Volume 6 Issue 15

Tensions Rise between the US and Russia News ►Page 3

SU Election Results ►Page 10

Creationism in Stuyvesant Science

►Page 7

Season Finales and Cliffhangers A&E ►Page 9

THE STUYVESANT STANDARD TO THE COMMUNITIES OF STUYVESANT HIGH SCHOOL, TRIBECA, AND BATTERY PARK CITY “Your School, Your World—Your News” Visit us at: www.stuystandard.org

Iran’s Nuclear Program to Inevitably Cause Conflict Source: Yahoo News

The Bush administration said that Iran wa trying to build atomic weapons in secret and suggested the international community to take away Tehran's right to nuclear energy technology by Hesham Saleh assistant news editor

A recent United Nations Resolution called for Iranian suspension of their nuclear weapons program. On May 14, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) announced that Iran has now overcome several

of their obstacles and is beginning to enrich uranium on a large “industrial scale,” just as Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said. The IAEA workers found that Iran are currently using approximately 1,300 centrifuges, which are used in the process of enriching uranium. Furthermore, about 300 centrifuges are being tested, and another 300 are being built. This dramatic increase in Iran’s nuclear program cannot be subdued any longer. Mohammed ElBaradei, President of the IAEA, said that Iran’s actions are true, and there is no refuting it. “From now on, it is simply a question of perfecting that knowledge. People will not like to hear it, but that’s a fact,” he said to the New York Times. The UN is now attempting to slow down the Iranian program in an effort to delay any major success. As of now, they are only trying to delay, not end, the Iranian nuclear weapons program. The US has taken a moderate view of the situation. The Bush administration, recently, said that Iran must completely dissolve its nuclear program, until not even a single centrifuge remains. Nicholas Burns, of the Bush administration, reported to the New York Times, “We’re proceeding under the assumption that there is IRAN continues on page 2

by Jimmy Zhang, news editor

On May 1, Ralph Cucciniello was arrested under charges of larceny. In his scheme he claimed to be helping illegal immigrants obtain the necessary paper documents that they needed to become legal residents of the United States. His story was that he had found a “loophole” in the immigration system and was using it to get green cards. The process was simple; the immigrants only needed paperwork, a medical exam, fingerprints, and a $5,000 check made out to Cucciniello. Over the course of two years, Cucciniello collected over a million dollars for at least 200 illegal immigrants. The process made the immigrants comfortable, for Cucciniello was especially professional about it. Immigrants say that

his story worked out smoothly. “Everything he did had a purpose.

“He has not been authorized by the law school or the clinics to undertake any activities or to represent clients.” Jan Conroy Spokeswoman, Yale

He played it all just like a lawyer,” said one of his victims He would begin all conversations with an official sounding disclaimer that guaranteed the protection of privacy. He conducted manners in a detail-oriented fashion, and kept

the client updated as much as possible. As one of the victims puts it, “Every time you had a question, he had an answer; he always seemed to care what was going on.” Like other law schools, Yale funds student-run clinics aimed at helping illegal immigrants seek refuge. Thus, the Yale reputation was a major tool that established Cucciniello’s credibility. Cucciniello had set up interviews with the immigrants in an office or desk at the Yale Law School Library. At the same time, it is unclear how he had gained access to Yale facilities or a Yale email address. Jan Conroy, a spokeswoman for the university, said that Cucciniello had merely served as a volunteer for a particular professor from time to Illegal Immigrants continues on page 3

VOL. 6, No. 15

Transport Company Charged for Aiding Torture by Hanford Chiu business editor

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), a National organization advocating individual rights, has filed a lawsuit against Jeppesen Data-plan, a subsidiary of Boeing Commercial Aviation Services, a unit of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, on Wednesday, May 31. The ACLU charges that Jeppesen knowingly transported three “victims” of the government’s “extraordinary renditions” program to overseas locations where they claim they were subjected to “torture and other forms of cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment”, and files a federal lawsuit on their behalf under the Alien Tort Statute, which permits aliens to bring TORTURE continues on page 8

The function of the CIA or the Central Intelligence Agency is to obtain and analyze information about foreign governments, corporations, and persons. There has been many controversy about the legality, morality, and effectiveness of its operations.

Source: CIA

Using Yale’s Name to Deceive Illegal Immigrants

June 12, 2007

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THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

June 12, 2007—VOL. 6, No. 15

THE STUYVESANT STANDARD Founded 2001

    “Your School, Your World—Your News”

Executive Leadership Team DR. JOHN NIKOL JENNIFER SCHLESINGER ERIC MAYO DIANE CHEN ANGEL WONG SANGHEE CHUNG DANNY ZHU JIMMY ZHANG HESHAM SALEH, TIM CHANG PRISCILLA MELO EMMA RABINOVICH RICHARD MAI JOSEPH KRUTOV OMAR AHMAD HANFORD CHIU AMNA AHMAD ROBERT STEVENSON JESSE ZHANG ELISSA TAM

FACULTY ADVISER EDITOR IN CHIEF MANAGING EDITOR CO-CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER CO-CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER LAYOUT EDITOR COPY CHIEF NEWS EDITOR ASSISTANT NEWS EDITORS OPINIONS EDITOR ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR SPORTS EDITOR SCIENCE EDITOR ASSISTANT SCIENCE EDITOR BUSINESS EDITOR LITERARY EDITOR ASSITANT LITERARY EDITOR WEBMASTER DIRECTOR OF PHOTOJOURNALISM

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 Source: Yahoo News

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NEWS

EDITORIAL THE BOE: LET’S HAVE THE CORRECT FOCUS The Board of Elections (BOE) is designed to oversee all Student Union (SU) elections and make sure that they are fair. Unfortunately, it has been doing a poor job. Voter turnout has been low the in the past years, with less than 50 percent of students voting. It is the BOE’s job to promote the democratic process in Stuyvesant. However, instead of encouraging people to vote and giving people information on the candidates, the BOE focuses on having rules that do little for the election process. For example, there are many rules regarding posters. They can only be on standard-sized paper and can only be put on bulletin boards, one per board. Candidates who break these rules are stopped from campaigning for up to a few days. The rules are designed to create a fairer process, but, in reality, do nothing. Is the size of a candidate’s poster really going to determine someone’s vote? Also, the rules assume that candidates have complete control over their posters, when, in actuality, other students may move posters without the candidates’ knowledge. The BOE’s rules and the punishments for breaking them need to be made better known to the students. The BOE’s charter (from www.stuysu.org) charges it with enforcing all rules for SU elections. It never specifies what they are or what their punishments are. In the recent election the BOE’s focus was clearly seen. It held candidates to strict rules on posters, but never pushed for higher voter turnout or gave more information to the student body. The candidates’ platforms were not widely available; they were only posted on the wall on election days. A debate between the candidates was held, which is a good idea. However, it was not effectively advertised. There was no announcement of it until the day it took place, June 4, and it was aired during homeroom the following day. Unfortunately, most students did not know its topic until after it was aired. Moreover, many homerooms do not have working televisions. Furthermore, information on when to vote is limited. The BOE does not hang up posters telling people to vote, and no announcement is made. This year, there was confusing information on how voting was to take place. Many believed it would take place during history class, which did not happen for the primaries. Once a student makes it to the voting table, the problems do not end. There are often long lines, especially during popular lunch periods or after school. Furthermore, in the primaries, there was little notification to people that they got two votes. Overall, the BOE should adjust its focus to making sure more people vote. It should give out better information on the candidates and on voting. IRAN continued from page 1 ㅊ still time for diplomacy to work.” However, he did mention that if Iran does not suspend its program, the US will be forced to follow another course of plan, which might include war. At the same time, US Vice President, Dick Cheney, did not suggest that a war would take place. He said to the New York Times, “They [Iran] ought to comply with the UN resolutions.” An increased success of Iran’s nuclear weapons programs has created tension in Europe, the UN,

and the US. Some believe that Iran should suspend their program immediately to delay the discovery of how to create nuclear weapons. But others believe that Iran should immediately cease its program. If Iran does not comply, which is very possible according to Ahmadinejad’s recent statements, a violent conflict will most likely occur. Although it is possible for the US to lead this war, the Bush administration might not want to because US support is already declining as a result of the war in Iraq. It is only a matter of time before we see the crucial events unfold before our very eyes.

Correction for Issue 14 In the previous issue, Ms. Schweitzer was misquoted. The quote was taken from the Daily News, which misquoted her. We apologize to Ms. Schweitzer.

June 12, 2007—VOL. 6, No. 15

NEWS

THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

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THE STANDARD NEWS Tensions between the US and Russia Rise by Hesham Saleh, assistant news editor

Despite the great deal of tensions between Russia and the US, the two have tried to work out their problems, and there is hope for a peaceful and cooperative future between the two nations. Rice displayed a great deal of optimism as she said to the New York Times, “[This time will be used] to enhance those things that are going well and to work on those things that are not going well.” With a great deal of optimism, as well as successful diplomacy, a brotherly relationship between Russia and the US will arise in the near future.

Source: Reuters

The Cold War occurred during the second half of the 20th Century, immediately after World War II ended. The Cold War symbolized heightened tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union (USSR), the only superpowers of that time. Although there was no direct violence between the two nations, there was constant struggle over political and foreign affairs. Fortunately, the Cold War ended during the last decade of the 20th Century, at the collapse of the USSR. Unfortunately, today, the idea of another “Cold War” does not sound too far-fetched. Tensions between the US and Russia have risen between the two nations recently over political affairs. Although hostility is escalating at an abrupt rate, US Secretary of State, Condoleeza Rice, said to the New York Times that another Cold War is not likely. “It is a big, complicated relationship, but it is not one that is anything like the implacable hostility [20th Century Cold War],”she reported. This does not resolve of the

conflicts between the two nations. The major conflict is over a USproposed plan to create a European missile-defense system. Although the US believes that this will help protect Europe from major attacks, Russians believe that it is a direct attack on them, as reported by Igor Neverov, leader of Russia’s North America Department. Vladimir Putin, the Russian President, also talked of mistrusting US actions. The New York Times reported that Putin said, “[I do not agree with] disrespect for human life, claims to global exclusiveness and dictate, just as it was in the time of the Third Reich [that of Nazi Germany].” Putin is afraid that US constant intervention in European affairs will destroy the intricate balance of power in that region. While Russia and the US are fighting over several topics, they are also working together to resolve others. For example, they have been cooperating with each other in an attempt to find a successful resolution to the seemingly unending conflict in the Middle East, as well as to Iranian and North Korean increases in their nuclear programs.

U.S Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice insisted there is no reason for a new Cold War with Russia as she arrived to Moscow to appear in a meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Secretary of State Rice attend a conference in Moscow to talk about a possibility of a new Cold War

Illegal Immigrants continued from page 1 time. In a statement with the New York Times, Conroy said, “He has not been authorized by the law school or the clinics to undertake any activities or to represent any clients.” Cucciniello has actually been arrested in the past for fraud charges. Many of the cases against him were dismissed. In 1983, he was sentenced to 60 days in prison.

Dr. Nikol

There are many more. In one of his more serious convictions, his sentence consisted of three years of probation, three months in prison, and a fine. It is unclear whether he has served time. Cucciniello’s trial is scheduled for August. Witnesses are not to be asked their immigration status when making a statement. Source: The New York Times

On the day of his arrest in Manhattan, Ralph Cucciniello, 55, on a video from a private investigator who had been contacted by an immigrant.

Dr. John Nikol will be retiring at the end of this year. His hard work and dedication will be missed. He is a wonderful history teacher who opens his students to the wonder and enjoyment of history and challenges them to use their critical thinking skills. He has served as The Stuyvesant Standard’s Faculty Advisor for many years. He has read every issue and been a source of guidance. The Standard would like to thank him for being our faculty advisor, and more specifically, for always being there for us.

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THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

June 12, 2007—VOL. 6, No. 15

NEWS

The Stuyvesant Standard Remembers its Former Editors and Staff Members Dear readers, As The Stuyvesant Standard ends it sixth year, we would like to remember our previous editors and staff members. We would like to thank them for all their hard work. Without them, we would not have the strong foundation we continue to build upon. The Standard has four graduating editors this year, Derek Weng, Managing Editor, Khoi Nguyen, Chief Financial Officer, Fanny Tang, Layout Editor, and Bennett Hong, Director of Photojournalism. I had the pleasure of working with them. Derek helped with making changes to the layout and overseeing the daily workings of the paper. He was someone with many ideas. Khoi helped to make sure The Standard had proper funding. She was always very helpful, answering all my question when I was first learning about finance and then later, helping our new CFOs learn their job. Fanny was twice voted most dedicated editor. She put masses of effort into making the layout of each issue and to helping The Standard’s look. Bennett helped to make sure that The Standard had more pictures than before as well as better pictures. He was also always willing to help The Standard besides photography. A big thanks to all of you! Good luck in your futures! Regards, Jennifer Schlesinger Editor in Chief [email protected]

Daniel Egers

Ernest Baskin was the EIC during 03-04. He was the original creator of the Literary section and was the Literary Editor before becoming Editor In Chief. He is currently attending the University of Pennsylvania where he is completing a dual degree in Finance, Operations and Information Management, Statistics, and Anthropology. He is an avid ballroom dancer and has put on 3 shows as part of the Penn Dancesport Team. Although he does not work for the school newspaper at Penn, he has applied the lessons learned from his tenure to his extracurricular activities. He was instrumental as part of the first ever team of Cohort Mentors in Wharton Undergraduate Division’s new Cohorting Initiative. He currently serves as a director on the Board of Directors as well as the Vice President of Supervisory at the Student Federal Credit Union at the University of Pennsylvania, an almost 7 million dollar financial institution. As for research, he has a forthcoming publication, “No Carryover Parts”, in the Journal of Finnish Anthropology. He will be spending the summer in Melbourne, Australia working for First Manhattan Consulting Group as a summer analyst.

Daniel Egers, founder of The Stuyvesant Standard and Editor in Chief from 2001-2003, is currently employed as a legislative aide to State Senator Frank Padavan (R-Bellerose)and will be attending Cornell University Law School in the fall. In December 2006, Daniel graduated Magna Cum Laude from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, where he was a John Carroll Scholar and a Peter F. Krogh Scholar, researching weapons proliferation with Dean and former Under-Secretary of State Robert L. Gallucci. While at Georgetown, Daniel served as a legislative intern to former upstate Congressman John Sweeney (R-Clifton Park) and worked at DCI, a government affairs consulting firm. He also studied as a visiting student at Oxford University’s Mansfield College, where he conducted research on anti-Semitism for a new book by Dr. Emanuele Ottolenghi, the Ginzburg Scholar in Israeli Studies at St. Antony's College. In the community, he serves as President of Friends of Oakland Lake and Ravine, Inc., a Trustee of the Bayside Historical Society, a member of Queens Community Board 11’s Parks Committee, the Greater Whitestone Taxpayers' Civic Association, the 109th Precinct Community Council, the Alley Pond Environmental Center, and other community organizations. Daniel is also a proud member of Stuyvesant High School's Alumni Association. Daniel was recently elected Director of the Queens County Republican Party, and sits on the Party's Executive Committee and County Committee, is a delegate to the 11th District Judicial Nominating Convention, Secretary of the Whitestone Republican Club and a member of the Northeast Queens Republican Club.

Source: Yahoo News

Ernest Baskin

Mike Bocchinfuso Mike Bocchinfuso was The Standard's Layout Manager from 2001-2003. He is currently entering his fifth year at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, NJ, where he is obtaining a bachelor's of engineering in Electrical Engineering with a graduate certificate in Wireless Communications, as well as Philosophy minor. He is heavily involved on campus: he holds leadership positions in the Student Government (Treasurer), WCPR Castle Point Radio (General Manager), SITtv (Director of Operations), Gear and Triangle Honor Society (Secretary), and is a member of several other organizations. He hopes to obtain a job in audio-video engineering upon graduation.

Anna Ginzburg Throughout her four years as a staff writer Anna has contributed to the news, literary, sports, and arts and entertainment sections. She has also drawn several comics for various issues. In the fall she will attend Columbia University and is considering majoring pre-law. She is looking forward to the anthropology and international relations courses. As for the future she hopes to become a legislature or work in corporate law.

Alexander Epstein Alex Epstein graduated from Olin College of Engineering on May 20, partaking in the nascent school's second commencement. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering with a concentration in Materials Science, and next fall he will matriculate at Harvard's new School of Engineering and Applied Sciences to pursue a PhD. During his senior year at Olin, Alex successfully lobbied and organized a bus service to connect Wellesley and Olin Colleges, oversaw his social dance club's collaboration with Babson College to bring live swing bands to campus, worked with Olin's president to consult on restructuring the institution's organization chart, and for his senior project worked with MIT and Draper Laboratories to design-build two autonomous race vehicles for the DARPA Urban Grand Challenge competition, to be held in November 2007. Alex will continue to work on the autonomous vehicles this summer at Draper, located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, while sharing a "pad" in Boston with his sweetheart of two years.

NEWS

June 12, 2007—VOL. 6, No. 15

THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

Will Frankenstein

Winnie Lee

Will Frankenstein is graduating this June from Stanford University with a BS in Mathematics and Honors in International Security. He blames the quarter system for ending school late and being unable to attend most of the Standard reunions after graduation. The heady international spirit of the Standard's early days, as well as the scent of freshly made Krispy Kremes carried on the subway at 7:30 in the morning, developed into an extracurricular interest of acquiring better, and more accessible, food and drink for fundraising. In college, this interest led to studying abroad in Berlin for six months, interning with DaimlerChrysler, and at school, improving US-China relations with the Forum for American/Chinese exchange at Stanford (FACES). Will looks forward to seeing other Standard alumni in DC, where he will be working this summer at the Institute for Defense Analyses' Science and Technology Policy Institute.

In January of her Georgetown freshman year, Winnie applied for the Business Manager position of The Georgetown Independent newspaper and out of all the upperclassmen, she was the chosen one. This would not have been possible if Winnie was not given the opportunity to serve as The Standard's Editor in Chief 05-06 and Chief Financial Officer 04-05. On top of working for the newspaper, she was also selectively selected as a teller intern for the Georgetown Credit Union and was promoted to the bank's Human Resources Manager. This summer Winnie is back in New York interning again under the Chief Operating Officer of Allianz Global Investors. Then for a few days in June, she will be volunteering with the staff of one of the big four accounting firms, Price Waterhouse Coppers in New Orleans. Together, they will help rebuild Warren Easton High School, which was greatly damaged by Hurricane Katrina. In the midst of all these events, she will be having fun at gatherings and parties with other Stuy alumni and Georgetown NYC students.

Bennett Hong Bennett Hong is a first generation American Chinese, son of two Chinese immigrants. He became interested in drawing (mostly dinosaurs) at a very early age, and has carried his interest in art throughout his life. After graduating from MS 158 as Valedictorian he attended Stuyvesant High School. It is no wonder that sleep became his next favorite activity after art, as he travels 3+ hours to and from school everyday. During his latter years in high school, he became actively engaged in photography. This was when he served The Standard as the Director of Photojournalism. During his high school years he also won an award from the Scholastic Art and Writing Competition for photography. Originally he was most focusing his photography on animals and landscapes, however he has since moved onto human portraits. Although he is not going to major in photography at Columbia College he plans to keep it as a serious hobby.

Rufino A. Mendoza II Rufino A. Mendoza II recently graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration from Georgetown University, double majoring in Finance and International Business. While at Georgetown, Rufino worked as a Member Service Representative at the Georgetown Alumni and Student Federal Credit Union, the largest student-run credit union in the United States. He is a Founding Partner of Global Platinum Securities, LLC, an intercollegiate educational investment company, and currently serves on the Board of Managers. Additionally, Rufino is an alumnus of The Georgetown Chimes, Georgetown’s oldest and only all-male a cappella singing group. Rufino spent his latest summer studying at Trinity College at Oxford University. This summer, he will begin work in the Proprietary Investments Group of JPMorgan Asset Management in New York City.

Khoi Nguyen Khoi Nguyen was the previous Co-Financial Officer of the Standard in charge of Advertising. Next year, she will be attending Columbia University, and she desperately hopes that one day soon she will wake up with a sudden epiphany as to what she will major in. She would like to take this time to say goodbye to all of you and wishes the best of luck to all of you in all of your future endeavors.

Sho Uemura Sho Uemura, 2004-5 copy chief and 2005-6 managing editor, is finishing his first year at Caltech studying nuclear engineering. While doing research on cold fusion and waste-free fission processes, he is involved with the college student paper and still keeps in touch with The Standard's copy staff, dispensing advice on maintaining The Standard at the high quality for which it is known.

Derek Weng Derek L. Weng is currently a senior, a dedicated journalist, and a proud editor of The Stuyvesant Standard. He joined Standard in his freshman year, and later became the Managing Editor for the school year 2006-2007. As a Managing Editor, he provided valuable assistance and know how to the daily managing works of Standard. Derek was also dedicated in improving the overall "look" of Standard, having successfully updated it with a more professional layout with the help of the layout department. Derek is very glad to have given the chance to serve the communities of Stuyvesant High School and the local neighborhood as a journalist. He also deeply appreciates the hard works of his fellow editors and writers, and all their help in the last four years. Derek is a hopeless romantic and a great admire of indie music. He will be attending SUNY Geneseo College in Fall 2007, majoring in Business and Psychology.

Mark Leff Mark Leff started what he hopes to be a long career in journalism at Stuyvesant, where he was one of the founding members of the Standard and the first sports editor. Mark attended the University of Maryland, majoring in journalism, where he was a sportscaster and news reporter for the student radio station and a photographer for the school's Jewish student newspaper. As a student journalist, he was honored by SPJ (Society of Professional Journalists) for his work. He also completed an internship with Comcast SportsNet. He graduated in May and is currently applying for several journalism jobs, including assistant photo editor for the magazine The Washingtonian.

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THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

Ban 50 Cent by Mor Rosenburg, staff writer

If you have ever walked to school from Church Street you may have noticed a poster hanging on the northwest building above the train station. The poster is fairly large, and hard to miss, even when trying to avoid being late to your first period class. The poster has a big “Ban 50” written on it, urging people to ban 50-Cent, a popular rap artist. The group that sponsored the poster, Ban 50, is trying to make people aware of the message that 50 Cent is spreading. These messages degrade women, are filled with sexual innuendos, promote guns and glorify violence. The Ban 50 wants

NEWS/OPINIONS

June 12, 2007—VOL. 6, No. 15

to make sure that the messages that 50 Cent raps in his lyrics are not spread to children. Jamal Alokasheh, a junior disagrees with banning 50 Cent for those reasons, he believes instead that parents should give their kids guidance, “It’s so funny, why do you want to ban 50 Cent? Doesn’t mean you have to follow what [he] sings. It’s good music.” Ban 50’s website, (http://ban50.com/index.html), has a timeline in which they detail all the negative things that 50 Cent has done, including criticizing Oprah for not inviting rap artists to her show, shooting and fighting that occurred between 50 Cent and Ja Rule, as

well as give details about the pleabargain that 50 Cent entered over an assault and battery charge. This Ban 50 focuses specifically on 50 Cent. They list numerous reasons why 50 Cent should be banned, including his movie. “Get Rich or Die Tryin” is a film about a drug dealer who decides to give up the life of crime and pursue rap music instead. The ads for this movie were pulled after numerous parents complained. Mrs. Hudson, a middle aged African American woman, is very sentimental about this issue. Her friend’s son saw the movie when it came out, and two to three weeks later he committed suicide. She believes that “They can have it [hip hop] but the language has to change. Music should be music.” Whether this poster will get 50

Cent banned is yet to be seen. One thing’s for sure, it can start up a good conversation when walking to

The poster

OPINIONS Bring the Troops Home! by Hui Ting Jiang, staff writer

Source: Yahoo News

The War in Iraq has been going on for too long. Since the September 11 attacks, President George W. Bush has pushed the idea of building up the army to fight the battle in Iraq. In addition, Bush insisted on finding "weapons of mass destruction" and the al Qaeda members as well. For that fleeting moment of patriotism, Americans raided stores to buy American flags and every citizen was filled with a beacon of hope that those responsible for the attack would be punished accordingly. As we all know too well, there were no weapons of mass destruction found and not all the members of the al Qaeda organi-

zation were put to justice. American citizens were frustrated, angry and most importantly, disappointed. When the Democratic Party took over the House of Representatives in 2006, a beacon of hope shone from the darkness. Citizens marveled at the feat which hadn't occurred since 1994. "I thought [the Democrats] would end the war and restore peace," commented Nadia Quddis. However, it took a while for Democrats to take action. On April 2007, the House accepted the bill to fund the return of troops with a 221-205 vote. Despite the support of Representatives, when the bill went to Bush on May 1, it was immediately vetoed. Clearly, he thinks his veto was justified so he presented a six-minute speech on

why he felt the need to disapprove the bill. First, Bush believes that the bill will prompt terrorists to "mark their calendars" and plan an attack. This is due to the withdrawal deadline that the bill mandates. Secondly, he feels that the bill imposes odd condition for commanders to fight under because of the lack of soldiers. Lastly, Bush considers the sum of money spent on bringing the troops home which is a "nonemergency" in his point of view. His reasons raise many questions among concerned citizens. One major question is: Why are we still fighting the war? "I think the war didn't have a significant goal," Ellen Kong supposed. Others feel the same way, because of

the multiple names that Bush has given it. Originally it was referred to as the War on Terror and now it's the War in Iraq. If Bush was so passionate about not sending the troops back home, why did he feel the need to issue a speech concerning his reasons for vetoing the bill? Didn't American citizens choose him as the President so that they can be represented through his actions? Perhaps the opinions of the public to end this prolonged war was evident to Bush. "He should feel guilty for vetoing [the war-funding bill]. He has no right to put the lives of so many soldiers in his hands," Philip Arvantis angrily exclaimed. I, for one, agree.

I’m Watching You by Hui Ting Jiang, staff writer

It seems like teenagers nowadays don't care much about their privacy. They post daily blogs concerning their lives, upload pictures of themselves and record their activities for YouTube ©. Anyone can have access to their innermost thoughts, deepest desires, and aberrant behavior. In the light of these events, adults have learned to scrutinize teenagers even more carefully. Due to the marvelous inventions of tiny hidden cameras, adults are praising its practical purpose to aid in keeping a watchful eye on the actions of

adolescents. Stuyvesant High School has also taken a stand for the installation of security cameras around the school. Due to mysterious Thursday fires on the fourth floor bathrooms and weird smells coming out of the eight floor bathroom, the school has decided to take action and install more security cameras. Although the main goal of these cameras is to protect students' safety, many disapprove of its existence and say it's an invasion of their privacy. "It's not really justified for [Mr. Teitel] to do this", Martha, a student, complains. The real question is: How is

it an invasion of privacy? Students' privacy cannot be that invaded unless they like to think of school hallways as a bathroom and relieve themselves in the open. Students are expected to act according to school rules which include no loitering in the hallways if it is not on the first, second or fifth floor, no card playing and no bring food from outside. However, as you walk down the hallways each day, you are faced with the reality that Stuyvesant students are not as rule abiding and innocent as adults think. Lunches brought from outside are consumed in corners with friends, students sitting in a circle with

playing cards to their chest in a shady corner, and the rowdy group that saunters down the hallways or sit in a dim corner. If you noticed, all these 'illegal' acts are done in discreet corners, as to prevent security guards from catching them. So it makes sense that the school has implemented an increase in security cameras. If students have nothing to hide, then the presence of cameras wouldn't be a problem. If it really is an invasion of their privacy, then why do students feel the need to let the world invade their privacy via the internet?

June 12, 2007—VOL. 6, No. 15

SCIENCE

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SCIENCE From One’s Perspective

The Real Armageddon? by Devyn Buckley, staff writer

kilometers closer to collision. The prediction was based on a simulation done by J. Cox and Abraham Loeb of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Mass utilizing the “relative speed between the two galaxies and the amount of gas and dark matter in the intervening space, which exerts a drag on their motions,” as factors in setting the collision date and impact. ARMAGEDDON continues on page 8 Source: hubblesite.org.jpg

For centuries people have struggled to find a Doom’s Day, or end to all mankind; usually the product of a great cosmic struggle between forces of good and evil, involving godly power and resulting in a gloriously terrifying flood of destruction and salvation of mankind. However, at the rate we’re going at, it appears as though human beings are experiencing a much less monumental or spectacular end as we slowly deplete our natural resources and alter our atmosphere’s temperature. But have no fear! For the rational hand of science has once again come to the aid of reinspiring our faith in an Armageddon! It is predicted by scientists that in approximately 2 billion years our Milky Way Galaxy will collide with our nearest neighboring galaxy, Andromeda, located approximately 2.3 million light years away. In fact, for every second you are reading this article, the two galaxies move 120

by Rammiya Nalllainathan , staff writer

Simulated galaxies about to collide within a cluster of galaxies.

When coming across the question, “What makes me unique?” many people have tried in various ways to comprehend their personality and find out what makes them special. Although this question cannot be answered simply, many are tempted to analyze their life events in order to reach the answer. However, new studies show that rather than listening to a person’s life story of what they did and why they did it, the tone and style a person uses to tell a story can be revealing in it of itself. Many times, when a story is retold over and over again, the story tends to change and may end up with a completely different emphasis. It’s almost like a game of telephone. However, this is not necessarily a person’s fault if such a thing was to happen. When people listen to a story, they tend to remember certain details and facts that they feel should be emphasized. For example, a person may be talking about a conversation they had with someone else. When researchers conducted a study on a few people, they re-

ceived some very interesting results. Some people tended to remember good memories with a little negative twist to them. It may have been a remark given to them, or just a small thing that seemed to have stuck with them for the rest of their lives. These details are very important because they show how the person thinks of their memories and how they tend to recall that particular memory. The type of people that tend to remember memories in this way are usually those who have mood swings. On the other hand, there are some people who tend to remember things using the exact opposite way. They will think of a bad event that had happened to them, and then say how the overall ending was good because of something that changed their lives for the better. For example, take someone that had not been very fond of mathematics. However, when they entered high school, they had a great teacher who changed his or her entire outlook on mathematics. These types of people are usually energetic and enthusiastic. PERSPECTIVE continues on page 8

Science in Stuy: The Epic Battle of Creation by Omar Ahmad, assistant science editor

phers, and scientists have spent their life’s work attempting to unravel the intricacies of life, death, Literally, since the beginning and who is responsible for it. of time there has been a great batTo undergo my own research, tle between creationism and naI looked towards the student body ture. There have always been cerof Stuyvesant High School and tain aspects of life and death that interviewed a very passionate have puzzled humans over the censtudent. Robert Colgan, a freshturies, either approving science or man at Stuyvesant, expressed his religion. Researchers, philosoideas firmly involving this topic. Robert said, “I do believe in God, but people who push creationism rely on assumptions about the Bible, Koran, and other texts, most notably that it is true to the letter, when it's obviously much more figurative than literal.” The people who stress evolution, howCreationism is the belief that humanity, life, the Earth, and ever, use years of the universe were created entirely by supernatural deities. theory, research, and experimentaSource: Wikipedia

tion to verify their assumptions. He continued to say, “just because the creation of the Earth may be explained by science, we still know virtually nothing about where the universe came from. Until there’s a better explanation...I attribute the creation of the universe to God.” Though he is of Christian faith, specifically Episcopalian, he says that he believes that evolution may have occurred over the course of time and that, “evolution does not necessarily exclude God or religion.” Creationism is how the spread of religion very started, and now, about 78.6 percent of the world’s population follows legitimate religions with their own tales of the origination of the human race, excluding evolution. This intimidating number has towered over the few remaining people who have accepted the theories involving evolution from such beings as sea creatures and primates. These entail very unclear means of adaptation to the surroundings of the “pre-humans”

and do not sufficiently describe where the sea organisms or primates even originated from. Even so, religion also may seem a bit vague at times. For example, there have been texts that have stated that men were created, but not how or why. And also, there has never been a distinct picture or form that man may have been at that time. Humans could have evolved from their original selves to create what we are today. Being of Muslim faith, I believe that God created men for the purpose of creating men. They may not have looked the same as they currently do, but they served the same religious purpose as they hold today. Religion is a much more promising practice than science in some ways, due to its instilment of faith and hope, in times where science cannot possibly or sufficiently describe such things as afterlife, fate, and the force of life itself.

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June 12, 2007—VOL. 6, No. 15

PERSPECTIVE continued from page 7

ARMAGEDDON continued from page 7

So the next time you tell a story, keep in mind the way you are conveying this story to whoever it may be. Does your tone change at certain points? Do you tend to look on the bright side of things after something terrible happens? Or listen to the way your friends talk; you’ll learn interesting things. If you want to find out more about figuring out a person’s personality, visit http:// www.bps.org.uk/home-page.cfm and see what new things you can discover.

However, there are several uncertainties that could result in a drastic change in predictions. For example, while the speed of the galaxies is known, Andromeda’s sideways speed is uncertain and if it is moving fast enough to the side, Andromeda could avoid collision altogether. Its speed is estimated to be very small and collision is most likely certain. Just how much power is involved in a collision of this magnitude? Let’s just say this collision packs enough punch to send our entire

BUSINESS

solar system to the farthest reaches of the Milky Way Galaxy, whose diameter is approximately 100,000 light years in diameter. There is also a slight possibility that our Solar System could end up in Andromeda. After the first collision the two galaxies still aren’t finished. The two galactic cores will first orbit each other for three billion years and then merge into one. During this period, some stars would fuse together and assume an orbit in a new galaxy; the combination of Andromeda and the Milky Way. Researchers

estimate that when the cores of the two galaxies fuse, our solar system has a 50 percent chance of being swept to “a wispy tail” extending from the resulting galaxy, three times further out from galactic center than it is now. However, many predictions of an exact outcome of something as specific as our solar system, our sun, or Earth, are reliant on information we do not currently have, but don’t worry, we still have another 2 billion years to figure it out.

BUSINESS Another Marketing Campaign, Another Bomb Scare by Hanford Chiu, business editor

Source: Yahoo News

Near the city of Boston, concerned citizens evacuate due to a marketing campaign gone sour, the only city where people got scared and emergency services had to be called, costing the city in lost productivity and bomb squads. Sound familiar? About four months after the Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie fiasco, involving flashing figures of apparently bomb-like movie characters, a totally unrelated circulation of a misprinted advertisement has shuttered a Bank of America in Ashland, Massachusetts and the surrounding areas. In a misprinted fax sent to Banks of America across the nation, clip-art like images of a TORTURE continued from page 1

the bank should have handled it a may ask Bank of America to relittle better," said Nick Markos, imburse the town for the cost of owner of Townhouse Pizza and the response, which included Roast Beef, who estimated that he more than a dozen town officers had lost $1,000 to $1,200 because and firefighters, personnel from of the lunch-hour evacuation. neighboring towns, a State Police "She blew it all out of proportion, bomb squad, and police dogs, and all of us business owners had according to the Boston Globe. to pay for it." While Bank of America and the police department generally stand by the branch manager’s decision as being reasonable given the circumstances, the small businesses in the area, to whom they should be committed to, decried the overblown response. "The women at The misprinted fax that was sent to Banks of America nation-

Italian citizen, were all subject to the CIA’s renditions program, in which prisoners are sent to overseas locations for interrogation to places such as Morocco, Afghanistan and Guantànamo Bay, and were subsequently abused or mistreated. The ACLU alleges that Jeppesen provided logistical services, such as flight planning, catering and hotel accommodation for more than 70 rendition flights over a four-year period, for the Central Intelligence Agency with the foreknowledge that prisoners of the renditions program are likely to be tortured. This lawsuit can possibly set a damaging example to future liability cases for corporations who indirectly help or cause actions that lead to litigation. For example,

what would happen if a missile company is charged with war crimes for creating the weapons used by a government in war time, or what if a pet shop is charged for murder after a dog it sold killed its owner? In this current example, the transportation services that Jeppesen offers is being used as grounds for abetting torture and violating US treaties. Such an extension of the principle of proximate cause, in which an entity could only be held liable if it was close enough to a chain of events to be a legally culpable cause of the action, could discourage economic activity in the future if corporations are afraid of providing services in fear of lawsuits. "Jeppesen's services have been crucial to the functioning of

Source: http://www1.whdh.com/images/news_articles/389x205/070530_ashland_fax_threat.jpg

wide.

the government's extraordinary rendition program," said Steven Watt, a staff attorney for the ACLU's Human Rights Program. "Without the participation of companies like Jeppesen, the program could not have gotten off the ground." Source: COrbis

claims in the United States for violations of the law of nations or a United States treaty. "We are filing this lawsuit on behalf of three individuals who have been repeatedly tortured, terrified, humiliated and deprived of their basic human rights," said Anthony Romero, the executive director of the ACLU. "American companies should not be profiting from a CIA rendition program that is unlawful and contrary to core American values." According to the ACLU’s press release, the three men they represent, Binyam Moh-amed, an Ethiopian, Ahmed Agiza, an Egyptian, and Abou Elkassim Britel, an

timer and a hand lighting the fuse of a bomb were sent accidentally without the words accompanying them, which are “The Countdown Begins” and underneath the pictures “Small Business Commitment Week June 4-8”. More than a dozen small businesses around the bank were evacuated for nearly three hours when the bank branch managers evacuated the bank and called for police assistance. "It was not a communication that was ever meant to be distributed to customers or anyone externally, and the fax machine malfunctioned, so when it came out of the fax machine, it looked suspicious," Bank of America spokesman Ernesto Anguilla said. Ashland Police Chief Scott Rohmer said that town officials

The lawsuit can possibly set a damaging example to future liability cases.

June 12, 2007—VOL. 6, No. 15

A&E

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ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT Season Finales and Cliffhangers: Beware of Spoilers Following in the ABC tradition, “Desperate Housewives” also ended on a shocking note: Edie Brit (Nicolette Sheridan) commits suicide or does she? There have been rumors (or more like expressions of false hope as it seems pretty obvious she is indeed dead) circulating ever since the finale but once again we’ll have to wait another three months before we get a definite answer. Other events were less unexpected: Susan (Teri Hatcher) and Mike (James Denton) finally tied the knot and Gaby (Eva Longoria) and Carlos (Ricardo Chavira) reunited (sort of). “Grey’s Anatomy” was less shocking and more cryptic. The question seems to be did they or didn’t they? Did Meredith (Ellen

Desperate Housewives, starring Eva Longoria, Teri Hatcher, and Nicolette Sheridan, ended its 3rd season in May.

by Emma Rabinovich, A&E editor

Source: fox17.com

Grey’s Anatomy, starring Ellen Pompeo and Patrick Dempsey, had a cryptic ending to make viewers come back in September. .

by Emma Rabinovich, A&E editor

Lost is an Emmy and Golden-Globe award-winning American serial drama television series first broadcast on September 22, 2004 that follows the lives of plane crash survivors on a tropical island.

Pompeo) break up with McDreamy (Patrick Dempsey) or not? It is unclear and the consensus seems to be that by “it’s over, it’s so over” Meredith was referring to their relationship as well as Cristina (Sandra Oh) and Burke’s (Isaiah Washington). The finale wasn’t as gripping as season 1’s but we eagerly await the premier in September to see if Meredith is really as masochistic as she lets on. Meanwhile, the most recent episodes are available online at abc.com and previous season are available on DVD.

It was an exciting three weeks for movie fans everywhere as “Spiderman 3,” “Shrek the Third,” and “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End” all hit theatres on consecutive weekends, boosting outrageous box office returns and breaking records down the line. “Spiderman 3” opened first on May 4 nationwide and went on to break the highest-earning opening weekend record previously held by “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest.” While its domestic BLOCKBUSTERS continues on page 10 Source: imageshack.us.jpg

As shows closed shop for the season, many dismayed viewers were left gaping at their televisions in disbelief as cleverly designed cliffhangers threatened to leave us scratching our heads all summer. “Lost” was no exception. In the last five minutes, it managed to reverse all expectations and end on a note I still can’t figure out. Did they really make it off the island and if so, what’s next? Obviously, the writers plan to somehow return Jack (Matthew Fox) and the others to the mysterious island on which they were plane-wrecked but how? A long summer of reruns awaits as we anxiously anticipate the answer to what really happened.

Source: serialtv.it.jpg

Source: Corbis

Blockbusters Boost Box Office Returns

Shrek the Third, a computer animated comedy film, opened in U.S theaters in 4,122 cinemas, grossing a total of U.S $121,629,270 in its first weekend.

A Taste of Art in the Sun by Amy Qiu, staff writer

Basking in the summer sun is already a delight, but it’s even better when you get to enjoy music and dancing at the same time. Luckily, there’s going to be plenty of free events all around the city this summer for you to do just that. River to River Festival- Starting on June 1, the River to River festival will host daily concerts and arts programs at various areas in Lower Manhattan, including South Street Seaport, Castle Clinton, and the Battery Park Espanade. Check their website for the calendar of events, which promises to have something for everyone.

Today Summer Concert - NBC’s morning news show Today how will feature morning concerts every Friday starting at 7:00 am. (You’ll have to get there even earlier for a good view.) Located at the plaza in Rockefeller Center, the weekly shows will feature popular artists such as Enrique, Bon Jovi, and Hilary Duff. Since Today is filmed live, you might even get to be on TV. Bryant Park Film Festival Bring a blanket and settle down in the lawn to watch a classic film. The movies start at around 8 or 9, but the park usually opens at around 5 pm. Again, it’s best to get there early, The coming weeks will

include oldies such as Annie Hall, The Thing-From Another World, and Paper Moon. Shakespeare in the Park- Doth thou enjoy Shakespeare? The Delacorte Theater in Central Park will hold performances of favorites Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Tickets are handed out starting at 1 PM on the day of the performance and are limited to two per person. Shakespeare lovers can find them by entering the park 79th and 5th, south of the Great Lawn. Tickets are also available at the Public Theater in 425 Lafayette Street. Hudson River Park - Listen to potential stars of tomorrow at Pier

45 of Hudson River Park on Tuesday summer evenings. Student jazz and classical musicians perform on the peer starting at 6. On Wednesdays, the pier also has “Riverflicks”, and as the name suggests, one can watch flicks by the river. This is also a great location to watch the sunset. Met on the Park - Enjoy the Metropolitan Opera at parks throughout the boroughs. Performances of Giacomo Puccini's La Bohème and Charles Gounod's Faust will be held frequently June 12- 23. Shows start at 8PM, and can found at different location including Central Park, Pelham Bay, and Prospect Parks.

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THE STUYVESANT STANDARD BLOCKBUSTERS continued from page 9

take so far is below its predecessors, it will mostly likely overtake the worldwide gross of “Spiderman” (which is so far the biggest earner of the series at $822 million) in the coming weeks as it has already earned $809 million according to boxofficemojo.com. So while many critics (such as Mark Harris of Entertainment Weekly) argue that titles like the biggest opening weekend of all

June 12, 2007—VOL. 6, No. 15

time are “meaningless” and that America is becoming more and more a “niche nation” tired of the same old “Spiders of the Shrekibbean,” such critique may fall on deaf ears as these blockbusters appeal to audiences around the globe. In fact, the top ten highest grossing films ever earned the majority of their revenue overseas. So even if Americans ever do tire of mainstreamed sequels, it may not keep studios from making more as the domestic market ceases to be Hollywood’s main target.

LITERARY

“Shrek the Third” was released only a week after the Spiderman sequel and may have suffered as a result. Its opening weekend take was also an impressive $121 million, becoming the third largest opening of all time. It fell to $67 million in its second weekend, however, which seems like a steep fall for the green ogre whose previous film’s longevity was the secret to its unbelievably high gross of almost a billion dollars. “Pirates of the Caribbean: At

World’s End” swept theatres the very next Thursday with previews starting at 8 pm. Breaking the Memorial Day record, it failed to live up the “Dead Man’s Chest” but accumulated over $400 million worldwide in its first five days in release. All three movies are unlikely to experience any more serious competition for a while since the next blockbuster (“Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix”) doesn’t stampede into theatres until July.

SU Election Results Student Union President and Vice President Jamilla Ma and James Kim 322 Vanessa Charubhumi and Alexa Solimano 234

Senior Caucus Lee (right) and Gonzalez

Michelle Lee and Lauren Gonzlaez 175 Andrew Kim and Vivian Luu 139

Junior Caucus Phillip Kim and Jenny Han 80 Daniel Goldstern and William Oh 59

Kim (left) and Han Ma (right) and Kim Source: Yahoo News

PUZZLES&LITERARY Human Adaptability

by Robert Stevenson

June 12, 2007—VOL. 6, No. 15

LITERARY

THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

Situational Exchange

Sudoku

by Amna Ahmad, literary editor

by Jeffrey Liaw, puzzle columnist

To surrender to punishment for another's fault Is to submit to his deed And to lose one's identity As a citizen of humanity And so instead, when the situation is permitting We offer an exchange Unknowing of its prospective ends Yet in clear favor of the opportunity Distraught in belligerence that we had thus seized NBA continued from page 12 McGrady and the Houston Rockets in an exciting 7-Game Series. Yao’s dismal comeback did not help the Rockets, and McGrady, who played fiercely, still has not gone further towards the championship that such a duo is capable of bringing. The Jazz then moved on to defeat the surprise favorite Golden State Warriors in only 5 games. The San Antonio Spurs are perhaps the most dominating team remaining. They have many talented and experienced players who have been in this position several times before, including TIm Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, and Robert Horry. The Spurs defeated the Denver Nuggets in 5 games, and then moved on to defeat the Phoenix Suns in a controversial 6-game series. Horry fouled Steve Nash hard in Game 4, leading to the suspensions of Boris Diaw and Amare Stoudamire in an important Game 5, in which the Suns lost by 3 points. The West will probably be a similar story. The Utah Jazz have not reached the Western Conference Finals since 1998, when Karl Malone and John Stockton were still in the league. This year,

Williams, Kerilinko, and Boozer lead them. All three of these players are extremely talented. Williams is sometimes called the best point guard in the league. Although this is his playoff debut, Williams has been averaging 16.5 points per game (ppg) and 8.9 assists per game (apg) while Boozer has been dominating the playoffs, averaging 24.4 ppg and 12.3 rebounds per game (rpg). Derek Fisher, the only veteran on the team has also been mentally guiding his young team, has well as contributing to their effort, averaging 11.0 ppg. The Spurs have an extremely strong and experienced team. They have won the NBA Championships three times in the last eight years. Tony Parker has been outstanding in the playoffs this year, averaging 19.6 ppg and 6.2 apg. The most important thing the Spurs have is talent. Predictions for this playoff year: Although it would be amazing if the Cavaliers defeat the Pistons, it’s not going to happen because the Pistons have more experienced players. In the West, the Spurs will have most likely defeated the Jazz, due to their experienced and more talented players. The NBA Finals, it seems, will be the same two powerhouses this year: The Pistons vs. The Spurs.

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BOOST continued from page 12 has done for the Yankees is a 7.63 ERA and a planned starting pitcher now sitting in Class AAA Scranton. With their two hundred million dollar all-star team, the Yankees are still lagging far behind in the AL East standings with a strong feeling of disappointment and despair. Now, the new shining beacon of hope for the Yankees is the much anticipated return of Roger Clemens. Clemens, a former Yankee who won the World Series with the Yanks back in 2001, is expected to be the savior to a depleted pitching staff and a depleted morale. The return of Clemens may draw both positive and negative criticism, for his unfaltering determination and history of success, and his questionable endurance and overall impact. Still, The Rocket brings

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a new feeling to the clubhouse, and turns a new page in the Yankee saga this season. It is evident in the way the fans and players have treated him, giving him special privileges to see his family and the level of respect he gets. Giambi even declared that “If he throws as great as he did when he was here, we should all carry his bags for him.” Clemens has been pitching in the Yankees minor league system, and is scheduled pitch in his first major league start against Pittsburgh on June 9th. Clemens will probably not throw as fast, as accurate, or as long as his previous self. With so much hype surrounding his return, he may even end up being the latest pitcher to go down as so many of his teammates have gone down. It wouldn’t be surprising. Nonetheless, he brings a much-needed boost to the team. In the eyes of loyal Yankee fans, The Rocket will

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June 12, 2007—VOL. 6, No. 15

SPORTS

SPORTS

The Sports Beat: Hope Springs Eternal by Eric Mayo, managing editor

Rivera has been inconsistent due to inconsistent work. Pitchers could also stop getting injured. Almost the entire original starting rotation is injured. Even the players called up from the minors, like pitching prodigy Phil Hughes, are already injured too. The latest casualty was Darrell Rasner, who lasted two batters against the Mets before breaking his finger. He’ll be out three months. When Roger Clemens makes his debut, he will be the 12th Yankee starter this year. A more consistent rotation with established veterans will lead to more wins. There is no magic formula that will turn the Yankee’s season around. There’s no Aaron Small, no Shawn Chacon, who can turn miracles into victories for the

The End Is Near

by Hesham Saleh, assistant news editor

The NBA playoffs have been thrilling this year, to say the least. After a number of exciting series, the final four teams were chosen. In the Eastern Conference Finals, LeBron James and the Cleveland

Cavaliers took on the playoff- experienced Detroit Pistons. In the Western Conference, the Utah Jazz and the San Antonio Spurs went head-to-head, both competing to become the Western Conference Champions. The last time the Cavaliers reached the Eastern Finals was 15

Source: Yahoo News

NBA continues on page 11

Roger Clemens will be the 12th Yankee starter this year.

A Rocket Boost by Richard Mai, Sports Editor

The Yankees seem to be stuck in quicksand- the more they struggle to get out, the deeper they sink. They’ve been adding new people to their lineup every year, people that were supposed to be “the ones” to turn it all around for them. First it was Jason Giambi. Then it was A-Rod. Then Randy Johnson. Every year, GM Brian Cashman and owner George Steinbrenner expect the new selections to be the ones that finally carry them to the World Series that have eluded them for so long. This year, that selection was Kei Igawa, who was supposed to be the Japanese equivalent of Boston’s ambitious signing of Matsuzaka. The Japanese players have been doing pretty well lately, so why not sign more? So far, what Igawa’s five – year $20 million dollar contract BOOST continues on page 11 Source: ESPN

years ago, in 1992. But this did not intimidate King James and the Cavs from doing extremely well in the playoffs. It took the Cavs only 4 games to defeat the Washington Wizards, who were missing their leading scorer and best player, Gilbert Arenas. After sweeping the Wizards, the Cavs faced the New Jersey Nets in the Second Round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs. The Cavs, led by James as always, managed to end the series by defeating the Big Three, Jason Kidd, Vince Carter, and Richard Jefferson, in Game 6 in New Jersey. The Detroit Pistons, even without Ben Wallace this year, are an elite team, led by many great players, including Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, and Rasheed Wallace. The Pistons easily swept the Orlando Magic in the First Round, and then moved on to defeat the Chicago Bulls in 6 games. The Pistons-Bulls series was a scare to the Pistons. After quickly going up 3-0 in the series, the Pistons could not manage to put the Bulls away, bringing back memories of the Pistons-Cavs series during last year's playoffs in which the Cavs miraculously extended the series to 7 games. This year, after allowing the Bulls to win two consecutive games, the Pistons closed them out in Game 6. In the Western Conference, the Utah Jazz, led by Carlos Boozer, Andrei Krilenko, and Deron Williams, defeated Tracy

Bronx Bombers. Counting on Roger Clemens to turn the season around is wishful thinking. Then again, hope does spring eternal. Source: ESPN

A baseball season can’t be won in the first 40 games. Now a day, the season can’t even be won in a half-season. It takes all 162 games to decide who the best of the best is. That’s about all the New York Yankees have going for them. Yes, the Yankees have been in this situation before. In 2005, the Yankees started 11-19 only to overtake the Red Sox in the second to last game of the season. In 2006, the Yankees needed a five game sweep of the Red Sox to ensure their ninth consecutive American League East title. Never before though, has their situation been so grave. The Red Sox this year are

one of the most complete teams in baseball. Josh Beckett, Dice-K, and Schilling form one of the most formidable pitching trios in all of baseball. Of course, Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz provide all the offense the Red Sox need. This isn’t like the Red Sox teams of old that could be counted on for a seven game losing streak. There are no holes throughout the team. Of course, there are simple things the Yankees could do. The Yankees are a miserable 2-8 in one run games this season. That’s the second worst record in the entire major leagues. The record can be attributed to a number of different circumstances. The bullpen has been inconsistent ever since being overused the first two weeks in April. Specifically, Mariano

The return of Clemens may draw positive and negative criticisms.