Garden City Echo Summer 2022-23

Table of Contents

Editors-in-Chief

Emma Rathgeber

Elaine Wang

Cover Art

Shujin Chen

Student Spotlight (page 4)

Maria Santos, Editor

World/National News (page 7)

Daniel Butt, Editor

Maria Gaztañaga, Editor

Riya Katriyar, Editor

Emma Rathgeber, Editor-in-Chief

Community/School News (page 18)

Julia D'Aloisio, Editor

Ana Gaztañaga, Editor

Reviews (page 22)

Elaine Wang, Editor-in-Chief

Faculty Advisor Mr. McAuley

NOTE: The opinions expressed in the following articles do not represent the opinions of the administrative staff at GCHS, merely those of the writers themselves.

A Note From the Editors

Dear Readers,

The arrival of summer, as always, marks both beginnings and ends. The 2022-23 school year has finally run its course, and we are now headed into the summer season of warm, radiant days. Firstly, we’d like to bid a fond farewell to the Class of 2023. Congratulations! Graduation is no small feat, and we wish the best of luck to all graduating seniors. Additionally, we’d like to extend a tremendous thank you to the graduating staff of ECHO. Many of our most prolific wordsmiths and editors are leaving GCHS this year, and we could not have completed three publications a year without you all. With that said, we look forward to welcoming new staff members from all grade levels next year! And now, we are proud to present this year’s final edition of ECHO.

This issue opens with Student Spotlights on the valedictorian and salutatorian of this year’s graduating class, two exceptional students with impressive achievements. The World News section includes a wide range of topics, from the official end of the COVID-19 pandemic and the TikTok debates to developments in the fields of physics and aerospace. In Community News, we feature the annual AP Physics class’s Rube Goldberg projects, an overview of the varsity badminton season, and an interview with an outstanding ISEF finalist. Finally, the issue concludes with a diverse Reviews section, encompassing music and film.

A lot has happened these past ten months, both in school and out, but the end is finally here. Whether you’re done for the school year or still have some exams to come, we hope you will take some time to look through our Summer Edition. Enjoy!

Sincerely,

Emma Rathgeber and Elaine Wang

Valedictorian: James Vinciguerra

By Emma Rathgeber and Elaine Wang

James Vinciguerra, the valedictorian of the Class of 2023, has accomplished many great feats during his time at GCHS. As one might expect, he has received many honors for his academic greatness As a junior, he won awards for excellence in AP US History and College PLTW Engineering. As a senior, he was named National Merit Finalist for scoring among the highest in the nation on the PSAT He has also won awards for excellence in classes such as English and Living Environment If that’s not enough, James has received a gold medal on the National Spanish Exam for all four years of high school. One of his favorite academic experiences was 9th grade AP Human Geography, which sparked his interest in looking at the “big picture” to help others. Despite the pandemic’s interference, he found the class to be very interesting and rewarding to understand the world better.

On top of demonstrating academic excellence, James has been a part of many outstanding extracurricular activities, ranging from student wordddddd

government to athletics As the Class President for his freshman and sophomore years and as a part of the student council for all four years, James has extensive experience serving the community His efforts have resulted in concrete change, such as improvements to the boys’ locker room bathrooms. James remembers his four years with Student Council as enriching and reflective of his passion to help as many people as possible Additionally, James has played junior varsity and varsity football as a tight-end and long snapper, and fondly recalls winning two Long Island championships with the team Furthermore, he is the president of the Economics Club and a member of the Stock Market Club and Views of the Village Club

Finally, James advises underclassmen to always try their best “Whatever you do, whatever you’re tasked with doing…I’d say do it as best as you can, as hard as you can, even things you don't necessarily like, because you never know when it will serve you. And even if it doesn't, word

there is a sense of accomplishment that comes with just putting in a good effort ” He also stresses the importance of balancing work with relaxation to maximize performance and values time with friends and having a strong support system James looks forward to continuing his education at Villanova University, an institution he picked for its liveliness and prestigious business school. His passion for connecting with the community and helping others extends to the future, as he plans to major in economics to improve his understanding of the world as a whole to help others Congratulations, and we wish all the best to James!

Courtesy of James Vinciguerra.

Salutatorian: Maria Santos

By Emma Rathgeber and Elaine Wang

Maria Santos, the salutatorian of the Class of 2023, has left her mark on Garden City High School As a sophomore, she joined the school’s robotics club for the first time. After convincing five of her friends to join, she officially had a team. All throughout junior year, the group poured their hearts and souls into the club, sneaking into the school over breaks and staying many hours after school to finish their bot. That same year, as the club’s president, Maria led her team to win the VEX NYS Robotics Amaze Award and qualify for the VEX Robotics World Championship, making history as the first GCHS team to do so

Maria was busy with more than just robotics in her junior year: she founded the school’s SWENext Engineering Club. As president of the club, she plans and organizes various engineering projects, from building electric circuits to spaghetti bridges Engineering Club holds a special place in her heart, and she recalls the first meeting she ever held, saying, “It was everything I had imagined ”

Not only is Maria an wordddd

academic superstar, but she is an accomplished athlete as well. She has been a Varsity Track and Field and Cross Country athlete for all four years of high school, and is a Tae Kwon Do black belt and instructor Other noteworthy accomplishments Maria has under her (black) belt include: four-time National Latin Exam Gold Medalist, two-time Al Kalfus Long Island Math Fair Gold Medalist, Award for Excellence in PLTW Engineering, and the National Hispanic Recognition Award Plus, she is our very own ECHO Assistant Editor While Maria’s passion for STEM is evident in her activities outside the classroom, she has furthered her interests in the classroom as well. Her favorite high school class to date has been Honors Physics with Dr. Slater. She not only loved the many shenanigans that went on in the class, but also enjoyed learning the content itself In fact, there are many high school memories that Maria will miss, specifically the people she’s met along the way: friends, strangers in the hallway, teachers she may never see word

again But while she’s sad to say goodbye to some things, she’s very excited for what lies ahead. In December 2022, Maria found out that she had been accepted into the Massachusetts Institute of Technology– a feat that “still feels unreal.” She attended MIT’s Campus Preview Weekend and met many new friends, and is excited to make more in the fall Not only that, but she cannot wait to take advantage of all the academic opportunities MIT offers: internships, research opportunities, and study abroad programs She plans to major in Course 6-2: Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, on a pre-law track These fields first interested Maria when she took PLTW Engineering and AP Computer Science Principles in 10th grade. She drew connections between the two fields, and began to wonder about the inner workings of computers, TVs, phones, and other technologies However, she still felt a strong connection to the humanities and knew she wanted to pursue a career in law. Ever since her mother told her about the work of patent attorneys, who often have a wordd

STEM education, Maria realized that was the career she wanted.

If Maria could give one piece of advice to current high school word

students, it would be to “find something you love, whether that be an academic subject, sport, or art. Explore it as much as you can and have fun!” The word

ECHO staff are very honored to have worked with Maria for all these years and we wish her the best as she begins a new chapter at MIT this fall

Maria, third from left, poses with her robotics team in front of her award-winning robot at the VEX Robotics World Championship Courtesy of Maria Santos

Maria and her team construct a spaghetti bridge to hold the most possible weight at a Johns Hopkins summer program for high schoolers. Courtesy of Maria Santos.

Five Things You Missed This Coachella

By Hunter Maguire

On the weekends of April 14th-16th and April 21st-23rd, The Coachella Music Festival, more commonly known simply as Coachella, returned to the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California for the twenty-second time since 1999

Known for its expensive ticket prices, star-studded performances, and attendees’ eclectic outfits, this year’s festival featured 150 acts and drew hundreds of thousands of young fans. Iconic Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny, Korean girl group

BLACKPINK, and singer

Frank Ocean headlined the events Friday, Saturday, and Sunday respectively. Old favorites like Björk, Gorillaz, and Blondie made appearances in addition to upand-coming stars like Rosalía, Becky G, and the band The Murder Capital.

If you didn't attend this Coachella, here are five things you missed:

1. New, diverse faces among Coachella’s performers

In the face of long-running criticism for rampant cultural appropriation and its heavily word

white guest list, 2023’s festival featured its first ever headliners from Latin America and Asia, as well as songs in Spanish, Korean, Arabic, and Punjabi The event also promoted numerous LGBT artists, including headliner Frank Ocean, indie rock group boygenius, Kali Uchis, and Ethel Cain

2. Guest appearances by Zendaya (and more!)

During Weekend 2, Zendaya joined Euphoria collaborator Labrinth onstage for a surprise rendition of two songs off the Euphoria soundtrack, to the delight of audience members. Other guests included Post Malone, performing with Bad Bunny despite experiencing technical difficulties, Billie Eillish, also appearing alongside Labrinth, Rauw Alejandro, showing off with his fiance Rosalìa, and a smattering of other artists

3. BLACKPINK’s showstopping production

BLACKPINK’s Saturday night show drew the most attention during Weekend 1 Their impressive 18 song performance featured a drone word

light show, catwalks, flames, fireworks, and a flurry of cameras tracking each member’s every move The group first performed a number for their genredefying hit songs, before each of the four members ended with an unreleased rendition of hip-hop inspired “Money” by BLACKPINK “queen” Lisa

4. Frank Ocean’s unpopular performance

On the other hand, Frank Ocean’s closing performance during Weekend 1 failed to make good on audience members’ high expectations. Widely criticized as a “mess” and a “failure,” his show featured lip syncing, uncoordinated backup dancers, and a strangely placed DJ set. Apparently, the original performance involved ice skaters and a large rink, which was abruptly revamped after Frank Ocean injured his ankle. It’s unknown whether Ocean was planning on skating, but he was seated for most of the performance and pulled out of Weekend 2, to the disappointment and anger of fans.

5. blink-182’s replacement act

Frank Ocean’s unexpected cancellation was a blessing to blink-182 fans, who enjoyed a word

night starring “Stay Together

For the Kids,” a song not sung since 2018. This headlining performance came word

ahead of their world tour, which began on May 4th and will traverse Europe, Latin America, and Australia

An overhead shot of Coachella 2023 Courtesy of Relix

BLACKPINK's performance was accompanied by a drone show that amazed the crowd Courtesy of sfgate com

New art installations at the festival livened the scene Courtesy of designboom com

The Phantom of the Opera says Goodbye to Broadway

By Maria Gaztañaga

For the last 35 years, The Majestic Theater on Broadway has been home to The Phantom of the Opera, making it the longest-running show in Broadway history However, on April 16 of this year, the cast took its final bow as the show closed for good

The show follows a young performer, Christine, as she mourns the loss of her father while being a dancer at an opera house, and the Phantom, who haunts the very same opera house. Throughout the story, the Phantom trains Christine to be an extremely talented opera singer, which lands her the lead in the theater's opera Thus, a love triangle emerges between Christine, the Phantom and Raoul, Christine's childhood friend While all of this is going on, the Phantom orchestrates an entire scheme in order to make Christine his by instilling fear throughout the theater.

Even Broadway’s longest running show had to come to an end at some point. Ultimately, a decline in revenue played a vital role in its closure. Many speculate that Covid had triggered the tragic discontinuation of Phantom, however, producer Cameron Mackintosh reveals that “Phantom was losing money, even before the pandemic ” As a result, Andrew Lloyd Webber took the executive decision to announce a final performance date, officially establishing the end of a musical saga.

When it was first announced that The Phantom of the Opera was closing, fans were devastated, and they took to the internet to express their exasperation Originally, the show was set to close in February, but its run was later extended until April due to popular demand.

The Phantom of the Opera has been cherished by many, whether onstage or even on TV. Through its iconic soundtrack, magnificent costumes, and bigger-than-life sets, the play has solidified its place in the public’s hearts.

Despite Phantom leaving Broadway, the beloved show still remains in many countries, including the United Kingdom and Italy. The play's international fame is further evident in its soundtrack release in seven other languages, including Japanese, Swedish, German, Spanish, Hungarian, Polish, and Korean.

The Phantom of the Opera’s legacy has transcended the barriers of time, forging marvelous memories within each generation Even though the show's curtains have closed for the final time, its memory will never fade away.

Courtesy

Courtesy of Angela

Manhattan Parking Garage Collapses

By Daniel Butt

On April 18th, nearly an hour after GCHS students were dismissed from school, tragedy struck in Manhattan’s Financial District. Pace University’s fourstory parking garage, located at 57 Ann Street, collapsed all the way to its cellar floor. Four people were hospitalized and one person, manager Willis Moore, was killed. FDNY and NYPD units were quickly mobilized to evacuate the immediate area. The FDNY deemed the structure “pancaked,” and opted to pull response teams from the scene in favor of deploying the “Digidog.” The robotic dog was designed by Boston Dynamics, and this incident marked its first official use in the analysis of a collapsed structure Pace University, which operates a wordd

residential and educational neighboring building at 161 William Street, hastily evacuated its classes and compensated dorming students. They have announced that they will close this building for the remainder of their spring semester The parking garage was two years short of its 100th birthday.

A thorough investigation conducted by the city concluded that the collapse was due to the building’s age, the number of cars parked on it, and a long history of recorded management negligence In 1957, a mandate instructed that the building’s roof was to hold only “passenger-type cars,” which, at the time, were much smaller than the limit-exceeding SUV’s photographed in the word

Pace garage Meanwhile, the City’s Department of Buildings has had a long-standing feud with 57 Ann Street Realty Association, the owners of the parking garage, and has issued 64 building-code violations since 1976. The building lived through a crack epidemic, financial turmoil, 9/11, Hurricane Sandy, and the COVID pandemic, but completed or defaulted 19 of the issued claims. Property owners and brothers Alan and Jeffrey Henrick of 57 Ann Street Realty Association may find themselves under the spotlight of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who opened an investigation on the day of the collapse. The brothers have owned the building since 1988

The collapsed parking garage Courtesy of ncbnews com

SpaceX's Starship Explodes After Launch

By Elaine Wang

To much anticipation, SpaceX ran the first fully integrated flight test of the most powerful rocket ever built, Starship, on April 20th. After months of delay and a scrubbed last-minute attempt, the massive vehicle lifted off successfully from the SpaceX Starbase at Boca Chica, Texas to the joy of many engineers and rocketry fans. However, the rocket’s brief journey both started and ended with a bang–quite literally– as its liftoff was unexpectedly violent and nearly 4 minutes after launch, it exploded.

What is collectively referred to as “Starship” consists of two parts, Starship and the Super Heavy rocket. Starship is the 50-meter-tall spacecraft capable of carrying up to 100 people on trips around Earth and to other planets. The Super Heavy is a 69-meter-tall booster rocket powered by 33 Raptor engines running on cooled liquid methane and oxygen. Stacked together, Starship as a whole is 120 meters tall For scale, that is around the size of a 37-floor building. It’s even 9 meters taller than Saturn V, which sent people to the moon multiple times One of the most remarkable aspects of the system is its financial sustainability– as part of SpaceX’s goal of lowering the cost of entering orbit, both parts of the system are fully reusable, and the Raptor engines are also mostly reusable. Additionally, Starship features the capability to refuel in low-Earth orbit for future trips to Mars.

The prototype launched on April 20th was planned to complete nearly one orbit around Earth, but unfortunately it didn’t reach space. After tumbling out of control for a minute, the rocket self-destructed to minimize danger to word

people and structures on the ground as it fell. From the get-go, only 25 of the 33 engines fired (though 31 had previously worked in a test in February), and the concrete launchpad was shattered due to an oversight in the design of the pad. In spite of this, Starship made it past Max Q, the point in launch when a vehicle experiences maximum dynamic pressure (in simpler terms, when a vehicle undergoes the most mechanical stress) The debris afterwards, ranging from launch pad concrete to metal sheets from Starship’s self-destruction, spread beyond the expected range and infiltrated nearby wildlife areas, raising concern among environmentalists. SpaceX stated that the mission was a success because much was learned from this launch, and they plan to try again in the upcoming months. It is unclear when SpaceX will gain FAA approval for another test, but multiple Starships are currently being constructed.

Starship self-destructed after experiencing launch malfunctions Courtesy of washingtonpost com

The Lifting of Title 42 Stirs Debate

By Elaine Wang

With the pandemic came many changes, and with the expiration of the COVID-19 PHE (Public Health Emergency) came many more. A multitude of regulations have reverted to prepandemic norms, and at the forefront of these shifts is US-Mexico border relations. During the pandemic, the US expelled migrants at the Mexican border under 42 U.S. Code § 265, which states that whenever the Surgeon General believes the existence of a communicable disease (like COVID-19) in a foreign country may put American public health at risk, the Surgeon General and the President may work together to modify policy to curb migration temporarily In this case, President Trump enacted Title 42 to put heavy restrictions on migrants from Mexico in March 2020 but remove penalties for repeated attempts at illegal immigration. Previously, migrants could cross illegally and ask for asylum, but under Title 42 this became unfeasible After tough battles in Congress, Title 42 was finally lifted with the rest of the pandemic-era policies, to the dismay of many Republicans claiming it was necessary for national security.

In replacement of Title 42, President Biden enacted controversial policies cracking down on illegal immigration and encouraging legal immigration instead These include dramatic increases in the penalties for repeated attempts at illegal immigration, the requirement of all migrants to use the CBP One phone app to book appointments to apply for asylum, and the allowance of 30,000 Haitians, Venezuelans, Nicaraguans and Cubans per month to apply to work in the US for 2 years with the sponsorship of an American. The number of asylum officers was also increased, and 1,500 active-duty military personnel were deployed to the border to help with paperwork. These policies have been met with mixed reviews from both sides of the immigration debate, with some politicians arguing that these policies are too lax and others arguing that these have made it harder than ever to seek asylum. The Biden administration continues to tighten restrictions on illegal immigrants, but the long-term effects of these policies have yet to be seen.

Migrants wait at the Juarez Migrant Assistant Center Courtesy of Paul Ratje for the Texas Tribune

A migrant camp by the border between San Diego and Tijuana, Mexico Courtesy of Mark Abramson for The New York Times

TikTok To Be Banned in 2024?

By Amy Xiao

TikTok, something between a digital utopia of connection and a prime realization of Ray Bradbury’s technological dystopia, has come under fire. More accurately, TikTok and its parent company ByteDance have been under fire by the Trump administration since 2020 for “allow[ing] the Chinese Communist Party access to Americans' personal and proprietary information potentially allowing China to track the locations of Federal employees and contractors, build dossiers of personal information for blackmail, and conduct corporate espionage,” as stated in Executive Order 13492 This executive order had been one of the 210 public actions taken against China by the Trump Administration in 2020, although it was ultimately overruled by multiple federal judges. Users may recall this event from the frenzy of content creators tearfully bidding their last goodbyes before realizing that there was no goodbye. However, action is rising again: On May 17th, Montana’s governor signed legislation banning TikTok's appearance worddd

on app stores in 2024 This ban is part of a larger conglomerate of US anti-TikTok actions, like the federal government’s ban of TikTok on government-related devices and the Biden Administration’s potential national ban. TikTok responded by arguing that this ban was an infringement on users’ First Amendment rights. Social media allies of TikTok like Google, Facebook, and NetChoice have come out to back TikTok, agreeing that the ban was “blocking Americans from accessing constitutionally protected speech online via websites or apps”.

Past Charges

TikTok was fined $5.7 million in 2019 for the collection of children’s data

The company had admitted to being aware of children using their app, yet still failed to secure parental consent before collecting personal information

TikTok has also been accused of illegally processing data of 1 4 million children under 13 in Britain. However, compared to the charges other social media companies face, TikTok’s orddd

charges are not particularly special. Last year, Instagram was fined $402 million in the EU for violating data protection laws. It was criticized for mishandling children’s data, similar to accusations against TikTok, except on a larger scale In general, social media companies are not particularly well-known for being bastions of social justice Their very model for profit relies on the extensive collection of minuscule user habits, from customer location to the amount of time spent on posts, to predict future actions and sell attention.

Popular response

Popular response varies. One New York Times commenter claims it is “the right decision” since “China has banned numerous American apps for the exact same reason”, and as a communist country, it will not follow foreign regulations The South China Morning Post claims the ban is more of a reflection of anti-Asian sentiment, and that “TikTok is [being] targeted in the US for being Chinese, not for what it word

has or has not done”. TikTok creators have protested the ban outside of Congress, claiming it would diminish the power of word

small businesses, communities, and educators. One content creator, Nathalie Atkins, claims "it’s about old people who don’t word

know anything about technology trying to restrict it.”

Courtesy of AARONP/Getty Images via Wired.com.

Electrons Are Extremely Round and Physicists Aren’t Happy About It

By Emma Rathgeber

You’re probably familiar with the electron: a subatomic particle with a negative charge But for most, that’s where the road ends. Recent studies, however, have sought to gain a deeper understanding of the electron– specifically, the distribution of an electron’s charge. Current models predict that an electron’s charge is almost exactly symmetrical, but dissatisfied physicists are attempting to disprove this theory. Our long-held understanding of the subatomic realm is outlined in the Standard Model of Particle Physics. This model includes a list of all known fundamental particles that exist in the universe, which is currently numbered at seventeen. However, physicists have discovered some gaps in the Standard Model, particularly regarding dark matter and the effects of gravity and other fundamental forces on subatomic particles Therefore, physicists have theorized that there exist undiscovered subatomic particles that can help fill in these gaps, and they have looked to the electron for help.

Electrons have a key property that physicists have turned to for experimentation: the electric dipole moment, or EDM. The EDM is a property that is defined by a brief separation of charge within an electron, resulting in one slightly positive end and one slightly negative end. The Standard Model predicts that the EDM is very, very small for electrons– so small that it is undetectable. Many physicists take issue with this prediction, however, because it does not leave room for the existence of new subatomic particles. Their reasoning is this: an asymmetrical distribution of charge could be word

due to unknown particles acting on an electron and distorting its shape, but if an electron is perfectly round, no such particles would exist. Therefore, if physicists can prove that an electron’s charge is unevenly distributed– that is, if an electron has a large EDM– they will have strong evidence for the existence of new subatomic particles So, physicists have set out to prove exactly that.

To search for an EDM, physicists are conducting highly intricate experiments Put simply, an electron is placed in an electric field, and its rotation is measured Scientists reason that if an electron’s charge is unevenly distributed, the electron will spin when placed in an electric field, with the EDM acting as a sort of “electric handle.” Basically, the more the electron spins, the larger its EDM. Various university researchers from around the world, including the US, the UK, and Canada, have carried out and modified this experiment. For example, London researchers have discovered that attaching the electron to a heavy molecule magnifies the handle effect. Currently, there are two main teams of researchers on the hunt for an EDM. Physicists at Northwestern University are conducting a modified version of the experiment under the name Advanced Cold Molecule Electron EDM (ACME). Researchers at the University of Colorado are conducting similar experiments, and the two teams have been racing to find evidence of an EDM with increasingly sensitive experiments These experiments are now so sensitive that if the electron was the size of Earth, an inconsistency word

the size of a sugar molecule could be detected–yet, one hasn’t been detected. What researchers have only begun to realize is that electrons are much, much rounder than previously thought. This has come as bad news to many in the physics community, who have spent decades in word

search of new subatomic particles. While these experiments have not yet provided researchers with evidence of new subatomic particles, physicists are hopeful that, with increasingly sensitive measurements, a breakthrough will happen soon

Courtesy of Kristina Armitage for Quanta Magazine.

The Rise of AI

By Riya Katriyar

During the past couple of decades, artificial intelligence, also known as AI, has become increasingly popular AI is when machines carry out tasks using human-like intelligence AI can be very useful to humans because they can aid us with a variety of tasks AI can reduce human error, work faster than humans, and can be accessible at all times. For example, self-driving cars use AI in order to run themselves. Self-driving cars can help reduce the amount of accidents while driving. Although artificial intelligence can have many benefits, it can also be a bad thing. AI means a loss of originality. A dependency on AI would mean less people would use their own creativity on simple tasks like writing an essay for school, instead relying on a computer to do the work for them Artificial intelligence can take away jobs from humans because some repetitive tasks would be more easily completed by a computer Websites such as ChatGPT allow people to ask questions about anything and get instant answers Even Snapchat has adopted artificial intelligence by wordd

introducing a feature where you can communicate with an AI anytime and ask it any questions. AI can be a great feature to help people make new discoveries, but could AI have more harmful potential than good?

Courtesy of forbes com Courtesy of time com

Courtesy of wired com

Girls Varsity Badminton Aces the Regular Season

By Emma Rathgeber

Garden City High School’s Girls Varsity

Badminton team kicked off their season with a sweeping 7-0 win against Clarke High School This victory would prove to foreshadow what the rest of the team’s season had in store

This year, the varsity badminton team found new leadership under Coach Cutter, who brought a renewed sense of drive and competition to the team. Under this new guidance, the varsity badminton team dominated the regular season In twelve total games they had five shutouts and six 6-1 wins. The girls ended the season with a perfect 12-0 record and the title of Conference Champions, qualifying for the Nassau County playoffs for the first time in several years

Adding to their success, every starter on the team won All-Conference recognition This includes Ava Venezia, the team’s top singles player. She ended the regular season with a perfect record and qualified for the Nassau County Individual Championship as the 19th seed. Venezia also earned GCHS Athlete of the Week as a recognition of her success The team’s second and third singles players, Yu Jun Lin and Josephine Yin, also received AllConference awards as dominant singles players. They ended the regular season with records of 6-1 and 9-3, respectively. Team captain Grayson Gardi led the team with unmatched enthusiasm, while also putting up impressive numbers and receiving AllConference recognition for her performance as a doubles player. In fact, all of the team's word

doubles players received All-Conference recognition, which includes Gardi, Brynn Burke, Anastasia Follender, Erin Gately, Tracey Huang, Emma Rathgeber, Sophie Rhein, Sonia Shi, and Ava Smolanick.

The badminton team’s hot streak came to an unfortunate end on May 16th, when the girls lost 5-2 against Freeport, the Conference II champions While their season did not last as long as they’d hoped for, the athletes still hold their heads high Coach Cutter and his team have a clear direction for next season, and plan to continue dominating the courts.

Courtesy of Freepik

Courtesy of Sports Engine

An Interview with an ISEF Champion

By Ana Gaztañaga

Garden City High School junior and science research student, Julia Cherchever, has reached new heights this past May with her astounding win at the 2023 International Science and Engineering Fair, officially obtaining her well-deserved win after months of rigorous work. Julia’s research project, “A Model for Reversal of Doxorubicin Induced Cardiotoxicity via Fisetin”, examined a revolutionary approach that could potentially protect chemotherapy patients' hearts from cell death. The first round of the hybrid 2023 NYSSEF competition consisted of a video entry, with the second part taking place at the New York Hall of Science in Queens Amongst the 180 round-two participants, Julia, along with 15 other projects, were selected to become ISEF finalists. The final round of the competition took place on May 14th in Dallas, Texas where Julia won her well deserved victory by winning fourth place in the world

Recently, ECHO had the honor to sit down and interview the ISEF champion Julia Cherchever herself, whose determination and ambition paid off at the end of the competition. Take a look:

Q: How did you come up with your research idea? Did you grab inspiration from anywhere?

Julia: After volunteering at my local hospital, and seeing patients suffer from the effects of treatment, I was inspired to find a way to limit the toxicity of cancer treatments. I chose the drug Doxorubicin after doing over 110 hours of literature review and finding that it is one of the most toxic drugs in cancer treatment that continues to still be used today

Q: Does your interest in chemistry extend beyond the competition? Is it something you aspire to pursue in the future, and if so, why?

Julia: Yes, I enjoy classes, such as chemistry and AP chemistry, and I feel like chemistry is the basis of many different fields, especially the field of life and the pharmaceutical industry. I aspire to pursue a degree in biochemistry so that I can explore both chemistry and how it connects to life.

Q: How long have you prepared for the competition? How do you feel now knowing that your hard work has paid off?

Julia: I spent over nine months preparing for my competition and being able to win states, and then get fourth in the world was probably one of the most gratifying experiences. All of the work that I put in that is currently making an impact on the world has finally paid off.

Q: Where did your interest in biochemistry originate and how did it develop to where it is now?

Julia: I've always been interested in biology and life processes. I was able to connect that to my love of chemistry after having taken chemistry and being able to leave the class with a better understanding of the world, as well as a better understanding of biology That really was the core of my interest in bio chemistry because it connected to rooms of science that I loved and biochemistry is truly the source of things such

as food, life processes, drugs, medicines, and so much more

Q: Were there any figureheads (e.g. teachers, students, friends, family, etc.) that you looked up to that guided you with your research? If so, in what ways did they help?

Julia: Dr Gordon truly guided me throughout the entirety of my research, whether it was giving me advice on my ideas for experimentation or filling out forms He certainly enhanced my research skills while simultaneously guiding me through this arduous experience Additionally, Dr Foley was truly helpful when it came to the protein modeling portion of my project as she taught me many different new skills so that I was able to perform my research to a higher level.

Q: Do you have any advice for anyone thinking about following your tracks and participating in the research competition?

Julia: Yes, I think my biggest piece of advice would be that science has no boundaries. I worked on this project on my own, and in school to make it this far. I did not need the help of a large facility, or some sort of professional lab I was inspired by this topic and did everything that I could in order to pursue it and be able to make an impact on millions of cancer patients What I’m trying to say is that anyone can explore science and that science is all around us, waiting for us to take advantage of it and learn something from it. Science is more than a lab or special materials, but rather, it’s a creative process that allows you to better understand the world around you.

Q: How did it feel to compete against teenagers from all around the world? Were there any other projects at the competition that stood out to you?

Julia: It was amazing and inspiring all at once. It was amazing to see what kids from all around the world are doing. It was also inspiring because everyone had these very high-level projects that are shaping the world of science at such a young age.

Q: Now that you have won, what are your plans for the future (e.g. college, more research competitions, etc.)?

Julia: I definitely want to continue doing research because one of my goals in the future is to be able to make a global impact through the topic I love most, which is science

Q: What was your biggest take away from the competition and your journey in getting there as a whole?

Julia: My biggest take away is that when pursuing uncharted territory, resilience and perseverance is vital. Conducting research is truly difficult, especially when it is a topic that has not been done by anyone before. True research necessitates determination and love for your craft I feel that my research goes beyond science because it is also a product of my character and it is my character that helped me get along this journey

Julia stands in front of her groundbreaking research project at the International Science and Engineering Fair Courtesy of Julia Cherchever

AP Physics Project: Rube Goldberg Machines

By Maria Santos

Each year after the AP Physics students suffer through three hours of grueling testing, they receive quite the treat: the Rube Goldberg project The aim of a Rube Goldberg machine is to accomplish a simple task in the most complicated way possible

The class is separated into three groups of about ten students. Once split into groups, each student is responsible for creating two steps of their group’s Rube Goldberg Machine. Dr. Slater allowed the students to pick the goal of the project: to turn on a light Now, the type of light was never specified so students became creative. Group 1’s final step is opening a fridge door which activates the light bulb inside; group 2 turns on disco lights; group 3 lights an entire Christmas tree. However, there are about nineteen steps before reaching the light. Students are tasked with designing creative and fascinating steps that flow together seamlessly As a member of Group 1, I can assure you that this is no easy feat My two steps, for example, moving a weight to allow a train to move along a track and turn on a button powered fan, worked within the first week

The following week they didn’t There were issues with the batteries, the angle at which the train hit the button, etc. Most of our time in class is spent fixing, testing, and fixing again. It can get quite frustrating, but it’ll all be worth it in the end… if it works.

Dr Slater tries to make these projects as fun as possible: he encourages trash talk between teams (Group 1 is obviously the best by the way) and making the projects funny and outside the box. Each team seems to have a unique theme. Group 1 (the best group) calls themselves “Lenz and Jerry’s,” after Lenz's Law (which states that an induced current always flows in a direction such that it opposes the change which produced it) and the MVP of the team: Jerry Samuel. Thus our machine incorporates several magnets and coils and is ice cream themed (hence the fridge, Ben and Jerry’s cartons, and ice cream scoop)

Group 2 appears to be disco themed. Any light you can think of, group 2 probably has it: LEDs, a light up soccer ball, fairy lights, etc.

Group 3 is Christmas themed. Their table is filled with Santas, elves, and a Christmas tree Stop by room 207 to see these awesome projects!

An example of a Rube Goldberg machine Courtesy of Vernier AP Physics students busy at work perfecting their machines Courtesy of Maria Santos.

Wednesday: Netflix’s Most Successful Letdown

By Ella Pocock

Netflix’s Addams Family spinoff show, Wednesday, irrefutably conquered the Internet and Netflix viewers the moment it was released. It became its most-watched English television series within its first week, garnering 341.2 million hours of watching However, while money talks, it certainly isn’t guaranteed to tell the truth the truth being that Wednesday fundamentally misunderstood key components of the Addams Family as a franchise.

To preface, Wednesday obviously wasn’t all bad, considering its enormous success and near-instant renewal for a second season Directed by eccentric horror icon Tim Burton and starring promising new “Scream Queen” Jenna Ortega, the potential and my expectations were certainly there. While Wednesday shot Ortega into the stardom she certainly deserves, I was familiar with her horror works in Ti West’s X (2022) and Scream (2022) before its release, and was only more excited to see her starring in a big-budget production of my favorite franchise ever. And word

deliver she did One thing that critics and viewers alike all agreed on was how Ortega stole the show, and honestly made it Despite the shaky script decisions, Ortega was certainly able to capture this iconic character and bring subtle emotional depth to someone most famous for her stoicism. Some controversy recently broke out over Ortega’s appearance on a podcast, where she expressed her distaste at several of the decisions made by Wednesday writers. This resulted in some backlash against her, with people saying she should be more grateful to the show that brought her so much money and fame, but in all honesty, I found myself agreeing with everything she said

With good intentions, Wednesday strived to separate itself from the cliches of past Addams Family installments. However, in doing so, it got rid of the Addams Family’s most quintessential aspect their weirdness From its initial conception as a comic strip series in the 1930s, the Addams Family existed as a parody of the nuclear American family of wordd

the time Their recurring gag was that the abnormal was their normal grisly murders and supernatural whimsy were common occurrences for the Addamses, and they scratched their heads at their “normal” neighbors’ confusion and fear. By putting the protagonist Wednesday Addams in Evermore, an academy of “freaks” like herself, the franchise’s main storyline disappeared. Still, I was openminded I saw that the writers wanted to go for something new instead of the arguably overdone “Addams in the suburbs” type plotline. However, it seemed that the writers themselves seemed to realize the corner they had written Wednesday into If her literal whole character was people’s reactions to her being off-puttingly morbid and weird, how could they write her when she was exclusively surrounded by other “weird” people? To compensate, they made the frustrating decision to simply “tone down” all the other characters at Evermore so Wednesday could still be rendered “weird” by the narrative. With that, though, the word

appeal of Evermore Academy was instantly shattered for me. It became downright irritating how all of these so-called freaks were virtually no different from any of the outsiders in their view of Wednesday. For example, it was established that there are literal vampires and werewolves at Evermore– why is everyone so put off by the Carrie bloodbath homage at their monster prom, or Wednesday’s inclinations towards violent interrogation methods? Evermore quickly became as dull and disappointing as their student body.

The second biggest misunderstanding by Wednesday’s writers was deciding to create a familial conflict between Wednesday and Morticia A common joke made about the series is that the Addams’s familial relationships are very stable and healthy (because the “all-American” families they parodied at the time were not) Again, while I understand where they were coming from, especially with Wednesday’s take on an older, teenage Wednesday Addams, I found all the decisions to be really out-of-character For word

example, Wednesday feels that she lives in her mother’s shadow, being that her mother was very popular at Evermore while she is an outcast However, Wednesday is and consistently has been Morticia’s mini-me It just made no sense to me how Wednesday’s moroseness could be a source of ridicule in Evermore, when Morticia was virtually their prom queen while behaving exactly the same Furthermore, a plotline that literally made me laugh out loud was Gomez being suspected of murder because, duh? Murder is a staple of the Addams Family’s slapstick dark comedy Every character in the franchise has killed plenty of people– in fact, it’s probably the series’s most recurring joke. The writers teetered like a seesaw in how they wanted to characterize Wednesday– she would do something as abhorrent (and in character) as unleashing piranhas into a school swimming pool, but then be shocked and horrified at the idea of her father even being accused of murder They wanted to have the humor of Wednesday’s horror movie style without having the guts to pull word

through with it. Despite Wednesday’s TV-14 rating making it actually higher rated than other installments, like the PG movies, I found this characterization flip-flopping, as ironically, it seems less mature than the 90s movies The dialogue was often cringeworthy, like something out of a CW show, and strayed away from the much brasher original adaptations. Wednesday was through and through a teen drama show, as opposed to the historic black comedy that earlier versions of the Addams Family consistently were.

Finally, the part of the narrative which rightfully received the most criticism was the love triangle between Wednesday, Tyler, and Xavier Not only were Tyler and Xavier both devastatingly bland, but Wednesday Addams of all characters being in a love triangle with two boys she seemed equally disinterested in did not bode well with audiences Jenna Ortega herself expressed her disappointment in that plotline, even saying how she staunchly pushed back against it, believing that it would be out of character for Wednesday

Cien Años de Soledad

By Julia D’Aloisio

Has inspiration struck you at the most inopportune times? It has for Gabriel García Márquez, author of the landmark novel Cien Años de Soledad (One Hundred Years of Solitude) While en route to Acapulco, México for a family trip, Márquez suddenly had the urge to write the novel’s first sentence: “Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendía was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice.” This opening line is just the start of the adventures that Márquez leads the reader though. Through an epic tale of the town of Macondo and the Buendía family, the reader is able to discover the true meaning of solitude

In addition to its whimsical anecdotes and continuity through generations of the Buendías, Cien Años de Soledad is revered because it is written in the style of magical realism Known for its combination of daily occurrences with the supernatural, magical realism has attracted many authors. Although magical realism wasn’t yet a well established style during Márquez’s writing period, following the publication of the novel, the style of magical realism grew exponentially Authors such as Isabel Allende and Toni Morrison, author of the New York Times bestselling novel Beloved, would go on to make use of the style established by Márquez His work in Cien word

Años de Soledad would eventually win him the Nobel Prize in 1982.

Cien Años de Soledad also inspired a counterculture known as McOndo, inspired by the central location of the novel, Macondo. Followers of McOndo, particularly Alberto Fuguet, who spearheaded the movement, oppose magical realism because according to them it “reduces the essence of Latin America to men with ponchos and sombreros,” as phrased by Fuguet. Despite this counterculture, Cien Años de Soledad still remains one of the most well known Latin American novels, only eclipsed by Don Quixote From its rich history to engaging storyline, Cien Años de Soledad has something for every reader

Gabriel García Márquez and the cover of Cien años de soledad. Courtesy of IndieHoy com

The Eras Tour

By Maria Santos

Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, her first performance in over five years, is arguably the best of her career. Fans couldn’t wait to see Swift perform music from each of her “eras,” derived from her ten different albums. Millions of Swifties attempted to get their hands on tickets during the first Ticketmaster presale but only 1.5 million were allowed access. The following day, Ticketmaster announced the cancellation of the public sale, which enraged fans. Several sued, accusing Ticketmaster of fraud. Many of these cases reached Congress as well To me, this ticket craze was an indication of just how epic the tour would be.

I was lucky enough to have a friend who snagged six tickets for a measly $120 each (various sites were selling for upwards of $10,000) I attended the second night at MetLife Stadium Swift acknowledged the difficulty involved in getting tickets: “Correct me if I’m wrong and scream if I’m right: You went to a lot of effort to be here with us.” But her unforgettable performance made it all worth it. Swift played a whopping forty-four songs from nine albums, totaling around three and a half hours, and fans loved every second of it. She moved seamlessly through her different eras, making drastic outfit and set changes in mere minutes. Fans’ wristbands changed with the eras too

glowing a serene purple for “Enchanted,” blazing red for “Look What You Made Me Do,” and so on This clever engineering feat, along with TVs scattered throughout the stadium, made any seat a good one.

Perhaps the most magical part of the night, though, is when fans sit on the edge of their seats in anticipation for Taylor Swift to reveal her surprise songs. During each performance, Swift plays two songs not on the setlist I was lucky enough to see her perform one of my favorites: “Holy Ground” from Red. The whole stadium glowed red and sang along with just Taylor and her guitar. After the second surprise song, “False God,” Swift moved into the final and most recent era: Midnights

MetLife Stadium was in for quite the treat: a surprise appearance from Ice Spice who was just recently featured in a new version of the fan favorite “Karma.” By the end of the show my legs were sore and my throat burned Would I do it all again? Yes!!

All outfits from the Eras Tour Courtesy of @blessedswifty via Twitter

Class of 2023 College List

CAITLIN ALLEN

Fairfield University

R. NICHOLAS ALLSBROOK Hofstra University

FINN ANDERSEN University of Dayton

JAMES ANDREUZZI Mitchell College

ALEXA ANDRON Bucknell University

JACK ARCHER Lehigh University

CIENNA ARDITO University of South Carolina

LUCAS ARGENZIANO Adelphi University

JACQUELINE AU Babson College

JOSEPHINA AVELLINO Fairfield University

GRACE AVITABILE University of Tampa

KEVIN BACKER James Madison University

AMANDA BAIKER Providence College

REBECCA BARRY CUNY Queens College

ELLE BASILE Virginia Tech

JACQUELINE BASS Cornell University

MELISSA BASS Cornell University

ALLEGRA BEAUSOLEIL SUNY Cobleskill

BRIAN BERKERY University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

CARMELLA BEVIL Fairfield University

COLIN BILY Florida Gulf Coast University

KEVIN BLUM Franklin and Marshall College

PATRICK BLUM Lafayette College

BRYAN BOCCAFOLA University of Florida

GWYNETH BOCCIO St. John's University

PATRICK BOHN College of the Holy Cross

IAN BONILLA Adelphi University

MATTHEW BOYLE Coastal Carolina University

ARIANA BRANSFIELD The Catholic University of America

KAMI BREMER Syracuse University

MELISSA BREMER Villanova University

KAELANI BRIGANTI Washington University in St. Louis

MELINA BRIVIO Tulane University

MARCO BUCCIARELLI Villanova University

ANA BUCEVIC Princeton University

GABRIELA BUCKMAN Siena College

GAVIN BURNS Duke University

DANIEL BUTT American University

JOHN BYRNE Boston College

ISABEL BYRNES Bucknell University

RAYMOND BYRNES University of Pennsylvania

MARIE CACCIABAUDO Virginia Tech

MATTHEW CAMILLERY Creighton University

ALECSA CANALETICH Marist College

SPENCER CAPORICCI Clemson University

SARAHI CARIAS-HERNANDEZ Nassau Community College

ANTONIOS CARRIS The Ohio State University

MAXIMUS CARRIS The Ohio State University

ANTHONY CASEY Nassau Community College

JAMES CASTORO United States Merchant Marine Academy

MATTHEW CHAN SUNY Binghamton

SYDNEY CHEAN Northwestern University

NINA CHEN Connecticut College

SONIA CHERPELIS CUNY Hunter College

HAILEY CHICCO University of Delaware

MASON CINCOTTA University of Oklahoma

AMELIA CLARKE University of Virginia

EVA COHEN University of Miami

ALEX COLLETTI Johns Hopkins University

MADISON ANNE CONNOR Boston College

GABRIELA CONTRERAS Nassau Community College

MAYA COSTA Siena College

ANNEMARIE COSTELLO Wake Forest University

GEMMA COWIE Purdue University

ANDREW CRESCIULLO Washington University in St Louis

ANTHONY CROWE Fairfield University

ANNE CUNNINGHAM University of Tennessee

KEVIN CURLEY Xavier University

JULIA D'ALOISIO SUNY Binghamton

ROCCO D'AMELIO Marist College

KEVIN DEALY Providence College

JONATHAN DECICCO Fairfield University

ANDREW DELARICHELIERE Fairfield University

MIA DELLA PENNA Union College

MICHAEL DENGLER University of Florida

ALEXA DENNIS The Ohio State University

JULIA DESIMPLICIIS University of Tennessee

MELINE DEUKMEDJIAN Providence College

KELLY DEUTSCH Adelphi University

AMELIA DICHIARA St John's University

EMMA DOLMAIAN New York University

CAITLIN DONOVAN Fairfield University

MAEVE DORNEY Providence College

MADISON DRAGOTTO Fashion Institute of Technology

CORWIN DUNNE High Point University

DEVON ETIENNE SUNY Maritime College

JONAS FEINGOLD University of Rhode Island

TYLER FERRIS The University of Tampa

STEPHEN FINNELL JR Duke University

GRACE FLOOD University of Scranton

COLE FRANCO University of Dayton

CHRISTOPHER FUELLING University of Mississippi

SOFIA FUERTES Cornell University

CLAIRE GAFFNEY Sacred Heart University

GRAYSON GARDI Texas Christian University

KATE GAVEN Marist College

ERIN GERASIMOVICH Long Island University

HENRY GIBBONS Bucknell University

CONNOR GOING The Ohio State University

AIDAN GORELICK Arizona State University

JULIAN GORMAN University of Michigan

AVA GORMLEY University of South Carolina

CHRISTOPHER GRANATO Marist College

CHARLES GRASER Purdue University

BRENDAN GRIFFIN University of South Carolina

MATTHEW GUIDA Bentley University

ENTONG GUO SUNY Binghamton

ANASTASIOS HADJIPATERAS University of Miami

JAMES HAEDRICH Georgetown University

OWEN HAGGERTY University of Dayton

AILA HANIF Pennsylvania State University

SARAH HARDY Adelphi University

ERIC HARTMANN Rochester Institute of Technology

CATHERINE HAYES Clemson University

JAMES HEALY Providence College

MATTHEW HEANEY Syracuse University

EMMA HEATH Georgia Institute of Technology

KATIE HECKELMANN SUNY Binghamton

RORY HESLIN Wake Forest University

MADYSON HICKIS Pennsylvania State University

DEVENY HILDRETH College of Charleston

GRACE HOPKINS University of Chicago

CHRISTIAN INGRASSIA Florida State University

KYLE IPPOLITO University of Mississippi

WENZHEN JIAN Virginia Tech

CARLOS JIMENEZ Hofstra University

JAMES JORDAN University of Florida

ISABEL JOUDEH Baylor University

SARAH KADE Providence College

ATHENA KARAVOUSANOS Ithaca College

NICHOLAS KARAVOUSANOS Ithaca College

VICTORIA KATRADIS Clemson University

RIYA KATRIYAR Villanova University

TARA KERIMIAN University of South Carolina

OMAR KHAN St John's University

JUSTIN KOCZKO Adelphi University

ALEXANDRA KOHART Loyola Marymount University

LILAH KOSZALKA SUNY Purchase

RYAN KRIEG University of Florida

JAKUB KURZYNA St John's University

MADELYN KWAK New York University

SAMANTHA LASALLA High Point University

VANESSA LAW Boston University

AIDAN LAWE University of Mississippi

AVA LEKANIDES Queens University of Charlotte

PAOLA LERIDA SUNY Binghamton

JACK LEVI SUNY Cortland

CHRISTIAN LIBERTA Utica University

JACI LICARI High Point University

QUINN LONG University of Mississippi

MIA LOPIANO Marist College

JACK LUTZ University of California, Los Angeles

SAVANNAH MA Mount Holyoke College

RYAN MAAS Virginia Tech

JULIA MAGARINO LIM College

IRENE MAKRINOS Marist College

KATHRYN MALONEY Boston University

JULIA MANNING University of South Carolina

OLIVIA MARCIANO University of Dayton

MARKUS MASSINA SUNY Binghamton

MORGAN MASSINA Loyola University Maryland

RYAN MCAULIFFE University of Mississippi

TIMOTHY MCCARTHY Iona University

RYAN MCLAUGHLIN DePaul University

MEGAN MCQUAID Pennsylvania State University

CAROLINE MCSHANE Fordham University

MATTHEW MEHLING Boston College

RYAN MELENDEZ Marist College

ETHAN MELGAR Lafayette College

JAMES MELKONIAN Fairfield University

LUKE MENGER University of Tennessee

MATTHEW MESSI Nassau Community College

HAYDEN MINUTO University of Mississippi

TRISTAN MULLAHEY United States Naval Academy

SHEILA MULLINS Bentley University

FIONN MULROONEY Auburn University

JAMES MULVIHILL University of South Carolina

GRETCHEN MURPHY Marist College

FIONA NICHOLAS Loyola University Maryland

MORGAN NOODY University of Pennsylvania

ERIN O'CONNOR New York University

ISABEL O'CONNOR High Point University

TIERNEY O'ROURKE College of Charleston

COURTNEY OLSON Providence College

SAWYER OLSON Johns Hopkins University

JAMES PAISLEY University of Vermont

CHASE PALMER Auburn University

MARIA PANAS Lafayette College

OWEN PARINI Santa Clara University

ROBERT PATRISSI University of Scranton

LAUREN PERSAUD Hofstra University

CHRISTIAN PICA Loyola University Maryland

MICHAEL PIERACCINI Marist College

AMANDA PINOU Villanova University

ANDREW PINOU Villanova University

HENRY POCOCK Elon University

ERIN POWERS University of Colorado Boulder

ARIELLE PRESSOIR SUNY Binghamton

MATTHEW PRESTON University of South Florida

PHILLIP PRICE Employment

LIAM PRYOR Indiana University

GABRIEL PSILAKIS Northeastern University

DYLAN PUGHE Bucknell University

LAUREN RAGOLIA University of Richmond

CHRISTOPHER READ JR. Hampden-Sydney College

GUIDO REINOSO University of Connecticut

JOSE REINOSO CUNY Queens College

JUAN REINOSO St John's University

MEGAN RIGGERS Adelphi University

CARLY RIVERA Florida State University

LOUIS RIVERA Cornell University

KEVIN ROBERTI Elon University

JULIANA ROM Florida State University

BRANDON ROSENBLATT Cornell University

CHRISTOPHER ROUKIS North Carolina State University

CATHERINE ROVELLI Lehigh University

WILLIAM RUCKH Quinnipiac University

NICOLE RUSSO Tulane University

STEPHANIE RUSSO University of Florida

MILES RUST SUNY New Paltz

KATHLEEN RYDZEWSKI Fashion Institute of Technology

MATTHEW SAMAAN SUNY Maritime College

JERRY SAMUEL Drexel University

PAIGE SANACORA SUNY New Paltz

LUCAS SANITA Adelphi University

DEREK SANTERAMO SUNY Maritime College

MARIA SANTOS Massachusetts Institute of Technology

GRACE SAPUPPO The University of Alabama

RYAN SAPUPPO Providence College

KATHERINE SARKIS University of Miami

THEODORA SCALISE Fordham University

JULIETTE SCANLON Marist College

KATIE SCARDIGNO Fairfield University

GRACE SCHNEIDER University of South Carolina

STEVEN SCRICCA American University

JOAQUIN SENEQUE SUNY New Paltz

CRISTINA SEOYLEMEZIAN Worcester Polytechnic Institute

THOMAS SEQUEIRA TBD

ANASTASIA SHAW William & Mary

JUNYI SHI The Ohio State University

FAITH SHORT University of Maryland

RYAN SIEVERS Rollins College

MICHAEL SIRAGUSA Purdue University

ISABELLE SIROUNIAN University of Tennessee

KEVIN SLOVENSKY SUNY Maritime College

CASEY SMITH University of New Hampshire

GAVIN SMITH University of Mississippi

KATERINA SMOLANICK University of Richmond

ISABELLE SOBERON Boston College

NICOLETTA SPERDUTO Fashion Institute of Technology

MATTHEW SUBA University of Michigan

RYAN SULLIVAN Georgetown University

ANNIE SWEENEY Fordham University

NATALIE SWEENEY SUNY Oneonta

ARIYANA TOPPIN SUNY Old Westbury

EMILY TROCCHIA University of South Carolina

MATTHEW TUSIANI-ENG Utica University

CECELIA VAN BLENIS University of Mary Washington

SAMUEL VARGHESE CUNY College of Technology

AVA VICARI Providence College

JAMES VINCIGUERRA Villanova University

LEONIDAS VLOGIANITIS Prep School

ELIZABETH VOELKER Villanova University

TIMOTHY VOELKER Tufts University

JAMES VON SEELEN Pennsylvania State University

ROBERT VOTRUBA Middlebury College

DIAN WAKEHAM George Washington University

MICHAEL WAKEHAM Boston University

THOMAS WALKER Pennsylvania State University

AIDAN WALSH University of Delaware

SHELLEY WANG School of Visual Arts

SOPHIA WANG Georgetown University

STEPHANIE WANG SUNY Binghamton

COLE WEBBER University of Virginia

CODY WEHRUM Nassau Community College

MACKENZIE WEHRUM Saint Anselm College

KENNEDY WILGOSZ James Madison University

VICTORIA WILLIAMS New York University

DANIEL WOO Fairfield University

BATU YILDIZ Hofstra University

LARA YILDIZ Marist College

QIAO YING The Ohio State University

PETER YIOUPIS Adelphi University

ISABELLA YORKE University of Richmond

CLAUDIA YU Syracuse University