Volume 113 Issue 12

Volume 113 No. 12

The Spectator

The Stuyvesant High School Newspaper

March 24, 2023

SPORTS

FEATURES

The Heart That Holds the Stethoscope

The path to becoming a doctor has the potential to be incredibly rewarding, but with the obstacles and grueling work along the way, it is important to analyze your motivations for pursuing a career in medicine before dedicating your life to it.

see page 5

The Storm Wasn’t Strong Enough

Stuyvesant’s boys’ varsity basketball team, the Storm, wrap up a historic season, saying goodbye to their long-standing senior players.

see page 21

Check out The Spectator’s new site rewrite: stuyspec.com!

The Spectator Editorial Board Advocates for Student Journalism Act

By DUNCAN PARK, CHRISTOPHER LOUIE, and LENNY METLITSKY

Members of The Spectator’s Editorial Board—seniors Anisha Singhal, Peter Goswami, Christina Pan, and Zifei Zhao; juniors Ivy Huang and Sarah Diaz; and sophomores Christopher Louie, Duncan Park, Lenny Metlitsky, and Khush Wadhwa— traveled to Albany to advocate for the Student Journalist Free Speech Act on February 28. The event was organized by New Voices New York (NVNY), an organization dedicated to protecting the rights of public high school journalists in New York, and members of many New York public high school newspapers attended.

At the moment, journalistic censorship destroys a publication’s freedom of press because censorship limits what a publication can cover. Typically, schools censor articles that shine a bad light on the school or restrict opinions that the school does not agree with. High school publications have fewer free speech rights than an average high schooler because of the limitations that schools are allowed to place on them under present laws. This allows schools to enforce policies that discourage reporting on critical matters such as policy changes, disagreements, and protests––a problem that this legislation aims to address.

If passed, this act would provide public high school newspapers with increased freedom in publishing articles and would prohibit schools from unnecessarily censoring controversial articles, though some re-

strictions would still remain on what can and cannot be published, such as libel and slanderous content. The bill has already been implemented in 16 other states, including New York’s neighboring states Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Vermont. Despite the bill’s bipartisan nature, the Student Journalism Free Speech Act re-

the trip to Albany and Senator Brian Kavanagh had a room for us to congregate in,” former Opinions Editor Singhal said in an e-mail interview. Participants then went to both scheduled and spontaneous meetings throughout the day with the goal of gaining co-sponsors for the legislation.

Rochester’s Brighton High School attended despite lacking personal experiences with censorship. “I want [free journalism] to be extended to other schools who are more censored than The Beacon Beat’s [journalism]. This new bill has [more] goods than bads when it comes to improving the school,” Beacon High School senior Roselyn Veras said.

However, lobbyists faced many challenges prior to Advocacy Day. On the night before the trip, nearly two-thirds of the students canceled their plans to attend, leaving about 50 left. This required organizers to regroup students, causing some to feel unprepared. While it was a scramble, the group found their footing throughout the day and successfully met with many members of both the Assembly and the Senate. “The meetings with the staff of the [senators] were really enjoyable. We had the chance to lobby and show them how passionate we are about the bill,” Singhal said.

stuyspec.com

NEWSBEAT

Stuyvesant’s Girls Chess Team won first place in the All Girls NYC Chess Championship on March 5. Stuyvesant Chamber Music Groups performed at Lincoln Center’s Rose Studio in the fourth Annual Young Musicians’ competition on March 9.

The Spring Clubs and Pubs Fair was held on March 16 and March 17 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m..

The SAT School Day was administered free of charge on March 22 for juniors Subject classes were not in session, but all students were expected to attend a homeroom session.

mains stuck in the New York State Assembly’s education committee. Advocacy Day’s goal was to shift the balance toward a vote on the floor.

The trip took weeks of preparation, with the project being led by Michael Simons, Katina Paron, and Hillary Davis, who are part of the NVNY administration and were the main organizers. Advocates were given a briefing and an informative preparation kit, with handouts to track who they met with and other documents containing information about the bill. They also had a space for discussion and planning.

“The New Voices group organized

While The Spectator generally does not experience censorship, members of The Spectator traveled in order to protect publications who might not have the same freedom of speech. “I went on this trip to advocate for student journalists who don’t have the right to free speech in their student newspapers,” Singhal said. “Students often don’t have a strong voice in their own education, and student journalism is a crucial platform for us to have our voices heard.”

Likewise, many students at other schools, such as Beacon High School, Curtis High School, and

Additionally, transportation had to be arranged independently for students to get to Albany. Some schools had arranged buses, but the Spectator board faced the challenge of finding transportation independently. “Organizing transportation was a bit tricky, but [Wadhwa] organized our transportation through [Amtrak] and got us a group discount so the fares were cheaper,” Singhal said.

Following the trip, the bill will now require support from the teachers’ union, necessitating future students to lobby these entities. Despite the many challenges, students ultimately enjoyed their experience

The first marking period of this semester ended on March 14. Report cards were distributed electronically on March 23.

The open house for accepted Stuyvesant students took place on March 23 from 4:15 p.m. to 8:15 p.m.

with NVNY, finding the trip to be a good outlet for their voices. “The meetings with the staff of the [senators] were really enjoyable,” Singha said. “I would definitely go again. There are plans to go back to Albany in April to continue advocating for the bill.”

Stuyvesant Students Attend Foley Square Climate Strike

By LENNY METLITSKY

Stuyvesant students marched to Foley Square with Fridays for Future New York City on March 3 in order to address the climate crisis. The protest began in Foley Square, preceding a march across the Brooklyn Bridge to Brooklyn Borough Hall, which hosted a variety of speakers from around the world, including Kyra Blas, a Yale law student discussing the United States advisory opinion on Climate Change, and Hillary Taylor, a Ugandan activist discussing the detrimental effects of the East African Crude Oil Pipeline. Fifteen Stuyvesant students attended the strike out of approximately 800 attendees city-wide.

The key theme of this protest was ending fossil fuel finance: the continued funding of the fossil fuel industry by many banks. Protesters demanded two changes—for the state legislature of New York to pass the Climate, Jobs, and Justice Package and for the United States to vote in favor of a United Nations general assembly request for an Advisory Opinion on Climate Justice from the International Court of Justice. The former aims to build more renewable infrastructure, im-

plement taxes on the biggest polluters, and promote jobs in the sustainability and green energy sector. The latter would influence United States allies to vote in favor of the reso-

other crucial reason many Stuyvesant students attended the strike was to protest the ecocide in Ukraine.

“I’m currently here to protest the ecocide in Ukraine, which currently

also here to support environmental causes across New York, such as the defunding of fossil fuels.”

Though this strike garnered mass turnout among all of New York City, it attracted much less than in previous years—only 15 Stuyvesant students—in contrast to a protest held by Fridays For Future on September 20, 2019, which consisted of more than 315,000 students, with over 500 Stuyvesant students participating. Despite the disappointing turnout, student participants were still enthused by the attention the event did bring. “I like the fact that people are rising up to protest this and bring awareness to this,” sophomore Koi Zavialova said. “[It’s important] to bring awareness to the fact of our climate [crisis].”

Schneiderman said.

Another reason for the low turnout was the timing coinciding with SING!, due to a new school policy preventing students from participating in SING! if they left the building, which includes the unexcused absences from climate strikes. “I was planning on going [to the strike] until my crew’s directors texted us the day of telling us we can’t go because it would blacklist us from SING!,” Schneiderman said.

Despite the great challenges and sparse turnout, many found the protest an excellent learning opportunity, with compelling speeches given by the five unique speakers. “I wanted to be part of this. I wanted to help this community,” Kingsborough Early College Secondary School senior Joshua Brooke said.

lution and internationally establish the climate crisis as a human rights issue.

While organizers only had two official goals for the protest, an-

affects [Ukraine’s] land through deforestation, tons of pollution, and infrastructure destruction,” sophomore and Ukrainian Culture Club co-president Nina Skiba said. “I’m

One reason for this low turnout was stricter attendance policies from the Stuyvesant administration and Department of Education (DOE), as opposed to previous years when the DOE has excused absences for the climate strike as long as there was a parental note. “Despite having got[ten] permission from all my relevant teachers, [attending the protest] would still technically be class cutting,” sophomore Leo

Ultimately, this climate change protest was a productive demonstration from schools around the city, regardless of the turnout from Stuyvesant. It enabled attendees to express their thoughts and establish a clear opinion on the climate crisis. “I think [climate change] is an existential threat to the continued existence of civilization, if not the entire human race,” Schneiderman said.

Courtesy of Lenny Metlitsky

Sophomore and Sports Editor Khush Wadhwa talking with members of the New York assembly.

Courtesy of Duncan Park

Patricia Park, the Award-Winning Author of Re Jane, Speaks to Two Stuyvesant Seniors

By PRAPTI BISWAS and CHRISTINA WANG

Seniors Ashley Lin and Samantha Farrow spoke with Patricia Park about her new Young Adult novel, Imposter Syndrome and Other Confessions of Alejandra Kim, at the Penguin Random House office on March 7. This event was organized by Stuyvesant alumnus and Random House Children’s Books Assistant Director of Publicity Kristopher Kam (‘12), who was previously taught by English teacher Annie Thoms in 2010.

Because Park was looking for teenage readers for her new book, Thoms reached out to several Stuyvesant students and assembled a summer book club consisting of her daughters, friends, and students from her Freshman Composition class and Writing to Make Change elective in the summer of 2022. “We received confidential PDFs of the book, read them over the summer, and provided a few comments to Ms. Thoms before the new school year started,” Lin said in an e-mail interview. “Ms. Thoms reached out to several book club students in January about the opportunity to be involved with Patricia’s Yu & Me book event, and Sam and I were both interested.” The book club consisted mostly of Stuyvesant students, including sophomores Madeline Hutchinson and Eileen Xu, seniors Alicia Lee, Anita Liang, and Vinci Shi, as well as Thoms’s daughters, Eleanor and Isabel Bolas, who met with Park and her editor, Stuyvesant alumna Phoebe Yeh in September

2022.

In the interview on March 7, Park spoke about her college experience and how it relates to the challenge of finding a sense of belonging that she spoke about in the novel. “She talked about her own experiences at Swarthmore College and how the vernacular language was really different,” Lin said. “People used complicated words and she was this girl from the city who went to Bronx Science, so it was completely new to her.”

Park also brought up the idea of racial melancholy, which suggests that immigration is its own form of trauma. Though the novel’s protagonist, Alejandra Kim, does not struggle with immigration, she is caught between different worlds, as many immigrants are. “Alejandra faces her own form of racial melancholia throughout this book as she tries to balance all of the different parts of her identity—she struggles to forge that sense of belonging within her elite Manhattan prep school, Jackson Heights, and even her own home,”

Lin said in an e-mail interview.

Through this concept of racial melancholy, many readers were able to form a personal connection with the novel. “You feel stuck both in your homeland and that you also can’t really make a new home in this new place,” Lin said. “That was a new concept that really struck me because I used to live in China and I think growing up, you don’t know which world you belong in.”

In addition to noting Alejandra’s struggle with her own racial identity, the novel also integrates the added

stress of discrimination towards people of color, especially immigrants. “The novel revolves around discrimination and it mentions that Asians are expected to obey authority and be respectful, which implies that they are not worthy of respect,” Xu said in an e-mail interview. “I had never thought about this but I realized it was true once I looked back on how [my family and I] interacted with others.”

In her novel, Park also sheds light on imposter syndrome, defined as the persistent inability to believe that one’s success is deserved, through the struggles that the novel’s protagonist faces in high school. For Lin, this idea was particularly impactful. “I think when Stuy kids first come in, [and even] after four years, we still feel sort of like we don’t belong. The competition, [along with the ideas that] we’re not smart enough [and] we’re not diligent enough [contributes to that] so I really liked how the book really brought to light the experiences that we’ve had,” Lin said.

Liang was similarly affected by the book’s representation of imposter syndrome. “I thought that imposter syndrome was a really thoughtful read on important issues like race, culture, and class while still having relatable insights on what it’s like to be a teenager,” Liang said in an e-mail interview.

The novel’s focus on college applications was another relatable subject to Lin, who was navigating the process around the time that she read the novel. “Alejandra goes through the college app[lication]

On March 16, Poland announced it would donate a dozen Mig29 jets over the course of the year to Ukraine, becoming the first Western nation and member of NATO to do so.

A United States high-tech reaper drone collided with a set of Russian Su-27 fighter jets above the Black Sea on March 14, with this incident condemned by the U.S. as unsafe and unprofessional.

On March 10, Silicon Valley Bank collapsed after a bank run, marking the second largest bank failure in United States History, inducing a massive government bailout.

On March 6, French labor unions threatened to shut down the economy in a massive strike endeavoring to stop the government from raising the standard age French workers access their pensions.

process and there’s a lot of stress involved and she feels like she doesn’t belong,” Lin said. “I felt the same kind of stress and anxiety and worry that she was feeling.”

The description of Alejandra’s college applications experience also stood out to Xu. “Moments that stood out to me were when Ale[jandra] comes to understand ‘jung’ and when Ale[jandra] is accepted into Whyder College but she rejects the offer as she pursues her interest. It is a point in the story where you can clearly see that

Ale[jandra]’s views have changed,” Xu said in an e-mail interview.

Overall, the speaker event with Patricia Park was impactful and addressed subjects relatable to many high school students, touching many Stuyvesant students with similar experiences. “Many of us at Stuy experience imposter syndrome, and Patricia truly captured the difficulties of it in her book,” Lin said. “She put a lot of the feelings people of color, especially teenagers of color, experience into words, and I am incredibly grateful I had this opportunity.”

Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons and NASA

By ANKITA SAHA

Stuyvesant’s mock trial team competed in the New York State High School Mock Trial Program throughout January and February, concluding their season on February 28. The team had varying success, winning their first competition on January 31 in 100 Centre St. Courthouse, while losing the following competition on February 28. The team is given a case annually, containing all the information needed to prepare for legal trial simulations. Team members then form three sections: plaintiffs’ attorneys, defendants’ attorneys, and witnesses. Plaintiffs’ attorneys and defendants’ attorneys prepare opening and closing arguments while witnesses are questioned to help provide information surrounding the case. The entire team works together in preparation for both sides of the trial.

The mock trial team was formed in the spring semester of 2022, during which they alternated between doing mock trial and moot court. Mock trial simulates trial-level courts,

Stuyvesant Mock Trial Finishes Their Competition Season

while moot court simulates appellate proceedings. For mock trials, the team started with recruitments for witnesses and attorneys. After multiple auditions and selections, they reviewed the case files, which consist of all of the affidavits, evidence, and rules.

To begin preparation for competitions, members comprehensively read through the case. This year, the case involved Remington Stone, a man suing his employer for damages after being injured while constructing a house. Witnesses must learn their story in their affidavits while attorneys focus on the questioning aspect. After gaining a general understanding of the case, members work on forming and refining arguments. Afterward, they prepare to respond to counter arguments and to be cross-examined about their case by the opposing side.

Members spent ample time in meetings and over school breaks to prepare for the competition. As preparation, members worked with people who share their roles to formulate questions and arguments,

practice arguing all aspects of their cases, and examine them together to help solidify their arguments. “A lot of [the preparation] is being able to feel each other out, and [learning] to elicit or implicate a certain storyline through a series of questions and answers,” senior and mock trial cocaptain Talia Hsia said.

Another important aspect of preparation was cooperation, with more experienced members of the mock trial team helping newer members through the process of preparing for the competition. “We have newer people, so we all helped each other,” freshman Lourdes Krestula said. “The people who have more experience helped us get into [the team].”

Additionally, the team practiced withstanding each type of examination their cases would have to go through. “Obviously, we don’t know how the opposing team is going to handle their causes and their objections, [so] it’s really good to get practice in,” junior Miro Quigley said. “I think the main thing we did was object to their questions as well as work

through the flow.”

During the first competition, the team was faced with many questions and challenges from the opposing side, starting with a round of preliminary questions which members found easier to answer. However, as the competition progressed, the questions increased in difficulty. “The trial did go on for a very long time as both sides were objecting quite a bit and the judge was also giving his comments and critique,” Quigley said. “[The] opposing team was very good, so we were all nervous.”

While the team faced challenging critiques by both the judges and the opposing side, the difficulty helped to create a more rewarding experience. “A natural part of competition and mock trial is criticism and critiques are taken more as an opportunity for learning and improving our skills,” Hsia said in a follow-up e-mail interview.

Following the preliminary competition, the team advanced to a second competition, in which they lost the round by two points. While

Introducing the Big Sib Chairs 2023-2024

By JUDY NAMKOONG, KARA YIP, and DANIEL CHANG

Juniors Kyle Hon Chan, Erica Liu, Eugene Park, Bishesh Shah, and Alex Zheng were chosen as the 2023-2024 Big Sib Chairs on March 15 by seniors and outgoing chairs Sabiha Amin, Elicia Chau, Sukanya Ferguson, Efe Kilic, and Ava Rem. The chairs were selected for their immense passion and leadership both within the Big Sib program as well as in the wider Stuyvesant community.

The Big Sib organization at Stuyvesant aims to connect incoming freshmen with upperclassmen to help freshmen transition into high school. The organization is run by a board of leaders known as the Big Sib Chairs and is orchestrated by groups of dedicated juniors and seniors who are each responsible for leading a homeroom. The Big Sibs are responsible for regulating Camp Stuy, an orientation for incoming freshmen that is held in August, as well as holding other events throughout the school year to create bonds with their Little Sibs.

To select the new chairs, the outgoing chairs put extensive thought into finding people who met their unique expectations. “[Big Sib Chairs] are the first faces incoming freshmen see, the first heads of a major organization that incoming students will meet: we are expected to be the ultimate role models,” Chau said in an e-mail interview.

“We read through each written application in depth before we conducted interviews for all applicants. Post-interviews, we discussed extensively what we were looking for in chairs and who most closely aligned what we were looking for.”

Chairs were ultimately selected based on both their capacity to be a role model for the younger genera-

Stuy students, while also looking for a collective group of students with diverse interests and personalities that would mesh well and give Big Sibs and Little Sibs a well-rounded example of how a leader should be,” Rem said in an e-mail interview. Another major factor for the chair selection was in their ability to facilitate clear communication.

Little Sibs,” Ferguson said.

While selection was a difficult process, the outgoing Chairs are confident in their choices. “Passionate. Communicative. Assertive. Adaptable. Unique. Each of the five chairs we’ve selected exhibit these imperative traits that we believe would successfully allow them to fulfill the role of being a Big Sib Chair. They each come from unique backgrounds, where they’ve taken on the necessary skill sets of a Big Sib Chair, proving they are worthy of this position,” Amin said.

The new Big Sib Chairs seemed to have a positive reflection about their interviews. “The interview was in Ms. Pedrick’s office, and all five of the chairs and sometimes Ms. Pedrick [were] sitting in the room and [though] that might have been overwhelming, it felt welcoming. Honestly, I felt very comfortable talking in front of all five of them […] They went into more personal matters like what’s your favorite dessert, who’s your twin or opposite, and all of that just made it more conversational and took a lot of stress off the whole interview part,” Shah said.

the team prepared similarly in both rounds, they believe their presentation caused their loss. “The judge said that we would have won the case had it been in a real court, [so] we lost the round most likely on presentation,” Hsia said.

Looking back on the season, team members feel that confidence in their preparation is crucial to success in competition. “The main thing is just not being nervous, and really understanding [what] you’re trying to get out because you can’t memorize every question [and] just read from your paper,” Krestula said. “When you’re in a competition, [...] you don’t know what the other team is going to bring out, [so] you kind of have to just be very ready. It has to come naturally to you.”

Ultimately, the mock trial team hopes to use this experience to improve in the coming years. “Going forward we plan to hone our skills and review the competition,” Hsia said. “After that, us captains will have to start thinking about the future of the team and passing the torch after we graduate.”

been drawn to making lesson plans and this has manifested into some love for seeing other people thrive which is [necessary for] Big Sib programs.”

While the new Big Sib chairs have only had a few days to meet together since they were chosen, they have already been able to collaborate on new ideas, such as a revitalization of the Big Sib Instagram. “An idea I had for the future was Big Sib Instagram takeovers. We have a Big Sib Instagram and it’s active, but I think it can be more active and can be used to get a lot of involvement, and that can work in tandem with the Big Sib Fair [so that] we can get more involvement,” Chan said.

Park expanded on this idea, suggesting a Big Sib close friends group. “One of my ideas to better the program was to use social media just like [Chan], and have a Big Sib Instagram close friends and we’d add all the Big Sib Instagram accounts there,” Park said.

tion at Stuyvesant and their ability to work well together. “We sought out chairs who we could tell were genuinely invested in the Big Sib Program and wanted to have a larger impact on future generations of

“Communication runs through various different lines, whether it be with your co-chairs, passing information on to homeroom leaders and Big Sibs, keeping up with administration, or simply connect[ing] with

For the Chairs, one major motivation for applying were the skills and values they gained from their unique passions and extracurricular activities. “[My activities] all have something to do with mentoring and teaching. I help run a tutoring program [and] tutor for [the] SHSAT to help prepare middle schoolers. I run a club where I teach lessons about how to play Tetris,” Liu said. “I’ve

Stuyvesant Student Union Established New Spring Clubs and Pubs Fair

By ABIGAIL CHO, ELAINE WONG, and ZOEY MARCUS

This year, the Student Union (SU) established a new spring Clubs and Pubs Fair from March 16 to 17 in addition to the annual fall Clubs and Pub Fair held at the beginning of the school year. At both fairs, students have the opportunity to explore and join many of the extracurriculars the school has to offer, but the new spring fair offers an additional opportunity for students to explore clubs throughout the year.

Having two fairs per year gives clubs and organizations another opportunity to receive exposure. “We wanted to give clubs an opportunity to get off the ground because we were proud to have a lot of new

clubs this year that have been doing great things,” senior and Clubs and Pubs co-director Jerry Yang said. With every semester, students are eager to expand their interests through creating new clubs, and with a spring fair, these clubs are able to advertise more and build their membership.

The second semester can also be seen as a more relaxed part of the school year, especially for freshmen, who are just beginning their time in high school. “As a freshman, a lot of times in the first semester you don’t do many things that you want, [so the spring fair is] another opportunity to try [new things],” senior and Clubs and Pubs co-director Larissa Yue said.

Many club leaders found the club fair a great option for students to discover new organizations that

they may have missed when exploring only one fair. “It was a pretty good idea because it [allowed] people to be able to see the different clubs that they could join if they missed [the fair] during the fall or maybe just [see] if they can join [new] clubs,” junior and Vice President of Stuyvesant Dungeons and Dragons Israel Hernan Vasquez Rugama said.

Having a second Clubs and Pubs Fair in the spring is especially beneficial for freshmen who have now adjusted to Stuyvesant and are looking for extracurriculars they may not have not formerly been interested in. “People want to try something new. [The fair] is a perfect reminder for people that it isn’t too late to join new clubs,” junior and 2023-2024 Key Club President Adeeb Khan said.

While the spring Clubs and Pubs Fair is similar to the fall fair, the organizational process was much less intense for the Clubs and Pubs codirectors. “We had a template for how to get the fair going [from the fall Clubs and Pubs Fair],” Yue said. This included a map for organizing the fair and the Google forms for the clubs to sign up. “We also had more experience going in [to the Spring Clubs and Pubs Fair] because [of the] Fall [Clubs and Pubs Fair],” Yang said.

However, for club leaders, the recruitment process was similar to what they did in the past. “We did the same [thing] we did back in the fall. We genuinely didn’t have much time to try many new [strategies]. Stickers [were] a [big] hit, [since] they [are] not generic and people [who]

Overall, the new Big Sib chairs are looking forward to leading the Big Sib organization for the 20232024 year. As Big Sib chairs, they believe that along with their timemanagement skills, motivation, and enthusiasm to help underclassmen, their teamwork will help them succeed. “We’ve gotten a really good head start because we’ve all clicked with each other and knew each other very well,” Chan said. “That’s what is most important: working as a team for the future of this program.”

come by probably have marginally more interest than all the people just going around searching for food,” sophomore and Stuy Linux co-president David Chen said.

Likewise, Key Club also established specific recruitment plans to grab the attention of possible members. “We [had] raffles, fun activities, and really [made] ourselves a noticeable presence at the fair to get people involved and hopefully spark some sort of interest in them,” Khan said.

Overall, the co-directors and club leaders found that the spring fair was a good way for students to be introduced to extracurriculars that they weren’t able to try out during the fall semester. “[It was a way] to get people who were interested in seeing new things during the new semester,” Yue said.

Left to Right: Juniors and Incoming Big Sib Chairs Bishesh Shah, Kyle Hon Chan, Eugene Park, Erica Liu, and Alex Zheng

Courtesy of\Ma Myat Kyaw

By CATHLEEN XI and SOPHIE ZHOU

“If you want to be rich, study hard and become a doctor!” This is a message that has been instilled in many students since childhood. Some families push their children from a young age to pursue a medical career for the prestige and sixfigure salary. However, this is an oversimplified and glorified view of the medical field that often ignores the grueling medical training and sacrifices made behind the scenes. The experiences of current students and medical professionals tell the true story of what the path to becoming a doctor looks like.

Beginning even before professional studies, some prospective students feel a genuine passion for the medical field. Sophomore Alexa Seltzer hopes to go into neurosurgery in the future and shared her passion for the subject. “I [want to] help people with neuropsychiatric disorders and see how it can be approached from a new, modern aspect, which is the surgical part with deep brain stimulation,” Seltzer explained. This technology has been shown to treat cases of obsessive-compulsive disorder and bipolar disorder, which is what Seltzer hopes to explore in the future. Despite the grueling hours and emotional strain of working with ill patients, Seltzer contended that it is a justifiable sacrifice. “It is worth it in the end if you want to make a difference,” Seltzer said.

Likewise, sophomore Nabila Iqbal shares a similar sentiment and is considering pursuing a career in cancer research. Iqbal explained that her family’s medical history of cancer has left a permanent impact on her life, resulting in a passion for oncology. “My mom had breast cancer four years ago and one of my cousins had brain cancer, and she sadly passed away

The Heart that Holds the Stethoscope

your friends have jobs and adult lives and travel while you suffer in school with no money and only continue to sink deeper into debt. For me, the greatest difficulty isn’t school—everything is manageable—but knowing that I’m working toward a career that I wasn’t ever really passionate about.” AY admitted that she felt obligated to meet her parents’ expectations when deciding on a career path: “Becoming a doctor is extremely glorified, especially to immigrant parents who just want the best for their children.” Additionally, Stuyves-

Tse said, “I explored many careers while I was in undergrad, but I was disillusioned by how machine-like the pre-med track seemed to be.” However, after taking an opportunity to shadow

ately fantasize about becoming doctors, it is important to keep in mind that this is only one of many potential professional routes. “[There are] a lot of available careers in the medi-

becoming a nephrologist, Dr. Yang was initially a physiologist, or a medical scientist specializing in how living organisms function. “At that time, I didn’t really have this urge to, you know, just take care of one patient at a time. I was interested in going into a field where I could do some research and [really see how] medicine can change people’s lives from a broader perspective,” Dr. Yang expressed. Though she did eventually change careers, Dr. Yang still found her time as a physiologist immensely valuable: “As medicine evolves, I really appreciate what we learned from the risks of medical research and apply that knowledge into clinical and patient care.”

Sophomore Duncan Park’s mother, Dr. Sandra Park, M.D., is a psychiatrist. Like Dr. Yang, she acknowledged the level of commitment you sign up for when enrolling in residency: “You have to be on call a lot, so you have long hours.” Fortunately, residency programs are starting to implement stricter regulations on the working conditions of residents. The current regulations set forward by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education include a maximum of 80 duty hours per week, 10 hours of rest between duty periods, and a limit of 24 hours of continuous duty. Dr. Park highlighted how beneficial the ample hands-on experience of residency was: “You learn a lot by seeing a lot of patients, and that’s how you [really] learn the practice of psychiatry and medicine.”

an optometrist in practice, Tse took on a different perspective.

[...] I didn’t even know her, but it was sad. My family’s sad every time we mention it, and it just makes me [want to] go into that area more.” However, Iqbal mentioned how the journey will bring personal challenges. “I tend to overthink, and doctors have to face losing patients. And if you overthink, that could be very mentally tolling,” Iqbal reflected.

However, being passionate about a subject in high school does not necessarily indicate a successful career in the field. Stuyvesant alum AY explained, “Biology was my favorite subject in high school, and I loved learning about human physiology.” After beginning college as a pre-med and shadowing a dentist, she began pursuing dentistry. Now in her second year of dental school, AY questions if it was the right decision. She said, “Another hardship is seeing all

ant’s competitive environment made her feel like she needed to maintain a certain level of prestige. In hindsight, AY reflected, “Six years after graduating high school, my priorities have definitely changed.” AY has always enjoyed drawing and working with her hands, which is what led her to choose dentistry. However, she wishes she had spent more time exploring her interests. AY said, “If I could go back in time, I would probably skip college altogether and pursue becoming a tattoo artist.” To younger students who are conflicted about what they want to do in the future, AY said, “There is no shame in taking time for yourself to discover other interests and career options.”

On the other hand, Stuyvesant alum Tracy Tse (‘16), now a third-year optometry student at SUNY College of Optometry, had the opposite experience.

“They viewed optometry and medicine as not just a way to treat disease or provide a glasses prescription, but also as an opportunity to learn more about their patients’ lives, educate their patients about their conditions, and make a difference in their patients’ everyday life,” Tse said. This experience helped her realize how pursuing optometry would allow her to connect with people, which aligned with her passion for helping her community. Despite the challenges of a long schedule packed with classes and lab work, Tse is confident that she has found the perfect career fit for her. “The few times I’ve wondered whether optometry school was worth it, I just simply reminded myself of my ‘why,’ and it never fails to motivate me,” Tse said.

Sophomore Sophie Zhou’s mother, Dr. Li Evelyn Yang, M.D., is a nephrologist, or a doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating kidney diseases. She echoed AY’s sentiment about the immense sacrifices involved in becoming a doctor.

“There’s this pressure that you need to be the best of the best […] It used to be no sleep or so for 24 hours, sometimes even 48 hours,” Dr. Yang said. Encouraging medical students to neglect their own health in order to prioritize the health of others affects not only the students but also the patients they treat.

“If you’re sleep deprived for a certain time, you can make mistakes, which is especially dangerous if you’re working with patients,” Dr. Yang explained.

Though many students interested in medicine immedi-

cal field. For example, you can work for the government. They hire a lot of people actually, for organizations like the [Food and Drug Administration]. In some government agencies or pharmaceutical companies, they also hire a lot of medical doctors to be on the board to review data,” Dr. Yang said. Additionally, the skills you learn in a different medical career often overlap with the skills required for doctors, which means that even if you do change your mind later on, it will not be too late. Before

The value you derive from medical training ultimately depends on a variety of factors, such as your motivations for going into the field, personal and professional strengths, and your priorities in your career and life. It is valuable to take the time to understand what you truly want, as opposed to being influenced by your family, peers, or the appeal of prestige. Tse concluded, “If, after all that exploring, you still find yourself in healthcare, we will be happy to welcome you to our profession.”

Chuer Zhong / The Spectator

“There’s this pressure that you need to be the best of the best […] It used to be no sleep or so for 24 hours, sometimes even 48 hours.” —Dr. Li Evelyn Yang, mother of sophomore Sophie Zhou

Cat’s Out of the (Book) Bag

By THE FEATURES DEPARTMENT

What single item in a Stuyvesant student’s backpack (excluding phone, keys, wallet, and laptop) would they choose to bring to school if the rest of its contents were off-limits?

“My peanut butter sandwich. If all else fails, I’ll never go hungry.” —Zahin Mahmood, senior

“A folder—I have one mega folder with 10 compartments.”

“My graphing calculator, because I would go absolutely insane if I had to do any sort of math without [it]. It literally saves my life in chemistry and algebra.” —Vanessa Chen, sophomore

“I’d bring my pencil case because I can always ask people for paper. Asking for pencils is more annoying than asking for paper, in my opinion.” —Arianne Hinds, freshman

Leo

Schneiderman, sophomore

“My Play-Doh, because it’s a special memento from my middle school art teacher.” —Tiffany Qu, freshman

“My water bottle, because it’s important to stay hydrated.” —Yarza Aung, junior

“I would bring my special pen, because it’s cute and really motivates me to study at school.” —Lucia Liu, sophomore

“My AirPods, because I use [them] on my commute to and from school every day.” —Sophie Huang, freshman

“I would bring my own eraser to school every day because I would be able to borrow every other school supply, such as paper, pencils, laptops, et cetera. A good eraser is the one thing that you can’t easily borrow or find, because usually everyone only brings one eraser or an eraser that isn’t so good. I also make mistakes a lot.” —Sarah Zou, freshman

“I would bring my diary, since I love writing about things I see on a day-to-day basis and just journaling in general.” —Ayesha Talukder, sophomore

“My pencil case, since I always lose my pencils.” —Joseph Kim, junior

“My binder, because it has all my notes.” —Madison Zhan, sophomore

“I would bring my hair serum. Frizzy hair ruins my whole day, so calming down my hair with my serum calms my spirit as well. Honestly, I’d rather forget my notebooks than my hair serum. It’s like magic in a bottle and I swear by it.”

Tenzin Lhamo, senior

“My keychain! My friend gave it to me and it’s been dear to me ever since.” —Dylan Chin, junior

“I would definitely bring my multicolored pens because they help me take really good notes and I could just ask others for paper.” —Polina Maller, senior

“I would bring my lunchbox. If I can’t bring my phone, I might as well find joy in actually eating lunch.” —Leanna Lin, sophomore

“My folder with loose-leaf because I could use the loose-leaf for anything.” —Kirill Vesialou, junior

“Snacks, because I’m starving in school every day. If I don’t have my snacks, I’ll pass out.” —Priscilla Park, senior

“I would bring my iPad because you only specified no phone or computer, not my iPad.” — Rebekah Abraham, freshman

“My gum, because it gives me something to focus on, especially when I’m taking a stressful test.” —Anna Gittardi, junior

From

Sunrise

to

“My lunch bag, but before I go, I’m stuffing it with everything else. [It’s a] small bookbag.” anonymous, junior

“I would bring an umbrella because if it starts raining, I can’t borrow one from someone. Other school supplies like pens and pencils and paper, I can just ask someone or borrow one from school.” —Arpita Saha, junior

“Glasses. I do enjoy seeing.” —Jordan Leung, junior

Sunset:

The Lives of Muslim Students During Ramadan

By HIFZA KALEEM

For the vast majority of Mus

lims, Ramadan is the pinnacle of the year. Considered the holiest month of the Islamic calendar, its days are filled with lively religious celebrations and duties. Days begin with quick meals before sunrise and end with bustling sunset iftars surrounded by dozens of relatives. Nights are spent in packed mosques for hours of special prayers. As rewarding as these celebrations are, Ramadan can also contribute to exhaustion throughout the month—especially for Stuyvesant students with packed schedules.

Surprisingly, fasting in itself is not what drains Muslim students. Many Muslim students start fasting around the time they hit puberty, which is when this act (one of the five pillars of Islam) becomes mandatory.. Hence, they become conditioned to ignore cravings throughout the day. Sophomore Marzuk Rashid commented, “Maybe [it would affect me] when I was little, but nowadays, I have gotten used to it. The hunger kind of just fades away [...] I ignore it because I want to focus on anything besides it.”

For many Stuyvesant students, the real struggle comes with inconsistent sleep schedules. During Ramadan, students fast from sunrise to sunset, meaning that they must wake up to eat a small meal before sunrise. In addition, as the month progresses, the designated mealtime gets pulled back earlier and earlier and further wrecks consistent sleep schedules. Consequently, junior Sophia Dasser noted that

-

her sleeping habits can become sporadic during Ramadan. “I won’t sleep until 2:00 [or] 3:00 a.m., but then I’ll wake up at 5:00 [or] 6:00 a.m. Some nights, I don’t sleep at all,” Dasser explained. Though many students already go to bed late because of copious amounts of homework and studying, Ramadan can amplify those habits and make them more inconsistent.

This can also lead to lower energy levels throughout the school day. Sophomore Munem Tajwar noted that the days feel longer and more exhausting during Ramadan. “I do find myself losing focus and track of time in the second half of the day, especially after lunch. My brain is stimulated in the beginning of the day, and it’s easier to get through, but after lunch, I find myself a lot more tired then and not really able to focus as well in class,” Tajwar explained in an email interview. It is common for students to lose their steam as the day progresses, but lunch is typically their time to recuperate, something Muslim students lose during Ramadan.

Dasser echoed this sentiment, adding that extracurriculars can make days even more draining. The timing of Ramadan changes each year since the Islamic calendar is dependent on the moon, but this year, it coincides with the start of spring sports seasons, naturally impacting Muslim students’ athletic performances. “Ramadan is exactly in sync with lacrosse season, and I’m in lacrosse. Sometimes it is really tough because the sun will set and I’m still at a game, and I haven’t eaten all day,” Dasser explained. “I’ll just break my fast

wherever I am, and then I know that I probably won’t get home until 7:30 [or] 8:00 p.m., and I can eat then,” Dasser added. Students also struggle with prioritizing their families over school during Ramadan. “I don’t get home until 8:00 [to] 8:30 […] so it’s a struggle to unite with [my family],” Dasser said. “If I know that I don’t have a game but I have practice, maybe I can leave early and make sure I’ll make it for iftar […] I do make sacrifices to spend more time with family, and it’s definitely noticeable,” Dasser explained. As difficult as juggling Ramadan and academics can become, it can be intimidating to ask teachers for help. “Last year I was really scared to talk to teachers. I wish I had; maybe I wouldn’t have put myself under so much stress. [It’s okay to] tell them ‘I need an extension for this homework’ or ‘I’ll be up very late for religious reasons,’” Dasser said. Flexibility with schoolwork is important for Muslim students due to the month’s significance in Islam. Ramadan is seen as an opportunity to strengthen one’s spirituality, and it goes far beyond fasting; Muslims are expected to abstain from harmful deeds such as lying, gossiping, and fighting. Instead, they devote their time to acts of worship such as reading the Quran, praying, and donating to charity. Every second of Ramadan is precious, as it is an opportunity to better oneself. Senior Yusha Aziz explained, “Ramadan to me is definitely just a time when I’m able to work on myself more […] I tend to go to the gym [and] play outside.” Aziz added, “[For] every second I don’t use properly during Ra-

madan, I feel bad.”

Along the same lines, emphasis is placed on connecting with loved ones. To many Muslims, it is equally important to strengthen relationships during Ramadan as it is to grow as an individual. The month is filled with a sense of unity between Muslims, even in small ways. “To me, it’s about community and family […] Ramadan, usually, is when we are all praying together […] and even eating together. We see our friends, and there is a sense of community,” Rashid said.

This sense of community between Muslims often stems from shared experiences. Rashid mentioned that being surrounded by Muslim friends during Ramadan can ease the individual burden, as there is a sense of empathy. “You know, we’re all fasting; we’re all in the same boat. It’s nice to have that bond,” Rashid said. According to The Spectator’s October 2022 survey, 11.7 percent of the class of 2026 is composed of Muslim students. Similarly, a November 2021 survey found that 12.2 percent of the class of 2025 identified as Muslim. Muslim students feel the effects of a large Muslim student body, especially as they seek support from fellow classmates during this time.

These classmates do not have to be Muslim, of course. Dasser has observed compassion and understanding for a diverse range of religious practices throughout the student body. “I think what makes [Stuyvesant] so amazing is that everyone is super educated, and even people who are not go out of their way to educate themselves,” Dasser added. Cultural awareness allows students to feel

comfortable and safe within the school community.

However, because Ramadan brings so many additional responsibilities, it is important to stay on top of time management.

Junior Tasnim Ali said, “The best I can say, and the simplest, is avoid procrastination. It is not worth it, especially during Ramadan […] You have to go home [and get] refreshed for another day. Procrastination will only take [time away from that].”

Aziz reiterated this, suggesting that students use their time wisely, even if it feels difficult.

“If you have free time [and] you feel yourself [getting] super hungry or thirsty, just take the second to distract yourself. Do a math question or something,” Aziz said. “Make sure you don’t sit idle because if you do sit idle, [the hunger is] going to feel a lot [worse],” Aziz added.

Ramadan is a cornerstone of Muslim students’ lives, and despite its challenges, it is a period of celebration and gratitude. The month provides an opportunity for students to focus on something other than school; they can use Ramadan as a time to work on themselves, better their relationships with family, friends, and the broader Muslim community, and devote their time to deeds that bring joy to both themselves and others. Ultimately, Ramadan can be a month of reflection for both those who celebrate and those who do not—it teaches all of us about the importance of acceptance. Stuyvesant is a diverse community of individuals of all backgrounds; to flourish, it is critical that everyone is provided with support and understanding.

Too Early, Too Late, Never Just Right

With the Long Island Rail Road’s (LIRR) new train schedule, many Stuyvesant commuters are forced to choose between arriving at school 50 minutes before first period starts or 10 minutes after it begins—a LIRR schedule inconvenience that will not go away. Originally, many took the 7:02 a.m. express train, allowing them to reach school by 7:45 a.m. and leaving sufficient time to account for minor delays. However, the new schedule replaced this train with a 7:09 a.m. local service. Students taking the 7:09 a.m. train now reach Penn Station at 7:40 a.m. and are forced to sprint to and from subway stations just to make it through the ID scanners in time. This causes daily commute anxiety, and any minor delays make the commute much more difficult.

In order to catch the only Penn Station-bound train before then, students must wake up before 6:00 a.m., arriving at school by around 7:10 a.m., long before school doors open. Rather than waiting in the cold on the bridge, many students opt to crowd the nearby McDonald’s until 7:30 a.m. However, this is not only inconvenient for students, but is also discourteous to customers.

In addition, LIRR students attending extracurricular activities have trouble getting home at reasonable times. Though Bayside, the most common station for Stuyvesant students, has been added as an express stop on most evening trains, students are still subject to a sparse schedule. The majority of clubs at Stuyvesant end at 5:00 p.m., with students previously taking the 5:29 p.m. train home. With

By SARAH DIAZ

Ever since I was a child, my grandma would encourage me to explore my scientific curiosity. She would buy beef hearts for me to dissect and teach lessons in my elementary school classes about crabs or algae, and she would always have a rational explanation for any of my scientific dilemmas. My grandmother was a chemist. Throughout her career, she worked her way up in the face of rampant sexism to become one of the leaders in her field at a time when few women were even working. As much as I admire my grandmother for her many achievements, times have changed. Women are no longer underrepresented in STEM fields but are still facing rampant sexism and burnout. It’s time that we stop explicitly promoting high-intensity fields for women at the expense of their own energy, sanity, and often their true interests.

While women had been underrepresented in STEM fields in the past, that number is constantly changing, with rates of women and men entering the industry currently comparable. In 2017, 49 percent of bachelor’s degrees in science and engineering were awarded to women, as well as a majority of degrees in biology, psychology, and social science—62 percent, 78 percent, and 61 percent, respectively. However, women are not staying in these fields, which points to the root of the problem: they are burning out. On average, women in STEM fields are twice as likely to consider leaving their jobs compared to women in other fields (humanities, business, law, etc.), with 32 percent of respondents pointing to stress or burnout as the reason for their departure. Women are also less

the new schedule, students must either leave school at around 4:55 p.m. to catch the 5:10 p.m. train, or else get to Penn Station at around 5:20 p.m. and wait 30 minutes for the next train. Another option is to go through Grand Central. However, the trip from Stuyvesant to Grand Central takes around twice as long as that to Penn Station. At walking pace, students can expect to spend 13 minutes walking in Grand Central Terminal alone.

These schedule shifts result in students arriving home later, leading to greater stress. If a student takes the 6:32 a.m. train and the 5:55 p.m. train, the student would lose an hour that could have been spent on sleep, homework, studying, or personal activities. The new LIRR schedule has caused major inconveniences for residents all over New York City and Long Island.

Unfortunately, the Stuyvesant Transit and Urbanism Association has tried—and failed—to petition the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) to alter the LIRR’s morning schedule. For now, the MTA is set on this schedule. However, there are some changes that Stuyvesant could implement to improve students’ situations. Pushing the school start time from 8:00 a.m. to 8:10 a.m. would guarantee that all students could take the 7:09 a.m. train to Penn Station, making for a more comfortable and convenient commute. As a result of the schedule shift, students would end school at 3:45 p.m. rather than the current dismissal time of 3:35 p.m. The shifted end time would make no difference for LIRR commuters, who could take either the 4:16

The Spectator

The Stuyvesant High School Newspaper

p.m. express or the 4:22 p.m. local train from Penn Station. Since the majority of students who rely on scheduled transit to get home are LIRR commuters, these changes would have a negligible impact on other students and teachers. Altering the schedule seems arduous, but it is a viable solution that would positively impact a large portion of the student body.

Alternatively, the administration could open the building to students before 7:30 a.m. When there are cold temperatures or precipitation, students crowd local establishments, creating disorder within the community. Opening a designated area—like the cafeteria—for students in the morning would manage this chaos well. Most staff members enter the building before 7:30 a.m., so adult supervision would not be an issue; implementing this system would give students a safe place to wait for school to start.

When students are left to navigate LIRR scheduling conflicts on their own, chaos ensues. From desperate LIRR commuters submitting first period free requests to students frustrating teachers when they arrive 10 minutes late, this transportation nightmare needs to be addressed on a schoolwide scale. Changing the school schedule may seem like a stretch, but it is a simple change that does not inconvenience other commuters. If this is not possible, the Stuyvesant administration should at least open the building earlier so that students do not have to wait outside. Both of these doable fixes would greatly help a significant portion of Stuyvesant’s student body.

“The Pulse of the Student Body”

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Women Burning Out in STEM

likely to pursue higher education in STEM fields—while 37.4 percent of STEM bachelor degrees were earned by women in 2020, this decreased to 35.8 percent of master’s degrees and 34.4 percent of PhDs. This serves as yet another example of the effect of burnout on the retention of women in STEM. While burnout is not a problem unique to women, it is particularly prevalent among them. Women are less likely to be promoted than men but more likely to head single-parent families or take on unequal amounts of work-home responsibilities. In other words, women work twice as hard as men with nothing to show for it. As a result, even though women are entering the STEM workforce at around the same rates as men, they currently make up only 28 percent of the workplace in STEM careers, proving that they are systematically being driven out of these industries. Though it would be ideal to equalize leadership in STEM professions, the fact is that forcing women into a stagnantly sexist industry without taking action to reduce instances of burnout doesn’t actually address issues in the industry; rather, it leaves them jaded after years of working harder, longer, and more intensely than any of their male peers. In order to change the industry, it has to start from the top down. Companies need to begin prioritizing policies that protect the mental health of their employees as well as policies that remove promotion bias and allow women to succeed just as easily as men. Before that day, STEM careers cannot be explicitly targeted at women without fully disclosing the challenges and flaws of the industry. When STEM fields (or any high-intensity corporate fields) are

promoted, a new generation of people enters these careers, unaware of the potential challenges. And the media isn’t helping. When 8.5 million people tune in to season 18 of Grey’s Anatomy, or young girls are inspired by Legally Blonde to join a high-profile law firm, or Disney puts out a million-andone shows highlighting women in STEM, women are not being empowered; rather, they are being fed an illusion—one that is clearly working. Fifty-eight percent of people are inspired by some form of media to choose their job, indicating that even those who believe themselves to be going into STEM fields out of their own will are often still basing expectations of the industry off unrealistic depictions. The high levels of burnout in these industries clearly prove that this is a problem. If women disproportionately feel great stress in STEM industries, then these industries should not be overly promoted, as those entering these industries based on media portrayals are likely to burn out because of this false reality. The problem with these types of media isn’t that they don’t represent struggles—it’s that they don’t represent failure. The ultimate purpose of these movies or television shows is to promote the idea of “You can do anything!” but as blunt as it sounds, that’s just not always the case. When someone enters any competitive career, they should expect that their path will be difficult and be able to understand and accept failure.

Additionally, it’s important to show that there’s not only one way to be in a certain field and not only one job that can spark joy and excitement. It is inevitable that different careers be represented in media, but there should be a more

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nuanced depiction of the different types of careers and ways to pursue interests. In the example of law, television shows or movies should represent more women working at nonprofits or consulting, rather than working in criminal law or the frequently depicted law firm. Not only would this give women a better idea of the different paths their careers could take, but it would also be a more accurate depiction of the industry, as the average tenure at a law firm is only 5.4 years. Likewise, if companies want to promote STEM careers, they should promote all STEM fields, not only the ones that are high-profile or well-paying. The gender makeup for mechanics, for example, is only 4.5 percent female, so if the ultimate goal is creating representation, women should be encouraged to be car mechanics the same way they’re encouraged to be a doctor or chemist.

Likewise, students should understand that even careers that are not necessarily the most wellpaying or popular should still be considered if they would be the most fulfilling. English majors, for example, have been constantly ridiculed, leading many students to choose the standard STEM pathway rather than the literature classes their hearts truly desire. Justin Kovach, for example, a student at Arizona State University, “loved to write and always had.” Kovach was obsessed with literature, easily getting through enormous classics. And yet, due to financial pressure, he chose to major in computer science, then math, then astrophysics, none of which brought him as much fulfillment as majoring in English could have. For anyone facing the same dilemma, I beg of you: choose the English major.

Choose the path that makes you the happiest because success is never guaranteed.

Kovach’s case thus brings up another issue: that of monetary influence. Millions of parents encourage their children to enter STEM fields—because if we’re being honest, the pay is better—but they fail to recognize that money itself cannot bring fulfillment, and solely entering a career path will not necessarily breed success. Had Kovach only studied English, he would’ve not only found a career that he enjoyed, but he also would undoubtedly be more successful than whatever resulted from his jumping from STEM major to STEM major. Had the thousands of women who left their jobs due to burnout only found a more supportive work environment, they would have found more success and fulfillment. Currently, financial stability will always be important, but it most definitely will not come from forcing yourself into a career in which you don’t have the energy, drive, or interest to reap that success.

When I was younger, I used to always listen to the album Free to Be You and Me to fall asleep. This album was a ‘70s staple and preached the message of becoming whoever you want to be. In this vein, you can be a “rancher or poetry maker, [a] doctor or teacher, or cleaner or baker.” You can “drive taxis, or sing on TV.” You can pursue a STEM career, but that doesn’t mean that it won’t be difficult or that it’s necessarily the right choice for you, and it certainly doesn’t mean we need STEM and other high-intensity industries to be so popularized today. You can “be almost anything [you] want to be,” but take the time for yourself to figure out what that exactly is.

The Biracial Identity Crisis

By SAOREACE JOHNSON

When I was young, my grandparents would drag me to Burmese and Chinese temples. I never understood the syllables coming out of their mouths, and I hated the way Burmese made their jaws curve while speaking. I hated when my grandparents would make me show off my limited Chinese. Everyone was impressed that the “white girl” could speak a language that did not belong to her. Half of my race was my entire identity; I was nothing more than my father’s ethnicity. I also remember the Christian gatherings I attended in Madison, Connecticut. From the moment my family stepped into my paternal grandparents’ house, I felt unwelcome. Thousands of eyes would follow us as if we were “exotic.” Even at church, a place of sanctuary and where my grandfather was the minister, visitors questioned why my Asian mother was there. In Madison, we were nothing more than a source of entertainment:

By LENNY METLITSKY

Cars are dirty. And loud. Like really dirty and loud. From noise pollution to the emission of greenhouse gasses to the destruction of our cities, cars are major contributors to many of the problems that America faces. Yet year after year, cities build more car-dependent infrastructure, exacerbating existing issues. It’s time for America to fix the loud and dirty mistakes of its past and invest in cities with national infrastructure as its priority, not cars.

We all learn that cars emit carbon dioxide, yet they also emit a plethora of other lesserknown pollutants. High-temperature combustion within the engine of an automobile emits nitrous oxides and particulate matter. The seas of asphalt called parking lots sit empty for significant portions of time and are often overbuilt, while asphalt production emits large quantities of greenhouse gasses. Nitrous oxide often forms photochemical smog, which irritates the eyes and lungs. But if you live in a car-infected urban sprawl wasteland known as Los Angeles, you already know that. Likewise, cars create significant noise pollution. When you walk outside in any city, especially in America, one of the few things one can hear is the overpowering noise from cars. Long-term exposure to loud urban environments created by cars contributes to higher stress levels in hundreds of millions of people and contributes to higher risks of heart disease. Many people seek vacations in nature for an escape from city life, but what they’re really seeking is an escape from the landscape of loud, polluting automobiles taking over the urban landscape.

During the 1940s and 1950s, America became addicted to the automobile. Between milliondollar exhibits at the World’s fair to daily newspaper adver-

the Asian family that didn’t belong.

I have always felt more connected to my mother’s family because of how often I visit them, but cultural expectations are still imposed on me from both sides. My Burmese and Chinese relatives value education and respect for religion, but they don’t expect the same from me as a mixed child. On the other hand, my European grandfather has devoted his life to God and to helping people in his community, but I can hear his veiled disappointment in me when he talks about Confirmation and praises my Christian cousins.

Because of these expectations, I often feel pushed to be perfect. When I visit my European grandparents, I try harder than any of my cousins to make

sure that my appearance, attitude, and personality are more social and outspoken. I have to wear a smile on my face that makes my mouth itch; I need to wear respectful clothes so I show my grandparents that I value them. I remember while visiting them one year, I wanted to wear an oversized sweater and shorts because of the warm weather, but my father demanded I change because I wasn’t showing them the same level of “respect” that he and his parents deserved. I never understood why each of my other cousins could wear their own styles of clothing, but I was robbed of my choice. When I’m around the Asian side of my family, I make sure to smile and show off my accomplishments to further the envy that often circulates in my Asian

family. Everyone constantly brags about their children in an effort to prove that they are superior. The constant pressure to impress them has made me selfconscious about my body image.

When I first started to panic about eating certain foods and not exercising enough, it was because of a fear that my family would dislike my appearance. I felt constantly burnt out and exhausted because of how desperately I tried to make everyone proud of me. My white relatives wanted me to look presentable so they wouldn’t have to shy away whenever we were seen together. Similarly, my Asian grandparents have always loved and supported me, but their culture unfairly values being skinny and tall. I felt that if I changed my body image to fit these standards, they could love me more. As a young child, I defied those expectations, but as I grew through middle school, I felt that if I didn’t move my body and control everything I ate, I would immediately disappoint my grandparents.

Yet as I’ve grown, I have re-

Cars Are The Cancer of America

tisements, the American dream shifted towards single-family detached houses and a new Cadillac in every driveway. Public transport went from being central to every neighborhood to being underfunded and, at best, an afterthought. The government began to create laws that promoted car dependency, such as criminalizing jaywalking. Our streets used to look far different, void of zebra crossings and with people crossing the street anywhere and at any time they pleased. However, those same automotive groups lobbied and bribed state legislatures into making jaywalking illegal, which was one of the first steps in the pro motion of car dependency. The crimi nalization of simply walking is a clear repre senta tion of the systemic move ment to ward a car-depen dent Amer ica.

part of the move to car dependency was the construction of mass highway projects at the expense of underprivi leged communities. During and after the Jim Crow era, racist politicians pushed for highway projects to cut straight through black and impoverished neighborhoods. For example, the Cross Bronx Expressway (I-95) once had thousands of homes in its path, and when the people in these homes protested its imminent construction, those critics were effectively silenced, and their homes were bulldozed and displaced. Not only did these

projects destroy communities, but highways have also been proven to significantly increase the risk of asthma for the communities that live around and even under the highway, further demonstrating the negative impact cars have had on America’s underprivileged communities.

Many of today’s social issues are caused by car dependency. Living anywhere outside of the few places in America with (me

infrastructure that limits our transportation options and cuts out a significant portion of our paychecks, which is against the original American values and freedoms we try to preserve.

Compared to the rest of the world, American cities are laughing-stocks. A major issue with fixing our cities are zoning laws. Much of our land is “zoned” for bland single-family housing or low-rise development, which are not dense or commercially productive. When there is significant demand for mixed-use development, it’s illegal to build anything else. Our terrible zoning laws are accompanied with huge parking lot minimums.

In Los Angeles and other cardependent cities, parking occupies more land than housing itself, making it no wonder we have a housing crisis.

alized that my family will accept me despite my being biracial. Despite my insecurities, my family noticed that I was starving myself and picked up on the little details. They eased my recovery and constantly reassured me that they didn’t care what I looked like or what I chose to wear but rather valued me as an individual. My family has shown me the joys of both cultures and allowed me to be the union of two opposing views. I have found ways to appreciate the view of different cultures and realize the universal values of respect, appreciation, and empathy are repeated on both sides.

Many people experience this tear between different races, views, and values. One does not even have to be biracial to experience this; the feeling of being pulled from two sides and the pressure to please both is universal. But no one should have to change who they are to impress the people they respect. People should celebrate the overlap between ideas and appreciate being surrounded by different values.

For example, Arlington, Texas, a sprawling suburban city with a population of over 400,000 people, doesn’t have any transit at all. In more developed countries, there are cities with 200,000 people that have full tram networks. Many of the counties that do have some transit often have poorly run bus services with infrequent service (usually 30-minute headways), underreaching routes, and a terrible rider experience. The terrible experience of riding the little transit that America does have only perpetuates this problem further. Instead of mediocre bus networks, expensive underutilized subway projects, or nothing at all, America could have cities with less traffic and pollution, quicker commute times, and more economically productive neighborhoods.

tals about 10 grand a year. Per sonally, I would prefer to not spend a significant portion of my income on a two-ton machine just to worry about the price of gas and give little children asthma when I travel to the grocery store. The vast majority of neighborhoods in the U.S. are rural or suburban and thus do not allow choices for mobility besides cars. We promote

While it’s common to see parking maximums in other parts of the world, like Europe and Asia, common North American guidelines end up forcing buildings to allocate land for parking lots of three to four times the size of the building itself. Generally, the working class of America wants more efficient land use and mixed-use development, which should ease up the deadly grasp of our self-imposed housing crisis spurred by the addiction to the automobile. While cars are currently the vehicle of choice in our status quo, the lack of effective public transport only worsens this problem. Most American cities have little to no rapid transit.

We have a long journey (not road) ahead to make our cities desirable, healthy, and more connected. The United States and all of North America need to enact significant changes to our transportation network and ways of life. Public transport, when built properly, is not only much cheaper than building endless sprawl of infrastructure, but also it is orders of magnitude superior, both in terms of moving capacity and sustainability. Urgent investment and repair are needed for our current public transportation, including the expansion and creation of new networks that are effective at moving people to destinations they actually want to go. Improving and developing public transportation to the level of Europe and Asia (or beyond) will see the end of our lives being filled with: driving, greenhouse gas emissions, noise pollution, dangerous commuting, sitting in traffic for hours, forcibly spending our money, and wasting our land by paving it with endless seas of asphalt. Cars are a dirty, loud mistake of our past, but it’s time for us to be loud and reverse car dependency.

Half of my race was my entire identity; I was nothing more than my father’s ethnicity.

Muslim Girls Against CoEd Swim Gym

By SOPHIA DASSER

With the relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions, this school year marks the renewal of a mandatory swimming class for sophomores. However, since this past term, the girls-only swim gym classes are no longer being offered. This decision was made without any further announcement or discussion with students about its implementation and impact. As a matter of fact, other than the sophomores enrolled in swim classes, most students are unaware of the change. In particular, Muslim students have been unfairly excluded from the discussion. Muslim girls now must choose between earning a Stuyvesant diploma or sacrificing their modesty in order to take one of the co-ed swim gym classes.

According to Assistant Principal of School Safety & Security & Physical Education

Brian Moran, the girls’ swim gym was removed because “it created a major issue, mostly with programming,” Moran said. As more girls requested it at Stuyvesant, there had to be more sections, and this clashed with programming, as Physical Education classes must be in agreement with science classes.

Moran found that the administration was unable to differentiate between those who needed the class and those who simply wanted it. Moran recommended that only students who absolutely need the class should request it in order to make sure that Stuyvesant isn’t overloaded with Girls Only Swim Gym sections.

Moran also mentioned a vetting process he had been thinking about, namely requesting a note from religious leaders in order to be verified that you need a girlsonly swim gym.

Currently, however, there is no solution for girls already put in co-ed swim gym. For example, sophomore Zarrin Ahmed could not be transferred out of the class like most hijabis and found it incredibly difficult to switch out or find an alterna-

By USHOSHI DAS

I am in the middle of taking notes for my algebra class. Suddenly, my teacher asks me, “What is the sine of 675 degrees?” I freeze; I should know the answer, but right now, I can’t even remember how to approach the question. This isn’t uncommon. In fact, it’s an animal response, similar to how a deer freezes when it is caught in headlights. Cold calling does not test whether or not a student is paying attention. Instead, it puts unnecessary pressure on the student that may even lead to additional stress and poor mental health. In my experience, cold calling makes the classroom feel unwelcoming and judgmental.

According to Harvard Business Publishing Editing, cold calling is an “art.” It has three key objectives, one of which is to “establish and reinforce high [student] expectations.” In reality, it is just a tactic to catch students off guard. While some-

tive. In the fall semester, she was placed in a co-ed swim gym class, and her counselor was able to transfer her to another gym class. However, no such solution was available this semester. Now, she currently has to attend a coed swim gym where the only solution is to wear a full-body bathing suit as recommended by her swim instructor. To be clear, most Muslim girls, including myself, find full-length bathing suits immodest despite their intention. It’s wrong to make decisions for Muslim girls without our input about such alternatives. As a matter of fact, when speaking to Moran about the fault in that decision, he wasn’t even aware that Muslim girls feel that way about full-length swimsuits. This shows the importance of having a Muslim woman or student at the table when making these kinds of decisions. Despite programming difficulties, student safety and comfort should come first.

Girls’ swim gym has been a solace for Muslim girls and any girls at Stuyvesant who feel uncomfortable with the co-ed option. The dismissal of the class is a blatant disregard of the faith of a large percentage of the student body and is disheartening to see at a school meant to respect diversity. Unfortunately, alternatives are not promising. Swim and physical education teacher

Anetta Luczak only offers students in this restricted situation the option to wear alternative swim clothing, according to students in her class. However, this measure is still not adequate. Many hijabis, including myself, do not go to the beach or mixed swimming areas despite the availability of modest swimwear because it’s often not modest enough, especially after swimming. For Stuyvesant’s administration to assume that alternate clothing is a sufficient solution to the problem is irresponsible. It forces the choice of those who don’t fully understand the implications of their decision on students who are left helpless to choose between their faith or

their Stuyvesant diploma.

Muslim girls who are forced to take the co-ed swim gym this semester share the discomfort and enragement that I feel as well. An anonymous student who felt especially affected by being placed in the class shared her confusion about why the class was suddenly dismissed. “I

dropped it, [I] wouldn’t be able to get the Stuy-endorsed diploma anymore, meaning [my] class options/requirements would be much more limited,” she said. She continued co-ed swim gym despite the fact that she felt that her bathing suit was form-fitting in an effort to make sure she could take the academic classes

Joey Chen / The Spectator

of trying to transfer out of the class. At first, there was pushback from the programming office and administration when she pleaded her case. But after involving her parents, a transfer was available, and she was able to switch classes. However, Tamiyyah is still unsure what the transfer means about her future at Stuyvesant and whether or not getting a Stuyvesant Diploma is completely out of the picture.

Muslim girls haven’t been quiet about their struggle with programming and girls’ swim gym. Guidance counselor Angel Colon explained that many girls have come to him sharing their grievances about the class, and the best he could do for them was transfer them out of the class. Most girls who come to him complain about “the religious acknowledgement” that they expected Stuyvesant administration to possess and were put off by the fact that the class was no longer offered, Colon said. This is where the problem lies. Having the administration acknowledge that this is a struggle intertwined with religious inclusivity is essential if we want change.

went to my guidance counselor, and she told me that Moran told her that Stuy wasn’t offering girls’ swim gym anymore, but he didn’t explain why or if it was ever coming back in the future. The solution my guidance counselor gave me was to wear a modest bathing suit,” the anonymous student said. She told her counselor about how other students have been able to drop the class, but it didn’t matter. “This wasn’t possible. If [I]

she wanted in the future. It’s extremely saddening that this student had to make that decision between her own comfort and her schooling, and it’s wrong to put students in a situation where they have to make that kind of decision.

Fortunately, some girls were able to switch out of co-ed swim gym after some drastic measures. Sophomore Tamiyyah Shafiq, a hijabi at Stuyvesant, explained her experience

Freeze Cold Calling

times this can produce a very genuine response, students often feel threatened by such high expectations. When there is a definitive answer to a question (e.g. math), it can be especially embarrassing for a student if they have to admit to the entire class that they do not know an answer. In open-ended discussions, there is greater pressure to sound “smart” and analytical. In essence, cold calling serves as a punishment for being confused.

Harvard Business also highlights the three steps to cold calling effectively:

1. Choose a “cold call candidate.”

2. “How cold?” (The teacher must decide whether they will call on the student with no notice, known as the coldest form, or with the chance to think about the question, known as a warm call.)

3. Decide how long you will continue discussing the question with that particular student.

While some teachers use

cold calling to encourage participation and paying attention, that doesn’t mean it is beneficial. In practice, teachers often choose the same student over and over again, which can make the student feel incompetent or targeted. Sometimes, it may even feel as if they are struggling more than others because of the attention the teacher is giving them. Singling out a particular student can make them feel insecure and resent being in the class. However, I understand that every student responds to cold calling differently. Some studies show that cold calling can help students learn to take risks. Speaking for myself, being cold called on constantly has made me overthink even the simplest of answers. Before, I never felt the need to worry about answering incorrectly, but now I am much more self-conscious about my answers. In addition, studies indicate that there may be biases that are not easily predictable. Stud-

ies seem to suggest that female students volunteer more answers when the instructor is female. Likewise, male students are more comfortable answering male teachers, and in general, studies have consistently demonstrated that males are much more confident in public speaking. This is not to say that classes and instructors should be gender-segregated but rather that there may be deep-rooted predispositions at work when a student always stumbles in a certain teacher’s class, and this may have nothing to do with whether or not they are paying attention. Teachers should shift away from absolute cold calling. Instead, they should pose a question and give students time to prepare an answer (known as warm calling) before choosing a respondent. To make the classroom a more comfortable place to learn, teachers should privately ask the student if they want to participate before calling on them in front of the entire class.

A call to action is crucial. Whether you are one of the demographics affected by this change or not, I implore you to reach out to Principal Yu and other administrators to call for change about this decision. Even if you are an upperclassman who does not have to take Swim Gym or took it many years ago, your voice still matters in this situation. Together, we can make an impact that will continue to benefit Muslim girls for many years to come. The girls-only swim gym cohort is not a frivolous accommodation for Muslim girls but rather a necessity. If we are expected to take Swim Gym to earn our diplomas, it is an administrative responsibility to make sure that requirement can be met by everyone, and it’s up to us to make sure that this school is as inclusive to its students as possible.

This gives them the opportunity to begin formulating an answer without being under pressure. Calling on students who have not volunteered is an unreliable way to gauge whether or not students are paying attention and need additional help on a topic. To check whether or not students are paying attention, teachers can review student notes and ask them to submit a little bit of writing about what they are thinking. Students should not be punished for being confused or anxious about responding in front of the entire class.

Continuing a discussion after a student responds to the question is not an issue. The important thing is for the student to feel comfortable. Pressure can negatively impact how well a student learns. Schools such as Stuyvesant, which already has high-pressure classes, need to focus on making the classroom feel more inviting to ensure that students can learn better.

By ELIZABETH KOLBASKO

Greta Thunberg has become the icon of Gen Z and saving the environment. While she is usually in the news protesting for environmentally friendly products and laws, in a seemingly crazy turn of events, she protested against wind turbines, a clean energy source replacing harmful fossil fuels. Thunberg and protestors from the indigenous Sámi people stood outside Norwegian government buildings in Oslo because the wind farms in the Fosen region in Central Norway threaten their centuries-old tradition of reindeer herding. This places the relationship between corporate interests and human rights under a new lens. These companies do not establish wind farms for the betterment of the world; it’s all

Environmental Exploitation

about the money. Consumerism disproportionately affects the environment’s impact on marginalized people, such as the Sámi. Peter Wenz, a professor of philosophy at the University of Illinois, details that the capitalist market fuels the use of desirable land for profit, leaving undesirable land uses—such as factories, landfills, incinerators, refineries, and chemical plants that harm the health of citizens— for lower-income communities.

The Norwegian government has attempted to protect people from this, such as after the Industrial Revolution, when peasants were living and working in horrible conditions. An October 2021 Norwegian Supreme Court ruling was supposed to protect them, but it has since been violated and only recently acknowledged by

By AMARYLLIS SUN

Global Conflicts is the seventh unit in my AP World History class. Communist revolutions, new warfare technology, and both world wars are included in the seemingly endless unit. As my class navigated World War I and II, my teacher constantly emphasized the importance of discussing stories that were not necessarily part of our curriculum. Discussing the rights and wrongs of countries in history, including our own, is necessary for students around the world to understand why presenting the truth is crucial.

Just before midwinter vacation, we learned about the Armenian genocide that had happened during World War I, which prior to taking this class, I had not known about. The week we came back, we learned about the Nanjing Massacre in China and the comfort women in Korea during World War II, topics that deeply resonated with me as an Asian-American woman. Though international war laws have been passed to prevent atrocities like these from ever tak ing place again, a few countries to this day still do not recognize or apologize for their actions dur ing the war. Despite the effort of governments to erase uncomfort able truths from history books and deny the statistics, the past cannot simply be brushed away. place from 1915 to 1916, but ten sions lasted much longer after ward. The Ottoman Empire was suspicious of its Armenian civil ians as they worried that the signif icant Armenian population might side with Russia. The Ottoman Empire decided to execute the ma jority of its Armenian population. This systematic genocide forced 1.5 million Armenians into death marches, where they walked end

the Norwegian Prime Minister. The effects of consumerism-fueled markets impact our modern-day lifestyle as well as greenwashing, which is the use of advertising or marketing to deceptively persuade the public that an organization’s products (such as H&M’s claim that its clothes were made with “at least 50 percent sustainable materials” when they were actually made of unsustainable polyester), aims, and policies are environmentally friendly. Some other infamous examples include Volkswagen completely fabricating their cars’ fuel efficiency and Walmart and Kohl’s taking a page from H&M’s book by claiming their rayon textiles were made of environmentallyfriendly bamboo. This is one of the most prominent effects of the rise of environmental conscious-

ness, and companies profit from that. When 1,000 U.S. adults were interviewed this year, it revealed that two-thirds are willing to pay more for sustainable products. Not only is greenwashing another attempt to exploit consumerism to favor the political and social climate, but it is also hard to discern which companies are truthful.

Though the Federal Trade Commission has taken action against 21 companies in the U.S. for using misleading environmental marketing, and the Securities and Exchange Commission has proposed two new regulations to regulate greenwashing in investment banking, these types of regulations need to be efficient and discourage companies from greenwashing. Consumers can try to cut down on their environmentally harmful habits by reducing

The Past is Now the Present

death by exposure, were shot by execution squads, or were sexually assaulted by the Ottoman military.

Following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire after World War I, the land became known as Turkey.

However, despite the numerous crimes committed against the Armenian people, the Turkish government still refuses to recognize the event as a genocide and instead places blame on outside factors to account for Armenian deaths. On the official Republic of Turkey Ministry of Foreign Affairs website, the ministry explicitly states that “the Armenian deaths do not constitute genocide” and argues that instead, the deaths were “complicated by disease, famine, and many other of war’s privations.”

Furthermore, the Turkish government deflects blame by insisting that the genocide occurred under the rule of the Ottoman Empire and not the Turkish government, exonerating the Turkish government from their violent past. They refuse to admit that their government committed violent acts which laid Turkey’s foundation. Until just two years ago, the Unit

maintain good relationships with the Turkish government. When a global superpower chooses to prioritize military alliance over acknowledging millions of victims, this encourages the warping of history. The U.S. chose to prioritize its economic and militaristic wellbeing in international conflicts over helping non-Americans, a policy that has been demonstrated to be true time and time again, from its neutrality in World War I to its appeasement policy during Hitler’s reign. President Biden finally recognized the Armenian Genocide on April 24, 2021, by issuing a press statement on Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day. Though strides are being made to acknowledge the victims, progress still needs to be made.

Many Turkish citizens and students side with the Turkish government, believing that the Armenian genocide did not occur, likely due to the biased history fed to children in school. Since it was only acknowledged as a genocide two years ago, it has consequently only been taught as a genocide recently, and students who have al ready graduated likely do not know

Furthermore, America also teaches biased history in regards to ery and racism, the blame

ing us appear less ever, America still participated atlantic slave trade and set up concentration anese-American citizens during World War II. To this day, systemic racism still unjustly affects people of dents know about the destruction that resulted when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor,

but few also discuss the aftermath of the two atomic bombs from the U.S. that were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The U.S. tries to downplay its wrongdoings and make it seem as if all its problems were in the past, making it just as guilty as other governments that deny the existence of genocides.

I was not alone in my lack of knowledge about the Armenian genocide; several other students were in the same boat as me. This topic is clearly sensitive, and educators are constantly debating the appropriate age for kids to learn this history. However, history entails disclosing violent pasts, even if it is uncomfortable. Kids are extremely intelligent; they know about life and death from a young age. All kids in New York City learn about 9/11 in elementary and middle school and hear about the crimes Christopher Columbus committed when he “discovered” America. Though massacres do not have to be discussed in extreme detail in elementary school, schools around the world should teach the Armenian genocide in an unbiased manner that gives students the perspective of both sides of the argument instead of forcing one belief upon them.

During World War II, Japan fought for dominance in East Asia as its European allies attempted to control Europe. Japan believed that it was superior to the other East Asian countries and that it should be the one to unify Asia.

In the Second Sino-Japanese War of 1937, Japan invaded China and occupied the capital of Nanjing. Over a six-week span, Japanese soldiers bombed, burned, slaughtered, and raped Chinese citizens. To this day, the exact number of casualties is still debated, but the rough estimate is between 200,000 and 300,000. Just like Turkey, Japan denies the occurrence of these violent events. Japanese government officials formally denied the Nanjing massacre in 1990, calling it a lie. Several Japanese historians and nationalists acknowledge the massacre but argue that death tolls were actually much lower, around 20,000 instead of 200,000. Today, there are still heavy tensions between China and Japan as a result of their bloody and dark history.

According to the Pew Research Center, only 11 percent of the Japanese express a favorable opinion toward the Chinese, and 14 percent of the Chinese express a favorable opinion toward the Japanese. Considering the significant power of both countries, their uneasy rela-

water usage, and transferring to clean energy. As Ellis Jones, a sociologist who studies greenwashing at the College of the Holy Cross, says, “When in doubt, go smaller, local, and independent.” However, it should not be up to the consumers to protect themselves from exploitative companies and marketing—that should be the government’s moral responsibility. Specifically, a great example is the European Union’s Unfair Commercial Practices Directive, which legally requires companies to back up any and all sustainability claims with true data. This can make companies reevaluate the pros and cons of making misleading marketing decisions. After all, if it’s cutting into their profits, stakeholders get angry, and the companies are forced to stop.

tions could prove to be a future conflict.

Meanwhile, in Korea, Japanese soldiers occupied the farmland and labor industry, transforming Korea into Japanese territory. The Japanese Imperial Army forced and falsely led up to 200,000 Korean women and girls into sexual slavery, forcing them to work at comfort stations as comfort women to have sex with dozens of Japanese soldiers every day. The living conditions were horrible, and the survivors today experience immense post-traumatic stress as a result. Lee Ok-sun, a 91-year-old bedridden woman, expressed, “I just wish I could live at peace for one single day.” Japan acknowledged the comfort women of Korea through their 2015 deal with South Korea. Tokyo issued an official apology and provided ¥1 billion, roughly $9.3 million, to a charity that supports comfort women victims; however, South Korea backed out of the deal after some victims were neglected. Despite this war happening almost a century ago, the generational trauma of many is too considerable to forgive and forget.

The Nanjing Massacre is taught briefly in Japanese schools, with just one sentence stating that it occurred. In China, the situation is much different. Students learn extensively from elementary school about the Rape of Nanjing, sex trafficking, and the hundreds of thousands that were killed. For China and South Korea, the past violations of their country are too important to ignore by not discussing them explicitly. The lack of acknowledgment and apology from Japan, one of the most powerful countries in the world, still influences international relationships today. Both China and South Korea have been feuding against Japan for decades and will probably continue to feud for decades into the future if proper change does not occur.

At the beginning of the school year, my teacher asked us, “Why is it important for us to learn the true history, and what does true history mean?” There is a purpose for history being taught in schools: to provide a wider outlook for the next generation and prevent the same events from ever occurring. Discontinuing the cycle of ignorance by providing future generations with the whole truth and advocating for current generations to unlearn the biases they were fed can have a larger impact on global relations and the ethics of governments around the world.

Tina Siu / The Spectator

SCIENCEBEAT

James Webb: Unlocking Our Universe’s Past

By MICHELLE NG

Chirp chirp. The sound of crickets rings in your ears as you lie in the tall summer grass, gazing up at the starry night sky. Your eyes trace the stars until they land on the bright moon. You cannot help but wonder how these celestial bodies were formed. We have plenty of information dating back to the start of human evolution but not to the origins of our universe. To dive deeper into the formation of the first stars and galaxies, we must use specially designed instruments made to peer far into orbit; the James Webb Space Telescope does just that.

The second administrator of NASA, James Edwin Webb, sought to advance human space flight to improve the nation’s aerospace industry, dreaming of Americans in space. Webb’s focus on using robotic spacecraft to conduct research led to success in human space travel and celestial discoveries. During Webb’s time at NASA, 75 space missions, including the Apollo program— the program where Americans set foot on the moon—explored the mysteries of outer space. In 1965, these missions inspired Webb’s idea of a major space telescope that could reach farther into the universe than what was previously possible. Following his

By ERICA WONG

Along with the warm sun shining in your face, the wind tussling your hair, you inhale the smell of…car exhaust? Yet, you are not concerned because you live in New York City, where air pollution is as common as seeing planes in the sky. You move on with your day, running to school, strolling through the city, getting your lunch. However, as you continue to inhale and exhale pollution, there is a possibility that this smoke could cause massive, detrimental effects on the brain, one of the most vital organs in the human body.

The brain is composed of interconnected neurons and glial cells that send and relay signals, like a computer program that takes the information in the search bar and returns numerous results. When the brain is active, it controls, processes, and interprets these signals to connect the rest of the body with the nervous system, helping to maintain bodily functions. When it is inactive, the brain is unable to interpret these signals, and thus cannot transfer them to the rest of the body. The brain’s functions are vital, and air contamination, especially from car exhaust, can severely limit its performance.

Exhaust consists of organic compounds, metals, and ambient particulate matter, a complex mixture of solid and liquid particles in the air. Inhaled ambient particles can enter the nervous system through the olfactory nerve or nasal nerve cavities, and induce inflammatory responses in the brain. These responses can cause tissue damage and neurodegeneration, affecting the signaling pathways

retirement, Webb’s ideas came to life when NASA produced the Hubble Space Telescope: a large, space-based observatory used to observe distant stars, galaxies, and planets. As Webb’s leadership and proposals laid the foundation for astronomical discoveries, former NASA administrator Sean O’Keefe finds it fitting that the Next Generation Space Telescope is named after him.

Expanding upon the discoveries made by the Hubble Space Telescope, the Webb telescope aims to observe planetary atmospheres—an envelope of gasses surrounding planets. With the infrared wavelengths it can observe, the telescope can identify important molecules, ices, and minerals at or beyond the orbit of our solar system, which was previously impossible. These observations are significant because by looking at ice, we can study eroded parts of many planets. Uranus and Neptune, for example, contain water, ammonia, and methane, which are icy, whilst other planets may have volcanic-like geysers that erupt ice.

By using infrared waves, the Webb telescope can illustrate the formation of planetary systems inside opaque nebulas—dust and gas clouds formed by the explosion of dying stars—which posed problems for past telescopes. In-

frared waves are not visible to the human eye and many celestial bodies are too faint to be detected in visible light. As the telescope looks farther into the universe, ultraviolet and visible light is emitted toward red wavelengths, causing the visible light to become red-shifted. To address this, a Near Infrared Camera (NIRCam) is used to interpret the infrared wavelength at its appropriate range, which is 0.6 to five microns. The NIRCam is necessary for looking at the formation of the earliest stars, populations of stars in nearby galaxies, and Kuiper belt objects—icy bodies beyond the orbit of Neptune. It works by using coronagraphs, which are instruments that block brighter objects’ light to make it possible to view dimmer objects nearby.

The telescope has three curved mirrors and hexagonal, segmented mirrors, resulting in six-fold symmetry. This specific mirror arrangement is essential to capture faint light from the first star-forming regions. The mirrors are capable of folding and unfolding, which allows for the telescope to fit into a rocket and expand after launch. As the instruments and telescope must be stored at cold temperatures—about 40 degrees above absolute zero—a protective sun

shield blocks the inner solar system from view. It is composed of five extremely thin layers of insulating film called Kapton, with each successive layer cooler than the one below. Taking into account the unpredictable asteroids within space, the Webb telescope has also been designed to survive any impact from celestial bodies. For example, on space flights, the machine uses cryogenic beryllium mirrors, which are mirrors made of the relatively rare metal beryllium. The beryllium in the telescope is a fine powder of high quality, which helps the instrument hold its shape in a range of cryogenic temperatures—-150˚C to absolute zero. With these mirrors, if the telescope makes contact with micrometeoroids— small rock particles in outer space—the effects are negligible.

Last year, the Webb telescope discovered six rapidly growing galaxies born unexpectedly soon after the Big Bang. These observations challenge initial theories and cosmological models of the origins of our universe, as they indicate that matter has been moving and expanding much faster than we have ever thought.

Associate Professor Ivo Labbe at Australia’s Swinburne University of Technology estimates that the galaxies would have had to grow around 20 times faster

The Congested Brain

within the brain. Specifically, a recent study published by Environment Health examines the damaging effects of air pollution on the parts of our brains that allow us to think.

In this experiment, each participant was exposed to 300 micrograms (µg) of diesel and controlled filter air, almost half

require more oxygen than inactive ones. fMRI has a plethora of different sub-methods to determine brain activation, but this experiment utilized the brain functional connectivity process.

Brain functional connectivity is a statistical association that determines the electrical wave pattern emitted by specific activated

two hours of exposure in both the control and experimental groups. In individuals exposed to diesel exhaust, post-exposure measurements contained lower oxygen levels compared to preexposure data. In individuals exposed to clean air, oxygen levels were the same pre- and post-exposure. These results concluded

A new gene-editing tool called “prime editing” has been developed using CRISPR technology. Its ability to precisely edit DNA without splitting it opens up new possibilities for the treatment of genetic diseases.

Scientists have recently discovered an unknown state of matter, known as “liquid glass,” which behaves like a solid and can be used to develop new types of glass.

NASA’s Mars rover, Perseverance, has successfully collected the first rock samples from the planet’s surface, some of which indicate signs of life.

than the Milky Way, at a rate of approximately 35,000 km/hr. Many scientists are working to find alternative explanations for this phenomenon, one of which being that the clumping of dark matter and energy is responsible for these galaxies. As demonstrated by the Webb telescope, the vastness of space and the mysteries of the universe have yet to be fully discovered. But as scientists continue to engineer and improve technological tools, we will slowly unlock the secrets of the cosmos.

the signals from the brain can be transmitted throughout the nervous system. On the other hand, altered DMN connectivity indicates the waves do not have the same frequency, and there is no correlation between the activity of neurons within set parts of the brain and the body. Essentially, altered DMN connectivity shows that the brain sections associated with particular signals do not conduct them to the rest of the body

Disruptions within these systems can cause autism, depression, and bipolar disorder, a diverse range of neurological conditions where the brain cannot process the requests signaled by neurons to the rest of the body. The changes in brain activity during this experiment did not drastically impact the participants’ well-being long term, as the DMN decreased functional changes were merely temporary. However, there is no conclusive evidence that diesel air would cause more permanent damage to the brain in a continuous setting.

of the daily average of 625 µg of exhaust inhaled. Before and after exposure, their default mode network (DMN)—a complex intrinsic system involved in cognitive thinking—was measured using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). fMRI is a neuroimaging technique that reveals active portions of the brain through blood oxygen levels. This approach works because active neurons in the brain

sectors of the brain to the body. Commonly, brain functional connectivity deciphers DMN activation because the DMN system relies on particular parts of the brain, like the amygdala or medial prefrontal cortex. This characteristic makes it easier for the fMRI to determine the association between the active sectors of the brain and body.

Patients’ functional connectivity was measured after

that while exposure to diesel fuel decreased DMN functional connectivity in the brain, exposure to controlled clean air had no significant effects on DMN functional connectivity.

If DMN functional connectivity were the same, electrical waves in distinct brain segments would have the same wave frequency, indicating a relationship between brain activation and the body. This discovery reveals that

Currently, more observations are required to understand the magnitude of the effect traffic pollution can have on the brain and DMN functional connectivity. Air contamination is a major environmental threat to human health, as scientists are discovering detrimental impacts across all major organ systems. Researchers suggest measures to help reduce exhaust levels such as encouraging others to take public transportation, avoiding idling cars, and carpooling. Hopefully, decreasing quantities of exhaust could help prevent the spread of air pollution and stop damage to our brains and the rest of our bodies in the long run.

The American West is Running Out of Water

By SOPHIA WAN-BRODSKY

When I was little, I would turn the tap on my bathroom sink and stick my hand under the smooth, cool stream. At the time, I treated water as if it was an infinite resource. Now, a mere 0.5 percent of Earth’s water is still accessible and fresh. Our management of this water shortage tests the world’s resilience in the face of the climate crisis. For the 733 million people who live in a region that is critically water-stressed, their lives and livelihoods are at stake. Though water scarcity is most pronounced in developing nations, American resources are being strained as well. If we look to the West, we can see that our nation is running out of water.

The source of this water crisis can be traced to the Colorado River, which flows from its source high in the Rocky Mountains south toward the Gulf of California. Providing water to Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming, its significance is widespread. For millennia, the Colorado River reliably made it to the gulf, but over the past century, dam construction and the diversion of water to cities have prevented the river from arriving at its destination. This has led to the disappearance of 90 percent of the original wetlands in the Colorado River Delta, and the proliferation of invasive aquatic species that thrive in the slow flowing, warmer waters.

The threat extends beyond local ecosystems, with the 40 million people who use the Colorado River as a water source at risk due to its weakening flow. These effects are evident in the river’s largest man-made reservoirs, Lake Mead and Lake Powell. Formed as a result of the Hoover Dam’s construction in the 1930s, Lake Mead supplies

By JAMES LI

Have you ever taken an IQ test before? Or have you ever been guilty of spending hours on “free” IQ tests only to be deterred by the formerly undisclosed price tag at the end? If so, you are not alone. The internet is filled with hundreds of such tests, each with varying degrees of accuracy and taken by millions of people. The immense popularity of online IQ tests makes sense. According to Merriam-Webster, intelligence is the ability to learn, understand, and apply knowledge to manipulate the environment. Despite the complicated skill sets that must be analyzed in order to measure such a nuanced trait, these tests have been advertised as quick and simple ways of obtaining a concise measure of one’s “intelligence.” More importantly, they provide identifiable quantitative values that are comparable and can serve to distinguish oneself from the average person.

In 1905, French psychologist Alfred Binet published the firstever IQ, or intelligence quotient test, which was later standardized and adapted into the Binet-Simon Intelligence Scale in 1916. It was labeled as a quotient since the

25 million people with water. An additional 1.3 million people depend on the dam’s hydroelectric power plant. Over the last 20 years, the water level in Lake Mead has dropped over 150 feet, a height equivalent to the Statue of Liberty. Beyond the water shortages, the Hoover Dam will soon be unable to produce electricity. The dam requires a water elevation of at least 950 feet in order to generate hydropower. Anything below this is considered “dead pool” level, where water can no longer flow out of the dam. Unfortunately, water levels have failed to exceed 1,100 feet since 2014, and Lake Mead could reach dead pool levels as soon as 2025. Similarly, Lake Powell provides hydropower for a whopping 5.8 million people and is steadily approaching its dead pool level of 3,370 feet.

The causes of this crisis are clear: climate change and mismanagement. With a two-decade period of historically low precipitation in the West—a megadrought—the Colorado River simply is not being replenished. Though certain states along the Colorado River, particularly California, have received unusually high amounts of rainfall and snow over the past few months, this is not enough to compensate for recent losses due to drought.

The higher temperatures resulting from climate change have driven up evaporation rates, leaving behind drier, more absorbent soil and resulting in far less runoff. Compounding the problem is the overallocation of the river.

Since the signing of the 1922 Colorado River Compact, the seven states along the waterway have been allowed to use a certain amount of water each year. However, this total is more than the river can supply and replenish, leading to a deficit that is driving water levels down.

While it is clear that the Col-

orado River cannot replenish naturally, there is still not a unified plan to manage water use in the seven states that depend on the river. The Biden Administration set a January 31 deadline for these states to agree on a plan to voluntarily cut water use by two to four million acre-feet. For comparison, a single acre-foot of water is enough to supply two to three typical households for a year. While six of the seven states submitted a joint plan by the deadline, California, which is entitled to one-third of the river’s annual flow, rejected the joint proposal and submitted its own. The ultimate goal of the proposals is roughly the same: cut water use by about three million acre-feet per year. However, the six-state plan is more aggressive with its time frame. The sixstate plan calls for California to immediately reduce water use by 766,000 acre-feet per year. On the other hand, California’s plan would only require it to make cuts of 400,000 acre-feet, at least until the year 2026, when cuts would become greater depending on water levels. Given the current disagreements over how to reduce water use, the federal government is expected to create enforceable standards for these seven states, but when and how that will happen remains unknown.

Regardless of the final plan to cut water use, it is clear that this will be a mammoth task for these western states. People are looking to technology for help, but some possibilities are far from ideal. One of the most discussed alternative water sources is desalination, a process that removes the minerals and salts in seawater, leaving behind fresh water. There are two ways this can be done. One is by boiling seawater and capturing the steam, and the second is through reverse osmosis—the process of

forcing water through a semipermeable membrane by applying high pressure. In December 2022, Arizona officials agreed to conduct an analysis of an Israeli company’s plans to build a $5 billion desalination plant in Mexico that would connect to a water distribution facility in the state. The ultimate goal is for this plant to provide one million acre-feet of water. Legally, Arizona is currently entitled to 2.8 billion acre-feet of water from the Colorado River each year, so the desalination project would be a huge step toward decreasing dependence on the dwindling water source. However, the byproduct of desalination, a toxic brine, is not easily disposed of. The current practice—dumping the leftover metals, acids, and salts into the ocean—has negatively impacted coastal habitats. Moreover, the costs of delivery and production would be a hefty $3 billion per year. Until better waste disposal methods and energy-efficient desalination techniques are developed, this will not be a reliable alternative water source.

Other proposed solutions, such as diverting water from the Great Lakes or even harvesting freshwater from glaciers, are far-fetched, if not impossible, given current technologies. This highlights the fact that the nearfuture solution to the Colorado River crisis will come from conserving the resources that still remain.

For starters, the municipal reuse of water through stormwater, wastewater, or greywater (leftover water from sinks, washing machines, and bathtubs) collection and treatment systems could save up to 1.2 million acre-feet of water per year. This year, the Biden Administration has already funneled hundreds of millions of dollars toward water conservation, particularly

IQ Tests: Measure of Prestige or a Scam?

scores received were subsequently divided by the examinee’s age. Since then, a variety of tests have been formulated, the most popular being the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale. Generally, these tests follow the same format, often being split into mental math and verbal categories designed to measure a person’s cognitive abilities. The tests themselves gauge both a person’s fluid intelligence—sheer problem-solving abilities through reasoning—as well as crystallized intelligence— knowledge accumulated through experience—through a series of mental and memory-based questions. Higher IQs have been suggested to stem from the larger magnitude and faster communication of neural processing in the frontal and parietal lobes of the brain.

Since its inception, America’s obsession with IQ rapidly grew. In the early 1900s, the number was so prestigious that the government made it legal to forcefully sterilize American citizens with IQ scores low enough to indicate mental disabilities.

Throughout the 1900s, it was used to explain socio-economic issues such as income gaps and racial inequality. Even now, IQ is used to determine the capability

of soldiers in the U.S. Army, the eligibility of potential workers in various industries, and even to predict academic success. The intelligence quotient clearly has long been synonymous with intelligence itself.

However, in recent years, psychologists have begun to question the validity of such a benchmark, labeling it as misleading and incapable of encapsulating a person’s true ability to learn, understand, and apply knowledge to manipulate their surroundings.

For starters, IQ is one of four quotients, the others being the Emotional Quotient (EQ), Social Quotient, and Adversity Quotient (AQ). The most common quotient following IQ is EQ, which is analogous to a person’s nature and stems from one’s interpersonal abilities in five key areas: self-awareness, self-regulation, social skills, empathy, and motivation. Closely tied to EQ is Social Intelligence. Having a high social intelligence requires mastery in verbal fluency, or “social expressiveness skills,” understanding social norms, and having a firm grasp on the behavior of others. Finally, the AQ is a person’s control and reaction to setbacks and obstacles. While serving to fill the missing pieces,

the processing of wastewater so that it can be recycled for human use. The biggest changes, however, will need to occur in the agricultural industry, which accounts for 80 percent of the water used from the Colorado River. A popular idea to implement sustainable farming practices in the West is to shift toward watering methods like drip irrigation, which uses as little as half the water as traditional sprinklers. Critics have noted that this particular method is expensive for smaller farms, with system installment costs upward of $2,000 per acre. However, with increases in the existing incentives from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), this solution could become much more feasible. Similarly, it is suggested that the USDA provide incentives for farmers to phase out water-demanding crops such as cotton and alfalfa in favor of drought-resistant ones.

As frightening as it is to admit, America is out of time. Today, our country is facing its most severe climate catastrophe to date, and this crisis is far from sudden. For nearly three decades, the nation has watched as one of its longest, most idyllic, and most depended-on rivers has dried up. Ultimately, it will take the cooperation of residents and the government to keep reservoir levels from falling any further. Since this issue has been brought to national attention, investments in the future of the West’s water supply have risen. This includes Biden’s allocation of $8.3 billion to the region through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This funding will go toward improving technologies for harnessing alternative water sources and conserving what is left of the river. In short, all is not lost— this issue may have been created by us, but it can also be solved by us.

these quotients have also demonstrated how IQ is insufficient in determening one’s full range of intelligence.

Since the introduction of these quotients, psychologists have grown increasingly aware of the aspects of intelligence unaccounted for by IQ tests. As an alternative, they have started formulating and creating new indexes. In 1983, Howard Gardner, a developmental psychology professor at Harvard, formulated the theory of multiple intelligences. He proposed that there are a total of nine metrics for measuring intelligence. Unsurprisingly, IQ is only related to the first three bits of intelligence mentioned by Gardner, consisting of the Linguistic-Verbal, Logical-Mathematical, and Visual-Spatial components. While Gardner’s theory has faced criticism for its broad categorization and theoretical basis, it provides insights into a person’s strengths and weaknesses. The misconceptions surrounding IQ have been further clarified through various metrics composed by other psychologists, such as Spearman’s General Intelligence (1904), which has been popularized and edited due to its unique two-factor approach. The creator, Charles

Spearman, suggested that there are both general intelligence factors and specific intelligence factors that combine to create the full picture.

The intelligence quotient, while not exactly flawed, fails to recognize some of the more nuanced aspects of intelligence, such as communication, adapting to situations, and attitude. Due to its name and former prestige, the misconception of IQ being equated with intelligence has persisted. However, IQ tests still have applicable purposes. Firstly, these scores provide a way for many people, especially children, to become diagnosed with mental illnesses or neurological disorders. For example, they can help psychologists recognize otherwise missed concussions or birth defects that compromise brain function, leading to further investigation into contributing genetic and environmental factors. IQ is also an effective way to determine potential career paths. Some careers, such as those in the medical profession or professorship, require significantly higher comprehension and reasoning. So the next time you come across an online IQ test, take it if you have the time! Just don’t let the results get to your head.

From Theory to Reality: The Intersection of Physics and Mathematics

By AAREEB JAMIL

Physics calls to mind many simple demonstrations that most people have seen, from Newton’s cradle to electrified frizzy hair. But the subject is also associated with intricate and extreme natural phenomena: quantum tunneling, supernovae, and more. We all understand that science at that level requires difficult mathematics to establish a rigorous framework, but most high schoolers are yet to explore the mathematical subtlety of higher-level physics.

For physicists, certain branches of math are more relevant than others. The most obvious of these is calculus. For those who have yet to learn calculus, a brief summary of the field is that it studies how quantities change in relation to one another. Stuyvesant offers AP Calculus AB and BC, as well as higherlevel courses like Multivariable Calculus and Complex Calculus. Students who have taken AP Physics C have first-hand experience with how effective calculus can be in illustrating scientific concepts. The course re-derives the principles of motion and electromagnetism using calculus, allowing for more in-depth study. For instance, applying calculus in classical mechanics can help to describe the position, velocity, and acceleration of an object at particular points in time. It also serves as the foundation for definitions of useful quantities like work—the action of force over a distance—as well as various

equations for modeling rotational motion. Without calculus, one could only work with the most simple cases of these, which are unrepresentative of their true dynamic nature. The endless fluctuations and changes of the universe necessitate the use of calculus in physics.

quantities with multiple components and dimensions. A vector can be defined simply as that which has both numerical magnitude and direction. High school physics classes usually study the application of vectors in classical mechanics and electromagnetism. For example, an electric

this direction. Vectors allow us to extend concepts such as a simple two-dimensional model of the electric field into the real threedimensional world.

Likewise, group theory is the study of algebraic structures that share similar properties. A group is a set of elements

of real numbers under addition. Real number addition is associative and has an identity element of zero. Every real number has an additive inverse, a number to which it can be added to produce zero. Group theory is incredibly important to higher-level physics because it formally establishes the concept of symmetry beyond a simple geometric approach. Symmetry occurs throughout the universe—in atomic nuclei, the Standard Model of particle physics, and the physical structure of crystals. Describing the remarkable properties of these phenomena requires the special language that group theory provides.

Linear Algebra, another postcalculus math course taught at Stuyvesant, is a branch of mathematics that deals with linear equations, vector spaces, matrices, and more. The concept of vectors is crucial to physics, as they simplify operations on

charge A will produce a force on any other arbitrary electric charge B. The electric field of A is a function that describes how the force on B behaves based on the position of B. The electric field points from B toward A, and a vector is used to indicate

in which there exists a specific operation between any two elements of the set, and it must satisfy certain conditions. The operation must be associative, an identity element must exist, and every element must have an inverse. A familiar group is that

For those interested in physics, it is important to become acquainted with the utility of mathematics. The physicist Eugene Wigner was fascinated by the “unreasonable effectiveness of mathematics” in our study of the natural world. This effectiveness exists because mathematics has been forged from a thorough understanding of logical principles, resulting in a tool that all physicists must have handy. Calculus, linear algebra, and group theory, among other fields of math, make it possible to accurately predict the behavior of physical systems. Students of both mathematics and physics must realize the power that they hold to uncover the secrets of our universe. Similarly, educators must try to convey this in classrooms, for the students of today are the great intellectuals of tomorrow.

Rachel Wang/ The Spectator

Red Moon in Venus: A Celestial Analysis of Passion Music

By BENSON CHEN

Right around Valentine’s Day in Los Angeles, Kali Uchis was seen handing out hundreds of roses to droves of adoring fans (whom she lovingly calls the “Kuchis”). Though this grand display was just a promotional pop-up, it alluded to the themes of enamor and devotion present on her new album—Red Moon in Venus which was released on March 3. The line of Kuchis snaked down multiple streets just to receive a flower from her outstretched hand. After spending years honing her craft, her devoted following is well-deserved.

As a high-schooler, KarlyMarina Loazia—also known as Kali Uchis—was kicked out of her home by her parents for skipping classes. She began living independently and making music in her car. She soon burst onto the music scene with her mixtape Drunken Babble (2012), an audacious R&B and doo-wop inspired tracklist, which would spark future collaborations with industry giants like Tyler, the Creator and Diplo.

In the following years, Uchis released a series of projects that received critical acclaim, with her biggest viral hit, the psychedelic and sensual “telepatía,” charting globally on streaming services. On her third LP, Red Moon in Venus, Uchis reinvents herself, rising from layers of sea foam like Aphrodite and embodying the divine feminine.

A red moon signifies bad omens and the apocalypse, and Venus is the Roman goddess of love; Uchis is able to embrace the opposition of these subjects by blending them together in a masterful concoction of R&B and neo-soul. The album begins with Uchis professing her love to both the listener and her lover on “in My Garden…,” a lush introduc-

tion to the project that precedes the LP’s lead single, the cushiony bassline-led “I Wish you Roses.”

In an interview with Pitchfork, Uchis described the song as a release from old lovers without animosity, making the track ominous in its placement—it is the first full

The song finds Uchis basking in the afterglow of being the “bigger person,” when in reality she is in denial about the love she lost.

Uchis guides the listener through pulsing beds of synths as she boasts through spoken word at the end of “Hasta Cuando,” sing-

Playlist

“Not Too Late,” Uchis is unable to accept this rejection, singing, “No I’m not your type, you can be honest / But it’s not too late to admit that you love me.” The song dissolves in whirring synths reminiscent of the bedroom pop aesthetic of Isolation (2018) before transitioning to “Blue,” a track marking Uchis’s admission of defeat. She addresses the pain that her relationship has caused her, asserting, “I’m not broken yet / But sometimes it sure feels like it.”

Despite the album’s numerous lyrical highlights, Uchis’s pen falters at times. The fourth track, “Love Between…,” features an interpolation of The Temprees’ “Love Can… Be So Wonderful.”

Though Uchis’s decision to be gender inclusive is impactful, the vague and corny lyrics “Love between two human beings / Can be so wonderful” read like a pandering hallmark gift card.

Rhea Malhotra / The Spectator

track on the album, yet it marks the end of a relationship. The chorus “Never thought I would be without you / I wish you love, I wish you well / I wish you roses while you can still smell them” foreshadows the album’s darker undertones of romantic rejection.

ing, “At the end of the day, she’d trade lives with me if God let her,” but her high femme facade is shattered in the LP’s latter half. The removal of her assertive tone reveals Uchis’s inability to let go of love, even when her lover rejects her at every turn. In the interlude

Despite these minor shortcomings, the LP is Uchis’s best vocal performance yet, most notably on the track “Moral Conscience,” where she is able to reach up into her whistle register and emulate Mariah Carey. Alongside the high notes, her voice also provides a sultry and expressive cadence that glues tracks together and makes them uniquely hers, like on the sensual “Moonlight.”

Though Red Moon in Venus lacks the genre-bending versatility of her previous projects, it finds a thematic focal point, unlike its predecessors. Uchis is as lovesick and lustful as she is desperate and grieving, yet, despite the pain that permeates the album, Uchis’s recovery from heartbreak emphasizes that loss is a part of love. The cyclical nature of love also explains why the album begins on a farewell note; Uchis wants the listener to understand that the ephemeral nature of both desire and grief should be appreciated.

Survivor: A Miracle of Cable Television Television

By SOFIA HERNANDEZ

Host Jeff Probst informs 20 average Americans on a boat in the middle of the Pacific Ocean that they only have one minute to collect survival supplies for their new home: a deserted island. Pulses race as he counts down for them to jump ship and swim to their adventure of a lifetime: “It is the ultimate challenge. Twenty strangers forced to work together. They must learn to adapt or they’ll be voted out! In the end, only one will remain to claim the $1,000,000 dollar prize. Thirty-nine days, 20 people, one survivor!”

Survivor is one of the longest running reality TV shows, with over 20 years under its belt.The show has captured America with its unique, survivalist social experiment ever since its first season in May 2000. Each season, CBS producers strategically select 16 to 20 Americans from a competitive pool of thousands of applicants. These contestants, from vastly different walks of life, are ripped from their ordinary lives and pitted against one another on a desolate island. With a $1,000,000 prize and the elusive title of “Sole Survivor” at stake, patience and alliances are tested to find a winner that can “Outwit, Outplay, and Outlast” the show.

After airing in 2000, Survivor quickly became one of the most

popular shows on television. While CBS was expecting about 35 to 40 million viewers for their inaugural season, 51.7 million people tuned in to the season finale to watch as contestant Richard Hatch was crowned the first ever “Sole Survivor.” This view count made it the second most watched show of the year, trailing only behind ABC’s broadcast of the Super Bowl. Survivor, which has had impressively persistent popularity throughout its 44 seasons, has been deemed the “miracle show” by CBS executives for outwitting, outplaying, and outlasting its reality show competitors.

Though cable TV is reaching its final era, Survivor has just begun a new one. Following the epic “Winners at War,” which invited 20 of the show’s most popular winners back to fight for a second crown, and a year-long COVID hiatus, the 41st season of Survivor was finally set to air in September 2021. That summer, Jeff Probst shared the show’s epic revitalization plan: “Survivor 41 will birth a new era of Survivor, with a faster, more dangerous, and much more intense game. We really leaned into having fun this season, and the best kind of Survivor fun is the dangerous kind.” This year, the show carries on its legacy with its 44th season—the fourth of this daunting new generation.

Survivor’s appeal stems from

the unscripted experiences of its contestants. Left to survive on the island and separated into two teams, contestant “castaways” are responsible for getting their own food and water, building shelters, and managing campfires, all while competing in challenges against each other to earn island luxuries like a spa day. After each challenge, the losing castaways are sent to a tribal council and forced to vote one of their team members off the island. While the cutthroat elimination certainly raises tensions, the contestants’ island stays are also littered with physical dangers. Intense injuries culminating in a whopping 17 medical evacuations by boat and helicopter have actualized the fears of many castaways and viewers alike. In the show’s second season, for instance, contestant Michael Skupin was evacuated by helicopter after falling face first into his firepit. Skupin’s accident is widely regarded as the most intense in the show’s history, but was certainly not the last island catastrophe. By placing its contestants in truly high-stakes environments, Survivor rises above other survivalist shows like Naked and Afraid, in which contestants are supplied with behind-the-scenes amenities like vitamin supplements, delegitimizing the survivalist aspect.

The dangers of Survivor put the “real” in reality TV, and are

beautifully harmonized with the heartwarming relationships that play out onscreen. As each season draws to a close, loved ones of the remaining castaways join the show for a reunion, but with an exhilarating twist: they must compete in a challenge to spend the day together. After contestants’ month-long separation from their families and friends, these reunions are tear-jerkers, most notably when parents are reunited with their children. In season 12, single father Shane Powers was brought to tears when Probst brought his teenage son, Boston, for a now fan-favorite loved one’s visit. Survivor has even forged new relationships between castaways, which have ultimately extended far beyond the show. Beloved contestant Amber Brkich quickly became Amber Mariano after hitting it off with iconic contestant Rob “Boston Rob” Mariano on an all-star season in 2004; they got engaged on the season’s reunion show. Through its nail-biting suspense and moving displays of emotion, Survivor has captured the hearts of a massive audience for decades. In fact, its success has even inspired the creation of spinoff international franchises like Survivor: South Africa and Survivor: Australia. While cable TV continues to be replaced by streaming services, by some miracle, Survivor will remain.

Spring

Bee Blossoming

By THE ARTS

&

ENTERTAINMENT DEPARTMENT

As the winter melts into spring and flowers pop up around the city, we all find ourselves consumed by the insurmountable desire to land on a rosy tulip petal or delicate daisy, buzz along with the fragile heat of March, and join a synchronized swarm of pollinators as they dart from bloom to bloom. Fret no longer, as the members of our department devised a playlist that allows you to become one with the hive.

I Talk to the Wind King Crimson

Prog-rock

A Love Supreme Pt. III - Pursuance

Avant-garde jazz

Tin Man feeble little horse

Noise rock

Skew It On The Bar-B OutKast

Hip-hop

Moksha Choker R&B

Honey, Honey ABBA Pop

HAHAH Bladee Cloud rap Belle

Al Green Soul

12.38

Childish Gambino

Hip-hop

REACH THE SUNSHINE. Lil Yachty

Psychedelic trap

Mouth Mantra Björk

Electronic

Fourth Time Around Bob Dylan Folk

rich people = bad? Film

By ALEXANDER HINCHLIFFE and KONSTANTINA TSAHALIS

Hollywood will eat the rich in 2023. Every Oscar season, the film industry makes an earnest effort to care about the world, offering new films themed around social justice. Last year, Netflix spent $75 million to produce the star-studded Don’t Look Up (2021), a lukewarm take on the burning planet and media sensationalism, which generated praise and criticism alike for its shallow message to stop climate change. With growing contempt for latestage capitalism and the popularity of influencers coming out of the pandemic, woke Hollywood has set its sights on a new target: bad rich people. Ostentatious wealth has always been a reliable plot device, with box-office stars like Fight Club (1999) and V for Vendetta (2005) portraying workingclass underdogs “sticking it to the man.” This trope has lost some of its impact in the past year due to the flood of films and TV shows unsuccessfully exploring it with bigger budgets and milder takes on the ills of capitalism.

This year’s overwhelming outpour of media critiquing the rich has one clear explanation: COVID-19. With the entire world stuck at home and the economy in shambles, the disparity between the working class and the uberrich was italicized, underlined, and bolded. While Amazon’s profit was increasing by 220 percent, essential workers were risking the health of their entire families to make enough money for grocer-

ies. The top 10 percent went from owning half of the wealth in the world to three quarters, while the bottom 50 percent’s share plummeted. With the curtain raised,

and fading celebrities, arrive on an island expecting an avant-garde restaurant experience; but their night deteriorates into a murder scene as the psychopathic chef

ing ends meet and supporting a society falling apart at the seams. However, this attempt at appealing to the little guy by pointing out the ridiculousness of the upper class should have been carried out in a much more nuanced manner than the half-witted insights that were produced. The film is nothing more than a hallucinatory revenge plot stating its distaste for the lack of creativity in luxury restaurants.

the average person is now aware of the immense socioeconomic divide in our country. Recognizing this, Hollywood has pounced on the opportunity to appeal to this demographic with a plethora of new movies satirizing the excess of wealth.

The newest of these films is British director Mark Mylod’s menacing dark comedy, The Menu (2022). A clan of rich patrons, including food critics, finance bros,

(Ralph Fiennes) meticulously punishes his clientele. The increasingly deranged events are framed as courses on the menu, but it becomes clear that the wealthy will be the ones on the chopping block by the end of the night— their punishment for commodifying the food industry. In forcing the upper class to atone for their sins, the movie attempts to recognize service workers during the pandemic, caught between mak-

In addition to The Menu, 2022 also saw the release of Rian Johnson’s highly anticipated Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, Ruben Östlund’s grotesque Triangle of Sadness, and season two of HBO Max’s The White Lotus. Each of these projects depicts the dangers of opulence—ignorance, entitlement, greed, etc.—in the age of influencers and performative political correctness. The influx of these films is deeply ironic and even hypocritical, as it is the incredibly affluent film production companies (such as Netflix, HBO, and Lionsgate) that are producing these “socially aware” satires. These films have undeveloped, one-dimensional plots—the rich are the enemy and the underdog middle class rebelling against the system is the hero. But this copyand-paste approach fails to actualize any substantive assessment of social hierarchy, as the plot must remain tame enough to be marketed to all audiences—including the hyper-wealthy. These films ultimately make no effort to address realistic poverty and exploitation since producers are aiming to deliver a blockbuster, not a brainbuster.

Watching the Masses Television

By MUNEM TAJWAR

It is 3:00 a.m. on a weekday, and you are sitting on your bed in your pajamas, refreshing Netflix on your laptop so you can be the first to binge the spin-off of That 70s Show (1998-2006): That 90s Show (2023- ). And eventually, you get it. You watch five straight hours of Netflix until you finally reach the scrolling credits of the finale. Already reminiscing about the show you just watched, you spend the next few days constantly thinking about it. In fact, it is all you can think about—in bed, in the bathroom, on the train, at church. Everywhere. But after those few days, you realize you do not care anymore. Until the next season (likely coming out in a few years), there is nothing to be excited about. Eventually, the show leaves your mind completely. If no one ever reminded you of it, you would likely have forgotten about it entirely.

Since the 20th century, cable has provided us with myriads of memories via our television sets. From sitcoms like Full House (1987-1995) to nail-biting shows like Breaking Bad (2008-2013), weekly-released episodic television has been a part of our lives for so long that it feels like a basic human need. However, the rise of streaming services in the last decade has influenced how we receive media. Some services choose to stick to the traditional weekly release, but many switch to the binge-release method. To the average person, this conversation seems quite pointless—everyone gets TV, so everyone wins! But at the same time, it is important to analyze how differences in media

distribution affect not only the consumer, but the entertainment industry as a whole.

Weekly-aired television is the norm for everyone who has a favorite ongoing TV show. At the same time and day each week, a new episode is aired to the public. This is the traditional way of distributing media, and for good reason—the process of keeping viewers waiting for a stretch retains fans for longer periods of time. The more a show is renewed and the longer it runs on the network, the more time it has to gain fans and popularity. It is also palatable to the consumer because they have a week to digest the content before re-immersing themself in their favorite fictional world.

Weekly releases can also create an iconic connection between the show and its time slot. Shows like Friends (1994-2004) and Seinfeld (1989-1998) were slotted in NBC’s renowned Thursday Night lineup, which millions of households in America were bound to be watching. And the longer a popular show runs, the more people will go out of their way to block out time in their day to watch the fan favorite. With this level of devotion, fans will think, “Hmmm. It’s Wednesday. You know what that means. Let’s watch Abbot Elementary at 9:00!” It is simple, effective, and likely to last the test of time.

Binge-watching has been practiced for decades through DVD set collections of both movies and television shows, but the art of binge-releasing—the process of releasing all episodes of a new television series or installment simultaneously—allows viewers to consume entire seasons mere hours after their release. Given

that the show is enjoyable—either well-produced or comfortingly mindnumbing—this method can lead to increased viewership and

series. With binge-releases, entertainment executives can instantly grasp the show’s success through viewer opinions. On the other

However, portraying wealth inequality in film is possible. In stark contrast with the abundance of rich-misfortune movies in 2022, director Bong Joon-Ho’s record-breaking Parasite (2019) was a monumental display of class struggle. The film follows the son of a poor family who has recently secured a job working for an ultra-rich household; slowly but surely, he guarantees positions for his entire family. A dark truth is discovered in the basement of the residence, ultimately leading to the realization that the poor family could never truly climb the social ladder. Intentionally weaving in commentary on issues like the struggles of socioeconomic mobility, Parasite presents a compelling narrative with elaborate symbolism requiring multiple viewings to fully digest. The disparity between the rich and poor is well-crafted and provides a genuine critique of class hierarchy.

Despite a wholehearted attempt to destroy the top one percent, the influx of new anticapitalist films presents as incessant schadenfreude. Many of these films fail to do anything more than point and laugh at the wealthy; their shallow observations are predictable given the inherent hypocrisy of multibillion dollar film companies producing movies about the stupidity of rich people. While they can certainly be enjoyable, these films are biting at best, and more often than not egregiously shallow. If anything, the target audience for these fauxMarxist movies may actually be the awful one-percenters in their crosshairs.

days.

Unsurprisingly, in August 2022, NBC News reported that viewership rates on streaming platforms outrank those on cable and broadcast television. Despite this fact, general audiences regard streaming service weekly releases as superior to binge-released shows. On the Forbes Top 10 Shows of 2022 list, four of the 10 were true weekly-released shows from the pilot episode, with four more taking a variation on the weekly release. The Boys (2019- ), for example, released its first three episodes in one week and then a single episode each week for the rest of the schedule. The only two shows without a weekly release schedule were The Bear (2022- ) and Warrior Nun (2020-2022), the latter of which was canceled by Netflix due to lower season two viewership rates, catalyzed by the overpromotion of Netflix’s “lightning-in-a-bottle” shows like Wednesday (2022- ) and The Crown (2016-2022).

This is yet another problem with binge-releasing shows. The short-lived hype of these shows pales in comparison to the longterm popularity of weekly-released shows. Great shows that are binge-released may not be as well-advertised as those that are released weekly, resulting in lower viewership. For example, if a streaming service produces and binge-releases an 18-episode sitcom, it will likely have no more than three weeks of consistent promotion after its initial public release. However, if the show

a larger fanbase. People who cannot afford to dedicate weeks to an ongoing show are more likely to watch an already-completed

hand, weekly releases are cases of slow-burn reception: the show’s writing and overall success can flip on its head in a matter of seven

continued on page 16

Gabriel Gutierrez / The Spectator

Joey Chen / The Spectator

Watching the Masses Television

is released weekly, it will have approximately four-and-a-half months of additional promotion after the pilot episode. The weekly release schedule allows the show to reach more people and garner more attention.

While the viewership and industry politics behind the product are important, it is also worth noting that the way shows are presented to the public may influence

their perception. The shows that suffer from this the most are largely Disney+ shows. While Marvel producers on the service have designed it so that their shows feel like a “six- or eight-hour movie”—according to Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021- ) lead Anthony Mackie—the service insists on distributing episodes weekly, which disrupts the momentum they were designed for. Episodes do not have complete storylines or threads. For example, instead of a full story in a single episode, one

episode is act one, the second is act two, and the third is act three—an unappealing alternative to the episodic format. This is most noticeable in Hawkeye (2021- ), a show about the aging Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) and his newfound partner, Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld). In the show, there are times when episodes are meant to play off each other, with one being action-packed and the other dealing with the consequences. This would work perfectly in a bingereleased show because people

would be seeing one shortly after the other, but in a weekly show, the following episode ends up feeling like an awkwardly-paced drag. This anticlimactic nature makes the viewer feel as if they have waited for nothing, illustrated by the decline in viewership between episodes one and two and between episodes three and four: the 852 million minutes watched in the first week decreased to 560 million, and then even lower to 527 million. This is not much of an issue for binge-released shows,

Teachers’ Favorite Albums Music

Mr. Rothman

The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967) by The Velvet Underground Art rock

“Picking a favorite is really hard, but the one that had the greatest influence on me was Velvet Underground & Nico. It expanded the world of music for me, before I would only listen to the top 40. My favorite song would probably be ‘All Tomorrow’s Parties’—Nico had this incredibly heavy, deep voice and would sing the song in such a way that the music seemed to swirl around her.” —Jonathan Rothman, Drafting teacher

Mr. Hanna

Kind of Blue (1959) by Miles Davis Cool jazz

“I think it’s probably the best jazz album that’s ever been recorded. It has not just Miles Davis but it has other really famous jazz musicians like John Coltrane. The musical compositions like ‘All Blues’ and ‘On Green Dolphin Street’ and ‘So What’ are intelligent, relaxed, and sophisticated without being complicated.” —David Hanna, Social Studies teacher

Ms. Manning

Disintegration (1989) by The Cure

Alternative rock

“I feel like it’s an album that you can listen to from start to finish and there’s not one bad song. They’re perfectly ordered in terms of how they work with each other. It has some of the best songs—‘Pictures of You,’ ‘Fascination Street’—there’s something so haunting and melodic about it. I saw them in concert, and they played ‘Fascination Street’ for 10 minutes and it was perfect. It’s my goto. Disintegration is the best.” —Kim Manning, English teacher

Mr. Ferencz

Selected Ambient Works Volume II (1994) by Aphex Twin Electronic

“My favorite album is Aphex Twin’s Selected Ambient Works Volume II. I adore ambient music. It’s so moody and relaxing, mysterious and visceral.” —Eric Ferencz, English teacher

Mr. Kim

Reputation (2017) by Taylor Swift Pop

“I don’t have one specific artist I listen to religiously, but I got into Taylor Swift’s reputation album a couple of months ago (very basic and late to the party, I know). I just found it very cathartic for what my inner drama queen self was going through at the time.”

Minkyu Kim, English teacher

Mr. Miller

Any album by the Foo Fighters Grunge rock

“Well, my favorite band is the Foo Fighters. They have great music, good pump-up music, music I like to listen to when I work out. My favorite album is pretty much any album they come out with.” —Vincent Miller, Physical Education teacher

because consumers have the ability to watch at their own pace. There is no wrong way to release media, but depending on the show, some are more successful than others. If the product is strong, consumers will enjoy it. However, it is an undeniable fact that the statistics and wonder behind the show can be largely affected by the way it is distributed. But at the end of the day, it is the viewer who is alone at midnight, refreshing their device, desperately waiting to watch.

Ms. Rocchio

Siembra (1978) by Ruben Blades Salsa

“I just love the beat of the songs. The songs are pure and classic.” —Pasqua Rocchio, Spanish teacher

Mr. Nieves

Out of Time (1991) by R.E.M. Alternative rock

“Just a very creative album, there’s poetry to the lyrics, and they’re just a great rock band from the ‘80s and early ‘90s.” Emilio Nieves, English teacher

Ms. Garber

Please Please Me (1963) by The Beatles Rock and roll

“Overall my favorite album is the first Beatles album. I like the original, authentic Beatles, no psychedelics; they were just innocent. I like that clean-cut innocence.” —Barbara Garber, Health teacher

Ms. Karp

The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust (1972) by David Bowie Glam rock

“It’s really hard to say, but every song in Ziggy Stardust is just amazing. That album is ingrained in my soul.” —Jane Karp, Art teacher

By GABRIELLA HOEFNER and VIRGENYA ZHU

So, you grew up with no friends, huh? That’s alright, so did we. But who needs friends when you have iconic characters like Dora the Explorer, Big Bird, and Mr. Squarepants himself to keep you company? If you were lucky enough to own cable, your formative years were centered around Nickelodeon, PBS Kids, Cartoon Network, and the Disney Channel. While they’ve long since been buried in the deepest crevices of your memory, the type of shows you watched as a kid played a fundamental role in developing your personality. And if you didn’t watch any of the shows listed, then you simply do not have a personality. Sorry.

So, this is what your favorite childhood TV show says about you. Warning: this gets personal, horrifying, and surprisingly sexual?!

SpongeBob SquarePants

Are ya ready, kids? If you spent your weekends watching this goofy yellow sponge, chances are you have a top-tier sense of humor!

Just kidding—no, you don’t. You may think you’re funny, but you’re not. Like, at all. (We know because we were the Spongebob Kids.) Having no social life, you’ve probably watched every single episode at least 20 times, and now you constantly make obscure references that only you understand. We hate to break it to you, but nobody knows what you’re talking about when you

Crossword

KHC, Virgenya, and Munem present the first crossword of the new Spectator crossword oligarchy! Across

1. Nickname for Writer #1

4. Uncomfortable tingling sensation

8. With 53-across, Writer #2

12. Lazy text message agreement

13. __llular __spiration (AP Bio topic)

14. Columbus state

15. One loop of the track

16. What you’re solving right now

18. Adam and Eve spawn point

20. North, ____, South, West

21. __dro Pa_cal (recent SNL host)

22. Controversial Jeffery

25. Trio with lights and action

28. Dreaded test

32. Opposite of cathodes

33. Painful stomach sores

34. Writer #3

35. Satisfied

36. To treat kidney failure

38. Guitarist’s need 41. Given the circ__st_nce_ (taking everything into account) 42. Stat 46. With 16-across, what 1-down, 8-across 53-across, and 34-across each are 49. Pokémon championship win-

to Caesar

The Shows That Shaped Us

ask if mayonnaise is an instrument or when you burst into hysterical laughter at the number 25. Also, please stop sexualizing Squidward.

Dora the Explorer

You became a girlboss in the best way possible. Dora was such an icon for this generation of entrepreneurs. She was constantly put down and discouraged by her enemies but remained firm in her desire to explore and learn. Also, we think Swiper the Fox is a metaphor for late-stage capitalism, and we will not elaborate. All things said, give us your autograph now because we'll be able to sell it for a fortune when you’re famous.

Teletubbies

How’s your relationship with your parents? Yeah, that’s what we thought.

Sesame Street

NERD. You’re telling us you actually watched intellectually and emotionally stimulating content? Laaaaaame. So what, you learned how to recite the alphabet before age 10? Showoff. Go numb your brain cells on some Teletubbies like the rest of us, loser.

Powerpuff Girls

Alright, now this is where it gets interesting. Who you are now, down to the smallest cracks in your personality, translates directly to which of the three Powerpuff Girls you most enthusiastically saw yourself in. If you found Bubbles relatable, you’re probably insanely talented and

too good for this world. If you were always a Blossom type of child, here’s a reality check: you don’t have it as together as you think. It’s okay. And if you were in love with Buttercup… see you at the next Spectrum meeting!

Peppa Pig

Years of watching Peppa Pig likely caused you to develop a British accent, much to the horror of your family and friends. And if you’re reading this and

ter agent of chaos. Everything going wrong in your life stems from the time you responded, “No, we can’t!” to “Can we fix it?” Your status as a villain was solidified, and now you have to live your life in disgrace.

Paw Patrol

You probably came up with headcanons about which dogs should get together. Like, romantically. And thus began your career as a Wattpad writer.

Down

1. Writer #1

2. It has eyes and a nose

3. Superman accessory

4. Governing body that recently put out an arrest warrant for Putin

5. Palmer and a famous Mother

6. People from Croatia

7. Writer of Steppenwolf

8. Shared wedding promise

9. Denny’s competitor

10. Laugh in Paris

11. Zeus, Athena, and Hera

17. Hinders

19. Required

23. Spotify subscription for no ads

24. Ancient Greek city founded in 316 BC

25. Husband of Mitchell in Modern Family

26. Mesopotamian god of heaven

27. Abbreviation for the worst day of the week

29. Classic game console, for short

30. What “son” means to an Argentinian

31. Psychedelic street drug

33. 18th President Grant

35. Flannel designs

37. _____tic fluid that surrounds your baby during pregnancy

38. Dull pain in the stomach, perhaps

39. Made of cheese, maybe

40. Tactic

43. 50% off

44. One of the seven in the senior SING! theme

45. Popular band club at Stuy

47. G_ar_i_n angel

48. Airport screener

fia the First aired. If you watched this cartoon as a child, you probably grew up to become one of the most horrifying creatures known to man: a theater kid. Every time an episode played, you ran to the TV to belt out the theme song with all your heart (much to the dismay of your neighbors). And don’t even try to pretend you never thought Sofia’s older sister was hot.

Phineas and Ferb

If Phineas and Ferb was your go-to, you got screwed up™. You’re telling us you watched that show without developing some sort of body dysmorphia? I mean, have you seen Candace’s neck? But it’s okay—you don’t need to have a triangular head or a blocky, rectangular body to be beautiful. We love you just the way you are.

Octonauts

thinking, “Hey, I watched Peppa Pig every day for six years and I’m 100 percent American, goddammit,” chances are your parents sent you to speech therapy to get rid of the accent. Also, you definitely got noise complaints from your neighbors after trying to imitate Daddy Pig’s snort.

Bob the Builder

You are a complete and ut-

Looks like your most recent Rubble x Marshall story has a grand total of 12 reads. Impressive! Oh, and if Chase was your favorite pup, get out. Nobody likes you.

Sofia the First

“Growing up in the village, I was alright, then I became a princess overnight…” These lyrics have lived rent-free in your brain since the first moment So-

Now THIS was gold tier. Give your parents a pat on the back, because they exposed you to the perfectly right thing for you during those core developmental stages. The characters? The animation? The plot? The real-world education? THE VEGIMALS, FOR GOD’S SAKE? We have no doubt that you turned out alright. Kwazii had and will always have our heart.

So, there you have it. Hopefully, these cartoons didn’t mess you up too badly, but they probably did (looking at you, Teletubbies enthusiasts). And if we forgot to include your favorite show—no, we didn’t.

Natalie Soler / The Spectator

These articles are works of fiction. All quotes are libel and slander.

Love at First ID Scan (Stuyvesant X Reader) (HighSchool!AU)

By ESHAAL UBAID

You sigh as your messy bun blows in the wind, the 2 train approaching even faster than the rate at which your dad left you as a child. As you step into the car, a quirky reflection of yourself stares back at you from the window. Oh, Y/N, the weirdo whom no one could ever love. Sigh. You pop in your earbuds and listen to an emo band that is so underground that only you know it (One Direction) as you make your way to Chambers Street.

Suddenly, SCREEEEECH.

The train has come to a halt, and you fall ungracefully into the saving arms of a bad boy in a leather jacket. He snarls. He scoffs. He smirks. He pulls the Flynn Rider smolder. “Hey, watch where you’re going!”

“I-I’m sowwy…” you respond. An onlooker gags at the cringy scene, but you pay no attention. “Who are you?”

“Me?” He looks away, his eyes darkening as he turns to face the exit doors, fixated on the Chambers Street station. “I’m Lucius Fancyname Vampire. I’m a bad boy. So bad… that I only applied to one safety.” And he walks off, never to be seen again (until eighth period gym class).

Is this love? Your heart pounds. ***

“Oh no!” You lament as you rummage through your

By MALK AGHA

Stuyvesant High School, widely acclaimed for its academically gifted kids, has recently become notorious for its dripless population. In this short list of the latest Stuy trends, we outline everything you should avoid like the plague.

1. Pajamas and/or Crocs

Pajama pants are a treasured favorite among the student population (especially if you live .001 mile from school and can’t be bothered to wear actual clothes). We’re talking about the almost eye-blinding pattern of bright red checkered squares that gives off the “I just walked out of bed and right into the classroom” aura. People sporting p.j. pants just don’t have any swag. If you’re pairing them with crocs, that’s even worse— no one wants to see or smell your grippers through those holes. Even though this combination might be lacking, crocs can come in handy if you have Swim Gym (shower fungus, anyone?), and the pants provide supple comfort so you can sleep in class. But if you don’t want to look like a stinky slacker, con-

pockets (you have many pockets because you are quirky and wear cargo pants and giant hoodies, not the normie clothes all those “popular” kids wear). “My ID! It’s gone!”

find any friends to play with?”

You scoff at her. She has not only insulted you but also committed the most atrocious sin of all: enjoying mainstream trends. She was wearing a

against yours. He continues, “Y/N, right? I found this in the Hudson Stairwell.” You recall that when you unassumingly waltzed into the stairwell, you saw things that tainted your virgin eyes and ran off. You must have dropped your ID during your escape! What a quirky klutz! He continues, “A pretty name, for a pretty individual.” He bows with intense grace and politeness, then saunters away in a very random r/NiceGuy plot device fashion. You gush internally, brushing a strand of your messy hair behind your ear. What a hero! What a way for fanfic authors to assume you are a femme person into men despite not tagging such heteronormativity BEFORE you open the fic! You blush and scan out.

Lucius Fancyname Vampire, jealous, growls in a very alpha-male way from a corner. By the way, he has a messy head of dark hair to conveniently juxtapose the nice boy’s bright orbs and kind character arc. ***

Teachers announce that Urban Dictionary is now a reliable source of information and may be used for class assignments.

Immediately after SophFrosh SING!, there was a worldwide peach shortage

“Y/N is mine!” The nice boy has shown a secret dark side (he has now parted his hair to the side as a visual cue of his changed nature and trauma).

“Guys! Stop!” You run between the two and stare into Lucius’s stormy orbs. “I know you. You’re better than this!”

“Oh yeah, go talk to him!” Nice Guy scoffs. “Women just don’t like polite men.”

Every onlooker groans with the understanding that kindness does not entitle one to romance. Just then, you are interrupted by a phone notification. Gasp! It’s Ms. Ingram!

You were supposed to leave for lunch because, like the loner weirdo you are, you are too nerdy for even Stuy students to want to be your lunch buddies. As you look for your precious ticket to the outside world, a normie girl passes by you, brandishing her own ID. “Ha!” she taunts, scanning out.

“Look at this loser, Y/N. Can’t

DRESS instead of CONVERSE AND JEANS! Ugh! Shudder. If there’s anything Y/N stands for, it’s demonizing femininity. “Knock it off!”

A gentle voice behind you yells at the Plot Device Mean Girl (™) and runs up. He hands you your ID, the supple skin of his hand brushing

You walk back in from a lunch of letting out breaths you didn’t know you were holding and watching very #notlikeothergirls shows that no one knows about (Wednesday and dubbed anime), only to see Nice Guy and Lucius in a fistfight.

“Stay away from her!” The suspected glittery vampire growls.

Stuyle: Drip or Drab?

sider following more appealing fashion trends.

2. Sneakerheads

Speaking of more appealing fashion trends, everyone knows at least one sneakerhead: that one kid who wears a different pair of ridiculously expensive

shoes’ gravitational pull. This trend can get annoying sometimes, but it’s much better than some of the other ones…

3. Edgars

Well-loved among barbers and well-hated at Stuy is your common Edgar. These humans

our hearts, we implore you to raise your pants up not come to school dressed in the likeness of an Oompa Loompa—you will not get game.

4. Emo Drip

Everyone’s heard of the emos, but few have ever seen

Wearing all-black clothing with their hair concealing half of their faces, pentagram bracelets on their wrists, and Lil Nas X shoes, emos compose about 10 percent of Stuy’s population— an endangered species.

shoes daily for the sole purpose of flexing. Usually, they have mounds of shoeboxes in their walk-in closets, an indicator of their superior status over all other students. There are also the chunky Fila shoes, a new variant of sneakers that seems to have erupted out of nowhere. Watch out for the loud noise they make in the halls. If you’re lucky, you’ll see someone toppling over because of these

are classified as male and less than or equal to three feet in height with a mushroom haircut. They may or may not be flashing a scrumptious backside to the student population in hopes of attracting a “hot cheeto girl” (who fails to meet our acceptable drip requirements, for obvious reasons). Usually, Edgars are chill, sentient beings—but this isn’t about personality. From the bottom of

one. This is a good thing, but if you want to see an emo in the wild, we can’t stop you— the most concentrated emo population lives in the Hudson stairwell. Obviously, they’re not clumped up in groups (emos are solitary creatures). Instead, you’ll see them scattered along the floors of the Hudson like pieces of cardamom in your dinner. The sheer oddity and irregularity of the emo is dis-

“Dear Y/N, We have received an update from your mother and must inform you that you are being sold to BTS. They are now your legal guardians. Your mother wanted us to relay that she was going to pick One Direction, but they are more gone than your self-awareness. We hope this finds you and your victim complex well.

P.S. Fill out the family inquiry form! You have rich BTS guardians now. Let’s account for that.

Best, D. Ingram”

played in this staircase of horrors. Wearing all-black clothing with their hair concealing half of their faces, pentagram bracelets on their wrists, and Lil Nas X shoes, emos compose about 10 percent of Stuy’s population—an endangered species.

5. Things That Just Don’t Fit Together At All

Have you ever looked at someone (maybe your teacher) and thought, “Woah, that drip is horrendous”? If you haven’t, good for you—maybe I’m just a terrible person. But really, is a blue polka-dot shirt with maroon leather pants and Doc Martens not the worst combo in fashion history??? And it’s not just the teachers; some kids will roam the halls in outfits so mismatched that my legally blind great-grandma could pick out better combinations.

That’s all for Stuy’s latest clothing fads. If there’s one thing you should take away from this article, please let it be to put an ounce of thought into what you’re wearing in the morning. Otherwise, you might see someone trying to contain their laughter from across the room.

Joanna Meng / The Spectator

By TARA SURI

Ah, you’ve just found yourself in the most blissful situation that can be found at Stuyvesant High School: your teacher has announced that you’re going to be watching some random documentary that may or may not have anything to do with the class. Who cares, though? You’re here to sleep, not learn.

With one quick motion, the lights turn off, and suddenly you’re in complete darkness (except for the light coming in from that stupid window in the back). You finally have the perfect opportunity to catch up on some much-needed sleep.

But first, which sleeping position? There are so many to choose from…

Horizontal Head

Your elbow digging into the desk, your face smushed into your hand, and your poor, poor neck twisted and turned: it’s perfect if you are planning for a lifetime of neck pain. Plus, there’s nothing worse than your elbow conveniently slipping off your desk, jerking you awake. But it’s so simple and good enough for a quick nap.

4/10. This isn’t amateur hour. As a Stuy student, you can do much better than a classic like this. Points off for neck pain!

Little Dwarf

If you are lucky enough to sit behind a giant (they are ei-

Stuy Sleepers

ther one of the fake students sent in from the FBI to ensure that no classes for Stuy worldwide domination are being taught or someone who has been drinking the secret chunky milk from the cafeteria), you might be able to carefully position yourself right behind their insanely large back.

however, recommend becoming best friends with the giant.)

The Rulebreaker You don’t seem to follow the school’s STRICT dress code, much to the anger of the scanner ladies at the entrance. Wearing hats, beanies, or hoods in school is a violation of

squander their full head of hair, when some people aren’t even given a chance. However, wearing a hat is a great way to sneak in a few z’s, and pulling your hat down to cover your eyes is an excellent way to maintain plausible deniability.

6/10. Unfortunately, your brilliant plan only works in two cases: if it’s Christmas time (where it is perfectly normal to be wearing a Santa hat!) or if you have a teacher who’s chill enough to allow hats, beanies, or hoods in class. Despite its dependence on specific situations, pulling off this move is genius.

Mission Impossible

How dare anyone suggest that you’re sleeping in class? You are actually intently staring down at your work holding a pencil in your hand—your other hand only happens to be covering your eyes. Sleeping? Definitely not. Hard at work? Of course.

onds when you feel your head falling? Incredibly embarrassing when you finally take a look around and see everyone staring at you.

10/10. Thank you for providing endless entertainment for your peers (not gonna lie, watching your head snap up and down has saved at least one poor soul from falling asleep).

Mr. Brave

5/10. A pretty acceptable method; hopefully there are enough giant people to go around. But your plan falls apart as soon as your teacher begins walking around or the giant decides to go to the bathroom, so it’s not the best option. (I do,

school conduct, and you could end up in detention or worse. Some violators have reportedly been seen crawling at Moran’s feet for the rest of the day, their hair coverings replaced with a bald cap. According to him, it’s deeply upsetting to see students

7/10. Not a bad choice, since you’re perfectly camouflaged in a room full of other diligent students. Just remember to wiggle your pencil every few minutes or so as not to arouse suspicion (and have fun trying to decipher your notes later).

Fish Flopper

Are you too well-mannered to put elbows or heads on the table? Would you rather sleep sitting straight up and momentarily jerk once every few sec-

Oh, to have guts like you. Maybe you don’t mind the evil stares from teachers when they catch you slacking off. Head down on your desk. Sprawled out like you’re at home as a puddle of drool forms on your desk. Not even trying to hide the fact that you’re sleeping in class as your snores shake the room. You obviously don’t care. But seriously, who do you think you are? Either you are so done with the class that you really don’t care, or you’re one of the other Stuy kids who definitely pulled an all-nighter studying for a test that you WILL pass.

11/10. You truly distract from the other students who are dozing off, so I appreciate you taking one for the team. No, seriously, I admire how little you care.

**Disclaimer: The Spectator Humor Department does not condone sleeping in class to any extent. All decisions to try out one of the above methods should be made at the reader’s own risk. Caution is advised. Stay awake, Stuy!

Ferry’s & Terry’s Shut Down After Owners Vanish!

By RYAN PENG

The Stuyvesant community was in for a shock last week when they found out that their two favorite lunch places (not including the Stuyvesant cafeteria) had mysteriously closed down. Dozens of hungry students were found crowded outside the bolted doors of Ferry’s and Terry’s, crying like toddlers. Some even brought tents and pillows to the sidewalk, determined to boycott the shutdown and bring back the beloved Bacon Avocado Chipotle on a Roll.

“Ferry’s and Terry’s have been my lifeline ever since my mouth touched cafeteria pizza on that fateful Monday, November 21, 2021, at 11:03 a.m.,” a distressed senior related. “How will I get my parents to shovel more money into my wallet now that they know I won’t be spending it on overpriced sandwiches and tubs of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream?” As we were wrapping up the interview, the end bell rang, and the anguished student burst into tears, wailing, “It’s Vegan Friday today, too?! I don’t want to eat dead grass and lettuce that probably came from Soph-Frosh Latin’s green costumes and God knows where else! In fact, I once saw one of the lunch ladies fishing for seaweed in the Hudson River!”

Being the foremost investigative team at Stuyvesant Elementary School, we at the Humor Department naturally decided to dig deeper into the problem in a race against our corroding digestive systems— the human body can only take so many cafeteria pizzas. Of course, who would try to shut down the delicious duo except other, less popular food places?

Using this lead, we began our investigation by hiring 23 nosy fresh men (there was no shortage of applicants to choose from) to sniff around Mc Donald’s, 16 Handles, Whole Foods, and Shake Shack under the cover of night’s dark ness. The little raccoons dug through the base ments and pantries of each location, desperately searching for the owners of Ferry’s and Terry’s, whom they expected to find tied to steel chairs with duct tape over their mouths. No such luck. Unfortunately, action movies do not represent real life, no matter what your English teacher might say. However, their findings were still astonishing. In the

dark depths of the Whole Foods basement, they discovered complex floor plans of Ferry’s and Terry’s, covered with more hastily-drawn red marks than your most recent physics test. Actually, maybe not. Next to the maps sat three half-eaten Chicken Pizza Bagels (likely unfit for consumption, but the freshmen, being the little ro

had to abandon the freshmen at that point, as they lacked the leg strength to climb the stairs, the arm strength to help rescue the store owners, and the mental strength to persevere through our “abuse.” In their place, we sent our very replaceable newbie writers.

Upon reaching the 12th floor, they found that the floor consisted of only one room, which had disturbing sounds coming from inside. The door was bolted shut. At least, the front door was. It took about four seconds for them to realize that the back door was unlocked and slightly ajar. The writers crept in as quietly as 15 children with giant backpacks could—that is, not very

was an obscenely large pile of pre-prepared pizza bagels, bacon, avocados, and Chipotle sauce!

What happened next is unclear, but according to several writers, the two owners “chased them out of the room with a barrage of lettuce, sharpened avocado pits, and past Global Studies Regents exams.”

In the following days, numerous attempts were made to coax the owners into returning to their posts. Students offered extra credit points (On what, exactly? Their Yelp! ratings?), AP U.S. History Review Packets, and more. Some even had the brilliantly stupid idea to bribe the owners with their own food, with one student yelling, “I’ll give you a hundred of my least moldy mac-and-cheese pizza bagels if you return to Terry’s! And yes, I’ve been stockpiling them since before freshman year!”

and a detailed plan of attack. From these plans, it was determined that the owners of Ferry’s and Terry’s were being held hostage in none other than the 12th floor chemistry lab!

The next phase of the investigation involved climbing up 11 flights of stairs in a heroic rescue attempt. Unfortunately, we

What they found was shocking. The owners of Ferry’s and Terry’s were not tied up in steel chairs, locked into medieval torture devices, or even being subjected to the cruel and unusual punishment of reading 16 pages of an AP European History textbook! If anything, they seemed to be enjoying the peace and quiet. Next to them

Currently, the situation remains unresolved. Will the owners of Terry’s and Ferry’s ever return from their extended vacation on the 12th floor of Stuyvesant Elementary? Will McDonald’s use the extra customer revenue to finally fix their ice cream machines? The dedicated children of the Humor Department will continue to report the latest information as the case continues to unfold.

Veronika Duvanova / The Spectator

Athlete of the Issue

Acing Alex

By YASHNA PATEL and FREDERIK SCHUTZ

Name: Alexander Hagiu

Grade: Senior

Height: 5’ 7”

Hair Color: Black

Eye Color: Brown

Date of Birth: 09/08/2005

1. When and how did you start playing tennis? How long have you been on the Hitmen, Stuyvesant’s boys’ varsity tennis team?

I started when I was around four, so basically about as long as I can remember. If I recall correctly, […] my parents decided to take me to a few classes at Queens College, like the free public classes, and I really liked them. We sort of just continued from there, and I guess here we are now. As for how long I’ve been on the Hitmen, I tried out [in my] freshman year and made the team, but either way, the season was canceled due to COVID. So then I started sophomore year.

2. Do you prefer to play singles or doubles?

Doubles, absolutely doubles. In singles, it feels like there’s so much more pressure on you. In doubles, you feel like you have a partner that you can [rely on]. So it’s more of a team effort rather than just being alone on the court. I really thrive a lot more when I’m working in a team, which is also why I like high school tennis matches a lot more than traditional tournament matches because it just feels like it’s just you out on the court, whereas in high school tennis, you have the fact that you’re playing for the team and not just yourself.

3. What is your most memorable/proud moment with the Hitmen?

I’m definitely proud of my win record last season because it was 8-1. I’d say that I’m proud of each match that season indi-

By AHMED RADWAN

The Brooklyn Nets went from being championship contenders, with a superteam built around Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving, to rebuilders in just three years. A team with three generational talents, two of which were former MVPs, should have been impossible to defeat, yet their inability to win a championship will be the defining characteristic of this Nets team.

The Durant, Harden, and Irving trio will go down in history as the biggest failure and “what if?” team in the NBA, failing to even qualify for the Conference Finals once. As surprising as it seems, their failure can be broken down into a few simple factors. The trio was on the Nets for a total of 126 games––

vidually. I play matches not as if every match is the final point and everything’s resting on it, but more like, “Alright, I won this match, now what’s next?” And, yeah, it always leads to being more proud of the whole, cumulative thing, rather than a specific match or something. But I would say one of my matches against Bronx Science, where we were pretty close, [is] probably my favorite. And it was nerve-wracking because I was absolutely having an off day and my shots weren’t coming out the way I wanted to. But the score stayed tight between us. [...] So yeah, it was [nervewracking], right until the end, in which we won 10-8 in the tiebreaker.

4. What is your strategy for constantly improving yourself (specific workouts, exercises, mentality, practices, classes, etc.)?

So when I go to a class at the [United States Tennis Association] (USTA), it’s a very large group. So you don’t really get to get too much improvement on specific areas of your game. It’s more to test a new strategy or a new idea that was described to you at some point to see how well it does. Usually, the trainers will give one or two pointers [...] and you can improve it from there. Really, I think I improved the most with my private coach, who I meet once a week. With him, we really just start [by] warming up, and [then] he points out what I seem to need to improve on, and we work on that. Then I go to the Lacoste Academy and USTA and play there to try to put it into practice while I’m playing other people. [If] all else fails and I’m by myself, I just try to remember what I was told, and, if worst comes to worst, we can always improvise.

5. What are your short-term and long-term goals you’d like to accomplish going into

season?

Long term, I want to help the team win the banner this year, absolutely. Short term, I want to make the practices a lot more organized. I want to get it to be running sort of like a well-oiled machine.

6. Do you have any plans to continue the sport in the future or in college?

Yes, I did talk with a few coaches for college tennis. The school I am specifically looking at is the team for Hunter Col-

warm-up routine? What is it?

I just use the entire warmup routine my trainer from Lacoste showed me. First, I do [an] RDL, which is basically a lunge and twist. You’re on one leg, you lean forward, then you put your arms out and it just really stretches multiple muscles in your leg and the back part of your leg. It also helps with balance. Then I do some heel grabs, a few sprints, and that’s basically it. That’s the general idea; I do change it up sometimes.

your friends, your family, [your] physio, your coach, and everything. But on the court, it’s just you and only you. In high school tennis, the team really helps deal with the problem of feeling isolated, because even in singles, when you’re playing, if you have two, three people cheering for you on the sides, you don’t feel so alone on the court anymore. You feel like you’re playing for somebody else, not just yourself.

10. Do you have a service routine? If so, what is it?

No, not really. The only thing that ever stays consistent is the fact that I bounce the ball three times before I serve it. Actually not having a routine is kind of helpful because I really end up making my decision on where I’m going to serve on the spot, right as I’m about to start the motion, so my opponent doesn’t have time to guess where I am going to serve based on the actions I do.

Funniest Teammate: Nicholas Oh

Favorite Professional Tennis

Player: Rafael Nadal

lege. I have met with the coach, met with the team, and they seem pretty nice. I definitely want to keep playing tennis and keep it in my life even after I graduate.

7. Do you have any pre-match superstitions or rituals?

Now that I think about it, I should have some or something to get me in the mood, but I don’t. What I [always make sure to do], though, is [watch] my diet. Before [matches and practices], I eat a ton of carbs [and] a ton of protein, the classic. But other than that, I just do my stretches like normal and then head on to the court, do a warm up, get ready, and just start playing.

8. Do you have a specific

9. What are the best and worst parts of tennis?

One of the best parts of tennis is just the sheer amount of adrenaline you have on the court. You’ll be playing, and you want to get to every ball. There is not a single ball that you do not want to chase down. And I really like the rush because it makes me feel like I’m giving my all on the court. Another part that I really like is when I get off the court knowing that I played my best. Even if I lost my match, but I played my absolute best, I can’t be mad about that because I know I put everything out on the court. One thing I don’t like about tennis is if you’re not playing doubles, you feel very isolated out on the court. Off the court, you have your whole team, like

Artificial Greatness

just over a calendar year—and somehow only managed to have 16 games where they all participated. They won 13 out of 16 of those games, boasting an 81.25 percent win rate when they all played. Unfortunately, their time together on the court was constantly plagued by one issue or another. Primarily, this was the result of unfortunate injuries, but Irving’s COVID-19 fiasco also impacted his availability and caused a sharp divide between Harden and Irving.

In response, the Nets chose to stick with their original duo of Durant and Irving and sent Harden to the Philadelphia 76ers. Though the Nets lost a part of their core, the duo of Durant and Irving was nothing to scoff at either, and with the addition of Ben Simmons, they looked to have the same

aspirations as they had previously. However, Simmons and Irving grew notorious for their off-court drama, proving to be a contributing factor in the subsequent collapse. Simmons didn’t play a single game in the season he was traded, and the Nets were swept in the first round of the playoffs by the Boston Celtics. Durant then requested a trade over the summer, but the drama eventually simmered down after he rescinded his request. This was just the beginning of what was a growing divide between the management and the players. Though head coach Steve Nash was handpicked by Durant, it was clear that he had little respect in or control over the locker room. Ironically, the front office’s decision to cater to the players is what ended up hurting them the most. Though

the Nets had big players, the lack of a support system from coaches and role players was on full display every time Durant or Irving were unavailable. “There was no structure, and even superstars, they need structure,” Harden said regarding his time in Brooklyn.

The start of the 2022-2023 season foreshadowed a similar season to those prior. After posting a link to an anti-semitic documentary, Irving was suspended for eight games, yet again being unavailable to start the season. Following the suspension, Irving and Durant managed to power through a remarkable winning streak and were the number-one seed in the league heading into the new year. Then, Durant sustained an MCL sprain on January 8, reaggravating the injury issues

Favorite Tennis Tournament: U.S. Open

Playing on Full or Light Stomach: Light Stomach

Favorite Sports Drink: Yellow Gatorade

Favorite Post-Match Snack: Whatever I can get my hands on

Favorite Hobby: Finding cool hidden websites, learning about psychology

If You Could Play One Other

Sport: European Football (Soccer)

Motto to Live By: If it happens, it happens.

Fun Fact: Every summer I read a famous tennis player’s book and try to have it autographed. I own books written and signed by Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Novak Djokovic, etc.

Tennis Shoe Brand: Adidas

Tennis Racket: Wilson

that had long plagued the Nets. However, the team was able to win without Durant, and they looked as though they had the depth to make a championship run this year.

Midway through a strong run, Irving requested a trade on February 5 after being denied a contract extension the week prior. In the span of three days, the Nets’ title hopes vanished, as Irving was traded to the Dallas Mavericks, and Durant followed suit to join the Phoenix Suns. The trade deadline in February marked the end of the dream that Irving and Durant brought, with no success to show for it. “I’m just glad that he got out of there,” Irving said about Durant

continued on page 23

Geoffrey Huang / The Spectator

PSAL All-Access Brings Athletes to Stuyvesant

By AVA QUARLES

At Stuyvesant, students have access to 42 sports teams, with 22 out of 25 sports offered by the PSAL. However, few New York City public school students are this fortunate. Many schools only possess a few sports teams because of low athletic budgets or a lack of adequate practice space. In the fall of 2022, the PSAL started the PSAL All-Access program to address the problem of opportunity inequality. This spring, Stuyvesant is seeing the effects of the program.

The goal of the All-Access program is to “increase access to PSAL programming for schools that have traditionally been underserved.” It has four parts: New Access, Shared Access, New Team Creation, and Individual Access, with Individual Access being the only one implemented in Stuyvesant. New Access gives schools with no PSAL programming the chance to host two new teams of their choice. Shared Access creates Shared Access programs to combine smaller schools into larger athletic programs, providing students with access to more sports. New Team Creation funds schools with a low number of teams so that they

Boys’ Basketball

may increase their offering to at least one team per gender for each of the three PSAL seasons.

Individual Access provides the opportunity for students to play PSAL sports that their school does not offer, first instituted citywide this spring 2023 season. If a student does not have access to a specific sport at their school, they can join another school’s team for that sport. Stuyvesant athletic director Peter Bologna said, “It’s a great idea in a few facets. One: it promotes athletics throughout the whole city. Two: it could help Stuyvesant athletically, if the person is an exceptionally good athlete.” As a school with a multitude of sports teams––many more than most schools––the Individual Access solution is having an immediate impact on Stuyvesant’s spring sports.

Four Stuyvesant teams currently have All-Access students on their rosters: boys’ lacrosse, girls’ lacrosse, coed golf, and coed cricket. This season, boys’ lacrosse has two All-Access players. Senior and boys’ lacrosse captain Derek Zang said, “The program has been working out pretty well so far.” Since Stuyvesant teams vary in skill level—often seeing many firsttime players––skillful athletes

from other schools can significantly elevate a team’s capability. Not only do they contribute as players but also as exemplars for newer teammates. Zang appreciates this, and he said that the new athletes “are two very experienced defenders who are teaching the new kids some footwork, stick skills, etcetera. There are a lot of new players this year, so I’m grateful for that.”

When looking at the citywide effects of this program, one would expect to see a general increase in the caliber of PSAL competition. As a broader range of students gains the opportunity to play on PSAL teams, the quality of the athletes and teams should match that growth. In particular, few PSAL teams exist for sports that require large practice areas and/or ample equipment, such as football, lacrosse, and swimming. Luckily, Stuyvesant has one of the only football teams in Manhattan. With the Individual Access program, there is a much larger pool of students eligible for selection, meaning the Stuyvesant football team will likely improve.

However, there are some potential obstacles and downsides to the policy. Logistically, it is much harder to coordinate

practices, travel, and academic eligibility when players attend different schools. Bologna said, “I have a few questions about who checks the grades because I only have access to Stuyvesant. I have to find out who does that. Do they get certified? Do I need a copy? And getting the kids in the building, securitywise, it’s a little extra work.”

For instance, Stuyvesant’s varsity baseball team, the Peglegs, had an All-Access player on the team for preseason practices. The coach needed to personally help the athlete through security every day for practice because he didn’t have a Stuyvesant student ID. This adds responsibility to the coaching staff, requiring greater team coordination. It also raises the question: must coaches be required to judge all athletes equally, regardless of their school of enrollment? If it is an added burden to have a student from a different school on one’s team, there is nothing preventing a coach from cutting this student in favor of a less talented athlete from the host school. In fact, many coaches may favor students from the host school, whether for sentimental or logistical reasons.

Another complication is the ambiguity regarding which school student-athletes can try

The Storm Wasn’t Strong Enough

By SUSIE MCKNIGHT and ROXIE GOSFIELD

Stuyvesant’s boys’ varsity basketball team, the Storm, made history this season, finishing second in the PSAL Manhattan AI Division with an 8-4 record and making it to the second round of borough playoffs. The Storm greatly surpassed preseason expectations after losing key senior players from the prior season, with Coach Charles Sewell and senior cocaptains Adam Sherer and Sloan Ireland leading the team to a number of big victories.

After a dominant regular season, the Storm had a historic run in city playoffs. “Coming off of the best season of Stuyvesant boys’ varsity basketball in 10 years, I was really hoping to make it past the first round,” Ireland said. Both the players and the Stuyvesant community had high hopes for the team, especially after their first round victory in borough playoffs against the previously undefeated NEST+M—Stuyvesant’s first borough playoff victory since 2000. Though their borough playoff run was cut short by powerhouse Murry Bergtraum, the excitement for city playoffs lingered, but the Storm ultimately came up short.

The Storm faced off against College of Staten Island High School (CSI) for a second time this season on Tuesday, February 28. After their previous meeting in January ended in a

54-43 loss, the Storm’s leadership saw a clear advantage this time around. “We knew everything about them,” Ireland said.

“[The] game was very winnable.”

The Storm started off strong in the first quarter, easily outscoring CSI. However, in the second quarter, the team seemingly lost their footing and struggled to get it back. Defensively, “the game plan was well constructed. The guys under-

stood exactly what we needed to do, and they executed it well,” Sewell said. But on offense, the team had more trouble than usual putting points up. Despite a surge in the third quarter, the fourth quarter saw the Storm trailing once again. After the Storm failed to take the lead in the last few minutes, reality seemed to set in for the team. In the closing minutes of the game, the team began to intentionally foul CSI––a strat-

out for. Bologna said, “Students are assigned to another school (host school) in the district or in the borough to try out and participate.” Though the choice is not up to the student, how the school is assigned remains unclear. Adrian Veto, a junior on the varsity baseball team, has this concern and said, “I don’t love the rule. I do think it’s good for people who are at smaller schools to be able to participate in athletics. I just think there should be more rules in place for how teams are chosen so it’s harder to assemble a superteam.” Though there may be some complications to be worked out, the institution of the AllAccess program will greatly increase the athletic opportunities for many students at smaller or lower-access schools. “I think in the long run, it will be well worth it,” Bologna said. The policy’s background states, “While there are schools in New York City with over 40 athletic teams, there are also schools that have historically had access to zero PSAL teams or minimal access, as defined by having less than six teams.” As Stuyvesant welcomes student-athletes into its teams, the school gets to be a major part of this historical program.

egy used to hopefully get a rebound off a missed free throw. This strategy always comes with a game-defining risk, and CSI was, unfortunately, able to capitalize on those fouls to extend

on offense served as a doubleedged sword. “We needed those extra possessions to put points on the board,” he said.

Though their playoff run may have been cut short, there is no doubt that this season was a transformative one for the Stuyvesant Storm—and not just in name. Part of this particular team’s strength was their longevity as a group. The seven current seniors have been playing together since they were sophomores in the COVIDadjusted spring season of 2021. This team chemistry may have been the push that propelled this year’s team to heights Stuyvesant had not reached since 2003.

Sewell has now turned his focus to next season, seeking to adjust the Storm’s strategy to fit with their new personnel. The Storm’s offense will rely heavily on their guards’ ability to dribble and attack the basket in contrast to the heavy emphasis on passing this past season. Sewell plans to further the team’s cohesiveness and fundamental soundness, concentrating on their speed of transition and aggression on rebounds.

their lead to two possessions.

The Storm ended up losing 3944.

Reflecting on the game in which the Storm put on an impressive defensive display, Sewell realized that forcing CSI’s team to burn the clock

Though the ending will remain disappointing, the graduating seniors will look back with immense pride in what they were able to accomplish this season. As the Storm moves out with the old and in with the new, we can only wait to watch the Storm bring the rage next season.

Boys’ Varsity Basketball team

Courtesy of Lorraine Li

Boys’ Basketball

Season Recap: JV Basketball

By TY ANANT

With the end of the Stuyvesant winter sports season, it’s time to recap one of the strongest runs of the season from the Runnin’ Rebels, Stuyvesant’s boys’ JV basketball team. The Rebels stacked up a 13-3 record (tying them for second in the Manhattan I league) and a playoff berth. With the varsity basketball team getting better year by year, it’s worth recognizing the hard work of the Rebels and Coach Howard Barbin in creating a strong team within their hyper-competitive division.

The Rebels opened their season with an away game against Bayard Rustin, a formidable team that would go undefeated. Though the Rebels lost 61-40, they played with heart, scoring close to Bayard in the second half and even outscoring them in the second quarter.

The promise the Rebels showed in their first game was put on full display over their next seven, all of which they won by an average of 31 points. In two games, one at Norman Thomas on December 15 and one against Baruch on January 3, the Rebels held their opponents at 16 points while scoring 70 and 62 themselves, respectively. Any box score from these seven games, but especially from these two, is indicative of both a powerful Stuyvesant offense and hard work in the other half of the court.

The offensive prowess started with sophomore guard Terrence Liao. Liao is the Rebels’ leading scorer, with 14.2 points per game and 213 total points (Stuyvesant sports fans may re-

UFC

By ANAS AHMED

After a three-year hiatus from the UFC, Jon “Bones” Jones made his long-awaited return to the octagon. In a fight that would solidify Jones’s G.O.A.T. status, he claimed heavyweight gold against Ciryl Gane at UFC 285. Leading up to the fight, many had doubted that Jones could find success in the heavyweight division. Yet three years and almost 50 pounds later, UFC fans were reintroduced to a familiar villain.

In Jones’s previous outing, at UFC 247, his fight with Dominick Reyes ended in a controversial split decision that would prove Jon Jones to be “beatable,” with many believing Reyes was robbed of a win. Despite controversy, after his historic 13 title defenses—the most in UFC history—in the light heavyweight division, Jones decided that it was time to contend for the heavyweight title. Between the ongoing pandemic, Stipe Miocic’s tear through the heavyweight division, and Francis Ngannou’s rise to glory, Jones delayed his return to the heavyweight division until March 2023. In the meantime, the light heavyweight belt that Jones had left behind changed hands four times within three

member him for winning last year’s three-point contest). Liao is known for his hot streaks— he’s netted 25 in two games, with a 28-point performance against East Side Community in early January. But the scoring doesn’t stop at Liao. Both co-

average of just 33 points after their first game. About the captains’ impact, Liao said, “[Buchanan’s and Zheng’s] effect is huge. When everyone is playing together, we all have a good time, and it’s like we don’t stop scoring.”

made 10 three-pointers on very efficient shooting. They didn’t win purely on offense, either. The Rebels were down by eight going into the fourth quarter and, incredibly, held Future to their lowest-scoring quarter of the entire season with just four

captains, sophomore forwards Ian Buchanan and Frank Zheng, were consistent scorers, both averaging around 10 points per game. The captains’ contribution is more than just scoring, though, as they average a combined 16 rebounds per game, a large part of why the Rebels’ defense held league teams to an

That mindset was exemplified perfectly in the Rebels’ last home game of the season, a nail-biter against School of the Future, who was tied for fourth place in the division. In that game, both Buchanan and Zheng scored in the double digits, with Liao leading the scoring with 25 points. The team also

points. This was a game the Rebels may very well have lost at the beginning of the year, but their growth and camaraderie in the win was evident.

The future of the team looks bright as well, with the Rebels sporting quite a few promising freshmen, including guards Izo Kawaguchi and Eric Liu, who

The Return of the G.O.A.T.

years, and the reigning heavyweight champion, Ngannou, had left the organization. Jones was now fighting for a belt left vacant by Ngannou’s departure as a free agent. He strived to dominate this new division and prove he was still unbeatable, even at heavyweight. “I really believe in my whole heart [that] I was cho sen by God Himself to be an un defeated fighter,” Jones said.

While Jones attributes much of his success to God, critics are quick to point out that he is a hypocrite untrue to his word. Dealing with media backlash for his out-of-theoctagon actions for most of his career, Jones’s legacy has been to the test on multiple occasions. His infamous hit-and-run ac cident in 2015, failed drug tests in both 2016 and 2017, as well as his notorious leisure activities before big fights have tarnished the image of Jon “Bones” Jones. Many assumed that this threeyear hiatus was used to “sober up” and focus on making weight for the next division, without the use of performance-enhancing drugs. Nonetheless, Jones took

the criticism and ran with it, bulking up to 248 pounds (a 44 pound increase from UFC 247) and leaving drugs in the past. He was more determined than ever to prove critics wrong, believing that 2023 would be a test for what his legacy had in store for him. news, fans could never forget how glorious Jones’s reign over the light heavyweight division for nine years was and anticipated his return to the octagon. Now going up against Ciryl Gane, one of the top contenders in the UFC, many worried if Jones’s savage

fighting style would work against Gane’s chess-like strategy. Gane, known for being extremely talented and moving with exceptional speed for a heavyweight, was accustomed to fighting at such a high level, having fought Ngannou at UFC 270. Being a former TKO world heavyweight champion and UFC interim heavyweight champion, Gane proved to be Jones’s toughest opponent yet. However, Jones remained unfazed by the pressure: “Somewhere inside of him, he thinks there’s a chance that he’s going to take food off my family’s table and try and destroy my legacy. That’s something I take very personal,” Jones said. The build-up to the fight was nothing short of spectacular. Jones had hinted at using the signature “The Champ is Here” at the pre-fight press conference, something he had carried with him since the early stages of his UFC career. When fans heard the iconic words, TMobile Arena erupted for Jones’s miraculous return. Gane’s walkout received the expected boos, and fans could only wait to see

were invaluable scorers in many games. The chemistry between the Rebels is superb, with the leadership of the captains and veteran sophomores meshing with talented freshmen looking to learn. As the freshmen step up next year, the sophomores will transition into varsity play with Coach Charles Sewell over the off-season, rejoining their JV mentors from two years back. Despite this, the Rebels struggled against stronger teams like Bayard Rustin, who they lost twice to. “Our offense can look sloppy, and we need to work on putting the ball in the basket more consistently,” Zheng said. Their offense had also been [isolation]-heavy, with no player averaging over 1.5 assists per game. As Zheng said, when your scorers are having off days, as all scorers do, an isolation-based offense can stagnate. On top of on-court issues, the team had a rocky start off the court, with a few players quitting mid-season. While the Rebels weren’t perfect by any means, they certainly have all the pieces to be great moving forward. The players are certainly determined to get better, and they can be seen during most hours of their offseason playing pickup in the park. The work and time they’ve put in together will help prepare sophomores like Zheng, Liao, and Buchanan for the varsity team, while readying freshmen like Liu to lead the Rebels next year. Like their first game, the Rebels showed massive promise throughout the season, even during the rough spots. If their next season is anything like the games after their opener, we have a lot to look forward to.

how the main event would unfold. When they finally met in the octagon, neither fighter held back. The fight started with an early low blow from Gane, but after that, it was Jones’s fight to lose. Within the first two minutes of the first round, Jones took Gane down and locked him in a guillotine to submit the French fighter. As Bruce Buffer announced the new champion, the stadium was overcome with elation, creating an atmosphere reminiscent of the golden age of Jones’s UFC career.

After the fight, Joe Rogan interviewed Jones, who was soaking in his victory, engaging the crowd, and imitating a goat. Filled with energy after a mere two minutes of combat, Jones decided to jump atop the octagon fence, heavyweight gold now achieved, shortly after busting some sweet dance moves. In his post-fight interview, Jones called out Stipe Miocic, who many regard as the greatest heavyweight of all time, in an attempt to reach the top of two weight classes.

“This is an extremely important fight for both of our legacies, I must treat it as such,” Jones later said on Twitter. This poses the question: will Jones ever be defeated, or will he continue to be the “Prodigal Son” of the UFC?

Sin Liu / The Spectator

Courtesy of Louise Wang

Boys’ Junior Varsity Basketball team

UCL Quarter Finals Power Rankings

come back to haunt Benfica, as experience is crucial to winning it all (think back to Real Madrid 2021/2022). While Benfica may not have as much recent experience or as deep pockets when compared to other clubs in the UCL, they’ve shown passion all season and are dominating domestic competitions. They’re looking to turn their hard work into a third UCL title for their supporters but will have a tough time ousting giants such as Bayern Munich and Real Madrid. Look out for the Portuguese side, though––they have all the passion and hunger it takes to win it this year.

4. Bayern Munich Key Player: Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting Bayern aimed to protect their narrow 1-0 lead from the first leg as they hosted Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) at the Allianz Arena for the second leg. However, all who expected the French team to make a comeback were proven severely

NBA

By JARED LEE

Going into the All-Star break, the New York Knicks were the fragile sixth seed in the Eastern Conference with a 33-27 record and a three-game win streak. With recent acquisition Josh Hart and no signs of slowing down over the break, the team extended their win streak to nine before finally losing to the Charlotte Hornets on March 7. The win streak, the Knicks’ longest since 2013, put them in the fifth seed behind only the Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, and Cleveland Cavaliers. If the Knicks keep up this level of play, they may be a serious threat and could genuinely make a deep playoff run. Take a look at some of the factors that have contributed to their success thus far.

First, the Knicks’ offense has been extremely strong throughout the season. The team has built its offense around efficiency by minimizing turnovers, hitting free throws, and having bigs crash the boards for offensive rebounds. For the most

NBA

wrong. After a close first half ended 0-0, the German side took full control of the tempo of the game in the second half. A true display of teamwork and cohesive link-up play, Bayern ripped open a disconnected PSG side that was too focused on creating something out of individual talent. PSG superstar forwards Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé drew blanks on the night, but virtually every Bayern player performed brilliantly. Careless possession play by PSG saw Bayern net their first of the night through target striker Eric Maxim ChoupoMoting, who has been brilliant this season and has a four-game scoring streak. A late counterattacking goal from substitute Serge Gnabry secured Bayern’s ticket to the next round, proving why they remain one of the favorites to win the whole tournament.

3. Manchester City

Key Player: Erling Haaland

“Haaland, Haaland / He’s a blue, just like his dad / Now he’s at the Etihad / Ha-Ha-HaHaaland, hey!” These chants

in Erling Haaland’s honor rang throughout the Etihad on Tuesday night. He notched an otherworldly performance, scoring five goals and equalling the record for most goals scored in one UCL game. Manchester City convincingly put away RB Leipzig, winning 7-0 at home. City has one of the––if not the––most complete squads in the competition. The only thing limiting them from rising up the ranking is the performances of the other teams and City’s inconsistent league form. In the return leg, City showed why this year could finally be their year, but they require consistency to do so. They’ve yet to win a Champions League title, and some say they’re cursed to never do so. Be on the lookout for any slips in form––that could be the catalyst in killing their title push.

2. Napoli Key Player: Victor Osimhen

The Italian league leaders are one of the most in-form teams in Europe right now and many consider them to be one of the favorites to win the whole competition. An incredible first-leg

win over Eintracht Frankfurt away from home meant Napoli was walking into the reverse fixture with a two-goal advantage. However, if you thought that the Italian side was going to play defensive and accept a goal-less tie, you were sorely mistaken. In front of their home fans at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium, Napoli commanded the ball and created eight shots on target compared to Frankfurt’s one on the night. Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen, who’s been in scintillating form this season, found the back of the net twice, bringing his tally up to 23 goals in 28 matches now. Napoli certainly have their eyes on the trophy and will be betting on themselves to confidently dismantle any team in Europe right now.

1. Real Madrid

Key Player: Karim Benzema

Real Madrid had a simple task to complete against Liverpool––don’t lose 3-0 (a certain Spanish side would argue that it’s not so simple––looking at you, Barcelona). They accomplished that with excellence. Ballon d’Or winner Karim Ben-

An Empire Streak

part, this system seems to be working. Their offensive rating ranks fifth this season and ranked third during their win streak. Part of this mid-season offensive boom is the result of the players figuring each other out. “Our offense has always been good the whole year, but right now we’re clicking on just a different level,” forward RJ Barrett said after the Knicks’ win over the Brooklyn Nets on March 1. Not only has the team improved, but many individual players have had a huge impact on the past wins. One of these players is Hart.

The Knicks acquired Hart from the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for some bench players and a 2023 first-round draft pick. The trade has proved to be exceedingly beneficial for the Knicks. Hart has excelled in offensive and defensive rebounding, capitalized on fastbreaks, and empowered the bench squad, which ranks first this season. One of the key bench players, Immanuel Quickley, has put up big numbers with Hart. In the Knicks’ overtime win against a strong

Celtics team on March 5, Quickley dropped 38 points, seven assists, and eight rebounds. Hart and Quickley have performed so well off the bench that Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau, has routinely played them to finish close games.

The starting lineup has also improved drastically since last year. Guard Jalen Brunson has proved himself as the floor general for the Knicks’ offense. Brunson is averaging a careerhigh 23.8 points per game this season, 12 points more than his first four seasons in the NBA. Brunson especially flourishes in the fourth quarter and has come in clutch on multiple occasions. In fact, Brunson ranked second on the clutch player ladder during the Knicks’ win streak. New York has another scoring option in Julius Randle, who is also performing exceptionally well, averaging 25.2 points per game. Randle is shooting a career-high 34.9 percent from three-point range, giving Brunson a good kick-out option when attacking. “It’s just great… It makes the game easier for all of us. He’s making plays and being efficient,

and we’re winning,” Randle said. In addition to the strong Brunson-Randle duo, centers Mitchell Robinson and Jericho Sims are impacting possessions with offensive rebounds for second-chance points. The Knicks’ offensive rebounding percentage ranks second this season.

The Knicks clearly have all the pieces to do well in the playoffs, but there are a few things that are preventing them from doing even better. One challenge has been injuries. Robinson was out for the entirety of January and the beginning of February due to thumb surgery, which severely impacted the Knicks’ interior defense. Just recently, Brunson injured his left foot, and the Knicks lost the next three straight following the injury. “It’s tough. He’s a big part of our team, a big part of what we do… He’s a leader on and off the floor,” Quickley said regarding Brunson’s absence. Another challenge has been consistency. Earlier this year, the Knicks had an eight-game win streak followed by a five-game losing streak. A similar situation is playing out with their most re-

Artificial Greatness

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continued from page 24 after hearing about the blockbuster trade.

While the Nets never grew to their full potential, it was all a matter of small issues that culminated in the failed cohesion of the team. “It was a lot of ups and downs. We didn’t

accomplish what we wanted to accomplish as far as winning a championship, but I [enjoyed] the grind. It was a special four years of my career,” said Durant in his Phoenix Suns introduction. At the end of the day, the Nets always had too much drama and never enough basketball to live up to the lofty expectations that everyone had

of them. We never got to see the full potential of the Durant and Irving duo. Over the four years they played together, they only managed to play 87 out of a potential 280 games—the true tragedy of this fiasco. Whether it was injuries or controversy, there were always issues thwarting any built-up momentum. With that said, the team

has a strong young core that will be exciting to watch. With head coach Jacque Vaughn, the Nets will be a solid team, providing an amazing opportunity for younger players like Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson to prove themselves. The Nets have an abundance of capable players with superstar potential but are being suppressed by

zema wrapped up the tie in the 78th minute, scoring the lone goal. This year hasn’t been all too smooth-sailing for Madrid, dropping points left and right in the league and seemingly handing the title to Barcelona. Moving past that, Madrid has looked like winners in the UCL, and has the history to back that up. If they can keep up their UCL form against Chelsea, then they’re the favorites to win it all. They’ll need stellar performances from Benzema, who has had another spectacular season. He and Luka Modrić have aged like fine wine, turning in brilliant performances match after match. Look out for Madrid––they’re already thinking about Istanbul.

With mouth-watering ties such as Chelsea against Real Madrid and Manchester City against Bayern Munich, this year’s quarter-finals surely won’t disappoint. History will be written and legacies will be made as the teams battle it out in the quarter-finals. Be sure to read our semi-finals article in Issue 14!

cent win streak. With the current standings, the Knicks would face off against the fourth seed, the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Knicks have gone 2-1 against the Cavs, with their one loss coming at the beginning of the season. In their two wins, the Knicks played outstanding defense against the Cavs’ top two scorers, Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland. Mitchell had a 37 FG percentage and Garland a 30.8 FG percentage across these two games, which pales in comparison to their season averages, 47.8 percent and 47 percent, respectively. If the Knicks can continue to improve their defense, they can easily get past the first round. The second round might prove to be a challenge, however, as they would most likely face the one-seed Milwaukee Bucks. As the regular season comes to a close, we’ll have to wait and see what seed the Knicks end up in and what changes Thibodeau will make. Regardless, when the Knicks are healthy and playing consistently at their best, they could be the team to make an unlikely playoff run.

their roles and playing time. The team is now much better than it should have been after trading away three generational talents. With the acquisitions of Bridges, Johnson, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Dorian Finney-Smith, the Nets have a prime roster to build team culture for the future rather than trying to artificially create greatness.

By ADRIAN VETO

Stuyvesant boys’ varsity baseball team has built a name for itself over the past few years, elevating itself from a middling team to a serious contender. This rise was demonstrated in last year’s historic playoff run, where the Peglegs became the first specialized high school to make it to the semifinals. A large part of this excellence stems from a distinguished JV program that develops younger players to prepare them for their coming years on the varsity team. Coming off an undefeated season, Stuyvesant’s boys’ JV baseball team, the Peglegs, is looking to continue their dominance and further the Stuyvesant baseball agenda.

The Peglegs are led by a strong sophomore core looking to build on their success from last year. “Our strongest aspect is probably pitching,” sophomore and captain William Rickens said. “Four out of five sophomores can pitch, and several freshmen can as well.” This pitching staff is led by Rickens himself, who was a key component of last year’s rotation. In his freshman year, Rickens pitched 10 innings and recorded 21 strikeouts, while allowing just one hit and no earned runs. Rickens is joined on the mound by sophomores Christopher Louie, Jason Chao, and Jasper Yu-Da-

UCL

Hitting it Out of the Park

widowicz, who combined for seven innings last year while allowing zero runs. Chao is equally confident in the team’s pitching depth. He said, “Almost every player is a pitcher.” The team is

at the beginning of the season. “Because we can’t have practices and games outside, our ability to get swings in, especially against live pitching, is limited,” Rickens said. Despite this, the returning

owicz batted 0.364 in his 22 atbats, including two doubles and two triples. Louie had an impressive season on the basepaths, swiping seven bags and scoring 12 runs for the team. Though

are putting in the work to improve their athleticism. In the offseason, many of the players work out at gyms to build strength and endurance. This added muscle is sure to benefit the team on both sides of the ball, and this dedication in the offseason shows the players’ commitment to success. As soon as the spring season started, the Peglegs jumped into practice.

“The team has been meeting several times a week to play and stay sharp,” Rickens said. These practices include hitting soft toss and live pitching in batting cages, as well as infield work to improve the team’s defense. Defense is one of the team’s make-or-break aspects, as none of its pitchers are strikeout-heavy arms. The team relies on forcing consistent outs on balls hit in play, and early practices have shown that the defense has promise already.

confident in all of their pitchers, and Chao is confident in their ability to succeed throughout the season.

While pitching might be ample for the Peglegs, the team has struggled with hitting, especially

By DUNCAN PARK and SOHAM MUKHERJEE

Welcome back to The Spectator’s UEFA Champions League (UCL) power rankings! This edition of the rankings features the eight quarterfinalists and will give commentary on key players, strong contenders, and why each remaining team has a chance at winning the big-eared trophy. If you haven’t already, be sure to check out the past rankings, which can be found in Issue 11!

8. A.C. Milan

Key Player: Rafael Leão

The second leg between AC Milan and Tottenham Hotspur took place away from home for the Italian side, which was aiming to protect a 1-0 lead from the first-leg fixture. Despite being a close game between two equally matched sides, the Rossoneri accomplished their goal. In particular, the left side of the Milan lineup, consisting of center-back Fikayo Tomori and left-back captain Theo Hernández, managed to suppress a lackluster Tottenham attack. Milan attacker Rafael Leão, who has been the team’s standout this season, was virtually uncatchable given his lightning pace and quick dribbling on the ball, but unfortunately could not make much of an impact on the scoreline. Dirty tackles and hard fouls from both sides made it a messy night, and a 77th-minute

players have proved their ability to make an impact on the offensive side of the ball. Sophomore shortstop Kerick Espino posted a whopping 0.667 on-base percentage last year, with more walks than at-bats. Yu-Dawid-

they may need time to develop their hitting, the Peglegs have the potential to become a force to be reckoned with when they hit their stride.

Perhaps most importantly in the coming season, the Peglegs

UCL Quarter Finals Power Rankings

red card for Tottenham centerback Cristian Romero certainly made the task easier for Milan. While the Italian side may not boast incredible attacking play, their grit and perseverance make them a team to be aware of in the quarter-finals.

7. Inter Milan

Key Player: Lautaro Martínez

Inter Milan visited the Estádio do Dragão for the second leg with a 1-0 lead over Porto, hoping to secure their ticket to the quarter-finals. A relentless Porto continuously attacked an unwavering Inter defense throughout the game, creating plenty of offensive chances. However, through it all, the Italian backline remained impregnable. A superb performance from Inter goalkeeper André Onana made the task even more challenging as Porto failed to find the back of the net. Despite star player Lautaro Martínez putting on a relatively quiet display for his standards, Inter saw out the goalless tie to win 1-0 on aggregate. While Inter may not look very threatening while attacking, it will prove costly to underestimate their resilient and aggressive mentality against Benfica.

6. Chelsea

Key Player: Enzo Fernández

Yes, yes, we know: we were very wrong about Chelsea last issue. While Chelsea did manage to win––and quite convinc-

ingly––they just don’t seem to have that killer instinct seen in past UCL-winning teams. The win against Borussia Dortmund was their third since the new year, showing a lack of consistent play and ability to pick up wins. Their quarterfinal match against Real Madrid will be much tougher, and Madrid will be just as desperate to move on to the semi-finals. While Enzo Fernández got left in the dust on that Karim Adeyemi goal, he’s looked like Chelsea’s best player in every game and has heaps of confidence with performances to support it. Chelsea’s other players are looking to improve their play, with attackers Kai Havertz and Raheem Sterling scoring in the crucial win against Dortmund. For Chelsea to win––and rise in the rankings––they need to show much more consistency and team play. Otherwise, they won’t make it through against Real Madrid.

5. Benfica

Key Player: Gonçalo Ramos

Well, that was expected. Benfica brushed aside Club Brugge in the second leg, 5-1 (7-1 on aggregate), earning them a spot in the quarter-finals. Benfica has looked strong all season, giving them the fifth spot in our power rankings. Star striker Gonçalo Ramos keeps delivering, scoring a brace in the second leg for his 18th goal in all competitions. Ramos has been a key player,

and Benfica is looking to rely on him against Inter. Looking past Ramos, there are many quality players, such as João Mário and Rafa Silva, but not many proven winners or superstars

The Peglegs are shaping up to be a forceful team to start the 2023 season. Their hitting has high potential once adjusted to live pitching. The team’s pitching staff is elite and backed up by consistent defense. “We went undefeated last year, and I hope we repeat. This team is solid, and I think we stand a good chance,” Rickens said. Not only do they stand a chance, but if the Peglegs continue on their current trajectory, the team is shaping up for another stellar season.

that have made their names on the biggest stage. That might

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SPORTSBEAT

NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers has expressed a strong interest to go to the New York Jets.

Manchester City striker Erling Haaland scored five goals against RB Leipzig, tying the record for most goals by a player in a Champions League game and breaking the single-season Manchester City scoring record.

In the World Baseball Classic, the Dominican Republic was disappointingly knocked out early, while Japan and the United States both advance to the semi-finals.

In the UEFA Champions League, the quarter-finals are set. Benfica will play Inter Milan, Manchester City will play Bayern Munich, Real Madrid will play Chelsea, and AC Milan will face off against Napoli. First legs will be played on April 11 and 12.

In response to his social media post with a firearm in a nightclub, Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant is charged with an eight-game NBA suspension.

Gianni Infantino is re-elected as the president of FIFA, serving until 2027.

Diamond Sports Group, who owns various MLB and NHL sporting networks across the United States, files for bankruptcy.

Spanish courts agree to investigate allegations of F.C. Barcelona referee bribery.

The Boston Bruins become the first NHL team to clinch their spot in the 2022-23 NHL playoffs.

Olivia Pichardo, playing for Brown University, made history as the first woman to appear in an NCAA Division I baseball game.

Geoffrey Huang / The Spectator

Boys’ Junior Varsity Baseball team