Volume 7 Issue 5

Friday, December 21 Volume 7 Visit us at www.stuystandard.org

Issue 5

‘Twas Happy Holidays for All

Proud Members of the National Scholastic Press Association

Stuy Ranks 15th in American High Schools by Nousin Haque staff writer and Jennifer Schlesinger editor-in-chief

Mr.Tamosaitis conducts the Symphonic Orchestra during the holiday concert. (Photo Credit: Jensen Cheong) by Robert Colbourn entertainment assistant editor

Well, it’s December now, and that means that holidays are coming up (or already over for some). Well, the Stuyvesant music and art department decided to celebrate these holidays with a concert and art show on the first floor. Hopefully, many of you already went to the two performances on Wednesday, December 12 and Friday, December 14, but if not, make a trip to see it next year. It was a wonderful performance filled with festive pieces, and it was really the jolt of holiday spirit that one needed to fully enjoy this season. The concert was a joint effort composed of the symphonic band, symphonic orchestra, and both Stuyvesant choruses. First up was the symphonic band, which played six pieces: Bells, Festive Overture, Sleigh Ride, and three movements of Suite Francaise. The first three pieces were well played by the band, but were a

bit of the same old, same old. It was not necessarily a bad thing, but it was exactly what you expected, and nothing more. Suite Francaise, however, demonstrated the power of the band, with great solos for each instrument that showed their technical prowess. The chamber choir performed four songs: Winter Wonderland, Ose Shalom, Three Kings, and Deck the Hall; the concert chorus performed five: Gaudeamus!, Let it Snow!, Es ist ein Ros’ entsprungen, Pitakhta, and Elijah Rock. The choruses were accompanied by several piano players, of whom I’d like to make a special note. They enhanced the tone of every piece they were in, and really complimented the chorus extraordinarily. Once again, there were a couple of “typical” sounding pieces, and the ones that really shone were the more obscure ones. Elijah Rock and Gaudeamus were very CONCERT REVIEW continues on page 9

According to US News and World Report, Stuyvesant High School is ranked 15th among American public high schools. The report was the cover story in the December 10 issue. Thomas Jefferson High in Alexandria, Virginia topped the list off. The next two schools on the list were Pacific Collegiate Charter in Santa Cruz, California and International Baccalaureate Program in Bartow, Florida.. According to US News and World Report there are more than 18,000 public high schools in the US. They analyzed only high schools that had grade 12 enrollment and had data to be analyzed. The list they compiled was divided into three parts. The first 100 schools received gold medals. The next 405 schools received silver medals. The final 1,086 schools to make the list received bronze medals. The high schools were ranked according to a three step analysis by The School Evaluation Services, an education data analysis group run by Standard & Poor’s. First they were analyzed on well students performed on state evaluations. Then, they were evaluated on how well the school’s disadvantaged students did. Finally, the schools were judge on how well they offered college-level work. College level work was partially determined by the number of students in senior year who

STUY RANK continues on page 3

In this Issue Stuy Voice: Minority Takes on New Meaning Opinions . . . . . . . . . . . p. 4 How To Find the Christmas Spirit in Five Movies Entertainment. . . . . . . . p. 8

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THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

December 21, 2007—VOL. 7, No. 5

The Executive Board JENNIFER SCHLESINGER ERIC MAYO DIANE CHEN ANGEL WONG SANGHEE CHUNG DANNY ZHU TIM CHANG HESHAM SALEH JIMMY ZHANG AMNA AHMAD EMMA RABINOVICH ROBERT COLBOURN RICHARD MAI OMAR AHMAD HANFORD CHIU ROBERT STEVENSON JESSE ZHANG KIRIL GOURUV ELISSA TAM MEGAN BRESLIN DANIEL EGERS (‘03) ERNEST BASKIN (‘04)

EDITOR IN CHIEF MANAGING EDITOR DIRECTOR OF FINANCE DIRECTOR OF FINANCE LAYOUT EDITOR COPY CHIEF NEWS EDITOR NEWS EDITOR NEWS EDITOR OPINIONS EDITOR ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR ASST. ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR SPORTS EDITOR SCIENCE EDITOR BUSINESS EDITOR LITERARY EDITOR WEBMASTER ASSISTANT WEBMASTER DIRECTOR OF PHOTOJOURNALISM FACULTY ADVISOR FOUNDER EDITOR EMERITUS

Publication THE STUYVESANT STANDARD is a non-profit publication produced by the students of Stuyvesant High School. THE STUYVESANT STANDARD distributes 2,000 free copies on a biweekly 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. For a letter to be reproduced in print, a name and method of contact must be provided. THE STUYVESANT STANDARD reserves the right to edit any published material. The viewpoints of contributors do not necessarily reflect the views of the Standard staff Copyright ©2007 THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

Advertising If you would like to advertise in THE STUYVESANT STANDARD, please e-mail [email protected] to request an advertisement form. We offer a broad range of options including full color capability for your advertising needs.

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

NEWS

EDITORIAL DOE: Give Stuyvesant the Proper Respect There are clearly some problems with the way that we as Stuyvesant students are treated by the Department of Education. As one of the most successful schools in the entire New York City, we have long been a haven for intellectuals. However, the DoE is shifting away from that stance, as is evidenced by the embarrassing disparity between a recent national ranking of high schools in this country. According to US News and World Report, we are ranked as fifteenth in the entire nation, compared to every single eligible high school in every backwater town in every part of these United States. And how did the DoE rate us in their rankings? They were unabashed to give a school of such rigorous standards and talent a mere A minus, and they were certainly unabashed to rank us much lower than the fifteenth best high school in New York. Right here in our own backyards, Stuyvesant High School is beaten by schools that could have once been on the state’s most needy schools in terms of academics. So just why do we feel such scorn from the DoE? Why is Stuyvesant the city’s Siberia where intellectuals get exiled to and quarantined in some poor locale faced with the very real negative effects of possible crime, a giant highway right next to our door, and being so far away from the other boroughs where students generally live besides Manhattan? Well, in the DoE’s rankings, they base their score on progress, whereas US News and World Report base it on overall power. Perhaps the DoE supposes that there is always room for improvement, even when what you are judging is already the pinnacle of New York’s intellectualism. Nevertheless, the DoE should stop trying to relegate Stuyvesant’s importance deep into the backwaters of oblivion, even in rankings designed to dangle in front of poor performance schools in order to inspire competition amongst them. It is a double slap in the face when we are scorned both publicly and privately, when we do not receive the funds we so desperately need and the prestige that is the driving force in recruiting new students for our school.

NEWS

December 21, 2007—VOL. 7, No. 5

THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

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THE STANDARD NEWS Bizarre Temperatures Take Over the Classrooms by Nada Elmany and Mo Tabmra staff writers

With the changing weather outside come the highly variant internal temperatures of faulty central heating. The bizarre weather inside the school’s classrooms has probably become obvious to everyone. Students have noticed the temperatures in the school, and whether one freezes or sweats during class depends on the room. Freshman Sharmila Ahmed said that she is often confused by the crazy changes. “I don’t know what to wear and sometimes I’m wearing a short-sleeved shirt and I’m sitting in class shivering.” Freshman Shanna Chen agreed with Ahmed. “I kind of hate it. One room will be really freezing cold, and another will be so hot that I’m wearing short sleeves in December.” Although Ahmed and Chen both dislike the

temperatures in the school, freshman Zoe Wu believes that this is not a problem.“It doesn’t bother me. I really don’t mind the different temperatures. I just bring a sweatshirt to every class.” Wu seems to have a good solution for all the confused students. “Just bring a sweatshirt to every class and you’ll be able t o c o p e wi t h t h e c r a z y temperatures.” However, other than the confusion temperatures cause students, can there be other effects due to the malfunctioning thermostats? Chen believes that appropriate clothing is not the only problem with the temperature. “It’s actuall y distractin g because you’re constantly thinking about the bizarre temperature in the room.” Rather than concentrating on what the teacher is saying, the varied temperatures can distract students from the lesson and focus their attention on staying

comfortable instead. Until this problem is solved, it may bother some students and even serve as a distraction, while for others, it really won’t matter much. Take Wu’s advice and you will be able to cope with this problem for now. ◙

Temperatures Room #

Temperature

237

66°F

635

72°

327

76°

133

78°

435

78°

507

81°

1009

84°

709

86°

Caught on the Web By Hui Ting Jiang staff writer

Technology has advanced tremendously throughout the years. Computers used to be massive and

bulky machines that took up whole rooms. Now, they can easily be placed on a desk in one's bedroom for education or entertainment. While most of the time it is the latter, teachers are taking

Photo Credit: Elissa Tam

The online homework system is prevalent in present-day schools such as the University of Tennessee. However, many criticize such systems as being more of a hassle than they're worth.

advantage of students’ access to the Internet by assigning homework online. Sophomore Shu Lei praises online homework because “it’s more convenient and definitely saves paper.” Although this is a valid reason for students to surf the web when parents ask, it poses numerous problems. First, students don’t always go directly to the website on which homework is assigned. Instead, they opt for the ever-popular YouTube, the addictive Facebook, or online gaming. By using the computer for their own leisure, students are not benefiting from the useful information available online. Some even stay up until 2 a.m. claiming to do their homework when in fact they are waiting for a video to load. Furthermore, computers are not perfect. There could be hosting problems with an assigned website that makes it inaccessible to all students. This problem is CAUGHT ON THE WEB continues on page 4

STUY RANK continued from page 1 took Advanced Placement (AP) Courses in high schools divided by the total number of students and well as how well students did on AP exams, which are scored on a 15 scale. Three was determined to be passing. Ties were broken by the number of AP exams seniors passed. According to US News A World Report the ranking shows that schools in different situations can excel. In the top 20 schools were a suburban school with entrance requirements, Thomas Jefferson High School, and school near the border between Texas and Mexico with a high percentage of its being immigrants, Hidalgo High School, and Boston Latin High School, the oldest public high school in the nation. Overall, New York City did better than any other area in the state. Bronx High School of Science and Brooklyn Technical High School placed 20th and 39th respectively. New York State had 18 schools on the list, second to California, which had 23. However, when ranked by number of schools in the top 50 by state, New York came in seventh. Stuyvesant was not higher on the list because it received lower scores on its college-level work and on the performance of its students living in poverty. Stuyvesant’s disadvantaged students were judged to be performing better than those in Thomas Jefferson. However, its students living in poverty did worse than those at Thomas Jefferson. The participation rate in AP classes was 100 percent at Thomas Jefferson compared to 92.6 percent at Stuy. Moreover, 100 percent of seniors at Thomas Jefferson had received at least one score of 3 or above on an AP exam compared to 88.2 percent at Stuy. In general Thomas Jefferson students pass 07.4 percent of AP exams compared to 92.9 percent at Stuy. Furthermore, on average, students at Thomas Jefferson took 6.6 AP exams before graduating compared to 3.2 at Stuy. Students in Stuyvesant were shocked that Stuy was not ranked higher. Junior, Sami Rabb said, “I thought we [would be] higher [on the list].” There were some people who thought this score was justified. A student said, “We are located in a city: with no outdoor territory or fields, the dangers of crime, a highway right by…we don’t get special funding from the department and many of our clubs and teams have a lot less available money.” The administration did not comment on the ranking of Stuyvesant High School. ◙

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THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

December 21, 2007—VOL. 7, No. 5

OPINIONS

THE STANDARD OPINIONS Stuy Voice: Minority Takes On New Meaning by Amna Ahmad opinions editor

Stuyvesant is often described as a community, a city within a city, however, from statistics retrieved from a recent poll of the Stuyvesant student body, I have come to the conclusion that perhaps Stuyvesant is a bit more unique than we thought. In Stuyvesant the characteristics that make up the majority of the population of the United States are the minority of the student body and vice versa. Stuyvesant High School, in short, is a representation of the world turned inside out and flipped backwards as far as statistics are concerned. For instance, on average there

CAUGHT ON THE WEB continued from page 3 exemplified by the website www.go.hrw.org. It is used by language teachers and students to access an online textbook and workbook. One such teacher is Gabriele Dehn-Knight, who has mixed feelings about the matter. “Originally, [online homework] was a good idea but 10-15 percent of kids have technical problems,” she said. However, students are faced with problems most of the time. Either the website doesn't load because of a “technical difficulty” or the pages don't print

are approximately three children per household in the United States according to census statistics, however poll statistics indicate that 72 percent of students at Stuyvesant have either one sibling or no siblings at all. Furthermore, according to the most recent census gathered in the United States, 77.1 percent of United States residents considered themselves white, however, as is obvious to any member of the Stuyvesant community, whites and secondgeneration Americans are a minority in our school — around 33 percent of the student body. Yet such poll statistics are definitely ambiguous because it is entirely up to the individual to decide what makes a person

white. Correspondingly, 64 percent of students were said to be of Asian descent, making them a fairly significant majority. Yet still, while whites may be considered a dominant minority in Stuyvesant, people like me, who fall under the category of “other” for race, will always be a definite minority whether in Stuyvesant or the country at large. However, the most intriguing statistic that I encountered was the percentage of parents who had a college education. Poll results determined that for 73 percent of students, both parents had a college education. In this aspect as well, Stuyvesant students can be considered a minority group, considering that according to the Di-

gest of Education Statistics, 44.1 percent of high school graduates were enrolled in four-year colleges in 2003, a percentage that was much lower when our parents were attending college. Because the race that represents the majority of the nation is a minority in Stuyvesant, the number of children per household for a Stuyvesant student is below average, and the parents of Stuyvesant students seem to have more education than the majority of Americans, the idea of minority takes on a new meaning in Stuyvesant High School, offering a refreshing disparity between our high school environment and the country we live in as a whole. ◙

properly. This poses an unfair situation to students who are otherwise diligent, but are unable to access a certain website. Even if students don't face the problems mentioned above, they can feign difficulties, taking advantage of the already unstable system. It is a convincing explanation to blame the Internet for not having homework, since problems do exist when certain websites are accessed. Although teachers are generally understanding, when problems caused by homework online occur too often, both teachers and students are at a disadvantage. “I

usually give kids the benefit of the doubt…but when it happens too often, you know who is lying,” Ms. Dehn-Knight said sadly. Therefore, it is a hassle to go to websites for homework when homework eventually ends up on paper anyway. Teachers should

stick to the old-fashioned method of giving homework in class. If they don’t want to take time out of their class to announce the homework, teachers can assign a space on the blackboard where homework is posted and tell their students of this permanent situation. ◙

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Source: onlinehomeworksystem.mymathlab.com.jpg

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SCIENCE

December 21, 2007—VOL. 7, No. 5

THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

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THE STANDARD SCIENCE Fighting HIV…By Suppressing T-Cells? By David Huang staff writer

Source: http://uhavax.hartford.edu/bugl/t_help_hiv.jpg

HIV infects the T helper cell because it has the protein CD4 on its surface.

AIDS, also known as Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, has its root from an infamous and elusive virus known as Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Such virus is devastating because it crumples the human immune system against pathogens, leaving patients susceptible to deadly infections. So far, numerous techniques have been proposed to fight the virus. Among the most famous is Merck’s V520 vaccine, one of the most promising vaccine candidates to help fight HIV. However, disappointment swept throughout the field of AIDS research as the vaccine was reported ineffective. Despite the discouraging reports, scientists have devised a very unorthodox way of tackling HIV: suppressing the immune system. One might ask, how do you fight enemies without the soldiers? According to the HIV

researchers, HIV has an unusual feature of overloading the immune system in the first week of infection. In this situation, T cells, soldiers who fight infections, enter cellular cycle and produce large amount of cytokine (chemical messenger that aids counterattacks on pathogenic activities). However, one subtype of T cells, CD4+ T cells, enters cell cycle and undergoes apoptosis (cellular death) in large quantity, thus lowering the body’s immune system efficiency. What is more important is that the activated T cell also helps replication of virus. To the researchers, such a phenomenon offers a new method of battling HIV. Experiments have shown that blocking viral replication with antiretroviral medication attenuates the immune activation, thus increasing the number of CD4+ T cells. The

next step, researchers and scientists proposed, would be the application of immunosuppressive therapy, which would slow down viral replication by limiting immunological activation and prevents the decrease of CD4+ T cells. Utilizing such a method, viral infection can be delayed significantly and T cell function can be preserved, preventing immunity overturn. Although this may be optimistic news for AIDS patients, such a remedy is still in its experimental stages and, with scientists being extremely cautious, are still questioning about its practicality and effects on human health, due to the fact that numerous experiments have been conducted and yielded mixed results. Thus, only time will tell if such clinical approach is viable. ◙

Termites Point Way to New Dawn of Bio-Energy By Alexandros Kaliontzakis staff writer

important is that these bacteria seem involved in the processes that create hydrogen. It seems as if the bacteria can even respond to different chemical stimuli in the termites’ gut by swimming around to find the source. Termites, according to Andreas Brune of the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology in Marburg, Germany, are very efficient in what they do. He claims that they can turn, in theory, a sheet of A-4 sized paper into 1.8 liters of hydrogen. The endeavor to

find a way to make termites produce biofuel has been a very big step for mankind towards finding the perfect renewable energy source that can be produced quickly, cheaply, and without complexities. To get there, they must simply figure out what each gene’s job is. Who knows? There may, one day, be a viable source of transportation fuel extracted from the guts of the ever useful termites. ◙

내ㅕㄱㅊㄷ : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Workertermite1.jpg

Usually when one thinks of termites, one might imagine repulsive, destructive little insects that do nothing but eat away at the foundations of buildings. However, a team of US scientists closely studying the termites’ intestines have found the many different genes, enzymes, and even microbial helpers that break down the wood eaten by the termite. It has long been suspected that the 250 species of bacteria living in the termites’ gut have helped break down the wood, a substance high in energy but extremely difficult to break down. "This was a fairly risky project when we proposed it," says Caltech associate professor of environmental microbiology Jared Leadbetter. Even so, the researchers went ahead and extracted the contents of the hind gut of the termite, and sent their extractions in for sequencing. The result was the code for thousands of genes, amounting to about 71 million letters” of genetic code, that help break down the cellulose and then convert it into fermentable sugars. The real problem with these new-

found bacteria is utilizing them in such a way to have them . The present generation biofuels are made from processed corn and sugar cane, and are made into fuel through fermentation and distillation. This however, is putting a large strain on the global food market and is affecting it greatly. The next generation biofuels, however, such as wood chips, are not made from food, and are being stopped from reaching worldwide availability by large costs and the many problems that arise. The challenge, Leadbetter and his colleagues suggest, is in the beginning of the process, which involves breaking down two substances in the wood, cellulose and xylan. He states that if his team can understand and identify what genes are responsible for this process, an easier way of making biofuel may result. In addition to finding the genes, the team identified about 100 bacteria pirochetes that belong to the genus Treponema. This makes them a very close relative of bacteria that cause diseases like syphilis, Lyme disease, and gum disease. The bacteria actually seem to benefit the health of the termite according to the study. Especially

It has long been suspected that the 250 species of bacteria living in the termites’ gut have helped break down the wood, a substance high in energy but extremely difficult to break down.

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THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

December 21, 2007—VOL. 7, No. 5

SCIENCE

Pictures Playing Around With Your Memory? by Rammiya Nallainathan staff writer

In the book 1984, there was a man known as Big Brother and he did many things to make sure everything ran as he planned, such as scrutinizing people and altering historical documents. But what if Big Brother were here today? What if he changed the past? Could one be fooled by these changes? Elizabeth Loftus, a psychologist at UC Irvine, designed an experiment to see how doctored photographs affect memory of a past event. The experiment, conducted by researchers Franca Agnoli and

Dario Sacchi of the University of Padua, has shown that people tend to change their views about a historical event after they see pictures that have been altered to be inaccurate. Of course, the people who viewed these pictures were not told about these modifications, and had to figure out for themselves what really happened. Participants in this group study were given altered pictures of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protest in Beijing, and the 2003 anti-war protest in Rome. The 1989 protest was changed so that it seemed as if there were more people present at the protest, and the 2003 protest was changed to

show riot police and a masked protester. After viewing these pictures, the participants were then asked to answer a few questions regarding the event, mainly the number of people involved, and the extremity of the violence. Answers to these questions were quite different from what actually happened. Many said there were violent demonstrations and a lot of property damage. As Loftus put it, “With the addition of a few little upsetting and arousing elements in the Rome protest photo, people remembered this peaceful protest as being more violent than it was, and as a society we have to figure how we

can regulate this.” Not only have pictures of historical events been altered, but also pictures of everyday events have been changed as well to make it onto magazine covers. Although this issue may not seem that serious to some, it can really have an impact on others once they start to see that they base many of their opinions on what they see in the newspaper. If these alterations portray certain facts inaccurately, they may affect people’s knowledge on current events for the worse. To view more of these altered pictures, just go to cnetnews.com, and see what you think of them. ◙

ANNUAL MEDICAL ETHICS SYMPOSIUM

The 22nd Annual Medical Ethics Symposium took place on Thursday, December 13 in the theater.

Photos Taken By Talha Khan

BUSINESS

December 21, 2007—VOL. 7, No. 5

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THE STANDARD BUSINESS China Facing Monetary Problems by Hanford Chiu business editor

Most of the world is aware by now of the financial cooldown of the United States and the subsequent monetary devaluation of the American dollar to all-time lows over the past few years. They certainly permeate everyday life in the form of soaring food and energy prices, as well as a general decrease in purchasing power. However, as foreign investors and governments move away from a dollar that could spiral out of control, many of them are shifting their currency reserves over to a country that serves as America's foil in this time of crisis — China. But for all their economic might and growth, the Chinese are start-

ing to feel the pressure of a possible currency collapse, similar to America’s. According to the Wall Street Journal, China is feeling massive internal and external pressure to stop its policy of refusing to evaluate the yuan and clamp down on its massive economic growth. For the fifth consecutive year, China's GDP growth has been in the high double digits, and at the same time, inflation is soaring because of the extremely high amounts of trade surplus and foreign speculation. According to BusinessWeek, China's trade surplus with the United States hit a record $233 billion last year (meanwhile, U.S. trade deficits have hit record lows). Many other warning indicators of rampant inflation, such as expan-

sion of money supply, credit growth, speculation in stock and bond markets, and industrial investment, are above official targets. China's central bank, the People's Bank of China, has tried to remedy this with little success, recently raising its loan rates to 7.29 percent, as opposed to America's policy of constantly lowering interest rates, currently at 4.50 percent after a recent .25 percent drop. While our monetary policy has sent investors fleeing, China's rampant expansion has brought them flocking and, as a result, China faces a real risk of the prices of its goods soaring well above attainable prices, which would cause massive social unrest. Meanwhile, America's policies might lead it to similar results, except it

would be the case that Americans would no longer be able to afford products with a crashing dollar. China's policy makers are at a crossroads. On the one hand, they wish to foster job creation for one of the world's largest and fastest-expanding populations. On the other hand, they must now rein in these out-of-control investments and protect its economy from a surge of prosperity it cannot handle. If they cannot disenchant investors by setting up protectionist trade barriers and disincentives to foreign investment, much as if America cannot encourage the importation of American goods and services, then the economy will finally crash and burn after a long, good ride for the investors. ◙

The Orange Box by Jonathan Xikis staff writer

Pros: Great bargain; incredible games; tons of replay value Cons: You may already have some games; Portal is too short

wanting more…much more. The last game from The Orange Box is the long-awaited Team Fortress 2, an online multiplayer game. Completely different in tone from the somber Half-Life, this cartoon-styled and insanely paced shooter looks like something from “The Incredibles.” With a number of different classes including the spy and turretbuilding engineer, its only

weakness is that there are not enough maps. TF2 is a run-n-gun game, and includes gameplay modes such as “capture the intelligence,” where a player must steal a briefcase from the other team’s base. The replay value of TF2 is immense, and it lasts long after all the other games have been played. It also has the most impressive graphics of the bunch. ◙ Source: orangebox.darkdiamond.net.jpg

What do Earth-enslaving aliens, an insane supercomputer and a gun-toting Russian have in common? Besides the fact that they’re all highly dangerous, you can find them in the assortment of games known as The Orange Box, released by Valve Software for PC and Xbox 360. With five games in one package, it’s an incredible bargain at $50. If you’re still not sure, then I suppose that’s why you’re reading this review. The five games included in The Orange Box are Half-Life 2, HalfLife 2: Episodes 1 and 2, Portal, and Team Fortress 2. While not all of them are completely new, Valve allows the purchaser to give away any of the games to a friend. HalfLife 2, the oldest game in the bunch, is also the best, and should be experienced by everyone. Its detailed plot centers around former scientist Gordon Freeman and his counterattack on the Combine, an alien empire that has enslaved Earth after a freak accident involving inter-dimensional portals at Freeman’s research laboratory, Black Mesa. Along the way, he

fights through a town of zombies, assists rebel forces in a postapocalyptic city, embarks on wild airboat chases and even infiltrates a maximum-security prison with an army of giant alien bugs. Episodes 1 and 2 continue the story in shorter intervals, and include some jaw-dropping plot twists and action, as well as place more focus on important story elements. Though Episode 2 is slightly better than Episode 1, they’re both worth the play. Portal is the first original game included in The Orange Box. This pseudo-puzzle game includes elements of first person shooters, with one catch — you don’t have a gun. Instead, your handheld device creates miniature wormholes, called “portals,” which can be used to travel instantly to otherwise unreachable areas. The problem? You’re trapped inside an abandoned research facility with only one way to escape. To make matters worse, you’re under the watchful eye of the mysterious A.I., GLaDOS, who promises you “cake” when you’re finished. As you make your way through the perilous obstacle courses, you begin to discover that not all is as it seems. And could this be related to Black Mesa…? While this game is very short, at only 2-4 hours, it is never boring, and includes a number of bonus maps for post-game enjoyment. Portal’s dark humor and ingenious idea leaves me

Quick Rating Graphics: 8/10 Not the world’s best, but they’re impressive for such low system requirements. Gameplay: 10/10 Half-Life and Portal feature ingenious puzzles, and Team Fortress 2 has great action. Content: 10/10 Plot is ingenious. Replayability: 8/10 Team Fortress 2 is the only game that’s really replayable many times. Value: 10/10 Value cannot be matched anywhere. Overall score: 10/10

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THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

December 21, 2007—VOL. 7, No. 5

ENTERTAINMENT

THE STANDARD ENTERTAINMENT System Fans Can Surely Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition by Robert Colbourn assistant entertainment editor

Last year, a travesty occurred that rang through the entire modern rock world: System of a Down decided to go on an “indefinite hiatus.” That’s right; no more System albums will be released for quite a few years. Fans of the band showed enormous sadness, but were comforted by the fact that each member of the band would pursue individual projects that many could look forward to. The lead singer, Serj Tankian, decided to publish a solo album titled “Elect the Dead.” System fans

were cautiously optimistic when faced with this prospect, but their fears can be laid to rest. “Elect the Dead” is a step in the right direction that perfectly incorporates soft rock elements with heavy metal. The first two songs released to the public back in August, “Empty Walls” and “The Unthinking Majority,” were instantly hits on the Internet along with their respective music videos (Serj decided to make a video for every song on the album, and they will be released gradually). It was plainly obvious that Serj was still keeping his political focus, at least for some of the Source: electthedead.latimes.com.jpg

Elect the Dead is the debut solo album by System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian. The first singles off the album were "The Unthinking Majority" released on August 7, 2007, and "Empty Walls", which was released on September 25, 2007.

album. “Empty Walls” combined powerful instrumentals and vocals, while depicting ideas on certain events involving the war in Iraq. “The Unthinking Majority” sounded less mainstream, but its quirky lyrics and heavy guitar melody still struck the right chords. Then there were several songs on the album that strayed somewhat far from System’s style. “Sky is Over,” “Lie Lie Lie,” “Saving Us,” and “Beethoven’s C***” all dealt with very different subject matter and melody. All three were a lot less “metallic” than the rest of the songs on the album, so Serj eased up on the strong percussion and focused a bit more on his piano. The lyrics were all vague in meaning, but dealt with ideas of love, death, poverty and betrayal. They were all very fun songs to hear (and try to interpret). Next were three songs that seemed to fall in between the previous ones discussed. “Money,” “Feed Us,” and “Honking Antelope” still had powerful instrumentals, but they were backed up with more lyrics. Serj’s amazing voice could truly be heard in these three songs, as he needed to use a wide range in order to hit every note. The lyrics

dealt with important issues, including the moral issues behind currency, a government’s role in dealing with its people, and environmental issues. Serj truly went above and beyond, and this album looked amazing already. But wait! There were still three more songs. “Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition” was probably the quirkiest song found on the album. It used a lot of dissonance and awkward melody, but it all came together beautifully, making it one of the best songs on the album. The song that shares the album’s name, “Elect the Dead,” was the softest-sounding song on the album. It was entirely a piano solo done by Serj, and anyone who has heard Serj play his piano knows already that it is amazing. Finally, the last song was entitled “Baby.” Unfortunately, this was where Serj fell short. “Baby” made an attempt to use powerful instrumentals in its melody, but it turned out to be repetitive, and the lyrics were extremely shallow, mostly repeating the word “baby” over and over again. However, it was the only “bad” song on the album. The rest was pure gold, and anyone one who is interested in any modern rock, System fan or not, should buy the album. ◙

How to Find the Christmas Spirit in Five Movies by Emma Rabinovich entertainment editor

If you’re scrambling to make deadlines and haven’t noticed that Christmas is fast approaching, here are five holiday classic not even the Grinch could resist. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation No holiday season is complete without at least one viewing of the Christmas from hell, courtesy of Chevy Chase, disaster extraordinaire. This is by far the sweetest and funniest of the series and with the surprisingly tame language and humor, you can even watch it with

your family. Love Actually Hugh Grant heads an ensemble cast in this holiday feature. Not only is it touching and genuine, but also it somehow captures reality (without sugarcoating it) while maintaining a kind, forgiving view of the world. Different stories intertwine; old couples face hardships; new ones form. It may not be original but it is nonetheless fresh and endearing. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone You’ve probably seen this one before but the holidays will really

make you appreciate it that much more. Daniel Radcliffe is the cutest wizard-that-could in this faithful adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s beloved novel. Christmas is a magical time so what could be more appropriate than a story about Harry’s first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry? Home Alone Macaulay Culkin’s portrayal of a devious youngster who discovers that his one wish (to be rid of his family) may not be what Christmas is all about never gets old. There are many memorable scenes, but mostly it’s the idea that captures

the true meaning of Christmas — that having a mother who can’t see through your evil brother’s façade is still better than having no mother at all. Miracle on 34th Street (1947) This old classic still brings a tear to my eye every time the judge announces his ruling at the end. Edmund Gwenn’s stunning depiction of Kris Kringle (a.k.a. Santa Claus) is one for the ages. Plus, it beats watching “It’s a Wonderful Life,” which is still too sentimental for my taste. ◙

PUZZLES

December 21, 2007—VOL. 7, No. 5

THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

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Gossip Girl by Amy Qiu staff writer

major mysteries to latch viewers onto the show. And no one can forget about the catty narrator, who identifies herself only as “Gossip Girl” and interrupts the show with phrases like “Spotted: S and B having a heart to heart.”

and “You know you love me. XOXO.” You can’t help but love her, though the show would be better off without her ruin-themoment comments. Yet, given its downsides, the show is still quite addictive. ◙ Source: 1gossipgirl.tvguide.com/jpg

With “The O.C.” and “One Tree Hill” absent, the slot for hot teen drama seems to have been taken over by “Gossip Girl,” the CW’s latest hit series. Based on the books by Cecily Von Zellweger, the new show centers on a circle of teens from upper Manhattan who live their way among Ivy League pressure, Halloween masquerade parties, and weekly Sunday brunches, not to mention the occasional moments of tension and jealousy. Yet despite the seemingly high amount of drama, the show is relatively slow paced and random hookups are surprisingly few in number. The lack of highly dramatic action is made up for by a somewhat realistic plot. There’s Nate (Chace Crawford), who desperately wants to back out of his father’s plans for him, though he doesn’t quite know what it is he does want to do with his life. Jenny (Taylor Momsen) is busy trying to find her way into the “in” crowd, while Blair (Leighton Meester)

must deal with her shaky relationship with Nate and her conflicted feelings about Serena (Blake Lively), who’s both her best friend and the one who seems to take everything away from her. The show for the most part stays true to the written version, although there are some deviations. The show’s portrayal of Jenny is not at all like that of the books. And while Serena has the most presence in the stories, Blair seems to trump the more down-to-earth version of Serena in the show. Yet these are some of the things that make the show much better than Von Zellweger’s books, which are, at best, clichéd and unengaging pieces of literature that somehow managed to land on the New York Times bestseller list. “Gossip Girl” is definitely an interesting new show, but whether it will make it past this season is still uncertain. The show is entertaining, but after a while, it gradually loses its “I can’t stand not watching today’s episode” effect. Maybe it is because there are not really any

Gossip Girl is an American television teen drama based on the popular novel series of the same name. The show revolves around the lives of socialite adolescents growing up on New York's Upper East Side who attends elite academic institutions while dealing with drugs and other teenage problems.

CONCERT REVIEW continued from page 3 powerful pieces that gave each section of the chorus a chance to show off their amazing voices. Then, the orchestra performed its three pieces: Brandenburg Concerto, Fantasia on “Greensleeves,” and Concerto Grosso. The harpist and the pianists brought a great festive feeling to all the songs. However, for the rest of the orchestra, these pieces were not as well performed as the band and chorus pieces, so they sort of brought the ending down a bit. The finale brought together members of the band, orchestra and the two choruses in order to perform six pieces: Gesu Bambino, The Very Best Time of Year, Do You Hear What I Hear?, Shepherd’s Pipe Carol, Somewhere in My Memory, and Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas. These did bring forth a holiday spirit, but it was a relatively anticlimactic ending to a well done concert. The art show outside, meanwhile, was very great to see, and it was worth it to spend 15 to 20 minutes looking around at all the pieces after the concert. So, all in all it did provide for a great evening, and I encourage all to get tickets to next year’s, especially if you did not make this one. ◙

Holiday concert photos courtesy of Jensen Cheong.

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THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

December 21, 2007—VOL. 7, No. 5

LITERARY

THE STANDARD LITERARY A Vacation Away

by Robert Stevenson literary editor

Happy Holidays!

By Jensen Cheong staff writer

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Word List

Presents Reindeers Santa Claus Snow

Holly Grinch

Finished the Word Search? Check out the Standard’s website at www.stuystandard.org for the answers!

SPORTS

December 21, 2007—VOL. 7, No. 5

THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

Pirates Prepared to Plunder by Richard Mai sports editor

The Pirates, Stuyvesant’s boys’ swimming team, are looking to a new season after finishing 8-0 at first in their division and winning co-city champions with rival Brooklyn Tech in the finals last year. The Pirates wish to continue their long streak of city and opens championships, and last year’s tie should only fire up the swimmers this year to do even better.

After eight seniors graduated last year, a substantial hole needed to be filled at the start of this season. Tryouts for the team were held on Monday, November 12, during which 33 swimmers tried to make the cut. The Pirates were tough on their cuts in order to stay competitive. Only two freshmen made the team this year, while the other grades’ totals were pretty evenly spread, bringing this year’s roster to 27 swimmers. Their first home

meet of the season was against AP Randolph; the Pirates won 51-39. They did fairly well, earning first and second in most events except for the long-distance freestyle relays and breast and backstroke. Led by senior co-captains Chris Han and Andrew Wong, the Pirates feel motivated to continue their dominance not only in the Bronx/Manhattan division but in the city as well. “As of now, I’d say we’re better [than last year] as we had a lot of people get best times at the last meet. A lot of people also went to club practice over the summer and during the off-season, so most of the team is in just as good shape as they were at city champs last year,” said Han. They expect to meet Tech in the finals again this year. It has also lost significant seniors but has talented freshmen and good depth as well. Do the Pirates expect to settle for a tie again? “No, we're aiming to win outright, no matter who we're up against,” replied Han. The Pirates’ next meet is on Thursday, December 20th against Lehman High School. ◙

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THE SPORTS BEAT continued from page 12 High School in Staten Island (.638) were not nearly as successful as Stuyvesant during the same stretch. Oddly enough, some of the most successful schools during the fall season were Bronx High School of Science (.844) and Brooklyn Technical High School (.743). The success didn’t end at the regular season. Stuyvesant claimed two city titles (boys’ cross country and fencing), a city runner-up (girls’ swimming), a third place me dal (girls’ v o l l e yb a l l ), a n d i t s f i r s t quarterfinal appearance (boys’ soccer). Stuyvesant’s multiple city championships are already more than their lone shared city title with Brooklyn Tech in boys’ swimming last year. Stuyvesant should have several more opportunities to win a city championship in bo ys’ swimming, and later in the spring with boys’ and girls’ handball as well as girls’ fencing. Granted, the fall season at Stuyvesant tends to produce the teams with the best overall winning percentage. Last year’s fall winning percentage was .814. By the end of the year, the winning percentage decreased to a still-impressive .748.

The logo of the Pirates, the Stuyvesant Boys Swimming Team.

MARBURY continued from page 12

The Stuyvesant Standard would like to thank the Alumni Association for their generous support.

The Stuyvesant Standard would like to wish its readers a happy holiday season!

19.8ppg and 7.8apg. Robinson and Collins are just not at that level. Perhaps knowing that, Isiah reconciled with Marbury days later, when he returned to the starting lineup. As a coach, Isiah said that he would “use whichever player that needs to win the game.” If one knows about Isiah’s situation, one has to believe that he is actually making an effort. With all the embarrassments, rumors, and losses surrounding him (the sexual harassment, Marbury’s irresponsible departure, eight-game losing streak, the 45-point humiliating defeat at Boston, you name it), Isiah can be fired by the Knicks GM James Dolan any moment. On many occasions, the crowd in Madison Square Garden has yelled “Fire Is-iah!” and booed him during the game. Knicks fans are surely disappointed at the team’s early failure. Hopefully, this low point of the season will not go any lower. The Knicks have a lot of talent, and it is just a matter of how to put together these talents. And to do that, they will need both Isiah’s and Marbury’s leadership. ◙

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THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

December 21, 2007—VOL. 7, No. 5

SPORTS

Knicks’ Early Season Embarrassment Source: marbury.newsday.com.jpg

Brains and Brawn

put Marbury on the bench for the next few games. Marbury might be angry at another issue: the minutes he played per game. Throughout his 12-year career, Marbury received around 38.3 minutes per game. With the arrival of Zach Randolph, Marbury might play even fewer minutes. So far this season, he has just played 33.9 mpg. The point guard also has to pass the ball to Randolph in the low post, so he would score less per game. Marbury’s role in the Knicks as the leader was tarnished by these events. As a leader, he knew that his actions would harm the team, and above all, the fans. Many people criticize Marbury as a selfish and overrated point guard, and some critics say Marbury’s skill as a point guard is quickly deteriorating. Throughout his 12-year careers in the league, Marbury has only made the playoffs one year. Critics say that this is a sign that Marbury cares nothing about winning. Despite all of these criticisms, there is no doubt that Marbury is still the most resilient point guard on the team. In addition to woes on the court, he’s had to face tragedy off-court when his father died suddenly after a game. The Knicks’ bench point guards, Nate Robinson and Mardy Collins are not as talented as he is. Marbury has put up consistent numbers in his career, with

Since 1993, the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) has annually rewarded the Director’s Cup to the school with the most success in athletics. The same school has won the award every year since 1994. It’s not the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame. It’s not the Trojans of Southern California. The winner of the past 13 cups has been the Stanford Cardinals. The same school where 28 Stuy students over the past two years have applied early, with about two out of every three being rejected, has the best athletics program in the country? A school with 18 Nobel laureates currently on staff also has won 54 national championships — the most of any school? Yes, it is possible to be smart and succeed in athletics. It’s not just in the collegiate ranks that the idea that smart people are bad at sports is found. When I lead tours to potential freshman at open houses, one of the questions always asked is if Stuyvesant has sports. Students and their parents look at me amazed when I tell them about the depth of the Stuyvesant athletic program. In the fall regular season, Stuyvesant teams compiled an impressive record of 72 wins, 11 losses, and 2 ties. With a .867 winning rate, that’s the top record in the borough, besting the .847 by Hunter College High School. Among schools that might be considered “sports schools” due to their large student body, that percentage is the best in the city. Schools like Francis Lewis High School in Queens (.747), Benjamin Cardozo High School in Queens (.746), Midwood High School in Brooklyn (.695), and Tottenville

MARBURY continues on page 11

THE SPORTS BEAT continues on page 11

Stephon Marbury, star point guard for the New York Knicks, is often criticized as being a selfish and overrated point guard.

by David Feng staff writer

The Knicks have by far been the NBA team with the most controversies and rumors. Months ago, Knicks coach Isiah Thomas was sued for sexual harassment by Anucha Browne Sanders, who later won the case. Stephon Marbury’s recent irresponsible departure from the team just exacerbated the matter. Marbury, the starting point guard for the Knicks, has been bitter with Thomas over playing time and has had a rocky career so far with the Knicks. Wasn’t he supposed to be the native Brooklyn prodigy to turn it all around? There was no exact answer for why Marbury left the team. Isiah kept telling reporters that Marbury’s departure was an “in-house matter” and would not give further information. On the other hand, Marbury said that he received permission from Isiah to leave the team. But most likely, he was angry with Isiah for removing him from the starting lineup. Before Marbury’s departure, the Knicks lost to the Heat by a close margin. In the final seconds, the Knicks were down by 3 points. Logically, the Knicks would want to give the ball to Jamal Crawford, who makes the most clutch shots. Instead, Marbury took the ball and missed the potential game-tying 3 point shot by a mile. Isiah was angry at his selfishness and shot selection that time. It was reported that Isiah and Marbury had a bitter argument after Isiah decided to