In the days leading up to June 5, 2020, hundreds of IHS students flooded SchoolTool to make an important choice that would reflect their academic…
Posts published in “Opinion”
Editorial: Teaching Black History at IHS Still Needs Work
By THE TATTLER EDITORIAL BOARD on October 2020
This year our nation has faced a grand reckoning on the issue of racial inequality, and as a result, students from Ithaca City School District…
ICSD’s Tactless Reopening
By CARLA MARTINEZ on October 2020
Nobody could have predicted what was going to happen, and nobody was prepared to deal with it. But, hypothetically, imagine the following. Imagine being confined…
Defund the Police
By WILL THOMAS on October 2020
Defunding the police is a reform that has gained traction in the wake of the massive Black Lives Matter protests after the death of George…
The Global South’s Stories Must Be Told
By QUINN CHANG-MARTIN on October 2020
In March, the United States of America cut funding to the United Nations appeal for Yemen, greatly limiting access to health care services and exacerbating…
Letter to the Editor: The Israel-Palestine Conflict Is Not One-Dimensional
By ADAM SAAR on October 2020
In the September issue of The Tattler, the article “Israel, Palestine, and the Controversies” analyzed the arguments made by those debating the Israel-Palestine conflict. While…
Cornell’s Reopening Warrants Praise, Not Criticism
By ALICE BURKE on October 2020
In the past month, there has been a loud chorus of criticism and skepticism over Cornell’s reopening. Although the university has put in place a…
Social Media Activism Is Not Enough
By LOUISA MILLER-OUT, RAIA GUTMAN on October 2020
With abundant free time due to the pandemic, many of America’s teenagers and young adults have turned to social media to while away the hours.…
Editorial: ICSD’s Reopening: A Can of Worms?
By THE TATTLER EDITORIAL BOARD on September 2020
Only one thing is certain: the 2020-2021 school year will be like no other. After a summer of planning by administrators, BoE members, teachers, and…
AP Testing in the Age of COVID-19
By LOUISA MILLER-OUT on September 2020
While the New York State Regents exams were cancelled this year, AP tests proceeded online. This decision was made in accordance with the 91 percent…
Biden VP Choice, Analysis, and Potential Impacts
By WILL THOMAS on September 2020
Joe Biden has chosen Kamala Harris as his pick for Vice President. She will be the third woman to have been honored as such and…
Education has been a uniquely interactive experience in the past, with communication and copresence forming effective student-teacher dynamics. With the current pandemic, it has become…
The coronavirus has left no facet of our life as Americans untouched. It has swept across our country and left over 100,000 Americans dead, close…
Institutional Performance Review
By HEEWON AHN on June 2020
As the world readjusted itself in a matter of a few weeks, nearly every government, business, and nonprofit has been forced to provide their services…
Give Your Textbook a Look
By RYAN CUNNINGHAM on June 2020
There I was, procrastinating on my homework as usual. Feeling immense boredom and not in the mood for a YouTube session, I thought of what…
Editorial: In Isolation, We Are Not Alone
By THE TATTLER EDITORIAL BOARD on April 2020
For at least a month, thousands of students will be more alone than they perhaps ever have. If they abide by social distancing, which is…
Mamba in Memoriam: Kobe Bryant
By WILL THOMAS on March 2020
When Kobe Bryant perished in a helicopter crash on January 26, 2020 at the age of 41, the basketball world erupted. Kobe was an inspiration,…
The Plight of the Mall
By THE TATTLER EDITORIAL BOARD on February 2020
The Shops at Ithaca Mall is a wasteland: that much is apparent after taking even a short stroll through the local shopping center. Online shopping…
Editorial: Mental Health: Not Just Somebody Else’s Problem
By THE TATTLER EDITORIAL BOARD on December 2019
“At times I think I’m no good at all,” is what 42 percent of ICSD students believe according to a survey conducted by the Tompkins…
Spurious Statistics Under Scrutiny
By HEEWON AHN on December 2019
In the last issue of The Tattler, many readers were concerned (if not surprised) by the alarming statistics regarding the state of students’ mental health…
Let’s Go Metric!
By LOUISA MILLER-OUT on December 2019
The United States is so unique—but in some ways, I wish it was a little less so. We are one of the only three countries…
The Problem With Open-Mindedness
By JOSHUA "J.T." STONE on December 2019
Being open-minded can enrich our knowledge of the world around us, but it can also come at a cost: losing your own mind. Unfortunately, my…
Analysis of the Fifth Democratic Debate
By FRANCES KLEMM on December 2019
Going into the fifth Democratic Debate, the stage had already changed. Julian Castro did not make the cut, and Beto O’Rourke dropped out. On top…
Editorial: The “Athlete Advantage” in College Admissions
By THE TATTLER EDITORIAL BOARD on November 2019
As many seniors can testify around this time of year, college admissions are a nerve-wracking and stress-inducing process. Every aspect of one’s high school career,…
Editorial: Is Test Taking the New Sport? The Written Assessments in Physical Education
By THE TATTLER EDITORIAL BOARD on October 2019
Integrity, tenacity, ownership, and compassion: the four core values every student at IHS knows by heart because they are principles IHS strongly believes their students…
Editorial: Before Subtracting Tracking, ICSD Should Consider Their Order of Operations
By THE TATTLER EDITORIAL BOARD on September 2019
This fall, ICSD is beginning the process of detracking middle school math, meaning that in 2020, all students in sixth and seventh grade will be…
Andrew Yang: Give Him a Chance
By JINHO PARK on September 2019
Andrew Yang, an entrepreneur, is one of the dozens of Democratic hopefuls trying to reinspire a nation that is frustrated with the current administration. His…