Alexandra Stergiou

Jewel’s Hunt

Alexandra Stergiou

Jewel Wilson, John Wilson

Sixteen-year-old Jewel Wilson is the next generation in a long line of prolific Inupiat subsistence hunters in Unalakleet, Alaska. Her ability to hunt moose is hindered by two pressing issues – scarce wildlife and the pressures of high school life. Finding sufficient food competes with track practice and homework in Jewel’s multilayered world. Along with her father, Jewel turns to the land to feed their family and finds that their village’s way of life is endangered by the same environmental shifts that could affect us all. In hunting moose, we see that Jewel is also hunting for answers. How will her village survive if subsistence hunting is threatened? Can she honor the traditions of her Elders while navigating the pressures and anxieties of a modern, connected teenager? "Jewel’s Hunt" proves to be both physical and philosophical in this insightful exploration of what it means to come of age in complicated times in Unalakleet, Alaska.

The Candidates

Alexandra Stergiou, Lexi Henigman

Since 1996, the students of a Queens public high school have staged an elaborate mock presidential election for an entire semester, simulating the American electoral process against the backdrop of the real one. In 2016, Ukranian-American Daniel hams it up as a cocky Donald Trump, while Pakistani-American Misbah, an observant Muslim, portrays Hillary Clinton, with also-rans like earthy Jill Stein thrown in for good measure. As the students reenact the rigors of the divisive political campaign, hard truths about politics are revealed, yet hope lives on.