Volume 112, Issue 7

The Spectator The Stuyvesant High School Newspaper

Volume 112 No. 7

“The Pulse of the Student Body”

December 10, 2021 FEATURES

SPORTS

Loading up the Canon: How Stuyvesant English Teachers Pick Books

The Untouchables Win it All

Every year, English readings span genres and generations. But how do English teachers go about choosing what ends up in their students’ backpacks?

Stuyvesant’s boys fencing team proved why they’re dubbed the “Untouchables,” winning the PSAL fencing league in spectacular and unconventional fashion.

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ARISTA’s Executive Council hosted their first alumni mentoring panel, featuring Charlie Zhen (’15), Caitlin Stanton (’16), Christine Xu (’14), and Michaela Papallo (’16), who shared their college and career experiences.

Stuy alumnus Liam Elkind (’17) from Yale University was named a Rhodes Scholars and is one of 32 Americans to receive this title.

New York City Schools Chancellor Meisha Porter announced that she will be stepping down from her position at the end of the 2021-2022 school year.

Senior Justin Murdock won the George Watt PreCollegiate Award for his essay “The Omnipresent Weapon,” which is published in The Volunteer.

Stuyvesant’s 12th and 11th grade chess teams championed and 9th grade team placed second at the 2021 National K-12 Grades Chess Championship.

Introducing Andy Xian and Fin Ying as Freshman Caucus Co-Presidents

By CHRISTINA WANG, ZUZI LIU, and ADITYA ANAND “We will fix, find, and further your concerns!” is the slogan of freshmen Andy Xian and Fin Ying, who were recently elected as Freshman Caucus Co-Presidents for the 2021-2022 school year.

During the election on November 24, the Xian-Ying ticket obtained 191 votes out of a total of 335 votes and was chosen out of 14 tickets. The runner-ups, freshmen Aditya Anand and Mason Chung, received a total of 135 votes. Xian and Ying aim to introduce new policies that benefit freshmen and smooth the transition from middle to high school.

The duo’s dynamic began in middle school, where they gained leadership experiences through different positions. Xian held student government positions while Ying was a leader in other clubs, such as Editor-in-Chief of their middle school’s yearbook committee. They believe this past experience will help them succeed in their current position. “This past position has taught me how to effectively collaborate with a team and advocate for changes that will benefit the community,” Xian said.

Stuyvesant Hosts Robin Mental Health Seminars for Freshman

By ELAINE HUANG, MARY LEE, KARA YIP, and ALLISON ZHAO

to help students with their mental wellbeing and support by providing them coaches in various topics,” Robin CEO and Co-Founder Sonny Thadani said. “To be great in this world, whether it’s business, or education, or [...] medicine, I think these types of skill sets are

Lily Serry/ The Spectator

To support the incoming freshmen transitioning to in-person learning, Stuyvesant partnered with Robin, an organization that uses

social-emotional learning to teach students techniques to promote healthy habits and support better mental health.

Robin serves as a support system for students and emphasizes the importance of learning coping techniques. “There wasn’t a solution [for mental health problems] out there for teenagers and middle school students, so that’s how [Robin] came up with the idea

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gonna excel.”

While the Robin sessions are open to students of all grades, they are specifically aimed at freshmen, to not only help them adjust back into in-person learning but also to Stuyvesant’s environment. “They’re the ones who are really not only continued on page 4

Xian and Ying’s campaign platform centers around four pillars: inclusivity, flexibility, communica-

latter of which they noted as more appropriate. “We also had a lot of social media presence instead of

of action and initiatives in mind to carry out these pillars. One is by recording caucus meetings for the

putting posters around the school because more students pay more attention to social media rather than posters,” Ying said.

The duo has several courses

student body to view, to maintain

Francesca Nemati / The Spectator

NEWSBEAT

stuyspec.com

tion, and collaboration. In the spirit of their pillars, they promoted themselves through physical interaction with students and an increased social media presence, the

continued on page 2

Stuyvesant Model United Nations Hosts MiniMUNC

By SAKURA YAMANAKA, CRAIG CHEN, IAN KIM, JAMES KANG, and MADELINE GOODWIN What do England 1066: William the Conqueror’s Court, the NYC 2050 Fiscal Crisis, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe have in common? All of these topics were committees for Stuyvesant’s 2021 mini Model United Nations Conference (MiniMUNC) hosted by Stuyvesant’s Model United Nations Team (StuyMUN) on November 16, as StuyMUN’s first in-person conference since the onset of the pandemic. There were 150 students from Stuyvesant and six other high schools who participated in the conference.

Derived from the United Nations (UN), Model UN simulates the United Nations General Assembly, where the world’s nations gather to discuss common issues and share solutions. Participants simulate delegates of the nation they are assigned to and represent that nation’s views and agendas to compromise on a resolution that solves the issues the assembly is presented with.

Delegates compromise and interact in committees, which include General Committees and Crisis Committees. General committees represent more delegates while crisis committees host fewer and are more specialized. This

year’s MiniMUNC committees included ECOSOC: Right of Work; the NYC 2050 Fiscal Crisis; SOCHUM: the Government’s Right to Moderate Conflict; Occupation of Cyprus; England 1066: William the Conqueror’s Court; and MCU: The Blip.

Unlike other Model UN conferences, MiniMUNC is designed for new delegates and serves as a learning experience for them. “Our aim is to introduce new delegates to Model UN and allow them the opportunity to ask questions and learn from our experienced team members. MiniMUNC was created to cater directly to Stuyvesant students, and our only goal is that delegates leave the conference feeling excited about Model UN and having fun,” senior and DirectorGeneral of StuyMUN Isabel Ching said in an e-mail interview.

Additionally, MiniMUNC excluded awards to encourage delegates to gain experience and explore Model UN. To facilitate this, StuyMUN Upper Secretariat and Lower Secretariat members led workshops in addition to committee sessions. “Workshops addressed Public Speaking, Networking, and Resolution/Directive Writing and were 25 minutes long.

They included an introduction to each topic and a drill addressing and teaching delegates the particular skill,” Ching said.

To accommodate for CO-

VID-19 concerns, various restrictions were set during the conference to keep students safe and worked with the administration to follow DOE regulations. “Everyone had to wear masks throughout the conference and you had to fill out the [DOE] COVID screening when entering the building,” junior and Crisis Director Lianne Ohayon said. “Those measures held up well during the conference,” Despite these restrictions, new attendees still managed to connect with others during the event.

“I definitely enjoyed the event after being virtual for a year and a half. We all tried to get to know each other better and I feel like I was more connected with everyone than I have in the past [year],” freshman Krishi Shah said.

Freshman Khush Wadhwa agreed, describing the effectiveness of the transition for making conferences more engaging. “I was not here for miniMUNC in previous years, but the transition was very well managed,” Wadhwa said.

“Attending conferences in person is significantly more engaging than being online for your focus is always on the room and you are able to work more efficiently.”

Some new members also enjoyed the variety of committees available at MiniMUNC. “I was continued on page 2

The Spectator • December 10, 2021

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News Stuyvesant Model United Nations Hosts MiniMUNC definitely helps with Model UN as well as public speaking and debate.

I would love to see that change but that is out of our control,” Ohayon said.

Organizers also found MiniMUNC to be a learning experience as they plan for StuyMUNC, a larger conference held in April that hosts delegates from numerous different schools. “From this event, I think that our largest takeaway was that we can organize in-person events, albeit limited to smaller numbers and with social distancing,” junior and Director-General Ethan Wong said. “We definitely think that there’s going to be a high

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surprised at how fun the different topics were, probably because they were so arbitrary. My committee had crises like a Russian nuclear threat, affairs within the government, etc,” sophomore Monica Lai said.

For future conferences, organizers hope there will be fewer restrictions and, thus, more interactions between delegates. “The biggest thing we would hope to change next year would be no COVID restrictions. Having no masks

turnout and hopefully, it will be pretty well organized come April.”

Even with restrictions and other challenges leading up to MiniMUNC, organizers believe that the conference was overall a positive experience. “There were some bumps on the road with the logistics in organizing this whole thing, getting enough delegates to come and making sure we have the supplies and all other needs for the committees but, with that, what’s most important is the fact that the delegates there honestly just had a fun time,” senior and Under-Secretary-General of Administration Justin Murdock said.

Introducing Andy Xian and Fin Ying as Freshman Caucus Co-Presidents to hold in order for students to interact with each other,” Ying said.

Some of these events will include a Sports Teams Fair, a monthly Community Day, and a Cultural Share-Aloud Day. The presidents will also host some events that are specifically freshmen-oriented, such as the Freshman Olympics, which they will host if a majority of the class shows interest in one or more sports.

Though both aspire to do their best, they still acknowledge their limitations in what they can do.

“We know that we should focus on school policies that are realistic and amendable rather than ambitious,” Xian said. “We want to im-

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transparency and communication between the freshman student body and student government.

“The Student Union (SU) and current caucuses have already begun working with Fin and Andy to help them transition and develop plans for the year,” senior and SU President Shivali Korgoankar said.

Aside from communicating their ideas through meetings, the co-presidents plan to send out biweekly e-mails to the freshman class that highlight events specifically catered for them. “We hope to emphasize all the events we plan

plement policies that the freshman class wants but at the same time, we need to convince the school administration to go through with these policies.”

Freshman Tamiyyah Shafiq agrees with their sentiment but still expects the co-presidents to advocate for the freshman body. “I definitely expect the Freshman Caucus to ease the transition between middle school and high school, especially because this year it’s not only from middle school to high school [...] but also the transition between online and in-person school,” she said. “I understand that the freshmen caucus only has power up to a certain extent, but I expect them

Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons and NASA

WORLDBEAT The first five cases of the COVID-19 Omicron variant were confirmed in New York on December 2.

The Supreme Court heard a case concerning a Mississippi abortion law on December 1st, and will likely uphold the Mississippi law that bans abortion 15 weeks into a pregnancy.

There was a mass shooting at Oxford High School in Michigan, killing four students and injuring six, including one staff member.

New York City will mandate religious and private schools employees to receive their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine

by December 20.

Congress averted a government shutdown by approving legislation to keep the government funded until mid-February.

The New York State Assembly Judiciary Committee released a 60-page report on its eight-month impeachment and misconduct investigation into former Governor Andrew Cuomo. to fully use the power they have to improve life for the freshman body.”

Others are aware of the significance of the role that Xian and Ying are stepping into. “This is a huge role to fill since Andy and Fin will be having to lead the new, young minds through this large school while being freshmen themselves,” freshman Samin Yasir said.

As Xian and Ying begin serv-

ing their term as co-presidents, they appreciate the position they hold and all the support they received thus far. “Unlike [Xian], I was never part of [the] student government [before] so I am honored that people trust me,” Ying said. “We are excited to serve [as co-presidents] and want to make freshman year enjoyable for everyone.”

Stuyvesant’s Homework Policy Three Months Later

After concerns regarding Stuyvesant’s workload were brought to light during remote learning in the 2020-2021 school year, the administration passed a new homework policy, which limits daily homework to 30 minutes per class. While some teachers, the Student Union members, and a great number of other students at Stuyvesant support this change, the effects of the homework policy after its implementation have garnered a variety of responses from teachers and students alike.

Many teachers understand the stress that comes with a large workload and believe that this homework policy benefits students. “I kept hearing the phrases ‘the grind never stops’ and ‘Stuy or Die,’” art teacher William Wrigley said. “Giving students the opportunity to reflect on their learning in ways other than intense six hours of homework every night benefits them more than the ‘grind.’”

In addition to relieving stress, the policy change is intended to encourage homework that is more conducive to learning. “One of the goals of the new policy was to promote a more thoughtful, intentional approach to assigning homework,” Assistant Principal of Math and Computer Science Eric Smith said in an e-mail interview.

On the other hand, others expressed concerns with the number of topics that must be taught within the time constraints. “[My AP chemistry teacher said] that he can’t expect [students] to learn with only half an hour of home-

work,” an anonymous student said.

Additionally, the amount of time spent on homework varies depending on a student’s pacing, convoluting what constitutes 30 minutes of homework. “What’s tricky, not just in English, is that some people are faster readers, [and] some people are slower

with,” he said.

Math teacher Patrick Honner, who teaches AP Calculus BC, believes that homework is a necessity for students to improve in math but also makes an effort to accommodate students who have difficulty completing it. “I’ve always offered students flexibility when it comes to homework, so my ap-

thing to complain about. He does complain [...] but also [adds] that students always complain and he doesn’t want to take the fall for that,” the anonymous student said.. Several teachers who teach AP STEM courses declined an interview from The Spectator.

English teacher Mark Henderson, who teaches AP English Lit-

readers,” Assistant Principal of English Eric Grossman said. “It is impossible that there is always going to be exactly 30 minutes of homework for everyone.”

In teaching art classes, especially one that is project-based like AP Art and Design, Wrigley feels that he has more freedom when assigning homework and that the homework policy has had little effect on his class. “I myself am very on board with a lower level homework policy, but I also recognize that my particular example is not one that a calculus instructor or Mandarin instructor might agree

proach hasn’t changed much as a result of the new policy,” Honner said in an e-mail interview. “I expect students to use their time as they best see fit, and if they find themselves working for 30 minutes and not making progress, that’s a sign they should see me to talk about it.”

At the same time, many teachers who teach core subjects at the AP level are reluctant to talk about the homework policy, possibly due to a fear of being placed in a difficult position. “[My teacher is] very serious about not giving the administration or parents any-

erature & Composition: Society & Self, believes that the most efficient way to follow the homework policy is to facilitate daily communication with students, which he ensures through ways such as posting daily Google Classroom questions for students to assess how long the homework takes. “The most important thing for students to know about homework is that teachers do not have any way of knowing how long it takes you to do unless you tell us,” he said in an e-mail interview. “If you don’t tell us how long homework takes you to do or if you cheat rather than

Iris Lin / The Spectator

By SAKURA YAMANAKA, JAMES LEE, and PULINDU WEERASEKARA Additional reporting by Sofia Allouche and Liana Wu

telling us because you’re afraid that we will punish you, nothing will ever get better and your learning will suffer.”

Similarly, Smith emphasizes the importance of open communication between students and teachers. “The question is: does it appear that the assignment is designed to take more than 30 minutes, or is there a situation where some students are taking longer than the intended 30 minutes?”

Smith said. “If the assignment itself looks to be too lengthy, then I think a simple conversation with the teacher should be sufficient. If it is taking a student longer than 30 minutes, then I think some form of academic intervention may be necessary.”

However, certain students are hesitant in reaching out when their teachers are violating the homework policy because they are worried about potential repercussions. “It really depends on the teacher,” freshman Tam Shafiq said. “Some teachers, like my biology teachers, are so nice, and I’d totally feel comfortable talking to them. However, for most teachers, I most likely would never ever talk to them, unless it’s anonymous, if they violate the policy, either because I don’t want to ruin their impression of me or I know they won’t be reasonable and will just be pissed off at me.”

Despite this sentiment, many teachers encourage their students to reach out regardless of whether or not they are having trouble with the subject. “In most cases, I don’t think it is reasonable to be intimidated by teachers,” Grossman said. “Most teachers want their students to be happy and successful, and very few people get into teaching if they don’t like and support their students.”

The Spectator • December 10, 2021

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News Stuyvesant Hosts Robin Mental Health Seminars for Freshman integrating back into school in general but then also, without a global pandemic, Stuyvesant is an adjustment to many of our students,” Assistant Principal of Pupil Personnel Services Casey Pedrick said. “We definitely wanted to bring [support] in for our students as they integrated back in in the fall and prepared to be in the habit of coming to school, back in with thousands of other students, taking the subway, and commuting in various forms, and the anxiety and stress that comes along with all of those things.”

These sessions occurred weekly over the course of a month and were divided into multiple topics such as “Social Media Overload” and “Thought Traps.” These topics were selected for the Robin program based on what their audience wanted to learn about. “We thought the best research was to actually go to students, teachers, school counselors, and principals, and have them help us think about what are the right topics to discuss,” Thadani said. “People wanted to learn more about how to develop skills to overcome challenges in their life,” Additionally, the Stuyvesant counseling department found that Robin received positive responses from incoming freshmen through the Summer Rising Program earlier in the year. “[The students] said it was the highlight of their day,” biology teacher and Assistant Principal of Teacher Development Marianne Prabhu said. “[The students]

ations arise [to] help bring down your stress or anxiety in that moment,” Pedrick said.

Some teachers are incorporating Robin lessons into regular class lessons and encouraging students to attend the seminars through extra credit opportunities. “I asked attendees from my class to write an optional reflection piece and/ or answer questions related to

constructive. “I enjoyed my overall experience at the seminar because [the speaker Scott] Farber was an engaging orator and the topics he discussed were important to me.

He discussed stress management tips, why we feel this way, and his story,” freshman Ibtida Khurshed said in an e-mail interview, who attended a session on November 3 that discussed normalizing stress

especially after coming out of remote learning. “Every single human being needs to learn coping mechanisms. [...] The Robin lessons [teach] techniques and tools to be able to keep in your toolbox, to be able to pull out whenever stressful or anxiety-producing situ-

session(s) they attended via our Google Classroom,” Assistant Principal of the World Language, Art, and Music Department Francesca McAuliffe said in an e-mail interview.

Overall, many student attendees found the Robin seminars to be

and mental health struggles.

Students were also taught breathing exercise techniques and the ability to be more present. “We were taught how to meditate and focus on different points of our body, and how to just breathe, be mindful and aware of your body,

Lily Serry / The Spectator

continued from page 1

felt like it was the one place they got something really constructive that they could use throughout the year, so after working with [Robin] over the summer and having a really positive response from students, we decided to bring them back for the school year.”

The counseling department emphasizes the importance that students learn coping strategies,

and be nice to yourself. And we learned a little bit about anxiety and emotions,” freshman Preena Patel said.

Several students found these seminars effective in learning how to manage stress and hope to continue using coping techniques taught in the sessions. “We learned a breathing exercise where you inhale from one nostril and exhale from the other, and I definitely do that more often now. It really helps me relax before exams and relax before any big thing or whenever I’m feeling stressed out,” Patel said.

“I used a lot of the things I learned, and I would definitely participate in another one.”

While some found the seminars helpful, others are less motivated to attend in the future. “I don’t think my freshman experience would have been extremely different without the Robin coaching seminar, but it did help give me a sense of relief and belonging,” Khurshed said. “I did find the session helpful overall, but I wouldn’t attend another one. [...] I don’t think the seminars play too much of a role in [the mental health discussion at Stuyvesant] because many people don’t go to them because they are on a time crunch as is.”

Ultimately, student attendees found the mental health techniques Robin teaches important and applicable to their daily lives. “The skills that we learned that day were really important and you can really apply them anywhere, not just to your academic life,” Patel said. “If you’re ever feeling a bit overwhelmed, all you have to do is breathe.”

Surprise, Surprise!

By THE NEWS DEPARTMENT Despite all odds, Stuyvesant students are making their way towards the end of yet another semester in-person—though this time, it’s after more than a year of remote learning. Along the way, there have been surprising reckonings and realizations that serve to showcase Stuyvesant as a whole. Here are some of them.

“Something that surprises me is the fact that everyone is so open. Like Stuy students themselves are pretty touchy-feely, but everyone is still pretty open and friendly even after isolating for a year.” —Pimada Phongsuriya, junior

“I’m surprised that not sleeping and general bad mental health is so normalized. Of course, some of it was anticipated and this generation is generally depressed, but hearing at least one person break down in the cafeteria every day because they’re so tired after a year is really disheartening. People sleeping in class was more unheard of before Stuy[vesant].” —Eshaal Ubaid, sophomore

“Something I found surprising was how little has really changed about the culture of Stuy. We’d expect there to be major changes since there are like two years of freshmen, but nope, the freshmen are still complaining about homework like normal freshmen, and sophomores are still obsessed over what APs they’re going to take next year, even though they haven’t touched the building until now.”

—Istab Rakin, junior

“Something that I found surprising was the fact that we have a test every single week. Some teachers give tests every two weeks and others give them in the intervals of the other weeks, so you have to study every single weekend.” —Ya Qi Chew, sophomore “I was surprised at how few people caught COVID-19 once we came back to school. I thought school would close after like three months but now we’re going into December and we’re still continuing to attend in-person classes.” — Eliezer Cho, sophomore

“I thought, you know, [the school] couldn’t have possibly stayed open for so long since I have no faith in us with our masks on. Also, have you seen the cafeteria? It’s so crowded.

I’m surprised there [haven’t] been multiple outbreaks from just that. Other than that, honestly, nothing much has changed. I feel like I’ve never left [...] remote learning and all.”

—Corina Chen, junior

“I have found in-person school much harder than remote so far, but that’s mainly because of AP Physics C. Social life is better though. During remote learning, I would hop onto games after school with friends, but now I can do clubs and stuff like that, so I definitely feel a lot better.”

—Matthew Weng, senior

“ Something I found surprising was how much I missed remote learning [...] considering how [much] I wanted to go back to in-school learning last year.”

—Mandy Wang, sophomore

“Something that really surprised me about the return to in-person learning was teachers’ lack of availability. I usually don’t have the free periods when teachers have office hours and they leave by the time I’m finished with school each day.

This was a big change from remote learning where I could meet with my teacher over Zoom every day after class if I needed to.” —Bella Rosen, sophomore

“I learned that I should not take being able to physically come to school for granted. Before the pandemic, I would often dream of staying home all day and learning from the comfort of my room [...] going to in-person school after a period of isolation has reminded me of how important face to face interaction with friends and teachers is.”

—Benjamin Botnik, senior

“Being remote felt so incredibly impersonal. As one little box on Zoom, it felt like anyone could replace me [...] like any little box could take over mine, and it wouldn’t really matter. Being in person feels so much more personal. And, not surprisingly, doing theater, and honestly everything, in person is so much better.” —Nicole Itkin, senior

“I expected that our learning experience would be significantly altered by COVID, but so far, we’ve been doing great, smoothly transitioning to in-person and staying that way.” —Sasha Murokh, freshman

“I’m surprised at how much better learning in an actual classroom is. I feel that it’s so much easier to learn in an actual classroom where I can talk with other students even though last year I thought remote learning was easier since we only had class every other day so we had more time to do work.” —Kentaro Fukui, junior

“Something I found surprising was the number of kids in the halls.”

—Namera Bisme, sophomore

“I’m surprised that the teachers are so supportive here. They always try their best to make you both comfortable in a learning environment and help you understand the content.” —Yarza Aung, sophomore

“Something I was surprised with was how smoothly Stuy transitioned back to in-person. Even though it’s a good thing, I felt like the fact that we were learning remotely was completely brushed over [...] Even though we’re already a few months into school, I’m still struggling with being back in the building, and I feel like there’s no outlet to go to talk about my mental and emotional health because Stuy is trying to move on from the past year, instead of acknowledging it.” —Linsey Wong, junior “When I came back into in-person learning I realized [that] time management is important. During online school, there was a good amount of time to manage work during your classes, [...] especially since it ended early. Coming back to in-person school made me realize managing your time in junior year is harder than managing time during quarantine.” —Aishwarya Phulara, junior

“Now I have to have a schedule for sleeping [so] there is some consistency in my normal day. Before, I always went to sleep at two and woke up at 10. Now, I’m able to sleep pretty early and I think it’s a combination of easier teachers. I’m really thankful for that.” —Andrey Sokolov, junior

The Spectator • December 10, 2021

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Features A Look Into the Gender Divide in Stuyvesant AP English Classes

By EUGENE YOO For many students, the gender disparity of STEM classes at Stuyvesant is a familiar one.

Whether it be the abundance of boys in Math Team, AP Physics, or AP Computer Science, the issue of a lack of female representation always seems to arise.

However, what doesn’t seem to be on people’s minds as much is the gender breakdown of Stuyvesant’s humanities classes, which are often heavily skewed toward females. Many have noted that this gap is especially prevalent in AP English classes. “The gender disparity in AP English is very evident when you are in the class,” junior Aaron Gershkovich said.

Discussing his own class, Gershkovich noted, “There [are] only seven boys and 28 girls.”

Senior Nora Miller has a few ideas for why there may be such a huge gap in some classes. One reason she thinks that there may be such a high disparity is because girls tend to have more variety in their interests than boys. “In my Math Team class, for example, almost all of the girls still there have at least one other major interest in STEM that isn’t math— often multiple,” Miller said. “With respect to English, while a lot of the guys in my class are very much humanities people, the girls are more evenly split between STEM people and humanities people.”

She added, “It’s [also] more socially acceptable for a guy than for a girl to have a narrow range of interests.”

Another possible reason for this divide is insecurity. “There’s also the issue of girls being discouraged from certain fields, and from expressing the same level of confidence in their knowledge as guys with the same level of knowledge,” Miller said. “It is somewhat harder to tell a student in an English class that their insight is wrong or is not valued compared to, say, a physics class, which can make humanities subjects especially appealing to girls having negative experiences in STEM classes.”

There are a multitude of other factors as well, however.

Eric Grossman, the English Assistant Principal mentioned some of them, which include interest in other classes and biological differences.“It may be that boys are disproportionately signing up for STEM-related AP classes and given that there’s a limited number of AP classes that students can take, more boys are opting for AP Calc and AP Physics,” he said. “There’s [is also] research that shows that girls develop on a social and empathetic level more quickly than boys and because English classes tend to be discussion-based [and] reading is a sort of empathy, those factors may play a role in some way.”

On top of this, there are many deeply-rooted stereotypes regarding boys and humanities classes––there has long been a societal expectation that boys should “like math” and not take “girly classes,” and this may be what is discouraging many from signing up. “Personally, I had some pressure from my parents to take AP English, even though I am more of a STEM person, since they wanted me to have a well-rounded transcript, and I think the conversation may have been different if I were a guy,” Miller said. Furthermore, there is an expectation for girls to be better at humanities subjects. “Girls are also generally expected to be more competent at communication than guys,” Miller

added. As a result of this stereotype of girls being better at English classes and thus many English classes being predominantly female, male students may be less likely to apply.

This stereotype is possibly further exacerbated by the belief that a humanities career path is not as successful as a STEM one.

“I have heard from boys and girls that their parents think that English isn’t a ‘practical’ subject. It doesn’t provide a clear trajectory to a specific and desirable career,” Grossman said. Boys may be further dissuaded to pursue AP English classes simply because there is a lot of negative association about the opportunities humanities careers have to offer.

It is important to note though that not all Stuyvesant AP English classes have unbalanced gender distribution. Junior Jason Xia noted that the gender breakdown of his AP English class was evenly distributed between boys and girls.

“I think that the male students actually tend to participate more,” he said. In fact, he noted that his teacher has even made efforts to broaden participation from the female students in the class.

Junior Lamisa Aziz has had a similar experience to Xia in her AP English class, which has a relatively mixed-gender environment.

“Both boys and girls bounce ideas off each other and it creates a welcoming and open environment where everyone participates,” she said.

AP English teacher Emilio Nieves mentioned that having a fairly distributed class has been very common for him. “Fifty-nine percent of my AP students are female [out of] 68 total students,” Nieves said. “This percentage is pretty much the norm for me.

I do remember one year when I had 83 percent female students and another year when I had 70 to 75 percent female students. But for me, I always have more female students than males, usually about 60 to 40 percent.”

Many boys may also decide not to take AP English not directly because of gender concerns, but rather because of a general feeling of disconnect with the material of the course. An anonymous junior said that her AP English class, which is fairly well-balanced as well, makes sure to address gender roles. “The unit we are doing right now has a feminist aspect to it, and we are talking about how traditional gender roles are influencing the book,” she said. For some boys, taking a class that delves deeply into the concept of feminism may be a turnoff.

However, the AP English environment is a very welcoming place and its teachers work to ensure that no one feels uncomfortable.

“No English teacher privileges the contributions of boys more than girls or girls more than boys,” Grossman said. “Classes are best when there is a balance of some sort. Gender, race, ethnicity—all those things help to create a positive environment and I wouldn’t want anyone to feel like pursuing an AP English class isn’t for them based on their demographic.”

To illustrate, a great number of boys do take AP English and enjoy the content. “I really like reading and I don’t think that I get enough time to read for enjoyment as I would like to,” Gershkovich said. “Being in this class gives me the opportunity to read more and take it to the next level.”

Junior Jacob Paltrowitz asserted that gender was not a factor in his decision to take AP English.

“It wasn’t until somebody point-

ed out the fact that there [was] a single-digit number of boys in my class that I even noticed [the gender disparity],” he said. “I have found that there are more people willing to participate this year than in previous years, which creates a much more robust discussion,” he continued. Similarly, Xia decided to take his class simply because it was another AP. For these male students, gender stereotypes did not play any significant role in deciding whether to sign up or not.

Moreover, some boys chose not to take AP English not because of the gender disparity but because of other factors. “I had the minimum average [to qualify] for AP English, but decided to not take it since I’m not particularly good at writing and there were other APs I wanted to take,” an anonymous senior said.

AP English is currently a merit-based entry system; in other words, students are selected for AP English based on their previous English grades. While one proposed solution to AP English’s gender disparity could be denying qualified female students entry in favor of their male counterparts, many students do not believe this is a fair measure to take. “I think that there should be a push to separate gender and subject,” Paltrowitz said, arguing that the two should not be confused with one another. In addition, Grossman does clarify that the cutoff, which is a minimum 92 GPA for English, is relatively fair, and that students who don’t have this grade but would still like to take the course

can appeal, an indication that even if boys do have slightly lower English grades on average, they are not barred from applying for the class. Although a more fairly split class is ideal, there shouldn’t be an obsession over prioritizing an even distribution over true merit and other qualifications.

Nieves believes that there isn’t a problem at all. “I don’t look at gender when I am in the classroom; I look at students, no matter the gender, as thinkers and writers,” he said. “The best example of this is that a couple of years ago, one of my students pointed out that we had more female students than males; my response was: ‘Oh yeah, that’s right.

I never noticed.’” As AP classes are already specialized, Nieves argues that the administration does not need to do something to make the gender breakdown more fairly balanced.

Furthermore, Gershkovich noted that having many female students in an English class can even help in texts such as “The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao,” which many readers sense does not accurately portray the female voice. Having more female students can further enhance the discussion and ensure that all perspectives are being heard.

AP English teacher Lauren Stuzin questions the very premise of analyzing classes based on a gender binary. “Quantifying the girls versus the boys […] would potentially be really invalidating to LGBTQ people and would imply that there is some biological dif-

ference that might justify systemic patriarchy in AP classes,” Stuzin said. “I think it would be more important to think about […] how Stuyvesant perpetuates the gender constructs and expectations that society projects on men and women, especially when it comes to STEM and higher education.”

Gender disparities perhaps should not be overly scrutinized, especially as many students do not identify with the two primary genders, male and female.

Nevertheless, there are certain things that could theoretically alleviate this divide in gender, a divide that likely originates in the way students are raised. “The theme here is that there is still a lot of sexism in what subjects young people are encouraged to pursue,” Miller said. “While this isn’t something the school can address directly, I do think helping students to select courses more independently may help.”

Keeping records of the shifts in various ways could also help alleviate pressure. “Tracking the gender ratios of upper-level classes every year, on a long-term basis […] would make it easier to assess any progress on reducing sexism in course selection, even if it wouldn’t directly address the problem,” Miller said. Furthermore, tracking the gender shifts in classes, more specifically with regards to who is qualified to apply for them, who ends up actually applying, and how consistent these statistics are, could yield useful information as well.

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Page 6

The Spectator • December 10, 2021

Features Loading up the Canon: How Stuyvesant English Teachers Pick Books

By JULIA CHERNOBELSKY and ZIFEI ZHAO Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo? And while we’re at it, Romeo, wherefore art thou on so many Freshman Composition syllabi? As for you, Oedipus Rex and Odysseus, you two kingly Greeks, how is it that you came to dominate the European Literature syllabus for so many years in a row? The same question could be asked of Holden Caulfield, Waverly Jong, and Frederick Douglass, all in their respective courses. How did you come to be on the syllabus? When?

Wherefore? Why? Stuyvesant English teachers have a lot of flexibility to choose what books they want to teach. There are no books that the DOE or Stuyvesant requires the English department to include in their curriculum, nor is there any set of banned books that English teachers cannot touch. Usually the DOE provides copies of certain books to schools, but for lesser-known novels, the Parent’s Association sets up the funds to buy them. Assistant Principal of English Eric Grossman explained, “There’s no one outside of the English department at Stuyvesant who tells us or tells me what books English teachers can and cannot teach.

The choices are often guided by the course name and course description and guiding questions of the course.”

Teachers plan out the books they will teach at the beginning of the year. At times books are chosen for practical reasons, such as scheduling (teachers need to coordinate in order to make sure the books they want to teach are available) or to practice particular writing, reading, and analysis skills. “We have to make compromises. So, sort of, that’s the moment when I have to sit down at the very beginning of the year and plan out the year,” Freshman Com-

position teacher Mark Henderson said.

Freshman Composition teacher Emilio Nieves appreciates this freedom. “The beauty of working at Stuyvesant is that each English teacher gets to choose whatever books he or she feels can best accomplish his or her writing and thinking objectives for each course, which, of course, vary,” he said.

He explained that the process of not having set books every teacher must use is the reason many teachers might enjoy teaching here. This freedom allows for the creativity and flexibility that is needed in an English course. “I think students need to understand, at least from my perspective, that in an English class, the use of language is studied. I choose books not because I want my students to read for plot or to enjoy them, but because of what [my students] can learn about language use,” Nieves continued. This assignment-first mentality is shared by a number of teachers, including Henderson. “I think of the assignment before the book. So for freshman composition, we like to teach standard thesis writing. I have to try to choose books that have a clear question that could be a thesis answer or thesis essay,” he said.

Other teachers teach purely from the love for a certain book. For example, Judd Staley, the teacher for the Science Fiction and Fantasy elective, explained, “I often teach books I love, but also books my colleagues recommend, books I think students will be interested in, books that fit a certain niche in the curriculum that other books I’m teaching don’t.” Because of his love for many different genres, Staley tends to teach a variety of books, from

classics like “Hamlet” (1609) and “The Left Hand of Darkness” (1969) to modern classics like “The Hate U Give,” (2017) which bring more diverse and current perspectives to class discussions. Certain recent books, including “The Hate U Give” (2017) and “The Sellout” (2015), that deal with current events and themes joined Stuyvesant syllabi only within the last year or two.

Many teachers teach certain novels because of their relevance to their students’ lives.

Freshman

explained.

But at the same time, with great freedom comes great responsibility. English teachers are constantly striving to find books that fit into the curriculum but also tell stories from all different perspectives. Oberfield describes a time where she changed her choice book because she felt that she wanted to share a different, more uplifting racial story for her class. Rather than teach Octavia E. Butler’s “Kindred” (1979), a book about a Black woman who travels back in time to see the violence that her ancestors faced on a plantation, she decided to teach Jamaica Kincaid’s “Annie John” (1985), a comingof-age story about a Black girl growing up in Antigua. “I think the English education in general, in a lot of the books that we read, or the works we think of as serious literature, have characters dealing with a lot of trauma, and I am always looking for things that are well tator Lillian Zou / The Spec made but funny Composition and Asian or life affirming or give marginAmerican Literature teacher alized people agency in some Sophie Oberfield wants to way,” Oberfield explained. teach books that both she and The world of literature is her students feel passionately constantly changing and exabout. In her Asian Ameri- panding, and every year there can Literature class, Oberfield are more books that are pubteaches Jiehae Park’s “Peerless” lished to read and choose from.

(2017), a play about two Asian While many students still read American twins who are des- Shakespeare and “The Odysperate to get into The College, sey” in European Literature, but when a classmate who is many beloved books are killed 1/16th Native American takes off simply because there are their spot, they have no choice too many new things in store. but to murder him. “I’ve now Grossman likes to use the writtaught it a number of times and er’s phrase “Kill your darlings” some of the students were like, whenever he replaces his typi‘This is too much,’ [my] juniors cal curriculum with a new book. and seniors. They’re in the mid- “The curriculum shouldn’t be dle of the college process, and static. The idea that there is some of them are like, it’s so some platonic ideal that once funny until it’s not,” Oberfield you’ve achieved it, you’re just

going to teach that for the rest of eternity. I don’t really buy that […] The world changes.

New things are being written all the time. Teaching should reflect that,” Grossman stressed.

In some cases, English teachers’ call for diversity can be controversial. Grossman recalls a story from over a decade ago about teachers teaching Allison Bechdel’s graphic novel “Fun Home” (2006), which contained a couple of frames of a gay couple having sex. The groundbreaking book has won multiple awards, detailing the author’s coming-out and relationships with her partner.

However, a particular non-English teacher was upset over the details of the book, prompting the then-principal to ban the book. While “Fun Home” has since been unbanned, the situation set a tone for banning literature. Grossman believes that Stuyvesant students are up for controversial and challenging reads. “We are always taking a risk, we are always one complaint away from some type of issue. But overwhelmingly, our students are overwhelmingly open-minded [and] capable of seeing the value in the works that we read,” Grossman said.

Oberfield added, “We don’t teach things that have controversial things in them because of those controversial things, but because they’re parts of the works of art that we’re interested in.”

The truth is Hamlet and Odyseus will probably always remain a part of all teachers’ curricula, but slowly, new, modern books are creeping their way into English classrooms.

On some days, you might be analyzing Shakespearean sonnets, but on others, you might find yourself discussing contemporary immigrant identity.

Whatever it may be, English teachers believe that all different kinds of books belong on their classroom shelves, and hope that Stuyvesant students feel the same.

Stuyvesant Speaks and Debates

By THEO SASSANO With the COVID-19 pandemic having put in-person learning on hold for over a year, the transition away from remote schooling has been challenging for some. Spending the vast majority of waking hours in front of a computer screen with limited social interaction, many Stuyvesant students have noted major changes in their social lives. However, joining clubs that emphasize social environments, such as the Speech & Debate teams, has helped some students get their social lives back on track.

Sophomore Erica Liu, who joined the Speech team this year, found that while she is generally an outgoing person, the circumstances of the pandemic limited her ability to interact with others in meaningful ways.

“When I’m with other people in person, it’s super easy for me to talk to them. It’s totally different [...] when my only communication with them is virtual,” she explained. “The pandemic played a part in cutting down my close bonds, which I had neglected since I had other

things to do.” Liu’s time on the Speech team has allowed her to make up for this lost contact.

“Participating in Speech has introduced me to really nice people, and I’m just wowed every time I see them perform,” she said. Despite Liu’s already extroverted nature, performing unique interpretations in front of an audience has also allowed her to improve her self-confidence. “I have become more confident in expressing myself,” she said. “I never really minded school presentations, but now I try to make them more interesting to the class. [I have found] that it’s fun to be someone who captures the attention of an audience.”

Sophomore Eshaal Ubaid, who’s been in Speech since the beginning of her time at Stuyvesant, voiced a similar experience. “In real life, I think I sought out more friendships and acquaintances, whereas online I sort of stopped after finding a few,” she said in an e-mail interview. “I lost a bit of confidence with in-person speaking and would often default to text.” Ubaid is in extemp (extemporaneous) speech, which is

quite socially demanding. “Extemp involves researching and coming up with amazing hooks within minutes, which definitely carried over to my daily conversations,” she explained. “I feel more confident [now]. I used to doubt myself a lot, but now that I’m more up to date with current events, I’ve been training myself to not downplay what I know.”

Sophomore Tejas Siddaramaiah is in his first year of Lincoln-Douglas debate, which entails one-on-one arguments for or against a specified resolution. In an e-mail interview, he shared that communication from behind a screen made it more difficult to make friends.

He also noted that he has suffered from social anxiety. As a result of this, while an environment such as debate is great for meeting new people, it isn’t always easy to make new friends.

For Siddaramaiah, competing with students from other schools in person has proven to be a significant transition from the limited aspects of remote learning. “Debate has definitely made me more confident when speaking with others,”

he said. “You must speak with 100 percent confidence even if you think you are 100 percent wrong, which is very important in talking with others.”

Of course, one must also consider the challenges of such a commitment, especially in a remote setting. Senior William Summitt, captain of the Congressional Debate team, found that the pandemic diminished some of the spark that the team once had. “The overall ethos of Congressional Debate was reduced to Zoom screens, lag, and instant messaging,” he said in an e-mail interview. “In comparison to the rich, subtle, and very human nature of the event, what we were given during my junior and sophomore years was very hard to deal with.” Summitt believes that the effects of the pandemic have carried over to the present as well. “The attitude in the team was also lessened, and we lost a lot of good members who were, for lack of a better term, checked out,” he said. Despite this, Summitt’s position on the Debate team has allowed him to see self-growth and confidence in a different light. “Be-

ing on the Speech and Debate team has improved my confidence tremendously, especially in school,” he said. “Exposure to other debaters sometimes makes me aware of how much I have to grow, but I honestly see that as more motivation than any blow to my confidence or ego.”

Among the numerous hardships—academic and social— that the isolation of the pandemic has placed on Stuyvesant students, its long-term impact on mental health regarding social life is often left undiscussed despite its significance. Fortunately, Stuyvesant offers a wide variety of clubs that encourage collaboration, camaraderie, and interaction, a notable example being the Speech & Debate team. While there’s no single quick-fix solution for returning to social normalcy, joining one of these clubs may be the first step. As Summitt noted, “Being a part of a community that’s filled with so many smart, active, and capable students is really inspiring and only makes me more proud to be a part of the team.”

The Spectator • December 10, 2021

Page 7

Features Stuyvesant Students’ Terrifying Tales

By MILLIE BELL Stuyvesant High School looms over Chambers Street, intimidating all those who walk past it. But students are the ones who not only pass under the shadow of the hulking colossus but enter into its gaping maw to experience the full wrath of the building. The terror begins period one: “I’m scared of being late to class,” sophomore Eugene Park divulged. She noted that some teachers have embarrassed or even shouted at her for walking in late. Stuyvesant’s terrifying aspects hardly end when one walks into the building. Some students note the scary number of younger classmates who are in advanced classes: “There’s a kid in my Spanish 1 class who is taking pre-calc as a freshman,” freshman Elizabeth Kolbasko said.

Many students at Stuyvesant feel as though their classmates are on a heightened and unattainable level when it comes to their academics. Some feel insecure, or even embarrassed, about their intelligence (or per-

ceived lack thereof). “I’m obviously most terrified of not being as smart as my classmates: [...] I might say something wrong and everyone will think that I’m stupid. [...] I frequently get imposter syndrome,” freshman Ibdita Khurshed said.

Along with these day-to-day Stuyvesant terrors comes the difficulty of maintaining adequate grades. Especially with the minimal number of highstakes assessments students receive, each assignment represents a high percentage of students’ grades. “What terrifies me about Stuyvesant is getting bad grades. Because even if you have really good grades, there’s always that one test that you get a bad grade on and it [...] brings down your entire average,” sophomore Lisia Edwards said.

Especially with extracurriculars added into the mix, the fear of burnout is always present. “I feel like there’s a lot of pressure coming from teachers and classes, in addition to the collective feeling of trying to stockpile work and extracurriculars, and I feel like I carry so much

that one day it’s all just going to pile onto my shoulders and I’m going to crash and burn,” sophomore Lucien Clough said.

Stuyvesant is terrifying for everyone, but the fear is amplified for the new recruits, freshmen, who just recently entered the building for the first time.

Freshmen are both intimidated by their classmates and their teachers, and the workload has required a lot of adjustment.

“Advocating and asking for help is something I’m typically good at, but emailing and not getting responses from [teachers] or telling them in person and them not being a help whatsoever is kind of a mood killer,” freshman Reem Khalifa said. “Thinking back at how my life was in middle school just a couple of months ago, my life has completely turned.” She noted that, despite her fairly active social life, she still feels as though the adjustment has been difficult: “[Though] I have a pretty good social life and seem to have adjusted to Stuy so far, it feels like a huge pileup on my back.”

Additionally, students who are further along in their social journey at Stuyvesant have different fears about making new friends. Many fear drifting from their past classmates, while others do not feel that the social situation at their middle school adequately prepared them for that of a high school.

“After beginning to meet new people at Stuy, I realized that I wouldn’t have as much time to hang out with [my elementary and middle school friends] anymore. What scared me was having to grow apart from my old friends to make room for new ones,” sophomore Chloe Tom explained. Freshmen had similar experiences: “[In middle school] I had really strong bonds with friends and everyone knew each other, so I never really got to experience ‘middle school.’ High school has been a big jump for me,” Khurshed said.

And finally, what most terrifies Stuyvesant students: other Stuyvesant students. From freshmen barreling through the hallways at top speed to make

it to their next-period class on time to seniors crowding the entryways, Stuyvesant students are a unique breed. Especially after Spirit Week and Stuyloween of months past, some students have been spotted wearing rather alarming outfits. Students like sophomore Shruthi Krishnakumar were intimidated by the alarming number of costumed students roaming our halls. “[I’m really terrified by all of the] boys in catsuits,” she confided.

Even if you can manage to escape the potential terrors posed by other Stuyvesant students, there is still the building itself to be wary of. “The most terrifying thing is when the 2-4 is closed and you think someone lost another toe,” senior Catherine Pyne said. Between scary staff, grievous grades, and suspect students, it never hurts to be too cautious when navigating these hazardous highschool hallways. And if you are reading this at school: watch out. A boy in a catsuit could be right behind you.

Stuyvesant’s Favorite Reads

By THE FEATURES DEPARTMENT “My favorite book in English class is called The Namesake. I like it because it’s about a family who is not American living in America, and I can sort of relate to their struggles of having a different culture than other people.”

—Kentaro Fukui, junior “‘The Glass Castle,’ because it’s engrossing, relatable, and meaningful. It actually taught me something. Jeanette Walls’ story inspired me to persevere in the face of adversity.”

—Celina Huynh, senior

“‘The Odyssey’ is definitely my favorite book in English class so far. On the surface, The Odyssey is about a good guy who defeats monsters and gets back with the objectified wife. It is so much more than that. There are so many different perspectives and it is relatable on so many levels. The Odyssey grapples with otherness, how to deal with people who are not like you, and what homecoming means.

Odysseus arrives home to Ithaca well before the end of the novel and there is a reason why the epic doesn’t end there. Homecoming is more than the physical act of arriving home. One’s home is built by relationships, which is why Odysseus has to go through the process of revealing himself to his wife, his son, his slaves, and eventually the suitors.”

—Ivy Huang, sophomore

“The most interesting book I’ve read in English was ‘American Born Chinese’

by Gene Luen Yang in Ms. Thom’s freshman year class. The format of the book was different than most books, and it touched upon extremely important topics that we don’t usually read about.”

—Bella Rosen, sophomore

“I’m really liking ‘Pride and Prejudice.’ I just think the characters are really funny and it’s really fun to read.”

—Chloe Tom, sophomore

“It’s been a while. I’m taking poetry, and I took acting last year, so there weren’t a lot of books. And also COVID year, so we didn’t have a lot of books. I remember reading ‘Catcher in the Rye’ two years ago. That was pretty memorable. Not sure if it’s my favorite, though.”

—Sophie Liu, senior

“My favorite book I’ve read at Stuyvesant so far is ‘Our Twisted Hero’ by Yi Munyol because of the juxtaposing qualities of many of the characters in the novella.”

—Kailey Poon, freshman

“Favorite book is definitely ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ by Oscar Wilde in Euro Lit last year.

It was beautifully intricate in how it made us challenge what constitutes beauty and why we find things beautiful as well as how we can start obsessing over these ideals. We also see Dorian’s descent into madness because of this obsession leading to lots of questions, like the difference between obsessions and passions, is there a single standard of beauty, and to what extent will you go to make sure you stay beautiful.”

—Anjini Katari, junior “‘The Picture of Dorian Grey.’ It’s about Dorian, who’s an artist, and his friend Basil, and Basil paints a portrait that shows his youth. It was very dark and I didn’t agree with Dorian 75 percent of the time.”

—Karen Chen, sophomore

“The book I hated the least was ‘The Importance Of Being Earnest.’”

—Robert Shibata, sophomore

“I liked reading ‘American Born Chinese’ in Freshman Comp because it introduced a different approach to literary analysis.”

—Aaron Hsu, senior “I can’t commit to a favorite book. It’s too stressful” —Lia Nelson, senior

“‘The Paper Menagerie’ is the only piece of writing to make me cry––surprising that it was a short story that did it––and also deeply deepened my appreciation for my mom. It felt like a Disney short but more raw.”

—Eshaal Ubaid, sophomore

“Fifteen Dogs. It was kind of something you usually wouldn’t read in class.

Also, it had multiple narratives from different dogs, which I enjoyed.”

—Yumiko Wang, junior

“The book I hated the least was ‘The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter.’”

—Julia Czech, junior

“My favorite book was ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray.’ [It was] interesting, had good execution, and a unique concept.”

—Jordan Leung, sophomore

“I really liked ‘The Joy Luck Club’ by Amy Tan; the book felt authentic to the Chinese American experience.”

—Aanya Khanna, freshman

“Maus was a very noice graphic novel filled with wonderful––or not so wonderful––depictions of animals that was generally just very fun to read and analyze.

Also, no, I haven’t read any other comic books, including Marvel and DC.” —Bryan Zhang, senior “I’d say the favorite thing I’ve read for school this year was this short story from the beginning of the year called ‘True Love’ by Isaac Asimov.”

—Elaine Huang, sophomore

Page 8

The Spectator • December 10, 2021

Editorials Let’s Talk About Bathrooms Every day in the Stuyvesant restrooms, the janitorial staff battles with the forces of dampness and disrepair. Paper towels and toilet paper are cleaned up and changed.

Solid surfaces are wiped. This war cannot be won, but they fight it anyway, making the bathroom clean enough for its various activities, which include, but are not limited to, changing, hanging out, and carrying out the occasional bodily function.

The bathroom is a place of personal struggle and communal solidarity. We have endured the dismal disappointment for so long that we can no longer envision something greater than what lies behind those sturdy beige doors. We must drain the swamp, rebuild this five-minute refuge from academics, and make Stuyvesant’s bathrooms great again.

The first step to meaningful reform begins in the boys’ bathroom, where barriers between the urinals should be constructed. Instead of separate stalls, like in the ladies’ room, the boys’ urinals are placed right next to each other without dividers. While most establishments assist with a plastic or metal barrier that demarcates territory between urinals, Stuyvesant has no such divide. Men denude themselves multiple times a day to their classmates without having a choice. When free stalls are few and far between, the urinal becomes the only option for relief. We have accepted this situation for too long. Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis established

the constitutional right to privacy a hundred years ago. Stuyvesant, a public school paid for by our tax dollars, needs only to install a few small dividers to protect it.

Speaking of denuding oneself, will anything be done about the senior strippers? There is, it turns out, a branch of Flashdancers a few blocks away from Stuyvesant on Murray Street, but that’s no reason for seniors to jumpstart their careers in high school physical education class, flinging off their clothes in abandoned supply closets and the Hudson stairwell. With no gym lockers, what choice do seniors have?

The more chaste might consider going to the bathroom to change. But space is scant, and jostling occupants are many. The queues for the two to four coveted stalls reach the bathroom entrance as seniors desperately run to the restrooms to change in cramped stalls with wet floors and other unspeakable conditions. If you don’t have a free period before gym class, good luck running to the first or second floor to grab your gym clothes, then to a nearby bathroom with hellish wait times, back to your locker, and to physical education, just to be marked late. Occasionally, the door swings wide open and…

FLASHED! Cui bono?

Within the bathrooms themselves, particularly the girls’, there are further problems that need reforms. Several stalls in many girls’ bathrooms do not properly lock, often leaving students in compro-

mising situations. For instance, two out of the six stalls on the fifth floor lack proper latches, significantly reducing the number of usable stalls.

Additionally, several faucets do not turn off without the intervention of a janitor, while others do not turn on at all. On top of the faulty faucets, there are broken paper towel machines and empty soap and hygiene product dispensers. As evidenced by the masks everyone wears, COVID-19 is still rampant—and the yearly plague imminent—meaning that proper hygiene is of utmost importance. The bathrooms, typically a hub of sanitation, should reflect this principle.

While much of the physical infrastructure in the bathrooms needs to be improved, students also have a shared responsibility to keep the bathrooms clean. Paper towel-covered floors, ominous substances in the toilets, and the distant smell of a mango-flavored Juul are all the results of students, rather than errors in (or lack of) proper equipment.

When sharing communal space, it is important to keep the bathrooms habitable. It shouldn’t be solely up to janitorial staff to clean messes that could have been easily avoided or handled by a student. If students want the public facilities to become a place void of terror and disgust, students too must do their part. But that said, changes must be made.

Walls erected! Locks installed! Bathrooms reformed.

By PETER GOSWAMI In the midst of unrest in August 2020, 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse traveled from Antioch, Illinois to Kenosha, Wisconsin—where his father worked and where he was able to acquire a semiautomatic rifle from his friend—to attempt to act as an armed vigilante. The protests transformed into a violent riot that Rittenhouse placed himself in the middle of. He shot three men, killing two of them and seriously injuring another, and was charged with endangering the safety of two others.

A year after the incident, he has been put on trial and found not guilty on all charges. He cannot be tried again, and the decision of the jury cannot be appealed. The results of the trial reflect how laws in many states favor pro-gun sentiment, how racial bias continues to influence juries, and how confusing self-defense laws are designed in such a way that they allow people to claim selfdefense against violence they have provoked. Ultimately, the trial reveals how our criminal justice system continues to allow white men to get away with violent crimes while Black and brown people can be incarcerated for crimes they did not commit.

Rittenhouse’s presence at a riot with a semiautomatic rifle may have provoked the violence that he claimed to be defending himself from. He fatally shot Joseph Rosenbaum, an unarmed man with significant mental health issues who spent much of his life in prison, after Rosenbaum chased him and threw a plastic bag at him. Right after, Rittenhouse was confronted by Anthony Huber, who was fatally shot,

The Stuyvesant High School Newspaper

“The Pulse of the Student Body” E D I TO R S

I N

C H I E F

Morris Raskin* Karen Zhang* N E W S

E D I TO R S

Isabella Jia** Jenny Liu* Momoca Mairaj Janna Wang** F E AT U R E S

E D I TO R S

Angela Cai Christina Pan Clara Shapiro* O P I N I O N S

E D I TO R S

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

E D I TO R S

Gerard Lin Sathirtha Mondal** Sonya Sasson A RT S

to create better gun control laws so that similar violent attacks can be prevented.

Racial dynamics also played an important role in the Rittenhouse trial. The jury of 12 presiding over the trial was mostly white. Though this detail may not seem like a cause for inherent racial bias since both the defendant and the victims were white, the actions of Rittenhouse were taken in the middle of a protest against the shooting of a Black man.

This lack of diversity in the jury of the Rittenhouse trial reflects a larger problem of racism in jury selection.

Black people and other people of color are underrepresented in jury pools and overrepresented in peremptory strikes, which can be used to dismiss qualified jurors without providing a reason. More diverse juries would limit racial bias and can be achieved by reshaping the systems that are misused to prevent people of color from being represented.

Rittenhouse’s position made it easier for him to be acquitted, a fact he himself even admitted in an interview with Fox. Long before Rittenhouse was found not guilty, white conservatives had glorified him as a hero. Yet Black and brown people continue to be seen as criminals in their daily lives and can be incarcerated for crimes they did not even commit. Innocent Black people are seven times more likely than white people to be wrongfully convicted of murder, 3.5 times more likely to be wrongfully convicted of sexual assault, and 12 times more likely to be convicted of drug crimes. Innocent Black people are also more likely to spend time in prison before they are exonerated. This fault in the system shows that Black people and other people of color can easily be falsely labeled as criminals while white men like Rittenhouse can get away with murder and still be celebrated.

The Rittenhouse trial reveals how pro-gun sentiment, racial bias, and the confusing structure of selfdefense laws continue to influence our justice system. Trials then fail to hold people accountable for their actions. This system needs to be improved to limit racial bias, tighten gun control, and limit the extent to which self-defense can be used as a feasible argument for fairer results.

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An Armed Vigilante Got Away With Murder and Gaige Grosskreutz, who was seriously injured. Both Huber and Grosskreutz, among several others, believed that Rittenhouse was an active shooter, a justifiable guess given his armed state and killing of Rosenbaum. While Rittenhouse provoked the actions of Huber and Grosskreutz, who swung a skateboard at him and pointed a pistol at him, respectively, he was still able to claim self-defense to an extent.

The rules might seem murky.

Judge Bruce Schroeder instructed the jury that if the defendant provoked the attack, he lost the right to self-defense. However, if he believed that the attack he provoked could cause him death or great bodily harm, then he regains the right to self-defense. This instruction contradicts itself in such a way that it allows those who provoke violence to still claim self-defense, thereby making Rittenhouse’s case for selfdefense much easier. Additionally, self-defense cases place the responsibility of disproving self-defense on the prosecution rather than placing the responsibility of proving selfdefense on the defense. The current laws exonerate people like Rittenhouse, who act as armed vigilantes while leaving people dead in their wake.

Even if the law can exonerate three of the charges against Rittenhouse based on the argument of self-defense, that leaves two other charges—first-degree recklessly endangering safety and use of a dangerous weapon—of which the first pertains to Rittenhouse’s actions against the journalist Richard McGinniss and the second pertains to his actions against an unknown person. Though these were less serious charges than homicide and attempted homicide, the jury could have held Rittenhouse accountable for endangering the safety of two people. These charges and another misdemeanor charge were all dismissed.

Gun laws were a crucial player in this event. Wisconsin’s open carry laws allowed the provocation by Rittenhouse and provided his cause for self-defense against Grosskreutz.

Additionally, even though he was 17, a loophole found his gun barrel too long for the specific underage statute to apply. These laws aggravate gun violence and need to be changed

The Spectator

S P O RT S

E D I TO R S

Logan Ruzzier Kelly Yip* Please address all letters to: 345 Chambers Street New York, NY 10282 (212) 312-4800 ext. 2601 opinions@stuyspec.com

A DV I S E R

Kerry Garfinkel * Managing Board ** Editors-in-Training We reserve the right to edit letters for clarity and length. © 2018 The Spectator All rights reserved by the creators.

The Hidden Debt of New York’s Transit

By RIYA SUNDARAM

“We move this goddamn city, night and day in the middle of a pandemic,” president of New York’s local chapter of the Transport Workers Union of America Tony Utano said in May 2020.

This statement was a response to the MTA’s (Metropolitan Transportation Association) lack of change after the deaths of over 130 transit workers. The organization’s inability to enact change is a result of budget cuts from accumulating debt, a debt not discussed nearly enough yet that affects everyone.

Pre-pandemic, the MTA was an essential part of our everyday lives, transporting 5.2 million people a day and creating jobs while getting people to their jobs. During the pandemic, most people stopped taking public transportation, cutting a significant portion of the MTA’s source of revenue. This loss of revenue led to them borrowing money that they couldn’t pay back, plunging them into massive debt.

The MTA has been in debt for a long time. The MTA owed $11.4 billion in 2000, but the number has only grown as the organization has improved more subway lines to fit the population of an ever-expanding city. The number tripled to $38.5 billion by the end of 2020. The dwindling number of people on trains and buses meant the MTA had less money to work with. Still, they had vehicles to keep running and employees to keep paying. The MTA has strong union representation in its workforce, so when the workers felt unsafe during the pandemic, they organized a rally in Staten Island for better wages. They also pointed out the lack of necessary COVID safety supplies and asked for higher work-related death benefits.

However, the MTA has no money to spend on its workers. The workers’ slogan was “Heroes to zeroes.” Though they are considered heroes as essential workers, they are treated terribly and were unable to get pay raises despite working during a pandemic.

While the MTA receives money from the government, this funding is only enough to barely avoid massive short-term cuts. Most of the money is swallowed by debt repayment and therefore cannot go toward improving many of the organization’s agencies.

The MTA covers not only the city’s transit but also the Long Island Rail Road, Metro-North Railroad, and certain bridges and tunnels. The organization has been planning an improvement of all its systems called the 2020-2024 MTA capital program, which will allocate $54.8 billion to creating a better transit system across all of the MTA’s agencies for years. More than $40 billion of this money will go into New York City’s buses and subways.

Due to the pandemic, the debt of the MTA is rapidly increasing and the MTA’s ability to pull off the ambitious 2020-2024 capital program has dwindled. There have been estimates that it will take until at least 2024 for the MTA to recover financially from the pandemic. While one might hope that the city or state is able to help out, both governments are already financially struggling themselves.

However, there may be hope from the federal government. There is an expected $10.7 billion of relief from the federal government for the 2020-2024 capital program. This aid, coupled with the beginning of the return to public transportation in New York City, could revive the MTA in this time of need.

The MTA has been around for over 55 years and has seen many of the crises of NYC, but the pandemic is certainly one of the worst, bringing many businesses and government agencies to their knees economically. Yet we so rarely notice the effects that it has had on us. The MTA has been bombarded with hardships during this pandemic, from the increase in debt to empty subway cars to rallies for better working conditions. The MTA has always supported New Yorkers’ commutes. Now, it’s our turn to try and support them.

The Spectator • December 10, 2021

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Opinions Christmas Consumerism

Red and green decorations line the shelves of local stores. Cheerful, festive music plays in retail shops,

presents wrapped in colorful paper beneath a Christmas tree. With the aforementioned traditions, it seems obvious that businesses want to profit from such a lucrative month. Companies release relatable advertisements with uplifting messages, send letters and e-mails, and cheerfully personify their stores.

This reflection of the Christmas spirit is not because companies feel genuine love and compassion toward their customers; rather, it’s an attempt to cater to the “season of giving.”

One of the most prominent examples of consequences of consumerism is the sheer number of unwanted gifts purchased each year.

Americans were expected to spend $15.2 billion on unwanted gifts during the Christmas season in 2019, resulting in hundreds of returned or unused gifts. This overconsumption massively contributes to the excess amounts of waste and energy that humans produce on an annual basis.

Moreover, a 2019 study indicated that over 20 percent of Americans went into debt during the Christmas season, a sure sign of the consumerist mindset that plagues December. The economic impacts of this statistic are reason enough for criticism, but it also has a more emotional implication. Many have expressed fears of seeming ungrateful and unloving toward their friends and family for not spending

Lauren Chin / The Spectator

By LAUREN CHIN

matching the smiles of the employees. As I watch an advertisement promising incredible sales that will “save” my holiday season, I can’t help but wonder: why are the holidays so consumerist?

The first Christmas took place a few millennia ago and was based on a religious foundation in Christianity, merged with the winter traditions of several pagan cultures. Back then, many Church leaders tried to remove any secular aspects from the holiday to make it a pure celebration of Christ. The modern American Christmas, however, most clearly began in the 1800s.

Since then, the holiday season has often been reduced to a season of gift-giving. We emphasize the importance of getting our holiday shopping done and fantasize about

enough on gifts. But this idea that love and money are inseparable is faulty and inherently capitalist; if it weren’t for the companies pushing such agendas upon us, there would be no reason to spend so much money on ultimately meaningless gifts.

Christmas was an indulgent holiday for several centuries, a time that people could spend with their families and enjoy the simple pleasures of life without feeling guilty. Instead, this joyous holiday has been hijacked by frantic consumerism. Rather than focusing on the material benefits we may gain from Christmas, it’s better to treasure the memories gained on such a meaningful holiday. Buy gifts that you know your recipients will enjoy, and make sure to spend time with your loved ones.

The Waste We Make

By SAVIDYA (MINADEE) KULAWANSA My family tries to reduce as much food waste as possible. My parents avoid cooking large amounts of food at a time, and we stay mindful of the portions we serve ourselves to avoid waste. We don’t do it to save every spoonful of rice, but because it is the right thing to do.

Why throw out food when someone worked hard to grow, transport, and cook it? However, especially in the United States, food is wasted and no one blinks an eye. Specifically in the school food system designed to support low-income students, the amount of food in the trash is astounding, exacerbating the current landfill and global warming issues and sending a detrimental message to the current generation.

In Stuyvesant’s cafeteria, you can find a rapidly extending line of students coming out with uniformly filled trays. After trying the school food menu for a few days, many choose to only eat certain parts of the meal while wrinkling their noses at the soggy vegetables. Though fruit packages can be placed at the table designated for uneaten packaged foods, many of the cooked portions of the meal end up in the trash and later in landfills. There, they rot and produce methane, a greenhouse gas.

The United States alone produces 32.6 million cars’ worth of greenhouse gases through food waste. The

worst part is that we won’t be the group most affected by our actions.

Instead, those who cannot afford food will suffer from the hurricanes, desertification, and droughts that are the result of climate change.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National School Lunch Program serves lunch to 30 million students in schools every day but wastes about $5 million worth of food daily, amounting to $1.2 billion every school year. The food waste problem is not caused by one specific area, but by factors across categories. For example, the quality of food, how much food is delivered, and the balance between serving healthy food versus what students will actually eat all have impacts on how much waste is generated.

For one, New York City’s Office of Food and Nutrition Services (OFNS) provides meals for nearly 900 thousand students. However, the OFNS is severely underfunded.

The budget, $550 million, results in about a $1.40 cost per meal for all

the breakfast and lunch menus. With this low cost, it is no question that food quality decreases. When quality decreases, demand decreases, causing consumption to decrease as well.

Additionally, efforts by former First Lady Michelle Obama to introduce healthier school meals, such as limiting sodium in food served, did not increase the amount of students eating healthier. Instead, students throw out bland, overcooked food and opt for packaged food, such as chips or cookies. A solution would be to reintroduce taste enhancers as add-ons to meals as a way of increasing seasoning and the level of customizability in students’ meals.

Additionally, mandates on taking items from various food groups should be lifted to allow students to choose what they will actually eat.

The USDA has put into place the Offer vs. Serve strategy, which mandates schools to offer the five food components in minimum amounts.

These components include meats (or their alternatives), grains, fruits, vegetables, and milk, and students must

take at least three components for their meals. This three component requirement is what drives the issue.

If students grab lunch late or have an early lunch and are not hungry, they are not allowed to only take one portion of the meal that they know they will eat but instead must take all portions. OVS should scrap this policy, not only to reduce waste but also to give students a better opportunity to care for themselves, since what is considered a healthy diet varies based on the individual.

Due to economic instability from the pandemic, no one would suggest the idea of wasting in any form.

Food waste is harmful to our planet and makes us even more responsible for the damage. The environmental effects of food waste are as great as the economic effects, but the worst impact is that students are taught that it is acceptable to waste. By allowing this problem to continue, we are teaching the next generation to continue our wasteful habits while many in the world look on, hungry.

The Cost of Being Trendy

By ELIZABETH KOLBASKO

This statistic alone substantiates that there is a positive correlation between the rise of microtrends and the popularity of buying from fast fashion companies. For a fast fashion brand, the supply chain, which is the process of concept to consumer, is sped up to maximize profit. A large fast fashion company can have an article of clothing from the drawing board to stores in as few as 10 days.

The environmental effects of waste created by these popularity spurts are important to understand.

from material treatment. Turning away from short trends will prove beneficial to the amount of clothing that causes these problems.

It’s not just the environmental effects that plague these companies.

Cheap clothing comes at a cost to other people, specifically in human rights. Of 250 fashion brands surveyed in 2020, only five had a clear plan for providing a living wage for their workers. Most large companies source their products from countries with loose labor laws, creating a harsh factory environ-

Much of the clothing produced by fast fashion companies is made with synthetic fibers, an inexpensive material ideal for mass production. However, they shed microfibers, which are one of the leading factors in oceanic pollution. The unfashionable garments that are created at the end of a microtrend end up in piles of waste. Fabric dyeing has also become a massive issue, with almost 20 percent of wastewater worldwide coming

ment with little to no protection for the workers. Child labor is used to provide consumers with shockingly low prices while still maintaining large profit margins. Especially prevalent in the fast fashion industry is the hiring of children under false pretenses of fair wages, and countries with high poverty rates are targeted. With people buying from fast fashion now more than ever, fast fashion companies are not inclined to change their prac-

Angela Zeng / The Spectator

When going through your closet, it is likely that you’ll find something that was trendy a while ago but is not popular anymore. It could be skinny jeans that have been left in the back of a drawer. Though this occurrence may seem common for many types of clothes, it is happening at a substantially higher rate than before. The prevalence of social media in the fashion industry creates short trend cycles called microtrends. These are articles of fashion that rise and fall in popularity in mere months, contributing to the immense waste problem that plagues our environment. This phenomenon promotes harmful fast fashion practices in an attempt to satisfy young consumers.

People have always followed trends, whether it was bonnets in the Victorian era or low-rise jeans in the early 2000s. However, modern day fashion trends come and go at a rapid pace, leading consumers to resort to fast fashion to stay on trend since it is the most convenient and cheapest way for a person to obtain fashionable but lowquality clothing.

Through the rise of influencers on Instagram and TikTok, trends can be created by one person alone.

An example is YouTuber Emma Chamberlain, whose video titled “What I’m Wearing This Summer” from earlier this year amassed over four million views and led to thousands copying her style. Many companies know the popularity of an influencer can make a product sell out in an hour and exploit that profitability. Microtrends can appear through the oversaturation of a product, which cuts the trend cycle of rise, culmination, and decline-incline in half. Once popular users on social media participate in the trend, average consumers are influenced to possess the article.

This process occurs rapidly, creating a replaceable nature of clothing.

The constant disposal of trends promotes overconsumption and exceeds the sustainable limit for purchasing and discarding clothing. If these patterns continue, the global consumption of apparel will rise to 102 million tons in 10 years.

Social media pressures people into avoiding repeat outfits and disliking a piece of clothing when the trend for it is over, and quantity is valued over quality. Consumers may actually enjoy wearing a certain trendy piece, but once the popularity is over online, they are discouraged from wearing it, sacrificing sustainability to fit in.

The sheer demand that microtrends create makes fast fashion practices extremely profitable.

Consumers are encouraged to buy even more clothing because of the inexpensive price tag. One of the most prevalent fast fashion companies, SHEIN, made about $10 billion in sales in 2020, compared to $4.5 billion the previous year.

tices. Fundamental human rights are not being met, and it is especially foolish to promote that type of consumerism for a microtrend.

Of course, there are many nuances to each consumer’s reason for buying fast fashion. Being able to shop sustainably is a privilege that many cannot afford, and many sustainable companies do not always have inclusive size ranges like those of large fast fashion companies.

Additionally, financial accessibility is imperative for many people and families. Most fast fashion companies are well established, while doing the research for a sustainable company is inconvenient. However, those who have the resources to help the environment and promote sustainability should try their best to do so.

Recognizing the harms of fast fashion creates thoughtful consumers who think twice about their fashion choices and their impact on the world. As consumers, we need to be aware that participating in microtrends and falling into the desire to be fashionable come at a huge toll on sustainability. It is almost impossible for microtrends to become obsolete, but with conscious consumers, they may become less harmful. By influencing others to enjoy sustainable clothing and promoting an eco-friendly lifestyle, microtrends can become irrelevant.

These conscious decisions include shopping at second-hand stores, upcycling old clothing, and most importantly, finding a personal style. Despite what social media may try to convince consumers of, wearing a piece multiple times is not a deplorable action. Trends will always keep the public interested, but don’t buy clothes for a microtrend that will be considered hideous online in two months.

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The Spectator • December 10, 2021

Opinions Homeless in the Homes of Others

By STEFANIE CHEN

less hotels in the area has led to complaints from homeowners about situations such as increased drug use, homeless encampments and harassment of residents. Middle Village, another residential neighbor-

cidents to occur in New York City since encampments in these areas are prohibited, nearly 2,400 homeless citizens still sleep on the streets, on the subways, or in other public or residential spaces. One building located in the Upper West Side of Manhattan has recently been turned into a makeshift shelter for the rising numbers of homeless individuals from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The government has been pushing homeless people into residential buildings, effectively decreasing the residential community that tenants previously had. One tenant reported fistfights in the hallways and constant screaming throughout the day. Another commented that they were constantly being glared at and threatened, making them unwilling to leave the complex unless they had to.

The growing amount of home-

hood in Queens, has been receiving plans from the government to relocate more homeless people into the area. President of the neighborhood association Robert Holden stated in 2016 that the new shelter uses the neighborhood as a prison yard. He also claimed that the incoming 220 new residents include those with mental illnesses, drug addictions and even criminal sentences. These people encroach on the dominion of householders, which could pose many potential issues for both homeowners and homeless individuals. The impending intrusion introduces safety concerns to residents: blocked public spaces and threats and assaults of passerby. At the same time, these vagrants are without a safe place to stay with the retaliation of these residents and the fundamental conditions of their living areas. Encampments that serve

Stefanie Chen / The Spectator

Why does my neighborhood not feel like home anymore? Instead of welcoming waves of next door neighbors, homeless strangers wander the sidewalks, and fear is what resides in residential areas.

The growing population of homeless people due to the government’s failure to deal with the cause has led more of these individuals to move into residential neighborhoods.

Of more than 8.3 million people in New York City, one in 106 is homeless. This number steadily increases each year. The 2021 State of Homelessness Report found more than a 30 percent increase in the number of unsheltered, homeless people from 2015, when there were 88,250 people, ranging from youth to veterans, living unsheltered. This number jumped to 91,271 people without a permanent residence in 2020. With the recent COVID-19 pandemic, these numbers have skyrocketed due to an increase in unemployed individuals. New York remains the American city with the largest number of people experiencing homelessness, even though substantial numbers of the hidden homeless are unaccounted for.

New York City’s government has been trying to solve this problem for years. The Department of Homeless Services, which takes in several different groups of homeless people, such as formerly incarcerated people and wartime veterans, has 45,833 people living in shelters as of November 29, 2021. The institution also works alongside the Homelessness Prevention Administration and the NYC Housing Authority to prevent homelessness and assist families and individuals with maintaining their current housing.

However, New York City’s numerous efforts in preventing and managing homelessness are completely inefficient. While some un-

housed people are being pushed into shelters or government-run housing, others remain on the streets or move into residential areas. Though Mayor Bill De Blasio stated that it was supposedly rare for such in-

as temporary living spaces for these unhoused people cause obstructions in neighborhoods; they are unsanitary and lack many basic amenities such as bathrooms and proper places to sleep.

Other issues that have been left unnoticed by New York City’s government, such as the refusal of homeless people to enter shelters, further direct homeless people to more residential communities. While some shelters offer adequate living conditions, others are big warehouses of humans that lack concern for living conditions. One such example is the HELP USA Meyer Mental Health Shelter. When COVID-19 first struck, many there died from the virus. Others became incredibly sick due to the lack of ventilation.

One occupant of the shelter claimed that windows were sealed shut in his ward, combining with the lack of air conditioning to make the shelter unbearable in the summer. Furthermore, people were squished into the shelter with little room separating them from one another, making it almost impossible to stay safe from the virus.

Another cause is the criteria of being accepted into certain homeless shelters. Some shelter services require a drug treatment program submission as a prerequisite for admission. Though the government is trying to create more shelters for homeless people to live in, it doesn’t matter if they do not want to live in them in the first place.

Mental illness is also a major factor in why people remain on the streets. A 2015 survey found that 564,708 people were homeless every night, and estimated that at least 25 percent and 45 percent of these individuals are seriously mentally ill and have any mental illness, respectively. Even in volunteer agencies and rehabilitation centers, these numbers are limited, and acceptance into these programs is not guaran-

teed. Mental disorders can impair a person’s ability to be resourceful or rational, which may be another reason why mentally ill homeless are declining the shelter of housing centers. They may not recognize the necessity of rehabilitation and an adequate place to live.

Swift change is necessary for both the growing populace of people experiencing homelessness and average citizens. The government should lessen the criteria of being accepted into rehabilitation centers for mentally ill homeless people to increase the number willing to go into shelters. Homeless people often have insufficient or a complete lack of healthcare due to the absence of resources and facilities necessary for the provision of health care services. As a result, homeless individuals commonly don’t understand or seek medical assistance for their disorders, leaving them unassisted with their illnesses. Softening the healthcare restrictions will increase the number of homeless people willing to go to these rehabilitation centers and eventually find proper housing at shelters.

We can also improve the conditions of homeless shelters to incentivize shelters over the street.

The government commonly turns a blind eye to the inadequate conditions of some shelters, which means that for conditions to improve, the government has to be made fully aware of the issue. We can create a coordinated approach as a community, including through protests, speeches and programs, that openly confront the government about the conditions of its shelters.

The problem of homelessness in New York City can be changed.

Whether it’s through societal activism or letting the government know its flaws, your neighborhood can soon be yours again and past vagrants can, hopefully, create their own neighborhood.

A Complicated Man

By IVY HUANG “Tell me about an epic.

Muse, tell me how the famed bard Homer spread it far and wide to anyone who would listen and was almost lost through the annals of time Until the oral tradition founds its way on a clay plaque And was dug up centuries later during the Renaissance still intact.”

“The Odyssey” is one of the most famous works of fiction ever written. An epic poem about Odysseus’s journey home, it has been translated into countless languages and inspired 60 English translations.

Though women had translated “The Odyssey” before, Emily Wilson’s 2017 translation marked its first adaptation into the English language by a woman.

Wilson is a professor of Classical Studies and the graduate chair of the Program in Comparative Literature and Literary Theory at the University of Pennsylvania. Her translation of “The Odyssey” is impressive in its simplicity. In the Translator’s Note section, she addresses that it is entirely un-Homeric to write in a stylistically pompous manner. Unlike previous translations, Wilson made sure that the number of lines

in her translation is the same as the original to match the brisk pace of Homer’s oral tradition. While other translations are written in an elevated and archaic fashion, Wilson took a crisp and simple approach that contemporary readers find appealing.

Translations are representations of the original text, which can differ quite drastically from each other because the act of translating comes through interpretation, and interpretations are rooted in one’s experiences. Shortly before Wilson went off to college, her parents had divorced.

As a kid, Wilson recalls the difficulty of naming her emotions. At home, nobody expressed how they felt or encouraged anyone else to say what they felt. If she was unhappy, all she could do was go to her room and cry silently.

“The Odyssey” is more than just another story where a good guy defeats monsters and returns home to his wife. The epic also grapples with identity and what homecoming means. Odysseus arrives home well before the end of the poem but there is more to homecoming than the physical act of arriving at the doorstep. After 20 years away from home, Odysseus has to reveal himself to his wife Penelope, his son Telemachus, his slaves, and eventually the unwelcomed suitors who sought Penelope’s hand in marriage.

To properly return home, one must battle the emotional obstacle of rebuilding relationships. Coming from a childhood where naming emotions seemed impossible, the presentation of emotional conflicts in “The Odyssey” was particularly appealing to Wilson.

Seemingly microscopic word choice and language can have massive implications for the story, which can cause controversy. Take her first line: “Tell me about a complicated man.” The original text features the

ancient Greek term “polytropos” composed of the prefix “poly-” which means “multiple,” and “tropos” which means “turns.” Because of the phrase’s ambiguity, translators have trouble deciding which traits to highlight in their translation. There have been many different interpretations of this phrase in previous translations. George Chapman, for example, starts with “many a way / Wound with his wisdom”; John Ogilby offers a terse “prudent”; Thomas Hobbes simply avoids the conflict and just calls Odysseus “the man.” There’s also Alexander Pope’s “for wisdom’s various arts renown’d,” H.F. Cary’s “crafty,” William Sotheby’s “by long experience tried,” and William Cowper’s “For shrewdness famed / And genius versatile.” Wilson’s solution to polytropos, “complicated,” differs from her predecessors’ and is brilliant in that it is both seemingly straightforward and ambiguous at the same time. “Complicated” tells the readers that there are multiple layers to Odysseus and to be on the lookout for a story that is not black and white. On the surface, Wilson’s first line may seem like a feminist insertion into the ancient Greek text, but when looking at her careful considerations and thought process, “complicated” does not necessarily relate to her gender.

One of the most notable differences between Wilson’s translation and previous translations of “The Odyssey” is the recognition of the girls who serve Odysseus as “slaves.” Previous translations have called these girls “servants.” This, however, is inaccurate because the girls work for wealthy families without pay. Translators tend to appropriate the flaws in this Homeric society to fit their fantasized image of Odysseus: he is the good guy so he can’t possibly have slaves. The need to idealize the protagonist results in

an oversimplification of the epic’s social and ethical constructs.

Other translations like that of Fagles seem to impose their own ideas of misogyny and gender onto the poem. After Odysseus reveals his disguise as a beggar to his wife’s suitors and slaughters them with the assistance of Athena, his wrathful gaze turns to the slaves. He tells his son Telemachus to kill those who had slept with the suitors. In Fagles’s translation, Telemachus says: “No clean death for the likes of them, by god!

Not from me—they showered abuse on my head, my mother’s too!

You sluts—the suitors’ whores!”

The use of “sluts” and “whores” suggests that the punishment the slaves endured is justified because they had somehow committed sex crimes. Wilson points out in her introduction that the original Greek does not have any abusive language or label these slaves with derogatory terms. Instead, it portrays sexism more subtly than the contemporary misogyny imposed by Fagles along with other translators. In this way, perhaps Fagles’s translation has a male bias.

Wilson, on the other hand, shines a light on the distinct forms of inequality and patriarchy that do exist in the original without imposing contemporary types of misogyny. Right before Telemachus hangs the slaves in Wilson’s translation, he says: “I refuse to grant these girls a clean death, since they poured down shame on me and Mother, when they lay beside the suitors.”

Most of the slaves are likely teenagers since they were raised by Penelope and had never even met Odysseus. Because the slaves have no agency, any sexual relations between them and the suitors were not

consensual. Wilson’s identity as a woman may have influenced her emphasis on disenfranchised characters in the poem, but we must remember that all translations are influenced by the translator’s identity and experiences. Many male translations of “The Odyssey” are “gender blind.”

But in a poem that is interested in gender roles, inequality, and hierarchies, it’s actually a strength of Wilson’s that she is aware of gender and thinks about it critically. To label Wilson’s translation as a feminist reading implies that she is somehow inserting things in the text, but in reality, Wilson stays truthful to the text by highlighting issues that have been glossed over by her male predecessors.

Many readers want to elevate Odyseuss’s faithful wife Penelope to the ideal of an empowered woman, rendering the marriage between her and Odysseus as a fairytale partnership of equals. Penelope is indeed a strong woman who uses her intelligence and wit to fend off her abusive suitors, fooling them for many years by weaving and unwinding her loom. However, Wilson notes this perspective is too simplistic. There is a clear imbalance of power between Odysseus and Penelope. Penelope may be intelligent, witty, and strong, but as a wife in ancient Greece, she is constantly defined by her marital status. In one scene, Odysseus, disguised as a beggar, describes himself to Penelope, and she starts crying. In Wilson’s translation, she writes: “Her face was melting, like the snow that Zephyr scatters across the mountain peaks; then Eurus thaws it, and as it melts, the rivers swell and flow again. So were her lovely cheeks continued on page 11

The Spectator • December 10, 2021

Page 11

Opinions Fear Mongering Religious Manipulation on Children

By SUYEON RYU

the adults in that church building, had been drilled with the traditional Christian belief of the afterlife.

When I, intimidated by their pride in Christianity, told them I was unsure of God’s presence, they were shocked and proceeded to pressure me into becoming Christian, telling me it was the only chance I had to save myself and my loved ones.

I do not blame my friends for this peer pressure, as I know their

punish me with Hell, not on the morals and faith that make up the fundamentals of religion.

My thoughts were only further confirmed when I started to ask my friends about their religious beliefs, oblivious to the fact that they, like

intentions weren’t malicious. However, the adults were wrong to have tried to lure me into believing in religion, because they took advantage of my naïve perception of death and turned it into a tool to manipulate my decisions. They

Emily Young-Squire / The Spectator

In historical American societies, religion was a system used to justify social classes. Priests, who were at the top of the social hierarchy, were feared by lower classes because priests administered punishments to those who rebelled, preventing the lower social classes from confronting the injustices present in their social system. In modern-day America, we like to believe that we have moved past this inequality and consider religious freedom a defining factor of America.

However, for many children, including myself, religion remains a tool of oppression, as many of our beliefs are rejected for being shameful. People often take advantage of children’s emotion-driven natures to pressure them into joining a religious community. The method by which the religious afterlife is introduced to children before they can fully understand the concept of death forces them to submit to the religion they are taught out of fear rather than devotion.

My parents, despite being religious, protected me from most forms of religious propaganda during my childhood. However, while I was waiting for Korean school to begin one day, I watched a church pastor read a letter he claimed was from Hell. He started with a sequence of threats to scare those who didn’t already believe in God, claiming that their fates were fixed in Hell, where they would be tortured by Satan. Though this comment may be a common statement for a pastor to begin with and most adults would have expected it, it was a life-threatening statement to me.

I had never thought about what lay beyond death, so having a large

group of adults I trusted agreeing with this one statement was shocking. Two extremes of Heaven and Hell split by one factor, the belief in God, made religious faith a must, and my lack of faith made me unworthy of even hoping for a peaceful afterlife. I panicked, knowing I was not a Christian, and was convinced that converting must be the right choice. I made the choice purely out of fear that God would

knew that behind my fear of death was the fear of the unknown, and they used this emotion to make religion seem like a definite answer to my questions about death. I was desperately searching for an answer about death and was vulnerable to conclusive claims about the afterlife that provided some knowledge of what lay ahead.

As my parents eventually exposed me to different kinds of religious beliefs, and as I realized that no one knows what happens after death, I stopped trying to convert to a religion I didn’t believe in.

However, my lack of religious faith still gave me guilt and stress as I grew up. It was a source of trauma that I avoided talking and even thinking about to prevent bringing back the fear that I felt that day in the church. I was anxious about making the wrong choice, and that anxiety held me back from exploring my religious identity.

Children have not had enough time to develop the emotional maturity to become comfortable with the concept of death and are likely to accept the idea of the afterlife because Heaven and Hell are concrete fates that are easier to rationalize than the unknown. When children learn about the afterlife, they are given hope that there is a possibility that happiness can exist beyond death, even if there is a possibility of Hell, and that they are able to control this fate by following a set of rules. This portrayal differs from the uncertain fate of death, which gives no control over the afterlife.

Unfortunately, children’s gullibility is used to make them accept giving up their religious identities for other people’s approval. Older adults only show a singular perspec-

tive on religion and refuse to show children that religion is a vast range of beliefs without a concrete answer. Repetition of this kind of religious exposure causes children to be robbed of a chance to make an unbiased choice that reflects their own values.

This cycle of fear mongering psychological manipulation passes through generations and not only harms the children’s religious identities, but also prevents them from making independent realizations about philosophical questions of life and hinders the natural progression of religion. Religion no longer keeps its core principles of compassion and expression but becomes a power struggle; religious communities compete with each other for who can manipulate the most people into converting because a larger religious community translates to more religious power.

Children should raise their own inquiries about religion and be given a chance to explore their beliefs rather than being assigned a religion by someone in a higher social position, such as a parent, and then being expected to abide by it. Religion is too complex of a subject to be introduced at a young age when people are easily influenced by authority and peer pressure. As young children do not have their own values, they cannot have their own religious beliefs; they can only follow the orders of the influential people around them. Children should be allowed time to develop and then be introduced to the whole spectrum of religion without fear or favor to truly have religious freedom and choose the religious views that they feel align with their own morals.

A Complicated Man continued from page 10

dissolved with tears. She wept for her own husband, who was right next to her.”

Other translations say her tears are running down her face or her tears are melting, but Wilson abides by the original metaphor and emphasizes that her face is melting.

Readers may view this modification as something minuscule and insignificant to the entirety of the poem, but it grants access to Penelope’s perspective on her constraints and her marriage. Her relationship with her husband and her difficult feelings about him are experienced as a death to self, and Wilson captures

the horror of this feeling through the description of her face melting.

Penelope’s choices are limited: she can either wait for Odysseus’s return or marry a suitor. While Odysseus can use his wit and imagination to escape danger, Penelope’s wit only confines her in domesticity.

The only times readers have access to her mind is through her dreams.

In Wilson’s translation, an encounter between Penelope and her husband, who is still in disguise as a beggar, is stressed, where she recounts: “I dreamed that twenty geese came from the river to my house, and they were eating grain and I was glad to see them.

Then a huge eagle with a pointed beak swooped from the mountain, broke their

necks, and killed them.

I wept and wailed, inside the dream; the women gathered around me, and I cried because the eagle killed my geese. Then he came back and sitting on the jutting roof-beam, spoke in human language, to restrain my grief.

‘Penelope, great queen, cheer up. This is no dream; it will come true. It is a vision.

The geese are suitors; I was once an eagle, but now I am your husband.”

This dream sequence shows that Penelope’s psyche is quite complex. She doesn’t necessarily want the abusive suitors to be killed but does not have a choice. She won’t necessarily get what she wants because her power is limited in this society. Wilson’s translation may be

considered radical in comparison to her predecessors, but she still acknowledges the limitations of female power within the context of the time period by preserving ideas from the original work while exposing its disparities.

To raise the voices of women in literature, we must not define Wilson’s work solely based on her gender. There is a preconceived notion, depicted by the media, that Wilson is the first female translator of “The Odyssey.” Wilson is not, however.

There are other translations by female writers in Italian, Turkish, and French that have preceded Wilson’s, from whom she personally learned.

Wilson’s Twitter bio even reads: “NOT the first woman to publish a

translation of the Odyssey.” Positing Wilson as the only female translator potentially erases the voices of all women translators.

Wilson is important, not only as the “first” woman to translate “The Odyssey” in English but because of her critical interpretation of the literature that highlights its complexities and showcases its beauty.

When reading Wilson’s translation, we should recognize the many perspectives and disparities she brings to light, often avoided by her male predecessors. Wilson’s work is not merely a feminist translation—it is a better translation that offers a refreshing look into a 2,000-year-old work of literature still relevant to this day.

Extremism Beyond the Extremes

By MUHIB MUHIB An epidemic of political extremism has recently emerged throughout the United States. NeoNazis, antisemites, Islamophobes, transphobes, white supremacists, and other bigots have become more energized in recent years as the media has become more democratized by the Internet, creating bubbles of lies and falsehoods. This extremism had not entered the halls of government until now. This epidemic severely threatens the very existence of our democracy, and it must be

vanquished.

The wave of political extremism crashed upon Congress. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia promoted the Pizzagate and QAnon conspiracies before her election to Congress. Representative Lauren Boebert of Colorado gave out the locations of lawmakers during the January 6 insurrection on her fourth day in office. Representative Madison Cawthorn of North Carolina visited Hitler’s vacation residence, supposedly on his bucket list, three years before becoming the youngest member to get elected to Congress in more than five decades. Many of the senior members, such as Representative Andy Harris of Maryland, Representative Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, Representative Paul Gosar of Arizona, Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri, and Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, have exhibited similar behavior.

This wave of political extremism resulted in several encounters that would have been considered unthinkable less than half a decade ago. Thousands of insurrectionists breached the Capitol building in an effort to overthrow an incom-

ing government on January 6. A record number of Americans do not believe the current administration is legitimate. And now, incumbent members of Congress are calling for violence toward their political rivals.

It started with Greene, who made several posts on social media when she was a private citizen in 2019, calling for the assassination of the Speaker of the House and incumbent members of Congress.

When the post resurfaced this year, only 10 members of her party in the House voted to strip her of her committee assignments as a punitive measure. Gosar glorified assassinating Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, his colleague, and President Joe Biden in an anime parody uploaded on Twitter. He defended it as “cartoon” that wasn’t intended to be taken seriously. Only two members of his conference voted to censure him.

The dangers of the recent surge in political extremism are harrowing.

Governments no longer have the security they enjoyed for generations.

A group of 10 thousand individuals manipulated into believing lies can

overthrow a government in a day.

Mob rule was always a fear of the Founding Fathers, as it threatened the American experiment, resulting in our slow democratic implementation. However, they were mainly concerned with tyranny of the majority. In our 245-year existence, mobocracy has never been seen in its true, horrid form: one used to subvert the will of the people, the majority, due to their changing attitudes.

Letting such political extremism off the hook has grave consequences. Political extremists on one side can engage in obstruction of a majority or threaten violence. Instead of having a civil debate, political extremists can obstruct one or make threats toward those who engage in such debates. In such an environment, those who hold power will likely survive if they move further to the extremes and away from the center. Government will no longer be “of the people, by the people, and for the people.” Rather, it will reflect the will of extremists, who are firmly in the minority but are in power through obstruction, threats of violence, or the development of

unfair systems, such as gerrymandering or regressive voter laws, designed to elect them.

This recent wave of political extremism is not just extremism; it is extremism beyond what is already considered outrageous, extremism beyond the extremes. It surpasses the extremes of the typical Overton window. On the left, that may be abolishing the police, or on the right, that may be eliminating the newly gained rights of historically disadvantaged groups, such as racial minorities, the LGBTQ+ community, and women.

The unreasonable positions of the Overton window are extreme at this time, but either were not that way or will not be that way in the future. Unlike the extremities of the Overton window, radical positions beyond the intensities of the conventional Overton window have never been considered normal positions and will never be considered normal positions. These positions that drive extremism will only become normal if the American people let them be considered normal, and it is up to them to make the right choice.

The Spectator ● December 10, 2021

Page 12

Science The First Pig Kidney Transplant into Humans

By ANDY CHEN From genetically modified organisms and the cloning of Dolly the sheep to CRISPR, a technology that can edit genes, there have been many breakthroughs in genetic engineering. In September, surgeons in New York took another step forward: they transplanted genetically modified pig kidneys into a human patient.

Surgeons at New York University Langone Health operated on a brain-dead patient, through xenotransplantation, the transplantation of nonhuman tissues or organs into a human. In this operation, the donor pig contained a genetic modification that made the surgery a success by knocking out the gene encoding glycan, also known as alpha-gal, responsible for evoking an immune response that leads to foreign tissue rejection in humans.

Furthermore, the pig’s thymus gland, which helps the immune system to recognize the kidney as an addition to the body, was surgically attached with the kidney to the patient, lowering the chance of rejection by the body.

Generally, the body rejects large, foreign objects like organs. However, with the genetic modification and the thymus gland, the immune system cannot detect any alpha-gal in the pig kidney, lowering the chance of an adverse reaction.

After the kidney was attached to a blood vessel in the patient’s upper leg, scientists monitored urine production and creatinine levels indicative of kidney function for the next 54 hours.

Their results matched their prediction: the measured levels

matched up with those seen half a million Americans sufin human kidney transplants, fering kidney failure who need and no signs of rejections were kidney transplants to live a fully noted. Remarkably, the kidney normal life. The critical shortbegan urine and creatinine pro- age of organs makes the recent duction almost immediately advancement in xenotransplanafter the procedure concluded, tation ever so more important. resembling a transplant from a Though xenotransplantaliving human donor. tion seems promising, there are While the kidney was still many obstacles to overattached outside the come. The largest body rather than hurdle is making inside, the fact sure that the that urine and kidney can creatinine function were proproperly d u c e d long-term. provides For pig orstrong gans to be evidence used widethat the ly, scientists kidney need to prove w o u l d that the organ work inside defends against the body as infections and well. Many can survive in researchers the body for a view this surlifetime. Over gery as prooftime, the orof-concept gan may bethat an alternacome susceptive supply of tible to T-cells, organs for patients a white blood Emily Tan / The Spectator with severe conditions cell that could could be developed. With recognize the organ as this experiment, pigs could foreign and attack. The body eventually supply essential or- could recognize the donated gans, such as hearts, lungs, and organ as a bacteria or virus and livers, to humans. damage it, causing organ failure The results of this experi- and potentially death. Though ment are important, as the de- immune-suppressing drugs mand for organ transplants has could be used to reduce imbeen dramatically increasing mune responses and thus, the while the availability of donat- rejection chance, their side efed organs has only increased fects, such as an increased risk marginally. In the United States, of infections, are significant.

100,000 Americans require life- Immunosuppressants weaken saving organ transplants, 90 the body’s overall defense syspercent of whom need a kid- tem, impairing responses to the ney. Twelve people on this list constant attacks from bacteria, die every day. These numbers viruses, and even cancer. Analso do not include the roughly other problem is that pig or-

gans can be dangerous, as retroviruses incorporated into the pig’s genome can be activated at any time. Currently, scientists are experimenting with CRISPR to edit out the retroviruses to make the organs much safer. Overall, xenotransplantation faces many problems that prevent its implementation into medical practice just yet.

As one might expect, there is also great controversy and ethical concerns around the prospect of raising pigs to gather organs. Pigs were chosen in the experiment because of how anatomically similar their organs are to human organs.

They are also easy to raise, mature quickly, and grow to adult size in only six months. Additionally, transplanting parts from pigs is nothing new. Patients have been receiving heart valves from pigs for over 30 years, and some diabetics obtain pancreatic cells from pigs as well. Despite the familiarity of pigs, there is still an ongoing argument about whether harvesting organs from them is ethical or not, especially since this could be seen as further animal exploitation. In the United States alone, nearly 100 million pigs are slaughtered for food. If organ transplants are approved, then millions more will be killed. The expansion of the pig industry for organ transplants would also increase the greenhouse gas emissions associated with pigs, further endangering the environment.

Making pig organ transplants possible will take an enormous sum of money ensuring that pigs are treated humanely and that damage to the environment is as limited as possible.

Ultimately, researchers need

SCIENCEBEAT Scientists may be able to link this year’s mast year, where trees release large numbers of nuts to reproduce, with favorable weather conditions created by climate change, allowing them to predict future mast years and better analyze the effects of climate change.

The Omicron variant of COVID-19 found in South Africa has been designated as a variant of concern by the World Health Organization, with its many mutations potentially endangering vaccine effectiveness.

The record number of recent wildfires increasingly endangers human health, with scientists only beginning to understand the long-term risks of inhaling wildfireproduced fine particulate matter, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, where fires and their respiratory health consequences can predispose people to infection.

to seek approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to ensure that pig organ transplants are safe and reliable. The discussion about using pigs for organs other than kidneys also needs to take into account challenges presented by each of the 78 different organs present in our body. However, at the rate that xenotransplantation is moving, it is bound to provide many benefits to people, fulfilling the sci-fi fantasy that an unlimited supply of cells, tissues, and organs could be available to humanity.

The Fascinating Science Behind Lunar Eclipses If you found yourself staying up past midnight on November 19, you may have noticed a rusty reddish moon gracing the night sky. This resulted from the Beaver Moon lunar eclipse, the longest partial eclipse since 1440 that was visible in numerous regions worldwide.

Lunar eclipses occur when the earth blocks some of the sun’s light that would otherwise hit the moon, resulting in a partial eclipse, or all of the light, resulting in a total eclipse. Though lunar eclipses only happen when there is a full moon, they do not happen every full moon. Rather, most years are marked by two lunar eclipses. This infrequency results from the inclination of the moon’s orbit, 5.1 degrees with respect to the ecliptic, the plane of the earth’s orbit around the sun, causing the full moon to generally be above or below the ecliptic. However, there are two points, called nodes, where the moon’s orbit crosses the ecliptic. If the full moon takes place when the moon is at one of the two nodes, the planes are aligned, and the result is a lunar eclipse.

During a lunar eclipse, two

shadows are cast: the penumbra and umbra. The former is the small, darker center of the shadow while the latter is the larger and lighter outer region of the shadow. Variations in umbra and penumbra intensity results in three main types of lunar eclipses. The first is the penumbral eclipse, where the moon passes through the earth’s penumbral shadow.

This eclipse is the most subtle of the three as it results in a slight dimming of the moon’s surface, which may not be visible to the eye even on the clearest of nights. More visible are partial eclipses, where the earth, moon, and sun are not completely aligned so only a part of the moon passes into the umbra. Here, the earth’s shadow only appears dark on the side of the moon facing Earth, giving it the appearance of a “bite” being taken out of the moon. Also known as “blood moons,” total lunar eclipses are the most visible because of their prominent reddish-orange hue. This occurs when the earth, sun, and moon are perfectly or very closely aligned, leaving the entire moon within the umbra.

The appearance of the moon during a total lunar eclipse eclipse can be better un-

derstood in the context of our atmosphere. Though the moon is fully in the Earth’s shadow, some light is still able to pass through to the moon’s surface.

longer wavelengths, primarily red and orange, are able to pass through the atmosphere to hit the surface of the moon, resulting in the red-orange ap-

This light, however, is filtered by the atmosphere by Rayleigh scattering, a phenomenon that scatters light according to its wavelength. Colors with shorter wavelengths, such as blue and violet, are removed before they hit the surface of the moon. Meanwhile, colors with

pearance that characterizes total lunar eclipses.

While technically a partial lunar eclipse, our most recent eclipse is better classified as an almost-total eclipse. It was the longest lunar eclipse in nearly 600 years due to the moon’s orbital speed relative to its dis-

Eleanor Chin / The Spectator

By ARIN FARUQUE

tance from the Earth. At the time of the eclipse, the moon was near the point of its orbit that is farthest from the earth— this large distance resulted in the moon traveling more slowly. Furthermore, the eclipse was closer to a total eclipse than a partial eclipse, which means the moon spent more time in umbra, lengthening the eclipse time. Its closeness to a total lunar eclipse also explains its reddish color, which was most prominent during the eclipse’s peak at around 4 a.m., when over 97 percent of the moon was in the earth’s umbra. This allowed viewers from various countries across Asia, Europe, and especially North America to witness our moon change in a matter of hours.

While this past eclipse is the last of 2021, more exciting things are in store with two upcoming total lunar eclipses next year—in mid-May and early November. For many, these are powerful times used for reflection or to get in touch with the spiritual aspects of our solar system. But for others, they may just be the time to admire the moon’s beauty. Regardless, lunar eclipses remain something we can all look forward to every year.

The Spectator ● December 10, 2021

Page 13

Science The Reality of Self-Driving Cars human behind the wheel is able to make split-second decisions that can determine life or death.

Only when all road traffic is fully autonomous will self-driving cars truly work, as each vehicle on the road will be able to communicate with each other and anticipate each other’s movements.

However, if all vehicles become self-capable, the United States may lose one of its biggest cultures: car culture. No longer will teens at the age of 16 look forward to getting their learner's permit or experiencing the joy of driving their first car. If people are not in control of their cars, the joy of driving may be completely eradicated.

Though many despise driving in the city because of jam-packed traffic and narrow streets, those in other parts of the country enjoy traveling by car. In fact, a study found that 73 percent of Americans prefer road trips to air travel. Cruising down Route 66 and seizing the open roads are classic parts of American culture that would cease to be pleasurable with self-driving cars.

Fun and vacations aside, safety is the most important factor.

Self-driving vehicles can become a significant dan-

By ARYANA SINGH Self-driving cars are featured in countless works, from the Knight Rider TV show to the Transformers franchise. Many people expected that we would all be driving fully autonomous cars by now. Why aren’t we, though? Various companies like Google, Tesla, and even Apple have already spent billions of dollars developing autonomous driving systems, yet these vehicles are still not available to the general public. Though selfdriving vehicles could be the key to a safer and more efficient means of travel, they come at a cost that exceeds money.

For a society of self-driving vehicles to work, traffic must only consist of such vehicles.

This is because autonomous systems may have trouble predicting and navigating around human errors on the road, ultimately causing more damage than if there are humans behind every wheel. Take, for example, the 11 incidents with Tesla's Autopilot feature, in which the system failed to detect emergency vehicles among other dangers, leading to 17 injuries and one death. In another instance, a Tesla in Autopilot mode failed to recognize an object and crashed into the back of a stationary police car. Unlike technology, a

ger on the road if programmed incorrectly. One may think it would be unlikely that such dangers would arise, but a single-vehicle malfunction on a highway filled with autonomous vehicles traveling at nearly 80 miles per hour could prove fatal. A poll conducted by the Pew Research Center found that more than half of Americans are skeptical toward self-driving vehicles.

They have good reason to be, as at the moment, self-driving cars average 9.1 accidents per million miles driven while regular vehicles average 4.1 accidents per million miles. Developers need to take more caution to prevent glitches instead of hastily rolling out their technology in hopes of high business. After all, the priority is to im-

Sabrina Chen / The Spectator

prove road safety.

Self-driving cars also require new regulations and high safety standards. For instance, if people regularly start traveling in autonomous vehicles, regulations should require the driver to remain attentive to the road to ensure small incidents do not result in disastrous outcomes.

This is similar to how Tesla’s Autopilot feature requires active driver supervision even though the vehicle can drive on its own.

Some of Tesla’s incidents involving this feature could have been prevented had the driver remained attentive to the road.

Additionally, the systems were ineffective in observing driver attention as they required drivers to occasionally move the steering wheel, which could be done without even glancing at the road.

Strict regulation and m o r e informative w a r n ings are crucial. Even the name of Tesla’s system, “Autopilot,” can mislead one to think that no driver attention is necessary when, in fact, it is. It

is incredibly likely that autonomous driving systems will be purposely, or even accidentally, misused in the future without proper regulation and an informed public.

To make roads safer, we should focus on “assisted driving” rather than fully automated driving. This means focusing more on features such as lane assist, blindspot warnings, emergency braking, and camera sensors that will aid a driver in times of danger. A study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found that vehicles with blind-spot monitoring had a crash involvement rate that was 14 percent lower than the same models without the safety technology. Combining technologies with the eyes of a skilled driver will greatly reduce the number of traffic incidents.

With time and lots of work, autonomous driving systems will eventually have the ability to further reduce crash rates. Rigorous development and testing must be completed to ensure higher safety standards than today’s vehicles. After all, one of the goals of autonomous driving is to make the roads a safer place. Creating a nearly flawless society full of self-driving cars is not as simple as it seems. But when it is, the possibilities are endless.

A New Chapter in Space Exploration We are all familiar with the quote “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,” one of the most famous lines in the twentieth century said by Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon. Armstrong was one of the three astronauts in the Apollo 11 crew that sent the first humans to the moon in 1969. Broadcasted on TV, the event was a turning point not only for space exploration, but for human history, with an estimated 650 million people tuning in to watch. Despite the attention garnered

by Apollo 11, it was just one of a series of missions in NASA’s Apollo program, designed to put humans on the moon and retrieve lunar data.

From the Apollo program, 12 astronauts succeeded in landing on the moon and coming back to Earth, bringing along with them a great amount of scientific data, including nearly 400 kilograms of lunar samples.

The last human to walk on the moon was Eugene Cernan, commander of Apollo 17, in 1972. After Apollo 17, NASA did not receive enough funding for more expeditions and the American public believed humans were done with their business on the moon—we had retrieved enough data and had beaten the Soviet Union in the Space Race. However, 50 years later, we realize that human presence on the moon is far from

being over. Through the Artemis Program, named after the twin sister of the Greek god Apollo, NASA plans to

nificant incentive behind this action is winning the modern space war between the US and China since China has

send humans to the Moon again, allowing humans to leave a longer lasting footprint on the lunar surface.

The Artemis Program focuses on continuing the goals of the Apollo missions by not just sending humans to the moon, but also by establishing a permanent presence on the lunar surface. This initiative is a result of the Trump administration’s Space Policy Directive 1 created in 2017, which formally set the goal of reaching the moon by 2024 and landing on Mars at a later date. This program is not to purely further scientific discovery, though. A sig-

already set up an ambitious manned program to send astronauts to the moon as well.

Similar to the space war between the US and USSR in the late 20th century, today’s space race will once again involve two global superpowers committing their technological and financial resources toward advancements in space exploration. Ultimately, one goal of the Artemis Program is to solidify America's dominance globally and in space.

The strategy of the Artemis Program to bring people back to the moon include three parts: the launch vehicle, spacecraft, and ground

Stacey Chen / The Spectator

By SUBAAH SYED

support systems. The launch vehicle, called the Orion capsule, is necessary to support and carry the crew during flight. The Space Launch System rocket is planned to be the most powerful rocket developed and will be the only rocket capable of sending the Orion capsule to space. Lastly, the Exploration Ground Systems will allow for the launching of the rockets and spacecraft in this feat.

Following that, NASA’s Artemis program aims to continue research on space exploration on the lunar surface and establish sustainable structures on the moon. One such undertaking is the Artemis Base Camp, which is planned to be put up on the South Pole of the moon for the means of establishing long-term scientific and economic activity on the moon as well as breaking ground for the future Mars mission. New instruments will be used to test the feasibility of the extraction of resources, such as water and naturally occurring minerals and compounds, that will permit permanent human life on the moon and even add to Earth’s supply of these minerals. Overall, the program attempts to make living on the moon a jump pad, acting as an intermediate stop and improving humans’ deep space capabilities as we prepare to go to Mars and beyond.

The Artemis Program, despite political differences, has continued under the Biden

administration.

Recently, though, the deadline for landing on the moon has been pushed back to 2025 due to resources and time limitations as well as the handling of political disagreements, where some politicians are reluctant to support further funding for the program.

The COVID-19 pandemic also contributed to the postponement of the deadline as supply chains were weakened and people could not be onsite to be fully involved in the project. With the need for developing the innovative spacecraft necessary to safely and effectively land humans on the moon comes the call for a substantial budget and increased funding. Considering the outline that the Artemis program has for the mission, the budget would add up to be about 25 billion dollars.

Though the deadline was pushed back, NASA is optimistic about its schedule for the Artemis Program. The one extra year will give them more time to develop and improve on their space technology and, thus, ensure a more accurate and effective system to go to the moon. It is safe to say that this generation of space exploration is a hopeful one. With assistance from the federal government and support from the public, we should be able to continue the legacy of the past century and begin a new chapter in NASA.

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The Spectator ● December 10, 2021

Science HLH: The Autoimmune Cancer

By MAHIR HOSSAIN What if there was a disease that mirrored cancer, but you couldn’t tell what it was until it struck? Now, that would be something to look out for.

Cancer is the abnormally rapid division of our cells caused by a mutation, most frequently forming tumors. The recovery process is arduous, often requiring months or even years of chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a combination of two biological phenomena: it attacks our bodies at a rapid pace and uses our own white blood cells to override it.

HLH is an immunodeficiency disorder where one’s white blood cells attack one’s body from within. More specifically, HLH targets macrophages, NK-cells, and cytotoxic T-lymphocytes.

Macrophages are cells that eat pathogens through phagocytosis. NK-cells and cytotoxic lymphocytes both kill pathogens, the cytotoxic lymphocytes by first recognizing pathogens with specific proteins on their cell membranes.

HLH was first discovered around 75 years ago by scientists R. Bodley Scott and A.H.T. Robb-Smith. They discovered that HLH resulted in abnormalities with erythrocytes, a type of red blood cell that is responsible for giving blood its dark red color and transporting oxygen during circulation. It wouldn’t be until two decades later that HLH was given its name and considered a viral infectious

disease. However, the disease still managed to perplex doctors in the 20th century, and the survival rate remained a mere four percent.

HLH can be contracted in two ways: inherited and acquired. Inherited HLH is due to a mutation in the STX11 gene, which produces the syntaxin-11 protein. These proteins are responsible for cell exocytosis—the excretion of waste from the cell—as well as “cell-mediated killing,” maintaining homeostasis using attacking mechanisms.

W h e n the gene is mutated, however, white blood cells do not know when to attack and instead target any organ they can find. The liver and spleen are usually affected, often becoming enlarged due to infection and inflammation upon diagnosis. At this point, the bone marrow will continue to create more blood cells to fight the existing blood cells, which have now become pathogens.

This vicious cycle continues until the white blood cells are clustered around the body due to crowding, similar to a malignant tumor.

Acquired HLH results from a trigger, usually viral, such as the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), organ transplant cross-contamination, or

blood transfusions. EBV is a subset of the herpes virus and can spread through salivation, sexual contact, or the sharing of blood. EBV is considered the most deadly trigger because while it may become latent, it never truly disappears in the body. The reappearance of EBV can be triggered by external environmental factors,

such as stress, Fareha Islam / The Spectator before it starts attacking the body once again. The more immune disorders one has, the lower one’s chances of surviving HLH. HLH is very rare, affecting around one in 100,000. Furthermore, the symptoms are very similar to those caused by thousands of other diseases. Thus, it is not uncommon

for doctors to misdiagnose children in the early stages of HLH with other joint diseases and rheumatic fever, oblivious to their future symptoms. The only sure way to diagnosis HLH is to conduct blood cell counts. A person with HLH exhibits characteristics such as low red blood cell count, anemia, a deprivation of oxygen, and blood cell buildup in the bone marrow. At this point, doctors may analyze a pati ent’s liquid b o n e mar row to confirm the diagnosis..

Once confirmed, treatment may begin.

T h e most common treatment for HLH is chemotherapy, which lasts from about two weeks to two months, depending on the severity. Afterward, the patient is prepared to receive a bone marrow transplant with new stem cells to replace the damaged and diseased stem cells in the existing bone marrow.

This ensures that the presence and severity of HLH are kept to a minimum, should it resurface at all.

As we look into the fu-

ture, scientists are looking to gene therapy, a revolutionary field of science brought into the spotlight by Nobel Prize Winners Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier with CRISPR technology. CRISPR is a gene-editing therapy that allows scientists to get into the nitty-gritty of DNA genome structures and alter them.

This could potentially reverse genetic mutations, which may in turn slow down the symptoms of disease. There has also been increasing support for the use of anti-cytokine drugs, anti-inflammatory substances used to reduce swelling inside the body. By minimizing the internal reactions of the body, these drugs ensure that the body takes fewer blows from the autoimmune response.

HLH is a frightening and unpredictable disease, targeting infants straight from the womb and adolescents out of the blue. HLH can also occur in adults, though those forms of HLH are typically acquired and milder. However, advances in understanding the causes of HLH will allow us to better understand not only HLH, but autoimmune diseases overall.

With stem cell research and increased knowledge regarding our body’s offensive and defensive mechanisms, scientists can develop solutions to increase the survival rate of HLH and improve the quality of life for people with the disease.

This article is a tribute to Hossain’s friend, a survivor of HLH.

iPhones Don’t Just Hurt Your Wallet

By OLIVIA ZHENG Electronic devices are the second most-purchased item during Black Friday each year.

Mobile phones, in particular, are pretty temporary, or at least they are for over half of American iPhone users.

When we succeed in saving up for the newest iPhone model or convincing our parents to fork out several hundred dollars to purchase it for us, the production of the phone is the last thing on our minds. Opening the clean, matte box to a glossy, brand new iPhone, it’s impossible to imagine miners digging in precipitous conditions to build the device. For most people, especially students, phones are necessary for navigating modern, urban life. Thus, the hidden consequences of mobile phone production go unaddressed.

The production of iPhones and other electronic devices drives the demand for cobalt.

Cobalt is used in lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles, certain mobile phones, like iPhones, and other technology.

These batteries are viewed as a sustainable alternative to leadacid batteries because of their

higher energy density. However, the cobalt used in lithiumion batteries isn’t so green to the Congolese people, who witness the horrific impacts of mining firsthand. Over 70 percent of the world’s cobalt is sourced from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which heavily uses child labor and unethical labor practices. There, both those working in mines and living in surrounding villages suffer.

20 percent of the cobalt in the DRC is mined by hand, often by miners who are not provided with personal protection equipment.

Besides the dangers associated with climbing deep into underground mines, there are also health risks from cobalt exposure.

Breathing in cobalt dust leads to a respiratory condition called hard-metal pneumoco-

niosis, also known as “cobalt lung,” that causes lung issue inflammation and scarring.

This puts miners at a higher risk of developing respiratory diseases, and the exposure of Kaitlin Ho / The Spectator skin to cobalt particles

also results in contact dermatitis, which causes red, itchy rashes.

The consequences are even more dire for children born in these environments. Regions

where cobalt mining is rampant experience higher rates of birth defects like cleft palate, spina bifida, and other limb deformities. Children of fathers who mined and mothers who worked outside the home were more likely to have these birth defects. A cleft palate results from the incomplete fusion of the lip and palate during the first trimester of fetal development and causes difficulties with food ingestion, as well as dental and speech problems. The eustachian tube, which connects the nasopharynx to the middle ear, is also affected, causing fluid buildup in the ears that makes infections more likely.

Spina bifida occurs when one or more gaps form between vertebrae in the spine, which can sometimes allow spinal nerves to push out of the spinal cavity and onto the exterior of the developing fetus’s back during early development. This neural tube defect varies in severity but can

result in leg and spine complications that limit mobility, bowel and bladder dysfunction, hydrocephalus, and other complications.

Other ecological consequences include the pollution of waterways. This has destroyed crops in certain regions, forcing farmers to relocate. The acidity of the water caused by cobalt pollution also kills marine life, destroying the livelihoods of fishers.

The destruction that cobalt mining inflicts on human and environmental health is oftentimes far removed from us, but this issue should not be ignored. As more technology becomes electric, the demand for lithium-ion batteries, and thus cobalt, will only rise.

Even if we are able to develop more sustainable batteries, we must also address the consumerist culture that normalizes the disposing of functional technology. During the release of Apple’s next iPhone model, see past the shiny exterior of the device and reconsider whether you really need a device whose novelty will soon wear off, but whose toll on human and environmental health will not.

The Spectator ● December 10, 2021

Page 15

Arts and Entertainment Television

By SAYANTAN SAHA Six years in the making and carrying the daunting expectations of a Riot Games’ “League of Legends” spinoff, anticipation for “Arcane” has been impossibly high. Rather than fall short of such a high bar, however, “Arcane” exceeded expectations, putting it on record as one of the most popular animated series in recent history.

The show even surpassed Netflix’s recent hit, “Squid Game,” cementing its place as the most-watched series on the platform. And for all the hype it’s accrued, “Arcane” certainly delivers.

The show premiered in a unique format, released in the form of three acts, each comprising three episodes. Rather than detract from the plot, watching the show one act at a time keeps viewers captivated. Act one introduces viewers to Piltover, a city divided in two, with each side living in stark contrast to the other. At the center of the story is a street gang composed of kids whose attempts to escape constant oppression serve as the catalyst for impending war between the divisions. Act one only sets the stage for what is to come, and does so incredibly effectively, taking the worldbuilding

Film

By NICOLE LIU Sleigh bells are ringing, carolers are caroling, and the first snowflakes are falling. Yes, it’s that time of the year again. And, as with every year, something to look forward to in the upcoming months is the inevitable surplus of holiday movies on the horizon. Nothing beats curling up in a fluffy blanket with some hot cocoa and pressing play on a campy Netflix rom-com.

Kicking off this year’s lineup of Christmas movies is “Love Hard,” a flick that has garnered quite a bit of attention since its release. The movie follows Natalie Bauer (Nina Dobrev), a journalist who runs a blog about her string of unlucky experiences in love. To break this streak of hapless relationships, she decides to travel halfway across the country to spend Christmas with Josh Lin (Jimmy O. Yang), a man who she met on a dating app. But her dreams are quickly crushed when she finds out that Josh has been catfishing her. All hope is not lost, however, when Josh makes a deal with Natalie: he will help her get the man of her dreams if she pretends to be his girlfriend for the holidays.

While this plot screams generic and predictable, its uniqueness lies in the fact that both of the male romantic leads in the movie are Asian American, finally bringing representation to a genre of movies that doesn’t usually see much diversity.

However, just because a movie includes Asian American characters doesn’t mean the movie does them justice. Josh is depicted as a dorky, awkward homebody who still lives with his parents. This initial introduction feeds into Asian stereotypes in the media and does more harm than good for Asian American representation. Specifically, the desexualization and emasculation of Josh’s character further the idea that Asian American men are nerdy side characters who can’t find any romantic prospects in comparison to their white counterparts.

This stereotype of Asian inferiority and emasculation stems from

“Arcane”: Beating Already Unbeatable Expectations already present in “League of Legends” lore and expanding on it in a manner that thrives on the silver screen.

One of “Arcane”’s marks of brilliance is how well it tells its story to audiences that don’t have any prior knowledge of the game behind it. While League players will certainly find countless easter eggs and bits of obscure lore, the average viewer is still presented with an incredible plot, beautiful visuals, and nuanced characters. The story is not overly complex but has elements that everyone can appreciate, whether they came looking for blood-pumping action sequences or a heartfelt tale about family.

“Arcane” should be commended for more than how tangible a story it tells. Creators Christian Link and Alex Yee masterfully address various real-world themes in ways that advance the plot without feeling forced. Act one ends with the original gang having been cut down to just the two sisters, Vi and Powder, and following the act two timeskip, they are transformed into entirely different people. In particular, Powder is so haunted by her disastrous actions and her sister having apparently abandoned her that she adopts a name used to embody her failings: Jinx. This

transformation, a literal representation of her descent into insanity, is only accelerated by the new paternal figure in her life, Silco, the show’s primary antagonist. Their relationship, abnormal as it might be, brings out genuine emotions and serves as just one example of how the show’s characters feel grounded despite being set in such an outlandish universe.

Just as present in acts two and three is the concept of social inequality, which is woven into every aspect of Piltover. From the beginning, audiences are made aware of the Topside’s contempt for the inhabitants of the Undercity, reducing their actions to criminal without acknowledging that their lives necessitate such acts to survive.

“Arcane” allows viewers to develop complex understandings about its characters, further emphasizing the impact of these extreme inequalities and the consequences of class divides. Viewers are able to relate to these characters and contextualize characters’ struggles within the real world, opening yet another rabbithole to fall into while watching the story unfold.

In addition to the series’ political takes, “Arcane” boasts a visual experience that few other shows could hope to achieve. This is

largely due to the show’s beautiful art and direction––every frame could serve as a convincing computer wallpaper. “Arcane” walks a fine line, maintaining a charmingly cartoonish quality without sacrificing any depth within the messages it aims to convey. Moreover, these visuals are just as—if not more— brilliant when set to motion. Every fight scene is polished; the colors are bright, the action is fluid, and the viewer is always kept on the edge of their seat while waiting for the next blow to land. The same could be said for the entire show; one can hardly finish one episode without feeling the need to watch the next.

“Arcane” is a series that truly fits anyone’s bill for an entertaining watch. It is a prime example of superb art and animation, coupled with interesting commentaries on relevant political issues, all of which play out through some incredibly nuanced characters. The show is already confirmed for a second season, which is set to arrive in two years, and for which expectations are higher than ever. If Riot’s first attempt at an animated series is any example of their prowess within the medium, season two is certain to be well worth the wait.

Did “Love Hard” Make the Naughty or Nice List? centuries of racism, going back to when Asian communities first started to immigrate to America.

And these harmful stereotypes are still present today. Don’t believe me? How many times have you heard somebody comment that a K-pop idol “looks like a girl”? And how many times have you heard somebody say that about a white man? While Josh’s self-image does go through some improvements as the movie goes on, he only begins to build up his esteem once a white woman validates his selfworth, further conveying the message that Asian Americans are only adequate once they are accepted by Westerners.

On the other end of the spectrum is Tag Abbott (Darren Barnet), the dreamboat that Natalie is swooning over.

Despite his good looks, he lacks substance or a connection to Natalie, causing his character to fall flat, a common trope in rom-com movies among secondary leads. If the movie truly wanted to show audiences that Asian men can come in a variety of personalities and appearances, it would have benefitted from writing Tag as a more developed character, one that could contrast with Josh’s heavily stereotypical persona. Unfortunately, “Love Hard” couldn’t find the time to ever flesh out Tag past the point of “second romantic choice.”

In fact, most of the side characters are poorly developed, causing the whole movie to fall short.

Specifically, it seems like many of

the characters were given a single tion of both American and Asian defining characteristic and other- traditions could have been used wise left completely without depth. to display the very cultural mixing Josh’s brother, Owen Lin (Harry that results from assimilation.

Shum Jr.), for example, is portrayed Putting aside the failed atas an attention seeker who is al- tempts to bring Asian American ways outshining his brother. But as representation on the big screen an Asian American, screen time on in “Love Hard,” it is a very gehis experiences about overcoming neric holiday movie. The movie his insecurities could have given tries to be funny, but few of its him more dimension, in addition jokes land, leaving the audience to helping Josh improve his self- frequently in a state of secondesteem outside of Natalie’s valida- hand embarrassment. However, tion. This one-dimensional writing one redeeming quality about the is prevalent in all of the movie is its soundtrack. characters and While still relatively makes them generic for a Christgeneric and mas movie, it does a insensible at good remake of the times, due notoriously creepy to their song, “Baby, It’s obliviCold Outside,” ousness to putting a much Natalie and more playful and Jo s h ’s feminist spin fake reon it. At times, lationthe movie also ship. manages to be Overall, an enjoyable this deviewing experificiency ence, having some in charcute moments acter writhere and there. ing makes For example, in the movie one memorable m o r e moment, Natalie s h a l tells Josh that he low and should show his creates eyes more because missed opthey are beautiful.

Mandy Li / The Spectator portunities to further the Cheesy? Yes. But, it is discussion about Asian American nice to see an Asian feature being experiences in America. appreciated in the media.

Despite there being an Asian “Love Hard” is a predictable American family at the center of and shallow rom-com that doesn’t the movie, nothing substantial do much for the Asian commuis shown about Asian culture or nity. The movie often misses the struggles. Many of the customs mark in a lot of ways, saying little that the family is seen participat- about Asian American struggles ing in are very whitewashed. For and often perpetuating some example, the family goes caroling harmful stereotypes. Problematic at one point. While there is noth- facets aside, “Love Hard” is a fun ing wrong with caroling, it’s an odd Christmas movie that is meant to inclusion alongside the complete be cheap entertainment. It’s cheesy lack of Asian American cultural and hard to watch at times because representation in the movie. Again, of its awkward moments, but it’s this is a missed opportunity to fur- a good movie for mindless viewther the discussion about Asian ing near the holiday season—or on American experiences, as a depic- Thanksgiving, in this case.

Playlist Songs That Are Better than Drugs

By THE ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT DEPARTMENT Here at A&E, we pride ourselves on our ability to resist the call of psychoactive substances. The following songs are tried and true alternatives to drugs. Enjoy responsibly.

Me and Your Mama Childish Gambino R&B Life In a Glasshouse Radiohead Jazz Rock When the Sun Hits Slowdive Shoegaze Dead Man Walking Brent Faiyaz R&B Blue Monday New Order Synthpop/Rock Floating Julee Cruise Ambient Dream Pop Hold My Liquor Kanye West Hip-hop Mayonaise The Smashing Pumpkins Alternative Rock Mess It Up Gracie Abrams Pop In Time FKA twigs Alternative Ivy Frank Ocean R&B Plainsong The Cure Art Rock Change (In the House of Flies) Deftones Alternative Metal Kokomo, IN Japanese Breakfast Indie Kenny Still Woozy Funk Pop Over The Moon The Marías Alternative Pop

Page 16

The Spectator ● December 10, 2021

Arts and Entertainment

By MATTHEW WAGMAN

voluminous, crumbling centerpiece of spinach and mushroom, solidly chewy, and almost awkwardly oversized. Framing the green orbs of falafel is dark, shredded spinach and a purple cabbage with a bright citrus edge, the whole affair glazed with plenty of garlic tahini. The next choice is the “Red Hot Chili” falafel

than makes up for this lack. It’s accompanied by a traditional salad of lettuce and tomato with the lively addition of purple cabbage. The last of the four falafel sandwiches are the Classic, a reasonable option if you want to save a buck, and the Deluxe, for those who are willing to spend a dollar more to try all three

(also $9.80). Marked the “spicy” option with a chili pepper printed next to its name on the menu, the actual product is only marginally peppery but with a crispy exterior that more

options in one wrapping.

All sandwiches arrive in a thick, sturdy wheat (or marginally blander white) pita, struggling to contain the mass of falafel and salad. Whether

Justine Kang / The Spectator

Among the holy trinity of the halal carts, falafel often ranks a distant third. Most students simply prefer chicken and lamb to chickpea fritters, and for good reason. At most of the halal carts and storefronts near Stuyvesant––or around the city for that matter––falafel is a sad, dry, and tasteless affair, and more than anything, it’s like chewing the dirt from a baseball diamond.

For this reason, Cheap *ss Lunch has never featured a single falafel dish as of yet. But now, on the corner of Church and Reade Streets, Nish Nush is a prime contender to break New York’s ageslong streak of chickpea mediocrity. Not completely unknown to Stuyvesant students, Nish Nush’s more obscure location and slightly higher (though fair) prices have thus far kept it from wider popularity. This Israeli restaurant offers a Middle Eastern fare similar to that of its halal counterparts but with a kosher label. From those culinary roots comes a menu full of familiar but vibrant options.

On the topic of options, there are four in the falafel category alone. The appropriately named “Popeye Delight” ($9.80) presents a

Cheap *ss Lunch #9: Falling for Falafel (For a Price)

Boy meets girl. Girl meets boy.

A relationship is born. For an extended period of time, they live in fantasy land, but eventually part ways after a bitter breakup. For most of the songs on German pop star LEA’s new album, this is the story being told—again and again and again.

Lea-Marie Becker, known by her stage name LEA, entered the music world in 2016 with her unique brand of powerful acoustic ballads and melodic emo-pop. Her newest album “Fluss” is a continuation of this mellow musical style, characterized by its soft pianos, guitars, and light, bouncy production. With 14 songs and five bonus acoustic tracks, “Fluss” explores the ups and downs of being in a

Culture

By CAROLINE PICKERING When discussing queer representation in media, the word fetishization comes up quite often.

The subject has been a source of major tension and discourse in fandoms across the internet, especially among queer people. But what is fetishization, and how does it manifest in media and fan spaces?

Fetishization is the hypersexualization and objectification of some aspect of a person’s identity.

This can be someone’s race, religion, or, in many cases, sexuality.

One example currently causing a lot of discussion is the fetishization of queer relationships between two men, particularly in fan spaces.

These are by far some of the most popular “ships” for almost any piece of mainstream media content, even when the characters themselves are widely considered to be straight. In fact, a majority of the most popular pairings on fanfiction websites are between two men. The problem is that this content frequently contains abuse, incest, and a plethora of other graphic sexual content which depict queer relationships in an unrealistic, negative, and disturbing way. This, and the fact that these fan spaces are notoriously made up of mostly women, specifically straight

corkscrews, golden brown cauliflower, and finally, slices of hardboiled egg, stained red at the edges by tongue-prickling harissa caught in its crumbly folds. The cauliflower has been fried in a hot oil bath which brings out a rich umami flavor, and all the flavors and textures of the sandwich complement each other perfectly, with the haphazard composition that makes some bits more rewarding than others. In contrast, the Laffa Ballade is a much more uniform experience. This interesting but less adventurous choice (and not really worth it at $13.07) is a log of thin flatbread filled with an inoffensive tabouleh salad of chopped cilantro, quinoa bits, and a conspicuous lack of tomato, moistened with lots of pleasantly sour, thick fermented sour cream-like dairy sauce.

While Nish Nush is definitely on the pricier end of Stuyvesantarea luncheries, the extra cash is well spent considering the drastic increase in quality and service. All the extra sauces, convenient seating, and decently fast service set it well apart from the surly and superficial experiences at most student frequented alternatives. The walk may be longer and the prices a bit steeper, but just one all-too-short lunch period later, you may never dream of getting chicken over rice again.

A “Fluss” of Emotions

Music

By ZOE BUFF

you’re taking your order to go or staying on the streetside or indoor tables with your order in a plastic basket, every sandwich comes wellapportioned. To liven up the long march of sandwich bites, you’ll get a container of nutty, creamy tahini with a hint of garlic and a smoky, thick, throat-burning hot sauce of chunky green pepper (it’s an essential addition to put the “Red Hot” in the Red Hot Chili). If that isn’t enough, there’s also a small savory mix of pickles and olives, a tangy and fermented extra recalling the residual fragments at the bottom of a pickle jar, but pleasant nonetheless. To cap off these excellent amenities is a large stack of napkins that you will definitely need. Snag a few disposable utensils on your way out––the sandwiches are so huge and messy that they could easily be reclassified as salads by the end of the meal.

While these dishes alone would be enough to make Nish Nush a stellar restaurant, there are a ton of great options other than falafel in just the sandwich section, the best of which is the Cauliflower Sabich.

Priced at $10.89, it is a veritable rainbow of ingredients tucked into a pita. Biting into this treasure trove takes you from a crunchy light green lettuce mixture to tart purple onion

relationship, the consequences of a messy breakup, and the pain of rejection.

Her lyrics center around heartbreak, romance, and all of the emotions that ensue—it feels as though LEA doesn’t have any other tricks up her sleeve. Listening to the album, one can’t help but wonder if she is singing about one love or several since all the songs mirror each other, each indistinguishable from the next. The first few tracks are bearable, but as soon as she starts singing about how her lovers’ “kisses are like poison,” and how she’d “go through any storm” for them, the message becomes a drag.

In addition to the tiresome complaints about love, the writing is elementary and lacks nuance. LEA digs up every hackneyed phrase used by songwriters in the history

of pop music and sets it to a simple 4/4 rhythm. Perhaps with more imagery, the lyrics could make a bigger impact on the listener, but even when specific details appear, they are unsophisticated and don’t add much to the story.

Amateur lyrics aside, the melodies are bland and monotonous. The instrumentals, which aren’t helped

by LEA’s predictable cadences and unremarkable harmonies, generally mirror those of any other run-ofthe-mill pop song. The production of this album brings nothing new to the table, simply regurgitating what thousands of other musical artists have already done. On tracks like “Fluss” (River), “Swimmingpool” (Swimming Pool), and “Sag nicht sorry” (Don’t Say Sorry), the repetitive strums of the guitar and basic piano chords provide for a predictable and uninteresting listen.

The only meaningful song on the record is “Dicke Socken,” translated to “Thick Socks” in English.

LEA sings about coming home

Justine Kang / The Spectator

Food

from tour and reuniting with her parents who have bought a new pair of thick socks for her. The song opens with the line, “Always

on the road, as if I’ll never arrive” and closes with the heartfelt hook, “When everything else breaks, your love remains.” LEA manages to take her specific, narrow experience of homesickness and make it relatable to listeners.

As a truly one-sided album, “Fluss” doesn’t inspire. LEA presents herself not as a versatile artist, but instead as a one-trick pony. She has a special voice, both light and rich, but her vocals are not enough to bring life to her melodies or her lyrics. She could do much more with sophisticated production and a more diverse range of content, but the elementary level of songwriting on this album doesn’t give her enough room to express herself as an artist. While she has great potential in the music world, her search for a more compelling subject matter continues.

Why Is the Fetishization of Queer People So Prevalent in Fan Spaces? women, is enough to make many queer fans uncomfortable.

A straight person using queer relationships to explore sexual fantasies is not inherently harmful, but it comes at great detriment to queer people when it contributes to or uplifts homophobic assumptions and stereotypes.

But why is this fetishization so prevalent? A large reason why ‘shipping’ male characters has grown so popular is because male characters and relationships between them are just better written, usually due to the male-dominated writing and production of most mainstream media.

On top of this, there is a long history of homophobia that contributes to the tokenization and fetishization of queer people and their relationships. Obviously, every instance of fetishization and every queer ship has its own specific context and is affected by its own set of intersectional factors. The fetishization of a relationship between two white male characters is influenced by a completely different set of factors than that of an interracial lesbian couple.

However, an analysis of the differences between straight and queer shipping fanbases may provide at least one reason. In the cultural status quo of today, there is a hyperfixation on the sexual aspect of rela-

tionships in straight fan spaces, and it is through this lens that many fans consume all relationships.

One example that perfectly illustrates the receptive differences between straight and queer fan spaces occured with the show “Falcon and the Winter Soldier” (2021). Viewers quickly picked up on the fact that the dynamic between the two main characters Sam (Anthony Mackie) and Bucky (Sebastian Stan) seemed a less like a “couple of guys” and more like a couple, and the pairing became extremely popular within the fandom over the duration of the series.

However, the rise in popularity of the queer ship also led to a loud outcry from straight fans, who used fetishization as a pillar of their argument against why people should not even speculate on the relationship. Many cited the idea that men couldn’t be friends anymore without being shipped—as if male friendships haven’t been the center of almost every piece of media in recent history—to intimidate and invalidate the queer reading of the story by queer fans.

It didn’t help that several people who worked on the series came forward and basically denounced the queer reading as delusional, which enabled homophobic rhetoric to

continue in fanspaces and invalidated the experiences of queer audience members. Fetishization is certainly a problem in the fandom, however, it is not a reason to dismiss the valid opinions and interpretations of queer people.

Interestingly enough, worse content from the same show, only for a straight ship, was normalized and even praised by the media. A large fanbase popped up almost instantaneously for the pairing of Sam’s sister Sarah (Adepero Oduye) and Bucky. Many of the memes and other kinds of fan content surrounding this ship were hypersexual and dehumanizing. However, this wasn’t questioned or denounced at all, and was in fact encouraged by the mainstream media. TV Guide made a post on Twitter almost immediately after the series ended demanding to see all the deleted scenes of Sarah and Bucky “flirting.” Despite the fact that the fanbase produces content far more disrespectful and gross than anything in queer fan spaces, they have yet to be criticized.

This all begs the question: if the roles were reversed, and Sam and Bucky were a heterosexual couple while Sarah and Bucky were not, would there be the same reaction?

Would there be the same levels of outrage and backlash for one, and

apathy and praise toward the other?

Since Sam and Bucky are the main characters, would creators insist that two leads of the opposite sex with the same amount of chemistry being interpreted as romantic rather than platonic change the whole meaning of the series? There are plenty of examples of heterosexual ships being made canon against the original intent of the creators out of fan popularity. Han and Leia, for example, may not have ended up together in George Lucas’s original vision of Star Wars had it not been for how much fans loved the relationship.

In short, mainstream media in the status quo invites and encourages hypersexualization of straight relationships by fans. Meanwhile, while more queer relationships are getting popular both in media and fan spaces, straight fans are often the ones with the most influence over how a fanbase reacts to these relationships. Queer people have been fighting against stereotypes of being hypersexual and predatory for decades, and this kind of fetishization only works against the progress being made. Hence, queer people in these fan spaces need to speak out and police straight fans who create overly sexual content about queer relationships.

The Spectator ● December 10, 2021

Page 17

Arts and Entertainment Television

By OLIVER HOLLMANN

Music

By PHOEBE BUCKWALTER At 22 years old, Gracie Abrams may not be a household name yet, but that won’t be the case for long. An up-and-coming singer-songwriter from Los Angeles, Abrams has created a unique brand of heartbreaking bedroom pop that has earned her a dedicated fanbase, including A-listers Billie Eilish, Lorde, Taylor Swift, and Olivia Rodrigo. Rodrigo even credited Abrams’s debut EP with inspiring her hit song “drivers license” in an interview with Apple Music. For those who haven’t been closely following Abrams’s career, she is perhaps better known as the daughter of the esteemed film director J.J. Abrams.

However, Gracie is a talent in her own right and has earned her spot in the music industry with clever ballads like “I miss you, I’m sorry” and “21.” Gracie Abrams proved herself once again with the release of her debut album “This Is What

dysmorphia, or deals with larger themes—jealousy, for instance— that pervades each character’s story. Characterized as a “GreenEyed Envy,” the show describes how jealousy can snowball into

A change made that doesn’t play too well in this new season is the relationship between the show’s main characters, Andrew and Nick.

The pair’s friendship is largely sidelined in this season, with Andrew

an uncontrollable, monster-like rage. Though liberties are certainly taken with the realism of conflicts, the emotions experienced by the characters are still clear—painfully accurate at times—and compelling to watch.

having less screen time and being given less compelling storylines.

He really doesn’t have much to do here, which is unfortunate considering how central he was in the earlier seasons. Much of the attention is diverted to either Nick’s sto-

Jaden Bae / The Spectator

In a manner uncharacteristic of the show’s previous trajectory, season five of “Big Mouth” quietly premiered earlier this November—for a show with so much hate and love directed towards it, there wasn’t much of a buzz for its most recent season. “Big Mouth” has garnered much controversy over its four years of runtime on Netflix, and for good reason.

The show certainly does not pull punches when discussing taboo topics or showing maybe a bit too much graphic imagery. In season five, this boldness continues, with familiar faces making a return to explore new ideas.

Many of the same characters are back, with Nick (Nick Kroll), Andrew (John Mulaney), Jessi (Jessi Klein), Jay (Jason Mantzoukas), and Missy (Ayo Edebiri) continuing to face the trials and tribulations of adolescence. The fifth season follows this established cast of characters, as they navigate through yet another sweaty year of American middle school.

Like the seasons before it, “Big Mouth” is still a show about growing up. The troubles of adolescence are still in essence the main antagonists, personified by emotional beings, including the new “Lovebugs” and “Hate Worms.”

Characters experience hardships, failures, and drama that force them apart and, at times, together.

In single episodes, “Big Mouth” confronts a range of problems with self-image, like acne and body

Bridgeton Middle Finds Love in “Big Mouth” Season Five

mp It Feels Like” on November 12.

“This Is What It Feels Like” is characterized by the same vulnerability and unsureness as her first EP, “minor” (2020), but Abrams exhibits a new maturity, both vocally and lyrically. While “minor” was defined by Abrams’s storytelling abilities, “This Is What It Feels Like” is a masterful reflection on being in love when you’re not at your best. Abrams stops downplaying her anxiety for the sake of the people she cares about and starts healing. Much of the album finds Abrams working through her self-sabotaging nature and inability to separate her identity from the melancholy that has shaped her music.

Minimalist production balances the unique rasp in Abrams’s voice, which is complemented by delicate piano melodies, echoey guitar, sharp ukulele fingerpicking, and hypnotic synth backbeats.

The album has a sound akin to Phoebe Bridgers’s “Punisher”

One of our beloved editors, Dexter Wells, eats chalk. As we watched him cough up white dust clouds of the powdery, Japanese Hagoromo chalk, we thought “this man is unhinged.” In honor of Dexter Wells, we’ve created this list, one of similar unhinged behavior— behavior which can only be displayed with an utter disregard for conventions, both social and artistic—behavior rewarded only in the white man.

What does it mean to be unhinged? If we have a door, and we take the said door off its door

the Sha o with Gracie Abrams (2020) or Taylor Swift’s “folklore” (2020). In fact, four songs on Abrams’s debut (“Rockland,” “Hard to Sleep,” “Camden,” and “Augusta”) were written with and produced by Aaron Dessner, Swift’s “folklore” collaborator and frontman of The National. “This Is What It Feels Like” is bubbling with hidden pain and buried insecurity. While the high points signify Abrams in love, the low points see her scared of losing control.

These themes are represented strongly on the standout track “Rockland,” which marries the intimate hush in Abrams’s voice with understated production, making the song reminiscent of a late-night message to a regrettable ex. Abrams uses humor as a self-defense mechanism, joking about hiding in the bushes to spy on a party she wasn’t invited to and refusing to get along with her ex’s new girlfriend. Dessner lives up to his reputation, producing a fan favorite that is simultane-

awkwardly green-screened Nick Kroll, the co-creator of the series and his own voice actor. Despite the complete absurdity of this moment, it serves the coming-of-age aspect of the plot well, with a clear message about embracing change and growing up.

The season’s finale leaves one question unanswered: where can the show go from here? The faster pace of this season, while adding some interest to the plot, had the adverse effect of introducing several new ideas that could have been fleshed out and explored more thoroughly over longer periods.

How many more love triangles can the writers fit between the show’s main characters before it gets stale?

What other big teenage problems can they cover? Perhaps the whole show will adopt an anthology style, using established characters in one-offs that expand the rest of their lives or explore never-beforeseen quirks of their personalities.

Until news regarding season six is released, nothing can be done but speculate.

“Big Mouth” is still as controversial as it has ever been, continuing to deal with the many taboo subjects surrounding teenage development. It does so with gusto, with moments of graphic violence of sexuality always being accented with an aspect of real human emotion. The show is still, in essence, a coming-of-age story, shown in full via the emotional development of its characters. This season is unapologetically brash, brazen, and at heart, heartfelt.

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ously “folklore”-esque and distinctly haunting when paired with Abrams’s chilling vocals.

But the true album standout is found in “Camden,” a prime example of Abrams’s talent as a storyteller. She reflects on the fact that she can’t picture her life past age 25 and admits to “selfdiagnosing till [she’s] borderline.”

Lyrically, the song reaches its peak in the second verse when Abrams expresses gratitude toward her brother for shielding her from cigarettes, implying that her self-deprecating nature could’ve caused her to abuse addictive substances if she had access to them.

Abrams’s genuine contemplation is tinged with the enlightenment of quarantine; at the end of the track, she murmurs, “I really hope that I survive this.”

The 12th and final song on the album boasts Abrams’s most intelligent and descriptive lyrics to date. “Alright” sees Abrams in her darkest hour, looking for

r t

an escape from her cyclic selfdestruction: “What if I drove to you backwards / Jump in the shallow end headfirst.” The feeling of being terrified by yourself is at once relatable to anyone who has suffered from intrusive thoughts.

Abrams seeks reassurance, but from her tone, it’s evident that she’s old enough to know she might not be alright.

While “This Is What It Feels Like” might not contain enough radio-ready bangers to make it big in the mainstream, it will certainly be a success amongst diehard indie pop fans. The singer’s debut album creates a dreamscape of beautiful brokenness through dark humor and witty lyrics, resulting in a stunningly relatable pandemic record. “This Is What It Feels Like” possesses a strength unseen in Abrams’s previous works. In “For Real This Time,” Abrams sings, “I’m sorry if I make you cry tonight.” Well, we had fair warning.

Unhinged White Men.

Culture

By ASA MUHAMMAD and CHRISTINE LIN

rylines or short, episode-long explorations of individual characters.

Plotlines also begin and conclude much faster than in previous seasons, with character arcs being reduced to one to two-episode-long vignettes. This change has a mix of effects: at times it’s difficult to get emotionally attached to characters when their arcs are so short, but the quick pace also compliments the rapid-fire humor and writing.

Since “Big Mouth” has been around for so long, the cast of characters has grown tremendously since 2017 both in size and individual development. The character perhaps showing the most change is Missy, going from a shy, nonconfrontational Black girl voiced

by Jenny Slate, to a girl who’s more comfortable with her sexuality and race, voiced by Ayo Edebiri. Another character who saw major upheaval was Jay, whose most recent arc involved coming to terms with the role his bisexuality plays in his life.

Unlike other elements of the show, the fourth-wall breaks of this season are poorly implemented, having been taken to the extreme in the fifth season. Within each episode, characters selfreferentially reference the show itself and its various plotlines and controversies. This fourth-wall breakage was always present in the show, but in this season it begins to upend the show’s flow, even halting the development of scenes at times. In the show’s finale, the breaks are integrated into the plot when an animated Nick meets an

frame, it is unhinged. Similarly, if we have a white man, and we take the said man away from any care for social norms or predictability, he is unhinged. His screws, quite literally, are loose. Something about him becomes mildly offputting, but with an air of intrigue.

He is simply an enigma.

Robert Pattinson Firstly, we have Robert Pattinson, former teen heartthrob turned indie movie icon turned Batman. Ever since his public resentment of the “Twilight Saga” franchise (2008-2012), expressed on various press tours, the world

has been intrigued by him. But it’s his erratic behavior that really differentiates him from the average celebrity. A man who can microwave pasta and still model for Dior is one who deserves respect.

What’s even better is that he takes roles just slightly more unhinged than himself; I’ve never been more interested in a novice lighthouse keeper with a bad mustache (“The Lighthouse” (2019)) or a scumbag Queens native (“Good Time,” (2017)), until Robert Pattinson decided he would only do movies that required weird accents.

Jake Gyllenhaal

Less inherently likable but more of a curious figure is Jake Gyllenhaal. He’s not necessarily special or weird, but he claims not to shower. Why does he do that? Why is he stinky? Taylor Swift wrote a ten minute song about him. What about this man (who can’t use soap and starred in a historically mystifying movie that people only pretend to understand) possessed Grammywinning recording artist Taylor Swift to write a ten minute song?

I think he should give the scarf back. I think he should trade it in for a washcloth. Even furthering our bafflement behind this man

are his eyes. Generally, eyes can be bright, kind, or even dead and malicious, but Gyllenhaal’s eyes convey nothing. They’re hollow, and that scares me.

Matthew Gray Gubler Matthew Gray Gubler. If the world needed a representative to illustrate the extent to which confidence and good hair can elevate a white man, Mr. Gubler would single-handedly be the best example. No other 41-year-old would continued on page 19

Page 18

The Spectator ● December 10, 2021

Arts and Entertainment Unhinged White Men.

culture Jack Harlow When you think of Kentucky, what comes to mind? KFC? WRONG. Jack Harlow. The Louisville, Kentucky native, best known for his viral song “What’s Poppin” and, more recently, “Industry Baby,” is as unhinged as they come. As evidenced in various social media appearances and press interviews, he consistently holds an aura of shameless confidence that leads him to be just slightly more questionable than your average white man. Whether it be referring to an interviewer (James Corden) as “Big Daddy” or randomly pulling his pants down during an Instagram live, it isn’t necessarily the actions themselves that make Harlow unhinged, but rather his disregard of any preestablished societal standards and his utter self-assuredness. The lack of fear Harlow holds in his masculinity is especially ahead of his time––he simply has no other choice but to appear unhinged to

continued from page 18

be able to, wearing a blue floral kimono, pull human teeth out of a drunk-gnome-style fireplace and somehow have that result in a YouTube comments section praising him for having “Greek God” and “written-by-women’’ vibes.

Another testament to his unhingedness is the variety of roles and professions Gubler takes on.

Aside from playing everyone’s favorite nerd-hot FBI agent on “Criminal Minds” (2005-2020), he is also known for voicing Simon in “Alvin and the Chipmunks” (2007), had a past modeling career, and has recently published a children’s book “Rumple Buttercup: A Story of Bananas, Belonging, and Being Yourself.” Now, these facts may not seem to make sense, but (at least in the public view) neither does Gubler. Everything he does, while odd, also seems innately true to him. Everything he

Jeff Goldblum We actually don’t know if our next entry is unhinged at all. It may be h i s poise and finesse that sets him apart, but Jeff Goldblum is not normal.

Goldblum has achieved a level of refinement that dis-

tinguishes him from his peers, but it seems he got this way, not by following social convention, but by appreciating it, then ignoring it. Most recently, Goldblum has been on a press circuit to promote his Disney+ original, “The World According to Jeff Goldblum” (2021).

(Yes, a media conglomerate has given Jeff Goldblum the authority to define the entire world). In one televised interview with late night duo Des u s

and Mero, he began interviewing his interviewers, simply because he can. We’re unsure whether or not Goldblum is aware of his own celebrity; he receives compliments (and thirst tweets) with the frivolity of your favorite drunk uncle.

With his peppered hair, thick glasses, and eccentric clothing, Jeff Goldblum has aged like a fine wine—a smooth, robust, and potent one for that matter.

As illustrated by this very comprehensive list: there are certain key characteristics prominent in each of these unhinged men.

They are unpredictable. They are, in the best way possible, slightly crazed and somehow able to violate all social conventions in a way deemed socially attractive. They walk the world with a level of confidence and swagger that only a successful white man can hold.

And while these characteristics do little to clarify the true nature of their unhingedness, would they really be unhinged if this list made sense?

Four Short, Laid-Back Listens

Music

the latter of which beautifully showcases keshi’s honey-thick vocals and touching lyrics. keshi also explores new sounds in this EP, like in the jazzy bedroom pop vibe of lead single “always” and in EDM-inspired “talk.” While these contrasting influences make for some wonderful songs, they do cause some inconsistency, especially evident in the final ballad, “us,” which slows down the pace almost to a fault. Nevertheless, “always” is a great, laid-back EP for falling asleep and falling in love.

By FRANCES SCHWARZ EPs (Extended Plays) are like little drops of candy to hold you over until dinner time; they’re short and sweet, they end too quickly, and what you’re really after is that massive turkey of an album that still hasn’t dropped yet.

Whether you’re eating a bowl of cereal or procrastinating on your math homework, you can probably find the time to listen to an EP. When you find a spare 20 minutes, try these. “always” (2020) by keshi On “always,” 27-year-old singer-songwriter keshi uses electronic effects to thicken his acoustic bedroom pop sound. His signature mixture of auto-tuned harmonies, stacked acoustic guitars, and dense 808s shines best on songs like “more” and “drunk,”

“That’s a Girl’s Name” (2018)

by Shelley FKA DRAM The clean, fat, and funky sound achieved by rapper and singer Shelley FKA DRAM with this three-song single is unique and masterfully bubbly. Sexy piano synths, crunchy drums, and

thick basslines maintain the energy while gospel-inflected vocals playfully croon about “that girl in the sundress” and brag about getting “the best hugs” from “your girl.” The lyrics of all three songs create the goofy, laid-back atmosphere that Shelley FKA DRAM specializes in. Somehow, these flirty lines avoid being sleazy, partially thanks to the inclusion of “WWYD,” a rap-oriented banger that asks someone what they’d do if they had a hundred thousand dollars. The project is as juicy as it is goofy, and once you go in, it’s impossible not to go back for a second listen.

“In A Dream” (2018) by Troye Sivan On “In A Dream,” 26-yearold singer-songwriter Troye Sivan delivers more of his usual brand of honest, sensual pop, but this

time with a harsh, electronic twist.

The whole EP sounds like it was dipped in acid, with the swelling landscape, lush synthesizers, and falsetto sounds uniting with dance-ready drums, stabby synthesizers, and reverberant vocals.

All of this distortion brings out the heartbreak present in the EP’s effortlessly relatable lyrics, which focus on a break-up. Given that Sivan isn’t yet intimately familiar with this liquid brand of pop, it’s no surprise that this experimental EP could use some cleaning up, from the loud metallic synth in the breakdown of “Take Yourself Home” to the crowded chorus of “IN A DREAM.” Still, the release as a whole is wonderfully gritty and, well, dreamy.

“Bangkok Balter Club” (2019)

by Phum Viphurit The sweet, optimistic spirit

of Phum Viphurit’s sound and lyrics runs into even the most heartbreaking moments of this charming, beachy EP. Each shy, wonderful instrument––electric and acoustic guitars, funky synthesizers, reverberant pianos, witty drums––seems to play off into the sunset without a care in the world. Nothing highlights this better than the extended jam session of “Softly Spoken,” in which a happy band orbits a dreamy piano to create a seriously heavenly atmosphere. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. “Time please rewind / time I would buy / but it’s time for goodbye” Viphurit sings with a painful smile on “Pluto,” a ballad powerful enough to bring you to tears. This summery gem of an EP, in all its heart-wrenching glory, is sure to capture your heart and bring a smile to your face.

Silk Sonic Brings Funk Back In Fashion

Music

for the soul of the ‘70s, with their guitar tones and instrumental palettes updating the retro warmth from Rick James and Marvin Gaye Motown classics into smooth, edgeless pop-funk defined by vocal chemistry.

The cohesion felt in “An Evening with Silk Sonic” is even more

derground and has only been on the come-up since 2011, gaining traction after signing to Dr. Dre’s record label in 2016. Although the convergence of these two artists might not seem like the best duo genre-wise, the different perspectives from pop-R&B and hip-hopfunk end up meshing perfectly.

the music itself is the album’s thematic origins. Mars and .Paak initially met during Mars’s 24K Magic tour in 2017, instantly hitting it off. This meeting incited the idea for what would become Silk Sonic.

The chemistry between the two is evident through their back-andforth vocal interplay and effort-

surprising given that the initial contrast between the two artists behind the album could not be more staggering. Mars has been a major industry player for at least a decade, consistently topping the charts with retro hits. .Paak, on the other hand, is decidedly un-

Tracks like “Fly as Me” and “After Last Night” show the elegance in which the gap can be bridged between genres, culminating in energetic and complementary performances from both .Paak and Mars.

One facet of this album that is perhaps even more interesting than

less harmonization. The light and partially comedic tone reflect the positive vibes that the respective performers had in the studio and compliments the breezy subject matter. “An Evening” strays away from heavy topics like COVID-19 and police brutality that .Paak cov-

Nelli Rojas-Cessa / The Spectator

By OLIVER HOLLMANN, LEVI SIMON, and LUCA ADEISHVILI The hype surrounding “An Evening with Silk Sonic” has been raging for a while. The album was announced in February of this year, with the lead single “Leave the Door Open” being introduced in early March. “Leave” was performed live at the Grammy Awards to widespread critical acclaim, jumpstarting the album’s mainstream buzz. Follow-up singles “Skate” and “Smokin Out the Window” channeled more peppy and light tones, ultimately building up to the album’s release. With the duo’s album now out, it’s easy to see that the project was well worth the wait.

“An Evening” blends elements from R&B, funk, pop, and soul into a series of groovy and infectious tracks. Singles “Leave the Door Open” and “Smokin’ Out the Window” are vibrant, sensual songs with resonant percussion, velvety rich string sections and explicit, yet suave lyricism. The brass, synths, and seductive backing vocals in “After Last Night” (featuring Bootsy Collins and Thundercat) and “Put On A Smile” complement the lilting highs in Mars’s singing and the alluring harmonies they create when paired with Anderson Paak’s vocals. Each track oozes passion and nostalgia

the rest of society. A feat secondary only to his luscious curls.

Ismath Maksura / The Spectator

does screams unhinged.

ered in 2020 and opts to play into Mars’s feel-good, anthemic positivity. In an R&BNow interview, Mars stated that “a good song can bring people together... [which] was our mindset with the whole album.”

This sentiment is clear throughout Silk Sonic’s performance, with nearly every track being either a jumpy hit or an emotional ballad.

Another major highlight of the album was the host himself–– Bootsy Collins. Collins’s inclusion is one of the aspects that define the project, both musically and culturally. Bootsy is among the most prominent bassists in R&B history, influencing artists from James Brown to Snoop Dogg. His undeniable funk and sonic grace are the cherries on top of “An Evening,” elegantly opening and closing the beginning and ending tracks with flair.

“An Evening with Silk Sonic” is a successful meeting of two minds who, despite their contrasting musical styles, created a cohesive, endearing piece of art. The seamless fusion of various genres, the airtight composition of each track, and the fun, synergistic vocal performances of both Mars and .Paak combines in a project that is equal parts smooth, funky, and sexy. The raw talent and charisma of the duo carry “An Evening with Silk Sonic” to its place as one of the best projects of the year.

The Spectator ● December 10, 2021

Page 19

Arts and Entertainment

By LIANNE OHAYON and KENISHA MAHAJAN

nies makes it rich and full. Adele ends the song by saying, “alright then, I’m ready,” marking the beginning of her emotional journey

own imperfections. The music lets the lyrics and conversations speak for themselves, making the song unique and personal.

within this album. “Easy On Me,” the lead single from “30,” is the essence of Adele, with a steady piano backing showcasing her vocal agility. The subject matter, however, deviates from her previous albums, as she now realizes her own faults within her relationships. The focus then shifts from Adele to her son Angelo in “My Little Love,” which includes gut-wrenching voicemails that see Adele highlighting her

“Cry Your Heart Out” marks a stark change in rhythm and musicality from the previous tracks, featuring a more jazzy chord progression with a solid drum beat, acting as a message to both Adele and listeners to slow down if you must. Though this song is strong, it is quickly overshadowed by the track following it, “Oh My God.” Drums and clapping tonally match the lyrics’ message of having the

Iris Lin / The Spectator

Adele is a storyteller. Since the release of her first studio album, “19” (2008), she has captivated audiences with her powerful lyrics and jaw-dropping vocal abilities. From “Rolling in the Deep” to “Chasing Pavements,” the British singersongwriter consistently captivates the whole music industry, putting listeners in a beautiful yet heartbreaking trance. After a six-year hiatus, Adele is back and better than ever. “30,” her fourth studio album, is a deep, raw, and emotionally immersive experience that shows how Adele has truly grown up.

Rather than the general discussions of love in her previous work, Adele’s new album is about “divorce, babe, divorce,” and unapologetically so. In “30,” Adele struggles with love in its many forms—from parenthood to identity to heartbreak—and all of the feelings that ensue. Grappling with doubt, fear, loneliness, she navigates change at every avenue of her life, producing a painfully honest album that, despite its pointed subject matter, strikes a chord with every listener.

Despite the many themes it touches on, “30” is an impressively cohesive album, maintaining a nice balance between ballads and more upbeat tracks. “Strangers By Nature” is an excellent album opener; lyrically, the song is outstanding, and the dissonance in the harmo-

Adele is Back and Better Than Ever

Most movies aim to create a villain the audience loves to hate, a character so despicable they make you want to chuck your popcorn at the screen or storm out of the room. It’s hard not to get invested in this—from the perspective of the protagonist and audience, the “bad guy” is usually just an obstacle in the way of inevitable victory.

However, there are antagonists who transcend their role as a plot device, become characters whose complex writing elevates the story and allow audiences to potentially gain an affinity for them.

One way to achieve this goal is by creating an antagonist who opens a film to greater narrative depth. The Joker (Heath Ledger) from “The Dark Knight” (2008) serves as a perfect example of this, as his reign of terror is supported by his own enjoyment and chaotic intent, making the plot as wild as the Joker’s own persona. He places

mentals, it never felt like any element was lacking. It was refreshing to hear all of the classical instruments featured in these songs and their interplay with Adele’s vocals, especially now when many new pop albums are becoming increasingly synthesized.

Adele is known for being a powerful singer, and she delivers across all of the tracks on “30.”

Hearing the singer return to her full vocal health is wonderful, considering her history with vocal damage. In 2011, she developed a hemorrhaged polyp on her vocal chords and had to undergo a very risky vocal cord microsurgery. Fortunately, this succeeded and saved her career––her vocal strength and agility seems like it is fully up and running today, considering her televised concert “An Audience With Adele,” where she gracefully performed both old and new songs.

“30” is Adele saying “hello from the other side” of divorce.

The album is a journey in and of itself, as she goes through the motions of an identity crisis, questions the validity of love, and doubts her abilities as a parent in the fallout of her divorce. Adele is older and wiser, but never fails at delivering her unmatchable vocal performances from years prior. “30” is an exhilarating, excruciating, and tragic journey all at once, one—as Adele sings on the closer “Love is a Game”—listeners would do “all again, like I did it.”

Drawn to the Dark Side

thinkpiece

By SIMONE RALEIGH

time of your life and not letting anyone suppress your spirit.

On “I Drink Wine,” Adele delivers a soulful ballad in which the singer reflects on her life from childhood to present day, starting the track off by questioning “How can one become so bounded / By choices that somebody else makes,” while reckoning with the turmoil of emotions and immense change brought on by her divorce.

The message is brought to life by Adele’s powerful vocals and the lush, gospel-like instrumentals.

“Hold On” features Adele’s raw, haunting vocals backed by a simple piano, which builds to a lively chorus, both in its instrumentation and vocals. The song is confessional and cathartic, as Adele reveals her feeling of self-doubt and hatred, singing “I’m my own worst enemy / Right now, I truly hate bein’ me.” She follows these deep verses with an empowering and painful chorus where she begs herself to “hold on” and “let pain be gracious.”

Aside from working with her previous producers Greg Kurstin, Tobias Jesso Jr., Max Martin, and Shellback on “30,” Adele also collaborated with Swedish composer Ludwig Göransson and Inflo from the English band Sault. The key to the production on this album was balance: not letting the vocals overpower the instrumentals, and vice versa. Whether a track sported layered production or simple instru-

his mission in front of his own life, swearing to test the limits of Batman (Christian Bale)—by torturing him on an emotional and physical level—by any means possible. The Joker’s appeal stems from the fact that the audience knows virtually nothing about his psyche. It’s the sheer malleability and mystery of his character that fuel the film’s engaging story and make the Joker appealing to his viewers.

Aside from establishing an engaging audience-villain relationship, creating an enjoyable antagonist can be catalyzed through complex and emotionally impactful backstories to incite empathy from the audience. Often, much more thought is put into fleshing out protagonists, giving them the humanity they need to become “fan favorites,” with antagonists becoming an afterthought, acting as an anthropomorphic representation of evil. Establishing that the antagonist’s goals and motivations are rooted in some amount

of truth makes them seem more reasonable, and as a result, more likable. This is seen in “The Rock” (1996), in which Frank Hummel (Ed Harris) fights to compensate the grieving families of deceased undercover marines. The audience is presented with a situation in which Hummel’s murderous actions are morally wrong, yet his motives are entirely selfless. This humanizes Hummel and creates a heartbreaking story in which the audience empathizes for his noble intentions.

Such morally grey characters have become increasingly prevalent within the movie industry, where neither antagonists nor protagonists are ever absolutely good or evil. This ensures dynamic storytelling, as even if audiences are naturally drawn to the protagonist, they can still have sympathy and respect for the antagonist. Pitting morally ambiguous characters against each other also ensures greater suspense for the ending,

because viewers know that the “good” side will prevail. However, it’s often not clear who has the pur-

Annie Lam / The Spectator

Music

er intentions.

This industry has also begun to accommodate for many more

complex antagonists in mainstream cinema. For example, Thanos (Josh Brolin) from “Avengers: Endgame” (2019) continues to be the subject of heated debate. Villains like Thanos, whose goals are complicated and deep, keep audiences engaged with their character as the parallels between their actions and rationale create a space for fascinating conversation. This allows both the film and the character to remain memorable for years after its release.

It’s still easy for filmmakers to fall short of these expectations, and even with a solid sob story and motivation to avenge a tragic loss, some antagonists miss the mark and become background characters to the protagonist’s glory.

However, if there exists an equilibrium of morality, entertaining ambitions, and humanity—combined with some excellent writing—antagonists have the ability to become the most notable and beloved element of any film.

Fun Column Guess the Teacher Hint: this teacher spent extensive time in Egypt while working on his PhD.

Local Eateries Words Amores Cart Chipotle Ferrys Halal Handles Starbucks Subway Terrys Whole Foods

Dr. Zachary Berman

The Spectator ● December 10, 2021

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Humor The e art c e are or

The a

o

ct o

ee o a a e a ot See er t

By ETHAN LAM In a shocking turn of events, the Queen of England has ceased her tyrannical hold over Great Britain and withdrawn into the depths of Buckingham Palace. The people of England cheered as this meant that for the time being, they would no longer need to provide one-ninth of their annual harvest to the Queen as a feudal tithe nor would it be necessary for a randomly selected village to sacrifice a virgin every year to appease the Queen's corgis.

However, the fact remains that the Queen will return one day and no one knows what she will be doing until then.

Some have proposed that she may be charging up her power for an energy blast of massive proportions in order to smite Meghan Markle. They fear the Queen may have discovered that Markle is really two CIA agents in a trench coat as part of Operation “The Revolu-

tionary War II: Infinite Requiem Genesis Origins Resurrection: Tokyo Drift—Coming to IMAX theaters near you.”

Others have disagreed, stating that her current form is merely her larval stage, and the real reason for her absence is that she will be entering her chrysalis and emerging in her perfect form. She will rise as a flawless being and subjugate the world, as was foretold in the ancient runes.

Every person the royal family has ever knighted will ride forth as her dread horsemen, including former Prime Minister of the UK and convicted war criminal Sir Tony Blair, the Rider of War; television personality and known sex offender Sir Jimmy Savile, the Rider of Conquest; and founder of Getty Images Sir Mark Getty, the Rider of Death. COVID-19 itself is expected to be knighted as the Rider of Pestilence. Since four major catastrophes have been taken as titles and there’s

mor omma

By ERICA CHEN and ALEXANDER CHU

tere a e ha e e t ear, pert Sa

not enough to go around, the several thousand other knights will be assigned as riders of various minor annoyances, such as the Rider of Stepping on a Lego and the Rider of Telemarketing.

Expert queenologist Judicial Branch offered his theory on why the Queen has decided to withdraw into her lair. “Ever since Brexit, she has been growing weaker because her power level is directly correlated with the amount of fear her subjects generate. Since the UK left the European Union, the number of her subjects has been drastically reduced.

Because of this, she has been whittled down to half-health and will soon enter the second phase of her boss fight.”

Branch warned everyone to take immediate shelter if they see a health bar appear at the top of their screens accompanied by dramatic choir music.

The United States government has quickly mobilized, hoping to capitalize on her

perceived weakness. They cannot kill her, as she has been immortal since she absorbed Princess Diana’s life force in ‘97, so the next best option is to seal her away in another dimension after luring her to the nearest IKEA, which is considered foreign soil and where she is thus weakened. The palace is defended by Mechaphillip™, a cyborg built around the skeleton of Prince Phillip designed to outclass his deceased predecessor in every metric. Officials plan to lure him away with promises of a nearby shuffleboard world tournament.

“I do not know if this will be a permanent solution,” ritual performer Juxtaposition Biology said. “The last great evil to be sealed away was Rushmore, the four-headed president that America imprisoned forevermore inside a mountain, yet we fear the day that the seal weakens and he escapes. With the Queen, we’ll just have to hope for the best as well.”

tom Sp tter a

Stuyvesant High School, and we ARE willing to do that.

ETHAN (in the background): You really don’t need to tie us up like that man, it’s

olations. Though the government didn’t have much hope, the brilliant Stuy minds, powered by coffee and adrenaline, partially developed a new

not like we have enough energy to escape anyway.

HUMOR HENCHMAN #1: Shut up and stop moving around!

IVAN: In the 1940s, there was a top-secret government program called Project S, where “S” stood for none other than Stuyvesant High School. This program used students to make top-secret nuclear technology, but instead of paying them, kids were given 20 extra credit points on any test and 10 homework passes as long as they didn’t tell anyone about the obvious child labor law vi-

atomic weapon, known as the “atom smasher.” If used to its maximum potential, it would have had the power to destroy entire countries. However, the war ended too early and the students ended up procrastinating on finishing the atom smasher. It was shelved and moved to the old Stuyvesant building, away from the student body.

IVAN: You may be wondering: how did we find the Cyclotron? Well, funny story.

In 2010, the Humor editors accidentally intercepted plans sent to the News department about an atom smasher at

o

Anjali Karunadasa / The Spectator

The following is a transcript from February 3, 2022, found in case file B53-29. *** LILITH: Hi, I’m Lilith!

ETHAN: And I’m Ethan, and these are your morning announcements! Today, Stuyvesant’s escalators will be breaking down once again to build up everyone’s physical endurance.

LILITH: Stuyvesant Transformers: Dark of the Moon Fan Club will be having its first meeting today in room 304, and the Stuyvesant Co-Ed Quidditch team will be having tryouts on the roof, hosted by Mr. W. No experience is necessary, but die-hard Harry Potter fans are not welcome, since they are known to bombard Mr. W with questions about the Wizarding World. And now, please rise if you wish to recite th—wait, what are you guys doing? Hey, WAIT— (Sounds of struggle are heard until someone takes the mic with a loud screech.) *** IVAN: Hello, my name is Ivan, an editor of the Humor Department. I hope you’ve all heard of us because we are very funny and absolutely nothing else. We would like everyone to know that we have an atom smasher, a.k.a. the Cyclotron, in our hands.

If you don’t know what it is, don’t worry. You don’t really need to know. All you need to know is that it can destroy

eer

ote are be a

St

Stuyvesant while they were attempting to hack into their e-mail. Instead of writing an article exposing it, they decided to steal the plans for themselves and find it, like the true student journalists they are. And so this had been a Humor editor secret for generations. Only two months ago were we able to find the unfinished atom smasher after years of looking through every nook and cranny of our school in Sub-Basement Level Five. But obviously, we had no idea how to finish it.

So we kidnapped a bunch of Stuy Robotics kids to rebuild the atom smasher for us to use against the school. And all of those escalator breakdowns?

Those were just us testing the atom smasher to see if it would work for our plot.

IVAN: Anywho, here’s what we want every one of you guys to do. We want 10 pepperoni pizzas delivered to us from Little Italy Pizza by the A/C train station. We would also like 10 iced coffees from Ferry’s (two sugars, two creams each) and five boxes of mochi, the perfect amount of sugar needed for the typical Humor kid. On top of all of that, we demand all Humor members have a 100 GPA, no matter how poorly they actually do in their classes.

HUMOR HENCHMAN #2: Hey! That’s not fair! Everyone doesn’t deserve good grad— HUMOR HENCHMAN #1: (stabs HUMOR HENCHMAN #2) Traitor!

HUMOR HENCHMAN

a

er

NEWSBEET All Humor newbie writers took the Spec Humor membership test and passed with flying colors.

Disney Korea.

acquired

North

Thousand-year-old slumbering evil arose to take a bathroom break.

The Spectator is a terrible news publication with repetitive, boring content and is not spicy.

Due to the vague definition of “sandwich,” Subway began selling tacos and hamburgers.

Home Depot now offers pedicures in the lumber section.

Ikea discontinued Swedish Meatballs after running out of meat to ball.

Stuyvesant students organized by grade and held gladiator battles to claim superiority in stuy.edu’s Mother System.

or a om #2: (screams) IVAN: Anyway, as I was saying, if you all don’t fulfill our demands in 24 hours, we will… (a pause, followed by intense whispering to someone in the background) IVAN (frantic): What? Uh huh… WHAT?! What do you mean it's gone? How can it just disappear? It weighs literally two tons! (long, awkward silence with intermittent “Think, Ivan, think.”)

IVAN (back to the microphone): Haha, you all just got pranked! (awkward laughter) There’s no real atom smasher, and there are no ransoms… all of this is just how we outdo 2019 Spec Humor’s SoundCloud album! Yep, just a little trolling, that's all. This is totally not me panicking after the Cyclotron just disappeared…

Just think of this as a joke, please… Don’t believe what I said before... Please don’t suspend us…

HUMOR HENCHMAN #3 (faintly, in a whisper): Ivan, I don’t know how to tell you this, but I think our plans have been foiled. (door slams open) ???: THAT’S BECAUSE WE HAVE IT NOW! (scuffle) MARISSA: Hello, I am Marissa, and this is The Spectator’s Features Department…

We have the atom smasher.

Here are the terms and conditions you must follow to ensure that we don’t use it against the whole school…

The Spectator ● December 10, 2021

Page 21

Humor St

e a t o e

By KRISTA PROTEASA It’s common knowledge that times get tough and that Stuyvesant contributes to the majority of those hardships. With all the overdue lab reports you still need to write, tests you’ve accepted you’re going to fail, and stairwells you’ve fallen down this year, it’s no wonder you’d be in distress. In times like these, the general populace recommends things like bubble baths, face masks, and yoga. Hot take, but when you’re one homework assignment away from losing your marbles, I’m unsure of the impact that five-minute crafts will have. This is why most of the population has come to the consensus that when you cross the threshold of stress beyond what reorganizing your room can solve, you should see a therapist.

However, we all know that healthcare in this country is ridiculously expensive! What to do?

Well, you’re in luck as Stuyvesant Confessions and its renowned psychologists have come together to create an artificially intelligent

o

therapist for you!

You’re probably doubting the legitimacy of this supposedly world-renowned mental health professional, which is understandable as this is a computer program telling you how to make your parents forgive you for missing your train. Fear not, for our therapist has come to save you! Just take a look at all of the stellar advice it’s offered so far!

“AI, what would you do if your crush kept dunking on you in front of all your BMCC friends when you played basketball with them after school? Asking for a friend.”

—Panicked freshman FRESHMAN, just grow lol.

I also suggest investing in a good pair of shorts. I’m telling you, the more sequins it has, the better your chances are with your crush. Your crush will feel like they’re in the Jetsons with the speedster 500’s sequin-encrusted technology. With these shorts, they’ll be incapable of dunking on you because you would have already run across the entire

The Spectator

By ANIKET ROY and ALEXANDER CHU Going to a prestigious school like Stuyvesant has its perks. Students can go outside during their lunch periods, have access to great educational resources, and occasionally sit in the Whole Foods cafe longer than allotted. In this issue, we’ve decided to take a look back and see where a few of Stuyvesant’s alumni are in their lives. We were very lucky to get the chance to interview three Stuyvesant alums from the Class of 2018 and hear the illustrious journeys that they have embarked on after their days in Stuyvesant came to an end. Peculiarly, all of our interviewees shared one commonality—they were all rejected from their dream schools because of old Stuyvesant Confessions posts resurfacing. These particular confessions posts resurfaced in 2018, when the Stuyvesant Confessions database was hacked and a spreadsheet was leaked, detailing the authors of many wild confessions…

NOTE: All names have been changed to preserve anonymity. a h Yearbook Quote: “Getting a life was harder than taking AP Calculus.”

Lisa Chung told us how she was a model student who had

t ot a court before they could have had the chance to shoot. Make sure to give me 70 percent of all your earnings when you make it to the NBA. In fact, give me all your earnings because I would be wholly responsible for your flourishing career.

“Hey AI guy, I just submitted my code for a knockoff Google Classroom for a chem assignment as a joke, but my teacher called Nintendo to suspend my Super Mario copyright claim instead of grading my code according to a CS rubric, what do I do?” —Stressedout sophomore SOPHOMORE, I recommend that you find solace in your video game collection, for it doesn’t look like it’ll be there for you anytime soon. Yelling into the void of the Hudson staircase is sure to make any teacher see how truly sane you are again. No other students or teachers will question how much sleep you’ve gotten that day. Hide your immense Red Bull accumulation in your locker, for you don’t want to give anyone reasons to

here re

perfect grades and participated who’s really smart? Read the first in a multitude of extracurriculars, word.” some of which included Robotics, We were once again surprised Speech and Debate, and the one when we learned that James Miller, and only Stuyvesant Spectator. a top-level squash player, didn’t reHowever, it was rather surprising ceive any offers to go pro in the to learn that Lisa didn’t end up in United States, but was instead ofan elite college. She shared how fered a scholarship to a college in she actually studied abroad be- Egypt. With his decent grades cause no college in the US would and exceptional accept her. ath- ectator letic prowLisa reasoned that she was / The Sp ess, it was rejected because admissions mily Lu almost E officers unearthed a unStuyvesant Confession post she wrote anonymously. Her confession was as follows: “Every time I'm in AP Calculus, I’m daydreaming about Tom Holland treating me like I’m a Jenga puzzle.

I promise I will go to church every Sunday. Plz don't judge me.”

Unfortunately, Lisa is a prime example of how people lose their marbles at the first thought of a celebrity. But honestly, we also want Tom Holland to treat us like a Jenga puzzle, so it’s not like she’s wrong.

Anyway, Lisa now runs a private VR Simulation Lab that specializes in shirtless celebrity avatars. ame er Yearbook Quote: “Me know

To the hamber Street Stat o

By ESHAAL UBAID Our hero races down the hall Much to the bystanding couple’s dismay He pushes them straight into a wall Running on, praying for a train delay.

His locker remains neglected Hanging open, lock exposed.

If comes a thief, as suspected His loss will have been self-imposed A trip here, a collision there He speeds down several escalators The smell of freedom fills the air Refreshed, he makes a bolt for Chambers

The poor freshman who gets overrun And the McDonalds that glistens bright The SciOly team, incapable of having fun All stand frozen on this Monday night.

Yet this student can no longer be still For he snoozed long past his due “I have at least 30 minutes until the LIRR,” he said, in a joyful mood.

His alarm may have failed him His actions weren’t noble The only thought that strikes him, “I should have slept in global.”

With eight minutes to spare in

theory, And 11 minutes left of commute, This brave young soul feels an eerie Sense of dread—this fiasco isn’t cute.

Jumping over the rails of the stairs, And failing to swipe three times, Our hero somersaults into the musty air Of a 2 train car, committing many crimes A tall fellow conveniently blocking The entrance to the great land of Penn Our hero scooches to the framing Of doors, ready to crush him there and then.

ho e ot

ore

doubt your mental capacity. Your Super Mario copyright claim will surely be rescinded by your guidance counselor for the good of humanity if anything, but enjoy it while you can? “heyyyy umm what should I do if my music taste sucks so hard that my parrot is threatening to eat all the keys on my keyboard to get me to stop playing it?” —Absolutely distraught junior JUNIOR, it’s not too late to fix your Spotify Wrapped. Get on that Discover Weekly. Follow me on Spotify while you’re at it, actually.

I’m sensing an upset stomach from your end, so in these cases, nine out of 10 dentists recommend drinking an entire case of Pepto Bismol. The other one recommends taking the F train to 42nd Street before transferring to the J. Hope this helps. “um hey AI therapist, my friends are all really mad at me because I keep cosplaying as VeggieTales characters at school. I can

r

m

fathomable as to why he wasn’t offered any scholarships in his native country—the United States— to play squash. We soon began to understand James’s ultimate demise after he shared his dreadful past that came back to haunt him.

James shared how he wrote a Stuyvesant Confessions post as a sophomore anonymously, but his identity was leaked, which led many admissions offices to turn a blind eye to the wondrous athlete.

His post read: “Got hot ‘n heavy in the Hudson with some teacher.

Called me into her office the next week to tell me she hasn't experienced her time of the month, GIRL DOES IT LOOK LIKE I’VE SEEN IT?! IDFK where it ran off...”

Today, James is currently training to represent Egypt’s national squash team. However, to this day, he is still confused as to why there are letters requiring him to pay something called “child support.”

Do a a Yearbook Quote: “I vibed on another wavelength than most; must be why I had no friends” Wang had mediocre grades, was well-liked by most of his peers, and was projected to have a very successful career. Because he was

o er Three minutes till the train and two to get there Our hero is sweaty and pale No time for rest, his dignity lays bare Catching his breath like a beached whale Ding go the doors Success has nearly been reached!

Hallelujah! he nearly kisses the floors But salvation is hardly within his reach.

Run again, run again, read the sign Out of the way, tourist!

Is it platform 20 or 21 this time?

Not now, subway purist!

Sprinting like the track team,

e

never find my zipper when I have to go to the bathroom so i make them unzip my costumes for me. I also make them hold my wigs when i change for gym, making them late for calc as well. i’m worried there’s too much growing tension among us. any advice?” —Worried senior SENIOR, if anything, please don’t take to sitting on a warm toilet bowl to absolve you of your tensions. I don’t know if you knew this, but from what I’ve seen, if you switch from VeggieTales to CyberChase cosplays, your friends will be legally obligated to pay you $20 every time they see you. You’re welcome.

There you have it, folks! Not only do I feel our little piece of technology here is more than qualified to single-handedly cure all of your mental health issues, but this therapist is so much cheaper than the real deal! Hope you find inner peace or some pretty stellar advice I should implement in my own life right now. Thanks, AI therapist!

o baptised at birth though, the Roman Catholic Church started to pressure him to become a bishop as opposed to a recruit in the U.S. Army. He ended up caving in and joined as a deacon.

Donald shared his thinking as to why he made such a drastic decision in his life. He detailed that in his junior year, he made a Stuyvesant Confessions post because he was “down bad.” Contents of Donald’s post were as follows: “Look, I'm a junior who's also a big sib. And it just so happens that I have caught feelings for my little sib. And I'm sort of disappointed in myself because she's a freshman and I'm a junior, and I think I need some therapy right now.”

Donald took up his own advice and is now seeking God’s forgiveness to repent for his sinful behavior during high school.

Donald is currently unemployed but hopes to join his local church one day as a youth pastor.

We are very thankful for these three alumni who were all willing to speak with us about their experiences after high school. We hope that future Stuyvesant students can learn from their experiences so that these mistakes won’t be repeated. An important lesson to take away from this is that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction, plus a social media overreaction.

e Mustering all his courage, he leaps in!

A click resonates behind him He’s done it, thanks to the power within.

An exhale of relief When he finds a seat, he sighs with ease Alas, his joy is brief For the conductor goes, “ticket please?”

All beasts have been slain!

This is truly the final stretch!

Suffer not, this pain Or be made the veriest wretch But every pocket bare The mood suddenly somber His ticket isn’t there.

He left it in his locker.

Page 22

The Spectator ● December 10, 2021

Sports Soccer

The Defender Who Revolutionized Soccer

By SOHAM MUKHERJEE Two-time Ballon d’Or winner, four-time Footballer of the Year, World Cup winner, Euro Championship winner, and four-time German Cup winner aren’t achievements that one would expect from a defender. However, one defender has accomplished these. Nicknamed “Der Kaiser” (German for “German emperor”), Franz Beckenbauer transformed soccer forever through his unique playing style and commanding leadership on the field.

Born in Munich on September 11, 1945, Beckenbauer’s passion for the game saw him join the youth team of SC Munich ’06 in 1954. Later, he made it onto Bayern Munich’s youth team, the squad with which he would become the greatest defender of his era, in 1959. Beckenbauer impressed the club’s coaches and was soon promoted to the official squad. In his first season, the team won the second division and was promoted to the Bundesliga, the top flight of German soccer.

Over the next four years, the team improved massively, and in 1968, Beckenbauer was named team captain. Under his first season of captaincy, Bayern won its first Bundesliga title. Throughout the next few years, the team would go on to win the Bundesliga three times in a row from 1972 to 1974, as well as three European Cups from 1974 to 1976.

Beckenbauer’s commanding presence on the field earned him the nickname “Der Kaiser” among his growing fan base and the media.

His success with Bayern was widely recognized by the entire soccer world. When he joined Bayern, he brought with him youthful energy and a unique perspective to the team. He understood complicated offensive and defensive

tactics and could organize his team to counter those strategies. Beckenbauer’s firm leadership was what enabled his success. He was able to spread his understanding among his teammates and develop strong relationships with others. He brought the whole team together, creating a sense of unity which produced chemistry between teammates.

These effects on the team soon began to show on the field as Bayern’s playstyle took on a new form. Attackers combined short passes and quickly finished offensive chances to score a plethora of goals while the defense worked as a unit to stop any of the opponent’s threats. Bayern soon became a force to be reckoned with, capturing German soccer in a short span and winning countless trophies.

Beckenbauer’s hard work with Bayern got him invited to the national squad for the 1966 World Cup, where he impressed all who watched him play. He scored goal after goal

fulfilled his duties excellently, proving his potential as a defensive player.

Around this time, Der Kaiser began experimenting with the role of the libero, a position invented by the Italians.

The libero operates behind the defensive line in front of the goalkeeper, where he can swipe up loose balls, stop final threats, and act as the final line of defense in front of the goal. However, Beckenbauer added an extra offensive element to the role. In addition to his incredible understanding of the game and his defensive awareness making him the perfect libero, Beckenbauer could advance up the field with the ball, adding to the offensive capabilities of his team.

He had a unique ability to organize the team through his vision of the entire field and combine passes with other players while orchestrating the attack. He could play long balls over the top of the opponent’s defense to the German attackers, who could exploit their

the 1970 World Cup, where his team defeated England in the quarterfinals and moved on to face a tough Italian team in the semifinals. Unfortunately, the Germans fell at the hands of the Italians in a hard-fought 3-4 match. After four years of hard work, West Germany returned to the 1974 World Cup, which would prove to be the perfect stage for Der Kaiser to shine. Under the captaincy of Beckenbauer, the team fought its way to the finals, where they were set to face their most difficult foe yet: a synchronized, goal-scoring machine in the form of the Netherlands, led by one of the greatest playmakers of all time, Johan Cruyff. Even though Dutch midfielder Johan Neeskens scored an early penalty in the second minute, the Germans recovered with midfielder Paul Breitner finishing a 25th minute penalty and striker Gerd Müller scoring the 43rd minute winner. The German captain was instrumental in West Germany’s comeback win

Der Kaiser’s defensive characteristics provided his success at the heart of his defense, but his technica ab t th the ba a o a e h m co e ce to p a a he he th the ree om o the re e e libero role. with passion and effort that onlookers would remember for years to come. In the finals against a dominant English team, the coach assigned Beckenbauer the defensive responsibility of man-marking prolific striker Bobby Charlton.

Though England ultimately won the match, Beckenbauer

speed and finishing ability to score many goals. Der Kaiser’s defensive characteristics provided his success at the heart of his defense, but his technical ability with the ball also gave him confidence to play as he wished with the freedom of the redefined libero role.

Beckenbauer traveled to

against the Dutch in that final game, which truly showcased the extent to which his libero role had an impact, and Beckenbauer’s triumph over Cruyff to win his first World Cup with West Germany will forever be remembered.

After West Germany’s defeat to Czechoslovakia in the

1976 Euro final, Beckenbauer retired from his international career the next year at the age of 31. He would later return to coach his national side on multiple occasions. His first experience at the 1986 World Cup saw West Germany fall to a Diego Maradona-led Argentina in the final. Beckenbauer returned to the World Cup with his team in 1990 after developing new tactics and a unified team spirit. The team faced the same Argentinian side as last time, with Maradona returning in hopes for his second World Cup. However, Beckenbauer’s new strategies paid off, and the German side managed to shut out Argentina’s attacks, avoid the mistakes of the last final, create chances, and ultimately triumph in a 1-0 win.

This feat made Beckenbauer the first man in the game’s history to win the World Cup both as a captain of his national team and as coach. His incredible success as a player and coach was remarkable and achieved by very few. Later, he would retire from coaching after managing multiple clubs, including Olympique de Marseille and Bayern Munich.

Beckenbauer’s critical contributions as player and coach, namely his revolutionary impact on the role of the libero, have left their mark on the modern game. After witnessing the effectiveness of Der Kaiser’s playing style, many teams began adopting his tactics, and the game evolved into a more offensive form. Nowadays, top teams focus on keeping possession and passing the ball, patiently creating chances to score goals and using the defense as a way to control the game. Beckenbauer’s legacy has carried on. He will always be remembered for his impact on the game through his intelligent tactics, great understanding of the game, and unmatched leadership.

Spread

Who’s Going to Disney World?

By THE SPORTS DEPARTMENT Who do you have winning the Super Bowl and why?

“My entire life I have bet against Tom Brady. Every year since 2013, I have declared that he was old and his reign was over.

That ends today. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are one of the most complete teams in the league. Their passing attack is the perfect mix of explosiveness and intelligence, and their dominant front seven lead their dominant defense. With little competition in the NFC South, the Bucs should cruise to a top three seed and plant their flag at SoFi Stadium in February.”

—Max Schneider, junior “The Green Bay Packers are poised to finally live up to their potential. Aaron Rodgers drama aside, the Packers have looked as good as anyone this season, with a multifaceted offense and stout defense. Ever since an embarrassing Week 1 loss to the post-Drew Brees Saints, the Cheeseheads have had key victories over Super Bowl contenders, including the Arizona Cardinals and the Los Angeles Rams.” —Krish Gupta, senior

“The Buffalo Bills have long awaited their moments of contention, but they have finally reached the mountaintop of the AFC East. The team is extremely well-balanced, and their pass attack, led by Josh Allen, is turning out to be one of the best in franchise history. They need to remain consistent entering the final few weeks of the season. With the Patriots in close pursuit of the AFC East title, the Bills offense needs to be able to steamroll those matches like they did to the Chiefs and Packers earlier in the season. Coming off a bye week, they should be prepared to win in Carolina, New Jersey, and Atlanta, topping off their record to become one that is able to take the AFC East. If the Bills are capable of preventing any more black-sheep losses against teams out of contention, they have a considerable shot at winning the Super Bowl.” —Khush Wadhwa, freshman

“The only hope left for New York this year is the Buffalo Bills, a team that has kept hope quite alive. Not only are they legitimate Super Bowl contenders, but they could very well snatch their first Lombardi trophy. On the roster is Josh Allen, a magnificent quarterback who can do it all. And to complement Allen’s talents, the Bills boast one of the best overall lineups in the league.

I have little doubt that this team will dominate any competition in its way and restore the pride of the Bills Mafia.” —Sathirtha Mondal, junior

The Spectator ● December 10, 2021

Page 23

Sports Boys’ Varsity Fencing

The Untouchables Win It All After a year of inaction and countless hours of practice afterschool, the Untouchables, Stuyvesant’s boys’ varsity fencing team, have been named the 20212022 PSAL champions.

This miracle season served as a testament to the unprecedented success that the Untouchables have had over the years. With over 30 city championships under their belt and repeated years spent near the top of the Division II Manhattan/Queens standings, there were high expectations and pressure on the team to live up to the success of past lineups. And they didn’t disappoint.

This great feat didn’t come without adversity, however. Unlike other sports teams who partook in an abbreviated season during the spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Untouchables didn’t participate in any competition for the duration of Stuyvesant’s time away from the building. This interruption made it difficult for members of the team to work on their skills and remain sharp, and head coach Joel Winston advocated for members of the team to find competition in order to maintain their ability.

“Trying to inspire fencers on our team to pursue fencing clubs and outside tournaments [remained] one of my biggest challenges,” Winston said. Winston had been the mastermind behind the team’s dominant 13-year winning streak, which only ended a few years ago in 2018 in a loss against Beacon High School. Coming into this season, the team was faced with the challenge of reclaiming their former dominance in the Manhattan/Queens division, which had been slipping out of their hands during the prior season.

The time away from fencing also influenced members to look into other endeavours, which made it more difficult for fencers to commit to the team and their practices. When the PSAL season resumed in the fall, practices were five days a week from 3:30 to 6:00 p.m., making the obstacle of getting members to commit greater. However, this difficulty

was overcome with the multitude of team bonding events and an emphasis on team spirit. “This year we had many team dinners, hangouts, and fun games. These were essential to getting the two years of newbies to get to know each other and feel a connection with the team,” senior and

ous teams while also finding joy.

“I [looked] forward to getting the team’s reputation back to where it was before and higher, but also having as much fun as possible.

We’ve always had a very good bond in the team,” Bransbourg said.

This leadership was also fu-

feat NEST+m in a margin of 90 to 52. Stuyvesaant did extraordinarily well during the foil section, which saw them win 45 to 16 and had junior Jacob Guo leading the way with 19 touches. In the epee section, the Untouchables held on to victory despite the much more narrow margin, 45 to 36.

captain Jason Jiang said. “Team chants, cheers and speeches, getting loud and feeling that energy in the air [get] that blood pumping. It’s like giving your energy to the starters on the team.”

Whether it was a shared love of M&M flavored ice cream during team dinners or screaming during stretches, Stuyvesant’s fencers formed strong bonds with each other that set up their successes as a team throughout the season.

Strong leadership was crucial to ensure that all fencers had the same priorities and remained committed to the team. However, this task was daunting because the team is made up of mostly underclassmen––14 out of 20 fencers, to be exact. The task of leading the young group was largely placed on two returning seniors, Jiang and Ethan Shan, with Felix Bransbourg also playing a prominent leadership role. The group made sure to lead by example and follow in the footsteps of previ-

eled by the passion that the upperclassmen have for fencing.

“The veterans this year did an amazing job of leading by example. We oozed dedication and love for fencing. Everything we did was a collaborative effort,” Jiang said.

The Untouchables’ success is highlighted even more by the fact that they played only three out of their scheduled 10 contests. The other seven contests were forfeited by the other teams. Their ability to improve their skills and stay motivated during practices in place of the contests that they missed out on speaks volumes.

They were able to carry this motivation to the playoffs and, eventually, all the way to the championship.

In the three regular season games that the Untouchables were able to compete in, they performed at a high level. The first of those three contests saw the Untouchables convincingly de-

Junior Gabriel Huang led the way with 17 touches. In the second of the three contests, the Untouchables defeated John Jay Campus by a more overwhelming score of 90 to 46. Stuyvesant dominated in both sections, foil and epee, in this match, defeating their opponent by an average of 22 touches.

When playoff time came around, Stuy entered as the sixth seed team out of nine competing schools from around the city.

Despite being placed lower than most of the schools in the bracket, Stuyvesant remained undeterred, showing up when it mattered the most. In the epee category, they won a landslide victory against Bronx Science, beat Hunter in a close match at 40-45, and lost to Staten Island Tech, finishing second in the bracket. As for foil, after defeating Townsend Harris, they sparred against Brooklyn Tech in a nail-bitingly close match that came down to the last point. Guo’s performance in

Courtesy of the Boys Fencing Team

By YAQIN RAHMAN and JULIAN DURAN

overtime punched Stuyvesant’s ticket to a win at 45-44 before an intense mob of Stuyvesant fencers rushed the court immediately in celebration. They then lost to Bronx Science in a close match, coming in second place for foil as well. Despite not winning first in either category, their combined score in both categories was the best out of every school, which earned the Untouchables the esteemed title of the 2021-2022 PSAL Fencing Champions.

“I was extremely proud of the team. We trained hard, and it paid off. This was one of the sweetest championships yet,” Winston said following the tournament.

“For me, I couldn’t process the victory. I felt so warm and fuzzy inside and a little relaxed and tired,” Jiang said. “The feeling we felt can be summed up on the bus ride home, where first we shouted thank you to everyone on the bus, then played ‘We Are The Champions’ by Queen. We were proud and satisfied with our win.”

The unique circumstances of the season and the adversity that each member was forced to overcome only tightened the bond of the team. The chemistry and determination led the Untouchables to an undefeated record at the top of the standings, along with the well sought after championship crown. While the fencing team’s success continues to be a constant at Stuyvesant High School, this year helped the team prove something else: “The bonds between members […] will be a lasting legacy of our COVID survival story. [They stand] as a testament to the strength of this amazing team and [are] the beacon that I look [toward] whenever I feel a twang of doubt,” Jiang said.

As the seniors say goodbye to their final season of fencing at Stuyvesant High School, the rest of the team will be tasked with ushering in a new era of success and keeping the legacy of Stuyvesant’s dominance in fencing alive for the future. But one thing is for certain: The boys’ fencing team, through much trial and adversity, has proved itself untouchable.

Tennis

#WhereIsPengShuai

By TAEE CHI The worlds of tennis and politics aligned recently when Peng Shuai, a Chinese tennis star, went missing following her accusations of sexual assault against a former Chinese politician. Peng, a three-time Olympian, 2010 Asian Games gold medalist, and former number one doubles player in the world, has not been seen by the public since November 2, when she posted on social media alleging former People’s Republic of China vice-premier Zhang Gaoli of sexual coercion. The Weibo post, which was quickly taken down by Chinese censors, along with Peng’s subsequent disappearance, has raised concerns regarding the tennis player’s safety.

The public’s concerns about Peng’s whereabouts have been compounded by the absence of photos and videos to prove her

well-being. “What we would say is that it would be important to have proof of her whereabouts and wellbeing, and we would urge that there be an investigation with full transparency into her allegations of sexual assault,” said Liz Throssell, the spokesperson of the United Nations Human Rights office.

The only proof that the public has received thus far came in the form of an e-mail, allegedly written by Peng and sent to the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA). The message read, “Hello everyone this is Peng Shuai […] I’m not missing, nor am I unsafe. I’ve been resting at home and everything is fine.” Instead of reassurance, the message further amplified the public’s uneasiness, as some speculated that Peng had been forced into writing the note. This possibility isn’t out of the question, given

the Chinese government’s long history of using force to suppress dissenters and silence those speaking out against the country.

As a result of the situation, the hashtag #WhereIsPengShuai has circulated on Twitter, with human rights activists, politicians, fans, and athletes banding together in the global search for the tennis star. Another hashtag, #FreePengShuai, has also been going around, suggesting the possibility of the former Olympian’s confinement.

The situation concerning Peng Shuai reflects a broader issue of China’s human rights abuses. Calls for a boycott against the forthcoming 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, which were already growing in recent months, are now further strengthened by the international concern for Peng. However, the International Olympic Com-

mittee (IOC) has taken a rather meek and compliant approach to the ordeal: “Quiet diplomacy offers the best opportunity to find a solution,” they asserted in a press release.

It is clear that the IOC is unwilling to challenge China due to the possible retributions of such actions on the looming Beijing Games, which have largely been funded by the Chinese government. They choose to ignore the fact that China’s human rights violations, including censorship, forced labor, and religious oppression, go against the core values of the IOC and the Olympics. It seems that the IOC lacks the courage to stand up for a member of their Olympian family and call out the dictatorial host for its blatant disregard for human rights.

On the contrary, the WTA has put up an admirable effort

in standing up for Peng. “Peng Shuai must be allowed to speak freely, without coercion or intimidation from any source. Her allegation of sexual assault must be respected, investigated with full transparency and without censorship,” chief executive of the WTA Steve Simon said.

“The voices of women need to be heard and respected, not censored nor dictated to.”

Simon also expressed the WTA’s complete willingness to move away from operations within China despite the organization’s recent efforts to build its Chinese market. The WTA’s willingness to put morals and principles over profit should serve as an example to professional athletic organizations around the world. It’s time for the Olympic Committee to get their act together and stand up for one of their own.

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The Spectator ● December 10, 2021

THE SPECTATOR SPORTS NBA

Scottie Pippen Tells It How He Sees It Chances are, the first thing that pops into your head when you hear the name Scottie Pippen is Michael Jordan. During the Chicago Bulls’ dynasty of the ‘90s, Pippen was the Robin to Jordan’s Batman––the G.O.A.T.’s de facto number two.

One year after ESPN’s documentary series “The Last Dance,” which follows the Bulls’ 1997-1998 season, Pippen released his autobiography, “Unguarded,” to share his own story.

Pippen penned this book alongside co-writer Michael Arkush.

In his book, instead of glorifying America’s favorite duo on the court, Pippen airs his grievances about Jordan and the Bulls organization, presenting a new side to the legendary lineup. In the prologue, Pippen sets the tone: “Michael and I aren’t close and never have been,” he writes. He explains how their interactions were mainly on the court, not off of it. They were not best friends, but rather business partners.

Pippen frequently revisits how he was viewed as simply a sidekick to Jordan. He notes that he felt underpaid throughout his years with the Bulls, despite being a key part of their run to six championships in eight years.

This belief led to him demanding to be traded and nearly being dealt out of Chicago on several occasions, which he was criticized for by fans, the organization, and the media.

Pippen has a number of problems with ESPN’s “The Last Dance,” some of which are justified and some uncalled for. Pippen opposes how Jordan would often berate teammates

how different the two truly are.

Pippen, born and raised in Hamburg, Arkansas, was the youngest of 12 children. Rather than being recruited to a blue blood school like Jordan was recruited

for poor performances, writing, “We didn’t win six championships because [Jordan] got on guys. We won in spite of [it]. I was a much better teammate than [Jordan] ever was.” Throughout the autobiography, Pippen seems to be trying to prove his value— and perhaps diminish the value of Jordan. By taking this stance, Pippen is simply continuing to feed into the narrative that he is Jordan’s number two, not eliminating it.

Learning about Pippen’s life before the NBA, however, shows

by the University of North Carolina Tar Heels, Pippen didn’t draw interest from any recruiters and never even played Division 1 college basketball. Pippen attended Central Arkansas, with games that drew no NBA scouts.

However, American sports scout Jerry Krause noticed Pippen, and the rising star was traded to the Bulls after he was snatched up by the Seattle SuperSonics with the fifth overall pick in the draft. The rest is history, as Pippen and Jordan led the franchise to six world titles, transforming the game of

Sasha Socolow / The Spectator

By KRISH GUPTA

basketball in the process.

In his book, Pippen weighs in on basketball’s G.O.A.T. debate.

The author makes it abundantly clear that LeBron James is the sport’s unequivocal G.O.A.T., not Jordan. Pippen actually argues that Jordan ruined the game of basketball with his offensive focus. All of the kids wanted to be “Like Mike,” creating a generation of scorers first, defenders second. It is perfectly reasonable for Pippen to say that James surpassed Jordan’s legacy, but saying that Jordan ruined the game is petty. Without MJ, basketball’s popularity would be significantly lower, and many NBA players likely never would have become such influential figures.

“Unguarded” is a captivating read that gives a unique and overlooked take on one of America’s most celebrated sports dynasties. It is admirable that Pippen doesn’t ignore or shy away from the low points of his career. Throughout the book, he responds to his various controversies and low points over the years: the boos at the United Center after he requested a trade; the infamous “1.8 seconds” drama when Phil Jackson assigned Toni Kukoč, not Pippen, to take the winning shot; and more.

“Unguarded” lives up to its title and portrays a basketball legend in a way not many others have done. However, as expected, it isn’t particularly artfully written and could benefit from a more intimate look into Pippen’s per-

sonal life.

Reviews for the book are mixed. One headline from the Chicago Sun Times declares, “Scottie Pippen sells books, but hurts his reputation.” Another from the New York Post reads, “Scottie Pippen will never get over being in Michael Jordan’s shadow.”

Former teammate and NBA legend Charles Barkley had perhaps the most brutal take, saying, “Talking to my NBA family it’s kind of like, ‘Yo man will you all please buy this dude’s book so he can shut the hell up?’”

Others were more forgiving.

Yahoo! lauded the book, noting, “Pippen hopes to remind fans basketball is a team sport.” Many see Pippen’s unflinching writing as a way to drum up controversy just to sell more books, while others appreciate the blunt honesty.

At the end of the day, Pippen still hasn’t separated from MJ’s large shadow. He may be a mainstay on the NBA 50 and now NBA 75 lists, but he will forever be remembered for being by Jordan’s side. The blurb of the book makes Pip’s view on his own value explicit: “Simply put, without Pippen, there are no championship banners––let alone six–– hanging from the United Center rafters.” They may not agree on much, but there would be no Jordan as we know him without Pippen.

Remember his name.

UEFA

The Fall of a Hero

By NAKIB ABEDIN With only seconds left in the game, Manchester United midfielder David Beckham stepped up to take a corner. He whipped the ball in, and after a deflection, the ball landed right in front of Norwegian striker Ole Gunnar Solskjær, who smashed the ball into the back of the net. His goal had won Manchester United the UEFA Champions League and completed its first ever treble (when a club wins three trophies in one season) in the history of English football. With his name echoing across the stadium, Solskjær quickly became the most adored man in Manchester.

Twenty years later, the Red Devils found themselves in ruins. They had just sacked José Mourinho, their third manager in five years. With the future looking bleak, an old hero came back to save them. Solskjær was appointed as the interim manager, with the majority of fans expecting him to serve as a placeholder while United searched for a more experienced leader.

Though Solskjær had some experience coaching Molde FK, a small team in Norway, it was a massive leap to begin managing one of the most successful teams in the history of English soccer.

However, the world was stunned as Solskjær’s team won 14 out of a possible 19 games, putting them in strong contention for a spot in the top four. With many fans hoping that Solskjær would

bring United back to their former glory, it was no surprise that he was handed a three-year contract.

Unfortunately, things would soon take a turn for the worse for the Norwegian manager.

Solskjær finished the 20192020 season off with United in the top four, but his side still landed a massive 33 points behind league champion Liverpool and 15 points behind runnerup Manchester City. Fans were content given that Solskjær had joined halfway through the season, and they were expecting United to compete for a trophy in the following season given the strength of the roster.

The new season, however, started off poorly for Solskjær.

The Red Devils received a 6-1 humiliation from Tottenham Hotspur FC early on and found themselves in shambles. They were able to recover to finish as runners-up in the league, but much of the success was attributed to the individual brilliance of players such as Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba rather than managerial tactics. At the end of the season, the Red Devils reached the Europa League final. United lost by razor-thin margins, with the game heading to a penalty shootout that United narrowly lost 11-10. Many fans questioned Solskjær’s decision not to sub out David de Gea, who failed to save 40 penalties in a row, for backup keeper Dean Henderson, who had saved an impressive 8 out of 17 penalties in his professional

career.

With fans furious after another trophyless season, Solskjær found himself as the scapegoat for all of United’s woes. Nonetheless, the board kept its faith in him, even bringing in Jadon Sancho, Raphaël Varane, and Cristiano Ronaldo to bolster an already strong squad. Despite a four-game undefeated streak at the beginning of the season, Solskjær’s side crumbled as the season progressed. The Red Devils were humiliated 5-0 by Liverpool, outclassed 2-0 by Manchester City, and destroyed 4-1 by Watford FC within the span of five games. After relentless pressure from the fans, Solskjær parted ways with Manchester United under mutual consent. Once a cherished hero, Solskjær left the club as a villain, the man responsible for the downfall of Manchester United.

In reality, the true villains of the story are the owners of the club. Since the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson retired, Manchester United has struggled to win trophies. Though it may be easy to blame Solskjær, the reality is that world-class managers have faced the same fate. Louis van Gaal and Mourinho were two of the most experienced and accomplished coaches when they joined United.

However, they too were unable to find long-term success. The root of the problem stems from the Glazers family, which bought the club over a decade ago. The Glazers consistently make poor deci-

sions and investments but often get away with them since there isn’t much that fans can do to force them to sell the club. Earlier on in 2021, Manchester United fans stormed Old Trafford in order to protest the Glazers’ ownership. In response, they invested money in the club, spending over $150 million. Though this action was a seemingly positive turn of events on the surface, the reality is that the Glazers recruited players in the wrong positions. Despite being in desperate need of new defensive midfielders, the Glazers bought players like Sancho, who often struggles to make it into the starting roster, and Ronaldo, who was a solid signing but wasn’t en-

tirely necessary, considering that United was already known for its strong offense.

Nonetheless, these purchases took pressure off of the Glazers family, and all of the blame went to Solskjær. Even though Solskjær’s results were far from acceptable, the fact that many great managers suffered the same fate suggests that the problem isn’t with the manager, but rather with the owners. History tends to repeat itself, and United will likely face the same dilemma again.

Next time, however, United fans must ensure that the Glazers take accountability themselves for the fall of a historic club.

SPORTSBEAT There is an MLB lockout for the first time in 26 years.

Lionel Messi won his seventh Ballon d’Or, the award given to the world’s best soccer player annually.

Pitcher Max Scherzer signed a record deal with the New York Mets.

The Portland Timbers will host New York City FC in the MLS Cup, as NYCFC is set to make its first Cup appearance in club history The University of Michigan stunned Ohio State football in an upset, shaking up the College Football Playoff outlook.

Football coach Brian Kelly left Notre Dame to become the head coach of LSU.