Volume 112, Issue 5

The Spectator The Stuyvesant High School Newspaper

Volume 112 No. 5

November 12, 2021 OPINIONS

SPORTS

“Stuyvesant’s Homecoming Triumph”

At long last, the New York Public Library system has gotten rid of pesky late fees. Opinions writer Kenneth Gao describes the advantages of this new and more equitable system.

Carried by a strong offensive performance, grit, and a fervent crowd, the Stuyvesant Peglegs won their homecoming game against Beach Channel High School with style.

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By VIVIAN LIN and ANNIE HE Vivian Lin (’18) is a senior at Parsons School of Design studying Communication Design and Data Visualization. She is interested in brand identity design, digital product research, and 3D modeling. Annie He (’18) is a senior at Pratt Institute studying 3D Animation and has been exploring incorporating coding languages, such as Python, into her work.

Department of Education Chancellor Porter announced that students will be able to “CR” their grades following the end of the semester.

StuyPulse Team 694 won the NYC Roborama competition at Francis Lewis High School, winning 11 out of 12 matches, with one loss due to their robot flipping over.

Tech and Creativity Go Hand in Hand savvy algorithm enthusiasts interested in either software engineering or machine learning.

We were wrong. If only we had learned about technology’s need for creative problem-solvers earlier on in our education, we would have had a much easier time navigating our paths in college.

Firstly, two points: 1. Technology does not encompass only software, but also anything developed to solve specific problems. Many often think of computers, engineering, and prominent American companies, such as Facebook (Meta), Amazon, and Google, when hearing the word technology. However, they fail to acknowledge the designers behind the production of these goods and services—the visual advisors with unique skill sets that allow them to work alongside business managers, developers, engineers, and data scientists.

2. Creativity is the ability to generate ideas and innovate.

This concept applies to both art and design, despite many at Stuyvesant equating creativity to simply an aptitude for painting or drawing. Though art and

design are both visual fields, they are also vastly different.

While many artists look inward for inspiration, designers look outward. While artists may create based on instinct, designers solve problems and make functional products through methodical, data-driven processes.

During our years at Stuyvesant, we were conditioned to think that painting was one of the only creative outlets that existed. Having been fortunate enough to receive formal art training, we fell into the stereotypical persona where being creative means being skilled in fine arts.

For us, it only seemed right to participate in art clubs; because we were the “artsy friends” of our friend groups, we spent our four years and countless hours illustrating articles for the Art Department of The Spectator, painting sets for the Stuyvesant Theater Community, and crafting props for SING!. Learning the elements and principles of art early on helped us tremendously as we ventured into more design-focused fields. continued on page 2

Freshman Survey

By KAREN ZHANG and MORRIS RASKIN With the first freshman class shaped by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic entering Stuyvesant in-person this year, The Spectator conducted its annual freshman survey to gauge the Class of 2025’s demographics, identity, lifestyle, and more. Here is what we found.

Several of music teacher Harold Stephan’s students were accepted into the AllCity High School Modern Music Project for Chorus, Concert Band, Jazz Ensemble, Orchestra, and Modern Music Project.

Scott Farber, a co-founder of My Robin, an organization that connects students and teachers with mental health coaches, hosted a social-emotional learning seminar in the Stuyvesant theater. Students discussed mental health and stress-related issues.

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Nothing Rotten About STC’s Return

By JAMES KANG, MADISON KIM, JUNI PARK, and EUGENE YOO Take the Stuyvesant Theater Community (STC), a previous year and a half of virtual performances, and the opportunity for a grand return, and what does one get?

“Something Rotten,” their first inperson performance since the COVID-19 pandemic. Performed on October 29 and 30, their work was

but find themselves stuck in the shadows of famous playwrights of the Renaissance. With the help from Nostradamus, a soothsayer, who foretells the future of the theater, the brothers turn their efforts to writing the world’s very first musical.

This year’s cast consisted of seniors Michael Borczuk and Samuel Espinal Jr. as Nick and Nigel Bottom, respectively; senior and Cast Music Director Elizabeth Stans-

Courtesy of Jenna Mackenroth

We are Stuy alumni (’18) and college seniors studying communication design at Parsons and 3D animation at Pratt Institute. Besides our respective majors, something else we’ve become somewhat skilled at recently is navigating the creative job market. Having spent much time searching for entry-level roles, we’ve realized that the disciplines we are pursuing are at the intersection of design and technology, and that creative problem solving is a skill that is very much in demand.

At Stuyvesant, we’ve separated creativity and technology into two distinct categories. We thought that all creative people had to be lovers of fine arts and that tech was exclusive to code-

NEWSBEAT

stuyspec.com

“An Overdue Farewell”

OP-ED

“The Pulse of the Student Body”

a rendition of the 2015 Broadway musical “Something Rotten,” a musical comedy about two brothers struggling to write a hit play.

The musical comedy is set in the 1590s where brothers Nick and Nigel Bottom hope to find success through writing a hit play

berry as Bea, Nick’s wife; junior Berry Ongan as narrator Minstrel and soothsayer Nostradamus; senior Cynthia Tan as Portia; sophocontinued on page 2

“The Lafayette Escadrille” Featuring Hanna Airs on National Television

By ZIYING JIAN History teacher David Hanna was featured in “The Lafayette Escadrille,” a documentary inspired by his book “Rendezvous with Death,” which showcases the stories of American volunteer soldiers fighting for the French Air Force unit in World War I. The documentary aired nationwide on PBS and is set to continue in the coming weeks.

“The Lafayette Escadrille” is a feature-length documentary that tells the story of a unit of U.S. soldiers who volunteered to fight for France during World War I before the U.S. formally entered the war. It is written, directed, and produced by Darroch Greer and Paul Glenshaw.

This documentary is the first detailed and accurate film recounting the escadrille, a French squadron of aircraft. “There’s been Hollywood films about

them, but they’re not really accurate. And the documentaries that have been made have generally been low-budget—they haven’t had a wide audience,” Hanna said.

Hanna’s role in the documentary is what is known as a talking head, in which he provided additional insight and context about the situation. “The documentary has narration, but we don’t want to tell the entire story through narration, so, we asked David to come in and provide some of his own insight into the story,” Greer said. “We relied on him heavily to contextualize the Belle Epoque era, or ‘the beautiful times.’”

Greer and Glenshaw’s production required a fundraising campaign in both the U.S. and France and was filmed in both countries, with shots spanning continued on page 3

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The Spectator • November 12, 2021

News Nothing Rotten about STC’s Return With “Something Rotten” continued from page 1

more Brandon Phillips as Brother Jeremiah; junior Samantha Farrow as Shylock; sophomore Matthew Monge as Lord Clapham; and senior Ashley Choi as the Master of Justice.

The production team, which consisted of seniors Ella Krechmer, Ava Yap, Jasmine Wang, Katherine Lake, Ava Lu, and Christine Lin, saw the play as the perfect pick to start off the school year. “[It] came in our radar because of the amount of involvement it has in different crews. It was a very music heavy show; it has a huge band, ensemble, cast, and a lot of interesting technical aspects,” Lake said.

Lu, a Technical Coordinator, added, “It’s also a hilarious play that would hopefully make people laugh during such a stressful time of the school year.”

STC felt that the flamboyance and involvement of their selection seemed appropriate in light of numerous virtual productions the year before. “We were virtual for a year and a half, and during this year and a half, we couldn’t really do much compared to in-person,” Lake, also Technical Coordinator, said. “We did Head Over Heels, [last year’s show] virtually, but there were none of the technical aspects that we love in our STC shows: tech couldn’t build the set, art had to paint virtual backgrounds, and it wasn’t the same.”

Throughout it all, the cast enjoyed creating portrayals of their characters and believed it paid off in the final product. “A lot of us interpreted our characters a little bit differently, especially me—I ad libbed. I added onto a lot of my lines to make it funnier, and I think that’s part of the reason why most people I talked to thought it was a really funny character,” Ongan said. “What made it really good was that we added our own

flair to the characters.”

Cast members were also able to form personal connections and attachments to their characters.

“Bea has been one of my dream roles since the first time I listened to the “Something Rotten” soundtrack. She’s sort of like the first feminist, and spends a lot of time going out and earning money for her family, all while being pregnant,” Stansberry said.

The preparation for the performances was not without its difficulties though; one large one was performing with masks. “I had to belt in a higher register, which was extremely hard especially given that I needed to dance while doing so. That was really, really hard with a mask,” Ongan said. “It was [also] harder to gauge my other actors’ expressions and stuff, and we had to act with just our eyes.”

STC also had to abide by COVID-19 regulations, including testing each member before the performances. “We’re trying our best to be back in-person, [but] there are so many new restrictions [and] so many new loops we have to jump through,” Wang said. “We [...] can go maskless for the performance because we all submitted our vaccination forms and [took] a COVID-19 test [...] so we’re doing our utmost to be safe.”

The pandemic also tightened deadlines for both the cast and production crew, though some felt it made the final product all the more rewarding to see. “It took much longer for us to get the rights for a show than normal. Normally we apply in August and are approved by the beginning of September, and this year we didn’t get approval until midSeptember,” STC supervisor and biology teacher Marissa Maggio said. “We didn’t get our librettos and our scripts until the beginning of October, so they really only had a couple of weeks with the actual scripts and music, which, if you

think about it, makes what they accomplished even more impressive.”

The return of in-person STC also brings with it new faces, many of whom had never performed before. “The biggest problem people don’t think about enough is that people are returning here with no experience at all,” Wang said. “There are plenty of sophomores that have no experience, freshmen with no experience.”

Lu agreed. “This show, in particular, was incredible to see develop because a lot of us struggled in the beginning coming out of quarantine to familiarize ourselves with changes and jumping straight into a show with a tight deadline.”

However, after not being able to convene for a year, Maggio found that the students were much more enthusiastic about the prospect of a new live show.

“Everybody followed every single protocol, nobody complained, for the first time ever people were basically on time, all of the time, they stayed until the end,” she said.

“Everyone was so happy to be together again that I feel we actually had much greater participation and rule-following than we had in the past.”

Despite the obstacles that came with the first in-person show in over a year, STC enjoyed the turbulent experience as a community. “STC is a great way of showing that there’s a lot more than one way to be talented, especially in a school like Stuy,” Lake said. “Here, we see the grades, we see the AP Calculus, but there’s other ways to be talented that you can’t see in a classroom. These kids are creative, they have great voices, they can dance, they can construct things out of wood with drills.”

STC also brought close relationships among its actors and members. “They were really crucial to this production and I [they] could not have done this without

Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons and NASA

WORLDBEAT The Federal Drug Administration approved Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine for children ages five to 11.

The S&P 500 stock market rose by seven percent in October, signaling the economy may be recovering.

The Supreme Court refused to halt Maine’s coronavirus vaccine mandate for healthcare workers. Several workers responded by suing the Court based on religious grounds.

Eric Adams is elected mayor of New York City in the 2021 mayoral race, defeating Republican candidate Curtis Silwa.

Alvin Bragg is the first African American to be elected for District Attorney of New York City.

President Joe Biden urged for more action regulating emissions at the Glasgow for the COP26 summit, which was hosted to address the effects of climate change.

Facebook plans to delete face scan data from one billion of its users as part of its larger goal of rebranding. them,” Ongan said.

STC looks forward to how their community will grow. “It can be really worrying to enter theatre as a freshman or a sophomore, especially after such a long period of COVID, and I want them to know that STC is not only just a club, but a community,” Wang said. “Everyone ends up so connected that years later we can still look back at those memories and say, ‘I remember this amazing costume’ or ‘I remember this beautiful set’, and it really brings everyone together

no matter how different they are.”

For many, “Something Rotten” marked the beginning of an exciting return to life before the pandemic. “They’re all so excited, so passionate, and so talented, and I feel safe putting the future of STC in these people’s hands,” Wang said. ”I’m very excited to see where STC will go from here on out.”

Read a review of “Something Rotten” on page 20

Annual Homecoming Pep Rally Returns

By REBECCA BAO Additional reporting by Maggie Sansone The crowd roared to life as Stuy Legacy dancers performed to Olivia Rodrigo’s hit song “good 4 u” (2021) with cheerleaders excitedly waving pom-poms in the background. Students and teachers gathered in the third floor gymnasium for Stuyvesant’s annual Homecoming Pep Rally on October 22, held in coordination with the Student Union (SU). The pep rally preceded the Homecoming football game at Pier 40, where the Stuyvesant Peglegs Football team lodged their first home game victory of the season with a 36-20 win.

The Homecoming Pep Rally started with performances from Stuyvesant’s cheerleading team and Stuy Legacy. Several dodgeball games including Football vs.

Cheer, Students vs. Faculty, and games against different grade levels were also a highlight of the pep rally. These were followed by a live musical performance by senior Daniel Jeon, junior Daniel Kim, and freshman Justin Kim. After all these performances, a one-hour transition period was provided for attendees to head to Pier 40 for the Homecoming football game.

The football game was dedicated to Stuyvesant’s football and baseball coach Matty Hahn, who

passed away on July 8, 2021. “He was a very influential coach for the football and baseball team, which is why a lot of alumni came to watch [and] why this Homecoming was really big and a lot of people attended,” senior and football player Yaqin Rahman said.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions and safety protocols, there were limited tickets available for the Pep Rally. With a 100 person participant limit in the gym, the SU sought alternative solutions for attendee participation. “When I saw that we sold out of all of the Eventbrite tickets in under half an hour, we looked into alternatives ASAP and were able to create a Google Form waitlist,” senior and SU Director of Event Planning Hannah Jiang said. “I [also] made sure we could offer a livestream and an additional recorded option for all of the performances and dodgeball games on our social media.”

In previous years, a half-day on the day of the Homecoming Pep Rally allowed Stuy Cheer to teach the football players simple stunts and dances. Due to the lack of the half-day this year, the Football vs.

Cheer Dodgeball game was organized to maintain the tradition of involving the football team in the Pep Rally.

With performances, Stuy Cheer prepared over the summer to have a routine ready and perform it during the Pep Rally. “We performed

the routine we did at cheer camp this summer, so it was an easy transition into performing at the Pep Rally because it was something we had worked on for a while,” senior and cheer captain Kelly Zeng said in an e-mail interview.

Some performers welcomed the chance to dance in front of a live audience and promote their dance team. “I really decided to participate in the Pep Rally for two main reasons, the first being that it had been nearly two years since I have performed in front of an audience and I missed it a lot,” junior and Stuy Legacy performer Sharon Liu said in an e-mail interview.

“The second reason was because I wanted more students to experience the amazing dance culture at Stuy, and hopefully join for future performances.”

Spectators also enjoyed the performances and stunts put on

by Stuy Legacy during the pep rally. “The best part was the Stuy [Legacy] performance because it really pumped up the crowd,” sophomore Tara Suri said. “They had popular songs [from artists] like Olivia Rodrigo, edamame, and somebody did a backflip, [which] was really cool.”

The dodgeball games between grades were also a memorable aspect among students. “We beat the freshmen but lost to the juniors,” sophomore and dodgeball player DeAngelo Poon said in an e-mail

interview. “It was pretty fun even though I don’t know how to aim properly. I think the event was a success other than the fact that there was plenty of cheating, especially the juniors.”

Some chose to attend the event for the social aspect of seeing friends and classmates. “The pep rally was special because I saw so many people there, like my friends and [...] a lot of the upper and lower grades at the pep rally,” junior Andrey Sokolov said. “It was cool to see we were finally coming back to this sense of community.”

However, due to the large number of people attending the event, others found it difficult to navigate around the gym area. “At first, when we came into [the stadium], we didn’t really know what to do because [...] it was hard to navigate,” Sokolov said. “I saw that the cheerleaders were not able to actually cheerlead [...] because everybody sat on one side of the allotted space, which is the part where the cheerleaders need to cheer.”

Others wished the area dedicated for the pep rally in the gymnasium had been larger to account for more people. “There could have been more seats because everyone was jammed and packed into the bleachers. So when there were [performances], it was really tight and there could have been more space for everybody to move,” Suri said.

Nonetheless, many students still believe that this year’s Homecoming Pep Rally was memorable and holds an important role in their Stuyvesant experience. “As [the football team’s] manager and someone who has been lucky enough to watch the team grow and learn to overcome various lifechanging injuries, the win for them meant so much more than a score, and Homecoming overall was an incredible experience for me that I wish I could relive and hold on to forever,” Jiang said.

Many students share this sentiment and value the event as an important transition back to normalcy. “This [was] my first and last Homecoming [because] I’m a senior and this is definitely something that I’ll remember for the rest of my life. Especially because this was dedicated to a long-time coach who passed away and in history, this is the Homecoming right after the pandemic,” Rahman said.

Assistant Principal of Security, Health, and Physical Education Brian Moran recognizes the Pep Rally was a chance to bolster school spirit, especially after the transition back into in-person school. “Events like the Pep Rally help to build a sense of community and this is something I think we all missed during the pandemic. I look forward to seeing more events in the future,” he said.

The Spectator • November 12, 2021

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News “The Lafayette Escadrille” Featuring History Teacher David Hanna Airs on National Television continued from page 1

Courtesy of David Hanna

across 40 locations in France.

“We worked on the film very intently for four years. Doing a lot of research, reading a lot of books, reaching out to the children of the figures in the film,” Greer said. “It feels very gratifying to have our work released to the world.”

Hanna found the documentary’s recognition to be a surprise, as he did not expect it to be televised across the country.

“It wasn’t like I intended to do that. I just wrote that book and he [Greer] read it—it was all serendipity,” Hanna said. “I’m really happy for them because I got to know them personally, and so I’m really happy everybody is going

to be able to see their work.”

One of Hanna’s students is

looking forward to watching the documentary for his insights into the historical event. “[Hanna is]

not only speaking as a teacher.

He’s speaking as a historian. He’s speaking as someone who loves what he does,” junior Sarah Peter said. “Speaking from experience, [Hanna] has a way of bringing things to life.”

Peter added that the retelling of this obscure event through a documentary format makes it approachable. “[The documentary] can appeal to anyone—any student, any adult,” Peter said. “It makes people interested in something they might’ve not even known, especially in an event as big as World War I.” Others are interested in the specific events the documentary covers. “It’s really fascinating because it goes into a pivotal moment in the style of warfare, how air combat was first introduced,”

junior Aiden Mizhen said.

Similarly, some see this documentary as a broader impact that lessons taught at school have.

“It’s really inspiring for students to see their teacher represented in more than the classroom,” Mizhen said. “Being able to see real applications of history classes, it’s really important to see how there is a real impact on the world by teaching and learning history.

The documentary will be aired from November 8 to 12 on PBS in honor of Veteran’s Day, and its next airing will be on November 11 at 3:00 p.m. on PBS or on https://www.wliw.org/ live/. “I would tell students that it’s a really good film, especially if they’re interested in learning about France or World War I,” Hanna said.

Where’s Your School Spirit?

By JENNY LIU and MOMOCA MAIRAJ

some themes weren’t the most accessible in the world,” junior and SU vice president Ryan Lee said.

Though the apathy may be viewed negatively, those who didn’t participate in Spirit Week as much enjoyed watching students who did. “I liked seeing what other people wore more than par-

that if students were more willing to step out of their comfort zone there could have been an increase in participation “For me, part of it was just too much effort on some of the days,” he said. “Like the formal attire, I could’ve done that, but it was raining. I think in general though, maybe part of

ticipating myself. The event is also kind of a pick-me-up, especially during October, when there’s a lot going on in terms of workload and college apps,” senior Ellen Pehlivanian said.

Siniscalco, who participated in Color War and Halloween Costume days, cites the level of effort required to dress up as a reason for him not participating on the other days. “Honestly, on Monday, I don’t really have an actual pajama and I was 50 percent sure that would have been dress coded if I wore what I normally did,” he said. “On Tuesday and Wednesday, it was just laziness.”

However, Siniscalco added

it is embarrassment, but I think people are chill at Stuy so just do stuff and it’ll work out.”

Some suggested that the themes could have been more popular if they were more basic.

“Some people were just tired and didn’t feel like it, or they didn’t like the themes that were chosen,” Warshaw said. “Maybe if it was more generic stuff, people would participate more, but it would also be less fun.”

Students also suggested that more inclusive themes could have increased participation “They could’ve chosen themes that are more accessible to everyone in general, not just the couple of

Zifei Zhao / The Spectator

After over a year spent toiling through virtual school, Stuyvesant has been in dire need of a spirit boost. With a new school year comes a new opportunity to participate in Stuyvesant’s annual Spirit Week, hosted by the Student Union (SU). This year’s themes for Spirit Week were Pajamas, Decades, Black Tie, Color Wars, and Halloween costumes.

Despite a general sentiment that Stuyvesant lacks school spirit, there was an increase in participation throughout the week.

As the name suggests, the intention of the event, which takes place during the last week of October to culminate in the annual Halloween costume contest was to garner a feeling of unity and school spirit. “The purpose of spirit week is to create community across a very large school that often struggles to find unity across grades and classes. [You may walk down] the hallway and [see] someone with the same color t-shirt in color wars, and [not even realize] that they were in your grade,” senior and SU president Shivali Korgaonkar said.

The themes were chosen through a Google Form that the Student Union (SU) sent to the student body. Out of the themes offered, Black Tie Day was the most popular among those who participated. “My favorite thing was Black Tie Day because it was very fun wearing a dress and heels everywhere, and I needed the excuse to dress up,” junior Isabella Chow, who participated in all five days, said. “So afterward I thought, I want more days like these so I can just come in with

a dress and no one is going to be bothered by it.”

Part of what made some students more eager to participate than others is because they already had clothes that matched the theme. “I like the topics they chose and also I had clothes that already fit,” junior Cruz Warshaw said.

The event also served as an introduction for underclassmen to Stuyvesant tradition. “It was a good way to have fun. I’m a sophomore, but this was my first year actually in person at Stuy,” sophomore David Sinscalco said. “It fosters a sense of community. [...]

Everybody dresses up and people just roll with it,” Freshman Louise Wang added, “The event was successful because a ton of people participated in Spirit Week. In all my classes, I would say that around 50 percent of the people participated in the event.”

Students who participated enjoyed the selection of themes especially compared to those of previous years. “I know [in] freshman year, they were all really similar and it was kind of frustrating being like, ‘What am I supposed to do for meme day?’ and I ended up not participating for half of the days,” Chow said. “It was a right amount of crazy and right amount of not crazy that you don’t know what to do with the theme.”

Despite the number of participants, many students chose not to dress up, perhaps due to the level of effort participating required. “It kind of boils down to one of two things. One was the communication aspect where some people didn’t see it and didn’t have time to participate. I also do think it was the fact that

kids that have lots of clothes lying around,” Chow said.

Others also recommended providing guides to help students choose what to wear. “I’m in Fashion Club and for Black Tie day, I had nothing to wear until I saw the Fashion Club’s Instagram post a guide to help people choose what to wear. I thought it was very helpful and gain[ed] more confidence knowing others have probably based their outfits around that post too,” junior Venus Wan, who participated in all five days, said.

Overall, the event was as enjoyable for spectators as for those who dressed up. “Personally I found it really fun walking down the hallways and up and down escalators seeing what people were wearing,” Korgaonkar said. “It was an entertaining week and I found it to be very stress relieving which is what I hope other people found as well.”

The SU hopes to increase participation in the next Spirit Week, which will occur later in the school year. “The next spirit week will probably be sometime mid-second semester,” Korganokar said. “I imagine that [in] the second Spirit Week since people saw how popular the first one was, they will be more likely to participate in the second one just because they know that it is part of Stuy culture to participate in Spirit Week.”

Wan added, “For those who participated in very few events or didn’t participate at all, I can kind of resonate with them because they [probably] either didn’t have anything to wear, weren’t confident enough, or just didn’t care at all. But Spirit Week only comes once a year, so I’m going all out.”

Stuyvesant Holds Mock Elections for NYC Officials

By CHRISTINA WANG, ELAINE HUANG, and NADA HAMEED Stuyvesant held a school-wide mock election from October 25 to November 1, to coincide with Election Day on November 2.

The election pertained to citywide positions, including the mayor, public advocate, and comptroller.

Students also voted on ballot pro-

posals regarding the appointment and redistricting process, the right to clean air and a healthy environment, advance voter registration, and no-excuse absentee voting.

This year’s mock election was conducted over a Google Form, similarly to that of the 2020-2021 election. However, this year’s voter turnout was lower than that of previous years, with the form garnering a total of 492 responses.

According to the results of the form, the Democratic party candidates won by an overwhelming majority in the mock election, with Eric Adams receiving 62.4 percent of votes for the mayoral position, Jumaane D. Williams receiving 77.1 percent of the votes for public advocate, and Brad Lander receiving 78.2 percent of the vote for comptroller. These results were consistent with students’ ex-

pectations and mirrored the landslide victories of Adams, Williams, and Lander in New York City’s elections. “[Stuyvesant] is a pretty progressive school. Though we do have [...] conservative students, there’s a pretty vocal progressive majority,” senior Nour Kastoun said. “I did expect [the] Democratic party candidate to win.”

The mock election form was created by two of history teacher

Linda Weissman’s AP US Government and Politics students, Kastoun and Madison Cheng. “Every year, we do this citywide election thing at [Stuyvesant, and Weissman asked us if] anyone [wanted] to help [...] make the ballot,” Kastoun said. “We volunteered, and so continued on page 4

The Spectator • November 12, 2021

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News Stuyvesant Holds Mock Elections for NYC Officials continued from page 3

she gave us the information [and] what she had in mind for the online ballot.”

Director of Family Engagement Dina Ingram was responsible for sending out the form to the student body. “Sending the form to students is just another aspect of my role here in communication, and [I am] happy to assist Ms. Weissman in this important lesson for students,” Ingram said in an email interview.

This year, the mock election

was administered through a form out of convenience instead of conducted in-person. “Previously, the vote was done in classrooms in social studies. During COVID, it had to be conducted electronically, but it seems that results are simpler to tabulate, and the department stuck with it this year in a school wide e-mail and collection,” Ingram said.

The low voter turnout of this year’s mock election raised concerns regarding political apathy among the student body. “The turnout was kind of what I ex-

pected,” Kastoun said. “Political apathy is a pretty big thing at Stuy, which is part of the reason why we do this, right?”

Some students expressed that their disengagement stemmed from the fact that they did not feel informed enough about the candidates to cast a ballot. “I didn’t feel as if I was educated enough,” sophomore Henry Ji said. “I didn’t feel like having to do all the research the night beforehand, so I just decided not to vote because I wouldn’t have an informed vote.”

Some students cited the con-

ventional results of the mock election as a reason for the election’s low voter turnout. “It’s not like anything is actually impacted by it, and it’s not like you get anything done. A Democratic school has elected a Democratic mayor, what a surprise,” Ji said.

Despite the low voter turnout and student body apathy, many students still acknowledge the importance of a mock election in educating students about government positions and promoting involvement in politics. “It’s important to [...] be aware, politically

informed citizens [...] And exercising our rights to vote is [...] a very big deal,” Kastoun said. “Hopefully, it’ll help get more people involved [in politics].”

Students and teachers alike continue to emphasize the importance of being politically aware.

“The mock election is [...] a fantastic lesson in civics, politics and understanding our election system,” Ingram said. “Considering how their choices impact the future and considering the views of these politicians [are] very important for students.”

Freshman Survey The Post-Pandemic Class of 2025: Freshman Survey Part A: Demographic Information 1. Choose the ethnicity that best describes your background: a) Asian: 78.2% b) Black: 2.4% c) Hispanic or Latinx: 4.9% d) White: 19.9% e) Other: 2.0% 2. Which of the following best describes your legal status in the United States? (reminder that this survey is completely anonymous) a) U.S. Citizen (Passport): 85.7% b) Permanent Resident (Green Card +Passport of another country): 6.4% c) Dual Citizenship (Passport of two countries): 6.8% d) Visa: 0.5% e) Other: 0.5% 3. Choose the religion that you identify with: a) Christianity: 17.0% b) Islam: 12.2% c) Judaism: 6.0% d) Hinduism: 3.7% e) Agnosticism/Atheism: 53.6% f) Buddhism: 3.1% g) Other: 4.4% 4. How would you classify your family’s socioeconomic status? a) Lower/working class: 20.7% b) Middle class: 44.2% c) Upper middle class: 16.5% d) Upper class: 2.7% e) Unsure: 15.9% 5. The highest level of education either of my parents/guardians received was: a) Middle School 5.1% b) High School 21.9% c) Associates Degree: 8.6% d) Bachelor’s Degree: 33.1% e) Post-College Education: 31.3% 6. What type of middle school did you attend? a) Selective Public School or Gifted & Talented Program (NEST+m, Mark Twain, etc.): 52.8% b) Zoned Public School 40.6% c) Private School: 6.0% d) Parochial School: 0.6%

7. I identify as the following gender: a) Male: 48.4% b) Female: 48.6% c) Non-binary: 0.9% d) Unsure/Questioning: 1.7% e) Other: 0.4% 8. I most closely identify as: a) Heterosexual: 73.3% b) Homosexual: 2.0% c) Bisexual: 8.0% d) Asexual: 3.7% e) Unsure/Questioning: 9.7% f) Other: 3.3% 9. My immigrant status is: a) I am an immigrant: 10.6% b) My parents are immigrants: 67.8% c) My grandparents are immigrants: 8.0% d) Other: 9.7% e) I don’t know: 3.8%

Part B: Academic Information 10. I frequently participate in my classes. a) Strongly disagree: 4.4% b) Disagree: 10.1% c) Neutral: 21.9% d) Agree: 33.1% e) Strongly agree: 30.5% 11. I consider myself to be aware of current events. a) Strongly disagree: 1.8% b) Disagree: 9.7% c) Neutral: 29.3% d) Agree: 46.3% e) Strongly agree: 13.0% 12. I have a strong work ethic: a) Strongly disagree: 2.6% b) Disagree: 7.5% c) Neutral: 28.5% d) Agree: 41.9% e) Strongly agree: 19.6% 13. Approximately how much sleep did you get on any given school night in middle school? a) Fewer than 6 hours: 4.9%

The Spectator • November 12, 2021

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Freshman Survey b) 6 - 7 hours: 22.5% c) 7 - 8 hours: 38.6% d) 8 - 9 hours: 27.8% e) More than 9 hours: 6.2% 14. Approximately how much sleep do you expect to get on any given school night at Stuyvesant? a) Fewer than 5 hours: 13.3% b) 5 - 6 hours: 30.7% c) 6 - 7 hours: 33.3% d) 7 - 8 hours: 19.4% e) More than 8 hours: 3.3% 15. My favorite subject is: a) Math: 42.0% b) Science: 25.2% c) English: 14.4% d) History: 9.7% e) Other: 8.6% 16. I spent ___ hours studying on an average night in middle school: a) Less than 0.5 hours: 28.5% b) .5 - 1 hours: 31.8% c) 1 - 2 hours: 26.3% d) 2 - 3 hours: 9.0% d) More than 3 hours: 4.4% 17. After I graduate from Stuyvesant, I think I might attend an Ivy League University or another elite university. a) Strongly disagree: 1.6% b) Disagree: 3.7% c) Neutral: 34.6% d) Agree: 38.9% e) Strongly agree: 21.2% 18. By the end of my Stuyvesant career, I predict that I will be among: a) Top 10% of my class: 16.1% b) Top 25% of my class: 40.6% c) Top 50% of my class: 37.1% d) Bottom 50% of my class: 6.2%

Part C: Applying to Stuyvesant 19. When did you start studying for the SHSAT? a) I did not study for the SHSAT: 3.8% b) Less than one month before the exam: 6.6% c) 1 - 4 months before the exam: 14.4% d) 4 - 6 months before the exam: 15.5% e) 6 months - 1 year before the exam: 31.3% f) More than 1 year before the exam: 28.3% 20. Which best describes the method of studying you used for the SHSAT? a) I did not study for the SHSAT: 3.3% b) Self-study/Preparatory books: 33.5% c) Preparatory class (not SHSI): 47.9% d) SHSI preparatory school: 5.7% e) One-on-one tutoring: 7.5% f) Other: 2.2% 21. To what extent did a parent/guardian pressure you to come to Stuyvesant? a) Not at all: 31.3% b) Some pressure: 43.1% c) A lot of pressure: 16.6% d) It was entirely their decision: 9.0% 22. I think there will be a positive correlation between my SHSAT score and my academic success at Stuyvesant. a) Strongly disagree: 7.5% b) Disagree: 17.9% c) Neutral: 44.1% d) Agree: 26.3% e) Strongly agree: 4.2%

Part D: Identity/Lifestyle 23. I am opposed to the use of marijuana by high school students. a) Strongly disagree: 2.0% b) Disagree: 4.0% c) Neutral: 9.9% d) Agree: 23.0% e) Strongly agree: 61.1% 24. I am opposed to the use of e-cigarettes/vapes by high school students. a) Strongly disagree: 2.0% b) Disagree: 1.6% c) Neutral: 5.1% d) Agree: 19.7% e) Strongly agree: 71.5% 25. I am opposed to the use of study drugs (prescription stimulants like Adderall or Ritalin) by high school students. a) Strongly disagree: 2.0% b) Disagree: 6.6% c) Neutral: 23.6% d) Agree: 21.6% e) Strongly agree: 46.3%

26. I am opposed to the use of hard drugs (cocaine, opiates, etc) by high school students. a) Strongly disagree: 2.4% b) Disagree: 0.5% c) Neutral: 2.6% d) Agree: 12.2% e) Strongly agree: 82.3% 27. I am opposed to sexual activity by high school students. a) Strongly disagree: 4.4% b) Disagree: 7.1% c) Neutral: 32.2% d) Agree: 18.6% e) Strongly agree: 37.7% 28. How many cups of coffee do you drink on an average day? a) None: 85.9% b) 1 cup of coffee: 11.3% c) 2 cups of coffee: 2.2% d) 3+ cups of coffee: 2.8% 29. My mental health is something I think about regularly. a) Strongly disagree: 4.0% b) Disagree: 15.7% c) Neutral: 32.4% d) Agree: 33.5% e) Strongly agree: 14.4% 30. How many hours do you spend watching TV (including Netflix), gaming, or watching YouTube on a typical school day? a) Less than 1 hour: 19.9% b) 1 - 2 hours: 36.0% c) 2 - 3 hours: 21.6% d) 3 - 4 hours: 12.4% e) More than 4 hours: 10.1% 31. How many hours a day do you spend on Facebook? a) Less than 1 hour: 55.2% b) 1 - 3 hours: 1.8% c) More than 3 hours: 0.2% d) I don’t have any social media accounts, including Facebook: 13.3% e) I do not have a Facebook but I do have other social media accounts: 29.4% 32. Choose the extracurriculars you will be most likely to dedicate yourself to in the next 4 years. Leave this blank if you do not see yourself participating in extracurriculars. a) STEM/Academic Clubs: 62.4% b) Sports: 50.9% c) Speech and Debate: 24.2% d) Student Government: 16.7% e) Publications: 21.3% f) Community Service: 44.5% g) Arts: 37.2% 33. When I am older, I hope to go into ___. Leave this blank if you are not sure. a) STEM-related fields: 68.3% b) Humanities: 8.6% c) Finance: 12.2% d) Arts: 7.5% e) Vocational Work: 0.5% f) Other: 2.9%

Part E: Academic Honesty 34. I would sacrifice a good grade to preserve my academic honesty (i.e. even if I could cheat, I would not because it is immoral). a) Strongly disagree: 2.4% b) Disagree: 6.4% c) Neutral: 19.6% d) Agree: 43.7% e) Strongly agree: 28.0% 35. In middle school, I partook in some form of academic dishonesty: a) Frequently: 1.6% b) Sometimes: 11.5% c) Rarely: 41.0% d) Never: 45.9% 36. I think that academic dishonesty (in any form) can be justified. a) Strongly disagree: 13.2% b) Disagree: 33.5% c) Neutral: 38.8% d) Agree: 10.8% e) Strongly agree: 3.8%

Part F: COVID-19 37. Have you received the COVID-19 vaccine? a) Yes, I have received my first shot: 4.0% b) Yes, I have received both shots: 88.3% c) No, but I plan to: 5.3% d) No, I do not plan to: 4.0% 38. If you answered “No I do not plan to” to the previous question, why? a) Parental skepticism: 52.9% b) Personal skepticism: 23.5% c) Medical reason: 11.8% d) Other: 11.8%

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The Spectator • November 12, 2021

Freshman Survey Part A: Demographic Information

In line with demographic trends of recent years, 78.2 percent of the incoming freshman class identify as Asian. Of the rest, 19.9 percent identify as white, 4.9 percent identify as Hispanic or Latinx, 2.4 percent identify as Black, and 2.0 percent identify as an option not stated on the list. It is important to note that students were given the option to select more than one ethnicity, so those of mixed descent were able to select both applicable races.

The gender breakdown of the Class of 2025 shows a slight lean toward female students over male students, with a 48.6 to 48.4 percent split respectively. While many perceive Stuyvesant to be a majority male institution, as it has been in many years past, it seems that the Class of 2025 has defied this presumption. Of the students that chose neither male nor female, 0.9 percent identified as non-binary, one percent were unsure or questioning, and the remaining 0.4 percent didn’t identify with any of the available choices.

The religious breakdown of this year’s class is particularly striking. A majority of the incoming class identify as atheists, with 53.6 percent of students adhering to this belief set. When compared to figures in the past, this number is noticeably high. As freshmen, this year’s senior class (’22) was only composed of 35 percent atheists, indicating an 18 percent increase over the four years.

In terms of middle schools attended, 52.8 percent of the freshman class attended a selected public school or Gifted & Talented programs—schools that are traditionally feeder schools to specialized high schools. 40.6 percent attended their zoned public school and a small minority attended either a private or parochial school—6 and 0.4 percent respectively. While this is in line with previous demographics, Mayor Bill de Blasio’s recent announcement of phasing out G&T programs from NYC public schools may change these numbers in the coming years.

Part B: Academic Information In adherence to Stuyvesant’s STEM-centric reputation, over two-thirds of incoming freshmen indicated that their favorite subject was either math or science—42 and 25.2 percent respectively—with a noticeable gap between the two subjects. Of the students who prefer the humanities, 14.4 percent favored English while 9.7 percent preferred history.

With rigorous academics and a wide breadth of AP classes and electives to take, Stuyvesant also possesses a strong college-centric culture. When asked about the university that they think they will attend, the majority of students (60.1 percent) agreed or strongly agreed that they think they might attend an Ivy League University or another elite university while 34.6 percent stayed neutral and 5.3 percent disagreed. This is in line with the college culture at Stuyvesant, where students often aspire to attend the highest and most prestigious institutions.

Another tentpole of Stuyvesant’s reputation is a penchant for sleep deprivation. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, teenagers 13 to 18 years old should receive at least eight hours of sleep per night. While 38.6 percent of incoming freshmen reported getting seven to eight hours per night, 27.4 percent reported receiving seven or fewer hours of sleep a night. Poor sleep habits can be attributed to many factors for middle schoolers––lengthy commutes, copious amounts of homework, and leisure activities, to name a few. For this reason, this year’s sleep figures mirror those of years past. In the survey taken of this year’s senior class when they were freshmen, 31 percent reported receiving seven or fewer hours of sleep a night.

When asked to predict how much sleep students believe they will receive on an average night at Stuyvesant, the numbers shifted drastically downward. 33.3 percent of students believe that they will receive six to seven hours of sleep, 30.7 percent of students said five to six hours, and 13.3 percent chose fewer than five hours. Only a small minority (22.7 percent) chose within the range of seven or more hours.

Part C: Applying to Stuyvesant The recent mayoral election, resulting in Eric Adams’s victory, has reignited the long-held debate over the merits of the SHSAT. When it comes to Stuyvesant students, though, opinions are largely split on the relationship between SHSAT scores and high school success. Only 4.2 percent of students strongly agree with the sentiment that there is a strong correlation between the two.

However, only 7.5 percent of students feel that there is no strong connection between school success and the admissions test. The majority—44.1 percent—had no opinion on the relationship.

And when studying for the SHSAT, almost half of the students attended preparatory classes to prepare while 33.5 percent self-studied or used preparatory books to supplement their learning. While most attributed their decision to attending Stuyvesant entirely on their own (31.3 percent) or with a little pressure from their parents (43.1 percent), a little over a quarter of the students chose Stuyvesant due to enormous parental influence.

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Freshman Survey Part D: Identity/Lifestyle According to a report by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. population saw an increase in time spent on leisure activities throughout the pandemic. As entire cities were hunkered inside for months on end, more people spent time on activities such as playing video games or watching television.

While these pandemic effects have subsided at the outset of the school year, the trend surrounding leisure still rang true. Fewer than 20 percent of students reported engaging in less than one hour of these activities on an average school day, which included YouTube viewing, video games, and television. 10 percent of students indicated that they typically spent at least four hours—one-sixth of their day—engaging in one of these activities.

As Facebook culture is widespread among Stuyvesant, in which students frequently communicate through Messenger or posting on the Dear Incoming Facebook groups for questions or advice, there is notably low usage of Facebook among the freshman body. 42.7 percent of the students do not have a Facebook account, with a subset of 13.3 percent who do not have any social media accounts. Due to Stuyvesant’s widespread usage of Facebook, this number might grow significantly across the freshman class’s four years. However, with new modes of communication like Discord quickly taking center stage, Facebook might see a dip in screen time.

In accordance with the 67.2 percent tally of students that reported either math or science as their favorite subjects, 62.4 percent of students indicated that they plan to join a STEM-related or academic extracurricular activity during their time at Stuyvesant. An overwhelming 68.3 percent of students also indicated that they hope to join a STEM-oriented field in the workforce. Following was just a mere 12.2 percent of students who hope to go into finance, business, or management, 8.6 percent in the humanities fields—which also encompasses the social sciences—and 7.5 percent in the arts.

When it comes to drug usage at Stuyvesant, the vast majority of students are averse to the prospect of nearly any illicit substances. However, a notably low percentage of students were opposed to the use of study drugs, such as Adderall or Ritalin, by high school students, especially in comparison to other substances. While 84.1 percent of the incoming class indicated that they were at least somewhat opposed to the use of marijuana by high schoolers and 91.2 percent were against the use of e-cigarettes or vaping devices, only 67.9 percent of the Class of 2025 responded that they were at least somewhat opposed to the usage of study drugs. It is important to note that it wasn’t indicated whether these drugs were prescribed in this hypothetical situation, which may have skewed the results.

As the pandemic brought on a slew of negative effects—from isolation to job loss and sickness—as well as a year of online learning, a Kaiser Family Foundation study reports that more than 25 percent of high school students reported that their emotional or mental health worsened during this time period. As mental health concerns were exacerbated at Stuyvesant during the winter of the 2020-2021 remote learning school year, The Spectator asked the freshman body whether they think about their mental health regularly. 47.9 percent of students said that they do, compared to the 19.7 percent who said they do not.

Part E: Academic Honesty In comparison to the freshman survey conducted four years ago, the Class of 2025 marks an uptick in reports of past academic dishonesty. While, in the freshman survey of the Class of 2022, 54 percent of students reported having never engaged in an act of academic dishonesty, this year sees more than an eight percent drop in this figure.

One possible explanation for this phenomenon is the habits created by virtual learning. With little teacher oversight and ample access to online resources, remote learning provided an environment for easy academic dishonesty. In an in-person classroom, it is possible that the number of students engaging in academic dishonesty will fall because of its reduced convenience.

Part F: COVID-19

Back in May of 2021, the CDC recommended the COVID-19 vaccine for teenagers aged 12 to 15, allowing the incoming freshman class to get vaccinated. Since then, 92.3 percent of all incoming freshmen have received at least one dose of the vaccine, with 88.3 percent of students among them being fully vaccinated.

Of those who are not vaccinated, 5.3 percent indicated that they do have plans to. However, the 2.4 percent who plan not to provide a range of reasons for this decision. The majority of them, 52.9 percent, refrained from the vaccine due to parental skepticism. However, 23.5 percent of unvaccinated freshmen indicated that personal skepticism has prevented them from receiving their doses.

As the Class of 2025 navigated through the high school admissions process with a pandemic looming over them—from taking the SHSAT to choosing their schools, the pandemic did contribute to some students’ decisions on where to attend high school. One chose Stuyvesant because they trusted it more than their prior school in terms of handling COVID-19. A few students found more time to research different high schools and study for the SHSAT exam during quarantine, influencing them to apply to specialized high schools. For some, commuting was a factor that they weighed heavily due to crowded transit and how far they wanted their high school to be.

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The Spectator • November 12, 2021

Features

By CALISTA LEE It had never happened during pre-pandemic times because nobody had to wear a mask.

But now, meeting someone without the lower half of his or her face is nothing new. Completing the face of someone based on what you assume they look like is almost instinctive.

Recognizing people has now come down to knowing how their eyes or hair look, or their style. These little habits that students have picked up during the pandemic times, whether knowingly or not, have greatly changed the way we interact with and perceive others.

One of the most noticeable changes that comes with wearing a mask is in the guesswork that goes into deciphering the rest of a person’s face. As junior Keara O’Donnell mentioned in an e-mail interview, people often develop preconceived ideas of how others look. As a result, there are many moments of shock and excitement when someone takes off their mask for a sip of water or to take a bite of lunch. “I notice that [when] people put their mask down to eat or drink water, they look completely different from my preconceived idea of their face,” O’Donnell wrote.

Senior Rajhasree Paul had a similar experience with her history teacher Matt Polazzo. “I assumed he was clean shaven.

He’s kind of sarcastic. He’s

By ISABELLE LAM

kind of witty. [...] But then, one day, he has his mask dangling off one of his ears […] the man has a beard of all things,” she said. After seeing Polazzo unmasked, Paul explained how hard it was to reconcile his actual face with the previous image she had of him. “The vibe of clean shaven Mr. Polazzo

pher if that person is willing to talk, making Lin less willing to talk to someone she’s not familiar with.

Masks can also make it harder to really know someone.

“When people wear masks, they can hide their insecurities about the lower half of their face, and sometimes, you

“But then, one day, he has his mask dangling off one of his ears, the man has a beard of all things.”

—Rajhasree Paul, senior

that I had in my head versus the actual bearded Mr. Polazzo—completely changed.”

Freshman Qiuhan Lin finds that wearing a mask can make approaching others difficult.

“You kind of assume what people look like under that, and sometimes when you only see their eyes, you think they are cold or mean, when they’re not really like that,” Lin explained. Without that slight lift of the lips or the stretch of the cheeks, it can be hard to deci-

them, he placed the Pusheens on display in room 403.

The following year, in 2018, Steve Wong (’18) gifted Kats a Pusheen holding an ice cream sundae. “It wasn’t enough for him to give me a Pusheen. He wanted me to know just how exclusive it was, so [...] when he gave it to me, he goes, ‘Just so you know they only sell it at this one store and you can’t find it anywhere else,’ and that was his way of showing how much he loved me,” Kats explained.

When 2018 drew to a close, four or five graduating seniors banded together to get Kats the Potato Chip Pusheen. By then, he already had six Pusheens on display. But the cats didn’t live on his window sill forever.

Oftentimes, the Pusheens were in the hands of freshmen. “A group of freshmen [...] were always very intimidated by being at a bigger school, so a few of the kids would [ask to hold one] and [I] would allow them to hold one during class if they really needed to,” Kats explained. For Christmas, his geometry class gave him a Candy Cane Pusheen as a thank you gift.

Unfortunately, later on in the year, a Pusheen was stolen: Ice Cream Pusheen. Not to be confused with Wong’s exclusive sundae bearing Pusheen, Ice Cream Pusheen was the one eating an ice cream cone.

Someone else then stole Pizza Pusheen, but Pizza Pusheen was eventually recovered. “I remember [going] into [math teacher Dawn] Vollaro’s class [because] I was certain that Pusheen went missing during one of her classes while she was missing. [...] One student came forward and told me exactly who it was, and fortunately, we were able to get it back,

don’t really get to know them completely because they’re hiding a part of themselves away,” junior Shanel Zhang noted.

Subsequently, identifying a person’s emotions and personality can be confusing. “I also can’t tell what emotions they may be showing, especially if they’re being sarcastic or not, so it’s harder to pick up on those social cues,” O’Donnell said.

On the other hand, Paul noticed that she is more willing to come closer to people

when donning a mask. “One of my biggest insecurities is my T zone [...] Masks cover all of that, so there are no worries about getting close in someone’s face,” she said. However, she does understand Lin’s point that masks can make communication difficult. “There is still a lot of [body] language appearing in these parts—that lower half of our face.” She explained how even seeing an angular face versus a rounded face can make someone seem intimidating.

Further, masks make it hard to recognize each other.

Plenty of teachers have been using name signs far past the usual first month because distinguishing between students is a struggle. It’s no different between past or new friends.

“Without the bottom half of their face, everyone looks similar. [...] So, sometimes when you see friends, you kind of have a hard time recognizing whether it’s them or not and that makes you scared to say hello,” Zhang said. It’s also harder to hear people because the mask muffles their voice. “I often have to ask people to repeat their words or completely mishear them,” O’Donnell said.

While masks can be a hindrance when interacting with others, it can also provide a sense of comfort and confidence. In eighth grade, Paul lost a tooth; she finds that wearing a mask is a convenient

way to hide similar afflictions: “If I didn’t have it [the mask], then everyone would see me toothless. And well, that’s not necessarily a bad thing, but I would prefer not to be seen as toothless because if you saw one of your friends that didn’t have a tooth, you’d be like, ‘you okay, dude?’” Zhang has another take on wearing masks. “I kind of like hiding this part of myself. It’s fun because when I take off my mask, other people have weird reactions, and that’s really funny,” she said.

O’Donnell emphasized that masks haven’t stopped the feeling of return—to school, friends, and the real world: “That [wearing a mask] still hasn’t completely prevented me from having great conversations with people or forming new friendships.” Paul is hopeful for the day when everyone can be maskless again. “I’m just waiting for the day when we’re all told that we can actually take your masks off and just the shock of [...] seeing everyone’s faces,” she said.

With the pandemic still ongoing, it looks like masks will be sticking around for a while, continually defining the way we interact and perceive others.

While they can offer the occasional side of amusement and intrigue, it seems as though it just doesn’t measure up to being able to see the entire face.

As Paul put it, “Eyes are the window to the soul, but a smile goes a long way.”

Yu (’18) gifted Kats a Lion Pusheen. However, Yu did not have Kats as a teacher. “She was friends with all those students I had and she had Cocoros for calculus. She was always a sweetheart, and she got me the lion one,” Kats said.

The latest Pusheen is a reminder of pre-COVID times.

“For Christmas 2019, one of my favorite students, Julianna Yu (’21), [...] got me the big, blue Pusheen,” he said. Aptly

named Squisheen, the blue one is big, squishy, and soft. It also bears an uncanny resemblance to the colors of Julianna Yu’s current college, Barnard.

When Kats looks at the Pusheens, not only does he see Pusheens, but he also sees his former students. “You got Alex, you got Julianna, you got Aryan, [...] each time I look at [the collection,] I just remember the kids and it makes me happy,” Kats said.

Kats’s Cats

Sequoia Rabinovich / The Spectator

Math teacher Stan Kats’s last name has been blessed with a most extraordinary quality: being a homophone. Specifically, his name sounds like the word “cats,” which has led many of his students, past and present, to gift him Pusheen plushies. These stuffed animals now stand proudly in the windows of his classroom.

“The very first one came from a student named Alex Lu,” Kats explained. He remembers Lu to be a student who laughed at everything. “He gave it to me [...] as a Christmas gift, and when he gave it to me, he goes, ‘Here. ‘Cause it’s a cat.

Get it?’” While Kats had no idea what Pusheen was prior to Lu’s gift, not even recognizing it as a cat, he recognized the symbolism behind the donut Pusheen was holding.

The backstory of the donut goes as such: years ago, Kats had to bribe his students to come to Saturday BC Calculus reviews to make sure that he was able to finish the curriculum. To thank his students for showing up, he would buy them donuts. Donuts later became synonymous with Kats–– his office in room 301 has an inflatable donut and his desk in room 403 has a fake award gifted by students with a donut in the background.

After Lu’s gift, other students felt inspired to add on.

Aryan Bhatt (’18) gifted Kats the Pusheenosaurus, a green Pusheen with spikes on its back. Next came a Pusheen holding a cookie, and after that came a Pusheen holding a slice of pizza. “I’d gotten three or four Pusheens in a very fast order,” Kats recalled. Since he didn’t know where else to put

Unmasking the Mask

but Ice Cream Pusheen is still gone,” Kats said.

The next Pusheen was given by current senior Carol Chen.

Donning an overcoat and a hat, Detective Pusheen was a welcome addition to the collection. “[Chen] would sit in the math team class right next to the Pusheens. She told me she always liked the collection and appreciated them, so she gave me that Pusheen,” Kats said.

Not long after, Jennifer

The Spectator • November 12, 2021

Page 9

Features

By SABRINA LI and YASMEEN TOPIWALLA

about these escalators. They’re completely new, and I trust them to not collapse on me.”

However, Jeremy Wong also recalled the escalators’ condition before quarantine. “I remember some of the old escalators being a little unsteady––I remember being able to shift around a whole step––and many of them were worn-out and often broke down,” he said.

Not only are the escalators scary at times, but they also annoy many students during their day-to-day travels. Students get irritated when finding broken escalators where they least expect it, especially when they’re running late. Sophomore Hannah Kim, for example, discussed the annoyance of broken escalators in an email interview. “[Malfunctioning escalators] annoy me very much. Especially right after I have gym. I have to get to my chemistry class [...] and the idea of sprinting up the escalator to get in time for chem is just too stressful,” she said. Jayne Wong also relates to the stress of running up multiple floors just to get to her next class. “Honestly, it’s not that bad when the escalators work, but if one of them breaks down it’s absolutely horrible walking up the stairs.

Imagine walking up like all those stairs just to get to your next class and not to mention that I’ll be late. Terrible,” she said.

Though the escalators present many issues, students also agree that they are a necessity in a school like Stuyvesant. “In a large school like Stuyvesant, who would want to walk up nine flights of stairs to get to your next class?” Jayne Wong said, “It just saves you energy because I’m pretty sure Stuyvesant students are all tired.” Dijur also preferred taking the escalators over the stairs. “[I take] escalators because I don’t have to do as much exercise,” he explained. Likewise, Jeremy Wong agrees that the escalators were

beneficial to Stuyvesant. “After the escalator accident in my freshman year, the escalators got shut down for inspection, and to compensate, we were let out at the warning bell to get to our next class. That’s how bad the crowding was,” he said.

“The escalators are also where I see many of my friends as I go up or down during passing periods.”

Other students appreciate the escalators’ help in getting them to class on time, especially with the short five-minute-long passing time. “Stuyvesant has escalators because there is no way that we can get to some classes [in five minutes] without using them,” Kim said. “Some teachers especially are not quite generous with a few seconds after the bell rings, so escalators are needed for the students’ mental health also.”

Students can’t help but pick favorites, and Stuyvesant certainly has opinions on the set of seven escalators scattered across the school. Dijur, for one, loves the ride from the seven-to-nine.

“It has really high ceilings and a little more space at the front and the end which looks more pleasant. [...] All the glass is really nice and bright.” Jayne Wong shared a similar sentiment: “My favorite escalator would be the seven-to-nine––you just stare out those windows and there’s plenty of light there also like the ceiling makes it even better.” However, Jeremy Wong preferred the three to five escalator. “I would say the three-tofive and five-to-three because it served as a ‘replacement’ for the broken two-to-four and fourto-two escalators if we were on our way to exit the building and go home,” he said. “These escalators also directly lead up to where the cafe’s located, so if I wanted to grab a quick breakfast or lunch, I would just take the three-to-five up.”

But these benefits don’t mean the escalators can’t be improved. Students came up with

some hypothetical ideas that could enhance the escalators.

Tang suggested that the escalators could be made wider to minimize crowding. “If I could, I would definitely make it wider and a little faster,” she said.

Jayne Wong targeted the cleanliness of the escalators: “Some of [the steps] are blackened. It looks like something bad happened there, like something got set on fire or something. It just looks especially unsafe.” Kim’s idea was along the same lines as Jayne Wong’s, focusing on the trash that can be found throughout the escalators. “Maybe not littering is what students can do,” she said. Jeremy Wong suggested another way that students can help. “I instead think that we could improve the situation by being more mindful of what we do on these escalators that would cause them to break down,” he said. However, the biggest improvement would be to make sure that the escalators work better and run smoothly.

“The escalators are essential to my survival––please fix them,” Jayne Wong stated. Though these enhancements would be much appreciated, they would also be extremely expensive and time-consuming. “There’s not much to do; it’s a statewide government problem that takes a long process to change,” Rahman said. For these students, escalator improvements are mostly wishful thinking.

It is also important to remember that improvements are happening around the clock.

Escalators at Stuyvesant have come a long way these past few years. “The new escalators are a huge improvement since they don’t break down as often.

From what I’ve noticed, they’re also slightly faster than the old escalators, too,” Jeremy Wong said. Though they still break down from time to time, the escalators benefit the students overall. After all, running up flights of stairs is not a pleasant way to start the day.

Adrianna Peng / The Spectator

Have malfunctioning escalators ever ruined your day?

Over the years, escalators, both broken and functioning, have become a cultural norm at Stuyvesant. And despite the apparatuses breaking down every day, not to mention the harrowing experiences Stuyvesant students have while riding the escalators, we continue to rely on them.

Sophomore Petra Dijur has had one such experience. She describes the shock of seeing a broken escalator get fixed.

“The worst thing I’ve ever seen on the escalator was one [maintenance worker] kneedeep in the guts of it,” she said.

Sophomore Huilin Tang also had a shocking experience on an escalator. “I was going to the ninth floor and somebody bumped me off the escalator…

He used his school bag and just like basically pushed me off,” Tang explained. “It [was] kind of scary.” Sophomore Jayne Wong shares Tang’s concern about the safety of the escalators. “Something especially memorable while going down on the escalator is when the escalators starts randomly shaking when you’re standing on it,” Wong recalled. In addition to the shaking, Wong also notices the noises the escalators make.

“I don’t know why but the two to four escalator, when you get to the top like on the fourth floor, makes this loud banging noise. It sounds especially unsafe,” she said.

In comparison, freshman Abedur Rahman feels no concern surrounding the safety of the escalators. “I used to be scared my foot would get stuck or I’d fall off,” he said in an email interview, subsequently noting that he no longer holds this fear. Similarly, senior Jeremy Wong expressed that he has no current concerns in an e-mail interview: “I don’t fear anything

The Escalator Enterprise

Clara Shapiro’s Advice Column Querida Clara, “How does one deal with the realization that their high school experience is going to end soon and they’ve had no great relationships or memories (except for a few)?”

—Anonymous, Senior Rattle the Tabor, strike the Drum Gambol and Frisk in the Face of the Sun Hang From the Vines, pour out the Wine And in the curve of your Cup Glimpse the spirit Divine!

I know this is a mad mix of verve and verse, with strange Capitalizations and syntax reversed. Yet is not this the way of life? A bit random, haphazard, free-flowing, unexpected, senseless, but ultimately with a rhyme and a rhythm around which things align?

In practice, I know that we cannot go into school and simply “gambol and frisk” and “hang from the vines” as I suggested. For one thing, there is homework to do. There are tests to take. Besides, I do not know what the disciplinary repercussions of “pouring out the Wine” on DOE property might be. Yet there really is something to be said for the Dionysian spirit, flinging yourself at life wholeheartedly, plunging your sword in up to the hilt, filling up the wine cup (well, not really), and then draining it dry.

That being said, I am not trying to choke everybody in the joie de vivre… no point in chugging the wine of the Maenads in such huge gulps that you can’t even notice a single drop.

“Life is good,” these revelers say, swilling down more wine.

BAH! Life is NOT good!

Life is often good. Life is often bad. Life is pit, and life is peak.

Do we have any choice but to accept this and to enjoy the tumult of the experience while we can? For life is wild and can’t be stifled; the poem is precious even if it doesn’t rhyme-uhld.

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Page 10

The Spectator • November 12, 2021

Editorials The Name Is the Name of the Game Every day during third period, morning announcements ring throughout the school.

The memos often include news about a sports team, ranging from the girls’ soccer team making history in the playoffs to the football team’s homecoming win. While sports aren’t paramount at Stuyvesant, they are certainly an important element of our school community in encouraging spirit and unity. In direct contrast to the attitudes sports teams foster in their players, the identity of Stuyvesant is fragmented when it comes to athletics.

At Stuyvesant, there are a variety of sports team names: our football team is called the Peglegs while our girls’ softball team is named the Renegades.

However, some of these team names are ambiguous, problematic, or even degrading. For example, the girls’ soccer team is named the Mimbas. For many, it may seem unclear what the word even means. In doing a quick Google search, the definition of “Mimba” ranges from “a female day name for Saturday” to “pregnancy” in Swahili.

While the term “Mimba” may have held significance for team members at some point in the past, the name has entirely lost its meaning and leaves current students and team members confused as to what their mas-

cot represents.

Certain team names are downright demeaning. For example, the girls’ volleyball team is named the Vixens while the boys’ volleyball team is the Beasts. The word Vixen has a clearly gendered connotation, referring to a woman who is typically viewed as spirited and sexually attractive. When stacked up in comparison to the “Beasts,” the issue becomes even clearer.

It’s evident that it is time to change these team names. In the professional sports world, many teams have recently rebranded to have more appropriate names. For example, the Washington Football Team recently changed from the problematic Washington Redskins; the fact that a team could hold this name, a slur against Native Americans, unchecked for so long is alarming. Another example is baseball’s Cleveland Indians, who will be dropping their nickname and their Chief Wahoo mascot to instead be called Cleveland Guardians.

Names have power: not only are they central to a team’s identity, but names represent the cities, people, and communities that athletes play for.

We all know that our school name, Stuyvesant, named after Peter Stuyvesant, is far from representative of our school’s

values and community, as the figure himself is best known for his policies to limit religious freedom, for organizing Manhattan’s first public slave auction, and for being one of the largest private slave owners in the Northeast. Honoring Peter Stuyvesant’s legacy in our team names, such as the Peglegs, simply continues to give him a larger role in the school. It’s time for Stuyvesant to join the movement to rethink its sports team names.

Despite the small subset of Stuyvesant for which a team’s name has a deep significance, Stuyvesant’s sports represent the school as a whole and a name is an important part of any team identity. The names we give our teams should be ones we’re proud to shout at games, plaster on posters, and celebrate. They should create a sense of unity and spirit at Stuyvesant, which is currently difficult given their current disjointed nature. Though the ultimate decision to change a name is up to the teams themselves, it is important to recognize the connotations behind a name.

Stuyvesant should catch up to modern-day standards with our teams’ names like so many other sports teams and schools have done. That way, we can continue to build a united and passionate school environment.

Bring Back AP Human Geography

By NELLI ROJAS-CESSA

Last year, my first high school class was Advanced Placement (AP) Human Geography. At 9:10 a.m., I would sign onto Zoom and often spend hours after class studying whichever chapter we were assigned. However, Stuyvesant no longer offers this course because it was considered too demanding for the freshman class. Though it was the most challenging class I took as a freshman, next year’s freshmen should have the opportunity to sign up for AP Human Geography. The class teaches concepts that are not found anywhere else and has an integral role as the only AP humanities class offered to freshmen.

AP Human Geography encompasses all of human history and hones in on spatial patterns and current events. The course is split into seven units: geographic tools and methods, population and migration, culture, politics, rural-land use, urban-land use, and industrial and economic development.

Within each chapter, the concepts mainly consist of models, categories, and patterns in human space and time that students must learn and provide examples of.

The class also offers a unique approach to social studies. It gave me a pool of knowledge to draw from when understanding current events and studying history. One of the skills that I improved immensely was making connections, since the course often reveals how the distinct seven units are deeply related to each other. It also gave me a newfound appreciation for history, whose importance in everyday life I didn’t understand until I took the class.

The creators of AP Human Geography are also self-aware enough to criticize their own models for being Eurocentric

or ethnocentric, which are pertinent to recognize, as it is easy to cover up racism, sexism, and other prejudices in history. In AP World History textbook, I noticed a lack of representation of South and Southeast Asia.

It was mainly through supplemental readings that I was able to learn thoroughly about those regions. On the other hand, the chapter on Europe was extremely long, despite Europe being the least prosperous continent in the time period the unit was focusing on. When discussing women’s rights in different cultures, the textbook skips over the centuries of misogyny women faced in the name of keeping it concise, since world history is such a vast subject.

In contrast, AP Human Geography highlights the bias commonly overlooked in maps.

People often see two-dimensional maps as factual when in reality, they have perceptions of the physical and social world that are often warped. For example, AP Human Geography discusses why the Mercator Projection, the most frequently used world map, is Eurocentric, since it enlarges western continents while shrinking the African continent, subconsciously affecting the way we view people based on where they come from. This type of lesson is rarely seen in purely historical courses unless the teacher chooses to have such a discussion.

The class is a lot of work, but there are a lot of payoffs.

What makes the workload so difficult is the amount of focus needed to thoroughly understand each chapter while keeping up with the fast pace.

This demanding responsibility prepared me for sophomore year, when the intensity of all my classes increased due to the switch to in-person learning. Freshmen next year would still benefit from the methods

o learn efficiently taught in this class. While mental health is a valid concern, there will always be students who want to jump right into a challenge, and they should not be robbed of the chance to do so.

The argument that AP Human Geography is too stressful for freshmen also contradicts Stuyvesant’s decision to continue offering AP Biology to freshmen, the same class many seniors struggle with. In fact, now, the only APs available to freshmen are AP Biology and AP Environmental Science, which is unfair to students who did not have the opportunity to take the Living Environment Regents class in middle school since it is a prerequisite for both of the science APs. Not only does Stuyvesant’s recent decision limit the freedom students have in choosing courses, but it also limits the amount of non-STEM-related courses available at Stuyvesant. Students interested in non-STEM subjects miss the opportunity to study the content taught in AP Human Geography. Those students would have benefited by potentially receiving college credit, and more importantly, experiencing a dynamic and unique college-level humanities class. As the only social studies AP class available to freshmen, it played an important role in representing humanities classes at a STEM-centric school.

AP Human Geography was a valuable learning experience that I have grown to appreciate because it was a demanding class. It forced me to develop a better work ethic and question the information I was being taught. I am sure that this year and next year’s freshmen are capable of succeeding in AP Human Geography and overcoming all the challenges the pandemic has created for them.

The Spectator The Stuyvesant High School Newspaper

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

FOR THE RECORD The Sports article in Issue 4 “Costumes of the NFL” was written by Ava Quarles and Yashna Patel.

Letters to the Editor in Issue 5 are written in response to “Ditch the APs” by Kerry Garfinkel, published in Volume 112 Issue 3.

A Guide to Letters to the Editor

As a student newspaper, The Spectator welcomes any and all voices of the Stuyvesant community—including students, teachers, staff members, administrators, parents, and alumni—to respond to any of the articles, content, or ideas set forth through a letter to the editor. A letter to the editor is a letter that reflects your thoughts, opinions, or responses to a published article. Our goal is to promote discussion and discourse within The Spectator and for everyone to share their unique perspectives on matters that are relevant to them.

Letters sent to The Spectator are published in the editorial section in the next issue.

Tips on Writing a Letter to the Editor: 1. Read The Spectator. It is imperative to read over articles fully to understand the ideas or arguments presented in a piece.

2. Before starting your piece, introduce yourself with your name, grade/title/graduation year, and any other contextual information relevant to the piece. This introduction should be one sentence long and will be italicized at the start of the letter. Ex. “Kerry Garfinkel is an English teacher at Stuyvesant.”

3. Start off with the article that you are addressing, including title, volume and issue numbers, and author’s name.

4. Share your perspective. Do you have an anecdote to share? A contradicting argument to set forth? Explain why the issue is important, and set forth your idea.

5. Proofread the letter before sending it. Use full sentences and grammatically correct punctuation.

Should you decide to submit a letter to the editor, please e-mail it to opinions@stuyspec.com. We reserve the right to choose which letters to publish and edit for grammar and clarity. We will not publish letters responding to an article that has been published more than two issues ago.

The Spectator • November 12, 2021

Page 11

Opinions Asian Cranes

By ELICIA CHAU Trigger warning: mentions of eating disorders I stopped eating in March of 2021, and all of a sudden, I was nine years old again, sitting on the floor of my living room with a stack of old magazines and staring at the pages graced by the teenage version of my mother, who was smiling gently and stunningly in a manner I could never replicate. The pictures of her held what I could have looked like if I had won the genetic lottery—if I had inherited my mother’s doe eyes, goose-egg face shape, and slim build instead of my father’s blocky figure and strong features. My mother was a crane girl: graceful and pretty. But if I were a bird, I would be some sort of strange duckling. People who look like me don’t have a place in the world of beautiful cranes, and so, I desperately prayed to look less like myself and more like my mother and all of the other picture-perfect, stick-thin, delicate Eastern Asian crane women that flooded TV shows, movies, and music.

The summer before sixth grade, I traveled home to Taiwan. I don’t remember much about the trip, save for the dressing room, where, to the abject horror of the store’s employees who all wore a size M at most, I couldn’t tug a size XL dress over my 10-year-old chubbiness. I feared I would tear it, so I quickly gave up;

immediately, the employee rushed to inspect it for damage and with a narrow tone, smiled and suggested I visit a different shop. Nothing in a store meant for cranes would fit on a body like mine. When we left the store, my little sister and mother each held intricately embroidered silk dresses that, even in the largest size, I could never squeeze into. As we walked home, my sister said, almost absentmindedly, that she was glad she wasn’t fat like me, and I tried to make myself as small as I felt. My mother recounted this story to my grandmother over dinner, who joked that perhaps I should skip this bowl of rice as I quietly fiddled with my chopsticks. Later that night, I peered at my body in the bathroom mirror and picked apart my glaringly obvious flaws. I tried to forcefully empty my stomach and free myself from my body’s chokehold; I clawed at and stretched my skin until it broke, leaving angry red and purple lines across me.

When I returned to New York, I watched my mom step onto a scale and frown before deciding not to eat for the rest of the day. In true duckling fashion, I followed in her footsteps; together, we traded out carbohydrates for vegetables, avoided eating after 4:00 p.m., and routinely recorded our weights. The desire to be skinny is a rabbit hole. My mother jokingly told me about Asian celebrities who taped images of even thinner women to the refrigerator door as a form of

meal control, so when I was 11, I changed my computer’s lock screen into women who looked the way I wish I did. At age 12, I discovered diets created by celebrities—like the IU diet that consisted of a daily allowance of an apple, sweet potato, and protein shake— and tried to copy them, ignoring my resulting frailty in exchange for a few lost pounds.

When I was 13, my mother offered to let me try Japanese appetite suppressants, and I grew addicted. I took twice the recommended amount for adults and pretended the side effects of severe nausea and body weakness were just the effects of a bad day. When desperation is given the chance to grow, it’s easy to go too far.

My friends and family grew concerned, my blood pressure dipped dangerously low, and I wildly swung between calorie binges and calorie deficits as I attempted to fold myself paper-thin.

But ducks can’t become cranes, no matter how much they try. Being conventionally beautiful in Eastern Asia is a privilege that extends to only a few girls. Even those who fit the beauty ideal can easily have that status rescinded if they gain weight, tan, or wrinkle. Comments like “Aiya, too dark” or “Aiya, you’ve gained weight” form insecurities and foster vain efforts to change.

Thin becomes a need to be thinner, small becomes a need to be smaller, and quietly, entire generations of birds starve themselves to death.

I often wonder who’s to blame for my self-scrutiny and fear of eating. It’s easy to blame my parents or grandparents, to place that weight on their frequent remarks and expectations, but I recognize that they too are victims of the toxicity of Eastern Asian beauty standards. They’ve been subjected to the same beauty expectations that I have been. I see that when my grandmother tries incredibly unrealistic diets or when my mother breaks down over calories and the permanency of self-hatred becomes clear.

In every way, my treatment of my body is learned from their examples.

In Eastern Asia, beauty is confined to a very specific definition. From it thrives a lucrative business of beauty products for pale skin and double eyelids and appetite suppressants for weight loss. There is an entire marketplace built off insecurities passed on through generations. It becomes easy to deflect self-hatred onto others—for people like my family to see their ugliness in myself and treat me as such— and it becomes so much more difficult to resent them or mention my suffering to them as a result. I feel guilty sharing my bitterness, so I swallow it whole and promise myself to unlearn their ideas.

This is not a perfectly happy story. I don’t have a sweet ending where I love myself and my body completely because my relationship with food is, and for a long time

likely will be, a difficult one. I still limit myself to 1,000 calories a day. I still struggle with letting go of the pills that substituted meals for years. I still think of myself as little more than the duckling I was when I was nine. And I still will never be a crane girl.

But slowly, I hope I’ll begin to appreciate being “alive” more than I dream about being “thin.” In my dream fantasies, all birds are remembered, sitting among the beautiful and feeling full rather than empty for the first time. In that world, silk dresses with zippers that don’t go completely over wide hips and pillowing stomachs don’t exist, and I stop thinking about my body in terms of the circumference of my waist or the number of pounds I weigh. There, nineyear-olds don’t learn to hate their bodies from their parents, 15-year-olds eat more than just hard-boiled eggs for weeks on end, and living is more than the bare minimum of nutrients needed to survive.

I’ll accept that there is more than the binary of cranes and ducklings in the world; it is my faith that one day, I will move past every ingrained hatred about myself I have. There’s still a world for people who treat themselves as recklessly as I do. In that world, one day I will see my body and stretch my wings, and rather than suffocate in my own skin, I will finally breathe.

An Overdue Farewell

By KENNETH GAO

in the awkward position of paying fines indiscriminately to adults and getting their accounts blocked as a result.

The CPL’s survey found that a fifth of blocked accounts were those of children, and NYC’s amnesty program freed the accounts of up to 160 thousand children as a result. The

However, the cumulative cost of paying for overdue material becomes a burden on an individual’s ability to pay for basic living expenses. A disciplinary cost quickly becomes another reason not to go to the library. For instance, around 39 percent of San Jose Public Library users in 2016 had

proportionate number of patrons with blocked cards between communities of varying economic statuses.

As libraries harbor the ability to provide information, entertainment, and services to community members, it’s contradictory for fees to be as punitive and exclusionary as they are. Kids find themselves

commonality with which kids, especially because they are at a point in development when both literacy and enthusiasm for reading should be encouraged, were barred from access was counter-intuitive.

The function of late fees is clear at face value: to provide an incentive for individuals to return their loans on time.

late fees tied to their accounts, leading some to believe that they should simply use the library less. This consequence is especially troubling since those who are discouraged from going to the library, whether by a blocked card or the anxiety of going with existing dues, are also those who are most likely to need library services such

Jessica Mui / The Spectator

“Late fees” is a term almost synonymous with the library—but perhaps not any longer. The New York Public Library (NYPL), Brooklyn Public Library, and Queens Public Library unilaterally decided to remove the longstanding collection of late fees this September in hopes of making library access more equitable across economic boundaries. This action follows a recent trend in libraries across the country opting to change the way they retrieve overdue items. The move away from late fees is a much-needed change as they have been an impediment to the culture of the library.

It is important to note that the removal of late fees has not, in fact, removed the existence of fees entirely. The revised policy for the city’s libraries maintains that any person with missing items must pay the fee for replacement. However, this policy centers itself around practicality rather than penalty; an individual can have the fee canceled or refunded if the item is returned.

This isn’t the first time the city has toyed with the idea of fine leniency. The city introduced a one-time fine amnesty program back in 2017, which erased fines from all accounts of those 17 and younger to reintroduce previously blocked children to the library. The NYPL reported a 60 percent increase in library usage by kids previously barred from the library due to long-

standing fees in the following year—a positive change that will hopefully be mirrored by this new system.

Other library systems across the country have abandoned fines as well. The Chicago Public Library (CPL) forwent the late fee system in 2019 after they found a dis-

as the Internet or open computers. While the incentive for accountability can vary from mild inconvenience to a source of economic stress depending on the person in question, the system of late fees presents itself as less of an assurance of personal accountability and more of an economic barrier to a public service.

It is important that access to libraries is both equitable and welcoming to the community because public libraries are an invaluable resource. The library remains of use to many teens and older adults, and the majority of U.S. adults believe it is an important space to spend time and find resources in. Libraries offer a varied selection of media and important services, such as access to technology, local history archives, and community events.

Libraries are also updating to exist in the digital space—the NYPL offers access services such as OverDrive, which has a selection of free e-books, audiobooks, and movies.

The long-standing existence of late fees has run antithetical to the library’s goal of serving the public’s need for accessible information. By creating an expense that can actively discourage individuals who rely most on the library, late fees have been a detriment to browsing and borrowing.

The forgiveness of late fees in the past has produced great benefits, and the continual move away from late fees is a long-overdue development.

Page 12

The Spectator • November 12, 2021

Opinions An Overdue Farewell

By KENNETH GAO “Late fees” is a term almost synonymous with the library— but perhaps not any longer.

The New York Public Library (NYPL), Brooklyn Public Library, and Queens Public Library unilaterally decided to remove the long-standing collection of late fees this September in hopes of making library access more equitable across economic boundaries. This action follows a recent trend in libraries across the country opting to change the way they retrieve overdue items. The move away from late fees is a muchneeded change as they have been an impediment to the culture of the library.

It is important to note that the removal of late fees has not, in fact, removed the existence of fees entirely. The revised policy for the city’s libraries maintains that any person with missing items must pay the fee for replacement. However, this policy centers itself

around practicality rather than penalty; an individual can have the fee canceled or refunded if the item is returned.

This isn’t the first time the city has toyed with the idea of fine leniency. The city introduced a one-time fine amnesty program back in 2017, which erased fines from all accounts of those 17 and younger to reintroduce previously blocked children to the library. The NYPL reported a 60 percent increase in library usage by kids previously barred from the library due to long-standing fees in the following year—a positive change that will hopefully be mirrored by this new system.

Other library systems across the country have abandoned fines as well. The Chicago Public Library (CPL) forwent the late fee system in 2019 after they found a disproportionate number of patrons with blocked cards between communities of varying economic statuses.

As libraries harbor the ability to provide information, en-

tertainment, and services to community members, it’s contradictory for fees to be as punitive and exclusionary as they are. Kids find themselves in the awkward position of paying fines indiscriminately to adults and getting their accounts blocked as a result. The CPL’s survey found that a fifth of blocked accounts were those of children, and NYC’s amnesty program freed the accounts of up to 160 thousand children as a result. The commonality with which kids, especially because they are at a point in development when both literacy and enthusiasm for reading should be encouraged, were barred from access was counter-intuitive.

The function of late fees is clear at face value: to provide an incentive for individuals to return their loans on time.

However, the cumulative cost of paying for overdue material becomes a burden on an individual’s ability to pay for basic living expenses. A disciplinary

cost quickly becomes another reason not to go to the library.

For instance, around 39 percent of San Jose Public Library users in 2016 had late fees tied to their accounts, leading some to believe that they should simply use the library less. This consequence is especially troubling since those who are discouraged from going to the library, whether by a blocked card or the anxiety of going with existing dues, are also those who are most likely to need library services such as the Internet or open computers. While the incentive for accountability can vary from mild inconvenience to a source of economic stress depending on the person in question, the system of late fees presents itself as less of an assurance of personal accountability and more of an economic barrier to a public service.

It is important that access to libraries is both equitable and welcoming to the community because public libraries are an invaluable resource. The library

remains of use to many teens and older adults, and the majority of U.S. adults believe it is an important space to spend time and find resources in. Libraries offer a varied selection of media and important services, such as access to technology, local history archives, and community events. Libraries are also updating to exist in the digital space—the NYPL offers access services such as OverDrive, which has a selection of free ebooks, audiobooks, and movies.

The long-standing existence of late fees has run antithetical to the library’s goal of serving the public’s need for accessible information. By creating an expense that can actively discourage individuals who rely most on the library, late fees have been a detriment to browsing and borrowing. The forgiveness of late fees in the past has produced great benefits, and the continual move away from late fees is a long-overdue development.

Gay, Brown, and Ambivalent About Dating White Men

By PETER GOSWAMI I am a Bengali Hindu gay male. While I have never had a boyfriend, I’ve considered the prospect, feeling attracted to several different people of various backgrounds over the years.

However, attraction did not mean I felt comfortable with the idea of dating all the men I had developed an infatuation for. My mother, believing in the archaic caste system, says she will arrange my marriage with a Bengali Hindu Brahmin (and more specific subcastes) girl. At times, I accepted these requirements, except for the gendered part, hoping that it would make it easier for my parents to accept my sexuality. I have since decided to find a guy who can understand the intersection of being queer and of color through similar experiences.

As a queer person, one of the reasons for the conflict that arises when I feel attracted to a white man is that many white queer people believe their queerness takes away their white privilege. Difficulties from being queer are not monolithic.

It can be much more difficult for black and brown queer people to express their sexualities. Additionally, black and brown people have to deal with racism every day, regardless of their sexual identities, whereas queer white people don’t. The denial of white privilege among many queer people pushes the belief that being part of one minority can erase the benefits that come from being part of another majority, which ignores the difficulties of queer people of color. While I do not believe that all white queer people think this way, this general rhetoric makes me uncomfortable with the idea of dating a white person.

White queer people also have privilege within the queer community. They are more represented in media than queer people of color. This portrayal leads to a culture in which people have minimized their understanding of the queer experi-

ence to the experience of white queer people, often leading to ignorance toward the lives of queer people of color. Queer people are pressured to fit one image of queerness perpetuat-

Eleanor Chin / The Spectator

ed by white standards. Not fitting in can make queer people of color feel othered by queer white people, which contributes further to my hesitance around the idea of dating white men. I do not want to be in a relationship in which I am expected to live up to a standard perpetuated by a society that only understands white queerness.

Additionally, I feel like only a person of color can understand, based on similar experiences, how I have to tackle my culture’s treatment of homosexuality, sex, and sexuality. In many South Asian families, homosexuality is not discussed because it defies the cisheteronormative standards perpetuated by the expectation of arranged marriage between a man and a woman.

People are not allowed to own their own sexualities, and sex is taboo as it is seen as a source for having children, not for pleasure. The idea of homosexuality is associated with deviance to these norms and therefore seen as wrong. Seeing how similar stigmas exist in other cultures has led me to think it is better for me to date people of color because they can understand from similar experiences why I am not always comfortable expressing my sexuality.

While progressive families exist in communities of color and

strict, religious families exist in white communities, taboos around homosexuality can be widespread across communities of color while similar stigmas are specific to certain families in white communities, making the experience quite different.

Queer people of color have to deal with the struggles that come with their racial identities and sexualities in a way that white queer people do not. White queer people have privilege because of their racial identity and within the queer community. For these reasons, I question my comfort with the idea of dating white men because our experiences with our sexualities are vastly different.

For me, a successful relationship would require me and my partner to understand each other’s struggles, and I am unsure if understanding can be developed without having similar experiences. Therefore, I will continue to feel ambivalent about the prospect of dating white men, thinking of it as a natural product of being less privileged and less represented.

Behind the Scenes Horrors

By GULAM MONAWARAH Deputies received a 911 call from the movie set of “Rust” in Santa Fe, New Mexico on October 21. A-list actor Alec Baldwin had discharged a prop gun that killed the director of photography, Halyna Hutchins, who was airlifted to the hospital and pronounced dead.

The news has since spread like wildfire across the country and sparked conversations about safety measures on Hollywood sets. People do not know who is to blame for the tragic incident: Alec Baldwin, the assistant director, or the person who brought the gun on set. Regardless, the fact that a gun was allowed onto the set while dozens of crewmembers were working is unacceptable. Filmmakers should be held accountable for the unsafe conditions that employees work in before another similar accident occurs.

The Baldwin incident is not

the first firearm accident. In fact, there have been various incidents in Hollywood of falsely proclaimed blanks, unknowingly loaded guns, and even exploding cartridges. Brandon Lee, the son of world-famous martial artist Bruce Lee, was killed when filming “The Crow” in 1993 after a prop gun was fired and the cartridge blasted out, striking him in the abdomen. Actor Jon-Erik Hexum accidentally shot himself in the head in 1984 on the set of CBS show “Cover Up.” Deaths like these are in the headlines for a few weeks and then easily forgotten with no change having happened. They are called freak accidents, and no one is held accountable.

Many are asking about assistant director Dave Halls’s role in this incident, since he was the one who handed the loaded gun to Baldwin. According to court records, he yelled “cold gun,” a phrase used to indicate that

a prop gun is unloaded, before handing it over. He also has a history of unsafe filming practice. On the set of “Into the Dark,” he was reported to have created unsafe working conditions through crowded sets, an absence of fire lanes, and a lack of safety meetings, all of which can be lethal in large, blockbuster movie sets.

It is easy to brush this occurrence off as a mistake on Halls’s part, but at least 43 people have died on sets in the U.S. since 1990, and more than 150 others have been left with life-altering injuries. Not all workers get hurt from the expected explosives or misfired guns; the most common causes of accidents are tripping hazards, such as cables, wiring, and ropes on sets; pyrotechnic effects; electrocution; falling equipment; and a lack of safety equipment.

Parties such as the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees and individual

Hollywood unions and studios have each set forth safety requirements, which could contribute to the varying safety conditions. Different studios have different standards, so the lack of a universal safety protocol can confuse filmmakers. Additionally, due to time constraints, studios constantly rush to meet deadlines, which means that important checks may be brushed aside. After all, safety checks, training, and replacing equipment can be costly and time-consuming. However, filmmakers cannot ignore the safety of their crew members. It is crucial that they prioritize the safety of the staff.

To add insult to injury, many filmmakers and media outlets sweep set accidents under the rug. For instance, most audience members are unaware that John Suttles was fatally injured working for the 2012 movie “The Avengers” after falling from a truck. However, news

outlets barely covered his story, and there is nothing in the end credits to indicate Suttles’s dedication to the hit film. When actors like Baldwin fall into serious scandals, their names are plastered all over media outlets and honored in films. However, there are so many more accidents involving background workers who don’t get the recognition they deserve.

We cannot leave it all to the directors’ and producers’ judgement to keep employees safe, as they are the ones currently creating dangerous set environments. The best solution is to encourage more rigorous safety training within studios.

There should be stricter penalties, like license suspensions, for disobeying safety guidelines or for trying to hide these accidents. It is inappropriate to call serious threats to the welfare of Hollywood’s behind-the-scenes workers a “learning curve” or “mishap.” They are tragedies.

The Spectator • November 12, 2021

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Opinions Tech and Creativity Go Hand in Hand continued from page 1

But looking back, many of us painted and drew not because we were passionate about what we were doing, but because Stuyvesant caused us to fear the STEM classes. While many Stuyvesant students could master mathematical and scientific concepts with ease, we, as more visual learners, required more time to comprehend and fully digest the information at hand. Because of our heavy course loads while at Stuyvesant, we could not dedicate as much time as we would have liked to process course information before being tested.

In STEM classes, biweekly exams constitute 60 to 80 percent of students’ final grades. As this emphasis on testing caused us to associate all STEM subjects with math and computer science, we developed an unhealthy fear of STEM as a whole and saw technology as something we would also be bad at—something to avoid.

Despite scoring above the 98th percentile on the SAT math section, we began to disassociate ourselves from all STEM courses due to our subpar performances in Stuyesant’s STEM classes.

As a result, we found ourselves joining fine arts clubs and staying inside our comfort zones. Despite our affinity for systems thinking, a way of problem-solving through observation of structures and

patterns, we saw STEM as an unapproachable field because we were not given time to effectively learn. We’ve realized that Stuyvesant made us choose between its definitions of creativity and technology.

Stuyvesant’s failure in not educating students about the possible merge of visual arts and technology and viable careers at the intersection of these fields suppressed our interests and unknowingly widened the gender gap in technology.

Though Stuyvesant offers 5 Tech and 10 Tech classes, we associated woodworking, laser cutting, and 3D modeling with software and believed that we were too innumerate and creative to partake in these classes.

For us, because technology was synonymous with computer science and math, to take tech classes would mean we were not being true to our creative identities. This way of thinking made us ignorant of the true purpose of these tech classes: to teach students to think systematically and help them unleash their creativity through the design of different products and services.

Today, technology is highly integrated into artists’ fields of study. 3D modeling is a form of visual communication often used in film, video game production, advertising, and various other STEM-focused fields. Communication designers create products through UX/UI (User Experience/

User Interface) design, help organizations establish visual identities through branding, aid in relaying information in accessible ways, and assist with the front-end coding of websites.

Stuyvesant students have the advantage of attending a school with some of the most advanced STEM curriculums in the country. Many Stuyvesant students are number-lovers who have creative sides that they have probably never explored due to Stuyvesant’s forced perception of the polar opposites of technology and creativity. In today’s job market, however, it is an asset to be a creative coder, pattern-loving mathematician, or designoriented engineer. To separate creativity and technology limits what fields students think they can pursue and holds them back from achieving their full potential, which is why Stuyvesant students should be encouraged to take more technology classes. Coding for a full year might seem like a good way of getting out of a graduation requirement, but creative thinking transcends fields and makes people more flexible thinkers and creators.

Stuyvesant should consider starting classes or extracurriculars that combine both creativity and technology. Popular tech fields such as web and digital product design combine the mechanics behind building a website from scratch with UX/

UI. HTML, CSS, and JavaScript are crucial when it comes to front-end web development and would be worthy additions to the mainstream Stuyvesant curriculum.

Another field that integrates both art and tech is that of special effects and advanced video editing, which includes computer-generated imagery, motion capture, and compositing. This field requires not only creative skills, such as modeling and animation, but also programming languages and technological visualization. When you watch a Marvel movie or Netflix show, it is easy to miss the efforts made by creatives who have experience with both coding and model making.

The skillsets required for coding and model making can also be used in game design.

With such a video game-loving student body, Stuyvesant should educate students about viable careers within the gaming industry. Many employers look for individuals with not only coding experience, but also hands-on creative modeling experience. If a company were to choose between an applicant with only coding knowledge and another with both coding and modeling/ animation knowledge, the latter would likely be picked, even if the former were the better coder.

And recently, as we’ve seen with Microsoft and Facebook’s metaverses, games have been

branching out to different modes of play that include virtual reality and augmented reality, which require an even more in-depth computing skillset to make. Dimensional printing and more specifically 3D printing have become increasingly popular methods of fabricating physical objects. The necessary skills needed to go from idea to print also include 3D modeling and basic knowledge of machinery.

Stuyvesant students deserve to get a head start on these valuable skills. Many students, including ourselves, realized later in our education that creativity and technology are deeply interconnected. Had we known that we could be technologyloving creatives and that technology is not synonymous with software, we would’ve taken more of Stuyvesant’s technology courses. We would’ve found out earlier that design and technology are fields that we’d like to pursue.

As a premier STEM school in the heart of New York City, tech advocacy is essential. Stop limiting creatives to fine arts.

Stop categorizing creativity and tech into two separate categories. Simply offering tech classes is not enough. For STEMfocused students who have thought of pursuing something creative but brushed it to the back of their minds, or the creatives out there who have always been too afraid to learn about tech, go for it!

Courtesy of Jenna Mackenroth

Courtesy of Jenna Mackenroth

Courtesy of Jenna Mackenroth

STC’s Shakespeare and Spirit

Jingwei Liu / The Spectator

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The Spectator ● November 12, 2021

Science Stop Copying Facebook

By OLIVIA ZHENG Stuyvesant students are no strangers to Facebook. While we roam the platform to stay up to date with the school community, various illustrated elements, like default group covers or banners, often catch our attention. The illustrations are nothing special, but it’s become very noticeable that this same style of artwork is plastered across platforms and marketing collateral of a multitude of other companies. These illustrations should be appealing, but their omnipresence and the idyllic but false harmony they portray have made them subject to complaints from designers and users alike.

The style of illustration Facebook uses is called Alegria, a style developed by design agency Buck specifically for Facebook. This style of illustration is characterized by a flat design, characters with dispropor-

tionate bodies and long limbs, pastel colors, and monoweight lines. The characters’ smiles and distorted, elongated bodies contribute to the light-hearted nature of the illustrations, and their unrealistic body shapes and skin colors draw viewers in.

Facebook’s color choices in illustrations are intentional and impactful. For example, they use less saturated pastel colors, which are softer on the eyes and relax viewers. In addition, pastel colors are frequently associated with springtime and therefore kindle positive emotions that accompany the season. They also remind viewers of childhood, helping further the playful tone of the long-limbed characters.

The more saturated colors dispersed throughout Alegria-style artwork, the more energized they believe the viewer will feel.

Blue, in particular, invokes trust in users and is used often in Facebook’s illustrations. The

color is associated with reliability and sincerity, which are values that Facebook wants to convey to its users, especially in light of the new wave of controversy over Facebook’s lack of transparency. In fact, the disparity between the jolly, utopian scenes depicted in Facebook illustrations and the increasingly divisive world Facebook contributes to is one reason why the cheerful expressions on the characters may fail to translate to users.

More significant, though, may be the adoption of similar design styles by countless other businesses, from small startups to big tech corporations.

This homogeneity of illustration styles similar to Alegria is termed “Corporate Memphis.”

Corporate Memphis is everywhere, from User Interface design to editorial covers, but the pervasive nature of the style has caused many to view it as a sym-

SCIENCEBEAT bol of the unoriginality and disingenuity of corporations.

Our annoyance with the repetitiveness of this art style stems from our desire to avoid boredom, which can be caused by a lack of novelty. New stimuli are important for cognitive growth and mental health; thus, we have been wired to feel uncomfortable when bored.

While we may have enjoyed Facebook’s bright, minimalist illustrations the first time we saw them, the incessant replication of the art style in so many other locations has tarnished its appeal. The insincerity of many of the corporations using the art style, notably Facebook itself, can be blamed, but our own biology also fosters our disdain of Alegria and its numerous copycats. How long the trend of imitating Facebook’s illustrators will last is uncertain, but the growing frequency of this style will only get more irritating.

Scientists used embryonic stem cells to help lizards regrow tails that contain vertebra rather than just cartilage, increasing hopes of regenerative medicine for humans.

Studies have shown that fluvoxamine, an antidepressant, significantly reduces the risk of hospitalization and death in those at risk of complications from COVID-19 by reducing inflammation from cytokines.

Organisms like worms, jellyfish, and hydra that lack nervous systems have been observed to “sleep,” implying that they emerged when the first animals appeared and that wakefulness and consciousness are evolved abilities.

Neutrinos: Small and Mysterious

By ARYANA SINGH Chances are that you have heard of protons, electrons, and neutrons in your science classes.

Yet many have not heard of neutrinos, the most common particle with mass in the entire universe. Neutrinos are infinitesimal particles that form when other particles undergo changes such as radioactive decay or the breaking and joining of nuclei.

Neutrinos are neutral, meaning they lack a charge. They are also classified as elementary particles, ones that are not composed of other particles. A neutrino is so tiny that no one has been able to measure its mass, making it difficult to study. In fact, until the 1990s, they were thought to be massless. However, neutrinos may hold the answers to some of our universe’s biggest questions.

Neutrinos can travel at the speed of light and are unaffected by forces like magnetic fields due to their lack of charge. Thus, neutrinos have

been traveling around the cosmos for around 15 billion years unchanged. Because they are formed when other particles undergo changes, neutrinos can be birthed from violent astronomical events, like exploding stars or the daily nuclear fusion in our Sun that provides us with sunlight.

Yet, studying and experimenting with neutrinos is extremely difficult due to their weak interactions with other particles. The IceCube Neutrino Observatory, in particular, currently studies neutrinos inside a block of ice in Antarctica.

When neutrinos meet with atoms in the ice, they release small puffs of energy that help record data regarding the energy, direction, and even identity, of the neutrinos. This information can then be used to study astronomical events nearby and broaden our understanding of physics.

So far, studying neutrinos has helped scientists better understand why antimatter was destroyed during the Big Bang.

Early in the Big Bang, there were equal amounts of matter and antimatter present. However, a small imbalance developed between the two, which may have caused matter to take over. Though this idea lacks solid evidence, scientists believe neutrinos may have played a role in our universe being made out of matter and not antimatter. All matter had an equivalent amount of antimatter, including neutrinos. Physicists speculate that neutrinos and antineutrinos were not as symmetrical, with more neutrinos than antineutrinos. The T2K Experiment in Japan made some early measurements that may later serve as evidence for this theory.

Long before scientists hypothesized such things, they first had to predict neutrinos’ existence. When conducting a beta decay experiment in 1931 in which extra protons and neutrons were transformed into the other, Austrian theoretical physicist Wolfgang Pauli noticed an unusual energy spectrum to

which he proposed the existence of a light neutral particle.

Two years later, Italian physicist Enrico Fermi developed a new theory of beta decay in which he coined the term “neutrino.”

However, it was not until 1956 that neutrinos were officially discovered. American physicists Clyde L. Cowan and Frederick Reines used a nuclear reactor and a tank of water to prove the existence of neutrinos. The nuclear reactor produced neutrino fluxes that would, in turn, react with protons in the tank of water. These reactions were detected and recorded as part of the discovery, and Cowan and Reines received a Nobel Prize in physics for their groundbreaking discovery.

According to current physics and chemistry principles, there are three different types of neutrinos, each named for the particle they interact with: electron neutrinos, muon neutrinos, and tau neutrinos. A 1998 study led Japanese researchers to discover that neutrinos can change their

type as they travel. However, physicists do not know why this is the case.

As if that were not enough to tackle, physicists have also proposed the existence of a fourth type called the sterile neutrino that does not interact with other matter at all. It is possible that the sterile neutrino could provide insight into why neutrinos change their type.

That said, discovering the particle will prove to be the most challenging since it does not interact with any matter. Additionally, recent investigations at the Micro Booster Neutrino Experiment involving highly sensitive hardware have shown no signs of the sterile neutrino.

But scientists are unconvinced, believing that it is out there and will continue to use large-scale experiments, such as IceCube, to find out all they can. Neutrino physics is a powerful, emerging field of science that could possibly change our entire understanding of the universe.

Putting the Science in Society: Stuyvesant’s Newest Science Elective

By DONGNI (HELLEN) LUO and SUBAAH SYED Over the course of human history, science has taken many shapes and forms. Since ancient times, people have reflected their curiosity in the world around them. As time went on, human interest in the unknown flourished along with the ways we approach our big questions.

Our curiosity has been a continuing force throughout centuries, most notably during the Scientific Revolution, which caused a large wave of cultural and intellectual movements and promoted new areas and outlooks of science. A combination of these movements and our persistent curiosity upended the traditional ways of thinking in society and gave birth to the emergence of modern science.

Fast-forward to 2021. From world-changing events, such as a pandemic, to minor oc-

currences in our lives, such as our brain processing the information we read from our textbooks in milliseconds, both scientific research and science itself have inherited their glory from the past and continue to remain firmly at the forefront of society.

This fall, Stuyvesant launched “Science and Society,” a new science elective open to juniors and seniors for the 2021-2022 school year. The elective is taught by chemistry teacher Kristyn Pluchino, who has taught Sophomore Honors Chemistry for the past 15 years.

Pluchino believes this elective represents a new and exciting opportunity that will paint a brand new color both on her teaching career and her students’ learning experiences by bridging the gap between scientific studies and the humanities.

Science itself is complex and multidimensional, and it is a fairly impossible task for us

to understand every aspect of it. It is not uncommon to find that many students still struggle to answer the question “Why does science matter?” even after years of challenging science classes. For this reason, Pluchino encourages her students, whether they are scienceoriented or not, to look beyond the surface and dive deeper into the fundamental significance of the nature of science.

“Whether you want to believe it or not, science plays a huge role in our society,” Pluchino said. “The role that science plays is emphasized especially in the past 18 months of the pandemic and how it impacted our daily lives. Science impacts society and society impacts science. Neither thing happens in a bubble.”

In class, students examine a wide variety of scientific case studies throughout history— ranging from the 1854 outbreak of the Blue Death, also known

as cholera, to the modern issues of programming self-driving cars—and develop questions about each case. In future lessons, Pluchino hopes to teach her students about media, scientific policy, and human ethics.

To enroll in this one-semester course, students are required to have taken at least two full years of biology and chemistry.

The curriculum covers a broad spectrum of topics that include, but are not limited to, the scientific process, experimental design, the media, public policy, and ethics. The new elective is designed not necessarily to dive deeply into a specific science subject, but rather to acquire and hone the fundamental skills needed to conduct research on a plethora of topics.

Pluchino comes up with the curriculum herself, building it along the way and basing it on important topics and skills that make up a critical scientific thinker. She hopes to make the

course a long-running elective and something her students can reflect upon in the far future.

Pluchino is also grateful to her students for their patience and cooperation as she navigates the challenges associated with teaching a brand new course and enjoys learning along with her students.

“It’s nice to see students who identify as non-science people participate in class,” she said.

“I feel like I’m learning a lot as I’m going through the course.

It’s been fun to teach, I learned a lot of things, and it gets you thinking about concepts and ideas you might not have heard of before. Kind of puts me in you guys’ shoes.”

Senior Sophie Liu finds the class to be especially relaxing and enjoyable. “To me, the class is really chill compared to other things, which is really nice,” she explained. “Right now, my continued on page 14

The Spectator ● November 12, 2021

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Science Putting the Science in Society: Stuyvesant’s Newest Science Elective continued from page 13

favorite topic is the one we’re doing right now—science versus pseudoscience. We basically go over old case studies and talk about what they did for science, such as the different

types of scientific studies and how to identify them. We also get worksheets with questions on them, but there [are] a lot of discussions too.”

As Science and Society is still a new course, it is inevitable that the learning process will be

difficult, but both Pluchino and her students are positive that the elective will prove to be an exciting addition to the school’s science electives.

Overall, whether you consider yourself as a “science person” or not, the Science

and Society elective provides a transformative opportunity that exposes students to a new dimension of their scientific thinking processes and uncovers the future of our society shaped by scientific knowledge and its worldview. “I know that

not everyone wants to continue [studying] science,” Pluchino said. “It’s dangerous to be completely ignorant of it, though.

It’s important to separate fact from fiction and be aware of the role science plays in society.”

How Exactly Do the Brain and COVID-19 relate?

By ANDY CHEN Virtually nothing was known about the new coronavirus that shook the world and changed life as we knew it 20 months ago.

Through extensive studies and experiments, however, scientists have created several successful vaccines and collected essential information about the virus’s effects on the human brain and body. The most worrisome of these discoveries are the permanent effects of COVID-19 on the body’s functions, especially its neurological processes.

New studies on COVID-19 and the brain reveal that neurological symptoms such as memory loss and strokes are frequently associated with the virus.

One study revealed that nearly 80 percent of hospitalized COVID-19 patients experienced neurological symptoms including headaches, loss of smell or taste, comas, and strokes. A few preprints of scientific journals have associated COVID-19 with severe neurological effects such as a decrease in gray matter, the tissue in the brain that processes information from passing signals and is responsible for emotions, movement, and memory, in some regions of the cerebral cortex.

It is unclear exactly how the virus accesses the brain and damages it. A previous theory stated that SARS-CoV-2 infects the brain and causes problems in information transmission and processing. However,

it was quickly disproven when studies showed that the virus was unable to cross the bloodbrain barrier (BBB) and enter the brain, leaving neurons with little impairment. One plausible explanation is that SARS-CoV-2 infiltrates the brain through the olfactory mucosa, the upper lining of the nasal cavity. Other recent studies suggest that SARSCoV-2 attacks astrocytes—cells that perform necessary tasks in the brain ranging from keeping neurons healthy by supplying nutrients to regulating their electrical activity.

Experiments exposing brain organoids, miniature imitations of the brain created with stem cells, to the virus found that astrocytes were the main target.

One study that analyzed the brains of those who died from COVID-19 revealed that astrocytes consisted of 66 percent of the total infected cells. While it is not definitive, the infection of astrocytes and subsequent disruption of their function could account for some COVID-19 related neurological symptoms like mental fatigue, depression, confusion, and forgetfulness.

Another theory is that SARS-CoV-2 reduces blood flow to the brain, effectively weakening neurons and disabling them. A report in February revealed that SARS-CoV-2 targets pericytes, cells located in capillaries all around the body and brain. Pericytes are essential for maintaining the BBB, regulating blood flow, and managing

the overall homeostasis of the body. David Attwell, a neuroscientist at University College London, conducted an experiment that observed the effect of SARS-CoV-2 on hamster brains.

Attwell’s team studied slices of hamster brains that were treated with a substance that blocked the same receptors as SARSCoV-2. The results were that the virus could influence pericytes by disrupting the functions of pericyte receptors, leading to capillary constriction in tissues.

These consequences are quite severe and may provide an explanation for the permanent damage COVID-19 has on the brain. Moreover, since restricted blood flow is both a symptom of COVID-19 and high blood pressure, some researchers have considered using drugs that treat high blood pressure such as losartan, which widens blood vessels, to treat COVID-19.

Other researchers credit the COVID-19 neurological symptoms to malfunctions of the immune system, which include overreactions and misfiring. This can occur when the body’s immune system mistakenly makes “autoantibodies” as a response to infections, targeting essential tissues rather than infectious particles. A team in the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases in Berlin discovered that patients who were critically ill with COVID-19 produced autoantibodies that could bind to neurons and brain tissues.

Patients injected intravenously

with immunoglobulin, a kind of antibody that suppresses autoantibodies, had some improvement in their condition.

A study from August 2021 looked for neurological changes by comparing those who were infected by COVID-19 to those who weren’t. The researchers used the UK Databank, a database that includes brain images of thousands of UK people since 2014, to formulate the baseline data and brain images of healthy people. Accounting for demographic factors and disease risk differences in their grouping and examination of the differences between COVID-19 participants and the database’s patients, the researchers found clear differences of gray matter present. The differences included reduced thickness of gray matter in the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain in the COVID-19 group, a pattern that was not observed in those who were not infected with COVID-19. While it is normal for gray matter in the brain to shrink as people age, the changes seen in the COVID-19 participants were abnormal. Surprisingly, even patients who suffered a mild infection showed the same degree of loss of brain volume as those afflicted with greater severity.

One of the most infamous symptoms of COVID-19 is the loss of smell and taste, which are senses controlled by the olfactory bulb. Coincidently, the regions of the brain that the UK

researchers analyzed were related to the olfactory bulb, which is connected to the frontal lobes and the hippocampus. The hippocampus holds an important role in memory and cognition in humans and may also be involved with the aging process.

Surprisingly, despite being two different diseases, COVID-19 and Alzheimer’s disease may share some similarities, especially since they both affect the hippocampus and memoryrelated changes in the brain.

While nothing is conclusive yet, studying the possible relationships between memory and COVID-19 could reveal long-term effects and possible implications for Alzheimer's disease and other memory disorders.

While one may feel that the era of a normal, familiar, and maskless society was long ago, scientists are only beginning to observe and understand the long-term effects of COVID-19. There has been much evidence from new and old studies that have provided insight into the neurological effects of COVID-19, but scientists are still attempting to uncover the method of action in which COVID-19 takes to manifest those symptoms. Assembling these puzzle pieces will provide us with treatment options for these far-reaching effects. The role of the brain as the body’s master may allow the future understanding of COVID-19’s neurological effects to be applied to other areas of neuroscience.

What’s New in Immunotherapy?

By ARIN FARUQUE Currently, the most promising development in the war against cancer comes from immunotherapy, a type of treatment that stimulates the immune system to recognize and fight cancer cells. Cancer cells that were previously able to evade the immune system now stand out and are “marked” in this treatment, eliciting an immune response. The most common immunotherapy used right now is CAR T-cell therapy, where genetically altered T-cells are inserted into cancer patients who have already undergone chemotherapy. One new take to this comes from a team of researchers at MIT. In their approach, they incorporate the chemotherapy aspect, but base their overall treatment outside of the body by removing tumor cells rather than immune cells from the body and reinserting them after treating them with specific drugs to incite an immune response.

The first of these drugs are known as immune checkpoint inhibitors, which counter the inability of T-cells, the body’s de-

fense against foreign particles, to attack cancer cells. Checkpoint proteins on the surface of the cells can either inhibit or enable immune response. The binding of the checkpoint proteins, most notably the proteins PD-1 and PD-L1 on the T-cell and tumor cell, respectively, prevents the T-cell from attacking the tumor cell. Checkpoint inhibitors prevent the binding of these proteins, thus allowing the T-cell to attack the cancerous cell. However, immune checkpoint inhibitors only work on some types of cancer. To further improve the immune system’s ability to target tumor cells, researchers combined the immune checkpoint inhibitors with traditional cytotoxic chemotherapy drugs used to kill rapidly growing cells.

They based their thinking on a phenomenon called immunogenic cell death, where injured or dead tumor cells alarm the immune system. However, researchers soon realized that it was only the injured tumor cells that triggered the response.

In their first trials, the team tested different types of chemotherapy drugs on the cancer cells and measured the correspond-

ing T-cell response. 24 hours af- tions in mice with melanoma, a ter treating the cancer cells with type of skin cancer, and breast the drugs, the researchers added cancers, they found that the dendritic cells—which present treatment had killed all tumors antigens to T-cells and activate in 40 percent of the mice. Adthem—to each dish, followed by ditionally, when the researchers the T-cells themselves 24 hours re-inserted cancer cells into the later. After recording the effec- same mice several months later, tiveness of killing cancer cells their T-cells remarkably identiwith T-cells, researchers found fied and killed those cells before that the chethey could motherapy divide and drugs did form new not have the tumors. impact they These expected: results cononly dishes tribute to the with low growing field doses of the of immunodrugs that therapy and only injured its use as a the cells substitute Tina Siu / The Spectator had notable for more improvement. The researchers widely used methods such as sought an explanation for this chemotherapy and radiation result and found that drugs that treatment, which have unpleascause DNA damage were the ant systemic side effects. Chemost effective because of their motherapy and radiation are not connection to our cellular stress precise as they target fast-dividmechanism.

DNA-damaged ing cancerous and non-cancercells release distress signals that ous cells, leading to side effects call T-cells into action, which like hair loss and nausea as hair destroy both the damaged cells cells and stomach cells divide and surrounding tumor cells. quickly. Immunotherapy, on the After testing these observa- other hand, identifies and targets

specific cancer cells to remove this risk. This allows immunotherapy to be used in a greater variety of cancer therapies, such as a new immunotherapy treatment for pancreatic cancer—the most deadly cancer—that is set for clinical trials later this year.

This treatment, which manipulates the PD-1 and PD-L1 system of T-cells with a specific combination of drugs to enable an immune response, is one of many arising targeted immunotherapies to treat various kinds of cancers.

Though these results are exciting, more extensive research is needed to determine the most effective types of drugs and their optimal dosages. Many current immunotherapy drugs are extremely expensive, with some costing up to $475,000 per year.

This places more importance on the development of this combined approach that may offer more affordable cancer treatment. The field of immunotherapy remains promising as new, innovative approaches to treating a historically incurable disease turn its application into more practicality.

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The Spectator ● November 12, 2021

Arts and Entertainment Culture

By LUCA ADEISHVILI The early-to-mid 2000s were defined by the birth of the Internet. As social media grew with the advent of spaces such as YouTube and Newgrounds, a unique culture started developing across the online sphere.

Memes started to be viewed and shared with increasing virality, and Internet users started making content of their own, using the new platforms to find themselves an audience.

YouTube gave creators an especially welcoming place to post content that could be easily shared amongst large groups of people. One of the greatest contributors to the growing “Internet culture” of the time was singer-songwriter, animator, and content creator Neil Cicierega. Despite being an unfamiliar name to many, Cicierega’s impact on the Internet is immense; his influential media projects were integral to the shape it took during its formative years.

Cicierega started off his Internet presence by creating a series of surrealist Flash animations dubbed “Animutations.”

These videos were known for their random and nonsensical style, usually heavily featuring pop culture imagery. One of Cicierega’s early animutations, “Hyakugojyuuichi!!!” got quite a bit of attention and currently sits at 470k views on YouTube.

Due to the popularity of Cicierega’s animutations, a large community of content creators began to mimic Cicierega’s style. The emergence of these “fanimutations” had a large impact on the developing Inter-

Music

By ADELE BOIS Annie Clark, who performs under the stage name “St. Vincent,” has always produced powerful performances. From her renowned album and tour “Masseduction” (2017), where she appeared on stage in a hot pink leather suit with intense backing tracks and video footage, to her venture into horror cinema and her most recent New York-inspired complete makeover and release “Daddy’s Home” (2021), her music has always been unique and her sound inimitable. Aside from being a talented vocalist and guitarist, Clark has also developed a gritty sound that, with each project, morphs into something completely unexpected.

Thus, I expected nothing less when I ventured over to Radio City Music Hall for my first concert in a year and a half to see the New York stop of Clark’s “Daddy’s Home” U.S. tour. As I stepped into Radio City Music Hall, I was reminded of the charm the space has: the marble floors, countless

Neil Cicierega’s Gloriously Goofy Mark on the Internet net, as their popularity allowed weirder, more absurd forms of humor to dominate. Cicierega’s animutations established the Internet as platform where all logic and conventions could be thrown out the window, where even something as stupid and bizarre as “Hyakugojyuuichi!!!” could be recognized as a work of art. Cicierega also created a comedy series in 2003 titled “Potter Puppet Pals,” a series of Flash animations, and later live action puppet shows that spoofed “Harry Potter”. “The Mysterious Ticking Noise,” the most popular entry of the series, sitting at 197 million views on YouTube. It grew so popular that, at one point, “Harry Potter” actor Daniel Radcliffe went on to mention it in an interview.

However, while these early projects helped Cicierega make a name for himself, what truly set him as an influential online figure would be his musical career.

Starting in 2003, Cicierega would use the alias Lemon Demon for the majority of his musical projects. Under this pseudonym, Cicierega produced two of his most popular videos, “BRODYQUEST,” and “The Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny.” “The Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny” was a Flash animated music video depicting various pop culture icons such as Godzilla and Batman fighting it out in one big brawl. “BRODYQUEST,” on the other hand, was a music video uploaded on June 1, 2010, comedically depicting actor Adrien Brody traversing various random settings, spreading his influence as he went. These two videos are emblematic of

Cicierega’s general style of content, capitalizing on weird concepts and unusual depictions of pop culture icons. Both would become known as some of the first “viral videos” and would serve as the groundwork for what would become the future of internet virality: short, humorous, and nonsensical pieces of media. “BRODYQUEST” and “The Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny” continue to be relevant, with parodies of them being constantly produced and shared by people across the Internet to this day.

More recently, Cicierega released the album “Spirit Phone” (2016). The album turned out to be Cicierega’s most successful project as Lemon Demon, topping Bandcamp’s charts for its first week after being released. Cicierega’s signature style was carried over to his music, with his songs displaying the same deliberate absurdity his videos did. The album maintains its quality as a standalone piece of music too, as, despite its characteristic weirdness, it has some truly catchy compositions. “Spirit Phone” would also turn out to be Cicierega’s most notable musical work, with the song “Touch-Tone Telephone” topping “The Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny” in plays on Spotify alone. But, while much of Cicierega’s most notable works originated from Lemon Demon, his musical career stretches beyond any one name.

Cicierega produced four mashup albums between 2014 and 2020 known as the “Mouth” albums. The records were known for their uniquely

high quality, though undeniably peculiar, mashups, such as with “Spongerock,” a song from the album “Mouth Dreams” that mashed up the Spongebob Squarepants Theme song and “We Will Rock You” by Queen into an unusually catchy rock tune. The widespread positive reception of the “Mouth” albums demonstrated Cicierega’s strong suits as an artist. He was at his best when the music he produced was subversive and abnormal, and the “Mouth” albums demonstrated these characteristics greatly.

Cicierega was responsible for creating some of the most influential online media of all time, which continue to be culturally relevant over a decade after their releases. His unique style of content creation, which perfectly mixed pop culture and bizarre, absurdist humor together, spread through the entire Internet. Cicierega’s early works helped shape the Internet’s sense of humor toward the kind of absurdist style of comedy that exists today. His videos set the standard for what would be defined as the proper “viral video” for years. To say Neil Cicierega had a large impact on the Internet would be an understatement. Though his popularity has waned since his glory days, Cicierega shows no signs of stopping anytime soon.

To this day, he continues producing wacky, subversive content for a massive community of people. Cicierega has shown that he is here to stay, and that he will continue to be an influential figure in the vast Internet landscape for years to come.

St. Vincent’s “Daddy’s Home” Comes to NYC windows, and sparkling chandeliers created an elegant scene.

It was only fitting that she perform in such a renowned space; her newest project is centered around 1970s New York. Beyond the glamorous attire and alluring sounds of “Daddy’s Home,” Clark dissects her struggles with an incarcerated father and her relationships, specifically in adulthood. While her music is centered around her personal experiences, Clark performed the show as a character, sporting a bleach-blond bob and vintage Gucci suit.

From the beginning, the concert both lived up to and subverted expectations. After I took my seat in the lush velvet chairs of the orchestra, comedian Ali Macofsky stepped onto the stage as an opener. Dressed in a simple, all-black suit with a microphone and a glass of water perched on a stool, she appeared nondescript. At first, she was unsuccessful, but after the crowd warmed up to the unorthodox choice, they became a lot more open to the idea of having a comedian open the show, which further added to

the 1970s feel of the event.

After about an hour of her successful set, Macofsky stepped off the stage and the lights dimmed. The hall erupted into claps and cheers as the lights illuminated a backdrop of a colorful NYC skyline.

The crowd held their breath, anticipating the show’s beginning. On walked St. Vincent… or so we thought. Instead it was a character dressed exactly like her, with the same blonde bob.

Once it was revealed that she was hiding around a glass set, she started the show off with the song “Digital Witness,” a favorite from her 2014 selftitled album. The song, about the façade of social media and external validation, was a masterful parallel of the deceptive trick that preceded the performance. Despite the show being centered around her newest album, it featured lots of her previous work. It was exciting to hear Clark’s older music and appreciate how her sound had changed as well as her ability to adapt her older songs to sound modern and fit her current style.

There were many more times during the show where Clark showed the audience her personable and humorous side. At one point, she told a story about being recognized at a restaurant and thinking the waitress had covered the bill when Clark had actually just approached the wrong counter to pay. There was a moment where she paused in the middle of a song to take a pretend call from a manager, telling them she was in “the greatest city in the world.”

Aside from “Digital Witness,” she played several other classics, like “Masseduction”— an upbeat, intense fan-favorite—and “New York,” about finding a home in a person in this big city. Though the concert was based around her newest album, the backup singers and band elevated her older songs to a new level. She was accompanied by her Down and Out Downtown Band and both them and the background singers were a huge part of the continued on page 17

Playlist Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice

By THE ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT DEPARTMENT With the days growing shorter, leaves piling up on the ground, and pumpkin-spiced items plastering the walls of every grocery store, we’ve settled firmly into fall territory. So grab some apple cider, a blanket, and switch on these comforting fall tunes.

Velvet Ring Big Thief Indie Always There Greta Van Fleet Rock GONE GONE / THANK YOU Tyler, the Creator Hip-hop we fell in love in october girl in red Indie Rock Cardigan Taylor Swift Pop Apple Cider beabadoobee Indie Rock C7osure (You Like) Lil Nas X Alternative/Hip-hop Pale September Fiona Apple Indie Pop Sweater Weather The Neighborhood Alternative Dealer Lana Del Rey Alternative Somebody Else The 1975 Alternative Asleep The Smiths Rock

The Spectator ● November 12, 2021

Page 17

Arts and Entertainment

By ALEXANDER HINCHLIFFE In March 2019, hip-hop producer Kenny Beats created a YouTube channel to start his artist collaboration series “The Cave.”

The first episode saw him making a beat and recording a song with the Brooklyn rapper JPEGMAFIA in his studio, with zany sound effects and graphics edited into just three minutes. The show took off after Kenny Beats collaborated with several high-profile artists like Rico Nasty, Smino, and Freddie Gibbs. Each video featured a rapper/singer working with Kenny on an instrumental before freestyling a verse and calling it a day. That is, until the fifth episode, when Kenny Beats invited Atlanta comedian Zack Fox to be on the

Music continued from page 16

story; the singers milled about with drinks in their hands, pretended to do their makeup, and performed an intricate dance holding light rods. Despite the strobe lights and intense volume, the sound of the crowd

Film

By SIMONE RALEIGH and KAEDEN RUPAREL Both horror flicks and psychological thrillers have the ability to tamper with an audience’s perception of reality. However, in horror films, the audience’s reality is bent and stretched to a degree that maintains an aspect of believability but also contains evidently fake elements. In psychological thrillers, the audience’s conception of reality tends to be preserved, while the themes and the circumstances of the film are heightened to an abnormal degree.

What is it about messing with our concept of reality that excites audiences? Both genres—horror and thriller—utilize suspense to their advantage. The plot of horror revolves around a sense of expected and predictable doom, which the audience moves closer to as the movie progresses. On the other hand, thrillers use the same looming demise but are layered on top of unpredictable plots.

Horror movies are well known to be a common genesis of nonmedical sleep deprivation, and the plot twists from psychological thrillers keep audiences thinking even years after viewing. But what makes these genres so appealing?

The answer: they’re relatable.

At first glance, that may seem counterintuitive: psychological thrillers shift the audience’s opinion or view of reality, and horrors shift reality altogether. What about living, murderous dolls is relatable? A family preserving ancestry by transferring their conscience?

Psychological thrillers and horror films lie across the very small boundary between fear and curiosity—though horror films are naturally closer to the fear side.

show for a one-off gag. Fox asked for a “runescape mixed with Jodeci mixed with almond milk with a domestic violence filter” that a pro-lifer could blast. On the collaboration track, titled “Jesus is the One (I Got Depression),” Fox raps—among other topics—about praising God, Betty White’s future death with an angelic Thundercat sample, West Coast Drums, and even declares his support for Palestine. Despite the episode being a bizarre gag, it quickly went viral, sitting at over seven million views as of November 2021.

Before appearing on “The Cave,” Zack Fox already had a reputation on the internet as a minor player in the hip-hop scene, as a close friend of Thundercat and occasional contributor to VICE magazine (with the fabulous

pseudonym Bootymath). His appearance on “The Cave” was Fox’s second collaboration with Kenny Beats, with the two having made the angry fight anthem “Square Up” in 2018, featuring Fox describing his love for breaking the law over a dirty, 808-heavy beat.

But aside from a few sparse singles in 2019 and 2020, Fox’s comedy rap career has been fairly inactive.

If anything, Fox has rejected the label of rapper, telling Rolling Stone he hated the success of “Jesus is the One (I Got Depression),” calling it “meaningless” and a musical “troll.” However in October 2021, Fox switched gears. With the new release of his debut album “shut the [EXPLETIVE] up talking to me,” Fox embraces the gag and hones in on writing more hilarious bars with an unironically potent

pen game.

From its lead single “fafo,” the album sees Fox rapping about anything and everything from Stanley Kubrick to “Superbad” references, describing himself as “the Zone Six McLovin.” Fox’s sense of humor is the centerpiece of the project and he comes through with some genuinely entertaining bars.

Almost every track has one memorably hilarious line, like on the Alchemist-produced titular track where Fox raps about how things could get “ugly as [EXPLETIVE] like Ed Sheeran.” While some tracks like “menace” are oversaturated with filler lines about money and girls, Fox stays on beat and sounds comfortable with solid cadences. Fox’s ability to flow over the different instrumentals on the album is impressive, as he switches

from Three 6 Mafia reminiscent beats like those on “uhhh” and “fafo” to more modern production like that on “bane” and “boy i’m on yo [EXPLETIVE].” Fox even slides on a R&B beat, teaming up with Kenny Beats once more for the club banger “get off my [EXPLETIVE],” which is way too catchy for three minutes of genitalia jokes.

While “shut the [EXPLETIVE] talking to me” might not be terribly deep or conscious, the project is an incredibly fun listen with a variety of fantastic songs with priceless bars. There are no profound metaphors or social justice messages in this album. Zack Fox is being funny and not trying to do anything else—honestly, it’s commendable.

St. Vincent’s “Daddy’s Home” Comes to NYC singing along rose above the ruckus.

Eventually, Clark began singing songs from “Daddy’s Home,” including hits like “Down and Out Downtown,” which is about finding love in a city so big and the experiences that come with it. Like, she sang, “carrying last night’s

heels on the morning train” back home. Following the romantic, eerie track, she played “Pay Your Way In Pain,” a hit from her new record. It reflects the struggle of doing everyday tasks, like going to run errands but getting to the grocery store and realizing that “the shelves were all empty,” alluding not to

the displacement she felt in her own body but to the pandemic (when the album was written), reflecting the mass hysteria that emptied grocery stores during the beginning of lockdown.

Clark is really unique in this way as she has the ability to take these small snippets of her life and make them into a much

larger, more universal message.

She has frequently been called “the female Bowie,” not just for her music but also for her phenomenal stage presence and the extravagant story she tells with each concert. It’s safe to say that this performance was a testament to her reputation as an incredible artist.

Too Abnormal, or Too Cliché: Why Thrillers and Horrors Have to Be Perfect Audiences are naturally drawn to relatable themes explored in many of these films, which uniquely invoke an element of fear through the hyper-realistic circumstances.

This combination is exactly what makes psychological thriller and horror films so intriguing and addicting.

Intuitively, viewing an image that would make anyone shudder is a repulsive force—however, in horror and thriller films, such reactions create a perverse attraction between the film and its audience.

There are several elements which contribute to this phenomenon: tension, relevance, and unrealism.

The tension is standard and provides the viewers with a sense of suspense that keeps them wanting more from the storyline. Relevance establishes a sense of personal connection to the situations and themes from pressing societal issues such as racism or classism to smaller mundane appearances such as creepy neighbors in the movie, making a film’s fear feel real. Lastly, unrealism separates the actual events in the film from one’s real life, allowing the film to maintain its role as an entertaining movie instead of a nightmare which is purely disturbing to watch.

Additionally, unrealism plays a key role in the audience’s attraction to a film, as it invokes the notion of heightened circumstances. Audiences are introduced to a seemingly normal setting, until the first hint is dropped that these characters are in a scenario that is anything but that. Horror movies and psychological thrillers are distinct in the fact that their characters are thrust into situations of danger that can range from minimal, like uncertainty, to catastrophic,

such as death. This influences the viewer’s response to the scenes playing out before them, manifesting in the form of “flight or fight” response. Only, the audience can’t actually do anything about it. As

they desperately wait to see how the characters’ fates will play out before them.

Another integral component in the audience’s desire to stick it through to the end of horrors and

the film progresses, characters are faced with decision after decision revolving around the theme of ‘revolt now, and risk my life’ or ‘play along, and figure it out later.’

More often than not, the characters lean towards risking their lives because the adrenaline rush being experienced often overpowers their brain’s capacity to make the smartest decisions. The dire situations on screen paired with the viewers’ complete lack of control of the characters’ decisions captures the audience’s attention as

physiological thrillers is figuring out the movie’s twist. What makes audiences follow the character into life-threatening scenarios is the notion that they too can imagine themselves in the same situation.

This notion, preserved throughout the entirety of thriller and horror films, makes them so addicting: the characters’ reality isn’t that different from the audience’s, save for one key detail. This central point culminates into the core of the film, keeping audiences biting their nails until the credits roll.

Annie Lam / The Spectator

Music

Zack Fox Does What He Does Best on “shut the [EXPLETIVE] up talking to me.”

This is exactly why the ending to a psychological thriller or a horror film is so key: it makes or breaks the entire movie. The best films of these genres have endings that expertly toe the line between being too complex and overwhelming, and being simple and cliché. The ending of the film has to neatly tie up all the bows on this storyline while also leaving one of them tied imperfectly.

Culminating a psychological thriller is no easy task, as the audience can very easily become frustrated with a lack of clarity or sufficient answers. It can just as easily become under-stimulating, and the audience is left satisfied, but without wanting more. The best psychological thrillers, like “Get Out” (2017) and “Shutter Island” (2010), share the common theme of being able to tread the line between crime/science fiction and horror expertly. They also combine unrealism and relevance with a flawless ending and superb acting and storytelling. Jordan Peele’s “Get Out” navigates a modern day manifestation of slavery and privilege, taken to the extreme, to exemplify the experience of minorities in America.

Martin Scorsese’s “Shutter Island” navigates the difficult discussion of the mentally insane, subtly maintaining the important discussion throughout a riveting plotline.

These films are more horror-oriented, as audiences are taken on a frighteningly relatable journey with unrealistic, heightened manifestations of everyday, normal life problems. This is exactly what makes psychological thrillers so riveting and so addicting; they’re subtly relatable, while making audiences question their entire reality.

Page 18

The Spectator ● November 12, 2021

Arts and Entertainment Dresses Aren’t Just for Girls

Thinkpiece

By FRANCES SCHWARZ There’s a good chance you saw Harry Styles on the cover of Vogue Magazine in a frilly blue dress in December 2020.

The cover fell in line with other male celebrities such as Lil Nas X, Young Thug, Jonathan Van Ness, and Jaden Smith who have also donned the skirt in the last 10 years. With the rise of androgynous fashion coinciding with modern feminism and LGBTQ+ rights, dresses for men seem to be an increasingly contentious issue, all while the popularity of the skirt for men rises to new heights.

The popularization of men wearing feminine clothing hasn’t been without its fair share of backlash. “There is no society that can survive without strong men,” Candace Owens famously tweeted in response to Styles’s Vogue cover. “Bring back manly men.” Her sentiment is shared by many who fear that masculinity is under attack by the political left.

Many of these arguments rest on the false notion that dresses have always been for women. Yet men have worn dresses for centuries without question, from the building of the pyramids to the birth of Jesus, who himself was often depicted in dresses. It was only with the rise of “breeching” parties in the mid 16th century, in which boys aged four to seven years old were introduced to

their first pair of pants, that the not only men but society as a association between masculinity whole by perpetuating toxic and pants gained traction. Even masculinity and reinforcing then, young boys wore dresses harmful gender norms. as late as the 1900s: take this At its core, dress-wearing picture of President Franklin D. and other supposedly feminine Roosevelt, for example, in chin- expressions serve as a way for length hair and a dress at two men to break free from the presyears old. sure to be masculine. Porter said Joanna Meng / The Spectator “My goal that growing up, is to be a he always wanted walking to be more maspiece of culine, but after political art donning heels for every time his role in “Kinky I show up.

Boots,” he felt emTo chalpowered to let that lenge expart of himself pectations. free.

What is Kurt Cobain, masculinwho described ity? What dresses as “comdoes that fortable, sexy, and mean?” free” and publicly said Billy wore them mulPorter, tiple times, said, a queer “I definitely feel black artist closer to the femiand singer, nine side of the huabout wearing dresses man being than I do the to red carpets as early as 2018. male—or the American By simply subverting expectaidea of what a male is tions, a man wearing a dress supposed to be.” automatically challenges the The stigma of men wearnotion that masculinity should ing feminine clothing is deeply have anything to do with what rooted in the idea that wearing a one wears, more importantly, dress is the equivalent of being the idea of whether the cor- gay rather than a form of selfnerstones of masculinity— expression. While queer men strength, stoicism, aggression— are overrepresented in the realm should be associated with men of androgynous fashion, this at all. The assumption for men is only because expressions of to embody these “masculine” femininity empower queer men traits is often stifling and harms to disregard the toxic masculini-

ty that led many of them to suppress their sexualities in the first place. This association between gender, sexuality, and fashion is a testament to the deeply entrenched gender roles that are central to the world we live in.

When androgynous fashion came into the mainstream during the ‘60s and ‘70s, it was built largely on the foundation laid by queer people. Drag started percolating in molly houses in 18th century London where queer men met in secret, mimicked feminine mannerisms, and practiced cross-dressing. Later, drag balls appeared in Harlem in 1869, quickly becoming essential to the development of drag, androgyny, and queer party culture.

Black queer people were deeply involved in this development, from the first drag queen—who was a former slave—to Marsha P. Johnson, a black trans woman remembered as one of the most significant figures in LGBTQ+ history.

Yet when it comes to praise for these skirt-wearing men, Harry Styles is currently getting much more positive attention than the average queer person of color. “I’m not dragging Harry Styles, but… He doesn’t care, he’s just doing it because it’s the thing to do,” said Porter, a queer black man, on Styles’ Vogue cover. “I had to fight my entire life to get to the place where I could wear a dress to the Oscars. All [Styles] had to do is be white and straight.” The abil-

ity to safely wear a dress matters deeply to people whose gender identity relies on the way they present themselves or to those who present on the feminine side. Yet men like Styles, for whom the fight isn’t as crucial, are still heralded as revolutionaries more often than their POC and LGBTQ+ counterparts.

This is largely because queer people and people of color are already viewed by society as effeminate—take the casting of Black men by Hollywood in roles requiring drag and makeup or the steady desexualization of Asian men, for example. Queer people and people of color wearing dresses, therefore, isn’t considered ground-breaking. Instead, the act is seen as par for the course of people of their race and sexuality. Challenging gender stereotypes associated with clothing, in addition to enabling free expression of one’s identity, is necessary to dismantle the expectations for queer people of color.

“I’m taking the brunt of it so that later on, my kids and the next generations of kids will all think that certain things are normal that weren’t expected before my time,” said Jaden Smith. The stereotypes surrounding men who choose to wear dresses still run strong. But with new ideas about gender blossoming and male interest in skirts on the rise, the day that dresses become the norm for men just might come sooner than expected.

Television Old Habits Die Hard In the Newest Season of “You” Oh? What do we have here?

Based on your clothing… a student? Your shirt is untucked, and you’re holding a cup of iced coffee from the cart on Chambers Street, your eyes drooping.

You stayed up late last night to do homework, and maybe you even have a test next period.

But, you’re still making time to read the newspaper. You’re in the Arts & Entertainment section, so you’ve got taste. You like to be informed and keep up with current trends. You’re lazily sifting through the paper, a bored expression on your face, practically begging me to help.

Okay, I’ll bite. What made you stop on this article? Did you want me to notice you? Are you playing coy now?

This is how Netflix’s psychological thriller “You” starts off most episodes: with an uncomfortably long monologue.

Recently, the show’s third season has dominated the Netflix charts, even overtaking Netflix’s widely popular “Squid Game” (2021). “You” follows Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley), a sociopath masquerading as a bookstore employee who finds himself in a never-ending loop of obsessive relationships that end horribly. However, Joe finally meets his match in his coworker, Love Quinn (Victoria Pedretti), who is equally as psychotic and obsessive as he is. As the couple struggles to maintain a semblance of suburban bliss,

Joe and Love’s murderous tendencies complicate their desire for normalcy.

This difficulty to assimilate is a crucial storyline that makes the plot of the show’s third season stand out. Previous seasons of the show followed a similar structure: Joe meets a girl, falls in love, and then murders her once she discovers his obsessive tendencies. However, in season three, the show follows Joe and Love’s dysfunctional marriage and their attempt to assimilate to a suburban community with their newborn son despite their sinister habits. This central storyline enables tense moments and high suspense, leaving watchers wondering who their next victim will be or if the two will ever get caught. Since it is clear that their marriage will not survive, Joe and Love’s broken relationship brings an undercurrent of unease to the whole season. This is emphasized when both Love and Joe both engage in extramarital affairs, fueling the sense of impending doom for the couple. The formation of the story, in particular, is in contrast with previous seasons: the plot simmers, building up the tension until the climax, where it explodes with twist after twist, rendering the ending unforeseeable, unlike the relative predictability of seasons one and two.

The unpredictability of “You” is largely a product of its characters. Throughout season three, the audience is in-

troduced to new sides of Joe and Love as they try to change for the sake of their child. Joe makes a real effort to stop killing people and stay loyal to his wife, while Love remains a ticking time bomb. Her high-strung

to be so serious and somber.

Madre Linda’s power couple Sherry Conrad (Shalita Grant) and Cary Conrad (Travis Van Winkle) seem vapid and shallow at first, but they prove to be a solid unit, providing comic

tendencies force Joe to clean up her messes, putting a strain on their marriage. The juxtaposition of the two is ultimately what makes their dynamic so interesting, begging the question of if they can resolve their irreconcilable differences. In addition to building its existing characters, the season introduces new ones—many of whom end up being victims of Joe and Love. An especially notable character is Marienne (Tati Gabrielle), a librarian whom Joe becomes fixated on.

Marienne’s sharp wit brings a breath of fresh air to a show where everybody else seems

relief and serving as a foil to Joe and Love’s failing relationship.

However, it is the actors that bring the third season to its full potential. Both Badgley and Pedretti have mastered the “crazy eyes,” which is an important part of selling the roles that they each play. Their performances are convincing, even disconcerting, and bring the script to life. Badgley especially embodies the dichotomy that is central to his character; he masterfully depicts a charming, harmless protagonist who—despite his sociopathic tendencies—has the audience rooting for him.

Julia Shen / The Spectator

By NICOLE LIU

Hand in hand with the phenomenal acting, “You”’s writers paint a convincing picture, striking gold with Joe’s inner monologue, whose utter lack of self-awareness and far-fetched inferences bring a distinct unease to the show. Nonetheless, there remains a lack of imagination when it comes to the convenient and unrealistic ways that Joe and Love get out of some compromising situations. Notably, when Joe was interrogated based on suspicions of murdering a neighbor, he says something awkwardly honest and is let off scot-free. Despite their recklessness when murdering or disposing of evidence, Joe and Love always manage to get lucky and walk away without anyone the wiser.

The third season of “You” is certainly a hit, exploring interesting dynamics as well as new plotlines and characters being introduced. Joe and Love’s hot and cold relationship in tandem with their futile attempts to become better people highlight their complexity while making for an enthralling—and at times, comedic—10 episodes.

Given the show’s culmination in a final cliffhanger and renewal for a fourth season, there is no doubt that “You” will continue to deliver and grow more popular while upping its ante. “The end of our story remains unwritten,” Joe remarks in the ending monologue. But I’ll wait… until our paths cross once again.

The Spectator ● November 12, 2021

Page 19

Arts and Entertainment Cheap *ss Lunch #8: The Best Deal Near Stuy is… Chinese Food?!

Food

would’ve thought you could find 12 appealing choices of anything when chicken over rice has been jacked up to seven dollars?

Entering the joint, there was a predominance of construction workers and taxi drivers among the clientele, which is always a sure sign of ample portions, quick serving, and good value.

In short, everything you’d want from a Cheap *ss Lunch. The special is just as much as advertised, and with only an extra dollar you’ll get a second selection, bringing the total to $7.28. This comparatively low sum speedily yields a midsized plastic container chock-full of fragrant steamy food, with the choice of the rice accompanying your meal being white, brown, or fried.

The dishes available are quite extensive, but among them are some highlights. Fan favorite Sesame Chicken comes just as you’d expect, drowning in a sweet orange sauce, slightly squeaking as you cut into its crispy exterior.

Though not a standout, Sesame Chicken lives up to its name, and this is as good a place as any to pick up those bright orange chunks. If you’re hankering for

By MATTHEW WAGMAN The area around Stuyvesant isn’t known for its stellar Chinese cuisine. We’ve got halal on top of halal, pizza, delis and coffee shop galore, almost every fast food chain, and enough expensive restaurants to bankrupt the average student. But the closest thing one gets to East Asian food is the teriyaki chicken and rice noodles at K-Cuisine, which isn’t much more than a glorified halal cart.

So you could imagine my surprise when I encountered a storefront labelled “Taste Chinese Restaurant” next to the Chambers Street 123 train station earlier this year. It’s stylized signage and picture-heavy menu mark it as a distinctly Americanstyle Chinese takeout, but the uncommon cuisine alone wasn’t what caught my eye. I was immediately drawn to a banner pasted on the glass storefront announcing “Lunch Express - $5.69” that listed a mindblowing 12 options to choose from.

With a bargain as good as that, I knew that I had to give them a chance, cultural authenticity aside. After all, who

great use of the optional dollar, the mixed vegetables aren’t easily dismissed. They come as a full raft of broccoli sprigs, chopped carrots, mushroom slices, onion, and even zucchini. For the carbs that come alongside the meal, the

With a bargain as good as that, I knew that I at least had to give them a chance, cultural authenticity aside. save the dish from being a complete bland disaster.

A better chance to try something new comes in the form of the Pepper Steak, comparatively chewy with an exterior studded with red pepper for hints of spiciness. The real kick is that it also comes with large slices of sauteed onions and surprisingly crisp and fresh bell peppers.

For a “healthy” option, or just a

fried rice is a joy after years of dry yellow halal rice, the peak blend of soft and chewy interspersed with morsels of peas, carrot and sweet onion. The brown rice is solid enough, if a bit unappealing in comparison. Both do a more than adequate job of soaking up the lake of tangy sauce left behind by all the main attractions, and portions are ample enough that you won’t be left wishing for

more.

When (there’s no “if ’’ here) I go back, I’d definitely like to explore the full depth of their extensive menu. My fallback would probably be the Pepper Steak with an extra option of the mixed vegetables, and to correct the distinctive absence of a kick in any of the meals, I’d ask for a bunch of hot sauce packets on the side. Taste Chinese Restaurant is a bit of a walk from the school building and certainly doesn’t come near anything you’d get from a more “authentic” eatery in Flushing or even nearby Chinatown. But for the price, accessibility to Stuyvesant, and sheer range of options available, it can’t be beat. It’s a whole head and shoulders above most of the halal carts in the area for sure, and a much better bet than any of the questionable slice joints.

Directions: Head out from the bridge and all the way down Chambers Street to Church Street, hang a left past the ACE stop, and go over one more block to the corner of Church and Reade.

Sci-Fi “Dune” Right

Film Wars” (1976) to “The Matrix” (1999). Yet “Dune” manages to feel wholly original. Villenuve brings Herbert’s stunning world to life. He shoots massive spaceships, insect-like ornithopters, and sandworms

“Lawrence of Arabia” (1962), which is fitting because Herbert stated it as a major influence on the novel. The viewer is treated with shot after shot of sand dunes that dwarf the characters, oceans of sand

with his mastery of CGI, always grounding the scene from a character’s perspective to communicate the scale and awe of these creations. Many epic shots are entirely practical, using stunning locations on Earth to depict distant planets.

Cinematographer Greig Frazier clearly drew visual inspiration from the historical epic

stretching out to the horizon.

The production design is just as immersive as the effects.

The outfits are elaborate and utilitarian, both futuristic and realistic. Passion clearly went into every detail, from the blade of a desert crysknife to the poisoned tip of a gom jabbar needle. The backgrounds of each scene seamlessly in-

Cindy Yang / The Spectator

By AARON VISSER I decided I would like “Dune” (2021) two years before watching it. When I heard one of my favorite directors was adapting one of my favorite novels starring the most talented working actors, I immediately marked October 2020 on my calendar. Now, after a year of COVID-related delays, the film is finally here.

Sometimes high expectations can kill an otherwise solid experience. This is not one of those times. “Dune” doesn’t just live up to its hype; it exceeds it. Denis Villenuve adapts scene after scene from the book exactly as I imagined them to be, elevating the source material with perfect casting and a barrage of beautiful visuals. No other director could have made a film so faithful to the source material so well. “Dune” definitively and masterfully adapts written work into audio and visual art.

“Dune” takes place in a future where humans have spread across the galaxy, having accessed interstellar travel through the discovery of The Spice, a hallucinogen that grants its users the ability to see across space and time. But there’s a problem: The Spice can only be found on Arrakis, a desert planet with no water, hostile natives, and half-milelong sandworms. The story follows the noble Atreides family and their son Paul Atreidies (Timothee Chalamet) as they assume control over Arrakis and face threats far more dangerous than massive worms.

The novel, written by Frank Herbert in 1965, influenced everything from “Star

less cartoonishly colored poultry, the Chicken in Broccoli is a mediocre substitute. Its white meat is soft and gives a bit too easily to the pressure of the jaw, but the sturdy broccoli and a coating of tingly sauce that accompany it

tegrate top notch set design and computer effects. To many movies, detailed world building can be a pleasant addition.

To “Dune,” it is essential. The book is beloved for its meticulously crafted world, not for its characters.

The most common criticism of “Dune,” the movie and the book, is about those characters. They can feel distant, lacking relatability and normal human traits. When they speak, the dialogue can feel stilted. Herbert’s decision to write in the uncommon third person omniscient perspective contributes to this, detaching the reader from any natural point of view. However, this problem is part of “Dune’s” appeal. The characters are complex, with their true nature often mysterious. Paul, played brilliantly by Chalamet, at first seems a precocious, yet innocent teen. Reviews have criticized the Chalamet performance, saying he lacked emotion and created a hero difficult for the audience to get behind. But they’re describing the character they want Paul to be, not the character he is.

Paul is much more than the Luke Skywalker everyman we expect. As the story unfolds, he reveals an inner brutality necessary for him to survive in an uncompromising world.

Paul’s mother, Lady Jessica (Rebecca Fergerson), while not exactly relatable, demonstrates agency and lethality. Fergerson manages to communicate all of Jessica’s emotional conflict found in the novel’s inner monologue merely through restrained emoting. The rest of the expansive cast nail their roles, with Oscar Isaac, Javier

Bardem, Josh Brolin and Stellan Skarsgård proving that they are some of cinema’s most dependable actors. And to nobody’s surprise, Jason Mamoa dominates the frame. “Dune” matches the novel’s aloof tone and enigmatic characters. Unlike other modern blockbusters, the characters aren’t competing to be the most likeable and charismatic on screen.

In many ways, Dune is the antidote to the conventional blockbuster. Fight scenes are somber ballets of death, rather than upbeat orgies of violence.

The camera work is deliberate, always permitting the viewer to see everything without being confused. The pace is meditative, whether it is soaking in the beauty of a spaceship or a city or trusting the actors, direction, and music to entertain without dialogue. The score by Hans Zimmer is so wholly its own; he actually invented new instruments to generate its experimental sounds. Although it had a budget of 165 million dollars, “Dune” is a true auteur project. While the scale is immense, it feels personal.

“Dune” does resemble other blockbusters in one respect.

While Villeneuve tackled deep themes of consciousness in “Blade Runner 2049” (2017) and cross-cultural communication in “Arrival” (2016), in “Dune” the only thing he tackles is adapting the novel. The environmental themes from the book are mostly lost and while questions of colonization and religion persist, the movie seems to have little to say about them. It’s too occupied making one of the best sci-fi epics of all time.

Page 20

The Spectator ● November 12, 2021

Arts and Entertainment “The Velvet Underground”: A Love Letter to a Restless Culture

Film

later band member John Cale, with interluding videos of band members. In typical documentary fashion, the film starts off with recounts of Lou Reed (guitarist and lead singer) and John Cale’s (multi-instrumentalist) upbringings, but with a focus on certain restrictions they faced growing up that impacted their artistic development. In addition, the documentary touches on the influence that the beat generation of the ‘50s and writers such as Allen Ginsberg had on them. The writers of the beat generation were known for, among other things, their open exploration of taboo topics and societal criticism. Along with the band’s beginnings, the film also includes the story of its gradual breakup and gives an admirative view of its story as a whole.

The documentary does not remain in this style for long, though. During its two-hour run, the film looks outward into the world The Velvet Underground was experiencing. Most of its time is spent painting a picture of the society of the

By ROXY PERAZZO In a new Todd Haynes documentary, “The Velvet Underground,” the world gets a deep view into not only the story of the eponymous band itself but also the story of the movement that the band was a product of.

Formed in New York City in 1964, The Velvet Underground was known for its avant-garde, artistic style and variety of sound. On their first album, “The Velvet Underground and Nico” (1967), a wide range of talent is shown almost instantly in the polar sounds of songs like “Sunday Morning” and “Venus in Furs.” Alone, “The Velvet Underground” could represent the whole of the avant-garde art movements of the ‘60s, but this documentary pays tribute to the overall scene and the band’s unique place within it.

The documentary begins on the harsh opening notes of its 1967 song “Venus in Furs,” which then cuts off into a series of clips from 1950s television, including a program featuring

laborated with the band on their first album and became an integral part of the group’s sound.

In addition to Warhol’s works, his studio, The Factory, also serves as a focal point for the film. Not only were many of the band’s pieces completed there, but the studio was also something of an artistic haven and a venue for lively parties.

The film features footage from Warhol’s “The Exploding Plastic Inevitable” (1966-1967), a series of events performed by The Velvet Underground and other artists of the time that used experimental multimedia.

Along with shows, The Factory and Warhol also produced hundreds of films, many of which featured uncensored scenes with controversial ideas of sexuality and sexual orientation. Other than being a love letter to art spaces of the ‘60s, the film also offers a critique of certain ideas about women in the art world. In an interview, author Amy Taubin acknowledges the value of looks in the scene and how beauty was one of the only things valued in

women. Along with that, the film delves into Nico’s experience, going from his unremarkable introduction to the band to his subsequent evolution into an essential part of their sound. The art scene of ‘60s New York, and specifically the work surrounding Andy Warhol, is presented by the film as a progressive place full of experimental opportunity with an avant-garde spirit.

As a whole, the film gives a new look into the unique run of The Velvet Underground. At the same time, the documentary provides a lively glance into the lives of the innovative artists who spanned genres in the mid1960s. Capturing the spirit of the band and the era, “The Velvet Underground” is able to draw a world almost 60 years past those days into their world and bring it right back to the current age through retrospective accounts.

Yes, it’s a documentary about The Velvet Underground, but it’s also about a culture—a thrilling, exhilarating, and rebellious culture.

Something Not-So-Rotten

Theater Portia (Cynthia Tan), who has fallen in love with Nigel. The show culminates in the production of “Omelette! The Musical,” the Bottoms’ very own something rotten.

Nick and Nigel’s lively dynamic, the overbearing, arrogant overachiever versus the reserved, artistic poet, is the driving force of the show. Borzcuk’s enthusiasm contrasted with Espinal’s more restrained delivery embodied their differences and the source of both their collaboration and conflict. Borzcuk, in particular, stood out in his per-

look forward to their scenes together. The humor in Borczuk and Espinal Jr.’s performances, however, left something to be desired. Borzcuk had the opportunity to add humor to his tense interactions with characters like Shakespeare or Brother Jeremiah, and while Espinal illustrated Nigel’s awkwardness well, the depiction of Nigel’s introverted nature dampened the humor in several scenes.

On the other hand, the supporting cast stole the show.

Freshman Brandon Phillips as Brother Jeremiah, a Puritan

comic relief and strong vocals as Bea Bottom, captivating the audience with her solo performance of “Right Hand Man.” Berry Ongan as Nostradamus was a vocal powerhouse, grabbing the audience’s attention whenever they stepped on stage. From the opening song “Welcome to the Renaissance” to their interaction with the main characters, Ongan produced spirited performances through both acts.

Similarly, the music score of the show was a perfect accompaniment to the cast. The band built on the dynamic movement

formances of the tracks “God I Hate Shakespeare,” which served as a funny introduction to this character, establishing his immense hatred for and jealousy of the Bard, and the clever play on words “Bottoms Gonna Be On Top,” a segment with impressive choreography that let him shine as the star of the show. Nigel’s scenes with Portia made for some of the most heartwarming moments of the play, featuring palpable chemistry between the actors that made the audience

preacher feuding with Nick, brought incomparable energy to his scenes, never failing to evoke gut-busting laughs with his homoerotic comments and Medieval accent. The hated Bard, portrayed by junior Oliver Hollman, epitomized the braggart that Shakespeare was characterized as while incorporating humor through his condescending, over-the-top delivery, as seen in his well-coordinated tap-dancing battle with Nick. Senior Elizabeth Stansberry delivered both

of the actors’ strong vocal performances, contributing to the drama, suspense, humor, and overall storytelling. The stage art brought the play to life with beautiful paintings of the countryside, a quaint kitchen in Nick’s home, and detailed illustrations of Medieval architecture.

From Bea’s bonnet to Nick’s breeches to Shakespeare’s Renaissance-inspired tunic, the costumes were a successful rendition of medieval fashion, communicating the characters’

Lex Lopez / The Spectator

By KENISHA MAHAJAN and ASA MUHAMMAD Singers doth sing, poets doth write, and plagues doth plague.

The societal ill that is theater far exceeds in strength the ill emanating through the miasma, so thespians still find a way to infect the world with their figurative buboes. Despite the constraints put upon by isolation, we still found their medleys infectious and their performances moving. Much like the plague, theater comes in waves, and it seems our wicked intermission has yet come to a close. Stuyvesant Theater Community (STC) has returned to the stage for their first in-person show since quarantine with their production of “Something Rotten!”

“Something Rotten!” follows the exploits of Bottom Brothers Nick (Michael Borzuck) and Nigel (Samuel Espinal Jr.), along with their theater troupe, as they attempt to produce the show of the century and top Nick’s archnemesis, William Shakespeare (Oliver Hollman). Along with a desire to show up his enemy, Nick is motivated to provide a better life for his wife, Bea (Elizabeth Stansberry), and their child on the way. After the many failures of the Bottoms’ previous shows, Lord Clapham (Matthew Monge), a patron of the theater, pulls all his funding from the troupe, leaving Shylock (Sam Farrow), a Jewish merchant, to step in and fund their show. Desperate for their next play to be a smashing success, Nick seeks out the scrappy fortune-teller, Tomatus Nostradamus (Berry Ongan), asking him what Shakespeare’s most famous show will be, only for Nostradamus to pronounce “Hamlet” as “Omelette.” All while Brother Jeremiah (Brandon Phillips), an overzealous priest who has waged war on the blasphemous theater, aims to sabotage their performance, further complicated by his daughter,

New York art scene during the ‘60s and how it shaped both the band and the rest of the artists.

Paired perfectly with songs both by the band and by other artists of the time, clips from the documentary provide an insider view of the scene. Along with that, the film also features works of Andy Warhol paired with commentary from other artists that explore both the entirety of the scene and the innerworkings of the band. Through recounts from both an insider and outsider perspective of the group, the film is able to tell the whole story of the time. The fast-paced cuts are fitting for the lifestyle they depict, with scenes of high-energy shows and parties. Andy Warhol, who served as the band’s manager for some time, also plays a prominent role in the story. As one of the opening works, Warhol’s screen-tests repeatedly appear throughout the film as a contrast to the dynamic life of artists in New York at the time. Warhol is also credited with introducing the band to Nico, a German singer who col-

trademark attributes, like Shylock’s ostentatious wealth or Nostradamus’s eccentricity. STC has done a wonderful job adapting and producing a musical in such a short time. However, the show is reliant on the audience having some knowledge of theater and Shakespeare. The humor fluctuates between innuendo and niche references, and it’s assumed the audience has at least a passable knowledge of the Bard and previous exposure to musicals of the stage and screen, which may alienate casual viewers.

Beyond the humor, the pacing of the show was affected by time constraints, rendering the climax rushed and inconsequential, as it gets resolved within minutes. While there seem to be some mounting tensions between the Bottom brothers throughout the play, the fallout was minimal and there were essentially no repercussions to Nick’s betrayal of the troupe (by plagiarizing one of Shakespeare’s plays) and minimal character development. The evolution of the ensemble cast, especially the romance between Nigel and Portia, seems underdeveloped, and the side storylines lacked conclusive endings.

Aside from the pitfalls in the story itself, some technical elements of the show distracted from the actors’ performances.

In certain scenes, there was no spotlight, making the characters look like shadowy figures and only illuminating the set behind them. The audio mishaps, perhaps due to mics not being turned off or switched on at the right times, caused some confusion and distraction among audience members.

Despite its issues in pacing and effects, STC’s return to the stage was a triumph with engaging performances, a beautiful wardrobe, and a script fit for the Bard himself. The production left viewers satiated, as any good omelet should, but with a craving for what’s to come.

The Spectator ● November 12, 2021

Page 21

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

Chug an Espresso before Finalizing Your Applications

By KRISTA PROTEASA

completing these applications on their phone, typing faster than the speed at which you ran to Art Appreciation last Tuesday. All they needed to do was input some credit card information at this point. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy.

“And submitted!” June exclaimed at the concerningly late

Joanna Meng / The Spectator

Nowadays, it’s phenomenally easy to click buttons x, y, and z and somehow solve all the world’s crises. We live in the future, I tell you, a future in which technology can only help us. Or so we thought.

Our dear friend June was submitting their Common Application on the morning of November 1. Everything was going smoothly. All the essays were written, all the recommendations were sent, all the transcripts were en route, and all the tests were taken. June was living the life and was about to hit submit.

They began filling out all of their personal information for every college application at the bright and early hour of 10:59 p.m., one hour before the deadline. June had everything planned out perfectly. That was, at least until their train got delayed— they’d planned to get home early Monday night to finish all these tasks. Shucks. Regardless, June didn’t have much to do, just inputting the activities and such. It seemed like a rather simple task.

However, nothing is as easy as it may seem at face value: June’s Common App account got hacked! June encountered the godforsaken security question

they had picked purely for the memes, never expecting to need to answer it. June had to then write a 10-page thesis on the origins of coasters to turn on the computer as a result of this immature planning. When June thought they were finally ready to get back to the applications, they spilled their

Monster Energy drink all over their keyboard, shorting the circuit. All those meticulously chosen keys June found on eBay were now lost to the universe. At least they’re still out there somewhere.

But alas, the stress ensued.

The minutes and seconds rolled on as June then turned to

time of 11:53 p.m.

June stared at their growing crystal collection on their nightstand and got a stirring intuition at around 2:00 a.m., so they checked up on their applications.

Disaster had struck. June submitted their grandmother’s secret matzo ball recipe instead of their

Common App essay. How could they have been so blind? Oh, the infinite anguish! All those years of work for this one essay, gone in the blink of an eye. All those mentors, all those peer edits, and all those chugged Americanos.

Not that anyone would ever understand how June could chug a whole watered-down coffee, but to each their own. Pure shock ensued, rendering June paralyzed.

Their fingers lost dexterity, the room started doing cartwheels, and their mind started moving way too fast for their conscious brain to keep up. While June sat there with a bajillion thoughts racing around their mental track, you’d never guess by looking at them at that moment.

Instead of doing anything, June just simply sat until they could sit no more and had to get ready for school at 6:00 a.m. One by one, Common App sent confirmation e-mails, confirmation e-mails June wished they weren’t seeing. “Congratulations! Your application to ____ has been received.” The most dreaded words June could have seen. If only their mouse had moved two pixels higher in the impulsive decisionmaking process of submitting every application in five minutes.

Despite your burning anticipation, you’re never going to

NEWSBEET Newsbeat is officially renamed Newsbeet.

Studies show that failing your tests may actually improve grades by 100 percent.

The Stuyvesant administration is in danger of reaching the debt ceiling after spending all of their money on the Tech Department.

Stuyvesant’s mascot has been changed from the Peglegs to various crustaceans. Every team is required to dress up as a lobster for their games.

Stuyvesant is bringing back Peg Days and Stuy Days to foster school spirit after the SU failed to garner it during their spirit week. Tomorrow is a Peg Day. know definitively what happened to June. Instead, use your imagination here: if you believe June got into every one of the six colleges they applied to with a matzo ball recipe as their personal statement, go for it. However, if you believe June got swiftly rejected, then go for that. The power lies in your hands. Double-check what you’re submitting.

Senior Prank Leaked

By ANIKET ROY

of this year’s prank. Allegedly, the prank sprouted its seeds at the Senior Bar during fourth period a few weeks ago.

This created a list of possible suspects, narrowed down to three individuals: James Durant, Kevin Harden, and Lebron Jordan. James Durant was removed from the suspect list after security camera footage showed him by the Hudson staircase trying to scare the people who dared to commit sinful acts.

Kevin Harden was also proven innocent when he admitted to being at the Bar but only because he was trying to sell laced candy to the underclassmen. Harden may have been innocent of the crime, though I think it’s safer for all underclassmen to stay away from the dude.

There was one left. Jordan cracked under pressure and exposed himself, nervously blurting out, “Okay, yes. I was there at the Senior Bar.

Emily Tan / The Spectator

Do any of you remember when, a couple of years ago, the senior class played a prank by applying to BMCC and then not attending the school the following Fall?

It went down as one of the most iconic in history, but then Stuyvesant students were banned from applying to BMCC. I’m bringing up this old prank because this year’s senior prank was leaked, and let’s just say that the seniors are in for a lot more trouble than when they learned they were banned from BMCC. Sources inform me that the senior prank was for our class of seniors to switch places with the senior class of Brooklyn Technical High School. Each person was assigned to another person from the other school to swap with for the day. The prank seemed foolproof

except for the countless times the fake seniors were caught asking freshmen for directions to their classes.

Due to the severity of the prank, Stuyvesant faculty investigated the senior class to find the conspirators who could have thought of something so abominable.

Principal Seung Yu said, “I’m disgusted by what I learned about this prank. I promise you, I will do everything in my power to bring the guilty party to justice.” It is reassuring to know that the principal is more concerned with the prank than with running the school. As a side note, how is Principal Yu bringing justice? In fact, what does he even do? I’m convinced that he just pops up in the most random places around the school and gets paid $200K to do it, but that’s an article for another day.

The faculty found a lead when they overheard a few seniors talking about who originally thought

I originally thought of the senior prank, and the idea spread when I posted it on my Instagram story because I got excited and wanted to show people that I’m a genius.”

Jordan was charged with vandalism, and his punishment was expulsion and deportation to Staten Island Tech.

Now that the faculty has finally concluded their investigation and found the culprit behind the plan, only one question remains: Who reported the seniors? Who’s the snitch? Well, the whistle-blower… was me. I reported the senior prank. Fun fact: you can learn so much information when you accidentally lock yourself in a bathroom stall and spend the better half of your day listening to the people that walk into the bathroom. But hey, if I’m stuck at this school not having fun, no one else gets to have fun either.

What Your Favorite Music Genre Says About You!

By ERICA CHEN and ESHAAL UBAID Hey, you! Listen to music? No? Wrong answer! Oh, you answered yes? Great, continue reading to find out what type of person you are based on your music taste! You wouldn’t want my efforts to be put to waste, right…?

If your favorite music genre is…

Country: Like the name suggests, you’re a real country bumpkin. You’d be the main character in a horse girl movie, and the style that fits you best would be a straw hat with a piece of grass in your mouth. You also think that crying in the shower

is an adequate form of therapy for your deep rooted fear of abandonment. Why else do you enjoy an entire genre dedicated to crysinging about simple joys? You’re basically emo if emo was a hopeless romantic with a Louisiana accent. Hence, you welcome a ton of heartbreak for the sole purpose of being able to victimize yourself afterward. How rich.

Opera: Two words: dRaMa QuEeN! You’re one of two types: the one who creates the drama or the one who gossips about the drama. Or maybe you’re a mix of both! Ms. Shamazov definitely likes you. I recommend you go to her room and have some tea while talking about your favorite opera music!

Be sure to mention “Queen of the Night” from “The Magic Flute.”

She loves that opera, but try not to burst her eardrums while attempting to hit the high notes, all the while making sure that you don’t resemble a dying chicken in any way. Oh, and remember to gossip about your (least) favorite chorus students while you’re there to fulfill your toxic tendencies for the day.

K-Pop: Principal Yu, this is for you.

You have no qualms against publicly fangirling over the newest music videos from your favorite groups and showing the world that you’re a [insert artist(s) name] fan through your definitely-not-soobvious stan keychains or hoodies.

You also have the magical ability of suddenly becoming fluent in Korean when certain songs come on. You obsess over people and then quickly forget about them but covince yourself it’s okay because they wouldn’t have liked you anyway (just some personal validation of your false self-implemented sense of unlikeability). You’ve perfected that skill from the many years of experience you have of simping for a *certain* K-Pop idol (ahem ahem, totally not guilty of this myself), but then crying yourself to sleep after coming to the realization that they don't even know you exist. Or that they’re 10 years older than you, and the imaginary relationship you’ve made up would never work out in real life.

Classical: You’re quirky. You’re not like other music listeners. And most importantly, you’ve internalized the feeling of superficial splays of intelligence to fill in the deep void caused by gifted kid burnout.

You’ve also managed to convince yourself that you magically understand music theory, but we all know that you can’t identify a middle C for your life. Know any composers besides Mozart or Bach?

Hm? Disgrace.

Pop: Some may call you basic, but I say you’re groovy! Dare I say, *popping* off! Your childhood continued on page 22

The Spectator ● November 12, 2021

Page 22

Humor What Your Favorite Music Genre Says About You! probably consisted of classic early 2010s staples, such as the WiiU, Nyan cat, or a strange appreciation for Radio Disney. However, you miss your childhood to such an extent that you feel a lack of joy nowadays. You turn back to the great classics to fill that hole in your heart, from Bieber’s “Baby” to that one part of “Rap God” you desperately tried to memorize as a kid.

You may benefit from revisiting old memories to bring some basic joy into your daily life again. Yes, you’re shaking it off, but what if YOU were the trouble that walked in? Take some time to reflect on how your emptiness is affecting the people around you.

Rock: Well, ya like rock! Yes, I mean the sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous types of rocks. Every rock person I’ve met so far has a strange obsession with rocks. Coincidence? Not so much. I also found that rock fans enjoy holding

rocks to their ears, almost like how one would put a conch shell next to their head. Maybe you have the magical ability to hear rock music just from holding it next to your ear, akin to how most can hear the sounds of the sea from a shell?

Unfortunately, the setback of this is that you know nothing about the rest of the world because you’ve been living under a rock. You also may have a mild case of severe hearing damage, but that’s the price of listening to teenage angst encompassed into one genre. From slow to hardcore, there’s rock for everyone, meaning you’re quite good at reading people’s emotions!

Unfortunately, this can easily lead to feelings of inadequacy and what we at The Spectator like to call “therapist syndrome.” Remember, you’re not responsible for anyone else’s feelings, even if their hearts seem to scream My Chemical Romance.

Musicals: You are not okay. Period. No matter how well you can sing. You check up on the Broadway website daily to see which performances

are happening and are the first to buy tickets. How are you not broke? How are you still sane? You spend your sad boi hours learning all the Disney songs by heart, because what better way to let everyone in a 100-mile vicinity know that you’re going through a character arc than to belt out a solo on the subway? You’re the type to sing your heart out in the shower and

Sabrina Chen / The Spectator

continued from page 21

expect some little companions to listen in, namely the cockroaches that live in your house. Or your neighbors, who may or may not hate you… or love you, depending on your singing ability. How’s

your throat, by the way? Should we prepare some warm, soothing tea?

Listen, we love the coping mechanisms, but you can’t be sobbing to Burn from Hamilton every morning. It’s not healthy, and you’ve never even had a politician cheat on you. Probably. Live in your own moment before encapsulating someone else’s!

Heavy metal: You like the feeling of being in a complete warzone. You also like screaming. Nonetheless, this allows you to take *relaxing* breaks no matter what's going on in the real world. A student broke a double paneled glass window with just their head? Listen to some heavy metal to forget the trauma. Kids shouting as they obsess over the fact that a human head is capable of doing that? Listen to more heavy metal to drown out the screaming. But here’s the fact of the matter: you’re misunderstood!

Your demeanor may not reflect who you are inside. Listen, just be yourself, and the people who really matter will take the time to get to know your soul. You’re like…

a kiwi. Rough on the outside but sweet on the inside!

Disco: There’s a dance party? You’re the one in the center of the dance floor showing off your amazing dance moves. Bumping into tons of people, yes, and getting a ton of dirty looks, but having fun nonetheless. You are not affected by how others view you. Much like how a disco ball flashes light all over the room, you don’t let anyone else cover your shine. But on the downside, you tend to be extra annoying. You’re probably that hyper kid that never shuts up. You also have a very millennial sense of humor for whatever reason.

Grumpy cat died eons ago, get over it.

We 100 percent guarantee that our results are accurate and that there is no way that any of these descriptions are wrong. If you feel that none of them fit you, well, you’re wrong. Reassess yourself, because we are right and always will be. Hope you had fun and thank you! <3

Oh, What a Relief It Is!

By KRISTA PROTEASA By the time you’re reading this, I will have clicked the submit buttons for all of my early college applications. What an exciting feat, right? I know, and now I’m making you read all about it.

Before I get into the good stuff, let us take a step back. The sheer grandeur of this country’s college selection can be overwhelming. How could I ever choose? Well, I applied to all of them! Yes, I applied to every single institution in the United States of America. “Oh, but Krista! That’s not possible!” You have a point.

However, you don’t know me.

I started these applications

when I was in second grade and went through a steady 19 applications per day. Light work, truly.

I had such good intuition in my youth that I was able to perfectly predict every course and extracurricular I would take throughout my high school career. All I need now is a crystal ball to make a fortune.

Nevertheless, you came here to learn how it feels to finally be done with every last application, right? Maybe you’re a somewhat intrigued freshman, a curious sophomore, a worried junior, or a frayed senior. Whatever the reason, listen here because now we’re going to take a journey into the depths of my brain. Watch

your step, wear your seatbelt, eat your vegetables, and don’t talk to strangers.

Imagine that you just put nine down payments on a house. No, wrong example.

Imagine that you just beat your BFF in a game of rock-paper-scissors at recess. Rats, wrong example again. Sorry.

Imagine that you just took four tests in one day because the subtle overlap in the testing schedule really did your doubling up dirty. There we go.

You’re heaving as you make your way to your locker after your school day is finally complete. The trek is so excruciating that you can barely keep your knees functioning

and your eyes focused on the step ahead of you. You take your jacket out of your locker, somehow make your way down the bridge with minimal loss of consciousness, and board the train, bus, or flying skateboard to get home.

You finally make it to your humble abode and only have enough energy to stumble to your bed and simply flop. Now take that floppy feeling and multiply it by a quadrillion. Your organs simply dematerialize and your brain crumbles like the cookies you baked for minutes a week ago. Your arms and legs don’t even know where to go or what to do, but you don’t care. The subtle cradle of your mattress

envelopes your unimaginably exhausted brain and you just exist.

No thoughts, head empty.

Now that you’ve multiplied the floppy feeling, relish it. However, scrap it almost immediately because you’ve now awoken in a cold sweat when you weren’t even asleep. You might be tempted to ponder all the outcomes of your decisions. For your sanity, please resist the urge.

That brings us to the end of today’s segment of “What Emotions Can You Encounter Today?”

Thank you for coming to my TED Talk. Stay spunky and keep your chin up. And if you’re not a senior, don’t worry, your time will come soon enough.

Fun Column Quiz Have you really made a full return to in-person Stuyvesant?

If you’ve…

Visited Carol’s candy jar.

Seen a junior on the half-floor who didn’t get the memo.

Seen a freshman in the senior atrium who didn’t get the memo.

Picked up a print issue of The Spectator.

Made awkward eye contact with a vague acquaintance but opted out of waving hello.

Worn jeans, khakis, or other pants to P.E. Used the Hudson staircase once.

Considered making a purchase from the vending machines.

Not made said purchase from the vending machines.

Stuffed loose paper in your backpack when you didn’t have time to pack up at the end of a period.

Wondered if it’s all really worth it.

Caption Contest “When you accidentally enter the school with earbuds in.” @moodtrbl420

Teacher Baby Photo Hint: This teacher has a college merchandise collection.

...then it’s official: you’re really in-person!

Answer: Jim Cocoros

The Spectator ● November 12, 2021

Page 23

Sports WNBA

The Chicago Sky Wins Their First WNBA Championship

By ALICIA YU In front of an electrifying crowd at the Wintrust Arena, the Chicago Sky defeated the Phoenix Mercury 3-1 in Game 4 of the WNBA Finals on the night of Sunday, October 17, 2021. This outcome became a historic first championship win for the WNBA because for the first time in its history, two teams not seeded in the top four of their conferences reached the finals.

Phoenix Mercury The Phoenix Mercury were not huge contenders for the finals, finishing fourth in a stacked Western Conference which included last year’s champions, the Seattle Storm, and the Las Vegas Aces. The team had a .594 record in the regular season and clinched the fifth seed in the playoffs. In the first and second rounds of the playoffs, the Mercury had to win both games against the New York Liberty and Seattle Storm in order to move on to the semifinals. They then went head-to-head in a grueling best of five against the Las Vegas Aces before they could reach the finals against the Sky. Center Brittney Griner, guard Diana Taurasi, and guard Skylar Diggins-Smith led the way for the team’s unexpected success. However, there were still a few bumps in the road.

Taurasi was plagued with injuries all season. She had a sternum fracture from May 21 to June 27, a hip injury going into the Olympic break, and ankle and foot problems even going into the playoffs.

Yet, she was still able to give stellar performances on the court, with 15.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game in the regular season and 17.8 points, 3.7 rebounds,

and 3.0 assists per game in the postseason. Even at the age of 39, she’s still got plenty of competitive drive (she’s called the “White Mamba” for a reason), and now a 17-year WNBA veteran, she has become a great leader and mentor for the team.

Diggins-Smith was acquired through a sign-and-trade with the Wings last year. Despite the great regular season she had, averaging 17.7 points and 5.3 assists per game, her play has been inconsistent throughout the playoffs with a noticeable dip from last year (going from 16.0 points to 13.9 points a game in the playoffs). Nonetheless, she was a major force in defeating the first seeded Las Vegas Aces in the semifinals, and she still made an impact during the finals, such as in Game 2, when she was able to lay in a game-winning shot to seal the win for the Mercury in overtime.

The team’s biggest star, though, was center Griner. Griner’s season has been nothing short of phenomenal. Her biggest change in this season compared to previous seasons was being able to play with a certain calmness and learning how to communicate with her teammates, which she worked on through therapy. “I’ve seen so much growth. She’s playing the best basketball she’s played in her whole life, and, yeah, she communicates well on the court,” her teammate Sophie Cunningham said. The numbers reflect this change, as she averaged 20.5 points per game in the regular season and a dominating 23.5 points per game in the finals.

Griner’s contribution throughout the series was spectacular, and if anyone was giving the team a shot at winning, it was her. In Game 2, when it was thought

that the team was going down in Quigley at the beginning of the defeat to the Sky as they did in season. Despite that drawback, Game 1, Griner showed out with they were able to look past their an electrifying performance of regular season struggles and prove 29 points on 12-of-19 shooting, themselves as a dominant playoff nine boards, and two blocks. In force. The Sky had to win against Game 4, her playing was crucial the Dallas Wings and Minnesota for a chance at winning the game. Lynx before matching up in the She scored 28 points while Taur- semifinals with the first-seeded asi and Diggins-Smith both had Connecticut Sun. only 16. Her exhilarating low post A l l throughout the game, making dunks and blocking playoffs, one of shots, as well as her hard to guard the key pieces frame at 6’9’’, made her a force to for the Sky was be reckoned with for the 10-year veteran Sky. guard Courtney However, Va n d e r despite Grisloot, who ner’s suchas led the cess this league in asseason, the sists the last five team ityears and dished self could 102 total assists not get it throughout the together playoffs (an averthroughout age of 10.2 asthe final sesists per game). ries. With many Her ability to Laurina Xie / The Spectator inconsistencies on the control the floor, score a offensive end, missing key layups bucket when needed, and make and having too many turnovers great plays stood out especially throughout, the Sky had the up- when playing against the Sun in per hand as a team. the semifinals and eventually the The Phoenix Mercury are now Mercury in the finals.

3-2 in finals appearances. With Additionally, Vandersloot conTaurasi getting closer to retire- trolled the whole series with 50 ment, this playoff series may be assists throughout the four finals one of, if not the last, we see from games and nearly scoring a triplethe WNBA’s “G.O.A.T.” double in all of them, with some even saying that she should’ve Chicago Sky been selected as the Finals MVP Despite the Sky’s unimpres- over Kahleah Copper. Sky veteran sive regular season finish, the Quigley, one of the best shooters players worked well together dur- in the WNBA, saved her best pering the playoffs. They were not formance for Game 4, making 26 projected to go far in the play- points, 11 of them in the fourth offs, ending their regular season quarter. And veteran Parker, who with a .500 record and going in had just joined the team eight as the sixth seed. The team was months prior, had 16 points, 13 also riddled with injuries from rebounds, and five assists in Game players Candace Parker and Allie 4.

During the finals, it was forward Copper, averaging 17.7 points a game in the series, who balled out and eventually received the Finals MVP award. Her energy through each play and possession was unmatched. Every drive, every steal, every layup, and every finish to the basket was explosive.

Copper is also considered one of the most improved players in the league, going from barely playing any minutes her first four seasons to breaking out in 2020 and establishing her presence in 2021, averaging 14.4 points and 4.2 rebounds per game in the regular season and 17.7 points and 5.3 rebounds per game in the playoffs.

Most importantly, the Sky demonstrated the importance of a team first mentality. While many players like to show their individual results, the team prioritized ensuring that everyone played together on the court. In a post-game interview, coach James Wade explained this elite mentality. “We stayed together. It was a microcosm of our season, where you go down, and you keep pushing,” he said. “By the end of [the game], once we made one basket, two baskets, the crowd took over, our players stayed together, and they kept going, and you started to see who we were.”

The energy that came through in this series by both the teams and the crowd was unmatched. With both arenas packed each game and with two teams not expected to make the finals, it was exciting for the WNBA as a whole. Part of the reason for why Parker wanted to go to Chicago was to bring a championship to her hometown, having grown up in Naperville, Illinois. “Look at the city, man.

They all showed up,” she said.

“They all showed up.”

NBA

The Fall of the Los Angeles Lakers?

By YASHNA PATEL and AVA QUARLES The 2020 Los Angeles Lakers were one of the most revered NBA squads ever. The season was surely one to remember, especially with the playoffs taking place in the NBA Bubble. The Lakers earned their 17th championship title when they won the NBA Finals against the Miami Heat. The trophy made history, tying the team with the Boston Celtics for the most titles won by a single franchise.While the moment was definitely gratifying, the team’s dominance that season has disappeared. Now, a few weeks into the 2021-2022 NBA season, teams like the Utah Jazz, Golden State Warriors, and Philadelphia 76ers have risen to the top, while others are missing the mark. It is no question that the Lakers are among those falling short.

The Lakers still have an AllStar caliber team: LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, and Carmelo Anthony, to name a few. With their lineup, they have no excuse not to be in the top three in the NBA. However, the Lakers struggled tremendously in the preseason.

After losing to the Sacramento Kings 116-112, they ended their preseason with a winless 0-6 record. Once the deadliest team in the NBA, the Lakers struggled to rack up wins against some of the least competitive teams in their division. Their standing among other superteams, and among all teams, is becoming a concern.

In the past, the Lakers have risen to the top through the skills, leadership, and drive of James, who is widely regarded as one of the best players of all time. Now at the age of 36, he continues to be a key player but has shown signs of

decline. “I don’t think I’ll ever get back to 100 percent in my career,” James said after returning from an ankle sprain. At this point in his career, the team can no longer depend solely on his performance to succeed. The Lakers need to be confident in their abilities as a team, rather than relying on individual skill.

On top of that factor, the Lakers are altogether an older team.

The average age on the squad is 30, making them the oldest team in the league. The team has recently added Anthony, Dwight Howard, Rajon Rondo, and Trevor Ariza, who are all 35 or older. Typically, veterans help a team succeed, but that pattern hasn’t come to fruition for the Lakers this year. They have a current record of 5-5, fifth in the Western Conference.

It just seems that each player in the Lakers lineup performs better

independently than in a unit. Westbrook, also traded this postseason from the Washington Wizards, averaged a triple-double in four of the last five seasons. However, in his Lakers debut, he managed to score a mere eight points and turned over the ball six times in just the first quarter. Westbrook’s effectiveness in this superteam setting is questionable. Yet, he’s been improving and slowly regaining his efficiency.

Defensively, the team is struggling to contain its opponents’ drives. Players can defend the first action of a play but are unable to guard swings, pick and rolls, and other moves. The Lakers defense is currently ranked 12 out of the 30 teams, allowing an average 106.3 points a game. To regain their prior top defensive rating, the team needs to stay consistent throughout the game. Their absence of

results has essentially come down to two things: a lack of defensive commitment and getting entirely too comfortable with a lead.

The team needs time to adjust to the changes it has experienced in the past year. “We still have a strong belief of who we can be and the moves we can make. I think it’s going in the right direction,” head coach Frank Vogel said. The struggles of the Lakers are prominent.

The season has just begun, and there’s time for improvement, but it needs to start now. The team’s plentiful experience should be an asset, not something that slows them down. With better chemistry, this team could be the one to beat.

The Lakers are arguably the most successful NBA franchise ever, and if they can account for their faults and take action, a return to their glory days isn’t out of question.

Soccer

The Return of the Egyptian King continued from page 24

unique side of Salah’s mentality. “[Salah] is always training or recovering. Even a few hours after a game, he is doing something to recover and trying to be ready for the next game,” he said. Moreover,

Salah has worked relentlessly on his conditioning, meaning that he is more than capable of playing games two to three times a week.

He has boasted an impressive injury record, being one of the few Liverpool players to stay healthy for the majority of the season.

Getting to the top is hard, but

staying there is even harder. Salah was in similar form only once before in the 2017-2018 season, his first for Liverpool. However, he simply failed to keep up that same level of performance for the next few seasons. He was by no means underperforming, as he regularly scored over 20 goals a season, but

he clearly fell off from the unprecedented heights of his maiden Liverpool season. This season, however, Salah looks sharper than ever, giving him the chance to break even more records that stand in his way. With Liverpool in strong contention for both the Premier League and the Champi-

ons League, the sky’s the limit for Salah. If he can take Liverpool to glory this season, he will be a strong candidate for the prestigious Ballon d’Or Award. Looking forward, these next few years will define Salah’s legacy as one of the best players of his generation.

Page 24

The Spectator ● November 12, 2021

THE SPECTATOR SPORTS Varsity Football

Stuyvesant Homecoming Triumph touchdowns on only 12 attempts. While those figures are

As the referee blew his whistle, signaling the end of the Stuyvesant Peglegs’ homecoming victory against Beach Channel, the Stuyvesant community rejoiced. Students, alumni, faculty, and parents looked on as the Peglegs hugged on the field, bathing in the sweet reward of a homecoming victory. “It feels great. It’s been a month now since we have won, so to come out on home field and execute the way we know we can, it’s a good feeling,” junior running back Samuel Glusker said.

Those good vibes were present all around as the spectators got to watch the Peglegs’ best performance of the season.

Led by senior quarterback Esteak Shapin, the offense was untouchable. Shapin himself racked up 230 yards and three

Courtesy of Krish Gupta

By MAX SCHNEIDER

impressive, perhaps more striking was Shapin’s grit. Twice during the game he was drilled by

a defender while in the pocket, leaving him sprawled out on the field. Although he had to be taken out of the game both times, he returned nonetheless, always providing the spark the offense needed. He was helped by senior wide receiver and captain William Woodruff, who caught four passes for an absurd 195 yards, grabbing two of Shapin’s touchdowns. Junior running back Sam Glusker put up 157 yards on the ground, with junior Adam Sherer adding two scores in the run game as well.

The offensive explosion was a sight for Stuyvesant supporters’ sore eyes. Their 437 yards of offense marked the first time all season they had more than 300 yards, and their 36 points were the most since they had 22 in a thrilling loss to Sheepshead Bay. It was a refreshing performance that left hope for the rest of the

season.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Peglegs were much more erratic. They let up several plays of 40 yards or more, with many players struggling to tackle in the open field, often looking flat-footed or simply too slow.

However, the defense stepped up when it mattered, exploiting Beach Channel’s lack of kicking game to get several fourth down stops to put the offense back on the field. Those stops proved to be enough in the end, and the Peglegs earned their victory.

The win was especially important to Woodruff and Shapin, who were both coming back from serious injuries that cost them multiple weeks. “It’s pretty nice. I wasn’t able to play the last two weeks because of my injury, but I was able to work through it […] and get the win with the team,” Woodruff said.

Shapin echoed Woodruff ’s sentiment. “I thought I played really well,” he said. “I was very nervous. I felt like I couldn’t trust my knee, [but] once I got into the game, it felt great.”

For the seniors, this was their last Homecoming and their last game at Pier 40. “In a time [when] their junior year got robbed, this is something special for them where they can play and win,” head coach Mark Strasser said.

Strasser also noted how much it meant to the team that many Stuyesant alumni came back to watch the game. One of those alumni, Peter Horn (’97) was impressed by the team’s performance. “Peglegs were great tonight. The offense was off the charts, it was a great game to watch, and I am glad we could all be here to watch it,” he said.

NFL

Week Five, Break a Leg!

By EFE KILIC For many, Sunday is a religious day. Those who practice their beliefs pray for good fortune, wealth, and their kickers to hit an extra point. Week five was a historic one for kickers: Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker hit the walk off gamewinning record 66-yard field goal to secure the victory for the Ravens. Ever since, kickers all around the league have been revisited by the curse of Blair Walsh, a term coined for ex-Minnesota Vikings kicker Walsh, who was known for missing a crucial field goal in the closing seconds of a 2016 wildcard game against the Seattle Seahawks.

Kickers are crucial to the game and must be protected, but some mistakes are too large to go unnoticed. In week five, kickers baked themselves up a dozen missed extra points, complemented by a dozen missed field goals. Week five was surprisingly decent for the Vikings, however, as they finally found themselves able to hit a game-winning field goal. The same did not apply to the rest of the NFL, as rookies, not veterans, were safe. This pattern was perfectly portrayed in the historic recent faceoff between the Cincinnati Bengals and Green Bay Packers.

The matchup featured rookie Bengals kicker Evan McPherson and 37-year-old veteran

Packers kicker Mason Crosby in an intense shootout… of blanks. Combined, the kickers missed five total field goals, and these were not any trivial opportunities. McPherson missed the game-winner for Cincinnati during regulation, forcing overtime with the Packers winning the toss. In overtime, the Bengals held the Packers to a field goal attempt, which Crosby missed. Only a few plays later, the Bengals kicker got a chance to end the game in overtime with a 49-yard field goal, which bounced right off the uprights.

Upon the third overtime possession, Crosby finally hit a 49-yard kick to end the game and hand the Bengals a loss at home.

This entire sequence was a true nail-biter, but a ridiculous one nonetheless. The failure to hit extra points was historically horrendous, as it was the most missed field goals in a single week across the league since 2015. This feat is an embarrassing, yet amazing accomplishment, as it is appalling to witness the different aerodynamic qualities the balls discovered to escape the bounds of the uprights. Thankfully, kickers were able to get their act together and not fall victim to “the wind,” though many NFL fans surely wanted to suit up and run onto the field to kick for their teams at one point or another.

Kickers, though seemingly unathletic and replaceable,

play a pivotal role in the game.

Other than the fact that they are always the leading scorers in the NFL, kickers have the ability to make or break games.

Former Patriots kicker Adam Vinatieri secured two Super Bowl wins with walk-off field goals for his team. On the other end of the scale, kickers have also lost important games for their teams, such as when Cody Parkey missed in the 2018 NFC wildcard against the Philadelphia Eagles. Though kickers are crucial to football and should be recognized for their success, there is no excuse for what happened week five other than misfortune and the spirit of Walsh in the legs of all kickers.

Soccer

The Return of the Egyptian King

By NAKIB ABEDIN For over a decade, the debate over the best player in the world was confined to soccer superstars Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. However, as their abilities slowly decline, a prolific Egyptian winger has been taking the world by storm. Mohamed Salah, the player in question, has been sensational this season, earning praise from former players and pundits alike. His spectacular form has made him a strong candidate for the best player in the world.

Since the start of the 20212022 season, Salah has scored 15 goals in 14 games. These stellar performances aren’t just coming from easy games either. Salah has faced many of the best teams in the world to achieve this feat, including Manchester City, Chelsea F.C., and Atlético Madrid. The Egyptian is currently at his prime, breaking countless records and establishing his legacy. Recently, he overtook Didier Drogba as the highest scoring African player in Premier League history. He also became the first Liverpool player to score in 10 consecutive games.

As Liverpool traveled to face goalscoring. He has assisted six Manchester United, Salah had a goals and created 27 chances. Anychance to show his skills while go- one who watches him knows that ing head-to-head with Ronaldo, a he has improved on his passing, man whose incredible soccer leg- which allows him to launch balls acy needs no further introduction. with pinpoint precision all across Following great anticipation f o r the pitch. He has been one of the bout, Salah showed the best playmakers in the league, why he is one of the while also being one of the best best in the world. finishers across Europe.

He scored three Despite his recent success, goals and created things weren’t always bright an assist, taking his for Salah. As a child, he had to combined goals and commute to training for over assist tally for the four hours everyday, five days a season above week. His hard work even20. In the tually brought him to end, LiverChelsea F.C., where he pool won was ultimately deemed the game a failed talent. He 5 - 0 , was scarcely able to thrashdrum up any sort ing the of momentum and R e d was often overDevils. shadowed by his S a la h ’s teammates. Salah, perforwith the mentality of mance sent a Emily Young-Squire / The Spectator a true champion, didn’t clear message to let these failures affect teams around the globe: the Egyp- him. He went to Italy for a few tian king is here to conquer. years, playing for ACF Fiorentina Salah has also taken significant and A.S. Roma. He was able to strides to supplement his lethal improve tremendously and caught

the attention of Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp, who quickly brought him over to the Merseyside club. Ever since, he has enjoyed great success and attained superstar status, becoming one of the most popular players on the globe.

At the age of 29, Salah can look forward to many more years at the top of the world. Fellow Liverpool goalkeeper Adrián San Miguel del Castillo revealed a continued on page 23

SPORTSBEAT Portuguese soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has been on a hot streak for Manchester United, scoring five goals in four matches in the Champions League.

Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul moved into third place in the all-time NBA assists record, providing 18 assists in a 112-100 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans.

English club Tottenham Hotspur F.C. has sacked manager Nuno Espírito Santo after a string of poor performances and replaced him with renowned manager Antonio Conte.

Point guard Tyler Herro has been outstanding for the Miami Heat, with more than 20 points in five out of seven recent games.

The Atlanta Braves won the World Series with a 4-2 record after defeating the Houston Astros 7-0 in Game 6.