Tower Issue #4 (2022-2023)

TOWER The Masters School

49 Clinton Avenue Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. 10522

VOLUME 79, NUMBER 4

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Read Aviv Emery’s Story on web about The Dead Sea

@masterstower

March 10, 2023

Richard Stanton, renowned cave diver, to speak at graduation GISELE CESTARO Lead News Editor

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ichard Stanton, an established cave-diver best known for his heroic feat on the daunting 2018 cave mission in Thailand, has been announced as the Commencement

speaker for the class of 2023. He has been doing this work for over 40 years, pushing boundaries, and exploring what is unknown to the rest of us. Stanton and his team are best known as the rescuers who saved the lives of 13 boys from a youth soccer team. One being Masters senior Adul Samon, who was trapped along with his friends, by a rising tide in a cave for 18 days.

Stanton’s niche interest

in cave diving is credited to the element of surprise, which suits his personality of constantly being on the look-out for his next adventure.

Unlike most people, he likes to explore and not know what’s on the other side waiting for him. As an unmarried 62-year-old man, who lives in a house full of diving equipment in England, he fully immerses himself in the art of cave-diving. In an interview with Don Riddell from

JONATHAN WILLIAMS/CNN

CAVE DIVING SUITS RICHARD Stanton’s interests, as he enjoys the adventure and critical thinking involved. Cave diving has multiple purposes including extreme sports or exploration for scientific investigations

CNN, he said doesn’t consider his passion dangerous, but rather believes that the problem is approaching it in a careless manner.

In 2018, Stanton and his diving partner, John Volanthen, pulled off a widely publicized rescue of 13 soccer players in a four hour dive from the Tham Luang cave in Thailand.

They navigated rough terrain, while not being able to see ahead of them, as the boys were two miles deep into the cave. Stanton and Volanthen weren’t able to get the boys out at first, but they both approached the situation calmly as they had been in many dangerous situations before.

The story garnered international attention, as people from all around the world waited to see if the boys and their coach who went exploring in a cave, would make it to see another day.

Some of the boys couldn’t swim, so it was left to Stanton to come up with a solution to get the boys home safely. He decided to sedate them, in order to bring out the boys in a scuba mask, so they didn’t have to try and navigate the narrow passages. Even though he received pushback from an anesthesiologist on his team, he was determined to push forward, and the team brough all 13 out safely. Samon, who is currently in Thailand, was unavailable to

comment at publishing deadline.

Danforth, along with Head of School Peter Newcomb, were the administrators who decided upon Stanton. Danforth commented on how Stanton fulfills the Masters’ mission: to strive, to dare, to do, to

he would love to have Stanton address the class of 2023," she said.

Josh Barshay, a senior, commented on the unique perspective he believes Stanton will bring to the community, and what lessons he will teach. “I think he’ll send a message of hope and excitement.

I want to hear what he’s Students should leave feeling inspired from their learned in his graduation. They will hear from someone who is a past, and what we can learn power for good in the world and see that we can from it as well. make courageous decisions under seemingly imposI think that’s sible conditions. A message to seniors about trusting probably the your training, your gut, and your instinct when you’re most importin a difficult situation, is inspiring and empowering” ant thing that any speaker can give -Laura Danforth, Head of School you,” he said.

In 2004, Stanton and another diver also rescued be a power for good in the world. six British soldiers in the Azpazat "Students should leave feel- Caverns in Mexico. He has won ing inspired from their gradua- several awards for his success as tion,” Danforth said. “They will a hero from Coventry University hear from someone who is a pow- and the University of Bristol. Staner for good in the world and see ton hails from Essex in England. that we can make courageous de- He wrote a bestselling book titled cisions under seemingly impossi- “Aquanaut”, which goes into deble conditions. A message to se- tail about his beginnings and how niors about trusting your training, he became so accomplished, along your gut, and your instinct when with the Thailand cave rescue. you're in a difficult situation, "He was the mastermind is inspiring and empowering.” behind saving 13 lives, so I just Danforth noted that Samon think his character and the way still keeps in touch with Stanton he lives his life is in keeping with and is excited about him speaking Masters and our mission,”Danto the community at graduation. "I forth said. “And I felt because we would never have approached Mr. have a senior whose life he saved, Stanton about speaking without it would be particularly powerful first discussing it with Adul. He to have Mr. Stanton speak to us." and I have talked about it several times and he has repeatedly said

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One year since the start of the Russian invasion:

The story of Ukranian Resilience

Nataliia Kulieshova ’23 visited one of her recent interviews, Lvova-Be- low for major concessions to be made. loved ones in this war and to people who Mariupol just a few months before the lova announced that she “adopted” a There is also growing skepticism had to witness all of the events themViktoriia Sokolenko siege. She said, “I have a lot of family child from Mariupol. The real story of about peace negotiations considering selves, and to people who are still being and friends who were in Mariupol back the child and her family is unknown. Russia’s history of using such deals terrorized in the occupied territories.”

Staff Writer then, and it was so scary not knowing Despite the brutal missile strikes to grow in power and invade again.

Russian full-scale invasion what happened to them, not being on civilians and frequent blackouts “We had a lot of traumatic events, became a turning point for many ebruary 24, 2023 marks able to connect with them for months caused by Russian attacks on infra- but that's exactly the reason to keep on Ukrainians and united the country exactly one year since the and just imagining the worst possi- structure, more than 90 percent of fighting,” Kulieshova said. “If we give as never before. As Zelenskyi said in start of the Russian fullble scenarios. And now this gorgeous Ukrainians said in a recent survey that up right now, Russia … will keep [com- his speech on February 24, 2023, scale invasion of Ukraine and nine years city that was one of my favorite cities Ukraine must continue to fight against mitting] all of the crimes that it did to us “Instead of a white flag, [Ukrainisince the start of Russo-Ukrainian war. in Ukraine is completely ruined. And Russia. After the massacres in Kyiv and centuries ago. I feel like giving up will ans] chose the blue-yellow one.”

According to the U.N. Human Rights there’re so many massacres and war Kharkiv regions and Russian terror not just be wrong, but it also will be unOffice report, at least 8,000 civilians crimes that you cannot even imag- bombing, many Ukrainians can not al- fair to the people who had to lose their died as a result of the fulline, and it's terrifying.” scale war, and more than Since February, Russia 13,000 were injured. has launched about 5000 The report recognised, missile strikes, 3500 air I have a lot of family and friends however, that the real strikes, and 1000 drone atnumbers are much highwho were in Mariupol back then, and it was tacks on Ukraine. Trying to er as little information so scary not knowing what happened to escape the Russian invasion, can be collected from the 8 million Ukrainians fled them, not being able to connect with them occupied regions or the the country and 5.9 million for months and just imagining the worst areas with heavy fighting. became internally displaced.

On February 21, possible scenarios.”

More than 65,000 war 2022, Russian president crimes committed by RusVladimir Putin officially sians have been documented - Natalia Kulieshova ‘23 declared the independence since February, including of its enclaves in the east of countless deliberate attacks Ukraine: parts of Donetsk on civilians and energy infraand Luhansk regions that structure and many cases of have been occupied by Russian-backed in September and November resulted murders, detentions, and tortures of separatists since 2014. Three days in the liberation of Kharkiv and Kher- civilians in the occupied territories. later, Putin officially announced the son regions. In total, 54 percent of the According to the latest Confull-scale invasion of Ukraine. Rus- Ukrainian territories occupied since flict Reseratory report, at least sian missiles struck several Ukrainian last February have been liberated. 6,000 Ukrainian children have been cities, and Russian troops crossed The story of Mariupol, a strate- forcefully deported to Russia or RusUkrainian borders with a goal of in- gically important city in the south-east sian-controlled territories, cut off stalling a puppet government in Kyiv. of Ukraine at the Azov sea, exempli- from the communication with their Fierce Ukrainian resistance, fies the brutality of Russian invasion. families and subjected to pro-Rushowever, diminished the prospects of Russian forces dropped from 50 to sian re-education. Russia was found Russia’s blitz victory. By March, Russia 100 bombs on the city every day and to create a network of such re-eduwas only able to take control of about cut off the residents' access to wa- cation camps, from which Ukrainian 30 percent of Ukrainian territory, in- ter, food, heat, and mobile connec- children are then adopted by Russian KYIV CITY STATE ADMINISTRATION cluding just one major city — Kherson. tion. During the four months of the families. Maria Lvova-Belova, Putin's In April, Ukraine won its first signifi- siege, the constant bombardment commissioner for the protection of cant victory: Russian forces were forced by the Russian army destroyed up to children's rights, is one of the Russian RUSSIAN MISSLE HIT AN apartment building in Kyiv on March 15. The firefighters from the State Emergency to withdraw from the northern part of 90 percent of the city’s buildings. officials at the center of the scheme. In Service of Ukraine worked all night to rescue the residents and extinguish the fire.

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Ukraine, particularly the Kyiv region.

In June, Russia’s blockade of Ukrainian Black Sea ports prevented Ukrainian grain from being exported to other countries and raised the concerns of a global food crisis. Four months later, Putin announced the annexation of the four Ukrainian regions, following illegal annexation “referendums” held there by Russian proxies with much evidence of voting fraud and voting coercion. Meanwhile, the successful Ukrainian counter-offensive

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NEWS

TOWER/MARCH 10, 2023

Florida book bans: closer to home than you think

set in the 1830’s on a sugar plantation in Barbados, follows the journey of a young enslaved person named Wash. The book does not shy away from “banned” topics mpty shelves. Closed such as slavery and the violence that libraries.

Confused occurred because of it, self-harm, teachers. Worried liand racism. “I got some pushback brarians. All of these are the effects last year,” Green said, “Not so of banning books. On March 8, much about the fact that the book 2022, the Florida Senate passed addresses slavery but because of the “Parental Rights in Education” the violence.” However, as she exbill which was signed into law by plained to her class before teaching Governor Ron DeSantis on March the book, the violence is necessary 28. The Parental Rights in Educato tell an accurate story of the time. tion Act, quickly dubbed the “Don’t In addition to reading and celSay Gay,’’ law stops children in ebrating these books, McCoy and kindergarten to third grade from the rest of the library staff being taught about sexual have put together a library orientation or gender idenpolicy to help make deciWe’re all citizens of the United states, tity. In older grades, these sions about what to put on topics must be delivered in and when state governments start attacking the our school’s shelves. “It an “age-appropriate” way, rights of their citizens to access information just helps clarify what the liand only “in accordance that they need, that’s concerning. brary’s priorities are,” Mcwith state standards.”

Coy said.

Part of that policy This act sparked confualso included a materials sion, anger, and protests - Jillian McCoy reconsideration policy, Mcalmost instantly as books Coy explained. If someone were taken off of shelves “and when state governments start were to challenge a book, the policy and the LGBTQ+ communiattacking the rights of their citwould enable the library to considty suddenly had no place to read izens to access information that er that person’s perspective why or learn about people like them. they need, that’s concerning.” they felt that the material should The piece of legislation, along One way of pushing back be removed from library shelves. with many others, has contributed against book bannings is to learn While this portion of the policy to the problem of banned books. about them, gain information, and has not been put into action yet, it is Images of classrooms with bare even read them.

This year, Green’s important to highlight the tools that shelves circulated the internet. ninth grade English class is reading Masters has put in place to keep our Teachers taught “on eggshells” the novel “Washington Black”, by resources open and our shelves full. said Jonathan Friedman, PEN America’s director of Free Ex- Esi Edugyan. “Washington Black”,

AYALAH SPRATT Contributing Writer

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pression and Education programs.

Lisa Green, an English teacher and director of the Writing Center at Masters shared her opinion on the book bannings.

“I think it’s terrifying,” she said, “The purported reason for this is to protect kids. But what is really going on as it is, is people sort of jockeying for political power, and I think kids are being used.”

While Masters is a school that doesn’t experience book bannings, we are still affected, according to Masters librarian Jillian McCoy.“We’re all citizens of the United States,” McCoy said,

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ROOKE WISER//TOWER

NATALIIA KULIESHOVA AND DAYAN Battulga present their winning Masters Innovation Challenge project, in which they created an app called Signisa. Runners-up were Alice Fuller and Rebbeca Troy in second place, and AJ Bagaria and Bobby Callagy in third place.

IEC launches Masters Innovation Challenge for student start-ups ROOKE WISER Accountability and Media Advancement Manager

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LYDIA ETTINGER//TOWER

THE MASTERS SCHOOL LIBRARY has not been affected by the widespread book bans, and continues to proudly display literature that would be considered “banned” in other states. In Florida, teachers must endure constant pushback against the literature they choose to share with students.

he Masters Innovation Challenge, organized by the Innovation & Entrepreneurship Center (IEC), is a project in which students are able to create innovations and start-ups they want to develop. According to IEC Director, John Chiodo, the focus is on identifying consequential problems and developing solutions for them, rather than solely on the product. “We look for students to uncover a consequential problem that needs solving. It's really [more] about

the problem and developing a solution for it than it is about the product that they come up with.”

In the initial stage, 14 Upper School student teams submitted their proposals, and the results were announced in January, with five teams as finalists. The final pitch session took place on Thursday, Feb. 16, where a panel of judges, including school administrators and different entrepreneurs, evaluated the teams' presentations. “One of the people there was a venture capitalist. One of the other people there, I believe, is in Real Estate Investment and Development. Another one has owned a number of companies but currently owns a green energy

company,” Chiodo said. During the finalist pitch session, the students had to answer questions about their products, finances, and long-term plans on the spot.

The winners of the competition were seniors Nataliia Kulieshove and Dayan Battulga, who created an app called Signisa that uses A.I. and machine-learning technology to teach people sign language. Sophomores Alice Fuller and Rebecca Troy came second with Nu Plastics, a biodegradable plastic, and third place was awarded to AJ Bagaria ‘25 and Bobby Callagy ‘24 for their alert system that prevents truck drivers from falling asleep at the wheel and causing accidents.

Chinese spy balloon causes the U.S to enhance air patrol

strengthen defenses against Chinese espionage. In fact, further in-depth investigation revealed that similar Features Lead Editor cases had happened multiple times during the Trump administration but jet flew by a suspected the government failed to detect them.

Chinese spy balloon as Senior Aidan Meltzer, a student it floated off the coast in in the International Relations class, Surfside Beach, South Carolina, in the said, “It’s an interesting situation and U.S. on Jan. 28. After it flew I think that it kind of shows the over residential areas, Presiareas in which the US governdent Biden ordered the Pentament has let down its guard.

The conflicts between China and the gon to take down the surveilThey are focusing more on lance balloon. There has been United States globally, but especially in the far higher altitudes instead controversy regarding why the South China Sea and Asia, have been escalating of lower to Earth altitudes.

Biden administration waited So the spy balloon exposes for quite a while.

This is certainly not going to do for almost a week to shoot some of the faults within the down the balloon. The De- anything to lower the temperature.”

US Defense Department, but fense Department, after evalit also becomes a learning uating the threat of the bal- David Schultz, Hamline Law Professor opportunity as well. This also loon, concluded, “we should offers an opportunity to try to not shoot it down over land, figure out more things on an it was not a serious threat.” in the South China Sea and Asia, have international relations scale as the US This “spy” balloon has further been escalating for quite a while.

This and China continue to solve this probstrained Sino-U.S. relations as Presis certainly not going to do anything lem and communicate with each other ident Joe Biden said to the public to lower the temperature.

In fact it's both economically and politically.” that America will not back off. Chigoing to make it an even more difficult Although the balloon is conna’s vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng, complex situation going forward.” sidered as a “spy” balloon, Chinese in response, claimed that the U.S. After this incident, both Canada officials deny the fact that the balloon has overreacted and that the balloon and the U.S. became more vigilant in is used to gather intelligence from would not harm any U.S. citizens. detecting unidentified flying objects. other countries and demanded the This incident directly affects the reSo far, the National Security Council debris to be returned once collectlationship between the two most has not discovered any real threats the ed. They state that the balloon went powerful countries in the world. balloon would cause to civilians on the in the wrong direction and was out of Zhu Feng, the Director of the ground.

However, it does intercept control, so it “accidentally,” instead School of International Studies at the transcontinental air traffic and may of “intentionally,” flew over the U.S. Nanjing University, said, “The greatcause severe danger to civilian planes. territory. Further investigation is er the polarization of US politics and ALYSSA WANG//TOWER Biden, on Feb. 6, ordered an inter- still needed to deduce the true purUS society as a whole, the more poliNEWS OF THE CHINESE “spy balloon” have swept media outlets across the country. In an already ticians will attempt to use the ‘China agency team to investigate the real pose behind the surveillance balloon. tense era of Sino-U.S. relations, many analysts have expressed concern about the future of these two threat’ theory as a rallying point. This purpose of the flying balloon and to geopolitical actors, given the rise in anti-Chinese extremism in the United States.

MARIANNA GU

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trend has been the main driver behind the growing tensions between Beijing and Washington and will continue to pose the greatest threat to US-China relations in coming years.”

Hamline Law Professor David Schultz commented on a different note, “The conflicts between China and the United States globally, but especially

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NEWS

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TOWER/MARCH 3, 2023

International guests to arrive in Dobbs Ferry MAYA PHILLIPS Lead Opinion Editor

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his spring Masters will welcome four students from Japan and 13 students from Senegal as part of a cultural exchange program. Dean of Global Studies, Robert Fish, and Upper School Modern & Classical Languages Teacher, Abdoulaye Ngom, will lead this program.

The students from Japan will arrive on Sunday, March 26, and depart on Saturday, April 8. Shortly after the Japanese students leave, the students from Senegal will join the Masters' community starting on Thursday, April 13, and departing on April 30. Both of these programs are long-standing Masters programs that were, unfortunately, suspended in recent years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The goal of the program is to expand the Harkness table,” Fish said. He continued, “ We are inviting people who are not usually part of this institution, and who are not from here to join our discussion and join our friendships and community for a few weeks. I, and many others in this institution, fundamentally believe that one of the great-

est things about Masters is that we learn from everyone else who is in the community.” He went on to say, “ When we add new voices to the community who are coming here, with very different experiences and perspectives than people who were here already, that enriches all of us.”

“It will be really exciting!

My advisor is Mr. Ngom so I've learned about Senegal and how French and Francophone culture is involved in Senegal for my entire high school career,” French Club Co-Chair Stella Simonds said. “It will be really interesting meeting more people from there.”

Each international student will live with a Masters host family.

While here,they will attend some classes. Additionally, Fish will create an individualized class for the group based on their learning priorities.

This will include developing their English skills. They will also have the opportunity to specifically learn about the United States and New York through cultural immersion.

“That will be customized. I have created a general plan that will be finalized after the students arrive.

We will do things like exploring parts of Dobbs Ferry… We will visit the local stores and small businesses. This will give the students a chance to talk to people that own those stores and shop in those stores. Some days we will go off and visit different sites

in the New York area,” Fish said The Japanese group will visit Bronx Collaborative High School, where they will participate in activities and get to know students from another school. “We are trying to arrange for the students from Senegal to visit a different school as well so that they can see two different environments,” Fish said This program is a partnership between Jiyu Gakuen in Tokyo, Japan, and Cours St. Marie de Hann school in Senegal, Fish explained. It is the third time that students from Cours St. Marie de Hann are visiting Masters. “When we visit Senegal this summer, members of the Cours St. Marie de Hann will host our students. Most of the students coming here will be hosting Masters students when they go to Senegal.

It's also a great opportunity for our kids to get to know them before they go and really create a deeper relationship and experience,” Fish said.

Fish has developed a longstanding relationship with Jiyu Gakuen.

He first visited Jiyu Gakuen over 15 years ago. “When we visit Japan, which we will do relatively soon, we will visit students from Jiyu Gakuen and stay on their campus,” Fish said “I would like them to create a humanized, individualized element to our community's understanding of their country… There can be a tendency when you don't actually

know people from a country to think of the country in broad generalities,” Fish said. He continued, “When you actually get to meet and talk to somebody or a group of people that humanizes the country, it makes the country real. I think that has real long-term impacts on the way the students here approach thinking

about the world. I hope it creates some curiosity about other places in the world, whether it's Senegal or Japan, or just by meeting people from somewhere else.” Everyone from the Masters community will benefit from the exchange students.

“As an international school, we already are exposed to international

cultures unlike other American high schoolers. Meeting international students will give us a chance to learn about their experience and ask them questions. People can make great connections,” Simonds said .

ABDOULAYE NGOM/TOWER

MASTERS STUDENTS WILL BE given the opportunity to spend two weeks this summer with a host family from our sister school in Dakar, Senegal. While there, they will immerse themselves in Senegalese culture and visit important historical sites in the country.

As tuition rises, questions emerge NEENA ATKINS Contributing Writer

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s the 2023-2024 school year approaches, Masters parents and students alike have received news

that the cost of education is rising once again. In a recent announcement, the school revealed an increase in the current $53,500 day-student tuition by approximately 7%. While this may surprise some, several reasons exist behind the decision to raise tuition, including sustaining our campus, hiring quality personnel, and fulfilling Masters’ mission.

Andrew Schneider, the Asso-

ciate Head for Finance and Operations, explained that the choice to heighten fees was made to guarantee that Masters can continue furnishing a quality education and fulfill the institution’s mission.

Schneider said, “As we [Masters]strive to ensure our employees are paid fair, competitive wages and are offered impactful healthcare and retirement benefits,

ALYSSA WANG/TOWER

INCOMING MASTERS TUITION RISES in the 2023-2024 school year, beginning this September, are set to see the cost of attending school here rise by 7%. This incoming rise is concerning to some students, while the administration says the raises are natural with the tight budget of maintaining a school. They point to strong faculty salaries and benefits as a reason.

we tend to have annual tuition in- she found the reasons supplied in creases that outpace inflation.” He the email substantial and commentnoted that benefits and salaries for ed, “[The email] is an invitation to teachers and staff account for approx- ask questions.” As a parent, Nalle imately 66% of the school’s expens- mentioned that she understands es, and tuition fees generate approx- that for her children to continue imately 82% of the school’s income. receiving a great education and In Schneider’s view, it is es- for the Masters campus to funcsential for the school’s income tion, the tuition price has to rise. to align with its expenses.

“Our people are the most important part of what makes Masters special, As we [Masters]strive to and our expense structure ensure our employees are paid reflects that,” he added. fair, competitive wages and are The Head of School, Laura Danforth also emoffered impactful healthcare and phasized the importance of retirement benefits, we tend to prioritizing a joyful workhave annual tuition increases that ing environment for faculoutpace inflation.” ty and staff at Masters. She described that one of the motivating aspects of the tuition rise was this priority. “We want it to be a place where faculty and staff love - Andrew Schneider to come,” she said. “If someone is coming to work every day and doesn’t love being here, that’s not a good thing.” “It’s not a fun increase to pay, but In an email to parents, Dan- I understand why,” she remarked. forth provided an explanation for Ninth grade class president, the tuition hike stating, “This Alex Pinnock said that since the cost year’s tuition increase accounts for to attend Masters has increased, rising expenses amid inflationary “You’re gonna have to be making pressures on our operating costs.” sure each day is completely worth While this email was concise, it.” He knows that parents have sacBrooke Nalle, the president of the rificed a lot to send their students Masters Parents Association, said to Masters, and that every day will

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have to be “a lot more impactful.”

“The school needs to be financially healthy to operate, so a certain amount of tuition dollars are required to keep things running smoothly,” Schneider outlined. According to him, it costs around $41 million to run Masters each year, of which $7 million is set aside for the school’s financial aid program.

While the tuition increase is necessary for Masters to succeed, Schneider assures that the school’s funding for student aid will not be negatively affected.

Schneider highlighted how the diversity of viewpoints that financial-aid students bring to the classroom is crucial to Masters’ special and meaningful learning environment. He stated, “Masters would not be Masters without an array of unique perspectives around the Harkness table that inspire deep and meaningful learning.”

Finally, Schneider acknowledged how students who receive monetary funding are common in the Masters community and that the school is dedicated to granting aid for students with demonstrated financial need. In accordance with this, he said, “A sincere and rigorous commitment to providing needbased financial assistance is one of several important tools the school has to achieve its mission of ‘gathering as a community of diverse individuals.”

Sparks fly as a result of Ohio derailment LYDIA ETTINGER Social Media Manager

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n February 3rd one of America’s worst ecological disasters ensued as a result of the derailment of a Norfolk Southern freight train carrying hazardous chemicals. Out of the 38 carts on the train, 11 were carrying such materials that set off a massive chemical fire, prompting Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro to order an emergency evacuation for East Palestine, Ohio residents and Pennsylvania residents living in proximity of the disaster.

“I was most worried about local people and people in the proximity of the actual accident because from what I’ve heard a lot of the chemicals in the carts being pulled leaked into local streams and local

water sources,” said Co-President of EFFECT, Bobby Callagy’24.

East Palestine authorities agreed to allow Norfolk Southern to burn the chemicals flowing from the carts to avoid exacerbating damage by leaving the situation uncontrolled.

The New York Times reported that five of the carts were transporting vinyl chloride, a colorless gas incorporated to manufacture plastic products, that can cause headaches, dizziness, and drowsiness from short term exposure, and a rare form of liver cancer after extended exposure. In addition butyl acrylate, ethylhexyl acrylate and ethylene glycol monobutyl ethers were released into East Palestine’s water sources, air, and soil as a result of the initial fire and the burning of such chemicals.

As a result of this release, 43,000 fish have died across 7.5 miles of stream, reported News 5 Cleveland. Norfolk Southern is being held responsible for decontaminating the area and is being sued by many residents for a situation

that “was 100 percent preventable,” according to Chair of the National Transportation Safety Board Jennifer L. Homendy in a Washington D.C conference . WFMJ reported that Norfolk Southern has deracinated 4,800 cubic yards of soil and collected 1.7 million gallons of liquid for disposal.

In response to the disaster as a whole, legislation sponsored by representatives Chris Deluzio of Pennsylvania and Ro Khanna of California was introduced to congress on March 7th. The Bill proposes to broaden the definition of “high hazard” cargo, so companies transporting hazardous materials can be subjected to federal regulations to avoid any further damage.

In regards to Norfolk Southern, the materials train carts were not considered by Transportation Department standards ‘high hazard”which prevented federal regulation.

Callagy hopes for change.

He said, “they should focus on sustainability efforts and try to enforce policy to make sure that nothing like this ever happens again.”

JENNY XU/TOWER

THE TRAIN DERAILMENT IN East Palestine, Ohio resulted in a large emittance of fumes from the railcars and their cargo. Local residents of the working class town in the Midwest have complained of slow action from many levels of government, from municipal to federal. Former President Donald Trump recently visited East Palestine after the explosion, and President Joe Biden has also announced plans to visit, along with Secretary of Transport Pete Buttigieg.

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OpiniOn OP-ED

TOWER/MARCH 10, 2023

TOWER 2022-2023 editors-iN-chieF Maia BarantsevitCh ellie yanG

EDITORIAL

Become a global citizen

MarketiNg director Carlos heredia News Lead editor Gisele Cestaro

“Catastrophe reveals character.”

- Abhijit Naskar, When Call The People: My World My Responsibility

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hen was the last time you thought about what is going on in Iran? China? Between essays, sports, and time with family and friends, we are often caught in the chaos of our own lives. However, it is also important to recognize our place as global citizens in the world. Recently, Turkey and Syria experienced a devastating earthquake that killed over 47,000 people. For the past two years, Iranian women have been protesting for their freedom and gender equality.

The ongoing war in Ukraine against Russian imperialism has continued to disrupt many communities. As Covid-19 measures loosen in Chi-

na, the Chinese and world economy has seen and will see fluctuation for months, if not years, to come.

These are just four prominent events which we cover in this paper, however there are many other struggles both domestically and around the world which are equally dire though they may not be a headline.

Some of these events may be viewed through an optimistic lens as China’s reopening brings promise against rising inflation. And the Iranian women march in the hopes of effecting real change. Others may seem devastating and overwhelming to those not directly affected, and even worse for those caught in these tensions. Both are

events that exist beyond the articles in this paper and influence the lives of many just like you and me. The looming sense of guilt and need to help in the face of such huge problems may be daunting to those who have not yet contributed towards justice. However, it is never too late to begin. History is in never-ending repetition of itself, and there can only be hope of breaking out of the repetitive cycle or advancing it if we are willing to pay attention to not only those in our immediate community, but also those in the larger world far away. Because the reality is, it’s not so far away.

Whether it is through responsible consumption of me-

dia, involvement with nonprofit organizations, or everything in between, activism can start from your phone and move out to impact the lives of strangers in need.

In addition, observing the past, to weather the future, is a consistent source of knowledge we must use to recognize the main causes of distress in our environments. Being informed is the first crucial step toward helping. When was the last time you watched the news? Or read a New York Times article? We are given so many resources and options for information consumption that can fuel our drive to help, there is no better time than now to pick them up and use their power for good.

Iconic children’s author’s work censored sorship.” This public backlash has resulted in the publisher announcing that Justime Pascutti it will continue to publish the original texts alongside new edited versions.

More than 300 million copAd and Distribution Manager ies of Dahl’s books have been sold, and they have been translated into ccording to a represen63 different languages. His works tative from the author’s have also been widely adapted on estate, new editions of the both the big and small screens. legendary works of best-selling British Dahl died in 1990, aged 76. An author Roald Dahl, whose children’s evaluation of his works began in 2020, before Netflix acquired the Roald Dahl Story Company, which controls the author’s copyrights and trademarks.

The estate had worked with Inclusive Minds, a group that promotes accessibility and diversity in children’s books.

While noting that the group did not “write, edit or rewrite texts,” Inclusive Minds said they “provide valuable input when it comes to reviewing language that can be damaging and perpetuate harmSONALI RAO//TOWER ful stereotypes.”

The TelePASCUTTI BELIEVES THAT CENSORSHIP is not the answer. Although Roald Dahl is graph, a British a controversial figure Pascutti does not support rewrites. She is alarmed by the distor- newspaper, reported tion of the author’s work. that at least 10 of

A

classics include “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “Matilda” and “James and the Giant Peach,” have been rewritten in an attempt to render them as less offensive and more inclusive.

The news that these changes have been made has sparked widespread criticism and outrage from many novelists, such as Salman Rushdie, the prizewinning author of “Midnight’s Children” and “The Satanic Verses”. Rushdie described the revisions as “absurd cen-

Dahls’ 19 children’s books had hundreds of words modified or erased, including descriptions of characters’ appearances, races, and genders. Additionally, language relating to weight, mental health and violence had been removed or modified. As part of this, descriptions that used the colors black and white as well as adjectives such as “fat” and “ugly” were eliminated.

Chief executive of PEN America, Suzanne Nossel, reacted angrily to the news about the revisions on social media. Nossel posted on Twitter that the organization was “alarmed” by the changes which had been implemented in “a purported effort to scrub the books of that which might offend someone.” She wrote that “If we start down the path of trying to correct for perceived slights instead of allowing readers to receive and react to books as written, we risk distorting the work of great authors and clouding the essential lens that literature offers on society.”

Matthew Dennison, who wrote a biography of Dahl, said that the author had a history of having problematic relationships with his editors and despised anyone who tampered with his work. Dennison remarked that Dahl always “resisted unnecessary sanitizing” and Dahl recognized that changes made to his books were a result of the political atmosphere that represented adult sensibilities rather than children’s concerns. Mr. Dahl once said, “I never get any protests from children. All you get are giggles of mirth and squirms of delight. I know what children like.”

The censorship of books within school districts is a timely issue. Recently in my English class we discussed

the New York Times article, My Young Mind Was Disturbed by a Book. It Changed My Life. In the article, Nguyen argues that if schools ban books, children will be deprived of learning important values and historical events. Another thing he argues is that the reason books get banned is because of the parents, not children. It’s the parents who have an issue with the content of the books, and don’t want their children reading about it. I found this really interesting, and something that I never thought about, but agree with completely. “And perhaps that’s the real reason some people want to ban books that raise complicated issues: They implicate and discomfort the adults, not the children. By banning books, we also ban difficult dialogues and disagreements, which children are perfectly capable of having and which are crucial to a democracy…Perhaps we will eventually have less war, less racism, less exploitation if our children can learn how to talk about these things,” Nguyen said.

By banning books, we are just avoiding topics that need to be talked about. This got me thinking, why do some books get banned while others don’t? How do people categorize a “good” book that kids can read, vs. a “bad book” that kids cannot read? What content in books is considered bad? I believe that no books should be categorized as “bad.” Roald Dahl was indeed a controversial person, and many of the things he said and wrote troubles and offends me. Yet I don’t think censorship is the answer. I agree with author Philip Pullman who told BBC Radio 4 that Dahl’s books “should be allowed to fade away” and not be rewritten if judged by modern society to be offensive.

I wouldn’t like to thank the Academy, Grammys, Globes, and Oscars Lucas Seguinot

Lead Features Editor

E

very year award season comes around and embarrasses itself. From the Golden Globes in the beginning of January to the Academy Awards (commonly known as the Oscars) which usually takes place in March, there is a new scandal. This year’s Grammys takes the cake for me, though.

Who won record of the year and how did Harry Styles win Album of the Year? No disrespect to either artist because their work was great and they deserved the nomination, but there are better options for both of these awards. This isn’t a stand-alone case, though. These award shows, especially the Grammys, have a history of making controversial and in my opinion wrong decisions on winners.

Voting: First, it is important to recognize how the winners are chosen. In regards to the Grammys, winners are chosen by members of the Recording Academy. To ensure fairness, Academy members (fellow artists, producers, and more) are tied to a category in which they participate and vote in.

In theory, this does make sense; who

better to choose winners than people who pursue music for a living?

Masters even uses similar logic in the concept of Community Council; peers recommending appropriate consequences for fellow peers. Currently the Oscars follow a voting structure almost exactly the same as that of the Grammys. So why is it so faulty? There is no exact reason. The only reason that can be possibly attributed to this is personal bias or lack of knowledge on there section. Nevertheless, something needs to be done to revamp this system. Only 12.4 million viewed the Grammys this year compared to 2012’s 39 million people, and for the Oscars 15.3 million watched in 2022.

This is a 24 million drop in viewership compared to the 39 million in 2012.

Famous Mistakes: What truly demolishes my view of these awards are the snubs and notable losses. One perfect example of this is Macklemore beating Kendrick Lamar for Best Rap album in 2014. Macklemore’s album “The Heist” won five Grammys that year and deserves its flowers, but Kendrick Lamar’s “Good Kid, Mad City” is known as a generational storytelling album about Kendrick Lamar’s life growing up in Compton, California. Even Macklemore agreed that Lamar

CHANA KIM//TOWER LUCAS SEGUINOT ARGUES THAT award shows need drastic reform.In recent years there have been various voting mistakes. Seguinot believes that the winners should be reviewed. Additionally, he claims that the voters should be changed. should have won the Grammy.

“You got robbed… It’s weird and sucks that they robbed you.” These are the exact words Macklemore sent over text.

On the Oscar side, one perfect example is one win in 11 nominations for legendary director

Stanley Kubrick. He was nominated for four movies including “Clockwork Orange,”Doctor Strangelove or: How I Stopped “Worrying and Love the Bomb,” Barry Lydon, Full Metal Jacket and lastly “Space Odyssey.”His only win was “Space Odyssey,” for

which he won Best Visual Effects.

To make matters worse, Kubrick didn’t receive a nomination for any of his parts of “The Shining.”

Lastly, the Golden Globes didn’t nominate the 2019 film Roma for Best Picture because there was a rule that non-English films couldn’t receive nominations in that category.

In comparison, “Roma”was nominated for 10 awards and won three at the Oscars. They received a nomination for Best Picture at the Oscars but fell short. Thankfully they change this rule in 2022. This rule is a disgrace to all non-English language movies in the past and it is appalling to see how long it took for such a prominent body as the Hollywood Foreign Press Association to change this rule.

What can these awards do better in the future? Well, the goal is to return to the glory days when viewership was the highest. Some controversy is all right, but only scenarios that don’t harm the reputation. What they should do is review the winners and oversee who can vote. After horrible voting, those people shouldn’t be able to vote again. Also, the glitz and glamor of iconic hosts and tributes made these events more special. I look forward to hopefully seeing the glory days return.

News editors oliver KreeGer alexa MurPhy opiNioN Lead editor Maya PhilliPs opiNioN editor Matthias Jaylen Features Lead editors Marianna Gu luCas seGuinot Features editors tara PhilliPs lily zuCKerMan sports Lead editor noah Kassell-yunG sports editor adaM Bello sociaL Media MaNagers lydia ettinGer sandra liu weB editor xavier rolston staFF writer

viKtoriia soKolenKo photo editor Josh MarKowitz advertisiNg & distriButioN MaNager Justine PasCutti Lead copy editor aurora rose horn copy editor aviv eMery accouNtaBiLity aNd Media advaNceMeNt MaNager rooKe wiser executive producer, tower Broadcast News Carol Queiroz hanna sChiCiano coNtriButiNg writers ayaLah spratt chaNeL NeaL NeeNa atkiNs ella BlaCK staFF photographers aNd iLLustrators Chana KiM lisa yao alyssa wanG euniCe wanG sonali rao ellie sChalKwyK Jenny xu sydney starKey ryan Guan FacuLty advisers ellen Cowhey Matt ives online MeDia

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scholastic Press affiliations, letters anD eDitorial Policy

Tower is the winner of the Pacemaker Award for Overall Excellence, an award-winning member of the National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA), Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA), Journalism Education Association (JEA) and Quill and Scroll. We encourage Letters to the Editor, which can be submitted to the following email address: TowerEditors@MastersNY.org. Published approximately five times a year, Tower, the student newspaper of The Masters School, is a public forum, with its Editorial Board making all decisions concerning content. Commentaries and opinion columns are the expressed opinion of the author and not of Tower and its Editorial Board or its advisers. Furthermore, the opinions conveyed are not those of The Masters School, faculty, or staff. Unsigned editorials express views of the majority of the Editorial Board.

FEATURES

TOWER/MARCH 10, 2023

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Masters robotics team triumphs in FIRST Tech Challenge VIKTORIIA SOKOLENKO Staff Writer

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espite numerous setbacks, the Masters robotics team managed to present their robot at the FIRST Tech Challenge at East Fishkill, New York and even won third place in the Design category of the award ceremony. Out of all teams, the Masters team was the only one who hadn’t already competed this school year. In fact, this competition has been the first in-person one for the team since the start of COVID-19 and has proven to be quite competitive with 28 teams competing for 12 hours.

The FIRST Tech Challenge consists of five matches, each with an autonomous section in which a robot performs a pre-programmed mission on its own and a teleop section when a team operates the robot with remote controls.

The main task for the teams was to build a robot that would be able to pick up the cones and put them on different level junctions. In addition to that, it should respond to specific signals and auton-

omously park at the requested spot.

For Ella Dundas ’23, the team’s oldest member, the most memorable part of the competition was the third match, when the team replaced their not-working batteries with the new ones that they borrowed from other participants. Dundas said she felt very excited to see the full potential of their robot when it had all working parts.

“Our autonomous code worked really well and got us to exactly where we needed to be. And we actually got more points than the robot before us,” Dundas said. “And what was really exciting about that game was there’s an element where, in the last 30 seconds, you can cap one of the polls with a specific capping element that you design, and that will give you bonus points. Sam, the driver, capped it when it was like a millisecond to spare.

We made it [in the very last seconds] and that was a really good moment.”

Besides Dundas, Sam Scheinbach ‘23, Rebecca Troy ‘25 and Leo Shatzoff ‘23 worked on the hardware of the robot, while Nataliia Kulishova ’23 and Nate Borwick ’23 wrote the code. Robotics Faculty Advisor Stone Yan said, “There’s a lot of collaboration [between the coding and building teams]. When some-

thing happens, it’s not just one team’s problem. Both teams can do things to fix the problem. As they’re working, they’re talking and bantering, and it’s generally a very positive environment.”

Since the start of the academic year, the team experienced several challenges. Many of the materials they needed were outdated. Moreover, with the ACR requirement not covering robotics, very few underclassmen were able to join the team this year or receive training in the years prior. Most of the older members, however, were only in their first or second year of robotics and had not had much experience building robots before. Out of the six members, half were new to the team. The time restraints raised another concern.

“Another challenge is timewise, we can only spend about three and a half hours a week doing robotics, unless, sometimes closer to the competition, we will come in early during club time, too,” Dundas said. “But other teams are spending upwards of 10 hours a week on their robots. So we’re at a big disadvantage because we just have much less time that we’re capable of working on.”

Despite their many struggles, the students managed to get through all of

the competition requirements. Yan said ed claw complicated the coding and robot because we don’t have enough that the team’s creativity helped them to building process, such a design made time to make it absolutely perfect like compensate for their limited resources. the end result even more rewarding. the other teams do. So we differentiate For example, to minimize the robot’s “We really think outside the box,” ourselves with our unique designs.” weight, they wanted to get the least Dundas said. “We tried to have a creative number of motors possible and decided to build the robot with a spring-loaded claw and triangular chassis (base frame).

Several years before, the Masters robotics team had already tried to make a robot with such a chassis, but struggled to fit all the elements on top of a triangle. For three years, older members “left” it to Dundas in the yearbook Senior Will Statement.

Now a senior herself, Dundas said she feels happy to finally make a triangular-shaped robot.

VIKTORIIA SOKOLENKO/TOWER Although both the NATE BORWICK, SAM SCHEINBACH, Eleanor Dundas, Nataliia Kulieshova, and triangle chassis Leo Shatzoff photographed at First Tech Challange. after a total of 5 matches, they and spring-loadwere awarded second place in design.

College gun violence: seniors approach their next journey with caution GISELE CESTARO Lead News Editor

W

ith a new year should come a fresh start, but instead the public is reminded of a tragedy our world continues to face: gun violence. It is March

of 2023 and there have been over 70 mass shootings in places including but not limited to gas stations, parades, colleges and schools. Normal life grinds to a halt for those who are scared for

LORIE SHAULL/CREATIVE COMMONS

STUDENTS CONTINUE TO PROTEST against gun violence. They continue to advocate for gun reform and safety. Many students attend school in fear due to the increased number of school shootings in America.

themselves or their loved ones. For a prospective college student, being far away can start to feel daunting as teenagers become afraid that they will become the unlucky victims of a gunman’s rage.

Campus gun violence is rare in the United States, but gun violence itself is not. There have been nine mass college campus shootings since 1966, but this only takes into account where four or more people have been killed.

As seniors start to mentally prepare to move away from their friends and families next year, they must continue to worry about their safety. This includes safety protocols that the colleges implement, as well as mental health resources for students. The recent shooting that took place at Michigan State University, which killed three people and injured five others, is only one example.

It is unclear why the perpetrator targeted Michigan State because he took his own life right after the shooting.

The most deadly spree shooting that has occured since 1966 was in 2007 at Virginia Polytechnic Institute, where 32 people ranging in age from 18 to 76 were shot and killed.

The school still holds annual remembrance rituals, such as three mile runs, a candle ceremony and a wreath laying to honor the lives that were taken.

Senior Claress Bahamundi, co-president of Mental Health at Mas-

ters, talked about how daunting it is to go off to college in the state that our world is in. “When I go off to college it is something that is definitely going to be on my mind. I always feel anxious in crowded spaces, and I know that being far away from home is going to exaggerate that fear,” she said. Bahamundi takes into consideration the college safety protocols in order to ensure that if an act of gun violence did occur, the university would be well prepared to protect its students and faculty.

“It’s important that colleges teach their students what to do in the worst-case scenario, as well as implementing new procedures that push for better student safety. Considering the fact that gun violence is a possibility means that it should be addressed the impact it can have emotionally on students as well,” Bahamundi said.

The perpetrators of the incidents on college campuses normally have a connection to the school, typically because they attended that university or they are a teacher. For example, a biology teacher, who previously had a history of violence, killed three people and injured three others after being rejected for tenure. The shooters also tend to be men who communicate that they are planning to attack, whether that be through social media or said directly to acquaintances.

This is why it is imperative to

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know the warning signs of violence, so if portrayed, friends or family can report that person. Some examples are always being alone, bullying, selfharm, access to weapons, and withdrawing from those around them.

These signs can help save the lives of multiple people, as they are typically expressed before a tragic incident.

Ashleigh Woodruff, a senior who is committed to Stony Brook University, is vigilant about what can occur, and has talked to family about what to do in certain situations. “My family and friends always tell me to travel in pairs, but most of the advice about gun violence I receive from school systems, and the administration around me, is to stay hidden. ” she said.

Stony Brook sent an email inviting their future and current students to a webinar so they could learn their security systems, which help with safety and security on campus. For example, they have an SP alert broadcast system that tells the community of a potential threat and emergency situations.

But even with the protective methods, it is still a scary thought for Woodruff. “A college is basically your home, and I’ll be staying on campus the whole time, so for anybody, having your home disrupted in such a violent way, is terrifying to think about. Especially, because of the aftermath and not feeling safe in your community,” she said.

Headlines from around the world

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FEATURES & ARTS

MISH lends a hand in Turkey and Syria ELLA BLACK Contributing Writer

W

hen nature takes on humanity; kindness prevails. On Feb. 6, citizens in Turkey and Syria were awoken by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake. Thousands of people were killed and there was destruction across Turkey and Syria.

As the Masters community heard about

this devastating event, questions on how the school help arose. Elena Olivieri, the faculty advisor of MISH, heard about the earthquakes and knew that MISH and the Masters community had to get involved; however, she struggled to think about how. She said “We want a culture of being a power for good, and we want everybody involved in service work.”

Olivieri first decided to write a newsletter talking about the earthquakes and gave everyone a list of organizations that the community could donate to. An organization highlighted in the newsletter was AFYA. Oliveri recently led a weekend trip to AFYA, an organization that donates critical

medical supplies to underserved health systems globally. Originally, Olivieri was supposed to drive the bus that dropped Masters’ volunteers off at AFYA’s warehouse, but she decided to join the volunteers inside. Olivieri quickly formed a relationship with the founder, Danielle Butin. After word of the earthquake, Olivieri’s relationship with the founder inspired her to rally our community to donate. “If it has to be monetary, at least we know where the money is going. We know it’s a trusted organization” After the second earthquake in Turkey and Syria, Charlie Manzano, the president of the AFYA club, partnered with MISH. They’re working together to get students to volunteer at AFYA. He said, “One goal

this year is to strengthen the connection between the Masters School and the foundations and allow for more engagement on Masters’ part.”

A bake sale is planned to raise money for those impacted by the Earthquake.

Olivieri said that the easiest way is to volunteer at places like AFYA. One can also lend support to students in our community who may be impacted by this event . Peter Newcomb, head of The Upper School, recently led a moment of silence in solidarity to those impacted at Morning Meeting. Oliveri said, “It doesn’t need to be a $1,000 donation or five hours; it’s just being mindful of what our impacted Masters’ students might be going through.”

Alumni have been carrying the school’s mission statement post graduation. Nil Sera Gungor ‘20, a college senior at Babson College, said, “I don’t think it’s gotten nearly the amount of media attention it should,” She’s passionate about the cause because she has many family members from Turkey.

Though her family wasn’t directly affected, she said “If one person feels pain, we all feel it.” Gungor believes that the death toll of the earthquake could’ve been lowered if Turkey had earthquake proof buildings.

She believes that the best way our Masters community can help is spreading awareness and donating. Her plea to the community was this. “If you want to be a power for good in the world, think of people above profits.”

Turkish government plays a role in earthquake death toll MAIA BARANTSEVITCH & ELLIE YANG Editors-in-chief

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s immediate relief and rescue continue to play a crucial role in the weeks after the devastating earthquake in Syria and Turkey, questions have arisen regarding the long-term recovery of the region. Along with this are concerns about how one can contribute their support and ensure that it is going to the right cause.

Turkey is currently under an authoritarian government, with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as head. The Turkish government has had strong control over the country’s media and judicial system, enacting many years of oppression and opposition between Turks and Kurdish groups.

Series of baseless accusations and investigations ensued among politicians, journalists, and even human right defenders in Turkey.

The internal corruption of the Turkish government has caused countless disruption of communities, abuse of power in the parlia-

ment, and lack of safety for many Turkish citizens.

This internal corruption has seen an especially deadly result in light of the recent earthquake. Under Erdoğan, a pillar of the Turkish economy was construction and real estate. However, only a small circle of Erdoğan’s acquaintances were granted rights to infrastructure projects, and often built homes and infrastructure without following the proper safety codes. This led to massive damage in the earthquake and the complete collapse of many residential buildings, government buildings, hospitals, and even airports. These ties between the corruption of the Turkish government and the deaths in the recent earthquake has prompted skepticism regarding the government’s rescue and disaster relief efforts.

Turkish Philanthropy Funds (TPF) is a community based non profit organization in New York City. They partner with over 70 organizations and have been involved in disaster relief since the earthquake. Seline Green, communication director of the fund, said that it is important to donate to the organizations which are transparent and helping local communities. “It is really important to make sure that people are donating to the right places. We at TPF stand

behind our transparency and we also stand behind our vetted partner organizations,” Green said.

This is an issue which will remain persistent, especially as the regions affected by the earthquake continue to recover long-term. “This is going to be a long-term recovery. We are looking at not only addressing the immediate needs right now, but also the long term needs,” Green said.

All across Turkey, displaced people are in need of support to rebuild their lost homes. “We also work on building lives or rebuilding homes, and ultimately getting people back on their feet,” she said.

The internal corruption of the Turkish government and the role it might play as Turkey slowly rebuilds after the earthquake are both important topics on which students might raise awareness. By addressing the issues these non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are providing relief for, students, and many others, are able to improve the lives of many Turks currently living in

FEATURES & ARTS

TOWER/MARCH 10, 2023

NEWS ANALYSIS

New look at “War and Peace” : why we need to recognize and study Russian imperalism VIKTORIIA SOKOLENKO Staff Writer

W

hen I come across the “aesthetics” reels on Instagram about Anna Karenina or see my American peers put

a corrupted country.

communist symbols on their laptops, I wonder if they would similarly celebrate the British empire or the US colonists. When I think of the USSR and Russia, I do not see the cute images or political ideals. I think of their imperialistic policies, my family, my people and many other nations, whose history and culture was either stolen or ridiculed and who were subjected to endless poverty and persecutions by Moscow rulers.

The challenge of recognizing Russian colonial imperialism is a direct result of the mostly West-centered view on the issue. In the more well-known examples of British or French Empires, colonization was rooted in racism, which was not always the case in Russia. Moreover, the conflict between Russia and the West caused many to

Ninth grade required reading provides context for protest in Iran CHANEL NEAL Contributing Writer

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ecent protests that have struck in Iran relating to strict government mandates around restricting women’s dress and activity is contextualized in nineth grade required reading of “Persepolis.” The novel is about a young girl, Marjane, growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution, which provides context for the injustices that still persist today.

Since the Islamic Revolution in 1978, an authoritarian regime has taken over the Islamic Republic of Iran. More recently, in 2022, an Iranian woman named Mahsa Amini was detained and murdered by officials after going in public improperly observing hijab, some of her hair being visible, a direct violation of one of the regime’s laws.

Her death led to a rise of protests throughout the nation, making Persepolis an even more relevant reading in our community.

English teacher, Miriam Emery, said that the reading along with the revolts has been a complete coincidence. This reading has been taught alongside other memoirs such as Trevor Noah’s “Born a Crime”, meant to analyze how political events can shape the course of one’s upbringing. Emery said, “On the surface, someone who hadn’t heard of the graphic memoir, or of the Islamic Revolution in 1979, might think, ‘I don’t think I’m gonna like this. I’m not into politics, and I know nothing about Iran and that part of the world.’

And by the end, almost every student did like the book and would see a lot of connections between themselves and the characters.”

Ninth grade have been able to more effectively analyze the recent spark of protests in Iran because of Perspolis’ appeal to teen life as it relates to growing up in political turmoil. Chloe Mackay, freshman, who read the novel, said that it was a relatable story about “finding ourselves and coming to terms with

who we are,” no matter how different those circumstances may seem. Mackay further explained that the novel debunked misconceptions that she and many of her peers may have had about the Islamic Revolution in terms of women’s role, religious implementation, and government regimes in general.

She said, “It definitely gave me more context and it was easier to empathize with the character knowing that she was around my age. It could have so easily have been you,” Mackay said.

Persepolis is set during and after the Islamic Revolution, but the themes of the novel are present in Iran today. Emery’s neighbor, Nazanin Mahallati, is an Iranian woman now living in Hastings-on-Hudson, who spent 18 years of her life in the midst of post-Islamic Revolution Iran before moving to the United States, speaks to these similarities.

When it comes to the recent protests in Iran, Mahallati said that her experiences as a high school student involved being “punished for little things” that she and her peers should not have been, which makes the recent protests

7

associate the former with being an anti-West and, thus, anticolonial power. While the first assumption is not false, the second one is far from being true.

In the early 20th century, when colonialism finally started to lose support in the West, Moscow began to broadcast an image of itself as an anti-colonial champion to international audiences. Lenin even famously named colonialism the final stage of capitalism. Putin in his recent speech about the illegal annexation of several Ukrainian regions called Russia’s actions “decolonization” and in 15 minutes mentioned the word “colonialism” 11 times. Despite such rhetoric, the Russian empire, the USSR and now Russia have continued to build typical colonial structures inside their borders.

The prominent feature of imperialism is the economical and social divide between the center (Russia/Moscow) and the periphery (Eastern Europe, Baltic States, Caucasus, and Central Asia). Such inequality is usually achieved through the centralized control and disregard for the needs of the colonized regions, economic and social oppression, and forcible assimilation, which leads to identity loss and cultural erasure.

For example, both the USSR and Russian Empire, have long imposed “the great” Russian language and culture on many indigenous and subjugated peoples forcing them to lose their cultural identity. The execution of a whole generation of Ukrainian writers known as “The Executed Renaissance,” the massive deportation of Ukrainians to isolated parts of the USSR, and the Ems Ukaz (edict) that prohibited publishing of literature in Ukrainian are just a few examples of Russia’s colonial policies against Ukraine.

Similar examples can be found for any other nation subjugated by Moscow.

Colonial imperialism would have been impossible to sustain without the belief system it promoted. To justify the oppression of other countries, the empires such as the USSR or Russian Empire often reinforce the

idea that their people are superior to other nations and, thus, have some inherent right to rule and oppress them. The propaganda of such ideas often elevates the colonizers’ culture and ridicules and simplifies to cliches the culture of the colonized people.

For example, in Soviet and Russian media, the language of the oppressed countries has often been portrayed as stupid, aimed for the village or at most for the family dinners, while Russian language has been depicted as intelligent, the language of science and education.

Such propaganda becomes so deeply ingrained in the minds of people who live in the empire that it is impossible to point out the media produced by the empire’s center that does not somehow support those stereotypes. Russian literature is no exception.

While recognizing the imperialist ideas in the works of many Western writers, most American and European readers prefer to ignore similarly dangerous ideas in the Russian literature. For example, many Western audience do not know that their beloved Dostoyevsky in his “Diary of a Writer,” celebrates Russia’s victory in Turkmenistan (another Russian colony) and expresses his hope for people “all the way to India” to “become convinced of the invincibility of the white tsar.” Tolstoy in his novel “War and Peace” disregards the perspective of Polish people and modifies the actual history of Vilnius meeting Tsar Alexander I to further elevate the Russian army. Lermontov in his novel “A Hero of Our Time” repeatedly describes the indigenous people of Caucasus as uncivilized and tries to construct a sympathetic character out of the Russian officer Pechorin, who kidnaps and abuses a Circassian woman. Virtually all famous Russian writers helped to justify Russia’s imperialist policies, promoted Russian exceptionalism or excluded the voices of oppressed nations.

For many years, this literature has shaped how the West viewed Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and Baltic Countries and led many to neglect the actual history and culture of those regions.

Unlike in other known empires, in the USSR and the Russian empire, and now in Russia, no work has been done to recognize their imperialist past and present and counteract it. From the incredibly popular comedy TV series “My Fair Nanny” that ridicules Ukrainian culture to constantly using ethnic

slurs for almost every single ethnicity, the imperialist mindset is alive and well in Russian culture. Such ideas are reflected in Russians’ attitude to their former colonies that they consider worthy of respect only if they cooperate with Russia.

Russia’s imperial ambitions towards its former colonies have already resulted in Russia’s wars in Chechnya and occupation of Ukrainian (in 2014) and Georgian territories (in the 1990s and 2008) and eventually has led to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine that started in 2022. The overwhelming support of Russians for the invasion comes from the prevalence of imperialist ideas such as that Ukrainian people (being “less educated”) need the help of Moscow to succeed. Being used to the caricatured image of stupid Ukrainians or the idea of “brotherly” relationship between Ukraine and Russia, Russians struggle to comprehend that their former colony can actually exercise its right of self-determination and not accept Russian “help” with open arms.

The West has turned a blind eye to Russian imperialist policies for centuries and now has to deal with the consequences. Without recognizing and counteracting the Russian imperialist mindset, we can not hope for the cultural revival of the subjugated nations within Russian borders or for political independence of Russia’s former colonies.

If the Slavic departments of American universities keep centering Russia at their course offerings and research, the culture and history of former Russian colonies will continue to be disregarded. If high school World History curriculum or college courses about colonialism continue avoiding the topic of imperialism in the Russian empire, the USSR, and modern Russia, Americans will keep falling to Russian propaganda and being “surprised” at Russian chauvinistic views.

Instead of idolizing Pushkin or Tolstoy, obsessing over Russian culture or praising Soviet leaders, Americans should educate themselves on Russian imperialism, critically analyze what they think they know about Russian history or culture, and amplify the voices of formerly subjugated nations. Only this way can they counteract imperialism around the world and help create the platform for all the nations colonized by Russia.

“Made in China” China’s economy as its borders open dropped as a result of decreased output from its factory in China under Covid-19 restrictions.

“Made in China.” This is the phrase we see on our clothes, computers, toys, jewelry and the list goes on. However, what is the economic market that is behind these three words? How has the pandemic and the recent reopening of Chinese borders influenced its production?

Since the start of the pandemic in 2019, many Chinese factories have stopped production, causing a decrease in China’s manufacturing output. In 2020, China’s annual GDP growth rate dropped to 2.2% compared to the previous six percent in 2019. This number increased in 2021 to 8.1% when the pandemic in China stabilized, and is predicted to drop back down to 3.3% in the upcoming 2022 data. Now, with the recent reopening of Chinese borders and an increase in international trade, R

WE TO ng/ a sa W

lys

(while at a larger scale) familiar. According to Mahallati, the required reading of Persepolis is a step in the right direction. She went on to say that spreading awareness on this issue can be done effectively through literature. Mahallati said, “Through introducing books that are written by Iranian young immigrant writers who have been in the country and experienced it, they can voice their experience through their literature and through their writings. Personal experience, either verbally or written, speaks better than other people talking about it who haven’t experienced that themselves.”

Designed by: Lucas Seguinot, Ellie Yang and Maia Barantsevitch

n atio

tr

s Illu

A by:

MAIA BARANTSEVITCH & ELLIE YANG Editors-in-chief

A

student walks into the Apple store in hopes of obtaining a new charger for their computer, but to their surprise, Apple is out of stock. This might have been the case for you last year, when Apple’s stock

the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has predicted a GDP growth of 5.9% for 2023.

These predictions correlate with the increase in Chinese products in the international market as factories return to full capacity. For example, metal processing companies around the world are seeing the reopening of the Chinese economy and borders in a positive light. China’s non manufacturing PMI has increased from 41% in 2022, to most recently 54%, showing an increase in employment, inventories, and production. Senior Youri Lee, head of the economics club, said, “Iin terms of opening trades, it is definitely a positive for both China and the world. Especially in the United States, as China opens up the exports, it will decrease the price of the goods in America, which will help America’s objective to decrease its inflation rate.”

However, behind this positive trend of the moment, many western companies have begun to, and are shifting their factories

to be located in southeast Asian countries such as Vietnam and Indonesia. This could be a result of many factors: including the pandemic, Chinese foreign policies, and the price of labor. Lee said, “Contrary to common knowledge, Chinese labor price is actually rapidly increasing at a point that the Vietnamese market is becoming more attractive.”

Politically, China’s international policies and stances have also prompted some companies to move out as fear of tense foreign relations arise. Sam Scheinbach, senior and student in the economics course, said, “China’s economy is likely to grow in the near future, but if they keep making the wrong moves with Taiwan and other foreign policies, then it will probably go downhill in the future.”

While the “Made in China”’ tags seem to push the prominent role the country plays in the global supply chain, the country’s high population and demand might also be

an important factor upon its reopening.

There have been concerns surrounding the pent-up demand in China after three years of pandemic restrictions. Many fear that global inflation might worsen as demand, in particular for energy and gasoline, rises since China holds the second largest consumer population in the world.

From water bottles to keyboard circuits, China’s manufacturing power has continued to hold power over our country’s consistent consumerism. Looking forward, there are positive, negative, and mixed predictions for the future as China reopened its economy. But one thing is for certain, after the ups and downs of pandemic policies, “Made in China’’ stickers are coming back.

Lee said, “As China opens their borders and increases manufacturing, it is almost certain that it can help the global economy in the near future.”

Headlines from around the world

6

FEATURES & ARTS

MISH lends a hand in Turkey and Syria ELLA BLACK Contributing Writer

W

hen nature takes on humanity; kindness prevails. On Feb. 6, citizens in Turkey and Syria were awoken by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake. Thousands of people were killed and there was destruction across Turkey and Syria.

As the Masters community heard about

this devastating event, questions on how the school help arose. Elena Olivieri, the faculty advisor of MISH, heard about the earthquakes and knew that MISH and the Masters community had to get involved; however, she struggled to think about how. She said “We want a culture of being a power for good, and we want everybody involved in service work.”

Olivieri first decided to write a newsletter talking about the earthquakes and gave everyone a list of organizations that the community could donate to. An organization highlighted in the newsletter was AFYA. Oliveri recently led a weekend trip to AFYA, an organization that donates critical

medical supplies to underserved health systems globally. Originally, Olivieri was supposed to drive the bus that dropped Masters’ volunteers off at AFYA’s warehouse, but she decided to join the volunteers inside. Olivieri quickly formed a relationship with the founder, Danielle Butin. After word of the earthquake, Olivieri’s relationship with the founder inspired her to rally our community to donate. “If it has to be monetary, at least we know where the money is going. We know it’s a trusted organization” After the second earthquake in Turkey and Syria, Charlie Manzano, the president of the AFYA club, partnered with MISH. They’re working together to get students to volunteer at AFYA. He said, “One goal

this year is to strengthen the connection between the Masters School and the foundations and allow for more engagement on Masters’ part.”

A bake sale is planned to raise money for those impacted by the Earthquake.

Olivieri said that the easiest way is to volunteer at places like AFYA. One can also lend support to students in our community who may be impacted by this event . Peter Newcomb, head of The Upper School, recently led a moment of silence in solidarity to those impacted at Morning Meeting. Oliveri said, “It doesn’t need to be a $1,000 donation or five hours; it’s just being mindful of what our impacted Masters’ students might be going through.”

Alumni have been carrying the school’s mission statement post graduation. Nil Sera Gungor ‘20, a college senior at Babson College, said, “I don’t think it’s gotten nearly the amount of media attention it should,” She’s passionate about the cause because she has many family members from Turkey.

Though her family wasn’t directly affected, she said “If one person feels pain, we all feel it.” Gungor believes that the death toll of the earthquake could’ve been lowered if Turkey had earthquake proof buildings.

She believes that the best way our Masters community can help is spreading awareness and donating. Her plea to the community was this. “If you want to be a power for good in the world, think of people above profits.”

Turkish government plays a role in earthquake death toll MAIA BARANTSEVITCH & ELLIE YANG Editors-in-chief

A

s immediate relief and rescue continue to play a crucial role in the weeks after the devastating earthquake in Syria and Turkey, questions have arisen regarding the long-term recovery of the region. Along with this are concerns about how one can contribute their support and ensure that it is going to the right cause.

Turkey is currently under an authoritarian government, with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as head. The Turkish government has had strong control over the country’s media and judicial system, enacting many years of oppression and opposition between Turks and Kurdish groups.

Series of baseless accusations and investigations ensued among politicians, journalists, and even human right defenders in Turkey.

The internal corruption of the Turkish government has caused countless disruption of communities, abuse of power in the parlia-

ment, and lack of safety for many Turkish citizens.

This internal corruption has seen an especially deadly result in light of the recent earthquake. Under Erdoğan, a pillar of the Turkish economy was construction and real estate. However, only a small circle of Erdoğan’s acquaintances were granted rights to infrastructure projects, and often built homes and infrastructure without following the proper safety codes. This led to massive damage in the earthquake and the complete collapse of many residential buildings, government buildings, hospitals, and even airports. These ties between the corruption of the Turkish government and the deaths in the recent earthquake has prompted skepticism regarding the government’s rescue and disaster relief efforts.

Turkish Philanthropy Funds (TPF) is a community based non profit organization in New York City. They partner with over 70 organizations and have been involved in disaster relief since the earthquake. Seline Green, communication director of the fund, said that it is important to donate to the organizations which are transparent and helping local communities. “It is really important to make sure that people are donating to the right places. We at TPF stand

behind our transparency and we also stand behind our vetted partner organizations,” Green said.

This is an issue which will remain persistent, especially as the regions affected by the earthquake continue to recover long-term. “This is going to be a long-term recovery. We are looking at not only addressing the immediate needs right now, but also the long term needs,” Green said.

All across Turkey, displaced people are in need of support to rebuild their lost homes. “We also work on building lives or rebuilding homes, and ultimately getting people back on their feet,” she said.

The internal corruption of the Turkish government and the role it might play as Turkey slowly rebuilds after the earthquake are both important topics on which students might raise awareness. By addressing the issues these non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are providing relief for, students, and many others, are able to improve the lives of many Turks currently living in

FEATURES & ARTS

TOWER/MARCH 10, 2023

NEWS ANALYSIS

New look at “War and Peace” : why we need to recognize and study Russian imperalism VIKTORIIA SOKOLENKO Staff Writer

W

hen I come across the “aesthetics” reels on Instagram about Anna Karenina or see my American peers put

a corrupted country.

communist symbols on their laptops, I wonder if they would similarly celebrate the British empire or the US colonists. When I think of the USSR and Russia, I do not see the cute images or political ideals. I think of their imperialistic policies, my family, my people and many other nations, whose history and culture was either stolen or ridiculed and who were subjected to endless poverty and persecutions by Moscow rulers.

The challenge of recognizing Russian colonial imperialism is a direct result of the mostly West-centered view on the issue. In the more well-known examples of British or French Empires, colonization was rooted in racism, which was not always the case in Russia. Moreover, the conflict between Russia and the West caused many to

Ninth grade required reading provides context for protest in Iran CHANEL NEAL Contributing Writer

R

ecent protests that have struck in Iran relating to strict government mandates around restricting women’s dress and activity is contextualized in nineth grade required reading of “Persepolis.” The novel is about a young girl, Marjane, growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution, which provides context for the injustices that still persist today.

Since the Islamic Revolution in 1978, an authoritarian regime has taken over the Islamic Republic of Iran. More recently, in 2022, an Iranian woman named Mahsa Amini was detained and murdered by officials after going in public improperly observing hijab, some of her hair being visible, a direct violation of one of the regime’s laws.

Her death led to a rise of protests throughout the nation, making Persepolis an even more relevant reading in our community.

English teacher, Miriam Emery, said that the reading along with the revolts has been a complete coincidence. This reading has been taught alongside other memoirs such as Trevor Noah’s “Born a Crime”, meant to analyze how political events can shape the course of one’s upbringing. Emery said, “On the surface, someone who hadn’t heard of the graphic memoir, or of the Islamic Revolution in 1979, might think, ‘I don’t think I’m gonna like this. I’m not into politics, and I know nothing about Iran and that part of the world.’

And by the end, almost every student did like the book and would see a lot of connections between themselves and the characters.”

Ninth grade have been able to more effectively analyze the recent spark of protests in Iran because of Perspolis’ appeal to teen life as it relates to growing up in political turmoil. Chloe Mackay, freshman, who read the novel, said that it was a relatable story about “finding ourselves and coming to terms with

who we are,” no matter how different those circumstances may seem. Mackay further explained that the novel debunked misconceptions that she and many of her peers may have had about the Islamic Revolution in terms of women’s role, religious implementation, and government regimes in general.

She said, “It definitely gave me more context and it was easier to empathize with the character knowing that she was around my age. It could have so easily have been you,” Mackay said.

Persepolis is set during and after the Islamic Revolution, but the themes of the novel are present in Iran today. Emery’s neighbor, Nazanin Mahallati, is an Iranian woman now living in Hastings-on-Hudson, who spent 18 years of her life in the midst of post-Islamic Revolution Iran before moving to the United States, speaks to these similarities.

When it comes to the recent protests in Iran, Mahallati said that her experiences as a high school student involved being “punished for little things” that she and her peers should not have been, which makes the recent protests

7

associate the former with being an anti-West and, thus, anticolonial power. While the first assumption is not false, the second one is far from being true.

In the early 20th century, when colonialism finally started to lose support in the West, Moscow began to broadcast an image of itself as an anti-colonial champion to international audiences. Lenin even famously named colonialism the final stage of capitalism. Putin in his recent speech about the illegal annexation of several Ukrainian regions called Russia’s actions “decolonization” and in 15 minutes mentioned the word “colonialism” 11 times. Despite such rhetoric, the Russian empire, the USSR and now Russia have continued to build typical colonial structures inside their borders.

The prominent feature of imperialism is the economical and social divide between the center (Russia/Moscow) and the periphery (Eastern Europe, Baltic States, Caucasus, and Central Asia). Such inequality is usually achieved through the centralized control and disregard for the needs of the colonized regions, economic and social oppression, and forcible assimilation, which leads to identity loss and cultural erasure.

For example, both the USSR and Russian Empire, have long imposed “the great” Russian language and culture on many indigenous and subjugated peoples forcing them to lose their cultural identity. The execution of a whole generation of Ukrainian writers known as “The Executed Renaissance,” the massive deportation of Ukrainians to isolated parts of the USSR, and the Ems Ukaz (edict) that prohibited publishing of literature in Ukrainian are just a few examples of Russia’s colonial policies against Ukraine.

Similar examples can be found for any other nation subjugated by Moscow.

Colonial imperialism would have been impossible to sustain without the belief system it promoted. To justify the oppression of other countries, the empires such as the USSR or Russian Empire often reinforce the

idea that their people are superior to other nations and, thus, have some inherent right to rule and oppress them. The propaganda of such ideas often elevates the colonizers’ culture and ridicules and simplifies to cliches the culture of the colonized people.

For example, in Soviet and Russian media, the language of the oppressed countries has often been portrayed as stupid, aimed for the village or at most for the family dinners, while Russian language has been depicted as intelligent, the language of science and education.

Such propaganda becomes so deeply ingrained in the minds of people who live in the empire that it is impossible to point out the media produced by the empire’s center that does not somehow support those stereotypes. Russian literature is no exception.

While recognizing the imperialist ideas in the works of many Western writers, most American and European readers prefer to ignore similarly dangerous ideas in the Russian literature. For example, many Western audience do not know that their beloved Dostoyevsky in his “Diary of a Writer,” celebrates Russia’s victory in Turkmenistan (another Russian colony) and expresses his hope for people “all the way to India” to “become convinced of the invincibility of the white tsar.” Tolstoy in his novel “War and Peace” disregards the perspective of Polish people and modifies the actual history of Vilnius meeting Tsar Alexander I to further elevate the Russian army. Lermontov in his novel “A Hero of Our Time” repeatedly describes the indigenous people of Caucasus as uncivilized and tries to construct a sympathetic character out of the Russian officer Pechorin, who kidnaps and abuses a Circassian woman. Virtually all famous Russian writers helped to justify Russia’s imperialist policies, promoted Russian exceptionalism or excluded the voices of oppressed nations.

For many years, this literature has shaped how the West viewed Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and Baltic Countries and led many to neglect the actual history and culture of those regions.

Unlike in other known empires, in the USSR and the Russian empire, and now in Russia, no work has been done to recognize their imperialist past and present and counteract it. From the incredibly popular comedy TV series “My Fair Nanny” that ridicules Ukrainian culture to constantly using ethnic

slurs for almost every single ethnicity, the imperialist mindset is alive and well in Russian culture. Such ideas are reflected in Russians’ attitude to their former colonies that they consider worthy of respect only if they cooperate with Russia.

Russia’s imperial ambitions towards its former colonies have already resulted in Russia’s wars in Chechnya and occupation of Ukrainian (in 2014) and Georgian territories (in the 1990s and 2008) and eventually has led to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine that started in 2022. The overwhelming support of Russians for the invasion comes from the prevalence of imperialist ideas such as that Ukrainian people (being “less educated”) need the help of Moscow to succeed. Being used to the caricatured image of stupid Ukrainians or the idea of “brotherly” relationship between Ukraine and Russia, Russians struggle to comprehend that their former colony can actually exercise its right of self-determination and not accept Russian “help” with open arms.

The West has turned a blind eye to Russian imperialist policies for centuries and now has to deal with the consequences. Without recognizing and counteracting the Russian imperialist mindset, we can not hope for the cultural revival of the subjugated nations within Russian borders or for political independence of Russia’s former colonies.

If the Slavic departments of American universities keep centering Russia at their course offerings and research, the culture and history of former Russian colonies will continue to be disregarded. If high school World History curriculum or college courses about colonialism continue avoiding the topic of imperialism in the Russian empire, the USSR, and modern Russia, Americans will keep falling to Russian propaganda and being “surprised” at Russian chauvinistic views.

Instead of idolizing Pushkin or Tolstoy, obsessing over Russian culture or praising Soviet leaders, Americans should educate themselves on Russian imperialism, critically analyze what they think they know about Russian history or culture, and amplify the voices of formerly subjugated nations. Only this way can they counteract imperialism around the world and help create the platform for all the nations colonized by Russia.

“Made in China” China’s economy as its borders open dropped as a result of decreased output from its factory in China under Covid-19 restrictions.

“Made in China.” This is the phrase we see on our clothes, computers, toys, jewelry and the list goes on. However, what is the economic market that is behind these three words? How has the pandemic and the recent reopening of Chinese borders influenced its production?

Since the start of the pandemic in 2019, many Chinese factories have stopped production, causing a decrease in China’s manufacturing output. In 2020, China’s annual GDP growth rate dropped to 2.2% compared to the previous six percent in 2019. This number increased in 2021 to 8.1% when the pandemic in China stabilized, and is predicted to drop back down to 3.3% in the upcoming 2022 data. Now, with the recent reopening of Chinese borders and an increase in international trade, R

WE TO ng/ a sa W

lys

(while at a larger scale) familiar. According to Mahallati, the required reading of Persepolis is a step in the right direction. She went on to say that spreading awareness on this issue can be done effectively through literature. Mahallati said, “Through introducing books that are written by Iranian young immigrant writers who have been in the country and experienced it, they can voice their experience through their literature and through their writings. Personal experience, either verbally or written, speaks better than other people talking about it who haven’t experienced that themselves.”

Designed by: Lucas Seguinot, Ellie Yang and Maia Barantsevitch

n atio

tr

s Illu

A by:

MAIA BARANTSEVITCH & ELLIE YANG Editors-in-chief

A

student walks into the Apple store in hopes of obtaining a new charger for their computer, but to their surprise, Apple is out of stock. This might have been the case for you last year, when Apple’s stock

the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has predicted a GDP growth of 5.9% for 2023.

These predictions correlate with the increase in Chinese products in the international market as factories return to full capacity. For example, metal processing companies around the world are seeing the reopening of the Chinese economy and borders in a positive light. China’s non manufacturing PMI has increased from 41% in 2022, to most recently 54%, showing an increase in employment, inventories, and production. Senior Youri Lee, head of the economics club, said, “Iin terms of opening trades, it is definitely a positive for both China and the world. Especially in the United States, as China opens up the exports, it will decrease the price of the goods in America, which will help America’s objective to decrease its inflation rate.”

However, behind this positive trend of the moment, many western companies have begun to, and are shifting their factories

to be located in southeast Asian countries such as Vietnam and Indonesia. This could be a result of many factors: including the pandemic, Chinese foreign policies, and the price of labor. Lee said, “Contrary to common knowledge, Chinese labor price is actually rapidly increasing at a point that the Vietnamese market is becoming more attractive.”

Politically, China’s international policies and stances have also prompted some companies to move out as fear of tense foreign relations arise. Sam Scheinbach, senior and student in the economics course, said, “China’s economy is likely to grow in the near future, but if they keep making the wrong moves with Taiwan and other foreign policies, then it will probably go downhill in the future.”

While the “Made in China”’ tags seem to push the prominent role the country plays in the global supply chain, the country’s high population and demand might also be

an important factor upon its reopening.

There have been concerns surrounding the pent-up demand in China after three years of pandemic restrictions. Many fear that global inflation might worsen as demand, in particular for energy and gasoline, rises since China holds the second largest consumer population in the world.

From water bottles to keyboard circuits, China’s manufacturing power has continued to hold power over our country’s consistent consumerism. Looking forward, there are positive, negative, and mixed predictions for the future as China reopened its economy. But one thing is for certain, after the ups and downs of pandemic policies, “Made in China’’ stickers are coming back.

Lee said, “As China opens their borders and increases manufacturing, it is almost certain that it can help the global economy in the near future.”

8

FEATURES

Junior named Westchester County Youth Poet Laureate AURORA ROSE HORN

A MU RPH WE R Y/TO

O

ur very own Alexa Murphy ‘24 has been appointed Westchester County’s Youth Poet Laureate. An application was sent out at the beginning of this year to youths in the county by B.K. Fischer P ‘24, the current Poet Laureate, as well as by the Youth Board; Murphy was chosen for the position along with Harmony Hopwood. Murphy and Hopwood were considered among 14 candidates.

Fischer said, “Her work has spirit, urgency, and relevance. She speaks passionately in her work about both the social and natural worlds, about the heart and the mind, and about the role of women. She connects with her audience on things that matter.”

Murphy is honored to have been given this opportunity to share poetry with others in the county. “I think my love and passion for poetry was what motivated me to apply,” she said. “Poetry has been such a deeply formative part of my life, and if I can do something to make that part of me which is so important more accessible to other people, then I’m going to take that opportunity and take it as an honor.”

Murphy has always loved poetry; from a young age, her mother introduced her to many important authors. “My mom is not someone who reads a lot of poetry except for mine,” Murphy said. “She is an avid reader, and I respect her so much for it. It’s kind of just been her and I having this connection via the literature we read, because it’s such an important part of both of our lives, and so that’s kind of where that came about.”

About her lifelong love of poetry, Murphy said, “I think there was always this understanding that it was a very beautiful and delicate and unique form of art.”

She cited her membership in Outspoken, Masters’ spoken-word poetry club, as what

Exploring the necessity of the swim test SANDRA LIU

AL E X

Lead Copy Editor

pushed this passion for poetry further. “It wasn’t until my sophomore year that I tried out to join Outspoken,” she said, “and that kind of threw me headfirst into this poetry scene that I hadn’t been aware of.”

Murphy continued, “The first showcase, last year, I had presented a poem called ‘The Women Poem,’ and I had never been prouder of myself for anything else.

It was so well-received; I had people coming up to me and telling me how much it meant to them. That feeling—that I created something that could really resonate with people and resonate with people for a long time, because I still hear feedback about that poem that I presented last year—was what made me fall in love with poetry all the more, and what made me realize how important it was to make it something that can reach everyone.”

According to a letter sent to Murphy by Westchester County Executive George Latimer, Alexa’s duties as Youth Poet Laureate include “a myriad of activities ranging from creative writing, spoken word poetry, playwriting and film making.” She will also be able to “collaborate with educational institutions such as schools and colleges, local libraries, after-school programs.”

Murphy said, “To be real, a position like poet laureate is largely symbolic. The county made the youth position to show that they were invested in the youth’s accessibility to the arts. But to me, it means so much more. It means that I get to go out and take what I’ve learned about an art that I’m so deeply passionate about and turn it into something more tangible. In short, it means a lot to me to be able to make something real out of a symbolic position.”

TOWER/MARCH 10, 2023

ALEXA MURPHY ‘24 RECITES poetry at an Outspoken showcase.

Murphy has been in Outspoken since her sophomore year.

Social Media Manager

S

wim tests are not a new concept for people nowadays.

At Masters, students are required to pass the swim test in order to graduate. The test consists of four laps (two of a front stroke, two on the back) and two minutes of treading water. To begin their swim test, each student will step into the shallow end of the pool. The students who are on the swim team or who have the lifeguard certificate will be excused from this test.

To explain the reason why this exam exists, Logan Condon, Director of Athletics, said, “Swimming is a really important life skill and it’s a positive that our school has prioritized that our students learn how to do so by the time they graduate. When building this facility and putting in the pool, it was something that the Board felt would add value to the overall educational experience for our students.”

Students who do not pass this exam face additional requirements. If a student does not pass the swim test before the end of the first semester of their senior

year, swim lessons will be booked. Before they are able to pass the test, the aquatics director will instruct them during the academic day. They won’t need to continue taking swim lessons after they pass the swim test. And if students do not pass the swim test before graduation, they will not receive their diploma from The Masters School until they pass the swim test.

Students have different ideas about this test. “Learning to swim is an essential skill; however, I don’t believe that it is the school’s responsibility to ensure that every student can swim. I find it frustrating to use up valuable school time for swimming, getting cleaned up, and changing into dry clothes before returning to class. Additionally, many individuals feel uneasy wearing swimwear in front of their classmates, which adds to the inconvenience. Overall, I believe that the swimming requirement can be more of a hassle than a benefit for many students,” senior Youri Lee said.

Although there are various opinions on the swim test, the requirement of the swim test seems to be a done deal and there is little possibility of change. Underneath the “mandatory” requirement is the school’s desire for students to master survival skills.

THE SWIM TEST IS a necessary graduation requirement for seniors. As the second semester starts, more seniors are heading over to the pool in hopes to pass their swim test.

LISA YAO/TOWER

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TOWER/MARCH 10, 2023

MATTHIAS JAYLEN XAVIER ROLSTON Opinion & Web Editors

F

ernando and Priscila Mendoza run the deli and restaurant Los Ferchos right here in Dobbs Ferry, a business they bought around a year ago.

Their slogan is “the best tacos in town,” but do they live up to that reputation? Tower decided to find out.

Los Ferchos is located at 90 Main Street in Dobbs Ferry, and is named after Fernando’s nickname from his hometown, “Fercho.” They serve a wide variety of Latin dishes and products. From their specialty Mexican dishes to their daily Dominican lunch and dinner specials, everything that we’ve tried, (and we tried a lot) was to die for. For all you dessert lovers, they even make homemade favorites like passion fruit, mango, and blackberry ice cream.

Another great part of Los Ferchos was their display of imported and hard-to-find Latin American snacks and drinks.

The first thing we noticed was how fresh the food was. After every order was placed, we could watch the kitchen staff pulling out ingredients and cooking everything fresh on the spot for all of their customers.

The bistec taco was a strong start to the meal. The taco was served on a smaller corn tortilla, typical for a Mexican-style taco, but was loaded up with small chopped up pieces of steak.

The mix of bright-green cilantro and white onions, alongside their signature green chile salsa, tasted fresh and acidic. Those bright flavors paired perfectly with their saltier grilled steak. the only drawback was the tortilla: the tender grilled steak deserved a better vessel than the relatively boring

9

corn tortilla it was placed Another candiupon. With a freshly made date for best item on tortilla, these tacos would the menu is easily the be unstoppable, but these torta al pastor, a Mexiwere still nothing short of can sandwich filled with delicious. We rate these pork The sandwich is a solid 9.5 — blown away! filling, it’s deeply layAnother great dish ered and complex in was the Costilla de Res both texture and flavor Guisada, one of Los Fer— there’s nothing more chos’s specialty Domina diner could ask for. ican dishes containing All tortas are built on stewed beef ribs plated delicious telera rolls alongside rice and beans. (comporable in size The portion size was very and flavor to a typical large and filling, which Portuguese roll), which earns them some points. are toasted beautifully The beef ribs were very to get a nice charred savory and the meat was so texture on the bread, juicy that it fell right off the Miraculously, the bread bone. There was also a nice remains light and soft flavorful balance between on the inside while still meat and fat. Because the supporting all the conribs were slow-cooked for tents of this massive so long, you were able to sandwich. Other topsuck on the bone and get pings include freshly all of those juicy flavors sliced avocado, which into your mouth. The rice adds a layer of creamand pinto beans were a iness and fattiness, perfect and filling balance Oaxaca cheese (which to contrast the salty and for anyone who hasn’t flavorful beans. For such had it, is a cheese simia big and flavorful plate of lar in flavor and texture Dominican food we gave to a fresh mozzarella, a rating of a great 8.5/10 though a bit stringier Our favorite dish on and softer) which melts the menu by far was their beautifully and adds chorizo burrito filled with some much-needed spicy pork sausage. The saltiness to the sandburrito came out of the wich, refried beans, and kitchen piping hot and some tomato and letit was calling our names. tuce which add crunch XAVIER ROLSTON/TOWER and tasted like a sliver of FERNANDO AND PRISCILA MENDOZA, the owners of Los Ferchos have been in business for and another dimension heaven. Inside was their the last year. They serve a vareity of foods for fair prices but also sell snacks, desserts, and many of freshness.The best spicy chorizo wrapped types of convenience products. Before settling their business in Dobbs Ferry, the Mendoza’s part of the sandwich, with their signature rice though, is the al pastor cooked up Mexican food for catering events. and beans that were to — a beautifully maridie for. All of that mixed nated boneless pork downsides to ordering this. On top might not want to share. For 11 dolwith their guacamole, shoulder that is slowcheese, and fresh greens made for a of that, the burrito was a monstrous lars, it’s certainly a steal, and it’s by far ly cooked on a spit and sliced thinly tremendous burrito. Everything was size. Two people could share that the best dish at Los Ferchos and the with pineapple. The meat, which is fresh, hot, and tasty. There are no burrito, though it’s so good that you best burrito in the river towns. 10/10 PILED onto the sandwich, is super

greasy and saucy, and insanely tender.

It has a nice spicy and smoky flavor, which is balanced out by the sweetness of the pineapple and the acidity of the tomato. Every bite is nuanced in both texture and depth of flavor.

It is hard to find anything negative to say about the torta at all. There is no amount of description that can explain how delicious this meal was, and with no doubt, this earns a 10/10.

Our experience at Los Ferchos was nothing short of mesmerizing. While describing our experience with this food may be informative of one aspect of our experience, it cannot possibly encapsulate all the delights of dining there. The owners of Los Ferchos, and all the staff, are some of the most genuinely kind and joyful people. The ambiance is friendly, and the atmosphere of the place is cozy and welcoming, albeit a bit cramped for space. Los Ferchos’ staff go out of their way to make conversation with customers, greet everyone with a smile, and put that same love into the food they prepare, laughing and having fun while doing their jobs the whole time. Being around that positive energy, while also getting some of the best food Dobbs Ferry has to offer, is a no-brainer.

In addition to the delicious food and excellent service, everything offered is very affordable.

With tacos being only $4 each, and our filling portion of Costilla de Res Guisada coming in at only $11, customers are getting the most bang for their buck possible. It’s hard to find an offer cheaper than that — especially so in the Rivertown area.

Los Ferchos’ slogan, “The Best Tacos In Town,” is undeniably true. But our verdict extends beyond that: Los Ferchos is a must-try, hidden gem — that may perhaps be the best restaurant in Dobbs Ferry altogether.

Ohio train wreck derails health in East Palestine ALEXA MURPHY News Editor

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or residents of East Palestine, the fall of COVID-19 had alleviated much of the anxiety associated with the small Ohio village’s response to public health emergencies; they lowered their guard as the rest of the world did. But hopes for healthful normalcy went up in smoke at about the same time 38 Norfolk Southern train cars did, on Feb. 3, having derailed and released toxic chemicals from five tankers into the village’s air and water.

It is the responsibility of government to provide each of its constituents with those necessities essential to survival, in order to lay the framework for a functioning and free society. These necessities are food, water, shelter, and needless to say, air. In East Palestine, minimal federal regulation of rail, poor railroad working conditions, and delayed executive response has threatened access to every one of these rights.

One of the toxic chemicals in question is vinyl chloride, of which officials opted to control the burn . When burned, vinyl chloride yields hydro-

chloric acid and phosgene, which have been used as gasses in chemical warfare.

Other chemicals spilled and burned include butyl acrylate, ethylhexyl acrylate, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, and isobutylene. There is little to no research regarding how these chemicals interact with each other, adding to the frightening uncertainty of current events in East Palestine.

Despite the many vagaries of the chemical spill, there is one thing we know for sure: exposure to the chemicals being burned in East Palestine right now has extremely adverse effects on human health. Residents of the village are reporting nausea, headaches, irritation, and vomiting, among other symptoms.

There are no answers. Fears of unsafe drinking water linger, as well as the long-term effects of exposure to contaminated air. At a Feb. 15 town hall, where hundreds of Ohio residents gathered to voice their concerns, company officials backed out of attendance at the last minute. People in the area are angry, and sick—despite the EPA telling them that their air and water is completely safe.

Though the East Palestine derailment is unique in its widespread coverage and detrimental impact on the local environment, the issue of railroad mismanagement is not. In fact, as recently as March 4, another 28 Norfolk Southern cars derailed near Springfield, Ohio. Though there was apparently no hazardous material onboard, this fright-

ening turn of events reveals the extent to which American demands for rail reform have fallen upon deaf corporate ears, with the reason being a fundamental lack of accountability within the industry.

“What you’ll find, though, is that whenever there’s an incident, you can almost be certain that someone wasn’t following the rules. So you have a lot of these federal regulations and laws, but the question is whether they’re fully followed or not.

And then there’s always been a fairly contentious relation with the unions, who are an extremely powerful player politically. They’re also a very major player in all of this,” former president of Metro North and current transportation consultant, Howard Permut said in an exclusive interview with Tower.

When Permut refers to unions, he speaks of the historically dominant role labor advocates have held in political decision making surrounding rail.

Railroad unions are particularly actors today, as Biden signed a bill in Dec. 2022 which would prevent an economy-damaging railroad strike. Critics argue that prolonged labor mobilization will likely increase the inefficiency and unsafety of rail development.

However, more often than not, unions mobilize as a result of their company’s sidestepping regulations which make accidents, like the two most recent Ohio derailments, more common.

“The main issue is that there

aren’t enough safety regulations for freight companies from the federal government, like there are restrictions for passenger rail. In passenger rail, sensors are much more frequent, so they can detect issues and stop them more efficiently. Obviously on MetroNorth, they have sensors on every stop, or sometimes twice between stops, depending on how long it is. Freight companies often don’t have this, because they do not like spending money, but they love making money,” resident train enthusiast Theo Knauss ‘24 said. “It’s just a matter of implementing federal regulations, but it’s difficult to get policy written for this, because it’s all privately owned. So it’s just hell, essentially.”

The tug-and-pull relationship between federal decision makers and railroad giants has posed a threat to American welfare since the 1890s, but we may be entering an entirely new era of uncertainty.

Now, unions and labor advocates are mobilizing to curb the spread of a new approach to railroad economics, which is quietly swiping the jobs of tens of thousands of workers.

“About ten years ago, this guy by the name of Hunter Harrison came up with something called ‘precision railroading.’ That’s a fancy term for not investing a lot and giving money to Wall Street, so he made himself a fortune, then passed away. Any-

way, there’s a belief that I suspect to be true that between that and COVID, the railroads have reduced their workforce dramatically. There’s really a question as to how much safety has been compromised because they’ve cut of the workforce,”Permut said.

It is unacceptable that only now that railroad mismanagement is tangibly affecting the environment and welfare of American citizens are we beginning to demand higher levels of transparency

within the railroad industry. To ensure the minimization of rail mishaps like that which has continually affected the residents of East Palestine, the federal government must enforce both a safe and effective level of staffing in the industry and the standardization of tanker and rail construction.

Americans should not have to trade their safety for the survival of the free market; productivity should never come at the expense of citizen welfare.

ELLIE SCHALKWYK/TOWER

ALEXA MURPHY DEMANDS THAT there should be more accountability and transparency when it comes to the East-Palestine train derailment to keep all of its residents safe.

Earthquakes leave Turkey shaken up TARA PHILLIPS Features Editor

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n February 6, an earthquake erupted in Hatay Province Antakya, Turkey. So far there have been over 40,000 deaths with an unknown number of people still buried under the rumble. The U.S. pledged 185 million dollars for earthquake relief.

The Turkish government has proven itself to be callous, negligent, and corrupt. The high death toll from the natural disaster was a result of the government’s failure to enforce building codes and stan-

dards. Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s cronies were given amnesty for compliance with the building codes in exchange for large political donations to Erdoğan’s Justice and Development party (AKP).

Turks are enraged by the earthquake response. With national elections coming up in May, Turkish voters may punish the AKP. If elections are free and fair Erdoğan will lose the popular vote, although there are doubts that Erdoğan will allow all ballots to be counted. Many of the peoples’ views are not effectively represented in the national government. Smaller contractors have been rounded up and scapegoated, indicative of the widespread negligence and corruption that exist within the Turkish government.

The way to minimize cor-

ruption is to strengthen the civil society and independent media.

Turkish officials need to be held accountable for their crimes. That starts with exposing malfeasance.

Journalism and media can play an important role in highlighting corrupt practices. Turkish media are owned by conglomerates, diversified companies with construction interests that benefit from government contracts. The Turkish government awards them big contracts, buying their silence. Independent media has been suppressed or punished with taxes and other penalties, if they go against the government.

The U.S. is faced with a dilemma: it wants to help earthquake victims but is wary of giving it earthquake assistance to the government which could steal the funds and cor-

rupt the U.S. intent. An alternative would be to give the money to international NGOs. This would allow the funds to be monitored.

The U.S. shouldn’t neglect human suffering, but also, doesn’t want to be ripped off. Some question whether the US should be donating its funds in the first place. As a world power, the U.S. should play a role in saving victims. However, they need to set up monitoring and accountability mechanisms. In order to help the Turks, the international community must work through NGOs to circumvent the Turkish government and cooperate directly with the earthquake affected EU CIVIL PROTRCTION AND HUMANITARIAN AID/FLICKR population.The humanitarian imperative is greater than con- TARA PHILLIPS ARGUES THAT the U.S. should be wary of donating cerns about Turkey’s integrity. money to Turkey due to Turkey’s governmental corruption.

ALEX PALL ‘03

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LILY ZUCKERMAN Features Editor

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lumnus Alex Pall ‘03 won the Senior Superlative for being “the most studious” of his graduating class in 2003, what he didn’t win was “most likely to win a Grammy.”

Pall is the DJ and producer in the duo with Drew Taggart (the singer), The Chainsmokers. The duo won a grammy for their hit “Don’t Let Me Down” featuring Daya in 2017. Since then, they have been nominated for and won several iHeartRadio Music Awards and Billboard Music Awards. In an email interview, Pall said he was not interested in having a music career when he attended Masters.

At Masters, Pall was a member of the Boys’ varsity basketball team, Community Government, and the boarding community. Despite being the DJ for a few school dances, Pall wasn’t involved in the musical community at Masters.

“I did not ever think I would make a career out of being a DJ so I never really pursued anything in that capacity in high school,” Pall said. He continued, “More generally speaking the school really developed me in ways that would become essential to my success, in particular, my focus and dedication to things I applied myself to.”

Director of Upper School Admission Andrea Fischer class of ‘02 was in the same social circle as Pall. She noted that they were both boarders and were in a large friend group with both boarders and day students. Fischer recounted what Pall was like in high school. “Alex was really fun, loving, and kind. He was always the life of the party and fun to be around,” Fischer said. She continued, “He had the type of personality that

drew a lot of people in; everyone wanted to be around and hang out with him.”

After Masters, Pall attended New York University and majored in art history and music business. Pall noted that he always had a passion for music and hosting events. He said, “One of my greatest joys in life is bringing people together to have a great time and DJing really satisfies both of those passions. It goes without saying but the music-making side is always the best as well, it’s a very cathartic experience– writing songs deeply personal to us– and then seeing people have their own unique and exciting experiences with them.”

Just eleven years after Pall graduated high school, The Chainsmokers released their debut single “#Selfie” in 2014. The single was charting on Billboard’s Dance/Electronic Songs chart.

Soon after their debut, the Chainsmokers started to make headlines. They began collaborating with notable musicians like Coldplay, Bebe Rhexa, and Halsey.

Fischer remembered the feeling she had when she realized Pall was behind the Chainsmokers.

She said, “Even when I heard it, I had no idea that it was him until like, I didn’t know, he was part of The Chainsmokers until somebody else from Masters had said, ‘You know that’s Alex, right?’ And I was blown away. Because last I’d heard from him, he was in, like, a club scene and promoting and just in a very different space. I didn’t know he was actually an artist and creating music.”

Junior Gabriel Heller also enjoys producing music in his free time and has recently been DJing as well. Heller has found major inspiration in Pall who has walked the same halls as him.

Heller described how Pall has made him grow and inspired to be a more dedicated musician. Heller said, “Since school takes away so much of my creative side which includes music production, I

FEATURES

TOWER/MARCH 10, 2023

smokes the music industry with the chainsmokers

know that I need to continue to nurture that creative side of myself and cope with school, just like Pall did. Especially because I know music will be a part of me for the rest of my life.” He continued, “Pall’s reputation is usually centered more around his public image as a professional DJ and he often does not receive the credit he deserves for being such a talented producer and musician all around.

I am not only inspired by the fact he went to Masters, but by his music in general, which only encourages me to keep working on mine and continue improving.”

Furthermore, Pall hopes that Masters students interested in pursuing a musical career should “hone in on what area of music excites them and expose themselves to the business side, the performative side, and the song-writing side, and really get a sense ofwhat brings themost joy,“ Pall said. He noted that once they have a sense of the aspect that brings them the most joy, “They should work harder at that than anyone else and share their work with the 4 world.”

1 JULIO ENRIQUEZ/CREATIVE COMMONS 2 MASTERPIECES 2003 2003 3 MASTERPIECES 4 MASTERPIECES 2003

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1. ALEX PALL ‘03 DJing at one of his concerts.

2. #44 in 2003 yearbook on the Varsity basketball team 3. 2003 YEARBOOK HEADSHOT 4. 3RD FROM LEFT in 2003 yearbook in Student Governent

New history teacher brings stories to the classroom AURORA ROSE HORN Lead Copy Editor

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istory teacher Greg Lesser recently welcomed a new addition, Amelia Max Lesser, to his family, so taking his place in the classroom until early May is Martin Gilbert, who has been teaching since 1984 at schools such as Hackley and Byram Hills.

Gilbert said that he was inspired to become a teacher by his own AP US History teacher in high school. “I started out in college as pre-med,” he said, “but I wasn’t particularly interested in medicine. I only did it because it was what my family wanted me to do; my father was a physician. But I always loved history in high school, and I had a really special AP US teacher. That was an important part of my decision.” In addition to teaching history, Gilbert has also coached basketball and been the faculty advisor for clubs such as mock trial and quiz bowl.

In his time as a teacher, Gilbert has crossed paths with many people. Some of them have gone

on to become famous, such as David Harbour, who you may know as Jim Hopper in the hit Netflix original series “Stranger Things,” and Amanda Nepo, who at the age of 16 went on Penn and Teller’s show and fooled them with her original magic tricks. “But really,” he said, “it’s the everyday successes that I’m sometimes inspired by. Sometimes a student will say ‘That was the best lesson,’ or ‘I’m curious to know more about

MATTHIAS JAYLEN/TOWER

NEW HISTORY TEACHER MARTIN Gilbert teaches alongside Greg Lesser. He will be taking Lesser’s place until early May, as Lesser is on paternity leave.

history,’ and I know I’ve done my job well when that happens.”

Gilbert’s teaching style differs from Lesser’s in that he often brings in stories from his own life; for example, when his eleventh grade US history class started their unit on the Gilded Age he told them about Madam C.J. Walker, our country’s first self-made Black millionairess, and how he passes her mansion, Villa Lewaro, every day on the way to work.

He also showed the class that the sign outside of Villa Lewaro is in disrepair and needs to be replaced or, at the very least repainted, and he hopes that his students will take action to get this done.

“Students need to take charge,” he said. “Sure, good grades are important to college, but they also want people who take action to make the world a better place.”

All in all, Gilbert has been received warmly by his students.

Mila Benson, a freshman in his World History class, said, “Mr. Gilbert keeps us on our toes and asks us a lot of questions.”

F A R M T O T A C O ! TM CELEBRATING 18 YEARS

ORDER ONLINE WWW.MEXCHESTER.COM 13 CEDAR STREET, DOBBS FERRY

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TOWER/MARCH 10

Gharvin Ramnarase: Veteran of foil fencing OLIVER KREEGER News Editor

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or the boys foil fencing team, it’s been a season of growth and learning. Gharvin Ramnarase ‘24 has seen a lot change in the realm of foil fencing at Masters since he first started getting involved some years ago. That moment for him was in the early years of middle school, when students don’t pick sports to do but are given a rotation of athletics throughout the year.

“Ever since I started doing it in fifth and sixth grade PE, I just loved it. I think what makes fencing so fun to me is that it’s just really stimulating to your mind and your body,” Ramnarase said. “You have to think how to outsmart your

opponent plus you have to have all the techniques and athleticism.”

Fencing is much more of an individual sport than most team athletics, and in a match you can score up to 15 points against your opponent. Ramnarase has always felt like this fundamental structure of fencing makes him enjoy it more.

“This year we had our first individual tournament ever since COVID happened. So basically what that is, instead of playing as a team, you’re playing for yourself and your ranking in the league,” Ramnarase said. “I lost 12-15 to the number two place in the league, so I think, honestly, that’s probably my moment I’m most proud of so far.”

There are three forms of fencing - saber, foil, and epee, that each fencer chooses from

to practice. Ramnarase is a foil fencer, which distinguishes itself as the form where a player scores points by hitting your opponent’s torso with your sword’s tip. After all these years of practicing foil, Ramnarase thinks he has a few tricks up his sleeve. “I like to jump around a lot when I’m on defense.

I might just look like I’m twirling my blade around but I’m looking for pairing so I can get right away and start attacking,” he said.

When looking to the future, Ramnarase says he sees even more growth for his boy’s foil team. “Last year, our team was three seniors and me. This year, the team is almost all freshmen. We’ve been doing alright, we’ve had a lot of close matches but we only won one match…I’m going to practice over the summer and once the season’s over.”

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Girls Basketball looks to the past and plans for the future

JOSH MARKOWTIZ/ TOWER

GIRLS VARSITY BASKETBALL POSES for a photo after their senior game. In this game senior Dakota Daniello, number twenty three, played extremly well leading her team to a commanding win. She ended the game with thirty four points and reached her 1000 career point total.

ADAM BELLO Sports Editor

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RYAN GUAN/TOWER

JUNIOR GARVIN RAMNARASE PREPARES for a fencing match. He has had a great season and honored for his great play at the winter sports awards where he won the boys fencing team’s Coaches Award for his exemplary performance this season. He is has been fencing for a long time first starting when he was 12 years old.

n years prior, the Masters Girls Varsity basketball team has been extremely successful winning their most recent League championship in 2019. Though yet to find the same success from that year, the team has slowly brought themselves back into championship contention by making playoffs for the first time in three seasons.

Throughout the four years since their championship, the team has seen a lot of change to both their teams roster, and their coaching staff.

Senior captain and the team’s leading scorer, Dakota Daniello is from that championship team. She talks about her time on the team saying, ”Being that our team consisted of a lot of upperclassmen at the time we had a lot of energy and hunger to win since most players on the team were graduating and we had never won the championship. Being that I was the youngest on the team at the time, my time consisted of a lot of learning from the upperclassmen.” In Daniello’s last season with the team she

has left her mark on this program by leading her team in scoring, averaging 21 points per game, and becoming a 1000 total career point scorer.

Making the playoffs is no easy feat for any team but is extra special for this team. The team went through a lot of adversity this year but rallied together and bounced back when it mattered most. Junior Forward and focal point of the team Nayia Chrysanthopoulos, was in and out of the rotation this year due to a concussion.

“

I’ve really been thankful that I’ve been able to connect with every single player on this team, even if it’s their first year or their fourth year.

- Stella Simonds ‘23 Her injury, along with the injuries of a few other players, often left the team short staffed going into games.

Chrysanthpoulos said, “I was only out about four or five games but I just wanted to play. We were having a very good year and after I got hurt it was just sad to watch my team

play without me.” In multiple of the teams’ contests this season they only had six active players on their roster.

Chrysanthopoulos describes her team’s resilience and relationship with one another this year by saying, “During the entire year the team showed growth and teamwork.

We had a strong connection off the court and when that was brought on the court we had a lot of success.”

Though the team wasn’t successful in winning the championship after a tough game against Saint Luke’s, the future of the team is looking bright. Not only does the team have players like Juniors Nayia Chrysanthopoulos, and shooting guard Zara Suzanto, but they also have three promising Freshmen. Freshmen Zaria Charles, Maddie Barnes and Emma Barnes have been key contributors to the team this year helping the team rack up wins throughout the season. Maddie Barnes has been one of the team’s most prolific scorers averaging 10.8 points per game (the team’s third leading scorer).

With continuous growth of the contributions of all the underclassmen, the team is bound to be championship contender in the coming years.

From all stars to no stars: Durant and Irving leave the Nets on-court contributions. Irving’s first season in 2019-20 was unMAYA PHILLIPS eventful, as he played in less than a quarter of the games due to inLead Opinion Editor jury. In 2020-21, Irving played in only 29 of the Nets’ 72 games because he refused to get vaccihis NBA trade deadline nated against the coronavirus. left many basketball fans Additionally, Irving became inspeechless. On Feb. 6 All-Star jured during the playoffs. Before point guard Kyrie Irving demandIrving’s final season, he requested ed to be traded from his former a trade. However, Irving rescindteam, the Brooklyn Nets. This ed his trade request and opted came as a shock to the Nets front into the final year of his contract. office with Irving set to become an Following Irving’s antisemitic unrestricted free agent this sumactions the Nets still found a way mer. On the final day of the trade to be successful on the court, aldeadline, the NBA fandom was in lowing Brooklyn’s management to disbelief once again when it was look past the off-the-court drama. reported that Kevin Durant was Despite the Nets' success, being traded from the Nets to the Irving demandPhoenix Suns. ed a trade days The Net's once before the star-studded trade deadline. roster was desIn exchange tined for greatfor Irving and ness. Durant, Markieff MorIrving, and ris, the Nets James Hardreceived Spenen were supcer Dinwiddie posed to bring and Dorian a championship Finney-Smith to Brooklyn, from the Dal- Kyrie Irving but they had las Mavericks, little success. in addition The demise to two future of the trio second-round picks. That packmarks the end of a promisage was meant to complement ing but ultimately disappointDurant and win a championship. ing era for the Nets, marked by However, Durant did not have constant scandal, frequent abthe same vision. He requested sences, and internal descent. a trade shortly after the com“It was pathetic. They had pletion of Irving’s trade and everything in their favor and they was ultimately sent to Phoenix. just blew it. I don't understand The Nets received Mikal how that happened,” said avid Bridges and Cam Johnson from Nets fan, Cameron Lovett ‘23. the Suns, as well as four unproIrving’s tenure with the Nets tected first-round picks and a fuwill be remembered more for his ture pick swap. This was part of off-court controversies than his

T

“

I’m glad he got out of there.”

a four-team deal, including the Indiana Pacers and Milwaukee Bucks. Durant was a constant star player for the Nets. He almost single-handedly willed the Nets past the eventual champion, Milwaukee Bucks, in 2021. “You have got some of the greatest basketball players of all time on one team and you couldn’t bring home one championship,” said Lovett.

In a press conference, Irving received a question about Durant’s move to the Suns.

He disdainfully responded, “I'm glad he got out of there."

This trade deadline marks one of the greatest disappointments in NBA history. Although the Nets lost their star players they now have the opportunity to rebuild their team. “I am glad that we have Spencer Dinwiddie back on the Nets. Brooklyn does really well with an underdog team. We had a lot of ball-dominant players on one team and that was definitely not working. Now the younger guys can get more playing time…

I honestly have more faith in this new team. They have a much healthier dynamic,” Lovett said.

For more sports stories, visit Tower.Mastersny.org

MATTHEW D. BRITT/CREATIVE COMMONS

THE BROOKLY NETS ARE shown here huddling together after a timeout. The nets organanization stated has had a long history of failed superteams starting in the early to middle 2010’s where they assembled a team with now Hall of Fame players Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnet. Like Irving and Durant, these two excption players wrent able to bring Brooklyn a championship either.

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Attwell makes waves, in and out of the pool AURORA ROSE HORN Lead Copy Editor

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eet Nat Attwell ‘23, one of the captains of the swim team. Attwell has been swimming for 12 years; his parents enrolled him in swim classes when he was a youth, and he’s just continued with it. Part of why Attwell has stuck with swimming for so long is because “It’s good to be able to improve at things, and there are not many things in

life where you can see your progress as explicitly as in athletics.”

He also said that swimming is “a good outlet for whatever emotions you had in the day.”

Attwell cited Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps as an inspiration. “Pretty standard guy,” he said, “but he’s a big role model, just because of how good he is, but also in his work ethic and things like that.”

When he’s not in the pool, Attwell enjoys working on his car (he has an old truck), as well as playing video games like Minecraft. Career wise, though, Attwell has his mind set on going

into

biomedical engineering.

Attwell’s best times are 22.39 seconds for the 50 yard freestyle, 48.97 seconds for the 100 yard freestyle, 1 minute, 47 seconds and 67 milliseconds for the 200 yard freestyle and 4 minutes, 57 seconds and 24 milliseconds for the 500 yard freestyle.

SENIOR NATHANIEL ATTWELL STANDS atop the podium after winning. The star swimmer led the varsity swim program to third in NYSAIS– breaking school records in the process.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CAT STOICA

Squash team wraps up season with nationals in Philly CARLOS HEREDIA Marketing Director

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he Masters Boys Varsity Squash team wrapped up its winter season this February having enlisted in nationals for the first time in three years, competing in Division 5. They won two games and lost two games at the Arlen Specter US Squash Center in Philadelphia. Their last game was on February 26, and their final practice was on March 2.

Reflecting on the season, co-captain and senior Mir Ahmed said, “I’d say every match we had, even though there are a few that we lost by blowouts, we were all competitive in them.

As the season went on, the bot-

portive, cheering as loud as they could. Both of the teams, our team and our opponent, were trying to one-up each other at sound and cheering. So it definitely made me feel good, shouting ‘You can do this!’, ‘Let’s go!’, ‘Come on!’, ‘One more point!’ And ultimately, I didn’t win, but it was really nice to have my teammates there.”

Despite the loss at the end, co-captain and senior Ian Stein was also happy about the team’s performance this season.

“We had a bunch of matches where we were the underdogs.

And we were able to push through that as players with maybe less experience or technique, and all in all just come out with a lot of spirit. I think that’s something that’s notable about this team. The spirit we have talked about, the lead-up to Nationals, and as well

“

I have to say that the group of guys we were with made it very easy to be a captain, because everyone was here to support each other and grow as human beings. It takes a lot of mental clarity to stay focused in a game like squash because it’s so intense physically. Especially when therare a lot of guys and spectators watching you.”

- Ian Stein ‘23

JOSH MARKOWITZ/PHOTO EDITOR

SENIOR IAN STEIN SERVES the ball in a match at Masters. Stein is a captain of the boys varsity squash team along with fellow senior Mir Ahmed. Stein, Ahmed, and underclassmen Hassan Saad led the team to nationals for the first time in three years. The team competed in nationals coming finishing 7th out of 16 teams.

tom half of the team definitely closed the gap in skill, and we improved overall as a team a lot.”

Coach John Boyer expressed a similar outlook and noted the challenges facing the team, “The most exciting moment was actually a low light. I mean, our third match came down to three all and in matches, and two, all in the deciding match and 10 all and points in that game. And we ended up losing that game, but people were so excited. It was really, really cool to see how very supportive they were of each other.”

Boyer noted that the wide variation in squash can make it challenging to come across teams on similar skill levels.

“It’s a struggle to find teams that are at the right level to have a nice close match which are the most rewarding. And so that was one of the really nice things about nationals because teams come from all over the country and you’re going to end up playing teams that are at your level.”

Gus Creech, a freshman who played in one of the matches, said that, “They were really sup-

as how that kind of turned out.”

“Seeing everyone around campus, knowing that we’re headed to nationals in Philadelphia, this past Thursday night was a real bonding experience because we knew what we were going into. So we had to put the hard work in beforehand.”

Having played squash since the 8th grade at Masters, Stein added that, “It’s honestly a bummer that it has to come to an end, because this has been one of my most valuable experiences here at Masters, the community that we’ve built on the squash team.

And the friendships that I’ve made as a co-captain with Mir, who I couldn’t have done it without as well, have been tremendous. I have to say that the group of guys we were with made it very easy to be a captain, because everyone was here to support each other and grow as human beings. It takes a lot of mental clarity to stay focused in a– game like squash because it’s so intense physically. Especially when there are a lot of guys and spectators watching you.”