The
HOWLER Holiday EDITION
14 DEC 2023
THEHOWLER@ALLENDALECOLUMBIA.ORG
ROC2CHANGE ROCKS ’Tis the Season MACKENZIE OPIRA
ROWAN BISSONETTE
ROC2Change, a learning summit with different activities hosted by students, that had over 400 students from 40 schools in attendance. Each year two or three schools host, and this year’s summit theme was “Give respect to get respect.” All the students get split into three groups with each activity having a set room. Room 1 was an activity where the hosting students would share an experience and students in the room would take a step forward if they had ever experienced the same thing. That was my favorite activity because some of the stories people shared were interesting. Room 2 was about boundaries. Here you would write down 5 of your boundaries, then go around the room and share them with a stranger until the music stopped. I enjoyed the people hosting in this room and the music they played was really good. Room 3 was a “snowball fight” with colored balls. While the hosts played music you could throw them wherever, but when it stopped, you had to find someone with the same colored ball to talk about prompts they Photo of AC and Harley students and faculty at ROC2Change had on the screen regarding cultural food, how parents react to your grades, and heritage. This activity was my least favorite because most of the time I had no ball in my hand when the music stopped because I was hard at work throwing, and when in the other rooms everyone sounded so loud and rowdy almost like a party and then when we got there it wasn’t quite up to our expectations. Overall this was a really good experience, I had lots of fun and learned about other people•
Every year on the weekend after Thanksgiving, my family starts decorating for the holidays. We take out all of the menorahs and put them in windows and on shelves. We take out our horde of dreidels and a penguin that we hang on the doorknob and this candy wreath that my mom made years ago. And we put up the Christmas tree. During Chanukkah, which falls early in December this year, we light candles on the menorah, adding one for each of the eight nights. We make latkes and spin our many dreidels and invite friends and on occasion attempt to make sufganiyot or jelly donuts. We’ll often exchange small gifts over the course of the holiday. Photo by Sheri Silver on Unsplash On Christmas Eve, we drive up to my grandpa’s house, we get pizza and wings and eat dinner with my dad’s side of the family. On Christmas morning my grandpa makes pancakes for breakfast and once everyone is up we all open presents. My grandpa and uncle always wrap their presents up in the comic pages of newspapers. I’ve always said that I celebrate family on Christmas. Being Jewish in a world that mostly isn’t Jewish is always weird, but the time I feel it most is always November and December – the time leading up to Christmas. And while it’s always awkward, this year has felt different than previous years. It’s got me thinking about how we as a majorly not-Jewish school and country acknowledge Jewish Holidays. As a school, we try to include Hanukkah, grouping the song “Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah” in with the Christmas carols played by the brass ensemble at Holiday Breakfast and occasionally asking Hanukkah-related trivia at lunch. AC doesn’t have to do these things and it’s wonderful that we include the Jewish holiday in the traditions. It’s easy to look at these things and call ‘Tis the Season continued on page 2
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it sufficient representation, then stuff the rest of November and December with Christmas songs and trivia. But for me, it feels like including Hanukkah was an afterthought that was put off until the last minute. Despite Hanukkah starting towards the beginning of December this year, most of the lunch trivia up to this point has been Christmas-themed. Hanukkah trivia can be tricky in a world where most people don’t celebrate it because between good Hanukkah trivia and Hanukkah trivia that people will know the answers to. But that difficulty doesn’t mean we shouldn’t include good Hanukkah trivia. What’s the worst that could happen, the school learns something new? Sometimes it seems like the only thing anyone can think about during the month of December is Christmas and anything else that’s spared a thought is thrown in as similar to the holiday. No one knows enough about the other holidays that happen during the holiday season, myself included. Before this year, I knew barely anything about Kwanzaa. The only time I had been taught anything about it was in kindergarten when a classmate who celebrated it told us about the Photo by Matthias Kinsella on Unsplash holiday, but as someone with a notoriously bad memory (especially of my early childhood) that’s pretty much all I remember about the experience. This year I finally made the effort to educate myself about the holiday, not by asking people who celebrate Kwanzaa and putting the responsibility to educate others onto them, but by researching it myself. I think people overestimate how much time and effort it takes to learn. So this holiday just try to keep in mind that there are other people out there celebrating different holidays and take the time, just five minutes out of your two-week long holiday break, to learn something new. Just one thing. And asking the people who celebrate Kwanzaa Photo by Udayaditaya Barua on Unsplash and Diwali and Hanukkah and Yule questions about their holidays isn’t a bad thing, but don’t ask us to explain the entire holiday or tell you something that you could just as easily Google. I, for one, would be delighted to recommend some fun Hanukkah songs that aren’t the two everyone was taught in Lower School•
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hOLY HERITAGE! JAMES THORNBURG
I arrived at Heritage Dinner late rushing in from my guitar lesson. Not only was I greeted by a large number of guests (far too many to fit at the set-up tables) but the smell of spices wafting from two tables in the corner. Additionally, as I walked in I saw dancers preparing to do a cultural dance. The dance style performed was Bharatanatyam. This is a classical Indian dance that comes from the state of Tamil Nadu. Three dancers performed, one solo and two together. Thiloginy performed the solo and Nirupama and Purvi danced together. After watching their wonderful dances and helping the global engagement club set up a Photo of buffet area at Heritage dinner couple more tables people began to walk to the buffet area. Eventually, I got a plate and filled it with food from every corner of the world. There were lamb stuffed grape leaves, Indian stewed chickpeas, fried plantains, Hungarian Goulash, Nokedli, and even a Texas sheet cake. Each dish was delicious and wonderful. At the end of the event, guests were asked to carry a paper lantern down to the parking lot in Photo of Nirupama and Purvi dancing a procession. Sivan said that the lanterns provided “quiet time for peaceful reflection.” Señora Martinez and Mrs. Ellmaker’s second-grade class helped to create the lanterns. Overall a great event! The Global Engagement Club and in particular Sivan should be proud. •
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AC Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies Ingredients: 1 cup shortening 2 cups white sugar 2 eggs 2 tsp vanilla extract 1 (15-ounce) can of pumpkin puree or fresh pumpkin (boiled and pureed) 4 cups flour 1 ½ tsp baking soda 1 ½ tsp baking powder 1 tsp salt 1 tsp cinnamon 1 cup chocolate chips Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 °F Grease cookie sheets. 2. In large bowl cream together shortening and white sugar. Beat in eggs. Stir in pumpkin and vanilla until well blended. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Add to pumpkin mixture and blend. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by rounded teaspoon (ice cream scooper also works great) onto prepared cookie sheets. 3. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Allow to cool on sheet before transfering to rack. Do not place in container till cool. •
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ALL-STAR SQUAD AMY OLIVERI
I’ve never seen a squad that worked together as well as our AC lunch ladies. They are flawless in their execution of plays. The team scored big when they served 375 people at AC a full Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday, November 17th. For their first down, they prepped 500 of their famous Pumpkin Chocolate Chip cookies - the recipe is included to the left. In the second down they used 24 loaves of bread to make stuffing. For the third down they served up 150 pounds of mashed potatoes. They easily achieved their fourth down when they crafted 15 pounds of my personal favorite, cranberry sauce. For the touchdown they roasted 140 pounds of turkey that was served across three divisions. We love our AC lunch ladies and want to give them a shoutout for their Superbowllevel effort!•
AN AC THANKGIVING IN PHOTOS
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BAM! Resisting Dystopia in the Information Age VINCENT BISSONETTE
Tech benefits us. It helps us share information, express political ideas, and connect with others. But it also makes our movements trackable, our privacy vulnerable. Maybe we’re okay with the tradeoff, but there’s something unstable about it, too. Cory Doctorow’s 2010 novel, Little Brother, imagines how a terrorist attack might upset this balance, leading the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to use technology to increase surveillance and take away liberties. Readers may hear an echo of George Orwell’s 1984 in Doctorow’s title, but instead of the Stalinesque dictator Big Brother, we have DHS as a Little Brother – who really just wants to keep us safe. And in place of Winston Smith, Orwell’s hapless protagonist, we have Marcus (username: “w1n5t0n”), a geeky, brilliant, and rebellious high school student. At the start of Little Brother, Marcus is figuring out how to avoid school security so that he and his friends can head downtown to play a game something like Pokémon GO. When the Bay Bridge is blown up, however, they end up in the middle of a city under lockdown, and Marcus is arrested and detained by DHS. It’s not clear that DHS ever thinks he is a real suspect, but Marcus is arrogant and the DHS officers are on a power trip, so he is not only detained but given an extra dose of humiliation. Eventually, they let him go, warning him not to tell anyone what happened. He is released into a frightened San Francisco that is ready to sacrifice civil liberties in the name of security. From there, the novel basically charts how Marcus finds ways to evade DHS surveillance and even sabotage their systems, almost all involving his technological ingenuity. Along the way, Doctorow explains concepts like cryptology, RFID scanners, and Bayesian analysis. These explanations are accessible and engaging, and they show how much mathematics and computer science permeate our daily lives in often invisible, consequential, sometimes sinister ways. That said, Little Brother is not anti-technology. Doctorow is certainly wary of how the government and corporations can exploit technology, but he also advocates for digital rights and believes in the utopian potential of the internet and other technology. Marcus is able to fight back because of his technological prowess. Little Brother also operates on psychological and ethical levels. Marcus’s experience of being detained wounds him. And keeping the secret from his friends damages relationships and his mental health. Eventually, he does let others know what happened to him, partly to enlist them in the fight against DHS. But is this guerrilla campaign ethically justified or is it just a personal vendetta? Can a privileged kid who delights in the anarchic exploitation of technology become a defender of essential civil liberties? Unlike 1984, Little Brother shows less what life is like in a totalitarian society and more how a free society might slip into totalitarianism (or the “junior” version of it), and it inspires the reader with a smart but ordinary kid who fights back.•
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Grinch FAceOff Since the release of the book How The Grinch Stole Christmas parents and children alike have fawned over the replusive green creature that is the Grinch. The popularity of the book led to the production of the How The Grinch Stole Christmas as a TV special in 1996. Later a live-action film was released with famous actor Jim Carrey as the Grinch and in 2018 Benedict Cumberbatch took on the role in an animated film. But what movie does the Allendale Columbia community love most? Three members of the howler staff weigh in.
1966 How the Grinch Stole Christmas! ( Animated)
There are so many iconic moments in the original The Grinch movie. From the Dr. Suess style animation to the two curling expressions that The Grinch makes as he first thinks of his evil plot (complete with the curling of his hair). First, let’s talk about the animation. The cartoon was filmed at 24 frames per second, and the animators had to create more than 17,000 drawings to finish the entirety of the cartoon. Additionally, I love that the animators stayed true to the Dr. Seuss style of drawing as it makes the movie feel true to the storybook and allows for exaggerated animation. Secondly, let’s talk about screenwriting. In the film, the narrator rhymes and even at times uses quotations directly from the book. I love this as it feels original to the book. Thirdly let’s talk about the all-star team behind this movie. The Grinch and narration was done by Boris Karloff. The entirety of the score was written by Tony Award winner Albert Hague, with Thurl Ravenscroft (also known for his role as Tony the Tiger) singing “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch.” Beyond the content of the film, one must consider that the film tells a complete story in only 26 minutes, striking the balance of storytelling Written by James Thornburg and keeping children entertained perfectly.
2 0 0 0 H o w t h e G rin c h Stole C h ristmas (liv e-action) The 2000 version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas is clearly the best Grinch movie. Cartoons and animations are cute, but let’s be real, the Grinch is not supposed to be cute. He is a miserable character who prides himself in scaring the Whos in Whoville; what better actor to scare people than Jim Carrey? Carrey really brought the Grinch to life and legitimized him and his story. The 2018 Grinch is a much more simplified version of the story, as it does not portray the depth and complexity of the Grinch’s life. Rejection turns his heart “three sizes too small,” a simple but crucial aspect of the storyline. A cartoon character, such as the one portrayed in Benedict Cumberbatch’s rendition, does not properly demonstrate the Written by Aryana Saedi contrast necessary to support the message of envy vs. kindness.
2 0 1 8 T h e Gr i n c h ( an imat e d ) I believe that the Animated Illumination version of the Grinch is superior to all other Grinch movies. Here is why. First, the soundtrack is the bomb. It features “You’re a Mean One” and “I am the Grinch” both by Tyler the Creator. There are some serious bops on that album, and I very much enjoy driving around and listening to the tracks. Second, the characters in this Grinch movie, particularly the supporting characters are very well-developed. Written by Amy Oliveri
T he Re s u lt s The results are in! Overwhelmingly the AC community perfers the 1996 Grinch animated TV special. A couple things to note about these results are that there is non-reponse bias, which occurs when some people fail to respond to the survey. For instance since we sent the survey through email, many students will fail to respond while most teachers will respond. This can skew the data. However due the large number of responses we received this survey is pretty unbiased.•
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INSIDE THE DEN Post-Season Player Interviews ERIC ROOF
M o l l ie K l i n k b e il HAC defeated Letchworth 3 sets to 1 to take the class C2 championship. Unfortunately, HAC lost the C1 and C2 class crossover final against Attica. Q. What was your favorite game of the season? My favorite game of the season was our game against Aquinas, it really proved how strong we were as a team. It was also the game that really boosted our confidence Q. Are there any players you want to model your play after? When I am playing I am always trying to look at Zora (our setter), or Aryana (our libero) and do as they do on the court. Both girls are extremely strong and smart players. So trying to model my play after them helps with my personal performance. Q. What was your biggest goal for the season? My goal for the past season was to be a strong returning player. We had lost a lot of good players, so it was important that there were some strong returners, which ended up paying off for us in the end. As a team though, our overall goal was just to do our best and not to let other teams get in our heads just because they were out to beat us.
developed as a team there wasn’t as much of a worry anymore, which helped us win sectionals. Q. Do you have any predictions/goals for next season? Next season will be my senior year, so honestly, I am just hoping to make the best of it. My personal goal would be to help get my team to becoming 3-time sectional champions.•
EliE Swan Our own HAC Wolves girls tennis team made it to the NYSPHSAA Team Championship Tournament at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Semifinals and unfortunately lost, which ended their season at 14-1. Q. What was it like playing in such a historic environment? It felt very rewarding to be given the opportunity to play at states, and in this historical moment for HAC. Q. What was your favorite part about being at the championship tournament? My favorite part about being at the championship tournament was being with
my team. This experience allowed us to bond, and become closer as a team all together. I also enjoyed supporting my other teammates as they played in Q. What is your favorite thing about playing volleyball? Volleyball is a sport that really relies on teamwork, and that’s something I such a big event. really like about it. No matter what, there is always someone there to push me to be a better player, and it is easier to work to be better because I know Q. What are you looking forward to the most next season? I have a team I need to support. Which compared to an individual sport is I’m looking forward to continuing my tennis career, especially since it will be my senior year. I have gotten very close with my team and coaches as extremely helpful. well, so I am excited to spend more time with them and play more tennis. • Q. What was the most challenging part of your season? I think the most challenging part of the season was just realizing that there was a chance we weren’t going to make it as far as we did in the year prior, which at the start was hard to come to terms with. However, once we really
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Indoor Track ERIC ROOF
JACK B O GU E Q.What are you most excited about this season? I am most excited about the track meets and seeing how the team and I improve throughout the season. Q. What are your favorite events? My favorite events on the indoor track are the 300-meter race and some of the relay races. Q. Are there any track athletes you look up to and model after? I look up to my coaches. Q. What is a goal you are looking to accomplish this season? I am looking to get new personal records in my races. •
Photo by Lysander Yuen on Unsplash
hOLIDAY BREAKFAST Boasts new Look ARYANA SAEDI and EVELYN KACPRZYNSKI
We are excited to announce that this Holiday Breakfast will include an array of speakers from our community, who will each share a little bit about their traditions and celebrations during this time of year! It is a chance to learn a bit about someone else’s culture and what it means to them. In this year’s theme of bells, each of our speakers will share a bell from their celebrations: Hanukkah, Photo by Elena Leya on Unsplash Diwali, Yalda, Las Posadas, Enzo Mano, and Christmas. Holiday Breakfast will take place on Friday, December 15th, from 8:30-10 in the morning! •
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Granparents and Special Friends Day In pictures
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BOWSER MAKES BIG SPLASH IN SCIENCE WING JAMES THORNBURG
Welcome to the community, Bowser! Named after the iconic king of the Koopas, who first appearead in Super Mario Bros. (1995), the small brown and beige lizard is in Mr. Godkins. Bowser can often be seen sitting under his heat lamp, munching on insects and attempting to understand what photosynthesis is all about. Photo of Browser sitting on a fake log in his encloser and While he is no thinking deep thoughts replacment for the one and only Falkor, he is a welcome edition to the collection of pets the science wing boasts.
NOthing Medicore about Midsummer!
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Trunk or TreaT Treasured by All! JAMES THORNBURG
On October 21st the second annual trunk or treat at AC took place in the parking lot. Additionally this year attendees were able to walk along a portion of the nature trail that was decorated in a spooky fashion. M r s . Barret writes “Despite the wind and light rain, we ended up with 18 cars in our contest and over 120 attendees. The addition of the nature trail was well received and families were also treated to some spooky story time in our STEM Commons by our AC3’s and Pre-K teachers. Apple cider and pumpkin donuts and apple cider were enjoyed by all and the costumes were out in full force!”•
Beyond casting, the costume design was absolutely superb, which helped the audience distinguish which character JAMES THORNBURG each actor was playing at the time. While many of the custom pieces were A Midsummer Night’s Dream performed by five middle school simply from the costume closet, students was absolutely superb. While one might some pieces were made out of think that having only five actors would make it cardboard by Mx. Oliveri’s middle hard to tell a compelling story, they would be school art class. wrong. Each actor transformed into their roles Overall a superbly well-done so completely that every character felt unique show that everyone involved and different. The cast also had great chemistry, should be proud of.• producing some laugh-out-loud funny moments with the use of wordplay and acting.
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HOWLARIOUS ALL PUZZLES CREATED BY JAMES THORNBURG
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ACADEMIC DANCING WEAPON 1. All Hallows Eve STUDENT BACKPACKING 6. _____ Dinner TEACHER ALLENDALE MAY TERM 7. What your grandmother SPAGHETTI FRIENDS does to make you that itchy sweater ICE CREAM CULTURE ACTIVITY CHICKEN 8. All the _____ were hung by the COLUMBIA chimney with care HIKING YEARBOOK
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Where’s the snow, Rochester? EVELYN KACPRZYNSKI
Most of us enjoy snow, especially around this time of year. I mean, really, what’s winter without snow? If it’s going to be cold, I’m sure many of us could agree that it would be nice to see branches adorned, Bristol open for skiing or snowboarding, or the quintessential “White Christmas” that every celebrant “dreams of.” Those indoorsy people can take enjoyment in the scenery matching up with their aesthetically pleasing Pinterest boards. Even if you’re one of those self-identified grinches that dislikes snow, you can’t deny that it’s nice for all the children who want to make snow angels or feel bad that the spoon they placed under their pillow to get a snow day did them no good because global warming came and ruined their childhoods. And if you still can’t Photo by Yassine Khalfalli agree that snow is cool, I suggest you leave Rochester and move to some other town. I wish I could say that the lack of snowfall didn’t correspond with the steadily increasing warming planet that’s probably going to screw us all over, but unfortunately, the only option here is to accept reality (unless you want to remain delusional). Historically, Rochester gets an average of 94.1 inches of snow per year, which we haven’t reached since 2018’s winter.
“Last year, Rochester had only seen 17.9 inches of snow by the beginning of February, the lowest ever recorded. Let that sink in.” Winter is the fastest warming season for the majority of the United States, and the number of days with temperatures below freezing is expected to decline, as you could probably infer, in the upcoming years. Since 1970, winter around the Pacific Northwest has warmed by around one degree, southern California has warmed by two degrees, parts of the Midwest and East Coast have warmed by up to five degrees, and areas of New York, Vermont, and Minnesota have experienced warming of about seven degrees. Winters are anticipated to become characterized by milder, more rainy conditions, as we continue to experience the advancing effects of climate change. Snowfall occurs during periods of precipitation when temperatures are below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. If snow accumulates and subsequent temperatures remain relatively close to or below freezing in the following weeks, the snow will endure without melting. In other words, the yearly amount of snowfall might not change, but whether or not that snow stays on the ground, will. Here is a graph showing the number of days below freezing (32˚) in Central Park, New York City, from the years 1869 to 2022. Although I included the R^2 value like a true scientist, you don’t have to be scientifically gifted to see the decreasing trend line. We should keep El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) in mind when looking at weather patterns. Changes in interactions between the ocean and atmosphere are the cause of environmental phenomenons, El Niño and La Niña. An El Niño period occurs when the surface water of the equatorial Pacific Ocean increases in temperature, and the wind speed weakens. La Niña occurs in the opposite case, when the Pacific Ocean decreases in temperature, and wind speed increases in strength. The term is Spanish for “The Child,” which references Jesus, whose birth is celebrated on Christmas Day--near the time when the
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warming of the waters is often noticed. For El Nino, the “temperatures in the northern U.S. are usually warmer and drier than average, and the southern parts of the continental U.S. are usually cooler and wetter” (USGS). We are expected to remain in the El Nino period until June of 2024, which could help explain the lack of snowfall we have experienced over the past few years. Although these ENSO phenomena contribute to the climate patterns, the culprit for our scarce winters is most certainly global warming. All we can do is go vegan, buy a solar panel roof, or become best friends with Greta Thunberg to make some sort of an impact on snowfall. I don’t know about you, but I’m hoping Artificial Intelligence will help us fix this one. I mean, at least AI is actually “motivated” in taking steps to solve a crisis, while we still can’t decide if recycling bins should be blue or green. Maybe if we programmed the human race to care as much about climate change as we do Facebook, we’d be in a better situation right now. I suppose if we all put a white crayon in the freezer we’ll get a snow day though, right? Or maybe Allendale Columbia should just give us a snow day for our mental health. •
AC Halloween In pictures
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Thankful and TRansgender JAMES THORNBURG
In a world that constantly demonizes my transgender identity through all kinds of media, it can be hard to feel positive about being transgender. I’ve had “friends” deny my transition was real or accuse me of only wanting to transition due to social media trends. Despite the negativity that my transition has brought into my life it has also made me a better person. Being transgender has taught me to stand up for myself Before I transitioned I was afraid to say anything contradictory or even take up safety. I bottled up my emotions and used them in unproductive manners. When I began socially transitioning I learned to speak up when I needed something said again in class, to push against disrespectful behavior, and to say my own opinion. Being transgender has allowed me to break free of expectations I used to not do things because I was worried they would be labeled as cringe or stupid by my peers. However after my transition, many of the things I did were automatically deemed cringe due to be transgender identity, so I began to participate in activities and clubs that I previously would have steered clear of. Being transgender has helped me become a leader As someone who is openly transgender and willing to talk to others about my identity, I see it as my duty to be a pillar of support for fellow LGBTQIA+ people in my community as well as LGBQIA+ people everywhere. Being transgender has allowed me a unique perspective I was raised a girl so I have a unique perspective on many “women’s issues” that I’ve lived through. I get to see the world through two sets of eyes: the point of view of the gender I was born as and that of the one I indentify with. Being transgender has allowed me to love myself I often feel lost alone in a world that medicalizes and in some cases outright condemns everything about my body and mind. There is no beauty standard or right for me to exist so I must create my own validation from within myself because no one else is going to do it for me. •
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Classifieds Jan 4th
ANSWER KEYS
MASTHEAD COPYRIGHT DECEMBER 14, 2023 PUBLISHER ALLENDALE COLUMBIA SCHOOL EMAIL thehowler@allendalecolumbia.org
STAFF Evelyn Kacprzynski, James Thornburg, Eric Roof, Marina Ellmaker, Caitlin Swartz, Mackenzie Opira, Kexin Cai CONTRIBUTORS Amanda Meldrum, Vincent Bissonette, Patrick Cussano
COPYEDITORS Vincent Bissonette DIRECTOR Amy Oliveri LAYOUT James Thornburg