1
The
Brewster Browser
April 23, 2021 Wolfeboro, NH
The Rise in Anti-Asian Racism in The United States
by Kaeli Bennett ’21
It’s no secret that the Covid-19 disease and subsequent pandemic has impacted the United States (and the world) in a variety of ways. One negative effect has been the rapid increase in anti-Asian racism during the past year. It has become an even larger problem in the United States than it was prior to March 2020; the NYPD reported that New York City experienced a 1,900% increase in hate crimes fueled by anti-Asian motives throughout the year. Why is this happening, and what can be done to shut down this new rise in anti-Asian sentiment in our country? Now, the origin of a virus alone does not condone racism against a group of people, especially when that group is white/European. Some diseases that have originated from white people that have NOT resulted in a rise in racism and hate crimes include: Smallpox, Cholera, and Scarlet Fever. Smallpox actually greatly affected indigenous peoples of North America when the area was being colonized by white settlers who brought the disease to the continent.
Racism, as defined by Merriam-Webster Dictionary, includes, “The systemic oppression of a racial group to the social, economic, and political advantage of another.” Any assumptions and stereotypes about white people are considered racial prejudice, not racism. Any racial prejudice white people experience cannot be considered racism because it does not include the systemic connection to power that discrimination against BIPOC does. So, the Coronavirus was first discovered in 2019 in Wuhan, China, and the outbreak stemmed from the country. Why did the U.S. decide to play the blame game here, when it wasn’t played against them in the past? This double standard demonstrates racism clearly; Asians are a minority in the U.S. and they are an oppressed group. Asians, in the U.S. after WWII, began to be referred to as the “model minority,” a concept that is racist on multiple levels, but that consideration seems to have faded out in the wake of the Covid-19 crisis. In April 2020, only a month after the start of United States lockdowns, Asian Americans were
April Interim Studies
Volume 43 Issue 4
Brewster Students Learn Outside the Box
Zoe Schwartz ’22 sorts through the freshest pen of compost to get to the layer under the solid materials and remove the composted material to a different pen. Zoe attended a yoga and agricultural retreat at Bethel Farm in Hillsborough, NH for her Interim Studies experience this April. photo by Mrs. Amy Hill
Photo found on Kalw.org depicts Chinatown residents in San Francisco protesting against racism in early 2020.
Anti-white racism, in fact, does not exist. European persons who are not part of other minority groups (racially, sexuality-wise, gender-wise, religiously, ethnically, etc.) are not and have never been oppressed or discriminated against systemically.
experiencing around 100 (reported) cases per day of anti-Asian actions. On Tuesday, March 16, 2021, the spread of Anti-Asian sentiment was propelled into the media spotlight. A man, Robert E. Long, shot and murdered cont. on pg. 6
Kaeli Bennett ’21, Elisha Grace-King ’23 and Alex Daigneault ’24 work on their paintings for The Joy of Painting with Bob Ross Interim Studies, held in the Pinckney Boathouse. See page 3 for more photos. photo by Ms. Marta Carreno
In Memoriam: Maya James See Page 2.
2
Editorial/Opinion
Page 2 Love and Eulogies:
April 23, 2021
How Thank U Next Succeeds Where 4 Your Eyez Only Fails by Hunter DiVirgilio ’21
The online music community is full of heated debates. There are the classics: Jay Z versus Kanye, Biggie versus 2Pac, To Pimp A Butterfly versus My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy— these debates make logical sense, as these artists and albums are comparable in style, concept, and genre. Sometimes, the arguments can get a bit nonsensical: things like Kero Kero Bonito versus Death Grips, or, my personal favorite, Playboi Carti versus Beethoven— debates which make almost no logical sense, due to the extreme contrast in genre, style, sound, and even era. But then there’s the oddball questions that, though strange at first glance, are deceptively rational. A prime example here, is the question of J. Cole versus Ariana Grande. Cole and Ari are rarely ever put into the same conversation. They’ve never collaborated, they exist in separate genres, and the topics their albums cover are wildly different… except for in one case. In a way, Thank You Next and 4 Your Eyez Only are practically the same concept: Following the death of a close friend, the artist decides to make an album, sorting through their grief and honoring their memory. In addition, much of the album’s mid-section explores the artists’ own struggles with fame and toxic relationships. The main difference, though? By nearly every measure, Ariana Grande just does it better. Thank You Next sequences its tracklist into this general throughline: reminiscing on what could have been, then toxic coping, then full grief, then self-understanding, and finally finishing with self-empowerment. 4 Your Eyez Only simply lacks this level of
coherency in its narrative. Cole jumps from suicidal thoughts, to celebration, to somber reflection, to his love-life, to more reflection, to more love-life, and then finally finishing with a eulogy-type story-telling track. J. Cole repeatedly takes these seemingly random detours, detracting from what should be a heartfelt memorial. When getting into the individual songs, there’s a clear winner with the intros. J. Cole’s “For Whom The Bell Tolls” is a somber, heartfelt, entrypoint into his grief, suicidal thoughts, and general pain. It’s a beautiful track. But Ariana Grande’s “Imagine” blows it out of the water. Sonically, J. Cole’s minimalist approach just doesn’t hold up to Ariana’s masterful production. But more importantly, “Imagine” just fits so much more seamlessly into the album’s narrative. It sets up the record by painting a picture of what could have been. The listeners can instantly empathize as they, themselves, get a taste of Ari and Mac’s relationship, only for it to be torn away immediately after. “For Whom The Bell Tolls” is in no way a bad track— in fact, it’s probably top 3 on the album. But in the context of the rest of the tracklist, it feels out-of-place. But what about the relationship side of things? Well… the gap in quality is only made all the more apparent here. “She’s Mine” parts one and two, although a beautiful pair of songs, are pretty simple and don’t explore much. The real issue lies in the now infamous “Folding Clothes”. There is just so much wrong with the song as a concept. The basic message is: “I was a bad boy but after finding you, girl, I’m so good… I even fold laundry.” Even worse still, he places the track at the climax of the
album— or at least where the emotional climax should be. The infamy of this song, however, is due to the laughably awkward line: “Raisin Bran in my bowl / With bananas and some almond milk / I never thought I’d see the day / I’m drinking almond milk.” He rhymed “almond milk” with “almond milk.” At the climax of what is supposed to be a eulogy-album, he’s describing his breakfast. The song is tone deaf, odd, and unintentionally humorous. Ariana Grande places a very different kind of song in the penultimate section of her album. In the same spot that J. Cole placed the breakfast song, Ariana Grande put the gut-wrenching song, “Ghosting.” The instrumental is a warped and distorted sample of Mac Miller’s “2009.” By doing so, she places his memory into the fabric of the song, itself. The song is all about the guilt she feels for Pete Davidson (her fianceé prior to the album), as she struggles to get over mac miller. It perfectly balances Thank You Next’s dual-purpose of selfreflection and memorial. Finally, there’s the outros. J. Cole finishes with the title track, “4 Your Eyez Only”. It’s without a doubt one of the best story-telling songs in all of rap. It is everything the album should have been. He tells the story of his friend and the man he was. Then he goes into his death, and finishes with words of wisdom to his late friend’s daughter— advice “for her eyes only”. The issue lies not within the song, itself, but with everything prior. The emotional and conceptual weight of the entire album falls almost totally onto the final song. It leaves the album feeling awkward and bottom-heavy. Ariana finishes with the far less
In Memoriam: Maya James It is with a heavy heart we inform you of the passing of Ms. Maya Jerri James. Maya (born Nov 16, 2005) was a 15-year-old full of love and spunk, who experienced the disabilities of Down syndrome and autism. Maya passed away on April 6th in Hanover, NH, surrounded by the love of her family. Maya never met a dog she didn’t love and that didn’t love her right back. She loved splashing in the lake and riding her bike on the local trails. Maya had a spirited love for music and videos. While Maya had challenges both physical and cognitive, she brought an admirable perseverance and good attitude. She overcame so much in her short lifetime. Maya brought love and joy into the lives of all who knew her. Her smile melted hearts everywhere. Her hugs were legendary; they were strong and always with a pat on your
back. Her loss will be felt deeply by her school, Kingswood Regional Middle School, the local community, friends, and most of all her family. Maya is survived by her twin brother Marvell, sister Mary, mother Emily, and father Martin. She is additionally survived by her aunt Kate Shaffar, uncle Tal Shaffar, and her cousins Jeremy and Ari. Our love and prayers go out to them. The family will hold a service during the summer in one of her favorite places by the beach. The Brewster and Kingswood communities will gather on Thursday, April 22 to celebrate Maya's life as well. In the meantime, if you would like to offer your condolences and special memories of Maya by email, please send them to Carrie Duran at carriemartinduran@gmail. com. Carrie is collecting memories for the family. If you would like to send
photo by Ms. Maria Found
the family a card through the mail their address is: James Family, 10 Estabrook Drive, Wolfeboro, NH 03894
emotional, “Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored.” The song is nothing special, but it works perfectly as a closer. The “girlfriend” she is referencing is actually herself. She’s telling people to leave her alone so she can focus on herself, and she does so with an attitude that feels triumphant.
The Brewster Browser Brewster Academy Wolfeboro, New Hampshire
Managing Editor: Kaeli Bennett ’21 Features Editor: Sydney Caldwell ’21 Nameplate art: Shemar Joseph ’19 Staff members: Hiba Al-Nabhani ’22 Hunter DiVirgilio ’21 Lila Glanville ’22 Tony Gleason ’21 Julia Golden ’22 Mitch McQuillan ’22 John Northrop ’24 Kate Zdunczyk ’22 Faculty Advisor: Jennifer Metcalfe Dumont From the Editors: The Browser is a student publication, written, edited and proofread by the students under the direction of the faculty advisor. The authors and editors take full responsibility for any errors in spelling, punctuation and grammar that may occur. THE BROWSER IS UNDERWRITTEN IN PART BY THE JON KONHEIM JOURNALISM AWARD.
3
News
April 23, 2021
page 3
Brewster Trustee James Curvey Publishes an Autobiography by Hiba Yahya Al-Nabhani ’22
Mr James Curvey is the chairman of the Brewster Academy Board of Trustees. He has been very involved in the Brewster community since 2008 when he donated lakefront property in Alton to the school and established the Curvey Scholar program. The Curvey Scholar program financially supports three incoming freshmen students from the local community to attend Brewster each year. Mr. Curvey visits his scholars with his wife Mrs. Shirley Curvey two times a year, one at the start of the academic year and the other at the end. “I like to check on them, discover what they’re learning, and perhaps impart a few of my own lessons as well, just as I do at Villanova,” said Mr. Curvey. “Many people give money away to various things which are important. But I like to donate to something where I could be personally involved in. So it is not a matter of just giving money away but it’s my time, my interest, and having the opportunity to be personally connected in the donation. And both Villanova and Brewster provided that opportunity. So I am still very much involved with the programs at Brewster and at Villanova and that is very rewarding for me.” Mr. Curvey is a great supporter of learning through travelling so not only do the Brewster and Villanova students get a scholarship but they get the chance every summer to plan a trip and learn
new things. Villanova students are allowed to travel anywhere in the world, whereas the Curvey scholars in Brewster travel in Canada and the United States. Mr Curvey grew up in a coal mining town in the state of Pennsylvania. His father started working in the coal mines at the age of 12 to provide for his family. Tragically, Mr Curvey’s father passed away when he was young in a car crash. After Mr. Curvey finished high school, he said that his mother told him: “You’re not going to lay around here like an old hound. You can either go in the Army, get a job, or go to college.” Before Mr. Charles Curvey (Mr. James Curvey’s father) passed away he had invested in a coal mine which left Mr. Curvey with a small amount of money to attend Villanova University. Throughout his college and high school years, Mr. Curvey always occupied himself with summer jobs to learn more. “I went down to Atlantic City and worked as a waiter part time for the summer,” said Mr. Curvey. “I couldn’t get a job as a waiter, but I had a friend who worked in a theatre. I got an interview at this theatre, and although I didn’t have any experience they thought that I was a nice kid so I got the job. “And at the big theatre the assistant manager leaves so the manager of my current job said Jim they want you to go up there,” he continued. “I said I do not want to go. I am happy. I really like
April Interim Studies
Brewster Students Learn Outside the Box
(above) During the Paddling Voyage Interim Studies experience, Leire Gorrochategui Garitaonandia ’23, Shannon O'Connor ’23, Ana Reynolds ’23, and Kayla Holtz ’23 work to set up their tents, which they slept in for three days. photo by Ms. Cailey Mastrangelo (right) Bobby Wingard ’22 shows off his catch while fishing in a local lake with Mr. Martin and Mr. Skelley for his Interim Studies experience. photo by Mr. Byron Martin
Mr. James Curvey (behind and to the right of Mr. Gemmell) attending a reception held for the Curvey scholars last fall.
working for you but the manager said I have to go. So then I went to the fifth largest theatre in America and I am the assistant manager. I knew nothing and I did it for two or three years. I learned so much as a young guy. I learned how to manage. Every night after I counted the receipts. I sent them to Jack Warner [of Warner,Brothers fame] in LA and I was 19 years old. This turned out to be more of a training job on how to manage rather than just a summer job.” During college Mr. Curvey struggled with academics. He felt that he was not
well prepared for college because he wasn’t a dedicated student in high school. But his grades did not hinder his path nor did they determine who he would be in life. Mr. Curvey faced a lot of hardships throughout his career, from being placed into frustrating jobs to being underpaid compared to his colleagues who graduated with him. Nevertheless, Mr. Curvey’s family support, perseverance, willingness to accept change, and learn, led him to places he that he couldn't reach. cont. on pg. 5
4
News
Page 4 Unhealthy Habits
April 23, 2021
Eating Disorders Affect Adolescent Health by Julia Golden ’22
When you think of the words unhealthy habits, you think of things like drugs or alcohol. For some people, when they think of the words unhealthy habits, they think of eating. Eating disorders are a severe, life-threatening p ro b l e m . O f t h e p e rc e n t a g e o f adolescents with eating disorders, males make up 10-15% of the population, but they often don’t seek the help they need due to stereotypes. We usually don’t realize how severe eating disorders are. Young women with anorexia are twelve times more likely to die than women of the same age that don’t have anorexia. Eating disorders and other mental illnesses are deadly diseases that are taking lives daily. There are many different types of eating disorders. One of the most common and well-known eating disorders is anorexia. This is when someone views themselves as overweight even though they are severely underweight. They will restrict themselves to certain foods, limit calorie intake, and even purge. Purging is when you forcefully get rid of the food that you eat. Anorexia is very unhealthy and can seriously affect someone’s life, and ultimately leads to death or hospitalization. Another prevalent eating disorder is bulimia. People with bulimia will often consume a large amount of food and force themselves to throw it up. Each purge episode will typically last until the person can not physically eat any longer and becomes painfully full. Bulimia can often lead to a stroke or heart attack and hospitalization. Many people with
Bulimia also experience poor oral health and have worn tooth enamel and tooth decay. The causes of eating disorders are mostly psychologically induced. The psychological conditions often lead to unhealthy eating habits. Eating disorders are also genetic. These unhealthy eating habits can lead to severe health conditions and, if not treated, death. Many people around us have eating disorders, and we don’t even know about them. Demi Lovato is one example of a person who suffered from an eating disorder and is very open about it. In many interviews, Lovato talks about how she’s tired of running herself into the ground with workouts and extreme dieting. She recently sat down for an interview with plus-sized model and You Tuber Ashley Graham. “Living this kind of lie trying to tell the world I was happy with myself when I really wasn’t,” Lovato said. Lovato teaches us that the pain and recovery process of eating disorders isn’t simple, but healing and improvement are still possible. One thing that Lovato says that many people with eating disorders can relate to is, “It’s exhausting. Like, I get envious towards people that don’t struggle with an eating disorder just because I feel like my life would be so much easier.” Demi Lovato isn’t the only celebrity who suffers from an eating disorder. Hillary Duff said she suffered from one when she was only 17 years old and only weighed 98 pounds. Elton John is another celebrity who has come out and
said for six years that he was bulimic. It’s not just women who suffer from eating disorders. Zayn Malik from One Direction has openly spoken about the struggles with his eating disorder. One in every four children diagnosed with anorexia nervosa is a boy. Although it is more common for a female to have an eating disorder, it is still very possible for a male to have one. However, celebrities and models aren’t the only people who struggle with eating disorders. Many teens struggle with these disorders, even students here at Brewster. An interview with an anonymous person at Brewster Academy talked about their struggles with eating disorders and how it controls their everyday life. “We don’t want to give food the power to control us, but it controls our every thought.”
Graduation Countdown (as of March 21st)
Compiled by Kaeli Bennett ’21
Seniors/Post Graduates ’21: 37 days Juniors ’22: 402 days Sophomores ’23: 767 days Freshmen ’24: 1,132 days
“The calculator in my head just never stops.” said another student. These student’s names are being withheld to protect privacy. Something that people with eating disorders do is constantly think about their body image, their weight, and what they eat. What doesn’t help is when someone says, “I think you look great. You’re not fat.” It doesn’t matter what you think of others; it matters what they think of themselves and how they feel when they consume food into their bodies. Nobody cares what others think of them; people care about what they think of themselves, not anyones opinion. “I couldn’t care less if someone thinks I’m thin. I don’t feel thin,” said another anonymous student. Psychologists say that eating disorders are challenging to cure because there is no medication to help with them. Out of all the psychiatric disorders, eating disorders have the highest mortality rate. This means that coping with an eating disorder is a hard thing to do. Rather than keeping track of weight, the most important thing that dietitians say to do is to practice body acceptance rather than body positivity. When you have a negative thought, don’t tell yourself, “no, you’re so pretty, your body is amazing, you’re perfect.” Because when you tell yourself you’re beautiful and perfect, you often don’t believe that. Instead, you should say, “You’re healthy, and I accept you.” If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, there is a counseling office and a nutritionist that you should reach out to to seek advice and help. Additionally, if you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, you can go to nationaleatingdisorder.com or call (800-931-2237).
5 April 23, 2021
Syrian Civil War: A Summary
by John Northrop ’24
Presidents Obama, Trump, and Biden have one thing in common, regardless of political motivation: a continuation of United States involvement in the Syrian Civil War. On February 25th, 2021, the United States Military retaliated against Iranianbacked militias with an airstrike. These attacks marked the first military action carried out by the Biden administration. The airstrike was in retaliation for a rocket strike that killed a Filipino contractor and wounded six others. Given these recent events, it would be wise to review a brief history of the conflict. In recent years Syria has become a significant piece in the geopolitical playground and has received massive media attention. How did a government crackdown on protests in the Arab Winter and the resurgence of authoritarianism in the Middle East turn into a considerable struggle between religious extremists, worldwide superpowers, and several regional powers? Let’s start with the Arab Spring, a major uprising against the authoritarian governments of the Arab world. Syria had massive protests demanding a reevaluation of the country’s government, currently under President Bashar Assad. On March 11th, 2011, the government response was harsh, resulting in several civilian casualties. Soon the protests turned to riots and slowly devolved into fierce fighting between the Assad regime and the Syrian Democratic Army. By July, government forces started defecting, bolstering the democratic forces. At this point, Syria had fallen into chaos, with an armed insurgency rising against the government. Several peace attempts were made, but all failed, and the fighting got worse and more barbaric. Assad had allowed extremists to join the rebellion to make it harder for foreign backers to support them. Al-Qaeda, the Islamic extremist group, formed a local branch to participate in the war. Around this time, the Kurds, an ethnic group residing in the Northeast portions of Syria, took up arms to fight against the regime. On July 1st Assad vowed to crush the uprising, and by April 2012, several different groups are engaging in conflicts for various reasons. Some for freedom, others for the establishment of a new religious government. During this time, Iran, the most prominent foreign backer of the Syrian government, intervenes on the Syrians’ behalf, and supplies came from Iraq daily. The oil-rich Arab states, namely Saudi Arabia, started supporting the Rebel side by sending weapons through Turkey to counter Iranian influence. Hezbollah, an Iranian-supported Lebanese militia
News
group, invaded on the side Assad to step up Iranian influence. This, in turn, prompted the Arab states to amp up the export of weapons to the Rebels, this time through Jordan. The Syrian government, following these developments, began using chemical weapons on civilian and military targets. The United States government planned on carrying out a military strike, seeing this as a national security risk. The US was stopped only when the Russian Federation proposed Assad surrender of said weapons to the international community. This established the Syrian Civil War as a conflict of great powers, the Russians backing Assad and the US supporting the Rebels. However, this did not stop CIA trainers from arriving to train the Rebel forces, marking official United States involvement in the war. Then the war changed when the extremist faction broke apart due to infighting. In 2013 a portion of Al-Qaeda separated and called itself the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS). They begin fighting not the government but other Rebel forces, most notably the Kurds. They announced the creation of a Caliphate, and after several crimes against humanity, the world united against them. The US began bombing ISIL merely a year after almost bombing Assad. The Pentagon also began training insurgents, only those who will fight ISIL, not Assad. However, the program soon died from a lack of support. Following this development, Turkey also began its bombing campaign; however, this one targeted Kurdish resistance instead of ISIL. This occurred even as these same Kurdish forces were fighting ISIL. Then, Russia intervened on behalf of Assad, sending military
Mr. Curvey cont. from pg. 3
One of Mr Curvey's most important life lessons is: “Always do a little bit extra. If you are asked to do 1 and 2 do 1, 2 and 3. You will stand out.” He values connections and people. “Make a lot of connections,” Mr. Curvey said. “You are never going to know which one will pay off. I do not think that I consciously went to talk to people as to what they were going to do for me, but I alway tried to learn from everybody that I knew because I had this mindset that I was from this little town and I was not as good as everybody else. I had to learn and I looked everywhere. I looked at my left, I looked at my right, and I tried to learn all the time.” He always pushed himself to do better and achieve more. “I always want to do better,” he said. “My father
page 5
A soldier stands next to the flag of the flag of the Syrian Republic. Photo courtesy of dw.com.
equipment to bases in Syria. Although the Russian government claimed to be fighting ISIL, most Russian assets were used to fight the anti-Assad insurgents. In 2016, when US President Donald Trump was elected, he promised to keep the United States out of Syria. With the insurgents lacking US support, they lost their last remaining urban center to the Syrian government. Assad resumed the use of chemical weapons on civilians, prompting the US to respond with military action. An airstrike is carried out by the US, the first time an attack was directly carried out against the Assad regime by the US government. In 2019, later in Trump’s presidency, the US military began a rapid withdrawal from certain parts of Syria to protect oil interests, and a Turkish invasion immediately followed, targeting the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria due to the heavy Kurdish population. This created an odd sensation where the Kurds and Assad allied to fight the Turkish onslaught. Eventually, Turkey would back down due to economic pressure
from sanctions and heavy casualties. Around this time, ISIL’s leader was killed in a United States special forces raid. This event was another defeat over a very long time. ISIL has become a shadow of its former self, weakened by the ongoing US offensives against them. Meanwhile, the Assad government remains powerful enough to protect itself from its enemies. The Syrian Democratic Army continues to fight for their freedom, as it had since 2011. The Syrian Civil War continues to this day. It is a geopolitical battle between several competing forces, each fighting for its own goals. American and Russians fighting to prove their dominance over the other. Local powers like Suadi Arabia and Iran battling for influence in the Middle East. Kurds struggle for independence or continued existence, and religious extremists strive to establish a new holy order. With so many parties involved, there is no end in sight. There are also backstories for the multiple micro-conflicts happening as well. This was a brief description of a highly complex conflict.
never graduated from high school; he was successful in his own way. I am the first person to go to college in my family. I set a goal for myself that whatever my father was making on an annual basis... I was going to beat it someday. So one of the motivators from the time I started working is I had a list of how much money I made and every year I kept it as a motivator for me to do better.” With that mindset he became the Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors for Fidelity Management and Research and the Chief Operating Officer and President of Fidelity. He reduced internal conflicts and spurred growth through management changes. He also increased Fidelity's assets under management by 14%, to $871 billion. Mr. Curvey’s advice to the next generation is to learn about the past as it is very crucial. “I would like the next generation to know more about history and I have this saying. ‘If you want to know where you are going you have to
know where you came from’,” says Mr. Curvey. Mr James Curvey wrote an autobiography called “OUR JIM”. The book includes his path through life from where he started to where he reached and all the life lessons he learned. The book includes very important keys to success, lifelong learnings, common sense, personal life, and career advice. Mr. Curvey has gifted this book to the Curvey Scholars attending Brewster, many of whom have taken lessons from it already. “After reading the book you will learn a different set of skills from what you are taught in school. I learned different new life skills about the workplace and how connections and hard work can make you stand out and achieve the impossible,” said Mitchell Coope ’21. If anyone is interested in reading “OUR JIM” you will find a copy in the Kenison Library.
6 Page 6
by Kate Zduncyk ’22
Girls Junior Varsity Basketball made some big moves this year in their season. On their second game, they held the New Hampton Huskies team to 6 points. Some other highlights include Abby Jarvi ‘23 making a half-court shot in practice and Malia Schmidt ‘23 being a constant high scorer. Although they only played three games, they went 2-1 and played against New Hampton and Tilton. After their first game, Coach Cailey Mastrangelo said this to her team, “Beyond excellent work today! And what do I mean by work? I mean physical play of the game, I mean adhering to and respecting COVID protocols, and I mean encouraging each other and supporting each other from the first second of warm-ups to the very last buzzer of the game. I have never smiled more coaching a group than I have with you all today. Your positive energy is truly contagious and brought our game to a whole new level. I could’ve sworn we were in a packed arena until I turned around and realized it was simply our awesome group being,
Sports
Girls' JV Basketball well, awesome!” This reporter is speaking as a player on the team, and this is all true! Everyone on the team supported each other endlessly and only gave off positive vibes. Sylvie Skibicki, ‘23, and Zoe Schwartz ‘ 23 brought the energy to every early morning practice and our bus rides. Abby Jarvi ‘23, Rylee Rizzitano ‘24, and Malia Schmidt ‘22 were the team’s star shooters and had nothing but net. Hannah Yang ‘23 and Leire Gorrochategui Garitaonandia ‘23 were called the “Lay-up Gods,” and they were. Lucy Manly ‘24, Gracie Mouradian ‘24, Ana Reynolds ‘23, and Ellery Gnazzo ‘24 are some of the nicest girls I’ve ever met and walked into practice with a great attitude that made everyone smile. Elisha-Grace King ‘23 is a natural-born leader on and off the court and leads us in our end-of-practice cheers. Our manager, Paige DeGeorge ‘22, always made us laugh and wrote down the scores in the book with style. None of this would be possible without our coach, Ms. M. She built us up and gave the best pep talks. Although the basketball season
April 23, 2021
The Girls' JV Basketball team are a closeknit group, and they worked hard this year to improve their skills and record.
is over, it was a great experience, and everyone is so grateful we got to play during the pandemic!
The Rise in Anti-Asian Racism in The United States cont. from pg. 1
eight people in three different Asianowned spas in Atlanta, GA. Six of the persons killed were Asian women. Long attempted to excuse his actions, saying that he is a sex addict and the murders he committed were in an attempt to eliminate “temptation.” So, while this hate crime was not a direct cause of Covid-19, it was Long acting upon the racist beliefs he has, specifically the fetishization of Asian women. The association of Asian women and Asian sex workers with “temptation” is a very dangerous and damaging association to make, as clearly seen on March 16. The mayor of Atlanta said in a statement, “Whatever the motivation was for this guy [Robert E. Long], we know that the majority of the victims were Asian. We also know that this is an issue that is happening across the country. It is unacceptable, it is hateful and it has to stop.” The rise in anti-Asian hate crimes prior to this shooting could have influenced Long’s decision to commit mass murder on March 16, but that is unclear at this point in time. Both before and after the Atlanta shooting, anti-Asian sentiment has spread like wildfire across the country. One of the suspected reasons for this includes former president Donald Trump’s apparent and repetitive antiAsian rhetoric. He uses derogatory,
of interracial violence, insinuating that racist phrases in reference to the there is some sort of race war between the Coronavirus, like “the China virus,” Asian American and African American “Kung flu,” among others. When a communities. Hunter DiVirgilio, who is prominent person in a position of power half Japanese, is a member of ONE and like former President Trump uses that spoke on this topic with passion. He power to convince his followers of says, “The media has tried to build upon racist ideals, he becomes dangerous. an entire history of His followers could trying to put down go around using intersectional the same language, Victims of the movements, or or even take their intersectionality meanings and Atlanta Spa Shooting within movements, implications to r a t h e r. ” H u n t e r greater extents. This believes that the is how racism, the Soon Chung Park Black and Asian real virus, spreads, Hyun Jung Grant communities should hurts, and kills. stand together in the O n We d n e s Suncha Kim fight against racism, d a y M a rc h 3 rd , Yong Ae Yue and that “driving B re w s t e r ’ s c l u b a wedge” between ONE focused on Delaina Ashley Yaun the two is nothing the topic of antiPaul Andre Michels new. He explains Asian racism in that, “It [interracial the U.S., but more Xiaojie Tan violence] is specifically on Daoyou Feng a completely how the media pits fabricated narrative, oppressed groups they [media outlets] against each other. Rest in Peace have no statistical The example used evidence to back was that of a recent up the claims, and killing in which an like always the elderly Asian man correlation of crime is just poverty.” was attacked (and consequently died) Of course, because of systemic racism by an African American man. A major in the U.S., BIPOC are impoverished media outlet clamed this was evidence
at higher rates than white people, which both directly and indirectly leads to higher crime rates. In truth, the system of racism in the U.S. is what influences crime rates within the BIPOC community that media outlets use to spread the false narratives Hunter talks about. Aiding the Asian community in the fight against racism in the U.S. is no easy task. Some ways to help include protesting, raising awareness, actively supporting Asian persons, and calling out racist, derogatory language and actions when used. Make sure to check in on your AAPI (Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders), as well as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) friends at this time. Being an ally in the fight against anti-Asian racism, as well as racism in general, is the only way to aid the U.S. in the quest for a more inclusive, safe country. Rest in Peace, Victims of the Atlanta Spa Shooting Soon Chung Park Hyun Jung Grant Suncha Kim Yong Ae Yue Delaina Ashley Yaun Paul Andre Michels Xiaojie Tan Daoyou Feng
7
Features
April 23, 2021
by Molly Ryan ’24
page 7
Does Tik Tok Affect Attention Spans?
In a survey of 26 Brewster Academy students, around 62% of them say that Tiktok has influenced their attention span to some extent. This is a recurring idea and phenomenon that has been seen on social media and news stations. Now, even teenagers are admitting that TikTok has affected their ability to be attentive. When someone is scrolling through Tiktok, and joyful, funny, or amusing things appear, the brain gets stimulated to release dopamine and serotonin. This is a pleasurable feeling, so people will keep scrolling and scrolling. Dr. Julie Albright, professor at USC, says that seeing things you like and seeing a video you don’t like has a similar system as a slot machine which is key to developing an addiction. “In psychological terms, it’s called random reinforcement…..And that’s how these platforms are designed...they’re exactly like a slot machine,” said Dr. Albright. The concept of scrolling on TikTok activates the brain’s same parts when focusing on cognitive activities like reading. This is why people can be on TikTok for hours a day, as shown in the survey. They put all of their attention on these short videos of entertainment for relatively long periods of time. For some, it is a coping mechanism.
Since the pandemic has started, depression and anxiety have come to a high point for many. Since TikTok has its built-in happy-making hormone system, those who lack those hormones may naturally rely on the app. It’s ironic, but even people on TikTok have brought up the issue. User “@kindakyle” captioned their video, “when TikTok has made your attention span so poor that you can’t watch youtube videos or Netflix anymore bc you are not getting that instant gratification that you get from this app and you also can’t study for more than 5 minutes and lose interest in conversations extremely quickly and now you basically have the mental capacity of a hamster and cant focus on one thing to save your life!! Zoo wee mama!!” Some of the comments on his posts say things like, “I can barely even watch the one-minute-long TikTok’s anymore” or “I used to be on Youtube all the time but now I get so bored most of the time and just come to Tiktok”. His claim is very plausible. When Generation Z were little kids, the most common entertainment forms were one and a half hour to 2 hour-long movies. The jump from that to the most common form of entertainment being short little videos back-to-back is enormous. When watching a movie, TV show, or YouTube
video, you are focused. However, with most TikTok videos, it doesn’t require your undivided attention to get to the point of the video. On the contrary, the Yale Journal of Biology & Medicine in 2019 had inconclusive results for if technologies affect our attention spans in any way. However, it did show that multitasking can overwhelm the brain’s attention centers. When someone is paying attention to different entertainment types at once, ex: TikTok, Instagram, Netflix, Facebook, etc., that is considered multitasking. If someone is on TikTok while the tv is on in the background, it can overwhelm the brain’s frontal lobe and make the person unable to focus at that moment.
There is still hope, because of the 26 students surveyed, 38.5% said that they are able to read for 20 minutes at a time, 26.9% said 40 minutes at a time, 30% said more than 40 minutes, and only 3.8% said less than 20 minutes. Additionally, 61.5% said that they are usually able to sit through a movie the whole time. The Yale Journal of Biology & Medicine findings are the only applicable data currently that may have a semi-answer to whether TikTok affects attention spans. Although the claim that TikTok’s short forms of entertainment are correlated with short attention spans is believable, more research is needed to find the answer.
Women’s History Month Teacher Spotlight by Kaeli Bennett ’21
To recognize this year’s women’s history month in March, the Browser Staff wanted to raise spirits and celebrate women at Brewster. What better way to do this than spotlighting one female teacher? The woman chosen to be spotlighted this March is none other than Ms. Sarah Jeanne Shimer. She is in her second year of teaching sciences here at Brewster and recently turned 27 years old. She has also served as the Community Living Parent in Spencer Hall. Ms. Shimer grew up in Richmond, Virginia, but spent her summers only 20 minutes away from Brewster ’s campus with her grandparents. After high school, Shimer attended Colby College in Waterville, Maine. After graduating from Colby, she taught at Berwick Academy in Maine, and even spent a year living in Austria, working in residential life at The American International School-Salzburg. Shimer says that, as a young woman teaching at Brewster, she feels included and respected. She recognizes that she is not the only
young female teacher here, but being in that situation can be very intimidating. At Brewster, Shimer says that this is not the case; she greatly values and enjoys working here. One way Shimer likes to assert herself is through writing. She doesn’t like being put on the spot in the moment, and likes being able to organize her thoughts and find new information for optimal accuracy. She likes sharing in small groups so that ideas are heard and considered and groups where the pace doesn’t move too fast. Some advice Shimer shared for Brewster’s female student population is, “Try to have confidence in yourself; your ideas and voice are very important, don’t let them be drowned out by louder or more assertive people in the room.” Finally, when asked about her female inspirations, Ms. Shimer responded that she looks up to her grandmothers. Both were professors with PhD degrees, an unusual feat for women at the time. They were well-respected career women who greatly valued education. Shimer says it is inspiring how they could achieve so much as the only women in their fields; they remind her to be
strong and independent. Ms. Shimer’s paternal grandmother wanted a PhD in chemistry, but wasn’t allowed to because of her gender. She instead became a professor of home economics, a career more socially acceptable for women at the time but that employed chemistry concepts. Ms. Shimer finds it inspiring that she is now able to teach chemistry. Her maternal grandmother
inspired both her daughter and granddaughter (Ms. Shimer) as an early childhood educator. Women do great things all year, but March is the month to celebrate them and their accomplishments. Make sure to keep the spirit alive by continuing the celebration throughout the year!
8 Page 8
features
Indie Artists Gain Listeners From Tiktok by Madigan Mansour ’21
Tiktok’s influence has changed the lives of many. Indie bands and artists in particular have gained larger audiences and listeners, due to the algorithm that boosts their music, making them viral. Brewster ’s own alumni, Tai Verdes, known as Tyler Colon ’15 in his days at Brewster, rose to fame when his song “Stuck in the Middle” gained millions of likes on Tiktok, which transitioned into having over 46.6 million streams on Spotify. Additionally, record labels are now noticing the amount of talent exhibited by indie artists on the app, due to the gaining popularity of single songs. Tiktok has an immense influence over the amount of people a song may reach. Artists are achieving completely new audiences as their content makes it way onto the “For You Page”. People who may never think to listen to a particular genre are now broadening their horizons with different bands and artists from the music that is on their page day to day. The band, Mother Mother, for instance, is a Canadian indie rock band that has gained a spotlight over the past few months. Although their album, O My Heart, came out
Canadian band Mother Mother have reached more than eight million monthly Spotify listeners thanks to their growing popularity on Tiktok.
back in 2008, numerous songs from it such as Burning Pile and Hayloft, have recently gone viral on Tiktok. Said songs both have over 400k videos made under the official sound. According to the Canadian Broadcasting Company, videos with the tag, mothermother, have been viewed more than 65.5
million times, helping them to land a spot on Rolling Stones Artist 500. Since August of 2020, their listeners have gone up 183%, currently ranging around 7.7 million monthly. Driver’s License by Olivia Rodrigo is yet another prime example of Tiktok’s power. The song, released January 8th
April 23, 2021
Hall Talk
Snappery Doo Praise the Choas There's a crunch in my foot. Oh my God, 'tis eggrolls! Mrs. Dumont hates the Simpsons and loves Family Guy. I want ducky. epsilon-queer-omicron gaslight, gatekeep, earth week Who smells? It should be called a mallet-head shark. Or do you want the long version? Mr. Found isn't funny. They're not mine, they're Archer's. of this year, has made its way to almost everyone’s “For You Page”. With over 1.9M videos made with the song, Rodrigo reached numerous audiences, transitioning to the song having over 500 million streams on Spotify and 37.2 million monthly listeners. The song even became the basis of a Saturday Night Live Skit featuring Regé-Jean Page. Whether content is being used for viral Tiktok dances or memes, songs and artists are reaching ginormous audiences that they would not have without the influence of Tiktok.
Horoscopes by ViVi Specktor ’22
Aries (March 21st - April 19th) Spring will be an interesting time for you, Aries. Look forward to lots of great energy and enthusiasm! Make sure to take time for yourself to focus on your personal boundaries. You may face situations where communication needs to be present, and you may need to reflect on your core values. Taurus (April 20th - May 20th) Taurus, use this month as an opportunity to finally relax! Friendships, social circles, and team projects are going to really flourish during this time. Look forward to being rewarded for your efforts, and watch as your previous hardships fall into place. Gemini ( May 21st - June 20th ) Geminis, this spring is a great opportunity to start those projects you’ve been contemplating recently. Be prepared for lots of changes involving family life.This being said all of the change entering your life right now will be mostly good. Your financial situations will start looking up, and any social problems you’ve encountered will resolve themselves as well.
Cancer ( June 21st - July 22nd ) Cancers, you may be eager to develop something of large importance that will take some time to get right, and you’ll likely launch that project later in the year. You could also feel a bit tired and worn down because of this energy, Cancer, so above all, don’t forget to listen to your body or you could burn out. Leo ( July 23rd - August 22nd ) Leos, your outgoing personalities and sense of self makes it easy for you to make friends. Be prepared for lots of fun, adventure, and excitement coming towards you this spring. This will be a very social time for you, and you’ll be hearing from many lively and vivacious friends. You might even see that a heartfelt goal is now within reach! Virgo ( August 23rd - September 22nd) Virgos! Prepare for lots of professional momentum coming your way this spring. You will finally obtain the major power and drive to tackle all your ambitious projects and workrelated endeavors. Use this time to smash your goals and stay motivated! Libra (September 23rd - October 22nd)
This spring you will be eager to start new horizons, Libra. New responsibilities and projects will be heading your way, make sure to focus on not getting discouraged! You may see your attention drawn toward your significant other in the months ahead. Being in the perfect union will be of the utmost importance to you. Committed Libras will grow closer with their partner, while single Libras could be in luck finding someone with depth and chemistry. Scorpio ( October 23rd - November 21st ) Scorpio, for those of you in a relationship, this time could become extremely focused on your needs with your partner. For the weeks ahead, Scorpio, you could grow much closer to your significant other, exploring your deepest emotional needs. Those of you who are single, a new exciting union is coming your way, keep your eyes peeled! Sagittarius ( November 22nd December 21st ) Sagittarius, take this spring to focus on your home and family. This is a time for big decisions, and you might decide it’s time to move on from past relationships, or rekindle old ones that died out in the past. No matter what,
this is a time to find serenity with others, and with yourself. Capricorn ( December 22nd - January 19th ) Capricorns, you need to communicate! You have loved ones in your life who are not receiving what they need from you. Take some time to see things from another’s perspective. This spring will bring you lots of internal fulfillment, if you are able to be more in tune to your surroundings and others emotions. Aquarius ( January 20th - February 18th ) Aquarius, in the following weeks ahead make creativity and romance your top priorities! Those of you who are single will have an exceptional opportunity to find new love, while committed ones could use this spark to bring the butterflies back to their relationship. Pisces ( February 19th - March 20th ) Pisces, during this spring you will feel a new burst of energy overcome you. This could be slightly overwhelming, but try to take advantage of it and consider it a good thing. If you decide to embody this, it will reflect positively in all aspects of your relationships (romantic and platonic)!