Volume 5 Issue 15

TO THE COMMUNITIES OF STUYVESANT HIGH SCHOOL, TRIBECA, AND BATTERY PARK CITY

The Stuyvesant Standard

“Your School, Your World—Your News” 

Free

APRIL 10, 2006

Volume V, Issue 15

SING! Hits the Spot BY AMY QIU STAFF WRITER

Senior Sing! performs. Stuy07.org

The most awaited production of the year finally arrived on March 24, Friday night, packing the theatre with students and parents alike. Senior SING started the night off with story of a Stuyvesant student and her father, who fall into the Hudson River and find themselves in an underwater utopia. All the underwater creatures live under a mean queen and her sweet son, the prince. As they look for a way out of this utopia, they come across several of the creatures who want to leave as well, so they tag along. Meanwhile the prince falls in love with the girl and agrees to help them. The characters were all very likable and well portrayed. One of the most noticeable things

about the performance was the gorgeous 3-D scenery. The vibrant colors really helped make the story seem more realistic.

Continued on Page 14

Give Health to the Freshmen BY LAWRENCE HUANG STAFF WRITER Starting next year, freshmen, and probably sophomores, will take a term of Health Education. On March 7, a Student Leadership Team meeting was held to discuss the possibility of moving Health Education from junior

year to a lower grade. At the meeting, almost everyone was in favor of the suggestion; Principal Teitel had even agreed to draft a proposal for the move. As of March 21, the plan seems set to go. Martha Singer, head of the Physical Education DepartContinued on Page 3

College Board Misses Mark Again BY SANGHEE CHUNG STAFF WRITER The College Board has confirmed that approximately 1,600 answer sheets have not been rescanned because of a special exceptions process. Spokeswoman Chiara Coletti stated that the sheets will be rescanned and students and colleges will be notified of the changes, and expected a small amount of scores to be changed. “To the best of my knowledge, there are no more surprises,” she said.

Stuyvesant topics were cleverly weaved into the storyline so they didn’t seem out of place “underwater.” For example, to-

wards the end, there was a part where the girl and everyone with her are unable to get away from the queen because they were held back by ID scanners. Next up was Soph-Fresh SING. Here, we traveled to the underworld and to meet Pandora, Medusa, Napoleon, Michael Jackson, and John Lennon, each with his/her own interesting quirks. The increase in life-expectancy and decrease in people coming into the underworld had them all talking. With the ruler Hades gone, Pandora comes up with a plan to open up her storage closet and unleash so much misery on the world that people will want death. The choreography of the dances during this performance was fresh and stood out among the others. Lighting effects were used very well during them. The

Initially, 4,000 out of the 495,000 students who took the SAT in October 2005 did not receive credit for correct answers. While the majority of scoring errors ranged from 10 to 80 points, several scores differed by up to 400 points out of a total score of 2400. Once the results were determined, the scores were reported to all students, schools, and colleges. However, many institutions have looked down Continued on Page 4

ID Scanners: Compromise Reached been recently installed. The meeting came about after students expressed major concerns with the scanners and wanted them removed. A march on City Hall was threatened. At the end of the meeting, a compromise was met. The scanners will now only be used for attendance purposes. They will be removed after third period. There will be no more penalScanners, such as the one shown above, will be used ties for a student not to scan student IDs. having their id and lateness will not go on the student’s official record. ◙ with school principal, Mr. Teitel, about the ID scanners that had On Monday April 3, the Stuyvesant Student Union met

The Stuyvesant Standard’s dedication to April Lao and Kevin Kwan is on pages 8 and 9.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE News...........................2-5 Puzzles..............................11 Business......................4-5/7 Science……………….......12-13 Opinions.....................6-7 Arts & Entertainment........14-17 Literary.......................8-10 Sports................................17-20

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April 10, 2006 NEWS

THE STUYVESANT STANDARD  Founded 2001

      “Your School, Your World—Your News” 

Executive Leadership Team DR. JOHN NIKOL JENNIFER SCHLESINGER DEREK WENG KHOI NGUYEN FANNY TANG DANNY ZHU JIMMY ZHANG PRISCILLA MELO EMMA RABINOVICH ERIC MAYO JOSEPH KRUTOV HANFORD CHIU LADA KUKUY HENRY ZHANG HENRY ZHANG DANIEL EGERS (‘03) ERNEST BASKIN (‘04)

THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

The PS3 Might Be Delayed BY RICHARD SHYONG STAFF WRITER For all those avid gamers out there, the rumors are true. The PS3, which was supposedly due

FACULTY ADVISER EDITOR IN CHIEF MANAGING EDITOR CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER LAYOUT EDITOR COPY CHIEF NEWS EDITOR OPINIONS EDITOR ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR SPORTS EDITOR SCIENCE EDITOR BUSINESS EDITOR LITERARY EDITOR WEBMASTER DIRECTOR OF PHOTOJOURNALISM FOUNDER EDITOR EMERITUS

www.pspworld.com

Publication THE STUYVESANT STANDARD is a nonprofit and nonpartisan publication produced by the students of Stuyvesant High School. THE STUYVESANT STANDARD distributes 2,000 free copies on a bi-weekly basis to the students and faculty of Stuyvesant High School and throughout the adjoining neighborhoods of TriBeCa and Battery Park City. THE STUYVESANT STANDARD welcomes letters from its readers. THE STUYVESANT STANDARD reserves the right to edit any published material. The viewpoints of contributors do not necessarily reflect the views of the Standard staff. Copyright ©2006 THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

Contact Us Please direct all correspondence to: THE STUYVESANT STANDARD 345 Chambers Street New York, NY 10282-1000 [email protected] Find us on the web at www.stuystandard.org

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An image of what the PS3 will look

to be released this spring, has a good chance of being pushed back a few months. However, to take an optimistic point of view, this is all for the gamer’s sake. The PS3 will feature cuttingedge technology in DVD playing,

processing, and graphics. The delay, however, lies with the DVD player. The production system used by Blu-Ray, the DVD player within the PS3, has yet to be finalized. This could cause a delay of some six months before the much-awaited PS3 finally comes out. However, the bright side of it all is that buyers of the PS3 will not only have an incredible gaming system, but the most up-to-date DVD player. The only downside that would discourage most buyers would be its price, ranging around $900. Considering that its rival, the Xbox 360, only costs $600, the PS3 has a lot to prove before it can be sold. When asked about the delay of the PS3, several people were astonished. “There’s a delay?” said sophomore Nicholas Koo. “Well, I wasn’t waiting for it, so whatever.” “ Another sophomore, Johnny Lao, gave a more intellectual response. “The outrageous prices set by the corporations make it difficult for the average gamers to afford, [and] the delay will gain some protest from [its] dedicated gamers.” The PS3 had better prove itself worthy after all this waiting, or it would lose what little support it has left. ◙

Solar Eclipse BY NEETA MALVIYA STAFF WRITER On March 29, a solar eclipse covered areas from Brazil to Mongolia with complete darkness. This was the first total solar eclipse since 2003. The eclipse of 2003 was best viewed in Antarctica. The next eclipse is to occur on September 22, 2006, but it will only be a partial eclipse. The next total eclipse will occur in 2008. To occur, total solar eclipses need the perfect alignment of the sun, moon, and earth, so that the moon will block out the sun completely. The time the eclipse lasted

varied depended on its location along the path of the eclipse. The longest view lasted for four minutes and seven seconds, in a settlement of Libya. The three best viewing spots were all in Libya. It took 90 minutes for the moon to completely cover the sun. When the moon and the sun were perfectly aligned all that was visible was the corona of the sun, which is usually invisible. Crowds gathered on roof tops and in streets to get a glimpse of this astonishing event. Many had to put on more clothing because the temperature dropped rapidly. Thousands gathered at an ancient Continued on Page 5

Last Issue’s Corrections • Sayeed Manick is a staff writer. • Jeffrey Liaw’s name was misspelled. • Issue 13 was mislabeled Issue 12.

THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

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April 10, 2006 NEWS

Building Stuy Community: A New Website Dedicated to Helping Students meeting in March. The website layout will be similar to the general school website with links on On Monday, April 3, a the left side for guidance, acaBuilding Stuy Communit y demic help, contact information, (BSC) meeting was held. It was student resources, and maybe a attended by a handful of stuclubs, publications, and sports dents, mainly sophoannouncement bulmores and seniors. letin. Mr. Weil was also in So far, the group has been working on The tentative plan a t t en d a n c e . B SC calls for the openschool tone type projects, such as imstarted with a letter ing page to have a by Mr. Weil, of the proving freshman orientation and movmessage about the English department, purpose of the site. ing health class to freshman year. to The Spectator The message will about problems existbe surrounded by ing in Stuy. The group was crephotos and quotes from Stuy the link has not yet been deterated by parents to improve the students. During the discussion, mined, but it will probably say school and was then handed over concerns were brought up about something to the effect of to the students to continue this waiver forms which would allow “Support for Students.” Tentamantra. So far, the group has the photos to be displayed. tive plans for eight pages were been working on school tone The next page discussed was presented to the group for distype projects, such as improving the Guidance Suite’s page. A cussion. The plans came from freshman orientation and moving ideas generated at the last BSC

BY JENNIFER SCHLESINGER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

health class to freshman year. The group’s current project is to create a sub-website on the regular Stuyvesant site, www.stuy.edu. The website will be accessed through a link on the left side. The actual wording of

Club Spotlight: SPAT BY IVAN TSE STAFF WRITER SPAT is the perfect club for anyone who needs help in Spanish. SPAT is the only Spanish tutoring club in the school. Kevin Zheng and Kat Chau founded the club with the mission of helping students fully understand the general concepts of the Spanish language. In addition, the club helps students prepare and study for Spanish exams. Meetings are held once two weeks on either Mondays or Tuesdays. Although the club is mainly aimed at FS6 students, students at different levels are welcomed to join the club as well. Most of the tutoring lessons and aids, such as review sheets, SPAT is an easier than using a review book to study Spanish.

Continued on Page 5

Give Health to the Freshmen Continued from Page 1

This year, juniors have the option to take the Health class in their senior year in order to have some room on their schedule, for one reason or another. Unfortu-

www.dcu.ie

Fda.gov

ment, supported the notion for the following reason: “Learning such topics in Health is better for younger people. To learn skills in decisionmaking … to not ta k e drugs — it will benefit the younger grades.” When asked why seniors were excluded from the plan, Ms. Singer responded, “The seniors are already on their own. They know what to do In Health Class, students learn the importance of good nutrition. and not to, nately, once freshmen and sophothey have already experimented. mores take the course, they can It is better for them to take colno longer delay taking health unlege transition classes than taking til twelfth grade. It is also uncerhealth class.” tain whether or not a class would However, the grade switch be dropped (Art or Music for has not been entirely planned out freshmen; Technical Drawing or yet. “We are thinking of having a Introduction to Computer Science pilot,” said Ms. Singer. “We for sophomores) in order for a would have two freshman classes student to have six instructional and two sophomore classes. We’ll periods a day. see which works better.” AtThe health course curricutempts to reach Mr. Teitel for his lum will remain the same for opinion have been made, but he freshmen and sophomores. For has not replied.

example, they will still learn morals and values, the importance of being physically and mentally fit, and the dangers of taking drugs. They will also have to sit through lessons on the human reproductive system and STD’s. Sophomore Jimmy Zhang thinks that freshmen taking the health class would be great. “I think that moving the health class to freshman year would be an excellent addition to the curriculum. Freshmen can now enjoy health and biology in the same year.” Junior Jessie Li also agrees that moving health education to a lower grade would be better for students in the long run. “I remember the irony of having to stay up until 2 a.m. studying about the benefits of a good night's sleep to the body. Health really shouldn't be a junior-year class, when everyone’s too busy with their AP’s and their SAT’s.” However, an anonymous freshman wasn’t too happy. “If it means having more classes a day, then this really isn’t good news. It kind of sucks for the incoming freshmen, too. They have to sit through Bio and health lessons each day — probably both of them on the human reproductive system and STD’s.” Overall, students seem satisfied with the decision to move health from junior year to a lower class. ◙

translations of passages from the textbook, vocabulary translations, and tenses conjugations are available online at the Yahoo Group so the meetings are usually a quick recap of the Spanish topics learned recently. There are also many officers who help Kevin and Kat put up their lessons during the meetings and who help students. Since there so many officers, no one is left out and everyone benefits. Sophomore Susan Kim, an officer, says of the club, “SPAT's an awesome club and it really helps with my Spanish.” Another member of the club, Benjamin Kwok, says, “Everyone has fun and learns at the same time at SPAT.” There are no requirements to gain membership to the club. Anyone who’s interested can talk to Kevin or Kat, or e-mail [email protected] for more information. ◙

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April 10, 2006 NEWS/BUSINESS

New Health Plan to Deduct Cost Directly From Payroll BY HANFORD CHIU BUSINESS EDITOR In an industry where health care providers wait up to 100 days for payments to be collected, if they are collected at all, UnitedHealth Group Inc., a medical insurance group, is pioneering a new payment system to ensure that the providers are paid. Patients who are exceptionally late will have the cost deducted from their paychecks, with interest. The pilot program, soon to be launched in Texas, is one of the new solutions insurers are providing to give greater convenience to all those involved in the payment process. In UnitedHealth’s program, called “OnePay,” UnitedHealth will first pay all of the costs incurred by the patient, and then subsequently bill the patient. If the patient cannot pay the cost in full, UnitedHealth will act as a creditor. If the patient’s payments are late, UnitedHealth will deduct payments from the patient’s paychecks, with interest, until the bill

is paid off. Although this forced collection seems painful, there are a lot of benefits for patients and providers who sign up for this voluntary program. A patient who is short on cash, but not completely broke, can receive very low interest rates. Because of the low risk involved with the program, since the patient can always be tracked down and forced to pay, UnitedHealth is able to offer interest rates that are easily half of what regular creditors offer. The plan is also convenient, as the payments are automatically deducted from an account of the patient’s choice, without requiring any paperwork. For the providers, this plan would guarantee a nearly 100 percent collection rate, as opposed to about 70 percent for uninsured patients. A downside to this automated bill processing is that patients rarely see the true costs they incur and cannot easily challenge false billings before they are paid. Continued on Page 7

College Board Misses Mark Again Continued from Page 1

upon the impact. "It's more of a nuisance at a time when we're trying to wend our way through 20,000-plus applications," said Lee Stetson, dean of admissions at the University of Pennsylvania. “Even in the case of one student who had been denied in the school's early admission cycle, a 50-point boost didn't tip the scales,” Stetson stated. The College Board first became aware of the problem in late January when two requests to hand rescore October tests yielded positive score changes. An investigation was launched to determine the cause in the score change and the possibility of a problem in the answer sheets and scanning. Pearson Educational Measurement, which scanned the answer sheets, then launched its investigation and determined that the scores reported for approximately 4,000 students were lower than they should have been. According to Pearson, the main p ro b l e m a r i s e d fro m t h e

Meet This Teacher BY TIM CHANG STAFF WRITER While most teachers in school are funny by accident, few teachers actually bring a good sense of humor to their classes. Carl Tan is one of those teachers. Tan was born and raised in Taipei, Taiwan. He came to America in 1974, in his late 20’s. He graduated from Seton Hall’s bilingual program in New Jersey in 1979 and soon became a New York City public school teacher. Tan taught at Seward Park High School in lower Manhattan before coming to Stuyvesant. Tan came to Stuyvesant in 2004, and he loves teaching here: “One of a teacher’s greatest joys is to teach extraordinary students,” he said in an interview. Apparently, some of his students are so extraordinary that a whole new class, FM2N, was created for native Mandarin speakers. This class is for students who already know some Mandarin, so the curriculum is supplemented with extra lessons. Whenever possible, lessons are taught in Chinese as well. Tan has two rules in his classes, known to all his students. The first rule forbids chewing gum — it interferes with the oral component of each lesson. The

second rule seems odd to outsiders; it forbids shaking one’s legs. While sparsely enforced, it is part of Chinese etiquette. Some of his

FM6 students. Others would disagree. “To be honest, I think it's a stupid policy; I mean, it’s not like

QUICK PROFILE

NAME: Carl Tan ( 谭老师 ) SUBJECTS TAUGHT: Mandarin FM2, FM2N, FM4, FM4N, FM6 FAVORITE FOOD: Szechuan Chicken with Peanuts students agree: “I guess that he should employ the rule since he's trying to teach us Chinese culture,” says Albert Du, one of his

THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

it’s going to disrupt the class or anything …,” says an anonymous student. This year the Chinese lan-

“abnormally high moisture content” in some answer sheets. Pearson is continuing to investigate the cause of the situation. In addition to lowered test scores, 600 test takers would have been negatively affected by the rescore, but the College Board has decided not to disclose their actual scores to colleges. Some counselors and professionals have criticized this decision even though the College Board characterized the errors as being “minute”. Although none of the new group of 1,600 may be affected by the rescore, it is likely to raise criticism and concern over the College Board’s handling of the error. “It raises further questions about whether we yet know the full scope of the problem,” said Robert Schaeffer of FairTest, “It’s not a large percentage, but if those scores were your kid’s scores, it could mean something very significant.” ◙ guage program is at its largest yet, with close to 400 students. Next year, Tan hopes to open an A.P. Chinese course, for those students who want to go beyond Regents-level Chinese. However, he stresses that students should learn and master the Regents course first. Tan emphasizes two aspects of Chinese learning, especially in his FM2N class. First of all, tones are essential. “Chinese without tones is not Chinese,” he says. He has good reason: characters pronounced with different tones represent different words. The second important aspect of Chinese is handwriting. Tan has beautiful handwriting, and he makes sure that all of his students learn good handwriting. “Sloppy handwriting reveals a sloppy personality,” he says, and while this attitude may be somewhat harsh, Chinese handwriting is almost an art, since the words are more like pictures than combinations of letters. Tan used to coach girls’ bowling at Seward Park High School. However, the recreation that Tan is most passionate about is table tennis. He loves to play and extends an invitation to anyone in the Stuyvesant community to challenge him. ◙

THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

Marketers Try Newer Styles of Advertising

Solar Eclipse Continued from Page 2

the power of the Muslim god Allah. The eclipse helped the tourism of many countries including Turkey. Tourists from all parts

Building Stuy Community: A New Website Dedicated to Helping Students

Anyone who is interested in getting involved in Building Stuy Community should contact [email protected].

pg.com

blurb will be displayed at the top of the page about the purpose of the office. The group would like the guidance counselors to write their own message. Below the blurb will be pictures of each guidance counselor, their office hours, room, and possibly some information about them. This is especially important because many underclassmen do not know who their guidance counselors are or when to meet them. The guidance office’s page will also include information about what one can do in the Guidance Suite besides talk to a counselor, such as look for employment in the job binder, get working papers, and give in SSR forms. The academic help page was discussed subsequently. This part of the site is dedicated to easing stress caused by academic pressure it Stuy, It will have AIS tutoring schedules, information on Arista tutoring, and pictures and information on the Assistant Principals. Then, the contact info page was talked about. It will contain school related links to help the students, faculty, and parents. The links will include The Stuyvesant Parents’ Association, The Student Union, The Department

of Education, and The Standard. Suggestions arose for some useful outside links, but their were concerns since the BSC website is part of the official school website. Following this, the Student Resources page was discussed. This will have an inspirational message at the top with possibly a few quotes. The resources explained will include Big Sibs, SPARK, YCL (Youth Counseling League), and Stuy Diversity. The College Office and Mr. Blumm, the parent coordinator were also discussed as possible resources. Finally, the announcement page was discussed. This was to replace the community messages at the bottom of the Stuy homepage. However, there were concerns about students not realizing where the announcements were and who would approve them. A separate link on the Stuy homepage was suggested. Overall, the meeting was very useful. All who came were invited to voice their opinions and get involved. ◙

appear and usage of it will be interwoven into the plot. This sitcom is scheduled to appear on Advertisers try to sell you the web on March 20 and March their products through any 30 at the Nick at Nite website. method that has the slightest pothis sitcom will be running tential of attracting your business. throughout the week of April 11 Using everything from sentimenon national television. tal slogans, such as “Have it your Saving the best for last, the way” for Burger King and “I’m Volkswagen’s campaigns have lovin’ it” for McDonalds, to mini been very upbeat and ridiculous movies and ludicrous jingles, through their infusion of pop culcompanies attempt to appeal to ture with every type o l d of person fa shioned These new forms of marketout there, German from drug ing express how desperately culture. dealers to This is advertisers are trying to atsci-fi faprobably tract their audience. natics and their plan country to increase girls, billtheir annual sales. Some Volksboards and commercials brainwagens slogans have been wash you into believing in the “German engineering in ‘da beauty of their products. haus’,” “Straight outta de AutoFord Motors currently has a bahn,” and “Fast as schnell.” The new 90-minute film in the works most recent theme, “Unpimp to promote the Lincoln Zephyr Mein Auto,” was hilarious in that and the Mercury Milan. While the it played upon the very American details on the movie are not comnotion of “pimped out” cars. It pletely clear, Ford has created was even funnier through the use two separate websites to show of an old-fashioned German scitrailers about these films. Viewentist, trying to speak in slang ers with a high-speed connection and using hip gestures. can easily download these clips. These new forms of marketWith an increase in broadband ing express how desperately adusage and online car sales, Ford vertisers are trying to attract their advertises itself not by product audience. The use of product

BY OLIVIA HU STAFF WRITER

abcnews.go.com

temple of Apollo in the Mediterranean to gaze upon the eclipse. "It's one of those experiences that makes you feel like you're part of the larger universe," said NASA astronomer Janet Luhmann who had viewed the eclipse from the ruins of an ancient Roman theater near the temple of Apollo. People had been warned by the government not to view the eclipse with the naked eye because of the damage it can Only the corona of the sun is visible. cause. Protective of the world flocked to the counglasses were distributed as a pretries where the eclipse could be caution. seen. "After two or three months Sunni and Shiite Muslims of suffering, I hope this is a turnwent to mosques during the ing point for us," said the Toureclipse to take part in a special ism Minister of Turkey Atilla prayer that is held in times of Koc. ◙ fear and natural disaster. An eclipse is considered a symbol of

Continued from Page 3

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April 10, 2006 NEWS/BUSINESS

Products of the Proctor & Gamble marketing company.

placement, but by sponsoring the direction of the movie and websites. Clips of this movie can be viewed on lovelybysurprise.com and theneverything.com. Another rather odd form of appealing to the public persona is Proctor & Gamble’s new sitcom “The Poocharellis.” The eight episodes of the show will abide by the same rules that most sitcoms follow. It will be as long as a normal episode and there will be commercial breaks just long enough to squeeze in the slogan “Febreze, it’s fresh”. The product placement of Febreze will also

placements and “branded entertainment” is the marketer’s new way of breaking free of the traditional advertising model. With the decline of the interest of conventional advertising, these marketers are breaking out of the ordinary to try to create truly enjoyable advertising. Since desperate times call for desperate measures, as clearly portrayed by Proctor & Gamble, Ford Motors, and Volkswagen, just how far the marketers will go to sell that product of theirs, the world may never know. ◙

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April 10, 2006 OPINIONS

Counterpoint: Should Iran Be Allowed to Have Nuclear Weapons? BY JACOB CHEN OPINIONS EDITOR ‘04 While President Bush has a predisposition for bungling when it comes to domestic and international affairs, “even a broken clock is right twice a day.” Iran, regardless of intent, should under no condition be permitted to acquire nuclear weapons. One of the three pillars of Yuen's argument is that Iran would not use or provide nuclear we a p o n s fo r fe a r o f a n “international backlash.” But if we look at an all too pertinent example, can we truly expect the fear of a backlash to deter Iran? The Taliban of Afghanistan gave support to a terrorist organization that then launched the largest

of Iranian civilians simply to strike back at the government? Such an action would be morally reprehensible in the highest degree. The international and domestic outcry would be unbelievable, not to mention the plethora of animosity such an action would give birth to. In this scenario we would have to invade, but that too would almost certainly be. Considering the difficulty we are currently facing in Iraq, keeping an army in Iran, even presuming we are victorious, would be an exorbitant expense in terms of lives and capital. If Iran had nuclear weapons, there would be no effective check to keep them from being detonated. Lastly, let us not forget that

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Troubles Abound partly are. Yet Hispanics have an even higher drop-out rate than blacks. Thus there are other facIt is a horrible situation, an tors, besides terrible schools, that almost unthinkable fate, but it is push these men deeper into this unsurprising: 50 percent of young dismal fate. black men are jobless, a Princeton The environment that many University study found. The rate of these poor young men are is even higher among high school brought up in is another cause. dropouts, at 72 percent. Why, I Street life is an alternative to the am impelled to ask, is there such fruitless hours spent in school. a high rate of failure for this cerMany don’t even know their fatain group? Certainly one would thers and do not have proper role expect other groups to have the models — hustlers and thugs are same or similar results. But they the ones they look up to. Also, don’t — there is a high the jobrate of incar50 percent of young black less rates ceration among for Caumen are jobless, a Princeton these men — casian on average, 34 University study found. and Hispercent of p a n i c young black men are in jail, while males who did not attend college only 30 percent are working. are less than 22 percent. This When these men do work, it news is startling, but there are is not a permanent source of inmany reasons why this is so. come; their jobs don’t have penI have always known that sions or health care benefits. The education is pivotal to getting a money they do earn is spent paycareer; how else would one get a ing child support — half of young secure occupation? Therefore, black men who do not have colbad schools, lacking proper relege degrees are non-custodial sources and motivation for their fathers. students, as well as an overWhat we must do as a nation whelming drop-out rate among is help. Yes, we have spent bilAfrican-Americans, should be the reason for these rates — and they Continued on Page 7

BY PRISCILLA MELO OPINIONS EDITOR

ID Scanners Are Not So Bad Getty Images

BY ALVIS YUEN STAFF WRITER Iran believes it has the right to pursue civilian nuclear technology, just like any country in the West.

attack on American soil since probably the attack of the Pearl Harbor. Well, some may contend that Afghanistan did not expect a reprisal, but did anyone truly expect less considering the extent of the damage? Remember that Afghanistan, unlike China or India, was a theocracy. The rulers meant not to act in the interests of the state, or of the populace, but in the interests of their religious tenets. Secondly, Yuen blithely discusses how Iran might be “nuked” in return, and how if they threaten other nations, the United States would check their aggression. If given more thought, a weakness in this retaliation becomes evident. While undoubtedly we would retaliate, how would we do so? If a nuclear explosion occurred in Israel, would we nuke Iran in response? Would we put to death millions

Iran constantly uses the United States as a rallying point for its citizens. To the Iranian people, we are not just a run-of-the-milldemonic entity, we are supreme — we are the Great Satan. Every administration since Reagan has felt threatened by Iran because it constantly identifies itself as an enemy of America and incites violence against America internally and internationally. We did not alienate Iran — Iran stormed into our embassy, kidnapped our ambassadors, and cut off all relations with the Great Satan. The US must take every measure, perhaps even the use of military force, to ensure that Iran never develops nuclear weapons technology. If the US does not, the day after Iran builds its first nuclear weapons, we will witness the third nuclear massacre. ◙

Beep… beep. The new sound Stuyvesant students love to hate. The school announced their plan to set up ID scanners for months already. We waited for that dreadful day when we would have to scan in every morning, but that day never came; it always got delayed. Soon, we forgot about the ID scanners. Then, like an unsuspecting gale, under the backdrop of tragedy and SING, the school finally installed the scanners. As we began to realize what had happened, dissent flooded every available information outlet. Most people don’t like the scanners. It seems perfectly reasonable to hate them, but we should stop and think why we do. Sophomore Maggie Lee offers this reason in her email: “It’s not a matter of five bucks, but the principle’s behind it. You know what also gets scanned? Books and tagged animals.” It seems to me that most students don’t hate the ID scanners, but rather their

implications. To some students, if not most, the installation of the ID scanners was a betrayal- a sign of the dwindling trust the administration has of us. Meanwhile, some students feel degraded because they believe that this policy reduces them to factory workers. We don’t seem to have a good reason to hate the ID scanners. We sound like bickering children whose parents are hiring a babysitter instead of letting them stay home alone. The socalled principles that are being taken away are the loopholes that allow us to break rules. We say that the school doesn’t trust us, but seriously, we shouldn’t be trusted. Under the old system, we would walk by, just flashing our ID cards. However, there was a huge margin for human error. We would exploit this by entering school without our ID cards and violating school policy. In addition, the ID scanners supposedly make it harder to cut class because the school knows exactly what time you enter the building. Before, attendance for the entire Continued on Page 7

THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

Page 7

April 10, 2006 OPINIONS/BUSINESS

Much Ado Over Nothing BY MOTTAQUI AL-KARIM STAFF WRITER The long awaited and anxiously anticipated ID scanners have finally arrived. So, we go back to the great question, if it deserves to be dubbed as one of the greatest dilemmas to ever confront student-kind, and that has been debated by most students: what exactly is the point of having these scanners? There are a variety of answers to this question. The administration, if asked, would state that the purpose of the scanners is to quickly and easily retrieve the whereabouts of a particular student at any given moment in the day. Dissimilarly, the typical student would respond by becoming extremely passionate and would begin to give the questioner a great variety of reasons why the scanners actually imply the distrust of the administration towards him/her. The more patient student, however, would ponder the question for a moment and come to the conclusion that there is no point in having these scanners. It seems as if the latter response is the most reasonable, for the scanners really do not

have any semblance of practicality or usefulness. They, however, do not interfere with any other aspect of the school in any way,

TSS/Bennett Hong

Assistant Principal of Technology, Edward Wong, overlooks the scanners as students enter the school.

which make them pointless. They are simply there because the “sensible” Board of Education has mandated them to be shipped to our school. The scanners, however, are

New Health Plan to Deduct Cost Directly From Payroll Continued from Page 4

However, UnitedHealth has said it will halt or return payments that patients challenge. Another downside is that poorer patients would be trapped in inescapable debt. With payments taken directly from paychecks, patients would not have much time to recover and pay future payments without going broke. Even though the program would initially be completely voluntary, similar programs may replace

not really hurting us, nor are they affecting us in any way. They are just there. So there is no point behind all the protests

traditional programs in the future should providers decide that the high collection rate is so desirable that lower-quality health plans would be abandoned. Thus, although this type of health plan is desirable to providers and highly-paid patients, poorer patients would be subjected to what is effectively loan sharking and would have to pay a lot in interest to work off large debts. ◙

BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE Start right here with...

College Now

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made by the student body against the scanners, although they have made no differenceschool is structured in a complete totalitarian sense. Quite frankly, the scanners are really

not that bad. Sure, swiping our cards when we enter school is more annoying then flashing them at the security guards, but it’s relatively simple and quite painless. They also make that cool beeping sound when we swipe in and the administration will have no excuse in giving us those cheesy “fuchsia” colored cards anymore; we all know they’re pink! As stated in the second paragraph, some of us have argued that the distrust of the student body by the administration is implied by the installation of the scanners. This is completely true, and it makes the argument for installing the scanners even greater, since distrusting the student body is one of the main jobs of the administration. It is this distrust of the student body which protects us and keeps us safe. So, the scanner problem isn’t actually as great as it made to be and opposing the scanners was a fruitless waste of time. They are not affecting us in any way. The scanners just help the attendance office with their jobs and makes it harder for us to cut class or use someone else’s ID to go out during a free period. But I’m sure we’ll figure out some way to beat the system, after all we are Stuyvesant students. ◙

ID Scanners Are Not So Bad Continued from Page 6

day would be taken during 3rd period, making it easy to cut 1st and 2nd period. This loophole is gone now. The truth of the matter is that this system has been implemented in other schools. We feel degraded because we think we are special and deserve special privileges. No one likes to get monitored and high school kids are no exception. It is too bad that other people are responsible for us and have to watch us. Those that are saying “They can’t do this to us” should get rid of their superiority complex and learn to adapt. I hope all of us remember that teachers, when they come in every morning,

must turn their cards. They are being monitored too. Teachers do not complain because they understand it is part of their job. We should be more mature and comply because going to school and learning is our job. Another reason people dislike the ID scanners is that we have to pay $1 to manually enter ourselves into the system if we don’t have our ID. However, Mr. Wong had been nice and printed out new IDs for free. So, that problem is gone as well. Sometimes, we fail to realize that Mr. Teitel, Ms. Damesek, and the rest of the administration are just trying to do their job. So, before we give them a hard time, we should do our part and follow the rules. ◙

Troubles Abound Continued from Page 6

lions of dollars on welfare and other government programs, but they don’t stop the problem. Someone on welfare can not possibly overcome their difficulties if he or she can not get proper training or good jobs. The creation of organizations like the Job Corps that actually train and

give jobs while providing subsistence is a great way to start. Yet these programs are not as accessible and publicized in these communities as they should be. If we give these men a second chance to prosper, they will definitely become productive citizens, something the nation will definitely benefit from. ◙

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April 10, 2006 LITERARY

THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

Dedication to April and Kevin BY JENNIFER LEE STAFF WRITER Sitting there in the classroom, I could feel the tension in the atmosphere rise and fall. Then rise again. I could hear the faint sounds of covered sobs. From every direction, I could hear their anguish and sadness. I could feel their emotions, an ocean tide sweeping over hollow shelled bodies. We were knocked senseless off our feet, but the tides that crashed upon us receded backwards and came forth again. I could imagine them and know what they could’ve felt. There is nothing worse than missing the ones that we’ve loved and lost. Smiles that had graced upon them. Why hadn’t I smiled more? Quarrels that ended just as quickly as they started. Why hadn’t I just let it go? The love they shared and bonds strengthening. Why hadn’t I given them more love? But there, in the midst of it all, we are granted the answer that will forever be cloaked in horrifying and desperate darkness. The darkness that creeps and haunts the edges of the heart until it finally reaches the core of the beating heart. Enigmas and mysteries are meant to stay clandestine in the partway of death. That is how life goes on. It begins on the easy scale; we are crawling towards salvation and trying to save salvation by running later. As old as this is, we should enjoy life to the fullest. Do not let darkness seep through, for there is always light upon shadows. It’s okay to let your tears out. It’s okay. We will have shown an oceanful of love.

“Kevin” by Benson

"Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal." …We will never forget them.

TSS/Bennett Hong

TSS/Ada Zhang

TSS/Bennett Hong

TSS/Amy Leung

TSS/Amy Leung

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April 10, 2006 LITERARY

My Memories Dedicated to April Lao BY TINA YUE STAFF WRITER

Ode To Death In All Its Forms BY PENNY MALAMUD STAFF WRITER

Though I never met you, I heard so many things. None of 'em bad. All of 'em good. You smilin' Is one of them. I'm not buyin' Any of the frowns, 'cuz I've already seen That brilliant smile. We've all been hurt And miserable... When it happened But, if you're happy We are too, And that's all that counts... So, answer our prayers. And, let's hope. That you're doing just fine.

I die of carelessness, I die of caution I die of fear, I die too brave for my own good I die from too much sweet devotion I die for lack of drink, for want of food I die silently, or I die screaming I die in tears, in pain, or from disease I die awake, I die when I am dreaming I die upon my feet, my hands, my knees I die in happiness, I die in blank despair I die with love, or with my frail heart torn asunder I die with ugly wounds, or I die fair I die in fire, in water, night, and thunder I die not knowing life or death I die confused, with clarity of mind I die struggling for every single breath I die for fighting forward, and for all I left behind I die too old, I die too young for dying I die too sure, uncertain of my soul I die with tears, with eyes too dry for crying I die too much, too often, on the whole.

Bringing you closer to your school. Keeping up with your world. We have all your news covered.

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April 10, 2006 LITERARY

Watercolored BY JENNIFER LEE STAFF WRITER

Spring overwhelmed her. The rain. The grass. The rough bark protruding those slender branches. The smell of the rusty Ford Mustang she was lying in now. The smell of leather and gray smoke intertwined with each other, creating a nostalgic sense: one where he and she would ride out all day and night on those lonely western roads, with nothing behind theme except sun, stars, and trailing dust. Always that sort of dust. She missed her hometown and the persistent scent it consisted of piney fern moss and crushed lavender petals, dotted with the clingy-ness of transparent rain. And…oh…she missed most of all the homegrown smell of cotton shirts. Head resting on the seat in the back, she could just close her eyes and see those warm brown eyes. Amber like a melted butter gold sun. She had only the memory of eyes replaying in her head to keep her solace at days like this. But here, safe and warm for the meanwhile, under the car’s hood, she fell asleep to the sound of the rain. One hand draped around her stomach’s middle and tangled, soaked hair from the rain, still drying, she dreamt dreams that brought a crescent uplift to her lips. Only in her dreams do her misses return back to her, dew dropped water and mist.

THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

THE LAMPPOST BY HANNAH WU STAFF WRITER

The twelfth hour dawns, and I peer through the glass, Seeing nothing But tiny neon orange balls, stitching the land, Each a sun to its own world one the scent of a rose Another the lap of sea against mist, Friendship, Sting of a slap, Glance of a love, All silent Individually They burn against the darkness Artificially illuminating a sole path While they singe the day Each an idea, A song, A poem, A raindrop Each depleting the earth of one more Beauty That is, until Our sun Rises, and shoos out the Impostors And they lope off, reluctantly They die Until tomorrow

THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

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April 10, 2006 PUZZLES

Crossword Puzzle

Sudoku BY JOHN REUEL STAFF WRITER

BY STUY PUZZLE HUNT

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BY LAURENCE HUANG STAFF WRITER

Riddle

The paragraph below is most unusual. How quickly can you find out what is so unusual about it? "Gatsby was walking back from a visit down in Branton Hill's manufacturing district on a Saturday night. A busy day's traffic had had its noisy run; and with not many folks in sight, His Honor got along without having to stop to grasp a hand, or talk; for a mayor out of City Hall is a shining mark for any politician. And so, coming to Broadway, a booming bass drum and sounds of singing, told of a small Salvation Army unit carrying on amidst Broadway's night shopping crowds. Gatsby, walking towards that group, saw a young girl, back toward him, just finishing a long, soulful oration ... " The above passage is taken from the book "Gatsby" written by Ernest Vincent Wright in the late 1930's

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Cryptogram Answer: Headline writer must have had fun composing this actual one: “Escaped leopard believed spotted.”

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April 10, 2006 SCIENCE other cows with BSE were one of the main transmission methods. BSE is also transmittable to humans, but transmission is very rare. BSE in humans is called Creutzfeldt-Jacob Disease, and affects humans in a way that is

Cows Gone Mad BY KENNETH LAM STAFF WRITER It is a warm summer day, and you are at a barbeque with a group of friends. One of your buddies is grilling hamburgers at the moment. He hands you one straight off the grill with a toasted bun, lettuce and tomatoes. Before you wolf down the burger, you suddenly recall hearing about mad cow disease and its return to society. It’s all over the papers, and you are anxious to find out if it could strike you next. The next day, you go to the school library to do some research, and you find many results. Mad Cow Disease, or Bovine Spongiform Encephalopath y (BSE), is a neurological disease that affects cattle. However, this disease is not like other diseases. For starters, BSE is transmitted by a particle called a prion. Prions are quite different from other disease-causing particles, such as viruses and bacteria. Bacteria and most viruses have DNA, the genetic code used by all life on Earth. Unlike viruses and bacteria, prions consist of only proteins, making them much harder to kill. In addition, the immune system does not even detect prions, only adding to their danger. The prions that spread BSE are commonly found inside nerve

tissue, such as brains and spinal cords, as well as bone marrow. Normal prion protein, or PrP, is produced by the cell. Mutated

Associated Press

A rally is held in South Korea against the import of American Beef.

similar to BSE in cows. Fortunately, the United States food supply has not yet been infiltrated by BSE. In addition, one must eat parts of the cow that carry the prions to contract the disease. To date, there have only been 3 recorded cases of BSE in the United States. The first case was discovered in December of 2003. The most recent case was con-

PrP will cause the disease and stimulate other PrP to become mutated as well, causing a chain reaction that spreads the mutated prions throughout the affected areas. BSE is mainly transmitted through ingestion of prions. Cattle feed that included parts of sheep, which had their own version of BSE, or neural tissue from

Water on Enceladus BY MEE YOUNG YEONG STAFF WRITER The idea of extraterrestrial life has been around for decades.

BY JONATHAN XIKIS STAFF WRITER

solarsystem.nasa.gov

hydrated minerals. For the past two years, a team of scientists and researchers has been analyzing these minerals for signs of water. Upon the discovery of Continued on Page 13

firmed on March 13, 2006. Unfortunately, BSE has not only affected the cows in United States ranches, but also the US economy. Ever since the first case discovered in the United States, United States beef exports have dropped by 64%. Much of this drop is attributed to other countries fearing that BSE may be transmitted to their cattle. One such case was the Japanese ban on United States beef due to a shipment of veal that had material from the spinal cord, which was a violation of export laws. South Korea had already had its doors closed to United States beef since the first case, and was just about ready to reopen its doors when the latest case was confirmed. The United States testing policy is also a target for criticism from other countries. Although the United States tests its cattle, it does not test it in as great numbers as other countries, such as Japan, which tests every cow it has. Rather, only 20,000 cows have been tested each year for the past two years. However, these numbers promise to rise as people become more informed about BSE. BSE is a dangerous disease. Nevertheless, with the right precautions on behalf of the people, it can be prevented, or at least its spread slowed. ◙

X-Racing

released on the evidence of water on Mars. Special devices that map and analyze the planet’s surface have found that less than 1 percent of the surface harbors

An artist’s rendering of Enceladus’ icy surface.

As a result, dozens of movies about aliens and other-worldly life have been created. However, actual evidence of potential extraterrestrial life is fairly recent. On March 15, an article was

THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

dashboard view, where a dizzying array of virtual guidelines is projected onto the rockets’ head-up

You turn on the television, and the view zooms in on a runway in the middle of the desert. Two small vehicles, both seeming to be aircraft, wait on the runway as a countdown starts. Suddenly, both gun their rocket engines, and belching orange flames, roar down the runway, lift off, and disappear at a steep angle into the Motor X-Racing in an Iowa ski resort. clear blue sky. The camera switches to a

Xracing.net

Continued on Page 13

THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

solarsystem.nasa.gov

Water on Enceladus Continued from Page 12 of one of these blue-green fissures and found it to be at least phyllosilicates and sulfates, 2 15ºK warmer than its surroundhydrated minerals that contain ings. When temperatures are water in their crystalline structaken in the narrower zones of the ture, the possibility of extraterresfissure, the temperatures are obtrial life has arisen. served to be at least 145ºK. This The research did not stop is a sign of geothermal activity, there. Saturn, the second largest as the fissures are probably planet in the solar system, has heated from beneath the moon’s about 47 moons. One of the insurface. nermost moons is Enceladus, disVarious spectrometers and covered in 1789 by William spe ct rogr aphs also found Herschel. NASA’s Cassini t h a t spacea b o u t craft, The idea of extraterrestrial life 65% of which has been around for decEncelah a s d u s ’ s b e e n ades...however, actual evidence atmosorbitof potential extraterrestrial life p h e r e i n g consists is fairly recent. Saturn of water since vapor. The density of the J u l y 2004, has found water vapor varies with icy geysers shooting ice from altitude, suggesting that there is a this moon’s surface at high localized source of water vapor. speeds. They are essentially The vapor is suspected to be the colder versions of the geysers in evaporated water molecules that Yellowstone National Park. SciEnceladus spews from its interior. entists came up with several modEvidence suggests that els to explain the reason for the other moons in the solar system existence of these particle jets. have liquid water oceans frozen Despite doubts that liquid water over by kilometers of ice. Howcould exist on such a small and ever, what makes Enceladus uncold body, their most exciting usual is that the model as protheory is that there are liquid waposed by the scientists would ter reservoirs near the surface have liquid water reservoirs no more than a few tens of meters below the surface. Dr. An dr e w Ingersoll of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, California spoke of this interesting information in the NASA/ JPL news article released on March 9. The strange aspects of this moon have provoked num e r o u s questions. Researchers look forA view of Enceladus from outer space. ward to exfrom which the icy jets spring. ploring Enceladus further through Imagery of Enceladus prothe Cassini Spacecraft when it duced by the NASA/JPL/Space flies about 350,000 kilometers Science Institute show blue-green from the moon in the spring of vein-like stripes, sparsely situated 2008. ◙ on the pale surface of the moon.

The Cassini spacecraft’s infrared spectrometer took the temperature

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April 10, 2006 SCIENCE

X-Racing Continued from Page 12

displays to show the drivers where to fly in an otherwise clear sky. As the racing rockets spar, blasting through the two-milelong virtual track, two more are preparing to lift off. Only one craft will achieve victory and win the X Prize Cup. Is this a scene from a video game, a movie, or perhaps a science-fiction book? The answer may surprise you: it is very, very real. The year is 2007, and the program is XRacing. The idea of X-Racing was created by Peter Diamandis, the same entrepreneur who sponsored the $10 million Ansari X Prize, a competition that led to the building of SpaceShipOne, the first private spaceship. After SpaceShipOne was successfully flown in 2004, he and former Indy Racing League team co-owner Granger Whitelaw co-founded the Rocket Racing League. Like NASCAR on steroids, the RRL’s sole purpose is to race rocket skifunvalley.com

from another manufacturer and prepared to outfit it with a rocket engine, with the help of XCOR. Next, the problem of having to make competitive pit stops during the race was solved. Although the EZ-Rocket would normally need hours to get ready for a flight, a new refueling system developed by XCOR reduced the refueling time to just minutes. During the race, the rocket racers will take off in pairs, minutes apart, to give the audience constant action, as well as to avoid crashes when 10 rockets try to pass each other at the same time. The rockets will be competing for the best time, instead of directly against each other. Four pit stops will be made during each hour-long race. Rocket boosts will be reserved for passing other racers and getting extra speed when necessary. The pilots volunteering for this harrowing and physically grueling task are great in number, and include a large variety of people, from fighter pilots to race-car drivers,

A vehicle used for X-Racing.

who all want to get a taste of the planes — up to 10 at a time — action. The average citizen can through a mid-air, virtual track. even participate in rocket races Although Diamandis and White— an X-Racing video game is law had the idea of rocket racing currently in development, and the even earlier than 2004, it wasn’t lucky winner of a video game until the X Prize was won that the competition will get to compete idea actually took off. At the against the real racers in real beginning of the X-Racing ventime, through the game, and see ture, no one knew whether how they X-Racing compare Is this a scene from a was even to the possible. video game, a movie, or p r o f e sThere were perhaps a science-fiction sionals. many obstaO n c e cles: creatbook? The answer may suronly in ing the craft prise you: it is very, very t h e and a relirealm of real. able rocket fiction, engine, makthe advance of technology has ing the races fair, and publicizing realized things never thought posthe idea, among others. The idea sible before. The next time you for the craft was found at XCOR turn on that rocket-racing video Aerospace, in Mojave, California. game, or read about regular XCOR wanted to build its own flights to space, keep in mind that private spaceship. Iin doing so, it they may be coming to the real had fitted a rocket to a plane built world sooner than you think. ◙ by Burt Rutan, the Long-EZ, creating the EZ-Rocket, a perfect rocket racer. The two entrepreneurs ordered a similar aircraft

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April 10, 2006 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Photos by Stuy07.org

SING! Hits the Spot Continued from Page 1

intermission leaned toward political humor by having a reporter from the white house revealing that Pandora was going to use “weapons of mass destruction”. Also, the chorus played a larger role in this performance with the group songs. The soloists were very good as well, especially Pandora and the boy in the playground. Last but not least was Junior SING. The script for it was very well written and exceptionally witty. The plot combined drama with comedy in a way that kept the audience on the tip of their seats the entire time. The story revolved around Captain Long John Silver and him owing a lot of money. He had a treasure map that could lead him to riches but he couldn’t figure out how to get

to it until they rescued someone from the sea who did. Thinking that the map will help him find his way home, he leads them to the treasure. The laughs were won by “RESPECT” demanding Captains and the tax collectors who knew how to laugh at their own corny jokes. The dancers were all very in sync and fit into the plot. Junior Sing ended on a high note, with a created pirate proJuniors song to conclude the show. Everyone’s hard work paid off. While some shows would tire their audience after 3 hours, SING was so well done that it felt exciting throughout and good to the last drop. ◙

Interested in taking photos for the Standard? E-mail [email protected]

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THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

April 6, 2006 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

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April 10, 2006 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

All for Swinging You Around BY DEREK WENG MANAGING EDITOR The wooden floor stage is cleared, huge, and inviting; the lightings are bright and warm; there are only three other couples on the center stage of Stuyvesant High School; the crowds are cheering and anxious of what’s to come; all the dancers awaits for the musical cue to start… When most of us think of swing dancing, we picture a classy ballroom scene, a lively band playing at the background, with guys and gals dressed to impress, showing off their fancy footwork, gliding through the smooth floor while girls defying gravity flying in the air with lifts and throws. While all that is true about swing dancing, the dance itself proved to be so much more. When I look back at how this all started, I find it crazy how I ended up on SING Night 2006 performing swing dance when I barely mastered the basics a little over a month ago. Being an absolute beginner in swing, I knew just a little bit more about swing dance than I know about the mating habits of gefilte fishes. And I know absolutely nothing about gefilte fishes. So you can imagine me at the ballroom dance tryout, with all the eight count pattern, stepsteps, triple-steps, and rock steps, nothing registered with my

mind and my feet. I was nervous and sweating all over, wet palms and backs, a big no-no for dancers. I’m sure everyone in the room was looking at this incredibly awkward moving kid trying to dance and questioning why he

hardest working person at the try out, and so I thought you have great potential in you.” And so, everything went on perfectly like a dream from there. After a few practices or so with the rest of the awesome

Weng and his swing partner performing the "Lock-Up".

is here in the first place. Yet here I am now working out a wild set of twists and turns with the SING Ballroom Dance crew. Isn’t life crazy? So out of curiosity, I asked my dance director at a very long practice one day, about why on earth she had picked me. Camille offered me the sweetest answer one can ask for. She answered me with an ever so charming voice, “Well, I saw that day when you were the

swing crew, which included Camille, Arthur, Janie, Neiloy, Raisa, and Jonathan, it was fun perfecting the basics by learning the turns and moves over and over. When it was time for me to bring the steps together with my dance partner Katie, the party really got started. A form of swing dance Camille picked for us to do was the Charleston, which is a great looking dance that is performed by two people

either side by side or in tandem (one in front of the other). It consists of a set of forward and backward kicks and steps done in synchronization by both partners. While the footwork wasn’t too complicated, it was a nightmare when there are two people having no clue what to do, kicking at each other while moving intimately together within few inches apart all at the same time. As a performer in a coupled dance like swing, I couldn’t have imagined anyone else being with me on my first dance performance on stage than Katie. From the very beginning, we hit it off very well, just like any couples should. Getting past the initial fear of stepping on her feet or her falling in the middle of the Pancake (an aerial where the guy lifts the girl up while she does a handstand), swing dancing turned out incredibly enjoyable for two people. I’m so grateful that Katie has been patient enough through all the hard times when she has to put up with my indolence, inattention to the details, and just bad dancing in general. And I also apologize for that time when I dropped you on the floor when we were doing the aerials. Well, a couple of times. Oops, sorry! The days of practices passed by particularly fast. Even though the rehearsals took up most of my time, it was worth it every moment. While everyone else Continued on Page 17

V for Vendetta: A Horrifying Concept Made Into a Horrible Movie BY EMMA RABINOVICH ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR “V for Vendetta” attempts to capture your imagination and defy your expectations but ends up failing miserably. Extremely predictable in every way, its only redeeming feature is the talented cast that carries the movie from scene to scene. Natalie Portman stars as Evey, an orphan whose parents were killed by the totalitarian government that has taken over England. Set in 2020, “V for Vendetta” revolves around the masked terrorist/hero V, played by Hugo Weaving. Unfortunately, despite several desperate attempts to add some depth, V remains a mistreated hero, only acting for

a totalitarian takeover of Britain the good of his country. This lack occurred in 14 years, V’s comof ambiguity is exactly why the plaints and long speeches seem movie remains flat and convenineffective because the country tional, without ever exploring lives a comfortable life, and new grounds. doesn’t seem to mind being Believability, which norm a l l y wouldn’t be problem in futuristic films, also becomes a factor. Although the viewer readily accepts that the demise of the United States and Hugo Weaving plays V in “V for Vendetta.”

brainwashed. While the constant propaganda and conversation monitoring is supposed to infuriate the viewer, it seems hardly worse than McDonald’s marketing of obesity-causing food to kids or Bush’s new anti-terrorist policies. Other than the horrible image of the chancellor giving orders to his cabinet over a giant TV screen, for those who obey the rules, life doesn’t seem so bad. The Nazi-like arrest of homosexuals seems horrific until it is compared to the reaction of the parents who shun their daughter after she tells them the truth. So while the moral “V for Vendetta” is trying to send is “Governments should be afraid of their people,” the message Continued on Page 17

virgin.net

THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

All for Swinging You Around Continued from Page 16

was busy preparing for the SATs, I was getting ready for the music and the stage. I also had to excuse myself away many of my staff meetings for the Stuyvesant Standard to practice the extremely difficult aerials of lifts and throws. Yet, the skills I have learned and the friends I have gained from this experience are all the more precious to me. Through all the laughers and pains, I have arrived at my very first SING performance. Although I wouldn’t be so nervous on stage in front of an audience in any other day, the first night was the exception. My mind was wandering to places, and then I started to panic as I couldn’t remember all the steps of the choreography. What if my legs shake so much

that I won’t be able to dance? What if Katie lands on her rear

would be so embarrassing. And then I realized that real dancing have nothing to do with your level of expertise or the numbers of tricks you can execute. We should have fun and get out there and savor every moment of the dance with the crew. This is finally the moment to show off our precious product Derek and Katie right before their first Sing! Performance. coming from months of labor, sweat, tears, love and pride. end in the middle of the floor ◙ with everyone watching? That

Fighting Till The End… For The Most Part Continued from Page 18

eighth place right now are the Philadelphia 76ers (34-38), led by Allen Iverson. Unless they put together a massive winning streak, it seems as if that’s where they will stay. Over in the Western Conference, it seems as if the reigning world champion San Antonio Spurs (57-16) will be taking the number one seed in the playoffs, although there is a chance that they will be overtaken by the Dallas Mavericks (55-19), led by Dirk Nowitzki. The Mavs are only two and a half games behind in the Southwest Confrence. The Spurs are arguably the most fundamentally sound team in the league. They won’t amaze you with their skills, but they know how to execute on the big plays, and that’s what it comes down to in the playoffs. The number two seed is the Phoenix Suns (49-24). They are playing surprisingly well despite the absence of All-Star center/ forward Amare Stoudemire, who has been injured for the majority of the season. In lieu of Stoudemire’s absence, the Sun’s role players, such as Boris Diaw, Raja Bell, and Leandro Barbosa have all stepped up. They are all averaging double-digit points per game. Reigning MVP Steve Nash has also continued his excellent play, averaging roughly 20 points and 11 assists a game. This team could be a major contender in the playoffs. Next are the undeservedly third seed Denver Nuggets (4133). The Nuggets are part of the

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April 10, 2006 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

weak Northwest division, which doesn’t have any other team with a winning percentage over .500. It would be a major surprise if the Nuggets get past the second round of the playoffs. In fifth place are the L.A. Clippers (42-29), led by forward Elton Brand. They won’t be catching up to the fourth place Mavericks, but they have to make sure the sixth place Memphis Grizzlies (42-32) don’t catch them. Behind the Grizzlies are the L.A. Lakers (40-35), led by current scoring leader Kobe Bryant. The last slot in the playoffs will go to the Sacramento Kings (37-36), who had a midseason turnaround after acquiring forward Ron Artest in a trade with the Pacers. Don’t expect any of these teams to make it out of the first round, as the top teams are way too strong for them. As for the teams just trying to keep themselves from getting embarrassed, sitting atop the throne are none other than the New York Knicks. With a miserable record of 19-53 and in a current eight game losing streak , it seems as if the Knicks can only go up, right? Wrong. With injuries to Jalen Rose, Stephon Marbury, and Channing Frye, the Knicks are in even worse shape for the last ten games. Not that it matters, though. With the playoffs looming, fans can only wait. Expect some intense, hard-fought games. To be the best, you’ve got to beat the best. ◙

V for Vendetta: A Horrifying Concept Made Into a Horrible Movie Continued from Page 16

coming through is more like “You’re better off obeying the law.” Despite the negatives, however, Portman and Weaving manage to create memorable performances and save the film. Portman shines as she flirts with a man in a Guy Fawkes mask, whose face and age are unknown, while Weaving manages to deliver line after line of drivel as if he’s reading Shakespeare poorly. ◙

ANNOUNCING THE SIXTH ANNUAL Eiger Family Scholarships in the amount of $25,000 over four years Presented by The Stuyvesant High School Alumni Association Applications are available in the Alumni and College Offices Completed applications due by Thursday, April 27th No exceptions Please Note: All students who apply will also be considered for one-time $5,000, $2,500, $1,500, $1,050, and $1,000 scholarships.

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April 10, 2006 SPORTS

Strike Three for Bonds?

Fighting Till The End… For The Most Part

Continued from Page 20

ing about Bonds and steroids. We already knew that Bonds’ personal trainer had a calendar to keep track of Bonds’ steroid cycles. We knew that Bonds had a relationship with Victor Conte, head of the steroid supplier Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative (BALCO). The difference now is that the facts are researched.

playoffs.

JV Baseball Ready to Go Continued from Page 20

a record of 4-6 in its PSAL games last year, had a strong roster compromised of many talented freshmen. There were 15 freshmen on of the team of 20 last year, at least five of which have moved on to Varsity as sophomores this year. This year, the numbers are a reversed, with 13 members of the team being returning or incoming sophomores, compared to seven freshmen. A reason for this is the high number of last year's talented freshmen. Only so many can move on to an already skilled varsity team, so many whom would be considered varsity-level players are still on the junior var-

sity team. Returning sophomores like Matt Buch, Sam Cytryn, and Roan LaPlante, to name just a few, are some of the players that will help guide the team to winning this season. However, some freshmen still showed their stuff, and made up for it by being some of the first freshmen to directly play Varsity in more than 10 years, according to Varsity Coach Hahn. With their first non-PSAL game scheduled for March 31, the junior varsity team is practicing hard to get into shape. This season, the team will raise the bar high, and try its best to reach it. ◙

www.ewol.com

As the NBA season is drawing to a close, the action is far from over, at least for some teams. With teams still in contention for a spot in the playoffs, and some fighting to hold their spots, pride, you can be assured these teams won’t be handed over easily. Let’s start in the Eastern Conference, where the Detroit Pistons (59-14) have locked up home court advantage throughout the playoffs, but the other slots are up in the air. Although the Miami Heat (48-25) are three games ahead of the New Jersey Nets (44-28), the way the Nets Continued on Page 17 are playing right now, they may as well steal the number two seed. The Nets have won an incredible t welve games in a row, including wins over top teams like the Phoenix Suns and Miami Heat. If the Nets, who are led by their dynamic trio of Jason Kidd, Richard Jefferson, and Vince Carter, continue to play at a high level, you can expect them to make it to the conference finals and give the Pistons a run for their money. In the fourth slot are the Cleveland Cavaliers (44-29), led by third year phenom LeBron James, who are on a winning Lebron James looks to lead the Cavaliers far into the

homeruncards.com

streak of eight games. The Cavs have no chance of moving up, as they cannot overtake the Detroit Pistons, who have clinched their division, and the fifth seed Wizards (37-35) are well behind them. Don’t expect the Cavaliers to get far in the playoffs because King James won’t be able to carry the Cavs against the Pistons or Heat. In the sixth spot are the Milwaukee Bucks (37-36), led by team captain Michael Redd. Since they have no chance of catching up to the Wizards, their only worry is to make sure they don’t get overtaken by the Indiana Pacers (35-37). Sitting in

BY JASON SU STAFF WRITER

THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

Bonds’ Rookie Card.

Williams and Fainaru-Wada spent countless hours going over affidavits and grand jury testimony from the infamous BALCO case. They interviewed many people to substantiate these rumors, including Bonds’ former mistress, Kimberly Bell. Faniaru-Wada and Williams suggest that Bonds started taking steroids during the 1998 season. Bonds had seen the frenzy surrounding Mark McGwire that year, and decided that he wanted the same sort of attention. They go on to say at one point, when Bonds was talking with Ken Griffey Jr. about McGwire, Bonds said, “I’m just gonna start using some hard-core stuff, and hopefully it won’t hurt my body.” The book continues to detail Bonds’ steroid use until the 2003 season, when he reportedly stopped. Did Bonds take steroids? He would have a hard time convincing some that he didn’t. He doesn’t hit more than 40 home runs a year and then, magically, one season, when he’s way past his prime, he hits 73? That simply isn’t possible. In addition, his refusal to talk to the media cer-

tainly doesn’t help the way the public views him. This brings into light the bigger question: Should reported steroid abusers like Bonds and McGwire be allowed into the Hall of Fame? Bonds is an interesting case. He was one of the better allaround players during the early 90’s, having a great mix of power and speed. In fact, he was the first player ever to have 500 career home runs and 500 career steals. However, he needs to be more forthcoming about his reported steroid use, intentional or unintentional. He will get into the Hall of Fame, although it could take a few years. McGwire is a different story. He was a scrawny first baseman coming out of college. By the time he retired, he had gained a considerable amount of muscle. He ruined his chance of being in the Hall of Fame by refusing to answer questions about his past before Congress last year. There’s a good chance no one will be talking about his past when his name comes up before the Hall of Fame in a year. Finally, should Bonds’ and McGwire’s seasons be erased from the record books? Absolutely not. You can not go back in time and test these guys for whether or not they were taking drugs. Our country believes that we are innocent until proven guilty, and although they both might look guilty, there is no definitive proof that either took steroids. ◙

THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

April 10, 2006 SPORTS

The Other Side of Figure Skating: The Princeton Open Continued from Page 20

by tests taken before the competition. In most skating competitions, the number of female skat-

petition, there will be one hundred female skaters to every male skater. Skaters represent their respective figure skating clubs.

Schlesinger during her 2005 Princeton Open Skate Program.

ers far exceeds the number of male skaters. In an average com-

For some, it is the ultimate placement that matters. Medals were given out for first, second, third,

Jets Look Towards the Future Continued from Page 20

wanted the security of a longterm deal, and demanded a trade. His wish was granted. In a threeway trade, the Jets will receive a first-round pick, #29 overall, in the 2006 NFL Draft from the Atlanta Falcons through the Denver Broncos in exchange for John Abraham. This gives the Jets two first-round picks to work with in the upcoming draft. The crucial decision facing new Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum is how to use the Jets’ first pick in the draft, the #4 overall. There are several options which they can choose. One option that will not be available, however, is Reggie Bush. The Heisman Trophy winner and star USC running back will almost certainly go first overall to the Houston Texans. While they have entertained offers to trade the pick, it would be hard for the Texans to pass on what is one of their biggest needs. This is when it starts to get interesting. The New Orleans Saints, who have the second overall pick in the draft, were rumored to be interested in Matt Leinart, Bush’s teammate and

2004 Heisman Trophy winner. However, the Saints signed former Chargers quarterback Drew Brees to a six-year, $60 million contract. There would be no point

and fourth places. However, others simply enjoy the excitement of a competition. For me, there is something thrilling about competing and as long as I know I skated to the best of my ability, the placement does not matter. I competed on Sunday. Wearing a blue and white dress encrusted with hundreds of sparkling crystals, I stepped on the ice for my performance with a large smile. The opening beats of my music from Cirque du Soleil began to play and adrenaline kicked in. I got through my minute-and-a-half Tennessee Titans, who would immediately pick Leinart due to his relationship with former USC offensive coordinator and current Titan offensive coordinator Norm Chow. The simple option would be to stay with the #4 pick. The Jets

wroctv.com

The New York Jets Logo.

in drafting another quarterback who would probably be asking for a similar, but slightly cheaper deal. The Jets might look to trade up for this pick and jump over the

have a few players in mind whom they would draft at this point. D’Brickshaw Ferguson is an outstanding offensive lineman who would go a long way in providing a strong blocking unit to help the

Page 19 program with only one minor mistake, a shaky landing on a jump, and I was pleased. I landed two axels, the hardest jump allowed at my level, and performed two beautiful combination spins. A combination spin is when a skater’s spinning foot or position is changed while spinning. In the end, I failed to get a medal. However, I knew my competition skating had to do with more than just that day. Like many other competitors, I learned my program months ahead of time and had spent hours on the ice perfecting it. Everything, down to my hand positions, had to be practiced over and over. Then, the day of the competition, I did an extensive off-ice warm up. I then laced up my skates and joined my fellow competitors for a three minute on-ice warm up. The Princeton Open may not be a major competition. However, for those who compete at it, it is important. Hours of training go into each performance. Though most of these skaters will not become world famous, they skate because they love to and they compete because they enjoy it. ◙

Jets’ poor running game. As a quarterback, Texas star Vince Young will be available. His incredible speed and strong arm remind many scouts of Michael Vick. However, many see Young as needing a lot of work. The third choice would be Vanderbilt quarterback Jay Cutler. While not a big star in college like Young or Leinart, his strong arm and stellar Senior Bowl (a college all-star game) has made him worthy of the #4 pick. The final option would be to trade down. By moving down from 5 to 15 spots, the Jets can acquire more draft picks, which they can use to fill even more holes. Teams that are looking to trade up include the Vikings, with the #17 pick, and the Cardinals, with the #10 pick. Both would be looking for quarterbacks, and the big three, Young, Cutler, and Leinart, could be gone after the first five picks. With three or more draft picks in the first two rounds, Jets fans should be excited about the future of this Jets squad. It might not be long before the Jets win their second Super Bowl ever. ◙

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April 10, 2006 SPORTS

THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

The Other Side of Figure Skating: The Princeton Open BY JENNIFER SCHLESINGER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

princeton.edu

On Friday, March 17, the Princeton Open commenced at the Princeton Day School Ice Skating Rink. On Saturday, the

The Princeton Open is not a high-level publicly broadcast figure skating competition. Instead, it is an annual opportunity for amateur figure skaters of all ages to show off their skills.

The inside of Baker Rink, where the Princeton Open was held on Saturday and Sunday.

competition moved to the Baker Skating Rink in Princeton University, and the events continued until Sunday afternoon.

Skaters are grouped by level, gender, and in the lower levels, by age. The levels are determined Continued on Page 19

JV Baseball Ready to Go BY RICHARD MAI STAFF WRITER One often hears about Stuyvesant's varsity baseball team and how it is a strong team that consistently makes the playoffs. How they improved is sometimes unclear, and this is where the junior varsity team comes in. The JV baseball team recently finished tryouts, a process that started as early as October. The tryouts, which started with over 50 boys, eventually got whittled down to 20 people. Most

players got cut, but some lost interest or couldn't handle the workouts. The team, which is coached by Carl Cambria, is often considered the “developmental league” for players moving on to the varsity team, where the real action occurs. But this group, often eclipsed by the varsity team, is determined to play its best this season and should not be forgotten. The junior varsity team, which finished fourth place with

Jets Look Towards the Future BY ERIC MAYO SPORTS EDITOR newyorkjets.com

Continued on Page 18

Strike Three for Bonds? BY ERIC MAYO SPORTS EDITOR The summer of 1998 was one of the greatest summers in the histor y of baseball. Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa were slugging home run after home run in attempt to break Roger Maris’ record of 61 home runs in a single season. The record fell to Mark McGwire that summer with 70 home runs. Just three years later, Barry Bonds broke the re-

cord again, hitting 73 home runs in a season. However, a recently published book looks to substantiate claims that Barry Bonds was on a variety of performanceenhancing drugs during that 2003 season. “Game of Shadows”, by Mark Fainaru-Wada and Lance Williams, was released last Thursday. The facts that the book provides aren’t much different than the rumors already circulatContinued on Page 18

John Abraham while playing on the Jet’s team.

The Jets are coming off their worst season since their 1-15

campaign in 1996. However, there is a reason for Jets fans to be optimistic: the Jets are positioning themselves well for a bright future. After the new collective bargaining agreement was ratified on March 9, the Jets immediately began revamping their team. Aging offensive linemen Jason Fabini and Kevin Mawae were released for salary cap purposes. Ty Law, the team’s leader in interceptions, was also released to avoid paying the large bonus he was due. The biggest move so far in the off-season was the trade of John Abraham. Abraham, the Jets Pro Bowl defensive end, was again designated the franchise player of the Jets for the second straight off-season. This means that the Jets were able to keep him by giving him a one-year deal at the average salary of the top five defensive linemen, about $8 million. Abraham, however, Continued on Page 19