The Spectator ● December 13, 2016
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Sports Boys’ Fencing
Girls’ Basketball
In Blowout Victory, Phoenix Jump-Start Season
Undefeated in Regular Season, Fencers Finish Third at Championships By Jared Asch and Simon Carmody The Stuyvesant boys’ fencing team, the Garden Snakes, ended its postseason bid this year after tying for third and losing the tiebreaker to Hunter College High School in the City Championships on Saturday, November 19. During the regular season, the
division, which is one of the three different types of swords used. Last year, Stuyvesant came in second place overall, only behind Brooklyn Tech. Coach Joel Winston has played a key role in the team’s success over the years. “Mr. Winston is always looking ahead to prepare his fencers for the final tournament and for the years ahead of them,”
Garden Snakes continued their undefeated streak from last year, going 10-0. The past couple years have marked a slight dip in the fencers’ dominance. They won the championship from 2006 to 2014 and came in first last year in the épée
senior and foil captain Jian Ting Gao said. As to what went wrong, senior and épée captain Lucian Wells said, “[Our fencers] faced several very unconventional fencers who made it extremely hard to score clean touches.”
Girls’ JV Volleyball
Warriors Continue Winning Ways By Simon Carmody With a 5-1 record, the Warriors, Stuyvesant’s junior varsity girls’ volleyball team, finished the season second in the division, with their only loss coming against Hunter College High School in their first game of the season. The Warriors had the opportunity to play Hunter two more times, in the Cardozo tournament and the Bayard tournament, defeating them both times. In the junior varsity league, teams look to prove themselves in tournaments, and the Warriors certainly did. They ended up finishing second in both end-
of-season tournaments, which were citywide, consisting of public and private schools. . In the last four years the Warriors never finished below 5-1, with an undefeated stint in the 2014-15 season. A lot of pressure fell onto the two captains, sophomores Victoria Gorelik and Chewon Lee, to keep the winning records coming and they responded in a big way. Gorelik led all of PSAL in kills, and was second in digs, with 15 and five respectively, and Lee was third in assists with seven. These two stepped right into their predecessors’ spots and helped the team continue its winning ways.
The team as a whole showed a high degree of dedication. “No one on our team missed more than two to three practices the entire season,” Lee said. Meeting together everyday led to a strong degree of understanding between players. With this season over and sophomores moving up to varsity, players who were on the bench this year will need to step up, but coach Howard Barbin is not worried. “[Sophomores leave the team] every year, and every year a new player steps up. I have no doubt in my mind someone will next year.” he said.
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while, on offense, the team continued its hot shooting. Lau finished the game with 20 points and three assists, Kirshenbaum with 15 points, eight rebounds, and five assists, and Archer with 12 points and 12 rebounds. Coach Vincent Miller took away many of positives from the game. “We made our jump shots, put back our shots we didn’t make […] and defensively we held them to only one point in the second half,” Miller said. “We tried a 1-3-1 defense and it looked really good,” he said, referring to a setup in which one player is at the top, three are in the middle, and one is at the rim. “The other team scored twelve against our previous defense, but this held them to just one point.” Archer believes this team is capable of sustaining the solid play. “This game was a great way to show what we’re capable of in the future. Hopefully, if everything goes as planned we can continue this momentum into the rest of the season.” Last season the team went 13-2 and ran away with a division title. Led by Alexis Kushner’s (‘16), with an average of 12 points and 11 rebounds per game, the team was impressive. This year, after losing Kushner and three other seniors, the underclassmen on the team will have to step up, but Miller believes they can provide help off the bench. “We have a lot of up-and-coming players that can pitch in and give good quality minutes,” he said. Senior and co-captain Tiffany Ng believes team chemistry will play a major role in the success of this year’s team. “The combined skills of the returning and new players are helping with the loss of the seniors,” she said. Lau believes a key factor will be confidence, and this game could set the tone for critical games later this season.“It’s the confidence
Caitlin Chao / The Spectator
“They faced several very unconventional fencers who made it extremely hard to score clean touches.” —Lucian Wells, senior and épée captain
Though it wasn’t the season that some were hoping for, it was still a successful season for the team. “Our season went extremely well. It seems to be taken for granted at this point, but maintaining 10-0 seasons for as long as this team [remembers] is extremely difficult. We go up against some of the best fencers in the country and still come out on top,” Wells said. Wells and fellow senior Lowell Weisbord led the team in touches, or hits. Despite their success this year, the Peglegs know that they will need to continue working hard to do well in their, division, which is becoming more and more competitive. “The underclassmen will need to really step up if they want a championship,” Wells said. “We only accepted four new people onto the team this year, and of those four, three started in matches and even played in playoffs. Provided everyone stays focussed and works hard in the off season, I believe they’re in good shape for next season.”
Kaitlyn Duong takes a practice shot.
where we are unafraid to be aggressive, to shoot the ball, and to drive,” Lau said. “I know these girls want it really bad and we will put in the work to continue what we’ve started.” The bench will have to play a major role if the team wants to have another deep playoff run, and it looked strong in this game. Junior Joan Ngai had three solid baskets off the bench and freshman Selene Kaehny played tight defense and recorded three rebounds and three assists before fouling out. If these players, along with the rest of the bench, are able to provide key stops and shots while the starters are resting, the team will have a very good chance of continuing its success. After an outstanding start, the Phoenix will no doubt look to continue their hot play over the next few games. With the return of sophomore Ruby Gary, currently injured, the team will become even stronger and look and to capture another division title. With an overall outstanding effort in the first game of the season, the team seems poised to maintain its dominance in the PSAL.
Race in Sports
By Ronin Berzins With the beginning of organized sports in the U.S. rooted in a time of pervasive racism, many teams possess racist names or logos, which linger as ugly relics of the past. The Washington Redskins, for example, a team in the National Football League (NFL), adopted their name in 1933, in an attempt to distinguish themselves from their baseball counterparts in Boston, who shared the same name. Over the years, they developed a large and loyal fanbase, while also facing criticism over their team name and logo, which to this day, they have not changed. The term “redskin” is thought to have originated somewhere in the 18th century. Though there is debate over its origin, popular theories state that it was created because people thought that the Native’s skin had a reddish tone, or that it was referring to the bloody scalp of a Native American. In the 18th and 19th centuries, people began using it derogatorily. Because of its of-
The Redskins’ Racism
fensive origin and derogatory use, it is widely considered a racial slur. Perhaps worse is the Redskins’ logo, which depicts a Native American with feathers and dark red skin. Though perhaps less offensive than the Cleveland Indians’ logo, which depicts “Chief Wahoo,” the Redskins’ logo also promotes stereotypes of Native Americans. Considering the low level of exposure most Americans have to Native Americans, this type of stereotyping can do real damage to people’s views of Native Americans, and contributes to the ignorance many Americans have about them. Based on the offensive nature of the Redskins logo, as well as its harmful effects, it seems clear that the Redskins should change their name. Team owner Daniel Snyder, however, has firmly opposed this. “As a lifelong Redskins fan, I think that the Redskins fans understand the great tradition and what it’s all about and what it means,” he said. Defenders of the team name have said that
the name is meant to honor Native Americans, and to give them broader recognition. They have also quoted a recent poll done by the Washington Post, which found that nine out of 10 self-identified Native Americans do not find the name offensive. However, this same poll has
been called unscientific and inaccurate by social scientists. Moreover, Native American groups have been protesting against the name for over 40 years, which further calls into question how accurate this poll was. Thus, whatever the intent of the Redskins, their
Christine Jegarl / The Spectator
name does make Native Americans feel “honored.” However, the tides are turning against Snyder and Washington’s name. Several court cases have ruled against the Redskins, and their trademark had been taken away because of its disparaging nature. Courts have ruled again and again that the name Redskins is offensive, and in 2016, the Supreme Court decided it wouldn’t take up the Redskins’ appeal on their trademark case. The Redskins have been in Washington for over 70 years, and fans have developed an emotional attachment to the name, regardless of its offensive nature. However, some things are simply bigger than the tradition of a football team’s name. What should take precedence here is the the respect for a culture that is hundred of years old, rather than the traditions of a relatively recent team in football history.