Volume 110, Issue 6

The Spectator

“The Pulse of the Student Body”

The Stuyvesant High School Newspaper

OPINIONS

A&E

Disaster in Detroit

A Not-So-Subtle Social Satire

Opinions writer Kristin Cheng discusses the state of public schools in Detroit and our nation as a whole and explains how to ameliorate it. see page

Volume 110 No. 6

see page

December 11, 2019

NEWSBEAT

By THOMAS STRASSER

stuyspec.com

Mr. Strasser is a teacher in the physics department.

Academy

Physics is an experimental Seoul Metropoli- science, and physics labs should tan Office of Education teach you experimental physics. visited Stuyvesant, meeting You should learn how to plan with Principal Eric Contreras, experiments, how to conduct English teacher Minkyu Kim, and evaluate them. You should school counselor Kristina Uy, learn to decide how many meaand sophomore WonJong surements you need and to conPark. The visit was arranged clude when you have enough by parent Sara Joo. data. You should learn how to best visualize your results and how to extract the most inforGerman Consul General mation from your graphs. You David Gill visited Stuyves- should learn to judge how reliant on November 21, giving able your measurement results a presentation titled “30 years are and how to evaluate when of the Peaceful Revolution and results differ significantly from the Fall of the Berlin Wall— The Path to Freedom and Ger- each other. You should learn to improve your experiments man Unity.” based on a thorough analysis of your results. In short, you At the Scarsdale Invitational, should learn what physicists do juniors Sarai Pridgen and in an experiment.

Unfortunately, you do not Gallo Patel reached Octafinals for Lincoln-Douglas, learn this at Stuyvesant. Inwhile seniors Jeremy Lee, stead, you have to work your Alex Annenberg, and way through a set of prescribed Christopher Cho, ju- procedures: you are told in niors Justin Sword and great detail how experiments Eric Han, and sophomore are set up, which measurements Edward Khemelmakher should be taken, how many reached Octafinals for Public data points are needed, which Forum. data points are to be used, how results have to be plotted, and even which calculations should

Zoe Oppenheimer / The Spectator

The

By MADELYN MAO, KATIE NG, and ALICE ZHU

17

Your Physics Labs are a Disgrace

OP-ED

Juniors Zoe Piccirillo and Evelyn Ma were accepted to The Junior Academy at the New York of Sciences.

11

Arts & Entertainment writer Gavin McGinley reviews “Parasite,” a critically-acclaimed film that delivers with its talented cast and wonderful storytelling.

be used to get results.

Do you think a physicist goes into her lab in the morning and opens a booklet that tells her every step of what she is supposed to do? Of course not. This is not how physics works, and it should not be the way physics labs are set up. Physics education research clearly shows that labs should focus on teaching experimental skills, and that is pretty much the opposite of what Stuyvesant is offering you.

AP Physics 1 should have a strong lab focus; in fact, the AP Physics 1 exam specifically includes an experimental design question. Stuyvesant is not preparing you for this properly.

Even though the physics class

this year is AP Physics 1, the Administration has just given you the exact same labs that students did in double periods for Regents physics last year.

They did not modify the labs in any way to adjust them to single periods or make them align with the AP Physics lab requirements; a third of your labs do not even cover AP Physics 1 topics.

Modern experimental physics relies heavily on computers, and physics labs in the 21st century should teach you how to utilize computers for data analysis. At Stuyvesant, we make you work with homemade, half-broken equipment straight from the 1970s. It’s not that we don’t have modern

equipment—we just don’t use it: last year, the Administration discarded boxes full of 20-yearold computer sensors that were never used. Most of these sensors were still in their original packaging, but they had grown obsolete in their two decades on the shelf, and did not work with modern computers. Stuyvesant purchased brand new sensors again last year. Why didn’t you get to use them? Why did you have to work with decadeold ticker tape machines and warped inclined planes instead?

And as if this were not bad enough, your labs have the science wrong for key parts of the curriculum. Your lab booklet consistently misuses percent error as if it were an indicator of the quality of your result. If you are a scientist and you are the first person to measure a quantity, what would you use as the “expected” value? There is none—you are measuring this quantity for the first time. Still, scientists can express the quality of a measurement, and they use the concept of uncertainty to do so.

If you are currently taking physics, let me illustrate with Lab 2, where you analyzed the ticker tape to find the acceleracontinued on page 2

The Math Team Breaks Records at PUMaC

Courtesy of Brian Sterr

The New York City Math Team (NYCMT) sent 19 Stuyvesant students and six Hunter College High School students to the Princeton University Mathematics Competition (PUMaC), a national student-run mathematics competition at Princeton University on November 16. Among the three teams of eight students from NYC, two of them placed in the top 10: team Tin Man placed third, and team Scarecrow placed 10th. In addition, there were seven finalists from NYC, most of whom are Stuyvesant students: sophomore Rishabh Das, juniors Srinath Mahankali and Theo Shiminovich, and Hunter College High School students Tovi Wen, Ethan Joo, Max Vaysburd, and Mario Tutuncu-Macias.

The PUMaC competition consists of four parts: a power round, two individual tests, a team round, and a live round. For each section, every question gets progressively harder. The power round is a week-long, challenging, college-level proof-based contest with 25 pages of background information and questions. This year’s power round, a three-part graph theory and probability contest, was held the week prior to the other sections.

For the individual rounds, each member chooses two eightquestion tests from the topics of algebra, combinatorics, number theory, and geometry. The individual tests are based on a scale in which questions with fewer scorers and thus are of a higher difficulty have greater point value.

The third round, the team round, is a 15-question, 40-minute contest where teams may submit answers to questions graded out of four, five, or six points.

Teams receive no penalty for an incorrect four-point question answer, a two-point penalty for every incorrect five-point question answer, and an eight-point penalty for every incorrect six-point question answer.

In the final round, the live round, teams are given one hour to complete nine sets of three questions. All teams are situated in one large room, and all scores are updated on a large screen in the front as each set is submit-

ted. Teams may only receive one set at a time and cannot change their answers after moving on to the next set.

The teams performed exceptionally well despite that several star members graduated last year.

The top team placed third overall—the highest it has ever finished—and NYC was the only city in the nation to have two teams in the top 10. “We were sad to see [the seniors] go, and there were a few of us [who] were re-

ally concerned that without these strong mathematicians and leaders, we would not reach the same heights as we did last year. I think that this year shows that not only will we reach the same heights, but also we’ll do better. I’m very optimistic about [competitions] later on in the school year,” senior and captain Akash Das said.

Math teacher Stan Kats, one of the head coaches of the NYCMT and the Stuyvesant math team, was thrilled by the results.

He knows that while all the students have worked extremely hard, winning boils down to luck at a certain level. “I understand the Stuyvesant mentality—they always have to be the best—but that’s a really toxic mentality. It comes down to luck. Sometimes, you’re going to have a good day because you recognize the questions, but [other times], you’re not [going to] have that great of a day. Mostly what it means is that as long as you stay in the top five, you’re in the company of really outstanding national teams, and you’ll always have a chance to win,” he said. “And if it happens, great. If it doesn’t, I’m not going to be any less proud of the kids.”

Kats was especially surprised by the number of finalists. In the past, the NYCMT has never had more than two finalists at continued on page 2

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The Spectator ● December 11, 2019

News Your Physics Labs are a Disgrace continued from page 1

Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons and NASA

WORLDBEAT Iraq Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi announced his planned resignation amid antigovernment protests.

A man in a fake bomb vest stabbed several people and killed two in a London terrorist incident.

President Donald Trump has decided not to present witnesses or acquire evidence to the House Judiciary Committee for his impeachment inquiry.

President Donald Trump visited the Middle East to restart peace negotiations with the Taliban.

Bolivian President Evo Morales announced his resignation after facing unrest to his disputed election.

-tion of gravity. With the ruler you used, any measurement of the acceleration of gravity will have an uncertainty of about 3ms2. When I tried doing the lab, I measured it to be 7.5ms2±3ms2. That means that I can be certain that the “real” value for the acceleration of gravity is in the range from 4.5ms2 to 10.5ms2. If you were to measure 9.5ms2±3ms2, would your result be better than mine? No—both measurements would have the same uncertainty and both uncertainty ranges would include the value that scientists have measured many times before us. The huge range of uncertainty just means that this ticker tape method is a terrible way to measure the acceleration of gravity. I measured the acceleration of gravity with a simple pendulum as 9.86ms2±0.07ms2 with about the same amount of time and effort—a much better method and a much better result.

What is really outrageous is that some lab classes take this abuse of science even further and require you to have a percent error of less than 10 percent; a measurement of 9.5ms2±3ms2 and a measurement of 7.5ms2±3ms2 are completely equivalent in quality (equally bad, if you like) and the fact that 9.5ms2±3ms2 is closer to the “expected value” is a matter of pure luck.

But what would you do if your lab teacher required you to be within 10 percent error and you were not lucky enough to fall in that range? You could only cheat and make up fake data, claiming that you had less than a 10 percent error when in fact you hadn’t. My measurement of 7.5ms2±3ms2 would not have been accepted in these lab classes either, and I would have had to resort to cheating as well.

The physics labs at Stuyvesant would be embarrassing for any high school, let alone for one that claims to have a science focus. Their for-

mulaic approach doesn’t foster scientific thinking and creativity. They meet neither the time nor the quality requirements for AP Physics 1 labs, and they use obsolete technology even though we have better equipment that we don’t use. I and many other physics teachers have complained about the appalling quality of the physics labs to the administration many times to no effect. This administration ignores us teachers, but they might listen to you; let the administration know if you are not happy with your Physics labs. Tell them if you would like to work with modern equipment.

If you don’t like being forced to cheat, complain.

You deserve better—just ask for it.

Have a response to this piece? Submit a letter to the editor to opinions@stuyspec. com; the Spectator welcomes letters from students, teachers, administrators, parents, and whoever else happens to have something to say.

The Math Team Breaks Records at PUMaC continued from page 1

Courtesy of Brian Sterr

PUMaC. “I think the part that freaked me out was that NYC was in its prime a few years ago, [with] one or two qualifiers. Even that disappeared for a while, and then two years ago, we had one qualifier,” he said. “I would never [have] bet on seven [students making tiebreakers].

Students could have made any bets that they wanted, and I would have accepted them because I would’ve thought there was a zero percent chance.”

Kats was not only shocked by the number of qualifiers, but by their ages as well. “We ended up with seven qualifiers, and as assistant coach Lori Lou (’17) pointed out, the scariest thing is that none of them were seniors, which shows that the teams should be just as strong next year, which is kind of nuts,” Kats said.

The finalists were also surprised by the results. “I knew I got a six [out of eight on the number theory individual contest], so I knew I did well, but I didn’t think it would be enough to make individuals finals,” Tutuncu-Macias said.

Math team members are expressing confidence in the team’s potential as they continue to improve. “I am very excited for the future of NYCMT,” Rishabh Das said. As all seven individual qualifiers were sophomores and juniors, he “not only [hopes] but expects [the NYCMT] to succeed for years to come.”

Though none of the seniors on the team placed individually, they are enthusiastic about their teammates’ success and optimistic about the team’s future. “This year, because of my seniority, I had a different role, which is to guide younger students on the teams. I am very proud of them. There’s always a stigma every year that when one year graduates, the team is hesitant about whether it’s going to be able to land on its feet. But this year, we’ve seen seven kids make it,” Akash Das said. “As seniors, we take pride in our younger students and their abilities. [It’s] looking like a good future.”

Every team member’s dedication to math and teamwork greatly contributed to the math team’s success. “Out of all our practices, including the Saturday, weekend, [and Friday] practices, we’ve only not had a full team once,” senior and math team captain Nancy Kuang said.

“The only thing that sets us apart from other teams, not just in NYC but around the country, is [that] we have a group of people who only do math, and we don’t really have that many extracurriculars that we would miss math team for.”

Kuang also emphasized the

special bond she has developed with members of the math team through math team practices and Whole Foods sessions. “I don’t know if I’ll find another community like this one, where people stay after school [at Whole Foods until 8:00 p.m. or 9:00 p.m. twice a week] even though they don’t have to and go to [room] 407 during their frees just to do math,” she said.

Just as she finds inspiration in her fellow teammates, Kuang also finds inspiration in the underclassmen as their captain. “They’re so willing to collaborate with each other and [learn]. And I guess that’s what makes the Stuyvesant math team so great. It’s that people are constantly improving in the way that they want to work as a community and [improving] not just individually, but as a group as well,” she said.

This is Akash Das and Kuang’s final year with the NYCMT, and both have enjoyed their experiences at competitions like PUMaC. “I’ve been to a lot of math camps and a lot of competitions, so I’ve made a lot of friends from outside New York City, from all over the country.

And every math competition like this nation[al] competition, I get to see them and catch up, which is always a lot of fun,” Akash Das said.

“Another part I really like is just the joy of competing. We work really hard every week, and it’s always good to see the hard work pay off.”

Kats is very proud of all his students, and seeing them win was especially touching for him, as many of them do not often see their efforts paying off. “Because of the mentality of the school, there are always kids who work super hard, and a lot of times they’re not old [enough,] or it’s not reaffirmed that their work is actually paying off,” he said.

“These kids stay on Mondays and Wednesdays after school, and they stay on Fridays till 6:30 p.m., and they do math on weekends.

And until you actually go to competitions and see how you do, you’re always going to have a little bit of doubt like, ‘Do I know this stuff?’

And to see them actually get confirmation of [their] progression and the work that they put in [is] what made me happiest,” Kats said.

Overall, both Kats and the math team students were glad to see the team succeed at PUMaC. “Hard work pays off. I don’t throw around the word ‘pride’ that often.

It’s very seldom I tell someone I’m proud of them, and a lot of the times I just forget to say it, or I don’t think to say it,” Kats said. “But this is a moment [where] I’m definitely proud of the kids, and I want them to know. If you work at it, you’ll be able to accomplish.”

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The Spectator ● December 11, 2019

News A Rendezvous with History: David Hanna Featured in New Documentary

By MADELYN MAO and LUCY BAO

Matt Melucci/The Spectator

Social studies teacher David Hanna was interviewed for the documentary, “The Lafayette Escadrille,” which showcases American soldiers fighting in the French army during World War I. His book, “Rendezvous with Death,” also served a crucial role in the making of the documentary. Published in June 2016, “Rendezvous with Death” is about a group of Americans fighting for the French Foreign Legion to help defeat the Central Powers during World War I. Filmmakers Derroch Greer and Paul Glenshaw, who were researching the Lafayette Escadrille, reached out to Hanna after reading his book. “[Greer] was doing background reading for a documentary that he was interested in possibly making on the Lafayette Escadrille, which was an all-American squadron that served in the French army in World War I. He saw my book in a bookstore and picked it up and read it,” Hanna said. “He contacted me, and then he said he wanted to interview me, and so he came to New York.”

The interview took place in Principal Eric Contreras’s office. “[Greer] and his cameraman took over Contreras’s office for a day. [...] The interview itself was about an hour or so. They used a lot of the parts of the interview in the film,” Hanna said.

Hanna initially did not expect his book to be used as a source of information that would lead to his appearance in a documentary.

“You always hope that your book will sell and people will be interested [...] but that’s just in general. You don’t know specifics,

and you don’t think specifically that something [will] happen,” he said. Hanna emphasized that the information portrayed in the film is not solely based on his work.

“It’s not just about my book. But my book was one of the main sources for that film,” he said.

The premiere for “The Lafayette Escadrille” took place in Dayton, Ohio on November 9, 2019. On seeing himself in the documentary, Hanna said, “It’s weird. The premiere was [...] in

this amazing IMAX theater museum at this museum in Dayton.

So seeing your face, your own face, on a screen two stories high on IMAX, it’s a little weird. It really is.”

There was also a symposium, which was held the next day on November 10, 2019. People who contributed to the making of the documentary attended the event.

“It was myself, this guy Steve Ruddi—he’s also an author. He wrote a book specifically about

Robotics Competes at Brunswick Eruption

By KATIE NG and THEO SCHIMINOVICH

son. All of the departments of the team are training new members so that they’ll be ready to build in January. “We’re currently planning on building a whole new robot for our future competitions at Palmatto in South Carolina, New York Regionals, and Hudson Valley Regionals,” Goh said.

Robotics Team 694 has three regional competitions to prepare for: the Palmetto Regional in South Carolina on February 2829, the Hudson Valley Regionals on March 20-22, and the New York City Regionals on April 3-5.

Winning their regional competitions will qualify them for world championships, which Blay remains optimistic about. “If we qualify at any of these three competitions, we qualify for the world championship in Detroit, which we’ve gone to for the last four years. It’ll be our fifth year if we qualify. Those are our big events, [so] those will really count,” he said.

Team 694 is also hoping to break new records. “Last year, we won the New York City Regionals, and that was our second year in a row, so we’re going for a three-peat this year, which no one’s ever done,” Blay said.

Goh is optimistic for next year’s robotics team as well. “[The] seniors have a lot of experience, and hopefully we’ll bring new things to the competition this year. We’ve been achieving more and more and building more complicated bots,” he said.

Overall, the robotics members and coaches are looking forward to the 2020 season and its competitions. “We are certainly excited to see what the new game brings,” Leung said.

disappears by halfway through 1916 and goes back to the United States. But I know they were torn because it’s such an interesting part of the story, and also she was a strong female character in the story, so I know it was tough for them,” Hanna said. “People who see the final product, they don’t know what’s been cut out, so those are tough decisions.”

Hanna recommends watching the film. “For people who are interested in aviation and for people who are interested in World War I, I think they’ll really like this. It’s a really good film. I was impressed. If I wasn’t in it, I would show it to my students, at least a 30-minute chunk. But because I’m in it, no,” he said. The documentary itself does not have a set release date, but it is projected to be available in early 2020.

Hanna’s students also are excited about the documentary.

“I’ve read part of Mr. Hanna’s book, and as long as the flow is the same, I think it’ll be really good,” junior Roshni Patel said.

The people he wrote about were real people, and it’s cool that he dug deep into their lives. He’s more than a teacher; he experiences things as a historian.”

Meanwhile, Hanna is now embarking on his next journey, a book about the 1933-1934 Chicago World Fair, specifically on the aviators who were the highlight of the fair. “One was a German zeppelin captain who didn’t like Hitler. The other was an Italian seaplane captain who was a Blackshirt. And the last were a husband and wife team who were balloonists; they went up into the stratosphere,” he said. “I’m working on that.”

Stuy Legacy Places First at Illusion Dance Competition

Courtesy of Khandaker Ridwan

“Three… two… one… Go!” Six robots, representing six different teams, are released from their holding stations. Through a remote control, senior, Director of Pneumatics, and driver Bryant Goh hurriedly rushes StuyPulse’s robot across the rectangular gray mat to one of the four rockets. The robot then proceeds to attach its circular disc to the hatch panel of the rocket before scrambling to the orange ball pits for its next task.

StuyPulse 694 recently celebrated a successful competition at Brunswick Eruption on November 9, the last contest of 2019. The team was a finalist, finishing in 11th place out of 40 teams. As an off-season exhibition competition, the Brunswick Eruption did not influence future contests, but gave the new leadership team an opportunity to assume their new responsibilities. “The junior and sophomore [students] last year, who are now juniors and seniors, lead the team [and] run the show. Even though they’re using last year’s robot, it’s a new group taking charge,” robotics coach Joseph Blay said.

The team used the robot they had developed earlier in the year named Alfred. This robot performed well in past competitions; it achieved third place at the New York Tech Valley Regionals, second place at the Central New York Regionals, and sixth place at the New York City Regionals.

Alfred’s defining design feature was its two lifts. One was used to raise and throw balls, while the other contained a suction cup that allowed the robot

to lift itself up onto a platform.

Though their robot had already been built and used for prior competitions, the team still spent the four weeks leading up to the competition preparing for the Brunswick Eruption.

During each round, team members controlled the robot remotely to perform various tasks.

These tasks included raising balls, putting balls in slots, and trying to lift the robot onto a platform using a suction cup.

The team had a difficult start to the competition. Team 694 lost two of its six qualification matches, including its first match, and started out with a low ranking.

However, they were able to work their way up to the final round by winning their two quarterfinal matches and their two semifinal matches. “They persevered; they kept working just as hard, kept a good attitude, even though we weren’t winning matches, and just kept on getting better and better throughout the day,” Blay said.

“Sometimes you lose a match or two and you’re like, ‘Oh, what’s the point? Might as well try less hard’ or ‘I guess we’ll do okay.’

But no matter what was happening, they just kept cool, calm, and collected.”

Junior and Vice President of the Engineering Department Brianna Leung is proud of how the team performed and enjoys working with her fellow members. “The best part, besides the adrenaline that always accompanies such competitions, is always my team members. Being surrounded by such intelligent, funny humans all the time is a real blessing,” she said.

StuyPulse 694 is currently preparing for the 2020 sea-

the squadron, [called ‘The Lafayette Escadrille: A Photo History of the First American Fighter Squadron’],” Hanna said.

General Yvon Goutx, who is the president of the Lafayette Escadrille association in France, also attended the symposium. “[Goutx] came, and that was really interesting because when he was younger, during the Persian Gulf War in 1991—it’s called Operation Desert Storm— he commanded a squadron of Jaguar French jets,” Hanna said. “It was interesting being on the same stage as this person who had actually led, flown in combat, and here I am, just a history teacher.

It was kind of humbling to be honest with you.”

Hanna also emphasised the large amount of material generated for the film, some of which did not ultimately make it into the documentary. “The story really could be a part series. But [Greer and Glenshaw] felt that it would be marketable if they could make [a] two-hour documentary,” Hanna said. “So they had to cut things. There were certain key things that they cut that I know must have been tough because you get close to your subjects.”

One of these subjects was Alice Weeks, an American. Her son served in the French army. Weeks moved from her home in Boston to Paris to try and be closer with him, eventually opening her new house to other Americans serving in the French army. Afterward, many of the young men she took in died in battle.

Weeks’s experience was one of the stories that did not make the final cut for the documentary.

“There were reasons why, and I understand it had to do with the arc of the story. She sort of

By EVELYN MA Stuy Legacy, an urban dance team at Stuyvesant, came in first place at the Illusion Dance Competition, at Stony Brook University, on November 16. They placed third several days before at the Reign or Shine Dance Competition, hosted by the New Jersey Institute of Technology on November 10.

Stuy Legacy was established in 2015 and has since grown to become a competitive team, consistently bringing home victories from different dance competitions in the New York metropolitan area.

This year, Legacy directors, seniors Jeff Lin and Crystal Liu and junior Min Sun Yu, and choreographers, seniors Zuwei Li and Andy Li, decided to diverge from Legacy’s tradition of creating a medley

set, or a piece choreographed to a series of loosely connected songs, to develop a choreography following a narrative. Specifically, their goal was to create a piece about the idea that “no matter how alone you may feel, there will always be someone there to help [you] find your way,” Lin said in an e-mail interview.

The diverse music choice for the dance set reflects a progression of someone stuck in a state of hopelessness, and his or her recovery. Their choreography begins with “Lovely,” by Billie Eilish, a song with a somber mood, transitions into “Devil’s Work,” by Joyner Lucas, a heavy rap song representing anger, and ends with continued on page 5

The Spectator ● December 11, 2019

Page 5

News Stuy Legacy Places First at Illusion Dance Competition continued from page 4

Courtesy of Khandaker Ridwan

“Flashlight” by Jessie J, a song symbolizing unity. “It’s like a storyline with no real character but more with emotions. In the beginning, there’s the feeling of being confused and isolated. The second song is all rap, and it highlights the anger that comes [after the confusion and isolation]. [...] After that, [...] we all reconvene. It ends on a happy note with the concept of unity and how you’re not alone,” Yu said.

In preparation for the competition, Legacy members faced several challenges, since a dance set with a story arc was something they had never done before. For directors and choreographers, these challenges included communicating with each other in order to stay on the same page and figuring out how they could tell the story through dance. For the team as a whole, a primary obstacle was being able to effectively convey their message through the set. “This set, in particular, required a lot of performance to execute, which meant we had to take dance from simply moving our arms and legs to really embodying the emotions,” Lin said.

Legacy members did not expect to place high in the competition because they were not only competing against other high school teams but college dance teams as well. Despite not expecting to win,

the team practiced diligently and worked to improve, which eventually contributed to their success.

“Ultimately, the most important team we should be beating is ourselves, and placing should just be a byproduct of continual improvement,” Lin said.

Younger Legacy members also acknowledge their growth despite having only been on the team for one season. “I think I grew dancing-wise, and I’m able to look at myself more easily instead of cringing when watching myself [dance],” freshman and Legacy member Caleb Song said. “I’m more comfortable and confident in myself. I’m able to build on criticism and give myself feedback.”

Legacy is a place for members to not only cultivate their passion for dance, but also to grow and make long-lasting friendships.

“Legacy has given me identity, confidence, and so much love. They’ve gotten me through rough patches in my life, and they are [whom] I experience my highest moments with,” Lin said.

Yu and Lin both voiced their hopes of making Legacy more inclusive for anyone interested in dancing. “Many people think Legacy is ‘too good’ and that they can’t try out [for the team], but Legacy was actually originally created for people who just wanted to dance,” Yu said.

Expressing similar sentiments,

Lin encourages anyone to pursue their passion for dancing, regardless of their current skill level. “I want everyone to know that anyone can be a dancer and anyone can be a part of this family,” he said. “Many of us started from rock bottom, including myself. Never give up on yourself!”

Looking ahead, Lin aspires for the team to push past their creative boundaries, now knowing that they can reach their limits. “We’ve learned what our strengths, weaknesses, and capabilities are this season. Spring is our time to capitalize on our potential,” he said.

“Legacy has given me identity, confidence, and so much love. They’ve gotten me through rough patches in my life, and they are [whom] I experience my highest moments with,” —Jeff Lin, senior and co-director

Technology at Stuyvesant: Combining the Past, Present, and Future

By MAX KOSTER and CHLOE TERESTCHENKO

lights and the building of a music recording studio. Contreras has also taken initiative with several humanities-based improvements, including the relocation of the writing center from the library to room 615E, which is adjacent to the Eng-

However, some students still wish that the money and resources were utilized for a more diverse variety of projects. Senior Allen Wang feels like not enough money is spent toward performing arts in comparison to other technologies. “I do

taping everything together, finding whatever means we could—but after coming in [to the Innovation Lab], we were exposed to these new machines, and we had teachers who

lish department. The writing center’s former location in the library was very inefficient, as it diminished the library’s capacity. “Moving even 15 students out of the library into

think that performing arts technology, or recording studio technology, or other forms of digital technology has been somewhat overlooked at Stuy[vesant],” Wang said.

Dorin Flocos/ The Spectator

In recent years, Stuyvesant has undergone many technological changes, a trend which will likely continue as Principal Eric Contreras pushes for further advancements. He has been at the forefront of technological updates in both STEM and humanities, working to encompass the large scope of student interests. Contreras’s dedication to technological updates, however, extends beyond supporting the interests of the student body. Contreras has also focused on adapting Stuyvesant to the constantly changing modern world while simultaneously maintaining the school’s three-decade-old structures. This highlights the two main goals of his improvement projects at Stuyvesant: to respond to a building that is getting older and to reimagine the possibilities of today and tomorrow.

Contreras believes that the student body’s vast range of interests and talents are all deserving of improvements. “We are such a diverse and multi-talented community that it becomes difficult to make sure you are putting efforts into capital improvement that everyone is happy about,” Contreras said.

Contreras’s major addition, the Innovation Lab, added a workshop complete with modern machines, allowing for the addition of 5Tech classes, including Engineering Design. The lab also hosted a free four-week summer program for Stuyvesant students. “The first week, we produced models using a 3D printer; the second week, we made bridges using a laser cutter; the third week, we used CNC [computer numerical control] machines and soldering irons; and in the final week, we partnered with the business WIT [Whatever It Takes] to learn more about teen entrepreneurship,” junior and participant in the Stuyvesant Summer Innovation program Lolita Rozenbaum said.

The program would not have been possible without devices such as 3D printers and laser cutters, which are now available in the Innovation Lab. The Innovation Lab also plays

an essential role in extracurricular activities like the technology division of Science Olympiad, which relies on the Innovation Lab to produce their projects. “Before the Innovation Lab, we basically made our projects really crudely—duct-

“We are such a diverse and multi-talented community that it becomes difficult to make sure you are putting efforts into capital improvement that everyone is happy about.”

—Eric Contreras, Principal were willing to help us,” junior and Science Olympiad secretary Yulin Zheng said.

Additionally, despite Stuyvesant’s reputation as a STEM school, Contreras has advocated for ventures in the arts, including the replacement of Stuyvesant’s theater

a space where there [are] tables and where there’s a schedule for people to get help in a separate place—even a small space like that has benefited students,” Contreras said. “That’s one of the very small uncelebrated projects, but I feel like [in the] long term, it’s just as important.”

Looking toward the future, Contreras is open to considering most projects, even if they may seem difficult to accomplish. He is exploring the possibility of creating an outdoor space on the fifth floor, where there is an unused patio, but has to consider other regulations

regarding the space. “That’s an outdoor area [...] so that involves Battery Park City [regulations], because you’re doing changes to the exterior,” he said. “I’m not against it.”

Some students and staff members also hope to create an environmental science lab to bring more opportunities to Stuyvesant students.

“It’s not yet funded, but there are some plans for it,” Contreras said.

Where the funding for such projects comes from also plays a part in how such initiatives are developed. “If [the funding is from] a donor or [alumnus], they determine [whether] they want to give to [a specific project]. And that’s not my call necessarily. They may ask me if I would support this, and I would say of course,” Contreras said.

He explains that he has to prioritize and navigate the different proposals for what should be next based on the requests of those funding the project. “Some of that isn’t solely determined by the principal; it’s determined by who is funding it and what restrictions are set by outside agencies,” Contreras said. None of the capital improvement projects that have occurred in the past have come from the school budget; they have come either from written grants or from the Stuyvesant Alumni Association.

Wang hopes that having new technological spaces will help kids come together and become passionate about their extracurriculars. “[Having these spaces] will help kids explore their interests and will help kids develop in a space outside of the classroom,” he said.

Contreras believes that Stuyvesant cannot be stagnant during a time of such change. “We need to remember, as a community, [...] that we just can’t accept any movement of anything,” Contreras said. “You have to do two things concurrently: you have to repair and upgrade the things that fall apart after three decades, and on top of that, you have to reimagine spaces that are now necessary for the world of tomorrow.”

Page 6

The Spectator ● December 11, 2019

News Annie Thoms Invites Guest Speakers for Writing to Make Change A Good Talk: Graphic Novelist Mira Jacob Speaks at Stuyvesant

Shreyantan Chandra/ The Spectator

By CATHERINE DELL’OLIO with additional reporting

by James Lee

Mira Jacob (’91), author of the graphic novel “Good Talk,” came to speak for English teacher Annie Thoms’s Writing to Make Change English elective on November 19. Jacob spoke about her motivations for writing “Good Talk,” read excerpts from it, and shared a letter to her son, around whom the book is centered.

Writing to Make Change is a new English elective piloted

this fall that teaches students how to write for a broad audience outside of the traditional school setting, and how to effectively persuade and communicate through writing. Students of Writing to Make Change have read “Good Talk,” now in the Stuyvesant English curriculum.

Thoms assigned her students to create emulation pieces of “Good Talk” that incorporated writing and illustration to depict a central theme in the novel that personally related to the student. “I asked all of my students to use ‘Good Talk’ as inspiration and [write] their graphic

memoir and conversations and [...] choose to develop that piece or an op-ed piece,” Thoms said.

Some students’ works were shared at Jacob’s talk.

At the event, Jacob spoke candidly about her experience as a person of color in the United States and as a child of Indian immigrants. She also discussed the images in the graphic novel and her doubts about how the book would be perceived. Students asked Jacob questions regarding these topics such as, “How did your interacial marriage affect your views on race and racism?” and “Why are

there the same visuals for each character throughout the graphic novel, and how does this affect the audience’s perception?”

Jacob’s novel explores the experience of growing up Indian-American through conversations between her and her young son, exploring complex issues such as race and identity. In her book, Jacob reflects on the conversations that have shaped her own thoughts on these core issues.

Thoms decided to incorporate “Good Talk” into Writing to Make Change because of its unique medium and humor regarding a diverse set of topics.

“I came across it in a bookstore last spring. I picked it up and started reading the first chapter,” Thoms said. “I thought [the first couple pages] were very funny, and by the end of the first chapter I was almost in tears and thought, ‘I have to buy it right now.’”

Thoms asked Jacob to come and speak at Stuyvesant to explain the ideas of her novel. “I thought that Mira Jacob was incredibly inspiring,” Thoms said. “[Jacob] spoke to [the] students about becoming a writer as a child of Indian immigrants, the genesis of the book.”

Jacob also explained the process of creating a novel to the Writing to Make Change students. “It was really cool reading the finished product first and then hearing about how it was made and all the behindthe-scenes stuff,” junior Aishwarjya Barua said in an e-mail interview.

Drawing is an important me-

dium of expression in Thoms’s elective. This focus made “Good Talk” a source of inspiration for her students. “We are in a time where graphic novels are wildly popular, and we communicate in so many ways by images. Image is another language, and I wanted to have that as an accessible language in my class,” Thoms said.

Students found “Good Talk” very relatable and enjoyed how it was taught by Thoms. “In class, we talked about the themes in the book, and Ms. Thoms let us talk about our personal stories that related to the themes,” Barua said. “Everyone related to the book in some way.”

Barua felt especially connected to “Good Talk” because of her similar cultural background to Jacob’s. “There’s a part [in the novel] where she speaks on colorism within the South Asian community, using a conversation about Fair & Lovely cream.

It brought back memories of countless conversations I’ve had with my family about how being [light-skinned] was considered beautiful and darker skin tones weren’t. I felt like this successful, intelligent, amazing woman and I had the same exact childhood,” she said.

Barua and other students enjoyed discussing “Good Talk” and meeting Jacob in Writing to Make Change. “‘Good Talk’ is now one of my favorite books, and I adore Mira Jacob,” Barua said. “In class, I always felt that the issues I had dealing with race and culture growing up [were] valid and [speaking about them] made me feel appreciated.”

Comedy, Mental Health, Writing: Stuyvesant Hosts Guest Speaker Nat Towsen

By STEPHY CHEN

English teacher Annie Thoms invited Nat Towsen to speak to her English class, Writing to Make Change, on November 14.

Towsen, a Stuyvesant alum (’03), writer, actor, and stand-up comedian, brings the discussion of mental health into his writing and comedy. Suffering from seasonal depression, Towsen incorporates this into his comedy and writing to destigmatize mental health in the views of his audience.

Thoms hosted the presentation to further aid her students in their final project due at the end of the semester. “[I’ve known Towsen] since he was 15 years old as I taught him at Stuyvesant, so he was easy to contact. I asked him to come and speak to my class about comedy writing,” Thoms said.

“The main project of this semester is that every student is writing or creating something that is going to go out in the world in some way.

The proposals are varied where some students are doing an op-ed in different kinds of places, but there are also infographics, poems, videos, documentaries, and animations.”

Alongside a presentation about comedy, many other students were interested in writing about mental health for their final project. “I have a number of students in this class who mentioned from very early on that they were interested in writing about mental health.

One of the things that I wanted [Towsen] to come and talk about was how he brings [...] discussions of mental health, depression, and anxiety into his stand-up comedy and writing,” Thoms said.

Towsen primarily discussed the use of comedy to normalize mental health. “There is a stigma about mental health, and having someone on stage with a microphone acting [like] it is a normal thing is positive,” Thoms said.

Towsen also discussed how the structure of a joke is important to normalize mental health.

“Every joke has a setup and punch line, but he also spoke about how a joke has an assumed cultural belief. He [believes] that you can set up a joke where the cultural belief that you are assuming is a socially progressive belief,” Thoms said. “You can present the[se] beliefs as prescriptive, implying to a whole audience that the certain belief about mental health is what we

am playing with the idea of writing a magazine to distribute to my [former] middle school, [and] a humor section is something I would like to implement,” junior Carina Lee said.

Other students added that his advice for comedy could also be extended to writing in general.

“Even if I am not writing comedy, I have a big problem with showing and telling. His advice of including more details because it brings more people into your story really spoke

a half years away from Stuyvesant to take care of my three kids, I gave up my electives. When I came back, I was teaching core freshmen and core seniors, and that was a challenge, but I felt like I wanted a new challenge as a teacher. I knew that I wanted to create something that would fill a need for a number of students at Stuyvesant,” Thoms said. “I knew that I wanted it to be a writers’ workshop because I was always interested in the craft of writing, and I wanted to incor-

“The Writing to Make a Change course is incredible. Ms. Thoms creates an environment where I feel free to express all of my thoughts on sensitive topics such as child trafficking, abortion, and gay rights. Being able to speak about these social issues at such a high level [with] high schoolers definitely allows us to share our thoughts and how it influences our view of the world.” —Morgan Hesse, senior should be believing.”

Towsen’s presentation resonated with many of the students, as they found it helpful for normalizing conversations regarding social issues like mental illness. “One of the biggest takeaways I had was that in order to be able to open up a discussion of mental illness, we can’t just say ‘mental illness is important, and we must talk about it.’ When we do that, it doesn’t get anywhere,” senior Morgan Hesse said. “We have to put it in a way where other people see their own opinions. By doing that, comedy can be a means of opening up a floor for discussion.”

Many students plan to implement some of Towsen’s advice in their own writing. “He broke down the basic formula of how jokes work: setup, universal truth, then [...] misdirect the brain [with the joke or punchline]. I personally

to me, and I will definitely use that [toward] my assignments and writing,” Hesse said.

In addition to giving advice on writing and comedy, Towsen informed students on the practices of comedy and stand-up. “[Towsen] gave us some tips on being funny and how he comes up with pieces for comedy shows. He said that he always carries a notebook with him and whenever he thinks of something, he writes it down. He tells a joke during a performance, watches how the crowd reacts, and finds a way to improve it for the next audience,” junior Aishwarjya Barua said. “I found it really cool that he receives immediate feedback and is able to incorporate it into his art.”

Thoms created the Writing to Make Change class to further her interests in the craft of writing and the interests of many of her students. “After taking three and

porate the aspect of social issues.

There are so many that affect us at the individual and societal level.

Seeing many of the protests and walkouts [that were] directed by students, I [saw] that many were interested in social issues, so I wanted to create a class that would allow students to voice their opinions about those issues.”

Students of Writing to Make Change have found that the class provides a middle ground between analytical writing and creative writing while also giving its students flexibility. “Writing to Make Change is by far my favorite class I’ve taken [at] Stuy[vesant].

It’s great for kids [who] aren’t into reading lengthy novels and writing boring analytical essays about them. We have a lot of creative freedom with our assignments,” Barua said. “Our lessons [also] range from being discussion-based

to work periods. Sometimes we talk about the books that we read.

Sometimes we do writing exercises, where she reads prompts to us and we write based on a topic that we individually [choose]. Sometimes we color coloring pages for the entire 40 minutes.”

Lee agreed with Barua and added that the class and its practices have made her more aware. “Writing to Make Change is a wonderful class. It has forced me and my class to be more present in our day-today lives through our assigned Daily Diaries and by doing so, notice and hone in on pressing issues because our final project is to publish something into the world to make change,” Lee said.

Despite Writing to Make Change being a new course, many students feel that the environment the class provides gives them the freedom to voice their opinions on certain issues. “The Writing to Make a Change course is incredible. Ms. Thoms creates an environment where I feel free to express all of my thoughts on sensitive topics such as child trafficking, abortion, and gay rights. Being able to speak about these social issues at such a high level [with] highschoolers definitely allows us to share our thoughts and how it influences our view of the world,” Hesse said.

Thoms described the importance of having guest speakers like Towsen share their stories to her Writing to Make Change class and the Stuyvesant community overall. “An important aspect of the class is the guest speakers [who] are involved in making change in society in different ways. I think it is important for Stuyvesant students to see alumni out in the world, who have gone through what they went through, using writing in real world purposes. [Towsen] is a great example of this. His visit was wonderful and incredibly funny; I love it when he comes and visits,” Thoms said.

The Spectator ● December 11, 2019

Page 7

Features As a school with over 200 clubs, one can argue that Stuyvesant’s got it all. From those that teach students about the art of Chinese yo-yoing to ones focused on calisthenics, rocketry, and even lettuce-eating, it seems like every possible club that could exist, does exist. Yet, new clubs are still constantly being introduced to the student body.

One such club is the Stuy Papercrafts Club. “During freshman year, I attended the interest meetings for clubs or other activities.

My interest in those other activities was never very high though, and I quickly found myself becoming bored during those meetings,” sophomore and founder of Stuy Papercrafts Club Gloria Lee said.

She then decided to create her own club focused on what she loved: papercrafts. She was then able to work on something she was truly passionate about and meet others who felt the same way.

Sophomore Ethan Brovender, co-founder of Stuyvesant’s Minecraft club, echoed these feelings: “In the Minecraft club, we play and talk about Minecraft. We put our heads together to try to squeeze the most fun and accomplishment that we can out of the game, and it’s a real bonding experience,” he stated.

He found the Minecraft Club to be a great way to make new friends and socialize with people he typically would not meet.

Co-founders of StuyDesign, juniors Cynthia Or and Irene Hao, agreed with this sentiment. One of the most rewarding prospects of creating their club has been “being able to meet these talented artists whom I never would have ordinarily met in class,” Or said.

But how are clubs established?

Despite their popularity, not many people are aware of the strenuous process and logistics behind creating a club.

Recently, the Student Union (SU) developed a new website, StuyActivities, where students fill out applications to get their club chartered. This process allows for a smoother, more organized way to both charter and keep track of clubs. Club members, as well as prospective members, are able to

see things like what the mission statement of the club is, and what days the club meets.

The chartering process is pretty straightforward. Waiting for the application to be approved typically takes between one and two months, and any issues or confusion can be solved through communication with the website admins via e-mail.

However, the process was not always so simple. Prior to the development of StuyActivities, students had to register their ideas physically. “It was a club charter, a literal piece of paper we had to write all our stuff onto and hand to [the] SU,” senior and founder of the now disbanded Stuyvesant Broad-

ror, and wishes for the glitch to be amended.

Sophomore and co-founder of StuyUNICEF Alec Shafran also agreed, noting how some of the website’s features were ineffective.

“But at the same time, you have to give credit to the SU for coming up with the idea of the website and making a strong effort to effectively support all the clubs and meet the needs of the club leaders,” he added, overall pleased with the website’s functionality.

All interviewees agreed that processes such as getting a room and determining a schedule for meetings were simple and easy to do with StuyActivities. Instead, the

people who expressed interest during the Club Pub Fair, and a total of four people would show up to the meeting that we would schedule.”

“The biggest difficulty [I faced] was self doubt,” Lee added. “In the earliest stages of planning out the creation of Stuy Papercrafts, I kept on asking myself if I was qualified enough to become the founder of a club, as someone who struggles with being outgoing. I asked myself if I would really be able to create a club and nurture it into something successful.” Nonetheless, Lee has managed to overcome that obstacle, and she now leads an active and successful club. She said, “It

majority of their struggles seemed to stem not so much from the logistics, but rather from the pressures they faced as leaders.

“We are always looking into new ways to draw our members’ attention and hopefully get them to participate and bring their more of their friends,” Or said on the difficulty of always finding new ways to keep their club interesting and members returning.

“The lack of attendance was definitely our biggest issue,” Shafran echoed. “We would send out an e-mail to the approximately 100

was very rewarding to see our first project come to life. We all created bird papercrafts. That was a huge achievement for me.”

While extremely rewarding, managing a club can also be very time-consuming and stressful.

Is the experience worth it? Why do people start clubs in the first place?

“It is definitely challenging to balance managing the club, schoolwork, as well as all of my additional extracurriculars,” Shafran admitted, crediting his co-founders and close friends for helping him and making

Sophia Li / The Spectator

By CHRISTINE LIN

Stuyvesant Clubs: 101

casting Club Moududur Rahman said. Before digitizing the process, clubs kept track of things like attendance and members in whatever form they saw fit. “I like the idea of StuyActivities and making it all online,” Rahman commented. “But I feel like [it’s] so extra with a lot of bells and whistles no one uses.

I want a more barebones, simple implementation that’s reliable.”

“The website itself is still a little faulty,” Lee admitted, talking about how she struggles with checking the details of meetings she’s interested in because she gets an er-

the experience more enjoyable.

Hao and Or concurred with his statement, explaining how they shared the club responsibilities to make it more manageable. “This lessened the burden and helped us juggle time for both school work and StuyDesign,” they said.

Aside from the rewarding aspects of creating a club, it can also teach one valuable skills. Brovender stated, “I learned that leadership isn’t about bossing people around and getting them to do what you want. It’s about empowering them to help the rest of the club, and listening to their feedback and new ideas.”

In addition, Lee has realized that perseverance is key. “There’s a limit to how much I can help my club grow, and the biggest thing I really can do is show up to my meetings, and never give up,” she said.

Not only will all of these lessons help club founders further improve their clubs, but the skills they’ve learned are also applicable to other situations. Their experiences can help these students build better relationships, become better leaders, and be more accountable for what they’re doing.

Ultimately, leading a club is a huge responsibility. When asked about what advice they would give to people who want to start a club, all interviewees advised that one should be prepared and genuinely passionate about their club’s mission statement, as well as willing to dedicate themselves to it wholeheartedly. “[If you and your] initial members are dedicated, subsequent members are also going to take the club seriously,” Rahman commented.

Lee added, “The most important thing is just to ‘Wake Up, Dress Up, and Show Up.’” This phrase inspired her to push through with her club, despite any crossroads she might have faced.

“Don’t be afraid to take risks and reach out,” Shafran advised.

“There are so many people at Stuy[vesant] that are more than willing to help out however possible, despite any differences there may be in age or interests. We all just want to see each other succeed, and share our passions with others.”

Subverting (or Supporting) Stereotypes

By THE FEATURES DEPARTMENT

What stereotypes do we face as Stuyvesant students? And the bigger question: are they accurate?

“That we’re really smart, have no social life, and do drugs.”

—Julia Shen, freshman “Asian mothers in Queens think Stuy kids never have to study, which just makes me so mad.

We are regular people, and we struggle too.”

—Theresa Teng, senior “I feel like a lot of people outside the school think that anyone here will do anything to succeed, and we don’t. I feel like most of us do try our hardest, work honestly, and put the effort in.”

—Leo Kwok, senior “Well there[’s] so many. I guess some might be our dependency on coffee, obsession with grades, no social life, and we’re all a bunch of nerds who can’t dress ourselves. I guess there’s also the notion that we hate the other specialized high schools, especially Brooklyn Tech or Bronx Science.”—Jenna Mackenroth, sophomore

“One stereotype is that all Stuy[vesant] kids think that they’re better than everyone else, which I feel like just simply isn’t true. Sure, there are definitely some Stuy[vesant] kids who feel that way, which is kind of stupid not gonna lie, but for the most part, the majority of Stuy[vesant] kids are pretty down to earth and honestly some of the nicest people I’ve ever met.”

—Kelly Wu, junior “People think that Stuy[vesant] students are nerdy kids who are only focused on grades, and this stereotype is semi-accurate because they aren’t all that nerdy, but Stuy[vesant] does have a very competitive environment where people are always trying to transfer into easier teachers and classes just for the grade.”

—Nihaluz Zaman, senior

“There is this stereotype that we are ruthless people who kill ourselves over getting the best grades. We stab each other in the back, and we have no lives. I like to think this is far from the truth, [though] yes, we fit the stereotype of overachievers. There is a community that our ‘stereotype’ could never fit; we support each other whether by sharing study guides or having a peer tutoring system in place. There are so many different activities to follow that your life is full of something you enjoy, and if not, you can always find someone who is a kindred spirit.”—Aki Yamaguchi, junior “When I tell someone I attend Stuyvesant, they are always quick to assume that I’m a mini Einstein. They jump to the conclusion that I am capable of doing things that I am not capable of. While it doesn’t offend me, it makes me feel inadequate.”—Inga Edwards, junior “A major stereotype of Stuy[vesant] students is the assumed aim for Ivy League. It’s sometimes considered shameful to go here and not apply to those prestigious schools. I think it’s honestly unfair to put so much pressure on young kids, and [it] is unrealistic that all of us will aim so high, and unnecessary too, depending on what you want to do in life. I’ve come to realize that I really don’t want Ivy League after going through such a struggle at Stuy[vesant]. I want a different lifestyle for college. I think another major thing is that we’re all expected to have everything figured out by now.” —Alyssa Sulaiman, junior “Before entering Stuy[vesant], I was told that Stuy[vesant] students could only choose two of three elements that made up the perfect high school trifecta: mental health, social life, and grades. Upon entering Stuy, I realized that this stereotype was more ingrained into the fabric of Stuy[vesant]’s culture than I had originally thought as an incoming freshman, and that it was partially true. Reflecting on this stereotype now as a junior, I’ve come to realize how much it had affected me in that it had slightly taken away parts of my motivation and drive before I had even stepped into the school.” —Caroline Ji, junior

“There were these stereotypes even before entering Stuyvesant. Every time I told people I had gotten accepted, they immediately jump to the conclusion that I must be a genius. People tend to assume the Stuyvesant students are all super-competitive and obsessive about grades. On a personal level, I feel that this underlying extreme stereotype definitely affects my performance at Stuyvesant. I feel that I must uphold the ‘reputation’ of Stuyvesant, and this definitely serves to make me feel more stressed about grades than I know I have to.”—Liana Wu, freshman

“A stereotype at Stuyvesant would be that there’s a lack of sleep among the students. While it is partly valid, I think [we] students sometimes feed into the stereotype and cause an even greater lack of sleep. Sometimes, an already existing stereotype is the cause of the worsening of the problem at hand.”—Lamia Haque, junior

Page 8

The Spectator ● December 11, 2019

Sammi Chen / The Spectator

Features

By SHANIYAH COULL Before starting the Discovery Program (a six-week summer program that gave me the opportunity to attend Stuyvesant this year), I was skeptical about even being in the program. In my mind, I would be wasting my break from school by going to school. I decided to go anyway. I was really nervous, and I was filled with anticipation the first day. I couldn’t even eat my breakfast.

I found the Discovery Program to be an informative and fun experience. The program itself was only 23 days long, every Monday through Thursday from July 1 to August 8. We had Fridays off, which was a blessing. Our day began at 9 a.m. and ended at 2 p.m. There were five hour-long periods for biology, math, English, theater, and lunch. Though 23 days sounds like a reasonable amount of time, the program dragged on a little bit, and I found it difficult to get up each morning.

The program was more so an opportunity for students who scored right below the cutoff score on the Specialized High School Admissions Test (SHSAT) to get a feel of Stuyvesant. I think it would be great if the program were an open opportunity and experience for any incoming freshmen and sophomores with doubts or concerns about attending Stuyvesant.

Unlike the SHSAT, the Discovery Program did not accept or deny each student based on his

My Experience At Stuy Summer Discovery or her performance. As long as you had the desire to be a student at Stuyvesant, attended for a majority of the program, and did not struggle drastically, then you were deemed a good fit and admitted. That is at least how it felt to me.

I definitely felt pressured to complete classwork and homework assignments and arrive at school on time. The program itself mimicked the routine and daily life of a typical Stuyvesant student: we were assigned homework daily, took quizzes and tests, received grades on assignments, completed labs, studied, and took notes.

The general structure of each class was different from what I had experienced in middle school. There was a lot more fluctuation in the workload. In the Discovery Program, I usually got a page of homework each night from each class, as well as the assignment to finish any work from class. Most homework would be announced in class, and some could be accessed online. The whole aspect of homework and class resources being online is a rather new concept for me; I find it both efficient and bothersome because it’s easier to have a physical paper copy to refer to.

We had very few work requirements in English—we just read each night and would discuss the reading the next day. In math, we received a large amount of homework, the majority of which was on Delta Math, but there was a little variation from

night to night. A lot of my peers would come to school the next day whining about how long or hard the math homework was and brag about how late they stayed up completing it alongside the other homework assigned. As for biology, we were assigned worksheets and videos for homework; the workload was reasonable.

My favorite class was definitely theater. Though it was uncomfortable for many of us when we first started, by the end we were all engaged and excited for the class every day. We even created our own short play that we performed for teachers and families. The plays were based on a Ms. Marvel comic about a Muslim girl named Kamala Khan who struggled with finding her identity, loving her culture, and dealing with the restrictions and stigma that society placed on her. The theater class was led by an outside program called Arts Connection that was added to Discovery Program so that they also showed the more creative side of Stuyvesant embodied in the clubs.

I was disappointed to learn that theater isn’t an actual class at Stuy. I feel that it should be, because Stuyvesant is lacking classes in the arts, particularly for those who are less academically driven, and more for enjoyment and the pursuit of creativity. Classes such as Theater, along with the clubs that further interests outside of the classroom, would be a good step for Stuyvesant in the quest to be more balanced between the

arts and STEM. This past summer was the second year that the Discovery Program was run. From the first to the second year, there were drastic differences in what participating students had to do. In the first year, the basic requirements were just attendance, but in the program’s second year, we had assignments, took notes, and were given tests. I’d say things really came together in a rather short span of time, giving my peers and I in the program a genuine experience of what Stuyvesant is actually like.

What I struggled with most was consistently turning homework in on time and reaching school within a reasonable time, so that I could have breakfast and maybe catch up on anything I didn’t do or finish the night before. Essentially, time management was the source of all my problems. It’s a concept I understand but is actually something I have yet to grasp on a more literal level.

My struggles in the Discovery Program say a lot about its authenticity. As a current freshman at Stuyvesant, I am struggling with the same things I was then.

I had difficulty following the curriculum for biology and math during the program, and I continue to struggle in those classes.

I was definitely way better off in biology than I am in math; the same can be said now. These two subjects specifically have gotten me stuck because the curriculum is on a collegiate level. Even in subjects outside of math and

Happy Little Accidents

By RAYMOND WU The plans we make for our future almost never come to fruition. In chemistry teacher Kristyn Pluchino’s case though, her childhood dream of pursuing chemistry did. It was in a different sense, though, that reality subverted her expectations: she eventually became a teacher, something she thought she would never become.

Pluchino spent her childhood years in Liverpool, New York, with her parents and two younger sisters. She played basketball often and enjoyed spending time outside with her neighborhood friends. In school, she was especially shy, though her love for basketball was still strong. “I was always playing basketball. As soon as I was old enough to be on the school team in fifth grade, [I played] basketball, through high school and college,” she said.

Though she loved basketball, she blew her knee out during her senior year of high school and never fully bounced back.

She spent most of her summers just playing and practicing basketball, though there was one summer where she worked as a front-desk receptionist. “It was terrible,” she said bluntly. “It was mostly because my boss [would] just chain-smoke in her office.

It smelled terrible; she was very, very mean, and she just treated everybody like garbage.”

During a much more enjoyable summer of hers, Pluchino did research at her college, the State University of New York at Binghamton. The experience reaffirmed her desire to pursue chemistry, one that she has had since seventh grade. “I found out I really liked science, and chemistry just made sense, so I decided I’d study it. Plus, I wasn’t very good at most other things, so that narrowed it down real quick,” she joked. “I was squeamish and couldn’t handle [biology]. Physics was super challenging for me. I think I was in over my head: I didn’t take Regents physics and decided to take AP right off the bat. That did not go well.”

Though she knew the subject she wanted to pursue, Pluchino was not sure about her future career. The one thing she was sure about was that she was not interested in teaching. “When people found out in high school that I wanted to study chemistry, that was the first question they asked: do you want to be a teacher? And I said absolutely not, sounds like the worst job in the world,” she elaborated. She was also adamant about never moving to New York City (NYC),

because her childhood memories of driving through the city to reach her relatives in Long Island consisted of simply sitting in traffic.

Before Pluchino decided to pursue teaching, she worked as a contractor with the United States Air Force. Her parents found her the job. “I was living at home with my parents, and I got out of bed, and I came downstairs, and it was like 11 p.m., and my dad had circled it a hundred times—the newspaper. So I think he was telling me that I needed to get a job [and] move out of their house,” she said. At the Air Force, she trained military personnel on how to properly use gas chromatography mass spectroscopy, a chemistry tool that is used to “separate the components of a gaseous mixture and then identify what’s present,” Pluchino explained. The military hoped this tool would allow them to detect potential chemical weapons. She reflected, “I was young and didn’t need a lot of sleep, so it was a fun job to meet new people, travel, and still get to do some chemistry.”

After her contract at the Air Force ended, Pluchino moved to NYC after her friends urged her to do so. “A lot of my friends were from NYC, so they kept

bugging me, [saying,] ‘Just quit your job and move down, and you can become a teacher and get a real job in like a year,’” she recalled. She taught for a while at a charter school in Queens and later went on to get her credits to become a NYC public school teacher. While earning her credits, she met chemistry teacher Dr. [Steven] O’Malley, who introduced her to Stuyvesant and urged her to apply for an open chemistry teacher position. “I sent in my information, taught a demo lesson the next week, and that was 13 years ago.” she said.

“Before I knew it, I was a fulltime teacher [and] really enjoying what I was doing. I was like, ‘I think this is now my real job.’”

What Pluchino enjoys most about teaching is her interactions with her students. “It’s nice working with bright, motivated, interested students. Obviously, I enjoy chemistry but getting to teach it to other people, and help them understand it and enjoy it is really rewarding,” she said. Her least favorite part is, understandably, the grading. “I hate having to give some students bad news.

I know it’s stressful, and in a lot of cases [they’re] doing the best [they] can, and [they] have off days, so having to sit there and put a failing grade on somebody’s test—I don’t feel good

biology, there’s a lot of information to take in. The intense workload from all my classes prevents me from devoting enough time to math and biology. Utilizing strong studying skills has been a key aspect of my experience in both the Discovery Program and my first few months at Stuyvesant. I have developed some pretty bad habits over the years and am having a hard time simply jumping into the habit of studying and reviewing notes daily and consistently taking good notes.

I have always been aware that these were important practices, but their necessity became more apparent as I participated in the Discovery Program and attend Stuyvesant.

As a student, I’m not sure that my participation in the Discovery Program aided my transition to Stuyvesant. It may have gotten me accustomed to the Stuyvesant way of things so that I wasn’t surprised during September. However, I am definitely struggling more than I’d like to be, and even more than I did in the Discovery Program. This makes sense because now it’s the real thing. Expectations, stress, strain, and workload have been dumped on me from the first day of school and have become progressively worse as the school year goes on and the end of the first semester approaches.

Everyone asks me how things are going, and honestly, things have been pretty rough. But I can only work to better myself and my stay at Stuyvesant.

about that. I feel like I kind of failed them,” she explained. “I don’t want anybody in my class to feel like they’re not smart enough or [that] they can’t do it.

Grading and having to give back [a] 14 on the test, it’s tough.” To the students that are struggling in a class, Pluchino advised, “Anything worth pursuing is going to get difficult at some point and time, regardless of what the subject area is.”

Though she thought she would never become a teacher, Pluchino has been teaching for more than 13 years, and it has become something she thoroughly enjoys. “I fell into [teaching] very accidentally. And here I am, 14 years in teaching. That’s a long time, most of it at Stuy[vesant].

I don’t think I would still be a teacher if I didn’t get to teach at Stuy[vesant],” she said.

Outside of teaching, Pluchino has many other hobbies.

“I like spending time with my friends and family, and I’m really into biking. I play guitar, not very well, definitely better at biking and chemistry,” she joked.

“I’m trying to teach myself how to play [guitar] as a nice way to just kind of block everything out and really have to focus and not be distracted by my phone and other obligations and all that stuff. It’s almost meditative.”

The Spectator ● December 11, 2019

Page 9

Editorials Not All Heroes Wear Capes Thanksgiving has passed, but that doesn’t mean we should stop being thankful for the things we have. One is the College Office; our college counselors more than deserve our thanks for the work they do to ensure that we graduate into the schools of our choice.

Though there are only three counselors—Ms. Elizabeth Hughes, Mr. Jeffrey Makris, and Ms. Jeaurel Wilson—they collectively manage 850 students each year, helping them navigate the college process.

This is all while the counselors maintain their own deadlines for sending our high school paperwork to colleges.

Beyond this, the College Office uses its resources to reach as many students as possible, regardless of their backgrounds. Many students at Stuyvesant are first-generation immigrants, meaning their families are inexperienced with the complicated college admissions process, especially one which emphasizes holistic factors like essays to a much greater extent than in other countries. Other students may have limited financial resources, which traditionally have limited their choices.

The College Office, and more broadly the whole administration, act to level the playing field in ensuring that all students have the resources to create successful college and financial aid applications.

These resources take many forms, including events for students and parents explaining the applications process, frequent messages through Naviance detailing the intricacies of more unusual applications, and college visits that serve to inform students about choices they might not otherwise have considered. This information can at times be overwhelming, a fact that underscores not only how com-

plicated the process is, but also how well the college counselors serve to disseminate it.

For a school as large as Stuyvesant, this level of college support is already fairly unique. But what makes it so successful is not only the sheer availability of information, but also the personalized attention Stuyvesant students receive.

Juniors are first gently nudged to start thinking about college during their second semester when they are asked to fill out a Secondary School Report survey. They also meet with their guidance counselors to share their achievements and special circumstances. This is followed by their first college meeting, where they and both their college counselor start forming college application plans. This individualized attention helps ensure that those applying to college don’t immediately feel lost, but instead realize they have the support of professionals.

This support continues throughout senior year, when counselors hold another college meeting with each senior and host daily Q&A sessions about the college application process. Counselors also tend to be incredibly responsive to student questions and concerns, which is essential to ensuring they remain wellinformed. Beyond the College Office, seniors can share college essays with their English teachers, who provide another set of eyes and edits.

To be sure, the college support Stuyvesant students receive is not perfect. While English teachers who read students’ essays provide helpful feedback, there is also the perception that their feedback tends to be overly positive, which may serve only to increase stress as students are unsure if their essays will actually pass muster at elite col-

leges. College counselors are seen as even less helpful in this regard. In contrast, students in elite private high schools often receive personalized attention with essays from their college counselors, who help by substantially editing of essays to match elite colleges’ expectations. This serves to provide those students with a significant leg up in an incredibly cut-throat process. While this deep level of involvement is not feasible with so many students at Stuyvesant, the College Office and English teachers might better serve students by hosting information sessions regarding essay writing and perhaps being more willing to criticize aspects of students’ essays. Furthermore, the College Office should ensure that every family is receiving equal resources, regardless of which languages are spoken at home: college handbooks with accurate translations should be distributed in many languages; at the time of writing, only the college handbooks the college office provides are only available in Mandarin and English. Finally, the College Office could offer further support for interviews, a skill that many Stuyvesant students have trouble mastering. However, these and other criticisms are minor, and ultimately show how excellent the college support available already is.

The college process is, frankly put, a lot. It tests our time management abilities and involves intense self-reflection. It carries a heavy weight, emotionally and mentally. But it’s a weight that can be shifted around and handled. Ultimately, students are responsible for their own college applications.

At Stuyvesant, however, we are fortunate enough to have a college office that sometimes makes us forget that.

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“The Pulse of the Student Body”

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BUSI NE SS

The Metropolitan Transport Authority (MTA) is in deep trouble. It is currently running on a $740 million deficit, delays have become more frequent, and service continues to worsen. As the fare consistently rises, the subway has become unaffordable for many New Yorkers. It goes without saying that the MTA needs to address these problems efficiently and directly because almost six million New Yorkers depend on their service daily. Unfortunately, Cuomo’s recent decision to nearly double the MTA police force from 783 to 1,364 members doesn’t address these foundational problems whatsoever and wastes urgently-needed funding.

The primary goal of the new officers is to reduce fare evasion, with the justification that cheapskates are making service worse for honest, paying customers. The revenue lost to fare evasion does take a sizable chunk out of the MTA’s budget—an estimated $215 million in 2018. However, if the MTA hopes to alleviate their budget crisis by “stepping up on fare evasion enforcement,” they have broken calculators. The new

cops will end up costing $249 million over the five-year plan, but MTA predicts it will only save $200 million from reduced fare evasion in that time. From the getgo, the new cops are destined to be a drain on the MTA’s budget, and additional factors could exacerbate their cost. For one, reduced fare evasion doesn’t necessarily translate into increased fare revenue.

The majority of evaders are in poverty and might stop riding altogether if enforcement is increased.

Also, those caught without a valid ID or with a history of similar offenses can be given a misdemeanor and up to a year in prison. Petty offenses of this sort clog the justice system and cost an average of $1000 to process, while supporting a prisoner for a year in New York costs an average of $69,355. All these factors combined make it obvious that the transit cops will be an expense, not an easy new source of revenue.

When Cuomo announced his plan to increase the number of transit cops, he said, “Historically, the [New York Police Department] did the policing in the transit system, but there has been a dramatic increase in crime in the subway system. Felonies are up, assaults

are up, robberies are up, and I’ve been talking about this for years.”

Despite what Cuomo claimed, as of October 27, crime rates in subways have decreased by three percent compared to last year, and the occurrence of felonies in the subways dropped 71 percent from 1997 to 2018. When the political figure spearheading a major proposal spreads misinformation, there are two possibilities. One, they are spending taxpayer dollars without doing basic research, or two, they are lying to the public because the statistics don’t support their decision. “The feeling that subways are unsafe is up. I’m hearing it all over, and I think the additional MTA police will be helpful in that regard,” Cuomo said on November 11. It’s absurd to spend $249 million on a “feeling” that is directly contradicted by facts: subway crime is near an all-time low.

While crime in the subways is down, cases of police brutality have been more frequent following the influx of cops. Police officers aimed their guns into a crowded subway car and rushed in as the doors opened to tackle an unarmed black teenager with his hands in the air on October 25. In the NYPD’s statement, they said that

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Emma Linderman Please address all letters to: 345 Chambers Street New York, NY 10282 (212) 312-4800 ext. 2601 opinions@stuyspec.com We reserve the right to edit letters

for clarity and length. © 2019 The Spectator All rights reserved by the creators. *Managing Board **Editor-in-Training

Criminal Budget—Cuomo’s Transit Cops Don’t Add Up.

By WYATT SMITH

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they had seen him jump a turnstile and suspected he possessed a firearm. According to Nehori, a passenger on the train, “If anything small went wrong, someone could have been hurt.” The next day at the Jay-Street Metrotech station, cops violently arrested four teenagers they had seen fighting, and in the chaos punched a 15-yearold black bystander in the face, whom they assumed was involved.

Though police brutality is relatively rare, any violence from police directed toward innocent people has a terrible and widespread societal impact, especially because it almost exclusively targets minorities. To make matters worse, the new cops aren’t required to wear body cams because they technically aren’t part of the NYPD. This makes it harder to hold them accountable for their actions because there is less objective evidence available in court.

Another justification for the increased police presence is to combat homeless people in subways. Data collected by an MTAapproved task force showed that 2178 people live in the subway, a 20 percent increase from last year.

This statistic has been used by Cuomo to argue that transit police are needed to get the homeless

out of the subway and into shelters. “I’ve never seen it so bad,” he said at a press conference after riding the subway. He also emphasized how homeless people slow down service, but in 2018, only 0.07 percent of delays were caused by issues related to the homeless.

The MTA provided no evidence to show that cops are effective at reducing homelessness in subways and didn’t explore alternatives such as using social workers, who would be less intimidating and better suited. Ideally, the MTA would effectively and humanely help the homeless find support outside of the subways, but as it currently stands, hiring cops to go around badgering sleeping homeless people is certainly not the most pressing use of money.

The MTA must urgently address their deteriorating system.

Every dollar should be spent getting service back on track and providing subsidized MetroCards to New Yorkers in poverty—spending $249 million on new transit cops solves nothing. The MTA must quickly reconsider its decision because it simply cannot afford that price. This proposal plunges the MTA into more debt and away from a better system.

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The Spectator ● December 11, 2019

Opinions How the Whitewashing of History Threatens our Democracy

By IAN SAINT-GERMAIN

About a month ago, I witnessed a rather worrisome moment in my U.S. History class.

We were discussing the atrocities committed by early Spanish explorers, such as Christopher Columbus and Hernán Cortés, when one of my classmates raised his hand to answer a question with a hurt look in his eye.

As he described the systematic subjugation of Native Americans at the hands of the conquistadors, he began to sound more and more disgusted as he responded to my teacher’s prompt. What had made him so angry, he said, was the fact that our U.S. History textbook completely glossed over the genocide committed by the Spanish in their quest for gold. He seemed ashamed to have been forced to rely on the day’s handout for this information, having been “lied to” by the reading from the night before. My teacher admitted, “The textbook isn’t the greatest.

She also said that she often finds it necessary to supplement its information with articles and documents to paint a fuller picture of America’s history.

My classmate wasn’t naive or wrong for being unaware of the dark origin of America’s colonies; he was simply misinformed.

According to our textbook, “More surely than any army, disease conquered region after region.” This description depicts the eradication of Carribean and eastern Native Americans as accidental and inadvertent. While it’s true that disease played a major factor in the Native Genocide, this phrasing downplays the horrific actions taken by the Spanish.

The cruelties inflicted upon the Native Americans are only discussed in a Point/Counterpoint section that depicts history and hero-worship as equally valid viewpoints. Stuyvesant students are lucky enough to have the privilege of in-depth analysis and discussion of this country’s past in our classes, with incredibly gifted teachers who have the talent and resources to keep us informed. This is not the national experience. Such whitewashing and censorship of history not

only fail to educate our youth about this country’s origins, but also threaten the very foundations of our democracy.

Last year, the Texas Board of Education voted on which historical figures to emphasize and which to remove from the state’s social studies curriculum. Among those figures were Hillary Clinton and Hellen Keller, whom the board decided to remove to help “streamline” their curriculum.

This blatant censorship fails to give students a proper view of American history. Defenders of this decision may assert that most students are already aware of such a prominent figure such as Hillary Clinton, and that students who aren’t can easily find out about her through the news. But trying to keep up with modern politics is akin to trying to get into the Simpsons or South Park in 2019. It’s possible to hear about current events, but without the proper context, it’s impossible to understand the motives and reasoning behind policies and decisions, to recognize the different parties and ideologies at play, and to understand the impact these decisions have on the broader American populace. There are certainly students whose interest in politics will encourage them to explore and research history on their own, but a majority of students will simply find themselves confused and lose their curiosity. It’s our education system’s job to provide the context necessary to help students understand the consequences of our history and understand the effect it has on the modern world. When the system fails to do so, students may find themselves misinformed and apathetic about politics, leading them to be easily manipulated by our politicians or to simply neglect their civic duty to participate in our democracy.

But one need not censor history to manipulate present-day politics. By presenting a biased, sanitized, and misrepresented version of events, textbooks can deceive students into accepting hateful ideologies and bigoted perspectives on history.

Last year, Texas finally included slavery as a central factor of the Civil War, marking the end of a longstanding campaign to whitewash one of the country’s greatest shames. During this country’s Reconstruction era, which followed the Civil War, the wives and daughters of fallen confederate troops formed a “heritage group” called the United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC)

Aries Ho/The Spectator

to gain control of the narrative surrounding the war. Soon becoming the de facto women’s branch of the Ku Klux Klan, the UDC published children’s books depicting the Klan’s actions as noble and justified, and campaigned to erect dozens of statues memorializing Confederate generals. They also spread misinformation about the Civil War through the school system.

The UDC is often credited with popularizing the myth of the “lost cause,” which states that the Civil War was about states’ rights, not slavery, and that the plantation system was beneficial for the slaves.

Until this year, Texas had been indoctrinating its students

with this narrative. From calling slaves “workers” to claiming that the Confederacy rebelled over the Union’s “authoritarianism,” this doublespeak has helped condition students to idolize the Confederacy and has primed them for recruitment into hate groups. Students often adopt the world view presented by their parents and teachers, and though schools cannot control a student’s home life, they certainly shouldn’t peddle fiction as fact.

We live in the age of information and misinformation, where it’s much easier to change facts than it is to change opinions. If a student who’s been conditioned to accept the “states’ rights” argument realizes his textbook doesn’t provide him enough information and goes online to research the topic with his biased worldview, there are countless hate groups willing to take his ignorance and run with it.

We saw the product of the division and hatred fostered by these myths on August 12, 2017. In response to calls to remove a statue of Robert E. Lee, dozens of white nationalist groups organized a two-day protest called the “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. With over thousands of protesters and counter-protesters in attendance, the rally quickly became violent, resulting in the murder of Heather Hyer by a neo-Nazi. These myths have resulted in a dogmatic investment in southern iconography, one that allows people to confuse hatred with patriotism. With many participants willing to shout Nazi slogans and stand side-by-side with swastikas, the effect biased and misrepresented history has on this country’s polarized voter base is clear.

This biased and whitewashed view of history isn’t only limited to the South, as a majority of textbook companies do their best to comply with Texas’s curriculum. Texas has an incredible

amount of control over the national social studies curriculum, as it’s one of the nation’s biggest textbook contractors. Instead of making separate textbooks to comply with different state regulations, many textbook publishers just opt to produce textbooks that satisfy Texas’s curriculum, since it’s often the most rigid and demanding. This means that all across the country, there are thousands of schools teaching this distorted view of American history, and there are millions of kids digesting it. Again, not every school is Stuyvesant. Not every school has the budget to hire effective teachers and purchase updated textbooks. Even with Texas losing its monopoly on our education system, there are schools in this country with textbooks that go back to the ‘90s, when companies were forced to comply with Texas to stay in business. The danger that comes with distorting history will only compound over time. As accurate information online becomes increasingly obscured by myths and misinformation campaigns led by trolls, this country will need well-funded and unmanipulated social studies programs to have the tools necessary to participate in this country’s democracy; otherwise, we will find themselves confused, misinformed, misled, and gaslighted by politicians and populist hate groups.

We cannot have a united country with a divided view of history. As time goes on, what was once censored will become forgotten, while the myths and misrepresentations will become facts and common knowledge.

We live in dangerous times, where facts are relative and the truth is being distorted. Given Stuyvesant’s excellent teachers who go above and beyond the call of duty to educate us, we can make the most out of history class and stay informed in this increasingly hazy world. If we don’t, we are all in danger of finding ourselves unable to keep up with modern politics, misled by malicious organizations, and bewildered by the ramifications of the past and present. Those who fail to learn their history are doomed to be controlled by it.

The Dangerous Underbelly of South Korean Pop Culture

By EZRA LEE When you think of South Korea, you might think of the influence and popularity of Korean pop music, widely known as K-pop. Fans all around the world have fallen in love with the drama, food, pop stars (or “idols,” as they’re called), and music of South Korean culture. Like many wealthy and highly-developed countries, Korea has a reputation for its strong justice system and lack of widespread corruption.

Yet in 2019, South Korea had its most high-profile and widespread celebrity scandal in years. It began when Kim Sang-kyo visited Burning Sun, a prominent nightclub in Gangnam, and reported to the police that a woman was being sexually harassed in the club. Burning Sun staff forced Kim out and then assaulted him when he tried to help the woman. Police arrested him, claiming he was the attacker, and charged him with six different crimes, including criminal battery and defamation.

The man later set up an online petition demanding an investigation of Burning Sun, stating that customers were regularly drugged by staff and that the club operated on an illegal and corrupt relationship with the local police. This forced Seungri of the pop group Big Bang, a famous group that helped shape Korean pop culture in the early 2000s, to resign as one of the club’s executive directors. Subsequent investigations uncovered that Seungri had arranged numerous sexual fa-

vors for Big Bang’s investors, and that various nightclubs like Burning Sun had been used regularly for these meetings.

To make matters worse, there was another scandal involving other famous idols, including Jung Joonyoung from the show “2 Days & 1 Night,” Choi Jong-hoon of the group F.T. Island, and Lee Jonghyun from of the group CNBLUE. These idols either took videos of themselves having non-consensual sex with women and shared it in a KakaoTalk group chat, a messaging platform, or were bystanders.

The Burning Sun and KakaoTalk incidents have helped expose a long-running and previously unheard-of problem in South Korea’s entertainment industry. “The recent Burning Sun nightclub scandal exposed a culture that exploits women, which has brought about public rage,” Lee Taek-kwang, a professor of Kyung Hee University, said. In South Korea, more and more women are protesting to protect their safety and rights. The scandal is just a small part of the prostitution, drug trafficking, and police corruption problem plaguing the country.

Ten years ago, in 2009, Jang Jayeon, an actress from the popular drama series “Boys Over Flowers,” committed suicide in her home. Investigations into her suicide were revealed in 2019 to be plagued with corruption and cover-ups, while a separate inquiry found that she had been sexually and physically abused by many entertainment executives throughout her career. This was

mainly due to the manager of her management company, Kim Sunghoon, who beat her up and forced her to sleep with these VIPS. A seven-page list of the names of at least 31 Korean media executives whom she was forced to have sex with was found at her house after her death.

Though the police hid the full list and people questioned whether the list was actually written by Jang Jayeon, many CEOs of prominent companies were exposed, including the vice president of Sports Chosun, Bang Myung-hoon, director of advertising of the newspaper JoongAng Ilbo, chairman of Kolon, Lee Woong-ryeol, chairman of Lotte, Shin Kyuk-ho, and many more. Due to the controversy and lack of evidence, this case was dismissed and only brought up when the Burning Sun scandal blew up.

Women, whether they are famous or not, are treated like they are disposable. Since rich businessmen were involved, the investigation in 2009 was not done properly. Women like Jang Ja-yeon have to take the fall while the criminals who forced her to do these horrible deeds are still out there, not convicted of their wrongdoings.

Resolving this issue is not easy, but the government needs to take action. Educating its citizens of this issue is crucial for women to be more aware during their daily lives. Women could be educated on how to protect themselves from getting involved in these drug and prostituion crimes. Men have to be aware that objectifying women

is not appropriate and that recording themselves drugging women is not right. Overall, the country is still conservative. It is necessary to teach students in school that this is a major problem, though this could be an issue, as students in South Korea are pushed by their parents to mostly focus on their academics.

Recently, there has also been a problem with hidden camera crimes throughout the country. Though South Korea has repeatedly tried to stop this from occurring, these crimes have increased over time.

Police has stated that illegal filming crimes increased sharply from 1,353 in 2011 to 6,470 in 2017. These hidden camera crimes have put the security of many women in danger.

Many women around the country are protesting to fight for protection, finally getting some attention by news stations and newspapers.

The police need to be trained so that they are not susceptible to bribes or intimidation from companies and prominent executives. This could mean accepting less policemen into the workforce or putting more money into the quality of police schools. These “solutions” would cause some problems like a lack of policemen or money, but the benefit is a more exclusive police workforce that is highly trained and paid well. Some plausible solutions could be more supervision, like using more cameras inside stations to record everything that the police are doing. It is also possible to have district police work more closely with each other and the Na-

tional Police Headquarters. In some cases, like the Burning Sun scandal, the Seoul police had to investigate instead of the district police because the case became a national scandal, and also because the district police were involved in bribery.

Though it is not an easy task, South Korea needs to improve the lives of women by seriously changing rules and laws pertaining to not only the entertainment industry and the police, but also to society as a whole.

However, there is still no true answer to these problems, as even the most developed countries are not able to resolve the issues on corruption, trafficking, sexual assault, and harrassment.

There have been great efforts to help protect women, but there is still much to be done. The entertainment industry in South Korea is corrupt and taken advantage of by the government and large companies. Women are seen as sex tools, and prostitution, drug trafficking, and police corruption are still problems in the country. Right now, more women are taking a stand and are aware of the lack of their safety, a step in the right direction. However, fans of Korean pop culture should also acknowledge that this is a problem, as women are taken advantage of inside and outside the entertainment industry. Corruption, trafficking, sexual assault, and harassment are global problems with millions of victims. These problems need to be taken seriously for the good of men and women alike.

The Spectator ● December 11, 2019

Page 11

Opinions The Dismal State of Schools in Detroit—and What You Can Do to Help

By KRISTIN CHENG Here at Stuyvesant, incessant complaints about infrastructure are commonplace. Through our unrelenting criticism of elevator maintenance, we forget the privilege it is to attend a school with a $150 million campus. We forget the 10 well-kept floors that our school’s underappreciated janitors labor over daily. We forget our newly-renovated library and Innovation Lab—both million-dollar endeavors.

We forget schools like Spain Elementary-Middle School in Detroit, which, according to school counselor Lakia Wilson, is “the poster child for neglect and indifference to a quality teaching and learning environment.

Exposed wires hang from missing ceiling tiles. Watermarks from leaks abound. Kids either sit in freezing classrooms with their coats on or strip off layers because of stifling heat.” Worse yet, “the gym is closed because half of the floor is buckled and the other half suffered so much rainwater damage from the dripping ceiling that it became covered with toxic black mold. Instead of professionally addressing the problem, a black tarp simply was placed over the entire area like a Band-Aid, ” Wilson said.

The physical deterioration of these public schools is commensurate with their academic deterioration: many of Detroit’s school teachers are forced to teach subjects for which they lack training and experience. In one school, when a math teacher resigned just a few weeks into the school year, an eighth-grade student was tasked with teaching both seventh and eighth-grade math for a month in 2015. And in every year

that the National Assessment for Educational Progress has been administered, Detroit’s fourth and eighth graders have been ranked last in the country, with only about five percent of Detroit’s children deemed proficient in math or literacy.

These harrowing statistics are a result of the state’s takeover of Detroit’s schools. Michigan’s Constitution requires “a system of free public elementary and secondary schools,” an obligation it has historically fulfilled by appointing local school boards and granting them the authority to run school systems. But in 2001, a few intractable financial issues in the system emerged, and the state took direct control of Detroit public schools, intending to solve the problems that the elected Board of Education and superintendent could not.But this decision only worsened conditions, as evidenced by Detroit’s current student enrollment. It has fallen from nearly 170,000 students in 2000, prior to the state’s takeover, to a mere 45,000—a decline of 72 percent. This is largely due to the fact that under state-appointed officials, there was gross mismanagement of academic and financial matters.

Rather than solving the structural financial problems they were meant to solve, state officials resorted to ineffective, short-term solutions, leaving the district with $299 million in longterm debt by 2014. In so doing, these emergency managers paid little attention to what was happening in the classroom. Neglected students were thus forced to learn from outdated materials that, as current Superintendent Nikolai Vitti put it, were “an injustice to the children of Detroit.”

State legislators finally agreed in 2016 to send $617 million to the

school district as part of a deal that relieved the district of some of its debt and ended nearly 15 years of control. A school board election was held within months, and Vitti was hired. Despite the resistance and uncertainty he has faced from teachers in the district, Vitti contends that “a reform plan is on track and the district is returning to “normalcy” after a decade of emergency management.” To a certain extent, he is correct: recent standardized test results suggest that the system has two parts: (1) spend $9.7 million to make repairs in 46 school buildings using two parts: (1) spend $9.7 million to make repairs in 46 school buildings using general funds, focusing first on schools with high utilization rates and high enrollment (which he sees as better investments), and (2) turn to residents to decide the fate of what is left. He plans on holding meetings across the community to foster honest conversation with parents about how to fix the remaining schools or whether to consolidate them, seeing as some schools are overcrowded while others suffer from low enrollment. Based on community feedback from these meetings, the district will devise a new facilities plan.

But these measures are simply not enough. Getting the community involved is a good first step, but conversation will do little when the district has no funding to address the expensive, growing capital needs of the remaining schools. It cannot issue debt to fund school construction through the state’s School Bond Loan Fund—the program most Michigan schools use to fund expensive school construction—because it has already borrowed the maximum amount permitted by law. And if Vitti

is unable to persuade state legislators to change the way the debt is repaid or give him more flexibility to incur debt, closure seems a plausible fate for the remaining 54 school buildings that Detroit simply does not have the funds to repair.

Detroit residents recognize this, and in efforts to make change, their lawyers have begun to argue that Michigan is denying students the right to a minimally adequate education, an issue that has been raised over the years in courts in other states.

American Federation of Teachers lawyer Bob Fetter contends, “When you have ceiling tiles falling from the ceiling, when you have mold in the air, when you have steam coming from your mouth when you’re in the classroom because your classroom is freezing, that, amongst the other issues [such as] vermin-infested rooms, that is not a minimally adequate education.” Wilson agrees, asserting, “We are losing generations of children because we are failing them. We are failing them because we are not able to provide everything that they need: textbooks, programming, and even the facilities. And that is criminal. And those are just the necessities [of a minimally adequate education].”

A state judge in Connecticut ordered sweeping changes in 2016 to reform the state’s public school system after concluding that “Connecticut is defaulting on its constitutional duty” to provide all students with an adequate education. The judge concluded that the state’s funding system had “left rich school districts to flourish and poor school districts to flounder.” It would be unsurprising if the efforts of activists led to a similar conclusion about Michigan, seeing as Detroit’s public school system is not

the only testament to the inequitable actions of the state. The water-supply crisis in Flint, Michigan, is yet another example of an issue within a poor, predominantly black city that has festered under state control.

Thus, moving forward, advocacy, from both those in Detroit who must bear abhorrent conditions and from those of us at Stuyvesant who have long taken our privilege for granted, is imperative. The most compelling way to enact change is to amplify the voices of students in Detroit, using our platforms to share their stories.

Should such stories receive national attention, they may resonate more deeply with the state legislators that Vitti needs help convincing, hopefully compelling them to give him more flexibility to incur debt. In addition, donations to the Detroit Public Schools Foundation (DPSF)—a nonprofit that works to raise money and give grants to the Detroit Public Schools Community District and nonprofit organizations that provide programming to Detroit students— could supplement the funding the city needs that the state is withholding. As Pamela Moore, president of the DPSF, affirms, “It’s that unrestricted money [from donations] that we are focused on. We really need just the average individual to donate so that we can fill some of these gaps that the poverty-stricken community cannot, like [the cost of students’] basic needs.”

In remaining complacent, we do an extreme disservice to the residents of Detroit. To contribute—through our words or our dollars—is to finally recognize our privilege and give to others what we have been given: an adequate education and, thus, a fair chance to succeed.

Why Advertising Directed Toward Children Should Be Banned

By MAYA NELSON

Nearly everybody can remember watching television or playing on some device as a child and seeing an advertisement for a product.

Whether that product was a toy, a snack, or something that was practically irrelevant to our daily lives, we still wanted it. We would go up to our parents or guardians and desperately plead for them to buy it for us, even though we all knew deep down that they would say no.

Children are exposed to dozens or even hundreds of advertisements every single day, and companies use different strategies to try to appeal to them. The most prevalent one is having a funny or relatable character, often an animal, that represents the face of the company’s product, like Tony the Tiger for Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes or Ronald McDonald for McDonald’s. Other common strategies include having a catchy jingle or logo, bright colors, loud sounds, and the depiction of children who appear to be happy or having fun. Even though some of these are used when marketing toward older audiences, they are far more effective on children. Researcher Kyle Adams has identified that this is because younger children are often unable to understand the purpose of advertising and are unable to recognize that companies are trying to persuade them into buying these products.

One might wonder: “Why

do companies put so much money and effort into marketing to children?” The most obvious answer is “pester power,” a phrase used to describe the ability of children to pester their parents to buy these products. Even though parents might say no most of the time, children’s ability to continuously nag about a toy or other product that they want will often work.

In fact, children under the age of 12 influence $200 billion of family spending in the United States alone, as well as $25 billion from their own purchases. With that kind of influence and spending power, of course advertisers would want to target them.

So it’s obvious that advertisers do target children, but how is this a bad thing? Because children are more gullible than adults, they are likely to want more of the products that they see in advertising, many of which have negative effects on their health, safety, and well-being.

The harmful effects of certain products explain why exposure to advertising “may contribute significantly to childhood and adolescent obesity, poor nutrition, and cigarette and alcohol use,” according to the American Academy of

Pediatrics. Often, children see an abundance of advertising for these harmful products, and the use of those products often has negative

Anna Ast / The Spectator

effects on their health. Children, who lack the capability to make decisions as well as their elders, are easily manipulated; companies abuse this for profit, often resulting in a negative impact on both the child and the family as a whole.

Being exposed to an abundance of advertisements as a child can lead to harmful effects in later life. For example, they can lead to more aggressive behavior in children because advertisements that display violent or aggressive behavior can influence the child’s behavior in that manner. An ISU study found that violent behavior in advertisements makes children more likely to engage in aggressive and risky behavior, and can desensitize them to such violence. Additionally, in many advertisements, women are often sexualized in order to make the product more appealing. This can cause major self-esteem issues for young girls, leading them to think that they should look like the women they see on TV or in other forms of advertising. It can also teach young boys to objectify women, since they are constantly seeing women in a sexualized manner. Advertisements specifically directed toward children should be regulated for these harmful potential effects.

Of course, it’s not that easy. Children are exposed to advertising throughout their daily lives, not just on television. There is

an abundance of ads in mobile games, on billboards, on posters, in magazines, and beyond. Advertisements are how a lot of companies, such as mobile game designers or magazine publishers, make their profit. It’s hard to establish a definitive line of what makes an advertisement directed toward children. In addition to specifically targeted ads, children are faced with advertisements directed toward a general audience, such as fast food ads. Even if we ban all targeted ads, children will still see these ads and develop negative behaviors because of them. Advertising is part of the foundation of our economy, and we cannot simply ban the entire thing as a whole.

Instead, it is up to the parents to teach children to be mindful of the advertisements that they see. Certain policies could be implemented to limit the number of advertisements directed toward children shown on TV or other sources, but the most crucial factor is teaching children how to respond to advertisements, and that is up to the parents and guardians.

Teaching children about the purpose of advertisements and that not everything presented about products is true could help them make better decisions when they want certain products. Even in our own lives, we should learn to be mindful about the number of advertisements we see and remind ourselves that we don’t need everything that is advertised to us.

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The Spectator ● December 11, 2019

Science This Artificial Leaf Could Be the Future HIV Outbreak in of Alternative Fuels Pakistan: A Call for Safer

By ANGELINA CHANG been heated to a certain temperaWu’s research is groundture. The powder acts as a cata- breaking for two reasons. First, Medical Care Climate change is an issue lyst when it is mixed with water removing carbon dioxide from

By ZOE PICCIRILLO

By VICTOR LIU Ever since scientists discovered the genetic cause of cystic fibrosis, patients and doctors alike have dreamt of a treatment for this life-threatening disease.

This dream came true on October 31, 2019, when a three-drug combination named Trikafka was unveiled at a national conference in Tennessee, and the study behind it was published in two leading medical journals. Previously, people with cystic fibrosis didn’t even go to college because they knew they wouldn’t survive long after. With the widespread recognition of Trikafka as an effective treatment of the disease, they are now making plans for retirement.

Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disease that causes mucus and

that continues to worsen each year, but researchers have developed a possible solution to this problem: an artificial, fuelproducing leaf. Carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere are at a record high, with over two million pounds of carbon dioxide emitted into the air each second.

In order to even have a chance at solving climate change, we must not only emit less carbon dioxide, but also remove what has already been released.

Driven by this mission, an international team of researchers

and carbon dioxide. A solar energy simulator then shines a beam of white light into the solution, which triggers a chemical reaction that produces oxygen and methanol. The solution is heated, and the methanol is captured as it evaporates.

Like Wu’s team, researchers at the University of Cambridge have created an artificial leaf that uses photosynthesis to create synthetic gas. “Syngas” is currently used in a wide range of cooking products, plastic materials, and fertilizers. Production of

the atmosphere can slow down climate change considerably if performed on a large scale. Second, alternative fuels will allow people to continue using their fuel-powered vehicles, which would give us more time to transition to a carbon-neutral lifestyle. According to Wu, “This technology is expected to reduce CO2 emission from oil companies, automobile companies, and steel companies. It can also provide clean and sustainable fuels, methanol, for vehicles and aircrafts.

Methanol is also a feedstock in

from the University of Waterloo, Ontario, have created an artificial leaf that mimics the carbon-removing abilities of an actual plant (which are made possible by cellular respiration, the reverse process of photosynthesis). But instead of using carbon dioxide to create fuel for itself, the artificial leaf will produce a carbon-neutral fuel. “We’re using carbon dioxide and water and sunlight as an input, and producing methanol and oxygen as a product,” says Yimin Wu, an engineering professor at the University of Waterloo who led the research team.

The team’s process uses a red-hued powder called cuprous oxide, which is created when glucose, copper acetate, sodium hydroxide, and sodium dodecyl sulfate are added to water that has

the gas involves using natural gas or coal, which releases harmful greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. However, the syngas-producing artificial leaf uses clean energy sources and does not release greenhouse gases into the air, making it a viable competitor with more traditional forms of energy.

The leaf mimics photosynthesis by combining sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide with a cobalt catalyst to start a chemical reaction. This reaction then produces carbon monoxide and hydrogen, creating syngas which can be converted into liquid fuel.

But unlike the syngas-producing leaf, Wu’s artificial leaf skips the intermediate step entirely and creates clean fuel directly from the chemical reaction.

chemical industry [sic] to make plastics and fibers. This provides a solution to reduce CO2 emission and produce sustainable fuels for green economy.”

Though alternative fuels will not replace fossil fuels just yet, Wu is optimistic about his research.

He plans to increase the methanol yield in order to improve the efficiency of the technology, and he hopes to commercialize the process. Wu plans to use carbon dioxide captured from the steel industry, automotive industry, or even the oil-drilling industry, which would help remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. “It helps fight climate change, reducing CO2 emissions, but also provides sustainable energy,” Wu says.

Andrea Huang / The Spectator

Approximately 37.9 million people suffered from Human Immunodeficiency Viruses (HIV) across the globe in 2018. Roughly one million people have been infected every year since 2010. HIV is transmitted through bodily fluids, such as blood, breast milk, and semen, and therefore can commonly be contracted through sexual intercourse.

Yet dirty, reused syringes were the culprits of a recent HIV outbreak in Ratodero, Pakistan. At least 1,200 people, more than 900 of whom are children younger than 12, have been infected in the devastating outbreak, which was first identified in May. Many of these infected children, whose immune systems were not as developed as those of adults, died.

Muzaffar Ghanghro, a pediatrician in Ratodero, was arrested soon after the outbreak was detected. He was accused of reusing syringes because he could not afford to buy new ones. In doing so, he doubled the number of children infected with HIV in Pakistan in a matter of months.

Though his clinic was shut down after his arrest, Ghanghro’s clinic was one of the least expensive clinics in Ratodero. He charged 20 cents a visit, thus attracting an immense number of patients. One father, Imtiaz Jalbani, has four children—all whom were infected by Ghanghro’s dirty needles. Jalbani told The New York Times that, according to the doctor himself, Ghanghro and his wife starved themselves in order to afford syringes for his patients.

Yet Ghanghro is not the only medical official in an impoverished country to have misused medical equipment because of a shortage of supplies. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), one-third of new Hepatitis B infections, 40 percent of new Hepatitis C infections, and nine percent of new HIV infections were caused by syringe reuse, totaling to more than 24 million new infections in 2000. In lessdeveloped countries, 70 percent of all injections are applied using reused equipment, and 40 percent of injections around the world are given using reused equipment. The HIV outbreak in Ratodero isn’t just an unfortunate occurrence and the result of a doctor’s misguided mistake; it is a wake-up call to the rest of the world.

Solving the problem of syringe

reuse isn’t as simple as providing clinics with more syringes. Syringe reuse has been a common practice for years and was even encouraged in the 20th century. Until 2000, the WHO itself claimed that a syringe could be reused up to 200 times if disinfected properly. Furthermore, the syringe market is a relatively small one. Since it is dominated by 30 manufacturers, introducing safer, single-use syringes requires a massive shift in financial outlook and spending in the private sector. Corporate manufacturers see no reason to introduce new and expensive syringes into the market when “reusable” syringes already generate millions of dollars of revenue. Marc Koska, a British scientist who has been promoting safer syringe use for more than 30 years, said that he had created a syringe that falls apart after a single use and costs five cents apiece—the same price as today’s widely-used syringes. Yet Koska’s potentially revolutionary invention was rejected out of hand by the medical technology industry because it could threaten the success of other syringes already established on the market.

Nevertheless, the drive for creating better and safer “singleuse” syringes still continues. The WHO has created a “smart syringe” whose plunger locks after one use, rendering it ineffective for multiple applications, and the organization hopes to distribute it in great numbers around the world by 2020. This smart syringe costs three to four cents more than traditional syringes, but it will reap great economic benefits for many developing nations across the globe. According to Koska, every dollar spent on the syringes will produce a $14.57 margin in other economic benefits. Meanwhile, using such syringes would save a substantial amount of money because the number of infected patients needing injections and treatments would plunge.

The outbreak in Ratodero is just one harmful effect out of many caused by the unsafe reuse of syringes. Infection rates cannot be brought down if medical practitioners do not receive the supplies necessary to treat their population.

The reuse of medical equipment is an issue that will continue to grow if it is not properly addressed. It is up to syringe marketers and activists to properly educate populations and enforce better methods of providing injections.

A Cure For Cystic Fibrosis?

bacteria to build up in a patient’s lungs, putting them at risk for infection and making it difficult to breathe. It is caused by a specific type of gene mutation (called a point mutation) in the DNA that either adds a base pair, deletes it, or substitutes it for another base pair. The most common form of cystic fibrosis deletes a base pair in DNA, but other variations of the disease have different types of point mutations either on the same or different regions of DNA. However, what they all have in common is their position on a gene encoding a protein called the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR). This protein normally transports chloride ions to the surface of a cell, attracting water to the cell as a result. The water then clears out the mucus

that builds up in the airways of our lungs.

However, cystic fibrosis causes the CFTR protein to be misfolded, rendering it unable to effectively carry chloride ions.

When this happens, the mucus in various organs, including the lungs, builds up and becomes thick and sticky. The mucus clogs the airways and traps germs in the surrounding tissue, leading to a high risk of infection for cystic fibrosis patients. The mucus can also lead to inflammation, respiratory failure, and other complications. Its adverse effects are not restricted to the lungs either, as mucus can also disrupt key biological processes in the pancreas and liver.

The difference between Trikafka and previous treatments for cystic fibrosis is that

the former covers a wider range of patients than previous drugs did while also targeting the genetic roots of the disease. Before Trikafka, treatments to cystic fibrosis included airway clearance, which involves coughing or huffing to loosen mucus from airway walls, and inhaled medicines, which clear thin mucus from lung airways. Because cystic fibrosis is a disease with many different causes, old drug combos such as lumacaftor combined with ivacaftor had limited success since they only addressed 50 percent of the population of cystic fibrosis patients. However, Trikafka is different from all these treatments because it is effective in 90 percent of all patients, nearly the entirety of everyone afflicted with this life-threatening disease.

Trikafka works by combining

three separate drugs to treat cystic fibrosis, one of which corrects the misfolded CFTR protein and the other two which activate the correctly-folded protein once it reaches the cell membrane in order to allow chloride ions to flow through. This three-drug combination was so powerful and persuasive that the Food and Drug Administration approved of it five months in advance of the agency’s deadline for the drug. Trikafka may well be compared to the invention of insulin treatments for diabetes—before a proper tool was discovered to treat this disease, patients were expected to die as early as in their teenage years.

Continued on page 13

The Spectator ● December 11, 2019

Page 13

Science

By GERARD LIN The 2013 Ebola virus outbreak was not the first of its kind, and yet it shocked the world as it quickly swept through Western Africa and found its way into Europe and the United States. Fears of an Ebola pandemic on American soil spread even faster than the virus itself. A poll in October 2014 found that two-thirds of the U.S. population was concerned about a widespread Ebola outbreak in the U.S. Five years later, no such outbreak has occurred in the U.S., and fewer than 12,000 people worldwide have died from Ebola. While the world was concerned about a virus that never spread out of a single continent, many thousands of people in impoverished nations around the globe were dying from influenza, a seasonal killer.

Influenza, more commonly known as the flu, is one of the world’s most dangerous infectious diseases. Two influenza strains (A and B) out of the four existing ones (A, B, C, D) are responsible for the 9.3 to 49 million people in the U.S. that contract the disease each year. In most cases, complications are few and relatively minor. Yet the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a U.S. agency charged with reporting on public health, estimated that as many as 56,000 people died from influenza during the 2012-2013 season. Most of these deaths resulted from bacterial infections such as pneumonia or the aggravation of existing medical conditions

The Flu and Stuyvesant

such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Adults over 65 and children under five years of age, alongside patients with weakened immune systems, are most vulnerable to a potentially lethal flu outbreak.

The flu virus is as infectious as it is because it is able to survive on saliva droplets scattered in the air by people speaking, sneezing, or coughing. Influenza typically incubates in the body for one to four days, during which the infected person will experience no symptoms. Most adults may be able to infect others a day before symptoms actually develop and anywhere from five to seven days after falling sick.

The typical “flu season,” falling roughly between the months of October and February, largely results from antigenic shift, which is the accumulation of small-scale mutations over a longer period of time. These mutations are the reason why a new and different flu vaccine is needed every year.

Every couple of years, a particularly infectious and lethal strain of flu appears. These strains of the influenza virus are responsible for rare flu pandemics such as the H1N1 Spanish flu virus, a global outbreak which killed at least 50 million people at its height in 1918. These viruses are so lethal precisely because they result from antigenic shift. In these cases, the flu virus is so different from previous strains that few people are immune to it even if they do receive the vaccine.

The best way to protect oneself from contracting the flu is, unsurprisingly, to get a flu shot.

The most common vaccine is an inactivated flu virus, which is delivered through an injection. The flu virus is cultured in chicken eggs, and when the virus is mature, it is chemically inactivated using formalin or detergents. This method is safest, as the virus has no chance of mutating back into an active and lethal strain, which allows the vaccine to be delivered to the immunocompromised patient. However, even though the traditional flu shot is the most widespread method of vaccination against influenza, it is not the most efficient vaccine and can be highly expensive to produce in large amounts.

Another kind of vaccine is a live-attenuated vaccine. It is produced by choosing an influenza virus that does not affect humans and then genetically recombining it with the circulating strain to express the circulating strain’s proteins. The live-attenuated virus is delivered through a nasal spray.

It is more effective than the inactivated virus because those who receive the vaccine can spread the vaccine itself and make others immune, even if they did not receive a vaccine. However, this vaccine cannot be given to immunocompromised individuals, as the virus within it may mutate back into a virulent strain. In extreme cases, it can even cause an outbreak of influenza.

The impact of the flu is severe despite it being a relatively mild

disease. It is estimated that the flu results in 31.4 million outpatient visits and over 200,000 hospitalizations a year. This results in an estimated $10.4 billion a year in direct medical expenses and another $16.3 billion in lost income for patients. In addition, the flu causes U.S. employees to miss a combined 17 million workdays, and this costs an estimated $7 billion a year in sick days and lost productivity.

In Stuyvesant, the costs of the flu season come in the form of missed school days and a growing amount of work to be made up.

Sometimes, these costs simply cannot be paid off effectively. Catching up on classwork is difficult, as lessons are often based on the previous day’s lesson. This puts students in situations where, despite recovering from their illness, they find it difficult to recover from their disadvantages in class.

The best way to prevent students from falling behind because of the flu is, again, to simply get the flu shot. Though the vaccine is not 100 percent effective, it greatly helps ease symptoms if one does contract the flu. In a survey of Stuyvesant students, 28 people (61 percent) out of the 46 who responded said that they had received a flu shot. Of the 18 people who did not receive their flu shot, the main reason for not receiving the shot was because they were “too lazy” or “didn’t have the time.”

There is no good reason to avoid getting the flu shot, as most insurance plans not only cover it but also encourage people to get

the vaccine. Most pharmacies, including one’s local CVS, Rite Aid, or Walgreens, provide the flu shot (sometimes at no charge), and it only takes a couple of minutes to get one from a certified medical professional. The benefits of getting a flu shot far outweigh the little risk that comes along with it. The side effects, which include injection-site redness, soreness, or swelling, are signs of an active immune response and are not indicative of further damage or infection.

However, if students do have the flu, they should generally try to avoid coming to school. Many people view missed days of school as irreparable setbacks. An anonymous freshman summarized this perspective: “I came to school even though I was sick because of the course. If I missed even a day, I might not be able to catch up. We had important exams coming up.”

Though students may miss out on several days of class, the crowded staircases and hallways of Stuyvesant are the perfect grounds for transmitting the flu, as a cough or sneeze may easily infect several others. In addition, students may not be able to focus in class if they are nursing a fever and having irritating aches and chills. Rather than coming to school miserably sick and unable to absorb information from class, staying at home and allowing a period of rest and recuperation would be far better ways of recovering quicker and avoiding a flu outbreak in school.

Wired: How Screen Exposure Impacts Young Brains

By KIMYA FIROOZAN Cell phones have gained notoriety in our culture. Whereas some years ago they were hailed as lifesaving tools that children could use to further their education, today, a slew of studies and theories on the topic of mobile devices has toppled them from their pedestal.

Parents, educators, and policymakers alike have grown weary of the potentially dangerous effects of excessive Internet surfing. Even if most children are not suffering from a true addiction to their electronic devices, the technology available to them may be altering their lifestyles considerably. Children growing up are exposed to the Internet and learn to make use of the resources it provides earlier in their lives than ever. Parents increasingly find themselves absentmindedly handing their young children their phones and tablets for entertainment, believing that such short, frequent periods of screen time will not harm their child’s health. According to the research firm Influence Central, kids are beginning to acquire personal smartphones at an average age of just 10.3 years old. The amount of screen time adolescents are accruing has subsequently increased and will only continue to do so as long as entertainment technology advances.

In the first-ever study outlining the associations between screen-based media use and brain

Continued from page 12

Now, with a whole new life in front of them, many patients suffering from cystic fibrosis are overjoyed at this discovery which took 30 years of advances, setbacks, and incremental improvements. “We’ve finally reached the time that an improvement

white matter integrity, researchers at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital discovered the true effects that prolonged device use can have on preschool-aged children. The research study, led by Dr. John Hutton, used a specific type of MRI, known as diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), to scan white matter in participants’ brains. DTI is a technique that detects how water travels along the white matter tracts in the brain. In a functional MRI,

er amounts of white matter was found in children spending more time on technology than those who spent less time.

While doctors such as John Hutton may understand the importance of such a study, parents may not understand the immediate effects a screen could have on their children. The white matter deficiency that the researchers observed in the brains will slow children’s development and cog-

this study significant “because the brain is developing the most rapidly in the first five years. [...]

That’s when brains are very plastic and soaking up everything, forming these strong connections that last for life.” Hutton’s inspiration for his study came about from directly observing the immense impact technology had on his children, noting that phones could be taken from meals to the bathroom to bed.

According to the research firm Influence Central, kids are beginning to acquire personal smartphones at an average age of just 10.3 years old. white matter will present a certain characteristic when performing specific tasks. White matter is key in this experiment because it contains nerve fibers and neurons that assist in nerve cell communication.

It was observed that the children who had been given significant amounts of screen use had lower structural integrity and myelination of their nerves, where the myelin sheath (the fatty substance that coats nerve cell connections, both insulating them and increasing their signaling efficiency) was lower in quantity. As a result, few-

nitive skills. The study went on to note observable differences between children who had gotten screen time and those who hadn’t. Children who were allowed longer hours of screen use experienced decreased cognitive skills, and their development of language and literacy seemed to be hindered. Furthermore, such children were not able to express themselves through their respective languages as clearly as their counterparts, and could not process rapidly presented stimuli at a proficient rate. Hutton declared

The study was done to show that parents should reconsider allowing their children to use technology for longer increments of time after observing such patterns taking place. If a solid foundation regarding device use is managed, a healthy lifestyle is projected for future years. The American Academy of Pediatrics now recommends that kids only have one hour or less of screen time if under five years of age and no screen time if younger than one. Further studies remain to be done on children’s ability to maintain proper brain

A Cure For Cystic Fibrosis?

is possible. To think of my lung function improving or my digestion increasing or even adding a few years to my life that I could spend with my daughter… Now that it’s available, I’m a little like, ‘Is this really happening?’” one patient stated.

Yet there’s a catch. Since this treatment only works for roughly 90 percent of cystic fibrosis patients, the remaining 10 percent

still have to face their looming short life expectancy. Furthermore, Trikafka is only available for patients aged 12 and up. With these restrictions, there is a whole other side to the equation. While everyone else is celebrating, a few select patients have to wait and hope that a treatment for them is developed. “It’s really heartbreaking for the patients who don’t qualify. I think it’s really hard to

celebrate with a portion of your patients and have other patients where you know they don’t have that,” Meghan McGarry, a pulmonologist at the University of California at San Francisco, said.

Despite its limited effectiveness in terms of age, Trikafka is still truly revolutionary. It shows how modern genetics and medicine can solve problems that were previously thought impossible.

capacity while using technology, especially during the important early years of life. Some may wonder how to best avoid excessive amounts of usage. Parents should monitor screen activity and could possibly lock devices at times during which children will not be permitted to use them. Measures such as these can ensure that children will not suffer the products of device addiction.

While Hutton’s study focused on preschool-aged children, considerable effects of prolonged use may be applied to adults. Adults are currently spending an average of four hours a day on their phones. It is known that the brain continues to develop until when an individual is in their mid-20s or early 30s, meaning that even as an adult, device use can affect memory capacity, attention span, and sleep cycles. There are even more issues that may come about from technology use as an adult, as the effects of blue light emitted from phones are being researched.

And while the technology has already been shown to have a multitude of physiological effects on the human body, its other harmful consequences can target mental health, social skills, and more.

Technology has presented many great advantages to daily life, but it also introduces risks that must be taken into consideration for safer usage. It’s time to learn how to properly use technology.

Before Trikafka was announced, cystic fibrosis patients expected to die before they could even reach their mid-20s. Now, they can go to college, get a job, and raise a family. This new drug is a beacon of hope for these patients and serves as a classic textbook example of the advancements in modern medicine.

The Spectator ● December 11, 2019

Page 14

Arts and Entertainment Food

By MATTHEW WAGMAN

When one spends most of onI’m going to be honest. The culinary traditions of India are a mystery to me, beyond the basic tikka masala and tandoori chicken on the identical menus of many restaurants dotting NYC. I haven’t taken many trips into neighborhoods like Kensington, Brooklyn or Flushing, Queens, trying a few things I couldn’t pronounce or easily identify.

However, I do know what hits the spot in the very brief period Stuyvesant students are permitted to eat, and what a good price is if you don’t already live in a penthouse within walking distance. The cheery green Indian Biryani House cart on the same block as Whole Foods does both of these well, but unfortunately, my inexperienced palate isn’t the best judge for authenticity.

The cart is just bursting with many, many different options, far beyond the standard halal and drawing from all of the Indian subcontinent. You can easily go for the standard chicken over rice or even some variation with pulao rice or curry for a marginally higher price, but for this review, I’ll go for something more interesting and unique. The real standout of the cart is four types of kati rolls in a combo of two for $6. The options are the unavoidable chicken and lamb, vegetable aloo gobi, and paneer cheese with veggies.

What really makes the kati rolls are the flaky, buttery soft wraps they come with, giving you a much more satisfying carb option than boring, monotonous rice. These wraps are paired with lettuce to surround a filling, the selection of which will be your hardest choice all day. Will you go with two of the standard, slightly savory but not overly chewy halal lamb or the sweet, succulent squash with peas and firm but understated paneer? Or does the veggie aloo gobi, a flavorful mix of squash, lettuce, cabbage, and

Art

By HUGO SMITH

Unless you’ve been living under a rock recently, you’ve probably noticed the massive red and white words “I WANT TO THANK YOU” that dominate the view north from Stuyvesant. They’re the work of New York City-based street artist Steve “Espo” Powers, who has been creating outdoor and often politically-loaded art since the 1990s. After being prosecuted for multiple counts of criminal mischief in 1999 in what many considered a politically-motivated arrest after Powers painted a mural attacking then-mayor Rudolph Giuliani, Powers stopped painting graffiti and found a career in studio art. A major figure in the graffiti scene, he was part of the transition of the style from mere illegal vandalism to works that are now part of the larger art scene.

Known for his distinctly bold and colorful painted letters, Powers has painted many large murals across the world.

There’s something jarring in the simplicity of the mural. It lacks complicated stencil work or

Cheap A$$ Lunch #4: Dough Around Stuff. It’s Great. corn, warm but not overly spiced sound better (vegetarians take note—this is the best option you could possibly have near Stuy, far trouncing any overpriced Falafel Gyros)? Maybe you’d like to go with something really unique and delicious—the chicken, with a bright orangey hue, is smokey and chewy and actually identifiable as coming from a real chicken (halal carts and McDonald’s, I’m looking at you). Any way you go, you’ll end up great, walking (or sprinting) back to the build-

food doesn’t hang heavily in your stomach as if you’ve had a whole plate of crummy meat with white and hot sauce over rice. Instead, your stomach is light as a feather and decidedly less gassy.

Directions: In front of Whole Foods on Greenwich between Murray and Warren—one block up from the school and two to the right past the bank. a newsletter that mentioned his experimental work. In Writing to Make Change, students learn

Probably the best deal you can get out of such small street space, the Indian Kati rolls at the Indian Biryani House cart are a definite hit.

ing in a pleasant haze of money well spent and a belly well fed.

If you have an extra dollar and want a bit more, the samosas are a warm choice for one, or six, for five pockets of dough enrobing creamy potato and peas with warm spices. They’re also a good option on a day you’ve run out of money and don’t want to poison yourself with cup noodles.

They’re also a great thing to split in bulk with the nice little discount. Now to the particulars of the cart: they may give you a water or soda for being a student if they’re in a good mood (all their platters come with that for students), but don’t bet on it. Sauce is really unnecessary with the great flavors the food already has, but they do have the elusive green sauce if you really want to add some extra pizzazz. But the best of all isn’t the delicious taste or great value—it’s the fact that the

about hybrid forms, utilizing different literary mediums across genres, to convey a message that is close to them. “What attracted me to Keir’s work was that he works in collaborative forms and hybrid forms,” she said. “He’s a violinist, but he’s also a poet. Keir talked to the students about how the song spoke to him on a personal level, about issues of immigration and issues of leaving. It’s not an op-ed, but it’s a way of using art to invite audiences to see issues in a different light.”

Keir GoGwilt is an accomplished artist with the virtuosity of a classical musician and the mind of an emotionally-grounded creative writer. His numerous collaborations with dancers, composers, and other musicians denotes a devotion to his craft, regardless of medium or instrument. Something that Thoms practices with her Writing to

Make Change students is the habit of daily writing. It teaches students how to hone their craft without worrying about sounding perfect. Both GoGwilt and fellow alumnus Towsen keep and promote this habit, with Towsen having just completed one thousand days of writing every day for an hour as a regimen meant to keep his comedy writing in shape, and evolving. “The layers of practice enable you to look at what you’re putting out and think, ‘here’s something that I can work with and expand,’” Thoms told me.

“There’s something about the freedom of allowing yourself to write or draw or play something that might not be perfect the first time. There’s something very creative and freeing about that that allows you to get to the point where you know that this is what you really wanted to say.”

To write, draw, play, or practice art daily requires not only a certain kind of willpower, but also the ability to freely create. In this, Thoms says, the practice “makes you more present for moments of your life.”

This is something that everyone, not just English-oriented students, should take into consideration. When the greatest obstacle is often one’s internal editor, exploring freely should take precedence. The fact that GoGwilt closes his eyes so that he doesn’t have to see his audience’s reaction is funny, but underneath, it’s part of his process of ignoring his inner critic and his fear of being rejected. Instead, he lets the music overtake him because that’s his creative outlet. GoGwilt’s validation comes not from the audience, but from his successfully channeling himself through his violin and writing. It’s starting to seem like the heavy silence that follows a fulfilling, well-performed piece is a more respectable form of applause to congratulate artists on their impact on listeners than is the usual clapping.

What’s Up With the Writing on the Side of Pier 40? the wide range of colors that Powers is known to use. Instead, he has taken a constantly used phrase that has become hollow—thank you—and made it thought-provoking. It prompts the viewer to ask themselves: Who do they want to thank? The mural’s large size allows it to tie together hundreds of thousands of people in a way that few things can. Interacting with it is almost involuntary—by the time you’ve looked at it and subconsciously read the phrase, you begin to think about it, whether you intended to or not.

The thought-provoking nature of the art is the reason it was commissioned as part of a series of 25 works by AIDS nonprofit (RED) as part of their Paint (RED) Save Lives program. Intended to raise awareness about AIDS leading up to a fundraising conference in early October, the murals are spread across the globe, with locations ranging from Oslo to Dakar.

Many other famous street artists have collaborated with (RED) as part of the project, most notably Shepard Fairey of OBEY fame.

The words on Pier 40 are the

title of the Alicia Myers song “I Want to Thank You” (1981), which was popular in queer nightclubs across the city during the height of the AIDS epidemic. Powers said in an Instagram post that the mural was partially in tribute to the Paradise Garage, one such nightclub just 15 blocks north of Stuyvesant, where the song was especially popular and frequently played by the Garage’s DJ, Larry Levan. At a time when anti-LGBTQ+ stigma rose in parallel with the spread of AIDS through the city and misinformation spread, these communities provided refuge for members of the gay community.

There was a more personal aspect to Powers’ work as well. He painted the mural with the help of his friend and fellow artist Mike Levy. Powers said that while the two were painting the mural, on their mind was their friend, late artist, and AIDS activist David Wojnorawicz. Wojnorawicz’s art was often provocative, sometimes casting blame on the government for how they handled the epidemic, while focusing on the horrific

aspects of the AIDS epidemic of the ‘80s. Wojnorawicz was also known for his murals, including “Gagging Cow at Pier” (1983), which he painted on the nearby Pier 34.

Powers’ latest mural takes full advantage of the scale of his canvas, the pier, to make a piece of artwork legible from the highest floors of the World Trade Center.

It manages to unite downtown Manhattan in curiosity and brings awareness to AIDS which has largely fallen out of the American purview despite the damage it continues to cause in Africa as well as the United States. Thirty years ago, Stuyvesant’s part of Manhattan would have been at the heart of a queer scene that has since become lost between the sterile glass towers that dominate the area, and the mural offers a portal into that grittier, mostly vanished, city. the ‘90s make people nostalgic and hopeful for a revival. Go to your local thrift store, scavenge through your parent’s old clothes, and immerse yourself in the clothing of the ‘90s.

playlist

Silent Fight

By THE ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT DEPARTMENT You’re holding onto the subway pole when some big and burly dude/lady closes in and LEANS ON THE POLE. You’re obviously furious but because you’re a God-fearing person, you don’t kick their knees in. Instead, you listen to these songs and imagine it in your head.

Saturday Night’s Alright (For Fighting) Elton John Pop Blood // Water grandson Alternative Rock Fight For Your Right Beastie Boys Hip-hop Bubblegum Bitch Marina and the Diamonds Pop Berzerk Scarlxrd Metal Nice to Meet Ya Niall Horan Pop CHAMPION Bishop Briggs Indie Rock Kitana Princess Nokia Hip-hop Starboy The Weeknd, Daft Punk R&B Sigh on a Hurricane Himalayas Rock Psycho Killer Talking Heads Pop California YUNGBLUD Alternative Rock Venom Eminem Rap

The Spectator ● December 11, 2019

Page 15

Arts and Entertainment Poetry in Motion NYC

Culture

By AGATHA EDWARDS “My words to you are the stitches on a scarf / I don’t want to finish / Maybe it will come to be a blanket / To hold you here / Love not gone anywhere.”

Sound familiar? Chances are you’ve read this poem more than once. “My Words To You”

by Jean Valentine, as well as countless other poems, is part of the Poetry in Motion project, originally founded in New York City (NYC) for the MTA subway system. The program was launched in 1992 by the Poetry Society (founded in 1910) and features poems by all sorts of poets, aimed to make NYC commutes more interesting and enjoyable. The idea was taken from a British program founded in 1986 called Poems on the Underground, which is essentially the same as the Poetry in Motion project, but on the London Underground system. The poems are not in every subway car, but if you get lucky, you’ll probably find one or two. The first four poems to be featured in 1992 were “Crossing Brooklyn Ferry” by Walt Whitman, “Hope is the Thing with Feathers” by Emily Dickinson, “When You Are Old” by William Butler Yeats, and “Let There Be New Flowering” by Lucille Clifton.

Ten years after the found-

ing of Poetry in Motion, over 150 poems have already been featured in the MTA subway system, ranging all the way from Chinese poet Lao Tzu (born in 604 BC) to modern poets that are still alive today. However, until 2010, the poems were not featured on the subway cars like they are today, and instead were part of murals located at some stations. In 2008, the program paused for a while to give way to a new program called Train

The model minority myth that has so thoroughly permeated American media generally depicts Asian immigrants as quiet, prim, and successful.

Jenny Zhang’s short story collection, “Sour Heart,” published in 2017, peels back the layers of the model minority narrative to reveal the often messy reality that lies underneath. The eight short stories, which were generally well-received, are all narrated in the first person, and though the narrators range from a fourth grader to a college student, they share some basic similarities. All are Asian girls raised by immigrant parents, and all are tangentially connected by an apartment that each of their parents shared at one point. Despite the unique point of view, the text shows a great degree of maturity that makes it appeal to younger and older readers alike. Zhang inhabits the mind of a curious child with nuance—she beautifully encapsulates all the mundane and ugly parts of childhood with strong emotional language while still maintaining the authenticity of adolescence.

The strength of “Sour Heart” comes from Zhang’s adept balance between the gritty pieces of childhood and the unique experience that children raised by immigrants face. “The Evolution of My Brother” and “Our Mothers Before Them” are two stories that characterize this particularly well. “The Evolution of My Brother,” one of Zhang’s earliest pieces, describes the complex relationship that siblings within an immigrant family often have. Protagonist

poem before, so a future change should be to include more.

Since the first poems appeared in 1992, nothing much has changed. The poems are still short snippets of a larger collection. Some authors are still alive; some are not. The impact that they had on society, though, was huge. The program has reached over 30 cities across the U.S. with the same goal: to make transportation more entertaining and interesting. Some of the cities in-

“The program has reached over 30 cities across the U.S. with the same goal: to make transportation more entertaining and interesting.”

of Thought, which expanded the movement to include not just poems, but scientific quotes, historical facts, and philosophy.

Some works used for this project were quotes from the brilliant scientist Galileo Galilei.

However, according to the New York Post, this program was not as enticing as the poems,

two at a time for three months, adding up to eight poems a year.

I personally wish that they would include more poems because to me, they are interesting. They’re short, sweet, and beautiful, oftentimes talking about themes like love or nature. Sometimes I’m disappointed when I’m on the train and I’ve already seen the

cluded are Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, and Washington D.C.. Poetry in Motion also has won several awards for its work and has received a proclamation from the Council of the City of New York that honored the program for their impact.

Altogether, the poems continue to impact society, but

there is no similarity between each of the poems, except for their length, which can range from five to 10 lines. It doesn’t matter if the poet is living or dead, but one can submit their own poem for consideration if they have written two or more poetry collections. These rules were enforced because the program was so popular. Now, submissions are a little reduced, but the program is still extremely popular.

Personally, I’m really glad Poetry in Motion exists in NYC (and it started here too, so we get bragging rights!). As mentioned earlier, I do wish there was more variety, but it’s still nice to read a poem over again, even if I’ve read it 10 times! Maybe it’s because they’re so short and take so little time to read, or maybe because they actually make me visualize the imagery and make my day a little more peaceful.

It’s cool to have some real writing composed by real people on the trains as opposed to all of the ads. My friends and I usually read them out loud to each other for fun when we go home, and though we never really acknowledge them on our commute, the poems do have an affect on us.

I hope this program continues running for as long as I live in NYC, because I don’t want to miss out on any of the poems!

Sour Heart

Culture

By MAY HATHAWAY

which better captured the attention of the audience. The MTA brought Poetry in Motion back in 2012, and its poems have become more noticeable than ever due to new visual aspects. All of the poems have a flowery logo and are paired with a piece of art from MTA’s vast art collection of over 230 pieces. For example, in the 71st Street station on the D line, a poem is paired with laminated glass pieces of flowers.

Today, the poems are featured

Jenny’s assimilation experience is reflected in her relationship with her brother, and though parts of the story are witty (if not downright funny), it also contains touching reflections on what it means to be human, as both a member of a family and as an individual. “Our Mothers Before Them” takes a more negative view of immigrant parenting—Annie’s mother in the story is shown to be extremely manipulative, and the volatility of her emotions regularly threatens her children’s happiness. The narrator expresses a great deal of ambivalence about her sympathy toward her mother for what she went through during the Cultural Revolution as well as the inevitable resentment she feels for the way she has been raised.

In “The Empty The Empty The Empty,” however, the narrative becomes a little too bold.

While Zhang’s other stories con-

Susannah Ahn/ The Spectator

tain a common thread that connects the narrators to her readers, in “The Empty The Empty The Empty,” readers are more likely to be disgusted than intrigued. Characters Lucy and her friend Francine focus not on their homes but on rather graphic descriptions of their bodies: the prospect of nine-year-olds exploring each others’ genitals verges on unrealistic. Zhang tips the scale too far in the other direction in “My Days and Nights of Terror.” This is Zhang’s only story in which the narrator seems a little less curious and a little more mousy, and the frankness with which the other narrators speak is absent. Mande focuses on her toxic friendship and how she wants to learn English to talk to God, but she glosses over her parents’ fights and the bruises on her mother’s face. As a result, the story carries less depth and swings too wildly between the

Jenny Zhang’s short story collection, “Sour Heart,” which was published in 2017, peels back the layers of the model minority myth to reveal the often messy reality that lies underneath.

narrator’s interest in religion and her abusive household—they feel like unconnected threads that are shoddily resolved at the end.

Zhang is particularly adept at characterizing the parent-child relationships in Asian immigrant households. Though her depictions range from emotionally abusive to generous and loving, there is a string that connects all of the immigrant parents: a drive to give their children a better life. Most of the stories are defined by the parallels drawn between the coming-of-age the narrators face and the process by which their families assimilate.

Through its varied viewpoints, “Sour Heart” offers a cohesive look at what it means to be an immigrant and what it means to be the first generation born in America.

Prior to publishing “Sour Heart,” Zhang released much of her fiction on Rookie, a website started by Tavi Gevinson in 2011 that aimed to give teenage girls a creative outlet. She also wrote a

good deal of essays on Rookie at this time, and her voice in these essays is quite similar to the narrative tone of the stories in “Sour Heart.” Much of Zhang’s work in “Sour Heart” touches on the same themes she explored on Rookie. She cites virtually identical anecdotes in “The Evolution of My Brother” and “All I Want,” a piece of fiction she published on Rookie. It’s evident that she’s also drawn from many of her own experiences— besides Zhang’s general background as an Asian-American woman raised by immigrant parents, she also makes references to attending Stanford and feeling repressed by the homogeneity of Long Island’s suburbia. Rather than seeming lazy or unoriginal, however, Zhang’s recycling of her old work indicates to readers that her writing is ever-evolving.

Just as the characters of her short stories grow over the course of their narratives, Zhang’s writing has also grown, and this is what makes “Sour Heart” a work to be lauded.

Page 16

The Spectator ● December 11, 2019

Arts and Entertainment Music “Closed on Sunday, you my Chick Fil-a.”

How did we get here?

Kanye West dropped his ninth solo album, “JESUS IS KING,” after a grand total of five delays, two different titles, and a corresponding movie event on October 25, 2019. On that Friday at 12p.m.

Eastern Standard Time, millions of West fans like myself tuned in to listen to Ye’s newest body of work. After all that buildup, who wasn’t curious to see what the rapper would do?

After a bizarrely brief 27 minutes, the album concluded. I took my headphones off and squinted my eyes. I was pretty sure that I’d enjoyed it, but I needed one more listen to be certain. Sure enough, just under a half hour later, I’d finished the album once again and still felt bewildered by what I’d just listened to. It seemed like both the greatest album of the year and what might be West’s worst album to date. The album is rife with contradictions, and for every moment of pure genius, there is a corny line about fast food or an undermixed vocal sample that unnervingly blows out the user’s headphones. Nothing about the project makes any sense.

For starters, the production of the album—the vocal and instru-

Theater

By EMMA LINDERMAN and ZOE OPPENHEIMER A uniting factor of nearly every middle school experience was reading Rick Riordan’s “The Lightning Thief,” a Greek-mythology based novel that incited a cult following of adolescents. The book follows 12-year-old Percy Jackson, who discovers that his father is the Greek god Poseidon.

Since its publication, “The Lightning Thief ” and its installments have attracted an avid fan base, leading to a poorly-received film adaptation, a companion series, as well as a graphic novel. In the 14 years since its release, the enthusiasm for the series has remained fervent, most recently manifesting itself in the form of “The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical,” whose limited Broadway run ends in January.

For those unfamiliar with the novel, the show can be hard to follow. Both works are centered around Camp Half Blood, a summer camp and safe haven for Percy and his fellow demigods. As in the novel, Percy meets a mythical fury on a school field trip and is expelled after killing it in a dramatic battle.

He breaks the news to his mother Sally (Jalynn Steele) who tries to explain her history with Poseidon, Percy’s father. The two are then attacked by a minotaur, after which Percy passes out and wakes up to find himself at the camp.

All of this would seem to warrant an expansive set and special effects, but the musical has opted for an unconventional approach to the plot’s fantastical elements.

Rather than aiming for larger-thanlife scenic design and puppetry, the show opts for stripped down visuals, a choice that is most notably present in the paper-mâché-esque monsters. The minotaur that Percy faces is brought to life simply by a human actor in an oversized headdress. This sounds underwhelming from an outsider’s perspective, but from a spectator’s point of view, it

mental mixing, the beats, and the musical arrangement—sounds very rushed. Even on great songs like “Use This Gospel” feat.

Pusha T, Malice (they form the duo Clipse), and Kenny G, the vocal mixing on the featured rappers’ voices sounds totally wrong.

Pusha T’s voice has no reverb, and it sounds like he recorded his part in a closet. What Def Jam executive thought that this sounded finished enough to be released to the public?

In addition to the wacky vocal production, some of the beats sound utterly out of place. On “Everything We Need,” the trap beat that follows Ty Dolla $igns’s harmonic chorus is so jarring it sounds like it belongs to a completely different song.

Even with its glaring flaws,

this album is totally enjoyable.

It’s actually a surprisingly fresh solo West album, especially coming off of last year’s “Ye” (2018).

This album has such a wide range of quality that underwhelming songs like “Closed on Sunday” and “Hands On” can be forgiven thanks to tracks like “Follow God,” “On God,” and “Use This Gospel.” These songs aren’t perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but this album wasn’t striving for perfection. West was trying to give listeners a feeling and a vibe, and he succeeded at that.

However, when this album goes high, it is relentless. It gives us tracks like “Follow God” and “On God,” songs so full with zest and energy that one can’t help but tap their foot while listening. West banks on moments like these, as

Sure enough, about a half hour later, I’d finished the album once again, and still felt bewildered by the piece of music I’d just listened to.

well as Kenny G’s saxophone solo on “Use This Gospel,” West’s addictive falsetto on “God Is,” and the thumping pulse of “Selah” to elevate this album past any controversy or doubts that a listener might attribute to it. Whether he succeeds in this regard or not is completely up to the listener, but I personally think that he pulls it off as well as anybody who’s trying to pull off a mainstream, subhalf hour Christian rap album, which is to say: sort of.

Other than the pure musical aspect, there is a lot to unpack with the lyrics. West is trying hard to get us to believe that in a year, he went from “you’re such a f***ing h**, I love it” to “every knee shall bow, every tongue confess, Jesus is Lord!” It may be a stretch, but with all 11 songs on the album focusing on some aspect of the Christian religion, it sure does seem like he’s convinced himself, if nobody else, that he’s a man of God. However, some of this Jesusloving mentality inevitably gets a bit lost on listeners in practice.

While Ye does deliver some great lines, he also displays a much cornier side on this body of work that the public has hardly seen, at least to this extent. “Closed on Sunday, you my Chick Fil-A” and “what if Eve made apple juice” are lines that can’t just be forgiven over-

Jenny Chen/ The Spectator

By MORRIS RASKIN

Is “Jesus is King” King?

night. West is asking a bit much of his listeners to totally buy into his completely new mentality and style, but his Christian side is one that is interesting to listen to and explore as a new face of the multi platinum-selling rapper.

“Jesus is King” is a perplexing, seemingly unfinished, undermixed, corny, and jumbled album, but there are still plenty of moments of genius to go around. It may not become a classic like other albums that West has put out [think “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” (2010), “Late Registration” (2005), and “Yeezus” (2013)], but it is a perfectly fun and interesting listen to take up a mere 27 minutes of your day.

The Highs and Lows of “The Lightning Thief ” is almost refreshing to see a show that has not exponentially upped its production value when transferring to Broadway.

The show, in its essence, serves ultimately as a tribute to the fans—a quality that its creators and cast are well aware of. The Spectator interviewed James Hayden Rodriguez, who plays Luke and Ares onstage. Over the phone, Rodriguez explained that the show is meant to stay true to the original novel. “We stay very true to what was written in that book, so these characters are characters that all these kids are remembering from their childhood and it’s so special for them to see them onstage and fully realized,” Rodriguez said. “It was one of our biggest goals, to go back to that original story and recreate what Rick [Riordan] wrote.”

A likely contributor to the series’ fanbase was the combination of both enticing fantasy and an

the simple props are used to create a more content-specific image, saying that, “the show is very much a DIY.” In addition to Luke and Ares, Rodriguez plays the minotaur itself and attests that the costume does raise the stakes onstage.

“I can see the front row of the audience when I come out onstage,” he added. “And it’s always so cool to see people either terrified or just really in awe of the puppet.”

This is not to go without saying that the less expansive appearance can occasionally have its shortcomings. In a climactic scene where Percy realizes that his demigod status has given him the ability to manipulate water, the mystical swirling powers described in the novel are represented by toilet paper attached to the top of a leaf blower. While this simple visual may be meant to add to the DIY-summer-camp mood, it is understandable to see that some

“We stay very true to what was written in that book, so these characters are characters that all these kids are remembering from their childhood and it’s so special for them to see them onstage and fully realised.”

—James Hayden Rodriguez

all-too-real coming of age story.

In writing the books, Riordan himself worked to pay tribute to his own son, who often voiced the hardships of having ADHD and dyslexia. On paper, Percy and his fellow demigods have the same afflictions, but they are attributed to the fact that, as mentioned in the musical, their minds are “hard wired for ancient Greek.”

Rodriguez also explained that

audiences are left in search of the technical extravagance that is usually expected from Broadway productions.

Despite its minimalistic visuals, the show works. It is gripping and high-energy, which is also a clear testament to the cast, who together, deliver a performance that begs no questioning of a sparse set. The seven-person cast is, for the most part, endearingly dynam-

ic, a quality that likely would not have survived if the group were to expand. Many actors play multiple roles, as is the case for Rodriguez, who added, “There’s only seven of us, and there’s something like 45 characters in the show that we portray.” Part of the musical’s charm is undoubtedly its simplicity, and it’s refreshing to see that each character’s narrative is highlighted, rather than being muddled by a full ensemble, with each character being played by a different actor. Rodriguez himself has a lively presence onstage, and as Luke, believably switches from a welcoming camp attendee to Percy’s jealous antagonist.

Chris McCarrell plays the titular role of Percy Jackson, delivering a performance that is nuanced beyond what one would expect from a typical troubled teen protagonist. McCarrell’s portrayal of Percy is fidgety, boyish, and hilariously awkward, all of which place the character and audience on a common ground. Despite the plot’s fantastical premise, many of the obstacles Percy is faced with are entirely human issues; Percy’s father does happen to be Poseidon, but for the majority of his life, Percy knew of him only as an average absent parent. Percy and his mother are close, but both are acutely aware of the disconnect between them and Percy’s stepfather, Gabe (also Rodriguez).

McCarrell’s theater background includes the role of Marius in the 2014 revival of “Les Misérables,” and his voice has a range clearly suited for both more traditional, and contemporary scores.

On the other hand, Kristin Stokes, who plays Annabeth Chase, Percy’s smart sidekick, portrays her character in a way that feels onesided. Annabeth was a favorite of most female readers, known for her intelligence and combat skills, while still being approachable and humble. Instead of pioneering the way for nerdy girls everywhere, Stokes’ Annabeth seems like a condescending know-it-all. Her

acting is one note—every line she says seems to be poorly shaped as sarcastic, leaving no room for emotional development. Stokes, however, does shine during “My Grand Plan,” a song in Act Two in which Annabeth reflects on what she wants to accomplish with the use of her intelligence and determination. This moment in the show is a glimpse of the skills Stokes possesses, one of which is the ability to exude both drive and vulnerability. In the rest of her performance, this is somewhat left to be desired. Stokes’ singing voice is powerful, but her delivery is in need of more dimension; the lack of which is particularly noticeable alongside McCarrell’s incredibly dynamic Percy.

Every song in the show is hard-hitting and serves to iron out the jam-packed plot, which is admittedly a rollercoaster for the average theatergoer. Vaguely reminiscent of the ill-fated “Be More Chill,” the score is riddled with various degrees of a sentiment that can best be described as “teen angst.” The cast, though small, is vocally stellar, a quality that is particularly highlighted in “The Campfire Song,” and the closing “Bring on the Monsters.”

Is “The Lightning Thief ” perfect? No, but it does not need to be. The musical’s target audience, mostly families and avid fans of the book, is niche, and the show does in fact cater to their every need. The small cast functions like a well-oiled machine, singing songs that express precisely the show’s intentions. Where it lacks in Broadway glam, it makes up for in spirit, energy, and Greek mythology references. In the words of Rodriguez, “It’s so special for [the fans] to see [the characters] onstage and fully realized. They’re out there, and they’re screaming.”

For this audience, the magic of the show is not with the set or the effects or even the cast, but in seeing this story brought to life.

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The Spectator ● December 11, 2019

Arts and Entertainment Music

By JACQUELINE THOM

Film

What begins as a light-fingered tune reminiscent of springtime, becomes a weary dialogue between the couple in the story. The woman’s grieving is evident as the violin takes on a dramatic, dubious tone that sounds like snow falling in the winter. As she goes into a frenzy over her partner’s decision, GoGwilt at times doubles over and sways heavily when playing, as if he too feels the woman’s pain, which is depicted by furious, shrieking notes.

While his playing is lively, his speaking is livelier and yet plays out more slowly. A motif in the song— “he said / she said”—is spoken by GoGwilt in what can only be described as the verbal equivalent of italics. He breezes past these four words, but his emphasis on their pairing manages to root listeners to his every word. While he’s no actor, GoGwilt owns each word and becomes a vessel for the man and woman in his story as they deliberate, argue, reconcile, and separate, with Spring in their wake.

During the whole performance, GoGwilt never once opened his eyes. It was only when the piece was over that he finally looked out at his audience. In his Q&A, it became known that GoGwilt’s writings are as unique to him as is his style of music. On the SmartBoard, he showed us his “starlings,” three-by-three grids of 27 lines that house his stories.

He describes starlings as circular poems, ones that are not read left to right but rather around the page according to the viewer’s whim.

It thus creates multiple interpretations of one story, its ambiguity being something that GoGwilt cherishes for its prevalence in real life. The starlings’ flexible structure is so freeing that sometimes GoGwilt improvises the order in which he tells his stories, choosing to close his eyes so as to transcend the space occupied by him and his instrument.

As he evolved past classical music, GoGwilt turned to writing as a creative outlet, stressing the benefits of writing as a habit, though he didn’t fail to mention that Stuyvesant’s workload prevented him from exploring the kind of music that he does now, even citing his recurring nightmare about having to stay at Stuyvesant for another year. It’s only recently that GoGwilt has been able to show his more experimental work outside of being a career musician,

though one wouldn’t have known that he is also a formidable performer who’s had his fair share of festivals and orchestral collaborations, and has taught courses in European art music, jazz, and hiphop, all whilst pursuing a PhD in music.

It goes without saying that any kind of career entails a lot of obstacles, including bettering one’s craft, being present in one’s work, and keeping a clear head.

GoGwilt touched on all of these, emphasizing that growth is “less about structure and showing off skills than it is about taking experiences and making them artful and inspiring to other people.” He pointed out that Stuyvesant’s notoriously competitive environment often doesn’t teach students how to tap into their passions and use them as a creative outlet. One of GoGwilt’s passions, apparently, is chickens, he joked, referencing an old piece, “Regarding Chickens, Death,” and said, “There’s just a lot of chicken death out there. You can’t have a chicken without thinking about death.”

Following the event, I spoke to Thoms, who also organized for stand-up comedian Nat Towsen (‘03) and bestselling author Mira Jacobs—her latest book, “Good Talk,” has been newly introduced to the Stuyvesant English curriculum—to talk to students in her Writing to Make Change class.

Thoms enthusiastically discussed how she reconnected with GoGwilt, a former student in her Writers’ Workshop class, after reading a newsletter that mentioned his experimental work. In Writing to Make Change, students learn about hybrid forms, utilizing different literary mediums across genres, to convey a message that is close to them. “What attracted me to Keir’s work was that he works in collaborative forms and hybrid forms,” she said. “He’s a violinist, but he’s also a poet. Keir talked to the students about how the song spoke to him on a personal level, about issues of immigration and issues of leaving. It’s not an op-ed, but it’s a way of using art to invite audiences to see issues in a different light.”

Keir GoGwilt is an accomplished artist with the virtuosity of a classical musician and the mind of an emotionally-grounded creative writer. His numerous collaborations with dancers, composers, and other musicians denotes a devotion to his craft, regardless

of medium or instrument. Something that Thoms practices with her Writing to Make Change students is the habit of daily writing.

It teaches students how to hone their craft without worrying about sounding perfect. Both GoGwilt and fellow alumnus Towsen keep and promote this habit, with Towsen having just completed one thousand days of writing every day for an hour as a regimen meant to keep his comedy writing in shape, and evolving. “The layers of practice enable you to look at what you’re putting out and think, ‘here’s something that I can work with and expand,’” Thoms told me.

“There’s something about the freedom of allowing yourself to write or draw or play something that might not be perfect the first time. There’s something very creative and freeing about that that allows you to get to the point where you know that this is what you really wanted to say.” To write, draw, play, or practice art daily requires not only a certain kind of willpow-

er, but also the ability to freely create. In this, Thoms says, the practice “makes you more present for moments of your life.”

This is something that everyone, not just English-oriented students, should take into consideration. When the greatest obstacle is often one’s internal editor, exploring freely should take precedence. The fact that GoGwilt closes his eyes so that he doesn’t have to see his audience’s reaction is funny, but underneath, it’s part of his process of ignoring his inner critic and his fear of being rejected. Instead, he lets the music overtake him because that’s his creative outlet. GoGwilt’s validation comes not from the audience, but from his successfully channeling himself through his violin and writing. It’s starting to seem like the heavy silence that follows a fulfilling, well-performed piece is a more respectable form of applause to congratulate artists on their impact on listeners than is the usual clapping.

“Parasite”: A Not-So-Subtle Social Critique

By GAVIN MCGINLEY “Parasite” is a rare kind of film. It’s not often that nonEnglish films find mainstream success in the U.S., yet it was being shown next to “Joker,” (2019) “Terminator: Dark Fate,” (2019) and other Hollywood blockbusters at the Regal Cinemas a few blocks from my house. “Parasite” has received international praise, winning the Palme d’Or at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival and a number of other awards for its acting, production, and cinematography. Much of the movie’s success can undoubtedly be credited to director and lead writer Bong Joon-ho, a man who is no stranger to critical acclaim. Bong has won a slew of Korean film awards

Ms. Annie Thoms/ The Spectator

When one spends most of one’s school career being taught that a “good” essay should always have an introduction, three analytical paragraphs, and a conclusion, it can be baffling when confronted with a different type of essay, one that experiments and emphasizes passion and personality. Many of Stuyvesant’s English electives try to break the mold, encouraging everything from poetry to comics to short stories as a form of expression. Classically-trained musician and Stuyvesant alumnus Keir GoGwilt (‘09) takes things a step further, combining music and spoken word to produce emotional and unique works that give listeners insight into what makes him tick.

Noticeably tall and lanky, GoGwilt looked nervous, or at least mildly bewildered, as he clutched his violin and watched the students from English teachers Ms. Thoms’s Writing to Make Change and Dr. Moore’s Poetry Workshop classes file into the library during seventh period early this November. He towered over the SmartBoard behind him, which displayed one of his poems, or “starlings,’’ as he calls them (more on that later).

After a very brief introduction from Thoms, GoGwilt launched immediately into one of his pieces.

Simply titled “Birdsong,” it’s based on an Irish folk song, but begins with some of GoGwilt’s signature elements: a series of notes akin to tuning one’s instrument, then a multitude of chords.

“Springtime / I see / saw lovers talking // Thrushes warbling / violets charming / it being time / sprung back into view // Thrushes warbling / violets charming / it being springtime.” Don’t mistake this for slam poetry. Instead of the cadence of almost-rap and the habit of slam poets to pick up tempo while speaking before abruptly slowing down to signal an emotional climax in their story, GoGwilt moves forward steadily without the monotone of practiced emotion. His violin slows to a single extended note that complements his voice which, every few minutes or so, punctuates the silence of forlorn strings and purposeful sharp intakes of breath. In an unbelievably quick 10 minutes, GoGwilt tells the story of a man and woman parting ways as the man leaves his home to seek a fortune elsewhere.

Keir GoGwilt and the Art of Daily Writing, with Feeling

Fariha Mabud / The Spectator

for his movies “The Host” (2006), “Mother” (2009), and “Snowpiecer” (2013), as well a previous nomination to the Cannes Film Festival for his 2017 movie “Okja” (2017).

However “Parasite” more than stands by itself as a beautiful, compelling, and quite disturbing story.

The film starts by introducing us to the impoverished family of Kim Ki-taek. Living together in a cramped semibasement in an unnamed Korean slum, they seem to have few prospects for a better life.

That is, until Ki-taek’s son, Kiwoo, uses forged university documents and a connection through his much more academically successful friend to get a job as an English tutor for the daughter the incred-

ibly rich Park family. Following him, the rest of the Kim slowly integrate themselves into the Parks’ lives through various levels of lying and trickery, abusing the wealthy family’s trust and naivety to replace those around them.

“Parasite” delivers on almost every level of filmmaking.

The characters are incredibly well written, and the performances are all compelling. In particular, Song Kang-ho does a brilliant job of playing Kim Ki-taek, a desperate but cheerful man who slowly gets more and more unhinged with every perceived slight against him.

Continued on page 18

The Spectator ● December 11, 2019

Page 18

Arts and Entertainment Film Continued from page 17 His performance, like much of the film, is a very slow burn, and the combination of the excellent acting and character writing creates a figure who not only is fascinating, but also seems incredibly realistic, with his increasingly unstable characterization making perfect sense with the often extreme events of the film.

Another stand-out is Cho Yeojeong as Mrs. Park, who manages to bring a level of complexity to the common trope of a stupid, rich, overprotective parent. Compared to other pieces of media where such a character would be one dimensional and detestable, Cho Yeo-jeong brings a real depth to her acting and to portray Mrs. Park as genuine and kind despite her terrible ignorance.

The cinematography is also

Film

By SYEDA MALIHA

truly breathtaking, with everything from the massive, immaculate, modern house of the Parks to the grimy neighborhood where the Kims live being shown in a cold yet beautiful style that perfectly encapsulates the tone of the film. On the flip side of this, “Parasite” is also a comedy in the darkest, most twisted way. It’s filled with moments that are genuinely funny, almost always due to the extreme and immediate misfortune of one of the characters or the intense discomfort of the audience. Details like daughter Kim Ki-jeong not taking the role of tutor, but one of art therapists for the Park’s troubled son add a satirical undertone to the film, but also highlights the stupidity of the Parks and the complete amorality of the Kim family, serving as a criticism of their characters.

The fact that the film can exist

as a comedy without losing its ability to focus on real, important issues is a testament to its outstanding production and talented cast and crew.

Bong Joon-ho, who both wrote and directed “Parasite,” is not exactly known for the subtlety of the messaging in his films. His past two films, “Okja” and “Snowpiercer,” have both featured quite explicit themes and ideas, coming out strongly on topics like climate change and the meat industry as well as more abstract ideas like morality, capitalism, and class struggle. Similarly, “Parasite” feels like an almost aggressive social commentary that in no way holds back on its critique of both sides of the economic spectrum. One example of this that is sure to stick in the audience’s memory is the repeated idea that to the Parks, lower class people like the Kims smell

overpoweringly bad, described as stinking of “old radishes.”

It’s hard to be more direct than writing in the literal stench of poverty as a way to address social elitism. While this is far from a nuanced way to insert themes into a film, it definitely gets its point across.

However, “Parasite” differs from Bong’s previous works in its depressing level of realism, which is completely devoid of any fantasy or science fiction elements. The entire cast of protagonists, while sympathetic to the audience, charming, and fun to watch, are completely self-serving and without any real purpose, making the story often feel suffocatingly nihilistic. This is not to say that it’s unenjoyable. In fact, the careful balancing act of crushing existentialism and real moments between the family is one of the best parts of the movie. Nev-

ertheless “Parasite” still comes across as overwhelmingly dismal and dark at times. Even the comedy fails to lighten the mood as the characters that are so likeable and composed at the beginning of the movie are subjected to repeated humiliation and failure, spiralling into shells of their former selves.

“Parasite” is a film well worth seeing. With amazing acting, thoughtful yet funny writing, and great cinematography, director Bong Joon-ho nails the execution on bringing beauty to his dark and multifaceted story.

Its themes of entitlement, poverty, and greed, while forthright, apply almost universally, especially here in the U.S. Despite its dark tones, “Parasite” is a thoroughly enjoyable experience and serves as an absolute masterclass in filmmaking that no one should miss out on.

When a Teenager Becomes “The King” Michôd chose that his actors speak in an old English accent; this way, the audience can understand the dialogue without losing the sense of the medieval time period.

Michôd’s attention to detail, along with his precise set designs and costumes, allows him to teleport audiences to the Middle Ages. From the hefty metal armor to classic medieval beheadings, this film truly captures the details of the time period. Michôd showcases his directing ability impressively throughout the film, especially in battle scenes where he manages to capture the scope of the chaos, and then directs the focus back to the protagonist through a stunning one-take shot. Often in medieval retellings, kings and knights are glorified and portrayed as unstoppable beings. In Michôd’s film, he humanizes the King of England, which is visible in the choreography of the battles. When Hal fights Percy Hotspur, an outspoken critic of Henry IV’s rule, he struggles to keep his weapon and is visibly out of breath. In the final battle, audiences can see the true arduous and sloppy nature of fighting as Henry V, battered and beaten, drags himself through the mud and persists in fighting.

Michôd’s film doesn’t have the most exhilarating storyline, but its success can be attributed to Adam Arkapaw’s photography, which is the finest aspect of the film. Arkapaw, who was also the cinematographer of “Macbeth” (2015), is known for his tremendous use of color and motion in his shots. Arkapaw’s shots are visually stunning and capture the grime of the time period through his versatile use of color and light. During the battle of Agincourt, the ghastly and gray atmosphere contrasts with the yellow sunlight in order to emphasize the violent and gritty nature of warfare.

Even in the most uneventful shots, the audiences are drawn to the screen because of the breathtaking color grading in each frame.

Timotheé Chalamet’s acting

in this film was especially sensational. At the start of the film, Chalamet behaves as a carefree teenager enjoying his life. As the film progresses, audiences can slowly see young Hal transform into King Henry V as Chalamet’s posture becomes more rigid and his facial expressions turn sterner. Chalamet reaches the pinnacle of his acting toward the end of the film when he addresses his soldiers before they go off to battle. In this short sequence, Chalamet expresses a wide range of emotions, from sincerity to absolute frustration.

Such a well-crafted monologue truly allowed Chalamet to become hysterical. It is at this moment audiences witness a child evolve into a man and leader.

Along with Chalamet’s riveting performance, the superb supporting cast allowed the film to succeed. Robert Pattinson’s portrayal of the Dauphin of France showcases his versatile acting range and tremendous skill, with his character having an uncanny resemblance to the outlandish characters from “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” (1975). In the midst of war, the Dauphin is apathetic and unconcerned. He views the King of England as lowly and has the uncontrollable urge to make fun of Henry V’s inexperience… and his genitals.

Pattinson’s relaxed demeanor along with his perfectly bizarre French accent portray the Dauphin as hilarious and grotesque.

Sean Harris’s role as William, the king’s main advisor, is both earnest and keen in his portrayal, and Ben Mendelsohn does an outstanding, though shortlived, job playing the worn-out king.

For a film longer than two hours, some of the characters could have been better developed further. One of the most alluring characters was by far John Falstaff (Joel Edgerton).

Serving as Henry V’s right hand man, Falstaff beguiles audiences with his quick wit and his amusing mannerisms. The film briefly addresses that Falstaff has a renowned military background but never builds

on Falstaff ’s experience as a soldier. Edgerton’s character is portrayed to be a man of few words who speaks when the time is right. Though Falstaff contributes to Henry V’s military campaign, he doesn’t showcase his wisdom as Hal’s closest ally and mentor to the fullest extent as one would expect him to.

Becoming the king brings out the best and the worst of Henry V. As his responsibilities become greater, Henry learns to be merciless when making highstakes decisions. Audiences witness a once optimistic reformist become an autocratic warrior.

On the night he is anointed king, Henry V hosts a dinner party in which he opens gifts from nearby countries with his closest friends and family. At that party, he receives a playing ball as a gift from the French Dauphin. While the members of his court view the Dauphin’s present as an attempt to disparage the king, Henry V views it merely as a playful gesture. After an attempted assassination, Henry V decides that the gift from the Dauphin was an act

of ridicule and aggression and declares war on France.

The longer Henry V is king, the further he strays from his past morals, resulting in him becoming a chilling and rigid figure. With the members of his court incessantly warning him to be vigilant, Henry V more unforgiving and paranoid about who to trust. When the king learns that certain members of his court were interacting with the French, he sentences his cousin to be hanged without hesitation, whom he referred to as his oldest and closest ally on the night of his dinner party. In another instance, when Falstaff calls out Henry V for ordering his men to kill all French soldiers, Henry V threatens to put him to death.

Unlike many other medieval movies,“The King” is a slow burn. However, it is the intricately crafted details of every character and frame that makes this film a masterpiece. From its primitive and barbaric depiction of war to its dark, gritty setting of 15th-century England, this film is truly a visual triumph.

Daniel Berlinsky/ The Spectator

Over the years, Netflix has released a slew of original movies, and its most recent one, “The King,” might not have the most compelling storyline, but it is one of the most visually impressive films released this year.

At times, the movie can feel like a drag and may make you want to grab the remote and fast-forward. At other times, Timotheé Chalamet’s acting will have you wanting to pick up a sword and fight in the name of England.

The film takes place in England at the start of the Hundred Years’ War. King Henry IV (Ben Mendelsohn) is a dying monarch who is boorish and out of touch with his people.

After his death, his partying son Henry (Timothée Chalamet), called Hal by his friends, is forced to become the successor to the throne. Throughout the film, audiences witness Hal attempting to distance himself as far as possible from his father’s actions while trying to deal with the imminent threat of war. The film’s primary focus is in capturing the progression of Henry V’s rule. When he first becomes king, Hal despises everything his father stood for and wants to bring peace to the kingdom.

However, he soon learns that peace is not always so easy. As time progresses, Henry V loses his naivety and slowly becomes the figure he once despised.

Director and writer David Michôd and co-writer Joel Edgerton neglect complete historical accuracy. In the initial scenes of the movie, Henry V is a carefree teenager who often gets drunk and sleeps around with women. In reality, Henry V was more disciplined and spent his teenage years in the battlefield. Furthermore, several of the king’s interactions with the Dauphin of France are fabricated for the purpose of entertainment. The film was intended to resemble Shakespeare’s Henriad. The biggest difference between the film and Shakespeare’s plays is that the film lacks the romantic Shakespearean language. Rather,

“Parasite”: A Not-So-Subtle Social Critique

The Spectator ● December 11, 2019

Page 19

Humor “Legally Blonde” Left in the Dust

By Shiny New Competitor “Legally Brunette”

By JASMINE WANG

The Stuyvesant Theater Community’s (STC) fall musical “Legally Blonde” was without a doubt a bold new show to put on, filled with flashy pink costumes, wild lyrics, and just enough law to convince your parents “this musical is educational!” The main issue with it, however, was that the majority of Stuyvesant just couldn’t relate to the beautiful, golden-locked protagonist, Elle Woods. The average Stuy student has brown or black hair, bags under her eyes, and

By ISHQ GUPTA and CHRISABELLA JAVIER Having lost yet another sports game in true Stuy athletic fashion and after passing out on her desk when she came home, junior Procras Tinato walked to Stuyvesant High School in a groggy state. As she walked through the bridge entrance, she tried to remember her plans. After all, who’s used a planner since freshman year? She had tried texting her class group chats about it, but she hadn’t gotten any responses other than some kid trying to play 8-Ball.

Thinking she was finally free from the clutches of stress, she didn’t expect Spectator Humor editor Victor Kuang to walk up to her and grab her collar.

“Okay, Procras, I’ve had enough. Where’s the damn article?”

Tinato was confused. “W-hat article?”

“The article you promised to do THREE ISSUES ago that you NEVER [expletive] STARTED ON!” “Oh, that one? I’m working on it right now. It’ll be done soon.”

This was a lie. Tinato hadn’t even started writing it yet.

By CHRISABELLA JAVIER What is UP, freshmen who failed the swim test? Freshmen who just got placed here? That one junior who’s taking swim gym for unknown reasons?

You guys are busy and all— learning to swim, dunking on other kids while playing water polo, trying to rush to classes from the first floor, complaining about swim gym—I get it.

Okay? I understand what’s going on with you guys. But I just have a simple request for you guys.

Which is STOP MAK-

a slump in her shoulders that suggests she gave up hope long ago.

Thus, SLATE headed back to the drawing board before the final performance of the show. They had all these costumes and an enormous, glittering set, but they still had a problem: people just didn’t understand what it was like to not be smart.

“We need a new way to appeal to the common de-

“You have until 11:59 p.m. tonight to finish this thing, or I’m yeeting you out of Spec. Got it?”

“Sure. I’ll send it to you tonight.” With that, she went to her first period Precalculus class.

She staggered into the room, expecting to fall asleep on her desk, only to find “AIM: REALLY BIG TEST ON EVERYTHING WE DID THIS YEAR.” written in all caps on the blackboard.

This couldn’t be true. Her heart pounded out of her chest as the anxiety and the cup of coffee she had drunk earlier kicked in. She sat down and asked freshman Kah Ringe, “This is a joke, right?

Our teacher is just fricking with us, right?”

Ringe looked at Tinato with confusion.

“What are you talking about?

He’s told us about this test every day for, like, the past two weeks.

Have you not paid attention? He said it was gonna be 120 percent of our grade.”

“Of course I didn’t pay attention!” Tinato said. “It’s like, literally 8:00 a.m. You think I have the capacity to do anything but sleep?”

“Ok, junior,” Ringe said.

As soon as she saw the test, Tinato realized that she couldn’t

mographic of Stuy. Honestly, they’d probably feel more at place in swim gym than watching this musical,”

SLATE member Emily Rubenstein said. “At least in swim gym you can be cold together.”

“You’re right,” fellow SLATE member Cosmo Coen remarked. “We have to appeal to the kids and really, y’know, get in their brains. But not literally.”

That was when it hit them; the situation could literally be reversed.

With a few quick taps on the key-

Cadience Li / The Spectator

Stuy Terrors

do any of the problems. She didn’t know how to find permutations, or how to factor quadratic equations, how to prove Lipschitz continuity, or how to find one plus one. Tinato just stared at the paper for a good 40 minutes until the warning bell rang, and she rushed to fill in as many questions as possible, doing her best to guess the correct answer.

As the teacher collected her test, he tried to hide his disgust, but failed once he saw her answer of “lentils???” for a trigonometry problem and promptly threw up.

Yep. She definitely failed that; there was no question about it.

But at least she got the test over with and could just chill for the rest of the day (she thought) as she walked into AP U.S. History.

Oh, how wrong she was.

Written on the board was “FINAL PROJECT DUE 2DAY.” Everyone else in the class had intricate poster boards on their desks, and they were talking about important aspects of American history. Tinato realized that she had to turn in something; she didn’t want to fail yet another thing today. She grabbed an untouched piece of looseleaf from her notebook and drew

something very quickly in green Sharpie as the teacher looked at her, hand outstretched. Finally, she gave in a paper with what seemed to be two skyscrapers but looked more like two male genitals surrounded by a heart and writing that said, “They Loved Each Other To Death. Jet Fuel Can’t Melt Steel Beams, But The Heart Can.” The teacher gave a very similar reaction to the one her math teacher gave and immediately wrote an “F” on the paper and gave it back to Tinato, not wanting to touch the paper for another second.

Similar incidents occurred throughout her day, as she created a last-minute project for health (“SODA: IS IT ACTUALLY WATER?”) and wrote the map song from “Dora the Explorer” on her Spanish quiz.

As the last bell of the day rang throughout Stuy, Tinato realized that she had failed all her projects and tests, and therefore had failed as a human being.

She couldn’t take it anymore.

She couldn’t do math, she didn’t know history, she couldn’t even pass health! What good was she for? With that, she threw herself into the Hudson River, and just

An Open Letter to Swim Gym Kids

ING THE POOL LOCKER ROOMS SO GROSS. Okay? Do you understand?

Every day since the beginning of the school year, I have gone to the pool at the end of the day for swim practice. The practice is two hours long and in a freezing cold pool because the pool heater doesn’t want to get fixed, and now since it’s daylight savings or whatever, it’s getting dark at 5:00 p.m. so I never even get to see the sun.

And you know what makes this experience even worse? The fact that you guys can’t even learn to pick up after yourselves after you get out of swim gym!

I can understand the pool locker rooms being really wet.

Maybe I can even excuse the fact that there is a perpetual great flood in the locker rooms and that you need your personal Noah’s Ark to enter it at the end of the day. I can excuse that. I can’t excuse that you guys treat the place as some sort of black hole that can suck in all your germs and trash in the same way that Stuy has sucked out your hopes and dreams.

Okay? Some kid left her underwear in the locker room one day. Why would you leave your underwear in the locker room?

How do you leave your under-

wear in the locker room?

Weirder than the things you leave in the locker room are the things you take from the locker room. Apparently one of you guys took the bench from the guys’ pool locker room? Like, the one that was brought in because you broke the previous one? Why? The worst part is the one of many ghosts that silently judge Stuy (seriously, why do we have so many of them? It’s like they all gravitate toward misery.) that constantly hangs out in the pool area. I can always feel her anger toward the sorry state of the locker rooms. This

board, an all-nighter, and many disgruntled actors, STC presented “Legally Brunette,” which was an instant smash hit.

“It just feels so relatable,” one audience member remarked. “Being blonde and being hot isn’t my thing, but being brunette and feeling smart?

Still a far cry, but I guess it’s closer than before.” This sentiment was shared by many viewers, who could understand “Nellie Hoods” and her struggles, which included having to go to parties, learning to dance, and having real social interaction for the first time in her life.

as she hit the water, she woke up with a piece of drool-covered paper on her face.

It was all just a dream.

Relieved, she blew the paper off her face and instinctively grabbed her phone and looked through her Messenger notifications, hoping to see a couple of reacts or comments on her recent meme. Instead, she found a barrage of horrifying news awaiting her. “hey procras can you flipping contribute to the group project for health” “Hey Procras, this is Victor.

DO THE DAMN ARTICLE IVE BEEN WAITING FOR TWO MONTHS OML” “Hey Procras we have a quiz in Bravo today rite?”

So many projects. So many tests. Not enough time.

Tinato rolled over and buried her face into her pillow, hoping that the asphyxiation would cause her to wake up from her nightmare once more.

Unfortunately for Procas Tinato, this time the terrors were real.

It looked like tonight was gonna be another evening with Ben and Jerry’s.

is your fault. It is your fault that she is experiencing eternal torment looking at the pool locker room floor.

Seriously, guys, get your act together. The swim teams don’t deserve to deal with your BS at the end of the day. We singlehandedly carry all of Stuyvesant’s sports teams (don’t boo me, it’s true) and this should not be the thanks we get. We don’t deserve this kind of pool locker room with brand new species of mold that the Urban Ecology class is breaking down our doors to study.

Clean up after yourselves.

An Honest Review of Dr. Phil: Inside Stuyvesant

By HELENA WILLIAMS and AMY ZHANG

Since the conclusion of “Game of Thrones” (GoT), HBO had been desperate to find a show that could deliver exorbitant ratings. After burning through a small loan of a million dollars, HBO was sadly unable to find a worthy suc-

cessor to GoT. Seizing this opportunity, renowned TV psychiatrist Dr. Phillip C. McGraw, colloquially known as Dr. Phil, decided to take this challenge for himself.

“I looked at this school in Downtown Manhattan—Stivvysent, I think it was called— and they appeared to be in need of my special talents,” Dr. Phil

said. “And besides, none of them have foreheads that come even close to mine, so I think I’ll be able to shame them with my chad powers.”

His newest show, “Dr. Phil: Inside Stuyvesant,” looks at the complicated mental states of many deranged Stuyvesant High School students and faculty members, who are brought

onto the show by their concerned guidance counselors or fellow faculty members. So far, five episodes have been recorded, but unfortunately, five episodes are really all the poor viewers can take. According to experts, some side effects of watching the show include erectile dysfunction and permanent and irreversible brain damage.

Being the extremely professional journalists that we are, we’ve taken a peek into the world of “Dr: Phil: Inside Stuyvesant” for a consecutive 20 hours so that you, our beloved audience, don’t have to.

Why did five episodes take 20 hours? Primarily because of the strange tendencies exhibited by many of the show’s guests:

The Spectator ● December 11, 2019

Page 20

Humor An Honest Review of Dr. Phil: Inside Stuyvesant

“dipping” mid-interview to Juul backstage, falling asleep while Dr. Phil was trying to preach to them, and repeatedly shouting “oK bOoMeR” at him whenever they disagreed with whatever point he was making. In addition, because the funds HBO allocated were not enough to pay for a decent video editor, all five episodes have the same quality as 2010 YouTube content, minus the Bandicam.com watermark at the top. If you are a professional video editor, we highly recommend you to not watch this series, so as to avoid tearing out all your hair.

Despite these flaws, here are some of the episodes we would recommend: Episode 1 Stuy and Drown The series starts off with the cameraman getting pummeled by a large crowd of 5’2” students before the start of first period on the Tribeca Bridge.

The cries of mercy and the retorts of savage high schoolers give a flavorful start to the series.

It quickly becomes evident that the show is being hosted in the Hudson staircase, thanks to more of those HBO budget cuts. The sounds of students “macking” can be heard from outside the set during the tense moments.

Dr. Phil’s first guest is an Asian Baby Girl (ABG) senior who has failed swim gym for the past six semesters in a row.

Her reason? She claims that her “physical conditions” keep her from being able to swim properly: physical conditions as in her voluminous fake lashes and thousand-dollar rave outfits.

You wouldn’t know it from her Gucci slides and AirPods Pro,

but she actually can’t afford to re-dye her brown roots, so she steers clear of the chlorine pool water. She whines that she can’t swim because her 37 piercings would get rusty, and other students in her class complain about how whenever her face touches the water it becomes impossible to swim, as a roiling cloud of foundation and eyeshadow fills the pool. In addition, several incidents of nearfatal asphyxiation have occurred around her when students try to come up for air and end up inhaling the Giorgio Armani perfume that surrounds her in a noxious gas cloud. Indeed, she’s recently started bottling her bath water to sell it, and unlike Belle Delphine’s bath water, you can immediately tell it’s hers because of the biohazard label slapped on each lid.

That’s right: Dr. Phil attempts to fix an ABG’s lifestyle on his show. Nobler men have died in the attempt. Naturally, she comes in with a 64-ounce plastic cup of taro bubble tea, which she chucks at Dr. Phil when he shows a picture of her face without makeup (see also: chemical burns from the trenches of World War II).

She then

stor ms out in her nine-inch Louboutin heels, which make her an im-

posing five feet tall, and the sound of her phone’s Instagram notifications going off at full volume fades into the distance.

Episode 3 Meme Man Mark and His Facebook Addiction In this episode, Dr. Phil talks to Mark Muckermerg, a Stuy freshman who has become obsessed with posting what he considers to be “dank memes” all over the “WE HAVE ADVICE” groups on Facebook.

His memes tend to get a lot of angry reacts, or what the English department prefers to call “constructive criticism,” but Muckermerg lets Dr. Phil know that he’s not letting the haters get to him and that their

negativity will never corrupt his 1000 percent legit swagger.

Besides being a story stolen from the Humor editor application, this episode drags on, particularly because Muckermerg keeps on pulling out his phone to check whether his memes have gotten likes. At one point, when a “cool” senior who runs Stuy Confessions accidentally likes one of his memes, Muckermerg starts shouting incoherently before flinging his phone into the air and collapsing on the floor. As the episode ends, EMTs begin rushing onto the stage, even as Dr. Phil says, “I think you only have one reasonable choice… to ask your guidance counselor to transfer you to the Turnabout Ranch.” As the camera pans out, you can still see videos of kids riding horses and taking the AP Turnabout test to try and transfer out. To this day, we still don’t know if Muckermerg has ever been rehabilitated.

Episode 5 THESE CHILDREN ARE INSANE, SEND HELP ASD; FJKL First, the title seems like a cut-off thought that was extremely cheap and not very well thought out. Perhaps this is because of their low budget, but nevertheless, it was a huge turn-off when we loaded it onto our Brooklyn Public Library computer. This episode is extremely uneventful, with Stuy students primarily being defensive about their caffeine addictions and Dr. Phil yelling at them. Or at least, that’s what we think happened, Emily Chen / The Spectator because we were

almost brain dead by the end of Episode 4, so it’s a miracle that we have even gotten this far. We have taken a piece of the transcript for our readers to judge because we certainly can’t at this point.

SENIOR PERSON: I DON’T HAVE ANY PROBLEMS. DR. PHIL: Do you not see yourself ???

SENIOR PERSON: yES of course; can’t post cute profile pics without seeing yourself, can you?

DR. PHIL: You’re in denial!!

SENIOR PERSON: This is clearly New York, old man, now shut up, I gotta go pick up my Starbucks order.

DR. PHIL: STOP TRYING TO MAKE EXCUSES. SENIOR PERSON: [incoherent screeching] DR. PHIL: YOU NEED SERIOUS HELP. [A fight ensues, with the SENIOR and DR. PHIL locking arms in what looks to be an aggressive waltz.]

Generally speaking, this new HBO series is only worth your time if you truly would like permanent brain damage or just want something relatable to watch. Either way, don’t expect any more episodes of this edition of Dr. Phil to be released, because Dr. Phil has officially sent himself to Turnabout Ranch, saying that he “needs a vacation.” All we can say is that he may not have been the hero Stuyvesant needed or deserved, but he has definitely provided us with something that’s definitely never been seen at Stuyvesant before: teen drama and JUUL addiction jokes.

The Spectator ● December 11, 2019

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Sports ADVERTISEMENTS

Boys’ Football

Peglegs Close Out Season in Second Round Exit

By PAUL LIOU and ROHAN SAHA

On a bright and sunny Saturday afternoon, the Peglegs saw their season come to a close in a 40-14 loss against the Beach Channel Educational Campus Dolphins. This frustrating loss summed up a rather disappointing season for a team coming off such a strong season last year.

The Peglegs suffered from the same woes that plagued them all season. Despite the wide margin, the Peglegs were definitely in this game up until the crucial moments in the fourth quarter. The defense forced three fumbles, including a scoop and score by junior Joshua Goldberg. However, these timely turnovers did not spare the run defense, which was dominated all day despite the turnovers. It proved no match for the powerful, downhill rushing attack of the Dolphins.

On the other side of the ball, the offense was rather stagnant and could not capitalize on the Dolphins’ mistakes.

They, like the defense, suffered from the same mistakes that were made in the season.

A young and inexperienced offensive line made it a tough day for the Peglegs’ air and ground game to develop any rhythm while trying to march down the field. Specifically, bad snaps and missed blocks killed the offensive game plan, and thus the offense was held to only one touchdown all afternoon.

Overall, the team certainly regressed from last year and could not replicate the same level of success and dominance. It was a roster with tal-

piece it all together on a consistent basis. In some games, the defense struggled to get past the blocks and stuff the run game. For other games it was the offense that couldn’t perform key turnovers caused by shaky offensive line play, which often rushed the quarterback and/or failed to create holes for their elusive backs.

Throughout the season, depth also played its part in the Peglegs’ struggles. Certain players were relied on heavily on both sides of the ball and played al-

This was a very special class that will be greatly missed and harder to replace as the sun sets on their storied Stuyvesant high school football careers.

ent and experience, but they lacked the chemistry on the field and ultimately couldn’t

most every snap of the game.

When they didn’t, the Peglegs had to turn to more inexpe-

rienced sophomores and juniors, who struggled to adjust to the next level in their first time seeing the field on the varsity level. However, these lessons may prove crucial, as they has resulted in very valuable experience and confidence for the rising upperclassmen next year, when they will be called upon to fill in for the loss of seniors and captains.

Despite the loss, the Peglegs do have things to be proud of. They finished with a winning record at a respectable 5-4 and notched a dominating 34-13 playoff win against A. Philip Randolph Campus High School to reach the quarterfinals. There were also many bright spots on the roster, especially the seniors who left it all out on the field in their final year. This year’s senior class was headed by quarterback and captain Lucas Dingman, who passed for 22 touchdowns in the air and ran for six on the ground in the regular season. Running back and cornerback Franklin Liou was a star on both sides of the football, accounting for nine total touchdowns (playoffs included) on offense and two interceptions on de-

fense. Wide receiver Clement Chan was another star; he’s the Peglegs’ leading receiver with nearly 800 yards receiving. The dynamic linebacker duo of Patrick Fennessey and Owen Potter spearheaded the Peglegs’ defense both pre and post snap, often setting the tone for the rest of the defense. This was a very special class that will be greatly missed and harder to replace as the sun sets on their storied Stuyvesant high school football careers.

Looking to next year, the Peglegs do have talent that they will look to serve as the foundation for their team that is still seeking that elusive PSAL Championship. Junior Joshua Goldberg will likely be vital on both sides of the ball as a linebacker and as a running back. Junior Jonah Keller will likely take over the starting quarterback role, as he showed promise in the last minutes in the Peglegs’ 38-0 win over Information Technology High School. Additionally, the Peglegs JV team found success going 7-1 this season, leaving some hope that talent from there could translate to the varsity level going forward.

Page 22

The Spectator ● December 11, 2019

Sports Athlete of the Issue

The Deep End with Kai and Sasha

By AKI YAMAGUCHI Kai Yamamoto Grade: Senior Height: 5’ 9 1/2 Eye color: Dark Brown Hair color: Brown DOB: August 1, 2002

1. When did you start swimming?

SC: Age seven. KY: Yeah age seven—that’s when I started swimming competitively. We both swim outside of school as well.

2. What are your goals this season for the team?

SC: The main team goal is of course to win the City Championships and maintain our streak by boosting our work performance this year, extending our training, and improving each swimmer’s individual technique and team mental attitude. We also want to make the States’ cut for the relay event as well. KY: Our number one focus is to win for the fourth consecutive year though; I think that’s the greatest accomplishment we could achieve.

3. Are there challenges from the start of the season the team faces?

KY: The majority of our team were seniors last year, and we essentially lost a big portion of the team.The people who actually got the points for us left, so it’s going to be a bit of a challenge to go against Brooklyn Tech especially because they didn’t lose as many people as we did. We are going to have to train hard. SC: There’s also the fact that we have a new coach this year, Ms. Prabhu; our previous coach, Ms. Choi, had to retire.

This is the third coach I’ve had on the swim team, and I have to say it is always a bit of an adjustment.

It’s not as big of a factor as our seniors leaving, but it is a factor, and it is hard to get adjusted.

4. What race do you swim and why?

SC: I do the 200 free or the 50 free or the 100 free. I usually do two of each every meet. Those are my main events because I’m mainly

5. How has the swim team impacted your life at Stuyvesant?

SC: It’s definitely going to be something I’m going to remember the most. When I look back on my high school experience 10 years from now, it’s always the best time of the year for me. I literally made four of my closest friends in Stuyvesant on the swim team. It’s a big thing for me to train with them and motivate each other. KY: Like what Sasha said, I have met some of the closest friends I have at Stuy[vesant]. Not only that, but I was also able to meet people that I could rely on with my upperclassmen. When I was a freshman or sophomore, not only were there people my own age, but there were

nitely take more of a leadership role. Like Sasha said, I want to motivate the team or just to push them toward the right direction.

6. How do you deal with swimming and your schoolwork? Do you have any tips?

SC: Get your work done while you are in school, so you don’t have to worry about homework while you are swimming during practice.

During my freshman year, a lot of the time when I was practicing, my head and mind were always on the work I had to do. That took away from my potential to improve.

Later in the year, I always try to get my homework or whatever presentations and projects I have to prepare done during my lunch period. That way I can completely focus on my efforts at practice.

KY: Yeah, I agree with Sasha; it’s all about time management. Especially for me, swimming with a club outside of school takes a large amount of my time. It’s kind

“Just being able to accomplish that with three close friends of mine—to get the number one time for Stuyvesant of all time—is just a pretty big deal, and I was really happy that I was able to do so.”

—Kai Yamamoto, senior and cocaptain also people who could teach me and help me into Stuyvesant High School. The swim team definitely was the largest factor in that realm.

5. How has the captaincy changed your playstyle and outlook on the game?

SC: It’s too early in the season to tell exactly, but we are definitely going to have to set a good example for the team. We are going to have to be more committed to the team. I plan to come to practice every single day; I don’t know about Kai. It’s a big change for me because I’ve been a bit of a goofball for the past two years. Now I have to set up all the drylands; I have to motivate the team and I have to lead the warmups. KY: To be honest, I don’t really think that this position is going to change my outlook and how I approach swimming as a whole or how I’m a member of the team. I’ll continue to help advise the swimmers, as I have more experience, but I’ll defi-

of inevitable to stay up late and work on my homework; that’s just something you have to adjust do and deal with. Over the years, you just need to learn to manage your time in better ways, and you’ll do better.

7. Favorite memory or moment?

SC: Favorite memories are always whenever we win, but last year’s win was probably my favorite win. Last year was our most unexpected win; our best swimmer Nick [Wen, 19’] got injured during the last match. We had to reorganize the lineup, which had taken two months to prepare for. Not only was it a stressful situation but coming out with a victory when we literally had all the odds against us was probably my favorite memory so far—that team mindset that we shared. KY: As a team, I agree with Sasha; last year’s win was probably the happiest moment for me on the team. If I were to pick something else, I’d say breaking the 200

Erin Lee / The Spectator

Sasha Camaev Grade: Senior Height: 5’11 1/2 Eye color: Dark Brown Hair color: Dirty Blonde DOB: December 8, 2002

a sprinter. I don’t do 500 free because I don’t have the stamina for it. KY: I do the 50 free, 100 free, 100 fly, and 100 breast. I do the 50 free and 100 free because I’m a sprinter, and breaststroke and fly are just my best events.

freestyle relay record at last year’s A Championship with three of the seniors. Just being able to accomplish that with three close friends of mine—to get the number one time for Stuyvesant of all time—is just a pretty big deal, and I was really happy that I was able to do so.

8. Something you are going to miss about the team?

SC: Probably the locker room shenanigans. Just talking with teammates and my friends after practice. Trying to plan out the schedule and trying to talk with my coach about how we are going to plan the layout for the rest of the season. Coming up with some sort of game strategy; that’s when my mind is really active, and I’m really engaged in it. During school, I’m kind of disengaged from classwork because I don’t really find it interesting. When I’m talking with my teammates about the season and what we need to do to overcome certain challenges, that’s the most stimulating moment for me.

KY: I would just say the entire atmosphere of the varsity swimming

focus on individual times and individual swims. Ever since freshman year, you learn that high school swimming as a whole is swimming for each other because it’s a point-based system off the place you get in your races. If you have a bad race, it impacts how your team performs as a whole, so just the entire atmosphere of having people relying on you and you relying on people is something that I would really miss.

Drink of Choice: >SC - Arizona sweet tea >KY - Japanese sports drink, Pocari Sweat Favorite food: >SC - Quesadillas from Ferry’s >KY - Chicken poi boy from Whole Foods Motto to live by: >SC - Fail fast, learn faster >KY - Three years on a stone.

It’s about if you sit on a stone for three years, it’ll eventually warm up. It’s about perseverance and sticking to something.

“Not only was it a stressful situation, but coming out with a victory when we literally had all the odds against us was probably my favorite memory so far—that team mindset that we shared.”

—Sasha Camaev, senior and cocaptain and being part of the high school team. Swimming on a club team, I wouldn’t say that it is completely individual, but there’s more of a

Fun fact: >SC - I’m also on the golf team >KY - My great grandfather was a translator in the war

Boys’ Fencing

Fallen Giants Seek to Regain “Untouchable” Status

By SUBHAN CHAHAL Attempting to revive the legacy that had earned them a 13-year unbeaten streak, the Untouchables find their dominance in the Manhattan/Queens division faltering; Stuyvesant’s boys’ varsity fencing team finished second to the newly-promoted Beacon for the second year running.

After impressively finishing over Hunter College High School (with an 8-2 record) in the league in the previous two years, Beacon earned promotion to Stuyvesant’s division in

the 2018-2019 season. Fielding three nationally-ranked players, it should not have come as a surprise that they would offer Stuyvesant’s most successful team a run for their money.

Unfortunately, they managed to strip the Untouchables of their invincible streak on the penultimate game of the season, as Stuyvesant lost 90-77 to Beacon and lost their grasp on the division that they had possessed since 2006.

Entering the 2019-2020 season, it became evident that the division would be a two-horse race, with both Beacon and

Stuyvesant expected to sweep traditional underdogs—Long Island City, NEST+M, Millenium, and Information Technology HS—with maximum points.

Stuyvesant’s opportunity for revenge over their new rivals came on the first game of the season (after the Untouchables’ first two games were postponed); unfortunately, the Untouchables collapsed yet again, losing 86-77 on Beacon’s home ground, despite Beacon losing their nationally-ranked Filippo Vanni.

Their next opportunity for re-

demption came at the midway point of the season, and yet again, Stuyvesant succumbed to a 91-73 loss to Beacon. Even with one game left in the season for the team, it has become mathematically impossible for them to overtake Beacon, whose only loss of the season came in an 84-83 thriller against Long Island City.

Despite their failure to defeat their new-rivals on two accounts, the Untouchables have earned a playoff berth, and they still have one game left of the regular season (against NEST+M) to fine-tune their

squad. Furthermore, though Stuyvesant again failed to claim the divisional title, their only losses of the season were those against Beacon. The former Untouchables managed to create a silver lining in their crushing victories over the rest of the league (including a 90-37 win over NEST+M and a 90-47 win over Informational Technology HS). The Untouchables will look to end their season on a high and carry momentum into next season in an attempt to reacquire the success that had earned them their “untouchable” status.

The Spectator ● December 11, 2019

Page 23

Sports Teachers

Teach Hard Play Hard

Vincent Miller—Baseball Coach and Physical Education teacher Vincent Miller began his path to college baseball at Saint Edmund High School in Brooklyn. He played in a top-notch Catholic league that attracted colleges and even major league scouts to his games. He started playing high school baseball in the fall and spring of his freshman year, but by senior year, he played baseball throughout the entire year.

In senior year, there were four colleges that were either scouting him or he was interested in, and he ultimately chose to attend Queens College for baseball. Miller started his first game in the fall of his freshman year at center-field because the senior starter was injured. He started seventh in the lineup, and he remembers his first at bat vividly: “My first college at-bat I hit a homerun […]

It was a 2-0 count, and the pitcher threw a high fastball, and I hit it to right center-field.” Regarding advice he would give to a high school athlete, Miller said, “If you think high school is tough balancing school work and your sport, college is probably 10 times harder. You need to be ready and have discipline, [and] in order to be successful in athlet-

Carrie Chu—Swimming Math teacher Carrie Chu took an unconventional path in her sport: swimming. Chu began swimming at age three. She recalls, “I had bad asthma, and [swimming] came as a recommendation from my doctor.”

What started as an activity for health purposes developed into a love for the sport. When asked about her childhood swimming experience, Chu said, “From ages five to nine, I swam on my local town team […] At age 10, I joined a club team.” At this point, she was swimming 20 hours a week for 11 months of the year.

The summer before sophomore year in high school, Chu’s parents made her leave club swimming. However, she continued to swim with her high school team. Chu was inevitably disappointed by her parent’s decision to pull her out of club swimming, but in retrospect, she said, “My parents’ decision for me to leave the world of training 20 hours per week gave me other opportunities that I would not have been able to experience, and for that I am grateful.” Reflecting on her experience after high school, Chu said, “I was recruited to swim at a few colleges but was not sure that I wanted to continue swimming in

Jingwei Liu / The Spectator

ics, you need to be successful in the classroom.”

college, so I chose to attend a school with a very strong swim team where I was not recruited but could choose to walk on.” She elected to attend Williams College and started on the swim team as a freshman. She did not return to the team in her sophomore year as she gained an interest for teaching math. She spent a half year of adventure in Kenya, where she was a coxswain for a men’s crew team. During the remainder of college, Chu dabbled in other sports including water polo and squash and even competed in triathlons. Today, Chu enjoys ocean swims and plays in a water polo league in Brooklyn.

Kristyn Pluchino—Basketball In fourth grade, Chemistry teacher Pluchino started playing basketball despite her parents’ suggestion that an indoor sport would be better suited to the cold upstate New York environment. She quickly fell in love with the sport and continued playing through high school and college. In high school, she played point guard and shooting guard before committing to shooting guard in college. Her experience as a point guard helped her improve her court awareness because of the “responsibility of distributing and getting a team into an offense,” she said. This understanding of her role on the court helped her become the first girl in school history to break the 1000-point mark. After previously watching a senior on her team narrowly miss out on the accomplishment, Pluchino worked toward that 1000-point mark throughout high school before reaching it in her final high school game. Sadly, Pluchino’s basketball career was derailed by a knee injury during high school that required surgery during her freshman year in college. The school, SUNY Binghamton, honored her scholarship but Pluchino found it hard to compete at the NCAA Division 1 level after her injury. In hindsight, Pluchino believes she might have fared better at a Division 2 or 3 school. “The women who play Division 1—they’re strong, and they’re fast,” Pluchino said, and her injury didn’t make the challenge of competing with them any easier.

Pluchino was forced to bide her time

on the bench, but it taught her to be a better teammate than she was in high school. However, Pluchino still sees the value of playing sports in college as long as you are “ready for the time commitment.” No matter the division, college sports take their toll on athletes’ time. “A large portion of your day is either spent

in New Haven, Connecticut. He had played organized team sports since a young age, so when a rugby club was recruiting players, he decided to try out. His favorite memory is “playing for the first side at flanker (wing-forward) in a match Old Black played versus a club in Springfield, Massachusetts,” he said. Unfortunately,

at practice or preparing for practice, or getting treatment. But keep playing if that’s what you want to do.

Don’t focus on how big the school is. Focus on how you will be able to contribute,” she said. Now, Pluchino rarely plays unless it’s with her nieces and nephews who she can (mostly) “dominate,” but she still enjoys the sport and appreciates the lessons it has taught her.

Hanna was forced to stop because playing with inexperienced players posed too much of an injury risk, especially in the scrum, a method of restarting play that involves players packing together closely as they attempt to regain possession of the ball. Today, Hanna still uses things he learned from rugby. He still performs the drills and stretches that he used to do in rugby training. Hanna’s rugby experience has even found its way into his teaching, as he features a film in his European history class about South Africa’s national rugby team. He is evidence that rugby doesn’t deserve its reputation as a violent sport. Rather, it is a physical game that requires harmony of the body as well as the mind. Most importantly, it requires greatly concentrated effort, which is why Hanna gives all student-athletes this advice: “Leave it all on the field. You don’t want to look back with any regrets.”

Sophia Yuditsky / The Spectator

By AHMED HUSSEIN, MATT MELUCCI, and KRISH GUPTA

David Hanna—Rugby Stuyvesant’s beloved History teacher David Hanna is known for his unique teaching style, which includes activities like the Congress of Vienna, a well-known feature of his European history class. However, his experience in sports deserves some recognition, too. After college, Hanna played semi-pro rugby for Portland Rugby Football Club in Portland, Maine before moving to Old Black Rugby Football Club

Girls’ Volleyball

Vixens Take League Title, Playoff Run Ends Early

By MATT MELUCCI and YOONAH CHANG The crowd went silent, matching senior and co-captain Corinne Pita’s concentration as she hit the final serve. The Vixens, Stuyvesant’s girls’ varsity volleyball team, had conquered the first set and were now one point away from the second round of playoffs. The ball cut through the air, bouncing off of their opponents’ defense and onto the wall. Just like that, the Vixens made it to the second round of the playoffs, winning the second set 25-8 after a 2513 win in the first set of the first round against Curtis High School.

This great form was a staple of the Vixens’ playing style this year, which led to their undefeated regular-season record, winning all 10 of their regularseason games 2-0 and ending up at the top of their league. They expected to repeat last year’s historic success in the PSAL A division playoffs by winning the citywide competition again and entered the playoffs this year as the ninth seed in their highly competitive division. Their

dominance, however, was put to a halt with their loss to Queens Metropolitan High School in the second round of the playoffs.

The match was held at Metropolitan Campus with Metropolitan’s supporters packed into the stands. Even though the Vixens secured the first set of the game, Metropolitan was able to narrowly surpass them by

few weeks prior,” junior and cocaptain Anaïs Delfau said.

“There were other factors, such as some moments of bad passing and a lack of communication that contributed to our loss. […] The audience at Metro was loud, to say the least. The environment just wasn’t on our side that day,” Pita said. Losing their spot in the semifinals vexed

“Continue working hard for each other and the results will eventually follow.” —Anaïs Delfau, junior and co-captain four points in the final two sets, abruptly ending the Vixens’ playoff run by condemning them to a 2-1 loss. A variety of setbacks led to this defeat. “Technically speaking, it did not help that our starting middle Ana-Maria Skaricic sprained her ankle at the Seward Park Tournament a

the Vixens, but they ended their phenomenal season proud of themselves.

The Vixens featured a talented roster filled with strong players who led the team consistently throughout the season.

Players such as Delfau and junior Isabel Leka excelled in their

respective positions. Delfau had a total of 60 kills (an unreturnable attack) in the regular and playoff games combined, and Leka racked up 111 assists and 42 aces (unreturnable serves) this season as a setter. Junior Elena Hlamenko was another talent to be reckoned with. She “came onto the court ready to play wherever and whenever she had to […] and her serves were on par, if not better than those of some of the best servers we had last year,” Pita said.

Junior Ana-Maria Skaricic, senior Catherine Yu, and Pita each had spectacular performances as well, with 22, 25, and 40 digs (a save following an opposition attack), respectively, along with 37 kills for Pita and 22 aces for Yu. Next year’s roster will be missing two seniors, Yu and Pita, both whom are valuable players.

On the other hand, five experienced juniors will be taking their place, keeping the team solid and ready for a deeper run in the postseason. Delfau’s advice for the team next year is “to continue working hard for each other and the results will eventually follow. I cannot wait to see what happens next year because we

should have a lot of experienced seniors who have been playing together for a while.” Delfau is sure the team will retain their impressive chemistry next year, setting the Vixens up for greatness. “Maybe we’ll take another City Championship title,” Delfau excitedly said.

Coach Vasken Choubalarian’s goals are similar. “For next year, I want to expand their volleyball intelligence—being more adaptable to situations and strategies and being able to make smarter decisions during gameplay. Second, our passing needs to improve, so I will do my best to work on that aspect of their game. Lastly, I want to make sure that all of the girls are playing with confidence and trust in each other. If I can implement these three things, combined with our skill and experience, we have a very good recipe for an extremely competitive volleyball team,” Coach Choubalarian said.

Family and team bonding seem to be one of the key ingredients for this team, and next year will be no different. With such a tight-knit team, the Vixens will have no problem making a deep postseason run next year.

The Spectator ● December 11, 2019

Page 24

THE SPECTATOR SPORTS Girls’ Bowling

Girls’ Cross Country

Girls’ Cross Country Team Crosses New Frontiers

By VERONIKA KOWALSKI and BERNARD WANG Nothing can stand in the way of teammates whose kinship is so strong that they elect to dress up as their own mascot for Halloween.

Members of Stuyvesant’s girls’ cross country team donned giant duck onesies, posed for pictures on the first floor, and then completed the afternoon with their normal practice routine on October 31. The Greyducks were fresh off a Manhattan Borough’s Championship meet victory, having finished the season on the top of Manhattan for the 14th year in a row. While they were sure to enjoy the Halloween festivities and celebrate their continued dominance over Manhattan, the team quickly got back on track to prepare for the City Championship meet in the upcoming weeks.

Heading into the City Championships, the Greyducks faced a degree of uncertainty. Similar to Borough Championships, the team would be without two key runners: sophomore Alicia Yu and junior Julianne Yotov. Yotov, the Greyducks’ second fastest athlete, missed the Borough

and waited for the starting gun.

The varsity 5000-meter race was about to begin.

Fast forward 20 minutes later, and freshman Bella Stenhouse was the first Greyduck to cross the finish line. Her blazing-fast time of 19 minutes and 37.99 seconds was a new personal record and landed her in an impressive second place finish. Sophomore Agatha Edwards came in 24th (21:57.53), followed by junior Jessica Kwok in 31st (22:14.44) and Suleymanov in 32nd (22:15.46). Sophomore Susan Zheng was close behind in 35th with a time of 22:22.65, and freshman Yu Lin Zhen placed 38th with a time of 22:29.96. Senior and co-captain Liza Reizis finished in 64th (23:05.60), rounding out the varsity team’s strongest performance of the season.

Six of the seven Greyducks shattered their previous best times.

Even with star runner Yotov out with an injury, the Greyducks felt confident in their collective performance. Now, all they could do was wait for the results to be announced.

“Fourth place goes to...

Stuyvesant High School!” the announcer shouted. Cheers of joy sprung up from the team, as

“We did a lot of summer training, and many of us went to running summer camp. We stuck to our schedule and stayed together.”

—Ester Suleymanov, senior and co-captain Championships due to a foot injury, and unfortunately could not recover in time to compete at City’s. As a result, the Greyducks were faced with an uphill battle to reach their goal of qualifying for States, which required a fourth place finish or higher at City’s. In order to fill the void left by Yu and Yotov, the team made the best out of their situation. “We wanted to focus on working as a pack,” senior and co-captain Ester Suleymanov said. “[Yotov’s injury] inspired us to run faster, and for us to even have a chance of making it to States, we really had to work on [running as a group].”

Suleymanov herself was injured halfway through the season, but recovered in time to compete at Borough’s and onwards. If Greyducks were to qualify for States, it would be with the combined efforts from every runner on the team.

The girls travelled to Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx for the City Championships on Saturday, November 9. Nervous excitement filled the air. All of the hours spent at practices and meets culminated into what could possibly be the last cross country meet of the year. At the starting line, Coach Burke and the runners performed their season-long ritual of downing imaginary confidence pills before the start of the race. Loud cheers came up from the Stuyvesant runners as they downed their last confidence pills

they achieved what they wanted most coming into the meet. The Greyducks had defied all odds and claimed the last qualifying spot for States. “Milesplit, the running website, predicted Stuyvesant to only get sixth or seventh at City’s, but we ended up placing fourth,” Suleymanov said with a proud smile. The team’s success is a testament to the runners’ high spirits and dedication. Despite facing multiple setbacks, the Greyducks upheld the standard of winning Borough Championships and ex-

has had their eye on qualifying for States from the start. “We were really focused on each meet, and the season was filled with amazing [personal records] and improvement across the whole team leading up to City’s,” she said. Zheng is one of the many underclassmen who stepped up throughout the season. Reizis expressed great pride in her team, especially the younger runners. “Our freshmen this year have shown so much improvement with two freshmen in varsity and others leading the JV team’s top pack,” she said. Stenhouse, the fastest freshman in the city, won first place at the SophFrosh City Championship on November 2 and headlined the team at the Varsity City Championships a week later.

The Greyducks went into States knowing they wouldn’t place as high as they’ve done in previous meets. “Our goal is to do better than we did at City’s,” Suleymanov said. “[We aim to] break our record on the course.” While the team looked to once again break their personal records, expectations were lowered because of the uncertainty that comes with running on unfamiliar roads.

“This is only our second time running this season at Bowdoin Park, so we just want to focus on getting out fast and sticking together,” Suleymanov said. The 25th seeded Greyducks performed better than expected at the State Championship meet, placing 23rd out of 27 teams on Saturday, November 23.

With the end of the State Championship meet, the cross country season will soon come to a close. The only competition left for some team members is the voluntary Foot Locker Northeast Regional at Van Cortlandt Park, which will be in good spirits as the team will be back on familiar ground. Looking forward to next year’s cross country season, the team is excited to see the continued growth of their current freshmen, including Stenhouse, Zheng, and Anna Kathawala. Together, they formed part of the freshman team that won first place overall at the Soph-Frosh City Championship, thanks to their individual placements of first, fourth, and 27th, respectfully. The team has a bright future thanks to its robust and young core, mostly composed of freshmen who made up half of this year’s team.

Even with star runner Yotov out with an injury, the Greyducks felt confident in their collective performance.

The Pinheads Leave No Pin Standing

By JEREMY LEE and ANGELINA GRZYBOWSKI Following an incredibly strong season in 2018, the Stuyvesant girls’ varsity bowling team resumed their reign over the Manhattan Division once again in 2019. Finishing 9-1 in the regular season, the Pinheads once again found themselves in first place

score of three games to none. Senior Umama Rahman bowled an impressive 159 in Game One, and that momentum carried on to the finish line; the Pinheads were able to go home with a mark in the win column, and it seemed like they were bound to go far this year.

But at the Whitestone Lanes of Queens on November 12, the Pinheads ultimately fell in the

The Pinheads were the team to beat throughout the regular season, and they have a lot to be proud of despite their playoff exit. in the Manhattan Division, beating out rivals Beacon and Louis Brandeis.

They started the season with a loss to Louis Brandeis in a close match. While Brandeis took the first game, the Pinheads fought back to take the second, but ultimately dropped the third game by a score of 457-438.

This loss only fueled the Pinheads, and from that point on, they never looked back. That loss was their only one of the regular season, and they went on a ninegame winning streak to close out the regular season. While there were a few close matches throughout the season that finished two games to one, the Pinheads were generally dominant, winning five games this season by sweeping their opponents.

The team as a whole excelled throughout the year, propelled by a few star players who led the team to victory. Senior and co-captain Ruo Yan Chen was one of their most prolific bowlers, averaging an impressive 136.20 pins per game through 10 games bowled.

She was even more efficient in the playoffs, averaging 148 pins in each game that she bowled in.

Senior and captain Stephanie Liu was their most impressive player throughout the regular season, bowling in 10 games as well, while boasting an astonishing average of 139.40 pins per game.

The Pinheads moved on in the first round of the playoffs, easily defeating Grover Cleveland by a

second round of the playoffs to Leon M Goldstein High School for Science, narrowly losing by a score of 439-421 in the third and decisive game. The Pinheads were the team to beat throughout the regular season, and they have a lot to be proud of despite their playoff exit. Junior Michelle Chen scored a total of 173, her high score for the season and the highest total for any individual on either team. Chen also had an impressive game with a score of 145, but in the end, it just wasn’t enough to oust the Leon M Goldstein Dolphins.

Despite their early exit, the Pinheads have had an incredibly successful season. Chen reflected on the team’s season, saying that “The season went great this year.

We defeated Beacon, [our] biggest competitor twice, and had only one loss the entire season. All the returning members did great in games and maintained their skill level throughout the season.”

Next year, with many departing seniors, a primary concern for the Pinheads is their depth.

They look to add and recruit new players for next season, and make sure the points are spread evenly across the board, as players will have to step into leading roles.

The team may have fallen in two close games, but they have a lot to be proud of when looking at this past season. Now, the attention turns to next season, as they look to pass on the torch and maintain their winning culture.

SPORTSBEAT USC decides to keep Clay Helton as its football coach.

ceeded expectations by placing fourth in the city. Suleymanov believes this season was different compared to last season because of a noticeable increase in effort.

“We did a lot of summer training, and many of us went to running summer camp. We stuck to our schedule and stayed together,” Suleymanov said.

This sentiment is reflected in the team’s unparalleled work ethic. According to Zheng, the team

As a whole, the past few months have been one of the strongest girls’ cross country seasons in recent history. “Liza and I are so amazed by how everyone has done,” Suleymanov said.

“This has been one of our best cross country seasons even with one of our top runners injured because we still pushed ourselves to the limit.” The team in the duck onesies on Halloween has soared above expectations.

49ers broadcaster Tim Ryan suspended for saying Ravens’ Lamar Jackson had an advantage with his ‘dark skin color with a dark football.’

Panthers fired their coach Ron Riviera after five seasons but he says he has plans to coach again.

Zack Wheeler is leaving the Mets to sign to their rival Phillies on a five year, $118 million deal.

Surfer Caroline Marks gains a spot on 2020 Olympics Team USA.