Latest UNISVERSE is now available - United Nations International

Latest UNISVERSE is now available - United Nations International

Volume XXV, No. 1
The United Nations
International School
December 2015-March 2016
UNIS-UN Marks 40 Years of Global, Student-led Conversations at UNIS
Conference participants watch a video in the General Assembly. Photo By: Yoshi Yamamoto, T3
Sarah Simon, T3
This year’s UNIS-UN conference took place from March 3 to March
4 and hosted six speakers and 700 international high school students, who all
gathered to discuss media’s influence.
This past winter, the UNIS guage teacher at UNIS Queens; and Ms. This year marked the fortieth annivercommunity was saddened to hear of Maureen Overall, former teacher in the sary of the conference and was held in
the passing of five of its former faculty Middle School. UNISVerse recognizes the name of the late Sylvia Gordon, who
and staff members: Ms. Sylvia Gor- the invaluable and long-lasting impacts
don, founder of UNIS-UN and former that these five people made on their stu- founded UNIS-UN in 1976.
On Tuesday, March 1, the interhumanities teacher; Mr. Bob Sena, for- dents and colleagues, and has dedicated mer head of security; Ms. Sharon Tan, the third page of this edition to them, national students arrived at UNIS and
former Junior School music teacher; to remember and honor their legacies.
Madame Elizabeth Hough, former lanContinued on page 3
UNIS Mourns the Passing of Beloved Members
of the Community
Gun Control
Discussions Take Place
at UNIS
Siena DeMatteo, T3
With the tragic occurrence of
more than two hundred mass killings in
the United States in the past ten years,
gun control has become a popular topic
for debate throughout the country. The
FBI defines a mass killing as an incident
that involves four or more victims, and
statistics have shown that these acts of
violence happen every two weeks in the
United States. Following mass killings
in San Bernardino, California; Sandy
Hook, Connecticut; and Aurora, Colorado, President Barack Obama has vowed
to fight gun violence. On January 5th,
Obama called upon Congress to implement new legislative measures to expand
background checks for buyers while still
upholding the Second Amendment. As a
Democrat, he has faced a considerable
amount of opposition from Republican
politicians, with Speaker of the House
Paul Ryan asserting that Obama “will
no doubt be challenged in the courts.”
As the presidential candidates
for the 2016 election are in the midst of
their campaigns, the Super Political Activism (Super PAC) club at UNIS has held
a few discussions about the candidates’
stances on gun control and the results
of recent presidential election debates.
“Super PAC started this year
with the mission of facilitating free-form
political debate among UNIS students.
The Facebook group allows for this debate to be carried on outside of school,
and now has nearly seventy members,”
explained T4 student Emmett Werbel,
the club’s president. Members of the
club have convened on a weekly basis
to discuss pressing issues such as affirmative action, Islamophobia, and cli-
mate change. During their meeting devoted to gun control on January 20th,
both sides of the argument were represented and a fruitful discussion ensued.
T1 student Matthias Heindl remarked that “we need guns to defend
ourselves” and sided with many other
students who firmly believe in the power
of the United States Constitution. The
Second Amendment states that Americans have the right to bear arms, and
this was supported by other club members who believe this right is “rational”
and “lasts forever.” Matthias commented that Americans “have a natural fear
of things being different,” which may
suggest why the government has yet
to agree on new legislative measures.
On the other hand, some Super PAC members firmly believe in the
need for more gun control. In light of
recent mass killings, T4 student Boris
Niyonzima believes that there is a need
“to ban all automatic weapons on a federal level, because people who want
to protect their homes do not need an
AR-15 to do so.” Others who share his
views believe that it is “pretty obvious”
that the United States needs to adjust
its laws on gun ownership and usage.
As mirrored in Super PAC discussions, the American people are divided on this controversial issue, with
a poll conducted by Gallup in October
2015 revealing that 55 percent of all
Americans are in favor of stricter gun
laws. This division is also clearly seen
among the 2016 presidential candidates,
with the Republicans and Democrats
taking different sides. With Clinton and
Sanders supporting Obama’s executive order for its appropriate response
to recent mass shootings, and Republican candidates such as Bush and
Carson challenging it for its supposed
violation of the Second Amendment,
there will certainly be a lot for members of the UNIS community to discuss
as the presidential elections approach.
were greeted by their hosting students.
Workshops and the cultural showcase
were organized for Wednesday. The
showcase is a talent show for visiting
schools and UNIS students to represent their culture in front of the entire
UNIS-UN community. The day ended
with a formal dinner for all the participants. The conference began on Thursday morning with a speech from Ms.
Jane Camblin, UNIS Executive Director, and the conference co-chairs. It
continued with Paloma Escudero, the
Director of Communications at UNICEF, who outlined the United Nations’
impact on today’s societal and political
views. Casey Neistat, YouTuber and the
keynote speaker for the day, discussed
the role of media on multiple platforms,
specifically, YouTube. He described his
personal story and the immense power
that well-known social media people
have on our culture and society. The
final speaker for Thursday was Susan
Chira, the Assistant Managing Editor
of The New York Times. Chira, like the
other speakers, explained the impact of
media, but from a more traditional point
of view. She spoke about The New York
Times’ control over many current issues
and how it is seen as a “trusted news
source” for many. The day ended with
an open dialogue among six visiting students, who discussed the role of social
media in our society.
On Friday, journalist Buzz
Bissinger started the conference by expressing his strong opinions on current
politicians and how they are communicated through media. After Bissinger,
Trevor Johnson from Facebook explained his company’s role in the media.
The last speaker of the conference, Suroosh Alvi, told his personal story about
Vice (a magazine focused on arts, culture, and news topics), and explained the
news source’s primary mission. The last
event of the conference was the second
open dialogue, which was a thorough
discussion of the effectiveness of independent and corporate media. After two
long days, there was a dance for all of
the participants. Overall, the conference
provided an enriching experience for all
of its participants, and promoted globalism and cross-cultural exchange.
for all students who plan
College Board Makes opportunities
on taking the test. As a result, students
families cannot afford SAT tutorChanges to the SAT whose
ing or classes will have adequate means
Sarah Simon, T3
Starting in March, current T3s
will be introduced to a new and redesigned Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT),
marking the test’s first major modifications since 2005. The College Board
produces and administers the SAT,
which has become a significant benchmark test for the country’s best colleges
and universities. Changes have been implemented over the years to ensure that
the standardized test matches the abilities of the test takers and the high school
curriculum.
The first major change to the
redesigned SAT is the scoring method.
The College Board has made substantial
changes to its scoring since its founding
in 1926, when there were initially a total
of 315 points. Now, the redesigned SAT
is out of a total 1600 points, rather than
the old SAT’s 2400 points (800 points
per section), and will consist of three
sections: mathematics, critical reading,
and an optional essay, whereas the old
SAT contained a required essay. In addition, unlike the old SAT, the new SAT
will not penalize for wrong answers,
therefore encouraging students to make
educated guesses. There is also a significant modification to the essay and reading sections. In the essay, students will
now be asked to analyze an essay rather
than a theoretical passage. Similarly, the
reading section will focus on evidencebased questions that specifically relate
to the text. One last major change to the
new SAT is that, fortunately, students
will no longer need to study vocabulary, but instead will be asked to define a
word based on how it is used in context.
In addition to these major
changes, the College Board will be partnering with Khan Academy to provide
high-quality, free online test preparation
services, in an attempt to provide equal
of preparing for the test.
While some T3 students prepare for the highly anticipated new SAT,
many chose to sit for the last offering of
the old version in February. T3 student
Mai-Han Nguyen believes that she benefitted from taking the old SAT. “I had
been studying for it since the summer
before sophomore year so, naturally, I
wasn’t going to take a test I wasn’t as
prepared for.” She explained that her
“academic ability fits better with the old
SAT.”
Because of the changes being made to the SAT, many students
are choosing to take the ACT instead.
To help students decide which test fits
better for them, the college office introduced UNIS students to a SAT/ACT
combination practice test, hosted by Kaplan, which helped UNIS students decide which test to is right for them.
Furthermore, T3 students have
received their PSAT results, and have
been recommended by the College Office to enroll in Kaplan’s free online
seminar, which focuses on understanding the PSAT score report. To get an
understanding of standardized testing
and what is to come for them in the year
ahead, the T2s took the PSAT 10 in February.
Must See
• ‘BCHLRS’ Feature..................................4
• All-Gender Restrooms at UNIS?......5
• What is an MVP?...................................6
• Bowie’s Legacy.....................................7
News
2
United Nations
International School
24-50 F.D.R. Drive - New York, NY
10010-4046
Phone: (212) 684-7400 - Fax: (212)
889-8959
http://www.unis.org
Editor-in-Chief
Siena DeMatteo, T3
Executive Managing
Editor
Oriana Ullman, T3
Editors
Aysu Ingrid Haker, T3
Sarah Simon, T3
Holly Jenvey, T2
Lia Mojica, T4
Melina Nelson, T2
Emmett Werbel, T4
Eloise Chambadal, T2
Zachary Weiss, T3
Design And Layout
Michelle Davies, T2
Faculty Advisor
Mr. Guy Young
UNISMUNC II: The Second Coming
Defne Levine, T3
On December 6, 2015, the
UNIS Model United Nations team
hosted its second annual conference
(UNISMUNC II). Over two hundred
students from ten different schools in
the New York City area attended this
conference. The conference included
seven unique committees: four General
Assembly committees, the Security
Council, and one joint crisis committee.
Students collaborated with each other
over the course of the conference to
draft creative and realistic solutions
to significant contemporary issues,
ranging from the abuse of human rights
in prisons to the refugee crisis in the
Middle East.
Every Model UN conference
begins with opening ceremonies, which
typically include a keynote speech
or question-and-answer session. At
UNISMUNC II, a twenty-minute Q
& A session was held by Ambassador
Samantha Power, who is the U.S.
Ambassador to the United Nations and
a member of President Barack Obama’s
cabinet.
The delegates at the conference
had the opportunity to gain valuable
UNIS Students Excitedly Await Springtime Activities
The spring months are always a busy time for UNIS students! Below is a list of some upcoming events:
•
Nepal trip - on March 19, a group of Tut House students will depart for a twelve-day service trip to Nagarkot, Nepal.
“This is the second Nepal trip, and this time we’re a group of 19. We’re doing community service at two different
schools for four days, and everyone has paired up and prepared school lessons for kids from grades 1-5,” commented
T3 student Chloe Dicovskiy, who went on the trip last year. The students raised $1500 to continue a meal program
that they started at one of the schools last year, and held a school supplies drive at UNIS in order to gather supplies
for the students in Nepal. In addition to doing community service, students will sightsee in the country’s capital,
Kathmandu, and in Pokhara.
•
Rent - from April 27 to April 29, a group of UNIS students will perform Rent, which is the first Tut House musical to
be performed in twenty years. “I think it’s cool how we’re finally doing a musical in high school. I definitely think this is a step in the right direction with the new Theater Department at UNIS. I hope high school musicals become a tradition here,” remarked T3 student-actor Marlon Polycarpe. The musical will be directed by Ms. Kiara Downey, the head of the Theater Department, and produced by Mr. Tim Hall, who also teaches in the department.
•
International Award - from May 12 to May 15, the silver-level candidates of the International Award program at
UNIS will embark on an adventurous journey to Green Mountain National Forest in Vermont, where they will
bike, hike, and canoe. “I believe that International Award really encourages me to feel connected not only to nature
but also my peers because we essentially have each other to learn and encourage trhoughout the journey,” stated
T2 student and silver-level candidate, Judith Ha. The trip is meant to complement the skill, activity, and service
experiences that students in the program must fulfill one hour per week for six months. The bronze-level candidates
will be completing their journey at Bear Mountain here in New York state from April 30 to May 1, and the gold-level
candidates will be traveling to Hawaii at the end of June for their adventurous journey.
•
Kids Walk - on Saturday, April 30, the Prevention and Awareness of Cancer (PAC) club will be participating in Kids
Walk, which is a pediatric cancer research fundraiser that takes place in Central Park. The event is organized by
Memorial Sloan Kettering, which is one of the nation’s foremost institutions for cancer care and research, and by
students from high schools all around the city. “This is the first time that we are fundraising for this event, and we are
really excited about it. We definitely want to get the whole UNIS community involved. Many club members will be
walking during the event and just to have the support from the entire school would be really great and will definitely
help out a lot with raising funds and spreading awareness,” commented T3 student Camila Stacchetti, who currently
serves as the club’s vice president.
•
Walk to Defeat ALS - on May 7, members of the People for ALS (PALS) club will participate in the Walk to Defeat
ALS, which is an event hosted by the ALS Association. ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a progressive
neurogenerative disease that impacts muscles and weakens physical functions. Over the past few months, club
members have raised over $1200 and collected sponsors for the event. “With more members and funds raised than
ever, PALS is excited to contribute its voice to the cause,” remarked T3 student Janice Choi, who currently serves as
the club’s president.
“Unisverse is a student publication
United Nations International
School, and student editors are solely
of the
responsible
for its content.
The views expressed
herein do not represent
United Nations or any
United Nations
International School, its Board of
Trustees, the school’s administration, or
the faculty advisor.”
the views of the
of its affiliates; the
if you have any questions, comments,
or concerns, or would like to get
involved, email us at:
unisversepaper@gmail.com
insights on foreign affairs and how
Ambassador Power attained her
current position. Additionally, the fact
that she served as the President of the
UN Security Council in December
allowed delegates to hear about some
of her recent work. She shared words of
wisdom and encouraged the attendees to
pursue their dreams and continue to be
active in making society a better place
for all.
The structure of the conference
consisted of morning and afternoon
committee sessions in which delegates
debated, compromised, and collaborated
to produce well-written resolution papers
for many of the world’s most pressing
problems. In addition to current world
problems, there were committees that
focused on historical issues. As such, the
joint crisis committee took place in the
thirteenth-century and delegates came
up with solutions regarding conflict
between empires of Mongols, Islam,
and Christendom.
Sofia Ford, a T1 delegate in
the joint crisis committee, said that
UNISMUNC was a great experience for
her. She shared how much she enjoyed
being in a unique committee: “I met
passionate people who completely
played the role of a thirteenth century
ruler. It opened my eyes to a whole new
way of looking at history.”
The World Health Organization
was the other historical committee, which
embodied the views and knowledge
present in 1948 and examined Nazi
human experimentation. Although these
more specialized committees revolved
largely around committee ‘crises,’ the
crisis staff worked throughout the day
to add surprises and spins in all of the
committees to maintain fresh debate.
UNISMUNC II was extremely
successful and the conference staff
received a great deal of positive
feedback. Ms. Watt, who is one of the
club’s faculty advisors, shared one of
her highlights of the day: “Apart from
the skills that were brought together,
the best accolade of all was during the
day when I overheard a delegate from
another school say ‘this is the best fun
I’ve had all year.’”
The Secretariat, which was
led by Secretaries-General Balthazar
Merrin and Boris Niyonzima, worked
tirelessly during the months leading up
to the conference, which evidently paid
off. The UNIS Model UN Executive
Committee looks forward to planning
UNISMUNC III.
UNIS Students Lead Conversations About Mass Incarceration
Anoushka Joshi, T1
This fall, a group of twelve
UNIS students, led by humanities
teacher Abby MacPhail, partnered with
PROOF: Media for Social Justice, an
organization specializing in photojournalism as a medium for activism, to organize a one-day symposium on mass
incarceration. Several formerly incarcerated people came to the symposium
to join its discussion about the American criminal justice system, as well as
UNIS students, faculty, parents, and
representatives from multiple social
justice organizations. Ms. MacPhail
and three Picture Justice students led
a smaller version of the symposium for
T1 students during UNIS-UN.
The fall symposium was the culmination of Picture Justice, a two-week
photojournalism program that took
place in the summer. During this program, students from UNIS and other
high schools across New York collaborated to interview and photograph
formerly incarcerated people to create
an inspirational photo exhibit entitled
“Broken?”
T3 student Sanjeevi Nuhumal,
who participated in the program, stated: “The interviews definitely impacted
me emotionally in relation to the subject, and emphasized to me the great
responsibility that comes with telling
another person’s story. It definitely enabled me to educate myself, leave my
comfort zone, and share the knowledge
I had gained in a powerful way. I’m so
glad that I participated in this!” Ms.
MacPhail noted that students were often shocked when learning about “all
the racial and economic disparities that
are manifested in the criminal justice
system.”
The symposium opened with
Victoya, a formerly incarcerated woman who shared one of the many poems
that she had written during her incarceration. During her interview
with UNIS students in the summer,
Victoya said, “I wrote a lot while I was
incarcerated. I wrote for other people
too, and now it’s more like healing; I
write to heal myself and I write to heal
others as well.”
The keynote speaker of the symposium was Mr. Hernan Carvente, a
formerly incarcerated young man who
turned his life around after being behind bars for four years due to misguided choices he made at the age of fifteen.
Since his release, he has been a member
of the New York State Juvenile Justice
Advisory Group and dedicated his life
to changing the criminal justice system, working with the Vera Institute of
Justice. His personal story of remorse
and triumph also touched the hearts of
many of the audience members.
After the speeches, the participants were invited to view the “Broken?” exhibit, and attend two of thirteen workshops that were conducted by
leaders in the social justice community,
such as representatives from the VERA
Institute of Justice, The Fortune Society, and The Brennan Center for Justice.
The workshops explored topics such as
broken windows policing, youth incarceration, the impact of incarceration on
families and children, solitary confinement, and post-release challenges. Par-
ticipants of the symposium engaged in
intense debates and discussions revolving around these issues.
The symposium concluded with
a play on mass incarceration, which
was devised and performed by T1-T4
IB and elective Theater and Drama
students. Ms. Kiara Downey, the head
of the Theater Department, was given
the transcripts from the interviews
conducted over the summer. She then
worked with the participating students
to transform these transcripts into theater pieces with the help of a theater
company, Ping Chong and Company.
“The main challenge for the actors lay in the fact that students from
UNIS were performing the tales told by
people who were actually very different
from themselves,” said Ms. Downey.
T3 student Aleksi Poysari shared
his experience about writing a piece on
Sharanda Jones, an incarcerated black
mother: “I had some difficulty relating to Sharanda, but I was able to empathize with her daughter. I couldn’t
imagine what kind of life I would have
without my mother. Family is very important to me.”
According to the attendees of
the symposium, it was a huge success.
“The symposium was a real eye-opener, and I have become aware of so many
new facts and issues regarding mass
incarceration,” said Chhaya Bhatt, a
UNIS parent. Students became significantly more aware of the issues revolving around mass incarceration and the
criminal justice system.
Ms. MacPhail just recently announced that the topic of this sum-
Cast of the mass incarceration play along
with four formerly incarcerated people.
Photo By: Emilia Dale Figeman, T1
mer’s Picture Justice program and fall
symposium will be immigration.
“We want to profile the stories of
refugees, and also highlight the human
rights issues faced by the undocumented immigrants in this country. It is a
timely topic since all presidential candidates are debating the refugee crisis
and immigration reform, and President
Obama’s recent executive actions on
immigration have been stalled by the
courts and will most likely go before
the Supreme Court this spring. Whatever decision is reached, it will impact
on the 11.3 million undocumented immigrants in the US,” commented Ms.
MacPhail. She hopes that UNIS will
continue its support of projects like Picture Justice that highlight the need for
change and the implications of current
global issues.
News
UNIS Mourns the
Passing of Bob Sena
Remembering Sylvia
Gordon
Ms. Sylvia Gordon with the co-chairs of
the 40th Annual UNIS-UN International Student Conference, Sahil Patel (left)
and Sean Waxman-Lenz (right).
Photo By: Ligeia Moltisanti
Ruby Bird, T4
As 2015 drew to a close, the
UNIS community was saddened to hear
about the passing of Sylvia Gordon,
the founder of a UNIS tradition. Ms.
Gordon was a UNIS humanities teacher
and the founder of UNIS-UN, a studentrun conference held annually at the
United Nations General Assembly that
is celebrating its fortieth anniversary
this year.
Born in Vienna, the Oxford
graduate came to UNIS in 1963. As
well as teaching in the Humanities
Department, she was an active member
of the UNIS Staff Association from 1989
to 1995 and the Editor-in-Chief of the
very first Staff Association Newsletter.
On June 5, 2015, a reception
was held in the UNIS library to honor
Ms. Gordon. She spoke about her role
in creating the UNIS-UN conference
and gave her unique perspective on
the event. The event was attended
by UNIS alumni, as well as current
faculty members. T4 student Sahil
Patel, the co-chair of this year’s UNISUN conference, had the opportunity to
attend the event and meet Ms. Gordon.
“It was a really
wonderful experience
meeting Ms. Gordon.
It was really cool to
see how the conference
started and how it
developed over time.”
Ms. Gordon will certainly
be remembered for pushing student
involvement in the UNIS community.
In the words of Mr. Thomas Siefring
Jr., current supervisor for the UNIS-UN
conference and longtime humanities
teacher, “her idea was to have a studentrun conference.” After a successful
fortieth anniversay conference, which
was titled “Media’s Influence: Opinions,
Activism, & Outcomes,” it is clear that
this idea has been preserved, as the
sixteen student members of UNIS-UN’s
Executive Committee largely work
independently of any faculty members.
“The last thing that she said
to me was that she was really pleased
with how UNIS-UN turned out,” said
Mr. Siefring, recalling Ms. Gordon’s
reception in June of last year. “This
year’s conference is dedicated to her,”
he added, emphasizing the fact that
everything UNIS-UN has managed to
accomplish so far would not have been
possible without Ms. Gordon.
Ms. Sylvia Gordon left a
tremendous legacy that goes beyond
the walls of UNIS, allowing hundreds
of students to attend an international
conference and participate in discussions
on some of the most relevant issues
of our time, such as this year’s topic
on the influence of media. This year,
269 students from both domestic and
international schools were welcomed
to the conference that our own Tutorial
House students also had the opportunity
to attend. These students may never
have met Ms. Gordon directly, but they
benefit immeasurably from what she put
in place forty years ago.
UNIS Remembers Ms.
Sharon Tan
Manuela Abenante, T3
At the start of the school year,
students and staff were all introduced
to UNIS’ most recent security update:
swiping ID cards each time we enter or
exit the building. This security measure
was introduced and first implemented
by Mr. Bob Sena, the man behind many
of the school’s other safety procedures
as well. In December 2015, Bob sadly
passed away, but he left behind a legacy
and made an astounding impact on the
UNIS community.
During an interview with the
school’s Assistant Executive Director,
Salvador Uy, the question of Bob Sena’s most important contribution to the
school was posed. Mr. Uy’s immediate
response was that Bob “contributed an
approach to security that was not about
scaring people or panicking them, but
giving them tools that allow people to
make their environment safer.” Before
joining the UNIS community, Mr. Sena
organized the security protocols for
Brooklyn’s Barclays Center but “realized that running security for big arenas was not his passion. He really cared
about schools and helping protect kids,”
stated Mr. Uy.
Prior to Bob Sena’s arrival to
UNIS, the school “had the sense that
they didn’t need anyone dedicated to
that area of expertise.” However, as explained by Mr. Uy, “because of everything that’s been happening around the
world, we researched it and decided to
create that position.” In a quickly developing world filled with conflict and,
at times, chaos, the school’s decision to
hire Mr. Sena seems an appropriate and
necessary one. With primary schools,
secondary schools and universities attacked or put in danger almost every
week throughout this country, UNIS’
enhanced security measures have, for
the most part, made students feel a lot
safer. T3 student Olivia Sweeney Vesty
stated that she feels much more “protected so far this year because of the swipe
in and swipe out method we’ve started
using and just knowing that someone
was wholly dedicated to making students feel safe is incredibly reassuring.”
Mr. Uy also shared
that he remembers “a
kind man who was very
organized and articulate
and who always took
very seriously his role in
protecting students and
teachers.”
Mr. Sena’s impact on the school is
evident not just in the way that students
and faculty speak of him, but also in the
positive approach he had to a profession
and subject that can often be regarded as
dark or heavy, as it always assumes the
possibility of a risk or danger.
Mr. Sena brought
with him an optimistic
energy: “he wore some
very fun Christmasthemed ties and cufflinks.
He was a good man.”
Both students and faculty alike
have expressed their gratitude for Mr.
Sena’s immense contribution to the
school community. He will be greatly
missed, but always remembered fondly
and with enormous appreciation.
Photo By: Karen Lerner
Adrian Mandeville, T3
Beloved Junior School music
teacher Ms. Sharon Tan passed away
on February 4, 2016 after a long battle
with cancer. Teachers and students alike
were deeply affected by the news. It
gave the UNIS community a chance
to reflect on the incredible impact Ms.
Tan left on her colleagues and students.
“She was a hugely energetic,
enthusiastic, warm, phenomenal teacher
for so many students, but also a great
teacher of teachers. Sharon was amazing at inspiring kids to want to do really
well at the craft of music. She could really see inside every student no matter
how goofy or troubled they were. She
was so incredibly kind to each and every student. I would hear her talking to
students and it amazed me how sensitive she was to each and every one of
them, and how well she understood each
and every one of them. And somehow,
while she was able to magically create
an ensemble, she also was able to touch
the student that was not so gifted, or
had something that was not so run of
the mill about them. I always remember her reaching out to her students in
a really beautiful way and that was extraordinarily special. She could really
see through to people’s gifts, whatever
they were,” remarked Ms. Karen Lerner, head of the Music Department.
Mr. Gary Capetandes, trombone private lesson teacher and director of the M1 Band, fondly remembers
working with and learning from Ms.
Tan as well: “I had a discussion with her
because I had started doing M1 [Band]
and I realized that the kids didn’t really learn rhythm and couldn’t grasp
the way I was teaching rhythm in the
standard approach. So I went to ask her
about it and she went out of her way
to explain to me the hows and whys of
what they do in Junior School when they
teach rhythm. Then she agreed to begin
teaching rhythm to kids at a younger
age in the Middle School style to make
my life easier. Here’s a lady who kept
my interests and the students’ interests
first, and her methodology second.”
T2 student Matt Leichman, a
former student of Ms. Tan, described the
impact she had on his pursuits: “When
we were in J2, we had this play about
Native Americans and I was not interested in performance, but I remember she
wanted me to play the main character.
No one had ever given me the opportunity to do something like that before. Almost a decade later, I’m about to go into
HL theater arts. She saw something in
me that nobody else had before. A couple years ago I was very paranoid about
my singing voice for an audition. She
was so kind that she didn’t care that she
was going through chemo at the time.
She was so concerned that I was nervous
about a singing rehearsal. I guess that
just speaks to her as a person, to how
selfless she was when it came to all that.”
Ms. Tan will be remembered fondly by all who she worked
with during her time at UNIS, and
the unique emphasis she placed on
the student experience in her teaching methods will certainly have longlasting impacts on her former students.
In Memory of Maureen Overall
On January 21, 2016, former UNIS teacher Maureen Overall passed away in Potters
Bar, England. She died from the complications of multiple myeloma. She taught in
the Junior School, Middle School, and Tut House from 1983 until 2007. Her life was
remembered celebrated by members of the UNIS community at the Water Club in
February.
3
“The Great Teacher
Inspires:” In Memory of
Madame Elizabeth
Hough
Melina Nelson, T2
On February 24, 2016, the
UNIS community was saddened to receive word of the passing of Madame
Elizabeth Hough, who taught French
and Spanish at UNIS Queens. Madame
Hough was born in the south of France,
in a village named Rousset, which is
located between Aix-en-Provence and
Marseille. She began her teaching career
at UNIS nearly twenty years ago. For
many of those years, she taught French
at the Standard and Mother Tongue
levels exclusively; however, in the late
1990s, UNIS introduced a similar Spanish program, which Mme. Hough, because of her expertise in Spanish as a result of her previous residencies in Spain
and South America, began to mentor.
Throughout these latter years at UNIS,
Mme. Hough was the organizer of the
annual Hispanic Lunch (for which her
students prepared traditional cuisine
from representative countries throughout the Hispanic world). In addition, she
was widely known for the annual trips
to the MoMa that she organized for her
J2 students. It was my J2 trip with Mme.
Hough, eight years ago, that provided
the basis of my most distinctive memory
of her: when following the completion
of the Impressionist unit in French class,
I first encountered my favorite variation
of Monet’s Water Lily series: Reflection
of Clouds on the Water-Lily Pond. Mme.
Hough approached me privately then,
gently asking, “Tu l’aimes, Melina?”
(Do you like it, Melina?) She then took
the time to explain the painting to me.
Years later, while in Paris, I was reminded of that special moment while visiting
Musee L’Orange and seeing the Monet
collection housed there.
Following the news of her
passing, several former UNIS Queens
students took the opportunity to commemorate Mme. Hough and share similar stories of the impact she had on their
lives.
“I will always remember Mme.
Hough as a passionate, hardworking,
and committed teacher,” remarked T2
student Chloe Kandel-Wong, who is a
former student of UNIS Queens. “She
was driven by a desire to give onehundred percent effort to teaching, and
contributed majorly to the advancement
of her students.” Mme. Hough had a
unique way of communicating with her
students, which reflected her passion
for teaching, and she approached language class in a hands-on manner that
encouraged children to see the study of
language not just as an exercise in communication, but also as an exploration of
a unique culture.
T2 student Holly Jenvey also
emphasized Mme. Hough’s inspiring
teaching: “I think that part of the reason
Mme. Hough was a great teacher and an
influential figure was because her devotion to her profession was evident, and,
when this is apparent to students, it inspires them to take the class seriously.
Because of her great teaching, [Mme.
Hough] contributed to my language education, and she’s one of the reasons that
I am still interested in French today.”
Holly also shared that she will never forget the songs and videos Mme. Hough
introduced in her lessons, as well as the
delectable churros she prepared for her
Spanish classes.
Madame Hough’s enthusiasm
for education and professionalism as
a teacher left a permanent mark on the
lives of her students, for whom she was,
and continues to be, an inspirational figure. As these few testimonials suggest,
she will be remembered as a devoted
mentor by the hundreds of students she
touched within the UNIS community.
“We are grateful to Madame Hough
for her commitment to her students,
her hard work, her creativity and the
great care and support she gave her colleagues,” commented Dr. Judith Honor,
the Principal of UNIS Queens.
A memorial service will be held
at the campus in April. This will be an
opportunity to honor Madame Hough
for her extraordinary contributions to
UNIS Queens, and to the school as a
whole.
Features
4
T3 Student Trio Launches a Semi-Professional Musical Career
Larissa Morimoto, T3
Thursday
mornings are
consistently chaotic in the UNIS library:
middle schoolers colonize the secondtier and high schoolers crowd around
the wooden tables, while Mr. Dutilloy
tries his best to keep everybody sane.
It was there that I had scheduled an
interview with Teymur Guliyev and
Benjamin Rosow. Along with Preston
Gross, these T3 EL17ES form a trio
of amateur musicians. While they
admit to being married to the game of
basketball, they have ironically dubbed
themselves the “Inter-racial Bachelors”
(BCHLRS).
Guliyev, Rosow, and Gross
have always been “homies,” but it was
The Rise of DJ Khaled
Drew Hill, T3
“Bless up,” “the key to
success,” and “don’t play yourself”
are three terms that have come into the
vernacular of millennials all around
the world, due to the popularization
of DJ Khaled’s Snapchat stories. DJ
Khaled first gained fame in the hip-hop
genre through urban anthems such as
“All I Do is Win” and “I’m So Hood;”
however, through his Snapchat, he has
become a pop-culture icon. Through his
stories, millions of people worldwide
have been warned to stay away from
“they” (whose identity has not yet been
revealed), and to “stay focused and
grind,” because “it costs money to eat.”
The story began on October
1, 2015, when DJ Khaled (real name,
Khaled bin Abdul Khaled) tweeted
his snapchat handle and said, “follow
me on snapchat djkhaled305. I just let
a snap go [crown emoji].” After that,
his snaps spread like wildfire. Through
Snapchat, one can send photos or tensecond videos that appear temporarily
on another person’s device. DJ Khaled’s
video stories, which are available to
anyone who has him as a friend on the
app, have inspired memes, imitations
and inside jokes that seem to have
spanned the Internet. While his antics
can be categorized as entertaining,
and possibly inspirational, his most
notable pieces of wisdom have been
his many “keys to success,” which
include frequent massages, water, and
the greatest possible number of pillows.
Apart from his undeviating
philosophies, another quality of
Khaled’s, which seems to have made his
Snapchats a viral hit, is his consistency
and devotion to Snapchat and his fans.
Evidence of this is an instance in midDecember--which one can certainly
consider the climax of DJ Khaled’s
snapchat career--in which he gets lost
at sea while on a jetski, and records
the whole experience for his fans to
see. The experience was so great for
the fans because it was so innocent on
the part of Khaled; he actually thought
only at IMG’s Basketball Camp during
the summer of 2015 that they started
making music together. Over a span
of weeks they produced beats, wrote
lyrics, recorded, and uploaded three
tracks to an online audio distribution
platform known as SoundCloud.
Despite releasing their music on a
global scale, they chose not to publicize
it to their friends.
On September 14, 2015, T4
student Matthew Bernstein posted
a link to his Facebook timeline that
enabled his 600+ acquaintances to hear
an original song by the BCHLRS called
“Halal Cart.” Matthew’s post received
over thirty likes, and so the onceunknown artists gained popularity.
Weeks later, “Halal Cart” was played
at the first Student Council-sponsored
dance of the academic year. T3 student
Marta Kjorven was one of many
students at the dance, shouting along to
the catchy lyrics of the song. She said
that it made her “feel hype” because of
its “nice beat drop.” Furthermore, she
confessed that “it was the only song
[she] danced to.”
Guliyev was not surprised by
the positive feedback the trio received:
“Everyone loves a song that they can
that it would be best for us to see his
experience while he was lost at sea.
This tragic excursion which many
people credit as the start of his Internet
virality happened when he simply got
lost in a Miamian ocean and decided
to take his fans with him on the whole
ride. Thankfully he managed to find
his way back home in the dark tides
of Florida, but the whole journey was
hilarious nonetheless as people laughed
both with and at his online innocence.
In the beginning his Snapchat was just
that: innocent. It was as if Khaled was
in a bubble of his own where he was
not aware of the fame and popularity
that he had garnered through his social
media activity. Nevertheless, like many
cases in the past, Khaled’s Snapchat has
been commodified and, to some, even
ruined.
At the height of the fame,
Khaled seemed to have been aware of
the popularity which he had amassed
and thus possibly became pressured
to produce what he had excellently
produced before; however, in doing
this, he lost the innocence that his snaps
previously maintained. His stories
dance to, so that’s really what we’re
aiming to do.” Rosow believes that the
success of the song is mostly attributable
to the fact that “people have never heard
a song about Halal food.” Rosow added
that this song is a tribute to Rafiki’s
[Food Cart] specifically because “the
guys over there do some nice portions.”
Food appears to be a recurring topic in
their music: “Seantoodle” is another
single by the BCHLRS and expresses
their love for Chipotle Mexican Grill.
With “Halal Cart” receiving
over 800 plays, Teymur would like to
take this opportunity to thank all those
who have shown support for the group.
Devotees of the boy-band can even be
seen sporting pink and grey ‘BCHLRS’
logos pasted on the back of their phones.
Unfortunately, with the desire to fulfill
a [#i]promise[16] of triumphing in the
Boys Varsity Basketball league, it has
been hard for the trio to produce new
content. Nevertheless, Ben advises fans
to “stay on the lookout for the next
single.” After all, everybody loves good
music.
Left: The BCHLRS. Photo By: Larissa
Morimoto, T3
became longer, and he included more
product placement for companies like
Ciroc and his own “We The Best”
merchandise. An early fan of Khaled’s
Snapchat, T3 student Erik Ryan, says
of the current Snapchat stories that “he
became self aware and that made it
boring and forced. Part of the original
appeal was that he didn’t know he
was such a hit.” Other early fans,
like T3 student Michael Gross, have
described his current stories as “really
old, repetitive, and commercialized.”
Therefore, it seems as if Khaled has
fallen into the Internet’s trap of quality
temporality, meaning that he has played
a part in the ongoing trope of concepts
which have reached peak fame online
and after being commercialized and
exploited, they lose what made them
great; they lose their identity in internet
culture.
Although his snaps may appear
to have lost their original quality, his
fame is only growing. DJ Khaled is
definitely on the “pathway to more
success,” and all we can do is ride with
him.
Teacher Spotlight: Mr. David Cisek
Holly Jenvey, T2
For the past 24 years, Mr. David
Cisek has been teaching English classes
at UNIS. He teaches IB Literature, IB
Literature and Performance, IB Theatre
and, up until this year, T2 Drama. At
the end of the year, Mr. Cisek will say
farewell to the school.
HJ: Give a quick overview of your job.
DC: A quick overview of my job entails
teaching to the kid I was at this age
because there were a lot of things I
didn’t get. It wasn’t until college where
I got deeper into literature and decided I
wanted to teach.
UNIS, the IB is a very good course. It’s
comprehensive, it’s expansive, and it’s
something more than what I got from
my high school.
HJ: When you move on, what are you
planning to do?
DC: I’m going to go back to Tai Chi.
I used to do Tai Chi when I was in
Australia. I used to do it every weekend,
and sometimes twice a week. I truly
loved it because I could feel in touch
with myself. It’s almost like a dance. It
was very refreshing. I didn’t appreciate
Tai Chi as much when I was younger as
I do now.
HJ: What were you doing before you
started teaching at UNIS?
DC: I had been teaching for eighteen
years before I came to UNIS. I spent
twelve of those years in Australia before
I came to UNIS, but I have done a lot of
theatre work as well, both in and out of
school.
HJ: Can you tell us something that we
don’t know about you?
DC: One thing that plays a very
important part in my life is theatre. The
fact that I’m teaching IB Literature and
Performance gives a sense that the IB
finally caught up with me in a deeper
way. Performance is always an aspect
of the way I teach, and this concept has
HJ: How has working at UNIS made an been with me since the start.
impact on you?
DC: UNIS was a great place to land. I HJ: What will you miss most about
didn’t imagine there was a school like UNIS?
this, but for one thing, I learned about DC: I think I’ll miss the autonomy that
the IB. Having sent my daughter through it gave me on a daily basis.
David Cisek, UNIS IB English/Theater teacher, is leaving after a long run.
Photo By: Holly Jenvey, T2
Features and opinion
A Call for All-Gender
Restrooms in the UNIS Tut House
Roxanne Tahon, T3, and Juan Lozano,
T2
Gender has always been a widely discussed subject in our society. However, conversations about its barriers and
its role have become much more common in the past few years, with transgender stars like Laverne Cox or Caitlyn Jenner making it big in mainstream
media and many other celebrities opening up about the fluidity of their gender
identity, like former Hannah Montana
star Miley Cyrus. Terms like ‘gender
fluidity’ and ‘gender neutrality’ have
surfaced, with gender identity becoming a big issue for civil rights activists
everywhere. The term ‘transgender’ has
been recently redefined as an umbrella
term for anyone whose gender identity
differs from whatever sex they were assigned at birth, meaning the person in
question might identify as male though
assigned female at birth, and vice versa; however, there are also those who
identify as ‘genderfluid,’ ‘gender neutral,’ or another nonbinary term, meaning that they don’t identify with either
binary gender, but rather a mixture of
both, neither, or something in between.
UNIS takes pride in being a
school that works to accept everyone
regardless of sexuality, race, ethnicity, or gender. That’s why, along with
these new conversations about gender
identity, questions about how trans and
gender nonconforming folks are treated
and acknowledged at UNIS have arisen.
In particular, the debate over installing
all-gender bathrooms is one that has
arisen and that is also sweeping many
high schools and universities across
the nation. Many institutions, such as
Vassar College, Miraloma Elementary
School in California, and Northwestern
University have already gone through
with the installations, mainly to create a
more inclusive and diverse environment
where transgender and gender nonconforming students can feel comfortable and safe. The question is whether
UNIS should follow them and install
a few all-gender bathrooms as well.
The main reasons all-gender bathrooms
are being installed across the country
is that they provide transgender and
gender nonconforming students with a
comfortable and safe space. Closeted
trans and gender nonconforming students have to struggle with public bathrooms every day. They either avoid using bathrooms as best they can or are
forced to use one that doesn’t fit with
their gender. When places like bathrooms and changing rooms are gendered, it turns everyday things like urinating or hand-washing into challenges.
That’s why all-gender bathrooms are
an urgent necessity. Trans students exist, and that is an undeniable fact. Accommodating their most basic needs
is nothing more than acknowledging
them as human beings with rights.
“These bathrooms are important because they provide a safe environment for people who don’t identify
as either binary gender,” said T1 student
Ariadne Smith. “I would definitely use
them, because I feel uncomfortable in
a girls’ bathroom and I also feel uncomfortable in a boys’ bathroom; and
I don’t think that it’d be detrimental to
have neutral bathrooms because anyone
could use them, technically, because
they’re not actually for a specific sex.”
When asked if they felt safe and
included at UNIS, Smith said: “For the
most part. I feel like the only thing that
would reduce the safety is lack of acceptance from my peers, and I’ve made
friends, so I feel like I’m not unsafe.”
Regarding the introduction of these
bathrooms into UNIS, Smith stated that
they “would feel mainly concerned for
the people who disagree with employing these bathrooms because [they]
wouldn’t really understand why you
would disagree, because if you don’t
want to use them you don’t have to; but
if they’re there they help other people, so
[they] wouldn’t assume that they would
cause any problems for anyone else.”
The SAGA (Sexuality and Gen-
Does Computer-Mediated
Communication Affect Teen
Literacy?
Melina Nelson, T2
As technology advances, new
methods of communication are brought
to light, igniting ongoing debates as
to whether or not computer-mediated
communication (CMC) is imposing
detrimental effects on the literacy skills
of adolescents.
Cyber slang is a term used
to describe the shortcuts, alternative
words, and symbols that are often
present
in
computer-mediated
communication. Computer-mediated
communication (CMC) and cyber slang
emerged shortly after the launch of the
World Wide Web in 1990. Because
of the increasing popularity of online
messaging programs and websites,
students have begun to find linguistic
originality lies solely in the use of slang,
therefore encouraging them to disobey
the standard rules of punctuation and
spelling for the purpose of continuing a
trend. Due to the fact that CMC is used
on a daily basis, cyber slang has become
a linguistic convention-of-sorts for the
younger generation. Additionally, this
form of language (slang) is now used
beyond technological communication,
and abbreviations like TBH (to be
honest) are often incorporated into the
everyday speech of adolescents. Cyber
slang can even venture into student
writing, which requires more formal
standard English, due to the fact that
young people are unable to distinguish
when it is acceptable to use informal
language. As a result, the quality of
student writing decreases, allowing for
more spelling and grammatical error, in
addition to poor vocabulary.
Nevertheless, it is essential to
question: has CMC actually put our
language at risk? T2 student Chloe
Kandel Wong answers the question,
stating: “Personally, CMC does not
affect my writing, because I was taught
to write with formal language before I
started using some of the popular slangs;
but nowadays, younger generations
are learning slang before they develop
good writing skills, which is different.
So ultimately, I think it really depends
on the person, because if they have
5
der Awareness) club at UNIS works to
start discussions about issues pertaining
to sexuality and gender and to provide a
safe space for LGBTQ students. In late
November 2015, co-presidents Oriana
Ullman and Aysu Ingrid Haker sent out
a survey to the entire Tut House student
body to gauge student support for allgender bathrooms in the Tut House.
“The response was actually pretty positive--about 70 percent [of students] said
that they supported it, 11 percent said
that they weren’t sure and needed more
information, and then there were about
20 percent who opposed the idea,” said
Ullman. “But overall, those are pretty
good numbers, and we’re hoping that
the administration will have a positive response. We’re pretty optimistic!”
Though the results do appear to
be promising, the 20 percent who voted
no are still a relatively large fraction
of the student body, which could pose
a problem when discussing whether to
introduce them into our community.
Using an all-gender bathroom doesn’t
strip one of their gender identity if they
happen not to be trans or nonbinary, it
just creates a safer space for those who
are. However, it is possible that some-if not most--of the people who voted
no did so because of cultural, religious
or ideological issues, in which case it
would be harder to please everyone’s
interests. Some people might think that
all-gender bathrooms would create an
unsafe environment, as some believe
women and men should be strictly
separated when it comes to hygiene,
because dangerous situations, such as
sexual assault, might spark from grouping everyone in the same place regardless of gender. However, there are many
places outside of UNIS like the Parsons School of Design in Greenwich
Village that have implemented these
bathrooms, and they have proven to be
completely safe and functional. Also,
it’s important to further emphasize
that the use of these bathrooms is entirely optional, and gendered bathrooms
would still be available for everyone
who wishes to continue using them.
“We heard from multiple students who identify as either trans or
nonbinary that there was a definite need
for all-gender bathrooms in this school,”
said Ullman, reiterating their importance for trans and gender nonconforming students. “The gendered bathrooms
that we have now cause a lot of gender
dysphoria and they generally suggest
that trans and nonbinary students don’t
exist at our school. We have started
talking to people in Student Services,
and with Mr. Lacey, who’s our advisor,
and we’re actually going to start presenting to the administration very soon,
so hopefully we’ll get the ball rolling.”
When asked about any actions to incorporate gender neutral
changing rooms at UNIS, Ullman
said: “Obviously that’s something that
needs to be addressed, but for right
now we’re just going to deal with the
gender neutral bathrooms, just because the locker rooms will require a
lot more logistics and construction.”
These bathrooms ultimately
wouldn’t just benefit transgender and
gender nonconforming students, but
they would also have the potential to
benefit the rest of the UNIS community. “I think it’s important to promote
diversity of different possibilities of
gender expression, just letting kids be
able to explore their own identity in a
safe place. School should be a place like
that,” explained T3 student Holly Jin.
An additional potential benefit
of installing the bathrooms would be
that students and staff would become
more aware and educated about transgender issues and the gender spectrum.
This would, in turn, begin to decrease
any bigotry and prejudice against transgender people that exists at UNIS. UNIS
already celebrates racial, religious, and
ethnic diversity and emphasizes inclusion in its mission statement, so why
not go a step further and start to discuss
diversity in terms of gender identity?
However trivial all-gender bathrooms
may seem to cisgender people (those
who identify with the gender they were
assigned at birth), they are definitely a
necessity in order to make marginalized transgender and nonbinary students feel comfortable at our school.
been using, for example, ‘yea’ instead
of ‘yes’ their entire life, then that can
become a habit.”
Today, texting, alongside other
forms of CMC, has become another
form of writing. In this regard, students
should always consider the audience
and occasion for which they are writing.
When students use computer-mediated
communication on social media sites
or through text message, more often
than not they are writing for an almost
informal audience, which warrants the
utilization of abbreviations and other
components of cyber slang (in fact,
computer-mediated communication can
also be seen to encourage the younger
generation to explore the English
language through the use of acronyms,
etc.). However, this does not necessarily
guarantee that the language students
use through CMC will be employed in
school writing assignments, for which
students revise and edit their work for a
more formal audience.
With the introduction of
smartphones, cyber slang may have
less relevance than before in that it
is no longer necessary. In the early
2000s, “pay-as-you-go phones” were
most commonly used. This phone
limited the quantity of text one could
send in a single message. If the limit
was exceeded, the price for that text
increased. Thus, abbreviations and
contractions were frequently used to
communicate to cut costs. Nowadays,
with the popularization of smartphones
and iPhones, there is no restriction
to the amount of text we can put into
a message. Furthermore, mobile
phones now contain a feature entitled
‘autocorrect;’
this
automatically
corrects the spelling of a word, and,
therefore, exposes errors that may have
otherwise continued to appear in the
student’s academic assignments.
On one hand, it can be argued
that computer-mediated communication
and slang facilitate bad grammar and
laziness and, consequently, hamper
the writing abilities of adolescents;
nevertheless, the benefits of CMC
can be seen to outweigh the negative
effects by encouraging the exploration
of different forms of language - for
instance, through the use of acronyms
and abbreviations. Regardless of which
argument is correct, it is important, in
acknowledging the importance and
popularity of technology and computermediated communication in modern
society, to advise and guide students
to adhere to the conventional use of
expressing language when appropriate.
Opinions and Editorials
Third Parties in the 2016 Elections
6
his campaign site with Weebly. This
lack of effort is rather shocking. The
most notable of the Libertarian candidates is John McAfee, who is famous
in the antivirus world. Closer to the
mainstream, in the Republican Party,
Rand Paul’s semi-libertarian campaign
is grinding to a halt, evidenced by his
failure to qualify for the January 14
GOP debate. It seems that the establishment has had enough of him, and
that his total free-market-capitalist approach is not wanted by party leaders.
The Constitution Party will announce its candidate this April in Salt
Lake City, but the official party website does not reveal much other than
that. Other sources report that there
are three candidates running for Constitution Party nomination. These three
candidates are all males, and one, J.R.
Meyers, is the founder of the Alaska
Constitution Party. Alaska has a long
history of third parties, and has been
the home of the Alaskan Independence
Party since 1984. The Constitution
Party, as the name suggests, claims
that the Constitution is the only true
way to an ideal government, and that
their way is the only true way to interpret it. This comes with their ‘seven principles’ that include the ‘right
to life’ and of course, states’ rights.
Even further on the fringe, the
more extreme parties seem to acknowledge their slim chances. Many would
consider the Communist Party USA
(CPUSA) to be a more extreme party,
and while it does seem like a Marxist,
modern socialist movement, it has not
put forward a presidential candidate
since 1984. Since then, it has endorsed
the far more moderate, left-of-center
Democratic candidates. True Communists will be disappointed to hear that
an official endorsement from CPUSA
for either Hillary Clinton or Bernie
Sanders is very likely. On a more local level, neither the Liberal Party of
New York nor the Conservative Party
of New York have announced any candidates or nominees, and both have yet
to endorse any presidential candidates.
So, do these candidates matter
at all? Why should we care? An NBC/
Wall Street Journal poll found that
more than 46% of American voters do
not consider themselves to belong to either major party. With more and more
Americans growing dissatisfied with
the two traditional parties, and voters
wanting a viable option that more accurately represents them, it is time to start
considering third parties as a serious
alternative. True democracy only exists
when power comes from the people,
and the people’s voice will not be heard
when two 200-year-old parties continue
to stay in power. Some of the campaigns
of third-party candidates may not be the
most professional; however, the mainstream media’s willful neglect of their
existence demonstrates how awfully
the system is rigged towards the same
two existing and established parties.
There Are 27 Amendments in the U.S. Constitution.
What Should Be the 28th?
and modernize it for the way we live
now,” and this is the exact sentiment
on which the 28th Amendment should
be based. Abolish gerrymandering and
arbitrary voter ID laws, and force our
leaders to do their jobs and convince
every American voter of his or her argument rather than allow them to restrict the ones that might disagree with
them. Many states are addressing this
issue in their own jurisdiction, but I believe that this is something that the US
government should not leave for individual states to decide. A systemic disenfranchisement of this nature affects
communities of color and underserved
areas in swing states where many citizens are not informed of how detrimental these practices are to the future
of our country.
Matthias Heindl, T1
If a person from the twentieth
century came to the future, a bit like
Marty McFly in Back to the Future
2, there’d be a lot of things that they
would be shocked about. One thing,
however, that would cause no surprise
to time travelers are the US presidential elections. Sure, someone from the
1980s or 90s might be confused by
Donald Trump’s involvement in politics, or the fact that Bill Clinton’s wife
is now running for president. But fundamentally, the dynamic is exactly the
same as it was 50 years ago: Democrats
vs Republicans. This two-party system
has got to change. While they may be
relatively unknown, there are many
presidential candidates in third parties
like the Green Party, the Libertarian
Party, and the Constitution Party that
provide an alternative to the would-be
binary of Democrats and Republicans.
The Green Party’s nominee, Jill
Stein, is a familiar face to many US political enthusiasts. Stein was the Green
nominee in 2012, and is once again
focusing on renewable energy, ending
poverty and inequality, and ensuring
free healthcare and education for all. She
is the most experienced candidate in the
third-party field and has run for Governor of Massachusetts twice in the past,
finishing third in a field of five in 2000.
Many will dismiss her as being
Boris Niyonzima, T4
On July 29th, 2015, Jim Rutenberg and The New York Times published an article, titled “A Dream Undone: Inside the 50-Year campaign to
roll back the Voting Rights Act.” Essentially, this was a long-form piece
that criticized how gerrymandering
and voter ID laws were making it harder for the average voter to have a voice,
and more specifically, the average poor
African-American voter. One of the
most important aspects of living in a
democracy is the opportunity and freedom to vote.
What is an MVP?
Zach Weiss, T3
The Most Valuable Player
award is one that players in all team
sports work towards. It symbolizes a
recognition of a discernibly superior
level of effort, dedication, and significance to one’s team compared to all
others on one’s respective team, league
and entire sport. In the NFL, no position
is more coveted than the quarterback,
so it is fitting that the three leading
candidates for this year’s MVP award
were the three quarterbacks of arguably
the three best teams in football: Cam
Newton of the Carolina Panthers, Tom
Brady of the New England Patriots, and
Carson Palmer of the Arizona Cardinals. Each had a compelling case for
being the most deserving of the award,
and as a result, deciding between the
three sparked a heated debate throughout the sports world.
A large part of the difficulty in
deciding the winner of the award is how
to define the term “valuable” and how
value and success are to be measured.
This is difficult, however, because the
definition of success too can be questioned, as one player’s statistics are
greatly affected by the supporting cast
a less experienced, more extreme version of Bernie Sanders. But that is exactly the problem. Obviously, the only
reason Bernie Sanders is running as a
Democrat is that he would never win
an election running as an independent
or under a third party like the Green.
This is an incredibly clear example of
how broken the electoral system is.
Green politics, a common movement in
Europe, can be described as similar to
most modern liberal, left-wing political
ideologies, but with an important focus
on the environment. The Green Party
USA and its predecessors have fielded
a candidate since 1996, when Ralph
Nader won 0.71% of general election votes. This percentage increased
to 2.74% with Nader’s run in 2000.
The Libertarian party has a
total of eleven candidates running for
party nomination. The party nominee
will be chosen at the national party
convention in May. According to the
party’s website, these candidates have
all filed with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) with the exception of
Daryl Perry, who has chosen not to file
“as a protest against the FEC, [claiming] that it lacks constitutional authority.” This typical Libertarian approach
makes the whole election seem like a
joke, and certainly does not help the
Libertarian cause. One of the candidates, Cecil Ince of Missouri, hosts
Since 1965, certain politicians
have restricted districts because they
believe it is a hard task to convince the
American people of their side. It would
be easier to just pick and choose who
can vote for these politicians rather
than allow for their arguments and policies to speak for them. On the other
hand, people like Henry Frye, the first
black Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court, sworn in 1999,
have fought for easier access to voting. He is highlighted in The New York
Times article as a person who worked
with hundreds of legislators to build on
with which he performs. The typical
individual statistics by which players
are primarily evaluated are important in
terms of showing the raw achievement
of the player. However, how does one
compare the achievements of one spectacular player on a perennially losing
team to the achievements of a player on
a very successful team that comprises
more talented and reliable supporting
players?
Brady, a perennial candidate
for MVP and one of the most successful and statistically prominent quarterbacks in the history of football, once
again had an unbelievable season. Despite suffering from a slew of injuries
throughout the season on both offense
and defense, the Patriots finished with
an impressive 12-4 record and were
propelled by masterful performances
from Brady. Nobody has played with
more offensive line combinations
since the beginning of the season than
Brady, partially due to this top three receivers (wideouts Julian Edelman and
Danny Amendola, and tight end Rob
Gronkowski) getting injured during
the season. Nonetheless, Brady led the
league in total passing yards, passing
yards per game, and touchdowns, all
while tying the league low of interceptions among quarterbacks who started
the promise of the Voting Rights Act.
Policies as simple as asking people to
register at the Department of Motor
Vehicles, to register and vote on the
same day, to vote weeks before Election Day, not only make it easier to vote
but encourage it. Thanks to all this, for
the first time in history, in 2008, black
turnout was nearly equal to white turnout and Barack Obama was elected
as the first black president. When we
choose to make it easier for all of us to
vote, we make history.
In his final State of the Union
address, Barack Obama said, “we’ve
got to make voting easier, not harder,
Boys Varsity Soccer league MVP, Takahiro Origuchi (right). Photo By: Alba
Saco, T4, and Sachi Depardon, T4
every game of the season.
Palmer, the least flashy of the
three candidates, had a season defined
by consistency. He led the league in
total QBR (quarterback rating), which
calculates all aspects of a quarterback’s
play, and helped the Cardinals achieve
a 13-3 record, second only to the Panthers’ 15-1 record. While his team was
significantly healthier than the Panthers
and the Patriots, his accomplishments
are not to be discounted. He and Brady
both had 12 games with over 270 passContinued on page 8
Arts and Culture
Bowie Dead,
But His Legacy,
Both Musical
and Cultural,
Remains Eternal
Timothy Lin, T2
In 1972, David Bowie marched
onstage with red hair, bright, colorful
makeup, and a psychedelic jumpsuit as
Ziggy Stardust, his fantastical alter-ego.
As Ziggy, he dominated the stage with
his shocking presence and over-the-top
theatrics. Here he had begun to pioneer
glam rock: a new, showy style of music equal parts rock and roll as it was
a feast for the eyes, immediately captivating audiences around the world with
an unprecedented combination of musical showmanship and otherworldly
appearances. Yes, Bowie’s costumes
were androgynous; yes, he was openly
bisexual; and yes, he conflicted with
the traditional values of the time, but
he was an absolute rock star. A cultural
icon was born.
“Bowie’s style was popular because he came in a time where everybody started to reject the societal norms
of the time and strove to be different,”
reflected T2 student John Bunning,
music enthusiast and vice-president of
the Sexuality and Gender Awareness
Club (SAGA). “Bowie was probably the
antithesis of “normal;” he was able to
pioneer a very different and captivating style of public image and music that
would influence future and contemporary bands.”
Bowie was one of the most
unique rock stars in that he always
stayed fresh and innovative. While contemporary superstars such as Boston
and the Eagles devoted themselves to
one style of music and often became
typecast into that particular genre,
Bowie’s style constantly evolved and
went wherever the musical trends of the
time dictated. The chilling, spacey vibe
and folk-inspired chords of Space Oddity (1969) resonated with audiences excited by the new prospects of space exploration, whereas Let’s Dance (1983)
offered a groovy, danceable beat that
appealed to the disco crowd of the early
1980s.
Yet one thing always remained
constant throughout his five-decade
long artistic career: his eccentricity. Indeed, despite his perennial popularity,
Book Review:
Six of Crows
Laura Dutilloy, T2
Who hasn’t enjoyed a good
heist story at least once in their life?
Placed in the same universe as the
Grisha trilogy, which is another series
of books by the same author, Six of
Crows by Leigh Bardugo is very
similar, only with an added magical
element. The story follows seventeen
year-old Kaz Brekker, a criminal
prodigy with a devastating past, and
the crew he assembles to break into the
most secure fortress in their universe.
The crew consists of six misfit
characters whom the reader can fall in
love with throughout the book, thanks
to the author’s well-written description
of them. You have Kaz, the reclusive
David Bowie was anything but normal.
Ziggy Stardust, Aladdin Sane, and all
his other characters continually pushed
the boundaries of normalcy at the time,
never giving in to the pressures of society. His lyrics reflected his thoughts on
controversial issues such as nonbinary
genders and social alienation: themes
not often discussed at the time. Rebel
Rebel (1974) examined gender confusion among youth behind a catchy rockand-roll riff: “You’ve got your mother
in a whirl / She’s not sure if you’re a boy
or a girl,” while Fame (1975) explored
the isolating and superficializing effects
of fame and excessive publicity behind
funky rhythms: “Fame, puts you there
where things are hollow / Fame, it’s
not your brain, it’s just the flame / That
burns your change to keep you insane.”
It was the combination of Bowie’s lyrics, his larger-than-life persona
but perhaps most importantly, his music, an agreeable link between people
of all walks of life, that made him a
star. And his stardom gave individuals
who struggled with their own identity a
mainstream outlet of understanding and
acceptance.
“Bowie has always been seen
as a big figure in the LGBTQ community; he came out as bisexual in the
mid-1970s. His lyrics helped other people find solace and help people feel like
they weren’t outsiders,” Bunning continues. “He was a huge figure in the music industry, yet he was telling people
that ‘it was OK to be different,’ which
definitely resonated with the youth of
the ‘60s and ‘70s.”
And now, in 2016, Bowie
shocked us for the last time. David
Bowie passed away on January 10 of
liver cancer in his New York apartment. His death will be mourned not
only by music enthusiasts, but by everyone whose lives he affected through
his career. And since much of today’s
culture, in music, fashion, and in style,
was shaped by Bowie, that should be a
pretty large number.
Suggested listening:
Space Oddity (1969)
The Man Who Sold the World (1970)
Changes (1971)
Ziggy Stardust (1972)
Suffragette City (1972)
Rebel, Rebel (1974)
Fame (1975)
Under Pressure feat. Queen (1981)
Let’s Dance (1983)
Blackstar (2016)
mastermind; Inej, nicknamed “the
Wraith” who is the best thief around
town; Nina, the loving witch; Matthias,
the burly convicted ex-soldier; Jesper,
the charming sharpshooter; and Wylan,
the innocent duke’s son who specializes
in explosives. These six characters have
a bond created through insurmountable
tasks and charismatic traits that makes
you feel all the pain and hardships
they go through, and rejoice when
things go well for them. The reader can
relate to their grounded and diverse
personalities, and even though they
are in a world of magic and criminals,
these characters may remind the reader
of their own friends. The heist itself is
a whirlwind ride, filled with action and
many ups-and-downs. The reader has
no idea what the final outcome will be.
As a story full of romance, intrigue and
surprise, it leaves the reader to await
the next book in the series eagerly.
To suggest a film, album, or book for review, contact
Arts & Culture: 18echambadal@unis.org
7
Music Review: Are You Satisfied?
Slaves’ album Are You Satisfied? Photo By: Aysu Ingrid Haker, T3
By Aysu Ingrid Haker, T3
Some might argue that their
name is controversial, but Slaves certainly caught my attention with their
debut album Are You Satisfied?
With their raw sound, this
Kent duo deliver high energy riffs
and solid beats all whilst conveying
strong messages through meaningful
lyrics. Slaves successfully manage to
bring back the lost essence of 1970s
punk rock. Are You Satisfied? caters
to those who appreciate real rock ‘n’
roll music.
A sneaky guitar riff gently
lures the listener into what the album
is about to offer. The Hunter’s simple
yet powerful lyrics express a common anger and dissatisfaction without
making them sound like some sort of
1990s emo punk band, “So stand up
and speak out/ See that your needs
are met.” Consequently, you are suddenly introduced to the power of the
drums which enter with a strong bang,
almost resembling a “drop” in EDM,
essentially bringing together the three
parts of the song.
Ask a run-of-the-mill mother
what punk rock sounds like and she
might mention something along the
lines of Cheer Up London, the group’s
Movie Review:
Star Wars: The
Force Awakens
Lea Chambadal, T1
The
expectations
were
extremely high for the most recent
and seventh installment of the Star
Wars franchise, The Force Awakens.
Crowds gathered around, and the lines
to buy tickets were very long. But did
the movie live up to expectations?
The prequels that were
released in the early 2000s were a
disappointment for the most part; this
is one of the reasons why this movie
was so highly anticipated. This movie
was not a disappointment; in fact, this
action-packed movie was the second
most popular feature film released
in 2015, after The Revenant. It was
also the most successful movie of
2015 and sold around $907,431,461
in tickets in the box office,
according to the Box Office Mojo.
The Force Awakens takes
place three full decades after the
defeat of the Galactic Empire. A
troubled Stormtrooper who would
like to separate himself from the First
first single. Introduced with evil cackling, it is direct and strongly delivered
with a raw, almost ugly sound and repetitive lyrics.
“It wasn’t her fault / she made
sugar taste like salt” are the opening
lyrics to the heavily guitar riff-driven
Sockets, which is probably the heaviest and strongest sound on the entire
album. With its simple 1-2 drumming
from Isaac Holmen, lead vocalist and
drummer, the song’s emphasis is instantly focused on the harshness of
the guitar almost resembling the guitar on Iggy and The Stooges’ Search
and Destroy. This song also features a
guitar solo, unlike the other songs on
the album.
Other notable songs on the album include Despair and Traffic, Hey,
and Feed the Mantaray.
In an interview with NME,
Slaves said that they believe they “are
exactly what this generation needs,”
and I couldn’t agree more. Their raw,
punk sound and lyrics express the
struggle that many of today’s hardworking youth feel but cannot express
for themselves. I can’t wait to see how
these two musicians progress in the
future.
Order tries to escape with a captured
enemy from the Resistance. We learn
later on that this captured enemy is
Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac), who is
on a mission to find BB-8, a loyal and
adorable droid unit who holds a map
leading to Luke Skywalker. They later
meet Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and
General Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher),
who are fighting against their son, Kylo
Ren (Adam Driver), who has turned to
the dark side. Working together, Han
Solo, Poe Dameron and Rey (Daisy
Ridley) fight against the First Order,
which has a mysterious secret weapon.
All in all, this movie surpassed
expectations, and although not nearly
as thrilling as the original three
movies, it did impress the crowds
in terms of action, plot and special
effects. The acting was also very
well-received, as the producer cast
many actors from the original cast,
such as Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher,
and Peter Mayhew, as well as some
new actors, such as Adam Driver,
Daisy Ridley, and Oscar Isaac. This
mix of old and new made this movie
have a nostalgic feeling of “déjàvu” brought together with a modern
aspect of new up-and-coming actors,
such as Oscar Isaac, who is starring
in X Men: Apocalypse this year.
Sports
8
The Girls Varsity Basketball team. Photo By: Unathi Magubane, T3
What Is an MVP? (continued from
page 6)
ing yards; however, Palmer actually has
the most games passing over 300 yards
of the three, with nine to Brady’s seven
and Newton’s two. Even more impressive is that Palmer was taken out of
the game early in the week five game
against the Detroit Lions as a result of
an ensuing blowout win, which could
have potentially made his stats even
more impressive. Additionally, while
the Cardinals did have a few blowout
wins, Palmer’s forte was succeeding
in more intense scenarios: come-frombehind wins. Palmer led the league in
game-winning drives, with the highest
passer rating of the three candidates
when behind in games.
Newton, the most spectacular
of the three, was the consensus favorite
for the award due to his team’s continuous success throughout the season and
Not a Party in
Rio de Janeiro?
Claudia Amadeo, T3
Two years ago, the world
experienced fourteen thrilling days
of Olympic games in Sochi, Russia.
Skiers, skaters, hockey players,
and more all gathered in the snowy
city, competing to achieve one of
the most coveted accomplishments
in all of sports: the gold medal.
Now, the attention of the
sporting world has shifted in focus,
and temperature, to Brazil. After an
exhilarating yet controversial 2014
World Cup in Brazil, the country is
now hosting another major athletic
event: the 2016 Summer Olympics. In
August, fans, supporters, and athletes
will all be boarding flights to arrive
in the famed city of Rio de Janeiro.
Although Rio de Janeiro’s famous
Copacabana and Ipanema beaches
will be overrun with tourists and
athletes, the city is thrilled to host the
his defining role in orchestrating their
fifteen victories. Yet of the three he was
only the best in two primary categories:
rushing yards and rushing touchdowns,
stats by which quarterbacks are usually
not largely graded. However, this ability to run is what made Newton’s season
so remarkable. Not only did Newton
lead his team to incredible success in
2015 after a 2014 season in which they
barely limped into the playoffs despite
an extremely weak division, he did so
without his go-to receiver from the previous year: Kelvin Benjamin, who tore
his ACL in the preseason. Despite this
injury, Newton threw the second most
amount of passes for touchdowns in the
league, a large number of which went
to Ted Ginn Jr., who prior to this season
had been no more than an average kick
returner. His heightened passing skills
made his ability to run even more dangerous, and this versatility forced other
teams to always be on edge and muted
their ability to anticipate the plays he
was going to run. These advanced performances, coupled with his leadership
to transform a team that had been written off before the season started to the
highest scoring offense in football by
the season’s end, are not completely
measurable by stats, but they certainly
proved to be definitive, as Newton was
ultimately named the league’s Most
Valuable Player.
T3 student Takahiro Origuchi, who won the MVP award in this
season’s Boys Varsity Soccer league,
agrees with the case for Newton, finding similarities between his season and
that of the Panthers’ quarterback.
“A reward is not something you
earn by desiring fame or being fixated
on the thought of getting a good reputation. It’s something you earn when you
work your hardest to attain your goal,”
said Takahiro. “Many people think that
a player with the most goals, saves, or
assists gets the MVP award. In other
words, they only think about statistics.
I earned the Most Valuable Player of
the League award, not the Most Skillful
Player of the League award. I may not
have scored the most goals -- Gregory
[Keh] did that. I may not have had the
most assists -- Max [Neve] had that. But
what I believe, or at least hope I did is
to make a positive influence on every
game I played and my team itself, on
and off the field. That meant preparing
myself for the game on the bus, not giving up under any circumstances, cheering players on to keep on fighting, and
not losing my head during the game.”
With players like Newton and
Takahiro taking the field, the idea of
a “Most Valuable” player takes on a
meaning which supersedes numerical
distinction. It allows us to evaluate athletes based on who they are as performers and who they are as people.
much-anticipated Summer Olympics.
During the seventeen days
of the esteemed event, there will be
306 medal events for athletes that
have devoted years of training and
effort to compete in the Olympic
Games. For golf and rugby fans, the
upcoming event is very special, as
golf is returning to the Olympics after
fourteen years, and rugby is returning
to the Olympics after 92 years. The
best part about the Olympics is that you
do not need to be a sports enthusiast
to still enjoy the amazing experience.
“Even though I don’t really
like sports, I’m really excited for
the upcoming Olympics in Rio de
Janeiro. I think it’s a good way of
bringing people together, and I’m
looking forward to watching it,” said
T3 student Noelle Mahr, who excitedly
awaits watching Japan, her home
country, participate in the Games.
Indeed, people from all over
the world will be brought together to
celebrate a mutual passion for sports
and national pride. Known as Cidade
Maravilhosa, or the Marvelous City, Rio
is preparing to host over 10,000 athletes
from 206 countries. The second-largest
city in Brazil, it has been split up into four
regions: Deodoro, Maracanã, Barra, and
Copacabana. In these regions, beautiful
stadiums, arenas, and courts have
been built for the competing athletes.
45,000 volunteers, 85,000 outsourced
staff, and 6,500 employees have all
contributed to the planning of the event.
Even though millions of people
are looking forward to the Olympics,
there are many who stand opposed to
the locale and the facilitation of the
event. Brazilians, and others around the
world, are unhappy with the Brazilian
government. Initially, when Brazil
submitted a bid for the opportunity to host
the Olympics, the country was thriving
economically and socially. However,
Brazil’s society and economy have
significantly degenerated over the last
decade, leaving the country in one of its
worst economic situations in its history.
The World Cup was supposed
to bring in massive amounts of revenue
to facilitate an economic rebound, but
the cost of the construction of many
of the soccer stadiums countered the
influx of revenue, leaving the country
just as economically unstable as before.
Brazilians across the entire country
are even protesting to impeach the
President, Dilma Rousseff. Millions of
Brazilians are harshly criticizing the
government’s decision to spend money
on the Olympics instead of focusing on
issues with the economy, infrastructure,
and social systems throughout Brazil.
“Dilma is extremely focused
on the appearance of the country at
the international level, so she ignores
the basic needs of the Brazilian
population,” said T3 student Larissa
Morimoto, who is half-Brazilian and
agrees strongly with the protests.
Ultimately, the Olympics will
undoubtedly require Brazil to spend
enormous amounts of money on the
event, rather than focusing on the
people of Brazil. But, one can hope that
the Olympics will return economic and
social benefits to the country as a whole.
manage to stay positive, finding humor
and inspiration in mishaps. In a recent
50-34 loss against Browning, the team
collectively missed four free throws.
Instead of allowing the
mistake-riddled defeat to get to them,
the team, Epstein says, took the loss
as an opportunity to learn. “We were
missing a couple of players so we
didn’t blame one person for the loss.
As a team, we actually discussed
it [after the game], and what we
should do in the future to improve.”
With such a positive attitude,
it is no wonder the team has such high
expectations for themselves. “I predict
that we’ll at least qualify for playoffs,
and if we show that we want it by playing
and working hard for each other, I could
see us winning the championship,” Elder
says. When asked about how realistic
these aspirations were, he replied
confidently, “With the kids we have on
this team, I could see us achieving that.”
The Junior Varsity team
represents the future of UNIS basketball,
as they will soon be taking on the
roles of Varsity contributors. Given
their maturity and growing success,
it appears a bright future is ahead.
Team Spotlight: Boys Junior Varsity
Basketball
Zach Weiss, T3
The Boys Junior Varsity
Basketball team has gotten off to a good
start to the season, ranking 4th in their
league with a 6-4 record. A large part of
their success has been team morale and
team chemistry on and off the court, both
of which are big points of emphasis for
T2 co-captains Charles Elder and Soyer
Epstein. In separate conversations
with each of the two, both emphasized
“communication on offense and
Members of the Girls Junior Varsity Basketball team during a game against
the Calhoun School. Photo By: Unathi Magubane, T3
defense” as keys to the team’s successes.
“The ultimate goal of every
team member is to bring another
championship to UNIS,” said Epstein.
The two went on to emphasize that they
wished to improve their own personal
skills as a means of improving their
individual contributions to the team.
The growth of these young
players as team members on their
road to success is to be specifically
commended. Even in defeat the boys