Club Spotlight p. 3
In this issue...
Emily Barosin & Zophie Lemaitre Named Class of 2021 Valedictorian & Salutatorian
S P E C T R U M
by Alexandra Weilert This year, two Locust Valley High School students have achieved the distinction of becoming our school’s Valedictorian and Salutatorian: Emily Barosin and Zophie Lemaitre respectively. These students have achieved this honor through hard work and dedication. The Spectrum connected with Emily and Zosia to learn more about these two accomplished young women. Emily Barosin---Valedictorian Emily Barosin, this year’s Valedictorian, has a GPA of 109.66. In an interview, Emily said that, although she had been surprised that it was her, she had an inkling before the announcement was made. “The class of 2021 is filled with many brilliant and hard working people,” she said. “I really believed it could have been anyone, but I did know it was me before I was officially told. I saw that the highest GPA listed on the school profile matched the GPA on my transcript.” Despite guessing beforehand that she had reached this achievement, Emily didn’t let herself celebrate. When the news finally came, she let herself feel proud. Her parents’ reaction paralleled hers, and they celebrated the accomplishment with a celebratory burrito from La Cantina Bay. Emily is certainly an accomplished individual. Her transcript lists several different awards and honors; among them, All-State recognition for vocalists, recognition as an AP Scholar and IB Diploma Candidate, and memberships in multiple honor societies. Along with the overwhelming amount of achievements, she participates in a variety of clubs and activities, including Model UN, Science Bowl, History Bowl, Ethics Bowl, Quiz Bowl, Locust Valley Jesters, Chamber Choir, Mock Trial, Cheerleading, Track and Field, and Youth Climate Action Coalition Women’s Leadership (YCACW). On top of all of this, you may recognize her as one of the star fliers of the Locust Valley Cheerleading squad. That’s not all. Emily is a woman of many talents and hobbies, also capable of a “mean cross stitch,” as she says. She owns three snails, knows how to tap dance, and makes delicious cookies---as someone who’s eaten them, this reporter can confirm. Other hobbies include computer programming, painting, having fun mixing up songs and melodies that shouldn’t work together, and embroidery. So is Emily Barosin human? Unfortunately, yes---we won’t be finding any super-humans here. Like the rest of us, she has her own faults, like just being a messy person. Ironically, she claims a bad memory is the cause of her messiness. Besides her messiness, she also leaves the almond butter out almost every day. One of the main things Emily focused on during our interview was mental health. She said, “If I could give any advice to my peers it would be to focus on your relationship with yourself before anything else. Getting a perfect score on an assignment is a fleeting victory, but a strong understanding of your emotional well being is one that persists throughout your whole life.” Even for aspiring valedictorians, she didn’t mention working until you can’t work any more---(Val/Sal continued on p.4) (Val/Sal continued on page 4) .
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A Look Back at 2020 in Entertainment p. 7 Entertainment
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Locust Valley High School 99 Horse Hollow Road, Locust Valley, N.Y. 11560 Volume XLVI, No. 2 December 2020
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2020 Presidential Election Results
by Kendall O'Brien
The Spectrum, December 2020
Why Is California Burning?
Former Vice-President Joe Biden has been elected as the 46th President of the United States and Senator Kamala Harris will become the first female Vice President, the highest ranking female elected official in U.S history and the first Black and first Asian-American Vice President.. Tuesday, November 3rd, was no ordinary Election Day. The Biden/Harris win wasn’t determined until the morning of Saturday, November 7th, four days after Election Day. The voter turnout for the 2020 presidential election was the highest in modern history, with a projected 161 million Americans voting, either physically or via mail-in ballot. Mr. Biden surpassed current President Donald Trump by a total of seventy-four electoral votes.: Biden 306, Trump 232. The key states to watch were Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Ohio, Arizona, Wisconsin, North Carolina and Pennsylvania. President Trump ultimately won Florida with 51.2% of the vote, Ohio with 53.3% of the vote, and North Carolina with 50.1% of the vote- all demographically Republican states. Mr. Biden won the remaining states: Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Arizona, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania. In the 2016 election, Trump won Michigan by just 0.2 percentage points, which is the narrowest margin by any state. This was a tremendous win for Trump in the last election because, in the six elections prior, the state consistently voted Democratic. This time around, Biden won by 50.6% of the vote. In 2016, Hilary Clinton won Nevada by a margin of 2.4 percentage points. Biden won Nevada by 50.1% percent of the vote. Nevada voting blue may have to do with its population growing rapidly in the last two decades. The Black, Hispanic, and Asian-American voters in the state have increased enormously. The last time Arizona voted blue was back in 1996 for Bill Clinton. Biden managed to flip Arizona, beating Trump by 0.3% of the vote. Biden with 49.4%, Trump with 49.1%. Over the years, the state has become increasingly competitive as the Hispanic share of the electoral vote has grown. In the 2018 midterm elections, the Democrats managed to get numerous seats. Biden also managed to win his home state, Pennsylvania, by 50% of the vote. This is infamously one of the largest swing states, making it an important state to win. Trump won Pennsylvania in 2016 by a margin of 0.7 percentage points. Trump also managed to flip Wisconsin in the 2016 election. The state voted for a Democratic president in every presidential election from 1988 to 2012. This time, Biden flipped the state back, winning by 49.6% of the vote. Georgia, a long lasting Republican domain, turned blue this election year. Why was Georgia more of a battleground state this year? This has to do with the growing Black electorate and demographic changes. Over the last eight years, Atlanta and its Democratic leading suburbs have grown more populous. In Fulton County, which contains most of Atlanta and the city’s suburbs to the north and south, Biden garnered 377,000 votes. Trump garnered 136,000 votes. After a recount of the state’s votes, it was shown that Biden had a razor-thin lead, beating Trump by 0.2 percent of the votes. Biden 49.5%, Trump 49.3%.
Smoke from the wildfires obscures the sun's light in the late afternoon. Photo courtesy of Leonard Gu.
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by Katherine Gu 2020 has been a hectic year. This year was packed with tragedies and a few hopeful happenings. It’s been filled with the presidential election, the COVID-19 pandemic, the Black Lives Matter protests, the launch of SpaceX, and many other events such as the California Wildfires. This season’s wildfires have burned down more than four million acres of land. Wildfires in California date back to the 1930s. Since the beginning of the year, California has suffered from double the amount of wildfires than the previous record. An overview shows that more than 4 million acres have been burned by 8,200 plus fires. Thousands of people evacuated their homes due to the dangerous fires that spread quickly throughout areas of California. The low humidity and high winds pushed the large and dangerous wildfires at a quicker pace. These winds blew particles of ash and dust and created an extremely suffocating quality of air throughout California. In mid-September, the jet stream, which are the strong atmospheric winds that flow west to east, pulled a large amount of smoke from the wildfires to the east coast. On that day, people noted that the sun’s light was obscured by the smoke and it appeared very dark, although it was merely late afternoon. This goes to show how large the wildfires were, as even the east coast was affected in a small way. Many wondered what had caused this record-breaking wildfire season and further investigation pointed to climate change. Climate change depends on many factors, including levels of carbon dioxide in the air and the burning of fossil fuels. Changes in the climate that create a warmer and drier environment increase the risk of a dangerous wildfire season. A strong factor in the cause of the California wildfires reportedly was Pacific Gas and Electric, a large utility company of the state. They ceased use of their equipment after it was discovered that the equipment played a role in causing the Zogg Fire, which burned down the towns of Shasta County and killed four people during late September of 2020. A large portion of the rapidly spreading California wildfires this year were finally put out by many firefighters and volunteers who faced great risks to protect many lives and to rescue numerous people from burning areas. Although the number of wildfires and the severity of the fires has decreased recently, any small fire can set off a wildfire. Earlier this month, the Bond Wildfire was initiated by a small house fire. At the moment, the wildfire has been running uncontrollably throughout Southern California, prompting great panic as thousands evacuate their homes. As of now it seems that this new wildfire will continue to burn down hundreds of acres before containment due to the high winds and the low humidity conditions. 2020 has truly brought about devastating events such as these California wildfires. The fighting of the fire is ongoing and hopefully a majority of wildfires will be contained very soon.
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by Brady Kahner Ethics Bowl is an extracurricular activity offered nationwide and as a club, here, at Locust Valley High School. Ethics Bowl is a competitive activity in which teams of students debate their stance on real-life ethical issues and dilemmas. Each team participates in rigorous discussion where they either defend their own stance or criticize others in a debate. At Locust Valley, when the team is not competing, they are preparing for competition and engaging in fascinating ethical discourse. English teacher Mrs. Greco had been the club advisor up until her retirement at the completion of the 2019-2020 school year. High school English and Philosophy teacher, Mr. Vitale, is the new club advisor. When approached by the club presidents to be the new club advisor, Mr. Vitale stated he was “excited” and “flattered” about the opportunity. When asked about the chemistry of his team, Mr. Vitale said that the team consists of old and new members who all work well together, and he’s confident in the team this year. He had also added that the club is “always open for new members, too.” The club meets at 3:15 every Thursday, virtually, until clubs are allowed to take place in person again. Due to Covid-19 parameters, the February Ethics Bowl competition will be held virtually, but the formatting should remain fairly similar to how it was pre-Covid. Mr. Vitale noted that rather than having only Long Island schools participating in the February competition, schools in New Jersey and New York City will also be competing; and Mr. Vitale added: “that alone should make it [the Covid-formatted competition] a lot more interesting.” When asked if there are any tips or tricks that will lead to the success of the team, Mr. Vitale said that being prepared is of utmost importance, along with being familiar with the cases and materials, practicing, having confidence, and working together. I’m sure the entire school will be rooting for the Ethics Bowl team come February and wishing them great success.
ASL Class Instills Respect for Deaf Community
Club Spotlight -- Ethics Bowl
by Olivia Maher This year, Locust Valley High School welcomes the American Sign Language class as the first World Language elective. This new addition to the high school course offerings focuses on teaching students about American Sign Language. It’s goal is to promote an open-minded point of view to understanding the language and the deaf community. Teaching the class is Mrs. Elizabeth Bressel, who has studied American Sign Language since a young age. In fact, Mrs. Bressel, whose mother was deaf, spent her childhood surrounded by many who are part of the deaf or blind community, inspiring her to learn American Sign Language as an easier option to communicate with them. Mrs. Bressel grew up in Lloyd Harbor, where there was a place called Burrwood Home for the Blind. She spent some of her time there, volunteering on Saturday nights by playing Bingo with the residents. Mrs. Bressel believes that it is extremely important to teach our generation how to communicate with those in the deaf community. In the past there has been a stigma attached to deafness. Mrs. Bressel said that her mother was not allowed to sign and relied mainly on lip reading. According to Mrs. Bressel, “Over the years, the deaf community has worked hard to educate hearing people about the negative connotations of many labels, such as "deaf-and-dumb" or "deaf-mute," preferring that a positive view of deafness and deaf culture be respected.” One of the fun activities in which students in the class engage is called “Fun Fridays,” when students learn to sign the lyrics to popular songs. According to senior Jaimie Moreano, “ASL class has opened my eyes and given me a new perspective on deaf people. Before taking the class, I didn’t realize how much culture and history the deaf world has had. Now I admire deaf people for how proud they are.” Micaela Arana, a sophomore in the ASL class, stated, “It's an interesting class to take and really helps you broaden your mind and experience with different kinds of people.”
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by Brady Kahner Hybrid learning is a school model where students alternate between attending class at home, virtually, and physically in school. Locust Valley High School and Middle School students participate in this form of learning along with other schools throughout the country. This schooling model was implemented in response to the Covid-19 pandemic in the 2020-2021 school year in order to accommodate social distancing and other safety criteria. In Locust Valley, hybrid learning is implemented so the grades are split in half, where half are physically in school, while the other half are attending through Google Meets. As a student learning through a hybrid model, I’m personally indecisive to whether I prefer learning online or in school better. When at school, it feels like a normal school day, except the students and faculty have masks on. Masks have become part of the ‘new normal’ we all have had to adapt to, to ensure the safety of ourselves, as well as those around us. In school, it can be difficult to communicate with classmates or friends because many are online, so group work has proven to be a difficult task. When learning virtually, there are pros and cons. Personally, I know more students that prefer learning at home because we can wake up about an hour later than what we would when we physically attend school. People also prefer learning online because you’re in the comfort of your own home. In my opinion, this can be for good or for worse. Its benefits include being able to use the bathroom without asking, get food or drinks at your leisure, and overall be in a more comfortable environment. Some negative consequences to learning at home include slacking more than usual, procrastinating because you’re at home, being surrounded by more distractions, and an increase in academic dishonesty. These can all result in a lack of motivation for students to learn, which can have a negative impact on their mental health and grades. Most people I know prefer either learning fully online or fully present in school, rather than alternating between being virtual and in school learning. Alternating forms of learning can cause confusion for some, can be inconsistent, and be inconvenient for testing and anything that a teacher would otherwise supervise. The Locust Valley district has slowly and safely been introducing grade levels to fully in school learning, which is not optimal for social distancing requirements, but returns the feeling of normalcy. I know that it will be difficult to assimilate to in school learning from hybrid because there are no ‘breaks,’ which is how learning at home is often viewed.
Contributors Trinity Benstock Caitlin Bianco Olivia Del Tatto Katherine Gu Brady Kahner Olivia Maher Kendall O'Brien Jackson Palmer Peter Pistone Alexandra Weilert
The S P E C T R U M Vol. XLVI, No. 2 Locust Valley High School Locust Valley, NY 11560 Advisor: Ms. B. Mierlak
Perspective -- Hybrid Learning: What's It Like for Students?
Editors - in - Chief Kendall O'Brien Alexandra Weilert
Staff Trinity Benstock Caitlin Bianco Olivia Del Tatto Katherine Gu Brady Kahner Olivia Maher Jackson Palmer Peter Pistone
(Val/Sal continued from page 1) a method of working most of us are guilty of. Rather, she gave three very good points about learning that we should all be aware of. Firstly, that our relationship with learning should be based on a want to learn things we love, not a need to learn things we hate. “Do as best as you can because you love knowledge.” From this, she goes on to describe how wanting to be at the top is inherently competitive. She suggests working with classmates rather than against them, even if it means you won’t be the best in the room any more. Lastly, one of the best pieces of advice for many of us students overwhelmed with work, “If you’re struggling to manage your time and complete your coursework, don’t be afraid to ask for help! The teachers at Locust Valley really care about their students and they want you to do well.” She also mentions making schedules and lists to visualize things better Zophie Lemaitre --- Salutatorian With a GPA of 109.09, Zophie (Zosia) Lemaitre is this year’s salutatorian. Unlike Emily, she didn’t know of her achievement through the class profile. Rather, she figured it out through seeing what was being sent to colleges. While that didn’t cement anything for her, she knew that she had created quite the resumé. For most of high school, she said she had a feeling she’d be salutatorian or valedictorian, “I work hard and know my self-worth.” Just like Emily, she has a host of clubs, activities, and leadership positions within these organizations. These include: Co-President of Ethics Bowl, President/Founder of BIOlympiads, Student Body President, Co-President of the youth group at her temple, Co-President of IB Leadership, Assistant Coach for Oakneck Youth Track and XC, Lifeguard/Swim Instructor at Glen Cove YMCA and Sid Jacobson JCC, and assistant teacher for the Hebrew school at her temple. Along with these positions, she is an athlete on Locust Valley’s varsity tennis and track teams. Zosia’s other activities and achievements include: National Merit Commended Student, a member of the National Honor Society, the National French Honor Society and the Tri-M Honor Society, AP Scholar with Distinction, IB Diploma Candidate, and NYS Seal of Biliteracy Candidate. Surprisingly, just like Emily, she also gets in trouble at home for being forgetful. While she may not leave the almond butter out every day, she occasionally forgets tasks that her mother tells her to do. “If I forget to do something my mom asked me to do before she gets home,” she told me, “I am actually dead.” So does she get any sort of edge at home for her achievements? Apparently not. When asked if her parents still give her the “I’m smarter than you” comment at home, she answered “Yes, of course!” (Photo courtesy of LVCSD)
Perspective -- A Very Different Holiday Season
by Caitlin Bianco
Book Review -- Room by Emma Donoghue
Life may never be the same with the Covid-19 global pandemic, and with the holidays rapidly approaching one can’t help but wonder how this health crisis will impact the impending magical season. The holidays are a great time of charity and community. Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and New Years are all traditionally spent with loved ones, as gathering is a primary principle of celebration. For many Americans, gathering might mean that they have to travel to their families. As the temporary travel ban is lifted, and travel is picking up many people are hopeful that they can travel. However, there is a lot of risk when traveling, as one is exposed to many people in public spaces like airports or gas stations. Additionally, the airline industry has decreased its flight frequency greatly, as there are less people traveling in general, so there might be fewer flights available for consumers. Additionally, many state governors have also urged people to avoid travel. On November 19, 2020, New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo stated, “This year, if you love someone, it is smarter and better to stay away. As hard as that is to say and hear, because if I had to predict, you're going to see a significant spike post-Thanksgiving.” At the ordinarily busiest travel times of the year, it will come as no surprise that this year, travel rates will decrease. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has even made a list of guidelines for holidays and how to best avoid exposure at large and small gatherings. The list includes a section on travel that states, “Postponing travel and staying home is the best way to protect yourself and others this year,” forcing many families to cancel and change their holiday plans or vacations. In addition to travel, the way people spend and do their holiday shopping is also much different this year. As people are doing anything they can to decrease their exposure to others, many more people have resorted to doing their holiday shopping online compared to last year. Many stores have even adapted to this worrisome health crisis by offering contactless delivery or pickup. A Forbes magazine news article states, “According to the Deloitte Holiday Survey, contactless shopping experiences are in demand with 73% of those surveyed planning to have items delivered compared to 62% in 2019; preference for curbside pickup more than doubled this year.” Additionally, retailers used the holidays in their marketing campaigns as an attempt to promote higher sales, which took a devastating hit during the pandemic. Bonobos CEO, Micky Onvural, said in a Glossy Podcast, “We believed that October 1 was the beginning of holiday; that’s when we started to think about it, as many brands did. Coinciding with Prime Day, we started messaging gifting. We messaged ‘Gift yourself’ and ‘Gift others,’ alongside that promotion.” This extension of the holiday shopping season by retailers in attempts to increase consumer spending is just one of the ways that Covid-19 has impacted the retail industry during the holday season. An extra special holiday season is exactly what people need right now, and that is just what we are seeing. As a result of holiday ad campaigns being put on earlier than usual by the retail industry, and in attempts to raise their spirits in this uncertain time, many families have started their holiday seasons earlier. This includes decorating their homes and listening to Christmas songs earlier than usual, as many seem to be looking to the holidays for some much needed cheer. Let's all do our best to enjoy the holiday season safely!
by Olivia Maher The novel, Room, by Emma Donoghue, focuses on a five-year-old boy named Jack, and his Ma, who are held captive inside a room. Being that he has never been in the outside world, Jack has developed a wild imagination. He often entertains himself by naming inanimate objects. He even refers to the small area he and his mother are kept in as “Room.” Furthermore, he believes that characters on television, such as Dora the Explorer, are his friends. Jack’s Ma has been trapped inside “Room” for seven years of her life, as she was kidnapped by a man known as Old Nick. Jack only knows information pertaining to the outside world by learning it from his Ma or seeing it on television. Old Nick is their only connection to the outside world, and visits Ma and Jack inside “Room” to give them their necessities and, sometimes, goodies. These visits are known as “Sunday treats.” As Jack is only a five-year-old, Ma tries to keep him protected from the depressing reality they must live in. Ma has created the rule that Jack has to hide inside “Wardrobe” every time Old Nick visits. As Jack reaches the age of five, he becomes more and more curious about their living circumstances, as well as whether or not some information on television is real or fake. “Room” is isolated from the entire world, so Jack only knows of this secluded environment with just his Ma, Old Nick, and himself. There is some information which Ma finds difficult to explain to Jack, as he does not believe his mother is telling the truth about the outside world that he has never seen. As this fact is a difficult obstacle to overcome, Jack remains unaware of many details that make up a large proportion of the outside world. This book is quite spine-chilling and suspenseful, as we wait to see whether Ma and Jack will ever escape “Room.” It is also extremely interesting to observe the amazing relationship between Jack and Ma. Even though Jack was born into such an isolated circumstance, his mother always tries her best to teach him about the real world. Throughout the book, the development of Jack is amazing to witness, as he tries to understand the world outside of “Room.”
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Music Review: Out with the Old, In with the New
by Jackson Palmer With the Covid-19 pandemic keeping everyone indoors, many people have chosen to use their quarantine days broadening their musical horizons, proving music to be one thing that will never leave our minds no matter how isolated we become. With more people exploring musical genres, both old and new, and Rolling Stone magazine publishing a definitive list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, this music review will discuss two albums - one recent and one modern - with parallel inspirations, instrumentations, styles, and genres. Keeping with the current theme of racial equity, as well as the pervasiveness of African American R&B and Soul music genres, this review will serve as a comparison of Marvin Gaye’s 1971 album What’s Going On, and D’Angelo’s 2000 album Voodoo. Having been written in a time when environmental and societal issues were prominent in the American public, Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On is a prominent depiction of music as a form of civil protest. Touching on a variety of subjects from discrimination to environmental betterment, What’s Going On’s smooth and soulful styles marked the pinnacle of Gaye’s musical career. Having been inspired by incidents involving violence and police brutality, Gaye partnered with musicians such as Tammi Terrell and James Jamerson to produce this masterpiece of an album. While many songs follow a similar rhythmic and harmonic structure, each one employs a variety of instruments (from traditional drums and bass and piano to a variety of percussion and string instruments) and shows the genius of Gaye’s songwriting. One of the most notable aspects of the album is how it ends right where it began, as Gaye returns to the initial lyrics and rhythm presented at the start. In addition, some of the most notable tracks on the album include the self titled track, “Mercy Mercy Me”, “Right On”, and “Inner City Blues,” all of which employ the instrumentations of traditionally orchestral instruments, the rhythm of classic rock, and the groove of blues and soul; clear depictions of traditional African American R&B and the best that 1970’s Motown had to offer. I would highly recommend this incredible album to all fans of classic R&B and soul, as well as traditional rock or smooth jams. Twenty-nine years later, another album of a similar style and instrumentation would be produced, amidst the transition of traditional R&B to modern-day hip hop and rap, D’Angelo’s album, Voodoo. Fresh off of his debut album Brown Sugar, D’Angelo wanted to produce something new with his music. Subsequently, he turned to albums such as Gaye’s What’s Going On for inspiration. After years of experimenting with different styles and genres, D’Angelo produced a masterful album. While Voodoo does not touch upon similar themes such as discrimination, this album is undeniably soulful, particularly groovy, and a similar masterpiece that does justice to its predecessors. Like What’s Going On, the majority of songs on Voodoo are mostly uniform in rhythm and style, yet are undeniably unique, as each song contains some aspect that sets it apart from others, such as the Latin-American style of “Spanish Joint.” In addition, like the flute solos of Gaye’s song “Right On,” many of the tracks on Voodoo feature some element that is unexpected, unique, and ultimately adds to the overall feel of the album, such as the sudden stop at the finish of “Untitled (How Does it Feel),” and the fluctuations of pitch at the end of “One Mo’Gin.” Plus, Voodoo shares a similar instrumentation to What’s Going On, with horns and percussion instruments complementing the traditional bass, guitar, and drums. These albums also share a range of similar sound effects, with chatter and laughter being most notable on both. Overall, each of these albums are masterpieces of their time, and serve as pinnacles of their respective genres. They’re entertaining, groovy, soulful, memorable, and stand out as the ultimate achievement of each of these artists’ careers. Though their general subject matters differ (with Voodoo being more focused on romance as opposed to civil reforms), Gaye and D’Angelo employ similar techniques to convey their respective subjects, with instrumentation, general rhythm, and groove. I highly recommend both of these albums to both fans of old and modern soul or R&B, and are two of the best albums I’ve heard during my time in quarantine.
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TV Review: The Queen's Gambit
by Trinity Benstock What is the worth of achievement within itself? This is one of the central questions of Netflix's newest limited series drama, The Queen's Gambit, which follows the orphaned Beth Harmon (played by Anya Taylor-Joy) from childhood to young adulthood, as she ascends as a protégée in the chess world during the 1960s, and attempts to win the world title. Beth is fundamentally a loner; that's what drew her to chess in the first place. And despite her plethora of chess titles, her personal relationships are all lacking. Additionally, Beth struggles with addiction to tranquilizer pills, alcohol, and tobacco. Her dependency is two-fold, not only because the substances are addictive within themselves, but because she thinks they allow her to play chess with more clarity. Her exceptional ability in chess is not only from her age or gender, but her ability to play out matches in her head using the numbed mental state they create. Beth has only ever known success through her dogged obsession with chess, and thus has a primal need to win. The Queen's Gambit is not a chess show. The run time of the seven episode series may largely consist of shots of chess games, or studying chess strategies, but a lack of chess experience by no means impedes the viewing experience. And, for those familiar with the game, the show will provide insight into a completely different mode of playing. A drama about chess may seem antithetical, but the shifting cast of characters paired with the phenomenal acting from the cast keep it not only engaging, but thrilling. The direction of Scott Frank helps create a palpable tension during each chess game. And despite the multitude of chess games in the show, they never cease to excite. This is in part due to the phenomenal cinematography that leaves each game looking completely different, the equally brilliant soundtrack, and Taylor-Joy´s acting. No matter your experience with chess, The Queen's Gambit provokes pertinent questions about success, family, and addiction. And even without these lessons, it's a beautifully shot, acted, and scored work that could be appreciated on those merits alone.
Entertainment -- 2020 Highlights
2020, what a year! This year has been bad. Okay really bad. Horrible? Terrible? The worst? Okay, let’s go with that. 2020 has been a bad start to the new decade. With all that has happened with the pandemic, not a lot has truly happened that could be considered memorable. But in this month’s issue, we’re going to look back on some of the good things this year has brought to us. Featuring movies, games, shows, and more, it’s time to reminisce on this year’s better moments. Animal Crossing’s New Horizons Shatters Expectations around the World: On March 20th, the world was gifted with the newest title for the Animal Crossing franchise, Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Forced to stay at home, more and more people were buying a Nintendo Switch to start building their island in Animal Crossing and it got more and more traction around the world. Many celebrities, YouTubers, Twitch streamers, and more had all gathered to play this game with friends and family during the pandemic and still to this day! The game has sold incredibly well, as it currently is the second most sold game for the Nintendo Switch and the second best selling game this year, as it sold about 22.4 million units. If you haven’t played the game, it’s highly recommended and it’ll be worth your while! Animal Crossing has helped with ads for small businesses, creative custom and pro designs for others to use on their island, and was even used for weddings and honeymoons when the pandemic struck hard. Hamilton Takes the Stage on Disney+: Due to the pandemic shutting down Broadway plays, it seemed like we weren’t going to be able to see a new play this year, but on July 3rd, that all changed when one of the most highly honored plays came to Disney+: Hamilton. It may have been hard to get tickets for the play on Broadway, but now you can watch it in the comfort of your own home and stream it on your Disney+. The movie has the original cast singing the classic songs from the play and it’s as great as it was in person, with Lin-Manuel Miranda playing Alexander Hamilton and Leslie Odom Jr. playing Aaron Burr (sir), it’ll be a play you’ll never forget. DC’s FanDome Strikes the World with New Content: Due to the global pandemic, the San Diego Comic Con was canceled and it had seemed like we wouldn’t be able to see anything from our favorite pop culture media sources, but that wasn’t the case for Warner Bros. and DC comics. As of August 22nd, DC opened its virtual convention called, DC FanDome. During this event, DC fans were gifted with some amazing news from games to shows to movies! A few highlights from the event include, but aren't limited to, a new line up of villains for the upcoming movie, The Suicide Squad, which will be directed by James Gunn, director of the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, a Black Adam movie starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, a new trailer for Wonder Woman 1984, Robert Pattinson starring in the next Batman movie, The Batman, and finally a first look at the Zack Snyder cut for the 2017 movie, Justice League, which will arrive on HBO Max in 2021. Truly, next year will be an exciting year for DC fans and will be worth the wait! There’s An Imposter Among Us: While this game was released on June 15th of 2018, it skyrocketed in popularity during the summer of this year, probably around the same time as when InnerSloth released the Henry Stickmin Collection on Steam, and when Fall Guys had risen to popularity. For those who don’t know the game, Among Us is a murder mystery type game where you go around a spaceship and complete tasks to win, while also guessing which one of you is a murderer, or as it’s called in the game, an imposter. As the player, you need to complete certain tasks to win the game. These include fixing wires, shooting asteroids, taking out the trash, and plenty more, all the while trying to avoid getting killed by the imposter. As the imposter, your job is to kill everyone aboard and you can win in two different ways: killing everyone aboard/voting them off or causing a malfunction in the ship and hoping the players don’t reach the area that needs fixing. If a body is discovered on the ship, players need to decide who to vote off and this is where the game gets intense. When this happens, you need to be very careful of what you do and say, because it’s basically a free for all on who killed whom. It’s an incredibly fun game to play and it’s challenging on either side and requires you to really pay attention to every detail done by the other players. Steve Made It in Smash Bros! Crazy right?! We finally got Steve after six years of making jokes about it! On October 1st, we were gifted with the 77th fighter in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Steve from Minecraft. As crazy as this is, it is real and it’s not a dream. This new fighter got so much hype that it managed to crash Twitter. He’s a fighter many have been joking about, but also wanting since Super Smash Bros. for 3DS and Wii U. In my opinion, he’s a genuinely fun character to play, and seems like a top tier fighter for the game; his entire moveset, stage, and alternate costumes are inspired from the game. His moveset consists of tools and aspects used from the game such as mining, building blocks, crafting, dropping items, and many more. The final smash consists of Steve using a piston to push you in a dark room, as creepers blow up the area and create a good amount of damage. Steve feels like a gift to fans of both Smash and Minecraft and I’d seriously recommend playing as him if you have the game. All we need is Waluigi in Smash Bros. Alright, Let’s Do This One More Time. My Name is Miles Morales: (SPOILER WARNING FOR SPIDER-MAN: MILES MORALES) As the new PlayStation 5 dropped in the middle of November, a few new games were released for PS4 and PS5, including: Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, Sackboy: A Big Adventure, Horizon: Forbidden West, and plenty more. But, there was one game during this PS5 event that was released earlier than expected, and also released on the Playstation 4. That game was Spider-Man: Miles Morales, the sequel to the PlayStation 4 exclusive, Spider-Man PS4. At first glance, the game feels the same as its predecessor, but you’d be surprised at what new things the game adds in. While you don’t have the suit powers like in the last game, Miles has the ability to turn himself invisible and use his electrical powers in a variety of ways to help progress through the game. The game takes place two years after the events of the ending of Spider-Man PS4 and its DLC storylines. We learn that Spider-Man, aka Peter Parker, is going away on a trip with MJ to help her with some photography, leaving Miles in charge to protect the city in his absence. However, it isn’t long until we come to face two problems in the game, the fictional company Roxxon, and The Underground, led by a masked villain named The Tinkerer. The Underground wants to destroy the company of Roxxon Energy and humiliate Simon Krieger for killing the Tinkerer’s brother when he was trying to destroy the company’s core. Disney+ Brings a New Hope to Star Wars shows: Disney's new streaming service, has been a popular service primarily because of The Mandalorian exclusive, and has offered many other shows to its viewers. The release of the final season of The Clone Wars brings the epic series to a grim conclusion in the wake of Order 66, the executive order in which Clones would turn against the Jedi Generals, and execute them. They additionally released a new season of The Mandalorian, choosing to release an episode every Friday. As the Din Djarin adventures through the galaxy, searching for a Jedi to help train the Child, there are hints to other things across Star Wars lore, from exotic creatures to important people. Never Forget: Sadly, we couldn’t cover everything new in entertainment that has happened this year, but I would like to leave 2020 with a remembrance. We have lost many celebrities this year including Chadwick Boseman, Kobe Bryant, Alex Trebek, Kirby Morrow, David Prowse, Diego Maradona. Sean Connery, Whitey Ford, Michael Lonsdale, Joe Ruby and Ian Holm. In memory of those individuals and all who have died from Covid-19, we will never forget you. I wish everyone a safe and healthy holiday season: please stay safe, wash your hands, stay six feet apart, and wear your mask!
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by Peter Pistone
Sports Update -- Winter / Fall /Spring Seasons
by Olivia Del Tatto Even though the Locust Valley Falcons are not playing in games with other schools across Long Island, the Falcons are sure doing everything they possibly can to keep their spirits high and skills sharpened. According to New York State and Section Eight, the Winter Season, beginning on January 4th and extending through February 26th, will begin with low to moderate risk sports including Bowling, Gymnastics, Indoor Track and Field, Skiing, and Swimming and Diving. High-risk sports including Basketball, Wrestling, Ice Hockey, and competitive Cheerleading have not been approved by Governor Cuomo's office just yet. Hopes are still high that we will be able to witness a stellar winter season on and off the court. Following the Section VIII plan for having three sports seasons at the high school, the Fall Season would begin on March 1st and continue through April 21st, and, finally, the Spring Season will take place from April 22nd through June 14th. The student-athletes of Locust Valley High School are eager to get out and play again, Senior Jenna Halpin, who is a three varsity sport athlete says “I'm staying very optimistic for the start of high school sports this January. I can't wait to get back on the field and on the court with my teammates and make the most out of my condensed senior seasons. It has definitely been a difficult fall without high school sports, but I am very eager, and so are my peers, to get back out there and represent Locust Valley this winter and spring!” In the interim, our Athletic Department has developed an intramural league from grades 7-12, which is allowing Locust Valley student athletes to develop and improve their skills, while remaining healthy and abiding by the Covid-19 guidelines. As of now, that is all of the information we have about the future of high school sports. All we can do now as a school community is to stay safe and have high hopes for returning back to normalcy again soon.
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The Staff of The Spectrum Wishes You Happy, Safe & Healthy Holidays