All Content by Talia Reiss
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Dear Underclassman,
It is rare for me to address you personally in an editorial, but as I sit down to write such an emotional letter, I am compelled to share my heartfelt thoughts – from me, alone. I cannot pretend to be wise: I still feel like a kid, and I think I have sufficiently stumbled and fumbled my way through high school. But I have learned a few things in my time here, and I’d like to share them with you now in the hopes of easing your journey just a little bit.
Recently, members of this staff attended an environmental conference at St. Thomas Aquinas College at which we were asked to collaborate with students from other Rockland County schools. But despite the event’s focus on justice, we found the academic culture disappointingly exclusive.
As young people post feelings of hopelessness about climate change, social media is becoming a cesspool of climate nihilism.
“We could be extinct in less than 30 years,” wrote one Tiktok user in 2022. Another said, “Climate and environmental [advocacy] seems so hopeless in a corporate ruled capitalist world. It feels like we’re just sitting back and watching it all end.”
The GOP markets itself as the pro-child party, aggressively working to protect America’s youth from the menacing threats of positive role models and life-saving healthcare. In March, Republican lawmakers in Tennessee passed two major pieces of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation: one which effectively bans drag shows in public spaces and within view of children, and another which prevents transgender youth from receiving gender-affirming healthcare like hormone therapy and surgery. The former bill’s sponsor, Rep. Chris Todd (R-Madison County), called the legislation “a common-sense, child safety bill.”
Because it is Black History Month, the Spectrum felt we had a responsibility to highlight important pieces of Black culture and modern-day experiences of Black Americans. But with a primarily white editorial staff, we had to think deeply about who has the authority to tell these stories. Do white journalists have a duty to use our privilege and platforms to disseminate information about Black history? Or should we step aside to uplift Black voices as they tell their own stories?
Imagine this: A large tree falls and blocks a local road. A driver crashes into it and becomes paralyzed, so an ambulance arrives to help. However, the municipality does nothing to address the tree in the road. The next driver along this road crashes into the tree and, likewise, is seriously injured. Again, an ambulance comes but nobody removes the tree. Driver after driver crashes into the tree.
Such is the problem with Nyack’s equity efforts.
Ye (né Kanye West) is one of the most highly-decorated rappers with almost 50 million monthly listeners. However, his recent anti-semitic spiral has reinvigorated a culture of violence against the Jewish community that threatens to cause serious harm.
In a political climate in which reproductive rights are frequently debated, it’s imperative that all Americans have a fundamental understanding of the female reproductive system. Unfortunately, the public school system is failing to teach basic female anatomy, leading to common misconceptions regarding the menstrual cycle and proper anatomical terms.
Nyack High School students benefit from a relatively lenient dress code. According to the Board of Education’s e-policy, “[Individual students and parents] have the right to determine how the student shall dress, providing that such attire is not destructive to school property, complies with requirements for health and safety, and does not interfere with the educational process.” While the Code of Conduct lists a few more specific requirements for appropriate attire, students generally have the freedom to dress however they feel comfortable.
The dress code in Iran is not quite as relaxed.
The landmark legal decision Roe v. Wade has been the law of the land my whole life. I have always lived under the assumption that in an emergency, federal law would protect my right to obtain safe reproductive healthcare. But an unprecedented leak of a draft opinion revealed that the Supreme Court will likely overturn Roe v. Wade in the coming months, leaving millions of American women without access to abortion.
In some homes, freedom is earned. Caregivers place restrictions on kids and gradually lift them as kids prove that they are trustworthy and responsible. Other families afford children all of their freedoms from the beginning and only set limitations if children violate their caregivers’ trust...
What do you picture when you hear the word gossip? You probably imagine a group of women whispering in the hallways or spilling secrets over a cup of coffee. Most people exclusively associate gossip with women; only women gossip and the only thing women do is gossip.
Women’s History Month, celebrated annually in March, is a time dedicated to honoring the women who shaped our communities and cultures. In Nyack, Women’s History Month holds special meaning.
With a growing obesity epidemic in the United States, it’s important that people learn healthy eating habits from a young age. However, many parts of Nyack’s nutrition curriculum can trigger shame cycles and self-destructive eating patterns that can follow students throughout their lives. We must address these issues in every level of health education to ensure that students develop a healthy relationship with food.
For senior Juliet Lovelace, the Girls Who Code club provides a welcoming environment that has helped motivate her to pursue computer science after high school.With her outgoing personality and humble approach to teaching, Lovelace is working to create a space that celebrates and welcomes those who are traditionally underrepresented in STEM fields.
“Socialist government benefits make lazy Americans unwilling to work.”
We’ve heard this rhetoric quite a bit as America grapples with a nationwide shortage of workers but it’s not quite as accurate as some right-wing news outlets would like us to believe. Rather, America’s labor shortage reflects a deep-rooted ethical problem with the way America treats and pays its workers.
The past three years have felt painfully like the plot of Groundhog Day (1993).
In the movie, cynical weatherman Phil Connors (Bill Murray) begrudgingly travels to the tiny town of Punxsutawney, PA to report on the weather prediction of America’s most beloved groundhog. After suffering through hated Groundhog Day festivities, Connors is shocked to find that his clock has reset and he must relive his least favorite day over and over again. He has little hope of returning to life as normal.
Sound familiar?
As we dive into 2022, many people are drafting their annual list of New Year’s resolutions. But here’s the hard truth: your resolutions are probably going to fail.
The holiday season can be a magical time filled with hot chocolate, frosty windows, and cozy red scarves (wink). As we wrap up Hanukkah and welcome the Christmas spirit with open arms, it’s not hard to find joy and wonder in the world around us. But winter can be a stressful time, too...
Welcome back, Nyack! The start of the new school year has brought us a lot to adjust to: crowded hallways, congested parking lots and, for some of us, learning in a classroom for the first time in over a year. It can be difficult to navigate the changes that accompany a fresh school year, especially after our learning experience was so radically disrupted last year. Even still, this autumn holds promise.
When I was eleven years old, my sixth grade English teacher assigned a project that required me to write a resume from the perspective of any famous person. Upon my mother’s suggestion, I chose Ruth Bader Ginsburg. By the time I had finished my research, I was inspired. Four years later, I can say with conviction that Ruth Bader Ginsburg was one of my greatest inspirations.
The COVID-19 pandemic has further exposed the systematic inequality that exists in American society. Because the demand for vaccines currently outweighs the supply, vaccine rollout has prioritized groups that are higher at risk of contracting or dying from COVID-19. While eligibility in New York is primarily determined based on age and occupation, one factor that we cannot afford to ignore is race.
Swipe through the photo gallery to see how Mr. Perry and his self-titled "Skirmish Krew" recognized the heroes that defended our community.
On May 18th, the Nyack community cast their votes for two of three candidates vying for a spot on the Board of Education. The results are in!
Education during a pandemic is not easy. Students have the daunting responsibility of balancing schoolwork with co-curriculars, personal responsibilities, and mental health; a challenge that is exacerbated by rising economic insecurity and today’s political turmoil. Likewise, being an educator in the age of COVID comes with its own set of obstacles, and it’s certainly not a position I envy. If we want to create a hybrid system in which we can all thrive, we need to listen to one another and work together as a Nyack community. To begin this process, I spoke with four students whose experiences I felt best represented Nyack: freshman Sydnie Ampofo (red cohort), sophomore Nina Petrou (blue cohort), junior Kryss Rojas (fully remote), and senior Calvin D’Andrea (red cohort).
Get in touch with Talia at talia.reiss@nyackschools.org
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