Volume 112 Issue 15 by The Stuyvesant Spectator

The Spectator The Stuyvesant High School Newspaper

Volume 112  No. 15

May 13, 2022

“The Pulse of the Student Body” stuyspec.com

SCIENCE

FEATURES

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Jady Chen Appointed as Replacement Junior Caucus Co-President By PRAPTI BISWAS, OLIVIA HAVEN, ELAINE HUANG, and RORIE TAYLOR

Constitution states that the new president must be chosen by the president who is not resigning, but I definitely agreed [that] Jady was an extremely competent candidate. It was both Daniel’s and my decision. After all, we were a team for such a long time, [so] I see no reason to not follow his last wish.” Following the nomination, Chen was officially appointed after the SU cabinet voted in her favor unanimously. Formerly, Chen served as the cabinet’s Chief of Staff, the highest role a cabinet member—with the exception of the presidents’ positions—could assume. Sokolov expresses that Chen’s experience as Chief of Staff allowed her to work closely with the co-presidents and develop a familiarity with the technicalities of cabinet operations. “The philosophy behind the executive board was that [the board] fulfills the responsibilities of the presidents when presidents are not available. Whenever [Jung and I] needed help, we were able to ask our executive board to help us out. Jady did a wonderful job at that and was able to take on a lot of the work,” Sokolov said.

Chen revealed that informally filling the role during the transition period prior to Jung’s formal resignation allowed her to feel more well-equipped to serve

Hepzibah Srithas / The Spectator

In light of alleged corruption and misconduct within the Junior Caucus (JC), Co-President Daniel Jung resigned from the caucus cabinet. The allegations surfaced after a series of social media posts released by former members of the JC cabinet in February. Though the initial impact of the letter sparked waves of backlash from the student body, retrospective reflection on the controversy has fostered new perspectives on the situation within the student body and Student Union (SU) alike. Coordinator of Student Affairs Matt Polazzo expresses his qualms about how rapidly the allegations—and Jung’s resignation—circulated among the student body after the situation was publicized. “Having read that letter that was put out, it seemed to me to reflect disagreements between a group of friends and a lot of airing of dirty laundry that should have been dealt with behind closed doors,” Polazzo said. “A lot of the accusations

were hearsay, and ultimately to me, there didn’t seem to be anything that was significant enough to lead to any kind of formal investigative process.” Although Jung declined to comment, Sokolov spoke on his behalf in an interview with The Spectator. Sokolov expresses that recent accusations of misconduct was one of many considerations that went into Jung’s decision to resign. “[Jung] [resigned] on his own volition. It was his personal choice. [Resigning] was a really tough decision for him […] but I personally respect his decision,” Sokolov said. “He had a lot of responsibilities as president […] The [allegations] played a minute role in [his resignation], but I don’t think that was the biggest part of his decision.” Though rules outlined by the SU Constitution allocated the responsibility of nominating a candidate for vacated offices to Sokolov alone, Sokolov shared that the decision to nominate Jady Chen as the new co-president was jointly made by him and Jung. “Daniel did ask Jady to be the co-president,” Sokolov said. “The [SU]

as co-president. “When the [allegations] first came out, [Jung] had already considered stepping down immediately. I know that there [were] issues regarding different parties and he wasn’t really sure what to do—which I think is understandable, […] given that kind of situation—but [Jung] did ask me beforehand to step in for

Stuyvesant In-Person Spring Choral and Instrumental Concerts Return By TALIA ARCASOY, DANIEL CHANG, CRAIG CHEN, LAUREN CHIN, IAN KIM, and DAVID LIN

pieces was also opened up to Stuyvesant students rather than teachers alone. “I was able to conduct two of the pieces for the women’s chorus, which is not something I had any experience in,” senior Katherine Lake said. “I found that super cool

Hepzibah Srithas / The Spectator

In April, students in Stuyvesant’s music department performed at three in-person spring concerts held in the Murray Kahn Theater, including the Spring Choral Concert on April 13, the Spring Musical Showcase on April 27, and the Spring Instrumental Concert on April 29. Organized by choral director Liliya Shamazov, orchestra director Joseph Tamosaitis, and band director Gregor Winkel, each concert required safety precautions. Audience members were required to pre-register for tickets, having to both show proof of vaccination and submit a health screening prior to attending. There was no livestream of the concerts, but they have been recorded and will be sent out to families. The Choral Concert featured performances from various choruses, including A Capella, Men’s Chorus, Women’s Chorus, and Oratorio Choir. The Spring Musical Showcase featured performances from Beginner’s Band, Concert Band, Intermediate Orchestra, and Advanced Orchestra, while the Instrumental Spring Concert featured performances from Jazz Band, Symphonic Band, Symphony

Orchestra, and various Chamber groups. The concerts also featured the efforts of several student teachers who are currently working with the Stuyvesant Music Department. The Choral Concert featured a performance by

student teacher José Velázquez, who has been working with the choral groups throughout the spring semester. “I enjoy having [student teachers] here because they always bring a new perspective, [...] this youthful excitement,” Shamazov said. “I like exposing my singers to a different teaching style and different teachers in general.” The opportunity to oversee the production of musical

to learn how to teach, or rather, [learn] new skills from watching Shamazov teach, and [to be] able to have much more control over the artistic flow of the piece.” As opposed to the Band and Orchestra Holiday Concert, which occurred in the same evening, the spring performances were divided into two separate days and gave the ensembles more time to further display their musical abilities. “At the

very end of the last piece, Mr. Tamosaitis brought in a student from the past, [Patrick Mangan (’02)] who is now a really fabulous player on Broadway and they did this Celtic piece [called Ferny Hill by the Chieftains],” Shamazov said. Though dividing the event into multiple days accomodated for the large number of performing groups, the safety guidelines that were initially implemented posed a challenge to the concerts’ transition to an inperson setting. “During the Winter Concert, we were not sure if we would have a concert,” sophomore Rebecca Ke said. “Before December, we had to buy and wear chorus masks, which [...] wouldn’t sound as good as if we had our masks off.” However, the recent lift of the mask mandate resolved much of the difficulties faced during rehearsals and guaranteed the presence of a spring concert. “For the spring, it was a lot easier [to sing] because we didn’t do social distancing as much and some kids weren’t in masks,” Shamazov said. “The vocal production was a little different and possibly [the] students [heard] each other a little bit differently.” Even so, being able to mancontinued on page 2

him,” Chen said. “By the time the [replacement] happened, I’d already been fulfilling a lot of the responsibilities as almost an ‘acting’ president, so for me, I’d already been working toward the new position.” In spite of Sokolov’s emphasis that Jung’s resignation was a personal choice rather than disciplinary action, students have evaluated Jung’s resignation with recent controversies in mind. Some students feel that in light of the misconduct allegations associated with Jung, his resignation was the right course of action. “I think [resigning] was the only thing he could’ve really done. In that situation, there was no way to justify any of the things he said, and a lot of the proof [for the allegations of misconduct] was pretty damning,” junior Phoebe He said. “I think it made sense for him to step down.” Others believe that the scandal did not necessitate Jung’s resignation. Polazzo, in particular, discouraged Jung from resigning. continued on page 4

NEWSBEAT StuyPulse 694 made it to quarterfinals and placed third in the Galileo division in this year’s World Championships in Houston, Texas. Stuyvesant Environmental Club hosted a talk and Q&A on April 28 featuring Henk Rogers (’72), the founder of Blue Planet Software and The Tetris Company. The Stuyvesant Junior Caucus is holding Junior Prom at Pier 40, with a Night Sky theme and an accompanying Stuy Legacy performance, on May 27. Seniors Katherine Lake and Carol Chen were named semifinalists out of 620 students in the country for the 2022 Presidential Scholar Award by The United States Presidential Scholars Program. Four members represented the Stuyvesant Chess Team, placing fifth in the National High School Chess Championships in Memphis, Tennessee. The Stuyvesant Freshman Caucus held their Spring Carnival on May 6 in the cafeteria rather than in Rockefeller Park due to weather concerns.

The Spectator • May 13, 2022

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News Stuyvesant In-Person Spring Choral and Instrumental Concerts Return were the perfect number because it was enough that there were a lot of people but we didn’t have to open the smaller rooms in the back of the theater which would ruin the sound quality.” Students acknowledged that the hard work put into perfecting each of their parts contributed to the successful execution of the performance. “Before each concert started, we spent class time learning our parts, memorizing the lines, and we had rehearsals to learn how to get off and on the stage,” Ke said. “We also had voice recordings at home to practice to see if [we were] on note, check pronunciation, rhythm, things like that.” Overall, most students felt that the pieces they performed for the Spring Concerts were more challenging and noteworthy than those played in the winter. “I feel like our songs were harder and we also had more songs,” freshman Zaynab Anwar said. “They were just more enjoyable to play and they weren’t all Christmas songs, so that was fun. I definitely liked this [concert] better than the last one.” Others believed what differentiated the spring concerts from those in the winter was the experience that students had gained after a semester. “I got to play a much bigger role than in my last spring concert, but I think there was definitely a great energy from the performers, some of whom I videotaped backstage,” senior Nora Archer said. “Last time there was a spring concert we also had an oratorio choir, but we have a lot

continued from page 1

age an intense amount of practice for the concerts within a tight schedule proved to be an arduous task for many participants. “The whole band was stressed about how sudden this concert was after the spring break, and I can say that I felt nervous and stressed as I entered the stage,” freshman Jakob Weir said. “There wasn’t very much preparation; they expected us to play right after the break and we were only given three rehearsal days in the auditorium.” Due to the overall fastpaced organization of the event, some thought that preparation for transitions between performance pieces was lacking. “I think we kind of went into it hoping we could just go with the program without planning too much in advance,” junior Felix Harkeness said. “But when the program goes from a massive band plus orchestra combination to small chamber groups with a piano, it’s just really hard to move things around quickly enough without planning it all out beforehand. All of that led to pretty long breaks between some of the pieces.” Nonetheless, most performers expressed satisfaction with the concert outcome, believing that they were able to produce a memorable concert. “I would consider it a success, [as] we didn’t make any noticeable errors and people clapped,” Ke said. “[Apparently] the ticket sales I heard from Shamazov

more soloists now. Compared to this year’s winter concert, everyone just knew more and seemed a bit more trained.” As the school year comes to an end, the Spring Concert was the final opportunity for many students to showcase their musical talents in front of a Stuyvesant audience. “I read their names and presented them to the audience,” Shamazov said. “Most kids stay for four years so it becomes more of a family so [...] I think that it’s really nice to acknowledge that and say a formal goodbye before graduation.” For the graduating seniors, this was not their last time performing since many plan to attend in the coming years. “I think the fact that so many of us are leaving but there’s so much talent beneath us is really exciting, so we all look forward to coming back,” Lake said. “I think that that’s why, for us, it’s not so sad, because we know that even if it’s virtual we can tune in for a day or come back for a day, and that possibility for us is exciting.” Students and teachers alike look forward to seeing more incoming students fuel the future of the music ensembles. “I’m excited to see what happens to the chorus because there’s a large volume of people leaving and we usually don’t get that many people coming in,” senior Michael Borczuk said. “[...] I just hope that the people that are in it now, the underclassmen, are as passionate as the seniors [who are] leaving are and continue to make it the way it is now.”

Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons and NASA

WORLDBEAT A draft of the Supreme Court majority opinion for Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, leaked by media company Politico, sparked national controversy. The drafted majority opinion may override the precedent set by Roe v. Wade in 1973 and eliminate the federal right to abortion. The Twitter board of directors agreed to a $44 billion acquisition offer in a private deal with billionaire Elon Musk. President Biden approved a disaster declaration for the ongoing New Mexico wildfires. Upward of 15 thousand homes have been affected by mandatory evacuation orders since early April. Felonies reported in the NYC subway system have risen by 68 percent since January compared to the same period last year. Most notably, felony assaults and grand larceny have surged by 28 and 110 percent, respectively. Fifteen million people have died during the pandemic worldwide, much more than the number of cases reported by many countries.

ISSUE 14 CORRECTIONS - Author of “Strong Resurgence Paves the Way for Peglegs’ Playoff Run” should be Maya Brosnick. - Art on page 2 should have credits to Nelli Rojas-Cessa.

Annual Earth Day Fair Returns Earth Day started in April of 1970 and was celebrated with demonstrations and cleanups occurring in New York City. To maintain this spirit, the Stuyvesant Environmental Club (SEC) shared their appreciation for Earth Day through their annual Earth Day Fair. This year’s theme was natural resources, with the goal of teaching students how they can make an impact and how larger corporations affect the use of these resources. The event took place over the course of two days, with a remote session on April 13 and an in-person one on April 14. There was a slightly lower turnout in comparison to last year’s completely virtual fair. With breakout rooms in the virtual meeting and physical stations in the in-person event, the fair was designed to be interactive. Club members shared presentations, leaving time for games and complementary activities at the end. SEC members’ Earth Day projects were displayed, such as student-written articles on noise pollution and crafts made out of recyclable materials. Every member contributed an Earth Day project or helped out with one large committee-wide project for one of the four committees in the SEC: the Green Team, Communications Committee, Social Media Committee, and Research Committee. While the theme of the fair varies every year, this year’s theme

was chosen to address overconsumption and to keep the topic broad enough so that a variety of topics could be explored by club members. Past themes include climate change and recycling. The

escape room, presented as a Google Form that required information about natural resources to solve. Similar to “choose your own adventure” stories, students would progress through the escape room

club decided to reuse the interactive aspects from the previous year’s virtual Earth Day Fair. “We made it more interactive, and we gave members more freedom in choosing their project, type, style, and subtopic,” senior and SEC president Nour Kastoun said. “[This] sends the message that learning about the environment and environmental issues doesn’t have to be all really sad and boring.” There were many events at the virtual fair including a fracking storybook, a presentation on the Ogallala Aquifer, and an environmental trivia bowl. Another event was an environmentally-themed

to another question after answering something correctly until they escaped. When a student answered incorrectly, there would be a dead end that forced the student to return to the question until they answered it correctly. Some members who attended the virtual event noticed that there were significant differences between the virtual event and the in-person one. “There was no real engagement between the audience and the presenters [in the virtual event],” freshman and SEC member Muhib Muhib said. While this limitation on interaction presented a challenge, members of the SEC tried to incorpo-

Courtesy of Stuyvesant Environmental Club

By ADITYA ANAND, SETH FENTON, ELAINE WONG, and MATTHEW HUANG

rate more interactive activities to their virtual fair. “In the virtual fair there were interactive journeys where, while you choose your own path, you still get to learn about endangered species and the practices that are threatening them. We even had a storybook and other presentations that talk about these issues,” freshman and SEC member Vera Maganov said. Similarly, the in-person fair was divided into several stations, including an eco-tip station, which provided information about conserving natural resources. “In the eco-tip group, we talked about different food palates for both humans and pets, activism, sustainable fashion, and energy and water conservation. Helping the environment is super important and a little knowledge can go a long way,” Maganov said. Attendees reflect positively on the fair and its ability to reach the student population with its environmentally-related messages. “I want to applaud all the members of SEC for having put in all the work that they did for the fair and for encouraging the Stuyvesant community to be more sustainable and eco-friendly. It’s nice to see the ways that creativity and activism can intersect,” senior Leo Lin said. As the fair was a large event, it did not come without difficulties. Due to the pandemic, many SEC members lacked in-person experience hosting the fair. “None of us in the cabinet really knew how to put up an in-person fair, and then our faculty advisor Ms. [Marissa] Maggio was out all week and so we

had to figure out what we were doing,” Kastoun said. In addition, the timing of this year’s fair conflicted with the chorus concert, and there were concerns about working around the band concert that took place after spring break at around the same time when fair preparations were being made. There was also the general sense of apathy with the transition back to in-person school events in both the student body and the club. “It was a bit less than last year, but we were about the same as last year if you count both days together. Usually, we have over 300 people including club members, and this year it was around 200 [attendees] including club members,” Kastoun said. “It was a good turnout considering the whole transition back to in-person.” Along with the pressure on the event planners, members who presented also faced obstacles. “Unfortunately, when we presented, we didn’t have enough time to say everything in the virtual fair. My group definitely could have cut it down short, but we covered many topics so that was difficult,” Maganov said. As for the future of Earth Day Fairs at Stuyvesant, the club has not been discouraged by the struggles faced with putting on this year’s fair. “We haven’t had elections yet and I love the club members, and whoever is in the cabinet next year is going to do an amazing job of putting on the fair and making their own ideas come to life,” Kastoun said.

The Spectator • May 13, 2022

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The Spectator • May 13, 2022

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News Clubs Resume Meetings In Person After a four-month hiatus due to a resurgence in COVID cases, in-person meetings for clubs and after school activities resumed. In-person meetings are permitted as of March 27, regardless of whether or not a faculty advisor is present. Club leaders and members alike have expressed both excitement and concerns regarding the reinstatement of non-virtual meetings. The decision to bring back inperson meetings was one made by the Student Union and school administration. “We talked with the administration [...] and we think having the option to do inperson is very valuable to many club leaders and participants,” Student Union Vice President Ryan Lee said. “Stuy has this incredible thing where a lot of things are student-built from all the different clubs and other activities. I think that’s something that everybody in Stuy would agree they want to see again.” Overall, students supported the decision while acknowledging the usefulness of remote meetings in certain situations. In addition, many were optimistic about the opportunities that a mix of both online and inperson meetings could afford to clubs. “Overall, I think it’s up to the clubs, and things can work on a case-by-case basis. Some clubs might be better off online, while others prefer in-person, both of which are fine,” sophomore Andrew Park said.

To ensure that clubs transitioned to in-person meetings safely, existing rules were emphasized and a few new restrictions were put in place. For example, club leaders are to reserve a room in advance and are required to have a faculty adviser if they have a meeting after 5:00 p.m. or are meeting in a room outside of an approved list. To better monitor the spread of COVID, a mandatory attendance form for clubs was introduced. “We have this attendance form that’s been working very well and [is] helping the administration like keeping track of close contacts,” Lee said. However, these restrictions can cause confusion for both club leaders and members. “Sometimes you’ll reserve a room but you can’t actually get the room because of ARISTA meetings or something else, so you have to go to some random room and people wouldn’t know where to go,” junior and President of StuyChem Sheikh Alif said. Even with the option to return to in-person meetings, however, some students expressed their fondness for the ease of both creating online meetings and attending them. “More people [...] come to the virtual ones because they’re a lot more accessible and there’s a lot less pressure to stay after school,” Alif said. Freshman and co-president of Fiscus, a club dedicated to giving back to the community through education and finance, Ashley Lo shared similar observations while emphasizing the convenience afforded by online

meetings that was not attainable with in-person meetings. “I think online meetings were more frequent because it was easier for

similar sentiments regarding the lack of engagement at online meetings compared to in-person ones. “On Zoom, most partici-

kids to meet online: just setting a time and date,” Lo said. While virtual meetings have their benefits, many students expressed their preference for inperson activities instead because of the interactiveness in-person experiences come with. “Online club meetings were engaging, but since the club I mainly participate in, Model UN, is speech-based and more dynamic, it was hard to capture the same feeling from an online meeting,” Park said. Sophomore Yuri Wang shared

pants have their camera off [...] and I [lose] focus more easily. It kind of [feels] like attending a class rather than a club activity,” Wang said. An online setting also made it difficult for interactive clubs such as Stuy Tetris to achieve their goal of being able to provide entertainment and an active level of commitment for its members. “It was a lot harder to connect to everybody because ideally I have them all talk to each other [...] but on Zoom, it’s so much more awk-

Courtesy of Kate Alvarez

By EVAN LIN, DYLAN MA, FIONA SHI, and JASMINE YUEN

ward to single them out and have them unmute and talk in front of everybody,” sophomore and Stuy Tetris president Erica Liu said. The return to in-person has allowed some clubs to restructure their activities to be more engaging. “It’s [...] really hard to explain things without your hands and being able to be there in person,” Alif said. “I really wanted to do experiments and you can’t really do experiments online, so it definitely opens up the possibility to do those again.” However, with a recent increase in COVID cases, there is concern over whether this transition back to in-person meetings can be sustained. “I think there is a possibility that clubs will eventually transition back to remote with the increasing number of confirmed positive cases since the mask mandate has [been] lifted,” Wang said. With the uncertainty of the return of another COVID wave, many club leaders are opting for a combination of both virtual and in-person meetings as a way to blend the availability of online meetings with the participatory aspect of physical meetings. Club leaders and members alike express their hopes that clubs will be able continue to remain open; however, students simultaneously highlight the need to remain vigilant to prevent the spread of COVID. “As technology becomes more advanced and people start to utilize this to their advantage to make things more accessible, I definitely see that [an integration] is going to be staying for quite some time,” Lee said.

Counseling Department Hosts Organization Day By BILL CHAN, MOZEN KALEFA, and NADA HAMEED After a return to school following a long year of remote learning, the Counseling Department hosted an Organization Day on March 30 in the Teachers’ Cafeteria on the fifth floor. Guidance counselors provided tips to help students organize their notes and gave free, new supplies, including a range of diverse books, for students to take. Stuyvesant students were given an opportunity to work on their organizational skills for this spring term. Organization Day has been held since 2015, traditionally after the first marking period of each semester. “We chose that time [because] that gives students six weeks or so in the new semester

[to] be able to recognize where they might be falling short with their own organization skills,” Assistant Principal of Pupil Personnel Services Casey Pedrick said. The event had a great turnout, with supplies running out by the end of sixth period. “There was so much [more] draw than ever before and we were not prepared with supplies. Moving forward, we’re going to have one in the fall and spring every year,” Guidance Counselor Sarah Kornhauser said. In past years, Organization Day received little traction from the student body as very few people even knew about it. “We had always been in the guidance counseling conference room, which is a much smaller space and if you didn’t know about it, you didn’t know about it,” Kornhauser said. “This was the first time we had

it in [the Teachers’ Cafeteria] upstairs, so it was much bigger.” Organization Day was planned to take almost the whole school day to reach as many students as possible. “We set it up so that it’s period two into [...] school. The event took [up] almost the entire school day [...] to assure that all students had an opportunity to attend. School counselors and myself take turns staffing it throughout the day to give students some type of verbal skill and help them organizationally,” Pedrick said. “It’s super easy; we advertise [the event], we book a room, we staff it, and we order a lot of supplies.” Students who participated in Organization Day found that it helped them get a grasp of their academic notes. “I had like five different classes’ worth of work in

one binder, and it was just a mess. Organization Day really helped me separate that into many binders, and now I can organize everything,” freshman Nasif Attiq said. Pedrick shared that the motivation behind the event was to help students get some semblance of control in their academic lives. “It’s an event that I created a number of years ago. I like being able to file things and have things labeled, so I know that it helps me benefit [from the] stress and anxiety in my work,” Pedrick said. “It falls right into the complementary part of being a school counselor and helping students manage their stress and anxiety and executive functioning skills.” Some students acknowledge the helpfulness of the event and how the tips they received helped them to become more organized.

“Basically, I learned how to put things in the right places,” Attiq said. “It’s chronological, [and] like in geometry [...] I’m able to find the things I need, so it’s very helpful.” The Counseling Department hopes that Organization Day is one way for students to have more comfort and ease at Stuyvesant. “Even if it’s just 10 minutes a day for a student, or a school counselor, or a teacher, or an administrator, to be able to reorganize [themself], it’s always a good thing,” Pedrick said. “We always encourage students, even though it’s only two days a school year, to take a moment every single day to reorganize, purge papers, leave things at home, label things, [...] to be able to get a sense of relief, of calm.”

Jady Chen Appointed as Replacement Junior Caucus Co-President continued from page 1

“I’m not a big fan of these sorts of public cancellations. I thought that he was being made to suffer for things that he had done a long time ago and expressed a lot of regret about,” he said. “[Jung] felt that [he] couldn’t continue to serve in that capacity, and at the end of the day he gets to make these decisions about what he wants to have happen in his own life.” The transition in leadership from Jung to Chen has brought minor logistical changes to cabinet operations. However, these changes to internal procedures have little impact on the majority of juniors.

Most juniors seem to possess apathetic attitudes regarding the Junior Caucus. “I have no idea what’s going on with the caucus,” junior Nyarai Masoni said. “I know there was controversy for a little bit, so I guess it makes sense that [Jung] stepped down.” Concerns regarding a lack of transparency have resurfaced among some students due to the lack of communication regarding appointment procedures for new caucus leaders. Some juniors note that they found out about the change in cabinet leadership through friends rather than an official source. “I didn’t know it was happening until I was talking to [Sokolov] recently and happened to find out [Chen] was the new president,” an anonymous junior

said. “Before that, I didn’t really know that [the appointment of a new co-president] was happening.” In spite of the changes that have been put in place, some students believe that greater systemic change is necessary to sufficiently address issues within student government. “The change of leadership does help, but I feel this was just one step. There are no mechanisms to hold caucuses accountable for nepotism, corruption, incompetence, or any other issues. There needs to be a way for the student body [to] hold student government accountable if they’re not fulfilling their duties as caucus leaders,” junior and former cabinet member Luca Adeishvili said. “We had to make an

entire open letter just to hold the Junior Caucus accountable. […] [Cabinet members] resigned on their own accord.” Furthermore, the recent change in cabinet leadership has raised questions regarding the upcoming Senior Caucus election. Many students are expecting the incumbent cabinet to be contested, which is a contrast to the uncontested nature of typical SU elections, including the election that appointed Sokolov and Jung as Junior Caucus co-presidents. “I’ve been hearing [...] juniors being like, ‘I wasn’t thinking about [running], but now that there has been that whole issue with the JC, I’m thinking about running,’” Adeishvili said. “No one really knows what’s going to happen.”

Though the Junior Caucus has faced some adversity throughout the course of the school year, Chen hopes to end the year on a positive note. “Our main priorities right now are helping fellow students with college research— that’s a huge thing coming up as juniors—and definitely Junior Prom. That’s going through a lot of planning right now.” Sokolov echoes these sentiments. “[The caucus] is continuing our business as usual. We’re trying our hardest to keep up the good work and make sure we actually follow through on our promises.” Sokolov said. “[Chen] is a really good replacement for [Jung], and I hope that we’ll be able to end the year on a good note.”

The Spectator • May 13, 2022

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News Seniors Macy Jiang and Michelle Liang Win Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship By SADAT AHMED, MARY LEE, and JAMES LEE

I really enjoyed the class, so I started looking for opportunities outside of school,” Jiang said. Meanwhile, Liang first be-

search in terms of bioinformatics as I wanted to build off of the data research scientists use,” Liang said. Though both scholarship winners have an aptitude for CS, their passions for CS started in different ways. Jiang began programming during freshman year at Girls Who Code, a nonprofit organization that aims to support women pursuing CS, and sought to expand her education later on. “In sophomore year, I took Intro to CS with [Mathematics/ CS teacher Topher] Mykolyk and

came involved in CS in middle school through Scratch, a free visual programming language widely used to teach children basic coding skills. “I first got involved in CS in sixth grade. I had joined an afterschool activity where I basically played around with Scratch, where I put together [block-like] pieces of code to put together a game or a visual interface,” Liang said. The courses offered at Stuy, including Intro to CS and AP CS, helped Jiang and Liang amass the skills required to improve in

Andy Lin / The Spectator

Seniors Macy Jiang and Michelle Liang won the competitive Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship, awarded to 100 underserved high school seniors interested in pursuing a computer science (CS) related field. The scholarship provides seniors with $40 thousand for college and a paid programming internship at Amazon for twelve weeks during the summer after their freshman year at college. Through this internship, students receive the opportunity to work with managers and mentors to build impactful projects at Amazon. Jiang and Liang applied for the scholarship for the chance to receive a significant monetary prize and further their programming experience by working at one of the biggest companies in the world. “It would be a great experience to learn from working [at Amazon] and to really learn what people do with CS in a professional setting,” Jiang said. Both Liang and Jiang describe the application process as fairly straightforward, consisting of a recommendation letter from a STEM teacher and a few essay responses. The questions tested their problem-solving skills and asked for descriptions of their leadership and CS ex-

perience, as well as their reason for pursuing this field. “One of my answers was [that] I wanted to use CS to help biological re-

CS. “The most important thing I learned from those classes was how to problem solve, because I think it is really easy to learn the syntax of a language but it is difficult to know how to put it together in a way that’s functioning but also efficient,” Liang said. Jiang echoes this sentiment, emphasizing the importance of learning problem solving skills to pursue CS. “What I got from these classes [was] mostly the foundational skills and coding. I think it is important to have these basic skills and to be able to build something functional and to also think from a coder’s mindset about what you could use these skills for in the future,” she said. Beyond programs and school courses, Liang and Jiang both worked individually on projects and browsed CS-related websites online to further their programming knowledge. “Other than the Girls Who Code experience, I participated in smaller outside opportunities and right now I am doing [a] Beaver Works Institute challenge [as part of a STEM program at MIT],” Jiang said. With the Amazon internship the scholarship grants, Liang and Jiang hope to discover which CS subfields they’re most interested in. “My plans from interning at Amazon are to basically get experience working in CS and fig-

uring out what I want to do in CS because right now I don’t know whether I want to go into software engineering or a more artistic aspect of CS,” Jiang said. Liang has similar aspirations, showing an interest in software engineering and game design. “My future plans are to get experience but also to see if I would enjoy the environment of Amazon. I know that Amazon specializes in things like software engineering and I would like to see if I would like to go into software engineering or something like game design or consulting,” she said. To Stuyvesant underclassmen seeking to win the scholarship and pursue a career in CS, Liang and Jiang share encouraging words and advice. Liang suggests that future applicants write genuine responses. “Don’t be intimidated if you lack experience you think others may have. I did not have much experience to show in terms of official internships but I got in anyway and I think that’s because of my essay answers and me being truthful in them,” Liang said. Jiang agrees with Liang and emphasizes the importance of believing in oneself. “I would advise [future applicants] to take the risk of applying in the first place and thinking you [will] get it. It doesn’t hurt to try,” she said.

Stuyvesant Red Cross Hosts 12th Annual Health Fair Stuyvesant Red Cross hosted their 12th annual Health Fair on April 25 on the fourth and fifth floors. With the contributions of many faculty members and organizations at Stuyvesant, the fair had around 300 student participants in the various activities presented by the numerous clubs that helped organize the fair. Stuyvesant Red Cross reached out to various clubs to help contribute to the fair including Stuyvesant Muslim Students Association (MSA), South Asian Youth Association (SAYA), Stuy Papercrafts, Stuyvesant Premedical Society, Stuyvesant Road Runners, Stuyvesant Philharmonic, Pstuychology, Stuyvesant Environmental Club (SEC), and Wellness Council. This year’s fair revolved around the main idea of sleep, its importance, and how to alter sleep schedules for health benefits. In addition to preparing presentations educating students on the importance of maintaining health despite the stressful nature of Stuyesant, each club also arranged different individual activities, such as Family Feud from Red Cross, henna from MSA, a yoga activity by SAYA, and “happiness jars” presented by SEC. Red Cross volunteers were divided into three stations dedicated to food, tea, and a Family-Feudstyle game to help organize the fair. The tea station was created to demonstrate different alternatives to coffee, the beverage of choice for many students. “We want to find a way to introduce people to types of tea because it’s a lifestyle [choice] for a lot of people. So we wanted to introduce people to different types of tea and demonstrate the health benefits,” senior

and Red Cross Vice President Shreyasi Saha said. The food station also served a similar purpose in offering healthy substitutes to the junk food that many teenagers consume. “For this event, our [goal] is to provide healthy alternatives of fruits [and other healthy options]. We got freshly picked vegetables, all homemade [and] organic,” an anonymous junior Red Cross volunteer said. Many clubs aside from Red Cross set up stands with presentations to help spread the awareness of promoting both physical and mental health. “Well, at Stuyvesant, mental health has become a big issue and especially with the pandemic, people have been feeling more isolated. [...] We are all trying to find a community because we’ve lost a whole year of our high school lives,” senior and SAYA president Riddhi Aggarwal said. “With this fair, people will be able to learn more about mental health and also be able to find clubs and other activities [...] they can partake in to improve this.” Some stands didn’t include as much presentation and instead demonstrated hands-on activities to help students manage stress from school and their everyday lives. “We thought papercraft would be a good way for students to de-stress and take their mind off studies and anything else that might be going on in their life,” senior and Stuy Papercrafts Vice President Hebe Huang said. SEC also presented happiness jars as a personal mindfulness activity, with attendees writing nice things that happened to them that day. “I kind of just wanted to have people have a small little bit of joy like a small moment of happiness or appreciation,” senior and SEC President Nour Kastoun said. “I’m going to be honest, I started this in January last year, [...] so maybe

a couple other people will be inspired to start their own happy jar or their own mindfulness thing.” This year, transitioning to an in-person health fair required more help in terms of funding and setting up than prior years. “It was my first time directly working with the Parents’ Association for funding and this was definitely a year long process if we’re talking about funding, because we request those

Club president Nina Shin said. For many of the attendees, one of the major attractions and highlights of the fair was the food stations. “I [attended this event] because I heard there was going to be free food,” freshman Lucia Liu said. “The salad bar was really good.” Aside from attending to receive extra credit from some teachers, students also learned new

at the beginning of the year,” senior and Red Cross co-president Xiaoshen Ma said. “I also had to get [Assistant Principal of Security/Health and PE] Mr. Brian Moran to book all the floors.” However, many club leaders found the organization process similar to that of the virtual fairs in the past two years of quarantine. “[Last year’s fair] was pretty similar to be honest. [...] We just had a presentation and a slide show instead of an actual poster, but other than that I think it’s like this similar level of interactivity since there were people that were coming in then and now,” senior and Research

facts relating to the human body. “I did [learn something] actually. Did you know that in the joints, there’s a fluid that keeps things from knocking together, and that’s what lubricates the muscle?” sophomore William Tang said. Despite the overall success of the event, some students raised concerns regarding crowding and its safety amidst the pandemic. “At [the beginning of the fair,] people were crowding outside, and there wasn’t really a place to go, so I think that was kind of unsafe,” Tang said. Others also believed that the crowding in the cafeteria made it

Courtesy of Stuyvesant Red Cross

By SHARON ZHOU, VINCENT WANG, SARAH DIAZ, and DIGIT KIM

difficult to focus on what presenters were trying to say. “I liked how you could go wherever you wanted and had a lot of freedom, [but] in the cafeteria, since it was so loud, it might’ve been better if the presenters had a microphone so you could hear them better,” Liu said. Futhermore, others hope that future advertisements of the fair could include additional details rather than just club names. “Once a club is confirmed, they maybe could do a write-up of what they are doing or the info they are offering so the health fair organizer can create a list of that and send it out to people who filled out the form,” junior Vivian Graeber said. Some club leaders suggested proposals that would increase the space available to perform their activities. “We set up in the hallway so people had to sit down and stand there to make the papercrafts, so it wasn’t a really ideal situation in terms of space,” senior and Stuy Papercrafts vice president Ashley Wu said. “If there was a bigger space like inside a classroom, we could lay out our presentation more cleanly and also have more people sit down and enjoy the process instead of rushing it a little.” For future years, Stuyvesant Red Cross plans to continue utilizing the Health Fair as a form of bringing the Stuyvesant community together in an engaging, educational way. “We’ve learned a lot from this first year coming back, and [...] I think just being back and being able to reconnect with everyone [is] the feeling that I take out of this,” faculty advisor of Wellness Council and Stuyvesant Red Cross Angel Colon said. “It’s the Red Cross Health Fair, but I also like to call it the Wellness Council Coalition Health Fair. We emphasize a coalition and I always promote Stuy unity. For them to be active [and] involved, activism is something that we need here.”

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The Spectator • May 13, 2022

Features By JULIA CHERNOBELSKY Last month, on what seemed to be a regular Tuesday, a man walked into a crowded N train at 8:00 a.m., set off a smoke bomb, and started shooting. At the next stop, dozens of people ran off the train, scared for their lives. Ten people were shot and 13 others suffered smoke inhalation or panic-induced injuries. This shooting seemed like a random incident, though New York City crime rates have recently been increasing. In the first three weeks of March 2022, there were 55 reported transit crimes, compared to only 18 in March 2021, which is over a 200 percent increase. Aside from the people who were physically threatened, hundreds of thousands of New York residents have since shared a collective feeling of fear of public transportation. Though the shooting was not the first incident of violence on NYC trains, this shooting brought the recent increase in crime into the forefront of New Yorkers’ minds. “Before this shooting, there was the occasional crackhead or dangerous-looking person, but not bad enough [that] I was constantly scared,” junior Alexandra Tsarenkov said. She has a 2 train commute from South Brooklyn, and no other way but the subway to get to school. Many people have had experiences with being wary of individuals on the train, but not to this extent, as this has become the largest shooting ever in MTA’s history. The recent shooting became the worst transit crime ever in New York City, and the city’s

residents are expectedly shocked. Sophomore Ellen Yu takes the LIRR and then the 2 train to get to school. “I’ve always been scared of taking public transportation,” Yu said. The New York transit system is not known for its safety, and students especially tend to travel in groups and not speak to strangers. “My parents have always told me horror stories about the trains, and told me to be careful,” sophomore Kaedan Ruparel said. This fear was only exacerbated by the recent shooting. “After the shooting, I was more scared than usual, and I didn’t want to take the subways alone, but I could never consider an alternate route because it doesn’t exist,” Yu said. Students like Yu have to face their fears everyday by stepping on the train in order to go through with their daily schedule. Some students decided that this shooting was the last straw and have restructured their entire commute because of it. Ruparel used to take the train for four stops every day, making his entire commute just ten minutes, but has changed his routine since then. “My parents immediately stopped allowing both my sister and I [to take] the train, and constantly tell us about the terrible crimes occurring, like the shooting or stabbings,” he said. “Since the shooting, my family and I have been so scared that I now take a Citi Bike everyday unless it is raining.” Though his commute is now more than double the time, he feels safer. This reaction isn’t the same in every family, as some families are not even fazed by these crimes. “My family has told me

Ori Mermelstein / The Spectator

Fear Spreading Throughout NY

to be more careful and try not to be alone, but they don’t mention it much,” Yu said. “They understand I will have to make the commute either way.” No matter what one’s family believes, there has been a general increase in awareness in students of their surroundings on their

way to school. “My music is less loud and my hood is always down, so I can be more observant,” Tsarenkov said. While the transit system is once again seen as more dangerous, most students have few options but to continue taking trains every day. As frightening as the

situation is, it is a city-wide issue, and the reactions and feelings that arise from it are relatable for the majority of those who take public transportation. Students and families should not worry too much as such incidents are still not the norm, but may exercise caution on their subway journeys.

Stuyvesant’s SATs: Stress or Success? By MILLIE BELL

While Stuyvesant seniors have recently completed their college application processes, most juniors are just now beginning it with their SATs. For many, the recent tests offered by Stuyvesant were their first attempts. Feelings of concern and anxiety were replaced by senses of relief for some, while in other cases, fear. Stuyvesant students’ methods of preparation for their SATs had an impact on their expectations for the test, and many were able to learn from their results to guide their preparation for following attempts. Though the vast majority of students who take the SAT do some type of preparation prior to their test, methods of doing so vary from student to student. Some choose to hone in on their weaker subjects and do assisted preparation for those areas. “I felt more confident that I could just self-study for math,” junior Alika Peker said. Peker found that her weaknesses lied in the Reading & Language portion of the test, so she chose to only get an English tutor. She reflected that most of what she learned was more beneficial in learning about succeeding on the test itself, rather than specific contentbased knowledge. “[Getting a tutor] did help a little, but more in terms of test taking strategies than teaching me things I didn’t already know,” she elaborated. Many students chose to selfstudy and found that taking practice tests aided in their preparation. “The types of questions in

the [tests] I took were exactly what I expected based on the practice tests I had taken before,” Peker reflected. Overall, taking practice tests, alongside studying repeated errors, was generally found to be an effective testpreparation strategy. Despite extensive preparation for the SAT, there are always other factors that simply cannot be anticipated. Most students who took practice tests found

think my nerves prevented me from doing as well as I probably could’ve,” she said. Those who have taken the SAT can offer nuanced pieces of advice to the next generation of test-takers. Students generally suggest assessing strengths and weaknesses prior to beginning the test-prep process in order to eliminate any unnecessary work. “Find out your strong suit early, whether it’s math or English,

necessary, but entirely ineffective. “Definitely don’t study the night before,” Peker encouraged. Because the SAT is less knowledge-based, many studying strategies that students are wellversed in for their academic and subject testing are ineffective. The SAT requires students to comprehend and analyze detailed readings, edit grammatical issues in writing passages, and solve complex, multi-step math prob-

“Find out your strong suit early, whether it’s math or English, and really focus on narrowing down smaller errors that come with speed.” —Sagy Liberman, junior that while the practice questions themselves were the same level of difficulty or harder than the real SAT, the official test-taking experience changed the outcomes significantly. Multiple students found that their nerves prevented their peak performance, and even if they were generally able to complete their practice tests on time, they found themselves rushing to finish sections on the real test. To junior Alexandra Tsar, despite her overall positive feelings surrounding her test-taking experience, she still felt as though her performance on practice tests was better. “I

and really focus on narrowing down smaller errors that come with speed,” junior Sagy Liberman recommended. Students also found that a major component of the test was learning how to overcome nerves so that they don’t interfere with the testing process. “Overlooking words and overthinking are probably the most common cause of mistakes,” Liberman noted. One may recognize that there are multiple attempts available for the SAT. Additionally, the SAT’s focus on comprehension rather than memorization means that cramming is not only un-

lems. However, little of this test is memorization-based, hence the arguably most important SAT study tip: don’t study the night before. For the SATs, longterm preparation and short-term relaxation are helpful strategies to receive desired scores on the test, as well as increase comfort with the test format. “It’s important to remember practicing increases your personal confidence [with the test] as well as your ability, and confidence is highly important,” sophomore Ty Anant explained. Anticipating the arrival of their SATs, some underclassmen

have begun to consider preparation but have not begun their studying as of yet. “I don’t really want to worry about [the SATs] right now; I’m so stressed out with all of my APs that are coming up and all of the summer programs that I have to do with college that I can’t really deal with them right now,” sophomore Lily Serry explained. Serry took the PSAT in the fall and found it relatively doable, assuaging much of her stress. Once she begins preparing for the SAT, she plans to do one-on-one tutoring, as that method was successful for her in taking her SHSAT, the comparable high school admissions exam. Anant had similar emotions towards the tests, feeling that focusing on AP exams is currently more important. “I also think I’m going to take the same approach as I did with the SHSAT, since now they have similar formats,” Anant said. Taking the SAT may appear a daunting task for underclassmen. However, with adequate preparation, it doesn’t have to be so stressful. The key to the SAT, as has been discovered by many of those who are well-versed with its format, is to learn and practice strategies early on so that when the test day comes, the element of surprise is minimized. “I think the most valuable thing from my experience in test taking and performance in general is to just provide yourself with enough of a foundation of practice and work that you’re confident you can succeed on the actual test,” Anant advised.

The Spectator • May 13, 2022

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Features What’s the Word on Wordle? By ABIGAIL JIN and ARSHIA MAZUMDER

“Adieu” is a common first guess for Wordle players, but we won’t be saying adieu to the game anytime soon. You’ve probably played or heard of Wordle before: it’s the reason your friends are posting those colored squares on Facebook every day. This straightforward New York Times guessing game gives players six chances to guess a five-letter word. It may not seem very impressive at first, but the simplicity and satisfaction of the puzzle has suddenly popularized it over the past few months. At Stuyvesant, Wordle has become quite the sensation. It has become part of many students’ daily routines. “It’s just something to make me think in the morning,” freshman Fiona Li, who plays it every day, explained. “If I get the word in two or three tries, I feel happy and that makes my day,” she said. While it provides a short and sweet dose of mental stimulation for some, Wordle has also created the opportunity for others to try out their own experiments and push their problem-solving abilities. Junior Gabriel Thompson, who plays the game daily, created a program that could solve the Wordle puzzles. However, he uses this program not to solve the puzzles for him, but

to instead get insight on how a computer would approach puzzles like these. “After I’m done [solving the Wordle manually], I’ll try using a solver and see how fast it goes. Part of the weird thing about it is that the optimal Wordle strategy often has some

possible words] in order but a lot of people do that,” Thompson said. “For example, words like ‘still,’ ‘shill,’ ‘swill.’ You should try and make another word that has [those letters:] you should have something like “width,” because that’ll have W, H, and T in them.

“After I’m done [solving the Wordle manually], I’ll try using a solver and see how fast it goes.” —Gabriel Thompson, junior really weird results,” he explained in an online interview. “The starting word [is always] ‘salet’ and it uses a decision tree that I generated[:] you can click on each of the blocks to change the color of it and then [the program] calculates the next move given that.” Often, a word will come up where four of the letters are known, but one of the letters is missing. Thompson gave “S– ILL” as an example. “It’s a terrible strategy to just test all of [the

You’ll be able to see which one of ‘still,’ ‘shill,’ ‘swill’ is it.” Sophomore Dorothy Ha ran into this issue on Wordle #265. “I hate some of the words in the Wordle database,” she wrote in an e-mail interview. “I lost my 100 [percent] Wordle streak to the word ‘watch.’ My other guesses were ‘catch,’ ‘match,’ ‘latch,’ ‘batch,’ and ‘patch.’ I was absolutely devastated.” Despite the patches of difficulty, sophomore Zareen Islam

explained in an e-mail interview that she loves the game because it’s accessible, easy to understand, and convenient. “I like how simple it is, and how it’s like other games I’ve played before so it’s not a terribly unfamiliar concept. I also like that due to its popularity, I can talk about it with my friends,” she wrote. “There’s a public StuyWordle Facebook group where we all post our daily Wordle results and Wordle variations.” There are over 130 members in the group as of now, where students have been posting results since January. Though the original Wordle is simple enough to follow, all over the Internet, there have been Wordle variants developing faster than COVID-19 variants. For instance, there’s Subwaydle, a subway version; Nerdle, a math version; Taylordle, a Taylor Swift version; and even Lewdle, a version with more inappropriate words, just to name a few. “Every now and then I play Quordle and Sedecordle. I wouldn’t necessarily say I like them better, but when I’m looking for an actual challenge I find these more entertaining [than] the original,” Islam revealed. Quordle makes players guess four words simultaneously, allotting nine guesses in total. Sedecordle has the same concept, but makes players guess 16 words with 21 total guesses. There are even Wordles out there

in different languages: “Le Mot” is the French version and “Un juego de palabras diario” is the Spanish version. Students aren’t the only ones who enjoy playing Wordle. English teacher Katherine Fletcher has played consistently ever since she read about it becoming a viral sensation, which was around the time her family started playing and she decided to check it out. “I’ve played 82 times and I’ve never missed a day,” she proclaimed. While Wordle’s popularity seems to be exploding, there are some that don’t understand why. Freshman Brandon Waworuntu, for example, doesn’t find Wordle that interesting. “I don’t really get it. Like, what’s the hype all about?” Waworuntu remarked in an online interview. “I guess it can be kind of addicting and you can [feel] accomplished when you get it right, but that’s just not for me.” Indeed, Wordle is quite addicting, and the majority of people, including Li, Islam, Fletcher, and Thompson, seem to play it daily, or try to. It usually takes them about four attempts to guess the word, with the occasional lucky twos and threes. Regardless of commitment levels to the daily streak, Wordle seems to have captured the hearts of the Stuy community as something new to bond over.

Striking the Right Chord By OLIVIA WOO Aside from the obligatory blasting of the birthday song at the swipe-in machines and the occasional in-class ringtone, instrumental music doesn’t make up a large part of the Stuyvesant student’s school day. However, just a quick trip down the half-floor stairs to the first floor will reveal a plethora of melodies, from the strings of Symphonic Orchestra to the plaintive lone pianist at the bench. A glance at them wouldn’t suggest it, but many of these students face the daily struggle of balancing rigorous course loads with perhaps the most demanding extracurricular one can take on: music. Unlike involvement in a typical club or publication, a student’s music career can start years before they enter Stuyvesant, and can have already grown to become an essential part of their lives. Sophomore Charlie Stern, for example, has played the cello for 11 years. “[There have been] a few times I’ve not played [cello] for a month or two at most, but other than that I’ve kept it up,” he said. Many have found that the selfdiscipline that comes with learning an instrument at an early age has been useful in their academic lives. “Personally, I’m someone who gets distracted very easily and loses focus very easily, so having to sit down for an hour or 45 minutes a day and just focus on one task taught me how to stay focused on a task before I moved on to another,” Stern explained. In the experience of senior Cyrus Cursetjee, studying an instrument not only improves productivity, but also boosts performance at school. “Music and academics are pretty closely related in terms of work ethic,” said Cursetjee, who has studied

the violin for 13 years. “I practice during my free periods as a mental reset, but also to improve. And I find it more beneficial than sort of just not doing anything because your mind is maybe more relaxed, but is still working.” Since practice doesn’t have a due date like school assignments might, self-accountability is a requirement for every musician. “Practicing the piano is entirely up to me because I decide when I practice,” said freshman Elizabeth Kolbasko. This deficit in practice time is common among Stuyvesant musicians, and there is no single culprit. For one, the pandemic forced private lessons to be conducted online for months, which many saw as a hindrance to their progression. “Virtual lessons are really hard to do. They suck. So I definitely practiced less and definitely had less lessons,” said Stern. Kolbasko echoed this sentiment. “Before quarantine, I was improving so quickly. My teacher was like, this is really good. You’re on a roll. And then after quarantine, we did Zoom practices and I quit after two months of doing those Zoom practices and I just did it by myself. [...] That was kind of a plateau of my improvement,” she recounted. The size of the Stuyvesant workload has also proven to limit the amount of spare time during which students can practice. “It’s hard to manage my time between actually getting my homework done on time and practicing before it gets dark. You can’t really practice an instrument after around 8:00 p.m. because then you’ll disturb all your neighbors and housemates,” sophomore Kyle Hon Chan, who is in the Symphonic Band and is the founder of The Stuyvesant Philharmonic Club, said in an e-mail interview.

Freshmen in particular have seen the amount of time they practice drop, as they have to contend with a new social and academic environment. “When I started going to Stuy, I started practicing less and less. And the past two months I’ve been thinking about quitting, unfortunately, because I’ve had so little time to practice. I completely forget that I play an instrument sometimes,” Kolbasko said. “Stuy and a lot of hobbies do not mix well at all together.” However, this phenomenon may be unique to current underclassmen, who have had to adjust not only to new academic pressures, but also to the reality of inperson schooling. Cursetjee, who didn’t have to contend with the pandemic upon entering Stuyvesant, saw the transition as a positive force in his musical studies. “Weirdly enough, when I got to Stuy was when I started taking [violin] a lot more seriously and practicing a lot more. I think it was because some of the violinists and the musicians I had seen at Stuy when I was a freshman inspired me to practice so I could improve,” Cursetjee said. The music community at Stuyvesant has continued to be a place for students of all levels to develop their skills in a relaxed atmosphere. “I’m in the Symphonic and Jazz Band at Stuy, so I have no free periods ‘cause it’s all for music electives,” freshman Brandon Waworuntu said. “I’ve had a lot of fun and I’ve made many friends.” The social aspects of Band and Orchestra help to build connections, while working to encourage the spirit of practice, even if a student isn’t able to find time to play outside of school. “Rehearsing a single piece for hours on down to the latest hours of the school day with your peers

really fosters a community and relationship I’ve never experienced before,” said Chan. “My individual practice time has all gone into StuyPhil, and I spend that time writing arrangements for the band to play.” When Stuyvesant musicians do find time to practice, it can prove to be a calming and gratifying experience. “Sometimes when I’m really stressed out when I have a ton of work, I’ll see [practice] as a break from other schoolwork,” said Stern. In fact, certain instruments function not only as instruments, but also as outlets for negativity.

“The drum set is, you know, a big loud instrument,” Waworuntu said. “You can let your anger out on it.” The emotional and practical burden that comes with being a musician at Stuyvesant can be rectified by the positive effects that practice can have on stress levels and the supportive community that music electives and clubs have to offer. Ultimately, though, music is a personal endeavor. “If you don’t enjoy it, then it’s not gonna help you. And it doesn’t matter how good you are at it,” Cursetjee said. “But if you enjoy it, it’s not gonna be bad.”

The Spectator • May 13, 2022

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Editorials Teach, Don’t Prep; Learn, Don’t Study

Classes continue to go on as students pile into the library and gym, and calculate how to fit themselves into the desks that the school provides for them to take their AP exams. Students sweat as they bend over to fill in multiple choice bubbles and write essays in less than an hour. Some exams take five hours to administer instead of the projected three. The experience of taking an AP is a grueling and difficult process, and you might wonder why you spent the entire year preparing (or final few days cramming) for just this one test. What is the value of a class that focuses almost entirely on preparing for the AP? A class curriculum that is not centered around an exam allows for a more rewarding learning experience. Not adhering to the strict, regimented course description created by the CollegeBoard influences the class environment, since there is more freedom in class discussions, topics, and projects. Since conversations aren’t directly geared toward an AP exam, students and teachers alike can talk about subjects that they are genuinely interested in, which fosters better attitudes in the classroom. It presents the opportunity for the students to form more intimate connections with their teacher; in the classroom, people can exhibit passion and authenticity on a looser topic with

a broader scope. Avoiding gearing the class around preparing for a test also establishes a greater sense of academic independence as students have to take responsibility for their own learning and studying experience. In college, students are expected to prepare for exams on their own terms, guided by professors who tend to focus on teaching tangible content. Focusing on content that extends beyond the AP curriculum and inspiring relevant discussions increases the chances that students will carry over this knowledge to college. While teachers placing the majority of the burden of preparing for the AP exam on students may seem like a negative, it allows students to develop their own work ethic and skills that are essential to their future. Teaching to the test reduces students’ motivation to learn because it puts the class into the context of the test instead of the test being in the context of the class. Think of it this way: a student may have been excited to take an AP class to learn about the subject, but then question their decision to take it once they realize how AP-exam centric the course is. The emphasis placed on the exam causes students to view completing the exam as a final learning milestone, creating a short-term cycle of learning that

becomes ineffective in motivating students to explore that subject in the future. Once the exam finishes, students no longer see the need to retain the information they learned and it becomes forgotten. This is the result of a lack of understanding of the significance of what is being taught. Without a sense of purpose in their classes, students quickly lose passion for their studies and end up chasing a means to an end. Notorious classes like AP Chemistry and AP Physics leave students burnt out as they struggle to prepare for the rigorous exam, oftentimes losing interest in a subject they thought they had liked. Learning is not enjoyable because hard topics are not perceived as rewarding—classes need to be approached like pieces in a larger puzzle, not as a series of sprints. The beauty of the learning process is destroyed if there is no priority in the process. So do we just ditch the exam? Truthfully, the AP exam itself is a decent metric of the student’s knowledge on the subject, so it doesn’t need to be abandoned completely—but it should not be the most significant part of taking the class either. Not doing well on an AP exam but feeling like you took away something important from the class is ultimately better than scoring a five but having felt miserable for the whole year.

Sexual Violence at Stuyvesant By IVY HUANG

Several weeks ago, sexual harassment allegations came out against a former friend of mine. These allegations came from multiple girls and stemmed all the way back to the last school semester. The girls I’ve talked to have cited behaviors including inappropriate grabbing, invasion of private space, unwanted advances, and much more. To my horror and shock, these reported behaviors mirrored how he acted toward me as well. I had always felt uncomfortable with the way he grabbed my hips and clung to me, but I never had the guts to tell him “no” because the act of touching without consent is so normalized. Setting boundaries is often considered “rude” or “unfriendly.” One of his victims told me that she communicated with him physically and verbally to stop touching her, but he ignored this explicit message and refused to see his actions as a violation. As a result, she had to change her routes to certain classes just to avoid him. When confronted with these allegations, his excuse was “it was all a misunderstanding, and it happened so long ago. Why is it being brought up now?” More than seven people have accused him of harassment, and his behavior has not changed. We are taught in health class that consent is important, but there seems to be a disconnect between the things we learn and how we treat others. This difference is mainly ingrained in our society through “rape culture.” Sexual violence is normalized, and the perpetrators are protected while victims are blamed for their own trauma. It is also

perpetuated through the media we watch and the language we use every day. Recently, one of my friends went to a museum with four guys. She recalled feeling extremely uncomfortable when two of the guys were discussing whether they liked “big [breasts] or small [breasts].” Not only is this behavior extremely misogynistic, but it also reflects the mentality perpetrators have when they feel like they are entitled to comment on or even violate others. Stuyvesant’s dress code policy is also written from a victim-blaming perspective, with rules that say, “The length of shorts, dresses, and skirts should extend below the fingertips with the arms straight at your side.” Because of this dangerous mindset, invasive questions and comments like “what were you wearing?” or “you shouldn’t have been drinking” are uttered. In my former friend’s case, he blamed the victims for not saying “no” to him, even though he disrespected their objections by talking behind their backs or simply ignoring them. The pervasive force rape culture applies on our society makes it even more difficult for victims to come forward, which also deeply affects male victims of sexual violence. They often feel embarrassed, unprotected, or even ashamed after getting assaulted due to the suffocating nature of toxic masculinity. These issues are not just prevalent within Stuyvesant. They also manifest themselves in higher education and institutions. When elite institutions like Harvard, Yale, and Columbia are exposed for cover-ups regarding sexual assault, we lose faith

in the system. Just this February, a lawsuit accusing Harvard Law School of ignoring sexual harassment by a professor surfaced. In another instance, Asian American author Kelly Yang experienced sexual assault as a firstyear at Harvard Law School. She lost faith in the legal system after Harvard acquitted her assaulter and investigated her for “malicious prosecution” instead. Rumors and stories regarding how sexual assault is handled in our school have also deterred many victims from filing a complaint. Under Title IX, schools are required to respond to allegations of sexual harassment and assault. In a conversation with my guidance counselor, she explained that after victims come forward with their stories, Assistant Principal of Security Brian Moran is consulted, and the school usually undergoes an online system to file reports. When asked about the procedures taken after a report is filed, Moran explained that they vary depending on the severity of the case. First, a conversation with students and parents, during which Moran and administrators listen to what the person is sharing and ask questions, would take place. The situation is “addressed, investigated, and then addressed.” Based on the circumstances, the school may work with outside organizations like the New York Police Department (NYPD) and Child Protective Services to figure out appropriate steps forward. On an administrative level, in-school suspensions and out-of-school suspensions can be placed on perpetrators. Depending on the severity of the infraction, victims can get orders of protection or

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have charges placed on their assaulters through outside bureaucracies like the courts, which can be even more complicated. When asked why victims and advocates of victims may feel disappointed in the system, Moran said that there is a difference between assumptions of how these cases are handled versus being happy with the outcome. Moran explained that actions taken against the perpetrator, such as suspensions, are always held with a teaching instead of punitive intent in mind. Even though this mindset is respectable in a learning environment, decisions on these matters should not solely revolve around the perpetrator. The victim’s satisfaction with the outcome should be considered and weighed equally, if not more heavily than the perpetrator’s. Filing lawsuits and involving the NYPD in these matters when the victim isn’t happy with the school’s response can be another violating, lonesome, and convoluted process that the school can easily alleviate by actively involving victims in their decisionmaking process when it comes to consequences. There are many posters encouraging people to speak up near Moran’s office. However, these efforts may all seem performative if specific guidelines and procedures on sexual misconduct are not transparent to the student body. Many have the misconception that the term sexual assault can only be used to describe attempted rape or rape. This notion, however, is not true. Recategorizing actions seen as bullying as sexual assault/misconduct allows more measures to be taken when it comes to

ADV I SE R

inappropriate touching, violations of personal autonomy, and harassment, which are just as serious. Currently, the school is trying to alleviate these issues by holding freshman biology “pushins,” where guidance counselors come into classes to talk about rights and responsibilities. If victims need emotional and mental help, guidance counselors check in, and Stuyvesant’s relationship with outside therapeutic services is encouraged for victims, though the school cannot mandate these services without parental consent. It is important to note that current sophomores and upperclassmen do not have these push-ins, which should be in place for all grades so that more conversations about consent, boundaries, and permission can take place. Teachers should try to hold these conversations through the literature we read in English class or the lessons we are taught in history. Teachers can also help victims feel safe by condemning misogynistic jokes and dark humor that perpetuates these behaviors. Stuyvesant is considered one of the best high schools in the country. With this pedestal comes the responsibility to implement better ways of handling sexual assault cases that hold perpetrators accountable and make victims feel more comfortable coming forward. Administrators can start by taking another look at their definitions of sexual assault. We, as members and allies, should be mindful of the seemingly harmless dark jokes we hear or make because in the long run, they contribute to how sexual violence and personal boundaries are viewed.

The Spectator • May 13, 2022

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Opinions Ban Book Banning By ASHLEY LIN

By CHARLOTTE PETERSON A man dropped a smoke-filled canister and opened fire on a Manhattan-bound N train near Sunset Park, Brooklyn on April 12, 2022. Thirty-three shots were fired, and 10 people were wounded, five of them critically. The shooter escaped during the chaotic, smoky aftermath, leaving many NYC students worried about their subway-reliant commutes home. Friends told me about how they would have to rearrange their commutes: some said that their parents would be coming to pick them up, and others had to take unfamiliar forms of transportation to avoid certain trains or the subway entirely. The words “get home safe” echoed through the hallways a little more loudly than usual as I walked out of the building.

There are certainly many people who feel unsafe in our country because of inefficient and ineffective gun control. Though the number of people affected by gun violence, as well as pushback on gun availability, is constantly growing, there are some citizens who are trying to loosen gun control laws in New York. Last year, two upstate New Yorkers decided to sue the state of New York to make it easier for New York citizens to carry guns. Citing the Second Amendment, they challenged the state’s relatively strict gun law, arguing that New York’s gun control law is unconstitutional and that New Yorkers should be able to carry concealed weapons without restriction. The case is now before the Supreme Court. However, a decrease in gun restrictions is the last thing that New York State needs. Even with the gun regulations the state has, there are already too many guns circulating that end up being used in shootings like the one near Sunset Park. The reason people push for less limiting gun legislation is simple: the United States has a deeply ingrained gun culture. Guns are, to many, symbolic of personal liberty itself. For every 100 Americans, there are 120 American guns, a statistic completely unrivaled by any other nation. As a result of America’s obsessive gun culture, it is very difficult to regulate and restrict a market that many value so strongly, despite the often fa-

A Bottomless Hole

lose seats or even gain seats in the midterm elections. Republicans holding the keys to the United States Congress, several governor mansions, and state legislatures may reasonably seem like a frightening prospect. Republicans have recently declared war on reproductive rights, LGBT rights, civil rights, and even our democracy. It

justified. One of the biggest questions about the midterm elections is who is responsible for a likely midterm defeat. Progressives have blamed moderates for refusing to back an expansive and transformative agenda, while moderates have blamed progressives for backing an agenda that goes too far. Compromise is

is quite frustrating that voters value their economic security over their fundamental rights. Our political system has failed to prevent this extremism from permeating our government, but this failure is in line with the global rise of populism. With the likely result of this midterm election, fear and paranoia are

difficult to achieve since certain elements of the coalition refuse to negotiate on particular aspects of their agendas, believing them to be absolutely necessary. One thing is clear: Republicans are united in their opposition to the incumbent administration and their desire to oust the Democrats. It is inevitable that

Jason Lei / The Spectator

By MUHIB MUHIB The 2022 midterm elections are approaching, with the primary elections soon to be in earnest. Republicans are likely to flip the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate after maintaining consistent leads in the generic ballot. Democrats must prepare for the prospects of a red wave this November. The inevitable scapegoating of who is responsible for this loss has already begun. Democrats have made the fatal mistake of ignoring inflation as rising prices have become obvious to nearly every American. They effectively allowed the Republicans to take advantage of the issue and convince Americans to believe that prices were spiraling out of control. Inflation rates can no longer be corrected without raising interest rates, which will inevitably result in a recession that will further damage the economy and the Democrats. The current situation is in line with the trend of midterm elections being an opportunity for backlash against the current administration. The Democrats have failed to avoid these trends, and only six months remain for them to somehow change course. The political environment looks grim with a deadlocked Congress. Some Democrats refuse to accept that voters generally do not like one-party control of the executive and legislative branches. They cling to theories that they will not

caust, Jim Crow laws, and slavery are not controversial; they are a painful part of our history, and it is the responsibility of educators to ensure that the next generation does not forget them. It is the responsibility of educators to ensure that students continue to grapple with the legacies of these “uncomfortable” topics. The efforts to censor educators and literature that focuses on race and LGBTQ+ issues seem to have the opposite of the intended effect. Students across America are pushing back against these bans and forming banned book clubs, where children and young adults congregate to read and discuss books that have been censored by school districts. In these clubs, students read books such as “The Handmaid’s Tale,” a work about a dystopian totalitarian society in which women are treated as property, and “Out of Darkness,” a novel on a love affair between a Mexican-American teenage girl and an African-American teenage boy. Nuanced, complex topics are best addressed when multiple perspectives are introduced. Censoring those topics doesn’t protect children; rather, it pushes them to fail to critically think about, grapple with, and respond to the issues at the forefront of society. These books exist to introduce more diverse perspectives into the minds of youth. They encourage youth to break out of a sheltered childhood and learn more about the world surrounding them. At its core, book banning is a cultural issue that’s been widely politicized. It seems as though politicians will stop at nothing to censor these books. As these bans are driven by legislation and politicians, it’s unrealistic to believe that the federal government will step in and put a ban on book banning. Instead, this issue should be fought on the local level. It’s now up to librarians, teachers, voters, and students to take a stand and fight back. Librarians should continue to stock their shelves with a variety of books, including those that have come under criticism. Teachers and educators must continue teaching their students about the Holocaust, Jim Crow laws, slavery, and the countless other periods that are a part of American history. Voters can make their voices heard and vote for candidates who don’t advocate for the restriction of free speech. Students, the main stakeholders in this issue, should continue seeking out banned books. In “To Kill a Mockingbird,” Atticus Finch tells Scout, “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view—until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” What he advises Scout will always hold true: books are an instrument effective at teaching kids about the existence of other perspectives and to consider them as they broaden their worldview. These books present topics that may be hard to swallow, but they provide youth with a good sense of what is occurring in the world. Book bans destroy the possibility of initiating rigorous but necessary conversations.

Benjamin Hur / The Spectator

In sixth grade, my teacher handed me a book whose beige cover featured two mice and a swastika in the background. The title, “Maus,” was bold and in red. It was a graphic novel on the Holocaust, depicting the author’s father’s experiences as a Polish Jew and a Holocaust survivor. Now, “Maus” is one of over 1,100 books that have been banned over the last nine months in 86 school districts of 26 states. These districts are composed of around 3,000 schools, with a combined enrollment of over two million students. The topics these books discuss are necessary to be taught. In Oklahoma, the State Senate introduced a bill that would ban books concerning sexual activity, sexual identity, or gender identity from school libraries. These topics should be taught to children instead of rejected, since children are bound to experience them in real life. In California, the Burbank Unified School District voted to remove five classic novels, from “To Kill A Mockingbird” to “The Cay,” from mandatory reading lists. Both of these books touch on race and racial injustice. By restricting youth’s access to these novels, the district has further diminished the experiences of those who are already rarely represented in literature. In Texas, the Katy Independent School District has banned over nine books related to sexuality and LGBTQ+ romance. It’s critical for youth to be exposed to these topics because they allow for an expanded worldview and a deeper understanding of social issues. Four hundred sixty-seven of the banned books in the Index of School Book Bans conducted by PEN America include protagonists or secondary characters who are people of color. Two hundred forty-seven touch on race and racism, 379 have protagonists or secondary characters who are LGBTQ+ or address LGBTQ+ issues, and 184 are either history books or biographies. These statistics paint a clear picture of what legislators are currently trying to do: erase the lives and experiences of marginalized communities from classrooms and libraries. Book bans are not about “making kids more comfortable,” “protecting children,” or “exercising parental rights.” They are about censoring and condemning topics that need to be discussed. They are an attempt to push a vision that contorts American society, history, and reality onto children by ignoring the issues faced by already marginalized groups. Acknowledging race, learning about history from a different perspective, and allowing the LGBTQ+ community to be heard should not be shunned; rather, they should be sought after. Educators in the U.S. are also being censored for raising awareness of subjects that have been labeled as controversial. The Holo-

Is This America? tal consequences of having more guns than people in our country. Many Americans consider guns an essential freedom that ensures the safety of themselves and their loved ones; specifically, many gun-owning Americans believe that if more people owned guns, crime rates would decrease, and the US would be a safer country. However, quotidian gun ownership and carrying can lead not only to mass shootings, but also to unintentional injuries and fatalities due to misuse or accidents by inexperienced users. There are nearly 500 deaths by way of accidental misfire each year. Of these tragic deaths, around 150 are caused by children, and most are the deaths of close family and acquaintances. The presence of guns in a household often does little to nothing to protect gun owners and instead results in severe accidental injuries. Even without considering the numerous accidental deaths caused by gun ownership, there are many intentional shootings that drastically affect the lives of countless people. Mass shootings are generally more common in states with less restrictive gun legislation. For example, Florida and Texas both experience some of the highest mass shooting rates per capita and have some of the most loosely regulated guns in the country. One way of preventing these shootings is to regulate the guns that are available to citizens. Another way to prevent mass shootings is to address the root of the issue: by taking matters to assist mental health. The Sunset Park shooter, Frank R. James, had a YouTube channel that gave investigators insight into the motivation for his shooting. James discussed struggling with mental illness in many of his videos and expressed wishes for more mental health resources in NYC. Grappling with mental health is not uncommon in shooters, seeing as at least 28 of 35 recent mass shooters had been diagnosed with an untreated mental illness or disorder. It is important to recognize that mental illness by itself is not what made these people dangerous. Rather, the problem is that so many of them were untreated for the symptoms that made them act irrationally. Both gun control and addressing the mental health crisis are necessary parts of the solution. If the city were to only make efforts to remove excess guns, it is likely that there would still be some shootings, albeit in much smaller numbers; likewise, if the city only used funds to assist with mental health crises, that would leave some accidental misfires and other shootings unaddressed. To truly fix the issue of mass shootings and violence from guns, it is crucial for the city to both decrease the number of guns on the streets and increase funding for mental health programs in our city.

some Democrats will be dissatisfied, since no agenda, if one is passed at all, can satisfy everyone. The messages that Democrats and Republicans are running on play an essential role in influencing the outcome of the upcoming elections. Republicans have mainly tried to hammer the Democrats on the economy, which has been severely impacted by record inflation. In a March 2022 Gallup poll, 35 percent of the American public said the economy was the most important issue facing the country. Republicans have tried to gravitate toward economic issues and distance themselves from the incumbent administration for its economic policies. Democrats had previously tried to tag Republicans to the January 6 insurrection but then witnessed the victory of Glenn Youngkin, who was attached to the unpopular Trump and the January 6 insurrection by his opponent Terry McAuliffe, but still won. A midterm defeat does not necessarily mean the electorate has been irreversibly altered. Former president Barack Obama watched his party lose 63 House seats in 2010 and then managed to win reelection somewhat easily in 2012. The electorate is sending a message of disapproval by voting against the party in power, but it has not suddenly changed its values. Regardless of what the political environment appears to be, the American public should continue

to take voting seriously. Turnout in midterms notably drops off from presidential years for several reasons. Not voting only solidifies the result, as disenchantment is often one of the causes of a midterm loss. The size of a wave is determined by who votes in a midterm election, and not voting only endangers elections that are normally safe for a party. Elections are decided by the people, and an accurate sampling of what the electorate thinks can be taken if voter turnout is high. From this midterm election, Democrats should take away that trifectas are hardly guaranteed to last more than two years. The exceptions to this rule are rare, as polarization makes compromise harder and less likely. Democrats should work to cut their losses and remember that the electorate that gave them power can easily take it away. Blame and infighting result in more division. Democrats should attempt to compromise with a Republican Congress, but in this time of political polarization, it is not mandatory, as Republicans have demonstrated through their reckless breaking of precedents without significant consequences. Compromise is not impossible, but it should not be an expectation with polarization. Rather, it should be seen as the ideal scenario. If Democrats wish to have some ability to govern beyond 2022 and maintain control of the White House, they should take these lessons seriously and prepare for 2024.

The Spectator • May 13, 2022

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Opinions The Discriminatory Bias of Award Shows By STEFANIE CHEN

You probably remember sitting on your couch watching the national broadcast of the Academy Awards or the Grammys, where hundreds of artists and actors get nominated each year. A thrill rushes through you as you’re rooted in your seat, suspensefully waiting for the nominees to be called. The envelope opens, and to your surprise, you don’t hear the name you and the entire rest of the world were expecting. A white man walks on stage to claim the award, instead of whom you believed to be the rightful winner. For years, there has been racial bias in award shows, limiting the diversity of winners. Many viewers tune in to major award shows like the Grammys, the Golden Globes, and the Oscars to see big names in the entertainment industry awarded for being the best actor or having the best album. However, it seems like being the best takes into account not only talent and skill, but also race and gender. The bias toward choosing white nominees has been an ongoing pattern with these award shows. At the 2017 Grammy Awards, despite the widely acclaimed album Beyoncé had released that year, “Lemonade,” Adele was given the Grammy for the Album of the Year. Adele received another four Grammys that night, while Beyoncé only won Best Urban Contemporary Album and Best Music Video. Despite being one of the most acclaimed award shows in the world, the Grammys have heavy biases toward white nominees as opposed to their Black counterparts, just like many other famous award shows. The Oscars have also continued their long-standing racial bias in selecting award winners. Miyoshi Umeki is one of the only Asians to have ever won an acting Oscar. Even nominations of non-white actors are rare. Only five Latina women have ever been nominated for Best Actress, and Steven Yeun and Riz Ahmed are the first Asian-American and Muslim actors, respectively, to be nominated for Best Actor. In

fact, 98.9 percent of the winners for Best Actress and 93.2 percent of the winners for Best Actor from 1928 to 2015 have been white. One of the most prominent ways that artists and actors have been fighting against this racial bias is through boycotts. The Weeknd is one such singer who declared this action after noticing that in the last 61 years of the Grammys, only 10 African American artists have won Album of the Year. In response to the Weeknd’s boycott, the Grammys eliminated their “secret” nomination committee, which likely played a large role in the discrimination against Black artists, in 2021. Other figures in the Black filmmaking community, such as Spike Lee and Jada Pinkett Smith, spoke out about the Oscars’ race problem by boycotting the awards. Another interesting initiative was the #OscarsSoWhite hashtag that stormed Twitter in 2015. The campaign centered around the clear marginalization of non-white actors at the Oscars and spearheaded massive recognition of the issue. In response to the giant wave of criticism, the Oscars announced that they would set goals to increase the diversity of their actor and filmmaker nominations. The Academy board stated in 2020 that they had excelled with their plan, with 36 percent of their nominees coming from underrepresented groups and 49 percent from other countries. The bias carried by these award shows is not limited to race. It also extends to gender. The Oscars have historically had a discriminatory bias against women. Since 1929, when the first Academy Awards were handed out, only 14 percent of nominations have been women. The most prestigious award of the Oscars, the award for Best Director, has had 449 nominations since its beginnings, with only five of those going to women. This year, though there has been some improvement, only 28 percontinued on page 11

Elon Musk’s Twitter Takeover: Conquestor or Better Leader? By KHANDAKER MUSHFIKUZZAMAN

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, the world’s richest person with a net worth of $246.7 billion, has successfully launched and won a shocking bid on Twitter, the social media platform where world leaders, celebrities, and hundreds of millions of other users share their thoughts and announcements. Musk believes that Twitter doesn’t allow for free speech, attacking the core concept of the app, and stated that it will not thrive without being transformed into a private company. Initially, Twitter significantly lowered the price of stocks so more people would invest, forcing a raise in price of Musk’s bid in an attempt to thwart it. However, Twitter decided to reconsider the deal, and the two sides met on Sunday, April 24 to re-examine the proposal. In a groundbreaking deal, Musk obtained the entirety of Twitter for approximately $44 billion on April 25. The public had a wide range of opinions on the matter. Some shook their heads in reluctant awe, some were supportive of the promise of free speech, and others were furious at the ridiculous amount of wealth and power Musk has gained. Musk owns some of the most important technology in the world, strong military assets, and now, a major social media platform. It’s justifiable for people to be outraged at the sheer amount of influence he has. While Musk doesn’t necessarily have malicious intent, there are some questionable motives and reasoning in play here. He said, “free speech is a societal imperative for a functioning democracy.” A day after Twitter announced that it was selling itself, Musk posted a tweet stating, “By ‘free speech,’ I simply mean that which matches the law. I am against censorship that goes far beyond the law.” The First Amendment disallows

the government from restricting public speech, but it does not restrict the level of moderation that independent companies have on their content. While Musk claims to be matching the law, he is aiming for a free speech that goes beyond what the law requires, as the Supreme Court has ruled that social media platforms, such as Twitter, are not public forums and thus are not responsible

Musk believes that Twitter doesn’t allow for free speech, attacking the core concept of the app, and stated that it will not thrive without being transformed into a private company. for protecting the First Amendment. Musk’s belief that this change needs to be made partially stems from the suspension of former president Donald Trump’s account after the January 6 Capitol riots. Musk went on further to talk about Truth Social, the platform Trump launched after being banned, and how he was forced to create it due to Twitter censoring free speech. Musk believes that Trump’s statements weren’t specifically violence-inciting and that Twitter’s response was an unnecessary violation of “free speech.” Under a generic definition, free speech continued on page 11

Where are Donations Leaking? By SUYEON RYU

When I hear the phrase nonprofit donations, I want to envision people like Jane Goodall, selfless activists who want to help the needy. However, doing so isn’t possible when I read headlines about non-profit corruption and hear about people exploited for sob stories. The recently thriving corporation Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation (BLMGNF) has only confirmed these realizations. The Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement was initially about reducing police brutality and making the world safer for black people. An easy and accessible way to contribute to this overwhelmingly successful movement was through donating to one of the largest non-profit organizations established for BLM, BLMGNF, which raised around $90 million. However, the lavish lifestyles of BLMGNF leaders and their suspiciously luxurious purchases seem to cloud the original intentions of the movement. Recently, BLMGNF leaders bought a $6 million house with a sound stage, music studio, pool, and two-bedroom guest house in California. Though the organization has said that it was for the purpose of establishing a “campus” for its members, it’s hard to believe that the money couldn’t have been more effectively used. Their method of purchase was not transparent either, and clearly

not meant to be publicized. The building was bought by real estate developer Dyane Pascall, then transferred through a private Delaware shell company that is connected with the BLMGNF organization. Such actions contradict the BLM cause to redistribute wealth from the elite to more marginalized communities. The connections BLMGNF has with other corporations also seem to serve personal gain rather than the greater good. For instance, a non-profit organization co-founded by Janaya Khan, the wife of BLMGNF executive director Patrisse Cullors, received $6.3 million from BLMGNF in Canada. Shortly after, two BLMGNF Toronto leaders, who quit due to concerns about financial transparency, were denied and gaslighted. Clearly, it isn’t merely a coincidence that BLMGNF chose to give money to a non-profit that was tied to Cullors herself. This example is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to non-profit corruption. Nonprofit organizations frequently give irrationally high salaries to their executives and create shell companies to transfer money. Fifty charities have been exposed for spending an average of less

than four percent of their donations on the original cause. The remaining 96 percent goes to executives or pay-for-profit companies that are connected to the non-profits. In fact, the average non-profit CEO gets paid $130 thousand a year. The College Board, a non-profit o r g a n iz a tion for

Fareha Islam / The Spectator

education, has monopolized SAT and AP exams, requiring students to pay $52 for the SAT exam and $95 for the AP exam. With this money, they pay their president, Jeremy Singer, over $1 million a year. We need to enforce stricter regulations on nonprofit organizations to make sure their spending is transparent and true to their cause. Especially considering that federal law gives tax exemption to nonprofit organizations, corrupt cor-

porations must not be allowed to establish themselves as non-profit. Their money-making tactics are nothing but theft from their donors and from regular taxpaying corporations. Continuing to allow this kind of corruption will only demoralize the innocent public and hurt well-intentioned charities. From the start of the 21st century, the percentage of Americans participating in nonprofit donations has dropped from 66.2 percent to 55.5 percent, showing that less people trust non-profit org a n i z a t i o n s. The public has the right t o be

informed of these cor r upt non-profit organizations before their hard-earned money ends up in the hands of the already rich. Relying on the donors

themselves to research before they donate is an unfair burden, as they would have to navigate past complex business tactics that corporations often use to hide their corruption. For example, nonprofit organizations often change their names to avoid discovery of their past corruption, which once again makes it difficult for regular donors to find out whether their donations are going to the right places. After changing its name from the National Veterans Services Fund, the HonorBound Foundation continued exploiting their donors by spending only $0.5 million from the $8.5 million raised for their original purpose of helping veterans. Because they continued their tax-exempt status as a legitimate non-profit organization, they were able to target genuine people who care for veterans, even after misusing their original funds. The currently easily manipulable laws for non-profit organizations do not suffice. Nonprofit organizations should be required to make their proceeds transparent, and they should be stripped of their non-profit status if the money going to their original cause is unreasonably smaller than their proceeds. We must honor Americans who do wish to make a difference by punishing those who attempt selfish gain. If we fail to do so, recent events like the BLMGNF luxury purchases will only continue to happen.

The Spectator • May 13, 2022

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Opinions The Dark Side of Coachella Over $500 billion is lost every year due to clothing underutilization and lack of recycling. The yearly Coachella music festival in Indio, California, only contributes to this massive environmental and economical issue of unsustainability. Coachella, the most famous music and arts festival in the world, displays numerous musical artists and allows for the growth of lesserknown artists. This April, the two-week gathering allowed influencers and celebrities from all over the globe to attend and display hefty hauls of clothing to their populous following, furthering the current fast fashion crisis. The last Coachella festival was in 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. That year, over 150 thousand people from across the globe attended, and in 2018, 43 million people watched the Coachella live stream. Coachella creates 106 tons of waste per day, and since the event spans six days per year, it generates 636 tons of waste in total. Popular fast fashion brands, such as PrettyLittleThing and H&M, sponsor influencers to attend Coachella and wear their brand’s clothing, which in turn contributes to the overwhelming amount of waste produced. These infamous brands are known for their cheap-quality clothing and low costs, compelling consumers to buy items in high bulk and quickly throw them away once the clothing fad is over. As social media becomes the norm for advertising, modern editing software can deceive purchasers to accumulate undesired clothing. Viewers can be immersed in the experience of Coachella from their electronics. However, digital software such as Photoshop and Facetune can also allow content creators and companies to edit their products,

causing apparel to appear better digitally than in person. This facade often leads unsuspecting viewers to purchase the apparel, which may have color-enhancing features on the website and hidden pins on the model to make the fit more appealing. Once the clothing is received, a variety of size and fit conflicts arise due to advertising lies. If individuals do take the more environmen-

steadily rising campaign of lessening the retouching of photos can reduce the rate at which clothes are discarded. Hudson Jeans has already started a campaign, #ShushTheBrush, to move away from its excessive retouching, setting an example for other brands to follow. One of Coachella’s most popular fads is sequins, which can be extremely difficult to

duce pollution, and will hopefully become an essential in future Coachella events. The move toward environmental consciousness is developing. Fast fashion brand H&M, which already labels itself as an eco-friendly brand, has taken the initiative to become more environmentally friendly by aiming to produce all its products from recycled or sustainably sourced materials by

tally friendly option and return it rather than tossing it directly into the dumpster, returns can still be shipped to landfills. It is estimated that retailers throw away approximately 40 percent of their returns, creating roughly five billion pounds of landfill waste per year. The false advertising performed by companies in an attempt to increase their revenue leads to increased waste in landfills that will require money to manage. Being acquainted with these techniques and keeping them in mind when browsing catalogs can lead to more responsible purchasing. Observing the materials, reviews, and price of an item can prevent a regretful purchase in the future. Furthermore, since it is the company’s responsibility to accurately represent a product, calling for brands to follow the

decompose if discarded irresponsibly. Sequins contain toxic chemicals that can sit in landfills for thousands of years, eventually leaching microplastics into water systems. Other textile materials that tend to be thrown into waste are animal-based and plant-based fibers, such as silk and cotton. Thousands of these accessories and outfits will be dumped into the landfill annually and left to pollute the earth after the publicity from Coachella has passed. To combat these pollution concerns, eco-friendly garments, such as biodegradable sequins, can be bought instead. For example, designer Elissa Brunato invented Bio Iridescent Sequin, a sequin that is compostable and completely made of cellulose, which is natural plant matter. Eco-friendly accessories can add glamor and re-

2030. Though the music festival is a massive income generator for clothing brands, economic problems can arise as a consequence. When half a million people fly to California each year for Coachella, clothing brands’ sales prices often skyrocket. However, after Coachella’s popularity fades until its reappearance next year for the new festival, these purchases are forgotten about and discarded for the upcoming fashion fad. Modern culture is always evolving around the concept of boldness and newness, both of which influence people to constantly purchase new clothes for that feeling of excitement. On average, each attendee at Coachella will spend around $200 to $400 for each outfit. This toxic purchasing cycle leads to not only the environmental prob-

Yile Tong / The Spectator

By AMARYLLIS SUN

The Discriminatory Bias of Award Shows continued from page 10

cent of Oscar nominees were women. The music awards, another major category of the Oscars, have had 1,238 nominees, with women only making up 1.6 percent of them. The gender discrimination in these televised award shows has been present since the very beginning, and even now, not much has changed. Unlike the giant response to the racial discrimination in these award shows, there hasn’t been much effort taken to eradicate gender bias. In order to fight this bias, women can boycott these awards. Boycotting has been successful with the Black entertainment community, boasting many changes to lessen discriminatory nominations. This issue can be brought to light through boycotts by prominent female artists and entertainers, allowing the public to get involved in the protest. Female artists can also post writings on their social media, which will further garner publicity for the issue and may push these award shows to change their nomination strategies to include more women nominees. If we don’t recognize the minorities who are being discriminated against, our entertainment will never grow with fresh

minds and brimming talent who are being rejected solely for their race and gender. This effect can discourage minority groups from trying to enter the entertainment industry, as they are not seeing any of their own being recognized for their

However, it seems like being the best takes into account not only talent and skill, but also race and gender.

accomplishments. Though the major entertainment awards of Hollywood have been going on for almost 100 years now, they’re still plagued with racial and gender biases that don’t allow us to celebrate artists who truly deserve to be awarded. These award shows have to push their historic bias aside before the true best are discriminated out of existence.

lems that were discussed previously, but also economic hardships that result from constant purchases. As noted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average person spends about $161 on clothes per month, and the average American family spends roughly $1,800 on clothes annually. The amount of money spent on clothing for one outfit during Coachella is more than the amount the average person spends on clothing each month, further displaying the unethical consumption that Coachella generates. The economic conflicts that arise directly correlate with the environmental conflicts, as when more money is spent on clothing for Coachella, more waste is yielded. Though recycling clothes is a considerably more eco-friendly option compared to not recycling at all, it is still an energy-intensive process that requires time and finances. Meanwhile, wearing a fashion item repeatedly until the end of its life not only saves energy, but also decreases waste. Rewearing fashion items can help people save money and assist in lowering the rapidly increasing greenhouse gas emissions. Despite the overwhelming crises that seem to arise from the assemblage of this music extravaganza, action can be taken to minimize the consequences. Recycling, rewearing, and reducing clothing purchases are all methods that can be utilized not only during Coachella, but year-round to continue to have a proactive mindset regarding the planet. Coachella should be held accountable for promoting this information, as it is one of the major music festivals in the world and the consequences can impact everyone. If all attendees do their part, future fashion carnivals can continue to be glamorous and thrilling while also adding a new, vital element of environmentalism.

Elon Musk’s Twitter Takeover: Conquestor or Better Leader? the entire Internet and its users, including students, among whom cyberbullying and misinformation are already major issues. If free speech was the aim, whether it includes both harmful and positive infor- is necessary or not, it doesn’t explain why mation, statements, and announcements Twitter needed to be transformed into a that can be true or untrue. However, completely private company. Musk was regulation and moderation are necessary offered the chance to join Twitter’s board when it comes to handling potentially after he became the largest shareholder, detrimental misinformation and behav- but he rejected it without any explanation. ior. His dramatic bid seems like an unnecesThe problem with an anarchical type sary measure to advocate for free speech. of “free speech” extends beyond the con- Further, it’s quite contradictory for a troversy over Trump’s permanent suspen- single person to hold power over somesion. The reality is that hate speech and thing that’s supposed to be a tool for funpropaganda will rise. We see this process damental democracy. Who’s to say that on any platform, such as Facebook, Insta- Musk will hold true to his principles and gram, and YouTube, which also hold their that he is the right person for this job? own regulations on their content. Like Nonetheless, Musk will have complete these other platforms, Twitter does not control over Twitter after the arrangecensor free speech as Musk claims it did. ments are finalized within the year, meanPreventing companies from moderating ing it’s important to prepare ourselves their content is essentially another form for the very much possible widespread of censorship. Musk has already gotten misinformation and hate that will come hold of Twitter and is determined to pro- with the notion of “free speech.” More mote what he calls “free speech,” but he than ever, we will need to be careful about instead essentially allows for the spread believing what we see. This is not to say of misinformation and hate. This shift there won’t be positive outcomes, such as may negatively impact other social media removing spam bots and introducing new companies as the essence of free speech features, if Musk accomplishes them. It’s may be prompted to change entirely if it critical to be aware of the effects, both is changed on one major platform. This positive and negative, that Musk’s Twitter development will have a severe impact on takeover will have. continued from page 10

The Spectator ● May 13, 2022

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Science Plastic Surgery In the Pandemic By MARIYA SIDDIQUI

than they did in 2020—a 40 percent increase. Scientists coined it the “Zoom Boom.” The common concerns associated with cosmetic procedures often include how to take time off to recover and balance work and wondering what others will think and how they will react. The pandemic provided a solution for all that. As life switched over to platforms like Zoom, social interactions were considerably limited. Many cosmetic procedures require a significant amount of recovery time— one that would considerably cut into vacation days. But now, patients were able to do the necessary work from their beds. One plastic surgeon was in awe after one of his patients returned back to his remote work one week after his high definition liposuction, a procedure that usually has a three to four week recovery period. The pandemic even provided a solution for the concerns of facial procedures. As maskwearing became more normalized, people were able to get their noses, faces, and lips done again. Scientists highlighted that because any evidence of the procedure is hidden behind the mask during the entire recovery period, the patient is able to take their mask off when they have fully recovered, and people are able to see the finished product without the patient having to show visible marks such as bruising or swelling. While the pandemic was able to provide solutions for many concerns people had re-

The belief in one’s ability to exert control over the environment and to produce desired results is essential for an individual’s well-being. This idea was reinforced by research findings suggesting that when individuals feel that they aren't able to produce desired results, they show feelings of helplessness and depression. When the pandemic rolled out, many felt that they lost control of their own lives. And because humans have an innate desire to be in control, many turned to plastic surgery. Plastic surgery has always played a significant role in our society. Whether it be breast augmentation, liposuction, or a facelift, these procedures were all happening well before the pandemic. And for a short bit in the beginning of the pandemic, numbers fell; many elective procedures were banned by hospitals in an attempt to control the virus, and many were hesitant to take such a significant step in the midst of a pandemic. But as time went on, the vaccine emerged and restrictions were lifted, and many saw this as a “golden opportunity.” Despite the shutdown in 2020 and the presence of the COVID-19 pandemic itself, Americans have bypassed the revenues of previous years in plastic surgery. An estimated 1.4 million surgical and nonsurgical procedures were done in the past year, with plastic surgeons performing an average of 600 more procedures

garding plastic surgery, it also created the very insecurities that led to more plastic surgery in the first place. With most people stuck at home, people turned to social media, some for boredom, and others for the feeling of some sort of human connection. Apps like TikTok saw an increase from 680 million active users in 2018 to over 1.1 billion monthly active users in 2021. On Tiktok, many trends revolve around proving beauty, such as testing to see how symmetrical one’s face or how big one’s lips are. These types of videos fueled a new beauty standard that caused millions of people stuck at home to re-examine their own bodies—even if the comparison was a video with a filter. Some surgeons even mentioned how many of their patients came in using influencer lingo, claiming that they noticed they had “facial asymmetry” or even that they wanted to look like a certain influencer whom they admire. The spike in plastic surgery is also a result of Zoom. With the increased usage of Zoom and other video platforms to communicate, many went from seeing their face only occasionally during the workday to regularly looking into a mirror-image of themself on the screen. With this, many became more aware of features such as wrinkles or lines, and new insecurities fueled a desire to get them fixed. While there was still an emphasis on the body, Zoomrelated factors like these led to an increase specifically in facial

cosmetic procedures. However, just because there was an increased emphasis on the face due to platforms like Zoom, this didn’t stop people from wanting surgery for their bodies. In fact, there was a rapid increase in body contouring procedures when everything opened back up in 2021, with a 24.7 percent increase in fat reduction procedures and a 15 percent increase in skin tightening procedures. Many surgeons feel that this is due to quarantine’s contribution to overall decreased physical activity, leading to things such as weight gain. Interestingly enough, plastic surgeons also noticed a trend in plastic surgery that corresponded with COVID trends. For example, when there seemed to be a spike in COVID cases just around the corner, more patients came in for procedures as the likelihood of a shutdown increased again. People feared that they wouldn’t be able to get themselves “fixed” before everything shut down again. Comparatively, when the vaccine came out to the public, there was a dip in the number of plastic surgeries. The vaccine showed many people that this was the beginning of a shift to the real world again, prompting people began to shift back to their normal life. Schedules were filled up, and many did not have as much time to spare, such as the time needed to recover at home. It is important to note the psychological effects of social media and plastic surgery, es-

SCIENCEBEAT With cases now surpassing a rate of 200 per 100,000 people, New York City’s “COVID alert level”—the level of disease spread within the community—has risen from low to medium. Two international teams of astronomers are attempting to communicate Earth's location to potential extraterrestrials, one through the world’s largest radio telescope and the other through targeting a star with planets similar to Earth. King’s College London researchers used mRNA technology, the same as that used in COVID vaccines, to regenerate heart cells in damaged pig hearts following a heart attack. This offers a potential heart attack cure. pecially on our younger generations. They pose the question: how far will we go for social media? On social media today, there are millions of filters and millions of people who edit their photos, faces, and bodies to perfection. And the scary part is that we now have younger children using apps like TikTok and Instagram. When they see what society defines as a perfect face or a perfect body, their insecurities and selfdoubts take root, worsening as time goes on. There is nothing wrong with plastic surgery, but it shouldn’t be necessary for people to feel beautiful.

Lasers and Their Future Potential Uses Ever since the first laser was invented in 1960, they have been a technology with enormous potential. A laser is a device that emits and amplifies light waves. They can be utilized for various purposes, including flexible manufacturing, energy generation, and military purposes. While their use in sci-fi has made people overlook their practical applications, they are very important in solving the problems that face our nation and species. Lasers are a go-to technology with various uses in the manufacturing sector. For instance, they’re used for imprinting unique identification numbers on products, creating patterned microstructures, drilling incredibly small holes, and welding. Generally, lasers are utilized to help manufacturing systems react to unexpected changes and, in conjunction with other manufacturing processes, enhance their efficiency and speed. As a result, companies can spend less and produce more, promoting economic growth and driving down the cost of goods. Scientists are continuously expanding the applications of lasers to make

manufacturing processes more efficient. 64 percent of the world's energy still comes from fossil fuels, but two promising energy sources are nuclear fission and

Lasers are used to induce the high temperatures necessary for atoms, specifically atoms with low atomic numbers, to fuse. This produces massive amounts of energy and is the process

geothermal energy. Both of these sources are relatively reliable and can be improved immensely with lasers. Nuclear fission is an energy production method relying on the splitting of atoms to release substantial amounts of energy. The improvement to nuclear fission is nuclear fusion. This is a much more experimental technology than deeper drilling but it also has greater potential.

that powers stars, including our sun. Fusion also doesn’t produce any particularly long-lasting radioactive waste like its fission counterpart. Both of these energy-producing techniques could help counteract climate change, bringing our species into a greener future. For nuclear fusion, the JET nuclear reactor is a prototype for the much larger ITER (International Thermonuclear

Aryana Singh / The Spectator

By SETH FENTON

Experimental Reactor) reactor currently being built. The ITER is going to be the most advanced nuclear fusion reactor in history and should be capable of sustained powerful fusion reactions. JET recently nearly hit ignition, the point where more energy is produced than put in, and sustained a reaction for five seconds. The more impressive thing, though, was that it produced 59 megajoules of energy, which is enough to power a house for a day. That is the most energy ever produced with a fusion reaction and a massive leap from prior fusion technology. On the other hand, geothermal is a type of energy production that taps into the Earth's stored heat. For geothermal energy, high-powered lasers and mechanical drilling are used to drill incredibly deep holes in order to extract energy. The laser-aided geothermal drilling methods are mostly being tested by an MIT spinoff called Quaise. They claim their new drilling platform can drill up to 20 kilometers. While that claim is somewhat dubious, it is nevertheless a promising invention. The US military, the current global leader in laser weapons, is focusing on lasers for much

of its new weapons development, especially for missile and drone defense. In tests, they’ve shot down both a drone and a cruise missile, the former with an entirely electronic laser. At this point, they are mainly ship or surface-mounted and will probably remain that way for at least the next year. While the US would love to mount such a weapon on a fighter jet, there remain significant challenges. As of now, the energy a laser would take to do significant damage can’t be produced within the small space of a fighter jet. However, even without significant damage capability, the lasers that can be attached to planes are incredibly covert and are able to deliver silent and invisible strikes at long range. Lasers have incredible potential in a wide variety of industries. They serve a significant role in manufacturing, energy production, and advanced military technology. There are several obstacles to laser development, including the sheer amount of energy a powerful one takes to generate and the difficulty of controlling a high-powered one. Nevertheless, they will certainly be an influential part of our species’ future.

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Science Transhumanism and the Future of Our Species By AAREEB JAMIL

transhumanism is life extension. Though there are transhumanists who do not cling to the idea of living forever, a large subset of transhumanists refer to thems e l v e s as “immortalists.” I m - mortality is an unrealistic goal for most people, but immortalists believe that it is achievable. A point o f interest for immortalism i s cryonics, which involves freezing people after they die so that they can be resurrected when humanity becomes sufficiently advanced. Cryonics has provoked philosophical dialogue about the meaning of “death.” Current ideas include clinical death and information-theoretic death. Clinical death—the traditional definition of death—occurs when the heart stops beating and breathing ceases. On the other hand, informationtheoretic death involves the complete destruction of brain function. Information-theoretic death makes resurrection impossible even in the minds of Daniel He / The Spectator

Superhumans and cyborgs have been objects of fiction for a long time, but humanity is steadily blurring the line between the possible and impossible. Transhumanism is a movement that hopes to improve humanity through technological and medical innovations. It is a hot topic, with many people questioning its origins, moral implications, and future impact on our development as a species. Philosopher Nick Bostrom argues that this school of thought has its roots in the Age of Enlightenment. Transhumanists tend to glorify scientific inquiry, which was spread by the ideas of the Enlightenment. The views of the liberal, utilitarian thinker John Stuart Mill also influenced transhumanism in how his ideas are present in transhumanism’s emphasis on individual liberties and concern for the welfare of all humans. Additionally, Bostrom believes that the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche’s doctrine of “der Übermensch”—Nietzsche’s ideal for the man of the future—played some role in shaping transhumanist thought. Nietzsche postulated that the Übermensch would overcome the limitations of

man and become something greater. Though Nietzsche was referring to a moral revolution rather than a t e c h n o logical one, the parallel with modern transhumanism is evident. Recent advancements in technology and medicine have radically transformed human lives, feeding into the predictions of transhumanists. In a study published i n 2021, Pew R e search determined that smartphone ownership has grown from 35 per- c e n t to 85 percent in the past de- c a d e . Fur ther more, m e d i cal technology is now shaping health more than ever before, with Statista—a company that specializes in market data—valuing the global medical technology market at $523.5 billion in 2022. Transhumanists contend that this technological progress will continue to be a net positive for humanity. For instance, futurist Ray Kurzweil claims that nanotechnology will be used to enhance brain function by as early as the 2030s. One particular goal of

cryonics advocates. It is worth noting that some immortalists even reject the second law of thermodynamics. If the entropy of the universe is bound to increase over time, then true immortality would be impossible. Though rejecting this fundamental law of physics seems outlandish to many scientists, immortalists are optimistic enough to stick to their beliefs. Another major aim of transhumanism is merging human beings with technology. Mind uploading involves the complete simulation of human consciousness on a computer. This is often associated with immortalism because it would mean the individual lives on in a digital form even after biological death. With mind uploading, we would gain unprecedented abilities. Current virtual reality (VR) is only a glimpse of the possibilities that mind uploading could grant. On the other hand, there are severe critics of transhumanism. One common argument against transhumanism is that it assumes technological progress will be the solution to the ills of society. While people like Kurzweil assume that new inventions will be beneficial to people as a whole, they overlook the serious economic disparity between wealthy and poor

people. The advent of nanobots—the tiny medical devices that Kurzweil hopes for—will likely exacerbate inequality because the technology will be in the hands of the wealthy before becoming more affordable. In fact, the term “transhumanism” was first popularized by biologist, philosopher, and eugenicist Julian Huxley in an essay published in 1967. Huxley and wanted to genetically control human populations by restricting who is allowed to reproduce to achieve “racial purity” in society. Considering that the fundamental tenet of transhumanism is the acceptance of technological advancement, Huxley’s opinions beg the question: under whose supervision is the technological advancement occurring? If those in positions of power share the views of Huxley, the result is bound to be unethical and oppressive. The debate continues over the implications of transhumanism because, quite frankly, we don’t have any definite answers right now. Ultimately, these ideas and beliefs will unfold many years in the future. Transhumanism in its current form could either be a lost cause or could anticipate a new era for our species, but the fate of humanity is yet to be seen.

What’s Typical? By UMA SUKHU Is there a normal human mind? There’s a word for it: neurotypical, which originally described being non-autistic. But, that’s about all—psychology has a much more nebulous definition of wellbeing than other areas of medicine. While hematologists, for example, know the healthy ranges for blood proteins, psychologists rely on often vague standards for neurotypicality. While at the extremes of the mental health spectrum quality of life differences are undeniable, what is considered out of the ordinary around the middle range varies. To recognize mental disorders, it is necessary to establish a baseline for the ways the brain ought to function. In the US, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) published by the American Psychiatric Association is the authority on psychiatric illnesses. Internationally, the compilation of disorders and diseases of all types is kept by the World Health Organization in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD). Both the DSM-5 and the ICD have been criticized for hardly taking into account the cultural factors involved in mental health diagnoses. One of the controversies surrounding the DSM-5 is its alleged “medicalization” of mild issues. That is, psychiatrists worry the DSM-5 has

labeled some normal troubles to the level of disorders. In particular, the previous DSM edition included a “Bereavement Exclusion,” which ruled out the responses to the death of a loved one as symptoms of Major Depressive Disorder. The removal of this exclusion in the DSM-5 sparked a debate about treating grief like an illness or as a fact of life. The issue at the core of the dispute is that there is no extensive standard for neurotypicality. To explore this standard, people are working on defining the standard mind. Scientists like Dr. Sebastien Seung at Princeton University are working on technology capable of mapping the human brain in its entirety—every cell, synapse, and memory. The mapping process requires a beam of ions that vaporizes extremely thin layers of brain tissue, revealing layer-by-layer areas for electron microscopes to scan. This method is painstakingly slow and sensitive, and, once captured, the images still need to be connected to each other through tracing the cells in them. Seung has released an AI-powered game for the public to help with the tracing, but the project is still miles behind the speed and power needed to map even one human brain. Seung might be able to determine the exact structures that all humans “should” have, and if he succeeds in tracing out the exact pathways where thoughts are

born and actions executed, it could revolutionize psychiatry. Categorizing and diagnosing mental disorders would then revolve around recognizing biomarkers—measurable physical substances indicating disease—of those disorders, as opposed to relying on psychological symptoms. Even locating biomarkers for disorders might not resolve all diagnostic issues because not everyone has the same conception of a healthy mind. The cross-over points from neurotypical to disordered are not fixed. When someone is experiencing suicidal thoughts, it is clear that they are unwell, but when someone has been feeling depressed for some time, it might just be a predictable reaction to an event. Culture changes perceptions even at the extremes—consider the case of schizophrenia, which can be debilitating. Schizophrenics can still lead meaningful lives, and there are methods to keep them in school and work, such as antipsychotics. Antipsychotic drugs block receptors in the brain to counteract dopamine excesses that lead to hallucinations. Managing psychosis, the loss of contact with reality, enhances the patient’s quality of life, and there is value in treating their mental distress. Yet, the perspective that disorders can be peeled back to reveal the “real,” productive self is not necessarily shared outside of

the western psychiatric model. In some cultures, people who hear voices might become healers or shamans revered for their window to otherwise inaccessible things. Instead of medicating and urging a return to the norms of the majority, such cultures embrace neurodivergence. This response to exceptions to the norm, when compared with the American one, indicates that “disorder” and “the real you” are culturally specific definitions. Questions of classifying disorders and whether or not one should seek to fix a pattern of behavior or mood raise further questions of how and whether to separate a person from their disorder, which opens a Pandora's box of definitions of identity and the effects of medication on it. Worries about changing some fundamental part of the self can result in resistance to medication, particularly for adolescents who are still solidifying their identities. To see the changes that treatment induces, changes in behavior and mood can be tracked easily enough, but to differentiate the medicated versus “true” self is a whole other matter: it requires defining the self. Codifying personhood is another task dictated by cultural context, because people think of the self differently across cultures. In the US and other English-speaking developed countries, there exist personality tests to analyze what sort of person one is,

with the full spectrum being reducible to combinations of the Big Five personality traits and the like. Some, such as Buddhists, reject the concept of self altogether. For others, identity is simply electricity and compounds moving around in the mind. If emotions are just chemical, perhaps the self produced with medication is like a laboratory-made diamond—identical to the real thing, with only human feelings insisting something is profoundly different about the naturally produced. It’s hard not to feel as though all of psychiatry is based on arbitrary constructs, but perhaps to say so is to miss the point. Diagnoses, ways of thinking about mental health, and conceptions of identity and the self are all products of culture, and cannot be separated from those cultural influences. Everything about our approach to mental health is, to a degree, based in the subjective and constructed. But, above all, the symptoms of mental distress are being felt by people right now, regardless of how those symptoms are interpreted. Contemplation of cultural and psychiatric matters is possible and necessary for the future of the field in a culturally conscious world—but mental health interventions can and should still be made now, because regardless of their names, disorders have real impacts.

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The Spectator ● May 13, 2022

Science Turning Back the Cellular Clock By SHARIKA SHITHI It’s 7:00 a.m. on a Wednesday morning and you’re shuffling up the stairs and out of your local subway station, fatigued from the four hours of sleep you got last night. Your phone vibrates and you take it out of your pocket. It’s a Google Classroom notification that reads “Ms. Smith posted a new material: Homework for Thursday, Quiz on Friday.” With a defeated expression, you groan, “God, I wish I was six years old again.” It’s your lucky day! Scientists from the Babraham Institute at Cambridge have created a new technique—maturation phase transient reprogramming (MPTR)—that can do just that. Unluckily, however, the good news is from 53-year-old skin cell donors, not you. Earlier in April, Diljeet Gill, a Ph.D. student at the Babraham Institute, and his supervisor, Wolf Reik, a leading authority

in the epigenetic field, took their discoveries to the science journal “eLife.” They discussed the creation of the MPTR method, in which reprogramming factors are selectively applied to somatic cells until the desired regeneration point is achieved. The origins of the MPTR technique stem from the late 1900s, when researchers at the Roslin Institute in Scotland developed the method of turning adult mammary gland cells from a sheep into an embryo. They created Dolly, the first mammal cloned from an adult somatic cell. Seven years later, the Dolly technique was simplified by professor and Noble Prize laureate Shinya Yamanaka at Kyoto University, who created the induced pluripotent stem cell (IPS) method. The method involves adding chemicals to adult cells for 50 days, turning the adult cells into stem cells. However, both of these methods were unable to benefit

patients directly as the stem cells must be regrown into the cells and tissues that a patient may require. In other words, cells treated with IPS lose their original cell type and functionality, which proved to be too complex for medical use. Setting out to create embryonic stem cells that can divide into any type of cell in the body, Reik and Gill’s team created the MPTR technique when they used Yamanaka’s IPS technique on 53-year-old skin cells, but cut the 50-day chemical bath period to only 12 days. The researchers found that age-related changes in the skin cells were removed and the cells temporarily lost their identity. However, after allowing the cells to grow under normal conditions, the cells displayed normal skin behavior and returned to their previous states, except for one small difference: the skin cells now matched the profile of skin cells 30 years younger. The 53-year-old skin

cells appeared and functioned like 23-year-old skin cells. The potential applications of MPTR are linked to the difference in the capabilities of re-youthed versus old, damaged cells. The skin cells that were tested were fibroblasts that produce collagen, a molecule found in bones that provide structure to tissues while healing wounds and moving into areas that need repairing. The rejuvenated fibroblast skin cells produced more collagen and moved into gaps (wounds) in artificial layers of cells faster than control, older cells that did not undergo MPTR. Such results provide evidence that one day, this research may be used to create cells that are more efficient at healing wounds. The method provides added relevance to the medical field because the cells would not be rejected by the patient’s body since the cells would be their own. The cells could help speed up healing time in burn victims

and may eventually extend human life with further research. The technique has also recently been applied to restoring the pancreases of genetically modified mice. If applicable to humans, the technique may potentially fight diabetes and other diseases linked with aging, such as Alzheimer’s disease. Another trial rejuvenated the APBA2 gene linked to Alzheimer’s disease and showed promising improvements. Unfortunately, the team has been unable to take the technique to a clinic for true medical use because MPTR was found to increase the risk of cancer because it creates lasting genetic changes within cells. However, Reik is confident that with the newfound possibility of rejuvenating cells, his team can find a safer alternative. If they are successful, the MPTR technique will become a revolutionary turning point in regenerative medicine.

How to Sail the Galaxy By FRANCES SCHWARZ

Sabrina Chen / The Spectator

As we speak, the universe is moving further and further away from us. The speed of the universe’s expansion is accelerating. Every second, 60,000 stars disappear from human perception, their light turning from blue to red as they float away. Even if

sail because they carry kinetic energy. As photons bounce off the sail, they transfer their energy to it by providing a small push. While the push of a single photon is very small, the combined strength of thousands of photons along with the lack of friction in space allows the sail to accelerate forever. Light sails

we could travel at the speed of light, 94 percent of all the galaxies that we can perceive are already unreachable to us forever. This most certainly feels discouraging toward the future of space-travel. Scientists have been racing to create faster and faster space travel technology since 1957 after the launch of Sputnik, the first satellite. However, recent discoveries regarding a certain form of space travel have been getting some buzz in the science world: the light sail, which refers to any sort of sail pushed by light in space. This would work similar to a sailboat pushed by the wind, except that the wind is light from nearby stars, and the sails have the potential to be a thousand times thinner than a sheet of paper. Though photons, or particles of light, have no mass, they have the power to push such a

are also designed to reflect light, like a mirror, instead of absorbing it. This is beneficial because light reflected off of an object transfers twice as much momentum as light that’s absorbed. The main advantage of light sails is that they don't need to carry fuel. Fuel is a major burden in space travel since extreme amounts of it are required to power any spacecraft, weighing it down and thus reducing its speed. Some rocket fuels and engines have detrimental environmental impacts, with various fuel types capable of poisoning the soil, creating holes in the ozone layer, and releasing soot into the atmosphere. Light sails, on the other hand, are not only unaffected by heavy fuel tanks, but are also 100 percent sustainable. Light sails have been made before. A Japanese spacecraft

called IKAROS, which stands for Interplanetary Kite-craft Accelerated by Radiation Of the Sun, used a solar sail to fly successfully for the first time in 2010. Another light sail, appropriately named Lightsail 2, was successfully developed by the United States in 2019. This crowdfunded spacecraft carried a CubeSat—a small satellite around the size of a loaf of bread—into the Earth’s orbit. The next big venture in light sail technology is being planned by Breakthrough Starshot. The enterprise is part of the larger Breakthrough Initiatives, which are “suite[s] of space science programs investigating the fundamental questions of life in the Universe.” Starshot’s goal is to launch a microprobe carried by a light sail on a one-way trip to the nearest star system, Alpha Centauri. While most previous research on light sails has assumed that they would be passively powered by the sun, Breakthrough Starshot intends on propelling the light sail forwards with a high-powered cluster of lasers built on the Earth. When the probe arrives at Alpha Centauri, it will zip through the star system, gather as much information as it can, and beam the information back to Earth with a laser of its own. This is an ambitious project. While travel within our solar system has already taken place, venturing outside of our solar system has long been considered nothing more than science fiction. However, if Breakthrough Starshot succeeds in propelling this probe to 20 percent of the speed of light, travel time to Alpha Centauri would be cut from 6,300 years with existing technology to just 20 years, meaning that the journey could take place within a generation. While Breakthrough Starshot is still in its research phase and has not yet pursued development, the space program published a pair of studies in February 2022 that may reveal the keys to the most effective shape and pattern for a light sail. The papers were published

in the scientific journal Nano Letters and were led by three researchers—Igor Bargatin, Deep Jariwala, and Aaswath Raman— who work for Breakthrough Starshot. The first study, led by Bargatin, revealed that light sails should billow like a parachute instead of remaining flat, as most previous research assumed, in order to make the light sail more resistant to tears. This is crucial because the sails will be under an enormous amount of stress; the Earth-based laser proposed by Starshot is expected to produce light an intensity millions of times brighter than that of the sun. And, similar to a normal sailboat, a tight sail will naturally be more prone to tears than one that can adjust to the intensity of the wind. The second study, led by Raman, discovered that nanoscale patterning within the sail could dissipate the intense heat from the lasers trained on the sails. As mentioned earlier, light sails are

designed to reflect light instead of absorbing it. This is done not only to maximize momentum transfer, but also because light sails can heat up to extreme temperatures and disintegrate if even a tiny fraction of light is absorbed. Raman’s study suggests that embedding the sail with a grid-like pattern along with placing tiny holes in its surface could help dissipate the heat from lasers. Though light sail technology is still novel, it’s advancing fast. The findings of these two studies will be crucial not only to the development of Breakthrough Starshot’s plan but also to any future research on lightsails. If Breakthrough Starshot does succeed in its mission, then it will gift the world the chance to observe interstellar space before this generation’s time is up. And with all of its fermi bubbles, black holes, paradoxes, and neutron stars, the beauty of the universe is not something to miss out on.

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Page 15

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The Spectator ● May 13, 2022

Arts and Entertainment

Film By SUBHA BHUIYAN A group of young boys peer through a cluster of green foliage and stare at their neighbors, the beautiful Lisbon sisters, whose golden locks and tanned skin shine under the beaming sun of suburban Michigan. Despite their angelic exterior, they melancholically stare into the abyss of their front yard. Noticeably, one sister is missing; the audience is informed at the beginning of the film that the youngest daughter, Cecilia (Hanna R. Hall), has committed suicide, and her sisters are soon to follow. Sofia Coppola’s directorial debut “The Virgin Suicides,” adapted from Jeffrey Eugenides’s novel, reached its 22nd anniversary of release this April and continues to possess an evergrowing fanbase. Told from the perspective of the boys who watch them, the movie recounts the devastating lives of the Lisbon sisters, forever immortalizing them and the story surrounding their deaths. Coppola creates a hauntingly evocative and dreamy ambiance in the film that perfectly encapsulates the inexplicable atmosphere of the novel. Though the audience never finds out the intimate details of the Lisbon sisters’ lives or their innermost thoughts, they can still discern the delicate yet painful potency of adolescence that is subtly hinted at throughout the movie. From first love to parental pressure, no feeling is left out in the film. Described by the people close to them, the sisters are ghost-like and resemble hypnotizing goddesses at the altar of youth and beauty. The boys rarely interact with them, but are still impacted enough by their presence to think about the sisters decades later. Their retelling of the sisters’ lives and the events leading to their downfalls transform the sisters from unknowable fictional

schoolteachers. Finally, in part three, Pink has a violent breakdown where he proclaims he no longer needs love, dismissing everything and everyone around him as more bricks in the wall.

The album explores themes of isolation and abandonment through Pink’s journey of constructing his wall and subsequently tearing it

By THE ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT DEPARTMENT

down the final two tracks “The Trial” and “Outside the Wall.” “The Wall” shows a concept wellexecuted with its simple yet profound look into the life of one fictitious character. The concept is not crazily convoluted, nor completely unique in its subject matter, yet executes its narrative in a way that intrigues listeners through the symbolism of the “wall” and the metaphorical framing of Pink’s mental struggles. The concept is the centerpiece of the album, with each song diving in

When the sisters attend prom, the colors present are bright but soft, highlighting the carefree and fun atmosphere; however, once the sisters are locked at home and forbidden from attending school, the colors in the scenes become dull and faded, with past joyful events drowning under the sisters’ mundane reality. In addition to the color palette, the film’s soundtrack also contributes to its dreamy aesthetic. The

Sofia Coppola’s directorial debut “The Virgin Suicides,” adapted from Jeffrey Eugenides’s novel, reached its 22nd anniversary of release this April and continues to possess an evergrowing fanbase.

the sisters’ dresses, bedsheets, and room decorations jarringly juxtapose the cool-colored filter that often appears in moments of despair and desolation. While scenes of innocence are muted and hazy, emotional scenes are sharp and dark, the effect created through minimal lighting and claustrophobic spaces. These scenes intermingle to emphasize the sisters’ polarizing lives, from gleaming, happy moments such as their first party to depressing, painful events seconds later.

soundtrack, crafted by the French electronic band “Air,” rouses feelings of teenhood: the uncertainty, the pining, the alienation. From “Playground Love” to “The Word Hurricane,” the girls’ restriction of self-expression is compensated for by the music, which expresses their feelings for them. Between moments of silence, the scores disclose the sisters’ isolation and sorrow. Other hits from the ‘70s establish the eclectic musical overtones of the film as songs from Styx, Heart, and Sloan are listened

Summer is rearing its head, and it’s almost college touring season for juniors (and some sophomores with dedicated parents). You all know what that means… ROAD TRIPS! These tracks will make your trek up to Boston just the slightest bit less excruciating, or punctuate the endless Midwestern cornfield sprawl outside your backseat window with a soothing soundtrack.

Road to Nowhere Talking Heads New wave

Can’t Get You out of My Head Kylie Minogue Dance pop

continued on page 17

The Enduring Message of The Virgin Suicides beings to realistic characters with debilitating struggles, further adding to the emotional impact that the ending holds. Throughout the film, the audience sees the sisters’ current states of worry and alarm due to the early reveal of their fate, but once their fate comes to fruition, this dread is replaced with a feeling of emptiness. The color scheme of the film also adds to the sisters’ elusive nature, as the soft colors of

Playlist Road Killers

tator

Music provides artists with an outlet to convey emotions, experiences, and messages to their audiences. However, the methods of communicating these messages vary from artist to artist and album to album. Songs on many conventional albums convey ideas that may greatly differ in subject matter from other songs on those albums. Other albums, however, use an overarching structure to express their ideas, connecting each song to develop a “concept album.” A concept album adds cohesion by exploring a certain narrative or theme throughout the entire record, and the final product is better than the sum of its parts. Concept albums have been in the public consciousness for decades, with many in the genre rising in popularity and influence as classics. However, many are unaware of what specifically allows for these albums to succeed, which, in some cases, has led to disastrous failures. For example, “Hopeless Fountain Kingdom” (2017) is Halsey’s sophomore album, in which the concept revolves around Halsey’s former relationship and her struggles with it. It’s framed as an adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, where the titular characters are gender-swapped and live in the Hopeless Fountain Kingdom, a purgatory for those who

deserve neither heaven nor hell. The album and its concept ended up falling flat because of the overly perplexing nature of the concept and the narrative it attempted to explore. She failed to articulate the plot, leaving listeners lost. Halsey made no attempt to bridge the gap between the music and the narrative, leaving the concept feeling underbaked and tacked on. “Hopeless Fountain Kingdom” clearly shows what makes a bad concept album, but what does it take to make a good one? The first step is to properly execute the “concept.” An example of a good concept within a concept album is Pink Floyd’s “The Wall” (1979). The narrative concept of “The Wall” tells the life of the fictitious rockstar Pink. Each song of the album explores parts of Pink’s life as traumatic experiences make him start to build a metaphorical “wall” around himself, closing himself off further and further from human contact. “Another Brick in the Wall” parts one, two, and three explore the process of Pink building his metaphorical wall throughout the album. Part one discusses the beginning of him building his wall following the death of his father in World War II, while part two delves into the trauma Pink endured from his overprotective mother and his abusive

ur / The Spec

By LUCA ADEISHVILI

Conceptualizing the Concept Album

Skye McArth

Thinkpiece

to and shared with the sisters by the neighborhood boys. While the film’s popularity can be attributed to its music and cinematography, the relatable portrayal of adolescence is also a major reason for its everlasting popularity. It is easy to relate to aspects of the film, such as the dialogue and certain characters; the audience can’t help but sympathize with the girls and their situation. The film tackles sensitive topics, especially those of mental illness, and depicts how little grievances can fester and grow to take over a person. People of all ages resonate with the themes presented, thus making the film timeless. The message of the film becomes more profound as time passes, and a rewatch never fails to give new meaning to minute actions and lines. Similar to the neighborhood boys, viewers are held at arm’s length from the sisters, catching glimpses of their lives but never quite understanding their feelings or motivations, further adding to the intrigue surrounding the events of the film. The message of “The Virgin Suicides” is especially relevant to younger generations, who are currently experiencing the painful awkwardness of adolescence. From an outsider’s view, this film might seem like an aesthetic piece with not much more to offer than its dreamy, soft landscape. However, hidden behind layers of sun-kissed colors and rhythmic synths is a rich and meaningful story detailing the deep-rooted problems humans struggle with and how unnoticed they are most of the time. Now more than ever, “The Virgin Suicides” serves as a cautionary tale to take care of yourself and check up on others. Even after 22 years, it remains a film staple in many people’s lives, and its presence will undoubtedly continue to grow in pop culture.

Enjoy the Silence Depeche Mode Synthpop

Groceries Pi’erre Bourne Hip hop

Heroes David Bowie Rock

Custom Concern Modest Mouse Indie rock

White Mustang Cat Power Country rock

Time to Pretend MGMT Indietronica

Cruisin’ D’angelo R&B

Miss’ippi Nick Shoulders Country

Kerosene! Yves Tumor Progressive rock

The Spectator ● May 13, 2022

Page 17

Arts and Entertainment Coachella’s Cultural Appropriation Problem

Fashion A Native American headdress with magenta feathers. West African dashikis with colorful patterns. Intricate henna snaking up arms cuffed by golden bangles. Each of these important symbols are worn by Coachella attendees year after year, often misappropriating and disrespecting cultures that many festival-goers neither belong to nor understand. The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival has taken place annually in Indio, California’s Coachella Valley, since 1999. It’s famous for highly-anticipated performances, captivating design installations, and, less favorably, its participants’ questionable fashion choices. The festival takes place on two consecutive weekends in April, with hundreds of thousands of attendees visiting each weekend. This year, the festival took place from April 15 to 17 and April 22 to 24, with performances from headliners Harry Styles, Billie Eilish, Swedish House Mafia, and The Weeknd, as well as Lil Baby, Phoebe Bridgers, Giveon, Conan Gray, Doja Cat, and many more. Not to be outshined by the bold fashion choices of the Coachella crowds, the musicians’ outfits

Thinkpiece continued from page 16

deeply into and contributing to the development of the album’s plot and the themes that go along with it. These are all characteristics necessary for a concept to be implemented well, which helps to explain how “The Wall” captivated many audiences with its concept’s execution and remains a classic to this day. Though the concept is an integral part of making a concept album, it is still an album at the end of the day; the music and its connection to the concept are also critical to the project’s success. “Hawaii: Part II” (2012), a concept album by Miracle Musical, demonstrates a well-executed interplay between its music and its concept. The album and its songs are framed as a theatrical telling of a tumultuous love story between two unnamed protagonists. The structure of the songs plays into the concept of the album being a musical. For example, the first song, “Introduction to the Snow,” is a short, instrumentally-bare hymn that acts as the brief introduction to the musical, and the final song, “Dream Sweet in Sea Major,” is a seven-minute-

Television continued from page 18

lains are absolutely despicable and will keep you at the edge of your seat. Their presence further adds to the sinister atmosphere established by the show’s strategic camerawork and well-developed suspense. In contrast, Sanghwan and his group of friends are kindhearted and even comedic at times; their friendship brings hope and light to a show characterized by darkness. The highlight of the series, however, is Seo Yeji’s incredibly heart-wrenching performance. She haunts viewers with her portrayal of Sangmi’s

were filled with the same drama and absurdity as the attendees’.

Valentino dress, the stars embodied the fearless fashion that Coach-

From Harry Styles’s glitzy paillette jumpsuit to Conan Gray’s hot-pink

ella, at its best, strives for. Over the past two decades,

Iris Lin / The Spectator

By PHOEBE BUCKWALTER

Coachella outfits have become more elaborate and outlandish, often tapping into the boho aesthetic that’s become intertwined with the festival’s identity. Bohemian fashion romanticizes the “gypsy” lifestyle associated with the Romani people, a traditionally nomadic group that’s been marginalized throughout history. The boho aesthetic is designed to be free-spirited and dreamy, with popular trends including skinny face-framing braids, flowy and florally patterned wrap dresses, fringed vests, and chunky jewelry. However, it’s not just the misappropriation of Romani culture that’s on full display at Coachella. Attendees can be seen wearing significant, and sometimes even sacred, clothing and jewelry from a vast range of cultures. Many outfits take on a Western theme, mimicking the scenery of the Colorado Desert. They utilize suede fringe, concho belts, and Native American headdresses. Headdresses are sacred, and were worn by individuals honored for their bravery, such as the chief or a warrior. Today, they’re worn during rituals and celebrations, such as traditional wedding ceremonies or pow wows. When people who aren’t Native American wear headdresses, it erodes the honor of those who earned their headdresses and

degrades Native American culture. This is especially true at festivals like Coachella, where scantily-clad party-goers can be seen wearing treasured symbols of pride for a culture that they have no rights to. Likewise, the symbolic value of bindis is abused by Coachella attendees, who use them to casually accessorize their looks. Bindis are worn by South Asian women, and are associated with religion and indicative of marital status. In Hinduism, they’re symbolic of a third eye, which wards off bad luck and maintains a connection with God. They represent a complex belief system, and wearing them casually to accessorize a Coachella look dismisses their importance to religious and cultural practices. Henna is another regular at Coachella and in Hollywood, with celebrities like Rihanna, Selena Gomez, and Vanessa Hudgens using it to complete their looks. However, it has immense cultural significance, and the practice dates back thousands of years in South Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa. Originally used for its natural cooling properties, henna temporarily stains skin with elaborate designs for celebrations and holicontinued on page 19

Conceptualizing the Concept Album long ballad that acts as the epilogue to the album’s narrative, utilizing a reprise from the first song to make the record come full circle, just as what would happen in a piece of musical theater. The concept further plays into the actual music and its tone, as shown with “Isle Unto Thyself,” in which the romantic mood of the song plays into its place in the album’s story as the male protagonist meets the female protagonist for the first time during the events of the song. On the other hand, “Murders,” with its frantic and dark tone built by piercing instrumentation and trepidating vocalizations of lead singer Joe Hawley, conveys the emotions felt by the male protagonist after he lost his love interest. Another way in which the concept and music intertwine is in the various leitmotifs and callbacks present throughout the album. In the song “The Mind Electric,” the melody used in “Labyrinth” is sampled at the end of the song, while “Dream Sweet in Sea Major” borrows various lines and musical samples from other songs on “Hawaii: Part II.” This is seen in lines such as “And lo, the hues arrange to show it’s perfectly clear,” a line borrowed directly from an earlier song,

“Black Rainbows.” The way that the music within the songs of “Hawaii: Part II” is affected by the concept goes to show how the album successfully utilizes its concept to elevate and add cohesiveness between the songs of the record. The concept of a concept album should heighten the song’s quality by adding a unique identity and meaning to the songs, transcending them beyond simply being musical works and making them part of a larger narrative or message. The characteristic ways in which the concept and the music influence each other on the album are attributes that should be present in any good concept album to truly promote the quality of the album’s songs as a whole. One specific album that thoroughly exhibits all the characteristics of a good concept album is “SELF-iSH” (2016) by Will Wood. The album deals with themes of identity, mental health, and substance abuse, with its main message being that the idea of the “self ” is illusory and fake. The album explores this idea by telling a narrative through the eyes of a past Will, in which he enters an identity crisis fueled by his copious abuse of psychedelics and alcohol, believing that

he is no longer himself and that his “true” self is hidden somewhere within his head. This crisis of self is shown in songs such as “Mr. Capgras,” in which Will attempts to artificially replace his personality to fill the void in his current identity, though he fails horribly and finds himself more lost than he was before. Will’s panicked and frenzied mood is felt through the loud and chaotic instrumental combined with the manic rasp the song is sung in, illustrating the urgent existential crisis Will is going through. The rest of the album consists of his self-destructive journey toward trying to find himself, until, in the last few songs, he comes to the realization that his journey was all for nothing and that he was unbound by his platonic self-conception. He can be whoever he wants to be. “SELF-iSH” also demonstrates an often-overlooked attribute of any great concept album: the nonmusical presentation. All aspects of the album call back to its central theme of the “self ” in various ways. The entire album’s title is capitalized except for “I,” a letter used as an identifier for oneself when speaking. The album cover shows a vaguely humanoid figure, whose complexion is abstract enough to

have an amorphous racial identity, with the Earth and moon orbiting around it as a pair of scissors cuts a circular pattern around the figure. The cover represents the process of eliminating the idea of the world revolving around the “self,” as the world orbiting around the figure is cut out by the scissors on the cover. Many of the song titles make similar references to the themes of the album, such as in “Cotard’s Solution,” which references Cotard’s Syndrome, a psychological condition with which one believes they are dead: the most physical manifestation of the death of the self. All these aspects further elevate the album’s concept as they create meaning in the typically inconsequential parts of the project. Concept albums are a unique form of music that, when mastered, can yield stellar masterpieces. Through their focus on overarching themes, they are able to capture profound ideas in a distinct and methodical manner that improves the enjoyment of the music itself and gives a singular cohesion to each track. The aforementioned works such as “The Wall,” “SELFiSH,” and “Hawaii: Part II” are testaments to the concept album’s potential to communicate themes.

Thriller Korean Dramas That Will Get You Hooked On Hallyu pain and frustration. “Save Me” can be difficult to watch due to the heavy topics that it tackles, but if you are looking to watch an intense psychological thriller defined by slow-burn tension, this is the show for you. The Silent Sea (2021) One of Netflix’s newest Korean dramas, “The Silent Sea” takes place on a dystopian Earth suffering from a shortage of water. The shortage shapes the social and political environment, with the government giving people unequal access to the available water supply based on their socioeconomic status. To solve this pressing issue, a

group is tasked by the government to recover an important research sample from an abandoned space base on the moon. It is called Balhae Station, and had experienced a tragic accident in the past. The group is composed of astrobiologist Dr. Song Jian (Bae Doona), Captain Han Yunjae (Gong Yoo), Lieutenant Ryu Taesuk (Lee Joon), medical doctor Hong Gayoung (Kim Sunyoung), tech expert Gong Soochan, Officer Kim Sun (Lee Sungwook), Chief Gong Suhyeok (Lee Musaeng), pilot Lee Gisu (Choi Youngwoo), and Mr. Hwang (Yu Seongju). At the station, they experience a series of peculiar

events and learn about Balhae Station’s confidential secrets that the government kept from the public. The directors utilize breathtaking cinematography to help immerse viewers in the unfamiliar world of “The Silent Sea.” The VFX that is used is, quite literally, out of this world, with large-scale and moderately accurate views of Earth, the moon, and extraordinary space shuttles. The protagonists sport detailed, white space suits that visually define the series. Though there is a lack of character details and backstories to maintain suspense initially, throughout the show, the characters’ motivations

and intentions in taking on the mission are slowly revealed. The series features classic science fiction tropes with a cast of notable actors and actresses to add intrigue to a plot that taps into real-life concerns about the government, social inequality, disease, and climate catastrophe. Though countless other Korean dramas fall under the thriller genre, these are some amazing ones to start with if you are trying to become well-versed in the world of K-dramas or are simply looking for relatively short but impactful shows to binge-watch.

Page 18

The Spectator ● May 13, 2022

Arts and Entertainment

Film By SIMONE RALEIGH “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” released in April 2022, received vast praise from critics for its playful comedy and engrossing plot. The film allows the audience to project themselves into the fantasy of leading different lives, exploring the ideas that an infinite number of decisions shape one’s life and that one should learn to appreciate the beauty of the “mundane” version of themself. “Everything Everywhere All at Once” instills fastpaced, cleverly controlled chaos in its plot, but when the wacky fun fades, a portrayal of extraordinary emotional complexity is revealed. The film opens with dowdy, miserable, middle-aged Evelyn (Michelle Yeoh), who is reaching a crisis point in several aspects of her life. She is drowning under the stress of her family’s failing laundromat, her marriage to Waymond (Ke Huy Quan), and the disapproval of her elderly father (James Hong). However, it is the widening gulf between Evelyn and her daughter Joy (Stephanie Hsu) that threatens to unravel the fabric of existence as she learns that she’s just one in a vast multiverse of Evelyns, and the only one who can save it. The film explores the dynamics of complex familial bonds within an Asian family, as even before the idea of

one of his classmates, Bae Gyuri (Park Juhyun), discovers his illicit activities and threatens to expose him unless he lets her become his partner in crime. The stakes get even higher when the police trace their school to an investigation involving student Seo Minhee (Jung Dabin), who is one of the sex workers under Jisoo’s protection. The show follows Jisoo as he starts to unravel under the pressures of his work and his growing crush on Gyuri. The series is propelled by consistent foreshadowing, morally gray characters, and unpredictable plot twists. It is well-paced, with each episode building on the harsh realities of life. Good writing is supported by amazing acting, directing, and cinematography that make sure to Th

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Though the show may be intense at times, there’s a sense of satisfaction that comes from the closure that the victims’ families receive, which is supported by Choi’s portrayal of Lee Jaehan’s sensitive personality. Signal is an invigorating and well-structured piece that will leave you speechless. Extracurricular (2020) High school is not all about making friends and getting good grades for model student Oh Jisoo (Kim Donghee). Living alone with no adults to rely on, he financially supports himself by managing a secret business, under the alias “Uncle,” that provides protection services to a network of sex workers. However,

Thanks to the ever-growing popularity of K-pop groups like BTS and NCT and the international recognition of Korean films such as Parasite, Korean pop culture is gradually becoming a mainstay in America. In 2021, when everyone was bored and stuck at home due to the pandemic, Korean dramas established themselves as engaging and addictive, with Netflix’s Squid Game achieving unprecedented international acclaim. It further opened Western audiences to the Korean wave, or Hallyu, which is defined as the increase in global popularity of South Korean pop culture. Now, if you are looking to discover what else Korean dramas have to offer, look no further, as this is a list of K-drama thrillers that will keep your heart pounding with anxiety and anticipation. Signal (2016) If you love crime and fantasy, Signal is the drama for you. It seamlessly meshes the two genres as it follows criminal profiler Park Haeyoung (Lee Jaehoon), who discovers a mysterious walkietalkie that connects him to a person from 1989: detective Lee Jaehan (Choi Jinwoong). Back in the present day (2015), Haeyoung becomes a member of a police team and works with Jaehan to solve and prevent current cold cases that happened during Jaehan’s time. Signal puts a unique spin on the time travel trope in the way that nobody physically goes through time. Instead, it examines the concept of cause-and-effect

through the development of character relationships and shocking plot twists. The show alternates between the past and future, incorporating Jaehan’s life experiences and flashbacks from Haeyoung’s tragic youth into the present. Though the switch between time periods may seem jarring, this plot device is improved by the editing and cinematography. Transitions are effortless and allow the story to flow well while still maintaining a mysterious essence.

Mi lle

By RAISA NOHA

Re ya

Television

Thriller Korean Dramas That Will Get You Hooked On Hallyu

keep its audience thoroughly engaged. The palette of the show, muted cool tones and dark grays, creates an ominous mood that breaks away from the traditionally bright and airy aesthetics of typical high school K-dramas. Though it takes a bit of

time to warm up to Jisoo and Gyuri, the dynamic portrayed by Kim Donghee and Park Juhyun is a driving force of the show, and viewers find themselves rooting for the two despite their flaws. Overall, the provocative approach to teen angst and crime that Extracurricular takes will keep your eyes glued to the screen and make you reflect on society and your own life. Save Me (2017) After her father’s business fails, Im Sangmi (Seo Yeji) and the rest of her family completely uproot themselves to move to the unfamiliar town of Muji. Here, Sangmi and her twin brother, Sangjin, attend a new school, where Sangjin is relentlessly bullied to the point of suicide. In their vulnerable and grieving state, the family is preyed upon by the Guseonwon cult, which harbors many secrets under the facade of being a peaceful church. Under the leadership of “Spiritual Father,” Baek Jungki (Cho Seongha), its followers commit fraud, torture, and murder under the impression that it will help them achieve salvation. Unaware of the church’s horrible actions, Sangmi’s parents become devout believers and stay at the cult’s offered housing, trapping Sangmi with them. After several failed escape attempts, she is finally presented with the opportunity to ask her high school friend, Han Sanghwan (Taecyeon), to save her. Sanghwan enlists the help of his closest friends, Suk Dongchul (Woo Dohwan), Woo Junghoon (David Lee), and Choi Manhee (Ha Hoejung). Though the drama runs slow at times, the acting and well-written characters make up for it. The vilcontinued on page 17

“Everything Everywhere All At Once” Finds Meaning in the Multiverse the multiverse is introduced to the family, their lives already inhabit separate worlds. They ignore each other, with each member of the family becoming frustrated due to feelings of general unappreciation: Waymond is looking for divorce while Joy challenges the grotesquely high expectations Evelyn has set for her, highlighting the generational divide between herself and Evelyn with her confident identity as a lesbian. Despite the arguably overused trope of familial chaos, “Everything Everywhere All at Once” remains a definite product of its time with its portrayal of the multiverse. It explores the modern dangers of the internet by highlighting the escapism of the multiverse and its endless potential. It also investigates the idea of multiple parallel universes spinning in synchronicity and the possibility of alternate, seemingly better versions of ourselves. Especially during a time when a pandemic, wars, and political cruelty have become inevitable presences in our daily lives, the multiverse represents the ultimate fantasy, explaining why it has also been seen in recent films like “Spiderman: No Way Home” (2021) and “Space Jam: A New Legacy” (2021). Evelyn is first introduced to the concept of the multiverse after being confronted at the IRS by Alpha Waymond, her

husband’s confident, kung-fu fighting doppelgänger. Alpha Waymond claims to be from the “Alpha-Verse,” the cream of the crop in the multiverse. He is searching for this dimension’s version of Evelyn to help stop the evil Alpha-Verse version of Joy, named Jobu Tupaki, from destroying every universe. Always dressed and ready for a wild party, Tupaki rampages through different dimensions as her power to experience every one of her multidimensional identities all at once slowly drives her insane. The residents of the AlphaVerse know the most about the multiverse, its rules, and how to tap into each one of its dimensions because they are the first to have discovered its existence. Notably, the Alpha-Verse was the first to develop technology to track the direction of the other universes, as well as the ability to mentally tap into the other dimensions of the multiverse using “verse-jumping,” which is the ability to tap into a doppelgänger’s consciousness from a parallel universe and take control of their mind for a short time without the other dimensional-counterpart noticing. However, this is not an easy task, as the AlphaVerse technology must calculate precisely what is needed for the jump; usually, the verse-jumper is required to do something fairly weird and ridiculous to accom-

plish it. It is with this verse-jumping that “Everything Everywhere All at Once” is able to seamlessly shift from a family drama to an absurdist action-comedy. Using verse-jumping technology, Evelyn finds herself adopting the skills of parallel universe versions of herself, such as the abilities to fight with fanny-pack nunchucks and play the piano with her feet, while exploring multiverses where she has hotdog fingers and is a movie star. Playing many different roles as Evelyn in every multiverse, Michelle Yeoh perfectly explores the use of physical comedy through bizarre tasks needed for verse-jumping like eating ChapStick under a cubicle or voicing a legitimate rock during her time in a prehistoric dimension. For decades, Yeoh has been mesmerizing in movies, including “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” (2000) and “Crazy Rich Asians” (2018). Here, she does it all, shouldering the rage in a domestic drama, the grace in a martial arts epic, and the splendid silliness of a ludicrous comedy. Impressive acting aside, the physical shifts as the protagonists jump from universe to universe would not be possible without the VFX work of visual effects artist Zak Stoltz. The visual effect of verse-jumping was created with Yeoh sitting in her office chair,

which was in a wheelbarrow. Then they pushed her backward very slowly, shooting in real-time, cranking the shutter on the camera open and using a leaf blower to whip her hair back and forth. In the post, everything is sped up again, making for a chaotic scene as she goes back into a closet, and into a mysterious universe. Thanks to the mix of practical and VFX elements in every scene in the movie, the actors react to real things like physical sign-spinners who turn into sign-ninjas, grounding the performance and movie. The utilization of the central “metaverse” mechanics perfectly aligns with an emotional, meaningful plot arc to ground “Everything Everywhere All at Once” among the visual chaos of the film. The film attacks the “floating rock” mentality of how technically meaningless a human’s impact on their own reality is in the grand scheme of things. Through traversing the multiverses, Evelyn comes to understand that life is simply a culmination of small joys, a theme illustrated by her love for her daughter. The film ultimately emphasizes loving the people and things around you and focusing on things that make you happy rather than everything that does not. Everyone will indeed become meaningless space dust, so why not enjoy the ride?

The Spectator ● May 13, 2022

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Arts and Entertainment Coachella’s Cultural Appropriation Problem

Fashion continued from page 17

days. It’s commonly used in Hindi and Muslim weddings as a symbol of strength in marriage, with darker henna indicating a deeper love. Henna is also applied to celebrate births, as it symbolizes the promise of good health and fertility. In Islamic cultures, women apply henna during Ramadan and at Eid al-Fitr celebrations. During all of these events, henna brings women together to share their joy. There’s a stark contrast between the millenia-old tradition and the purchasing of colorful henna kits online by festival attendees from companies profiting off of the appropriation of South Asian culture. Henna has become more mainstream in the United States, with companies marketing it as a DIY project to add “exotic” flare to everyday outfits and costumes. They veer away from traditional paisleys and peacocks, incorporating chevrons and arrows, as well as customizable touches like quotes, animals, or music notes. The hen-

na advertised on social media has strayed far from the traditional practice, with the American market only paying it any attention when white people misappropriate it in an attempt to profit from the resulting trend. This is also the case with the West African garments misappropriated by many Coachella attendees. Dashikis are loose-fitting tops with elaborate patterns in symbolic colors, usually featuring some variation of gold, red, green, blue, and white, with each color symbolizing a different value. When they’re worn by West Africans, the color combinations are carefully considered in order to project an image of spirituality, love, peace, purity, and other values. When people who aren’t of African ancestry wear dashikis, many don’t recognize the significance of the messages that these garments can convey. In the Black community, there’s debate over whether or not African Americans have a right to wear dashikis. For some, they serve as a link to their African origins, as dashikis became prominent during

the Black Pride movement in the 1960s and originally played a role in educating African Americans about their heritage. More recently, dashikis have been reinvented and worn as streetwear and sometimes are used as fashion statements by African Americans. Many West Africans feel that the dashiki has become too trendy in the western world, losing its meaning and impact. It’s about intention: when dashikis are worn thoughtfully and respectfully by African Americans who understand their historical significance, they can be a valuable tool for reclaiming their ancestry. However, when they’re worn merely as a fashion statement by a younger generation, they lose the qualities that make them powerful. Many of these examples may seem relatively obvious, but matters of cultural appropriation are often far more blurry. American supermodel and fashion icon Gigi Hadid posed in Vogue Arabia wearing a hijab in March 2017. Hadid is of Dutch and Palestinian descent, and her father, who is Muslim, immersed her in his culture and

religion from a young age. However, critics claimed that she was misappropriating a religious piece of clothing. They claimed that she was neither Palestinian enough nor Muslim enough to don a hijab. At Reebok’s Be More Human event, Hadid addressed the criticism, saying “I am as much Palestinian as I am Dutch…Just because I have blonde hair…I still carry the value of my ancestors.” Although Hadid has ancestral claims to her culture and religion, she doesn’t wear a hijab on a daily basis and isn’t subjected to the same discrimination as women who do so are. Seeing that she has an international following and a huge influence on the fashion industry and popular culture, there is some validity in critiquing her for wearing a hijab for the sole purpose of the Vogue Arabia photoshoot. Similarly, Grammy-winning pop star Halsey is frequently criticized for her natural hair, which she sometimes wears in box braids. Halsey, who identifies as a “whitepassing” black woman, is biracial. When she revealed her natural

curls on Instagram, she was accused of wearing a wig, and when she sported beautiful hip-length box braids, she was accused of cultural appropriation. Due to her light skin tone, people are quick to judge the way she chooses to wear her hair. “[I] have never tried to control anything about black culture that’s not mine. I’m proud to be in a biracial family, I’m proud of who I am, and I’m proud of my hair,” she explained in a 2017 interview with Playboy. Cultural appropriation is an issue with a lot of nuances. When people jump to conclusions about someone’s religious or ethnic background based on the way they look instead of their cultural expression, it can lead to unfounded accusations of misappropriation. However, in instances where one has no ancestral ties to or knowledge of the culture they’re representing, their actions are wrong, even if they claim to be “celebrating” that culture. It’s not their place to actively and personally celebrate someone else’s culture; it’s their place to respect it.

Clothes On Our Body

Music By MADELINE HUTCHINSON

Eugenia Ochoa / The Spectator

Weatherday and Asian Glow have formed a musical union in the form of “Weatherglow,” an EP that fuses Shoegaze, Noise-pop, and Emo influences into six experimental tracks. Weatherday, an emo and noise pop artist from Sweden who goes by the alias Sputnik, gained Bandcamp sensation through their 2019 album “Come In.” Asian Glow is an anonymous emo Lofi artist from South Korea. Their previous projects include the 2021 shoegaze album “Cull Ficle,” and a collaboration album with fellow South Korean Shoegazers, Parranoul. Both artists are well known in their niche. Despite their geographic distance, the two artists collabo-

Music By ZOE BUFF Opera! It is dramatic. It is tragic. It either involves heartbreak, murder, or both. But there is another side to this art form; it can be lighthearted, amusing, and playful. And who better to write a comedy than Mozart, the composer who created the happiest music the world has ever known? “Le Nozze di Figaro,” better known by the English translation “The Marriage of Figaro,” premiered in Vienna in 1786, set to the words of Italian librettist Lorenzo da Ponte and the music of Austrian composer and prodigy Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The classic comedy takes place in Seville, during an era of kings, servants, and pompous courts. Everything in Mozart’s music rings with triumph and exuberance, as the majority of his compositions do, but a closer listen reveals yearning, jealousy, and tension between social classes and sexes. The opera served as an anthem for servants of the manor house as well as an ode to female empowerment. As one can imagine, these were not themes readily accepted by 18th-century European society. The project nearly perished just as it had begun, but despite the controversy, “The Marriage of Figaro” survived the test of time, and more than two centuries later, it contin-

rate seamlessly on “Weatherglow,” layering Sputnik’s signature raspy

vocals and abrasive instrumentation on Asian Glow’s plucky, tech-

nical guitarwork and lush Shoegaze texture. While Weatherday and Asian Glow both have lots of musical potential, the album’s production style can feel a bit disappointing at first listen. The artists give us much to appreciate. The most successful tracks are worth a deeper dive. There are tracks such as “Late Time Stroll” in which the fuzzy production feels powerful, ultimately evoking nostalgia for band Car Seat Headrest, specifically their unrefined 2011 internet indie classic “Twin Fantasy (Mirror to Mirror).” The two projects both gain a poignant rawness and homespun charm from their DIY production. However, when mishandled, that bumbling, youthful energy becomes stilted and awkward, as seen on “Melt a Bed,” the

first track on the EP. “Melt a Bed” is an emotional rollercoaster of volume and vitality, an unexpected collage of sounds in its structural arrangement. The track begins with an enthusiastic voice that welcomes the listener to plunge into the EP, instructing, “Let’s go, Weatherglow!” The vocals line gives way to intense, dynamic guitar and drums. The overproduction and strain of the instrumentation are enticing in the first few moments, but then the vocals and distinction of the instruments become muddled. Despite initial audial shortcomings, the lyrical content of “Melt a Bed” communicates complex themes of relationships and idencontinued on page 20

Could Mozart’s Funniest Opera Tell the Future? ues to be one of the world’s most beloved comedies. The Metropolitan Opera recently concluded a run of “The Marriage of Figaro,” starring baritone Christian Van Horn and soprano Ying Fang as Figaro and Susanna. I was lucky enough to attend one of these performances; the house was packed and audience members absolutely loved it, laughing every five minutes. The synopsis follows the efforts of servants Figaro and his fiancée Susanna as they attempt to outwit their master, the Count, with the help of the Countess and another servant, Cherubino. Figaro is displeased with the Count’s attempts to seduce his beloved, while the Countess mourns the love she once shared with her husband. Together, the four conspirators plan to deceive the Count into believing all sorts of things. For example, they devise a scheme where Susanna leads him on with the promise of a rendezvous. Though the Count tries to uncover their plotting, he is ultimately forced to accept Figaro and Susanna’s union, and he even asks for his wife’s forgiveness, which she grants him. In the end, everyone is happy and receives a second chance. Mozart was always a jokester, and his operas prove no different. There is comedy in almost every line that is sung and every move

that the characters make. In one scene, Cherubino is forced to jump out the window of the Countess’s bedroom in order to evade the Count, and when the gardener comes to question it, Figaro feigns a limp to convince the Count that he was the one who jumped, and it works. In addition to showcasing Figaro’s brilliant wit, it gives the audience a good laugh. When Dr. Bartolo and his former servant (and lover) Marcellina, two characters who have also been plotting against Figaro, come onto the scene to force Figaro to marry Marcellina, they see a birthmark that reveals Figaro as their long lost son. In the span of five minutes, Marcellina transforms from potential wife to doting mother, creating one of the most hilarious scenes in the opera and evoking lots of laughter from the audience. The music does a splendid job of expressing both the humor and the tension underneath. Mozart colors his music with beauty, but the colors change depending on which scene accompanies the orchestra. There is elegance in the playing of string instruments to reflect the grandeur of 18th-century European courts, and there is power in the brass to represent the Count’s authoritative status. There is Cherubino, playing the lovesick fool to the Count’s daughter, loyal

friend to Susanna, and terrified lackey to the Count all throughout the opera. He is a symbol of youth and innocence, and Mozart made the perfect decision to write a female mezzo-soprano role for his character. Cherubino’s music is perhaps the happiest-sounding music in the opera, and the audience is always sure to laugh when he is onstage. But there is also pain in the Countess’s aria “Porgi, amor, qualche ristoro,” when she laments her husband’s unfaithfulness and deception, which is accentuated by the scampering tunes of the violins. Even the playfulness in Figaro’s aria “Non più andrai,” when he sends Cherubino off to war, is overshadowed by undeniable truth that Cherubino has been banished by the Count to his regiment, reinforcing the divide between servants and the all-powerful aristocracy. On the surface, the opera is fun to watch, but listening between the notes will reveal the double meaning behind every recitative and aria. There is no mistaking that the opera was written in the 18th century. In Mozart’s time, kings and queens reigned supreme, and servants bowed to them. Men could choose as many lovers as they wanted, even pursuing women who were already spoken for, while a woman who had as little as one affair would be crucified. Instead of embracing

these stereotypes, however, “The Marriage of Figaro” ridicules them, portraying them as nonsensical and absurd. Rather than put Figaro on a pedestal and make Susanna and the Countess his sidekicks, the opera creates a down-to-earth titular character who views his female counterparts as his equals and looks to them sincerely for advice. Susanna is not just Figaro’s fiancée; they are equals, and she helps him as much as he helps her. The Countess is not a damsel in distress who needs to be rescued from her palace; she still has faith in her husband and forgives him in the hopes of starting over. It is certainly refreshing to know that such a grand piece of art written over two centuries ago embraced ideas so ahead of its time. The moment the curtain dropped at the end of the fourth act, the audience jumped to their feet for a standing ovation. I have attended many operas at the Met, and it is not often that an audience laughs so much throughout a three hour performance. No need to wonder why though: watching “The Marriage of Figaro” was just as entertaining as going to the movie theater, if not more. Mozart’s masterpiece continues to be performed around the world, a true testament to the timelessness of his music and his comedy, perhaps the cleverest in the opera world.

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The Spectator ● May 13, 2022

Arts and Entertainment Vulnerability on Display: Snail Mail’s Live Performance in Brooklyn

Music

performance was similarly themed, setting the romantic mood for concertgoers even before the show began. Cupid sculptures on the stage, atmospheric red lights, and “You and I” (1979) by Madleen Kane, the song Jordan sampled for “Forever (Sailing),” playing on the speakers all set the precursory vibe. The intimacy of the venue made it difficult to ignore the painfully tonedeaf millennial Brooklyn hipster crowd. As distracting as the screaming audience was, Jordan’s vocals prevailed most of the time. It may not have been her intention to be drowned out by rabid fans who outsang the artist for long intervals, but the raw tones in her voice rose above the fanatic whining. In fact, this interaction speaks to a theme of “Valentine”: “Those parasitic cameras, don’t they stop to stare at you?” Jordan asks, reflecting on the complexities of being drowned out in the spotlight. Even so, the fervor was to be expected. For many, this was their first post-COVID-19 concert and their first time to sing along to an album they had been listening to all year. Vulnerability was

By ADELE BOIS and MADELINE HUTCHINSON Indie-rock artist Snail Mail, also known as Lindsey Jordan, played a set at the Kings Theatre on Flatbush Avenue on a rainy Thursday night. While the theater’s Baroque architecture, ornate ceiling, and rich velvet curtains typically give an air of snobbery, Jordan quickly established casual intimacy, whispering “Let’s go be alone / Where no one can see us, honey.” These are the first lines of her new album’s title song, “Valentine.” Released through Matador Records, “Valentine” (2021) is Jordan’s second studio album after an almost three-year-long hiatus following her EP “Lush” (2019). During this time, Jordan has evolved from a young, lustful teenager to a jaded, mature adult, made obvious by her raspy, raw voice and ironic, faux-romantic iconography. This is shown through numerous aspects of her new project, from the coy title to the cupids on its cover. In the concert hall, every visual and conceptual aspect of the

erately on theme, Jordan projected an image of confidence and healing. The pleasure evoked during this performance was enhanced by the set list, which was composed primarily of songs off “Valentine,” but also comprised of the most popular tracks from her debut, such as “Full Control” and “Heat Wave.” These nostalgic, angsty songs translated powerfully to the live environment. It was compelling to hear her older music sung with a newfound voice, one that has experienced real heartbreak and isn’t afraid to sing about it. The songs from “Valentine” were much more subdued, and it was obvious that Jordan was still feeling the withdrawals from these pains. Her voice was less confident and full of uncertainty. Additionally, Jordan played a mellow cover of “Tonight, Tonight” (1995) by the Smashing Pumpkins. The song was a surprising break in the setlist. The drums and bass were more prominent in Jordan’s rendition, overpowering her voice yet again. This time, however, the volume imbalance served to enhance Jordan’s performance, as the instrumentation felt triumphant.

Jordan revealed a snarky aspect of her character during “Heat Wave” when someone in the pit asked, “What are you into?” (in response to “Heat Wave,” where Jordan belts “I’m not into sometimes”), and she quickly shot back with a one-word response: “women.” However, that was the extent of Jordan’s interaction with the audience. Although Jordan’s lyrical portfolio and personality are often regarded as beautifully confessional, Jordan barely added any commentary and only paused momentarily between each song. As a result, the experience felt brief, even though she played 16 songs. For the encore, Jordan returned to play “Pristine” (2018), one of her most popular songs, joking, “This is a new one, I hope you guys like it.” This song ended the night on a perfect note, unifying the crowd for one last shared moment as the whole venue collectively sang her iconic lyric, “Is there any better feeling than coming clean?” On this rainy night in Brooklyn, Jordan was able to create a haven for those reeling from their pain.

Clothes On Our Body

Music are in relationships. In intimacy, we often conceal who we are with vehement concern for being truly seen by another. The clothes, specifically the “jacket” in this verse, are about shedding those layers with understandable reservations. That narrative is also revisited in “Look Alive Sunshine” as the vocals slowly enunciate: “I don’t want to / But I have to / Got my jacket / And we go out.” With trepidation, the subject covers themselves with the retrieved jacket as a layer of protection to face the future of what lies ahead. “Clockwork around the Ache” and “Center” are the most nuanced tracks on “Weatherglow.” The former is a track full of hazy

continued from page 19

tity through the use of metaphors about clothes: “We are / Now just clothes on our body / And the rest of us is / Left to chance, if even that.” The transitory and discardable nature of clothing alludes to the fleeting nature of life experience. This metaphor extends to later tracks in the EP, “Center” and “Look Alive Sunshine.” In the former, Weatherday considers a second chance of love: “Sometimes I wonder who I would have been / If I left my jacket inside.” Here, the clothes veil the authentic and protected core of who we

and prolonged bass lines. In this track, the duo highlights their compatibility by punctuating the dichotomy between speed and intensity. Weatherday and Asian Glow are seemingly singing and playing in slow motion, yet the song still oozes with passion. “Center” is all-absorbing. The melodic instrumentation gradually gains intensity as the song progresses. Steady increases in volume and tempo, a notable feature of Weatherday’s past work, are well-executed, recurring features of the project. The vocals on this track are the most highlighted as they repeat, “Me, center of the nighttime.” As this line is repeated, the vocals come across

as monotone and transfixed, backed by catchy, hypnotic, metallic riffs. Suddenly, the cacophonous universe of “Weatherglow” is suspended as the song pauses dramatically halfway through. A moment of hesitation holds suspense before an inferno of noise and electricity, double-time drumming, and frantic synth riffs. Just as quickly as it sped up, the mood of the song gives way to a somber tone, as Weatherday and Asian Glow’s voices drip with desperation and yearning: “Will you remember me? / If something happens.” The fragility in their vocals epitomizes the insecurity of the lyrics, giving the track a uniquely potent emotional resonance. This

fragility is juxtaposed in the resentful tones of the final track, “Jet,” which ends the project with a burst of electric guitar and drums. The EP concludes with the slow strum of ambient guitar and then fades into silence. While the conclusion of “Weatherglow” is very uncharacteristic of the rest of the project’s sound profile, it is somehow still fitting for an EP packed with constant surprises. Weatherday and Asian Glow navigate the throes of young relationships over a tasteful fusion of their musical styles. Hopefully, the future holds even more mature and complex collaborations from Weatherglow.

Style Corner: How To Accessorize

Fashion

bestdressed on Instagram; without the accessories, both outfits would be shapeless or boring to look at. Next time, before giving up on the basic graphic tee and jeans combination, try bedazzling the look with a few accessories. Another thing to consider is the aesthetic of your accessories. With its barely visible chains and delicate pendants, “dainty” jewelry, for example, tends to look classy and minimalistic. On the other hand, chunky black boots and black leather belts have an edgier and more industrial look to them. Matching the aesthetic

cessories can produce a nice, cohesive fit. It’s also a good idea to keep all of your accessories consistent with each other. A general rule of thumb is to choose between using either silver or gold when accessorizing any given outfit. Beyond this, matching your accessories with each other in terms of their aesthetics can help with consistency; for example, if you’re wearing chunky rings, a thicker chain might pair better with your rings than a dainty pendant necklace. But if you’re finding that your outfit is overbearingly in line with

of your outfit with that of your ac-

one style (say it’s too formal or too

Honora Muratori / The Spectator

By FRANCES SCHWARZ Though accessories may be a smaller and less noticeable part of your outfit, they’re certainly not to be underestimated. They unify outfits, add form, and influence the aesthetic of your look. If your clothes are the meat and potatoes of your meal, your accessories are the utensils you use and the napkin on your lap. You’ve had sustenance before, sure, but your accessories are what make your outfit a full-course meal. If you want some help with your table manners, or in other words, your accessorizing, then you’ve come to the right place. One thing to consider when accessorizing is the complexity of your outfit. Outfits with too many focal points can distract the eye, so if your outfit is already complex, you may want to use simpler accessories to avoid further distraction. This might mean avoiding those high-contrast sneakers and colorful beaded necklaces in favor of plainer shoes and thinner, daintier jewelry. If your outfit is on the simpler side, a great way to elevate the look is to use bolder accessories, like a pair of chunky sneakers or a flashy bag. Accessorizing simpler outfits can have a subtle role in making these average looks visually appealing on social media. For example, note this oversized top and jeans combination from Bollywood celebrity Anushka Sharma, or this graphic t-shirt and jeans look from user

the appeal of finally seeing “Valentine” live. There is something soothing about singing along to Jordan’s shared pain with a room of complete strangers. The vitality of Jordan’s voice varied greatly between songs, offering a diverse array of stripped acoustic renditions and decadent Indie-rock numbers. “Speaking Terms” was the perfect fusion of dynamic instrumentation and angelic vocals. The bass in this song felt especially indulgent live because it echoed throughout the venue. The bassline introduced the song with an element of tranquility, and Jordan’s voice, barely audible, mirrored this softness. During “Ben Franklin,” Jordan’s vocals rose above the crowd as she reflected on her period in rehab over the pandemic. She pulls no punches discussing her heartbreak: “Post rehab, I’ve been feeling so small / I miss your attention, I wish I could call.” Jordan reclaimed this pain and channeled it in her performance, offering grins to the audience before spreading her arms angel-crucifixion style as she sang. Whether or not this was delib-

cutesy), choosing accessories from a contrasting style can make your outfit feel closer to your personal fashion. For example, it’s been trendy to pair a delicate satin dress with black accessories like combat boots and crossbody bags to add some edge, which balances out the innocence of the look. Using accessories in this way can also help dress down formal clothes like blazers and dress pants. For example, a blazer paired with stud earrings and dress shoes will look very different from one paired with lots of colorful jewelry and a boldly colored handbag. It’s also worth noting that accessorizing, while often reminding people of traditionally feminine jewelry, is not just for women, and is actually very useful for those seeking to dress more masculine. In fact, traditionally feminine jewelry is currently hitting men’s mainstream fashion, with pearl necklaces and whimsical beads leading the way. More feminine jewelry like dangly earrings, beaded necklaces, and rings with gemstones can be paired with masculine clothing and accessories, like

watches and belts, to produce an overall masculine effect. For a masculine look that’s more minimalistic, however, a simple belt and watch will go a long way in adding some form and intention to a simple outfit like jeans and a t-shirt. People of all genders should also consider exploring the realm of men’s jewelry, which tends to include thicker rings and chains, less colorful crystals, and more silver, steel, and leather. Chain necklaces are especially in fashion among men, with some popular ways to style them including tucking a shorter chain under a shirt, layering chains and pendants under a loose button-down, and wearing a pendant necklace alone with a plain, form-fitting top. If you’re looking to buy an accessory, shopping around online or in stores until you find a piece that excites you is a good place to start. You might feel compelled to do your homework on what’s trendy or essential before you go shopping, but sometimes the trendy stuff is boring, and it’s more fun to go out in the wild and find something you like without overthinking it. If you’re after funky, unique jewelry, try online markets with independent sellers like Depop or Etsy. For edgy chains and chokers, try Hot Topic. If you’re still unsure, the best way to get to know what you like is by experimenting. Some pieces are plain beautiful even without an outfit, and there’s a good chance you’ll know what you want when you see it.

The Spectator ● May 13, 2022

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Humor Fun Column ACROSS 1. Gear that helps you swim with the whales 6. Winged mammal 9. “In my opinion,” 10. Make a mistake 11. Spooky place 13. First step to deep fry 15. Bill Withers’ “Lean __ __” 18. Thousand prefix 19. They clean up 21. Historical political cartoonist Thomas 22. Expand when stunted, like 11- and 13-across 24. Weeped somewhat 28. Encrypting protocol 29. Rock icon John 30. Institute legal proceedings against 31. Lean

Crossword 1

12 13

21 23

Issue 14 Crossword E F L D I R Z A

Oliver Hollmann thinks most crosswords are overrated, but he wants you to know that this one isn’t.

Stuy Moment #5: Oopsies

M U S I C A L M A I O C T D A Y

Maze

Erica Chen / The Spectator

Fun Questions Theme: APs 1. What is the AP with the highest distribution of a 5?

DOWN 1. Female sibling 2. Protects your health 3. One might chant patriotically 4. Used on 6-down 5. Said after some ‘suspicious’ behavior 6. Fell with the USSR 7. Surrounds the nipple 8. Follows 12. Early 2000s Messenger program 15. A texter’s “No way!” 16. Netflix crime drama starring Pedro Pascal 17. Me o you? 20. Lupus acronym 23. Lyric poems 25. BlackRock stock 26. Charged atom 27. Explosive

2. Which AP exam took the longest to administer?

Answers 1) AP Chinese Language and Culture 2) AP Spanish Answer:

S T E C L A P L L G I S L A A N S T A P S

P L I E R S

H A M B U R G R E E R P S

I L K E E R A P S A M R O T

The Spectator ● May 13, 2022

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

What Your Mask Reveals About You! By VINCENT D’ANGELO In the morning, little Johnson gets out of bed, walks to the bathroom, and looks in the mirror. He sees his eyes, lips, nose, dimples, eyebrows—all features that he has come to call his own. He puts on his mask and gets ready to rumble in the outside world; sure, he can’t see his face anymore, but he’s still Johnson, and the mask is but a mere accessory. For the rest of us—his peers, customers, boss, and others—that could not be further from the truth. In a way, it’s a blessing. People don’t have to see Johnson’s face before they decide how they feel about him. Instead, they have to make those decisions based on what they can see: the mask on his face. Join me as I discuss what the masks you don every day can reveal about the ogre—I mean person—that lurks underneath. Number 1: Blue Surgical Mask Ah, the old surgical mask. The standard that can never go wrong. You, my friend, aren’t too risky. You’re practical and pragmatic. You understand the assignment and deliver appropriately. Yeah, you know you sacrifice some class and elegance

to get your way, but who cares, eyes were on you. When people right? I mean, this is a mask we’re saw how your black mask comtalking about; it’s not meant to be plemented the clothes you wore a beauty product. or the hairstyle you bore, they Nonetheless, you are definite- saw a confident individual who ly quite boring. There are simply strives to surpass the bare minitoo many like you. Perhaps you’d mum. (However, when you keep have some identity of your own your mask on IN YOUR OWN if you didn’t wear the same mask HOUSE for Instagram posts, day after day after day, but that’s one also starts to wonder...) not the case, is it? Sure, you know But alas, with time the myswhat’s really necessary to keep tique diminishes until it eventuyourself from being an outally disappears altogether. cast, but is that all that Too many people have important if you’re tried to enhance their Mx. Bare Minface with the black imum? The mask; kind of you all person are a that has little to be more urged by promihis momnent than my to ask the blue surgical their crush maskers today, but not Christina Jiang / The Spectator out? You might be that different. saying, “But almighty and handNow, I can see that you are some author sir, to whom I owe devastated. I’m sorry honeybun, everything, I am very interesting, but someone had to deliver the especially when I am able to take harsh news. Anyway, dry off the mask off and be expressive!” those nasty little tears, because Yeah, totally. papa’s got a solution for you. To really rock the black mask persoNumber 2: Black Masks na, you just have to undergo one Ah, the old black mask. simple procedure: sell your soul. When you first started roaming Change everything, including the streets with it, everyone’s your hairstyle, fashion sense (if

you have one), and personality (if you have one). Become an emo anime character or something. Then, put on the black mask and never take it off again—not even when you go to sleep or shower. Let it become a part of you. Then, and only then, will the black mask fit your mold. Number 3: N95 Ah, the old N95er. Anyone who puts on this bad boy means business. No, they’re not trying to be friends with you, and if you try to be their friend, they’ll, I dunno, bite you or something. One look into their sharp, serious eyes tells you all that you need to know. They understand their purpose in this world: to lurk in the shadows and intimidate—nothing more, nothing less. Literal NPCs. Number 4: Colored Cloth Coverings Ah, the old Triple C. You are good at everything. And I mean everything. For that, I really hate you. I mean, you’re funny, probably pretty smart, and popular. With your signature pretty mask, I suppose it’s easy to get that attention. Have you ever been directly unkind to me? No. Does that invalidate my feelings? Maybe.

NEWSBEET The Stuyvesant Outlet Showcase is under investigation by police after multiple students were allegedly heard yelling “SOS” without an apparent reason. Updated Swim test at Camp Stuy 2022 will involve diving into the Hudson River. A group of students was arrested after selling what they claimed to be “the answer key to the 1969 AP CS test.” Only three rising sophomores have signed up for AP Chem. One student qualifies. Michael Myers is set to star in the upcoming STC Spring Comedy. But the world is not a place for hatred. So next time, when you look at yourself in the mirror right after you wake up, show yourself a little sympathy. And show me some, too, by covering up your face with a mask of your choosing so I can pretend that you don’t have features and that you are exactly how I imagine you to be. Thank you in advance.

Will Talos Strike Back To Take Down Pupilpath’s Crown for the Worst Site? Ever since the record for the “worst torment over Stuy students” was established by PupilPath with its legendary shutdown, many other sites have been training hard in order to snatch that record using a multitude of creative tactics. One of the strongest contenders, Stuy’s home boi Talos, gave us an exclusive interview on its take on PupilPath’s record. “To think that a newbie like PupilPath would ever beat out a veteran like me,” said Talos, quite salty over the whole ordeal of losing its infamous status amongst Stuy students. “I have so much more diversity in how I torture kids! I have failing report cards

for them to see, I make them have to deal with selecting new courses, and, best of all, I’m the one that delivers their a** schedules for them!” Talos went on to rant about how it’s surprised that it had neither a system overload from all of its tasks nor a student trying to reboot the system in order to play the Russian roulette and get a better schedule. However, Talos warns PupilPath because Talos currently boasts a user capacity of 100 people. This capacity is still higher than that of The Spectator website (another solid contender with Talos), which boasts a user capacity of five people, including the admins who are always on the site. Despite all this, Talos revealed

that numbers aren’t everything. “It’s about the users as well,” it proclaimed. Talos speculates that another important factor in this

is this theory that has prompted Talos to sign employment contracts with Bronx Science. “Ever since Bronx Science signed a con-

Lillian Zou / The Spectator

By CHRISTIAN KIM

game is to have a diverse pool of people screwing the system up. It

tract with me for my services, I have come so much closer to a

complete system crash. Great, right?” Talos concluded that the fight has only begun. “I really need to up my game because nowadays, you can’t rely on simple, upfront torment. You have to expand if you want to win. For me, the child’s play is over,” reflected Talos. “And you better watch out, PupilPath, because I will do anything to win that title. I’ll even go as far as selling insider information if I really have to. Those kids better watch out because I’m gonna expose their failing grades, birthdays, course selections, and, to top it all off, a mugshot of their ‘beautiful’ faces.” Talos went on to crash three times in a fit of rage and then 404’d the AP selections page.

Stuyvesant: The Cat Cafe The sound of falling rain resounds from outside the classroom window as your math teacher drones on and on about tangent angle chords (or something like that). You are close to nodding off when the peaceful pattering suddenly transitions to hollow thumps and strange yowls. The entire class rushes to the window to see what is causing this commotion, including you. Struggling to see over your much taller classmates, you finally catch a glimpse of the outside world and almost can’t believe your eyes. It’s raining cats and dogs—literally! Or rather, just cats; the furry felines are landing outside everywhere, though miraculously,

none are hurt. The streets start to fill with them, and the few

Celeste Hoo / The Spectator

By ANJALI KARUNADASA

cars that were out in this crazy weather are trapped. You can

see your science teacher (Mr. Dirt) pulling cats out of a car engine as he shouts, “Oh, not again!” and your best friend (who has a free this period) frantically shoving cats out of the way with her umbrella as she races to get back to the bridge entrance, halal in hand. The students are astounded. “What in the 11th-floor pool?!” one shouts. Another cries, “This is hella sus!” and is met with a chorus of groans. The outside window ledge is filling fast too, and the adorable furballs start scratching frantically at the glass. You use the last bit of strength from your sleep-deprived muscles to shove past the students and slide open the window. The cats rush in and suddenly, the entire

classroom floor seems to be a sea of cats. They’re everywhere! On the desks, on top of the smartboard, and even streaming into the hallway. Your math teacher starts demanding to know who pushed the window open, but before anyone can rat you out, the wave of cats pushes you onto their backs and carries you out into the hallway. A black cat with white paws and a bow tie jumps in front of you holding a piece of paper, and starts speaking in a crisp British accent: “May I take your meowder?” “Uhhh, what? The heck is that supposed to mean?” you stutter. The cat hands you the piece of paper. “Coffee, tea, continued on page 23

The Spectator ● May 13, 2022

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Humor Stuyvesant: The Cat Cafe the basement is supposed to protect (at least, that’s what the rumors say). “Okay, can I have a matcha latte with extra whip then?” you finally decide as the wave of cats brings you to one of the chairs. “No meowblem!” Meanwhile, Dean Wazowzki angrily tries to snatch his phone from a few cats who are playfully tossing it around, though apparently he is allergic to cats. The sneezes interspersed into his sentences make them sound much less threatening than they were probably meant to be. “What is *ACHOO* hap-

continued from page 22

cake-pop…hey this is a menu!” “Meowviously! I thought Stuyvesant kits were smart!” You give the cat a menacing glare for a second and then survey your surroundings. The entirety of Stuyvesant has been converted into a giant cat cafe! The hoards of cats are carrying exhausted students and depositing them in comfy cafe chairs next to cute cafe tables. Perhaps they had been brought upstairs from the extensive hoard of equipment that the dragon in

pening here?! I DEMAND YOU GIVE ME MY *ACHOO ACHOO* PHONE BACK SO I CAN CALL THE POLICE! *ACHOO sniff* You’re wasting valuable class time *ACHOO* that could have been used to torture students!” You shake your head as you see similar behavior from several other teachers and students. Why must they question this wonderful blessing that has saved them from the torturous math lesson? One teacher is even lecturing the cats on art or something because they gave him lukewarm coffee. Jeez,

how do these cats deal with all this backlash? Your matcha latte (with extra whip) arrives, though for some reason it is garnished with a fish. Whatever. There is no bill for the drink (unlike in some other coffee joints around here). You lift it up and prepare to take a sip, inhaling the heavenly aroma, but suddenly Dean Wazowski’s phone bounces up from the sea of cats and bumps into the drink, causing it to splash all over your face. Suddenly, you’re back in the math classroom, soaking wet, as the kid next to you repeat-

edly apologizes for spilling his scorching coffee on you. You lick your desk and shake your head, disappointed that the coffee does not taste like fish. You look outside only to find that there is a regular raging rainstorm. “Was it all just a dream?” you wonder sadly. But then, out of the corner of your eye, you glimpse a cat outside the window. A black cat with white paws and a bow tie. Your jaw drops as you turn to face them, and you catch them wink before they leap off the window ledge and disappear into the storm.

The SU Follows Up New Voting System With Gerrymandering This was stated in a schoolwide email from the Board of Elections (BOE) yesterday (following no indication of said issue whatsoever). Inside sources state that this switch may have been motivated by the upkeep needs for a platform that intakes hundreds of individual votes as opposed to only a few. In the words of an anonymous interviewee from IT, “I still have PTSD from the COVID voter turnout. So. Many. Bugs. It’s not designed for more than two percent of the school voting at maximum.” Furthermore, different grades have different needs. Seniors vote for intense emotional help with the endless turmoil and tortured gifted kid syndrome that college season holds over their void-like souls, while sophomores prefer getting better lighting in the sophomore bar. How else will they validate themselves if not via internet approval?

By ESHAAL UBAID Stuyvesant High School is the epitome of the United States’s political situation. Competition, prestige, a lengthy admissions process only to still get dirty looks from administrators… Yet amid these structural pitfalls, the leading student organization within our school embodies a whole separate issue with the rise of a strange system of voting for the next Student Union (SU) presidents. Paralleling the drawing of district lines, many have voiced concern that this will lead to manipulation in the form of gerrymandering. “To address the potential issue of individual voting not representing each grade’s needs, the BOE is switching to a system of electoral votes for SU and caucus presidency. We have decided on a ratio of approximately one representative for every 50 students, totally separated by grade. Good luck!”

However, with any new system comes the prospect of new ways to wiggle around it. Namely, the SU has been adopting their own form of Stuy gerrymandering (SG). SG exploits a rule that the BOE issued to accompany the change, which allows honorary grade members (e.g. that one awkward junior with an all-sophomore friend group) to be selected and added to a district. The issue lies in that there was no imposed limit as to how many of these honorary members can be added, and the SU has found ways to manipulate inter-grade friendships to increase the chances of more upperclassman cohorts, thus increasing certain vote counts in their favor. In other words, they have been utilizing a culture of adopting freshman friends. This means that if a junior or senior candidate is too antisocial to garner any support outside their grade, despite higher voter turnout amongst

the freshies who believe that their voice really makes a difference, they can manipulate voting sections. “I’ve been invited to, like, eight social events this week,” stated one anonymous sophomore. “I went to one. It was a trap. It was an all-senior event. I was scared. I wanted to go home. I still got some hot dude’s Instagram though, and he’s introducing me to his other totally-not-freshie-hunting friends. I honestly don’t mind, since I’m kind of lonely right now, and my parents’ divorce really hasn’t been helping…” The student proceeded to turn our interview into their personal therapy session. Tissues were provided. The fact of the matter is that many of these soph-frosh children are being invited to typically upperclassmen-only events via secret, non suspect accounts online. Examples include “freshiefresh420” and “2024hottieeeeeee” which gar-

ner interest under the guise that other underclassmen will attend. Then, these underclassmen mingle more with the older students and get added to new cohorts of voting as honorary juniors or seniors. The underclassman sectors dwindle, the antisocial candidates gain an advantage, and bada-bing badaboom—the most American thing to happen to Stuy politics is effectively carried out. Despite calls for anarchy and overthrowing student government as gerrymandering becomes more prominent, the SU has declined to comment. However, there have been more reports of uncomfortable shuffling in the SU room and a “general sense of disarray.” Perhaps anarchy is not the answer, but finding the beauty in this new situation is. Freshies are now befriending almost-18-yearolds. That is a rare, beautiful, and only occasionally legally questionable dynamic.

Metropolitan Museum of Art v. Stuyvesant: The Ultimate Legal Showdown “I’m sick of your little Met project. You’re being sued.” Daniel H. Weiss, the president of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, followed by five lawyers in suits, strode dramatically into Principal Yu’s office. “I’ll see you in court on the third of May. Get ready, because…” His voice trailed off as he realized that rather than facing Yu, he was staring at the back of a leather chair. Angered, he demanded, “Look at me when I talk to you! Show some respect.” This was a mistake. While he was preoccupied with Yu’s disrespect, the office door had shut on its own, trapping him inside. Yu turned around, a smirk on his face. “You’ve finally decided to sue. How many years has it been since the Met project was first created? Since swaths of freshman started wreaking havoc in your museum?” “Too many!” Weiss cried out. “And the freshmen were somehow worse this year. It seems that over quarantine, they’ve forgotten how to socialize like normal people and have no sense of etiquette. It’s ridiculous! Whenever the goblins try to get a student

discount, they practically shove their student IDs into my employees’ faces, who are forced to look at your students’ ugly photos almost every day. It’s taking a toll on their health! Plus, all the

“Do you think this is funny?” Weiss sputtered. “No, I just find it funny that you think you can stop me.” Yu pressed a big red button on his desk. The wall behind

mon when he sees headphones in the hallway. One of the Met lawyers whimpered. “You may have your fancy lawyers in expensive suits, but I have lawyers too—and they are

student discounts mean I lose money! Do you think hosting the Met Gala costumes is cheap? Your children are overrunning my museum and I’m sick of seeing them everywhere!” The lawyers murmured agreements. “Heck yeah, boss!” “Those Stuy kids ARE ugly!” Yu tipped his head back and laughed.

him swung open. Dust clouds billowed up from old, unused doors. Weiss’s jaw dropped as he saw an army of identical humanoid robots clad in sharp suits and garish ties, standing at attention. There must have been hundreds, or even thousands. Simultaneously, all of the lawyers’ heads turned toward Weiss at breakneck speed, just like Mr. Si-

superior to yours in every way. They’re stronger, faster, smarter, and their suits are nicer!” One of the lawyers looked down selfconsciously at his tie as Yu continued. “Do you know why I’m defending the Met project so ardently? Investors. Year after year, whenever I show the Met project to possible donors,

Naomi Lai / The Spectator

By MICHELLE HUANG

they’re always so impressed. Investors LOVE a well-rounded school. STEM and the arts? They practically give us their bank details! Those freshmen invading your museum helped us pay for the Tribeca Bridge elevators. Yes, they may be annoying to you, but they rake in money like no other project ever could. Take me to court—I dare you. But keep in mind that just one of my robot lawyers is enough to crush your entire legal team like a roach.” Weiss had had enough. He lunged at Yu, ready to settle things right then and there, but the robot lawyers were truly superior. They advanced on Weiss, and soon Weiss and his five lawyers were surrounded and restrained. “Robots, take him away.” Weiss struggled in the robots’ grasp, but to no avail— they were too powerful. Yu watched, smirking in victory as Weiss was dragged from the office. Yu began to close the door, but stopped to fire one last parting shot. “And next time, bring more lawyers. I expected better from you.” The door slammed shut inches from Weiss’s face.

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Humor Get Bamboozled by the College Board! Picture this: it’s May 1, the night before the roughest three weeks of your life. You’ve downed 20 Red Bulls in the past 20 minutes and cannot figure out what a Python is or what DNA transcriptase means; you’re even struggling to remember the basics of addition. Believe me, I’ve been there, done that. Amid your state of disarray, you remember every now and then that the three-hour-long torture test is approaching and that there’s nothing you can do to stop it… Until now! The College Board has taken note of all the colleges and universities that are scrapping their standardized testing requirements, and honestly, get ready to save hundreds of thousands of cents, because I have even more good news for your mental health. You know how in the days of yore, you would spend fat stacks on prep books that you would later ruin with your tears? Well, now you never have to worry about that awko-taco moment again, for the College Board has completely done away with AP exams as you know them! Where there were once pages upon pages of pulpy paper that crumbled when erased

more than once, now your only devices are your hands. I’m talking about a game that uses the utmost skill, strength, and

life ought to be. If you think this is incredibly biased, you’re not alone! A number of students have

here is real and the only choice we have is to free our minds from the matrix before it’s too late and the College Board ob-

strategy: rock, paper, scissors. To simulate the real world, your AP score will now be based purely on your ability to try to strategize in a luck-based game. The College Board will now be hosting nationwide competitions to determine scores. Depending on your final rank, you get a score from one through five. Balanced, as all things in

already voiced their complaints about the new system. “Bruh it’s so stupid like bruh what are they thinking bruh? Like bruh. Furreal bruh,” said sophomore Letmi Shleep. How insightful. “I think even with this new testing model, the culture at Stuyvesant only further enables the spread of toxicity and test score manipulation. Nothing

scures our perception of reality even more,” junior Ai-Want T’leaf commented. Now those are some facts I can get behind. #Neo_and_Trinity_4_Life!!!! “You know, I think the College Board has some ulterior motives here. Now what they are exactly I can’t say, but I know they’re bad. Like, real bad. They’re almost, like, as bad

Joanna Meng / The Spectator

By KRISTA PROTEASA

as not paying the subway fare or something like that,” said senior Dü-Yür Hohmwurk. College Board officials (in all their malevolence) have offered some explanations for the shift. “These new implementations are only with the students’ benefits in mind. With less knowledge, there is less risk of not knowing the answer to certain questions, because there are no questions. Genius, I know. I came up with it myself,” said Chief Pain Officer Randy Schmeckler. Good job, Randy. I’m sure your pet iguana is so proud of you. “The students need to be confused. They’ve been getting too comfortable with the old system, so the only logical thing to do is to completely stun them with our ingenuity. If they don’t know what they’re doing, they’ll just keep paying until they do, like some sad kids in an arcade desperately trying to win a prize at the claw machine. How pathetic,” said Head of Finance Yule BeeGone. This is the type of stuff I was expecting. Loving this attitude so much. There you have it, folks. Gone are the days of toiling over memorizing the lines of some random guy in a random book—now your fate is out of your hands!

Six Tips to Help You Get Through APs! By VINCENT D’ANGELO and MICHELLE HUANG Disclaimer: These tips may involve risk of legal action, severe injury (physical and mental), and death. All parties involved in the writing and publication of these tips are hereby not liable for any consequences that may arise as a result of acting on these tips. Around this time of year, the average Stuy student experiences what we call the “frenzy.” The total time students voluntarily spend outdoors dips from 18 minutes per week to a mere 12. Red Bull purchases from nearby delis spike to 477 percent. What could be causing this? Well, it's the season—not this ridiculously cold spring weather, but AP exam season, when everyone suffers over college-level tests and prepares for the wrath of disappointed parents. We know you're nervous and stressed (not us, though), but we can help these feelings go away. Here are a few simple remedies to ensure the best possible score on your APs. 1. Hire a substitute Being a Stuyvesant student can be quite stressful because of high expectations, even though you are grossly incapable of living up to those standards. But look on the bright side: there are tons of people who are really smart and de-

serve more respect than you do, and these people are usually really greedy. Pay them! Most would do it for a boba. Hook them up with your name, address, OSIS, social security number, credit card information, mother’s maiden name,

weak, while all-nighters are for the fighters. If this is the tip you choose to follow, I don't want to smell your foul scent anywhere on the Stuyvesant campus or anywhere other than the studying spot of your choosing. I will be checking.

4. Pass by catastrophe This one is a major risk but has a huge payoff if you can manage it. For those who don’t know, “pass by catastrophe” describes a group of legends with the same premise: if a

These tips may involve risk of legal action, severe injury (physical and mental), and death.

23AndMe ancestry results, and the name of your childhood pet. Maybe buy a wig if you really care, and ship them off to an AP testing facility near you. This way, you get to stay home and stuff your face full of Cheeto puffs while they slave away at the test. Your future success is guaranteed! 2. Only study Literally. Don't leave your house. When you eat breakfast, study Lewis structures. For lunch, how about a nice plateful of the Second World War? Cut yourself off from any human-to-human tactile contact or communication. And remember: sleep is for the

3. Try to negotiate with the College Board You know how you can sometimes deliberate with your teachers and get higher grades on assignments if you feel that you unfairly lost points? Luckily for you, the same principle applies to the College Board! Show up to a College Board office, like the one conveniently located at 250 Vesey Street, New York, NY, 10281, and fight them with words (and fists, if necessary) until they restore your rightful score of a five. Don’t worry, security guards and police intervention are just there to test your dedication.

terrible misfortune happens to befall a student body, the remaining survivors are rewarded. Some stories under this category say that if someone dies or a natural disaster occurs during an exam, the remaining students automatically pass. Of course, this is just a story, but there’s really only one way to figure out whether it’s true or not… just make sure that you’re one of the handful of survivors. 5. Don’t take it! This is the most foolproof way to guarantee you won’t bomb your AP exams: just don’t take them. You may lose over $100 to the “non-profit”

organization in charge of APs if you pull out at the last minute, but think of the weight that would be lifted off your shoulders! It would definitely be worth it. Some people might say that you’ll never succeed if you don’t try, but I say you’ll never fail either. 6. Fail in style And finally, if all other options prove to be futile, accept your fate with your head held high. Walk into that testing room with the exaggerated swagger of a Stuy kid. Insult some proctors and put plastic water bottles into the trash can instead of the recycling bin. Later, write a blog post about how flawed the American education system is and get boatloads of upvotes. Then, create a successful career for yourself as an author writing books about boring schooling stuff like “rejecting the path those have set for you without your permission.” While you’re at it, throw in some TED Talks about the destructive nature of capitalism. Whether you use one, two, or all six of these tips, you are guaranteed to do well on your AP exams! Try them out and see how it goes. If you still don’t do well after reading this, something is seriously wrong with you. Best of luck, AP students!

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Sports NBA

What’s Exciting About This Year’s NBA Playoffs? By AMIR ELNASHAR Nobody likes a professional sports league with a superteam, unless you are a fan of the team that dominates nearly every team they play and wins the championship every year. These superteams are stacked with multiple superstar players, exceptional coaching staff, and a passionate fanbase, making winning seem near effortless. Fans of the other teams, however, have to reevaluate their decisions to buy merchandise, find other ways to spend their free time, or, worst of all, give up on their franchise to start rooting for the winning team. Frankly, the entire professional aspect of the sport can become boring whenever a superteam exists. These phenomena ensuingly hurt the pockets of the billionaire team owners and the respective league, making it a

problem for everyone except the superteam. The NBA is notorious for having long-time dominant franchises called “dynasties.” These teams, which included the ’79-’89 Lakers, ’91-’98 Bulls, and 20152018 Warriors, have been frustrating fans for years. Many petitioned for the league to shorten the series to one game rather than best-of-seven to make the playoffs more interesting. Even NBA commissioner Adam Silver spoke out on the issue. “I think whether it’s players coming together themselves or smart GMs bringing them together, you don’t want to see too much talent aggregated in one place,” he said. This year seems to bear the fruits of all of the dynastybusting that the organization has hoped for. Who would have thought that the Phoenix Suns, led by unsung hero Devin Book-

er, would have the best record in the league? That idea would have been an absurd statement if it was made only two years ago, when they were considered one of the worst teams in the league. With the first round already done, this year’s playoffs are revealing themselves to become the most interesting and unpredictable ones in a long, long time. The biggest surprise has been the Brooklyn Nets, preseason favorites to win the finals and perhaps the closest thing to a superteam this year, getting swept (losing four games in a row) by the young Boston Celtics. Another shock was the Dallas Mavericks defeating the Utah Jazz while missing Luka Dončić, their superstar player, due to injuries for the majority of the series. Additionally, some teams that were predicted to breeze past their opponents in the first

round faced more of a challenge than expected, including the top-seeded Phoenix Suns and the Philadelphia 76ers. Coming in hot to the playoffs, fans were surprised to see that the young, inexperienced New Orleans Pelicans won two of the six games against the Suns. The 76ers, with the newly acquired superstar James Harden, were expected to blow away the Raptors but also ended up winning only 4-2 in a series of close games. Going into the second round, fans are looking at a group of evenly matched teams, each with its own superstar players. All of these matchups can go either way, with hustle and composure being the deciding factors for the winner of the series. And, as we have seen throughout the first round, teams with a young group of players can be a lot better than expected. For instance,

the Mavericks and the Memphis Grizzlies are faced with the most challenging opponents in these playoffs, yet their grit and desire to win could see them past the talented Golden State Warriors and Suns. Nobody in the league can shoot like Stephen Curry or lead a team as Chris Paul does. But as long as every player on the Mavericks or Grizzlies plays his part and follows fundamentals like frequent passing and physical defense, the chances of winning are suddenly a lot higher. Without superteams, the playoffs are exponentially more exciting for fans, players, and owners alike. Series will be more likely to last until a seventh game; players will be more willing to give their blood, sweat, and tears on every possession; and fans will be more likely to support their teams through their ups and downs.

Baseball

Offseason Additions Contribute to Mets’ Amazing Start After a disappointing 2021 season where the New York Mets failed to make the playoffs and suffered devastating injuries to their star players, the team has been looking to flip the script. They entered free agency this year, aiming to sign players that were going to make big contributions to the team, and based on their success this season, it’s appropriate to say that they did just that. Currently, the Mets are off to a stellar 18-8 start, a record that places them first in not only their division but also in the entire national league. Their strong start to the season would not be possible without some of their new offseason additions, the most notable of whom are discussed below. Max Scherzer A three-time Cy Young award winner, Max Scherzer flaunts a 3.15 Earned Run Average (ERA) over his 15-year tenure in the MLB. Last season, the 37-year-old had one of the best years of his career, finishing with 15 wins and a career-low 2.46 ERA. The Mets signed Scherzer to a three-year $130 million contract, and he’s been worth every penny so far. Scherzer brings leadership, experience, and a veteran work ethic to the team, motivating his teammates with his strong desire to win. Scherzer said, “Win the world series, that’s what I’m playing for and that’s the goal every single year—come in here and win it. That’s what motivates me, that’s what drives me to do everything that I have to do to go out there and compete and win to be the last team standing.” A man of his words, Scherzer has done nothing else besides competing and winning. He has risen to become the star of the team in place of injured ace Jacob deGrom, being 4-0 with a 2.61 ERA after five starts. The future hall of famer has even brought a no-hit bid into the sixth inning in a 10-strikeout performance against the Giants on April 19. In the very next game against the Cardinals, he would one-up his performance, striking out 10 and giving up no runs in seven innings.

Chris Bassitt Having pitched in the MLB for eight years, Chris Bassitt’s success did not take off immediately. Debuting in 2014, Bassitt never found success in his short tenures with the White Sox and the Oakland Athletics. He then missed the entirety of the 2017 season due to Tommy John surgery (more formally known as ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction), and it was not until the 2020 and 2021 seasons when Bassitt finally started to gain recognition for his play. His emergence was shortlived, however, as in the midst of a breakout 2021 season, where the Oakland ace had made his first allstar team, Bassitt was struck in the face with a 100 mile-per-hour line drive and was sidelined for the remainder of the season. Bassitt was then traded to the Mets over the off-season in exchange for pitching prospects Adam Oller and J.T. Ginn. Once again, the injury of Jacob deGrom affects the rotation. Instead of pitching third in the rotation, Bassitt now pitches second. Despite the switch, Bassitt has shined. After five starts, the 33-year-old is 3-2 with a 2.61 ERA, matching the ERA of his fellow teammate Max Scherzer. His best start this season came in his first start of the season, where he shut the Nationals out to zero runs with eight strikeouts in six innings. However, Bassitt brings more to the table than just quality starts. As a veteran, Bassitt uses his experience to help younger pitchers. “A lot of times when you give up a bunch of runs, the instinct is to let him be, but for me, no, no, no—that’s where you get to learn,” Bassitt said. Thanks to the guiding hand of the veteran, the Mets have seen the ERA of all of their starting pitchers improve from last season. Eduardo Escobar Prior to the 2021 season, Eduardo Escobar was considered a journeyman, having been a part of several teams over his 12 year MLB career. However, in his 11th season, he finally broke out and made his first all-star team. He

was then traded to the Brewers from the Diamondbacks, where he finished his season with 139 hits and 28 home runs—earning him a two-year deal with the Mets. As a player, the 33-year-old switch hitter has helped the Mets by being their everyday third basemen and consistently getting onbase, as he has a .359 on-base percentage through his 24 played games. Escobar brings leadership and a calm mindset to the locker room. “Real calmness about him, he doesn’t need to show anybody—those guys are always trying to show everybody what a good guy they are. You see people are drawn to him very quickly [...] Those types of guys bring a certain calmness through storms,” said manager Buck Showalter

base percentage place him second on the team, only behind second baseman Jeff McNeil. If Canha keeps this production going, he is on pace for one of the best seasons in his career.

about Escobar.

start to his season, there is no reason to believe that his production won’t pick up anytime soon. Despite his batting woes, Marte has provided the Mets with an everyday right fielder, along with a stellar baserunner and defender.

Starling Marte An 11-year veteran, Marte has consistently been a top outfielder in the league. As a Marlin and Athletic last season, Marte led the league in stolen bases, with 47. His speed has contributed greatly to his high level of defense, as evident by his two gold gloves. The Mets, upon opting not to re-sign former outfielder Michael Conforto, quickly signed Marte to a four-year, $78 million contract over the offseason. Though Marte has had a slow

Natalie Soler / The Spectator

By JOHN JAY WANG

Mark Canha Debuting in 2015, Mark Canha had been a career-long Athletic. Canha undoubtedly had his best year in 2019, but throughout his career, he’s been an on-base machine through mostly hits, but also walks and hit-by-pitches. In fact, he led the MLB in the most hit-by-pitches last season, with 27. The Mets signed him to a twoyear $26.5 million deal. The Mets found an everyday left-fielder in Canha, and he’s been exceptional for them so far. In 19 games this season, Canha’s stellar .338 batting average and .405 on-

Buck Showalter Though there were a number of factors that led to the Mets’ poor performance last season, many fans pointed to one person, manager Luis Rojas, as being the central source of the team’s problems. The front office addressed these concerns by hiring a new manager: Buck Showalter. Having managed MLB teams for 20

seasons and boasting 1569 total wins under his belt, Showalter has both the experience and winning mindset that makes him a perfect addition to the Mets. In the past, the Mets seemed to have gotten many of their points from home runs, but with Showalter, there seems to be a new game plan. This year, the team has remained in the bottom half of the league in home runs, manufacturing more of their runs by getting on base by hits and walks. In fact, the Mets lead the MLB in hits, onbase percentage, runs scored, and consequently, wins. Showalter’s fundamental baseball game plan has led to the team’s success. Leading the league all season long in hit-by-pitches, Showalter has not failed to defend his players either. When shortstop Francisco Lindor was hit in the face by a pitch against the Washington Nationals, Showalter was seen leading the team out in what resulted in a benches-clearing brawl on the field. Recently against the Phillies, after Lindor was yet again hit by a pitch in the leg, Mets pitcher Yoan Lopez threw two pitches in to Phillies outfielder Kyle Schwarber. This resulted in a one-game suspension of Showalter, who MLB deemed was responsible for the pitches. Showalter has missed two games this season, one for personal reasons and one for serving a suspension. The Mets lost both games. The team is 18-6 when Showalter manages, and 0-2 when he doesn’t. It is clear that Showalter’s presence has been bringing the Mets great success so far this season, and will likely continue to do so. The 18-8 Mets currently lead the National League (NL) and have no plans of slowing down. They’re on pace to easily make the postseason, which would be their first playoff appearance since 2016. Get excited, because there is still a ton of baseball to be played, meaning more home runs, strikeouts, steals, comebacks, walk-off winners, you name it—all coming from the best team in the NL. Baseball fans beware—the Mets are back!

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The Spectator ● May 13, 2022

Sports Junior Varsity Baseball

JV Baseball: The Peglegs are Shining on the Diamond After experiencing a temporary slump over quarantine, Stuyvesant’s sports community has seen incredible growth this year, especially from the school’s junior varsity teams. Stuyvesant’s JV baseball team, the Peglegs, are currently 3-0 and have displayed great potential so far. Even an undefeated record doesn’t do the Peglegs justice—in two of their wins, they’ve scored 14 and 15 runs while holding the opposing team to less than three. Their dominance is almost hard to believe if you can’t see the numbers—so here are some of them. One of the most consistent and exceptional points in the Peglegs’s defense has been the pitching of starting sophomore Mantas Kempinas. In the Peglegs’s home game on April 26 against George Washington High School, Kempinas struck out a whopping 15 batters through the seven innings, allowing just one walk. He pitched a near perfect game, with only one offensive player making it past first base. Sophomore catcher Adrian Veto said, “We have an incredible pitching staff headlined by Kempinas. Our relievers have also been astounding, and between them, we’ve only allowed a few hits through three games.” While a pitching performance like this would be outstanding for anyone else, it’s almost just another Tuesday for Kempinas and sophomore backup pitcher Charles Merkel. In the team’s two mercy rule wins, which were shortened to five innings, Merkel struck out 11 batters in five innings, allowing just two

earned runs over that span. A quick look at earned runs (runs in which the offensive team is not aided by any defensive error) shows the Peglegs’s pitching dominance. Earned Run Average (ERA) is a statistic that demonstrates the strength of a pitching performance, and any value below 3.00 is extraordinary. Through five innings pitched, Merkel has maintained a stellar 2.80 ERA with 11 strikeouts. Even more

good depth in our pitching rotation and a very solid defense to support our pitchers. We’re really starting to come together as a team.” The Peglegs’s depth is indeed no joke. Freshman Victor Kamrowski, who will soon return from injury, has also had a perfect 0.00 ERA in the limited pitching he’s done so far, throwing a three-batters-three-outs inning. Additionally, in a scrimmage against Bard+Nest’s varsity team,

their own. Catcher Adrian Veto in particular has been putting numbers on the statsheet that seem to not even make sense—he’s scored five runs and three RBIs (Runs batted in with team) in just six at bats. This means that, on average, Veto was responsible for over one run every time he stepped up to the plate. In the same game in which Kempinas struck out 15 batters, Veto scored a run and an RBI to secure the closest game of

unbelievably, Kempinas, through double the innings, has pitched an unbroken 0.00 ERA. Over his 10 innings, Kempinas struck out 21 batters and allowed exactly zero earned runs. Kempinas said, “We have

the Peglegs played six different pitchers through the six innings and pitched a no-hitter. But defense is only half of the game. On the other side of the field, the Peglegs’ batters have been having a monster season of

the season, while making a defensive play to turn the only George Washington batter to make it past first base into an out. There isn’t any better display of the Peglegs’ offense from that game than their execution of the

Julia Lee / The Spectator

By TY ANANT

notorious ‘suicide squeeze’ in the fifth inning, a play in which sophomore Lucas McGarvey bunted the ball for contact, giving Veto just enough time to slide home before the ball was recovered. The team’s cohesion and talent has led to some incredible scoring runs. In the first inning of the games against Graphics Campus and AP Randolph, the Peglegs scored eight and nine runs, respectively, which both led to shortened mercy-rule games. Veto said, “The bats have shown up to support everything. Everyone has been able to take walks to get on base and we’ve had great clutch hitting to bring runners in. We’ve already had three homers this season (C Winer, V Kamrowski, L McGarvey) and many extra base hits, so the power is clearly there.” Indeed, the hitters have been posting metrics just as good as the pitchers so far. In terms of OPS, a stat that represents the summation of slugging, which weights the amount of bases per hit, and On Base Percentage, which factors in walks as well, the hitters are out of the ballpark. Veto posts a 1.65 OPS, McGarvey 1.28, and Kamrowski 1.25. As a fun fact, all three of these are higher than Babe Ruth’s record setting all time OPS! The JV Peglegs are certainly one of the most exciting teams to look out for this Spring. With their combination of practice and talent, they’ve been a figurative curveball thrown at 3000 rotations per minute to the rest of the league. As the season progresses, watch this curveball turn into a home run!

Athlete of the Issue

LAX to the MAX continued from page 28

Stuyvesant lacrosse team. But the Crescents team also has more skilled players. 4. What position do you play, and what skills/strengths are involved? I play attack, which is similar to a striker in soccer. It is mostly about agility, quick movements with your stick and your feet, being able to dodge defenders, change direction and speed really quickly, and of course score goals. 5. Do you have a most memorable/proud moment with the Peglegs? This year, my proudest moment with the Peglegs was being able to see all the new players who I recruited or my friends recruited, who had never picked up a stick before, be able to learn how to catch, throw, and run with the ball. They are really starting to look like they have some idea of what they are doing. 6. What is your strategy for constantly improving yourself (specific workouts, exercises, mentality, etc.)? For lacrosse, doing wall ball is one of the most impor-

tant drills to improve. I have a specific routine that includes 50 reps with my right hand, 50 reps with my left hand, 50 reps switching hands, and then I mess around and whatever. This helps a lot with stick skills and being able to improvise on the field. I think as far as mentality goes, not getting too down on yourself is important. As an attackman and captain, there is a lot of pressure to score goals. In games, if I feel like I have not been scoring enough, it is really easy to think that I am letting the team down. But I try to stay optimistic as much as possible, which really helps. 7. What challenges did you face this season? I think at the beginning of the season, it was getting people to join the team, especially since lacrosse is not very popular in the city. Right now, I think actually winning games is our biggest challenge. 8. How do you think the Stuyvesant lacrosse team has changed you as an athlete/ person? Being on the team has helped me mature a lot, especially socially. Through playing, I gained a set of people I can rely on all the time. My team-

mates are most of my closest friends, which is very different from when I played before high school, so the Stuyvesant team has helped me grow a lot as a person. 9. How has being captain changed your outlook on the game? When I was in middle school, I was never one of the best players on my lacrosse team, so I had never expected to be captain before. So, I think it really helped with my own self-confidence and believing that I am actually a good player. Being captain has also helped me understand what other players are going through. When someone does not slide fast enough, messes up on defense, or misses a shot, there is always a degree of annoyance with them, because if they had not made that mistake the game could have ended differently. However, as captain, you have the responsibility to always be optimistic and always leave a good impression on for your team. 10. Are there any short-term goals you’d like to accomplish in the next month going into the end of the season?

For our last few games, I just want to score some really fun goals and have some really fun games. At the beginning of the year, we were not even sure if we would get to play, so now I just want to make the best of it since we did get to have a season. A specific goal, though, would be to score five goals in one game. 11. Do you have any plans to continue the sport in the future or in college? I am hopefully going to play club in college. I don’t plan on playing Division 3 lacrosse, but I definitely am going to stay with it for fun. 12. How do you balance lacrosse and schoolwork? As a freshman, joining the team was definitely an adjustment. My middle school had no homework compared to Stuyvesant, but having practices and games that I had to be at forced me to work whenever I have the chance and helped my time management. But, I would say this year, as a senior, I have forgotten how to do work. 13. Do you have any pregame superstitions or rituals? I always get really stressed before games, so James Lee,

one of the other captains on the team, and I have a handshake we always do. 14. Do you have a specific warm-up routine? What is it? I always try to do both dynamic and static stretches. I always do high knees, butt-kicks, toe touches, butterflies, mostly targeting the leg muscles. I also do arm circles a lot, just to get myself loose so I can dodge better. 15. What is your jersey number? What made you decide that number? My jersey number is 31. I was given the number in ninth grade and freshmen did not really get many choices. I have had the same number ever since. Funniest Teammate? James Trachuk, Israel Pina Favorite Lacrosse Team? Stuyvesant Peglegs Favorite Lacrosse Player? Mike Powell Favorite Sports Drink: Cold water! Hobbies? Violin, Drums Motto to Live By: “Get your money up, not your funny up” Fun Fact: I have two moms.

The Spectator ● May 13, 2022

Page 27

Sports Soccer

EPL: This Is Beyond Complicated almost certainly earned relegation to the Championship, sitting at 21 and 22 points respectively. In reaction to Norwich City’s 3-0 loss to Newcastle, manager Dean Smith explained the problems the club has been facing. “We’ve continually made mistakes that have given goals away,” he said. Norwich has a lot to improve on, especially on their own side of the pitch. They’ve only had more than 50 percent possession for five of their 33 matches played, limiting their chances for attacking opportunities and instead playing tiresome, gritty defense. Their partners in misery, Watford, have experienced similar problems with possession, featuring the league’s worst possession average. The team also lacks scoring, having only 31 goals leading up to their Burnley fixture. Both of these teams will require major signings and developments to return to the Premier League through promotion. Fighting to stay out of the relegation zone are Everton, Burnley, and Leeds United. Everton sits in 18th place, two points behind Burnley and Leeds. With their 1-0 victory against thirdplace Chelsea, Everton showed their fans that the club can escape relegation. The Toffees played an incredible game all around, with a stellar performance by English goalkeeper Jordan Pickford. If Everton can continue to produce performances like they did against the Blues, they can get points against Leicester City, Watford, Bentford, Crystal Palace, and Arsenal. Burnley made one of the biggest moves of the season when they fired manager Sean Dyche. Known for squeezing Burnley out of relegation in previous years, this was a questionable move from the Clarets. However, it has proved to be successful as the Clarets have gone on a four game unbeaten streak, earning 10 points. Unfortunately, they will face Newcastle, Tottenham, and Villa twice to close out the season. Though Burnley is yet to face top clubs, Leeds faces the toughest remaining schedule out of the three teams. They will face two top five clubs in their final four matches, closing out against Brighton and Brentford. If Everton wins at least two of their mid table matches, they could step over Leeds on the way to safety.

Everton has never been relegated since the inception of the Premier League since 1992, and the implications of such a large drop could be huge for the club’s fanbase, future, and finances. On the other hand, the top four race, the minimum berth for a team to qualify for the Champions League, is also a point of

Manchester United teams in the last decade. Perhaps their most embarrassing loss of the streak was giving relegation-threatened Everton three vital points. Chelsea has had more possession and shots in most of their games, but they are inefficient at converting precious chances into goals. Without any trophies so far this

pitch. Forwards Son Heung-Min and Harry Kane have been the scoring duo, and their partnership has produced 37 goals for Tottenham, the most of any duo in the league. Two titans are contending for the top spot right now: Liverpool and Manchester City. Both clubs are establishing dynasties, and

interest in the Premier League, and perhaps the most contested. 11 points separate seventh place West Ham from fourth placed Arsenal, and only two points between Arsenal and Tottenham. For bigger clubs, Champions League football is a luxury as even just qualifying for the group stage gives the team an extra €15.64m. This season, two out of a possible five spots have been clinched for the Champions League as Liverpool and Manchester City have been playing in a league of their own. Currently, Chelsea F.C. is in third place. A few weeks ago, it seemed like Chelsea was easily heading to the Champions League with a comfortable lead over fourth and fifth placed Tottenham and Arsenal. However, with a brutal nine scheduled games in the past month, the Chelsea players have lost their form. In the last six games, the Blues were embarrassed by midtable Brentford, lost a crucial game to a young Arsenal squad, and drew to one of the worst

season, Chelsea fans would love to win the FA Cup and rebuild, getting back into their dominant form by the beginning of next season. Meanwhile, Arsenal and Tottenham are battling it out for the fourth and final Champions League spot as they are within two points of each other with few games left in the season. Arsenal fans have had one of the most nerve-racking seasons out of any team in the league. In the beginning of the year, Arsenal was a complete disaster, nearing the relegation zone. However, after a few months, the youngsters began to click, showing determination that got them to the fourth spot. They have lost midtable matches and won matches against top clubs, with every week being an unpredictable adventure for the club. Tottenham has also battled midseason turmoil prior to the appointment of Antonio Conte. Since then, the team has improved significantly, though Conte’s system has taken some time to produce results on the

their squads are proving highly successful in one of Europe’s most competitive leagues. Liverpool has the better offense, with an average of 2.58 goals per game compared to City’s 2.36. City has allowed 0.64 goals per game compared to Liverpool’s 0.67, but these statistical comparisons are enough to show how similarly skilled both clubs are. The best way to set these two clubs apart is to look at their upcoming fixtures. Tottenham and West Ham are comparable, separated by six points in the table. Both clubs are slated to play Newcastle, Aston Villa, and Wolverhampton. Manchester City ripped Leeds United to shreds, but Liverpool is yet to play Southampton, a notably stronger side but an expected win. For Liverpool, these remaining few weeks will determine if they can achieve the greatest honor in European football. The Reds have already won the Carabao Cup in a 0-0 draw against Chelsea, concluding with a wild 11-10 penalty shootout. They are

Manaal Khurram / The Spectator

continued from page 28

contending for the Champions League, where they face Real Madrid to be crowned the champions of Europe. They will also be facing Chelsea on May 14 in the FA Cup final. If they win the FA Cup against a slightly deformed Chelsea squad and take home the Premier League and Champions League titles over Manchester City, they would produce the second quadruple cup season in the history of English football. Though Liverpool has already secured the Carabao Cup, the final three pieces of their quadruple cup will need to be assembled in a month packed with key matches. The key scoring provided by Mohammad Salah has set their offense apart, while Virgil van Djik has shown no slack in leading the Reds to the second best defense in the Premier League. They are incredible, but their extreme workload against other talented clubs may be what brings them down. Though Liverpool is unlikely to stay strong enough to win all four competitions, it is highly probable that they will walk away with wins in two or three of them, which still constitutes a highly successful season. In most American sports, there is no glory for a team that falls short of winning a championship, but in the Premier League, many teams have different goals. For one, simply being in the Premier League generates a massive amount of revenue that teams can invest into players and club maintenance. At the same time, there is a clear financial disparity between the top clubs with billionaire owners and the lower ones. The future of the Premier League has been dramatically altered by the presence of Middle Eastern money, specifically in Manchester City and now Newcastle United, where the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia has secured a majority stake. At the same time, there are clubs that don’t require billions of dollars to stay in the Premier League, as shown by Brentford FC. They use moneyball tactics, purchasing undervalued players to sell at higher values, while developing some players into star pieces to improve their club’s standing. They have proven that any club can be able to compete in this million-pound league. The Premier League’s future has a lot to behold, and the money going through will incentivize clubs to try new tactics as they claw their way to the top of English football.

NBA

The Sixers’ Playoff Rise (And Fall?) continued from page 28

thumb, saw fruitless attempts at putting points up, while the Raptors, fearing an impending sweep, left their all on the court. In Game Five, the Sixers’ playing only became messier, causing them to lose to the Raptors 103-88. It was only when both teams returned down to the wire, with the 76ers leading the series 3-2, that Philadelphia finally re-conjured the harmony that had allowed them to play

so well initially. Still, the Sixers’ uninspired playing during games four and five came at a high price: in a last-ditch attempt to finally put the series away in Game Six, star player Joel Embiid suffered a serious facial injury that consisted of a mild concussion and right orbital fracture. With Embiid on the sidelines for at least the first two games of the 76ers’ semifinal series against the number one seed Miami Heat, the team needs to band together and

find a rhythm in order to see any success. While the Sixers ultimately fell 106-92 to the Heat in Game 1, they certainly put up a fight, even ending the first half in the lead at 51-50. Despite their strong start in the first few minutes of the third quarter, the Sixers’ performance level steadily declined, allowing the Heat to step up their intensity and dominate the play for the remainder of the game. Focusing on the stars of the game, the Heat had their

sixth Man of the Year Tyler Herro and star center Bam Adebayo finding incredible amounts of success in front of the basket, scoring 25 and 24 points respectively. Tobias Harris led the Sixers, lacking their star scorer, with 27 points, followed by 19 points from the young Tyrese Maxey. Miami made sure to do their best shutting down Harden to little avail, as he ended the game with 16 points, nine rebounds, and five assists. Despite the loss, the Sixers

have not lost hope, focusing on the parts of the game where they were playing at their best and finding the ability to connect with one another as well as the basket. Game One proved that this team has the chemistry and aggressiveness it takes to defeat a team like the Miami Heat, and one thing is for certain: the 76ers are not going down without a fight. If Embiid remains chained to the sidelines, grit may be what carries the Sixers to hard-earned success in this series.

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The Spectator ● May 13, 2022

THE SPECTATOR SPORTS

Athlete of the Issue

LAX to the MAX really fun, and I got really into the sport. I knew I wanted to

By YASHNA PATEL Name: Anthony Ragone Moletteri Grade: Senior Height: 5’ 10’’ Hair Color: Brown Eye Color: Blue Date of Birth: December 28, 2004

2. What inspired you to join the lacrosse team here at Stuyvesant? On the Brooklyn Crescents, we went to a lot of tournaments across the Northeast which was

MONDAY Baseball Boys Jr. Varsity Vs. Manhattan Center for Science & Math Pier 40

Sophia Li / The Spectator

ther and further into disarray. In the second game of the series, their defensive regimen loosened a bit as the 76ers struggled to rebound and keep the Raptors away from the net. Thankfully for the Sixers, high scorers prevailed; Philadelphia p u t Game Two away by only a slightly smaller margin,112 - 97, with the help of Em-

biid and Maxey. It was in Game Three that the 76ers came face to face with their issues— and nearly reaped the

consequences of a far too inflated team ego. The Sixers came into their third match with the Raptors with some well-deserved confidence after calmly and comfortably defeating Toronto twice in prior games. In an unexpected twist, however, the Raptors began the third game with a completely renewed sense of urgency, being in control of the game until the teams entered overtime. Joel Embiid acted as Philadelphia’s saving grace with a buzzer beater, flashy enough to blind the 76ers to their lack of team chemistry that had made the contest so close. This blatant ignorance of team shortcomings came to a head in Game Four against the Raptors, where the 76ers failed to take the series-ending win. Embiid, nursing an injured

EPL: This Is Beyond Complicated At the end of a Premier League season, the glory does not only go to the club that emerged victorious. There is much prestige seen in a squad narrowly avoiding relegation or one managing to qualify for the Champions League. As we approach the end of the 2021-2022 Premier League season, there is a tight race for the league title, a Champions League berth, and the position above the relegation zone.

Re-entering the Premier League for what seems like the millionth time will be Fulham FC, featuring high-scoring Aleksandar Mitrović and defensive protégés Tim Ream and Antonee Robinson. The dominance Fulham displayed in the Championship will hopefully migrate to the Premier League, with the club looking to cement their spot in the league. Bournemouth will be joining them, having beaten Nottingham Forest to secure the second promotion slot. The third team heading up is yet to be decided,

FRIDAY Baseball Boys Jr. Varsity Vs. George Washington George Washington HS FIELD

TUESDAY Baseball Boys Jr. Varsity Vs. A. Philip Randolph Campus High School Inwood Hill Park

SATURDAY Outdoor Track Girls Frosh/Soph Championships Dewitt Clinton HS Field

TUESDAY Cricket Coed Varsity Vs. Thomas Edison Baisley Pond South #2 (150th & Rockaway)

SUNDAY Outdoor Track Girls City Championships Randall’s Island Icahn Stadium

FRIDAY Baseball Boys Jr. Varsity Vs. Manhattan Center for Science & Math Randall’s Island Field 26

continued on page 27

Soccer

By KHUSH WADHWA and WILLIAM TSE

continued on page 26

M AY & J U N E

The Sixers’ Playoff Rise (And Fall?) Coming into the playoffs, it seemed as though nothing could stop the Philadelphia 76ers, the fourth seed in the East. In their first game against the fifth seed Toronto Raptors, they excelled on both offense and defense, finishing Game One with a 20-point win which bolstered confidence that the team might finally find some playoff success. With star veteran players like Joel Embiid and James Harden holding their own, younger players were able to shine through—Tyrese Maxey, a 2020 pick, dropped a whopping 38 points in the first game of the Raptors series. If the stars had aligned at the beginning of the 76ers’ playoff run, the following games saw them devolve fur-

does your experience on the Stuyvesant team differ? I used to play for the Brooklyn Crescents outside of school. I definitely connected less with the players on my club team compared to the people on the

CALENDAR

NBA

By ROXIE GOSFIELD and SUSIE MCKNIGHT

an incoming freshman, I also watched a Stuyvesant lacrosse game at a field near my house and met a couple of players, so I knew I was going to try out once I started high school. 3. Do you participate on an outside team, and how

Andy Lin / The Spectator

1. When and how did you start playing lacrosse? How long have you been on the Peglegs, the Stuyvesant varsity lacrosse team? I started playing in fifth grade because one of my friends was playing for an outof-school club called the Brooklyn Crescents. He stopped after a few weeks, but I stuck with it and kept playing throughout middle school. I have played on the Peglegs since freshman year.

play for fun in high school before coming to Stuyvesant. As

with the primary contenders being Huddersfield Town, Nottingham Forest, Luton Town, and Sheffield United. Most of these clubs are yo-yo sides, bouncing between the Premier League and the Championship, but singleseason league income could allow these sides to make splash signings and improve their position in the top flight over time. At the bottom of the table, Norwich City and Watford have continued on page 27

SPORTSBEAT The New York Mets threw the second no-hitter in franchise history on Friday, April 29! Stuyvesant’s boys volleyball team, the Beasts, finished their regular season undefeated 10-0, first in their division. Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs forward, became the first United States-born player in league history to score 60 goals in one season. The Brooklyn Nets were swept by the Boston Celtics in the first round of the NBA playoffs. Brittney Griner, WNBA star, continues to be detained in Russia, missing the start of the season.