Volume 111, Issue 17

The Spectator The Stuyvesant High School Newspaper

Volume 111 No. 17

June 25, 2021

stuyspec.com

SCIENCE

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

“The Gymnasts of the Animal Kingdom”

“Sweet and Sour”

Ever heard of rabbits that could stand on their paws? Due to a genetic abnormality, a rare French breed of rabbits, known as sauteur d’Alfort, are able to do handstands in addition to hopping.

Maybe you’ve heard of Olivia Rodrigo by now? The pop star continued her eruption into the mainstream with her debut album “SOUR,” a pop album that marks a unique start for a promising artist.

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“The Pulse of the Student Body”

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SING! 2021

Reevaluating the AP Culture at Stuyvesant

By ISABELLA JIA, MADISON KIM, and JAMES KANG Due to the ongoing pandemic, Advanced Placement (AP) exams were offered online and in-person this year. Despite the teaching restrictions that many teachers faced throughout the semesters, exams were full-length. The overall struggle of these exams, along with the onset of programming selections for AP classes in the forthcoming year, has caused many to reassess the value of AP exams and the benefits and downsides to taking them.

Because of the altered schedule this year, some students had difficulty adjusting to remote learning for an AP course. “Because of the block schedule this year, we had a lot less class time, which made us rush through the curriculum. This wasn’t only for my AP class, but that’s where I felt it the strongest because of the pressure of the AP test,” sophomore Manolee Merlet said. “My teacher provided us with a lot of resources to help us, though, so by the time the test came around, I felt okay about it.”

Some teachers recognize the problem of students overloading on APs and taking them for the sake of taking AP courses. “Students should take AP courses/exams, and not just because it is part of the ‘game’ of getting into a good college,” English teacher Emilio Nieves said. “An AP course/exam is supposed to be an academic challenge, [and] actively seeking academic challenges for learning’s sake [should come] first.

The learning is not only about the subject matter, but [...] each individual student [also] learns something about themselves in terms of how to

approach difficult circumstances and cula are aimed at a minimum level of challenges.” mastery of any given subject, so they Merlet also feels that the gen- shouldn’t serve as an indicator of eral culture surrounding AP courses academic rigor,” she said. “Students causes students to unnecessarily take who struggled in a course can usuAP classes that they are not inter- ally [prepare] and cram successfully ested in. “A lot of people take for the exam if they ctator Sabrina Chen / The Spe on a lot of have the willpower to APs just for do so, but there are also the sake of students who excelled taking them in the course because that’s who just aren’t what they see good test-takers, a lot of other especially under people doing, the enormous and they’re pressure of scared of fallstandardized ing behind exams.” or not standing S o m e out as much to teachers also becolleges,” Merlieve that the College let said. “It just Board syllabi for their makes you really respective AP classes stressed because are too rigid for both you’re taking on so students and faculty. much work for classes “Especially in my field, you’re not necessarily it’s ridiculous that a interested in.” teacher who’s extremely While other stuwell qualified, which most Latdents share similar in teachers are, [is] not allowed sentiments, some end u p to teach anything else,” Latin teachenjoying their classes nonetheless. er Dr. Susan Brockman, who has “Some people sign up for it just be- taught the course for 19 years, said. cause it is an AP, not because they are “You teach better when you make up very interested in it,” junior Xiaosh- the course yourself [because] you’re en Ma said. “When I was a freshman, teaching to your own expertise [and] I signed up for AP Environmental your own passion. You’re likely to Science because I could ask for it teach a better class. [The AP guide[...] No regrets, [since] I still ended lines have] created a stranglehold on up learning a lot of things, albeit, it American education.” [was] not the stuff that I expected.”

With various colleges having Though AP exams are annual placed less emphasis on AP exams exams designed to measure students’ as part of their admission processes understanding of courses, physics teacher Daisy Sharaf believes they are not the most effective in doing continued on page 4 so. “The AP exams and AP curri-

NYC Public Schools Reopen in Fall

By MARY LEE, SARAH HUYNH, and JADY CHEN In light of the steady decline of COVID-19 positivity rates in New York and vaccination efforts, the NYC Department of Education (DOE) announced that all public NYC schools will be fully reopening in September with in-person learning for the 2021-2022 school year.

Masks, on-site COVID-19 tests, and daily health screenings will be required in schools. As of now, COVID-19 vaccinations are not mandated for students and teachers in the fall.

Prior to the upcoming school year, Stuyvesant will be open for in-person learning this summer for NYC’s new Summer Rising program, which offers academic enhancement and enrichment programs to all NYC public school students for free. Stuyvesant’s Summer Discovery Program will also continue as a hybrid of remote and in-person learning while Stuyvesant’s Summer Health Accelerated class will be fully remote.

It is unclear if summer reopening plans will affect reopening in the fall. “For the summer, social distance is reduced from six to three feet.

Whether that has [a] bearing on reopening in the fall, we don’t know,” Director of Family Engagement Dina Ingram said in an e-mail interview.

During the 2020-2021 school year, teachers and staff members with extenuating COVID-19 related circumstances were granted accommodations to work remotely. However, all individuals are expected to return in-person in the fall. “My un-

derstanding [is] that there will not be COVID-related accommodations. If there were other reasons beyond the regular accommodations that have always been around, then those will not be granted or will not even be available,” Principal Seung Yu said.

Medical accommodations that existed pre-COVID, such as limited mobility, will be available.

Stuyvesant has decided to revert to the 10-period schedule rather than maintain the alternating five-period blocks established this year. “There are still some unknowns about space, and the 10-period [schedule] offers us the most flexibility for space and safety. We also have to examine all the programming implications if we were to make a change with the programming,” Yu said. “I do not think it [...] will be prudent to make changes to the 10-period until we’ve had more time to examine it.”

The decision to return to the 10-period schedule has received mixed feedback from students, some of whom feel worried about the sudden transition. “I’m kind of scared that the workload will be double the amount we have right now, and that’s not great,” freshman Erica Chen, who has yet to experience a 10-period day at Stuyvesant, said.

Others are more supportive of the 10-period schedule as it offers shorter class periods per day but more class time per school year. “For me, it was very difficult to have a large chunk of information learned at once and then [...] a break from that information for a whole day,” continued on page 4

The Spectator • June 25, 2021

Page 2

News NEWSBEAT The Class of 2021’s Graduation will be held on Friday, June 25.

Members of Stuyvesant’s chorus performed in the Manhattan Borough Arts Festival.

Senior Christine Cabusay received the prestigious Daniel Dromm Scholarship.

Seniors Cindy Zhang and Aki Yamaguchi received honorable mentions in the Penguin Random House Creative Writing Awards.

Junior Alex Cho received a gold medal in the American Computer Science League Competition.

Team USA Karate member and freshman Aidan Kayne Nakajima-Wu won a bronze medal in sparring in the Karate 1 Youth League in Cyprus.

New Electives for the 2021-2022 School Year

By NADA HAMEED Stuyvesant has introduced several new electives for the 20212022 school year.

Personal Finance Personal Finance, taught by math teacher David Peng, is a single-semester mathematics elective on financial responsibility. “This course is currently being offered to seniors only as both an elective as well as satisfying one semester of the fourth year math requirement,” Peng said in an e-mail interview.

The course provides students with information regarding significant financial decisions they may make in the future, such as purchases, investments, economic reasoning and college payments.

“I created this course because I believe financial literacy is a fundamental course that needs to be taught well before you start working and making money,” Peng said.

“There’s this saying that money can’t buy happiness. While money

doesn’t buy happiness, it does alleviate stress when it comes to making major financial decisions [...]

I hope this course can teach students how to be better managers of their net worth.”

ing programs and learning [each] unit by way of working on a particular project for that topic.”

Besides the content taught within each course, NextCS will also be heavily centered around projects. “One of the big things that we are looking forward to is making [NextCS] more of a project-based class,” Dyrland-Weaver said.” “When we do a unit, there’ll be lessons and little homeworks here and there, and each unit will have a project that allows students to explore that unit and learn more about it and demonstrate their knowledge of it.”

Students who take the class must have completed either the Annual or Intro to Computer Science courses or be taking Intro to Computer Science at the same time as NextCS. Students are advised against taking both the elective and AP Computer Science (AP CS) as there are many parallels between their curriculums.

Despite the similarities, there are notable differences between the courses. “The other thing Process-

NextCS Java with Creativity and Rigor: NextCS is an annual computer science course that is taught by math and computer science teacher JohnAlf Dyrland-Weaver. The class is offered as an alternative to the Advanced Placement (AP) Computer Science course for students who want to continue studying computer science but do not wish to take the AP course.

NextCS centers around learning a computer language called Processing. “[In NextCS], we’re going to use a programming platform called Processing, which is basically Java—AP Computer Science uses Java; it’s just an environment that allows for some of the annoying details of Java to not be as prevalent,” Dyrland-Weaver said. “It’s going to be about creat-

ing does is [that] it’s natively a visual language [...] NextCS will still be the Java experience, but we’ll focus on a more visual environment,” Dyrland-Weaver said.

NextCS fulfills the 10 Tech requirement for the Stuyvesant diploma, and students who take the course can take Stuyvesant’s advanced computer science courses, including System Level Programming and Software Development, the next year.

Guitar Making Guitar Making is a single semester course that will guide students in building an electric guitar.

It is offered to students to fulfill their Tech requirement. While the class focuses on how to paint, assemble, and set up an electric guitar, it will also include introductory topics on the math behind the function of electric guitar. To build the guitar, students will use a kit that uses the systems of the National STEM Guitar Project sponsored by the National Science Foundation.

Introducing the 2021-2022 ARISTA Executive Council The 2020-2021 ARISTA Executive Council (EC)—seniors and President Emma Donnelly, Vice President of Events Roshni Patel, Vice President of Operations Evelyn Ma, and Vice President of Web Development May Hathaway— announced the 2021-2022 EC, which consists of juniors Leah D’ Silva as President, Ashley Choi as Vice President of Events, Isabel Ching as Vice President of Operations, and Elizabeth Stansberry as

ARISTA’s community through fun events like movie nights, game nights, and other bonding activities that will take place within the Stuyvesant building.”

The incoming EC reflected on their motivations for taking on a larger role within ARISTA. This desire was inspired by seeing the organization’s impact for D’Silva, who was an Operations Committee member and co-head of the ARISTA & District 1 Pilot Program with District 1 school MS 34 and Bell Academy. “I’ve really seen how important ARISTA’s services

thing that worked really well this year was the newsletter and the Google Forms,” Ching said. “Perhaps a more consistent newsletter that is more easily accessible and that has a lot of information concerning the events, credit requirements, projects, [and] what’s going on with the Executive Council [is something we have planned].”

In addition to continuity, Ching hopes to create internal improvements within the committees. “I’d like to see the study guide interface [that] we have become a little bit more organized and a little

Vice President of Web Development. As Stuyvesant’s honor society, ARISTA strives to serve the Stuyvesant community through volunteering, in-school events, and tutoring underclassmen.

In choosing the 2021-2022 EC, the outgoing EC focused on applicants who would help continue ARISTA’s service, both in and outside of Stuyveant. “When selecting our EC, we looked for leaders who were excited to continue our vision of making ARISTA an organization that extends beyond the Stuyvesant community through the many initiatives we have created this year to serve the greater NYC community in larger ways than ever before,” Donnelly said in an e-mail interview.

They were impressed by the initiative and creativity the incoming EC demonstrated. “We were blown away with the new ideas that each member of the EC presented, from offering merit events credits for students who go above and beyond in their duties, having a more active platform for ARISTA members to suggest and help create new events, and introducing college panels with current Stuy seniors,” Donnelly said. “We are also excited for them to promote

are to the communities that we are working with, and that really inspired me to want to go really above and beyond what I was already doing,” D’Silva said. “I have a lot of experience with all these different facets, and I think that is going to be really helpful not only for my own leadership skills, [...] but [also] in transitioning it back to in-person because I have such a familiarity with such a vast majority of what we are trying to accomplish over the course of this year.”

Even with their outside services, the EC hopes to maintain ARISTA’s commitment to Stuyvesant. “We also want to continue on our initiatives [of] working with [...] other partnership schools [and] being able to offer our services, [...] but also [make] sure we focus our efforts within Stuyvesant and [support] our students here,” D’Silva said.

One of their goals for the upcoming year is to continue the initiatives introduced by the previous board, such as the newsletter, which recapped important general ARISTA updates, and general Google Forms, which allowed members to provide feedback and sign up for additional event and tutoring opportunities. “Some-

bit more cohesive, so when students go and view the website, [...] everything is there, [...] perfectly organized, and easy to access,” she said.

Choi, who was part of the Events Committee and participated in several tutoring initiatives such as the AP Review sessions, hopes to improve on volunteering opportunities virtually and in-person. “Virtual [events] are just very tiring, and people have less of an initiative to come to these events and fill out their service requirements because [...] it was virtual, and you couldn’t really see the impact your work or your volunteering had on local communities because many of these events were on a nationwide scale,” she said. “ I would love to see our events have more of a local focus [...] People like seeing the impact they have and what they have been doing to help their communities.”

While it has not been determined whether events will be virtual, in-person, or a combination of both, ARISTA members can expect to help out at school events such as the open houses and parent-teacher conferences that are traditionally in-person.

Most notably, this EC will be

By JENNY LIU and MOMOCA MAIRAJ

the first to incorporate sophomore membership into ARISTA, which has traditionally accepted only juniors and seniors. “We wanted to involve sophomores this year because we wanted to offer the same opportunities for service as we do to upperclassmen,” D’Silva said.

“Of course, sophomores have not taken as many classes as the upperclassmen, so they [will] have a smaller amount of tutoring requirements, if any at all.”

One of the primary challenges the EC experienced this past year was the lack of socialization among ARISTA members, an issue exacerbated by the remote environment. “In the remote world, it has been very distanced and not as joined together as you could have in the in person environment,

so we are trying to cultivate and foster community amongst our members,” D’Silva said.

In addition to internal improvements, the EC emphasized building a sense of community within ARISTA. “For next year, we definitely want to have a stronger sense of community amongst our members,” D’Silva said. “ARISTA is a community, and we are all working together to give back to the people who have given to us.”

“What [ARISTA] means to all of us is a dedication to community and making an impact on [our] school [and] the people around [us]—not just inside of school but also outside of school as well [...]

And I think that shines through in everything that we do,” Stansberry said.

Courtesy of Jenny Liu Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons and NASA

WORLDBEAT As 70 percent of adults in New York have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, New York has lifted most COVID-19 restrictions.

President Joe Biden signed legislation that officially recognized Juneteenth as a national holiday.

The U.S. government will invest over $3 billion to develop antiviral pills for COVID-19.

The Federal Reserve predicts it will increase interest rates twice in 2023.

The House of Representatives voted to revoke the authorization it gave former President George W. Bush to invade Iraq in 2002.

The Supreme Court ruled that a Catholic social services agency in Philadelphia could refuse to work with same-sex couples.

The Spectator • June 25, 2021

Page 3

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The Spectator • June 25, 2021

Page 4

News Investigating Stuyvesant’s Uncontested Elections

By JANNA WANG, SAKURA YAMANAKA, and MAGGIE SANSONE Additional reporting by Pulindu Weerasekara In the 2021-2022 school year, Daniel Jung and Andrey Sokolov were elected as Junior Caucus copresidents, Cynthia Tan and Elio Torres as Senior Caucus president and vice president, and Shivali Korgaonkar and Ryan Lee as Student Union (SU) president and vice president, respectively. All three tickets were elected into office without opposing tickets, an occurrence unprecedented in Stuyvesant election history.

This year, the campaign process began with petitioning collected with Google Forms due to the virtual environment. Though the number of signatures needed to qualify to run varies each year, SU candidates had to acquire at least 40 signatures across all grades this year while caucus candidates needed at least 75 signatures within their respective grade. The traditional campaigning process that comes after petitioning was condensed, and voting was eliminated entirely.

A platform, which describes the ticket’s goals and ideas for serving the student body, is not required for an uncontested election, but all three uncontested tickets released platforms this year. “Having a platform, especially in an uncontested election, is one of the biggest parts [...] of running just because you set a standard for students and you let them know that this election and this term isn’t necessarily what had happened in previous years,” junior and SU President Shivali Korgaonkar said.

With a condensed and less interactive campaign period this year, candidates had to rely on their campaign platform to relay their visions

to the student body. “Uncontested races [...] nullify one of the most important parts of the election process: the campaigning. Campaigning, to most students, can be the most exciting part of student government as it allows them to analyze each ticket and directly influence policy for the next year,” Junior Caucus Co-Presidents Andrey Sokolov and Daniel Jung said in an e-mail interview.

The three uncontested elections this year fueled concerns that a lack of competition and campaign period can harm the active engagement and brainstorming that a more competitive election fosters. “Students at Stuyvesant, and [at] any school, deserve to have multiple options to choose from when it comes to their representatives, and regardless of whether or not the people who are uncontested are going to do a really good job or not, it promotes a sense of innovation when people are running against you,” Senior Caucus Co-President Katerina Corr said.

Some feel that the trend of uncontested elections over the last few years may be indicative of a greater trend of apathy toward student government. “I’m not sure, in my years at Stuy, if there’s ever been a year where there hasn’t been at least one ticket that [was contested],” Corr said. “I don’t think that apathy toward student government is an issue that’s unique to Stuyvesant, but we definitely do have a lot of uncontested elections.”

There is additional speculation that the apathy may have been exacerbated by the virtual environment.

“Students are really focused on their academics and extracurriculars, and student government races might not always be at the front of their mind,” Corr said. “When it’s a virtual environment and you don’t have the same sort of opportunities to gain

experience at school as you might otherwise if you were learning in school, taking that leap of faith to decide to run for caucus or SU might be a greater leap than it usually is.”

SU members also acknowledge perceived notions surrounding the SU within the student body. “There’s a stigma there whoever gets this position or whoever wins that will have that set, and I think what that does is [...] make [students] hesitant to run or even give student input,” sophomore and SU Vice President Ryan Lee said. “We want to create an environment where the SU feels like [...] an organization [the student body] can rely on or relate to.”

Still, others expressed concerns about the lack of approachability given the direction of the SU in recent years. “The SU has become more and more of a professional body, more institutionalized, and more effective,” social studies teacher and Coordinator of Student Affairs Matthew Polazzo said in an email interview. “It might be that the SU has become more administration than students.”

Last year’s Freshman Caucus elections saw 16 tickets, but the figure reduced to four for sophomore caucus elections. Despite the large number of running tickets for Freshman Caucus, the number dwindles significantly by junior, senior, and even sophomore year.

A reason could be that the ticket already established in student government may seem intimidating and discourage new tickets to run. “The status quo is so deeply ingrained into the system that the victory of certain people is considered natural and unavoidable. When I ran last year, a lot of friends warned me I had no chance,” junior Daniel Lyalin, who ran for Junior Caucus for the 20202021 school year, said in an e-mail interview.

Social media could also play into fear of the incumbent ticket. “It used to be that every race was super contested [...] because, before social media, no one really knew where they stood, their popularity and the rest of that, so you had wild cards coming up and all of that. So really in the last five years or so, [...] increasingly, the number of candidates has diminished, and [...] my guess is that it has to do with the proliferation of social media, which means there are some people who underestimate themselves, think they can never win if they tried, and who knows, they might have won if they had tried,” Polazzo said.

Others believe students may simply not feel a need to run because of a ticket’s history of successful leadership. “Uncontested elections generally occur after a caucus or SU President and Vice President have already served one term and were deemed successful by most of the student body,” Sophomore Caucus Co-President Margaret Mikhalevsky said in an e-mail interview. “This successful presidency generally means that not as many students may run the next year if they don’t really feel much reason to do so,” However, some are unsatisfied with the possibility of uncontested elections eliminating the need for voting processes, highlighting flaws such as the lack of an impeachment policy. “The current SU Constitution does not allow for impeachment to be started by students, only a Cabinet member. Candidates who ran uncontested and didn’t get voted into office have no mandate from their base and can easily get away with not delivering on their promises or only half-delivering,” Lyalin said. “If an uncontested election still required votes to be placed, perhaps through a yes-or-no ballot, even just as a formality, it would at least allow

the SU to see whether people want to vote for this candidate.”

Furthermore, students believe apathy to be a two-way street, calling attention to the responsibility of SU and caucus leaders to tackle it. “You could blame the student for not being active enough, but that ignores the larger obligation leaders have to connect with their votes, despite apathy,” Lyalin said.

Others echo this sentiment.

“There have been times where I’ve heard from peers that they are upset that they wish they had numerous options. It definitely forces the ‘elected’ student government to work harder in order to prove themselves to the students,” junior and Board of Elections Director Ava Yap said in an e-mail interview.

SU representatives have expressed intentions to actively counter student apathy through initiatives like town halls. “At the town hall, we had to answer a variety of general and specific questions about our plans for the coming year. We feel that healthy and welcome events like this in the future bolster a connection between candidates and the student body,” Senior Caucus CoPresident Cynthia Tan said.

Looking forward, the SU hopes to foster a better relationship with the student body to combat a lack of interest. “The SU was meant to serve as a Union for students, which seems kind of obvious, but [...] oftentimes, Stuyvesant students think that the SU is this [...] distinct government that works away from the students,” Korgaonkar said. “We’re going to prioritize creating channels that allow students to easily give us feedback and make their voice heard. [...] At the end of the day, someone interested in running for a student office or student position has to be interested in joining the SU and it’s our job to make the SU accessible.”

Reevaluating the AP Culture at Stuyvesant continued from page 1

for the past few years, many teachers believe that the value of the exams is diminishing. “Colleges emphasize grades from AP courses, rather than exam scores, [and] there is an increasingly short list of colleges that will grant students meaningful credit for the exam,” computer science teacher Samuel Konstantinovich said. “The idea of saving money by taking AP exams is overblown. There are often anecdotes about the student [who]

cut a semester or more off their college bill, but no statistics that show how often courses save a student money.”

Given the shortcomings of AP courses, some teachers propose introducing alternate electives that are just as advanced. “[A] step that might minimize overemphasis on AP courses would be to support the development of advanced elective courses also taught at a high degree of rigor. Stuyvesant has a reputation for academic rigor, and it would be a

shame not to leverage it by developing advanced courses that are more in-depth than a typical AP course,” Sharaf said.

Stuyvesant has made progress by introducing a new computer science course next semester called Java with Creativity and Rigor: NextCS, which is similar to an annual AP Computer Science course, but without the AP class labeling. “Under most circumstances, teachers can create non-AP advanced courses that are better for Stuyvesant students than any stan-

dardized AP course,” Konstantinovich said.

Some have suggested transferring into a different curriculum altogether.“There’s something called the International Baccalaureate curriculum [...] that a lot of the upper private schools are doing,” Dr. Brockman said. “It’s more flexible.”

The International Baccalaureate curriculum includes programs that permit students to choose their own topics and projects to learn about while the teachers are responsible for

supervising rather than teaching the material.

Regarding the future of AP exams, some teachers feel they will not be as valued in the coming years. “I believe that there will be a movement away from the AP courses and exams in the near future. The fact that many selective colleges are no longer accepting the SAT as part of admissions is a strong indicator that standardized exams are becoming less important and less prestigious,” Sharaf said.

NYC Public Schools Reopen in Fall continued from page 1

freshman Amanda Cisse said. “The information would kind of decay, and I’m the kind of person who needs to review on a daily basis, so [the 10-period schedule] is definitely an upside for me.”

In addition to scheduling, Yu expects PSAL sports to continue in person, provided that everyone follows COVID safety guidelines.

“Our understanding [is] that PSAL will have all the seasons as expected.

I’m sure that they will be following certain guidelines as dictated by the state and implemented by the city,” he said.

Similarly, extracurriculars and shows like SING! are expected to resume in-person with alignment to standard guidelines. “We are anticipating having extracurricular activities similar [to what] we’ve done preCOVID,” Yu said. “The one thing that we’ll have to take into account is adult supervision to make sure all processes and protocols are being followed.”

This school year’s absence of in-person interaction with peers and teachers has several students eager

to return to school. “I made a lot of friends this year, but I haven’t seen them in [person] at all, so I’m very excited to meet my new friends,” sophomore Lauren Lee said.

Incoming freshmen are also looking forward to in-person learning, believing that in-person interaction is fundamental for a quality learning experience. “Either blended or fully remote options left students with a lot [fewer] opportunities for a full education,” incoming freshman Sasha Murokh said. “It took away a lot of opportunities for group projects and hands-on learning experiences, so I feel like in-person learning would kinda be like society branching back into what it was previously before COVID.” Despite the anticipation, others, having gotten used to the routine of online learning, have expressed concerns over transitioning into an in-person learning environment.

This sentiment holds especially true for the Class of 2024, who have yet to experience in-person learning at Stuyvesant so far. “[Returning to inperson learning] might come off as somewhat of a culture shock,” freshman Anson Lau said. “It will definitely be a very difficult transition for

people that got a bit too used to the laxer schedules of online schooling.”

Another particular concern involves public transportation, especially for those who live in the outer boroughs and have lengthy commutes to Stuyvesant. “A disadvantage [of in-person school] would be the commute time because for me I think it takes about an hour and a half and I need to account for two hours in case of traffic and stuff since I’m taking public transportation,” Chen said.

In light of COVID and/or the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes, others are uneasy about the risks of taking public transportation in the first place and being in large gathering spaces. “I’ve heard crime rates are going up in public transportation and I’m sure other Asian students [and I are] all worried about [anti]Asian hate crimes,” Lee said. “Even now, I try to avoid public transportation.”

Some students question whether in-person school will be safe since students and teachers are not required to be vaccinated. “You can’t exactly mandate everyone to get the vaccine, and [there needs to be] parental consensus as well,” freshman

Unique Zhang said. “Though a lot of us are gonna get vaccinated, I don’t think that really guarantees a lot of our safety because we can still carry it.”

Students have also shown concerns about the effectiveness of social distancing. “Since Stuyvesant has over 3000 kids [...] how are they gonna separate [people] with social distancing and crowded hallways?” incoming freshman Reem Khalifa said. “Schools should implement a safer way to get to classes and not give some short amount of time to get to your class, especially to ensure social distancing.”

Assistant Principal of Security/ Health and P.E. Brian Moran also voices apprehension about the inconsistent COVID guidelines. “My biggest concern during the transition is the changing [Center for Disease Control] (CDC) and DOE guidelines for health and safety. The unknowns make planning more difficult,” Moran said in an e-mail interview. In March, the CDC relaxed social distancing rules in school from six feet apart to three feet apart. It is unknown whether this guideline will change in the near future and how it will affect Stuyvesant.

Still, the administration is continuing to make plans to ensure that everyone, especially students new to the building, can transition smoothly in the fall. “We have been in many discussions on how we can prepare students, as well as support their transition,” Ingram said. “Seeing their excited, apprehensive, and smiling faces coming over the bridge will be not only easy but something I am looking forward to. It grounds you to see Stuy through their eyes.”

One plan they hope to implement is to inform students of useful resources in Stuyvesant. “An example would be using Phys. Ed. class time to help students ‘learn the people in your neighborhood,’” Moran said. “Incoming students can learn where to go for guidance, the nurse, where the library, how to navigate the building and escalators, and traveling [safely] to and from school.”

Regardless of the unknowns, Stuyvesant hopes that it can welcome back all staff and students into the building safely and with ease. “I am confident that Stuy students and staff will rise to the occasion as they always do and help to make for a smooth transition back to in-person learning,” Moran said.

The Spectator • June 25, 2021

Page 5

Senior Survey The Class of 2021: Then and Now

By THE EDITORIAL BOARD In 2017, the class of 2021 took a survey at Camp Stuy, prior to their first day of freshman year. In 2021, they took a similar survey during the end of senior year. After collecting and analyzing the data of 177 outgoing seniors, here is what The Spectator found:

Part a: EntEring HigH ScHool and collEgE 2017

2021

Around 70 percent of freshmen agreed or strongly agreed to the notion of attending an Ivy League university or another elite university after graduating, with over 90 percent of the senior class applying to Ivy League universities. Yet, as might be expected, seniors didn’t quite reach their ivy-high hopes. 46.9 percent of the respondents will be attending Ivy League or elite universities in September while 52.5 percent will not. Additionally, 50.3 percent of seniors felt that attending a specialized high school positively influenced their chances of getting into an Ivy League university while 20.6 percent felt there was a negative influence. This could contribute to the notorious college culture at Stuyvesant. It is, however, also important to note that what is considered an “elite” university was up to the students’ interpretation.

Part B: idEntitY/liFEStYlE 2017

2021

Consistent with the 75.4 percent of the class of 2021 that opposed the use of marijuana as freshmen, 80.8 percent abstained from the use of this drug during their time at Stuyvesant.

In fact, only 9.6 percent of seniors reported semi-often (4.5 percent) or regular (5.1 percent) marijuana use, which is similar to the 9.4 percent who reported as freshmen that they were not opposed to marijuana use by high school students. However, what is not noted in this survey is whether the seniors’ opposition to marijuana has changed over time, especially given New York’s recent legalization of marijuana usage.

Similarly, the class of 2021 was generally against study drug usages like Adderall and Ritalin. By the end of senior year, these numbers remained largely consistent as an overwhelming 93.8 percent indicated they had never used study drugs.

As freshmen, the class of 2021 was most strongly opposed to the usage of “hard” drugs, such as cocaine and opiates (74.6 percent). These numbers have remained consistent through senior year, as only 1.7 percent of seniors have reported usage of hard drugs, while the large majority (98.3 percent) have never used them.

Part c: acadEMic HonEStY 2021

2017 Over the course of four years at Stuyvesant, the class of 2021’s perception of academic honesty changed dramatically. While 40 percent of the class of 2021 in middle school never partook in some form of academic dishonesty in middle school, the number drastically decreased to 12.6 percent in high school where 79.1 percent of the class of 2021 have partaken in academic dishonesty at least once. While there are many factors behind the change, the greater accessibility to online resources when taking exams online this year during remote learning may have contributed to the increase in students who have participated in academic honesty.

When looking at whether academic dishonesty could be justified, however, the responses were more split. Many seniors were neutral (36.7 percent) in whether academic dishonesty cannot be justified. While a greater percentage agreed (36.8 percent) that academic cheating could be justified compared to those that disagreed (26.5 percent), there is only a slight difference.

The Spectator • June 25, 2021

Page 6

Senior Survey Part d: coVid-19

An overwhelming majority of students in the class of 2021 (93.8 percent) have taken the COVID-19 vaccine. This high tally is generally expected as New York City was once a hotspot of the COVID-19 pandemic and efforts for personal safety and protection is more ubiquitous here. Among the 6.2 percent who have not received the vaccine, many attributed it to parental or personal skepticism. It is important to note that 33.3 percent of those who did not receive the vaccine were in the process of scheduling an appointment and therefore, were not fully vaccinated at the time of the survey, but were to receive one.

Where 1 constitutes “poorly” and 10 “excellent,” students overall believe that Stuyvesant handled the pandemic and remote learning well. 70.2 percent of students rated Stuy’s performance as a 5 or higher and 55.4 percent of students liked remote learning compared to in-person school (giving an 8 or higher). This differed from expectations considering the number of negative comments regarding remote learning in Stuyvesant Facebook groups. However, Stuyvesant was able to maintain a general school structure virtually (e.g., consistent live classes, projects, an organized schedule), compared to other high schools.

However, the same could not be said regarding Stuyvesant’s success in maintaining the mental health of our community. Where 1 constituted “poor” and 10 “great,” there was no drastic change in students’ mental health before and during the pandemic. The distribution of ratings describing mental health became much less homogenous during the pandemic, indicating that perhaps remote learning exacerbated both the good and the bad that was already present.

The written responses had a more negative view of the remote learning experience. One commented, “I liked doing assignments and taking tests from home, but everything involving person-to-person interaction was really bad during the pandemic.” Another senior had an opposite experience: “Pre-pandemic I was a straight-A student, never below the high 80s. During the pandemic [...] I have received grades in the 70s, 60s, and even a 46. I am months behind in several classes. I am in danger of not graduating due to several NX grades.” Others claimed to not believe in mental health, in that “people blow it out of proportion and use it as an excuse or trend.” Most cited a decrease or lack of social interactions, not academics, as the primary reason for the decline in their mental health. Ultimately, remote learning was unsuccessful in recreating Stuyvesant’s social environment virtually.

Part E: tHE End Despite spending the last four years at Stuyvesant, a whopping 17 percent of this year’s graduating class feels that there are zero teachers within the walls of the school building that they can comfortably reach out to. However, teachers still remain an important part of many students’ lives, with the majority of students having one to three trusted teachers in the building. A small, though not insignificant, percent of students (3.6 percent) believe that there are seven or more teachers at Stuyvesant whom they could reach out to if necessary, indicating that for some, forming and fostering student-teacher relationships throughout the four years of high school is a special part of the Stuyvesant experience.

For many Stuyvesant will-be graduates, having a teacher or two (or seven) in their corner played an integral role in establishing a sense of stability and trust within the school.

A challenge encountered was that there is no data from previous senior classes to compare this to, so it is difficult to tell whether remote learning has had an effect on the number of teachers this year, given the distant studentteacher relationship.

Would you choose Stuyvesant again?

YES 87.6%

NO 12.4%

After four years of late-night studying, nine out of ten seniors surveyed said that they would choose Stuyvesant again.

The other ten percent who said they would not choose Stuyvesant again cited the toxic, competitive, college-orientated environment as “elitist” and “cruel.”

Some believed they would be happier in an environment that prioritizes students’ mental health over academic rigor.

As one senior wrote, “If I had the option to not be depressed I would.”

Another said, “This school doesn’t care about its students.” Yet another wrote, “I don’t regret it, but I wouldn’t do it again. Too much stress/damage to mental health, not enough benefits to outweigh the bad.”

As seniors graduate at Arthur Ashe Stadium this year, it is time to say goodbye to yet another class, a resilient one that persevered through one and a half years of remote learning amid a pandemic. Though they are reaching the end of Stuyvesant, they are about to embark on a new beginning. Congratulations, class of 2021.

Access the full article and survey results here.

The Spectator • June 25, 2021

Page 7

Features Unmasking Stuyvesant

By AMANDA BRUCCULERI, and RACHEL VILDMAN Note: most of these interviews were done before the most recent COVID announcement.

vaccinated should not be so quick to follow the lift of the mask mandate. “I think people should continue to wear a mask, even if they are vaccinated,” she expressed. “I believe it’s better to be extremely safe and cautious than to have a higher possibility of contracting the disease.”

Senior Tiffany Wu is concerned that unvaccinated Americans may abuse the guidelines. “With fewer people wearing masks, I imagine many of those who aren’t vaccinated would take advantage of this,” she said. Despite this concern, she still feels safe at her job, where she encounters many not wearing their masks.

“I know the risk of catching corona exists, but I trust my mask and my vaccine,” Wu explained.

In mid-June, New York lifted most COVID-19 restrictions with 70% of all adults having been vaccinated with at least one dose. Restaurants are no longer forced to space tables six feet apart, movie theaters are allowed to run their audito-

Nelli Rojas-Cessa / The Spectator

Over the past several months, COVID-19 vaccinations have become accessible to virtually everyone in New York City. The Pfizer vaccine gained approval to be administered to people ages 12 to 15 years old in early May. With these developments come the easing of mask mandates across the city, including the lifting of mask requirements for all fully vaccinated individuals.

Vaccinations have given many students a sense of protection when it comes to contracting the coronavirus, causing them to ditch the mask.

Senior Ahmed Shekhani, who is fully vaccinated, doesn’t feel the need to wear a mask anymore. “I have not been wearing masks outdoors as I am fully vaccinated, and there is no reason for me to,” he said.

“When you are vaccinated, the chance of you getting the virus is essentially zero, so there is no reason to wear a mask.”

Others, however, are still relying on masks as a preventative measure despite being vaccinated. Junior Naya Mukul still wears her mask when around others, but goes maskless when outside alone, such as when she is walking her dog. “I think people should continue to wear masks when in more crowded areas or inside because there’s still a risk of COVID variants from other countries,” she said.

Sophomore Rafatune Myma is also hesitant to go completely maskless, even after receiving both doses of the vaccine. “It’s better to be safe than sorry,” she stated.

“There’s still a possibility of contracting COVID-19, and if our immune system is weak, the vaccine wouldn’t be much of a help, which is why I’m still wearing a mask.”

Junior Sajia Athai has not gotten either of the two COVID-19 vaccination doses, but believes that people who are

riums at full capacity, and New York has virtually returned to normal. Regardless of whether or not students will take the steps toward a maskless world, one thing is clear: life is slowly

returning to normal. “A majority of the people that I see outside haven’t been wearing masks,” Athai stated. “It’s almost as if we’re returning to a pre-coronavirus world.”

The Reality of Virtual College Tours

By EUGENE YOO, RACHEL VILDMAN, and AMANDA BRUCCULERI College tours have always been an integral part of the application process. By providing crucial information such as majors offered, academic requirements, and more, these tours help applicants decide what schools best fit their individual profile. Since they are led by current college students, the tours also give visiting applicants and their families a chance to see up-close what student life outside of classes is like. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, college tours have dramatically changed. As a result, colleges have had to either give virtual college tours or organize tours with significantly smaller group sizes and additional protocols.

Junior Aryan Ruparel did a virtual tour of Binghamton University School of Management, a public university in upstate New York. A Binghamton student “led” the attendees around the campus on a zoom webinar. “It was really helpful because there was someone walking around campus and showing us where things were, including the cafeteria, dorms, and offices,” he said. “I preferred this form of viewing colleges over using the virtual tour on websites, because you feel as if you are in the school.”

On the other hand, junior Katelan Balkissoon had a completely different experience with virtual tours. She described her tours as ineffective in capturing the “vibe” of the school. “They mostly talked about the history of the campus and the courses offered,

but I was looking for information about the life on campus.

They did discuss the school’s history and main principles, which are important but not my main interest,” she said.

“To be honest, the virtual tour experiences had no impact on my views of the schools. They didn’t dissuade me from wanting to attend, but they didn’t help me either.”

Some students have had the privilege of attending in-person tours before and during the pandemic. During the pandemic, senior Anna Frid was able to tour American University, University of Pittsburgh, and SUNY Albany. “We couldn’t enter most of the buildings, masks were required, [and] we had our temperatures checked any time we did enter a building,” she said. However, colleges found solutions to prob-

lems such as not being allowed to enter buildings and limited tour sizes. “The University of Pittsburgh had a model of a typical freshman dorm set up elsewhere, and they had small groups of only admitted students, which helped streamline the tour,” Frid explained.

Although Frid did not feel as though these tours helped her pick a college, they did solidify her choice.

Frid also shared some tips she picked up doing virtual college visits. “I recommend taking a virtual tour of the dorms on YouTube in addition to directly from the school. It gives you a better feel for the size and set up of dorms and other common spaces compared to in-person tours,” she advised.

She also suggests that students come prepared with questions so that they can compare

schools more easily.

However, as with all types of tours, improvements can be made to college tours. “I’d suggest separating admitted students tours from prospective students tours, since what people want to know can be really different, and separating them streamlines the tour really efficiently,” Frid expressed.

Though the tours currently being offered by colleges aren’t perfect, they do their best to give prospective students a better grasp of campus life and a more complete picture of the school. Most importantly, tours bring students one step closer to figuring out their perfect college and provide them guidance when deciding where they want to spend the next four years of their lives.

Looking Back and Ahead

By ARIANA DEVITO, NICOLE ITKIN, SAIYEDAH NAYRA, SABRINA LI, and EUGENE YOO

he explained.

On top of the more challenging workload, there was also a lack of social interaction. “I [didn’t] get to meet as many people as I would have

thought it was, from being a middle school student with less workload into a more stressful environment with more work,”

[...] so social interaction [was] definitely much worse,” freshman Unique Zhang said.

Junior Vicky Liu also ex-

Reya Miller / The Spectator

Feet out of bed. Laptop open. Zoom on. And so begins a typical remote day in a year that has proved anything but typical. Every high school student has missed a year and a half of their normal high school experience––a year full of could-have-beens and would-have-beens. Students might have made different friends had they been in school, taken different classes, and had a completely different trajectory. But they didn’t.

They spent the year at home.

And each grade missed out on unique experiences and opportunities that would have come about in a typical year.

Most freshmen have yet to even step inside Stuyvesant, let alone experience what Stuyvesant has to offer. “I envisioned [walking] on the bridge and [entering] the school when, in reality, my whole school year has been me sitting in front

of my computer looking at tiles on a screen all day,” an anonymous freshman said in an email interview. “The transition for me to life in high school wasn’t as smooth as I

perienced a similar feeling of isolation with remote learning: “Going home with friends. I miss that.”

Sophomore Jady Chen felt fortunate to have established a friend base in her freshman year. “Some people might have not gotten so lucky, and I feel like in my Zoom classes, it’s really hard to make new friends just online,” Chen said.

Along with social interaction, learning was hindered by the virtual format. “It was especially hard to learn a new foreign language remotely. I would say that I grasped most of the content this year, but not all,” the anonymous freshman said.

Many students felt like remote school altered the typical testing schedule. “It feels [like] I missed out on one year of the high school experience.

[Knowing] that the incoming PSAT and SAT exams are slowly drawing nearer makes me feel like I skipped a step,” the anonymous freshman explained. Chen, however, feels fortunate that the pandemic started during her freshman

year. While Chen acknowledges the difficulties that came with missing out on those exams, she is grateful that the pandemic didn’t disrupt her ability to take the SATs or the college admissions process in general.

In light of their experiences over this past year, many students want to get back into the school building. Liu is looking forward to experiencing Stuyvesant in-person again and reminisces about school before the pandemic. “[I’m excited to] go outside [with friends, especially when] the sun is setting and it’s a nice color and you can feel the breeze and all seems calm before you have to start the next ten period day.”

Ultimately, despite the pros and cons of this school year and of the next one, we’ve made it through the last year and a half. And that’s something we should be proud of.

Next school year, we’ll probably be in the school building, complaining about how little sleep we’ve gotten and how we miss remote learning, though secretly, glad to be back.

Page 8

The Spectator • June 25, 2021

Features Double the Trouble

By MARY LEE, DALIA LEVANON, and JUNI PARK In the fall of 2021, incoming freshmen, sophomores, and juniors will begin their first fully in-person year at Stuyvesant.

With the school shutdown, both rising sophomores and juniors didn’t have many opportunities to experience their first year of high school in person. Students who’ve never even stepped foot into the building have yet to experience cornerstone freshman traditions like climbing up 10 flights of stairs or stumbling through the hallways searching for the right room.

It’s clear from the Facebook posts asking where to pick up AP devices in the Stuyvesant building that rising sophomores do not know their way around the school. As a result, incoming freshmen will be unable to count on the rising sophomores for directions around the large school building. Incoming freshman Jiawen Lin said that instead of turning to sophomores for support in getting around Stuyvesant, she’ll be seeking out teachers who have an important role in making students feel comfortable navigating high school life in an unknown environment. However, Lin noted a positive aspect of sophomores being unfamiliar with Stuyvesant. “I feel like I’ll be able to talk to them with less pressure because they’re as new as me now,” she said. In light of

these mutual struggles, perhaps freshmen and sophomores may be able to develop stronger friendships next year.

Lin looks forward to starting high school after the difficulties surrounding socializing during a pandemic. Even mundane actions, such as going into an actual building, are an exciting prospect for Lin. “It’s been very weird not seeing anyone,

students in all grades are struggling with.

Another big concern that both freshmen and sophomores share is how COVID-19 protocols will be implemented in the building. Lin expects the transition to high school to be dependent on how high coronavirus rates will be by September. “I think I’ll feel better if there are basic COVID proce-

and sophomores share concerns about entering high school this fall. Lin identifies her biggest fear about starting school as being unable to keep up with the rigor of Stuyvesant. “The middle school I went to wasn’t very competitive, so I might not be used to all of the work,” she said. On top of adjusting to a new course load, incoming students will have to juggle other

to it from freshman year,” she added.

For freshman Yarza Aung, his biggest concerns lie in the safety aspect of returning to school. “Although it’s necessary in our current times, actively having to be wary of everything we get near and touch sounds exhausting,” he said in an email interview. This concern is applicable to upperclassmen as well. After more than a year’s worth of quarantine, being surrounded by people in a closed environment can be a shocking adjustment.

Whether they attended blended learning or took classes from home through their laptops, something that everyone can agree on is that this year has not been a normal freshman experience. This school year has been a difficult time for many students, especially freshmen, with problems ranging from trouble focusing on schoolwork to feeling lonely without friends to casually talk to. However, there is hope that the next school year will be better than the last two: freshmen and sophomores have the unique advantage of being able to work together and help each other through next fall’s transition. “A lot of upperclassmen tell us we’ve been missing out on a lot of the full Stuyvesant experience,” Aung said. “I’m looking forward to seeing everything that I missed [this] year.”

“I feel like I’ll be able to talk to them with less pressure because they’re as new as me now.”

—Jiawen Lin, incoming freshman

and I’m looking forward to engaging with people and seeing the teacher. Usually, whenever I’m in real life, I tend to talk with the people around me,” she said. “I usually ask about homework and stuff like that.

Remote has been very lonely, because I don’t have the contact information of people in my class, so I can’t really talk to people.” Unfortunately, loneliness is a common feeling that

dures like social distancing and wearing a mask,” she said. The surge in vaccinations over the past few months will hopefully make students and staff more comfortable about possibly attending school in-person. By now, the FDA and CDC have approved the COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 12-15, expanding the age of eligibility to all Stuyvesant students.

Both incoming freshmen

responsibilities such as navigating the Stuyvesant building, making friends, and staying safe from COVID-19.

Freshman Nelli Rojas-Cessa shares Lin’s worries about not doing well academically next school year. “Freshman year is the easiest year, according to what people have told me, so things are going to get more complicated, and it’s gonna be harder because I’m not used

Burnout: The Side Effect of Remote Learning

By JUDY CHEN, CHLOE BOCCARA, and MELIA MOORE

quarantine.”

Sophomore Ameer Alnassar, too, has found a healthy amount of motivation in remote learning. “The workload’s fine, the periods are fine, I’m not tired,” Alnassar said. “The

that being able to wake up later has demotivated her, which may seem counterintuitive. “I think the idea of being able to wake up later causes me to not do any work until very late at night,” she explained. “The

fact that we have two half days instead of one full day––it’s very nice.” Alnassar’s period one, six, and 10 frees have also kept him energized throughout the day. The extracurriculars he’s part of have slowed down this year, so he hasn’t been particularly active on either the extracurricular or social scene.

Nevertheless, Alnassar remains content. “Hot take: Stuyvesant did what they could, and it works, for me at least,” he said.

Yet online school, even for those for whom it works, can have its drawbacks. Wong said

only motivation I have is when I am under time pressure and it is very late at night, like at 3 a.m.”

Even more perilous in remote learning is that academic burnout often links arms with social burnout and extracurricular burnout––the fall of one can mean the fall of the others.

“In October, [...] I stopped talking to someone who I was very close with. As luck would have it, it was a week before applications for something I wanted to participate in were due, and I didn’t have the energy to do

Nada Hameed / The Spectator

A disease is spreading among Stuyvesant students and it’s not COVID––it’s burnout.

To borrow from “Macbeth,” as tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow creep in this stressful school life from day to day, students find their motivation gradually depleting. One missing assignment turns into 10, and five minutes of extra sleep during first period turns into a whole class gone. This epidemic of burnout has left students with a variety of symptoms, and in some truly catatonic cases, a lack of symptoms.

Junior Ashley Tian feels the effects of burnout deeply. Lately, she has had trouble forcing herself to do work for the classes she doesn’t enjoy. Tian thinks her procrastination problems are more an issue of discipline rather than motivation. “I’m not disciplined enough to force myself to actually sit down and do the work, even if I am motivated for it,” she said. In the online environment, classes, deadlines, and school in general can feel a lot less real––there is no teacher to hover over your shoulder in class the next day, taking down notes about your homework––and Tian has felt the effects of that. When she gets overwhelmed, she shuts down and ignores everything, and she’s very aware of the problems with that. “The stressful part is that I know I should be stressed, but I have no sense of urgency or responsibility either, so I’m stressed about not being stressed more than I am about not getting my work done,” she said. These challenges with online school have taken a toll on

her mental health. “I’m an overachiever, but I’m also a massive procrastinator at the same time.

And it definitely has caused my mental health to deteriorate.”

Underclassmen are not exempt from burnout either. As one anonymous sophomore wrote in an e-mail interview, “I was a super motivated student in in-person school, so you can imagine the shock I have of looking at my grades then versus now. It was also much easier for me to retain information and pay attention in class before, but I have trouble doing both over Zoom.” They also noted that the majority of their burnout can be attributed to academics, rather than a surge of extracurricular activities.

After one exits the Zoom meeting, it is impossible for teachers or fellow students to tell what happens afterwards.

Who knows what goes on out of the camera frame? The truth is that outside of the frame, outside of class, and outside of regular school hours, students are exhausted. “The hardest part for me is probably homework. Zoom fatigue absolutely sucks and I have no energy to do my homework, so I turn a lot of things in late,” the anonymous sophomore explained. Students have become no strangers to late assignments and extensions this year.

Nevertheless, some students and their work ethics are thriving in the remote setting. Burnout is nowhere to be found for them, thanks to remote learning. “During in-person school, I was not very motivated because I was really sleep-deprived,” junior Mandy Wong said. “I feel like I was a different person.

I’ve had a lot more time to focus on my mental health during

it,” the anonymous sophomore said. “That made me even more upset, and I thought I would take a week or so to get over it and go back to normal, but it didn’t. It affected my grades too, which in turn affected my mental health.”

But for those students who can muster up the energy to participate in clubs, extracurriculars can provide an escape from the mundanities of online school. “Extracurriculars have definitely remained an escape for me,” Wong said. “Extracurriculars made me feel productive even when schoolwork didn’t.”

Tian has also had an undeniably positive experience with extracurricular activities this year. “When I’m really passionate about something, I’m determined to do the things that need to get done,” she said.

For Wong, extracurriculars can’t solve the fundamental boredom of pandemic life. “Being bored has led to a dip in my motivation. I’m generally not allowed to go outside because of [the coronavirus], so I don’t have much to look forward to now,” she said. “Sometimes I’m allowed to go on walks around my block, but it’s just not the same as being able to walk around school everyday.” She also added that she didn’t have much time to go outside in the first place because of homework, school, and extracurriculars.

Fortunately, there is relief in sight. After these many months of toil, June has arrived, and the sun shines in earnest. Those who are burnt out can at last flop down on the lawn. They will watch the clouds and feel the sun. For now, there is no need to get up.

Tailong Wen / The Spectator

Julia Lee / The Spectator

Sophia Yuditsky / The Spectator

Francesca Nemati / The Spectator

Sequoia Rabinovich / The Spectator

Jingwei Liu / The Spectator

Thomas Yoo / The Spectator

Julian Giordano / The Spectator

Page 9 The Spectator • June 25, 2020

Photo Essay The City that Never Sleeps

By THE PHOTOS DEPARTMENT

Page 10

The Spectator • June 25, 2021

Editorials Goodbye Virtual Stuyvesant As this year like no other comes to a close, one can’t help but reflect upon the past 15 months of our lives, spent hunching over laptop screens, maintaining a semi-nocturnal sleep schedule, and trying to make the most out of a virtual high school experience. The Spectator’s Editorial Board was filled to the brim with thoughts about the concepts, classes, and institutions that made our remote stint what it was. So, here are a few of those thoughts.

Virtual PE Yes, that’s right. You are panting alone in a room, incapacitated by the strain of 50 consecutive jumping-jacks.

Well, technically you are not alone––there is a computer on the desk across from you, and on the screen, you can see the random thrashing of the limbs of 30 other adolescents. “High knees!” booms a mighty voice.

There is an acute, screeching lag––PE folk stick by their Google Meets. “No slacking!”

After the high knees, your teacher demands that you “get down on the floor.” It’s plank time. You follow the order and get on the floor. But you just sit there. In a way, it is like the mindfulness videos that your teacher is in the habit of screening at the start of class in that you are sitting completely inert. But unlike in the mindfulness videos, there is no rippling water backtrack and no calmyet-firm male voice instructing you to “Relax your kneecaps.”

You are also wondering, as you sit on the ground waiting for the hardcore people to finish planking, why it was that people looked at you so weirdly when you shared your answer for the “Question of the Day” that your teacher uses for attendance. The question today was “What is the bravest thing you’ve ever done?” Your answer included something along the lines of “really big crush” and “jumped into pool when I didn’t know how to swim,” not that you remember the details of what you said. At the time, it seemed like a solid answer, so you don’t know what the

big problem was. But there’s no more time to think––time for 25 warrior lunges.

Five out of five stars.

Breakout Rooms Breakout rooms are the bane of our existence in the Zoom world. In the best case scenario, you encounter someone you know, and you do anything but the task at hand. Most of the time, however, you’re with a stranger. Even in this case, you still are not going to actually do the tasks. You will dance a ballet of pain with your breakout room roommates, in which minutes of silence take turns with small talk that is somehow worse. On rare occasions, breakout rooms get the job done. Maybe there’s an extra boisterous participant who carries the discussion, or you somehow manage to work together for the allotted two minutes. Then, you leave and can go back to pretending to have never interacted with each other again. As an added bonus, your teachers have permission to enter any breakout room they want, exposing your unproductivity and your lack of social skills. Maybe you even earn a shoutout in class.

Two out of five stars.

Advanced Placement Exams Many students did not have the opportunity to take AP exams in-person this year. When it was announced that fulllength digital AP exams were an option, it sounded like a more fair alternative to the shortened version we took in 2020.

But that joy was short-lived.

Nothing could’ve prepared us for…

Calculus exams with no useful mathematical symbols. Exponent and subscript options were given. The entire Greek alphabet was given. But there was no calculus symbol in sight.

Where was the integral? There was no limit to this foolishness.

History exams that did not test historical knowledge. The questions were written in meandering sentences and bizzare wording. It did not matter if you knew your textbook inside-

The Spectator The Stuyvesant High School Newspaper

out; AP history exams became AP Reading Comprehension.

Epic tales of AP digital exam failures trail on, but the most noteworthy crime was more subtle. To stem cheating and prevent mass-googling, students could not turn to previous questions or look at questions in advance. To what end?

For many, this year’s exams are almost as disastrous as the last.

Two out of five stars.

“The Pulse of the Student Body”

ARTS

&

ENTERTAINMENT E D I TO RS

Suah Chung Kenisha Mahajan Gavin McGinley Dexter Wells PHOTOGRAPHY E D I TO RS

E D I TO R S

IN

C HIEF

Morris Raskin* Karen Zhang*

Francesca Nemati Sasha Socolow ART

N EWS

E D I TO RS

Jenny Liu* Momoca Mairaj

The Spectator The Spectator is superfluous at best and deleterious at worst. News frequently publishes slander against the hardworking teachers of Stuyvesant and staff editorials in which high schoolers tell administrators how to do their jobs. Naive Opinions writers regurgitate the latest New York Times article and restate for the millionth time why Trump is indeed bad.

Arts and Entertainment makes it more than clear how much they love Marvel and anime and why the latest Taylor Swift album is actually really deep.

Humor couldn’t make Jimmy Fallon laugh. Science is about as thrilling as a biology textbook.

Sports notifies us of yet another disappointing early playoff exit. And Features exists solely to spam the Dear Incoming Class of… Facebook groups.

At least The Spectator gives writers and editors something to do on Sunday at 2:00 a.m.

Three out of five stars.

F EATURE S

E D I TO RS

Angela Cai Christina Pan Clara Shapiro* O PI N I O NS

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Maya Nelson Aaron Visser* S C I E N C E

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Gerard Lin Sonya Sasson**

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Afra Mahmud** Adrianna Peng Sophie Poget L AYO U T

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Nora Miller Tashfia Noor** Shreyasi Saha Ruiwen Tang Raymond Yang** BUSINE SS

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Logan Ruzzier** Kelly Yip*

* Managing Board ** Editors-in-Training Please address all letters to: 345 Chambers Street New York, NY 10282 (212) 312-4800 ext. 2601 opinions@stuyspec.com

9:00 a.m. Start Times Teachers and students rejoiced when they learned they could wake up an hour later prior to this pandemic year. This change will hopefully continue into next year, which will allow more time for sleep and to complete homework, with the exception of PSAL complications. No longer will Stuyvesant students continue or start their coffee addictions or nap through the first five periods.

Imagine a better Stuy with alert and well-rested students. Perhaps nothing is so deserving of five out of five stars. If only it made logistical sense.

Our Seniors Hey seniors. We want to acknowledge that you were, so to speak, shafted, and more so than any other grade. We don’t need to recount all your misfortunes, but why not? That recap will make this portion of the editorial seem more substantial.

Your last proper day of high school was a random Friday in March of 2020, when you were juniors. You didn’t receive any of the expected benefits of senior year or even have anything remotely (sorry, bad phrasing) close to a senior year. You had

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Ezra Lee Amy Lin Susie McKnight

M ANAGE RS

Jared Moser** Tina Nguyen WE B

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David Chen** Alyssa Choi Andrey Sokolov FAC U LT Y

ADVISER

Kerry Garfinkel We reserve the right to edit letters for clarity and length. © 2018 The Spectator All rights reserved by the creators.

none of the socialization, you didn’t have a senior prank or a skip day, and you didn’t even get to intimidate freshmen out of the senior atrium. You were robbed of integral senior experiences. We want you to know that your pain is—well, it’s not our pain, but we sure do recognize it. You achieved something seriously impressive under highly adverse circumstances.

We wish you the best, wherever you may be headed.

Five out of five stars and an extra half of a star because we feel bad.

Reinstate Black Lives in Literature

By AMANDA CISSE

a standard part of any history curriculum. However, European history should not be a standard for learning. The presence of AP European History as the only other specialized history

es: AP United States History, AP European History, and AP World History. World History, along with the history of the country one lives in, should be

course that the College Board offers excludes those who want to learn specifically about their heritage or other continents that they are interested in. Students

Jasmine Wang / The Spectator

Stuyvesant is a school that promotes diversity in its English and social studies curriculums. It offers a plethora of classes, such as Asian American Literature, Women’s Voices in Literature, Defining American Voices, Writing in the World, and The Jewish Experience.

The Senior Caucus has also been working with the administration to diversify the literature departments by recommending books and authors. During this cycle of course selections, the English department removed the Black Lives in Literature elective because English teacher Heather Huhn, who taught the elective, is leaving this year. This elective, which featured rich works by Frederick Douglass and August Wilson, needs to be reinstated to give students a truer choice in their education. We cannot choose a culture that is interesting to us if the choices themselves are limited. We pick from what is offered, which can only be inclusive and diverse if we are offered more.

Throughout the American

education system, our choices are neither inclusive nor diverse at all. The best demonstration of this absence is the College Board. It offers three Advanced Placement (AP) history class-

with European descent are given the opportunity to take a history class centered around their background, but students with ancestry from other continents are not. How can we be sure that a student taking AP European History has a genuine interest in the subject matter and is not just taking it because a class of true interest is not available? If classes for each continent were available and a student still chose to take AP European History, then we can be sure it is out of true interest.

At Stuyvesant, 70 percent of students are Asian-American, yet European Literature is the mandatory English course for sophomores. Yes, Europe has influential and historic works and invented the modern novel, but other continents have deep and meaningful literature as well. It is not only diverse schools that need classes about their various cultures. Everyone should be able to learn about cultures besides one’s own. The best way to resolve this issue is to offer literature courses from all continents and remove the mandate to take European Lit-

erature or to create a global literature class. Reinstating Black Lives in Literature would take a step toward a more global curriculum.

Reinstating Black Lives in Literature would give the Black community at Stuyvesant more representation in the curriculum and the option to learn about their history, of which so much has been wiped away.

Stuyvesant should have taken the continuation of the course as an opportunity to rehire. The College Board should add additional AP history classes, such as AP African or AP Asian History courses, or simply remove AP European History. Stuyvesant should remove European Literature as a mandatory requirement for sophomore English and instead allow students to take their pick of literature classes from around the world or mandate one global literature course. These steps will encourage everyone to become a global citizen, give more students the option to study what is significant to them, and foster relevant and diverse education.

The Spectator • June 25, 2021

Page 11

Opinions A Step Backward for Women’s Rights

By MAYA NELSON

and struggle with identity and separation from their birth parents.

These arguments would not do much to convince someone

majority of those against abortion have no problem with in vitro fertilization (IVF), which involves donating embryos for scientific study and results in

who truly believes abortion is murder otherwise. Many believe that life begins at conception and that fetuses at any stage should be considered human. Yet despite this belief, the

the destruction of millions of embryos. Compared to the 49 percent of Americans who believe abortion is morally wrong, only 12 percent oppose IVF morally. As pro-life Alabama

Yume Igarashi / The Spectator

In the case Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court issued a 7-2 ruling in favor of extending the 14th Amendment to protect women’s choice to have an abortion on January 22, 1973.

Since then, debates over abortion have remained prominent, with the pro-life movement aiming to revoke 50 years of progress for women. Recently, Mississippi enacted a new law that aims to ban most abortions following 15 weeks of pregnancy, violating the ruling under Roe and leading to the Supreme Court agreeing to revisit the case next term. With a 6-3 conservative majority, the Supreme Court has the greatest chance in history to revoke the right to pre-viable abortion.

A reversal of Roe v. Wade would mean that states could ban abortion at very early stages. The Center for Reproductive Rights found that over 20 states would ban abortion entirely, which would be a major step backward for the women’s rights movement. Abortion is usually a last resort or a necessary measure for women. Banning abortion poses a threat to both the child and mother. In many cases, abortion is needed if the pregnancy threatens the mother’s health or for fetal anomalies. Pregnancy can be extremely strenuous on the mother and fatal in cases in which the mother has an underlying health crisis. Additionally, in cases of sexual assault, bearing that child can have extreme

psychological effects on the mother.

However, many conservatives still rhetorically maintain the viability of abortion under these circumstances; the real debate lies with cases where health or sexual assault is not a concern. The most common reason for abortion is the mother’s unpreparedness or inability to take care of a child. Seventy-three percent of women reported that financial inability to raise a child was one of their reasons for having an abortion, while nearly 32 percent stated they simply were not ready. An unwanted child can cause health problems for the mother and child due to the inability to afford a doctor or food. Raising a child is a stressful, expensive, and difficult process, and it is unfair to expect every woman who accidentally gets pregnant to undergo this process, especially when it often requires the mother to sacrifice her own education, job, or life.

A popular argument against this point is that the mother can simply put the child up for adoption or in the foster care system if she is unable to care for the child. However, that possibility is not always a viable option. The adoption and foster systems are already overwhelmed with children, as nearly 440 thousand children are in the foster care system in the United States alone. Even worse, less than half of the children put up for adoption get adopted; children who do often face mental health issues

Senator Clyde Chambliss stated, “The egg in the lab doesn’t apply. It’s not in a woman. She’s not pregnant.” It’s not really a matter of every embryo being sacred human life—it’s about controlling women’s bodies.

Finally, it’s important to consider that banning abortions does not prevent them; it simply makes them more dangerous. Abortions will still occur even with a reversal of Roe v.

Wade, but rather than receiving them properly at a clinic, many women will instead choose self-induced abortions or go to someone without the necessary skill to perform them. In countries where abortion is banned, 61 percent of all unintended pregnancies ended in induced abortions. These induced abortions pose countless health concerns, including infection, hemorrhaging, and injury to internal organs.

Abortion is a necessary right, and the possible reversal of Roe v. Wade will only make things worse for women with unwanted pregnancies. It is more important now than ever to lobby and protest for women’s reproductive rights. Spreading awareness on social media, attending rallies, and writing to representatives are ways to show support for the prochoice movement. Though it is ultimately the Supreme Court’s decision, if enough people are fighting for the right to abortion, our voices will be heard.

Now is not the time to take a step backward in history.

Delete TikTok. Now.

By ELIZABETH BLACK Wake up, and go on TikTok. Brush teeth, and go on TikTok. Eat breakfast, and go on TikTok. Get distracted on TikTok and realize class started five minutes ago. Log on to class, turn off camera, and go on TikTok. This cycle is the routine of most teenagers, and I was no exception, averaging upwards of eight hours of daily screen time on the app. After two years of using the app, I deleted the app on February 6.

Four months later, I say with confidence that it is one of the best decisions I have made.

I downloaded TikTok in late 2018 as a joke after it had rebranded from the popular app musical.ly. The app was still widely considered “cringeworthy,” but I found its content entertaining and wholesome. In early-to-mid 2019, hundreds of thousands downloaded TikTok after seeing advertising, and during the summer of 2019, dubbed the “golden age” of TikTok, they stopped seeing TikTok as a joke and began putting effort into making entertaining videos. There was no need to look your best, like on Instagram, or prove to the world that you had the best day ever, like on Snapchat. TikTok had hilarious trends, musical puns, and fun summer activity ideas.

The “golden age” came to an end as September of 2019 came around. Several creators began gaining enormous followings and earning money from their fame. Since then, the main goal has shifted away from creating enjoyable content and toward becoming fa-

mous on the app. However, many feel that this motive leads to less original, authentic, and creative content since people are driven in hopes to go viral.

Moreover, TikTok is largely looks-based, where conventionally attractive creators are favored and likely to go viral, even if others’ content is funnier or “better.” Additionally, such competition for “hype” amongst creators inevitably breeds drama, fighting, and “canceling.”

This shift into a beauty pageant-like environment created a TikTok culture filled with body shaming and hypersexualization, mainly of young girls.

Those who do not look like the unrealistic beauty standard are constantly degraded, and even conventionally attractive girls are shamed for minor flaws.

Anything less than perfection is unsatisfactory. As TikTok has gained popularity, eating disorders in teenage girls have surged, as well as revivals of online eating disorder forums, many of which were created on TikTok itself. Sixty percent of the app’s U.S. users are between the ages of 16-24. At 1.5 billion users, the odds are high that a percentage of them is struggling with an eating disorder or food anxiety. Melissa Harrison, a professional counselor and co-founder of the Center for Hope & Health, a treatment center for eating disorders, said her clients, some of whom are as young as 12 years old, mentioned they “learned ways to restrict their eating on TikTok” last year. I’ve struggled with on and off anorexia and bulimia since I was in middle school, and my all-time low occurred

simultaneously with my alltime high TikTok screen time.

I doubt it was a coincidence; the site encourages vain behavior, and the obsession with aesthetics and looks overtakes any new user’s mind. I didn’t even know certain flaws about myself existed, but the app taught me new aspects of myself to hate. Unfortunately, I relied on the very app that caused these problems to cope with them, trapping myself in a loop.

Additionally, those who have the looks to become popular on the app often go to extreme measures to attain recognition, leading to its sexualization of children. TikTok is ultimately run by teenagers and children, where teenagers associate being older with deserving more respect. Older teenagers (17+), many of whom are sexually active, are the supreme rulers of the app, with children as young as elementary schoolers looking up to them. They explicitly discuss sex, drugs, and other mature activities while creating sexual videos to rack up views and quench their thirst for the “hype.” Young children who see these posts and are exposed to all these topics much too early want nothing but to be like these older kids: to be “cool,” “mature,” and respected, so they follow suit. I have personally seen girls as young as 10 or 11 years old posting explicit sexual videos for their 15 minutes of fame, discussing past sexual encounters, and bragging about their drug use. Considering the amount of time we spend on TikTok, older kids essentially become responsible for nurturing a safe social envi-

ronment for the younger ones.

However, teenagers are clearly unfit to properly supervise or care for children. Therefore, it is the responsibility of parents to protect their kids from the effects of the app by not allowing them to create accounts until they are old enough to.

Additionally, TikTok used to be an escape from political discussions in traditional media or other internet platforms, but that aspect is no longer the case. It has become an app with constant fighting about political and social issues. While there can be great discussions about such issues, there is even more negativity and toxicity, such as sexism, racism, and other harmful ideas. Of course, political discourse is inevitable on any social platform; the difference, however, is that the discourse in places like Instagram and Twitter involves mostly adults.

TikTok is made up of kids and teenagers, many of whom are uneducated about the matters they are discussing. This characteristic leads to dangerous misinformation and misuse of political terminology, sometimes even resulting in unintentional propaganda. The fighting doesn’t stop at these so-called “politics.” Users fight over “alt” (alternative) TikTok versus “straight” (traditional) TikTok, misogynists versus misandrists, and “2000-2005 babies” versus “2006- babies.”

TikTok is clearly no longer the safe haven of creativity and humor it once was.

To an outsider, TikTok may appear problematic because of its young user base; the real issue, however, lies in

the For You page algorithm that is unique to the app. ByteDance, the company that owns TikTok, continues to develop sophisticated artificial intelligence (AI) that uses the data gathered from the app. The For You page is an infinite feed of videos from accounts the viewer most likely does not follow. Not only does this system drastically increase the chances of a user being exposed to harmful or triggering content, but it is also the reason TikTok is more addictive than any other social media platform. AI expertly selects videos to recommend based on the person’s data. Since these videos are usually about 15 seconds long, the user can’t help but swipe to the next one for hours on end.

Turning off or deleting the app becomes impossible, and the cycle continues.

I have not used TikTok in over four months, and in these past 18 weeks, my life has changed. I’ve started going to the gym more, dedicating more time to productive hobbies, making new friends, and improving my grades. I’ve also spent much more time taking care of my mental health; I’ve been eating disorder-free for months, gaining back my confidence and repairing my body image. Though I had been addicted to the app, the results were worth the “withdrawal” I experienced the first few weeks. I miss the occasional cute puppy video, but nothing is more important than physical and mental health, so I highly encourage you to put your addiction to that toxic cesspool aside and delete TikTok.

Page 12

The Spectator • June 25, 2021

Opinions It’s Time to Break the Chain

By ERICA LI

active service members who reported sexual assault crimes faced professional, social, and administrative consequences such as career setbacks and social ostracization. This effect

gotten even worse. The Pentagon’s anonymous survey released in 2019 revealed that 20 thousand service members, 13 thousand of whom were women, had experienced some type of sexual assault in the military. However, only onethird of the 20 thousand filed a report, which could easily be attributed to the fear of retaliation. A survey by the Department of Defense in 2015 showed that 62 percent of

was the case with Kayla Kight, who filed an unrestricted report that opened a criminal investigation. She was given a compassionate reassignment to another unit, but one of her mentors was friends with her assailant. She was then given low marks on the officer evaluation reports, and her career was jeopardized.

The 1993 “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy—part of a military directive that prohibited any

Sophia Li / The Spectator

Service members have lost faith in the military justice system. Fifty percent of female sexual assault victims in the military stated they did not even bother to report the crime committed against them because they believed that nothing would be done. Sexual assault in the United States Armed Forces has been and continues to be a pressing issue as thousands of cases are reported each year but rarely end in a conviction.

The lack of real involvement and action against sexual assault in the military is not a new situation. For most of history, the United States’ military criminal justice system was not even in charge of service members’ crimes. Service members accused of sexual harassment, assault, or other common law crimes used to be tried in civilian courts. While the military courts have similarities to the civilian court systems, there are also many differences. For example, in military courts, commanding officers have the option of imposing non-judicial punishments, the government only needs twothirds of the military panel to secure a conviction, and military members are subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice as well. The military rape law—a law stating that military personnel accused of rape between 1986 and 2006 can be charged, regardless of the five-year statute of limitation—was only truly enforced in the late 1980s after a series of publicized sexual assault scandals forced the legislations and task force to change the military justice system. Thus, the Department of Defense formed the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office

(SAPRO) to specifically oversee the department’s sexual assault policy.

Since then, the sexual assault rates within the United States Armed Forces have

homosexual or bisexual who disclosed sexual orientation from serving—was also used to discharge LGBTQ+ members, regardless of whether the sexual conduct was consensual or not. Despite its repeal in 2011, the effects of the policy still linger in the military today.

Over 80 percent of LGBTQ+ service members reported sexual harassment during their time in the military.

The root of the sexual assault crisis within the military goes back to the failure of the chain of command. A service member who is sexually assaulted is expected to report the incident to the commander, who will investigate the misconduct and determine if any type of punishment is necessary or if it should be legally pursued. This procedure means that almost all of the authority regarding sexual assault lies in the hands of the commander. If the commander refuses to acknowledge that the sexual assault should be pursued further, there is no other person or management the victim can turn to, as the commander is the one to refer the allegations to the Sexual Assault Response Coordinator.

The victim will not be able to receive specific health care or support and cannot file a criminal charge against the assailant since an unrestricted report cannot be filed. The chain of command military justice process system that produces only 302 prosecutions out of 2,558 actionable reports does not work and needs to be changed.

In the past couple years, the military has been making several changes specific to preventing these sexual assaults in the first place. SAPRO initiated the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response program, a U.S. military required training that

educates service members on sexual assault. It also provides support and treatment for the service members who may have experienced any form of sexual assault.

Additionally, the odds of experiencing sexual assault are higher in units with the prevalence of gender discrimination, workplace hostility, and sexual harassment. Not requiring female recruits to take the same physical tests as their male counterparts can send the wrong message and often leads to the other recruits seeing the female recruits as lesser beings.

Today, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is proposing new legislation: sending sexual assault cases to a specialized military prosecutor. Gillibrand’s bill, the Military Justice Improvement Act (MJIA), would cut out the chain of command from decisions over whether or not the service member should be prosecuted for sexual assault among other crimes. Despite what many argue, commanders would still be able to discipline their troops, enforce non-judicial punishment with the MJIA in place, and be responsible for handling other felony-level, misdemeanor-level, and specific military-related crimes. Similar to the MJIA, a Pentagon panel also recommended that the decisions to prosecute service members for sexual assault should be made by an independent authority, not by the commanders.

Reducing the number of sexual assaults should be one of the military’s top priorities.

They have disappointed too many of their service members by allowing all the power to be in the hands of commanders.

The military justice system needs to be modernized, and Gillibrand’s proposed bill will do exactly what is necessary.

A Tale of Two Supermarkets

By ASHLEY LIN

and affordable food is detrimental to people’s health. The lack of healthy food leads to higher chances of getting dietrelated diseases, such as obesity and diabetes, that could potentially become life-threatening.

Obesity is associated with a higher risk for heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure. Similarly, diabetes leads

and economic inequality, requires systemic change, there are a few things a person can do to help alleviate this issue. One is donating to charities that help build more grocery stores and provide people with food.

Philanthropy and charities support food banks, feeding kitchens, and nonprofit restaurants.

Though this action is not a

Redlining and the White Flight targeted these areas particularly and left them with communities poorer than mainly white communities. This consequence led to an inability to afford healthier food options.

A lack of access to healthy

to an increased risk for heart disease, nerve damage, and stroke. In California, obesity and diabetes rates are 20 percent higher for those living in lower income areas.

Though fully solving this issue, which stems from racial

long-term solution, it increases accessibility; donating to charities that seek to increase food accessibility helps mitigate this issue. Charities and organizations, such as SÜPRMARKT and the Mandela Grocery create affordable grocery stores

Rachel Chuong / The Spectator

Take a look at a neighborhood where the median household income is less than $100 thousand. Do you see any Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods stores? The answer is likely no.

Instead, these neighborhoods tend to have smaller convenience stores or fast food restaurants that provide residents with more affordable junk food. Healthier food options are often inaccessible to many people because they are more expensive. These places are known as food deserts, where residents’ access to healthy, affordable food options is limited. In comparison, higherincome neighborhoods have greater access to grocery stores and organic foods.

Food deserts are the result of systemic racism in the form of redlining. Redlining is a practice developed in the 1930s, when banks would deny mortgages to people of color to prevent them from buying homes in certain neighborhoods. Banks would use red ink to mark areas they deemed hazardous and less desirable, hence the name “redlining.”

Food deserts are also the result of the White Flight, when white, middle-class people moved from inner cities to the suburbs in the 1960s. This shift put minority communities at a

disadvantage as the areas they lived in were drained of wealth and ended up with a lack of resources and little funding.

Food deserts are also predominantly located where many Black and Latino communities reside. They tend to have the fewest number of supermarkets, and thus the least access to healthy food options.

stocked with healthy food options. Building affordable grocery stores in lower income areas provides residents with better alternatives to purchasing junk food.

Additionally, reducing food waste can help mitigate this issue. Millions of pounds of extra food are wasted and thrown out every year while millions of people are living in areas lacking affordable and accessible foods. In fact, Americans waste 30 to 40 percent of their food every year. One person wastes about one pound of food every day, which adds up to approximately 225-290 pounds of food every year.

This excess food can instead be used to feed those living in food deserts. Food banks, such as Feeding America, help collect the excess food and deliver it to food banks to distribute to those in food-insecure areas.

Many people may feel helpless when it comes to the issue of food deserts and food insecurity. This view is understandable as creating systemic change in any issue is hard to achieve. However, one can help by reducing one’s food waste and donating to organizations and charities that aim to decrease food insecurity. We should all be trying our best to solve the problem of food deserts.

SING! 2021 The Stuyvesant High School Newspaper

Volume 111 No. 17

“The Pulse of the Student Body”

June 25, 2021

stuyspec.com

TABLE OF CONTENTS Soph-Frosh SING! p. 14 Junior SING! p. 15 Senior SING! p. 16-17 Top Fives p. 18-19 SING! Humor & Scoreboard p. 20 SING! News & Playlist p. 21

PHOTOS BY FRANCESCA NEMATI AND SASHA SOCOLOW

Page 14

The Spectator • June 25, 2021

Soph-Frosh SING!

Trouble in the City That Never Sleeps

By SUAH CHUNG and GAVIN MCGINLEY Welcome to New York City: A bustling metropolis home to decrepit subways, street carts with hot dogs, haywire pigeons, and the works. Coordinated by Lianne Ohayon and produced by sophomores Inour Awad and Judy Chen and freshmen Eliza Oppenheimer and Caroline Stansberry, Soph-Frosh SING! takes place in Stuyvesant’s home, NYC. Especially memorable in the midst of an ameliorating pandemic, the show aimed to capture both the nuance and differences between people of different boroughs and the overall love for the city that unites them all. Though there were technical problems and other adversities, SophFrosh SING! made the best of what they had and gave us a glimpse of their potential as an in-person production.

Despite their valiant efforts, Soph-Frosh’s execution of their universal idea regretfully missed the mark. After an opening number about NYC (set to Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5”), the show begins with a familiar scene: the sidewalk next to a string of brick apartment buildings, with one sporting “The Shoebox” in orange graffiti. It is with the line “What kind of apartment is called ‘The Shoebox?’” that we are introduced to Hazel (Pimada Phongsuriya), the lead of the show. A newcomer to the neighborhood but previous NY resident, Hazel bumps into two of her apartment mates, Sydney (Eden DiLella) and Eva (Lea Esipov). Though their conversation ends on a good note, with them making plans to revisit nostalgic locations in the city, their dynamic is disorienting off the bat as they suddenly fight over favorite boroughs and their supposed love for the city after friendly introductions.

The next morning, the trio first decides to head to Brooklyn by subway, where the characters bring up their concerns that “something’s not right” about

the dulled city, culminating in a duet by Hazel and Eva (“Part of Your World”). Though the vocals and music editing of the performance are one of the better parts of the show, the ambiguity of the concept itself downplays the otherwise earnest duet. This vague sentiment is also suddenly moved to the back burner as the trio reaches the famous Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory and meets Angelica (Kate Alvarez) and Tara (Emily Young-Squire), who are also waiting in line.

After the two’s random and inaudible music number (“End of the Line”), the cashier takes their orders. Though the grouping of the five characters, in addition to the other minor roles, begins to get chaotic, this blight is momentarily outshined by Angelica, one of the most vibrant and consistent aspects of Soph-Frosh SING!. From her costume, which consists of a tweed suit and small shoulder bag, to her gestures, Angelica exudes elegance but also arrogance, which Alvarez continues to pull off with ease for the rest of the show. Angelica’s character also contains nuance.

Her reflective rendition of Why Don’t We’s “Lotus Inn” shows that people misunderstand her caustic personality, and she is kinder than she initially appears, which is why she decides to give money to the struggling Ice Cream Factory manager.

As the group continues along their tour, they continue to collect people, including Justin (Oliver Hollman), a Mets fan from Queens, and Cleo (Arshia Mazumder), a hip-hopper from the Bronx, to the detriment of the already convoluted story.

Though the large cast probably resulted from their desire to add representation for all five boroughs, this size only serves to water down the meager personalities the supporting characters are initially given. This lack also applies to the main character, Hazel. Though her character was written to be quieter and more reserved, in the context

of the other six characters on the same screen, Hazel does not stand out as she should.

Moreover, the plot of the show doesn’t have a clear focus or movement, as there are a bunch of tiny problems––the rent complaints, Yankee Stadium closing, Eva disappearing, or the elevator not working–– some of which occur without explanation, but each problem is resolved very quickly, giving them no purpose to the story.

The encompassing “mystery” about NYC, which the characters try to allude to as the city being more dull or slower than usual, is scattered. It is only mentioned a couple of times, so once it returns at the end as a “pivotal” plot point, its inclusion is confusing, as the audience is already having difficulty keeping up with the number of characters.

The solution is also hard to follow, as Cleo suddenly recalls a superstition about a switch in the Empire State Building that supposedly controls the life of the city. With the course that the plot has been on for the performance thus far, it seems like this idea will resolve the situation. However, after the group arrives at the top of the Empire State Building, it’s revealed that the switch doesn’t work, but instead, the solution is the power of happiness, which spreads from the ice cream shop that Angelica supported. It is unclear whether the happiness manifests in physical light or how it works at all. Though the plot attempts to go for an ending akin to “the people make the city,” hence the characters’ love for NYC is the source of its reinvigoration, this solution yields an anticlimactic ending.

Hence, the end of the story catches viewers off guard, since the lack of buildup and confusing premise render the resulting solution underwhelming.

The big reveal of Eva as the villain is also expected and overplayed as she has been snarky for a large portion of the tour. Since Hazel is initial-

ly the one with qualms about NYC, it doesn’t make sense that she and the rest of the group feel betrayed by Eva not liking NYC. The love and hate sentiment that many people have about NYC was a nuance that Soph-Frosh SING! was, unfortunately, unable to maintain.

The consensus of people loving NYC is already a bit unrealistic, but reflected in almost all the characters, it is monolithic and ingenuine.

Due to the many technical difficulties Soph-Frosh SING! encountered, the musical performances also did little to add to the development of the characters or progression of the story. Perhaps the hardest part of SING! to do remotely is music, and Soph-Frosh clearly struggled with the logistics of their online performances.

Alongside the very hit-or-miss cast vocals, the most prominent aspects of the music were the audio cuts, poor mic quality, and out of sync music. The editing team clearly had trouble getting the timing and volume of the tracks in order, leading to some truly questionable instrumentals, frequently discordant or deafeningly loud. At one point, Eva goes to sing a song that is clearly important to the plot, only to be drowned out by the backing music and rendered completely unintelligible.

There was clearly a great deal of trouble working the SophFrosh dance groups, suffering from a similar set of problems as the band, into the new SING! format. The inability of the editing crew to synchronize the videos of the individual members created an uncomfortable effect, with some dancers a fraction of a second behind the rest. Step, as a group relying on strict rhythm and coordination, fell unfortunately flat, with their performance feeling painfully long and chaotic. On top of those difficulties, the remote performances clearly lacked energy, and most of the dance pieces felt lackluster and lifeless.

These shortcomings came with

the slew of technical difficulties that permeated all of Soph-Frosh. Other than the poor timing, the dance crews had severe trouble filming, with many dancers having their heads and arms left out of frame. Editing also scattered the performers in a seemingly random formation across the screen, reducing the already tumultuous dance numbers into an incoherent mess of headless bodies and cut-off limbs.

The one group that seemed to transcend these issues was flow, which resulted more from their style letting them circumvent the shortcomings of the show’s video editors than any notable displays of choreography.

A high point in Soph-Frosh’s production was certainly their art, which, while simple, showed a strong effort and did a lot to make an otherwise visually flat show more engaging.

Their digital illustrations captured an appropriately nostalgic and muted aesthetic, working as a charming homage to the iconic locations they depicted, and were one of the only parts of the show that matched the desired tone. Though it wasn’t enough to make up for the rigid, stale shot composition of the show (all eight characters in a straight line, every scene), the background art brought some much-needed life to Soph-Frosh SING!.

Soph-Frosh SING! had everything working against it.

With the pandemic completely changing how the show is done and Soph-Frosh’s inherently inexperienced Slate, a few blunders were to be expected. Unfortunately, Soph-Frosh SING! came not to be successful in spite of its flaws, but to be defined by them. Despite the undeniably difficult work of making SING! over quarantine, it’s a sad fact that every performance in Soph-Frosh SING! was overshadowed by the slew of technical issues that plagued the show from the opening number to the curtain call.

The Spectator • June 25, 2021

Page 15

Junior SING!

“1989” : Not Just a Taylor Swift Album

By KENISHA MAHAJAN, MAYA NELSON, and MOMOCA MAIRAJ Junior SING! returns viewers to one of the most memorable decades in US history: the ‘80s. Coordinated by Alec Shafran and produced by Phoebe Chan, Elizabeth Stansberry, Avni Garg, and Ella Krechmer, the production follows five college students: Gia (Michelle Zhang), Jesse (Michael Borzcuk), Lucas (Daniel Jeon), Kimberly (Christine Lin), and Diana (Sophie Poget). The group navigates the tense political climate of 1989 by planning protests and exercising their voices on campus while at risk of expulsion for doing so.

The show begins with the five in a record store, gossiping about the latest music and school drama. After a few obligatory ‘80s-band references, the video cuts to a sitcom style intro to the tune of “Walking on Sunshine,” ironically replacing the title lyrics with “the ‘80s are so grim” while introducing the cast. Though the editing and transitions are impressive, the lackluster vocals, paired with the enthusiastic instrumentals, make for an audibly confusing segment. The backdrop switches to Gia’s dorm room, where the group discusses a protest that Lucas is planning as a part of the HIV/AIDS activism movement of the ‘80s. Not only is their timeline a few years late as the peak of the movement was in the earlier ‘80s, but this storyline is never fleshed

out and abandoned halfway through the show.

After Gia, Kimberly, and Diana send Lucas and Jesse to get food, the scene transitions to Lucas confronting Jesse’s reluctance to participate in the protest. In accordance with the rest of the show, the background is a photo of trees and grass rather than art, which neglects a major component of SING!.

Though the photo backgrounds lend themselves to a more professional look, having custom backgrounds (like Soph-Frosh and Senior SING!) would have allowed for more individualism of the show. Additionally, with the omission of several crews from the performance, it becomes unclear how—or even, if—the art crew played a significant role in Junior SING!.

Furthermore, the viewers are expected to understand the dynamic between Jesse and Lucas, despite this relationship not being established beforehand.

The scene includes an unclear backstory about Jesse’s brother and a prolonged rap battle to the beat of “Another One Bites the Dust,” featuring incomprehensible lyrics due to the sheer volume of the band.

The battle is followed by a Jane Fonda-inspired aerobics advertisement performed by English teacher Lauren Stuzin. The segment is a relieving break from the show and also serves to bring some humor to the dense narrative. Right after the advertisement, the first of the show’s three dance breaks is shown, in which the modern

dance crew performs over the band’s rendition of Madonna’s “Material Girl.” While dance is traditionally central to the SING! performance, the juniors only featured three out of seven dance crews—far fewer than the other SING! teams.

Taking into account their 40-minute runtime, the juniors had ample space to incorporate more crews into their performance.

Following the dance, the act abruptly cuts to Gia’s expulsion from university—a new and confusing plotline with little relevance to the original story. The cast’s rendering of Blondie’s “Call Me” following the scene, however, has impressive vocals, and the band plays strong.

The segment in which the characters read Gia’s expulsion letter is well-edited, with the letter passed around smoothly despite being recorded separately. The scene transitions to Diana comforting Jesse in another harmonious vocal performance, though drowned out by the band.

The audience then sees a split-screen phone call sequence between Lucas and Kimberly planning the protest, skillfully employing the editing aspect of virtual SING! to create an effect that would be infeasible in a regular performance. It then cuts to protest footage that leaves audiences confused as to what they were protesting: Gia’s issue, AIDS, or the end of the Cold War. Afterward, characters protest using a rendi-

tion of Journey’s “Any Way You Want It,” with lyrics changed to convey the energy of the movement. The swift lyricism, strong vocals, pleasing harmonies, and enthusiastic instrumentation make for a powerful anthem.

The robust show then cuts to the dean rescinding Gia’s expulsion. A mere 15 minutes after receiving the news, a seemingly major conflict is resolved through a severely underdeveloped storyline. To their credit, Junior SING! makes the most of the virtual environment in this scene by utilizing a Minecraft background, where Gia meets with the dean (Cynthia Tan), adding a creative and dramatic flair to the scene.

The five return to Gia’s dorm, where Kimberly, Gia, and Diana leave the room to allow for Lucas and Jesse’s reconciliation. After a short exchange between the two, referencing the unclear story of Jesse’s brother, the conflict that underscores the entire show is resolved in just a minute.

As the audience expects the show to come to a close, there is an unforeseen reference to the falling of the Berlin Wall, despite this event never being relevant to the story. The succeeding dance sequence features the step crew, imitating the fall of the wall.

The story concludes with a New Year’s party celebrating the end of the ‘80s. In a segment straight out of a high school movie, they reminisce on the positives of the decade.

A fireworks-themed perfor-

mance by the flow dance crew follows. All of the plotlines are resolved quickly yet decently, with a satisfying enough conclusion to Junior SING! 2021.

Unfortunately, the emphasis on pop culture references left the plot lacking. Rather than focusing on a single storyline with a main character, central conflict, and character development, Junior SING! attempted to combine many different stories in one show, leaving the plot underdeveloped and confusing. With 20 minutes left, they had opportunities to address the character’s backstories and personality, as well as add humorous elements and emotional payoff. Additionally, the show lacks a certain spark that defines SING!, likely due to the challenges to the art department, dance crews, plot coherence, and blocking from virtual work. It feels more like an attempted emulation of “The Breakfast Club” than an ‘80s themed SING! performance.

Keeping in mind the challenge of having to construct the whole show online, however, Junior SING!’s efforts are commendable. Some of the characteristics of the ‘80s are clearly observable, such as the costumes, music choices, and events mentioned. The editing and band performances are admirable as well, adding to the well-produced atmosphere of the show. While more could have been done with the theme, the final product is a generally enjoyable watch plagued by some inevitable flaws.

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The Spectator ● June 25, 2020

Senior SING!

The First and Final VirBy MORRIS RASKIN and KAREN ZHANG “Welcome to season 17 of Virtually: Impossible! I’m your host as always, Drew Cassetty.

It’s time to enter our simulation—follow me!”

Coordinated by Liam Kronman and produced by Maddy Andersen, Jillian Lin, Neil Sarkar, and Zoe Oppenheimer, Senior SING! centers around a virtual reality game show, “Virtually: Impossible!,” where contestants venture through a variety of simulated worlds to compete in challenges. Led by commanding and self-absorbed host Cassetty (Katerina Corr), the contestants battle each other for $10 million and a lunch date with Stuyvesant’s Brian Moran. As the show’s ratings slip, Cassetty ups the stakes, and the game show turns deadly.

Introducing the 17th season of “Virtually: Impossible!,” Cassetty starts Senior SING! 2021 off with an opening number (to the tune of Lady Gaga’s “The Edge of Glory”) that gathers together a few of the key members of the performance. All in drastically distinct costumes, the show creates an already striking contrast between the personalities on stage. While it cannot recreate the SING! energy ever so present in-person, Corr’s sharp and clear singing, along with the enthusiasm and dancing of the crew members in the background, sets the mood of the performance.

Cassetty begins the episode by introducing eight new contestants, each given a few seconds to flaunt their unmistakable personalities. The contestants list is highly varied: Cowboy Jeb Tillerson Jr. (Dean Carey), complete with a strong rhotic accent, Maxine (Mimi Gilles) all bubbly and decked out in pink, a hardened grandma by the name of Dorothy Whitehall (Claire De La Roche), professional slapper Amy Schlappenheimer (Stella Oh), aspiring politician Andy Barnes (Max Kahn), stereotypical New Yorker Nikki Bricky (Oliver Stewart), ‘80s obsessed Mike, and philosophy major Professor Wilma Wharton (Saarah Elaysed). Complete with the nature of the theme, the game itself also features a slew of zany characters almost

reminiscent of “Monty Python and the Holy Grail,” such as a glamorous demon named Mephistopheles (Reilly Amera), the gravelly Detective Lance Brooding (Jonathan Schneiderman), Princess Snowflake (Saarah Elaysed), and Dark Lord Bumblewhizz (Diego Vasquez).

If nothing else, this year’s lineup of SING! performances taught a valuable lesson about the importance of production value. No matter how brilliant the lyrics and dancing of a virtual performance are, competent editing and mixing are integral to a successful show. Without a doubt, Senior SING! assembled the most visually coherent and audible performance of the bunch. Vocal mixing issues that plagued the previous two shows were mostly absent from Senior SING!, and lines were generally articulated clearly.

Outside of basic production coherency, the senior editing team took advantage of the virtual setting through a few key creative choices that elevated the performance. In dance crews like Latin (set to an impassioned rendition of “I Will Survive”), virtual blocking was key to execution. By pairing dancers and coordinating their movements in conjunction with each other, the number has a sense of order that elevates it past many of the more chaotic moments in both Soph-Frosh and Junior SING!. It is clear that the positioning of characters across the screen was done with purpose and intention throughout the show––even during non-dance numbers–– giving the show a far more put-together quality. Additionally, the transitions between noir and technicolor palettes are incredibly smooth, and the countless tonal switches that transpire during the middle act of the show are strewn together surprisingly naturally.

Another clear standout aspect of this year’s Senior SING! was the acting. From the outset, each of this year’s performances was tasked with a difficult assignment: make actors, who were filming miles apart, feel like they’re standing shoulderto-shoulder. The key to surmounting this challenge was not to tone the delivery down, but to ham it up. No performance hammed it up as the se-

The Spectator ● June 25, 2020

Page 17

Senior SING!

Bow of Senior SING! niors did. From De La Roche’s thick, grandmotherly drawl to Schneiderman’s brooding drone turned peppy enthusiasm, each character fully embodied a unique profile that the other shows’ protagonists lacked.

Corr’s over-the-top antics as the show’s maniacal antagonist stood out as a clear acting highlight, providing a perfect blend of villainy and camp. As the show progressed and Corr’s Cassetty grew increasingly unhinged, she pulled out all of the stops, evilly grinning and eye-rolling her way into a stellar performance. When recording dialogue alone and editing it all together, it is easy for actors’ emotions to sound forced, removed, or mismatched, especially when there is back and forth argumentation or discussion with the other characters.

The small personality distinctions among each character in Senior SING!, however, were essential in creating a more cohesive and natural show ambiance.

Above all, Senior SING! delivered fresh humor that the other shows had lacked, lightening the otherwise high-stakes mood of the game show. Each character delivers quips on beat and is accentuated by his or her individual accent or persona. The well-timed pauses among each character’s line of dialogue, along with clear enunciation and boisterous behavior, allow the subtle humor to come out naturally. Additionally, the short commercial break starring Simpy “You Can Have My” McCorndog III (Liam Kronman) offers a jocular break as it mimics a political advertisement of a nervous child promposing to “Jessica” with all of the geekiness and quirk that the show needs for a midway energy jolt.

However, with so many unique characters and arcs to follow, the script feels somewhat bloated at times, leaving many characters underdeveloped. Senior SING! totes over a dozen roles that are arguably central to the show’s plotline, creating a large challenge for the writers. They had to balance a strict runtime, classic SING! humor, and countless character arcs, all while keeping the plot moving and pacing themselves appropriately. Unfortunately, some characters are inevitably lost in

the mix as a result. While entertaining to watch, roles like Oh’s Schlappenheimer get pushed into the background as more hammy characters who battle for screentime dominance. As new characters are introduced, killed off, rescued, voided, and transformed in rapid succession, it is hard to keep track of exactly who is worth the audience’s frazzled focus. However, with a wholly entertaining plot (what it lacks in order, it makes up for in amusement), wellstructured songs, and punchy one-liners, Senior SING! blows away most expectations of a virtually written show.

Accordingly, the music of Senior SING! does its job, which is the least one can ask from a remote performance.

The singing is clear and audible. The lyrics are snappy and informative. And the band is well mixed––a breath of fresh air after an onslaught of production issues that plagued both the soph-frosh and junior repertoire. Even the obvious lip-syncing at points was somewhat of a relief as it displayed a dedication to audibility that the audience hadn’t seen much of for the duration of the night. A standout vocal performance of the evening was found in Corr and Amera’s “Friend Like Me” duet, in which the duo dipped into malevolent fits of talking that brimmed with personality and flair. Gilles’s, Oh’s, and De La Roche’s voices as they sing Olivia Rodrigo’s “drivers license” during a climactic point of reflection blends beautifully with the mellow piano in the background, especially as they harmonize over the bridge, bringing a rueful sense of melancholy.

Was Senior SING! a flawlessly executed virtual performance, on par with the greatest in-person shows of yesteryear?

No, it was not. But given the time constraints, limitations of technology, and touch-and-go nature of the entire year thus far, Senior SING! blew the competition out of the water and exceeded almost all of the expectations set up by the night’s previous performances.

Campy acting, snappy humor, catchy tunes, and quality production value lent themselves to what ended up being the runaway success of SING! 2021.

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The Spectator ● June 25, 2021

Top Fives BEST MAIN ACTING PERFORMANCES 1. Drew Cassetty (Katerina Corr, seniors) From the opening frame of Senior SING!, Katerina Corr as Drew Cassetty, the host of Virtually Impossible!, secured the top performance. She tore up the virtual scenery and spatial limits imposed by Zoom, being over the top and restrained all at once. From her spunk and sass that immediately captivated the audience, Corr communicated that she was having a fun time, reveling in every musical number and line of dialogue.

2. Grandma (Claire De La Roche, seniors) Though Grandma may be old, she sure ain’t frail. Played by Claire De La Roche, Grandma is strong enough to carry the whole show.

De La Roche’s hammy New York accent lent the show a soulful, old-

timer spirit. When she sings, it is a voice that does not quaver from the years, but rather is strengthened by them.

3. Lucas (Daniel Jeon, juniors) Iconically decked out in full denim and sporting a backward baseball cap, Daniel Jeon as Lucas delivered his lines with a passionate and outgoing spirit. Through his enthusiastic gestures, sick moves, and facial expressions, he captivated the audience and convincingly conveyed his character’s passion, frustration, and transformation.

4. Angelica (Kate Alvarez, soph-frosh) Blunt and unafraid to speak her mind, Kate Alvarez’s portrayal of the affluent Angelica had a strong presence on the virtual stage of

Soph-Frosh SING!. Throughout, her vocals shone with clarity and elegance, and her lines truly conveyed her character’s unintentional but subtly humorous rudeness.

Dressed in a classy plaid blazer and black turtleneck, she communicated a deeper sense of New York.

5. Jebediah (Dean Carey, seniors) Dean Carey, commendable for his sincerity and accent as Cowboy Jebediah Tillerson Jr., powerfully stood out as an enjoyable, memorable character in Senior SING!.

Introduced as an “avid recycler, helicopter admirer, and a movie night advocate,” he embraced the cowboy spirit through his rhotic accent, quirks (such as reading his book in spare moments), and of course, his cattleman hat and belt buckle.

BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCES 1. I Will Survive (Mimi Gillies, seniors) Mimi Gillies as Maxine popped with spunk and power in her astounding number “I Will Survive.” Gillies belted with precision and beauty, her twirls alongside Latin were graceful, and every note hit the air with flair.

2. Great Balls of Fire (Jonathan Schneiderman, seniors) After spending half the show skulking around with a cigarette, Detective Lance Brooding, played

by Jonathan Schneiderman, ripped off his trench coat and burst into a brilliant rendition of “Great Balls of Fire,” emblematic of the spirit of Broadway. “Look out baby, here I come Broadway!” he sang. Consider the baby looking out.

3. Edge of Glory (seniors)

“Edge of Glory,” Senior SING!’s opening number, put the ! into SING! Starting off with Katerina Corr’s sharp vocals, Jonathan Schneiderman’s Detective Lance Brooding came shiftily into the frame, flicking his cigarette.

Heading in from the other side was Stella Oh’s Amy decked out in slapping gear from headband to knuckle guards to sneakers. Soon, a cowboy-booted Dean Carey, a silver-haired Claire De La Roche, a bouncy Mimi Gillies (with as much pop as the bubblegum pink she wore), and, perhaps most entertainingly, a medieval knight decked out in a full suit of chainmail (Alexander Lake) made their entrance. Together, the whole crew delivered both an introduction to the ensemble of characters and also a strong, energetic bang to open the show.

4. Walking on Sunshine (juniors) Closing the central arcs of three of the main characters in soph-frosh, “Tonight You Belong to Me” matched beautiful harmonies with an especially emotional performance from Lara Ongan, providing a reflective ending to a whimsical show.

5. Lotus Inn (Kate Alvarez, soph-frosh) Kate Alvarez’s clear, sweet voice shone in “Lotus Inn.” In addition to her honeyed tone that is a pleasure to listen to, it also conveyed Angelica’s reflection and awareness of her privilege as she attempted to be more cognizant of her actions towards others. The song accompanied Latin, wearing classy shirts and tie outfits as they twirled in the background.

BEST MOMENTS

1. Fonda Advertisement with Lauren Stuzin and Principal Seung Yu (juniors) Capturing a true hallmark of ‘80s pop culture, Lauren Stuzin and Principal Seung Yu made their SING! cameos in a Jane Fonda-inspired aerobics commercial.

Featuring Stuzin’s threateningly cheerful expressions and Yu’s infomercial style voiceover, the section provided some much-needed comedic relief in the show. Stuzin’s enthusiasm, baggy clothes, and yoga mat, paired with the flashy, colorful graphics, made for an energetic segment. Of course, we cannot forget the Chi-pot-tle pronunciation.

2. Promposal Commercial (Liam Kronman, seniors) As a comedic break, Liam Kronman’s Simpy “You Can Have My” McCorndog III embodied more than just a political campaign-esque commercial in which Simpy promposed to Jessica. McCorndog III’s high-pitched voice, taped glasses, and mullet at one point contrast the menacing

voiceover that followed and Dave Collins’s (Neil Sarkar) nasally voice to “approve this message.”

3. Character Development (seniors) Modern movies have conditioned us to expect an epic showdown that involves solid energy and yelling. Senior SING! subverted that trope. The villains didn’t want to fight but talked through their problems instead.

The video fast-forwarded through the scene while the “Curb Your Enthusiasm” theme played, and the words “[CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT]” appeared on the screen. Like many aspects of Senior SING!, this joke could only have worked through a video format, playing to the strengths of the virtual circumstances.

4. Detective Lance Brooding Discovers Broadway (seniors) While spending much of his professional life embroiled in the sorrows of detective work, Detective Lance Brooding came to life when Broadway actress wannabe

Maxine introduced him to the glitz and glamor of show business. Marked by a shift in both visuals and Brooding’s behavior, a pensive character was transformed into one of the most enthusiastic cast members. Featuring Brooding’s strong vocal performance and animated dancing, the actor’s spirit and enthusiasm traversed the limitations of an online show.

A standout dance performance by senior Latin and vivacious instrumentals were the cherry on top of this lively segment.

5. Theme Song (juniors) Following the opening scene of the Junior SING! performance, a classic ‘80s sitcom intro was creatively incorporated to present the cast clearly, full with their names.

A catchy theme song trumpeted in the background, featuring the vocals of the main characters. The transitions between short clips of the show and the introduction of the characters made for a good preview of the performance, exciting the audience for what was to come.

BEST BAND PERFORMANCES 1. Another One Bites the Dust (juniors) 4. I Will Survive (seniors)

2. Back to Black (seniors)

3. I’m Still Standing (juniors)

5. drivers license (seniors)

BEST NON-PERFORMING CREWS 1. Senior Editing

2. Senior Art 4. Senior Costumes

3. Junior Editing 5. Senior Makeup

The Spectator ● June 25, 2020

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Top Fives BEST SUPPORTING ACTING PERFORMANCES

1. Detective Lance Brooding (Jonathan Schneiderman, seniors) As Detective Brooding, Jonathan Scheiderman captured the feeling of a gloomy noir detective perfectly, right before leaving the viewers a changed man as part of an impressive Latin performance.

His initially hushed and scruffy voice encapsulated the mysteriousness that he evoked, which greatly contrasted his later lively Broadway performance.

2. Mephistopheles (Reilly Amera, seniors) From her blazing red dress and gloves to vintage red sunglasses and glittery pitchfork, Reilly Amera perfectly embodied the Devil. The sass that she radiated was impeccable as she sipped from her coffee and blew raspberries at the contestants. And to top it off, her strong vocals tied the whole performance together.

3. Sir Nottingham (Alexander Lake, seniors) When you think of a knight in shining armor, “Virtually Impossible!”’s Sir Nottingham may be one of the last characters you think of, but Alexander Lake’s execution of an incompetent warrior was far more amusing. Lake perfectly captured the naivete, sincerity, and sheer stupidity of Sir Nottingham on his quest to rescue Princess Snowflake. From a rendition of Marvin Gaye’s “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” an awkward reunion with the love of his life, and an iconic cockney accent, Lake’s performance added an almost nostalgic, but humorous, touch to Senior SING!.

4. Andy Barnes (Max Kahn, seniors) Max Kahn’s impression of a determined but unpopular Andy Barnes certainly added quirkiness to the already dynamic cast of

contestants on “Virtually Impossible!” As a former presidential candidate who won only six votes, his poor sense of timing in promoting himself and his platform only lightened the mood of the high-stakes game show. His untimely assassination by Cassetty completely shifted the plotline, immortalizing Barnes in the storyline.

5. Ice Cream Scooper (Unique Zhang, soph-frosh) Unique Zhang’s role as an ice cream scooper was a quick one, yet her commitment to it was impressive. With a down-to-earth demeanor and prudence in her actions, Zhang was able to make a forgettable character one who is surprisingly memorable. Her genuine frustration forced the “Karen” of the show to rethink calling the manager of Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory and endeared the audience to her struggle.

BEST DANCE PERFORMANCES 1. Senior Latin With great musicality and fun choreography, senior Latin delivered an expressive and entertaining number to the strong vocals of Mimi Gillies and Jonathan Schneiderman. Despite the limitations of virtual SING!, careful consideration in planning the choreography, paired with masterful editing, maintained chemistry and lively interactions between partners.

2. Senior Hip-hop Through its stunning synchronization and precision, enhanced by a well-positioned spread of dancers across the screen, senior hip-hop brought

energy and attitude to the introduction of Host Drew Cassetty, spotlighting the performance of Katerina Corr well.

3. Senior Flow The excellent color coordination, well-thought-out sequencing, and dazzling incorporation of various props from senior flow contributed to a beautiful visual experience, fitting for the graceful rendition of Coldplay’s “Paradise” performed by the cast.

4. Junior Flow Junior flow’s dancers dramatically burst onto the screen as fireworks, with a staggered

introduction synced precisely to accompanying instrumentals. Clean movements and eyecatching composition throughout the performance produced a captivating and interesting final dance number for Junior SING!.

5. Senior Tap Appearing and vanishing in mysterious plumes of smoke, senior tap displayed impressively synchronized cadence. Tilting from side to side with swinging tridents and even virtually interacting with each other at times, the dancers put up a grand backdrop for the duetted vocals of Katerina Corr and Reilly Amera. .

BEST COSTUMES, MAKEUP, AND STYLING

1. Mephistopheles (Reilly Amera, seniors)

2. Detective Lance Brooding (Jonathan Schneiderman, seniors) 3. Sir Nottingham (Alexander Lake, seniors) 4. Angelica (Kate Alvarez, soph-frosh) 5. Diana (Sophie Poget, juniors)

BEST JOKES “This is the senior bar! They only serve Tea’s Tea here.” —Detective Lance Brooding (Jonathan Schneiderman, seniors) “I had to convince the math team kids to take a shower.” —Mephistopheles (Reilly Amera, seniors) “A vote for me is a vote for the common man of Mount Unpleasant.” —Andy Barnes (Max Kahn, seniors) “As long it’s not an escalator to heaven. I’m not going toe-to-toe with one of those things again.”

—Maxine (Mimi Gillies, seniors) “Drew, I’ve tortured everyone from serial killers to Elon Musk stans to teachers whose homework policies violate the Geneva Conventions, and you’re way worse than all of them combined.” — Mephistopheles (Reilly Amera, seniors)

BEST EDITING MOMENTS/EFFECTS 1. Minecraft-styled principal office scene (juniors) 2. Hip-hop editing (seniors) 3. Latin color change from noir to rainbow colors (seniors) 4. Paper passing when Gia gets expelled (juniors) 5. Pixelating disappearances during the simulation (seniors)

The Spectator ● June 25, 2021

Page 20

Sing! Humor The e art c e are or

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Jun or S

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By LOGAN RUZZIER

I <3 New York

By KRISTA PROTEASA and ASA MUHAMMAD Much like the freshmen’s first year of instruction, Soph-Frosh performed their song and dance asynchronously. With disembodied dancers and a band as loud as the intrusive thoughts that sped through our heads during this performance, the production traveled as fast as our will to stay and watch the show.

The entire plot felt dim. The culminating climax of a lightswitch in the Empire State Building turned off was only revealed at the 35 minute mark, yet they spent time jabbing at Junior SING! for being just as slow (if not slower) in their script (a term used liberally). It’s not their fault though. They were probably writing from a shoebox with no power.

Our protagonist Hazel (Pimada Phongsuriya) makes a pungent comeback to NYC after being mysteriously absent for five years, now wondering why the city doesn’t mirror the one she once knew. In her quest to reacquaint herself with the city, Hazel meets archetypal, borough-coded friends along the way, with traits like rich, mean, submissive crony with a conscience but no spine, and rich with eclecticism. As they tour the city, they stumble upon many of New York’s hidden gems, such as Yankee Stadium’s parking lot and a backward sign at a subway station housing a barefooted Justin (Oliver Hollman).

After this journey, the entire cast is almost put to death by surprise antagonist Eva (Lea Esipov) and her schemes, which, while bathed in darkness, lack any foreshadowing or logic. Just as quickly as Eva’s plot is revealed, it gets resolved. Eva is enlightened of the beauty of NYC only after a moving musical number riddled with dissonance. With a contrived conflict revealed with only 20 minutes left in the show, it’s no wonder the only character development in the show was reserved for Justin, who thankfully finds some shoes to wear for the ending number.

We do appreciate the parallelism and foreshadowing presented in their editing, though. You can see certain characters disappear and reappear while speaking, hinting at the darkness they will soon face. The constant back and forth between visible and invisible dancers kept the audience on their toes as no one knew when half the crew would dissipate into thin air—much like the conflict after 30 seconds.

From an ominous ice cream cone laying on the counter of the ice cream shop to the random zooms on the fateful cast’s faces, Soph-Frosh surely delivered, just maybe not as brightly as the rest.

Sen or S

There’s truly no more reliable theme than the ‘80s. Some might say the subject is as hackneyed as knock-knock jokes, while others see it as nostalgia. Junior SING! 2021 gracefully channels the former.

It begins with a playful argument in a poster-riddled record store. We meet our storied heroes between brief musical transitions as “Africa” by Toto hums in the background. If somebody who had never heard of the 1980s before yesterday was told to cook up an opening scene for an ‘80s-themed performance, it would probably look like this sight. After our crew of friends takes turns naming their favorite ‘80s bands, the plot is foreshadowed by talks of Amanda, a 1980s student journalist, in hot water over her 1980s-specific activism. At least, that’s what we think happened. The combined force of “Africa” by Toto and miscellaneous background noise drowns out the actresses’ voices, leading viewers to not realize there is an actual plot until they are granted access to a Google Doc with the script on it.

Lucas (Daniel Jeon) then voices his excitement over an upcoming sit-in protest for the cause of AIDS, to which Jesse (Michael Borczuk) expresses reluctance to attend. The two leave the group movie night (and if you thought for a second that they weren’t watching “The Breakfast Club,” yes, they were watching it) to pick up food as Gia (Michelle Zhang) receives bad news off-camera.

The pair pauses in a stock field to hash out their personal complaints to the tune of “Another One Bites the Dust.” This scene also foreshadows the rest of the performance, with Lucas and Jesse displaying radically different posture and gesticulation. Jesse, in particular, seemed infatuated with the field he is standing in rather than the friend he is actively arguing with. The two make little eye contact for the duration of the scene, only heightening the thick romantic tension that suffocates the air.

We then learn that Gia has been expelled from the university for her article that critiqued the school’s biggest sponsor and are treated to a rendition of Blondie’s “Call Me,” with Kimberly (Christine Lin) and Diana (Sophie Poget) presiding over a chorus of backup vocalists (one of whom seems to be a baby).

At this moment, the audience can be sure that the characters will need to fight long and hard against the aforementioned conflict, giving their all against the evil administration that put themselves in such a predicament.

Most of the conflict is then solved as the characters just talk everything out in a few minutes and change. Akin to the corny sitcom odysseys of the past, none of the issues turn out to be anything more than emotional conflicts of interest.

Diana persuades Jesse to stop being a basket case, Kimberly convinces Lucas he was being a tightwad, and Gia (actually the massive German protest footage organized by her friends) pressures the headmaster into taking her back.

And just like that, the curtains close on Junior SING! 2021. A haunting tale about… a protest? Something about AIDS? I can say with full confidence that there were Queen references. I think the Berlin Wall was in there too. It seemed like a haunting tale ripped straight off the first page of Google results given the search “‘80s.” The only thing I’ll remember six months from now though is the obnoxiously curly font they slapped on everything and Jeon’s wide stance.

SING! Scoreboard a e ho o

rtua

e

BY KELLY YIP Welcome to Season 17 of Virtually: Impossible! Meet Drew Cassetty (Katerina Corr), our slightly mentally unstable host, and our lovely eight contestants: a three-time presidential candidate (Max Kahn), Cowboy Jebediah (Dean Carey), Wilma the philosophy major (Saarah Elsayed), a professional slapper (Stella Oh), a hippie (Michael Russo), Grandma (Claire De La Roche), a pink Broadway wannabe (Mimi Gillies), and best boy Nikki Bricky (Oliver Stewart) as they compete for a check for $10 million and a date with Brian Moran.

The show starts off with a very unmemorable trivia segment, so we’ll promptly skip that part. The real story starts when they go to hell and meet Mephistopheles (Reilly Amera). Mephistopheles and her devil henchmen perform a fairly impressive dance performance, which prompts the beginning of our dear host transforming into a psychopath.

Enter Detective Lance Brooding (Jonathan Schneiderman), a tragic, lonely man. He’s probably supposed to solve a mystery or something, but all I remember was a Latin dance number in which he took off his jacket for the fanservice, a definite added plus. The characters follow with horrendous Junior SING! roasts, and Brooding becomes a Broadway star.

Our politician gets assassinated for trying to derail the show even though it has already been derailed for a while.

Cassetty decides to up the stakes because the show is getting boring, which she is honestly not wrong about. We are then hit with one of the most iconic moments of the show—the commercial break. Simpy “You Can Have My” McCorndog III asks Jessica to prom, but the poor man has a mullet and peed in the pool, teaching the audience what a subpar bachelor looks like. As they aired a Minecraft scene where various people were chased by a horde of zombies, my confusion grew.

Are we sure this isn’t Soph-Frosh SING!?

With half the main cast disappearing in a very unmemorable way (Poggers!), the rest embark into a fantasy world and meet fantastical characters like Sir Nottingham (Alexander Lake), a knight looking for Princess Snowflake (Saarah Elsayed), who is locked in Dark Lord Bumblewhizz’s (Diego Vasquez) tower. After a poorly mixed parody of “Best Friend,” everything glitches out, and the world is dying. As the cowboy is sucked into the void, so is the plot.

Cassetty reveals in Smoake Weede that because the show is still boring (unsurprisingly) and guns aren’t allowed, the remaining contestants are forced to engage in some sort of battle with the other characters. Through “character development” and the power of friendship, no one fights. Cassetty, hurt because her show is ruined, transports everyone into a sort of digital purgatory. Jebediah, however, seems to have taken AP CS, and he grants himself the title of co-host in this new realm instead of being dead. Everyone else is given the title of co-host, and they sing kumbaya.

Overall, Senior SING! was a fever dream of random teleportation, quirky characters, and a questionable storyline. But, because of Bricky, chopped cheese, and Detective Brooding, it receives a 32984234/10.

The Spectator ● June 25, 2021

Page 21

SING! News & Playlist SING! 2021 by the Numbers

By JENNY LIU and MOMOCA MAIRAJ In light of a virtual SING! performance this year, each SING! grade shifted their allocations distributed to each crew compared to those of SING! shows in prior years.

The Stuyvesant Alumni Association helped each grade fundraise upwards of $20 thousand, and remaining money from this year will carry over to next year.

Soph-Frosh SING!

Junior SING!

2021 Budget for Soph-Frosh SING! Crews

2021 Budget for unior SING! Crews

Band

Senior SING! 2021 Budget for Senior SING! Crews Costumes

2.2% Modern

$200 $250

4.4% Other dance 5.6% Production 2.2% Flow 13.3%

$1,200

$135

Costumes 26.7% Editing 36.9%

$656 $400

$600

Step

ip- op

7.6% Props

3.4% Modern

4.1% atin

2.7%

2.8%

3.1% ap

Flow 22.5%

Costumes 23.1%

$785

$1,350

4.3% Band 13.4% Art 1.7%

$400

Props 8.9% Art 1.1%

$1,500

Editing 33.3%

$537

Soph-Frosh SING! was directed by sophomores coordinator Lianne Ohayon and executive producers Inour Awad and Judy Chen, and freshmen producers Eliza Oppenheimer and Caroline Stansberry.

The designated allocations for each crew were initially modeled after the budgeting from Soph-Frosh SING! 2020. “Based on those numbers, we made modifications that the Slate deemed appropriate for a certain crew, rounding up to account for other purchases,” Ohayon said in an e-mail interview.

The directors had the choice to spend the money on necessary items for their departments. “There is no ‘cap’ that each department can spend, but as SING! goes on, we keep a close eye on the budget to make sure directors aren’t overspending by a significant amount,” Ohayon said.

However, due to the virtual nature of SING! this year, the budget was allocated differently between crews compared to that of past years. “A very significant change [...] is that since the technical crews were different, the budget became lower,” Ohayon said. “In the SING!s prior to this one, tech and art had a large budget due to the sheer volume of wood, paint, and other elements that needed to be purchased.”

As a result, some crews became obsolete, and money was placed toward editing. “This year, [tech and art were] mostly eliminated, and editing came in with a smaller budget in its place,” Ohayon said. “Art and makeup didn’t have a large allocation, if anything, because of the way Soph-Frosh decided to adapt the makeup and art crews.”

Though Soph-Frosh SING! had a sizable budget, much of it went unused. “Soph-Frosh SING!’s budget this year was about $4,500 with original allocations,” Ohayon said. “The actual money spent was about $2,000, due to a lower number of participants and cutting costs within crews.”

As a result, the budget for Soph-Frosh SING! 2021 was much less than that of SING! 2020. “Last year, SophFrosh spent about $4,000, with an estimated budget of $5,000. Comparing the two years, 2021 spent about half of [the] 2020 budget, which is understandable because crews that usually spend more money were unfortunately cut or played a different role,” Ohayon said.

Music 30.3%

Junior SING! was coordinated by Alec Shafran and produced by Phoebe Chan, Avni Garg, Ella Krechmer, and Elizabeth Stansberry. The distinguishing aspect of this year’s budget allocations for Junior SING! was the lack of certainty.

While generous funding from Stuyvesant’s Parents’ Association (PA) ensured each SING! with a starting budget of $2,000, there were concerns as to how much additional funding Junior SING! would receive. “We didn’t know what our total budget would be as we were starting to purchase editing software, costume materials, microphones, etc.,” Shafran said in an e-mail interview. “As a result, a lot of the budgeting process was truly playing by ear [...] In the beginning, we knew that each SING! had $2,000 from the PA, but beyond that, we had no clue how much more we would be able to raise.”

This uncertainty, coupled with a resolve to reduce overall spending, led Junior SING! to place a greater emphasis on certain crews, such as music and cast, at the expense of the absence of certain traditional dance crews to make the existing crews as best as possible.

“We chose to focus all of our budget on the music crews, such as cast and the band, in order to have the best audio quality and audio editing software we could,” Shafran said. “Additionally, we wanted to make sure that our cast was able to reach as much of its potential as to how good the prop, costume, and green screen quality [could] be.”

In addition to the PA donation, Junior SING! received additional funding from the Alumni Association, which raised about $20 thousand for all three SING! shows. “This year’s budget actually turned out to be substantially larger than that of a normal year, simply due to the fact that the alumni and PA were so generous,” Shafran said.

Still, the decision to focus on a select number of crews and the nature of a virtual SING! led to a much smaller overall spending in reality. “Additionally, there were many costs that we didn’t need to deal with in a virtual SING! that really added up for the final total and led to a much smaller expenditure this year than last year,” Shafran said.

$1,129

$859

Editing 14.7% Props 7.6%

Flow 19.3%

$447

Senior SING! was coordinated by Liam Kronman and produced by Maddy Andersen, Jillian Lin, Zoe Oppenheimer, and Neil Sarkar. In determining the budget this year, they used budgets from previous years, while adding an editing and logistics crew.

This year, Senior SING! had to devise new ways to raise money. “This year, participants did not have to pay dues, and we were unable to host fundraisers similar to the ones we [had] hosted in past years,” Andersen said in an e-mail interview. “We instead relied solely on external fundraising. Various alums donated money to SING! through the Alumni Association, and the Parents’ Association also provided us with funding.”

The directors also collaborated with Slate to anticipate certain purchases, which further helped estimate the total. After finalizing an estimated budget, they then made purchases and stayed fairly close to this estimate. “Both [Kronman] and [SING! supervisor Matthew] Polazzo had to approve a purchase before we bought [items]. We therefore knew exactly how much money we were spending through the SING! season and could ensure that we were sticking fairly close to our estimated budget,” Andersen said.

This year, the budget differed due to changes with technical crews. “In past years, we spent a significant portion of our budget on tech, props, and art, buying wood, paint, and other materials,” Andersen said. “While we still had a tech crew [this year], their work was done through AutoCAD and other software, which meant we allocated much less to tech than we [had] in past years.

We also spent less on art, which also used online software, and props, which made fewer props than in previous shows.”

Additionally, Senior SING! invested more in tools and hardware to better adapt to the remote environment. “Our biggest purchases this year were green screens, which we ordered and shipped to every cast member and every dance crew participant,” Andersen said. “Additionally, we invested in hardware for our new editing crew and bought microphones for our cast members, both of which we have not had to purchase in previous years.”

Costumes, on the other hand, were given an allocation similar to that of previous years. “For costumes, we also bought and shipped finished pieces to cast members instead of solely buying fabric and other supplies, which meant that costumes contributed significantly to our budget, as it does most years,” Andersen said.

Though Senior SING!’s budget was less than the budget of last year, each crew was able to purchase what they needed. “Our budget this year was just under $6,000, which is around what we spent last year for Junior SING! and less than last year’s Senior SING!,” Andersen said. “We did not place a cap on how much each crew could spend—crews were able to purchase all necessary equipment and resources.”

SING! 2021 Playlist

By THE ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT DEPARTMENT

SOPH-FROSH

JUNIOR

SENIOR

9 to 5 Dolly Parton Country

Hips Don’t Lie Shakira Pop

Walking On Sunshine Katrina and the Waves Pop

The Edge of Glory Lady Gaga Pop

Stay Rihanna Pop

Lotus Inn Why Don’t We Pop

Another One Bites the Dust Queen Funk Rock

Old Town Road Lil Nas X Country Rap

Part of Your World Jodi Benson Musical Theater

Groove Jack & Jack Pop

Material Girl Madonna Pop

Gonna Fly Now Bill Conti Rock

The End of the Line Victoria Cook & Kyra Kennedy Musical Theater

Uptown Girl Billy Joel Classic Rock

Call Me Blondie Rock

Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) Eurythmics Synth-pop

You Shine Derek Klena & Christy Altomare Pop

School Song (Alma Mater) Bernard Lieberman Classical

Friend Like Me Alan Menken Pop

Still New York MAX feat. Joey Bada$$ Pop

Any Way You Want it Journey Rock

Seasons of Love Original Broadway Cast of Rent Musical Theatre

Back To Black Amy Winehouse R&B

Don’t Stop Believin’ Journey Rock

I’m Still Standing Elton John Pop Rock

P.I.M.P 50 Cent Hip-hop

I Will Survive Gloria Gaynor Disco

Listen to all of the songs here

Oogie Boogie Ed Ivory & Ken Page Musical Theater

Olympic Fanfare and Theme John Williams, Auburn University Marching Band Classical

Great Balls of Fire Jerry Lee Lewis Rock

YMCA Village People Disco

Minecraft C418 Electronic

Survivor Destiny’s Child Pop

Ain’t No Mountain High Enough Marvin Gaye, Tammi Terrell Pop

Talk Dirty Jason Derulo Pop

drivers license Olivia Rodrigo Pop Paradise Coldplay Rock Pompeii Bastille Alternative Pop

The Spectator ● June 25, 2021

Page 22

Science A New Gene Therapy Helps a Blind Man See Light Again

By ANDY CHEN

sensitive proteins into the GCs, which allows them to directly detect and respond to light and images.

Previous versions of optogenetic therapies used channelrhodopsin-2, a light-sensitive protein found in algae, to help

to the brain. Unlike in healthy retinas, cones and rods gradually die in the RP retina, which leads to nonfunctional photoreceptors. As a result, response to light and transmission of signals is disrupted, leading to the visual impairments seen in RP patients. Clinical trials conducted by French firm GenSight Biologics registered people suffering from RP and then developed and tested a new optogenetic therapy that completely disregards the affected photoreceptor cells, the beginning process in the visual pathway. Instead, it uses adenoassociated virus (AAV), a nonpathogenic, genetically altered virus that does not integrate its genome into the human genome, to deliver instructions for the creation of light-

nerve cells respond to light.

However, the protein requires a substantial amount of blue light to activate, which could further damage cells in the retina rather than help recover vision. José-Alain Sahel, an ophthalmologist at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, proposed using a different type of protein that reacts to amber light, which damages the cells in the retina significantly less compared to green or blue light.

However, Sahel’s group was presented with another challenge. They had to replicate the healthy retina’s ability to perceive a broad range of light by monitoring the amount and kind of light that enters the eye. To do so, the group of researchers engineered special

Sasha Socolow / The Spectator

A 58-year-old afflicted with blindness sees light and images for the first time in 40 years after being treated with optogenetics, a new type of gene therapy.

A Nature Medicine study described the first clinical use of optogenetics, a technique that uses light to manipulate gene expression and neuron activity. The technique was originally developed to probe the functions of the brain and neural circuitry, but recent investigations have revealed that optogenetics can be a potential treatment for brain and blindness conditions.

A common misconception is that blind people see complete and absolute darkness.

This is not necessarily true, as only about 18 percent of people with severe vision impairment are categorized as completely blind, and most, at the very least, retain the ability to perceive light. This means that though they cannot see shapes, colors, or people, they can still tell whether it is light or dark.

Those who are categorized as legally blind often suffer from a number of conditions that cause low vision in an individual. This includes retinitis pigmentosa (RP), a progressive, blinding genetic disorder that targets and kills photoreceptors in the eye. RP causes tunnel vision, where the field of view is diminished and the person is left with a narrow center of vision.

A healthy retina contains two types of photoreceptors: cones and rods. Cones are responsible for vision at higher light levels, while rods detect light at low light levels. These photoreceptors allow the retina

to respond to both high and low levels of light, which are converted into electrical signals and relayed to ganglion cells (GCs). GCs are present in the last layer of the retina and are responsible for processing and transmitting visual information

goggles that gathered the light around the individual and adjusted them so that the injected protein could recognize it. The goggles use a specialized camera that examines changes in contrast and brightness of light in the patient’s line of sight and modifies the level of amber light that is sent to the GCs accordingly. Lastly, the goggles send pulses of amber light to activate the GCs that then shoot a signal to the brain and create a visual image.

A man who participated in the clinical trials took several months practicing with the goggles before his brain adapted to translate the pulses of light into visual images. His brain was essentially learning a new language, as it had to create images from a new pathway. Eventually, his brain grew accustomed to the amber light, and he was able to recognize objects and the white stripes on crosswalks. Surprisingly, when researchers analyzed his brain activity as he saw the images, they concluded that his visual cortex performed identically to the way it would have reacted if he had normal vision.

Sahel’s team had previously designed a set of tests that assessed the effectiveness of the injection, for instance discerning, locating, and touching an object on a table. Before treatment, the man was unable to discern the object and therefore, was unable to locate or touch it. After treatment, he was able to discern objects 64 percent of the time, locate them 64 percent of the time, and touch them 57 percent of the time. Additionally, he was able to count objects successfully 63 percent of the time, which he could not do before treatment. But when

the goggles were removed, his improvements in vision would vanish as well, leaving the man with pretreatment levels (zero percent). While the man still requires the goggles to see or make out shapes and colors, his vision has clearly improved since he last received the injections two years ago. Six others also received the same treatment, though the COVID-19 pandemic has postponed their practice with the special goggles.

Because the retina contains many times more photoreceptors than the GCs focus on in this treatment, the GCs will never be able to produce highquality images as natural vision does. However, the fact that the treatment is safe and permanent is extremely encouraging.

GenSight is just one of many companies exploring optogenetics as a treatment for RP. A company named Bionic Sight reported that some RP patients treated with a similar optogenetic therapy and a virtual reality set partially recovered vision. Another company, Novartis, announced that it developed an optogenetic therapy that uses an even more lightsensitive protein where special goggles may not be required.

While the treatment is not a cure, as it only partially recovers vision in people with RP or other blindness disorders, this instance of success is an important milestone on the road to curing blindness. Better yet, there is hope for blind patients to recover their vision and see light once again. The success with AAV vectors in this treatment could impact future studies by validating the use of AAV vectors for delivery in treating other genetic disorders.

The Gymnasts of the Animal Kingdom

By SATHIRTHA MONDAL There is no doubt about it: doing a handstand is not easy.

The act requires the coordination and strength of dozens of muscles. But for a peculiar breed of rabbits that do not hop, the handstand is their goto. This rare breed, known as sauteur d'Alfort, was discovered in 1935 by French veterinarians who noticed the rabbits’ ability to move around on their front paws effortlessly.

The typical movement for a rabbit is referred to as saltatorial locomotion, or hopping.

Saltatorial locomotion is a type of terrestrial locomotion that is mainly bipedal, requiring two muscular hind limbs.

Though the motion appears to be simple, it requires a precise sequence of movements, from the angle of extension at launch to the protraction of limbs upon completion. However, sauteur d'Alfort rabbits lack this coordination and cannot hop as a result.

For nearly a century, scien-

tists were unable to pin down an explanation for this breed’s abnormal locomotive behavior. However, in a recent study published in PLOS Genetics, researchers reported that the bizarre bipedal gait of sauteur d'Alforts is accredited to a lossof-function mutation in the RAR Related Orphan Receptor B (RORB) gene. RORB codes for proteins and is expressed in regions of the nervous system that process circadian and sensory information. The gene is also responsible for the presence of RORB-positive neurons and interneurons in the spinal cord, passing signals that control limb coordination to allow for hopping. Due to the mutation, however, many introns, or non-coding segments, are incorporated into the expressed proteins. This reduces the number of RORB-positive neurons and causes deformities in the interneurons in the spinal cord. As a result, while these rabbits walk normally when moving slowly, they intrinsically lift their hindlimbs and depend solely on their

forelimbs when moving quick- the specific function of the ly instead of hopinterneurons that ping. cause a handstand This strange as opposed to a difscamper is not conferent motion. This fined to rabbits. limits their ability to Stephanie Koch, quantify the extent a neuroscientist at of RORB’s functions University College since the gene may be London, found that affecting not only lomice that possessed comotion through the this genetic mutation spinal cord, but also also did handstands every process in the when they started to rabbit.

Regardless, run. Similarly, horsbreakthroughs, such es with this mutaas the identification exhibited an tion of the RORB altered gait where gene, have helped they ambled inpiece together the stead of trotting various compoand galloping. nents of the nerIn addition vous system that to explaining work together to the unusual gait, stimulate muscustudying the lar contractions genetic and, ultimately, abnormovement. mality of The RORB Yaqi Zeng / The Spectator RORB congene’s function is tributes immensely to our un- not constrained to locomotion. derstanding of animal move- It also affects vision, several ment. Nevertheless, scientists biological rhythms, and senstill lack the clues to pin down sory transduction, the process

of converting a sensory stimulus into electrical signals processed by the nervous system.

Defects in the gene have also been linked to epilepsy, a neurological disorder that causes seizures. While medication can treat epilepsy by controlling it and preventing seizures, there is no cure for the disease.

However, studying these handstanding rabbits can expand scientists’ knowledge of the gene, allowing them to develop measures to combat RORBrelated diseases and prevent harm in those possessing a mutated RORB gene.

It is a far cry from the traditional hop, but the acrobatic habits of the sauteur d'Alfort breed have unlocked a paramount breakthrough that can help scientists decipher the elaborate process of locomotion once and for all. Moreover, it has exposed RORB, a gene worth exploring due to its extensive functions in the body’s processes, its morbific connection to epilepsy, and its peculiar ability to turn bunny hops into handstands.

The Spectator ● June 25, 2021

Page 23

Science Making Ears Out of Apples

By SONYA SASSON

rophages, eosinophils, and even foreign body-type multinucleated giant cells (FBGCs), which are commonly found on implanted biomedical devices and are believed to mediate oxidative damage to biomaterial surfaces. The researchers observed extensive vascularization of the implanted tissues eight weeks

fibers, which could play a key role in reconstructing living tissue. Pelling decided to test his theory on apples.

The team took an average McIntosh apple and removed its cells and DNA. What remained was a translucent, decellularized cellulose scaffold. To assess the biocompatibility of the cellulose biomaterial, Pelling and his two co-researchers, Daniel J. Modulevsky and Charles M. Cuerrier, subcutaneously implanted the samples into mice. The results were astounding.

The mice exhibited a low inflammatory response and a near-complete absence of the manifestations most commonly associated with organ rejection: edema, discomfort, swelling, fatigue, and flu-like symptoms.

Four weeks post-implantation, the scaffold featured a vast variety of cell populations, including lymphocytes, monocytes, mac-

post-implantation, suggested by the newly formed capillaries and blood cells throughout the cellulose scaffold and in the surrounding areas.

These results led Pelling to believe that the use of plantderived cellulose biomaterials is a valid approach for generating scaffold implantations. In the study’s conclusion, the researchers acknowledged that “plantderived materials are cost-effective to produce and extremely straightforward to prepare,” and that their qualities of “clear biocompatibility, an ability to retain their shape while supporting the production of natural extracellular matrix, and most importantly, the promotion of vascularization” make the use of a cellulose scaffold for tissue generation particularly appealing.

The study found that the scaffolds could be easily molded into specific shapes and sizes,

Vivian Teo / The Spectator

An apple is just an apple. Or is it?

Thanks to Andrew Pelling and his groundbreaking research in the up-and-coming field of augmented biology—the study of creating living, functional biological objects without deliberately modifying genetic material—scientists have begun a more thorough investigation of our classic fruits and veggies. Within their juicy pulp and tough rinds, fresh produce holds something far more potent and appealing to scientists than simply a tasty snack. All fruits and vegetables are rich sources of an organic compound called cellulose. This biological substance is what gives fruits and vegetables both their fiber content and their structural integrity. But this tricky compound cannot be digested by humans, as we lack the enzymes necessary to break the beta-acetal linkages that connect its glucose monomers, nor is it naturally present in the human body.

For this reason, scientists have largely avoided cellulose in generating lab-grown organs, bones, and cartilage. Instead, they opt to use “scaffolds” that are native to the human body, namely cells from donor organs. However, this process is complicated and only simpler organs, like the bladder, have been successfully produced. Bargrat Grigoryan, Ph.D. and co-founder of Volumetric Industries, likens generating an organ to “building a city,” where the organ’s blood vessels and pathways are comparable to a city’s infrastructure: messy yet meticulous. Synthetic alternatives that foster blood vessels from within are no less complex and come with a hefty price tag.

For years, it was commonly believed that these were the only two options for organ generation. Through his research, Pelling changed that. Back in 2016,

Pelling and his team at the Pelling Laboratory for Biophysical Manipulation at the University of Ottawa hypothesized that plant cellulose could be used as a scaffold for developing human organs. Pelling reasoned that taking plants and stripping them of their DNA and cells would leave behind only the simplest natural

which could prove advantageous in generating “personalized” organs and tissues. When Pelling tried injecting human cells into the empty cellulose scaffold, the mammalian cells were observed to proliferate, migrate, and remain visible (with the use of a scanning electron microscope) within the scaffolds. In a separate experiment, Pelling’s wife carved apples into the shape of ears, which the research team then treated to replace the apple cells with human cells. The finished product was an ear composed of real, living human cells built upon a scaffolding of apple cellulose. And from Pelling’s other experiments, researchers now know that this “ear,” or any other biomedically engineered organ formed through the sculpting of plant cellulose, can be safely implanted and incorporated into mammalian tissues.

Pelling’s work introduced an entirely new approach to organ regeneration. The research demonstrated that human cells could thrive on a plant’s fibrous structures. After releasing his findings, though, Pelling did not stop his research at apples.

Pelling’s lab has been expanding upon this knowledge by using asparagus to treat spinal cord injuries. Such injuries can have devastating effects, from pain and numbness to full-scale paralysis, for which there is no accepted treatment plan. To Pelling, the microchanneled vascular bundles present inside the stalks of asparagus bore a striking resemblance to the neuron microchannels of the spinal cord.

While other scientists were using synthetic polymers and animal products in the race for a cure for paralysis, Pelling tried using the same cellulose scaffold that he had retrieved from the McIntosh apple—but this time from asparagus. In their study, the researchers severed the thoracic region of the spinal cord of an animal and then implanted

an asparagus scaffold as a bridge between the two detached ends.

The asparagus bridge served as a way for neurons to continue transmitting their electrochemical signals despite the damaged spine. Approximately eight weeks after paralysis, the animal recovered from a paraplegic state to walking almost normally. The research revealed that treatments for even the most complex injuries may lie in the astonishing potential of plant tissue. Asparagus may hold the key to battling paralysis’ “incurability”: its cellulose might just be enough to restore feeling and mobility in paralyzed limbs. With the FDA’s designation of the technology as a medical breakthrough device, Pelling’s lab will be translating these discoveries into human clinical trials that will begin in roughly a year.

Augmented biology is proving to be the future of regenerative medicine, now allowing diseases and conditions previously thought untreatable to be cured.

Pelling’s work shines light on cellulose’s fascinating ability to direct cell growth in a way that might one day effectively reconstruct human bones, skin, veins, organs, and beyond. What Pelling did with his McIntosh apples is largely referred to as “using trash to make treasure” because plantbased scaffolds represent a lowcost biomaterial that is easily and globally accessible. While many biomedical engineers readily dismissed the proposition of using plant-based scaffolds to generate human tissues because of our inability to chemically break them down, Pelling and his research team revealed that the biological inertness and stability of plant tissue is exactly what makes it so biocompatible with our rapidly regenerating cells. Though the scientific world has become increasingly complex, this research should remind us that the simplest things can hold the answers to our most complex problems.

The History of Chemical Warfare

By MAHIR HOSSAIN

type of warfare was effective, chemical weapons such as ovens filled with sulfur and coal needed to be more portable.

Poisoned arrows were widely used

archaeology find in Dura-Europos, a Roman city in modern-day Syria. Outnumbered, one Persian soldier set fire to sulfur crystals and bitumen coal and trapped the Roman soldiers in one tunnel, all of whom perished from the acidic smoke. Unfortunately, the Persian soldier who set the fire also perished. Though this

by tribes in South America, but t h e y took a long time to make, especially durable ones.

Millenia later, the Industrial Revolution created new technologies in Europe that were then

Emily Tan / The Spectator

Cement is the most commThe word “damage” has a lot to do with science. Various creations, including bombs and dynamite, are glorified in Hollywood movies but are also capable of causing extreme damage, namely blowing up everything in sight in hopes of eliminating a target. The introduction of chemical warfare to the table excited many, as it was more discreet than physical explosives.

Chemicals such as carbon monoxide are odorless and colorless making them seem harmless, but in truth, slowly choke enemies to death. Though the introduction of modern chemical warfare is often associated with World War I, the practice dates back to ancient times across the world, even before chemical weapons were mass manufactured.

It is important to first categorize the four types of chemical weapons and their effects on the body: nerve agents, blister agents, choking agents, and blood agents. Nerve agents attempt to put the body out of control by causing muscle twitching and coma. Blister agents create

scars, while choking agents attack the lungs through the release of hypochlorous acid or hydrochloric acid that degrades lung cells. Blood agents, such as cyanide, throw off the balance of carbon dioxide and oxygen in red blood cells.

The first traces of chemical warfare came from an

used in the World Wars. The works of Fritz Haber, a German chemist, were realized during World War I. Haber, known as the “father of chemical warfare,” created both mustard and chlorine gas for German soldiers to use in trench warfare. His inventions were successful, but they started debates regarding the ethics of chemical warfare. Haber argued that “death was death”—if you were to shoot someone with 10 bullets, they would die. With choking gas, it takes longer, but the victim still ends up in the same place: death. After World War I, however, many countries ceased chemical weapons production altogether.

The United States today adopted the Chemical Warfare (CW) program dedicated to incinerating chemical warfare stocks from as far back

as World War I ammunition.

However, there is still ongoing production and usage of chemical weapons in massive amounts in Egypt, North Korea, and Sudan. There is much speculation on how these nations will ban the use of chemical weapons. Some countries are finding loopholes to produce even more toxic weapons that are not directly stated as illegal by the CW program. The best way to ensure civilian safety is by stopping the exportation and importation of chemicals and analyzing questionable substances.

Chemical weapons are truly one-of-a-kind. However, until we can better resolve conflicts between nations and find adequate compromises, chemical warfare can interfere with daily life and civilian safety because of its stealthiness. Chemicals can mask themselves in a way that makes it hard for the naked eye to see, yet produce lethal effects that can lead to the death of unsuspecting civilians. By implementing the CW program and improving diplomatic relations, we can keep civilians away from the mass destruction these weapons can unleash.

Page 24

The Spectator ● June 25, 2021

Science The Issues Surrounding Oil Drilling

By SUBAAH SYED From fueling vehicles to producing electricity for heat, oil plays a fundamental role in our lives. However, as a fossil fuel, it is detrimental to the atmosphere and the health of our planet’s vital ecosystems.

With the Biden administration’s recent decision to suspend oil drilling leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge on June 1, the debate around the practice of oil drilling has intensified, as government officials and conservationists are in conflict over the practice’s economic gains and environmental impacts.

Oil drilling is the process of extracting petroleum from the Earth by drilling a hole deep into the ground using an oil rig, a large, versatile structure that serves to extract, store, and process the collected oil. A tube is then placed in the hole for structural support, and a pump is connected, removing the desired fossil fuels from the reservoir. Onshore drilling is the drilling of oil under the surface of the earth while offshore drilling is drilling underneath the seabed.

Oil drilling leases have become more popular as humans

look for new oil reserves buried under Earth’s oceans, due to the exhaustion of onshore oil wells and years of on-land oil exploitation. Undeveloped places like Alaska and the Arctic are more appealing to oil companies. The main motive of the current Arctic resources race is the $1 trillion worth of oil, gas, and other resources under the Arctic ice and water. The vast amount of raw material in the northern polar region is due to the nature of the Arctic Ocean itself: since it is surrounded by continents, enormous deposits of organic matter like plankton and algae are available. The abundant sediment from mountain erosion provides intensifying heat and pressure that gradually transforms the organic matter into oil. The special characteristic of the oil reserve in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is that it is located onshore, making its estimated 11 billion barrels of oil easier to obtain.

Therefore, many feel that the administration’s decision to suspend the drilling lease is a critically missed opportunity to obtain these resources.

The suspension of the oil drilling lease in the largest national wildlife reserve in the

country is a move that environmentalists deem a crucial measure to combat climate change.

This is because millions of metric tons of carbon emissions could be prevented from accelerating climate change.

However, critics of this change point out the administration’s previous defense of a Trumpera drilling project known as Willow, which was initially planned to acquire oil from the North Slope of Alaska and produce 100,000 barrels of oil each day for the next 30 years, while hurting the area’s fragile wildlife. These contradictory actions raise concern from conservationists: as Gene Karpinski, president of the League of Conservation Voters, commented, a “‘drill here, don’t drill there’” approach will not fulfill the country’s goal of protecting the Earth and the plan to cut U.S. emissions in half by 2030. Though the immediate response to oil drilling for some is disapproval, it is important to consider its impact on the local environment and residents of that area, the economic benefits, and the global effects. Often, environmental concerns outweigh economic pursuits, as its impact is broader, longer-term, and worth

more than just human gains.

The oil industry is an important sector of Alaska’s economy. Nearly 85 percent of the state’s budget is supplied by revenues from oil drilling, and 80 percent of the oil produced in Alaska is sent to refineries across America. With its integral economic role, oil drilling provides millions of jobs and supports local communities in Alaska. However, the risks that come along with working in oil rigs pose another danger.

Workers are exposed to hazardous conditions and highly combustible material. If they are injured, fast communication is difficult, especially when working in an offshore drill.

Rig work can be dangerous to the surrounding ecosystem, as it releases toxic mercury into the water and triggers seismic waves that can harm the marine ecosystem. Oil spills caused by oil rigs are also notorious for their impact on the marine ecosystem and local neighborhoods: BP’s Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill killed thousands of marine animals and caused devastating long-term effects such as slower fish responses to predators, toxic chemicals in bird eggs, and illness in cleanup workers.

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Despite this, oil drilling promotes the growth of developing nations and assists them in achieving a state of energy independence. As nations and their people become more dependent on energy, oil drilling and leases are necessary to meet the oil demand. Viewing this in a long-term context, however, we may deplete the resource in the future if we continue to raise this demand by so much.

Weighing the advantages of oil drilling, such as the economic improvements and the need to keep up with the oil demand, and its disadvantages, like its environmental harm, can be difficult. However, it is important to better understand the significance of recent government actions regarding oil drilling. Politics and the government play an important role in determining the future of the environment. The environment and the fragility of the natural world must be taken into consideration and be emphasized over economic desires. In the end, these principal decisions regarding critical changes in the environment will ultimately reflect decisionmakers’ interpretation of a better future.

The Spectator ● June 25, 2021

Page 25

Arts and Entertainment Dayglow is Changing, But His Music Isn’t

Music

maintains his rather distinct musical style of acoustic jams and synth-filled grooves, though with more polish than his previous album. However, Struble takes various creative liber-

If you’re looking for the soundtrack to your summer picnics, then Texas indie-pop artist Dayglow has released his latest album, “Harmony House,” just in time. Filled with bright pop-synths and cherry beats, “Harmony House” explores the themes of love, life, and growing up, accompanied by a familiar sound.

Through experimentation and storytelling, Dayglow has mastered his happy-go-lucky style that audiences have come to expect, resulting in a hit album made for dancing.

Sloan Struble’s dive into music began under the name KINDRED, under which he released his first album and a few singles between 2016 and 2017, before permanently switching to the name Dayglow. He began releasing singles under Dayglow between high school and college until the release of his debut album, “Fuzzybrain,” (2018). The album was a breakout success, with tracks like “Can I Call You Tonight?” finding chart success and acclaim for their nostalgic melodies and tantalizing guitar riffs. The success of “Fuzzybrain” would lead Struble to drop out of college to fully pursue his career as a musician. Finally, almost three years after the release of “Fuzzybrain,” Dayglow’s second album, “Harmony House,” has arrived on May 21, 2021.

Those expecting a distinctly different album in “Harmony House” may be disappointed due to its similar musical style to “Fuzzybrain.”

Throughout the album, Struble

ties with “Harmony House,” particularly regarding its genre. For this album, Dayglow takes inspiration from past ‘80s pop music, demonstrated in tracks such as “Crying on the Dancefloor” and “Into Blue.”

“Harmony House” also takes a new approach tonally, as the album begins with a bombastic and cheerful energy in songs such as “Something” and

major focus on how change affects people. Struble revealed that the album is deeply personal to him, as it is about him growing up and having to grapple with the changes associated with his newfound fame. The first track, “Something,” is a short, sweet pop track backed up by infectious woodwind grooves and highregister vocals. In the song, Struble

contemplates who he will be as time goes on and comments on his grievances working as a musical artist. In “Medicine,” Struble talks about his struggles with a static, codependent relationship in a dynamic world.

He accompanies this message with a song led by catchy ‘80s-inspired synths and an enticing percussion beat. Midway through the project, “Close to You” expresses Struble’s frustrations with his feelings toward a special person and is backed up by a danceable melody filled with snappy synths. The album ends with “Like Ivy,” serving as a retrospective for the entire album, as Struble reflects on his past, all his possible “what ifs,” and his anxiety about the future. The song is a lot slower than the typical Dayglow track, yet it still captivates listeners with a combination of pleasant synths, soothing guitar, and a borrowed melody from the first track, making the album come full circle.

“Harmony House” makes it clear throughout its duration that it is a project singer Sloan Struble is deeply passionate about. The album delves into Struble’s personal feelings and frustrations through its soothing pop tunes, allowing audiences to understand and learn from him. In his lyrics and music, Struble is growing up, but at the same time, remains the same happy-go-lucky Dayglow that audiences have come to love. Overall, “Harmony House” shows Dayglow’s growth as an artist as he continues to demonstrate his talent by producing enjoyable pop tunes while also refining his music stylistically.

Sweet and “SOUR”

Music

unexpected prelude of beautiful string instruments before abruptly switching to heavy electric guitars after Rodrigo’s static voice says, “I want it to be, like, messy.” And “brutal” is messy in the best way, encapsulating chaotic teen angst and a grimy mix of the postbreakup emotions that Rodrigo explores for the rest of the album. The

and provides a backdrop for Rodrigo’s insecurities and a wider commentary about the effect social media has on self-image. “good 4 u,” like “brutal,” leans more toward punk rock than pure pop and looks at someone who only really establishes themselves with Rodrigo’s interference, which shows her realization that she was essentially

Annie Lam / The Spectator

By LIANNE OHAYON This past year has been chaotic, to say the least. We hung out with friends and celebrated milestones through a computer screen, and experienced the good old feelings of heartbreak and pain in isolation. To create an album that perfectly encapsulates all of the above is quite a task, but Olivia Rodrigo’s debut album “SOUR” captures this mix of emotions near-flawlessly.

Rodrigo’s rise to stardom began when she was a child actor, when she starred on the Disney Channel series “Bizaardvark” (2016-2019). She currently stars in the Disney+ original series “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series” (2019-). For the latter, Rodrigo wrote the song “All I Want” for the soundtrack and co-wrote “Just for a Moment” with her co-star Joshua Bassett, showcasing a sample of her songwriting talent and her aptitude for powerful ballads. However, Rodrigo released her first true hit song,“drivers license,” in January 2021, which quickly rose to number one in multiple countries. Soon after, she announced the release of “SOUR,” following the release of a second single, “deja vu,” in late March.

It is clear within “SOUR” that Rodrigo is inspired by some great songwriters, the most notable ones being Taylor Swift and Lorde. Rodrigo has openly confessed to being a massive “Swiftie,” and her lyricism does often resemble Swift’s, with the elaborate storytelling and flipped point-ofview in songs like “enough for you.”

She even sampled Swift’s song “New Year’s Day” in “1 step forward, 3 steps back,” and fans have pointed out that “deja vu” is reminiscent of Swift’s “Cruel Summer.” Rodrigo also looks up to Gwen Stefani, originally the lead singer of No Doubt, for her songs about embracing femininity and tearing down gender stereotypes.

“SOUR” is an 11-track amalgamation of raw feelings that people of all ages can relate to, centering around the stages of grief experienced after ending a relationship, from jealousy and denial to more nuanced emotions such as insecurity, betrayal, and even self-image. There is a general storyline that most of the songs follow from the beginning to the end of the album. “brutal” kicks off the album with an

“Balcony,” but ends with tracks like “Strangers” and “Like Ivy” that express a calm, somber disposition.

In line with the theme of its predecessor, “Harmony House” has a

Christina Jiang / The Spectator

By LUCA ADEISHVILI and ZIFEI ZHAO

following track, “traitor,” dials the angst back down, using simple backing chords and nostalgic melodies to contrast the betrayal and remnants of love that accompany an ex-partner’s emotional cheating. In this part of her story, listeners hear how Rodrigo had and still carried these expectations of her ex that they never fulfilled, both scornful and wistful about her innocence. “happier” and “favorite crime,” both fan favorites, also continue along this vein. Featuring gorgeous overlaid vocals, “favorite crime” offers a look into the stage of acceptance, where Rodrigo tries to move on from the past despite lingering regrets. “jealousy, jealousy” adds another layer to “SOUR,” containing a powerful bass line that projects the song forward

used.

The instrumentation of the album is also notable: many of the songs contain the same few instruments playing different strumming patterns or chords. On most tracks, we mostly hear only the piano and guitar, with the occasional violin or electric bass added to the mix. It would be interesting to see how Rodrigo can play around with other instruments that could add more dynamic and variety to “SOUR.” The production of this album, done almost exclusively by collaborator Daniel Nigro, is solid, and Rodrigo’s vocals are the focal point of the album. Through her voice, Rodrigo tells a beautifully written story that transforms into a movie in the listener’s mind.

For the most part, “SOUR” is a well-composed album with few “filler” tracks that distract from the cohesiveness of the album. There are some songs that fall a bit flat, as they don’t stand out among some of the stronger tracks. “1 step forward, 3 steps back,” for example, feels overshadowed by tracks that pack a stronger punch. Its simple piano background and lyrics aren’t as memorable as other songs on the album, despite the unique reflection on a toxic relationship and the mixed signals that accompanies it. “enough for you” follows that same pattern: strong message but weaker presence in the overall album. And because “drivers license” was released months before the album came out, it fell victim to the countless replays by radio stations and other outlets and no longer prompts the same rush of emotion as its first listen incited.

The large themes of the album include heartbreak and healing but also embrace raw emotions and concepts of femininity within music. In “jealousy, jealousy,” Rodrigo talks about social norms that she strives to fit, writing “All I see is what I should be / Happier, prettier, jealousy, jealousy.”

Within “SOUR,” she takes the dated idea of how a female songwriter’s songs should sound and flips it on its head. A female artist shouldn’t have to worry about criticism for writing songs about love or heartbreak, and her choice to explore these subjects doesn’t invalidate or discredit her music. By making the album so relatable, Rodrigo opens up these conversations and connects with the emotions of her listeners while avoiding the “immature” stereotype. A sour breakup is not one-sided, and coming out of that relationship elicits more than just sadness & heartbreak.

All in all, “SOUR” is a fantastic, cohesive debut album for Olivia Rodrigo. It opens up a world of possibilities for her as a pop star and makes her career one to watch. She deserves a huge amount of credit for pulling off such an amazing debut album at just 18 years old. She meticulously crafted a project that speaks to so many of us, and her exploration of the bittersweet feelings post-breakup that go beyond just sadness or anger delve into the complexity of heartbreak. That is what makes “SOUR” so special.

Playlist Summer Jams

By THE ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT DEPARTMENT Now that school has ended, get ready to relax (or cry because you’re still doing as much work as you were doing during the school year)!

Whether you’re sitting on the beach or sobbing yourself to sleep, enjoy these tunes for the duration of your summer.

Watermelon Sugar Harry Styles Pop Santeria Sublime Rock Los Angeles Wiley Beckett Indie Sundress A$AP Rocky Hip-hop Softly Clairo Pop Down the Line Beach Fossils Rock Painkiller Beach Bunny Pop rock Money Dance Duckwrth feat. Jean Deaux Hip-hop So Sad, So Sad Varsity Indie Something Dayglow Indie-pop VBS Lucy Dacus Indie Solar Power Lorde Pop Come Down Anderson .Paak R&B

Page 26

The Spectator ● June 25, 2021

rt an

nterta n ent Twenty One Pilots: Safe and Sorry?

Music “I can feel my saturation leaving me slowly,” Tyler Joseph sings in the opening line of Twenty One Pilots’ latest album, “Scaled and Icy.” After a nearly three-year hiatus, the band’s highly anticipated new album was released on May 21, 2021 to their millions of dedicated fans. Unfortunately, “Scaled and Icy” quickly met a great deal of criticism for its vapid lyrics and changes to the band’s sound. But while many fans may lament the band’s departure from their traditional style, does that mean the album deserves the hate it’s getting?

It’s hard to know what to expect from a Twenty One Pilots album, considering they’ve played almost every genre known to man. From reggae to hip-hop to rock to electropop, the duo has always managed to shake things up. Though they’re mostly known for their rap songs with deep, ominous beats and cryptic lyrics, they’ve also put out countless pop hits with upbeat, danceable melodies, best exemplified by their two previous projects, “Blurryface” (2015) and “Trench” (2018), as they cover the entire spectrum of human emotion with a wide range of styles.

But after the horrible year that was 2020 and the hardships from COVID-19 that persist in 2021, Twenty One Pilots seem to have abandoned that kind of style and have begun to focus more on the good parts of life.

Frontman Tyler Joseph and drummer Josh Dun have expressed a lot in their music. Each song is carefully crafted to cause listeners to reflect and think deeply about them-

Comedy

By GAVIN MCGINLEY It’s hard to tell exactly what Bo Burnham’s “Inside” is. Marking the comic’s return to performing after five long years, the special undoubtedly delivers on Burnham’s uniquely strange and sincere brand of humor.

Yet, it feels wrong to call “Inside” a comedy. At times, the piece feels like a diary, or a YouTube parody video, or a making-of documentary, remaining hard to define but enjoyable and poignant the whole way through. Though it was released in the place of Burnham’s next live show, “Inside” is far from a pale, internet-bound emulation of standup. Rather, it is an expertly crafted, deeply relatable portrait of one man as he struggles with very real problems in a disturbingly honest way.

While never explicitly mentioning COVID-19, “Inside” was clearly influenced by the constraints of quarantine. Written, shot, directed, scored, and, of course, performed by Burnham alone, the entire special was filmed in a single

Music

By THEO KUBOVYWEISS From indie-folk to experimental hip-hop, 2021 has already proven to be a strong year for music. Though there haven’t been many releases that garnered the level of hype and excitement that some of 2020’s highlights did, there have been a number of extraordinary albums released in the past six months. As we look toward the latter half of the year for even greater projects, here are some of the best albums of 2021.

Benny the Butcher and Harry Fraud - “The Plugs I Met 2” As the sequel to the duo’s first collaborative project, “The Plugs I Met 2” combines Harry Fraud’s jazzinfluenced production with Benny

selves. “Scaled and Icy” strays from that pattern, introducing a mostly jubilant vibe, something that the average lore-obsessed fanatic probably isn’t interested in.

To anyone who has been fol-

veloped the arcane, mysterious lore in which Joseph conceptualizes and depicts his struggles with depression.

“Scaled and Icy” might seem like an abstract title, but it’s actually

lowing the duo since “Blurryface,” it’s well known by now that the two have a habit of writing ridiculously confusing lyrics that only make sense in the context of the larger plotline told through the band’s music. Each of the band’s albums tells a part of Joseph’s story as he deals with mental illness. Within the past few years since “Blurryface,” the two have de-

an anagram for “Clancy is dead.”

This phrase has no significance to anyone unaware of who Clancy is, but to those keeping track of posts on the band’s website, Clancy is a fictional character who represents Joseph’s emotional and mental state.

Through their last album, “Trench,” we see Clancy try to escape the fictional city Dema, which represents

Jessica Mui / The Spectator

By JULIE GRANDCHAMP DESRAUX

the prison that depression and doubt can create over a person’s health. Essentially, “Trench” tells the story of Joseph struggling to breach the hold that his depression has on his life.

As for their newest album, it’s unclear where exactly it fits into the story. Some think Joseph has finally breached the grip his mental illness has had on his life, given the joyful melodies of “Good Days” and “Saturday” (which are void of any depth to be good Twenty One Pilots songs but aren’t upbeat enough to succeed as pop songs). Others think the album is some sort of distraction or fake, as a message written on the cover of the band’s single “Christmas Saves The Year” reads “SAI is propaganda” (SAI being “Scaled and Icy”). The duo has managed to hide hundreds of Easter eggs and enigmatic hints that add to Joseph’s story in their website posts, song covers, and lyrics, but how these fit into the story is still very much in the air.

While some of the songs are a bit underwhelming and lack the band’s trademark lyrical ingenuity, they don’t undermine the success of the other tracks on the album. Songs like “Never Take It” feature a strong bassline and confident lyrics about societal divide, standing out from the otherwise mellow style of the album. “The Outside” features more R&B influences while focusing on the search for purpose. In “Redecorate,” Joseph returns to his fictional world, establishing that Clancy has left Dema. The song speaks of what the future might hold and what new changes might bring, using softer beats to create a soft, vibey song that fades into a simmer by the end.

In regards to the band’s future,

Joseph has mentioned what he thinks will happen if he manages to move on from his depression. The question of whether or not artists such as himself would be able to create music without their emotions and mental problems guiding them is a hard one, especially if an artist has been dealing with those issues for a long time. As written in the Blurryface cut “Doubt,” Joseph remains “scared of [his] own ceiling,” the “ceiling” being the threshold of depression and anxiety that he must cross one day. Fearing that Joseph has breached this threshold, many believe the band will inevitably lose its edge. The fans’ criticisms of this album are exactly what many artists fear––that once they get to a place where their problems no longer motivate them, people will feel like they’ve lost their artistic talent.

However, just like My Chemical Romance’s “Danger Days,” “Scaled and Icy” proves that the group isn’t tied down to one specific style or genre of music. Both Joseph and Dun have moved on in their lives from that uncertain, depressive era when the band was only starting to gain traction. Now, with marriage, fatherhood, and so many other progressions in their lives, the album reflects an optimistic era for the two, something entirely different from what fans have previously been exposed to. Overall, though some of the criticism may be warranted, the album doesn’t deserve to be dismissed entirely. Made in an effort to alleviate the stress and hardships faced during the past two years, “Scaled and Icy” delivers a positive outlook on change and the future–– something we could all benefit from.

Bo Burnham’s Internet Age Quarantine Fever Dream room of his house over the course of the pandemic. The level of production alone is astounding, with Burnham flexing his muscles not only as a brilliant writer and musician, but also as a producer and cinematographer. Whether it’s the light streaming through his blinds or him lying half awake on the floor, surrounded by a mess of recording equipment, every shot seems far too perfect to have been exhaustingly composed by one person. However, what is most interesting about “Inside” is how this change in style works with Burnham’s usual format.

Though his previous live shows, consisting of unconnected songs and sketches, required an admittedly high level of preparation, they still had to bend to the limitations of a single performer on stage. “Inside” feels much more like the content put out by independent creators online, only with a level of polish typically absent from such media. Beginning his career as a comedic musician on YouTube, “Inside” sees Burnham returning to his roots. But, it’s also

a signal of his evolution as a writer, with him seamlessly weaving meaning into seemingly simple segments.

Throughout the special, Burnham pursues a number of different topical themes—the internet age, social media, performative activism, and white saviorism—alongside his personal challenges, including deteriorating mental health during quarantine, general anxieties as a performer, and a complex relationship with fame. With a mix of skits, genuinely excellent songs, and surprisingly raw scenes of him speaking directly into the camera, Burnham is able to criticize the vapidness and narcissism of the internet without seeming pretentious and be extraordinarily introspective without seeming overly self-indulgent. No matter how bizarre “Inside” gets, it manages to stay amusing, sincere, and self-aware, which does a lot to keep it enjoyable even as it takes on a darker, more abstract tone. One particularly memorable moment has Burnham alone in a dark room, talking about his stagnation, both in

making his special and his life, as he turns 30 in quarantine. This scene, of course, is followed by a catchy musical number of Burnham singing in his underpants about how old he feels.

More than jokes, Instagram, or COVID-19, “Inside” focuses on an artist’s struggle to create in the midst of an existential crisis. There are quite a few long, static shots of Burnham talking straight to the audience about his mental health and his work, often framed by the piles of production machinery that fill his small room from wall to wall. These moments bring a personal touch to the special, to the point that they start to blur the line between artist and art. Burnham is always front and center, but it’s often unclear if he’s performing—if the quirks of production were fully organic or part of his narrative. Over the course of the show, the audience witnesses his decline, most obviously as he goes from reasonably well-groomed to scraggly and disheveled, but also as his tone shifts from lightly satiri-

cal to deeply emotional. Though he starts with amusing, observational songs about politics and pandemic life, Burnham enlists a progressively heavier tone, openly discussing his suicidal thoughts and dissociation, alongside his grim criticisms of the internet. It’s sad but also intensely relatable and authentic in ways other performers shy away from.

“Inside” is not especially funny.

There’s no moment that will have you busting your gut, and few that merit more than a light chuckle.

It’s not a comedy special. However, more important than its categorization is the fact that “Inside” is personal, clever, and authentic in a truly innovative way. Past its fantastic cinematography, great music, and sharp writing, the special addresses some of the many pressing problems of modern times. Burnham doesn’t have all the answers, and the show can be far from comfortable. But, at the end of it all, he manages to create something masterful and beautiful, and it may be what a lot of people need after 15 months inside.

The Best Albums of 2021 (So Far) the Butcher’s meticulously-crafted tales of drug-dealing and hustling.

Grappling with death, crime, and betrayal in a deeply honest and introspective manner, the lyricism of the project has a much softer edge than a typical trap record. But it is Benny the Butcher’s confidence that conveys these stories through an exciting, energizing, and almost nostalgic lens, making for a nuanced project that outshines any of the rapper’s previous efforts.

Cassandra Jenkins - “An Overview on Phenomenal Nature” Cassandra Jenkins’s sophomore project is a deeply confessional, conflicted record. “An Overview on Phenomenal Nature” includes a number of casually-recorded monologues

that serve to augment Jenkins’s shrewd storytelling. Jenkins’s poetic portrayal of personal growth, insecurity, and rejection is underscored by the simplicity of the instrumentation: muted acoustic instruments accompanied by a saxophone and the occasional synthesizer, allowing the rawness of her voice and the candor of her lyrics to shine through. On the standout track “Michaelangelo,” Jenkins’s use of vivid metaphors to depict personal growth (describing carving herself out of marble and fighting a metaphorical “virus” that is “treatable, not curable,”) reveals enormous depth in the poetry of her songwriting. An understated and deep record, “An Overview on Phenomenal Nature” establishes Jenkins as one of the most underrated song-

writers of today.

St. Vincent - “Daddy’s Home” One of the most anticipated releases of 2021, “Daddy’s Home” follows 2018’s “Masseduction” with a beautiful project that centers around family and the issues that pervade it.

The project, a definite highlight in St. Vincent’s discography, calls upon the sounds of ‘70s rock to explore Annie Clark’s fears and conceptions about family, using her parents’ circumstances and relationships to inform her views on marriage and having children. “Daddy’s Home” is a remarkably consistent project that gets at the core of Clark’s perception of her past and future.

Navy Blue - “Songs of Sage:

Post Panic!”

In his first project of the year, New York rapper and Earl Sweatshirt affiliate Navy Blue explores the depths of his mind, eloquently and laconically surveying his past experiences, relationships, and mental issues to do so. Over elaborate production, he uses people and occurrences as a means of expressing ongoing issues and themes in his psyche. The subtly captivating beats emphasize the meaning behind each track, providing a very deliberate sonic accompaniment to each story and idea. He followed up “Songs of Sage” with the similarly-impressive “Navy’s Reprise,” solidifying Navy Blue as one of the leading voices in underground rap.

The Spectator ● June 25, 2021

Page 27

Humor The e art c e are or

o

cerpt

By ERICA CHEN and ANIKET ROY e n the o o the n eror or n It gets lonely in the Underworld sometimes. My wife, Persephone, is only with me for about half of the year, and my dog, Cerberus, isn’t much of a conversationalist. He’s great at giving me a slobbery bath, but as the God of the Underworld, I prefer to bathe in the tears of the damned.

Most of my days are just spent sitting on the throne and staring into the abyss, wondering where I went wrong with my miserable life.

It’s about time I took a break. Maybe I should check up on my siblings.

You know, the ones that cast me from Mount Olympus and forced me to live in the Underworld. Isn’t that exactly what siblings are for?

Recently, I heard that the Gods have been invested in this dating app: Tinder. It would be hilarious to watch them make a huge mess of themselves during these Tinder dates. Especially Zeus. He's had so many lovers that it would be a miracle if he ever found “true love.”

This Tinder stalking idea is sounding better and better every second.

Yeah, let’s do that. ear rother eu Spen a tt e Too uch T e ra n out htn n o t Zeus is probably the most faithful husband I know of. He respects his wife by cheating on her daily.

What more can a God do to prove his loyalty to his wife, besides flirting with other women? Am I right, or am I right?

On Godly WeChat, Zeus couldn’t stop bragging about how he scored this date with this mortal named Samantha, a kindergarten teacher. In my opinion, that’s actually a pretty good match. Samantha could probably teach my brother

some of the childhood manners he forgot (or never learned).

The date was on a Friday at a Starbucks Café. I always hate going there because they always spell my name as “Hate” (it takes all of my willpower not to send them to the Underworld), but for the sake of some entertainment, I decided to go and see how the date would fare.

I really hope this ends in a bloodbat—I mean, I hope Zeus has a nice time!

Samantha arrived first at 5:00 p.m. Zeus didn’t show for a good two hours (as per usual). When he did arrive, he came in a golden limousine, wearing a floral shirt with shorts decorated with pink clouds.

It seemed like after all these years, Zeus still hadn’t learned fashion.

I almost snorted out my drink when I heard Zeus say, “Hey girl, are you my sister Hestia? Because you really stoke my fire.”

Seriously, that has to be one of the top 10 worst pick-up lines to use. And I don’t think Samantha appreciated being compared to Zeus’s sister either. Samantha kept pretending to be interested in what Zeus was talking about, but I’m pretty sure she only understood every fifth word.

Though she definitely heard him loud and clear when he said, “You know… there’s something on me that’s pretty big. It radiates masculinity and would definitely put a smile on your face.”

“Ugh, I’m not interested in hearing about your-” Samantha tried to decline before being cut off.

Zeus abruptly cut in, “It’s my shiny lighting bolt. Doesn’t it just put a smile on your face?”

At that point, I think Zeus blew any chance he had with Samantha.

Samantha got up, threw her frappuccino at Zeus’s face, and walked out.

I would’ve stayed at the café to laugh at Zeus being embarrassed by

pp e

By ALEXANDER CHU Earlier this week, Samsung’s new virtual assistant, Samsung Sam, was released. Despite her less-thanlegal age, the commotion over the virtual assistant was more than Samsung had seen in many years. Artists clamored over drawings to post to get free likes, meme pages did their thing, and various thirsty subreddits were made. However, all this attention caused some companies to come out of the woodwork. And, like always, Apple had to steal the spotlight, unveiling the “Alexis” virtual assistant in a keynote a few days after Sam’s release.

This keynote was only available to reporters and the occasional weeaboo oil magnate, much to the chagrin of the many “stans” of Alexis already outside. Inside the event, Apple CEO Tim Apple introduced Alexis. “She’s like Samsung Sam, but hotter. She’s also of legal age,” he said. One reporter dared to clap at this remark and ended up getting promptly escorted out of the presentation.

Some of the new features that

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a mortal, but he would’ve caught me at some point, and I didn’t want to be on the receiving end of Zeus’s wrath, especially after how drastically his date had failed.

And… that was the end of the greatest love story ever told between Zeus and Samantha. phro te

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Aphrodite was more active on dating apps than any other God I knew. Seriously, I tried checking her Tinder profile, and apparently, she had scheduled dates with 10 different men. Aphrodite is only interested in someone’s abs and how chiseled they are. As a kid, Aphrodite learned her numbers by counting the abs of the other Gods, hence why she was never great at math.

Aphrodite ended up matching with a mortal named Jonathan in Hawaii. I had honestly thought Zeus was the worst at pick-up lines, but Aphrodite managed to one-up him.

Her first text to Jonathan was, “Hello Jonathan! Can you please send me a picture of your abs so I can decide on whether or not to keep texting you?” I haven’t been in the dating scene for a few millennia now, but I don’t think people usually ask for pictures of someone’s stomach when first meeting them (and if you’re wondering, I most definitely hacked into Aphrodite’s phone). I didn’t take a course on Abs-ology like Aphrodite did, but I could tell my sister was at the top of her class when she described Jonathan’s abs.

She texted back, “Ok. You have a 12-pack with each ab being two inches in length and your triceps being six inches in width with a circumference of five pi. You’re qualified to date me.” I don’t even know how she figured out those measurements. Actually, I don’t want to know. But wow, talk about high standards.

They spent the first few weeks

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texting each other through Tinder because Aphrodite thought that the tickets to Hawaii were too expensive on the Greek Gods Express Line.

But, the trouble started when Jonathan was convinced that Aphrodite wasn’t who she claimed she was. He demanded her to meet him in his villa in Hawaii. After much persuasion, Aphrodite finally agreed to the meet-up and booked a ticket on the Greek Gods Express Line. In my opinion, she paid too much for her ticket. I could’ve found her a cheaper flight ticket on the Underworld Airlines, though I don’t think she would’ve appreciated being seated next to skeletons.

When Aphrodite knocked on Jonathan’s door, Jonathan showed up at the door already shirtless. He looked really shocked. Honestly though, he shouldn’t have been the one who was shocked. Turns out Jonathan didn’t have the 12pack abs that he had flexed about.

Those pictures were just the result of photoshopping. Anyway, much to his surprise, Aphrodite didn’t come alone. She had brought her boyfriend Ares. You know, Ares, the God of bloodshed and war. While following Aphrodite around for the past few weeks, I had learned that he wasn’t particularly happy with Jonathan flirting with Aphrodite.

Funny logic, I know. Aphrodite was the one who initiated these interactions, yet the poor mortal was the one getting the blame. Aphrodite had gotten caught one day when Ares saw the Tinder notification, but she managed to slip her way out of the sticky situation by telling a few white lies. Namely, that Jonathan had been the one trying to get her attention.

Ares roared, “Ey Jonathan, you really trying to slide into my girlfriend’s DMs? You know who she is? You should’ve really thought things through bro.”

I could tell that things were

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come with Alexis include the op- before the meme became irrelevant, tion of “virtual cuddling,” which just like this article.” allows you to “hug” Alexis by rubThe response to Alexis was bing the screen with both of your mostly positive, with seemingly the hands. As you’re rubbing Alexis, you only complaint being that “she isn’t even have the option to share this real, sadge.” “Why isn’t she real?” hug with your friends and family asked weeb Kyle Weeve, clutchthrough AirDrop. ing his “MAKE HER Besides the virtual affecREAL” protest tion, Alexis brings an updated sign. “She could voice to the AI, described as have been, like, my “hotter, sexier, and betultimate gamer girlter” by Apple. Alexis also friend. We would comes with the unique have played League feature to “deepfake” and Overwatch, and herself into any photo, I would have called allowing users to finally her ‘kitten’ affectionlook like they have girlately.” friends.

There was also Over the course of criticism from nontwo days, Apple reportweebs such as Alexis edly “spent a lot of time Talahasse, a suburban and effort reinventing mother of three from Alexis into the same thing Texas. “First of all, I but with a hotter profile don’t like my name picture.” being used in such a “It was very hard,” horrid manner. I don’t commented Head of Rewant my name to be search and Development Joanna Meng / The Spectator the same as some ‘virfor Apple Alex Fruit. tual assistant,’ nor do I “We had to make a virtual assistant want people ‘stanning’ over it. This

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about to get violent. Ares was already rolling up his sleeves and shooting death stares at Jonathan. Aphrodite probably could’ve stopped Ares, but I think she wanted her boyfriend to beat up Jonathan because of the catfishing more than anything.

Ares ended up beating him to a bloody death, and it was actually pretty fun to watch. I should really keep up with my sister’s date nights more, they’re like having front row seats to a K-Drama.

Moral of the story: don’t flirt with the Goddess of Love because chances are, you’re gonna end up with a knuckle-sandwich from Ares. nou h o Sta n or ne Day Unfortunately, my posts were found by Zeus, who in turn told Aphrodite (because he was too chicken to face me alone). So that concludes my blog postings. After all, I wasn’t trying to pick a fight with my siblings, I just wanted entertainment. Nevertheless, though this only included two Tinder dates, a lot happened. Too much happened. I’m really happy that at least SOMEONE got bashed to death.

Even if the reasons weren’t totally sound…

Eh, who cares. All that matters is that things got interesting, and I actually went outside into the mortal realm for once. But all this goes to show that Tinder is NOT fit for Gods to use. All it does is cause chaos. But I suppose this means more tea for me to spill, as the mortals like to say.

Remember to smash that follow button, and keep up with my blog posts, though my next blog post might be after a few millennia. It’ll take a while for Zeus and Aphrodite to overcome the embarrassment they faced. Either way, still follow me because if you don’t, I’ll send Cerberus to your home, and you can be his new chew toy.

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product is an incredible offense to the name Alexis, and I will be filing my complaint through my Facebook group of mothers.”

Alexis will be released alongside the iPhone 13, as no software update will properly do her justice.

The price range for the iPhone 13 is expected to be between $1,000 and $2,000 because no Apple customer can buy a product without taking out a second mortgage. Apple expects Alexis to help boost profit margins by 300 percent for the year, maybe finally outdoing Amazon in stock price.

But before that release, Apple announced that they would address the issue of Alexis not being physically tangible. As Apple is the second corporate overlord, they have a solution: “Alexis isn’t real and can’t be touched or held. This aspect is why we at Apple revolutionized haptic feedback with the iBodyPillow™, allowing you to touch and feel Alexis with your weak, mortal hands.”

When questioned about the reasoning behind the iBodyPillow™, Fruit stated, “We created the iBodyPillow™ because we wanted

to one up Samsung. Those lesser quality phones don’t deserve such a high quality virtual assistant like Sam, which is why we made our own. Also, we all wanted to cuddle her. I want my waifu in my arms as I sleep.”

The price range of the iBodyPillow™ is within the budget of most of Apple’s customers, coming in at the low price of $1,000 for just the pillow cover. For the actual pillow, the price goes up to $1,001, having optimized their production by using child labor in the Congo. “The price range is because of the very limited supply, in addition to allowing resellers on eBay to thrive off of our products. It’s very affordable for the top one percent like me. I couldn’t care less about the peasants,” CFO Alan Pear said when questioned about the price.

The preorders for the iBodyPillow™ and the iPhone 13 (which went live two hours after the keynote) instantly sold out. The resale value of these products is expected to go through the roof, rivaling even the BTS Meal Among Us chicken nugget.

a Stan up o e an ce ro a t our ear at Stu e ant

By HELENA WILLIAMS Hello, hello! If you’re reading this, I really did make it to the finish line. And I’d like to say, it has been a crazy ride! With that said, I figured I should do a few things before it’s all over, like write a sappy and salty

reflection in The Spectator, where everyone can see me airing my dirty laundry. At the very least, though, I thought I could tell all the people I’ve interacted with over the years what was going on inside my head in the form of advice to ye young whippersnapper freshies, since some of you

haven’t even spent a school day at Stuy yet!

So, without further ado, here are a few pieces of key advice: 1. Coffee, as much as it sucks, is better than Monster energy drinks. Trust me, Monster is terrible.

2.

Hold virtual study/homework sessions with your friends–– not to help each other out with homework, but just to have another person to exist in the presence of. Is this not going to apply anymore because of real school returning? Maybe,

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but I still recommend it.

DO NOT PUT GLITTER ON YOUR PROJECTS. IT WILL CREATE PAIN.

continued on page 28

The Spectator ● June 25, 2021

Page 28

Humor a Stan up o e an ce ro a t our ear at Stu e ant 4.

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7.

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9.

If you write for The Spectator, you’re allowed to print the word “ass.” I strongly encourage you to make the best possible use of this kickass opportunity. Note: only for Humor though (ass).

On that note: Humor > A&E, we’re are way more funnier and more coolerer and their is the ass department. (THIS STATEMENT IS NOT ENDORSED BY COPY.) If you’re really in a bad spot, talk to your teachers about it.

You’d be surprised by how considerate most of them are!

Most. *coughs loudly in the direction of the French department* Most kids in Chorus don’t know how to read sheet music. I’m not even joking. This really took me by surprise, but it’s true! This means that if you want to sing like a Disney princess, you’re fully welcome to come learn.

Does the Hudson Staircase have a reputation for illicit occurrences? Perhaps. But can I guarantee that it’s super fast for commuting on the upper floors, rather than taking the more crowded options? Yes. Use the forbidden stairwell at your own risk.

Freshmen, you’re all promising young students, and I respect you all… but when gym becomes a thing, you have

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By JASMINE WANG

pass the third grade just to disregard that “they” is plural! Then again, I dropped out after third grade, but

it was baked by a… a “they slash them.” Why would a perfectly good person decide to be people? What is wrong with being just one person? I don’t understand! I didn’t

that’s what makes me so youthful and bright!

Also, another problem I have: how come they get to be colorful?

I can’t wear a darn rainbow out here

Last Friday, Disney CEO Bob Chapek announced that he had dreamed about Disney’s upcoming animated film at a press conference.

Chapek proceeded to elaborate that the hypothetical movie stars a brave, quick-witted, and independent but sheltered young princess.

She goes on a journey in order to save her family and learn valuable lessons along the way with a man whom she is initially at odds with but gains respect for over time and a wacky non-human sidekick. The movie should be released sometime in the near to distant future.

On the day of the announcement, $380 million in ticket sales were made, with grumpy parents and people far outside of the intended age demographic of the movie paying the majority of revenue earned. The film is expected to gross even more following its international non-release.

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However, while the imaginary movie pulled in an impressive amount for its opening weekend, the toy sales made six times as much, with hypothetical plushies of the marketable wacky but loyal animal sidekick selling out all over the United States. Parents aren’t sure what species of animal the character is, but many find themselves being able to recite all of the jokes it makes due to their children perpetually watching the nonexistent movie on Disney+.

The movie was not-released to near universal praise, with critics lauding its hypothetical music, hypothetically stunning CGI, and presumably family-friendly themes.

Movie critic Judgment Bumbersnatch stated that the movie was “probably highly heartwarming, with catchy Polish-inspired tunes and a fantastic dynamic between the characters […] likely a mustwatch for the family.” Spectator columnist Junior Beyblade stated,

any kind of flavoring. Especially not the cinnamon variety. Also, if you give the vendor a metal water bottle, they can fill it with coffee instead!

Great way to smuggle it past the security guards… though do check first that your metal bottle is designed to hold hot liquids. I have, quite literally, been burned before.

19. A bathroom stall makes a surprisingly good private office: you can use electronics all you want, and nobody can see you crying over your most recent test grade! Do be ready to move if a janitor comes in, though.

20. For my final piece of advice, procrastinate on your more important homework by doing less important homework!

Like, say, writing your final Humor article instead of doing AP prep.

So yeah, that’s it for me. I’m headed off to this really wonderful college: University of California Hicago (You can call it UChicago for short. ;D)! Do I wish that I had made more friends? Nah, the ones I made are good people. Do I wish I’d thrown more shade? I mean, if I make any more pointed references to a teacher in the French department or the robotics team, they might realize—*dramatic fit of coughing*— Oh sorry, I lost track of what I was saying there! But yeah, overall, I made the right choice in coming to Stuy. I hope one of you freshmen reading this appreciates my bad advice. Well, farewell! Good luck out there!

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connection, darn it.

And then, last week, I bought a slice of lemon pie, not knowing

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that I only took three APs, so I managed to give the College Board under 300 dollars this year! *maniacal laughter ensues* 16. By the way, the CEO of the College Board makes $700,000 a year as the CEO of a “nonprofit organization”… and he’s a Stuy alum.

If you graduate from Stuyvesant, you aren’t allowed to do that. Oh god, is it possible that I’ll become the CEO of the next College Board now that I’m graduating? SOMEONE HELP I MIGHT SELL OUT MY MORAL INTEGRITY FOR MONEY! 17. You would be amazed by how much work you can get done during your commute. I’m not coming in from Coney Island, either. During the 10 minutes I used to spend on a bus, followed by 15 minutes on a train, I would do an entire assignment. If any of my junior year teachers are reading this, chances are that I did some of your homework during this time. And I’m so, so not sorry.

I was very sleep-deprived, and it was either that or not handing in the homework. (Seriously though, I love y’all, and thank you for being so amazing… with almost no exceptions! *coughs even louder in the general direction of the French department*) 18. When you’re getting your coffee from one of the breakfast carts, resist the urge to ask for

Reya Miller / The Spectator

Listen, I’m a big fan of the month of June. It’s when school lets out. It’s when the weather gets so intolerably hot that my husband spends all day at the bar instead of mowing the lawn. It’s when the nice mailman starts wearing short shorts,

by God! But it has come to my attention that a certain group of deviants wants to take this holy time away from fathers and flags and point it toward a different type of “F”: flamboyancy!

I am so sick of these darn “special people” trying to worm their way into good American society— the other day, I found out that my very nice salsa dance instructor, José, had a boyfriend! He didn’t even look homosexual. I just assumed it was his Spanish-European flair! Can you imagine the sense of betrayal I felt when I realized all the dips and turns we passionately shared meant nothing to him? I thought we had a

you, so you’ll find yourself floundering in a well of selfdoubt and negative thoughts until you finally snap and send out an e-mail telling them how worn down you are, at which point they’ll reprimand you and tell you they can’t change anything, which is when you’ll finally realize your normal teachers have cared about you more than your “best friends.” *clears throat* Oh man, I think I need a dish towel! Just spilled some serious tea. ;D Anyway…

13. Apparently, the Computer Science department is going to offer a replacement for APCS next year. Now, look me in the eyes, and tell me that you aren’t just going to take the AP class because you think it’ll be better for colleges. Hey—why are you leaving? You think your self-worth is determined by how many APs you take, and you’re convinced everyone else is taking more APs and doing better than you?

Okay, you really are a Stuyvesant student.

14. You need to write your college essays DURING THE SUMMER BEFORE SENIOR YEAR. You will hate it, but trust me: it’s this or absolute heck in the fall.

15. Senior year is really your chance to take fun courses.

Cut down on the APs and enroll in some fun classes instead. As an exemplary role model, I’m happy to tell you

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anymore without people coming up to me and thinking I’m a godforsaken home-of-sexual. The goal of straight pride should not be to be afraid of our beautiful prisonlike raccoon-tail black and white stripes––it’s to reclaim the whole color spectrum as ours!

I simply feel so unsafe in my own country. These people come in and destabilize the gender roles that my ancestors worked so hard to force onto the rest of the world.

How will I identify the gender of infants by their clothing if they’re all generic? I can’t just say, “Well lookie you, what a handsome boy! I bet you’ll get all the girls in a heterocompulsive society where a woman’s only value is her worth to men!” to a poor baby girl! It’ll addle her little, delicate brain. Or is it their? Since “baby” is plural now according to the LGTV community. Now they’re hellbent on destroying everything President Trump worked for.

Don’t even bring up “intersec-

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“As a Zambian-American, it was an extremely satisfying experience to probably see my culture being represented properly.”

While the race of the main character and the basis of the set-

extremely empowering for the constituents of the culture portrayed within the movie.

As the movie becomes more popular, its outreach within pop culture has extended considerably.

ting were not specified by Chapek, almost everyone agrees that it is

On platforms such as YouTube, videos of the main character of

Justine Kang / The Spectator

continued from page 27

to change your clothes. You CANNOT go running around in your stinky Phys. Ed. uniform. Please.

10. Speaking of Phys. Ed., you don’t need to worry about whether it’s helping you get stronger or not. The Program Office has already scheduled you for several rounds of Four-Minute Cardio throughout your day as you try to sprint from the second floor to the ninth floor and then back down again! This physical activity will 100 percent compensate for your lack of sleep and declining mental health.* *This statement has not been approved by Stuyvesant, batteries not included.

11. Join some clubs! Not because you want resume fodder, but because you want to make friends. Especially Stuy Papercrafts—I’ve never done a single thing with them, but they keep sending me nice instructions for how to fold paper, and they’ve earned my respect.

12. Well, there’s one caveat: figure out which clubs care about your well-being and which ones see you as another set of hands. Some Stuyvesant organizations happen to wear a lot of red clothing and tell you that they care about you, but then you find yourself working 30+ hours a week for them even as you’re struggling with your mental health, and none of your “teammates” will “feel the Pulse” and help

onth

tionality.” I have enough “intersectionality” when I cross a red light at one of those four-way crossings.

I don’t understand why the liberals and the theys and the BLT community must make everything so complicated! Life has always been about being a simple American woman, getting married to a man, having three kids, and becoming a stay-athome mom who happens to have a fondness for the local mailman. I don’t see why anyone else can’t do the same. Just because I happen to be straight and white doesn’t mean a thing!

Anyway, how dare these oppressed people bring up oppression to us and ruin my whole month?

I’m trying to prepare for the grand ol’ Fourth of July! It’s Founding Fathers, not Founding Gender Non-Conforming Parental Figures.

I don’t have time to accommodate for preferred pronouns when I’m too busy proclaiming my love for America!

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the movie getting married to a pregnant Spider-Man have been trending for the past week. Parody videos have also been extremely successful. School talent shows primarily consist of children singing one of three songs that sound like they will be in the movie, with occasional off-tune fiddle, saxophone, and electric guitar accompaniment.

A sequel to the unreleased movie was green-lit and scheduled to release on the same day as the first movie, with 32 animators hypothetically dying to finish the movie by its release date. However, while the sequel’s ticket sales were just as good as its predecessor, the reception was mixed, with critics calling it a mediocre cash grab that did not tread new ground. Despite its relatively poor reviews, the sequel still made enough money to warrant a second sequel, as soon as Chapek can find more theoretical animators to work to death.

The Spectator ● June 25, 2021

Page 29

Humor Ta o

By ESHAAL UBAID

You’ve failed a test. Or you're just an obnoxious brown-noser hoping to gain your geometry teacher’s favor. The first phase of office hours has now begun: pain.

Pure pain. You’ve just checked Jupiter Ed and realized you received a measly 93 on your science test, bringing your perfect 100 average down to a 95. You scream, but no sound comes out. You bang your desk, but as quietly as you can so as to not alert your family members of the felony you just committed. What will they do when they find out?

It’s time for the dreaded office hours. Phase two: prepare for doom. It’s time for you to beg for the points you lost on the silly mistake you made on the “select all that apply” question. Scrolling down the endless Google Classroom feed, you finally reach the office hours link. Still blue, you can feel the virgin link waiting for you

ME AN EXTRA FREE PD” “boutta use the talos glitch to go home, take a nap, then come back” “bump”

“hasn’t happened to me i think i actually gained a free” “WOOO AKJDKHEJDEHKJEH I THINK THEY GAVE

So, could it be that the Programming Office gave this student all of the classes that others lost? Was this an accident? Or

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to click it. Oblivious to what will happen next, you proceed to enter the waiting room, but of course, you have to switch to your NYC DOE account because your Stuy e-mail is not good enough. The DOE is obviously superior. You persevere through the excruciating wait times of switching your Zoom account, and you can hear the DOE laughing as they code the switch to take at least five minutes. You enter the waiting room, getting your hair ready and making sure you look somewhat presentable. You fix your collar. You adjust your glasses. You button up your shirt. The daunting horizontal bar still stains your screen: Please wait. The meeting host will let you in soon.

After a few painful minutes of waiting in the waiting room (fitting), the teacher lets you in. Unfortunately, he also lets in the entire waiting room with you. Some connect to audio while some are caught AFKing from the Zoom.

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In honor of our anticipated return to school in the fall, we upperclassmen want to share our time-tested tips to help our dear underclassmen truly succeed at Stuy. These will also make you appear extremely cool to your peers and might get you several secret admirers. We know that Stuyvesant can be a terrifying place, with scary seniors chugging coffee at 8:00 a.m. and juniors summoning demons in the fifth floor bathroom.

Rest assured that as caring, loving upperclassmen, we strive to help you find your way around school.

First, the basics. You have to carry all your textbooks in an extra large bookbag, preferably a rolling one (lockers are for losers). Any back pain is a sign of a successful day. Wheely bookbags are extremely trendy and practical. Crowds of upperclassmen will part in front of you because of how cool you are

(not because they’re scared of getting their toes run over).

Not many are aware of this information, but after several riots

by PSAL athletes requesting gym physical education (PE) frees, the administration signed a piece of legislation known as the Compelling Compromise of 2021. As a result, PE is worth 50 percent of a student’s overall average. This compromise merely represents the common will of Stuyvesant students, as gym physical education has always been the most important class in the average student’s eyes. Most students run up the stairs rather than take the escalators. The more advanced students scale the building utilizing techniques they learned in AP Muscle Building or Honors Yoga and crawl into classrooms from their windows.

There are several things you need to know to get the highest grade possible in your PE classes.

Deodorant is a social blunder at

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do they just particularly despise her? Is there some deep-rooted checkered past here that needs exposing? Apparently not, because this was how the administration responded after a week of panic, chaos, and general anarchy.

“It appears that a glitch in our Talos system has given everyone an extra free period, and this one student has been programmed to take all of the classes others have subsequently lost. Specifically, she must take a different set of classes every month or so to fulfill this program change.”

“And why hasn’t it been fixed yet?” “idk lol our tech guy’s out sick figure it out” Ignoring the fact that a website intended for use by thousands of students is run by a singular individual (you go IT guy, that is very swag of you), it seems that until further notice, this student will need to earn credits for every scheduled course or risk not being able to graduate. While this may seem like a stressful situation to be in on top of the college admissions process and overall high school business, look on the bright side––you can’t worry about sleeping in too late if you

ce

The room is flooded with cameras and raised hands, hoping to get the teacher’s attention but to no avail. “Can you guys hear me?” the teacher mouths before he turns on his mic and laughs. “Oh! I was muted.” The students respond with a forced laugh, and the teacher starts calling on students, obviously coming to ask about the test. The teacher screenshots everyone’s test results to get to the questions, and he provides the questions with half-assed answers because he’s too lazy to change the grades.

“Well, we did go over the fall of the Ottoman Empire last week, so it’s your fault that you got it wrong.”

“Sir, you’re a science teacher.”

“Well, you gotta be wellrounded, son!”

The student leaves the meeting, and it’s your turn to redeem yourself. Phase three: beg. “Sir, I didn't see that this question was a select-all-that-apply question, so

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By LIESEL WONG and KSENYA MULL

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try, and AP Pickup Line Delivery, whatever that’s about. What’s more peculiar are the replies and other program changes students have been reporting.

The

By KYLE HON CHAN

e Jun or 2

Aryana Singh / The Spectator

Ah yes, the 10-period school schedule. Some call it outrageous, and others say it’s flat out barbaric. Precisely one student thinks it’s great for productivity and class options, but they were also found to believe that the best place to complete schoolwork is the cafeteria, so we can disregard their judgment as irrelevant and unreliable. Regardless, it seems that as time goes on, students get busier and busier, with Stuyvesant juniors dragging themselves through hallways like exhausted, zombified… well, Stuyvesant juniors. Yet one seems to be unluckier than most.

“Guys why does my Talos schedule say that I have to attend 23 classes a day??! Has this happened to anyone else? HELP PLS ADMIN WON’T REPLY TO MY EMAILS.” This was the cry of said junior on Facebook, accompanied by a screenshot of a schedule with periods that extend past the allocated space on the dashboard page (which crashed immediately after because it exceeded its threshold of three people being on the site at once). Her extra classes include Freshman Health, AP Chemis-

tche ,

don’t sleep at all!

And so we find ourselves in a perfect little Omelas situation in which one student suffers sleepless nights and a growing disdain for life due to school in order for others to get that sweet, sweet free period. Do we protest and help?

Or should the community stay silent and let the administration—I mean, the mysterious magic that governs Talos—handle it? I personally believe that to leave this as it is would be an injustice, and I cannot accept this free no matter how tempting it may be.* How can we call ourselves members of this community if we cannot step in to help just one of us fend off the monster that is programming technicalities? How can we stand in this building exist in the general vicinity of New York on our Zoom devices without doing what is right? After all, we all know what it’s like to drown in the calamities of our flawed education system––let’s make it better by demanding a fix for this person’s schedule. * The writer of this article was found writing this article after taking a nap through her third free in a row.

our

could I get partial credit for this assignment?” The crowd of students cringe as you hopelessly beg for mercy. “Do you think I could get extra credit?” The teacher scoffs at you and doesn’t even answer. It’s a no.

Embarrassed, you leave the meeting, and you jump straight onto your bed, tears flooding from your eyes. You land with a bang on your cardboard mattress, enjoying the last few moments of its comfort, anticipating the dense but small footsteps stomping down the hallway. It’s your mom, which initiates phase four: agony.

She’s seen Jupiter Ed. She knows.

“I hope you enjoy sleeping on the uncarpeted floor, punk! I can see that you’re enjoying yourself a little too much on that cardboard!

If you can’t appreciate what I’ve given you and don’t study, I’m taking it away!” She rips the cardboard from underneath you, and you know there’s nothing else you can do.

Phase five: full mental breakdown. You curl up on the floor and bawl your eyes out as the unrelenting waves of disappointment roll over you. You cry yourself to sleep and wander into the endless wasteland of your dreams.

BANG! You crash your head on the open drawer as you wake to the sound of loud, but hollow footsteps. It’s your dad. He bangs the door again, and this time, startled, you hurl your back against the cold, uncarpeted floor. He yells, “I’ve just received a call that you’ve missed all of your classes!

What the hell are you doing! It’s 2:30 p.m., and you still haven’t woken up? You have a lot of explaining to do.” He slams the door and you groggily wake up, with pieces of paper stuck to your clammy skin. You make your way to your computer as you scroll endlessly through the Google Classroom feed looking for the office hours link, frantically searching for an excuse to blame everything on.

re h an

Stuy. In a STEM focused school, we aim to be as close to nature as possible. If you truly want to succeed, wear your PE uniform to school everyday since you never know when your teacher might schedule an extra credit PE session. Stuyvesant has its own fashion rules, so the weirdly sized shirt and extra baggy shorts are considered the pinnacle of style.

Here at Stuyvesant, we actually have several locations perfect for taking cute pictures, one of which is the Senior Atrium. Despite the name, the atrium behind the escalators on the second floor has nothing to do with seniors. It is, however, a very cute spot to take pictures. We recommend going there during one of your frees and loudly saying, “This FRESHMAN Comp. essay was so easy, I’ll definitely get into H*rvard at this rate!” as you make your way in.

The best time to do this act is after April 6, which is the day seniors finally graduate! Your comments

will remind them of the good college days ahead. Don’t worry about the upperclassmen glaring at you, they’re just admiring your intelligence.

Still studying in the library?

LAME. What you should be doing as a true alpha is studying in the Hudson staircase. Not only is this a quiet place where you don’t have to worry about how ugly you look when you’re slouching over your geometry homework, but you are also safe (for the most part) from the Art Appreciation teacher hunting you down for your Met project. Granted, you might encounter some seniors harmonizing in a series of moans, but do not worry, they are just practicing for the upcoming human knot competition!

You might also encounter the local student entrepreneurs conducting trades of flour. The hustle here at Stuy is very real as top quality flour is important if you want to get a good grade on your AP Cooking Appreciation final.

Now this is top secret information, but Stuyvesant actually has an 11th floor pool with a mini-bar where seniors spend their days.

Unfortunately, the area is off-limits as the stairs leading up to the 11th floor are always locked up. However, we’re here to help you get into Stuyvesant’s very own paradise.

The key to the pool is in room 123 where you will likely be met by Mr. Moran, who is in charge of Prom planning (he loves to take selfies, and we highly suggest you ask for one to get on his good side).

Just take out your phone and log into your Talos account so that he knows you go to Stuyvesant, and he will immediately give you the key. Now instead of loitering around the halls during free periods, you can enjoy a fun pool party with unlimited coffee, test answers, boba, and several water slides.

If you keep all these tips in mind, you are bound to succeed and be the coolest freshman in the grade!

Page 30

The Spectator ● June 25, 2021

Sports Football

Regardless of Record, Stuyvesant Football Is Winning can be chalked up to a number of factors. The most devastating factor has been that all high school sports are playing at the same time this season, which has rendered a large portion of the team (as well as head coach Mark Strasser) unable to serve the team due to obligations with other sports.

Strasser’s absence thrust longtime defensive coordinator Michael Tauber into the head coaching role. He had to grapple with a condensed pre-season practice schedule and the fact that the team had not played a game in 17 months to get his team ready for the season ahead.

He also had the challenge of the team being extremely young.

“We are very young. In the past, we [...] never had more than two sophomores on varsity at a time.

We have about eight starting right now,” Tauber said. Most of the eight starters have never played varsity football, and those

By MAX SCHNEIDER On the surface, this pandemic-era Stuyvesant football season looks like a bust. The team has a losing record and has one of the youngest rosters in program history. But those facts are also what makes this season so great. One year ago, these players were sitting at home, losing their football season to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Now they are getting to play their sport, and regardless of wins and losses, they are playing, and that fact is a win.

The season started off quite poorly, with the Peglegs losing to A. Philip Randolph High School 36-0 and 41-6 in back-to-back games. Both were gritty affairs with Stuyvesant committing many turnovers and failing to stop Randolph’s running attack, which had a combined 627 yards between the two games. While this performance may look bad on paper, it

who have played only registered a combined four touches in the whole of last season. This lack of experience clearly showed in the first two games and was a big factor going into their third game of the season against Adlai Stevenson High School, a 16-6 win that marked the first victory of the season and the first in many players’ careers. “We were just way more organized. This team is full of a bunch of sophomores and juniors. It took a really long time to mesh as a team. We kind of got it together this week,” senior defensive back and team captain Derek Fang said after the game, when asked about what had changed. His comments underscore the point of this season for the Peglegs. There is a tacit understanding that they are building for the future and that their best days are ahead of them.

Those days will be dominated by today’s sophomores, including

quarterback Efe Kilic and running back/free safety Samuel Glusker.

Glusker, who had two touchdowns and an interception in a breakthrough performance, gave the credit for his performance to his team. “We were functioning on all levels, everyone was making plays, everyone stepped up, and I just stepped up when the opportunities were there and converted,” he said.

As the team looks forward to the fourth and last game of the season against Lehman High School, as well as the future of Peglegs football, it will be on the backs of players like Glusker to step up and continue to execute at a high level. They will also need Kilic, the starting quarterback, to deliver. It was a rough start to the season for Kilic, who had only 30 passing yards over the first two games, while throwing four interceptions. However, he turned it around in game three, complet-

ing seven out of 15 passes for 57 yards and not turning the ball over, a considerable feat considering the youth on the offensive line and skill positions.

While Kilic and Glusker may be the cornerstones, the defensive unit also has a lot of potential to build on. Against Adlai Stevenson, they notched two interceptions from Glusker and junior receiver and cornerback William Woodruff. They also continuously pressured the quarterback, getting one sack. However, the brightest moments were not against the pass, but against the run. After being shredded apart by Randolph, they bottled up Adlai Stevenson’s run game, only allowing one quality run, a garbage-time touchdown from Adlai Stevenson’s quarterback. Whether or not they have performances like this one or those against Randolph will determine Stuyvesant’s future for the next several seasons.

Boys’ Volleyball

The 2021 Beasts’ Beginnings Stuyvesant’s boys’ volleyball team, the Beasts, was ready to ride its momentum from a strong 2018-2019 season into more success in the 2019-2020 season.

Then, the world stopped. The team took a year-long hiatus, and all the excitement that they had built up for the 2020 season quickly disappeared. Now, the Beasts are looking to make the most out of a difficult situation in 2021 and play for each other in order to have the most successful season possible.

This season, with the everchanging PSAL rules regarding when and where sports can be played, the Stuyvesant boys’ volleyball team will only have a four game schedule. The divisions have been realigned in order to minimize travel. So, the traditional rivalries that the team had made throughout their time in the Manhattan A West division will have to be put on pause. Instead, the team will look for success in the newly formed Manhattan II divi-

sion.

The team did lose some important pieces from the 20182019 season including the powerful middle hitter Sebastian Delangle and experienced outside hitter William Zeng. Both players

leadership roles in the 2019-2020 season. Zeng, a four-year player, compiled 45 kills and 58 digs in the 2018-2019 season. These two stats represent Zeng’s presence as an offensive and defensive player.

Zeng’s kills represent his offen-

were juniors in the 2018-2019 season and were looking to move into

sive prowess as these hits directly lead to points, and Zeng’s digs,

Courtesy of the Boys Volleyball Team

By ETHAN KIRSCHNER

hits that keep the ball from hitting the ground, show his defensive ability. Delangle added 15 kills in the same year.

But, this year, the results are secondary. The team is more focused on providing an escape from the harsh effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and developing confidence in younger players as they step into larger roles during their junior and senior years. Coach Vasken Choubaralian echoed this sentiment. “I just wanted to give team members an opportunity to socialize, be active, and play the sport which they love [and] to give every member of the team an opportunity to play with little concern for the win-loss record.” he said.

The practice time that the reunion of the team provided was essential for making sure skills stayed sharp and improvement continued. Even the seniors, including captain Nicklaus Yao, realized that passing down the culture of the team is one of their most important missions. “We are hoping […] to help build a sense

of community and culture for the young and upcoming players,” Yao said.

In particular, Choubaralian was extremely impressed with the strides the team made during the offseason and the play of co-captains Yao and Jun Li Yan. Both players saw limited action as sophomores in the 2018-2019 season. Yao was able to compile four kills while Yan, a libero playing predominantly in the back row, was able to execute three aces and four digs.

Though the team had spent over a year away from each other, the identity of the team remained strong. Most importantly, they enjoy each other’s company. “The team was very eager to get together again. They were ready and willing to practice wherever they could,” Choubaralian said. “I realized that I really missed coaching […] The connections with my team members and seeing their dedication [are] very fulfilling and gratifying. It brings me joy to see them working and playing together again.”

Ultimate Frisbee

Sticky Fingers Sky Their Way to Playoffs As both teams stand at opposite ends after team huddles, Brooklyn Technical High School’s Support team pulls a backhand throw to start the play.

The frisbee sails, and Stuyvesant junior Han Zhang waits to receive it while players dart across the field looking for their opponents to cover. Two Stuyvesant players attempt to cut and get open unsuccessfully. Zhang fakes to senior and co-captain Gavin Zhao before turning to senior and co-captain Leo Xiao for help. Xiao takes possession of the disc, and another Stuyvesant player attempts to cut. Senior Sergei Mishchenko goes deep looking for a huck to score, and Xiao launches a forehand throw down the field. A chorus of “up!” erupts from Stuyves-

ant’s sideline as the team turns to watch the two players at the end running to catch up with the disc. The Brooklyn Tech defender and Mishchenko leap for it in the endzone. In a blur of white and black jerseys, Mishchenko lands and emerges triumphantly with the white disc in hand, securing Stuyvesant’s 13-8 triumph against Brooklyn Tech last month.

The Sticky Fingers, Stuyvesant’s boys’ ultimate frisbee team, has sprung up from a series of challenges, most of them due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year, the team was unable to have a proper season since most of its games were canceled, resulting in only one official game and a few scrimmages. Coach Matthew Chin emphasized the impact of the pandemic on the team’s plays. “After COVID, our throws

were a little rusty, [and] our cuts were a little rusty, so we’re not in sync with each other as much,” he said.

players are stretched across the city, limiting where we could host convenient practices, while the pandemic severely limited

Xiao agreed, addressing the issues the pandemic brought, specifically geographically. “Our

our time together as a team.

Also unappreciated was our inability to toss after school, which

Courtesy of the Ultimate Frisbee Team

By YOONAH CHANG

we would do almost every day,” he said in an e-mail interview.

However, the players were able to bring back the grit that the team stands for after encouragement from Coach Devon Huang. Huang emphasized the importance of keeping a positive mentality, which proved effective as cheers grew louder at games and players often made impressive completions in the form of layouts (diving to catch or block the disc).

As part of the DiscNY Youth Ultimate Program, which is separate from PSAL, the Sticky Fingers go through COVID-19 screenings prior to games and practices to ensure the players’ safety. Social distancing guidelines were not mandated for vaccontinued on page 27

The Spectator ● June 25, 2021

Page 31

Sports Baseball

The Stuyvesant Hitmen Keep On Hitting In a season with unpredictable circumstances, Stuyvesant’s varsity baseball team, the Hitmen, has stepped up to the plate.

To start the season, the team traveled to Florida for its annual spring training. However, it was unlike any prior trip to Florida the team had taken. The Hitmen endured COVID-19 testing and protocols along the way and were in their own bubble. The team also only faced travel teams hailing from the state of Florida.

However, the trip was still a success, bringing the players closer together and preparing them for the upcoming season.

“The goals for this year were simple. We just wanted to try to get all our games in this year since it is a very shortened season. All we really cared about was playing. I did want to see how the ‘new players’ were going to fare against other varsity teams since they [had] only played junior varsity baseball,” head coach of the team John Carlesi said in an e-mail interview. The team has accomplished that objective so far. A roster of sophomores has

played key positions on varsity, like catcher Adam Lucey, second baseman Julian Duran, and pitcher Iravan Bhattacharyya.

They have played in significant clutch moments and gained valuable experience for their next couple of years on the team.

As for the Stuyvesant junior varsity baseball program, sophomores and freshmen are coached

by Coach Charles Sewell and Coach Mike Schneider. The underclassmen have games against other JV teams, but practices have been limited as Sewell has also committed to coaching the Stuyvesant varsity boys’ basketball team.

Not only have the Hitmen been developing their young talent this year, but they have also been as competitive as ever. Before the PSAL even restarted in the spring, the Hitmen played as a travel team and finished with a 7-4 record against tough travel competition. As of now, they have a 4-2 record and sit at the top of their division. To start the season, the Hitmen faced Beacon in a defensive battle. Junior Paul Liou had nine outs and allowed zero hits and one run over

three innings, striking out four.

Beacon ended up winning 2-1, with Stuyvesant getting on base but failing to get a big hit to finish on top.

The Hitmen’s second game of the PSAL season was one of

ing out six batters and giving up only two hits while walking three.

Juniors Ethan Kirschner and Jonathan Lee produced big hits to beat GW 7-6.

The Hitmen found themselves somewhat less successful

the biggest wins of the year. According to Coach Matt Hahn, it was the first time in 50 years that Stuyvesant had defeated George Washington (GW) in a game of baseball. The Hitmen won in a nailbiter, in which pitcher Bhattacharyya had a great game, strik-

in their third game. They lost 1-0 in a matchup against Manhattan Center, in which Liou had 18 outs. The team bounced back against Inwood Campus in its next game, winning 10-4. The Hitmen had nine hits that day and had multiple hits from ju-

Courtesy of the Baseball Team

By PHILLIP PHAN

niors Sam Levine and Kirschner.

A two-run double late in the game from Liou put the game away. The most recent Stuyvesant game was a lopsided affair: the Hitmen defeated Norman Thomas 21-0.

COVID-19 has posed some significant challenges to the team this season.“There’s a shortened season, and we can’t play teams out of Manhattan. There [are] also only four schools in our division, and sometimes, games get canceled. We also have to wear masks during games, which makes it hard to breathe,” Lee said.

Despite the challenges, the season so far has been an overall success. The team has promising young players, and strong pitching is setting it up for a deep playoff run next year. “Longterm goals for this team [are] to win the division next year and to make it to the second round of the playoffs. Whatever happens after that [will] be a bonus,” Carlesi said. The Hitmen have a bright future ahead and look forward to successful upcoming seasons as PSAL fully returns this year.

Boys’ Track

The Runnin’ Rebels Are Back on Their Feet

By TAEE CHI and JULIAN DURAN After a year of inactivity due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Stuyvesant’s boys’ basketball team, the Runnin’ Rebels, is finally back in action. The yearlong hiatus provided the players with additional time to work on their skills and prepare for their next season. It gave them even more motivation to redeem themselves after a tough 20192020 season that saw them go 1-15. When it was announced that PSAL sports would return in early April, players and coaches alike were eager to get back on the court. It marked the start of another opportunity to compete against rival schools and fight their way through the tough Manhattan division.

In accordance with the life-altering effects of COVID-19, this year’s Rebels bring a new look with them onto the court––a stark contrast to previous years. The most notable of these changes is the larger roster in comparison to years prior. The official roster currently stands at a grand total of 25 players. In the 2019-

2020 and 2018-2019 seasons, the rosters stood at 17 and 13, respectively. This year’s roster also includes a large number of underclassmen (15 to be exact).

This new dynamic and willingness to accept more players by new head coach Charles Sewell provide more depth to the team and flexibility for when players aren’t able to make it to games during this odd season.

This season has also provided challenges to the players who travel from all over the city to go to practices and games.

Since a large number of students attend school remotely, rather than in-person, these players are forced to travel from their homes scattered across all five boroughs to Manhattan to meet up. “The level of commitment has been very impressive,” Sewell said. “Everyone on the team is attending school remotely. As such, some have as much as a 90-minute commute to and from practice. Most have at least an hour. Yet attendance at practice has been excellent […] The commitment we’ve seen speaks volumes about the determination of this group.”

This dedication demonstrates

the effect of PSAL sports on student-athletes and the students’ eagerness to return back to action after such a long absence.

The team has also dealt with challenges on the court. Due to basketball being regarded as a “high-risk” sport by the PSAL as a result of the frequent contact between participants, most of the Rebels’ games have been played outdoors. Whether there is heat, wind, or rain, the players have been forced to remain focused and persevere through these circumstances, despite outside disturbances.

The team has also been challenged with other COVID-19 protocols put in place by the PSAL. Other than a ban on common sportsmanship practices such as handshakes, fist bumps, and high fives, social distancing measures must be enforced for pregame activity and bench areas, and facial coverings must be worn at all times, even for those who are on the court. “Wearing masks has complicated on-court communication and made basketball skill development drills and conditioning drills significantly

more difficult,” Sewell said.

Since the second week of April, the Rebels have been practicing hard for their 2021 season. They participated in five outdoor scrimmages with teams from other schools in May and early June, and they have also had the opportunity to play two non-league games and two league games on indoor courts. The players were grateful and excited for the opportunity to participate in real matches, but the games have shown that the Rebels struggle to score consistently on offense as they weren’t able to score more than 30 points in both of their league games. “Our biggest challenge has been scoring with consistency. Oddly enough, since we’ve moved inside for games, we’ve struggled to put the ball in the hoop,” Sewell said.

Starting shooting guard and junior Philip Phan expressed similar sentiments. “Our offense is pretty sloppy right now,” he said. “[The opposing] team usually goes on runs during the third and fourth quarters when we can’t convert our shots.” He did note, however,

that there were also many areas in which the Rebels improved, most notably their ball movement, effort, and defense.

Though the team is still focused on winning games, the general consensus among the players and coach has been that this season is more about team development than winning. “We want to provide an opportunity for our seniors to enjoy representing their school in one final abbreviated season.

We also want to help the underclassmen develop their basketball skills and understanding of the game,” Sewell said. This focus on underclassmen will undoubtedly pay off in the future as they will have built up a strong culture of commitment.

With many promising young players on the team, as well as a new coach who is committed to improving the play of the Rebels, the future of the team looks bright. In the upcoming years, they will look to improve their standings in the Manhattan V league and possibly even qualify for the playoffs. It’s a tall order, but there is no doubt that the Runnin’ Rebels can get it done.

Ultimate Frisbee

Sticky Fingers Sky Their Way to Playoffs continued from page 28

cinated players but were recommended early on in the season.

With the playoffs approaching, the team hopes to recover from a few losses in their league games against Beacon and Bard and another game against Brooklyn Tech. Scattered among official league games are tour-

naments and scrimmages. The Sticky Fingers placed third in the 2021 NYC Youth Cup on June 12 among familiar rivals LaGuardia, Brooklyn Tech, Beacon, and Bard, as well as teams outside the city, such as Scarsdale High School. They fell short against Brooklyn Tech after a heated first game of the day that ended in Tech scoring on universe (the last point of the game) from a

tie but bounced back to defeat LaGuardia’s mixed, Beacon’s A, and John Jay’s and Scarsdale’s teams.

As for next season, the team aims to maintain the newfound resilience and energy that it has harnessed over the past few games while also expanding the relatively unknown sport to underclassmen. Even with several valuable seniors leaving, Xiao

is confident that the rest of the team’s veterans, including junior Ren Kondo and sophomore Samuel Liao, have the experience to maintain the Sticky Fingers legacy. Zhang, ready to step up and lead the team next year, cites that his goals are focused around recruitment and making sure that the team as a whole has as much experience as possible. “I want us to develop as both players and

leaders to set a good example for the rookies joining,” Zhang said in an e-mail interview.

Xiao agrees, and he is proud of the energy and camaraderie the team has developed. “I can say with confidence that this team embodies the mantra that we always cheer at the end of practices and games: Team First,” he said.

Page 32

The Spectator ● June 25, 2021

THE SPECTATOR SPORTS Softball

The Renegades Are Stepping Up to the Plate For student athletes across the city, the year away from PSAL has been a year away from the best part of school: inside jokes with teammates, satisfying wins against school rivals, and stress relief after a long day at school. When Stuyvesant announced the sports that would be offered in this year’s spring PSAL season, the Renegades, Stuyvesant’s varsity girls’ softball team, were ecstatic to see themselves on the list. “You never realize how much you love something until it is taken away,” Coach Vincent Miller said.

Unlike fall season sports, the Renegades have not played together for two years as the COVID-19 pandemic ended their season before it even began in the spring of 2020. As a result, the team composition from 2019 to 2021 is entirely different, and the players have had to adjust to new roles and positions. Junior Paige Wolfing, for example, began pitching for the first time in her softball career. “Being a pitcher can be the most isolating position on the field […] It’s a very mental position, and I find it hard sometimes to just stay calm

and cool,” she said in an e-mail interview. Despite this daunting challenge, in her career start, Wolfing threw a no-hitter game against Richard Green HS of Teaching that led the Renegades to their first win.

ing the ball to the wrong place or panicking and making a bad throw to first base because they don’t feel confident that they know what they are doing,” senior and co-captain Isabel Leka said. Still, the upperclassmen players are proud of

While Coach Miller and returning players feared a lack of interest among underclassmen, they were pleasantly surprised to see 20 people at tryouts. Each player had varying skill levels. “A big challenge we are facing in game situations is uncertainty and unconfidence […]

This results in errors like throw-

how each new player has stepped up to the plate and practiced hard over the past two months.

Due to the unpredictable nature of the pandemic and the lower division competition, many of the Renegades’ scheduled games have been either postponed or forfeited. However, the Renegades were

Francesca Nemati / The Spectator

By SHIVALI KORGAONKAR

able to play two regular season games, defeating their opponents, Richard Green HS of Teaching and HS Economics & Finance, by 15 and 10 points, respectively. The rest of the Renegades’ games were either postponed or forfeited by opposing teams for various unique reasons, such as overheating, lack of permit, or too few players.

The Renegades also had a scrimmage against Beacon High School, which they lost 12-1 due to Beacon’s steals and solid pitching.

“Teaching [new players] the way the game is played and working on fielding and hitting when we’ve been playing teams that are below our division level [have] been difficult,” senior and co-captain Angelina Mustafa said. Since the Renegades will play AA division teams like Beacon next season, it’s crucial that they improve their batting skills against better pitchers to make the playoffs.

The Renegades have been navigating the pandemic’s challenges within and outside of practice.

For the first few weeks of the season, PSAL restrictions prohibited teams from using any equipment, and the team had trouble running through drills and game time sce-

narios. Over time, the Renegades slowly grew more comfortable with each other, and the younger players started reaching out to their more experienced teammates for help. “I feel like we created a welcoming community on the team, and people are not afraid to ask for help or for tips with their game,” Wolfing said.

Above all, this season has been more about community than winning. “As a senior who didn’t get much else of her senior year, being able to go to practice every day, see my teammates, and have a generally normal season has been so refreshing,” Mustafa said. For incoming freshmen, this season has been a chance to understand the lively extracurricular and athletic environment at Stuyvesant, and for seniors, it has been one final goodbye. PSAL is not hosting softball playoffs this year, so the players want to end their regular season strong and build their confidence. Excited to grow their bond both on and off the field, the Renegades are looking forward to playing against better, more competitive teams next year that will test their developing skills in fielding and hitting.

Girls’ Track

Long-Awaited Return for the Greyducks For Stuyvesant’s girls’ track team, the Greyducks, practices used to be held every day. Members would rush down the crowded staircases in the Stuyvesant building to get to the first floor, where they met as a team and stretched prior to going on runs.

But last March, that all ended as COVID-19 raged around the world, and all PSAL practices and races were canceled, along with the closure of schools. Athletes on the team held out hope they would be able to return to track meets and cross country races promptly, but it took over 12 months before this return happened. However, this time was not wasted, as many of the Greyducks kept busy and performed other types of workouts on their own in order to keep fit.

“After schools closed down in the spring of 2020, we started hosting virtual workouts over Zoom for us to safely exercise together.

In the fall, we started hosting inperson group runs for those who were willing and able to meet up for easy runs, in addition to sending out a flexible training plan for our runners to follow,” senior and captain Julianne Yotov said.

Furthermore, the team utilized the mobile app Strava during this time as a means of motivating each other to continue running by posting runs they did individually and giving each other “kudos” for their activities. Finally, PSAL announced on March 8, 2021 that sports would resume, with practices starting in April and competitions in May. The team was able to start practicing together again once April arrived, in a return to some normalcy. While practices had been historically held either along the Hudson River or at the Armory, practices this year were held at Astoria Park in Queens.

As these practices resumed, it was clear that different levels of activity over the past year had made a difference. “The transition of reintegrating athletes was difficult because everyone came back with different levels of conditioning and endurance, so it was difficult to strike a balance with regard to workouts,” head coach Carl DiSarno said in an e-mail interview. As it also became evident that this season would be like no other, the Greyducks adapted their goals to be centered around bonding, having fun, and getting ready for more intensive training over the summer in preparation for next year.

“We focused more on making sure our team was a place where all interested runners, throwers, and jumpers could be part of a supportive family. We especially wanted to extend a warm welcome to freshmen (and other new members to the team) and help them be a part of a community at Stuy,” Yotov said.

Races started in May, but the structure of the whole track and field system for PSAL was greatly changed. In prior years, the Greyducks had competed against teams from across the city in various meets, culminating in the Manhattan Borough Championships and PSAL City Championships. However, this year, they were set to only compete in six meets, with all being part of the PSAL Spring Series for their division, the Brooklyn/Manhattan Girls I division. With only seven other teams in this division and just a few teams actually showing up to most races with multiple athletes, the sense of competition was not as great as in the past. Moreover, only some events were offered at each race, with the 100-meter dash, 800-meter run, 300-meter run, and 4x400-meter relay only offered at odd Spring Series races (one, three, and five)

and the 400-meter dash, 400-meter hurdles, 1500-meter run, and 4x100-meter relay only offered at even races. This structure meant athletes were not always able to

while the Greyducks’ 4x400-meter team finished over 30 seconds faster than second-placed Bard High School Early College. In the fourth spring series race of

compete in their favorite or best events. Yet, it was still better than having no races as had been the case for the previous year. “This season was different because it never felt like a serious season.

There were no championship meets, but it was great for the girls to get a chance to compete, even if it was only against three other schools,” DiSarno said.

Not only did the Greyducks get the chance to compete, but they also performed at a high level in the division. The Greyducks attended their first meet of the season on May 15, the second Spring Series race for the Brooklyn/Manhattan Girls I division. There, Yotov placed third in the 1500-meter run. Four days later, the team’s other captain, Agatha Edwards, placed first in the 3000-meter run, while freshman Amanda Cisse finished third in the 200-meter dash and fifth in the 100-meter dash. Freshman Anabella Castle also won the shot put event at this race,

the season, Edwards and Yotov placed fourth and sixth, respectively, in the 1500-meter event, while junior Zuzi Liu earned third place in the 200-meter dash.

In the shot put event, sophomore Ruby Lin and junior Charlotte Li finished first and second, respectively.

With the end of the season marked by the Greyducks’ last race on June 13, an emphasis has been placed on looking ahead

Courtesy of the Girls Track Team

By VERNON HUGHES

to next year. With the hope that PSAL sports will return to full normalcy as schools fully reintegrate to in-person learning, the Greyducks will aim to compete with the top schools in the city, starting with the cross country season next fall. After finishing in the top four in the last cross country PSAL City Championships in 2019 and qualifying for the New York State Federation XC Championships, the expectations will be high for a mostly new set of runners to continue the legacy of past Greyducks teams. For senior Greyducks, this season was their last with the team, but they leave the track with fond memories. Caroline Ji, a senior who has been on the team since her freshman year, reflected on her time as a Greyduck. “My favorite aspect of this team is that our identity has always been and will forever be grounded in the idea that one’s impact on a team extends far beyond the stats sheet. Being a Greyduck is about doing the small things that no one will notice: scurrying around the track at the end of a hard workout to give out some much-needed high fives, bringing brownies to a meet in the scorching heat in hopes of spurring some last-minute team spirit, [and] sacrificing your own race so that your teammate can execute her race plan,” she said.

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