The Record’s Declassified UD Survival Guide

COMPOSITION BOOK Survival guide

Meet with your teachers all the time. They be respectful. Be respectful of your peers and your teachers: let people skip you in the lunch line if they’re late for class, say thank you at the end of emails, and don’t scream in the library (or anywhere before 2pm). choose to spend every day with you, so clearly they would love nothing more than to hear from you as well! Go talk to them about your classwork, your worries, or an article you think they would like.

meet with your teachers!! you can still

It’s not too late to join new clubs — in fact, now is a better time than ever, because you’ve hopefully gotten to know your interests a little better over the past year. You can even start your very own! There really is no need to center your clubs around a specific interest join clubs! Sophomores or passion — instead of limiting your extracurriculars to one topic you are good at, do whatever brings you happiness. In fact, there is a Happiness club dedicated just to that! Get to know yourself a little better. Start paying attention to which classes you prefer and which subjects you want to focus on in the coming years. Figure out a study schedule that works for you, and find ways to relax (see article on page 16!). narrow down your interests Stay on top of your grades and your classes, but don’t put too much pressure on perfection! Your brain has already adapted to the high-school way of life, so trust yourself to figure out a routine that works best for you. Staying up too late is not worth it (seriously, a good sleep schedule is so important). Find ways to relax, and give yourself breaks on the weekend! Everything will get finished, even though it might not seem that way sometimes. Although you will have more to do than you did last year, you are ready for it! trust yourself!

Try out new clubs!

Join every club you’re interested in, even if you aren’t sure how much you’ll like it. Later, make sure to stay in clubs that are enjoyable for you, not clubs that you think will look good on a resumé. Extracurriculars are also the perfect way to make new friends :) The Record’s Declassified

Juniors Though this may seem counterintuitive, procrastinating for a bit can actually be a good thing at times. You can wait an extra day to work on a project, if it means giving yourself time to recharge in the moment. Find a balance between taking care of yourself and your responsibilities. We know you have heard stories before, and we’re here to tell you it’s true: junior year is hard. The workload picks up a lot, and you may feel a lot of pressure. That being said, it’s doable — take it from us! Just make sure you don’t prioritize your academics over your mental health. Constant productivity is unsustainable. Find ways to separate your emotions from the stress around you. prioritize your mental health Find the things that bring you joy: a wholesome meal, a chat with a beloved teacher, or a FaceTime study buddy. Count on the people in your grade, even if you never have before — you are all in the same boat. Commiseration and shared joy are important! Have fun as much as you can. Being able to look back on a year filled with positive memories is worth infinitely more than however many extra hours you spend on work. remember to have fun!

take time to recharge

know your limits. Don’t spend too much time on the details. If you can’t finish something, it’s okay. Seriously! There is a community of people here to support you— email your teacher with a truthful apology and go take a nap. Everything will get done in the end. Communicate with your peers and teachers (and Counseling and Guidance, if necessary), then do what you need to do. Know your limits.

Seniors

CLAss of 2022!!

Hello, dear Class of 2022! Welcome– one last time! We’ve been through all the ups and downs of high school together, so let’s continue to uplift each other for this final stretch. Remember that life is not a competition. Celebrate your friends’ successes, and surround yourself with people who will celebrate your own. It’s our duty to work together to make this year as fun and memorable as possible. Participate in school events (especially when they seem silly), be role models for underclassmen, and share your joys with one another. This is going to be our best year yet! Much love!

“As human as we are”: Professional athletes should prioritize mental health

Destiney Green

By endowing athletes worldwide to showcase their hard work and receive unconditional support from their countries, the Olympics appeared to be the perfect event amidst the chaos of the last two years. However, this “perfect” unifying event soon became divisive in light of countless controversial decisions, sending us back into a conflicted reality. In addition to the Olympic ban on swim caps that cater to curly hair, which galvanized Black swimmers, and the disqualification of Black female athletes Christine Mboma and Beatrice Masilingi for having naturally high testosterone levels, the Olympic Games has now spawned critical conversations regarding the topic of mental health. More specifically, the Olympics sparked a conversation about the mental health of Black athletes following Simone Biles’ withdrawal and the revolting backlash she faced.

Often, people neglect to discuss the mental well-being of professional athletes due to the way we view them. Rather than treat them as regular human beings with thoughts, feelings, and struggles, we constantly encourage athletes to push their physical and mental limits in order to be depicted as the fittest, most talented players. Commercials and advertisements seldom encapsulate the mental challenges athletes have to manage alongside physical exercise. The public’s dismissive response when athletes do choose to speak up also reveals the need for fundamental discussion. In most cases, we find ourselves able to distinguish professionals from their respective occupations in order to humanize them as individuals. Why does the line blur when it is time to separate athletes from their sports?

Simone Biles, undoubtedly the greatest gymnast of this generation, thoughtfully decided to withdraw from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics team competition after considering how her poor mental health would affect both her and the US team’s performance. Biles had experienced the unnerving ‘twisties’ in a prior event. Biles and gymnasts around the world later explained the danger of ‘twisties,’ where, in midair, the brain feels disconnected from the body and the athlete has no control over their actions. She was left lost and terrified midair, prompting her to reevaluate her mental state for the following events. In a sport as exacting and risky as gymnastics, uncertainty is a lot more than being nervous or having butterflies before a game, especially when Biles’ skillset is so elite and challenging. Uncertainty for a gymnast can be a life or death situation. “We’re not just athletes or entertainment. We’re human, too,” Biles told TODAY’s Hoda Kotb in an interview, calling upon people to empathize with her and other athletes.

Biles’s honesty and ability to step back from the sport she loves are the qualities of an incredible athlete, yet many have used these actions to discredit and disrespect the gymnast. Biles has already fought for 32 Olympic and World Champion medals. She has absolutely nothing to prove to anyone. Nevertheless, her concern for mental health was faced with trash-talking from people who have never experienced what it feels like to be a competitive athlete or, even more demanding, an Olympian representing her country amidst a pandemic that has transformed everyone’s lives. With the pressure of readjusting to life in a pandemic coupled with the pressure of competing in the Olympics as the most decorated gymnast of all time, I find it commendable that Biles could even compete and medal on beam after experiencing challenges with her mental health.

As time has shown, responses to Black athletes speaking out about mental health have also been especially negative compared to their white counterparts. After experiencing years of intensity and prolonged stress, 28-time Olympic medalist Michael Phelps finally expressed his battle with mental health and the effect it has had on his athletic performance. He received sponsorships from brands like Talkspace for prioritizing his health rather than immediate resentment. Similarly, Megan Rapinoe, a professional soccer player on the US national team, has endorsed the use of cannabis (CBD) to alleviate anxiety for athletes, receiving positive reactions. In contrast, Sha’Carri, though accepting her disqualification from the Games, was still criticized for consuming marijuana to cope with her mother’s death.

Biles is only another example of this double standard. The response to her withdrawal was not one of support, but one of hatred and criticism, which many other well-known Black women and athletes are familiar with. “Fans’’ who deemed Biles scared and mentally weak, mirror the negative tones used to describe Naomi Osaka, who also prioritized her mental health. Serena Williams has been masculinized and criticized for expressing herself like her white male counterparts. Allison Felix was discredited after giving birth. Nor is it just Black women. Lebron James has been told to “shut up and dribble” after using his platform to highlight societal racism.

Athletes do not simply exist for our entertainment; they are people too. As I watched critics discredit the courage, self-awareness, and selflessness Biles mustered in prioritizing her mental health and team, I felt both rage and compassion for the inspiring athlete on the receiving end. Piers Morgan took his judgment to Twitter, writing “Are ‘mental health issues’ now the go-to excuse for any poor performance in elite sport?... Just admit you did badly, made mistakes, and will strive to do better next time. Kids need strong role models, not this nonsense.” Biles’ case is just one of many that highlight the importance of mental health for all athletes and the harmful degradation of Black athletes when it comes to speaking up. When Black female athletes talk about mental health, they should be treated and valued with the same respect and seriousness that more privileged white athletes receive.

Yes, it is amusing for many of us in the HM community to watch our favorite athletes on the big screen, draft the best team for fantasy football, believe the Phoenix Suns will win in Game 9, and argue about whether Lebron is better than Jordan. But it is also crucial for us to remember that our idols are just as human as we are.

Vivian Coraci/Art Director

My reflection on Governor Cuomo’s downfall

Madison Four-Garcia

As deaths spiked during the pandemic, states scrambled in search of a competent government official to lead during a difficult time. New York state undoubtedly settled upon former Governor Andrew Cuomo to serve as that leader. Many Americans praised the governor’s COVID-19 policies and his unfiltered criticism of the GOP’s denial of scientific facts. In the middle of the worst of the pandemic I listened to his daily briefings and admired his abrasive way of dealing with virus-deniers.

However, as the condition of the pandemic worsened, I stopped paying attention to Cuomo. New York’s governor took a backseat to my understanding of the pandemic until he was revealed to be in the middle of a different crisis: sexual assault of women.

My first reaction was utter confusion. The morning I woke up to news sources swarmed with articles on Cuomo, I simply could not believe my eyes. The man who had once portrayed himself to be a magnanimous and attentive leader in such a tumultuous time was suddenly relabelled as a predator.

Looking back on it, I don’t think that connection was too difficult to make when I reevaluated his personality during conferences and other public settings. He was abrasive to the point where he seemed angry all of the time. He was proud of his leadership to the point where it leaked into a sense of superiority. Those two characteristics alone are easily manipulated in the mind of an abuser, giving them a justification for violating women.

It is painful to see those once trusted and respected by the public exposed as abusers. We might question if there are any government officials we can truly trust to be, at the bare minimum, decent human beings.

The betrayal felt personal. In spite of the confusion, we can not overpower the truth brought to light by the brave women who came forward and reasserted the

independent investigation into Cuomo’s actions. During his time as Governor of New York, he sexually harassed, groped, and violated several women. That sentence alone should have immediately been enough to remove him from office. But as evident through our election of both Donald Trump and President Biden, sexual harassment and predatory behavior are not deal breakers in American politics.

When I think about the women that Andrew Cuomo preyed upon, my heart breaks even more. How much more do women have to fight in order to be safe when pursuing our dreams and passions? Those who defend sexual assault argue that an allegation can ruin a man’s career, but women are forced out of jobs in the name of protecting their abusers. It hurts.

One part of this situation that may begin to heal the pain and damage evoked is knowing that Kathy Hochul will now become the first female governor of New York. Already, she is moving to protect women in her tenure by condemning Cuomo’s behavior and firing individuals who facilitated the culture of sexual harassment established by the former governor. As her term progresses, I hope that she will continue on this path and not allow political alliances and agendas to prevent her from serving her female constituency. Although she became governor as a result of a sexual assault scandal, I believe that she will do right by the women in New York and those who found themselves victimized by Cuomo’s behavior.

Riva Vig/Art Director

Volume 119 Editorial Board

Editor in Chief

Hanna Hornfeld

Managing Editor

Liliana Greyf

Features Mia Calzolaio Emma Colacino

A & E Purvi Jonnalagadda Arushi Talwar

News Claire Goldberg Katya Tolunsky

Middle Division

Jade Ciriello

Opinions

Devin Allard-Neptune Yin Fei

Lions’ Den Lauren Ho Rowan Mally

Art Directors

Vivian Coraci Lauren Kim Riva Vig

Design Editor

AJ Walker

Photography

Oliver Lewis Daniel Schlumberger Ailill Walsh

Staff

Staff Writers Rachel Baez, Audrey Carbonell, Max Chasin, Jiya Chaterjee, Cecilia Coughlin, Owen Heidings, Hannah Katzke, Vidhatrie Keetha, Celine Kiriscioglu, Zachary Kurtz, Alex Lautin, Jillian Lee, Sean Lee, Allison Markman, Audrey Moussazadeh, Divya Ponda, Clio Rao, Emily Salzhauer, Ayesha Sen, Aden Soroca, Emily Sun, Madison Xu, Alexandra Yao

Staff Photographers Sophie Gordon, Amanda Wein, Emma Colacino, AJ Walker, Lucas Glickman, Lauren Ho, Sean Lee

Editorial Policy

About Founded in 1903, The Record is Horace Mann School’s award-winning weekly student newspaper. We publish approximately 30 times during the academic year, offering news, features, opinions, arts, Middle Division and sports coverage relevant to the school community. The Record serves as a public forum to provide the community with information, entertainment, and an outlet for various viewpoints. As a student publication, the contents of The Record are the views and work of the students and do not necessarily represent those of the faculty or administration of the Horace Mann School. Horace Mann School is not responsible for the accuracy and contents of The Record and is not liable for any claims based on the contents or views expressed therein.

Editorials All editorial decisions regarding content, grammar, and layout are made by the senior editorial board. The unsigned editorial represents the opinion of the majority of the board.

Opinions Opinion columns represent the viewpoint of the author and not of The Record or the school. We encourage students, alumni, faculty, staff, and parents to submit opinions by emailing record@horacemann.org.

Letters Letters to the editor often respond to editorials, articles, and opinions pieces, allowing The Record to uphold its commitment to open discourse within the school community. They too represent the opinion of the author and not of The Record or the school. To be considered for publication in the next issue, letters should be submitted by mail (The Record, 231 West 246th Street, Bronx, NY 10471) or email (record@horacemann.org) before 6 p.m. on Wednesday evening. All submissions must be signed.

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