The Witches' Brew
January 2022
Trivia Question: What do the letters "M" and "T" stand for in our daily schedule?
Answer at the end of our newsletter!
Fruit by Yeachin Tsai
Art for Equality
This year’s Art for Equality will be taking place online due to COVID concerns from February 7th to February 14th. During this time, the auction will be open for all bidders through a Google Slides presentation displaying the art and a description of each piece. The presentation can be accessed through the Instagram @gcsartforequality. The link will be posted on the 7th and deleted on the 14th.
Art for Equality is a charity art auction organized by the Greenwich Equality Club. The goal of Equality Club is to educate others about the issues of inequality that persist today in our society, and provide a safe space for those who feel alienated. The money raised during this event will benefit three different charities who focus on aiding those suffering from discrimination. In the past, Art for Equality raised just over $1,000 in total to give to Planned Parenthood, the Trevor Project, and Equality Now through an in-person auction.
The charities this year are No Means No Worldwide, Comfort Food, and A Better Chance. No Means No Worldwide is a global rape prevention organization to trains boys and girls from ages 10-20 how to defend themselves against rape and sexual assault. Their IMpower rape curriculum has been proven to dcrease rape-related incidents by 50% once taught. Comfort Food is a local food community contributing to the health of our area via the inspirational power of good food. Their vision is to create a food center located in Greenwich, to strengthen our city and eliminate food insecurity. A Better Chance is a charity identifying, recruiting, and developing leaders among young people of color throughout our country. Their mission is to substantially increase the number of well-educated young people of color who are capable of assuming positions of responsibility and leadership in American society.
This year’s auction features both student artists and local professional artists such as Rhiley Sausville and Yeachin Tsai. In the presentation, there is a video tutorial on how to use the slideshow to bid. Each piece has a description beside it to a Google Sheets where each bidder puts their bid and their contact information. Make sure to check back throughout the week to see if your bid is winning! At the end of the week, the bidder will be contacted by a member of the Equality Club to arrange transportation of the art.
Thank you for your support of the Equality Club! We hope to see everyone at the auction. Follow our Instagram page for more information: @gcsartforequality, or contact Mrs. Hoffman or Molly Morse-Belcher.
Nubble Light, York Beach, Maine by Steve Morse
Hurricane Tree by Rhiley Sausville
Milk Lovers
by Lauren Chuhta
“Cows Are the New Coal” claims a recent article published in Time magazine. Through an analysis of recent studies and climate trends, author Aryn Baker illustrates the large-scale environmental damage caused by the agricultural industry. But what she does not explain are the reasons why the industry is slow to change, and the action our society needs in order to change this.
There is no doubt that the agricultural industry needs to advance, that cracking the environmental impact of this field may be the key to addressing global climate change and resource depletion. A panel of United Nations scientists found that one third of human greenhouse gas emissions are generated by agricultural activities, and that the industry is responsible for 40% of human methane emissions (Hersher). These findings are supported by a myriad of credible studies. These facts must not be talked over; ignorance of science can only lead to the disregarding of solutions. But similarly, ignorance of perspective chips away at the possibility of those solutions altogether.
Agriculturalists are well aware of the degradation of the environment; an important facet excluded in Baker’s article. The industry depends on environmental understanding. The yields of agriculture have feasibly the most direct tie to the environment than any other industry. The Fourth National Climate Assessment predicts longer dry periods and more intense rains in the coming years (USGCRP), factors that chip away at agricultural production and the future of the industry as a whole. The exacerbated precipitation patterns and temperature modification that are already being seen hit the process of agricultural production before it affects what consumers recognize- the results on the grocery store shelves. The acute awareness of the industry to environmental change is characteristic, inherent.
It’s true that the agricultural industry isn’t making the changes we need in order to address resource misuse and global climate change. But if the agricultural industry fundamentally recognizes the environment, its degradation, and its importance, then the question to answer is not why isn’t the agricultural industry advancing, but what factors need to be overcome to create this change?
And it comes down to economics. Business is driven and directed by profit- this is the impersonal truth. To survive another day, an industry has to focus on the inarguable financial demands of the present, however counterintuitive to the long-term interests of the environment. Baker leaves out the complex economic aspects of the industry and in doing so leaves out what the environment really needs us to talk about- how the agricultural industry needs the help of consumers. The role of money in business cannot be changed. That’s a paradox. But what can be changed is the nature of that money- this is what the agricultural industry needs help in. If consumers hold their money, demand the use of methane-reducing feed and emission tracking through selective purchase, the agricultural industry will at last have the financial excuse to make the changes previously unprofitable. This is what the agricultural industry needs in order to change. Studies including a 2020 independent investigation published in Nature Sustainability have confirmed this. Findings illustrate the high adoption rate of environmental change practices that are incentivized by short-term economic benefits (Piñeiro). The inherent financial prioritization of a business cannot be fought, it must be worked through. And consumers are needed to do so. But consumers are deterred from action by the belief of agriculture’s independent fault.
It is far, far easier to assign responsibility away from oneself, to analyze numbers and come to the conclusion that “the industry isn’t making much of an effort to do anything” (Baker). The easiest option is to shift the blame to the agricultural industry and then isolate oneself from it, because it gives the false sensation of addressing an overwhelming problem. But this growing gap between producer and consumer only exacerbates the issues at hand. As the two parties divide further and further apart, the agricultural industry is deprived of the help it needs to change for the better. When consumers are not made aware of the entirety of the agriculture industry and environmental change, they are kept from the knowledge of their influence and importance. And in turn the world is kept from the change that is becoming increasingly imperative.
What global society needs in the face of initiating global degradation is the union of science and perspective, the recognition of partnership between industry and consumer. We need the story -the whole story- to make sense of the data that tells us we are doomed, to recognize that we are not resigned to a fate of self-detriment but rather have the opportunity to be saviors. This can start today, one person at a time coming to see more and more of the bigger picture of our planet. We need it to.
Read “Cows Are the New Coal” at To Save Itself, Meat Inc. Needs To Track Methane Emissions | Time
Works Cited:
(Baker), Aryn. “'Cows Are the New Coal.' How the Cattle Industry Is Ignoring the Bottom Line When It Comes to Methane Emissions.” Time, 2 Dec. 2021, time.com/6125014/cows-agricultural-emissions/. Accessed 4 Jan. 2022.
(Hersher), Rebecca, and Allison Aubrey. “NPR Choice Page.” Npr.org, 8 Aug. 2019, www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2019/08/08/748416223/to-slow-global-warming-u-n-warns-agriculture-must-change.
(Piñeiro), Valeria, et al. “A Scoping Review on Incentives for Adoption of Sustainable Agricultural Practices and Their Outcomes.” Nature Sustainability, vol. 3, no. 10, Oct. 2020, pp. 809–820, 10.1038/s41893-020-00617-y. Accessed 22 Dec. 2020.
(USGCRP). “Fourth National Climate Assessment.” Globalchange.gov, vol. 2, no. 4, 31 Dec. 2017, pp. 1–470, nca2018.globalchange.gov/.
Image: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/Family_cows_memory.jpg
Book Review!
The Issue With Sequels: why the Aristotle and Dante books are the perfect example of unnecessary continuations
by Lipsha Stark
It is always disappointing when your favorite show ends or when you’ve read the last part of your favorite series. This is why Marvel fans rejoice at every announcement of a new movie featuring their beloved superheroes, Disney lovers obsess over live action remakes and part twos of their treasured princesses, and everybody loves when their favorite show comes out with a new season. While some sequels and remakes are successful, many are unnecessary, and in some cases, ruin the original piece. This is true for many stories and especially applies to Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe.
Aristotle and Dante is the poetic story of a developing friendship and budding relationship between two teenage boys set in the midst of the AIDS epidemic in El Paso. Aristotle is an introverted and easily agitated boy who meets Dante, an excited and friendly boy, by the pool in the summer of 1987. While they seem like an unlikely duo at first, they form a special bond. Together, they go on a journey of self discovery.
Released in 2014, Aristotle and Dante gained major popularity on social media platforms. Upon its release, YouTubers with literature-related channels shared their love for the book across the platform. A few years later, Aristotle and Dante made its way to ‘BookTok’, where it was praised to the same amount, if not more. With all the love the book received and all of the people it had touched, there was an overwhelming amount of excitement when Benjamin Alire Saenz announced the upcoming release of a sequel titled Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World. Fan theories were made and many began rereading the first book in preparation for the second. As advanced readers' copies were released, fans raved about how amazing the second book was.
The book hit shelves in October of 2021, and almost immediately began to be nominated for awards such as the goodreads choice awards and even reached #1 on the NY Times Best Sellers' list. Having only heard one negative review amongst hundreds of them, I had no idea that the sequel would be such a disappointment. While the book is not necessarily ‘bad’, it is completely unnecessary and did not add to the original story of Aristotle and Dante. In fact, the second part took away from how brilliant the first one was.
This is the problem I find with many sequels and continuations. While it is exciting to read or watch a continuation of the characters' lives, often times it is borderline fan service or just a way to make money without the hassle of creating a new story. Sequels can be wonderful if they are necessary and add to the beauty of the prior piece. With Aristotle and Dante, however, the plotline was very loose and at many points felt like it was written by a fan of the book that just wanted more content of their two favorite characters. In the first 100 pages, nothing that pushed the plot had been established. It was like I was just reading about how Aristotle and Dante go about their daily lives. This doesn’t mean that it was not enjoyable for some time, but after 400 more pages of reading, the feeling was not very different.
Season's Greetings Around the World
by Loren Stark
With the holidays coming up, people love to celebrate. Spending time with family and friends, eating all you can, and spreading joy; everyone loves to do it! But everyone spends their holiday times differently, in cool, fun, and unique ways. Let's dig deeper into the many ways people spend their holidays!
Native Americans legend of “The Handsome Fellow”
Many cultures have an old man that gives out treats and alms during the Christmas holiday. Most people know him as Santa. But numerous Native Americans know this man as The Handsome Fellow. This legends Creek leader is named Chief Hobbythacco. In English, this name translates as The Handsome Fellow. In this tradition, chiefs would give out alms all throughout the year. They would also share their bounty with tribal members.
Latinos/Latinas Tamales
If you are Mexican, or have anyone in your family that is Mexican, you may have heard about the food tamales. Most Mexican parties will serve the dish tamales. But making tamales on Christmas is a big tradition passed down by Mexican heritage. This dish consists of dried corn husks, masa (the dough), and filling. The filling can be anything you want, but some traditional ideas for fillings could be pork, chicken, beef, beans, cheese, veggies, and salsa. After the tamales are done, you can put any toppings on!
You can click here for more information on how to make the traditional dish tamales!
https://hiplatina.com/latino-holiday-traditions/
Christmas in Asian Countries
In Korea, Santa is a bit different from the one in America. Santa Claus is known as Grandfather Santa, or Santa Haraboji. Instead of wearing that long red hat with a white fur ball on the top, he wears the traditional Korean hat and not a red suit, but a blue suit.
In Japan, Christmas is seen as good fortune, and happiness, in place of a religious holiday. Christmas isn't as popular as you may think, but Christmas Eve is. Christmas Eve is known as a couples' day to spend time with your partner, a little but like Valentine's Day.
In China, children don't usually write a letter to Santa telling him how good they've been, or leave out cookies for Santa to enjoy. Instead, “Colorful, cellophane-wrapped ‘Christmas apples’ are a popular gift. The word “apple” apparently sounds like “peace” or “Christmas Eve” in Mandarin.
I hope that you have learned a bit about how other people with different cultures celebrate Christmas. Maybe you can even try out a new recipe or two! Have a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year!
Works Cited
“Christmas traditions in Asia.” Asia Exchange, https://asiaexchange.org/blogs/christmas-
traditions-in-asia/. Accessed 5 January 2022.
“How To Make Tamales.” Gimme Some Oven, 3 May 2018,
https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/how-to-make-tamales/. Accessed 5 January 2022.
Kelley, Tracey. “Native American Christmas Traditions | LoveToKnow.” Christmas,
https://christmas.lovetoknow.com/christmas-history-traditions/native-american-
christmas-traditions. Accessed 5 January 2022.
Percival, Pamela, and Sidney Carlisle. “Making Tamales, A Christmas Tradition Year-Round.”
Texas Cooking, https://www.texascooking.com/features/dec2000pam.htm. Accessed 5
January 2022.
“10 Holiday Traditions and Celebrations Latinos Go Big on.” HipLatina, 6 December 2018,
https://hiplatina.com/latino-holiday-traditions/. Accessed 5 January 2022.
Image: https://torange.biz/photofxnew/216/HD/picture-christmas-bokeh-lights-dark-vivid-
colors-216054.jpg
Trivia Answer: Mildred & Tyrone!
About Us
Molly Morse-Belcher
Contributors
Lauren Chuhta
Lipsha Stark
Loren Stark
Advisors
Mrs. Bristol
Ms. Carner
Email: ncarner@greenwichcsd.org
Website: www.greenwichcsd.org
Location: 10 Gray Avenue, Greenwich, NY, USA
Phone: (518) 692-9542