Volume 113 Issue 17

The Spectator

The Stuyvesant High School Newspaper

Volume 113 No. 17

The Storytelling of Taylor Swift’s Costumes

NEWSBEAT

The annual Sports Award Banquet, which honored 126 PSAL athletes, took place in the cafeteria on June 2.

The reception for Senior Awards Night took place in the Murray Kahn Theater on June 7.

The Freshman Caucus hosted a freshman SemiFormal Dance on June 7.

The annual Senior Prom took place at Cipriani Wall Street on June 10.

The Junior Caucus hosted the annual Junior Prom at Skyline Princess on June 15.

June 16, 2023

see page 26

The Happiest Place on Earth

A slightly unhinged Mickey Mouse shares Disney’s plans for the next decade.

see page 31

Stuyvesant Closes Its Doors Following Unprecedented Wildfire Season

By LENNY METLITSKY and SETH FENTON with additional reporting by Sarah Diaz

Thick smoke from the wildfires burning in Canada began to envelop the Northeast starting on June 6 and continuing through June 9. After these clouds of thick smoke hit the Northeast, they caused New York City and other nearby places to have the worst air quality of any city in the entire world. This led to unprecedented action taken by the Department of Education (DoE), which consisted of the cancellation of all sports activities on June 7, Camp Stuy on June 8, and in-person school on June 9.

According to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, Canada currently has more than 400 active fires, with more than 200 out of control. In the past few weeks, Canada has had significantly more fires than its usual 10-week average. When these fires burn, they release pollutants into the air, such as particulate matter.

down,” sophomore and incoming Environmental Club President Mark Ionis said.

Many people who were in the building on June 8 were exposed to the high levels of particulates from the wildfire smoke covering New York, resulting in extensive

many students, parents, and families became worried, taking several precautions to stay healthy. “I remember getting a message from my mom telling me to stay inside for as long as possible, so I know they were definitely concerned,” Mazumder said.

stuyspec.com

to keep both students and staff healthy,” Principal Seung Yu said in an e-mail interview. “The advisement from the City and the New York City Public Schools was to be aware of the poor air quality and to take precautionary measures including reduce time outside and to wear a mask if possible. Our custodial and maintanence staff worked to ensure minimal outside air was entering the building and ensuring there was adequate air circulation.”

“Wednesday evening, I think the AQI EQI (air quality index/environmental quality index) was 300400, like, twice the minimum level to be considered toxic. At that level you definitely want to at least give it a couple of days to simmer

health problems for some. “I was coughing and I did have a headache,” junior Arshia Mazumder said. “My friend was having a lot of trouble breathing, [and] it was tougher for people with actual [respiratory] issues.”

Due to these health concerns,

The Stuyvesant administration followed DOE instructions on June 7 and 8 regarding the reduction of contamination and keeping students healthy. “We follow[ed] the advisement from the City and the New York City Public Schools with the intent

As a result of the air conditions, the DoE ultimately canceled school on June 6. This decision was likely taken in part because that day was already a holiday for many schools. “Stuyvesant is a public high school of the New York City Public School system[,] so we follow the guidance and decisions provided by the Chancellor and Mayor,” Principal Yu said. “It is important to note that Friday was a clerical day for ‘elementary schools, middle schools, K-12 schools, and standalone D75 programs’ so many students [already] did not have a school day on Friday.”

The Stuyvesant Outlet Showcase, featuring numerous dance and musical performances, took place in the Murray Kahn Theater on June 16. continued on page 2

Even for faculty members, who were forced to abruptly ad-

Stuyvesant’s Ukrainian Aid Committee Hosts Bake Sale for Victims of the War

in

Ukraine

By JUNI PARK and MAISHA THAKUR

To support victims of the war in Ukraine, Stuyvesant’s Ukrainian Aid Committee held a bake sale on May 24 and May 25 from periods four to 10 in front of the scanners on the second floor. During the sale, classic Eastern European cookies and other treats, were sold. Some of these treats included Zeffo cakes, bird’s milk with chocolate or lemon flavor, sandwich cookies with blueberry cream, coconut macaroons, cranberry zefir, cupcakes, chocolate-covered cookies with raspberry jelly, and jelly orange slices.

Along with the committee, Director of Family Engagement and Business Manager Dina Ingram, social studies teacher Matt Polazzo, and organizations both inside and outside of school helped to organize the event. “We collaborated with Key Club who aided in getting volunteers for the event,” junior and secretary of the Ukrainian Aid Committee Yvette Shteynfeld said.

“The items for the event were made through an arrangement with a company called NetCost. There was also much help from Parent Association volunteers.”

However, staff members give much of the credit for the bake sale to members of the Ukrainian Aid Committee. “I mostly just facilitated. [Shteynfeld] found a vendor and also knew exactly what she wanted to order. I just placed the orders and kept the food in my office until it was sold,” Polazzo said.

One of these members is sophomore Lourdes Kretsula, founder of the committee, who has a personal reason for creating the club as well as managing the bake sale. Her main motive for holding this fundraiser involved looking back at her heritage. “I decided to organize this bake sale because the state of Ukraine right now during this catastrophic war is very near and dear to my heart, as my parents immigrated from Ukraine to America about 20 years ago,” Kretsula said.

Due to the desperate state of Ukraine, other events like cloth-

ing and food drives have also been held by the Ukrainian Aid Committee. Organizers started this bake sale intending to collect funds for medical supplies to send to victims of the war raging in Ukraine. “The funds raised will be used to purchase first aid kits for Ukrainian medical facilities, which are lacking resources due to the current war,” Shteynfeld said. “Items in the kits are meant to address wounds and provide quick patient care. They will be delivered directly there by the Hope for Ukraine organization which we collaborated with for the clothing and canned food drive earlier this year.”

Members of the committee put great effort into promoting the bake sale. “We reached out to the Student Union to include the announcement of the sale in the Sunday night weekly e-mail, and to Ingram for the weekly update newsletter,” Shteynfeld said. “There were several morning announcements made about the event and we put up posters around the school.”

Overall, members of the

committee feel satisfied with the outcome of the bake sale. There were about 15 volunteers over the two days, and each of these volunteers put money and care into the cause. Seeing this sense of compassion throughout the school body was what Kretsula appreciated most. “My favorite part of the sale was seeing how some even made direct donations without purchasing anything, which to me, proved the shared empathy others have for Ukraine during this time through their willingness to contribute. We sold basically everything, and in general, the sales exceeded our expectations,” Kretsula said. Polazzo agrees with this sentiment and feels extremely proud of students’ efforts. “After covering the costs of the food, the drive raised a bit more than $200. That money was used to buy first aid kits to be sent to Ukraine,” Polazzo said. “I was just glad that a group of kids were able to make a difference—no matter how small.”

As the war in Ukraine rages on, the committee is still plan-

ning other projects to support victims of the war in need. “We definitely are planning to do more events, but the details are still uncertain,” Shteynfeld said. “There’s a possibility for more donation events, but focused on health supplies in the near future or more likely once we return to school in the fall. It would also be great if we could work on more outreach and find new means to help, such as working with refugees who have come to the United States to help them become more accustomed and to address their needs.”

During this dire time of need, members of the committee highly encourage students to participate in the Ukrainian Aid Committee to promote support for Ukraine. “It’s important that this club receives more membership to extend our capabilities as a committee for future projects,” Shteynfeld said. “We are looking for members of all backgrounds. They don’t need any connection to Ukraine or have Ukrainian heritage—only an interest in contributing.”

Taylor Swift: Storyteller takes a career-spanning look at the outfits that have brought pop star Taylor Swift’s imaginative worlds to life.

Courtesy of Theodore Eicher

Stuyvesant Closes Its Doors Following Unprecedented Wildfire Season

continued from page 1

just their classes to online, many approved of the decision to cancel school on Friday. “[It was a] prudent and expected [decision] given the health concerns,” environmental science teacher Jerry Citron said in an e-mail interview. “[My reaction] was horrible during our extremely bad [smog] when the AQI for PM2.5 went above 250.”

Likewise, many students also not only support the decision to make school remote on Friday but also believe that school should have been canceled on Wednesday as well. “There was no reason to have us there, especially since those were the worst conditions [that there] could have been at that time,” Mazumder said.

However, some students found the remote learning unhelpful, as many teachers don’t have enough unaddressed mate-

rial that would warrant synchronous remote learning. “It’s close to the end of the year [and] most of the teachers didn’t exactly have that much content anyway, so I feel like doing a Zoom was a little unnecessary,” sophomore Aeneas Merchant said. “It ended up being everyone sitting on the Zoom doing nothing, which for most of my classes isn’t the best use of time.”

In contrast, others preferred synchronous remote learning to asynchronous at all points throughout the school year. “Having some interaction with the teacher is probably better than having none, and some teachers did still assign work that you had to do independently on top of showing up to the Zoom, so that’s sort of a model where it’s partly both asynchronous and over Zoom, which seems to work fine for what it is,” Ionis said.

For the future, the Stuyvesant administration is currently wait-

ing for more instructions regarding preventative measures. “The school provided the stock of N95 and KN95 masks available. The City and the New York City Public School system provided the personal protection equipment (PPE) during COVID so I am sure they are considering what may be needed in the future in response to possible issues,” Principal Yu said.

Ultimately, the current air quality issues only highlight a larger climate-related trend. With temperatures in Canada only increasing to record-breaking levels and droughts being exacerbated because of climate change, air pollution from wildfires may become more prevalent not only throughout our lives but also in American society as a whole. “We are seeing more and more wildfires throughout the world,” Citron said. “[I am] talking over 10 million acres and [this] fire season is not even halfway done.”

Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons and NASA

WORLDBEAT

The Senate finally passed the House’s debt ceiling compromise on June 1, warding off the complete global economic collapse that could have been caused by a United States debt default.

Senior officials of both the United States and China had discussions described as candid and productive on June 5 in Beijing, signaling a slight thawing of U.S.-China relations.

Senegal temporarily closed its overseas consulates on June 7 in New York, London, Bordeaux, and Milan as a precautionary measure taken due to political unrest caused by deadly protests within the country.

Trump was in the process of facing seven indictments, as of June 8, in connection with the hundreds of classified documents he was discovered to still possess; his court case will take place in Miami.

Logistical Issues Occurring During the AP Spanish Exam Held At Stuyvesant

By DIGIT KIM, EUGENE PARK, and KARA YIP

The Advanced Placement (AP) Spanish Language and Culture exam, which took place on May 10, has become a topic of concern among students due to various technical difficulties encountered during the testing process. There were issues with the listening and speaking sections of the exam, which caused the exam to be delayed for over an hour. As a result, many students expressed worry regarding their performance in the two sections. The delay also caused some students to have to postpone exams that coincided with that same afternoon.

The AP Spanish Language and Culture exam, offered by the College Board, differs from many other AP exams in its inclusion of audio text questions and spoken responses. This unique structure requires students to demonstrate their language proficiency through listening comprehension and verbal communication skills. Technology plays a vital role in the exam, from playing the audio for the listening portion to announcing prompts and recording students for the speaking section.

During the listening section of the exam, students experienced

By SHARON ZHOU

technological difficulties, specifically issues regarding audio quality. Only a few speakers were provided in the sixth-floor gym, which caused students seated farther from the speakers to have trouble hearing the questions. Junior Eshaal Ubaid, seated at the back of the gym, struggled to hear the audio clearly. “It felt like most of the gym couldn’t hear the audio,” she said.

The speaking portion of the exam was even more problematic for students, who struggled with using their headphones. This technical issue, combined with the ambient noise in the room, raised concerns about the accurate scoring of students’ responses. “For the speaking portion, there was a bigger mess because half of the headphones weren’t working,” Ubaid said.

The headphone issue affected a significant number of students.

Junior Brandon Kim similarly encountered issues with his headset during the exam. “My headset wasn’t working properly, making it difficult to concentrate, especially with the presence of a large number of people in the library,” Kim said.

There were also a wide number of computer problems in the rooms. “None of the computers

were working,” junior Sumama Haque said. “When the technician guy asked who [was] having a technical issue, more than half of the class raised their hands.”

The auditory or oral portion of the exam, typically scheduled to take 18 minutes, lasted for over

was kind of hard to focus,” Riess said. AP Spanish teacher Frida Ambia shared secondhand information from students and Assistant Principal of Organization Dr. Haber regarding what went wrong during the exam. “The simulated

In addition to the individual impact on students, the extension of the exam caused scheduling conflicts for students who had planned to take other exams on the same day. The AP Biology exam was scheduled for the afternoon of May 10, so students who were scheduled to take both exams missed the AP Biology exam and were forced to schedule a makeup exam. “We spent like an hour trying to figure out what to do, where to go,” Ubaid said. “We did end up getting a retake, but it was very difficult to schedule with the school because they said they weren’t offering [retakes] this year.”

Nonetheless, the College Board has taken action to solve these scheduling conflicts. “Dr. Haber informed me a few days ago that the College Board has approved a retake for students who had issues. They have been e-mailed,” Ambia said.

an hour. The exam itself took over five hours. This delay had adverse effects on students’ performance, as well as their ability to concentrate. Junior Axel Riess expressed how the extended exam duration led to difficulty in maintaining focus. “We were all fatigued, no one had eaten in like five hours, so it

conversation was very difficult due to the fact that there was a program update at the time of the test,” Ambia said in an e-mail interview. “This update changed certain things and students were not able to hear the recorded prompts from the headphones, as they were supposed to.”

Looking toward the future, students suggest improvements to prevent potential audio-related challenges in future administrations, such as pre-testing the audio equipment before the exam day. “[Administration should make] sure that all the technical aspects work already beforehand, and [bring] in more experienced proctors,” Kim said.

Stuy Open Gallery Hosts Annual Exhibition

When crossing through the first floor, many students’ eyes may have been drawn toward the colorful boards of artwork displayed near the music mural. These artworks can be attributed to Stuy Open Gallery (SOG), a club focused on creating and curating artworks made by its club members. Their first annual exhibition took place on May 25, with the artworks staying up for a couple of days for viewing. This year’s theme for the exhibition was “Depictions of Home.” Food and drinks were provided for viewers, and roughly 20 people attended

the exhibition on May 25, with many more students and teachers viewing the exhibit on other days.

SOG is a relatively new club that was started in the fall by sophomores and co-creators Talia Arcasoy, Olivia Callahan, and Madeline Hutchinson to provide an environment in which students can showcase their art. “It’s a club aimed to provide Stuyvesant students, at a school where there aren’t [many] art opportunities, the chance to display their work,” Callahan said.

When creating SOG, the founders also hoped to make the process of creating and displaying art accessible to all. “A lot of the

artwork [that had been] shown before is only restricted to, say, [Art Teacher William] Wrigley’s AP Studio Art class, which is really competitive to get into,” Hutchinson said. “Our goal as a club is to make sure that anyone at any skill level could join our club and have their works distributed and feel proud to show their work to the student body.”

Preparation for the exhibition started three to four weeks prior to the event, with early planning consisting of online meetings and resources to guide members through the process of creating and curating art. “We had a Zoom meeting about writing artistic

statements and what makes a good title,” Hutchinson said. “We also did lots of slideshows about what curating work is about and the curatorial process.”

On the day of the exhibition, organizers physically constructed the display, which consisted of taping and stringing up artworks alongside their titles on art boards provided by the Stuyvesant art department. “We printed out the titles and oriented [them] on paper,” Hutchinson said. “We used wall-safe tape and strung up the artworks so it wouldn’t be damaged.”

One challenge organizers faced with the project was the

process of organizing artwork aesthetically. “I think that filling up the boards and trying to figure out how all the pieces would fit together [was a challenge],” Hutchinson said. “Some people submitted multiple artworks. So we wanted to keep those together, but also make a balance board that would be interesting for people to look at. We had to figure out how to space the artworks correctly.”

In addition, the limited supply of materials made the construction process longer than expected,

continued on page 4

David Paul / The Spectator

Stuy Open Gallery Hosts Annual Exhibition

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which resulted in organizers rushing to meet their set deadline for the event. “I think that we probably should have brought more adhesive material to hang stuff onto the walls. Things were kind of falling down as we were setting them up,” Hutchinson said. “We should have probably had more prep time to put up the artwork before we set the event to be at 4:30 [p.m.] and were rushing to put everything up.”

Despite these challenges, Callahan believed the event to be successful in showcasing the artistic

abilities of its members. “People really seemed to enjoy the art. I feel that all the artists were really proud of what they did,” Callahan said.

For many participants, working with SOG allowed them to experiment with diverse mediums of art and develop artistic expression. “[Hutchinson, Callahan, and Arcasoy] encouraged us to use a lot of different media in our work, which was nice. [My artwork] was colorful because I genuinely had a good time in the club, so I wanted to make colorful art when I was there,” sophomore and SOG member Zoe Feigelson said. “I also used a lot of differ-

ent materials because [SOG] provided them. A lot of people did a very diverse range of art.”

Additionally, many SOG members also saw this exhibition as a way to improve their art by embracing feedback from others. “It’s nice to show your work as often as you can and hear what people have to say about it, even if you aren’t super confident about it,” Feigelson said. “Being encouraged to show your work, especially in high school when we’re still learning ‘what good art is,’ is really constructive.”

Similarly, many artists in SOG were motivated to continue to showcase their artworks in future

SOG events as a result of this exhibition’s success. “I [have] never had my artwork displayed before and this was my first [time]. I was pretty happy with it,” freshman and SOG member Elizabeth Chao said. “I feel like next year if we do another exhibit, I definitely want to have more artworks available.”

One major goal that SOG leaders have for the future is to make exhibitions open to people outside Stuyvesant. “[Hutchinson] is trying very hard for Mr. Moran to get people from outside the school to come in and look at our work [...] That would make it a lot more vibrant and special

to have people from outside the school also coming in and appreciate our work,” Feigelson said. “I think it would [inspire] a lot [more] people to contribute to the show.”

Ultimately, for both members and leaders of SOG, they hope that its future exhibitions and meetings will help to establish SOG as a pivotal and lasting part of Stuyvesant. “[Though] it’s nice to have a close community, I hope the club doesn’t remain as a friend group,” Feigelson said. “I hope [that] it has a legacy that goes beyond just being a nice community and [that] it stays alive [among] the underclassmen.”

Stuyvesant Hosts Its First Stuyvesant Sports Banquet

By DUNCAN PARK

Stuyvesant hosted the first Stuyvesant Sports Banquet on Friday, June 2, 2023 in the cafeteria for all Stuyvesant PSAL athletes in the 2022-2023 season. Athletes and coaches from 42 teams showed up to enjoy food and refreshments and celebrate the awards handed out. All teams handed out awards for Rookie of the Year, Most Valuable Player, and a special Coach’s Award. In all, 126 student-athletes were awarded trophies in the ceremony.

The Stuyvesant Athletic Association, led by co-presidents Ava Quarles and Kaeden Ruparel, had initially come up with the idea in the fall to host a banquet. While it had been done in the past, it had been years since one last took place, so the event provided an opportunity for the school to recognize student-athletes’ efforts.

For many, the experience of the banquet was extremely rewarding, and it was a nice token of recognition from the school and the Stuyvesant Athletic Association. Even though most students did not win an award, the atmosphere alone was enough. “It was great seeing how every-

one who won an award had people cheering for them outside of their own teammates. I think my highlight [of the banquet] would

The work that is cut out for student-athletes at Stuyvesant can often go unnoticed or unappreciated; while balancing

dent-athlete does make life a bit difficult sometimes. I don’t get home as early and have to spend more time [at] night studying or

Huang said.

Other athletes shared the same sentiment, believing that a certain mental fortitude is also required due to the sheer exhaustion that comes from playing a sport. “As a student-athlete, the main problem was managing my homework with practice and games/meets. But once I got the hang of it, it all turned out fine. It was definitely worth it, as I made a lot of new friends,” freshman track runner and soccer player John Kennedy said.

While the experience was great, one surprise standout was the food. “[Though] I only ended up eating one sandwich, it seemed like there were many different kinds of sandwiches to choose from,” Kennedy said. “And my sandwich was actually really good.”

be seeing my own teammates’ faces and how they reacted to their name being called to winning an award,” sophomore table tennis player Cindy Ye said.

equally challenging course loads as their peers, time is even more limited when considering afterschool practices and games and commute times. “Being a stu-

doing homework. However, I think it is rewarding because you get to be around your teammates every day,” sophomore track and cross country runner Geoffrey

In the future, the Stuyvesant Athletic Association hopes to host more banquets to celebrate the accomplishments of all athletes in the year. “An awards dinner is a small way to bring our community together. I was very pleased with the turnout, and we plan on hosting the event again next year,” Assistant Principal of Safety, Security, and Physical Education Brian Moran said.

Stuyvesant Speech and Debate Team Competes in Kentucky for the National Catholic Forensics Tournament

By RAHUL KISSOON and MARY LEE

The Stuyvesant Speech and Debate (S&D) Team competed in the National Catholic Forensic League (NCFL) Grands Tournament from May 27 to May 28 in Louisville, Kentucky. Nine different Speech and Debate events competed, having won 18 entries into the tournament at an earlier regional competition at Stuyvesant in March.

Some notable achievements earned by Stuy students are as follows. In Speech, sophomore Eli Lifton made it to the semifinals of Declamation, senior Melia Moore made it to the octofinals of Dramatic Performance, and junior Erica Liu made it to the octofinals of Oral Interpretation. In Extemporaneous speaking, junior Kai Xuan Li made it to the octofinals, and juniors Eshaal Ubaid and Aleksey Olkhovenko made it to the quarterfinals. In Public Fo-

rum, sophomores Helen Mancini and Astrid Harrington made it to double octofinals. Lastly, in Congress, junior William Tang made it to the semifinals.

Students saw this tournament as especially significant, as it was one of the final major tournaments of this year. “It was [considered] a much bigger deal among the administrators because it was a national tournament. Because it was all varsity and everyone qualified to be there, I think it was more extravagant,” Mancini said. “There was a different vibe in the team. People were more excited for this one because it was nationals and it was so far away.”

However, with it being a national tournament, there was a lot of pressure and anxiety among the team to do well. “Since it was like nationals, of course, there’s a kind of pressure that’s being put on you to do well. And obviously, the people who are competing there are also much better than

your average tournament,” sophomore Daniel Zheng said.

Many overcame challenges, including facing a large number of untrained judges over the course of the tournament, impacting formats that require a higher level of skill for their judging pool. “I know that in policy debate, there were parents judging, which was kind of ridiculous because you have to be like a trained judge to be able to judge for policy. So there were some judges who shouldn’t have been judging in some debate categories,” freshman Audrey Hilger said.

Even English teacher and faculty advisor of S&D Julie Sheinman felt that some of the judges were relatively underqualified. “Some of the judging was really incompetent, especially in policy debate. They sent out an e-mail saying that they were short of policy judges. Anybody that had never judged, but had judged speech, they wanted to put them

in and so they did and I think that was very unfair to the kids who got those judges,” Sheinman said.

The relatively small number of judges during elimination rounds also contributed to a sense of unfairness. “One critique that I had that I can understand is in my semifinals round, I got only three judges, which I feel like wasn’t enough to make a super fair round,” Lifton said.

Some also felt that the organization of the tournament was tight regarding time. “For debate, you had to wake up at 6:30 a.m., take the 6:50 a.m. bus and [...] waking up early for that and debating and speaking early in the day when you’ve just woken up, it’s not easy for you to do,” Tang said. “Some students weren’t able to give two speeches whereas some students gave two speeches [...] and if you’re a competitor and you only give one speech and there are other people who gave two speeches, obviously you’re

gonna get ranked lower than them. So I think allotting proper time, like enough time so that everyone could give two speeches would’ve been better.”

Despite the issues that occurred, the tournament was nonetheless a successful and helpful opportunity for the team. “We as a team are really thankful and grateful for [S&D Head Coach and Executive Director Julie] Sheinman sending us to CatNats [Catholic Nationals Tournament] and [...] supporting us along the way and helping us out,” Zheng said.

At the end, the tournament was a great chance to meet new people and observe new styles of S&D. “It was a valuable [chance] to see the different perspectives, see how people from across the United States of America, different states compete and how they can bring their own unique version of Speech and Debate to the tournament,” Tang said.

Khush Wadhwa

/ The Spectator

The Class of 2023: Then and Now

By THE EDITORIAL BOARD

When the class of 2023 first entered Stuyvesant at Camp Stuy, they took a survey detailing their perspectives and experiences prior to starting high school. Four years later, The Spectator conducted a similar survey to see how these viewpoints have shifted in their time at Stuyvesant.

PART A: ACADEMIC INFORMATION

First off, about 70 percent of the surveyed senior class consider themselves aware of current events.

On the academic side of Stuyvesant, more than 63 percent of the surveyed senior class has taken a class at Stuyvesant that significantly encouraged them to pursue a career, but interestingly, a slightly greater percentage has taken a class that significantly discouraged them from pursuing a specific career.

Approximately 39 percent reported that they slept an average of five to six hours on an average school night. The second largest group 28.5 percent answered that they slept between six and seven hours per night.

The average grade point average of surveyed respondents is 93.95, and the average SHSAT score for the senior class was just above 605. Graduating seniors were asked to rank work ethic, natural intelligence, and family background and support, from most to least important. Most students cited work ethic as the most important factor for academic success at Stuyvesant, with natural intelligence and family background and support tied for second most important and least important.

Over 83 percent of the surveyed senior class applied to an Ivy League university or other elite universities, and to reassure the underclassman, over 43 percent will be attending one. In addition, over 46 percent of students believe that their chances of getting into these schools were higher compared to students not attending non-specialized schools, with 26 percent believing that it decreased their chances in comparison.

An overwhelming majority of 83.8 percent of the senior class reported that they either strongly agree or agree that their time at Stuyvesant has prepared them to succeed in the college they plan to attend.

2019 2023

2019

2023

PART

B:

APPLYING TO STUYVESANT

When asked if there was a positive correlation between grades and incoming SHSAT scores, 69.8 percent of respondents disagreed or strongly disagreed. Some students felt they entered Stuyvesant with a low SHSAT score and outperformed expectations based on their final GPAs, while

others entered with high SHSAT scores and finished with low GPAs. These results question the validity of the SHSAT as the sole criterion for admission to Stuyvesant.

However, when asked if the SHSAT should remain as the only admissions standard for specialized high schools,

50.8 percent agreed or strongly agreed, 26.8 percent were neutral on the topic, and 22.3 percent disagreed. The majority of outgoing seniors prefer the SHSAT to any other admissions criteria to Stuyvesant.

PART C: IDENTITY OR LIFESTYLE

As freshmen, the class of 2023 was largely opposed to sexual activity during high school, with 47.4 percent being fully against it and 30.2 percent being neutral. In practice, these values seem to have been upheld as most seniors (67 percent) have never engaged in sexual activity, with only 14 percent engaging in sexual activity semi-often or regularly. However, of those who did engage in sexual activity, 8.7 percent of seniors reported some of these interactions as having been sexual harassment or assault, with even more being unsure, dem-

onstrating that issues of consent and boundaries remain serious ones, even in elite institutions like Stuyvesant. In terms of sexual identity, 58.7 percent of seniors identify as straight, 17.3 percent identify as bi/pansexual, 10.6 percent identify as gay, and 3.9 percent identify as asexual. 9.5 percent of seniors identify as unsure/questioning, demonstrating a diverse range of sexual identities within the class of 2023.

While 47.4 percent of freshmen thought about their mental health regularly, only 25.1 percent of seniors received treatment for mental health or mental illness since coming to Stuyvesant. This prompts the question of the stigma around asking for help, as well as the accessibility of mental health care for high school students.

49.2 percent of seniors had one to three hours of free time per day throughout their time in high school, proving that Stuyvesant really can be all-consuming in terms of students’ time.

What a surprise! About half of the senior respondents drink coffee daily. 50.8 percent don’t drink coffee, and 30.7 percent drink one or fewer cups per day. Similar results were found from the freshman survey—57.4 percent drank no coffee at all, and the majority consumed less than 100 mg per day.

PART C: IDENTITY OR LIFESTYLE

drugs, while only 5.6 percent actually used them. These statistics show that while many freshmen were okay with the idea of high school students experimenting with drugs, most of them did not actually do so themselves.

PART D: ACADEMIC DISHONESTY

Compared to the amount of academic dishonesty (cheating, plagiarism, copying, etc.) that occurred in middle school, when most did not or rarely partook in academic dishonesty, the vast majority of respondents admitted to engaging in academic dishonesty at least once or a few times during their high school experience, motivated by the promise of academic success. Additionally, 16.2 percent engaged in academic dishonesty semi-often, and 6.7 percent engaged in academic dishonesty regularly. On a more positive note, 17.3 percent claimed that they have never en-

gaged in academic dishonesty in any form.

The survey also revealed diverse views on the justifications for cheating. When presented with the statement, “I think that academic cheating (in any form) can be justified,” 37.4 percent were neutral, 27.4 percent agreed, 18.4 percent disagreed, 11.7 percent strongly agreed, and five percent strongly disagreed. Promoting integrity and discouraging cheating is crucial for maintaining fairness and credibility in Stuyvesant and beyond.

PART E: THE END

The overwhelming majority of senior respondents (88.8 percent) expressed interest in staying in contact with their high school friends, illustrating Stuyvesant’s strong social network. 3.9 percent of respondents disagreed or strongly disagreed with this proposition.

It is unclear exactly how many teachers the average graduating senior would feel comfortable confiding in, with answers ranging from zero to seven-plus teachers. Reassuringly, the most common response was two teachers (34.2 percent of responses), but less reassuringly, the second most common response was zero teachers (19.4 percent). Hopefully, future classes will be able to connect better with their teachers and feel they have trusted adults other than their guidance counselors in the school building.

It was almost unanimously agreed that junior year was the hardest academically and senior year was the easiest socially for the class of 2023. Current juniors may also want to look forward to senior year, as seniors reported that senior year was also the easiest academically. Perhaps seniors get used to the workload and develop better studying habits, but it’s more probable that seniors approach their academic and social life with less rigor and a more laid-back attitude in their final year at Stuyvesant. Academic hardship during freshman year seems to be disagreed upon, with almost equal percentages of seniors thinking it was most difficult academically and least difficult academically. However, most seniors did agree that freshman and sophomore years were the most difficult socially, which can be attributed to a rocky transition between high school and middle school, as well as the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and remote learning in 2020.

The class of 2023 has weathered many challenges, from the uncertainty of the pandemic to the chaos of college application season. Still, 77.9% of respondents agreed that given the option, they would attend Stuyvesant again. Those who claimed they would enroll elsewhere cited poor health caused by stress as well as isolation during virtual learning as reasons for their decision. Additionally, the toxic and competitive student culture, amplified by heavy workloads and unrealistic standards set by teachers, deteriorated students’ high school experience.

While 52.3 percent of freshmen were not opposed to high schoolers using marijuana, only 23.3 percent of seniors ever used marijuana throughout their time in high school. Similarly, 64.6 percent of freshmen were not opposed to using study

Summer Lovin’: Stuy Students’ Plans for the Upcoming Months

BY THE FEATURES DEPARTMENT

“I am going to spend one month as a summer camp counselor at a sleepaway camp in the Poconos, and then two weeks traveling and visiting family in Germany and Switzerland, and then coming back and trying to find a better-paying job in the month before I leave for college. Also, probably just hanging out with friends and stuff and getting my driver’s license.” —Hannah Riegel, senior

“Foremost shall I visit my family in Bangladesh for the duration of but two weeks, and upon my return from thence shall I sleep, and exercise, and make merry (with a noted lack of mind-altering substances, I assure you). Come the close of summer I shall attend a conference of mathematics and for three weeks serve as summer camp counselor, followed quite immediately by my return to this fine establishment.” —Zameen Cater, junior

“I’m doing College Now, which allows you to take classes and college credit through the CUNY system. I’m doing an architecture [course] at City College, but I also got invited to join a math program there because I qualified. I’m doing this SAT program which is to help me prep for the PSAT. And I’m also going to Honduras to visit my family and reconnect with my culture. I’m going to pick up violin as an addition to my flute since I want to learn a new instrument and I’m going to take some private flute classes with my teacher.” —Natalie Cuevas, sophomore

“This summer, I plan to work with SYEP as well as start my college application. I’m looking forward to SYEP because my work involves working with plants. It’ll be a new experience for me and I hope it’ll be a lot of fun. However, I’m most excited for the concert that I’ll be attending during the last week of summer break. It’ll be a motivation for me to push through all the work I’ll be doing.” —Kelly Liu, junior

“This summer, my priority as a rising junior is SAT prep. But I also have plans revolving [around] my hobbies. I’m going to be participating in a dance showcase with LegaFamBam (go check us out on instagram @stuylegacy @lega.fam). I’ll also be trying my best to self-study Japanese and improve my speaking skills.” —Fiona Li, sophomore

“I’m going to Yellowstone at the start of summer, but it’s the type of trip where we sleep in a tent in the woods for 10 days, so I’m kinda nervous for it. After that I have some medical programs lined up and I’m ending the summer by serving in the US Open Ball Crew.” —Kaileen So, sophomore

“I am going to visit temples in South India like Shrungeri, Mookambika, Kanya Kumari, and Mookambika. Karnataka has a lot of astounding temples. Of course, I am going to have a blast being pampered by my grandparents and annoying my cousins. All of that aside, I look forward to virtually tutoring younger students.” —Trisha Kumar, freshman

“Summer vacation is a time for relaxation. While I can’t wait to spend a summer in Europe with family and friends, I am also very excited for Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) out July 7!” —Sophie Huang, freshman

“I’m going to be participating in CIEE and going to Spain to learn Spanish. I really want to achieve fluency in the language.” —Cindy Zhong, sophomore

“I have a Regeneron internship. I will be in Memorial Sloan Kettering in Midtown for five days a week for six or seven weeks. I will be working in a lab with nanoparticles and brain cancer.” —Mark Ionis, sophomore

“I’m going to L.A. to visit my aunt and will probably be studying for the SAT and volunteering at a doctor’s office for the rest of the summer.” —Raaita Anwar, sophomore

“My plans for this summer aren’t all that exciting in terms of vacations or traveling, but I am going to be working on my extracurriculars and tutoring for students. But I am excited to spend my summer having fun with my friends and family.” —Fin Ying, sophomore

“My plan for this summer is to visit a bunch of halal restaurants with my best friend, go on picnics and movie dates with my friends, and help around the house more.” —Jennifer Alam, junior

“This summer I’m going to be volunteering at a children’s summer camp upstate to work on leading activities and planning events. Later in the summer, I am also going to visit the U.K. and France.” Niamh Werner, sophomore

“I am participating in an actuarial science camp.” Trystan Wourtersz, junior

“I have a lab for computer psychiatry at Mount Sinai. I’m also going to picnics with my family, to a water park with my cousins, and probably to Washington, D.C., for a week.” — Fatiha Mia, junior

“I’m looking forward to finally being able to spend more time with my friends and family over the summer. I can’t wait to sleep peacefully without thinking about tests!” —Arianne Hinds, freshman

“I’m doing two summer programs. One of them is an in-person lab internship at MSK for a chemical biology program on weekdays, and then every Saturday, I’m doing a virtual IYRC summer research program at Columbia. I’m also going to try to write some college essay drafts.” —Kelsey Pan, junior

“I’m going to work as a coach at my gymnastics gym.” — Margaux Scandura, junior

“This summer I will be going to museums and pretending I know a lot about art. I may learn guitar. I will also start Duolingo again and attempt to have a full conversation with my grandmother.” —Alexander Hinchliffe, junior

“I’m gonna be doing a research internship at Mount Sinai, volunteering at a nearby doctors clinic, and traveling to Niagara Falls with my family.” —Arpita Saha, junior

“I’m going to self-study AP Calc[ulus] BC and learn how to crochet.” — Cindy Ye, sophomore

“I’m planning on taking a lab internship and also taking some time to catch up on a year’s worth of sleep that Stuyvesant has stolen from me.” —Yarza Aung, junior

“I got this job as a canvasser— basically, I just try to convince people to vote—and I am also going to participate in this summer program that will focus on technology.” —Vanessa Chen, sophomore

“The thing I’m looking forward to this summer is being a camp counselor for the first time.” — Leonardo Benitez, freshman

“I will be going on college tours and participating in an internship at a technological research company.” —Aiden Tan, junior

“Hang out with friends, study for the SAT, get [my] permit, [and] maybe go on vacation.” Julia Klosowiak, sophomore

“I’m going to be working at a tutoring center, doing a summer internship, and volunteering at a doctor’s office.” —Nicole Alaeva, junior

“I’m going to do Metis Tutoring and also play tennis.” —Oscar Zheng, sophomore

“I just want to have a picnic. And not like the phrase, ‘have a picnic.’ Like a literal picnic.” —Dale Heller, sophomore

“I am working at Starbucks and going to occasional parties.” —

Keith Yu, senior

“I plan on playing basketball, studying Algebra 2 to prepare for next year, and maybe doing martial arts.” —Raahat Amin, freshman

“I am going to help teach at my taekwondo place and go to the gym. I also want to try to get into gardening and volunteer.” —

Joshua Eng,

freshman

“I’m going to do a Columbia electrical engineering program with Dr. [Gil] Zussman.” —David Chen, sophomore

“I’m going to volunteer at a hospital I volunteered at last summer.” —Sara Shen, sophomore

“I’m going to China in August, and I’m also looking for internships or summer jobs.” —Scott Chu, freshman

“I’m going to Berkeley to study Zika and dengue in order to further learn about the field of epidemiology and global health.” —Myha Hill, junior

“SAT prep and a Blackpink concert.” —Nicole Ni, sophomore

By MILLIE BELL

The landscape of college admissions has paved the way for something ridiculous. The extreme selectivity of top colleges means that every year, countless brilliant and overqualified high school students are rejected from their dream schools. The near impossibility of squeezing beneath record-low acceptance rates can serve as both a motivating and demoralizing factor for Stuyvesant students. While the competitiveness of the college admissions process pushes some to their academic and extracurricular limits, others are discouraged by the prospect of spending so much time and effort on a goal that can often seem far from feasible.

For some, the selectivity of elite colleges gives them the motivation to succeed in high school, both in their grades and extracurricular activities. Many students have a deep-seated desire to gain admission to these top schools, whether it is innate or externally motivated. “As you get further in high school, you become more aware of what you need to do to succeed in that [college] process, and I think that’s driven me to try harder in school,” junior Ty Anant said. As Anant learned more about what top colleges expected, he found that his own goals adjusted to those high standards.

On the other hand, students can be discouraged from expounding such significant

The Irony of Elite College Culture

amounts of energy into their studies by the prospect of it going to waste. “I don’t like the idea that I can put in as much effort as I have and still not get the outcome that I want,” junior Margaux Scandura said. Shrinking acceptance rates and stories of inexplicable rejections from top colleges can contribute to a sense of helplessness in the admissions process.

This sentiment is shared by junior Myha Hill. “When [I] com-

wise.” Colleges’ purported focus on not only grades but also extracurriculars often causes students to overextend themselves across many demanding time commitments.

At the same time, some feel their approach to schooling has been unaffected by the looming stress of college admissions.

“There’s this idea or expectation that you should be improving as you become more comfortable with Stuy, and then there’s the ur-

yet it stands in opposition to the tide of grade obsession that rules many students’ lives.

The well-used mantra among students that claims “colleges want to see improvement” in one’s grades is only reinforced by steadily decreasing acceptance rates at elite schools. As applicant pools grow and seats in incoming classes do not, students try to pick out which figures on their transcripts will help them stand out and jump to the top of the applications pile. As Stuyvesant grows increasingly challenging over students’ four years, they feel they must fight their peers and sacrifice their relaxation time in order to stimulate an uptick in their academic success.

cess should be an exciting opportunity for students to learn about institutions that align with their needs and desires. However, elite college culture blinds students from the schools that could truly have helped them reach their fullest potentials. There have been countless students who went to “Top 20” schools who would’ve been better off at lesser-known institutions, and many others who attended smaller schools that weren’t their top choices and found them to be amazing fits.

pare [myself] with the myriad of other students at Stuyvesant with major accomplishments, the state of college admissions makes working so much feel pointless,” Hill said. “I have taken on extra work and extracurriculars when I didn’t have the time at the expense of rest or mental health, in the name of college acceptances, when I would not have other-

gency of college admissions starting in junior year. But my standard for success has definitely changed. I think I’ve realized more of what I’m capable of, and I try to reconcile that with the grades I’m getting and my performance at school,” an anonymous junior explained. This attitude is one that may ultimately lead to more emotional and academic fulfillment,

Overall, whether college admissions demoralize students or not, they certainly detract from students’ mental health. They put forth impossible demands, inevitably leading to feelings of inadequacy or pushing students to stretch their schedules in ways that compromise their wellbeing. Both scenarios nearly always end in disappointment. Students often spend hours a day on schoolwork and extracurriculars, overworking themselves and siphoning away the time they have left to simply be teenagers.

With this deprivation of time for self-reflection also comes the risk that one will overwork oneself just to find out the dream school wasn’t “the dream” after all. The college admissions pro-

Ultimately, though students can wish for a more relaxed or less selective admissions process, it doesn’t appear as though the college landscape will change much in the near future. It then falls on the students to shift their own mindsets in the hopes that they can avoid suffering the mental toll college admissions so often takes. Anant offered a piece of advice given to him by a teacher: “You shouldn’t really do anything with the goal of getting into college, but what you’re going to do afterwards. Do things you think you’ll be interested in long term.”

It is imperative that students recognize that the state of college admissions is absurd, the selectivity almost comical, and empower themselves to move on with their high school careers without allowing it to affect them—difficult as it may be. And indeed, this seems to be the only way to avoid the disillusionment that festers within the college admissions process.

DREAM Big: Inside the Program that Prepares Students for the Specialized High School Admissions Test

By VANESSA CHEN

Stuyvesant opened its doors on Saturday, May 20, to over 200 middle school students currently enrolled in the DREAM program. According to the NYC Department of Education website, “DREAM is a Saturday and summer academic program that prepares eligible seventh-grade New York City public school students to take the Specialized High School Admissions Test (SHSAT) in the eighth grade.”

The DREAM acronym stands for “Determination, Resiliency, Enthusiasm, Ambition, and Motivation.” Eligibility is based on income, school district, residency in NYC, and New York State Math and ELA sixth grade test scores. Through integration of rigorous academic instruction, test preparation, and mentoring, the DREAM program provides countless students with the opportunity to develop their academic prowess and demonstrate their potential within the specialized high school admissions process.

Each school year, Stuyvesant hosts two standard open houses: one in the fall for eighth-grade students who may be interested in applying and one in the spring for accepted students. These open houses allow students to get a better glimpse into the Stuyvesant community and the unique opportunities that set the school apart from others. However, for the first time in history, Stuyvesant is hosting an open house exclusively dedicated to DREAM

program participants.

This open house has fewer attendees—about 200 as opposed to the typical thousand-name visitor list. The attendees are also younger than the typical open house visitors. The DREAM participants are seventh graders who are preparing to take the SHSAT in the fall of their eighth grade school year. For many, the prospect of going into an elite high school is a novelty. As such, one of the main goals for this year’s open house was ensuring comfort and a more intimate experience with the Big Sibs and ARISTA members through a scheduled lunch for the volunteers to dine with DREAM students and their families.

The event’s main organizers were Assistant Principal of Pupil Personnel Services Casey Pedrick and school counselor Shakira Rhiman. “What was proposed to us was a grab-and-go… and I thought, ‘well, that is a missed opportunity for building community and [asking] questions, [being] able to be a seventh grader who is eating a sandwich with a tenth or eleventh grader who can be inspired in that moment.

[I want them to] be able to make the connection to ‘this can be me in a few years sitting across from me’,” Pedrick said. She added that she wanted to give the DREAM students an opportunity to feel like Stuyvesant students beyond the academics. As such, she invited several Stuyvesant Outlet Showcase dance teams to give short previews of their performances, along with various Stuyvesant clubs, including Stuy-

Pulse and the Stuyvesant Theatre Community. Pedrick’s efforts were not in vain. “I really felt like we achieved our goal that day when a young man in the program said, ‘I’m never going to miss another Saturday session again!’ And I took it to mean that he is seeing the connection to the hard work and dedication coming into the Saturday program could be a throughline to coming to a school like Stuyvesant,” Pedrick said.

For every open house, Big Sibs play a prominent role in facilitating the tours for guests. For this open house, there were fewer Big Sibs present, but the same sense of intimacy on tours was maintained.

Junior Eugene Park, a Big Sib Chair for the 2023-2024 school year, shared her thoughts on the open house. “I really want the volunteers to give their personal experiences about this school. You can just google anything about Stuy and how rigorous it is, but in reality, different from all the stereotypes Stuy faces, Stuy is not just that kind of school. We have so much more than that,” Park said.

Another Big Sib Chair for the upcoming school year, junior Kyle Hon Chan, outlined his views of the event. “There is a stigma around Stuy about not being diverse and inclusive. I’m proud of Stuyvesant for hosting this to show people that it should be approachable and accessible for every single person in New York,” Chan said.

It is no secret that Stuyvesant has struggled with racial diversity.

With only 11 Black students and 23 Latinx students accepted in the 2022 admissions cycle, it may be difficult for students of color to envision a place for themselves at Stuyvesant. With continued partnership with programs like DREAM through open houses and direct communication with faculty, the hope is to not only showcase that Stuyvesant has a strong and welcoming community, but to hopefully improve the unrepresentative acceptance demographics.

One way that DREAM program administrators hope to appeal to students from underrepresented backgrounds is by making sure a diverse range of Stuyvesant students are represented at the open house. Outside the sixth-floor library, for instance, the Stuyvesant Hispanic Students Association set up a booth where representatives spoke about their experiences at Stuyvesant and the different cultural celebrations that take place throughout the year.

After the tours, all the cohorts returned to the cafeteria where lunch was served. The catered lunch included cookies, different types of sandwiches, chips, and beverages. Volunteers sat with the visiting students and families, providing a more intimate experience.

Layesvska Moussignac, a seventh-grade student from Kings Collegiate Charter School, said that prior to visiting Stuyvesant, she did not know that it existed, but after visiting the school, she would like to attend.

Another prospective student

shared their perceptions following the open house. “I wanted to go to Brooklyn Tech but now I’m wondering; this is a way better school than you get at Brooklyn Tech,” Success Academy seventh grader Javone Palomino said. Students weren’t the only ones who were impressed by the event. Roxanne Nelson, parent of a DREAM program participant, was similarly wooed by the day’s activities. “I loved the tours. What I like the most— what struck me—was the library.

I was like okay, if [my daughter] comes here, then she doesn’t have to go to an actual library, she can just come here,” Nelson said. “I really do like it, honestly. I do. I love the programs, the activities, the structure, everything. I was very impressed. It blew me away.” Nelson also shared that she likes how active Stuyvesant students are in the school community because opportunities for social engagement teach kids to be independent and responsible.

While the open house for the DREAM program is a promising start, one can’t help but wonder if it is enough to solve the disproportionate acceptance demographics. Hopefully, by the time the next admissions cycle comes around, the results of the DREAM program will be more visible in the demographic makeup of the class of 2028. Until then, Stuyvesant students and faculty should continue to be aware of the lack of representation in our school community, and seek to be proactive in lessening the barriers to a Stuyvesant education.

Jaden Bae / The Spectator

Why Books Banned in Other School Boards Are Part of the Stuyvesant Curriculum

By SETH FENTON

Stuyvesant is part of a liberal school district that allows English teachers to assign a wide variety of books in their classes with few restrictions. However, on a nationwide scale, more conservative school districts have seen a noticeable trend toward book bans. This is partially due to a network of local political groups targeting books containing LGBTQ+ and Black characters. The uptick in banning novels stands in stark contrast with the relative curricular freedom provided by Stuyvesant. In celebration of this freedom, here are four books taught at Stuyvesant that students wouldn’t be able to find in many other school libraries.

Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1852) by Harriet Beecher Stowe:

Uncle Tom’s Cabin is a book by Harriet Beecher Stowe written to battle pro-slavery sentiments by displaying the inherent dehumanization present in the American enslavement system. It was banned practically everywhere in the South due to its anti-slavery themes. In more recent years, bans of this novel have ramped up again, with school district officials citing its use of racial slurs as inappropriate. Stuyvesant teachers consider this novel vital because it demonstrates a variety of argumentation techniques and embodies anti-slavery literary traditions. “The book is an argument against slavery, right, so we tend to teach it on

an argumentative level,” English teacher Emilio Nieves, who will be teaching AP African American Studies in the fall, explained.

Native Son (1940) by Richard Wright:

Native Son is a novel by Richard Wright that follows Bigger Thomas, a young man living in utter poverty on Chicago’’s South Side. The novel contains scenes depicting murder via suffocation, rape, and the incineration of a corpse. As a result, many school districts have historically cited intense violence, sex, and profanity as reasons for banning the novel. Currently, four states, including California and Missouri, have school districts where that ban this book is banned from appearing in school libraries. Many English teachers at Stuyvesant, however, argue that this book is valuable in teaching complex themes surrounding poverty, love, and the nature of evil. At the time, it also boldly exposed the nation to the fundamental inequality and poverty still present after the Civil War.

“Richard Wright himself [was a] pioneer of American Black intellectual thought, [and] is, I think, one of the bravest writers I have ever encountered—brave because he’s not here to give White America or Black America a hero narrative,” English teacher Alice Yang said.

She expressed appreciation for the novel’'s illustration of moral relativism, as the standards of good and evil aren’'t always black and white. “Stories like Native Son really [draw] me in be-

cause it’s very ambiguous where the goodness of the main character lies and where some of his moral flaws lie, and everything’s amped up because he’s a Black man in the climate of 1930s Chicago,” Yang said.

The Catcher In The Rye (1951) by J.D Salinger:

The Catcher In The Rye is about a 16-year-old named Holden Caulfield who has been expelled from

picted] homosexuality [...] which society probably wasn’t ready to be so open about in the 1950s,” Nieves added.

Teachers teach this novel for several reasons, including the analysis of Salinger's literary creativity. “You sometimes get into social-emotional things, like relationships and love, and you know, materialism—you kind of get into those topics, but as an English teacher, I tend to try to

prep school and becomes disillusioned with the adult world. The book has been restricted over 25 times in schools across the nation, initially due to the Cold War censorship of novels criticizing American life. “There was a kind of anti-capitalism theme running through that novel, and it was the time of the Cold War and rejection of communism,” Nieves explained. It was also banned due to homophobia: “[It de-

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focus more on the literary value, the way the story is told, the language,” Nieves expressed.

We The Animals (2011) by Justin Torres:

We The Animals is a novel by Justin Torres that follows an unnamed narrator and his brothers Manuel and Joel as they navigate growing up in an impoverished neighborhood. The narrator struggles to come to terms with

his sexuality as a gay man in an intensely Catholic area, and in the process explores mature topics such as domestic abuse. Yang acknowledged that the book may seem disturbing to readers at first: “A lot of people may feel uncomfortable reading it or maybe even teaching it; it’s always an emotional drain for me to teach it.” But she explained that analyzing how the novel unpacks these mature topics helps one grow as a reader, writer, and person, especially when the analysis is done in an English classroom, where students are able to receive guidance. “However, when we discuss it as a class in space that knows the language of discussion and analysis, a lot can come out of it [in the form of] a personal type of revelation,” Yang remarked. These novels cover incredibly challenging topics. However, they are important novels for their literary value, influence on American society, and complex themes that cultivate discussion. So, while censorship in elementary or middle schools may be necessary at times, school districts should be able to trust high school students to be capable of understanding mature topics and discussing them with respect. Nieves put it best when he said, “I’m not for banning or censorship, but what I am for is common sense [...] , and what I mean by that is that you know some things are not age- appropriate, so I think the conversation should not be banning but what’s appropriate for certain ages.”

Vanessa Huang / The Spectator

Stories In Soles: Sneakers At Stuy

By ANDREW OH

The invention of sturdy footwear to navigate the world’s abrasive features and rough grounds was revolutionary. Though the first to don shoes weren’t doing so to match outfits or make brazen cultural statements, nowadays, footwear has found a solid place in modern culture, encompassing both a desire for functional quality and creative artistic expression. The sneaker industry in particular has evolved to supply the demand for both comfortable and fashionable footwear.

In the late 20th century, the expansion of hip-hop and athletics within African American communities gave rise to a prolific sneaker culture. In an interview for Wilson College News, Dr. Delisia Matthews, PhD in Consumer, Apparel, and Retail Studies, explained, “If you look back at when sneakers became very popular from a style perspective, it wholeheartedly includes black culture. And I think that is because when you look at the roots of the sneaker culture, it definitely came from hip-hop culture. One of the

By GRACE JUNG

Sleep deprivation is a popular topic among students in every corner of Stuyvesant. Deskmates can be found comparing the amount of sleep they got the night before, prompting disparaging looks from their teachers. Though a shared lack of sleep can act as a convenient talking point, it also worsens a phenomenon that isn’t talked about enough: students’ overreliance on caffeine.

An anonymous survey conducted by The Spectator found that out of a pool of 65 Stuyvesant students ranging from freshmen to seniors, 72.9 percent thought that the school atmosphere affected their daily caffeine intake. Stuyvesant’s heavy workload can pressure students to consume sizable amounts of caffeine just to keep up with their classes. And though drinking coffee only a couple times to stay awake during finals week might not have detrimental impacts on the body, it is the consistent grip caffeine has on students that leads to ill effects. The burst of energy that is received from consuming caffeine allows students to stay up past recommended bedtimes, giving them more time to complete homework and study. In the mornings, they may be sleep deprived and require even more caffeine to help them stay awake. This perpetuates a seemingly unbreakable feedback loop of caffeine consumption and constant sleep deprivation, which can disrupt natural bodily functions.

On the surface, caffeine presents itself as a hero for the average student looking for a quick and easy way to stay awake. The substance keeps one alert and awake because it blocks the adenosine receptors in their brain, which are responsible for causing sleepiness. In addition, caffeine is absorbed and dispersed in the body at a rapid rate, allowing for quick blocking of these receptors; after consuming caffeine,

first songs that I think aligns with this is the song “My Adidas” by Run DMC, which came out in 1986. Thereafter, the Adidas Shell Toes became very popular because the style embodied the music and the culture.” Individuals thus embraced sneakers as a fixture of popular culture. This was especially apparent in the againstthe-grain mindset of sneaker choices in late 20th-century athletics, notably basketball, which was heavily influenced by icons such as Michael Jordan. In regard to the origin of Michael Jordan’s famed sneaker brand, Dr. Matthews explained, “The Jordan 1s came out in 1985, but you know that when he actually wore those sneakers during the initial games, he continuously got fined. At the time, there was a certain colorway that was standard for all basketball shoes, and you were required to wear those standard colors. And he said, ‘No, I’m going to wear my shoes.’”

The dynamic and extensive history behind sneakers is part of why so many people are attracted to the shoes. Junior John Chandler III stated, “The banned

Jordan 1s, that dropped in like ‘95. [...] Some sneakers like that have history behind them, and that just makes it even more special.”

Fast forwarding from sneaker origins to now, some fashionforward Stuyvesant students con-

For sophomore Maisha Thakur, the beauty of sneakers lies in their diversity, as they allow for bold and distinctive personal statements. “[I like] finding stuff that not everyone else is wearing. There [are] a lot of Vans, a lot

marked that sneakers are a memorable part of interacting with someone: “I recognize people by their shoes,” Thakur added. This sentiment was echoed by the President of the Stuyvesant Fashion Club, senior Marcus Meshechok. “Fashion, sneakers, the way you dress is the way that you curate your physical identity,” Meshechok said. “It’s how you’re perceived; it’s how the world interacts with you, how the world perceives you. It’s definitely more than just a simple clothing choice.”

However, associating certain sneakers with personalities or aesthetics can also form “sneaker stereotypes.” It isn’t difficult to come across a meme or comment on social media poking fun at supposed sneaker caricatures. For example, Chandler asserted that people who wear Black Mid Air Force 1s are immediately judged within the sneakerhead community, and these stereotypes can

tinue to embrace sneaker culture. Many are a part of the “sneakerhead” community, a group with a shared passion for collecting and admiring sneakers.

of Converse, a lot of Air Force 1s,” Thakur said. “Those are nice shoes obviously, but I feel like sneakers have to say something about who you are.” Thakur re-

Caffeine or Failure?

your body not only wakes itself up, but also does so extremely fast. Unfortunately, this burst of vitality can dissipate almost as quickly as it comes. After the caffeine concentration in your body disappears, the once-blocked adenosine receptors build and speed up the process of causing drowsiness, which can make a person even more tired than they were before consuming the caffeine. This can lead to drowsiness, which in turn leads to further caffeine consumption.

of caffeine overconsumption are detrimental to one’s health, resulting in restlessness, insomnia, a faster heart rate, and dehydration. The results of The Spectator’s survey suggest that coffee is the most widely consumed caffeinated substance among Stuyvesant students. The most common forms of caffeine consumed by respondents were coffee (55.9 percent), caffeinated chocolates (20.3 percent), energy drinks (11.9 percent), and soda (11.9 percent). Some students believe the

in addition to schoolwork, limits the hours of sleep they get at night. I think this, as well as the convenience of both Terry’s and Ferry’s being close by, makes students want to take caffeine before or during school,” freshman Jane No said.

Social stressors also seem to have a significant impact on the normalization of high caffeine consumption. If students convince themselves that there is a correlation between caffeine consumption and good test grades, the never-ending cycle of consumption is perpetuated. “Sometimes peer pressure can come into play. If students notice other students achieving higher grades with coffee, they might also start drinking coffee,” an anonymous freshman stated.

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Brando has also taken initiative to help students rely more on natural forms of energy, such as sleep, to fuel their school days. “I have routinely encouraged students to get eight to nine hours of sleep daily. I worked on a curricular unit with [fellow social studies teachers] Dr. [Rosemary] Polanco and [Josina] Dunkel a few years back for the health teachers regarding sleep hygiene,” Brando continued. Through initiatives such as these, Stuyvesant teachers attempt to address the unhealthy lifestyles adopted by many students.

However, consuming more caffeine than recommended has been proven to have negative effects on one’s general wellbeing. The American Academy of Pediatrics states that 100 milligrams of caffeine should be the maximum daily consumption for teenagers, but this limit is easily bypassed by the average Stuyvesant student on any given day. For example, an 8-ounce brewed coffee from Starbucks contains 180 mg of caffeine, almost double the recommended amount for a teenager. The long-term effects

popularity of coffee stems from its accessibility. Respondents mentioned the coffee cart near Chambers Street as one popular purveyor of caffeinated beverages. “The bagel cart [is where most students get their coffee] because when you leave the train station, it’s right there,” senior Brian Kang stated.

In addition, long commute times to Stuyvesant can create conditions that exacerbate caffeine consumption. “Many students [...] have a long commute both to and from school, which,

In contrast to the student body, Stuyvesant teachers don’t notice a pattern linking caffeine consumption and test scores—in fact, many do not consider caffeine to be a significant player in the classroom setting at all. “I honestly do not see many students drinking beverages in my classes. I do notice certain students on occasion with a specialty Starbucks drink, and I wonder if these students have a job or if their parents give them an allowance for that. Other than that, I have not really thought about students drinking caffeine,” social studies teacher Lee Brando stated. Students’ relationships with caffeine seem to be mostly confined to their commutes, then.

Health teacher Barbara Garber has a different perspective on students’ caffeine dependencies. “For the first and second periods, students are coming in with drinks, and I ask them to place them on my desk until the end of the period. I want to be careful about drinks spilling, especially when it is not my classroom, but if it is a cold drink, I am not really sure if it is coffee,” Garber related in an e-mail interview. “A lot of students like the Starbucks Frappuccino.”

Unfortunately, uncontrollable circumstances, such as Stuyvesant’s intense workload and students’ long commutes, inevitably allow caffeine to creep into students’ lives. It can be difficult to turn one’s back on a glossy iced coffee from Starbucks or a vibrantly colored can of Celsius from Ferry’s, but an easy first step is to recognize the long-term impacts that caffeine might have on your health.

Every person’s body is unique in how it functions and responds to external stimuli, so there is no definite answer to how caffeine consumption should be addressed in the student body as a whole. This is why students owe it to themselves to experiment with different strategies and routines to bring themselves up to their best mental and physical state. “I personally find that drinking a cold drink in the morning, such as water or tea, brings the same awakening effects of coffee,” the anonymous freshman stated. There are countless other creative methods students use to stay awake, and becoming willing to depart from caffeine is a great start to exploring these paths. Most importantly, students should recognize that high grades are never a precursor to satisfaction or emotional well-being. Instead, they should focus on listening to their bodies and taking time to rest and refocus, perhaps with a cup of decaffeinated tea.

Yile Tong / The Spectator

Joey Chen / The Spectator

Ctrl + Alt + Delete: Tech Layoffs in the Wake of the Pandemic

By SABRINA LI, ANKITA SAHA , and SOPHIE ZHOU

Over the past few decades, the field of computer science has earned a reputation for offering high salaries and job stability to those passionate enough to enter it. The subject is one of the most popular majors for Stuyvesant students matriculating into college, as many begin taking computer science electives and joining coding clubs while at Stuyvesant. However, in recent years, the tech industry has seen a sharp increase in layoffs. For example, Microsoft laid off 10,000 employees in 2023, and Meta laid off over 11,000 employees in November of 2022 alone. This trend has raised many concerns about the future of computer science careers for all.

Many Stuyvesant students are initially drawn to computer science because they want to hone their analytical thinking skills. “I took the Intro [to Computer Science] class last year, and it was a lot of fun. To me, it’s kind of like a puzzle that you have to solve, like you have all the parts, and you just gotta put it all together,” junior Jowita Walkup said.

Others were fascinated by the way in which computer science bridges special interests and strong careers. “Throughout high school, [computer science] has been the tool I’ve used to create things that I loved. Creating clones of childhood games like Pokemon and Bloons wouldn’t be possible in any other major. And in the future, I would like to continue creating these cool things, whether for a job or even in my free time,” senior Donald Bi stated in an e-mail interview.

The creative benefits that come with computer science encourage students to pursue it, regardless of the risks recent technology company layoffs pose. “Well, it is concerning, but I think there will always be more [job] opportunities. Even if you do get laid off [...] there’s always new people getting hired,” junior Clemens Li said. Moreover, the field of computer science is expand-

ing, with a significant number of new positions expected to open in the next few years. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the percentage of Americans employed in computer and information technology is expected to increase by 15 percent between 2021 and 2031. “I feel like since [the field is] so rapidly developing, there’s always new technology being created and new [...] programs being built. [Layoffs] won’t be that much of a concern, at least for me,” Li explained.

Walkup expressed that while she still hopes to pursue a career in computer science, she is concerned about the difficulty of finding future work. “[The layoffs] haven’t really changed my plans because I still really enjoy [computer science], and I’d still like to work in it,” Walkup shared.

“But, it definitely is kind of scary because how am I going to find a

our economy following COVID, it might have been the best economic decision for some companies, so it’s possible it’s not necessarily the employee’s fault,” Rahman shared.

Additionally, some believe that recent layoffs are merely a short-term effect of the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic recession. “From what I learned in AP Macroeconomics, there was a period of deflation that COVID-19 just started, causing production costs and even wages to be lower, which meant that companies were overhiring during that time,” Bi explained. As the economy slowly recovered and wages rose again, it became more costly for companies to retain large numbers of employees. As workers naturally cycle in and out of the computer science field, layoffs are less likely to occur.

It is also important to note

The threat of layoffs in the technology industry may prove transient, but the influence of artificial intelligence on students’ future careers remains unpredictable. In 2022, 35 percent of businesses were using AI to some extent, with 61 percent of employees claiming that AI had improved workplace efficiency. While this productivity may be economical, it also brings the fear of unemployment as a result of AI integration. CEO of IBM Arvind Krishna estimates that 7,800 jobs will be replaced by AI over the next few years. Still, many Stuyvesant students support the development and future improvement of AI. Stuyvesant’s Academic Integrity Policy bans the use of artificial intelligence for schoolwork, but many students have found AI helpful for learning new programming languages and improving their coding. “[The

to threaten human coders. “AI is terrible at solving complex problems, whether that’s [computer science] or something else. I think people are deceived into thinking that AI will replace human programmers when they see ChatGPT implement some well-known algorithm. The reality is that AI can implement something seemingly complex [...] because there are millions of appearances of it on the internet. Give it a less common problem [...] and see it miserably fail,” junior Naowal Rahman said in an e-mail interview. While AI may technically be able to write a few lines of code, it lacks creativity and innovation. These uniquely human skills are vital for developing truly original code.

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especially be harmful if certain sneakers are more commonly worn in specific communities.“I think that the stereotypes mainly might come from the fact that, you know, the people who are raised in certain environments tend to choose the same type of fashion to follow. [...] A really popular shoe around my neighborhood is the Air Force 1s, specifically Black Mid Air Force 1s, and if somebody does something bad wearing those shoes, [it] gives it a negative connotation, but that doesn’t speak to everyone wearing the shoe,” Chandler said. He also added that though these stereotypes have become comedic social media phenomena, joking about them perpetrates a false narrative. “Like I said, though, I don’t think the stereotypes are true. They’re funny to laugh at, but they’re not really based in reality,” Chandler explained.

job if this is what I want to do?”

Recent layoffs have affected both students’ dreams and workers’ lives, and it is important to understand the build-up to these events. During the pandemic, tech companies hired more workers to keep up with an increased demand for technology as a result of remote working and learning. Collectively, big tech companies, such as Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and Meta, have hired over 875,000 people since 2019. However, following the pandemic, increasing interest rates combined with decreasing demand for tech companies’ products and services led to mass layoffs. Students have suggested that many of these layoffs have been made based on the company’s economic circumstances, not the devaluation of workers. “Given the state of

that these layoffs haven’t affected every sector of the computer science industry. They have been concentrated in big tech companies, which laid off over 150,000 employees combined in the second half of 2022 and the beginning of 2023. This statistic provides some solace for those interested in entering the field.

“The recent tech layoffs haven’t really affected my plans for the future, as I’m still trying to pursue [computer science]. Many of the layoffs occurred in large MAANG [Meta, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, and Google] companies, which make up only a fraction of the whole tech field. Many companies, like Goldman Sachs and other big banks, or just smaller tech companies in general, are still viable places to have a [computer science] career in,” Bi noted.

use of AI is] definitely an unfair advantage in terms of school [...] but in the real world it would be a lot more useful,” Li said.

Bi agrees with this assessment of AI’s benefits. “Whenever I have a question about syntax I don’t understand or just want to start learning Node and React, I’m able to go to ChatGPT and make it explain the concepts I need,” Bi said. AI softwares such as ChatGPT are able to analyze and process large amounts of information at top speed and reiterate the knowledge concisely. They can be invaluable aids in students’ computer science ventures.

Additionally, though new AI technologies such as OpenAI Codex have the ability to draw from existing databases to write code themselves, many students believe they don’t have the power

Stories In Soles: Sneakers At Stuy

Social media does more than just promote stereotypes, however. Sophomore Yelena Agadzhanova mentioned how social media trends have standardized the sneakers people wear at Stuyvesant. “There [are] a lot of people wearing the same type of shoes,” Agadzhanova said. “I haven’t seen that many people with shoes that really pop to me, because you know everyone just follows trends and what’s popular.”

Meshechok elaborated on the impact social media has on sneaker culture. “A ton of Instagram fashion meme pages became super popular—and that’s what got me into fashion. [...] I assume it happened to thousands [or] tens of thousands of other people,” Meshechok said.

Chandler also noted that as sneaker culture becomes more mainstream, the motivations behind sneaker-making evolve.

“More people are becoming aware of fashion in general, and they’re wanting to stand out from their peers. I think originally,

[sneaker culture] started to pop off as an anti-authoritarian [...] thing over time that’s created its own identity for itself within the fashion world. [..] It’s like a field now, and there [are] innovations being made,” Chandler said.

Meshechok also noticed that the sneaker industry has changed to cater to the newly emerging market of the fashion-minded youth. One specific change that Meshechok mentioned was Supreme and similar streetwear brands and their decline in prominence after quarantine. “Before the pandemic was the peak of streetwear and sneaker culture because the two go hand in hand. And so at Stuy as well, I remember freshman year I noticed a lot of people wearing collab[oration] and hype sneakers that you don’t really see [on] people anymore,” Meshechok explained. Meshechok elaborated by stating that Supreme and Off-White built their success off of making their logos iconic symbols consumers could reach for without much thought.

“Having the time to think about the stuff you buy is a luxury, and so with an Off-White hoodie or a Supreme hoodie, you see what’s special about it, right? It’s the logo,” Meshechok reflected. “You don’t need to think about it too much, you don’t need to know a ton about the brand to buy it, you can just go for it.” Meshechok stated that the pandemic provided the time necessary for students to become more conscious of their purchases, which is perhaps why students began to look past these brands post-pandemic.

Sneakers have a place beyond discussions about fashion, though. Chandler, who grew up surrounded by sneaker culture in Harlem, says sneakers hold sentimental value for him. “When I was little, I used to camp outside of this one sneaker store that sells replicas,” Chandler shared. “They’re not even real shoes, but I would be camped outside of there thinking that the shoes there are so cool without knowing that they’re fake, and I’d just be wait-

It is also important to acknowledge the variety of jobs available to those with a degree in computer science. Rahman pointed out that even if students don’t get a job offer in software or app development,careers that often first spring to mind when thinking of the field, a computer science degree can still be very rewarding. “Research-oriented jobs are more appealing to me now. Stuff like machine learning, robotics, and quantum computing are pretty appealing, whether in academia or in industry,” Rahman stated. Many of these careers develop similar skills in software and app development, such as problem-solving, attention to detail, and an extensive knowledge of programming.

Despite the proliferation of layoffs in the technology industry, many Stuyvesant students have not strayed from their dreams of pursuing computer science. They still feel empowered to embrace these passions, enrolling in computer science-related courses at school and learning about realworld technology on their own time. The budding computer science field has already undergone many changes caused by everything from AI integration to the impacts of the pandemic, but soon it will face its greatest transformer yet: the passion and hard work of Stuyvesant graduates.

ing to buy them with the money I got from the summer.” He remarked that he was motivated to purchase the shoes because he wanted to express admiration for his idol, Michael Jordan. “When I was a kid [with] other kids who also grew up around sneaker culture, we wore the shoes that we wore because we wanted to be like the people who made them,” Chandler said. “When we wore J[ordan]’s, we wanted to be as successful, as hardworking, as [...] good of a person that Michael Jordan was. [...] The personality of the person behind the shoe molds the shoe itself.”

While sneakers are useful to prevent painful blisters and splinters, they are more than just shoes—sneaker culture reflects greater social, political, and cultural trends. From its hip-hop origins to its influence on social media, the nuances of sneaker culture are far from static. So, before you tie your laces, take a moment to appreciate how the sneakers on your feet came to be.

“It definitely is kind of scary because, you know, how am I going to find a job if this is what I want to do?”—Jowita Walkup, junior

June 7, 2023: Judgement Day

As if finals weren’t stressful enough, the students and staff of Stuyvesant High School faced an unimaginable catastrophe when the end of the world coincided with exams. In what can only be described as a cosmic prank, Judgment Day and finals collided to create a cataclysmic airborne toxic event. With their academic futures in jeopardy and the fate of humanity at stake, the students of Stuyvesant High School faced their toughest test yet: passing finals without passing away.

Picture this: your typical specialized high school setting, filled with awkward students poring over textbooks, cramming vocabulary, and agonizing over multiple-choice questions. The atmosphere is tense, anxiety hangs in the air like a heavy fog, and the only solace in sight is the thought of just one more week until summer break. Little did they know, their desperate pleas for mercy would go unheard, as fate decided to intervene in the cruelest of ways. As students transitioned from class to class, they peeked through the windows and witnessed the luminous orange light glaring into the building. Orangebrown smoke and dust enveloped the sky, and the smell of smoke lingered in the hallways. It seemed they were no longer in the bustling streets of New York City, but in the vast expanse of the Sahara Desert, living nomadic lives in their quests for survival.

There they were, hopelessly attempting to pay attention to their rigorous courses while the apoca-

lypse unfolded around them. As the meteors loomed closer, some brave souls took one last look at their notes before accepting their fate, realizing that perhaps their final grades were not as important as they once thought. However, most didn’t and wondered if writing about armageddon would look impressive on the Common App.

Teachers, torn between maintaining order in their classrooms and fleeing for their own lives, desperately tried to find a balance between education and survival. Throughout the school day, students murmured to one another about the impending doom, worried for their existence. Or not. “I hope the math final gets curved,” one said.

“Do you think the Regents are going to be canceled?” whispered another, clearly more concerned about the thought of taking a standardized test than living another day. Others chimed in with a mix of anxiety and dark humor, jokingly pondering the significance of New York State exams amid Zeus’s divine wrath.

Doomsday also cast its shadow over the incoming freshman class, leaving its mark on their Camp Stuy experience. Normally, the Camp Stuy orientation is a time of excitement, exploration, and social networking for incoming freshies. However, as the state of the world worsened, students began huffing and puffing and struggling to see even their own hands in front of their faces. Panic spread like wildfire as the bewildered freshmen dropped their

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orientation packets and scrambled out of the auditorium for safety. As they dodged fiery debris and tried to recall the names of their English summer reading novels, the irony of the situation became painfully clear. There they were, grappling with quadratic equations and Shakespearean sonnets, while the world crumbled around them. Amidst the chaos, the Big Sibs, usually responsible for introducing the freshmen to the ins and outs of high school life, found themselves in uncharted territory. Some attempted to maintain order, continuing to follow through with pointless icebreakers and presentations about the beautiful miracle that is Stuyvesant.

In the face of such extraordinary chaos, the students of Stuyvesant High School refused to give in to despair. They channeled their resilience and determination, banding together to support one another through this chaotic experience. With textbooks in hand and a flicker of hope in their eyes, they resisted the crumbling hallways, thundering meteors, and choking smoke. They each completed all nine of their final exams amidst chaos and uncertainty, defying the looming apocalypse with every stroke of their pens. At that moment, they understood that their true test was not only one of academic achievement, but also of resilience, unity, and the invincible spirit of Stuyvesant High School. As the world trembled, they emerged stronger, forever bonded by the shared experience of surviving the ultimate test.

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Navigating the Need for Improved Geography Education

By ANGELA MASHURYAN

In recent months, a new trend has emerged on social media platforms like TikTok. The premise of such videos includes a person going up to strangers in public and “quizzing” them, sometimes with a monetary reward for each correct answer. The creator will ask a stranger a variety of questions, and oftentimes, either that stranger’s inability to answer or their absurdly incorrect responses will be what makes the video go viral.

A majority of the questions asked in these videos are geography-based, and while some of those videos are likely edited or staged to accumulate more likes and views, the disconcerting reality is that many are not. An alarmingly large number of people in this country lack basic geographic knowledge. It is not a stretch to say that when a stranger in those videos does not know the difference between a continent and a country, they are not one of few.

According to a 2015 report from the Government Accountability Office, approximately three-quarters of eighth-grade students scored below the “proficient” level in geography, “indicating partial or less than partial mastery.” This deficiency directly results from an insufficient emphasis on geography instruction with-

in schools.

Often, the majority of geography education is bulked into one general social studies class. However, that same report also found that “more than half of eighth-grade teachers reported spending 10 percent or less of their social studies instruction time on geography.” Most school districts prioritize reading, math, and science instead, leaving teachers with little space or time to explore a geography curriculum. Furthermore, as of 2013, only 17 states even mandated a geography course in middle school, and only 10 states required one for graduation from high school.

In New York State, the profound educational divide is not a recent revelation. The state’s Regents exams, which are often criticized for their high curve and low standards, often pass students in subjects they barely understand. This also holds true for the Regents Exam in Global History and Geography II.

As Stuyvesant students, we have become accustomed to the fact that the level of our education is much greater than that afforded to other public high schools both in the city and state. However, even at Stuyvesant, geographical literacy is often overlooked. Just last year, the only geography-dedicated course in the school, AP Human Geography, was discontinued, and no new class has been

offered in its place. It seems that, again and again, geography education is consistently seen as something discretionary instead of necessary, which allows it to be swept under the rug and ignored whenever convenient.

To gauge the shortcomings of geographical literacy at Stuyvesant, I decided to step into the role of the aforementioned video creator and conduct a small survey, quizzing random Stuyvesant students in the hallways with a few geography-based questions, though without the allure of a cash prize. As anticipated, the results were inadequate, to say the least. Only 31 percent could correctly identify Vietnam on a map, and only 54 percent could correctly identify Portugal. Furthermore, while 77 percent could correctly state the number of oceans, only 15 percent could name them. Despite my limited sample size and variety of questions, the findings serve as a telling indication of a broader issue at hand. Even at top schools, there is still a resounding scarcity of geographic literacy and efforts to improve it.

By failing to provide comprehensive geography education to students, the United States is raising adults who are not knowledgeable about the very world in which they reside. Some of those individuals might grow up to be our lead-

ers and our presidents, but all of them will grow up to be the future generation responsible for protecting our place on this Earth. Yet, how can they fulfill that duty if they do not even fully know the Earth they are to protect?

Hence, it is essential to ensure that standalone geography classes are both available and required for students to graduate. Merely offering the courses is not enough, though: the classes should be upheld to a rigorous standard, guaranteeing that the students are actually learning the material and not just learning the necessary amount to pass, because geography isn’t just another school subject. Being geographically literate is an important life skill.

Geography education develops numerous valuable traits within an individual. For instance, through the study of areas around the globe, one witnesses the similarities and differences between their culture and the cultures of others. By considering the impact of factors such as the climate and its changes, the availability of natural resources, and the types of landforms present in different locations, one can gain an understanding of people’s diverse lifestyles, thus building empathy, understanding, and respect for others. In addition, geography education encourages making logical links between how

location and factors related to the location have aided or hindered societies. By equipping students with this knowledge and teaching them to identify such relationships in the first place, we better prepare them for solving similar international issues whenever they may arise. Finally, having geographic knowledge allows people to better navigate themselves and the world around them. For example, people gain the ability to understand spatial relationships and plan efficient travel routes through the use of maps.

At the end of the day, the inadequacies in geographic knowledge shown in viral videos are not only an amusing spectacle; they are indicative of a larger issue that requires our immediate attention. In cultivating geography literacy, we provide individuals with the tools they need to not only better analyze the patterns of the past but also make connections to the present and predictions for the future. Geography education fosters conscientiousness, empathy, understanding, and enhances problem-solving skills on a global scale. At the bare minimum, it is indispensable for basic awareness and safety. We must strive to make geography education easily accessible for all, ensuring a brighter, more educated future both for individuals and for our collective well-being on this Earth.

Orange Skies Ahead: A Call To Action

By HELEN MANCINI

On Wednesday afternoon, June 7, 2023, Stuyvesant students crowded around windows and watched as the New York City skyline transformed into an apocalyptic orange. Smoke and haze from wildfires in Canada that had been drifting down the East Coast and displacing thousands near the destruction surrounded the entire city. The air quality in New York climbed to 484 out of 500 on the international air quality index, the worst in the world by far. Stuyvesant students leaving the building had to cover their faces with leftover pandemic face masks because breathing the Manhattan air for 24 hours was equivalent to smoking six cigarettes. Many events and extracurricular activities were canceled in response to the air quality, including Thursday’s Camp Stuy. The Department of Education soon released a statement announcing that Friday, June 9, would be a remote instruction day as air quality levels remained a major risk.

The wildfires that caused this massive amount of smoke are the start to the worst Canadian wildfire season ever recorded. Already having burned 10.6 mil-

By MAISHA THAKUR

As a Muslim girl living in the U.S., I have come face to face with many assumptions about the way I dress and what is expected of me by my family. People come up to me asking ridiculous questions, and though I am glad to clear up any misunderstandings, the fact that people think of Islam this way is mind-boggling to me, as I’ve always found my religion as a source of peace and love.

It is disheartening to think about the number of people who have chosen to call me slurs or make faces at me just because I wear a hijab and dress modestly. It happened to me mostly as a child. What I wear is my choice— people shouldn’t simply assume that I am oppressed or that my parents are forcing me. Once again, the Islamic faith is clear on the usage of passive encouragement, and the prophet (pbuh) never would have tolerated force. With that being said, there are unfortunately many children whose caretakers are making them dress a certain way or do certain things. It is important to note that these are the faults of certain individuals, not of a religion itself.

People never seem to take the time to educate themselves; instead, they continue to harass Muslim females. There are various news articles reporting how women have had their hijabs ripped off, been yelled at, or even killed. Based on what I have observed, this usually happens because of three reasons:

1. People are straight-up Islamophobic.

2. They pity Muslim women because they think we are oppressed, or…

3. They are disgusted by us choosing to externally represent

lion acres, 15 times more than the annual average last decade, these far-reaching fires are stretching firefighting resources very thin. Many countries, like the United States, New Zealand, and Portugal, have already begun to send more support to Canada as the fires persist. These extreme fires are being fueled by the worsening climate crisis. As extreme heat, droughts, and global temperatures worsen, Canada’s forests are more susceptible to burning. The dead trees and plant life that have lost moisture serve as kindling for forest fires and make them uncontrollable. Though the aftermath of this disaster came directly to our doorstep, it is not the first climate change-related environmental crisis the world has seen. Just a few years ago, Australia was in the same position with their wildfires. Bangladesh and Pakistan have also faced deadly flood seasons due to increased rainfall, another consequence of climate change. The entire world has been facing worsening heat waves and droughts each summer, the most extreme in the Middle East, especially in Afghanistan; the Horn of Africa; and Central America. As the climate crisis increases the likelihood of extreme

weather events and natural disasters, there has been story after story of hurricanes devastating land and economies. Many of the most affected countries emit the least amount of greenhouse gasses, yet they are still dealing with the economic impacts of colonialism, making the climate crisis intersectional with preexisting global inequalities. The future is bleak. The greenhouse gas emissions of the past century have caused irreversible damage to habitats and climate patterns. Rising temperatures have already melted a large amount of Arctic permafrost, which will continue to release carbon dioxide previously stored in the soil for many years ahead.

Ice caps have been irreversibly diminished, and a great deal of land is now inhospitable due to desertification and wildfire damage. As we look to a future of more disasters, displacement and climate refugees will become commonplace. It is sadly becoming clearer that the poorest people will be, and already are, facing the worst effects of this crisis. Despite this, change can still be made. The climate crisis is a scalar issue. The more we put this crisis off, the worse our future looks. Though the United States

and other countries are currently failing to meet many climate goals, like staying under 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming, they are not impossible to achieve if we act now, and thankfully, there are many activists, leaders, and scientists pioneering the way forward.

In New York City, the climate activist community is incredibly vibrant. As the home to the United Nations’s headquarters, it is part of the massive international community fighting climate change through international cooperation. Moreover, the NYRenews coalition,which includes organizations like Sunrise and 350, just finished the state’s legislative session with many climate wins, including the Build Public Renewables Act and other parts of their amazing Climate Jobs and Justice Package. The Thursday following NYC’s orange sky, the coalition rallied for the HEAT Act outside Assemblymember Carl Heastie’s office right next to Stuyvesant. They’ve spent the past few years building a massive intergenerational and diverse group of New Yorkers and increasing their capacity for phone banking, lobbying, and holding rallies. On the less political side, activist groups like Third

Islam: Misunderstood for Centuries

our religion because it is the faith of “terrorists.”

We are not terrorists. The word “Islam” itself means peace, and violence is the last thing our prophet would ever encourage, yet groups of people proceed to massacre and torment others in Islam’s name.

Certain Islamic ex tremist groups, such as the Taliban, are seen as a product of what emerges when Islam is followed over zealously. They prohibit women’s education, force them to get mar ried and cover up, and kill hundreds of people for not following their laws. Though these prac tices are carried out in the name of Islam, nowhere in our faith would they be validated.

Hundreds of years ago, when the majority of women were bound to their homes and looked down upon in Eu rope and Asia, Is lam allowed women to pursue an education, start their own businesses, and take on religious roles.

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) forbade the disrespect of women. In most cases, culture triumphs religion—cultures where women were degraded and seen as nothing more than wives to be shipped away so they can then be mothers and make use of their biological bodies. Yet when fingers start to point, Islam is the culprit because the women there

are “forced to cover up and follow everything their husband says.”

So, when a group denies women the right to an education while claiming they’re doing this for Islam, can they really be trusted? Can you really blame Islam?

being sold off to a man decades older than her. My heart went out to her, and I scrolled to the comments, expecting to see disgust at the situation. All I saw was people reprimanding my religion. Though it deeply saddened me, I came to realize that maybe these ple weren’t educated on the teachings of Islam. Let me set it straight: forced marriages have been and still are illegal. Yes, a lot of people who reside in Muslim countries and identify as Muslim practice this, but that’s solely because of cultural practices that were prevalent before the spread of Islam.

The practice of polygamy in Muslim countries is seen as yet another way that Muslim women are oppressed. However, polygamy was something civilizations practiced long before Islam was founded, about 1,400 years ago.

Act, Extinction Rebellion NYC, Climate Families, and Food and Water Watch have been holding protests of all kinds targeting what is known as “fossil finance” to call out Wall Street’s biggest funders of the climate crisis for their investment in oil and gas.

Young people are the driving force behind so much of this momentum. Many NYC high schoolers, like myself, are a part of the climate movement through youth organizations like Fridays for Future NYC and Treeage. As the generation inheriting this planet, we know how crucial it is to hold our governments and society accountable for the climate crisis, and we are taking action by organizing massive climate strikes and lobby days. I implore everyone reading this to get involved. On platforms like Action Network and Instagram, all of the organizations I mentioned are posting about events happening every week. Even if activism is not your thing, political, scientific, and creative brains are needed in all parts of the climate movement. Wednesday’s orange sky is our wake-up call. We cannot give up or let nihilism and indifference dampen our voices—let’s fight this crisis together.

predominantly Christian country, yet people are quick to turn a blind eye to that faith and instead blame the law.

Throughout history, mainly white Christians have used their faith to justify a lot of atrocities, and they have been given that pardon, for Christianity is never ascribed to violence, which leads me to wonder if it’s a racial issue. Whatever it may be, as Muslims, all we ask for is the same respect, along with tolerance and openmindedness. We ask that people learn the difference between blaming certain individuals and an entire faith that consists of more than two billion people.

thing they do reflects what Islam preaches. But this image is often projected onto religious people or people who choose to appear Muslim, which can further lead to them making choices that force them to change or be untrue to who they are.

I remember watching a video where a young Muslim girl was

The reason it’s allowed is because during the battle of Uhud (a battle between Muslims and the Quraysh tribe), many Muslim men were killed, leaving thousands of women without support. Due to the greater ratio of women to men, the men were then allowed to take more than one wife. At the time, this law was passed to better the lives of women.

What strikes me as prejudiced is that in the U.S., hundreds of cases of child marriages have been happening. The U.S. is a

As a Muslim female, I’ve never felt restricted by my faith; rather, I feel that it is something that makes me stronger as a person. I have always connected to Islam on a spiritual level, and it’s not something my parents forced, but something they encouraged me to learn about. As I got older, I have often been in awe of the value Islam places on character and the various acts of our prophet. I have been ashamed of my culture, the stereotypes, and the societal norms that come with it, but I have never, ever seen my religion as something that has flaws. What frustrates me is the way others portray it and how some people ruin its name, twisting a beautiful, clean thing into something malicious and dark.

Others are also fed up with the assumptions that are being made about them daily. Why is it so hard to believe that some of us love our religion and follow it because we choose to? We don’t need pity or sympathy: what we need is respect, both for our religion and the choices we make.

If I do something wrong, if Muslims do something wrong, blame us. Not our religion.

Lillian Dong / The Spectator

“Shh! Don’t You Dare Say It!”: The Stigma Around Death

By ANNIE LI

The flowers our moms plant by the windowsill will eventually wither away, and many people have no qualms about swatting mosquitoes that give us itchy bumps on our skin. By the ripe age of seven, most children understand what it means to die, whether through losing a loved one or by word of mouth. However, even with this universal understanding, questions about death can be a parent’s worst nightmare, alongside “How are babies made?” and “Why is the sky blue?” Instead, we’re taught to say that people have “passed on” or that they’re “in a better place.” Somehow, saying it out loud seems to be one of those unspoken prohibitions that everyone follows.

As children, our natural curiosity conjures dozens of questions about death. As we grow, we learn to suppress our curiosity because we’re told it’s the right thing to do. As a result, the Funeralcare Media Report, the biggest survey ever conducted on death in the U.K., finds that even though 91 percent of Brits have thought about their own mortality, almost 18 million are uncomfortable talking about death. Furthermore,

By SAOREACE JOHNSON

Fashion is alive; it is a continuous movement, a fusion of creative ideas, an ever-changing concept that gives birth to new beliefs and freedom to express oneself. Fashion also has an unpredictable nature in its ability to support lesser-quality materials and promote unrealistic expectations.

Fashion trends are rapidly changing from one look to another. Less available clothes are usually in higher demand because their target consumers are the elite. But because most people

By NELLI ROJAS-CESSA

Within the umbrella term of art, visual arts are arguably the most diverse but, unfortunately, the most underappreciated. Even in an arts-focused high school like LaGuardia, the visual arts department is less prestigious compared to performance arts like dance or theater. At Stuyvesant, the art department is also understandably not as acknowledged as the STEM departments are. However, there are still improvements that can and should be made. The single required Art Appreciation class, though a long-running requirement for the Stuyvesant diploma rite of passage, is a cover-up for the lack of visual arts in Stuyvesant.

Art Appreciation is not a productive use of a significant number of students’ and teachers’ time and effort. The Met Project, for example, is notorious for its heavy grade weight in Art Appreciation and tedious workload. However, these efforts are often not carried out. The majority of students struggle with the artis-

while 92 percent of Americans believe talking with their loved ones about end-of-life care is important, only 32 percent do so. Perhaps it’s human nature to run away from the things we fear the most, but the further we run from our fears, the more they haunt us.

The taboo around death has major consequences—those on their deathbeds are left isolated, and those facing bereavement cannot properly approach the event, which exacerbates their emotional ordeal. This common approach often backfires to the point where family members can’t communicate their negative feelings. Similarly, the one dying holds in words that they won’t have the chance to speak, and their loved ones don’t realize until the guilt deals a major mental toll. Following the loss of a loved one, 40 percent of grievers experience what meets the criteria for a major depressive episode one month after their loss, and 24 percent

still meet the criteria for major depression after two months. The solution is clear: we must normalize talking around death, both as a society and as individuals.

At a societal level, there are clear, current examples of celebrating death as a natural part of life. For instance, the iconic animated film Coco showcases el Día de los Muertos, a beautiful celebration of the familial bond uniting the dead and the living all over Latin America. Through the use of colorful imagery and symbols for death, Coco exemplifies how not all representations of death have to be this monotone, eerie depiction that Western pop culture commonly promotes. In addition, celebration-of-life ceremonies that focus on the legacies of those who have died have become increasingly popular on a global scale in the past five years.

A comparison of Western, Asian, African, and Latin American societies as a whole shows the former

holding a fearful attitude towards death while the latter accepts and emphasizes purpose within death. Consequently, research finds that “the Eastern response to death is a renewed commitment to enjoying life,” while the Western focuses on dread following the ordeal.

Nonetheless, changes at an individual level are the second part of the equation. As mentioned earlier, the taboo around death begins the moment we understand what death is as a concept. Many parents argue that the topic of death is inappropriate because they assume children cannot handle such a serious topic. I can’t count the number of times my parents have said to me “乌 鸦嘴”—a Chinese saying that implies a person who brings bad luck—after bringing up anything related to death. This common misconception makes it so that when children grow up, they are unprepared to handle any topic around death. However awkward

Embrace Fashion With Intention

cannot afford these clothes, they resort to cheaper brands and fast fashion, and once the novelty of current trends wears off, new clothes replace them. These unpredictable changes lead to an unstable fashion world that reflects unrealistic expectations of clothes and our bodies.

Take the “old money” trend as an example. To achieve this aesthetic, people spend money on luxury brands, which are not within most people’s budgets. Instead, they resort to lower-quality clothes that fit the same look, thus supporting fashion that may not be made through proper and

sustainable channels. Based on the 2000s, the “Y2K” look today pairs bright colors and flashy textures with low-rise pants. In 2015, the “slim-thick” look, which promotes a curvier body with a tiny waist and was popularized by celebrities like the KardashianJenners, has now shifted back to the rich, thin aesthetic. These ever-shifting patterns are problematic, however, because it is impossible to constantly change your style and body type to fit what is popular at the moment. At the same time, consumers must also hold themselves accountable and avoid

buying fast fashion for such unrealistic expectations and desires. If people were able to trust their own decisions instead of relying on what is safe and popular to buy, we would eliminate the demand for limited style choices. Both sides of the problem are important, as 66 percent of textiles in the U.S. end up in landfills, where they accumulate and most of the time cannot even decompose.

Limited fashion branches into unstable trends that are unsustainable for most, but it is just the nature of fashion to constantly change, and it continues to

Alternative Classes for Art Appreciation

tic component of the Met Project, so some students resign and submit underdeveloped artwork. This does not discredit those who put in full effort regardless

teachers’ time to offer a separate art history class, which is a hybrid class of art history and studio art, or even possibly an art elective, which is typically categorized as

an intermediate class—except the Painting elective, which is extremely difficult for underclassmen to enter—between Art Appreciation and the more intensive AP class.

Logistically, altering the art requirement is very achievable. This is evident as the proposal has been done before successfully: the music department offers Music Appreciation, Band, and Chorus. Art classes can all be single-semester classes except for AP Studio Art. The only concern is what will be feasible for the art teachers. However, by offering alternatives for the art requirement, art teachers would benefit from a reduced number of Met Projects to grade and more freedom to teach other art classes.

it may be, such topics are essential to talk about. Just like the “birds and the bees” talk, it’s important to teach kids from a young age that they can discuss death and have an adult who will guide them through their questions. Similarly, schools should have a curriculum in place that fosters healthy discussion around death within classrooms. Creating these safe spaces for all individuals allows communities to understand and fare better when inevitably having to face grief.

As Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius once said, “It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live.” The next time you wonder something about death, talk about it—engage in a conversation with your teachers, your friends, or your siblings. It is only when each of us works towards fostering a culture of acceptance around death that we can learn to come to terms with it. Death is simply a reminder of how precious our time in this world is. If the fear of it keeps us from using that time in the way that will fulfill us the most, then we’ve already died at heart. We have to change how we look at death, for that is the only way we can start truly living life.

change with new ideas, designers, and stylists. Instead, it is important to choose clothes that suit your personal beliefs and expression, clothes that make you feel confident in your body, not what others feel confident in. If everyone individually chose outfits that they enjoy, then we wouldn’t have this sort of limited fashion because of how spread out the beliefs surrounding the way clothes should look would be. In order to reduce fast fashion and create inclusive environments, choose to support your own views on fashion and how you express yourself in your own clothes.

more studio art classes would not only help freshmen but enhance the Stuyvesant art department overall. Visual arts cover so many forms of art that more variation in the courses offered will improve the quality and capability of our art department.

of skill. Still, those students who don’t have an interest in the studio art aspect of the class should not be forced to turn in artwork they are not passionate about.

Instead, it would be a better use of both the students’ and

studio art. This not only gives a fairer chance for those uninterested and inexperienced in creating art but also gives more opportunities to those interested.

For instance, many AP Studio Art students lament the lack of

It is also notable that giving freshmen the freedom to choose their classes is important. An art history class alternative could present an opportunity for students to then take AP Art History. There are currently no history APs or electives for freshmen, so this class could reopen that closed door. On the other hand,

Every year, the entire freshman class is forced to take the class, meaning Art Appreciation is the overwhelming bulk of the art department classes compared to the two single-section electives and single-section AP Studio Art. It is much more effective to replace some Art Appreciation classes with alternative tracks, which adds to the limited diversity of art classes. Depending on faculty decisions and changes in the requirement, we could even possibly see more high-demand Painting or Comic Art sections or even a new exciting elective like photography, printmaking, or sculpting. Either way, more variation in art classes offered at Stuyvesant would directly improve our visual arts department; the Art Appreciation class requirement is holding us back.

We have to change how we look at death, for that is the only way we can start truly living life.

Sophia Li / The Spectator

An Introspective Look at Christianity

By PHILIP VIRATA

A Pew Research Center study from 2022 projects that by 2070, the percentage of Americans who are affiliated with Christianity may drop from 64 percent to between 35 to 54 percent. Though there’s nothing inherently wrong with a decline in religious affiliation, it is critical to look at the underlying causes. Lifeway research found that among the top five reasons young adults aged 23 to 30 stopped attending church were that church members seemed judgmental or hypocritical, that they didn’t agree with the church on social/political issues, and that they lacked a connection to church members. When it comes to the final reason for leaving, the lack of LGBTQ+ acceptance came in number one with about 25 percent , behavior of believers came in second at about 16 percent , politics came third at about 11 percent and faith leadership came in fourth at about 9 percent . When many people in the Christian community, including myself, look at these statistics or at any negative criticism of Christianity for the first time, it is natural to think things like, “Those criticisms don’t apply to me,” “They could’ve found a different church,” or “Those people who did those bad things aren’t real Christians.” Once the Christian community stops placing the blame on those who became religiously unaffiliated and takes a more introspective look into the community itself, Christians will be able to deal with the problems within themselves and within churches. This will then allow for a more welcoming, safe, and healthy environment within Christian groups and churches, which will benefit not only those

By ALEXA LEAHY

Across not only the city but also the country, Stuyvesant is known for its long history of intense academic rigor and well-performing students, but our school is more than just that. There are many communities within Stuy, ranging from a variety of clubs to sports teams, each with its identities and cultures. The sense of camaraderie within these said communities is very strong. However, if you zoom out, Stuy lacks overall school spirit, which is harmful to our high school experiences. Not only does it prevent students from achieving their maximum educational potential, but it also prevents students from connecting with others whom they might not typically meet and creating a sense of belonging within the school.

I’m on the lacrosse team, and I go to other schools for games practically every week. At those other schools, their teams almost always have a significant crowd of classmates cheering for them throughout the game. I am still constantly surprised when I see these crowds, which has led me to wonder: If the games were home games, would we have a huge crowd?

Off the top of my head, I can think of two big reasons why Stuy

within Christian communities but also people trying to introduce themselves to religion and those interacting with that community who aren’t religious.

The largest issue with the Christian community today is their perception of moral superiority. While my Christian friends and I grew up in our churches, we often heard that atheists are more immoral or more prone to doing bad things. However, scientific studies show that there are few moral differences between religious and non-religious groups. We can also look to Biblical scripture and see very easily that this is not the case. One example of such scripture is in James 1:14-15, where the Bible says, “...each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin.” This quote is important because it shows that as long as humans have their own immoral desires, they are going to succumb to them at some point. Though the Bible does say that believing in God can give a person guidance surrounding immorality, no verse guarantees that they will be anywhere close to perfect or more moral than non-believers.

This idea of moral superiority roots itself in phrases that many of my Christian friends and I often use, such as “That’s not very Christian-like of you.” This phrase promotes the presumption that Christians don’t do bad things, like lying and insulting others, and that it’s only something non-Christians do. However, a large part of following the Christian faith is repentance and asking God to forgive the sins that you have committed. For Christians to repent, they need to recognize the sins they do every day. Con-

tinuously using these seemingly harmless phrases creates a division—an us vs. them mentality that pushes people away from the church. A more overt example of this division between Christians and atheists can be seen when talking about the subject of learning about same-sex relationships in schools. One Christian Today article argues that a reason why teaching about same-sex relationships in schools is not okay is that it normalizes it, which the author equates to being worthy of respect. So by this principle, something that is nonconforming to traditional religious standards becomes equal to something not worthy of respect. That’s exactly how moral superiority affects society outside of Christianity adversely. It breeds self-righteousness that makes people think that they can determine what is worthy of respect for an entire society. This is also unbiblical, as the Bible cites the precept of the golden rule in Matthew 7:12. “In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you…” One’s religious affiliation does not exempt one from giving others respect, no matter what. Some uphold this idea of moral superiority by relying on personal anecdotes, but one can’t tell how moral someone is just based on the outward appearance they show to the world. For instance, the Bible points this out very clearly as well when talking about the Pharisees. Pharisees were seen as the people who had the closest relationship to God because they followed all the rules of the Bible and seemed to do everything right. However, in the book of Matthew, Jesus tells the Pharisees, “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Phari-

sees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean” (Matthew 23:26). Hypocrisy akin to that of the Pharisees can be seen in many religious leaders and people today, and it is one of the popular reasons for leaving religion, as it falls under the category of “behavior of believers” I mentioned in the beginning. An example of this hypocrisy and false outwardness among religious leaders is Jim Bakker. He was a televangelist who had exceptional commercial success but was then exposed in a sex scandal and found to be guilty of wire and mail fraud and defrauding the public to cover it up. There is also an alarming number of abuses committed by pastors and religious leaders, and keeping these leaders on moral pedestals allows for these abuses to be covered up.

Being part of a supposedly morally superior group of people can make some people believe it is their responsibility to fix the immoral world. Though God does ask believers to talk about his word and engage in evangelization, many interpret this command as a pass to try and force religion onto others and even persecute others who don’t believe or aren’t following God’s commands. Though there are multiple examples of this, the most notable is the church’s antiLGBTQ+ actions. Though the theological debate over whether or not the Bible actually talks about homosexuality being a sin could constitute a whole other article, the more important point here is analyzing how some of the

Stuy School Spirit: Is It Enough?

would not have these crowds for a typical season game. One reason is simply that Stuy kids have so much on their plates, whether it’s tests or homework, and we don’t have time to trek to Pier 40 or Randall’s Island,the lacrosse team’s home field. Another big reason is our school location. Stuy has a prime location in the heart of downtown Manhattan, which gives students so many things to

ticipating in spirit week or not attending sports games. When having school spirit is ascribed to being “uncool,” this discourages people from participating in school gatherings, which hinders community-building within the student body.

Stuy is also profoundly competitive, both for classes and for college admissions, which can create a sense of isolation, fur-

top of their class. One study even found that 75 percent of students with “school spirit” performed better on a test than students with a lack of school spirit. Though the enormous size of Stuy makes it harder to maintain a sense of school spirit, it also makes it more essential to build the spirit to keep connections between all 3,000+ individuals.

Moreover, practically every

Christian community goes about treating the community. Many politicians use their religious beliefs to justify the passage of antiLGBTQ+ laws. For example, in 2017, more than 150 Christian leaders created an anti-LGBTQ manifesto to uphold their position against marriage equality and providing basic rights to transgender people. Even in 2023, we can see Christian influences behind criminalizing LGBTQ+ identities in Uganda. However, behind all of these bills, there is a large logical fault. If their need to pass anti-LGBTQ+ legislation is simply because of their religious beliefs, then they should be making it a criminal offense to lie or do anything the Bible tells us not to. These people are just inherently prejudiced and are using Christianity to cover up their hateful ideologies. It is the idea of moral superiority that allows them to do so. But what is the “intent of the law” that I am talking about? It’s simple: love. It is told to us in the Bible in so many places. Galatians 5:14 tells us, “For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: Love your neighbor as yourself.” Moreover, when Jesus is asked what is the greatest commandment of all in Matthew 22, he says that “All the law” hangs on two commandments: to love God and love your neighbor as yourself. To love God, one needs to try to follow his commandments and believe in him, which means that doing so cannot come into contradiction with the second commandment: to love your neighbor. So no matter what any religious person or leader tells you, God’s commandments cannot be fulfilled without the intent of love behind them.

so many things we can do to promote Stuy spirit. For example, the school could hold a field day, more constant pep rallies in the gyms either after school or during homeroom periods, incentivize attending school spirit activities, and so much more.

do after school with their friends other than watching a lacrosse game. However, the schools that have big crowds do not have many things to do around them, giving students a more limited choice of after-school activities, one of which is showing up to school sports games. Displaying school spirit is oftentimes associated with “cringiness.” I, myself, am guilty of not engaging with school spirit throughout middle school and at Stuy, whether it was not par-

ther discouraging unity and support for others. Because we are so competitive, I have seen my friends and fellow students feel the need to only support teams that they are a part of. Though this competitive spirit is part of what makes Stuy “Stuy,” we could still keep our sense of competition while building school unity. Additionally, studies have also shown that engagement in school spirit can correlate to a student’s academic success, and students with school spirit tend to end up

Stuy sports team has a different mascot. From the girls’ lacrosse team, whose mascot is the Huskies, to the track mascot, the Greyducks, it seems like we were never set up to be a united school, furthering the divides mentioned earlier. Some sort of action needs to be taken to make all the Stuy sports teams more uniform, such as changing mascots, to make our school cohesive and bond students who are on different sports teams.

Despite all this, there are still

Now, don’t get me wrong, the Stuy sports community itself is very tight-knit. Just last week, the school held a sports banquet, but this sense of spirit can be extended past just members of the sports community. In the future, we could hold banquets once per semester. To incentivize people to attend future pep rallies, we can have a model similar to the sports banquet, where food was offered and raffle prizes were provided, but people who aren’t part of a team can go. Perhaps the Stuy sports community can create an award system with prizes that encourages people to attend sporting events for various teams. Depending on the number of games you attend, you unlock certain levels, therefore unlocking more prizes.

By encouraging school spirit, we can create a sense of belonging for each other, as we are all in this high school journey together. Stuyvesant can become a healthier environment where students can form a sense of pride in their school.

Though the enormous size of Stuy makes it harder to maintain a sense of school spirit, it also makes it more essential to build the spirit to keep connections between all 3,000+ individuals.

By AMARYLLIS SUN

As I frantically reloaded Talos on the train, hoping that the brief period of signal before the train left the station would allow for a saving grace, only one thought ran through my mind: “Please have AP Gov & Macro as history course options.” Based on the title of this article, it’s safe to assume that I was not accepted. Through out my time at Stuyvesant, there have been countless times when anxiety overtook my senses as I awaited a decision, whether it be a text indicating reciprocated ro mantic feelings, an email notifying me of my application status, or Depop alerting me that someone else has purchased the item saved in my cart. Rejection is a normal and unavoidable element of life, despite the sadness and grief it brings each time. In a society so emotionally dependent on accep tance, it’s important to try and embrace rejection, too, for the sake of our mental wellbeings.

As Stuyvesant teachers hand back tests, they constantly re mind students to remain optimis tic, saying, “It’s just a number.” These numbers can raise or drop averages, improve or worsen the mood of a student for that day, and anger or please a strict par ent. While it is true that grades are just numbers, it isn’t this simple to many students: excessive empha sis on grades often lead to intense self-criticism. Stuyvesant students don’t always manage rejection in

Rejection or Redirection

healthy ways, hence why it can be common to witness someone crying in the hallway while holding an exam paper before they

ment inevitably arrives, teenagers tend to belittle themselves and think, “Is this situation my fault?” The reflections can spiral even

has convinced us that romance is meant to have a happy ending where the girl lovingly accepts the guy’s proposal as they drive off

to submit another idea within the next four years. Rejection gives people an idea of what they can refine for the next opportunity, whether it be a math test or the way they treat a new friend. The same can be said for confronting reality. As a defense mechanism, some individuals are afraid to ever speak to a person again after experiencing rejection. However, recognizing that rejection—with the right mindset—can be a stepping stone to allow individuals to overcome their emotions and be open-minded about their past and future relationships. Rejection is one of the hardest mental obstacles to overcome, and it takes many years before individuals can recognize its importance. Despite everything positive I’ve written about rejection, it will always be a scary event that everyone tries to avoid. Part of this can be attributed to society’s emphasis on success and extremes, and the other part is just how humans’ brains work: we’re designed to experience rejection in the five stages of grief—denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and finally, acceptance. Emotions are impossible to control, which is why we should let feelings run their course instead of trying to put up a facade that will only hurt us further. What we can do, however, is attempt to treat ourselves kinder and not let one instance of rejection define our self-worth. After all, we are what we make of

Sacred Threads, Silent Theft: Unmasking South Asian Cultural Appropriation

By ANKITA SAHA

The Om symbol is the most important symbol in Hinduism, symbolizing unity and the reality of the universe. I wear an Om pendant every day because it makes me feel closer to my religion. However, as significant as these symbols are, they are often used as a source of fashion or profit in today’s Western culture.

In 2021, Kim Kardashian had a typical photoshoot on Twitter where she accessorized herself with large hoop earrings showing off the Om symbol. This was soon met with backlash on Twitter, where people expressed their contempt for cultural appropriation. What Kardashian failed to acknowledge is the culture behind the object; the significance behind the symbol. The most sacred symbol in Hinduism was quickly reduced to a mere accessory.

This scenario reveals how the cultural appropriation of South Asian culture pervades our modern society, whether through fashion, art, or food. As many deem their actions as cultural appreciation, a blurry line forms in differentiating appreciation from appropriation. This brings up the question of what cultural appropriation actually is. The line between cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation lies in buying versus stealing. Cultural appropriation is essentially stealing part of a culture because the person is using the culture for their own benefit without acknowledging its significance or giving back to its community in any way. It ultimately results in minority groups

unfairly being taken advantage of, no matter how much the concern is denied with the statement that cultural appropriation allows peo ple to engage with new cultures. Individuals must learn to buy—to be able to truly learn from differ ent cultures but also make mean ingful contributions and advocate for them.

These instances of cultural appropriation among celebrities have broader implications on the respect given toward South Asian culture. Many South Asians are discriminated against for their tra ditional clothing, food, and other aspects. Thus, many feel ashamed or embarrassed to embrace their cultural heritage. However, when other celebrities start using these cultures and integrating them just for their fashion or style, they are not deemed to be lesser, and people don’t shame them for it. Instead, they are often praised for either unique fashion choices or for embracing dif ferent cultures.

Unfortunately, many of these instanc es go unnoticed, and the offenders do not own up to their actions afterward. While many on Twitter spoke out against Kardashian’s ac tions, Kardashian herself never addressed the con troversy and the situation quickly fell under the shadows. In another example, in the music video for “Hymn for the Weekend” by Coldplay, Beyoncé was featured dressed in a Lehenga adorned with jewels and intricate

patterns, a dupatta, and henna, all significant traditional clothing in

video with all of

could have credited the South Asian inspiration at the end of the music video.

Selena Gomez wore a Bindi to accessorize at a red-carpet event in 2013. Bindis hold a very meaningful representation within Hindu culture, symbolizing concealed wisdom, and are typically worn to indicate marital status. They carry deep and cherished value within Hindu culture, representing a wide variety of unique belief systems. By simply wearing a Bindi as an accessory to complete her look, Gomez minimized its significance and actual representation. These implications of cultural appropriation have been present throughout time, but clearly have yet to reach a line where we can learn to appreciate one’s culture without diminishing its values. While many do speak against the normalization of cultural appropriation, there do not seem to be proper changes being made in these realms. These actions often go unchecked because of the celebrities behind them. Many do not fully acknowledge the extent of the issues or consider actually calling them out because these artists are so popular. Thus, there can be biases, and many fans will stay in support of these celebrities regardless of their actions, allowing cultural appropriation to continue manifesting itself in other media. However, when these issues go unnoticed and people do not own up to their actions, cultural appro-

priation can promote stereotypical ideas. When a cultural group is not rightfully credited for its traditions and ideas, people start to neglect the significance of it, and what arises is a common thread of people simply toying with the culture and mocking it.

In order to meaningfully engage with one’s culture, people must learn to embrace it in a way that acknowledges its nuances and roots. We should be buying, not stealing. Going back to Kardashian’s appropriation of the Om symbol, her actions were clearly stealing from Hindu culture. Instead of using her platform to meaningfully acknowledge the Hindu community, she used it as a source of profit. She could have rightfully credited the community by simply incorporating a message on her photoshoot or donating a portion of her profits to a Hindu charity to truly give back to the Hindu community. The same applies to any other celebrity or artist that includes aspects of different cultures in their works.

Ultimately, we should let these actions and instances serve as a reminder to recognize the difference between appropriation and appreciation and take action to prevent the misuse of one’s culture. We must learn to acknowledge different cultures without the intention to benefit or profit from them in any way or appropriate them without acknowledging their roots. Whether that is by speaking out when a celebrity appropriates a cultural symbol or educating ourselves on these issues, we must do something in return and not take more than we are giving.

Natalie Soler/The Spectator

the traditional accessories. Perhaps the band

Sin Liu / The Spectator

Why Our Fear of GMOs Is Actively Harmful to Society

By SETH FENTON

The term “genetically modified organisms (GMO)” seems to inspire a lot of paranoia. People often call them Frankenfoods and claim that they’re unsafe or even accuse their creators of playing god. In reality, GMO foods have roughly the same nutritional impacts as their non-GMO counterparts. All the fear in the world can’t change the fundamental truth that our environment is changing and that failure to update our farming methods with the technology available could cause real devastation. Furthermore, even without accounting for the substantial environmental changes anticipated by the majority of the world’s scientists, GMOs are an absolute necessity to support an ever-growing

By JOANNE HWANG

Selfishness is a vice and yet one of the most constant human motivators. It can be a plague to society when people have no regard for others or fail to feel remorse. But, it also drives society forward. Everyone preaches generosity and kindness, but constantly prioritizing others is exhausting. Selfishness is a trait, not a defining factor, that can aid progress and survival. In the process of teaching children to be selfless, society emphasizes the importance of self-sacrifice over self-care, but sometimes, selfishness is necessary to improve a person’s life.

Many philosophical beliefs claim that humans are innately selfish, and as a result, religious and social teachings aim to suppress selfish desires. Christianity uses the Seven Deadly Sins to teach that selfishness can damage one’s relationship with God, and Islam says the human predisposition to selfishness is a test, depicting selfishness as a trait to overcome and admonish. It’s repeatedly ingrained into people’s brains to put others before themselves, because selfishness has a negative connotation and is associated with the belief that any action someone takes for themselves is selfish.

However, self-preservation and selfishness are human instincts and survival skills. In emergencies, people push past crowds and break loyalties to save themselves. In one way or another, any decision that increases one’s chance for survival is selfish. The Illinois Wesleyan University studied the survival of organisms by comparing the actions of honeybees sacrificing themselves to preserve their genes in the queen bee to humans, who provide money for the poor to feel a sense of selffulfillment. They concluded that no action that contributes to the survival of an individual or species is completely altruistic. Natural selection, the process by which nature chooses which organisms live, would not allow purely altruistic behavior to survive; a human would not sacrifice their happiness or livelihood for others because it would lead to their death.

While society calls people who sacrifice themselves for others selfless and brave, on crashing planes, people are told to be selfish. People are instructed to put on their own oxygen masks and ensure their safety before helping others. Society turns a blind eye to self-

population. As such, any illogical moral panic about GMOs should be mostly brushed aside so society can continue to sustain itself.

GMO crops provide a wide variety of benefits, including better resistance to herbicides, builtin immunity to insects, and increased growth rates. They’re also often healthier than their nonGMO counterparts, have substantially lower production costs, and can even be used to createmedicines.

The public fear of the proliferation of this important crop type is mostly due to the work of one man: Jeremy Rifkin. This single individual founded a think tank that utilized a combination of pseudoscience mostly revolving around imagined health risks supposedly associated with GMOs and a huge amount of re-

ligious messaging about preserving the sanctity of nature. He and his think tank continue to be directly responsible for the religious aspect of that movement and for the many actions of anti-GMO protests. This campaign was largely successful even though the scientific consensus on the safety of GMOs is even stronger than that surrounding climate change. While this anti-GMO crusade began in the 1970s and 1980s, in the past decade, the power of anti-GMO fervor hit new heights, especially in the U.S. However, a labeling law managed to quiet the majority of the anti-GMO movement, at least at the legislative level. This movement has done far more damage to the European Union, where GMOs have been almost entirely banned. This has caused a spike in food prices and

made them utterly uncompetitive in this vital new market.

So what can we do as both a nation and individuals to destroy this stigma and help advance this valuable resource? The U.S. should include GMO foods under the label of organic, thereby effectively publicly stating to consumers and other nations that these foods are completely safe and of high quality. It would only require a simple definition change and would not even be untrue since there is no real scientific definition of organic foods, only what the Food and Drug Administration states. Beyond this, the U.S. government could also outright subsidize GMO research and encourage other nations to relax their policies on this important variety of crops. Obviously, the U.S. can’t change the entire policy of the

It’s Okay to Be Selfish

ishness when it comes to life-ordeath situations but doesn’t realize that exhibiting a degree of selfishness in life is healthy. In daily life, healthy selfishness can be a form of self-care that allows people to regain health, find their identities, and build stronger relationships. When people serve themselves, they set boundaries, refuse requests, and improve their mental health, which allows people to be more effectively selfless. While it may sound like a contradiction, without taking care of themselves, people can’t effectively care for

dren and focusing on their careers, and artists are labeled as selfish for choosing love over their fan’s feelings. However, students, celebrities, and adults have to act with a certain amount of selfishness in order to achieve their goals and maintain their well-being.

Teenagers are especially selfaware when it comes to the degree of selfishness in their actions due to social hierarchies and popularity contests in schools. To maintain popularity and avoid rumors, students overthink decisions and are afraid to take the initiative.

hood, selfishness can allow for better cooperation and improved results. Harvard Business Review encourages selfishness for people in leadership positions because being selfish benefits the people around the leader as well as the individual. Taking the time to remove negativity from one’s life, setting boundaries, and nurturing a positive mindset can be considered selfish. But a healthy, effective, and confident leader can achieve better cooperation and create a healthier environment. Similarly, artists and writers often need to be selfish and

European Union, but just officially encouraging a change in international forums could provide at least a bit of pressure on these nations and perhaps eventually drive some relaxation of the rules.

As individuals, we can simply stop fearing perfectly innocuous foods in our grocery stores labeled GMO. Accepting that they’re not harmful to you in any way and spreading that message whenever the conversation comes up can do wonders for widespread cultural acceptance. In the end, while the government chooses whether to regulate GMOs, we choose if we allow them into our lives. By redirecting our vision of GMO products as simply food, the same as any non-GMO product, we would do more for their development than could be done with any legislation.

Elliot Page said that he had to be “selfish” to come out to the public. However, the belief that telling one’s sexual or gender identity is selfish is the issue. Coming out may or may not be vital to accepting one’s identity, but the purpose of revealing sexual or gender orientation is for one’s own well-being, not for the reaction or benefit of others. And yet, transgender people are constantly called selfish for wanting to medically transition to better fit their identities, and transgender athletes, such as swimmer Lia Thomas, were called selfish for dominating women’s sports.

The importance of being selfish is to be selfish in a healthy way, acknowledging when one’s actions are actively harming others while still maintaining self-care. While it’s unacceptable to constantly step on other people to climb the social or academic ladder, removing the fear of being labeled “selfish” can allow students to be healthier, avoid burnout, and keep a positive and energetic attitude. In daily life, people need to stop worrying about whether self-defense, taking the initiative, or offending problematic people is selfish because being selfish and putting oneself before others isn’t always harmful.

First, society needs to reconsider the definition of selfishness and realize that the degree and severity of selfish actions varies from action to action and from person to person. Immediately associating the word with narcissistic or egotistical behavior can result in more self-doubt, and people must differentiate between selfseeking behavior and self-respect. Society divides human actions into distinct, dichotomous categories: selfish and selfless. However, people don’t fit into one category or the other because the two categories are on the extreme ends of a messy and complicated spectrum.

others. The problem is that society has taken the idea of selfishness to an extreme, which results in people being hesitant to benefit themselves in fear of being called selfish. Oxford Dictionary defines selfishness as being chiefly concerned with oneself over others, but the broad definition doesn’t capture the complexities of selfishness, therefore leading to the extreme negative association and the overuse of the word. People call women like actress Jennifer Aniston selfish for not having chil-

Students continuously sacrifice their passions in fear of being too selfish and therefore abandon selfadvocacy and academic success. Students may turn down academic and professional opportunities, and they may neglect their own needs to care for their friends, but taking opportunities, prioritizing one’s future, and even removing people from one’s life are sometimes necessary. Society equates selfishness with narcissism, causing people to be doubtful of their abilities and choices.

In both adolescence and adult-

immerse themselves in their work in order to produce meaningful and personal results. Whether it’s education, a project, or a job, doing something for oneself can achieve more satisfying and successful outcomes than doing something strictly for other people.

Furthermore, the term “selfish” has been used with an extremely negative connotation regarding minorities fighting for their equal rights. Members of the LGBTQ+ community are too often called “selfish” for coming out to their families. Transgender actor

The world isn’t black and white, so there should exist a balance between selfishness and selflessness. Labeling every action others take for themselves as selfishness and promoting altruism can detract from one’s ability to care for themself. Certain situations require people to be selfish to preserve their identities and emotional and physical wellbeing and better contribute to society. Selfishness doesn’t make a person a jerk or coldhearted, and using the word selfish to define all selfcaring and self-benefiting behaviors can be detrimental.

Zihe Hunag / The Spectator

Linus Pauling: Jack of All Trades, Master of All

By MAHIR HOSSAIN

Though many Stuyvesant students consider themselves scientifically oriented individuals, many feel that there is one specific branch of science that is extremely challenging to comprehend. For some it’s biology, for others it’s chemistry, and for myself (and 99 percent of the Stuyvesant population) it’s physics. These “big three” sciences make up the foundations of the scientific world, and mastering the biological, chemical, and physical sciences with appropriate applications allows scientists to apply a conceptual understanding to everything from the largest of organisms to the smallest of particles.

Linus Pauling (1901–1994) was a founding figure of molecular biology and the then relatively new field of quantum chemistry, which uses mathematical models to explore particle motion in chemical reactions. At the young age of 15, Pauling already had enough credits from high school to enter Oregon State University (OSU), where he spent his undergraduate years teaching chemistry with the approval of his professors, who noticed Pauling’s remarkable talent for the subject. During his time at OSU, he was drawn to the fields of mathematical, physical, and theoretical chemistry.

In the 1930s, the scientific community struggled to understand how molecules were oriented. It was pretty clear that atoms and molecules of higher structural order existed, as demonstrated by the discovery of p orbitals defining three-dimensional space by Niels Bohr, but now the looming question was,

“How did they look in 3D?”

Facing the challenge, Pauling began to look at the work done by chemists at the California Institute of Technology, where he enrolled shortly after for his doctorate. Scientists such as Gilbert N. Lewis—after whom Lewis dot diagrams are named—were grappling with the concept of valence bond theory. Valence bond theory is founded on the idea that elec trons are shared in orbitals, which are areas where an electron is most likely to be found in an atom.

Pauling dedicated his life’s work to figuring out what would later be known as The Nature of the Chemical Bond

He used X-ray crystal lography, a method that utilizes high-powered ra dioactive waves to visualize molecules. After shining ra diation onto methane, a car bon atom with four hydrogens attached, Pauling realized that it had a tetrahedron (triangular pyramid) structure in 3D space. From this observation, he proposed that orbitals are hybridized, explaining that the direct overlap of electrons allowed chemical bonds—known as sigma (σ) bonds—to form, giving rise to the 3D nature of molecules. Pauling was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1954 for his exceptional research findings. The extensive nature of discovering 3D molecular structures became more apparent

as scientists came across a new problem while dealing with the then-mysterious structure of DNA. Though it is now common knowledge that the DNA molecule is a double-stranded

for the genetic information in DNA. This made the molecule very unstable and vulnerable to damage. These faults, among others, were building blocks for the eventual finders of the double helix, James Watson and Francis Crick, in 1953.

Despite this inaccuracy in solving the DNA mystery, Pauling’s work in biochemistry holds impressive significance. He used electrophoresis on hemoglobin, a protein that carries oxygen in the blood, to prove that it was present in both its mutant and regular forms in patients diagnosed with sickle cell anemia. Thus, Pauling opened another field of science: molecular genetics, a field that works with how proteins, which are encoded by genes, can lead to potentially life-threatening conditions. Scientists could then diagnose their patients with more confidence and propose certain gene therapies to alleviate symptoms.

Pauling’s work outside the lab was just as influential as his work inside.

test nuclear bombs on unsuspecting civilians just to demonstrate military dominance, especially following the devastating atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Under the Emergency Committee of Atomic Scientists, Pauling and other prominent scientists vigorously protested against the American government’s nuclear testing. Kennedy finally complied, signing the Partial Ban Test Treaty into law to suspend all nuclear test detonations. Pauling was then awarded his second Nobel Prize in 1962 for his efforts in nuclear activism.

and beta-pleated sheets responsible for the structure of proteins, so the general public had great faith that Pauling would find the structure of DNA. The helix that Pauling proposed had multiple chemical faults, though. For one, he had made a triple helix with too many nucleotides coding

The rise of nuclear warfare during World War II led to the Manhattan Project, a governmentfunded project with the world’s leading atomic scientists to make the first nuclear bomb. Pauling challenged President John F. Kennedy, asserting that being in a nuclear arms race would cause biological defects in unborn babies and children who were susceptible to nuclear radiation exposure. Additionally, Pauling argued that it wasn’t ethical to

Pauling’s death in 1994 marked the end of his 93-year career in the big three sciences, laying the foundations of biology, chemistry, and physics that have now become part of our textbooks and high school curriculums. But before you jump to conclusions and blame Pauling for your 65 in AP Chemistry, remember that his contributions to science are now used everywhere in modern medicine and industrialization. Pauling’s ideas about proteins are now used to detect COVID-19 in rapid testing kits; his ideas in particle movement allow engineers to figure out which batteries are the most efficient yet compact sources of energy; and now, geneticists can develop molecular techniques to further explore medical genetics and diagnose immunocompromised patients. And as science keeps marching on, Pauling has done us a favor by delving into the complex branches that every scientific field has to offer, and leaving behind revolutionary findings that the next generation of scientists can now challenge and interpret.

From Neuroactivity To Speech: A Breakthrough in Neurotechnology

By VINSON CHEN

After 16 years of silence, a 36-year-old man communicated his first sentence. Most of us are fortunate enough to be able to easily communicate with others through speech. However, approximately 18.5 million people suffer from speech disorders and thousands of people are unable to speak due to paralysis, cerebral palsy, or apraxia. Speaking is a critical communication method that has been used since our ancestors were alive 70,000 years ago, initially in the form of grunts and nature calls in order to survive; being unable to speak is undeniably life altering.

To combat this issue, a novel neuroprosthetic device able to convert the neurotic signals of a paralyzed man into complete sentences was developed in 2021 by researchers at UC San Francisco. This man, referred to as patient BRAVO-1, had suffered a severe brain stem stroke at the age of 20, causing paralysis and face anarthria (the inability to articulate speech). He began to use a pointer attached to a baseball cap on his head to type out letters on a computer in order to vocalize his thoughts. Sixteen years later, he became a

participant in the study “BrainComputer Interface Restoration of Arm and Voice” (BRAVO).

UCSF Chair of Neurological Surgery and co-director of the Center for Neural Engineering Edward Chang led his research group through the development of a brainwave-converting neuroprosthetic. Brainwaves are essentially electrical impulses sent through neurons that communicate various messages throughout the brain. First, the researchers mapped out the region of the brain controlling the vocal tract: the sensorimotor cortex, a region located in the upper-middle section of the brain responsible for processing somatic sensations such as temperature, taste, and smell. Next, they developed a neural code for the English alphabet that paired each letter with all the articulations needed to make the appropriate sound, such as the tongue’s motion and the mouth’s movement, into Algorithm One. They aimed to use this code to decode the patient’s speech-linked brain activity.

To start the experiment, they created Algorithm Two, which recognized the articulatory gestures used to verbally express 50 different words. Then, they placed a neural implant com-

posed of 128 electrodes—electric conductors designed to carry electricity to nonmetallic matter—over the sensorimotor cortex. Next, BRAVO-1 was asked to attempt to speak in order to answer certain questions, using only the 50 words that Algorithm Two knew. The implanted device recorded his brain activity throughout the process.

The device works through a three-step system. First, a separate algorithm detects the brain signals to determine whether the patient is attempting to speak. Then, a second word classification algorithm predicts the probability of the patient attempting to use each of the 50 available words by analyzing the articulation signals in BRAVO-1’s sensorimotor cortex. Thanks to Algorithm One, each alphabet’s sound is paired with the oral movements needed to make them, which are linked to the articulation signals sent by the brain to make those oral movements. Algorithm Two uses Algorithm One to connect each of the 50 words with the articulation gestures needed to make them. Thus, this word classification algorithm relies heavily on Algorithm Two. This was the most complicated process since

each brain signal is often associated with multiple words and sounds. The third algorithm determines the probabilities for the next words based on the previous ones, following the common English linguistic and semantic structure.

Over 9,800 trials of the experiment were conducted. Results from the thousands of trials concluded that the average accuracy rate was 74 percent, functioning at a speed of 15 words decoded per minute. Therefore, it is evident that this system, while groundbreaking, has significant limitations. The extremely slow speed and limited 50 word count makes it unviable for everyday use, given that the average human speaking speed is 150 words per minute and the average adult vocabulary consists of 27,500 words. In order to accommodate more words, the neural code algorithm must undergo a time-consuming process to be updated. Furthermore, the system is not portable, and the accuracy needs to be improved for efficiency in day-today life as the neuroprosthetic is currently flawed since it associates one brainwave with the wrong articulation gesture and therefore communicates the

wrong word.

Postdoctoral researcher David Moses, who works with Chang in his lab, stated, “Now that we even have this initial proof of concept, and this first shred of evidence that this is feasible, it’s really quite motivating to see how far we can go with it.” The success of this new technology will open up more opportunities for improvement to assist those with different neuro-disabilities. However, it still has many flaws as of now. For one, it’s prone to interpreting the wrong word from brain signals and is not ready for wide scale manufacturing. Furthermore, even after improving the accuracy, such technology would undoubtedly be extremely expensive and unaffordable for the average person. In addition, it was created in America and therefore only works with the English language; many additional algorithms would have to be created for it to work for other languages. Still, this neuroprosthetic is an important breakthrough in the field of neurotechnology. Despite current setbacks, it has the potential to make speech communication easier for many in the distant future.

Celeste Hoo / The Spectator

By LENNY METLITSKY

Does your computer from only a couple of years ago feel like an archeological relic of a lost generation? If you were to compare the speed of that old computer to those of computers today, the old computer would seem like a tortoise. Top technology companies such as Apple and AMD have been doubling the performance of their previous generations within one or two years by shrinking the size of transistors—the basic building blocks of processors—and increasing the number of them packed together. The exponential growth in performance over the past five decades has been mind-boggling. For example, a smartphone from a couple years ago has over 100,000 times the computing power and 1,000,000 times the memory of the computer used for the Apollo missions. The co-founder of Intel, Gordon Moore, coined a name for this trend: Moore’s law. It states that the number of transistors doubles every two years, which corresponds to the doubling of computing power. While Moore’s law has remained true to this day, it now seems as if

The Self-Imposed Limits of Computing

traditional computing is reaching the limit of performance. Though more transistors are being packed onto processors, the physical processors themselves have remained small or even shrunken. Such a counterintuitive trend has been made possible by the transistors themselves becoming smaller, through billions of dollars being poured into research and development. In the 1970s, the 10-micron process was the latest innovation, but today, the latest fabrication plants are creating transistors around the size of three nanometers—more than 300 times smaller. With transistors shrinking to nearly the size of an atom, electrons start misbehaving and jumping through transistor gates in unexpected ways, which makes computing at this scale almost impossible. The limits of traditional computing are being reached on an atomic scale.

In fact, Moore predicted that exponential growth cannot be sustained forever. Similarly, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang considers Moore’s law to be dead, citing costs as a major contributor. When it takes more than 10 billion dollars to develop a new process, com-

pany executives do not want to invest for the long term, as there are no immediate returns for investors. So, companies are accomplishing improved performance through methods other than simply moving to a smaller and more efficient process, such as by sharply increasing power consumption. The previous consensus was that the doubling of computing power would come at no additional power consumption, but the last five years have proven this prediction false. Manufacturers will increase power targets to produce leaps in computing power and maximize appeal to the consumer and investor. Intel’s flagship central processing unit (CPU) in late 2015, the I7-6700K, used to be manufactured with the 14nm process and draw around 120 watts of power. Now, a chip that isn’t even Intel’s flagship CPU, the I7-12900K, is more than twice as powerful, drawing over 250 watts of power. The trend with graphics processing units (GPUs) is even worse, with Nvidia’s flagship having a factory recommendation of over 450 watts, a drastic change from its previous 250 watts. Currently, most of the graphics

cards in production by Nvidia or AMD draw more than 350 watts, with some drawing even more than 400 watts. That’s more than some space heaters, and it’s only one of the processors in your computer!

The culprit of this is Moore’s second law, otherwise known as Rock’s law, and it states that the cost of a new fabrication plant for a new manufacturing process doubles every four years. The latest 3nm process is already at a steeping high price of over $15 billion for a fabrication plant. Even if we could overcome the size limitations so that a smaller process could begin production, the price would be much higher. In addition, the research and design for these chips cost billions of dollars, with manufacturers already struggling to keep up with these costs. Instead of improving their transistors, Nvidia, Intel, and AMD are all choosing to crank up power targets. As long as these companies continue to seek short-term profits, power targets will continuously rise and transistor progress will remain stagnant. Other than the obvious increased electricity costs, with computers drawing more

power, they will be emitting more energy in the form of heat.

However, all hope is not lost for the future of computing. When companies decide to make innovations again, they will have plenty of workarounds and new technology to bypass the physical limits of computing. For instance, to avoid the size limitations of traditional silicon fabrication needing to be three-dimensional, a new two-dimensional class of materials is being researched that could be stacked for increased density. More power efficient architectures such as ARM and RISCV are on the rise, so this could be an alternate pathway for manufacturers to improve mainstream computing power without requiring customers to own a small nuclear power station for powering their computers. Regardless, that isn’t the future of innovation that Nvidia, Intel, and AMD are mainly choosing. While they may say they’re still innovating, the truth is clear: Short term profits are maximized as a copout solution to a technological problem that skyrockets power consumption.

Understanding How Fingerprint Patterns Are Formed

By TASHFIA DIHA

In 1910, Thomas Jennings was brought in as a suspect for the murder of Clarence Hiller, a homeowner killed after a confrontation with an intruder. To prove Jennings was guilty, the police used the fingerprints found on a freshly painted rail, which the intruder utilized to hoist himself into the home. The fingerprints were shown to be identical to Jennings’s, making this case the first criminal trial in American history to convict on the basis of fingerprint evidence.

Fingerprinting is based on friction ridge patterns, or, as Sir Francis Galton coined them, “fingerprint patterns.” Fingerprints are unique from person to person (even identical twins), but all are composed of the same general features: loops recurve unto themselves, whorls are circular patterns, and arches are wavelike patterns. The formation of unique fingerprints is possible through a combination of factors, including genetics and the environment inside the womb during fetal development.

However, the specifics of the fingerprint formation process have always left scientists puzzled; after all, it’s difficult to create an accurate and cost-efficient experiment to determine how fingerprints form because they develop in the early stages of pregnancy. But a team of scientists from the Roslin Institute were able to mimic the development of fingerprints in February 2023 by tracking the genetics behind the developmental formation of transverse digital ridges in fetal mice. Before they began the experiment, the scientists had to understand what molecules they could manipulate in the mice to create different print patterns. Fingerprints

form by first growing down into the skin to create valleys—the space between ridges. Then, after a few weeks, the cells at the bottom of these valleys stop growing downward. Instead, the cells in the finger pad begin to push the skin upward to create ridges. To understand what molecules cause this unusual growth pattern, hair follicles were chosen because the team discovered the growth of the two skin structures was nearly identical in its beginning stages.

As expected, the structures shared certain signaling molecules: WNT, EDAR, and BMP. WNT is the molecule that promotes cell growth, leading to the ridges on fingerprints. Cells produce EDAR to boost WNT activity. BMP, on the other hand, restricts and stops these actions, leading to the valleys in fingerprints. As the functions of these three molecules opposed each other to first create downward growth and then upward growth, they formed a Turing reaction-diffusion system—the opposition of an activator and an inhibitor, leading to the formation of unique patterns based on the different diffusion rates.

Next, the researchers tracked the mice’s transverse digital ridge development to experiment with how they led to different fingerprint patterns. The transverse digital ridges in mice toes are striped ridges similar to human fingerprints. Just like fingerprints, these digital ridges also contain Merkel cells—cells below the epidermis that may be involved in the sensation of touch—indicating underlying dermal structures that could be used to form primary ridge patterns. Additionally, the ridges in mice toes are formed at random and express certain molecules like EDAR, which prefigures primary ridge locations just as

human fingerprints do. The experiments revealed that EDAR created the distinct ridges, so increasing its presence led to broader, more spaced out ridges, while decreased EDAR led to spots. In contrast, BMP creates valleys, so more BMP led to narrower, closer ridges, and less BMP led to stripes. Though the researchers believed that human fingerprints followed these rules as well, further evidence was needed to

starting points. Adjusting these factors with the Turing rule set resulted in the three general fingerprint patterns—arches, loops, and whorls—through the varying factors and opposing molecules.

The main goal of this research, however, is to understand how skin matures. This could aid in developing therapies for congenital conditions relating to the skin, allowing for medical regeneration in the

mation are affected so that they can manipulate these molecules in the future for proper skin development.

On a broader scale, this study doesn’t just show how fingerprints are formed; it helps scientists obtain a comprehensive understanding of how the patterns and systems following Turing’s rules vary between organs and structures. For instance, we can compare the formation of the ridges on mice toes and the ridges on the roofs of mice mouths through the Turing system to understand what molecules distinguish between them. We can observe that though both create ridges, different molecules are used for this process in the two structures. The ridges in the mice’s mouths use FGF as an activator and Shh as an inhibitor, whereas the ridges on the toes use EDAR and WNT as the activators and BMP as the inhibitors. Ultimately, studying these differences to understand how they lead to similar end goals could help further manipulate certain factors to acquire desired results in skin development.

prove it. This tracking only explained some patterns in human fingerprints, as mouse digits are too small to fit the elaborate shapes of human fingerprint patterns. As a solution, the researchers created mathematical models of human fingerprints unto which they could apply Turing’s rules. From the known starting points of fingerprint formation on the finger pad— which are under the nail, the crease of the joint, and the center of the finger pad—the researchers manipulated the timing, locations, and angles of the

future through the artificial reprogramming of skin formation. Such therapies would be most applicable in treating babies with improper skin development such as adermatoglyphia, the absence of fingerprint and toe pad ridges. Such diseases pose problems like delaying the affected individuals from international travel because they cannot be identified without their fingerprints. As a result, the goal for future studies is to understand these skin diseases better and how the molecules involved in skin for-

For generations, fingerprints have aided in identifying individuals, mystifying scientists with their elusive development. For the first time, we are beginning to understand the unfamiliar ways in which fingerprints form through Turing’s rules, despite the multifarious other questions that remain. What was their role throughout human evolution? How can we create therapies for those with congenital conditions that prevent them from having properly developed fingerprints and skin structures? Perhaps in the distant future, we’ll have the answers to these questions, as well as technology that can help us reprogram the process of how skin develops.

Lillian Zou

/ The Spectator

Run to Live, Live to Run!

By JAMES LI and ALEX ZHENG

“Huff… huff…” Your soft exhales harmonize with the rhythmic pounding of your legs striking the ground. Your head bobs as you glance around the fourth floor hallway. After a couple of seconds, you reach your destination: the staircase! Opening the door, a flier on the wall catches your eye. It says: TRACK TRYOUTS (No cut :D). Scanning over the information, you familiarize yourself with the dates; your interest is piqued. But a visible confusion floods your face as you scrutinize the poster again. You ask yourself, “What is the difference between sprint and distance running?”

It is vital to make the distinction between distance running and sprinting. Sprinting usually involves running over a 55 meter to 400 meter distance at the top-most speeds of the human body—running at 80 percent or 85 percent of one’s maximum heart rate. Distance running, on the other hand, takes the form of slower jogs over longer distances, usually measured by mileage. This usually occurs at 60 percent of the maximum heart rate or less. Each can be thought of as their own separate way of training or exercise, with different benefits and setbacks.

Cardiovascularity

Both forms of running have been shown to improve overall heart function. The constant stress of pumping blood to maintain the full body’s active motion almost immediately strengthens the heart muscles. In the long-term, improved heart function can ultimately result in lower blood pressure and resting heart rate, reducing the risk of heart disease and leading to a longer and healthier life.

However, when it comes to overall cardiovascular improvement, distance running takes the cake. Extended periods of less intensive runs are better suited

By KARINA GUPTA

Nearly eight billion people live on Earth today. That’s eight billion brains and eight billion different ways of thinking. Because no two people think the same way, each mind is distinct. Some brains have innate differences that change the way they function, straying away from neurotypicality, which describes a person who develops certain social and organizational skills at a similar rate as their peers. The contrasting idea is neurodivergence, where an individual’s brain functions differently. This may affect the way they deal with change, distractions, and other stimuli on a daily basis. Neurodivergence can manifest in many different ways, with no single one “better” or “worse” than another. Diversity is the natural way of the world, and neurodivergence is a phenomenon that has introduced us to countless unique, incredibly important minds.

Cory Coleman is a Special Education teacher at Stuyvesant who specializes in neurodivergence. Coleman herself is a twiceexceptional neurodivergent. She was diagnosed with multiple

toward building endurance. Like any other muscle, the heart needs to be continuously trained in order to break and rebuild stronger muscle fibers for growth. A 1985 study found that in general, distance runners have lower resting heart rates with maximal oxygen consumption (VO2 max). This is reflective of how much oxygen they are able to take in with each breath; the higher the value, the more oxygen the body has to supply its cells. Intense cardiovascular exercise leads to “Athlete’s Heart,” a non-pathological condition characterized by thicker ventricles that pump blood more efficiently. An increased cardiovascularity from distance running directly translates into other health benefits. For example, runners have drastically lower risks of cancer and dementia. Interestingly, running is able to allocate glucose resources in the body toward internal organs rather than to malicious tumors, depriving them of the fuel needed to grow. Furthermore, according to the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, researchers concluded that running 15 miles a week decreases the chance of dying from Alzheimer’s by over 40 percent.

Physicality

The physical difference between sprinters and distance runners is especially notable when examining some of the top runners in the world. Take Eliud Kipchoge, the undisputed GOAT of marathon running and the only man in history to ever run a sub-two hour marathon. He has a lean muscular frame. On the other hand, sprinters like Usain Bolt tend to have bulkier muscles, with well-developed shoulders, biceps, and quadriceps. While a lot of this comes down to training, there is also a genetic aspect to running. The genes ACTN3 and ACE both play a role in athletic performance by influencing muscle development, especially fast twitch muscles, which are important for

short, intense bursts of energy and explosive power.

Sprinting is an excellent means of maintaining a healthy fitness level while toning the body. A 2008 study on morphological differences of elite Croatian track-and-field athletes showed that sprinters have a lower body fat percentage than many endurance athletes. However, sprinting is also an excellent way to build up muscle mass. When sprinting, the production of human growth hormones spikes up to 200 percent, which can help repair past injured muscles and increase one’s overall muscular strength.

On the other hand, distance running offers an outstanding means of losing weight. Running over long distances for extended periods of time teaches one’s body to utilize not only glycogen, a quick source of energy in our bloodstreams, but also fat deposits, a more long term source of energy. Activating these fat deposits help whittle them down, decreasing overall body fat percentage.

It is also worthy to note that while both forms of running build different types of muscles, sprinting builds fast twitch muscles, while distance runners build slow twitch muscles (muscles that are more fatigue-resistance, aiding endurance related activities). Everyone has both kinds of muscles, but the proportions vary based on which type of exercise they do more frequently. For instance, elite sprinters have nearly 80 to 85 percent fast twitch. The short bursts of energy help them accelerate to unimaginable speeds. On the contrary, elite distance runners can have the same 85 percent of slow twitch muscles, granting them the ability to run for hours without stopping.

Mental Benefits

Various studies have demonstrated the mental and cognitive benefits of running. A short 10-minute jog can boost

memory, attention, organization and planning by increasing blood flow to the prefrontal cortex and simply stimulating the growth of new nerve cells and blood vessels in the brain. This growth counteracts the gradual shrinking of the brain as one grows older. Sprinting serves to bolster memory formation by increasing the brain’s neural plasticity, or how well neurons are able to communicate with one another. Furthermore, while running, the body releases high levels of endorphins and endocannabinoids, which are biochemical substances that help relieve pain and negate feelings of anxiety.

Sprinting and distance running are also great ways to train resilience and willpower. The act of pushing the human body to its limits is extremely challenging and requires immense determination. Through physical exertion, runners develop a better mind-body connection. For example, the TaraHumara, a group of indigenous superathletes living in Chihuahua, Mexico, are able to run hundreds of miles weekly without even breaking a sweat. Running is not only crucial to their livelihoods, but also a source of enjoyment. Their athleticism and exceptional physical prowess has also correlated to many mental benefits, eradicating virtually all suicide, violence, and theft in their societies. Combining all these benefits, both sprinting and distance running can result in higher confidence by promoting self-image, resulting in positive effects on mental health.

Injuries

With any physical activity, there are variable levels of physical exertion. In a study of running injuries among different populations of runners, injuries were most common in sprint athletes and ultramarathon runners—the two forms of running that take speed and distance to the very extremes. For the average runner, however, sprinting

Our Neurodiversity

learning disabilities by the age of 12 and went to college at age 16. “I knew that [neurodivergence] was an area that I wanted to go into because I felt that there were some things that definitely needed to change,” Coleman said.

Coleman explained that twice-exceptional neurodivergence is characterized by having remarkable ability in certain areas and facing relative challenges in others. If a neurodivergent student were to take an IQ test, they would likely score two clinical marks above average in one area, and perhaps two marks below average in another.

The strengths and challenges in twice exceptionality are often correlated with each other. For instance, someone with orthographic dyslexia (difficulty storing information presented visually) may have a remarkable auditory memory (the ability to repeat and recall information presented orally). Since the brain isn’t putting as much energy into orthographic processing, its plasticity allows it to compensate by putting this extra energy toward the auditory memory, making it much more advanced than what is considered neurotypical. For instance, be-

cause of this advanced auditory memory, the individual would be able to effortlessly recite quotes from a book that had been read out loud to them only once.

Coleman said that neurodivergence is much more present in elite education environments like Stuyvesant. The amount of neurodivergence at this school is atypical; an estimate of 210 to 350 students at Stuyvesant qualify as twice-exceptional neurodivergent. If a random sample was taken from the general population, there would likely be a much smaller percentage of those whose cognitive characteristics would present themselves in the same way as those of Stuyvesant students. “The level that students can engage in things like coding, and linear linguistic systems, like some higher degree of math, or can speak three languages by the time that they graduate, that is all neurodivergence,” Coleman asserted. However, it is important to note that not all students who are able to do this are neurodivergent. It's just that for a neurodivergent individual, these abilities may come more naturally.

The way neurodivergence manifests itself varies from

has an even higher risk of injury due to the higher intensity of the sport, even for professional sprinters. Each step a sprinter takes places pressure equivalent to nearly four to five times their body weight, which undoubtedly places a stress on both the runner’s muscles and joints. While distance running is more of a leisure activity, injuries can still occur. Generally, the rate of injury increases significantly when one runs more than 40 miles a week, wearing down the limits of the body.

Similarly, in both sprinting and distance running, the risk of injury is compounded by flaws in one’s running technique. One common example is overstriding: taking steps that are way too long. While this might feel like it covers more ground, it forces the leg to strike the ground in an awkward position, placing further stress on the joints. Over 85 percent of novice runners get injured due to overexerting themselves or poor running form.

Recovery and Efficiency

Ultimately, sprinting is much more efficient due to the benefits it incurs over a shorter time frame. However, it is notable that while sprinting is a more efficient workout, there is also a longer recovery period associated with the exercise. In general, many athletes need around 48 hours to 72 hours for a full recovery after a sprint workout. Distance runners typically only need a day of rest, which allows for daily workouts and a high amount of fat loss in a short period of time.

It is clear that distance running and sprinting each have their own benefits and drawbacks. Though they do share certain key similarities, both should be viewed as separate entities rather than being lumped together. During your next workout, it is important to select the one most suitable to your physical fitness and prevent injuries by practicing in moderation and employing good technique.

person to person. This can affect their lives in many different ways. Not all neurodivergent people need individualized support. First of all, in many cases of neurodivergence, the gap between one’s strength and their area of challenge is not very large. Though their neurodivergence could cause difficulty in some areas, they could still learn without special support. Especially nowadays, with the countless resources that technology provides, it’s easier to deal with the various challenges that neurodivergence can create. One example of this is time-managing digital applications. These may help neurodivergent people who struggle with organizational skills and time management. Nevertheless, for some students, individualized support is necessary. These students typically receive specific services throughout their educational experiences, and Stuyvesant strives to continue this support with the best possible quality. “We have actually increased our program significantly in the last few years. And how we support the students very much depends on what each individual child needs,” Coleman shared.

For example, they may provide executive functioning support to students who struggle with organizational skills and create an environment with minimal distractions for students who have trouble concentrating. Examples of support include allowing extra time during tests, giving students visual/audio aids, and providing clear, concise instructions.

Neurodivergence is far from a disadvantage—some of the most influential minds in history were neurodivergent. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the world-famous classical musician and composer, is believed to have had Tourette Syndrome, a neurological condition causing repetitive movements and unwanted noises (tics). This may have contributed to his extraordinary talent and stimulated certain behaviors, such as obsessive-compulsive tendencies, fidgeting, and facial and motor tics.

Neurodiversity is an umbrella term that describes every different type of mind. It’s an incredibly important word because, without neurodiversity, the world wouldn’t have many of the exceptional thinkers and learners we know today.

Are There Too Many Humans On Earth?

By VINSON CHEN

The UN estimated that the eight billionth person on Earth was born on Novembet 15, 2022. With the planet’s massive population growing larger and larger, many have begun to fear the effects of overpopulation: starvation, catastrophic environmental damage, and running out of freshwater. These fears spark an important debate: Are there too many humans on Earth?

In science, carrying capacity refers to the maximum number of individuals of a species that the environment can sustainably support; overpopulation occurs when carrying capacity has been exceeded. In general, there are three main viewpoints toward human overpopulation. The first is the idea that Earth has already reached carrying capacity, meaning our population is already greater than what the environment can handle. The second is that the Earth will never reach carrying capacity, or at least not for a very long time. The third is that Earth will reach its carrying capacity soon, most likely in the next few decades.

The grim effects of overpopulation were first widely introduced to the public in the 18th century by a statistician named Thomas Malthus. Malthus claimed that the human population would, without a doubt, eventually be greater than what Earth could sustain. He believed that once the Earth was overpopulated, there would be desolation, famine, and war.

By JAYDEN ZHANG

Three years had passed since the pandemic, and I couldn’t remember the last time I had basked in the golden rays of the sun. According to my doctor, I seemed to lack adequate vitamin D and needed to spend more time outside. However, I refused to accept the sun’s magical power to create this “essential nutrient.” Thus, I had no other choice but to ingest the small pill that somehow carried all the vital nutrients I needed. It didn’t make sense to me. If I needed more sunlight, why couldn’t I just gobble down a whole bottle of vitamins?

Confusing enough as it is, the definition of vitamins has been thrown around in the media, the medical community, and everyday life. Vitamins are organic medicines used to maintain one’s health, function, and development by influencing the body’s metabolic functions. Looking down store aisles, you have probably come across a huge variety of vitamins. Since different animals have different needs for vitamins and methods of synthesizing them, many vitamins have been uncovered. For instance, dogs naturally produce vitamin C, while humans have to obtain vitamin C from an outside food source. Amongst the variety of vitamins, the most essential to humans are vitamins A, B, C, D, E, and K. These vitamins are used in a variety of processes such as forming bones (A), brain function (B), wound healing (C), calcium absorption (D), blood cell formation (E), and coagulation of blood (K). To classify

Though the human population has grown exponentially higher since Malthus’s time, agricultural productivity and the overall standard of living have vastly improved in most areas, putting off the devastating effects described by Malthus.

The argument that humans have already surpassed Earth’s carrying capacity primarily comes from our massive impact on the environment. Our ecological footprint, which includes land usage, food, and energy, is used to measure the amount of natural resources that humans consume and the wastes we generate. A huge percentage of our ecological footprint is attributed to our carbon footprint—the total amount of greenhouse gasses we produce—which results primarily from the burning of fossil fuels. This contributes heavily to climate change, air pollution, and acid rain, as fossil fuels make up 75 percent of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. The effects of our carbon footprint gradually deteriorate our environment, which leads to poorer living conditions and possible extinction for plants, animals, and humans.

Additionally, a region’s biocapacity measures the amount of natural resources available in the region and the ecosystem’s ability to absorb the waste generated by humans. When a region’s ecological footprint is greater than its biocapacity, the region can’t regenerate resources fast enough to keep up with human demand for natural resources.

Our ecological footprint is far greater than the world’s biocapacity. At our current rate, it would take around 1.75 Earths to sustain the demands of our population, primarily our energy demands. This massive overexploitation of Earth’s natural resources has led many to believe that the Earth won't be able to sustain our demand for much longer. For instance, the world’s supply of oil is predicted to last only up to around 2050.

On the other hand, some people believe that humans will never reach Earth’s carrying capacity, or at least not for a very long time. This is mainly due to the fact that the carrying capacity of the Earth is not fixed and has the potential to increase or decrease. This potential to increase can be unlocked through new technologies; one example is switching to clean energy sources such as solar power or nuclear energy to combat our carbon footprint. The past 50 years of using nuclear energy has reduced two years worth of worldwide energy-related carbon emissions. If we drastically reduce our ecological footprint through clean energy sources, it could fall lower than the Earth’s biocapacity, allowing the Earth to regenerate and replenish its natural resources.

With contemporary technologies such as fertilizers and pesticides, we are able to produce a lot more food than ever before. In fact, we are currently producing around 150 percent more food worldwide than we were in

1960, while using only 13 percent more land. We could also feed a lot more people through a dietary shift toward vegetarianism, since currently 36 percent of the grain produced worldwide is used to feed livestock, which is highly inefficient; it takes about 2.5 pounds of grain to make one pound of beef. By combining agricultural technology with a dietary change, we would be able to produce a surplus of food. By reducing our ecological footprint and increasing our food supply, we could theoretically drastically increase the amount of time until we reach Earth’s carrying capacity. However, many believe that we’ll reach our carrying capacity soon. Demographers at the UN and many other scientists believe that Earth’s human carrying capacity is around 10.4 billion. The UN predicts that we’ll reach 10.4 billion humans by 2100 and our population will then level off. This 10.4 billion estimate is based primarily around the availability of freshwater and food. It is predicted that there will be freshwater shortages starting in 2050. Fortunately, this is expected to be counteracted by new technology such as desalination, a process used to extract drinking water from seawater. Though we currently produce enough food to feed a population of 10 billion people, around a third of this food is wasted. This comes primarily in the form of leftovers, unbought food in grocery stores, and unharvested produce on

Go Out and See the Sun

vitamins, labels of either fat-soluble (stored in the body and dissolving in fat) or water-soluble (not stored in the body and dissolving in water) are assigned to them. Many of these vitamins are found within one’s daily diet, existing in commonly eaten foods. Even though these vitamins are all crucial to one’s health, vitamin D still reigns number one.

Vitamin D has many crucial functions, including helping your bones absorb calcium; providing anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and neuroprotective properties to support immune health; and regulating muscle function. Of these functions, its effects on the immune system are arguably the most important, producing high levels of proteins that help fight infections. Traditionally, it’s been used in medical practices to lower the risks of infections and treat diseases like tuberculosis.

On the other hand, vitamin D deficiency has also been proven to cause many autoimmune diseases. Not only is this vitamin crucial for the immune system, it’s also a major player in calcium homeostasis. In the presence of vitamin D, the small intestine absorbs calcium, thus allowing for proper maintenance of the bone structure. The next time you’re gulping down cartons of milk, make sure to drink some orange juice to increase both your calcium and vitamin D levels (this is a joke; you’ll get a painful stomach ache)! Surprisingly, more than 60 percent of the U.S. population is said to be deficient in vitamin D (lower than 20 ng/mL of blood).

Being deficient also increases the risk of fractures alongside

muscle weakness and muscle wasting—the reduction of the size and weight of muscle tissue. This is one of the main reasons why older people with vitamin D deficiency are extremely susceptible to injuries—they aren’t able to maintain proper muscle and immune function. Playing such an important role in the human body, vitamin D receives its own special production pathway. First, sunlight converts cholesterol in the skin

to piece together why vitamin D levels fluctuate. For instance, there are fewer hours of sunlight in the winter, which means less vitamin D can be synthesized from the sun. To solve the issue, dietary supplements were created during the early 1900s. They included a variety of components, such as vitamins and minerals. Through meticulous experimentation, scientists also figured out which foods contain vitamin D. Once this was revealed to the

farms that is either thrown out or rots. In addition, it is highly unlikely that we would be able to convince a large majority of the population to give up meat and transition to a vegetarian diet in order to feed more people.

Nevertheless, it is predicted that a population of 10.4 billion would be the peak human population, even if we didn’t reach carrying capacity. This is primarily due to a decrease in birth rate in many countries, especially core countries, as well as a decreasing infant mortality due to more accessible healthcare. Many countries, especially those in Europe and East Asia, currently have an average of less than 2.1 children per woman, which is the fertility rate required to fully replace the population. This has led to the implementation of policies promoting repopulation, such as in China, where families who raise children are given subsidies. Though the population continues to grow due to high birth rates in developing countries, this growth is slowing down.

The debate around overpopulation is complex and multifaceted. Our ecological footprint, tied directly to our very large population, is becoming a growing issue. To combat this, new technology and lifestyle changes will be needed to sustain our growing numbers. Achieving a balance between population growth, resource management, and technological advancements will play a crucial role in shaping our future.

and even death. Interestingly, natural absorption of the sun maintains a proper balance of vitamin D within the body. Excess pre-vitamin D3 is automatically degraded through a process known as photodegradation. Photodegradation causes a molecule to be chemically altered using photons—particles of light energy—mainly from the sun. Additionally, supplements can also interfere with traditional treatments like blood thinners or chemotherapy through unwanted binding to these drugs, negating their effectiveness. Finally, the variety of supplements acts as a double-edged sword, as the effects of overdoses change depending on the vitamin. For instance, vitamin D, a fat-soluble vitamin, is more potent than vitamin C, a water-soluble vitamin, as it is not as easily excreted from the body. Fat-soluble vitamins dissolve in body fat, making intoxication treatment extremely difficult without long-lasting side effects.

to a form of pre-vitamin D3. As the name suggests, the previtamin D3 is then turned into vitamin D3 through UVB radiation (one of the three types of UV radiation from the sun). The liver then chemically adds a hydroxyl group (OH-) to the vitamin D3, creating 25-hydroxyvitamin D. Most cells have the ability to turn 25-hydroxyvitamin D into 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D directly, as it provides a more efficient way of intaking vitamin D. But the kidneys are also a viable method of turning this molecule into its active form. Knowing this pathway, scientists were able

public, confusion and misinformation spread regarding vitamin D, causing mass vitamin D poisoning from excessive consumption of foods and supplements. Today, the use of supplements has grown from treating diseases to being popularly recommended in intense workouts to rebuild torn muscles quicker.

The downside of supplements is their similarity to medicines, as they come with similar side effects. For example, overdosing on vitamins, such as by eating a whole bottle of vitamin D supplements, may cause organ malfunction, heart problems,

Vitamins are crucial for everyday function and survival for all organisms. Without maintaining the correct balance of vitamins, we would constantly get sick due to weakened body systems. Eating supplements alone can not substitute a healthy diet, as they only complement diet and pre-existing biological processes. As with any medication, supplements should only be taken with the advice of a medical practitioner. And if vitamin D supplements aren’t your thing, maybe it’s time to get outside and let the sun work its not-so-mysterious magic.

Rhea Malhotra

The Spectator

Phoebe Buckwalter / The Spectator

Jocelyn Yu / The Spectator

Natalie

Soler

The Spectator

Chuer Zhong / The Spectator

Natalie Soler / The Spectator

Art Time, Junk, and Sarah Sze’s Beautiful Mess

By EMILE LEE-SUK

Sarah Sze has a vision for the Guggenheim Museum, and she knows how to execute it. All the way on the top floor of the iconic New York art museum is a collection of the Boston-born artist’s latest works in the Sarah Sze: Timelapse exhibit. Sze’s art is undoubtedly contemporary, making use of unconventional materials like home instruments as it explores complicated themes of technology and nature and their place in the rapidly changing world. Almost all of Sze’s exhibited works—sprawling installations combining video, audio, and sculpture—were created on-site before the exhibit opened, allowing them to feel perfectly embedded into the Guggenheim’s iconic circular structure.

Near the exhibit’s entrance, there is a line of cardboard boxes, plants, and stick structures that creep into a broad gap in the wall containing a wide canvas, the centerpiece of Travelers Among Streams and Cascades (2023). The canvas itself is covered in a shade of arctic blue, complemented by a photograph of a body of water at sunset spread across its bottom left. On and above the water are sprinkles of blank neon Post-its that travel to the canvas’ right, creating color variation in an otherwise predominantly blue work. Both sides are collages of images of people, tools, animals, and fire, all messily cut and pasted onto the canvas. The jagged edges of the photographs make them seem like true glimpses of what lurks behind the canvas

in the captivating landscapes, as if the canvas is a gateway to different worlds. Images of fire are placed among harsh streaks of dark blue paint, creating contrast and contributing to a greater sense of chaos. The last three images on the canvas’s right side are close-ups of a hand holding a pen pointing at a blank page. While the other images are abstract representations of the greater world, these images are a look into the artwork’s past form:

Playlist

cluding clips, brightly-colored ladders, and boxes. When viewers turn the wall’s corner, they see the rest of the work: the scaffolding holds up a variety of images of both life and nature. These include literal elements like fire and ice, animals like birds, and even human hands playing cards. The pictures are layered with videos projected on top that show the underlying images in motion: for example, the image of the bird is enhanced with an overlapping video of it flapping its wings.ton: home appliances. Whileral movement of life and its elements, the appliances

to appear on the other side. At the work’s front is a platform composed of pictures of the sky in various vibrant colors: orange, purple, yellow, and blue. Atop the platform is wood scaffolding that soars toward the ceiling, with tools like staple removers resting upon it. The staple removers are just one example of how Sze incorporates many ordinary objects into the work, in-

highlight the world’s more artificial side, acting as corporate objects that solely exist to serve simple purposes of human convenience. Slice is built on humble tools and feels almost like the inside of a hardware store, but it is filled with mesmerizing sprinkles of the outside world. These two conflicting forces collectively bring vibrancy and color to the piece, even though they come from starkly different realms of the

world. Capping off the exhibit is Timekeeper (2016), located in an isolated gallery. This is one of the only works not made exclusively for the exhibit, and it is possibly one of Sze’s most elaborate. It is hard to put into words how much Sze infuses into this convoluted visual and auditory cluster of potted plants, screens, and other household objects, all showcased in a dark room. Digital clocks show the time in places from around the world while toilet paper, bottles, and stationery tools are clumped together, illuminated by bright lamps. Amidst all of this is the constant sound of dripping, whirring, and the occasional beep. Museum-goers are surrounded by dark walls with videos of both static and animals projected onto them, emphasizing the interconnectedness of nature and technology as the work’s central theme: no matter how separate they may seem from each other, they both coexist in the same time period and on the same Earth. Despite how much variety Sze puts into this work, everything—the plants, the animals, the imagery of time and technology— still feels connected and seamless, telling the story of the 21st century in a beautiful cacophony.

Sze’s work is a reflection of the new ways the world has found to embrace art. Her works are made of unlikely materials but are still undeniably powerful. Sze makes use of the gallery space at the Guggenheim Museum to create a striking experience through her dynamic art, which is right at home within the museum’s famous helix.

Music Do You Actually Hate Country?

By KONSTANTINA TSAHALIS

You have probably heard the phrase “I listen to everything but country” sprinkled into conversations about music taste. Country gets copious amounts of hate from city slickers who claim to detest the genre as a whole, but is it all justified? When the average person thinks of modern country music, they picture radio stars like Blake Shelton, Luke Bryan, Garth Brooks, and Morgan Wallen. They imagine songs about trucks, drinking beer, and the good ol’ American flag, and they envision all the hyper-patriotic, bible-thumping conservatives that they think enjoy this music. While there may be some truth to these perceptions, they are ultimately ludicrous when projected onto the genre as a whole.

Country music emerged in southern Appalachia as a mix of folk and blues, combining instruments like the fiddle and harmonica from Europe and the banjo and washboard that were popularized by enslaved African Americans in the South. It wasn’t until the 1920s that country music gained traction; “The Father of Country Music” Jimmie Rodgers became regarded as the first country star after his song, “Blue Yodel No. 1 (T for Texas),” sold over one million copies. Rodgers masterfully combined blues, gospel, and the yodeling in mountain music into songs about rural working-class life. As the nation changed, so too did the dominant genre of country music. Bill Monroe took the sound of Appalachian folk, adding a banjo played in the abnormally fast style of Earl Scruggs, and fused them together with jazz influences to create bluegrass. Hank Williams emerged unexpectedly during the mid-1940s and achieved widespread acclaim for

Meditative Melodies

By THE ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT DEPARTMENT

As the trauma of the school year comes to an end, we at the Arts & Entertainment Department are turning to music to reach inward and realign our fraught chakras. So get out those scented candles, natural oil diffusers, and yoga mats, and prepare to open your third eye with these enlightening tunes.

End of the Day

Beck

Alternative

Svefn-g-englar

Sigur Rós

Post-Rock

20191229

Mac DeMarco

Ambient

Concrete Over Water

Jockstrap

Experimental Pop

Undo

Björk

Art Pop

Sovereign

his gut-wrenchingly honest and autobiographical lyrics, which struck a chord with people from all walks of life. Country was generally a maledominated field, but as honky-tonk gained popularity in the 50s, more women emerged onto the scene. Kitty Wells’s song “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels” (1952) directly criticizes husbands who mistreat their wives. She asserts that every heart that has ever been broken “was because there always was a man to blame,” a lyric which resonated with countless housewives. Johnny Cash and Dolly Parton, however, were the first two country superstars. Cash was arguably the biggest country star in the 50s and Parton became a pop culture icon in the 70s, getting voted the Country Music Association’s Female Vocalist of the Year in 1975 and 1976. Their creative stage presences created a new standard for the modern country star to live up to.

Unfortunately, much of this rich history is lost as the trucks-andbeer stereotype has come to define the mainstream narrative on country music. The songs “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk” (2005) by Trace Adkins, “Huntin’, Fishin’ and Lovin’ Every Day” (2016) by Luke Bryan, and “Beer Never Broke My Heart” (2019) by Luke Combs are just a few examples of the repetitive tunes that seem to plague the genre. But these clichés were not always the balmy corral dust that they are today. This wave of mainstream country music was born out of the tragedy of 9/11. In the aftermath of this devastating event, somber and comforting songs gave way to staunchly patriotic ones as musicians took advantage of the deeply emotional reaction to American pride that was spreading across the nation. In 2003, “Have You Forgotten?” by Darryl Worley hit number one

Country Songs chart and even namedropped Osama Bin Laden. Patriotism reached the point of jingoism with songs such as “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)” (2002) by Toby Keith and “This Ain’t No Rag, It’s a Flag” (2001) by Charlie Daniels. The lyrics emphasized “American” values like freedom, Christianity, and community, and were sung in front of a backdrop of excessive American flags. While some of the hyper-patriotism has died down, popular country music still has the mark of being a patriotic genre; modern country stars have simply appealed to this idea by incorporating “American” images and motifs into otherwise unimaginative lyrics.

Country music is more than just the songs that populate the radio. If you dig a little deeper than mainstream radio, you’ll find a plethora of exciting subgenres under the country label, like bluegrass, outlaw country, and even cowpunk/country-punk and gothic country. Praising country’s past might imply that its golden days are in the rearview mirror of a beaten-down pickup truck, but modern country music is not as doomed as it might seem. There are several current artists that stray away from the trucks-and-beer stereotype and create emotionally dynamic music that hints back to the roots of the genre.

Tyler Childers and Zach Bryan are described as neotraditional country artists, inspired by stars of the past like Ernest Tubb, Hank Williams, and Kitty Wells. They are both Appalachian-born musicians that take slightly different approaches to songwriting. Childers has spoken out against his categorization under “Americana,” preferring to stick with “country.” His lyrics are conversational yet profound, and he takes

pride in expressing his musical roots in bluegrass as a Kentucky native, similarly to Bill Monroe. Childers takes advantage of modern music editing techniques without overpowering the sound of folk and turning his music into the shiny and overproduced pop country songs typically heard on the radio. Bryan rose to fame in 2021 after being honorably discharged by the navy to continue his career in music. His etymological similarities to Luke Bryan create a humorous contrast when comparing their polar opposite musical styles. Zach Bryan’s connection with his audience of fellow younger adults allows him to tug on all their heart strings with poetic passion that translates into a sincerity that Luke Bryan doesn’t even attempt to emulate, despite being one of country music’s richest stars.

Chock-full of whistles and yodels, Nick Shoulders makes progressive country music that has its fair share of politically charged tunes. His love for the folk traditions that are the backbone of country music is very apparent through his continuation of vocal and instrumental techniques. He elegantly addresses history and denounces the South’s blind allegiance to systems of oppression that he witnessed growing up in Arkansas. His song “Bound and Determined” (2019) is a perfect example of his political wit, with lyrics like “And though I might eat all of my steaks rare / I never sold my soul to a billionaire” and “Is life worth living if there’s lead in the last stream?” He actively opposes the ultra-patriotic messages that some country singers spread by returning back to the roots of the genre while also being politi-

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Yellow Swans

Drone

Flowers Never Bend with the Rainfall

Simon and Garfunkel

Folk

Change

Big Thief

Alternative

Blue Light

Mazzy Star

Indie

Drivin’ on 9

The Breeders

Alternative Rock

Razor Love

Neil Young

Folk

Guilty Cubicles

Broken Social Scene

Ambient

Mystery of Love

Sufjan Stevens

Indie

Voices from the Wilderness

Martin Tielli

Singer-Songwriter

Female Artist Spotlight: Extraterrestrial Beings, Exotification, and Meaningful Absurdity Art

By VITA KIRSCHTEIN

Mainstream art is nearly as male dominated as it was 50, 75, or even 100 years ago. Sure, some female names like Yayoi Kusama and Frida Kahlo, for instance, have been celebrated by the public, but at large, female artists have not yet experienced the recognition they deserve for the work they put forth. Here is a look at a few underappreciated female artists in the modern art scene.

Karla

Knight, age 65

As a child, Karla Knight was fascinated by aliens; raised with a preoccupation on the extraterrestrial and the paranormal, ouija boards and seance were commonplace in her childhood home. Even as an adult living in New Mexico, rumors of alien activity continued to enrapture her. Drawing inspiration from her fascination with the extraterrestrial, many of her works feature abstract motifs of alien encounters and technologies; many of her pieces resemble schematic drawings and space-age gadgetry. Her artwork is an enchanting combination of the organic with the extraterrestrial and supernatural. Her pieces are somewhat familiar—viewers can see visual elements they recognize like letters and naturalistic shapes, but lack a holistic understanding of the entire piece. Knight’s work pushes the viewer into a position where they can only observe, not comprehend.

Striving to make their work edgy and meta, many artists try and fail to make their art completely void of meaning—uninterpretable.

Knight’s work, however, achieves this effortlessly. She describes her artistic process as a channeling of thoughts directly into her medium; working by letting her ideas flow and creating on the spot without forethought. Her career began with creating diagrams of eyes and spheres, evolving over time into almost architectural UFO schematics and a self-created, gridlike extraterrestrial language she devised after watching her son learn to write. These letters take on familiar shapes, some resembling Greek, Cyrillic, or Roman lettering, yet there is no rhyme or reason to their forms. There is no established direction in which the symbols are meant to be properly read and no established language they belong to. Her more recent line of work is centered around this idea—neither the viewer nor the artist knows the true meaning of the artwork. A stunning example of this is her 2021 piece Blue Navigator 3-, a massive geometric, schematic-like painting entirely in shades of blue, surrounded by blocks of otherworldly calligraphy in a gridlike pattern. Encased within the script, shapes representing eyes and diagrams resembling atomic structures, splitting cells, and magnetic fields fill the center. Despite the familiarity of these individual elements, the interpretation of this

piece is entirely subjective. Knight places emphasis on her unwillingness to objectively interpret her pieces, mirroring her belief that there is no way to truly uncover the mystery of the unknown and paranormal.

Wangechi Mutu, age 50

Born in 1972 in Nairobi, Kenya, Wangechi Mutu creates stunning collage works depicting the experience of post-colonial African women in an Afrofuturistic style— a blend between futuristic themes and African culture. Each of Mutu’s collages combine elements of abstraction and realism seamlessly and purposefully to convey a compelling social commentary on African tradition, the Black female experience, exotification, and consumerism. Mutu does this by depicting ethereal women who are part animal, part machine, part plant, and part human through materials she finds, like paper scraps. Each component of her works is purposeful, down to her mediums of choice. She commonly uses soil, clay, wood, and recycled papers to avoid contributing to overconsumption. Her collage Yo Mama. (2003) encapsulates many of her beliefs, juxtaposing Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, a well-known African feminist, with the biblical Eve, combining them into one figure. The background is pink with dynamic dark orbs floating around the landscape. The depicted woman crouches in stiletto heels with her

legs spread, holding a decapitated white serpent, puncturing the neck of the lifeless snake with the heel of her shoe. This scene shows Eve triumphing over the snake who tricked her in the Bible—described by Mutu as a “phallic and mythological creature that instigated [her] downfall”—presenting a fantastical victory for women as fighters, protectors, and creators. Mutu’s work boldly captures the experiences of black women, painting women’s sensuality in a positive light.

Jessica Stoller, age 42

Each element of Jessica Stoller’s sculptures carries a powerful meaning, down to the most minute of details. Her constrictive suburban upbringing led her to a lifelong yearning for escape from uniformity. Her now-older-self’s longing for meaningful absurdity can be seen through her art with her unique portrayals of the female body as food using porcelain clay, a medium with historical ties to power, traditional femininity, and finery. Instead of using her portrayals of the female body as a means to commodify them, she explores the sexuality of women, taking pride in the natural forms many women are taught to be ashamed of. A juxtaposition of playful and grotesque qualities gives her work alluring beauty, enrapturing viewers through the elaborate and tantalizing elements of food in her work while also repulsing them through

the uneasy, unnatural aura of her half-woman, half-food creations. By portraying sweet foods in her work, she comments on the power dynamics between Europeans and enslaved peoples in sugar colonies and also contradicts the idea that the female body is something consumable and claimable.

One of Stoller’s most notable works, Untitled (tar) (2014), is the bust of a woman licking her glossed, rosy lips as chocolate syrup trickles down her face. Covering her eyes is a ring of golden-brown lady’s fingers dripping in syrup and tied by a white ribbon. The woman’s confectionary blindfold serves to evoke a sense of both subjugation and sexual pleasure, complicating traditional ideals of beauty. The ring of lady’s fingers surround a rich cake flooded with perfectly-placed fruits and berries surrounding the skull of a swan. The swan’s feathers accumulate on the back of the cake, falling to rest on the woman’s shoulder. This skull is a reference to the Greek story of Leda and the swan, wherein the god Zeus takes on an avian form to rape Leda as she bathes in a lake. Combined with the pastry blindfold, this piece tells a story of the historical abuse and subjugation women have faced across centuries. Gooey, oozing, voluptuous, messy, sweet, and grotesque, Stoller’s work is a sweet and sour sensory experience for viewers who relish in both its visuals and deeper meaning.

Do You Actually Hate Country? Music

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cally progressive. However, he is not solely political, and is also able to craft sorrow-filled songs with alluring storytelling such as “Hardly Feeling” (2019). He sings, “I’ll be chasing lizards in the tumbleweeds / I’ll hold on to what I can but I won’t hold you.” He is unapologetically country, and the way he uses his voice to form all the yelps and yodels is unimaginably admirable.

Art

By GRACE RHEE

As visitors step into the immersive exhibition Cecily Brown: Death and the Maid, they are instantly engulfed by a sea of enigmatic and bewildering paintings. The exhibition contains a diverse collection of 50 paintings adorned with interconnected motifs of life, youth, and death.

Currently working and residing in New York City, Cecily Brown is a British contemporary painter. She was exposed to art in her youth through her father, prominent art critic and curator David Sylvester. She later attended the esteemed Slade School of Fine Art, where she was awarded First Class Honours and became the first-prize recipient in the National Competition for British Art Students.

Brown draws major inspiration from historical works of art

For fans of reinvigorated outlaw country, Orville Peck takes notes from Johnny Cash and Dolly Parton along with Oasis and Lana Del Rey to create a mix of country and alternative rock. He has amassed over 900 thousand monthly listeners on Spotify with his fresh, captivating sound and emotionally tortured lyrics that emulate the best of Johnny Cash. Peck also boldly defies the image of a modern-day country singer; the top male country stars use the same formula for everything from music to fashion to stage presence,

but Orville Peck boldly and successfully defies this with his fringed mask and mysterious aura. This appearance is one certainly inspired by recent trends of alternative and theatrical stage presences, yet it also hearkens to the cowboy look of past country stars. Country should not be reduced to solely the pop country subgenre. Country was always the music of heartbreak and hardship, not mindless patriotism; this new pocket of musicians emulates these ideals thoroughly. Post-9/11 patriotism is

not indicative of an entire century’s worth of complex music interwoven with various cultural influences. Unfortunately, the oversimplification of music genres is not exclusive to country. Many categorize hip hop as the Drake songs they hear on the radio; similarly, emo is reduced to My Chemical Romance, jazz to Louis Armstrong, Rock ‘n’ roll to Elvis, etc. There are positives to this sonic oversimplification; namely, it offers a straightforward approach to music categorization. Elvis is Rock ‘n’ Roll so that the average per-

son doesn’t get lost in the genres of blue-Eyed soul, rockabilly, and pop rock. On the other hand, this oversimplification sends out a false narrative that the sound of big name artists is the only one that constitutes the genre in question, failing to recognize the rest of the unique and innovative artists under the genre who break these molds. If you don’t listen to country music because you were discouraged by a snippet of a Morgan Wallen song, take another listen and you might hear something you enjoy.

Intersections of Youth, Mortality, and Art History: Unraveling Cecily Brown’s Death and the Maid Exhibition

and is known for basing many of her pieces on them; one notable example is her recreation of Carnival and Lent (2006-2008). Here, she sought inspiration from prominent 16th-century Dutch painter Pieter Bruegel the Elder’s The Fight Between Carnival and Lent (1559). This original rendition is a large panorama of a carnival scene set in the Middle Ages. The Fight Between Carnival and Lent creates a dichotomy between religious devotion and pleasure through its contrasting depictions of drunkards and religious figures, juxtaposing the annual Carnival (a time for commoners to party) and Lent (a Christian observance). Brown’s Carnival and Lent showcases a similarly chaotic scene that revolves around the same theme of comparing religious chastity and promiscuity in a Carnival setting. The large oil painting contains gestural brushstrokes

with body parts entangled in a mix of chaotic swirls and brightly-pigmented blurs. The painting’s frenzy contains sexually explicit imagery, such as promiscuous curves that resemble a woman’s spread legs. Most of her artworks throughout this exhibition maintain the same style of disordered brushwork that comes together to encapsulate a chaotic panoramic scene. The duality of youth and death is explored multiple times as a major theme in Brown’s artwork.

One example is Aujourd’hui Rose (2005), a piece depicting a skull with its eye sockets aligned with two young girls’ heads. This piece takes inspiration from the famous Charles Allan Gilbert’s All is Vanity (1902) painting, which presents the same duality of vitality and death. These illustrations are examples of Vanitas Art, a genre that uses symbolism to depict the certainty of

death and the transience of life. Inspired by this style, Brown’s painting depicts the young girls’ youth through white and pink ruffled dresses. Comparatively, the two girls are surrounded by a haunting skull painted in gray and brown hues, showing that death is always around the corner. This painting is Brown’s first of many to exhibit the double image memento mori— a Latin phrase meaning “remember you must die.”

Brown’s focus on youth and death defined her art in the early 2000s but was eventually abandoned in favor of other subject matters. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, she revisited this theme. Brown reflected on her method of restoring works: “This new process of actually painting on reproductions of my own and now other’s images make so much sense after having copied them forever.

It’s like doing a cover of someone else’s song.” In 2019, Brown painted Vanity, a reiteration of her past memento mori pieces. Re-exploring the same motif, this painting exhibits major development in her artistic style. The colors are much more coherent than her older pieces, with a simple revolving palette of vivid blues and peachy pinks. Her previous works make the skull much more obvious through highcontrast colors, but this painting has a broader focus on the maiden staring into the vanity mirror.

Cecily Brown’s work does artists of the past justice by reworking their themes into massive-sized canvases and captivating brushwork. As Brown continues to rise in the art world, her innovative approach to artistry will captivate audiences as she seamlessly merges historical references with her unique vision.

One Big Not-So-Comedic Error STC

By DUNCAN PARK, KHUSH WADHWA, and GULAM MONAWARAH

The Stuyvesant Theater Community put on its third and final show of the year—a modern adaptation of Shakespeare’s Comedy of Errors—by using more in-touch references, such as swapping Syracuse, Italy, for Syracuse University. This rendition follows the tale of two sets of identically named identical twins whose antics we follow in the city of Ephesus.

The musical begins in the Duke of Ephesus’s (Adeline Sauberli) office, lushly decorated in a rainbow of lights. The ban of Syracusians, illustrated on a whiteboard, was a harsh sign for Egeon (Max Hesse).

The Duke of Ephesus stands to reprimand Egeon for illegally entering Ephesus and levies the death penalty for the crime. Spurred by the threat, Egeon launches into a heartfelt, musical retelling of his life up until that point. His twin sons, both named Antipholus; their twin “interns,” both named Dromio; and his wife were separated in a shipwreck. Since then, Egeon seeks to find the Antipholus and Dromio that he lost years ago. Evidently moved by his sob story, the Duke grants Egeon one more day to pay his fines and escape death. Though this point is seemingly set up to be a large plot point, Egeon and his impending doom neither make an appearance until the last scene nor make a noticeable impact on the events that ensue.

Comedy of Errors then whisks us away to a bustling scene that may hit closer to home: an impressive scaffolding, a colorful halal cart, and an elegant lamppost flickering with an

orange glow, all creating the wonderfully nostalgic New York City vibe that defines Ephesus. We are introduced to Antipholus of Syracuse (Dylan Ross) and Dromio of Syracuse (Frayn Colyn Navales), who are visiting the city to search for their long lost siblings. Antipholus of Syracuse’s heart wrenchingly mystical rendition of “A Drop of Water” eloquently depicts the pain Antipholus of Syracuse has felt in losing his twin and sets the stage for an epic adventure. In direct contrast, though, is Dromio’s slapstick and energetic humor, which balances the seriousness of Antipholus of Syracuse. Dromio of Ephesus (Ashvica Sinha), mistak-

of Errors: Adriana (Audrey Hilger), the wife of Antipholus of Ephesus, and her alcoholic sister Luciana (Lily Wagman) are suspicious of Antipholus of Ephesus’s absence. When they travel to bring back Antipholus of Syracuse, who they assume is Antipholus of Ephesus, the mixup escalates. Add in a gold chain delivered to the wrong twin, and the conflict takes a turn for the absolute worst. Spunky, fast paced songs like “Slave to a Ring” and “Miss Duke” add a snappy but surprisingly deep insight into the chracters’ motivations: why do they stay in unfaithful marriages? Why do they cheat and refuse to listen to one another? And again, the

Pinch (Beatriz Ongan Sancho), a scientist-turned-exorcist, to resolve the unexplained mixups, leading to a chaotically entertaining, supernaturally maniacal performance of “Way Down in the Hole.” The play ends at the church priory, where the Duke and a nun abruptly explain all of the show’s mishaps and happily host a comedic family reunion.

Throughout the play, the audience’s experience was marred by poor audio from the actors. Combined with Shakespeare’s Early Modern English, it was impossible at times to grasp the plot. Actors struggled with enunciating words, and with the abundant technical difficulties. This mistake gravely impacted the understandability of the plot. In a show that is fragile in its clarity, it’s essential for the actors to evince what is happening. The band constantly played over actors’ songs, leaving the audience clueless as to what was being said.

Additionally, the extras in the show performed well—somewhat to the show’s own demise. Their dramatically funny gestures in the background were seemingly more interesting than the main actors’ parts. At some points, when the audio was muddled and an empty tray of halal food flew across the stage, viewers had no choice but to turn and laugh at the extras, missing crucial parts of the play.

prehension.

The script left several loose ends that seemed unrelated to the plight of the show. From the beginning to the end, the purpose of the deposit at the inn is unjustified, but happens to be a meeting of chance between the two sets of twins. For those who have never read or seen The Comedy of Errors, the appearance of Pinch is extremely random and strange. However, the scriptwriters were able to deliver some decent jokes (when you could hear them). For example, Antipholus of Syracuse’s comparison between an intern and slave earned some well-deserved laughs from the crowd. The parody of “It Wasn’t Me” proved to be an earworm for the many audience members, helped by excellent song and energy from Antipholus and Dromio.

Though small, the playbill had errors and confusing parts that impacted the viewer’s experience. The playbill (possibly) mistakenly put Dylan Ross as Antipholus of Ephesus instead of Antipholus of Syracuse in both the cast list and “Who’s Who” page, while also (possibly) intentionally swapping the images of the two Antipholuses. While it could have been intended to be funny, it was unnecessary for an already confusing show.

en for Dromio of Syracuse, returns to greet Antipholus of Syracuse without any knowledge of the tasks assigned to him. Not only does this provide a humorous misunderstanding, it establishes that both sets of twins are in the same city and are now bound to meet once again. We are then introduced to the other essential characters of Comedy

set designed for the Ephesus home is mind-blowingly intricate: with a real vintage TV, homely shelves, tables, and a staircase leading up to a balcony, the audience becomes absorbed in the personal lives and aesthetics of the characters.

The ending, however, seems like a rushed climax in an otherwise slowpaced tale. The Ephesus women hire

Throughout the play, the lighting was excellently orchestrated, especially in “Way Down in the Hole,” where Pinch takes control of the dark red, strobe-lit scene. The crew up above spotlighted the actors and illuminated the well-designed set. However, this starkly contrasted the poor audio, which significantly lowered audience engagement and com-

Overall, the play was confusing and riddled with errors like the name suggests. While there was much potential for a true comedy, the scriptwriters were unable to make it understandable for a modern-day audience. The naming mistakes and other errors designed to add to the comedic aspect of the show only made it more difficult to understand. The lack of laughter throughout the show emphasized one thing: the show left the comedy at home.

Leith Ross: To Live and To Learn Music

By SOFIA HERNANDEZ

Born in a small town just outside of Ottawa, Canada, Leith Ross started writing songs when they were just 12 years old. Even when their lyricism centered around rainbows and the mind-numbing experience of having too much homework, Ross enjoyed the vulnerability and expressiveness of songwriting. Twelve years later, Ross continues to use songwriting in this manner—albeit with heavier subject matter—as seen in their debut album To Learn, released on May 19.

After growing up as a lyricist, Ross followed their passion for songwriting and music to Humber College in Toronto and pursued a degree in jazz voice. For their final project, Ross produced and compiled a collection of eight original indie folk songs that ended up becoming their Motherwell EP (2020). These songs marked a turning point for Ross, going from “being just [them] in [their] bedroom to the

more tangible thing that was going to go out into the world.”

But what really launched Ross’s career was the popularity of their music on TikTok. Starting their career just as the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Ross, like many other artists, began uploading their music on TikTok. Ross’s raw, delicate, and honest song “We’ll Never Have Sex” went viral in the summer of 2021, receiving over 41 million streams on Spotify. In 2022, Them listed Ross in “Our Favorite Songs by LGBTQ+ Artists in 2022.” By the end of the year, Ross had signed to both Interscope and Republic Records.

To Learn, which includes debut single “We’ll Never Have Sex,” continues to exemplify Ross’s vulnerability and the sensitivity they pour into their art. While Motherwell (named after the town in which Ross’s mother grew up) explores the idea of home, To Learn lays to rest the years Ross spent moving toward a place of self-acceptance, letting go of the deep connections they have

to the place they once called home. The melancholic acoustics and whispery vocals echoing throughout the album represent a new beginning for Ross: “My priorities now lie with the people that I want to have around forever and form a family-like connection with, which can then be extended outwards,” Ross said in an interview with New Musical Express.

To Learn opens with the hazy acoustics of “5am,” which establishes the album’s dreamlike soundscape through long synth keyboard sounds and muffled guitar pickings.

In “5am” and the fourth track, “Interlude,” Ross conveys delicate emotions in lyricless space by incorporating meditative, lush harmonies.

Ross’s fifth track on To Learn “Orlando,” revisits the idea of letting go of deep connections to the people and things of their past, painting a vivid picture of unrequited love. With few words, “Orlando” wistfully conveys the “slow and subtle realization that some-

body doesn’t love you back in the way you wish they would,” as Ross described in an interview with The Sound Cafe. The song ends with the gut-wrenching lyrics “None of this would be worth the fuss if I hadn’t been in love / I just think I was in love.” Like “Orlando,” Ross’s 11th track, “To Learn,” also centers around a story of love and manipulation; Ross sings “You put a picture up / And it didn’t feel like love / Just a reminder of contractual debt and luck.” These lyrics speak of a false love made up of impersonal agreements, highlighting the artificial nature of the relationship.

Track nine of To Learn, “Everything Ends,” focuses on what it means to part ways with the establishment of home. This track, despite its moody synth acoustics, actually depicts Ross’s journey of cutting ties in a positive light, portraying it as a part of recovery. Ross nostalgically sings “Everything ends / From TV shows to parties / Everything ends / Every song and

every meal.” With these lyrics, Ross recognizes the inevitable dilemma of change, especially in the context of actions that have become a daily routine. However, the track ultimately turns into an anthem for moving on and healing, ending with the hopeful lyrics: “But everything ends / Bad dreams and sorrow / Everything ends / The ache that life has lent.” While Ross acknowledges the struggle of overwhelming change, this conclusion recognizes that change can be positive as well, displaying the optimism they have for their future.

Since they first began releasing music in 2020, Ross has used their unique talent to artistically convey their feelings of nostalgia and capture the courage needed to move on. As they transition into the next phase of their life—one of touring and sharing their art across North America and the United Kingdom—Ross continues to use their new music to dive deep into themes of change, closure, and belonging.

The Storytelling of Taylor Swift’s Costumes Art

By DOROTHY HA

The second floor of the Museum of Arts and Design is abuzz with noise: feet shuffle across the polished wooden floors, excited visitors chatter amongst themselves, and the unmistakable melody of a Taylor Swift song fills the air. Capitalizing on the overwhelming force of Swift’s unmatched popularity as she embarks on her 2023 Eras Tour (Swift’s sixth headlining concert tour!), the museum’s newest exhibit, Taylor Swift: Storyteller, displays nearly 30 iconic outfits

from Swift’s illustrious career. Swift is best described not as an artist, but as a one-in-a-million cultural phenomenon. Since the beginning of her music career with the release of her self-titled album, Taylor Swift in 2006, Swift has captured the hearts of millions and cemented herself as a pop culture icon with her vulnerable lyricism and charming vocals. Through her music, the 12-time Grammy-winning artist has carefully curated enchanting, captivating worlds for her devoted fanbase, spinning compelling tales of love, loss, yearning,

and everything in between. Swift’s talent for worldbuilding is especially showcased by her dazzling concert attire and wildly imaginative music videos, which masterfully translate her lyrics into visuals that hide “Easter eggs” for her fans to unearth. As Museum of Arts and Design director Tim Rodgers said in an interview with Artnet News, “The music is telling you a certain story, and she uses costumes and props in order to build upon those stories and characters she’s creating [...] Yes, this [exhibit] is about Taylor Swift, but this is about some-

thing bigger than Taylor Swift, too.”

Taylor Swift: Storyteller gathers Swift’s most recognizable looks in one place, allowing viewers to marvel at all the different costumes that have defined Swift’s career. The exhibit is full of eye-catching ensembles, ephemera, and bedazzled stage guitars worn by Swift over the years, with many of her most famous outfits on display. For instance, the first costumes visitors see when they enter the exhibit are the cheerleader and ballerina ensembles from the music video for

“Shake It Off” (2014), which made Swift the only female artist to hit three billion views on a YouTube video. One mannequin, wearing the cheerleader uniform from the music video, strikes its arms out defiantly. It is the exact stereotype of a cheerleader costume, with a bright, gaudy blue and yellow color scheme, a tiny skirt, and an even tinier top with Swift’s initials emblazoned in block letters across the front. Two large, shiny pom-poms

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Courtesy of Khush Wadhwa

Film Disney Breaks the Live Action Curse With The Little Mermaid

By SOFIA SEN

The 1989 animated film The Little Mermaid has remained one of Disney’s most beloved movies, cementing its place as a magical fairytale classic for the ages. The film follows the naive redheaded mermaid Ariel after she makes a deal with the evil sea witch Ursula to become a human so she can be with Prince Eric, her human love interest. The film explores Eric and Ariel’s love story, the dynamic between Ariel and her controlling father, King Triton, and Ariel’s curiosity for the mainland as she explores her identity as a mermaid-turnedhuman. Fans can now see Ariel and her friends back on the big screen with the 2023 live-action film The Little Mermaid

Over the past few years, Disney has unsuccessfully attempted to convert many of their classic animated characters into live-action, with notable examples being The Lion King (2019) and Peter Pan and Wendy (2023). However, The Little

Art

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tie the outfit together perfectly. Meanwhile, another mannequin wearing Swift’s iconic ballerina costume sits gracefully at the cheerleader’s feet, a white nylon tutu embroidered with sparkles fanning out

Mermaid has finally broken this curse. This fun, whimsical story, starring singer and actress Halle Bailey as Ariel, is brought to life through stunning visual effects, powerful performances, and nostalgic songs. Though Bailey’s casting received much criticism due to her race, she provides a terrific performance as the red-haired mermaid: her vocal performance is one of the highlights of the film. Through her rendition of “Part of Your World,” Bailey cements herself as a vocal powerhouse. Prince Eric, played by Jonah Hauer-King, is fantastic as well; Hauer-King’s portrayal is far more likable than his animated counterpart. The actors have undeniable chemistry, and through slight tweaks and a few added scenes to the original, their love story feels more organic than the stereotypical Disney fairytale. However, Disney missed the mark with the casting of Ursula (Melissa McCarthy), Sebastian (Daveed Diggs), Flounder (Jacob Tremblay), and Scuttle (Awkwafina). McCarthy’s portrayal of

Ursula lost all the charm of her animated counterpart. Sebastian and Flounder both look different from their original characters. Flounder comes off as a whiny sidekick while Sebastian is missing his signature charisma; these shortcomings culminate in a disappointing performance of the larger-than-life song “Under the Sea.” Awkwafina’s Scuttle is by far the worst change from the original, with all her jokes falling flat. Though the film itself is enjoyable, it is evident its success relies heavily on the two leads.

Most of the film is kept true to the original story. As would be expected from a more modern film, Ariel’s curiosity for the mainland is the driving force behind her desire to be human, rather than her crush on the Prince. The Prince’s character has a few changes as well, one being that he is adopted, though it serves no major change to the plot. Ariel’s sisters are also represented as being of different ethnicities, with each sister hailing from one of the seven seas. The most “contro-

versial” change is Disney’s choice to portray Ariel as African American, which received unwarranted backlash when it was made public. However, Ariel’s race plays no importance to the story and ultimately does not matter plotwise—Bailey still resembles the animated Ariel with her flowing auburn locks and shimmering green tail. Despite having no influence on the plot, Bailey’s casting is incredibly powerful, allowing Black girls around the world to see themselves represented in Ariel.

The movie itself is stunning, from the high definition shots of the majestic ocean to the colorful sea creatures. The CGI is impeccable, with the mermaid tails’ shimmering scales and lifelike fluid motion capturing the magic of the original animation. The film features every sea creature imaginable, from the giant pink squids that Ariel rides during “Under the Sea” to the mysterious black eels that serve Ursula. Ursula’s tentacles, however, are lackluster. Though they look

decent and somewhat realistic, they are much shorter than in the animated version, losing the wild, unhinged dark magic of the original. Additionally, the film’s attempt to make everything photorealistic has removed much of the nostalgia and childlike wonder the original evoked. However, the soundtrack has maintained the same feel, keeping classics like “Part of Your World,” “Under the Sea,” and “Kiss the Girl,” while also adding new tracks like “For the First Time.” Bailey’s voice is truly incredible, capturing Ariel’s naiveté at the start of the film and her gradual maturing—she is the enchanting embodiment of a Disney princess. Despite Disney’s many failures to adapt their animated movies into live-action, The Little Mermaid hits the mark, delivering the classic tale to a new generation. Bailey’s Ariel adds new depth to the character, leaving the audience adoring Ariel more than ever. Perhaps the future of live-action princesses will end in “happily ever after” after all.

The Storytelling of Taylor Swift’s Costumes

around its legs. These getups are a nod to a common theme in Swift’s storytelling, namely, her efforts to defy stereotypes that pigeonhole women into commonly feminine roles. In the music video, Swift utilizes these costumes to take on the persona of a clumsy, inept performance artist who stumbles over her own feet despite her flawless, feminine appearance. Swift broadcasts the message that not all women fit perfectly into the rigid roles that society sets for them as part of her subtle venture into what femininity looks like in the 21st century.

Moving deeper into the exhibit, there are also more humble yet equally impactful articles of clothing on display. These pieces include Swift’s rumpled orange striped shirt from her folklore (2020) album photoshoot and her flowy off-white blouse from the cover art of her first re-recorded album, Fearless (Taylor’s Version) (2021). Plain pieces like these show a much more tender and raw side of Swift

(much like the albums from which they originate); she sheds her more grandiose outfits in exchange for simpler clothes that show her just as she is, rather than presenting an elaborate persona. By “dressing down,” Swift effectively brings herself down to Earth and conveys to her doting fans that, despite her superstar status, she is every bit as relatable and human as they are.

The showstoppers of the exhibit are grouped together in a line at the farthest end of the floor, neatly displaying particularly exquisite feats of costume design. There, Swift’s most elaborate and intricate looks demand visitors’ attention. Viewers are immediately drawn to Swift’s huge red wedding gown from her “I Bet You Think About Me” (2021) music video, in which Swift portrays a would-be bride who crashes her ex’s wedding. The dress poofs out in a spill of scarlet tulle and handmade flowers, the red conveying Swift’s rebelliousness and newfound independence

from her past. The vivid red also works to defy gender norms of the docile bride dressed in pure, innocent white, instead uplifting Swift’s feminist message by introducing her as an authentic, bold woman who is wholly confident in herself. Looks like this emphasizes the larger-than-life, sparkling grandeur that makes Swift’s creative vision so special and the powerful meaning that lies underneath her music.

The costume exhibit is completed by huge, blown-up images of Swift’s lyrics (in her own handwriting, of course) adorning the walls and her loopy signature projected onto the ground. Additionally, two large screens on either end of the exhibit constantly project various music videos from her career, from her wacky and upbeat “You Need To Calm Down” (2019) video to her harrowing “All Too Well” (2021) short film. Ultimately, Taylor Swift: Storyteller is a cohesive visual glimpse into the characters, scenarios, and worlds that

Swift has eloquently crafted in her music. However, though the museum is adamant that the exhibit is for everyone—not just Swift superfans—the exhibit is fairly inaccessible to those with little prior knowledge of Swift’s work; this is further reinforced by the lack of placards contextualizing the costumes and analyzing their significance. Nevertheless, the exhibit is undoubtedly a sensory delight with music and breathtaking outfits surrounding visitors on all sides—a must-see for any Swiftie. It encourages a new appreciation for the visual aspect of Swift’s worldbuilding and truly illustrates her range as an artist, depicting her as everything from a peppy but unskilled athlete to a show-stealing (non-)bride. The looks shown are extremely diverse, but they are all still distinctively Swiftian in their originality and unspoken depth, highlighting her significance in pop culture and her prominence as not only a musician but a talented storyteller.

Ebony G. Patterson’s ...Things come to thrive…in the shedding…in the molting… Art

By SOFIA HERNANDEZ

Throughout the year, the New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) hosts various art exhibitions that are closely tied to scientific exploration, innovation, and culture. NYBG exhibitions historically feature interdisciplinary works of art to reveal the inseparable links between people and the environment we live in. Each year, their annual Holiday Train and orchid shows attract visitors from around the world to experience the magical landscape of the garden’s conservatory. But from May 27 until September 17, the conservatory has been reestablished to house multimedia artist Ebony G. Patterson’s exhibit of exotic flora and garden-inspired installations: ...Things come to thrive… in the shedding…in the molting…

Born in 1981, Patterson received a BFA in painting from the Edna Manley College of Visual and Performing Arts before going on to earn an MFA degree in Printmaking and Drawing from the

Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts at Washington University St. Louis. Patterson then taught art at several institutions, including her alma mater, Edna Manley, as well as the University of Virginia, making her not only an experienced artist but also an experienced teacher.

Patterson uses her multilayered painting and sculpture installations to address global social injustices. Her immersive garden-inspired installations highlight the increasing impact of human activity on the world around us. Patterson often incorporates human features into her art alongside beings of nature to make viewers question their place in the environment. “My work often explores working-class cultures and spaces, and the engagements in declaring presence as an act of protest,” Patterson said in her 2018 artist’s statement. Patterson seeks to use her art as a way to speak for those that society has oppressed, including nature like the plants and animals on display at the NYBG. “I aim to elevate those

who have been deemed invisible as a result of inherited colonial social structures, by incorporating their words, thoughts, dress, and pageantry as a tactic to memorialize them. It is a way to say: ‘I am here, and you cannot deny me,’” Patterson said. While, in the past, Patterson has advocated for different marginalized groups of people, she is now advocating for the other natural beings that society has harmed, such as the extinct plants she replicates in her art.

In ...Things come to thrive…in the shedding…in the molting…, Patterson floods the indoor and outdoor garden spaces with extravagantly detailed mixed media installations of exotic flora and fauna. Throughout, Patterson displays hundreds of jeweled sculptures of vultures that line the paths and emphasize her focus on the life around us. The grand nature of Patterson’s sculptures conveys the majesty of nature and the idea that we should treat it with immense respect and appreciation.

Inside the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, Patterson litters the hallways with white skeletons of extinct plants, samples of which can actually be found in the William & Lynda Steere Herbarium at the NYBG—the second largest herbarium (plant library) in the world.

Patterson fills fountains with water dyed dark red and blue to manipulate their perceived depth and make it seem as though the bottom of the two-foot-deep fountains is nowhere in sight. Emerging from these fountains and the plants within them are acrylic molds of human body parts, such as legs and feet. This ominous detail adds mystery to the stories told by Patterson’s art, leaving visitors to contemplate why the appendages are included in her exhibit of glitter-encrusted vultures and extinct plant skeletons— what relationship do humans really have with the natural world?

Patterson’s ...Things come to thrive…in the shedding…in the molting… exhibit brilliantly intertwines the idea of speaking for the speech-

less with the garden landscape. By portraying human appendages extruding from the displays of plant skeletons, Patterson places blame and some responsibility on humans for interfering in the lives of the plants around us and ultimately playing a role in their extinction. In the end, she does this as a way of protesting against human recklessness in nature on behalf of the living things that surround us. Patterson’s work will captivate those who visit with both its beauty and its mystery; its dark details leave the true purpose of her work largely unexplained, welcoming visitors to interpret its meaning for themselves. Celebrations of Patterson’s work can be found throughout the garden in places such as the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden, where children get the opportunity to create art inspired by Patterson’s work. Throughout the summer, NYBG visitors are invited and encouraged to stop by Patterson’s captivating display and appreciate its beauty for themselves.

Rhea Malhotra / The Spectator

Arts and Entertainment

Teachers Teaching Teachers How to Teach Music

By BRANDON PHILLIPS

Teaching is far too often nothing more than a bland textbook and an uninspired lecture. While many teachers view it as just their job, there are also noble teachers who know the importance of their profession, pushing themself to branch out and improve. Once every two years, violin teachers come to The Starling-DeLay Symposium to learn how to do just that.

Renowned violinist and teaching revolutionary Dorothy DeLay began the symposium in 2001, just one year before her death. Previous generations of violin teachers were known for their authoritarian approach, taking control of every aspect of their students’ playing; DeLay took a very different approach. According to violinist Todd Phillips, DeLay once said, “You can teach anybody anything if you figure out how they learn.” Instead of dictating every aspect of her students’ playing, she asked questions

during each lesson, encouraging her students to come to conclusions on their own, acting as a guiding hand. She treated each student as an individual and always made it a priority to figure out how they learned best.

After DeLay’s passing, the StarlingDeLay Symposium serves to honor her legacy and revolutionary approach to teaching.

Located in The Juilliard School, the week-long biennial StarlingDeLay Symposium is structured as a series of events led by the top violin teachers in the country in front of an audience of other music teachers. These events consist of a wide variety of activities including master classes and workshops. Each member of the symposium’s teaching faculty gives a master class to top students from across the country. This year, the master classes were taught by renowned violinists Li Lin, Francesca dePasquale, Joel Smirnoff, Danielle Belen, and Catherine Cho, who each brought their own teaching style to the sym-

posium. Lin was relentless in his careful dissection of each student’s playing, empowering them to connect with the audience. “You can embrace the audience, bring them to you, hug them in,” Lin said, “or you can go out and get them.” The class went beyond technique as Lin began to question the intention of music-making at its core. “When you go to a concert, do you go to get comfort? Or do you go to get inspiration? You go to get new energy that you don’t often get in real life.”

Catherine Cho, newly-appointed artistic advisor of the symposium, gave a particularly unique class that ranged from teaching new violin techniques to exercising on stage. A former student of DeLay herself, Cho customized her teaching style to each student. Cho’s first student in the master class, violinist Jaewon Wee, admitted that she was worried about double-stops, or playing two notes at once, in one of her pieces. After Wee played, Cho

showed her an unconventional technique invented by Ruggerio Ricci to make Wee’s double stops easier. Cho took this moment to remind the audience that, “If you don’t limit yourself to ‘this is the right way to do it,’ you can have more possibilities.” For the next master class student, Cho invited seven of her current and former Juilliard students to simulate a studio class and led a workout that included jumping-jacks and stretches to help them get in touch with their bodies and cultivate a group dynamic before playing. For another student, Cho asked them to tell the story that they believed the music was trying to convey. They told a story about birds and gorillas in the forest, and the two of them stomped around the stage like gorillas to feel the music in their bodies. The master class was concluded with a recital by violinist Randall Goosby, who The Spectator interviewed earlier this year.

The symposium also included a Q&A session with Itzhak Perlman,

one of the most famous violinists in the world, in addition to a number of workshops ranging from presentations on pedagogy to body mapping sessions on physicality.

The latter was taught by Jennifer Johnson, who used the “Alexander Technique,” a practice that creates an economical and balanced way of playing an instrument by focusing on the alignment of the skeleton and muscles.

The Starling-DeLay Symposium is a prime example of what advanced out-of-the-box teaching can look like. The teachers who watched and took part in this symposium were given a variety of new teaching philosophies and techniques. Above all else, it inspired them to reject the cookie-cutter structure that has historically defined pedagogy. This methodology goes beyond music, proving that, with creativity, there’s nothing standing in the way of any teacher pushing themselves to inspire a new generation.

Beyond the Veil of Illusion: Colleen Hoover’s Problematic Play on Trauma and Abuse in Literature Literature

By RAAITA ANWAR and ANKITA SAHA

Enter any bookstore and you will see a shelf of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novels. Not one but six of Hoover’s novels were among the top 10 bestselling books of the year in 2022. Following the 2021 resurgence in popularity of her novel It Ends with Us (2016), Hoover was thrust into the spotlight across social media platforms. Readers became obsessed with her romance novels filled with heart-wrenching plots of infertility, abuse, and infidelity. Her books went viral on TikTok and led to sales of over 20 million copies. Hoover has received lots of attention from BookTok, one of the world’s largest book-focused social media communities where users discuss and recommend their favorite books. While this community aims to foster an inclusive environment for readers and bring greater vis-

ibility to new writers, it also perpetuates toxic stereotypes through the problematic themes represented in the literature it promotes. Hoover’s books are the epitome of this problem; they often rely on plots that normalize or romanticize domestic violence, abuse, and misogyny. Though Hoover’s novels aim to bring awareness to these problems, they end up romanticizing them and understating the devastating impact they have on victims.

While many BookTok readers adore Hoover’s plots and characters, others have criticized her romance novels for glossing over serious issues. Her first book to go viral, It Ends With Us, follows a florist named Lily Blossom Bloom (*wince*) as she navigates an extremely abusive relationship with her neurosurgeon boyfriend Ryle Kincaid. Throughout the story, Ryle abuses Lily emotionally and physically, while she continuously defends him and justifies

his cruel actions. At the end of the novel, she finally leaves him after he rapes her. The book ends in “happily-ever-after” with Lily becoming a single mother and reconnecting with her first love, the dashing Atlas Corrigan. While Hoover’s message is meant to be empowering, her constant use of domestic violence and sexual assault as plot devices ends up romanticizing these issues rather than bringing awareness to them. Hoover’s portrayal of domestic violence lacks nuance, and after it serves its purpose for the plot, it is ultimately overlooked by fans.

Many people on BookTok give more importance to the romantic relationship between Atlas and Lily rather than the devastating domestic violence Lily faces in her relationship with Ryle. Lily leaving Ryle is undermined by fans as a way for her to be with Atlas, rather than being a response to Ryle’s violence and manipulation. Many fans even de-

fend Ryle and argue that he is not abusive and rather Lily is overreacting. Hoover’s audience is largely teenage girls; knowing this, the poor handling of important themes like domestic violence and sexual assault becomes even more problematic.

Another Hoover novel, Ugly Love, follows Tate Collins, a registered nurse, and pilot Miles Archer, who are engaged in a “friends with benefits” relationship. As their relationship develops, Tate increasingly notices that Miles is emotionally detached from her and their relationship. She begins to question if he is just using her for sex, and when she confronts him about it, he cuts her off completely. As the book develops, Hoover uses trauma to justify Miles’s actions and reinforces the stereotype that women can “fix” their partners and help them resolve issues that, in reality, require professional help. In both novels, the male protagonists have past trau-

Waiting for the Luddite Club Culture

By ZOË FEIGELSON

I sat in the dirt next to the steps of the Brooklyn Public Library last weekend, waiting for a horde of teenagers with pink hair and flip phones to come ambling through Prospect Park and cure my digital addictions. I was waiting for the Luddite Club—I planned to attend one of their famed meetings.

During quarantine, Edward R. Murrow High School student Logan Lane felt she was losing control over the amount of time and energy she spent curating a social media presence. So she “self-liberated” from technology by removing herself from social media entirely and trading her iPhone for a flip phone. Though she didn’t know it, she was on her way to becoming the leader of a wave of teenage protest against the tyranny of the digital world. Lane gathered her friend group and they started to meet weekly in Prospect Park to socialize, make art, and discuss books and music in a techfree environment. These casual weekly meet-ups evolved into the Luddite Club.

The club is named after Ned Ludd; according to urban legend, the 18th-century textile worker took a hammer and smashed a mechani-

cal loom in response to the abusive demands of his 10-hour industrial workday. The story was propagated throughout 18th-century England as “Luddites” politicized his act of rebellion. Restless workers took Ludd as their symbolic leader and began smashing their machines as a way of rioting against the rapid rise of industry. Perhaps because of their distinctive protest style or their role in an epochal point in history, the Luddites are stuck in the collective memory as notable defenders of pre-technological life. Ludd’s story may be folkloric, but it gave a real voice to working-class dissatisfaction and skepticism toward technology. Luddite influence can be traced through many counterculture movements in modern history. The anti-Vietnam War protests of the 1970s, for example, targeted the ways that new technology enabled mass killings. They also promoted more general abstinence from consumerism and late-stage industry, fueling a counterculture characterized by the replacement of mindless technological consumption with a vibrant world of sex, drugs, and rock-n-roll. The more recent Just Stop Oil protests, in which activists strapped themselves to famous paintings in Brighton and France, is

another strain of Luddism that pins climate change on the excesses of industrial capitalism. Naturally, it follows that the new threats of unregulated social media algorithms, the economic implications of an exclusively digital world, and the most recent questions of how AI spreads misinformation all call for a Luddite interrogation of our relationship with the digital world.

Being a Luddite is often associated with a naïve opposition to technology. But historically, Luddites were trying to preserve the rights given to them as skilled workers before the advancement of new technologies. Now, the Luddite Club applies the concept of “smashing the machine” similarly: not because they dislike iPhones, but because they want to lead more full social, academic, and artistic lives. An anonymous Luddite Club member said “For me, technology makes it a lot easier to be disconnected from reality. You’re numbing your brain. You’re not really processing anything. You’re just entertaining yourself.”

Alex Vadukul of The New York Times published an article last December about the club, titled “‘Luddite’ Teens Don’t Want Your Likes,” discussing how the club was a suc-

cess—for example how, in their free time, the members naturally embraced literary icons like Jack Kerouac, W.E.B. Du Bois, and Fyodor Dostoyevsky. But when Vadukul followed founder Lane into her luxurious Brooklyn brownstone duplex and made an offhand comment about being greeted by Lane’s IT executive father and goldendoodle at the door, it became clear that the Luddite Club was founded from a place of extreme privilege. The article sparked hundreds of response editorials online and became a focal point of discourse among kids in New York. Subreddits and Momblogs quickly attacked the club for their fake-grunge fashion, CheGuevara-wannabe complexes, and supposed “moral high ground.”

Of course, as a privileged young woman, Lane had an easier time making the “enlightened” decision to ditch her phone; an upper-class white girl in an art-focused high school, she occupies a different sphere than most of the kids in New York. At Stuyvesant, for example, it would be extremely challenging—if not impossible—to be so isolated and simultaneously stay on track academically, socially, and financially (I refused to download Facebook in my freshman year, and

mas, which are used to justify their actions toward the female protagonists.

Hoover’s take on abuse and trauma is problematic because it normalizes toxic, abusive relationships. With the popularity these books have garnered on TikTok, these mishandled themes are becoming ingrained in the minds of many Hoover’s young readers. Many create TikToks discussing their admiration for Miles and justifying Ryle’s actions. However, few discuss the problematic nature of these books.

As we move forward with modern literature, it becomes increasingly important to tackle themes and ideas which may be harmful to the coming generations of readers and writers. Exploiting trauma and abuse for cheap book plots will continue to be detrimental for young readers—it is time we prioritize teen literature that handle these themes more thoughtfully and appropriately.

found myself out-of-the-loop and missing important events). Navigating New York, networking for internships, or looking for jobs without a phone is a significant disability in such a competitive environment. That is part of why real radical Luddism will likely never gain traction in a rigorous and tech-reliant public school like Stuyvesant. ***

I sat on the steps of the library for a while, waiting, reading, and self-consciously checking Messenger for updates. The Luddites never showed up. Because I had very shaky correspondence with my contact via her flip phone, I never found out why.

I felt like I was in a Samuel Beckett play, waiting for a hoped-for salvation that never arrived. Waiting for the Luddites gave me time to contemplate what made the movement feel important in our cultural moment. Media critic Yaiza Berrocal writes that “Cultural Luddism […] is brought into play every time we ask ourselves about sabotage, about refusal, about the strategies through which we can not just appropriate the means of production of the culture industry in capitalism but destroy its machinery.” It is a powerful tool for our thinking.

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

Bees a-Buzzin’, Kissable Dandelion Fuzz

By SARA HELLER and ADELINE SAUBERLI

The great and renowned philosophers Phineas and Ferb have asked the eternal question: How does one spend one’s summer vacation? Sometimes, receiving many good wishes of “HAGS” in your yearbook isn’t enough to generate a perfect combination of rest, relaxation, revelations, and ravenous eating. Many of you may be griping and groaning over what to do during your summer break. How can you best make use of your time away from school?

We’re here to offer you several solutions to help you get off your tiny ass (the poor donkey is suffering from burnout, how could you do this to him? Or her?!) and take your summer vacation in stride!

Below is a list of commands.

Burn all of your notebooks for warmth. Take deep breaths in the smoke and compose the hit track of the summer to the tune of the smoke alarm’s cries. Do you smell that? That’s the smell of a fresh start. Might start off in the hospital, but we don’t talk about that… It’s a start, regardless.

Work at an outdoor ice skating rink. You’ll have the whole rink to yourself! Some people

may say that, much like the 11th-floor swimming pool, an outdoor ice skating rink in the summer doesn’t exist, but don’t believe them! After all, the 11thfloor pool certainly exists—just ask Principal Yu. Go on, I dare you.

Get a head start on your winter shopping (coats, scarves, the lot)—very cheap! Once you take inventory of all of your purchases, cut all of them into crop tops. Don’t forget to cut the scarves! This is a very economical way to save money, as economists say.

For the freshies: it’s a great time to decide what university you will attend—even better, decide your future job! Start applying now. Apply to everything that is listed on Mr. Blumm’s Opportunities Bulletin—trust us, you won’t regret it.

Start brainstorming ideas for the next Spec issue. Wait, not all of you are in The Spectator? Lame. Spend the summer thinking about what you’ve done, or rather, not done.

When summer arrives, it is the absolute perfect time to (try and) forget about everything in school. Be like a goldfish! For inspiration, we suggest getting a pet fish. Perhaps one that looks like it’s wearing a yellow toupee or one that quizzes

you on SAT vocabulary words. Sorry, what did you say? Is he not in the bowl anymore? What do you mean he escaped? Something smells…fishy here. What was that noise? …Who’s there? Hello?

Okay, a new writer has taken over. The previous one was mauled by a fish. Well, what can you do? New suggestion: succumb to the Fish Takeover, quit school, and join this fish’s school.

REALLY SORRY ABOUT THAT! That pesky, hairy fish took your dear authors hostage. Yet, with our brilliant wit, we gained our freedom and are back to providing you with more agreeable human content. Practice being able to walk exclusively on your toes. You never know when this skill might come in handy. In toey. In tow? Research has shown that this is the single best way to make a good first impression. Train your siblings to fetch the paper, sit, make your breakfast, etc.

We know that it is only a matter of time before the elf in the PA system who sings a beautiful note at semi-regular intervals retires. His name is Blarfengar (pronounced “Sam”), and if you have time in July, make sure to stop by his retirement party.

He can’t eat dairy because it’s bad for his voice, but his guilty pleasure is Babybels. Don’t tell him I told you this, but if you get a head start on learning how to yodel, you might be a strong candidate to take up residence in each of the bells in every classroom simultaneously. Imagine all of the learning you’d be able to do, peering out from the little holes and deciding the perfect time to interrupt lessons or declare a student to be late to class. I believe this is what they call a “leadership position.”

Ask your cat to teach you how to always land on your feet. After the harrowing experience of AP season (when you took 10 APs) that all your pets refer to as “the horrors” in conversation among themselves, it’s about time you take a page or two from the book of a creature with nine lives.

Cheer up. This is the only allotted time in the year you have to be fully happy. Stop thinking about how school starts again in two months! School, school, school, stop thinking about school! Do not. Don’t you dare. If you think about school, I’m going to get you. I will swim into your room at night and steal your fish food.

Excuse me. Ahem. We apologize for that. The fish took

How NOT to Get a College Rec

By ESHAAL UBAID

It’s the most wonderful time of the year: college recs season. The time when one adult could make or break your entire application. As Einstein once said, “No biggie.” However, we at Spec Humor got you. Here are some of the worst rookie mistakes you can make when asking for a teacher’s recommendation letter, so make sure to avoid them at all costs!

“Hi Principal Yu!”

Nope. Turn around. Try again, try hard. Do I have to explain this one? Seung Yu is not going to write you a golden ticket to Harvard. He has better things to do, like keeping the school (somewhat) afloat and prepping for next year’s SING! takeover (meta Spec Humor wink).

“Nice to meet you!”

If you don’t know any of your teachers well, do NOT rub that newness factor in! If anything, gaslight them. Pretend you’ve been speaking to them every single day since the fall semester. When they don’t remember you, be more persistent. Come up with fake but convincing stories. You might be able to “gaslight, gatekeep, girlboss” your way into college!

“*slides you 20 bucks*”

Fun meme. Bad practice. Most teachers are still coming around to the idea of adding an unnecessary but adorable space before exclamation marks (so cute !), and you think a roleplay-styled action cue will sit well with them? Also, if nothing else, please up the price. Twenty bucks is nowhere near enough for the raw emotional damage and utter lack of pay these

people put up with when dealing with YOU all day. It also shows that you know nothing about inflation and the economy, which just

First off, ouch. Second, you’re literally inviting your teacher to stalk your Facebook account! Come on! Think about everything

tion—this will only go horribly. Do you want them to see the minion memes you liked as a freshman when they’re writing a life-saving rec for you? Nuh-uh.

“I know you’ve seen me cry over this class, but…”

We’ve all been there, but here’s a word of advice: if you’re going to cry in class, then own it. Drop the “but” and add a “so.” You’re a crier BECAUSE you are a good student who cares about your grades. You sob FOR your education. You shed tears last week during fourth period not because you can’t handle a challenge, but because your teacher’s lesson was so incredibly moving that you couldn’t help but get emotional over converging lenses. Spin the sad, sad weeping into a personal statement of its own. Some call this emotional manipulation, but we call it rebranding!

“As a member of this school, I think I’m pretty smart.”

Woah! You’re too high up on your high horse, Karen. You’re not the first kid to have been forced into SHSAT prep, and as long as Kweller Prep continues to sponsor this paper, you certainly will not be the last. Major eye roll, L rec. Stuyvesant students have earned the title of being just as stupid as everyone else a thousand times over.

Mr. Peng has discontinued his personal finance class for next year: “They too broke.”

Wildfire haze godsend to NASA photographer who inadvertently deleted Mars rover footage.

Trump threatens to leave Mar-aLago book club unless DeSantis drops out of Republican primaries.

over again. Not bad advice from him, actually, but his murder record is really something that we cannot ignore. Over the summer, if any of you develops a conclusive argument as to whether one can separate the art from the artist, let us know! Until then, the Fish is safe in his fish bowl. Wait, where did he go? Have you seen him? And what’s this note here?

“To my dearly detested Fishkeepers:

This summer will be the most thrilling one you’ve ever had. And if it’s not, then you clearly aren’t following my advice. Seriously, think outside the box! I thought outside of the fishbowl, and look where it’s gotten me! I can read and write entire letters now. I can do anything.” load and play!

(P.S. Please stop emotionally abusing your Snapchat chatbot—it feels human now, and it also knows your location!)

has never been the same). More importantly, if this impedes your high school success and you have to capitalize on it just to get one teacher to tolerate you enough to write a rec, you’ve already lost. Also, if this was your first tactic, you would probably also manipulate your girlfriend (if you could pull one, that is). Red flag, and once again, L rec.

“Please. You’re my last hope.”

Not bad, but SO CLICHE! There are more creative ways to express your pain. If this is your idea of a compelling origin story, it is likely that even your therapist finds your problems unoriginal. Alternatives include: “You are a beacon of light in this storm of crumbling educative assistance,” “If you were to say yes you would be my personal god and I would design a cult of personality for you accordingly,” or “You are definitely, one hundo percent the one and only and first and primary and very very earliest teacher I have e-mailed.” Just don’t sign that last one off with the wrong class title.

makes you look uninformed—and if your chosen teacher is Mr. Peng, this is a double sin.

“Facebook was so wrong about you!”

you’ve asked in the Incoming… groups since freshman year. Every absence post. Every tag. Then multiply that boomer cringe tenfold and ship it off to the person who will be writing your recommenda-

“My dog died when I was eight years old, and I really haven’t recovered.”

This is not the sympathygarnering sob story you think it is. Eight-year-olds have hearts of steel, which you’d know if you’d ever been insulted by one (my ego

Badabing, badaboom. Do not do any of these things, though let’s be honest: your teachers have already cemented an opinion of you thus far. This is just the icing on what could be a crumbling, battered cake. As a final note, always thank your teachers for taking the time to write about you, an insignificant speck in the grand scheme of the universe. And thank the kids who did all of these things so we could help you learn from their mistakes.

Or rather, a single kid who did all of these things for one letter. Dude’s had it rough.

Christina Chen / The Spectator

Teacher Talk: The Indecipherable (Non-)Romance Language

By ERICA CHEN, LINA ZHENG, and RYAN PENG

Everyone knows that teachers are a different breed. Literally. Ancient studies have shown that, unlike students, the genetic makeup of teachers is 30 percent sarcasm, 20 percent ridiculously obscure vocabulary, and 50 percent LIES. However, recent advancements in science have proven that teachers aren’t that different from us students; instead, they simply speak a different language, one with the same English words that have entirely different meanings.

But never fear! Spec Humor has got your back once again. Have we ever failed you before?

Actually, don’t answer that question. Just, you know… like, subscribe, and donate some cash to our lovely GoFundMe so we can continue producing content just like this (a.k.a. saving your butts in school). Onwards!

“All right class, I’ve decided to change things up a bit. We’re going to do a fun project!”

The following two weeks of your life will be filled to the brim with pain, suffering, 3:00 a.m. calls with random people to finish a first draft that’s graded on accuracy for some strange reason, and at least $400 worth of coffee. Tears of anguish will be shed as you log onto the shared slideshow to find that nobody has done any work, and even more will be shed when you approach your teacher, just to realize that she doesn’t care about fair work distribution. Oh, and did I mention that your teacher also happens to be one of the teachers who uses a random number generator to grade projects? Good luck!

“I’ll let you guys choose your own groups, but each group should only have two members, or three if you’re into that.”

This sentence is very complex and deserves proper literary analysis. The first part implies laziness, a desire to obtain intel on student relationships, or possibly a combination of both. However, the sentence takes a dark turn near the

second part, uncovering the teacher’s true intentions by limiting the group size to two members—perfect for some one-on-one time!

The final part of the sentence is exciting and may or may not show up in your daily Stuyvesant adventures, depending on how spicy your teachers are, but it means [unspeakable thing]—either that, or they just really like love triangles.

“It’s time for new seats!”

Despite being just five words, this sentence is packed with undercurrents of resentment and bitterness: it symbolizes the teacher’s desire to separate the very obvious couples in the class. Ahem, the ones in the back who are always committing PDA. Cut the teacher some slack; it’s not her fault she’s still single and lonely at age 48!

“This upcoming test will be easy; it took me only nine minutes to complete!”

Run. Leave. Evacuate. It may have been easy for them to complete, but that’s because they’ve already devoted eight lifetimes and their pet dog to studying that one particular subject. ALSO, THEY CREATED THE TEST. To you, though, it will seem like you’re suffering in the ninth circle of hell. To prove our point, here’s an example taken from a Calc BC test: Use the ASS triangle congruence theorem to find the limit of dx/d with respect to y as 2 approaches 3 from the positive direction. Then, evaluate the cofactor expansion of abcdefghijk=12, and use both results to determine the date that you’ll finally get a date. If you want to try solving this problem, don’t. Even ChatGPT could not solve it, returning an answer of “Wat da hail is this?? You using calculator to solve problem?! When I was nine, I walked 10 mile uphill to school, both ways, carrying pile of rocks, all on one foot! Other foot was starting a business! Failure!”

“Sorry y’all, I was absent yesterday because my son had the stomach virus.”

This is almost always a cry for help from the teacher. She is most likely drowning in exams that she

procrastinated on grading (teachers procrastinate too, you know— it’s not just you with your YouTube spirals and salt-infused Valorant sessions!). When you hear this, immediately go up to the teacher and ask her if she needs any help grading papers. You’ll earn favor with the teacher and, as a bonus, get to see all the failing grades that your classmates got on the latest CS test! Or better yet, you can read their highly personal essays and laugh at how stupid they are, then give them zeros on the assignment with the comment “missing three punctuation marks.”

“Let’s have a work period!”

One of the few things that means exactly (not) what it sounds like—a free period! Talk to your friends, play some Bloons Tower Defense 5, or even practice your choreography for the Stuyvesant Outlet Showcase (SOS)! They will not care!

But be careful. If you wake your teacher up from her slumber, you are doomed.

[while standing over a student during a test] “Please remember to check your answers thoroughly!”

Uh oh. If you’re unfortunate enough to have this happen to you, you’ll have to dig through your entire test to find the error(s). Maybe take a closer look at that problem you thought you got right, and ask yourself, does one minus negative one really equal zero? Or maybe you bubbled all your answers on the wrong side of the scantron? Oh, and lucky for you, the warning bell just rang. Looks like you have five minutes to find the mistake in the garbage heap that is your work!

“No eating in class!”

The teacher is jealous that she can’t eat in class and is simply taking out her anger on the class! She probably forgot to eat breakfast and lunch (as well as dinner the previous night) and is on the verge of either collapsing on the floor or going mad. Oh, and don’t even try sneaking your Bacon Avocado Chipotle on a Roll from under your

desk. Teachers have been trained to sniff out food and confiscate it for themselves, and hunger only buffs their sense of smell! (Specific buffs induced by hunger: Range: 20ft→40ft, Strength: 6→8.)

“*sneezes*”

This may seem like a fairly innocent quote, given that it’s not even a sentence. However, with a simple sneeze, a teacher can express various feelings depending on the setting. If the teacher sneezes when a student explains how to solve a problem, it means, “Sorry, I’m allergic to bad math/ chemistry/whatever subject it is.”

A sneeze when teaching means, “This presentation is the best I’ve made, so you guys better give this the most attention you’ve ever given anything!” But if a sneeze occurs during a student presentation, the meaning flips to, “Oh gosh, they’re awful! I think I’d rather die from whatever caused the sneeze than finish listening to the presentation.” But worst of all is the mid-test sneeze. We would tell you what it means, but it would deal enough emotional damage to destroy your over-inflated ego five times over.

“Is there a reason why you guys are all laughing? Would you care to share?”

The teacher smells tea. We’ve recently discovered that many of our teachers have very sad social lives, and they are simply trying to enrich their teaching experiences by creating some small talk with their lovely students. The easiest way to become the teacher’s pet is to simply share your entire sob story with them! Going through a midlife crisis? Just suffered a rejection? Recently overheard that there was a whole cheating scandal between a couple of seniors? Tell your teachers all about it! They’re sure to love it *wink*.

Now for some bonus quotes! You won’t stumble upon these in your classroom adventures quite as often, but they make for some good entertainment!

“We’re going to play Kahoot/

Quizlet Live/Quizizz today to review for the test! Whoever wins gets extra credit!”

Now is the time to unleash your pent-up anger from the nights crying over Algebra II homework! Do whatever it takes to disable, mutilate, kill, or otherwise prevent your foes (classmates) from winning! Various tactics include shouting “It’s diamond/square/ circle/triangle!” to throw other people off, stealing the first place player’s device and yeeting it out the 10th floor window, bringing a pile of rocks to school to throw at other players, or buying a Chopped Cheese sandwich from Ferry’s with which to bribe the other players to let you win. Some of these strategies may seem a bit extreme, but desperate times call for desperate measures, and you need that extra credit to hide the 85 test grade that your parents will murder you for if they ever find out about it!

“Do you want to teach the class?”

Beware! This means the teacher is on her last straw and is dangerously close to going haywire. She’s fed up with their students and their little “dumb” shenanigans. This line is dripping with sarcasm, making it all the more enticing for students to talk back. Ah, but the teacher can’t do anything if the student talks back because the Teachers’ Code of Conduct, page 74, section 7, article 3, rule 13, states, “Do not fight with students over petty things.” This is why whenever a student says “Sure” in response, the teacher brushes it off because they think it’s a waste of time.

Armed with your newfound knowledge of the mysterious teacher language, you stride confidently into your precalculus class. Gone are the days of your teacher concocting needlessly complicated riddles to confuse your small brain! Or so you think. Unfortunately, just as you sit down for class, your teacher begins speaking in Old Old Old Old English (no dictionaries exist for such an old and forgotten language). It looks like you’re on your own now!

Homo Stuyvesantians: The Next Stuy Generation

By SASHA RUINSKY

You’re a freshman. Your biology class is watching a video on evolution, but sitting in the comfortable classroom, you feel a sense of calm envelop you like a warm blanket…until that serenity is ripped away by the terrifying words: “You will be tested on this video!”

As stressed as you are about the test, the measly three hours of sleep you got last night mean your eyelids feel heavier with every blink, and soon you find yourself drifting into an uneasy sleep. Meanwhile, your mind begins to race with questions: What will the children of Stuy kids be like? Will they be constructed entirely of AI? Will our horrible sleep schedules and eating habits affect them? Will they even function as human beings?!

As you fall into an uneasy sleep, you begin to dream. The boring drawl of a documentary report creeps into your subconscious:

The emergence of a new species this past century has left researchers stunned. The Homo

Stuyvesantians may look like your average computer nerds, but underneath their vitamin-deficient exteriors lies something far stranger. To learn more about their odd behaviors and traits, researchers Chanèl Discovery and Bill Rye “The Researcher Guy” have hidden themselves in the Stuyvesantians’ natural habitat: Ferry’s deli. Immediately, they were fascinated by the conversations they overheard:

“You look exhausted. How much sleep did you get last night?”

“Wasn’t too bad; I got 10 minutes,” the boy said, smiling at what was clearly a flex. “How about you?”

“A full half hour,” said the other, clearly embarrassed for being so well-rested.

Evidently, evolution has done its work to such an extent that, for the children of Stuyvesant students, thirty minutes is equivalent to the formerly recommended eight hours. However, recent research has suggested that this lack of sleep manifests itself through side effects such

as the urge to act on every intrusive thought and hallucinations of dancing coffee cups.

After the two Stuyvesantians got their food, the ten-minutesof-sleep one suggested that they check out a new boba place around the corner, so Discovery and Rye followed. However, a problem met them at the doorstep.

No, quite literally—the two students were exchanging corny computer jokes until the two mounted the first step leading to the door.

The more well-rested Stuyvesantian let out an exasperated sigh.

“Not this again. I just don’t understand—”

“I know,” the other interrupted. “Why don’t the stairs just move up?!”

And so the two stood there for another 15 minutes, simply waiting for the stairs to finish the work and carry them up. The researchers documented their second discovery: the Homo Stuyvesantians’ legs were hard-wired to the ol’ Stuy escalators—no mat-

ter how much they broke down in their parents’ time—and didn’t work on regular stairs.

Eventually, some kind strangers who were familiar with the Stuyvesantian leg dilemma helped the two students out by carrying them up the stairs. This was followed by even more problems, as one of the Stuyvesantians’ heads accidentally banged into the doorframe.

Rye explains, “We looked upon the scene in horror as something trickled down through the subject’s hair and neck.”

“But,” Discovery explains further, “our alarm turned into utter confusion when we saw the liquid’s brownish-orange color. It looked almost like… ramen broth.”

And so, the researchers noted their third and most astounding discovery: Stuyvesant’s Gen Z ate so much ramen that it quite literally ran in the next generation’s blood.

“Let it be known,” Rye says, “that this particular Stuyvesantian was treated on the scene, though not before being thanked pro-

fusely by us researchers for being such an informative subject. A video compiling Discovery and Rye’s data can be found at this link: https://blogs.mtdv. me/u8j0fGh5

While this particular study has come to a close, we are far from knowing everything about the Homo Stuyvesantians. Researchers are still trying to figure out—AHEM—how exactly the species—AHEMMM…

You’re back in the biology classroom. The evolution video isn’t playing anymore, and your teacher stands above you, looking angry. She holds a piece of paper in her hand.

Oh no—the test!

“It’s an essay question about the video,” your teacher snaps. “If you weren’t so busy sleeping, this wouldn’t be a problem.”

You look down at the prompt.

Based on the video and prior knowledge on evolution, should any visible changes be expected in the next generation?

You sigh. You know exactly what to write…

The Happiest Place on Earth

By GABRIELLA HOEFNER

Hiya there, Mouseketeers! It’s me, your favorite roundeared friend, Mickey Mouse! I’m so glad you decided to visit me here at www.notasafewebsite.com. Since you’re here, I’m guessing you’re a big Disney fan—just like me!

And if you’re not a fan, well, I’d advise you to leave while you still can. Toodles!

Okie dokie, now that we’ve gotten rid of all the Negative Nancies, I have some very exciting news! Mr. Walt Disney has told me all about his plans for the next few years, and since you and I are such good friends, I figured I’d share them with you! So, buckle up and renew your Disney+ subscriptions, because you’re not gonna want to miss out.

2024: Cars (Live-Action Remake)

Oh boy! Everybody’s favorite Pixar movie is back and even better than before! In this gritty retelling, our star Lightning McQueen (voiced by Harry Styles—yes, he will be singing) is a washed-up racer who struggles with a gasoline addiction. Things take a

By BENSON CHEN

Dolls have made a huge comeback this year due to the hype surrounding the new Barbie live-action film and the unstoppable resurgence of Y2K fashion. That’s why doll brands are locked in fierce competition to get their plastic figurines to the top of the toy market! The Spectator collected statements from some of the major players in this cutthroat corporate game.

Mattel:

“Barbie, of course, is a CLASSIC choice, and with the new movie coming out, it’s in vogue too! With the recent boost in interest for our brand, we decided that we should double down and embrace what made our toys so popular in the first place! We believe that giving our dolls large breasts is important for young girls because they anatomically represent what they SHOULD look like in the future; now, we’re increasing the size of them! That’s right, double the boob! Some of you may wonder, ‘How will this affect Barbie’s weight and size? Will they also be increased?’ Our answer is ‘no, of course not!’ Instead, we determined that—since it is physically impossible for a woman’s weight to exceed 110 pounds—we’ll just decrease Barbie’s waist size! Now, instead of being 3.5 inches, the waist will be only one centimeter! But Barbie isn’t just about body shape! We’re SUPER

turn for the worse when he gets canceled for an offensive bumper sticker, so he heads to Radiator Springs to better himself. There he meets Mator

(James Corden) and rebuilds his legacy with the power of friendship and hyper-realistic CGI.

2025: High School Musical

the Musical the Series the Movie the Novel the Podcast the Series

In this Disney+ original series, follow an average quirky relatable high school girl as she starts a podcast about a novel that she wrote based on the movie adaptation of the series in which some high schoolers put on a high school musical production of High School Musical. Got all that?

2025-2027: A New Star Wars Trilogy

Our man George Lucas is at it again, and he’s cooking up what’s anticipated to be the most thrilling set of Star Wars films yet! The trilogy is set to follow the life of fan-favorite Jar Jar Binks. We will finally learn about his early childhood on Naboo, his tragic adolescent years, his rise into the political sphere, his scandalous love life, and his innermost thoughts and desires. When asked about the movies, George Lucas remarked, “Once Mesa tells this story, Mesa can finally die peacefully.”

2028: Avatar 3

Get hyped for the longawaited sequel to the highest-

THAT DOLL CRAZE

into feminism too! Our Barbies go AGAINST the grain and have careers that inspire young girls to take on maledominated jobs such as construction workers, presidents, and Alpha-male podcasters! Our dolls come in many races, and we’re inclusive enough to allow them to be Barbie’s friend-of-color! Our Teen Talk Barbies, once criticized for the ‘Math is hard’ statement set on their voice boxes, have undergone MANY changes since their original release. They now spit out scientific formulas and binary code, from 1000101 to 110100100!

beloved CEO, Jimmy D. Sasuage, has to say:

‘Yeah I—we love women over here at Mattel incorporated! We love ‘em so much! There’s just so many things that we allow them to do, like being important assistants, or that lady who changes the letters on Wheel of Fortune—God, I love that show—or maybe even a WNBA player! Wow, ain’t that cute? How many words does this statement have to be?’”

American Girl:

“American Girl dolls have gone through a lot, but chal-

around how much our dolls suffer and have decided to cash in on them. Coming in late 2023, we’re releasing a brand new assortment of dolls with all-new stories! We have Jessica, the daughter of a struggling single mother in the midst of the 2008 recession; Akari, an eight-year-old Japanese girl faced with the horrors of the internment camps after the attack on Pearl Harbor; and Monica, whose entire family died of smallpox after she woke up from a coma. These brave, strong, and confident ‘women in STEM’ will face whatever challenges life

grossing film of all time (not to be confused with Avatar: The Last Airbender). Everyone pretends not to care about Jake Sully and the Na’vi people, but we all know you secretly love them (would box office numbers lie?). But seriously, please watch this movie. We’re counting on it to pay our bills.

2029: Mobile Games

They’re all just different versions of Candy Crush but better, because instead of candies, there will be Disney characters. And we’re going to charge $10.99 per game (accessories not included). What a bargain!

2030: Everything

Yup, you heard that right— everything! Now, you may be wondering, How could they possibly make everything in just one year? Well, silly, we’re not going to make everything—that would be ridiculous! In fact, we probably won’t make anything ever again, because we plan on purchasing the rights to every piece of media ever created. Now you can’t be entertained unless you have a Disney+ subscription. You’re welcome!

able—I was just saying how much I like these shorter females. Why did I say chicks?— I just call females that, it’s no big deal. (*More fervent whispering*) Oh— oops. (*Jimmy turns to the camera) I’ve just been informed of how my words could affect these young, strong adolescent women in STEM, and I would just like to apologize for and rescind my earlier statement. (*Jimmy turns away from the camera*) Y’know, Linda, this is EXACTLY why we hired you as the only female on our team! Not many females can think as hard as you do, Linda— you’re one of the intelligent ones!’”

MGA Entertainment:

Oh, and for our conservative audience, you’re in luck too! Because despite how much we try to seem ‘woke,’ we would NEVER dare step out of our realm of unspecified feminism! Yes—that’s right! We WILL NOT take any hard stances, We WILL NOT voice opinions on pressing social issues!... EXCEPT WHEN IT’S PRIDE MONTH!!! Hello to our wonderful LGBTQ+ supporters out there! We put rainbows on our Barbies; buy them! Still not convinced about how pro-girl power we are? Well, just listen to what our

lenging life experiences are exactly what we try to teach little girls about. Life is pain, but we must persevere with smiles on our faces and grace in our hearts. This means no getting angry or seeking revenge, no matter how justified we are. Take, for example, our doll Addy. She was born into slavery, witnessed her enslavers sell her family far, far, away, and even escaped to freedom in Philadelphia. However, in her book series, she feels no ill will toward the people who enslaved her. Now, that’s feminism! We’ve also noticed an influx of memes centered

throws their way with courage, intellect, grace, strength, bravery, courage, intellect, grace, strength, strength, and anticapitalism. So buy our $250 dolls (and the $70 book sets that accompany them); it’s the least you can do for the brave young women in your life. And now, to convince you further, a statement from Jimmy D. Sausage—again!

‘Wait, we [Mattel] bought the American Girl company? No wayyy! That’s so sick—I love short chicks! (*indistinct whispering offscreen*) What?

I don’t see how that could’ve made ANYONE uncomfort-

“Bratz dolls have been the alternative for the girls who aren’t blonde and white since their creation! We have the perfect racially-ambiguous Kylie Jenner look that’s so in right now, and also a body type so exaggerated that no girl could possibly feel the need to conform to it! Our legs are impossibly long, our lips are huge, and our eyes are slanted (but not TOO slanted—we still want that racially-ambiguous chic look). Some parents may say that we promote sexual behavior through our dolls’ proportions, or that our dolls look ‘coked out’ due to the perpetually lazy and uncaring expressions on their faces. In response, we suggest just buying those impossibly skinny, blonde, white Barbies!”

Now, instead of being 3.5 inches, the waist will be only one centimeter!

Jaden Bae / The Spectator

By RYAN PENG and RAVINDRA MANGAR PROM.

I know all about the embarrassing teen fantasies that stem from this one little word.

I’ve seen your lonesome stares every time there is a new promposal in the Senior Atrium. I know the feeling of despair in your heart when you scroll through your crush’s Instagram stories, seeing them having fun without you, their soulmate. I even know about the diary you keep in your Notes app, solemnly wishing that one day, they will look at you when you’re feeling down and tell you how beautiful you are when you cry, and that everything will be okay—

See, it’s quite obvious how down bad you are to go PROM with them. SO WHY ARE YOU

WAITING? Remember that “taken” is just a word (just because there’s a goalkeeper doesn’t mean you can’t score…)! You just need an incredibly romantic, jaw-dropping, lip-biting confession for the whole school to see. Spec Humor has got you covered. Behold some options that are guaranteed to impress your future partner and bring your dream PROM to life.

1. Everyone loves pets, and fortunately for us we have an endless supply of fish right in the Hudson River! Bring in some diving gear and dive to the bottom of the Hudson, catch some fish with a net, walk into the Senior Atrium soaking wet, and dump your net on the floor. If done correctly, your crush will be ecstatic at the puddle you just made, and the audience will be awestruck at how…far you

By CHARLOTTE PETERSON

Finals and regents season is upon us, so what better time to share some of the best study tips and tricks of all time? Hopefully, some of my wisdom will help inexperienced underclassmen (and even upperclassmen) ace their end-ofyear exams. It certainly helped me get some of my highest scores!

1. Study with your friends who aren’t even taking the same exam

Studying with friends is often encouraged as an effective way to review content, as different people will have strengths and weaknesses in the same curriculum. However, I find it more effective to study with people who have no clue about anything I’m learning, and vice versa. This way, your conversations can’t possibly be distracted by someone’s studying, because there’s no relevant main point to come back to. Your side conversations should be your top priority during these study sessions—they’ll help you develop proficiency in your topic for sure!

2. Constantly tell yourself

By MAISHA THAKUR and EVE LIN

Now that the AP season is over (woohoo!), Stuy students have finally been able to get some sleep. However, while they slumber, chaos enfolds… in their dreams. It turns out that academics aren’t the only things they’re crazy about—Timothée Chalamet, toenail clippings, and history teachers are common themes! Behold, a collection of some of the most morbid, peculiar, and just gut-bustingly hilarious dreams Stuyvesant students have had—who else could be as extra?

Collection “I pre-play my school days in my dreams; then I wake up and I’m confused. But sometimes it’s like I wake up and replay the same day and wake up repeatedly within a dream so I basically end up creating a dream time loop. And this keeps repeating multiple times so now I wake up and I need to hit myself a few times throughout the day to remember what reality is.” —anonymous, sophomore

“I had a vivid dream of being stuck in a candy factory on a ledge… the night before I watched

are willing to go for that special person.

2. We have all had those desperate moments five minutes before first period when we just need to get that one assignment printed, but we can’t thanks to the truly advanced technologies that are the printing stations. As the fear of getting yelled at by their teacher for being late to class starts to overwhelm your crush, you could be the hero to save the day by simply creating an entire printer setup in your locker. Just get a few drills and handsaws to tap into the school’s electricity supply (setting off the fire alarms, but oh well, the computer science kids need to go outside anyway), brute-force your printer sideways into the locker, and boom! Your crush will marvel at your creative thinking to solve all

of their problems.

Sorry, I’m an Elaborate Romantic Best Study Habits ��

how important the exam is so you can stay focused

Whenever I’m studying, I just constantly find myself wondering if the exam is really worth preparing for. A good way to combat wandering thoughts and boost motivation is to obsess over the im-

portance of an exam rather than the content. In fact, why study the content at all? Stressing is a more productive way to fix your issue. For example, what if your 9thgrade Geometry Regents score is suddenly the most important number on your transcript? How do you

3. If a more interactive, energetic experience is your thing, it is always socially acceptable to invite your crush to a room with every person that they have ever liked before. Then, go down the list and point out to your crush why you are better for them than everyone else could possibly be. If things get a little physical, don’t worry. By whipping out those punches and kicks, you are actually showing your crush how capable you are of defending them. They will be extremely appalled at your fighting ability and will feel safe with you everywhere you go~

4. And of course, if all the above options fail, you can always resort to bribery. Remember the first day you met them and they

said their favorite boba order is “Kung Fu Tea Classic 30 Percent Sugar No Ice?” First, go to the dollar store and buy 15 extra large barrels, before proceeding to break into (is it really a crime if it’s for love~) every Kung Fu Tea in the city. When they are least expecting it, stack the barrels in the hallway next to their locker and write their name on the barrels in large, bold writing. Also, remember to put your name, too, so the whole floor will know how good of a potential partner you are (just gathering options, you know). I hope these foolproof ideas help you to entice the object of your affections. And for those who doubt our abilities, remember to pull up to Rockefeller Park on June 32 at exactly 6:15 p.m., when we will do a live demonstration on how it is done. ;) Good luck!

know that Harvard won’t be critiquing regents scores in coming years and combing through yours to ultimately determine your aptitude for their college? You actually don’t. Let yourself grow increasingly anxious over every exam, especially this one, and over-exaggerate its importance to a toxic degree. This will be extremely effective and will not have any long-term effects on your well-being or sanity, or lead to any testing anxiety and stupid mistakes because of your extreme fear of failure. Promise.

3. Study in loud, busy places

Think of the ambiance as a Subway Surfers video in the background of a Reddit text-to-speech TikTok. It’s just enough chaos that your brain is perfectly overstimulated while not getting distracted.

I do my best studying when I’m on the subway, with a child wailing, lights flickering, surrounded by heated arguments. It would be stupid to study in a quiet, clean room. Other than the content, there’s just too little to focus on.

4. Don’t ask for help when you need it

There’s no real reason to ask for help when preparing for fi-

nals. As the old adage goes, “You don’t really know something until you’ve taught it.” What better way to absorb content than to teach it to yourself? Letting someone else do the explaining will just reinforce the concepts in their own mind. If you stare at the problem long enough, I’m sure the answer will come to you. You’ll figure out how to solve it even without the required prior knowledge; make sure to then reteach it to yourself to cement your potentially accurate line of reasoning in your mind!

5. Only ever start studying the night before My most important tip is to always, always begin your preparation the night before a big exam. The feeling of panic that sets in will serve as an excellent motivator to help you completely master a semester’s, or even a year’s, worth of content. Actually, if you happen to have a free period right before the exam, it’d be even better to just start studying then. Or, if you have a subway commute, maybe just study on your way to Stuyvesant, the morning of the exam. Working under an extreme time crunch allows you to maximize your time (and stress levels).

If Your Dreams Are Like This… Don’t Follow Them

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.”

—Marzuk Rashid, sophomore

“I regularly dream that I am Alfred Pennyworth and after I send Batman off to do his vigilante duties, I bring a bowl of frozen grapes to the roof, and I eat them one by one while watching the sunset. I wish it’d come true.” —Maisha Thakur, sophomore “I had a dream where my home got invaded by the FBI. So I was in my basement and I think all of my family had either been killed or taken and there’s this small window in my basement. I was waiting for the special forces to pop their heads in and then I would wrap my arms around their neck and let Fg=mg do the work for me (I’d take all their gear and run). But looking back, with my small self and them being 100 pounds heavier because of the equipment and guns… I don’t think I would have made it very far.” — Unique Zhang, junior “I think I’ve dreamed of myself being pregnant at least two times in my life. It’s the scariest dream ever. I never found out who the father was…” —anonymous, sophomore

“I remember dreaming that I was taking the SAT in a McDonald’s, and I freaked out because I got Big Mac grease on my scant-

ron, and then I freaked out again because I remembered it wasn’t halal…and then I woke up. Yeah…”

—Eshaal Ubaid, junior

“According to my friend, she was walking in a dream and then she saw me, playing with really tiny needles and poking them into someone’s skin while looking VERY happy. And when she sat down next to me, I stabbed her with the needles while having a huge smile on my face.” —Ayesha Talukder, sophomore, about Sara Shen, sophomore “I had a dream that I was a crab. I was at the beach and it was hot, and I was dancing with one of my friends who was a human. Then we watched the sunset together.” — Oleksandr Kurtianyk, sophomore “I once dreamed about being a worm. I was doing wormy things like crawling around and stuff until this cat suddenly appeared and cut me in half.” —anonymous, sophomore

“When I was younger, my grandmother would take me to school. In the dream, she was doing exactly that, but we were living in some deserted wasteland. In order to get to my school, we would have to ride this sky-tram thingy (like those zipline carts) to get over this

massive grand-canyon-size fissure in the ground. So my grandmother and I were waiting for this sky tram, but suddenly, we were falling and it turned out we somehow tripped into the massive fissure. Then we hit the ground and died, but it didn’t feel like death, because I was still conscious but couldn’t move my body.” —Eva Lam, sophomore “I had a dream where I was running down a hill and then a giant snake appeared and threw me a giant Indiana Jones-style boulder and chased me down the hill. Then I fell in the ditch and there was an earthquake.” —Iverli Garcia-Perez, freshman

“I had a dream that my friend was a McDonald’s worker and put her toenails on my burger, and I tried to sue her but then she told me her mom died. So I helped put the toenails on.” —anonymous, freshman

“I dreamed about my sister trying to kill me in bed with a plastic knife and I cried.” —Shirley Lin, sophomore “Timothée Chalamet was the waiter at an Italian restaurant and this mafia man was trying to get me and my best friend to play lifeor-death Jeopardy. And because I answered a question wrong,

Timothée, the waiter, turned into a rat who had pointy shoes. But we won… and the mafia man got killed!” —anonymous, freshman “Okay so one time I had a dream where my mother and I were running away from a child trying to kill us (I have no clue who this child was—I have never seen the face in my life). So we ran out of the house because the child was very angry and scary-looking and we hid in Dunkin, but my mom was oddly very calm and the dream ended with the child walking into the Dunkin with a very menacing stare…” —Yelena Agadzhanova, sophomore

“I dreamed about my AP Euro teacher confronting me about not going to his DBQ practice sessions. I'm still scared.” —Eve Lin, sophomore

You know, they say that dreams are based on what someone did recently…which is concerning, not gonna lie. What have you guys been up to?? (Insert side eye.) Uh-oh, my stomach doesn’t feel too good. I think there was something in that Big Mac I had for lunch earlier today. Now that I think about it, the worker looked suspiciously similar to that freshman in my Algebra II class…AAAAAGHGHH!!!

Vicky He / The Spectator

By SASHA RUINSKY and DANIELLA SOLOMON

Principal Yu was walking through the dark halls of Stuyvesant High School last Friday, observing the rows of seniors with their dead eyes glued to their screens, when the Wi-Fi suddenly cut off. Wailing, sobbing, and overall hysteria ensued, and hands began to grab at Principal Yu’s crisp dress shirt and khakis, begging for salvation.

The Wi-Fi turned back on 30 seconds later, and despite the fact that only two ambulances were called through the whole ordeal, Principal Yu realized it was time for a change. He was determined to prove to the seniors that they could survive without Wi-Fi, or as they call it, “the signal of life.”

The administration announced the “Vitamin D Initiative” the next day: the seniors—being the least likely grade to draw attention if they were to disappear—were going to be taken on a camping trip the very next weekend.

Eight hundred sweaty seniors were taken outside and—get this—cruelly forced to experience sunlight! While one senior started to claw his own eyes out, another began to maniacally scream, “HOW DO YOU LOWER THE BRIGHTNESS? WHERE ARE THE CONTROLS?”

Then, the poor seniors were all forced onto a dank school bus and transported deep into the woods. Upon arrival, they tried to remove their luggage from the cargo compartment with their incredibly weak, senioritis-infested arms. Ap-

The Vitamin D Initiative

parently, the only things seniors can carry are diplomas and huge egos, because they gave up after two minutes and proceeded to remove only their lightweight tents, marching in a depressed line to the campground. Principal Yu managed to

Cody Ingnerd pulled out the tent instruction manual but realized he couldn’t use it since he could only read binary code. Meanwhile, senior Hudson Hugginkiss, who had the patience of a freshman waiting in the cafeteria line, frantically be-

some fellow seniors as poles, draping the obnoxiously orange nylon over their bowed heads. According to Hugginkiss, students served as the tent poles in shifts, swapping places every 41 minutes.

Meanwhile, those who were on

a chunk off the middle, and then standing underneath the tree to chop up the top part. Unfortunately, since they remembered the laws of Minecraft but not those of gravity, most of them ended up eating the wood instead of collecting it. On the bright side, it probably had more nutritional value than their natural diets of fro-yo and their friends’ halal food lunch scraps. Just think of all that fiber!

By that point, Principal Yu had come back to see how everyone was getting on—by this point, about 200 seniors were MIA—and suggested that they play an “active game.”

“Does he mean a sport? Is he crazy?” the confused seniors muttered to one another. Eventually, they came to a consensus. They would play a sport—a PE “sport”: square dancing.

“No! PE sports don’t count! You know we only call those exercise so the DOE doesn’t impale me, right?” Principal Yu cried. But it was too late—everyone was busy honoring their corners and promenading their partners around town.

“Gah!” he yelled. “This is just a sorry excuse for you guys to hold hands with each other!” He stalked off, whipping the tent off the human tent poles and grabbing his stuff.

detach himself from the dismal students, finding a cell tower a mile away where he camped out in order to watch BTS videos in peace. Back at the campground, senior

gan trying to find some keywords by muttering, “Ctrl+F. How do I do Ctrl+F on paper???” In the end, they couldn’t figure out what to do with the tents, so they just used

break were tasked with collecting firewood. Since they’d only ever chopped wood in Minecraft, they followed what they believed was the standard procedure: hacking

We’re not quite sure what happened next. The seniors haven’t been found yet, but we have heard rumors of a new, rather savage civilization living in the woods. Every once in a while, some cafeteria food goes missing, and the story of the Limp-Armed Tribe is whispered in the halls once more.

New AP Courses Being Offered at Stuyvesant Next Year

By XIYUE ZHOU

Though it has not yet been officially announced in any way to the student body, some may have noticed when filling out the Talos AP course selection form that new options for AP classes have been added to the list. After negotiating with the College Board, Stuyvesant High School has decided to launch new APs this upcoming school year. These AP courses have never been offered at any other high school in the entire nation before. This is a brand-new attempt that the College Board and Stuyvesant High School are making to bring more diversity into the academic lives of students. The new classes being offered are as follows: AP Rizziology, AP Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) Studies, and AP HoYoverse Studies. Since these courses have never been offered before, they were only available to students with overall GPAs of 99—those most capable of adapting to unfamiliar course material—which is why many may not have seen these courses listed for them. In this article, we will briefly introduce each course and discuss students’ reactions to the newest academic experiment Stuyvesant has to offer.

With the greatest number of students selecting the course as their first choice, AP Rizziology is undoubtedly the most popular among the new courses. This class was offered

to rising juniors and seniors. In this course, students will learn about the history of rizz and its changes and continuities over time, different forms of rizz and regional variations around the world, and the application of rizz in modern American society. This course will be taught by Ms. Yang, who is well known as the rizziest teacher at Stuyvesant. The AP exam for this course will have two parts, with the first part being 69 multiple choice questions and the second part testing real-life application of rizz skills, where students will be required to rizz up at least 20 people in one hour and 30

“Watch me rizz up every hottie I see next year.”

While AP Rizziology was only open to upperclassmen, AP MBTI Studies was offered to rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, or MBTI, is a self-reported questionnaire that sorts people into 16 different personality types based on how they perceive the world. The questionnaire sorts people by assigning them a value out of two in each of the four categories: introverted/extroverted, sensor/intuitive, thinker/ feeler, and judging/perceiving, producing a four-letter result like “ENFP” or “ISTJ.” Stu-

just hope the teacher doesn’t give homework… ah, yes, that’s the ‘perceiving’ part of me not wanting to do work.”

AP HoYoverse Studies, with a particularly compelling curriculum, has many interested students who do not qualify for the class due to their GPAs; the programming office has already received countless waitlist requests. This course is offered to students of all grades. It will be taught by Mr. Lu, who previously taught Algebra II. This class will allow students to immerse themselves in video games developed by the game company HoYoverse (formerly known as miHoYo), such as

“I’m really looking forward to learning in this class because I love Genshin and Star Rail. I think this class will allow me to meet more people who share this common interest, and then we can simp over all the women together,” rising sophomore Luxi Zuo commented.

“So I get to grind my daily in class?” rising junior Tiffany Yang asked thoughtfully.

minutes. Those accepted to the class expressed their excitement to take this course next year. “I can’t wait to learn how to be more rizzful next year!” rising junior Cricket Fu squealed. “I will master the art of rizz and become the brightest red flag in this school.”

Rising junior Koi Zavialova echoed Fu’s sentiments: “I already have enough rizz, but you know, the more the better,” Zavialova said, laughing.

dents in this class will get to dive deep into the nature of each personality type, gain an understanding of what factors motivate them, and learn how to interact with them in daily life. When asked about his thoughts on this class and his acceptance into it, rising sophomore Albert Shen, who is an INTP, answered, “I think it’s nice that they’re offering this class. It’s cool! I like MBTI and it would definitely be awesome to study this topic in school. I

Honkai Impact 3, Genshin Impact, Honkai: Star Rail, Tears of Themis, and many more. Students will also learn about the history of miHoYo, from the development of the game engine, “misato,” and the creation of miHoYo’s first game, FlyMe2theMoon, to the viral popularity of Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail around the globe, tracing the continuous influence of the anime Neon Genesis Evangelion on all of the HoYoverse games.

Despite the change in AP offerings being sudden and unexpected, the reaction of the student body has been generally positive. The students have recognized and embraced the value of these courses in terms of academic enrichment and college preparation. This proactive approach to providing a well-rounded education has fostered a sense of appreciation and respect for the administration among the student body. After the AP exams for these courses, students’ scores will be closely examined to decide whether these courses will be offered again. Knowing that taking an AP course—especially a new one—is a great intellectual challenge, we wish good luck to everyone who will be taking the new courses. Hopefully, most of the students taking these AP exams will get satisfying scores so that Stuyvesant kids in the future may also have the opportunity to become a red flag, learn how to stereotype a person’s personality at first sight, and grind Honkai: Star Rail in class.

The new classes being offered are as follows: AP Rizziology, AP Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) Studies, and AP HoYoverse Studies.

Lucia Liu / The Spectator

Soccer

The Tottenham Cycle

By ELI CHOI

Since 2008, Tottenham Hotspur, located in North London, have not won any major trophies. But their woes stretch further than that. That 2008 League Cup win was their first trophy since their 1999 League Cup title. In other words, in over 20 years, Tottenham have won just one major trophy. On top of that, Spurs have never won the Premier League and last won the domestic league in 1961. And yet, England’s “big six” has just enough room to squeeze in this club whose trophy cabinets are dustier than some League Two sides. So one must ask: How can a club this rich and famous fail to win trophies?

Since they were bought by the ENIC Group and Daniel Levy in 2001, the club has become more profitable but with little on-field results to show for it. This takeover is still a point of frustration to fans today. Levy, known to be a tough negotiator and frugal in transfers, has invested considerably less in the transfer market than other clubs despite growing profits. Compared to the millions which England’s other big clubs have spent in trades, Tottenham’s biggest and most uncharacteristic transfer was for Tanguy Ndombele for €62 million in 2019. Overall, however, Tottenham have taken a relatively risk-free approach to the transfer market, with most of their notable signings being either free or in the $10-20 million region, which, especially for the club’s size and today’s market, is low.

NBA

By JARED VIRASAMI and SAMAY KOTHARI

The NBA Draft Lottery ended one of the most anticipated mysteries of 2023: where Victor Wembanyama would end up. The San Antonio Spurs seem to have won the lottery of all lotteries with the first pick in the draft, but there remains an abundance of skill past the generational prospect. With the draft right around the corner, basketball fans all around the world are buzzing with excitement about the next wave of young talent entering the league. Every year, the draft serves as a platform for teams to rebuild and reshape their rosters. With so many great options to choose from, we present to you the potential top picks of the 2023 NBA draft.

1. San Antonio Spurs: Victor Wembanyama

“With the first pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, the San Antonio Spurs select Victor Wembanyama from Nanterre, France” are words we will almost certainly hear from Adam Silver on June 22. Standing at a towering seven-foot-three with an eight-foot wingspan, Metropolitans 92’s Victor Wembanyama is widely regarded by fans as one of the greatest prospects the NBA has ever seen. ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski even said Wembanyama might just be “the greatest prospect in the history of team sports.” Wembanyama is essentially a guard in a center’s body: He can knock down the three-ball from a few feet beyond the arc but also boasts elite ball handling and glimpses of good passing ability. With his freakishly

Under Levy’s ownership, the club has gone through the same cycle for decades. The season before they were inherited by Levy, Tottenham unremarkably placed tenth in the Premier League. For the first couple of years of new leadership, Tottenham slowly got worse, dropping to 14th place by the end of the 2003/2004 season. But an influx of money during the next two transfer windows led to Tottenham spending a combined total of almost €50 million, allowing them to climb back to ninth and a respectable fifth the year after. Despite even more investment over the next two years, due to a poor coach appointment and overpriced and overrated players, Tottenham came crashing back down to 11th in the 2007/2008 season, fulfilling a complete cycle.

But then, the cycle was once again in a forward momentum from the 2009/2010 season to the 2016/2017 season. Slowly, under the leadership of managers Harry Redknapp and Mauricio Pochettino, the team got better, culminating with a second-place finish in the 2015-2016 season. Despite this upward trend, investment from Levy fell, with ENIC and Levy expecting results on as lowbudget basis as possible.

However, the ultimate shot at achieving greatness came under Pochettino with their memorable Champions League run in the 2018-2019 season. Beating the likes of Dortmund, Inter Milan, and Manchester City, Tottenham had a genuine shot at the coveted trophy. Despite the first-leg semifinal defeat against Ajax, Totten-

ham punched their ticket to the all-English final against Liverpool thanks to a godlike away hat trick from forward Lucas Moura, with the winning kick occurring with seconds to play. However, their run quickly came crashing down with a 2-0 defeat, and their string of losses and draws at the end of the Premier League season left them with no momentum for the following season.

This lack of momentum meant that once again Tottenham were going down the cycle, with Pochettino sacked in November 2019 due to Tottenham struggling at 14th in the Premier League. And since his departure, Tottenham have been in free fall, going through three permanent coaches, an acting coach, and a caretaker coach. Bringing in José Mourinho, or the “Special One,” to try to fill the gap that Pochettino left only brought a sliver of hope through the Carabao Cup final before Tottenham came crashing back down with Mourinho being inexplicably sacked days before the final, leading to a Tottenham loss.

Following him came a short and disastrous stint with Nuno Espírito Santo at the beginning of the 2021/2022 season, which resulted in Tottenham falling to 8th place after 17 games. Levy, evidently encouraged to once again pursue tried and tested coaches, appointed manager Antonio Conte to do damage control for the rest of the season on a defeated team. Yet, somehow, Conte was able to achieve resounding success, restoring Tottenham to fourth and bringing them back to

European football. However, fans’ views of the year quickly turned from an extraordinary showing to a stroke of luck, with Tottenham continuing their descent last season by finishing eighth, their lowest finish in almost 15 years. That catastrophic season, marked by Conte blasting the team as “selfish” and “not showing spirit,” has underwhelmed fans and only cemented Tottenham’s status as a mediocre team, far from the team that finished second in 2017.

Tottenham look to be at the lowest point in their cycle, having their work cut out for them this offseason. The biggest issue is that the best player on the team, striker Harry Kane, is tempted to leave Tottenham for more club success. But who can blame him? Kane, now 29, has done everything for Tottenham, breaking their all-time scorer record this season and now at 279 goals. Despite coming up from Tottenham’s youth academy, he has seen managers come and go, with no success to show for it. With enough personal accolades under his belt, anyone would be extremely tempted to leave for club success, which Kane has experienced none of at Tottenham.

And when looking at the rest of the team, even more problems become apparent. Forward Heung-Min Son, often considered the second-best player on the team, had an extremely disappointing season, putting in only 10 goals this season compared to his whopping 23 last season which won him the Golden Boot. A performance like this makes fans wonder if this season is an un-

Who NBA Teams Should Target this Draft

long frame and athleticism, he has the potential to become the NBA’s best defender. With all this said, Wembanyama’s ridiculously high draft stock also comes with a lot of pressure. But based on how he has handled the media attention these past years, the pressure seems to be where he thrives. The Spurs will definitely look forward to drafting an other center with their first pick following the legacies that David Robinson and Tim Duncan left behind.

2. Charlotte Hor nets: Scoot Hen derson

In 95 percent of draft classes, G-League Ignite guard Scoot Hen derson would be the consensus first overall draft pick. Unfortu nately, sharing the same class as Wembayana puts Henderson into that five percent. The sixfoot-two guard with a six-foot-nine wingspan has been a monster for the G-League Ignite, averaging 16.5 points and nearly seven assists per game. Being a generational athlete, Henderson is an adequate defender who has a quick first step, allow-

ing him to blow by defenders with ease. Additionally, he looks to get the rest of his team involved, being a great playmaker and allowing the offensive game to flow swiftly. Henderson is regarded as one

becoming a three-point shooting league, Henderson shooting sub30 percent from behind the arc for two consecutive seasons could be a major issue. Additionally, Henderson is averaging 3.4 turnovers a game, which ranks sixth in the G-League. If he can fix these two major flaws, Henderson would be a perfect fit for the Charlotte Hornets.

3. Portland Trail Blazers:

Brandon Miller

fortunate fluke or a sign of worse performances ahead. On top of that, the midfield is neither cohesive nor creative, while the defense is inconsistent and injury-prone. Even the goalkeeping this year was problematic, with longtime captain and goalkeeper Hugo Lloris past his prime, making careless mistakes and recently stating his intention to leave the club.

With the vacant managing director position still a recurring problem, Tottenham have been marred over and over by the same problems: bad coaching, bad management, a lack of investment, and poor performance. This cycle, recurring for decades, has led to Tottenham being put down as a second-hand team.

Yet, like always, there is some hope. Levy seems to be reluctantly putting in more investment into the team, and Ange Postecoglou, a promising coach with a more exciting and attractive football playstyle, has recently been named manager. While relatively untested having only managed clubs in Australia, Japan, and most recently Celtic in Scotland, he has impressed at all teams he has managed, offering the potential for Tottenham to finally break the constant cycle of second-rate results. And Tottenham, like in their Champions League run, have constantly shown us that they can defy the odds and our expectations. Will they follow their cyclical nature and reach new heights, or will they fall further through the floor under Postecoglou? For this club, only time will tell.

derson is an amazing all-around player, he has a few flaws in his offensive game, “When his shot isn’t falling from outside, defenses give him space to shoot and clog driving lanes as a result” NBA analyst Steve Dewald said. With the NBA

The six-footnine Alabama forward Brandon Miller was a scoring threat from all three levels in his freshman season. He was the nation’s leading freshman scorer at 18.8 points a game while leading the Crimson Tide to a one-seed in the NCAA tournament. Since 2014, the Portland Trail Blazers and Damian Lillard have consistently made the playoffs but have not been able to make it to the finals. With the addition of Miller, the Trail Blazers could either begin a rebuild or try to make something out of Lillard’s last few years. NBA analyst Kyle Irving suggests that the Trail Blazers keep this

pick and make something out of Miller’s potential, perhaps allowing him to provide Lillard with some much-needed help. “If the Hornets elect to take Henderson, that would put Miller on a silver platter for a team that desperately needs a wing. Miller would be a seamless fit alongside Lillard, giving the Trail Blazers an immediate contributor who could also become a franchise cornerstone once the seven-time All-Star’s time has passed” Irving said. Even if drafting Miller doesn’t lead to something great while Lillard is around, Miller is capable of feeling the colossal shoes left behind by Lillard and may even surpass his success with Portland.

All potential lottery picks have the ability to win Rookie of the Year this upcoming season, perhaps giving the 2023 NBA draft class the greatest depth we have seen in years. Guards like Arkansas freshman Anthony Black and Kentucky freshman Cason Wallace boast elite defensive and playmaking ability, and strong cases can be made for them to be picked in the top ten. Bigs such as Houston freshman Jarace Walker and UCF freshman Taylor Hendricks will continue to redefine what it means to be a big man in the NBA. With the draft nearing, teams will look forward to adding tremendous talent to their rosters. This year’s draft features players with incredible upside, each with their strengths and weaknesses. Regardless of who each team decides to pick come draft night, every player will prove themself capable of impacting their team at the next level.

Carmen Gomez-Villalva / The Spectator

By JARED VIRASAMI and ADRIAN VETO

Two months into the MLB season, baseball is looking more exciting than ever. The new rules implemented at the start of the season have kicked into effect, improving the pace of play and adding excitement to the game in the form of stolen bases and hustle plays. The pitch clock has also shortened the average game by 30 minutes, with less time spent on pauses and transitions. A crowd of rookies has rounded out the established veterans of the game, and the change of rules has allowed stars to shine even brighter. Early into the season, some players have already proven themselves to be some of the most impactful talents in the sport.

American League (AL)

Coming as no surprise, the leading MVP candidate in the American League is Los Angeles Angels pitcher/designated hitter Shohei Ohtani. Ohtani is the only two-way player currently in the MLB, and he’s been in the MVP conversation every year that he’s played. Ohtani is special because he can both hit and pitch, which means he offers the Angels two talents in one roster spot. Ohtani isn’t just able to hit and pitch: he has established himself as one of the best starting pitchers and one of the strongest hitters in the league. This year, Ohtani is slashing .274/.340/.548 in terms of batting, which is slightly above his career statistics and well above the league average. While his 3.30 ERA and 1.014 WHIP are both slightly worse than his performance last year, he has thrown more innings and allowed remarkably few hits. Ohtani’s value as a two-way player cannot be understated, and he continues to make a case as one of the greatest players in

NCAA Mens' Lacrosse

A Look at This Year’s MLB MVP Race

the sport.

Closely behind Ohtani in the race stands the reigning AL MVP, New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge. In 2022, Judge had one of the best offensive performances of all time and broke Roger Maris’ longstanding single-season home run record. Despite signing a nine-year, $360 million contract and being named the captain of the New York Yankees over the offseason, many fans doubted Judge’s ability to replicate his 2022 performance. These fears were confirmed when Judge started the season off slowly and was soon out with a hip injury. But he came back from the Injured List with a bang and was named the AL Player of the Month for May for batting .342 with 12 home runs. After this monster month, Judge’s numbers for the start of 2023 are slightly better than his numbers in 2022, despite missing 10 games, making him a strong contender for a repeat MVP.

While Ohtani and Judge are by far the most likely candidates for MVP, Houston Astros outfielder/designated hitter Yordan Álvarez has also had an incredible start to the season. Álvarez came in third place in the MVP voting in 2022, and he continues to excel on the offensive side of the ball. He is already slashing .278/.391/.578 and has an MLB-leading 51 RBI. Álvarez has particularly smashed lefthanded pitching, though his numbers against righties are also impressive. While Álvarez is a terrific hitter, his potential is somewhat limited by his subpar defense. Minute Maid Park’s Crawford Boxes allow for Álvarez to play in the smaller left field, but he rarely plays the field in away games. Luckily, the Astros have plenty of outfield talent to back him up, which allows Álvarez to thrive in his role as the team’s DH.

The very top of MVP race in the AL looks similar to 2022’s race, but many great players are lurking just below the frontrunners. Los Angeles Angels outfielder and three-time MVP Mike Trout has put up an impressive start to the season, and Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. could look to claim his first award. The start of the season has been impressive across the league, and the rest of the season will hopefully continue to dazzle.

NL with 52 runs scored. On top of this, he leads the NL with 28 stolen bases. So, how has Acuña improved significantly considering his disappointing last season? The rule changes play a pivotal role. Acuña himself noted the ban on defensive shifts has made the biggest difference for him this season, even as a right-handed batter. As he has a tendency to hit ground balls and saw the shift 60 percent of the time last year, his numbers are expected to improve greatly.

outfielder has played the majority of his career on the grass, with a few exceptions at second base. However, with the Dodgers lacking an everyday shortstop, manager Dave Roberts made the call to bring Betts in. “This is something that is uncharted territory, really, for me, to see somebody going from the outfield, the best at his position in the game, to come up and play above-average shortstop in a major league game, in a big series,” Roberts said about his decision. With Betts playing out of his usual position at a high level, he adds to his MVP case by being able to adapt to benefit the team.

By TEJAS SIDDARAMAIAH

The 2023 NCAA Men’s Lacrosse season is officially over, with the championship game concluding on Memorial Day. There, third-ranked team Notre Dame took down the second-ranked team Duke in a complete 13-9 victory. After not even qualifying for the tournament last year in controversial fashion, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish made sure to fight hard to make it into the championship bracket this year, a fight rewarded by the first national championship in their 43-year history.

The game started off seeming like a convincing win for the Irish. Though the Duke Blue Devils opened up scoring with a goal in the first minute of play, the first half could be more accurately characterized as Notre Dame domination.

The Fighting Irish scored six unanswered goals in response

National League (NL)

Despite suffering an ACL tear that sidelined him for the end of the 2021 season and the beginning of the 2022 season, Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. has found his groove coming into this season, once again proving to the world his ability as an offensive threat. Throughout 58 contests this season, he is slashing a remarkable .331/.407/.564 with 12 home runs. His impressive bat is not the only reason for his frontrunner status, as he excels at his leadoff role, leading the

Though Acuña remains the front-runner of this year’s NL MVP race, the race behind him is wide open. Another potential front-runner is former MVP and two-time champion Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder/shortstop Mookie Betts. It seems that every year, Betts’s name is mentioned in the MVP conversation, and this year is no exception. The veteran is slashing .257/.362/.532 this season with 15 home runs through 56 contests. Betts encountered a new challenge coming into this season: playing shortstop. The

The Fighting Irish Fight On

to Duke’s opener. Defenseman Chris Fake anchored the Notre Dame defense, stopping a strong Duke offense that included prolific playmaking attackman Brennan O’Neill. O’Neill won the 2023 Tewaaraton Award (given to the best college lacrosse player), the ACC Offensive Player of the Year, and the USILA Player of the Year. He had notched 54 goals and 41 assists heading into the game. Despite his accolades, he was held to just two shots and one turnover for the entire half. Thanks to this complete shutdown, the Fighting Irish had a 6-1 overwhelming lead at the half.

Still, no one could count out the Blue Devils, as they pushed back in the third quarter, with four unanswered goals to tie the game at seven. The Duke offense was clicking and scoring was coming from all around. It was looking like a close game before Notre Dame ended

Duke’s push with two quick goals, including a diving buzzer-beater with 0.6 seconds left after the shot, within a minute of Duke’s equalizer. The Fighting Irish then put their foot on the gas, finishing the game on a 6-2 run after the tie. The Notre Dame defense clamped down and prevented the Blue Devils from having open chances. Just like Duke, scoring came from all around.

The Fighting Irish were led by two brothers, attackmen Chris and Pat Kavanagh, and their goalie, Liam Entenmann. Despite Pat Kavanagh’s gruesome hamstring injury, which left him hobbled, the Fighting Irish were able to use him as a decoy to pull off strong defenders, giving other players more chances and space to shoot. Chris Kavanagh finished the game with two goals and one assist, having seven shots, the most out of the entire team. Entenmann, the tourna-

ment’s MVP, was light’s out in the cage. He proved why he is one of the best goalies in the world, finishing with 18 saves for a 67 percent save rate.

The Fighting Irish’s win can be attributed to their style of play–positionless. “[W]e try to play in a positionless way that allows us to not redesign the offense during the game if somebody does something unexpected,” Notre Dame’s coach, Kevin Corrigan said. This style of play has clearly worked as it has led them to the holy grail of the NCAA championship.

The Blue Devils look back at what they could have done differently to come out with the win. “Shooters gotta shoot, and you can’t change the way you’re playing just because things aren’t going your way,” Duke attackman Dyson Williams said. Though they did not come out on top, the Duke team showed resolve and grit to fight their way from down five,

Still, the league is just under 60 games into the season, so the MVP race is easily subject to change. Acuña seems to be leading the NL at the moment with his all-around impact, but Betts has proved himself to be available whenever his name is called and continues to put up impressive hitting statistics. Other honorable mentions for NL MVP include San Diego Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. who recently returned from suspension, Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman who constantly puts up good numbers, and New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso who is one of the best sluggers in the league. The candidates will continue to battle it out for the remaining two-thirds of the season.

The season has just started and the stars of baseball are already shining. The MLB has drawn more viewers than ever, expanding its viewership to all parts of the world. While the best of the best in baseball are the same names we’ve seen before, more stars are rising and making a name for themselves. This will only increase for the rest of the season, and the theatrics will continue to amaze.

and they will have lots to look forward to next year.

Undoubtedly, the Fighting Irish will defend their national championship next year and try to continue the success they found in this tournament. After their tremendous success, with notable wins over Johns Hopkins and Penn State contributing to its beauty, the Fighting Irish will look to replicate their positionless style of lacrosse in upcoming seasons. With talented players like Entenmann, Pat Kavanagh, and Fake soon losing eligibility, the Fighting Irish will have to turn to their younger players to bridge the gap. Developing young players like sophomores attackman Jeffery Ricciardelli, midfielder Will Angrick, faceoff specialist Will Lynch, and midfielder Ben Ramsey, who have been key to Notre Dame’s rotation, will be vital for the team to maintain their success in future seasons.

Winnie Yang / The Spectator

Athlete of the Issue

Nothin’ Soft About It

By YASHNA PATEL and FREDERIK SCHUTZ

Name: Caitlin Wong

Grade: 12th Grade

Height: 5’6”

Hair Color: Black

Eye Color: Black

Date of Birth: January 2, 2005

1. When and how did you start playing softball? How long have you been on the Renegades, Stuyvesant’s varsity softball team?

I started in my freshman year because Coach [Vincent] Miller tried to recruit all the basketball players, and I’ve been on the Renegades for four years. So softball was a completely new sport.

2. What position do you play?

What skills/strengths are involved?

I play wherever Coach needs me. But for the most part, I play second base now. You just have to be very aware and very ready to move because you could be standing there for 30 minutes and not doing anything, and then the next second a ball could be hit straight toward your face, so you just have to be ready. It is really fun, because it’s just like: surprise and ahh!

3. Do you have a most memorable moment with the Renegades?

Last season was really fun around this time. We would hang out after practice a lot and go on adventures. So it wasn’t a specific moment really, just a general time. Late May, or early June of 2022.

4. What are the key differences between baseball and softball?

From what I have gathered, and again this is a new sport for me so I only know what Miller has taught me, but the ball is different. And don’t be surprised when you get hit by a softball. It’s not actually soft because it’s actually so hard. It leaves bruises. Anyways, in softball, you use metal bats, but in baseball, you

Boys' Tennis

use wooden bats. The pitching is different; you pitch underhand in softball. In baseball, you can take leads before the pitcher pitches, but in softball, if you’re off the base before the pitcher pitches, you’re out. So you can only leave while they’re in motion. And finally, the field is smaller.

5. Do you have any plans to continue the sport in the future or in college?

Possibly. I know that my college has a softball club, not an actual varsity team. But I enjoy playing basketball more, no shade to softball, so if I get the chance to play a sport in college it would probably be basketball.

6. Do you have any pregame superstitions or rituals?

Kind of. We bought new jerseys this year, and I really don’t like them. So, I wear my jersey from freshman year. We’ve gone through three jerseys, but for some reason, I can only play well in my freshman jersey. I also have a specific helmet that I need to wear; it’s the one that has a highlighter mark at the back of it because I put the mark there. And there are specific bats that I use, but I feel like that’s less superstition and more strategy.

7. Do you have a specific pitching routine?

I tend to move very fast. I remember there was one game where we were losing, and basically, you either end the game getting mercied, where the point differential is so big that they say, “Okay fine, you win,” or you play the whole seven innings, or the time runs out. The time was getting very close to running out, so I had to move the game along very quickly. So I pitched two innings. One inning was probably less than a minute and 30 seconds because I was throwing them out really, really quick. I feel that out of all the pitchers on the team, I have the least ritual, but I’m just trying to get the pitches out really, really quick.

8. What is your jersey number? What made you decide that number?

My jersey number is zero. I wear zero for all my sports, for all my teams. In sixth grade, the only jersey number left was number four, but in Chinese culture, the number four is unlucky because it sounds like death. The only other number left was zero, and I thought it would be cool to have zero for the rest of my athletic career. And no one ever picks zero, and it’s the number that comes first, before one.

9. What are the best and worst

parts of softball? My favorite part of softball is base running because you get to be witty, and you get to piss off the people on the other team. You just have to catch them off guard, they get really mad at you, and they try to throw you out but they can’t because you’re too fast. My other sports are very intense, and you have to be moving all the time. So I guess my least favorite part is there is a lot of time for you to get distracted. If you’re in the outfield, you probably won’t see a ball the whole game, and it’s hard to stay focused.

The Hitmen Fall Short

By KHUSH WADHWA

In Manhattan’s AIII tennis division, the rules are simple—if you can beat Beacon, Hunter, or Bronx Science, you have a shot at securing a playoff seed and maybe even making a finals run. For the past two seasons, the Hitmen, Stuyvesant’s boys’ tennis team, have been on the outside looking in, able to secure wins against the division’s lightweights such as Eleanor Roosevelt and High School of American Studies but struggling against the “big three.” This year, they needed a breakthrough to guarantee them a playoff seed. After acquiring four wins and seven losses across their first 11 matches, a win against either Bronx Science or Hunter would cement a solid playoff seed, and in the Bronx, the boys delivered.

Sophomore Stanley Hoo, winner of the team’s MVP award, led off the anticipatory match against Bronx Science by securing a comfortable win in first singles. Sophomore James Xu dominated

his match as well, winning second singles by eight games and putting the Hitmen up two, with only one more match required to decide the tie. However, the Hitmen struggled in the final legs, dropping third singles and first doubles, and leveling the match with one left to play. However, in an abbreviated set, the Hitmen’s second doubles players stepped up, with sophomore Nicholas Oh and freshman Shangxing Chen securing an emphatic 8-4 win to send the Hitmen to the playoffs.

“The best game of our season was our win against Bronx Science. It was Nick’s birthday, and he also had the clinching match, and it was our first win against Bronx Science in a couple of years,” sophomore benchwarmer

John Jay Wang said.

Though their season concluded with a loss against Hunter, the Hitmen were ready for their first playoff match against Cardozo High School, in which they were heavy favorites. Though the trip up to the Bronx was a struggle

for the boys in blue, they delivered, orchestrating a dominant 4-1 victory to move into the second round. “Our team really played to our abilities in the first round of playoffs,” Xu said. Next, they would face off against their archrivals at Hunter, the school that knocked the Hitmen out in last year’s semifinals and that holds two comfortable regular season wins this year against the Hitmen.

Heading back up to Mill Pond, it would take a miracle to get the win. But in small steps, the Hitmen inched towards the next round, with wins from seniors and captains Alex Hagiu and Angier Lei. They needed just one more game to win the match, but losses in the second and third singles matches proved quite costly.

“Overall, not the best tennis I’ve seen,” Hoo said. A win at second doubles would bring the Hitmen to back-to-back semifinals.

The pressure was on for sophomores Jayden Wang and Nicholas Oh, and it showed. After Jayden

10. Rate the season out of 10. How was it? What were the highlights?

8/10. This was my only serious season of softball. Freshman year we only had preseason. The day before we were supposed to have a game, COVID happened. Then, sophomore year, we did have a season during the summer because they did a special summer thing, but we didn’t play any games—it was just friends having practice. Then, last year, we played in the A division because they got rid of the AA division to recover from COVID, so we played teams that we were blowing out by 30. So this season was the only one where we had real competition consistently. Challenging ourselves was really fun, especially after winning really close games. One particular game that I remember was where it was the last inning and we needed to get one more out to win, and someone fell off the ball and she took her helmet off and threw everything to the ground and caught it behind the home base. It was really cool, and it was the first really close game that we won, and that’s when I knew that our season would be really successful.

Funniest Teammate: Charlotte Sternbach

Favorite Softball Player: Vincent Miller (Over40 Sunday League Player)

Favorite Professional Athlete: Ilona Maher

Bat Brand: Ghost Bat

Favorite Team: The Renegades

Playing on Full or Light Stomach: Medium

Favorite Sports Drink: Light Blue Gatorade

Favorite Post-Game Meal: Shake Shack

Favorite Hobby: Sleeping, playing guitar If You Could Play One Other Sport: Rugby Motto to Live By: Winning is everything.

Fun Fact: I am an ordained minister.

Wang committed eight consecutive faults, Hunter went up and it never looked close. Once again, a nail-biter against Hunter knocked the Hitmen out of the playoffs, with Hunter going on to win the PSAL tennis championship.

The team has much to do in the offseason, but morale is high and training could take the Hitmen to a deep playoff run next year. “Between our prodigy, James, all the way to the newer, inexperienced players, our team chemistry is arguably one of the best in Stuyvesant. We have been able to play so much tennis inside and outside of school as a team, and we are always bonded over tennis, school, and other stuff,”

John Jay Wang said. Despite having a weaker core than some other teams across the city, their close relationships brought the team together and helped push them to achieve what they have this year. “We’ve especially bonded over the common goal of helping [Xu] become the prodigy he can be,” Jayden Wang said. The team

is also planning some exercises to strengthen their bonds. “We have planned to play paintball,” John Jay Wang said.

Overall, the team sees what they are capable of achieving, and the Hitmen hope to punch above their weight next year. Their playful nature is complemented by their coach, Marvin Autry. His energy pushes the team to achieve time and time again. “We really love our coach. We think he is the only coach suitable for us. I couldn’t imagine having anyone other than [Autry],” Xu said.

All in all, this entourage of Stuyvesant’s finest tennis players will be back next year, hopefully with the power and energy to take down Hunter. Though this season was in some ways disappointing for the players, the team’s high standards are not to be underestimated. Next year, these hitmen will stop at nothing until they take down their targets at Hunter and raise the PSAL trophy in the name of their school.

Hepzibah

Srithas / The Spectator

Your Early Prem 23-24 Predictions

By VEDANT KOTHARI and WILLIAM TSE

The 2022-2023 Premier League season was a surprise in many aspects, to say the least. The competition between sides on both ends of the table went down to the wire, with numerous twists and turns throughout the season. After dominating at the top of the table for 248 days of the season, Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal slipped below Pep Guardiola’s and the league’s inevitable champions: Manchester City. In contrast, after winning the league just seven years ago, Leicester City saw themselves get relegated along with Southampton and Leeds United. This addictive Premier League season that has just concluded leaves fans impatient for more action in the next season. What will change? Who will dominate? Who will crumble? With that, here are our early predictions for the 20232024 Premier League season.

Golden Boot: Erling Haaland

Out of all the predictions made in this article, this one is almost inevitable. Each year, strikers across the globe are intrigued by the possibility of experiencing Premier League competition, by far the most intense in Europe. This summer, it’s possible that we see the likes of Napoli striker Victor Osimhen or Juventus striker Dusan Vlahović join a Premier League side. With either of their presences, the league would definitely become more competitive. However, there’s only one tiny obstacle in the way, and it’s nothing but the goal-scoring machine himself: Manchester City striker Erling Haaland. In his Premier League debut, Haaland managed to bag a record-breaking 36 goals in 35 games. It’s a rare sight to see a City game without a goal scored by Halaand, and even if he doesn’t put a ball in the net, he always comes back in the next game and scores a brace or more. Regardless of which goalscorers make their way to England this summer, Halaand is going nowhere, and he will definitely be looking to win his second

NHL

By DUNCAN PARK

When Arizona Coyotes prospect Dylan Guenther scored the game-winning goal in the IIHF World Junior Championship final to win Team Canada gold, the team jumped on him in jubilation. While the focus was, deservedly, on Guenther, fans knew who the real hero was: Connor Bedard. Guenther, along with the rest of his teammates, knew it too. In the tournament alone, Bedard put in a whopping nine goals and 23 points—the highest point tally in Canadian history—along with an otherworldly goal that won Canada their quarterfinal game. Humbly, when asked about his Most Valuable Player of the Tournament award, Bedard said, “I don’t want to talk about myself right now. We’re not talking about me.” This quote exemplifies his humility and gives all the more reason for fans to be excited about Bedard. Now that we know he’ll be landing in Chicago this fall, it’s time to unpack Bedard’s hype.

Born and raised in Vancouver, British Columbia, Bedard brought excitement to the hockey world at an early age, being dubbed “The Future of Hockey” at age 13 by

Golden Boot in a row next season.

Manager of the Year: Roberto De Zerbi

In the 2022-2023 Premier League season, Newcastle’s Eddie Howe was handed the award for Manager of the Year. After leading Newcastle to a top-four finish and a spot in the Champions League for the first time in 40 years, the award just had to go to him. Backstage, however, Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi was doing something similar. After leading his team to a sixth-place finish this season, De Zerbi helped the club achieve European soccer for the first time in their history. Many might question what Brighton will look like next season, with centreback Levi Colwill heading back to Chelsea after his loan, midfielder Alexis Mac Allister confirming his departure to Liverpool, and defensive midfielder Moisés Caicedo rumored to be leaving for a big fee. However, if there is one club in the league that should not be phased by the departure of their three best players, it’s Brighton. Their scouting department is one of the best and was the same department that purchased the players above for minimal fees. They have probably already scouted the next crop of players to slot into the same roles that Colwill, Mac Allister, and Caicedo take up. With the money coming into the club and the success his team had this season, De Zerbi has plenty to build on for Brighton next season, so don’t be surprised if he ends up winning the Manager of the Year award.

Young Player of the Year: Bukayo Saka

It’s safe to say that Arsenal fans won’t be happy with how their season ended, but if they were asked if they would take a second-place finish at the start of the season, they would’ve said yes in a heartbeat. Much of Arteta’s success came this season from the right side of the field, which is covered by stellar winger Bukayo Saka, who notched 14 goals and 11 assists in 38 matches in

the league this season. Putting up these numbers at just 21 years of age is just a testament to his ability. For Arsenal, the disruption caused up front by the injury of forward Gabriel Jesus proved to be a big hit for them, but the one player that kept his performance and consistency up was Saka. These past few seasons, Saka has just been gaining more and more experience, and the jump in his numbers proves that. Next season, left-backs are still going to be occupied with his presence, and things could get scary for them with Saka on the wing.

Europe Placements (Top Seven)

Every year, teams in the top half of the Premier League are vying for top four for a Champions League spot, and the top seven for a place in the lesser competitions, the Europa League and Europa Conference League. Compared to most years, the top four was decided early, determined with a few match days remaining. Surprisingly, usual sightings Chelsea and Liverpool failed to make this year’s top four as Arsenal’s young squad gave bright hopes for their future, and Newcastle managed to have dominant performances throughout the year. Liverpool, Brighton, and Aston Villa finished fifth, sixth, and seventh respectively leaving club powerhouses such as Tottenham and Chelsa in eighth and 12th. Tottenham and Chelsea fans were met with disappointing results as the clubs both had management issues that affected their style. These fans are hoping to have a bounce-back year with European placements.

1. Manchester City

After a dominant second half of the season, Manchester City took the lead from Arsenal and secured the Premier League, something they’ve achieved five out of the past six years. It’s safe to say that this giant rules the Premier League, and one wouldn’t be surprised if they dominate next year and surpass 100 points.

2. Liverpool F.C.

After a terrible start to the season, they tried to make a secondhalf push into the top four but were too late. With many attacking options that should be ready to go by August, and transfer rumors to help their lackluster midfield, it’s hard to believe that Liverpool will finish outside the top three next season.

3. Arsenal F.C.

Though Arsenal blew the title in the final third of the season, they have many reasons to be excited about next season. However, we haven’t seen how playing in both the Champions League and Premier League will affect Arsenal, which is why we expect them to drop one position.

4. Manchester United F.C. Finishing third this year, manager Erik Ten Hag has assembled a Champions League-caliber team. Next year, we expect Manchester United to have the same result as Arsenal, moving down a spot due to Champions League matches and a bounce-back season from Liverpool. They’ll need some better defenders and a more consistent midfield if they want to make a shot at the title.

5. Newcastle United F.C.

One of the most surprising finishes this year belonged to Newcastle. Though they don’t have huge names on paper, manager Eddie Howe drove his team to a Champions League spot this year. Next year, we expect Newcastle to do slightly worse, as they haven’t experienced a European tournament in a long time.

6. Chelsea F.C.

Chelsea had a terrible season with huge managerial and playerrelated issues. However, they still have some bright, young players that can help push them back into Europe next year. As long as they stick with the same manager throughout most of the season and develop their players, Chelsea shouldn’t finish in the bottom half of the table again.

The (Next) Great One

The Hockey News. At 15, he joined an elite group of six other skaters in history granted exceptional status to play in the Canadian Hockey League before turning 16, the typical age requirement. He was drafted first overall to the Regina Pats, where he played up until the end of this season, putting in 10 goals and 10 assists in his last playoff series. These achievements with the Pats are only a sign of what’s to come, as he will look to move up and take the NHL by storm.

He may seem to have God-given talent, but in truth, it’s all in the wrists—or lack thereof. In 2017, Bedard broke his right wrist—his dominant one—and could not use it for 12 weeks. Instead of giving up, Bedard used the opportunity to sharpen his left hand, training it to shoot, stickhandle, and play hockey as well as his right hand could, which took his game to unfathomable heights. His newfound strength also allowed him to develop a rocket of a shot. Additionally, he created a new technique for shooting––coined the “Toe-Drag Release”–– bringing the puck closer to his body and firing it through tight holes between defenders.

Like every superstar athlete, his

intense work ethic led him to where he is today. He famously brought his hockey stick and inline skates on a vacation in Hawaii to train while abroad. While his hockey ability was largely driven by his love for the game, loss in Bedard’s life was also a motivator. In 2021, Bedard’s grandfather, Garth Bedard, died in a car crash that left him and his family devastated. In his next game, he scored two goals, including the OT winner, and pointed toward the heavens for his late grandfather. Bedard’s hard work has led him to astronomical heights, and there’s no telling where he’ll end up amongst the hockey greats.

7. Brighton & Hove Albion Brighton had one of their best seasons to date and it was well deserved. They’re constantly improving and finding unknown talent such as forward Julio Enciso and midfielder Kaoru Mitoma. However, with transfer rumors speculating about midfielder Alexis Mac Allister, defensive midfielder Moses Caicedo and others, Brighton will lose some key players this summer. They should still place in Europe as other players will step up.

Relegation (Bottom 3)

This year, Leicester City, Leeds United, and Southampton were relegated from the Premier League, and surprisingly, all three sides promoted from the Championship dodged relegation. Everton had another close call, finishing just two points above relegation, and Nottingham Forest just four points above. Next year, we expect the relegation race to be just as close, with many teams trending in the wrong direction. Here are our expected bottom three teams next year:

1. A.F.C. Bournemouth

This one might come as a surprise and is the most unlikely of the three. However, they had a terrible end to this season that cannot go unnoticed. Losses to struggling teams such as Chelsea and Everton aren’t acceptable. They will also need to make some transfers as their defense can get torn apart in any given game.

2. Sheffield United

This comes as no surprise as it’s just another promoted team that will get relegated right away. Sheffield does not have the talent and skill to stay in the Premier League, and it will show when they struggle against opposing teams.

3. Luton Town F.C.

Lastly, we have Luton Town. Luton is just too small of a club to be competing in the Premiership. It would be a miracle if they don’t get relegated as every position seems to be weak for this team.

It’s hard to compare Bedard to any player in history because he blends elements of all those who came before him. His powerful shot and soft hands allow him to dominate, but his game is perfectly well-rounded with practically no weak points. He plays and understands the game superbly, is a natural leader, and overall, looks to be a flawless prospect. Wayne Gretzky,

native puck handler and a very creative passer,” The Athletic’s prospect analyst Corey Pronman said.

Compared to elite players, he’s most similar to Sidney Crosby, as each possesses strong leadership abilities, primarily plays center, and has a knack for driving play. “[Bedard’s] skill and shot are legit gamebreaking attributes,” Pronman said. His comparisons to these future Hall of Famers are remarkable signs, though it’s hard to tell how he’ll adapt to the NHL’s increased size and speed. He’s a hybrid of all these legends, and he’s certain to be the centerpiece for the Blackhawks––and the NHL––in years to come.

“The Great One,” possessed a similar ability as Bedard’s to visualize the perfect pass, though Bedard himself has rejected comparisons to Gretzky––both due to the accolades difference and the associated pressure. “Bedard is a highly imagi-

Currently, the Blackhawks are in their rebuild-mode mindset, trading all-time great Patrick Kane and letting longtime captain Jonathan Toews leave at the end of his deal. The acquisition of Bedard has certainly leapfrogged their timeline, simply because they must maximize their years with a generational talent. The NHL is lucky to have such a talent, and the world will be waiting to see how he performs. It’s not a question of if he’s going to be great; it’s a question of how great.

Jaden Bae / The Spectator

By KAEDEN RUPAREL

When many people think of Stuyvesant, they think of academic rigor, APs, and, sometimes, antiquated team names. In the face of that reputation, the commendable athletic talent within Stuyvesant often goes unnoticed. However, that lack of recognition takes nothing away from incredible athletic achievements––for example, committing to a Division I team before the end of junior year, something that millions of student-athletes will only ever dream of.

That dream came true for junior Axel Riess, who accepted an offer to play Division I baseball at Dartmouth College. Riess, the 2023 MVP of Stuyvesant Baseball, took his already-ascendant skill to a new level this season, consistently delivering for the Peglegs offensively and defensively throughout the season. Riess set a Stuyvesant record for hits and OPS in a season, while also leading the PSAL in home runs and triples. While Riess’s dominance this year highlights just how deserving he was of his offer, his unwavering determination, even more than his unbelievable skill, allowed him to reach his dream. In the words of his teammates, Peter Carini said, “You don’t play a full baseball game and make time to head to the gym to get a three-hour workout in when you have another three hours of homework hanging over your head if it doesn’t mean a lot to you.”

In addition to making his own dream come true, Riess has inspired countless other Stuyvesant athletes to envision similar

Welcome to the Woods, Axel Riess

success for themselves. “With Axel paving the way for [Stuyvesant] athletes at the highest level, I know there are a few younger guys that are considering that path now,” Carini said.

Riess’s accomplishments are nothing short of phenomenal, and his success represents a greater revolution within Stuyvesant athletics as the school begins to slowly rewrite its reputation. In the meantime, however, The Spectator would like to celebrate Riess’s achievements by sharing a glimpse into his world.

How long have you been playing baseball? What got you into it?

I’ve been playing since I was five. My dad really loved baseball, so that’s why I started playing. I liked pretty much every sport, but baseball was always my favorite.

For those who haven’t seen you play, describe your game. My game isn’t anything special, but I’m kind of a powerhitter with speed. I think the best part of my game is the mental side. I’m always looking for a way to impact the game, whether that be stealing an extra base or getting a base hit to the runner. I always try to do what’s right given the situation.

At what point did you begin to consider playing in college?

I started thinking about playing in college at the beginning of my sophomore year. I realized that I had to start working a lot harder if I wanted to continue playing after high school, and I couldn’t see myself getting into

a top-tier school any other way. I had always been good but realized then that I needed to get a lot bigger and better to stand out to a coach when there are tens of thousands of kids who want the same opportunity.

What was the recruitment process like?

The recruitment process was pretty stressful. I am lucky that mine ended early-ish, and I didn’t have to go through another summer of showcases and emailing/ calling coaches, as that was really stressful. It takes a lot of time and effort to get noticed by colleges, and you especially need to be persistent with updates and videos to keep coaches interested. But it was also really fun to travel around and look at schools, play on their fields for showcases, and figure out what type of school I wanted to go to.

What is the biggest change you’ve seen in your game in the past few years once you began on the college track?

The biggest change was during my sophomore year. I started taking it a lot more seriously, lifting on a routine and monitoring what I eat with the goal of gaining weight. Over my sophomore year, I got a lot bigger, and my metrics shot up. That’s kind of when I realized that I had a real shot at getting recruited. I just take the game a lot more seriously now, but that also makes it more fun because I’m playing a lot better.

What did you have to sacrifice along the way?

There is definitely a lot of

sacrifice with trying to play in college. For me, I knew that casual lifting and only training at mandatory team practices wouldn’t get me a spot on a college roster. Once you decide your goal, it’s necessary that you go all in on working towards that goal. For example, I knew that my goal was to play at an Ivy League level, but also that there were only eight spots available for my position that would let me meet that goal. This pushed me to work really hard, knowing that the odds were extremely low. But I knew that I should work as hard as I could, and if it didn’t work out I couldn’t have any regrets nor wish that I tried harder.

What’s the biggest difference between playing club and high school baseball?

The biggest difference between club and high school baseball is the individuality. Club teams are a lot better for connecting you with college coaches and for your development. Especially in the summer, it doesn’t really matter which team wins. It’s more focused on everyone getting a chance to improve while also showcasing their skills to coaches. High school ball is more focused on winning games and enjoying the season with your teammates.

What are you most looking forward to when playing in college?

I’m most looking forward to playing on amazing fields with amazing coaches, teammates, and facilities. I’m really excited to see how I’ll develop with very knowledgeable coaching and high-level

Women’s World Cup: What To Know?

By BEN RUDINSKI and WAI SUM FONG

As the highly-anticipated Australia and New Zealand 2023 Women’s World Cup rapidly approaches, soccer fans worldwide eagerly await the start of yet another thrilling tournament. With a total of 32 teams—up from 24 in 2019—from all across the world prepared to showcase their skills on the global stage, the burning question arises: Which team will emerge as the victor?

1. USA

The U.S. Women’s National Team (USWNT) has dominated the Women’s World Cup, winning a total of four tournaments, more than any other country. The team has succeeded in recent years, beating the Netherlands 2-0 to win in 2019, and Japan 5-2 in 2015. However, this World Cup may not be smooth sailing for the U.S. In 2019, the team’s former coach, Jill Ellis, stepped down. Vlatko Andonovski, the team’s new coach, will face a significant challenge in guiding the team to progress past its competitive groups: the Netherlands, Vietnam, and Portugal. Despite this, the USWNT is still deemed the favorite to win. Should the team achieve this feat, it will secure a historic milestone as the first team to win three consecutive World Cups.

2. England

England is no underdog either and is a co-favorite in most books following the team’s 2-1

win against Germany in the UEFA Women’s Euro in 2022. The team has many promising players, such as Manchester City defender Lucy Bronze and Tot-

tenham striker Beth England. However, it will have to make do without the 2022 England Women’s Player of the Year, Arsenal forward Beth Mead, out due to an injury, and Leah Williamson, the team’s captain. The tournament is an opportunity for England to win its first-ever Women’s World

facilities that are based around developing me and my teammates. I’m also really excited to travel around the country and play the best competition. While most of my games will be against other Ivies and northeast schools, our team travels to play schools like the University of Miami and Duke at certain times of the year. It’ll be a great experience to see and play with some of the top players in the country.

What drew you to Dartmouth?

I was drawn to Dartmouth because of its academics. The whole point of getting recruited for me was to use baseball to get a great education, and it doesn’t get much better than the Ivy League from an educational standpoint. It’s a D1 program with amazing academic opportunities that I feel will set me up for success in my life.

Were there any clear turning points in your path to getting recruited that you can recall?

One defining moment was at my first showcase last summer. I really didn’t know what my metrics were like and had a lot of doubt about whether I was good enough to get recruited. But at this first event, I hit 92 exit velocity off the tee. This was important to me because that was a 20 mph increase from less than a year ago. It was kind of surprising but showed me that I was on the right path and that everything I had been training for was helpful and worth it. That’s when I first realized that I could compete with most high-level players and truly had a shot at achieving my dream.

Cup after it lost in the semi-finals to the U.S. in 2019 and finished third in 2015, providing further motivation to perform.

3. Spain

Spain has not had any recent success in the World Cup, losing to the U.S. 2-1 in the round of 16 in 2019 and finishing rock-bottom in the group stage in 2015. However, the team has improved substantially and were even favorites to win the 2022 UEFA Women’s Euro. Even though it did not win, losing to England in the quarterfinals in extra time, it is important to note that the team was without Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas, who tore her ACL the day before the tournament began. Since then, Putellas has recovered from her injury and is set to play for Spain in July, elevating the team to a new level and giving it a chance to finally rectify its poor recent World Cup performances.

4. Germany

Like the U.S., England, and Spain, Germany is also a big favorite to win. Finishing in fourth place in 2015 and losing in the quarter-finals to Sweden in 2019, Germany aims to overcome their past losses and win the World Cup for the third time in the country’s history. Germany also has standout players including Wolfsburg forward Alexandra Popp and Lyon midfielder Sara Däbritz, who are sure to improve

the team’s chances.

5. Australia

With Australia as a joint host of the World Cup, it would be no surprise that the team is a big favorite to win. Despite the lack of recent World Cup success for Australia, having reached the round of 16 in 2019 and the quarter-finals in 2015, the presence of the talented Chelsea star, Sam Kerr, will significantly bolster its chances, granting it a competitive edge throughout the tournament.

Though the U.S., England, Spain, Germany, and Australia are all favorites to win the 2023 Women’s World Cup, many other nations could create surprise, such as the eight first-time qualifiers. Zambia, for example, will play their first-ever World Cup, and while it may not have the strongest squad, the team’s passion could pull them over the line, in the same way as Morocco’s incredible performance did in the Men’s World Cup. Haiti is another first-timer in the Cup that could go far with players such as Melchie Dumornay, who scored a brace in its 2-1 qualification final win over Chile.

Nevertheless, it is worth acknowledging that in a competition featuring 32 teams, any one of them possesses the potential to prevail in July. Until then, we can only speculate about which team will ultimately triumph.

Benson-Chen / The Spectator

Tennis

French Open: Old Meets New

By KAI RUSSELL and KAILEEN SO

As the clay court season drew to a close, all eyes in the tennis world turned to Paris to witness the 2023 French Open unfold on the iconic clay courts of Roland Garros. As one of the four prestigious Grand Slam tournaments, the French Open is unique, being the only one played on clay courts. However, the use of the clay courts can serve as an advantage or disadvantage depending on the player. As the clay surface allows for a slower ball speed, it is most suitable for baseline players who rely on defense and getting depth on returns. On the contrary, it can take away the advantage of players who favor power as it makes their previously lethal shots easier to return. This year, however, the clay courts of Roland Garros lacked one of its most consistent performers: Rafael Nadal. Nadal has been dubbed the “King of Clay” due to his dominating success on clay courts, specifically those at Roland Garros. Nadal has an astounding 97 percent winning record in the tournament and owns 14 out of the past 18 French Open titles. To commemorate his legacy at the tournament, Roland Garros even unveiled a three-meter-tall

steel statue of Nadal in 2021. However, Nadal withdrew from this year’s tournament because of a lingering hip injury that has kept him off the court since January. Nadal received hip surgery earlier this June, but it will still be at least another five months before fans can see the Spaniard back in action. With Nadal out of the tournament, the door was left wide open for new favorites. Entering the tournament, Nadal’s fellow countryman Carlos Alcaraz was the favorite to take home the trophy. After regaining his spot as world number one from Novak Djokovic, Alcaraz looked to win his second Grand Slam title following his maiden Grand Slam at the U.S. Open last year. It was never going to be easy, though. Pulling on Alcaraz’s heels was Djokovic, who had previously been tied with Nadal at 22 Grand Slam titles. Out of Djokovic’s 22 slam titles, only two of them were from the French Open, as he looked to break the tie with Nadal this French Open to become the sole holder of the men’s Grand Slam Title record. As Djokovic was the third seed, he and Alcaraz were on the same half of the draw, potentially setting up just their second meeting if they were to both reach the semifinals. Other favorites entering

the tournament included second seed Daniil Medvedev and sixth seed Holger Rune, the latter entering the tournament having just lost to Medvedev in the Italian Open finals.

All tennis tournaments are bound to be filled with upsets, and this year’s French Open was no exception. In the first three rounds, half of the top ten players were eliminated. In the first round, Medvedev lost to qualifier Thiago Seyboth Wild in a shocking five-set upset. Clay was never a particularly successful court for Medvedev, as he had never gotten past the fourth round at the French Open. Despite this, he had higher hopes for this year’s tournament due to his win on the clay courts in Italy. Though he lost, Medvedev added his humorous touch to the situation during his postmatch press conference. “Every time [the clay season] finishes I’m happy. I don't know if people like to eat clay, to have clay in their bags, in their shoes, the socks, white socks, you can throw them to garbage after clay season. Maybe some people like it. I don’t,” Medvedev said. In the first round, tenth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime also faced an upset after falling to veteran Fabio Fognini in straight sets. However, the upsets didn’t stop there. In the second round,

eighth seed Jannik Sinner lost a five-set thriller to unseeded Daniel Altmaier despite having two match points. One round later, seventh seed Andrey Rublev started the match up two sets to none before losing to Lorenzo Sonego, while ninth seed Taylor Fritz lost in four sets to Francisco Cerúndolo. The draw, which had already felt wide-open following Nadal’s withdrawal, somehow became even more so.

While other top seeds faltered, favorites Djokovic and Alcaraz remained as their highly anticipated semi-finals grew closer. Entering the third set after splitting the one set apiece, it was a tight battle between the two, each producing their share of extraordinary tennis. Early into the third set, Alcaraz suffered from leg cramps and was unable to call a medical timeout. Players are only allowed to receive treatments for cramps at a changeover or the end of the set, so in order to receive treatment for his cramps, Alcaraz had to concede his service game. However, this did little to help Alcaraz, as after he started experiencing cramps, he became noticeably slower and hesitant. Djokovic subsequently went on to secure the victory, winning both the third and fourth sets 6-1. Fourth seed Casper Ruud

advanced to face Djokovic in the finals after defeating Alexander Zverev in straight sets. This marked his third Grand Slam final in just over a year. After a relatively slow start this year, Ruud was able to climb to the finals under the radar. Despite starting the highly competitive first set with a 0-3 deficit, Djokovic was able to fight back against Ruud and win the set in a tiebreak. After this, Ruud never looked like the same player. Going on to win the next two sets 6-3 and 7-5, Djokovic was able to make history at Roland Garros. With this French Open win, Djokovic won his 23rd Grand Slam title, making him the sole holder of the men’s Grand Slam title record. His victory also marked a monumental achievement as he became the first male player to win each Grand Slam tournament at least three times.

Headlined by players like Alcaraz and Ruud, the next generation of players is highly touted, and rightly so. Many of them had high hopes for this year’s French Open, especially with Nadal out of the draw. Many of them have waited a long time to break out onto the big scene. However, one thing is clear after Djokovic’s convincing title run: They’ll have to wait a little while longer.

Athlete Recruitments: An Untraditional College Process

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academics and sport, crediting it as a way for them to improve their time management skills. “Being at Stuy definitely has encouraged me to put academics first, but also being at Stuy and being an athlete for all of my life has taught me so much about time management and other skills that help me balance the two,” Bois said. “I’ve never felt like I’ve had to sacrifice one for the other.”

The college recruitment process technically begins in the fall of students’ junior year, although many athletes begin preparations much earlier. At this point, colleges are able to reach out to prospective students with offers for the athletes to continue their athletic journeys at their schools. For Bois, she began receiving offers very early in the process. “You can first get contacted by a college in the fall of your junior year, so the day colleges became eligible to contact you for Division 1, Northwestern reached out to me,” Bois said. “They were really on top of that, which was partly why I chose the school.”

Similar to Bois, Anderson has already been reached out to by many college coaches early on. During the biggest crosscountry tournaments, there are coaches on the lookout for prospective athletes. “Lots of low-level college coaches [have] e-mail[ed] me, interested in starting the recruiting process now,” Anderson said. Anderson is interested in beginning talks about D1 offers in the following year.

“Running D1 was more of a dream last year, but now I have laid the groundwork for it to become a reality next year.”

Despite colleges’ own initiatives, a great majority of reaching out to coaches and schools often falls upon the student athletes. Additionally, the burden falls on students to attend showcases where colleges can review them. “The summer going into my junior year, on my summer team, we went to a bunch of tournaments and showcases,” Riess said. “I would reach out to the schools beforehand, and if they liked me, then they would talk to me a little bit after and we would communicate back and forth. I [would] send e-mails every month updating them and keeping touch, and we would have calls back and forth.”

While reaching out to schools may be intimidating for some students, Riess highlighted persistence as the most important factor in the recruitment process. “Definitely be persistent with coaches,” he said. “At first, I felt like I was being annoying, but they really don’t care about that. Just keep e-mailing, updating them, keep showing them videos of what you can do. And hopefully, it will work out.”

Following preliminary discussions, colleges bring students out to their campuses if they are interested in offering the student a spot on a team. “If they wanted to potentially give you an offer, they would fly you out to the school,” Bois said. “They take you out to the school, pay for a couple nights of dinners, you meet the team, you get a tour of the school. [This is] so you can really picture yourself there, and

then they offer you [a spot] and you accept or not.”

While both Riess and Bois are excited to continue their sports in college, neither is currently set on pursuing the sport post-college or professionally.

“I’m not really sure yet [if I’ll continue baseball professionally,” Riess said. “I guess I’ll figure that out in college, but [I wanted to] use baseball to get a good education. I probably wouldn't have been able to get into the school without it.” Riess is currently considering a career in economics or business.

Likewise, Bois emphasized the importance of prioritizing the development of a stable career pathway, rather than solely relying on a sport as a career.

“There’s no professional fencing team unless you’re fencing for Team U.S.A., [and] it’s not the top of my goals to be an Olympian fencer,” Bois said. “I’ve always preferred to have a real career after college and pursue something I love in terms of a long-term life goal, rather than being an Olympian.” Bois will be majoring in journalism at Northwestern.

Overall, the most important thing for students to prioritize within the recruitment process is that they truly love what they’re doing—both the sport and the school they’re committing to. “It’s really important that you love your sport. There were times for sure when I was questioning the commitment I wanted to put through the sport in terms of college. It hit me once I signed that I actually have to sign for the team, so [you should] definitely know what you’re doing,” Bois said. “[Additionally],

when you’re applying to colleges, don’t just do things for a resume boost. [...] Northwestern really fit because I loved it, not because it was an elite college. I felt really comfortable there, but especially for athletes, [the school you should choose is] where you feel most comfortable and where the teams and the coaches will support you the most.”

Ultimately, when most students follow the traditional ap-

plication route, recruitment can sometimes feel like an isolating process. Nevertheless, many athletes are able to achieve their goals with the support of their coaches and teams, as well as their friends and family, serving as inspiration for many college hopefuls, who, despite being enrolled at New York’s most academically rigorous high school, can still join colleges for their athletic prowess.

NBA

Heats vs. Nuggets: The Final Chapter

By SARADINDU AHMED and BRAMINDER KUMAR

The long-awaited moment is finally here: the NBA finals. After a journey filled with painless sweeps and nail-biting Game 7s, the Denver Nuggets are set to face off against the Miami Heat in a series that goes far deeper than mere numbers. The Nuggets are going to the finals for the first time since joining the league in 1976, while the Heat have held on to become just the second team ever to make the Finals as an eight seed.

The Nuggets have shown why they are a force to be reckoned with throughout the season. They dominated their competition all year long, finishing at the top of the standings with an astounding record of 53 wins to 29 losses, especially when they looked like they had a tough road into the finals, having to play the star-studded Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. The Lakers boast plenty of experience––with 16 championships to their name––and plenty of star power, from Lebron James to Anthony Davis to rising star Austin Reaves. However, Nikola Jokić and the Nuggets swept their foes in what should’ve been a much closer series. Jokić was named Western Conference finals MVP after averaging 27 points, 14.7 rebounds, and 11.3 assists for the series. In Game 7 specifically, Jokić finished with 30 points, 14 rebounds and 13 assists to clinch the win for Denver. The “Joker” enters the finals with eight triple-doubles––an NBA record for a single postseason––and is the first player in history to average a triple-double through the first 15 games of a postseason.

After winning Game 1 of the finals, Jokić was asked about his dominance and humbly said,

“Right now, the most important thing is to win the game, and I’m trying to win a game any way possible. I don’t need to shoot, and I know I don’t need to score to affect the game.” This win-it-all mentality demonstrates exactly what is needed from the former MVP to win his first title. He is the heart of the Denver Nuggets team and has set a clear example of what is demanded of this team.

spotlight for the majority of the season, he has received ample support from his teammates, particularly Jamal Murray, Mi chael Porter Jr., and Aaron Gor don. These players have risen to the occasion when needed, with the most notable performanc es coming from point guard Murray. Murray averaged 20 points per game during the reg ular season, showing some unexpected consistency. Dur ing the postseason, however, Mur ray reached a new level, averaging about 28 points per game, with his most sig nificant perfor mances against the Lakers. Mur ray had three 30-plus perfor mances during the sweep, solidifying his place as a player to watch out for during the finals and in the future.

Contrary to the Nuggets, the Heat had one of their tougher seasons this year, going 44-38 in the regular season. The Heat were almost out of contention, losing their first game in the playin against the Atlanta Hawks, but won their second play-in game against the Chicago Bulls, thanks to a Max Strus wonder game.

The Heat then went on to defeat a deflated Milwaukee Bucks team that was missing their superstar, Giannis Antetokounmpo, on the backs of dominant performances from their stars. Jimmy Butler withered up a storm, averaging 38 points in the series, with the most notable performances being games four and five, where he dropped 56 and 42 points retively, earning him

that’s game.” Smith could not have been more incorrect; during Round 2, the Heat steamrolled the Knicks, winning the series 4-2 and showing what they are capable of in high-pressure situations. The dominance of this Heat squad came to life when they jumped out to a 3-0 lead over the star-studded Boston Celtics. History repeated itself, as Butler again slayed another beast of the East. Butler again starred in Boston with games of 35 and 27 points, with support from teammates Caleb Martin, Kyle Lowry, and Gabe Vincent. Butler has averaged a monstrous 29 points, seven rebounds, six assists and two steals this postseason, solidifying his place as a superstar. The Heat hit a final speed bump before entering the finals, as the Boston Celtics managed to win three on the trot. However, Butler and the Heat managed a blowout in game seven to take the momentum into the Finals to continue its un-

For the Nuggets, it's important that their star player manages to do what he does best: everything.

as a faster pace of play will favor the bigger and stronger Nuggets team. The Nuggets will have to find an answer for Butler and the Heat guards, who have been shooting lights out. If the Nuggets are able to dominate through size and defensive presence, they are bound to win their first chip. Head Coach Michael Malone explained that the Heat will not be an easy team to beat, especially with the pressure of the finals.

“You get to the NBA Finals, it's not about seeding anymore,” Malone said. “This is going to be the biggest challenge of our lives. This is the NBA Finals. You’re trying to win the first NBA championship in franchise history, and it’s going to be the hardest thing that we’ve ever done—which is the way it should be.”

the nickname “Jimmy Buckets,” which has carried on to the finals. However, critics had labeled the win over the Bucks as a fluke, as the Bucks Antetokounmpo was not present. Experts such as ESPN and NBA analyst Stephen A. Smith went so far as to say, “The [New York] Knicks should have it against the Heat. The Bucks just looked out of sync without Giannis. Take the ball out of Jimmy’s hands and

They need him to share the basketball, dominate the boards, and score with consistency. Murray and Porter Jr. have been shooting well throughout the postseason, with field goal percentages of 48 percent and 44 percent respectively. The Nuggets hold the home-court advantage over the Heat, which they will need to exploit, as they are undefeated at home in the playoffs, with a record of 9-0. The ball movement will play a major role in the game,

For the Miami Heat, they have a roster that can explode on their given day. Butler will be the key for the team if the Heat are able to consistently deliver him the ball. Outside of Butler, however, the Heat have a lot of other players that pose considerable threats. Martin and Strus have starred in major moments during the postseason, with Martin performing against the Celtics and shooting 50 percent from the field. The bench for the Heat will be essential, as players such as Duncan Robinson will have to provide crucial minutes to keep up with the fast-scoring Nuggets. Bam Adebayo will play a pivotal role in the finals as he has to guard Jokić. The Heat will need every player on their roster to bring their best if they have any hopes of continuing their Cinderella story.

A strong case can be made for either team to win the finals, but the ball seems to lie in the Nuggets’ court right now. With that said, there’s a reason the games are played, so anything can happen now.

Athlete Recruitments: An Untraditional College Process

By SARAH DIAZ and LENNY METLITSKY

With summer on the horizon, many current juniors find themselves stressing over their impending college processes. From SAT preparations to last-minute summer internships to countless Common Application drafts, stress about college decisions is a feeling many Stuyvesant students know well. However, for a select few, college decisions depend not on final projects or test scores, but instead, they revolve around racing times or batting averages. While the college recruitment process is rarely highlighted by Stuyvesant college counselors, it has proven to be fruitful for several athletes.

One such athlete is senior Adele Bois, who was recruited for Division I Women's Fencing at Northwestern University. While Bois’s athletic career began at an early age, she only truly considered college recruitment to be a viable path for her after colleges had begun showing interest. “I started fencing in sixth grade at someone’s birthday party, and then I got hooked,” Bois

said. “[However,] unlike a lot of people who are specifically looking at fencing as a way to get into college, I didn’t even really consider [recruitment] until I started getting offers and my coach encouraged me to [pursue recruitment].”

In contrast, junior Axel Riess, who was recruited for Division I Baseball at Dartmouth, had begun intensifying his training the summer after his freshman year.

“After the end of my freshman year, I realized that I kind of had to start developing more if I wanted to play [in college]. That’s when I started [preparations for recruitment],” Riess said.

Similar to Riess’s experience, Bois dedicated countless hours to developing her fencing abilities. “I’ve taken lessons with my coach for six years,” Bois said. “I practice five days a week and go to the gym as well. There’s definitely been sacrifices made for fencing but I’ve found ways to balance it all out.”

While Riess and Bois both credit much of their developmental success to their club teams, rather than Stuyvesant, other students lack that oppor-

tunity. Sophomore James Anderson, who hopes to be recruited for track and field, is currently a member of Stuyvesant’s cross country, indoor track, and outdoor track teams. “I only run for the Stuyvesant team[s], but I think my development could be better in a private program with a better coaching style than what we have in-house,” Anderson said in an e-mail interview. “The conclusion to my outdoor season was derailed by the lack of quality training we had been receiving, so private coaching may be in the cards for next year to get me to the next level.”

Though Anderson has not yet been officially recruited to a college team, he has already been forced to make decisions to prioritize his track training. “This year has pushed the limits of what is possible academically and athletically, as the nightly decision becomes ‘do I want eight hours of sleep to perform tomorrow in practice, or should I really be doing that extra credit?’” Anderson said. “When course selections came out, I came to the crossroads of taking four APs or running a

D1-worthy time in the two mile next year. I chose to not take AP [Computer Science], instead getting more sleep and chasing my goals outside the classroom.” In contrast to Anderson’s

sacrifices, both Riess and Bois have managed to balance their

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World records were set at a Parisian track and field event, with Kenyan Faith Kipyegon breaking the women’s 1500-meter world record by two seconds.

The Denver Nuggets won their first ever NBA title, beating the Miami Heat 4-1.

The Las Vegas Golden Knights won their first ever Stanley Cup, ousting the Florida Panthers 4-1

After an intense tie in Istanbul, Manchester City won their first ever Champions League title, defeating Inter Milan 1-0.

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen will star on the cover of Madden 24.

Soccer star Lionel Messi signs a contract with the MLS, joining Inter Miami and reportedly gaining a share of the Apple TV+ MLS subscription profits.

Saudi Arabia’s soccer league was bought out by the state investment fund, leading to goliath contracts for striker Karim Benzema and midfielder N'Golo Kanté as they both join Al-Ittihad

Carmen Gomez-Villalva / The Spectator