The Argo - May 2024 Issue

The Argo Volume CXXXV

Issue No. 4

May 2024

www.issuu.com/rutgersprep

Remembering Isha Agarwal and Isha’s Day For the first half of Freshman year, “Isha Agarwal” was just the name of an absentee in numerous classes. Whenever the gym teachers called out her name for attendance and asked where she was, we would have to repeatedly explain how she had been absent for months and how we had never met her before.

There was word that she was in the hospital, but besides that, we knew nothing about her except for her long-haired, bright-smiled photo on Argonet.

On the only snow day of the 2021-2022 school year, we logged into Zoom and saw a new class member. While for us it was another school day in December, it was Isha’s first day.

Pink was always incorporated into her outfits, whether through her hats or clothing. That and her high, sweet voice helped her embody positivity. She liked doodling

Kelli Chang ‘25

riod. Participants were encouraged to wear purple, Isha’s favorite color.

As members of the Upper School passed Isha’s bench, they were encouraged to touch it and think about Isha. Although it began to rain near the end of the walk, participants continued to walk in honor of Isha.

In total, the Upper School raised Leela Menon ‘25, Kelli Chang ‘25, Arya Agarwal, Shashi Agarwal, Laela Domanski $1,160 for Isha Cares, an organi‘26, Mr. Domanski zation founded by Isha’s parents to in the Notes App, always had a neat less and less. Lunch was different, help other families with childhood lunch box from home, and sent a and we were worried, but we knew cancer. Although Isha is no longer candy-o-gram to every friend. Al- she would return. here with us, her positive personthough she was always smiling, There was news that she would ality will not be forgotten. She will you could tell it wasn’t easy. She be back on campus one day in Dealways be a part of the Rutgers Prep often spoke about the work she was cember during community time, community. overwhelmed with and how it was and we went to the Zen den to meet hard to accomplish due to how tired her. We were overjoyed. We played she usually was. But of course, she UNO and chatted, and she said she always persevered, going to extra would be back by the time Winter help with teachers and earning ex- break was over, which we were recellent grades in her classes. lieved to hear. Like a procession, By the end of Freshman year, we all walked to lunch, saying she things were looking up. She had was the main character the whole said that it was over, and on the way there. Little did we know that last day of school, she showed up was the last time we would see her. without her usual hat and with a On April 11th, 2024, the Rutnice short hairdo. However, when gers Prep Upper School participated school started again in Sophomore in a walk in memory of Isha. Both year, the hat was back. students and faculty walked togethSeñora Dutta and Mr. Avella Gradually, she came to school er around campus during ninth pePhoto Credit: RPS Upper School Bulletin

Isha Agarwal ‘25

Rutgers Preparatory School Blood Drive For the past few months, a group of students and faculty have been working endlessly with the American Red Cross to host this year’s annual blood drive, which occurred on March 12. The blood drive was a huge success, with around 170 pints of blood being donated. The blood drive takes major planning, including “making and distributing flyers, timing correctly, and making people feel comfortable about donating their blood,” said Manasvi Rajiv ‘25, a coordinator for the blood drive.

The process of donating blood is not difficult at all. There are some requirements including weight, general health, and vitamin levels to ensure the donation is safe and

Suhani Jerath ‘25

eligible. If all the requirements are met, you may be prompted to answer further questions about your health. After going through the eligibility process, a trained staff member of the American Red Cross will draw your blood.

During the Rutgers Prep Blood

Drive, many students volunteered to help run it smoothly. For example, some students helped check in donors, some assisted donors by providing them with juice and snacks, and others helped run the blood drive in the background. Many students, faculty, and parents came to

Student Volunteers at the Rutgers Preparatory School Blood Drive Photo Credit: rutgersprep.org

Rutgers Prep to donate blood.

While the Rutgers Prep Blood Drive has passed, there are still more opportunities to donate blood. Blood drives sponsored by the American Red Cross are held throughout New Jersey multiple times a month. Each donation can save over three lives, and there are so many people to support you if you are nervous about donating.

Additionally, many different types of donations can be made at blood drives. These include whole blood, red cells, platelets, and plasma donations. All donations go to various patients such as cancer patients, trauma patients, sickle cell patients, burn patients, and patients with chronic diseases.

Highlights of Issue IV Stress Management (pg. 4)

Spring Sports Captains (pg. 5)

Book Rankings (pg. 6)

Op-Ed:Trump Lawsuit (pg. 7)

News

2

May 2024

Getting to Know the New Faculty The World Language Department is an integral part of the Rutgers Prep curriculum, providing an immersive and interactive learning experience for all students. The myriad of languages and course selections offered are only made possible by all of the teachers and faculty working tirelessly to provide different learning opportunities for students. This school year, Rutgers Prep welcomes two new teachers into this de-

Alina Zhu ‘27 and Ian Chang ‘27

partment, and their enthusiasm for learning and teaching has already made such a positive impact on the community.

For Señora Gelpi’s third year of teaching, she joined Rutgers Prep as a Spanish teacher. Part of the reason Señora Gelpi became a teacher is because she loves learning, referring to teaching as one of those things “you fall into.” Outside of school, Señora pursues a variety of hobbies, such as

Señora Gelpi Photo Credit: Meet Our Faculty (rutgersprep.org)

playing the piano and cooking, as she is a music and art lover. When it comes to her students, she wants them to not put too much pressure on themselves but still work hard. As a teacher, she feels accomplished when she’s able to connect with her students. Señora loves to see students feel confident and to hear them use the language competently. In the end, she just wants students to have fun and be themselves.

This school year, we also welcome Ms. Zhou to the Rutgers Prep Library and World Language Department. A firm believer that communication can help people understand the perspectives of others, she worked as a journalist in China and Russia before coming to RPS. At the same time, she wanted to bring her experiences and knowledge to different people around the world, so she became a teacher. It is her

Ms. Zhou Photo Credit: Meet Our Faculty (rutgersprep.org)

fifth year teaching, and she has taught a range of subjects such as math, science, Chinese, language arts, and PE. She has come to enjoy some hobbies, like playing the violin and practicing Ti Kwon Do. When it comes to teaching, she believes that what you learn about the language and the culture behind it is far more important than a student’s grade. As a teacher, she feels like she has achieved her goal when the student can adjust, be

prepared, understand, and take action in her class. Her motto for learning is “Opportunity is always ready for the people who are fully prepared,” and her motto for morality is “Freedom is a light in which many men have died in darkness.” Ms. Zhou is a very dedicated teacher wanting to bring her knowledge and experience to different people around the world.

RPS Speech and Debate Club at the Montville Invitational Michael Chang ‘25

On Saturday, February 24, 2024, eight debaters and two coaches of the Rutgers Preparatory School Speech and Debate Club debated against students from high schools all over New Jersey.

Coached by club president Michael Chang ‘25 and vice president Avni Yedlarajaiah ‘26, the team performed exceptionally well in their first interscholastic debate tournament of the year. Chris Patel ‘25 and Mohit Reddy ‘25 won three out of their four rounds.

All eight RPS debaters debated in the public forum format. This competitive debate format consists of eight total speeches given by two teams of two debaters each.

One team affirms the resolution, and the other negates it. With opening speeches, rebuttals, summaries, final foci, and crossfires, the public forum debate format ensures that each debater has plenty of time to articulate their arguments clearly and persuasively.

In February 2024, the National Speech and De-

bate Association’s public forum resolution was “Resolved: The United States federal government should ban single-use plastics.”

paratory School conveyed contentions relating to the sterilization of medical equipment, the use of alternative materials, contracep-

plastic bans. This debate encouraged all the members of the club to consider the beneficial and harmful effects of single-use plastics

environment.

Not only did the debaters from Rutgers Preparatory School learn about the subject matter of the debate, but they also learned many useful strategies and tactics. For instance, throughout the process of preparing and competing in this tournament, the debaters learned about off-time roadmaps, impacts, turns, and managing their preparation time. With these strategies, a growing passion for debate, and opportunities to practice, there is no limit to how skilled Rutgers Preparatory School debaters can become.

All of the debaters and coaches genuinely enjoyed this experience and are looking forward to future tournaments. The Rutgers Preparatory School Speech The RPS Public Forum Debaters and Coaches at Montville and Debate Club looks forRPS Students in Photo From Left to Right: ward to continuing to offer Harry Cao ‘27, Adit Trivedi ‘25, Avni Yedlarajaiah ‘26, Nadira Dietz ‘26, Claire Wang ‘26, Michael Chang ‘25, Chris Patel ‘25, Mohit Reddy‘25, Peter Liu ‘27, Abhishek Venkata ‘25 these exhilarating, educaPhoto Credit: Rishikesh Ravi tional, and lucrative opportunities to students for years Throughout these enter- tives, recycling facilities, and to ponder the costly to come. taining debates, the student ocean and landfill waste, convenience plastic brings debaters from Rutgers Pre- and the global impacts of to human society and the

May 2024

News

The United States Presidential Election Archisha Sonig ‘25

The United States of America is entering another presidential election year in 2024. However, this election isn’t that different from the previous one in 2020, when Joe Biden and incumbent President Donald Trump faced off in one of the most intense elections in United States history. Now, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump will once again be the faces of this year’s election. The other Republican candidate Nikki Haley, the former governor of South Carolina and UN ambassador under Donald Trump, dropped out of the race after voters elected Donald Trump as the republican candidate for this year’s election. This happened on a day called Super Tuesday, in which sixteen states, including American Samoa, have their primaries, and voters are allowed to pick their candidate for each par-

Joe Biden Photo Credit: Demetrius Freeman The Washington Post

staffer.

The Democratic candidates remaining are Marianne Williamson, an author, and Cenk Uygur, a political commentator.

However, Uygur was born in Istanbul, Turkey, making him a naturalized citizen and thus ineligible to run for president. He says otherwise and promises to prove it in court. But Williamson and

2024 Presidential Candidates Photo Credit Gold Andhra

ty. While every state has its primaries, Super Tuesday is just when most states hold them at the same time.

Previous Republican candidates included Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida, and Vivek Ramaswamy, a tech entrepreneur. Independent candidates are on the ballot as well, including: Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., the nephew of President John F. Kennedy; Jill Stein, a doctor and activist; and Cornel West, a tenured professor at Union Theological Seminary and member of the People’s Party headed by Bernie Sanders’s former campaign

Uygur both suffered severe losses on Super Tuesday, falling behind Biden. The end of Super Tuesday and the dropout of Nikki Haley has officially kicked off the

general election that will end in November on election day.

However, both presidential candidates, Biden and Trump, are heavily disliked by American voters. Biden’s approval rating stands at 38.1%, and Trump at 42.6%. Many wish that they had the choice to have different candidates, and according to a poll conducted in January by the University of Massachusetts, 45% of Americans believe a Trump-Biden rematch is unfavorable, 26% are neutral, and 29% view it as good for the country. Many Americans also feel that the candidates are too old and tend to focus on issues that were “problems of yesterday.” Biden is currently 81 years old, making him the oldest President in history.

Before him, Trump was the oldest, now at the age of 77.

This election determines the next four years of our country, and with ongoing issues such as the Ukraine crisis, Gaza, and the shaky future of reproductive rights, many Americans are torn in deciding who the future president will be.

Donald Trump Photo Credit: Jim Lo Scalzo Getty Images

3

Peer Leadership Program Jurnee Caldwell ‘26

On March 1st, 2024, it was announced to the sophomore and junior classes that Rutgers Preparatory School’s Peer Leadership Program would be making a return. This program is an opportunity open exclusively to rising juniors and seniors to connect with the freshmen class and aid them in their transition to the Upper School. To become a part of the program, students must fill out an application that helps to get an idea of who they are and whether they would be qualified for the role. After these applications are submitted and reviewed by the Peer Leader Advisors, a select few students will be picked for interviews. The students that are chosen from these interviews will become the Peer Leaders for the following year. Peer Leaders are expected to meet and lead discussions with their freshmen advisory group every other week, with two leaders being assigned to each group. They are meant to be mentors for the freshmen class, and their main goal is to help guide these students through the new experiences they will encounter in the Upper School. In doing this, the Peer Leadership program aims not only to help freshmen feel more comfortable as they begin high school but also to create a stronger bond between upperclassmen and underclassmen and thus, the Rutgers Prep community as a

whole.

But what makes a good Peer Leader? Realistically, it could be anyone. As previously stated, the Peer Leadership application process asks students questions to get a better understanding of who they are and whether they would do well if given the role. Someone who genuinely wants to help their community, who is caring, and who engages well with others is likely someone who has the makings of a good Peer Leader. However, one does not have to be “perfect” to be qualified.

In fact, it is encouraged for students to also aim to improve themselves with this program, which truly shows that anyone could be a Peer Leader.

Overall, the Peer Leadership program is a great way for students to help make the freshmen experience better, gain important non-academic skills, and make a significant contribution to their community. As Maya Angelou once said, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” What is so special about the Peer Leadership program is that it is open to anyone willing to help others, and it allows students to be remembered as someone who had a real, lasting impact on their community.

Community Photo Credit: Clipground

STEM

4

Stress Management in Adolescents Avery San Filippo ‘25

As adolescents grow, our bodies and brains start to change. We may begin to question who we are or what we want throughout our high school, college, and eventually, adult lives.

While undergoing physical changes and preparing for life as an adult may be exciting for some, many find this process to be mentally taxing, inducing high levels of stress. Even though this immense stress may feel endless, there are ways to reduce and manage it to promote a better state of well-being. Before trying to manage stress, it is important to understand what it is and what it arises from.

Stress is a physical and/ or mental response to an external event, but it can also emerge as a response to positive events such as searching for that perfect prom dress or working the first day at a new job/internship. When stressed, people often feel overwhelmed or anxious until the external event that has caused these feelings subsides, or until a new stress-inducing event presents itself. Some events in particular trigger stress among many high school students.

Stress-inducing events for high school students are most often identified as either academic or social in nature. The pressure to succeed academically is an external stimulus that can cause one to feel overwhelmed in the pursuit of great grades and involvement in extracurriculars to appeal to colleges. While the majority of stress in high school comes from academic pressure, it may also occur from peer pressure. In high school, students build

varied relationships with peers. Adolescents may feel coerced into having relationships and can struggle as they learn to balance these foreign social and academic aspects of high school.

These sources of stress can be overstimulating. However, there are ways to reduce them.

To lessen side effects of stress, it is suggested to keep a journal, reach out to friends/family, and/or exercise. Writing down thoughts on paper organizes and releases them from your mind, bringing clarity. Another way to let out these stressful thoughts is talking to a close relative or friend. Rather than writing down your feelings, you can explain how you feel. Speaking to someone about you feelings can make you feel like you are not alone, which can alleviate stress. Exercising can also help, since physical activity causes your brain to release endorphins, which make you feel happier and less stressed. There are other ways to relieve stress, but it is important to use the method, or methods, that work best for you.

Overall, stress in teens stems from a variety of external circumstances and can be extremely difficult to manage alone. While it may feel impossible to cope with these stresses, there are ways to regulate them. Journaling, meditating, speaking with those close to you, and exercising are just a few examples of stress-controlling techniques. Although stress may feel endless at times, there is always a light at the end of the tunnel, showing us that stress will subside.

Photo Credit: The Johns Hopkins University

May 2024

Applesauce Lead Poisoning Recently, cases of lead poisoning have been rapidly increasing, with The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reporting over 64 in children younger than seven since December of 2023.

Additionally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported over 200 cases in this same time span. Upon further research, The FDA found the cause of the influx of lead poisoning: lead contamination in applesauce, including many popular brands such as WanaBana, Schnucks, and Weis (FDA). Recently, the FDA concluded that the main lead source was the cinnamon used in making these products. The facility where the packets were made is located in Ecuador,

Suhani Jerath ‘25

where the FDA and Ecuadorian government authorities are further investigating the issue.

In one investigation facilitated by Ecuadorian authorities, Negasmart, the supplier of cinnamon used by companies like WanaBana, was found to have levels of lead that were significantly higher than those allowed by Ecuadorian law. The maximum level of lead deemed safe is around 2.5 parts per million (ppm). However, applesauce pouches were found to have lead contents averaging 2270 ppm and up to 5110 ppm.

There are many ways that ingredients like cinnamon can be contaminated with high lead levels. One

WanaBana, Schnucks, and Weis Photo Credit: FDA via AP

theory proposed by the FDA is that the cause of the high lead levels came from soil contamination during the cultivation process of cinnamon. The FDA also hypothesized that the lead contamination occurred as a result of low-quality equipment use during production.

This occurrence of lead poisoning in applesauce is extremely important to address, as it can have major effects on the health of young children. Lead poisoning can cause damage to the nervous system and brain, can slow the development of children, and can even cause death when present in the body at high levels. When unsure of whether or not someone has ingested lead, symptoms to look out for include headaches, abdominal pain, vomiting, fatigue, and muscle aches.

Although the companies recalled their products, many lead-related cases are still being reported by the FDA in children from one to six years old. As of now, investigations are still being held to gather more information about the lead toxicity in applesauce packets.

Stingray Living Alone Gets Pregnant In early February of 2024, at a small aquarium in North Carolina, a female stingray named Charlotte was discovered to be pregnant. Normally, this would not be a surprise, but one thing set Charlotte’s case apart: there had been no male stingrays living in her tank, and somehow Charlotte was pregnant with multiple babies. The exact reason for this occurrence is still unknown, but there are a couple of hypotheses about how it happened.

One hypothesis is parthenogenesis, an asexual reproduction process. Parthenogenesis occurs when a female egg byproduct with almost the same DNA as the egg fuses back together with the eggs, replacing male fertilization with the egg. Offspring resulting from Parthenogenesis has a high percentage of being born unhealthy. Many studies with other species have

Suhani Jerath ‘25

Charlotte the Stingray Photo Credit: Getty Images

found that parthenogens usually die very early in life, with many dying after just a few days. More details about this process are still widely unknown, as it was only first introduced around twenty years ago within sharks and rays.

Another hypothesis is that Charlotte mated with a shark. Two male white-spotted bamboo sharks lived in Charlotte’s tank, and there appeared to be bite marks on Charlotte, which could be a sign of shark mating.

However, many experts believe this is very unlikely,

given their distinct genetic differences.

Although both hypotheses are possible, they can not be verified until well after the babies are born. The Field Museum of Natural History, located in Chicago, has agreed to perform a DNA test on the pups to find out how Charlotte got pregnant, but this test could take up to weeks after the birth of the pups. As of right now, the real reason as to how Charlotte got pregnant is still unknown.

May 2024

Sports

5

Introduction of Spring Sports Captains Matthew Telyczka ‘24

Diya Bhagat ‘24 Golf

“One lesson I have learned is to be more patient because even if one shot or round doesn’t go as well as you want, you should let that go and focus on what is to come.”

Diya Bhagat has been playing golf for four years.

Bhagat knew she wanted

to stick with golf after she played her first match as a Freshman on varsity. This experience proved to her that she had the potential to improve with hard work and perseverance. She notes that the hardest part about golf is getting over the little things that mess up a match.

Her goal this season is to keep up with higher ranking teams, to stay in the division the team has moved up in, and to personally achieve a score in the low 40’s. Her biggest advice to teammates is to keep playing, regardless of how discouraged they get.

Sunay Davda ‘24 Boys’ Tennis

Scott Chen ‘24 Boys’ Lacrosse

“It’s necessary to stay Scott Chen has been level headed when playing playing lacrosse for 9 in order to gain success and years, starting out for South constantly improve.”

Brunswick PAL. Since the beginning of middle school, he began to take the sport more seriously, noting that the mental strength is something that he’s had to gradually learn. His goal this year is to not only win a championship, but to also guide younger players to become high quality people. Through lacrosse, he’s Scott Chen ‘24 learned that progression Photo Credit: Instagram isn’t linear, and that strug@iron44combine gle is necessary to grow.

“A pivotal lesson I’ve learned through this journey is to never doubt oneself.”

Sunay Davda began playing tennis his freshman year. Since then, he discovered his potential which motivated him greatly. He saw that he had the ability to improve himself gradually which fueled his drive to succeed in the sport. His main goal for the team is to win the conference, and his personal goal is to win the Prep B tournament. Davda notes that hard work is the one thing that truly goes a Diya Bhagat ‘24 long way in anything you Photo Credit: set your mind to. What he rutgersprep.org Baseball will miss the most is play“I'm most excited for ing doubles with his best friends and forming life- the new level of competiGolf “The biggest thing I’ve goal is to shoot under 40 in long friendships and mem- tion that I will be facing next year in college. It's a fresh taken away from playing at least 4 matches. Singh’s ories. start and there's nothing betgolf is how to be tough men- biggest advice to players is ter than making a name for tally. Golf is such a mental to remember to have fun, yourself as a freshman.” game.” because this is what makes Evan Laub began playArjan Singh began play- playing enjoyable and worth ing baseball when he was 4 ing golf in second grade just the effort and dedication. years old, and since then it for fun, but in high school, has been a dream of his to he began to take it seriously. play in college and profesHe knew from the beginsionally. His goal this year is Sunay Davda ‘24 ning he would play throughEvan Laub ‘24 Photo Credit: Aidan Rico ‘27 for the team to win back the out high school because of Photo Credit: Instagram Instagram: @fellasphotoss county championships and how much joy he felt play@evanlaub_ Carly Tomfohrde ‘24 to also win states this year ing the sport. He says the after last years’ loss in the the school’s stolen base rehardest part about golf is Softball finals. Laub notes that the cord. Laub’s greatest advice consistency and that even “The memories you hardest thing about baseball to his teammates is for them if you’re doing well, one Arjan Singh ‘24 make through sports are is the level of concentration to be grateful and realize little mistake can ruin the Photo Credit: some of the greatest you required. His personal goal how lucky they are. Laub rutgersprep.org whole match. His personal can have.” is to break the 100 hit mark will be playing D3 baseball Carly Tomfohrde began for career hits, and to break at the University of Scranton in the fall. playing softball in 7th grade Golf “One lesson golf has scoring, all while savoring for Rutgers Prep and initialtaught me is to be kind to in his last season. Wadawa- ly wasn’t planning to play Girls’ Lacrosse everyone. You never know han will miss the feeling of in high school. However, “Ever since I was young, community, and the shared who you might meet on the going out on the course af- after Coach Oswick convinced her, she found a love I knew I wanted to play in joy experienced by the golf course and what op- ter a long day, getting into for the sport, forming some college. I always knew this team. Her biggest advice to portunities they can present the zone of playing, and enfellow teammates is to alyou with.” joying the matches with his of her closest friendships is what I wanted.” on the team.

She says the Maggie Turco began ways have fun playing and Vikram Wadawahan be- friends. His biggest advice gan playing golf for two and to his fellow teammates is hardest part about softball playing lacrosse 11 years to not get worked up about a half years and since then to enjoy the sport as much is anticipating where the ago and since then, she has the small things. Maggie he knew this was a sport he as possible and to not give ball will be and the situa- worked hard to get where Turco will be playing D1 lawanted to pursue. The hard- up easily because each sea- tion on the field. Tomfohrde she is now. The hardest part crosse at Hofstra University est part about golf, he notes, son goes by quickly. Vikram is an infielder which means about lacrosse, she says, is in the fall. is being consistent. His plans on playing club golf that she has a short window constantly improving stick of time to decide where to skills. Her main goal for the personal goal is to drop his in college. throw the ball before every team this season is to propitch. Her goal this year is to vide an environment where go further in the state tour- her teammates can push nament than previous years themselves while having and effectively collaborate fun. Her personal goal is to with her team as captain. work to her fullest potential Tomfohrde will be attend- and beat her scoring record ing Penn State University from last year. The thing Vikram Wadawahan ‘24 Carly Tomfohrde ‘24 Maggie Turco ‘24 studying kinesiology on the Turco will miss most about Photo Credit: Photo Credit: Bikram Bhagat ‘26 pre-PT track in the fall.

Photo Credit: Bikram Bhagat ‘26 the team is the sense of

Evan Laub ‘24

Arjan Singh ‘24

Vikram Wadawahan ‘24

Maggie Turco ‘24

Mr. Quenault

Instagram: @flicks_by_bik

Instagram: @flicks_by_bik

6

Sports and Arts & Culture

May 2024

The FIFA 2026 World Cup Preview The FIFA World Cup is the biggest sporting event in the world. Every four years, the best national teams compete on the world’s biggest stage, with the event being the most televised sporting event in history.

This was proven with the most recent World Cup held in Qatar, with 1.5 billion people tuning in. The next World Cup in 2026 will be held in the United States. In the past, the game had taken place at the biggest stadiums in the country. Cities like Boston, Atlanta, Dallas, LA, and other major cities

in the U.S. have been home to the soccer world. These games help give exposure to the U.S. and its grandeur, as well as introduce a new American audience to soccer. The U.S. gaining the opportunity to host the World Cup allows for exposure of the sport to the whole country, including both young kids and old people who have never watched the sport, helping the American Soccer League (MLS).

Not only would this boost interest in soccer, but also undoubtedly boost the tourism industry in the

Davi Soares ‘25

U.S.. Since The World Cup has so many countries from all around the world participating in one tournament, naturally the fans tuning into The World Cup are also diverse.

The stadium that will be holding the 2026 World Cup final is none other than MetLife Stadium, which is located in New Jersey. This undoubtedly is a once-in-alifetime opportunity for this region, as it might be the only time that the Northeast region of the United States has the opportunity to host an event like this.

The World Cup Trophy Photo Credit: Clive Rose Getty Images

Governor Murphy said that hosting the World Cup will introduce the world to the “unparalleled platform to brilliantly showcase what we [the people of New Jersey] stand for — diversity, equality, access, and inclusion.”

The expense of this event will be costly, as the plan to renovate the area that MetLife provides, including transportation and stadium renovation, will equate to roughly 16 million dollars. This amount, while

expensive, is well worth it for the attention and the once-in-a-lifetime experience for people who attend, as compared to the priceless experience, money is easily recuperable.

Hosting the biggest sports tournament in history is no easy task, but also a difficult opportunity to even come by. New Jersey will be stamped into the history of the World Cup in the Summer of 2026.

Metlife Stadium Photo Credit: Seth Wenig | Associated Press

Top Ten Books I Read for High School English Classes 1. Beloved - Toni Morrison

Audrey Qian ‘24

I love how Achebe took his time building the culturally rich world of Umuofia, making the tribe’s ending clash with colonizing ideologies all the more tragic because it marked the beginPhoto Credit: Barnes & Noble ning of a far more known Holden Caulfield definitely Photo Credit: Barnes & Noble history. didn’t do it for all my peers; it definitely did it for me.

Before starting Be3. Jane Eyre With one of my favorite loved, Ms. Angelos called Charlotte Brontë unresolved resolutions for it “a very important book,” serious themes, this novel and after finishing it last embodies the coming-ofmonth, I must agree wholeage genre for me. heartedly. Its magical elements somehow accentuate 5. The Great Gatsby the story’s horrifyingly real F. Scott Fitzgerald African American history, Photo Credit: Barnes & Noble and its subhuman/animal allusions somehow work in Raising my standards harmony with prose more for fictional characters, Jane humanizing than anything Eyre is a highly likable, I’ve read. yet believable protagonist whose decisions I felt com2. Things Fall Apart pelled to understand rather Photo Credit: Barnes & Noble Chinua Achebe than judge— a rarity only rivaled for me by Lauren This classic’s idiosynOlamina from Octavia Butcratic symbols and thematler’s Parable of the Sower. ically-effective plot make 4. The Catcher in the Rye up for its unlikable, static characters. It creates an aura J.D. Salinger Although this follow- that is inseparable from my Photo Credit: Barnes & Noble ing of the angsty teenager attitude on the American

Dream.

6. Hamlet William Shakespeare

Photo Credit: Barnes & Noble

My favorite Shakespeare play I’ve read so far, Hamlet examines messy familial relationships and conflicting motivations in a way that still resonates in the 21st century. I especially enjoyed examining it under the lens of rhetorical analysis in Ms. Garrow’s AP Lang class.

7. Fences - August Wilson Despite being a short play, Fences says everything it needs to about the intersectionality of gender and race in Black familial relationships during the civil rights movement, as well as a nuanced, hopeful take on generational trauma.

8. There There Tommy Orange This novel has the most changes in perspective I have ever seen in one work, and though that made particular details less memorable, There There is an incredibly poignant telling of urban Native American struggles, identity, emotion, and connection.

9. The Scarlet Letter Nathaniel Hawthorne I was really close to loving this book for elegantly exploring how an individual responds to private shame compared to public “ignominy,” only for its ending to fall short from being the feminist, nonconformist triumph I’d hoped for.

10. A Doll’s House Henrik Ibsen A play with a solid plot and the lovable characters of Nora and Dr. Rank, A Doll’s House made an impression on me with its pretty revolutionary take on gender roles in late 1800s Europe.

May 2024

Arts & Culture and Opinion

Arrests of Manga Leakers Davi Soares ‘25

Manga is a form of graphic novel that has seemingly spread across the world with its unique artistic style and intricate plots drawing in everyone.

Some well-known mangas include Dragon Ball Z, Naruto, Bleach, and many more. Over time, new mangakas (authors of mangas) take inspiration from these known mangas and channel it into their form of manga.

The new and more popular mangas to date are manga such as My Hero Academia, Jujutsu Kaisen, Sakamoto Days, and many more.

However, in recent times, there has been a problem that has exacerbated within the last couple of months.

In Japan, the manga is published in a magazine called Weekly Shonen Jump Magazine. This magazine displays newly released

Goku from Dragon Ball Z Photo Credit: Wallpaper Flare

shonen manga, some of which include the likes of the series mentioned above.

However, people who illegally access these manga early through the magazine often leak the manga panels online to the fans of those series. For example, X account @Go_Jover posts the translations of what is known as the most popular manga of the new generation, Jujutsu Kaisen.

The problem is that the authors and artists of the manga are losing lots of money due to this. VIZ Media, for instance, is only upping its prices to distribute manga, so getting the leaks

for free is more appealing.

The Japanese government seems to finally be stepping in in response to the leaks, and trying their hardest to prevent leaks in the future. Recently, two people who work for the magazine that publishes manga early have been arrested for the leaks and early uploads of the work. The Japanese police found the X accounts of numerous leakers and are planning to track them down for more arrests.

Overall, the situation is still very messy. Jujutsu Kaisen, Sakamoto Days, and other popular manga are still leaked. The information hasn’t stopped, but with the names of every account on the government's list, it will only be a matter of time before we see the people behind the accounts locked up.

This Month’s Book Recommendation: Killers of the Flower Moon Archisha Sonig ‘25

Killers of the Flower Moon is a nonfiction book written by David Grann about the newly created FBI and their first case– the 1920 Osage murders, aka the Reign of Terror.

The Osage are a tribe of Native Americans who reside in Osage County, Oklahoma. The Osage people were some of the richest people in the world in the 1920s, all because oil was found on their land.

Big oil investors from all over the country traveled to the remote Native American county to get as much land (and oil) as they could.

However, a problem for these investors arose when they couldn’t buy the land from the government. They instead had to buy it from the Osage in the form of “headrights”.

Headrights were legal grants of land, mostly given to white settlers during that time. Un-

Photo Credit: Walmart

usually, though, the Osage still managed to hold onto their rights by negotiating with the government. With these headrights, it was the Osage who decided which company could mine oil on their land and who would reap the benefits. The more headrights you own, the richer you become. Eventually, these investors bought the land from the Osage and gave them a share of the money. As a result, many Osage had $20 to 40 million dollars to their name.

This book follows a man named Ernest Burkhart, who comes to the Osage reservation in search of money after fighting in World War I and stays with his uncle, William K. Hale, a rich and respected cattle rancher among the Osage.

However, Hale is incredibly greedy and tells Burkhart to romantically pursue Mollie Kyle, a young Osage woman who had a lot of money after gaining the headrights of her younger sister, Minnie, when she passed away due to poison. Burkhart then marries Mollie and gains access to her headrights under marriage. But everything

goes wrong when Mollie’s two remaining sisters, her mother, and twenty other Osage members die under mysterious circumstances.

For those who like American history and crime, this book encompasses those two topics perfectly.

Grann thoroughly discusses the prejudices and discrimination that the Osage had faced while, at the same time, uncovering a vile conspiracy. Grann has meticulously organized the book, starting from the murders, to the case, and finally, an aftermath set in 2015, when Grann visits Osage County and meets Margie Burkhart, Mollie and Ernest’s granddaughter. He discovers that the Osage murders from over 100 years ago have still not been forgotten by the community, even when the rest of the world has moved on.

Grann leaves you with a sense of closure, which is an impressive feat, as many crime stories are often left incomplete. But he leaves no stone unturned, no person’s story untold.

7

Trump Civil Lawsuit

Opinion Article Written by Jay Chavan ‘26 355 million dollars. One could purchase five Gulfstream G650s (a private jet) with such a large sum of money. In February, a New York judge ordered Donald Trump to pay this fee plus interest as a result of his lying on key financial documents to grow his real estate enterprise. More specifically, the former President was convicted of inflating his net worth and the value of his properties resulting in better opportunities for loans and reduced taxes, a form of financial fraud. And with interest accruing every day on his bond, Letitia James, the New York attorney general, predicts that this figure will be closer to 450 million dollars. According to Forbes, Trump has a net worth close to six billion dollars but his liquid assets are closer to 600 million. Considering the circumstances, the upcoming 2024 Presidential election, and his legal troubles, this ruling could have massive implications.

Along with the hefty fine, the ruling came with some other stipulations regarding his business dealings. First, Trump is barred for the next three years from holding top executive positions at any company residing in New York. Considering that Trump holds a substantial amount of real estate in the state, this punishment drastically reduces the former President’s influence in his own company. Moreover, the court sent two monitors to oversee the financial dealings of Trump’s company, further reducing his power. The last significant consequence of the ruling was Trump was no longer allowed to take loans from New York banks, limiting his financial avenues.

Sentiment around this case varied significantly throughout the political spectrum. Republicans claim that this ruling was politicized and was a means for the Democrats to hamper the Republican presidential nominee. This reinforces the Democrats’ view of Trump being an untrustworthy individual who is incapable of being a competent President.

Donald Trump Photo Credit: Mike Segar Reuters

Before giving my perspective on the matter, I would like to preface by acknowledging the complexity of such a case and its implications for our nation’s future. The ruling of this case has come at a critical time in the 2024 presidential election. The Trump campaign has disclosed that they have raised approximately 93 million heading into April which is a measly sum in comparison to the 1 billion dollars that were raised for his re-election bid in 2020. This figure is made even worse when looking at how much President Biden was able to fundraise: 155 million dollars. With such a hefty fine along with his legal fees, he is extremely short on cash. This fact can and will have a significant impact on the election as one of the candidates has drastically more resources than the other. But while it's important to consider the effects on our democratic system, the fact of the matter is that Mr. Trump committed financial fraud. Take the person out of this matter and consider the situation at hand. If this was any other individual, I’m confident that the perception among the public would be different. If we are going to punish Trump for his financial wrongdoings, we should apply the same standard and same vigor when it comes to other cases of financial fraud. After all, New York ranks fourth in the country for the most fraud reports.

This is not a Trump or political issue. This is an enforcement issue. We need sweeping change in our judicial system so that it's possible to try more cases, so that it’s possible to deter individuals from crime, and so that it’s possible to make the world ever so fairer.

8

Supplements

Spring

May 2024

The 135th Editorial Board of The Argo

Raislyn Palmer ‘27

Chief Editors Renee Bou Mansour ‘25 Kelli Chang ‘25 Clare Maldony ‘25 Audrey Qian ‘24 Tech Editor Michael Chang ‘25 Faculty Advisors Dr. Morgart Mx. Stewart

Across 4. Seasonal allergy trigger 6. Outdoor meal enjoyed with a basket 7. Spring month associated with flowers 8. Spring event for playing pranks 11. Baby bird’s home 13. Symbol of good luck 15. April precipitation 16. Prospective plant

Down 1. Upper school event marking the end of the school year 2. Easter representative 3. Springtime visitor with a long bill and webbed feet 5. Bright yellow spring flower 9. Flower with thorns 10. Young bird just learning to fly 12. Flowering tree famous in Washington DC 14. Buzzing insect

15. showers; 16. seed 10. fledgling; 11. nest; 12. cherry; 13. ladybug; 14. bee; len; 5. daffodil; 6. picnic; 7. may; 8. aprilfools; 9. rose; Answers: 1. convocation; 2. bunny; 3. duckling; 4. pol-

Where are you, Boeing?

Sasha Portnoy ‘26 Preview of Excelsior’s Spring Issue

In the nineteen sixties, When jets roamed the sky If it was a Boeing You wanted to fly!

It was all ‘bout money, Executives’ greed.

You’re no longer running The old esteemed creed.

When Boeing was great, No one could wait For the next plane they’d create…

Your quality’s lacking And bureaucrats lie, Technicians are slacking, And people could die.

All seats in the air Were first class, no ploy.

It was just and fair And all flew with joy.

Oh, those were the good days, The elegant planes.

They were so much better than trains…

Oh Boeing what happened?

Why’re screws falling off?

You pushed away talent And fell off the top.

Oh, glorious Boeing, Please be you once more!

Let’s see the planes growing Like never before.

With screws where they should be, Attached with right force.

I wish that you would see, You’re on the wrong course!

You find the best people And treat them like kings!

Rid yourself of evil And spread wide your wings.

Special Thanks to Dr. Loy, Mrs. Bautista-Burk, and Mr. Ladd.

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by The Argo or Rutgers Preparatory School.

All articles and student photos herein are copyright © The Argo 2024.

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Volume CXXXV Issue No. 4 View the Print Issue at Rutgers Preparatory School