September 2014 by The Highland Fling

SEPTEMBER 2014

THE

HIGHLAND

VOLUME LXIV, ISSUE 1

FLING

Summer’s Coldest Craze Shana Oshinskie & Jana Choi

o one could have foreseen that by the end of the summer, Ethel Kennedy, Adam Levine, and Chris Christie would all have poured buckets of frigid water over their heads. Celebrities, however, are not the only ones who have voluntarily doused themselves; Highland Park students and alumni (in steadily rising numbers) have also been participating in this summer’s coldest craze: the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. The challenge is simple: once nominated, you have 24 hours to either dump icy cold water on yourself or donate 100 dollars to the ALS Association. If you choose the water, you film yourself getting splashed and then nominate 3 friends or family members. This simple trend, not so different from planking or Tebowing, has helped raise over 100 million for the ALS Association, a charity dedicated to finding a cure for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig’s disease. However, the challenge has received almost as much criticism as praise. It isn’t because fighting ALS isn’t a worthy cause. Thirty thousand Americans currently suffer from it, and it is diagnosed all around the world. The average life expectancy is between two and five years after the diagnosis is made. It isn’t because the ALS Association is a corrupt charity. The Association has a rating of 90.73/100 on Charity Navigator and has identified the gene that most likely causes ALS and a treatment that may be able to target it. It is because the popularity of this challenge shows that it has, to some degree, failed. Most (but not all) of the millions of people who posted their icy splash did not donate to finding the cure for ALS. Many people may not even know that “ALS” stands for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, otherwise known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, which targets nerves in the brain and spinal cord. Strangely enough, the premise of the challenge itself contributes to the controversy. By saying “Pour icy water on yourself or else donate 100 dollars”, donating is perceived as a boring and cowardly way to escape a challenge. Still others worry that the true meaning of the challenge is becoming lost in the social media frenzy. Martha Stewart’s video, for example, makes no mention of ALS. While she did film it early on, her video is often cited as an example of the phenomenon’s inherent problems. Many videos are devoid of the word ALS or even the option to donate,which means they aren’t raising money or awareness.

SPLASH MOUNTAIN Students and staff cooled off from the summer heat and accepted the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. (In rows from top left): Mateo Juliani ’16, Jamie Atschinow ’16, Mr. Ruck, Rahmate Islam ’15, Mr. Gold, Geoff Muniz’15, Leo Goldman ’16, Farhan Rozaidi ’16, Katherine Davila ’15

Some also worry that the inherently goofy task of splashing oneself and then participating in the hysterics that often follow don’t match the seriousness of the disease. Families of those affected have mixed feelings towards the challenge, some with great admiration and others with disappointment. The ALS association has embraced the challenge, posting a video of its New York chapter members accepting the Ice Bucket Challenge on their website. If participants don’t donate and aren’t raising awareness, how much good is the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge really doing? The 100-plus million dollars proves a lot. While the challenge had the potential to raise more had donating been a more central part of its procedure, it ended up being tremendously successful and bringing a lot of attention to ALS. Dominance over newsfeeds on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram have turned the frigid challenge into an almost-overnight phenomenon, and have undoubtedly piqued users – particularly young people’s – interest in Lou Gehrig’s disease. Highland Park High School participant, Christiana Fabito (’15) affirmed the effectiveness of the challenge in spreading awareness, admitting that she “had heard about ALS before, but didn’t know what it was exactly”, leading her to a quick Google search. She says “I think the challenge has a positive effect even though not everyone is donating” because of the way it is informing people about an otherwise lesser-known ailment. Countless Highland Park students have accepted the challenge thus far. Mateo Juliani (’16) participated in the icy bath, saying that “It’s a good and a fun way to spread awareness of a disease that maybe was not well known before,” adding that the millions of dollars raised since the challenge’s eruption in popularity also adds to the appeal. Julia Brennan (’17), who has a family friend afflicted by Lou Gehrig’s, questioned the future of the Ice Bucket Challenge and praised its effectiveness simultaneously, saying that “it’s becoming less focused on ALS, and more on the challenge part. However, overall [the challenge] definitely has had a great impact on donations and awareness for ALS.”

INSIDE

The fate of other viral phenomena foreshadows what will most likely be the destiny of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. Tebowing, planking, and Harlem-shaking all slowly became over-hyped crazes that are now only distant memories. Although tremendous amounts of money and awareness have been amassed, the fad cannot and will not last forever.

Scan here to help continue the fight by donating to the ALS Association at alsa.org.

news

opinion

feature

arts

sports

What You Missed This Summer

Conversation with a Grandmother

Back-to-School Life Hacks

Highland Park’s Budding Artists

Pre-Season Checkup: Girls’ Tennis

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news

ICYMI: World News Becca Chant

1. Back to Iraq? The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, is a terrorist group that has been deemed “too radical” by al Qaeda. The goal of ISIS is to unite parts of Iraq and Syria where Sunni Muslims make up a large percent of the population. Currently the Iraqi army is ruled by the Shiite minority, which ISIS fights against. ISIS has managed to take control of the 3rd largest city in Iraq (Mosul) and has obtained more than 400 million USD from looting banks, making the group wealthier than several sovereign states. ISIS continues to move towards Baghdad, Iraq’s largest city and capital. The United States has sent 800 troops to Iraq to protect the American Embassy and places in need of high security, like the Baghdad Airport. The U.S. has also sent 130 military advisors to assist Iraqi army. The US began airstrikes against ISIS forces in August, causing the leader of ISIS to flee to Syria. 240,000 Iraqis have fled their homes in Sinjar and the surrounding areas, and roughly 5,000 are trapped on Mount Sinjar, where the US has sent humanitarian aid.

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2. Border Troubles Since the beginning of 2014, 30,000 unaccompanied minors have crossed the border into the United States. Many of these children come from Mexico, El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala, with increasing numbers coming from the latter three in recent years. Many children are boys between the ages of 15-17; however, the numbers of girls and younger children has increased over the last year. The Department of Health and Human Services has a 35 day process for deporting minors, during which time children are given shelter (sometimes with a foster family), health screenings and vaccinations, as well as a trial. President Obama has come forward with a $37 billion plan to increase border security, in order to quicken the deportation processes and deal with the humanitarian crisis on the border. House Republicans pushed back, counter-offering a $659 million plan, stating that this crisis calls primarily for increased border security.

3. Ferguson, MO Clashes with the Cops Michael Brown, 18, was shot and killed by a local police officer in Ferguson, Missouri on August 9th, 2014. The officer stated that Brown assaulted him while attempting to exit his vehicle, and reached for the officer’s gun. Brown’s friends served as eye witnesses, and stated that Brown was walking and had his hands up when the cop shot him. The police also reported that one shot was fired in the vehicle and another two at Brown, 35 feet away from the officer. Angry protests began two days after Brown’s death in Ferguson, a town with an all-white local government, but large black residential population. While the night of August 9th started out with a vigil for Brown, many protests soon turned destructive, with protesters vandalizing cars, looting a gas station, and chanting “No Justice; No Peace”. Later that week, the Ferguson Police released a security video showing Michael Brown pushing a clerk out of the way as he stole cigars from a convenience store. However, the officer who shot Brown, Darren Wilson, was not aware of this robbery when he shot Brown, therefore making it irrelevant to the case. Brown was due to start classes at Vatterott College the coming Monday, and his mother said in a statement, “Do you know how hard it was for me to get him to stay in school and graduate? You know how many black men graduate? Not many. Because you bring them down to this type of level, where they feel like they don’t got nothing to live for anyway. ‘They’re going to try to take me out anyway.’ ”. Brown’s family has also issued a statement saying that they just want justice for their son, and for the violence to end. The Ferguson and St. Louis police have received weapons that have trickled down from the Pentagon to contain potential violence.

4. The Cost of the FIFA World Cup The 2014 FIFA World Cup turned sour for Brazil, not only on the soccer field but in the streets of Rio de Janeiro and other major cities around the tropical country. Prior to the cup, protesters highlighted grievances such as high public transportation costs and lack of affordable health care. Public workers in the transportation and education system as well as military policemen went on strike. Meanwhile, behind a shanty town emerged a $12 million dollar stadium, paid for from the pockets of Brazilian taxpayers, while promised infrastructure projects remained neglected. Events like the World Cup often leave countries in a state of recession, which does not bode well for Brazil, as the 2016 Olympics are scheduled to take place in Rio de Janeiro in just two years. While soccer remains a huge part of Brazilian culture, a month before the cup even started only 50% of Brazilians supported the cup being held in Brazil. Protesters continued their efforts after the cup ended, leading up to the Presidential elections in October.

5. Israel and Palestine This summer the violent conflict between Hamas and Israel killed around 70 people in Israel, and over 2,000 in Palestine. While numerous temporary ceasefires have been declared and quickly broken in the past months, the most recent August 26th agreement seems to have ended the bloodshed.

6. New England’s War on Heroin The Governors of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire and Connecticut, all Democrats, met at Brandeis University in June, and planned to meet with Maine’s Governor, a Republican, to create a regional solution to an ongoing heroin epidemic that plagues New England. Heroin dealers have been able to double prices while still providing cheaper goods than prescription drug dealers. Hospitals in these states already have programs to allow addicts to exchange dirty needles for clean needles. Local officials have also been distributing at-home-heroin-overdose-prevention kits. The FDA has approved Evizo, a drug that can be easily injected under the skin of users and revive their slow breathing before they overdose completely.

7. Ebola Outbreak in West Africa This summer, West Africa faced the largest outbreak of infection with the Ebola virus since it was discovered in 1976. The Ebola virus can only be transmitted through coming in contact with the blood or bodily fluids of an infected person or animal, commonly monkeys or fruit bats. However, infected individuals show no symptoms for two to three weeks, meaning many people act as carriers and spread the disease before knowing they have it. Symptoms include flu-like feeling, vomiting, diarrhea, and eventually damage to the liver and kidneys, and internal and external bleeding. This virus has a 50% to 90% mortality rate, and has killed well over 1,000 people in West Africa so far this year. The outbreak began in Guinea, and eventually spread to neighboring Liberia and Sierra Leone. Nigeria also has 11 reported cases of Ebola as of August 14th. As there is no cure to Ebola, much of the treatment focuses on mitigating the symptoms. Lacking infrastructure such as reliable electricity and water, health workers have been the most at risk for contracting the disease and represent 10% of the outbreak’s victims.

THE HIGHLAND FLING, SEPTEMBER 2014

news

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8. Dutch Plane Downed; Pro-Russian Forces Suspected On July 17th, Malaysia Airline Flight 17, flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, was shot down when flying over Eastern Ukraine, killing all 298 people on board. The plane was downed with a Russian-made missile, most likely fired from pro-Russian separatist soil. There are allegations that Russia may be sponsoring terrorism inside the Ukraine, by supplying the separatists with weapons. It was not until August 1st that officials from the Netherlands were allowed to investigate the crash site, which was under separatist control.

9. Scotland to Vote on Independence On September 18th, 2014, Scotland, which has been part of the United Kingdom for roughly 300 years, will vote on a referendum to break away from the UK . Two campaigns push for and against independence, “Yes Scotland” and “Better Together”, respectively. “Yes Scotland” is supported by the Scottish Green Party, Scottish Socialist Party, and the most dominant party in Scotland, the Scottish National Party (SNP). “Better Together” has support from the Labour Party, Conservatives, and Liberal Democrats. Polls are showing 50% in support of “Better Together”, and 33% for “Yes Scotland”, with the remaining percent of the population undecided.

10. Koreas Look to Reunify North and South Korea, separate countries for around 60 years, discussed the possibility of reunification in August. While the countries still have to deal with their differences in allies and North Korea’s nuclear testing programs, the main focus of reunification would be to reunite family members who have not seen each other since the Korean War. The Sunshine Policy is one reconciliation strategy, which looks to bring economic stability to the North instead of instituting sanctions or other unfriendly interventions.

11. U.S. Arms Trade Controversy The United States has long been the world’s number one global supplier of arms, supplying 44% of the arms sold to other countries – mostly to developing nations. Included in such sales are helicopters, tanks, artillery, submarines, aircrafts; the list goes on. The US also takes in more profit from arms trades than any other state. Our military industrial complex has become a controversial issue, as companies continue to sell to many countries, even while the country is at war. While the US government sends around 2 billion USD towards military aid in Israel, 4 billion dollars’ worth of weapons ended up in the hands of Hamas, the group in Gaza in combat with Israel, through Qatar, a recipient of US weapons. In Iraq, US weapons are pitted against each other, as the Iraqi military receives weapons from the US, some of which ISIS has seized.

12. Charges Against Perry Rick Perry (R) recently became the first Governor of Texas since 1917, and the second in history, to be indicted while in office. Last summer, Rosemary Lehmberg, a District Attorney in Travis County, Texas, was arrested for drunk driving. Perry asked Lehmberg, a Democrat, to step down from her position, or he would veto the 7.5 million dollar funds that were meant for the public corruption unit. At the time, Lehmberg’s unit was investigating a signature initiative of Perry, the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas. A former official at the CPRIT was indicted last year for mishandling 11 million dollars in grant money meant for the agency. Two charges comprise Perry’s crimes, the first being misuse of government property – the money – and the second being coercion of a public official. Perry faces 2 to 10 years for the first charge and 5 to 99 years for the second charge.

SEPTEMBER 2014, THE HIGHLAND FLING

opinion Are You Buying Into It?

Amita Shukla spent hours this summer helping my younger sister pick out color coordinated notebooks and a leopard print stapler and convincing her that no, you do not have to bring your homeroom teacher four boxes of tissues. I spent a long time myself trying to see the difference between the seven different kinds of notebooks Wal-Mart offered. Endless choices spanning countless aisles makes back-to-school shopping a delightful experience for some, but an endless nightmare for others.

Even without the four boxes of tissues, the final dollar amount at checkout was staggering. What happened to the time when back-to-school shopping meant getting five 99-cent notebooks at Staples? Yet this is only the first of the expenses that all of us will incur this year. This year alone, I, a pretty typical junior, will spend over $350 on AP tests, $102 for SATs, and $78 for subject tests. Then there are the inevitable prep books, club t-shirts and sports team equipment, and for many people, summer prep classes. Senior year will mean a few hundred dollars worth of applications, a few hundred dollars more of APs, a hundred-dollar yearbook, and let’s not even talk about college. And that’s without the unforeseeable out-of-pocket charges. If education is the great equalizer, why is it so expensive? To say nothing of prep schools or extra courses taken to “get ahead”, school has never cost so much. Yes, college is expensive. We have established that. But what about getting there in the first place? Why is there so much pressure to spend so much money on learning, especially in a time where anyone can take online courses for free from venerable institutions such as MIT, UPenn, and Princeton? Is this drive to overachieve, and indirectly, to spend more, a ploy on the part of the colleges? Is it us? Does it matter, as long as we (literally) buy into it?

My Grandmother’s Pet Monkey Jana Choi

t six years old, my maternal grandmother trekked across Southern China with her pet monkey. She followed her father, a General in the army, while Chinese soldiers defended their country against the invading Japanese. It’s amazing to me how little I knew about my own grandmother’s past, and by virtue of blood, my own family history, before simply asking.

Without prompt, my often anxious and quick-minded Po Po (婆婆) would have deemed her childhood stories trifling. I never would have heard about the wealth the opium and salt trades brought to her mother’s family, or how their magnificent tea house in Guangzhou was confiscated during the war, later to reappear to the public as a children’s hospital. I never would have heard the history of World War II as told by a woman who lived through the struggle, and faced the terror of Japanese attack. The versions of history taught in school are moving and important, but the story of oneself cannot be picked up from textbooks. Our generation has never been denied information. Even before we knew the value of the multiplication tables and the meaning of the word anthropology, the internet had us covered. We grew up cradled in the arms of search engine giants and Wikipedia entries as much as moms and dads. But with so much available information to consume, we’ve looked over the wealth of unbelievable stories and wisdom older generations have to offer. My conversation with my Po Po made me suddenly, and acutely aware of the vast, untapped history of familial lineage, and humanity as a whole, that can be so easily lost with the absence of a single conversation. Multiplied by the many grandmother-granddaughter relationships on Earth, this misplaced exchange equates to an irreparable breach in the human experience. Especially for a country of immigrants, the “great melting pot” is only as great as what each individual can bring to the table. When the personal stories, laced with both joy and hardship, are lost in translation between generations, we lose perspective of what elements and events from the past shaped the premise of our lives today. Last spring we celebrated a week of international festivities and marveled at the many flags that decorated Center Hall. The combined heritage of Highland Park stands out for its diversity, but it isn’t enough to admire it from afar. Grasp your culture, your background, your story by the horns and ask your grandparents about their lives. The search results will surely be more interesting than BuzzFeed’s feature article “Hundreds of Selfies of Kim Kardashian Will Soon Be a Coffee Table Book”.

editorial board editor-in-chief managing editor layout editor news opinion feature arts sports

Jana Choi Sarah Cheng Jisu Jeong Rebecca Chant Amita Shukla Shana Oshinskie Tia Wangli Annie McCrone

advisor

Brett Roche

writers, illustrators, & photographers Your name could be here!

Attend the first meeting on Thursday, September 11 in Room 110 during lunch!

the official newspaper of highland park high school highland park, new jersey 08904 . thehighlandfling@gmail.com . hpfling.tumblr.com . facebook.com/hpfling . @hpfling THE HIGHLAND FLING, SEPTEMBER 2014

feature A Tomato’s Critics

Jisu Jeong n May 18, 1994, the Food and Drug Administration approved a genetically engineered tomato for commercial distribution, making it the country’s first GMO (genetically modified organism) to hit the market. The fruit, unlike its “normal” siblings, could endure several weeks of transportation without turning into a wrinkled, pulpy mess—and was thus marketed as the Flavr Savr Tomato.

Calgene, a California-based biotechnology company, achieved this feat by inhibiting a gene that causes tomatoes to deteriorate, an evolutionary trait that promotes seed distribution, and the nation viewed the thumbs-up for this plump piece of produce from the FDA as heralding a new, bioengineering-oriented route for American agriculture. Or so it thought. Though greatly appealing to consumers, the “Flavr Savr” was scrutinized by wary food activists and scientists, who deemed the fruit inedible and potentially harmful until further research was conducted. These skeptics formed the beginnings of the fast-growing American voice against GMOs; previously satisfied consumers joined the movement shortly. Twenty years later, the opposition remains strong. According to a 2013 New York Times poll, three-quarters of Americans hold reservations about consuming GMOs. In addition, forty percent of this portion believes that GMOs lead to physiological harm like cancer and allergies. These statistics are unnerving, if not frightening, because reputable, politically neutral groups like the World Health Organization and the American Association for the Advancement of Science have repeatedly published reports asserting that GMOs do not pose a higher risk to health than non-GM food does. Yet thanks to improperly conducted experiments and more than dubious testimonies from “expert” anti-GMO speakers, the world continues to live under the illusion that genetically modified food is a curse to humanity. For example, a French team conducted an experiment by feeding GM corn developed by Monsanto, the global leader in the GMO industry, to several lab rats. The result was a batch of grotesque rats covered in huge lumps of tumor, and the pictures of these mutants mushroomed across the Internet. However, soon after, the experiment was ruled inconclusive by scientists all around the world, as the type of lab rat used in the experiment was one highly prone to cancer and which developed tumors on its own without being fed GM crops, and because the sample of rats used was far too small for definitive results. GMO opponents have also made claims that genetically modified food leads to infertility, induces allergies in children, and cripples butterfly populations—the vast majority of which have of which have either been debunked or rejected for lacking substantial evidence. On the other hand, proponents have cited numerous environmental benefits of GMOs, such as reduced use of pesticide and consumption of land, and therefore an overall lower global carbon footprint. Additionally, they have pointed to GM crops’ humanitarian applications. For example, Golden Rice, unlike unmodified white rice, is capable of producing large amounts of beta-carotene, a necessary component of Vitamin A. Since Vitamin A deficiency leads to blindness and a lower immune system, thereby claiming the lives of 1.9 to 2.8 million people each year, it is clear that GMOs like Golden Rice can benefit humankind.

the 123’s of gmos

93%of 94%of 96%of grown in the us are genetically modified

173.2 million acres

of gm crops planted in the us in 2013, an area equivalent to the size of

Senior Amar Venugopal agreed, saying, “I think they constitute a viable source of sustenance and have great potential for use in places suffering from food scarcity.” “But,” he added, “[they] are somewhat unnecessary in the US—although studies have shown that there are no adverse side effects.”

With a growing population will come growing pollution and hunger, and GMOs are offering their hands to help. So give the freak foods a chance. “After all,” as Hailey Conrad (’16) says, “all food is technically genetically modified. The stuff we’re doing now is just less subtle.”

Germanys

Back-to-School Lifehacks Shana Oshinskie School has begun, bringing alarm clocks, stuffy classrooms, and mountains upon mountains of homework. Luckily enough, millions have experienced high school struggles already and some have even discovered ways to make the annual transition from lazy to Lit and calm to Calculus a little easier. MATH/SCIENCE

GENERAL

Test calculator batteries by dropping them one or two inches above the ground with the positive terminal up. If they are good, they’ll do one or no small bounces and stand upright. If they are dying or dead they will do many bounces or fall over.

When using Wikipedia, replace the “en” in the URL with “simple” and a more condensed version of the article will appear—perfect for when you need basic knowledge about a concept, event, or person. (It will still not be usable as a source.)

If you are using the calculator app in an Apple device, swipe the numbers left or right to delete the last digit. Turn he device sideways to access more features. iRuler.net provides geometry students with a perfectly sized virtual ruler.

Chewing gum while studying for a test and chewing the same flavored gum during the actual test will help you recall information more effectively by sensory association. Chew some immediately before tests or presentations to steady your nerves. On Sunday night, fill five Ziploc bags with yogurt, fruit, and other smoothie ingredients; stick in the freezer. Blend one each morning for a quick and easy breakfast. A small bundle of chalk will help deodorize and freshen your locker.

ENGLISH/HISTORY Make pretty and legible PowerPoints by using white text that is outlined in black. It is easy to see on any color background. If your home computer doesn’t have PowerPoint, use Google Presentations or Prezi, both of which are free PowerPoint-like websites that save all your changes online. Use Spreeder.com to increase reading speed and comprehension. Stop repeating the same word over and over in essays by right clicking on it in Word and selecting “Synonyms”. Copy and paste finished essays into Google Translate and press the speaker button. Your essay will be read aloud to you so you can listen for grammar mistakes while you begin another task. Having it read to you also works well while trying to memorize a speech or fact.

Two eggs and ½ cup of oil turns any cake mix into cookie dough, which is a much easier food to sell at a bake sale. Make friends easily and learn journalistic style by coming to the first Fling meeting on Thursday, September 11th in Room 110 during lunch.

GYM Avoid gym class thieves by hiding your money rolled up in an empty Chap Stick tube (or something like it; after this article Chap Stick tubes may not be so safe anymore). Keep your tongue on the roof of your mouth while doing sit ups to prevent a sore neck. Gym locker essentials: sunglasses, deodorant, sweatshirt to stay warm and protect your back and head from hitting the gym floor too hard during sit ups, and a dryer sheet to wipe away any stains left by deodorant. SEPTEMBER 2014, THE HIGHLAND FLING

feature

Fun & Games Super Sudoku

DIFFICULTY medium

DIFFICULTY hard

a-MAZE-ing

THE HIGHLAND FLING, SEPTEMBER 2014

arts

“ Student Art Talent Amita Shukla ’16

Tia Wangli

Sarah Cheng

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Art is a social activity, even if you paint alone.

PLAYLIST It’s a new school year. You might have 99 problems, but rocking a mood-lifting playlist won’t be one of them!

ost people tend to think of artists as eccentric hermits who rarely come into contact with the outside world and history does back that up to some degree. Yet the existence of exhibitions means that all artists at one point or another are obligated to socialize and connect with their viewers and patrons.

For getting energized after waking up in the morning:

To the working artist, talent is worthless if unrecognized. This summer, a number of HPHS students (current and alumni) have made an effort to show the world their talent by displaying their work in various locations around town. One location was OQ Coffee Co. (located on 3rd Ave.) which hosted its first student exhibition in August. Photographers Zach Tinawi (‘14), Darcy Thompson (‘15), Tim Gavrilenko (‘15) and Isabel Rodriguez (‘16) showcased their photographs alongside paintings by Amita Shukla (‘16) and Dawn Park (‘16). Amita was also able to hold an exhibition at the local library and at the Dish Cafe. Exhibitions are the perfect opportunity for artists to receive critique and sell their work. The first exhibition, however, can often be nerve wracking.

Rather Be by Clean Bandit feat. Jess Glynne A masterful blend of electronic and classical instrumentation in the background gives an edgy contrast to the leading vocals, creating a feeling of movement.

Amita and Isabel mentioned that while it can be heartbreaking for some artists to part with their best works, being able to sell their art increases their “self-worth” as artists. Luckily for photographers, parting with their work is never an issue since digital copies will still exist, although more prints does mean a lower value for that specific work. Quite a few of these students are preparing for college or, in Zach’s case, already heading to college. What role does a passion for art play in their choice of college majors? For Isabel, art history may be in the future especially since she’s grown up surrounded by art.

For chilling in Study Hall:

On the other hand both Zach and Amita are straying away from traditional art and aiming for engineering instead. However, as Amita states, “Art is a life thing. Engineering and art are closer than people realize. Think da Vinci.” Hopefully both students will be able to tie their passion for art to the field of engineering. Make sure to keep an eye on these local rising artists as the school year progresses!

Happy Little Pill by Troye Sivan This electropop piece provides a relaxing mood for pedestrian tasks such as memorizing flashcards or doing last minute homework, as well as a buoyant beat for daydreaming or chatting with a friend.

For the afterschool commute:

Maps by Maroon 5 Whether you walk, bike, skate, or take the bus, this upbeat tune fittingly leads you home.

For late-night studying:

Breathe Me by Sia The powerful vocals and minimal background music help focus attention on the current task. ARTS IN THE PARK (Clockwise from top left): painting by Amita Shukla ’16, drawing by Amita Shukla ’16, photography by Zach Tinawi ’14, painting by Dawn Park ’16

SEPTEMBER 2014, THE HIGHLAND FLING

sports The Best of Girls’ Tennis Sarah Cheng If you happened to take a walk one clear summer morning in Donaldson Park, you likely would have witnessed nearly a dozen Highland Park High School girls’ tennis team members arduously preparing for another season. As a reward for their brilliant hard work throughout their summer vacation, the captains of the team decided to recognize certain outstanding individuals for their exceptional talents displayed throughout these practices. #1 – Most Gorgeous Sock Tan

#4 – Best Moves

Sukriti Kaul, Junior

Yulin Ni, Freshman

By the time school starts, most of the team’s lower half look like bad dye job – random ombre everywhere, depending on the player’s choice of leg attire and the length of their socks. Sukriti, however, is the one flawless exception where the tan line separating leg and foot is perfectly solid, which means she wore the exact same length of socks every single practice. Now that is dedication.

This girl’s got rhythm! Watching Yulin play is not unlike watching an experienced dancer. Her signature moves include the “Stretch & Fetch” (pictured), the “Twirling Goose”, and the “Squatting Duck”. Professional dance judges would probably say that Yulin puts the “ten” in “tennis”.

#2 – Most Sadistic Racket

#5 – Most Number of Homeruns Homerun: When a player hits a ball so high that it lands outside of the tennis courts’ fence, making it a pain to retrieve for one has to walk out the gate and go around.

Sendy Lin, Junior Novice tennis players often find themselves accidentally hitting people/things in their surroundings, as the racket is like an elongated appendage after a sudden growth spurt. This, however, does not apply to Sendy as she is a seasoned pro of the sport. Furthermore, her racket seems only interested in hitting its owner as opposed to other subjects (like the wall, or the ball). Thus, the only plausible explanation is that her racket has a mind of its own and has an extremely sadistic personality. #3 – Most Likely to Get Pegged by Their Doubles Partner

Jamie Atchinow, Junior Maybe it’s because she is a softball player. Maybe she’s just too nice and likes to help pick up other people’s homeruns. Maybe it’s both. Nonetheless, Jamie beat everyone else in the number of homeruns retrieved from outside the fences this summer. #6 – Most Likely to Trip Over a Full Hopper of Balls Hallie Lerner, Sophomore

Emma Weaver, Junior Speaking of sadistic personalities, Emma’s doubles partner (who shall remain nameless) seemed determined to play singles last year by eliminating the extra baggage. New spectators of tennis might have mistaken the sport for paintball if they watched one of their games, which often ended with Emma nursing yet another flesh wound.

Bang! Clash! Hallie is determined to turn the team into a rock band starring herself on percussion! Her sporadic meetings with the hopper keep everyone on their toes, ready to jump at the next loud boom.

SUPER SPORTS SUPERLATIVES Girls’ tennis showed team spirit and their good sense of humor on and off the court. (From left to right): Yulin Ni ’18, Hallie Lerner ’17, Sendy Lin ’16, Emma Weaver ’16

The Fate of Brazil’s World Cup Stadiums

Annie McCrone

occer fans around the world experience symptoms of withdrawal as the World Cup ends and matches begin to consist of mostly “friendlies” between countries and across leagues. Sure, preseason games are enjoyable, but nothing compares to the high of a World Cup game. Every soccer fan out there will claim the end of World Cup season is a problem for them. What are they going to do? However, Brazil faces a bigger problem than game withdrawal: they have 12 giant stadiums that are now empty. Brazil spent roughly 3.6 billion dollars building these massive stadiums! It was amazing for the fans, the players, and even those at home to watch the beautiful game unfold in a brand new stadium, but now what? The stadiums were a huge investment of capital, and Brazil is trying to avoid just tearing them down - especially amidst the numerous protests across Brazil against superfluous World Cup spending while the country’s infrastructure and education continue to struggle. Architects Axel de Stampa and Sylvain Macaux have proposed a solution - turn the stadiums into affordable housing units. Since Brazil has an estimated shortage of 5.2 million homes, this could provide an excellent solution. In de Stampa and Macaux’s design, the playing fields would be left for the locals to enjoy and for future events. It’s creative and a great example of reusing. Of course, there are skeptics. If this were to play out, the modular housing pods would be about 1,130 square feet, much larger than the standard 377 square feet affordable housing that exists in Brazil. Therefore it would be a challenge to make the units genuinely affordable. Many argue that this vision will never become a reality. De Stampa and Macaux’s firm, 1Week1Project, comes up with solutions to global problems every week. Many of these ideas are far-fetched, though very imaginative and entertaining. One might wonder the point in coming up with architectural designs that would never be built, but 1Week1Project’s insightful solutions can inspire other solutions that can be carried out. So though the theoretical plan is to create affordable housing in the stadiums, it appears unlikely at this moment. For now and certainly for a while yet, the majestic stadiums stand empty—a reminder of what once was.

THE HIGHLAND FLING, SEPTEMBER 2014

BACKLASH IN BRAZIL (Above): Brazilian protesters used English signs to catch worldwide media attention and highlight the country’s infrastructural problems. (Below): The proposed design for Estadio do Maracana.