The Spear Magazine - Issue 01

FEBURARY 2O21 - ISSUE 01

SPEAR m a g a z i n e

STUDENT

OPINION BREAKING DOWN THE SIX WEEK BLENDED MODEL DELAY BY THE NUMBERS AS STUDENT SURVEY RESULTS FLOOD IN. TOP SHOWS TO BINGE ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

RAISING VIBRATIONS STUDENT CROSSWORD

Our Team EDITOR IN CHIEF / JOSE E. COPY EDITOR / REGINA R. DESIGNER(S) / EUGENE K., FEDERICO K., TEO B., LAURA C. SOCIAL MEDIA REPS / EUGENE K. & TEO B.

WRITERS FEATURES SECTION-LETTER TO THE EDITOR / BRUNELLA E. & SEUNG MIN B. POP CULTURE / ISABELLA C. & KENNY C. SPORTS / LAURA C. ENTERTAINMENT / MAXINE W. ART / SEUNG MIN B. & LAURA C. WORLD NEWS / PAZ L., EDUARD R., FEDERICO K., TEOHAN B. MAYA NEWS-COMMUNITY EVENTS / FEDERICO K. & EDUARDO R.

TEACHER REPRESENTATIVES JAMIE D. REGINA R.

Contact us! thespearmagazine@cm.edu.gt

OUR TEAM

Colegio Maya de Guatemala Km 12.5 Carretera a El Salvador Santa Catarina Pinula

THE SPEAR | 1

EDITOR'S NOTE “To serve as an entertaining, yet informative and useful school-run media outlet in order to promote school spirit and unite the community in an approachable and interesting manner.” That is the mission of this magazine. Over the summer, while we were all locked down at home, our school faculty and administration spent countless days figuring out how they were going to make distance learning effective for every student and teacher in the Colegio Maya community. To do this, it was necessary for them to achieve some sort of balance between academics and fun; obviously they couldn’t have us resume our sports seasons so they came up with a different solution. Along with the AP periods, club periods take up the entirety of our Wednesday schedule and serve to allow students to explore some of their other interests, passions, and projects through a less formal schedule and class type. This is where the idea of a school magazine was born.

Since the first club period, way back in August about 8 of us, plus our two teacher advisors, Ms. Day and Ms. Rumford, began meeting every Wednesday from 2:30-3:15 to write, discuss, and envision a concept for our school magazine. We soon came up with the name The Spear, inspired by our school mascot, the Maya Warrior. Since our initial meetings, we have gained a number of members in order to be able to produce a more complete and enticing product for our community; we now consist of 14 members, including our teacher advisors.

After about 6 months of active writing, brainstorming, and failed launch ideas, we’ve finally determined what type of magazine we want to be, what content we want to include, how we want to reach out to our audience, and what sort of impact we want to have on this school. This first issue centers around the broad topic of change (not every article in this issue relates to this theme in order to include a wider variety of content). We are all aware that the past two semesters have been full of change; not necessarily the type of change one might hope for, but a necessary change. We’ve moved from on campus learning to distance learning, we’ve had to quarantine various times, and we’ve had to get used to this new normal. But with a new semester and a new year ahead of us, much more is likely to change as well, hopefully for the better.

All of that being said, we at The Spear truly hope you enjoy our first issue. Please contact us if you have any questions (about us, the magazine, our future, etc.) or if you are interested in joining or having a piece published in next month’s community features section. Even if you would like to offer some constructive criticism, that would be greatly appreciated. We, as Maya students, have been taught to constantly strive for improvement; after all, this magazine has the purpose of serving the whole Maya community, and hopefully promote school spirit and community engagement.

Please contact us at: thespearmagazine@cm.edu.gt

EDITOR'S NOTE

JOSE E. EDITOR IN CHIEF

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THE SPEAR

CONTENTS SECTIONS

01 OUR TEAM Meet the group of students and teachers who created The Spear magazine.

02 EDITOR'S NOTE Welcome The Spear Magazine and its Editor in Chief, Jose.

As he initiated the magazine club, he has lead this group of students for the release of Colegio Maya's new magazine.

04 COMMUNITY STORIES

16

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

LEARN MORE ABOUT COLEGIO MAYA STUDENTS! 08 FEATURES Get the chance to read literature written by the Colegio Maya community!

10 WORLD NEWS Get updated with current news stories and world wide events.

16 MAYA ARTS

22

21

ENJOY OUR CROSSWORD PUZZLES!

WANT TO LEARN SOME ARTS AND CRAFTS?!

Try to complete our personalized crossword puzzle!

Learn how to make an optical illusion craft with Maxine's step-by-step guide! Get ready for some hands on activities!

Hint: It is based on our own Colegio Maya community.

CONTENTS PAGE

Meet our monthly Colegio Maya artists!

17 POPCULTURE & ENTERTAINMENT Stay up-to-date with today's trends, learn about new shows, movies, health tips, and more!

22 MAYA GAMES Relax and entertain yourself with personalized Maya puzzles!

SOURCES PAGE: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1B4u3SglbwEBakEhazW9J_YV4hPjjWMg4HS-W5F7NzI/edit?usp=sharing

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HUMANS OF MAYA

Stories From Students For Students

COMMUNITY

BY JOSE

Modeled after the famous Humans of New York project, we at The Spear wanted to offer some insight into the more personal lives of some of the members of our community as well as being able to display their writing. The idea here is to have a collection of memoirs from our students and faculty showing the diversity in our community and to paint a picture of the broader Colegio Maya community.

Anonymous My father never understood that his words hurt. He never understood what I valued; my dreams, my aspirations. He never got it.

For him, everything I did was dispensable, optional. He dismissed the things that were important to me. He told me I would never change the world. Being in his presence made me anxious. I was scared to speak, to breathe, to move. Yet, I challenged him in every way I could. I screamed I hate you with my eyes and the way I would flinch whenever he tried to touch me. I made it clear that he was not wanted. I made it clear everytime he gave me an anxiety attack. I made it clear every time he made me cry, or not speak for days. I was crying out for help and no one would listen. I was drowning. I was drowning until January 3rd of 2020, the day he moved out. I felt relief, freedom. Admitingly, after he left our relationship improved, I got to know my dad for the father he wanted to be. Although most kids would be upset they don't live with the dad they grew up with, I think it made us stronger. It made me realize that he wasn’t all bad; I have a great dad who has made many mistakes and it took him a lot of time and healing to own up to them. For that, I am proud of him. I am proud to be his daughter.

Seung Min March 13, 2020 marks the last day we were on-campus. I recall it was a normal day, although the details are fuzzy: I believe I stayed after school, either for training or rehearsals, and I know that I rode the bus with an oblivion I wish I could, now, replace with my deep love for people—maybe then, maybe,

I

instead

of

would

have

simply

hugged

waving

more

people

good-bye.

Seven

months have passed and I am still trying to get used to our new reality. Many times I stare at my computer screen, awe-stricken, confused, wondering why I am taking class from my table,

my

chair,

and

my

house.

In

these

moments, the sounds of my dog’s tiny paws walking

over

the

tile

floor,

my

mom’s

humming and laughter, and the familiar smell of

my

home,

have

all

given

me

some

reassurance that I am ‘okay’. As I continue to explore the quirks of distanced learning and a quarantined lifestyle, I feel better knowing that I can always go and hug my dog, text or call a friend,

and

enormous,

lay

my

head

ever-growing,

on

my

shoulders

parent’s that

feel

like home.

COMMUNITY SECTION

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ADVICE FROM COLEGIO MAYA ALUMNI

BY EUGENE

Getting through school may be difficult and stressful, and finding your path may be overwhelming. However, we all know that Colegio Maya has properly prepared numerous students for their futures. Many of us may be going through difficult times currently, and so we have reached out to some of Colegio Maya’s alumni and compiled some advice for our current students. Hopefully this gives you some pointers at succeeding in high school and shows you the power of Maya Spirit!

“Spend more time thinking about what really makes YOU happy and excited to be alive, and then work towards it even if others doubt you or your process.”

- Ella (Class of 2020) “1) Take some time to figure out what you want to pursue in the future. What are you passionate about? If you don’t know, then explore that path.

2) Look up to others instead of comparing yourself to them.

3) Take AP Seminar and AP Research! Extremely helpful classes to prepare you for university. They’re also very interesting and give you a lot of freedom.”

- Chang Mo (Class of 2019)

“You will continue to learn new things about yourself as you grow and get exposed to new experiences, but take the time to truly get to know yourself. And if that means you need to take a break while others ‘your age’ are moving up to the next steps, take the break. You are not falling behind.”

- Miso (Class of 2020) “A piece of advice I would give to students from Colegio Maya is sleep—it doesn’t sound good at first, but sleep is so important! Sleeping in class is probably one of the worst things you can do, so always have a good sleep at night.”

- Anonymous (Class of 2020)

“Appreciate all the little things and never give up on any goals that you have.”

- Adaia (Class of 2018) “Enjoy your days there because you will never get to experience such a diverse, loving community.”

- Anonymous (Class of 2019) “Learn how to appreciate every day while you are still in high school because you are going to miss it, and manage time for yourself, work, and friends.”

“Enjoy high school because college won’t be the same, so take advantage of the resources and the kindness of the teachers. Take advantage of the time you have with your friends at school and make as many memories as you can.”

- Anonymous (Class of 2020) “Being only worried or concerned is not going to get you anywhere. Do something about it and try to get the results that you want.”

- Jihe (Class of 2020)

- Hyunsu (Class of 2019)

COMMUNITY SECTION

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Relieved, Frustrated, Sad: Reactions to Postponement of the Blended Model

BY JOSE AND SEUNG MIN

On the morning of January 26, students, faculty, and parents all received a dreaded email from Dr. Miller, informing us that our re-integration to campus learning would be postponed until March 16th. Immediately, our community was polarized. Some were irritated that the on-campus experience that we longed for was pushed back yet again, others felt relieved that their risk of contracting COVID-19 would significantly decrease—for many, however, it seemed to be a combination of both extremes. Knowing this, we set out to learn more about how secondary students and teachers felt about the postponement of the blended model integration.

What do you think about the February return to school through the blended model being cancelled?

emotions: part of it was relief, but it was also deep sadness.

I really miss everyone, and to know that it will be my last year teaching the current Juniors and that I will not be able to have a proper good-bye to the current seniors is really hard. It was a strange moment of intense relief and grief— it’s hard to honor both feelings.” - Ms. Adrian, English

“With my heart, I am a realist that we need to be safe - yet, I

Teacher

am fully aware of the opportunities that this situation does not make available to our students, families, and teachers

“As a teacher I was truly looking forward to experiencing

that we would otherwise prefer. While I wish that learning

the blended model on campus and as a parent I was very

life lessons did not need to take this form, I believe that it is

happy for my son to see his teachers and classmates in

up to each one of us to experientially learn and grow. This

person. I know our leadership team and the board mauled

means taking responsibility with doses of levity, fun, and

over the facts, information, and government guidelines to

play to make our way on our own paths in being all that we

make what they felt was the most informed decision for our

can and want to be. Yet, we know that we don't want to ever

community. I am at peace and support their decision. At

put anyone in that dire of a situation but we want people to

the end of the day when it comes to my students and family

keep flourishing.” - Dr. Fifled, Director of Learning

I will ALWAYS err on the side of caution.” - Mr. Sctoney, P.E. Teacher

“I’m sad because I feel like the situation in a few months

What were you looking forward to the most?

will be similar, and I felt that as a Senior, it would be my last chance. I wanted to be able to see people and have fun with my grade.” - SangJun, 12

“I’d be lying if I said I don’t miss my friends like crazy, but

“I was looking forward to a new environment; it’s hard to wake up these days and know that you have to get ready to

I’d also be lying if I said I felt completely comfortable

simply go downstairs or somewhere else in your house.

attending in-person classes. No one wants to put each other

Getting ready to go somewhere else is a different feeling.” -

at risk, and no one wants to deprive us of social interaction

Marianna, 11

and connection. I know that personally, I crave seeing my friends more than anything — but I also know the decisions being made are prioritizing our safety. We all love and care for each other a lot, and I think that shows in not only the

“To actually sit in a classroom and meet people, instead of seeing everyone through the screen. I would really like to see the Innovation Hub, the PAFA, and, to be honest, everything else.” - Sarah, 11

way we long to see each other, but in the way we are able to take a moment to evaluate the safety and well-being of one another.” - Dyani, 10

“I really wasn’t looking forward to going back to campus— sure I want to see my friends, but I also want to be able to see the rest of my family members like my grandma, and I don’t want to infect her.” - Rodrigo, 11

“I was kind of happy not returning to school since I did not have to wake up so early.” - Gabriel, 6

“I was looking forward to learning in person with the teacher because it is much harder to stay engaged and

“I was really stressed about going back to school, and knowing that my neighbor had caught Covid magnified that.

focused when I’m staring at my computer screen for more than six hours a day. I feel burnt out, my eyes hurt and I get constant headaches due to staring at the screen for so long.

When Dr. Miller shared the news, tears streamed down my face immediately. It took a minute to check-in with my

COMMUNITY SECTION

THE SPEAR | 6

That’s why I was relieved to hear that I was going back

In addition to these interviews, a secondary student-wide

because I could finally take a break from that.” - Cristian,

survey was conducted to capture a more visual

10

representation of our community’s response to postponement of the blended model. Below are the responses of 76 secondary students:

The following is a selection of Dr. Fifeld’s Top 10 list of things he is looking forward to the most:

What was your initial reaction to the Blended Model being cancelled?

1. Students! I love to see how much they have grown, voice changes, styles of hair-dressing-and ways of acting more mature.

Relieved 19.7%

3. Smiles, smiles, and smiles of seeing young, older and

Frustrated 27.6%

oldest children through adults on campus.4. Playing games in the gym and field.

7. Seeing Our Dear Friends (Maintenance staff)8. The Ceiba tree at the entrance to school.

10. An empty lost and found box.” - Dr. Fifled, Director of Learning

Do you have any fears or worries of coming back to school? If you were not coming back to school in person, why?

Sad 13.2%

Neutral 39.5%

What were you looking forward to most?

Being on-campus 23.7%

“I personally don’t. I am confident that the school’s system and protocols will be new and we’ll all learn to live with it.” - SangJun, 12

“I don’t have many in terms of the virus. In December 2020, I had COVID and I learned to appreciate my health,

Hands-on learning 18.4%

Seeing my friends 57.9%

and I’m thankful everything went well. But at the same time, I’m worried my teachers may get sick.” - Stefania, 12

What worried you the most about the Blended Model?

“In all honesty, I have zero fear of coming back. I respect COVID guidelines for the comfort of others, and I am really not concerned about my health being compromised

by COVID. I am healthy and young, and the death rate for

Shutting down right after starting 23.7%

Getting the virus 17.1%

healthy teens is close to one in a thousand, if not less than that. I would personally not even be bothered by us going back full time and without COVID guidelines, but I understand that’s totally not happening soon.” - Cristian, 10

“If we do end up going back to school, my principle worry is of getting my family sick; however, I am more scared of not being able to see my friends at all if we stay online the

Waking up earlier 18.4%

Possibly infecting a family member 40.8%

whole year.” - Lou, 9

It is important we recognize the diverse opinions and perspectives of all community members and continue to let our differences strengthen our bonds. Like the majority—or possibly all—of us, we hope for a quick return back to “normal”, but until then, let's make the most of waking up a little later.

COMMUNITY SECTION

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FEATURES CHANGING YOUR MIND SHORT STORY BY ALICIA

“I’m sorry for having to call on such short notice, Ms. Smith,

kitchen/living room/dining room (with an apple red mini-fridge

but, you see, Ryan has once again found himself in a little bit

always stocked full of root beer and hamburger-helper), and at

of a complication, haven’t you, Ryan?” The principal turned

least a dozen boxes with stuff yet to be unpacked. Ryan ran full

his head and looked at Ryan over the top of his glasses. He

speed up the stairs with his fists clenched and shaking. He

was an ugly man with large eyes and small ears. He had a large

fumbled with the key to the front door for what felt like hours,

double chin which, in Ryan’s opinion, made him look rather

but really was only a minute and half. His father was sitting on

like the King of the Goblins in the Hobbit movies. He was

his computer, typing away furiously, when he suddenly looked

balding up top and had a matted dash of hair right at the point

up and stared amusedly at his enraged son.

of his chin. Ryan glared angrily at him and huffed. It wasn’t his fault after all, the punk had been asking for it. Ryan could

“I imagine that this fit of anger has something to do with the

feel his mother’s disapproving eyes on him and frowned. What

suspension notice I got from the principal and the…strongly-

right did she have to look at him like that? The kid had it

worded email I got from Madge?” Ryan scoffed at the mention

coming!

of his mother and continued walking towards his bedroom door.

“You see, as it turns out, he has not been improving on his

“Just leave me alone,” he sighed, most of his past anger gone

behavior towards the other students and I’m sorry to say it,

and replaced by a deeply rooted exhaustion. He could hear his

but-” Ryan huffed childishly again. No, you’re not! All you

father make a sympathetic noise and continue typing. One large

want is my head on a spike! Ryan toned out his voice and

contrast between his mother and his father was that while his

looked out the window. The school itself was a sorry sight.

mother was nagging and always butting her nose into everything,

The grass was withered and brown and mites crawled all over

his father allowed him his space to breathe, let him live (just as

it. The playset where the younger children played consisted of

long as he isn’t hurting anyone). He didn’t nag and while he

a metal slide and a tire swing. The funny thing was, the person

expected him to do his part around the house, he understood that

who set up the tire swing had placed it in a position in which it

Ryan could make his own decisions and be in control of his own

could not swing more than a half a foot in each direction and

life. Ryan paid for most of his own food (breakfast and lunch,

the slide had a great, big chunk taken out of it that, to this day,

but not dinner), bought his own clothes when he felt like he

no one knew where it came from. The walls of the school itself

needed new ones, and was entirely responsible for his academic

were red brick and the doorways had been painted a putrid

career. This is what the school had also caught on to, hence why

shade of green. The school was surrounded by a big, tall metal

whenever he was in trouble, they called his darling mumsie and

wall topped with barbed wire, similar to that of a prison. But

not his dad.

beyond the school, it was beautiful.

While thinking, Ryan had changed and laid down in bed where Twice to the left, once to the right, and four blocks forward,

he found the latest copy of Spin Magazine his dad had brought in

there was a convenience store that Ryan’s father owned (and

from work. He tossed it aside with a weak smile on his face and

Ryan takes great pride in it, often saying that it was the best

rolled over to face the lamp which was filling the room with

place in town and the most beautiful. The town usually just

light and flicked it off. The room was engulfed in darkness and

goes along with it since God help the poor soul who chooses to

Ryan let out a tired sigh. He rubbed his knuckles where they had

disagree). It was the Green Street Record Store, since the

collided with the other kid’s face and a familiar feeling of guilt

entrance to it was on Green St. But it didn’t sell only records.

overwhelmed him. At this point, he could no longer remember

It sold the latest magazines, the best cigarettes, the hottest

exactly why he punched the kid and he had a slight suspicion

albums. For Ryan, it was the best place on earth. Next to it

that he hadn’t known why when he was doing it either. He

there is Mr. Fell’s Boating Shop, which-

remembered the looks of fear and apprehension he had gotten throughout the first part of the day and how irrationally angry

“Ryan! Are you even listening to your principal?” His mother

they had made him, though, looking back, Ryan had to admit to

was looking at him and gaping. “He is trying to help you!”

himself that their fear was justified and entirely his fault. Gosh, I

Ryan turned and glared at both his mother and the principal.

wish I were nicer. He let out another long suffering sigh and rolled onto his back with his eyes closed as he rubbed his

“I don’t see how,” he snarled. Ryan slung his backpack over

temples. Then, his eyes shot open and a huge grin appeared on

his shoulder and stormed out the door.

his face. That’s it! I’ll be nicer! How hard can it be, to be honest?

He could hear the principal spluttering indignantly about wippersnappers and impertinence and his mother shrieking loudly for him to “COME BACK THIS INSTANT OR I’LL BRING YOU BACK MYSELF!!!” Ryan scoffed and kept walking. That woman thought she could make him come back against his will? “Ha, you wish, Mom!” He muttered the ‘endearment’ sarcastically and threw his head back in mirthless laughter.

Ryan walked through the front door of the school and slammed it behind him, much to the chagrin of the secretary. He hopped

Read the rest of her story here:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bOxZ3be8 cK-FR7-nW23g4IQKX2flpqqo6b8m9EKMbS8/edit? usp=sharing

onto his bike and pedaled across the empty highway and down the street towards the RadioShack with the D flickering madly.

His father lived in a small apartment above the store with two bedrooms (one for himself and one for Ryan), one bathroom, a

FEATURES SECTION

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KALEIDOSCOPED

PERSONAL ESSAY BY LAURA “What do you say I teach you to swim?” Dad nudged me.

I stared at the restless Atlantic shoreline where boisterous waves crashed into foamy white froth before fizzling back into the sea. “Here?” I dipped my toes into the chilling water, letting it tickle my feet.

“Don’t worry, your Canarian blood will keep you warm,” he promised.

I plunged into cold water again when my parents enrolled me into the American School of Madrid. To say I was frozen in fear doesn’t begin to cover it. On the agonizing ride to my first day of school, I practiced the two most useful sentences I could think of: “Hello, how are you?” and, “Sorry, I do not speak English.” I repeated

them

until

their

meaning

dissolved

on

my

tongue,

leaving

me

with

unsavory “R”s and unpalatable “L”s that felt nothing like the lush Spanish vowels, or the slippery Dutch consonants.

“Your English is getting good,” my grandmother interrupted a year later, picking up the last potato and slicing it into thin stripes. We sat side by side at her tiny kitchen table, the warm smell of dutch frieten and the familiar pitter patter of Ghent’s perpetual rain cocooning us in gezelligheid. I smiled, realizing I had been wading in and out of English and Dutch.

As I stepped out of the doors of the Aurora Airport and into the perfect climate of the country of eternal spring, I thought about how learning English, which had once seemed like an unattainable feat, shrinked in comparison to the venture I was embarking on. I was jittery from the jetlag, crooked-backed from the absurd collection of suitcases we carried, and so wrung out from the nerves of migrating to a new continent, I must have stopped at every bathroom at the airport. Guate’s striking history, perfectly saturated colors, and melodious dialect weaved their way into the ever-growing textile of my identity. I have heard the rumble of volcanoes waking from their sleep, felt the ground come to life and convulse beneath my feet, and watched the sky open up and empty itself onto the earth with such vigor, I feared it would wash the country away. I have come to navigate tropical rainforests just as well as the icy oceans I swam my first strokes in, acclimated my easy-going Spanish lifestyle to the fervid circadian rhythms of the chapin culture, and learned to appreciate the unpredictability of Guatemala’s temperamental weather as much as I cherish the incessant Dutch drizzle.

Growing up amid the turning and the twisting of such contrasting environments opened my eyes to the vivid shapes and patterns that arise from the clash of cultures. I’ve felt my Spanish, Belgian, and Latin American customs overlap and intersect, watched my realities blend and flow into each other. The spontaneous shape-shifting of my life formed this kaleidoscopic lens through which I found my matrix of inspiration and the voice to share it with.

In pre-pandemic life, a casual conversation in the hallway, a discussion during lunch, or even peeping into a teacher’s empty class and holding a debate whether Harry Potter is overrated or not taught me so much about the different members of our community. One of the (many) negative quirks of distanced learning is the lack of these opportunities to learn from those you usually would not talk to.

This section, ‘Community Stories’, aims to create an open dialogue between diverse and vibrant voices of our community, with you, the reader. Through it, the hope is that you—and we all—learn more about what makes us so special. If you are interested in your story being spotlighted, please send an email to sbaik@cm.edu.gt

FEATURES SECTION

EDUCATION - Poem by Ethan J.K. (Features) For some it is a privilege

If school is not your calling

For others it is a right

Look beyond its doors

The difference between darkness

The world can be a teacher

And a future that is bright.

Many adventures are in store

Some will think a burden

As long as you are learning

While others will see gift

Your education grows

The key to moving forward

That will lead to contributions

And give your life a lift.

As you share things you know.

THE SPEAR | 9

WORLD NEWS Apparently, this was done with the purpose of lifting the market price of the retail

What Happened With the Stock Market This January?

BY BRUNELLA AND JOSE

company and continuing Robinhood’s battle against Wall Street’s biggest brokers and sellers—which was soon achieved. This January, the price of the market unexpectedly rose, affecting important shortseller brokers' expectations and projections.

To provide some context, let's look at what short selling means. To short sell an instrument/stock, a contract is signed where a seller commits to sell an instrument, currently not owned by them, in the near future. Here’s how it works: The buyer does not have the money or the desire to buy the stock at that point in time. Therefore, a deal is set with a seller or a broker, who will buy the stock for the buyer and re-sell it to them at an accorded price and time. The trick lies in the price of the stock when the broker purchases it. Brokers are financial specialists, so they study the market to be able to estimate the price of a stock at the moment of the desired transaction. They are masters at understanding the flow of the market, leading to making them really good at calculating when the prices of certain stocks will be lower than their original price.

Brokers will purchase a stock at a price that is lower than what they will, later on, sell it to, making a profit.

So to understand shorting, imagine your little brother has a toy that is currently worth $10, but you speculate that the toy's value is going to drop. You make a deal to borrow the toy from your brother and return it in a year. You then sell the toy for $10 on eBay. However, you still have to give this toy back to your brother, so eventually, you MUST repurchase it. If the price had dropped as you expected, say to $3, you just made $7.

You sold it at 10$ and bought it again at $3 to give back to your brother. This is what brokers do with stocks, it's called shorting.

Thanks to the GameStop unexpected rise in the market, the broker’s estimations were affected

and

the

balance

of

the

market

as

well.

Reddit

users

on

a

page

called

r/Wallstreetbets saw that hedge funds were about to short a number of companies including GameStop. So, collectively they decided to buy immense amounts of stocks First, it’s important to understand the basics. For those of you who don’t know,

the

Stock

Market

is

“the

aggregation of buyers and sellers of stocks,

which

represent

ownership

claims on businesses.” In other words, the Stock Market is a group of traders dealing

with

contracts

and

financial

instruments that usually represent debt

(that were very cheap at the moment because hedge funds were in the process of shorting them) and hold. What this caused was that the stock prices skyrocketed and hedge funds now had to cough up tremendous amounts of money to cover their losses.

Many important financial operations or short selling were happening at this point in time, explaining why the impact of these actions was brutal. Mostly big powerful brokers and Wall Street's leading investors were affected, losing billions of dollars and raising a lot of public controversy to the legality of this action. GameStop, which was totally broke, ended the trading week with a market value of around 22.67 billion dollars.

or ownership. This January, something very

interesting

happened

with

the

A

Reddit-inspired

caused

havoc

in

economic

the

Stock

chaos

Market.

Robinhood, a trading app, became the center

of

the

Stock

Market

prices

wildly swinging this January. Most of their investors are millennials, who are attracted to the app due to the fact that it

does

During

not this

functioned

charge

stock as

commissions.

mess,

a

for

the

popularity. These traders, who were

other

to

invest

dying

in

retail

Imagine the $10 toy you sold is now so rare that it will cost you $1000 to buy back and give to your brother. That's sort of what happened to these hedge funds.

The

NSCC

(National

Security

Clearing

Corporation)

and

the

SEC

(Security

and

Exchange Commission), which are supervisors of the Stock Markets in the United States, declared they would monitor the situation and got alarmed very quickly. Due to the volatility of the changes, Robinhood was told by the NSCC to cease investing by temporarily restricting trades. They were asked to deposit 3 billion dollars to fully restrict investing and accused to not follow market regulations.

Robinhood

broker

investing millennials, rapidly gaining

advised

Back to the toy analogy, imagine your speculation was wrong, and you go back a year later after selling your brother's toy and find out it has now become extremely valuable.

U.S. Stock Market.

GameStop

and

companies

by

Robinhood’s continuous incentives on

Once Robinhood fell to the ground and the investing millennials stopped, GameStop’s shares drowned, falling by 75% in only 90 minutes. By taking this stance, the trading company received a lot of criticism from the public, leading to users launching a classaction suit against the app. Angrily, small investors protested as they saw the irony of an app, whose goal was to democratize trading, now being part of the same beast they originally fought and ‘doing the bidding of Wall Street’.

Reddit, invested very quickly.

WORLD NEWS SECTION

THE SPEAR | 10

New Beginnings for the Chinese Communist Party

BY TEOHAN

Everything you have ever seen, heard, and experienced have all involved carbon in some way shape or form. It’s in the air we breathe, the food we eat, and even present in the device you are using to read this paper. Without carbon (and other important stuff), there simply would be no life on Earth today.

Needless to say, the term “carbon emissions” may seem superficial at first. I mean, how could such emissions be hurtful towards our planet if they are the essence of our existence? Wouldn’t such emissions be beneficial if carbon is so important? Yes and no. As with all things, there is a threshold to which we simply cannot surpass—imagine helping your family carry groceries from the car back into your home. Carrying three bags doesn't sound too bad eh?

Two in one hand and maybe the heavier one in the other and you’ll be good to go. Now, if whoever is helping you carry those bags disappears, and, more or less, replaces their holdings with heavy metal blocks, you may be in trouble. The same holds true for nature and our carbon emissions. The more nature and trees we industrialize, the more carbon is

premature deaths per year and has left even more with diseases

released by factories, and even less carbon is retained by trees

such as lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

to help our atmosphere carry the carbon-grocery bags.

—critics have gone as far as to dubbing the crisis an

Inherently, the ever so popular climate change crisis has spewed. Polar temperatures have been rising at unprecedented

to safe drinking water, with over

rates, our water supply has significantly diminished and we

⅔ of the rural population not

having access to pipe water; it is estimated that the remaining

have witnessed freak weather events.

As the old Chinese saying goes, “

“airpocalypse.” Moreover, inhabitants have little to no access

病从⼝⼊

water supply will be totally depleted by 2030. China’s third ,” disease comes

through the mouth, we must pay attention to what we eat.

Ironically, China has plagued itself and the rest of the world

most alarming factor is its soil. Crops are being planted in soil polluted by cadmium, mercury, lead and other disease-causing

for decades on end with it’s ever increasing industrialization

metals. This has resulted in what some call “cancer villages.”

and harming of our environment. In fact, China is the world’s

Just to name a few, China also faces severe habitat destruction,

largest source of carbon emissions, having produced over nine

illegal hunting, biodiversity loss and marine debris.

billion kilotons solely in 2015- more than the EU and the United States combined. However all hope is not lost, in an

Statistically, turning the tide of such a situation in so little time

unexpected statement to the UN general assembly, leader of

is close to zero. China has made similar ambitious promises in

the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), Xi Jinping, has stated

the past such as in the National Environment and Health

that China plans to be completely carbon-neutral by 2060.

Action

Plan

(2007–2015)

and

the

“One

Belt

One

Road

Initiative” yet have taken minimal action. Moreover, China is The CCP’s plan includes setting up Red Lines around

literally in the process of building thousands of new coal

ecologically vulnerable areas, safeguarding 35% of coastlines,

plants and continues using 50% of the world’s coal- the one

investing in renewable energies, entirely halting the burning

thing they stressed the most in their plan. According to the

of coal for electricity, and implementing carbon sequestration,

Global Energy Monitor, China had “150 gigawatts’ worth of

carbon capture and storage, and bioenergy techniques. All the

coal power plants in the development pipeline in the last year”

while, it expects Chinese enterprises and businesses to lead

approximately equal to that of the entire European Union.

the way.

Lastly,

To some extent, it sounds too good to be true. Professionals have

estimated

that

this

alone

will

decrease

world

temperatures by 0.3%, enough to bring back significant parts of the Arctic and restore balance to the Earth’s temperature.

However,

the

question

of

how

capable

accomplishing this feat must be raised.

China

is

of

China currently has

the most polluted environment in the world and its inhabitants have more than suffered its consequences. Coal combustion and

motor

vehicle

emissions

have

quality, resulting in over 1.3 million

obliterated

China’s

air

Chinese

industries,

who

were

intended

to

take

a

leadership role in the transition, continue financing coal plants in underdeveloped countries.

As did much of the West, China has implemented the “pollute first, clean up later” ideology into its economic forums. It can be argued, for the reasons listed above, that China has no shot whatsoever at reaching this goal by 2060. On the contrary, there is good reason to believe that it is possible. The most significant factor in the transition is China’s socialist market economy

and

mercantilist

its

model

SOE

(state

allows

the

owned CCP

enterprises). to

essentially

Its

neo

have

a

certain amount of control over Chinese industry- meaning that

WORLD NEWS SECTION

THE SPEAR | 11

it has the power to tell Chinese industries to shift towards renewable energy and support the environmental effort.

Regardless of whether China is going to get close to reaching carbon neutrality by 2060, it is evident that it is hungry to lead the world stage in every societal aspect.

Nevertheless, 600 Chinese companies, worth 1.4 trillion dollars

While

have already signed a call to action pledging to go green; for

continue

example,

already

pandemic, China has not only neutralized Covid-19, but it is

planted

furniture 24

entire

brand forests

“Nature

Home

throughout

Co”

China.

has The

the to

United delay

States their

and

climate

other

European

action

because

powers of

the

Chinese

already taking action to tackle climate change. Having come

military has also taken similar steps, having deployed 60,000

from “rags to riches” and now being the strongest economy

soldiers to plant a forest the size of Ireland. As a result of these

in the world, who knows how powerful China will become

efforts, tree cover in China has grown from 12% to 22% since

if it fully transitions to being a green nation. Although this

1978.

change in direction provides relief, it should also serve as a

Although it may not have lived up to its word in the

Environment and Health Action Plan, it has invested over 66

wake up call to the rest of us.

billion per year into the environment and over 90 billion per year in renewable energy—the most in the world. Not only will China lead the world in the environmental effort, but it will

"Live Green Live Better"

create billions of jobs for its inhabitants as a result.

- Xi Jinping Groundwater Quality Deterioration 2018 -2019

WORLD NEWS SECTION

THE SPEAR | 12

HONDURAN MIGRANTS IN GUATEMALA: WAS IT ETHICAL TO NOT LET THEM IN?

BY EDUARD On January 16th, 7,000-8,000 Honduran Migrants tried to enter Guatemala in an attempt to reach the United States. Failing to comply with Guatemala’s COVID-19 rules, the Guatemalan government quickly used violence to deny them entry to the country. These are the rules they failed to comply (rules taken directly from government website): 1. Required Tests: PCR or negative ANTIGEN test, no more than 96 hours before (people equal to or older than 10 apply) for passengers entering the national territory.

2. Registration of personal information for monitoring and follow-up.

This became a controversial topic in the media and public opinion because of the way the army and national police treated Honduran

migrants.

The

violence

used

against

them

included tear gas, and hitting them with batons. Although many people

disagreed

government

with

claiming

this,

others

violence

is

also

backed

sometimes

up

the

necessary

especially when the migrants were also being violent against the police. This reached the US migration state department which urged Mexican officials to arrest the migrants before they reached US soil.

argument as to why it’s unethical is that violence should never be expressed by a government. This argument is backed by the human

rights

representative

Jordán

Rodas

Andrade, saying that the Guatemalan government had to have more reason

“empathy they

destroying

and

were many

solidarity”

migrating homes

for

was

and

the

migrants

due

to

leaving

a

since

Hurricane lot

of

the Eta,

people

unemployed. On the other hand, their argument is that migrants should be allowed as long as they follow the country’s safety and health rules. This was also backed up by Guatemala's press secretary, Francis Masek, saying that migrants were always going to be welcome in Guatemala as long as protocols and rules for entry are followed.

that

a

government

should

not

resort

to

this

type

of

violence as long as the people don’t get violent themselves.

But, I also agree that migrants shouldn’t be allowed to enter a country if they refuse to follow the rules set in place by the government.

The

down, but what about larger companies? An example would be Disney. They had to shut down for around 5 months.

standard

to

the

official

precautions

everywhere). Also making of

2,

is

wearing

a

Disney

website,

(Temperature

mask.

they're

checks,

and

taking

sanitizer

sure that everyone, over the age They

have

a

couple

of

mask

vending machines that include standard and themed masks.

In restaurants, they ask people to pay through a contactless pay

method

and

use

a

contactless

menu

option.

Unfortunately, visitors won't be able to eat with characters anymore in certain restaurants, but Garden Grill, Hollywood & Vine, Topolino’s terrace, Flavors of the Riviera, and

way

this

favorite princess or character! All of the restaurants have a different capacity, they are super strict about them.

Disney states that they want people to stay home if they have

any

symptoms:

cough,

fever,

difficulty

breathing,

fatigue, body pains, headaches, loss of senses, and nasal congestion.

And Disney reserves the right to ask visitors to

leave if they have a fever or if they aren’t being respectful towards the rules.

You might be asking, what about the rides? Well, it's quite simple. They just wipe them down in between turns. And they give them a deep clean every two hours with an alcohol mix. And they do “social distancing” in between smaller rides (they skip a row).

In my opinion, both sides of the controversy have a point. I think

Covid has struck everyone hard! Small businesses have shut

finally Chef Mickey’s are all places where you can find your

So now, was it ethical to deny them entry? Most people’s

Guatemalan

BY ISABELLA

According

3. Mandatory use of for people over 2 years old.

the

THEME PARKS: WHAT ABOUT COVID?

should

have

been

handled

is

peacefully. The error committed in this situation was by the government when they gave orders for the army and national police to stop them. That order led to the migrants getting violent and the government reacting even more violently.

So, answering the question, migration is a very complicated and complex issue where ethics are subjective and depend on what you consider to be ethical. Especially in a situation like this one where both sides have a fault in how it ended.

WORLD NEWS SECTION

Economically, the Coronavirus has affected Disney a lot.

They

ended

up

losing

around

five

billion

dollars

after

shutting down. A big part in the loss of the money was even after they opened, few people wanted to go to the park.

What they ended up doing was investing more into Disney + to make up for it and capture all of the magic from right at home. They ended up making ½ of the money that they lost in less than a year. This year has been full of ups and downs for Disney.

So yes! 2020 was rough, but they were able to overcome it with a super good strategy. They took what people use the most in quarantine (television) and made it their own. Now they are even more successful than before. Maybe last year was not that bad.

THE SPEAR | 13

How to Resolve the Health Crisis in the UK

BY TEOHAN Having

been

set

up

by

the

Tories,

the

National

Health

Service(NHS) has been implemented in the United Kingdom

novella. It’s too painful to read, a contemporaneous record

for the last six decades with the purpose to provide a unitary,

of missed opportunities that, if avoided, might have made

universal healthcare system for “everyone – rich, or poor,

Dad’s final months less traumatic.” The National Health

man, woman or child.” However, in recent years, protests, low

Service has let the entire world down, making it evident that

quality service, and a fast food culture have left the future of

it is time that substantive change be taken. In order to tackle

the NHS in question.

this problem, the events leading to why and how this multibillion organization has found itself in this position must be

There are a few reasons why the public has the right to be

analyzed. As much as the NHS is at fault for its disarray and

upset with the NHS. For starters, the UK has only 2.7 beds per

chaos, British citizens have not alleviated the situation. One

thousand people, while countries such as Germany and France

culprit is the aging population of the UK. According to the

have more than 6 per thousand. Alongside minimal hospitals

Office for National Statistics. The population aged 65 and

and

underpaid

staff,

this

has

over

has

grown

led to longer waiting times and

million

due

some

fertility,”

and

patients

admittance

deterred

into

from

hospitals

or

by

to

over

2.7

“decreased

"improvements

in

life expectancy.”

given adequate care. As seen in graph

(1),

not

even

cancer

Although this may be a positive

patients have been rendered to,

occurrence,

as

middle

over

patients

eighty have

percent

had

to

of wait

indicating

class

is

that

the

expanding

and

becoming more prosperous, it has

longer than the initial 62 day

also

period. Even though it would

average, it costs twice as much to

sound delirious, NHS funding

treat a 65 year old compared to a

has skyrocketed over the past

30 year old, and nearly 8 times as

few

much for that of a 90 year old

years

(graph2),

jumping

served

as

a

(graph6),

1940s to 160 billion in 2019,

healthcare cost. Additionally, the

There

has

also

been

a

substantial

increase

in

jump

in

elderly typically need more

billion in 2019, a majority of which was financed through

prescription drug prices (graph3) - which partially goes against

the

On

from around 18 billion in the

taxes.

hence

hindrance.

recurring treatment and care than those who are middle aged, which has added increased pressure on resources.

the concept of a free health care system as a whole- as the presence of private organizations such as “Care UK'' grows

The

larger. Moreover, the coronavirus pandemic has crippled the

Britain's unhealthy food culture. A study conducted by the

second

NHS to its knees- leaving the UK with the second highest

NHS

death rate in all of Europe.

vegetables,

has

most

found

significant

that

fruits,

the

pressure

majority

wholegrains,

on

of

and

the

Britons milk

NHS

is

consume

below

their

recommended levels while consuming red/processed meats,

Thousands of Britons are dying at the hands of the NHS every

sugar sweetened beverages and sodium in excess. More

day as a result of these factors toppling over each other. In

specifically, a study has revealed “that more than half of

fact, according to Think Tank, a research institute, “If [the

the food eaten in UK households is ultra-processed.” The

UK] had the survival rates of those countries with the best

Guardian

health outcomes, over 46,400 lives a year would be saved.” If

globally than tobacco" while other sources have dubbed the

this statistic isn’t eye-opening enough, it does not take much

UK

web-scavenging to find traumatic first person accounts from

Consequently, this culture has resulted in high levels of

patients and family members of their obscene experiences

diabetes, heart disease, and obesity within the UK. Data

while being treated. For example, a patient’s son recounts that

from GP practices have shown that there are “more than 2.6

“On

a

million people with diabetes in the UK and more than 5.2

hospital nurse observed, ‘oh look, your dad is falling asleep.’

million registered as obese.” In other words, “one in ten

My brother and I had to jump in and do the nurse’s job.”

people are being treated for obesity and one in 20 for

Another individual in a similar situation has said that “[He]

diabetes.” Dealing with obesity alone has cost the NHS

lost count of everything that went wrong. Medications weren’t

more

given when prescribed, specialists that he needed to see never

projected to jump to 37 billion by 2025 while diabetes has

showed

cost 10 billion per year.

one

occasion,

up,

and

as

tests

my

father

and

was

having

procedures

were

a

seizure,

delayed

or

as

has

found

having

than

27

that

“the

billion

"bad

diets

unhealthiest

dollars

kill

diet

(graph4)

in

more

in

people

Europe.”

2015

and

is

cancelled. [He] kept a diary of those miserable months. It’s a

WORLD NEWS SECTION

THE SPEAR | 14

According

to

a

study

Although it can be argued

conducted by the Journal of

that

Public Health, “In 2006–07,

and restarting from scratch

46%

would be the most efficient

of

total

NHS

costs

dissolving

NHS

(over £43 billion) were due

scenario,

to diseases related to poor

millions of people without

diet,

necessary care until a new

physical

smoking,

inactivity,

alcohol

and

overweight/obesity.”

is

Moreover,

many

Britain's health crisis is to

and promote healthy lifestyles

make Britons aware of the

and diets. Even though the NHS

workshops

disaster

is going to have to be creative in

employees,

terms

introduce

eyes.

Despite

all

of

their

of

these

of

resource

mobilization

As

employers

host

skill

for they

their

could

similar

also

workshops

mal occurrences, they have

and fundraising when it comes to

about good eating and healthy

remained

the

habits.

oblivious

to

the

aging

population

and

their

Lastly,

people

must

elephant in the room- their

health-related diseases, the same

work

approval

NHS

does not have to hold true for

keep each other motivated and

remains high, with a 50%

younger generations. Parliament

accounted for.

satisfaction

rate

has

As

(graph

Although

of

5).

the

in

2015 the

media has used slander and derogatory

language

unlimited

workshops children

power

in

to

schools

about

set

to

healthy

up

teach habits,

amongst

Shilrey

themselves

to

Chief

Executive of the Royal Society for

Public

giving Britons access to workout

“Failure

areas

health will inevitably lead to

bolster

these

introduce a new fit culture via

spread

awareness

pressure

on

headlines

to

and

put

billboards,

It

Parliament

Parliament.

has been researched that the media’s

influence

plans,

directly

epidemic

and

ads,

and

must

as

to

they

also

festivals.

treat have

this treated

public

act and think, so doing this

“been estimated to save the NHS

will

more

lower

the

fifty percent approval rate.

smoking

than

part

of

this

work

government, the people, and

make

the

recurring

market.

So

2007

£380m

a

many

result

outcomes.

At

alongside body

the

media

shaming norm-

into

system,

measures

zonesare

not

acceptable.

within the economy and the job

14

billion having been lost to failed

reforms);

force.

however,

trying to fix Britain’s health crisis by adding resources to the

top

of

pyramid,

is

individual

the

trophic

like

using

bottles

overpriced

water

of

to

put

down a raging wildfire. believe

that

the

I

be

the

world

and

worsen

morale.

unique,

national

“It

is

and should be preserved at any cost. This would need collective

approach

involving the Government, regulatory

bodies,

professionals

NHS

and

the

general public. We have all known about its problems for

a

long

period

and

perhaps the time has come to

talk

about

the

says NHS

an doctor.

more

funding,

however,

“tax increases are always unpopular”

and

similar

actions in the past have not accomplished anything.

The most effective way to resolve crisis

taken

England’s

and

alleviate

health stress

off of the National Health While the long-term nature of

Service, is to eliminate the

the investment in public health

unhealthy

is not appealing for politicians

government programs and

who

immediate

efforts within communities

benefits, the future of the NHS

to cancel certain behaviors.

want

depends

to

on

see

overcoming

short-sightedness.

culture

via

this

Public

health and prevention are vital to a sustainable health service and, of course, to better health and wellbeing for all.”

most

effective way to resolve the crisis today, is to go back to the primary cause,

WORLD NEWS SECTION

a

treasure

argue that the NHS needs

such

problem

can

in

it’s dissolution would only

On the contrary, one might

a

Similar

strides

system

anonymous

forcing

although,

comes

to

overlooking the roots of the over

the NHS in the future.

the

that

functioning free healthcare

solutions,”

an

comfort

reforming

(with

a

in

have

entire

and

year.”

individuals to come out of their

the

inequalities

drastically increased strain on

have

professionals and politicians attempted

widening

expectancy,

extreme level, Parliament could

solution then lies within the

job

in

inevitably

comparable second

life

public

Similar measures but with food would

The

in

in

smoking nicotine- their bans on

correlates with how people

definitely

falls

invest

said,

towards the NHS, they must

and

to

Health,

Britons

of

from having the only semi-

a Cramer,

leave

created.

proud

uniqueness

The first step in resolving

front

would

system

are

in

it

the

THE SPEAR | 15

MAYA ARTS ARTIST OF THE MONTH

Even in a school our size, we often are not aware of all the artists in our community. Part of MAYArts Society’s goal is to create platforms for individuals to share their artistic pursuits. In the first of our series, you will have the opportunity to learn more about two artists in high school: Gigi and I Hyun.

BY SEUNG MIN A year and a half ago, Gigi arrived in Guatemala from the other side of the world,

GIGI

Singapore. As she began to choose her electives, she made the bold decision to enroll in high school art. For those who might have seen her artwork, this might come as a surprise, because this entails that she had no background in art before coming to Maya. As someone who was always impressed by her work, I was astounded by this: So, why did you decide to pursue art?

“I joined art class because I thought it would be a fun and relaxing opportunity. However, Hannah, and the safe space she created, encouraged me to take this discipline more seriously — and now, I’m here!” *Gigi is currently taking AP Art. You’re relatively new to art, but I imagine there must be times that are difficult to motivate yourself. What keeps you going?

“Honestly, art is just a really fun thing to do. Don’t get me wrong, it can be very stressful, especially when major deadlines are approaching and the workload keeps piling up. Still, time flies every time I get into my rhythm of working. It’s also a really therapeutic activity because it creates a relaxing and peaceful environment for me.”

Lastly, do you have any advice for new (and potential) artists?

“For those who decide to enroll in an art class, the biggest piece of advice I can offer is making sure to manage your time well.

The work can easily get overwhelming and intense, so it’s really important that you are always on top of things. For those who are considering pursuing art, I was inspired through various social media outlets. From there, I would practice different styles of art which has helped me find my own. I think everyone who is interested in art should use social media (and the Internet) as an opportunity to get inspired and practice new things.”

I HYUN

I Hyun, often simply referred to as ‘Kim’, is a Maya-lifer—he came to our school in 3rd Grade! While he began to explore his musical interests through the piano when he was much younger, he was only able to fully express himself through this art-form when he joined the Middle School Band as a saxophonist. Since then, he has devoted much of his time to the guitar.

What made you choose the saxophone?

“Well, I first started off with the piano. I was put into a Korean piano background where I was told to train myself to simply play the instrument, almost like a robot, and I really disliked that. For a while, I had quit music, but I decided to join band in middle school. Initially, because of my interest in jazz, I wanted to play the trumpet, but Ms. Sweat (previous Secondary Music Teacher) said there were no more trumpets Why the guitar?

and recommended the saxophone to me. Instead of playing in a strict, structured way like I did with the piano, I played pieces that I truly enjoyed with the saxophone.”

“Like I mentioned, I already had a big interest in jazz, but a neo-jazz movement on Instagram really motivated me to pick up the guitar and practice in order to get to the level these players were at.”

Do you have any advice for current musicians or prospective musicians?

“I think I have two things to share. One, don’t expect to be a Mozart or for your child to be a Mozart. And, if you do want to be a Mozart, the only way to get there is to practice, practice, practice—there are no shortcuts. So, depending on where you want to be, you need to be ready to devote time and effort, and come back to your instrument every day. Two, technique is really important, but like any other medium, if you solely focus on technique, your music has no personality—no soul. Ask yourself: what kind of music do you want to make? What distinct sound will I make, that’s different to those of others?”

Last question! You must listen to quite a lot of music. Do you have any role models?

“There are so many, but here are some: Jimi Hendrix, Isaiah Sharkey, Alex G, Malanie Faye, King Kruel, Nick Drake, and Hyukoh.”

ARTS SECTION

THE SPEAR | 16

POPCULTURE & ENTERTAINMENT Best Shows to Binge During Quarantine

BY JOSE It goes without saying that over the past 9-10 months we’ve been in quarantine everyone has had some free time on their hands. What with a whole summer locked down at home, restricted

weekends,

a

fairly

slow

transition

into

distance

learning back in March, and a slow start to the year, I know I’ve

definitely

had

some

extremely

uneventful

afternoons.

Now, I’d love to tell you that in this free time we should constantly be productive, get extra work done, study for that test that's coming up next week, or get a huge work out, but that's just not realistic. This crisis has taken a toll on all of us and

sometimes

all

we

want

to

do

is

spend

the

afternoon

snuggled up in bed with Netflix opened on our laptops, a gradually emptying tub of ice cream on your nightstand (crazy how it just does that) bingeing your favorite TV show. And considering we won’t be back in school at least until March, I’m willing to bet there’ll be some more afternoons like this.

So, just to make sure you don’t run out of shows to watch, here is a list of my recommended quarantine binge shows (in no particular order):

LA CASA DE PAPEL (16+) I have to admit, I was pretty late to the trend on this one, but that just made the experience much more seamless since I got

DISCLAIMER: The age rating suggestions are displayed next to the title and are based on both professional and viewer opinions from Common Sense Media.

to binge the whole series in around two weeks. La Casa de Papel is originally a Spanish show that was acquired by Netflix most recently produced by them as well. The plot for the first season focuses around an ensemble of criminals, each with

AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER (7+) If you want to binge a fantastic show that’ll have your nostalgia running off the charts, look no further. A lot of us grew up following young Aang as he travelled the world with Katara and Sokka trying to master all four elements in order to become the true Avatar and bring peace to the four nations. Now you can find the whole series on Netflix to watch, either for the first time, or to refuel some of those awesome childhood memories.

The characters are fun, goofy, yet oddly wise for their young age and it's hard to get enough of them. Once you’re done with that, there’s a whole other spin off series, The Legend of Korra, that follows the next Avatar after Aang.

FRIENDS (14+)

their own set of useful skills that were brought together for an extremely ambitious heist. Currently there are 4 seasons, with a 5th one on its way and throughout all of these seasons, the plot will constantly have you on the edge of your seat. The show does a great job at always having an outlandish problem at hand, with an even more outlandish solution (Seriously, is there anything El Professor hasn’t planned for?) as well as keeping the audience involved in all of the character conflicts. One quick warning though, this emotional involvement comes at the price of literally not being able to get the show of your mind.

THE BOYS (18+) This isn’t your normal superhero TV show. This is dark. The most accurate way to describe The Boys in my opinion is a

If you haven’t seen Friends by now, there may be something

much more realistic and gritty view on what a world with

wrong with you. Kidding. But seriously, Friends is an absolute

superheroes would actually be like. The series focuses on a

classic sitcom that follows 6 twenty-somethings living in New

group of criminals and outcasts that have all been affected by

York (in an oddly nice apartment, considering they all spend

Vought

most of their day at a coffee shop rather than at work) as they

expose their secrets and get justice for the people they’ve lost

deal with mostly relationship problems, as well as some other

in their life. Similar to La Casa de Papel, this show does an

adult-y problems over the course of 10 seasons. The characters

excellent

are all very unique and funny in their own way and they all just

despite the fact that they’re criminals. What I love most about

seem to have great chemistry that balances the show out very

the show is how different it is from most other series in this

nicely. That being said, a lot of people say they don’t find

genre

Friends funny at all. Whatever you end up thinking of it, it is

superheroes would actually be like. Sadly, this show is not on

definitely worth a try.

Netflix, however if you have Amazon Prime, you should be

and

job

and

it

their

at

not-so-heroic

making

really

you

makes

superheroes

root

you

for

think

the

as

main

about

they

try

characters,

what

life

with

golden.

ENTERTAINMENT SECTION

to

THE SPEAR | 17

HOW TO RAISE YOUR VIBRATION

SUN GAZING/MEDITATION

BY TEOHAN

Although these may sound lame, they are the most important part of the process. Humans need both physical and mental

There is no doubt about it- human beings are social creatures and

breaks throughout the day. What the majority of people will do

need some sort of social interaction to remain mentally sane.

when they feel they “deserve” a break is sit on their couch and

Inherently, quarantine has forced us to retreat into the safety of

watch television. Let me be the first to break the news to you—

our own homes, away from our schools, work environments, and

that is not a break, especially after staring at a computer the

lives. Although such precautions were necessary, everyone has

whole day. Such activities only stimulate your brain even more

felt the repercussions of isolation in different ways. A vibration is

and make you feel more tired than before you set off on your

essentially an entirety of an individual, ranging from what that

break. After meditating, sun gazing, or any form of connecting

person believes, to their spirit and to their habits. Quarantine has

with nature, those 15 minutes of break will feel like an entire

not

day. You will be energetic, feeling good, and ready to get back

only

lowered

heightened

the

leeway

majorities’

to

never

vibrations,

ending

but

has

distractions-

given utterly

destroying any sense of identity people may have had. Symptoms include

overly

motivation,

caring

about

greediness,

other

narcissism,

people’s

and

opinions,

overthinking.

low

to work once the break is over.

SOCIAL CIRCLE

Having

In today’s day and age, this is the most determining factor of

tried countless different approaches, techniques and variations,

identity in teens. If you surround yourself with, or even talk to,

here are the habits that I have utilized in the last 6 months that I

people that treat you like an inferior, don’t believe in your

found to be the most effective in reaching the highest vibration

aspirations

level.

detrimental, you are decreasing your vibration as a result. Cut

DIET

those people off, and focus on whatever it is that you want to

Eating good and nutritious food is the probably the most difficult,

your life faster than you’d think. The second social aspect in

yet simple task to increase your vibration due to it’s mental toll.

increasing your vibration is the music you listen to. If you

Everyone knows the feeling of eating cake and then instantly

constantly listen to music about violence and drugs, you are

regretting

seemed

going to rewire your brain to think soley about those things

delicious in the moment, but you will certainly not be pleased

and lower your vibration. Specifically, rap music out of any

with yourself later on. Eating food you know is helping you get

music significantly decreases vibrations. If you are going to

better and will inevitably make you feel good about yourself in

listen to any music, I recommend listening to any 432 Hertz

the long run. I recommend completely removing any sugary and

music which supposedly induces happiness to some extent (I

fatty foods from your diet. Instead, replace those with water,

have

milk, rice, chicken/fish, vegetables and fruits (no cheat meals or

substantiated claim).

and

pressure

you

to

do

things

you

feel

are

do—people with a similar mindset and goals will come into

it

30

minutes

later—the

slice

may

have

not

experimented

with

this

enough

to

make

a

“rewards” either). Although it will be difficult in the beginning, give it one or two months, and you will never look at unhealthy food/substances the same.

EXERCISE This goes hand-in-hand with dieting—doing one will not benefit you if you do not do the other. Make sure to push your body to it’s limit every single day. If you look back on the last three months of your life and see no progress, you will feel discontent.

On the other hand, seeing progress to any degree will motivate you

to

keep

going.

As

the

saying

goes—consistency

brings

currency, doing at least something on days in which you feel terribly tired is worth it. Many people try to avoid the pain, the

DELETING SOCIAL MEDIA

more you search for pain and the more you embrace it, the higher

This

your vibration and satisfaction will be. An easy way to get to

maximized vibration that I would not recommend to anyone

reach your limit in a short amount of time without a gym is to

unless they have gone above and beyond in previous steps.

hold the longest plank or wall sit that you can.

There is an old saying that I think fits nicely into this context-

is

the

last

and

most

extreme

step

to

achieving

a

“if something is free, then you are the product.” Although it

READING

may seem crazy, if you are able to disconnect from the perils

This goes back into the concept of growth and pushing yourself

of society and all of the negative energy enveloped in politics,

every day. If you see that you are not progressing mentally or

celebrities, and “high school drama,” you will be amazed by

physically,

those

the amount of spare time you will have to focus on your

moments. Reading every day, even for thirty minutes, will lead

ambitions- whether that it is pursuing a sport, an academic

to a lot of extra knowledge compared to spending that time on

career,

entertainment platforms.

discouraged

you

will

regret

not

taking

advantage

of

or

even in

an your

e-sport. goals

Additionally, by

you

comparing

won’t

be

yourself

to

influencers/professionals on the internet in the same field.

ENTERTAINMENT SECTION

THE SPEAR | 18

SIDES OF TIKTOK

BY BRUNELLA AND EUGENE TikTok is an application that has gained popularity over the years, previously being called Musical.ly, and now carrying a new name along with a whole new generation of followers. The ‘For You Page’, which is what TikTok’s feed is called, is where users watch videos from other users all around the world. However, the algorithm sends certain videos to your feed according to your interests, views, and likes. This is popularly known as a ‘side of TikTok’, which exposes what your true entertainment interests are. The following piece is based on descriptions of the popular sides of TikTok.

FROG TIKTOK

STRAIGHT TIKTOK

Honestly, the best side of TikTok. This surface of the internet is

Honestly, the best side of TikTok. This surface of the internet is

one you will definitely want to visit, as it is full of cute little

one you will definitely want to visit, as it is full of cute little frogs

frogs with funny hats and good vibes. From pet frogs, to

with funny hats and good vibes. From pet frogs, to drawings of

drawings of frogs, this side of TikTok can only be described as

frogs, this side of TikTok can only be described as Frogtastic!

Frogtastic!

COOKING TIKTOK

HARRY POTTER TIKTOK This is the most magical side to TikTok, in every sense of the word. Harry Potter fans have reimagined the movies they adore, featuring

themselves.

There

are

even

sub-sides

of

TikTok

within Harry Potter TikTok! The Draco Girls: This all began with the reimagination of fans and their interactions with the infamous character, Draco

Malfoy.

Search

#dracotok

and

explore

the

hype

behind this trend.

Struggling with ideas on what to eat? Cooking TikTok is your solution. It is full of never-seen-before recipes and piles of food created by people from all over the world. Want Italian food?

You got it. Want Indian food? You got it. Want deserts? You got it! If you have been on TikTok long enough, you know that this side has created some of the most popular food trends out there.

Whipped coffee? IYKYK.

The Hermione Girls: This is a side for all those queer

REMY THE RATATOUILLE TIKTOK

women.

reimagine

The theatrical treasure of TikTok. During quarantine, many users

themselves in Ron Weasley’s position and see themselves

were bored out of their minds and decided to start Remy the

and their romantic relationship with Hermione Granger.

Ratatouille on the Platform. Composer, singer, dancers, stage

The Cosplayers: Well, pretty self explanatory – dress up

director, publicity managers, costume and makeup designers, all

as Harry Potter characters! Well, there are so many more

decided to join the movement creating the final product of the

sides, but I guess, it all depends on what you’re most

amazing and creative musical. Being on this side of TikTok is

interested in exploring.

truly elite.

Just

like

Dracotok,

these

girls

ALT. TIKTOK

PARENT TIKTOK

Many describe this side as the “good side” of TikTok. Free of

TikTok might be popular amongst teenagers, especially Gen-Z,

hyped content and verified users, Alt. TikTok is full of punks,

but little do you know the power that parents hold. Most of them

people who love the elite side of music, fashion, and all of the

come from the shadows through their kid’s accounts, but parents

other artsy people. It’s full of Gen-Z humor and it’s essentially

are quick to jump on the trend. This side goes from parents

the cringe-free version of the app. These videos might not have

giving parental advice, making dance videos, imitating their kids,

the views that larger creators do, but that is exactly the charm

to exposing their own children.

of it.

QUEER TIKTOK

WIGS TIKTOK

“Cause it’s too coooooOooold for you heeree…” those who get

It all started with The Bad Wiggies, a group of three friends

it, get it. This side of TikTok is the most chill, talented, and

doing dances and funny videos on parking lots: Ms. Blue, Ms.

extra all in one. Queer TikTok is a specific area for members of

Pink,

th

upload

everyone

was

doing

hilarious content. There are all types of videos here, from pure

Wiggies,

The

Pretty

head-cracking comedy to incredible musical and performing

everyone joins the trend. Putting on wigs brings out an alternate

talents. Everything encompassing Queer TikTok just shows the

personality within you, so if you are interested in trying this,

true colors of the community, all positive and chill vibes.

beware, you’ll unchain a confidence you’ve never seen before.

LGBT+

Community

to

express

ENTERTAINMENT SECTION

themselves

and

and

Ms.

Purple

(color this.

of

their

wigs).

Soon

The

Dad

Wiggies,

Wiggies,

The

Asian

enough,

The

Dad

Latina

Wiggies,

THE SPEAR | 19

WITCH TIKTOK

MAKEUP TIKTOK

Are you into horoscopes? Tarot readings? Magic? This is the

This side will always be a must, just as much as Youtube has its

place for you. If you stay on this side long enough, you will

own makeup gurus, TikTok has its own. Though, these are not

even get daily tarot readings, zodiac explanations and a guide

just

to hidden witchcraft. The craziest part is that since the “For

makeup

You” page’s algorithm truly gives you what is meant to be for

anonymous story time that will blow your mind. Listen to some

you, most of the time, these readings and advice are scarily

of the most insane true stories submitted by the creator's fans

accurate.

themselves.

makeup

tutorials.

advice

and

You tips

will

and

not

only

tricks,

but

get

phenomenal

usually

get

an

HARRY STYLES TIKTOK This is the side of TikTok where we worship our leader and savior Harry Styles. He is iconic, has a wonderful personality, stunning looks, and the voice of an angel. What else could anybody ask for? His sense of fashion is on point and he was in One

Direction….

Cannot

get

any

better.

Remember:

Treat

People with Kindness.

PROTEST MUSIC: COMMUNICATING BELIEFS

BY JOSE

Music. We all listen to it. Whether you jam out in your car listening to the radio, or have extensive playlists for all of your moods, or even if you don’t care much for it and never really go out of your way to hear it, music is everywhere and is possibly one of the most common forms of entertainment. Most artists make music about love, heartbreak, friendship, and partying, but over the past few decades, a new theme has become increasingly important: protest. Many songs are written with the intention to embody or take part in an activist movement. Sometimes these pieces are purely lyrical, other times they’re aided by visuals, and at times they’re outright hateful, but they are all powerful ways to communicate the artist’s beliefs.

Around the 1960’s, protests in music became extremely popular with artists and bands like The Rolling Stones, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and Bob Dylan making anti-war songs during a time when many Americans began to realize the failure of the Vietnam war These pieces were made precisely with the purpose of opposing the war effort and had little other than their clever lyricism to make their point. A great example of an anti-war song is Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Fortunate Son” which criticizes the fact that the less fortunate were sent off to the Vietnam war while others were not (Schmoop). This can be clearly seen in the chorus, “It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no senator's son, son, It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no fortunate one, no”. This track resonated with the majority of the American population as they really had no other option but to follow the government’s orders and even fight in a war they didn’t believe in. Through the lines “And when you ask them, ‘How much should we give?’

Ooh, they only answer ‘More! More! More!’ yoh” (Creedence), the song protests the government’s excessive demands on its citizens in terms of the war effort. This is only one of countless tracks made around the same time that embodied a movement of realization that at this point in time, the war had been a complete failure. This anti-war movement sparked a whole new genre of music. Songs like “Fortunate Son” voiced the concerns of the common American and their view that the war was more detrimental than useful. This 1960’s movement displays just how people were able to express their concerns and relate through music. Many of the famous pieces from this period and of this genre remain extremely popular nowadays due to their powerful messages and patriotic association.

Purely

lyrical

protest

can

be

very

powerful

but,

in

other

cases,

musicians

are

able

to

make

very

meaningful

and

deep

demonstrations through songs that are aided by visuals such as videos. Arguably, one of the most famous, recent examples of this is “This Is America” written and performed by Donald Glover, known better by his stage name Childish Gambino. It depicts an extremely powerful and explicit message about numerous problematic aspects of modern American Culture including gun violence, discrimination, and the government’s underwhelming reactions to these problems. Ranging from the Jim Crow poses, the emphasis and care of guns rather than the people they kill, the seemingly peaceful dancing amidst chaos, the direct references to famous mass shootings in churches, analogies of how many white people perceive black people, and the horror-like chase scene at the end all represent severe issues in American society that sadly don’t receive enough attention (Breaking). The constant contrast of the violence against the seemingly careless, dancing characters make for a very powerful portrayal of the lack of reaction in the U.S. to problems like these. Released in 2017, the points made in the music fit extremely well with some of the protests there had been against prevalent issues such as mass shootings; the song also fits into the genre of modern social-awareness rap, but stands out because of its amazing use of visuals to communicate these themes more explicitly, adding a whole different perspective on the actual lyrics of the song and its meaning. Interpreting the lyrics on their own, a similar argument about black power and police brutality could be drawn, but in this case the visuals offer so much more specificity and context for the lyrics. The line “This Is America” would not be nearly as powerful if the audience wasn’t seeing a choir getting gunned down with an assault rifle. Due to the fantastic use of visual aid, music can diffuse a more meaningful message and contribute in fighting for what the artist believes in.

ENTERTAINMENT SECTION

THE SPEAR | 20

Although it is not the most common way to express one’s beliefs, protest music has been capable of creating entirely new genres and infinitely embodying themes such as anti-war movements. These songs come in a variety of formats. Some do a great job of conveying beliefs using nothing but the lyrics in the music, while others create magnificent comparisons and arguments using mediums such as videos. . Sometimes, music is able to capture more emotion and more depth than simple words, making it an excellent medium for communicating beliefs.

Check out the songs mentioned in the article! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWijx_AgPiA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYOjWnS4cMY&ab_channel=ChildishGambinoVEVO

OPTICAL ILLUSION CRAFT: BIRD IN A CAGE

BY MAXINE

Directions: Step 1: Place your paper onto the flat surface. Put a coffee mug face down on the corner of your paper.

Step 2: Trace a circle using the mug like a stencil. Make another circle next to it using the mug, but without touching the first circle. Cut them out.

Step 3: Once you have cut out the circles, put them back to back so you can cut them to an equal size.

Step 4: Take the string and cut two strands of it. They should be around 20 inches long. Then set them aside.

Step 5: Spread glue over both of your circles and make sure that the glue is spread to the edges. After that, you take the two strings and place them side by side on one of the circles.

1. String 2. Scissors 3. Paper 4. Pencil 5. Glue (A glue stick works best) 6. Two different colored markers 7. A coffee mug 8. A flat surface

Step 8: Then flip it over and draw another “x” in the middle of the other side. That way you will know where to draw the bird and the cage for that bird.

Step 9: Draw a birdcage with pencil on one side, like so:

Step 10: Erase the “x” on the side that you drew your birdcage on if you want. Next, flip the paper over away from you. On that side, draw a bird. Make sure that the head of the bird is where the bottom of the birdcage is on the other side.

Step 6: Press the other circle onto the one with the string on it and press down. Let that dry for about 5 to 10 min.

Step 7: Draw a little “x” with your pencil in the middle of one of the circles.

ENTERTAINMENT SECTION

Materials you will need:

Step 11: Use your two colored markers to trace the bird in one color and the cage with the other color.

How to do the illusion: Hold the two strings in between your index finger and your thumb and hold it in front of you. Then, twist the strings in one direction at the same time very fast. You should see the bird you drew flashing in and out of a birdcage.

THE SPEAR | 21

ENTERTAINMENT SECTION

THE SPEAR | 22

READY FOR SOME FUN?

MAYA GAMES

Answers: 1- Across: Gun Eui 1- Down:Gustavo 2- Alonso 3- Ina 4- Alexis 5- David 6- Laura 7- Ian 8- Yousef 9- Emmanuel 10- Dyani 11- Mohamed 12- Sangjun 13- Heejin 14-Jonny 15- Ran