Statesman Articles
Dreams versus Stereotypes
As foreign athletes integrate into professional sports based in America, many find it difficult to deal with stereotypes.
February 14th, 2012. In an away game against the Toronto Raptors, the New York Knicks found themselves neck-and-neck with the home team. The whole night, Knicks coach Mike Woodson relied on his rising star Jeremy Lin. Down 3 points with a little over a minute left, Lin drove left to the rim, and made a tough basket while drawing a foul. Making the free throw to complete the And One opportunity, the game was tied at 87. After a successful defensive possession, the Knicks had a chance to win it, so of course the ball found its way to Lin at half court near the logo. Dribbling the clock out to the 6 second mark with the fans on their feet, the ‘Jeremy Lin Show’ was reaching its dramatic conclusion. Lin pulled up over the defender and sunk the game winning shot with half a second left on the clock.
The headline on ESPN after that iconic performance? Amasian. Rather than his spectacular performance being the headline, it was his race. This was not the last time American media would make comments on Lin’s race rather than discussing his extraordinary talent…
May 23, 2023
Dawn of a New Era
Seniors decked out in college merch, the early morning dew still on the grass of the football field, and friends and classmates taking pictures to commemorate the moment; Senior Sunrise proved to be a heartfelt start to the day for many. As seniors reflect on their time in high school, what most will remember is their time spent after school in a sport or club.
Whether you’re Sarah Zhang ’23 giving her last speech ever for debate, Lance Locker ’23 handing out his last ever Statesman issue in the hallway, or Kate Arne ’23 lacing up for her last ever basketball game, your time with your favorite after school activity ends when you graduate. However for many, the lessons, memories, and moments will last them a lifetime.
This year, seniors find leaving especially painful given the year lost to COVID. Many seniors had their activities shut down from March of their freshman year through their sophomore year, missing almost a full year with their beloved activity.
Despite these challenges, students from a variety of different clubs and sports can find common ground in the passionate work they’ve invested during high school.
May 5th, 2023
"Patriots on Three, Family on Six”
Stevenson Boys Basketball loses 45-44 on a buzzer-beater three in the Semi-Sectionals against Prospect.
If they win, they advance. If they lose, their season’s over.
That pressure was placed on Stevenson as they found themselves down four points with 30 seconds left. The players on the court, the bench, the student section and even fans watching at home felt the pressure as Stevenson fought to keep their season and championship aspirations alive.
Heading into the matchup on March 1 against Prospect High School, Stevenson knew this game would be close. Several weeks ago on Jan. 21 in a non-conference game, the Patriots lost to Prospect in a nail-biter by one point.
From the start of the game, it was clear that both teams were evenly matched with neither team letting up and allowing the other to gain leverage. During the first quarter when Stevenson went on a scoring run, Prospect responded with a run of their own. This put the back-and-forth game at 8-7 to end the first quarter.
Throughout the first half, Prospect senior Alex Georgakas’s number was called. Play after play, he remained patient and didn’t force shots. Georgakas utilized switches and mismatches to find himself or a teammate a good shot.
Mar. 26th, 2023
Another Plaque for Stevenson Boys Basketball
Stevenson (22-8) took down Hersey High School (19-13) to bring home the Regional Title.
Overcoming a shooting slump in the first half, the Stevenson Boys Basketball team beat the Hersey Huskies 50-36 on Feb. 24 to win the regional finals and advance to sectionals.
Stevenson started the game off cold, missing several open shots and making careless mistakes. Hersey was able to establish an early 4-0 lead with key contributions from Max Menninga. Stevenson was not able to contain Hersey’s offense and struggled to find good shots on the other side of the court.
“We started off slow because we had a few slip-ups on defense, which allowed them easy points at the start,” Stevenson guard David Sulnius ’23 said.
However, all Stevenson needed was a made floater from Aidan Bardic ’25 to get some momentum. Bardic made another tough layup to put the score at 10-4 in Hersey’s favor.
At the 2-minute mark, both Stevenson and Hersey went on scoring runs with neither team able to stop the other on defense. A made layup by Johnny Ryg for Hersey was matched with a made three from deep in the right corner by Sulnius for Stevenson to put the score at 12-7. Sulnius got deep in the paint and dumped the ball off to an open Bardic who made the open floater to put the score at 12-9.
Mar. 17th, 2023
