Weather Extremes: Will They Ever Stop?
“As the years go on, everything tells me it will get worse. I am not sure what to do with such feelings.”
Waves of intense weather events transpired over the past few months. These severe weather incidents rarely occur in New York. From multiple heat advisory warnings throughout the summer, to the Canadian wildfire impact, it doesn't stop just there. The most recent event in New York was the major flooding. Doesn’t this seem abnormal to you? Many people had complications as they dealt with the drastic circumstances, including myself. As you continue to read this article, I'll be going in-depth regarding my experiences during the aforementioned catastrophes, how these events affected my life, and the feelings I’ve encountered.
June 6th was the day before the entirety of NYC would have an orange smokey tint from Canadian wildfires. Before my brother informed me, I was not completely aware of what was occurring. Nothing like this happens in New York particularly. I was very confused and concerned. The air quality got worse and worse as the hours went by. On June 7th, 2023, the air was engulfed in a hazy orange, apocalyptic sky. There were warnings issued to the affected regions especially within New York. On social media and in the news, a lot of people were discussing these wildfires in Canada; people were struggling to breathe with the air quality at its worst initiating our school to close for safety reasons. New articles have said the cause of the wildfires were drought and warmer than average temperatures.
The summer of 2023 was just as unsatisfactory as the previous circumstance. Intense waves of heat were surpassing the 90 degrees mark. In this duration of nonstop heat, I had an internship. Leaving to go to work would feel as if I was burning under the sun. Although most of my time working there would be indoors, the humidity was the worst. I had almost passed out twice during my time there, fearful I would again. When it was time for me to leave, the heat was just as severe as the morning. I, myself, never enjoyed the summer for this reason, yet it made me feel a sense of concern. Summer was usually a season filled with heat intensifying moments, but this one was extremely unenjoyable to be in.
Finally, as I walked to school one day this fall, there was an intense amount of rain dropping from the sky. I like the rain, but I didn’t expect it to get as extreme as it did that day. Reaching the entrance of Comp Sci High, I waited to get in. Rain poured hard. Thunder struck. Everyone was in shock. Although this had happened, we proceeded to enter the building, for it might turn for the better. This wasn’t the case. The sounds of rain kept pouring louder and louder as I moved from class to class. One classroom in particular, the labroom, was covered in a fog on all its windows. The flood had been getting worse since entering. Because of intensified events, we were issued to leave after lunch. The journey home for everyone was completely different. Long distances would be charged highly for Ubers, trains weren’t fully running, and students walking would need to ensure that everything they had would be safe from water damage.
Witnessing the predicaments of these harsh events, I’ve felt feelings of distress and unease. For most of my time living in New York, I have only witnessed a few events as sudden and chaotic as these. They’ve been appearing more and more frequently, every few two to three months. What other events are to come? Will it just be as vivid and fierce? Will the solutions people have to prevent and reduce the impact of global warming push through? As the years go on, everything tells me it will get worse. I am not sure what to do with such feelings.
The Mental Health of Student Athletes
“But in the end, the thing that causes the stress also helps to relieve the stress. Once you step your feet onto the track, run on the turf, perfect the perfect move, feel the blood, sweat, and tears in sports – then the hours spent working make the stress of doing things worth it all.”
What is an athlete? An athlete is a person who participates in physical exercise or sports. To be an athlete you must possess strength, ability, and endurance. You must be willing to encounter obstacles and adversity along the way. As an athlete, if you overcome challenges and adversity, you are successful and a champion, even if you do not win every race. But what does it take for an athletic high school student to become a champion? More specifically, what does it take for Comp Sci High athletes?
As a student athlete myself, I can say it takes effort. Waking up early before school just to head to track practice is not easy. In those early morning hours, the sun isn't fully up yet. My mind worries about the day that lies ahead of me. I have to ask if I will make it in time to practice, if I forgot my books at home, if I have time to finish my homework.
Anxiety must be natural in these moments. However, after running in track practice I feel successful. I feel accomplished that I completed my first task for the day, and I feel ready to start my school day.
Stress is always a factor. It can be difficult for young adults to juggle school work and sports. You have to find time to manage both, especially if you want to succeed. To further understand this I talked to Arnel from the basketball team. Arnel told me: “School work can feel very tedious. I find myself having to find certain working windows for my work and for sports.” While interviewing Arnel, I realized student athletes have it twice as difficult as non student athletes. This is because student athletes have twice the amount of pressure. They are twice as likely to fail, just as they are twice as likely to succeed. Student athletes may feel they have to be successful in both the classroom and their sport. If they are not successful in one aspect, they may feel that it will be impossible not to fail in the other. But how do they become successful? What leads to them becoming a champion?
Teddy Roosevelt once said “it is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.” He continued: “The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena,whose face is marred by the dust and sweat and blood.” When I think of this, it makes me want to try, and to keep trying.
When I have had a big exam for AP Biology and a track meet the next day, I have so much anxiety. I fluctuate between the option to consider training for my race or studying for my exam; the stress that floods my brain is like no other stress. I feel depressed and during my race day, I end up feeling I could have done better. To combat this stress in the future, I refer back to my name “student-athlete.” The student comes before the athlete. I created working windows to do my work during certain times in the day and the times I have practices. This strategy has helped diminish my anxiety and depression for time management of sports and school.
But in the end, the thing that causes the stress also helps to relieve the stress. Once you step your feet onto the track, run on the turf, perfect the perfect move, feel the blood, sweat, and tears in sports – then the hours spent working make the stress of doing things worth it all.
What It Means to Cheat
“I used to play 2nd base because I wanted to be like Jose Altuve, the champion of small kids everywhere. How do you think it made me feel the player that I looked up had to cheat to win? It destroyed me.”
When I was a kid, I used to look up to David Ortiz, the big Dominican slugger that played for the Boston Red Sox and won 3 World Series. He was who almost every Dominican kid looked up to in the neighborhood, but in 2016, he retired after an amazing campaign. I lost my role model, and I needed to find another player to look up to.
My search stopped when I watched Jose Altuve play. He had the same small skinny body I had, but was better than 95% of the league and had just gotten to the playoffs in 2015 with the franchise that drafted him after more than a decade of the Astros being out of the playoffs.
Until the end of 2019, Altuve had been the most looked-up player by fans, but this changed in an instant when he was accused – along with the Astros team – of cheating. Everyone thought it was fake because this has not been seen in a decade, and even 13 year old me thought this was fake. But then the evidence came out. This made me lose all of the respect I had for Altuve. He went from my favorite player to my most hated because he just ruined my dream. Even though this was not confirmed in 2019, when Altuve hit a game winning homerun to send the Astros to the World Series, he refused to take off his shirt so that they could throw gatorade all over him to celebrate. Other players and fans have speculated that the Astros were also cheating in 2019. This just made it worse and the player that pushed every small baseball player image just kept getting worse. This just ruined my whole childhood of watching the Astros in just a couple of months.
It is pretty clear to everyone that the Astros have dominated the baseball world from 2017-2023, but what they did in 2017 is something that both children and adult baseball fans will never forget. They stole signs and won the World Series, but even worse, they acted like it was not a big issue. This impacted kids, and adults, but even more; it impacted the baseball players that do not know how good they could've been. The baseball players wonder about the contract they could've gotten if these Astros players did not get inflated ones, and the pitcher stats that were impacted negatively because of the Astros knowing what was coming. But most importantly they cheated, and kids that look up to them like myself lost all of the respect for these players, and it made me think, to be a good small player that can hit homers: do you need to cheat?
This is something that had a major impact around the sport world, and the first reason is because a team that had an advantage over others won the world series. This is not fair to the people that bet money on sport and lost money because the team that they were betting against had an advantage and that was the only reason that they lost. This is a huge issue because it happened at such a high level were player get million of dollar to play their childhood dream, and the hitter knows it a 95 mile per hour fastball is coming, it is easier to hit than someone that thinks it is a 95 MPH hour fastball, but get trick and is really a 80 MPH curveball.
Imagine being a free agent in the offseason after the 2017 season, and then you had to face the Astros. Or imagine being a free agent a year after you were cheating with the 2017 Astros. Teams might have thought you just had a down season when in reality it was that you were now playing fair and could not perform at such a high level without cheating. For example, a player like Marwin Gonzalez got a decent contract in the 2018-2019 offseason, but did not perform anywhere near the expectation the Twins had. Marwin Gonzalez received a more-than-20 million dollar contract from the Twins for 2 years. In baseball, a basic stat that compares a hitter to the league without having to know much about the sport is WRC+, which combines every hitting stat together, adjusts to the ballpark you’re playing in and gives you a number. The average league wide is 100 WRC+; if you're lower than 100 you’re below league average, and if you're above 100 you’re above the league average. ERA+ has the same concept just that it’s for pitching. A player like Wade Miley got a contract from the Houston Astros for 4,500,000 million dollars and performed at a 116 ERA+ and Marwin Gonzalez that same year had a 69 WRC+. This shows how Marwin Gonzalez was providing negative value to his team every time he went up to the plate. It also shows how players from the 2017 Astros were having negative impacts on the contracts that other players were receiving.
The biggest impact that this situation had was the impact that it had on children and teenagers that were really big fans of the Astros and their players. Someone like Jose Altuve sitting at 5 feet, 6 inches and weighing 160 lbs was able to beat Aaron Judge sitting at 6 feet, 7 inches, weighing 280 lbs in the MVP race for the American League.
As a kid this gave me joy and I wanted to play harder because I was really small. I used to play 2nd base because I wanted to be like Jose Altuve, the champion of small kids everywhere. How do you think it made me feel the player that I looked up had to cheat to win? It destroyed me. It was like his whole legacy was deleted because he was the team leader and in the MLB and fans have never hated until then, he had been someone that people respected and looked up to.
In the year 2020 many Astros players were being plunked(Hit by a pitch intentionally) and in after 2021 when covid had slowed down and fans were allowed in games every time a Astros got up to the plate he was being boo. Astros players influenced childrens to cheat by using trash bangs to say the pitch that was coming. The role model of the MLB started being called a cheater and no one looked up to him anymore. Also, these players did not receive a fair punishment and this impacted kids as well because they saw that players could cheat and not get any punishment that will really affect them. Kids saw how they could cheat as well because if there is no big punishment in the MLB what punishment will they receive in schools or in their sports games. This is something that the MLB should have made an example for everyone and show how cheating is not something that should happen in sports or in real life, even though they did something good because they suspended the managers, and made them give an apology. But, that is not enough. I believe players should have gotten punishment as well because they are grown men and could make their own choices.
This Cheating Scandal is very timely because it’s something that will be remembered, until baseball is over. This is like the cheating scandal of the White Sox that happened more than a century ago but people still remember it. Pete Rose, who bet on games and was banned from baseball, has the most hits in MLB history, but heis not a part of the Hall of Fame because of betting. But, the Astros that cheated and changed what was happening in the game only punishment was 4 draft picks and international money. This is mindblowing and players and coaches should have received harder punishment because that was basically stealing a World Series ring from the Dodgers. The 2017 season will always be remembered as the what if season? What if the NY Yankees could have gotten number 28? What if the Dodgers could have won their first World Series since 1988?
This is something that does not just impact baseball;it also shows how far role models can fall. We often place our trust in people we don’t fully know. It’s important because it shows how low the morale of these players must be that they would throw their dignity away in exchange for money and an unearned World Series ring. It makes me think: if even these professional players would be willing to do such a thing, what does that mean for us?
What Happens When One Is Missing?
“Not only did I feel different, I was treated differently because some believed I would become a statistic. Another number added to the system, a son paying for the sins of his father.”
We all know the stereotypical role of a man and woman in parenting. Many in society today believe that a man's job is to protect and provide for his family and women are seen to stay home and take care of the children. But it's not that simple. Parents are way more important than that, and their jobs as parents are way more complex than a lot of people may believe.
Yes, we all know that parents are important, but what happens when one is missing? Kids from single-parent families are more likely to face emotional and behavioral health challenges like aggression or engaging in high-risk behaviors when compared to peers raised by married parents. I, who have been raised in a single parent home, can speak on my experience with an absent father. I wished that my dad was there for my football games. Or even when I started talking to girls, but for me and others in single parent homes, that's the unfortunate reality. When I was a kid, my father not being there really made me angry, because I would see some kids' fathers come pick them up from music concerts and basketball games, but mine couldn't even show up for a parent teacher conference, which made me feel unwanted and different from the others. Not only did I feel different, I was treated differently because some believed I would become a statistic. Another number added to the system, a son paying for the sins of his father.
As a result, I was always great in school and loved learning. But I was also very angry at the world and myself which led to me being violent with everyone and everything around me. Inside I knew that wasn't me, but at a point in time I started to believe that's all I can be: a misfit, a juvenile delinquent, a mistake, or just another kid chasing his father and just miserable all the time. My mama always said that, in life, in order to be successful you must be prepared but who can prepare for the wrath of the world if you think the world already believes that you're just another failure.
I can say that all children need both parents in their life. Why? Because there are some things that a father can't teach that a mother can. And there are some things a mother can't teach that a father can. A child needs both perspectives; without both, that child will suffer.
The presence of both parents in a child's life is a vital component of their overall well-being and development. The influence of a mother and a father, each contributing their unique qualities, nurtures emotional resilience, social competence, and cognitive growth in children. And in society today, children need to be able to socially adapt to the environment around them or else it will just eat them up. I argue that the impact of a single parent household makes it hard for some, but not all, children because they lack the motivation and perspective from both of their parents to do well for themselves. This influences them to make bad decisions that will likely ruin their academic, social, and economic lives in the future.
You ever hear the saying, more is caught than taught? Children are like sponges. They pick up everything and anything they see, good or bad. And they take what they learn from childhood to adulthood. Without the proper guidance, children who are negatively affected by a single parent household don't know how to assess or face life challenges when they are presented to them.
A Trip Down Memory Lane
“I came to this school with the intention of a fresh start. From that day on, I can truly say that this school has changed me for the better. It’s been 3 years now, and my chapter is slowly coming to an end.”
THUMP. THUMP.
I felt my heart racing as I signed onto a Zoom call for orientation. It was my first day of high school. Emotions for sure ran high. It was 8:59 AM, and school started at 9. I clicked join meeting, and there I was faced with the girls of the ‘Proudest Family,’ along with my advisor: Ms.Haught. This was the very beginning of my high school experience. I came to this school with the intention of a fresh start. From that day on, I can truly say that this school has changed me for the better. It’s been 3 years now, and my chapter is slowly coming to an end.
Comp Sci High’s mission statement is to ensure every student graduates with college acceptance letters, high tech skills, real work experience, and a plan to turn those opportunities into a successful career. Being here at this school I have trust in their mission statement. As I am in the process of my senior year, I know that I will get into college because of this school. The opportunities at these schools are endless; we have a website just for job opportunities. These internships gave me the insight of how working in the real world is. Not many students my age are fortunate to experience that.
My very first internship was SYEP: Summer Youth Employment Program. I was put in the healthcare field, I learned how the day to day life looked like. I worked for Project Destined, a real estate internship where we learned about real estate, real estate opportunities, and real estate investing. Then, I did an internship at BlackRock, an asset management firm, where I worked nine-to-five for the first time. I got to work in the global marketing field. It was such a cool experience. These internships inspired me to do better, teach me to network, and to care for my future.
Schools in the Bronx are often underestimated, since the Bronx is one of the poorest and underdeveloped boroughs. There tends to be this stigma and stereotype that Bronx residents can’t do well in life or “get out” of the Bronx because of the limited resources that are provided. Comp Sci High strives to break that stereotype by providing their students with opportunities such as internships, college counseling, and a community where you know you are always safe and welcomed. Comp Sci High gives their current and graduated students a sense of “home” so when students graduate they know they have a group of people rooting for them and always there to help them.
This school is very big on building community as an addition to breaking stereotypes, so black and brown minorities have a sense of shared identity. When enrolled in this school you are placed into an advisory where you are with around 20 kids, who are basically your family. These are the people you spend the rest of your 4 years with and gain multiple friendships from. Comp Sci high is not just a school where it is just class and then you go home. We incorporate many different ideas and aspects to make school a better place. These are the people you laugh, cry, argue, and make memories with. This is what makes Comp Sci different; we establish a sense of community. No one wants to go to a place where they spend almost 8 hours a day, 5 days a week without enjoying being there or vibing with the people you engage with.
Yahillyah Shaim, a senior, mentioned how advisory is a consistent space for students to get closer together: “Advisory has changed from what it was before, not only because of my attitude but because advisors implement games, and activities to build community.” She went on: “In advisory last week, we were playing jeopardy, it was very competitive and fun to come into a space, relax and have fun with your peers without worrying about stress.” On top of advisory we have mix and mingle activities, dress down days based on community culture, and apartments. Once in a while, we dress down based on things that need more awareness. At school we recently wore blue for Bullying Awareness Day and teal or purple for Suicide Prevention Day.
This year Comp Sci High is working hard to build a stronger sense of community because there is potential to be better than previous years. So far this year the biggest help in bringing the community together was Spirit Week. Spirit Week is a week of school dedicated towards school spirit and community bonding.
Being in the process of bringing the idea to life was very fun and an eye-opening experience. Adyel Lantigua, a senior in the advisory Hard Work Pays Off, mentioned how he doesn’t think most high schools in New York City do something like Spirit Week and “if there’s anything [he] would remember about high school it would be this.” This just goes to show the way that Spirit Week had an impression on him.
Alex Narvaez, a senior in the advisory, The Proudest Family, mentioned how he really enjoyed Spirit Week: “Spirit Week made me feel like I’m able to be myself without being criticized.” Special thanks go out to Mr. Mosley, Ms. Alder, Ms. Kniesh, and Senior Council for putting it all together. Even more thanks go out to teachers and advisors that organized and built up hype, got pied in the face, organized the volleyball tournament, and hosted the pep rally.
Thinking back to that moment years ago when I logged on to advisory with Ms. Haught, It felt like these years have gone by in the blink of an eye. From 9th to 12th grade, this school has changed me in so many ways I could not imagine. I grew immensely as an individual and made so many friends and memories that helped push me out of my shell and taught me many valuable lessons. While coming to school everyday is not always something I look forward to, I’m still happy with my choice of school and grateful for this community. High school is slowly coming to an end, and it’s a bittersweet moment as it also welcomes many unique and beautiful beginnings – that first step into adulthood.
Bronx Student-Athlete: A Day in the Life
“For many student athletes, this is the norm: balancing school with sports, when what they love is sports. The sacrifices they make are in the pursuit of their love for the game.”
"Beep," "Beeep," "Beeeep." This is the hardest part of the day – getting up early, at 6 am, just to wash my face, brush my teeth, and complete my normal morning routine. The snooze button sits right underneath my pillow. Looking at the time, I know I have to get up and start my day. I groggily get out of bed, head straight to the bathroom, and go through the regular motions. Leaving the bathroom, I try to figure out what I'm going to wear to the gym. This is where the rush begins. It's 6:25 am, and my bag isn't packed, my stomach is empty, and I'm barely dressed. Time is valuable, and being late is not an option for the 7 am practice. Coach would kill me.
As I rush to leave the house, I quickly throw on the school sweatsuit I prepared the night before and add drinks to my bag to stay hydrated throughout the day. But before I head out, I make a quick protein shake to serve as some type of breakfast. "Step," "Step," "Step." I jog my way to the train station, trying to figure out what time I'll arrive. It's 6:43 am, and I have 17 minutes to reach the school. The train arrives in 1 minute, which means I'll have to run straight to the school from the train station. I know this is just the start of the day, and I'm already rushing. I make it to school right on time for the 7 am practice. I change, stretch, run, warm up, do layups, shoot, dribble, and hear the sneakers squeak as sweat hits the floor. The real fun begins with 1v1s, 3v3s, and 5v5s. In the last 10 minutes of practice, the trash talk and hard work pay off.
The happiest part of my day comes to an end, and I transition to my school uniform. I leave the gym and head straight upstairs to my first period. Now, after giving my all in practice and battling the urge to fall asleep, I know I must give my 100% during class time to maintain my grades up to my own standards.
For many student athletes, this is the norm: balancing school with sports, when what they love is sports. The sacrifices they make are in the pursuit of their love for the game. It's irrelevant which sport it is; it demands time, dedication, and an abundance of hard work. This also ties back to the intersection of academics and sports. At times, student-athletes find themselves having to decline opportunities they'd like to pursue in order to excel in the sport they love. The love for sports often serves as the sole means through which they can truly be themselves, find happiness, and reduce stress, as there's no greater sensation than losing track of time and immersing themselves in what they love.
The stress from last night's homework, late nights, and early mornings is ever-present. It's become a part of my daily routine. I aim to balance what I want to do with what I have to do. Throughout the school day, I find any available time, whether it's during lunch or a study period, to start on the day's homework. This head start reduces the stress level associated with pending assignments since I've already made a dent in them. I do everything in my power to complete as much work as possible during school hours, granting me some free time after school. This way, I don't have to worry about the pile of homework that needs attention. However, I usually spend some time after school with a teacher, working on subjects I struggle with. This extra help keeps me on track and ensures I understand the material better.
Overwhelm is part of the norm for student-athletes. They feel an enormous sense of stress when trying to balance various aspects of their lives. This can have an impact on one's mental health. It's already challenging for student-athletes to juggle their sport and academics, and many of them also grapple with personal issues. These personal struggles can further compound the stress and feelings of being overwhelmed. Speaking from the perspective of a student-athlete, there are both good and bad days, and this fluctuation affects their physical and mental well-being. This is simply the reality for us as student-athletes.
The stressful school day eventually ends around 4:15 pm. I head down the block from school, craving my first meal of the day. I know that after eating, it's time for my daily stress-reliever and therapy session: basketball. I head to a nearby court, either alone or with a friend, to work on our individual skills, motivating each other to push our limits. This typically takes place between 5:30 pm and 8:00 pm. Afterward, I head home, either on a 15 to 30 minute train ride or a bike ride. Finally, I get home to eat or go to the deli to grab something to eat, and I eagerly anticipate a refreshing shower. The day is almost over, and I'm torn between the desire to sleep between 9:30 pm and 10 pm, considering how tiring the day has been. However, I'm aware I still have homework to complete, so I use the last 2 hours of my day for that, or for what I perceive as some well-deserved relaxation and a meal.
At last, the day is done as I slowly wind down and reflect on all that I've accomplished for the day. As I begin my nighttime routine and prepare my clothes and school materials for the next day, I think back on plays I made, assignments I completed and decisions I made throughout the day that affected the outcome of this day.
How can I do it better? How can I excel at my game to the next level? School drifts to the back of my mind. It is always about the game.
Making the Case for Women’s Sports: A Conversation
“Many women think of themselves as good players, but some men seem to bring women’s confidence down when they play any sports. When I am on the court, I feel tension coming from the huge crowd of boys.”
You may ask yourself: Why should I care about women's sports? They do not affect me personally, you may think, which may be true until you really consider your community here at Comp Sci High. There is a huge importance placed on community, but why not shed light on one of the biggest aspects of culture and community? The sports world.
Humu:
As a basketball player at Comp Sci High, I ask myself what is women's basketball? All I mostly hear about is men's basketball but where is the diversity in that? I’ve also noticed a disproportionate amount of people going to men’s basketball games than women's basketball games. It is not only in basketball but in all sports. There are signs of judgment and inequality when it comes to women's sports.
At Comp Sci High, the girls basketball team is not as known as the boys. This is a problem that has to be addressed because we all work as a team, and yet the boys get more gear, attention, and recognition.
I play the same sport as them and what do I get? It comes to the point when us girls have to ask for things we want instead of being provided with them. There are also points that lead to what women should wear or not wear on court. An example would be volleyball. Women’s volleyball is different from men’s volleyball because of what they wear. It is harder for women because we live in a society where people dress code you because “your shorts are too short” or “you're showing too much skin”, while in reality those are the rules defined by the play book.
With that being said, women's sports need to be acknowledged.
Adyel:
As a man who isn’t too into sports as much as my peers, I still hear conversations about the WNBA and NBA and have noticed a pattern of men getting oddly hostile when it comes to talking about women's ability in the sports world.
I interviewed Laila Ayala, who has been playing basketball her entire life and started being on a team in 5th grade, and she shared her experiences. Laila was “the best three-point shooter in the school” at the time. She noticed that whenever she missed shots and her male counterparts missed shots, the reactions were different.
When a boy would miss a shot, there wasn’t much of a reaction behind the miss, but when Laila missed, someone would yell “Ben Simmons” or make other remarks insulting her skills. This behavior men have toward female athletes persists into high school and the adult world. As I interviewed Coach Johnson, I asked her if the boys she's around make fun of their female peers' skills, and she said yes, which is why she was “happy to talk to the boys about being a female presence that’ll make them think twice about their behavior."
I wanted to write about women's sports because, as someone who is completely removed from the world of sports, I found it strange that I still heard discussions berating women for their skills.
Humu:
After reading Adyel’s POV on women sports, I agree with everything he had to say about it. Also as a basketball player, I started on a team when I was in 5th grade and it's been quite a journey.
Middle school basketball is different from high school basketball. Our generation has changed and now there are many comments that would be said to women. In some cases, men don’t like to be compared to women. They take it as an insult because they think of women as weaker than men and not capable of playing sports.
This shouldn’t be the ideal solution to our problems. Men should hold themselves accountable when it comes to women's sports; they should think of women’s sports with the same respect as men’s sports.
Many women think of themselves as good players, but some men seem to bring women's confidence down when they play any sports. When I am on the court, I feel tension coming from the huge crowd of boys.
This is an issue that needs to be addressed.
Adyel:
I admired Humu’s point about men disliking being compared to women, which I agree comes from a place of seeing women as inferior.
Speaking with members of the girl;s basketball team, I know the work and effort they put into perfecting their craft, which boys who play basketball and have been on teams can relate to. It makes me question if they know or speak to the girls who participate in the same sport as them.
A point I find interesting is that I’ve heard both coaches complain about how the team is doing at a current point in time, and the complaints are very different. The boy’s team during drills would be laughing, or their coach would feel like they’re not putting in the effort they should and treating practice as more of a joke a general sense of immaturity, which of course isn’t all the time, but with the girl’s team, the complaint seems to be about the coach wanting them to hustle and put in more effort into what they're practicing.
Humu:
Hustle? What does that mean? It's when we all have the power to go above and beyond and act upon it. We hustle all the time.
It's different because I’ve also heard stories that boys don't take their practices seriously, unlike girls. Which in Adyel's point he seem to mention that as well. I heard feedback from a boy’s coach perspective and a girl’s coach perspective.
Both coaches said a thing that unites the teams is that there could be more effort in their education. At Comp Sci High, both boys and girls players often take basketball as our number one priority.
Adyel:
As I mentioned before, I’m far removed from the sports world, seeing as I neither watch nor participate in any sports currently. But back when I practiced karate, my instructors made sure everyone was equal in not only treatment but also in how we were taught. Their mission wasn’t gender equality but to teach us – point blank.
Instead of making us view each other as competition, i.e., boys vs. girls, we were put together to fight one another. When we would spar, we saw each other as peers and a family. Even when we sparred with each other, if someone was kicked or punched by a peer, it wasn’t seen as embarrassing, but as a learning opportunity.
An issue I see in the sports world is comparison turning into competition, which I believe leads to certain comments being made toward female sports personalities.
Adyel & Humu:
Comp Sci High, during Spirit Week, students came along and dressed up and participated in a wide variety of ways to show off school spirit. Our question is, how can we keep this school spirit going if we’re not showing up for girls sports teams the way we do for our boys team? The meaning of this conversation wasn’t to create conflict but to shed light on the issues and opinions our girl’s teams have to face. We felt the need to write about the girl’s team, as we feel as though they don’t receive as much investment of attention as their other peers.
It would be appreciated for the crowd that shows up for the boys to also show up for the girls. This will not only boost the women's confidence but they will feel like the sport they are playing is taken seriously, and with respect.
The “Crazy Women” of Music
“Young women everywhere are going through things that hurt and break them, and music written by women is something that most of us find solace in because it grasps at the emotional turmoil we all feel but cannot explain.”
Oh, you know, like, she just writes songs about her ex-boyfriends. All of her songs are just about relationships. There’s no substance there. These are some of the common criticisms of women in music. The list goes on. In the music world, it's very common for musicians to produce songs about their heartbreaks and emotions. But somehow, women are dehumanized for this while men are simultaneously being uplifted and loved for it. Women use their art to express the factors of womanhood, women listening to their music can relate profoundly to the lyrics of their songs.
Womanhood means being told to stop being overly dramatic, to make our emotions die down because of how they will make others feel (men, especially). Often, men will try to protect themselves from women’s feelings, as such feelings disrupt how they view women from their male gaze.
Taylor Swift is a very beloved artist, but just as much as she’s loved she’s equally hated because she actually speaks her mind. Once, when the Netflix show Ginny and Georgia made a sexist joke about Swift, she tweeted: “Hey Ginny & Georgia, 2010 called and it wants its lazy, deeply sexist joke back. How about we stop degrading hard working women by defining this horse shit as FuNnY.”
Swift is also very open with her fanbase on what's going on in her life, making many love her transparency and showing that she is very upfront and doesn't hide much from her fans, unlike many other artists. Taylor Swift has been in the music industry since she was 16, so obviously her life since then has been in the spotlight, and people have followed her every move and stage that's led her from being a teenage girl into a woman.
A lot of Swift's songs are about her trauma and emotions she felt while being in relationships with older men like John Mayer and Jake Gyllenhall. In song lyrics, she has expressed this pain and confusion and discomfort: “Don’t you think I was too young to be messed with,” “Don’t you think nineteen's too young,” “Give me back my girlhood, it was mine first.”
Being judged by the media for just being a girl who has been “in many relationships” is deeply unfair; no one was seeing and understanding that she was openly telling us how much she regrets and what she was going through during these tough times. It goes to show that the media only cares about making negative comments when it comes to bashing women; in the case of Swift, they never questioned why these two grown men were willingly dating her but instead blamed the victim.
Lana Del Rey is someone who also expresses the depth of emotion a girl can feel. As a teenage girl it's normal and often that I feel misunderstood, like there's no words to describe how I feel. When I listen to Lana Del Rey, as she sings, I can feel her words connecting with everything I'm feeling or thinking. When women make music about personal things, it resonates especially with girls because we have so many shared experiences. Lana connects with her audience through her deep lyrics: “I'm not afraid to say that I'd die without him, who else is going to put up with me this way. I need you, I breathe you, I’d never leave you." Lana loves hard; her audience can see and feel that. Teenage girls love hard in general when they find that one person they actually connect with. Lana’s lyrics may seem overdramatic, but most girls can understand her because they know what it's like to be unhealthily and hopelessly in love with a person.
The media doesn't understand this, they bash her and call her crazy. Her lyrics are clearly toxic, as it's not normal to be this unhealthily in love with a person, but she should still be treated with compassion because she's obviously struggling with this. Society is quick to call Lana insane but dont even try to empathize with her. This all contributes to sexism because as a society, it's normal to belittle women for the serious music they produce rather than taking into account their feelings and lives.
Young women everywhere are going through things that hurt and break them, and music written by women is something that most of us find solace in because it grasps at the emotional turmoil we all feel but cannot explain. Women who make that music can pour their essence into it, their innermost thoughts and feelings, and their personal experiences. Those factors are exactly what strikes a chord with young women because they can relate to such passion and experience in their own lives. The women in the music industry get torn down regularly for the music they make when, in actuality, it helps young women the most. Instead of being “torn down,” these women should be praised for their perseverance through hard times while still being strong and successful artists.
When Did What a Woman Wears Become Your Decision?
Sluts. Hoes. Birds. Whores. These are some of the most common words people use to describe women today, often as a direct judgment of how a woman decides to dress. Clothes: they are items, accessories, identities and part of fashion. What is the right way to wear the clothing on our bodies? Often women feel discouraged by what they wear because they think others will judge them, and they are completely right. People have made society to be a place where women are called names, and much more, so why would women feel comfortable wearing what they want to wear when they are always being criticized?
Women have also been shamed because of their body types; when they’re too thick and wear something “short,” it’s attention seeking, but then when they’re skinny or small, all of a sudden a short skirt is fine. Why is that?
There have come times in this school environment when young women have been flagged for wearing something as simple as sweat shorts, and literally when compared to some young men, it’s the same size and length. Suddenly there’s a shift in how people view things between both genders. So, we want to ask the question: is the problem really what women wear, or how society perceives and polices what they wear? In a world where women are judged and labeled for what they wear, the real question comes up: Is it about the clothing of a woman, or the societal expectations imposed on their clothing?
In order to think about this more deeply, we want to discuss this issue within four categories: different bodies, different genders, different standards, and different settings.
Different Bodies
Are clothes that women wear really shorter than the “established limits,” or is that just what people want us to think? Who gave anyone the right to determine the right length our clothing should be in order to be accepted in a specific environment? Everyone wears clothes but then there becomes this dilemma of it not being the right fit on that person. Was wearing what we want ever that serious? Everyday, I see young women wearing clothes that are a little bit shorter than the societal “limit,” and I watch them get flagged for it. And I also notice that bigger girls are often persecuted more in the school environment than slimmer girls for what they wear.
Women are often objectified at Comp Sci High and it’s to a point where no one wants to speak up anymore because they feel like no change is going to happen. Quite frankly, the adult women in the environment often have so much to say on what young women wear. Is this because they want to protect us? Or is it because they already know how women get viewed for their bodies? For example Emilie Davis, who has often been “dress coded,” expresses that, though the adult’s intentions are pure, they don’t seem to enforce these intentions in the same way between both body types. She feels that, because she’s curvier, she seems more grown, so the staff are quicker to shut down any perceived “violations.” When doing that, they wait outside the bathroom for her to get fully changed into the right clothing before she’s let back into the school environment. Meanwhile, slimmer girls do not seem to be monitored as much; they are just asked “ Is that uniform,” or told “that’s not uniform," and let off with a warning. The question is: why should there be a difference in how girls with different body types are treated?
Different Genders and Different Standards
Men and women often wear similar styles of clothing, but it’s more likely for girls to be flagged than boys because the attention is more on them. Some of the young women at the school expressed that the staff doesn’t hold young men accountable as much as they do young women. The young men at Comp Sci High are able to get away with a lot more.
For example, there was a situation that occurred when a young woman had her shoulders out, and so did a young man, but when the young woman was approached she was told that it was prohibited and she needed to cover up. As the day proceeded, the young man was flagged not even once; instead he was praised. The young woman felt targeted in a way and that there was inequality in the school space. The young man was not flagged until she spoke up. This is one example out of many situations that help to illustrate why women get angry when they are told to take what they are wearing off or that they should cover up because “too much” is showing. Stop and think. If you are a young woman reading this, or even an adult woman, have you ever been in a situation when you felt you were held to a different standard than men? How did it make you feel?
Some men see young women as walking creatures, who only wear clothes so that men can find pleasure in looking at them. Why does society not think that a woman can wear something for her, and only her? Can I not wear something that’s pleasing to me? The idea of women being too inappropriate comes mostly from the men's gaze. Why do women have to be presentable to only help men?
Women nowadays are used to being sexualized, but when they wear something too attractive now, they’ll hear: “cover up, you’re showing too much.” Why is it the woman's responsibility to manage the desire and actions of others? Men are looking at women as their next target rather than as humans who want to dress in something that compliments them. We live in a society where it’s always the woman's fault. In our school halls this occurs more than twice a day. Outside you see the eyes following a woman, or you hear the comments like “yo girl,” “ma you look good,” or “that thang thanging,” or “gyat.”
We should change how we teach our boys to become better men, encouraging them to be more self aware and respectful to boundaries. Not objectifying every woman they see, rather than complimenting and acknowledging their beauty. Society has, however, put women in this position. Because of this they make uniform and specific attire for different events. We need to create a society where people feel comfortable to express themselves, where regular standards are not a goal but a reality.
Different Settings
Clothing seems to carry more weight than fabric: when did where we wear our clothes become such a serious consequence? Wearing them to parties, birthdays, interviews, school and more places. The regular saying “there's a time and a place”. But is there really? Should there be? While writing this essay, I have been told: “this should not be worn in school”. But I don’t think anyone is actually worried about what I'm wearing, just the way it's coming off. Maybe even the way it makes them feel. Time and a place affects what a woman wears, belittles her confidence, and adultifies her already. She is either being put in something that does not feel right to her, or needing to dress up over her age. There should be a “wear what you express yourself with”. The time and place concept should be hidden.
Monet from Brooklyn
“Coach Johnson’s journey from being Monet, aka “Moe from Brooklyn,” to the strong, caring, loving, ambitious woman she is today is a testament to the transformative power of personal growth and experiences.”
2002: the start of the most important game of the whole season. Moe was getting warmed up but then something unexpected happened — a pass from a teammate which almost stopped her from playing in the championship game. Everyone heard a big pop, and Moe just thought it was a jammed finger, but it was actually the sound of her finger getting dislocated. Her trainer kept saying “sit out,” and “you can't play like this,” and “it's just a game,” but to Moe, it was much more than that. It was just another hurdle for her to leap over and overcome. Moe told me: “Just cause I can’t use my left hand doesn’t mean I can’t use my right.” So, that's what she did. She was unstoppable that game: 27 rebounds using only one hand and winning the championship. This is the story of Coach Johnson.
Coach Johnson is a strong, independent woman who represents Comp Sci High in many different aspects. She is the Assistant Boys Basketball JV Coach, the Head Coach Of the Boys Varsity Team, and the Team Sports Elective Teacher. When most people hear the name Coach Johnson, these are some of the things that come to mind, but her story goes much deeper than that. To tell the truth, at first when I heard her name, those titles are all that came to my mind, too. But, as time went on, I realized there is always a why behind everything that someone does. So then, I took time to ask those questions that people usually don’t and find those answers that people don’t usually look for: the truth behind it all.
The Coach we all love and know today wasn’t always the person she is today. Many, many, many years ago she was just “Monet from Brooklyn,” a young girl with a tremendous passion for basketball. A young girl with the weight of doubt on her shoulder. A lot of people doubted Monet as she struggled with her grades in highschool. Due to this she didn't go to a top college for basketball as she would have wanted to. Still determined to succeed, life took her on a different route, although she feared this route would hinder her future as a basketball player.
To her surprise, this path would only be the start of something greater. Monet attended Monroe College in the Bronx, where she completed her Associates Degree in Criminal Justice. After that, she went on to receive a full scholarship to play basketball at Robert Morris University. Then she graduated with her Bachelor's Degree and went on to play overseas.
The Coach we all love and know today wasn’t always the person she is today.
Many, many, many years ago she was just “Monet from Brooklyn,” a young girl with a tremendous passion for basketball.
Coach Johnson originally thought that graduating from a junior college would be a setback for her basketball career; instead it made her stronger, wiser, and determined to continue to achieve greatness. Through this experience Coach Johnson was able to realize that she wanted to help out the youth and build impactful relationships with the younger generations. She wanted to help make a change in the youth’s lives through mentorship and positive guidance in order to help them and prevent them from making the same mistakes she made in her younger years.
Being able to connect with the youth on that level has helped her a lot in life because she was able to build positive relationships which has made her a better coach and a person as a whole. Her work with the youth has allowed her to master patience and compassion. Her passion for helping the youth has became her life and in Coach Johnson’s words, her life is “something she values and doesn’t play with.”
Coach Johnson's journey from being Monet aka Moe from Brooklyn to the strong, caring, loving, ambitious woman she is today is a testament to the transformative power of personal growth and experiences. Often, people only see the present version of someone, not fully understanding the path that led them there. It's important to recognize that everyone has a story and a past that has shaped them. In Coach Johnson's case, her past experiences likely played a significant role in molding her into the inspiring figure she is today. By understanding a coach's backstory, you can form a more genuine and empathic connection with them. Which then leads to a more effective coaching relationship as you'll be more likely to trust their guidance and advice, knowing that it's rooted in their personal experiences and growth. This is her why. The truth behind it all.
They Act Too Grown
“In other words: unprocessed trauma can leave us with more stress that we will also struggle to process. This affects both parents and their children.”
Hardship is inevitable. A parent takes on the responsibility of protecting and preparing their child against hardship. However, parents may wish to protect their children in ways that are not as helpful as they would like. Their idea of protection is based on what they were taught to do during their childhood, which can shape the childhoods of their own children. This can be presented in the way they respond to trauma. I believe that understanding the psychology of parents can help children develop a better understanding of their own.
I believe that people should start prioritizing their mental health at a young age. It can be hard to start doing so later in life because of their preconceived mindsets. I believe that learning about our own psychology can lead to building better mental health and healthier relationships with those around us. Children often end up with strained relationships with their parents, either because they fail to reflect, or because the children fail to understand what their parents are trying to do for them.
The experiences that parents face prior to adulthood will have an impact on the way they choose to raise their children. In their attempts to protect their children, it could produce the opposite effect and leave their children less prepared for adulthood.
Both students and teachers were asked about their family experiences and relations to trauma. One teacher, Ms. Aluko said that she had to “do a lot of adulting” due to growing up with a disabled mother. Despite being the youngest, she had to take on the role of their older sibling around foster siblings. She was aware that her parents were doing their best, but not necessarily the best that she needed.
When asked if she felt prepared for adulthood when she was younger, she stated that she felt “operationally prepared, but not emotionally.” Another teacher stated that their family had to go through their father’s death, health issues, near death experiences, changes in employment and homelessness. They reported having a close knit family, and community, and also stated that they felt prepared for adulthood.
Both teachers said they enjoyed their childhood, but one had mixed feelings about it when they first reached adulthood. These interviews helped give me more insight on how the adults within our community were affected by an older generation of parents. There was the same closeness that is seen in the student interviewees, but there was more of a sense of loss and remembrance. Both teacher interviewees lost a parent, so they appeared to be more reflective of their relationships with them as a result.
According to NHS Wales, “when the lower part of the brain responsible for survival is repeatedly activated and prolonged in infancy and in early childhood this can reduce the connections between other parts of the brain.” It goes on: “This can significantly impact on our ability to learn, to form memories, to regulate emotions, it can affect our ability to be calm, to learn, to think, to reflect and to respond flexibly and in a planned way.” In other words: unprocessed trauma can leave us with more stress that we will also struggle to process. This affects both parents and their children.
Laila Ayala, one student interviewee, shared that her mother was diagnosed with a brain tumor after giving birth to her. Raised by her grandparents early in life, she said she had a strong and loving relationship with both of them, as well as her parents later on. Despite this and early struggles with her mental health, she said she enjoyed her childhood and feels prepared for adulthood. On the other hand, our other student interviewee reported having a closer relationship with their mom than their dad. They would tend to clash because of their father’s stricter personality. When asked if they enjoyed their childhood or if they felt prepared for adulthood, they said yes to both.
These contrasting stories really stood out to me. Only one parent experienced any known trauma, yet the student whose parent didn’t experience that trauma had more of a desire to go back to their childhood and pick up the pieces they didn’t have before.
Three out of four interviewees stated that a parent or grandparent experienced some form of trauma during their lives. Two of them had to take on adult roles in the form of taking care of younger siblings from a young age. All reported close relationships with their families, even though some had closer ones than others.
Each interviewee also showed a level of understanding as to why their parents may have acted the way they did when raising them. It becomes easy to feel negatively towards parents if their parenting styles may have been less effective than they would’ve hoped. Acknowledging a parent’s past, not for the sake of condemnation but instead for reflection, can prove to be helpful in understanding one’s own experiences as well. Whether or not a parent’s methods proved to be useful, understanding the reason behind it could foster a better relationship with them if the effort is put in.
Are children really the only ones that “act too grown,” or do they just continue the cycle?
Accessibility for Everyone
“The world needs a better system that can help everyone.”
July 26, 1990. The day the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed. You know those blue wheelchair signs that you see in front of a parking spot? Instead of white lines, there are blue ones? That’s one change out of many that this act proposed around the United States. Public transportation got “better” and ramps on sidewalks were put almost everywhere. Almost.
In 1973, the Federal Rehabilitation Act was signed. A provision of it was interpreted to require all public transit systems to become equally accessible to disabled people. The MTA argued in favor of a separate transportation system for disabled people because it’s too expensive to improve. Luckily because of the ADA, things changed for the MTA. They started to add more elevators, better speakers, wheelchair ramps on buses — all this to make everyone “equal”. This is universal design. Designing and building everything to be accessed, enjoyed. A lot of accessibility features are great for people with disabilities but are also helpful for everybody else. In Airports. In the MTA. In Buildings. On Streets. Everything about transportation changed due to this act. But it’s not perfect. There aren't elevators in every building and in every train station. Barely any wheelchair ramps on roads. Everything should be accessible for everyone. People who are temporarily disabled, and people who are permanently disabled. And to you. Equal for everyone.
Mr. Magaldi is an English teacher who teaches 9th grade at our school. He has type-one diabetes. He told me how the ADA really improved the United States, but how they didn’t do everything they proposed. He added on, saying how government buildings have elevators to comply with the law but those elevators don’t work or are out of service “temporarily.” Magaldi also explained how the elevators at MTA stations could be dirty, damaged or under construction. So even if it says that those stations are accessible, it doesn't signify that they are. The ADA’s ideas and plans aren’t happening to the extent that they proposed.
At JFK Airport, Mr. Magaldi had to take his insulin pump off in security because no one was there to serve him. He uses an insulin pump which helps with his disability. A part of his insulin part is called CGM, which is the part he cannot remove that contains metal. The TSA stopped him from going through and they told him to take it off. He stated that he would usually get patted down but this time there wasn’t anyone there to assist him. The TSA said that everyone with his disability just takes it off without any problem. That’s just terrible. Taking off a part of your body that could end your life, just to travel. Only because there aren't any workers to pat him down. Why is that the only option? Mr. Magaldi had to wait 15 minutes, seeing everyone who's “normal” skip him and continue with their day. And no one knew he had this disability. They probably suspected him of doing a terrible thing.
You cannot assume these things about people, especially when they're disabled. Risking his life, Mr. Magaldi took off his pump. Luckily, he was fine and proceeded to put on the insulin pump right away. This is unacceptable, for him and every other person who has to go through the same thing. If the whole line was filled with people with this disability, most of them would not be so lucky.
Mr. TK teaches 20th century history as well as Latinx studies for 12th grade at Comp Sci High, currently with bodily trauma (serious injuries to the body). He feels that the ADA act needs to be severely expanded because of the many cases of these institutions where they fail to comply with the act. On June 30th 2023, the day of TK's birthday, he was driving his car when a truck hit him on the driver's side. Wrists broken, fibula broken, ribs broken, collar bone out of place, and lungs punctured. The accident required an immediate response. TK spent the whole summer in the hospital or in bed in his own home. While TK was in a wheelchair, his friends would take care of him, assisting him on walks and being there to support him.
Walking around in Brooklyn, some streets had no sidewalk ramps, and it was difficult for him to get up them. His friends had to pick him up. Put him on the sidewalk. Pick up the wheelchair. Put it on the sidewalk, to allow Mr. TK back on. It usually took him 5 minutes just to cross the street.
While the school offers elevators and ramps, the MTA does not. We study in a school with elevators and wheelchair ramps but what about Elder Ave, a train station that serves 6,372 people as of 2019? The MTA said that they will add elevators to 95 percent of all stations by 2055. That's 33 years. 85 stations by 2035, and 180 by 2055. TK had to check the app to see if the elevators at the station worked; if not, he would have to travel longer. Now, without a wheelchair, he still struggles with the stairs at the station, putting one leg down and the other one next to it, repeating the process. He said to me “You can't see all disabilities.” I totally agree. Even if that person looks fine and normal, what if they have a disability that you might not know about? This is where universal design really plays in and will make a difference.
Youtuber and motivational speaker Molly Broke is blind. When she was four years old, she was diagnosed with a rare genetic eye disease called retinitis pigmentosa which causes the progressive loss of vision. It wasn't long after her diagnosis that she realized she was different. She had to grow up in a world that wasn't meant for her. She started taking O&M, or orientation and mobility class, to learn how to physically navigate the world. She believes in universal design as well. She wishes there were more curb cuts. “Slanted sidewalk crossings to help people in wheelchairs, or who use walkers. And for mothers pushing their babies in strollers, for kids on skateboards, or couples riding bikes. Automatic door openers are perfect for people in wheelchairs and for when your arms are filled with groceries.” This would make the ADA’s ideas work.
Sasha Blair-Goldenshon is the co-founder of Elevator Action Group. They mention how 25 elevators on the train go out on a daily basis, meaning a quarter of the time, a station is just completely offline, and people are left not being able to go in or out of a station. This violates the ADA act. They go on saying how the city was built on elevators, so why is it difficult to make all stations accessible? It takes Sasha an hour to get to and from home to go to a station that's farther from his own station, when it would take a few minutes for a “normal” person.
There is no such thing as a “normal person.” The world needs a better system that can help everyone. Disability that’s permanent, disability that’s temporary — a system for people who need it or who don’t need it at all. Improve the ADA’s plans and ideas so that everything can be accessible for everyone. Make universal design for public transportation, streets, buildings and people. Together we could achieve this goal. Let’s fight for what’s right.
Multiple Lenses of the Same World
“Why have we created this feeling I had as a 10th grader into a habit at our school?”
I remember being in my 10th Grade Biology class. I remember raising my hand and answering a question. And then, thinking nothing of it, my day went by and I found out later that a boy in that class was talking about me and my body in an offensive way. At that moment, I felt upset and annoyed. What did I do for this to happen? I took that information in a negative way. I wanted to say: why are you talking about me in that way. Multiple people came up to me and were just telling me what they heard. I remember telling my closest friend at the time about the situation and they disregarded my feelings.
I felt lonely. I felt like I couldn't go to a teacher and tell them what was going on. Eventually, though, teachers found out about the situation and one of them pulled me out of class. “Why didn’t you come and tell me about it,” they said.
I told her I felt like the teachers were not going to help in this instance. I felt like I would've been the problem, like I would have been an inconvenience. Why have we created this feeling I had as a 10th grader into a habit at our school? Why have we allowed this to happen for so long? Why have we made it so that black girls don’t always feel heard? During my time at CSH, I’ve seen the culture that has been created here. As a black girl who studies here and has done a lot of community work, I know there are things that are very flawed with the way CSH handles certain circumstances. I interviewed 2 students from each grade to really take a look at how, as students, we look through the lens of an average high school. I have experienced this and have seen the way the school handles problems. We all go through different obstacles and challenges that should be acknowledged. And this is where it starts.
I started with the Sophomores, Brianna Steele and Chassidy Osborne. They brought up topics such as how their fellow peers who are not black get treated better than them. They brought up examples of how, when they wear a skirt or a crop top, they will quickly get demanded to change their clothes, but when other students who are not black do it, people do not say anything. They didn't feel as if their repercussions were being equally handed out.
Then I moved on to the Seniors; since they've been here the longest, I assumed that they would know what issues they have seen happen with the school. I spoke to Jaria Fofana and Mahogany Hodge, who both spoke about the emotional aspects of being in black in this space. Jaria has had moments when she has felt she cannot speak her feelings all the time, particularly to adults in the space. The school doesn’t intentionally make black and brown students feel unheard or unseen, but it can have that impact. It is a problem that young brown and black students feel this way. In a community that is supposed to uplift students, it is a problem that young black girls do not feel as if they are prioritized.
“White Women Tears” is another thing that happens in our community. “White Women Tears” is a strategy that is used to silence people of color. It refers to both metaphorical and literal ways that white women use their vulnerability and fragility to be racist. This tactic allows the person to get whatever they want in the situation. This tactic has been used to cause real harm because it causes the person who is of a darker complexion to feel as if they aren't being heard. Mahogany talked about how the school picks and chooses what is acceptable when it comes to the dress code. Students at the school seem to get “dress coded” for many different and inconsistent reasons relating to their race and body type. Consistency is what students want, and if the school is not consistent with its policy enforcement, students will feel that the school isn't being fair.
Surprisingly, the Juniors I spoke to, Fatoumata Diawara and Alyma Sylla, did not really see people getting treated unfairly, and they didn’t feel as if they were being treated differently from their peers. Alyma said that she sees her peers get dress coded, but it's not something that she feels is a big problem. The same thing applied for Fatoumata, another Junior who has seen her friends get dress-coded. Hearing this was surprising, because it showed that the culture of the Juniors wasn't the same as the Seniors or the Sophomores.
The Freshmen also had the same response as the Juniors. I interviewed Sheila Ampong and Tokeyo Sookhai. They have seen people get dress coded, but it wasn't as if those students were being targeted; it was actually their friends being out of uniform. I felt that hearing this was surprising in a good way, because that means something was being done consistently to prevent that. I know in my Freshmen year, I was seeing a lot of things that were unusual but to hear that the Freshmen were not feeling as if they were being targeted actually made my heart melt.
Now, I do believe that should be regulations and rules because such things do keep the school in order. But I just feel like those rules should be fair. The students make up the school, so the moment the students feel that there is some sort of injustice, it will create a division within the school itself. The discussion about how the school treats both black students and those who are not black caused this feeling in my head that students were being targeted. I feel like there has been change, though. I'm happy that the Freshmen haven't felt that they were being targeted because of the color of their skin.
However, there is a lot of work that needs to be done restoring the harm that has been done. If the school is really trying to lean into that “Student Led'' environment, I think we should incorporate more of the student council or current students's opinions about what they think they the school should work on when it comes to the uniform and other policies. And lastly, the teachers who read this essay should reflect on their time as teachers here and think about the way they have contributed to the student culture and how they left an impact — positive or negative — on the students.
New Beginnings: The Young Voices of Comp Sci High
“As Demi spoke to me about being “the quiet kid,” I thought about myself at his age. I, too, was the quiet kid. But now, after a few years, I’m a reporter sitting in a class with a freshman, trying to help them tell their story.”
Allow me to introduce Omoshehindemi (Demi) Ayedun, a bright freshman student who currently attends Comp Sci High. Why, you may ask, am I writing a profile about a freshman?
I am currently a senior at Comp Sci High, yet I am a transfer student who joined in the 10th grade. Before I came to Comp Sci High, I originally enrolled at Walkabout Bronx High School, which is now known as Bronx Legacy High School. During that period, everyone was still under the effects of COVID-19, which changed everything for us. My school sent out a form to all students and families to give students the option to either opt-in to remote learning or in person learning. Since my class was the founding class, they encouraged students to attend in person to get to know each other and build a community. They believed that our founding 9th grade should be able to use their power of voice to say their wishes for that school. However, the school was not organized enough. The classes were quiet and people did not seem to care about the work. Everything felt out of place and most of the students transferred throughout the first few months. I decided to leave because they didn’t stick to their word, but Comp Sci High does.
But that’s my story. I want to tell Demi’s story so that I can see what I missed out on, and why this school is as special as it is. What does it do for ninth graders that I never got to experience?
Demi described his experience entering high school as “weird,” “new,” and “much more different” than his middle school. However, his daily routine was much more different than mine. I was able to shadow Demi for a period of class. I found him to be reading a novel: ‘Shadowshaper’ by José Older during his ELA class, about a high school girl who is trying to finish a painting but a shadow shaper is preventing her from finishing it. His teachers, Mr. Magaldi and Ms. Mao, both made sure everyone was fully engaged in the work.
I want to acknowledge that Demi is the House Leader for his advisory: The Mysterious Ballers. As House Leader, he hopes that he can become a better person, a better public speaker, and a better friend. He believes that taking on this role will help him develop to become very smart, noticeable and bright. But why take on this role? What does he wish to accomplish as a House Leader or as a student in Comp Sci High?
Demi shared some of his goals and wishes as House Leader. He plans to create study groups for academic help and other needs for his house, to organize small events or field trips for the upcoming year(s), work with students to resolve problems, and inform school leaders about the ideas emanating from the advisory. Most importantly, he wants to make the experience for his advisory a great and unforgettable one. Demi is also trying to accomplish his hidden goal as an individual. He claims that he is usually known as “the quiet kid,” and hopes to enhance his public speaking or social skills. He isn’t the type to start a conversation and would rather let anyone come to him first.
While sitting down next to him, I could see how smart he really is and there’s something special about him. His academic skills, his cooperation, and his confidence are just some of the traits he finds within. In addition, he’s very organized where he manages to finish his homework and classwork during Study Hall, so he doesn’t have anything to worry about when he gets home. He mentioned that he wasn’t even sure he would be voted as House Leader and was surprised to hear it himself. Now that he has taken this role, he says he wants to make sure that his advisory isn’t represented as “not basic.” He will show up for his advisory and he will leave a mark.
As Demi spoke to me about being "the quiet kid," I thought about myself at his age. I, too, was the quiet kid. But now, after a few years, I'm a reporter sitting in a class with a freshman, trying to help them tell their story. It took more than enough time for me to get myself where I am. I thought back to my experiences in high school. I, too, did not want to talk to nobody first nor create a conversation. Now, that’s changed. This school has really encouraged me and everybody to speak up and to express more. The longer you stay within the Comp Sci High community, the more comfortable you will get among them.
Demi mentioned that he went on the 9th grade camping trip that took place at Camp Ramapo in Rhinebeck NY. He believes that this trip was needed in order to connect with the Comp Sci High community to express more than he ever did, allow him to get more comfortable and make friends. He stated that during the first day he arrived, he was separated from his advisory to a boy’s cabin and felt weird. Although it was weird at first, he felt as if he was able to get comfortable as days went by. However, he said some of the kids were acting immature.
Sitting in the class with Demi, I imagined myself as a 9th grader. It was only a few years ago, but it feels longer. I have changed in ways where I became more socialized, more motivated, and prepared for what tomorrow brings. Although this is a much more different atmosphere than my experience. The classroom was all working together as a team. There was no shame or embarrassment whatsoever, I could see that they all shared ideas and questions about what is or could be happening in the novel they’re reading. Looking around, I could see that they all knew each other and knew how to get along with each other.
Demi has an older sister, Omolola, who is a senior that allowed him to talk to some of the people in our community. He describes the people of our community as “welcoming … role model[s]” and first coming onboard as “weird not knowing anyone … strange.” Demi compared his high school experience to his middle school experience. He claims that Comp Sci High has a different and better approach. For example: In his middle school he expresses that the teachers would “embarrass you” or “yell at you.” In contrast, he says that “Comp Sci High has a much different approach, where teachers are not rude and they care. They would take you out to step out and genuinely talk to you.”
Comp Sci High currently has an open project for their brand new building for everyone, excluding the seniors. I asked Demi if he thought that the Comp Sci High community will remain the same or changed. Demi believes that the new building will be nothing but just a new physical building, but the community will remain the same.
Yes, high school is one of many chapters in our life, but it can be the most important one. Everyone changes during high school, mentally and physically. Our mental health is one of the main features that will be altered because we have to show up to school for four years, reaching the finish line to finish high school. Boys turn into young men and girls turn into young women. When you’re a senior in middle school, you get that rush where you’re feeling that high school is going to be crazy, fun, and to some it might be a nerve-racking experience since we all will be going to different or same schools. However, being a senior in high school is a whole different story. Demi has a whole lot of time to think about everything. He finds the current seniors to be leaders: confident, wise, and grown up to him. But what about Demi? Although he is a freshman, does he ever picture himself as a senior? Does it feel like a long way? Yes, he thinks about himself as a senior. Yes, Demi does think it’s a long way from now, but he feels as it will benefit him. He wants to make his experience here “worth it,” and not “wait until the last day to do something.”
When we move into and through our high school, we think about what can approach us. What’s next? Am I going in the right direction? Am I speaking to the right people? We are all clueless when we are first entering a new environment.
However, this new environment is like no other. We come and find that there are many different faces and people who are older than us. Even some kids grow up thinking that high school is going to be like what you see in shows or movies, but that’s not the case. I would compare a student’s high school experience as a butterfly’s life cycle. A high school freshman is embarking on a journey of newfound experiences, adapting to manage their life distinctly in a unique manner.
I would know because it happened to me. And I think that the 9th grade year is the most important year in high school. I know others might disagree with me because they might believe senior year is the most important year; regarding senior trips, college or next steps after high school. This is wrong. I believe that 9th graders should be given the opportunity to have their voices heard and taken into consideration to shape their future, including their experience throughout high school. Since the freshman in our school are starting to get comfortable with one another, Comp Sci High should bring seniors and freshmen together to try to structure a school where, together, we can make a difference.
Hail to the Chief
“I tell him he is a role model and an indication of what it means to be black and excellent. He has changed the trajectory of my life and I see a lot of myself within him.”
Tik…Tik…Tik. The seconds pass by as we patiently wait for class to end. The beat drops. The music plays. The hallways fill with laughter, chatter, and joy. We walk the hallways as he graces the school with blackness.
Former child model, background actor in the Avengers, ex-dancer, Board Chairman of Color Compton and the Compton Art & History Museum, owner and Chief Consultant of a consultancy firm, “Kale Solutions.” Originally from the South Bronx. He’s Dominican and Jamaican. Raised in St. Mary's Project in a two-parent household. Home to him is Jackson Avenue, where he spends all of his holidays. Let us introduce: Chief Kale.
As students we always wonder who made Comp Sci High into the school we see and know today. Who is responsible for how Comp Sci High functions? The answer is perhaps not who you may think. You might think Ms. Alder; you might think Mr. Noah. But the truth is that there is someone behind the scenes. That someone is Chief Kale.
So, in order to really figure out what Chief Kale does, we spent time with him during his wildly busy day where he spends 12 hours working. We sat with Chief Kale and saw behind the scenes; we witnessed the ins-and-outs. And, we are here to tell you the story of the man who makes it all happen.
Here at Comp Sci High, Chief Kale is the Chief Strategy Officer. Now, what does this mean? He has complete oversight over the organization, managing the PSL Team, Operations Team and Social Work Team, and focusing on the school experience, which includes the talent and performance of all faculty and new hires. Kale’s role is dedicated to the school experience; with an eye for everything, he ensures the school space is running safely and efficiently.
Although you may not notice it, Chief Kale has an impact on our daily lives as students. Chief Kale created "Politicking with Professionals.” During the pandemic, he provided and helped set up Covid testing, a vaccine clinic, family emergency funding, the new website (coming soon), the new school building, lots of fundraising events, furniture, tech, and art donations to the school, NFTs for alumni, 2022 and 2024 graduation ceremonies, the annual Senior Six Flags trip, the old senior site at 860 Forest Avenue, the Summer Boost: Python Accelerator Program. The list goes on. Now do you see what we mean? This man gets shit done.
Now do you see what we mean?
This man gets shit done.
School has always come easy to Kale; he can therefore contribute the concept of education to students because it has saved him and kept him successful. What kept him afloat was his second mom, someone who acknowledged his brilliance but ensured his livelihood and well-being. Education saved him, empowered him and kept him successful. He has created the life he has all by himself. He's all about work and working hard — all he needed was a caregiver. This created a significant impact in his life. He was fortunate enough to have the last two Chancellors of NYC as his principals at the first ever Urban Assembly school; now, years later, he works at the first Urban Assembly Charter school in NYC.
Chief Kale quickly realized his passion and life goal was to liberate young black and brown minds. He always looks out for his community. His work ties in with his internal passion and he changes the lives of many POC globally. “Branding is everything to me,” he tells us.
Initially, he wanted to become a lawyer, but when he realized that he wouldn't have as big of an impact as he wanted, he switched to education because he wanted to do more. Having access to so many young minds, he was determined to leave behind a legacy and to have a huge impact. He strives to advocate for students of color to have opportunities that are not easily accessible to them.
Chief Kale does not just play a role in the CSH community but he also has accomplished similar goals in his personal life. From co-owning a museum in Compton, California to focusing on freeing students of color from the systemic injustice they are facing. Students are what keep him afloat in his day-to-day life. His work in Compton is a way to give back and a way “to pay homage to Compton.” “I'm trying to tackle this in two different ways on different sides of the country,” he says. Through his work he provides influence through Hip-Hop and art, developing black and brown experiences.
Sitting with him, we asked him how he manages all of this. Chief Kale expressed how his job can sometimes feel hard in terms of him being one of the only people who does his job.
I agree with him. “It must feel like a one man battle,” I say.
He nods. “I'm trying to figure out how to make what I represent visible to young folks here at Comp Sci High.” He asks himself: “How can I show this to the world? Am I living by example?” He wants to change the narrative of what it means to be an artist. While he is a very private person, and doesn't mind being behind the scenes, it's very important to him that his impact directly creates change.
I assure him he is living by example and he seems a little shocked, “Oh really?”
I tell him he is a role model and an indication of what it means to be black and excellent. He has changed the trajectory of my life and I see a lot of myself within him. His friend Ms. Diaz would also attest to this. Ms. Diaz describes him as a silent force of strength to be reckoned with.
“He truly has a heart for the people,” she says.
Ms. Golden says he represents leadership to staff and students.
“He takes his job seriously and he understands the weight of his role because of his identity,” she says, before continuing: “He has a non-biased approach, a focus on the demographic of kids and appreciation for his identity.”
Co-worker Mr. Pooler says he represents freedom, clarity, support, and love.
I ask Pooler: “What are some things people may be surprised to know about Kale?” Pooler says he is a great cook, basically a vegan chef, that his food is delicious. “He's conscious about food. He believes it's a way to live longer and be happy”. He also enjoys yoga, and Brazilian jiu jitsu. Talk about multifaceted — what doesn't he do?
“What are your long-term goals,” I ask him.
He is quick to answer. “I hope to see more liberation in black communities,” he says, before continuing: “whether that be them experiencing other aspects of what it means to be black, or traveling, or owning their community, or being black and brown oriented, or having economic, political and social power.”
What does the future hold for Chief Kale? Chief Kale hopes to expand his assets so that one day he can be able to be more “laid back” and truly enjoy the finer things in life. “I want to be more free at work,” he says. A perfect life for him would be by a huge body of water. His face lights up the more he talks about his envisioned life in the future. "The sun makes me happy,” he says. He still plans to do the same work in his future but how he does it may look very different. “I want to someday own a lounge, a skyscraper, an entertainment service, or my own music station; it has always been a dream of mine.” He doesn’t stop there. “I want to own a team,” he says, which ties in with his past of sports; he grew up playing soccer, baseball and basketball.
So, who is Chief Kale? He is many things, an exceptional human being, an inspiration, and the man working behind the scenes. The man with many dreams and aspirations. The brains behind Comp Sci High. Kale is brilliant. A man of many talents. Kale's aura is truly unmatchable.
COVID and Community
“The pandemic forced people to react in unexpected ways.”
“At first I thought it was a hoax. That it was just a little sickness and it wouldn’t affect anyone,” said Samuel Garcia, a 12th grader attending CSH. Undoubtedly, the COVID-19 pandemic was the most devastating global crisis affecting the day-to-day lives of people internationally. The pandemic forced people to react in unexpected ways. Every student, teacher, and staff member who attends Comp Sci High has somehow been affected and could still possibly be affected by the pandemic even though the World Health Organization (WHO) declared an end to the COVID-19 pandemic on May 11, 2023. This article will take a deep dive into various perspectives on the COVID-19 pandemic from various perspectives of students and teachers who attend Comp Sci High.
In December 2019, news articles came out discussing a new unnamed virus affecting people in Wuhan, China. Then, in January 2020, the virus started affecting people in the U.S. A month later, the virus finally got its name: COVID-19. There were many speculations on what caused the virus outbreak. Some of these speculations were just pure evil. People reporting their symptoms were just heartbreaking. Loss of taste or smell, shortness of breath, fever or chills, and more. It was just devastating. It was an experience everyone wanted to avoid. Masks were mandatory; you could only leave your home for human resources; you couldn’t see family members or your friends. It was a depressing period.
My personal experience with the COVID-19 pandemic was undeniably challenging. Especially academically. It was hard to focus on my online classes without having to hear my other sisters also on a call from their schools and having to hear their teacher's voice colliding with mine. I barely completed the homework assigned. I remember the async work and sync work. I never wanted to do either one of them. I was tired. Tired of my personal issues, tired of school, tired of everything. My mental health was not up to par. My grandpa was in desperate need of care and had to get one of his legs amputated. I always kept crying just seeing him in pain, and then I remembered how you had to show your face and have to wear the school uniform, not your pajamas. I hated that so much. I hated how much they pressured you to just turn on your camera, or else you'd face the consequences. I hated showing myself, mostly because back then I was very insecure due to my past experiences with bullying.
Advisory started at 8:50, and I would always wake up just 5 minutes before the advisory started. That was a bad habit of mine and ultimately landed me in significant trouble. My grades weren’t up to par as well. I was failing almost all of my courses. I just didn't have the motivation to care anymore. It was hard to pay attention to my classes. I was either sleeping or playing games in the background. Considering how I had to cook for both of my siblings, I always had to take time away from the classes. I missed valuable information and would be behind.
Samuel Garcia didn’t take the pandemic seriously. He saw the COVID-19 pandemic as a free pass into his upcoming high school years, even though he was going to fail 8th grade; however, the pandemic saved him. During the summer of 2020, he saw both of his parents coming home with masks covering their noses and mouths. Curiously, he wondered what those masks were being used for. Even then, he didn’t take the pandemic seriously. Samuel’s mom worked at a small business wrapping shampoo to customers. She kept working hard, risking her life to the COVID-19 pandemic just to come home every day to feed her family. His father worked at a company that helped the elderly get back and forth from the hospital to their own homes. Due to the pandemic, his dad had to stay home since he lost his job. It’s clear that Samuel's and his parents' lifestyles were slowly but surely changing due to the pandemic. The more the changes started happening, the more Samuel took the COVID-19 pandemic seriously.
“They do this every two years; it’ll blow over,” Mr. Mosley, a 12th-grade teacher, told me. He continued: “I was laughing and not taking it seriously at the time, but I had no idea just how much COVID-19 would impact my entire life.” Mr. Mosley also didn't take the pandemic seriously, just like Sam Garcia. Due to the loss of two fathers during the pandemic, and as the oldest sibling, Mr. Mosley tried to be there for his younger siblings. He started interacting with them more, like on FaceTime, and visiting them more. To get things off his mind, he decided to go to his home country, Liberia (West Africa), with his family. Instead of having the long-awaited trip be exciting, it turned disastrous. Mr. Mosley was falsely accused of testing positive for COVID-19 and had to be held in quarantine at a “random base." “Covid turned this into the worst trip of my life.” Mr. Mosley told me. It's clear that the COVID-19 pandemic was a cruel time in Mr. Mosley's life; however, it made him cherish his family more and be more in the picture with them, and he tried his best not to let the COVID-19 pandemic proceed to influence his well-being.
Overall, the COVID-19 pandemic was one of the most devastating global crises, affecting the daily lives of people worldwide. Even though the World Health Organization (WHO) declared an end to the COVID-19 pandemic on May 11, 2023, there are still people who are struggling with COVID-19. People are still catching the virus and are living with the aftereffects of the virus. Continue to take care of yourself and others, and scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. And if you think you've caught COVID, take a rapid COVID test and quarantine to make sure that you’re not putting anyone else in harm's way and that you’ll have a fast recovery.
Lights Out
“This is their time. 1 student. 1 coach. 1 team. This is their story. The shot clock runs down to zero. Lights out. ”
4 years. 720 days. 17,280 hours of time, hard work, and dedication. The start of the sports season at Comp Sci has begun but the senior's time is counting down. Over time, student athletes must manage their love of their sport with their academic obligations. It is not as simple as it may seem to be a student athlete; in addition to talent, you also need to possess leadership qualities, effective communication skills, consideration for your teammates and the team, and a never-ending desire to improve. Imagine 4 years straight and not getting the recognition you deserve. This is their time. 1 student. 1 coach. 1 team. This is their story. The shot clock runs down to zero. Lights out.
Monet Johnson, also known as Coach Johnson, has been the coach of the Comp Sci High Boys Varsity Basketball Team for the past 2 years. As a female coach, she has faced the doubts of many people who have questioned her ability to coach a boy’s basketball team. However, she has disproved their claims, led the team to numerous victories, and taught lessons to each student athlete all along their journey. Coaching was just something Coach Johnson did around her neighborhood when she first started her career. But as she continued this journey she realized this is “an outlet for some kids, and just a way to get through life and its challenges.” For Coach Johnson, basketball is more than a game; it’s a “multifaceted position that involves mentorship, leadership, and personal development.” The most rewarding thing for her is “witnessing the growth of (her) players, both as athletes and as individuals.”
Alex Naravez, captain of the Comp Sci High Varsity Basketball team for the last two seasons. Many people will paint Alex as the star player for his dedication and strong love for the game. In the words of Coach Johnson: "Alex's character is nothing short of exemplary, both on and off the court. Alex's consistency demonstrates the qualities of a true leader.”
Alex has been on the team for 4 years and has been captain as both a Sophomore and a Junior. When the senior season starts, he will be captain for the third straight year. Since freshman year, according to Coach Johnson, “Alex has been dedicated in both his studies and in basketball. He prides himself on being a great student and athlete.” Over the years, Alex successfully established a sense of brotherhood with his team and developed mutual respect. He hopes that the team can be a place where kids can join to build a community and culture. He hopes that kids will build connections with each other that will last throughout highschool and throughout life. Just as the relationship with your teammates are important, the relationship and bond you have with your coach is just as important. “I feel like she is someone I can be my best self with,” Alex says about Coach Johnson. He continues: “She treats me like her son. She works with me through hard times, strives for me to do better but keeps me in check. She's a strong figure of a women's coach , a figure that is not typically portrayed. She is an amazing role model.” In the future, we see nothing but the best for Alex; according to Coach Johnson, he will grow into a successful young man who can lead both on and off the court.
We wish these student athletes the best, hope they continue the hard work and dedication they have shown throughout the years, and hope that they continue to develop as a team. While their season has yet to actually start, the hard work and dedication has already started with the Python Boys Varsity Basketball Team. Coach Johnson and the players see a bright future for this year's season and the seniors see their last year as a “Chip Year,” meaning that this year they will bring a championship back to Comp Sci High. .No matter what, it’s not just about their skill; it’s about who they are as people. As Coach Johnson says: “Your character means everything.” This is their story, their future, their team. Lights out.
Breaking the Silence: The Cost of Misinformation and Delayed Response
“We need to understand what’s going on to bridge the disconnect between our community and the world around us.”
My hermit crab “Pickles” died on Friday, October 13th. On Saturday, October 14th, I found myself walking to the Petco on 2nd Avenue and 52nd Street when I witnessed a hate crime against a Jewish man outside a synagogue. A duo walking by threw what appeared to be an egg at the man in front of a police officer. The officer just watched as the man asked for help, and the duo ran away, and the man quickly looked to find safety in the synagogue, and…wait, wait, wait: how did we get here?
On Saturday, October 7th at 1:54 AM I received the following notification on my phone from the New York Times:
“Palestinian militants fired barrages of rockets from Gaza into southern and central Israel in a surprise attack.”
A few hours later, I received this notification:
“We are at war,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said after Palestinian militants launched surprise rocket and ground assaults in Israel.”
At the moment, there is a war in Israel between the terrorist organization Hamas and the Israeli government. Former CSH history teacher Ms. Kahan, whose family is Jewish, summarized the situation by saying the following:
This conflict in the Middle East is long and complicated, exacerbated by centuries of divisions, meddling by foreign powers, conflicts over land rights, and colonialism. Today's volatile situation, which has led to immense human suffering, is largely a product of that complex history.
People are being murdered and kidnapped, entire families are being wiped out, human rights are being violated, Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia have pervaded in the wake of this conflict, and still there are people in our CSH community who don’t know what is going on.
I first noticed the disconnect and general lack of awareness when I engaged in a conversation about the conflict with a group of students and our college counselor Mr. Meyers, who is also a member of the Jewish community. As we spoke, I realized that a lot of my peers weren’t aware about what was going on. They were uninformed, and I didn’t realize it prior to the conversation because I had never really given much thought to the fact that my peers may not have been following current events in the same way I was.
I let my realization guide me, and I interviewed 10 students across the CSH community from all four grades. Of the 10 students that I interviewed, only 3 were able to confidently tell me that they knew what was going on in Israel and Gaza. Let that sink in for a second.
3 out of 10
30%
But what’s the reason behind this disconnect? Behind this lack of understanding?
I’ve found there to be three:
The first was shared by CSH senior Adyel Lantigua who feels the disconnect is a result of many students not having “any stakes in the conflict,” so they’re less likely to give the issue the attention it deserves because it doesn’t personally affect them.
The second was shared by CSH sophomore Malayah Coleman who said she feels the disconnect is because she and many others “don’t pay attention to current news.”
The third was shared by CSH senior Fathima Ballee who feels the disconnect is a result of the war just not being a “great thing to hear.”
Every single person that I interviewed happened to rationalize their disconnect using one of these three reasons. However, while each person’s reasoning may have differed, they all agreed on one thing: CSH should be doing more to inform its community members about the conflict.
One thing that Lantigua expressed in our interview was his shock at the fact that the school “hasn’t addressed this issue like they usually do when something major happens,” which is a sentiment that many others also shared. In agreement with him was fellow CSH senior Arnel N. Asante, who shared that had his advisor Ms. Germaine not spoken about the issue with his advisory because she is Jewish, he would likely still be clueless about the situation.
Don’t we owe it to the members of our community to be informed? To actually give a damn about what deserves it instead of acting like nothing is wrong?
When asked if he felt the CSH community could be made more aware of what’s going on, Mr. Meyers told me that this could be true for “a lot of global, federal, and local issues.” A big issue he notices is this “broader trend of a lack of engagement” that often results in things like logical fallacies that can be harmful to various communities.
This same lack of awareness and engagement is also responsible for an increase in offensive social media posts by students. Mr. Meyers believes that these posts stem from a “lack of knowledge, education, and understanding,” and while many people are compassionate and don’t want to cause harm, “there’s a lot of lack of thought behind posts and the ramifications and consequences they can have.” This increase in offensive media is also accompanied by an increase in Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. One thing that Ms. Kahan noticed was how “amongst people who are strongly pro or anti-Israel, that rhetoric has gotten very inflamed” (something that often occurs in periods of high conflict).
However, it’s important to note that when students post on social media about political and social issues, they are simply exercising their right to protected speech. CSH Executive Director, David Noah, understands that while “they are entitled to express themselves” due to protected speech, “people post on social media about things they often know very little about.”
Another big thing to consider with social media is how social media algorithms impact the type of news that we receive and also contribute to the misinformation or lack of awareness of the public. Mr. Noah’s belief is that “the advent of social media has created a fracturing of the media marketplace” where “people get news through social media that is targeted to them.” So, what may be all over your social media may not be all over someone else's. That’s just not how the algorithm works.
So what exactly can CSH do, especially when a student’s lack of awareness of an issue might lead them to cause harm to someone else online? What responsibility do they have to inform the community and also acknowledge those in the community impacted by the conflict?
When asked this, students emphasized to me that, if the school made informational slides, had a community meeting, or had staff who identified as Jewish lead lessons, they would know more. The fact of the matter is that a majority of students are willing to learn and understand the conflict and its impact, but they just haven’t been given the resources, support, or opportunity to. And those who have some understanding also haven’t been given the opportunity to hold space for themselves after seeing disturbing images and content coming out of Gaza and Israel. However, it is important to acknowledge that at least some responsibility also falls on students because they have to choose to learn and follow the news. As Ms. Kahan said, “People have to read the news but they also have to make a conscious effort to broaden their perspectives beyond their own ideological bubble.”
I had the opportunity to speak with CSH History Department Chair Ms. Aluko — who is also involved in the planning and delivery of community-wide framing around current events — and was able to ask her about the difficulties of planning these sensitive conversations and what must be considered before they are held. She told me that two of the things that she considers when planning are:
1. The diversity of perspectives that exist across the community — Students and teachers can be passionate, unaware and willing to learn, or unaware and just not care at all.
2. The level of comfort teachers need to have before they have these conversations with students — If the adults who are facilitating these conversations haven’t had the space to process the topic then we can’t expect students to.
Her belief (which Mr. Noah also shared) is that “it’s worse to have a bad conversation instead of no conversation.” Preparing facilitators for any possible outcome and also deciding where these conversations should take place (advisory, community meetings, and more) are all things that the school has to do to ensure the conversations are productive and that students feel centered. In her words, the one thing she tells facilitators to remember is that they “are the workers at Disney World — it’s not [their] time at Disney World.”
In my conversation with Mr. Noah, he also expressed that the school wants students to have enough context to do two things:
1. Draw their own conclusions
2. Understand how others can come to different conclusions even with the same facts
However, he also acknowledged that the only way for this to be possible is to have people well versed in the history and geopolitics of the Middle East to lead these conversations. To him “it’s not as if every staff member could just be given some slides and break down the entire history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.” It’s a highly sensitive and complicated topic, and so it has to be treated as such.
There is also something to be said about the fact that CSH is a majority-minority community composed mostly of Black and Hispanic students. And yet, even with the identity and culture the school most directly serves, it still fails to do enough to address things like the senseless killing of Black people when it occurs on a smaller scale. The last time that CSH senior Evelyn Kedelina recalls the school actually addressing the death of a Black person at the hands of police, was in 2021 during the peak of the BLM movement and following the death of George Floyd. If we really do care about the community, then shouldn’t we also give our attention to those without prominence who are impacted? Have we even considered what the costs could be if we don't?
Even from an intersectional lens, when we think of identity, we often think of it one-dimensionally. We fail to consider the fact that instead of just being Black or just being Jewish, those identities can intersect in a way where one can actually stand in solidarity with both. Members of the Black Congressional Caucus like Ilhan Omar and Ritchie Torres, have in the past publicly expressed solidarity with either the Israeli people or the Palestinian people, and yet we would never know that because this intersection is something that isn’t discussed in our community. In her book “Freedom is a Constant Struggle,” Angela Davis said, “whenever you conceptualize social justice struggles, you will always defeat your own purposes if you cannot imagine the people around whom you are struggling as equal partners.” Instead of treating identity as something without overlap, perhaps we should find ways to make people connect that bring together separate identities instead of keeping them apart as a way of building strength and solidarity.
It’s clear that the school tries to take a very methodical and thought out approach when addressing major issues, and they have considered and also been thinking about ways to address the current conflict in Israel, but where’s the urgency?
The time it takes us to respond to things matters.
It’s been over two weeks since Hamas’s attack on Israel, and still, there has been no public initiative taken to address it in our community or provide space to those impacted. Teachers who have lost loved ones or who are impacted by the war emotionally and mentally have had to push on and simply continue as if nothing is wrong. Even Mr. Noah (who is one of the people who decides what we address or don’t address as a community) expressed to me how he feels “caught between who he has to be in his job and who he has to be in his life.” The plain truth is we aren’t giving those affected the space and time to process on their own, and instead we’re pushing them to continue as if nothing is wrong.
Why not tell people that something is in the works behind the scenes? Why not say something like “we hear you and we are working” in a public statement? Why leave teachers and students guessing and wondering why the school has chosen not to address issues close to them? Silence keeps people guessing. Every issue matters and so do the people impacted by them, so we need to start showing that and acting like it.
If we can educate ourselves and those around us why wouldn’t we? Why wouldn’t we use education to shut down hatred, Anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, and other senseless acts that occur daily in our communities? Why would we just leave people uninformed, in the dark, and brush key conflicts like this under the rug to the side?
The answer is that we can use education to our advantage and inform people, but we put off doing so or just chose not to altogether because we’re scared.
One worry that Ms. Kahan expressed in our interview was that immediately choosing a side rather than deepening one's understanding of the conflict and offering a sense of compassion for the suffering occuring allows for both Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia to spread. The sad truth is that her worries are already emanating throughout our communities.
Prior to Saturday, October 14th, I had never witnessed a hate crime with my own eyes. Of course I’d read and seen videos on the news of them occurring, but I had never been placed into the situation myself. The war may be going on in the Middle East, but if you take a good look around you’ll find hate crimes, protests, and a mass amount of an overall lack of empathy and understanding. And in reality, these smaller acts of aggression (that still have a major impact) are the reason why such horrific global events occur. Mr. Meyers didn’t realize until last week how such an absolutely tragic and horrific event like the Holocaust could have happened with so many people watching, but he expressed to me that now he does because of the acts of aggression in both our community and the Middle East.
When we fail to think; when we choose to be ignorant; when we choose to not address issues that need to be addressed, we open up the doors for evil and hatred to work their way into our lives. And what I find the most terrifying about this is that by choosing not to address issues or waiting so long to address them that they become even more harmful, we normalize them. We normalize things that should not be normal and then when they have adverse effects on us we are quick to say “we didn’t know” or “we couldn’t do anything about it.” But we could have and we should have.
The plain truth is that nobody deserves to be discriminated against because of their ethnic, religious, or cultural identity; nobody deserves to live in fear or have to be hypervigilant because they could possibly be the victim of a hate crime; nobody deserves the pain and suffering that ignorance and unawareness cause.
At the end of the day, we’re all human, but we need to act like it. We need to have a universal understanding about current events and that the lives of others matter just as much as ours because if we don’t, we are choosing to stand by and let people suffer and live in fear.
We need to understand what’s going on to bridge the disconnect between our community and the world around us.
It falls on us.
I implore you to please give a damn about what deserves it.
Can You Handle the Pressure?
“How can we, as students, find the agency for change in our voices?”
As students, we spend about 19% of our time on campuses, where the air humidifies from the voices that march up and down the hallways, discussing aspects of their lives. Most of the voices are talking about shows they’ve watched, like Euphoria, or the new boba tea drinks they've been craving, and sometimes the desire for difference in their school. But only rarely is change actually fulfilled or even given any form of significance by their peers. How can we, as students, find the agency for change in our voices? Are we exercising our rights and executing the power we have, or are we all still living with the issue that we have been forsaken?
As a student here at Comp Sci High, I’ve been a witness to how my peers desire change and discuss change as a collective, but the one thing that always startles me is how the ambition for change tends to die down or extinguish, losing the confidence and support it once had. Now, why does this happen? This article will get to the bottom of and shed light on how students operate under the pressure that arrives when one desires change in this community.
Water fountains are one of the most important elements in school for a student’s health. They hydrate students after vigorous exercises in the gym, cool them down during a hot day, become a site for chilling and having conversations, and shield students from consuming contaminated water. Water fountains are always underappreciated by students for their benefits, both mentally and physically; they've always been described as only "water fountains." They were never viewed as significant to anyone until the very day they started to malfunction, when gathering water became a challenge for the students. This was the time when Comp Sci High lost the pressure it needed.
Now, you would assume that the sudden malfunction in the water fountain would cause many students to go into a frenzy or form alliances to tackle this issue together by attracting more prominence to this issue like a magnet, but you would only be somewhat correct. Though the hallways were still filled with the same voices marching up and down, they only spoke in whispers about the low pressure of the water fountain, which spread like wildfire for 548 days—a fire that was never extinguished because no one had the courage to put it out.
Why did the issue stay the same for almost two years? Here’s why: asking for change in school is like moving to a foreign crowd and attempting your best to convince them to join your coalition without being able to translate your language into theirs. It’s almost impossible to convince 250 people to agree with you. It’s a challenge that even the most successful public speaker deals with. This task requires a sincere amount of devotion—an amount of devotion that the average student doesn't have. So what better to do with the issue than talk about it with your peers and complain about it, hoping that someone or anyone will hear your voice and endure the pressure that you can’t handle? Let someone else deal with it.
A consistent pattern I’ve noticed among the people I’ve interviewed is that change is not consistently present among students, that it only occurs rarely. A person I’ve interviewed, Renee Belton, who is an aspiring dancer and a member of the illustrious Fearless Vision for over 3 years in Comp Sci High, says that “students don’t willingly make change in this school unless a teacher or staff finally notice the same issue and approach; then only the students add on and make change.” David Noah, the school’s executive director, similarly says, “[Change] occurs rarely, but when it does, it is by a student with enough devotion.”
From these quotes, it may seem that Comp Sci High doesn't enjoy change, but that is quite the opposite, as Iris Alder, the current principal of Comp Sci High, says in her definition of change: “For me, change isn’t negative. Change is beautiful; change is growth.” Many students agree with her, also describing change in a positive light rather than the dark light it is usually perceived in.
Now, I'm obviously aware that there are more issues in a high school to focus on, but as curious as you may be, I'm sure you’re asking yourself right now why I’m attracting attention only to a water fountain and not a popular issue in my school. This is because you can’t expect to make changes to big issues if you haven’t tried changing the small or “insignificant ones”. An issue that doesn't seem to affect you or the majority but only a small minority isn’t something we should simply neglect or glance over if we’re a community. As for when you attempt to make changes to an issue that does affect you or the majority, don’t expect support from that same minority, as you and the rest of the majority have chosen to forsake their issue. This will cause your argument to fall short or lose the devotion and fire it once had. It will collapse like a bridge without proper support.
Students fear that their issue won’t receive the attention or prominence they need from their peers since it occurred in the past, scaring them mentally and harming their confidence. Statistically, people would rather prefer death than to speak out in public. So rarely, when someone actually manages to muster up the courage and speak of an issue that harms them and see that nobody in their community is phased (especially their peers), it is as if they’re speaking a different language, as if their voice doesn’t matter in the community, no matter how hard they try. This extinguishes the flames for rectification and ends what may seem like a rare occasion of one student attempting to inflict change on their community.
The water fountain is supposed to define how much democracy or change is present in a community. It represents one's involvement in their community and whether they are willing to inflict change on something as minimal as a water fountain. To focus on the little things is an opportunity for a community to become more inclusive of others and strengthen their unity. It is the little things together that build the larger construct.
We tend to leave this small idea out of the box since we’re always looking for the largest issues and the bigger problems, unaware of how forsaking the “insignificant issues'” can later manifest together to actually become one of the big issues. It is this path that I’ve witnessed consistently throughout the world that causes a community to disband and for wars to become the only answer. If only they'd rectified the “insignificant issues” on time before they became the bigger problem, their path for resolution would become an answer, and the community could stay united and alive as inclusiveness was practiced.
In the wake of a calamity, the fire for rectification grows steadily within us, each fire burning differently. These fires are present all over a community and among different people. Even you, dear reader, have that same fire.
We all want to inflict change; we all want to use that fire in the community that we care about, but we hesitate in fear that our fire will be extinguished and that we won’t get the amount of support for what we want to change. Though this fear is understandable, it is not a justification for not trying. Change is strenuous; it requires a lot of devotion and backbone. We can’t just submit if we fall short of our dreams the first time; we must repeat and be consistent with our desire until that day it’s achieved. As for when one fire glows brightly in the precipice of change, another will become ignited, thus achieving the support and adding more fire wood to the blaze needed for that change to be instilled.
The Candy Sellers
It all begins with an idea.
“Which one do you want to be? A talker? Or a doer?”
Imagine paying more than you can afford to live in a dirty closet infested with mice and roaches. Imagine buying candy in bulk and then carrying fifty pounds of it down the subway stairs to sell it for a dollar to annoying kids. Imagine trying to sell candy in all kinds of weather, heat, snow, rain, and more. Imagine having someone walk up to you and just take your stuff or your money and not be able to do a thing about it. Imagine being walked by every day like you're nothing, like you're invisible, like you don’t even exist. There are real people living this imagination; we are the ones walking by them every day.
More than 75% of the students and staff of Comp Sci High are people of color, Hispanic people, or of Latin descent. You would think that this kind of similarity and connection between us would unite our community right? For the most part our school is one big united community. But outside of the walls of Comp Sci High, that isn’t the case. Sure we help each other here in the building, sure we support each other, and sure we even protect each other to certain degrees. But could you imagine what that would look like if we brought that same energy outside of the school?
Some of you might ask: “Who would we help outside of the building?”
Or maybe some of you might ask: “Why would we do something like that outside of Comp Sci High?”
The answer to that first question is right on the very corners outside of our school building. The candy sellers. I know we all see them outside the building either every morning or every afternoon trying to sell us things. But have you actually ever considered why they do it? Some of you probably just ignore them and keep pushing; the other half of you probably just think they only want money and that’s it. But they are actually more like us than we think.
However, I knew I couldn’t make a bold statement like that without proving it, I had to hear it from them. So I went out on the street after school one day and I walked over that blue bridge to the 2 and the 5 train station, where I knew there would be someone selling something. Over there, under some of the most used trains in the Bronx, I met two individuals, both Hispanic, one named Juan and another named Cathy.
Juan answered my question but his eyes looked so tired and wary. He said: “Yes, it was hard to get my business started years ago, but when things started to go decently well covid hit and then after that all the prices started going up and it made it even harder for me to make a living.” Cathy answered: “Absolutely, when you are a Hispanic woman, you have to work twice as hard to make ends meet, I have to work day and night in order to break even or make a little profit. It's like the more you try the harder it gets.”
Juan took a deep breath before answering my second question as if he was trying to gather his thoughts. It was probably difficult for him because the 2 and 5 trains kept rattling past. But finally he said: “I can’t afford to live in a good place because I can’t make the good money, I live in a one bedroom apartment with my wife and two kids, it is a very bad place, it is filled with roaches, rats, there's no heat, it's a dirty building, but I can’t make enough to live somewhere better.”
Cathy had a similar answer, with a look of sadness expressed in her eyes. And yet, she she was smiling – I could tell it was just because she was trying to be polite to me. She told me: “I pay high rent to live in a closet sized apartment full of roaches and mice. The landlords don’t want to pay for exterminators to come fix the problem, and the amount of crime is outrageous. I get afraid walking to the store and getting shot or mugged, our apartment is almost ready to fall apart and the landlords could care less.”
By then a few people had passed by and some of them even bought something from Juan, and with every sale he made I could see how grateful he was for each one. Juan said to me: “When you sell outside to the people there are alot of people who ignore you, but there's some nasty people out there that try to take candy from me or money, and then the weather is always changing but I can’t give up, I have to work for my family.” Cathy, hearing Juan, got serious. I wondered if she was thinking of her family. She told me: “It is hard to make ends meet, paying all these bills and keeping food on the table for my family. The hardest part is getting up every day and wondering if this is the day I can make enough, or get evicted, or deported, or hurt.”
Most of the students in Comp Sci High come from low income families in neighborhoods considered as poverty-filled or poor. Well, so do those candy sellers. Almost the entire school population consists of hispanic and black students, just like the candy sellers. Most of the students work hard in our school and at our homes to succeed, survive, and to take care of our families just like the candy sellers do too.
All of these sellers immigrated from various countries to America due to things like gang violence, harsh living conditions, limited health care and many other heartbreaking reasons just to attempt to give their children and families a better life. The problem is however, since these people are mostly undocumented not only is it difficult to find housing but it is even harder for them to find good work to help their families live what we call ‘The American Dream”, so they take to the streets and train platforms and they sell candy in order to keep trying to live a better life. Oftentimes the sellers face racial issues, harassment from both citizens and law enforcement, make little to no money at all, and even have to take their children to work with and for them as well in order to get by. These are not only issues they face but issues we also face as young students as well outside of the school building, I know that from both personal experience and from hearing of other student’s experiences.
By now you're probably wondering why I'm saying all of this to you in this paper, and it's because I truly believe that us as students and staff can do something to make a positive impact on these people's lives. We have limited our community to only being about Comp Sci High but it isn’t our only community, the Bronx itself is OUR community and all we have to lift it up is each other. So I want to urge all of those who read this article to keep that in mind, try to be the change that you want to see, even if it is something small like just buying a piece of candy from them or stepping in to help them if you ever see them being harassed in any way. If we want to see true change, if we truly do want a better community, then we have to step in and step up and do something about it because at the end of the day, it is the doers that change the world forever and it is the talkers that leave no impact on the world.
Which one do you want to be? A talker? Or a doer?