Volume 6 Issue 4

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

The Stuyvesant Standard “Your School, Your World—Your News” 

Volume 6, Issue IV

Free

Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Peglegs Split Homecoming

More Photos From the Fall 2006 Club/Pub Fair

Sports P/20

News P/3

Students Forced to Eat Healthy Lunches $1.75 to $3 for a hot lunch and from $3.95 to $4.95 for a roast beef sandwich. As a result, some students have chosen to bring lunch from home. Alex Magid, a senior at John Jay, brings a bagged lunch daily consisting of a sandwich on white bread, Oreos, pretzels and Snapple Iced Tea. “I have loved the French fries ever since my freshman year, and now they are gone for my senior year,” he said. The law requires schools to outline nutrition and exercise goals for this school year. Connecticut has banned sugary drinks and New Jersey has forbidden foods with sugar as the principal ingredient. Although New York is slower to adopt the legislation,

BY SANGHEE CHUNG STAFF WRITER

Students will have to say goodbye to their favorite foods and sugary drinks because of a new federal law requiring school districts to outline nutrition goals. “It's a good idea because obesity and all that is a serious problem,” said Max Gold-Landzberg, a senior at John Jay High School. Because of the new law, schools are eliminating trans fats and reducing the sugar content in their lunches while attempting to keep students satisfied. Not many students, however, are very happy with whole wheat pizza, herbroasted chicken, and stir fried vegetables. Many students are also forced to pay higher prices for lunch. At John Jay High School, prices have soared from

Continued on Page 3

Smoothie Wars BY ALEX SCHNEIDER STAFF WRITER http://www.aigner-pr.at

go to get one? The obvious pick is Jamba Juice, but just across the street is the underdog, Elixer. Here’s the skinny on the two juice bars:

A frap from Starbucks is good, but it adds to your waistline.

Juicy Fruits When you want a quick fix at lunchtime, do your waistline a favor and skip the Frappuccinos at Starbucks. A better choice is a smoothie. But where should you

Take a look around and you know that this hip store is serious about health. The walls are lined with test tubes filled with herbal nourishments like flax and ginseng, and above them an ailment chart lists everything from migraines to hangovers and their drinkable remedies. Add to the mix staff with a sincerely wholesome vibe and the funky smell of wheat grass juice and you know the doctor is in! The smoothies are thick, creamy, and fresh, and there’s no sugary sorbet or frozen yogurt to risk extra calories — only healthy substitutes like orContinued on Page 11

Sports Calendar, Club Spotlight, Meet Ms. Vollaro, and much more inside.

Attention Stuyvesant Community: The Stuyvesant Standard Website: Your school, your world – your news, now even closer! With the advent of the internet, the distances between places began to seemingly recede. Technology is always improving and enriching our lives. To further this, The Stuyvesant Standard is improving our website. At the beginning of this school year, The Standard welcomed a new webmaster, Jesse Zhang. Since September, he has re-done the entire website, www.stuystandard.org. On our front page, you will find notes on when our meetings are as well as special event in Stuyvesant and the nearby community. At the online site, you can find the pdf files for all our issues from this and last year. Under each section’s page, you can access the text of each article since May of 2005, as well as some pictures, comics, puzzles, and literary works. At the bottom of each article readers and staff alike have the ability to post comments. For security reasons, we do require you to register in order to post comments. Registration is done online, and according to Zhang it is, “Free, quick, and easy.” Moreover, under each section, you will find notes on writing for that section, which will help our staff and school students alike. Zhang is currently working on a forum and has many other great plans for The Standard’s website. We urge everyone to check our website out! If you would like to get involved with our website or have any questions, please contact Zhang via e-mail at [email protected]. We are proud to be Stuyvesant’s only newspaper with a website dedicated to better serving the community! Sincerely, Jennifer Schlesinger, Editor in Chief [email protected]

Fitness Magazine Ranks Nation's Fittest Colleges news.bostonherald.com

Elixer

PLUS

BY SANGHEE CHUNG STAFF WRITER

The magazine “Men’s Fitness” recently ranked the nation’s fittest colleges that “have found the way to balance academic excellence with athletic acumen.” “It's a very important thing for everyone to have their heart healthy and your body in shape,” said Cara Scaduto, a member of Dickinson College’s volleyball team. Dickinson College, a 2300student liberal arts college in southern Pennsylvania, has been ranked the fittest for its commitment to a healthy college campus. Continued on Page 5

Dickinson College students, Sam Ashelman, left, and Lauren Dunn work out in the Kilne fitness center on campus.

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Tuesday, October 31, 2006 NEWS

THE STUYVESANT STANDARD  Founded 2001

      “Your School, Your 

World—Your News” 

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

FACULTY ADVISER EDITOR IN CHIEF MANAGING EDITOR CO-CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER CO-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

Publication

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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Should We Arm Teachers? BY TIMOTHY TONG STAFF WRITER

After a deadly shooting in an Amish school, a Wisconsin state lawmaker foresaw similar incidents and offered the questionable solution of arming teachers. This proposal is a conceivable safety measure to Republican Representative Frank Lasee, who believes that “to make our schools safe for our students to learn, all options should be on the table.” He goes on, saying “Israel and Thailand have well-trained teachers carrying weapons and keeping their children safe from harm. It can work in Wisconsin." Sandra S. Froman, the first vice president of the National Rifle Association, agreed with Lasee, stating “I’m not saying that that means every teacher should have a gun or not, but

what I am saying is we need to look at all the options at what will truly protect the students.” As good of a solution this may seem to prevent or lessen school shootings, it comes with its cons. Inevitably, arming teachers entails necessary training in handling the firearms and determining the appropriate circumstances in using them. Training, unfortunately, costs money. Money is needed to train and pay the teachers, to purchase weapons, and to adapt to the possible increase in insurance. Aside from the financial issues, there is the possibility of anxious parents, who may find a child under an armed teacher’s care discomforting. The students themselves will also be uneasy approaching a teacher with a gun, who might use it for inhumane, inappropriate reasons. Continued on Page 5

Cory Lidle Plane Crash Peter Foley/European Press Agency

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.

THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

BY PAUL FISHER STAFF WRITER

Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle, 34, was killed on October 11, when the small four-seater plane he was piloting crashed into a 50story apartment building on the Upper East Side. Lidle’s flight instructor, Tyler Stanger, 26, was also killed in the crash. Lidle’s Cirrus SR20 took off from Teterboro airport in New Jersey around 2:30 p.m., flying south down the Hudson River. Lidle and Stanger circled the Statue of Liberty and flew up the East River. Witnesses saw one wing dip as the plane tried to make a U-turn over the river, quickly losing altitude before slamming directly into the 30th floor of the Belaire building at 524 East 72nd Street. “It was coming right at us. The whole building shook,” said Luis Gonzalez, who was working in the

A firefighter walks past the wreckage of the Lidle crash.

building at the time of the crash. The explosion produced a fireball, and debris from the plane fell to the street below. Nobody in the building was killed, but eighteen people, including fourContinued on Page 4

PREVIOUS ISSUE’S CORRECTIONS Volume V Issue 20: Tim Chang wrote the Meet This Teacher article Volume VI Issue 1: The Issue had the incorrect date. It came out on September 6, 2006. Volume VI Issue 2: The correct ifnormation is: A freshman's final english and history grades from term 1 are averaged and must be a 94 or higher for addmission to Advanced Placement European History. Volume VI Issue 3: Lawrence Huang name was misspelled.

THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

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Tuesday, October 31, 2006 NEWS

Students Forced to Eat Healthy Lunches NyTimes.com

Continued from Page 1

some schools have already chosen to change menus because of pressure from parents. “The federal policy date gave us a goal post,” said Mary Ann Petrilena, a member of her school district’s food committee. “The feedback was overwhelmingly, ‘Yes, the community would like to see healthier foods in the cafeteria,’ and ‘Yes, the community would be willing to pay more for healthier food.’” According to nationwide statistics, obesity rates have increased from 5 percent in 1970 to 15 percent in 2000. The rates of high-risk disease, including high blood pressure and cholesterol, type 2 diabetes and heart disease, have also soared. Many people, however, are still hoping for more in the future.

Pear slices, apples, baked chicken nuggets and oven fries fill trays at Elwood Middle School on Long Island, as school cafeterias in the region revamp menus to meet nutrition laws.

“It's very positive, but to get to the next level we need systemic change,” said Nancy Huehnergarth, a volunteer at the American Cancer Society who is trying to improve food and fitness. “We need to start cooking

from scratch and we need to pay careful attention to our ingredients and we need to model in our cafeteria what we are teaching the kids in the classroom.” ◙

Fall 2006 Club Pub Fair BY DAVID YIN STAFF WRITER

The Club Pub Fair took place on October 16 and 19. It was a chance for the many diverse clubs of Stuyvesant to show off to potential club members and persuade them to join their clubs. Students came rushing in at the end of tenth period to the cafeteria, where the Club Pub Fair was being held. The fair allowed students to learn about the different clubs that Stuyvesant offers. It gave them a chance to join clubs that they would really enjoy. Many freshmen and sophomores went to the fair to find clubs that piqued their interests. With the incredible variety that Stuyvesant has to offer, it is very likely that there is a club for everyone. Linda, a sophomore who did not want to reveal her last name, said, “I joined GLASS again along with the archery club.” The Club Pub Fair was a very festive event. Students were shouting everywhere in the cafeteria, advocating their clubs. Linda mentioned how “it was really hard getting your way around.” Club members who were promoting their clubs also found it hard to move around and persuade students to join their club. Junior Allison Tran said the environment was “really loud and Continued on Page 4

Photos of the Club/Pub Fair Taken by Bennett Hong and Elissa Tam

19th Annual Dr. Robert J. Kaiser Debate — A Success for Stuyvesant BY IVAN TSE STAFF WRITER

On October 6 and 7, the 19th Annual Dr. Robert J. Kaiser Debate Invitational took place in Monticello, N.Y. Stuyvesant High School sent seven Policy Debate Teams, to compete in junior varsity and varsity, and 10 Lincoln-Douglas Debaters. The Policy Debate teams debated the resolution, “The United States federal government should establish a policy substantially increasing the number of persons serving in one or more of the following national service programs: AmeriCorps, Citizen Corps, Senior Corps, Peace Corps, Learn and Serve America, Armed Forces,” explained Claire Bulger, a senior and the Lincoln-Douglas team captain. Lincoln-Douglas debate is one-on-one, while the Policy Debate is two-on-two. The Lincoln-Douglas debaters’ topic was “A just government should provide health care to its citizens,” Bulger said. In both types of debate, a debater must debate both sides of the resolution, affirming and negating. In the tournament, there were five preliminary rounds in which everyone debated. These lead to the elimination or “break” rounds. In these rounds, the losing debater is eliminated. Two of Stuyvesant’s Lincoln-Douglas debaters “broke.” Junior Yan Slavinskiy made it to the doubleoctofinal round and was the seventh highest speaker for LincolnDouglas. Each round is judged by at least one judge, who must decide the winner and how well each debater spoke. A debater can get up to 30 points for speaking.. Bulger made it to octofinals, and placed as the 11th place speaker. In Policy Debate, two teams made it to the quarterfinals: one consisting of senior Zack Frankel, the Policy captain, and Emma Manson, and one of Pranai Tandon and Helen Ho. Zack Frankel was the first-place speaker of varsity Policy Debate. ◙

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Monday, October 31, 2006 NEWS was planning on flying back to his home in California, four days after he pitched in the final game of the Yankees’ season, when they were eliminated by the Detroit Tigers.

Cory Lidle Plane Crash Continued from Page 2

period last winter, as to not interfere with the baseball season. Lidle loved to fly and took to it

Reuters/Keith Bedford

teen firefighters who responded to the scene, were hospitalized. The sound of fire engines rushing to the scene of a plane crash and people running for safety brought back painful memories to New Yorkers, five years and one month after September 11. Many who saw the crash feared that this accident was a terrorist attack. The military sent up fighter jets over certain cities as a precaution. Terrorism was quickly ruled out, but for a while it was still unclear who was on the plane at the time of the crash. It was first released that Lidle was the owner of the plane, but it was not revealed until later that Lidle’s passport was found at the scene, and he had in fact been on the plane. Lidle learned to fly and earned his pilot’s license, which is normally a yearlong process, during a four-and-a-half month

THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

Several apartments in the Upper East Side were ignited by the Lidle crash.

quickly. “He learned very very quickly . . . He had huge desire,” said Stanger in a September interview. Lidle had approximately 75 hours of flight experience, and

The Yankees acquired Cory Lidle in a midseason trade along with Bobby Abreu. Lidle had a ten-year playing career with eight different teams. Two of those

teams, the Mets, where he started his career in 1997, and the Oakland Athletics, where he pitched for two years, were scheduled to play postseason games that night, and were in their locker rooms when they heard the news. He was known for being a hard-working pitcher and a good teammate. He made many friends around baseball, and was mourned by the entire baseball community. “Right now, I’m really in a state of shock,” said teammate Jason Giambi, who played with Lidle in High School, “We were excited to be reunited in New York this year, and I am just devastated to hear this news.” Similar feelings were shared all around the baseball community. Lidle is not the first New York Yankee to die while piloting a personal plane. Yankee fans were reminded of 1979, when Yankee captain Thurmond Munson was killed while practicing with his plane in Ohio. Lidle leaves behind a wife and a six-year-old son. ◙

The World Can’t Wait: The Walkout Against Bush BY DANNY SULLIVAN STAFF WRITER

“The World Can’t Wait! Drive Out the Bush Regime!” Many posters with this slogan covered school during the first week of October. The posters went on to instruct all students, who were angry about the “War” and “Torture” associated with the Bush administration, to leave school and join a protest at Dag Hammerskjold Plaza despite threats of punishment from teachers and warnings that walking out of school is illegal. On October 11, those who took part in the protest met up at noon in Dag Hammerskjold Plaza, near the United Nations building, for an initial rally. Students, who completed a permission slip that was to be signed by

a parent, were allowed to leave school and participate in the rally. They then made their way to Union Square at 4 p.m. There, those who were willing to walk out of school or work could join, and this group stayed until late into the night. Speeches were made, musicians brought instruments and sang protest songs, and victims of torture and veterans of the Iraq War helped increase the spirit of anger at Bush and the want of change amongst the crowd. A similar protest was held last year against the proposed laws that would have been harsh on illegal immigrants. Although that protest was somewhat successful, the “World Can’t Wait” group chose not to zero in on a specific complaint for this one

Fall 2006 Club Pub Fair Continued from Page 3

Continued on Page 5 worldcanwait.net

Protesters in the Walkout Against Bush.

crazy.” She also said that “nobody seemed to know what they were doing.” She was supporting the club Unite for Sight, as well as the Cheese Club. Junior Julia Wang, also an advocate of Unite for Sight, said that “It was very noisy and active. I had to scream to explain stuff to the potential members.” The fall Club Pub Fair allowed many clubs to recruit a lot of new member. Junior Hua Szu Yang, the president of Unite for Sight, said that the club recruited “quite a lot” of new members. Junior Jay Walker, who was representing three different clubs, the Cheese Club, the Magic Club, and the Board Games Club, said

that he “got a lot of new members to join.” Clubs all agree that the Club Pub Fair is a great way to attract new, energetic members. Many thought that this Club Pub Fair was very disorganized and loud. Walker said, “I thought it definitely could have been organized a lot better.” Still, this neither stopped students from packing the hall to attend nor stopped club members from shouting at the top of their lungs to promote their club. The Club Pub Fair was a cheerful and chaotic event. ◙

THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

CLUB SPOTLIGHT

The Thinkers Club many other topics. A typical meeting starts out with about 15 people, but eventually dwindles down to a more intimate setting. The atmosphere of the meetings is informal; members can relax and enjoy themselves while expressing their views on a variety of important issues. Future topics for discussion will include existentialism and the philosophy of Ayn Rand, who believes that altruism is unpractical and society will function best in a radical state where people look out only for their own interest and terminate completely all acts of charity and kindness. For more information on the club, email [email protected]. ◙

BY YANA GONTCHAROVA COLUMNIST

One of the lesser known clubs of Stuyvesant, “The Thinkers Club” meets on a weekly basis to discuss philosophical dilemmas, ideals in society and moral issues. On any particular day, members may watch a philosophical movie and then analyze its relevance to everyday life, or simply launch into debate. Past movies have included “The Matrix” and “Fight Club.” After a movie, the presidents of “Thinkers” prepare reports on the film that the club later discusses. Apart from movies, debate topics range from the purpose of life, to the control of government over its citizens, to the importance of happiness, to masculinity and to

The World Can’t Wait: The Walkout Against Bush Continued from Page 4

but rather to host a general, nationwide gathering of people who are against the Bush regime. Their website explains that this choice was made because the protests being held for the individual issues, such as the Iraq war and Bush’s unsatisfactory handling of the Hurricane Katrina tragedy, were making little to no progress, possibly because not all people who are against Bush will disagree with all of his policies. worldcanwait.net

A protester holding up a sign.

Therefore, the thought was that a general protest would attract all of those against Bush. The group also believes that the only way to save society is to take action. They say that for the election of 2008 cannot wait because Bush will continue torturing and is reportedly moving to-

Page 5

Monday, October 30, 2006 NEWS

wards declaring war on Iran. Liberal Democrats cannot be relied on to help, because the people most likely to be the Democratic candidate for 2008, such as Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama support the proposed war on Iran. The organization draws comparisons between our current situation and the civil rights movement of the 1960s: those protesters didn’t ask the Democrats to give them civil rights but instead went out and fought for it and got what they wanted. What difference will a peaceful protest make, though? After all, it is not the first time people have complained against Bush. It was, however, one of the biggest nationwide organized protests against him, attracting over 100,000 people total in more than 230 different locations. The risk was great for students who decided to leave school, as many were threatened with suspension or even expulsion from school, even though by law a walkout is supposed to be treated like skipping a day of school. Despite these threats, many students left school at noon anyway and joined in the efforts. It cannot be denied that a gathering of this size commands attention. The fact that students, even from Stuyvesant, which is stereotypically full of kids afraid to break rules, were willing to leave school to join shows how passionate these people are, and whether Bush takes notice remains to be seen. ◙

Should We Arm Teachers? Continued from Page 2

In addition, the teachers may have ambivalent feelings about being armed. They may feel uneasy possessing a weapon of destruction or they may simply refuse to undergo training and possession of weaponry. Lasee acknowledged these points and the challenge of finding a loophole in the federal law banning guns from school property, but he still advocates this “politically incorrect, but effective” proposal. Pete Pochowski, a safety director of Milwaukee Public Schools disagreed, stating,

“Statistically, the safest place for a child to be is in school. We have problems in our schools, but not to the point where we need to arm our teachers and principals.” This issue poses much controversy, but Lasee holds his ground and plans to introduce the bill in the beginning of the next session. Arming teachers may provide protection for children in the future, but it should be an measure that is only used as a last resort. ◙

Fitness Magazine Ranks Nation's Fittest Colleges Continued from Page 1

Approximately 12,500 students at 115 colleges and universities were surveyed. The magazine ranked the 25 fittest schools, which also include Colgate University, Boston College and the University of Vermont. Brigham

The Fit List 2006 Ranking 1. Dickinson College (Penn.) 2. Colgate University (N.Y.) 3. Boston College 4. Wheaton College (Ill.) 5. University of Vermont 6. Gustavus Adolphus College (Minn.) 7. Grove City College (Penn.) 8. Texas Christain University 9. Baylor University (Texas) 10. University of Richmond (Va.) 11. University of Virginia 12. University of Wisconsin - La Crosse 13. University of California - Santa Cruz 14. Washington & Jefferson College (Penn.) 15. Albertson College of Idaho 16. Santa Clara University (Calif.) 17. Lafayette College (Penn.) 18. Georgetown University (D.C.) 19. Roanoke College (Va.) 20. California Instutute of Technology 21. Virginia Tech 22. University of Denver 23. Ithaca College (N.Y.) 24. University of Mary Washington (Va.) 25. Gonzaga University (Wash.) Source: Men’s Fitness

Young University was declared the fittest school last year. Students were questioned about their diet, exercise routines, and the availability of fast food, nutritionists and fitness trainers.

Dickinson was chosen for its recreation center amenities, physical education requirements and the range of healthy choices in its dining halls. In fact, “in every category of this year's survey . . . Dickinson was the only school to ace every exam,” according to the magazine. “It's a common-sense study,” editor in chief Neal Boulton told the Associated Press. “We take a look at the kinds of foods offered in college cafeterias . . . is there information available to students to encourage good eating and nutrition, and perhaps fitness advice?” The top schools, in fact, offered a variety of nutrition and exercise choices instead of creating a strict list of demands. In addition, “Men’s Fitness” has also chosen eight other schools as underachievers on “academic probation.” They include California State UniversityLong Beach, Carnegie Mellon University, Eastern Michigan University, Flagler College, Seton Hall University, University of Michigan-Flint and University of New Orleans. “They provide a very balanced lifestyle within which anyone could exist, whether they're kind of cheating a little or in a fitness mode,” said Boulton. April Vari, Dickinson’s dean of students, explained that physical fitness and wellness for students and faculty was as important as maintaining a wellrounded liberal arts education. “One of the things that makes Dickinson distinctive is how broadly we interpret fitness and wellness throughout the campus,” she said. “I think there's something for everybody.” ◙

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Tuesday, October 31, 2006 NEWS

THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

Senior Pajamas Day 2006

Photos by Bennett Hong

THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

MEET THIS TEACHER

Allowing Rape While Condemning Torture

Meet Dawn Vollaro! BY SANGHEE CHUNG STAFF WRITER

Classes Taught: MQ3, ME81

Vollaro’s MQ3 class. “She explains everything step by step.” Others thought of her as a source of encouragement. “Vollaro is a little bit strict in the classroom, but it helps you to keep up in shape,” said junior Lee Tsai. Vollaro believes that Stuyvesant is a “very welcoming environment.” Her favorite thing about Stuyvesant is the great number of talented students at Stuyvesant she discovered working as a grade adviser. “There is a really diverse and talented faculty and student body, from music to art,” she said. However, she gets annoyed by students begging for an extra point on a test. “They all want to succeed and do well,” she said. “Some are a little too concerned though. There’s more to life than that.” Outside of school, Vollaro is an art aficionado. “I take drawing classes in the summer and submit things now and then,” she said. She also used her art experience from high school and college to teach two semesters of Art Appreciation. “It’s amazing to see the kinds of lives teachers lead outside of the school,” said Hon. ◙

BY DAVID MANNES STAFF WRITER

Currently, in both our prisoner of war camps and American prisons, we are facing problems concerning the treatment and welfare of the prisoners in these facilities. In the POW prisons, the issue lies in where to draw the line between interrogation and torture. In American prisons, the primary issues are the brutality, violence and rape that are comCorbis

Raised in Brooklyn, Dawn Vollaro now shares the enthusiasm of mathematics she had as a child with her students. “I was always good at math when I was young, although I did not always like it,” she said. Vollaro attended LaGuardia High School, majoring in art. After graduating as valedictorian from her elementary, middle and high schools, she attended New York University and majored in math. She continued her studies at NYU’s Graduate School for Math Education. Vollaro started teaching at Stuyvesant as a student teacher for Ms. Perlman 14 years ago. “I had remembered my math teachers who inspired me,” she said. She decided to come to Stuyvesant because of her family ties and its outstanding reputation. “I liked math so much so I wanted to teach students who appreciated it.” Students have also responded positively to her teaching. “She teaches everything very clearly,” said Vikki Hon, a freshman in

U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld approved four interrogation methods that required him to be informed prior to their use.

mon among large portions of new and weaker inmates. On top of this, prisoners are often afraid “to rat” on the inmates who rape them because of the repercussions. The big differences between these two situations are that in POW prisons, the concern is on how officials treat prisoners; in American prisons the major problem is the mistreatment of prisoners by each another.The guards’ treatment of prisoners is also looked at with a different

Children’s Friends, Parents’ Enemies BY HUI TING JIANG STAFF WRITER

Television has long been a “babysitter” to children of all ages. If there is nothing to do, children will automatically grab the remote control and watch an anime cartoon. They are often unaware of the violence portrayed in popular cartoons such as “Dragon Ball Z,” “Yu-Gi-Oh!,”

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Tuesday, October 31, 2006 OPINIONS/NEWS

and “Pokémon.” A child’s behavior and attitude can be dramatically changed by them. What can be done to help the leaders of tomorrow? The first step to decreasing the viewing of anime would be to understand what it is. Anime is a type of Japanese cartoon dealing

Continued on Page 8

Delayed Action BY PRISCILLA MELO OPINIONS EDITOR

Continued on Page 8

yugioh.spynet.lv

Parents are often unaware of the violence portrayed in popular cartoons, such as Yu-Gi-Oh!

standard than the treatment of POW’s by their guards. In 2003, Rumsfeld approved four interrogation methods, but required that he be informed prior to their use. One of these procedures was the isolation of a prisoner. Yet, in American prisons, solitary confinement is still a common form of punishment. The second difference is the reason these incidents are happening. In the case of POW’s, their mistreatment is the result of immoral means of interrogation, resorted to in an attempt to gain information, which, ideally, will end up saving lives. In American prisons the incidents that befall prisoners are by no means carried out with good intentions. Moreover, it is in this environment that prisoners are meant to be rehabilitated, that those with less than life sentences are supposed to become better people in preparation for their reintroduction to society. Instead these prisoners in many cases experience more violence than they did before they went to prison. So why do the POW’s get so much more sympathy than the average prisoner? The first reason is politics. The issue of torture has become a springboard that many politicians take advantage of to attack the Iraq war. The second reason is that what goes on in prisons has become a generally accepted fact that most people either shut out

In the middle of 2006, Harvard decided to revoke its early action policy. To many Harvardhopefuls in Stuyvesant, this was quite a blow. But in reality, this decision has made the admission process fairer for all. The early action program lets seniors an application in November, with the results sent in December. This is great, especially if you know your dream college. You won’t have to wait until April to know, and you’ll spend less time worrying. With a look at the college acceptance statistics, one finds that the acceptance rate for early applicants is almost always higher than for the pool of regular applicants. If you know exactly where you want to go, it will definitely help your admis-

sions chances to apply early. Of course, everybody wants to walk on those ivory halls, but what of those who can’t afford such premature action? The primary reason Harvard decided to repeal early action was that it was unfair. Many critics say that early admissions favor students that are from more educated families and come from well-funded high schools. This is true. Children whose parents are Harvard graduates themselves, or at least know about the admission process, will have the know-how to get applications in early. They have been surrounded by talk of the Ivy Leagues, and have more opportunities in their high schools to actually get in. This situation applies to Stuyvesant High School. Even if many of our Continued on Page 8

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Tuesday, October 31, 2006 OPINIONS

Children’s Friends, Parents’ Enemies Continued from Page 7

with acts of violence and sometimes sexual content. The cartoon characters are marked by their big eyes, which are “windows to the soul.” In the popular cartoon show “Dragon Ball Z,” the evil villain, Cell, aggressively kicks a man across the floor, and blood gushes out of the man’s head. Even worse, violence similar to that is being shown for hours and hours on television. Channel 11 (CW) even proudly advertises this by playing these anime cartoons on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon. This sort of brutality can also be found in Japanese comic books called “mangas.” Mangas are accessible through mail, comic book stores and popular trading posts such as eBay. It is amazing how violence can be

THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

THE CRITICAL LENS

The Tolerant Republic

toons were more likely to be prosecuted or arrested for committing a crime. Other negative effects of watching anime include being less sensitive towards the feelings of others and having an unreasonable fear of the surrounding world. If the leaders of tomorrow are to be saved, parents must quickly take action. First, parents can encourage their children to participate more in the household. Simple activities such as baking cookies together, playing board games or sharing a nice quiet family meal can help. Surveys have shown children who take part in their family are less likely to commit a crime. Second, television shows can be enjoyed by both the adult and child. Parents can see what kind of shows their child is watching and comment

BY ALVIS YUEN COLUMNIST

Corbis

In the September 5 issue, staff writer Amna Ahmad suggested that America would benefit if it followed the mildmannered ways of Canada. Personally, I find that to be an intriguing idea and a very plausible suggestion. The Canadian Oblivion prompted a reader to respond. This reader, who is a member of the Stuyvesant Republican Club, brings up many interesting points that I will address. An excerpt: “Why should beliefs that contradict western liberal values be tolerated? How should a tolerant liberal democracy deal with intolerance? Should intolerance be tolerated, or should it be battled? Ms. Ahmad says that all cultures should be tolerated in the U.S. no matter what. Cultures and religions are welcomed in this country, as long as they’re tolerant themselves . . . What should be done when people use liberal western laws to their advantage, and yet refuse to adopt western culture? . . . The riots in France last year, in which rioters from

Muslim communities clashed with police and torched thousands of cars, violently illustrates Muslim’s hostility and resentment towards their liberal European governments. For many decades Western Europe has done what Ms. Ahmad thinks our country should do, and now they are paying the social price. Canada has had the same ‘willful obliviousness’ to the risks of Islamism as has Europe.” Beliefs that contradict Western liberal values should be tolerated because there is more to this world other than Western values. This is the value in other belief systems, something our Eurocentered reader fails to acknowledge. I agree with Amna Ahmad; all cultures should be tolerated in the United States. If other beliefs were not tolerated, our tolerant liberal democracy would simply fail to be tolerant. As for the comment about taking advantage of Western law, I like to pose my own question: which western liberal law manContinued on Page 9

Allowing Rape While Condemning Torture Continued from Page 7

Mangas and anime, such as Dragonballz, are oftentimes violent.

accessed so easily. A growing child needs love, support and a nutritious diet. There is no need for a violent cartoons to interfere — but they do. Anime cartoons often contain inappropriate use of language and gestures. Studies have shown that children who watch a lot of anime cartoons often relate with the character and are more prone to be aggressive as an adult. The characters in the anime cartoon often use fists instead of words when solving problems. In one episode of “Digimon”, an evil character uses a blast of energy to make the heroes’ bodies break into pieces. In the intense study, children were “more likely to hit their playmates, argue, disobey class rules, leave tasks unfinished, and were less willing to wait for things than those who watched the nonviolent programs.” The University of Illinois tracked youngsters’ behavior until they were 30 and found that children who watched anime car-

on them. When they see violence, parents can discuss what caused the character to do it. A different solution could be pointed out, such as talking it over or compromising. Third, parents can encourage their child to participate in sports or take up a hobby to build character and leadership qualities. They can even make a list of other activities for their child to do instead of watching television day after day. Violence in anime cartoons is hazardous to a child’s growth. They alter a child’s view of the world around and promote negative way of dealing with problems. To prevent this from happening, parents can try to get their child to become more involved in the family or to explore athletic opportunities. They can also limit their child’s television viewing time. A little change in life now can affect the outcome of a whole life ahead. ◙

or have become comfortable with. Torture, on the other hand, is still an issue people are still shocked and outraged by. Finally, torture occurs because of the actions certain interrogators choose to take. It is easier to criticize torture, to

simply say “they shouldn’t be allowed to use these methods,” whereas the problem in our prisons is one of inaction, on the part of guards and judges, and also on the part of the media and the American people. ◙

Delayed Action Continued from Page 7

parents did not graduate college, or even high school for that matter, our heads have been drilled with the Ivy Leagues. That is in fact why most of us are even in this school — a great majority of Stuyvesant graduates will be accepted to very renowned universities. Yet, what of those who don’t go to a great public high school? Students from poorer families or whose parents did not go to college have never even heard of early action. And if they did, their thoughts will be thwarted with a glance at the $40,000 yearly tuition cost. They often need to weigh several admissions offers (if they even apply to col-

lege) to see which one offers the best financial aid. So they usually skip the early admissions process because they wouldn’t be able to make those comparisons. Yet this new policy is not only beneficial to minorities or financially-challenged students. All of us get a break — even our parents. Seniors will not have to get stressed out so early in the year, nor do parents. You might even get to compare Harvard with other schools, and aim for better financial aid — which will definitely benefit your parents. But, come on, who in their right mind would turn down Harvard? ◙

THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

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Tuesday, October 31, 2006 OPINIONS/BUSINESS

Decline of Yahoo? Or the Internet Advertisement Market? Corbis

BY HANFORD CHIU BUSINESS EDITOR

Yahoo posted its thirdquarter results in line with lowered forecasts, with its net income dropping greatly from a year ago on higher stock compensation expenses and lower-thanexpected ad sales. The net income was $159 million, or 11 cents a share, compared with last year’s figure of $254 million, or 17 cents a share. Yahoo had $80 million of stock-based compensation expense. With Google, Yahoo’s main rival, set to report soon, investors’ nerves are likely to remain on edge until then as they try to determine whether Yahoo’s woes are unique or a sign of a broader decline in the online advertising market. Terry Semel, chief executive of Yahoo, pledged on Tuesday, October 17 to “get back to basics” after increased competition for online advertising and options expenses led to a drop in profits

Yahoo trimmed its outlook for the coming quarter, underlining concerns that new advertising revenue could be bypassing simple search engines such as Google and Yahoo in favor of more popular and “stickier” sites such as MySpace.

at the oft-visited website. Semel said “I am not satisfied with our performance, and we intend to improve it; we are not exploiting our strengths as we should be.” His comments came as Yahoo trimmed its outlook for the com-

The Senior Sandwich BY SI HONG HUANG STAFF WRITER

There is a lot of buzz going around about the “60-year-old kid” (a phrase coined by Neal Cutler, a financial gerontologist, a person who studies the effect of aging on finances). The phrase refers to someone who has only a short way to go until retirement,

yet still has at least one parent who’s alive. According to Neal Cutler, 4 to 7 percent of people in their sixties had at least one parent who was still alive at the beginning of the twentieth century, compared with the still rising 49 percent today. In addition, 50

Continued from Page 8

The Stuyvesant Standard would like to cordially thank the Alumni Association and the Student Union for their generous support.

Continued on Page 10

The Tolerant Republic dates that everyone must adopt Western culture? There is a difference between acceptance and tolerance. Just because Muslims tolerate Christians and Jews does not necessarily imply that Muslims accept Judaism and Christianity as correct. These people are members of our society and should be justly treated with respect and toleration. I don’t like the example of the French riots. The riots were a result of decades of pent-up frustration in the Muslim communities. This frustration was a result of the Europeans’ refusal to assimilate the Muslims into their society. This discrimination prevented young Muslims from finding jobs and getting a better life. The intolerance of the Europeans was reflected by the riots of the Muslims, not vice versa. Our dear reader also commented that Stuyvesant students are oblivious to the events of the

ing quarter, underlining concerns that new advertising revenue could be bypassing simple search engines such as Google and Yahoo in favor of more popular and “stickier” sites such as MySpace. However, Yahoo’s shares

jumped more than 4 percent after the company said it had launched a search advertising program to try to make up for ground lost to Google. Yahoo warned the market last month that its profits would be lower than expected, citing weakness in the car advertising market. This warning raises concerns that the apparent slowdown in the United States economy may affect online businesses in a loss of vital advertising revenue. Yet there is also a chance that Yahoo is simply slowing down while the rest of the online advertising market is still healthy. Analysts have been questioning Yahoo’s long-term strategy, believing that it is less nimble on its feet than some of its rivals. Google’s $1.65 billion acquisition of YouTube has compounded the pressure on Yahoo, despite the latter’s remaining the market’s most visited website. ◙

world. However, the Stuyvesant population is not at fault. Students mock politics because our world is a mockery. The president invaded Iraq because he believed they had WMD’s, while North Korea was implicitly allowed to build nuclear weapons. Thousands of people suffered horrendously in New Orleans after Katrina since FEMA Director Brown was supposedly clueless. The Patriot Act allows people to be detained without charges being pressed against them. As a result, hundreds and even thousands of people have been wrongly detained by the CIA. Many of these victims are Muslims, whose images are suffering from extremists who tried to destroy America. Intolerant extremists don’t hate democracy — they just hate America. Because, quite frankly, America is not the tolerant democracy it should be. ◙

Do you want to earn some money? Are you desperate to get rid of those review books that you will never open again?

There is a solution to your problem! The Stuyvesant Standard is now introducing new section – Sell Your Review Books, at the affordable and cheap introductory rate of 3 percent of the selling price. You can advertise your review books to not only the student community at Stuyvesant High School, but also to parents, teachers, the surrounding Tribeca area. An email with your books listed will also be sent to The Standard’s web group. Interested? Email Khoi Nguyen, The Chief Finacial Officer, at [email protected] with your Name, ID, contact info, and list of books with prices and conditions the books are in that you want to sell. This is an opportunity that cannot be missed.

Page 10

Tuesday, October 31, 2006 BUSINESS/A&E

VIDEO GAME REVIEW

The Senior Sandwich Continued from Page 9

percent of young adults between the ages of 18 and 24 are living with their parents now, as compared with the 25 percent 10 years ago. The people who are caught in between their parents and children are known as the “senior sandwich” generation. Corbis

This generation consists of people in their sixties who are facing a financial crisis, if not a nightmare. The “sandwich-ers” are paying college bills for their kids, nursing-home fees for their parents and coming up with retirement plans for themselves. Lee Eisenberg, author of “The Number is 60,” is an example of a person who is caught in the “senior sandwich”: he has a 92year-old mother and two children

Company of Heroes

in high school. He said, “A 60year-old kid is himself grappling with aging and mortality while at the same time watching a parent aging in a much more extreme way,” adding “You have a bird’seye view of what you might be in for financially and physically. It’s not a bad thing, but it’s a worrisome thing,” in order to express his thoughts on the situation. In an unscientific survey conducted by Amanda Gengler of the magazine “Money,” three surveyors were asked to find their biggest financial burden, whether it was their own retirement, their kids’ education or their parents’ care. Rosie Quintaba, from England, said, “For me, I think the biggest priority would be caring for my parents.” J.R. Randall, from New York City, said, “Education. I don’t have kids yet, so I’ll be worrying about that later in life.” Keith Washco, from Fremont, California, said, “If I make it to my retirement age, Social Security won’t be there for me.” Although the “senior sandwich” seems like a disastrous financial dilemma for adults in their sixties, there are certain options they can utilize in order to stem the problem. According to “Money” magazine, adults in their sixties can plan on working a little longer, living a little leaner and encouraging their kids to study harder and qualify for merit aid. With a lighter load to carry, the “sandwich-ers” will be a step closer to financial freedom by the time they retire. ◙

BY JESSE ZHANG WEBMASTER

“Company of Heroes” belongs to the next generation of World War II real time strategy (WW2RTS) games. Setting the standard for all upcoming games, “Company of Heroes” introduces a new level of gaming to the PC. Receiving a stunning score of 9.0/10 from Gamespot, 9.4/10 from IGN, and an awesome score of 9.7/10 from the press, “Company of Heroes” has been dubbed the “best RTS ever made” and even the “best game in existence.” What I look for in a game is graphics, effects, physics, gameplay and concept. This game far surpasses my expectations in graphics, effects and physics. With its immaculate graphics and

near real-life physics, it totally blew me away. I have never seen anything this perfect. When it comes to graphics, “Company of Heroes” deserves a perfect 10. Even if you zoom in all the way, the details stay incredibly precise. Nearly all of its cut scenes are in-game graphics, as opposed to movie files. Graphics aren’t enough to make a game, however. All great games need effects, such as smoke and explosions, and “Company of Heroes” shines in this category too. But wait, there’s more. The physics in this game are so realistic that no RTS currently in existence matches them. Buildings break, telephone poles fall, bodies fly, and much, much more. Not only do things break, but Continued on Page 12 Corbis

The senior sandwich generation consists of people in their 60’s who are facing a financial crisis.

THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

A scene from the game “Company of Heroes.”

Controversial Fake Documentary on George Bush is Boycotted Yahoo! Movies

BY TASSO BOUNTUVAS STAFF WRITER

On the eve of the fifth anniversary of 9/11, millions of viewers were watching ABC’s twopart miniseries, “The Path to 9/11.” Meanwhile, in Canada, hundreds of Canadians went to watch the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) world premiere of Newmarket Film’s “Death of a President.” “Death of a President” is a fabricated documentary that analyzes a hypothetical situation where the assassination of President George W. Bush will be in Chicago on October 19, 2007. The film, acronymed in the TIFF press material as D.O.A.P. (pun intended), instantly became the festival’s favorite and most

The poster of the controversial film, “Death of a President.”

watched film. There was a full half-hour delay to the film because extra chairs had to be brought to accompany the additional viewers. The theater was even turning people away because it had reached maximum capacity. After doing so well in Canada, the film had planned to open in the United States on October 27, just in time for the November 7 election. However, the implementation of this plan is now being questioned. Major chains, such as Regal Entertainment Group, are refusing to play the film. Regal Entertainment Group CEO Mike Campbell said: “We feel it is inappropriate to portray the future assassination of a sitting presi-

dent, regardless of a political affiliation.” The co-founder of Newmarket Films, Chris Ball retaliates, “[‘Death of a President’] is quite a political thriller. In many ways it is sympathetic to George Bush. It talks about a rush to judgment. In no way is it a call for violence.” Gabriel Range, the film’s director, co-writer and coproducer, declared that his movie meant to use the death of the President as a catalyst to investigate the changes that might occur in domestic and international affairs. The first 25 minutes of the film trace the events that lead to the President’s assassination. Some evidence suggests that the sniper is a Syrian man, who posContinued on Page 12

THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

Page 11

Tuesday, October 31, 2006 A&E

Smoothie Wars vibrant decor and a name that vaguely references sunny African plains all add to the illusion of

Continued from Page 1

readme.syntheticsociety.org

ange juice or soy milk are mixed in with the fresh fruit, ice and protein blends like “energy” or “muscle.” Whether you create your own or choose from the suggested concoctions (try the Total Bliss — banana, apple cider, pineapple, strawberries and “slim” protein mix), everything is completely natural, without refined sugar or saturated fat. Remember to pick up a snack with your smoothie — wholesome items like the curry tuna wrap or the grilled chicken, tomato and almond salad are delicious — and you’ve got a meal fit for the health nut deep inside you.

well-being. Not a complete coverup, but eating or drinking at Jamba can be less than healthy.

Jamba Juice When you step inside this brightly lit store, it feels like going outside on a sunny day. The

The entrance of a Jamba Juice store.

Returning Singers Top the Charts BY AMY QIU STAFF WRITER

Corbis

Justin Timberlake, above, brought “Sexyback” this summer.

him in the #1 slot on Billboard’s Hot 100 Singles for a good six weeks. His album meanwhile is #5 on the Billboard 200 chart. Also released this summer was Nelly Furtado’s “Promiscuous,” which has held high positions on the charts for a full 23 weeks, dropping down to

Continued on Page 12

Robin Williams Gets the Nod BY ROBERT COLBOURN STAFF WRITER Yahoo! Movies

During the past few months, many hit singers seem to have come out of hiding by releasing their new records. While it is said that fame eventually fades, these stars probably won’t be fading from the music scene anytime soon. Long-time favorite Justin Timberlake brought “SexyBack” this summer, eventually landing

a decent #30 after all this time. Adding to this is her "Maneater" side, which has the 19th spot on the same chart. The success of these tracks helped make her album “Loose” her first #1 record. Veteran singer Janet Jackson made her own comeback with “So Excited.” Though she’s had multiple hits during her many years as a singer, the title of the song clearly shows how she still feels about her career, not to mention the fact that her album “20 Y.O.” has reached #9 on the Billboard 200. Younger on the age spectrum is JoJo, whose 2004 debut album came out when she was only 13. Proving that it’s not “Too Little, Too Late,” this song is #8 on the Hot 100 Singles and has been on this chart for 8 weeks. The track is part of her sophomore album, “The High Road.” Though she is quite a bit younger than many of the other hit singers, her chance of future success looks pretty high. Besides music, JoJo has also decided to pursue acting. She has been cast in the movies “Aquamarine” and “RV.” Though these singers all have hit albums, they have to make way for “The Open Door” from the music group Evanescence, which currently has the prized #1 spot on the Billboard 200. Originally from Arkansas, the band’s first album “Fallen” came out in 2003, bringing the singers 2 Grammy awards. The success of

The larger smoothies may contain 600 calories or more. But simply sip a smaller size and you won’t be sorry — especially if you order the Peach Pleasure (peach juice, orange sorbet, peaches and bananas) or the Orange Berry Blitz (orange juice, pineapple sorbet, strawberries and blueberries). If you don’t want extra ingredients like sorbet or yogurt, order an All Fruit smoothie. Add a boost, like the Burner or Immunity, for some serious health points. Baked goods like pizza sticks and apple cinnamon pretzels aren’t ideal for fitness freaks, but the blueberry cinnamon swirl is delectable, especially when warmed in the tiny oven at Jamba Juice. I can’t say that the peanut butter and chocolate smoothie is not addictive, but if you get it, bypass the nutritional booklet and enjoy your drink without guilt. ◙

The poster of “Man of the Year,” starring Robin Williams.

In “Man of the Year,” Robin Williams plays a comedian who hosts a talk show, similar to Jon Stewart. An offhand remark during a political discussion leads to his announcing his candidacy for presidency, being assisted by Lewis Black and Christopher Walken. A computing error in the ballot leads to him being announced as president as the company that created the voting software tries to silence the one person who knows about it. During the first 45 minutes of the movie, there is constant conversing between Christopher Walken, Lewis Black and Robin Williams, which leads to some of

the greatest remarks on politics that I’ve ever heard. The controversial ethics involving political campaigns, the representation of the people, and the overall required integrity of the president fill out the serious undertone that rings throughout the movie, but the political humor truly completes it. The actors complement each other and provide the viewer with a sense of irony when their characters truly unfold. Judging each character is crucial, because it connects them together and brings out their true light and dark spots. Throughout the movie there is a sense of balance. The scenes that are meant to show Williams’s shine will make anyone die laughing. And luckily, all the romance and drama tossed in do not take away from that. To some it may seem lopsided, yet it does seem that the audience needs a break from the maniacal scenes where Robin Williams runs rampant on stage. All in all, the movie has a very well balanced tone, taking into account all the ethical and moral issues behind running for any public office, with a very comedic assortment of characters, which earns it a great review. ◙

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Tuesday, October 31, 2006 A&E/LITERARY

Controversial Fake Documentary on George Bush is Boycotted current President is a completely distasteful thought. They feel that the film is encouraging the notion and may even convince someone to carrying it out. Others argue that the film is only a device to awaken people as to what our world has become today. In the end, however, the best thing that the theater chains can do is allow those who want to see the film to get their chance. ◙

Continued from Page 10

sibly supported Al Qaeda and who worked in the building from which the fatal shot was fired. Dick Cheney, now President, calls for a Patriot Act III, which suspends most civil liberties and calls for military engagement with Syria. “Death of a President” is clearly a controversial film which instigates clashing opinions between people. Some insist that the mere idea of “assassinating” the

Returning Singers Top the Charts Continued from Page 11

their new record was propelled by their emotional hit single “Call Me when You’re Sober.” Corbis

Amy Lee of Evanescence.

Of course, one cannot forget about American Idol star Clay Aiken, who has continued to make use of his charming voice in the album “A Thousand Differ-

ent Ways.” He’s definitely not “Invisible,” attaining #8 out of 200 albums in only the second week of the record’s release. On a side note, quite a few “American Idol” singers are going to come out with albums this fall. Fantasia, Ruben Studdard, Kellie Pickler, Taylor Hicks and Katharine McPhee are all set to make debuts soon. With all these statistics being thrown on the page, it begs the question of where they exactly came from. Billboard charts incorporate data from Nielson SoundScan, which looks at sales of about 90 percent of the country’s music merchants, including stores and online sites. They also look at radio stations to see how often a song is played and how many people listen to it at a time. In other words, successful singers need people to not only listen to their voices, but buy them as well. Fortunately, many of today’s returning singers have achieved just that. ◙

Questions BY STEPHANIE TAM STAFF WRITER

Picking up the pieces That were left behind Drifting thoughts and memories Was it worth the time? Hostility and enmity Were once some tiny specks But nowadays it’s different Why is the world a wreck? It seems that all good things Are bound to have an end Why can’t we have a say in this? Why can’t we make amends? Spirit, faith, hope and courage All reduced to rubble Ruined pieces and waning strength What caused all these troubles?

THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

VIDEO GAME REVIEW

Company of Heroes Continued from Page 10

they react with each other. No game is complete without great gameplay and an ingenious concept, and “Company of Heroes” rules here too. First off, there are four styles of play: single-player hands-on missions, single-player skirmish, multiplayer skirmish, and multi-player ranked matches. The singleplayer hands-on missions are just crazy. The scenarios are drawn from real battles of World War II. Also, every unit that survives one game is saved for reuse in the next one. In the multi-player version, you can play with the computer, but you also have the option of playing with other people. Then, the best part of this is the multi-player ranked matches. To be fair, you cannot choose your opponent. In this style of gameplay, however, your wins and losses will be counted towards your rank. The more wins you have, the higher ranking you have. Unfortunately, “Heroes” just doesn’t have enough maps to play on, and those that it does have aren’t very dynamic. The game contains a unique style of gaining resources. “Company of Heroes” requires that you acquire special resource points and keep those points to continue gaining an income of that particular resource. It may seem pointless at first, but it requires a lot of strategy to both keep your points and to capture new ones. The next unique aspect of the game’s concept is its unique squad AI. All members of your army can think for themselves. When faced with an enemy, they automatically take

cover behind things, like knocked-over telephone poles. Also, you can garrison any army unit into any building in the city. Overall, “Company of Heroes” receives a 9.9/10 in my book. I can’t wait to see an upcoming game top this. ◙

Leaving the Maze BY MAGGIE HUANG GUEST WRITER

I'm stopping here All possible outcomes I fear Where I feel so hopeless Why can't there be an end to this? Dead ends keep me I try but I can't flee You don't know my agony Past my mask you can't see No dream, no nightmare No way out so it seems Time has punctured its heart But this life I scream to part Where I begun I follow Who cares for I am hollow

Shut off from the alternate So my spirit falls to a pit Anymore I can't stand it Breaking out because nothing fit Though I must start anew The ambience is dark blue What I promised before I did not do but hid more Repeat mistakes I will never Leaving this maze with you forever I will find you at the end Broken wounds I shall mend No matter the length of this phase I am leaving this maze.

THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

Cryptogram

Sudoku BY HEYU XIONG STAFF PUZZLE CREATOR

BY JEFFREY LIAW PUZZLE COLUMNIST

6

2

“TBLDIZ DT B TEIL EC OYBTT, PNZIZDR AZNEYUZIT UE OZRZIBYYQ UDTGEJZI ZJZIQAEUQ’T CBGZ AXL LNZDI EPR.” – F. TPDCL

8

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L M O E B E Z A T T

A R N M V P C W S E

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S E T A L O C O H C

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C U A S P W K E C E

K N L N L K I P A S

C X R M T S N S D M

A B S O L E H L N K

I have dropped a handball down a golf hole. The hole fits the ball so that I cannot put my fingers around it or lift it out with a stick/ wedge. All I have are heavy, unused textbooks , an unopened water bottle, two pens, and five paperclips How would I save 1$ and get the ball out?

T L F W C P R A Y L

Y O G E K Y M N C I

U O H T D P D C S V

tober is National Breast Cancer awareness month and, considering that one fifth of the women in America will develop breast cancer at some point in their lives, it is hard to avoid being affected by it for long.

BY VIVIAN CHAN STAFF PUZZLE CREATOR

I P O Y S O A N T E

O T P U F A S P A H

W I T C H D W R B C

Word Bank Black Cat Blood Candy Corn Chocolate Costumes Evil Ghost Lanterns Monsters Witches

BY PAUL ROZENBERG STAFF WRITER

Continued on Page 15 Corbis

A hypoallergenic cat.

Results of a digital mammography, with computer-aided diagnosis, seen in the computer monitor.

Fill the hole with water so that the ball floats out.

Newsday

You've done the walks, worn the ribbons, or maybe you've seen an infomercial, but you most likely haven't really thought much about it. After all, it doesn't impact your life directly. Oc-

Children= 2, 5, 8, 11, 14, 17, 20, 23, 26 Father = 48

Biotech Firm to Produce Hypoallergenic Cats

Breast Cancer Month BY DEVYN BUCKLEY STAFF WRITER

A man has 9 children born at perfect intervals. He boasts that the sum of the squares of each child’s age is the sum of his own. How old is each?

Building tough cryptograms from familiar words with conventional syntax presents vexatious obstacles.

5

B A S O G K U N H T

Riddle

Cryptogram

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Halloween Word Search

C E S E C A J P O R

Page 13

Tuesday, October 31, 2006 PUZZLES/SCIENCE

Pet lovers who are allergic to cats can now rejoice. Starting 2007, they will be able to buy felines that will not cause an allergic reaction. The San-Diego based company Allerca has announced that it will sell kittens for $3,950 that are completely

hypoallergenic. The company is working on producing cats with reduced levels of FEL D 1, a protein found in saliva and skin that triggers allergic reactions. In 2004, Allerca attempted to use genetic engineering in order to stop production of this protein by using “gene silencing,” a technique that would block production of the chemical that causes allergies. However, a lawsuit prompted the firm to use more traditional methods. A group of cats that they were experimenting on had a natural mutation that made them allergy-free. By selectively breeding cats, Allecra had a group of kittens that did not produce the version of the allergic FEL D 1 protein. “We tested the protein they produced, and it appeared that these cats produce it Continued from Page

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Tuesday, October 31, 2006 SCIENCE

THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

Virtual World Gives People Unlimited Possibilities Reuters

BY SANGHEE CHUNG STAFF WRITER

Philip Rosedale said, "Let there be Second Life" and created heaven and earth in his own virtual world. Second Life currently has 800,000 users who run a real fulltime life in this virtual world selling virtual land, clothes, and jewelry and offering virtual services such as sex. People, in fact, actually pay real money to take part in Rosedale's creation through the Internet. Hundreds of thousands of dollars are exchange daily and it currently has an annual gross domestic product of around $150 million. Rosedale forecasts that the number of users will surpass one million this year. Rosedale also has his own avatar, or character, in Second Life. "I have to admit that I'm vain, like all of us. Nowadays to

A headshot of Reuters correspondent Adam Pasick (left) as compared to an handout image of Pasick’s Second Life avatar (right).

between Second Life and World of Warcraft and The Sims Onlineis that the first is "not a game." There are no goals or restrictions. Characters are free to fly or breathe underwater and

be Philip Linden (his online alter ego) is to be a rock star," he told the Associated Press. Users can access a portal to Second Life and can play it in real time. The major difference

Continued on Page 15 Engadget.com

The Nuclear Bomb: the Biggest One of Them All BY RICHARD SHYONG STAFF WRITER Archives.gov

The Sony Reader is barely 5 inches by 7 inches by ½ an inch.

The E-book Platform: An End to All Books? BY MOTTAQUI AL-KARIM STAFF WRITER

Everybody likes books. They can be used as self-teaching guides or as a form of enjoyment. They warn us about the perils of global warming and give us profound insights into the human nature. So why is Sony trying to bring back the e-book? Well, the “stuff” in books might be good, but in general, books are inconvenient. They are big and bulky, do not fit into pockets, and cannot be carried in mass numbers. Textbooks are heavy and often cannot be carried in a backpack without experiencing some sort of discomfort. An e-book (and a platform to carry these e-books)

never age or die. They can also change their appearance to be as appealing the graphics will allow them to be. "The generative idea was that it was a place where you could create things," Rosedale said. However, to be able to have a permanent place and build a virtual home, users must pay $10 a month to own 500 virtual square meters. Users are allowed to create their own designs and buildings that would be impossible in the real world. Many scholars and companies are using Second Life as a means of modeling real world problems and hypothetical situations, such as the distribution of aid after a disaster and the efficiency of a building layout. Second Life has its flaws, however. One of its servers was

would literally give the user a digital library of books ranging from textbooks to paperbacks. Of course, such an elaborate contraption can be called wasteful and unnecessary, but that argument also applies to MP3 players, which have amassed great popularity over a short period of time. Sony’s main reason for returning to the already failed ebook (Barnes & Noble and Palm both got rid of their e-book sections in 2003) probably has to do with what Apple did with MP3s. Sony’s e-book platform, called the Sony Reader, sells for $350 and comes with Sony Connect, an iTunes for books. The prices of Continued on Page 16

The mushroom cloud of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan, 1945, rose some 18 kilometers (11 mi) above the hypocenter.

In light of recent reports that North Korea has supposedly detonated an atomic bomb, people are often reminded of the fragile balance of life. All it would take, theoretically, is for one country to release an atomic bomb on another country—then all hell would break loose. It is the domino theory put into effect: one country bombs another, and all the other countries join in the brouhaha. This is called MAD, or Mutually Assured Destruction. It is hard to believe that one small bomb, weighing around four to five tons, could eventually bring the world to its knees. In times

such as this, it wouldn’t hurt to learn more about the atomic bomb, the “godfather” of all bombs. The history of the atomic bomb is rather short. Invented by the Americans (Codename Manhattan Project) in 1945, it was used only twice in all of history, both times against Japan in 1945. Shortly after, in 1949, the Soviets developed their own atomic bomb, causing the Cold War to break out. Each side, wanting to become the dominant world power, continued to buildup its own stockpile. By the mid-1950s, both sides eventually created the hydrogen bomb, a bomb a thousand times more powerful than the atomic bomb. As the century progressed, four other countries, United Kingdom, France, China, and possibly India, had all developed their own atomic bombs. Finally realizing the threat nuclear weapons would bring, the Nuclear Proliferation Act was passed to prevent the further spread of nuclear technology. This would be the first and only attempt to slow down nuclear growth and would prove rather ineffective. Nuclear technology is an advanced science. There are two types of nuclear weapons. The first are types that explode through nuclear fission alone. Such bombs contain a mass of fissile material, usually plutoContinued on Page 16

THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

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Tuesday, October 31, 2006 SCIENCE

Reuters

Biotech Firm to Produce Hypoallergenic Cats Continued from Page 13 National Geographic

A hypoallergenic cat created by Allecra, a biotechnology based in San Diego, California.

at a different molecular weight,” says Allerca founder Simon Brodie. Many specialists are very skeptical about the prospects of this breed. Robert Wood, director of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology at the John Hopkins School of Medicine, said that “individual sensitivity varies well

over a hundred-fold”, and breeding “may not reduce FEL D 1 enough to protect the most sensitive people.” A protein released by cats, called albumin, can cause reactions in ten percent of people with cat allergies. For those that are unwilling to pay $3,950 for a cat, there is another option. The Siberian breed is available for around $700 each. These cats, which have been available in the U.S. since the early 1990s, have naturally low levels of chemicals that cause allergies. Jay Collins, a breeder of Siberians from Portland, says that his cats are not completely foolproof either: “There’s not as much allergic reaction as it would be with a regular cat, but some people still react.” So while a huge advancement in science has been made, there is still a long way to go. ◙

An in-game screenshot of Second Life is seen in an undated handout image from Linden Lab.

Virtual World Gives People Unlimited Possibilities there is a Teen Second Life. Teens in this world also have essentially the same capabilities of interaction and creation and the same "tools and resources to build your own vision of a better world." ◙

Continued from Page 14

recently hacked, which could potentially expose users' private information. There are also harassments occurring within the game although disciplinary actions are taken against violaters. For users under the age of 18,

A Story About Breast Cancer Continued from Page 13

drip, along with medicines to relieve the effect of nausea caused by chemotherapy. “I had a great doctor who believed in freeing me from the nausea. I did not experience it at all . . . It was very comfortable and relaxed there. They had Lazy Boy chairs you could lie in and I was offered green tea while they played soft Corbis

Sabina Ellentuck provides a firsthand experience of the fight against breast cancer and what happens when it takes a swan dive into your life. Like many other women, Sabina first noticed the possibility of breast cancer when she detected a lump in August of last year. “By December I noticed that it had grown larger. I could feel the lump, but it didn't show up in the mammogram, only the sonogram. My doctor told me not to worry because I did not show the characteristics of breast cancer. But I pushed for a biopsy and a week later I got the call that it is malignant cancer in the first stage.” Mammograms are a type of imaging that use a low-dose Xray system, while sonograms use high-frequency sound waves to form images of tissues. Sabina was lucky to have caught the cancer in the first stage and argues that the discovery of her cancer was largely due to her initiative and involvement in the detection. For most women, the discovery and eradication of the cancer in the early stages is dependent on the selfinvolvement and level of interest of the individual. Mammograms sometimes fail to detect certain types of cancers. Most often, cancer is first discovered by a ph ysical selfexamination. Although it was shocking and frightening for both

Sabina and her family members, they are relieved by the positive result of the treatment. Sabina had caught the cancer in an early stage, as many women do, and took an active role in ensuring that the process of removing her cancer was begun right away. “They first gave me a lumpectomy and removed the cancer by

(left) Dripping container of cancer chemical medication. (right) A woman with head covered to keep her warm receiving chemotherapy for breast cancer

surgery. After the surgery, I began chemotherapy.” Chemotherapy is a process in which the patient is given an intravenous drip with chemicals to fight the cancer. Sometimes nutritional supplements to build lost immunity are inserted into the

music. It was like visiting someone’s house.” An important aspect of cancer recovery is a positive attitude and stress relief. Stress is known to be a cancer promoter. Sabina adds that it is important to have a good doctor. She describes her

doctor, Dr. Mitch Gaynor, as a practitioner whose methods are a “combination of Eastern and Western medicine. He performs procedures such as chemo and radiation and prescribes pills for me, as well as things such as sound therapy, meditation and yoga.” Before her chemotherapy, her doctor used visual imagery called the “Golden Fluid” to give Sabina a positive and optimistic attitude about chemotherapy. Having a positive attitude is known to be a crucial factor in recovery. After a long struggle, and much help from family members, Sabina has concluded her treatments and freed herself of cancer. For a lot of women, this is the end result. But it is critical to stay alert for lumps, and receive a mammogram once a year after age 40, as risk begins to increase with age. Many studies are being conducted on the cause and treatment of breast cancer. It has been discovered that certain products such as lotions and deodorants contain parabens, which promote cancer cell development and should be avoided. It is important to eat healthy foods, and stay alert for signs, to prevent and stop the development of breast cancer. You can aid the fight against breast cancer by contributing to charities. Your money saves lives. Who knows — you may end up saving the lives of people you know. ◙

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Tuesday, October 31, 2006 SCIENCE

THE STUYVESANT STANDARD Corbis

The E-book Platform: An End to All Books? Continued from Page 14

Comicon

The Sony Reader is Manga friendly.

books vary in the way hard cover and paperback books’ prices vary in normal book stores, with hardcovers being more expensive. The Sony Reader is barely 5 inches by 7 inches (width and length respectively, just about an inch taller than the conventional paperback), ½ an inch thick, and bound in a leather casing, with a flap that opens to the screen. The pages can be turned one at a time or skipped by 10% of the book. There is also a book mark function which allows the Reader

tic are millions of transparent microscopic spheres of liquid. Inside these spheres are tiny black and white “particles.” When certain electrical charges are applied to this plastic-liquid sphere complex, black or white particles rise to the top of the spheres (this depends on the amount and nature of charge applied). This results in a crisp, clear image which looks like ink on light gray paper. In fact, the black and white particles are so close to the plastic, it looks as if the words are actually printed on the screen. Best of all, the Reader does not consume energy to keep the words printed on the screen. Energy is used only to facilitate “page-turns.” Thus, the Reader never has to be turned off. The Sony Reader, however, is not the only e-book platform out there. Amazon is rumored to be starting up an e-book store and platform, according to bloggers. In addition, iRex Technologies has an experimental e-book platform, called iLiad, a “work in progress,” which boasts a bigger screen than the Reader, more disk space, and an interactive touch screen which allows the users to take and save notes on it with a

If the e-book industry survives to expand and continue over the years, we could all eventually witness an expansion in the book industry, similar to what has been going on in the MP3 industry. to save certain pages. The Reader supports 7500 “pageturns” on one battery charge. The battery can be recharged from a computer’s U.S.B port or using the AC adaptor. Aside from books, the Reader can also display black and white images and play unprotected MP3 or AAC files. The Reader also supports PDF, JPEG, and Word documents. Its storage, which is a mere 64 megabytes, can hold about 80 books. It contains a microSD slot which can be used to expand this memory. The microSD card is one of the two ways to insert e-books, photos, and music into the Reader. Another way to transfer media into the Reader is by using the U.S.B port on a computer. The real eye-opener in the Reader, however, is the screen. The 6 inch screen utilizes a technology called E ink. On the screen, in between layers of plas-

stylus. The iRex iLiad goes for $700, which is twice as much as the Reader. Thus, books still hold the day, and they will continue to do so, until the prices of these new e-book book platforms are lowered. As of right now, these platforms are too expensive for the mainstream consumer. However, they are a step closer to a future that boasts more efficient ways to access information, ways that are not bulky or damaging to trees. If the e-book industry survives to expand and continue over the years, we could all eventually witness an expansion in the book industry, similar to what has been going on in the MP3 industry. Till then, books will have to be the way to go. ◙

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reviewing an honor guard with South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon at Seoul International Airport. Abe is visiting Seoul amid reports from North Korea that it conducted a nuclear bomb test earlier in the day.

The Nuclear Bomb: the Biggest One of Them All Continued from Page 14

nium of uranium, which are gathered into a supercritical mass (mass needed to achieve an exponentially growing chain reaction). When this happens, the neutrons begin to interact, and a reaction begins to occur. The second type, fusion reaction, is the basis of all hydrogen bombs. A small fission bomb is detonated next to a compartment of fusion fuel, heating a capsule of tritium, deuterium, or lithium deuteride, which starts a fusion chain reaction. The components of the fusion bomb are known as “stages.” Thus, the fission bomb starts out as the first stage, and culminates in the last stage of fusion reaction. By combining numerous stages together with increasing amounts of fusion fuel, an extraordinary large yield can be created. In fact, the largest

bomb explosion ever made, created by the Soviets, was put at 50 million tons of TNT, compared to the bomb that took out Hiroshima, which came in at only 16 thousand tons of TNT! Fission and fusion technology is a very closely guarded secret. Even today, the outline of an atomic bomb is speculation at best. Judging by the amount of damage a bomb of that size can create, it is actually a necessity for such secrecy. That is the reason why today, many countries are seeking sanctions against North Korea. Even if the whole world does not pitch in and start launching atomic bombs left and right, North Korea alone can cause enough damage to put the world on hold. Earth has at least a few million years left, and let’s make the most out of it. ◙

Your School, Your World, Your News Are all just a short click away.

Come visit Our new website. THE STUYVESANT STANDARD WWW.STUYSTANDARD.ORG

THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

Tuesday, October 31, 2006 SPORTS

Page 17

Peglegs Split Homecoming Continued from Page 20

Stuyvesant great field position, leading to another score. At the half, the score was 14-0 in favor of Stuyvesant. The Peglegs were dominating so far, and it felt good to be a Stuyvesant fan. The Stuyvesant Pep Band, led by Dr. Gregory Winkel, played marches and popular songs to help celebrate and keep the drive. It was time for the cheerleaders to take the field. They did their repertoire, entertaining the crowds and players with their dance moves and high-flying leaps. The sound system had some problems, but that did not stop the spirited cheerleaders from putting on a good show. After the cheerleaders, the Pep Band went through their own repertoire of songs, such as Celebrate A Celebration and Activity march. There was, unfortunately, some animosity shown towards the band: three eggs and a water bottle were thrown at them from the direction of the apartment buildings nearby. One egg hit a stand, and some came danger-

ously close to hitting students. Junior Major Yang, a trumpet player, said that “The band didn't sound too good, so maybe it was us . . . but seriously, it was a dangerous thing to do. Some people even got hit by the eggs, and one girl got it in her hair. We had to move around after that.” Security and Principal Teitel were notified, but the culprits were not caught. Half-time ended, and the game resumed. This time, Stevenson seemed to be the one doing well. They managed to score a touchdown on a long pass over the middle, and the score soon became 14-8. With under two minutes remaining, Stevenson was able to get the ball back and try for the tying score. They drove to the Stuyvesant 30, when a key sack and fumble recovery by Khrisendat Persaud finished the game. Stuyvesant moved to 33 with the win, closing in on their first winning season in a long time. ◙

The Yankees Off Season Continued from Page 20

would be a huge mistake. There will be so much media attention when Rodriguez is closing in on Hank Aaron’s home run record (which he is on pace to break) as well as setting records for hits, RBI’s and runs. In addition to the media attention, sell-outs in the new Yankee Stadium will generate a lot of money. Even more, a New York Yankee will be on top of the record books again. The Yankees should treat A-Rod like nothing is wrong, because that will help his fragile state of mind. The player who must be traded is Carl Pavano, who, after being signed to a huge five-year, $50 million contract two years ago, has given the Yankees only three wins, which comes out to $7 million per win. His injury problems are not acceptable, and the Yankees need to trade him for a role player or maybe even a minor leaguer. There is no way that he can help the team. The tragic death of Cory Lidle was a shock to the baseball world, and a devastating blow to the Yankees’ starting rotation. Lidle and Jaret Wright split time being the number 5 starter after the trade deadline. Wright should be put in the bullpen and used as a set-up man because of his tendency to pitch better in his first few innings. The Yankees will

have to look in the free agent market for pitchers, and three people who are sure to be offered contracts are Barry Zito, Jason Schmidt and maybe even Jeff Suppan. Acquiring Zito or Schmidt would make Randy Johnson the fourth starter. The fifth spot could be taken by Jeff Karstens or maybe even Phillip Hughes, who has been in the Yankees farm system for 3 years now and has electric stuff. Either of these two would make the rotation as dominant as the Yankees offense of last year. The Yankees’ bullpen doesn’t need much work, especially if Wright is added. Injured pitchers Octavio Dotel and Tanyon Strutze are coming back, and with the emergence of Brain Bruney, the consistency of Scott Procter, the specialty of Mike Myers, the overpowering stuff of Kyle Farnsworth, and the amazing Mariano Rivera, that bullpen is arguably the best in the majors. The Yankees won’t have an easy task this off-season, but with the signing of a big name starter and not trading away their runscoring machines, they can make their team even better, and show the world what two hundred million dollars can do. ◙

Photos of Homecoming Courtesy of Yana Genem, Eric Mayo, and Richard Mai.

Page 18

Tuesday, October 31, 2006 SPORTS

2006 - 2007 NBA Preview Continued from Page 20

Yao Ming of the Houston Rockets in a game against the Los Angeles Clippers.

other division championship fairly easily. If they can keep Carmelo Anthony, Andre Miller, Kenyon Martin and Marcus Camby healthy, they should win at least one round in the playoffs, maybe more. The other team worth mentioning is the Utah Jazz. With no other players to really support Mr. Do-It-All An-

THE SPORTS BEAT

A-Rod is What? Continued from Page 19

the article, their definition of worth becomes vastly different from my own. Stephen Walters, of Loyola College in Maryland, is a leading researcher in baseball economics. He’s published numerous studies on baseball economics, and his latest study concludes A-Rod is indeed under-

Simply put, "A-Rod is certainly generating more than $25 million in annual revenues to the Yankees. paid. Simply put, “A-Rod is certainly generating more than $25 million in annual revenues to the Yankees,” said Walters. If you think about it, it makes sense. ARod jerseys. A-Rod bobble-head dolls. A-Rod life-size cardboard cutouts, one of which I do own.

drei Kirilenko, the Jazz will be struggling to even make it into the playoffs. The Pacific division will have at least three out its five teams making the playoffs again, but only one of them will really have a chance at a championship — the Phoenix Suns. Two-time reigning MVP Steve Nash alongReuters/Lucy Nicholson

involved in an incident outside of a strip club along with three other Pacers and was charged with felony, criminal recklessness and two counts of misdemeanor battery and disorderly conduct. However, despite the questionable status of Jackson, the Pacers will still look good this season, All-Star forward Jermaine O’Neal got some much-needed support with the reacquisition of former Pacer Al Harrington. Harrington should pitch in close to 20 points and 8 rebounds a game. The last of the teams that make up this tough division is the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls should expect a better result than their first-round playoff loss last year, with the acquirement of Ben Wallace, the former Piston. Along with Wallace, young guns Kirk Hinrich, Ben Gordon and Andres Nocioni should lead the Bulls to a very strong season. The Southeast division, just like the Atlantic, should be another no-brainer. The 2006 NBA champion Miami Heat will once again win the division, and are probably a good bet to win the whole conference. Unless either Dwyane Wade or Shaquille O’Neal suffers from injuries, look for the Heat to cruise through the regular season. The only other decent team in the division is the

Washington Wizards. They will definitely make the playoffs, but don’t look for them to go far. Now, let’s swing over to the overall stronger of the two conferences, the Western Conference. In the Northwest division, the Denver Nuggets will win an-

THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

His merchandising power is incredible. So incredible, in fact, that when negotiating this monstrous contract, A-Rod wanted a merchandising tent solely dedicated to him. Which athletes, then, are the moneymakers? In the NBA, the honor belongs to Lebron James and Dwayne Wade. Both sell shoes, jerseys, and put people in their respective arenas. In the NFL, Peyton Manning and Michael Vick are probably the most marketable athletes. Finally, in baseball, Albert Pujols and David Ortiz are making the most money for their clubs. So is A-Rod underpaid? It’s hard to say that you’re underpaid when you’re the most expensive athlete in professional sports and you go missing when it counts. A-Rod deserves one more chance as a Yankee, because his trade value would be far below what he could be worth if he gets a grip on his mental state. What he does with that chance is up to him. ◙

side MVP candidate Shawn Marion should get a huge boost from the return of all-star Amare Stoudemire, who played only three games last season while being plagued by knee injuries. The Los Angeles Clippers should put in another strong season, being led by Elton Brand, Sam Cas-

sell and Cuttino Mobley. Their crosstown rival, the Lakers, should be one of the lower three seeds in the playoffs and will probably get knocked out in the first round again. No matter how many 81-point games Kobe Bryant has, his team won’t be going anywhere unless he gets more assistance from his teammates. Last, but absolutely not least, comes the Southwest division. The top two teams in the division, the 2005 NBA Champion San Antonio Spurs and the 2006 Western Conference champs, the Dallas Mavericks, will both be looking for the championship they missed out on last year. The Mavericks, who were one game away from winning the championship, will have another great season. With young players Josh Howard and Devin Harris improving their game, they should give much more help to Jason Terry, Erick Dampier and superstar Dirk Nowitzki. The Spurs should have a better season than last year, given that all three of their stars can stay healthy. A team that is looking to bounce back this year is the Houston Rockets. With star players Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming both suffering from injuries last year, the Rockets placed last in the division. If T-Mac and Yao don’t get hurt, look for them to return to the playoffs. ◙

THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

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Tuesday, October 31, 2006 SPORTS

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

OCTOBER 30

OCTOBER 31

NOVEMBER 1

NOVEMBER 2

NOVEMBER 3

NOVEMBER 4

NOVEMBER 5

Fencing Boys

Boys Bowling

Girls Bowling

Cross-Country

Vs. Laguardia @ Laguardia 4:00 PM

vs. Chelsea @ Leisure Time Recreation 4 4:00 PM

Girls Bowling

vs. Murry Bergtraum @ Leisure Time Recreation 2 4:00 PM

vs. University Neighborhood @ Leisure Time Recreation 10 4:00 PM

JV

PSAL Soph-Frosh Championship @ Van Cortlandt Park

Fencing Boys

Boys Fencing

Vs. Hunter @ Stuy 4:00 PM

vs. Murry Bergtraum @HS for Humanities 4:30 PM

vs. HS of Art and Design @HS of Art and Design 4:00 PM

vs. Automotive @Brooklyn Tech Field 2:00 PM

JV vs. Murry Bergtraum @Murry Bergtraum 5:30 PM vs Dewitt Clinton @Dewitt Clinton 4:30 PM

JV

vs. Washington Irving @Stuy 5:30 PM

vs. John F. Kennedy @ Brooklyn Tech Field 12:00 PM

NOVEMBER 6

NOVEMBER 7

Boys Fencing vs. Millenium HS @Stuy 4:30 PM

NOVEMBER 8

NOVEMBER 9

NOVEMBER 10

JV

NOVEMBER 11

NOVEMBER 12

Cross-Country

Girls Bowling JV

Varsity and Junior Varsity Championships @ Van Cortlandt Park

vs. Murry Bergtraum @Murry Bergtraum 5:30 PM

vs. Alfred E. Smith @Alfred E Smith HS Field 11:00 AM

Another Losing Season for the Yankees With the Yankees and the Mets in the playoffs, New Yorkers expected that there would be another Subway Series. However, the Mets went farther then the Yankees did. In fact, it has been six years since the Bronx Bombers won the World Series. It seems that the Yankees are incapable of winning, although they have made the playoffs every year. This year, they lost to the Detroit Tigers in the American League Division Series. In the five-game series, the Yankees lost 3-1. Though they started the playoffs in the right way, with an 8-4 win in Game 1, that was their only win. Game 2 was close, but the Tigers managed to win it, 4-3. The Tigers blew out the Yankees in Game 3, with a score of 6-0. Game 4 was held on October 7 in Detroit. This was a crucial game for the Yankees. If they lost, they would be eliminated, and if they won, they would go on to a deciding Game 5. The

Tigers started it early, with Magglio Ordonez homering in the second inning. By the seventh inning, the game looked as if it were already over, with the Tigers leading 8-0. In the seventh inning, however, Derek Jeter scored off Hideki Matsui’s RBI ground out. In the ninth inning, Jorge Posada had a two-run home run, to make the score 8-3. Unfortunately, the Yankees’ effort came up short. Although they were unsuccessful in the playoffs, the Yankees’ season was not a complete failure. They managed to finish first in the AL East Division, with a record of 97-65. Furthermore, the Yankees’ young players stepped up big throughout the season. Chien-Ming Wang, for example, had an amazing season, tying for most wins in the league, with 19. ◙

THE SPORTS BEAT

A-Rod is What? BY ERIC MAYO STAFF WRITER epochtimes.com

BY HESHAM SALEH STAFF WRITER

vs. Flushing @ Flushing Memorial Field 11:00 AM

A-Rod is certainly generating more than $25 million in annual revenues to the Yankees," said Walters.

The agony of another Yankees defeat was just beginning to set in last Sunday afternoon. Humiliated in four straight games by the ice-cold Tigers, the blame needed to be placed somewhere. Joe Torre couldn’t possibly be

blamed. Four World Series rings usually take you off the hook. No, the blame must be placed solely on the shoulders of A-Rod. Yes, he wasn’t the only one who forgot how to hit during those four days. However, he suddenly seems to have forgetten how to hit in October, and now the stats show a consistent pattern. This postseason he was 1 for 14, good for a .071 average. Last year against the Angels he was 2 for 15, an unimpressive .133. The year before against Boston he batted a respectable .258, but he disappeared for the four biggest games. Needless to say, it surprised me greatly when I found an article saying A-Rod is underpaid. No one making $26 million (That’s $160,000 a game, approximately $6000 per out) is underpaid. Underpaid players are guys on the other side of town, like Jose Reyes and David Wright. Both made rookie minimums this year, yet both come through when the Mets need them to. However, reading farther into Continued on Page 18

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Tuesday, October 31, 2006 SPORTS

THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

Peglegs Split Homecoming always a sight to see when the teams’ 40 and more players lie down on the field and do stretches together: an army of blue getting ready for the fight. Afterward, the team ran some drills, catching, throwing and passing the football. They looked excited and confident — a good sign. Then, came game time. The players thumped their pads and roared. They were pumped.

BY RICHARD MAI STAFF WRITER

TSS/Yana Genem

For many Stuyvesant Pegleg fans, it may have initially been another feeling of fleeting hope and disappointment when the varsity football team took the field during homecoming on October 15. The junior varsity team had just gotten blown out 22-0 against Harry S. Truman, and with varsity having lost at homecoming two of the last three years, there certainly were some foreboding clouds. However, even that did not deter the flocks of loyal Stuyvesant fans who had come to cheer for their team. The Stuyvesant Parents Association was there to help sell snacks and merchandise, and organize the event. The stands were still occupied with students in blue, white and red, showing their school spirit. The sun was bright and the air crisp and filled with excitement. New varsity coach Brian Sacks has brought a new playing style to the team this year and it has shown improvements in their performance. Last year, the team went 1-8 the entire season with the one win being a forfeit, and entering the game this time against Adlai Stevenson, they have already won more games than they did last year, with a record of 2-3. The Peglegs started off with some running and stretches. For a spectator, it is

The Stuyvesant Peglegs huddle before the game.

The game started out with Stuyvesant on offense, but because of a fumble on the kickoff, Stuyvesant started inside their own 5. Soon after, Stuyvesant started getting into the game and scored the first touchdown of the game. The score was 7-0. Stevenson returned the ensuing kickoff, and started marching back down the field. A crucial interception by senior cornerback Nicholas Goldin (one of two on the day) foiled an early Stevenson attempt at scoring. A fumbled punt near the end of the first quarter gave

2006 - 2007 NBA Preview BY JASON SU STAFF WRITER Corbis/Rhona Wise

Continued on Page 17

The Yankees Off Season BY ZAKHAR SHTULBERG STAFF WRITER Corbis/Charles W. Luzier

Carl Pavano’s injury problems are not acceptable, giving the Yankees only 3 wins.

The New York Yankees’ early exit this postseason is one of the biggest disappointments in recent baseball history. It’s hard to say that this was worse than their choke against Boston in

2004, being up 3-0 and losing the series. The Bronx Bombers had a very exciting regular season full of ups and downs, where as the postseason was just down. The off-season is here now for them and they should start thinking about how they can improve. The Yankees already made a good decision in not firing Joe Torre. People can argue that Derek Jeter is the heart and soul of the Yankees, but he’s just Torre’s right hand man. So no matter what else happens, at least Joe Torre will be leading the team next year. A potential bad decision for the Yankees is trading away Alex Rodriguez. His performance during the postseason was horrid, as well as his inconsistent play in the middle of the year. Despite his periodic troubles, he still led the team in RBI’s and was second on the team in homers with 35. He was the most productive hitter in the lineup, and trading him Continued on Page 17

New Jersey Nets’ star Jason Kidd in a game against the Miami Heat earlier in 2006.

As the 2006-2007 NBA regular season steadily approaches, we’re all hoping for good things from our favorite teams. You shouldn’t expect any huge surprises. For the most part, the good will stay good, and the bad will stay bad. We’ll start in the Eastern Conference’s Atlantic division, home of the native New York Knicks and New Jersey (or should I say Brooklyn?) Nets. The Nets will be the basketball

kings of New York this season, and probably will be for the foreseeable future. The Nets’ big threesome of Jason Kidd, Richard Jefferson and Vince Carter will have an easy path to yet another Atlantic division championship. As for the Knicks, they should do a little better than last season; it’s nearly impossible to do worse! Instead of 23 wins like last year, all you diehard Knicks fans can hope for maybe 30 wins. T h i n g s will start to get tighter in the Central division. Out of the five teams in the division, four of them are very strong playoff contenders. The Detroit Pistons will probably lose their throne this year after suffering the loss of perennial all-star Ben Wallace. They are really going to miss his intimidating presence on the defensive end. The Cleveland Cavaliers should be right in the mix riding on the shoulders of phenom LeBron James. But, if they are looking for a championship, King James will need some scoring support from teammates such as Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Larry Hughes and Drew Gooden. The Indiana Pacers are getting more publicity, just not for the right reason. Recently, bad-boy shooting guard Stephen Jackson was Continued on Page 18