Tuskan Times Volume 9 Issue 5

VOLUME 9 ISSUE 5 | JUNE ISSUE

TUSKAN TIMES

CULTURE

SCIENCE POLITICS

ISF IN HONOR OF

IN THIS ISSUE

1 3 4 9 10 11 12

GIANFRANCO MARLETTA CATHERINE MCPHILEMY JOHN PITONZO ALLISON PERKIN & CELI HARPER REBECCA BARTOLOTTI & JENNY SMITH CATHERINE MARSHAL MARY ROSE EXITENTER THE STREET ARTIST FAVORITE SCHOOL SUBJECTS

ALISIYA ERMOLENKO TAMARA PRONINA

TENSION IN BELARUS DEREK CHAUVIN'S TRIAL

GUSTAVO REGO LOUISE GUTBROD

UNPRINCELY PRINCE

MUSKAN BONINGER

BIDEN'S FIRST 100 DAYS IN OFFICE

SOPHIA LOVALVO

SPACEX VS. BLUE ORIGIN: THE BILLIONAIRE SPACE RACE COMMENCES IS THERE LIFE AFTER DEATH?

15 17 21 23 25 27

CARLO VITALE

31

ALISIYA ERMOLENKO

33 35 37

THE POWER OF MRNA

DEVAKI MENON

WHY THE SILENT TREATMENT IS HARMFUL

FILIPA GAMERIO

EXPLOSIVE VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS IN SAINT VINCENT

RILEY LAMANTEER

39

NEREO LORETO

43 44 46 49

SEASPIRACY THE OSCARS RACE PROBLE

CAMELIA PALLANTI

THE RISE OF DIGITAL ART

LORENZO BUDRONI

THE GOAT: TOM BRADY

GIACOMO MEZZOGORI

ON THE COVERS

I WANTED TO CELEBRATE THESE WONDERFUL TEACHERS WHO ARE RETIRING OR MOVING ON BY DEPICTING THEM AS SUPER HEROES. EDUCATORS ARE HEROES TO THEIR STUDENTS AND SOCIETY.

EVA GOULDER I WANTED TO CREATE SOMETHING SIMILAR TO A UFC FIGHT NIGHT POSTER SHOWING BEZOS AND MUSK GOING HEAD TO HEAD IN THEIR OWN RACE.

LUISA REGO

LAYOUT

BERNARDO PETOCHI

GIUSEPPINA LOPEZ ANNA PAPINI KATHERINE DICK FILIPA GAMERIO LOUISE GUTBROD

ASSISTANT-EDITOR KATHERINE DICK

LAYOUT EDITORS GIUSEPPINA LOPEZ ANNA PAPINI

SUPERVISOR JOHN PITONZO

WRITERS

MEET THE TEAM

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

ALISIYA ERMOLENKO LOUISE GUTBROD GUSTAVO REGO MUSKAN BONIGER SOPHIA LOVALVO CARLO VITALE DEVAKI MENON EDITORS RILEY LAMANTEER NEREO LOREATO JACK BACH CAMELIA PALLANTI KATHERINE DICK TAMARA PRONINA SELINA MARTON LORENZO BUDRONI BERNARDO PETOCHI GIACOMO MEZZOGORI NEREO LORETO STELLA FRANCESCHI SELINA MARTON

ISF

In this section of the issue, our writers explore topics related to ISF and our community as a whole.

The graduated class of 2021

ISF

LEAVING TEATCHERS INTERVEIWS

GIANFRANCO MARLETTA INTERVIEW BY LOUISE GUTBROD What have you learned experience at ISF?

from

your

I have many fun memories of the surrounding countryside and every year I learn I’m not as clever as I thought I was, which means I always have more intelligence left. That is the way of getting older.

What interested you in working at ISF in the first place? What inspired you to move here?

Well, I was always curious about life in Italy and, obviously, I have some Italian heritage.

I also imagined laying in the sun, drinking at an aperitivo (stereotypical things). Calm and laid back, an easy lifestyle and slip into retirement. I imagined life would be quite easy and calm.

Did anything trigger your decision to leave?

I guess I hadn’t counted on quite the difficulties of moving in times of a pandemic. I think that has been some isolating for many people. It has taken a toll on many people mentally and physically.

So, going back to something more familiar would make life a bit easier. This is no criticism of Florence or ISF, I think sometimes you just feel more comfortable in places you spend a lot of time.

1 TUSKAN TIMES

Is there anything you want to share with the ISF community before leaving?

ISF is a community of clever people, parents, students, staff.

I don’t know that I could give any advice.

The community is full of very, very clever people; very clever students, clever parents, clever staff. So, they don’t need some idiot Scottish math teacher to give them any advice. They are all much smarter than I am.

ISF

LEAVING TEATCHERS INTERVEIWS

What or who will you miss the most about ISF? I will miss the sunshine, the incredible building and how fantastic it looks.

Obviously, it is difficult to make the building work with the school but it looks amazing.

It’s just such an incredible building. I will miss the location, looking across the hills. I will miss standing up in a tower and looking out towards the east. Where I normally run a bit out from the hills behind Bagno a Ripoli is what I will miss most. And of course all excellent grade 10, 9, 8, 11 and 12 students.

Is there anything you would change about ISF? There is nothing I would change. Obviously, if I could change something it would be something impossible.

I would inflate the school building to twice its side for instance. Knock on the neighbors’ doors and tell them to move out or something. More space would make life easier, but that is not a problem unique to ISF, the lack of space. Every single school I have ever worked in has troubles with space. It wouldn’t be a reason for leaving ISF. What was memorable/different about ISF? I have to say that the music that grade 10 produced for our math assignment was quite special and I don’t think that ever happened in other schools. That’s something I will take away. Lots of people are talented in different ways but the certain humour and skill were quite special.

2 TUSKAN TIMES

ISF

LEAVING TEATCHERS INTERVEIWS

CATHERINE MCPHILEMY INTERVIEW BY GUSTAVO REGO What have you learned at ISF? I’ve learned a lot of skills as a teacher, I’ve learned that the students are really what's important, and that's really what keeps you going, the fact that you meet amazing students and connect with them. That’s why I became a teacher.

What do you think you’re going to miss about ISF? I will miss the sense of community, it’s like a family. It’s a beautiful school, we're all very grateful to look out the window and see the amazing views. And of course all the students I teach and my colleagues. I'm gonna miss everyone a lot.

Why did you come to ISF originally?

I always wanted to come to Italy, it was kind of a last minute decision. I happened to be in the right place at the right time and so I decided to take the job. I was really happy to come here.

What do you think makes ISF unique?

I think the size, all teachers and students know each other even if yo udont teach students they still know you. Here i think we have a sense of almost family, and i feel every student that comes to isf usually leaves with good memories

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Is there anything else you would like to share with the community?

I've had a wonderful ten years here. I'm not going to say everything was perfect, but I'm really sad to leave. I've made wonderful friends here, I've really enjoyed working with all my colleagues, I’ve taught many amazing students and I’ve been supported by really wonderful families as well.

[Leaving has] made me really sad but I'm happy to go on a new adventure.

ISF

LEAVING TEATCHERS INTERVEIWS

JOHN PITONZO

MESSAGES FROM THE STUDENTS Dear Mr. Pitonzo,

You are one of the most inspiring people I have ever met. Thank you for everything you’ve taught me over the years. You didn’t just teach me about Shakespeare and Chaucer; you taught me how to be passionate. Every class I had with you was a memorable one. I am fortunate enough to have worked with you not only in English class, but with World Speech Day, TEDx, and most importantly, the Tuskan Times.

These past few weeks have been difficult, but you showed how you care for your students. You taught us how to stand up for what’s right, how to be heard, how to be seen, how we should be respected, and to stay strong. You are someone I have been looking up to for years, and I know I will continue to admire you for years to come. Thank you for helping me shape myself into who I am today.

You will be missed, Katherine Dick '23

Dear Mr. P, You will be one of my most favorite teachers of all time for making class so fun, memorable, and educational. I will miss you greatly next year!

Sincerely, Alisiya Ermolenko '24

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ISF

LEAVING TEATCHERS INTERVEIWS

Dear Mr. P,

Dear Mr Pitonzo,

You will forever be the only teacher to interrupt a test for shopping consulting, but most importantly you will forever be the only teacher to teach the way you do! You will be missed!

Sincerely,

I feel so fortunate to have had you as a teacher. You have inspired me to create art for the Tuskan Times as well as participate in world speech day. I’ve always enjoyed your lessons and the passionate discourse.

I’m sure the entire school will miss you and I wish you the best.

Stella Franceschi '22

Most sincerely, Eva Goulder '23

Dear Mr. P,

Welcome Back Cap, Black Widow

Thank you for all the memories that you gave me and I wish you the best retirement.

But don’t stop on your blogs I always need more information to learn.

Sincerely, Camila Ruini '21

5 TUSKAN TIMES

ISF

LEAVING TEATCHERS INTERVEIWS

Dear John, Now that I don’t go to school anymore I can start calling you that with no possible academic repercussions… I sure hope so at least. Ever since 6th grade you’ve been the most fun teacher to be in class with, that is when I had all my homework done. And since then I’ve learned many things and most of it is because of you and your very bizarre but inspiring life advice which comes with every single one of your stories from your time in the US or in the mystical village you live in where crazy things seem to happen almost on a daily basis. I think that if it weren’t for this horrible pandemic we’ve unfortunately found ourselves in we would have had the opportunity to spend more time together in school and probably come up with more Tuskan Times issues without having to stress about how many people we can have in one room or constantly having to change our meeting dates to fit with different schedules. I can only imagine the number of anecdotes and village stories I missed out on this year alone, which is why I’ll be looking forward to reading your eventual memoirs which will hopefully include me in them at some point I hope we’ll be able to keep in touch even after I go to university, (and by keeping in touch I mean you can help me write my essays or whatever I’ll be doing). But most importantly I hope we’ll be able to have that barbecue in your village to celebrate almost 30 years of John Pitonzo at ISF.

You’ve already heard me give a speech for you so I won’t bore you with more sentimental words, instead, I’ll include a picture of me and you and most importantly your wonderful smile which I could never keep hidden from the rest of the world.

Looking forward to that barbecue and a signed copy of your book, Peter Wood '21

6 TUSKAN TIMES

Dear Mr. P, In life, we encounter many people, some will be indifferent, others disapproving, others still will hinder us directly. But there are some people who are special. They are the ones who stay with you long after you’ve last seen them, and have helped mold you into the person you are today.

Thank you for showing me the elegance of language, the power of literature, the fire of journalism, and - above all - how to be honest and true to oneself and one’s values.

I won’t say goodbye because I hope to see you again, but until then, I will most certainly miss you.

My time as Editor of the Tuskan Times was heavily impacted by Mr. Pitonzo.

His dedication, the energy he brought to each meeting, and his imaginative and unconventional ideas truly enhanced our high school newspaper and brought it to the level it’s at today.

Mr. P was the engine that kept the paper going. He was able to take control of a room full of high schoolers on lunch break with a few words, fuel constructive debates, and encourage students to try writing in a way that no one else could. I will always cherish his “short” end-of-meeting talks which managed to trim 10 minutes off of my last period class nearly every week.

I would not continue to pursue journalism in the future if I hadn’t enjoyed my experience with the Tuskan Times as much as I did. I don’t know if that would have been the case without Mr. P. I hope the next supervisor will be as fun, supportive, and passionate about journalism as he is.

Thanks Mr. P, and good luck for the future.

Niccolo’ Platt '20

Sincerely, Bernardo Petochi '22

7 TUSKAN TIMES

The first time I met Mr. Pitonzo was at my first Tuskan Times meeting, where I remember being immediately struck by his energy, passion, and dedication to both the paper and his students. Throughout the years, Mr. Pitonzo served as an invaluable mentor to me, pushing me to take on ambitious endeavors, from articles to college applications. He never shied away from the truth, whether it was his opinion or his pursuit of journalistic integrity. Mr. P. is synonymous with the Tuskan Times; his dedication and supervision helped shape it into anything but a typical school newspaper. Though it is hard for me to imagine the Tuskan Times without Mr. P., I know that he will leave his mark of journalistic excellence on the paper for years to come.

Isabella Lovalvo '19

8 TUSKAN TIMES

ISF

LEAVING TEATCHERS INTERVEIWS

ALLISON PERKIN & CELI HARPER INTERVIEW BY FILIPA GAMERIO What have you learned at ISF? How expressive and vocal Italian students can be!

What/who will you miss the most at ISF? Ms Szablinski, Ms Yiannakis, Ms Bruckner and Ms Angeletti. And the trees!

Why did you decide to leave ISF? Family!

What inspired you to come to ISF in the first place?

Mr Marletta!

MESSAGES FROM THE STUDENTS Miss Celi is open minded, always there to help us when we have problems, fun to be with, and she is kind. I will miss her.

Kayomi '28

Ms Celi is a great person because she helps people and she inspires young people to help as well.

Sophia '28

9 TUSKAN TIMES

ISF

LEAVING TEATCHERS INTERVEIWS

REBECCA BARTOLOTTI & JENNY SMITH

MESSAGES FROM THE STUDENTS

She is kind and caring. I love her hugs!

Declan '34 I like that she makes me feel happy and I love her. She cheers me up when I’m sad by giving me hugs.

Hawk '35 Thank you Miss Jenny for everything you did for me. I have learned a lot , she is excellent teacher, I love her! I will miss her ...

Vivienne '34

I enjoyed Miss Bartolotti’s art classes because she helped us to be imaginative.

Kayomi '28 Ms. Rebecca, you’re very kind and I like your drawings. I will miss you.

Giorgina '33

Will be miss Ms. Jenny and love her Denny '34 I like Ms. Jenny because she taught me many things.

Jared '34

You inspired me to do art.

Dakshita '29 Thank you for introducing me to Modigliani and for teaching me something about art!

Ciao Miss Rebecca! In bocca al lupo per tutto.

Leone '32 I really liked Miss Rebecca because she taught us art and she is really nice!

Leo '33 I like Ms. Rebecca because she is very gentle and she always gives me snacks.

Karen '33

10 TUSKAN TIMES

ISF

LEAVING TEATCHERS INTERVEIWS

CATHERINE MARSHAL MESSAGES FROM THE STUDENTS What I love about Miss Marshall is her enthusiasm for outdoor learning, and that she is passionate about students feeling connected to nature.

Liam '30 It was nice to have you as a teacher! We will never forget the adventures in nature!

Bianca '30 Leone '32 Ms. Marshall is a great mathematician, better than most, one of the best in school!

I also love how she reads to us - with a lot of action. I especially liked the witches story. She’s convincing in a good way. I an happy that we go every Friday to the olive grove and sometimes we help the Earth by doing it

I really like Miss Marshall, she is very kind and very smart, we spent a lot of time outside.

Moss '31 Abigail '30 You are always positive!

Cosimo '30

Miss Marshall is very kind. She makes every subject fun to learn. I loved learning math with her.

Agata '30 Miss Marshall was the best taking us outside to the olive Grove.

Lucas '30

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ISF

LEAVING TEATCHERS INTERVEIWS

MARY ROSE

MESSAGES FROM THE STUDENTS My favorite thing about Ms. Rose is that she always tries to challenge and push us.

Georgia '29 One of the very good things about Ms. Rose is the way she educates us. She gives more homework but in the process I learned more than I ever had before.

Leon '29 Everyone thinks that Ms. Rose gives a lot of homework. But she is trying to help us learn more things for our lives.

I will always remember you as my first teacher at ISF, I felt immediately welcomed and part of the community. Watching cartoons during snack and reciting poetry are memories I cherish. It was an honour to have you as a teacher, ISF will miss you.

Sophia '23 My favorite thing about Ms. Rose was how caring she was to her students and I really appreciate the preparation that she gave us for upper school.

Sol '23

Matteo Dai '29 I really like Ms.Rose because she helped me improve a lot in math and I’m going to miss her a lot.

Sophia '29 I appreciate your encouragement on how I'm skilled in math and always have the patience to re-explain the same task several times.

Vittoria '23 Ms. Rose is demanding straightforward but caring, reasonable.

but fair, strict but

Lily '29

12 TUSKAN TIMES

ISF

LEAVING TEATCHERS INTERVEIWS

’m Giorgia. Do you remember? Giacomo’s sister. You are one of the best teachers I ever had. You are so good. Your teaching is amazing, it improves all of your students. I wish you the best of luck and fun after leaving the school.

Giorgia '26 I’m so grateful to have been a student of Ms. Rose because not only did she prepare me for middle school, help me develop my memory and math skills, and how to understand various materials, but she also taught me one of the most important lessons of all, to enjoy the process of working hard to pursue my dreams.

Alisiya '24 I like how much you care about us.

This was written once a student from your class, it’s already been a year or 2, but I still remember all the class work we done during the year. I, myself am writing this message as i heard some rumours that your leaving the school this year. Even though we barely encountered each other since I study at the ISF upper school, the experience with you was amazing, and I actually mean it. All these projects and reading made me continue advancing through reading, and all our projects were all masterpieces. This is David Lu from the ISF grade 7, once being a student from your class. I hope to you a wonderful day and hoping to hear you again!

David '26 Miss Rose, thank you for the joy and smiles you brought to class, the spellwell which will help surpass the challenges that we will face, at ISF, this lovely place.

Roshi '29 Nina '29 Ms. Rose I will miss you!

Kevin '23 My best memories with Ms. Rose were during our tutoring sessions when we would talk and laugh for hours. She is a great teacher but also an amazing person.

Eva '24 I still remember the pride I felt when I achieved 'Black belt' in Kick-It! Thank you for making me love math.

Liam '25

13 TUSKAN TIMES

It was great that ur my teacher. I really enjoyed that and your teaching didn’t only help my writing skills and let me improve with my skills.

Your the best teacher I ever had and I hope I see you again bye Reem '29 My favorite thing about Ms. Rose was that she helped me to catch up with the academics of the class.

Darius '29

ISF

LEAVING TEATCHERS INTERVEIWS

Although I haven’t been in contact with this teacher for a long time, the deepest impression of this teacher is that she helps me through difficult problems and difficult setbacks every time. She is the first teacher to communicate without any problems with me and without any discrimination.

Tamara '24

For example when I first came to Mrs Rose’s class I was shy and I didn’t ask a lot of questions but now I raise my hand, talk to people, and I try to engage with other people.

I feel like a totally different person but a better one. To be honest, on the first day of school people that she gives a mountain of homework. So I did not know what to expect.

Luckily what I got was the best teacher in the world. I learned so much and I’m happy I learned it from Mrs Rose. The crazy thing is how much she can teach. When my mom came in for portfolio day she was shocked with how much I was doing but she was really happy I learned it with Mrs Rose. The thing about Mrs Rose is that she doesn’t teach because she needs to. She does it because it’s her passion. The most important thing is that she understands her students, so let’s say I didn’t know something she would see and make sure I know. One of the main reasons I’m writing you is because I was wondering if it is possible to move Mrs Rose up to fifth grade, if so it would be a dream come true.

Dear Mr Simon and Mr Ihle,

Sincerely,

Jack '23 Ms Rose, thank you for always pushing me to grow and improve. I'm glad you were the first teacher I had at ISF. Fourth grade with you was an experience I'll never forget. Good luck and I'll miss you!

Olivia '25 My favorite thing about Ms. Rose is the way she reads us stories. I remember her reading “The Secret Garden” to us in fourth grade, and something about the way she read it made me so relaxed and so intrigued.

I am writing to you because I think Mrs Rose is an amazing teacher and I want her to get the credit she deserves. Since today is teacher appreciation day I want to write this for her to you. I have learned so much from Mrs Rose. I’ve learned about so many things like fractions, decimals, division, multiplication, and more. I know I’ve learned a lot because I went from doing ok to exceeding expectations. The thing that is special about Mrs Rose’s class is that she wants us to do our best but then also lifts us up.

Anonymous 21/05/2019

14 TUSKAN TIMES

ISF

EXITENTER INTERVIEW

EXITENTER: THE STREET ARTIST

BY ALISIYA ERMOLENKO '23

Tuscan born and raised, ExitEnter is a street artist whose works are visible in many Italian cities including Florence, Venice, Pisa, Rome, as well as other European cities such as Lisbon, Brussels, Valencia, and Barcelona. His passion for drawing began when he was still in his childhood years and after finishing the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence, his focus shifted solely to street art. "The Little Man" is the main character of ExitEnter who he created back in 2013, and since his creation, the small stylized man on the wall, sometimes with another character, takes on various adventures such as fishing out a heart, flying on the string of a balloon, befriending flowers, and other interesting actions. Through these minimalistic and metaphorical drawings, ExitEnter portrays world evoking stories that hit close to home because of relatable content depiction. In this interview, ExitEnter gives an insight into the inspiration and meaning behind his works, the challenges he faces, and his art altogether.

15 TUSKAN TIMES

How did you come up with the name 'ExitEnter'?

The name 'ExitEnter' came to me during a difficult period of my life where I wasn't feeling good and I wanted to find an exit. I found this exit in street art which was a way for me to escape and leave my troubles behind. The name enter came to me later on because when you create street art, you exit with it, but it is an entry for the people who see the art.

Why did you choose to focus on street art?

I chose to focus on street art because during the period where I was painting, I couldn't really show my art at expositions, but street art gave me that possibility, and after a while I became very passionate about it.

When a person on the street sees your art, what do you want them to feel and think?

Anything as long as it makes them think, feel, and reflect so they don’t remain indifferent.

ISF

EXITENTER INTERVIEW

What is the story behind "The Little Man"?

“The Little Man" is a character that helped me express myself. I felt free to talk to him and be true about what I am experiencing, in a way he was my psychiatrist. He truly made me think and reflect on the things happening around me and in my life, and then I realized that if he helped me, he could help out the people on the street who see him. With him, I can express anything I want to.

Does your art reflect some personal aspects of your life?

I believe so, yes but I still don't really know exactly what. Maybe the people have to tell me that.

How do you come up with your stories?

It honestly depends. Sometimes they come from my fantasy and at other times from events that catch my attention. They often also come from what I want to share with the public.

Would you consider yourself content with what you have accomplished and created so far?

Yes, really.

What is your inspiration for your art?

The world.

What are the challenges that you face when creating your art?

It really depends on the context but sometimes it is hard to simplify a story into a drawing that would be relatable and understandable for others who see it.

What do you want to be recognized for?

I honestly have no idea. We'll see.

Do you have any problems with the authorities?

No, in reality I never had any luckily because even though I often work without permission and authorization I make sure my work isn't vandalism. I try really hard to have my work fit in with the environment and so it would work well. My work is usually small and when I do it instead of doing it on a new wall, I do it on an old one.

16 TUSKAN TIMES

CULTURE

FAVORITE SCHOOL SUBJECTS

FAVORITE SCHOOL SUBJECTS HAVE YOU EVER SAT DOWN AND WONDERED WHY YOUR FRIEND'S FAVORITE SUBJECT WAS SCIENCE, MATH, OR EVEN HISTORY WHEN YOUR FAVORITE TIME OF DAY HAS ALWAYS BEEN LUNCH? HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT ABOUT THE BACKSTORY OR THE FACTORS THAT COULD’VE AFFECTED SOMEONE’S FAVORITE SCHOOL SUBJECT, SUCH AS THEIR PARENTS, FRIENDS, OR EVEN THEIR SURROUNDINGS?

BY TOMARA PRONINA '24 Lilianna Halmai, '24 What is your favorite subject?

My favorite subject is Mathematics.

Why is this your favorite school subject?

I have always loved numbers, the way they work, and the language they create. In my preschool years, my mom would beg me to fall asleep, but I could not, the numbers kept me up. Over time, my passion arose; I faced the struggles of being a girl who loved math, but I grew stronger through the journey. The numbers mesmerize me and that is why math is what I enjoy the most.

Amelie Klämbt ‘23 Hi I am Amelie Klämbt and I am 16 years old.

I go to the Goethe Schiller Gymnasium school in a small town near Berlin, Germany. I‘m currently attending class 10 there.

What is your favorite subject?

My favorite subject is music.

Why is this your favorite school subject?

I grew up in a very musical family. My dad has played several instruments since he was a child, is in a band and writes songs.

Due to that I started playing the piano at the age of 6. Even if I haven't got the good genes for singing, I totally enjoy singing karaoke by myself or with my best friend.

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Juliet Vess ‘26 What is your favorite subject?

My favorite subject at ISF is english.

Why is this your favorite school subject?

English is my favorite subject for a few reasons, one of them being able to have class discussions and debates about topics or issues during class time. English gives my classmates and I time to think, reason and discuss.

Alisiya Ermolenko, '24 What is your favorite subject?

English is my favorite subject and it always has been ever since it was introduced in 6th grade.

Why is this your favorite school subject?

Not only do I love exploring the different worlds of genres, authors, and styles but I also like being able to analyze and discuss the texts read with everyone in the class.

Literature has honestly become a part of me and a part without which I wouldn’t be able to express myself or be able to live what I esteem a happy life. Books and reading can open up our minds to new perspectives and horizons, fictional and non-fictional because after all, writers can only write about what they observe.

CULTURE

FAVORITE SCHOOL SUBJECTS

Ardalan Tayebi ‘22 What is your favorite subject?

My favorite subject would have to b due to a few reasons.

Why is this your favorite school subject?

The first reason for Italian being my favorite subject is my teacher Ms. Bandinelli. She puts so much effort into our lessons and makes learning fun and engaging, while not too stressful. We do not really have too much homework but we still are always prepared for anything in the IB because she is so organized and my class is super energetic. I also really enjoy this class because I enjoy languages in general, and I think Italian is especially fun to learn.

Combined with the fact that we are in Italy, and it makes the class super interesting and definitely my favorite.

Luke Middleton ‘24 What is your favorite subject?

Science is my favorite subject.

Why is it your favorite subject?

I would say science is my favorite subject because it allows me to understand the real world, and with that knowledge I can properly create ideas or theories around our world, I just find it interesting to know what allows the world to function.

Barbara Mastrangelo '23 What is your favorite subject?

My favorite subject is English.

Why is this your favorite subject?

My favorite subject is English because when I moved to an international school I didn’t know how to speak any English but my 2nd grade teacher was Italian so she would sit with me during PE and break and teach me English. After that I’ve always loved reading too because she would buy me special books so that I could understand them since I didn’t know English well. (Like those ones with the level on them) Cristian Argento, '24 What is your favorite subject?

I find history to be my favorite subject.

Why is this your favorite school subject? earning about the various past civilizations, wars, and revolutions has always been fascinating to me. It always interests me to reflect upon the decisions that various historical figures have made and why they’ve decided to do so. Looking at the differences in today’s modern world compared to the past is also quite intriguing to me, for example looking at the differences in laws or perhaps technological advancements.

Devaki Menon, '24 What is your favorite subject?

Science is and always has been one of my favorite topics, especially biological sciences.

Why is this your favorite school subject?

The world we live in is an incredibly interesting one and the way it works and the way we function is something that has interested me a lot. I find that most times something happens, I start to think of the science behind it or its scientific reasoning, and I am really interested to know more about ourselves and our habitat.

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POLITICS

Our passionate writers cover issues of global relevance. From tension in Belarus, to Derek Chauvin's trial.

21

Protests in Belarus

POLITICS

TENSION IN BELARUS

TENSION IN BELARUS

BY GUSTAVO REGO '23

During a routine flight from Athens, Greece to Vilnius, Lithuania, passengers of the Ryanair flight found themselves being redirected to the capital of Belarus, Minsk.

They were escorted there by a Belarusian fighter jet, under the pretense of a bomb threat by the Palestinian organisation Hamas. Upon touching down in Minsk, a search of the plane found that no bomb was on board, and the flight was cleared to continue to Vilnius. However, Belarusian journalist and critic of the government Roman Protasevich and his girlfriend stayed behind. They were arrested as soon as the plane had touched down.

belief that there were KGB agents on board the flight, which Belarus has denied. In addition, a video was released on May 24th showing Protasevich confessing to the crimes that he was accused of, but many are suspecting that this confession was coerced or even tortured out of him.

Protasevich was until recently the editor of Nexta, a Telegram channel that was strongly against the government of Belarus. Nexta has been used for organizing anti-government protests, leading to Protasevich being considered a terrorist by the Belarusian government.

Because of this, he is facing up to 15 years in prison. He has also written articles condemning the leader of Belarus, President Alexander Lukashenko, who has been in power since 1994.

" As this is still very much a developing story, there are many details that are unclear. The government of Belarus still maintains their claim that a bomb threat was made towards the flight, going as far as saying that the threat was sent by a member of Hamas, a Palestinian military group that has featured prominently in the news recently, for completely unrelated reasons. Hamas denies that they had anything to do with it. Meanwhile, Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary has expressed his

21 TUSKAN TIMES

Many people suspect that he has been rigging elections, as well as using violence to suppress any protests against him.

"

This has led to some countries placing sanctions on or cutting ties with Belarus.

POLITICS

TENSION IN BELARUS

The international response to this particular incident has been widespread and intense, with Polish Prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki calling it an “unprecedented act of state terrorism.” A joint statement made by 8 countries refers to it as

"

Yet another blatant attempt by the Belarusian authorities to silence all opposition voices.

As this story develops, it has the potential to be a crucial tipping point. It adds even more tension between the West, Russia and Belarus. As investigations continue to reveal details about what actually happened, this tension could increase even further. If Belarus decides to not release Protasevich, that will increase the tension yet again. This situation is very delicate, and the way that it plays out over the coming weeks could be very important for people all around the world.

"

The EU recommended that planes avoid flying over Belarus, and both the EU and UK banned Belarusian airlines from their airspace. In response to this, Russia, who is an ally of Belarus, started rejecting flight plans that avoided Belarusian airspace. The United States also imposed sanctions on Belarus, on top of issuing a warning asking U.S citizens to avoid traveling to Belarus.

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POLITICS

DEREK CHAUVIN'S TRIAL

DEREK CHAUVIN'S TRIAL

BY LOUISE GUTBROD '23

On May 25, 2020, George Floyd was murdered by Derek Chauvin, a white Minneapolis police officer, who pressed his knee to George Floyd's neck for 9 minutes and 29 seconds while Mr. Floyd was handcuffed face down in the street. It is most likely that by now we all heard about this brutal incident. It was all over the media and had an impartible effect on the world. After the video footage went viral it spread like a beacon of light, sparking worldwide protests against racism and excessive use of force by police. This was only one of the many events in which people of colour were treated with injustice by the American police and will not be the last. The Black Lives Matter movement of people protesting and giving awareness to a social problem that is carved so deeply into America’s history and is still present in the lives of people of colour every day, was a historical moment. In cities all over the world, people were kneeling for George Floyd and every black person that was ever placed under injustice.

After the emotional racking, Derek Chavin’s trial went on for months, and on April 20, 2021, he was found guilty on three charges: second-degree murder, thirddegree murder and manslaughter. The sensational trial became one of the most closely watched ones in decades. Some activists claim that justice has been served and that they would feel as if a weight has been taken from their shoulders.

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It is a milestone in the history of police brutality against black citizens, and the decision is a huge win for activists advocating for policing reform.

For America, a country whose justice system barely keeps police officers accountable for killing on the job, particularly where the victims are Black citizens, the event was a landmark moment. The conclusion may be seen as an indication that Mr. Floyd's death has shifted the country toward greater responsibility for police abuses and greater equity under the law.

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How much will it change?

"

The American police department has been ignoring the problem of racism among their system for centuries and because of one public incident, will it all change? The answer to this is not easy and change is not guaranteed, but people’s awareness is awakened and they want to change. A step towards change however is ‘The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act,’ which was passed by the white house on the 3rd March 2021. It cites Mr. Floyd's legacy as a case to make specific improvements to core police practices, such as prohibiting chokeholds and no-knock warrants, ending qualified immunity for officers, and making it possible to hold police responsible for violations.

POLITICS

DEREK CHAUVIN'S TRIAL

Nonetheless, sentencing is not spoken yet. Throughout the emotional trial, both the defence and the prosecution had heavy weighting arguments that influenced the jury and are to be taken into perspective by judging the result of this trial. The prosecution by Steve Schleicher pleads with the emotions of the jury by portraying moments from George Floyd’s life and describes his struggle under Chauvin's knee.

“Imagining a police officer committing a crime might be the most difficult thing you have to set aside because that’s just not the way we think about police officers,” Mr Schleicher told the 12 jurors who will decide the verdict. “What the defendant did was not policing. What the defendant did was an assault.”

On the other hand, The main strategy of Mr Chauvin defence led by the lawyer Eric Nelson was to raise doubts about George Floyds cause of death and to present Chauvin as a “reasonable officer.” The defence also stated that one of the most possible ways to appeal is the extensive attention provided to the prosecution that may have swayed the jurors.

Throughout the trial, the jury heard from 45 witnesses and saw several hours of surveillance recording.

Eyewitnesses provided some of the most compelling evidence. Several people sobbed as they watched the gruesome video of the incident and described feeling "helpless" as events unfolded. Mr. Floyd's three-year partner and his younger brother have testified. Expert witnesses for the state testified that Mr. Floyd died from a lack of oxygen as a result of the restraint technique used by Chauvin and his colleagues. A big question during the trial was if Chauvin himself will testify or not. In the end, Chauvin opted not to testify, citing his right not to incriminate himself with his answers. Regardless of the try of the defence in the end Derek Chauvil was found guilty and is now in custody awaiting his sentence. This was one of the first times a white police man was proven guilty for murder during service. It’s marking a watershading moment, and together with the public awareness, we might bring change to the American Legal System.

"

Human beings make decisions in highly stressful situations that they believe to be right in the very moment it is occurring,” - Mr Nelson

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POLITICS

UNPRINCELY PRINCE

UNPRINCELY PRINCE

BY MUSKAN BONINGER '23

“If I were reincarnated, I would wish to be returned to earth as a killer virus to lower human population levels.” His wish came true when his life came to an end. The Duke of Edinburgh, also known as Prince Philip, died on April 9th at the age of 99, at rather an inconvenient moment. The Royal Family was accused of racism by Prince Harry's wife, the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Marcle.

Can the Duke's death cause more scandal than he has caused alive? Now that Philip's legacy is being recounted, many people start to notice his comments through another point of view. He is no longer accompanied by his british humor, because that lies in the ground with the prince, but with racism, sexism, and ignorance.

Prince Philip was known to have made comments such as, "I don't think a prostitute is more moral than a wife, but they are doing the same thing." People laughed or agreed with this remark. Now, people actually start to notice that this is a sexist comment, and that a wife is someone more than a woman used for sexual pleasure.

Back in 2001, Philip told a boy to “lose weight” if he wished to become an astronaut.

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lose weight

25 TUSKAN TIMES

"

"

"I don't think a prostitute is more moral than a wife, but they are doing the same thing."

"

This was considered a hilarious joke to everyone at the time, but the child’s feelings were definitely hurt. Since we were toddlers we were taught to not judge and point out anyone. We were taught to not hurt others’ feelings purposely, yet there he was using his noble title to make cruel comments.

Only one year later, the lovely Duke told a 14 year old asian boy that he looked like he was on drugs, after asking who else was on them.

Not only did he make presumptuous comments, but he also told the president of Nigeria that his traditional robe looked like he was “ready for bed,” and compared Ethiopian art to "The kind of thing my daughter would bring back from school art lessons.”

POLITICS

UNPRINCELY PRINCE

"

If it has got four legs and it is not a chair, if it has got two wings and it flies but is not an aeroplane, and if it swims and it is not a submarine, the Cantonese will eat it.

"

He made racist comments even in China, telling a group of british students in China,

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If you stay here much longer you'll all be slittyeyed.

"

During a meeting he said, “If it has got four legs and it is not a chair, if it has got two wings and it flies but is not an aeroplane, and if it swims and it is not a submarine, the Cantonese will eat it.” Some say this is the unique british humor of the prince while others say this is blunt racism. If these comments are funny, should we teach our friends to talk like this just to have a humorous moment, or is this just proof of lack of respect and racism in the Prince?

Despite his snarky remarks, he was loved and idealised by his subjects. He made racist comments even in China, telling a group of british students in China,

The duke was called rude, racist, sexist and plain insensitive. Prince Philip, now deceased, became well known for his long record of inappropriate or awkward gaffes.

A monarch has power, but power means responsibility. Even if you have no power, even if it's a futile title, it means that certain comments must be filtered, and certain actions must be avoided. Being married to The Queen of England, makes him someone people look up to, so he should have set examples for others. Yet, what he taught us was that having “Prince” as a title does not necessarily mean that you act like one, and that his actions never had a consequence. Those are just the perks of being a Prince of Britain.

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POLITICS

BIDEN IN OFFICE

BIDEN'S FIRST 100 DAYS IN OFFICE

BY SOPHIA LOVALO '22 Joe Biden completed his 100th day in office on Wednesday, April 29 and is leading the country in a direction that most Americans are feeling optimistic about.

Considering the severity of the pandemic and the divided political climate of the US when President Biden was inaugurated, critics say has done a rather good job of managing the situation. Biden made a variety of promises during his campaign, some of which he followed through with and others which are still in the works, but one thing he has done is remain under the radar. The director for the center of Presidential History at Southern Methodist University described Biden's approach: “People aren't paying that much attention to Biden because he's not doing anything as crazy as the last guy”. So, what exactly has Biden been up to these past three months?

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One of Biden's main priorities seems to be counseling the country through the remainder of the pandemic. One of his biggest promises was to have 100 million Americans vaccinated by the end of his first one hundred days in office. This promise was doubled in March to 200 million and is currently considered one of the biggest successes of his presidency thus far. The seven day rolling average for vaccines given has also heavily increased, starting at 770,000 when Biden took office and now approaching over 3 million. In addition, as of Biden's 100th day in office over 80% of the senior population has received at least one shot, and 25% of the total American adult population was fully vaccinated.

In relation to the pandemic situation, Biden's 1.9 trillion dollar Covid Relief Bill would probably be considered his greatest achievement. The bill is referred to as the American Rescue Plan, and aims to dedicate funds to fighting the virus, as well as providing economic relief to many Americans such as stimulus payments and unemployment insurance. During his presidential address, Biden described his hopes for the Covid 19 situation: “This country will be vaccinated soon, our economy will be on the mend, and our kids will be back in school.”

Though these ideas seem to be realistic, some argue that Biden’s progress regarding the pandemic was bound to happen regardless of who was president. Though this might be partly true, the steps he has taken, such as increasing vaccine production and vaccine distribution sites have indisputably contributed to significant improvement regarding the health crisis.

POLITICS

BIDEN IN OFFICE

Biden's second priority seems to be undoing most of the executive orders that were put into place under president Trump. Among the many controversial actions of his predecessor were a handful of executive orders including a ban on transgender military members, construction of a new boarder wall (separating Mexico from the United States), and the decision to leave the Paris Climate Agreement. All of these were removed and belong to the forty plus executive orders that Biden has put into place so far. President Biden was praised for removing many of Trump's most controversial policies, but has also been heavily criticised for the volume of orders. Tennessee senator Marsha Blackburn, a republican, took to twitter regarding the situation saying, “You can't govern with a pen and a phone,” but Democrats continue to defend Biden as working to end the burden and suffering that the current health crisis has brought upon Americans.

For the first time in eight years, climate change has finally been made a national priority. Biden has been described as busy without making much noise, and this definitely applies to his approach towards the climate crisis. In April, before the mark of his first 100 days in office, Biden committed to his promise of holding a global climate summit among other world leaders. During the summit, Biden discussed goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the US by 50% by 2030 as part of the Paris Climate agreement which the US rejoined in February of 2021.

Biden has had a relatively successful first few months in office, but there are still a few things that the administration is struggling with; one of the most prominent is the immigration problem. During Trump's time in office, the immigration crisis at the United States Southern Border was one of the most badly handled and controversial situations. Even under Biden's desire for a more neutral approach, this remains a difficult and prevalent issue. The Biden administration has yet to make any promising announcements regarding the issue and has asked the American people for patience while they try to find a more humanitarian solution.

Gun violence has been another area of criticism for President Biden. After a string of mass shootings in the past few weeks this issue has been brought back into the spotlight and remains a highly disputed topic in congress. Unfortunately, despite some action on this issue, Biden is relying on definitive long term legislation to facilitate the large scale changes, and these remain up to congress and out of his authority.

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SCIENCE

SCIENCE

SPACE RACE

SPACEX VS. BLUE ORIGIN: THE BILLIONAIRE SPACE RACE COMMENCES

BY CARLO VITALE '22

The race for the moon has started, and this time it is being fueled by none other than the world’s leading billionaires, each commanding their own company, constantly trying to win over the eyes and attention of NASA. Elon Musk, founder of companies such as Tesla, Neuralink, and The Boring Company, leads the race with his company known as SpaceX. SpaceX was founded in 2002 with the plan to turn the United States’ attention to Mars, as well as to create reusable rockets that would lower the cost of space related operations. It has made various strides in this direction and has even picked up some achievements, such as being the first private company to send an aircraft to the international space station (ISS), along with being the first to send humans to the ISS as well. On the other side of the ring stands Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon.inc, along with his company: Blue Origin.

Similarly to Musk, Blue Origin was founded in the early 2000s with the same goal of making cheaper and reusable rockets.

Although Blue Origin focuses more on the touristic side of space, with their new sightseeing rocket planning to launch on July 20th, they have also been competing with SpaceX’s goal of exploration with their rover called the “Blue Moon”.

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Although both companies seem to both be making significant advancements in both of their departments, their competition arises when NASA can only support one of the two companies.

Last year, NASA declared that they would fund one of the new and uprising space exploration related companies to build them a lander to bring astronauts back to the moon. For the past few months they have been analyzing each company’s lunar designs and studying them vigorously.

SpaceX proposed adapting a giant rocket named the Starship which would be the one used to travel to Mars as well. Blue Origin’s proposal was a collaboration of three experienced aerospace companies, to be called the National Team.

SCIENCE

SPACE RACE

Towards the end of last month, NASA picked their winner, SpaceX, giving them a 2.9 billion dollar contract for them to carry out their work. This, as expected, didn’t sit well with the losers of the competition.

Bezos has filed a 50 page protest towards the federal Government Accountability Office challenging the contract given to SpaceX. Bezos claims that their success shouldn’t be based on jousting for government contracts, along with the claim that NASA made a mistake in picking SpaceX. Bob Smith, chief-executive of Blue Origin, believes that their proposal was the clear superior of the two and that NASA had to “address their errors”. Smith also adds that NASA should have stuck to their initial proposal of supporting both companies.

NASA had in fact originally planned to support more than one company, as they had put much emphasis on the importance of competition. In various interviews, NASA representatives have stated that competition is necessary for their success in space as it drives each company to push further beyond and for NASA not to rely on just one source of success. However, this is far from what is happening today.

This is most likely due to Congress only providing them with 850 million dollars, a quarter of what they expected. Smith also calls out NASA by saying that Blue Origin had placed a much higher bid than SpaceX, but NASA had gone back and renegotiated with SpaceX - an opportunity that none of the other competitors had. Smith says, “We didn’t get a chance to revise, and that is fundamentally unfair”.

Although the decision might change in the near future, as the Governmental Accountability Office has 100 days to respond to the protest, it seems that SpaceX will come out on top this time.

However, this does not mean that all hope is lost for Blue Origin. NASA has already declared another competition in which all the losing competitors will have a chance to “win” and advance their projects. This will hopefully give Blue Origin the support they need so we can see Musk and Bezos go head to head once again and push each other towards new heights and successes. .

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SCIENCE

IS THERE LIFE AFTER DEATH?

IS THERE LIFE AFTER DEATH?

BY ALISIYA ERMOLENKO '24 "Is there life after death?" is a question we have all found ourselves asking at least once in our lifetime. People have always wondered what will happen in the decades, centuries, and even millennia after their deaths so, in the late 1960s scientists created cryonics. Cryonics can be defined as the preservation of dead humans and animals, using freezing and storing mechanisms with liquid nitrogen until science and technology have developed enough to be able to revive them.

The belief for the possibility of revival originated from a study done in 2015 where about 100 worms were frozen for two weeks at the temperature of minus 80 degrees Celsius in petri dishes. Scientists wanted to see if the worms that were frozen acted differently from the unfrozen ones. They placed the worms into separate petri dishes to see if the frozen worms would still remember what they were taught previously about changing their diets from bacteria to benzaldehyde. This was a test to see if the worms could remember what they were taught before being frozen. The results were that both of the groups reached the finish line. Although this did work on worms, humans are very different. The worms have genes to protect them from the cold and they were frozen alive which is illegal for humans at the moment.

Furthermore, the human brain is more complex and has more neurons compared to a worm.

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"

Being frozen alive however, would mean the chances of being resuscitated would increase as the amount of cells lost would be significantly smaller.

"

There are innumerable things that could go wrong, starting with the procedure itself. The procedure, known as vitrification, consists of many steps. The first step is to sign up to become a cryopreservation member. Most of the cryonic facilities are located in the U.S.A. though memberships are available in other parts of the world such as European (including Italy) and Asian countries. In order to become a member, one needs to sign several papers and discuss the financial arrangements, costing around $80,000 dollars for a neuro or $200,000 or even higher for your whole body. The second step comes after a cryopreservation member's death. When they have been identified as legally or biologically dead, the cryonic facility will send a team to collect the body right away.

The cryonic team puts the body in dry ice to prepare for transportation while simultaneously giving it heparin to prevent the formation of blood clots and supply it

SCIENCE

IS THERE LIFE AFTER DEATH?

with oxygen. Once the body arrives at the clinic, a specialized team unpacks it and begins the process of replacing body fluids with cryoprotectants, some examples are formamide, methanol, dimethyl sulfoxide, and glycerol. The higher the concentration of the cryoprotectant, the more toxic it is.

The role of the cryoprotectants is to prevent the formation of ice inside cells using the process of osmosis. The danger is that if ice forms inside cells, the cells will explode and damage the chances of being resuscitated one day. Scientists have found ways to keep the structure of cells, but only in test tubes. Then, the body is placed in an insulated tank which can sometimes contain up to 8 other bodies depending on the size. After that, the next step will come when science has advanced far enough to be able to replace the cryoprotectants with blood and rehydrate the body.

The other problem is that no one for certain knows what will happen with the human body after it has been frozen; no one has been revived yet and not even skin cells were kept frozen in a test tube for as long as the bodies are. If one were to freeze skin cells in liquid nitrogen and thaw them after a year, out of the million that were frozen, only a few hundred would remain after a couple of days. In addition to these complications,

"

There is no guarantee that brain function could be restored back to normal.

"

After researching cryonics, a group of scientists concluded that it is very unlikely that the complex procedure of cryopreservation would not radically affect the body and mind of the patient. Then there is the question of whether the expenses, the efforts, and the complex procedures are worth the final result. A whole new world would await the patients.

Unless their friends and close family were cryopreserved, they would be alone, isolated, scared, and even likely depressed.

Only time can tell whether cryonic human revival is possible or not, but it is unlikely to function using the data and technology we have today. However, history has proved that science can go to incredible lengths we didn't know humankind was capable of achieving.

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TUSKAN TIMES

POLITICS

THE POWER OF MRNA

THE POWER OF MRNA

BY DEVAKI MENON '24

Ever since Covid-19 took the world by storm last year, pharmaceutical companies have been on the hunt to create a safe and effective vaccine as quickly as possible. Of the multiple companies that have created vaccines, two of the most prominent and well known ones are Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, both of which are considered medical breakthroughs. Both vaccines have incredibly high efficacy rates and work on multiple variants, but what makes them so effective? Something that separates them from the rest, is that they both hold a technology known as mRNA, that has changed the future of vaccines and biotechnology, and can continue to change the future of diseases.

Most vaccines work by releasing a weakened part of the virus or pathogen into the body to expose the immune system to the disease so that the immune system can create antibodies that can recognize the virus and fight it, if it is exposed to the virus again.

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mRNA, on the other hand, are genetic instructions that, once injected in the body, instruct the body’s cells to make proteins that affect multiple cellular functions, including immune defence. To make the Covid-19 vaccine, scientists create synthetic mRNA in the lab that instructs the cells to produce spike proteins from the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which the immune system then destroys. Not only does mRNA instruct the body to produce antibodies, but also killer cells – a double strike at the virus.

Although the mRNA technology became better known due to its role in Covid-19 vaccines, scientists think that they can help overcome a lot more than just Covid. Due to the flexibility of mRNA vaccines, technology that instructs cells in a specialized way can be made. A team of researchers are investigating the ways mRNA can prevent colorectal cancer, specifically cancer that is still present in the body. Dr. Van Karlyle Morris, one of the researchers on the team, states that,

"

With Covid vaccines, we’re trying to prevent something that’s not there.

In the context of cancer, we're actually using the mRNA technology to treat something which still may be there.

"

POLITICS

THE POWER OF MRNA

Preventing colorectal cancer that is present in the body entails examining the tumor’s tissue to find the genetic mutations which they then use to create a personalized vaccine that sends mRNA to hunt the mutations and eradicate them.

The flexibility of mRNA and the quick process of making the vaccine means that it can be possible to cure multiple illnesses and diseases using the technology. Malaria, the second largest cause of death by infectious death, might be able to use a similar functioning technology in a vaccine to cure it, and other diseases such as seasonal flu, Parkinson’s disease, HIV, and MS can potentially use the RNA technology in its vaccines.

Despite the negative impacts of Covid-19, the unprecedented collaboration and scientific breakthroughs that have been made are being channeled in positive ways.

As Dr. Richard Bucala of the Yale School of Medicine says,

“The unforeseen benefit of the tragedy of COVID-19 is that RNA now is kind of accepted and opens opportunities for this vaccine approach for other diseases, such as malaria,”.

The use of mRNA in the Pfizer-BionNTech and Moderna vaccines has allowed for scientists to recognise the potential it holds, and has led to a new and promising age in vaccinology.

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SCIENCE

SILENT TREATMENT

WHY GIVING THE SILENT TREATMENT IS HARMFUL

BY FILIPA GAMERIO '22

Many people believe that giving the silent treatment during an argument is the most dignified response, but it’s not. The silent treatment is a form of ostracism or exclusion where the victim is deflected, subverted, and rejected by the person or group of people. When this happens, the individual feels confused and hurt by the offender’s withdrawal, until they eventually get used to it. This treatment gives very harmful outcomes, one of which being because the other person is being dehumanized.

In early civilizations, ostracism equated death, because it was interpreted as an exemption of inhumanity and even exhaustion from one’s self.

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The worst sin for our fellow creatures is not to hate them, but to be indifferent to them: that is the essence of inhumanity.

- George Bernard Shaw.

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We are social beings who are meant to form and maintain relationships. A form of social ostracizing like the silent treatment disturbs these relationships.

Being ostracized leads to people feeling less human and seeing the person causing harm to them as inhuman as well. More problems arise when the silent treatment becomes emotionally manipulating.

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Being a victim of the silent treatment makes someone start to doubt themselves and doubt their understanding of reality.

Many psychologists identify the silent treatment as a way of manipulation where the neglectful person feels to be gaining control of the conversation or argument.

This treatment is equivalent to gaslighting because it leaves the victim questioning what they’ve done wrong.

The silent treatment represents a form of rejection, in which the victim stops reaching out to another person for their needs, as it subjects the individual to the opportunity of being turned away or even made to feel ashamed for the effort when communicating.

When arguing, it’s convenient to justify your cold shoulder and may seem like a good solution.

However, it is worsening the problem.

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Denying the communication needs of someone leads to emotional rejection.

"

This leads to another issue: the corruption of one’s self-esteem. The receiving person may begin to criticize themselves and pursue other types of behaviors such as apologizing for every little thing, being too harsh on themselves or simply feeling incapable. A cold shoulder is a very active way of humiliating or shaming someone

SCIENCE

SILENT TREATMENT

and telling them they’re worthless, regardless of the intention. It invalidates one’s opinions, thoughts, and feelings. This, in turn, may produce anxiety and low selfesteem. In the long and repeated term, it may be a cause of issues such as developing depression, an eating disorder, and in extreme cases: suicide.

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It produces physical pain.

"

The other reason why this treatment is harmful is because it produces physical pain. When one is treated in an exclusive manner, the body actually treats that rejection as an equal response to physical pain. Scientists have shown that when one experiences the silent treatment, the

anterior cingulate cortex, which is the region in the brain that distinguishes the different levels of pain, activates. As a result of someone’s cold shoulder, the victim may experience headaches from the anxiety, and digestive issues.

For these reasons, the silent treatment is something that destroys relationships of any kind. Communication has been shown to be the fuel to the fire that keeps a relationship burning. The silent treatment often denotes an inability to communicate and to exhibit emotional intelligence.

Emotional intelligence is what provides a relationship with the sensitivity to discover what is wrong and work out ways to resolve it, instead of climbing to the emotional walls of the silent treatment. People who experience this treatment in groups of people also feel invalidated, and experience the symptoms discussed. They may describe it as themselves feeling excluded, but in reality, there’s more to it.

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POLITICS

VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS

EXPLOSIVE VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS IN SAINT VINCENT

BY RILEY LAMANTEER '22 Multiple “explosive” volcanic eruptions tormented the island of Saint Vincent, located in the Caribbean, for 3 days leaving thousands of islanders stranded and forced to evacuate their homes. Said volcano, La Soufrière, first started showing activity again after about 40 years of sleeping, in December of 2020. The islanders of Saint Vincent saw smoke and steam coming from La Soufrière and also felt frequent rumbling coming from below. However, the first sign of an actual eruption happening arrived on the 8th of April, 2021 when a lava dome (a dome shaped mound of lava that has been forced from a volcanic vent) became visible. That night, Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves ordered an immediate evacuation of more than 15,000 people located in areas surrounding the volcano.

The next day, April 9th, several seismologists from the University of the West Indies, confirmed that an eruption of the volcano was coming their way. Later on that same day, two volcanic eruptions exploded with several major pulses happening the following two days. Some residents, even located outside the evacuation zones, still reported feeling and hearing the rumbling noises after the initial two eruptions sent everyone into panic.

"

... confirmed that an eruption of the volcano was coming their way.

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"

La Soufrière isn’t only affecting the people of Saint Vincent but also the global environment. The injection of particles and gases into the atmosphere is able to modify the radiative budget of Earth’s atmosphere.

For example, La Soufrière has released not only ashes, but also carbon dioxide and sulphur up into the stratosphere where they stay for long periods of time and travel around the globe. This causes several major problems. For one, it affects the Earth’s temperatures. Second, the sulphur released into the atmosphere is very likely to mix with water vapour and form small droplets of sulfuric acid which can absorb or reflect solar light and in return cause surface cooling and harm to the land where the rain falls. The ash causes many other problems such as the ash from the volcano not only falling onto Saint Vincent but also travelling to other parts of the world due to wind and the regular weather cycle. This means more people can be affected, and if rain is to fall over the island, a mix of rain and ash could harden and pose several different threats.

Although this volcanic eruption doesn’t particularly affect us here in Italy, it is still a major problem that has affected thousands of people. This eruption has destroyed a lot of land and property, left thousands of people homeless, left a terrible effect on the surrounding ocean and ecological life, cost Saint Vincent thousands of dollars, and will now affect many people both mentally and physically.

POLITICS

VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS

La Soufrière isn’t only affecting the people of Saint Vincent but also the global environment. The injection of particles and gases into the atmosphere is able to modify the radiative budget of Earth’s atmosphere.

For example, La Soufrière has released not only ashes, but also carbon dioxide and sulphur up into the stratosphere where they stay for long periods of time and travel around the globe. This causes several major problems. For one, it affects the Earth’s temperatures. Second, the sulphur released into the atmosphere is very likely to mix with water vapour and form small droplets of sulfuric acid which can absorb or reflect solar light and in return cause surface cooling and harm to the land where the rain falls.

The ash causes many other problems such as the ash from the volcano not only falling onto Saint Vincent but also travelling to other parts of the world due to wind and the regular weather cycle. This means more people can be affected, and if rain is to fall over the island, a mix of rain and ash could harden and pose several different threats.

Although this volcanic eruption doesn’t particularly affect us here in Italy, it is still a major problem that has affected thousands of people. This eruption has destroyed a lot of land and property, left thousands of people homeless, left a terrible effect on the surrounding ocean and ecological life, cost Saint Vincent thousands of dollars, and will now affect many people both mentally and physically.

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NFT art

CULTURE

POLITICS

SEASPIRACY

SEASPIRACY

BY NEREO LOREATO '22

The new Netflix nature documentary Seaspiracy has been making headlines all around the world. The movie was shot by Ali Tabrizi who traveled around the world trying to uncover the dark secret behind the extinction of marine life. As it turns out, plastic should not be the number one concern. Below are some of the most shocking things explained by the documentary.

It is a well known fact that Japan frequently conducts whaling campaigns disguised as research operations, that however is not all. In the small town of Taiji, fishermen lure dolphins into coves and slaughter them. Dolphins don’t even provide food for the citizens! Only a small percentage of the animals are sent to marine parks, as if that is much better. The reason for this cold-blooded, useless, ridiculous killing of dolphins is that the waters around Taiji are full of tuna. These tunas can sell for millions of dollars each!

The reason fishermen are killing dolphins is to provide an excuse for the dwindling number of tunas. “The dolphins eat the fish.” Not true! Too many tuna are fished, leading to a decrease in population. The dolphin killing is instead a cover for overfishing. mRNA, on the other hand, are genetic instructions that, once injected in the body, instruct the body’s cells to make proteins that affect multiple cellular functions, including immune defence.

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To make the Covid-19 vaccine, scientists create synthetic mRNA in the lab that instructs the cells to produce spike proteins from the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which the immune system then destroys. Not only does mRNA instruct the body to produce antibodies, but also killer cells – a double strike at the virus.

Although the mRNA technology became better known due to its role in Covid-19 vaccines, scientists think that they can help overcome a lot more than just Covid. Due to the flexibility of mRNA vaccines, technology that instructs cells in a specialized way can be made. A team of researchers are investigating the ways mRNA can prevent colorectal cancer, specifically cancer that is still present in the body. Dr. Van Karlyle Morris, one of the researchers on the team, states that,

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With Covid vaccines, we’re trying to prevent something that’s not there.

In the context of cancer, we're actually using the mRNA technology to treat something which still may be there.

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POLITICS

THE OSCARS RACE ISSUE

THE OSCARS RACE ISSUE

BY CAMELIA PALLANTI '22

After the #OscarsSoWhite movement gained traction in 2016, how much have the Oscars changed in the past five years? In 2016 when the nominations were released to the public, all 20 acting nominations were revealed to be all white for the second year in a row; the tabloids blew up with articles criticizing the lack of inclusivity.

The exclusion extends beyond the black community: Miyoshi Umeki remains the only Asian person to win an acting Oscar, best-supporting actress for Sayonara (1957); only five Latina women have even been nominated for best actress; Rami Malek is the only person of Arab descent to win an acting Oscar, best actor for Bohemian Rhapsody (2018).

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Such award recognition matters not only for the fundamental principles of fairness and equality but also because it has a significant impact on who gets to share their voices in future productions.

Since the 2016 racial awakening, the Oscars have made a conscious effort to increase membership diversity. In 2020, The Academy announced that they had exceeded the goals set in 2016 to increase inclusivity, having doubled the number of female members and tripled their members of color.

#OscarsSoWhite had ramifications extending to the entire film awards business, consequently leading to the scrutiny surrounding the golden globes and the freebies given to members, such as expensepaid trips to visit film sets, such as Emily In Paris, which was nominated for two golden globes. At the same time, the Golden Globes were scrutinized for not having a single black member.

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Therefore, who gets to share their voice in the world. Oscar nominations and subsequent wins can skyrocket career opportunities. Where people of color are denied these awards, they are also subsequently denied further opportunities for success.

This year's Oscars have been the most inclusive yet.

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POLITICS

THE OSCARS RACE ISSUE

According to the findings of the Bi-Annual UCLA Hollywood diversity report, the top 185 films released, the report finds that

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People of color made up 39.7% of leading roles

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a marked improvement from 2014 when UCLA launched the study when people of color represented just 10.5%. Women had 47.8% of film leads, as opposed to 25.6% in 2011.

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There is some way to go; the LGBQTIA+ community remains underrepresented both in front and behind the camera. It remains to be seen if last year's best picture win for a film not in English or this year's multiple nominations of female directors will be a pattern or an anomaly. It is also unclear what, if any, effect the pandemic has had on the nominations and whether a return to normality will favor Hollywood's old guard.

Progress, no matter how reluctantly taken, is hard to reverse, and the Oscars future looks brighter than ever.

POLITICS

THE RISE OF DIGITAL ART

THE RISE OF DIGITAL ART

BY LORENZO BUDRONI '21

What if I told you that a GIF of a flying cat created in 2011, and widely available with a simple internet search today was sold as a unique work of art for nearly $600,000 this year?

You would probably, and understandably, think that I was insane.

However this is real, and the aforementioned Nyan Cat is just one example of a whole slew of digital artworks that have recently rocked the art world. In March, a JPEG created by Mike Winkelmann sold for 69 million dollars; CEO of Twitter Jack Dorsey sold the first tweet ever (Tweeted by him) for 2.9 million dollars, and the NBA is even selling little moments in different basketball games for hundreds of thousands of dollars. All of these digital artworks are known as NFTs, and while the phenomenon is remarkable, why would anyone buy an artwork that is already widely available? And why are people prepared to spend millions of dollars for it?

NFT stands for Non-Fungible Token, and if you have no idea what fungible means or what tokens are, allow me to explain by starting with the first word, fungible.

Everyday items like shoes, jackets, toothbrushes, etc. are fungible, I don’t care which specific jacket I get when I buy one, so long as I actually get one. On the other hand, assets such as the Mona Lisa are nonfungible, you can’t print out and hang a picture of the Mona Lisa in the Louvre where the original was because it doesn’t hold the same value, it is non-fungible or nonreplaceable. That gets the ‘NF’ in NFT out of the way, but what about the ‘T’? What is a token? In this case, the token is essentially a ‘digital certificate’ verifying that what you have bought is an authentic non-fungible commodity. However, in order to understand how this applies to transactions, we first have to understand a simple buzzword that you may have heard being thrown around before when dealing with the world of crypto, the blockchain.

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In today’s economy, commodities can either be one of two things, fungible or non-fungible.

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POLITICS

THE RISE OF DIGITAL ART

Traditionally, if I wanted to complete a business transaction, and was buying or selling either fungible or non-fungible items, I would need the help of a middleman. It would be a bank that would take on this role as the middleman between the buyer and the seller. Simply put, if I wanted to buy a pair of shoes from a company like Nike, I would swipe my card on a card reader, that in turn would send a message to my bank saying that I wanted to spend $70 on those shoes, my bank would then check if I had enough money in my account balance to buy the shoes, and if I did, they would approve the transaction.

They would then send another message to Nike’s bank account notifying them of the successful transaction, and with that, Nike’s bank account would tell Nike that they had made $70 from the shoes that they just sold and add that to their account balance.

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This process has remained unchanged since the advent of credit cards.

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On the other hand, cryptocurrency changes this dynamic in a very simple but impactful way: removing the middleman. When a transaction is carried out with cryptocurrency, that transaction is recorded publicly on a blockchain where everyone can see and approve it. However, because these transactions are completely digital, the only thing the blockchain cares about is whether or not you have enough money to complete the transaction. So when a Malaysian businessman buys a tweet from Jack Dorsey for 2.9 million

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dollars, the blockchain checks to see if the Malaysian businessman has that amount of money. As the tweet is sold as a NFT, the blockchain collectively approves the sale of this commodity, and the digital certificate of authenticity is transferred over to someone new, confirming that they are now in possession of an original.

The need for a collective approval of such transactions ties into a fundamental question that exists in the art world. It can be argued that nowadays an important factor in determining whether or not a work of art is valuable is public consensus. The price tag of the art is influenced by the fanfare surrounding it, the more excitement or anticipation around a piece, the higher the valuation will go. This is best summarized by the scholar Olav Velthuis, who explained that “The art market functions as a big consensus marketing machine”. The hype around an artwork, and the subsequent rising price from it, gives significance to the whole idea of art.

This public consensus cannot only give significance to art, but it can also come to define it, especially when the definition of what art really is becomes blurred. There have been plenty of times in history where

POLITICS

THE RISE OF DIGITAL ART

individuals or movements have challenged the notion of what art should be. One such example is Marcel Duchamp’s Fountain, a urinal, which he submitted to an exhibition in New York. Duchamp never attached any sort of value to his art, but by simply treating objects that are not normally considered to be art as art he could essentially call into question where we draw the line between art and non-art and why we value art at all.

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The best way to give anything value is when a group of people deem it to be real and unique.

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Where do we draw the line between art and non-art?

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Duchamp’s anti-art was ultimately deemed to be art by the public consensus, and we are seeing a similar thing occurring with NFTs and digital art today. Something that could not have possibly been considered to be art years ago, now finds itself being the top prize of a multi-million dollar bidding war in a new art trend. Ultimately, the story of NFTs turns out to be one of human psychology. The best way to give anything value, whether it be a materialistic or abstract object, is when a group of people deem it to be real and unique. The value in any NFT is deemed by our collective ability to agree that they are valuable, and this means that there is no telling where a volatile NFT market like the one we are experiencing right now will go. So long as the hype around them continues to grow, we may see an even greater rise in digital art.

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POLITICS

THE GOAT: TOM BRADY

THE GOAT: TOM BRADY

BY GIACOMO MEZZOGORI '22

The GOAT” is a prestigious title that is given only to one person in each sport. It is an acronym made by the media for the ‘Greatest Of All Time’. Some GOATs that come to mind are Muhamad Ali, Serena Williams, Michael Jordan, and Micheal Phelps. These athletes are known all over the world for being the pinnacle of athletic achievement. In football the undisputed GOAT was Joe Montana from 1994 until about 2014. In 2014 Tom Brady challenged for the GOAT title after winning his 4th Super Bowl, tying Joe Montana. However, he still had a lot of doubters, as he has had his whole career.

Tom Brady went to Michigan University where he began his career. He had a good one, but was definitely no superstar. Infact, coming out of college NFL scouts said Brady was

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Poor build, skinny, lacked great physical stature and strength, and gets knocked down easily.

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This report clearly did not impress NFL owners. Tom Brady ended up getting picked in the sixth out of seven rounds with the 199th pick by the New England Patriots in 1999. Six quarterbacks were picked before him.

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When he got to the NFL he was a backup quarterback and did not play a single game. In his second year, the starting quarterback for the Patriots got hurt and Brady was ready to step in. He did all the simple things right and gave his team a chance to win every game.

They ended that season winning the Super Bowl and Brady was named the MVP, most valuable player. In the following three years the Patriots established themselves as one of the elite teams in professional football and won the Super Bowl three out of four years, while destroying the record for the longest win streak. Brady went on to play with the Patriots until the 2019 season. In New England he racked up six Super Bowls and was named the game’s most valuable player three times. Although Brady had the stats to be considered the greatest of all time, many people doubted him saying that he was only good because of his team and his coach.

POLITICS

THE GOAT: TOM BRADY

At this point in his career Brady really did not need to prove the doubters wrong. He had fame, money, a family, and a happy life.

However, he loved the game and decided to come back for his 21st season. So, he signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the 2020-2021 season to try to win the Super Bowl one more time and shut everyone up for good. Before Brady got to Tampa they had not made the playoffs since 2008 and had not won the Super Bowl since 2002. So, if he were to make them win, it would leave no doubt about his greatness. The 2020 season started and the Buccaneers were off to an average start with a record of seven wins and five losses. To even have a chance at making the playoffs they needed to win the rest of their games, and to win the Super Bowl they would have had to win eight straight games, something they hadn’t done since 2002. They ended up squeaking by and winning their remaining regular season games to earn a spot to play in the Wild Card Round, where the teams who did not win their division, but still had a good record, could earn a chance to play in the playoffs. Brady and the Bucs narrowly won

the Wild Card, then the Divisional Championship, and then the Conference Championship, finding themselves playing the reigning champions for the Super Bowl title. The young, star-studded team that the Buccaneers faced had beat them in December and had the best record in the NFL. The Buccaneers won the game 31 to 9 by a great defensive display and Tom Brady won his 7th Super Bowl, an NFL record. Brady also won the Super Bowl MVP making him the oldest to win the award (43 years old).

However, Tom Brady’s career isn’t over yet, even after 21 seasons in the NFL. He says he wants to keep playing until he can’t anymore.

No matter what happens in the remainder of his career, Tom Brady is the GOAT of the NFL and one of the greatest athletes of all time.

With 7 Super Bowl Titles, 3 League MVP awards, and 5 Super Bowl MVP awards, Tom Brady has two Hall of Fame careers in his 21 years in the NFL. It is interesting how the kid that no one believed in and the 7th best quarterback in the 1999 draft is now the greatest football player of all time, rather than some superstar making millions of dollars off of his first contract.

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