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Back to Articles Sports Back to Sections NBA 2021-2022 Regular Season By Leah Ally Volume 2 Issue 6 April 14, 2022 Image provided by The Washington Post The National Basketball Association (NBA) has recently finished its 76th regular season, as the playoffs begin to kick off with its most competitive twenty teams. After two abbreviated seasons owing to the COVID-19 epidemic, the NBA returned to an entire 82-game regular season in its customary mid-October to mid-April schedule for the first time since the 2018-2019 NBA season. For instance, the 2019-2020 season was delayed until late July or early August, while the 2020-2021 season began in December and concluded in the middle of July. Throughout the season, only the cities of Los Angeles, Toronto, New York City, San Francisco, and Philadelphia have implemented COVID-19 vaccine mandates for fans at sporting events. While the majority of the league’s players (about 95 percent) have received at least one dose of the vaccine and 97% are fully vaccinated with two doses, players in these identified markets who refused to be vaccinated were not eligible to play in home games throughout most of the season. In addition, the NBA has stated these players would be forced to forfeit money for the missed games. An example of this regulation can be shown from the Brooklyn Nets’s star point guard, Kyrie Irving, who recently made his debut in Barclays Center for the first time this year on March 27th, shortly after New York City ended its vaccine mandate. As a result of his refusal to receive the vaccine, Kyrie lost out on $380,000 every game he missed, making it a total of about $17 million that was cut from his paycheck this year. As of right now, there has been a total of 11 games postponed due to COVID-19 cases and have been successfully rescheduled. On August 2nd, 2021, the free agency began. Longtime Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry announced his decision to sign a long-term contract with the Miami Heat. In addition, young star Lonzo Ball announced he would be signing a four-year, $85 million deal with the Chicago Bulls, joining fellow free agency signing Demar Derozan. The Los Angeles Clippers re-signed superstar Kawhi Leonard, and the Phoenix Suns re-signed superstar Chris Paul. The Brooklyn Nets extended Kevin Durant to a four-year $198 million deal in the East. Not only did the 2021-2022 season offer numerous notable free agency signings, but many transactions and retirement announcements took place. The biggest deal of 2022 happened just hours before the deadline when the Brooklyn Nets agreed to a trade between sending James Harden to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Ben Simmons, making it an impactful move for both Eastern Conference contenders. That deal followed a huge one when the Damian Lillard-CJ McCollum era in Portland ended. He joined the New Orleans Pelicans, where he would play alongside Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson. The Sacramento Kings then traded All-Star Domantas Sabonis, Jeremy Lamb, and Justin Holiday to the Indiana Pacers for promising second-year guard Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield, and Tristan Thompson. Some notable retirees this season include JJ Redick (37 yrs. old), Chandler Parsons (33 yrs. old), Tyson Chandler (38 yrs. old), J.R Smith (35 yrs. old), and Jamal Crawford (42 yrs. old). From April 12-15, 2022, the NBA will host a play-in tournament for clubs placed 7th through 10th in each conference. The club in seventh place will host the team in eighth place, with the winner earning the seventh seed in the playoffs. The team in the ninth position will face the club in tenth place, with the loser being eliminated from postseason contention. The loser of the 7th-8th place game will next host the winner of the 9th – 10th place game, with the winner earning the 8th seed and the loser being eliminated. As the 2022 NBA playoffs are the main topic of discussion, the playoffs will begin on April 16th. The finals are planned to start on June 2nd, with a possible game seven on June 19th. BACK TO TOP

Back to Artwork Chalk Pastel Peppers Back to Sections Chalk Pastel Peppers- Navjot Ghotra Navjot Ghotra November 6, 2023 Chalk Pastel Volume 4 Issue 1

Back to Artwork Who Am I Back to Sections Anonymous - Who Am I? - 8 By Anonymous November 19, 2021 Volume 2 Issue 2

Back to Articles Polaris Back to Sections The Golden Tragedy By Catherine Duong Volume 2 Issue 1 October 8, 2021 Image provided by TGC company (Sky: CotL), photo editing by Catherine Duong Author’s note: This short story is fan fiction based on a game called Sky: Children of the Light (Sky: CotL), made by the TGC company. In addition, the story is heavily inspired by the 9/11 tragedy, celebrating its 20th anniversary and thanking the front lines for their service, the brave citizens who stepped up to help others and mourning those who lost their lives. The battlefield terrain, being next to the Golden Wasteland temple, represents the scene when both the Twin towers were struck by two hijacked planes from terrorists, in which the dark dragons in the photo above (krills) represent the planes and the remaining pillars after the tragedy in the story represents the 9/11 memorial. Other special thanks to Butter, Estella, and Nicole for helping out with the story cover above and photo editing from Catherine Duong. Keywords: 1 Krill - A hostile creature in Golden Wastelands; also known as the dark dragon 2 Golden Wastelands - the 5th realm in the sky realm, are best known for their hostile creatures and dark plants. “You, go to the left side! And you, try to distract the krill (1) at the right!” The soldiers briefly nodded, and flew towards the chaotic scene, then disappeared into the smoke and ashes once I pointed the direction to go to. All I heard in the background were the roars of the dark dragons attacking the temple in Golden Wastelands (2) and innocent people screaming for help. It was a tragedy to remember; it felt like I could still hear the scene echoing in my ears. Yet, when hope was fading citizens, in the sky realm stepped up. I saw people going through the rubble and helping out or getting them out of the disaster safely. It showed that front-liners like us aren’t the only ones to be called heroes. The people in the sky realm are heroes too by helping one another and saving a few lives with their good deeds. Hence, the tragedy was named The Golden Tragedy, it was a terrible moment, yet the “golden” part was the moment for average citizens to be recognized as heroes. Now it’s been 20 years ever since it happened. I’ve revisited the same site every year on the same day, looking at the rebuilt temple in front of me, but the remains of the old pillars, still chipped and worn, are still there. Each post had the name of the person who died during the scene. As I scanned through each pillar, a name or two caught my eye, which I readily recognized who they were. They were one of my close friends whom I had for many years. I held back my tears, clenching my fists. After the scene and everything was resolved, I left with my friend’s souls high up in the clouds, hopefully in a better place now. BACK TO TOP

Back to Artwork Prism Back to Sections Mia Bonaventure - Prism By Mia Bonaventure November 24, 2020 Volume 1 Issue 2

Back to Artwork Portrait Back to Sections Karina McNamara - Portrait By Karina McNamara January 20, 2021 Graphite Volume 1 Issue 4

Back to Articles Art & Culture Back to Sections In the Heights: A Tale of Love, Culture, and Hair By Lucy Wu Volume 2 Issue 1 October 8, 2021 Image provided by In the Heights Over the past summer, I spent sunny days outside in the city, soaking in the vibrancy of the culture and stories of other people like vitamin D. After my excursions, I’d savor brisk nights talking about anything and everything with friends at the table. So, when my friend asked if I wanted to watch In the Heights together at her house, it was an easy choice: of course, I would. Immediately, I was cast into a world where music is synonymous with living. It permeates everything in the story, from getting your hair done in the salon to conversations at the dinner table to pivotal, life-changing choices. And mind you, it’s not a linear story either. Sure, it’s chronological for the most part as it takes place over the span of three days (interwoven with flashbacks and flash-forwards), but it’s really the intersection of many stories, including those of Usnavi, Vanessa, Benny, Sonny, and of course, Abuela. But with my mind still spinning from the constant dancing, music, and plotline, the character that commanded my attention the most was Nina Rosario. When you first encounter Nina, words that come to mind immediately are intelligent, charming, and beautiful. So brilliant and hardworking in fact, that’s she’s returning to Stanford University in the fall. When she comes home to Washington Heights for the summer, everyone and their mother knows her name, and they welcome her enthusiastically. It’s obvious she’s the jewel of the neighborhood; everyone is in awe of her glimmering in her accomplishments and dazzled by what she still has yet to attain. She has access to opportunities and ambitions they cannot even dream of, and that’s saying a lot for a community that has a 6-minute danceathon on just the prospects of winning $96,000 in the lottery. And yet if everything were perfectly sparkling in the sunlight, we wouldn’t have a 143-minute musical produced by Lin-Manuel Miranda now, would we? But it’s her summer, and she’s come back to the Heights to reconnect with her family and friends, and most importantly, her culture. “Breathe” Nina’s story is best told through the context of her hair, which is an incredibly important detail and a vital part of Hispanic culture. After the initial flurry of constant chatter and “Oh my god Nina, we’ve missed you so much,” we get a moment with her just walking the streets. Her voice is like a lark, rising up and above the buildings that hold the history of her life, and yet she’s not as jubilant as she was before when talking with her friends. Something is in the air, humid and suffocating from the tension. She’s graceful and tall, holding her head up high, but I notice her highlighted hair is pin-straight, and not curly like in the movie posters, which gives me my first clue. And then her words reveal she’s plagued with Impostor Syndrome and racked with guilt, adamant she is not fit for the university, and will never be able to keep up, a disappointment to her family and community who had believed in her unconditionally. Nina is holding a secret, and we wait for her to reveal the truth. “No Me Diga” Ushered into a salon chair run by the infamous “salon ladies” for a makeover, Nina’s external transformation mirrors her internal metamorphosis. The salon is bustling with fashion and hair beyond anyone’s wildest imagination, and they chant to her: “Tell me something I don’t know.” And so, she reveals that she dropped out of Stanford. But why would someone with so much promise and support drop out? At an intense argument at the dinner table, she mentions the fact that the institution tries to put on a facade of diversity and inclusiveness when really, she’s the one being insulted when students call her a “waitress” behind the scenes. To rub salt in the wound, her father must sacrifice his business to afford her tuition, which only compounds the issue and leads her to choose not to go back. In hindsight, I see her using her hair to mask her identity and “blend-in,” because her curly hair would be seen as too unruly and “ethnic” for the people surrounding her. It’s clear the community at Stanford will never match her beloved neighborhood, and for that, she hides to avoid discrimination, to avoid getting hurt, and to avoid tarnishing her culture. It’s also for the superficial things, like wearing her hair straight, that she doesn’t feel like she has a sense of belonging. However, once the salon ladies are finished with their appointment with her, she embraces her curly hair once again, symbolizing her acceptance of self and culture. For the rest of the movie, she wears her hair naturally, and she’s more at ease now that she’s revealed her secret and true feelings. Only in The Heights does she truly fit in, and does not actively hide being different. “When the Sun Goes Down” Spending her summer days with her family and friends, immersed in her community, impacts Nina’s worldview. While attending a protest, she learns Sonny, a friend’s cousin, is unable to attend college because he is an undocumented immigrant. Revitalized with a sense of purpose to help undocumented immigrants, Nina resolves to go back to Stanford. To provide closure, Benny, Nina’s previous boyfriend with whom she broke up before attending Stanford, decides to reconnect. It’s a sweet moment for the young lovers as they dance up the side of the building, watching the sunset in the distance behind the Brooklyn Bridge with a renewed sense of hope. But what stood out to me most was her hair in the scene. It’s purposefully different than any other moment in the movie, and she wears it in a braided crown, traditionally worn by black women as a protective hairstyle. Intentional or not, just as protective hairstyles are worn to shield textured hair from elemental damage so it can be worn natural later, this symbolizes how she will defend herself from the discrimination she will inevitably face, but still preserve her culture and share it with the world. While there has been some critique for the movie surrounding what was considered by some as an insufficient number of “dark-skinned Latinx actors in prominent roles”, it’s clear there was dedicated effort put into the cultural and regional details that bring the movie to life. Things like hair and clothes are subtle details that may go unnoticed in everyday life but serve as communicators of culture and heritage. All hair types are beautiful and should be celebrated, just as all phases of Nina’s hair should be appreciated and considered reflective of her character development. As I bask in a moment of thought, I wonder what subtle details of my life share my culture with the world – and try not to take their importance for granted. Citation: Lin-Manuel Miranda addresses "In the Heights" colorism controversy - CBS News BACK TO TOP

Back to Artwork Beauty in Nature Back to Sections Fence By Quinn O'Connor February 10, 2022 Photography Volume 2 Issue 4

Back to Artwork Nightmare on Main Street Back to Sections Part 2 By Dilraj Singh October 8, 2021 Volume 2 Issue 1

Back to Artwork Pop Art Back to Sections Anonymous - Pop Art By Anonymous January 14, 2022 Acrylic Volume 2 Issue 3