Volume 8 Issue 11

THE

STUYVESANT

STANDARD Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Volume 8

Issue 11

MSA Finds Success at MIST Competition TSS/Muhammad Tambra

Members of the Stuyvesant Muslim Students Association celebrate the awards they won at the Muslim Interscholastic Competition held at Hofstra University during spring recess.

Peer Partnership Students Make Stuy Their Home By: Rammiya Nallainathan One of the communitybuilding programs run by SPARK is the Peer Partnership Program, where students meet with the Special-Ed students during their lunch period every Thursday. The program was initiated in January of 2007 by Angel Colon, Stuyvesant’s SPARK coordinator. The main organization, P.S. M721- Manhattan Occupational Training Center (MOTC), responsible for these students is located on 250 West, Houston Street. However, the school has many off-site locations. These fa-

This year Stuyvesant’s Muslim Students Association (MSA) partook in the Muslim Interscholastic Tournament also known as MIST. MIST is a competition designed to “to develop leadership, promote communication, and inspire creativity while gaining a deeper understanding of Islam and Muslims,” according to the MIST website getmistified.com. This competition was brought to the attention of the Stuyvesant High School MSA by Stuyvesant alum and former MSA president Ubaid Bandukra. The executive board of the Stuyvesant MSA felt that this competition would help promote a sense of pride among the members of the MSA and help foster the club’s unity. The MIST competition has an Islamic focus, but is not just about Islam. It has 35 competitions

including poetry, debate, basketball, web design and much more. The StuyMSA team participated in a number of these competitions. They placed first in the following competitions: nasheed boy’s rap, boy’s basketball, 2D Islamic Art, Memorization, Tajweed, Prepared Essay, and Debate. The team was ranked in the top three for a number of other competitions as well and ended up coming in third place overall, qualifying for nationals. The Bronx Science MSA won first place as some MSA members predicted they would. Mahfuzur Rahman Tamim Miah, the co-vice president of the MSA, was the main organizer of the team, and was instrumental in getting everything prepared. He also won 2nd place overall and earned a cash prize for his participation. When the MSA decided to participate in the competition, there was Continued on page 3

Science Olympiad Takes Tenth in Competition By: Jenny Shan The annual New York State Science Olympiad State Competition was held at U.S. Military Academy at West Point on March 21, 2009. Stuyvesant’s Science Olympiad team placed tenth in the state out of forty-nine participating high schools. Scoring on the New York State Science Olympiad is based on rank. Students are ranked in each event with a number, 1 being the highest rank. The numbers are then added up for each school, and the schools are placed according to

the total points (the lower the better). Fayetteville-Manlius High School came in first place with 172 points. In tenth place, Stuyvesant had 485 points. Stuyvesant ranked first in two events, Cell Biology and Electric Vehicle. The captains of the Stuyvesant Biology Olympiad team are Karl Guo and April Lee. There were five biology related events which are categorized as Life, Personal & Social Science: Cell Biology, Disease Detectives, Ecology, Health Science and Herpetology. Most of these events were taken as tests, though some events such as Continued on page 3

Continued on page 4

An Easily Manipulated Nation

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Juniors Celebrate Spirit Week

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In This Issue

cilities include Legacy High School, Chelsea Vocational High School, and Stuyvesant High School. The main objective of the school is, “to motivate all stakeholders toward independence by preparing them to be productive and contributing members of society by providing them with opportunities to have a dynamic educational environment based on 'best practices' for meaningful and enriched academic, social and occupational or work experiences.” At Stuyvesant, there are only three classes of students from P.S. M721. Some of the students attend the Stuyvesant site because

By: Shahzad Anwar

Vision Correction:

Contact Lenses and Eyeglasses

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The STUYVESANT STANDARD

May 12, 2009–VOL.8, NO. 11

Staff Editorial: The Executive Board AMNA AHMAD HESHAM SALEH DAVID MANNES ANGEL WONG GUERGANA BORISSOVA RAMMIYA NALLAINATHAN MUHAMMAD TAMBRA MARINA TAWFIK ROBERT COLBOURN OMAR AHMAD QI FAN ZHANG ROBERT STEVENSON MICHAEL BLOCK ELISSA TAM MEGAN BRESLIN DANIEL EGERS (‘03) ERNEST BASKIN (‘04)

EDITOR IN CHIEF MANAGING EDITOR DIRECTOR OF FINANCE DIRECTOR OF FINANCE COPY CHIEF NEWS EDITOR NEWS EDITOR OPINIONS EDITOR ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR SCIENCE EDITOR TECHNOLOGY EDITOR LITERARY EDITOR SPORTS EDITOR 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.

Getting Others to Give Back There have been only a handful of times in the past few years in which student-run organizations have united the studentbody with the objective of giving back. Fortunately however, Stuyvesant students have had the privilege of participating in two such events in the past few weeks, namely, the STRIVE Earth Day Festival and the 2nd Annual Fundraising Carnival for St. Jude’s Research Hospital. Both events proved to be successful, not only in promoting a sense of community among students, but also in raising awareness and money for two very notable causes. Members of the STRIVE club and the Free Hugs club were extremely successful in their efforts to attract a large focus group of students to the events. In fact, it was clear that due to the popularity of the events, students as well as administrators were enjoying themselves at the same time as they were either raising money for cancer research or learning how to lead a more eco-friendly life. The Stuyvesant Standard commends STRIVE and Free Hugs on their successful efforts to help get others to give back. It is our

sincere hope that other student organizations will follow in their foot steps for the future. It came as a pleasant surprise that even as AP exams began creeping up on students, and even after seniors received news from colleges and universities, the members of STRIVE and Free Hugs did not hesitate to take the time to consider the prospect of somehow making a change for the better even if it meant temporarily setting their own personal commitments aside. The well-known and perhaps overly used expression, “To whom much is given, much is expected,” clearly resonates with the idea that as privileged students, it is our responsibility to step outside of ourselves for the greater good of humanity. While some students may feel as though their efforts to secure change would prove to be fruitless, the success of STRIVE and Free Hugs in getting others to give back exemplifies the impact that the vision of just a handful of students can have on the lives of others. We have the potential to change the world.◙

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 ©2009 THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

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NEWS

The STUYVESANT STANDARD

May 12, 2009 –VOL.8, NO. 11

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The Standard News Stuy MSA Finds Success at MIST Competition Continued from page 1 concern that there would not be enough students to float a team. Since the competition took place during spring recess, some students within the MSA opted not to participate. However the executive board was able to wrangle up a sizeable team of about 20 members. There was also a large debate over the team’s name. With names like “Stuy Stallions” and “Stuy Stars” floating around the team finally decided upon “Empire Untouchables” in the end. This year’s competition took place at Hofstra University, located in Long Island. The Stuy MIST team faced a challenge with determining how the members would make the trip to Hofstra. Because none of the team members could drive they had to rely on the generosity of team member’s parents and friends to drive them up to Hofstra. One of the drivers was caught speeding and given a ticket on the way to the competition, and as the MSA members learned, making it to the competition on time was not worth the risk associated with driving over 90 mph on a rode where the speed limit is 45 mph to

make up for lost time. Danielle Lebenson, a member of the StuyMSA executive council and first place winner for the Prepared Essay competition said, “The first day was disorganized and unpromising, but the next two days were unforgettable. There was an atmosphere of brotherhood and sisterhood that can't really be easily found elsewhere, combined with friendly competition and really interesting workshops. I think that we went into MIST hoping to just compete in some stuff and feel like we were involved, but what we left with was greater; I know that, at least for the sisters in MSA that participated, it was a really good bonding experience. For an MSA that isn't really as "tight" as we would like it to be, this gave us a chance to really hang out with each other, learn about each other, work together, etc. In building up team spirit, we built up a strong MSA bond that we definitely didn't have before." The Stuyvesant MSA feels a sense of accomplishment and hopes to do better next year, “and maybe even win first place”, added a confident Shehab Hasan.◙

Juniors Celebrate Spirit Week By: Muhammad Tambra March 30 through April 3 marked the first ever Junior Spirit Week held at Stuy. The event was organized by the Junior President, Valeriya Tsitron, in an attempt to promote Junior unity and also rally school spirit. Each day had its own color theme. Monday was red, Tuesday was yellow, Wednesday was green, Thursday was pink, and Friday was blue. Juniors were encouraged to wear shirts corresponding to the color theme of the day. There were also events on the first floor near the rear of the theatre. These events involved charades, board games, and a remix of some SING! performances. There was a lot of hype for the event and even a Facebook group created in order to promote it. A lot of students felt it was a good way to promote unity and a sense of pride among the class. Sophomore Rebecca Chang said,

“I thought it was really cool how the juniors were able to organize all of this and establish themselves as a dominant force in the school. I think being in the shadow of the senior year makes them feel less important and in this way they can show Stuy that they’re proud of who they are.” Junior Anastassia Kapeles added, “I think Junior Spirit week is an awesome idea. As juniors we’re extremely stressed due to a lot of things, AP’s, SAT’s, and the prospect of applying to college. I think that this gave us a chance to say ‘hey, we’re awesome!’” On the other hand, not everyone shared in the enthusiasm surrounding spirit week. They are fearful of school sectionalism. And others feel it’s a bit early to be celebrating. Senior Mehrab Islam said, “I think it’s a bit early for a spirit week. They’ll have plenty of senior spirit days.” Junior Manuel Continued on page 4

Science Olympiad Takes Tenth in Competition Continued from page 1 Cell Biology required students to identify cells while Herpetology required students to identify live animals. Students worked in pairs. The captains of the Stuyvesant Chemistry Olympiad team are Rena Chen and Charles Choi. The three chemistry events were Chemistry Lab, Environmental Chemistry, and Forensics. Each event consisted of a series of miscellaneous questions and an experiment. Two people would work together on each event. The captain of the earth science team is Jenny Zhang. The Earth and Space Science events were Astronomy, Dynamic Planet, Fossils, and Remote Sensing. Other events were Physics Lab, Technical Problem Solving, Experimental Design, Solar Power, Egg-O-Naut, Elevated Bridge, and Junkyard Challenge. Some events required students to do experiments and answer questions (including Physics Lab, Technical Problem Solving, and Experimental Design) while the other events required the students to build things ( including Egg-O-Naut,

Elevated Bridge, and Junkyard Challenge). David Tan is the captain of the Physics Olympiad team, while the captain for the technology team is Oscar Liu. Though the Stuyvesant Science Olympiad Team does not have teachers who specially coach the team, the science teachers occasionally help the team out when necessary. The captains are mainly responsible for preparing the team. “We have to pretty much teach people ourselves based on what we have learned from previous captains and what we can learn by ourselves” says Charles Choi, captain of the chemistry team. When asked how he felt about the team coming in tenth, Karl Guo, captain of the biology team replied, “We expected to be in the top ten. We’ve [got top ten at States] for three years in a row now. We hope to continue the streak to maybe get more funding for the team.” With additional funding and more assistance from teachers, the Science Olympiad Team members anticipate that they will continue to excel in the competitions in the future.◙

Mongolian Throat Singing Club Draws Attention By: Mohammed Rahman The Stuyvesant Mongolian Throat Singing Club was started in the spring of 2008 and has since then grown into a club with over 25 members. Patrick Rozgonyi, president of the Mongolian Throat Singing Club, was lured by the art of throat singing by watching a close friend in action. Patrick began to practice rigorously everyday and eventually developed the skills to be able to teach others how to throat sing. Patrick understood that Mongolian throat singing was an unusual and widely unknown talent that had to be promoted. Therefore, he created a club devoted to the cause of spreading Mongolian and Inuit tradition. The rhythmic hymns of Mongolian throat singing are very delicate and have been a part of Mongolian culture for centuries. Throat singing is a complex

form of singing that comes from the bottom of the throat, contrary to the common form of singing we hear on the radio as part of the more conventional sphere of music. The sound waves generated by the throat resonate to the environment and can be tuned by widening and shutting the mouth. Many Stuyvesant students are stunned when they hear this type of music. Patrick Fu, a junior at Stuyvesant, stated: “I was shocked the first time I heard Patrick throat sing. It was so inhuman like. I kept looking around the room, expecting the noise to come from a machine or an animal. Finally I realized Patrick made such unorthodox noises.” Throat singing is truly exotic and is respected in the Inuit and Mongolian tribes. Throat singing, a long-lasting custom in Mongolia, is learned at a very young age so that chilContinued on page 4

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May 12, 2009 –VOL.8, NO.11

Peer Partnership Students Make Stuy Their Home while.

Continued from page 1 of the issue of unsuitable handicap accommodations at the main site. Because there are no elevators at the main site, students in wheelchairs are not able to get around from class to class easily. At the Stuyvesant High School building, these students are not only able to get around more easily, but they also benefit from the smaller community of students from the Special-Ed institute. Classes are capped at eight to twelve students, and there is an emphasis on oneon-one attention from paraprofessionals. P.S. M721 is also linked to other groups to help these students become accustomed with what would be expected of them as employees in a work environment in the future. One group, known as the Entrepreneur Group, helps students prepare and train to be part of the OTC, or the Occupation Training Center. Their group leader, Olga, guides them by having them participate in activities such as bake sales. The group is located on the ninth floor in Room 926. Another group the organization works alongside is the Federation Employment Guidance Services, also known as F.E.G.S. Students who are between the ages of eighteen and twenty-one attend work sessions as part of F.E.G.S. from Monday to Friday, 9:30 to 11:30 am. They learn how to make their own clips during these sessions. When asked how he felt about working, Thomas, a twelfth grade student, said, “It makes me happy. I have fun being with friends.” Miguel and Derek, two other students who also work at F.E.G.S. noted that they have to stay quiet and concentrate on their work. By working with F.E.G.S., students are able to learn the difference between a typical school environment and work environment. Miguel added that he learns to be a good co-worker by working so diligently. When asked what the best part of working was, they all seemed to agree that the monetary compensation made it all worth the

The institute is also associated with the Model Transition Program (MTP) and the Association for Help of Retarded Children (AHRC). The Model Transition Program helps students by providing them with a job readiness curriculum. Dr. Chris Suita, from the University of Buffalo, guides students through her workshops on self advocacy. AHRC helps with job coaching, and providing parents and students with access to vocational rehabilitation and educational services given by the Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VSID). Some work-site partnerships offered by the MOTC include the Cabrini Nursing Home, Greenwich House, NY Public Library, Mott Street Senior Center, and the Village Nursing Home. In addition to these services, the school provides InHouse Entrepreneurships in Hospitality (Enterprises) and Food Services (Confetti Cafe), Inclusion programs at Legacy and Chelsea High Schools, Structured teaching classes (TEACCH), and classes in Math, Science, Art, Music, Social Studies, ELA/NLA, Physical Education and Computer Technology. Their physical education classes include Fencing, Wrestling, Flag Football, Cheerleading, Basketball, Golf, Swimming, Double-Dutch, Jump Roping and Tennis. In ELA classes, MOTC provides various communication and languagebased programs such as Star Reporter, Splash, MEville to WEville with Extended Literacy Lessons curriculum, Weekly Reader, and Next to help the students develop important language skills. For instance, Star Reporter allows students to act as newspaper writers, editors, and photographers and encourages them to learn the communication skills they need to know how to work in small and large groups. In fact, the students publish their own newspaper entitled, The Stuyvesant Times. Each of the students at Stuyvesant High School site follow their own schedule during the school week. Every morning the students and their instructors

gather in the dining hall to have breakfast. Then, while some go off to their work site, the other students work to develop skills in math, ELA, and social studies classes. Later in the day the students have occupational therapy, and counseling, and participate in a physical education class. Patricia Pawliczak noted that being a part of the Peer Partnership program is a great experience for these students. “It is a good opportunity for them to socialize. Most kids want to feel like other high school students.” Senior Rebecca Sharma, an active member of the Peer Partnership program, said, “ Peer Partnership has been such a great experience. Before, Mr. Colon instituted the program, I think the Special-Ed students were separated from the rest of the Stuyvesant community. However, this program is able to bridge that gap and allows us to have more interaction with the other students.” While the P.S. M721 students have undoubtedly benefited from their involvement in the Peer Partnership Program, Stuyvesant students themselves have also discussed the value of the friendships they form with students that are just a bit different than they are. Some of the students have used the program as a way to teach others about themselves. Kelvin, a twenty-one-yearold student, has memorized every zip code in New York City and can identify the neighborhood which each zip code represents. Kelvin has demonstrated his ability to overcome the obstacles that his disability has caused him in other ways as well. For example, Kelvin taught himself how to speak after being unable to communicate with others through words for part of his life. Each of the students has their own story to tell just as Kelvin has his. Largely as a result of the Peer Partnership Program, Stuyvesant students are beginning to integrate themselves with the students of P.S. M721 in ways they had not before. Stuyvesant students can now be seen in the halls greeting the Special-Education students with a high five or a friendly hug.◙

NEWS

Juniors Celebrate Spirit Week Continued from page 3 Castro said, “I’m not sure whether or not this was a good thing or not. I mean, yes it does promote junior spirit but what about the underclassmen? I think they might feel left out. It might escalate into where the grades are trying to outdo each other instead of working together.” Many students reported seeing students wearing clothing that was the color theme for the day throughout the hallway but the response to the implementation of Junior Spirit Week was definitely not as large as expected. Even on the Facebook group many juniors opted to choose the “not attend” option. In junior classes it seemed that only a small minority of the students cared enough to wear the color theme for the day. It was present enough to incur the interest of teachers and other students but it is to be seen whether or not it incited any major changes in junior spirit.◙

Would you like to join us as a writer? Feel free to email us at: EIC@ stuystandard.org

Mongolian Throat Singing Club Draws Attention Continued from page 3 dren can entertain the elders of the tribe. Understanding the prestige of the skill, the club meets about once every week to practice. Members of the club choose one of the many styles of

throat singing to focus on and then work throughout the year on mastering that style. At the end of the year, a throat singing competition is held outside of school to determine which member has made the most pro-

gress. In light of the fact that throat singing requires a great deal of dedication, members are expected to devote a substantial amount of time to the activity to get the most out of it. Mongolian throat singing is a style of

music that Patrick expect to entice all audiences. The presence of the Mongolian Throat Singing Club has been said to contribute to the diversity of interests that Stuyvesant High School students possess.◙

OPINIONS

The STUYVESANT STANDARD

May 12, 2009 –VOL.8, NO.11

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The Standard Opinions An Easily Manipulated Nation TSS/ Elissa Tam

Marina Tawfik For most students and Americans throughout the country, a typical day involves watching television, listening to the radio, reading magazines, or all three of these things. They listen to newscasters and reality television show hosts, and read articles about politicians and fashion. Some of the information we gain is invaluable information that we would be inconvenienced without. For example, being able to check the weather every morning to see the temperature and find out whether or not it will rain helps me in choosing my wardrobe for that day. However, other things the media provide us are not as helpful. The media is highly influential in the lives of Americans, and as a result, its influence is exploited to its full potential. Whether it be by telling us what products to buy by creating dazzling commercials or by discreetly pointing out the errors in politicians’ speeches, the media is often used to make Americans do or believe a number of things that those behind the media would like them to. This past year, presidential candidates spent millions of dollars on their campaigns. These included television ads, internet ads, radio announcements, and even billboards promoting them. Odds are that they would not have spent those vast amounts of money on advertisements if had they not known for sure that they would increase their chances of winning the election. The sad truth is that Americans may be very easily swayed to one side or another simply based on which candidate has the more dazzling cam-

It goes without mention that the media has a great impact on the way individuals think. However, the reasons that the media assumes such a role is still up for debate.

paign. Additionally, not only did the candidates themselves promote themselves on ads, but some television and radio stations made it clear that they were not as unbiased as they were perceived to be. For instance, constant criticisms of Sarah Palin’s speeches by certain television stations and newspapers certainly influenced the number of people who voted for McCain negatively. The good news is that I believe students at Stuyvesant do not fall into this trap as readily as other Americans have proven to. Stuyvesant students seem to be intelligent and independent enough to form their own opinions about what they like and dislike, what they believe

and do not believe. Though there are a few students who are clearly swayed by everything they hear, the majority of our student population seems to understand what their options are in all aspects of their lives. They also have the ability to analyze these options and figure out what they will do based on their own opinions. The opinions of their friends may also sometimes play a role in their decisions, but for the most part the media does not. Junior Elsa Thomas disagrees with this point. She believes that “television influences students a lot. A lot of people I know stay up late to watch TV shows, so their lack of sleep is not because of school-

work, but it is because of their addiction to the shows. If they watch it that often, it has to be influencing them.” While it is true that students may sometimes spend less time studying than entertaining themselves with television and the internet, I do not believe that this happens to most Stuyvesant students. It appears to me that most students focus on studying and getting homework done. It is true that there are some who insist on not missing a single episode of their favorite television show, but the rest understand how to balance their priorities, and thus are not in danger of being too influenced by a single source.◙

Which is Harder Doing Well in an AP or Choosing One? By: Anna Tsenter Choosing which Advanced Placement classes to take is a very difficult task for everyone. Since we just finished going through the process, I am sure everyone understands how hard and annoying it may be. First we have to decide how many APs to take. Most of the time, that choice is made for you based on your average, but do you really want to take three or four APs, even if you are allowed to? Then comes the choice of which ones to take. This fairly difficult choice to make is narrowed

down fairly quickly. First you bump the classes that bore you to death. Then go those that you know you are going to fail, whether or not you put a lot of effort into them. Not to mention all the off-limits courses that are unavailable because you do not have the necessary pre-requisite courses needed to get in. On top of all of that, you need to have high grades to get into the handful of APs left to choose from. I understand that APs are difficult classes, and only people with good averages should be able to take them, but the standards should be a little more lenient. Our grading system in Stuyvesant is not so fool-

proof; hence, the cut off grades and averages should not be set in stone. If you had a very bad teacher who failed everyone last year in biology, it should not mean that you are automatically denied the privilege of taking the AP Biology course. What if your grade of 88 was the highest in the class? A situation like this could deny someone very interested in biology, someone aspiring to become a great doctor, the right to take the class they are passionate about. Grades are not always the best representation of a student in a certain area of knowledge. An overall average, of course, is pretty accurate,

but since we are dealing with single class grades, sometimes available from only one or two terms, there needs to be a better way of evaluating students. Teachers should be able to see lists of people applying and have the opportunity to promote some deserving students. Parents, who are probably most aware of their children’s abilities, should have some say in the process as well. A person’s nature should also be considered in the process of choosing students for an AP course. There are some people that understand everything without studying, Continued on page 6

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OPINIONS

A Year on ARISTA Executive Council By: Rammiya Nallainathan On Wednesday, April 22, Stuyvesant inducted its 100th chapter of ARISTA, Stuyvesant’s National Honor Society. About 170 new members were inducted into ARISTA, all of whom met the four pillars of ARISTA: leadership, character, service, and scholarship. The induction lasted from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm. With the help of the administration, faculty members, and ARISTA ushers, the induction ran very smoothly. Compared to last year, getting into ARISTA this year was a lot more competitive. As former VP of ARISTA Tutoring, I had the great privilege to read many of these applications and judge whether or not these students fit into the honor society. Of course, there were some cases where the executive council had to think twice before accepting or rejecting these

students. For those who found disappointing news, I must add that there is an appeals process on its way. During this process you can show us why you feel you belong in ARISTA. With the induction of new members, comes the induction of new officers. Rather than holding an election, this year’s Executive Council decided to pick its new officers through an application process. The 2009-2010 ARISTA Executive Council includes, President Nicole Leung, Vice President Omar Ahmad, Vice President of Service and Events Kaitlyn Kwan, Co-Vice Presidents of Tutoring Shirley Xu and Kashyap Rajagopal, and Director of Communications Amit Saha. It is clear from the list of council members above that the Executive Council made a few changes to the structure of the ARISTA leadershio team. For example, VP of Administration was fused with the VP of ARISTA, the Editor of The Herald is now the Communications Direc-

Which is Harder Doing Well in an AP or Choosing One? Continued from page 5 TSS/Elissa Tam While AP classes are understood to be very difficult, perhaps the administration needs to reexamine the way they determine who is and is not qualified to take an AP course.

and effortlessly do well in normal courses. There are others who constantly study and take their work seriously. Accepting those who study would be a better choice, because their habits indicate that they will strive to do their best in the AP class. Those who do not put effort into their work might find themselves lost in a class that is above the level of their quick understanding. Having bad working habits will not lead to good results and the person will not do well in the class. But since characteristics of people are hard to distinguish by transcripts, and even by most teachers, these values should be

incorporated into the decision by some sort of interview process. As hard as it is to get into an AP class, some Stuyvesant students strive to take as many as they can. We do not get scared about losing our already uneventful social lives or our already too few hours of sleep. Taking on as much as possible, we struggle to do everything and anything we can to excel. This is what I most admire about Stuy students: their definition of “enough” keeps stretching further without end, and they will not stop until they reach their goals. In my point of view, however, our school should take a more holistic approach to permitting students to select Advanced Placement courses.◙

tor, there are two VPs of Tutoring (rather than just one,) and there is no longer a Junior Representative. Such changes were made based on either the unclear purpose of some positions, or the need for more representation in different areas. During this past year, I had a great time working with the rest of the Executive Council and our faculty advisor, Mr. Weil. Each officer contributed to ARISTA depending on what he or she did best, and I believe we all worked well together. From the first general meeting we held in October, to the preparations for the induction ceremony, I know we all stuck together, even if we were in sticky situations. Though it was Mr. Weil’s first year as ARISTA faculty advisor, he was still able to guide us through and helped us make the necessary changes we needed to make this year a productive one. In addition to being on the Executive Council, I also had a great time working with the mem-

bers on the Tutoring Committee. Without their help, I highly doubt it would have been possible to run all the programs we have. In addition to the one-on-one tutoring, ARISTA has worked on some new programs, such as AIS/ARISTA help with the Math, Biology, (and now Chemistry and Physics Departments), an afterschool program- Math Inquiry Team, Study Buddies, outside ARISTA tutoring, and its new program –PEEP-where students can get their essays edited. I truly believe that next year’s Co-VPs of ARISTA Tutoring, Shirley and Kashyap, will be able to continue running these programs and even initiate some new programs inside and outside of school. As my final words, I just want to thank the administration who worked with us this year, the old Executive Council, and our faculty advisor, Mr. Weil. Good luck and best wishes to the 2009-2010 ARISTA EC and members!◙

SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY

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The Standard Science & Technology Vision Correction: Contact Lenses and Eyeglasses TSS/Amna Ahmad

By: Omar Ahmad A substantial portion of Stuyvesant’s students wear corrective lenses, whether they be contact or frame lenses, in order to ease their school day and maintain better vision. However, few normally consider the other options in corrective treatment, how these fixations may work on a long-term basis, or why they chose that specific type of visual aid. Many children, starting at ages as young as 5, are given visual exams in order to estimate their eyesight. If the child has lesser than average eyesight, meaning below 20/20, they are often given corrective aids, most commonly, glasses. However, this is frequently without weighing in other possible options for eye care, such as contact lenses or surgical correction, which could in turn, result in a dependence on glasses for the future. This dependence is clinically shown to lead to overuse and misuse of the eyeglasses, frequently resulting in deteriorating eyesight and blurred vision. One such instance was in the case of freshman Adeline Cho

A considerable population of Stuyvesant High School students rely on either glasses or contact lenses to enhance their vision throughout the course of the school day.

who wore glasses for the majority of her childhood, and now has resorted to contact lenses. She said “I now have really bad vision, so my contacts are extra thick, still keeping me uncomfortable with the frequent itch.” Though many high school students today have the ability and resources to properly weigh the options provided to them by their

ophthalmologists, many find no real need for change. Junior Joshua Lee, an avid lacrosse player, stated that wearing glasses, even in a high contact sport “is just the same as wearing contacts.” However, when given this opportunity, many students have difficulties in choosing between contact lenses and glasses.

Contact lenses, the more recent development in corrective eye aids, often seem to be a more powerful contender in the vision battle, as they leave one’s appearance unaltered, while at the same time provide complete peripheral vision to the user. Even so, eyeglasses are easier to maintain and can be removed easily. Eyeglasses may be less expensive on a long-term basis than contacts as well. When asked about his experiences with both contacts and glasses, sophomore Matthew Kim, another student well involved in sports stated that “Peripheral vision is key. With contacts or glasses, you should be able to see the ball in front of you. But only with contacts can you detect it in the corner of your eye.” Other procedures such as corneal transplant and Lasik corrective surgery are often costly and complex, and carry with them the possibility of degenerative vision that leaves many consumers uneasy about considering them as options. All in all, both contact lenses and eyeglasses prove to be effective visual aids, though their appeal greatly varies based on the consumer.◙

Mono Makes Sharing Food and Beverages Dangerous By: Omar Ahmad Most children, from a young age, are taught to share. They are told that the act of sharing develops stronger friendships, and assists in the development of a child’s maturity. However, few fully understand the repercussions of teaching students-to-be to share their snacks and beverages. Infectious mononucleosis, more commonly known as mono, is a stem off of the classified Epstein-Barr herpes viruses. Particularly prevalent in middle to high school students, this disease has recently been monitored closely, and its victims grow steadily though more rapidly in number each year. This disease normally transmits itself through the saliva, providing itself with the name of the “kissing virus.” A person with mono may also pass the disease along by coughing or sneezing, causing small droplets of infected saliva or mucus to be suspended in the air, thereby being able to be inhaled by others in the area. However, these circumstances are less likely, with the cause of the majority of mono cases being saliva residue found on

shared foods. According to Medicinenet.com up to 95 percent of adults between the ages of 35 and 40 have antibodies directed against Epstein-Barr viruses, especially mono. This indicates that most people at least once in their lifetime, have come across or been infected by a mono-like virus. Though most of these adults did not recall mono-like symptoms, such as high fever, swollen glands, and chills, in their medical past, it often exhibits flu-like symptoms in early years of development, like mild fever, running nose, or sore throat. Research has shown that, depending on the method used to detect the virus, anywhere from 20 percent to 80 percent of people who have had mononucleosis and have recovered, will continue to secrete mono in their saliva for years, due to periodic “reactivations,“ or abundant appearance of the viral infection. Due to the fact that healthy people without obvious symptoms also secrete the virus during reactivation periods throughout their lifetime, isolation of the virus is neither reasonable nor possible.

This makes the virus particularly imperceptible in large, concentrated groups of people, such as can be found in a school setting. When asked about mono, junior Jack Lee stated that “the virus seems to be slipping through the cracks at Stuy.” His brother, a freshman at Bronx Science got the virus recently, but he told Lee that he “probably got it from his friend, who he shared a sandwich with.” When asked about his perspective on the act of openly sharing food, Lee responded that he “never really thought about it before,” and that “Sharing food is an instantaneous thing. No one really has time to consider sharing or not when someone asks.” Even so, sophomore Jesse Volto stated that “everyone has their own set of germs. The air is filled with our saliva, and most viruses are inevitable if you plan on going to school.” FDA researcher and writer Judith Willis disagrees, with the argument that, though mono, or viruses similar to it, may be inevitable, the degree to which a person may react to the disease can be regulated through proper sanitary behavior.

Many students find mono to be slightly more uncomfortable than a severe flu, though it may often cause symptoms worthy of a hospital stay. Edward Gottfried, at student at Bowdoin College, was one such case where intensive medical attention was necessary. In an interview with the Bowdoin Orient, Gottfried stated that glands in his neck swelled up two weeks prior to his hospitalization. It was not until a full week later, when he was in Greek class, that he knew he must have mono. "I was translating aloud and got to the end of a sentence and realized I had no idea what I had said in the previous minute and a half. That sort of lack of cognitive function is somewhat unique, and led me to believe that something was seriously wrong with me," he said. Though cases vary depending on age, location, or concentration of the virus, mononucleosis has proven to be a dangerous and discomforting disease in all environments. The number of mono victims continues to rise. Therefore, one should avoid eating, or drinking after others in order to prevent the spread of the virus.◙

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The STUYVESANT STANDARD

May 12, 2009 –VOL.8, NO.11

ENTERTAINMENT/LITERARY

The Standard Entertainment Duplicity Dupes Viewers By: Robert Colbourn Films depicting the classical spy role do appear on the market frequently, so it’s difficult to find a gem among all the drivel. With each new release into this genre comes a more convoluted plot that typically fails to make any sense or provide the viewers with a story of substance. Despite this, more and more movies with big budgets and a stellar cast get released into the spy genre, cluttering up the box office. “Duplicity” does not stray from this pattern– it is a pointless film that attempted to be comedic, romantic, and thrilling, yet failed miserably at all three. Ray Koval (Clive Owen), an MI6 operative, and Claire Stenwick (Julia Roberts), a spy for the CIA, cross paths in Rome, where an unfortunate incident between the two occurs. However, a meeting three years later sparks a partnership in order to take advantage of a feud between two rival corporations over a secret new product one of them is about to release. Tensions between the couple rise when questions about their love for each other come up and the potential for betrayal increases to a maximum. Initially, this clichéd plot did hold promise for at least being somewhat entertaining. However,

even in this respect it failed. Its plot became overly convoluted in uninteresting ways. Character motives became increasingly foggier, the plot progressed through moves by characters that made little sense, and the audience was left knowing too little, with the end rushing to catch everyone up. There was little to counteract these downfalls, due to the lack of interesting cinematography or tense moments. There were few things that were good about this film and one of them was the acting. It wasn’t anywhere close to being stellar, but fans of Julia Roberts, Clive Owen or Paul Giamatti will be somewhat pleased with their performances. Roberts’ and Owen’s relationship was passionate and complicated (mostly during the moments when it was antagonistic,) while Giamatti provided a lot of comic relief. In addition, the scenery was very pleasing. Viewers will be entranced by a big hi-tech corporate atmosphere, an underground spy network, the outdoor beauty of Rome, and other pretty locations across the world. Unfortunately, these positive aspects weren’t nearly enough to offset the awful remainder of the movie, truly making it almost unwatchable. Duplicity, despite the stellar cast and nice scenery, will still be considered one of the big flops of 2009.◙

The Standard Literary

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The STUYVESANT STANDARD May 12, 2009 –VOL.8, NO.11

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The STUYVESANT STANDARD

May 12, 2009 –VOL.8, NO.11

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SPORTS

The STUYVESANT STANDARD

The Sports Beat: Preview of the 2009 Mets

May 12, 2009 –VOL.8, NO.11

Lundqvist Leads Rangers to Victory Continued from page 12

Continued from page 12 Maine is coming off of off-season surgery and hasn’t been impressive during spring training. Perez, the key off-season signing for the rotation, came back from the world baseball classic feeling tired and overweight and, like Maine, looks unimpressive. Pelfrey is coming off his first full season in the big leagues and while he looks good, there are always questions regarding a young pitcher. If Hernandez can do his job, that is, eat innings and be somewhat productive out of the 5-spot, the Mets’ rotation should be just fine. This year’s lineup looks very similar to that of last year with the only notable change that

Daniel Murphy is the fulltime leftfielder. Murphy, a young and very talented player, is often compared to Joe DiMaggio in terms of his hitting ability. With Murphy batting 2nd and following Reyes, the most exciting leadoff hitter in the game, coupled with the likes of David Wright, Carlos Beltran and Carlos Delgado, the lineup looks like it should be successful. While anything can happen over the course of a baseball season, most people can expect this team to be in the playoffs, whether it is via winning the division or the wildcard. With a powerful lineup, a sound bullpen and a seemingly steady rotation, it is fair enough to think that the Mets will be revisiting the playoffs again. ◙

U.S. Results Mixed at Skating World Championships Continued from page 12 Kim skated to "Scheherazade" by Nikolai Rimski-Korsakov in the long program during the second night of competition. She missed landing one triple jump, but skated to the rest of the program with confidence. "I was very comfortable when I was skating," said Kim, to the New York Times. "I felt that I was able to do well because of all the people cheering me on in the stadium." "I don't think about the points," she said. "Being the world champion was my dream and I did it here, so this is just amazing." Kim's coach, Brian Orser, said to the Times, "It's one of those moments in skating people will always remember." The United States women's team did not do well enough to secure three spots in the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver. The United States women had to finish a combined place of 13th or better, but were only able to earn 16th place after the second night of competition, from 21st place in the short program. For the first time since 1994, the USA will only have two female skaters in the Olympics. Alissa Czisny, the 2009 U.S. Nationals Champion, was 14th going into the long program. She fell twice, managing to garner 53.28 points the first night. "Today was disappointing

because that's not the way I've been practicing. I have higher expectations of myself, and it just didn't happen," she told the Times. Czisny finished in 11th place overall. "The outcome is not in my hands. There's nothing I can do about it," said a disappointed Czisny. 16-year-old Rachel Flatt of USA placed 5th with a score of 172.41. The World Championship is her first senior level competition. "Skating two pretty solid programs was very exciting for my first worlds," said a smiling Flatt. "This experience was irreplaceable. I couldn't ask for anything more." To celebrate, Flatt is going to Disneyland. The two American 15year-old skating sensations Caroline Zhang and Mirai Nagasu did not qualify for worlds. Zhang finished third at the 2009 US Nationals. Nagasu, the 2008 US champion, has been trying to adapt to a recent growth spurt, which has interfered with her jumping abilities. She withdrew from the 2009 World Junior Figure Skating Championships. However, the United States men performed well. Evan Lysacek, 23, skated to George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue," and became the 2009 world champion, winning the gold medal with 242.23 points. Three spots for Vancouver were secured for the United States men.◙

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back with a good game when we struggled a little bit the last game. The way we responded is perfect.” But they know it will be difficult, as last season the Capitals were in the same situation and were able to force game 7 in the series, eventually losing in overtime. “It's not done yet,” Capitals forward Alex

Ovechkin said to the AP. “We were in this situation last year and we came back. We got that experience and it was good experience. We know how to come back..” It appears as if the Rangers will be able to take this series and move on to the second round, in which they will face the Boston Bruins. With Lundqvist playing the way he is, anything is possible. ◙

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The STUYVESANT STANDARD

May 12, 2009–VOL.8, NO.11

SPORTS

Lundqvist Leads the Rangers to Victory TSS/ Amna Ahmad

By: Michael Block On Wednesday, April 23 the Rangers took a commanding 31 series lead in their first round playoff series against Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals. Before a full Madison Square Garden crowd, the Rangers just squeaked by, 2-1. The first 10 minutes of the first period featured the Rangers outskating and completely outplaying the Caps, but Washington 20 year old rookie goaltender Simeon Varlamov was up to the challenge, extending the Rangers scoreless streak to over 120 consecutive minutes. Finally, late in the first period, the Rangers broke through on a Paul Mara shot that deflected over Varlamov’s shoulder. The period ended with the Rangers outshooting the Caps 11-9, but starting the second period shorthanded. The Rangers nearly collapsed in the second period. The Capitals outskated them and beat them to every loose puck, and if it wasn’t for save after brilliant save by Ranger’s goalie “King” Henrik Lundqvist, who faced 19 shots in the second period and stopped all

The New York Rangers rose as the victors in a heated game against the Washington Capitals largely as a result of the performance of their goalie Henrik Lundqvist.

of them, the Rangers could easily have been losing at the end of the period. But it was the Rangers, who only had 5 shots during the second, who capitalized on a mistake by Varlamov, as Chris Drury was able to put back a long rebound to give the Rangers a 2-0 lead. In the third, the Rangers came out skating strong, but it

was the Capital’s Ovechkin, the leading scorer in the NHL this season, who scored his first goal of the series about 3 minutes into the period, on a wrist shot over Lundqvist’s shoulder. The Rangers then had to hang on to a 2-1 lead for the rest of the game, and despite several close chances to tie by the Capitals (including an Ovechkin shot that rang off the

post), they were able to pull out the extremely important victory and take a 3-1 series lead into Game 5 in Washington. After a tough second half of the season, the Rangers are feeling good about how they played Wednesday night and in the series as a whole. As Lundqvist told the Associated Press, “It's so important to bounce Continued on page 11

The Sports Beat: Preview of the 2009 Mets

By: Cody Levine As a die hard Mets fan, it’s difficult to admit this, but the Mets have something to prove this season. After a great 2006 season that ended one game short of the World Series, the Mets followed up with two late season collapses resulting in the team missing the playoffs. Last season, a depleted bullpen blew 29 leads and was the main reason the Mets missed the playoffs. This off-season, however, those needs were addressed. The Mets signed free agent closer Francisco Rodriguez, fresh off a record 61 save season. They then traded for Seattle closer J.J Putz, very much improving a previously

unsteady back end of the bullpen. Though they lost reliever Joe Smith, the Mets were also able to get rid of Aaron Heilman and Scott Schoenweiss, who were two of their worst bullpen pitchers last season. Suddenly, the Mets bullpen has gone from being a liability to being one of the strongest parts of the team. While the bullpen has been solidified, the starting rotation remains a question mark. Ace Johan Santana is a rock at the top of the rotation, despite feeling discomfort in his elbow early in spring training. The remaining 4 starters are John Maine, Oliver Perez, Mike Pelfrey and Livan Hernandez. Continued on page 11

U.S. Results Mixed at Skating World Championships By: Amy Chen The audience's applause had barely ceased ringing in Kim Yu-na's ears when reporters began crowding around her and asking her questions. Afterwards, the South Korean president and prime minister called Kim to congratulate her. Kim Yu-na, 18, of South Korea won the 2009 World Figure Skating Championships at the Staples Center in Los Angeles with a world record of a combined total of 207.71 points from both the short and long program. This is the first time a woman has shattered the 200 point barrier. Kim won her first world title by more than 16 points above the silver medalist, Joannie Rochette of Canada who

finished the competition with 191.29 points. Miki Ando and Mao Asada of Japan placed third and fourth, respectively. For the past two world championships, Kim won the bronze medal in both competitions. She came into the 2009 Worlds expecting her toughest rival to be Mao Asada, last year's world champion. The two had been competing since they were novices. However, Kim skated gracefully to her short program music "Dance Macabre" by Camille Saint-Saens. Her skating was strong both technically and artistically. Kim landed all of her jumps solidly in the short program and seemed like a ballerina dancing on the ice. Continued on page 11