Volume 110, Issue 15

The Spectator The Stuyvesant High School Newspaper SPORTS

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

The Beasts Throughout the Years

The Peculiar Reincarnation of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky A&E writer Christina Pan investigates the enigmatic Facebook persona Peter (Pyotr) Ilyich Tchaikovsky.

Sports writer Deven Maheshwari delves into the history of the Stuyvesant boys’ varsity volleyball team: the wins, the losses, and everything in between.

see page 23

see page 16

Volume 110 No. 15

May 17, 2020

stuyspec.com

BOE Pushes Student Union Elections to the Fall

CORONAVIRUS CONTENT

By ZIJIA (JESS) ZHANG, RUIWEN (RAVEN) TANG, and ALEC SHAFRAN

Quarantine Across the States, p. 4 What Stuy Students are Doing When They’re Doing Nothing, p. 5 Our Classes in Quarantine, p. 8 Is Six Feet Enough?, p. 9 Sasha Burshteyn / The Spectator

After discussions with Coordinator of Student Affairs Matt Polazzo and Principal Eric Contreras, the Board of Elections (BOE) has decided to move all caucus and Student Union (SU) elections to the fall. Traditionally, campaigning and elections for the Sophomore, Junior, and Senior Caucuses, as well as for SU president and vice president, take place in the spring, while Freshman Caucus elections are held in the fall. Students running for Caucuses or SU usually put up posters around the school and participate in debates against other tickets, in addition to campaigning online through social media platforms like Facebook. This spring, however, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, in-

Student Union elected officials for the 2019-2020 school year.

person campaigns and elections will not be possible.

BOE Co-Chairs sophomore Ava Yap and junior Eric Han are responsible for running and overseeing all caucus and SU elections.

“Confronted with an unprecedented interruption to this year’s election cycle, we are

now also responsible for circumventing this issue,” Han said in an e-mail interview.

The pair considered two alternative options in response to the new circumstances this election season.

“The first way that we [could have conducted] is online. In this situation, all campaign-

DOE Brings Back Zoom After Increasing Security

By MADDY ANDERSEN, ISABELLA JIA, ERIN LEE, and VEDAANT SHAH Additional reporting by Maggie Sansone, Momoca Mairaj, Sakura Yamanaka, and Alice Zhu Just as Zoom, a video conferencing platform, began gaining popularity with teachers and students, the Department of Education (DOE) banned t h e software on April 3 due to privacy concerns, specifically revolving around the phenomenon of “Zoom bombing.” The DOE, however, announced on May 6 that school faculty is now allowed to use the platform again under a DOE domain, which ensures a more secure learning experience.

The DOE has reintroduced Zoom after alterations were made to strengthen its

“The Pulse of the Student Body”

security measures. The updated Zoom allows only meeting hosts to share their screens, prevent students from allowing others to join, and prohibit people from rejoining if they have been kicked out.

The system also includes better data encryption and storage, more control over participants in meetings, a n d data held do-

Emily Chen / The Spectator

mestically instead of overseas.

The company created a customized system for New York City students and teachers, allowing only those with DOE accounts to access meetings. In order to join or start meetings, educators and students must be signed into their DOE accounts when accessing nycdoe.zoom.us, a site catered for New York City’s education system only. Teach-

ers, however, are not required to move back to Zoom and may continue with previously used platforms such as Google Meet or Microsoft Teams.

Some students favor Zoom over other video conferencing platforms. “I actually do like Zoom more because the quality of it is so much better. I like that [the] video and audio quality is better,” freshman Huzaina Farooq said in an e-mail inter view.

Farooq also notices that teachers are more comfortable and familiar with using Zoom.

“Zoom is better than using other apps because in the other apps I have used, the teachers have some trouble sharing their slideshow or what they are going to present,” she said.

Some students, however, have struggled with Zoom’s frequent technical issues. “I’ve had multiple experiences in continued on page 2

ing would happen online,” Yap said. “[Another possible alternative] that Eric Han and I discussed [was] pushing all elections for SU and Caucuses to next year.”

Yap and Han consulted with Polazzo and Contreras

Mandatory Vaccination: A Necessary Step for True Public Health, p. 10 Sleeping Tight During Quarantine, p. 12 The Upside of the Quarantine, p. 13 The Fashion Industry During the Coronavirus, p. 14 A Virtual Gala: The Show Continues at the Metropolitan Opera, p. 15 Quarantine Lifestyle Tips From the Staff, p. 20

continued on page 2

Student Union Hosts Virtual Concert

By VICTORIA GAO, JENNY LIU, KATIE NG, MAGGIE SANSONE, VEDAANT SHAH, and SAKURA YAMANAKA

Led by External Affairs Delegates sophomore Deven Maheshwari and freshman Eugene Yoo, the Student Union (SU) hosted its first virtual concert through Zoom on April 24. The concert, which lasted over an hour, showcased solo vocal and instrumental pieces from 14 performers. Over 70 students tuned into the Zoom call to watch their classmates’ performances.

The 14 performers included seniors Chris Brown, Veronika Kowalski, Victor Kuang, Beracah Lam, and Derek Lao; juniors Roland Blake, Julian Cunningham, Derick Fang, and Oliver Jackson; and sophomores Zoe Buff, Cyrus Cursetjee, Amy Mai, Kai Mandelbaum, and Victor Veytsman.

The concert opened with an introduction from Yoo regarding the inspiration behind the concert. “We decided to host this concert […]

because we felt like it’s important to connect the Stuyvesant community even though we’re going through these difficult times,” Yoo said.

Maheshwari further explained the roots of the project. “[Yoo] had been trying to organize a student-led concert at Stuy before March, and when schools got [shut down], he revised the idea into a virtual concert,” he said in an e-mail interview. “The External Affairs Department is always looking for new projects, and we thought a virtual concert would help bring people together.”

To kickstart the project, Yoo and Maheshwari contacted five student-led music clubs—Stuyvesant Music Association, Stuy Piano Club, Stuy Acapella, Jazz at Stuy, and Stuy Strums—to inform their members of the opportunity to sign up and participate.

In addition to the interest forms in the SU’s weekly e-mails and social media accounts, the directors of the music clubs created ancontinued on page 2

The Spectator • May 17, 2020

Page 2

News BOE Pushes Student Union Elections to the Fall [such as] Camp Stuy Part Two and the Club Pub Fair,” before making their desaid junior and SU Vice cision. “We always turn to President Julian Giordano. the administration before “With the new election seamaking a major decision to son, these [processes will avoid violating any DOE need to be altered]. There is or Stuyvesant policies. They not much that we can do in also offer advice but tend to order to [mitigate the consedefer to us for the final deci- “The lack of accurate representation is something that we quences of the situation]. It sion. In this case specifically, up to how we handle it.” we reached out to [Polazzo] want to avoid as much as possible, so the most viable op- is allOverall, the BOE is unwith our plans, […] [who] sure of how the switch will agreed to ask [Contreras] for tion under [our current circumstances] is postponing elec- affect elections. “As far as approval,” Han said. “In the records from the past four tions until the fall.” —Ava Yap, sophomore end, they both decided to years indicate, this will be trust our judgment.” and BOE co-chair the first time every election “We are doing the best is held in the fall semeswe can during these difficult ter. Turnout could increase time[s]. The BOE wanted to line would not be as effective the student body,” Yap said. is a very extensive selection from excitement surroundpush [elections] into the fall, as an in-person election in “The lack of accurate repre- process for their cabinet. ing the new school year or and I saw no reason to dis- engaging the entire student sentation is something that After interviewing approxi- decline because anxiety from agree with their decision,” body. “For the most part, the we want to avoid as much as mately 200 candidates for new classes may distract Polazzo said in an e-mail candidates [who] are [cam- possible, so the most viable 10 minutes each, a cabinet possible voters,” Han said. interview. In the case that paigning for their respective option under [our current is selected, and the cabinet “We will only be able to tell remote learning resumes in positions] are doing so online circumstances] is postpon- can begin organizing events when September arrives.” continued from page 1

September, however, the campaigning process will again have to be revised.

While SU elections could have been administered online, the BOE believed that campaigning completely on-

through Facebook, Instagram, and other social media [platforms]. However, if you pay attention to the number of people who see these accounts, it isn’t nearly representative of the whole of

ing elections until the fall.”

Because elected officials will be chosen later, several early-year processes will have to be revised. “Generally, during the summer after a candidate is elected, there

DOE Brings Back Zoom After Increasing Security continued from page 1

which [Zoom has] crashed and glitche[d] a lot […] but have not had the glitching problem on other platforms like Google Meet,” freshman

Tammy Zhao said in an e-mail interview. “It’s also difficult to go on other tabs [while] you’re on the Zoom call.”

Sophomore Joshua Yagupsky echoed a similar sentiment, citing Zoom’s more

user-friendly features. “I definitely think that Zoom is a better platform for teaching since there are features like handraising, but at the same time, it can be unstable compared to Google Meet,” he said.

While teachers have successfully handled the numerous transitions between platforms, some are wary about switching from Google Meet back to Zoom. “I’ll be honest, after finally getting up to

speed on Zoom, then having it prohibited and having to learn Google Meet, I’m reluctant to go back to Zoom.

But I might need to for practical reasons,” social studies teacher David Hanna said.

Student Union Hosts Virtual Concert continued from page 1

nouncements and Google Forms to invite their members to participate. Sophomore Christopher Dou reached out to the members of the Stuyvesant Music Association. “Since we can’t have in-person meetings anymore, and our club is heavily based on face-to-face interactions, we haven’t been able to do much,” he said in an email interview. “During quarantine, many of us are stuck at home and haven’t seen our friends for weeks, so the virtual concert would give us a way to see each other [and] listen to great music being played by our classmates.”

Because most clubs have terminated their plans for the remainder of the semester, students used the concert as a chance to perform and make up for the lost opportunities due to the pandemic. “I decided to sign up because I really enjoy playing music for people. I had plans to work on music with some friends and even play shows in the spring and summer, and that is all out the window because of [the] coronavirus,” Blake said in an e-mail interview.

Prospective singers and musicians were free to choose their own performance.

“When I was choosing a song to play, I wanted to pick something that I thought I would be able to perform well on my own, something that wasn’t too complicated,

and something people would enjoy listening to,” said Blake, who chose to perform Title Fight’s “Dizzy” (2015) on the guitar and drums for the virtual concer t.

Similarly, Lao ch o s e a piece with a w e l l known m e l o d y, so audience members would be able to recognize it.

“I played ‘Chariots of Fire’

by Vangelis. I chose this piece b e cause it is an iconic tune, but people do not know the name, and I have never heard someone play it. Thus, I thought it would be amusing if I could play it and give people the reaction of ‘Hey! I recognize that!’” he said in an e-mail interview.

Others chose songs that connected to how they felt about school closings. “I enjoy getting into the emotions of the song [NIKI’s ‘Around’ (2018)] when I perform it,

and I found the nostalgic notes and wistfulness of the song fitting. One of the lines of the song is ‘You know who took me to prom,’ and

Emily Young-Squire / The Spectator

every time I sang that line when I practiced, I thought about how my grade is not going to have prom,” Lam said in an e-mail interview.

Likewise, Fang, who played “Out of Nowhere” on the tenor saxophone, drew a connection between the sentiment of his piece and the current pandemic.

“I came to realize that the song’s name was sort of related to the pandemic, in that it came out of nowhere,” he

said in an e-mail interview.

Many had a positive experience participating in the concert. “It was fun. It felt l i k e a musical showcase. It was different than a normal c o n cert because I couldn’t see a bunch of faces looking at me, which proba b l y made it a bit less ner vewracking. It w a s actually m y first time playing guitar or singing live, so I think having it be virtual reduced some of the anxiety I was experiencing,” Blake said.

Due to the nature of performing music live over video calls, however, hosting a virtual concert ultimately posed limits. “There were problems with audio quality, but there’s very little you can do between the microphone and the internet. I had spent a long time setting up to try

and get my audio quality as good as possible,” Blake said.

Jackson faced a similar problem.

“Unfortunately, I had a technical difficulty on my end, so I had to stop my song early, but the hosts were generous enough to let me finish it after everyone else had gone,” he said.

Despite these technical difficulties, performers and audience members alike thoroughly enjoyed the event. “Everyone who performed was absolutely amazing, and it was organized very well. It didn’t go late; people went on and off and got set up pretty quickly, and the chat room was really nice, so everyone could compliment and talk about the performances,” Blake said.

Others expressed their interest in participating again in the future. “I enjoyed it very much—it felt good to be a part of something online even though we can’t see each other right now. Everyone else who performed at the concert was great, and I had a lot of fun cheering them on,” Buff said in an email interview. “I would definitely like to do it again. It was a wonderful experience.”

Moving forward, the SU hopes to host more events similar to the virtual concert. “The SU still wants to do as much as possible to keep Stuyvesant culture going, [and] another concert is being planned for the future,” Maheshwari said.

The Spectator • May 17, 2020

Page 3

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The Spectator • May 17, 2020

Features Quarantine Across the States

By RACHEL VILDMAN and AMANDA BRUCCULERI

Christina Jiang / The Spectator

Quarantine looks different for every family. For some, quarantine means moving upstate. For others, it means staying put on the home turf.

For sophomore Naya Mukul, quarantine meant making the move to a new state. Mukul and her family decided to move to her grandparents’ house in New Jersey on March 13, the last day of school before Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the shutdown of all New York City public schools. “My grandparents live in New Jersey, and our family decided it would be most convenient to stay there in case the situation got worse in New York; [we] also [moved] because my grandparents are elderly,” Mukul said.

Like Mukul, freshman Ruiwen Tang and her family took this time as a chance to move to Delaware.

They made the move during the week o f

March 23 because her family had growing concerns about the risk of living in an apartment building. “My parents were worried about how closely we were living to our neighbors and how many spaces we shared with people outside of our family,” Tang said.

Other students, such as junior Jordan Gray, escaped to states even farther from New York. Gray and his family made the move to Montana, by car, from March 9 to March 14.

“The trip took five days, and we stayed at Airbnbs and motels on the way,” he said. Like

most students, the main reason for the move was to protect the health of more vulnerable family members.

“My dad has a respiratory condition which [puts] him at a higher risk if he were to contract COVID-19. The decision to get out of the city was really mainly to protect my dad,” Gray said.

Moving out of state has changed students’ lifestyles.

Mukul shared, “I have a lot

more freedom and space in New Jersey, both literally and figuratively. My grandparents have a large grassy lawn, and their residence usually has empty streets, perfect for bike riding and playing volleyball, something I couldn’t do in [in NYC].”

Gray has also found that his Montana lifestyle differs from his New York City lifestyle.

“Sometimes, we drive down to the river to explore; other days [when] we have more time, we go to trails and take a nice day hike. It’s so nice out here,” Gray said. “Shopping is also very easy here, and everyone’s more relaxed out here.”

Despite the pleasant aspects of the out-ofstate lifestyle, there are still many things that students miss about New York City. One of the biggest things students miss about their city is its liveliness. “I definitely do miss New York.

It’s very quiet in Delaware, and there aren’t many people, especially in the suburbs, and I miss the bustling energy of New York,” Tang said.

Students also miss their homes back in the city. “New York is my home, so I miss our house; I miss my room,” Gray shared. He also misses the piano he had to leave back in New York City. “I have urges here [Montana] to sit down at the piano sometimes, just to remember we don’t have one

here,” he said.

While many students are adjusting to their new non-New York City lifestyles, a majority of students are still residing in their New York City homes.

Sophomore Marie Check and her family chose to stay in the Big Apple. “My family decided to stay in New York because of the uncertainty of the spread of [the] coronavirus,” Check said.

Her brother had contracted symptoms of the coronavirus, and by the time he recovered from his illness, which turned out to be bronchitis, the mayor had announced people should only leave their apartments for essential needs. “My parents decided that they did not want to risk getting sick by leaving our apartment for upstate or my grandparents in Canada,” Check explained. Her family also didn’t want to move far away in case schools reopened.

Check believes it was a good decision for her and her family to stay in their New York City apartment. “I do not wish that we moved for a number of reasons. The number one reason for this is that in Manhattan, my parents can go to the grocery store that is less than a block away from our apartment, but in a small town, we would have to walk or drive a longer distance for essentials like food and sanitizer,” Check explained. “Another reason for staying is that remote learning would be easier.” Check is also grateful that the city has provided her with a sense of community during this difficult

time. “One thing that I look forward to every day is the 7:00 p.m. cheering for the healthcare workers because it is something that unites my backyard neighborhood,” Check said.

While Check hasn’t been out much during the city lockdown, she said, “I think that people are trying to do their part to stay home and self-isolate.”

As for the out-of-state students, they believe that New York City’s quarantine regulations are much more strict than those they are experiencing.

Tang shared, “There is a stay-athome order, though I think it’s treated as more of a loose rule rather than a law, since it’s not really being strictly enforced with fines and consequences like I hear from New York.”

Mukul, also mentioning the differences, said, “In my neighborhood, West Windsor, everything feels a lot more laid back and safe.”

In Montana, “Most people walking outside don’t have masks on, as there’s no one close by, but [even] in stores, people don’t wear masks,” Gray said.

Despite being separated by state borders, students everywhere are experiencing the effects of this pandemic. While there are still many uncertainties of what the future holds, Check pointed out that “People are trying to make the most of the current situation.” Perhaps making the most of it is the best one can do.

Let Your Heart Decide

By LAUREN LEE It has been 22 years since Telly Leung (’98) graduated from Stuyvesant High School, but Stuyvesant is still a large part of who he is. His mother worked in a garment factory while his father worked in restaurants in New York City and New Jersey. Growing up in a traditional Chinese home, Leung was expected to go to Harvard and become a doctor or a lawyer. Stuyvesant was one step closer to his parent’s dreams. “I had typical Chinese tiger parents. I took the test, and I got in. It wasn’t an option,” said Leung in an email interview.

The possibility of going down the medical path quickly faded after a frog dissection in his freshman biology class. Leung was disgusted at the mere idea of a frog dissection. His true passion lay in the Murray Kahn Theater. “I think I needed to be in a math and science environment to teach me what I didn’t want and to point me [toward] my passion,” Leung said. Being surrounded by kids that were extremely passionate to learn science helped him realize that his true calling was somewhere else.

Leung began to participate in things that he loved to do. He took courses that he enjoyed, such as Julie Sheinman’s acting class and the now-retired Holly Hall’s fifth-period chorus. He also participated in the afterschool musicals that were di-

rected by the mechanical drafting teacher at the time, Vincent Grasso. It was then that Leung really fell in love with theater.

And of course, he participated in SING!, where he took on roles as an actor, producer, and choral director. Grasso, Leung’s greatest mentor, taught him his most important lesson in both theater and life: “It doesn’t matter if you’re the star of the show with your name in lights or if you’re the guy [whose] sole job is to sweep the stage every night. Theater is a collaborative art form, and everyone has a vital and important job to do.

You can’t do it alone. Therefore, everyone in the theater should be treated with the utmost respect for what it is they do and what they bring to the table.”

The idea behind true collaboration stayed with Leung through his academic and professional career as well as in his personal life.

Leung applied to Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) under Sheinman’s guidance. Carnegie Mellon’s School of Drama was competitive. His theater class only had 17 students. “I ate, slept, and breathed theater from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. every day for four years. It was rigorous. It was competitive; it was hard. But I felt very prepared for it because of my Stuy work ethic,” Leung said. In the end, going to a STEM-based school didn’t put him at a disadvantage. In fact, it was the reason why he was able to do so well, from the mentors he met

along the way to the challenging and heavy workload.

The beginnings of Leung’s career in theater started in CMU where he met CMU alumni and “Kinky Boots” Tony Award winner Billy Porter, who came back to direct the main stage production of Sondheim’s “Company,” casting Leung as Bobby. Leung then made his Broadway debut in 2002 in the revival of “Flower Drum Song,” starring Lea Salonga as a member of the ensemble and an understudy for Wang Ta. The show was definitely one of the most important in his career, but it only lasted four months because of multiple circumstances. A musician strike, blizzards, and the public’s desire for a more carefree musical after 9/11 cut Leung’s debut short.

In 2006, Leung made the final company for Broadway’s “Rent.” “‘Rent’ came out when I was in Stuy. I was 16 when I saw the original Broadway company, and it was the show that made me want to do theater,” he said. “Rent” was a momentous time in his career, as he also made his film debut in Radical Media/Sony’s “Rent: Filmed Live on Broadway” and went on tour with his co-stars for “Rent: The Broadway Tour.”

During this time, Leung was at the highest point in his career.

“It was always a “dream” show of mine. It’s also a true ensemble show. I’ve gotten to be the lead in a few shows, and it’s great to be “the star,” but I con-

sider myself an ensemble player in everything I do, and I find that I thrive and am happiest in those situations,” he said.

Leung was involved in the development of Broadway’s “Allegiance” from the beginning to the end, through the many years it took to bring the show to Broadway with Salonga and George Takei. Leung had amazing relationships with both of them: Salonga was an older sister figure for him during “Flower Drum Song,” and Takei, a trailblazer for Asian actors, was a mentor for Leung because of his advocacy for LGBTQ+ and human rights.

Leung originated the role of “Sammy Kimura” in the “Allegiance” musical, and he eventually played the role in 2015.

Being there from the first developmental stages from readings to staged workshops and taking the show out of town, it was it even more rewarding when the musical sold out in its world premiere at the Old Globe Theater in 2012 and premiered on Broadway in 2015. Leung’s Broadway success continued to grow as he landed the role of Aladdin in Disney’s blockbuster “Aladdin” on Broadway in June 2017. This was where he would really shine as he played the role for two years. “It’s rare to be a big, bonafide long-running hit. I was very thankful for the opportunity to tackle the role and thankful for the chance to make 1700 [people] smile every night,” Leung said.

Outside of theater, Leung

continued to be musically and artistically active. He appeared on multiple television programs such as “Glee” and the PBS documentary “Broadway Bust” and was a performance coach for the Jimmy Awards, making his face recognizable not only in Broadway but also in the world of television. Additionally, he was featured in recordings of multiple Broadway shows, releasing his first solo album, “I’ll Cover You,” in 2012. He later released his follow-up album, “Songs for You,” in 2016.

From a prestigious STEMbased school to becoming one of the well-known stars in Broadway, Leung has had an amazing career with only more to come. The fact that he came from a science school didn’t deter him from truly pursuing his passion but instead gave him the skills to work hard in the extremely competitive show business environment.

Leung has some advice for students that are still struggling to decide on what they want to do: “Listen to your heart.

Listen to your gut.” He suggests that students should allow themselves to grow, evolve, and discover new things in order to find their passion because not everything can be planned. Life is always full of uncertainties that we can’t predict. Leung advised, “Uncertainty is scary. But uncertainty also presents the possibility for discovery, and that can be exciting.”

The Spectator • May 17, 2020

Page 5

Features What Stuy Students Are Doing When They’re Doing Nothing

By ELLEN PEHLIVANIAN and ARPITA SAHA Though most people are using their time in quarantine to sleep, eat, and surf the internet, some students have taken advantage of the freedom and used it to explore new hobbies and passions. From pursuing a new type of yoga to returning to past hobbies, people have used their time in quarantine in various different ways, making positive experiences even during this difficult time.

Sophomore Lina Khamze began using an app called Charity Miles. “[It] pledges to donate money to a charity of your choice for every mile you run,” Khamze explained. She chooses to donate to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. As for her running routine, she shared, “I usually run around Forest Hills for about two miles, and if I feel like doing a distance run, I’ll end up doing around five to six [miles] to Corona Park.”

Khamze often runs for half an hour to an hour in the afternoon, and sometimes she’ll try to see the sunset by the lake.

For senior Lena Farley, quarantine has been an opportunity for her to get into jewelry making. “I’ve been beading a lot, making earrings and necklaces. I decided to start because I never have time to be creative, [but] now that I am a second term senior in quarantine, I have a lot more time,” she said.

“Beading is also a mindless task, so I can do it while listening to a class or something. I have a lot more busywork now, and it’s good to do while doing busywork. I’ve also been making earrings for my friends and mailing them; it’s a nice way to stay connected,” she shared.

Just like Farley, sophomore Nora Archer has immersed herself in crafts and creating wearable pieces using sewing and embroidery. “Right now, I’m sewing a tanktop together.

I embroidered some letter- don’t really have anything else ing on T-shirts and also some to do […] I’ve been doing lots flowers,” she shared in a phone of Ashtanga yoga, and my mom interview. Her decision to in- has been assisting me in all the volve herself in these projects poses.” Carr finds Ashtanga arose from her familiarity with yoga rejuvenating: “It honestly sewing as well as the fact that feels really amazing. It’s a nice she already had the means to way to stretch and get your make items: “I’ve had some blood moving […], and it’s sewing practice as a kid. I’ve super calming if you’re stressed sewed before, but I’ve never out. I wake up every morning, made [things] from scratch. and the first thing I do is my I’ve never embroidered before, sun salutations,” she said. but I had the materials to do it.

Senior Alyssa Pustilnik has [Plus,] I was just bored.” also immersed herArcher also discovered a self in worknewfound love for skateboard- ing out and ing: “I started learning how to strengthskateboard, so I’ve been going ening her outside most days and practic- body but ing, just on empty lanes. has enI had no idea [how to skateboard]; two days into quarantine was my first time standing on a skateb o a rd .”

Though Archer h a d never skateboarded before, she credited her peers for introducing her to the sport: “My brothers had skateboards, and my friend Se already knew how to rena C skateboard, so it’d be cool han / Th eS to skate together after quarpe cta antine,” she said. to r Sophomore Neve Diaz Carr was inspired by her mom j oy e d to take up Ashtanga yoga. b a k i n g a s “My mom has been super into well. However, [yoga] for a few years now, and the two go hand-in-hand: “I she is getting certified to teach started making pies every day. it now. So she’s been trying to Because of that, I also started teach me yoga and get me to working out a lot more bego to her yoga studio with her cause I wanted to enjoy my for a long [time] now, and I’ve pies, but it’s not healthy […] always put up a fight,” she re- So every day I find a new Youcalled. “But with quarantine, I Tube workout [to follow],” she ADVERTISEMENT

explained. Pulstilnik has also begun painting: “I also started painting a lot and bought new paint and canvases,” she added.

“I started doing it because I was very bored, and I just had most of the materials around the house already.” So far, she has painted “Starry Night” and some portraits of her family.

Sophomore Ian Graham has been using his programming skills to code a game: “I’m making […] an arcade game. It’s multiplayer, and the player goes around, moves a little spaceship, and shoots people,” Graham explained.

Though he is an experienced programmer, Graham usually programs websites or problem-solving algorithms rather t h a n creating games.

His decision to undertake this project came from the games he has programmed in the past, such as Minesweeper. “I’ve made some games before, and they were all very rewarding, so I just wanted to try to make another one and have a tangible accomplishment following the quarantine,” he said.

Similar to Archer, sophomore Semoi Khan has also returned to skills she’s explored in the past, specifically drawing and baking. “[I’ve been] drawing, mostly shading, people and anatomy. I like drawing people, weird abstract graphic designs, and shading. I’m also

baking a lot more, and I knew [the quarantine] was coming, so I bought a lot of baking materials when I was stocking up,” she explained. Khan jokingly added that she has also started making TikToks and likes to learn the app’s dance, However, she was sure to specify, “I don’t upload them for the public.”

Though senior Lu Xi has also explored cooking and crafting, she’s used the time to focus on creating clothing and baking breads and buns from scratch, in contrast to other students who have baked pies and embroidered clothing. “I have a little sister who really misses the pork floss bread from Asian bakeries. We have pork floss (rou song) at home, so I looked up some recipes and found that all the Asian bakeries’ breads have the same “base,” which is this tanzhong (flour roux) milk bread. The pork floss bread specifically is just a milk bread bun with this condensed milk and Japanese mayo spread on top (to make the pork floss stick) and then some pork floss. I’ve made hot dog buns, raisin twist buns, pineapple buns, and coconut buns. There are honestly so many variations, and I’m having a lot of fun trying to recreate them,” she said. Xi has worked on clothing projects in addition to further exploring cooking: “I bought a lot of clothes patterns (which you’re supposed to trace onto pieces of fabric and cut out), and those come with instructions.

It’s become a really expensive hobby, though, so I’m slowly trying to wean myself off of making clothes. I’ve made two jumpsuits, two dresses [...], and two pairs of pants.”

Newfound hobbies will not only be useful during quarantine, but they may also come in handy during the summer or school year. Those yoga poses and skateboard tricks might be more beneficial than meets the eye. Minutes gift ideas, anyone?

The Spectator • May 17, 2020

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Features

Finding Unity in Separation: Observing Ramadan During Quarantine

By NICHOLAS MARTIN, SOPHIA LIN, and SAIYEDAH NAYRA

Right now, everything seems different. The quarantine has caused schools and businesses across the country to close down, forcing children out of school and adults out of work. Holidays such as Passover and Easter have passed during quarantine, with families using virtual platforms to keep in contact and celebrate together. Now, as the world enters yet another week of quarantine, Muslims around the world are celebrating their own holiday: the holy month of Ramadan.

Fasting during Ramadan is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, a cornerstone of the Islamic faith and a practice that strengthens observers’ interpersonal and spiritual connections. Ramadan begins at the first sighting of the crescent moon and thus varies each year, though it usually begins around late April or early May. The holiday ends 29 to 30 days later, at the sighting of the next crescent moon. Over the next three days, Muslims celebrate Eid al-Fitr, a holiday marking the end of Ramadan and the start of a new month called Shawwal.

By ANGELA CAI and CHRISTINE LIN The first-period bell rings.

You’ve just finished reading the last SparkNotes page of “Macbeth,” and as you head into English class, the guilt starts to sink in. “I should’ve just read the book last night,” you think. But at the time, figuring out who Carole Baskin killed in “Tiger King” just seemed more important than figuring out who killed Macbeth.

At a school where finding free time is a rarity, our perception of reading has greatly changed since we entered high school. While some students still remain avid readers, reading— whether inside or outside of the classroom—often feels like a chore to many, much less something one would do for personal enjoyment.

Junior Jiahe Wang laments her middle school days when homework was scarce and time was aplenty. “I used to haul home a huge tote bag full of books every month from the public library,” she said. In retrospect, she was surprised at how she had enough free time to read as many as three books a day.

When asked what books she enjoyed, Jiahe Wang recommended Vladimir Nabokov’s “Lolita.” For any readers willing to venture down a dark and scandalous path, “Lolita” is a refreshing break from traditional books assigned in the classroom due to its controversial plot of a middleaged professor who becomes sexually involved with his twelveyear-old stepdaughter. “[The book] is often misunderstood by readers,” Jiahe Wang said. “But it lets you peek inside the mind of a psychopathic pedophile and is wickedly funny. The prose is stylish and has clever puns and references littered throughout.”

Echoing Jiahe Wang’s remark about the surplus of free time

A multitude of traditions characterizes Ramadan. The most well-known tradition is the practice of fasting during the day, which begins at sunrise and ends at sunset. In addition to this tradition, observers are also encouraged to be more charitable, pray nightly, and recite the Quran.

Food is also embedded in Ramadan tradition—traditionally, Muslims break their fasts each night with a date. At dinnertime, families come together to enjoy a table full of delicious cuisine.

Some foods that can be found on the table of a South Asian Muslim family may include biryani (yellow rice coupled with spices and meat), piyaju (red lentil and onion fritters), and haleem (a chunky stew made of wheat, barley, and meat). Dessert can consist of kheer (a type of rice pudding), dahi baray (a combination of yogurt and balls of flour), and carrot halwa (a pudding consisting of carrots, milk, sugar, ghee, and nuts). Occasionally, people go to mosques to break the fast and pray with other Muslims.

Some also volunteer to give out food to others who are hungry.

Of course, the meal only comes at the end of a daylong fast.

Participation in the fast varies for

each individual. Some students, such as junior Yasmeen Hassan, started fasting at a very young age. She remembers being around four or five years old when she began, though in a more lenient format that allowed her to take breaks. This staggered or partial fasting was an experience shared by many students, regardless of when they began. “I started fasting half of the day when I was six or seven years old,” sophomore Kaniz Akter said, who began full fasts at age ten.

Some students believe that fasting gets easier with time, as the body adjusts to the change in food intake. Some, like senior Irtesam Kha, don’t even realize they are fasting: “I feel like every year, I’m too excited to notice whether I am hungry or not because I know that there’s great reward to come from it.”

Other students find ways to distract themselves. For instance, junior Abdullah Alam takes naps to pass the time, and Hassan concentrates more on her schoolwork. Multiple students, including Akter and Kha, have also described fasting as habitual to the point where they forget what they are doing or even look forward to it. This ties in with the

idea that fasting should not be seen as an obligation but rather an opportunity for personal and communal growth.

For many Muslims, Ramadan is characterized by its community involvement: crowded mosques during the late-night prayers and large gatherings where friends and family break their fast together. Unfortunately, this year, the COVID-19 pandemic forces Muslims to open themselves up to unprecedented changes in tradition and routine. They must find alternative ways to commemorate a month that celebrates togetherness and thoughtfulness while also abiding by social-distancing guidelines.

Naturally, it’s challenging to commemorate a month of closeness while staying six feet away from others and wearing an N95 mask.

Communities are prevented from coming together to celebrate, as many students noted their inability to visit mosques or participate in community charity events.

Even if the community aspect of Ramadan is no longer possible, Muslims are making the best of an unfortunate situation. Sophomore Ekra Sikder said, “Normally, my whole family is busy [...]

It’s especially hard for my parents

Calling All SparkNoters and Bibliophiles she used to have, sophomore Rajhasree Paul recounts the group workshops she used to participate in during middle school.

Every week, they would decide which chapters to read and have discussions. “It was kind of like a book club,” Paul described. “I was good friends with people in my group and had a lot of fun.”

Of the many books they

commodity. Mounting pressure from missed deadlines, piles of homework, and sleep deprivation can make the idea of sitting down to read for an hour seem far-fetched. As a result, tempting alternatives such as SparkNotes, Shmoop, and CliffsNotes grow in popularity. Offering detailed chapter-to-chapter summaries that can be read in minutes,

Ivy Jiang / The Spectator

read, Paul’s all-time favorite is Rita Williams-Garcia’s “One Crazy Summer.” Taking place during a tumultuous time in American history, this historicalfiction novel recounts the adventures of three kids named Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern after their parents left them for a new life in another state. “I learned so much about [the] American civil rights movement, the Black Panther Party, and other black militant groups,” Paul said. “It introduced me to a whole new world with struggles I was never even aware of.”

However, as school progresses, free time can be a rare

these websites have become a holy grail for struggling students.

For many, these websites are a frequent find in their browser history. “I only started relying on SparkNotes once high school reared its ugly head, and even then very rarely in freshman year,” Paul said. Before class started, Paul would turn to these websites to quickly read the summaries of the previous night’s assigned chapters. “To my surprise, I learned that it’s not difficult to, in colloquial terms, ‘BS’ your way through a Socratic seminar with only a quick skim through a SparkNotes summary,” she explained.

An anonymous sophomore (A) pointed out that most people aren’t proud of their actions— other priorities such as sleep simply take precedence over reading.

“I often get three to four hours of sleep a day,” A said. “Sometimes, when I try to read on the train, I briefly close my eyes and end up sleeping through my entire commute. At some point in the year, I just gave up and began searching the summaries of that night’s chapter, so I [could] still share during class discussions.”

Another anonymous junior (B) summed up the dilemma: “It’s like, do I sleep for an extra hour or stay up trying to decode Shakespeare?”

Other students have been able to maintain their favorite pastimes and work around their busy schedules. “I think it’s important to constantly exercise that creative and imaginative side of [my] brain that sometimes gets pushed aside when I’m grinding through schoolwork,” senior Bernard Wang said. His favorite class is English, and though some books are less engaging than others, he always looks forward to the readings.

Junior Jonathan Xu takes reading a step further: “A goal of mine that I’ve been working toward is being able to read books in a foreign language,” he said. A few weeks ago, Xu made an attempt to read the Esperanto—a constructed international auxiliary language—version of “The Little Prince,” with one of his motivations being how educational it was. “It was full of extremely advanced words that were more complex than the English version [...] and has made me want to continue studying Esperanto,” Xu explained. Xu also wants to read “War and Peace,” which was originally written in Russian with French dialogue. He plans to learn French to read a version of the book that is translated to English but keeps the original

to fast because they’re working and all that, but now we’re home and everyone fasts [and] pray[s] together, and I actually like it a lot.” In the midst of all the craziness, Ramadan gives Muslim students time to step back and process everything going on around them.

Several practicing Muslim students at Stuyvesant have noticed the ways in which the quarantine has shaped Ramadan.

“What’s different about this year is the whole situation going on with the world: the remote learning and being quarantined. All these new changes just take the feeling of Ramadan out of Ramadan,” sophomore Semoi Khan said. “I can’t imagine Ramadan without Taraweeh [late-night prayers].” Though technology allows us to see each other, it is a sad approximation of the true Ramadan experience.

Observing Ramadan in the midst of a pandemic poses an interesting paradox: enforced separation during a time where community is sacred. This Ramadan, we all have the opportunity to reconsider the things that matter to us and give back to our communities, regardless of religion.

French dialogue because he believes that translated novels often forgo key details.

As one reads, one calls upon one’s imagination to take a step back from reality and be transported to another world.

For sophomore Katherine Lake, this escape from reality captures the appeal of books.

“In movies, everything is laid out for you, whereas in books, everything’s a lot [looser],” she said. “As a result, things like the plot and characters can be much more interpretive and personal.”

For Lake, reading is also an effective way to improve writing skills. “After [reading books for a while], you’re able to see what works and what doesn’t,” she added. “You might pick up phrases or different ways to use words that you can then use to improve your own essays.”

Yet in the age of social media and streaming platforms, reading seems to have lost its allure.

“I feel like people underestimate the enjoyment that you can get from reading a book,” Lake reflected, contrasting it with the popular live-action films and shows that people often opt for instead. “I know it might seem more cumbersome, but it helps you be creative and open up your mind in a way that movies can’t.”

B reflected on his recent lack of reading: “I really want to start reading more again. I can’t remember the last time I started a book for fun. It’s practically a lost language—obsolete—to me now, and that’s a bit disheartening,” B concluded. “I guess that’s one good thing about this quarantine, though. What better time than now to pick up reading again?”

Seconding B’s sentiment, Bernard Wang added, “Now that quarantine is here, the first thing I did was get started on my list of books I created for second term senior year.”

The Spectator • May 17, 2020

Page 7

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The Spectator • May 17, 2020

Page 8

Editorials Our Classes in Quarantine

As we approach our ninth (or is it our 10th?

11th?) week in quarantine, teachers and students alike have adjusted to the new teaching styles and practices of remote learning. Even with the faculty having to move online classes from Zoom to Google Meet and back, most have been able to successfully navigate these uncertain waters and continue teaching their classes. But with teachers adapting different styles and methods of instruction, students have had varying degrees of success with different subjects and teaching styles.

FOREIGN LANGUAGE Among language classes, the least effective teaching methods seem to be the least interactive ones; assigning hour-long assignments on VHL without any in-person conversations makes it difficult for students to keep up their oral skills. On the flip side, classes that emphasize student-student or student-teacher interactions at least a few times a week, whether live or through comment chains, have fared much better. These teaching styles have allowed students to practice formulating their own thoughts in another language, helping them retain vocabulary and overall language skills.

ENGLISH English classes, Stuyvesant’s most discussionbased classes, have made diverse efforts to continue learning in the absence of classrooms. Some teachers have held video lessons over Google Meet and Zoom, which have the benefit of simulating live discussion. Other English teachers have taken the more participation-demanding, if not quite as dynamic, approach of hosting discussions in writing over Google Classroom or discussion documents.

Major assignments and essays, insofar as they have been assigned in the midst of Advanced Placement (AP) season, have been as they should be: due over long periods. While the various methods of continuing to teach English have been fairly successful and effective, neither makes for a suitable replacement for the classroom learning experience, a testament more to the value of English teachers’ non-pandemic work in guiding class discussion and running an in-person classroom than any failure on the department’s part.

SOCIAL STUDIES With online learning, history classes have largely lost their discussion-based nature. As these classes prioritize teaching content over engaging in historical conversation, classes have taken the form of lectures, videos, or even textbook readings. Though not ideal, videos have created a somewhat effective replacement for the usual dynamic discussions found in classrooms. Textbook readings, on the other hand, have failed to do so. Despite the general lack of live discussion, teachers have still been assigning meaningful and analytical work, such as essays or research papers, which in turn have helped prepare students for AP exams.

By ELICIA CHAU I remember picking up a levelX book for the first time in fourth grade and learning about the dangers of high school. That year seemed like the pinnacle of change in my school—Dork Diaries was a bible documenting the changes that my best friends, who had been so innocent just months ago, were going through. I watched my friends get cell phones, make out in the playground and get boyfriends behind their parents’ backs, talk back to teachers and parents, and sneakily text away after dark. The drama, the mean girls, the bullying—it was the type of stuff that made nine-year-old me dread the teenage life that so many of my classmates and best friends were already trying to achieve. Because I, for one, wasn’t ready.

But middle school was what really began to scare me about high school’s ever-nearing arrival. There were people who wanted to be a member of the stereotypical group of mean girls or popular jocks so badly that they would smoke weed in the holes behind the school

MATH Math classes have, for the most part, been successful. Classes that make use of live lessons to permit discussion in real-time have allowed students to gain a deeper understanding of the material. Furthermore, independently completing problem sets for math classes has been effective in reinforcing material learned in live instructional sessions. But even among math classes, there have been numerous problems: extreme methods to prevent cheating, such as requiring students to focus their cameras on their hands during quizzes; non-interactive video sessions; a reliance on YouTube videos and textbook pages; and a lack of the enforcement of student accountability have made teaching less effective than it could be.

The Spectator

A RT S & E N T E RTA I N M E N T E D I TO R S

Suah Chung Miranda Lepri Morris Raskin Jiahe Wang

The Stuyvesant High School Newspaper

“The Pulse of the Student Body”

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IN

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Maddy Andersen* Karen Zhang

PHYSICS LAB Physics lab has been most frustrating for juniors.

Despite the fact that this year’s Regents have been canceled, students are required to answer over 100 Regents questions from the physics workbook every two weeks. Not only has this added an unnecessary burden to students’ workloads, but many have also already answered these questions from last semester in their lab books, which remain at Stuyvesant. The intense workload does not reflect the pass-fail nature of physics lab.

F E AT U R E S

CHEMISTRY Overall, chemistry teachers have been handling online learning well, with manageable workloads and effective teaching through videos. There are, however, some discrepancies within the department. While it is reasonable that most teachers are holding far fewer live classes than they were before the quarantine, this becomes a problem when some teachers carry on with the curriculum at the typical rate. In certain classes, this rapid learning pace has led to a sharp increase in completely unchecked academic dishonesty in many classes because students feel unprepared to take tests and are forced to resort to academically dishonest means. In other classes, though live streams are held, they are not interactive and often boring, causing students to not attend.

Some sophomores in AP Chemistry are feeling nervous about impending AP exams: rapid review has not been an effective method at preparing students for them. Other AP students who had learned most of the revised curriculum prior to the quarantine, however, are content with their preparation for the test.

S P O RT S

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FA C U LT Y

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Kerry Garfinkel * Managing Board **Editors-in-Training

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Current standards for online learning expect a full school day from students, sitting eight hours a day in front of a screen and dedicating 41 minutes per class. While teachers may be giving the same workloads as if we were still learning in classrooms, these assignments take a greater toll on students during online instruction given its lack of structure. In order for us to achieve the right balance of instruction, the Stuyvesant community must understand the realities and limitations of remote learning.

Where the Piece Fits

where they never got caught, host the kinds of parties where the main characters in TV shows would get blackout drunk, and cut class to sneak out to the local plaza just like all the cool kids in the movies would do. They were the first taste of those stereotypes for me, my first indication that the kids that with whom I once drew houses and made paper-maché sculptures in art class could change so much from the simple pressure of being popular. They had abandoned the childish mindset that I, a sixthgrader, was still stuck in, and they had done it so easily and quickly that it seemed like they were meant for that clique. Because to me, cliques were something natural and real; they were something that one was born into. Growing up sheltered as a child in a conservative boarding school in Taiwan where cultures were very much different, I felt intimidated suddenly learning about these clichés through just what Hollywood enforced— and that they were so real that they could take away some of my closest friends. It was all I knew, and it was going to happen to me next.

It terrified me—still does, actually—that people can be identified by a simple title such as “jock,” “nerd,” or “goth.” To my mind, the puzzle pieces had yet to fit together: how could thousands upon thousands of people with unique individual pieces all adhere to the massive, general image of a oneword title like that? But I realized watching my classmates that they were editing their pieces, forcing the edges to fit in the crammed cookie cutter shapes of the oversimplification they wanted to be, that they were losing themselves to this toxic influence that popular media forced upon them. I feared that high school would force the same influence onto me, that I would be forced to shed parts of myself to fit into the cliché I would become, that I would lose some of my closest friends to the umbrella of generality because they were meant to be another stereotype. It began to haunt me, from the moments I became titled as “emo” for my dark clothes and snappy attitude while my best friends became “nerds” and “theater kids” to the second we got our high school ac-

ceptance forms.

So when I found out I— and three out of my four closest friends—would all be going to Stuyvesant in the fall of 2019, I began to panic. I presumed immediately stereotypes were sure to prevail, just as it did anywhere else, and my fear began to grow, a swathing inescapable swarm that was consistently fueled as my friends spoke of excitement about heading off. It was too close—too soon for me—for us to be forced to adhere to the simplistic titles that high school was sure to bring. In the months following March 18, I read and reread the countless teen fiction novels that had shaped my long-standing perspective of the battlezone called high school. I spent the summer before freshman year distracting myself with the contrasts of Asia. In a place among my childhood friends, who hadn’t changed much from what I could remember, I hid and pretended the fears I were so panicked about were merely imaginary. I let myself begin to panic only when my date to return home dawned nearer and I began to watch movies like “The

DUFF” and “Mean Girls,” filling my mind with scenes of Bianca getting shunned for her differences and Cady completely abandoning herself to be “popular.” By the time the first day of school came, these movies had taught me much about what high school was guaranteed to be like in my efforts to “prepare.”

These movies and books had taught me that cheerleaders and football players were the evil ones, the bullies who ruled the school with an iron fist. But the reality at Stuyvesant taught me that they were just like anyone else, as evident from the numerous football players in my Algebra 2 class, some of whom kindly helped me when I was struggling with complex numbers. These movies and books had told me that cliques were forbidden from interacting and that they hated each other with a deep passion, that clichés were not to be messed with and were simply law. Reality at Stuyvesant taught me that this was limited to the screen, from the varsity jacket-wearing blond I saw sharing a Ferry’s sandwich with continued on page 9

The Spectator • May 17, 2020

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Opinions continued from page 8

the dark-haired, glasses-wearing girl on the third floor to the boy with chains and band tees walking side-by-side with the stereotypical hippie in floor-length skirts and a flower crown.

I had been so lost in my assumptions that Stuy was going to be just like any other school, that it simply couldn’t just escape clichés and that stereotypes were something so natural in life, that

By PETER GOSWAMI COVID-19 has, in many ways, become something of a bruised signifier for loss—lost social lives, jobs, and lives. Along with this onslaught of loss and devastation has come an era of change, novelty, and development: the creation of an entire lexicon that would have seemed inconceivable to our pre-COVID selves. Social distancing is one such term in our newly-minted vocabulary, and the ideas it espouses—that we have to stay in our homes as much as possible and stay at least six feet apart from nearly everyone we know— have been devastating for many.

However, this new term may already need a new definition: as our era of change progresses, we have made discoveries that beg the question of whether or not staying six feet apart is even enough to stop the spread of the disease.

When someone infected with COVID-19 sneezes, they release droplets containing the virus, which can then spread to other people. Researchers believe that these large droplets will fall after traveling six feet, hence the sixfeet rule that global citizens have been told to abide by. But along with these large droplets come tiny particles known as aerosols.

By MERIL MOUSOOM It’s an awkward thing—eating the meal of iftar with my family during Ramadan. It’s almost like the game of “what (or who) does not belong” that I play in my Spanish VHL homework assignments (spoiler: it’s me). My family bears the marks of their day-long dry fast through their pale and weak faces—marks that I do not share. But there’s always another day to be like them, right? Ramadan is 30 days. Every day, my mom wakes me up to have the pre-fast meal at dawn.

And every day, I say no. To say I am a disappointment to my parents and to our lineage is an understatement.

Before me, it was my sister: she was the one who showed no aptitude in the studies of scripture. Her Arabic accent was horrible. But what she lacks in knowledge, she makes up for in passion. My sister faithfully does all her prayers—regardless of her mispronunciation. She has, and has always had, faith. But what do I have?

I went to religion class every weekend for seven years. I hoped to be an Islamic scholar one day, and I acted like it. “Remember to say prayers for entering the bathroom! Prayers for exiting the bathroom!” I used to say every day. I nailed a list of prayers in our living room—one for when

Where the Piece Fits

I had forgotten the uniqueness of Stuyvesant’s situation. We’re at a school where stereotypes are crossbreeded, where the specific titles that I had been so terrified for have become shed for broadened, wider scopes that fit to the same wide spectrum of Stuy students.

Maybe it was a shock, so strong that it has changed my perspective of the media I used to once absorb.

Maybe it was a pleasantry that’s clung to me, exposing the crooks

and crannies that had taken some of my closest elementary friends and turned them into the people I now knew. No matter what it was, Stuyvesant has changed the way I see popularized culture, because in real high school, the cheerleaders aren’t always mean girls with pompoms, the sports teams don’t go abusing the nerds, and the goths don’t hate everyone and everything. In Stuy, stereotypes aren’t a necessity—moreover, it’s a place

of development, where clichés exist but are not enforced, and that leads to interesting developments of students within these walls. As students graduate, I personally hope they will move on to challenge the stereotypes that shaped our generation’s beliefs in stereotypes, popularity, and the necessities of such.

The younger me that dreaded high school was immediately hit with a wave of relief upon entering, something that many students

Is Six Feet Enough?

Contrary to large droplets, however, aerosol particles are not released only through coughs or sneezes—they can also be released through mere talking or breathing. Perhaps the scariest thing about aerosols is that, since they’re so tiny, gravity doesn’t affect them as much, and airflow may allow them to travel up to 20 feet. This fact lends itself to other frightening questions that must be posed: how good are aerosols at transmitting the coronavirus? How much of the virus must be present in aerosols to infect a person?

If aerosols do happen to infect people, to what lengths must we go in order to avoid them? If the situation proves dire and requires that we stay much further than six feet apart, is staying 20 feet apart in a public space realistic, or even possible?

One thing is clear: staying six feet apart is definitely not enough, because with death tolls still rising and the virus showing no signs of stopping, there is no reason to take the risk of transmission through aerosols. But it also isn’t realistic to ask people to stand 20 feet apart from each other while carrying on with their lives. So, in addition to keeping as much distance as possible between ourselves and others (at least more

than six feet), there are more precautions we must take to maximize the effectiveness of our social distancing.

First and foremost, using solely social distancing as a means of limiting the spread of the coronavirus is problematic in itself, because there are many asymptomatic people who are infected with the coronavirus. As ScienceNews reports, “COVID-19 may be most contagious one to two days before symptoms appear, when people don’t even know they are infectious.” Even though people without symptoms may not be coughing or sneezing, as previously mentioned, talking or breathing can still spread infectious particles. In fact, a New York Times simulation revealed that “an infected person talking for five minutes in a poorly ventilated space can produce as many viral droplets as one infectious cough.”

Staying home as much as possible is thus a much better way of limiting risk than social distancing. While staying home, people not only limit their risk of exposing themselves to anyone infected with the virus, but they also limit their chance of infecting others if they are sick themselves. People should only go out when absolutely necessary so as to avoid

unnecessary risk of infection. As Richard Corsi, a Portland State University dean who has studied the spread of COVID-19, posits, staying at home “is your effective N95 mask.”

For the very few circumstances in which we cannot stay home, wearing a mask is a necessary precaution we must take in conjunction to staying as socially-distanced as possible. A recent Nature Medicine study has illustrated that in the case of the coronavirus, the number of virus particles released via large droplets without a mask can reach up to 10,000, whereas with a mask, the number of virus particles released via large droplets is about one.

The same study also shows that wearing a mask greatly reduces the number of virus particles released via aerosols—the very reason our six-foot social distance has proven inadequate.

However, because of our current supply crisis, masks and gloves are hard to access. What should we do without them?

Many have been making cloth masks at home to compensate.

Even if cloth masks only filter a relatively small amount of particles, “in a pandemic, maybe it’s worth doing,” said Donald Milton, who is an infectious disease

Why Being Lost is Okay

you left the house, one for when you heard someone sneeze, and one for when you sneezed. My parents simply could not argue with me because I used a quote from the Prophet or another scripture to refute their every point. Yup, I was that kid.

But I stopped going to religion class for SHSAT prep classes. It was supposed to be temporary. But, in my leave of absence, I started noticing all the things I couldn’t do because of Islam. Drinking. Wearing shorts.

I started noticing all the rituals I put up with just because of Islam.

Praying five times a day. Fasting. Little by little, one by one, I stopped doing all these things.

I took down my poster of scriptures. I stopped saying prayers for every little thing. I put up posters of my favorite boy bands, disregarding the Islamic ban of human depiction and ensuring that my room could never be a place for prayer. I blasted music at every moment, overpowering my mom’s daily Quran recitations.

“Why are we Muslim?” I once asked my parents. They were silent. But the look on their faces when I asked was my answer—it seemed to read: “Why would I leave the only way of life our ancestors followed for generations?” The answer was easy. I did it because I wanted to. I did it because I no longer found con-

viction in the words I was saying.

I no longer had faith that there was even a God to pray to. I did it because I wanted a choice in the life that I wished to lead.

I thought that was the only question they had. But years later, I would learn about another question I had failed to pick up upon. Why would I leave them?

Three years later, I declared myself an atheist. I declared myself free of any religious obligations. No more fasting. No more prayers five times a day. No more mosque gatherings. I was my own God. One of my cousins is like me.

She was alone with my family one afternoon five years ago, and my mom decided to attack. She kept questioning her about why she did not pray. At one point, my cousin broke, saying she believed in reincarnation. I’m not proud of this, but I joined my mom in pressuring her. The betrayal that riddled every crevice of her face is something I’ll never forget.

Back then, I knew exactly where I was and where I wanted to be in life. I felt a secure sense of belonging with my Muslim mosque, my Muslim neighborhood, and my Muslim family.

When my mom drilled prayers in my head every night of my childhood, it was my time alone with her. Islam helps her achieve a sense of peace that

contrasted with all the turmoil in her life. When my parents break their fast, they indulge in

Daniel Berlinsky / The Spectator

something greater than me: their shared experience of hunger and thirst, of doing something crazy to their bodies for the sake of their faith.

Things are different now, of course. I no longer find the same solace in my mother’s instruction that I once did. But sometimes, my longing for my people makes me slip back into my old practices. I’ll think that maybe if I fast for one day, I will bridge the gap between me and my family— that maybe if I say some prayers, my dad will forgive me for what

take for granted upon coming in.

Stuyvesant has been dubbed the best high school in New York for countless years, but it extends past grades: it moves into simply the mindset that Stuy students encourage, that the openness and welcoming of unique puzzle pieces creates.

We’re extremely lucky to have such an experience—after all, it’s not every day that life is allowed to be free. And in the end, the puzzle pieces still fit.

specialist. If gloves are not available, people should opt to limit their contact with possibly contaminated surfaces and regularly wash their hands or use hand sanitizer. People should also be cautious when it comes to touching their face. These simple measures can go a long way in reducing the spread of the virus.

The takeaway is that in order to limit their risk of infection, people should keep as much distance from each other as possible; in fact, the distance should be closer to 20 feet than six. Staying at home is ultimately the most effective solution, but how long can we expect people to stay cooped up in their homes away from everyone they know? How much more must be done to make our efforts worthwhile as we combat the current pandemic? The answers to these questions are uncharted territory, but two things are certain. First, we have to learn to socially distance properly and use the proper precautions. And second, perhaps more pertinently, we must persevere through the struggle of being separated, stand in (virtual) solidarity, and keep trying our hardest—the global community simply cannot afford the loss of any more lives.

I have done. But then, I listen to my own Arabic, horribly accented like my sister’s after years of neglect. I feel confident with my new walk of life, but what have I lost?

I thought that atheism would hold the secrets of fitting in, of being the same as everyone else in America. I would be a normal teenage girl with boy band posters, eating a hot dog and wearing a knee-length dress. I am those things now. But I am all alone.

Why do I find that I cannot fast for the life of me? Why is it that I find myself praying to God in times of need?

“The Muslim in you is something you cannot change. You are born a Muslim; therefore, you are a Muslim,” my mom tells me.

I wonder if I will die on my path to athiesm—if my heart will say “Muslim.”

If I go to the neighborhood mosque, the place I have not been for three years, in my scandalous tank top, will they accept me? Will I belong?

I’m perpetually lost between the two worlds, stuck in the border between them. I cannot let go of Islam—cannot cross over fully in the realm of atheism.

I was born a Muslim. One day, I declared myself to be something different. But I got lost on my way and made my home in the borderlands. Because being lost is okay.

The Spectator • May 17, 2020

Page 10

Opinions Mandatory Vaccination: A Necessary Step for True Public Health

By JOHN GROSSMAN Vaccination is an invaluable tool in fighting the spread of diseases. Illnesses that have crippled society and caused deaths are now stopped in their tracks by a simple injection. However, there are a select few Americans who disagree with this sentiment.

These anti-vaxxers, while small in numbers, believe that vaccines are simply autism-causing time bombs that we have been indoctrinated to inject into our children. It is important to note that these claims have absolutely no scientific basis, but when President Donald Trump himself has fanned the flames of these conspiracy theories, fighting them becomes even more important.

The topic of vaccination has never been more relevant, as we currently find ourselves in the middle of a global pandemic.

While there are hopes of antiviral treatment being effective in curing COVID-19, the true end to our current crisis will come only with a vaccine. If everyone is already immune from the coronavirus, potential outbreaks will be mitigated to a few cases.

However, this only works as long as all Americans who can get the vaccine choose to receive it.

If we use the measles vaccine as a comparison for vaccination rates, the outlook is not good.

As recently as 2015, nine percent of Americans believed that the measles vaccine was unsafe, and another seven percent were

unsure about its safety. This means that upwards of 30 million Americans could opt out of a potential COVID-19 vaccine. If this meant that the virus would only spread between people who voluntarily skipped the vaccine, then this would simply be an issue of personal preference. However, there are many involuntary factors that may affect one’s ability to become vaccinated. Almost all vaccines come with a list of people who cannot physically handle receiving treatment. Whether it’s due to age, a compromised immune system, or an allergy, there are already groups of people that are inherently vulnerable to vaccinepreventable diseases. They rely on herd immunity, and that simply won’t exist if a large number of Americans voluntarily abstain from vaccination. Furthermore, vaccine-preventable diseases are already wreaking havoc on America. 50,000 to 90,000 Americans die each year from these diseases, and that number would only go up if COVID-19 joined those diseases’ ranks. This virus is incredibly infectious, and we cannot afford to roll the dice with vaccination.

There is a clear way to solve this problem, and that is with a more stringent nationwide vaccine mandate. We already mandate several immunizations to enter schools, but 45 states allow religious and personal belief exemptions to this rule. These exemptions tend to be incredibly

vague and allow far too many people to send unvaccinated children into our public and private schools. Furthermore, the exemptions leave room for people to get out of vaccination on simple falsehoods: if a community leader were to spread a conspiracy about vaccines, this could cause an entire region to have low vaccination rates. There is historical precedent for this, as outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases almost always cluster geographically.

One key example of this was the 2017 outbreak of measles in Hennepin County, Minnesota. The disease was able to tear through the community as the vaccination rate among children under the age of two was as low as 54 percent. This happened with measles, which has a relatively low death rate. Even the most conservative estimates place the death rate of COVID-19 substantially higher than that of measles, and outbreaks of the disease could lead to even more tragedy than outbreaks of measles. If states removed all non-medical exemptions to vaccination, the risk of outbreaks for treatable diseases would drop significantly.

There are two ways we could instate this mandate. First, we could simply close the current loopholes for school entry and extend similar immunization requirements to more government services. If someone wants to

receive a passport, a driver’s license, a state ID, or anything else issued by the government, they would need to get vaccinated.

Of course, vaccines would need to become free for all Americans for this to take place. An even more aggressive strategy would be imposing fines and jail time on those who fail to get vaccinated for non-medical reasons.

This would involve the creation

Saadat Rafin / The Spectator

of statewide or even a national vaccine registry, and those who skip vaccines would receive a warning to get vaccinated. Those who did not comply would face a hefty fine for each vaccine they missed, and there could be jail time for those who still refuse to get vaccinated. While the constitutional footing for the first option is much clearer, it still leaves far too many opportunities for people to get out of vaccination.

Fines and jail time may seem intense for refusing a medical

procedure, but the health of our nation depends on how many Americans are vaccinated. It is deeply irresponsible to leave any space for people to skip vaccines, and we need to take swift action to ensure that the health of the most vulnerable Americans is protected.

I am well aware that this mandate sounds rather dystopian, but it is necessary to protect our citizens. It is not fair to let Americans suffer because some people read that vaccines are unsafe on InfoWars. We all have the right to bodily autonomy, but we do not have the right to be vessels for preventable diseases. We know that vaccines are safe, and we should not create our laws around fringe conspiracy theories.

Freedom to believe in lies should not come at the expense of human life, and our priorities need to reflect that. Vaccines aren’t fun.

Your arms may swell, and you may bleed for a little bit. Nonetheless, personal comfort levels take a backseat to public health.

The current American response to COVID-19 has been woefully inadequate, but we now have time to plan for a post-virus word. A vaccine mandate is a common-sense reform to protect everyone from easily preventable illnesses, and we should be ashamed of ourselves as a nation if we do not create one.

The Problem with the Incoming Class of 2024

By LAUREN CHIN

I’m not sure if everyone remembers their first day at Stuyvesant High School.

Whether you came in completely confident or utterly terrified, one thing remains the same for all of us: the first day of school was not easy. From navigating a 10-story building to a set of classmates that changed every 40 minutes, first days always come with their fair share of troubles.

Now, the next “first day” is getting closer, and a new cohort of Stuyvesant students have been admitted. Almost 80,000 eighth graders living in New York City received their high school admission results on March 20, 2020.

Since that day, the incoming freshmen of Stuyvesant High School have already begun interacting with our community.

Despite still being in quarantine, many posted in various Facebook groups, formed group chats with future classmates, and reached out to upperclassmen. A few particularly daring individuals even went so far as to create Instagram confessions pages, which had previously been a trademark of the class of 2023.

In many ways, the proactiveness of these 13-year-olds is commendable. Given the resources that they have, our future schoolmates have already begun preparations for high school several months in advance. It’s completely understandable that these students want to get a head start—both academically and socially.

Nevertheless, many current freshmen have expressed dislike or distaste for the actions of

their successors. The enterprising personalities of these eighthgraders can easily be interpreted as conceit. One screenshot circulating among the class of 2023 shows a 2024 confessions page recommending taking as many electives as possible and not to “be a hobo and take them free periods.” To many, this seems like misguided advice—not to

by creating insulting confessions on their page. Before going on to insult the school’s freshman caucus, one post read: “As much as we dislike the freshies, it’s hard not to feel bad for them.”

From these incidents, it seems obvious to characterize members of the incoming class as presumptuous, ignorant, and unnecessarily hostile. Yet how

Sophia Li / The Spectator

mention an arrogant statement to make. Seeing the support this screenshot has garnered among many other incoming freshmen has created a strong sense of hostility among the current freshmen. A few have even petitioned for taking down the confessions page.

Such anger is not entirely unfounded. Certain incoming freshmen have generated hatred of their own, insulting current freshmen with no factual basis

harshly can we really judge the class of 2024 for such behavior?

There is, and always has been, a certain stigma associated with being a freshman. The entire grade is essentially the “new kid” and will almost certainly be teased or rejected by older students. Freshmen are known for entering high school with notoriously big heads, and those entering Stuyvesant are a perfect example of this.

Those in the graduating class

of 2024 aren’t even Stuyvesant students yet, so there’s no way they can accurately judge life in high school at this time. Many are basing their opinions on the stereotypes associated with Stuyvesant: an insane workload, a cut-throat environment, and a necessity to be at the top of your class. Perhaps that’s why that future student recommended filling up all your free periods, not realizing that a majority of Stuyvesant students greatly enjoy or otherwise utilize these valuable periods to their academic and social advantage.

Moreover, while a particular few incoming freshmen may be antagonizing the current freshmen, that doesn’t mean the entire grade feels the same way. It’s only a select few who behave so irrationally. Again, this is a result of making assumptions without actual experience. Since their only interactions with current freshmen have been online, the incoming freshmen don’t give them the same type of consideration that they would in person.

The class of 2023 isn’t flawless, either. From trashing the half-floor to constantly wearing gym clothes, we’ve had our fair share of aggravating behavior.

Though this may not be as bad as the incoming freshman’s attitude, it’s still been cause for ridiculement. This is all the more reason to show more compassion to the incoming freshmen; we know what it’s like to be teased.

Because of this, we should not be criticizing the class of 2024 before they even get to Stuyvesant. Of course, all upperclassmen should be a bit more sympathetic toward younger

students (and many are), but the class of 2024 is a special case.

Unlike any current Stuyvesant students, our future schoolmates will be experiencing a sudden shift in learning styles as they enter high school.

We can all agree on the fact that online learning is a bit more relaxed than in-person learning.

At the very least, you are more in control of your schedule and of your assignments. Considering how New York City students will be spending the next few months in such a situation, many will undoubtedly become used to this method and schedule.

Transferring from middle school to high school is already hard enough for anyone. Yet now, on top of that, the incoming class of 2024 will be forced to re-adapt to regular learning as well. It’s no wonder that so many are trying to interact with upperclassmen and each other beforehand. The transition from online learning to education at one of New York City’s top high schools will undoubtedly be a difficult one.

Furthermore, the stress of this situation can easily be misplaced and directed toward other people. Obviously, this isn’t the correct outlet for their anger, but that may be why some are insulting current freshmen.

The incoming class of 2024 is not perfect. Unfortunately, neither are we. In light of the current situation, we shouldn’t be alienating future Stuyvesant students. At the very least, they deserve to be treated with respect and not stereotyped under one category.

The Spectator ● May 17, 2020

Page 11

Science Promising Developments for Future Alzheimer’s Research

By DANIEL GORDON

cognitive functions in patients; in other words, the reduction of betaamyloid in patients does not slow the decline of cognition, which contradicts the previous hypothesis that it does. A conclusion from the results of the clinical trials is that deeper knowledge of how Alzheimer’s disease develops and progresses is necessary to correctly assess whether inhibiting beta-amyloid has the potential to treat the disease.

As such, researchers must look to other areas for the crucial information that they need to solve the puzzle.

A promising research path involves steps to better understand why the protein-disposal mechanisms in Alzheimer’s patients are different from those in healthy individuals. It is known that clumps of deformed proteins exist in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients; some clumps consist of beta-amyloid proteins and are found between neurons, while other clumps consist of tau proteins—which regulate important functional processes in neurons—and reside within neurons.

What remains unclear to scientists is why the removal of protein clumps fails in Alzheimer’s patients.

Recent findings from researchers Aishwarjya Barua / The Spectator

The first thing that comes to mind when hearing the word “Alzheimer’s” is likely an image of an elderly person struggling to remember his name. The unfortunate truth, however, is that the brain disorder, which can be diagnosed as early as 30 years old, affects much more than a person’s memory. As Alzheimer’s disease progresses, it strips away communication capabilities between neurons, or nerve cells, and induces neurodegeneration, or the accelerated loss of neuron structure and function. At the same time, parts of the brain that are responsible for memory and thought processing, among other cognitive functions, are destroyed.

Even more devastating is that the damage done by Alzheimer’s disease is irreversible: the shriveling of several important important parts of the brain, such as the hippocampus—which regulates motivation, emotion, learning, and memory—is permanent. The permanence is due to the fact that neurons are one of the only cell types that never divide, so damaged cells cannot be replaced by healthy ones. Once neuron count in a person declines, it can never recover.

Since the first description of an Alzheimer’s patient was presented

by German physician Alois Alzheimer in 1906, hundreds of thou-

sands of studies have been devoted to finding treatments, cures, and new information about the human body’s most complex organ, the brain. Many advances have been made, including the ability to identify Alzheimer’s disease at an earlier age and to screen the brain for specific abnormal structures. Nevertheless, more than a century after the disease’s discovery, effective cures and reversible treatments are non-existent. The issue at hand isn’t that inadequate research has been put into the disease, but rather that scientists have been spending too much time on probable dead-ends instead of promising areas that may contain necessary clues to the problem.

One of the possible deadends that scientists continue to look into regards the function of the beta-amyloid protein fragment. Currently, a large amount of data supports the notion that the structure has a key role in the disease’s progression, and several drugs have been developed to reduce concentrations of it in Alzheimer’s patients. However, clinical trials have shown that these drugs do not stop the decline of

at the Washington University at St. Louis and other institutions indicate that the abnormal proteins may evade the detection systems of cells by finding their way out of the cells. However, it remains unclear as to how the deformed proteins are capable of bypassing the natural defense systems.

A particular finding that expands current understanding of protein evasion is that tau protein can travel out of neurons and into the spaces between them before moving into neighboring cells. The purpose of such movement is unknown, but several implications have been suggested. One interesting speculation is that tau protein can be intercepted and cleared by antibodies when it is present outside of cells. Though this approach sounds reasonable, it is unlikely to work unless researchers discover the exact structure of misshapen tau that is necessary for the designing of a highly specific antibody. In addition, in order for this approach to work more efficiently, scientists must figure out where tau protein resides in the spaces between cells.

Another approach involves uncovering how tau protein is released from cells and what receptors are used by neighboring cells to pick up the free tau.

Answers to the multitude of open questions can be found in the details of protein-disposal systems.

Researchers need to examine both the mechanisms behind protein degradation in multiple subtypes of neurons in the brain as well as the foundation that the disposal systems use to identify and target misshapen proteins. Malformations in proteins develop in several steps, and it is yet to be uncovered at which step the disposal systems first recognize a changing protein as irregular. Knowledge about this identification process could lead to new strategies for testing treatments using drug intervention.

Today, over 600 clinical trials are being performed, each one having the potential to uncover crucial evidence for working treatments. In order for the future of Alzheimer’s research to advance more efficiently than it ever has, school education systems must start to employ a larger variety of lessons and programs that discuss mental health problems, like dementia. High school students should take greater interest in assisting in research laboratories and learning about Alzheimer’s disease-related content to contribute to ongoing studies. Additional support can only hasten the process of understanding enough about the brain to make that long-awaited leap to an effective treatment. It’s never too early to make a difference because, after all, the students of today become the scientists of tomorrow.

Science Behind Boredom: Inspiration or Modern Disease?

By OSCAR WANG

Social distancing is taking its toll on many of us as we start to notice the dullness of life away from school. Many students, myself included, were glad when schools closed on March 13, but our gratitude dwindled just a week into quarantine. Though we found ourselves at leisure during the first week of closures, the lack of a tight schedule has surely been a cause for boredom for us all at some point. After finishing homework, we search for ways to pass the time, whether through social media or physical activity. Boredom is a strong but often unnoticed motivator for our actions. Therefore, it becomes difficult to pinpoint whether it benefits or impairs our productivity.

Psychologists have studied boredom in factory workers since the 1930s, finding that uninspired individuals sought drugs and other mental stimulants to relieve their monotony. While drugs are not as common of a coping mechanism today, we’re hooked on something far more addicting than drugs: technology. As a result, many scientists have labeled boredom negatively, comparing it to depression. They place boredom on the same emotional spectrum as disgust—feeling strongly repulsed or taken aback by something. From an evolutionary standpoint, the relationship between boredom and disgust makes sense: it coincides with the behaviors of our early ancestors. Early humans turned away from rotting food because they found it disgusting. Now, imagine you’re idle in the middle of a busy intersection.

Seems unrealistic, right? How could anyone remain passive in the fact of imminent danger? These are the conditions early humans were subject to, except they had no signs of when a predator could strike. Without a constant food supply, they also constantly faced the risk of starvation. Negligence in this kind of environment is dangerous, so they use boredom as a sign of distress, motivating them to find food and other means to sustain themselves.

In other words, boredom was a deterrent for laziness and a reminder to use our time more wisely. While this mechanism worked to their benefit, it is oftentimes the opposite for modern humans. Without

the constant dangers of a nomadic lifestyle, humans nowadays are less productive with their downtime.

However, the term “boredom” is vague. Psychologists have thus split it into five categories, some of which inspire and motivate individuals while others accomplish the opposite.

The first type of boredom is indifference, often referred to as the most positive type of boredom.

Imagine finishing all of your homework early or waiting for a friend at the park. Indifference is characterized by calmness and relaxation.

“Reactant boredom” is characterized by agitation: Johnny is annoyed and stuck in a class that he’s not interested in, and he can’t wait for the bell to ring.

People typi-

cally feel restless and often find ways to distract themselves or think about the near future (seem familiar?).

If you’re deciding which Netflix show to watch or which social media app to scroll through, you’re experiencing “searching boredom” because you’re constantly looking for other ways to occupy yourself.

However, these activities aren’t always unproductive, since you’re open to any activity to pass the time. You were most likely experiencing this type of boredom during our “break” from school.

If you ever find yourself tapping your feet, spinning your pen, or fidgeting with your surroundings, you’re experiencing calibrating boredom. While you’re not annoyed by anything in particular, you’re not trying to find ways around it either—you’re unsure about what to do and your mind is recalibrating.

The most painful type of boredom is apathetic boredom. Apathy is when you stop caring about your

current activity and the possibility of doing anything in the future.

Imagine you’re a factory worker doing the same repetitive task each day. You feel worn out and generally tired. You’re in the middle of a project and begin to comtemplate why you’re doing it in the first place. These are all examples of apathy. It is most similar to depression, and it’s characterized by a lack of motivation and a lack of desire to change.

Emily Tan / The Spectator

Everyone has different coping mechanisms to manage their boredom—mechanisms that vary with the form they’re experiencing. Technology is the most popular medium through which people manage their reactant or searching boredom. Social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook are designed to maintain the user’s attention during prolonged periods of boredom. Others may seek more productive activities such as physical activity or reading, while some turn to social interactions to keep themselves busy. With the increasing number and variety of distractions available nowadays, it’s necessary to recognize which activities and creative outlets are more productive than others. Each type of boredom can be combated through different means, but they’re not necessarily all positive

ways to manage boredom.

Modern technology is a double-edged sword. While it is a powerful tool for work and productivity, it can be equally powerful in distracting us from our work. While scientists argue over whether or not the human attention span has decreased, it is generally accepted that it has become harder to keep us engaged for prolonged periods, and it becomes increasingly difficult as technology advances.

Rather than technology, activities that involve self-improvement and learning such as exercise and reading are the most productive ways bored individuals can distract themselves.

That said, these activities are not common choices for many of the types of

boredom. Those experiencing searching boredom are most likely to engage in productive activities because they’re open to a greater variety of activities as opposed to those who feel more agitated or those who are just relaxing.

I found myself engaging in both types of stimulation during quarantine. I noticed that the screen time on my phone increased from an average of six hours each week to 10 hours each week after distance learning began. TikTok averaged between 20-25 hours each week (approximately three hours per day) under quarantine. As I walk through my daily routine, I pay attention to which types of boredom I experience. A normal day would start with me waking up and scrolling through TikTok for around an hour. I’d then finish some assignments and eat lunch. After my last Zoom meeting, I typically feel mentally exhausted and groggy from the food I ate. So, I scroll through TikTok for yet another hour waiting for my digestive system to do

some work. Eventually, I get bored of scrolling and feel annoyed by the fact that I haven’t done anything productive yet. I take out my anger through exercise, performing repetitive tasks until I’m physically exhausted. However, this routine would motivate me to complete the rest of my assignments in the evening. At night, I’d reward my progress by scrolling through TikTok once more until I fell asleep. I experience indifference in the morning, and I experience reactant and searching boredom while working and scrolling through TikTok. I end my day feeling indifferent, knowing I successfully completed all my work. Under normal circumstances, the reactant boredom I experience during my classes would be tamed by the school’s phone policy, but I can freely break these rules at home. This is the sole reason why I feel bored more often at home. Instead of constantly being told what to do, I must decide for myself and experience searching boredom.

Experiments conducted by the University of Virginia demonstrate that individuals would rather receive an electric shock as opposed to experiencing prolonged reactant boredom of over 15 minutes. Similarly, a 2012 study conducted on minks concluded that animals have the same mechanisms of feeling uninterested by an activity and feeling pain when doing nothing. The researchers noticed that the idle subjects were more likely to engage in various activities, even those involving negative stimulation— like how humans preferred being shocked. These experiments demonstrate the strength of boredom as a motivator for taking action. It creates powerful urges for stimulation in our minds, making us take more risks and engage in potentially harmful activities.

Ultimately, boredom can’t be labeled as positive or negative because it merely inspires one to engage in a different activity. Our goal, though, should be to extract more meaning out of boredom by ensuring that our boredom will eventually lead us to more productive activities. To kickstart this process, one can create or update a to-do list, organize their workspace, or watch the news.

While the list could go on forever, we should all strive for activities that produce a long-term outcome or have a clear benefit.

The Spectator ● May 17, 2020

Page 12

Science Transferring the Olfactory System to Silicon

By DAISY LIN and SHRIYA ANAND Most of us have heard of Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) at least once in our lives. A.I. refers to the usage of software to create a system able to perform tasks such as speech recognition, visual and odor perception, and decision-making. Because of its rising prevalence over the past few years, professionals in the field are developing algorithms to improve technology’s ability to emulate biological processes. In fact, we see the effects of these algorithms in our daily lives, from Siri to Touch ID to facial recognition on our phones. Have you ever heard of odor detection, though? Another breakthrough in science—neuromorphic chips (computer chips that mimic the human brain)—is responsible for such a feat. Only three years ago, Intel, a company well known for manufacturing computer hardware like traditional motherboard chipsets, integrated circuits, and graphics chips, released a neuromorphic chip capable of perceiving different smells.

Its invention is known as the Loihi chip and is recognized for its ability to distinguish between varying odors much like the olfactory system in humans.

Olfaction is a form of chemoreception by which organisms respond to chemical stimuli gathered

By DEAN CHEN

rived from the architecture and dynamics of the brain’s olfactory circuits.” The 128 neuromorphic cores, or processing units, work asynchronously using a spiking neural network (SNN), a method almost identical to the biological processes that transmit signals through the nervous system. SNN allows for any number of neurons to send out impulses to neighboring neurons through the synapses.

This type of communication is enabled by the packaging of messages that are sent over impulses.

Once enough spikes caused by these impulses accumulate at a certain position, the core sends the message out to other cores. Each core also consists of a “learning engine” that adapts according to the spike timings it receives, allowing for the Loihi chip to be more flexible in its environment.

In order to collect data for this chip, Intel’s neuromorphic computing team used a wind tunnel with 72 chemical sensors responsible for detecting and differentiating ten different scents as they circulated. The data received from these sensors was then transferred to the Loihi chip, which created neural representations of each odor via machine learning. This is analogous to the human brain, which assigns a certain pattern of electrical signals to different scents. The Loihi chip may even be considered more efficient than the

human nose, despite being familiar with only 10 smells. It is capable of identifying the odors even with strong scent interferences.

Because of the Loihi chips’ unique ability to recognize scents, scientists have begun to utilize them in the physical world. After thorough testing, it was found that the chip could successfully detect specific odors even in the presence of other smells. As a result, the technology can be used to identify pheromones released when a person is carrying a certain illness or other smells connected to drugs, explosives, and environmental gases while blocking interfering stimuli. This would be hugely beneficial: sniffer dogs would be put out of harm’s way and humans could still benefit from a heightened sense of smell provided by the Loihi chip. Nabil Imam, a senior research scientist working at Intel, also commented that the chip’s ability to mimic other neurological processes “demonstrates Loihi’s potential to provide important sensing capabilities that could benefit various industries.” For example, it could be implemented into different household appliances such as fire alarms and ovens. Currently, fire alarms work using either photoelectric sensors or ionization sensors that detect smoke. However, they are often inefficient and are triggered at unnecessary times.

Therefore, it would be beneficial

to use Loihi chip sensors that can detect the smell of fumes rather than the presence of smoke. Additionally, Loihi chips may be used in ovens because the chip can be programmed to identify the smell of charring food, as there is currently no way to combat the inconvenience. Considering the many uses of the Loihi chip, it is likely that it will soon be commercially manufactured and sold to perform difficult tasks with greater ease.

Through the development and possible uses for the brain-like neuromorphic Loihi chip, many new capabilities for A.I. have been introduced. Pieces of technology now possess the ability to interpret and respond to stimuli in a way never thought possible. Specifically, the Loihi chip features the ability to sense smell. Thanks to this breakthrough, complicated jobs can be made safer and simpler with these humanesque machines.

With each passing day, there is continued development of new technologies, applications, and A.I. Though scientists have yet to create devices able to mimic all human processes to a tee, the dream may not be far from reality. For example, Intel is currently working on other programs capable of detecting touch and movement.

Soon, advanced A.I. will no longer seem like a foreign concept—but rather systems incorporated into people’s daily lives.

Sleeping Tight During Quarantine

Light exposure primarily suppresses the secretion of melatonin, the main regulating hormone of sleep-wake cycles, and can cause circadian phase shifts. Phase shifts are changes in the timing of the circadian system—you may have experienced them if you’ve ever flown between time zones. Normally we call this jet lag, but in reality, it’s desynchronization caused by the observance of environmental cues in a new time zone, such as light levels and meal times. Natural light exposure also has a number of significant effects on the sleep-wake cycle maintained by the circadian system and natural sleep pressure. Under quarantine, most individuals experience significantly decreased light exposure because they don’t leave their homes. Daytime light exposure has a noticeable effect on advancing circadian phases, and as a result, sleep timing.

The greater amount of time spent outside, the more sleep timing advances, prompting earlier fatigue onset. A brief questionnaire by chronobiologist Till Roenneberg and his colleagues found that every additional hour outside in high-intensity natural light advanced sleep timing by approximately 30 minutes. Light exposure has also been shown to increase sleep duration, which is likely a result of advanced sleep timing. Evening fatigue and quality of sleep are also increased by daytime light exposure.

Natural light is not the only type of light that can influence our bodies’ biological clocks, though.

Two major consequences of the citywide quarantine are the shift to working from home and more free time in our daily lives. A result of both is increased exposure to artificial light. Exposure to artificial light later in the day, when the body is most sensitive to light-induced phase delays, results in delays in sleep timing. Usually, the worst culprit for this is smartphones, which alone can delay sleep timing, decrease sleep duration, increase sleep onset latency (the time we take to shift from wakefulness to sleep), and decrease sleep quality when used before going to bed.

How much of this is caused solely by light exposure is debatable, as

more time spent on smartphones also induces higher levels of psychological engagement and entertainment, but the end result is the same.

The second factor of quarantine that affects our sleep schedules is the disruption of regular daily schedules. Normally, as students, our days and weeks are dictated by school hours. Waking up, going to school, getting home, and eating meals all occur at roughly the same times five days a week. Photic

showed correlations with increased sleep onset latency and decreased sleep duration in younger individuals. In essence, the reduced regularity of daily life under quarantine is partly responsible for disrupted sleep schedules.

The most common problem gleaned through fellow students’ testimonies is delayed sleep timing, which itself influences sleep duration and quality. As the circadian system synchronizes regular bodily functions, the disruption of

(light) cues, while significant, are not the only environmental cues that influence the circadian system. Daily routines and behaviors, which have been disrupted by the quarantine, have their own role in synchronizing circadian rhythms.

To a degree, we maintain order through online schooling, but remaining free at home without regularity in our routines can negatively impact sleep-wake cycles.

Regular behavioral rhythms are shown to have beneficial effects on sleep timing, quality, and duration, just as light exposure does. A study by psychologist Natalie Dautovich and colleagues regarding the effects of age differences and variability of individual daily activities on sleep found that variability in the timing of daily activities across days is associated with adverse effects on sleep. Results of the study showed that increased variability in daily activities such as work and dinner

sleep is frequently accompanied by other problems, such as mistimings in mealtimes and metabolism.

Delayed sleep and increased sleep duration can also lead to sleep deprivation, which comes with its own entourage of health problems.

Acute sleep deprivation results in drowsiness, loss of concentration and memory retention, reduced physical ability, and a weakened immune system. Extended deprivation, which may occur during this long stretch of quarantine, can affect mental and physical health in more adverse ways. The proper maintenance of a sleep schedule is essential in guaranteeing physical and mental health as well as general wellbeing, which are incredibly important during these difficult times.

Now the question is, how does one go about maintaining their sleep health in quarantine? The easiest things to do are avoid specific behaviors: watch caffeine in-

Angel Liu / The Spectator

We are living in truly trying times: the government doesn’t want you to see the light of day, education has gone digital, toilet paper is nowhere to be found, and you’re not getting enough sleep. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, our daily lives have been disrupted greatly. This is mostly due to the government-mandated quarantine, which has hampered the activity of city dwellers across the nation. Our daily lives aren’t the only things that have been disrupted, though; quarantine can have a negative effect on our sleep patterns, as you may have already noticed. The sudden shift to staying at home almost all the time has detrimental effects on one of the most important biological process that occurs daily: sleep.

Staying home for extended periods of time is the root of the problem. Extended isolation is accompanied by anxiety, work and family stress, long hours in front of devices, and changes in how we spend our free time as a whole.

Without daily life and interactions to occupy us, our attention goes toward hobbies, entertainment, work, watching stock prices make funny zig-zag shapes, and crying about the future of the economy. Together, these side effects of quarantine disrupt our regular sleep cycles, which are dictated by biological and behavioral processes.

The most likely suspect for bizarre sleep schedules under quarantine is light exposure. Insufficient natural light exposure and extended screen exposure both result in the misregulation of the circadian system, which is the component of our bodies responsible for patterns in daily occurrences such as eating, releasing hormones, and sleeping. It’s primarily controlled by the body’s master clock, the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN). This structure is the centerpiece of a series of pathways within the brain that communicates with the body and synchronizes its functions. The SCN receives direct cues from the environment that influence its timing, the most important of which is photic information, or light cues, taken via the retina of the eye.

from their environment. It refers to the perception of smell, beginning with the olfactory epithelium in the nasal cavity of humans.

The olfactory epithelium contains millions of olfactory receptor cells, each linked to a single short branched extension of a nerve cell known as a dendrite with cilia, a microscopic hairlike structure on the surface of certain cells, that spread across the olfactory epithelium. When odors enter the nasal cavity either through inhalation or the rising of particles from the mouth, the cilia are stimulated, triggering the depolarization of olfactory cells and the sending of action potentials to the olfactory bulb through dendrites. These dendrites collect in small clusters known as glomeruli. Here, synaptic connections are formed with different types of olfactory bulb neurons, including mitral cells and tufted relay neurons, both of which are connected to the olfactory tract, a bundle of fibers that carry olfactory information to the olfactory cortex. The olfactory cortex is found in the temporal lobe of the brain involved with sensory input. After receiving the information, the olfactory cortex processes it, allowing humans to recognize different scents.

So, how exactly can the olfactory system be transferred to the silicon chip? Intel says that its chip’s arrangement is “de-

take, stop napping, and put down phones before sleeping. Caffeine is a common stimulant that increases adrenaline production and inhibits receptors for adenosine, an inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain that accumulates throughout the day and decreases wakefulness, reducing drowsiness. As a result, caffeine intake disrupts the natural sleep-wake cycle that the body undergoes on a daily basis. Napping may also disrupt nighttime sleep in some cases, but these effects can be mitigated if naps are less than half an hour long and take place in the early afternoon. The use of electronic devices and high-intensity lights can also cause circadian phase shifts and negatively affect nighttime sleep timing, duration, and quality. Smartphones are the most significant culprits here due to their size and portability; even after the lights are out and other devices are off, smartphones usually stay on in bedrooms.

Establishing and sticking to a daily routine may be the best way of normalizing your sleep schedule for good. Regularly timed daily activities help regulate the circadian system, as has been proven in several sleep studies. The daily activities that are easiest to manage are waking up, eating, and going to bed.

Add in time outside as well as daily exercise, and you should be well on your way to a good night’s sleep. If going outside isn’t an option, even opening shades and looking out the window for a few minutes in the morning can help regulate circadian rhythms. A helpful practice that I partake in is setting a time before bed to wind down without any electronics or excessive stimulation. This can be helpful for relaxing the brain and allowing sleep onset to occur. Taking this time to de-stress can also prevent agitation that increases sleep onset latency. I also try to avoid social interactions late at night, unless I feel like staying up until 5:00 a.m. on a weekday.

Now, take this knowledge, and may you sleep most tightly, dream most sweetly, and rest most regularly. Make the effort to improve the time you spend sleeping––it’s the most relaxed part of the day during this ongoing chaos.

The Spectator ● May 17, 2020

Page 13

Science Not All Cases Are Made Equal: A Closer Look to the Disparities Caused by COVID-19

By JENNY LIU

COVID-19 is the disease caused

by SARS-CoV-2, a type of coronavirus named for the crown-like spikes on the surface of the virus.

We’ve seen other coronavirus outbreaks such as SARS and MERS in previous years, and since those epidemics, certain patterns have been discovered that allow us to gain a deeper level of insight into the causes of the novel coronavirus.

As the virus progresses and more research is performed on the pathogen, scientists have revealed that the cause of the shockingly high number of deaths should not be solely attributed to the fact that people of greater age and those who have preexisting health conditions are more likely to develop COVID-19. That’s surface level. There’s more behind the scenes regarding the rising number of deaths.

To shed some light on the situation, we can examine the virus from two perspectives: the biological and the sociocultural.

The biological perspective analyzes the inner workings of our body systems in relation to the virus. New findings have led scientists to think that some immune systems are stronger than others when combating COVID-19.

One gene sequencing project by consumer genomics company 23andMe is using its database of millions of customers to search for clues that may shed light on how one’s genetic makeup may affect the immune response to COVID-19.

Their research has found that certain people are more susceptible to COVID-19 due to the presence of the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor, a protein that is present in a variety of different tissues in the chest area, including both the upper and lower respiratory tract as well as heart tissue.

Genetic and behavioral differences can account for increased ACE2 expression; for instance, it has been demonstrated that increased ACE2 expression occurs in smokers. Some people also demonstrate less gene activity for ACE2 receptor sites, meaning that the cells would have fewer receptors for the virus to attach itself to and therefore are less likely to contract a severe case of COVID-19.

A novel approach to inhibit ACE2 expression would use drugs categorized as angiotensin receptor blockers such as losartan, valsartan, and telmisartan. They block angio-

By ARIN FARUQUE

It is a crucial distinction that allows us to make better treatment methods moving forward. This discovery also means that there needs to be a better way of attacking cytokine storms.

Because cytokine storms release interleukins, or proteins produced to regulate immune system responses such as inflammation, we can use interleukin inhibitors to slow down the inflammatory response.

As a result, it may prove to be less of a threat to a person’s health.

Drugs inhibiting interleukins such as tocilizumab and ruxolitinib are now being further investigated via a clinical trial and have fared well

Semoi Khan / The Spectator

with patients. However, this treatment is expensive (upwards of $18 thousand a year). These drugs also belong to a class known as “biologics,” meaning that they are derived from living organisms through means of biotechnology, making them difficult to obtain. The medicinal reserves would not last long if they were to be used to treat people on a large scale.

Yet another surprising disparity rests on the basis of sex: men seem more likely to develop severe symptoms and die from COVID-19 than their female counterparts.

Sixty-two percent of Italy’s 25,452 deaths were men as of May 1. And 56 percent of Spain’s 25,613 deaths were men as of May 5. New York, the place with the highest number of COVID-19 related deaths in the United States, has 19,415 deaths, with 54 percent of them being men as of May 4. This has caused scientists to hypothesize that the immune systems of men and women are wired differently, with women’s immune systems able to mount a stronger immune response.

According to Sabra Klein, a virologist at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, the strength of the female immune system may be evaluated by observing the innate and adaptive immune systems. The innate immune system, the first line of

defense against a virus, has a component called the Toll-like receptor 7. The receptor is found on the X chromosome and can quickly detect pathogens. Because women have two X chromosomes and men only have one, the greater number of receptors per cell allows more proteins and antibodies to be produced. The adaptive immune system, which is more specialized, is then activated if the innate immune response is insufficient to control infection, and it destroys invading pathogens.

Estrogen, the female sex hormone, also plays a role in strengthening the immune response by regulating some of the genes associated with B cell production, which are responsible for making antibodies.

Ultimately, the strength of the immune system—arguably the most important component of our fight against the severe pandemic—rests on nonbiological factors as well. Even though its foundation is genetic, people’s chances of survival can be toppled by pervasive sociocultural factors that ultimately work against racial and ethnic minority groups.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), African-Americans account for 72 percent of all COVID-19 deaths in Chicago, even though they are only one-third of the city’s population. In Louisiana, blacks represent 70 percent of the dead but only 33 percent of the population. In Michigan, blacks comprise 40 percent of the fatalities but are only 15 percent of the population.

These startling statistics are examples of how the death rates are several times higher among racial minorities and people of low socioeconomic status.

Income inequality is a leading cause of the rising number of deaths and infected cases among racial and ethnic minority groups.

In the U.S., people from minority groups generally have less access to resources, which often leads to poorer health. Minority groups’ struggles with economic instability have only been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. With many

The Upside of the Quarantine

and PM2.5 (fine particulate matter). Los Angeles, a city known for its hazy smog, is experiencing the cleanest air it has had in 65 years: before stay-at-home orders, Los Angeles’s AQI was about 60 (scaling it as “moderate”). Since that time, there has been a 20 percent improvement in air quality (now scaling it as “good”), giving the city its longest streak of “good” air quality since 1995.

India, a country notorious for its high air pollution rates, has also seen a drastic change in its AQI. At this time last year, India’s AQI was measured at 160 (scaling it as “unhealthy”). However, the Central Pollution Control Board of India’s Environment Ministry has reported a 71 percent decrease in NO2 levels since the social distancing orders have been enforced. This change contributes to India’s now improved AQI of 45 (scaling it as “good”).

Additionally, NASA reported a 30 percent decrease in NO2 levels in the American Northwest, as well as similar improvements in Wuhan, China.

These promising numbers are a result of decreased human activity.

With the quarantine, there are fewer cars on the street, fewer planes in

the air, and more factories closing down—all major air polluters. According to the live aircraft flight tracker Flightradar24, there are 40 percent fewer flights worldwide due to travel bans. This is significant, as airplanes are one of the main contributors to air pollution because of the harmful greenhouse gases they emit, including carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide. In turn,

due to the lack of flights and cars on the road, oil companies are producing less, thus emitting lower levels of greenhouse gases.

With cleaner air, humans may be less at risk for common health issues such as diabetes or heart disease.

Currently, to meet the EPA’s standard, a region must have an AQI under 100. However, EPA clean air researcher Dana Costa reports that there are still “120 million people in the country living in areas that don’t meet today’s clean air

standards.” This data is concerning because exposure to air pollution, especially when prolonged, has been proven to increase the risk of metabolic syndromes. A 2013 study conducted by EPA researchers on lab animals of varying ages revealed a possible link between exposure to air pollutants and risk for diseases.

After brief exposure to ozone, the animals experienced shortter m Anna Ast / The Spectator

Just a few months ago, climate change seemed to be an everworsening issue that many believed would usher in the apocalypse—remember the United Nation’s prophecy that warned us that there are just 12 years left for us to fix our mistakes before climate change becomes irreversible? Recent air quality reports reveal just how badly we treated our planet before we were required to follow tight stayat-home orders in the midst of the pandemic. Since around midMarch, previously congested cities such as New York, Washington D.C., and Boston have seen up to a 30 percent decrease in their air’s nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels, one of the most common air polluters.

Pre-quarantine, residents of these cities lived with foggy skies clouded by dirt and other harmful particles.

Now, they wake up to visibly clearer, bluer skies.

Cities have been seeing unprecedented improvements in their Air Quality Index (AQI). This index, determined by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), is determined by the concentration of several air pollutants, including NO2

tensin II, a type of hormone, from binding to the ACE2 receptor sites to the muscles on blood vessels, thus preventing COVID-19 from spreading through the body. While this seems promising, it’s important to mention that the evidence isn’t fully conclusive, and 23andMe’s project is just one of many gene sequencing projects that are happening in order to find solutions to combat this novel coronavirus.

Furthermore, another disparity occurs not in the makeup of the immune system but in the immune system’s response. In the early stages of the coronavirus, antiviral medications and antibiotics can be helpful. However, in the later stages, our immune system can begin to autodestruct; the coronavirus can spread around the body for weeks before the immune system registers the amount of danger it’s in. Once the body comprehends the danger it is in, usually a few weeks after the initial infection, it kicks into a hyperactive state.

This is when the body crashes.

The release of cytokine storms, an overwhelming inflammatory response, pushes the body into critical conditions. Cytokine is a molecule the body releases to activate inflammation and eradicate a virus, but in excess, it can kill the host or cause permanent organ damage.

Therefore, doctors are put in a dilemma; you treat only the virus, and the body still won’t be able to fully register the amount of danger it’s in, causing an overly active and potentially detrimental immune response later on. You treat only the storm, and, in essence, you’re attacking the patient’s own immune system. Either way, the body’s still in grave danger. A balance must be maintained.

The thing is, some people survive these storms and some don’t.

It might have to do with the types of preexisting health conditions people have. According to Benjamin Lebwohl, the director of research at Columbia University’s Celiac Disease Center, people with preexisting immune conditions such as celiac and inflammatory bowel disease may be at higher risk.

glucose intolerance and high blood pressure. Furthermore, another study funded by the EPA found that exposure to PM10-2.5, a common air polluter, leads to metabolic

racial and ethnic minorities working minimum-wage jobs, the massive layoffs as a result of the health crisis have hurt many families. Developmental economist Imraan Valodia at the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, predicts the lockdown will lead to a 45 percent loss of income for the poorest 10 percent of households.

Another sociocultural factor affecting one’s likelihood of being infected is environmental injustice; high numbers of ethnic-minority households in North America live in poorer neighborhoods with poor infrastructure and degrading environmental quality. An environmental report with data collected over a 20-year period concluded that more than half of the people who live within 1.86 miles of toxic waste facilities, lands, and incinerators in the U.S. are people of color. These facilities contribute to air pollution and safety issues. A case study of the Bronx, New York, found that individuals who lived close to waste facilities were 66 percent more likely to be hospitalized for asthma.

Air quality is a risk factor for bad respiratory health, which has been known to worsen symptoms of COVID-19.

Precarious housing is yet another factor of the rising number of deaths and infected cases among racial and ethnic minority groups, as many homeless people are less able to observe social distancing.

The ones who find themselves in a shelter might not be as better off, as shelters are rapidly filling up with people and thus facilitating the spread of disease.

This global health crisis, although a saddening event, truly teaches us a lesson about the preparation we need to take (or didn’t take) in order to combat it. It doesn’t bring to light new issues, only issues magnified and exacerbated. It calls to attention the discrepancies in our human biology—how something as minuscule as a protein can prove to determine life or death for a person.

Additionally, the pandemic serves as a warning for how the inequity in income, healthcare, and environmental injustice can prove devastating for racial and ethnic minority groups. Instead of focusing solely on the preexisting health conditions, we need to do something to help the minority groups through this. It is within our capabilities to erase the inequality that continues to fuel the pandemic, and we must act upon it before more lives are lost.

changes that are connected to a higher risk of stroke, diabetes, and other metabolic syndromes.

Despite all the improvements that have been made, the question still remains: what will happen when the quarantine is over?

While uplifting now, these changes will likely be reversed once stay-athome orders are lifted and factories, automobiles, and airplanes return to polluting the air. Moving forward, we should keep this occurrence in mind and work to maintain these changes. It’s imperative that the government intervenes to ensure that the few positives coming out of this quarantine are preserved.

New legislation restricting factories from using nature as their garbage disposal or remodeling aircraft to be more eco-friendly will be able to sustain these changes. It’s vital that we all help as well. Little things such as choosing not to take the car to a place you can walk to, using public transportation, or choosing not to buy from a brand that’s known to be harmful to the environment (in an effort to lower their demand) will make the difference. Nature has done its part; what the environment will look like post-quarantine, however, depends on us.

Page 14

The Spectator ● May 17, 2020

Arts and Entertainment Jackson Warin-Joo: Art as a Sanctuary

Art For senior Jackson Warin-Joo, creating art is a therapeutic means of responding to difficulties in his life.

Growing up, he was surrounded by art from practically the day he was born. His father, an accomplished sculptor, exposed him to art galleries and exhibitions when he was a young boy. WarinJoo frequented his father’s studio, where his father inspired him to create his own art. He recalls that the two of them making, rather than purchasing, his childhood toys. Upon his arrival at M.S. 51, a middle school where each student specializes into a certain talentcentric department, he enthusiastically entered the fine arts track, as he had never taken formal art classes before. Around that time, he also began to attend classes at the Art Students League of New York and the New York Academy of Art outside of school.

Upon his arrival at Stuyvesant, Warin-Joo found himself overwhelmed by a brutally unforgiving transition. The dramatic shift from his life in middle school forced him away from working on art for some time. Additionally, WarinJoo began to experience diabetic burnout during his freshman year.

Music

By JENNY LIU “The New Abnormal” is the aptly-named, prescient album we didn’t know we needed from The Strokes, and it could not have come at a more appropriate time given our present circumstances in quarantine as a result of the ever-evolving COVID-19 pandemic.

It’s just as well: the album serves as a sort of mood palette for how life has been since the beginning of the year. “No one saves the day / Don’t you want the truth? / Ignore reality / See I love that feelin’ too,” sings lead vocalist Julian Casablancas on “Eternal Summer.” It’s almost as if he’s derisively laughing at both himself and the world—an accurate representation of the current mentality.

The first time The Strokes released an album during a crisis was none other than their 2001 debut, “Is This It,” prior to the 9/11 at-

Fashion

By ANIKA AMIN

As a Type 1 diabetic, Warin-Joo needs to constantly monitor his blood sugar and administer himself insulin injections. Because of his rough transition, he began to neglect his condition, and his health deteriorated. At the climax of a very dark and turbulent period in his life, he “came back to art instinctively.” Since then, “it’s kind of become more of a therapeutic thing for me, as opposed to just doing it for fun and doing it to show people,” Warin-Joo said.

Many of the pieces he has made in high school examine this difficult time, his struggle with identity, and the way in which his experiences eventually brought him back

to art.

Warin-Joo works in a multitude of mediums. He received formal instruction in oil painting and graphite pencil drawing but uses a variety of other techniques and styles to create his work. For a long time, Warin-Joo’s art was primarily based on traditional methods of drawing, painting, collage, and sculpture. He admits with an air of self-awareness and humor that he tried to reject his traditional instruction when he returned to art in high school. “I stayed far away from shading things in right and getting proportions right,” he said. “All I wanted to do was try out different materials.”

Most recently, his desire to explore different materials landed him two internships, both during the summer before his senior year. One internship was led by a master screen printer, the other by a pair of blacksmiths. The ironpouring that Warin-Joo did with the blacksmiths was a particularly memorable experience. Warin-Joo chose to cast a glucagon kit (the kind that he uses to monitor/stabilize his blood sugar levels), as well as a dog toy. He and his co-interns worked to collect scrap iron, form their own molds, and even construct a foundry. “It was kind of an important project for me,”

he said. “It had to do a lot with my frustration at not being able to control my diabetes or my life as well as I had when I was in middle school.”

Most of his work is conducted in his father’s studio, which he is allowed to use for himself for as many hours as he spends assisting his father doing manual labor or other related tasks. If he isn’t working in the studio, he can usually be found in his room. When asked to describe his creative process, Jackson explained that he is never at a loss for ideas and that he always has two or three projects going on simultaneously: “It’s usually when I’m working on something already that I’ll have an idea for the next project.” His mind is more receptive to new ideas while he’s already actively creating, and when inspiration strikes, the vision of the new idea leaks into what he’s already working on. All of his projects influence and work off of each other.

As an artist, Warin-Joo’s main objective is to use his negative experiences as a source of inspiration to create work that is highly personal to him: “When I was going through that really tough time, being able to break everything down that I was going through into a picture or a sculpture was

how I would make it through.”

He also hopes that other people will connect with his art, saying, “A part of me, when I’m creating, definitely wants people who have gone through similar things to be able to relate to the issues that I’m trying to explore.”

Moving forward, Warin-Joo would like to hold his own art show so that he can display his work beyond posting online or showing his friends. Though he values being able to jump between different media, he wants to hone in on a technique that he can really focus on and master. This process will involve a lot of experimentation, such as his work with screen printing and iron casting. More recently, when he wasn’t working on his college portfolio, Warin-Joo was creating his own clothing. He describes it as a 50/50 split between work for his portfolio and exploration of fashion. Though he’s always had a strong passion for fashion, he has only recently tried to pursue it. Making his own clothes is an “extension of trying new things and trying to explore as many mediums as possible,” he said. “Being able to learn an entirely new way to express yourself is kind of an incredible experience.”

Jackson’s artwork can be found on Instagram at @wearingjoos.

The Strokes Speaking To Our New Abnormal tacks. Though they didn’t intend to be, the quintet became the poster child for the resurgence of post-punk rock and garage rock revival. They followed in the footsteps of a New York City rock lineage running from the avantgarde Velvet Underground to The Stooges. Their sixth studio album “The New Abnormal” comes after a seven-year hiatus due to interpersonal conflicts between the members following “Comedown Machine” (2013), their most commercially unsuccessful album to date; go figure. I think it’s safe to say this new album marks a grand return.

One of the more obvious characteristics of the album is its focus on New York City. From song titles such as “Brooklyn Bridge to Chorus” and “Ode to the Mets” (my personal favorite despite all of Casablancas’ crooning), the LP rides the road of nostalgia to the

band’s beginnings. The album art is a bit of a tease and pays homage to New York with a painting called “Bird on Money” by New York painter and cultural icon Jean-Michel Basquiat. On the left-hand corner, one can see the word “Greenwood,” an allusion to Greenwood Heights, Brooklyn, where Basquiat was buried.

The Strokes stick to their roots and circle around motifs of purposeful disengagement and apathy in this album. It oozes nostalgia dashed with just a bit of restlessness, making it accessible to us all.

“I kinda miss the nine to five, yeah / I scramble, fight just like a child / I’m staying hungry, I’m staying hungry,” Casablancas asserts resignedly in “Why Are Sundays So Depressing?”

It’s classic Strokes and their brand of anxious, hooky indie rock, but fine-tuned and updated for the modern age. They retain

the melodrama and sentiment, but they’ve infused a detached feeling of calm in their music. Perhaps they follow the cliche most bands go through: as they mature, so does their music.

It works, though. They do a lot to maintain the balance of the angst-driven lyrics and languid beat of songs such as “Selfless.”

Producer Rick Rubin—associated with acts such as Metallica and Red Hot Chili Peppers—took the adage “less is more” to heart.

He cuts back on the production and strips the songs of extraneous elements. While the vocals and instruments are clearly heard, the style backfires on some occasions; the beginning of “Bad Decisions” sounds dangerously close to Dinosaur Jr’s “Feel the Pain” in terms of how bone-dry it is. In “At the Door,” Casablancas starts off with a depressive “I can’t escape it / Never gonna

make it / Out of this in time / I guess that’s just fine” and a single, sparse synthesizer. The song feels flatter than it needs to be. Maybe sometimes less is just… less.

For the most part though, the instruments do their part in making the songs sound full. Nick Valensi and Albert Hammond Jr. on lead and rhythm guitars, respectively, are in constant dialogue with Casablancas’s lead vocals.

The drums are Fabrizio Moretti’s handiwork: slow and sparse, setting but not controlling the pace.

Comeback albums are a hit or miss. But it seems “The New Abnormal” is a hit and the perfect way to signify The Strokes’ return to making music together. It’s cohesive and sounds like them; they make caring sound like not caring, and vice versa. All in all, the album does an excellent job of speaking for the world’s angsty, desensitized feelings, as well as my own.

The Fashion Industry During the Coronavirus simply revealing the hidden flaws of the fashion industry, and this is the perfect opportunity for everyone to re-evaluate the slowing business market. Even before the coronavirus hit, the ever slowing growth of the market combined with heavier competition presented a challenging year for the fashion industry. Due to the current global nature of the industry, companies are dealing with damage control for all parts of the fashion supply-chain. From workers in developing countries to store closures around the globe, people cannot go to work, and shoppers are more frugal than ever, leading to huge drops in profit. Low-wage employees in countries that manufacture the products, such as Bangladesh and India, are suffering from job scarcity, which leads to death and widespread starvation. This only serves to highlight the larger ethical problems in the industry and the repercussions of not holding companies accountable for their

methods of production.

Despite these issues, customers continue to purchase from these places. Shopping and consumption have already adjusted to the new normal of social distancing, in which the internet is more important than ever.

Having accessible and efficient online stores is critical for a brand’s survival in the upcoming months and will continue to remain critical in a postcoronavirus world. The shift in shopping from store to online came with a sharp increase in discounts, since companies are losing money with overstocked products. These lower prices are accompanied by the unstable financial situations of most consumers due to the pandemic, as well as shoppers’ increased urges to buy out of boredom.

As far as high fashion, designers are taking their shows to our

screens. Former editor-in-chief of “Vogue Paris” and current global fashion director of “Harper’s Bazaar,” Carine Roitfeld is an industry icon who has just set the blueprint for fashion shows to come. As a fundraising effort for amfAR’s (American Foundation for AIDS Research) coronavirus research, Roitfeld put together the first self-filmed fashion show ever on May 1.

Complete with a starstudded lineup, the show featured models styling outfits from their own closets. Though the show aimed to raise awareness, it serves as a precedent for the rest of the fashion industry. All across the world, people are stepping up to help during the crisis in any way that they can. Countless brands have offered their factories to aid the government in stopping the spread; from Alice + Olivia to H&M, compa-

Jenny Chen / The Spectator

The fashion industry isn’t exactly known for being in touch with the lifestyles of everyday people, and discussing spring fashion trends while millions of lives are in jeopardy is frivolous to many. The coronavirus pandemic heightened during the Fall 2020 shows, leading to many cancellations, and has only gotten worse.

All of the upcoming summer events have been cancelled, from Men’s Fashion Week to the resort 2021 shows. Haute couture ateliers in Paris and Milan aside, the coronavirus has brought an economic crisis that has damaged the fashion industry. According to experts, average market capitalization of apparel, fashion, and luxury has decreased by about 40 percent since January—a greater decline than that of the entire stock market. People are losing their jobs, and many companies are going out of business.

Many say this pandemic is

Courtesy of Jackson Warin-Joo

By DEXTER WELLS

nies have begun producing masks, hand sanitizers, and other key commodities to fight the virus.

The landscape of fashion may be altered permanently in a post-coronavirus world. In the aftermath of WWII, the industry experienced a lot of changes, not only in new silhouettes and styles, but also in clothing production.

According to financial experts, the coronavirus could have the biggest economic impact since WWII, so it’s likely we’ll see a similar transformation in the wake of the pandemic. Companies with the best response to the pandemic will be the ones to survive; others will go out of business. Industry leaders will spark conversations about consumption and the globalization of the industry. While there is a lot of uncertainty surrounding the future of fashion, one of the world’s largest and constantly changing industries, one thing remains for certain: whether for better or worse, things will never be the same.

The Spectator ● May 17, 2020

Page 15

Arts and Entertainment Culture

By AGATHA EDWARDS Living in New York City, we are lucky enough to be able to experience museums like the MET, MoMA, and Jewish Heritage, free of charge as students. Now that we won’t be able to visit them for a while, it’s time to take advantage of the virtual tours offered by museums outside NYC. Besides famous and fantastic art museums, there are many more museums out there that encompass fields like science, technology, history, etc. Unfortunately, we may not get to visit all of the ones we want to, as they might be too far away, expensive, or inconvenient.

But now that almost everything has gone virtual, we can experience these museums from the comfort of our own home.

Here are a few of my top choices for museums offering virtual tours: 1. The Smithsonian (Washington, D.C.) The Smithsonian, the largest museum and education and research complex in the world, attracts around 30 million visitors each year. The museums features multiple fields: art, history, culture, science, and technology.

The online tour includes pres-

Music

By ZOE BUFF A 9,270 square feet stage; an empty audience of 3,800 seats; countless crystal chandeliers hanging in silence; a deserted auditorium of red velvet walls; and a golden ceiling sit alone quietly, missing the roar of the timpani and a soprano’s soaring high notes. Yes, it’s true: the lights have dimmed on Lincoln Center’s beloved opera house.

The COVID-19 outbreak did not make things easy for the Metropolitan Opera, a non-profit organization that relies on support from donors and audiences around the world to make up almost half of its revenue. When the outbreak forced the opera house to close and cancel the rest of the 2019-20 season, the company faced one of its toughest challenges yet.

Soon after the inevitable shutdown, the Met Opera began a series of different encore presentations from the company’s “Live in HD” series, initiated by Peter Gelb when he became the Met’s General Manager in 2006, bringing opera performances to cinemas around the world. The encore presentations were released for free through on-demand streaming every night. Hoping to keep their heads above water during this financially difficult time, the Met encouraged viewers to donate on their website.

Nonetheless, the artistic association is missing two months of performances, and nightly encore presentations would not be enough to make up for that lost revenue. As part of its “The Voice Must Be Heard” campaign to support the organization and protect its future, the Met Opera hosted a virtual At-Home Gala, streamed on the website and presented via Skype, on Saturday, April 25. The unprecedented event, hosted by Gelb and music director and acclaimed Canadian conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin, featured

The Best Museums to Explore Virtually ent, past, and permanent exhibits with plenty of pictures and viewing tools, such as 360 degree panoramas with such extreme clarity visitors can zoom in to read the objects’ descriptions. The website includes a map with locations to click on to visit. The Smithsonian is best known for archaeology; visitors can observe and learn about many fossils and bones and experience galleries filled with information about animals from different environments, including the desert, ocean, jungle, and forest. They also have a wide variety of artifacts from different cultures, ranging from prehistoric times to more recently discovered minerals and stones. Though it lacks a voiceover, the zoom-in tool reads all of the item descriptions in each exhibit.

2. The Museum of Flight (Seattle, Washington) This museum, located on the West Coast in Seattle, focuses mainly on aviation and flight, and attracts over 500,000 visitors per year. Though the Museum of Flight is limited to just one subject, it is great for all ages and provides interesting information about how planes are able to fly and how they’ve evolved over the years. They have 360 degree pan-

oramas of many different types of airplanes so that visitors experience what it feels like inside.

Some, like the Boeing models, have additional information about their technology, which includes basic knowledge about space and rocket science; the tour also has photos of what it’s like on the moon, making virtual visitors feel immersed. Though you’re most likely not flying or taking a vacation anywhere now, you can still experience the same thrill looking through this tour.

3. The Louvre (Paris, France) Located in Paris, the Louvre is the largest art museum in the world and attracts about 10 million visitors each year. The museum’s outside and inside exhibits come with a 360 degree panorama view. The museum itself is beautiful to look at, like a medieval castle or something straight out of a fairytale. The tour offers a wide variety of paintings, some of which are inside beautifully decorated rooms with chandeliers, curtains, and other decorations that almost distract from the artwork. It also showcases sculptures and artifacts from different cultures, which can be read about online. The museum is nicely spaced out so that the artifacts aren’t clustered around

each other, which makes the view inside the museum easy to look at. It’s hard to describe the beauty here, so you’ll just have to go and take the tour!

4. The Museum of Science (Boston, Massachusetts) This museum is less than five hours away from NYC, and it’s the only one I’ve visited in person on this list. It’s a very popular science museum (one of the most popular attractions in Boston) that riles in tourists of all age groups, almost 1.7 million per year. The museum offers virtual presentations a couple times a day given by the museum’s educators, the topics of which range from weather conditions, living things, space, and to the coronavirus.

You can also visit exhibits online which contain information about animals, plants, and the environment, climate, and weather, all of which are very relevant to today’s world. The website even offers videos and quizzes at the end of some of the descriptions. These exhibits would especially interest young children, so if you have a younger sibling or cousin, have them check it out, too!

5. NASA Glenn Research Center (Sandusky, Ohio)

Though this isn’t so much a museum, the NASA Glenn Research Center allows viewers to explore one of NASA’s top research facilities in the U.S. It is primarily a science and space attraction that draws over 300,000 visitors per year. The museum showcases airplanes, much like the Museum of Flight, and provides blurbs and videos on how the planes work. The research center also allows visitors to tour objects not found anywhere else, like wind tunnels and a zero gravity area. The museum features laboratory tours and the projects NASA scientists are currently workin on, accompanied with pictures and information blurbs.

If you want to work in this field some day, it might be especially interesting to look at the different laboratory types here and see if they fit your interests.

Honorable Mentions: • The Vatican’s Museum (Vatican City) • National Women’s History Museum (Alexandria, Virginia) • National Museum of Anthropology (Mexico City, Mexico) • Rijksmuseum (Amsterdam, Netherlands) • International Spy Museum (Washington, D.C.)

A Virtual Gala: The Show Continues at the Metropolitan Opera

a star-studded cast of nearly 40 principal artists, each performing from their homes around the world. In addition to solo recitals by leading opera singers, the gala presented pre-recorded performances of the Met Adult Chorus and Orchestra, conducted by Nézet-Séguin. The event was the company’s most ambitious effort to bring music to the world during the lockdown and seek financial support from their audiences.

“This is an extraordinary time for the Met. We are dealing with it as best we can. We are bowed by the coronavirus, but undaunted because we are fighting to ensure the future of this institution,” Gelb said to his company and audiences around the world. “We are launching a major fundraising campaign so that the needs of the Met, which are greater than ever, can be met every night,” he stated.

The gala also paid tribute to members of the Met community lost to the pandemic. Earlier this month, the Met Opera orchestra’s violist Vincent Lionti passed away after contracting the coronavirus. To express their devastation and sorrow, the orchestra came together to create a beautiful pre-recorded tribute, featuring renowned soprano Joyce DiDonato and seven violists. The performance was conducted by NézetSéguin, who said, “To lose him to the virus made this reality so much closer, immediate, that we could lose a member of our family to this threat.”

The gala organized other ensemble performances, such as the Met orchestra’s heartfelt interpretation of the Intermezzo from Mascagni’s “Cavalleria Rusticana” and a brilliant collaboration between the Met chorus and orchestra to perform “Va, pensiero” from Verdi’s opera “Nabucco.” All musicians and singers recorded their parts separately.

Rather than follow a mechanical click-track, they watched a video of Nézet-Séguin air-conducting

to keep tempo, ensuring the natural flow of the music.

There were quite a few notable solo performances from the At-Home Gala. David Chan, one of the Met orchestra’s concertmasters since the 2000/01 season, collaborated with NézetSéguin, who played the piano, in a pre-recorded performance of the Thaïs Meditation, a short, melodic excerpt from Massenet’s three-act opera.

Memorable performances of couples include Roberto Alagna and his wife Aleksandra Kurzak performing an amusing duet from Donizetti’s opera “L’Elisir d’Amore”; Diana Damrau and her husband singing “Là ci darem la mano” from Mozart’s opera “Don Giovanni” in their kitchen in Orange, France; and distinguished bassbaritone Bryn Terfel, accompanied by his wife, harpist Hannah Stone, performing from their living room in Wales. Bass Ildar Abdrazakov sang from his home in Moscow only a few hours before his wife gave birth to their son; Renée Fleming gave a heartwarming rendition of Verdi’s “Ave Maria” from her sunny country house in Virginia, and baritone Peter Mattei, the first performer of the gala, serenaded us with an aria from “Don Giovanni,” accompanied by his neighbor on the accordion from his lakefront home in Stockholm.

Many were disappointed when Russian soprano Anna Netrebko, a widely celebrated artist and one of the major selling points of the gala, and her husband, tenor Yusif Eyvazov, were

unable to appear live. As the final performance of the event, Netrebko and Eyvazov performed in a pre-recorded studio version of a Romance by Rachmaninov.

Netrebko’s absence was amplified

by Gelb’s excessive praise of her, parading her as the Met’s “reigning diva.” His behavior, however, came off as slightly disrespectful to all the other principal singers

Rachel Chuong / The Spectator

from the Met who had taken the time to appear and perform live at the gala on Saturday.

Given the nature of the online gala, the attire of the principal artists varied from glamorous outfits of tuxedo jackets and elegant concert dresses to casual wear of blue jeans and T-shirts. Some artists performed from their kitchens while others fancily decorated their living rooms for the occasion. Georgian mezzo-soprano Anita Rachvelishvili had a “NO AUTOGRAPHS PLEASE” sign on her piano; American soprano Jamie Barton displayed Harry Potter books on the shelf behind her piano; and German bass René Pape performed along with his

little figurine, #PapeDuck, which reflected his signature style and sense of humor.

Surprisingly, there were few technological issues as the virtual stage shifted between countries around the world. The singers each introduced and complimented each other between performances as they passed along the spotlight. The four-hour gala was a wonderful opportunity for the artists to reunite with opera and do what they love best: bring music to audiences all around the world. “Ooh, it’s fun to get to sing again!” Jamie Barton exclaimed at the end of her performance.

Gelb hoped to overcome the Met’s budget deficit of $60 million and financial struggles during the shutdown with the free encore presentations and the AtHome Gala. “There were many small donations but it’s too early to total,” he explained. “This type of program only works because of the horrible conditions that we’re in right now. I got so many e-mails and text messages from people that said that they were in tears for large portions of this program.” The principal artists, along with the Met chorus and orchestra, are all struggling as well. Though their health benefits continue, company members have not been paid since March, a problem seen not just at the Met but in thousands of other non-profit organizations around the world.

The At-Home Gala was a source of endless inspiration, as it surely amplified the magnificent and beautiful voices that must be heard during this time. The Met’s brilliant usage of available technology reminded us of how much we love opera and how much we will miss it for the next few months. As Nézet-Séguin stated, it is a “strange and terrible time.”

But in an inspiring and uplifting message, he declared, “Music and the arts cannot be silenced. We shall return.”

Page 16

The Spectator ● May 17, 2020

Arts and Entertainment

By MORRIS RASKIN 1. “The Scotts” by The Scotts (Travis Scott and Kid Cudi) In a genius move by Travis Scott’s management team, the rapper’s newest collaboration “The Scotts” was premiered during a Fortnite concert with 12.3 million concurrent listeners, giving the track a shortcut to immediate success. In this track, Scott and veteran rapper Kid Cudi perform two verses over a classic Travis Scott beat (airy, sparse keys with thumping percussion), with a nearly minute-long outro highly reminiscent of Scott’s most recent hit “Highest in the Room.”

Quality-wise, the track shows potential, with the vapory, synthdriven outro giving the song a lasting punch and two otherwise passable (if forgettable) verses from Scott and Cudi. If this track is leading to some sort of collaboration project in the vein of Kanye West and Cudi’s “Kid See Ghosts” (2018), then I am very excited to

Thinkpiece

By CHRISTINA PAN The witching hour is fast approaching.

It is nearing three in the morning when I shut off my computer screen and decide to retire to bed.

The house is motionless save for the slight pulsations of the vents. The curtains are swept slightly ajar. Outside it is dark, so dark that I can only see the faint outlines of my bedroom. It looks like a theater set, a television studio.

I have just made my entrance, and I am standing under its floodlights.

I move slowly—imperceptibly—from the desk across the room to the bed. Each touch of my bare feet is a flurry of sparks littering the ground. I hold my breath carefully; I just need a few more steps until— A sharp ping! cuts through the air.

Blasted.

“The audacity,” I think angrily.

“To text at this hour—” The most peculiar thing.

Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky sent you a friend request.

“The name is Pyotr, not Peter,” I mutter. “Mr. Tchaikovsky, not today.”

Yet something piques my attention.

Two hundred twenty three mutual friends.

This is highly unusual.

I click on his profile page.

“The man, the myth, the legend himself,” his bio states. “Reincarnated in 2020.”

His profile photo is an art print. The colors blend in a spectacular array of colors; the canvas is facing the viewer’s right side.

I look further down his profile. “Lives in Moscow… from Saint Petersburg… in an open relationship with Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy—” “This imposter has no respect for the true Tchaikovsky,” I think scathingly. “First the very spelling of the name, then the insolence to state such blasphemy… with Mendelssohn, of all composers.”

Herein my investigation commences.

I am a great admirer of Tchaikovsky’s work. His ballets, his operas, his symphonies, and his con-

A Month in Singles: April Edition see where they take their sound.

If it is a standalone single, it was a pretty good, but unfortunately not a top tier addition to the artists’ discographies.

a trippy rehash of the track of the same name from her 2018 album, with a few flourishes and embellishments. While this track would most likely feel gratuitous had it not been released as a charity single on Earth Day, it’s hard not to appreciate it given the circumstances of its delivery. To sum it up, Musgraves nailed it, as she always does.

2. “Oh, What a World 2.0” by Kacey Musgraves

More artists have recently been releasing alternate versions of songs that switch up the track’s original sound but retain its key components like lyrics and melody (see AJR with “Dear Winter 2.0”).

While the trend is often pointless and adds very little to the meaning or significance of the song, Kacey Musgraves re-released “Oh, What a World” with a clear purpose and intent. All proceeds from the track benefit environmentalist organizations, and Musgraves makes the terrestrial themes very clear.

The track opens with ambient nature sounds and transitions into the classic “Oh, What a World” refrain, with Musgraves nailing the newfound psychedelic feel. From there, the track is just

3. “@ MEH” by Playboi Carti “Deepuhniainbaudashi.”

This is just one of the many nonsensical lines in Playboi Carti’s new bewildering single “@ MEH” that feels like a step in the wrong direction for him as an artist. After bursting onto the scene in 2015 with infectious energy and undeniable charisma, Carti has amassed a rabid fanbase who will fight tooth and nail for the artist to get the respect he deserves, but he can’t seem to stop letting them down.

After teasing his next album for years with snippets, fake release

dates, and cryptic messages, fans thought the rapper would cave and provide them with the mythical “Whole Lotta Red” project they’ve been craving for years. But instead, they got this.

In a track that can essentially be boiled down to two minutes and 45 seconds of gibberish on top of a high-pitched, clicking trap beat, Carti has delivered next to nothing content-wise with similar levels of quality. On “@ MEH,” Carti has nothing at all to say, no point to get across, and not even a coherent flow or pronunciation of the words he tries to arrange into what some might call a sentence. All in all, this track was a complete misstep for the still upand-coming rapper and definitely not worth the loyal fans it ended up costing him.

4. “Level of Concern” by Twenty One Pilots Twenty One Pilots is not a band known for hopping on trends or cultural waves, but when

a pandemic sweeps the world, sometimes you just have to do a little something special. On “Level of Concern,” the band croons about the person in their lives who can help lower anxiety in moments of distress. While most artists who have tried to turn the coronavirus lifestyle into a hit song have failed in terms of quality (see Drake’s “Toosie Slide” or Turbo’s “Quarantine Clean”), Twenty One Pilots have managed to create a song that feels well thought out and perfectly timed, as opposed to the clearly rushed cash grabs many of their contemporaries are releasing with increasing frequency.

Josh Dunn and Tyler Joseph are able to pull off a ‘90s dance vibe on their newest single, with disco drums and pulsating bass grooves that propel the song forward and give a nostalgic feel.

Paired with clever lyrics, a high energy music video, and charitybound proceeds, it’s undeniable that “Level of Concern” is a triumph by the duo and a great addition to their growing discography.

The Peculiar Reincarnation of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky certos are timeless.

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was born—not in Saint Petersburg— but in Kamsko-Votkinsk, Russia, in 1840. He started piano lessons at the age of five and demonstrated an early disposition toward music. Tchaikovsky’s compositions include 11 operas, seven symphonies, four concertos, three ballets, three string quartets, and numerous other songs, suites, and works. His revered “Piano Concerto No. 1” (1874-5) and “Violin Concerto in D major” (1878) are considered staples in classical repertoire. His three ballets, “Swan Lake” (1877), “The Sleeping Beauty” (1889), and “The Nutcracker Suite” (1892), are among the most famous ballets of all time. His operas, including “Romeo and Juliet” (1867), “Eugene Onegin” (1879), and “The Queen of Spades” (1890), are still performed in opera houses around the world.

Tchaikovsky’s music has a special place in my heart. Emotion defines every contour of his music.

His work is dramatic and evocative, calling in vivid images fueled by harmonies imbued with intense passion and thoughtful orchestral touches.

His operas and overtures— including Shakespearean tragedies like “Romeo and Juliet” and “Hamlet”—tug your heartstrings for lingering words left unsaid, stolen moments, and broken hearts. His ballets enter another dimension, one of fairy tales and far-away lands, from the Sugar Plum fairy’s dance in “The Nutcracker Suite” to the gorgeous Rose Adage in “The Sleeping Beauty.” Let yourself be whisked away to a fantasy world where good triumphs and evil fails.

His single violin concerto is almost irresistible, combining the likes of Beethoven, Brahms, Sibelius, and Dvořák in one concerto (you might want to keep these names in mind, by the way).

Tchaikovsky wrote the violin concerto at a very difficult time, filled with problems in his personal life.

In many of his letters and diaries, Tchaikovsky details his struggles with his sexual orientation.Tchai-

kovsky married Antonina Miliukova, partly to appease his family and “rid” his homosexual tendencies, in 1877. The marriage was disastrous. Compounded with the truth of his sexuality, it left him with a deep sense of guilt, shame, and despair with the apprehension that Antonina might fully realize and reveal his orientation.

Tchaikovsky’s despair, however, can only be truly understood not through words, but through his music. Violinist Maxim Vengerov in his 2012 masterclass states: “He suffered so much.

Sammi Chen / The Spectator

Music

When I play his music, I suffer like I would be suffering in his place […] he cries in his music.

The music was an escape for him.

It was an expression of his heart.”

Tchaikovsky’s music is special to me, which is why I have brought it upon myself to investigate this curious revitalization of Facebook composers.

Upon the date of this publication, this “Tchaikovsky” has garnered over 1,000 Facebook friends, the majority of them Stuyvesant students. Unless it is some crude joke initiated by Bronx Science or the like, it is my belief that the individual behind “Tchaikovsky” currently attends Stuyvesant.

Let us examine further.

“Tchaikovsky” first updated his profile picture on February 15. Thus, we can assume that the account was created almost three months ago, prior to the quarantine situation.

“Tchaikovsky” updated his relationship status to “In a Com-

plicated Relationship” on March 22. This, at least to some degree, holds a certain amount of truth.

On the same day, the imposter updated his cover photo and profile photo. Both of them are art prints.

Since then, “Tchaikovsky” has plundered through multiple Stuyvesant groups and posts of the like. The imposter seems to hold a deep appreciation for Tchaikovsky’s music, in spite of their major historical inaccuracies (seriously, is it that difficult to get the spelling of “Pyotr” correct?).

“Tchaikovsky” has often posted updates on his music, including his violin concerto, the opera “Eugene Onegin,” and the string sextet “Souvenir de Florence.”

From what I have gathered through numerous hours on Facebook, the imposter behind “Tchaikovsky” is 1. a Stuyvesant student; 2. relatively polite, if not a bit arrogant (you will see shortly) 3. terrible at history, and 4. appreciates his music.

There is little to go on, yet the mystery thickens.

Sophomore Clara Shapiro and junior Liam Kronman confessed that they were the individuals behind “Tchaikovsky” on March 25.

“I am Tchaikovsky on Facebook. It’s kind of like my thing— keep it quiet,” Shapiro stated in a recorded confession.

“Clara, I’ve had enough of your persistent budging. If you want the truth—okay. I. Am. ‘Peter’ Ilyich Tchaikovsky,” countered Kronman.

If this wasn’t confusing enough, the following day Shapiro posted another confession complete with a GIF of “Dance of the Little Swans.”

“Yeomen! Serfs! Clergymen!” the post reads. “The muse has visited—Corona has inspired me to change my name to TchaiCOUGHsky. No longer will I pretend to be Tchaikovsky, a Russian Man I am not.”

“Tchaikovsky” publicly countered this post, stating “How dare you use my name in such a manner! I am shocked by how rude and insolent you mortals can be.

First you attempt to steal my identity… then you mock my name.

This is no way to treat one of the world’s greatest composers.”

A post-apocalyptic world has since ensued.

It started slowly. It was yet another fateful day when Sergei Rachmaninov friend-requested me. Then came Igor Stravinsky.

Then Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov.

Next Johann Sebastian Bach. After, Niccolò Paganini. Then came Antonin Dvořák and later Johann (though it should be Johannes...)

Brahms. Lastly came Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy.

Then came Mao Zedong.

From where that came, I have no idea.

All of this left me feeling supremely confused and overwhelmed. I could not investigate nine composers (cough Mao Zedong… why are you here) all at once, nor could I wrap my head around this unusual phenomenon.

I took it upon myself to directly message this “Tchaikovsky.”

I approached “Tchaikovsky” with an air of cool professionalism mixed with a fangirl-esque style of flattery.

“Hello, Mr. Tchaikovsky,” I wrote. “My name is Christina Pan. I am a great admirer of your music… I’ve been longing to play your violin concerto from the moment I touched the violin… yes, I’d better get practicing, stop procrastinating (the official-unofficial term to procrastinate practice) you know… my teacher recently said my playing sounded like sour cream… it hurt me deeply... I’ve been wondering who is behind this all and would like to know who you truly are.”

“Tchaikovsky” replied within the hour of my messages.

“Ms. Pan, I am glad that you appreciate my music,” the message read. “To answer your questions; yes, I am a current student at Stuyvesant; yes, I appreciate and love music; yes, I may suck at history; and yes, I do love Tchaikovsky.”

The message was cryptic. It led to only more pathways down infinite, winding loops. In that moment, I was the protagonist; I felt like Sherlock Holmes—analyzing, deconstructing, and pondering.

Wondering.

Whoever you are, “Peter” Ilyich Tchaikovsky…

I’m watching you.

The Spectator ● May 17, 2020

Page 17

Arts and Entertainment “Pray for Paris”: A Victory for Westside Gunn’s Health and Career

Music

By KYLE CHANG

decorates the project with diversified sounds that could have become stale in their absence. The best example is “327,” which features Tyler, the Creator; Joey Bada$$; and Billie Essco. With a smooth chorus by Essco over a soft and mellow instrumental,

Griselda Records founder and artist Westside Gunn released his third studio album, “Pray for Paris,” shortly after revealing the triumphant fact that he is now a survivor of COVID-19. With this album, the Buffalo native reinforces his already established East Coast influenced raps, filling the full-length LP with lush instrumentals backed by pounding boom-bap beats and a nasal delivery. Gunn offers much of the same content as he had in the past, touching on themes of drug dealing, wealth, and the life of a gangster. His aggressive lyrics contrast nicely with the more mellow beats and complement the hard-hitting drum loops. The beats go from angelic (as heard on “No Vacancy”) to dirty and grimy minutes later on the following track (see “George Bondo”). This formula of solid lyricism over a chill yet energetic beat is really on display throughout the whole album.

What stands out is how Gunn

Though Westside Gunn’s performance on almost every track is solid as always, his rapping arsenal often seems limited and one dimensional, especially on this project.

Bada$$ and Tyler each give a refreshing take on the song; Bada$$ gives an expectedly great rap performance, and Tyler brings back his older, grittier style of rap his fans have been missing for a while.

Though Gunn’s performance on almost every track is solid as always, his rapping arsenal seems

sonically appealing chorus, unfortunately ruin a few otherwise quality tracks like “French Toast” and “Allah Sent Me.” But Gunn is able to pick the album back up with the last three tracks on the project. After a clear nod to late legendary New York rappers Prodigy and Phife Dawg, Gunn bodies the DJ Premier pro-

duced track, “Shawn vs. Flair,” boasting his incredibly fitting flow and delivery. On the very next track “Party wit Pop Smoke” (a tribute to recently murdered New York rapper Pop Smoke), Gunn features Tyler once again, this time utilizing Tyler’s best musical trait: production. On this track, Tyler showcases his ability to build around a sample, contributing his own artistic voice while maintaining the beat’s simplicity. Griselda poet Keisha Plum adds a unique touch to the song, accompanying the warm keys with a verse of her own. The project ends with “LE Djoliba,” yet another strong track with a great verse and an even better tap dance solo by Cartier Williams, nicely wrapping up the 41-minute album.

Despite releasing another standard Gunn project that can seem repetitive without any cohesive concept or direction, the wellestablished rapper still manages to sharpen his skills a little more. In doing so, he creates a decent listen for rap fans in general and does justice to his East Coast roots.

Here’s a (Not So) Little Story I’ve Got to Tell

Film

By ROXY PERAZZO

Anxiety — Indie

By THE ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT DEPARTMENT Ah yes, the two extreme ends of the mental spectrum during quarantine. At this point, they may have even merged together.

Overwhelming anxiety or pastel indie—take your pick!

Will I See You Soon Fuvk Indie Pop Once In a Lifetime Talking Heads Alternative Lemon Boy Cavetown Alternative Ain’t It Funny Danny Brown Alternative Rap Getting Married Today Stephen Sondheim Musical Theater Numb Linkin Park Alternative Rock Butterflies Tamrin Ghai Pop Hysteria Def Leppard Rock Crazy Gnarls Barkley Electronica 1999 beabadoobee Alternative / Indie

Nicholas Evangelinos / The Spectator

Feeling strangely nostalgic about the ‘80s despite being born in the 2000s? Stuck at home with nothing new to watch? A big fan of rap music? Then “Beastie Boys Story” is perfect for you. Directed

by Spike Jonze, the film isn’t so much a documentary focusing on the career of legendary hip-hop group Beastie Boys as one about three kids from New York City growing up and taking control of their creative legacy.

“Beastie Boys Story,” now streaming on Apple TV+, is a tribute to the lasting impact of Beastie Boys as told by their own Michael Diamond (Mike D) and Adam Horovitz (Ad-Rock). Notably missing of course is Adam Yauch (MCA), who passed away in 2012 from cancer. Unlike other documentaries, “Beastie Boys Story” was filmed in front of a live audience at Brooklyn’s legendary Kings Theater; the members speak on stage, giving it a more intimate and casual tone—like a less academic TED Talk. Though definitely scripted, as seen in their jokes about the teleprompters, their dynamic feels more like a casual reunion of friends.

The film was originally slotted to premiere at the South by Southwest festival and subsequently show as a limited release in selected IMAX theaters. Due to the cancellation of the festival due to COVID-19, however, the documentary was instead made available for streaming on April 24.

Director Jonze first collaborated with the band in the 1990s for the music videos of their songs “Sure Shot” and “Sabotage.”

Jonze’s background in shooting and directing skate videos is clear in the creative angles and lenses used in the film, as well as the piecing together of many short clips to create a cohesive story.

Though “Beastie Boys Story” is a live performance, Jonze’s style is still evident in how the clips fit perfectly with the evolution of the band.

The story is split into several “chapters,” starting with their beginnings in 1980s New York City

limited and one dimensional, especially on this project. A few tracks feel extremely derivative of previous ones, making the latter half a tougher listen. The recurring ad-libs that drag out for just a second too long, as well as his inability to write a catchy or even

Playlist

Cosmic Love Florence + The Machine Alternative / Indie Favorite Color is Blue Robert DeLong Alternative Rock / Pop

as a “hardcore” band. The film documents the band’s growth from a punk band into a rap trio, including the falling-out with original drummer and Stuyvesant High School alum, Kate Schellenbach.

With the band transitioning from the New York City punk rock to the rap scene, Schellenbach didn’t fit with their new dynamic, leading to Horovitz, Diamond, and Yauch phasing her out of the band in a way they would later regret. Schellenbach’s eviction from the band had a lasting impact on all three members and was pivotal in their evolution into unexpected feminists. Though definitely misogynistic in their early days, the Beastie Boys changed their attitudes and behavior drastically as they got older, as seen in “Sure Shot,” a 1994 single where Yauch sings, “I want to say a little something that’s long overdue / The disrespect to women has to got to be through.” After its release, the group was often questioned about the integrity of that line, to which Yauch responded, “I’d rather be a hypocrite than the same person forever.”

Moving into the next chapters, Diamond and Horovitz said the new songs or albums “changed

everything,” the first being the song “Cooky Puss” (yes, that ice cream cake from Carvel). “Cooky Puss” opened the Beastie Boys up to the nightclub scene of the ‘80s, including a gig at the famed Studio 54. The song also led them to Rick Rubin, who co-founded Def Jam with Russell Simmons in 1984.

After establishing their beginnings, the documentary delves into the impact their first LP, “Licensed To Ill,’’ had not only on the band, but also on the world.

Their song “(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (to Party!),” originally a joke about frat guys, became the Beastie Boys anthem and the signature dynamic between the three bandmates. Keeping up with that lifestyle proved to be too difficult for the three, leading to a slight falling-out after multiple tours, during which they were briefly living in separate cities and weren’t creating music together. This is when their story becomes less about fighting for their right to party and more about fighting for their right to have creative control. Pressure from Def Jam to make a new record led to the band’s departure from the label to Capitol Records. Ultimately, the switch to Capitol was good, as it

gave the Beastie Boys the creative flexibility to create “Paul’s Boutique,” which brought the band back together again.

In terms of creating a fun look into the history of Beastie Boys, “Beastie Boys Story” does an excellent job at showing those memories and the hardships that came with them. From a fan’s perspective, the film humanizes the Beastie Boys and creates an even stronger connection between fans and their music. The story of the band is already great, and the combination of Horovitz and Diamond’s chemistry, Jonze’s direction, and the incredible script makes “Beastie Boys Story” an unforgettable documentary.

“Beastie Boys Story” is not just a description of Beastie Boys’ history; it’s also a history lesson on the origins of rap music. It’s a coming of age story. It’s a love letter to New York City. It’s a story about losing sight of who you are and finding yourself again. It’s a eulogy to one of the most creative and thoughtful musicians in modern history. Perhaps most importantly, it’s a nostalgia-filled narrative of the evolution of a band not only as musicians, but also as friends.

Under Pressure Queen and David Bowie Rock my ted talk mxmtoon Indie Disorder Joy Division Rock My Mistake Vampire Weekend Alternative / Indie fuzzy Zuli Indie Pop Real’s Not Real King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard Indie On The Edge David Hein and Irene Sankoff Musical Theater Anywhere But Here Samantha Barks Musical Theater Falling for U Peachy ft. mxtmtoon Indie Pop

The Spectator ● May 17, 2020

Page 18

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

The Best Animal Crossing Villager to Cuddle With in Quarantine

By AARON WANG and KELLY YIP

With the onset of quarantine, many excruciatingly bored and lonely individuals are seeking asylum in Nintendo’s latest Animal Crossing game, Animal Crossing: New Horizons. After all, the game promises an “escape to your personal island paradise.” For those seeking attention and affection in the times of social distancing, New Horizons offers the perfect solution with its assortment of 402 unique villagers for you to interact with and befriend. Among those 402 villagers however, a select few stand out for their proficiency at not only fulfilling the quarantine needs of most individuals, but also having quirks that elevate them beyond other villagers. And if it wasn’t already clear, they’re virtual, so social distancing rules don’t apply!

With this in mind, we decided to analyze the cuddly-ness and uwu levels of each villager to see which would be the perfect match for lonely students in quarantine, because we can. Now, you might be wondering how we managed to rule out so many potential candidates. The process was quite simple.

First, it’s important to understand that there are eight unique personality traits that villagers possess: cranky, jock, lazy, smug, normal, peppy, snooty, and uchi (sisterly). Right off the bat, we’re just gonna eliminate the cranky, smug, and snooty personality types, because we don’t need that type of toxicity in our lives, especially during such a stressful period. New Horizons should be a paradise getaway, and all that toxicity is certainly not appreciated.

That’s 163 villagers eliminated right off the bat.

We also decided to eliminate the jocks, because nobody wants to be reminded of their poor physique all the time. We personally would not like to be reminded that we do not have stronk biceps and

that we most definitely are not swole. There’s another 76 gone.

Next, we decided that the lazy personality types needed to go as well. There’s an unsettling, incriminating feeling when you see yourself reflected as a villager, and cuddling with yourself definitely doesn’t make you feel any less lonely. There goes 75 more.

After much consideration, we came to the conclusion that the normal villagers would have to be eliminated as well. They’re more basic than a 52.1M solution of NaOH. Why travel to an exotic island paradise just to meet boring, average villagers? Individuals in quarantine need entertainment!

They need something unique! Which all goes to say that we’ve eliminated another 75 villagers.

Furthermore, we had to eliminate the peppy types. These villagers are known to be very positive and enthusiastic, but why are they so… ecstatic? This irritating trait is only made more unsettling by the fact that we are in quarantine. What’s there to be so happy about? Something has to be wrong with them, and you must virtually distance yourselves from these maniacs. No one is allowed to be THAT happy, and their overbearing positivity will only remind you of your husk of a soul, which is why we had to say goodbye to another 65.

Finally, we have one single personality type left: the uchi, or sisterly, type. We also deemed these villagers not fit for interacting with. Why would you get another sister to tell you what you are doing wrong with your life when you already have the ones you are stuck with forever, or none? Also, why would you cuddle with your sister? That raises… other issues.

So that rids 23 more villagers.

Currently, we are left with negative 75 villagers to cuddle with.

We decided to take the absolute value of this statistic, as negative numbers are difficult to work with in the natural plane, and we must stay positive. Next, we decided to divide 75 by 15, because if you actually read The Spectator you will find that we are on issue 15.

Soph ie

Poget / The Spectator

We are left with the number five, which signifies the top five candidates. To determine our top five candidates, we, of course, had to choose our top five favorites.

Here they are as follows: Zucker: an octopus that resembles a takoyaki. If it doesn’t make you salivate just thinking about him, his tentacles will. Zucker has tentacles and suction cups, which allow for a more intimate cuddling experience. This intimacy is especially favorable due to your deprivation of social interaction in the past several weeks. Our only issue is that he might be a bit too clingy, especially with those sticky tentacles of his.

Stuyvesant Sports Teams Have Record Season

Raymond: a smug cat who won over our hearts with his impeccable fashion sense, especially regarding his choice to not wear any pants. Though we don’t love the smug personality trait, we just couldn’t help but make an exception for his avant-garde style and his sexy, mesmerizing multicolored eyes. Raymond can use us as his scratching post anyday, and we would be okay with that (disclaimer: cat scratch disease is a real ailment and should not be treated lightly). Our only concern is that his preference of being pants-less might be disagreeable for some, but c’mon, who really needs to wear pants these days when you’re only showing your face on video conferences?

K.K. Slider: a roaming, naked dog celebrity who makes some hip tunes. No one can resist his

Shirley Tan/ The Spectator

school notorious for academic dishonesty, many have accused its students of athletic dishonesty, otherwise known as doping.

We asked sophomore and student-athlete Blaise Ite about these accusations. “I’m gonna be honest with you guys. I have been stoned out of my mind during this entire quarantine, but that has nothing to do with sports. In fact, I’m pretty sure it makes me worse at sports,” Ite said. “I tried to do a pull-up yesterday but instead just walked to the kitchen and poured myself some corn flakes.”

No matter the cause, it is astonishing to see Stuyvesant’s athletic program turn a new leaf with its undefeated spring season. This new rush of sports prowess is totally not because all of the PSAL sports events have been canceled due to corona.

No. Stuyvesant High School is just that good at sports.

guitar serenade. His thick eyebrows and lack of clothing are the elements of anyone’s dream companion. He also has the ability to appear in your dreams and call you “daddio,” and that’s makin’ us feel euphoric tingles inside (yes, this is actual game content).

Isabelle: an adorable, yellow, fluffy dog secretary. She is the essence of perfection and pure waifu material. She is also a certified “smasher” (having appeared in Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros.

Ultimate). Though theorized to secretly possess iron thighs and bulging biceps underneath her adorable outfit, it is undeniable that she can pulverize any threat that comes your way, whether it be a jealous ex-villager, an ex in real life, or even COVID-19.

Our Winner: Isabelle.

If it wasn’t already obvious, Isabelle is unrivaled in the professional field of cuddling, and she has remarkable qualities that distinguish her from all the other villagers. Isabelle is friendly, polite, hardworking, and always EAGER to serve you. If these aren’t the characteristics that every individual currently in isolation is seeking, then we don’t know what is.

Isabelle also has 19 engineering degrees from separate universities, according to her brother. Those extra slips of paper will be quite useful as alternatives for toilet paper, which is an essential resource that’s currently in high demand!

Talk about a soulmate who’s not only lovable, but also readily available to provide for you! Not to mention, according to the fandom wiki, Isabelle doesn’t have a personality, which is the only personality that has yet to be eliminated out of the eight personalities we mentioned above. To sum it all up, she can smash both ways, if you know what we mean.

We want to squish Isabelle.

The end.

Student Union Rumored to be Dead, Brain Dead, or Just Fine

By CHRISABELLA JAVIER

By JORDAN BARAKAT

Ever since the spring season for PSAL sports began back in March, Stuyvesant’s diverse range of sports teams has been on an undefeated streak. For example, last year, the cricket team, the [???], had a win-loss record of 2-9. However, this year, the team has had a win-loss record of 0-0. Compared to last year, the contrast is amazing. And look, it might not look like much, but there is a zero in the loss section that isn’t part of a 10, and that’s what matters. This shocking amount of losses isn’t an isolated event: all the teams that play in the spring season have had a similar phenomenon of an undefeated streak during the 2020 PSAL spring season.

Student-athletes, parents, and fellow peers have been quick to praise the passionate and talented physical education staff for Stuyvesant’s recent success. When we questioned Athletics Director Peter Bologna about this change, he responded, “I don’t know you. Why are you calling me at 3:00 in the morning about this? School is closed. Why are you still trying to talk to your teachers? I have a life, you know.

Don’t you have a life?”

However, it is definitely peculiar as to how Stuy has gone from its sorry athletic state to a school that has yet to be defeated this season. While nobody questions the talent of Stuyvesant’s coaches, it is inevitable that salty people with nothing else to do in their lives are going to question the validity of Stuyvesant’s results. In a

Tommy: the tanooki son of the wealthy capitalist and well-known corporate owner of Nook Incorporated, Tom Nook. He is certainly able to lend you some of daddy’s cash during these hard times. After all, his family runs the Getaway Package, a furniture and clothing line, and a phone company, and seemingly has an infinite amount of bells (the currency, by the way) to pay for the weed(s) you brought in. Much like how you have daddy issues, Tommy has daddy issues. His brother Timmy often steals the spotlight in the shop, while Tommy is left to roam on his own.

We can definitely relate to our parents leaving us in the middle of nowhere and having no faith in us to have a job, so mutual bonding shall be done with ease. Our only issue is that he is probably illegal.

Super adorbs though.

Good morning, Stuyvesant students.

It’s me, your official Stuyvesant Humor correspondent for the assorted affairs of the Student Union (SU).

The SU is known for its elitism, corrupt policy, and position as definitely the lamest union to be a part of in general (Happy May Day). While teachers’ unions provide dental care, the closest thing that students get to health insurance is the time I fell asleep in the Hudson and had such a good nap that some random guy decided to practice his CPR skills. But you might have realized that we have not seen any of the members of the SU faceto-face in an entire month.

Disappearances by the leaders of the SU are not uncommon. But usually, these disappearances correspond with different parts of the year: a two-month-long absence from the public eye in the summertime and two weeks at the end of December. These breaks are called “summer break” and “winter break” by observers. This absence is remarkable because while it overlaps with the usual week-long spring absence, it is much longer than usual for the SU. Because of this, there have been rumors flying around that the leaders of the SU have all collectively suffered a fatal accident and died, and this

was covered up in order to prevent unnecessary panic.

There have been many conflicting reports about the status of the SU leaders.

An unpublished submission found in the archives of the Stuyvesant Confessions page reported that the SU members all died in a freak yacht accident and claimed that the accident was the real reason behind the cancellation of JProm. A highranking SU official’s teacher said that in light of the student’s recent test scores, they were probably brain-dead. A&E editor Morris Raskin then contacted me with an email saying, “What are you doing? They’re not dead; you’re just not at school. Are you okay?” However, I cannot confirm the validity of the email, as Raskin’s status as a living being is also in question. In fact, everyone outside my field of view, for all intents and purposes, is ambiguously alive.

Ultimately, it fell to me to investigate the truth. I had to see if I could communicate with the leaders of the SU through official and approved ways of access. To test this, I sent Vishwaa Sofat a pretty good meme on Messenger. I didn’t get any response, so either he is physically dead or just too emotionally dead to respond with a haha reacc.

So, the leaders of the SU are either dead or they are not. It is one of the two.

Now, give me my paycheck.

The Spectator ● May 17, 2020

Page 19

Humor Credit Where Credit Is Due

By OLIVER STEWART

lect the grades I wanted to change to CR, and once I had done so, I all but forgot about the whole thing. From there, I set out to enjoy the rest of my Thursday, and having resolved to give myself a treat now that physics was behind me, I blew off all my classwork and spent the day reading mystery novels.

I went to sleep that night with my mind ill at ease, though I could not quite place what it was that had so unnerved me. When sleep did come, it was fitful, and several times I thought I had glimpsed a dark form moving near the foot of my bed, to my desk and back again. Frozen with terror, I lay as if glued to my bed, and though I am not a religious man, I prayed to God for deliverance until sleep took me once more.

When I awoke, I could not believe the scene I saw before me.

My papers, which I make a habit of aligning in neat stacks on my desk, were scattered and torn, some even on the very bed in

When I was given the option to mark my physics grade as “Credit Received,” (CR) rather than have the 80 appear on my transcript, there seemed to be but one logical option. I had been struggling to wrap my head around physics concepts since the beginning of my studies in the field, and with the advent of remote learning, I began to fall further and further behind, despite my most valiant efforts. For a period I despaired, but when Mayor Bill de Blasio and Chancellor Richard Carranza rolled out the revised grading system in late April, I saw a chance to alter the historical record and ensure my embarrassment was not forever preserved on my report card.

For all the fuss over how universities would react to CR marks on student transcripts, the act itself was stunningly easy. All I needed to do was log onto the newly improved Talos site and se-

The Life and Death of Talos

By GABRIEL HUANG Hey, you. This virus sucks, doesn’t it? Google is having the time of its life as people scramble to figure out how to use Google Meets and Google Classroom.

Teachers are laughing in absolute joy as they give you every single assignment, taking 15 minutes out of their day and two hours out of yours. You, on the other hand, are crushed under the combined might of SEVEN-plus teachers. Obviously, people are either getting cucked or taking free vacations.

But, a few groups of people are really getting a kick out of this crisis. They’re raking in record-high profits! Can you guess who they are? Hygiene companies! Purell, Kleenex, and even Kimberly-Clark are absolutely popping off! In a month, they went from irrelevant to supremely important: they have one of their products every 100

istry class I aced last year, this guy’s the one making sure I don’t take too hard a schedule.” One sophomore even took to putting in 15 versions of each of her very minor program changes, just so she could get some more of his attention.

Even critics of his expressed admiration for him. Another

tomary number of gym classes, it taught me to meditate! Now, no matter how many assignments, rejection letters, emails, projects, or flying objects you throw at me, I will still remain calm and motionless.” He later added that Talos really improved his English grade due to the plethora of incomprehensible prerequisite lists Talos

sophomore said, “I’ve always looked up to how deeply I imagine Talos sleeps. If only I could sleep through my programming nightmares as well as Talos sleeps through thousands of programming requests!” One senior claimed that Talos had inadvertently helped him through college rejection season. “Though at first, I didn’t exactly appreciate having to wait two weeks to have the cus-

made him read.

Some even claimed that Talos was the Stuyvesant’s greatest equalizer (okay, maybe the second greatest, after transit issues).

Being equally stressful for both teachers and students, it was a real step toward equitable administration. As one parent put it, “Talos brings strong and warm feelings to all of us—some of us our hearts, and others, our heads.

Ka Seng Soo / The Spectator

By NORA MILLER My dear friends, I fear that you already know what has just come to pass. As the program office announced recently, our favorite bronze giant has recently passed, having been replaced by some attempt at a doppelgänger. Now, if you all could just pause your joyous singing for a moment, I’d like to say a few words remembering the great Talos.

Talos, wrought out of bronze by seasoned Stuyvesant veteran Rodda John in spring 2018, was always interested in world domination. Despite his creator’s intentions, he was an ambitious giant. From the moment his enormous twisted claws were affixed to the supercomputer controlling the academic records of all Stuyvesant students, he knew he loved his job. And so, he told his creator. As John monotonically later revealed to The Spectator in a private interview, “Talos had a habit of enthusiastically punching his fist through the ceiling, walls, or really anything in his vicinity each time he finished a student’s schedule. That was when I realized, to my dismay, that the big guy actually had feelings.”

Not only was Talos’s enthusiasm as powerful as him, but it was also infectious. “Talos? I love the guy,” said junior Robotlov Ere. “From preventing me from taking my required AP Spanish class to putting me back in the chem-

which I had been sleeping. Draw- career, stresses, and accomplishers were left open and askew, the ments, I was struck by just how contents of my backpack dumped precise the markings on my planunceremoniously on the floor, ner truly were. While it appeared and seemingly no metaphorical to have been chewed on, only stone left unturned in the utter o n e part was really missdestruction of my chambers. ing—a thin strip of One item in particueach page, which by lar caught my eye. process of elimiUnderneath nation I quickly the shredrealized was ded wreckage the section of what had marked once been a “Scienccopy of Ernest es.”

H e m i n g w a y ’s I saw no “The Sun Also point in reRises,” I spotted porting a burtor glary—after all, a colorful sheet of pecta S e h n/T plastic which I soon no natural force a Che Sabrin identified as the cover could have caused what of my academic planner.

I saw. Instead I salvaged what I The planner itself was more in- could of my papers and tried to tact than most of the rest of my move past the whole thing. As my belongings, but it too was torn possessions slowly came together asunder. As I leafed through the and gained some semblance of sodden remnants of the book order, I was able to paint a clearer which had once contained the picture of the casualties of that highs and lows of my Stuyvesant dreadful night. My graphing cal-

Now, will someone please find me a Tylenol?”

However, there was one group of people Talos never did seem to conquer the hearts of.

The deans were always suspicious of the bronze giant, whose habit of stealing everyone’s coffee and then running around like an 11foot tall three-year-old angered many. A rumor begun by none other than Assistant Principal of Security Brian Moran himself implicated Talos in the recent escalator closures. “Ever wonder why the two to three is always broken?

It’s because of whatever the [EXPLETIVE] that monster keeps doing down there! He’s not gonna keep smashing his ugly fists through ceilings and escalators while I’m around, that’s for sure.”

Additionally, just the daily upkeep of the giant proved an inconvenience for the administration. “Do you know how many cellphones I have to confiscate and sell on eBay just to pay for this guy’s Starbucks? Half by daily haul, that’s how many,” said Spanish teacher Manual Simon, another dean enraged by the giant.

His stormy relationship with the administration, we believe, may have caused his tragic end.

John’s intention to create a programming overlord even more robotic and emotionless than himself had backfired early, perhaps due to the fact that robots can never reach the levels of sleep deprivation and vitamin D deficien-

The Real People Behind the Coronavirus square feet! While restaurants, small business chains, and retail stores flop, these guys are coming out on top, smelling like a fresh batch of sanitizing wipes.

They’re almost doing a little too well. It seems like they’ve been capitalizing right at the beginning at the outbreak, with face mask sales suddenly rising even when multiple media sites claimed that face masks did not prevent you from catching the coronavirus. Amazon and Target’s shelves had all been cleared within the first month as foolish consumers flocked to cleanse themselves.

Doesn’t it seem strange for Americans, a group of people notoriously known to wait to the last minute, to flee to their nearest Costco to stock up on toilet paper and hand soap to protect themselves from a virus that was largely believed to be restrained to the Eastern Hemisphere? If this isn’t a miracle for

baby wipes, I don’t know what is! ers coming back. Their scientists The answer is all too obviand engineers, after previously ous to a genius like me. The focusing on how to eliminate aforementioned compapathogens, definitely knew nies that were tired of how to create one that their sales being stagnant could not be stopped after and boring and tired that studying them for so long. no one cared about hyAfter all, the longer it lives, giene, were behind all of the longer people buy their prodthis. These companies, ucts. News sources continue knowing that they couldn’t to post record-high numbers band together to just form and spread fear all around a monopoly on their the country, doing the bidgoods, joined forces to ding of these corporations create an innovative sowithout even knowing it. lution—a solution that In every room of every would indirectly lead to school, a bottle of Purell sat massive profits and keep innocently at the doorway. their hands clean.

All over the world, soap They spent months was in demand for the slowly tweaking the vifirst time. The first step of rus’s genetic code to their plan was complete. or their needs, maximiz- Laurina Xie / The Spectat Then, they cleverly ing contagion to instill managed the demand-supfear within the population while ply chain. Knowing that their curlowering lethality to keep custom- rent production status would not

culator, crushed beyond repair; my physics notebook, parts of which were gone altogether and other parts of which seemed to have been savaged by either a long blade or—and I dread to think of it—the claws of some unimaginable beast. Only it was a beast I could imagine, and all too often did; a beast I had glimpsed as it laid waste to my earthly possessions.

It is said that solitude gives rise to paranoia, and having been given ample cause for the latter, my isolated state led quickly to my mental facilities deteriorating as I hid myself away in my quarters in fear of what lay outside. Despite my best efforts, I could not entirely stymie the flow of information from the outside, and it was through these trickles of news (relayed by telegram and passed under my door by my landlady) that I learned of a string of unsettling occurrences bearing uncanny resemblances to mine own.

To be continued…

cy seen in former Stuyvesant students. However, the rift between them was a recent development.

“He keeps trying to make me tell him my passw-… wait what is that… AAAHHHHHH!!!” he said in November 2019, before glancing at an enormous figure shadowing the door and running away. John was later rumored to be found entrapped in the lair where he created Talos, working furiously at his forge and computer while the bronze giant banged at the door. Leaked documents between John and other administrators detail secret plans to construct a “small, soft, floofy giant” to take Talos’s place. A manifesto titled Bronze and Gore was believed to be circulated before Talos’s murder, which from the super trustworthy video hacked off of Assistant Principal Francesca McAuliffe’s phone, appears to be executed by a group of nine masked assistant principals.

Considering the truly horrific death of Talos, it is all the more insulting that the administration recently replaced Talos with a nearly identical bronze giant, a rude mockery of the one we knew and loved. Let us not forget the loss of the real and true Talos, the giant with a giant heart. His boundless, ceilingless ambition and magnetic personality are an inspiration to us all, including all of you haters, and we will continue to remember his spirit—even if it means breaking escalators.

be able to keep up with the influx of orders, they instead used that information to their advantage. They set aside about 100,000 packages of their products in their headquarters. Why? Well, as the shelves were emptied and Amazon ran out of goods, people would still be looking to replenish their emptied hygiene products. Disguised as hundreds of separate sellers on Ebay, Craigslist, and even the black market, representatives from these companies began to slowly sell away their reserves at outrageous prices, getting the companies even more big bucks.

It’s begun. The first experiment has been successful. Inevitably, there will be more and more until these hygiene superpowers become the men and women who rule this world from the shadows, controlling economies and lives like puppets on a string.

Page 20

The Spectator ● May 17, 2020

Humor

tor

that or brutal death metal.

Meet’s favorite candy is… the lawn clipping-flavored jelly beans in the BeanBoozled box.

Meet’s self-summary: “I hope you don’t have any self-confidence. If you do, say bye-bye. I care about what you have to say as much as Willy Wonka cared about that boy that fell in the pristine chocolate river.

Expect to be ridiculed and degraded at every possible moment; I never miss a beat.

You spilled your split pea soup?

First, I’m laughing at your soup choice. Next, I’m laughing at your absolutely ridiculous face. Last, I’m laughing at your dog because he’s just so… ugh.”

Pros: • Meet likes black licorice.

• Meet looks good in front of your parents exclusively.

The Specta

Name: Google Meet (Meet, for short) Birthday: August 15, 2013 Age: six and nine-twelfths years old Zodiac Sign: Taurus Blood Type: Prefers not to say Ethnicity: Green Likes: • Short walks on the beach • Annoying others • Being difficult Dislikes: • Your opinion • Convenience • Scallions Hobbies: • Crashing weddings • Duct taping others’ mouths shut for hours on end ( ˘͈ ³˘͈) for fun ~~~l a r c e n y~~~ • Playing mini golf • Not caring if your mic is on Facts about Meet: • Meet ran away from their mom, Google Hangouts, to pursue a career as an entrepreneur.

• Because of this, Meet ended up going to clown college at age four.

• Meet is ambidextrous.

• Meet had an intense emo phase (we don’t talk about that).

• While they always wear green, Meet’s favorite color is actually lavender.

• Meet got in a fight with the popular platform Zoom after Zoom threatened to take all of Meet’s audience. Zoom is now in prison for assault.

Meet’s ideal type: “I want someone who cares about what the other has to say just as little as I do. I also want them to be at least eight feet tall and have shoulders at least 40 inches wide. Their favorite color also has to be blue. I swear if their favorite color is orange, I’ll hurt them.”

When Meet grows up, they want to be a… professional refrigerator.

Meet’s favorite animal is… the long-wattled umbrellabird.

If Meet could have one superpower, it would be… the power to shut everyone up at will.

Meet’s favorite genre of music is… Lofi so low you only hear the faint crackle of something that vaguely resembles noise. It’s either

Ivy Jiang /

By KRISTA PROTEASA

Google Meet Your Soulmate!

• Meet will spoil you with rotten fruit.

Cons: • Meet thinks that they don’t have any cons, so take that however you’d like.

Meet’s dream vacation spots are: • The plumbing department at The Home Depot • The wheelchair section at Walmart • A spiral notebook factory • Gotham City Meet’s strong suits: • Meet can relocate spiders if you’d want them to, but Meet doesn’t care, so they’ll kill the spider anyway.

• Meet is really good at buring food, especially if they hate the interior designer who decided a tie-dye backsplash would be a good idea to pair with your neon green countertops.

• Meet boasts about being able to turn their head 470 degrees around.

• Meet also doesn’t know any

exorcists for your convenience.

• Meet can skin, debone, and consume a whole rabbit in under 20 seconds.

Meet’s ideal first date: “Cracker Barrel is always nice, just not with anyone else. I appreciate alone time with my biscuits. After dinner, I’d take a short walk on the beach—not more than five minutes. Any longer and my arthritis will start acting up, and I’ll get sand abrasions. After that, I’d go home. Fun is for losers.

Time should be spent doing useful things, like knitting my rabbits’ mittens. Yes, I have rabbits. I have a whole farm in my backyard. Why do I have so many rabbits? What else would I have for dinner? Duh.” Last thoughts from Meet: “I’m really just not looking for anyone anymore. This was a good idea, but now I’ve realized that I hate this.

Don’t contact me; I will not reply.

Don’t believe me? I make my own restraining orders too. Oh, that’s nOt LeGaL? Do I actually look like I care? No, tell me honestly. Actually, don’t, because it still doesn’t matter to me. I hope we never meet.

Bye.”

Quarantine Lifestyle Tips From the Staff

By LILY VAYSMAN Let’s face it: quarantine is getting to us. It’s hard to sleep, hard to keep up with online schooling, and most of all, hard to keep up a consistent daily routine. This applies to teachers just as much as it does to us students, so we at The Spectator have asked three of your favorite teachers what their schedules look like. This quarantine is a great time for learning and growth, and who better to learn from than your elders?

MIDNIGHT ZOOM WITH BRIAN STERR Our first interview found us video-chatting with mathematics teacher Brian Sterr late at night. A renowned and well-loved math teacher, we wondered whether he had any insights into keeping up with a solid academic schedule.

“Uh, you know, I think one of the most important things is to make sure you’re not working yourself to death,” he told us, pressing two fingers against the bridge of his nose.

“I’ve been, you know, spending time with my two family members, learning some new skills, playing this one game— Overwatch—a little too. I heard about it from one of my students,” he went on. “Really great game. Great characters, great gameplay too. I’ve only played it for maybe a couple hundred hours since quarantine started, and I’m already on some regional leaderboards. It’s a little hard on the fingers,” he said, nearly dropping his third cup of espresso as his hand trembled. We, the interviewers, reminded him that we had been wondering about his academic habits.

“Oh, uh, school?” His eye twitched as he explained.

“With all the, uh, skill… learning… that I’ve been doing, I’ve had to stay up pretty late every night getting homework graded. I’ve been getting them in around, uh, 3:00 in the morning. But I think it’s good for the kids, really. It gives them something nice to wake up to. And class, uh, that’s going fine too. Though I have been missing the smorgasbord of emotions on days when I hand back math tests. That’s a form of entertainment you just can’t simulate online.” He then took another shot of espresso and left to refill his cup.

BUMPIN’ CHAT WITH VASKEN CHOUBARALIAN Following that enlightening conversation, the next teacher we spoke with was physical education teacher Vasken Choubaralian. We asked him whether he, as a health teacher, had any advice on staying fit indoors.

“Do a hundred pushups a day,” he told us proudly.

“And drink 12 glasses of water. Yup, yup. Gotta keep up the grind”—he paused to flex for us—“can’t let those muscles atrophy! But hey, listen, you know what the biggest thing is?

You gotta keep that brain intact. Do whatever it takes to keep those skills up. Me, I’ve been makin’ sure my volleyball girls keep it tight for the season. We’ve been doing sessions over Zoom and playing a little of what I call ‘follyball.’ We all get our own ball and split into two teams. It doesn’t even need to be a ball. The girls use things like pillows, boxes, younger siblings, and the works. If someone yells ‘spike,’ everyone has to throw that ball into the air and hit it as it falls down. If someone yells ‘serve,’ they gotta bounce it off a nearby wall and hit it. Yup, yeah, it’s just like the real game season! We’ve even had an injury. Our star player’s out with a shattered screen.”

He cracked open a bottle of Muscle Milk as we inquired as to how he’s been holding up mentally. “I gotta say, I miss the school. I really do. Sometimes, I’ll call up my nephew Niksav on Zoom, have him pretend to text someone, and then tell him he better put that thing away before I take it away. It’s just not the same.”

SAVVY INTERVIEW WITH ERIC CONTRERAS

Finally, we talked to the head honcho: Eric Contreras himself. How, we wondered, was he making do away from his beloved school?

“Well, kids, it’s so nice to see you all taking an interest in your teachers—an educational interest, that is—and I’d love to give you a little advice about how I’m managing my time and keeping my spirit up, just like how you guys are all working so hard to keep up the school spirit.

“Anyway, I wake up around 7:00 from a great night’s sleep on my Casper mattress, make myself a nice piece of toast with some Marmite, and maybe make a cup of Folgers instant coffee. Then, I’ll check in with my teachers on Slack—that’s Slack: Where work happens. Around noon, I like to take some time to read—I just ordered a few new books from Barnes and Noble’s website. Have I mentioned how fast they were delivered or how well-designed the site was? I’ll have an early lunch with a nice glass of Tropicana orange juice, and then I’m off to work.”

We inquired as to what his work looks like nowadays, and he explained, “You know, it’s a whole lot of planning, communicating with teachers and the board, and thinking about what next year’s gonna look like. Really, there’s a lot of uncertainty. That’s why I’ve picked up a—I think you kids call it a ‘side hustle’—I’ve gone into freelance advertising.”

Our teachers are paragons of knowledge for us students, and there’s so much more to learn from them than just what’s included in the curricula. We here at The Spectator know that we’ll be taking tips from our teachers’ schedules, and we hope that you’ve learned something from this as well.

Coronavirus Vaccine Reported to Only Manifest in Front of Those That Are Pure of Heart and Clear of Mind

By ETHAN LAM

As the COVID-19 pandemic ravages the nation and millions of Americans lose their livelihoods to this disease, a small glimmer of hope appeared on Monday night that everything might be alright.

The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Robert R. Redfield received the following message on Monday, May 3, at 7:14 p.m. in an email from the current CEO of ExistenceTM, God, detailing a method to manifest the vaccine for the coronavirus.

We’re Updating Our Terms of Service!

You’re receiving this email because we are updating the Plague Preventions Agreement, which applies to one or more of the ExistenceTM products or services that you are currently using. The updated User Agree-

ment can be found here. This update will allow us to introduce new features while continuing to give you some semblance of control over your pitiful existence. You can look forward to the features below.

• By popular demand, as of April 27, 2020, the coronavirus vaccine has been made available in software version 2.020.

• In order to address ingame balance issues, the coronavirus vaccine will only appear to the pure-hearted and clearminded.

Many people have voiced their concerns regarding the seemingly impossible qualifiers. In the past, vaccines have always appeared out of thin air in front of the most wholesome, lovable people in the world, who have never seen war, famine, conflict, or horror. However, following the advent of the Internet, the global population of pure-hearted individuals has seen

a drastic decrease due to increased exposure to the selfishness that exists in this dunghill of a world.

Selfless people were moved onto IUCN Red List as a threatened species in the year 2000 and were raised to the critically endangered status after 2007. Innocence and intelligence have always been inversely correlated, and because of this, absolute paranoia regarding the pandemic lasting indefinitely only continues to grow.

When questioned regarding the radical changes to the past policy, God had the following to say: “In the past, it was a challenge to find the ‘destined few.’ Whenever I delivered a plague unto a heretic land, it was always fairly difficult to find a savior chosen through divine providence. Back in the old days, they had to fight for it, you know?

But ever since version 1.7.96 was released in 1995, it’s honestly been far too easy to find a ‘destined hero’ to save the world, so I’ve updated the criteria required to be [a

hero] in order to make events like m a n i f e s t vaccines for this more challenging.” various illnesses. r o t a t ec Before patch 1.7.96 was reN o t a b l y, he Sp T / n Teo leased, children were these orVivia viable candiphans have dates for so far been savior staresponsible for tus.

As the manifestamany children tion of the polio vaccine, are pure-hearted the chickenpox vaccine, and due to extreme stupidithe previously classified scurty, this oversight allowed vy vaccine. Of course, under the smallpox vaccine to the recent additional stipulabe discovered by Engtions, the Vaccine Harvesting lish eight-year-old boy Orphans (VHO) are unlikely James Phipps. Since then, to qualify as clear-minded, as a patch has been made, and they still believe that politichildren were banned from cians create laws for the ben‘chosen one’ status, as they efit of the people that elected made discovering vaccines them, and that lawyers defend far too easy and consequently and uphold the values of the boring. nation. As they have outlived Following the children their usefulness, the president ban, world governments have has moved to permanently raised select orphans to believe decommission them. The Rein lies such as the goodness of hupublican Party has made no manity, artificially creating a legion other comment on the future of pure-hearted adults that would of the VHO Foundation.

The Spectator ● May 17, 2020

Page 21

Sports Sports Editorial

NFL Draft Review: New York Giants and New York Jets

By DERICK FANG and PHILIP VON MUEFFLING The NFL Draft can have many unpredictable outcomes: teams can make horrible picks and fans scream at their general managers or teams can make great picks and fans can’t stop raving about how many future Hall of Famers have just been drafted. This year, the NFL held an unprecedented virtual draft due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, no pandemic can beat the sheer love Americans have for football. In a time of uncertainty and apprehension, the 2020 NFL Draft provided a much-needed distraction.

New York Giants

Jennifer Sun / The Spectator

New York Giants fans have had a rough couple of years, from drafting a player whose only skill is drawing holding penalties (that’s right, Ereck Flowers) to another player who loves racking up pass interference penalties (you guessed it—Eli Apple).

But then the Giants hired Dave Gettleman as the new general manager and have not looked back since. He won the hearts of many fans by drafting the elusive running back Saquon Barkley, and earned the trust of the Giants’ community when controversial pick Daniel Jones turned out to be a pretty good decision.

Gettleman made another great decision by picking Danny Dimes, who proved to be a pivotal fran-

chise quarterback. So who else is joining the squad?

Player: Andrew Thomas Pick: #4 College: University of Georgia Position: Offensive Tackle Grade: A Giants fans—did we expect anything but to draft the only player we didn’t expect to draft? Some fans are fuming under the impression that the Giants have drafted yet another bust. But when you take a closer look at Thomas, you will realize that he is a stud athlete. Thomas is technically sound, moves his feet well, and boasts an impressive arm length just over

taking him.’’ He is simply the best safety in his class. Furthermore, he is extremely versatile: he can play slot cornerback near the line of scrimmage or deep safety. Gettleman hit it out of the park with this one.

Player: Matt Peart Pick: #99 College: University of Connecticut Position: Offensive Tackle Grade: B-/B Gettleman made his intentions clear with this pick: to build this team prioritizing the offensive line. Peart is a physical player; he towers the field at 6’7” and has good athleticism. However, he still needs to work on some skills in order to succeed in the NFL, which means he may not start on opening day. While he is quick off the snap, he needs to improve his hand usage a n d strength in order to contend w i t h top divisional edge rushers, such as Demarcus Lawrence and fellow draftee Chase Young. Despite this, Peart and Thomas make up the future of the offensive line.

Player: Darnay Holmes Pick: #110 College: UCLA Position: Slot Cornerback Grade: B Holmes has the potential to be a very good slot cornerback as an incredible athlete with incredible play recognition. He is also able to return kicks, a position the Giants haven’t had recently. Despite this, he needs to work on turning his head toward

No pandemic can beat the sheer love Americans have for football.

36 inches, one of the longest in the Draft.

In addition, this player—or should I say giant—stands at 6’5” and 320 lbs. Gritty and hard working, Thomas is a determined player who will give his all on the field. He will be a powerful weapon for the Giants, as he can protect Daniel Jones’s blind side and create huge holes for Saquon Barkley.

Overall, Thomas was a great pick.

Player: Xavier McKinney Pick: #36 College: University of Alabama Position: Safety Grade: A Giants fans—if you weren’t happy with this pick, you must not watch football! McKinney was not expected to fall to the second round, and even though the Giants were prepared to trade down, according to Gettleman, “we had made up our mind that if Xavier fell to us, we were

the ball when it is in the air. Furthermore, he lacks the ability to open up his hips to keep up with a vertical receiver running a deep route. Under the guidance of the impressive Giants coaching staff, however, Holmes will surely be able to hone in on these skills and make his mark on the league.

Player: Shane Lemieux Pick: #150 College: University of Oregon Position: Interior Offensive Lineman Grade: A If you had any doubts about Gettleman’s promise to draft some “hog mollies” for the offensive line, this pick should have put those doubts to rest. Lemieux is a versatile interior lineman who can play both the guard and center positions. Be on the lookout for his possible transition to a center for the Giants.

New York Jets

JETS! JETS! JETS! Other than being notorious for playing mediocre football, the New York Jets have also made a name for themselves for having the most passionate and critical fans in the league. From booed draft picks to absolute chaos at stadiums and football venues, the Jets franchise has had a hard time building a team that can satisfy their fans’ hunger for talented athletes, big plays, and wins. So which players are joining them this year?

Player: Mekhi Becton Pick: #11 College: University of Louisville Position: Offensive Tackle Grade: A As expected, the Jets took Becton with the team’s first pick, a franchise left tackle who will be in charge of protecting star quarterback Sam Darnold and improving last season’s 28th-ranked offensive line. Towering at 6’7” and weighing over 360 lbs, Becton is sure to manhandle anyone who tries to rush him. Moreover, Becton’s astounding 5.1 second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine demonstrates his unique ability to move to the second level when run blocking. Despite his special size and athleticism, questions loom around his endurance and agility when defending speed rushes. Otherwise, this was a great pick by the Jets.

Player: Denzel Mims Pick: #59 College: Baylor University Position: Wide Receiver Grade: A This was another great pick by the Jets and a steal in the second round by some accounts. Standing tall at 6’3” with nine-inch hands, Mims fills the big-time role of a receiver in an offense that severely lacks star pass-catchers. His large frame contributed greatly to his college production, and it will be one of his greatest assets as he transitions into his professional career. Mims’s 4.38 second 40-yard dash distinguishes him as an outside receiver with huge potential in the red zone, especially with jump ball catches.

However, his elementary abilities to run routes and release from contact consistently limit him from being a strong run-aftercatch type of receiver. Nonetheless, Mims has high potential to go very far.

Player: Ashtyn Davis Pick: #68 College: UC Berkeley Position: Safety Grade: B+ Davis is a latecomer to football, first starting out as a star track runner specializing in the 110-meter hurdles. He then joined Berkeley’s football team as a defensive back.

His college production came as a special teamer, where he was honored as the team’s MVP his first two years. He then played safety his junior year, displaying an impressive level of toughness when tackling and high motor skills on the field. One concern with Davis’s style of play is that he lacks awareness and recognition when guarding receivers, which can be attributed to his inexperience with the game. If he spends a few years playing behind the more experienced all-pro safety Jamal Adams, Davis will be able to develop into an extremely versatile player.

Player: Jabari Zuniga Pick: #79 College: University of Florida Position: Defensive End Grade: C+ The Jets are shooting in the dark with this pick. Zuniga is an incredibly bold and explosive athlete, but he lacks consistency.

His college career was defined by great production, most notably exemplified by the fact that in just four years, his statistics included 33 tackles for loss and 18.5 sacks.

However, due to persisting ankle injuries during his senior season, he was limited to only playing half of the season. His physicality will be his strength as the Jets work to develop him into a potential starter in the next couple of years.

Player: La’mical Perine Pick: #120

College: University of Florida Position: Running Back Grade: B Though Perine is 5’11” and weighs 216 lbs, his bruising running style and consistent receiving ability make up for his average build. While he doesn’t have the top speed needed to outrun defenders on the outside, his short-field bursts allow him to bounce into holes and wide-open field spaces. His play-making ability could seriously take some of the pressure and workload off of presumptive starter Bell, making them a great pairing.

Player: James Morgan Pick: #125 College: Florida International University Position: Quarterback Grade: C Um…what? This is one of the first confusing picks the Jets made this draft. The team already has Darnold established as the starting quarterback, which leaves Morgan as the definite backup quarterback. But using a pick this late into the draft on an unnecessary position while other parts of the team are still in dire need of talent seems to be a reckless decision by the front office.

This position could have also been filled by players with NFL experience through free agency. Morgan had good production in college as a pure pocket passer with a rocket arm. However, his unusual throwing motion causes him to lean on his back foot and hold the ball at a low level, which often delays his release, causing him to make inaccurate throws. He also hasn’t played against top college athletes, which raises the question of whether he has the ability to compete with professionals.

Player: Cameron Clark Pick: #129 College: UNC Charlotte Position: Offensive Tackle Grade: B+ Clark is a solid, safe pick by the Jets, who could potentially get a lot of value from him.

Clark possesses great intangibles as a player.

For example, he was elected twice as the captain of his college team, and he puts in a tremendous amount of effort on and off the field. Though he is not regarded as highly as first-round selection Becton, Clark has a powerful punch and aggressively mauls people until the whistle is blown. However, he lacks lateral quickness and consistent technique, which could hurt his run game ability.

Despite this, Clark possesses great qualities overall that will enable him to develop into a backup tackle for Becton or, if needed, transition into an interior lineman.

Player: Bryce Hall Pick: #158 College: University of Virginia Position: Cornerback Grade: B+ Hall, a large, lanky player with great instincts, serves as a much-needed cornerback for the Jets. Hall fits well into a zone scheme that allows him to see the development of plays, and he can jump passes with a great burst. However, he lacks consistency in manto-man coverage and tackling. Lastly, he lost the back half of his senior season to an ankle injury, raising concerns regarding his health and reliability. Despite these drawbacks, Hall has the athletic ability to become a solid starter for the Jets.

Player: Braden Mann Pick: #191 College: Texas A&M University Position: Punter Grade: A Punters are important players, too! Mann has a leg like no other and fills an underrated role in pinning opposing offenses deep into their respective territories. Mann was honored as the top punter in the country during his final season at Texas A&M, kicking an astounding 51 yards per punt. Mann also has a special tackling ability when covering punts and kickoffs, an impressive skill aided by his unexpectedly impressive 4.83 second 40-yard dash. Mann will be crucial in setting the defense in a good field position, and he is set to be with the team for a long time.

The Spectator ● May 17, 2020

Page 22

Sports Coach of the Issue

The Man Behind Every Dig, Set, and Vault: Coach Choubaralian

By DEVEN MAHESHWARI

since—so to speak.

Coach Vasken Choubaralian Height: 5’7” Eye color: Brown Hair color: Black Birthday: 04/05 Coaching Time at Stuyvesant: 13 years

1. How did you get into coaching?

An opening to coach the girls’ gymnastics team fell into my lap. I was a new teacher at Stuyvesant, and just two months into the job, I was approached by two seniors from the gymnastics team. They were desperate for a coach, since they wouldn’t have a season without one. They convinced me that I didn’t have to do or know much.

Even though I had no gymnastics experience, I always had a lot of respect for the sport. I jumped right into the deep end and I’ve been swimming ever

2. What is your favorite memory so far during your time coaching at Stuyvesant?

I have many great memories.

One is when I won my first-ever city championship with the girls’ varsity volleyball team in 2018.

Another is when I was punched in the eye while spotting a gymnastics skill, resulting in the biggest black eye I have ever had for over a week. The girl, of course, was fine.

3. What is the funniest thing that’s happened during your time coaching?

One of the funniest things started out as one of the scariest moments. During a gymnastics meet at Bronx Science, a girl was swinging under the high bar in a stretched body position about to dismount when she suddenly slipped off the bar way too early. Her body remained straight as she flew through the air with

her head inches off the ground.

Very luckily, she landed flat on her stomach with her face on the mat. She lifted her head and said, “Oww, I burned my nose on the mat.” The best part is that it was recorded and someone later made a GIF using that Gwen Stefani song. Instant classic.

4. What is the biggest challenge as a coach?

The biggest challenge is coming up with new ways to challenge the team members so that they can continue to improve. The next biggest challenge is finding the right mix of players and positioning that will lead to better team performance. That is a very dynamic and fluid thing because so many players have different skill sets and talents that can change the outlook of a game.

5. What is the best individual performance by a Stuyvesant

player that you’ve seen?

The best performance I have seen was by a volleyball player named Mariya Kulyk. It was at a tournament at Francis Lewis High School. She made a play at the net, chased a shanked ball way beyond the service line, and then made a block for the point—all in a single rally. It was incredible.

6. What advice do you have for young athletes?

I would encourage them to play and try out for a variety of sports. There are many more benefits to being a multisport player than a single sport specialist.

7. What is hardest about having to balance three sports teams a year?

The lack of mental and emotional rest is the hardest thing.

It takes a toll on me. I am constantly thinking about strategy, the athletes, the wins, and the

losses. It keeps me up at night.

8. What were you looking forward to most about this season before the coronavirus hit?

Besides looking forward to seeing my seniors step up to center stage and the new recruits finding their groove, I was most excited about sharing the good times we would have had together—the jokes, the laughs, the digs, and the dives.

Drink of Choice: Daily basis: Water (boring, I know) Occasionally: Teas and Kombuchas Favorite food: Asian (Indian, Thai, Chinese, Japanese, Korean) Motto to live by: Life is what YOU make it.

Fun fact: I modify and race my own car in an event called autocross. I also drive a racecar at an endurance race around tracks in the Northeast. That race is called 24 Hours of LeMons.

Sports Editorial

America’s Temporary National Pastime

By MAYA BROSNICK Major League Baseball (MLB) has been shut down due to coronavirus concerns, but officials have turned to a video game that simulates what the season could have been. The simulated games of the video game, MLB The Show 20, have instant inning changes and no commercials, thus only lasting around an hour and a half. While The Show had been doing well ever since its release in 2006, due to the canceling of the real season, the 2020 version of the game has quickly become the fastest-selling game in the history of the baseball franchise and the third best selling videogame of April.

Fans are not the only ones turning to The Show as a base-

ball substitute. The MLB Players Association partnered with Sony Interactive Entertainment to produce a 29-game series with one participating player from each of the 30 MLB teams. The players were pitted against one another and battled it out to earn money that would be donated. Each player played with their own team, and the games lasted for only three innings in order to give players the opportunity to play more than one per day. Each participant received $5,000 to donate to a Boys & Girls Club affiliate in their areas, with the winner receiving an extra $25,000.

The playoff spots of this league were cinched by the end of April. Blake Snell led the pack with a 24-5 record—good for the top spot. Behind him were Joey

Gallo of the Rangers, Bo Bichette of the Blue Jays, and five other players to round out an eight-person playoff.

Yume Igarashi / The Spectator

The quarterfinals and semifinals of the players league, which were played in a best of three format, started off quickly with Jeff McNeil and Snell beating Dwight Smith Jr. and Gavin Lux,

respectively, both winning with the minimum of two games. The other two quarterfinals went back and forth, in terms of games won, but in the end, Ian Happ and Lucas Giolito bested their counterparts. In the semis, McNeil won the first game, but Snell took the following two and entered the finals, while Giolito defeated Happ in the first and third games of his matchup.

In the finals, which were played

in a best of five format, Giolito went down in only three games, leaving Rays pitcher Blake Snell victorious in the first ever players’ league.

Even though the Major League has come to an end, MLB The Show still has plenty to offer fans, with games following the teams’ intended schedules streamed on YouTube. Some announcers have even started recording a couple of games. Gary Smith, Keith Hernandez, and Ron Darling delighted Mets fans on Wednesday by calling game 36 of The Show and having McNeil stop by as a guest. The Show has provided us the opportunity to experience our national pastime while ensuring everyone’s safety—something baseball fans everywhere are extremely grateful for.

Sports Editorial

The Top Prospects of the 2020 WNBA Draft

By ALICIA YU The 2020 WNBA Draft witnessed many promising prospects and opportunities for struggling teams to acquire their next franchise players. In addition to being virtual, this year’s draft was also the most watched WNBA Draft in 16 years, setting two historic precedents. Leading the way as the overall first pick was the highly sought-after phenom Sabrina Ionescu, who led the Oregon Ducks to the Final Four during her junior season and averaged an impressive 9.1 assists and 17.1 points her senior season. Here are some other top picks from the draft who will pave the way for the future of the league.

Player: Satou Sabally Pick: #2 College: University of Oregon Position: Forward Team: Dallas Wings Though Sabally has often been under the shadow of Ionescu, she has attracted a lot of attention among the WNBA. At

6’4”, Sabally is one of the tallest players on the court, and yet she is very quick and mobile compared to other players her height.

One of her most impressive skills is her handle, which allows her to effortlessly pass defenders and drive to the basket for easy layups. She can also easily catch and shoot at the three-point line as well as block shots at the rim with her long arms. Already having played professionally on the German national team, she has experience that will surely give her an edge over some young players. Overall, Sabally has a ton of potential, and will be crucial to her new team in Dallas.

Player: Mikiah Herbert Harrigan Pick: #6 Position: Forward College: South Carolina University Team: Minnesota Lynx Herbert Harrigan was named the 2020 SEC Tournament MVP, and she is the second highest leading blocker in Gamecocks’

women’s basketball history. While she is one of the tallest players on the court at 6’2”, Harrigan is still quite mobile. Her strengths include blocking shots in the paint and shooting three-pointers. She excels in defense, which makes her difficult to maneuver around when the offense drives to the rim. In addition, her long arms allow her to easily make shots near the basket and make her hard to defend at the three-point line.

Herbert Harrigan’s agility and efficiency will make her a threat going into the league.

Player: Chennedy Carter Pick: #4 Position: Guard College: Texas A&M University Team: Atlanta Dream While only 5’7”, Carter’s aggressive style of play makes up for her height. Her incredible athleticism allows her to maneuver around other players, especially when in the paint, and score easy layups. Additionally, her shot selection is very accurate, which

allows her to score many open mid-range shots, particularly three-pointers. Her aggressive playing style and skillful scoring will translate well going into the WNBA. Player: Tyasha Harris Pick: #7 Position: Guard College: South Carolina University Team: Dallas Wings Harris, the 5’10” starting point guard, excels at her position, proving time and time again that she is capable of assisting her teammates anywhere on the court. She became the first Carolina Gamecock to boast over 700 assists, averaging 6.1 assists during her sophomore season. Despite her height, Harris has a special ability to score near the basket and relentlessly make layups from any area in the

paint. Her exceptional passing, skilled shooting ability near the basket, and overall basketball IQ make her a smart, strong weapon for the Wings.

or

Cecilia Chen / The Spectat

Equipped with fresh and young talent, these teams will have a shot at revamping their franchises in hopes of becoming strong contenders within the league.

We look forward to seeing these players grow and elevate the league to a whole new level of basketball.

The Spectator ● May 17, 2020

Page 23

Sports Boys’ Varsity Volleyball

The Beasts Throughout the Years

By DEVEN MAHESHWARI With the 2020 PSAL season sadly canceled, the Stuyvesant boys’ varsity volleyball team, the Beasts, could not compete for another thrilling season as they have done in years past. Since Vasken Choubaralian took the coaching position in 2009, the Beasts have had a record of 10713 and have gone to the playoffs every year, with the exception of the 2014 season. The Beasts have also performed well at countless tournaments and scrimmages against other top teams in New York. The team’s enjoyable yet disciplined environment has been in place for years, and is the main reason behind the team’s consistent success. New faces come every year, looking to improve their own skills, while returners continue to represent their school on the court.

Flashback 10 years ago to the 2008-2009 season when Choubaralian took over the role of former coach Chingyao Pan: the Beasts went undefeated during the regular season but later lost in the first round of the playoffs.

As years went by, the team saw successful regular seasons, and in 2011, they achieved their first

playoff win under Choubaralian.

Six years after that, the Beasts made it to the third round of playoffs, the farthest they have ever gotten, ultimately falling to the eventual runner-up, Fort Hamilton.

The 2018 campaign was especially significant—thanks to the great individual and team performances of the seniors that year. The combination of outside hitter Shun Bitar (‘18) and setter Ray Jones (‘18), among other players, helped propel the Beasts to another record season after making it to the third playoff round only a year prior.

The unique plays of this team can still be found online in their highlight videos and vlogs from the season.

Due to unfortunate circumstances, some players were ineligible for the playoffs that season, and though the younger players had stepped up, their efforts were insufficient against Francis Lewis High School. Still, the 2018 season is stitched in the team’s memory thanks to their countless trick plays and hard

work, which have set an example for future years to come.

Outside of PSAL, the Beasts have participated in invitational tournaments that many schools host throughout the season.

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ectat or

One of Choubaralian’s fondest memories stems from a tournament match against another top team, Staten Island Tech-

nical High School. In a close game, the server for Stuyvesant had confused the boundaries of the court and had accidentally served inside the line, leading to a point for their rivals. Instead of harping on this mistake, Choubaralian said, “It was a rough moment, but we all laughed about it for a long time after,” a testament to the close relationships formed every year on the team. Despite the occasional misstep, the Beasts have been successful at these tournaments, earning second place twice in three close sets.

Choubaralian has seen it all with the boys’ volleyball team, “from a player sacrificing his body by running into a wall to save a ball to fun and loud team dinners to players being ineligible for big playoff matches to lost voices from screaming at tournaments all day,” he said. But what he is most proud of is the growth of each of his players, not only as

athletes but also as people. Every year, the Stuyvesant varsity volleyball teams host a charity tournament at Stuyvesant to raise money for equipment, tournaments, and other team purchases.

Because this year’s money would not be used, one of the players approached Choubaralian about donating the money to an organization combating the pandemic.

Choubaralian said, “I was blown away, and every season, someone does something of the like that makes me feel more comfortable about the future.”

Wins and losses often define a team for those who are unaware of the hard work and dedication each member puts in to represent their school and each other. However, the close bonds formed between the players as they grow as athletes and team members are much more important. This theme is echoed every season, and though this year’s seniors, Tim Stansberry, William Zeng, Joseph Lee, and Sebastian Delangle, will not be able to fly above the net to make impossible digs look easy, their impact and guidance for younger players have put the team in a better position for the future in terms of both work ethic and team spirit.

Sports Editorial

Promising Cross Country Recruits in the Face of Uncertainty

By JULIANNE YOTOV

by collegiate running programs:

Throughout the year, coaches from many universities have been recruiting runners who have displayed the potential to strengthen their respective teams. With their high school careers cut short, many top high school runners are looking forward to kicking off their collegiate careers with a strong start this fall.

Katelyn Tuohy High School: North Rockland High School Hometown: Stony Point, NY College: North Carolina State University Personal Bests: Mile: 4:33.87 (High School Record), 3000-meter: 9:01.81 (High School Record), 3200-meter: 9:47.88 (High School Record), 5000-meter: 15:37.12 (High School Record) Achievement(s): Five-time

Here are a few promising athletes who have been recruited

Gatorade Player of the Year (2018 and 2019 Cross Country Athlete of the Year, 2018 Track Athlete of the Year, and 2018 and 2019 Female Athlete of the Year); Three-time Nike Cross Nationals Champion Tuohy is arguably the best female high school distance runner in history, as reaffirmed by Bronxville High School Coach Jim Mitchell, who remarked, “[Tuohy] might be the best high school runner ever.”

Marlee Starliper High School: Northern York High School Hometown: Dillsburg, PA College: North Carolina State University Personal Bests: 800-meter: 2:09.44, Mile: 4:37.45, 3000-meter: 9:07.14, 5000-meter: 16:46.80 (Cross Country) Achievement(s): Millrose Games New Balance Mile Champion (4:37.76) High

Claire Walters School: Fayetteville-

Manlius High School Hometown: Manlius, NY College: North Carolina State University Personal Bests: Mile: 4:53.63, 2000-meter Steeplechase: 6:57.03, 4000-meter: 13:45.90 (Cross Country), 5000-meter: 17:13.30 (Cross Country) Achievement(s): Three-time Nike Cross Nationals Team Champion continued on page 24

Favorite Moments in Professional Sports

By THE SPORTS DEPARTMENT

The Sports department reminisces on its favorite moments in professional sports history.

“My favorite team, the Philadelphia Eagles, were playing the New Orleans Saints with Nick Foles as the Eagles’ quarterback in 2014. While the Eagles were leading the game in the last two minutes, they ended up losing on a game-winning field goal due to a beautiful drive by NFL legend, Drew Brees. I went into my room, cried for 10 minutes, and broke my finger when I punched the wall. That low of lows provided an opening for the highest of highs, though. Not much later, the Eagles were winning with two minutes left in Super Bowl LII. The flashbacks were coming at me viciously as they were both in a playoff atmosphere—two minutes left, with Nick Foles at quarterback. However, Brandon Graham stepped up with the biggest defensive play in the history of the Eagles, as he came around the edge with elite speed and quickness, with an eventual strip-sack on the GOAT, Tom Brady.

My friends and family in my living room were screaming so loud that the people on the street heard us. After that game, my dad and I went to the parade that capped off that beautiful game and season.”

—Ben Hamel, sophomore

“A recent favorite moment was the 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship. Tua Tagovailoa from the University of Alabama subbed in for quarterback in the second half as a freshman.

The moment when he threw the game-winning 41-yard touchdown in overtime was just crazy. I remember sitting on my couch and thinking ‘What the hell just happened?’” —Aki Yamaguchi, junior

“My favorite moment in all of professional sports was the New York Giants’ 2011 Super Bowl journey. The Giants came from behind in nearly every game during the regular season, destroyed the Atlanta Falcons at home, ended Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau, grinded out an incredible game against San Francisco 49ers, and finally took down the juggernaut, the New England Patriots. The personalities on that team, such as Michael Boley, Victor Cruz, and Brandon Jacobs, were all fan favorites and made you love the team even more. I will never forget my Giants taking down Tom Brady and his Patriots for the second time.” —Philip Von Mueffling, sophomore Emma Donnelly / The Spectator

“My favorite moment in professional sports was when I watched the Hoka One One Long Island Mile with some friends. During this daylong event, many different competitors engage in a one-mile race on a high school track. As the day progresses, the athletes get faster and faster. The last two races of the day are the professional women’s and men’s miles. We were excited to watch the women’s race and as they started, the cheering grew louder and louder. By the time the men’s race started, it had started pouring, but nobody cared. During the final lap, everyone closed in on the track, leaving only a few lanes empty for the competitors. It was crazy and wild, and we were soaking wet. It was one of the most incredible races I’ve ever watched.” —Julianne Yotov, junior

“My favorite professional sports moment was Didi Gregorius’s three-run home run in the 2017 Wild Card Game. I was lucky enough to be able to watch the game in person. A tough first inning had Luis Severino pulled out of the game early after allowing three runs, and the stadium seemed dead. After years of limited success, the crowd was ready to explode. Once Didi hit the home run, the stadium went crazy. It was the loudest atmosphere I have ever been a part of, and the win started an unexpected run to Game 7 of the ALCS in those playoffs.”

—Ethan Kirschner, sophomore

“My favorite recent moment in sports was when the Toronto Raptors defeated the Golden State Warriors four games to two for the NBA Championship. It was so satisfying to see a team that had choked in the playoffs for years finally break past their limitations and defeat one of the best teams in basketball history. The victory is an incredible display of teamwork and truly shows where keeping your head up gets you.” —Rudolph Merlin, junior

Page 24

The Spectator ● May 17, 2020

THE SPECTATOR SPORTS Sports Editorial

NFL Power Rankings 2020

By KRISH GUPTA and ETHAN KIRSCHNER In the time since Patrick Mahomes announced “I’m going to Disney World!” three long months ago, the world has been altered forever by a global pandemic. The NFL has also seen a fair amount of change—though certainly not to the same extent—with free agency and the NFL Draft transforming the landscape of the league for years to come. Without further ado, here is a first look at the NFL Power Rankings for 2020: 1. Kansas City Chiefs: The defending Super Bowl champions that toyed with the league last year have a squad that remains largely intact. Their draft haul included a much needed running back in Clyde-Edwards Helaire and a huge bolstering of their offensive line and secondary. A fantasy tip for the Chiefs is to stash Helaire in a later round should he emerge as the top back in a crowded backfield.

For a team that returns most starters from a Super Bowl winning team, the Chiefs remain the top dog.

2. Baltimore Ravens: The Ravens are possibly the scariest team in the league, but they have proven time and time again that they fail to perform on the biggest stages in the playoffs. They filled the few holes they had in their roster and look set to be a Super Bowl Contender again.

Don’t expect the same level of fantasy production out of Lamar Jackson this year, though, as the Ravens took J.K. Dobbins, but he will still be a top three quarterback. Investing in Mark Andrews could be even wiser with Hayden Hurst gone.

3. San Francisco 49ers: After a crushing defeat to the Chiefs in the Super Bowl, the Niners will have to recover.

They lost stars Emmanuel Sanders and Joe Staley, but replaced them well on draft night and should be an NFC Title con-

tender once again. With Sanders gone and draftee Brandon Aiyuk transitioning into the NFL, sophomore receiver Deebo Samuel should emerge as a fantasy football star this year.

4. New Orleans Saints: This is possibly the best offensive roster in the NFL, boasting the likes of Drew Brees, Michael Thomas, Alvin Kamara, and Emmanuel Sanders. With the new and improved Buccaneers and Falcons, the Saints now have formidable competition in the NFC South, but Drew Brees will be out to prove that he still has some magic left in the tank. This could be the year they finally get past the “refs” in the playoffs.

5. Seattle Seahawks: Russell Wilson and Co. have shown no signs of slowing down, consistently making the playoffs in recent years. They will battle it out for playoff spots with the Niners, Cardinals, and Rams in a stacked NFC West, but Seattle will now have to do so without Jadeveon Clowney, which is a big blow to the defense. Fantasywise, D.K. Metcalf will be a strong fantasy football wide receiver after his breakout rookie season.

6. Buffalo Bills: All of a sudden, the AFC East is wide open and the Bills—yes, the Bills— are favored to win the division.

A strong playoff team last year, the Bills added Stefon Diggs and addressed other needs to make themselves a playoff team once again—even more so now that Brady is gone from the pesky Patriots. It would be a stretch to call them Super Bowl favorites, but the “other” New York team has reason to hope. The Bills Defense will be an excellent fantasy choice in an offensively challenged AFC East.

7. Minnesota Vikings: Free agency saw the Purple People Eaters lose a franchise cornerstone in Stefon Diggs, as well as members of their strong secondary like Xavier Rhodes, but the Vikings filled some of these

holes in the draft and will battle out the Packers for the NFC North title. Adam Thielen will be a WR1 option and Justin Jefferson will be a WR2 option with significant upside as a rookie.

8. Green Bay Packers: The Pack had a good season last year, but a head-scratching draft brings up the question of whether the front office thinks it’s time to rebuild. If Aaron Rodgers’s transition out to Jordan Love is as swift as his replacement of Brett Favre, this franchise will continue to contend for years to come. In a year where the passing game is uncertain, Aaron Jones is worth a first round fantasy football pick.

9. Tennessee Titans: The Titans shocked the NFL last season, ending the Patriots’ dynasty, manhandling the Super Bowl favorite Baltimore Ravens, and falling just one bad half short of a Super Bowl appearance. Their roster remains largely intact and Derrick Henry will rush the Titans into the AFC South Title.

The only question is whether Mark Vrabel’s predictable game plan will prove to be sustainable in the NFL. For fantasy, Henry’s tremendous volume justifies him as a RB1, and A.J. Brown is a top WR2.

10. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The TOMpa Bay Buccaneers took a 7-9 team with a legally blind quarterback, replaced him with the GOAT, and brought perennial pro bowl tight end Rob Gronkowski out of retirement. They now have a powerful offense with Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Gronk. They added Ke’Shawn Vaughn to help a questionable running game through the draft and to pass protection for Brady. Their defense is a fantasy sleeper choice, but it would be advisable to stay away from a crowded offense (though Brady will be a high end QB2).

11. New England Patriots: The Pats traded out of the first round in this year’s draft

to snag a Division 2 safety with their first selection in the second round. This ranking may seem high at first glance, but it’s tough to bet against one of the greatest coaches in NFL history—no matter who the quarterback is.

Furthermore, we can’t forget a historically strong defense. Look for Sony Michel to increase his production from last year as the Patriots transition to a run-heavy offense, especially with Brady off to Tampa and Jarrett Stidham currently under center.

12. Dallas Cowboys: The Cowboys may be the most talented team on both sides of the ball. With a strong offensive line blocking the way for Ezekiel Elliot—one of the league’s top running backs—and a strong group of linebackers leading the way for a strong defense, the Cowboys have Super Bowl potential. However, with the departure of Jason Garrett, they are left with a first year coach. Only time will tell if Mike McCarthy can put the pieces together to lead the Cowboys to the promised land. Fantasywise, Amari Cooper’s numbers may drop from last year with an emerging Micheal Gallup and first round pick Ceedee Lamb also making big impacts.

13. Philadelphia Eagles: In a skill-player loaded draft, the Eagles had opportunities to bolster their wide receiver position, a group that included an undrafted former quarterback by the end of last season. Though the Eagles did pick up Jalen Reagor, a wide receiver from TCU, in the first round (a reach at pick 21), the Eagles opted for QB Jalen Hurts in the second round.

The pick may end up being alright, but it seems like the Eagles were being too cute. The question for this season, as always, is whether or not Carson Wentz can stay on the field. As the lead back in Philly, Miles Sanders is poised for a breakout year. Don’t be surprised if he goes in the first few rounds in your fantasy

league.

14. Houston Texans: The Texans got worse this offseason. They traded perhaps the best wide receiver in football in Deandre Hopkins for the talented but injury-ridden RB David Johnson and a bag of potato chips. The Texans are still solid, however, with a strong offensive line and JJ Watt anchoring the defense, though it remains to be seen if Watt can stay healthy for the whole season. Brandin Cooks may become Deshaun Watson’s number one target this season, especially with Will Fuller’s injury concerns, and has great value in the middle rounds of fantasy drafts.

15. Indianapolis Colts: The Colts went into last season with Super Bowl aspirations. The unexpected retirement of franchise quarterback Andrew Luck right before the season, however, put the Colts behind the 8-ball. The team is talented, with T.Y. Hilton on the outside and Quenton Nelson, arguably the league’s best lineman, in the interior. If Phillip Rivers can get back to his old self and limit turnovers, the Colts have a chance to make a run into the playoffs. Micheal Pittman Jr., the Colts’ second round pick out of USC, will be an intriguing risk in the later round. He is the clear number two wide receiver behind Hilton—with high upside.

Read the rest of the rankings here.

Sports Editorial

Promising Cross Country Recruits in the Face of Uncertainty continued from page 23 Taylor Ewert High School: Beavercreek High School Hometown: Beavercreek, Ohio College: University of Arkansas Personal Bests: 1500-meter: 4:30.98, Mile Racewalk: 6:28.21, 2000-meter Steeplechase: 6:33.61, 5000-meter: 16:57.90 (Cross Country) Achievement(s): American junior record-holder in the 3000-meter racewalk, 5000-meter race walk, 1500-meter (indoor), mile (indoor), and 3000-meter racewalk (indoor); qualified for the 2020 Olympic trials in racewalking *Ewert is an incredibly versatile athlete who excels in many different events. She competes in cross country and indoor and outdoor track and field seasons, specializing in the steeple-

chase, racewalking, and running events.

Locker Cross Country National Champion (16:45.00)

Victoria (Tori) Starcher High School: Ripley High School Hometown: Ripley, West Virginia College: Stanford University Personal Bests: 800-meter: 2:07.42, 1500-meter: 4:20.17, 3200-meter: 10:20.54, 5000-meter: 17:22.40 (Cross Country) Achievement(s): Penn Relays mile record-holder

These seven girls have long been regarded as among the best of the high school running community. Despite not being able to end off their illustrious high school running careers on their own terms, these runners will have the chance to compete against each other at the NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships, set to take place on November 21, 2020 in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Though it is extremely difficult to accurately tell what the scores will look like this year, here are my predictions for the top three teams at the 2020 championships:

Zofia Dudek High School: Pioneer High School Hometown: Ann Arbor, Michigan College: Stanford University Personal Bests: 800-meter: 2:08.34, 1600-meter: 4:41.85, 3200-meter: 9:56.72, 5000-meter: 16:45.00 (Cross Country) Achievement(s): 2019 Foot

1. University of Arkansas Big Reds/Fighting Razorbacks The Razorbacks won the NCAA Cross Country title in

2019 for the first time in the program’s history with just 96 points, which will definitely boost the team’s confidence as the runners aim to defend their title. With new recruits, specifically Ewert and Culbreath, they have a great chance of winning yet again.

2. Stanford University Cardinals The Cardinals have long been one of the nation’s strongest cross country teams, as proven by their third place finish at the 2019 NCAA Championship.

They have many experienced runners, and the newly-recruited athletes will not disappoint.

The Cardinals are likely to place in the top three for a consecutive year.

3. North Carolina (NC) State University Wolfpack After finishing in fifth place at

the 2019 NCAA Championships, NC State is definitely looking to improve. In addition to Tuohy, Starliper, and Walters, the Wolfpack has recruited a few other exceptional athletes, including Jenna Schultz from Liverpool High School. Tuohy will surely elevate the team’s standing and has a great chance at scoring extremely well individually.

These runners have proven that they are ready to handle both the academic rigor of college as well as the demands that come with competing for three of the top programs in the nation. Despite the competitive nature of the sport, regardless of which team wins the most meets, earns the NCAA title, or sends the most athletes to the Olympics, all programs simply aim to train their athletes to do what they love: run.