LifeStuyle by The Stuyvesant Spectator

The Spectator

The Stuyvesant High School Newspaper

Editors-in-Chief Momoca Mairaj Maya Nelson Layout Editors Susie McKnight Shreya Roy Danny Xiong Photography Editors Alexander Lopez Zifei Zhao Web Editors David Chen Samantha Hua Theodore Yochum

Art Directors Afra Mahmud Nelli Rojas-Cessa Vivian Teo Business Managers Inara Rabbani Amber Shen Copy Editors Nada Hameed Eman Sadiq Ruiwen Tang Raymond Yang

Editors Rebecca Bao Isabella Jia Janna Wang Lauren Lee Shivani Manimaran Christina Pan Peter Goswami Anisha Singhal Sathirtha Mondal Sonya Sasson Nicole Liu Kenisha Mahajan Levi Simon Erica Chen Oliver Hollmann Taee Chi Shafiul Haque Ava Quarles

A special thank you to Adrianna Peng and Cadence Li for their work in designing the front and back covers, respectively.

C l u b

Nepotism BY SHAFIUL HAQUE, SATHIRTHA MONDAL, JANNA WANG, AND ZIFEI ZHAO

“It’s not what you know, theless. By being more informed extracurriculars they participated in. about nepotism and its drawbacks, Accusers alleged that certain memit’s who you know.”

The well-known adage holds true in many professional environments. Too often is success determined by one’s connections as opposed to one’s competence. It makes sense— the psychological tendency to fear outsiders and trust the familiar is innate. At Stuyvesant, it’s not uncommon for friends of incumbents to gain leadership positions in various clubs. Students in positions of power often cross the boundary separating friendship and professionalism to avoid confrontation or conflict with their peers. Nepotism is more than evident in our extracurriculars, and yet Stuyvesant students consistently turn a blind eye to it. In fact, students seldom care about favoritism unless it’s used against them. On the whole, nepotism isn’t completely terrible, but it is a malpractice none-

Emily Young-Squire / The Spectator

the morale of the Stuyvesant community and the culture of solidarity within our extracurriculars could be enhanced. Nepotism is formally defined as favoritism for friends or relatives from people in positions of power. Debates surrounding the subject were brought up earlier this year in light of the release of “The Letter,” an exposé of corruption within the Student Union (SU) and Junior Caucus. Though it involved private conflicts between the members of SU and Junior Caucus, with criticisms regarding both organizations, there were clear allegations related to nepotism. The class of 2023 Sophomore and Junior Caucuses were supposedly able to bypass the standard member application process, with leaders identifying particular favored members by asking people which

bers were permitted into the cabinet without completing the application process. Junior Luca Adeishvilli— among the various co-authors of said letter—explained, “These decisions for leadership positions, including my own, were [made] months before the actual school year started— much less before applications for Junior Caucus had even come out. I was a product of the Junior Caucus’s nepotism, having only gotten a role as a member of the Social Media department because I made a caucus-related TikTok that was apparently ‘so funny’ that I was allowed to bypass the application process and instantly become a member.” The allegations made in “The Letter” circulated throughout the student body, sparking concerns over certain practices within Stuyvesant’s student government. Some, including SU President Shivali Korgaonkar, defended the student government organizations: “Every single person I’ve worked with is deserving of their position and they have merit that gave them that position. To say that just because they are friends with the president or just because they are in some corrupt larger system undermines the work and dedication they put into the SU.” Others, such as junior Jerry Yang, believe that this situation calls for more awareness amongst the student

body about news involving student government. “Remember this [incident] when you’re interacting with the caucus in general—be more cautious. Just remember that this happened and act accordingly,” he said. Despite attempts for a call to action and arguments against the claims put forth in “The Letter,” the student government bodies in question failed to acknowledge these clear claims of nepotism, with the Junior Caucus silently replacing co-president Daniel Jung with then-Chief of Staff Jady Chen. The buzz from this incident eventually faded as students found themselves thrust into an overload of work in the last few months of the school year. The SU and caucuses received the majority of the attention for allowing a culture of nepotism to sustain itself at Stuyvesant. “A lot of the people in SU are seniors who are friends with each other. They might be qualified, but this year there were only three non-seniors accepted and I don’t think they were accepted just for their skills,” an anonymous student said. Yet, the issue extends far beyond just student government. Ultimately, the incident reflected the pernicious nature of Stuyvesant’s culture of competition. Despite many clubs maintaining the front that there is no foul play behind the scenes, the student body has almost unanimously agreed that nepotism is present in many of the extracurricular activities at Stuyvesant. In a survey conducted by The Spectator, 62 percent of respondents reported personally witnessing and/or benefitted from any form of favoritism or nepotism in a club setting. An even more significant 80 percent of respondents view nepotism as an issue within student organizations. “It’s really difficult to see people getting leadership positions without the influence and support of their friends. I get it, friends want to vote for each other and see each other succeed, but sometimes that prevents a leadership role from go-

ing to the person who is actually the most qualified or merit[orious],” an anonymous student who responded to the form said. There seems to be a general consensus among the student body about the boundaries that become blurred when it comes to friendships and extracurricular activities. “In the beginning of the school year when we were electing leaders for the freshman caucus, I voted for many of my friends without even knowing what the freshman caucus was. I had tried not to vote on nepotism but peer pressure pushed me to, and if your friends knew that you didn’t vote for them, you might lose your friendship,” an anonymous freshman said. It is difficult for The Stuyvesant Spectator, a club that likewise has to deal with cases of nepotism, to give ideas on how to prevent these sorts of situations within Stuyvesant organizations. However, there are many possible solutions that clubs can implement in order to keep nepotism at bay. For example, clubs can implement fair elections with a set of guidelines and rules. As one of the major clubs at Stuyvesant, the Big Sibs have taken measures in order to prevent nepotism. When asked about the selection process for the program, Big Sib Chair Efe Kilic stated, “For the interview process, we separate everybody that we knew personally so other [Big Sib] Chairs could interview them, and we take in people that we don’t know to make sure that there is no bias or no connections that go into our decisions.” Since there are five Big Sib Chairs, separating applicants based on personal relationships was a smooth process. Similarly, because many organizations usually have a sizable number of people on the leadership board, during the interview process for an applicant, the candidates can be assigned to leaders who don’t 5

have a personal connection with them. In the case where all the board members of a club are personally associated with a candidate, the leaders can instead opt to elect a board of impartial people to review candidates for leadership positions. The Science Olympiad has maintained its integrity by assessing its members on their passion and commitment level toward the club. “[Science Olympiad] is basically the only thing I do and commit to every day after school. In my opinion a leader is someone who steps up to make sure everything and everyone is on the same page, and if you aren’t committed how can you care about that?” Treasurer and Tech Captain Matthew Weng said. Leaders and event captains are selected by incumbents while other prestigious roles are assigned based on a form and a subsequent interview. It’s very easy to find passionate candidates based on the amount of time and effort they spend toward pursuing the position as well as their commitment toward the club prior to applying. However, this line of reasoning has failed to eliminate the issue entirely. “[Science Olympiad] specifically has a major problem with nepotism,” an anonymous student who filled out the form said. “They simply neglected my application completely. Other clubs follow similar nepotism and seniority. If you are somehow lucky [enough] to get on the board or a high position in junior or sophomore year, it is essentially a free train ride for the rest of your time in Stuyvesant. This is awful for new people wanting to join the clubs.” On top of the aforementioned solutions, there are other considerations that board leaders should make depending on the circumstances of their club. Letting members vote for positions seems like a valid method for electing trusting candidates. In organizations such as Key Club and FRC Robotics, elections are conducted—even for members who aren’t truly a part of the club. In order to combat this situation, the board could filter out committed members by establishing a quota that members have to reach in order to vote. Some possible ideas include

keeping track of total hours committed to the club and the amount of work that the members have contributed. While Stuyvesant extracurriculars have long been student-driven, another safeguard would be the involvement of the faculty, adults who can be entrusted with making objective decisions, in the selection process. Once candidates are elected for their respective leadership positions, routine check-ins could be 38% done to ensure that they are doing their job correctly. Board members 62% could have monthly meetings to make sure all projects are running smoothly, so even if the people nominated are favored by the board, any problems that arise may be a larger indicator of the qualifications of its leaders. Clubs could also imNepotism plays a large role in plement feedback forms on leaderdetermining club leadership ship, which members would fill out anonymously once or twice a year. positions. There should also be a system for removal from positions, particularly Strongly Disagree if the occasion arises where a board member of a club isn’t doing the job 4.2% Disagree correctly. 5.6% Yet, these possibilities are unable to address the larger issue of rampant lobbying within clubs with electoral processes. The emphasis on competing to gain leadership Neutral Agree positions and maintaining extra16.9% curricular activities for the college 47.9% application process remains omniStrongly present within the Stuyvesant comAgree munity. There is only so much that a club can do to maintain a fair set of 25.4% guidelines and enforce a strict policy on no favoritism. “It’s how the entire student body runs. It’s literally a way of life for most people, especially in Do you view nepotism as an SING!. I noticed it [feels] like someone’s exclusive club to hang out with issue within student their friends. Even though I like to organizations at Stuyvesant? tell people it’s just the way it is, I’m sick of it honestly. It’s just such a shame that this is the only way most people know how to operate,” an anonymous student who filled out 19.7% the form said. Quite frankly, nepotism isn’t always bad. In some cases, it selects the candidate who is the most qualified or trustworthy. “I think that 80.3% nepotism is only destructive when the person who is chosen for [a] leadership position is not the most qualified for the position, because

Have you personally witnessed and/or benefitted from any form of favoritism or nepotism in a club setting?

Yes

oftentimes we’ve selected people who we [...] [know because of] their accolades, [essentially] their previous experience that demonstrated their competency, rather than favoring people for petty reasons,” an anonymous student who filled out the form said. Occasionally, such bias, which results from having confidence in the candidate, can even provide stability in the position. Often, however, the emphasis on seniority and interpersonal connections creates a discouraging air of exclusivity and cliques. “The Freshman Caucus was elected entirely based on friendships. This is the same across the entire SU: friends vote for friends, not the best candidate. Also, I have seen many underclassmen [...] only receive club leadership roles because of an older sibling’s involvement in the club,” an anonymous student said. As we all gear up for life beyond high school, it’s clear that nepotism is an issue that can’t be avoided. As much as Stuyvesant students may complain about this issue, it dominates our extracurriculars. It’s about time we start focusing on the solutions, too. “I feel like people can not complain about a problem without offering a solution,” said Junior Caucus Co-President Jady Chen. It’s important to take into account the selective nature of surface conversations regarding nepotism. For instance, though numerous students brought their experiences with nepotism in the Junior Caucus to light within “The Letter,” they only did so after being removed from their positions of power. This raises the concern that we remain complicit when we are the beneficiaries of nepotism and are seeking to address personal grievances rather than the systemic issues at large. At the end of the day, it’s important to acknowledge that we are still high schoolers and still young. It is hard to draw the line between professionalism and friendship in a teenage setting where we are all still developing professional skills. In some sense, nepotism in high school is inevitable, but it’s still crucial to maintain as fair of a selection process as possible to preserve our integrity as a community.

Opinions

The Stuyvesant Fallacy By Momoca Mairaj and Maya Nelson “I joined Key Club because I heard volunteering looks great for college.”

“My favorite class is probably Health because the teacher assigns like, no work.”

“You got six hours of sleep? Hah, try four!”

Stuyvesant has a problem.

Sophia Li / The Spectator

n a school defined by academic rigor and college craze, it’s no wonder that compassion for school, others, and ourselves diminishes over our four years here. When the declining status of your mental health turns into a competition and extracurriculars become more bullet points on your resume, how do you remember to put your present self first? The prospect of getting into college is a looming force that stays with us throughout all of our achievements and setbacks in high school. It can almost be comforting as when faced with burnout, college becomes an ever-present motivator to keep persevering through tests, essays, and extracurriculars. This objective quickly becomes a casual quip among Stuyvesant students: “I’m only doing it for college.” At Stuyvesant, there tends to be a game of constant comparison where your worth and value are determined in relation to your peers. A 95 on a test is deemed less significant because someone else got a 100. The work you put into one club you’re passionate about pales in comparison to the 10 leadership positions someone else holds. As a result, we often choose the activity or class we think will have more value to colleges over those we are truly interested in. Clubs are meant to serve as havens for students with shared interests and to make one look forward to going to school. But at Stuyvesant, club involvement is often solely driven by the desire for a title or for other superficial reasons, leading to growing disregard toward that club’s actual purpose. You probably attended that Red Cross event not from a genuine desire to help others, but because

a few extra service hours might help boost your resume—or for extra credit. When a distant goal becomes our top priority, it’s easy for everything else we do to start to feel meaningless. The dissatisfaction that comes from this tunnel vision leaks everywhere. We neglect aspects of our life that we once found important and distance ourselves from our school community. Many students decide that sleep is secondary, as is eating lunch or spending time with family. This same general disillusionment, in which our focus on the future overwhelms our care for the present, is also the root of why some of us don’t vote for caucus elections, fill out feedback forms, or report incidents that should be reported at school. At some point, when things get really difficult, we have questioned

why we are doing all of this. We forget that all this stress we go through is ultimately for ourselves—and that it’s okay to slow down and rest when you need to. Thanks to COVID, taking mental health days have become more widespread. Learn to care about yourself and find more meaning to life than school. Don’t feel guilty about doing things you like because you can’t write that you did it somewhere. As Editors-in-Chief of The Spectator, it seems ironic to criticize the aspiration of impressing colleges that lies behind applying for leadership positions. We’d be lying if we said that during the grueling application process and hours of editing, knowing that we could add a shiny title to our college resume didn’t hurt. But when you devote so much of yourself to something, college can’t be your sole motivator. We love writing, seeing each issue come out on the stands, and knowing that someone is reading our work, and that motivation is what keeps us from losing our passion for our job. We could never vie to be a leader in robotics or math team, because we simply do not have the same interest for it as we do for Spec. We were fortunate enough to be able to find an activity that we genuinely enjoy doing and find friends within that community. Don’t let college dictate your reasoning for joining clubs, and don’t let it ruin your love for it. But let’s be real here: that’s easier said than done. We don’t have full control over our course load, and stress can still arise from what we love, but it’s a lot easier to pick ourselves up from feelings of inadequacy when doing things we’re actually passionate about. With over 140 clubs, there’s bound to be something you love and a community of people who will support you. Use these four years as the period of exploration that they are designed to be.

Plumes, Pills, By PETER GOSWAMI, LEX LOPEZ,

From an outsider’s perspective, Stuyvesant High School, the Department of Education’s beacon of inquiry, productivity, and achievement, should be fundamentally incompatible with brain-altering chemicals. Such bright and accomplished students would never stoop so low as to sample sativa or smack. In reality, Stuyvesant is no exception from the reality of high schoolers using drugs. Some after-school clouds at Rockefeller Park are so big they could be studied meteorologically, and often, the bathrooms get so saturated with cannabinoids that even the walls get a little stoned. It leaves us to wonder, why do some Stuyvesant students turn to drugs? While the majority of students have not tried any drugs, a little more than a quarter of the respondents of The Spectator’s Senior Survey for the class of 2022 have used marijuana, to some extent, and a little less than seven percent have used prescription stimulants (study drugs). The reasons behind drug use vary from student to student and from drug to drug, but the common themes of focus, distraction, and social pressure act as overarching motivations. While the other factors may be prominent, the primary purpose for drug use is as a social tool. Most social drug use is relatively light, with a nicotine or marijuana vape offered up in a circle outside of school, attracting newcomers and giving them a greater predilection toward continuing their drug habit for non-social reasons. Anonymous freshman A recounted their first time, saying, “My friends were passing around a kart [marijuana vape], but I was tired so I said no [...] but at that point, everyone was just laughing and sitting looking at each other high as [EXPLETIVE]. I [EXPLETIVE] felt so left out so I just snatched that [EXPLETIVE]’s kart out of her mouth and took a hit for myself.” This freshman’s experi-

and

LEVI SIMON

ence shows how first-time users can be inducted into the fold of drug use by implicit peer pressure—the chemical properties were totally irrelevant and the drug was merely a social prop used to fit in. The student went on to say, “I didn’t even enjoy being high that day. It just felt nice to not be the only one not high.” Marijuana, nicotine, and alcohol are the main contrabands of choice for the social drug user; passing around a bottle or a blunt is both an access point to certain social circles and a way to loosen up and unwind with friends. Anonymous freshman

still do it.” Hard drug use may be an exceptional occurrence amongst the student body, but it is still a factor that students consider when evaluating whether or not they will use drugs. Social situations may be the gateway to more serious drug use, but schoolwork and stress are the most common cause of students’ use of everyday drugs. From energy drinks to yerba mate to cold brew to Starbucks and breakfast cart Folgers, around 40 percent of students, according to the senior survey, have some degree of dependency on the

A described “linking with drunk friends” as “more fluid, relaxing, and natural.” Anonymous junior B waved away worries about infrequent social drug use, saying, “Look, you do you. But at the end of the day, I will only stop you if you are abusing it [drugs]. If you are doing it only with friends and it’s at a party or at a house here and there, I’d gladly take a sip with you.” Despite the junior’s relaxed attitude, social reasons are also the central factors that lead Stuyvesant students to do hard drugs. Anonymous junior C confessed, “I know seniors [who] do cocaine and juniors [who] do cocaine; not regularly, but they

world’s most pervasive stimulant: caffeine. There are approximately two comically-large, Big Gulp-sized plastic cups full of iced coffee in any active classroom in the school, and nobody bats an eye. Our synthetic sleep-replacement beverages have become normalized. While the caffeination of our waking hours and truncation of our sleeping hours are too commonplace to realistically combat, there is a still more deleterious study drug that circulates among devoted crammers. Adderall, which is an amphetamine prescribed to treat ADHD, also has the power to crush the plague of procrastination. An anonymous

and Potions junior, not diagnosed with ADHD, cited its induction of hyperfocus as the reason that they indulged; “Adderall not just allows me to stay up all night but also allows me to work a hundred times faster and more efficiently.” Stuyvesant is a place of unforgiving rigor, and students can feel as if they need chemical enhancements to stay afloat in their deluge of extracurriculars, tests, crushes, family, friends, projects, homework, and class time. Their cardiovascular health is a sacrament in the temple of grades, and they fuel their unwavering devotion with either five cups of coffee or five milligrams of adderall on a crucial study day. While some choose to tackle the Herculean task of Stuyvesant’s schoolwork with a one-up from focus drugs, others use remedies as distractions from their stress. Most commonly, marijuana and alcohol provide escape routes for students who would rather remain inebriated than confront the emotional burden of school and life. One anonymous junior said, “Weed is not chemically addictive but it makes the day go by faster, it makes classes go by easier, and it makes you feel better.” Stress puts students in a proverbial box. They may not be able to meet their expectations and break free of the box, but with the power of marijuana, they can hotbox it while their grades decline. However, most interviewees did not respond to questions desultorily from behind sunken eyes and with unbrushed hair; they were well-composed, articulate, and seemed like they had already invested a great deal of thought into their substance use. When questioned on the delineation between healthy and unhealthy drug use, one anonymous junior said, “As long as it’s not a crutch, you’re good. As long as you’re using it to help you succeed, as long as it lifts you up instead of tearing you down, I think

drugs are fine.” Other students mostly agreed that moderation is key to a balanced drug intake, and that it should be used as a way to prevent stress from bleeding into productivity as opposed to a subsuming addiction that detracts from it. An anonymous junior said, “There [are] two ways of doing drugs. I think there’s having fun—so much fun that I can’t stop having fun—and for stress or mental health.” No high school is exempt from students that occasionally get high, but overall, Stuyvesant has some unique traits that change the ways in which its student body achieves such a high. Though the stress and rigor of Stuyvesant act as fuel for the use of drugs, one anonymous junior said, “I think [the culture around drug usage] would have been worse if I went to another school.” Drugs can become a problem when they end up becoming an addiction. One junior explained, “When you start doing drugs, it helps you feel better; when you stop, you’re never going to feel as good as you did when you were on drugs. It’s like an unattainable high that you’ll always be feeling.” They concluded, somewhat unceremoniously, that “drugs are addictive.” Whether taken as a tool for focus, as a distraction, or as part of a social activity, drug use is a part of Stuyvesant culture and will remain common among students who need to escape an environment of sleep deprivation, hours of studying and homework, and feelings of isolation. 9

Joanna Meng / The Spectator

Am I Doing Enough? By INARA RABBANI and OLIVER HOLLMANN

If there’s any environment for impostor syndrome to thrive in, it’s Stuyvesant. The immense pressure that students place on themselves to succeed is only exacerbated by seeing the same mindset in others. The disconnect between the efforts that Stuyvesant students make and their sense of accomplishment is warped by competition, causing them to wonder if they are doing “enough.” The reality is that Stuyvesant students are doing more than enough by most standards, with some of the most impressive academic and extracurricular records in the nation. Though school work is only the baseline for the stress that students face at Stuyvesant, it often creates a breeding ground for comparison and competition by giving students numbers to define themselves with. Unlike other activities, grades are fairly standardized and act as an apparatus for students to assess how they measure up compared to others. Distorted perceptions of academic accomplishment arise from comparison between grades and SAT scores, so even after working hard to maintain good grades, Stuyvesant students are left unsatisfied. Most often, this consequence is because students’ assessments of their performance relative to their peers tell them that they could have done better. Junior Sarah Peter is one of many students to see this effect firsthand in her classes. “Every time we get a DBQ back, a quiz back, an exam back, you can feel the

tension in the room. I hear this cacophony of sighs and groans, and then it gets dead silent,” she said. “The thing about Stuy is if you see someone worrying about their 95, then you worry about whether your 92 is even acceptable.” Grades notwithstanding,

having college recs soon. Because of that, I don’t overexert myself.” Despite her involvement in a number of commitments, as well as parental support, Jian still has some worries about balancing her extracurricular portfolio. “I kind of want to

“ I was just concerned that I’m not doing enough, but at the same time I don’t really know what’s enough.” —Matthew Monge, sophomore Stuyesant can be seriously exhausting. Between homework, classes, and tests, at times it’s hard to believe that many students make time for big commitments outside of school. One such student in the midst of extracurricular decisions is junior Ziying Jian, who is currently producing STC’s spring comedy. Even during the tension of play auditions, she calmly articulated her thoughts on balancing extracurriculars and academics. “Every time I go to extracurriculars, I make sure that I’m enjoying myself and spending my time well,” she said. Jian knows that what she does with her time in high school is important, both in terms of looking good for prospective colleges and self-fulfillment. “My mom always warns me that I’m taking three APs, [that] I’m a junior, and that I’m 10

make up for the lack of things I did the last two years,” she explained. “If I knew more about the college process, I think I would have done more things earlier [...] I wouldn’t say I’m doing a lot more extracurriculars, but I’m putting myself out there to try something new.” Jian’s worry about appealing to colleges isn’t unfounded: for many Stuyvesant students, extracurriculars serve as not just a fun pastime away from school, but also a fundamental addition to their college applications. Colleges are often on the lookout for students who pursue their interests, but still, students find it difficult to figure out which interests to pursue or if at all to pursue them. Sophomore Matthew Monge, a current cast member in STC’s spring comedy, feels somewhat conflicted about developing his

array of activities. “A few days ago, I expressed some interest in getting this job to friends who were like, ‘Oh, get an internship instead. Internships are better!’ which sort of confused me,” he said. “I feel kind of pressured to look more into [internships], but at the same time, I’m doing things over the summer that aren’t exactly super appealing to colleges.” Monge made note of a particular summer plan, a theater-infused study abroad opportunity in London, but still has doubts about its impact on his college-facing portfolio. For some, such worrying can even impact the general feeling of connection to others at Stuyvesant. Focusing intently on the amount of effort put into extracurriculars and schoolwork can dilute the experience of each involvement. “The thing about Stuy is, yeah, we’re all a community,” Monge explained. “But that’s only because we live our lives here.” There’s a lot of decision making involved in getting into and staying in various extracurriculars, and for students who tend to overthink their choices and regret those they haven’t made, this sphere can be especially stressful. Time management is an aspect that offers an unfortunate comparison: Stuyvesant students are, by nature, pretty good at getting things done at some point. However, this skill

can lead to ambitious students packing their well-organized schedules with blocked out activities. As students juggle all these academic and extracurricular pursuits, they are also alienated by the Stuyvesant environment. Though the weight of all their responsibilities takes a toll on students, they feel obligated to put up a strong front in order to hide their vulnerability. To seem put-together in the eyes of peers, students strive to conceal as much of their stress as possible. A number of students have anonymously reported a sense of obligation to seem happy in the eyes of their friends and feel as though they can be more open with their stress and mental health struggles outside of the school environment. To avoid being perceived as worrisome, a majority of Stuyvesant students are left to cope with their stress silently. A lack of transparency in Stuyvesant’s student atmosphere prevents students from realizing just how common their struggles are. Additionally, the question that often goes hand-in-hand with whether Stuyvesant students are doing enough is whether they are suffering enough. Sleep deprivation and caffeine addictions are worn as medals of honor in recognition of the hard work students put in. Stuyvesant’s competitive

atmosphere even extends to students’ struggles, as deteriorating mental and physical health that result from heavy workloads quickly become topics for competition. While hearing complaints from peers about their lack of sleep is supposed to be a comforting similarity, finding that one gets more sleep than others can be a guilt-inducing experience, as it implies that one is not working as hard. By equating these struggles with their work ethics, students are put under the impression that they should be making bigger sacrifices to their well-being for the sake of productivity. It’s more important than ever to remember that impostor syndrome is a common struggle among the vast majority of the Stuyvesant student body. Students are definitely not alone in their worries about whether they are working hard enough. Monge said it best: “I was just concerned that I’m not doing enough, but at the same time, I don’t really know what’s enough.” But this cycle of worrying can be broken. The stress caused by trying to optimize time spent and work done is self-defeating: it only isolates students further and induces more anxiety. When it comes to student performance, self-awareness is certainly important, but so is self-assurance.

You are not The Impostor.

Art by Joey Chen

Robert Sandler, history teacher

he first time history teacher Robert Sandler visited India, he experienced the wrath of the Indian monsoon season. “I came outside of [my best friend’s] apartment and this brown water was past my knees,” he said. But still, he waded through it to get Pepsi for his wife. After the m o n soons in Mumbai, he visited Delhi where the weather flipped to a blistering 116 de-

Courtesy of Bernadette Baroi

By Rebecca Bao, Isabella Jia, and Anisha Singhal

The Secret Lives of Stuyvesant Teachers

180 Degree Change of Weather grees Fahrenheit. “I almost started crying,” he said. He poured bottles of water onto his head which instantly evaporated and when he tried brushing his teeth, he had to instantly spit out the water since it was boiling hot. The next day he rented a small limousine that took him to Gandhi’s grave, forts, and mosques, which cheered up the history enthusiast inside of him enough for him to forgive the brutal heat. Sandler’s trip to India was packed with adventure: riding camels in the desert as well as visiting Red Fort where the Sepoy mutiny took place, the Ajanta and Ellora caves, Jaisalmer the Golden City, Jodhpur the Blue City, Taj Mahal, Varanasi cremation, Khajuraho’s erotic sculptures, Kerala boat race, and Buddhist temples in Ladakh. Despite the drastic weather of the Indian summer, the vivid culture made Sandler call India his “favorite country out of the 30 plus he has visited.” A word to the wise: visit India, and do so in the winter.

Michael Waxman, history teacher Stranded and Trespassing

hile staying in a rural part of Japan, history teacher Michael Waxman was on his way home from a friend’s house when his motorcycle broke down. A storm broke out so he was unable to repair the motorcycle, and he was too far from either his house or his friend’s house to walk the bike in his tired, soaked state. “I was in the countryside, so I just went to the nearby farm.” The barn door was open so he snuck in to spend the night in the barn and walked his bike home the next morning.

The Lifesaving Lungi

n Myanmar, Waxman and his friend unknowingly wandered into a military zone. All of a sudden, a militia came up to them with guns raised. Waxman and his friend decided to make a run for it rather than risk being taken hostage, as they were sure the outcome would be jail or death. That day they were wearing lungis, a sarong which is tied around

the waist. Coincidentally, Waxman had not tied his lungis properly, so, in a cartoon-like fashion, it fell as he ran and he was left in his underwear. The humor of the situation did not escape the militia, who started laughing hysterically. Their distraction allowed Waxman and his friend to run to their car and drive away. A badly-tied knot might have saved their lives.

Eaten Alive by Red Ants

fter a long day hiking through Syria, Waxman and his friend sought sanctuary under the shade of a tree. They sat against the trunk and just as they were beginning to relax, a commotion erupted from inside. A colony of red ants had sensed their presence and decided they were a threat. Thousands of ants swarmed from the tree and crawled all over Waxman and his friend. They leapt up, stripped out of their clothes, and rolled around in the sand to get rid of the tiny, vicious creatures. And, thankfully, they lived to tell the tale.

Chased by the Italian Police on a Coffee High

William Wrigley, art teacher

n a convoluted turn of events, art teacher William Wrigley’s coffee addiction led to two uzis in his face, a fake story about his grandfather dying, and his family thinking he had been kidnapped while he painted off a caffeine high in his windowless studio in a small town in Italy. Wrigley spent a summer in college studying painting and history in Cortona, Italy, a hilly town with one bar where his friends would get drunk and he would be their “straight laced” designated walker—maki n g sure they didn’t fall off a cliff on their way home. Wrigley’s drug of choice was coffee and the bartender there made a coffee so black that a single cup could give you jitters. One night, Wrigley gulped down three or four such cups, after which the other bargoers tied a towel around

Courtesy of Sophia Mueller

A Twisty Street and Pigeon Poop-Induced Panic Attack

Zachary Berman, history teacher

n reference to the nervous energy that so many Stuyvesant students emanate, Berman thinks Stuyvesant students will be able to relate to the experience of having a panic attack. The context of his anxiety was a bit different from our day-to-day stresses, though, due to the obscure location it occurred in and its frighteningly long duration. While taking Arabic classes in Fez, Morocco, the largest car-free city in the world, history teacher Zachary Berman took a tour into the old city. At one point, he stopped to watch a man weave a rug, which he was so mesmerized by that he lost his tour group. Though losing a tour is not an uncommon or devastating occurrence, Fez is a city with no right angles and most streets culminate in dead ends. With no grid to follow or defined town square, the city is famous for getting people lost. Eventually, the locals helped guide him back to his group, which had stopped at a tannery where giant vats of pigeon poop are used to tan leather. The overwhelming stench of the feces coupled with his accelerated heart rate

his neck, placed a crown on his head, and titled him the Coffee King. His words, mind, heart, and breath were racing so fast that he was high enough to match the level of amphetamines. To burn off the energy, he decided to go to his studio to paint and started jogging there. The incline picked up and his jog turned into a full sprint as he raced down the mountain. “I passed through the gates and my feet were echoing like thunder on the cobblestone streets,” he recounts. As he turned a corner to his studio, two soldiers from the Italian Military Police blocked him with their guns. In his haze and fear, Wrigley forgot his Italian and started wheezing from the intensity of his seven-minute sprint down the hill. When the police asked him why he was sprinting down the street at 3:00 a.m., he blurted out the first thing he could think of: “I have to call America. My grandfather is dead.” The soldiers sympathetically gave him a phone to make the call with and he frantically called his mom who was out for dinner with said grandfather and did not pick up. He left a message saying, “Hi mom and dad. I can’t talk very long. I’m really out of breath and I’m kind of nervous. I don’t really like guns and they still have them out. And I just want to let you know I love you and I’ll see you soon I hope but I’ve got to go now.” He then retired to his studio where he painted for a few hours before crashing after the high wore off. The next day the professors of the program burst into his room asking what had happened, because his mom had called the Italian consulate and thought he had been kidnapped. For the rest of the summer his “Coffee King” nickname was rescinded in favor of “Too Much Coffee.” from running directionless around the scorching Saharan city led Berman to have a panic attack that didn’t subside for hours. When he laid down and still couldn’t get his heart to slow, he thought he was having a heart attack. Six to eight hours later, the feeling still persisted, so Berman went to see a doctor who told him it was just a panic attack. Despite the whole eight-hour panic attack fiasco, Berman highly recommends visiting Morocco. During his trip he traveled over mountains, hiked through fields of marijuana, and visited a town where everyone paints the front of their house to match the blue of the sky. “It’s so different from any other place in the world,” he said. Courtesy of Ibtida Khurshed

By Erica Chen, Samantha Hua, and Eman Sadiq

ne might expect most teenagers to spend freely, without thinking about how much money they’re actually spending. However, a survey conducted by The Spectator revealed that nearly 62 percent of students describe themselves as savers rather than spenders, an unsurprising statistic given the stereotype of responsibility attributed to Stuyvesant. But when students do decide to treat themselves through spending, where exactly is this money going? We asked students about what they spend their money on, and the category of food was a resounding theme. The poll results revealed that 92.8

Exploring $pending Habits at $tuyvesant percent of students use their money for food, whether it be lunch or just snacks. The second most popular category was clothing, with 39.8 percent. Understandably, students prioritize their necessities, and that prioritization is reflected in their spending habits. Beyond essentials, aspects of the Stuyvesant community shined through the spending habits of students. Funding personal hobbies is fundamental to students’ lives. “I want to buy stuff like computer parts. I’ll make [my cousin] a computer,” sophomore Gabriel Hyun said. Hyun’s interest in computer building requires savings that he has ac-

Joey Chen / The Spectator

cumulated over time and has impacted his saving and spending habits. The poll results support this trend, as 27.7 percent of students said they frequently spend money on hobbies. Many students also revealed that they partake in events that require shortterm savings like concerts or gifting presents to friends. Nearly 17 percent of students reported that they typically spend money on events. However, they still refrain from spending too much. The survey reported that just over 60 percent of students feel comfortable spending $10 to $30 at a time. This range can be attributed to the varied sources of their income. When asked where students get their money, many admitted that their parents were supplying their spending. “The money I use is all from my parents: allowance and Chinese New Year red envelopes,” sophomore Yuri Wang explained. Overall, 79.5 percent of students revealed that they receive income from their parents, and only six percent of students stated that they work a job. Some students also expressed that they felt bad for asking their parents for money, so they tried to refrain from unnecessary spending. “I don’t want to ask my parents for money too often,” Wang continued. “I feel kind of bad whenever I’m using a lot of money, since it’s not my own.” There were stark differences in students’ feelings about how their spending habits would change if the

Where do you get your money from?

Are you looking to get a job? Both 4.1% No 26.6%

I work 6.8%

I already have a job 12.7%

Yes 60.8%

Parents 89.2%

money they were using was their own. While some students expressed that they would spend more frivolously if using their own money, others thought they would save more. The students who felt that they would spend less attributed this shift to realizing how much easier it is to spend money compared to earn it. “Since it’s my money, that kind of gives me the right to spend it on what I want to, but I know I also have to manage my money spending,” anonymous junior A said. There didn’t seem to be a specific factor that determined how students felt about whether they would save or spend more should the origin of their money change—the responses were generally split. Many students also expressed a desire to earn money and are looking to get jobs. The survey results indicated that nearly 58 percent of students are seeking job opportunities, while others are instead more preoccupied with other activities that they think will pay off in the future. “I want to get a summer job, but I’m more focused on community service hours and things like internship stuff

that colleges actually want,” junior Jovana Simic said. “But I wouldn’t be opposed to a job.” For some students, becoming engaged in service activities and gaining outside experience separate from a regular job hold more significance than working to earn money. In the same vein, some prioritize activities that relate to their educational success rather than their financial well-being. There is also the belief that working a job will not do much to help students pay for college anyway, further contributing to students’ lack of interest in getting a job. “I don’t think the amount I earn will be sufficient for colleges, so I might just put it aside for myself,” an anonymous freshman said. The idea that working a job will interfere with time that is better spent in a multitude of other extracurriculars or internships is one that pervades Stuyvesant culture. For one thing, such a sentiment certainly influences the importance Stuyvesant students attach to the benefits of potential employment opportunities. Nonetheless, financial prosperity remains a concern among students.

How much money do you feel comfortable spending at one time?

Most Stuyvesant students express satisfaction with their current spending habits and even recognize the value of exercising care with one’s tendency to spend money. “I try to not spend too much because I feel like I only carry, like, 20 dollars at most, and I don’t have a job or anything,” anonymous junior B explained when addressing the frequency of their spending habits. Many students shared this sentiment and acknowledged that they feel a sense of responsibility in regards to the amount of money they are comfortable spending at one time. Students also exhibited a feeling of pride in the practicality of their spending. “I think [my spending habits are] pretty sustainable because I only really spend money when I’m going out specifically with friends, so as long as I don’t do that too much, then it’s not that bad,” senior Jessica Eng said. As a whole, Stuyvesant students’ spending habits are best characterized as varied yet considerably careful, something that is made clear by the sources of their money and expenditures.

Do you consider yourself more as a saver or a spender?

$30 to $50 10.8% Spender 38.6% < $10 28.9%

$10 to $30 60.2%

Saver 61.4%

By Danny Xiong and Lauren Lee

A Day In the Life

From greeting students outside the bridge entrance to attending after school sports games, Principal Yu is always looking for ways to be involved in the school community. How does he manage it? What else does he do, besides stand ominously in front of the school building during first period every once in a while? Does he secretly play Minecraft alone in his office? In order to answer these questions, we spent a day shadowing Principal Yu to gain a deeper insight into his schedule. Take a dive into Principal Yu’s daily life and learn about what it’s like to be a principal at Stuyvesant High School. Courtesy of Photoshop

Verizon

100%

4:02 AM

7:30 AM to 8:30 AM

After Principal Yu arrives at school, he drops his bag off at his office on the first floor and greets students and teachers coming into the building. Occasionally, he will have the opportunity to do one of his favorite tasks at school, standing by the second floor bridge entrance to either welcome students into the building or hand out COVID test kits. He keeps an energetic demeanor in hopes of livening up the sleepy students that pass by him. Principal Yu helps set up the Teacher Appreciation Day bagel stand on the first floor and then goes up to the sixth floor gym to wish all the seniors good luck on their AP English Literature exam.

Wednesday, May 4

Alarm Clock

2 minutes ago

WAKE UP FOR SCHOOL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Morning Routine:

4:30 AM to 6:30 AM

Going to School:

6:30 AM to 7:30 AM

Principal Yu starts his day early by reading and replying to dozens of emails. He does other important work such as checking the quarantine list and sending out emails wishing students good luck on their APs.

Principal Yu gets ready for work. He used to take the train to school, but he now drives to school with his wife and children so he can spend more time with his family. Before arriving at Stuyvesant High School, Principal Yu drops his children off to elementary school.

8:30 AM to 10:00 AM

On Mondays, Principal Yu will sit down with his secretary to look at his weekly calendar, which is filled with various meetings and tasks. Even with all of his responsibilities, he makes sure to leave empty spaces in his calendar so he can adjust to last minute changes easier. Today, he has two morning meetings. Principal Yu replies to his emails and phone calls. One of the emails he writes is addressed to a parent he met during the school’s baseball game yesterday. Principal Yu enjoys connecting with parents inside and outside of school, especially when they don’t know him.

Swipe to unlock

e of Principal Yu

3:00 PM to 3:30 PM Principal Yu attends the conference day meeting while the rest of the student body enjoys their shortened school day.

10:00 AM to 11:00 AM

Principal Yu originally had an Alumni Gala meeting planned at 10:30 AM, but it was moved to 11:30 AM by the other party.. Principal Yu meets and is interviewed by Danny Xiong, one of the Spectator editors. Before the interview, Principal Yu provides the unprepared Danny with a pen and notepad to take notes and treats him to some bagels and a cup of orange juice from his special refrigerator.

11:10 AM to 11:20 AM

Principal Yu has a brief meeting with Assistant Principal of Organization Dr. Gary Haber to discuss the current status of AP examination and any problems that occurred while administering the exams. Dr. Haber and Principal Yu have meetings very frequently to ensure that everything in the school is running smoothly, which is one of Principal Yu’s most important jobs.

4:30 PM to 6:00 PM Principal Yu goes to a lacrosse game at Randall’s Island. He makes an effort to attend around 90 percent of all school events because he loves interacting with students and having deep conversations with them.

7:00 PM to 9:00 PM

Principal Yu attends his last meeting of the day, a Zoom call surrounding getting accommodations in college. Even after the school day ends, he still has meetings to go to. He will either attend them at school or at home depending on when the meeting is. He now finally gets to spend time with his family.

10:00 PM to 11:00 PM Principal Yu goes to sleep quite early compared to the majority of his students. He used to also pull all-nighters (just like us!) but unfortunately, with age, his body cannot handle it anymore.

Noon Schedule

11:30 AM to 12:00 PM

Principal Yu meets with Director of Family Engagement Dina Ingram and two members of the Alumni Office to discuss plans for the upcoming Alumni Gala.

12:00 PM to 12:10 PM

Principal Yu walks around the school building, picking up every single piece of garbage he comes across and tells students to watch their language as he walks by them. He greets a class of elementary school students from P.S. 150 as they prepare for their performance at Stuyvesant. He cracks jokes with them and encourages them to apply for Stuyvesant when they grow older.

12:10 PM to 1:00 PM

Principal Yu visits panicking students outside the sixth floor gym before they take their AP Computer Science exam. He goes around calming students down and guides the confused students to their right places. He enters the gym to wish the test takers good luck before they take their very disorganized four-hour-long exam.

1:00 PM to 2:30 PM

Principal Yu finally gets a chance to eat his lunch, which consists of fries and burgers. He generously offers Danny some fries. He continues to do his usual work like replying to emails, visiting classrooms, and wandering the hallways.

zifei Zhao / The Spectator

Non-Nerds

By Afra Mahmud, Nicole Liu, Levi Simon, and Nada Hameed

Nerds

Stuyvesant is undoubtedly one of the most diverse places in terms of courses, teachers, and clubs. What trumps all else, though, are the students and their respective roles in the school’s society. Take any high school in the country and you’ll find your popular kids, your goths, your plain out weirdos. But at Stuyvesant, these trends run deeper. Nerds of various degrees run rampant, marking respective territories and romping the school grounds in their own ways. Some are perhaps too wild to be confined to creatures of reality. Join us as we investigate Stuyvesant’s incredible and all-too-unique students and study their breeds and behaviors

···

This species is especially prevalent throughout Stuyvesant. When the bell rings and the sun begins to set, these creatures come out of hiding. Some of them sneak out with their treacherous glow sticks, others with their perilous strings. While their dance may seem innocuous at first, trusted sources say that when the clock strikes 5:00 p.m. and all of the other students leave, they gather in a circle and begin their sinister ritual to summon the spirit of Peter Stuyvesant. As soon as their ritual commences, Stuyvesant’s Pegleg can be heard echoing around the hallways. When they are not summoning long dead ghosts, the cultists enjoy turning off the lights and raising their glow sticks to the sky as an offering to the Dance Entities. #coolkids #music #spinnyglowsticks

···

Eliza Oppenheimer / The Spectator

Jocks @werewolves Follow

Dance Kids @cultists Follow

Zifei Zhao / The Spectator

Stuyvesant’s Freakshow

This common breed of animal is often seen prowling the school late after the end of classes. Their stomps can be heard all across the fifth floor, where a multitude of werewolves congregate for a chance to enter the weightlifting room. They often leave it smelling like rotten halal food, their signature scent. It is not only their scent that sets them apart from other creatures, but their tendency to howl loudly at anyone who insults their sport. However, it is clear that their bark is much worse than their bite as they are often limping down the stairs due to frequent injuries caused by their proclivity to butting heads and chasing squirrels. That does not stop them from attending games and practices anyway (no matter how many times they lose), which is perhaps why Stuyvesant is full of creatures wearing casts and neck braces. #badboys #peglegs4eva

Kids who show up to class twice a week @ghosts Follow

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You think you know them, but you don’t. Not truly. They appear once in a blue moon, only to be gone for weeks at a time. A rare sighting in the wild. You may think you saw them in the sixth floor bar, but no one will believe you anyway. It is best to stay silent. After all, you don’t want to get on their bad side. #excused absence

Non-Nerds Nerds Robotics/CS Nerds @robots Follow

SciOly Nerds @organ_harvesters Follow ···

···

Zifei Zhao / The Spectator

This particular breed is plentiful in the school, often found congregated in the CSDojo or in the Robotics Lab. CS nerds have their brain gears cranking in ways that even they don’t understand. On rare occasions, they’re well-oiled, and all you hear is their fingernails rapidly clicking away at keyboards. More often, though, CS nerds barely get by, and you can hear their silent screams of agony as they pound the keys, the metal wrenching in their skulls. Their fates are notorious, and several have been warned from following that path. Their speech is often limited to: their very own language consisting of incoherent mumbling or highly specific and intelligent tech terms that they can only use to converse with each other. #probablyalsolikesmath #terminator #whatisagithub You can tell when a student at Stuyvesant is an organ harvester when they start malfunctioning in the middle of class and decide to go off on a tangent about prions and centripetal force. After school, they are often seen in classrooms listening to lectures about how to properly dissect living animals. Though they pretend to be interested, sources say that they’ve perfected the art of sleeping with their eyes open. They also go on frequent trips to their competitions, where they meet other organ harvesters and discuss the best ways to use formaldehyde to preserve their projects. Their motivations are the most mysterious of all, as they do not get paid or praised for staying after school to do more school. Many believe that this creature may benefit from a brief stint to the asylum but alas, it is too difficult to drag them away from the bench they are napping on. #verynerd #buildingbridges

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Zifei Zhao / The Spectator

Theater Nerds @banshees Follow

Spec Nerds @hmmm Follow

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While they have evolved to seek their natural habitat, LaGuardia High School, the banshees roam the halls of Stuy, screeching and hollering melodies. When they pass, the glass display cases, overflowing with tokens of our signature Stuyvesant overachievement, rattle in D sharp. The banshees are typically docile, energetic, and friendly, but their earsplitting wails have often disturbed the peaceful interperiod routine of many students and disrupted the last minute study session of many crammers. Despite their lack of awareness, their excess of volume is mostly harmless and they tend to stick to themselves, relegating their noisiness to a corner of the theater, shattering the linoleum with their falsettos. #stc #singinginthehallway #laguardiarejects

In the hierarchy of nerds, the Spec Nerds reign supreme. These mysterious creatures are often on the prowl for fishy happenings, saucy interviews, and fresh meat. Their abode of choice is room 615E, where Spec Class takes place. Unspeakable horrors that really should not be put to paper occur (how ironic), and their faculty advisor suffers through it all. Did you attend that event eight days ago? Perfect, your experience will be thoroughly documented with this handy-dandy voice recording app. You have thoughts on that controversial statement? Never fear, your newspaper is here for you to vent to. Admiring those words, or these columns, or that artwork? Right, those are what the Spec Nerds spend hours and hours exhausting themselves over. Perhaps they inform the student body, but really, at what cost…? #goat #blesslayout #nemo #specsy

d e c o ns tr u c t e d By Maya Nelson and Shreya Roy

We polled over 400 students on some of the unanswered questions at Stuyvesant. This survey sought to analyze some of the most hard-hitting topics Stuyvesant students have to face, with questions such as “What color is your toothbrush?” uncovering coveted Stuyvesant secrets. Read on to find out:

Who is the average Stuyvesant student?

What’s your go-to coffee place?

I don’t drink coffee

50.9%

I don’t drink coffee Ferry’s/Terry’s Starbucks McDonald’s I make it myself Breakfast cart Dunkin

Favorite afterschool hangout spot? 50.9% 11.3% 11.3 % 10.4% 8.8% 8.2% 6.3% 4.1%

Rockefeller Park Whole Foods 16 Handles Oculus / Brookfield Vivi / Bubble Tea Barnes & Noble Home

31.5% 14.3% 14.3% 12.4% 12.0% 11.6% 4.0%

Rockefeller Park

31.5%

Considering the stereotype of the caffeine-addicted Stuyvesant student, the finding that over 50 percent of students don’t drink coffee is surprising. Taking second place, Ferry’s and Terry’s seems to be the number one provider of caffeine to students, with Starbucks close behind at 10.4 percent.

With the Stuyvesant building’s close proximity to Rockefeller Park, it’s no surprise that over a third of the students prefer the hangout spot. The relatively new froyo store 16 Handles now rivals bubble tea shops like Vivi for the preferred afterschool sweet treat. The Whole Foods cafe deserves more love though.

Would you rather take AP Chem for all 4 years or continuously be a freshman all 4 years?

Best escalator?

AP Chem 53.5%

7-9 AP Chem 53.5% 2 - 4 2-3 Freshman 46.5% 4 - 6 3-5 5-7 6-8

It seems that Stuyvesant’s hatred of freshmen surpasses even that of AP Chemistry—over 50 percent of students would rather take four years of chemistry than live as an eternal freshman for the same duration of time. Perhaps by the fourth year, students will finally be able to understand thermodynamics. 20

54.3% 12.4% 9.0% 8.4% 6.8% 5.9% 3.1%

7-9 54.3%

Unsurprisingly, over half of Stuyvesant students have an admiration for the 7-9 escalator, with the high ceilings and incredible view. More practical escalators follow, with the 2-4 and 2-3 taking second and third place respectively. The 6-8 received little love at 3.1 percent, probably because it’s always broken.

Ying Ch

en / Th

How many hours of sleep do you get, on average?

4-6

50.2%

4-6 7 <4 8 9

e Specta

tor

Let’s settle this once and for all, Ferry’s or Terry’s?

50.2% Ferry’s 31.2% 9.2% Terry’s 8.3% 1.2%

60.3% 39.7%

Ferry’s 60.3%

The debate that has plagued Stuyvesant students for millennia Contrary to popular belief, Stuyvesant students do not sleep very has finally been settled! The ultimate victor is Ferry’s. It seems like their Bacon Avocado Chipotles can go a long way. much.

What train(s) do you take?

1/2/3 37.3%

1/2/3 A/C/E R/N/Q/W 4/5/6 F/M/B/D No train LIRR 7 Other

What color is your toothbrush? 37.3% 17.4% 16.1% 7.2% 6.9% 5.8% 4.6% 2.6% 2.0%

With the large wave of students always exiting the 1/2/3 station, it makes sense that 37 percent of students take those trains. The A/C/E is a distant second at 17.4 percent, continuing the trend that the closer the station, the more students who take those trains. A solid six percent of students don’t take the train at all—they are fortunate enough to live within walking distance, the bus is their only option, or they live in the school.

Blue White Black Green Purple Pink Orange Red

31.7% 24.7% 8.8% 8.8% 7.5% 7.5% 5.2% 4.2%

Blue 31.7%

If you ever needed proof that Stuyvesant students are boring, look no further. With 31.7 percent using a blue toothbrush and 24.7 percent using white, other far more interesting colors like pink and orange are left in the dust at 7.5 percent and 5.2 percent, respectively. An embarrassing number of students also own a green toothbrush, prompting the question, why?

By Janna Wang and Zifei Zhao “Dating culture at Stuyvesant, to whatever extent it exists, is pretty concentrated within friend groups. Obviously, there are clusters of people that gravitate toward each other, and maybe within each of those, there’ll be two or three couples, but there’s not a lot of intermixing beyond that. There [are] hook-ups that happen here and there, but if you’re talking about prolonged relationships, [they are] almost always people in the same friend group, and tend to be people of the same race, same socioeconomic background, same culture, etc. […] People are just lame.” —Theo Kubovy-Weiss, senior “The dating culture here is nonexistent. Dating within Stuy is weird. Especially as a junior, all the cliques intermingle, so breaking up with someone creates so many problems you have to go through. The whole grade talks about it, and there [are] going to be people hating you afterwards.” —Abtahe Mazumder, junior

“I feel like Stuy[vesant] has a lower than average macking-to-people ratio, so people get so surprised when they see it. Stuy is a pretty decent-sized school. It’s got over 3000 kids, so you’d think there’d be more macking, but you don’t see that much of it. People live far away from each other. In a more local school, couples are able to spend a lot more time together.” — Rong Zheng Wu, junior “The dating culture is just really weird. Actually, it’s pretty normal, but because Stuy is weird, the dating culture also happens to be weird.” —Jasmine Wang, senior

“Waste of time.” —Yuchen Pan, junior

“I heard people have sex in the Hudson.” —anonymous, junior

“I have a lot of friends who talk about people confessing to them, them saying ‘no thank you,’ and it being really weird. Everyone here is weird.” —Kai Li Moore, junior 22

“Some people here are really lonely and resort to a lot of different underhanded means to get a significant other—stuff like posting thirst traps.” —Jasmine Yuen, junior

Art by Ashley La “When someone starts dating another person, you have both of their friend groups always talking about it. There’s just a lot of talking about it. It’s seen as taboo because it’s so uncommon at Stuy.” —Ian Loh, senior “[Couples] are mainly students who already knew each other, or knew each other through mutual friends.” —Malka Lubelski, freshman

“There are some boundaries that should not be crossed. Seniors, don’t date freshmen.” —Ariel Fuchs, junior

“It feels like everyone knows everyone and you are being judged for your every move. And if anything happens, everyone knows.” —Isabella Chow, junior

“Every long relationship is in the same social circle. I know a lot of people who will date the best friend of their ex—so like, people who are close friends will have had the same ex. Let’s just say the web at Stuy is very interconnected. […] People are pretty conscious of how they’re perceived by others, and most people are too scared to make the first move.” —Angie Grzybowski, senior

“There’s a senior and a freshman dating. So there’s that. There are a surprising number of couples. It’s just normal teenage couples, besides that one senior-freshman couple.” —Shirina Rong, sophomore

“What I see mostly are just close friends who [have been friends] for long periods of time that just become something more. They have to be friends for a while and then be like ‘Oh yeah, we’re dating now.’ Near Valentine’s Day you’ll just see a score of random people suddenly liking each other, but then October to December is a big breakup time.” —anonymous, sophomore

“A lot of kids who would normally take their freshman and sophomore years to gain confidence and self-esteem didn’t have that opportunity due to COVID. From what I’ve seen this year, it’s just been a bunch of immature and insecure kids running around and having crushes, given a few exceptions. Even for the kids mature enough to maintain a relationship, a lot of them don’t want to, in favor of having a more free spirited life.” —Akram Khalifa, junior “I guess what really sucks about Stuy is that no one is willing to acknowledge their feelings. They’d rather just let it sit out of fear of rejection. I don’t think people at Stuy like commitment, but that’s just based on what I’ve seen.” —Ashley Lin, junior

“We came out of [quarantine]. Everyone was touch-starved and super lonely […] and now, [everyone is] being overly physical in the hallways because they have no concept of what and where intimacy should be, and the time and place for things. As soon as the mandate was gone and masks were off, it was over. There are people kissing in the hallways and cuddling on the escalator. It’s nasty. It’s gross.” —Asa Muhammad, senior 23

“I don’t have any experience, but there are couples. […] I feel like a lot of our parents are strict and first-generation [immigrants].” —Samira Esha, senior

Natalie Soler / The Spectator

The Fall of

By Raymond Yang and Vivian Teo The lights go off. Cheers erupt from the audience as the cast walks on stage. Mutters die down as the audience’s eyes are drawn to the front of the auditorium. The annual SING! performances are about to begin. This massive show at Stuyvesant has been happening for 50 years strong; it’s embedded in Stuyvesant culture and is, or rather, was, one of the most anticipated events of the school year. While hundreds of students used to sign up with thousands of dollars spent to complete such extravagant theater performances, the pandemic seems to have squashed the once vivacious SING! spirit. Turnout for SING! 2022 was a disappointment compared to previous years. Around half the number of audience members showed up this year, averaging 387 attendees in 2022 per night, while 2020 averaged 661 per night. The actual production process also saw a heavy decline in membership this year as crews struggled to find applicants. Many crews were essentially no-cut because of the lack of experience that the student body had in SING!-related skills. Senior SING! Coordinator Alec Shafran said, “Well I think that for this year especially, it was important to shift to a more inclusive way of getting involved in SING!. After a year where some extracurriculars, like StuySquad, STC, and SING!, were hard to be a part of, a lot of people wanted to open up the crews to more people [who] want to try new things.” Even then, a lot of

crews had lackluster numbers compared to previous years. For example, soph-frosh art crew had 60 applicants in 2020 and accepted 35, but this year, they had to accept all of the 23 applicants. Certain grades were even missing crews because nobody applied to direct them. For performing crews, both the number of applicants and the number of people in each crew shrank, with dancing crews ranging from 20 to 30 people in previous years to only five to 15 now. Junior SING! wasn’t able to include the tap, belly, bolly, or swing crews as a result. Of course, this didn’t stop each grade from putting on amazing performances, but the decline in SING! culture and spirit will create a huge problem for future generations. Theater productions at Stuyvesant rely heavily on passing down generational knowledge, and when the pandemic hit, this link between generations suffered a cut. There was a general consensus that virtual SING! in 2021 was far from the experience in-person SING! provides. Junior SING! coordinator Lianne Ohayon said in an e-mail interview, “I think that having a virtual SING! felt more isolating across the grades when it came down to performing and the camaraderie that develops from being at rehearsal in person

working together.” The community, energy, and physical interactions that make SING! members feel connected to each other just didn’t exist in the same way. Crews like tech, art, props, and costumes usually create physical setpieces and use specific tools for the show. Without hands-on experience and guidance from upperclassmen, the skills required for these crews were easily lost with underclassmen. Meanwhile, dance crews also pass down choreographing and directing skills down to underclassmen. Without these skills, many dance directors were left to choreograph completely on their own, posing a completely new challenge in addition to the already stressful schedule of SING!. As a result, many technical crews this year were more lenient with helping different grades. To upperclassmen, passing on the traditions of SING! and making sure the Soph-Frosh production had a chance was much more important than the competition aspect of SING!. Within these technical crews, the term “All SING!” was coined to describe the collaborative effort this year. SING! was promoted far less in the ‘20-‘21 and ‘21-‘22 school year. Without the same spirit and energy that existed during SING! pre-pandemic, people

didn’t see the appeal of participating, viewing SING! as a high-commitment activity with low pay-off rather than a unique bonding experience that ties Stuyvesant students together. This lack of enthusiasm, knowledge, and promotion meant that SING! took a hit this year, with record-low numbers of participants and viewers. However, the evident decline in SING! participation need not be permanent. With proper promotion through announcements, social media, and passed-down stories, SING! can rebound back to the huge event it was in the past. A huge contributor to the previous success of SING! was the factor of hearsay: listening to recounts of the electrifying feeling of running through the hallways and chanting incited a feeling of awe within the student body. Crews like media & memory, which provides vital documentation of the SING! experience, must have more time devoted to them in order to capture and spread the excitement that surrounds SING!. Additionally, a large factor that played into the pop-

ularity of SING! in the past was the use of social media and storytelling. Many people post their SING! crews and memories after the show, piquing other students’ interest in the show and prompting them to participate in the future. Announcements through the loudspeaker could also invite people who may not have social media to also join SING! and find a community there. Those who participate in SING! usually continue to do so in the future, and by creating interest in SING! for one year, it also leads to increased participation in following years. As we ease back into in-person school, increased friendships, in-person events, and school activities overall could be utilized to increase participation in SING!. Senior step director Elliott Scheuer said in an e-mail interview, “Rebuilding the dance teaching pipeline is one way to get people to join dance crews for SING!. SOS is coming up and that’s a really great way to get involved in learning a new form of dance in a really low-key setting. [Possibly] spreading the word that SING! isn’t

just for theater kids or artsy people. In my opinion, literally anybody can find a place within SING! to thrive.” SING! is something that truly involves all of Stuy. It’s where the dancers, artists, actors, singers, builders, costume-makers, prop-creators, screenwriters, and creative directors all come together for three nights to put on an amazing show. In these three nights, it’s the unity and collective joy that emphasize how SING! brings the Stuy community together. This crucial part of Stuy culture has a place for anyone who wants to get involved; that’s the beauty of SING!. No matter who you are, you’ll find a home in the warmth of community. Revitalizing SING! doesn’t just revive a simple theater production; it revives the Stuyvesant community and Stuyvesant culture itself. Not only does it benefit the community, it also allows individuals to create memorable experiences centering Stuy. “SING! is a big part of Stuy culture, and it’s definitely something that I am extremely thankful to have been a part of,” Shafran said.

2018 2022

roblems & ressures of articipation Within the first few minutes of class, one may notice that it is the same few people who are always answering the teacher’s questions. The rest of the students either appear as if they are completely dozing off or meticulously taking notes. The teacher is visibly irritated, attempting to engage the students through group work and even cold calling. This instance is not unique to first or last period; a similar pattern of engagement can be found in nearly every class. At Stuyvesant, though there are many intelligent students, the reality is that most of them stay quiet in class.

DAVID CHEN To be completely honest, I only participate frequently in some of my classes, and not so much in others. Some of us aren’t motivated enough to engage in class for many reasons. I recognize that a lot of us graduated from the top of our middle school classes. However, like everything else in life, grades and class rank slowly settle down from the hectic ups and downs of freshman year. Some of us might be unable to accept that truth, causing some dissonance in the way that we think, which may then transfer over to the frequency of class participation. I have personally experienced that myself as I contemplated if I was even doing enough to be a model Stuyvesant student. I also have had some friends complain to me about this exact same situation and how close they are to giving up. These are the exact types of thoughts that we need to defeat. To me, the biggest reason preventing students from raising their hands is the fear of sounding dumb. There are often cases where students think their questions are too basic, or their comment is pointing out something obvious. All of the tentative halfhands that I see in class, or the lack thereof, might be an indication of this sentiment. No one wants to sound

stupid, because what if everyone is not asking the question we are thinking about because they already know the answer? I have seen people trying to search up answers on Google instead of just raising their hands and asking their questions. This fear of being out of the norm has a serious effect on the learning environment here. Leaving a bad impression is something that many students fear, as they worry that it may affect their grades and future letter of recommendations. However, teachers are extremely understanding when it comes to the process of learning from mistakes. Something that we as students need to keep in mind is that teachers want to help their students. There is no reason to think that you are wasting a teacher’s time by asking them questions. Going up to them with questions or simply communicating with them during office hours will quickly reveal how nice and supportive they are. I learned this lesson when I finally approached my computer science teacher to talk about a project after deliberating whether to do so. It turned out to be both surprising and pleasant to be communicating in a different setting and having my questions thoroughly addressed. Having this engaging

experience led me to be a lot more comfortable in class and not afraid of raising questions. This is the kind of experience that every student should experience, the exhilaration of being in the classroom and ready to learn without any reserves. I have seldom had a bad experience when approaching my teachers with any problem I had, despite being a quieter student in class. Learning that lesson has provided me with the confidence to participate in all of my classes. Another experience that I have had with my AP Mandarin teacher that worked quite well for the entire class is her method of going table by table and calling each student in a predictable fashion. It is in this way that students are more comfortable and less scared for when they would be cold-called. Perhaps this kind of guided participation strategy could also be applied to other classrooms to facilitate a more lively atmosphere. And participation isn’t just commenting on what other people have already said, but adding your own unique ideas or approach to a problem to the table. Developing the mindset that other people won’t care about your mistakes and that the teachers are incredibly understanding is the key, at least for me, to more active participation.

Voices

SHAFIUL HAQUE to low class participation that I’ve especially noticed during the second semester is the lack of sleep that Stuyvesant students get. Sleep deprivation and running purely on that morning cup of coffee is an undeniable hallmark of Stuyvesant students. However, it is also this phenomenon that contributes to the eerie silence of the classrooms. Sleep deprivation may lead to tiredness, fatigue, and a depressed mood, all of which aren’t exactly push factors for participation. For both semesters of my junior year, I’ve had first free, but I usually get most of my work done in the morning. However, during the second semester, I’ve had more work piled up, so I usually spend the night completing my tasks. I’ve noticed a correlation between the amount of sleep I get and my engagement in the classroom environment: on days when I get enough sleep (which is usually around seven to eight hours), I have much more energy to get through the day, while on days when I don’t get enough sleep, I struggle to stay awake in lecture-style classes such as physics and precalculus. Sleep deprivation is the reality for many, if not all, Stuyvesant students, and the best we can do is manage our time wisely to ensure that we don’t

overload ourselves with work and succumb to burnout. It’s also important to recognize that this is the first school year that has been fully in-person in the last three years. The pandemic cut off our culture of in-person social interaction, and many of us are uncomfortable when it comes to getting to know our peers. Our current junior class had only been in school for a little over one semester before being thrown into remote learning. Some students might only be comfortable within their small group of friends and not in the bigger classroom setting. The first day of school was an uncomfortable experience for me because there were many people that I hadn’t caught up with in a year, and most of my classes had people that I hadn’t met previously. As time passed, however, I was able to befriend many of my new classmates simply through conversation and recollection of good times. Anyone in my classes could tell you that I’ve embarrassed myself multiple times in class by frequently joking around with my teachers and peers. I believe that simply reaching out to someone and talking with them will heighten your experience in the classroom.

As you can see, there are many reasons why a student may not be active in the classroom: fear, sleep deprivation, ego—the list goes on and on. In the American school system, most classrooms are set up in an “every man for themselves” fashion, where participation is based on one’s impression in the classroom and how much teachers favor you. The standard is that the loudest and most frequent contributor in the room is the best student. Each student is placed in this individualistic standard, where they are expected to progress through their own efforts. For many Stuyvesant students, this environment is especially problematic, as some of us are not naturally talkative people. So, as students, the best advice that we can act upon is to do what is best for our own learning experience. There are many friendly teachers and helpful students that are willing to help make the classroom environment as comfortable as possible.

Gabriel Gutierrez / The Spectator

On the flip side, I feel like I don’t have a major problem with participating in most of my classes. Usually, it takes me a few weeks to adjust to the class environment, as I try to navigate the coursework and befriend some of my classmates. Participation in classes, for me, generally revolves around whether I know enough about the material and if I have enough confidence to provide an answer or an opinion about a certain topic. Of course, there are times in class when I think about asking a question, but I hesitate and overthink because the question is very simple and I’m worried that my peers might think too little of me. For example, in my English class, there are times when I don’t particularly want to participate because I don’t understand the events in the book and my analysis isn’t well-developed. However, the reality is that these sentiments and this mindset are shared by a lot of my peers. Many people, including myself, are afraid to look foolish in front of others because, let’s face it, we’re too arrogant. We want to appeal to the rest of the class in order to keep up our knowledgeable persona, but sometimes we have to recognize our shortcomings. Another factor that contributes

Voices

STUYVESANT: AN EQUALIZER?

BY CHRISTINA PAN AND ANISHA SINGHAL

Many of us grew up with families who, through the heat of summer or the snowstorms of winter, drove us from our homes to prep schools with narrow desks and other straight-laced students. Many of us were privileged with families who were willing to teach us math three grades up, pay for overdue library books, and foster a love of learning, a culture of studying, and ultimately an expectation, and burden, that has brought many of us to the school we are at today. After sending us to prep school, perhaps our parents drove straight to a 12-hour work shift. Perhaps half of the money from that day was spent on Kumon, AMSCO textbooks, or chess practice. Or perhaps all of that money, or as close to all of it as it got, was spent on you and your, as they’d call it, “future”: a concept that you would never fully comprehend, but instead have but a vague notion of. There were times when, late at night, your parents would be hunched over the secondhand dinner table, the kitchen light flickering dimly, their hands moving over a ledger, the sounds of pages and checks crinkling. You’d hear hushed whispers about overtime or cutting the “other funds.” Your funds. It would always be the former. Or perhaps you never had that experience. Maybe you grew up in a place where money was never an issue, but an expectation: every action had a transaction. You had a “Sorry Jar” where you would take a quarter from a porcelain piggy bank and deposit your apologies every time you or your sibling cursed. You watched your neighbor’s Persian cat every time they went out for a vacation in exchange for a daily fee that would compensate for you having to scoop the muck off the litter box. You would give your violin teacher a check every week at a steep hourly fee that kept her Juilliard degree satisfied. You would learn about stocks, and

later, Bitcoin and cryptocurrency, at a precocious age. Sometimes you’d wonder about your parents. Your mother, with that permanent crease between her eyebrows; your father, his hair graying at not quite 45. You’d pledge yourself to never become like them, to never become old, to never become complacent, to always keep running and to never look back. Now, at Stuyvesant, you feel old. We’ve aged, and not just in the metric of years, but in the full sense of physical and mental exhaustion. We’ve endured a pandemic with our metaphorical potbellies and still continue to run forward, faster, until we run out of everything. Until we look around and see our own weary faces on everyone else, but still trudging forward, still putting one foot in front of the next. There is comfort in not just the camaraderie of being a Stuyvesant student, but also in realizing that a school like this is ultimately, an equalizer: a meritocratic system in which we’re all dangling from the serpent’s maw. In our classes, close to no one cares about who your parents are or the money they make. There’s a sense that we’re all driving forward on a plane proportional to the amount of effort we put in, the extent to which we push ourselves. And yet there’s no denying that the vast majority of us are privileged, albeit largely not in the traditional sense of the word. Unlike other “elite” schools, we’re privileged to be part of communities and cultures that encourage and help us seek out opportunities to learn; we’re privileged to the extent that we immerse ourselves completely in that expectation. We are a school of mostly immigrant children, Emma Lazarus’s huddled masses. Once we step out from our school lives, however, we may as well be stepping out from an incubator into a world so much more terrifying and unknown than the one we have grown accustomed to. If Stuyvesant is the ultimate equalizer for us as students and nothing more, who are we

in a world without grades as currency? Who will we become as people, driving forth aspirations greater than four years of high school leading to one definitive college? What will we do with our Stuyvesant “privilege” once our school walls crumble and the actual world starts closing in? Our parents whispered about tutoring bills over the dining table in the dark so we could focus on our education. We poured over history textbooks and memorized the equation of the asymptotes of a hyperbola, but we never learned how to manage the hundreds of dollars we spend on coffee every month. We were so ready to jump into linear algebra that we forgot to learn personal finance. And we were so focused on the Krebs cycle that we forgot about our sleep cycle. We were so caught up in everything Stuyvesant that we forgot about living life; we forgot about our futures. There’s a scene from the future that my mother has constructed for herself. She tells me it in a way that’s so real, so vivid; it’s almost prophetic, in a way that I never once doubted that it would happen. We’re shopping at the Garment District, buying silks for a new dress she wants to make. She might tell me a story about her childhood, in a typical, offhand way that makes me wonder if it was the truth or something she read in a storybook. But today she’ll go to the shop, and pick out whatever she wants. I’ll cover the price. Today I am a lawyer; a doctor; an engineer; or perhaps, miraculously, another career where I am able to make comfortable money while still being content with life. I look over at my mother. I suddenly feel five years old again, even though I’ve just come off work with red lips and high heels. We had been at a toy store, and I had just won the fluffiest stuffed bear from the claw machine. I remember my mother’s smile, so large and wide and happy, even though it had taken seven refills to get the bear I later named Bear, for all that it had taken. I feel that smile on my face today. Art by Jaden Bae

Sports at Stuyvesant: A Sticky Situation T

By Shafiul Haque and Ava Quarles

hree seconds left. You receive the pass. Two seconds. You set your feet, ball ready to release. One second. You jump and shoot. As the buzzer goes off, you follow through, land, and watch the ball fall through the rim. You have imagined this moment in your head countless times, and even though your team is excitedly celebrating, something feels out of place. At your team’s away championship game, not one fellow Stuyvesant student is present to cheer you on. It’s likely that this instant classic of a game, one of the most important and thrilling moments of your high school basketball career, will go unrecognized, forgotten amid Stuyvesant’s academia after a few moments of ecstasy. Once again, you are reminded of the dismal fact: sports culture at Stuyvesant is extremely lacking. If student athletes have ever seen “Glory Road,” “Friday Night Lights,” or even “High School Musical,” it’s likely that their visions of high school athletic success include raging

Ashley La / The Spectator

crowds dressed in school spiritwear, chants and cheers from the bleachers, and glorified walks through the hallways the day after a win. Yet at Stuyvesant, it is clear that to the student body, sports are an afterthought. Most students don’t know that many of the

just voices in the background. And then, not all sports are put in [the announcements] to be recognized after big wins or big accomplishments,” Bologna said. Despite a lacking sports community, the Stuyvesant athletics teams

“A lot of our sports events are very unattended. The announcements that go out, a lot of people here don’t listen to them, or they’re doing something, and there’s just voices in the background” —Peter Bologna, Stuyvesant Athletics Director

teams even exist, much less keep up with them. Stuyvesant Athletics Director and former coach Peter Bologna attributes this problem to a few reasons. “A lot of our sports events are very unattended. The announcements that go out, a lot of people here don’t listen to them, or they’re doing something, and there’s

are far from substandard. Stuyvesant PSAL teams have undoubtedly seen success compared to other teams that compete in the city. For example, both of our boys’ and girls’ track teams consistently win the Borough Championships and make it all the way to States. Stuyvesant has won several New York

City championships as well: during the sports community. For one, a uni2021-2022 year, boys’ fencing, boys’ form mascot for every team is certain gymnastics, boys’ table tennis, and to further integrate athletics at Stuy. girls’ table tennis all won PSAL cham- This idea has been a discussion for pionships in their respective playoffs. years, and the deterrent preventing a Many of the other sports teams who successive reform is the likely mascot unfortunately do not make it all the candidate of the “Pegleg.” The Pegway in the playoffs are still impres- leg is certainly not as intimidating as sive in their respective Manhattan or kosher mascots of predatory animals, Bronx/Manhattan divisions, frequent- and the name’s attribution to Peter ly placing high enough in the division Stuyvesant, a figure who need not be table to ensure playoff qualification. honored through Stuyvesant’s athletThe fact that many Stuyvesant stu- ic achievements, has sparked condents aren’t invested in athletics that troversy. A consistent name could be their fellow peers are participating in something other than an artificial leg, leads many student athletes to feel and the mascot could be decided by unappreciated. Sophomore Adrian student-athletes or voted on by the Veto, a player on the junior varsity student body as a whole. baseball team, commented on the Another possible option is apparent lack of support: “ that Stuyvesant athletes Nobody at Stuy cares about could improve pubsports. People are just licity of their teams not interested. There through social meare schools with studia. Junior Alvin dent bodies a third of Chen, when asked the size of ours showing how he keeps up up to games more than with sports at we do, and that’s partially Stuyvesant, exbecause people are so busy, plained, “I do see t h e but it’s also discouraging.” Instagram accounts With Stuyvesant’s academic rigor, whenever they post their long commute times, and other ex- wins. That’s my main source of tracurricular activities, it’s no wonder information from PSAL sports.” In the some students are disinterested in current school year, PSAL teams have the athletic aspect of school. Howev- promoted their presence on social meer, student athletes likewise have to dia, making Instagram accounts and deal with these problems, along with creating posts on team updates and added difficulties of daily practices match scores. This initiative has and traveling to games. Coach Vincent allowed many students to be Miller, who coaches the boys’ soccer, more informed about these girls’ varsity basketball, and girls’ teams compared to previous softball teams, explained, years, as they can keep “For the sports I up with teams’ records coach, I see peoof the season and supple put a lot of port their student-athtime and effort into lete peers after a win. it. They get home late and And However, these Inthen have to do homework late rea Huang stagram sports /T he S and leave class early, and that’s a accounts pec tato r big deal. The students who don’t play could prosports don’t understand the lengths m o t e their and the extent that a lot of the players teams further. Possigo through.” ble ideas include livestreams There are several plausible solu- for each match and more feations to this problem that would help tures on star athletes. Stuyvesant refocus and bring more Additionally, actions can be taken attention to its highly accomplished by students and the administration to 30

bring more awareness to Stuy’s sports teams and their successes to increase live attendance. Some students simply don’t know when and where games are happening. “I don’t really hear about sports at Stuy. I hear a lot more about academics and stuff,” junior Alif Rahman said. Games could be advertised by adding athletic updates to the Student Union’s weekly emails and posting an athletic bulletin board in a prominent place in the building. Stuyvesant could also amp up live crowd support by creating spirit themes for games. The truth is, it is up to the student body to elevate sports culture at Stuyvesant. There is only so much action that the people involved with athletics can take to spread the word and encourage students to be involved. As students, we must realize how integral athletics are to our school’s culture. Sports are truly one of the most rewarding aspects of being a high school student, whether you are a student athlete, an avid fan, or an occasional spectator. Enthusiasm for sports at any high school is also important, not only so that athletes feel appreciated, but also because athletics unite the school as a whole. School spirit represents pride and connection between the student body and the institution that brings them together. Lack of spirit for sports teams at Stuyvesant exemplifies a general detachment of students from the school. The best way to revamp this deficiency is to engage more students in supporting their school’s athletics. Being aware of how our sports teams are performing, keeping up with star players, and supporting our athletes during thrilling competitions are some of the small steps we can take in reviving the major obstacle surrounding Stuyvesant sports culture.

The Fun Column 1

24 29

26 31

19 21

THE EYE OF THE STUYGER

WHAT UNDERLIES STUY?

STUY MOMENT(S)

NAMASTUY

STUYVENTURE

SOSTUYIETY

STUYGURT (CULTURE!)

STUYNAMITE

THE EYES OF STUY

STUY CULTURE

STUY CHEESE

IN STUYLE

STUYLIN

INSTUYGRAM

BEHIND THE STUY

STUYCRETS

STUY SPECALYZED

STUYVESANT OR HOW I LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING AND LOVE MY MOM

DOWN

1. MEASURE SOMEONE FOR CLOTHING AGAIN 2. A SPANIARD’S 22-ACROSS 3. UNCULTIVATED, AS LAND 4. WHAT YOU MIGHT CALL THE THREE MUSKETEERS 5. OXYGEN AND PLUTONIUM, ON THE PERIODIC TABLE? 6. COMMON WICKER ITEM 7. STUY STUDENTS AIM FOR A 36 ON THESE 8. WHEN DOUBLED, ROADRUNNER EXCLAMATION 9. PIRATE-Y YELL 10. ADJECTIVE THAT DESCRIBES COMPASSIONATE TREATMENT 11. ONE WHO IS PAID TO WORK 12. REVOLUTIONARY GUEVARA 13. ACTRESS NOTARO 18. CLOWN NECKWEAR? 22. EXPECTED SCORE, IN GOLF 25. PUT SHORTLY, AN INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENT FORMED BY A GLOBAL CARE ASSOCIATION 26. DEFUNCT PORTUGUESE THOUSAND MONETARY UNIT 27. LIKELY HOMEWORK ACTIVITY FOR ENGLISH CLASS 28. GUIDANCE SURVEY ABBR. ON NAVIANCE 30. POST 9/11 IMMIGRATION AGENCY 31. OPPOSITE OF ‘LO FLOW’

FAILED MAGAZINE TITLES

32. 70’S PROGRESSIVE ROCK SUPERGROUP 36. HURTING FROM EXERCISE 37. STOOD AROUND FOR A WHILE 38. AGENCY WHICH HANK SCHRADER WORKS FOR IN BREAKING BAD 39. PERIODIC ELEMENT NAMED FOR THE BRIGHT INDIGO LINE ON ITS SPECTRUM 40. __ OUT (RELAX COMPLETELY, MAYBE WHILE WATCHING TV) 41. “LATER” SHORTENED, IN A TEXT 45. OFTEN STUBBED FOOT EXTREMITY 46. “MR. BLUE SKY” BAND 47. MANY FUNDS 48. PRENATAL STAGE THAT PRECEDES FETUS 52. HONKS 53. HOME INSURANCE-RELATED CRIME 55. LIVING ROOM STAPLE 56. BUILDINGS HAVE MANY 58. PHILLIP ____, FORMER ENGLISH TEACHER AT STUY 59. YOUNG GIRL’S NAME FROM MONSTERS, INC 60. ADDRESS WHICH GETS YOU TO WEBSITES 61. A HABITUAL DRUNKARD 62. NUMBER OF CURRENT STUYVESANT PRINCIPALS NAMED SEUNG YU

ACROSS

1. CLUMSY SEA VESSEL 5. PRESIDENT WHO REPEALED ‘DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL’ 10. ___O, PREFIX DENOTING ‘HUNDRED’ 14. UNR____KABLE 15. INFAMOUS SCHOOL GYM TEST 16. AWKWARD GREETING 17. SPEECH THAT INTENTIONALLY DRAGS ON FOR A WHILE 19. DIGITAL VIDEO FILE 20. STRUCTURE WHICH USES BODY HEAT TO INSULATE OCCUPANTS FROM THE BITTER COLD 21. SPACE SIMULATOR VIDEO GAME WITH GREEN ASTRONAUTS 22. ‘FRIEND,’ WESTERN-LIKE 23. AS WELL 24. JOHN CENA AIRER 26. LARGE COUNTRY HOUSES 29. STC’S 2021 WINTER DRAMA 33. LEAD IT BOARD MEMBER 34. FEELING UNWELL

35. HAS A LOBE AND A DRUM 36. TIRED STUYVESANT STUDENT ATTRIBUTE, MOST LIKELY 41. LONDON RESTROOM? 42. __RO_ICS, GYM CLASS AT STUY 43. DOUBLE BOND SUFFIX IN CHEMISTRY 44. STUY ICON, CONSTRUCTED IN 1992 49. PUT BACK AT AN ANGLE 50. NICKNAME OF A CERTAIN NEWS EDITOR, MAYBE 51. GRADUATE BUSINESS DEGREE 54. ID’S COUNTERPART, IN PSYCHOLOGY 55. STORES SPIDER EGGS 57. REDDISH BROWN PIGMENT 59. EARLY ACTION STAR REYNOLDS 61. THE GRADE OF “WISE FOOLS,” AS SOCRATES MIGHT SAY 63. MILK’S FAVORITE COOKIE 64. FREQUENTLY 65. SPELLING ERROR 66. YE ____ 67. FRENCH ”CUP” 68. ___S A_D TURN

we live in a so-stuy-ety...