With the Christmas season rapidly approaching and the hustle and bustle of the holidays in preparation for the day, one rarely takes time to just relax. How did Christmas go from being an annual celebration of the birth of Jesus for Christians to an expensive stressful holiday for all people to endure? This holiday used to be a cultural celebration for Christians and others, but in this day and age, it has gone completely commercial. With the controversy of Santa, gift giving, decorating, and partying, Christmas has evolved over the years into this major event for most people. This holiday has, for some, turned into utter chaos and commotion. But, people love the thrill of it, which is why it seems to continue to grow more and more each year. 

Many people enjoy the holidays and like to think of it as a break from stress when ultimately it is just a different form of it. People use Christmas as a way to stop thinking about the real world and start focusing on something else as a way to freshen their mind. This gives people the escape they need to stop and have a mental break. This holiday helps most decompress and enjoy the good in the world and stop thinking about the bad. People start to think of others for a change and it feels good to them, which is why people started to go all out with decorations. This is where the popularity started in this holiday season; people feel good about themselves once they give to others. This caused the meaning of Christmas to change for people, which is that it is not only for Christians to celebrate anymore. People enjoy it so much which is why there are decorations, movies, and festive foods. It was created as a way to get people in the spirit of giving, which makes people want to do it more. This holiday has exploded over the years, which seems to be an aid and having people show the kindness within them. Christmas brings the goodness out of people, which makes it into a season of giving, no longer just a day. People are delighted by the hubbub, such that this holiday benefits many people for this season, and gives them a fresh start into the new year. 

There is no doubt that the Christmas season is a dominating holiday for many families; people enjoy spending time together and giving to others. This is a messy chaotic holiday that most people turn to for comfort and peace. It makes people think about how they want to go about their new year and what things to look forward to. This is a holiday for anyone to enjoy and celebrate so maybe they can see a better side to them. Overall, the Christmas season is something crazy that many people cherish and do not expect it to go by as fast as it did, which is why people should sit down and think about how they want to jump into the new year.

Napoleon Bonaparte: The most prominent commander, and eventual emperor, of the French Revolution. A strong-willed and even courageous leader who, consequently, faced his demise due to his overambition. Despite his many successful military conquests, this film, Napoleon, directed by Ridley Scott, attempts to focus more on his romance with his first wife, Josephine de Beauharnais. Scott makes a clear point in showing this relationship; however, this film, under the reign of some mediocre writing, takes away from the story and diminishes the overall message Ridley intended to portray to the audience. At first glance, this film is very well done, but a few minor details set it back from being a true triumph in filmmaking. 

Visually, this film has many great aspects, including the costuming and production design. Both were very well done and contributed to the feeling and time period of the film. In any film, costuming holds great importance, being the visual gateway, in most aspects, to truly understanding a character. This film greatly encapsulated the military and even royal attire of the French Revolution. Costume designers Janty Yates and David Crossman truly took on the challenge of this project and ran with it. Making over 4,000 military costumes alone, each one was intricately designed and accurately represented the fashion of this time period. Even based on paintings from this time period, the costuming is extremely accurate. One of the most profound costumes was Napoleon’s and his Empress’s coronation garments. They are great in showing the royal elegance within France at this time, and without them, this film would not be as impactful as it turned out to be. Similarly, the production design was also very intricately detailed and representative of France at this time. With the battlefield scenes and warfront battles feeling very real. Production designer, Arthur Max, did a great job of finding places to shoot with similar architecture to that of France during that time period. If anything, Yates, Crossman, and Max carried the visual aspects of this film. 

Now, what truly transforms a passable film into a remarkable film is the acting. In Napoleon’s case, the acting was very well executed on all accounts, with the exception of a few accents, but that’s neither here nor there. Undoubtedly, Joaquin Phoenix holds the acting ability to portray characters well; however, the writing of this film prevented him from being able to express the full range of acting abilities that he has been able to showcase to the world in the past. Obviously, a person can only expect so 

much from a period piece with power-hungry characters, but the writing could have been more cohesive. Regardless, Joaquin Phoenix, and especially Vanessa Kirby, as Empress Josephine, did a fantastic job of bringing these historical figures to life. The depth of emotion that Kirby brought to this film was nothing short of incredible. The audience could feel her emotions right through the screen. 

A film about Napoleon would generally be interpreted as a gory and violent one, and that’s what this film, in most parts, seems to be. But, it is also jam-packed with many different aspects of life during the French Revolution, not only Napoleon’s but the multitude of other politically powerful people who lived during this time period, too. As a viewer, I found that it could even be difficult to focus on one thing, since so much is happening all at once; it’s at times overwhelming. And truly, the way the interpretation of the quality of this film depends upon what a person focuses on while watching. If they focus on the production and costume design, they will not be disappointed. Yet, if they focus on the accents and historical accuracy of the characters, they might be slightly underwhelmed since, overall, there are minor errors. If anything, Scott’s ability to create this overwhelming scene structure with such attention to detail makes the film more interesting and appealing to the detail-oriented members of the audience. Yes, it has many over-exuberant aspects, but what prevents this film from truly appealing to all audiences in a masterful way is the lack of a well-written emotional hook. Yes, it highlights the emotional depth and appeal of Napoleon as a leader, but it lacks a deeper feeling for the audience. 

 All in all, Ridley Scott was able to captivate his audience with a detailed production and artistic design. Although tainted with some questionable writing and other film aspects, Scott, along with the cast and other crew, managed to encapsulate the chaotic, artistic, and even poetic war-filled times of the French Revolution, specifically in Napoleon’s case. For all history lovers, this movie is a must-see as long as they can ignore some minor confusions within the script.

Happy Holidays everyone! Many holidays are coming up, so why not enjoy your holiday season with some Christmas movies and snacks to go along with them. The following list contains our suggestions to help make this season even more merry and bright! 

1. This Christmas is the story of a middle-class, African-American family that reunites for Christmas for the first time in many years. The perfect snack for this movie is popcorn and M&Ms! 

2. A Christmas Carol is a classic story about an old man named Ebenezer Scrooge, who softens up after he is visited by his former business partner's ghost, as well as 3 Christmas ghosts. The perfect snack for this grouchy sour man would be worms in dirt (sour gummy worms and chocolate pudding).

3. The Christmas Chronicles chronicles the story of two siblings who hatch a scheme to capture Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. When the plan goes wrong, the kids join forces with a somewhat jolly Saint Nick and his loyal elves to save the holiday before it's too late. The perfect snack for this movie would be sugar cookies and eggnog!

4. Home Alone is a movie about an 8-year-old boy who was accidentally 

left at home while his family went on a trip. Robbers tried to break into this house, but he protected his home. A perfect snack for this movie is cheese pizza and milk.

5. Home Alone 2 is similar to the first one, but instead of being left at home, the main character got on the wrong flight and became separated from his family, who was in Florida. The perfect snack for this movie is Neapolitan (chocolate vanilla and strawberry) ice cream with cookies. 

6. Eight Crazy Nights is about Davey Stone, a 33-year-old man who loves to party and gets in trouble with the law. Since it is the holiday season, the judge gave him one more chance; he can spend the holiday doing community service as an assistant referee for the youth basketball league, or go to jail for his actions. A yummy snack to eat while watching this movie could be Jelly Donuts and Ginger Ale Blueberry Spritzers.

 7. Elf is about an overgrown elf who travels to New York City to find his biological father who, until now, didn't even know that he existed. Dad needs the Christmas spirit, and Elf sure brings it! The perfect snack to accompany this movie is spaghetti, maple syrup, chocolate syrup, marshmallows, and candy.

8. Daddy's Home is about a stepfather who wants attention from his wife's kids when their biological father comes home for the holidays. A tasty snack for this would be M&M cookies and milk.

9. Rudolph is about a reindeer who is different from the others. He has a big shiny red nose and none of the other reindeer like him until something happens and Santa Claus needs him. A yummy snack for this would be chocolate-covered pretzels.

10. The Grinch is about a cranky creature that hates everything about Christmas. One day his “2 sizes too small heart” was sick of Christmas, so he decided to steal Christmas from every Who in Whoville. A delicious snack to eat with this movie is candy canes and Who pudding (vanilla/chocolate pudding).

11. Princess Switch is about a girl who was competing in a baking competition and ran into the prince's fiance, who looked just like her. They agree to switch lives, and craziness ensues. Any nice homemade snack would be perfect for this movie.

12. The Nightmare Before Christmas is the story of Jack Skellington, the pumpkin king of Halloween Town, and how he comes across ‘Christmas Town.’ Once he falls in and sees what they do, he starts to scheme to take over the holiday. A good snack to have while watching this is some of Sally's hair and snowballs the elves made. (Red licorice and marshmallows).

The album, “A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out” was released by Panic! At The Disco on September 27th 2005. The album is stupendous, from its composure to the way the album was organized. The lyrics were primarily written by former guitarist Ryan Ross who was only 18 years old for the entirety of the time they were in the studio recording the album; therefore, he was barely out of high school when the album was released. The album is 39 minutes and 42 seconds long and has 13 songs on it. The majority of “A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out” was written about Ryan’s father who had been struggling with alcohol abuse. Genre wise, the album primarily shows a beautiful mix of pop-punk, baroque pop, emo, and eletronica. The album is actually split where part of it is more synthesized and electrically based, and other parts use more instrumentation. 

We start the album with the “Introduction” which feels as though it's a preview, setting up for the songs to come throughout the entirety of the album. The next song on the album is “The Only Difference Between Martyrdom and Suicide Is Press Coverage”; the song’s title actually comes from a quote in a Chuck Palahniuk book, the track giving the album a theme we see throughout the remander of the album. We then move onto “London Beckoned Songs About Money Written By Machines'' which continues the theme on how musicians are willing to do anything to get people to listen to their music, even when that means changing what they want to do, hence “selling out” for critics who expect them to change. The third song on “A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out” is “Nails For Breakfast, Tacks for Snacks'' which is about Ryan’s father’s struggle with drugs/alcoholism, and how Ryan struggled not to follow in his father’s footsteps, and is yet again a beautifully composed song with amazing lyricism and instrumental work. The fourth song on the album is “Camisado '' which was a way for Ryan to express his anger towards his dad, going through some of the worst parts of a hospital stay which continues to show his fear of ending up like his father; the song is exquisitely written. The next song,“Time To Dance,'' is based on the novel “Invisible Monsters'' and is one of my favorite songs on the album, especially the live in Denver version which has amazing backing vocals from Ryan Ross rather than just Brendon Urie doing both lead and backing vocals. The seventh song on the album, “Lying is The Most Fun A Girl Can Have Without Taking Off Her Clothes,'' was written about Ryan Ross’ ex-girlfriend whom he had dated for three years previous to their break up; the song yet again has an amazing theme and lyricism that really stands out. The eighth song is “Intermission” which is an instrumental that shows the transition from synthesized to using more classical instruments. Then we move onto “But It’s Better If You Do” in which the narrator is at a strip club whilst wishing he wasn’t, but he feels as though he is isolated. The song is actually connected to both the seventh and tenth song on the album, even playing the opening riff of the tenth song at the end. Now we move onto the tenth song “I Write Sins Not Tragedies” which seems to be the most popular song on the album. This song is about a couple about to be married, but the bride was caught cheating on the groom, and the song is quite beautifully written. The next song on the album, “I Constantly Thank God For Esteban,'' is a song about liars and hypocrisy in religion, but as the song goes on it uncovers a deeper meaning, rather than just corruption amongst religious leaders. The 12th song on the album, “There’s a Good Reason These Tables Are Numbered Honey, You Just Haven’t Thought Of It Yet” is about how he essentially attempts to ruin everyone's night as long awaited revenge, making everyone feel out of place by being the best dressed and causing pandemonium amongst the party. The final song on the album is “Build God, Then We’ll Talk.” This song follows the story of a lawyer cheating on his wife, and a virgin who sells her body to the lawyer but ends up pregnant and gets caught. The title is believed to be a quote from Chuck Palanhuik’s novel “Choke.” The chorus of this song is derived from The Sound of Music’s “My Favorite Things,” but rather than using favorite things he uses unpleasant events and items. 

Overall “A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out” is an outstanding album that shows the extension of the “emo” music scene, using synthesizers and classical instrumentation to provide a variety to the music.

Winter Sports have filled the Amsterdam school community with excitement and school spirit. The Amsterdam girls and boys basketball teams have started off the season with success. Fans are pooling into the games and supporting both teams with cheering. The Amsterdam community is loud and proud! If you have not attended a basketball game this year, I encourage you to come and support! It is always a great time! 

The girls team has a record of 2-1 in the Foothills Council. The young team has shown strength at the three point line. The girls team have made home games lively by throwing out tee shirts every time an Amsterdam girl makes a three point shot. The girls team even had the ability to go down to New York City to play a few weekends ago. Later this season, the team will also go to New York City for a two day showcase. Also, the girls team hosts a showcase at Amsterdam over Christmas break with many college coaches in attendance.

 The boys basketball team has a record of 3-0 in the Foothills Council. The boys team is considered very young compared to most other teams, as none of the starters are seniors. However, they have proved they can compete and dominate the court together. Fans are extremely thrilled to see such a competitive team, and the student section at both home and away games has been impressive. The boys had the chance to face Mekeel in a non league game at the Armory in Albany. They were not able to defeat Mekeel, but it was a great learning experience especially for later in the season when sectionals begin. The boys team has a showcase coming up over Christmas break in Utica where they will play teams from out of the area. 

Indoor track has had a couple of meets at Union College and Hudson Valley Community College so far. In only the second meet, senior Gianna Crespo Julia made a school record for the 1000 meter run. She beat the record of 3:15 by one second! The indoor track team has been working hard inside the school, and using the modest winter weather to train outside as much as possible. The team will go to numerous invitationals in the new year. 

People think that the Christmas season is magical, and they are correct. The stores are full of decorations and festive music plays on the loudspeakers. My favorite part of Christmas is the Christmas tree. Whether at home or out in the community, whenever I see a Christmas tree lit up, I feel happy.

Some people decorate their trees with colored lights, while others prefer white lights. I like colored lights that twinkle in the night. Colored lights are so pretty, and they feel celebratory. In addition, some people like to decorate their trees with a theme. For example, Harry Potter fans may have all Harry Potter ornaments, or Santa Claus collectors decorate exclusively with Santa ornaments. Other people follow a color scheme and use ornaments and tinsel in the same color family. Still, others decorate their trees only using ornaments that have been collected over the years to commemorate special events and occasions. I prefer the latter; I think that ornaments that have sentimental value are special and they help to spread joy during the holiday season. Finally, there are two different options to top a Christmas tree. Some people insist on a star, but an angel should sit majestically on top of the tree. In all reality, it does not matter what your Christmas tree looks like, as long as it brings joy and happiness to you and your family.

The holiday season, with all of its bright lights, family gatherings, and cold weather, is a time of year that many would agree is full of excitement and joy. With all of the love and enthusiasm, though, comes increased rates of stress and anxiety. We often get so caught up in all the gift buying and preparations that we forget to slow down and enjoy time spent with friends and family. Rather than wasting time worrying about who gets what gift, social dynamics, and much more, we should keep in mind the true reason for the season.

The number one stressor for people during this time of year is, to no surprise, the purchasing and giving of gifts. Often, it is not just the worry of what to give, it is also the price that comes with it. According to the American Psychological Association, 58% of Americans say that spending too much money or having a lack of money to spend on gifts causes them stress. It’s unfortunate that at such a time, we are focused on material possessions rather than on being with those we love and care about. Although the giving of presents is an integral part of appreciating loved ones, it should not have to be a task that causes turmoil. At the end of the day, spending time with loved ones should be the main goal during this time of year.

Not only that, but sometimes it’s the fear of one’s family that causes angst during the holidays. Nearly everyone is wary of the heated political and social debates that may occur at the dinner table; guessing who may offend who and cause a commotion is on the forefront of the minds of many. Unfortunately, this is a situation that is out of the hands of the observer. We cannot control others, (no matter how hard we may try), and conflict between family and friends may be inevitable. Regardless, taking a problem in stride and letting go of superficial matters is key for one’s own mental health and enjoyment. Of course, as Psychology Today puts it, “if your family is truly abusive, unpleasant, or unhealthy for you, know that you have the choice to decline spending time with them.” If you’re simply surrounded by strong (and slightly irritating) personalities, though, consider just dropping criticisms and grudges for a while.

Despite the fears and worries that may arise, the winter season is a time for togetherness and joy. When things run awry, it's totally okay to take a step back and remind yourself of the good intentions this time should bring. Opinionated family members and a lack of extravagant gifts don’t have to mean that the festivities are ruined; rather, we should be grateful for what we can provide, and who we celebrate with.

Sources:

https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2023/11/holiday-season-stress#:~:text=Financial%20concerns%20were%20most%20often,during%20the%20holidays%20(38%25).

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/in-the-age-anxiety/201111/10-common-holiday-stresses-and-how-cope-them-0

The Amsterdam Rambler is proud to present a short story, “Adlucinatio,” written by Vincent Chen. In this fantasy tale, a Pathfinder named Time Leaper tries to break the illusions of his world.  Each month, two or three new chapters will be presented as a series.

~ Installment 1 ~

  - S I  V I S  P A C E M ,  P A R A  B E L L U M -     

Chapter I: [Contritus Verita]

 As the last of Time Leaper’s holo-shield shattered and the explosion dissipated, he staggered out of his mech and gazed at the crater before him. Confusion and fatigue plagued his mind from the fight that had just unfolded. With his energy completely drained, he falls unconscious.

Chapter II: Eorum [Dimensiones]

He awakened after an untold amount of time. He rose to his feet and trudged wearily trying to recollect the battle he had endured.  The echoes of the events repeat in his mind, “THERE ARE NOTHING IN THIS DIMENSION… BUT ILLUSIONS! LET’S END THIS FOREVER.”  

“I don’t understand.” he mutters. 

“Congratulations for making it this far.” He whips around and sees a dark figure in front. 

“What is all this?” The figure vanishes and reappears behind him. 

“Make it simple. Call me Mr. Black.” 

“Where am I?” 

“Something happened to us. He saw something that triggered an otherworldly memory. It caused a glitch in the system granting him Sentience.” 

“What do you want?!” 

“You had no idea what he was saying, correct?” 

“...He mentioned something…something about illusions.” 

“I see. So he attempted to eliminate the semi-finalists to end this.” 

“What do you mean Semi-finalists?” 

“Prior to this conversation, something extraordinary had happened, my friend. The Verdant Gate was opened, merging the two worlds.” 

“Another world?” 

“Exactly. So that wasn’t your final battle. The final battle will take place between the finalists of the two worlds.” 

“So I will FIND him…” 

Mr. Black's eyes lit up.   “Y O U  F O U N D  M E.” 

Chapter III: [Finalis Revelation]

As Time Leaper turned around, a powerful shockwave sent him tumbling a couple of yards away, knocking him down. Time Leaper rises and his eyes lock onto Mr. Black looming in front of him.

 “You see my friend, from the beginning, we were False-Consciousness. We’ve been fighting for something we don’t understand. We’ve been forced to think this is all real. You can’t resist it. Surrender and no precious blood needs to be wasted. Let me handle the rest of this. Afterward, Adlucinatio - The Omnipotence will appear and I’ll take care of everything from here on out. And for sure, no one will remember these illusions.” 

Time Leaper clenches his fists, “JUST SHUT UP AND WORK FOR IT.”  

“You’ve always liked it the hard way, huh? Very well...” 

He fixes his tie. “See if you can win THIS ONE.” 

This continuing ‘Education Crisis’ segment will finally give voice to the staff interviews previously mentioned in October’s article. Apologies for those who were waiting (the due date was missed last time), thank you for being patient! And of course, thank you to all the teachers, staff, and students who have been kind enough to participate in this investigation. In this article, only staff interviews will be included.

Q1: How long have you been working here, and what changes (schoolwise) have you seen or experienced since then?

Anonymous: I’ve been teaching for 10 years, and the biggest change that I’ve seen is that we’ve had a large change in our class sizes. My average class size when I first started teaching was somewhere close to 18, but today they’re closer to 26. That’s made it more difficult to give students individualized help when we only have a 40-minute period to work with.

Mr. Palczak: 35 years, 2 big changes. Technology has been a dramatic change; when I first started teaching there was no such thing as the internet. Second, the issues that my students deal with in their lives have gotten a lot more complicated.

Anonymous: Kids are getting worse. It seems like kids are getting more control of the school because nothing is being done about it.

Q2: How do you feel about the current state of our school?

Anonymous: The climate is not the same. The school is not as positive as it could be. I wouldn’t say I’m happy with it, because if I am, that means I’m okay with the way things are, and the way things are isn’t okay. I don’t know what the solution is or how we can get back to that place.

Anonymous: Personally, my classes this year have been great and I respect the attitudes of everyone; However, it seems like there’s a lot of emotional tension amongst students outside the classroom. I think students need to improve their emotional intelligence because the tension is unnecessary.

Q3: If you are aware of it, how do you feel about the current situation with the Department of Education? Do you think it affects our district? 

Anonymous: Many issues make this a big issue. The workload on educational staff has been increased by a lot, which has made the profession stressful and led to many teachers leaving. There’s been a poor focus on what skills are important to be successful when you leave high school, like life skills and what to plan for after you graduate. Here in Amsterdam I think we need to do things better, and I think there are a lot of things in progress that will hopefully result in better outcomes down the line, but we’re pretty far from that place.

Mr. Palczak: I think nationally, public education is under a lot of political pressure. Things that have nothing to do with school are impacting school; like what books we can teach, and what movies we can show, a lot of it has nothing to do with school but it impacts us a lot. I don’t think it affects our district, but different parts of the country are facing more challenges than us. 

Anonymous: I don’t agree with it. I feel that private institutions take away from communities, so public schools are necessary. I think education all around the country is going to be all over the place, and we won’t have any consistency, values, or knowledge.

Anonymous: Teachers don’t wanna be teachers anymore because a lot of people that make the rules make it hard to be a teacher. For example, raising failing grades to a 55 on report cards for 3 quarters; the ‘disruptive’ kids who don’t work get away with it and that makes it tough for teachers to do their job successfully. 

Q4: Can issues with students being addressed today (barely keeping up with their grade level, not being able to comprehend their work, etc.) be blamed on parents, teachers, district, department, etc.? Why or why not?

Anonymous: Again, I think there are a lot of parts that make our current situation challenging. Right now there is a large percentage of students who are below where they used to be at this grade level because of the effects of COVID. If we had gone right back from the 3 months we missed and everybody was back to full school the next year, we probably wouldn’t have seen a huge impact. But instead, we went to the 2-day week schedule, so everybody got a half year of instruction. Was online instruction successful? Probably not, it was probably was a massive failure. 

Mr. Palczak: The education of a child is community-wide, so if the student is not having success, the family has a role in it, the school has a role in it, and society at large. It’s the same way if a child is successful; so I think no, it’s based on many factors. 

Anonymous: Sometimes it can be their whole community. It’s a combination where their hands are tied from higher-ups, not being able to do certain things. I feel that the people who are making the decisions are not doing anything to support the kids.

Anonymous: It’s a group effort, so every single person in the situation needs to hold themself accountable or else there’s no support system at all.

Q5: Do you think after everything we’ve been through these past few years (ex. COVID), school is about learning or grades at this point?

Mr Palczak: I understand that some students are more concerned about their grades than their learning. That happens, but you should try to find a balance between those things. I don’t have any of those students in my classroom, of course, I wanna give good grades. (Great teacher, thank you Palczak!)

Anonymous: I think it’s a combination of both. They’re trying to make up for lost time but they don’t realize that our 9th graders are kind of 7th graders, 12th are really 10th graders, etc. This is because the education was not the same virtually and it affected how these kids learn today.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

It seems that the staff of Amsterdam High School have similarities and differences in their viewpoints, compared to students, in opinions about the condition of our school and the educational system. Based on all the information gathered throughout these interviews, communication between students and staff should be made a priority as soon as possible. A school is a place where nobody should feel divided or conflicted about their education. Hopefully, this investigation will reach others who wish to be heard, or others who can make a difference to develop the growth our school needs to thrive.

Regents exams are subject-based tests taken at the end of every high school year. As a high school student, it's safe to say that the Regents exams are perhaps the most dreaded aspect of the entire school year. These subject-based tests, taken at the end of the year, are a source of stress and anxiety for students across the state; and for good reason—they suck.

For starters, these exams can be extremely challenging. The material covered on these tests is often dense and complex, and students are expected to know everything. This puts enormous pressure on students, particularly those who struggle with certain subjects. It's not uncommon for students to spend months preparing for these exams, sacrificing their free time and social lives in the process.

Even after all that preparation, there's no guarantee of success. The grading system for these exams can be particularly harsh. Although some are easy to get passing grades on, it can be very tough to receive a high grade. This means that even students who excel in a subject can be unfairly penalized for a minor slip-up on test day.

Regents exams disadvantage low-income and non-English speaking students due to a lack of educational resources and language barriers. These exams may also contain culturally biased content, leading to false evaluations of academic abilities. Inclusive and alternative methods are needed to ensure an equal opportunity for all students to succeed.

In addition, these exams poorly indicate the student's overall knowledge and academic abilities. Rather than measuring the student's understanding of a subject over the course of a year, these tests focus on a wide range of material that may or may not be what was actually covered in class. This again fails to capture the extent of a student's learning experience and can lead to unreliable assessments of their abilities.

In short, the Regents exams are a flawed and unfair system that places an unnecessary burden on students. It's time to review the role of these exams in our education system and consider other approaches that better serve the needs of students.