry, crazy set, and I guess that’s where I got the inspiration for choosing those kinds of songs.” Lin, who is also Stuy Legacy’s Artistic Director, explained how

into eight-counts and first envision what can be included in my choreography. Then[,] I start to freestyle and see what I can or cannot execute or what moves I do or do not like.” In the beginning of February, practices started occurring more frequently as the competition date approached to clean up

what themes, ideas, [or] song choices that we want to do,” Park said. “You do get independence and free reign but we still have to all match the songs together.” For Song, his choreography was mainly inspired by the hiphop influences that Stuy Legacy typically focuses on. “I drew a lot of my inspiration from a lot of contemporary hip hop dancers,” he said. “Stuy Legacy in general is just a team based on hip hop, we’re trying to incorporate a lot of traditional hip hop moves and other dance styles.” Park chose “Homicide” to contrast the theme of last season’s competition set. “Last

the inspiration for her choreography came to her by moving naturally with her song. “I just listened to the song a lot and moved to it; [...] when I find something that fits, then I’ll keep it the way it is,” she said. The process of developing the sets included a series of challenges and trial-and-errors, especially as the choreographers worked to refine the performance. “The process includes a tremendous amount of experimentation, choreo-block, and feedback from more experienced dancers and the team itself,” Ferguson said in an e-mail interview. “I usually break down the music

the full-runs of the finished piece and build stamina. “There was a lot of sacrifice involved in terms of choosing what to focus on. There were a lot of days where I had to choose to either study for a test, practice choreo, or to get some sleep,” Lee said. Despite having a limited amount of preparation time, Stuy Legacy was still able to perform a finished set. “We started preparing in February and it’s crazy because we put this all together in like three weeks,” Song said. “We put a lot of effort and time into this set even though [we were] very short on time.” Sophomore Selina Chen, a

Courtesy of Stuy Legacy

By KEVIN CHAN, ELAINE HUANG, and KARA YIP

member of an opposing team, Project Spark, which placed third, enjoyed Stuy Legacy’s choreography. “I think their performance was great; they were really clean,” Chen said. “I’m pretty happy with how the results came out. I think that both teams put in their best effort.” Many new members were also proud of their performance at the competition. “It felt surreal that we placed because the other teams that performed were really good. We had a lot of pressure on us because there were high expectations of Stuy Legacy we felt like we needed to uphold,” Lee said. Stuy Legacy emphasized that placing was not as important as their passion for dance. “Honestly for us, I think we go for the purpose of dancing on stage and performing, which is something that we haven’t done in a while. And so placing doesn’t really matter too much for us; it’s more an added bonus,” Park said. As a first-year artistic director, Ferguson hopes that the BOOM Competition will help the team to grow and advance in the competitive dance world. “As we continue through our competition season, we can keep our second place evaluation at BOOM to be a benchmark to build off of. There is so much more to work and grow on, that this result increases our drive to improve for our upcoming competitions,” she said. In the end, the effort put forth by the members of Stuy Legacy was reflected in their performance in the BOOM Competition. “The days and hours leading up to the performance were draining but when it was time to perform, everyone gave their all. The cheering from the crowd and the loud music playing from the speakers gave me this rush of adrenaline and it felt like the shortest five minutes of my life,” Lee said.

The Spectator • April 14, 2022

Page 7

Advanced Test Preparation Grade 3-12

ELA, MATH, SHSAT, ISEE, PSAT, SAT, ACT Newly Expanded Facility!

Kweller Prep Queens

108-22 Queens Blvd; 2nd Floor Forest Hills, NY, 11375 (Queens Blvd and 71 st Road)

Kweller Prep Zoom

Fully Online - Live Group Classes Course Materials Delivered Door-to-Door

Kweller Prep offers Zoom Online courses in all subjects.

Advanced Test Preparation in Small Group Settings. 15-year Established Learning Center with Proprietary Textbooks. 14-week ELA/MATH, Hunter, SHSAT, TACHS, ISEE, SAT, ACT, AP, AMC, and Regents Fall & Spring Classes. 7-week Hunter, SHSAT, ISEE, PSAT, SAT, and ACT Summer Camps. Hebrew, Spanish, English, and Chinese Lessons Available.

FALL, SPRING, AND SUMMER PROGRAMS

The Spectator • April 14, 2022

Page 8

News Red Cross Hosts Humanitarian Presentation on Cultural Preservation By MADISON KIM, JINA KOH, and OLIVIA HAVEN The Red Cross Club recently hosted its annual International Humanitarian Law presentation, featuring history teacher David Hanna. The focus on humanitarian issues sparked nuanced discussions related to the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian conflict and the associated refugee crisis. Having been previously exposed to his expertise in a classroom setting, the event’s organizers hoped that the compelling nature of Hanna’s teaching would translate to a lecture hall. “We wanted people to feel inspired and take action, so we just felt like he was the best candidate,” event organizer and junior Larissa Yue said. “A couple of us [in Red Cross] have had Mr. Hanna; I’ve had him for the past two years. His lessons are always super inspirational, and he makes anything interesting.” The event opened with an introductory presentation about the origin, motivations, and other historical nuances behind the Red Cross. “The founder, Henry Dunant, had been an eyewitness to the aftermath of the battle,

and wanted to find a way to help wounded soldiers get better treatment, regardless of which side they were on,” Hanna said in an e-mail interview. Throughout the discussion, Hanna made connections to international relations and other topics that have gained a new level of relevance in light of Ukraine’s refugee crisis. Although topics change on an annual basis, Hanna’s lecture on cultural preservation built on previous presentations on the role of education during wartime. “The International Committee of the Red Cross has been directly involved in […] agreements on how to improve the treatment of the wounded, prisoners of war, noncombatants, and cultural landmarks during wartime,” he said. These tie-ins between historical precedent and current events reveal why Hanna’s history lectures are well-received by students. “[The Red Cross’s] international legal norms can be used as a basis for charging people with war crimes at the International Criminal Court,” Hanna said. “For instance, evidence is being gathered at this time to make a case that Vladimir Putin should be held

responsible for war crimes committed by the Russian military in Ukraine. [...] A student asked if I thought Vladimir Putin had committed war crimes. I said that according to the history books, that yes, what’s happening in Ukraine seems comparable.” Hanna expressed that speaking at the event was a unique experience, noting that the Q&A portion of the lecture generated quite a bit of historical discourse. “I’ve spoken at various venues in my capacity as an author, but less so as a history teacher,” he said. “For the most part, the audience was interested in the topic. At the Q&A session at the end, some students asked questions that I was uncertain about. [...] One student asked a question regarding the role of the Red Cross in the Spanish Civil War. This wasn’t a simple question to answer, because that conflict [...] was internal, not two countries fighting.” The event proved to be a success, garnering a turnout of over 120 students. For many participants, Hanna’s lecture was the first Red Cross event they’ve attended in person, since the Stuyvesant Red Cross’s speaker events were

held virtually last year. Overall, the reception was very positive. “That thing was crowded—zero seats. That was the first thing I noticed. People were sitting on the floors or the stairs. It was nice that you [could] see peoples’ faces and hear their voices. It is nice for presenters, too, to see that students are present and taking notes,” sophomore Unique Zhang said. “I was actually there with my friends and the best part was towards the end when we were listening through questions. [...] We were all writing notes furiously.” Furthermore, members of the Red Cross Club express that Hanna’s insight helped them develop a better understanding of the history behind the organization. Many felt that the presentation was insightful due to the current topicality of humanitarian concerns. “I joined the Stuyvesant Red Cross [last year] […] but didn’t do that much because it was remote. [The presentation] gave me a deeper understanding of what the Red Cross really does and what it represents [...] beyond the high school version,” sophomore Zhang said. “I’m learning relatively the same thing in AP World History and

also from current events, so [the lecture] helped me learn more about the restrictions on what can and cannot [be] done in terms of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.” Hanna too enjoyed participating in the event. “It was a real honor to be invited to speak to the Stuyvesant Red Cross, the largest student club at the school. If I were invited to speak again, I would definitely consider it,” he added. Overall, as humanitarian issues grow increasingly relevant on a global scale, both Hanna and the Stuyvesant Red Cross emphasize the importance of discussion and education regarding these topics. “Mr. Hanna made sure to mention how culture preservation and international humanitarian law apply to the Ukraine-Russia War,” Yue said. “People should understand and talk about this, and Mr. Hanna did a really good job tying everything together. He started with the history of the Red Cross, and a lot of people think the Red Cross is just disaster relief, but it actually started because of war. I think he started from the very beginning to tie it all together.”

Introducing Stuyvesant’s Student-Run Lost and Found Website Seniors Alden Sevilla and Tomas Acuña introduced the Stuyvesant community to their Lost and Found website as an addition to the Lost and Found Facebook group on March 9. A few days later, a mobile-friendly version was released. Prior to the development of the website, the Stuyvesant Lost and Found Facebook group, consisting of more than 3,000 members, was the primary source of communication for students who had lost or found items. Students who found items around the school would report and post pictures while also providing updates on which bin or room the item was placed in. Other information and findings could also be commented on the description posts of those who lost the items. Coded by Sevilla with Acuña’s help, the website serves as a new centralized digital platform containing a catalog of items found around the school. Categories include electronics, outerwear, personal school supplies, and books. The contents of each category are updated and organized daily. Once an item is returned, it is then marked as found on the website. So far, the website has garnered interest and attention from students and staff members alike. “As of the last time I checked, over 300 people clicked on the link to the website. The goal, at least for me, is for it to become a primary tool to help people find things they lost,” Sevilla said.

Sevilla and Acuña decided to improve the original Lost and Found system due to its disorganization and lack of efficiency. “At the very beginning, there was only one lost and found box,” Acuña said. “You have to sift through and dig through the whole thing to find any item. So I went up to Alden and I was like, ‘This is sort of messed up. Everything is just tossed in here and it takes forever to find anything, so we should make [separate boxes].’” Though new boxes were added and labeled, Acuña and Sevilla wanted to address further issues with the Lost and Found, such as the inability to see if things were in the Lost and Found without looking through the boxes. “[Tomas] told me that I should post any new items onto the Lost and Found Facebook group,” Sevilla said. “I said that would be too much of a nuisance. I think it would be great if we cataloged it, and [Tomas] said it should be on a website.” As the primary developer of the website, Sevilla faced several challenges, the most significant being his lack of prior experience with coding. “Before the website, my only experience with computer science was one semester of Intro to Comp Sci in my sophomore year,” Sevilla said. “Honestly, the hardest part was setting up everything since I had to teach myself to do things, but it was really worth it.” Initial features of the website limited navigation, with some students reporting unsuccessful attempts to interact with the webpage. However, after the website

became mobile-friendly, this issue was largely resolved. “We made it much easier to navigate after someone told me some features weren’t working,” Sevilla said. “You can go

accessible.” Others found the idea of creating the website to be innovative, considering that Stuyvesant is known to be STEM-oriented. “I

to different categories by using the menu rather than returning to the homepage every time.” Though the Facebook groups currently reach a numerically larger audience, the developed website proves to be more suitable for some. “Personally, I’m not really social so I wouldn’t really post on Facebook, so the website is a better choice,” anonymous freshman B said. “Sometimes, Facebook doesn’t show you recent posts, but for the website, I can just bookmark it as a tab to have it be easily

think it’s a really good idea and a perfect encapsulation of what Stuy students are like. Everyone wants to go into CS, so I think this was really cool,” junior Kate Alvarez said. Few students have reported using the website to locate items; however, they acknowledge the efficiency and accuracy of the site. “I lost my red PJ pants and found them at the Lost and Found, not specifically through the website,” sophomore Eugene Park said. “After I found [them] myself, I saw a post about the Lost and Found link

Chloe Huang / The Spectator

By SARAH DIAZ and FIONA SHI

and then I went in there and saw a picture of my pants marked as found. I was [also] really fascinated about how fast they were about all the pictures and then the found/ not found status.” As for suggestions, some believe that manually inputting item data is time-consuming and could be resolved if more contributions were made by the student body. “Perhaps it could be more visually appealing [and] I think there could be a space for people to directly submit requests about things they’ve lost,” anonymous junior C said. Being the only two people with the ability to modify the website, frequently updating the status of lost items poses a short-term challenge to Sevilla and Acuña. “The hardest part now is to update the catalog on a daily basis. [I have] to check what was added or taken out every day,” Sevilla said. “I’m also quite concerned because Tomas is hosting the website through his computer lab account, so I’m not sure how much longer he’ll have access to that after this semester ends.” Though the website currently proves to be successful, its future management is still undetermined. “I don’t know how this is going to work next year since we’re seniors, so we won’t be able to check if there’s anything new or taken out,” Sevilla said. “One of our biggest needs for now is to find a successor. [...] Hopefully, soon we will be able to have other people catalog or add items, [...] particularly through the database.”

Stuyvesant Science Olympiad Team Places Third at State Championships continued from page 5

of in-person invitationals meant that our tech division was unable to test their designs until the actual regional competition and state competition.” The Study divisions also experienced difficulties when practicing for their events due to the pandemic. “For the chemistry lab, we have to do a lot of lab practicals too. Since it was virtual, we weren’t able to practice any of that,” senior and Division Captain of Chemis-

try Michael Chan said. Due to the competition being reliant on volunteers, the team also faced some logistical problems, such as conflicting rules from the City to States competitions. “One of the struggles we faced was that we didn’t read the [States] rules on the day of the competition, and we realized that day, so we basically had to scrap our entire month of work and go back to our original design,” Alvarez said. Despite the challenges, being able to compete in person this year has been the highlight for many

members. “All of the other competitions the past year was just everyone doing Zoom in a room and taking a test by themselves,” senior and division captain of Biology Arthur Liang said. “Not to say it was demoralizing, but it just wasn’t a lot of fun; [but] the team environment [this year], that sort of camaraderie and working together to do really well on states was fun.” Only the top two teams of the state championships proceed to nationals, so Stuyvesant’s team did not qualify. However, many members were pleasantly surprised by

placing third in the competition. “We were expecting around fifth, but we knew we were going to make the top ten. We were cheering each time a school name was announced because we knew that meant we ranked higher than expected,” junior Hua Huang said. The team intends to focus on preparing the next generation of captains to take over. “Third is the best we’ve ever done. Three years ago, we got fifth, and last year, we were fourth, and this year, we were third, so there’s a trend,” Liang said. “We’re really just focused

on the next generation with all the graduating seniors figuring out who’s taking the reins next year.” The accomplishments and dedication of the SciOly members at Cities and States this year inspired many to look forward to next year’s prospects. “We were working in our hotel room at 12:00 a.m. the day before the competition, and it just shows the dedication these members have, so I think the future is bright,” senior and Tech division captain Matthew Weng said.

The Spectator • April 14, 2022

Page 9

Features Unmasking with Stuy Students By ANDREW OH, JUNI PARK, and THEO SASSANO

minds of Stuyvesant students. The “Whys” and “Whos” of the situation reveal a fair amount about how school and its many factors influence the choices of Stuyvesant students. According to results from the mask survey conducted by The Spectator, the starkest contrast in mask-wearing arises between

to choosing to wear a mask due to social reasons. “I’ve decided to continue wearing a mask to school because it’s the norm,” Waworuntu explained. Sophomore Charles Stern finds himself in this category as well: “I think [my decision] depends on how many other people [are] wearing masks,” he said. “I

grade levels. “Mostly upperclassmen have [opted to take their masks off],” freshman Brandon Waworuntu noted. “The upperclassmen started going to Stuy without wearing masks so they’re more used to it.” According to the survey, approximately 95 percent of freshmen and sophomores surveyed claimed that they still wear a mask, in comparison to only 62 percent of seniors (depicted below). As a result, a lot of underclassmen seem to gravitate towards following the crowd; approximately 43 percent of Stuyvesant students admitted

wouldn’t want to be the odd one out.” Sophomore Charlotte Peterson noted a trend regarding ethnicity when it came to masks. “I’ve noticed that of the students who have chosen to remove their masks, many of them are white,” she said. This observation is supported by the data, as slightly under 25 percent of surveyed white students chose to take off their masks in comparison to 6 percent East Asian and 9 percent South Asian, who make up approximately 72 percent of students at Stuyvesant (note that only 7 per-

Hepzibah Srithas / The Spectator

As New York City sees yet another COVID-19 downtrend, it seems as though the behemoth of the pandemic is being dealt with day by day. When the city took a deep breath knowing that the worst was over, its students did as well. Mayor Eric Adams announced his decision to remove the mask mandate for NYC public schools on Friday, March 4. While this milestone of the pandemic seemed to be an indicator of tremendous progress, in the minds of high school students, the battle is far from over as they contemplate the dilemma of masking or unmasking and who chooses which path. At first glance, the idea of masking isn’t one that seems too hard-hitting; there seems to be plenty of clear-cut reasons that could help someone make an easy decision. However, after observing the endless debate over this idea, one can’t help but try to unpack why exactly people are making the decision to unmask after such a long-standing precedent, as well as find patterns in those who are. Some have felt uneasy following the quick switch to optional masking given the still-troubling COVID cases. In a survey conducted by The Spectator in midMarch, 57.7 percent of participants responded that they still wear their masks for health reasons. “I still wear my masks because I’m in multiple classrooms every day [with] multiple students every day,” sophomore Shreya Das said. “[When] interacting with them, I think it’s safer to wear a mask.” On the other hand, other students have adopted a more lenient personal policy when it comes to masking. “I feel safe taking off my mask for small periods of time with small groups of people, like to eat lunch or a snack,” sophomore Charlotte Peterson shared.

“But I don’t feel comfortable taking it off completely yet.” Others feel that now is the time to take action with COVID-19 loosening its hold. Students such as freshman Olivia Dogan see this lifted mandate as a chance to abolish the social stigma of unmasking. “If we’re ever going to take off our masks, it might as

well be now,” Dogan proclaimed, siding with the 12.9 percent of students who’ve taken their masks off. “I wanted to [stop] wearing a mask to inspire other people to make the same decision if that’s what makes them feel comfortable.” Dogan understands that many only wear a mask due to this stigma, and believes that the more people that begin to unmask, the more likely others will feel more comfortable doing so as well. Still, the decision is not as cookie-cutter as it appears. The social implications of mask-wearing have seemingly overrun the

cent surveyed were of African American or Hispanic descent, making it difficult to accurately interpret these two statistics). Waworuntu noticed this pattern as well: “It’s usually those of Caucasian descent who I see [without] a mask.” One possible explanation for this finding is that one’s social sphere often has strong influences on both one’s health-related and social decision-making. Seeing friends not wearing a mask may make one feel inclined to do the same, and vice versa. While not as apparent due to the comparatively large sums of those who encapsulate gender groups within Stuyvesant, The Spectator’s mask survey also depicts a significant correlation between gender identity and masking decisions. Approximately 20 percent of surveyed individuals who identify as male have opted to no longer wear a mask in school, in comparison to approximately 7 percent of students who identify as female. To add, zero percent of those who identify as non-binary or otherwise (out of 19 people surveyed) claimed to have stopped wearing a mask to school. This stark contrast between groups of students is similar to that of the trends shown in the mask-wearing statistics by ethnicity. Likewise, this may be explained by connections between students of the same gender groups and the influence this has on decision-making. In the end, regardless of your race, age, or gender, the constantly changing, forever complicated status of the faces of Stuyvesant has made the topic worth pondering. These statistics are merely numbers and are not to be confused with standards that are set in stone. The most important takeaway is that the choice to leave your mask on or off is up to you. “The masks are uncomfortable, they make listening to others hard, they make speaking hard, so I get it, you know,” Das stated. ”I’m not gonna judge you for not wearing a mask.”

Page 10

The Spectator • April 14, 2022

Features A Midspring Afternoon’s Dream: Shakespeare Recitation Competition By TIFFANY LIANG

since, she has become a fan of Shakespeare, or the Bard, as Shapiro refers to him. Inspired by her friend Andrew Wainwright’s performance at camp a few summers ago, Shapiro recited Lord Capulet’s monologue from “Romeo and Juliet,” a Shakespeare classic. “[The monologue was] about how his daughter must marry the guy of ‘HONOURABLE PARTS’ that

Though she has participated in the competition for all four of her years at Stuyvesant, Shapiro experienced her fair share of nerves. “I sometimes feel like a monologue is a feathery spirit looping around inside of my stomach and my lungs, and the only way I’ll be able to breathe again is if I get onto the stage and let the spirit fly out,” she said. She remarked that she takes advantage of the com-

he has found for her or else ‘die,’” Shapiro wrote in an e-mail interview. While he is supposed to be taken seriously, Capulet’s character is juxtaposed with his outlandish threats toward Juliet: “Hang, beg, starve, die in the streets.” To become one with Capulet and understand his character, Shapiro printed a copy of his words and annotated the monologue. “Then, I did the technique that my grandparents taught me long ago—every night, I spoke the lines over and over again, and then I kissed the paper and put it under my pillow. Overnight, Lord Capulet and I fused,” she said.

petition to flaunt her deafening voice. “But the real brave ones, I realized, are the people who are far more quiet and gentle than I am who got up and performed in front of everybody. That took a brimming bucket of bravery,” she concluded. Unlike Itkin and Shapiro, this competition was junior Matthew Tai’s first. Though he had no previous acting experience, he was inspired by working in stage crew in this year’s SING!. “I was like, ‘Oh, [SING!] looks fun, but let me try it out on a smaller scale,’ [and] thus I did the Shakespeare competition,” Tai said. “I would’ve

Zifei Zhao / The Spectator

It is March 28 in English teacher Dermott Hannon’s classroom after school. The desks, which normally face the whiteboard, point at the stage in the back of the room, where students recite one of Shakespeare’s monologues by heart in front of the judges and around 30 audience members. This year, the English department held their fifth Shakespeare recitation competition to show their love for the renowned playwright. Organized by Hannon, the competition was judged by English teacher Julie Sheinman, social studies teacher K. M. DiCo, art teacher Karen Leo, and special education teacher Cory Coleman. Out of the 21 participants, five winners, Clara Shapiro, Sloane Ireland, Nicole Itkin, William Summitt, and Claire MacDonald, won the competition and each received $20 as their prize. As someone who participates in theater inside and outside of school, senior Nicole Itkin was thrilled to participate in her third Shakespeare competition. “I’m very involved in STC [the Stuyvesant Theater Community], and have directed ‘Twelfth Night’ and ‘With Their Eyes.’ This year, I was also able to direct SING!,” she wrote in an e-mail interview. Much of her theater experience comes from directing shows and working behind the scenes to advise the actors and actresses on stage. While Itkin enjoyed being a cast director, she remarked on not having too many chances to go on stage herself, which was why the competition was a great opportunity for her. Itkin chose to perform Viola’s sympathetic monologue from “Twelfth Night,” one she had already been familiar with. “I thoroughly enjoyed working with Viola’s character in particular (played

by Christine Lin). I thought it would be fun to try a monologue that I had directed,” she said. Itkin remarked on the comfortable atmosphere she felt when performing. “The room was warm and inviting, with a lot of support for everyone going up to perform,” she added. In the end, she had a great experience and was one of the runner-ups. Itkin wishes for more theatrical contests and op-

portunities outside of STC and SING!: “I think a lot of people would enjoy that,” she said. Senior Clara Shapiro, the first place winner of this year’s competition, is also a returning participant and has a lot of theater experience under her belt. Starting when she was eight years old, Shapiro had participated in a theater camp called Shakespeare and Company in the summer: “Every kid, no matter how young, got to perform one monologue and one scene from the play, and at the end of the two weeks, we put on the Tragedy for our family members in a white tent outside.” Ever

died on the actual [SING!] stage.” Performing was a very last-minute decision, as Tai memorized the main character’s guilt-filled monologue from “Henry VI” in five minutes while walking up to the tenth floor. He shared similar sentiments with Itkin about the vibes of the audience and judges: “The whole thing was relaxed and everyone was very kind and encouraging.” Tai was proud of his performance and especially enjoyed throwing a prop sword across the room, though next year he would like to prepare for the competition sooner. Encouragement from Hannon, his Shakespeare Lit teacher, convinced senior William Summitt to attend the competition as an audience member. However, while sitting in the audience, he decided to take a stab at reciting his own monologue. “I got inspired by all of the other amazing competitors, and wanted to be up on stage, crushing it like they were,” Summitt explained in an e-mail interview. He performed Richard II’s prison monologue from the tragedy “Richard II,” which had been one of his assignments for Hannon’s class. “I also happened to really resonate with the material which really allowed me to give everything to the performance,” he explained. Though Summitt was hesitant to go up on stage and perform, he felt welcomed by everyone else in the room to do so. “When in doubt, we should take the plunge,” he reflected, adding that he would have regretted not performing. The Shakespeare Recitation Competition proved to be an enjoyable event for those who participated. While some students might have missed the competition this year, deliberating whether to perform or not to perform, they will have the opportunity to do so in the sixth competition next year.

The Break We All Need By JULIA CHERNOBELSKY

Many people have already adjusted back to their regular lives after the last two years, and are now ecstatic to go and travel again. The upcoming spring break is a perfect opportunity for this. Students are also looking to take a much-needed getaway this break from New York, where many students have been stuck in for the last two years. Whether it is traveling the East Coast or leaving the country, students are excited to be back to exploring new places. For the last couple of years, travel rates have declined because people have been scared to fly or visit other places due to COVID-19. As a result, students have started to miss the excitement of going to new places. “My favorite thing about traveling was the immersion into cultures, which is highly under-appreciated. There are so many amazing people and cultures in this world and just being able to live amongst people with different perspectives, customs, languages, and foods is so eye-opening,” sophomore Kaeden Ruparel said. Many others share the same sentiment and miss learning about new cultures and traditions. Several students feel as if they haven’t had a proper vacation in a long time, since they haven’t been

able to leave the city. “I used to travel every break, so it has been a big change to have to stay in one city. Although I love New York, I enjoy relaxing on a beach more,” sophomore Elizabeth “Gigi” Bryce said. Additionally, some people have forgotten the feeling of traveling and lost their passion for exploring. “My family used to be avid travelers before COVID

this time, so they cannot wait to leave the five boroughs and walk around the streets of the world. Junior Alika Peker didn’t get to travel much during the pandemic, so she is looking forward to going to Chicago for spring break with her family. “I have never been to Chicago and I can’t wait to just walk around and visit tourist attractions,” Peker said. Activities as simple as walks

“My favorite thing about traveling was the immersion into cultures, which is highly under-appreciated.” —Kaeden Ruparel, sophomore hit, but I think my parents have enjoyed their staycation and relaxation a little too much. Now, I’m looking forward to leaving and going to new places in the world again, but they are a bit hesitant,” Ruparel explained. Along with people still being worried about their health, their general desire to see the world again has decreased due to staying in the same city for the last two years. Other students have only built up more desire to travel over

have a large impact on people, so many students can’t wait to just go breathe the air in other areas. Sophomore Lucien Clough, born in Canada, said, “Going for walks in different cities is really interesting because it lets you see the difference between New York and other places.” Likewise, many students are feeling overwhelmed in New York and want to have a quick break from their daily routine. Sophomore Chloe Tom said, “I

am very excited to get away, as it’s always nice to have a break from New York and all the stresses of school.” Spring break is the perfect time to get away, especially since it is right before AP and finals season. Although New York is a great city with lots to do, people are ready to see other parts of the world. “My favorite thing about traveling is the break I get from everyday life and the opportunity I have to forget about everything in New York for a week,” said Bryce, who is traveling to Paris. She is excited to only focus on eating French food and exploring the beautiful city of Paris. The thrill of traveling includes not only going to new cities and seeing more of the world, but also going to see family or friends in places one might have frequently visited beforehand. Ruparel used to visit Toronto three to four times a year to see his family, but he wasn’t able to go until December of last year. “I’m thrilled to go back. I love Toronto, it’s my home away from home, and I miss walking through the streets of the city. I missed the energy and complete enchantment I get when going back to Canada and seeing all the culture there,” Ruparel said. Going years without seeing one’s family can be extremely difficult. Like Ruparel, Peker spent every summer since the age of three

in Ukraine with all her cousins and grandparents. “Due to COVID, I could not go to see my family in Ukraine. Although I talked to them over the phone, I really missed the long summer days on the lake and in the park,” Peker said. However, it is much harder to travel now. To fly anywhere, one must first check all the postpandemic requirements of the particular place. For example, some countries require different levels of vaccination, quarantine periods, or negative COVID-19 tests. “COVID made [flying] more complicated because I had to get a negative Covid test within a day of my flight,” Clough said. These particular precautions are necessary for safety purposes, but can sometimes be very difficult to comply with due to the meticulous instructions. Despite these challenges, many students are taking this upcoming spring break to relax and take a break from the stresses of life and the city in general. Students are starting to return to exploring the world and immersing themselves in the diverse, rich cultures of other cities. “I can’t wait to experience more culture shocks like I did when I went to Jordan and Egypt,” Ruparel said. “For the first time in two years, this break will feel normal again.”

The Spectator • April 14, 2022

Page 11

Photo Essay Portraits of Stuyvesant To practice editorial style photography, the Photo Department took photos of their fellow Stuyvesant students, incorporating new poses, fashion details, and the beautiful landscape of Tribeca.

Zifei Zhao / The Spectator

Alifa Azad / The Spectator

Honora Muratori / The Spectator

Zifei Zhao / The Spectator

Ibtida Khurshed / The Spectator

Sabrina Li / The Spectator

Anthony Sun / The Spectator

The Spectator • April 14, 2022

Page 12

Opinions First Comes Conceive, Second Comes Paid Leave By ASHLEY LIN

“Just enjoy it,” friends, relatives, and co-workers often advise new parents. “You will never get back the time you spend with your newborn.” It’s an exciting, stressful, frustrating, and exhilarating period, yet most parents have to choose between family and making enough to support it. How can new parents possibly “just enjoy it” without national paid family leave? There are currently six countries in the world with no national paid leave. The United States is one of them. It is also one of seven countries without national paid maternal leave and one of 83 countries without national paid paternity leave. Throughout the world, the average paid maternity leave is 29 weeks, and the average paid paternity leave is 16 weeks. Among wealthy countries, the United States is alone in its lack of a national paid leave program. Parental leave in the United States started in 1993 with the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) signed into legislation by President Bill Clinton. The act requires employers to provide mothers of newborn or newly adopted children with 12 weeks of job-protected, unpaid leave if they are employed at a location with 50 or more employees. For workers at locations with less than 50 employees, employers are not legally required to provide any kind of leave, paid or unpaid,

to care for a new child. While this legislation ensures employees can maintain their jobs, it puts new parents in a difficult financial position; they are forced to choose between taking care of their family and receiving a paycheck. Twenty-nine years have passed since this act was signed into legislation. Currently, leave from work is near-

Angela Zeng / The Spectator

ly unattainable for 62 percent of workers. They are either ineligible for leave under the FMLA or simply cannot afford to take unpaid leave. About 40 percent of the workforce is ineligible for time off under the FMLA due to employer size and working hour requirements. An additional 22 percent of the workforce is eligible for unpaid time off but cannot afford to take that leave. Only around 17 percent of the current workforce has access to

paid family leave through their employers. The lack of paid family leave has dire consequences for families. Nearly 25 percent of new moms return to work within only two weeks of giving birth, 75 percent of fathers in professional jobs return to work within a week of having a newborn, and about 60 percent of low-income fathers do not take paid leave at all. For new parents, this situation makes it virtually impossible to bond with their newborns, adjust to parenthood, and enjoy this new chapter in their lives. Currently, only nine states and Washington, D.C. have enacted paid family leave programs. However, access to paid leave should not depend on where new parents live or who their employers are— it must be implemented nationwide. Especially for lowincome families, paid leave is a necessity, not a benefit. Far too many new parents are forced to rush back to their jobs a few weeks after having a newborn because they cannot survive without a new paycheck. Parents should not have to choose between abandoning their newborn to be able to pay their bills and staying home but having to worry about paychecks. Paid leave ensures workers can meet their personal needs while fulfilling their responsibilities at work. It is not a privilege, but a necessity.

The Fight for Protesting By ELIZABETH KOLBASKO Many Stuyvesant students marched across the Brooklyn Bridge for the Global Climate Strike on Friday, March 25. The strike was centered around the message of “People Not Profit,” referring to the ignorance of large, wealthy corporations and governments all over the world toward climate issues. In the week leading up to the protest, the strike became increasingly popular across social media. Evidently, through all types of social media platforms, people can connect to local activism as well as global issues. However, this seemingly positive impact of social media comes with its own set of repercussions. For example, the success of many protests ends up being clouded by performative activism instead of true action. Protests have shaped our country into what it is today. Many U.S. citizens pride themselves on exercising their freedom of speech and peaceful assembly. Youth-based campaigns are some of the most influential activist groups for the public, and they push people in power to recognize demands from younger generations. These communities have built long-lasting relationships, promoted personal growth, and created endless opportunities. The main benefit of social media is that it spreads the word to prospective participants, but the advantages fall flat in terms of connecting the issue to the individual, which can be falsified

through popular activist trends. Users can make their platforms tools for personal social gain instead of actually dedicating their time and effort to a campaign. When thousands of people share and repost a slew of random infographics, social media is promoting a “quick and easy” approach to activism. Harvard University human rights and international affairs professor Erica Chenoweth argued that popular movements on social media have degraded the actual experience of protesting, therefore affecting the result

However, Journal of Democracy found that the effectiveness of nonviolent resistance campaigns began to decline even before the pandemic, despite the massive wave of movements in 2019 pushing for racial justice, gun control, and LGBTQ+ rights. We’ve seen major restrictions on abortion in the past year in states like Texas, Idaho, and Mississippi. Recently, Florida passed the Parental Rights in Education Bill, dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay Bill.” Action against such legislation is overshadowed by changes in the

The Spectator The Stuyvesant High School Newspaper

“The Pulse of the Student Body”

ED I TO RS

I N

CHI E F

Momoca Mairaj* Maya Nelson* N EWS

structure and capabilities of these movements. Not only does performative activism hurt a campaign’s success over time, but it also negatively affects the individuals who participate in it. Scrolling through and sharing aesthetically pleasing posts about protests will never equate to the impact of listening

E D I TO RS

Erica Chen Oliver Hollmann SPO RTS

E D I TO RS

Taee Chi Shafiul Haque* Ava Quarles PHOTO GRAPHY E D I TO RS

Alexander Lopez Zifei Zhao

E D I TO RS

Rebecca Bao** Isabella Jia* Janna Wang F EATURE S

O PI N I O NS

D I RE CTO RS

Afra Mahmud* Nelli Rojas-Cessa** Vivian Teo L AYO UT

E D I TO RS

Susie McKnight Shreya Roy Danny Xiong

E D I TO RS

Peter Goswami Anisha Singhal* S C I E NCE

ART

E D I TO RS

Lauren Lee Shivani Manimaran Christina Pan

E D I TO RS

Sathirtha Mondal Sonya Sasson

CO PY

E D I TO RS

Nada Hameed Eman Sadiq Ruiwen Tang Raymond Yang BUSI NE SS

ARTS

EN T E RTAI NM E NT

M ANAGE RS

Inara Rabbani Amber Shen

E D I TO RS

Nicole Liu Kenisha Mahajan* Levi Simon

WE B

E D I TO RS

David Chen* Samantha Hua Theodore Yochum FAC U LT Y

* Managing Board ** Editors-in-Training

ADV I SE R

Kerry Garfinkel

Please address all letters to: 345 Chambers Street New York, NY 10282 (212) 312-4800 ext. 2601 eics@stuyspec.com

Voices

Would you like to share a personal narrative with the school? Whether it’s an essay you’ve written for class, or a piece you’ve been working on by yourself, if it’s in first-person and it is nonfiction it could get published in The Spectator! Send your stories to features@stuyspec.com, or email us with any questions or concerns you have. If you wish, it may be published anonymously. to speakers at a protest, nor will it actively demand change from those in power. Unfortunately, “clicktivism” does not show an

as well. These pushes for change aren’t made to last, so the increase in performative activism hurts demands for change in current protests. Measuring the success of protests over time is difficult because different campaigns have different goals, and the extent to which the problem can be solved varies.

HUM O R

individual’s nuanced beliefs on an issue, only a generalized summary of them. On social media, it is easy to follow the most popular movements without actually engaging in making a difference. Therefore, when campaigns do not earn trust and unity through time, effort, and relationships, they can fail under pressure. Digi-

tal activism can act as a lens for creating change, but more dedication to a cause in real life is required for it to succeed. Rather than using social media as the main source for learning about all sorts of activism, social media should serve as an inspirational point for encouraging further research. In this way, younger people can explore their own opinions and thoughts without mindlessly reposting what they see on their friends’ Instagram stories. When someone is actually interested in a campaign, it can bring about great benefits for the individual and the common goal. The shift in culture should be centered around how activism is presented on social media. Right now, the condensation of important goals into a few infographics palpable for social media users is damaging. By connecting younger people with reliable sources and easy-to-understand information pertaining to activism, social media can be an effective tool for change. Driving these movements to focus on clear information and balancing promotion through social media will ensure that a push for change is successful.

The Spectator • April 14, 2022

Page 13

Opinions A Modern-Day Ideal American By RIYA SUNDARAM For many Americans, achieving the “ideal American” standard is impossible. The ideal is someone who’s white, who has ancestors going back for centuries in this country, and who is the culmination of the patriotic pride that has existed throughout American history. This ideal has always been a part of this country, and it is what the term “Americanization,” the act of making immigrants assimilate, is based on. Today, the image of the “ideal American” is part of so many aspects of our lives, including education, language, and media. To break away from this harmful American standard, we need to make a more conscious effort to properly represent diversity in all areas of our modern society. Americanization began as a movement at the end of the 19th century in an effort to assimilate immigrants. It spread quickly because it seemed like a progressive movement, yet it echoed racist and xenophobic sentiments. The movement focused mainly on centering education around America. The first targets of this movement were Native Americans. The United States sent Native American children to boarding schools, where they were punished if they spoke their native languages, and taught them how to be properly “American.” This method was used to try to wipe Native American languages out of existence. Americanization also spread to mainstream education. For example, in 1910, Louisiana passed a law requiring Cajun and Creole kids to learn to read and write in English. After that,

speaking French was stigmatized day lives and professional interin schools. actions, which limits the use of Eventually, the movement other languages. started to dwindle in the 1930s There are also many myths as the American public began to about bilingualism in the United redefine what America was and States, including the notion that later adopted the melting pot bilingual kids will be more contheory. Americanization became fused in school and that learning a disregarded term, but its effects multiple languages will make it still linger in our lives today. harder for children to speak one. Education has been used as In my family, my father was never a weapon for hundreds of years, taught how to speak and its ability to erase languages persists. While most immigrants who don’t speak English speak their native languages to their children, many secondgeneration immigrants don’t, and their kids are even less likely to do so. While part of this pattern may simply result out of convenience, it is also the consequence of pressuring kids to be monolingual in the United States through many techniques, one being the use of English in local government. Sophia Li / The Spectator Around 30 states have local Eng- our language, Tamil, because my lish-only laws, meaning that all grandparents were worried that government-related actions and it would make school harder for documents are only available in him. Now my brother, my cousEnglish. This statistic follows the ins, and I do not speak the lanEnglish-only movement, which guage—it’s slowly disappearing started in the 1980s as a push from our family the longer we to make English the official lan- stay in America. The third generaguage of the United States. The tion has lost their culture from the employment of English in local belief that the only people who government situations leads the can succeed in America must be language to become even more properly “American.” dominant and valuable in everyLanguage is not the only

thing that our schools influence. Schools tend to teach to the “ideal American,” whose family has a long history in America. You feel this pressure in history classes when the teacher mentions “our forefathers” or when you spend multiple units on Europe and condense South Asia into one. While teachers do their best to change their lessons, the whole school system creates a sense that you don’t belong in the conversation. To be part of this society, you have to embrace the ideal American and leave behind what makes you “foreign”: your language, your history, and your culture. Any refusal to cooperate leaves you stranded as an outsider in a world made for someone you will never be. Schools are in charge of raising the next generation. They have the power to create new ideas and push out the poison that Americanization and other movements have left in our education system. This change is one of the first steps to fixing our society’s view of the word “American.” We need to learn how to value languages besides English and to move away from the Eurocentric view that tends to be adopted by schools in the United States. We need to make sure to destigmatize speaking other languages at school, teach history from many different parts of the world, and

read literature from a variety of authors with unique stories to tell. Another foundation of knowledge for children is the media, which also holds onto the image of the “ideal American.” Kids watch television all the time, and while we’ve made progress when it comes to diversifying television shows, the media still does its best to conform actors to the ideal. Despite good intentions, shows that simplify characters can fall into the trap of only including characters with European features. These shows fit into the larger theme in the television industry of ethnic ambiguity, which feels safer than committing to something that could work against the image of the ideal American. Even non-animated content, like advertisements on the subway, does its best to conform to this trend. These portrayals of people of color only reinforce the idea that being more than just “American” is isolating. This message can be improved by hiring more people of color on production teams and creating an animation industry that teaches young kids to celebrate diversity. Kids need to stop living as strangers in their own country and being constantly pressured that they don’t belong. The Americanization movement may be a thing of the past, but its ghost haunts us in every aspect of our modern lives. By letting go of our society’s connection to the “ideal American,” teaching more diverse history and languages, and representing people of diverse backgrounds as role models for children, we can help release the pressure that’s placed on kids.

We Don’t Need the White Knight in Shining Armor By GULAM MONAWARAH

As a South Asian Muslim girl, I prefer to dress a bit more conservatively: I wear a hijab, cover my arms, and do not wear shorts in the summer. The manner in which I dress, act, and socialize with others is influenced by my religion, my heritage, and simply my personal comfort. However, my friends often assume that I don’t dress the way I do out of choice. Several of my teachers have tried to hold impromptu “interventions” to ask if my family is abusing or oppressing me, simply because I dress more modestly than most other girls my age. When I assure them that I am safe, they only feel worse. I started to notice this pattern in literature as well: Muslim or South Asian girls would abandon their interests, niche hobbies, and fashion to impress white peers. Doing so would then magically solve all of their problems and make them feel more confident—or really, more Westernized. One such book is “The Lines We Cross” by Randa Abdel-Fattah, in which a Muslim refugee from Afghanistan falls in love with a rich white boy whose family is part of an anti-immigrant group. I was ecstatic to read something with a strong, Muslim lead character, featuring someone who is proud of both her heritage and her new home. Instead, the plot revolves around a white boy falling in love with someone

so “pretty” and “different,” and a Muslim girl wanting to change nearly everything about herself for him. It sends a harmful message to small brown girls like me that no one will love us unless we are unrealistically pretty or assimilate into white culture. We cannot keep associating people of color with a lack of freedom, underdevelopment, irresponsibility, and other harmful stereotypes; it only serves to falsely portray people of color as inferior to the “model” white man. American history is wellacquainted with the media’s use of the “white savior trope”: a common storyline in which white protagonists “help” the people of color around them in a loose attempt to uplift them. Though the trope tries to promote the understanding of other cultures, it rarely ever does. Many white authors hang on to this archaic, savior-type mission because it gives them a sense of power and superiority. The sentiment that it is the duty of white people to civilize other cultures dates back hundreds of years. In the 19th century, many Europeans believed in a concept called the white man’s burden—the self-assigned duty of white people to manage the affairs of non-white peoples, whom they viewed as less developed. European colonizers felt this way toward Native Americans, whom they saw as poor, underdeveloped, wild savages. Many don’t realize that literature

had a monumental role in spreading this idea. Rudyard Kipling, the author of the beloved “Jungle Book,” wrote a poem called “The White Man’s Burden,” in which he urged the U.S. to follow Britain’s example and to “serve [its] captives’ needs.” After his poem came out, it was applied to conflicts in the Philippines, Africa, India, and other regions. Poems, books, essays, and newspapers like this work influenced the thoughts of millions of white people at this time and thus passed on these ideas through generations. This trope commonly features determined, non-traditional, seemingly sympathetic white protagonists who try to help people of color, despite facing large threats from their own community. For example, in the classic novel “To Kill a Mockingbird,” white lawyer Atticus Finch volunteers to defend a Black man accused of raping a white woman. The readers see the Finches fight against the white community’s prejudice, but we do not see the struggles of the Black community as much as we should. Besides the rare scenes with Tom Robinson and his neighborhood that are sprinkled in once the court trial begins, the protagonists learn the bare minimum about the people of color around them. Another common characteristic of the white savior trope is that characters’ understanding of other cultures is very shallow and surface-level. For instance, in a

key scene of the hit Netflix show “Elite,” student Nadia Shanno takes off her hijab and walks into a bar confidently, because all of a sudden she’s not oppressed, shy, sad, or even herself anymore. In BBC’s “Bodyguard” and “Homeland,” the Muslim characters are always either terrorists or assets to the white governments that saved them. The image of the white knight in shining armor still bleeds into our modern lives—a parallel between literature and politics that is very unexpected. Our media today often informs its audience to pick up these same ideas and project them onto their peers. Now, however, it’s made its way into social media and our treatment of each other’s lifestyles. When our books, friends, teachers, and our society collectively treat people of color as objects to be saved, it follows that the same trend will continue on social media. The #BlackoutTuesday trend, when white influencers posted black squares on their Instagram feeds to show support for Black Lives Matter (BLM) rather than donating money or posting something of actual substance, grew in popularity mid-2020. When called out for doing essentially nothing, some influencers fought back, saying that we should be appreciative of their menial efforts to show riskless support. However, they were essentially detracting attention from the #BlackLivesMatter conversation, which many

used to stay informed on events and demonstrations. On TikTok, white influencers used the BLM and Stop Asian Hate movements to make content and take aesthetic photos; at the same time, many did not take the time to promote creators of color. Instead of reading books about white people saving other cultures, we should be reading about those who want to make changes in their own community based on experience, familiarity, and a clear understanding of what they want. In Stuyvesant, many English teachers and students are advocating for more diversity in the curriculum, which is a great step to destigmatize foreign literature. On the other side of the publishing process, readers should be encouraging and supporting writers of color who want to share their stories of change and growth. The fact that many white readers internalize these white savior tropes and apply them to real people to “save” them from prejudice is increasingly problematic. It’s not right to pretend one cares about people of color, simply to shame them for who they are. It’s not right to gatekeep literature because the people in power want to feel better about themselves and their superiority. The white savior trope is a lazy and uneducated attempt to push Eurocentric ideas onto other cultures, when we should instead be understanding and supportive of other cultures.

Page 14

The Spectator • April 14, 2022

Opinions The Default Is No Default By PETER GOSWAMI

eronormativity as the standard is further demonstrated in the societal need to come out, a need that only LGBTQ+ people have to fulfill, invalidating the identities of people who choose not to come out. By assuming straight and cisgender as the default, we only make it harder for queer people to realize and accept their own identities.

Natalie Soler / The Spectator

About three to four years ago, I attempted to come out to my brother. He responded by asking me, “How do you know? Aren’t you too young to figure out your sexual feelings?” Apart from the awkwardness of my brother asking me about my “sexual feelings,” I was irked by the fact that my brother wanted an explanation of how I figured out my sexuality instead of choosing to believe what I know about my identity. Three months ago, when I came out as nonbinary, one of my acquaintances asked me, “Why did you change your pronouns on a whim?” This question, perhaps unintentionally, reinforced the false idea that I’d be been living life as a cisgender male until I suddenly, “whimsically” decided to change my pronouns. Both of these situations demonstrated the pervasiveness of the idea of the cisgender and heterosexual identity as the default. My brother’s questioning of how I figured out my sexuality is a type of questioning that straight people do not have to face because straightness is assumed as the baseline until someone declares otherwise. Even the term straight itself is a way of establishing that heterosexuality is treated as the norm. When I first attempted to come out to my brother, the idea of heterosexuality as the default influenced me to tell him I was bisexual despite never experiencing heterosexual attraction. At the time, I believed it was expected, whereas my own attraction to the same sex was considered the “deviant.” This standard only made it harder to come to terms with my identity as a gay person. The implication that changing my pronouns to they/them was a whimsical decision further reinforced the idea of cisgender be-

ing the default identity. This idea forced my coming to terms with my gender identity to be seen as a sudden change or an impulsive choice, rather than a conscious realization of my gender followed by a change in pronouns to feel comfortable in who I was. Realizing my gender identity would not have been as difficult if cisgender wasn’t assumed as the default.

I questioned my gender many times before accepting the truth, but every time the question arose, I suppressed it by telling myself that identifying as male and using he/him pronouns was convenient because it was considered “normal.” In both situations, cisgender and straight being the default only made it harder to come to terms with my identity because it required me to think of myself as such unless I could concretely label myself otherwise. The perpetuation of cishet-

Many will argue that cisgender and straight being the default is harmless because the majority of people are, in fact, cisgender and straight—only 5.6 percent of the U.S. adult population openly identifies as LGBTQ+. But being the majority does not have to translate to being the default, as the divide between majority and minority simply conveys certain statistics, whereas the idea of straight and cisgender being the default assumes that it is the norm that everyone should fit

into. Additionally, the data only counts people who openly identify as LGBTQ+, erasing the identities of those who aren’t out. We lack understanding of how many of the remaining people who label themselves as straight/ cisgender do so due to cisheteronormative conditioning. Straight and cisgender being thought of as the default often leads to feelings of internalized homophobia and transphobia, as it makes it more difficult for people outside the mold to accept themselves in a world that doesn’t treat their identity as normal, contributing to higher rates of depression and suicidal thoughts among LGBTQ+ people, especially among LGBTQ+ youth. This idea also makes it harder for people to embrace their sexualities and genders without giving themselves a concrete label. Furthering the idea of cisgender and straight as the default only makes it more challenging for LGBTQ+ identity to be normalized in our society. The dangers of assuming straight and cisgender as the default are further seen in Florida’s recent passing of what has been dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” Bill, which bans discussions on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade. The assumption of cisheteronormative identity as the baseline has normalized exposing kids to heteronormative tropes, whereas we portray homosexuality as the deviant that is too obscene or sexual to expose our kids to. Princes kissing sleeping princesses in fairytales is normalized, but two men kissing on screen isn’t. We normalize instilling gender norms in children, like the idea that pink is for girls and blue is for boys, whereas discussing transgender or nonbinary identity is not common. However, many kids begin to develop a sense of

their gender identity between the ages of three and five, and in a recent study among transgender adults seeking gender-affirming surgery, 73 percent of transgender women and 78 percent of transgender men reported experiencing gender dysphoria by age seven. In a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, 27 percent of lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults reported questioning their sexual orientation before the age of 10. Preventing kids from learning about LGBTQ+ identity at an early age only makes it harder for them to accept their own identities, which has a severe impact on their mental health. Promoting heterosexuality and cisgender identity as the default only prevents LGBTQ+ youth from thinking of themselves as normal. I was apprehensive about writing this article, thinking that people would brush it off as just another article by me about being queer (the fifth one), but I realized that the idea that there can be a limit on how many times I talk about being queer before making others uncomfortable only furthers the idea that we live in a society where conversation around queer identity has not been normalized. In order to normalize queer identity, we need to understand that the default should be having no default so that people can realize and accept their sexualities and gender identities on their own terms, rather than having to think of their sexualities or genders as an offshoot of cisheteronormativity. Only then can we create a society where people can feel that their sexualities and gender identities are valid without having to provide explanations of how they “decided” to walk out of the mold of being cis and straight, because that mold would not exist.

Liberal Consumerism By QUAINAT MARIAM

Almost a year after the Supreme Court decision that made gay marriage legal across the U.S., stores across my neighborhood decorated their walls and storefronts with queer merchandise in June of 2016. As a young tween, June became one of my favorite months for this reason. There were always flags, attractive proLGBTQ+ ads, pride merchandise, and “#gay” mugs being sold. The feeling of community and belonging, of the “pride” these decorated stores instilled in me, is the same feeling I get when I enter a store and am immediately met with its eco-friendly items. I feel optimistic and satisfied when I check out at H&M and the cashier prints me a receipt with green calligraphy and its footer: “Thank you for purchasing from CONSCIOUS.” The rewarding feeling I get when I purchase or even see things being sold in the name of movements and issues I care about is unlike any other. It feels like a collective accomplishment: something to be proud of, to promote, and to praise stores and companies for. Of course, companies are aware of this effect; they know that queer merchandise and ecofriendly items invoke a feeling of sentimentality and accomplishment. In fact, this idea is a new marketing tactic that has been developed with the intention of

appealing to a liberal and progressive audience made up of people like myself. This marketing strategy is so successful that it has been given names: greenwashing, in reference to eco-friendly

SCIOUS collection, which is produced in factories with a less toxic eco-footprint. In reality, H&M, among other “eco-friendly,” large companies, lacks consistency in its ethics and morals. As users

tends to companies appealing to queer people as well. Facebook launched a pride reaction button that users could use as an emote in June of 2019. Though Facebook initially received praise for

The rewarding feeling I get when I purchase or even see things being sold in the name of movements and issues I care about is unlike any other. It feels like a collective accomplishment: something to be proud of, to promote, and to praise stores and companies for. companies, and pinkwashing, the same concept applied to pro-LGBTQ+ companies. In the case of greenwashing, companies claim to be ecofriendly in an effort to appeal to a growing conscious population that is concerned with the future of the environment. H&M, for instance, has committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and consistently adds to its supposedly sustainable CON-

of the “fast fashion” business model, these companies contribute to large textile waste and are known to use low-quality materials. However, by using buzzwords and other “green” terms to describe their commitments, these companies are able to appeal to a growing consumer class—progressive teens and new adults looking to support companies that align with their values. This marketing model ex-

celebrating queer people, it was soon discovered that the company utilized its notorious algorithm to only offer the reaction button to particular users, those who previously interacted with LGBTQ+ posts or live in large, pro-LGBTQ+ cities. This initiative was an effort on Facebook’s part to protect their popularity in anti-LGBTQ+ spaces and exemplifies companies’ prioritization of their images. To Facebook

and other companies, LGBTQ+ pride is nothing but a marketing strategy. Pinkwashing further extends to hypocrisy among corporations and their treatment of queer workers. Most notably, companies that have committed to LGBTQ+ rights, brandishing this feat as a progressive accomplishment, have failed to uphold their commitments. AT&T, for example, flaunts its triumph in being one of the first major corporations to adopt policy that prohibits sexual orientation-based discrimination. Meanwhile, it funds Floridian politicians known for being anti-LGBTQ+, a betrayal of the workers it claims to protect. This example highlights that companies find usefulness in the marketability and appeal of queer issues, but aren’t true allies to these causes. There is no true escape from greenwashing and pinkwashing. As the key consumer class has slowly shifted to reflect more liberal, younger people, both greenwashing and pinkwashing are becoming big marketing strategies. However, companies need to modify the way they interact with their consumers. There should be a moral obligation not only to listen to their audience, but also to respect their consumers—not committing to their promises is an act of deception, and companies owe their consumers transparency.

The Spectator ● April 14, 2022

Page 15

Science Deciphering the Pleasures of the Universal Language By ELMA KHAN Every morning, thousands of students walk to the Tribeca Bridge with headphones on, music blasting into their ears. Music is a common part of our daily lives, and it can lift our moods dramatically. But how can a collection of sounds have such a strong impact on our minds? Music is the arrangement of sounds, normally with the elements of melody, harmony, tempo, and rhythm. When songs are created, these elements are carefully organized to make the song appealing and addictive to listeners—hence why certain songs get stuck in our heads. Moreover, human brains are designed to seek patterns in our random world. The repetitive tunes in music give our brain a continuous pattern that it can understand, which is why people like music. When we’re listening to a song we like, pleasure-inducing hormones such as dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin are released, activating our reward system and creating feelings of contentment. Interestingly, the music we currently listen to as teenagers will be more deeply ingrained in our brains than any other music we’ll ever listen to. The brain undergoes neurodevelopment at the highest pace during the teenage years because of all the

hormones released. These hor- if there’s a risk attached. Theremones link memories, the emo- fore, this music-induced oxytotions associated with them, and cin production can help us bond the music itself together as one with people and create connecset. So if adults listen to a song tions. Additionally, though what that they enjoyed in their teen- makes a “good song” is highly age years, the song will cause subjective, scientists have discovthose same “feel-good” hor- ered that music with a high temmones to be released in the pres- po—a little higher than that of ent because the memory will be the average pop song, which is retrieved from when they were around 150 beats per minute—is teenagers. However, songs we the best type of feel-good song. don’t like aren’t processed in our Music in the major key with upbrains as music. Instead, lifting lyrics they’re processed as a can also group of sounds. contribThe majorute to a ity of the happier time, the song. brain even interprets it as a Muwarning sic can do or signal of wonders danger. Diffor energy. ferent people Music with a have different music Nada Hameed / The Spectator fast tempo arouses genre preferences, but music can the brain because our bodies try provide great benefits for all. to stay in sync with the music One advantage of music is its tempo. If the music is fast, then ability to lift moods and help cre- it speeds up our nervous system ate social connections and trust and increases the amount of between people. In addition to adrenaline produced. Adrenapromoting happiness, oxytocin is line is a hormone that increases also linked with creating reliance blood circulation speed and actiand belief within others. Experi- vates the fight-or-flight response. ments conducted by researchers These factors cause us to feel have proven that when people energized. Also, a strong rhythm, are exposed to oxytocin, they are like what’s found in the songs more likely to trust people, even of a pump-up playlist, increases

step frequency so that the body can stay in sync with the music. Studies have shown that people who work out while listening to this type of music have greater endurance and more motivation. The approximate tempo to create this effect is around 125 to 140 beats per minute, which is the speed of a fast pop song. Thus, music has the ability to energize and, as a result, motivate. Relaxation can also come from music. Cortisol is another hormone that contributes to the fight-or-flight response. As a stress hormone, it increases pulse and tenses muscles. Music with a low tempo can decrease the amount of cortisol released, and therefore relax the muscles. Background piano music is common in waiting rooms at hospitals for this reason; it soothes patients’ minds and alleviates stress. Experiments demonstrate that slow-tempo music also assists in recovering from a stressful or painful experience. Music therapy is based on music’s stress-relieving qualities and its ability to improve moods. This therapy is used to help patients with depression recover, and it improves the brains of people with chronic diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. This works because music triggers parts of the brain that are affected by these neurological disorders, thus forming new con-

nections. For instance, a song’s rhythm might trigger the cerebellum, which is responsible for complex motor functions. When people with motor coordination problems listen to the steady beat, it makes their coordination steadier. What’s more, music has an amazing effect on the quality, quantity, and effectiveness of sleep. When we fall asleep listening to music, our brains translate the sound waves into electric signals, which trigger internal physical effects. These effects make sleep come faster and resolve internal issues that interfere with sleep, improving sleep quality. Slow-tempo music (60 to 100 beats per minute) relaxes the autonomic nervous system, which also contributes to better sleep quality. Moreover, music is a distraction from the troubling thoughts that many have at night that prevent sleep. The relaxation benefits of music allow for the body to feel more energized and recovered in the morning. Overall, music—something that is so common in our daily lives—helps us in more ways than we realize. So the next time you need to improve your mood after bombing a test, or desire an escape from the anxieties of everyday life, pop on some headphones, turn on some tunes, and let music restore you to a calmer and happier state.

Maintaining One’s Health During Times of War The sounds of shots fired and the constant blasts of explosions are heard from miles away. The deafening roars of machinery and the jets flying above seem neverending. Such is the harsh reality for people in major war zones and areas of combat, such as in Syria, Yemen, and most recently, Ukraine. Throughout history, war has been declared for many reasons, in many places, and by many people. However, in every war, one thing holds true: civilians are faced with impending challenges that drastically rearrange their priorities and force them to accommodate to the rapidly changing climate. In situations where people find their houses destroyed and food in short supply, the need for acquiring basic necessities is imperative to anything else. The shift in priorities as well as the destruction of important public buildings leads to unfortunate situations where people cannot maintain their own health. To visually categorize the importance placed on the different aspects of our life, we can refer to Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, which is divided into five basic categories of needs: physi-

ological, safety, love, esteem, and self-actualization. To move up to another tier, an individual would have to satisfy all the needs of the tier below it. For example, normally, in times of peace, we find ourselves with the “fundamental needs” of air, water, food, and shelter. So, we would typically at least be in the tier above physiological needs–the “safety needs,” comprising of employment, health, and property. In times of conflict, individuals would think more about achieving their physiological needs than their safety needs. One particular factor that falls under the category of safety needs is health. Along with the change in precedence, the fatal destruction of buildings in warzones intensifies the difficulty of acquiring appropriate medical help. According to the International Humanitarian Law (IHL), hospitals, medical units, and medical personnel are afforded “special protection,” meaning they are not allowed to be targets of attacks, even if they are housing sick soldiers from the opposing side. Despite this law, the declaration has been ignored on several occasions. For example, since the start of the Syrian civil war in 2011, there have been

223 attacks on 175 health facilities. Furthermore, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), there have been more than 70 separate attacks on hospitals, ambulances, and doctors in Ukraine, and the numbers are in-

obtaining the care they need during wartime, posing an additional risk to their already dire situation. Thus, without hospitals and other health centers, diseases and infections are bound to worsen since there aren’t appropriate cen-

creasing on a daily basis. With this ignorance of not only the IHL but also patients’ rights to seek proper medical assistance, these attacks prevent innocent civilians from

ters or equipment to treat them. Contagious diseases are already a great challenge to deal with normally, but in times of war and conflict, concern surrounding the

Stefanie Chen / The Spectator

By SUBAAH SYED

spread of diseases is significantly amplified. This is not only because of the increased contact between people but also because of the destruction that comes with war. In Ukraine, in lieu of medical centers, many refugees stay in overcrowded unsanitary shelters that are ideal breeding grounds for diseases such as cholera, pneumonia, and COVID-19. Despite the convenience of tracing methods, the war has made it difficult for tracing and diagnosing those who are ill because of the mass displacement of people. In fact, health officials are concerned that the late improvements in restraining the spread of many contagious diseases will regress due to war’s effect on hindering scientific advancements as well as providing environments in which pathogens can thrive. Even during the war, it is imperative for civilians and soldiers, whether involved in the war effort or not, to be able to acquire medical assistance. Though it may sometimes be difficult to think that people do not have the things we take for granted, such as our local doctor’s office, it is vital to recognize that this is the reality for many people in the world right now, and to appreciate the importance of our own health systems and staff.

Living Without a Brain By JOVANNA WU A 44-year-old man in France decided to pay a visit to the doctor’s office after waking up with a sudden cramp on his left leg in 2007. What started off as a trip to inquire about a leg cramp soon took a drastic turn when doctors took his medical history and learned that he was diagnosed with hydrocephalus, the buildup of fluids in the brain cavity, at birth. CT scans of his brain revealed that his brain was made

up of 90 percent cerebrospinal fluids, leading to the unanimous shock of the doctors. His ability to bypass the low survival rates of hydrocephalus and lead a normal life resulted in the discovery of the human mind’s flexibility, thus revolutionizing our understanding of the human brain. The brain has long been seen as arguably the most significant organ in the human body. Therefore, as one can imagine, if the brain were to suffer from any neurological damage or dis-

ease, then the life of the human would be severely impacted. Hydrocephalus contributes to the enlargement of the brain’s ventricles and thus, places excessive pressure on the brain. This pressure damages the brain’s tissues as well as different vital areas, which leads to the malfunction of the brain. Though this disease can occur at any age, it is far more commonly diagnosed in infants. Some of its more obvious symptoms include the enlargement of the newborn’s head, a bulging soft

spot at the top of its head, and, most commonly, seizures. The symptoms emerge from a possible obstruction of development of the newborn’s central nervous systems during pregnancy and the inflammation of their brain tissues. Furthermore, this condition tends to cause learning disabilities in developing youth as well as premature death, with 80 percent of patients passing away before reaching adulthood. The aforementioned French man was miraculously tested to

have an IQ of 75. Though this number is well below the present-day global average of 100, this did not place the man in the mentally disabled spectrum which constitutes a score below 70. In fact, he was able to get his hydrocephalus temporarily treated with a shunt, a hollow tube, inserted into his head to drain the excess fluids from the brain and redirect continued on page 16

The Spectator ● April 14, 2022

Page 16

Science Climate Fighting Bacteria By ALEX ZHENG The Global Climate Strike on March 25 once again brought the issue of global warming into the spotlight for good reason: climate change is a significant issue that must be addressed before the end of the century. According to climate statistics from NASA, the planet’s surface temperature has risen by over one degree Celsius since the 1900s, Arctic sea ice coverage has decreased by over 13 percent, and carbon dioxide levels are at an all-time high. Though these statistics might seem negligible, the repercussions are massive: the entire globe is experiencing more extreme weather events, loss of agricultural produce, and the extinction of certain important species. Scientists are constantly researching solutions to combat these pressing issues. In a recent study, scientists discuss the possibility of employing the aid of another species of organism: bacteria. Through millennia of evolution, the abundance of microorganisms and their many unique cellular pathways make them particularly interesting to scientists studying climate change. For example, marine phytoplankton are capable of performing more than 50 percent of the planet’s carbon fixation, while diatoms are responsible for storing over 40 percent of carbon in the ocean floor. A study from the

Vienna University of Technology examined a special family of bacteria called acetogens, which are able to metabolize formate to create formic acid. Specifically, the scientist examined the model organism, Acetobacterium woodii, and found that not only are they very efficient at utilizing carbon dioxide, but it is also possible for them to reincorporate byproducts like carbon dioxide and monoxide into their pathway to generate formic acid, effectively creating a cycle. In addition, scientists at Vienna University discussed the possibility of manipulating certain genes in A. woodi to create products other than formic acid, like ethanol or lactic acid. These two molecules are very important as organic renewable resources since ethanol can be used as a biofuel replacement for gasoline, while lactic acid can be utilized to make the biodegradable plastic PLA. Furthermore, a study from 2016 discusses the use of certain lactic acid bacteria and yeast species in ethanol production. The scientists from the study hope to mass-produce the 10 identified species of bacteria on a commercial scale, creating enough ethanol to completely replace typical gasoline and power entire cities. Scientists are also examining photoferrotrophs, special aquatic bacteria known for taking energy from the iron-rich environment they inhabit and “consuming” elec-

tricity. Photoferrotrophs use soluble iron as an electron donor and light energy to perform photosynthesis. Their photosynthetic pathway has the ability to efficiently sequester carbon dioxide, prompting scientists to examine whether or not they could be used to combat climate change. In theory, photoferrotrophs would be a wonderful asset to humanity’s arsenal against global warming, but results remain mixed. Scientists, however, are hopeful, especially given how common these bacteria are and the possible impact they could have on the planet. In a 2020 study published by Natural C l i mate Change, scientists discovered a class of methanotrophs, or methaneoxidizing bacteria. These bacteria are unique in their ability to sequester methane, a common greenhouse gas that contributes more to climate change than carbon dioxide due to its

special heat-retaining properties. These bacteria play a major role in the natural capture and oxidation of methane, especially in wetland and peatland biomes where an estimated 40 to 60 percent of methane is absorbed before escaping into the atmosphere. A decrease in net methane emissions would be incredibly helpful, especially in the Arctic where melting glacial ice is releasing unprecedented levels of methane gas. In contrast to all the possible solutions bacteria may bring to climate change, a study from Imperial College in 2019 posits the theory that bacteria can drive climate chang e. Bacteria are one of the most affected species by surface temperar to t u r e a t ec changes, Sp e h even if it's /T en h only one C a rin degree. b Sa The slight c h a n g e causes a snowball effect of rapid evolution and special adaptations. As bacteria adapt to the warmer

environment, respiration rates and cellular processes speed up, which induces the release of more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. An experiment with 482 prokaryotes showed that a slight rise in temperature caused an unexpectedly significant rise in carbon dioxide respiration. The theory is still under testing, and the scientists in the study simply want to caution that “it's important for climate models to take into account [prokaryotes’] higher sensitivity to temperature change at both short and long timescales.” As the efficacy and use of microbiology continue to expand in the direction of combating climate change, research will reveal the feasibility of such a promising solution. Though there has been pushback against the use of bacteria, the overall notion is in favor of the use of bacteria on a commercial scale to address climate change. The commonality, abundance, and processes of certain bacteria have the potential to create a permanent solution for the issue, but this solution comes with time, appropriate testing, and safety regulations. In the immediate future, humans are the only ones capable of making the change to slow climate change. Through laws, technology, and even daily habits, we should be the ones to mend our planet first before handing the baton to bacteria.

Living Without a Brain continued from page 15

them to another place in the body. However, the shunt was removed when the man turned 14. When researchers checked back on his condition years later, they found that his entire brain visibly shrunk by an estimated 50 to 75 percent and was replaced with fluids.

Because this medical case was unprecedented at the time, multiple theories emerged regarding the man’s ability to survive with such a small portion of his brain remaining. One theory discussed how human consciousness is linked to the claustrum, thin sheets of neurons that go in between the major parts of the brain. However, this is highly unlikely, as humans can-

not consciously function on solely one part of the brain. Currently, the most widely accepted theory is the Radical Plasticity Theory, which suggests that the brain is extremely adaptable and can withstand high levels of damage as long as they are unlethal. The organ's adaptive nature allows it to relearn human consciousness. Cases such as this one bring to

light how people tend to underestimate the power of the human brain and its ability to run on limited amounts of neurons. As of recently, the man’s status is unknown, but records indicate promising results of him living a normal and healthy life. His case demonstrates that the brain is much more resilient than scientists previously thought. Ex-

ploring its ability to endure severe impairments paves a new path for the treatment of neurological disorders. Though there remain many limitations in this area of research, these discoveries may enable scientists and medical field professionals to develop treatments and cures for neurological diseases in the near future.

Diagnosing the World’s Most Dangerous Man Vladimir Putin, the notoriously powerful president of Russia, orchestrated the horrific Russian invasion of Ukraine in fear of the possibility of Ukraine joining NATO, as well as a thirst for power. Even with the vast majority of world leaders condemning the invasion, Putin remains adamant that Ukraine is the enemy. Though recently amplified, Putin's poor reputation is far from novel. Former President Barack Obama recalled Putin passionately insisting—without a shred of evidence—that Russians were being harmed by Ukraine’s pro-Western government in 2014. Later that year when Russia had occupied Ukrainian territory, Obama contemplated how to challenge Putin. Obama got on a phone call with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who described Russia’s president to be “in another world.” This other world may in fact be the result of Putin’s childhood experiences. Unprovoked, Putin attacked Ukraine in hopes that the Ukrainian president would flee, the government would collapse, and the Ukrainian people would join the Russians. In his TED talk “The War in Ukraine Could Change Everything,” Professor Yuval Noah Harari describes this sequence of events as Putin’s “fantasy.” This fantasy is far from the truth; Ukrainians have continued to resist Russian forces for over a month with most of the world allying behind them. So, how can one be convinced of something so illusory? In

a superiority complex, an individual is convinced that they, as well as all they stand for, are superior to all others. Symptoms of a superiority complex include unwillingness to listen to others and boastful claims that aren’t backed up by evidence—two qualities that certainly are characteristic of Putin. This

childhood may have instilled into his very being. Putin was born in Linnenberg in 1952, a city that had been under siege for 900 days since World War II. He grew up in a cold, communal apartment without hot water or a bathtub. His father served in the war, returning with several severe

Vanessa Huang / The Spectator

By KARINA GUPTA

complex can also be caused by an underlying sense of low self-esteem, something that Putin’s early

injuries. While he was away fighting, Putin’s mother nearly starved to death. As the city of Linnen-

berg crumbled, his parents worked around the clock trying to support the family. Putin spent lonely days in the courtyard with other boys. Putin, who was small for his age, was bullied, sparking him to learn Sambo and later Judo. A fighter on the streets, he was scrappy, ambitious, and ravenous for power. Putin’s childhood is not the only factor contributing to the person he is today. Though unique to this era, the circumstances of his upbringing were rather common. His journey afterwards—the rise to power—was also important. After completing law school, Putin was recruited as an agent for the Komitet Gosudarstvennoy Bezopasnosti (KGB), a Russian intelligence agency. In December 1989, subsequent to the fall of the Berlin Wall, Putin was in charge of the Dresden headquarters as a mob closed in on the building. The 37-year-old junior agent called Moscow for help, but was told that he was on his own. Feeling betrayed, Putin grew bitter. After precautionarily burning several KGB secret files, Putin lied to the crowd, declaring that there were guards inside the building who were ready to open fire. It worked. In this highpressure situation, Putin realized the efficacy of fear—a tactic that he continues to implement today. In his autobiography, “In First Person: An Astonishingly Frank Self-Portrait,” Putin wrote about the time in his childhood when he was taught the meaning of the word “cornered.” He was chasing a rat with sticks, a game that his friends would often play, and cornered

it when suddenly, the rat attacked him. This is a metaphor for the experiences of his actual life. Having lived through post-World War II, Putin, along with countless others, lived with constant paranoia of being cornered by Nazis, one that he likely carries to the present day. Trauma instilled from such fear can affect a person long after the event ends; this response is called posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD is defined as constantly being on guard as well as responding to triggers similar to the event. Because the event isn’t fully processed, a person in a safe situation may be triggered and think that they are in the similar circumstances to that of their traumatic event. The slight thought of the Ukrainian President and Government as “Nazis” could have triggered Putin’s recollections and caused him to launch this drastic attack which he claims has a purpose of the “de-Nazification of Ukraine.” In response to belligerence about Russia emerging victorious, with the West supporting Ukraine, Putin cryptically referenced his childhood by saying, “A cornered beast, if you will, can be dangerous.” Merkel’s words describing Putin as “in another world” may be legitimate; perhaps his reality is melting back into the broken post-siege streets. Vladimir Putin’s past is something that has drastically molded him into the notorious person that he is today. In letting the past dictate his future, Putin lost a sense of himself, confusing it with who he was.

The Spectator ● April 14, 2022

Page 17

Advertisement Science Pre-College Online Program

Build Your Tomorrow With Georgetown University Get a taste of a top college before you even apply. With online courses designed to develop your unique talents and dreams, you can explore industries of interest while learning to think like someone in the field. Available Subjects Include: • Law • Entrepreneurship • Medical Research • International Relations • Politics

Learn more about the program and apply today at qrco.de/stuy-hoya.

FIND YOUR PERFECT FIT IN THE FASHION INDUSTRY Immerse yourself in the vibrant field of fashion with courses from Parsons Paris. Explore design methods, effective branding, and more with interactive courses taught by experts in Paris fashion. Courses Currently Offered: • Build Your Own Fashion Brand • Inside the Business of Fashion and Luxury • Becoming a Designer for the 21st Century • Sustainability: The Future of Fashion

Discover your passion and apply today at https://qrco.de/stuy-parsons.

Learn Business From Ivy League Faculty Explore exciting areas of business with Columbia Business School. Take interactive, in-depth programs created by experts in their fields and align your interests with a career path while learning 100 percent online. Programs Currently Available: The Business of Luxury The Business of Sports

Explore programs and apply today at https://qrco.de/stuy-cbs.

Pursue Your Passions Before College Venture into new ways of learning through the University of Rochester’s Pre-College Online Program. Dynamic courses take you through fields of science, technology, and more with one of the world’s leading research universities. Courses Currently Available: • Biomedical Engineering: Solving the Body’s Problems Through Technology • Intro to Video Game Design • Personalized Medicine: Customizing Care Through Genetics • U.S. Healthcare: Politics, Problems and Possibilities

Align your career interests and apply today at https://qrco.de/stuy-roch.

Page 18

The Spectator ● April 14, 2022

Arts and Entertainment

Music By KAEDEN RUPAREL Tupac Shakur’s and Biggie Smalls’s tragic deaths were followed by new albums in the late ‘90s, and there has since then been a controversial debate surrounding the morality of posthumous releases, or projects published after their artist’s death. In determining whether or not to release a project posthumously, an artist’s legacy may be at stake, as well as their freedom of control over their own music, but the financial incentive for the label often outweighs any possible damage to the artist’s reputation. An artist’s legacy is incredibly delicate. The idea of “15 seconds of fame” has been made much more accurate because of the streaming services that we have access to today. To stay among the top of the charts, artists have to drop a steady flow of material. This makes releasing posthumous music that much more important for labels that are concerned only with streaming numbers. There is a fear that a certain artist could be forgotten without the release of a subsequent album. Additionally, to listeners, especially the most loyal fans, an artist’s legacy may feel unfinished without a commanding, ultimate final statement. For late artists like Lil Peep, Pop Smoke, or Juice WRLD, many felt that they had something more to give to the world, even after their death. Pop Smoke, specifically, whose debut studio album released months after he was murdered, was carried to a

polaroids, worn leather jackets, and neon diner lights. It depicts Utah as one g i ant ghost town, which it is for Rodrigo. These are the places Rodrig o fell both in and

ectator

Olivia Rodrigo, like many before her, clawed her way out of Magic Kingdom and to the top of the Billboard Hot 100. It wasn’t until she released her debut single “drivers license” in January 2021 that she broke into the mainstream, hitting number one in 48 countries and breaking records on music streaming services. Just over four months later, the Grammy-winner released her debut album “SOUR” in 2021, with songs like “deja vu” and “good 4 u” becoming radio hits overnight. In her new collaboration with Disney+, “Olivia Rodrigo: driving home 2 u (a SOUR film),” Rodrigo describes her creative process and the heartbreak behind each of her songs. The documentary, produced by Interscope Films and Supper Club, follows Rodrigo as she embarks on a road trip from Salt Lake City to Los Angeles in her vintage baby blue Ford Bronco, revisiting the places where she wrote the al-

bum with “older eyes.” Along the way, Rodrigo unpacks her lyrics and performs new live arrangements of her songs in the places that inspired her. Featuring interviews, footage of the production process, and home videos, “driving home 2 u” tells the story of Rodrigo’s ascent to stardom, touching on topics like her anxiety and journey of self-forgiveness. At times slow

Sp walter / The

By PHOEBE BUCKWALTER

Phoebe Buck

Film

On the Road With Olivia Rodrigo: From Salt Lake to “SOUR”

and predictable, the film aims to appeal to Gen Z audiences by embracing the vintage aesthetic: grainy filters,

out of love with, which is clear through director Stacy Lee’s creative decisions that romanticize the great Ameri-

can road trip through shots of desert landscapes, vacant gas stations, dated motel rooms, and even public restrooms. But the emphasis on the mundane borders on comical: one can picture an entire camera crew crowding into cramped gas station bathrooms to film moments of self-reflection. Despite these shortcomings, “driving home 2 u” masterfully conveys the inner turmoil that comes with the songwriting process on the world stage. Footage of Rodrigo’s conversations with continued on page 20

Confidentiality vs Closure: The Posthumous Debate new level of cultural influence post-mortem, showing that a properly handled posthumous project can be mutually beneficial for labels and artists alike. While we’ll never know what artists like Pop Smoke or Juice WRLD could’ve done with the chance to continue creating music, their posthumous albums provide a sense of closure for many fans. These artists also enrich the lives of their massive fanbases through art. Loyal fans crave the sense of finality for their favorite artist, and they seek it in new music that provides a testament to their legacy while also evoking that staple sense of comfort. Considering most artists have music that they had planned on releasing, and the labels have the technology and ability to refine and release it, fans may view labels as unnecessarily restrictive if they choose to leave incomplete recordings in the vault. In addition, artists with a lot of influence are able to impact people with their music. XXXTentacion, Lil Peep, Mac Miller, Juice WRLD, and more used their music to destigmatize conversations surrounding mental health. They were open and honest about their struggles, shedding light on the tough topics that impact many. The most decisive factor for labels, however, is purely financial. Juice WRLD’s “Legends Never Die” (2020) generated over 400 million streams in its first week, making it the most popular posthumous release of the last two decades. The album also saw

Grade A Productions, Juice WRLD’s label, sell over two million copies in 2020 alone. Meanwhile, both Pop Smoke’s “Shoot For The Stars, Aim For The Moon” (2020) and Biggie Smalls’s first posthumous release, “Life After Death” (1997) debuted at #1 on The Billboard 200, demonstrating how media buzz around the death of a popular artist can be utilized to propel posthumous albums to success. Even with the aforementioned reasons, the financial and reputational incentives are the driving force behind labels’ decisions. However, seeing as labels themselves are not the creators of music, it shouldn’t be their choice whether or not to publish it. Often, artists record songs solely for themselves. When considering how vulnerable artists can be through their music, it is understandable that they would prefer to keep some of it from the public. Reaching into an artist’s unreleased music without their direct consent is not only invasive of an often therapeutic outlet, but also shows a complete disregard for their confidentiality and control. While the artist’s family is always consulted when considering the release of a posthumous album, they may not be adequately informed to make a decision surrounding the release of posthumous songs. Additionally, unreleased recordings may be left unreleased because an artist felt they were unfinished or not up to par with the rest of their music. In order to have a posthumous album sound fur-

nished, labels have to manufacture the production without the jurisdiction or the consent of the artist. To compound this issue, the label often overcompensates or uses transparent gimmicks like heavy vocal processing to mask any elements of the album that may be missing. Individual songs can feel weak, underdeveloped and pointless, spliced together from bare snippets and merely added to extend the duration of the album without providing any value. The skeletal, unfinished mishandling of a posthumous release is highlighted perfectly in the contrast between Juice WRLD’s two recent posthumous releases. “Legends Never Die” (2020), which was nearly completed before his death, stayed true to his sound and style and led to his most profitable project yet. When Grade A Productions put out “Fighting Demons” (2021), however, it was beyond disappointing. Strung together from a compilation of demos and unfinished tracks, the project was riddled with unnecessary and annoying overproduction. The album fell flat, and many believed its inanition left a stain on Juice WRLD’s legacy. Closure to a legacy shouldn’t have to come at the expense of the artist’s confidentiality and consent being disregarded. Ultimately, in the publication of posthumous material, the label’s financial incentive presides over the risk of the artist’s prestige being jeopardized, which is a paradigm that needs to change.

Playlist Television Tunes By THE ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT DEPARTMENT Television is a medium with many moving parts. Actors, directors, film crews, costume designers, makeup artists, screenwriters, and more all work in harmony to produce the shows that we all know and love. So it is crucial for intro sequences to do their shows justice, condensing each show’s best moments and aspects into an attention-grabbing and memorable snippet. The foremost tool to craft such a capstone is the soundtrack, and this playlist is a love letter to the ditties that get stuck in our heads after binging our favorite shows.

Daria (Official MTV Theme) Splendora Alternative rock Death With Dignity Sufjan Stevens Indie folk Wake Up Arcade Fire Indie rock Blue Flowers Doctor Octagon Abstract hip-hop If I Had a Heart Fever Ray Synthwave White Rabbit Jefferson Airplane Psychedelic rock Untitled Interpol Garage rock My Special Angel Bobby Helms Country Tank! Yoko Kanno Jazz Pokémon Theme John Siegler Hard rock Frolic Luciano Michelini Film score

The Spectator ● April 14, 2022

Page 19

Arts and Entertainment Lady Whistledown’s Triumphant Return

Television By ADELE BOIS and IVY HALPERN Dearest Gentle Reader, It is I, Lady Whistledown. As the ton returns from its hiatus in the country, this well-esteemed author is compelled to fill you in on this season’s scandals and betrothals. Viewership has reached nearly 193 million hours, and it is obvious that all eyes were on the marriage market this season. After the Duke and Dutchess’s love match last season, it was now Viscount Anthony Bridgerton’s turn to find a wife. It was rumored that he was looking not for love like his sister and mother were, but rather for a loveless marriage with a well-mannered lady. Perhaps he might have found what he was looking for in the Queen’s proclaimed diamond of the season, Miss Edwina Sharma, or in a surprising turn of events, her sister, Miss Kate Sharma. The pair, sponsored by Lady Danbury, had traveled far from India to find a match for Miss Edwina Sharma. The love triangle between the Viscount and the Sharma sisters provided a delicious scandal this season, something that this author does enjoy.

There was so much impropriety that this vigilant author could barely keep up! Lady Danbury and Lady Bridgerton hold my greatest admiration for their skill in tranquilizing this scandal. However, this was not the only shame the Bridgerton family experienced this season. Rather than following in the footsteps of her duchess sister, Daphne, Eloise Bridgerton was seen mingling with radical feminists, much to her suitors’ disappointment. She had even been in correspondence with a printer’s apprentice! While the Viscount and Kate Sharma were indeed a successful love match, there was also a lot of despair this season. The late Viscount’s death and its profound impact on his eldest son Anthony sparked much sympathy. However, this author questions whether it was necessary for the creators to make this season so depressing. The two sisters perfectly embodied the sibling rivalry trope whilst making me shed a few tears with their emotional displays of love for one another. They flawlessly acted out the ups and downs and the pressures that come with being thrust into a high society like ours. As for the Viscount and his new bride, the

to the regional and final performances for the first time since its first participation in 1985. The first group consisted of freshman pianist Josephine Yoo, freshman violinist Josephine Buruma, and junior cellist Felix Harkness, who played the first movement of

and Liliya Shamazov. “Finding a rehearsal time for five people in one group was extremely challenging [outside of school],” but the patience and assistance of Mr. Tamosaitis and Ms. Shamazov gave “us an opportunity to shine,” Buff said.

Stuyvesant is not known for their chamber music, but when the teachers see it, they really think it’s cool, and that feels pretty awesome,” Buff said. During one rare outside-of-school rehearsal, there was an incredible moment where the quintet spontaneously per-

The numerous rehearsals provided a way for these musicians to bond through their shared love for music. Lageschulte states that his best memory was “the end of the piece; every time, it goes really fast, so Zoe and I always look at each other and start laughing. We’re always laughing.” Buff added that it was also special when teachers and students watched them rehearse outside the auditorium. It made the quintet “feel really special because

formed the tune “Happy Birthday” for a family member. “That was a moment when I was really proud to have them in my group. It felt like we were getting closer,” Buff stated. The musicians’ performances were a testament to that idea. The piano trio’s individual quality, musicality, and expression of the piece set them apart from the other participating schools and impressed everyone watching. As for the quintet, it was evident that

Zoe Buff / The Spectator

As the three musicians in the Smetana trio walked off stage to thunderous applause in the Rose Studio, the five members of the Brahms piano quintet walked onto the stage. Years of individual practice and months of rehearsals led to this moment, marking the first time that two groups from Stuyvesant performed in the second round of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s (CMSLC) Young Musicians competition. There was only one chance for these groups to wow the judges and earn a spot in the final concert at Alice Tully Hall. The musicians of the quintet took a deep breath and glanced around at each other, communicating without words, before opening their piece with the junior cellist Marion Rambler’s plucking of the C string. The annual concert, hosted by CMSLC, offers a great opportunity for talented student musicians to showcase their abilities. To earn one of the eight spots in the regionals (there are four regionals: Long Island, Westchester-Hudson Valley-Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey), each group is required to submit a video online; this portion of the competition was only added in 2019. From these four concerts, 12 groups, including both from Stuyvesant, were chosen to play in Alice Tully Hall, a famous, world-renowned concert hall. Though this regional concert is usually dominated by students from music-oriented schools such as LaGuardia High School and Special Music School, Stuyvesant stole the spotlight this year by sending two talented groups

incorporation of Indian fabrics and patterns into the dresses of the Sharma sisters was a wonderful way to celebrate their culture. We have seen such a delightful spread of Indian culture from our esteemed guests, including the beautiful Haldi ceremony performed before Lady Edwina’s marriage ceremony. Despite such unfortunate marital proceedings, the portrayal of Indian culture is still much appreciated, and I especially enjoyed the most elegant South Asian jewelry and bangles on display. This season, as well as the last, has seen such a unique take on stories of this era, subverting long-held stereotypes. Indian representation, and diversity in the ton in general, is one way to add inclusivity to a period drama. The music these past seasons also successfully combined modernity and history. I rather enjoyed the beautiful symphonies our orchestras have compiled thus far. My favorite renditions of songs by Harry Styles and Miley Cyrus were beautifully recreated by a full brass set. After enjoying such a carefully detailed costumery, musical set, and display of culture, you can imagine my surprise when I realized I had missed

much to-do going around the ton. I do hope you can forgive me, dear reader, for perhaps you were confused yourself by the myriad of plotlines this season. Between the love triangle, my cousin’s false promises, and Miss Eloise’s rebellious nature, they were much too overwhelming, and I would have benefitted from one or two storylines that focused on our esteemed Duke and his marriage with the Duchess. Enough about the past. As of today, all eyes are on the next season. I am quite hoping to see the second eldest Bridgerton, Sir Benedict, return to society after last season’s scandals and his current venture as an artistto-be. I am also dying to see what becomes of Miss Eloise’s passion, both in love and in the most unbecoming subject of feminism. Well, dear reader, that is all for today. You may rest assured that my silence has begun… I jest! I may be taking a respite from the ton’s quarrels for now, but stay on your toes, dear readers; this author will not rest until all truth is revealed. Yours truly, Lady Whistledown

Stuyvesant’s Surprising Turnout at Chambers Music Society

Music By OTTO BUFF and JAEIN KU

chemistry between the two was immediately obvious, making their romance quite beautiful but slow to develop. Though I enjoyed the long courtship that the Viscount and Miss Kate Sharma endured, even I began to tire of it after so much time. As for me, Lady Whistledown, this season was not without its challenges. It was difficult to keep up my act under the prying eyes of my best friend Eloise Bridgerton. I was obliged to attain a partner in crime, the modiste Lady Delacroix, to help me distribute Lady Whistledown papers. Additionally, my family, the Featheringtons, faced many hard times as well, with our cousin arriving in the Americas broke. We had hoped that he would arrive and save our family from near financial ruin, but we were dismayed when he showed up without a penny to his name. Though I didn’t have much luck in the marriage market this season, I felt great joy at keeping to the sidelines and seeking out gossip for my loyal readers. The ballrooms were not only full of drama, but also full of beauty and elegance. My distinguished partner, Lady Delacroix, had styled the ton beautifully again this season. Her

Smetana’s piano trio in G minor. The second group, all-junior, was composed of pianist Gitae Park, violinists Zoe Buff and Christina Pan, violist Isaac Lageschulte, and cellist Marion Rambler, who presented the third movement of Brahms’s piano quintet in F major. To prepare for the competition, the students formed their own groups and rehearsed during school hours with the support of Music teachers Joseph Tamosaitis

the members knew each other as well as they possibly could in a musical sense, and they were able to establish a significant group sound that was key to their piece. It is this that makes the piece, as Lageschulte said, “meant to be played in competition.” Chamber music provides a strong foundation for musicians to teach others and themselves. Sean Takada (‘19), a Stuyvesant alumnus and top violinist who won the competition three times, said, “[chamber music] helps you grow more as a musician because the responsibility falls solely on the group members to improve together, solve issues and stay disciplined.” Furthermore, playing chamber music opens up a diverse range of beautiful repertoire to explore and helps develop selfconfidence and a musical imagination. Rambler said that playing in a group helped her “actually experience and express [her] love for music without overwhelming nerves.” These talented performers encourage underclassmen and future Stuyvesant students to continue the competition tradition. Takada said that rehearsal with his group was a source of “much needed relief and enjoyment from the rigorous academic classes that filled most of my schedule.” With these benefits of chamber music in mind, the participants hope for a chamber music team to be created. With a growing musical culture and appreciation for chamber music, sending three groups to the concert seems like a possibility. Wish these two groups the best of luck as they prepare for the Alice Tully Hall concert on May 5!

Page 20

The Spectator ● April 14, 2022

Arts and Entertainment On the Road With Olivia Rodrigo: From Salt Lake to “SOUR”

Film

pier” and “deja vu” are both filmed with Rodrigo and the entire band awkwardly seated. For the “happier” performance, the band is spread out across multiple carpeted rooms with pastel walls, and the camera pans from room to room. Similarly, “deja vu”

continued from page 18

producer Dan Nigro demonstrates the attention to detail that goes into every aspect of production. Rodrigo shares her first drafts of hit songs like “drivers license,” describing the conflicting feelings of pride and self-doubt that come with releasing music. Although many scenes are clearly scripted, Rodrigo possesses a rare and genuine relatability that is present in her thoughtful narration. She discusses the struggles shared by young women around the world, from experiencing first heartbreaks to coping with unrealistic beauty standards promoted by social media. Rodrigo provides audiences with insight into what “SOUR” means to her, explaining that when “it felt like [her] world was ending almost everyday,” writing songs allowed her to create a friend for herself. However, her songs are presented with some strange musical performance choices in “driving home 2 u.” “hap-

California. The Pop-punk heartbreak anthem is reinvented with a string orchestra, creating an iconic performance that is dramatized by the rich colors of the rock strata in the background. The sophistication of the orchestral backing contrasts with the teenage

The Pop-punk heartbreak anthem is reinvented with a string orchestra, creating an iconic performance that is dramatized by the rich colors of the rock strata in the background. features Rodrigo and her band perched in a row on the rooftop of Motor Vu Drive-in Theater, sitting cross-legged. At the opposite end of the spectrum, “jealousy, jealousy” and “brutal” are performed with so much dramatic hair flipping and stomping around in com-

vocals are consistently impressive, supported by a reservoir of emotion that she taps into on a whim, adding texture to every performance. The highlight of the documentary is Rodrigo’s performance of “good 4 u,” filmed in Red Rock Canyon State Park,

angst fueling Rodrigo’s lyrics, hinting at the societal pressure young women feel to grow up gracefully. In the final chorus, Rodrigo switches to her lower register, a rarity in most of her songs. Her chest voice supplies a warmth and richness to the lyrics that allows her vul-

nerability and authenticity to shine. As the film draws to a close, Rodrigo is seen running into the ocean, wading through the choppy blue waves at the end of the most hectic, extraordinary year of her life. “SOUR” is a pandemic record, and “driving home 2 u” is a pandemic film. The crushing weight of quarantine’s solitude and the unrelenting grip of memory encircle them both, managing to create something captivating from broken pieces. The beauty of the documentary is that it manages to capture all of this through the eyes of a world-renowned singer while maintaining her humanity. Rodrigo herself admits, “You want people to look at you for your talent and your skill and you’re also, you know, 18. I want people to think I’m pretty and cool.” Rodrigo’s magic comes from her ability to string words together in a way that’s universally moving, but at the end of the day, she’s just a teenage girl trying her best.

Quiet as it’s Kept

Art pieces throughout the exhibition were those with a complex conceptual background to them, revealing hundreds of years of human experience, history, and culture; art that shows its audience that there are layers to the American identity. One such piece is titled “Ecstatic Draught of Fishes” by Ellen Gallager.

in its wall text, describing how culture is seemingly left behind, but always resurfaces as an “insurgent memory.” At the end of her description, she asks the viewer: “In the face of relentless destructive attacks on a culture, a steady beat of anti-Blackness, what survives?” The piece alone is thought-provoking and mean-

beads. White Hawk’s work is inspired by traditional Lakota abstraction, which also influenced generations of American artists, including Barnett Newman and Jackson Pollock. However, this piece is unique to the artist and her lineage. White Hawk said that her work represents the connection between land and

This mixed media work features multi-colored strands of metal leaf, representing water, and silver humanoid figures, tied together by these strands. The water suggests the Atlantic Ocean, which has historical connections to the violence of the slave trade. The foreground projects slightly off of the background, which looks like a multicolor, earthy-toned quilt. Gallager describes the piece’s significance

ingful, but posing this question at the end leaves the work stuck in the viewer’s mind above all others. Upon entering the exhibition floors, the first work of art in one’s line of sight is Dyani White Hawk’s “Wopila | Lineage.” At first, the work appears to be nothing special, but upon closer inspection, it is meticulously constructed with thousands upon thousands of individual glass

life, and the ancestral and living communities that make her work possible. On opening night, her whole family was there alongside her, showing their support and connection to her work. Of all the artists in attendance, no others had generations of their family with them. The intergenerational relevance of the piece shows its importance. However, not every piece was effective or meaningful.

Lily Serry / The Spectator

By VITA KIRSCHTEIN

The opening night of this year’s Whitney Biennial stood at the intersection of fashion, culture, and contemporary art. The artists themselves were an extension of their work, placing emphasis on their connections to their cultures and personal histories. Extravagantly dressed visitors walked the floors and stairways of the museum, defying gender roles, international and cultural borders, and time. Gingham patterns, leather, studs, glitter beards, eight-inch heels, latex, and vibrant hair dyes were all gathered in one place for one purpose: to self-express. Yet despite the powerful imagery of each individual, none could compare to that of the artwork and its stories. Each piece was carefully presented to suit its message; some were shrouded in darkness, away from the majority on the floor, filling the viewer with powerful lonesomeness and anxiety. Others were brightly displayed, illustrating the artist’s love and respect for their homeland. Each floor filled its visitors with waves of emotion, joy, sorrow, loss, remembrance, discomfort, dread, one after another, each piece so different from the last. The Whitney Biennial is an exhibition showcasing unknown and upcoming American artists at the Whitney Museum in the Meatpacking District. This year’s event began on April 6, and I was fortunate enough to attend opening night as a guest. The exhibition closes on September 5, 2023. The theme this year, Quiet as it’s Kept, highlights the challenges and complexities of modern American identities. With this in mind, the most effective

bat boots that they feel almost like parodies. Underneath a bustling freeway and inside an abandoned airplane in the Mojave Desert, Rodrigo jumps around, bobbing her head emphatically to the music as the camera view shakes violently. Choreography aside, Rodrigo’s

One in particular, “La Horda (The Horde)” by Andrew Roberts, failed to deliver insightful or aesthetically challenging content. The piece depicts zombified workers of the major companies centered in America on a row of four digital screens. Each worker is shown alone, wearing a bloodied uniform and beginning to decompose. The message of this work was unfortunately lost in translation. The artist intended to convey workers gaining class consciousness, but instead shows them as brutish creatures who work mindlessly and purposelessly. Other artworks with anti-corporate messaging read far more effectively, like “Felled jungle ready for burning” by Danielle Dean. This multimedia collage shows sharp contrast between the beautiful, healthy landscape that exists in Brazil today and the post-industrial charred, deserted, and barren land that remained. Dean focused on Ford Motors’s attempt to “bring the principles of the assembly lines” to the rainforest, damaging the environment and harming the people in the process. Aside from the occasional flop, this Biennial was unique and successful, especially compared to previous ones. In the past, many Biennials featured a lesser range of media, and limited emphasis on craft. This Biennial also emphasized the vast range of cultures throughout the country in comparison to others, which had a much more uniform, central idea. The artwork, too, was mostly thoughtprovoking and innovative, and many more pieces felt like they spoke to a much broader audience, which inspired more interpersonal connection.

The Spectator ● April 14, 2022

Page 21

Arts and Entertainment Food By MATTHEW WAGMAN and ZIFEI ZHAO One thing Stuyvesant students are sorely missing is a good bakery: a place to go to with friends and get a hot drink and some fresh baked goods while relaxing in cozy chairs… squatting on the sidewalk under the 16 Handles awning doesn’t really cut it. To find such a place, one must venture a bit farther out from the school, to find Takahachi Bakery down on Church Avenue. Exposed brick, tasteful lighting, and a view into the bustling kitchen from the accommodating cushion-strewn booths make it a place to linger with soothing drinks and shareable snacks. In the style of a French bakery but with a distinct Japanese sensibility, Takahachi offers plenty of pastries, buns, and prepared foods on a long counter full to bursting. The strength here definitely lies in the homemade bread: warm, buttery, and baked fresh daily. Unsurprisingly, its menu is dominated primarily by creations composed of wheat and dairy. Most of the time this masterful baking combined with Japanese flourishes produces elegant and delectable creations like the Matcha Bun. A semicircle of concentrated matcha flavor, the bun goes all out with matcha in the creamy center, soft dough, and subtle savory tea powder sprinkled on top for good measure. But this formula isn’t infallible, and the bakery

Fashion By LIANNE OHAYON

Film’s greatest night rocked America’s world. Though the 2022 Oscars would surely have been a show to remember, what would the ceremony be without the attendees arriving on a red carpet, dressed in a variety of brands and adorned in gemstones galore? Forget the awards; the fashion is what viewers yearn for every year, in addition to the so-called fashion police criticizing every single article of clothing that graced the presence of the carpet. From the interviewers to the nominees, there was a full display of the good, the bad, and the ugly when it came down to this year’s Oscars fashion. The key to a great Oscars red carpet outfit, or a red carpet outfit in general, is catering to the event. The Oscars have a drastically different vibe to the VMAs, and the fashion should match that atmosphere. Unfortunately, it felt as though some artists dressed for the wrong event, and thus their looks made the wrong statement. Take Kristen Stewart, for example, who was nominated for Best Actress for her portrayal of Princess Diana in “Spencer” (2021). She arrived on the red carpet in a tuxedo

Cheap *ss Lunch #12: Buttery Buns and Sushi Sandwiches tends to lean on it too heavily. table cream cheese filling in the Takahachi comes up short with latter. All pastry items are roughbland and dry hunks of starch ly $3 each and very shareable, like the Aji Fry sandwich, firm two or three of which should be but flavorless Haddock in a bri- enough for a one-person meal. oche bun barely saved by the libIn the prepared foods case eral application of the peppery on the entrance-facing end of ginger mayo Zifei Zhao / The Spectator served alongside. Closely mirroring the success of the Matcha Bun and also dusted with a liberal amount of forestgreen matcha powder is the Mochi Anpan, a mix of almost flamboyantly sweet red bean paste and cream in lightas-air brioche. A surprise hit is the Tuna Sriracha Bun, an eye-catching the counter, the bakery’s unique combination in the same general Japanese takes on classic Eurofilling-in-round-bread format pean and American-style sand(though a flakier and drier roll wiches shine in all their convethan the brioche). There’s just nient mix-and-match glory. The enough of that fiery Sriracha fla- centerpiece of these offerings is vor to excite the taste buds, but its white bread sandwiches, all not too much to overwhelm the bookended by large squares of tuna and garlic. On the poorer fresh-baked, wondrously firm side of the pastry divide are the yet pliable milk bread. They Garlic Sausage Roll and the Ber- come diagonally sliced in neat ry Danish: uninspired layers of little boxes in half sizes for parched croissant around cloy- around $4 apiece or the whole ing ketchup and mayo-doused thing for a slight discount off hotdog in the former and out of double. Many are essentially reseason fruit nestled in a forget- packaged sushi rolls: the Salmon

Cream Cheese (or Philadelphia) with folds of briny salmon atop a bed of crunchy lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and a considerable slab of smooth cream cheese, or red-edged strands of imitation crab pressed into logs and accompanied by the two shades of green from cucumber and avocado in the Californiastyle. Other notable choices include a standard tuna sandwich with avocado, and one inspired by seaweed salad, with sprigs of sharp and snappy Hijiki and shredded carrots on a wedge of omelet. All of these carbs may seem daunting, but luckily, there are also salads galore in plastic clamshells (in half or whole sizes like the sandwiches). All come with a bright carrot ginger dressing and share a rainbow of vegetables, from lettuce and arugula to slivers of cucumber and brilliant fuchsia radish all while providing options for more archetypically Japanese toppings like Katsu cutlets, fried shrimp, and tofu. But at Takahachi you can never

truly escape from the starch, with the neat golden-brown quarters of the Caprese Panini, probably the most delicious sandwich on offer. Though the tomato and cheese innards are wont to escape only the first bite, the fluffy and rich grilled bread and heavily redolent of pesto steal the show. Right next to it is the Egg Roll, a brioche submarine of forgettable egg salad glop that’s cheap and convenient but not worth your time. Another plus is the variety of drink options. Gone are the days of cheap breakfast cart or Terry’s coffee that leave you feeling emptier than before, and in come selections of tea, lattes, seasonal drinks, and rich coffee. However, Takahachi’s coffee selections are clearly for the more experienced drinker and require specification of sugar and milk. Each drink costs $3 to $5 depending on your add-ins, but the flavor is definitely worth the extra few bucks and is still less expensive than the Starbucks on Chambers. There is no wifi at Takahachi to make it a real base of operations, but with the sheer variety of the food options and the coziness of the seating area, it’s an excellent place to decompress with a group of friends. Even with the seemingly interminable five-block distance from the school building, speedy service and pre-prepared food mean you won’t even be late for your next class on the fifth floor.

Red Carpet Ready? jacket, a loose-fitting white with a watch or chain to set button-down, black pumps, a them apart (i.e. Rami Malek pearl necklace, and… shorts. in Prada and Cartier and Though the look was defiJacob Elordi in Burberry nitely edgy and bold, the and Tag Heuer). Some shorts made the look seem dared to be different, unfitting for such a forlike Kevin Jonas in his mal event. AdditionBrunello Cucinelli ally, young heartthrob navy ensemble. But Timothée Chalamet only a select few showed up with little really stood out more than a black tuxwith their bright edo, leaving his shirt colors and interestat home, making his ing suit silhouettes. look too casual for the For example, Simu night. At the end of the Liu was stunning in day, dressing for the oca bright red Versace casion is one of the carand Omega combinadinal virtues of fashion tion in what was one that cannot be avoided, of the more successful no matter how famous carpet-matching looks you are. of the night. Andrew Even when formal Garfield showed up attire is required, it can in a dark-burgundy come in many different velvet suit by Saint forms. A variety of fabLaurent, with jewrics, prints, patterns, elry and a watch and layers can create to match. David a masterful work of Oyelowo and art that stands out Kodi Smitfrom the crowd. There was a lot of diversity on this year’s red carpet McPhee in the dresses, stood out in but not so much their respecin the suits. We tive bumblesaw many wearbee and teal ing simple, black suits Julia Shen / The Spectator suits. from different luxury brands In the dress category, sever-

al beautiful, and questionable, choices were made. Starting with the best-dressed, Megan Thee Stallion stunned in a grayblue, crystal-studded Gaurav Gupta gown, which was structured enough to be unique while creating an illusion of fluidity that was refreshing to see. On the flip side, we had Lily James in Atelier Versace. Her light-pink floral number was very detailed and complemented her complexion well. Though there was a lot more business attire across the board, Zendaya was an example of how to execute this style in a way that isn’t strictly business formal. Her Valentino Haute Couture look was effortless, with a cropped button-down that was almost ethereal when paired with her silver skirt. Finally, Sofia Carson in Giambattista Valli Haute Couture blew the carpet away. Her dress’s tulle layering was elegant, with its one-shouldered bodice tying the look altogether. Now, onto the worstdressed, a rather lengthy list. Firstly, Maggie Gyllenhaal’s boxy, paper doll-esque Schiaparelli gown didn’t do anything for her silhouette except widen her shoulders and make her look too stiff. Jada PinkettSmith is the talk of the town, but not because of her dress,

a green Jean-Paul Gautier Couture gown. The dress’s upper ruching resembles a sports jacket, while its skirt and train are too textured, creating a broccoli-like illusion. Finally, Amy Schumer’s blue and black bow ensemble from Oscar de la Renta was too plain and simple for attending, much less hosting, the Oscars. Overall, in a world that has had so many different fashion waves, it is great to see at least some variety within red carpet fashion. The 2022 Oscars red carpet was undoubtedly a melting pot of different styles, but seeing more people step out of their comfort zones on the carpet is refreshing, even if the looks didn’t necessarily appeal to everyone’s tastes. At the end of the day, fashion is subjective, and what one person enjoys on themselves or on other people could be the complete opposite of what the person next to them prefers. Wear what makes you happy, as trends are constantly changing. That being said, the Oscars is a high-profile event, and if you are invited, come dressed in your best shoes and shiniest diamonds. As long as you are original, glamorous, and confident, your look will shine. Here’s to next year’s red carpet.

The Spectator ● April 14, 2022

Page 22

Humor Fun Column Crossword! 1

5 6

14 15

16 18

17 19

22 26

Sudoku!

20 23

3 8

1 2 5

6 7

2 2

In a brutal turn of events, Kyle Hon Chan overthrew Oliver Hollmann, his crossword oppressor in a bloody cage match to the death. ACROSS 1. Ow, my knee! Call them! 4. Popular band club at Stuy 8. Badinerie instrument 10. Erie is an example 11. ___: This is not an ad for 4 across 13. RAIZ Invest Ltd, stock talk 14. Common gamer insult 15. A type of basketball injury 17. Despicable Me 2 protagonist 18. Most teachers offer this after-school tutoring

20. What Eve probably said: “_o_ry _ dam.” 22. Pronounced “ya” in spanish 24. You need this on a long road trip 26. The norm 29. Prefix meaning eight 30. Dog, in Mexico 31. 24 hours+ 32. Getting the attention of your friends in class

DOWN 1. Shortened Stansberry and Oppenheimer, SING! producers 2. To play an instrument, you need technique and ___ 3. This club produced something rotten 4. Manual tools for twisting and cutting wire 5. Krabby Patty or a Big Mac? 6. With an M, Wazowski or Tyson 7. Misspelling of the LIRR 8. New Deal president

9. Starting with an H means urgent, but with a W, who cares? 12. Rubiks Cube “formulas” abbr. 16. He got famous from “Old Town Road” 19. A naughty attitude 21. I never want to be ___ from you! 23. Molecule used for energy 25. Workin’ feat Alexander King 26. Highest on the discord hierarchy 27. First three letters of a performance with unaccompanied voices 28. SLT student ___

Dead Art Kaitlin Ho / The Spectator

Justine Kang / The Spectator Sophia Li / The Spectator

Tin

ect

ato

Jaden Bae / The Spectator

The Spectator ● April 14, 2022

Page 23

Humor Stuy Moment #4: Stuy Confessions Gone Wrong Nada Hameed / The Spectator

Fun Questions

Theme: April Trivia Have you been keeping up with these April events? World Events: Which northern Ukrainian city have Russian forces retreated from amid the Russo-Ukrainian War, along with Kyiv? A) Luhansk B) Sumy C) Kharkiv D) Chernihiv

Technology: What artificial intelligence program creates images from textual descriptions? A) Codex B) ProteusAI C) DALL-E D) GPT-3

Business: Walmart recently started offering new truck drivers which of the following salaries? A) $125.5K B) $95K C) $133K D) $110K

Sports: Which team won the Men's NCAA Tournament? A) Kansas Jayhawks B) Duke Blue Devils C) North Carolina Tar Heels D) Villanova Wildcats

Entertainment: Which actor has been banned from attending the Oscars for the next 10 years? A) Chris Rock B) Will Smith C) Kevin Hart D) Tom Hanks Answers 1) Chernihiv 2) $110K 3) DALL-E 4) Kansas Jayhawks 5) Will Smith

The Spectator ● April 14, 2022

Page 24

Humor These articles are works of fiction. All quotes are libel and slander. NEWSBEET

The Stuyvesant Purge By MICHELLE HUANG The administration just unveiled a new annual event meant to relieve stress and suffering caused by college admissions results, approaching AP exams, and the general existence of a Stuy kid on April 3, 2022. This event, named the Stuyvesant Purge (or “the Purge” for short), calls for a suspension of all rules from third to eighth period. It serves as an outlet for students’ murderous rage so that they don’t release it during normal school hours. This event is backed by science; according to graduate of Harvard School of Malpractice Doktor Limbloss, “Teenagers can find freedom from their raging hormones through lawbreaking. I myself have found that murder is a most euphoric experience and highly recommend that teenagers try it.” During the Purge, around one-third of the student body

had skipped school, resulting in unexcused absences and confusion among parents. WeChat saw a 3000 percent increase in activity as parents rushed to their phones to discuss the fact that their children were coming home six hours early. The students that remained took advantage of their freedom. Handlebarmus-Tash the Third had planned for this day, spending his Purge time pushing faculty members to their limits. “I brought a bag of headphones to irritate the deans,” he reported. “Around 12:30 p.m., one of them saw me with earbuds in. He just kept staring at me with a face of pure malice while I dug through my bag to find my other five pairs of earbuds and headphones, testing them all to figure out which one had the best audio quality. I think he wanted to stand there until the Purge was over so he could confiscate them.”

Thousands more incidents were recorded, all ultimately resulting in more than $1.8 million worth of property damage. Contributing factors included students overcrowding and subsequently breaking the elevators, starting fires in lockers using rice cookers, and trying to break the skylight in the cafeteria using a catapult built by the robotics team. One notable instance of damage was the the destruction of the sophomore bar by AP Environmental Science freshmen, inspired by Mr. McClellan explaining how “dirty bombs” work. (It’s using dynamite to detonate nuclear waste, in case you were wondering.) The sixth floor is now off-limits due to radiation, and nine students have been hospitalized with acute radiation sickness. However, all of the hospitalized students are sophomores, so it’s not a major loss. Overall, this event was con-

sidered a huge success by both the administration and student body. Despite the huge damages and expenses, many students who were surveyed said that they experienced a sense of catharsis during the Purge. Edward Cullen Sr. reported feeling exhausted after chasing freshmen with a baseball bat, but still thought that “it was exhilarating watching them run away screaming!” Cullen then added, “I haven’t gotten that much exercise in ages! I hope I can chase people with blunt objects in college!” Faculty members also enjoyed the day, saying that they “loved watching students beat each other up.” Many of them placed bets on fights and cheered when their least favorite kids got absolutely wrecked. The Purge has overall greatly improved the mental health of everyone at Stuyvesant and will most likely become a treasured tradition in years to come.

Students are horrified to learn that many of their peers sit on the bathroom toilets. Opinions editors both arrested for fist-fighting in the junior atrium. Scientists have made a shocking discovery: sophomores aren’t evil? A group of freshmen in Battery Park are giving out free samples of flour! Get yours now! Eleventh-floor pool jokes aren’t funny anymore. Bronx drug users are shocked to find that they are using drugs. Former Humor editor Kelly Yip lost her umbrella to a rogue locker.

How to Shrink Your Backpack 101 By KRISTA PROTEASA Picture this: it’s 7:59:59 a.m. and you have class in precisely one second. You wish your limbs would have enough momentum to propel you up five flights of stairs for you to be able to give your Spanish presentation on time, but you’re carrying so many notebooks that you can’t possibly make it. However, if your backpack was just 30 pounds lighter, I can assure you that this trek would take no time at all. As a second-term senior, I have nothing but a roll of paper towels and a top hat in my backpack; I bet you wish you could live this life too, so I’ll tell you how. First, you’re going to need to take inventory of everything in

your bag. If you see any pencils, pens, or erasers, get rid of them immediately. The key to having light backpacks is to only carry what others don’t. Obviously, every other person who hasn’t read this article will have writing instruments, and if you ask to borrow them enough times, you’ll lose the weight of every friendship you have as well! Next, you need to stop thinking that you need notebooks. You may have thought that a five-subject notebook was helping you save space, but that’s just plain wrong. There are so many YouTube videos on how to train yourself to have an eidetic memory, so watch those before you think to “copy the board.” Notebooks are truly a thing of

the past, so hike up your sleeves and get to brain twisting. Okay, this next one might not seem so obvious at first, but bear with me: you’re going to need to stop using a backpack. It sounds a little out of the box, but just listen. O b i - Wa n Lillian Zou / The Spectator Kenobi, Darth Vader, and Luke Skywalker all do fine without backpacks,

and you know why that is? That’s right, they have someone else carrying their things for them. Sorry, I mean, they use the Force! This force, surrounding all objects, helps you cont i nu o u s l y suspend all your belongings in thin air while you traverse the Hudson staircase. You might get a couple of weird looks, but people will even-

tually get used to your advanced ways. You’re going to want to do one last thing here. If you simply stop going to school, you’ll also free yourself from the weight of all your responsibilities at this time. “But, Krista, that’s crazy! I can’t just stop going to school!” To this I say, who’s going to stop you? Your backpack sure won’t. And that, my friends, is how you get to class early. Your back will feel so relieved, you might even grow those couple feet you’ve stunted yourself from after all those years of carrying the equivalent weight of another you. I'll accept my thanks for getting you to class early this time. Safe travels, my friends.

Even Teachers Love “Stuy Crying Corner” By ESHAAL UBAID “School counselors, parents, and students alike have campaigned extensively for this service,” Principal Yu proclaimed in a weekly e-mail a few weeks ago, “so we are proud to finally present the Stuyvesant Mental Breakdown Vicinity.” The aforementioned vicinity, now commonly referred to as the “Crying Corner,” has been the most successful implementation to our school campus since the Valentine’s Day Cuddle Puddle. In short, the room includes speakers constantly playing emo music and Taylor Swift, multiple (regularly sanitized) Squishmallow plushies, and a giant bean bag chair for falling onto when experiencing emotional distress. Occasionally, there is also a stock of all sorts of bright hair dye for anyone to use while suffering an existential crisis! Janitors have expressed relief at no longer needing to mop up tears outside of the college office thanks to the room’s builtin drainage systems, and teachers have noted a decline in muffled

sobs coming from the corners of the smallest freshman to the tallrooms during DBQ sessions. Stu- est college applicants. Unfortudents themselves have claimed nately, the use of room monithat this room has consolidated a tors sometimes means kicking a good portion of their hormonal crying student out a bit too early stress breakdowns into one con- for comfort to accommodate the venient place. The room is, as frankly concerning line of the one student put it, “a way to cry emotionally challenged trailing over my AP math test without my the room. smart nerd friends calling it a skill However, students who hapissue.” pened to be in the right place at Since the room’s creation the right time have seen teachtwo weeks ago, attendance has ers sneaking off to the room reached such unprecedented themselves. “I was walking back numbers that “depression moni- to my locker the other day, and tors” have been hired to keep the saw Mr. [REDACTED] bribe a room below max capacit y. monitor to let him use the These monitors, ofCrying Corner,” a source ten freshmen in informed us. “I Honors Algereally didn’t bra II (due mean to to their eavesdrop, statisbut hontically estly, those proven walls are r ectato resilience to thinner than he Sp T / g a Men emotional drainthey should be.” The Joann age), have refused to source proceeded to describe disclose any of the juicy details muffled mentions of a class test of the room, apparently having average of 56, an Among Us fansworn a blood oath to maintain fiction being turned in instead confidentiality for everyone from of Cornell notes, and general

sobbing. Then, as abruptly as he had shown up, the teacher left the room precisely 10 minutes later, as though crying was supposed to be scheduled into the day. Students of that teacher have attested that the class average for the last unit test was, in fact, a 56 due to what can only be described as indefensible illiteracy on their part. Thus, we can see the room’s practical applications to healthy emotional outlets for the widely varying circumstances. The alternative would be to pull the “never in my 30 years of teaching…” speech, and no one likes that speech. The most shocking outcome, however, still topped this. One investigator threatened a room monitor into giving us the juiciest, most groundbreaking piece of evidence for the Crying Corner’s usefulness. Details of the threat remain undisclosed, though the Hudson staircase was indubitably a part of it. “I’ve seen Principal Yu go in there. He sneaks in during fire drills and fourth period.” the monitor said. “I’m not sure what he cries about. Occasion-

ally I can hear words, but all I've gotten over the past semester is ‘world domination,’ ‘Seung!,’ ‘why no BTS comeback,’ and ‘aren’t the kids here supposed to be gifted?’ He’s a deep man with complex emotions. We just let him be.” There you have it, folks. The Crying Corner is an infinite success, as per our good ol’ captain himself. One might wonder if the room’s funding was also a personal indulgence to lament over the notable lack of a self-produced K-pop masterpiece such as the song “Black Swan” in 2022. Regardless, it is a home to many students experiencing imposter syndrome and students thinking that their crush saying no to Wednesday BOGO froyo is the ultimate heartbreak. The room will continue to be an asset to the needs of our community, especially during notable international moments of sadness.* *Usage peaked on SAT day, Valentine’s Day, and, for some reason, Pi Day. Correlation unknown.

The Spectator ● April 14, 2022

Page 25

Humor Dr. Haber Defends Principal Yu’s Honor By FINN CHAREST After being caught during an administration meeting laughing hysterically at another Spectator Humor article that made fun of Principal Yu, Dr. Haber set out on a path to redemption. The following Monday, Dr. Haber was seen stalking up the second-floor escalators purposefully. “KEEP PRINCIPAL YU’S NAME OUT OF YOUR [EXPLETIVE] MOUTH!” Dr. Haber could be heard screaming outside

The Spectator Humor Department’s biweekly brainstorming session, as Principal Yu looked on approvingly. After being ushered away by security, a tearful Dr. Haber explained his actions. “As a school administrator, you gotta be able to have people disrespecting you. You gotta smile and you gotta pretend like that’s okay. Jokes at my expense are part of the job, but a joke about Principal Yu was too much to bear and I reacted emotionally. Principal Yu is a great

man, a real asset to the school community. To suggest that he diverts school funds to support his porcelain doll obsession or runs an underground faculty gambling ring is an insult to his name.” “Allegedly!” Principal Yu exclaimed from the hallway as he feverishly skimmed The Spectator for the first time ever. The Stuyvesant community was divided on Dr. Haber’s actions. “On one hand, comedy should not result in violence or threats of violence and should be

protected,” junior Olivia Ng observed. “On the other hand, comedy is usually… you know… funny, so I’m not sure the Spectator Humor Department qualifies.” Sophomore Max Davis commented, “Dr. Haber’s reaction seemed way out of proportion. Seventeen million people watched the Oscars—I doubt 17 people read the Spectator. More people probably write humor articles than read them.” Others, absent from the scene, also weighed in. “Maybe the

world might not like how it went down, but for me, it was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. It made me believe that there are still school administrators out there that love and care about their principals,” Brooklyn Tech principal David Newman said. With time to reflect, Dr. Haber’s position seems to have softened. “I just want to be a vessel for love,” remarked Dr. Haber, as he tightened his headlock around a hapless Spectator Humor writer.

How to Treat Your Spectator Editor By RYAN PENG and ERICA CHEN

1. Constant and Gentle Reminders of Your Love <3 Make sure to consistently talk with your editor(s)! They love it when their phone starts buzzing so much it starts hopping off the table, telling them that they have 344 new notifications from the past five minutes alone. Especially if you send them “You’re my favorite editor! I would love to work

2. Endearing Nicknames :) Using nicknames shows that your relationship is more than just writer and editor—it’s a mutual friendship! Out of nickname

tears! Better yet, scream their nickname whenever you see them in the hallways and hysterically wave at them, letting the entire student body know that you’re talking to them. They’ll love bragging about their new, *totally not embarrassing* nickname to their friends. 3. It’s A-OK to be a Tad Rude! Everyone knows that the closer friends are, the ruder they are to each other, so why not use this to show your editors just how much you appreciate them? Make sure to insult their intelligence (or rather,

Sin Liu / The Spectator

So you’re a new Spec writer who wants to speedrun the path to becoming an editor? You must know that being an editor comes with all sorts of responsibilities (and privileges!), such as being able to boss around fellow writers, enduring the pain of finding the same spelling mistake seven times in the same article, and staring disappointedly at sleepy writers during brainstorm meetings! Unfortunately, the journey of becoming an editor is no walk in the park. Most editors have to sell their souls (and their wallets to Starbucks) before reaching their final form, but I know you don’t want to go through all of that. So how ‘bout some tips and tricks to help you on your way? With these strategies under your toolbelt, you’ll be able to bend your higherups’ minds to your will and get that sweet, sweet resume padding in no time!

alongside you—when are editorin-training applications coming out??” 100 times at 3:00 a.m. in the morning; it’s really the best way to start the day. If they block you, simply make another account and spam them there! It’s the best way to express your devotion to both the department and the editor!

ideas? No worries. Simply go to www.embarrassingnicknames. com and choose the one that describes them the most. This can be anything from “Bald Kid” to “Pea Brain” to whatever your heart desires. Your editor will be so touched they’ll start crying, but do not fear—these are all happy

their lack of brain cells) at every change you get. Call them brick brain, garbage can, whatever you want. Get creative! Spec editors value ingenuity and originality, so be sure not to use some tame and overused roast that you found on the internet.

4. Submit Every Article Late! Every editor will tell you to avoid submitting articles late, but what they don’t tell you is that if you do submit an article late, you’re helping the editors maximize their procrastination skills! Not only will this increase the amount of money they spend at Starbucks (more procrastination means less sleep, which means more coffee), it’ll also give you all the time you need to make your articles perfect in every way. Perfect, meaning full of grammatical errors, obscure references, bad puns, and unclear sentences. This will ensure that the editor spends much more time on your document, which means that they’ll be giving more special attention to you and your writing. Perfect for taking the fast track to becoming editor! 5. Eat All their Snacks! If the editors are nice, they’ll bring snacks during brainstorm meetings. If that’s the case, be sure to hog all the cookies and eat them as fast as you can. When they turn around from recording others’ ideas and suddenly see their jumbo box of Chips Ahoy! cookies empty and thrown on the floor (with crumbs that they’ll have to clean up later), be sure to enthusiastically announce that the cookies were yummy and that you really appreciate the effort. They’ll be staring at your face in shock, but don't worry—they're simply

admiring how good-looking you are without a mask. 6. Threaten to Kill Them If all else fails, you may be tempted to give up on your lifelong dream of becoming editor. But don’t fear! This last strategy has a 100 percent success rate, one way or another. Simply send a stream of knife emojis to them without context (or with context, if you’re daring like that). They’ll be thinking about you before bed, in their dreams, and all day everyday. You might even see them jump whenever they see you, but do not fear. They simply don't know how to face you as they’re too touched by your most recent messages. To make sure you include just the right amount of intimidation, include at least 114 knives, but no more than 135. And to make sure that the spell works, add an honorary “v” at the end to show how much copy-pasting you did! And there you have it! If you follow all our advice religiously, you’re sure to become editor in no time, all without having to make the same sacrifices as your (former) editors. And then you’ll have to start spending your OWN money on Starbucks and greedy little writers… as well as being subjected to the wrath of other writers who may or may not have read this list… sorry, not sorry.

Rising Gas Prices Leave Millions of Americans Dehydrated By ETHAN LAM Due to Putin’s actions in Ukraine, gas prices have gone up to almost $5 per gallon in some parts of the country. This has left millions of innocent Americans across the nation unable to find a delicious, thirst-quenching drink for a reasonable price. Many fear that the days when you could pop down to the local gas station and experience an all-American tradition are over.

“Y’know, some people question how us locals can drink this stuff,” says long-time American Johnnycake Breadandbutter. “It’s an acquired taste, but you get used to having a wavy apartment.” Supreme Gas Price Commander Joe Biden addressed the country on Thursday, saying that this gas shortage may actually be a good thing as we begin relying on healthier alternatives, such as natural gas. However, critics of

this viewpoint, such as Economist Jackandthe Beanstalk, have brought up several concerns. “Not everyone can pop down to their local Whole Foods and find organic, non-GMO products like natural gas,” explained Beanstalk. “Plus, while many people have questioned the health effects of drinking gasoline, there’s no need to worry. Lead was removed from gasoline in ‘96, so it’s perfectly safe.” Aside from the soft drink

industry, many other American industries have been disrupted by this gas shortage. Examples include the napalm industry, the flamethrower industry, the arson industry, the crime-scene-evidence-destroying industry, and the cross-burning industry. Oh, and something about cars, too, I think. All because of the actions of one selfish man, millions of innocent war criminals, regular criminals, and racists (people who race cars) must suffer.

“Honestly, I would be willing to go to war for more oil. Too bad that’ll never happen—our presidents are too busy waging wars over minor things like ‘terrorism,’” commented local man Jackhammer Brusselsprouts. “The increased prices have been, without a doubt, the most devastating result of the war. I really can’t think of anything worse that’s come out of it. God, I love gas so much.”

The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Life of a Humor Writer By ANIKET ROY Have you ever wondered what goes on in the minds of Spectator Humor writers? Have you ever wondered where they get their ridiculous ideas? Or why the Humor department isn’t always on the front page? You haven’t? Well, too bad, because I can answer the first two of those questions. Without further ado, here is my tumultuous journey as a writer for the Humor department. Strap in, folks,

because we’re going to hit this from the back. My day begins with waking up and checking my phone for notifications. I normally expect some texts from my editors, Reddit updates, and news on the next G.I. Jane movie. Afterward, I send my girlfriend a “Good Morning!” message along with an “I love you!” Then, I take my schizophrenia medication and head to the bathroom. I freshen up, get dressed, and commence my prayer routine. As a Humor

writer, I’m required to pray to our lord and savior, Pete Davidson. We look up to Pete Davidson because he’s an excellent reminder that no matter how much your face looks like it was put into a blender, you can still be successful. We’re going to fast forward through the school day because, honestly, nothing interesting happens (unless my misery in AP Chemistry is amusing to you). Every two weeks after school, I attend a Spec Humor

meeting, which consists of the editors buying us free food and trying their best to not die from laughter whenever I suggest an “inappropriate,” “out of taste,” or “blasphemous” article idea. For disciplinary reasons, I had to stay behind after one of these meetings was over. But for what reasons? Well, apparently it’s “out of line” to write a fanfiction about Mr. Moran acting out the “Dirty Dancin’” plot with Principal Yu in their offices. When my punishment

for writing that “heinous” and “unsanitary” article was over, I made my way home to write the sequel. What’s it about, you may ask? Well, let’s just say that sparks can fly between rats too. The next article will be the ultimate telling of a rat who falls in love with a female rat, but they cannot be together because they come from families that hate each other. Before you ask, yes—it’s called Rodenteo and Juliet.

Page 26

The Spectator ● April 14, 2022

Humor Simon’s Confession By RAYMOND CHEN “Well, Mr. Simon, what you have said to me has honestly been incredible, but can you tell me WHY you did it?” The room fell silent. In the past hour, Mr. Simon had confessed to the many charges levied against him concerning his extraordinary collection of student headphones. Charges included false imprisonment, willful endangerment, and torture of the seized electronics, among others. The detective came prepared for a hostile questioning, but the accused made no attempt to deny his guilt. At the first urging, Mr. Simon freely divulged (in excruciating detail) his modus operandi, from the confiscation of the headphones to the violence against the captives. For an hour, the room had flourished with sound, but after the detective's question was asked, the room was completely quiet for an entire minute. “How much time do you have, detective?” Mr. Simon asked. “As much as you need.” “Alright. Make yourself comfortable; we'll be here for a while.” ** I was born in a rotten little place inside the New Jersey outback. It was hard living in my town. Everything, from food to toothpaste, had to be imported across the wasteland. But somewhere along the way, some folks in the hills decided to take

charge. They blockaded our town for five days, and by the time Friday arrived, we were too tired to continue our resistance. Ever since then, our town has been chaired by the mayor and run by the mob. Some initially welcomed the highwaymen, but they were quickly disillusioned. From the councilmen to the toddlers, everyone in the town (apart from those actively taking bribes) knew to avoid these fellas on the street. For their credit, the mobsters made it easy to distinguish them from ordinary townspeople: they donned a layer of white metal sheets with a TI-84 plus screen on their face and a big white button strapped to their chest. Instead of a first name or a nickname, the mobsters called each other by their first initial and last name. And to the townspeople, they took their leader’s name: I. Pod. Around town, these I-Pods carried a thick, white wire to trip any pedestrians unfortunate enough to be in their way. After stopping them, the I-Pods would attack the pedestrians with the most vicious “your mom” jokes that our town had ever seen, insults so violent that they have left a scar in my mind to this day. On collection days, when these I-Pods ransacked the shops for protection fees, those wires were used to “expedite” the payment process. If the shopkeeper didn't have the money, the I-Pods would start demolishing the shop with the

white wires, one item at a time, until the shopkeeper somehow found money to pay the I-Pods. If the shopkeeper didn't pay at the end of the day, the I-Pods would stick the wires into the shop’s wall and call the entire neighborhood out into the street. The residents, compelled by the I-Pods, would solemnly watch as the wires combusted and incinerated the shop. Only after seeing the fiery display were we allowed to tend to the destruction and extinguish the flames. My family was one of the few folks in town lucky enough to own a business of any repute. We were our neighborhood's grocers, the Atlantic Avenue tunnel of New Jersey. My family named the shop “Terry’s” after one of the mayor's grandfathers (long story), and our shop was the only shop that anyone cared to buy from in our side of town. Our reputation grew to such an extent that even some I-Pods started coming to our shop semi-regularly (without paying for what they took), but some people just couldn't be satisfied. On the other side of town, another shop called “Ferry’s”— named after another one of the mayor's ancestors—also sold groceries to the neighborhood. They had many of the same products that we sold but worse; however, thanks to the poor quality of their products, Ferry’s was saved from the same prying I-Pods that swarmed our shop. Thus, while Terry’s sacrificed

its profit margins to service its picky (and non-paying) customers, Ferry’s started papering the town with advertisements. And when we were forced to raise the prices to save our livelihood, Ferry’s grew rich from the customers that we left behind. Despite all this, I don’t blame Ferry’s for what happened to my family; they were just bent spineless under the proverbial Limbo pole. No, I blame the IPods. Despite all that we have done for them, the I-Pods never relented on their protection fees—rather, the fees increased to a point where we couldn’t pay them without taking out loans. These loans were initially small, but as we sank deeper and deeper into poverty, the debts started piling up. Eventually, the collecting I-Pods caught wind of our borrowing and started demanding even more exorbitant fees. It was only a matter of time before the I-Pods burnt our shop. Heartbroken and in despair, my family decided to send me away with whatever money they could still borrow and submitted their fates to the I-Pods’ combustible wires. I never heard what happened to our town afterwards. After I sailed across the Hudson to this city, the world of New Jersey never came back, but the characters still did. I still see the same frightened faces of our pedestrians, the same exorbitant fees, the same despicable Ferry’s; I

Stuy Students’ Must-Have Products By ANJALI KARUNADASA

can still see my Terry’s beneath the sun. But along with all these things, I can still see the I-Pods and their AirPod descendants roaming the streets. Across the Hudson and over the years, the I-Pods had assumed a much smaller form, but I know that they are still the same blood-sucking fellas as the ones back in New Jersey; they are still the same fellas hunting for me. What these Pods have done to my family must not be enough; they want to finish the job! And it is fine with me that these Pods keep trying to get near me. At least then I will be able to enact vengeance on the children of Pod. That is why I feel no shame. ** As Mr. Simon said his final words, he stood up and madly gestured to himself, accentuating the sincerity of his message. Afterward, he collapsed back into his chair. For a long while after Mr. Simon finished his story, the manic scratching of the detective’s pen on paper was the only audible sound left in the room. After the detective looked over their note, satisfied with the result, they looked toward Mr. Simon again. Evidently exhausted by the long-winded tale, he rested against the back of the chair with his eyes on the ceiling, smiling. Seeing that their work was done, the detective walked out of the room without another word, closing the door on the way out.

The Spectator ● April 14, 2022

Page 27

Humor I Want YOU To Fund the Best Department of The Spectator (Please) By JASMINE WANG

in the SU room. This misattri-

this money can and should be

bution of funds is just another show of deep corruption as

used for a better cause—namely, my college fund.

Stacey Chen / The Spectator

Hello, everybody. If you are reading this, you have proven to be one of the Humor Department’s star readers—and our most promising source of income. Surely if you are perusing such meager-looking articles such as this one, you have already dedicated your time to hearing us poor folk out. Fine genteel of Stuyvesant, I admit with a heavy heart that we, the humble Humor Department, are broke. Writers need fuel to create the funny content that everyone craves, and to do so, we need our continued supply of Starbucks coffee and Chip Ahoy! cookies. I know, it hurts me too. But think long and hard: what would the good people of Stuyvesant do without their biweekly Among Us jokes, not-so-vague innuendos, and outdated Moran references? We are an extremely necessary part of the Stuyvesant community, but as of late, we have been treated like the copies of The Spectator at the bridge entrance: garbage that is left to rot and die. Normally, I would never make such a desperate appeal for money. But as one of

the last remaining seniors in the Humor Department, seeing the ever-growing corruption of the underclassmen has shaken me to my core. I deeply reassure you, most esteemed subscribers of The Spectator Humor section, we are all hardworking Stuyvesant children, save for the CLEARLY corrupt and uncouth editors of this department. Yet I deeply regret to inform you that if you do not pay me right now, this may spell the end of the department as it is. Consider this: how is it that Oliver Hollmann can strut his stuff as a “whole man,” creating idle crosswords for the bourgeoisie, while we, the poor writers, must scrap together articles? I find no humor in these crosswords whatsoever and the loads of wasted ink that results from me crossing out all my wrong answers is a financial loss in this situation. We have received absolutely no funding from the Parents’ Association or the Student Union (SU). Regardless of the fact that we didn’t ask for any in the first place, this should reveal to you where their priorities lie—not with the geniuses and lifeblood of this school, but with another football table

Our articles are called cheap, lazy, and repetitive. I beg to differ! You must think long and hard about the joy we have brought to your lives. Pity the poor writers—the creatives, the aficionbananadndos—who have tirelessly put in the work to release articles like “Wrestling is Not Gay” and yet another long-winded, classic comedical escalator joke. We’re funny, right? Right? I know many dedicated readers (this means you!) have grown tired of us lately. But consider this: our creative and financial coffers are dry and our brainstorming sessions are lacking in snacks. How is one to think and spark joy in others when inflation (the economic sort) continues to rise among us? Food insecurity, synergy, cryptocurrency, gaslighting, and other buzzwords make for trying times and unfinished sentences like Much like Bernie Sanders, I am once again asking for your financial support. But this is a promise—no, more than a promise. Venmo me your hard earned coins and we will provide the content you deserve. Maybe.

Lauren “The Goat” Stuzin By ANIKET ROY When Mx. Stuzin laced up their shoes, we all knew it was about to go down. The greatest basketball player ever was going to step on the court and score the most goals. Stuzin was a D1 athlete coming out of Duke University; their basketball IQ and playing style was so unrivaled that they were dubbed “lil Stuzi.” All season they had been averaging 13 claps, 22 high fives, and 55 yells. In the second quarter, the action died down when Stuzin was playing isolation ball against a student, completely broke their ankles, and went for a midrange jumper. The glare of the sun must have disoriented their aim since their shot went above the backboard. However, Stuzin

wasn’t going to let something as small as this hinder them from being the MVP of the game. A few plays later, Stuzin was feeling confident in their shotmaking ability and went for a deep three. The shot bounced off the backboard and hit a student in the head, resulting in the student suffering a mild concussion. Stuzin claimed that the reason the shot didn’t go in was because the wind blew the ball off its course. Now, you may be under the impression that the game was played outside. It was not. An embarrassing moment for lil Stuzi took place in the third quarter when Sloan, a sixfoot and eight-inch tall junior, dunked on them. When asked about how irritating that was, Stuzin had this to say: “He was

only able to dunk on me because he was taller than me.” It’s almost as if Stuzin was finally understanding that being taller comes with its benefits, especially in a game like basketball. Stuzin later followed up by saying that they will start wearing heels to basketball games to appear taller. Not sure if heels are the best footwear for a basketball game, but at least they’ll be playing in style. After the missed shots and humiliation of being dunked on by a student, Stuzin’s confidence in their basketball skills definitely took a hit, but the game was far from over. The game was down to a tie, and there were only 20 seconds left on the game clock. The teachers had the ball, and everyone knew that they had to score a

bucket to win this game. Everyone knew that they could trust Stuzin with the ball because when tensions are high, you can always count on English teachers to demoralize their students. Stuzin safely dribbled the ball down the court, looked at the game clock, and saw that there were 12 seconds left. Stuzin attempted to waste a few seconds of the game clock because they didn’t want the students to attain possession and go for a final shot. The clock ticked down to six seconds. SIX! Stuzin called for a screen to be set and went for a jumper. FIVE! Stuzin lifted themself off the hardwood floor.

FOUR! Stuzin aimed the basketball at the hoop. THREE! Stuzin met the gaze of the basketball rim and in their eyes, the view was pristine. TWO! Stuzin closed their eyes for dramatic effect. ONE! With a second remaining, Stuzin shot the ball with all their might! Bang!! Stuzin scored a basket! Be that as it may, no one was cheering because Stuzin had scored the basket for the other team. Someone must not have explained the rules of ice hockey to them.

A Letter from the Devil By MICHELLE HUANG To the students of Stuyvesant High School, Greetings. I hope you’re all doing well, though judging by your erratic sleep schedules and urge to make coffee your entire personality, you’re most definitely not. I understand why you’re all suffering. I’ve seen your homework loads, the excessive number of AP classes you take, and the number of girls that have rejected you. At first, it was funny, but after seeing a century’s worth of students go through the same thing, I’ve come to realize that it’s frankly depressing. That being said, I did not

write this letter to be pitying and sympathetic. Instead, I have a proposition that will be beneficial t o both of us. The souls of highschoole r s are in high demand. The smell of dying youths brings devils joy, and the market is booming. Ac-

quiring even a few teenage souls means untold riches. Thus, I need some of your souls. Sell me your soul, and I shall relieve you of academic pain. I will whisper test answers to you, possess you and w r i t e your essays for you, and

Fareha Islam / The Spectator

teach you the best ways to find someone who actually likes you, as difficult as that may be. With my help, you could even get a five on the AP Physics test. Interested? Here’s what you’ll do: get seven candles, red chalk, cafeteria food, chewing gum, and bubble tea. Go to any bathroom in the building, since public school bathrooms are basically a gateway to Hell on their own. Chew up the gum and use it as glue to stick the candles in a circle. Light the candles, draw chalk lines connecting the candles, and dump the cafeteria food into the center of the circle to summon me. Pour the bubble tea in an equilateral triangle

inscribed by the candle circle; the crime of wasting bubble tea and your Geometry-related pain will further the ritual. Finally, stand outside of the circle (if you stand inside of it, you will absorb the evil and become a College Board leader) and thrice chant “Devil, rise.” The cafeteria food will catch on fire (good riddance), and I will emerge from the flames with a contract. Sign it with your blood, and your life of happiness will begin. Consider my offer. I can free you, if you are brave enough to take the leap. Sincerely, The Devil Lord of H-E Double Hockey Sticks and King of Sinners

Page 28

The Spectator ● April 14, 2022

Sports Athlete of the Issue

Varsity Captain Steps up to the Plate By YASHNA PATEL Name: Sam Levine Grade: Senior Height: 5’ 11’’ Hair Color: Brown Eye Color: Brown Date of Birth: December 5, 2004 1. When and how did you start playing baseball? How long have you been on the Peglegs, the Stuyvesant varsity baseball team? I have been playing baseball for as long as I can remember. It was the first sport I picked up when I was younger, and I have not really stopped since. I have been on the Peglegs since freshman year on varsity. 2. What inspired you to join the baseball team here at Stuyvesant? I have been playing my whole life, so I knew I was going to join from the moment I stepped into Stuyvesant. Coming in, I also knew that Stuyvesant had a really good baseball program, with one of the best coaches in the city, so it was really a no-brainer for me. 3. Do you participate on an outside team, and how does your experience on the Stuyvesant team differ? Yes, I play for a travel team, and the environment with both teams is definitely very different. With my travel team, we go all around the northeast, and it’s not the same group of guys every year. On the Peglegs, I got to progress from a freshman on varsity who didn’’t get to play all

that much to becoming a captain. I have been able to see everyone else get better with me, and it has been nice to play with the same guys in my grade each year. 4. What position do you play, and what skills/strengths are involved? I play shortstop, which is kind of like the leader of the infield. I have to be very vocal on the field to make sure all the other infielders know what they are doing if the ball gets hit to them and make sure they are aware of the situation at all times. It is a big responsibility, but one that I am really glad to have.

ter, personally and for the team.

and getting better.

7. What’s one of the biggest obstacles you’ve faced while playing baseball? I get injured a lot and generally tend to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. I broke my wrist freshman year and have sprained both of my wrists and my ankles. I’m trying to play through the pain, navigate injuries, and just not miss any games.

10. Are there any short-term goals you’d like to accomplish in the next months going into season? The season just started last week, so right now, we are just focused on winning the next game. We want to go into the playoffs with a home playoff game, so we need to win as many games as possible and hopefully make the championship and play at Yankee Stadium.

8. How do you think the Stuyvesant baseball team has changed you as an athlete/ person? Playing on the team has given me the opportunity to learn 5. Do you have a most memo- how to be an active member of rable/proud moment with the a team. As I mentioned before, Peglegs? when I broke my wrist, when I The biggest moment of my came back into school, the entire Peglegs career was that last year, team, including the upperclasswe beat George Washington for men, were there waiting for me the first time in 50 years. We went at the bridge to take me around into the game with an underdog school and make sure I was safe, mentality, and we were able to and that showed what it meant to just play our game and beat this. be a part of a team. I try to make This was a really nice win to have, sure that I maintain that now as especially during the shortened an upperclassman and make sure COVID-19 season. they all feel protected like I did. 6. What is your strategy for constantly improving yourself (specific workouts, exercises, mentality, etc.)? I try to maintain the mentality that you have to keep working if you want to get better. There are always other people around you who are going to outwork you and want to take your spot. I make sure I am always going to practice, trying to be the first there and last one out. I need to keep progressing and getting bet-

9. How has being captain changed your outlook on the game? It’s a lot of responsibility. I work with the other captains, Jeremy Lee, Ethan Kirschner, and Paul Liou, to make sure that the team can succeed. It’s a long season, and we practice for most of the year, so I need to make sure that in addition to being on top of my game, I make sure the team is prepared and make sure individually everyone is involved

11. Do you have any plans to continue the sport in the future or in college? I thought about getting recruited for a while, but I am not anymore. I am attending Vanderbilt University next year, so I will probably end up playing club. 12. How do you balance baseball and schoolwork, since baseball is all year? Time management was something that was really hard to learn. Our games were deep in Queens. Getting home at 9:00 p.m. and knowing I had a test the next day and a couple hours of homework was stressful. However, through my freshmen year, I learned to get ahead of my work and get it done during the school day or on days when I come home early. 13. Do you have any pregame superstitions or rituals? I have a handshake with Jeremy, one of the other captains. I play shortstop, and he plays center, so before every game, I run out and do the handshake. Also, right before the first pitch, all of

the infielders huddle around the pitcher’s mound, and we all put one finger on the baseball and say whatever the first word that comes to the pitcher’s mind is on three. Those are two things that we have never strayed from and that I don’t expect us to stray from for the rest of the season. 14. Do you have a specific warm-up routine? What is it? As a team, we go through normal dynamic warmups and glove stretches and warm up our arms. From there, we practice a little throwing and take some swings. I also usually run a little extra to get my legs loose. 15. What is your jersey number? What made you decide that number? I wear the number two. Derek Jeter has been my favorite athlete for my entire life, and he wears number two, so I wear it. I also have been number two for my entire life, so I wanted to keep the number while playing at Stuyvesant. Funniest Teammate? Dexter Wells, Iravan Bhattacharyya, Adam Lucey Favorite Baseball Team? New York Yankees Favorite Baseball Player? Derek Jeter Favorite Sports Drink: Lemon Lime Gatorade Hobbies? Watching Netflix Motto to Live By: “Hard Work Beats Talent When Talent Doesn’t Work Hard” —Tim Notke Fun Fact: I only have one dimple.

NBA By KAEDEN RUPAREL and KAPIL ANANT With just a few games left in the 2022 NBA regular season, debates for the revered end-ofyear awards are becoming more frenzied, and this year’s Rookie of the Year (ROTY) race has not disappointed. With the season set to finish in less than a week, the trophy is anything but decided. The 2021 draft has produced a star-studded pool of young talent, from which several deserving candidates have emerged as forerunners for the award. Oklahoma City Thunder guard Josh Giddey initially looked to be a promising early-season contender for the ROTY award, but a hip injury suffered in February has ruled him out for the season, ending his chances at winning. Recent second overall selection, Houston Rockets’ Jalen Green, has picked up speed after a slower start to the season, but even his drastic improvement over the last 15 games isn’t enough to propel him over the ROTY frontrunners. As the season comes to a close, the race seems to have narrowed down to three rookies, each of whom have posted incredible seasons for their respective teams. Center Evan Mobley, the Cleveland Cavaliers’s third overall selection, is developing into the elite center that the Cavaliers

ROTY, Down to the Wire

have long lacked. After solidifying their backcourt in the 2018 and 2019 drafts with Colin Sexton and Darius Garland, respectively, the Cavs have finally found a stud to vitalize their frontcourt. Mobley is averaging just over 15 points per game while also delivering a consistently stellar defensive effort––albeit against generally worse competition than other ROTY candidates like Raptors forward Scottie Barnes. The Cavs sit just above the play-in tournament this year (after finishing 13th in the conference last season), clear evidence of how important Mobley’s role on the team has been for them this season. While Mobley’s accomplishments are nothing to scoff at, Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham and Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes have reached another level this season––a level that suggests they will be superstars in the league for many years to come. Cunningham, the 6’7 guard who was selected first overall by the Pistons last summer, started off the season slow due to an injury that sidelined him for the entirety of the preseason. Though many critics were quick to count him out from the race, Cade has been on an unprecedented streak the past few months, putting up some of the best stats from a rookie since Michael Jordan’s historic 1984 season. In his last three

games, he averaged 26 points and eight assists, stellar numbers for a first-year player in the league. Like Lamelo Ball, last year’s ROTY, Cade has taken charge of his team and elevated their level of play. On a roster stacked with young talent with the likes of Killian Hayes, Isaiah Stewart, and Saddiq Bey, Cunningham stands out due to his veteran-like control of the game’s pace, as well as his dual ability to both score and pass the ball. What he lacks in speed and explosion, he more than makes up for by using his craftiness and complex knowledge of the game. When looking to score, he employs his great balance and strong dribble to get to the rim, where he can finish dexterously with either hand. If he instead sees a passing angle, Cade’s large frame allows him to make passes that other guards are not able to. The multitudinous facets of Cade’s game are what make him such a threat in any situation, and allow him to adapt and play off of his teammates. While Cade had a slow start to the season, he shows potential to be a perennial all-star and leader for the Pistons. After a 40/11 performance during his freshman year at Oklahoma State, his coach Mike Boynton said, “He’s going to be on to bigger and better things, and he’s going to be doing that with some of the best defenders in the whole world in

about seven or eight months.” Cade’s flashes of brilliance as well as basketball IQ well beyond his years have propelled him to contention in this year’s ROTY race. However, there remains one player between him and the trophy. Scottie Barnes, the 20-year old Raptors forward from Florida, has been putting together a stellar rookie season that possibly outshines those of both Mobley’s and Cunningham’s. After an abysmal last season, the Raptors seemed to be embracing a rebuild, but Barnes’s outstanding play this year has powered the team to fifth in the conference and a guaranteed playoff berth. A skilled, dynamic forward with an incredible eye for the game, Barnes has solidified the Raptors’s frontcourt and fits in perfectly with the Raptors’s positionally fluid playstyle. He’s filled every role from center to point guard (albeit in brief stints) this season while maintaining an elite level of play. Barnes has dominated across the stat sheet this year, being the only player to rank in the top three among rookies across all major statistics (points, rebounds, assists, and steals). Averaging 15.4 points per game, Barnes ranks third in this year’s rookie class, and first among players with more than 70 games played. If his dominance in the paint hasn’t been enough, he’s drastically improved his field goal shot

throughout the season, shooting 49.5 percent over the last fifteen games. His career best 31 points and 12 defensive rebounds against the Lakers on March 18 brought Barnes’s total to 12 double-doubles. His dominance in that game also prompted Lakers’ superstar Lebron James to share his thoughts on Barnes, who first met James back in his seventh grade year: “It may have been a surprise to some of you guys, but it’s no surprise to me. It’s a beautiful thing to watch,” James said. Trusting in Barnes’s defensive ability, Raptors head coach Nick Nurse has consistently deployed Barnes against the likes of James Harden, Kevin Durant, Jayson Tatum, Khris Middleton, and other top players in the league. In most cases, Barnes has fared quite well against this elite competition, defending at a far higher level as compared to his fellow ROTY candidates. His defense, as Nick Nurse has often stated throughout the season, is reminiscent of that of a veteran in the league. While Cade Cunningham and Evan Mobley have each been dominant in their own right, Barnes has been the most dominant two-way rookie this year by far. Assuming Barnes’s electrifying play and exuberant personality will continue for the remainder of this season, it seems like the ROTY trophy has Scottie Barnes’s name written all over it.

The Spectator ● April 14, 2022

Page 29

Sports Basketball

The Epic Highs and Lows of College Basketball By VERNON HUGHES

Aaaand breathe. In the three weeks since TX Southern kicked off the First Four of the Men’s NCAA College Basketball tournament by beating Texas A&MCC, we have seen 67 games, boiling a melting pot of 68 of the best college basketball teams in the nation down to just one. From the opening days until the championship game on April 4, fresh-faced students have carried the weight of entire fanbases, ranging from small universities to significant portions of the American public. There were four regions (East, Midwest, South, and West) with 16 teams each (seeded one to sixteen). The first and second rounds were followed by the Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight before the winners of each region met in the Final Four in New Orleans. Between double overtimes, crucial player ejections, and clutch shots, March Madness lived up to the hype, once again providing fans with highs and lows. Here are the winners and losers from the 2022 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament: WINNERS Saint Peter’s Located in Jersey City, New Jersey, Saint Peter’s University is not known for holding a terrific basketball program. The school of just over 2,600 undergraduates had only been to three NCAA tournaments before this year, failing in each to make it past the first round. But this year, coach Shaheen Holloway and his

stars put St. Peter’s on the map in one of the best “Cinderella” runs in the history of the tournament. They began busting brackets with the overtime defeat of 2-seeded Kentucky, going on to beat Murray State (seeded 7) and Purdue (3) as they became the highest-seeded team (at 15) ever to reach the Elite Eight. UNC ended their miraculous run, but the team’s players represented themselves in a remarkable way, gaining the admiration and respect of fans and teams across the country. Blue Bloods

Final Four appearances with this year in account. Despite legendary head coach Roy Williams leaving UNC last year, Kentucky falling unexpectedly in the first round, and Mike Krzyzewski (Coach K) retiring, fans of the Blue Bloods need not worry for the future with this year as evidence that their teams will continue to dominate. UNC and Coach K’s Last Dance In fitting fashion, likely the best college basketball coach ever coached his last game in the biggest college basketball game

lead changes en route to UNC’s 4-point victory. Coach K may not have gone out with a sixth national championship, but in winning the West regional, he passed John Wooden for the most Final Four appearances by a coach in history (13) and gave his school memories of going out in fashionable style. Meanwhile, UNC will be able to revel in the fact that they were responsible for both Coach K’s first and last losses as the coach of the Blue Devils and made it all the way to the championship game as an eight seed.

From the opening days until the championship game on April 4, fresh-faced students have carried the weight of entire fanbases, ranging from small universities to significant portions of the American public.

Despite a tournament filled with upsets and surprises in the first few rounds, the Final Four ended up filled with “Blue Bloods”—programs with an ingrained history of winning. Between UNC (6), Duke (5), Kansas (3), and Villanova (2), the Final Four teams had a total of 16 championships even before Kansas picked up the crown this year, along with a staggering 61

of all time. It is hard to believe that Duke and UNC had never played a March Madness game against each other, despite facing off 257 times in other competitions and sporting one of the greatest rivalries in all of sports. But in Coach K’s last game, with the chance to play in a national championship on the line, these two superstar programs faced off in an instant classic with 19

Second-Half University Kansas may have been a No. 1 seed and only had to play two other teams seeded better than eighth, Villanova (2) and Providence (4), but they looked out of sorts at multiple times during the first half. Ultimately, whatever coach Bill Self was able to tell his players during halftime made the difference as he picked up his second national champion-

ship for the Jayhawks (the first was in 2008). In the Elite Eight, they found themselves six points behind the University of Miami before a monster second half in which they outscored their opponents 47-15. But even more impressively, they became the team to overturn the largest deficit in a championship game, after being down by 16 points to UNC at one point in the first half and being down by 15 at the end of the half. Just like against Miami, they scored 47 points, compared with 29 for UNC, doing just enough to pick up their fourth NCAA championship. Now, only UCLA (11), Kentucky (8), UNC (6), Duke (5), and Indiana (5) have more. LOSERS Number One Seeds It may seem ironic to put the No. 1 seeded teams in the losers section given that Kansas won the national championship, but a look at the other three oneseeded teams in Gonzaga, Arizona, and Baylor reveals severe underperformance. Historically, 69 percent of one-seeded teams make it past the Sweet Sixteen, but this year both Gonzaga and Arizona lost at this stage, with reigning champion Baylor losing even earlier in the round of 32. Baylor’s stakes were lower, given that Scott Drew delivered the chip last year, but a secondround exit as a one-seed is nevertheless disappointing. Meanwhile, Arizona slumped to a continued on page 31

Girls’ Softball

Red Hot Renegades By EFE KILIC Coming off a commanding 18-1 win against the Baruch College Campus High School Blue Devils, the Renegades, Stuyvesant’s girls’ softball team, advanced to a 4-0 record in the Manhattan A League. Unfazed after Baruch struck first with one run in the first inning, the Renegades responded with 18 unanswered runs to seal the game and force mercy on the Blue Devils. This success was in large part due to the pitching excellence of senior and captain Paige Wolfing, who allowed just two hits in the game’s four innings. This win can be added to their list of blowouts, joining East Harlem (29-4), High School of Environmental Studies (287), and High School for Health Professions and Human Services (33-18). Defeating their big division rival in Baruch has served as a great motivator for the Renegades as they gear up to handle the second half of the season. Outscoring their opponents by a resounding total of 108-30 this season, the Renegades have established themselves as titans within the division. Winning isn’t a new phenomenon to the Renegades, as they coursed through the 2020-

2021 season with an undefeated 9-0 record, ending the season as first in the Manhattan C League. They dominated during the pandemic season, only conceding three points in total while dishing out 56. Still, not everything was simple for the Renegades, as commuting to games and practice was a large issue for the team during the pandemic. With schools being closed, there was no place for the team to get together and head to practices and games. However, the pandemic did not shake the winning mentality of the Renegades. Regardless of remote learning and the limitations set by COVID-19 on the PSAL, the players stayed committed to the team and set their sights on winning. Head coach Vincent Miller has played a crucial role in establishing the winning mentality of the team, and he does not plan on giving that up anytime soon. In fact, he feels more confident about this season since schools are back open. “I would say this season has been easier to navigate because everyone is back in school,” Miller said. Entering the season with high hopes, the Renegades have a solid roster of 22 players under the leadership of senior captains shortstop Alison Chan, pitcher Wolfing, and first baseman Francesca Nemati.

Having been on the team since their freshman year, they work to make sure that winning culture translates to the locker rooms. Coming out of the pandemic, the team is very young, with many new freshmen and sophomores. Though assimilating these players into the team may

The team has been firing on all cylinders, with the captains all batting at the top of the lineup; juniors Caitlin Wong, Venus Wan, and Jovana Simic dominating the outfield; junior Marion Rambler and sophomore Sonia Atlas keeping check of the infield; and freshmen Charlotte

“I feel like we have the talent to finish at the top of our division. Once we get into the playoffs, our goal then becomes to win as many playoff games as possible.” —Vincent Miller, girls’ softball coach seem like a great challenge, they have come together with ease. “As the season has progressed, they have definitely warmed up to each other and to the team and gotten a lot closer,” Nemati said.

Sternbach and Ava Maddox contributing to the starting lineup. In addition to the starters, the entire team works toward their success. “Every player is crucial no matter if they are on the field or in the dugout. What makes

me the most happy is the energy that we bring to our games,” Wolfing said. The team’s strength is rooted in the members’ unity and willingness to develop alongside one another. The team, led by a great group of captains and a young core, is willing to make one another better, whether it be through frequent practices or undying support from the dugout. “The improvement and talent that we’ve seen so far is incredible, and we’re definitely a team to look out for this season,” Chan said. Chan is not the only one with great aspirations for the Renegades. With such a commanding start to the season, the Renegades hope to make a deep run into the playoffs. Though their schedule will get more formidable, facing opponents such as 6-0 Beacon High School, there is not much worry about the success of the Renegades. “I feel like we have the talent to finish at the top of our division. Once we get into the playoffs, our goal then becomes to win as many playoff games as possible,” Miller said. With the Renegades off to such a great start, it will be riveting to see if their just-win culture prevails throughout this season.

Page 30

The Spectator ● April 14, 2022

Sports Boys’ Baseball

Strong Resurgence Paves the Way for Peglegs’ Playoff Run

By AVA QUARLES

Coming into the 2022 season off an extended hiatus, the Stuyvesant Boys Baseball team, the Peglegs, wanted to have a winning year and dominate their division. Four games into the season, they have shown that they have just what it takes to do that. The season began on a high note with two victories against the West 50th Street Campus Seahawks. The first game started off slow for the Peglegs, as they were down 3-0 in the second inning. Despite the sluggish start, however, the Peglegs maintained their composure and stayed focused, trading zeros with the opposing team until the fourth inning, where the Peglegs loaded the bases and Junior Adam Lucey hit an RBI single to put Stuyvesant on the board.

Lucey’s play opened the door for the Peglegs, as the team began to execute on offense with increasing efficiency. Sophomore Axel Riess led off the inning with a triple, followed by a go-ahead hit by senior and captain Sam Levine that gave the Peglegs a 4-3 lead. “Axel came up huge right before me with a leadoff triple, so he made my job pretty easy. It was nice to get the hit to give us the lead against West 50th, especially after how bad they beat us last year,” said Levine. Junior pitchers Iravan Bhattacharyya and Ethan Lin maintained the one-run lead until the final out, marking the Peglegs’ first victory of the season. During the second matchup against the Seahawks, senior Paul Liu got off to a hot start and allowed just one run over three innings. Levine shut out the opposition for the rest of the game,

and with help from the strong infield defense, the Peglegs ended the match in a 5-1 victory and a two-game sweep over the Seahawks. The team stumbled, however, against The Beacon Blue Demons the following day. The game started off poorly with an error and a pair of wild pitches, followed by a single and two walks that plated the game’s first run. Before the damage grew too big, Bhattacharyya rallied to strike out the next three batters. Unfortunately, he was not able to fully recover and gave up three more runs in the second inning. After the subpar start, the team did not manage to recover, though they came close in the bottom of the seventh, managing to bring the score to 6-4 before a strikeout ended the game. Though the loss was disappointing, the players recognized

that one difficult game does not make a season. “Our plans always are to make the playoffs. We’ve been making the playoffs; this is my 20th year here and we’ve made it for 19 years,” said coach John Carlesi. The Peglegs’s potential was evident in their game against Beacon High School, where they had nine hits, beat out the Blue Demons by a run, and their combined pitching struck out 11. The team has all the parts they need to win, they just need to put them together. “We hit the ball as well as we have all season. [We] just need to cut down on the free passes, and I’m confident we’ll beat them this week,” said Levine. That confidence was well placed, as The Peglegs beat the Blue Demons 12-5 on Tuesday night. The game nearly went off course in the first inning where Beacon loaded the bases against

Levine’s pitching. Stuyvesant escaped that inning while only allowing a single unearned run: the only lead that Beacon would have all night. In the top of the third, Bhattacharyya doubled to drive in the tying run. From there, Stuyvesant’s offense exploded, with the team producing five runs in both the fourth and sixth innings, and another in the seventh. Defensively, Levine struck out seven through five strong innings, and Bhattacharyya followed with two strong innings to close the game behind him. This game was a complete turnaround from a previous match that was littered with errors and missed opportunities. “It was just a very fulfilling game,” said Bhattacharyya. “All parts of our game were on. Pitching, hitting, and fielding pulled us through and Beacon didn’t stand a chance.”

Sports Editorial

Beneath the Rooney Rule

By AVA QUARLES Nearly thirty-two percent of NBA and NFL fans believe that female coaches are less qualified than their male counterparts. As a woman who plays sports and hopes to work in the sports industry in the future, I am already well accustomed to hearing such stereotypes. Don’t worry—I am not going to write an article here complaining about the gender pay gap in sports. The topics of media coverage and salary are important but overemphasized. It is equally important to recognize that issues surrounding women in sports transcend the problems involving the wage gap, making their way into the workplace. Take, for instance, the NFL, which has a nearly complete history of male coaches. It’s true that in an exclusively male sport, capable women are less able to form the connections behind most coaching hires. Recently, half-hearted efforts have been made to place women directly into carved out roles, instead of focusing on forming opportunities for women to build the relationships necessary to break into the league’s corporation.

The NFL instated the Rooney Rule in 2003, named after the late chairman of the league’s Workplace Diversity Committee, Dan Rooney, in an attempt to diversify coaching slates. The rule required all teams hiring for a head coach to interview at least one “di-

was one Black head coach in the NFL. Today, in a league made up of 70 percent Black players, there are only four. Women are even rarer. The first woman hired for a coaching role was Jen Welter in 2015. The league does not currently employ any female head

active purpose. The NFL announced the updated Rooney Rule on March 28, perhaps in the hopes of more evident change. Part of the enhanced rule includes women in the aforementioned category of “diverse people.” If the new

Recently, half-hearted efforts have been made to place women directly into carved out roles, instead of focusing on forming opportunities for women to build the relationships necessary to break into the league’s corporation. verse” candidate, a person from a racial minority. The requirements have been amended several times since then, aiming to eliminate underrepresentation in the league’s employment. Yet the effect of the rule has been minor. One-hundred years ago, there

coaches, and the 2021-2022 season saw just 12 women in coaching positions. Coaching diversity is clearly a pressing issue that the NFL can’t seem to solve, leaving the impression that regulations such as the Rooney Rule may serve a more performative than

rule stopped there, I would have no complaints. However, the new regulation includes a clause requiring all 32 NFL teams to hire “a female or a member of an ethnic or racial minority” as an offensive coach. This coach will work closely with the head

coach and be paid from a separate league fund. The adjustment aims to bring more minorities into the coaching pipeline to eventually vie for head coaching positions. Yet as a woman and a member of an ethnic minority, I find this rule more problematic than liberating. While diversity in the NFL is certainly a pressing problem, cutting out artificial roles for the inclusion of minorities is the wrong solution. The new Rooney Rule implies that non-white or non-male people are so incapable of attaining these coaching jobs by their own talent that the league needs to set aside a separate fund to assist their shot at an NFL career. It puts each team in a position of obligation to fulfill the requirement of a somewhat performative role in their coaching lineup, and the jobs will be handed out to minorities not because of their qualifications, but rather because they fill the gender or ethnic requirement. Thus, if I was hired for one of these positions, it wouldn’t be because of how hard I had worked to get continued on page 31

April Sports Calendar Monday

Tuesday 18

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Outdoor Track Girls Day of Weights Randall’s Island Icahn Stadium 8:00 a.m.

Handball Boys Varsity vs. Chelsea Career and Technical Education

Central Park West 97th Street

4:30 p.m.

Fencing Girls Varsity vs. John Jay Campus John Jay Campus 4:30 p.m.

Lacrosse Boys Varsity vs. Eagle Academy for Young Men II Randall’s Island Field 70 4:30 p.m.

Handball Girls Varsity vs. HS Health Profession/Human Services Stuyvesant High School 4:30 p.m.

Baseball Boys Jr. Varsity vs. A.Philip Randolph Campus High School Pier 40 4:00 p.m

The Spectator ● April 14, 2022

Page 31

Sports UFC

The Rise of Islam Makhachev By NAKIB ABEDIN Though many describe him as a good-natured man, Islam Makhachev is a ruthless monster inside of the cage. He overwhelms his opponents with his world-class wrestling and relentless cardio. After his most recent win against Bobby Green on February 26, Makhachev is expected to challenge for the title. Fans alike have acknowledged his immaculate skill, but many fail to recognize that his success stems from a humble background. Makhachev was born on October 27, 1991 in Dagestan, Russia. This region has a rich history of warriors, the most notable of which was mixed martial artist Khabib Nurmagomedov. Makhachev has been a life-long friend and training partner of Nurmagomedov and received mentorship from Khabib’s father, the late Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov. Makhachev learned wrestling from a very early age, which has become an essential component of his fight game. Fighting was all he did, as Dagestan was a region that was very secluded

from the rest of Russian society. There weren’t many activities to partake in other than sports and wrestling. Makhachev and Nurmagomedov not only wrestled each other, but also fought against wild animals such as bears. Thus, it is no surprise that they seem to overwhelm revered

incredible run. Many thought that this would be the end of an “overhyped prospect,” but Makhachev showed that he is truly of an elite caliber by going on another streak of ten wins, becoming the favorite to challenge for the title. Though Makhachev is yet to

comparison is not fair to Makhachev, whose striking is a lot more advanced than Khabib’s. Makhachev’s punches are a lot more fluid and his movement is less stiff. When Khabib was in the UFC, he relied on his incredible durability to overwhelm his opponents. Makhachev’s chin is

After his most recent win against Bobby Green on February 26, Makhachev is expected to challenge for the title. wrestlers with ease. Makhachev competed in combat sambo, a type of martial art that is used by the Russian military, and became the world champion in 2016. At the same time, Makhachev was on an amazing streak of 12 wins in Mixed Martial Arts until Adriano Martins ended his

fight anyone inside of the top five, his fighting skill is obvious to any viewer. He defeated each of his last four opponents, with the last two of his victories coming inside of the first round. Many people have drawn parallels between Khabib and Makhachev, comparing their similar styles of wrestling. However, this

not as strong, which is displayed in his loss against Martins; all it took was one clean strike from Martins to drop Makhachev. To make up for this, Makhachev developed his striking fundamentals to the point where he could hold his own against opponents such as Bobby Green and Dan Hooker, who were feared strik-

ers in the division. In many ways, Makhachev has even more potential than Nurmagomedov, and in his next few fights, UFC fans will see if he lives up to the hype. He is already one of the most feared fighters in the division, and many opponents are unwilling to fight against him because of his adept skills. Perhaps Daniel Cormier, a former two-division UFC champion, put it best when he described Makhachev as “special.” After 12 consecutive victories, it is inevitable that he will soon fight for the Lightweight title. However, the end goal for Makhachev is not just the title. Rather, he is trying to become one of the alltime greats. “There [are] fighters, there [are] champions and there is elite. My opinion is like Islam is elite in UFC right now,” said Nurmagomedov. With Makhachev only just reaching the prime years of fighting, he hopes to transcend his status as an elite fighter to stand alongside the likes of George SaintPierre and Jon Jones in the GOAT debate.

Basketball

The Epic Highs and Lows of College Basketball continued from page 29

double-digit defeat to fifth-seed Houston after a shaky victory against TCU. Finally, Mark Few’s Gonzaga, the No. 1 seeded team in the tournament as a whole and a one-seed in four of the last five tournaments, still is yet to win a national title. With star players like Chet Holmgren, Benedict Mathurin, Jeremy Sochan, Drew Timme, and Kendall Brown all likely to be drafted, this year was surely a missed opportunity for the Bears, Wildcats, and Bulldogs. John Calipari While some of the other Blue Bloods made deep runs, Kentucky slumped to a firstround defeat against 15-seed

Saint Peter’s. It has now been seven years since Coach Calipari last took them to the Final Four, and they have not won an NCAA Tournament game since 2019. There was no lack of talent on the team this year: Oscar Tshiebwe was the Naismith Player of the Year, averaging 17.4 points and 15.2 rebounds; Tyty Washington has lottery pick potential; Shaedon Sharpe, the projected number one pick for the 2023 NBA Draft, did not play a single minute for the team after enrolling mid-year per Calipari’s guidance. Since the loss to Saint Peter’s, Kentucky fans have even been calling for Calipari to be fired, demonstrating this as a low point in his career.

12 each had multiple teams that were considered title contenders, namely Purdue and Wisconsin from the Big Ten, Auburn, Tennessee, and Kentucky from the SEC, and Arizona and UCLA from the Pac-12. However, out of the staggering 18 teams to feature in the tournament from these conferences, only Arkansas made it past the Sweet Sixteen, only to fall short in the Elite Eight. It was the ACC that was expected to be weaker this year, but conversely, three of their six teams made it to the Elite Eight (Duke, UNC, and Miami), while the last Power Five conference, the Big 12, posted a 13-5 record with Kansas’ championship victory.

Big Ten, SEC, Pac-12 The Big Ten, SEC, and Pac-

Fans’ Brackets The wait for a perfect bracket

continues… and is likely never to end. This year after just 28 games, Iowa State’s win against LSU eliminated the last perfect bracket, though it was Saint Peter’s unpredictable win over Kentucky that hurt brackets the most (96.96 percent picked Kentucky). The odds of a perfect bracket are infinitesimally small, so the lack of one this year is not a surprise, even after the 10 perfect brackets after the first round in 2019. Moreover, a majority of the public ended up losing points as big teams underperformed. Gonzaga and Arizona were the most-picked teams to win it all, but both lost in the Sweet Sixteen; Iowa was picked more than any other low-seeded team to make the Sweet Sixteen but lost in the first round; Tennessee was picked in more brackets than any

other non-top-two seed to win the championship but lost in the second round. As a whole, the tournament itself was a massive success for the fans who look forward to this month of mayhem every year. Not only were there 10.7 million total viewers, up over 13 percent from last year, but for the first time since 2019, there were full stadiums at the NCAA tournament because of the COVID pandemic. College basketball may be in a transition as legendary coaches like Roy Williams and Mike Krzyzewski say farewell to the sport, but at its heart, March Madness is like no other tournament because prestige and percentages do not always triumph, so the excitement is bound to continue.

Sports Editorial

Beneath the Rooney Rule

continued from page 30

to that spot. My merit would be less important than my role as a female filler that a team was required to hire. Furthermore, if I was truly qualified for the job, the separate fund the league sets aside for these minority hires evokes my little worth to a team, as my salary doesn’t come out of their pockets, but out of the NFL’s set-aside incentive fund. Categorizing potential hires by physical characteristics of gender and ethnicity rather than coaching adequacy feels forced, and it minimizes the capabilities of minorities. The ineffectiveness of the previously standing Rooney Rule shows that its requirements only make the minority interview pro-

cess less thoughtful and more of a chore. “People have said, ‘Let me interview a minority candidate to satisfy the rule, and then I can get on with this hiring process or hire who I want to,’” Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungy said. This unfortunate consequence was proven to be true in the Las Vegas Raiders’ hiring of Jon Gruden in 2018. Owner Mark Davis admitted to having selected Gruden, a white man, as coach before conducting any interviews with people of color. This repercussion will only be amplified with the new rule. There are many skilled women who simply don’t have the exposure necessary to make it big in the league with its current cursory processes. The new Rooney Rule shows lukewarm effort from the NFL

in their gender diversity campaign, and other methods would prove more effective in solving the problem. For example, the Women’s Careers in Football Forum (WCFF) should be expanded. The WCFF gathers a group of women working in college football in a conference of presentations and panel discussions to prepare them for a career in the NFL and cultivate relationships. Clearly, networking is imperative, as “coaching circles” are often the main source of new hires. The extension of this invitational forum would bring greater numbers of women in sports together to build connections and find improved opportunities. It would give qualified women a chance to be truly seen for their talent in the field, rather than through an incumbent lens

that isolates them by gender. An expansion could make the forum occur more often than annually or open it up to more women, seeing that the forum has proven successful. Most of the women currently coaching in the NFL are WCFF alumni. Additionally, women should be better supported on the road to a head coaching role through increased opportunity to participate in professionally led programs such as the NCAA and NFL Coaches Academy, the NFL Coaching Workshop, and the NFL Career Development Symposium, all of which have been almost entirely male in attendance but could open the doors for women working in football. More important than creating ostensive roles for women in the league is educating aspiring women in sports and

making sure they have the exposure necessary to be seen for their talent. If I am ever hired to coach a professional sports team, it will be because I’m the most qualified for the position, not just because I’m a woman. It’s going to be an adverse journey for the Greyducks, but there’s no doubt that they have what it takes to reach their goals. Athletes will have to remain strong and resilient to fight through the tough weather, but it will all be worth it as their hard work comes to fruition in time for the most important meets next month. Hunter and HSMSE better watch out as the Greyducks fly across the track and perform in their top events, hopefully beating out all competing teams for a Borough Championship victory.

Page 32

The Spectator ● April 14, 2022

World Cup

THE SPECTATOR SPORTS U.S. Men Finally Earn Their Pay

By KRISH GUPTA Chelsea. Barcelona. Juventus. Dortmund. Manchester City. The list of clubs that the U.S. Men’s National Team (USMNT) players call home is electrifying, and the expectations for this year’s World Cup are accordingly higher than ever. Since the dawn of the 21st century, the USMNT has been dwarfed in viewership, headlines, and success by the U.S. Women’s National Team (USWNT). While the USWNT has been busy winning World Cups and pushing forward equality, the men have been lagging behind, struggling to even qualify for the sport’s biggest stage in one of the world’s easiest qualifying fields in the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) group. However, the men are finally making their presence known with the Qatar 2022 World Cup on the horizon. Qualifying for the World Cup was no cakewalk with the surprising and rapid emergence of Canada, the continuing ever-present threat of Mexico, and the solid teams in Costa Rica and Panama. After an up-and-down qualifying run, the Americans vanquished their 2017 demons, making no

mistake in the final round of the qualifying window, including a key draw at the Mexican team’s fortress, the Azteca; a 5-1 thumping of 2018 World Cup participants Panama; and an avoidance of a catastrophic loss versus Costa Rica. The last appearance of the United States in the 2014 World Cup was a thrilling one, with a run into the Round of 16. This year’s roster is even more exciting and considerably younger than the 2014 squad. Out are the American stalwarts of Clint Dempsey, Tim Howard, Michael Bradley, and Jozy Altidore. In is a new generation of players at the top level, including Christian Pulisic, Gio Reyna, Sergiño Dest, and Ricardo Pepi. In recent years, American players have flocked over the sea to play for European heavyweights in unprecedented numbers and for unprecedented figure amounts. There’s no better example than Gio Reyna, the New York City Football Club academy product who was shipped to Dortmund, one of Bundesliga’s top clubs, and has become a consistent member of USMNT camps at just 19 years old. The son of USMNT legend Claudio Reyna, Gio Reyna is a dangerous player when he can stay healthy, demonstrated best when

immediately after being subbed in, Gio Reyna beat over half of the Mexican team on the dribble and later set up a golden opportunity for Jordan Pefok to score. Undoubtedly, the best player of the States is Pulisic—Captain America, the LeBron James of Soccer, and the Man in the Mirror. He is the only American to have won the Champions League, and he is the USMNT’s most prolific scorer heading into the World Cup. Wearing the armband in that key match versus Panama, Pulisic was out in full force, notching his first international hat trick. His last goal of that night is one that will be watched over and over again— a wayward touch into two defenders before slipping in a nutmeg and capping it off with a cool finish. For the U.S. to go far, Pulisic will have to stay in top form. The United States has a history of quality goalkeeping, and the pool from which they can select for the World Cup is star-studded. Leading the way are Matt Turner of the New England Revolution (soon to be a player of Arsenal) and Zack Steffen of Manchester City. Whomever USMNT manager Gregg Berhalter gives the nod to, he can be confident in his shotstopper. After being drawn into the

so-called Group of Death in Brazil 2014, the draw of the United States is manageable from an American perspective. Here’s a look at the prospects of their 2022 Group Stage foes: England England is among the favorites to win the tournament. They will be pleased with their draw and should have no trouble picking up nine points and making the Round of 16. The sheer amount of talent and experience the English side has is second to none. Manager Gareth Southgate is confident that his team can win the World Cup final. England went all the way to the tournament semifinals before falling to Croatia in 2018. Key players to watch in England include Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, and Trent-Alexander Arnold. It’s hard to imagine the U.S. taking three points off the tournament favorite, but if their 2010 World Cup meeting was any indication, it will be close. Iran Iran has recently become a consistent presence in the World Cup, but they have little to show from any of their appearances. Regardless of which team emerges from the European qualifier, expect Iran to bow out of the tournament before the knockout

stages. The key player for Iran is Porto striker Mehdi Taremi. This game is a must-win for the United States. Iran has become a World Cup regular and is accustomed to group stage exits. European Qualifier (Wales/ Scotland/Ukraine) Whoever emerges from the final European qualifier will likely be the most important match of the United States. The favorite here is Wales, led by superstar Gareth Bale. If Ukraine manages to make it, though, they will be playing with more heart and motivation than anyone. This game will likely be the most important match for the red, white, and blue in the fight for second place. Given the presence of the English players, the United States will likely finish in second place and advance to face the winner of Group A (most likely the Netherlands) in the Round of 16. Sixty-four games, 16 advances, one champion: though a lot has happened in the world since the last World Cup four years ago, the world’s biggest sporting event is back, and the USMNT will (hopefully) not disappoint again. Let the games begin.

Basketball

The South Carolina Gamecocks Capture Their Second March Madness Title By ALICIA YU Women’s March Madness has been exhilarating to watch this year. 1.5 million brackets were filled out and viewership continues to rise, with the championship game becoming the the most-watched national championship in 18 years. This year’s women’s tournament included many upsets, as competition has noticeably increased in the past years, especially among the mid-tier Division 1 teams. However, there was one team that prevailed above them all, and that was the South Carolina Gamecocks. Their incredible journey throughout this season and tournament is one to remember. Memorable Moments A memorable game in the tournament was certainly the Elite Eight game of NC State vs. UConn, which went into double overtime and became the first double overtime game in any women’s March Madness regional final. Both teams were constantly hot throughout the game, barely trailing each other by more than five points at a time. From UConn’s Dorka Juhasz’s wrist fracture in the first quarter to NC State’s Jakia Brown-Turner banking in a clutch three with 0.8 seconds left to go into double overtime, this game had all of the drama. UConn’s star point guard Paige Bueckers hasn’t been playing her best since coming back from injury, but she looked like her old self during overtime, shooting five for five from the field (until a missed shot in late 2OT) and six for six in free throws. Other standout moments included Fran Belibi’s dunk in the first round against Montana State, the first dunk in the women’s tournament since 2013, and an inspirational word from Michi-

gan’s Danielle Rauch. The senior, teary-eyed, stated, “I didn’t know if I was going to play a minute at Michigan and I just played in the Elite Eight as a starting point guard for this university […] and playing next to [Naz Hillmon] I got to play with the greatest player in Michigan Women’s Basketball History and she’s also my best friend. […] I wouldn’t trade anything I went through to get to this point because it all made it possible for us to get here.” Underdogs The Creighton Bluejays were underdogs of this tournament. Seeded 10 in their region, they managed to get all the way to the Elite Eight, making their first Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight appearances ever. According to ESPN’s Basketball Power Index (BPI), they were only given a 6 percent chance in making the Elite Eight. They defeated the second-seed Iowa Hawkeyes in the second round and the third-seed Iowa State Cyclones in the Sweet Sixteen before losing to the eventual champions, the South Carolina Gamecocks, in the Elite Eight. Remarkably, the Bluejays had a similar run to Saint Peter’s on the men’s side, seed-wise, as they also beat a seven seed, a two seed, and a three seed. What stood out about this team was their balanced offense and aggressive defense. The Bluejays’s defense was able to hold Iowa’s star Caitlin Clark and Iowa State’s Aubrey Joens to a combined 7-of-30 (23.2 percent) from the field. Offensively, any player on Creighton could get you a bucket, so elite defense by the opposing team was crucial if they wanted a chance in defeating the Bluejays. South Dakota also deserves a shoutout. They too were a 10 seed that advanced to the Sweet Sixteen,

with a notable game beating two seed Baylor in the second round. Despite women’s basketball becoming increasingly competitive each year, the women’s tournament still garners less upsets than it does on the men’s side. Creighton and South Dakota’s Cinderella run being one of the first double digit seeds to enter the Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight shows that the game is changing. Disappointments and Early Exits Major disappointments came from Baylor, Iowa, and Iowa State. Iowa’s Caitlin Clark played incredible all season for the secondseeded Iowa Hawkeyes, setting the expectations high. Yet they fell short in the tournament, losing to Creighton in the second round. The Iowa State Cyclones, led by Ashley Joens, also fell to Creighton in the Sweet Sixteen. Baylor, the two-seed in the Wichita region, was also expected to go farther this season, dominating in the first round against Hawaii 89-49, but then getting upset in the second round to South Dakota by a sizable margin of 61-47. Baylor, a team that averaged 77 points per game, was held to four points in the first quarter of that game. 11th seeded Princeton also pulled an upset against sixth seeded Kentucky in the first round, but lost to Indiana in round two. The women’s game is starting to pull more upsets within the midD1 schools and fans are all for it. South Carolina Does What They’ve Done All Season: Dominate. This season, the South Carolina team became a different beast. Watching highlights of every game in the regular season, you could see how special this team was. They ended the regular season with a

record of 35-2. After losing in the Final Four to Stanford last season, they had a target on their back, and they proved how badly they wanted that national title this season. Throughout the tournament, they were beating teams by margins as big as 30 and 58 points. They started the season as the Number One ranked team in the Associated Press poll and never gave it up, and their game against UConn proved just why they were the best team all season. Going into the championship game, South Carolina had the Player of the Year and Coach of the Year in Aliyah Boston and Dawn Staley. It wasn’t going to be an easy matchup for UConn. In fact, Coach Geno Auriemma has called this year’s UConn team, “The hardest, most trying, most emotionally and physically exhausting season that I’ve ever experienced.” With eight players missing at least one game in the season, including

Paige Bueckers out for 19 games with a knee injury, UConn had been tested time and time again. By the first three minutes of the championship game, the Gamecocks’ incredible offense had given them an 11-point lead, at 13-2. UConn wasn’t scoring well all night, with Olivia Nelson-Ododa playing through a groin injury, Azzi Fudd playing through a stomach bug, and Bueckers not getting a single bucket until well into the second quarter. Throughout the game, South Carolina couldn’t be matched. Destanni Henderson had her best game of the season with 26 points. And while Boston did not have her best scoring night, she was incredible defensively with 16 boards for South Carolina— a crucial factor in their victory. In the end, through great defense and coaching, the Gamecocks won in a respectable margin of 64-49, marking a welldeserved win.

SPORTSBEAT The Kansas Jayhawks won their fourth men’s NCAA championship, beating out the UNC Tar Heels 72-69. The 2022 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament concluded with the South Carolina Gamecocks defeating the UConn Huskies to win the national championship title. Forty-six-year-old golf legend Tiger Woods returned to the course, firing 71 in his return at the Masters. Hall of Fame offensive lineman for the Dallas Cowboys Rayfield Wright passed away at 76. Nikola Jokić became the first player in NBA history to register 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, and 500 assists in a single season, strengthening his MVP run.