All The News That Fits, We Print!

All the news that fits, we print!

Version 3.3 December 2009

*.txt

Sophomore Research Projects

Holiday Wish List

By GRACE LIU

By ADAM RATHBONE

S

ophomore research projects are one-way, first-class, high-speed tickets to nightmares. These are nightmares of a peculiar variety, generally featuring wilting and decaying plant matter, glowers from your research advisor, and ultimately, a very large, very red “F” on your final assessment grade. And while many High Techies may not actually get enough sleep for REM mode to set in, these are not dream images conducive to restful slumber or happy report cards. There are three basic categories of sophomores in regards to their research projects. Group One contains the conscientious members of the class of 2012. These are the students who complete longterm projects weeks ahead of

mores begin on what seems like a good track: they submit all the forms on time, conduct their first assessment without any dramatic missteps, and have a solid lab setup begun early on. And then come the disasters. For some members of Group Two, these involve plants that refuse to grow, for others, eggs that refuse to dissolve. There are the dying fish, the procedures that don’t work, and the dramatic algae and mold problems. I confess to being a member of this group: the one with the dead plant-algae-mold problem, as it were. Now weeks behind my original schedule, and haunted by results that promise to be anything but pretty, I, like my fellow Group Two students, can’t help but wonder when everything went wrong.

W

ith the winter holidays right around the corner, *txt surveyed HTHS students about what they would choose as their one must-have gift.

High Te chers' Top Holiday Wishes R e a ding/ Wr i t i n g Ot he r

Group Three contains the sophomores who are simply a little behind in the “I-haven’tstarted-my-research-projectyet” way. Some insist that there’s still hope, though others have already acknowledged the undeniable truth. Nonetheless, the sense of impending doom is difficult to deny if you’ve yet to touch the lab or your paper. It certainly will be a tad uncomfortable to ask Mr. Roche to sign your ISEF forms the week before your final research paper is due. Let it be acknowledged that we are indeed a pack of “sophos moros”: wise fools.

C omput e r s

M one y

M u si c

Vi d e o G a m e s/ M ov ie s

Some of the more memorable replies are listed below: “Liquid nitrogen. Why? Well...” Lahiru Mudalige “Money!!! Must I explain?” Jake Wood “Several hours of sleep.” Hari Ravichandran “A Sham-wow, because you know the Germans always make good stuff.” Anthony Chen The contents of the survey, consisting of 27 replies, schedule with diligence and careful forethought, the students who have, by midNovember, completed their entire research paper draft and, to the surprise of no one, achieved spectacular results. They are not afflicted with bad dreams of research disasters; by this point, they have bypassed all pitfalls without falling in. Then, there are the hapless members of Group Two, who start out the year with resolutions against procrastination and all the good intentions they can muster. With a certain degree of smug selfcongratulation, these sopho-

are summarized in the pie chart below. Note: The “Other” category consists of miscellaneous items, such as “liquid nitrogen” or a “Snuggie.” Music was a popular choice, with video

P e r so n

games and movies trailing slightly behind. Besides those main three multimedia forms, most other categories were roughly equal, including literature, computers (and computer accessories), and of course, money. If nothing else, our students clearly have diverse interests. So, happy holidays, High Tech, and enjoy the winter break!

Monthly Reflections By MELANIE CHEN

T

he door to Room 145 is open. I’m the closest person to the door, and I can see that 99% of the lockers lining the 120/130 hallway are swung wide open, nearly all at the same angle, awaiting their owners to return. In the bustle of getting from class to class within the short two minute leeway between periods, I don’t notice the open lockers. But while sitting in math class (in which I occasionally zone out), I

see, in full panoramic view, the bright colors of everyone’s stuff strewn about in its own beautiful mess. It reminds me of why I like this school so much. 1

The Essential HTHS: I, Robot

Fright Fest

by KEVIN KAROL

By STEPHANIE YANG

M

any people know I, Robot less as Isaac Asimov’s most recognized novel, but as the 2004 Will Smith movie of the same name. However, the source material has very little to do with the gun-toting action romp which was marketed to the masses. Asimov's book is, rather, a theoretical progression of Robotics, as the book describes it “from the beginning, when the poor robots who couldn't speak, to the end, when the machines stand between mankind and destruction.” Told through the aged eyes of a robopsychologist, the book is made up of nine short stories which trace the different stages of robotic evolution. These short stories range from the brilliantly conceived, such as “Little Lost Robot” which deals with finding a Robot who is hiding in plain sight, to the profound, such as “Reason” which manages to show fault in both religious extremists and those who use science to disprove religion at the same time. A pillar of science-fiction writing dating from 1950, Isaac Asimov's book does not seem dated in the slightest because, rather than dealing with outof-this-world gadgets and space monsters, it deals primarily with the human mind trying to solve problems. All of the stories begin with a problem, usually dealing with the three laws of robotics, and then detail the course of investigation and analysis performed by scientists in order to find a solution. In most of the stories, the solutions are so simplistically 2

yet intellectually brilliant that the stories feel very similar to a CSI investigation show. This book is especially relevant to HTHS students due to the inclination towards technology and development present in the school. Anyone who wishes to enter the field of development or computer programming will find the stories are geared towards their mindset and will garner a glimpse of the complexity of the process for finding the single circuit which is causing an entire system to fail. I Robot is a quick read, but well worth the time. More than a book to read, it is a book to experience.

O

n Friday, October 30, food, games, and Mr. HTHS were the main attractions at the Fright Fest Halloween celebration at High Tech, an event attended by both students in and out of costume. The first hour and a half of the night went to the regular festival, in which clubs hosted booths and attractions for students to have fun in. There were several new activities this year, including the SGA’s compliment room (three compliments for a $0.25 ticket), candied apples in the basement sold by the freshman council, and popcorn balls sold by the Environmental Club. Older activities from previous years also made appearances, including bake sales, game rooms, photos, and video game rooms. The Mr. HTHS competition was one of the much-awaited highlights of the night. A few participants from each grade competed against one another, judged by a panel of three teachers. The event started with a fashion runway, in which entries

ranged from questionable to impressive. Out of all three parts of the competition, this was where students earned the lowest scores from the judges. Based on their round scores and ticket input, the lowest-ranked contestants were eliminated before the contest moved on to its next stage, a talent show that included some of the contestants singing Disney songs or doing stand-up comedy. Following a second round of elimination, the contest finally rounded up with a question and answer session, in which each finalist described his best experiences at High Tech. After one last round of voting, the winner of Mr. HTHS this year turned out to be John Kelly of the junior class. Congratulations!

Lock-In 2009 By MELANIE CHEN

A

t precisely 7:30 pm on Friday the 13th, the main doors to High Tech were shut and locked, kicking off the start to arguably the most anticipated school event of the year. The 11-hour long period of no sleep started off with the annual Lip-Sync contest. Highlights included Neil Jag and Co. being gangsters, Casey Weber’s Michael Jackson impression, and a skit to Avril Lavigne’s “Sk8ter Boi” performed by Megan Massa, Kelsey Noll, and Amrita Mazumdar. However, the most memorable moment of the

Lip-Sync competition was during a performance spoof of this year’s K a n ye / T a yl o r VMA Awards incident, when Greg Woolston started dancing front-and-center to Beyonce’s “Single Ladies”, complete with a tight black tanktop and a white tie that was eventually taken off and flung into the crowd. A lovely video can be found on Facebook. The

tie-breaker used to determine See “Lock-In 2009” page 3

Where the Wild Things Are

The Elegance of the Hedgehog

By MELANIE CHEN

By GRACE LIU

W

here the Wild Things Are is a movie that can’t be judged based on its acting, or scene sequence, or even its relevance to the viewer. The critics that liked it praise it as being “profoundly beautiful” (Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment W e e k l y ) a n d “breathtaking” (Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune); other reviews criticized it harshly, calling it a “noble failure” (Lou Lumenick, New York Post). But the enormously wide span of critics’ opinions proves that the film adaptation is so open to interpretation that it can’t be judged as “good” or “bad”. Max, the protagonist who creates the movie from the depths of his own mind, is instantly the character all kids (and adults) can relate to. His naturally curious and uninhibited imagination strikes a chord with the little kid in all of us who just wants to be set free. His character is what fuels the plot and gives the movie an enigmatic, and yet still predictable, feeling. Through his dialogue with the Wild Things, we can see that Max is much more than just an unruly little boy. The fact that we can relate to him provides the movie with its

magical appeal. However, the dream-like ambience that inundates the movie is a double-edged sword. While transporting us to a fairy-tale land far, far away, it also extends the length of the movie to the point of being a little interminable. The movie feels long

even for its short one-and-ahalf hour running time. Though the movie received a B+ from critics, a relatively good grade for today’s explosion-filled and action-packed movie industry, pinning a definite letter grade to the movie’s title doesn’t seem to do justice to the original visions of Maurice Sendak, writer and illustrator of the renowned children’s book of the same name. Viewers take with them their own observation or lesson, be it positive or negative, as they step out of the theater and back into the real world.

Lock-In 2009 Continued from page 2 the winner between “Sk8ter Boi” and “You Belong With Me/Single Ladies” was that each competitor had to perform the first minute of the other’s song. After two minutes of intense battle, judges Ms. G, Bill, and Mr. Simon announced that the champions of HTHS’s LipSync Competition 2009 were Megan Massa, Amrita Mazumdar, and Kelsey Noll, making the trio two-time lipsync champions. The night also turned out to be MaWa’s birthday, and at exactly 12:00 midnight he strolled into the MPR, where a unified and slightly off-key chorus of “Happy Birthday to

You” promptly started. Cake and ice cream were served as Howie Chen and his band played “Keasbey Nights” by Catch-22 in the background. Other featured events at Lock-In included karaoke in 125, Mr. Roche’s 2 A. M. Game Room in 135, board games in 145, yoga class in the basement, and a rave party with waving glowsticks and lots of techno music. The staff of *.txt would like to extend a special thanks to the class councils and chaperones for making the night well worth the $25 required to attend.

T

he Elegance of the Hedgehog is a s t r e a m - o f consciousness journal of two protagonists: one, a lonely woman named Renee, who hides her intelligence behind what society expects of a concierge, and the other, Paloma, a precociously perceptive 12-yearold girl who cannot find comfort even in illusions. They delve into the twists of life through philosophy and find them wanting but not beyond hope. There’s a degree of implausibility to the no vel, starting with the protagonists themselves. Renee and Paloma come across as sympathetic characters, but the connection between them and the reader is tenuous and tepid. There's a lack of spark about two introverted characters; they don't come across as threedimensional. Renee often appears resigned, even determined, to maintain the status quo; at other times, she comes across as uncomfortable in her own skin. Paloma, by virtue of her biting criticism of others, gives the impression of being too bitter to be embraceable, and one wonders whether her own selfishness makes her a version of the hypocrites she abhors. Kakuro Ozu, the wealthy Japanese man who moves into Renee and Paloma's building, is a fine character, but reads like a wise-sage-fairy-godfather crossbreed. The greatest fault in these characters is their utter lack of motive; one is given, but it fails to be as convincing as the philosophical explorations. It is Ms. Barbery's triumph that she creates an absorbing dailylife saga out of such odd characters, but she casts them as too self-satisfied with their

own oddness. Nonetheless, while the momentum of the story sometimes seems nonexistent, there is a lyrical undertone that makes each chapter readable and intense in emotion. And then, just when the pace and tone of the story seem to settle into a predictable routine, we are greeted with the last 20 or 30 pages which are beyond description. They made me cry harder than I’ve cried in a long time. Elegance is beautiful, moving, and infinitely tender; Ms. Barbery's voice here, gentle in the face of tragedy and raging h u ma n e mo tio n, makes it all the more heartrending. It is a celebration of love, friendship, loss, and life. A keeper? Absolutely.

*.txt Staff Senior Editors: Katharine Close Matthew Warshauer Layout Editor Robert Hale Copy Editors Elise Backman Anthony Chen Emily Fineberg Staff Writers: Jessica Beck Joshua Chao Chen, Melanie Caroline Cox Andrea D'Souza Jake Ellis Blase Feeney Caitlin Gee Monica Ho Kevin Karol John Kelly Kyle Kelly Grace Liu Gwendolyn Morris Vinay Panjabi Adam Rathbone Melody So RJ Talalas Matthew Tsim Stephanie Yang Kevin Zhou Staff Advisor Ms. Ascari 3

Election Connection

Chris Christie’s Plan

By ROBERT HALE

By ELISE BACKMAN

T

he morning of November 4th felt like a repeat of the 1980 presidential election, but on the scale of a single state. Fed up by high property taxes, voters chose a candidate who made bold promises to bring government spending under control over the incumbent’s relatively complacent, optimistic rhetoric. Chris Christie had won the governor’s seat by a four-point margin over Jon Corzine. While voters in northern New Jersey did not come out for Corzine as had been expected—certainly an aid to the Christie camp, the outer suburbs, especially Monmouth and Ocean counties, propelled him to victory. Across Monmouth County, Republican candidates for the State Assembly rode a wave of discontent among independent voters to garner or keep several seats. Voters in the 11th district, covering much of eastern Monmouth County, elected Mary Pat Angelini and David Rible to their second terms. In the 12th district, covering central Monmouth County from Fair Haven to Manalapan, and out to East Windsor, incumbents Caroline Casagrande and Declan O’Scanlon defeated challengers John Amberg and Michelle Roth. O’Scanlon and Casagrande each won by a margin of nearly 2 to 1. Amy Handlin and Samuel Thompson held on to their seats in the 13th district, encompass-

Cryptoquote By ANDREA D’SOUZA Each letter in the puzzle represents a different letter in the alphabet. Decode the puzzle to reveal a famous quote: “LQ NF FZRMFQQ YBM CMLKVKBOF, NF GBQK AFEFM DYMCFK KJLK K J F J V C J F Q K LRRMFWVLKVYA VQ AYK KY BKKFM NYMOQ, TBK KY SVEF TI KJFG.” -- HYJA D. UFAAFOI 4

ing Middletown, Holmdel, and the Bayshore area. Despite the selection of qualified Democratic challengers to run against the incumbents, two of whom this author worked with, the Democratic front failed to work up enough momentum to upset a Republican landslide. All the winning assembly candidates in the 11th, 12th and 13th districts racked up large margins, with several winning by nearly 2:1 over their respective opponents. Over the duration of Christie’s election bid, educational reform has emerged as a cornerstone of his platform. In his victory speech after winning the Republican primary, he asserted, “We will not abandon these children [in urban districts] who are not being taught to read or write properly by convincing ourselves that throwing more

money at the problem is a responsible or adequate solution.” The governor-elect has criticized urban school systems for falling short of teaching children adequately. He proposes to expand charter school programs and offer vouchers to parents who want their children educated in another district. The NJEA, the largest state teachers’ union, has bristled at some of Christie’s high-strung words. What Christie has behind those words to effect change remains to be seen. The real test begins in January.

A

week after Chris Christie was declared the winner of the gubernatorial election, having defeated incumbent Jon Corzine, some at HTHS could not be happier, while others have cause for concern. During discussions in Ms. McQuillan’s English class, I myself have worried–the NJEA must have had a reason for choosing Corzine over Christie – I am slightly worried about our school system–about the MCVSD district itself. Of course, this is probably just a result of a hypochondriac worrying, but it begs the question, what if? I am sure that other High Tech students have wondered if there is any truthful base to the mudslinging accomplished by the Corzine campaign – does Governor-elect Chris Christie care about our public school system? At High Tech, we are fortunate enough to have the best public education offered in New Jersey–and one of the best in the nation. However, High Tech is definitely the exception, not the rule. The U.S. Attorney General has commented on the public education system in America, that there is a “brain drain,” or, there is a trend that shows fewer high school graduates stay in New Jersey for college, and those who do attend college in New Jersey work elsewhere afterwards. It seems that Chris Christie has a serious problem on his hands. So, how does Christie plan to improve the public education system in New Jersey? According to the Star Ledger, Christie stated, “over the last eight years, this state

has done an awful job supporting higher education in New Jersey. State aid to colleges and universities is down 2%.” The Governor-elect believes that businesses need access to a trained workforce, as well as research support from colleges. On his campaign website, Christie lays out what seems to be a good plan to improve the state education system consisting of three parts: keeping New Jersey students in New Jersey, linking graduates to quality jobs, and that quality teachers lead to quality education. All right, Christie, so why did the NJEA pick Corzine? The NJEA has stated that Christie wants to eliminate teachers' pensions, cut teachers' health benefits, end collective bargaining and cut school spending. However, some NJEA teachers disagree. On the website politickernj.org, one teacher said “The facts are the facts. Chris will not eliminate pensions and has never said that he will. He has proposed a pension fund plan for new state employees, but not for teachers or law-enforcement. Chris has not made proposals to change current health benefits for teachers and public school district employees, nor will he. This is an outright lie. Nor has Chris ever said he would end collective bargaining.” It seems that teachers, like their students, have differing opinions about Chris Christie’s policies on education. Although Christie seems to have a plan, it may be difficult to commit to it once in office. One could bring up the age-old question “Where is the money coming from?” It is my hope that it will not be taken away from NJ’s school system.

Quote of the Month Selected By MELANIE CHEN “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” -Thomas Edison