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Valentine’s Day Sweethearts for Hire
Unity in Division: The Need for Greater Autonomy in Catalonia
Sophomores Kelly Yip and Aaron Wang discuss Principal Eric Contreras’s new initiative to help lonely students find dates, or friends, for the upcoming holiday. see page 17
Volume 110 No. 9
“Hex” by Rebecca Dinerstein Knight (’05) and “Uncanny Valley” by Anna Wiener (’05) were both named on vulture.com’s Best New Upcoming Books of 2020 list.
stuyspec.com
Stuyvesant Model United Nations Goes to TechMUNC
By LEXI CHEN, ISABELLA JIA, JAMES LEE, JENNY LIU, and VEDAANT SHAH
Stuyvesant’s Model United Nations Team (StuyMUN) participated in TechMUNC, an annual conference hosted by the MUN team at Brooklyn Technical High School. A team of 35 delegates was selected to participate, with several students receiving awards and honorable mentions. This is one of the several conferences that StuyMUN participates in over the course of its season from October to May. The essence of StuyMUN and its objectives are similar to that of the real United Nations (UN). The members of the club, who
are called delegates, usually embody an ambassador of a nation they are assigned, and represent their nation’s intentions and agendas. At
Asian American Literature Class Hosts One-Minute Play Festival By ANNETTE KIM, REBECCA KIM, HAYEON OK, and ALICE ZHU
competitions and confer- up with workable solutions ences, delegates from dif- to these global problems. ferent MUN teams debate An extensive amount of global policy issues that the continued on page 2 real UN discusses and come
Talk Circles on Race: Facilitating the Discussion of Racial Issues at Stuyvesant By MAX KOSTER, ANAMARIA SKARICIC, MOMOCA MAIRAJ, and SAMIA ISLAM
Fion Sin/ The Spectator
English teacher Sophie Oberfield’s Asian American Literature class hosted its annual Asian American Literature One-Minute Play Festival on January 7. A group of professional actors from the Asian American theater company Second Generation Productions (2g) came in to perform short plays written by the 24 Asian American Literature students. The Asian American Literature class immerses students in literature written by people of East Asian, Pacific Islander, South Asian, and Southeast Asian descent. The course allows students to “learn a great, vibrant, and diverse category of literature,” Oberfield said. Junior Kelly Zhou decided to take the class because of its focus on Asian American culture. “A lot of first-generation students do not really get to learn about their culture because of the generation gap,” Zhou said. “I feel like through this class, I really did learn
see page 9
Anaïs Delfau / The Spectator
At the Barkley Forum Speech and Debate Tournament, senior Jeremy Lee and junior Justin Sword broke to Octafinals for Public Forum Debate. Senior Jeffrey Chen and junior Aidan Ng broke to Octafinals for Policy Debate.
A Catalan Challenge: Opinions writer Joshua Gindis lays out a vision for Catalonia’s future in Spain.
January 29, 2020
NEWSBEAT Students voted for the installment of two water bottle filling stations using this year’s participatory budgeting system.
“The Pulse of the Student Body”
a lot about the writers and their backgrounds, and that opened up a whole new [...] perspective for me.” The idea for the oneminute plays was conceived in 2015 when Oberfield took her students to watch a play called “The World of Extreme Happiness” at the Manhattan Theater Club. There, she observed how Victor Maog, the teaching artist at the time, brought in actors to read his students’ monologues. Maog suggested to Oberfield the idea of bringing a short play festival to Stuyvesant and introduced her to 2g. For the annual event, students were asked to write plays incorporating an Asian or Asian Ameri-
can character. The writing process took students a week and a half of class time and involved several in-class workshop days for students to hear each others’ plays before submitting the final copy. Students also included an author’s note indicating their process and ideal cast for their play. “I’m a playwright myself and I sort of teach a mini playwriting unit. We talk about the difference between fictions, and you do some exercises in class, but the assignment is very open,” Oberfield said. The eight actors performed 25 plays written by continued on page 2
In an effort to affect the conversation about racial issues as Stuyvesant, members of the Black Students League (BSL) and ASPIRA have begun hosting monthly Talk Circles on race. The meetings are held after school and give students a chance to engage in respectful conversations about racial issues. In the past year, several events have heightened racial tensions at Stuyvesant, increasing the importance of discussions of race. A video from 2016 of two white girls in blackface, one who now attends Stuyvesant, resurfaced last January. When one Black student posted about the incident, they were approached by a Big Sib, who asked the student to take the post down and leave it to the administration. Then, in March, the admission of only seven
Black students to Stuyvesant out of a possible 895 spots led to calls for diversity within New York’s specialized high schools. There were also more subtle racial incidents throughout like the nword, things like anti-seminitism, cases of [anti-] LGBTQ [and] derogatory comments,” Substance Abuse Prevention Intervention Specialist and SPARK Counselor Angel Colon said. “A lot of it was online postings.” Out of the three talks held so far, the first was run by the counseling department and the next two were student-run with members of BSL and ASPIRA guiding the conversation. “Usually, we have only one or two people leading the talks. We have an outline that students—me, [senior] Andrew [Smsaryan], [junior] Avishek [Mojumdar], as well as some other continued on page 4
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The Spectator ● January 29, 2020
News Stuyvesant Model United Nations Goes to TechMUNC continued from page 1
research and preparation is done prior to the conference. The team is run by a leadership board that consists of seniors Ahmed Sultan, Max Goldstein, Joseph Yousef, Alexander Gattegno, and Vishwaa Sofat. Sultan, Goldstein, and Yousef are Secretary-Generals, whereas Gattegno and Sofat are Under-Secretary-Generals. The delegates represented various committees at TechMUNC, which can be categorized into Crisis Committees and General Committees. Crisis Committees include Red World, Metropolitan Transit Authority, and Security Council: Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang. General Committees included Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Disarmament and International Security Committee, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, World Health Organization, and the New York City Council. The team had a strong performance and presence at the conference. Various accolades were awarded to several delegates. “Best Delegate” was awarded to senior Frank Yang and junior Asif Sattar. “Outstanding Delegate” was awarded to senior Ahmed Hussein, sophomore Maya Dunayer, and freshman Ethan Wong. “Honorable Mention” was awarded to freshmen Julia Williams, Nina Paolini-Rota, and Rania Zaki, and sophomores James Lee, Lina Khamze, and Ian Graham. TechMUNC was also a rewarding experience for some students. “I was representing Belgium, and the topic was Uighur Muslims in China. I was on the Security Council, and that’s the only committee that’s allowed to use force. It went a little off-the-rails, but it [ended up] being very interesting.
This type of Model UN [committee] is a crisis type, which [means] that instead of just debating, you can actually make things happen. It’s almost like a game and helps you to think on your feet,” Graham said. The relationship between StuyMUN and TechMUN, Brooklyn Tech’s Model UN team, is a unique one built on camaraderie and collaboration, as StuyMUN has supported TechMUN from the beginning. StuyMUN participated in TechMUN’s inaugural conference last year and has continued to show their support by participating again this year.
many articles on the Works Cited page of different websites, combining them into one binder, and typing up a plan for herself. “Model UN is what you put into it. If you don’t put in the time to prep, if you don’t put in the time to go to the meetings and learn from the juniors and seniors, you’re not going to get anything out of it,” Dunayer said. Because StuyMUN is a large organization at Stuyvesant with over 100 members, only some members are able to participate at each conference. “[Members] apply, and then based on their performance in meetings and in
Ten spots [aren’t] a lot, but it means that 10 more people can go to conferences and gain the experience [...],” Sultan said. Despite the recent successes, communication throughout the team can still be improved. “We don’t have tryouts, so some people will come in later during the year. We’re open to those people, but it’s hard sometimes to get everyone on the same page, so communication between leadership and members is something to be working toward,” Sultan said. MUN’s teamwork and collaboration evoke a sense of community and family.
“For me, [MUN] is about the fierce competition. It’s not just public speaking, but it’s also researching, networking. It’s all of these skills that are hugely important, and MUN gives you a chance to work on them, hone them, and use them in a professional setting.” —Alexander Gattegno, senior StuyMUN has also provided support through miniMUNC, which is a training conference that StuyMUN hosts. As a result, TechMUN has participated and gained a lot of exposure to MUN. “There’s a lot of friendliness between our two schools because our training conference, miniMUNC, which we held the second version of this year as well, was basically all of TechMUNC’s first experience in a Model UN conference in a long time, so they kind of had their start with us. So we obviously have that kind of bond. They’ve always been gracious with us. It was a wellrun conference,” Sultan said. In order to prepare for upcoming conferences, MUN members research their topics in addition to reading a given background guide, which can range from 15 to 30 pages long. Dunayer prepares for her upcoming conferences by reading
previous conferences, [the board members] pick the people we think would make a good team,” Sultan said. Despite this, StuyMUN emphasizes supporting their freshmen by allowing them to gain experience through participating in conferences. “Generally, one-third of the people we bring [to overnight conferences] are freshmen. We give novices the ability to prove themselves. That’s the best way to teach. To throw you off the deep end. This gives the freshmen the opportunity to really do the pinnacle of what MUN is and can be,” Gattegno said. So far, this season has been marked by success and improvement for the team. “Leadership in the past year has greatly improved, numbers have greatly increased, and we’ve also taken more people to conferences. We used to take 30 people to our local conferences, and this year we take about 40.
“Model UN creates a stronger bond between all its members. It’s just a really good experience because you get to know people really well, and during that entire time, there’s this sense of personal growth,” Sultan said. In addition, MUN provides members with an opportunity to foster new relationships. Freshman Manolee Merlet enjoys MUN because she has formed friendships with other members of the team. “I really like all the people I’ve met through MUN, because a lot of them I don’t really have any classes with but I’m still really close to them because of going to conferences with them and going to meetings,” Merlet said. MUN has also received support from their faculty advisors who help ensure that everything goes smoothly. “[We would like to give] a brief shoutout to our faculty advisor [To-
pher] Mykolyk for bringing something really great to the team. He’s always there for us,” Gattegno said. Participating in MUN allows students to be more aware of current issues. “Because committees are based off current events, you go in and research a lot about a certain topic so you become really knowledgeable on it, and you have that knowledge even outside the conference,” Williams said. Because MUN mimics real-life situations, it is, by design, a learning experience. “For me, [MUN] is about the fierce competition. It’s not just public speaking, but it’s also researching, networking. It’s all of these skills that are hugely important, and MUN gives you a chance to work on them, hone them, and use them in a professional setting,” Gattegno said. Attending conferences is also a valuable and enjoyable experience beyond receiving awards. “They make it a very good learning experience. You’re always learning to improve. Everyone is there to help you. Yes, it is a competition, you’re going for awards, but that’s never the first thing on someone’s mind,” freshman Inour Awad said. “It’s always the main purpose to have fun, make some friends, do what you want to do, and if you end up with an award, you have an award.” Gattegno believes that the team reflects the hardworking nature that is representative of the school’s culture. “I do think that the [Stuyvesant] culture of wanting to improve and wanting to give 100 percent is something that carries over to our team. It’s been so good and successful because people care. It’s made me grateful that I’ve got to spend four years of my life with these wonderful people,” he said.
Asian American Literature Class Hosts One-Minute Play Festival continued from page 1
the students in the class. Though they performed from a written script and without the use of props, the actors were able to translate the writing into a performance. “They used their own ways to show the emotion, and that matched what we envisioned,” Zhou said. The actors were also able to expand on the script and add emotions that were not explicitly stated in the play in order to bring the story to life. This year, the actors decided to add cat behavior
to a performance related to cats. “The plays are a lot funnier than the students thought they were going to be because [the] actors make really big decisions about them,” Oberfield said. “The students are often surprised at how seriously the actors take their work.” The success of the festival is credited to the synergy between the performers and the students. “It’s a combination of the actors getting so much energy from the student groups and then the students getting very excited about
what’s happening in front of them,” Oberfield said. The plays gave students an opportunity to share what they learned throughout the course while also showcasing their creativity. Junior Bushra Islam’s play was centered around a boy named Bimbo with Asperger’s who had difficulty understanding social cues and learned to accept his disabilities through the help of his peer Naina. “The class really changes your perception of race, ethnicity, class, and gender,” Islam said in an e-mail interview.
Like Zhou, Islam has found the class to be an enjoyable experience. “The Asian American Literature class has definitely brought me to a better sense of myself and my heritage. Especially nowadays with all the racial conflict, it’s important to learn more about different ethnicities and understand the untold history of people of different races and cultures,” Islam said. Though the class is not a creative writing course, Oberfield believes that the one-minute play assignment helps introduce a more di-
verse range of writing styles to her students. “The goal of the festival is to introduce students to dramatic writing and the magic of theater,” Oberfield said. By allowing her students to explore playwriting with Asian American characters, Oberfield hopes to expose them to more Asian American representation in plays. “I want students to know that they can write plays and that there are plays that tell stories by and about people who look like them,” Oberfield said.
The Spectator ● January 29, 2020
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The Spectator ● January 29, 2020
News Talk Circles on Race: Facilitating the Discussion of Racial Issues at Stuyvesant continued from page 1
BSL members or SPARK leaders—will draft up,” junior and BSL/ASPIRA Vice President Sarai Pridgen said. “We try and start with questions or topics that we pose to the group, and then we have people convene by talking to one or two people around them in smaller groups before we share out loud.” Students call on each other to express their ideas and share a role in facilitating the discussion. The meetings are not intended to change students’ perspectives on various topics; instead, they are a safe environment for students to voice their opinions. “[The meetings] allow for other people to understand where you are coming from and give feedback as well,” said Mojumdar, who facilitated two meetings. The first meeting was an introduction to racial issues in general and served as a pilot talk. “A lot of the agenda revolved around defining and understanding race, race relations, biases, implicit bias, and it was a forum of free will and free thinking,” Colon said. After the success of the first talk, the second
talk went more into detail about race and reviewed current events around race. “The goal is to bring to light a lot of the more difficult conversations that aren’t being held in classrooms,” Pridgen said. The meetings also allow students to address topics that they may feel uncomfortable talking about dur-
marily focused on Latinx and African American racial issues, the talks’ organizers seek to include many perspectives. “It’s not productive if we only have Black and Hispanic minorities having discussions on race without the perspective of Asians or Whites,” Smsaryan said. Though the first meeting struggled to attract mem-
have such a growth in the meetings,” Mojumdar said. The greater attendance and diversity at race talks have been influenced by the founders’ efforts to discuss a wide array of topics. “[For the third talk,] we invited the Patriots Club, and it was co-hosted along with junior Rudolph Merlin, who is in charge of the Patriots
“The goal is to bring to light a lot of the more difficult conversations that aren’t being held in classrooms.” —Sarai Pridgen, junior and BSL/ASPIRA Vice President
ing their day-to-day lives. “Part of this is all about activism and for student voices to be heard here in the community—I think for many years, people were either afraid or silent because when it comes to discussions about race, it is uncomfortable for people,” Colon said. “It is uncomfortable to challenge or confront other people, the slurs, the incidents, or individuals whose mindsets are in that negative realm, [as well as] what their beliefs are.” While meetings are pri-
bers, the discussions have recently ballooned in attendees. “We went from seven to 10 people at our first meeting, most of whom were members of BSL and ASPIRA, to filling up the room with 30 people from all sorts of ethnic backgrounds,” Smsaryan said. This is in part due to an increase in promotion efforts. “The race talks have gotten more exposure through prior attendees, e-mailing, and other forms of invitation of publication. That is why I feel we were able to
Club. First, we talked about immigration and what it means to be anti-immigration and why specific attitudes are problematic and hurt[ing] communities. Then, we delved into free speech,” Pridgen said. During the talk, students also discussed a controversy from October 2018, when students tore down Patriots Club posters reading “Build the wall, change our mind.” “We had a variety of students talk about how even though they understand we weren’t trying to incite any
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Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons and NASA
WORLDBEAT The coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, China has infected almost 2,000 Chinese citizens and killed more than 50 since its discovery on December 31. Wuhan has shut down public transportation in an attempt to halt the outbreak.
The Trump administration has created regulations to target “birth tourism,” denying tourist visas to pregnant women if officials believe that they are traveling to give birth so their child can have U.S. citizenship.
The UN has called for international help for East Africa’s large infestation of desert locusts.
A 6.8-magnitude earthquake left at least 29 people dead and 1,200 injured in Turkey.
particular type of violence, [what happened] could marginalize people of Hispanic communities,” Merlin said. “From that, I sort of took a different approach. Our goal as the Patriots Club is to facilitate discussion, and we have to be the ones [who] do that. We have to have a more open environment.” Still, members of Stuyvesant’s clubs committed to diversity have expressed that there is more work to be done. “I think that it would be so helpful if we had students from Spec coming—if we had students from SU, [...] Big Sibs, ARISTA, and other major organizations participating in these conversations. We’re a school that’s majority POC. There’s absolutely no reason why we shouldn’t have students from all different backgrounds—not just ASPIRA/BSL—attending these talks,” Pridgen said. Asked about her hopes for the talks in the future, Pridgen remained positive. “When we have the opportunity to engage in thoughtful discussion or even in arguments with our peers, that’s really where we see progress and productive conversation,” she said.
The Spectator ● January 29, 2020
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Features By NICHOLAS MARTIN and AVA FUNG
By MAHIRAH KHAN and ISABELLE YAREMENKO Zero waste. We’ve all seen it; we’ve all heard about it. However, for most Stuyvesant students and teachers, the idea of living a zero or minimal waste lifestyle exists only outside of school, with many viewing juggling both a high school career and living with minimal waste in New York City as almost impossible. Yet, for a handful of people at Stuyvesant, a passion for helping the Earth makes this lifestyle a reality. Junior Meril Mousoom first encountered the zero waste lifestyle while watching a YouTube video about environmental activist Lauren Singer. Singer’s dedication to being eco-friendly immediately inspired Mousoom and soon, Mousoom embarked on her own mission to do the same. In her efforts to produce less waste, Mousoom focuses on consuming products with little to no packaging. This often involves buying items in bulk. “One non-recyclable bag of bagels and a tub of cream cheese produces less waste than buying individually wrapped bagels at Ferry’s,” she said. Along with this method, as well as bringing her own reusable containers when purchasing from stores, Mousoom strives to eat less meat. “I did
traught over grades before even facing their parents, then they are most likely experiencing at least a part of the Stuyvesant parent stereotype. However, Ruan would rather have her parents over more laidback ones, saying that their pressure has provided a source of motivation and a sense of affection. “Otherwise, I would feel like they wouldn’t care about me,” she said. This ties into the common belief that parents are overbearing in order to protect their kids and ensure the best futures for them. This vision is shared by junior Enrique Arcaina, whose parents come from both sides of the spectrum; his mother often influences his decisions and behavior in what he believes are attempts to create a stable future for himself. Meanwhile, his estranged father has mainly been uninvolved in Arcaina’s life, only recently becoming closer to his son and taking a lenient approach to parenting when he gets the chance. “He still is incredibly uninvolved with my life and is just happy that I’m in his life,” said Arcaina, who believes that the lack of communication is responsible for the added pressures he feels from his parents. “My mom usually expects nothing less than perfection from me,” Arcaina said. His mother pressured him to join various extracurriculars such as the Stuyvesant Robotics Team. This pressure is a result of his mother’s efforts to provide Arcaina with useful knowledge that can be applied in and beyond college. Though Arcaina did not have an initial interest in robotics, the time he put into the team led to a fierce passion for the subject. This is partially why Arcaina sees the reasoning behind his mother’s strict attitude, though he would like for her to express her expectations in a less harsh way. “Randomly throughout the day she’d go into a fit of rage, ranting about how I’m not doing anything with my
life, unable to comprehend the workload and stress I have,” Arcaina described. A similar issue takes a different form with his father, who Arcaina believes struggles with emotional issues from his own childhood, impeding his familial interactions. “I believe he does care for me and my siblings but is unable to express these feelings properly,” Arcaina said. This inability to express himself has made it hard for Arcaina to understand what his father expects from him, creating even more confusion when he is faced with hard decisions, especially ones already influenced by his mother. However, there are many exceptions to the stereotype that, though not as common, do exist. These lenient parents hold just as great of an influence as the overbearing ones. They give their children more freedom to de- velop the ability to think for themselves and become their own people. Freshman Lindsay Phung experienced both parental dynamics growing up: “They slowly gave me more independence as I got older because before when I was younger, they would really breathe down my neck, but slowly they relaxed.” However, it wasn’t through complaints that got them to loosen up, Phung said. Her parents, like most working families, grew too busy to constantly keep up with her. Phung said that her personality allows her parents to continue with their laid back attitude “Academic wise, they’re chill because they can trust me and my
ability to be able to do things on time, because it’s my mindset,” Phung explained. “I’m not one of those party people—well I am— but I prioritize academics first.” Self-motivation combined with freedom gives her the power to control her own schedule, which works out with her interests. Phung enjoys spending time with her friends who, like most Stuyvesant kids, have strict parents. “My friends have overbearing parents, but that [doesn’t] really change much, and I don’t hate the parents for being like that, but it’s just less time to hang out,” she said. Allocating time to be social is a problem for Stuyvesant stuSabrina Chen/ The Spectator
As the school year progresses, students’ lives might be altered by their changing grades, extracurriculars, and social lives. Their parents, however, are the only consistent forces influencing the various choices they make. Stuyvesant is known for having stereotypical “tiger parents,” and it has long been debated how “involved” parents should be in their children’s lives. Stuyvesant’s student body has their own opinions to share. The common perception of a Stuyvesant parent is clear: overbearing, strict, and invasive. Every day, students constantly complain about the pressure their parents put on them, but less often do they compare their parents to others and analyze the reasoning behind so much pressure. As in every community, there is a diversity of experiences that must be taken together in order to obtain the bigger picture. Some parents take a very active part in their children’s lives early on and maintain this pressure on their children in high school, not through direct intervention but through the influence of their expectations. This is the case for freshman Aileen Ruan, whose parents signed her up for music lessons, helping her to develop an interest in playing piano, starting in pre-kindergarten. At Stuyvesant, her parents became less direct: “They said to be more active and social and to join Key Club,” Ruan explained, showing that her parents still maintained their influence over her without actually signing her up for the extracurricular activities they wanted her to participate in. Nonetheless, she still feels that her parents place pressure on her, especially in getting good grades. “They say my grade averages need to be above 90 or 95,” she said. “When my test grades are low, I’m not happy to go home.” If students are emotionally dis-
Stuy-ger Parents
dents since it is not a priority to most parents. Based on these differences between the students and the parents, Phung believes that if her own parents were overbearing, she would be willing to go to great lengths to maintain her independence: “I might just run away, leave the house, and sleep at a friend’s house or something,” she said. Similarly, junior Dean Carey described how he firmly yet respectfully challenges his parents’ authority by continuously presenting his standpoint from different angles for his parents to understand. Carey explained: “If my parents didn’t ground their decisions based on reason, and instead replied with unconditional no’s, I would al-
Waste Not, Stuy
Meatless Mondays all of last year. It was easy to follow and I didn’t cheat at all. This year, I’m trying to eat meat on only two days of the week,” she explained. Having been living a minimal waste life for over two years now, Mousoom is familiar with the difficulties of minimal waste living. “There are times when I am more passionate about it than other times,” she began. “It’s sometimes hard because in the morning, it’s so easy to buy coffee and grab a plastic water bottle for convenience’s sake. But in all this we have to remember that we’re voting with our dollar. We have power as consumers to support eco-friendly companies by just choosing not to buy certain things.” While Mousoom understands that many people are reluctant to join in on her lifestyle because of its apparent difficulty, she believes that minimal waste living doesn’t have to be so daunting. “If each person just does one small thing, like buying a refillable coffee cup instead of getting plastic ones, we can produce thousands of pounds of less trash,” she declared. Advanced Placement Environmental Science teacher Jerry Citron looks at environmental practices through the lens of American consumerism. Citron believes that traditional economics, especially in America, are focused on mate-
rial consumption, manifested in events like Black Friday or even the “shop ‘til you drop” mindset during the holiday season. By partaking in a zero or minimal waste lifestyle, one does not play a part in this economic system. Citron added that living the zero-waste lifestyle just isn’t possible for everyone. “Living the environmental dream is elusive,” he said. For some students, religion is what compels them to live minimal-waste. This is the case for junior Jonathan Xu, whose belief in Tengrism, a traditional Central Asian religion focused on living in harmony and natural balance, inspired him to take up the minimal waste cause. Xu explained, “One of the tenets of my religion, [Tengrism], is living harmoniously with nature, so I try to be conscious of the impact I have on my environment.” However, Xu is not militant with his minimal-waste approach. Dubbing his philosophy “minimum waste as is convenient,” Xu upholds minimal waste practices as long as they aren’t extremely inconvenient for him. Furthermore, his definition of living minimum waste doesn’t only encompass reducing physical waste, but also reducing energy waste. Xu’s efforts to be environmentally-friendly include making use of old handouts
as scrap paper, and not using the heater and air conditioner unless absolutely necessary. Xu believes that the positive environmental impact of living minimum-waste outweighs the inconveniences he suffers when forgoing small luxuries. He said, “I do it because I understand there is no reason not to; the benefits clearly outweigh the costs.” Senior and president of the Environmental Club Julia Hart strives to practice the zero waste lifestyle whenever possible. Though Hart does not identify as someone who lives zero waste, she often makes an effort to step back and consider the ways she can make her daily practices more environmentally-friendly. Hart likes to stay aware of her own habits as well as the habits of the corporations she buys from and the communities she is part of. Whenever possible, Hart makes sure her daily habits do not harm the environment, whether that’s bringing a thermos for coffee or composting food scraps. Hart observed that often, those who practice zero-waste are seen as privileged and pretentious, as they have the time and resources to do it. Stil, Hart believes that even “ordinary” people can and do participate in zero-waste living. She explained, “A great deal of [the people who practice zero-
most certainly fight their word.” Carey’s parents make him justify his reasons when they are at odds. This kind of communication may be lacking in a more controlling parent dynamic, but he finds it incredibly useful. “The question, ‘Why should I listen to you?’ does have its merits,” he said. “If a child doesn’t understand his parents’ legitimate concerns, how is he supposed to make better decisions in the future?” The outcome was normally a compromise that he had to fight for. Carey learned that “standing up for one’s independence is always favorable to submission.” Even though Carey’s parents do not force him to adhere to their way of thinking, he applies it in his everyday life: “I often find myself attacking problems the same way they handled me all my life: through logical reasoning.” His parents’ philosophy provides favorable outcomes in his life. “Sometimes I feel a little heartless at the calculated decisions I seem to make,” he described. “But in the end, they always seem like the right choice—it’s only logical, anyway.” In regards to their influence in academics, Carey said, “I want to do my best in class to prove to them that I deserve the benefit of the doubt I am given.” Even though they are understanding, there is still pressure to excel. Having a trusting relationship with his parents fostered the normalcy of feeling comfortable and confident in all environments. While we can choose the family we are born into, and we try to change our family members, it is our own decision as to who we become and how we treat others. As Arcaina advised, “Don’t be afraid to speak up for yourself if it makes you unhappy. Your parents are supposed to be there to help you through life for a while, and you need to make them know that sometimes, they get a bit too involved or don’t know how you feel.”
waste] are ordinary people, trying to make a change in the world with what little they have at their disposal.” While living zero-waste is an ideal situation, consumptionheavy lifestyles coupled with a stressful academic life mean that it may not be feasible for many people. Sophomore Michelle Zhang noticed this. “The problem with zero-waste or minimal waste is that it isn’t very convenient, especially for students or teens. Unless you’re living on your own, you can’t control a lot of aspects of your life yet,” Zhang expressed. “So instead of living a zero-waste or minimal waste lifestyle, the next best step would be to just reduce the amount of waste produced.” For the people who are interested in the lifestyle but unsure about where to start, Hart has some advice. “Take easy steps towards less waste, but don’t sweat the small stuff.” Some of these steps are doing Meatless Monday or bringing a reusable water bottle to school. Some say that it is unrealistic to go zero—or minimum—waste at Stuyvesant. Some even say it’s impossible. But it seems that, with students like Mousoom, Hart, and Xu setting an example for the community, “impossible” is hardly an accurate word. Zero starts somewhere. Zero is possible.
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The Spectator ● January 29, 2020
Features What We Can Learn from Mr. Stern
By VERONIKA KOWALSKI
cal leave. Ultimately, he decided to be released: “Had I been really devoted to the idea of being a military officer, I would have [repeated the sequence],” he said. “But I think that I just really wanted an adventure.” Shortly thereafter, Stern took
candidates to coach the New York City Math Team. At the beginning of his lecture, he presented problems to his audience and asked if anyone could solve them. By the end of the talk, Stern and an older colleague were the only individuals able to solve Linker’s problems.
on a position at Martin Van Buren High School in Queens, where he taught a course for students who had previously failed their Regents exams. “My initial conception was that [teaching] was a short term gap before going on to math graduate school,” Stern said. David Linker, a City College professor and Van Buren alumnus, changed Stern’s perception of teaching and his entire future. Linker came to Van Buren to host a professional development conference for the staff and scout out
Linker introduced Stern to Daniel Jaye, the former Assistant Principal of Math at Stuyvesant (and the brother of former mathematics teacher Gary Jaye) and offered Stern a position as a math team coach. Since then, Stern has enjoyed working with other faculty members and his students. “It was only because I found this place and was really happy teaching the advanced courses here, talking with the students, and the course material and the teaching, that sort of induced me to stay in the profes-
Frances Sy / The Spectator
Math teacher Joseph Stern is best known for teaching high-level courses, such as Quantum Mechanics and Multivariable Mathematics, at Stuyvesant. What is less widely known about him is that he stumbled upon his love for mathematics by accident and navigated through the worlds of the Marine Corps and visual arts along the way. Growing up in an Orthodox Jewish community, Stern attended a Yeshiva, a religious school that emphasized the value of being a good citizen rather than focusing on academic subjects. In such an environment, Stern had the freedom to pool his efforts into pursuing his interests, which included painting. “My [maternal] grandmother was a great painter and had always sort of groomed me from young childhood to be a painter [as well],” he remembered. “She taught me her techniques.” After graduating from high school, Stern attended Queens College on an art scholarship. At the time, Stern “didn’t know what mathematics really was or why [he] ought to care about it. It looked like a symbol game with no creativity or emotional content or charm in it.” He took a quantitative reasoning class to satisfy an area requirement, then decided to take a class in logic. He subsequently “discovered that [he] not only enjoyed formulating and proving theorems, but [also] was better at it than [he’d] ever
known.” After signing up for a Calculus I course over the summer, he was “completely hooked.” “Looking back on it now, I think that I was extremely lucky to have been pushed and pulled in various directions that I didn’t really choose for myself on any deliberate basis,” Stern reflected. “Somehow, by sheer luck, I landed in the intellectual paradise of mathematics.” Stern soon declared a double major in mathematics and philosophy and a double minor in linguistics and anthropology. Though many students are generally discouraged from taking on the intense workload of a double major and double minor, the faculty at Queens College was fully supportive of Stern’s intellectual passions. From 2000 to 2001, Stern studied financial mathematics under the British Marshall Scholarship. Upon his return to the United States, he trained for and enrolled in Officer Candidate School, an institution that the Marine Corps uses to condition its future officers. Because of the long hours spent running and performing drills, Stern developed fractures in his shins. One element of his training included jumping off of a high platform, which put sudden stress on his existing injuries and caused Stern to end up with a broken leg. He was given the choice of either repeating the entire training sequence and his year in Officer Candidate School or being released on medi-
sional field,” Stern described. One of Stern’s most gratifying experiences as a teacher was when one of his high school students, Michael Scheer (’12), had his research paper published in the online journal Forum Geometricorum. “That was so much fun, both to take part in the work and especially to see the joy and excitement in [Scheer]’s eyes when he learned that his paper had been accepted for publication,” Stern said. Currently, Stern and his wife of five years are raising their son, Toby, who is almost two years old. As Toby grows older, Stern hopes to share at least some of his passions with him, though he is cognizant of the fact that the interests of children often diverge from those of their parents. His only guarantee is that Toby will grow up surrounded by love. For students who are considering a career choice involving education, Stern’s advice is to “learn your subject inside and out, to the point where you would be prepared to actively contribute to the subject should you decide to.” While it is difficult to become a master in the art of the way students learn, the subject matter itself should always take precedence. “It’s a competitive world with a lot of extremely bright people, so don’t rely on cleverness to get you places,” he explained. “You need real depth of knowledge—as much of it as possible. But it’s well worth the hardship if that is your calling.”
“I See Myself In A Trash Can”
Stuyvesant Students Envision Life 10 Years From Now By THE FEATURES DEPARTMENT Where will Stuy students be in 10 years? Some say medical school. Others say homeless. And some just say “sleeping.”
“In the garbage can, man.” —Angel Xie, sophomore
“In 10 years, I might finally be sleeping.” —Naomi Sacks, sophomore
“I’m gonna finally kiss Ronaldo.” —Subhan Chahal, junior
“Teaching, here at Stuy[vesant]. It’s what I love doing.” —Joseph Stern, math teacher
“At 26, I see myself hopefully in Grad School. If that doesn’t work out, hopefully I’ve at least graduated college. Maybe I’ll be doing some work in the environmental science or computer science fields, or best best case scenario a combination of both. Oh, and hopefully I’ll be living in Colorado. Which is the stupidest thing ever.” —Jenny Liu, sophomore
“Involved in something with research and science, trying to pay off college debt.” —Keara O’Donnell, freshman
“I want to be a doctor, so I’d probably be doing a residency.” —Sasha Wald, junior
“I’ll be 27 […] and think I’ll be chilling with my cats in an apartment of my own.” —Veronica Fuentes, junior
“I’ll be working [either] in some random entertainment corporation as an animator or in a high tech corporation like Google.” —Chris Chen, junior
“I see myself hopefully doing research for the Federal Bank of New York.” —Xi Lu, senior
“In 10 years, I’m still going to be doing my AutoCAD project.” —Christine Yan, junior
“In 10 years, I see myself as a stripper.” —Kripamoye Biswas, sophomore
“Volunteering at community centers and picking up stray cats.” —Selene Wang, senior
“I see myself hopefully in a stable relationship and a stable job.” —Jessica Kwok, junior
Delia Qiu / The Spectator
“I see myself drowning in debt.” —Selina Dai, junior
“I see myself in a trash can.” —Saadat Meer, sophomore
“I will be here.” —Mary McGregor, librarian
“I hope by then, I won’t still be living with my parents. Not because I don’t like them, but I don’t want to keep spending their money. It makes me feel bad, so I want to stand on my own as soon as I can.” ––Sabrina Chen, sophomore
“I see myself with a dog and a job in New York City. Probably in an apartment somewhere.” —Hana Kim, senior
“Hopefully making money and not regretting high school. Or just married to someone rich—that’s okay, too. Just kidding.” —Jennifer Ji, sophomore
“Hopefully employed and living my best life. Making up for all the sleep I lost.” —Jason Xiong, junior
“I will be in Switzerland [and] would’ve left the U.S. five years before. Get a log cabin in the middle of the woods surrounded by nature, and live in peace as a lumberjack.” —Andrew Jiang, junior
“I see myself in medical school because I really want to pursue a career in the medical field. I really like helping people, and by becoming a doctor I think I have that chance to provide people with this help.” —Manahil Kashif, sophomore
“Homeless. If I’m lucky, a nice park bench.” —Ethan Lam, sophomore
The Spectator ● January 29, 2020
By MORRIS RASKIN Ten stories, 3,500 students, and hundreds of rooms, gyms, and halls: Can a Stuyvesant student get a break? Yes, they can. When deciding where to spend a free, most students would generally gravitate toward a classic spot like the half-floor, the Sophomore Bar, the cafeteria, or any other over-crowded hub for students. However, if one looks just beyond the surface at Stuyvesant, one will find a world of undiscovered hideouts perfect for homework, hangouts, and more. INNOVATION LAB HALLWAY
Oh, The Places You Haven’t Been
with hidden spots, but one stands out from the rest in terms of isolation. If you walk toward the guidance counselors office from the bridge and turn a sharp corner right before you get there, you will find yourself in a secluded hallway isolated from the traditional chaos of Stuyvesant. Usually only populated with a few lone studiers, the Innovation Lab Hallway is quiet, peaceful, and perfect for a productive study outing. Sophomore Shivali Korgaonkar can recall the many lunch periods she’s spend with friends having casual banter and studying for tests in those hallways. “I don’t know what I’d do without the Innovation Lab Hallway,” Korgaonkar remarked, letting out a small laugh.
Dorin Flocos / The Spectator
PIANO ROOM
The lower floors are rife
Page 7
While Stuyvesant’s piano room is widely accepted by the musicians and performers of the school, many other students are unfamiliar or apprehensive to pay a visit. The first floor Piano Room, which one can get to by making a right after passing the chorus room on the first floor, doesn’t exactly fit the peaceful criteria that many others on this list do. However, what it lacks in tranquility, it makes up for in fun. The Piano Room is a perfect place to bang on some keys, strum a guitar, and have a good conversation with a friend or a complete stranger.
RIVER STAIRCASE
even count the number of times it’s saved me from being late to AP World [History].” Whether you’re looking for a quick route to get from two lower floor classes or a nice place to chill and have a chat with a friend in a secluded but central spot, the River Staircase is the spot to go to.
Features up until they return. With the exception of the occasional late-comer, the gym staircase provides six floors of vacant space, just waiting to be relaxed, worked, or walked upon.
The lower floors are rife with hidden spots, but one stands out from the rest in terms of isolation. Stuyvesant’s staircases are notorious for being overcrowded, loud, and a general pain in the neck. However, this preconception is unfair, especially when we consider the River Staircase, which snakes around our school’s infamous Hudson Staircase. The limited mobility that one is allowed on the stairs (only 5 floors of travel) is what makes the staircase such a special case, as there is hardly anybody on it at any given point. Sophomore Ian Graham credits a few points on his average to the River Staircase. “Every other staircase in Stuyvesant is a nightmare,” he said. “The River Staircase is the only efficient way left to get around. I can’t
GYM STAIRCASE While we’re on the topic of staircases, there’s another spot worth mentioning in this category. The gym staircase is possibly the most random major feature to our school—an entire staircase for just one class. In any case, the staircase is almost entirely vacant for the period of time after the gym-goers have emerged from the locker rooms,
Of course, this list only scratches the surface of the undiscovered locations in Stuyvesant, and there are undoubtedly dozens of other equally secluded and interesting places to visit. However, it is imperative that if you do choose to venture to the corners of our school to visit these locations, you do so in a respectful and thoughtful manner. Let’s keep these peaceful, quiet spots just the way they are.
“Haters Gonna Hate:” Who or what do Stuyvesant students hate? By THE FEATURES DEPARTMENT Who or what do Stuyvesant students hate the most? What type of people, things, or ideas do they despise?
“I hate how society teaches us to label friends or people as either fake or real.” —Tiffany Wu, junior
“I hate that I’m allergic to dairy. It sucks.” —Aidan Look, sophomore
“I hate when people walk slowly and don’t understand that someone might actually be trying to get home at a reasonable time. Especially when they’re walking at not a slow enough speed to pass them easily, but at about 75 percent as fast, and you’re still walking faster [with] no way to get past them without running around them.” —Agata Regula, junior
“I hate when people chew loudly.” —Jessica Kwok, junior
“I hate pizza, which is so weird because everyone else loves it.” —Alice Zhu, sophomore
“I hate how bike lanes are as big as car lanes in my neighborhood.” —Shah Wafi, junior
“I hate collective punishment and hypocrites.” —Inga Edwards, junior
“I hate staying up late.” —Sakina Gulamhusein, junior
“I hate pretentious people.” —William Zeng, senior
“Procrastination. It prevents me from doing stuff on time.” —Zuzi Liu, sophomore
“I hate expectations the most. My parents have high expectations for me, which I often don’t fulfill or don’t want to fulfill. I’m tired of disappointing them by not meeting their expectations.” —Michelle Piong, junior
“I think hate is a pretty rough emotion, but I hate people who are purposefully hateful.” —Hana Kim, senior
“I hate my vision. You know, it’s the year 2020, and I still can’t see. I eat carrots every day, and my vision still sucks.” ––Sabrina Chen, sophomore
“I really hate people who talk down to people. It’s so evident that they’re always trying to talk down to you, with their tone, their gestures, and how they feel like they have to prove themselves to you, in a way.” —Jenny Liu, sophomore
“Garlic. Just pure garlic. I don’t know why.” —Paco Tang, sophomore
Jason Lin / The Spectator
“I hate pressure and expectations.” —Mohammed Rahim, sophomore
“I hate being falsely accused of anything.” —Amanda Zhong, sophomore
“Bugs. In my home, there are cockroaches roaming around at night, and [they] just creep me out. They’re the worst.” —Sandy Lin, senior
“I hate liking people. The idea of love is the most stupid thing on this world. The word ‘hate’ is so strong that it goes both ways.” —Cynthia Tan, sophomore
“The person who invented stairs.” —Liesel Wong, sophomore
The Spectator ● January 29, 2020
Page 8
Editorials
Closing Comments
O UTGOING
This is the final issue for the seniors on the Editorial Board. Here are their departing pieces of wisdom. Ahmed Sultan It is said that a person is defined by his experiences. Stuvyesant has been an… interesting one. I failed a test for the first time (and definitely not for the last). I learned how to code. I learned that I am not the best at writing, or math, or drafting—and I learned how to get better. I joined Model UN as a freshman; now, surrounded by some of my closest friends, I am in my last year, serving as its Secretary-General. I’ve experienced three SING! productions, five StuyHacks, seven rounds of program changes, 18 issues of The Spectator, 25 MUN conferences (and organized six more), and countless sleepless nights, long school days, and lengthy Whole Foods work sessions. I went to an exchange program in Germany. I’m currently in a mentorship at Google. I’d like to think that I’ve improved as a writer, speaker, communicator, friend, and person during my time at Stuyvesant. I’ve met so many wonderful, funny, and impressive people, and I do not know what I’d do without them. So, despite how much I say I “hate” this school sometimes, I will forever be grateful for what it has made me today. Ahmed Hussein It took me a while to realize what being a second-term senior meant. For three and a half years, I haven’t thought about what leaving Stuy means. Every time I was stressed out of my mind, did poorly on a test, or stayed up late to finish an assignment, I wished I could just leave Stuy. But that feeling never stuck around for long because I would have a great moment with a friend or teacher or I would learn something that blew my mind. All those little moments made it worth it. I know that’s not true for everyone, and I’m sorry if it’s not for you. I hope you find a place where it is, but the teachers and students at Stuy are some of the smartest, most hard-working, and kindest people I’ve ever met. Like most things in life, I didn’t realize that until I was on the brink of losing it. I’ll still have the connections with my friends and teachers but it will never be the same. So, my advice to you is to not have tunnel vision while you’re in high school. You’re only going to be a high schooler once. You’ll only be this young once. I’m not saying to not care about your classes. In fact, do the opposite. Take classes you care about so that studying the content doesn’t seem like a chore. Have goals that you want to achieve but don’t make them the center of your life. How you expect things to go is rarely how they go. Rose Kennedy once said, “Life isn’t a matter of milestones, but of moments.” So, live in the moment. Who knows what the future holds. Also, please try in P.E. Artem Ilyanok First, be proactive. Probably my single biggest regret as an underclassman was failing to consider how every decision I made would have an effect on the rest of my time at Stuyvesant. It’s easy to get complacent when things are going well; it’s also easy to forget about “that one class” or just sweep your issues under the rug, leaving them for the next week, month, or year. Know that in both of these scenarios, the best thing to do is look forward. If you’re doing well now, make sure you’re building on your current position; don’t let your success erode. (Over time, your success will seem less and less impressive so make sure to build on it!) If you’re struggling at anything, then struggle. Don’t avoid the challenge or leave it for the future; face it now and address its root causes. The earlier you attack an obstacle, the more easily you’ll overcome it. Second, explore (but explore intelligently). One of the most incredible aspects of Stuyvesant is the number of opportunities it gives students. Few (if any) other high schools have a million-dollar robotics lab, a newspaper as large as The Spectator, or a high-caliber debate team (there are obviously other examples of unique extracurricular opportunities at Stuyvesant). You should take advantage of these resources! Join as many clubs as you are interested in (and think you have enough time to do well in). Be bold: coming to Stuyvesant necessitates a change in your lifestyle and schedule (don’t let either of these get in the way of extracurricular exploration). However, don’t explore blindly. Pursue your interests and make sure that you have a bright future in the organizations you’re in. Have fun and explore, while planning ahead and being pragmatic. Finally, know that everything will be ok. Cliché, I know, but it will. Why? Because the problems you have now will not define you in any way. It’s hard to believe, but that test, that project you split hairs over will seem insignificant one to three years from now. What you’ll remember, what you’ll take away from Stuyvesant are the memories and friendships you’ve made and the experiences you’ve had. Regardless of what happens between now and graduation, you’ll undoubtedly have plenty of the former and a wealth of the latter by the time you step onto the stage at Carnegie Hall. At the “end,” it will all be more than ok; it’ll be great. Know that. Yaru Luo My Stuy life is littered with numbers. Four years. Three all-nighters. Two confiscated earbuds. One dark cup of coffee a day. Hundreds on English essays. Sixties on comp sci tests. Nine AP classes. One thousand four hundred forty ferry rides. Twenty-one posts in the Stuyvesant Lost & Found Facebook group. Eighteen staff eds. But when I think about what lasts—not just physically, but also mentally and emotionally—the people always win. It’s hard to feel alone in this 10-story building. If there’s one thing I wish I did for more than four years, it’s to have appreciated these people
more. Getting pho after SING! practice. Reading at an obscure bookstore with my Mando study group. CitiBiking with my friends to Homecoming. Staying at Whole Foods coding with my soft dev partners until we’re kicked out. Making friends with the people I normally wouldn’t. Asking my teachers about their lives. I’ll miss this the most, I think, before the diaspora of everyone when we graduate.
The Spectator The Stuyvesant High School Newspaper
E D I TO R S
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Amy Huang Artem Ilyanok N EWS
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F EATURE S
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Talia Kahan Zoe Oppenheimer Amanda Peng
Thomas Chen Emma Linderman Jacqueline Thom Jiahe Wang PHOTO GRAPHY E D I TO RS
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Rebecca Collins Michael Hu Jade Lo L AYO UT
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Michael Dekhtyar Jonathan Schneiderman
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Dahae Choi Ahmed Sultan Christina Tan CO PY
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Maddy Andersen Erin Lee
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Tiffany Cao Brian Zhang BUSI NE SS
Emma Linderman I’m not great at being reflective or emotional, so here are some numbered pieces of knowledge/advice: 1. High school is 1000 times less awful than middle school. 2. It is much easier to be taken seriously if you know how to write. 3. Don’t be the student who raises her hand just to prove her intelligence or hear her own voice. 4. Variant of Three: Don’t be the kid who talks solely about college and/or grades. 5. Watch more movies. 6. Wear your gym clothes. 7. Stuy may only have a handful of black students, but I swear, it’s not as hard to tell us apart as some of you make it out to be.
S P ORTS
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Ahmed Hussein Sunan Tajwar Bernard Wang H UM O R
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Please address all letters to:
Michael Dekhtyar Live courageously. Take all the opportunities that come your way. Apply for summer programs, make contacts outside of school, embark on a personal project. Or just accept an invitation for an after-school soccer game. Don’t get so caught up in the rush-rushrush of Stuyvesant (tests, college, homework) that you forget to enjoy the most important part of your life. Also, read books.
M ANAGE RS
Rachel Joh Yaru Luo WE B
Omar Ali Abdulla Jordan Victor Kuang Olly Stewart
Amy Halder Make plans. Be bold. Follow through. But don’t fret if things don’t work out. Keep going. You’ll miss Stuy before you know it.
Tiffany Cao Time is really a strange thing: when you want it to go faster, it moves like a snail; yet when you least want or expect it to, it flies by and leaves you behind. In a flash, it’s almost the end of my last year of high school. This is the moment that has been looming in front of me for the past four years, and it feels surreal that I’ve actually reached it. It is only in this year that I realize how fast time can feel, how much I’ve changed without knowing. I am no longer the girl in freshman year chasing for absolute perfection in my grades, in my extracurriculars, in my life. If the last four years have taught me anything, it’s to appreciate. Everything, from the times that I’ve gotten a beautiful test score or turned in a wonderful essay to the times that I’ve pulled all-nighters trying to finish a project while studying for a test, has made me the person I am today. Everyone, from the teachers to my classmates whom I’ve only talked to for a while to my best friends, have shaped and inspired my thinking in some way or another. If I could give my freshman self one advice, it would be to live in the moment. I regret that I didn’t step out of my boundaries earlier, that I didn’t spend more time hanging out with friends, that I didn’t try doing new things because I feared failure. All these experiences become a part of you, so try to meet as many people and do as many things as you want. Always appreciate everyone and everything, even the bad things, because they will make you stronger for it, because they will teach you to look back and realize how much you’ve grown, and because they will go by so fast that in a flash, you have reached the end.
“The Pulse of the Student Body”
Jacqueline Thom I’ve learned more about what it means to be human in the last two years—I’ll just say four to make that diploma worth it—than in the other 14. In that time, the revelation hit me that I’ll never be this young again. It’s not like the movies where everything either falls into place, or I join the mafia and go down, guns ablazing. I’ve learned to keep my anger in check and just take a step back. Listening to others is actually nice and you can make a lot of friends that way. Speaking of friends, don’t waste your time on people who make you feel worse. Seek those who brighten up your day without knowing it. Here is a concluding message for everyone who knows the man: Please make sure that Mr. Garfinkel is warm and well-fed at all times. Here is a concluding quote from another man: “It’s only fun being a leader if you’re a jerk.” —Brett Stephens
Amy Huang Four years look different for everyone. Make time for people. Be a shoulder to lean on. Choose your battles wisely. Do the important things right. These are some of my takeaways. Four years are also full of firsts and superlatives. Mine include the first sleepover, the first Greyhound, the first job, and the first dinner party. The best friendships, the best conversations, the best hugs, the best showcases. The kindest teachers, the funniest minutes gifts, the scariest school days, the saddest goodbyes to the most brilliant people. And of course the worst existed. But to survive it? I think that’s pretty badass.
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The Spectator ● January 29, 2020
Page 9
Opinions Unity in Division: The Need for Greater Autonomy in Catalonia By JOSHUA GINDIS
administration is renowned for its fraud, corruption, and inefficiency—namely among those politicians who advocate for independence the most. Without the aid of Madrid, Catalonia would struggle immensely to administer itself and retain stability altogether. Absolute secession from the Spanish Kingdom is thus not a viable path for Catalonia to pursue; the only hope Spain and Catalonia have of reaching an agreement in which Catalonia does not secede is if Spain grants Catalonia substantially increased autonomy. To understand how such a plan might be implemented, we must look to another region of Spain: the Basque Country. Yume Igarashi / The Spectator
The Catalonian Regional Parliament held a referendum that tasked voters with deciding whether or not Catalonia was to become an independent state in the form of a republic in 2017. As the votes came pouring in, an overwhelming separatist victory became apparent—over 90 percent were in favor of secession. Soon thereafter, the Spanish National Guard stormed government buildings and offices throughout Catalonia, arresting many of the leaders of the Catalan separatist movement. Two years later, the Kingdom of Spain convicted and imprisoned nine Catalan independence leaders on charges of sedition, prompting massive protests all across Catalonia. The issue of Catalan separatism has infiltrated the life of nearly every Spaniard, and if no changes are made, there is no resolution in sight. Catalonia is a financial powerhouse in an otherwise stagnant Spanish economy. Though the Catalan state accounts for a mere 6.3 percent of Spain’s territory and only 16 percent of its population, it comprises nearly 20 percent of Spain’s GDP. This wealth, however, has been the cause of numerous conflicts between Catalonia and the Spanish state. By EU mandate, Spain places heavy taxes on its citizens and businesses, such as the 21 percent value added tax and the 25 percent corporate tax. Each region is taxed at a rate proportionate to its wealth, and this revenue is redistributed throughout Spain. As a result, Catalonia is one of the most heavily taxed regions of Spain—every year, it sends about 10 billion euros more to Madrid than it gets back (about five percent of its economic output). The Catalan people feel cheated out of their hard-earned money—to them, it feels as if Catalonia is being taken advantage of by the Spanish government; they contribute more to the administration than almost any other region, but receive virtually nothing in return. It is primarily for this reason that Catalonian separatist movements
have skyrocketed in popularity in recent years, and it is this mistreatment that independence movements hope to combat. A sovereign Catalonia would be able to make decisions that benefit itself above all else. No longer would Catalan wealth be siphoned out by an abusive government; instead, it would stay in Catalonia, enriching the region and furthering its prosperity. However, there are just as many potential repercussions to a Catalan declaration of independence as there are potential benefits. As we saw after the 2017 referendum and subsequent declaration of indepen-
dence, it is likely that the Spanish government would immediately come i n , apart
b r e a k the newlyformed Catalonian government, and try its leaders. Regardless of the extent to which these actions are just, they are required by law: Spanish law prohibits Catalonia from declaring independence, regardless of the referendum’s apparent support. Even if Catalonia were to successfully declare independence, the immediate and longterm economic repercussions would be devastating. Nearly all of Catalonia’s closest trade partners reside in the EU, and they have been vocal about their support for Spain in its struggle with Catalonia (mainly because they face similar separatist movements within their own borders). An independent Catalonia would be left without significant trade partners for years to come, leaving what is now a flourishing economy in shambles. Not to mention, the Catalonian regional
The Basque Country is known best for its wine, folk dances, and soccer teams. Its Basque name, “Euskal Herria,” does not conjure images of wealth and prosperity in the minds of most, but these are exactly the qualities the Basque Country exemplifies. Found in the northeastern corner of Spain, the Basque Country is an even wealthier region than Catalonia is. This is, in large part, thanks to the Basque Country’s unique tax system. The Basque Economic Agreement is a structure that has existed for over 150 years, and it enables the highly autonomous Basque Country to be deemed exempt from Spanish tax laws. Instead, a set of loose tax codes determined by the local administration are put in place. Due to these low taxes, the Basque Country is a virtual tax-haven wherein resident businesses retain access to the Span-
ish market. Additionally, the Basque Country receives a disproportionately large share of government investment. This government redistribution of taxpayer money, referred to as “cupos,” is usually directed toward poorer regions of the nation, such as Andalucia. However, the Basque Country receives more cupos than any other region of Spain, despite already being the second-richest. The Spanish government is wellaware of the Basque Country’s success and importance to the Spanish economy, and it invests accordingly, which only serves to increase Basque productivity. And because of the sheer quantity of wealth produced by this system, there is actually a net gain in revenue received by the central Spanish government. This system has been such a massive success that many members of the EU oppose it out of fear that it will draw business away from their own economies. This is the issue with the Catalan economic structure: the Spanish government practically punishes Catalonia for its economic success, when it should be rewarding it. In order to promote stability and unity in Spain, we must ensure that the relationship between Spain and Catalonia is beneficial to both parties. The best way to accomplish this is to afford greater autonomy to Catalonia—with greater self-governance, Catalonia might establish a tax system similar to that of the Basque Country. This would decrease the economic burden placed on Catalonia by Madrid, while still allowing Catalonia to enjoy the benefits of being part of the Spanish Kingdom. Spain, on the other hand, would likely benefit from this just as much as Catalonia would; by lowering taxes on Catalonia and increasing the cupos it receives annually, the increase in economic productivity would be so immense that Spain would receive back every penny it spends on Catalonia— and then some. The potential implementation of this system has garnered substantial support from both sides, mainly facing opposition from
radical separatists and constitutionalists. Opponents of Catalan independence argue that the Basque Economic Agreement only exists due to historical precedent—regions like the Basque Country and Navarre have functioned under these systems for centuries. They claim that if historical precedent is to be their standard for excluding regions from established systems of governance, Catalonia has no right to such a liberty. In fact, it would be unconstitutional to grant it as much; the Spanish constitution promises equality, not just for all people, but for all regions as well. With increased autonomy comes less opportunity for wealth redistribution, which would deny poorer regions of Spain access to much-needed funds. But this is the very reason why Catalonia deserves autonomy—to tax a region at exorbitant rates, especially when doing so directly harms the region, is an infringement on its own right to equality. Catalonia lacks the historical precedent to establish such a system without opposition, but autonomy is just as vital to its future as it is to that of any other region. If significant changes are not made, protests will continue to rage, and division will only grow. If we take no action in the face of this growing crisis, soon, there will be no Spain left to hold together. The Catalan independence movement has existed ever since Catalonia and Spain became one, but it has never been nearly as prominent an issue as it is now. The struggle for Catalan independence and consequent protests have pushed business out of Catalonia, only worsening the conflict, which shows no sign of letting up soon. However, if the Basque system were implemented in Catalonia, much of the financial and political disagreement between Catalonia and Spain would fade away. Spain needs Catalonia, and there is no foreseeable future in which an independent Catalonia would be able to thrive. Thus, there is no other option: increase autonomy and bring Catalonia the peace it has been crying out for for so long.
Fourth Period Refugees By CARTER LEY For the past few months, a surprising number of students have assembled in the second floor hallway between the halffloor and the escalator bank during fourth period. Many of them have fourth period free, while others have lunch periods or lab frees during this time. Each day, between 15 and 30 of these students, mostly juniors with a few sophomores, sit in this cramped passageway. This inconvenient situation is not comfortable for either the students themselves or the people who must step over them to move through the hallway and has resulted in clashes with some school administrators. At the beginning of the semester, the juniors assembled around the benches in the third floor atrium. This was unsustainable, however, because administrators insisted the group move to the first or second floors, the cafeteria, or the library as to avoid disrupting classes. A few weeks into the school year, the group abandoned the third floor in response to disciplinary threats made by school officials.
The library often reaches its maximum capacity at the start of the period, so it’s not an option for many of them. Similarly, the cafeteria is often unpleasantly crowded during fourth period. On the second floor, a large group of seniors occupy the senior atrium as well as the Senior Bar, making this area crowded as well. The half-floor is fully populated by freshmen. The first floor is also unpleasant and noisy because of music and P.E. classes. Through the process of elimination, the only area for these students to convene is along both sides of the narrow hallway on the second floor between the escalator bank and the half-floor. Because the group is so large, it occupies substantial floor space. This congestion creates a few problems. It is both uncomfortable and unproductive for the students themselves. It is also inconvenient to the students and staff who need to walk through this passageway. Finally, it creates a noisy and claustrophobic environment and even poses a potential fire hazard. School administrators have responded to this dilemma by
demanding that students disperse and relocate. Students have drawn attention to the fact that there is nowhere else for them to go, but school officials have reacted unkindly, insisting the students relocate without suggesting an alternative for them to move to. It is understandable for these school employees to be frustrated for having to constantly deal with the issue, but they should not direct this frustration at the students. Instead, they should remain openminded and consider the root cause of the problem. This situation has resulted from two administrative failures. First, the program office has assigned fourth period to many students for their lunch period. School officials have confronted the group of students and complained that fourth period is the only time of the day where they observe such overcrowding, as if it were the students’ fault. The reality is that students with later free periods have more options outside the building. Most local restaurants open between 10:30 and 11:30 p.m., around when fourth period ends. Simply redistributing students’ free periods to more
convenient times of the day would allow more students to leave the building and Stuyvesant’s hallways to remain free from congestion as a result. Second, school policy has created the overcrowding by placing many areas off-limits—often without reason. The third floor atrium, for instance, is not an option for these students. When asked why, school officials have explained that students are not to assemble in areas near classrooms. The thing is, the third floor atrium is adjacent to a gym, the medical suite, and a small office. A group of calm students would not disrupt these facilities. One easy solution to this impasse would be to return the benches to the third floor atrium and open the area to students, solving the issue of overcrowding without disrupting classes. Looking forward to next year, Stuyvesant should work with students to fix this dilemma. School administrators should reconsider the school’s policy regarding where students are permitted to assemble. The programming office should strive to more effectively distribute free periods in
order to prevent overcrowding. And school officials should show more patience with the students until the issue can be resolved. a level of bravery in the face of a terrifying truth: we are living in a world where disagreeing with the president is an offense against him. In a political climate as volatile and dangerous as the one we live in, to see the passion and honesty with which the witnesses spoke bolstered my desire to follow their rule and serve. That level of virtue was what overwhelmingly inspired me. It showed me that, though there are many disappointing aspects of politics nowadays, there is a sensible path to being involved with it and not losing your moral compass. The witnesses exemplified the best of the field, showing what could be in the face of what we are used to and often believe politics to be. They cared about what they were saying, well aware of the gravity of the things they were discussing. For a teenager, they succeeded in both contributing to impeaching the president and giving me a way to follow in their footsteps.
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The Spectator ● January 29, 2020
Opinions Shedding New Light On the Asian-American Struggle With Mental Health
By JENNY HUANG
“Asian-American College Students Have a Higher Rate of Suicide than White College Students Do,” read the news headline of the Chinese newspaper that my parents scanned, then quickly tucked away. I was angered by their seeming lack of concern. To me, AsianAmerican parents’ cold indifference, cultural expectations, and stigmatization of mental illness are the primary causes of such mental health statistics. And I lashed out at them. I blamed my parents’ lack of understanding and attention. I said that it was easy for them to ignore struggles with stress, depression, and anxiety—they had never experienced them before. With spite, I shouted that they did not—that they could not ever—understand the pressure of their expectations or their children’s struggle to assimilate in racialized America. My parents sat in shocked silence, taking in everything I said. My mother was livid, but she bit back her words. My father lashed back, his voice full of rage. It was not fair to say that they hadn’t experienced stress or anxiety, he retorted. It was not easy for them, working over 10 hours a day in dismal conditions without the ability to vocalize their struggles due to language barriers at work. And it certainly wasn’t easy for them to leave everything they once knew and immigrate to the U.S., a country with a completely different set of cultural values. They faced the pressure of survival and will forever struggle to integrate into the U.S. They aimed to make their immigration narrative a successful one, but 10 years later, they feel nothing but disappointment. Perhaps, my father said bitterly, it would’ve been better back in China. Their emotional, raw response was different from the one I expected, partly because they rarely— if ever—confided in me their emo-
tions regarding work and life in the U.S., but also because their reaction ran counter to the standard narrative about Asian-Americans and mental health. Most models tell the stories of Asian-Americans who blame their struggle with mental health on tiger-parenting, cultural pressures, and the cold, emotion-
help than Asian-Americans. Thus, while the stigma surrounding mental illnesses plays into Asian-American students’ reluctance to seek help, the prevalence of stigma in other ethnic groups indicates that there are other reasons—stemming from distinct Asian-American experiences—responsible for
First-generation Asian-Americans’ deeper anxieties may be caused by the pressure to redeem less successful immigration narratives. If others were to recognize this, we could help our families break away from a relentless cycle of senseless sacrifice and mend the rift between ourselves and our parents. ally numb Asian parent stereotype. Stigmas regarding mental illness in Asian culture, as well as a lack of understanding, are the most common explanations for why AsianAmericans are so hesitant to seek help from professionals. While there is a degree of truth in some of these narratives, particularly concerning the stigmas that surround mental health, these barriers do not fully explain why AsianAmerican college students are 1.6 times more likely to make a serious suicide attempt than all other students and three times less likely to seek professional help. Stigmas surrounding mental health are not unique to Asian-Americans; African-American and Latinx communities also stigmatize and misunderstand mental illnesses, but both are more likely to seek professional
our disproportionate mental health statistics. My parents’ emotionallycharged reactions proved that they certainly are not as cold or distant as the Asian parent stereotypes suggest. If anything, our conversation revealed more commonalities in experience than I expected. Their struggles tell of a similar pressure to assimilate and the anxieties associated with the lack of belonging. Much like how Asian-Americans feel as though they are under immense cultural pressure, first-generation immigrant parents face the pressure of immigration and success. They thus identify with the struggles of their children and often deal with them with even fewer resources due to language barriers and their lack of a support system in the U.S. As a result, more often
than not, first-generation immigrant parents are unable to come to terms with their failure to successfully integrate into American society. These experiences shed another perspective on Asian-American children and their struggles with mental health. Disappointment due to immigration, barriers to assimilation, and racism play much larger roles in Asian-American students’ struggle with mental health than we realize. Professor David Eng and psychotherapist Shinhee Han discuss similar findings in their research on the depression and racial melancholy of Asian-Americans. They posit that first-generation immigrant parents often sacrifice themselves in hopes of fulfilling a successful immigration narrative. However, once confronted with the realities of immigration and the false promise of the American dream, their disappointment translates to a pressure for redemption, confronted by their children, perpetuating a cycle of sacrifice. Eng and Han suggest that “children of immigrants ‘repay’ this sacrifice only by repeating and perpetuating its melancholic logic—by berating and sacrificing themselves.” The story of loss and disillusionment with immigration echoed in my father’s sentiments helped me realize that first-generation Asian-Americans’ deeper anxieties may be caused by the pressure to redeem less successful immigration narratives. If others were to recognize this, we could help our families break away from a relentless cycle of senseless sacrifice and mend the rift between ourselves and our parents. Asian-Americans’ struggles against racism and assimilation may also offer a better explanation as to why Asian-American students are less likely to seek clinical help. Writer George Qiao, in “Why are Asian-American Kids Killing Themselves,” argues that mental
health professionals, who are more equipped to treat white patients, “uphold the outdated belief that Asian-Americans cannot possibly be affected by racism” because they buy into the model minority myth. The myth reinforces the stereotype that Asian-Americans do not face real consequences of racism because they are a “model minority,” whose success in the U.S. parallels—or even exceeds— that of white Americans. In doing so, it neglects the fact that AsianAmericans do deal with a sense of loss associated with being “perpetually foreign.” Eng and Han’s work also addresses the constant anxiety Asian-American students experience because “they feel ‘psychically nowhere,’ ill-equipped to deal with the subtler yet still existing barriers to assimilation.” When mental health professionals fail to acknowledge that Asian-Americans can experience stress due to racial discrimination and the struggles of assimilation, it follows that AsianAmericans would be reluctant to seek professional help. Mental health professionals must be trained to understand Asian-Americans’ unique relationship with racism and assimilation, rather than resorting to the same overused narratives that accuse Asian-American culture, distant parents, and cultural stigmas as the roots of Asian-American mental illness. These narratives not only fail to treat Asian-American students, but also distance us from our own culture and parents, who are depicted as cold and backward. Resolution of these conflicts with mental health also relies on the children of immigrants—we must reconcile our relationship with our parents and endeavor to better understand the structures in place that produce the immense pressure and anxieties Asian-Americans feel. To heal, we must learn to break the senseless cycle of sacrifice, forgive ourselves, and at last, move on.
Soleimani’s Killing Will Hurt U.S. Interests in the Middle East By BRIAN MOSES The top news story right now is the killing of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani by a U.S. airstrike on Iraqi soil. To get to the root of this spike in tensions between the U.S. and Iran, we need to go back to 1979. A revolution in Iran against the American-backed dictator brought a new Islamist government into power, which seized the U.S. embassy there and held its workers hostage. The U.S. imposed sanctions, and the new Iranian government began funding terrorism in its area and around the world. In the 1980s, it helped create the Lebanese political party Hezbollah, which is considered a terrorist organization by many countries (including the U.S.). The country also funds and supports Hamas, the terror group that controls the Gaza strip. In more recent years Iran has funded numerous militia groups across the Middle East which have carried out attacks against American and NATO targets, in some cases at the explicit command of Iranian officials. That has been the status quo ever since, save for a lapse between 2015 and 2018 when the U.S. agreed to remove sanctions in exchange for Iran giving up its nuclear weapons program for 15 years. But according to the Trump administration, Iran continued to fund terrorism both in neigh-
boring countries and around the world, a factor in leading the administration to withdraw from the agreement and reimpose sanctions in mid-2018. Those sanctions severely increased tensions between the U.S. and Iran and sent the Iranian economy into a deep reces-
Those sanctions severely increased tensions between the U.S. and Iran and sent the Iranian economy into a deep recession.
sion. Iran’s oil production crashed, resulting in a 13.5 percent contraction in its GDP. Inflation skyrocketed, in particular raising the price of food and fuel, heavily impacting ordinary Iranians. Protests erupted in Iran and soon spread all over the country in November 2019. At first, they were
against the terrible economic situation, but they morphed into antigovernment protests as time went on. In the ensuing chaos, over 1,500 people were killed, hundreds of government buildings were razed, and the regime shut down the Internet to prevent images of the brutal crackdown from escaping into the wider world (it didn’t work). Iran needed a way out, and Iranian general Qassem Soleimani had one. According to a recently released Reuters report, Soleimani’s strategy was simple: escalate attacks by Iran and Iranian proxies against U.S. targets to provoke a response, and then use that response to unify the Iranian people against the U.S. and in the process take pressure off of the Iranian government. Attacks by Iranian militias grew more brazen, including a recent attack which resulted in the death of a U.S. citizen contractor while the U.S. and Iran were at peace. But viewed in their proper context, the recent attacks by Iran were nothing but an act of desperation in response to a situation that was reaching its breaking point. But Soleimani’s strategy appeared to have worked, albeit at the cost of his own life. Soleimani, an Iranian national hero, was killed by a U.S. drone near an airport in Baghdad, Iraq on January 3. Soleimani’s killing had given the Iranian government the opportunity to distract its people from anger concerning the economic
and political situation in the country. Millions poured into the streets in Iran to mourn the general’s passing, a stark contrast to the mass protests only weeks before, some at the coercion of Iran’s internal security apparatus, others out of a genuine sense that Soleimani had maintained stability and defended the country from ISIS and Western influences. In a tragically lucky turn of events for the Trump Administration, that mourning period came to an abrupt end after Iran admitted to accidentally shooting down a civilian aircraft and in the process killing 176 people, many of them Iranian citizens. That downing has resparked protests against the regime and Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khomeni. But that downing doesn’t change the fact that the killing was a poor idea and gave many Iranians a sense of the dangers their state faced from abroad, especially the West. Conservative politician Javad Arianmanesh put it best following the killing: “Naturally […] the current national unity formed after the martyrdom of Gen. Soleimani can facilitate the victories of conservatives in upcoming elections. […] Such a martyrdom will give fresh blood to Islamic values and can help further strengthen the Islamic republic.” And that is a chief concern: aside from temporarily defusing protests against the regime, the killing could sway Iranians to reject reformist leaders during future
elections in the country. Iran has a unique electoral system which is divided between democratic and theocratic elements. A president is directly elected, while the Supreme Leader is elected by an Assembly of Experts. That Assembly, in turn, is elected by the people and votes on a new Supreme Leader when the previous one has passed. All candidates are vetted by religious authorities, who bar women, those who are not Shi’ite Muslims, and anyone else they deem unfit from running. For years, Iran has seen an internal struggle between its reformist and conservative elements. It was those reformists, led by President Hassan Rouhani, who were responsible for negotiating the 2015 nuclear deal with the West, and who have been discredited by U.S. abandonment of the deal and the killing of Soleimani. Here’s the thing: the conservative Supreme Leader is 80 years old and in poor health. That means that the Assembly of Experts is very likely to be responsible for selecting the next Supreme Leader soon, and that Supreme Leader will determine whether Iran pursues further conflict or rapprochement with the West. The Soleimani strike may well increase the chances of an even more confrontationalist Supreme Leader being elected in the future, with disastrous consequences for the U.S., its allies, and the Iranian people.
The Spectator ● January 29, 2020
Page 11
Opinions Civil Asset Forfeiture and its Destruction of Legal Transparency
By RAE SEONG JEONG
Robert Howard, aged 43, is a police officer in Hillsdale, Missouri. He earns $10.50 an hour working at the local police department. With innumerable overdue bills and thousands of dollars of debt, Howard has had serious difficulty making ends meet for his wife and child. He complained to NBC News in 2014, “This is not what I expected. I thought being a police officer was a really good job.” Still worse is that other police officers working just towns away in the Ferguson department, for example, are earning twice the amount he is. On the other hand, police officers in 42 other states across the country have a different outlook—they earn specialized “bonuses” for their services. For example, in Hunt County, Texas, officers regularly score personal bonuses of up to $26,000 a year. In Suffolk County, New York, the police department has distributed a total of $3.25 million in bonuses since 2012. The splurge money comes from civil asset forfeiture. Civil asset forfeiture laws allow the government to permanently take property away from someone on the basis that the property is associated with a crime—regardless of whether the person in question has ever been convicted of a crime or even arrested for any offense. Worse yet, attempts to retrieve lost property are virtually nonexistent. In civil asset forfeiture cases, the property’s owner must prove that their property is not connected to a crime. In these cases, there is no constitutional right to an attorney and a lawyer must be hired; in total, the costs from hiring a
By ANNE RHEE
George Zimmerman was found not guilty of the seconddegree murder of Trayvon Martin on July 13, 2013. Zimmerman was a neighborhood patroller at the time, and he had engaged in a fight with the teenager, who was 17 years old and had been visiting his stepmother. Zimmerman claimed that the teenager had attacked him in the heat of the argument, and in an act of self-defense, he pulled his gun and fatally shot Martin. The jury in their verdict argued that he was legally justified in defending himself and that there was not enough evidence to prove that Zimmerman’s motives were anything but self-defense. However, seven years later, the question remains of where we are as a society in the aftermath of this case. Zimmerman—despite not being convicted—has decided to reopen the case, and in December of 2018, announced that he was suing Martin’s family for $100 million in the Florida state court. He and his lawyer, Larry Klayman, released a statement saying they would argue that the initial trial was “a breach of contract and First Amendment case.” The chief allegation in Klayman and Zimmerman’s lawsuit is that Rachel Jeantel—a witness who testified that she
lawyer and paying court fees often dwarf the value of the property they want to retrieve, and because of these complications, efforts for retrieval are almost always abandoned. In fact, on a federal level, nine out of 10 asset forfeitures go uncontested. Naturally, the forfeiture laws
instance, Wagoner County Sheriff Bob Colbert and Deputy Jeff Gragg were indicted on three felony counts, including bribery and extortion, when they took a bribe from a suspect to drop his case and quietly move the seized assets into the asset forfeiture fund. According to Forbes, in
From disproportionate targeting of poor and minority-dense communities to embezzlement and fraud, all too suspiciously, it seems that law enforcement officers ironically find themselves as defendants in court more often than the victims of their seizings.
are eagerly enforced. Indeed, police and prosecutors can retain anywhere from 45 to 100 percent of forfeiture proceeds—a clear incentive to seize. Unfortunately, their enthusiasm is most often commensurate with a consequent deterioration in transparency. From disproportionate targeting of poor and minority-dense communities to embezzlement and fraud, all too suspiciously, it seems that law enforcement officers ironically find themselves as defendants in court more often than the victims of their seizings. For example, in 2017, Virginia Deputy Frank Michael Pearson was convicted of embezzling more than $229,000 in asset forfeiture funds. In another
some ridiculous cases, like in Texas, district attorneys have even used embezzled forfeiture funds on “casino visits, a vacation to Hawaii, and a margarita machine.” But infringements of law disproportionately target poorer areas and people of color. To make matters worse, despite needing their assets the most, these individuals are the least able to take on the costs of asset retrieval. For one, motorists who are immigrants, low-income, or of color are pulled over on highways and traffic stops at a higher rate than those who are not, where they have had their cash seized and have been intimidated to sign roadside waivers disclaiming ownership of their vehicles by
leveraging criminal prosecution. In another instance, an elderly disabled woman in Michigan had the entirety of her savings seized by law enforcement. Despite there being no proof that they were connected to criminal activity, she was unable to challenge the seizure because she did not have a single penny to pay for legal fees. In Los Angeles, a taco truck owner had thousands of dollars seized despite no evidence of criminal activity; he initially challenged the seizure but had to drop the case, fearing that the proceedings would risk the deportation of his relatives. Unfortunately, the future of curbing the abuse of asset forfeiture laws seems stark, because for the Trump administration, asset forfeiture revenue is essential. In January of last year, two congressional Republicans told the Associated Press that the administration had been looking at civil asset forfeiture funds to finance the border wall’s construction. The federal government’s forfeiture fund currently holds $3.7 billion in cash and over $7.6 billion in assets—a considerable boost to the Trump administration’s border wall budget if the assets were to be liquidated. Furthermore, in order to help bolster revenue generation, Trump-nominated Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who resigned in 2018, rolled back a series of Obama-era curbs on civil asset forfeiture, strengthening the government’s power to seize cash and property. With Trump at the helm of the opposition, effective reform may seem impossible. But hope remains. Statewide and popular support has skyrocketed over recent years; more than 30 states have enacted civil
George Zimmerman: The Aftermath
was on the phone with Martin before the shooting—was actually an imposter, serving as a substitute for her half-sister Brittany Diamond Eugene, who had actually called Martin but did not want to be involved with the case. In addition to claiming the tampering of evidence, Zimmerman’s lawsuit has framed the entire trial as unnecessary in the first place. But this was not the question that the trial endeavored to answer—the question was whether or not Zimmerman’s actions were in self-defense. Zimmerman has also claimed that the trial was conducted to advance the political goal of creating “racial controversy,” but the purpose of the trial—or any trial concerning a criminal charge—was to hold him accountable. Zimmerman claims to be seeking mere atonement for what the unnecessary pursuit of the initial case has caused him to lose, including employment and his dignified reputation. However, according to the Martins’ family attorney, Benjamin Crump, the lawsuit is backed by right-wingers whose aim is to generate political capital and attention for an upcoming rightwing documentary (called the “Trayvon Hoax”) that will portray Zimmerman as a guns-right crusader. Crump has good reason for these assertions and has
pointed to Zimmerman’s lawyer himself as evidence. Klayman has a long legal history of backing right-wing campaigns—he is the founder of the Judicial Watch, which has backed charges against the Clintons and was a huge proponent of the allegations that Barack Obama “[is] a secret Muslim and not an American citizen.” Zimmerman’s claims, despite being illegitimate, are often treated legitimately by the criminal justice system due to an all-pervasive phenomenon. The public’s perception of how black men are treated in the status quo can be attributed to the “language of fear,” mentioned by Brent Staples in a 1986 Harper’s article called “Just Walk on By.” In it, Staples talks about the ways in which black men are predominantly associated with terror, as they are commonly represented in the media as violent and dangerous individuals who should be avoided at all costs. Though Staples does acknowledge that black men have committed crimes in the past, he contends that they have become overrepresented in the eyes of the public and the criminal justice system, wherein society has grown accustomed to making snap judgments about black men because of their race. This is found implicitly in the events leading up to the shooting— Zimmerman, a neighborhood
patroller who had been off duty that night, had initially called the police because Martin’s demeanor had seemed “suspicious.” The lack of a response from the police department was what then led Zimmerman to choose to take action, leading to the fatal encounter. The case of Trayvon Martin is just one of many that have grown in number in the past two decades, in which unarmed black men and women are shot and killed by law enforcement officers. Others include those of Eric Garner, Akai Gurley, Mark Duggan, and Michael Brown. What makes this fact even more concerning is a 2018 study published by the Annals of Internal Medicine, which found that black men are 14 times more likely than white men to die by firearm homicide. It’s disheartening, then, that Zimmerman, through his lawsuit, seeks sympathy and questions the very notion that he should be held accountable for Martin’s death, despite the fact that a racial bias—especially when it comes to making judgments about people on the street—is very real. Zimmerman’s post-trial actions all seek to disassociate himself from the consequences of his actions, such as choosing to auction off the firearm he had used to kill Martin. This prompted immediate backlash and criticism, but Zimmerman
forfeiture reform since 2014, and eight of those states sharply restricted their agencies from participating in asset forfeitures. Two of those states—Nebraska and New Mexico—even abolished the practice entirely. What’s more promising is the unprecedented bipartisan effort supporting the abolition of asset forfeiture. In 2018, the House unanimously passed the RESPECT Act, which would restrict civil forfeitures by the IRS, and dozens of members of Congress have co-sponsored the Fifth Amendment Integrity Restoration (FAIR) Act and the DUE PROCESS Act, which would enact tougher safeguards for innocent property owners. Despite all these bills having support from the House, because the Senate Judiciary Committee has never held a full committee vote, the bills were left untouched. That is, until January of last year, when Representatives Tim Walberg, Jamie Raskin, Thomas Massie, Tony Cardenas, Tom McClintock, and Bobby Rush reintroduced the FAIR Act, which would enact drastic reforms to civil asset forfeiture laws. With the rare support it has from both Republican and Democratic platforms, as well as a broad reform coalition of nearly two dozen organizations, including the Institute for Justice, the ACLU, the NAACP, and the American Conservative Union, the movement to bring justice to victims of property seizure seems to be near its completion. The last time any significant reform took place for asset forfeiture was in 2000, under the Clinton Administration. It’s high time for change—and all that’s left is for Congress to seal the deal.
argued that the money would be donated to support the Black Lives Matter movement and to ensure the end of Angela Corey’s career (the prosecutor who tried to convict Zimmerman). However, no follow-up was ever made about whether Zimmerman had ended up donating his money or not. Furthermore, Zimmerman has chosen to turn on Martin’s parents, accusing them of trying to capitalize off of their son’s death, when, ironically, Zimmerman’s lawsuit will attempt to do the same thing. Though the direction of Zimmerman’s motives remains unclear, the revisitation of this case indicates a refusal to accept being held accountable and how slowly society progresses in the face of racism and anti-black violence. The lawsuit is legally unsound, and its pursuit is simply a product of right-wing motivations to generate political capital. The general public should continue to be highly skeptical of Zimmerman’s intentions, because his continued pursuit of racial violence and financial compensation shows just how insignificant Martin’s death is to him. Both our snap judgments influenced by race and our preconceived notions of justice need to be changed—until they are, actions will continue to inhibit the well-being of minority communities.
The Spectator ● January 29, 2020
Page 12
Opinions No Place Like America
By ANISA GAO Sometimes when I hear the Canadian national anthem play, I ignore it. Sometimes, I try to sing it in English, then French, only to realize that my mouth can no longer form the words that I sang every school day for almost a decade. I like to think that my life began the second my father came home without a green card to my enraged mother in Saint Catherine’s, Canada. My parents were forced to settle into Saint Catherine’s, and then Toronto, where I ended up being born and living most of my life. I had no idea growing up that we would have moved to the States sooner if it weren’t for 9/11. With almost my entire extended family settled in America, my parents were devastated to hear that they would have to wait an unknown number of years before they too could live the American dream. But perhaps my demure younger self would have not been as happy if she had had to walk among New York’s urban skyscrapers on her way to school. She wouldn’t hear about immigrating until years later. In Toronto, I shared a class for fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh grade that loved ridiculing American culture. Their fascination with the outrageous political divide became the topic of daily conversations and English class; Canadian politics held no competition. Truthfully, this didn’t begin to terrify me until my mother broke the news that we were immigrating in 2018. Hearing headlines of school
By AARON VISSER
shootings, kidnappings, and mass protests painted an ugly face on what I thought was a breeding ground for chaos. I had no clue what I had gotten myself into until the summer of 2018 ended, and I entered a middle school with a student body quadruple that of any I’d ever been in. I had never seen children smoking weed, high on Xanax, or swearing at teachers before. The novelty of living in a foreign country dulled in the middle of eighth grade; I had such an immense amount of pressure from studying for the SHSAT that I didn’t have the time to really look at the wonders of America. Paying a cashier with green paper, jaywalking shamelessly, and omitting ‘u’s in some words didn’t seem as ludicrous as it used to be. Once again, I was just a tired student yearning for the school year to pass faster and the summer to walk slower. Two months ago, a teacher played the acoustic of the Canadian national anthem for a few brief, exhilarating moments, and I could have sworn that the underside of my heart had been scooped out of my chest as I heard the melody that went with the lines: “With glowing hearts we see thee rise / The True North strong and free.” After I entered high school, there was a grim pride that haunted my mind for weeks to come as the warmer winter approached and the Northern winds chattered under my hood. Sometimes I would walk along the cigarettesmelling train station in the early mornings and feel like falling onto
the tracks. They were polished, smooth, and shiny, unlike the rubble that sat flaccidly around it. They were sometimes gleaming and sometimes not, like the railings to the school’s bridge. The scent that those railings give off when my hands clutched them was metallic like the dirty Canadian coins I stashed away. Throughout my past two years in America, I’ve seen bits of Toronto in New York that have dug deeper into old wounds I thought
grittier version of Canada. They’re like a pair of gloves; they’re identical, but one is always a bit softer, more worn down and flexible than the other. Whenever I walk through Manhattan, I smell weed, some greasy sauce from the open windows of meat shops, and a dry stench of smoke from the snowlike dots made up of cigarette butts on the road. Someone runs by and shoves my shoulder, hard enough to leave a bruise, and gives
Politics and news aside—because I never bothered catching up on that—America to me is a grittier version of Canada. They’re like a pair of gloves; they’re identical, but one is always a bit softer, more worn down and flexible than the other. I’d left behind after I moved. Similarities have made it difficult to completely get over my grief from immigrating here. Unfortunately, all the differences haven’t helped either and have left me wondering every day what kind of moment I’d be living in if I were still in Canada. Politics and news aside—because I never bothered catching up on that—America to me is a
me a dirty look like I’m some scummy kid—I stopped looking at strangers’ faces because of that. On occasion, a herd of teens passes by and laughs so loud that I start walking faster into the blaring traffic jam. But the lonely kids with their hands sewn into their pockets and permanent scowls on their faces are the only ones I feel bad for; I hope that I never end up as miserable.
Though Downtown Toronto was filled with far more public smokers than here, I never paid much mind to them. At least they were smiling, chatting on the phone, or staring up at the sky like they were deep in thought. Everyone I passed had grins on their faces that used to annoy me because I could never figure out what they had to be happy about. There were sewer-stained slush on the unsalted streets, pinchy cold wind between buildings, and smelly newspapers all about the taxes that kept rising higher and higher. There were horrible things in the world to think about, but even the rushing businessmen had the time to apologize and wish me a good day before returning to their phones. Happy teens who skated along the rink in Nathan Phillips Square always had too much time on their hands, more so than the dozen of adults streaming out of City Hall weddings. When I tell my parents about these moments of grief, I’m just a kid who can’t accept change. But when I’m alone in the big city with nothing but some pocket change and my cell phone, I’m stuck in a horrendous maze that sinks deeper the further I tread on. When I don’t feel like walking anymore, I pull out a few bills for the train only to remember that nothing can compare to the toonies and loonies I used to carry in my jacket pocket. That jingle of polar bears and maple leaves is long gone now, but there’s still a coppery smell on my fingertips that won’t wash away.
The Final Retribution for Retributive Justice and deserves no part in our criminal justice system. It originates in the basic human intuition that wrongful acts should be punished, even if it doing so serves no other purpose. Like all human intuitions, blindly following this instinct can lead to deeply flawed outcomes, and our retributive justice system is evidence. It views each action in a vacuum, disregarding the per-
prison sentences an inefficient approach to preventing crime by incapacitation.” It isn’t designed to deter crime—experts have proven that long sentences don’t dissuade potential criminals. Even criminals generally believe they’ll get away with a crime, even if they’ve already been imprisoned. And it certainly isn’t designed to rehabilitate prisoners—most ex-convicts face the same circumstances that they had before their incarceration, and the majority return to jail. Our justice system, then, is primarily designed for one thing only: to force prisoners to provide retribution for their crimes. Retributive justice is wrong
sonal lives and problems of prisoners, many of whom grow up in destitute families with absent fathers, possibly taken by the same justice system. No one can take full credit for their circumstances, but we punish prisoners as if they alone bear culpability for their actions. The system also fails to consider that many such prisoners commit their crimes with impaired judgment; according to the Department of Justice, 20 percent of inmates have serious mental illnesses. Our retributive justice system thus fails to see the humanity in each of us, routinely stripping lifelong freedoms over singular heinous acts. We are all worth more than
Emma Donnelly / The Spectator
Americans have long celebrated our history as a story of increasing freedom for all—a story of progress. But our current 2.2 million incarcerated citizens prove that the story is more complicated. In recent decades, despite the increasing liberties our nation has granted, our prison population has grown larger, and our justice system has grown less just. Mass incarceration hasn’t always been the norm in America. Before the 1970s, crime was seen as an economic problem that could be solved through concrete action. Accordingly, the government sought to help rehabilitate criminals and better integrate them back into society. For instance, it encouraged job training for inmates and sought to ease psychological problems. President Lyndon B. Johnson’s War on Poverty poured money into reducing crime through education and job creation programs. But white panic over the ghettoization of “inner cities” and race riots soon swept the compassionate Great Society program away and brought forth law and order conservatism. To our nation’s detriment, “tough-on-crime” policies replaced its old rehabilitative philosophy. Richard Nixon declared a War on Drugs; Ronald Regan created the first set of mandatory minimum sentencing laws, and Bill Clinton passed the 1994 Crime Bill, which instituted a three-strikes policy that could sentence nonviolent offenders to life—and, by extension, death— in prison. And, as a result of these prolonged sentencing laws, America’s prison population has skyrocketed. Politicians have de-
fended the human and financial cost of imprisoning by contending that it is the only means to reduce crime. But America’s justice system isn’t designed to protect society. By 2030, a third of our prison population will be above 55 years old, even though a National Research Council study says, “Recidivism declines markedly with age,” making “lengthy
the worst thing we’ve ever done, and our criminal justice system should treat us as such. And our cruel retributive justice system is not just inhumane—it is also ineffective. Despite our drastic rate of incarceration, we have yet to see any corresponding decrease in crime. In fact, many countries that are much less “tough on crime” do a much better job at preventing it. Norway imprisons just 10 percent per capita as much as we do, but only 20 percent of their ex-convicts are rearrested in the five years following their release, compared to the 76.6 percent recidivism rate in the U.S. Norway’s system utilizes restorative justice; instead of punishing prisoners, it rehabilitates them. The system focuses on providing life skills to the inmates, who are able to move freely through their facilities. With this privilege, they take classes, pursue hobbies, and enjoy recreational activities. Many other countries have embraced these lenient restorative justice methods and have consequently seen similar decreases in recidivism rates. Thus, beyond treating offenders with the dignity and compassion that any human deserves, rehabilitative programs also more effectively reduce crime. The U.S. already has successful restorative justice pilot programs. The Bard Prison Initiative has given prisoners the opportunity to receive a college education, with considerable success. Eighty-five percent of inmates who have gone through the program found employment within the first two months, and less than three percent have returned to prison. Restorative Justice for Oakland Youth works to prevent juveniles from ending
up in prison in the first place by working within schools and juvenile detention centers to provide education and technical assistants. In schools where the program was implemented, suspensions fell to 87 percent and expulsions fell to zero. But, despite these encouraging results, the federal government has restricted pell grant funding to all programs like the BPI because most people are reluctant to spend taxpayer money on prisoners. However, the cost of restorative justice programs is far less than that of our current prolonged sentence policies. Thus, the consequences of retributive justice, as well as the benefits of rehabilitative justice, necessitate immediate action. America must fully extract the unjust principle of retribution from the foundation of our justice system and replace it with a compassionate system that works for people, not punishments. To that end, the government should reinstitute and expand education in prison, alongside employment programs, counseling programs, and other forms of rehabilitation that allow for increased ease of reentry into society. The burden of doing so shouldn’t fall onto nonprofits, who lack the scale to tackle this enormous problem. America must consider the rights of criminals when developing the solution to mass incarceration. We should reverse the retributive, tough-on-crime policies that have deprived hundreds of thousands of their freedoms and create a justice system that protects society by rehabilitating prisoners. Because if universal human rights don’t apply to the worst among us, they aren’t universal at all.
The Spectator ● January 29, 2020
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Science The Australian Megafire: A Catastrophe
By SHAH NABIL For the past couple of months, Australia has been experiencing multiple wildfires due to its current arid environment. The intensity of these fires has increased dramatically, and they have eventually combined into one large fire encompassing a large area of Australia. Now dubbed the Australian Megafire, this inferno has been ravaging the southeastern part of Australia (the hottest, driest region of the continent). It has been declared as an urgent emergency by the firefighters of Australia because the fire has burned millions of acres and destroyed the homes of humans and animals alike. There were numerous factors leading up to the disaster, including global warming and the continent’s fire-prone climate. The Australian Megafire provides a clear message concerning the environmental effects of global warming and warns us that we need to pay more attention to the environment changing around us. Australia is used to having
bushfires due to its unique location in the Southern Hemisphere. According to Geoscience Australia, a government-founded website containing geoscientific research, bushfires are “slower-moving [fires] ... [and] have a higher heat output.” This means that though we have more time to deal with them, bushfires are very difficult to extinguish due to their intensity (“they can smolder for days”). This type of fire is caused by a multitude of factors, including human interference (gas, campfires, cigarettes, etc.) and the environment (temperature, wind speed, lightning, etc.). A primary reason for these natural disasters is climate change. While this already-jarring calamity can’t directly cause such a colossal blaze, the two bushfires were initially able to spread due to the planet’s recent high temperatures. This allowed them to combine into the megafire that the country has since found so difficult to extinguish. Another critical reason can be attributed to an environ-
mental phenomenon known as the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD). The IOD is created by stark differences in ocean temperatures and humidity levels (the east tends to be much more arid than the west). Sadly, Australia’s location in the east creates a dry environment that allows bushfires to thrive. To provide further proof, Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology observed an increase in the IOD’s intensity around the same time the bushfires began. Though the bushfires are rapidly searing through forests and decimating hundreds of millions of animal lives, the damage from heat is just one of the many serious concerns incited by the flames. The unfathomable amounts of smoke released into the air by burning organic substances must also be taken into account. Smoke generated by burning wood, or wood smoke, consists of a range of gases and fine particles collectively called particle pollution, or PM. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, wood smoke
has numerous toxic air pollutants, including “benzene, formaldehyde, acrolein, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.” The environmental impacts of particle pollution include greater acidity in nearby water sources, poisoned food sources, ecosystem disruption, and exhaustion of soil nutrients. The recent fires will also contribute toward global warming as significant amounts of carbon and other damaging pollutants are released into the atmosphere. Australia additionally contains as many as 150 million hectares of trees, many of which have been reduced to ashes; this in turn highly reduces our natural ability to combat climate change, giving birth to an apocalyptic cycle of global warming/drought/ fires. As a result, there is an increasing concern over the fires because the resulting increase of global temperatures would negatively impact both biodiversity and humans worldwide. It is also important to consider just how much the Australian megafire has destroyed: over one million
acres so far and counting. Approximately “1.25 billion animals may have been killed directly or indirectly from fires that have burned 8.4 million hectares across Australia (equivalent to all of Austria),” according to the World Wide Fund for Nature. This shows the critical effect that climate change and environmental indifference can have on the world. The fact that such a massive number of animals, including several endangered species, were harmed by these fires reveals why it is crucial to take action toward a more eco-friendly world. This includes changing small habits at the individual level. Be aware of the environment around you. Don’t throw flammable substances such as cigarettes near forests. Maintain a cleaner lifestyle for the environment. Many refuse to take such steps, believing that their actions will not have enduring consequences; however, the sheer destruction we have witnessed in Australia and elsewhere says otherwise.
Beyond the Powerhouse of the Cell:
Mitochondria’s Newfound Ability Is The Key to New Cancer Treatments By KAITLYN LEE Whether you’re a nerd who finds science memes hilarious or a student who has suffered through memorizing unbearable amounts of material for your biology test, you probably have this sentence drilled into your head: The mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell. Many people know of the mitochondria’s importance in supplying our cells with energy, but new studies reveal that the generation of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is not their only purpose. Researchers recently discovered another ability mitochondria possess: sending molecular signals when the body is under stress or exposed to DNA-damaging chemicals. These findings may help scientists create new treatments that prevent cancer cells from becoming resistant to chemotherapy. Previously, the Salk Institute discovered that stressed mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) triggers an antiviral immune response. As explained by Gerald Shadel, a professor at the Salk Institute’s Molecular and Cell Biology Laboratory, “Mitochondria are acting as a first line of defense in sensing DNA stress. The mitochondria tell the rest of the cell, ‘Hey, I’m under attack, you
better protect yourself.’” Shadel also believes that because mtDNA is so abundant in each cell and has fewer DNA repair pathways than nuclear DNA, it can function as efficient DNA stress detectors. The mtDNA takes the
Researchers then concentrated on the molecular pathways activated when damaged mtDNA was released into the cytosol. They realized that the ISGs normally activated by interferons were different from the ones activated due to mtD-
nuclear DNA in cancer cells. Doxorubicin also damages the mtDNA, causing it to be released and activate ISGs. Researchers plan to focus their research on how mtDNA is damaged and released, as well as the DNA repair pathways activated by
Whether you’re a nerd who finds science memes hilarious or a student who has suffered through memorizing unbearable amounts of material for your biology test, you probably have this sentence drilled into your head: The mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell. form of a small, round chromosome in mitochondria. When mtDNA is exposed to intracellular or extracellular stress factors, it becomes improperly packaged. According to the Salk Institute’s research, the cell responds to this by ejecting the malfunctioning mtDNA from the mitochondria into the cytosol, the liquid component of the cell. There, the malfunctioning mtDNA activates a step in the innate immune response that destroys any antigens by triggering the expression of interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs). Normally activated by signaling proteins known as interferons, ISGs direct a cell to raise its swords and shields against viral invaders.
NA stress. Such genes were a subset of ISGs that, in addition to triggering the antiviral immune response, also strengthened nuclear DNA repair responses. Salk Institute researchers found that these ISGs were not only present in normal body cells, but also in cancer cells resistant to chemotherapeutic agents that attack their DNA. This phenomenon became evident when Shadel and his team stressed the mtDNA in melanoma cancer cells, causing higher levels of ISG expression and promoting nuclear DNA protection and repair. As a result, the cancer cells became resistant to doxorubicin, a chemical used in chemotherapy to destroy
ISGs. But with the recent discovery showing great potential in the development and manufacture of new chemotherapy treatments related to mtDNA, scientists will need to determine which chemicals damage, or don’t damage, mtDNA. If there were research devoted to finding chemicals that only damage nuclear DNA and not mtDNA, scientists could use those chemicals in chemotherapy, rather than ones that destroy both. As a result, chemotherapy would become much more effective in treating cancer and raise cancer survival rates by a great deal. These findings also open the possibility of using chemicals that stress mtD-
NA to fight viral infections by putting them in medicine or drugs to activate the innate immune response. However, as of now, we understand that a reduction of mtDNA has shown negative impacts on the cell, such as impairment of oxidative phosphorylation, an important step to making ATP. Unless the degree of effectiveness in mtDNA-initiated immune responses is significant, this possibility remains closed. The Salk Institute’s research has shed light on the mitochondria’s purpose in antiviral immunity and DNA repair. Not only do these powerhouses supply our energy, but they also alert our immune system to DNA-damaging stress, helping our bodies protect and repair themselves. These newly discovered abilities of the mitochondria will aid our ongoing battle against cancer by inspiring the development of drugs that can prevent chemotherapy resistance in cancer cells. They also open the door to several possibilities for other treatments against viral infections, as well as better understanding of how these tiny organelles in our cells help our body function properly and allow us to perform our everyday tasks.
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The Spectator ● January 29, 2020
Arts and Entertainment Food By MATTHEW WAGMAN
Music By ANSON GUAN “The government tried to ban me from the dark web / I downloaded Tor Browser, then got back in,” raps Teejayx6 on his breakout song “Dark Web” (2019). The dark web, a section of the Internet only accessible by hidden networks and software like Tor, is where Teejayx6 makes his money scamming. Frenetic, offbeat, and memorable, this song serves as an apt introduction to the Detroit rapper and the rising wave of scam rap. Scam rap is a new breed of rap for the digital age, trading out bars about drug dealing and murder for ones about credit card fraud and identity theft. Like coke rap in the 1980s, scam rap is a snapshot of crime in the 2010s. It introduces uncommon phrases such as the dark web, methods, fake IDs, BINs, and Bitcoin. Scam rap originated in Detroit’s hip-hop scene, where energetic piano-driven beats and slightly off-kilter flows reign supreme. Teejayx6 emerged as the leading face of this new wave of hip-hop, and his success is a reminder of the Internet’s influence. Teejayx6, born Teejay Wither-
Thinkpiece By DEXTER WELLS In his 2011 song “Hold You Down,” Childish Gambino proudly raps, “I won’t stop until they say, ‘James Franco is the white Donald Glover.’” Listeners have unanimously interpreted this line as a claim from Gambino that he would prove himself to be more artistically versatile than James Franco. Franco, who got his start on beloved TV show “Freaks and Geeks,” is known for being a multifaceted figure. Besides acting, he has written, produced, and directed film and television, done some painting, and even received an MFA from Columbia University. So it certainly makes sense to treat Franco as a benchmark. But has Gambino stayed true to his word? Gambino, otherwise known as Donald Glover, initially put himself on the map by acting in the sitcom “Community,” after writing for Tina Fey’s “30 Rock.” However, he is most widely known for his career as a musician. His
ally pay attention to their specials board may have actually noticed their sandwiches and pastas, some which actually fall in the under $8 range of our “cheap” *ss lunch options. If they have anything particularly noteworthy, the distinguishing feature of these specials is the fact that they’re actually freshly made upon your order (and take the according time—try not to order one with ten minutes left in your lunch period). The majority of the cheaper “specials” options are sandwiches, which come with three filling choices enrobed in copious amounts of vaguely Italian proto-mozzarella. In with all this fermented cow juice is a fair amount of steaming but pretty undistinguished tomato sauce, and a wrapping of middling subbread doing its best to hold in the fillings. In terms of the fillings, there are three, all quite decent: eggplant, meatball, and sausage. The eggplant offers a rare tasty
vegetarian option for slightly less punch, but is slightly forgettable in all its cheese and warm tomato sauce. The meatballs are pleasantly nondescript and are on the acceptable edge of boring, with soft, forgiving meat and a good amount of spice in amazingly large chunks (they will try to escape, watch out). The sausage is even better: more firm, chewy and aromatic than the meatball with its excellent complement of savory spices. Still, the meat is not supposed to be high quality in either, and the cheese and sauce are used as a flavor crutch. The sandwiches aren’t as fast as halal, but should come in under 10 minutes and hot out of the oven wrapped in tinfoil. Prices are annoying but not unreasonable: all the sandwich specials (and additionally the spaghetti with only cheese and tomato sauce) coming out to $7.57 with tax. Cafe Amore does supply a good array of pizza-related condiments; gar-
lic and red pepper definitely helping to add that missing tang. You already know that the best thing about the place is their ample seating: there is normally at least one free table in the gloom of the left side of the restaurant. T hey
also have a myriad of varying alternative “Italian” food options, such as zeppoles, garlic knots, and a few reasonable-looking cold cut sandwiches. Some with less robust appetites (or those who actually
had an adequate breakfast) may find the sandwiches too big for one sitting, but for the price and neighborhood, it’s one of the best options to ever associate itself with the land of the Pope and Mario.
Ka Seng Soo / The Spectator
Much of Stuyvesant knows Cafe Amore as “the pizza place that actually has enough seats to sneak in outside food while your ‘friend’ tries to eat their Manhattan-priced pizza in peace.” Surprisingly, they actually do have a little bit more to offer. Some people, while waiting on their slice, may have wandered their eyes over to the specialty menu above the main counter while contemplating how they can have three tests in just as many periods. Doubtless, seeing the non-teenager-friendly options and prices, they would’ve thought “$12 for a steak? I can cheat a freshman out of a locker for a price that ridiculous, or keep Dr. Winkel from asking me for money for a week if I’m lucky.” No Stuyvesant student would actually order any of it, unless he was rich, out of his mind, or both. However, a small portion of the astute people who actu-
Cheap *ss Lunch #5: The Best Pizza Place Near Stuy (But Not For Pizza)
Directions: Out the far end of the bridge and a block and a half down the street (Chambers), with a split awning in Christmas colors. 147 Chambers Street, on the left side.
Teejayx6, Crown Prince of Scam Rap spoon, is a humble teenage scammer. He owes his name to the Bluetooth MSR-X6, a portable credit card reader and an essential tool in his scamming endeavors. Growing up with two scammer brothers, Teejayx6 immersed himself in their world, with one brother as his mentor. By first grade he made his first scam, and he continued as he discovered the money
he “can’t even get [his] haircut no more cause [he] done scammed [his] barber.” Two of his most notable songs, “Dynamic Duo” and its sequel “Dynamic Duo 2,” are duets with fellow Detroit rapper Kasher Quon where they trade increasingly comedic bars, with Teejayx6 going so far as to threaten to blow up his mother’s house. His lyrics are bolstered by his intense
Teejayx6 will always be a scammer, and that won’t change no matter how popular he gets or how close he is to getting caught by the FBI. that could be made in crime. His rap career came later in 2017. The earliest songs he released were standard Detroit hip-hop, but Teejayx later developed a distinct style that set him apart and drove his Internet fame. His lyrics are often hilarious and light-hearted. On “Blackmail,” Teejayx claims he “made a juug page on Facebook, and [he] scammed [his] granny,” and on “Apple,” he laments that
fast-paced flow, which often ends with him screaming the last syllable of a line for emphasis. But Teejayx6 doesn’t want to just rap about scamming; he wants to promote it. In fact, his “Swipe Lesson” series of songs meticulously details actual scamming methods, including sites on the dark web to visit. His “Swipe Story” series is equally detailed, telling tales about his many scams. They
play out like heist movies, except instead of robbing a bank, he’s scamming a department store. Listening to the first “Swipe Story” is like listening to an audiobook with a beat behind it, with Teejayx6 recounting a story of stealing Xboxes and TVs from a local Walmart, which he has scammed over 50 times. By the time Teejayx6 succeeds in tricking the cashier and making off with his haul of goods, you realize that you were invested in a story about Walmart theft for three minutes. His unconventional flow and almost self-incriminating level of detail is oddly captivating to a wide audience. His campaign to promote scamming has been successful, going so far as to hold a “scammer convention” in Manhattan to teach dozens of inexperienced scammers lessons in fraud. Teejayx6’s rise in popularity is a lesson in building a brand in the Internet age. His distinctive style has garnered him notoriety on social media, despite his nonexistent presence on mainstream music charts. He has built an online reputation as the embodiment of black AF1s, a title that has only been bolstered by coverage from publications like The New York
Times and Pitchfork. His meteoric rise in popularity has earned him the attention of well-known people, including Metro Boomin, one of hip-hop’s most prominent producers. Amidst his growing success, Teejayx6 maintains his authenticity, a rare occurence in an era where some artists throw away their original style for mass appeal. Teejayx6 will always be a scammer, and that won’t change no matter how popular he gets or how close he is to getting caught by the FBI. His latest project “Black Air Force Activity 1” (2019) is his most artistically ambitious effort yet, where he puts his scam rap to the test with a greater variety of beats and flows, including a handful of more rhythmic tracks. He plans to release his next project “Fraud Bible” sometime in 2020, which he claims will be filled with scamming methods that anybody can use. With payment services like Apple Pay and Cash App growing in popularity, digital monetary transactions are quickly becoming the norm, so scam rap may very well become a defining sound for the age of digital crime. If it does, Teejayx6 will definitely be there to lead it.
Donald Glover, Jack of All Trades vast discography has made Gambino well known and backed by a large fanbase. Glover nudged his way into the music world with a 2002 mixtape titled “The Younger I Get,” though he later informally repudiated the project, considering it misrepresentative of him as an artist. (Other mixtapes included a Sufjan Stevens remix album, an instrumental album, and the “New Year’s Eve Extravaganza Mix,” which absolutely slaps.) Glover released all of these projects not under the name “Childish Gambino,” but “McDJ,” another alias. Yes, he also used to DJ (at least in some capacity). The name “Childish Gambino” became his official musical alias with the release of the 2008 12-track mixtape “Sick Boi.” Glover released his first EP as Gambino, fittingly titled “EP” in 2011. Later that year, Glover put out his first studio album, “Camp,” and in 2013, he released “Because the Internet,” featuring the RIAA Platinum certified “3005.” He re-
leased the “EP Kuai” in 2014, and in 2016, he released the album “Awaken, My Love,” which was heavily influenced by psychedelic funk rock. Ludwig Göransson, Glover’s producer on the Gambino projects, specifically cited Funkadelics as an impactful force throughout the album’s produc-
to be a contender in other musical genres. The album itself was nominated for the Album of the Year and Best Contemporary Album at the 59th Grammy Awards. However, Glover didn’t land a number one single until his 2018 hit, “This is America,” which, along with its music video, served as a commen-
As the creator of the show, he not only starred in ‘Atlanta,’ but wrote, executive produced, and sometimes directed it. tion. “Awaken, My Love” was a definitive step away from the rapping that had characterized most of his mixtapes, but produced Gambino’s most successful single: “Redbone.” Boasting a quintuple RIAA Platinum certification and numerous other accolades, it proved Glover
tary on gun violence and—you guessed it—the turbulent state of America. At the 61st Grammy Awards, the song won Record of the Year, Best Music Video, Best Rap/Sung Performance, and Song of the Year. Backtrack a few years to 2015,
and Glover had returned to acting, this time on the big screen. He had roles in “The Lazarus Effect,” “Magic Mike XXL,” and “The Martian.” The FX television series “Atlanta” premiered in 2016, further boosting Glover’s Hollywood credibility. As the creator of the show, he not only starred in “Atlanta,” but also wrote, executive produced, and sometimes directed it. He was recognized by the Primetime Emmy Awards for his performance on-screen with the award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series and for his directing with Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series (both in 2017). 2018 saw the induction of Glover into the Star Wars universe as he filled the shoes of Billy Dee Williams, portraying Lando Calrissian in “Solo: A Star Wars Story.” Amid mixed reviews of the movie, Glover’s performance emerged unscathed, generally commended continued on page 18
The Spectator ● January 29, 2020
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Arts and Entertainment Literature By MAY HATHAWAY There’s nothing more enticing than a mystery. The prospect of a sudden and intentional death is terrifying, yet incredibly intriguing, stimulating the creation of media such as literature. From Agatha Christie’s murder mystery novels in the 1900s to Netflix’s “Making a Murderer,” stories of murders and restoring justice have captivated a wide audience. As true crime media continues to develop, our relationship with narratives of crime has grown and changed in tandem. Crime tends to be maledominated genre in fiction media. For example, “Law and Order” and “Criminal Minds,” two wildly popular television shows, were both created by men. However, crime podcasts are often created by women and focus on true crime, a genre that covers horrifying instances of violence. The podcast “My Favorite Murder” was created by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark in 2016, and it has reached overwhelming popularity. The two are prolific, releasing at least an hour’s worth of footage per week. Instead of narrating the crime, they often give a summary of the crime from that episode and then informally discuss it, intimately connecting with the audience. Over the years, the podcast has developed a niche culture rife with inside jokes that may seem out-of-place, given the gory subject matter. As women, they know that they don’t need to make up stories about crime to be terrifying—the real world is scary enough. The fans of “My Favorite Murder” are mostly women,
Television By JENNIFER SUN “hello you...” These are the first words Joe Goldberg says after meeting Love Quinn, his fellow coworker. But the audience already knows from season one that she’s his next victim. While most revenge/thriller TV shows trail off after their first season, the second season of “YOU” is just as captivating as the first. Our protagonist Joe (Penn Badgley) isn’t Joe anymore; he now goes by the pseudonym “Will.” He’s a mysterious guy new to L.A. with no social media who is attempting to get a fresh start, this time with a pessimistic outlook on love. That is, until he meets a confident, tragically widowed woman ironically named Love (Victoria Pedretti). While Will still mourns Beck (his ex-girlfriend from season one), he immediately becomes captivated by Love. He becomes infatuated with her, similar to how he did with Beck, and the first few episodes of season two mirror those of the first season. Joe creepily becomes closer to Love and becomes threatened by her relationships with her friends and family. But season two differs when it uses the stereotypical privileged L.A. culture as a plot device and goes more in-depth with side storylines. While season one Joe was
Women and True Crime Media which is hardly a coincidence. Kilgariff and Hardstark’s understanding that young women are afraid wherever they go is nuanced and received little attention prior to the rise of podcasts. In this sense, they are creating a new type of true crime: a casual by-women-for-women conversation, as opposed to Netflix’s formulaic documentaries. Though there’s a certain value to the camraderie that podcasts like “My Favorite Murder” breed, it can also beget a harmful culture of victimization. Women grow up in a world that teaches them to be scared. True crime media serves as a constant reminder that murderers, rapists, and serial killers are everywhere, and young women are a frequent target. It’s no surprise that young women are the most voracious consumers of these podcasts when they open up conversations about this fear that is both highly irrational but intrinsic to survival, two contradicting points. Though the statistical chances of being a victim of a gruesome crime are low, an awareness of this violence keeps women vigilant. And though the podcasts stimulate these important conversations, they also counterproductively perpetuate fear by releasing episodes every week. When they continue to discuss gruesome crimes with an audience while throwing in jokes about how to avoid being murdered, they ensure that listeners return next week. The narratives of “My Favorite Murder” serve as a constant reminder of how dangerous the world can be, and its message prolongs unnecessary fear.
“Serial,” however, is an exception to the rule; though it’s a true crime podcast, the creator Sarah Koenig is more focused on presenting objective information. The first season focuses on the murder of a teenage girl in Baltimore, a common scenario for a true crime story. Instead of discussing the victim like Kilgariff and Hardstark do, Koenig treats her podcast like an investigation by looking for evidence, witnesses, and experts to paint a more cohesive picture. Though this fascinating podcast touches on the gender dynamics present in true crime media, it’s journalistic and clinical. The compelling narrative Koenig weaves outweighs the charm of her personal anecdotes, and her fanbase focuses more on the drama of her investigations rather than Koenig herself. Her talent lies not in how she connects with her audience, but rather her skillful storytelling.
poet who grew her fan base from YouTube videos of her slam poetry, recently released “Life of the Party,” a collection of poetry about women and true crime, in August 2019. Her poems pull from her own life, such as a field trip she took in first grade, but they also speak to this universal fear of crime. Her skillful language creates the same emotional connection as in “My Favorite Murder,” though her poems are less consumer-driven. More importantly, she proposes a future where this fear is obsolete and empowers her readers to create this world. Gatwood teaches us how to transform fear into a productive motivation. In a few of her poems, she references being sexually harassed by her boss while working at a bakery at age 15. She and other workers reported the case to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and eventually reached a settle-
As women, they know that they don’t need to make up stories about crime to be terrifying—the real world is scary enough. Koenig’s success demonstrates how we can dissect this universal female fear of crime without turning it into a commodity, but podcasts in general have done little to transform this fear from a hindrance into an asset. In this regard, poetry is a more powerful medium in effecting change. Olivia Gatwood, a
ment with the bakery. Though litigation is not always the practical alternative, Gatwood’s actions serve as an example of how to wield power in a world that often renders women powerless. Poetry is less popular and lucrative than podcasts, but it conveys a powerful emotional message. Kilgariff and Hardstark
make a huge profit from their podcast—they’ve recently released a book, and they also make a good deal of income through their streams. Gatwood’s poetry, on the other hand, is only accessible through YouTube, and her book is not well-known. Gatwood’s poetry doesn’t cater to the mass appeal, and her writing is more heartfelt and honest. Additionally, while podcasts are more casual and factual, poetry utilizes figurative language to invoke an emotional response, rarely relying on facts to give it appeal. Indeed, Gatwood’s poems that take quotes from newspapers regarding true crime in her area are far less effective than her ruminations on her childhood and how her body image is shaped by both her gender and her fear of men. But true crime narratives don’t need to rely on journalism to get their point across. The universal female fear is not driven by the gruesome details of each serial killer’s elaborate schemes, but rather by the mere presence of these stories and knowing that women can be killed anywhere compounds this fear. The engrossing narratives of true crime examine gender roles through a variety of media. While podcasts have played an important role in opening up the conversation about how women interact with true crime, poetry seems to be a more productive medium for creating any sort of change. This exploration of the perpetual fear that women are taught to have raises difficult questions, and neither podcasts nor poems have fully answered them. To this end, women can only continue to weaponize their fear.
A Season ‘YOU’ Won’t Forget mainly preoccupied with stalking Beck, Joe now has to juggle exposing a celebrity, babysitting Love’s temperamental twin brother, and escaping his ex who is hell-bent on exposing him—all while dating Love, which is quite a task list, even for him. The main setback for season one, which season two fixes, was Beck’s lack of personality. Beck was indecisive, insecure, and codependent on her friends for emotional and career support.
like a character from a young adult novel created to be a blank slate for readers to project themselves onto. However, Love is the complete opposite; she’s bold and initially pursues Joe (her mistake), which Beck never would have had the guts to do. Love also basically raised and protected her twin brother from a young age and was already married and widowed before she met Joe, so her character is immediately more fleshed out than Beck’s.
Watching Beck’s scenes became tiresome after it was apparent she had no depth as a character. She was never really in control over her own fate and seemed more
While this season succeeds in being bingeable and interesting, its shortcoming is its predictability. The Will/Love storyline plays out almost exactly like the Joe/
Michele Yi/ The Spectator
Beck one with the exception of the major plot twist ending. The people most important to Love’s life are pushed out of the picture the same way Beck’s friends were in season one. Even Joe’s behavior and habits stay the same, despite his attempt to start fresh and leave his murderous tendencies in the past. The fact that Joe never learns from his mistakes makes “YOU” a bit repetitive, especially if this persists into possible later seasons. Badgley’s portrayal of Joe is eerily similar to his role as Dan Humphrey in “Gossip Girl.” Both Joe and Humphrey are loners who become obsessed with an unsuspecting girl, only for her to later realize that Joe/ Dan was actually a creepy stalker all along. But their most prominent resemblance is that in the process of hurting their loved ones, both truly believe that they’re the good guys. And both “Gossip Girl” and “YOU” succeed in making us root for Dan and Joe despite their despicable deeds. However, some fans of “YOU” have openly expressed their love for Joe, describing him as attractive and misunderstood. This is mind-boggling, especially because it seems that Badgley just has a talent for playing characters that viewers end up loving, while a rational person would him find stalkerlike and creepy. Humphrey from “Gossip Girl” was one of my
least favorite characters, especially because (spoiler alert) he was Gossip Girl, but somehow I still ended up rooting for him. But fans of “YOU” take it too far, since Joe (or Will, who knows) is literally a dangerous psychopath willing to do anything and everything to protect what he sees as love. As the show progresses, viewers gradually see how Joe genuinely believes in his own lies. In both seasons, Joe’s justification for his actions eventually convinces viewers into seeing his point of view, and his charming and benign demeanor tricks us into rooting for him, up until the second he bashes someone else’s head in. Season two succeeds in being just as good as season one, especially because of the ending and the possibilities it brings for season three. But if “YOU” wants to have multiple seasons without becoming repetitive, it needs more plot changes other than just different set locations. The lesson from seasons one and two seems to be that Joe just never learns, and though that’s part of the charm of “YOU,” it would be nice if the scriptwriters could return to reality for one second and plausibly explain why the Quinns never found out about Joe’s past with all their resources or what happened with the private investigators Peach’s family hired after her suspicious death. But then again, watching Joe miraculously conjure solutions out of thin air when he’s sure to be exposed is almost just as enjoyable.
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The Spectator ● January 29, 2020
Arts and Entertainment Music By ANSON GUAN Bruno Mars won the Grammy for Album of the Year on January 28, 2018, and the Internet was furious. Interestingly enough though, most of the hate wasn’t directed toward Mars, but rather toward what his award represented. To detractors, Mars’s victory was only the most recent entry in the Grammy Awards’s long history of failures, and for many, it was the last straw. The Grammys are awards given out annually by the Recording Academy to, supposedly, celebrate achievements in the music industry. A televised ceremony is broadcast live, with the award dealing mixed in with star-studded performances. The awards used to be seen as the most prestigious honor a musician could receive, and as the music industry continued to push the Grammys as an important event, it soon earned the title of “music’s biggest night.” In the past few years however, that weighty reputation has been slowly fading away. The 60th Annual Grammy Awards, where Bruno Mars won Album of the Year, had a viewership of 19.8 million viewers, the lowest number the ceremony has received in a decade. This year’s ceremony received 19.9 million viewers: slightly better, but far from the Awards’s peak in the ‘80s when the 26th Annual Grammy Awards in 1984 received 51.7 million viewers. In addition to weak ratings, the Grammys have also come under fire from both fans and artists. Some of the biggest
Television By KENISHA MAHAJAN Political comedies are a defining characteristic of American television, but the television scene is already saturated with shows such as “The Daily Show,” “The Late Show,” and “Real Time with Bill Maher.” Often, it feels like every show is another version of the previous one. However, “Patriot Act” brings something new to the table. This weekly Netflix special is hosted by comedian Hasan Minhaj, whose name you may recognize from “The Daily Show.” Each week, Minhaj covers a different topic ranging from Amazon to cruises to retirement. Minhaj attempts to educate his audience on issues that are easily overlooked, but this does not mean the show does not cover more relevant topics. Several episodes cover events relevant to the current political landscape, such as President Donald Trump’s policies, climate change, the policing system, and drug pricing and regulation. Hiphop music, student loans, and public transportation are some of the topics Minhaj discusses that directly speak to us as high schoolers. The immediate reason this show stands out is its set up. Unlike the typical talk show, the set up
Thinkpiece continued from page 17
by critics. In a disappointed review, The Washington Post’s Ann Hornaday only gave the movie two
Why No One Cares About the Grammys Anymore names in music have openly critiIt also represents the Gramcized the awards, with even more mys’s lack of respect for hip hop. artists turning down invitations to Both Lamar’s “DAMN.” and JAYattend the ceremony. With all that Z’s “4:44” (2017) were among the in mind, it seems like the Gram- year’s most critically-acclaimed almys have been on a major decline bums and were released by two of in cultural relevance. How did the the most important figures in hip event that bills itself as “music’s hop. If either album won Albiggest night” have such a fall bum of the Year, it would have from grace? honored the cultural impact Simply put, the Gramof one of the most defining mys don’t represent the musical movements of our modern culture of music, time. But as it stands, no hip at least in their current hop album has won Alform. The awards have bum of the Year since struggled to maintain 2010. When you retheir importance due to alize that hip hop is their lack of adaptation the most popular to our shifting culture. music genre in the The 60th Annual GramUnited States, you my Awards was the also ultimate symbol of this failure. Br uno Mars’s realwini z e r ning album, The Spectato how little mily) Tan / Qiao Ying (E “24K Magic” the Gram(2016), is a record that was mys care about reflecting modern massively successful, having been culture. certified 3x platinum, yet relatively The Grammys are no longer safe and unambitious. The album’s tastemakers in 2019. Living in the win over projects from Kendrick Information Age, it seems almost Lamar, JAY-Z, Lorde, and Child- absurd that the Album of the Year ish Gambino validates one of the could be dictated by a small, insumajor criticisms of the Grammys: lar pool of voters from the muoverlooking artistic achievement in sic industry when streaming and favor of commercial viability. Each video services enable listeners to of these albums had a level of cul- indulge in whatever music they detural impact and critical acclaim sire. The safest, most boring picks that “24K Magic” just didn’t have, aren’t going to cut it anymore, but the win went to the safest, least and that overreliance on familiarimpactful album. It stands as a tes- ity has been the cause of much of tament to why the Grammys are the backlash against the Grammys. losing relevance. Even the artists the awards claim
to celebrate have criticized them. Artists like Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, and Kanye West have expressed displeasure with the awards in recent years. On the track “APESH*T” (2018), JAY-Z raps “Tell the Grammys [EXPLETIVE] that oh for eight [EXPLETIVE],” referring to his eight nominations with no wins at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards. Even Drake, arguably the biggest name in music, has pushed back against the awards, saying in his acceptance speech for Best Rap Song at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards, “This is a business where sometimes it’s up to a bunch of people that might not understand what a mixed race kid from Canada has to say, or a fly Spanish girl from New York, or a brother from Houston.” But perhaps Frank Ocean said it best: “That institution certainly has nostalgic importance. It just doesn’t seem to be representing very well for people who come from where I come from and hold down what I hold down.” If the Grammys don’t represent modern culture and if they don’t acknowledge some of the most impactful music of our time, then they become a relic of the past. Besides, watching the entire three-hour ceremony seems like a waste of time when we have the ability to read the results and watch the performances we care about at our fingertips. If the Grammys can’t adapt to the times and celebrate the music that’s pushing our culture forward, then don’t be surprised as their relevance continues to fade.
Playlist Uoy Ssim By THE ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT DEPARTMENT When you miss someone and are too embarrassed to admit it, hide in the attic and listen to these songs. Follow A&E on Spotify: “spotify:user:spec.ae”
“Just how I love you” Tyler Burkhart Alternative “Here, There and Everywhere” The Beatles Classic Rock “It’s Too Late” Carole King Rock “I Miss You” Clean Bandit feat. Julia Michaels Dance/Electronic “Phone Numbers” Dominic Fike Indie Rap “Untitled” Rex Orange County Indie Pop “The Hill” Marketa Irglova Musical Theater
“Patriot Act”: A MuchNeeded Perspective
of “Patriot Act” is very engaging; instead of sitting behind a desk, Minhaj does the show in a “PowerPoint presentation-style.” The background and stage of the set are filled with graphics and data that not only enhance Minhaj’s speaking, but also provide the audience with context and visuals, making “Patriot Act” a true form of “infotainment.” Minhaj breaks down each episode’s topic and makes it more comprehensible for the viewer. In each episode, he offers a deep analysis of the issue at hand and looks at it from several perspectives. Minhaj’s style of presenting information is very different, offering viewers a breath of fresh air. Minhaj presents the topics in a more objective way, instead of exaggerating or downplaying certain facts. In his episode titled “Fentanyl,” Minhaj explains the different sides of the topic so that his audience can understand its magnitude. In addition, unlike mainstream news, Minhaj discusses not only the issue at hand, but also how it relates to other issues as well. Minhaj’s sense of humor and stage presence is the focal point of “Patriot Act.” Unlike other talk show hosts, Minhaj often paces back and forth across the stage and
accents his jokes and punchlines with extravagant gestures. Minhaj’s sense of humor is quite universal as well. Most of his jokes are satirical, like the majority of political comedy shows, but the vehicle he uses for these jokes is what makes them stand out; Minhaj often references and draws parallels to pop culture with jokes about “the drip” and “Ray Donovan.” He also weaves his personal experiences into the show, making his jokes more relatable and engaging. He frequently discusses his experiences growing up—particularly from his teenage years—and touches on topics such as the SATs or part-time jobs. Minhaj makes jokes with cultural specificity, yet finds a way to make them accessible to the masses. For example, he makes a joke about a prevalent item in Indian culture called a “lota,” but makes it understandable to the rest of his viewers by calling it a “manual bidet.” He also uses witty humor to convey his ideas to his audience in a more lighthearted way—which is necessary, especially when discussing heavy topics. The episodes often feature interviews and guest appearances, ranging from sneaker experts to candidates from the 2020 elections. Minhaj’s distinct voice and ability to engage his audience make watching “Pa-
triot Act” much more enjoyable. At face value, “Patriot Act” is simply a different iteration on a political comedy, but unlike other shows, Minhaj connects with his audience and focuses on morality. In addition to educating the viewer, Minhaj teaches them how to be a more conscious person. Every episode informs us about not only the issue at hand, but also the role that we play in it and the changes we can make. In the most recent release “How America is Causing Global Obesity,” Minhaj spends the entire last portion of the episode teaching his audience about focusing on issues that are important to them. He stresses that we must not keep track of every issue in the world, making the analogy of “closing tabs” in our brains. His consistent emphasis on the viewers and their personal lives is indicative of a sense of authenticity that many other shows lack. One of the greatest appeals of “Patriot Act” is the unique perspective offered by Minhaj. Being a Muslim Indian-American, Minhaj speaks to a lot of us with his personal anecdotes. Having grown up in California with strict parents, caught in between two cultures, as well as being a first-generation American, Minhaj is a necessary
“Let Her Go” Passenger Indie Pop “The Meetings of the Waters” Fionn Regan Folk “Bags” Clairo Indie “I don’t wanna waste my time” Joji R&B
voice. Growing up, Minhaj did not see people who looked like him on television, and he often faced various forms of discrimination throughout his life (most notably high school), making representation in the industry a high priority for him. His content fills a void in television and relates to viewers from a similar background. Minhaj’s distinct point of view allows him to cover issues in a way that others cannot, enriching the talk show scene. Boiled down, “Patriot Act” isn’t a show about affirmative action or immigration enforcement; it is about exploring an underrepresented point of view.
Donald Glover, Jack of All Trades stars, but described Glover as being “perfectly cast” for the role of Lando. One year later, Glover voice acted as cinema’s favorite lion cub, Simba, in Jon Favreau’s “The Lion King.”
As he bounces back and forth between music, film, and more, Glover has time and time again proven himself a jack of all trades. He refuses to go down as a onetrick pony, and he certainly has
talent enough to support himself in this pursuit. There’s no telling where Glover proceeds from here, but I guarantee that he will create remarkable art while defying all expectations. He will continue
to experiment, and loyal fans will be there to support him throughout his artistic journey. Glover is an inspiration to all those whose ambitions are too vast for the wellbeaten paths.
The Spectator ● January 30, 2020
Page 17
Humor These articles are works of fiction. All quotes are libel and slander.
Valentine’s Day Sweethearts for Hire
By AARON WANG and KELLY YIP
that you can make the best purchase for yourself.
It’s that time of the year again! Love is in the air, and so are flies, the influenza virus, and the pheromones of sweaty adolescents all hoping to shoot their shots. Unfortunately, Valentine’s Day is a nonexistent holiday here at Stuyvesant High School, even with the sale of overpriced flowers and chocolates circulating through the school. Most, if not all, students here have nonexistent social interaction skills and even more nonexistent flirting skills. (In fact, they can’t even be considered real anymore. Only imaginary.) However, this year, Principal Eric Contreras is hoping to shatter this stigma at Stuyvesant by administering the “Sweetheart Initiative.” “[Stuyvesant students] are, without a doubt, incredibly intelligent and high-achieving students,” Contreras explained. “But when it comes to social skills, they’re about as smooth as a chicken nugget.” Assistant Principal of Security, Health, and Physical Education Brian Moran provided an example, stating, “Just the other day, I had a sophomore sent to the dean’s office because his pick-up line was so terrible that it was comparable to some cruel and unusual form of sexual harassment.” The new Sweetheart Initiative seeks to help educate and build the romantic confidence of students by offering literal Sweethearts for hire. “I often see and hear about romantic busts from my students,” an anonymous guidance counselor stated. “It’s terribly tragic how these fake, toxic relationships form, and even more pathetic how these teenagers can go on failing AP courses but immediately succumb when rejected by someone with whom they had only made eye contact for two seconds.” However, with the Sweetheart Initiative, students won’t have to worry about unfaithful partners, as their Sweethearts are paid to show affection and love. But before you purchase it, it is critical that you are aware that the Sweetheart Initiative comes in packages of various romantic intensities. It’s recommended that you catch yourself up on the deals that are broken down below so
The “Wink-Wink” Package Contreras clearly knows that Stuyvesant students are very, very desperate for any sort of romantic interaction (as made clear by the weird-ass posts on Stuyvesant Confessions). Thus, he created the “Wink-Wink” package. This package will help introduce basic social skills to helpless students. For only five bucks per week, a client’s Sweetheart will engage in the most minimal of social interactions and will maintain a short distance so as not to threaten the sacred “bodyspace bubble.” Such interactions will include a wave or a head nod to them in the hallways, giving stu-
By LOGAN RUZZIER As the world stumbles into the Rawring ‘20s, and talks of the next world war, some plagues, and global warming all spring up in pop culture, many people shudder to think of what the world has in store for us. Well, worry no more, for I, the self-proclaimed futurist, can confidently say the upcoming 10 years have something good for all of us. The next decade will be notable for the solutions to many pressing issues. The most important one will occur in the mid-tolate twenties. A shrewd college student, who may be working in his garage as you read this, will release a new prototype zipper that does
their social skills and develop the precursor skills needed to get friendzoned (which is one of the basic skills needed for an upgrade into some rOmaNce).
The “Hug Me” Package The “Hug Me” package involves the upgrade of physical interaction (only to a minimal romantic degree, however) and is perfect for students who have had minimal romantic interactions. For only $16.90 a week, a client gets all of the aforementioned perks with the addition of several physical gestures. These gestures might be, but are not limited to, high fives, fist bumps,
ent’s Sweetheart engage in the art of flirtation. For $69.69 a week, your chosen Sweetheart will have all the perks included in the previous packages as well as flirt with you. These flirtatious phrases will include some sayings commonly found on the heart candies that students often buy and read to themselves to give themselves some sort of consolation. Here, though, these phrases will carry a much greater significance since someone else, rather than a paper card or candy heart, is conveying the message to the lonely students. All these phrases will be said completely out of context. Scenarios
may i n clude
dents an immense amount of satisfaction that someone actually acknowledges their existence. Through this package, students will be able to train themselves to gain enough confidence to wave back or initiate one themselves, which is a basic strategy to obtaining the item desired: a friend. The “BFF” Package One of the most basic packages, the “BFF” package, is perfect for students who are lonely but not yet ready for romantic interactions. For just $6.90 a week, clients can have their Sweethearts greet them (by name for an additional 69 cents) in the hallways and walk with them to their classes between periods. There will be no physical interactions permitted, but the Sweethearts will giggle at all their jokes, listen intently to all their sorrows, and blush on command when they look at them. This package is recommended for students who are seeking to improve
brop a t s, and the classic hand shake. For an additional $6.90, custom handshakes can be created. Also, a hug is obviously included. Because most students get little to no physical interaction at all, this package will teach students how to return a high five, an essential skill needed for more flirtatious endeavors. Perhaps a student may also gain enough confidence to initiate these actions with others, but one can only hope for such a blessed outcome. This package is recommended for students who have adequate social skills but little to no romantic skills and will be perfect training for developing the basic but essential skills of dating. The “Kiss Me” Package The ”Kiss Me” package includes the upgrade of having a cli-
but a r e n o t limited to, “Let’s Anita Wu / The Spectator Get Busy” with a wink or wiggly eyebrows (for an extra $4.20) in the general direction of the Hudson stairwell, “MY BABY” randomly screamed out in the middle of a crowded hallway, or even “REACH 4 IT” accompanied by a loud moan (for an extra cost of $6.90). An additional physical interaction of kissing will also be included. Spicy indeed! Students are guaranteed to get a euphoric sensation from the rush of heightened self-esteem from these two- or three-word phrases. This is truly pathetic, but students will be filled with so much confidence afterward that they will be able to handle such straightforward announcements of love and will be trained to initiate these actions with any victims of their choosing. This package is recommended for people who have
100 Percent Accurate ‘20s Predictions
not get caught on the material directly adjacent to the teeth. This ingenious invention is expected to increase educational time in grammar schools by upwards of 30 percent, decrease the rate of divorce by 14 percent, and halve the global homicide rate. Other noteworthy accomplishments will be sustainable nuclear fusion energy and quantum computing, but their impacts on people’s day-today lives are not expected to be as significant as the mighty new zipper. The most interesting phenomenon to occur in the upcoming years will be the transition of millennials from their twenties and thirties to their thirties and forties. Since millennials’ entire existence
depends on ragging on the older portion of the population and calling them “boomers,” we will witness them undergo an identity crisis once they recognize that they have become the boomers. Having no other distinguishing characteristics to fall back upon, they will either awkwardly force themselves into zoomer trends, like actually contributing to society, or accept the hideous transformation they’ve undergone and begin leaving the news running on TV while they work in another room. Global warming will be solved, eventually. The next POTUS, who will come into office in either 2020 or 2024, will promise political action toward the issue in
his or her campaign, but will inevitably disappoint everyone by not being Barack Obama. As fossil fuels continually rise in price due to shortening supply, the world will likely switch back to whale oil as the prime source of energy, seeing as it is far more efficient than other options since it does not produce smoke when burned. On a more local level, the New York City transit system is going to be revamped. Bill de Blasio will gradually replace every road with a bike path just to prove that there isn’t anybody in New York who can stop him. The subway will be filled up with concrete by city officials after the homeless finish colonizing it and ruining it for everyone else. Sorry, railfans, but
enough confidence for small physical interactions, but not enough to maintain flirtatious interactions. The “Me & You” Package The “Me & You” package is the most romantically-involved experience out of all the other packages and is perfect for students finally seeking something more iNteNSe. For $6,969, clients can have their Sweethearts move into their homes. This simulates the most romantic experience individuals will ever have in their lives, that is, sharing a life with a soulmate. This will involve all the aforementioned perks and the addition of certain daily rituals, such as sharing drinks from the same straw (with this exchange of saliva and bacteria, students will finally reach the level of intimacy most will never be able to achieve), sleeping next to each other on the subway, walking to and from school together, feeding each other lunch, as well as other unspecified INTIMATE household activities (once a client is at home, there is no limit to just how intimate the relationship can be; let your imagination run wild)! This package is recommended for students with long-term dating experience looking to take things a bit further and is wonderful training for more permanent relationships such as “Marriage,” which, unfortunately, isn’t a package included in the Sweetheart Initiative. “Marriage” is, however, available on platforms such as “Tinder.” Living expenses are not included in the price. Contreras’s “Sweetheart Initiative” sets high hopes for the students of Stuyvesant. “I realize we are a gifted school with gifted students,” Contreras stated. “Hopefully with this new initiative, students can be socially gifted as well and actually act like normal high school students by talking to each other for once instead of being so sad and lonely all the time.” DISCLAIMER: The Sweetheart Initiative does not claim any responsibility for future messy breakups, abnormal amounts of crying, insecurities, or cheating conflicts. The initiative is NOT in any way affiliated with prostitution and is totally NOT a grand scheme to get money from lonely high schoolers.
trains have no place in the future. New York will also be the site of the ‘20s only major war when the “casual” rivalry among people of each of the five boroughs escalates to a full-scale conflict. Staten Island will be completely reduced to rubble, at which point the property value will skyrocket. Brooklyn will obviously come out victorious. The best advice I have to Spectator readers is to: Keep consuming media and product mindlessly. Invest heavily in ZipTec™ stocks. Clear your browsing history after writing a Humor article. Let’s have a good decade, everyone!
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The Spectator ● January 29, 2020
Sports Sports Editorial
Tom Brady: The End of an Era? By ETHAN KIRSCHNER
of picks they can trade during the draft to find Tom Brady’s successor. One such prospect is Justin Herbert: a pocket passer out of Oregon who is a younger, more athletic version of Brady. However, Mel Kiper Jr., ESPN’s leading NFL Draft Analyst, predicts that another team will pick Herbert before the Patriots, since their first round pick sits late in the round at the 23rd overall selection. In addition, Belichick has a reputation of finding amazing hidden quarterbacks in later rounds of the draft. For example, Jimmy Garoppolo, now the starting quarterback for the Super Bowl contending 49ers, was drafted in the second round by Belichick. Another example is Jacoby Brissett, the starting quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts and a former third round pick. He went 3-0 as the Patriots starter in his short tenure. Not to mention, Brady was picked by Belichick as the 199th overall pick in the 2000 NFL Draft. However, Tom Brady’s successor might already be in the league: former Auburn quarterback Jarrett Stidham. Some consider Stidham to have been the best high school quarterback ever. Stidham holds the record for most touchdowns and yardage thrown in Texas High School football history. Stidham started his college career at Baylor, but quickly transferred to Auburn because the Auburn coaching staff offered him more playing time. The Patriots’ staff raves about Stidham’s throwing ability and poise in the pocket, which is particularly impressive for such a young player. The Patriots are still in a position to secure their quarterback position, either within the league or
It’s both a weird and welcoming sight for many football fans to see the later rounds of the playoffs being played without the team and player that have dominated the National Football League (NFL) over the last decade. Tom Brady and the New England Patriots were eliminated from the playoffs with a 20-13 loss to the Tennessee Titans in the Wild Card Round. Brady and his team played brilliantly throughout the whole game, but were not able to capture the victory. Brady still played fairly well, throwing over 200 yards. But the eventual game-deciding pick in the final seconds was a stain on his performance. Despite ending his 2019-2020 season with a strong record of 12-4, this was Brady’s worst season yet. After the Wild Card loss, Brady addressed questions concerning his possible retirement, stating that he “hopes to continue playing.” However, the Patriots management team was unclear about the Hall of Famer’s future with the franchise. At 42 years old, some think that Brady has finally fallen off the proverbial “cliff ” and may opt to retire. Others, including myself, think that Brady has a little more left in the tank, and more importantly, a lot left to prove. Now, his future with the Patriots is in the hands of Coach Bill Belichick. With that in mind, we will look at the potential options for Brady and the Patriots as they enter the next stage of their franchise. Option One: Tom Brady and the Patriots Part Ways The Patriots have a plethora
through free agency. However, the free agency route is unlikely due to the current relatively weak quarterback market. From Brady’s perspective, it will be difficult for him to get a good deal due to his age. No matter what, he may have to settle for a one or two-year deal contingent. However, there is no doubt Brady will want to maintain his reputation as a true contender, so it is unlikely that he will join a team that does not have the potential to sup-
offensive mastermind behind the Bears’ offensive success, may want to bring in a veteran quarterback who knows how to win. There is no one better for that job than Brady. 2) Denver Broncos We have already seen John Elway, the general manager of the Broncos, have success with signing veteran quarterbacks. Elway signed Peyton Manning in 2012, which was pivotal to
Now, his future with the Patriots is in the hands of Coach Bill Belichick.
port his abilities. Here are two teams that would make sense for Brady to consider: 1) Chicago Bears With a stellar defense, the Bears are contenders in the league. However, the Bears lack a strong quarterback, and that may be the difference that allows them to win a Super Bowl. Two years ago, Chicago used their first overall pick to get quarterback Mitch Trubisky from the University of North Carolina. But Trubisky struggled this year, so some speculate that the Bears will opt to move on from him rather quickly. With a short window left to win, Matt Nagy, the
the Broncos’ Super Bowl victory in 2016. Elway may look to follow a similar strategy to lead Denver to another Super Bowl. However, signing Brady would hinder youngster Drew Lock’s ability to grow as the team’s main quarterback. Denver used a valuable second round pick to get Lock in the second round of the 2018 draft and may want to give him a shot to lead the team with a half of a season’s worth of experience under his belt. Option 2: Patriots Sign Brady to a Short-Term Deal The more likely scenario is that the Patriots will sign Brady
to a short-term deal. Given his age, a long-term deal would be nearly impossible. In addition, his age and performance may suggest an incentive based deal: he will earn a certain amount of money each season based on his performance. In terms of time, I predict that the Patriots’ management staff will guarantee Brady one year and then offer a team-option the second year. Given the emotional connection the Patriots have to Brady, the fans will want to see him return. The organization has also experienced unparalleled success with Brady at the helm of the team and may feel optimistic that he has at least one more successful season left. My Opinion Brady should only continue playing in the NFL if he gets a deal with the Patriots. Logistically, his family and kids have grown up in Boston, making it difficult to move his family for an experiment. Furthermore, he should be able to enjoy the fruits of his labor, especially after such an illustrious career. From the Patriots’ perspective, I think that they should give Brady a one-year deal. Stidham may need at least one more year to mature with the Patriots’ offensive system. Brady is not the reason why the Patriots struggled early in the playoffs. With an elite defense and skilled running backs, tight ends, and wide receivers, he deserves another opportunity to make another Super Bowl run. The Patriots may want to set the precedent of taking care of their players, which would incentive new stars to want to play for the winningest franchise of the decade.
Boys’ Swimming
Pirates Roll Toward Another Successful Season Same old, same old. Warm up in the pool with a couple laps, walk out of the locker room in tight speedos and swim caps, huddle together for the pregame hype ritual, and finally dive right into the swim meet. This is the Pirates pregame ritual. On Tuesday, January 14, the boys’ varsity swim team competed against Roosevelt Educational Campus at the Stuyvesant pool. However, it was hardly a competition. The Pirates sauntered in with a jubilant and relaxed mood, as illustrated by the fact that some of the swimmers were messing around during warm ups and experimenting with new events for fun. Despite this lack of seriousness, the Pirates practically lapped the opposing team in every event during the meet. Even before the first event started, the Roosevelt swimmers had faces of defeat. In the end, the Pirates rolled over the Bears in a 51-33 win, placing first in every category in the meet. This win was a continuation of the Pirates’s continued dominance: they have now won all seven of their meets so far this season. This
streak has been a general trend for the past three years, as they’ve won the last three PSAL champi-
al 100-yard breastroke, with a time of one minute and 0.48 seconds. “That was our most challenging
onships in a row. The Pirates have not seen a serious opponent other than Bronx Science on January 2 where seniors Elias Ferguson, David Lupea, co-captain Kai Yamamoto, and sophomore Kai Mandelbaum qualified for the State Championship in the 200-yard medley relay. Mandelbaum also qualified for states in the individu-
meet so far, but we won,’’ senior and co-captain Sasha Camaev said. Their achievements have come at a time of major internal changes. This year, the Pirates departed from their longtime head coach Silvana Choy and opted for Biology teacher Marianne Prabhu to replace her. Prabhu was a swimmer in high school and college, and
Steven Wen / The Spectator
By DERICK FANG
with the help from the previous coaches, the transition has been smooth. “Coach Choy has been amazing. I’m always bouncing ideas off her. She even sends me friendly reminders about things I need to look out for,” Prabhu said. “There are just some things I don’t know, but I’m lucky that I have her and [Assistant Principal of Physical Education Peter] Bologna.” “The team’s spirit has been reignited now that we’re almost into playoffs, so everyone has been working hard recently,” Camaev said. “Many people have set new best times and I’m confident in how the rest of the season will go. The swim team has been the most successful team at Stuyvesant and that’s for a reason: our interconnectedness and team mentality.” The only recent setback for the team has been a virus that has spread throughout the team, causing some of their swimmers to sit out. “We have to work around that by reshuffling our relays. But then again, since we have such a big team of great swimmers, it’s not that big of a problem,” Prabhu said. Yamamato, who has placed first in every event he has participated
in, qualified for the State Championship in the 200-yard medley relay and the 100-yard butterfly. Camaev has also had great performances across the board in freestyle events. Other notable swimmers include Lupea and freshman John Zhang in the backstroke. As of now, the Pirates lead the Bronx/Manhattan 1 division with an undefeated record, followed closely by Bronx Science who lost to them on January 2. However, the Brooklyn Technical High School Engineers also lead their division with an undefeated record. Both teams have met each other in the finals for the past two years, with Stuyvesant coming out on top both times. “Our main rival Brooklyn Tech has of course been winning their meets. We’ll see them at finals soon,” Camaev said. Though every season is different from the ones before, the Pirates have consistently won, either due to the uncompetitiveness of their division or the resources that they have at hand compared to other teams. The Pirates are on a clear path to continuing this trend, and nothing seems to be in their way. It’s the same old, same old.
The Spectator ● January 29, 2020
Page 19
Sports Athlete of the Issue
How This Gymnast Has Flippin’ Fun
By AKI YAMAGUCHI
2. What are your team goals for this season? So I think that by the end of the season, I went every one to compete at least once. We’ve actually been doing a really good job at that this season. It’s been a little quicker getting the girls to try out events and make routines.
Camille Sadoff Height: 5’7” Eye color: Blue Hair color: Blonde Birthday: 06/01/2002
Anthony Sun / The Spectator
1. When did you start doing gymnastics? I did gymnastics over the summer starting from when I was two, and I would go a couple of weeks every summer when I visited my grandma in Washington D.C. I would go to camp until sixth to seventh grade. In 10th grade, I picked it up again here at high school.
3. Are there any skills you want to improve on for yourself, what’s your strongest event? My strongest event is the beam. It’s what I’ve been doing since I joined the team. Right now, I’m working on my cartwheel on the beam and my front tuck dismount. The front tuck I had last year and then at our final—I had a sort of unfortunate incident so I was off of it for a little while, but I’m trying to get back on it now. 4. Are there any challenges the team faced this year? We lost our captain Lee Ann [Rushlow, 19’], who was one of our strongest gymnasts; it was a big hit. This year, we’ve had a lot of injuries from our strongest members, which has really hurt us, and so a lot of the new members have had to step it up for the team. 5. How do you deal with schoolwork and gymnastics?
Any tips?
It can be pretty hard especially since gymnastics is a winter sport so it gets dark really early. It’s a disincentivizing thing when you get home and have to do your work. I wake up in the morning to do my work
I’d say that before it was more about having fun and I didn’t really care whether we won or not. It seemed a little more like an individual sport because it’s not a team sport. This year I think my outlook has definitely changed because I really want everyone to succeed
“This year I think my outlook has definitely changed because I really want everyone to succeed and I feel like I have more of a responsibility over everyone, so the sense of a team has really come together for me.” —Camille Sadoff, senior and captain
a lot because when I get home, I’m really exhausted so I take a shower and go to sleep. Waking up to do my work is a lot easier for me. 6. How has the captainship changed your outlook on the game?
and I feel like I have more of a responsibility over everyone, so the sense of a team has really come together for me. 7. Favorite or funniest memory? My favorite memory would be my sophomore year at our
Saint Ann’s scrimmage because it was my first time competing and I got a ribbon. They also gave us cookies and were so kind, and there was just a lot of love and support going on that day. The funniest memory is, well, there’s a lot of dramatic falling that happens on gymnastics, but this thing didn’t happen when I was on the team. Another thing which was funny to me was during sophomore year when someone remixed the video to Fallin’ In Love the year before our captain Anna Pacheco [18’] had fallen off the bars. 8. Proudest memory so far? So last week we had a meet and it was really far away and everyone was really tired. But when we got there, we had four personal records and I was one of them, so that was really exciting. A lot of people did really well and I didn’t fall on the beam as well so that was good. Drink of Choice: >CS - Green tea ginger ale Favorite food: >CS - Pho Motto to live by: >CS - Get over yourself. Fun fact: >CS - I can’t pronounce pizza
NEW YORK MATH CIRCLE SPRING 2020 REGISTRATION WHEN: Saturdays and Sundays -REGISTRATION FEE: $345 for 10 classes! NYU COURANT LOCATION: 251 Mercer Street, NY, NY TANDON LOCATION: 6 Metrotech Center Bklyn, NY Space is limited. NEW STUDENTS ARE REQUIRED TO TAKE A PLACEMENT TEST. 2018 Feedback: "Ann attended NY Math Circle for six years starting in 7th grade. Math Circle is where Ann first developed her love of math and passion for STEM. It’s also what set her on her path to Caltech which she will be starting this fall. We, her parents, can not thank you enough for all you’ve given Ann." 9/5/18
TO REGISTER: WWW.NYMATHCIRCLE.ORG/STUDENTS
The Spectator ● January 29, 2020
Page 20
THE SPECTATOR SPORTS Sports Editorial
CALENDAR
A Closer Look at Injuries By ERIC KIM and JUSTIN LEE Game Six of the 2019 NBA Finals. Stephen Curry got a steal from Kyle Lowry. Curry started the fast break and made a quick pass to Klay Thompson. As Thompson went up for a dunk, he landed awkwardly, with one of his legs taking all the impact of the fall. He immediately grabbed his knee in pain as his teammate Curry watched him from across the court. Thompson had endured a devastating ACL tear, and he was ruled out for the remainder of the 2019 season and the first half of the 2020 NBA season. Once upon a time, tearing the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in one’s knee could be career-ending. The ACL is a finger-sized ligament that stabilizes the knee; more specifically, it connects the bottom of the femur to the top of the tibia. By doing so, it helps athletes balance and change direction on their knees, which is essential for sports such as basketball or football. However, if a player were to change direction (whether by themselves or by someone tackling them) with enough momentum, their knee could twist abnormally. This would cause the ACL to give way and tear. Tearing an ACL causes extreme pain, a “pop” sound, and internal bleeding in the knee joint. In 1975, NBA legend Billy Cunningham tore his ACL and never played again. In 1999, NFL running back Terrell Davis also tore his ACL. He had just won a Super Bowl two years prior and was at the absolute peak of his career. Following microscopic surgery in 1999, he was never the same and retired shortly after in 2002.
However, with advancements in surgery and sports medicine, recovery from an ACL tear is much more successful. Adrian Peterson is one example of this. Peterson took an aggressive approach toward recovery from his torn ACL. Typically, athletes will wait until the knee joint is completely swollen and internal bleeding stops to begin surgery, but this was not the
Advancements in these surgeries have allowed today’s athletes to recover from these injuries at unprecedented levels of success.
case for Peterson. He pursued reconstructive surgery just six days after his injury, as he replaced his torn ligament with a graft of the patellar tendon in his knee, keeping it attached with screws. This graft was a revolutionary development in the late 1980s, and it allowed athletes such as Peterson to return to the game. Peterson in particular came back better than ever, rushing for an incredible 2,097 yards, the second most in NFL history.
For his efforts, Peterson won both the Most Valuable Player and the Comeback Player of the Year awards. Like Peterson, Thompson immediately underwent ACL reconstruction surgery after his injury. In just seven months after his surgery, Thompson has been cleared for light practice on the court once more, participating in shootarounds with the Warriors. Warriors coach Steve Kerr says that “It just feels good to see him out there on the floor, and to see him feel like he’s getting closer.” With today’s advancements in medical technology, fans can expect Thompson to return by next season fully recovered and ready to lead the young Golden State Warriors team. Long ago, baseball pitchers who tore the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in their elbow feared they would never return to baseball again. However, with the advancement of Tommy John surgery, that is no longer the case. Tommy John surgery involves taking a tendon from another part of the body or a donor and replacing the original, torn UCL in the elbow. Its namesake, pitcher Tommy John, was the first to undergo it in 1974. The surgery was thought to have a onein-100 chance of being successful, but miraculously it worked, and John’s career continued. Today, Tommy John surgery has an 80 to 90 percent success rate and a recovery rate of nine to 12 months. Some MLB pitchers even report having better performance after the surgery than before. Modern medical procedures have allowed athletes across various sports and positions to return to the game, with as little downtime as possible.
september
Stuyvesant Sports:
30
thursday
Girls’ Varsity Table Tennis @ Stuyvesant @ 4:30 p.m.
30
thursday
Boys’ Varsity Swimming @ Stuyvesant @ 4:30 p.m.
By SUBHAN CHAHAL Coming out of two successful opening meets, the Greyducks, Stuyvesant’s boys’ indoor track team, hope to repeat last winter’s victory at the Borough Championships and finally earn accolades at the PSAL City Championship. Considered one of Stuyvesant’s most successful teams, the Greyducks have dominated the Manhattan Borough Championships for consecutive years. At last year’s Borough Championships, senior Harper Andrews finished first in the 300-meter dash and second in the high jump, Richard Peng (‘19) finished first in the 55-meter high hurdles, and Andrew Wargo (‘19) was victorious in the pole vault. Last season, the team impressively had seven members, including Andrews, Peng, and Wargo, qualify for the City Championship. However, the team’s successes have not come without hiccups. Senior and co-captain James Chun attributes these instabilities to the unstable coaching position. “In my time on the team, we’ve had four different coaches, some for longer periods than others,” he said. The current coach is Biology teacher Stephen McClellan, who has the team’s respect for taking up such a difficult task, but also lacks experience coaching track and field.
This constant change in the managerial position has forced “the rest of us athletes to face the task of managing the team ourselves,” Chun said. Managing the team included making workouts, scheduling meetings, and overseeing the tryouts. Essentially, the captains have been forced to devote their time to coaching younger players at the expense of their own training. This is especially difficult considering the team’s rigorous daily practice regiment. Yet the team has acquired talented underclassmen, a process that overshadowed the coaching instability. Notably, the return of sophomore and distance-runner Atticus Bacon, who earned a bronze medal at the 2019 Borough Championships in the 3200-meter race, has helped rejuvenate the distance team. On the sprinters’ side, the introduction of freshman and sprinter Ayron Thomas, who qualified for the Junior Olympics with recordbreaking sprint times for an underclassman (averaging a 36-second 300-meter dash) last year, poses an opportunity for the Greyducks to dominate sprint events in the city in the near future. Other notable mentions include junior Kevin Lu-Chua, who has “really stepped up and decided to take on nearly every field event we have: hurdles,
pole vaulting, and jumping. His dexterity and knowledge is crucial for our team’s performance as well as teaching the newbies these fields,” Chun said. These younger members have guided the team to success in the opening two meets of the season. At the PSAL Night of Sprints on December 13, 2019, the team’s first meet, Thomas placed first in the 300-meter dash. It also proved to be an effective tune-up race for many returning members, including junior Dean Carey, who finished ninth in the varsity 55-meter dash. At the PSAL Day of Relays, the team’s second meet, the Greyducks held on to claim a tight victory in the 4 x 400-meter relay, which consisted of Carey, junior Connor Ng, Thomas, and sophomore Christophe Sullivan. Though the team’s immediate goal is to win the Borough Championships, the Greyducks, rejuvenated by young potential, are aiming to pose a significant threat in the City Championships. The team has time to fine-tune and prepare before the critical latter stages of the season, including critical meets such as the Martin Luther King Games, Stanner Games, and Millrose Trials. The sky is the limit for the Greyducks, who hope to continue the legacy of athletes who have earned the Greyducks consistent finishes at the very top.
thursday
Boys’ Varsity Basketball @ Stuyvesant @ 4:30 p.m.
30
thursday
Boys’ Junior Varsity Basketball @ Bayard @ 4:30 p.m.
Boys’ Indoor Track
Greyducks Set Sights on City Championship
30
Professional Sports:
1
saturday
2
Golden State Warriors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers @ 8:00 p.m.
sunday
Super Bowl LIV: Kansas City Chiefs vs. San Francisco 49ers @ 6:30 p.m.
SPORTSBEAT • • • •
MMA Fighter Conor McGregor has returned to the UFC and defeated Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone in UFC 246 only 40 seconds into the first round by a TKO. Quique Setien, the former coach of Real Betis, has replaced Ernesto Valverde as the head coach of FC Barcelona. Coco Gauff, a 15-year old tennis phenom, defeated Venus Williams for the second time. Kobe Bryant, 5 time NBA champ and former MVP, died in a horrific helicopter crash at the age of 41.