FEATURES ARTS Black History The Volume 57 Please visit our website, thespokesman.net, for Month at PDS Managing Artists new content each week! See p. 4 See p. 8 77 Spokesmanthe SpokesmanNOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012: VOLUME 48, ISSUE 5 FEBRUARY 2021: VOLUME 57, ISSUE 1 What is Happening in Xinjiang? JAI KASERA, X dollars of tomatoes to the U.S. this forced labor in Xinjiang, where the human rights violations and calls OPINIONS ASSOCIATE past year, as well as accounting for Chinese government was targeting the treatment of the Uyghurs in about 40 percent of all tomato paste Uyghurs and other minority groups. Xinjiang a “genocide.” Over the past three years, exports. The widespread use of these In December, before the CBP’s China’s government also has strict China has been under suspicion Chinese products has made it difficult official restriction, the Trump restrictions on foreign journalists and condemnation for detaining for firms, attempting to become administration announced a ban on and reporters, and as a result there and abusing more than one million independent of imports from China cotton products made by the Xinjiang has been less media coverage on Uyghurs, a Muslim Turkic ethnic that go against their human rights Production and Constructions the events occurring in Xinjiang. group originating from Central and standards and ethics, to identify which Corps, a group that produces most Furthermore, governments have East Asia, in internment camps in of their cotton and other products are of the region’s cotton. In addition been slow to act on the crisis, being Xinjiang. Though they are called from Xinjiang. to the U.S., other countries such as reticent to take an outspoken stand “reeducation centers” by the Chinese This is not the first time that Britain and Canada have recently against China’s actions. Junior government, there are various the U.S. has warned and imposed introduced regulations that limit the Elizabeth Lee noted, “The events testimonies that detainees have been sanctions on China for alleged human products from Xinjiang arriving into happening right now in Xinjiang are subject to torture and forced labor in rights violations and forced labor. their countries. However, President absolutely devastating and have been the camps. However, Beijing denies Last July, the U.S. issued a warning Biden still calls for an international described as the ‘second holocaust,’ all accusations of mistreatment; in to businesses regarding the risks of effort to unite against China’s yet aside from the occasional fact, the Chinese embassy described tweet or Tiktok, I’ve barely seen it the accusation of forced labor as a addressed in the media. To me, this “political lie concocted by some U.S. is beyond disturbing, and if we keep politicians.” going at this rate, in years to come Over concerns of forced labor it’ll become an issue we all look of Uyghurs, the U.S. Customs and back on and think, ‘how did we let Border Protection (CBP) reported that this happen?’ or ‘why didn’t we help the U.S. had banned imports of cotton them more?’” and tomato products from Xinjiang. The U.S. has acknowledged The CBP explained that China’s Xinjiang’s unjust practices of exploitation of forced labor to import exporting cotton, tomatoes, and goods below market value is a direct other materials below market value violation of human rights and will not at the cost of basic human rights. be tolerated. However, Xinjiang constitutes The ban on imports of cotton a major part of U.S. cotton and affected a major part of the U.S. tomato imports, resulting in the U.S. clothing industry. The U.S. imported economy taking a significant hit. As 9 billion dollars of cotton products in time goes on, it will quickly become the past year from China, 85 percent evident whether the U.S. can handle of which was produced in Xinjiang. and enforce such a wide ban and China is also the world’s largest A dragon representing the Chinese government strangles the Uyghur people. trace all of the Xinjiang materials tomato producer, exporting 10 million (Artwork/Ava Fong ‘23) through their supply chains. r Should We Be Worried About New COVID-19 Variants? ELAINE WU, X but this could not be further from major case of this mutation can be NEWS ASSOCIATE the truth. As any seasoned virologist observed in England. This strain, would know, as viruses infect more dubbed B.1.1.7, has spread rapidly Ever since COVID-19 spread and more people, they begin to and currently makes up more than 60 through Wuhan in 2019, the virus has mutate. COVID-19 is no different. percent of new cases in the country. plagued the world, both figuratively In recent months, multiple new Preliminary studies show that this and literally. More than a year has mutations of COVID-19 have spread variant might be considerably more passed after its initial discovery; since in various countries like South Africa contagious than the original virus, then, hundreds of millions of people and England, although variants have illustrated by the sudden spike in have contracted the virus. One might New strains of COVID-19 spread as vaccines also appeared in places such as Brazil, cases shortly after its discovery. think that the virus has run out of new are distributed. (Artwork/Elaine Wu ‘23) Denmark, and the United States. A continued on page 2 surprises with the arrival of a vaccine, SPORTS OPINIONS SPOKESFUN Athletic Team Should the Subject Online School Address all inquiries to: Non Profit Organi- THE SPOKESMAN, Princeton zation Spotlight: Varsity SATs Have Been Day School US Postage Bingo PO Box 75, The Great Road PAID Boys Squash Eliminated? See p. 14 Permit No. 270 See p. 7 See p. 13 2 NEWS Should We Be Worried About New COVID-19 Variants? (cont) According to the CDC, B.1.1.7 had in Brazil and was found in the U.S. mutations thus far? According to a “whether the vaccine will provide reached U.S. soil by December. at roughly the same time as B.1.351. poll on Instagram, roughly 82 percent protection against the new strains Meanwhile in South Africa, a Many concerns have arisen over the of students feel worried or partially of COVID-19” as well as how variant known as B.1.351 developed, potential dangers of these COVID-19 worried about the dangers of new contagious the strains might be. which experts found as early as mutations. For example, will these strains. Meanwhile, 12 percent remain At any rate, there is not much we October. Similar to B.1.1.7, scientists mutations affect the performance of unconcerned about possible risks (Note as a school can do about these new are still researching and studying COVID vaccines? Will COVID tests that this poll might not accurately developments, except take precautions the B.1.351 mutation, which is the still work? Are these strains more reflect the PDS student body since against any risks the mutations most commonly found mutation contagious or deadly? Organizations not everyone uses Instagram). Upper might present. Currently, experts in South Africa at the moment. such as the CDC and WHO are School Biology teacher Kelly Clark are closely observing this situation B.1.351 arrived in the U.S. around still looking into such concerns. explains that, because RNA viruses in order to discern what the virus January. On top of all this, another The future remains uncertain. (such as COVID-19) typically mutate has in store for us. Rest assured, we variant, coined P.1, was discovered How has PDS reacted to these at a rapid rate, she is concerned over will find out more in the future. r Meet the COVID-19 Vaccine: Pfizer vs. Moderna MISHA COHEN & KELLY CHRISTIE, IX STAFF WRITERS COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by a virus that is spreading throughout the world. Most affected people experience mild to moderate respiratory illness and recover without much special treatment. However, elderly people, or those with underlying medical problems, are more likely to develop complications and have a hard time recovering. Fortunately, a COVID-19 vaccine has been developed to prevent any more sickness and death. Companies Moderna and Pfizer have come up with vaccines that are over 94% effective. Pfizer is a pharmaceutical giant while Moderna is a smaller biotech company which has not released a drug before the vaccine. It is interesting how two drastically different companies were able to develop the vaccine in a similar way. However, it has turned out A truck labelled “Vaccines” drops vaccines out of its trailer. more challenging to distribute the (Artwork/Amy Zhou ‘23) vaccine than previously thought. The companies promised to deliver fevers and some minor discomfort begun testing its vaccine on 12- to of who gets it first to last. Phase one, 100 million doses to the US by the throughout the following day,” said 17 year-olds. With the Moderna declared by the CDC, started with end of March. They have each been nurse Clare Ann Spadea. Similarly vaccine’s storage temperature of -13 distributing the vaccine to clinical delivering about 4.3 million doses to Moderna, Pfizer has fully enrolled degrees Fahrenheit to 5 degrees F and non-clinical health care workers a week, which may seem plenty, in a trial regarding the vaccine for compared to Pfizer’s at -95 degrees who are doing direct and COVID- but they need to deliver about 3.2 children ages 12 to 15. While some F, consultant John Avellentant says it facing care.