Volume 8 Issue 6

THE

STUYVESANT

STANDARD Thursday, January 15, 2008

Volume 8

Issue 6

Teitel, Teachers, and Students Convene to Discuss Stuyvesant’s Future TSS/ Omar Ahmad

Omar Ahmad With a new year in store for Stuyvesant High School, there is a plethora of concerns regarding the school’s welfare. One of the largest changes to be made is the alteration of the Stuyvesant High School website in order to create a resource for parents to monitor the attendance and grades of their children. As put by Mr. Teitel “The goal of the Department of Education is to give parents access to their children’s info.” Mr. Edward Wong, Assistant Principal of Technology Services, is heading the new interface known as “Parent Tools” to be featured on the Stuyvesant website. As a sidebar option to be taking full effect on January 1, this facet of the site will connect parents with the Stuyvesant High School experience, providing them with easier access to information about their children that were previously inaccessible to them. One of the features gives

Various issues raised during the most recent SLT meeting have wide reaching effects and concern every student.

parents the ability to send messages to specific teachers, to see a detailed roster of a student’s absences and cuts, report cards from a student’s start at Stuyvesant, an unofficial transcript, owed textbooks, as well as college admission statistics from past years. Another topic that was explored during the most recent SLT meeting was the possible use of metal detectors at Stuyvesant. In order to prevent cheating on Regents and final exams, Teitel re-

Colleges Counter

The College Board recently released their new Score Choice policy, which allows students to select which SAT scores they want to send to the college of their choice without any repercussions. The policy will be effective starting March 2009 and will be first available to the class of 2010. However, the Score Choice policy has a loophole in its construction that colleges have picked up on. Colleges have the choice not to implement the new policy. According to Newsweek, some colleges such as Stanford, University of Pennsylvania, Pomona, the University of Southern California, and Cornell have already decided to require their applicants next fall to send in all of their SAT scores. Other colleges such as Yale and Princeton have yet to decide on whether to forego the scoring policy

while Harvard University and the University of Chicago will honor the scoring policy starting next fall. Alice Ilioaei, a junior, believes that the decisions of several colleges to forego the policy are unfair to their applicants. “[The scoring policy] gives us a little breathing space. It’s not really fair considering we’re paying to take the tests over and over again. On another note, Laura Ye, also a junior, thinks colleges are entitled to the knowledge of their applicants’ scores. “[Colleges] have the right to know how the applicant has done on previous attempts of the SAT. Obviously, a student who took the SAT more times and scored higher on only one of them is not a better candidate than a student who took the SAT one or two times and did very well Continued on page 3

Number of ED Applications Rises

Members of S.T.R.I.V.E. Take a Stand for the Environment

Page 4

By: Faheem Zaman

In This Issue Page 3

New SAT Policy

quested the use of metal detectors to thwart students from carrying electronic devices into Stuyvesant. “We made a request and I was informed that [the metal detectors’] purpose is to respond to schools in which there is a known threat or they have some reason to believe there could be violence in the schools. [The DOE] just wouldn’t give it to us,” said Teitel. According to Teitel, additional procedures may possibly be taken to discourage the use of cell

phones as cheating materials on exams. “One possibility might be to tell the student body that if you are caught using a cell phone during an exam you will fail the course, not the test, the course. That might be a deterrent. We’ll have to see. I don’t have a solution just yet,” he said. An additional measure that may be taken would be to completely prevent students from leaving the room during a schooladministered exam. Of paramount significance as well is Stuyvesant’s inconsistent heating and cooling system. The school has been confronted with energy problems, as well as the ineffectiveness of the HVAC system. This system, responsible for the entire school’s temperature regulation, is wholly out of commission. The central control’s software is not only out-dated, but there does not seem to be a way to get around the complications of the DOE to eliminate the problem (that would be considered extremely significant Continued on page 3

Page 17 Looking Back on Stuyvesant’s Annual Holiday Concert

Page 10 Medical Ethics Symposium: A Spiritual Awakening

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The STUYVESANT STANDARD

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 businesses 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.

January 15, 2008 –VOL.8, NO. 6

NEWS

Staff Editorial: Student Union Must Be Reminded About StuySpace The Stuyvesant Standard has regularly communicated its disapproval of what can be considered increasing apathy on the part of the Student Union this year. Nothing better exemplifies the need for a change in pace in student government than the suspension of the StuySpace campaign begun at Stuyvesant last year by the Student Union in conjunction with Building the Stuyvesant Community. At the December Stuyvesant Leadership Team meeting in which Teitel, faculty members, and students, sat together to discuss various issues that Stuyvesant now faces, the question as to how to improve the condition of the hallways throughout the school arose. Student Union Vice President Casey Griffin explained that StuySpace (a student-run initiative to improve the condition of the Stuyvesant school building) was not continued because representatives from Building the Stuyvesant Community have not yet responded to an email that was sent to them regarding the resurrection of StuySpace earlier on in the semester. Why the Student Union does not simply pick up where it left off last year without Building the Stuyvesant Community remains a mystery. Not getting a response to a single email should not be used as an excuse for not taking the initiative to work

with the best interests of the school in mind. That the Student Union should even need to be reminded to continue a campaign that had garnered so much support from the student body is altogether difficult to understand. In the past our writers have discussed the problems that have resulted from an increasing student population. The crowding of the hallways and growing class sizes have only served to exaggerate the problem that StuySpace was created to solve. Although it is essential for the Student Union to reexamine its decision to put StuySpace on the backburner, it is also the responsibility of the student body to be considerate and treat the school building as their “home away from home” because that is precisely what it is. Because it is altogether difficult to feel comfortable in a space where one must watch the floor before stepping into puddles of coffee and double-check one’s seat to avoid sitting in a sticky wad of someone else’s gum, The Stuyvesant Standard feels the need to remind students that courtesy can be achieved with or without the colorful fliers and free t-shirts that StuySpace employed to get the message across.◙

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The staff of The Stuyvesant Standard would like to express its deepest condolences to the family members and friends of Ava Hecht. Ava was a brilliant, vibrant, and talented individual whose memory will be celebrated by all of those who came to know her as not only a wonderful student, but also the type of person who made the world seem just a bit brighter. The Stuyvesant High School community is surely at a grave loss without her.

NEWS

The STUYVESANT STANDARD

January 15, 2008 –VOL.8, NO. 6

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The Standard News Students Choose Spring Electives By: Faheem Zaman

on both.” Regarding the College Board’s new policy, Ye said, “I personally don't support the SAT Score Choice Policy. It's unfair to those who don't have time and money to take the test over and over again.” Not surprisingly, the College Board’s new policy was created from fiscal motivation. A primary reason behind the new policy was to increase the popularity of the SAT, which has been in recent past years, losing in market sales to the ACT, another college entrance exam.

November 1, 2008 was a day many seniors despised. It was the day Early Action (EA)/ Early Decision (ED) applications were due. Because of the downward trend in the economy, some admissions officers predicted that EA/ED applications would decrease since families would either assume or know that they could not afford to pay the rising costs of tuition. However, this was not the case. Just last month, SUNY schools released information stating that tuition costs would be increasing by $620 in 2009. Top-tier schools, such as Harvard and Yale also increased their college tuition for the 2008-2009 school year. Harvard increased its cost of attendance by 3.5 percent to a total payment of $47,215, while Yale and Princeton increased its cost by 2.2 and 3.9 percent, respectively. However, these same colleges have been quite generous in their financial aid packages, thereby allowing many students who come from middle-class families the chance to November 1, 2008 was a day many seniors despised. It was the day Early Action (EA)/ Early Decision (ED) applications were due. Because of the downward trend in the economy, some admissions

officers predicted that EA/ED applications would decrease since families would either assume or know that they could not afford to pay the rising costs of tuition. However, this was not the case. Just last month, SUNYschools released information stating that tuition costs would be increasing by $620 in 2009. Toptier schools, such as Harvard and Yale also increased their college tuition for the 2008-2009 school year. Harvard increased its cost of attendance by 3.5 percent to a total payment of $47,215, while Yale and Princeton increased its cost by 2.2 and 3.9 percent, respectively. However, these same colleges have been quite generous in their financial aid packages, thereby allowing many students who come from middle-class families the chance to attend these prestigious universities. The threat of increasing college tuition during this economy crisis has not stopped students from applying to their early schools. Senior Christina Singh said, “I think students are not as concerned about the economy and paying for college as they are worried about just getting in. Also, some students have simply grown attached to the school to which they applied early and want to end the colContinued on page 5

Teitel, Teachers, and Students Convene Continued from page 1

had it occurred in any other mainstream Manhattan building. Also, in order to operate the mechanism, the administration would need to obtain a copy of the control’s software, which is now no longer on the market and is obsolete. Last year, Mr. Citron’s Environmental Science class did a study regarding the temperature regulation of a select few rooms at Stuyvesant, and received results that proved the temperature to considerably from room to room. This was also emphasized by Ms. Bierig, who stated that When asked how their perin her room, 735, one day last spring, sonal plans for college will be afshe was forced her to notify the adfected by the colleges’ decisions to ministration that “the room [was] forego Score Choice, Ilioaei replied, freezing,” however, the next day she “There are things you can complain felt the room was “too hot.” about but can't change. You shouldThis study also determined n't let [the college’s decision] stop that Stuyvesant High School can reyou from at least trying.” duce its energy emissions a signifiYe said, “I don't think I'll be cant 15 percent by following simple using the Score Choice policy come tasks. These include turning off all senior year. At one point or another, computers at the end of the day, cutI'll probably be tempted to use it, but ting down on paper usage, putting I think that not telling the entire truth the beverage machines on timers, is lying.”◙ and leaving only the required amount

Colleges Counter New SAT Policy Continued from page 1

By: Rammiya Nallainathan

TSS

The window for online registration for student electives recently closed. Online programming ended on December 2 at 3 PM, after being open for students since November 19, 2008. Current Stuyvesant students were allowed to apply for electives, request various physical education activities and choose specialized courses, such as AP and honors classes. Stuyvesant’s varied selection of courses and extracurricular activities are some of the main attractions for prospective students. “I supported my son’s decision to go to Stuy, not only because of the great academics, but all of the special courses that couldn’t be found anywhere else,” said Stuyvesant parent Farida Akhtar. Students are choosing electives to meet prerequisite mandates as well as classes tailored to their individual interests. Sophomore track star James Chen decided to continue on with Molecular Science by taking the attached course, Molecular Genetics. The two courses together are called the Molecular Biology sequence, open to sophomores only. This prestigious course, taught by Dr. John Utting and Ms. Ann Manwell, has produced multiple Intel Science Talent Search finalists in the past, placing it in high demand. Students in the Molecular Biology sequence are taught with a combination of theoretical and practical lessons and learn valuable lab techniques along the way. Molecular Biology students are selected by application, which can be obtained from freshman biology teachers during the spring. Sophomore James Chen thought that the teachers of Molecular Biology made all the difference. “Dr. Utting is legend—he’s on my shortlist of future Nobel winners,”

said Chen. Sophomore Ramkumar Balasubramaniyan agreed. In addition to taking Molecular Biology, he opted to take Human Diseases. “I always wanted to become a doctor, and taking these courses will give me a preview,” said Balasubramanian. “Also, it’s a pre-requisite for AP Biology.” Some students are dissatisfied with the prerequisite system, however. “My course options are severely limited because I took physics in freshman year,” said student Tom Lin. “I can’t take any of the biology electives.” Lin has chorus, and is also applying for Acoustical Technology, which is taught by math teacher Michael D’Alleva. Stuyvesant student Daniel Zhang agreed. Zhang is considering mostly mathematics electives, such as Statistics, taught this year by Paul Fitzgerald, who conducts the Advanced Placement Statistics class. Another course generating interest is Civil Law, open to sophomores, juniors, and seniors. According to the course description on the programming website, “Any student who wishes to explore current legal issues, who wishes to explore the basic legal concepts underlying the civil system, who may be thinking of law as a career or who wishes to understand his or her rights and obligations as a citizen should take this course.” Students taking the class study the differences between criminal and civil law, the role of lawyers, tort law, the bill of rights and more. Civil Law is only offered during the spring. Freshmen are less than satisfied with their choices of electives. Ninth-grader Danny Chen was particularly dissatisfied with the lack of options for him. “It’s a really hard choice between math research and math team,” said Chen sarcastically. Chen is looking forward to his future years at Stuyvesant, where he hopes there will be a greater selection of electives available to him.◙

Number of ED Applications Rises Along With Tuition

of hallway lights on after school for the custodial staff to be able to carry out their jobs. The final issue of great concern was the state of cleanliness in Stuyvesant’s hallways. It was suggested that Stuyvesant imitate New York State’s “Adopt-a-Highway” program. Under this program a club or publication would be assigned a certain section of a hallway to keep clean and name after their organization. When asked why the endeavor known as StuySpace hadn’t been carried out thus far into the new year, Student Union Vice President Casey Griffin stated that the organization known as “Building the Stuyvesant Community ran StuySpace last year, in association with the Student Union, but this year, they have not contacted us, so we cannot do anything until we make contact.” This SLT meeting brought a great deal of current issues out from the shadows and gave individuals the opportunity to propose possible solutions to these problems. Only time will tell whether these issues will ever be solved.◙

NEWS

The STUYVESANT STANDARD

January 15, 2008 –VOL.8, NO.6

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Stuyvesant Students Become QuestBridge Scholars TSS/ Elissa Tam

By: Jenny Shan Given current economic conditions, many seniors may find that going to college also means emptying a great deal of money out of their pockets. Some may not even be able to afford college. Luckily, QuestBridge, one of many scholarship programs, can help these students who come from lowincome backgrounds attend a prestigious university. Since at least1987, the Quest Scholars Program was officially started in 1994 as a five-week summer program for high school juniors that took place on the campus of Stanford University. The Quest Scholars Program created QuestBridge in 2004, with the goal to help “bright, high achieving, lowincome students seeking opportunities.” QuestBridge’s National College Match Program grants qualified applicants acceptance to one of their partner colleges with a partial or full four-year scholarship. QuestBridge partners with twentysix colleges around the United States, including Columbia, Princeton, Stanford, Yale, and more. This year, 260 students were offered full four-year tuition, three of which were from Stuyvesant. Efforts were made to contact those three students who were admitted to Yale University, Princeton University, and the University of Pennsylvania but requests for statements were not re-

QuestBridge’s College Match Program is a widely recognized organization that helps match winning students with a school they are qualified for and offer them entrance free or tuition and other college living expenses.

turned. To apply, students must complete a QuestBridge application, ranking up to eight of its twenty-six partner colleges. If admitted, the applicant usually must attend the college that admits them. When QuestBridge selects finalists, some of the things taken into consideration are academic achievements and financial status. Most of the students who have received the College Match Scholarship come from families earning an annual income of less than $60,000. Teacher recommendations and the Secondary School Report are also factored in the selection process.

Yevgeniy Liverant appreciates what the QuestBridge program does. “It is great program that can open opportunities for those who can't financially afford college. Maybe some of these people will become successful scientists some day and discover new things.” However, some people are uncomfortable with the obligation of having to attend the college if accepted. “Although this is a wonderful opportunity for many students,” says Lucy Tan, “it will inevitably be difficult for some who are indecisive at the moment, as they will be obliged to attend the school chosen for them.”

In addition to its College Match Program, QuestBridge also has a College Prep Scholarship, aimed to inform and help lowincome high school juniors with the college admission process. Some of its programs allow juniors to attend summer college programs with no cost. In 2005, QuestBridge received 2200 applicants, with 46 students offered full tuition. In 2008, QuestBridge received 4889 applicants, with 260 students offered full tuition. As each year comes, QuestBridge will reach out to more lowincome students and give them the opportunities they need. ◙

Members of S.T.R.I.V.E. Take a Stand for the Environment By: Rammiya Nallainathan

On November 18, 2008, thirteen members of the Stuyvesant High School’s Students Taking Resolute Initiative to Vindicate the Environment (S.T.R.I.V.E) Club walked to the office of Congressman and Stuyvesant alum Jerrold Nadler, north of Stuyvesant High School. This walk was part of a larger event in which Stuyvesant S.T.R.I.V.E. members would have a discussion with Jerrold Nadler about environment-friendly plans as well as present him with a large card that had the signatures of two hundred Stuyvesant students in support of the initiative. The thirteen students, including S.T.R.I.V.E. co-presidents Divya Dayal and Marcela Rodriguez, walked along the West Side Highway to get to Nadler’s office, located on 201 Varick Street. After going through tight security, the

S.T.R.I.V.E group was informed that Jerrold Nadler was in Washington D.C. However, Micah Lasher, a Manhattan community representative working for Nadler, kindly answered questions and informed the group about Nadler’s efforts in making sure that the environment would be his main concern during his term in office. Lasher explained that Nadler, who is on the Transportation Committee in Congress, is working on New York’s cargo transportation problem. Most parts of the United States actually use an effective railway system to transport materials within and between states. New York, however, mostly uses trucks to transport goods within the state, especially within the city. One of Nadler’s goals includes reconnecting New York with the national railway system. Nadler has also supported environmentally friendly solutions to other problems such as congestion pric-

ing, which would ultimately decrease the number of cars on the streets, and fuel efficiency standards for the motor industry. Lasher supported the students’ efforts and encouraged them to continue what they were doing. The students presented the 200 Stuyvesant student signatures, asking for Climate Leadership Now from Congress. They also informed Lasher about inviting Nadler to speak at the school during the Earth Day Festival. The members then talked about their proposal to have New York City schools that save energy and reduce waste, receive a portion of those savings. This would at least provide some incentive for the betterment of the environment. Lasher was able to provide the contact information of the people the group should talk to in order to realize their goals. When asked about the experience, Marcela, one of the co-

presidents of the S.T.R.I.V.E. said, "We are looking forward to visiting most of New York's representatives and city council members over the course of this year to promote climate change initiatives such as a green school incentive proposal that we are drafting this month. Since the city pays for energy and trash disposal rather than the school, the proposal would give the school an incentive to create an energy and waste-saving plan by having the city give it a portion of its savings from cutting down on energy and trash disposal costs. We hope to use our proposal and further, larger rallies to achieve our goals of reducing our school's greenhouse gas emissions by reducing energy use and recycling." Although Nadler was not able to attend the event, S.T.R.I.V.E. members considered it a success. ◙

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The STUYVESANT STANDARD

January 15, 2008 –VOL.8, NO.6

NEWS

Gas Prices Take a Dramatic Plunge It is no longer news that our economy is going into the worst recession since the Great Depression. However, it comes as a surprise for most people that although our economy is going deeper into recession, our gas prices seem to be decreasing everyday. In fact, prices have gone from $147 a barrel in July to about $40 a barrel in December. It is also believed that these prices will continue to decrease, despite the economic crisis, but at a slower pace. Analysts believe that it is no surprise that the economic situation is not improving even though gas prices are falling. Rather, they have their own theory on the price decline. It is believed that gas prices aren’t declining because the economic situation should be improving. Instead, gas prices are declining because the current economic situa-

tion is so bad. Previous gas prices were so high that they lowered the quantity demanded for oil and this is where the supply and demand theory plays an important role. With the quantity demanded so low, gas companies were forced to lower the prices in order to profit. The second theory also revolves around supply and demand. Economic analysts believe that the after the quantity demanded fell, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) increased production and naturally supply and demand would tell us that when supply is high and demand is low, prices drop in order to make profit. Some people even believe that the drop in gas prices may be in part because of the government. This belief comes from the fact that the US government stores some of the oil it buys from other countries. Some people believe that the stored oil is what is currently being released into the market. This, however, may not be a valid conclusion

TSS/Amna Ahmad

By: Nada Elmansy

Gas prices have substantially decreased. It has been a relief for some during these harsh economic times.

to make. Stuyvesant sophomore Amna Anwar agrees with the supply and demand theory. “The gas companies obviously want to make profit and were forced into lowering the gas prices to maintain the profit.” Amna also hopes that these gas prices “don’t skyrocket without warning.” Stuyvesant Senior Aneem Talukder still expressed his concern over the worsening state of the economy by saying, "As for us students,

of course some peoples' parents lost big during this current financial crisis. My parents have told me to cut down on my expenses and spend only when necessary." Hopefully, the gas prices remain stable and maintain these low records. As for the economy, it may just be a long wait until we are able to come out of the recession. For now, the gas prices don’t seem to be affecting the economy in any way. ◙

Obama’s Cabinet Elect By: Vivian Zeng Under the pressure of the economic recession and in light of the below-average approval ratings of President Bush, Obama’s cabinet picks are scrutinized by the American people. The most recent list of Obama's anticipated Cabinet selections includes Hillary Clinton for Secretary of State, Janet Napolitano for Secretary of Homeland Security, Timothy Geithner as Treasury Secretary, Eric Holder as Attorney General, and Bill Richardson for Secretary of Commerce. Obama has also decided to keep the Bush administration's secretary of Defense, Robert Gates, at least for a year. Obama announced that Clinton was would be appointed to the post of Secretary of State. Ironically, Obama and Clinton were bitter rivals in the race to become the presidential nominee for the Democratic Party. Hillary Clinton commands the loyalties of significant segments of the Party. The implication is that Obama will need these segments for what he is trying to do. She also has a good reputation abroad and allied countries will find it easier to work with the U.S. With better foreign affairs, America as a nation can become more respected. Timothy Geithner, as the nation's top financial authority, would supervise the Bush administration's $700 billion bailout plan for Wall Street and a faltering U.S. economy. Geithner is the President of the New York Federal Reserve Bank, often considered the secondmost powerful position in the Federal system. He has a reputation as a pragmatist when it comes to planning rescue plans for troubled banks. Geithner worked at the Treasury for 13 years ending in

2001, having played a key role in shaping the U.S. response to the Asian currency crisis of 1997. Geithner is seen as experienced. Obama’s choice for Secretary of Treasury was based on the economic crisis the country is in. Janet Napolitano, the governor of Arizona was chosen to be the Secretary of Homeland Security. Obama chose Napolitano because she has experience in immigration and border security issues. As the secretary of Homeland Security Department, she will supervise the department created after the 9/11 attacks, and be responsible for everything from aviation and maritime security to disaster response and protecting the president. (The department’s agencies include the Coast Guard, Secret Service, Border Patrol, Transportation Security Administration and Federal Emergency Management Agency.) Obama selected Eric Holder as his attorney general. Holder has large background in the U.S. justice system. Holder joined the U.S. Justice Department's new Public Integrity Section during an interval lasting from 1976 to 1988. Holder served on the Bench as a Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia under the Reagan administration. In 1993, Holder accepted an appointment for U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia from President Bill Clinton. With Holden’s experiences in the U.S. justice system, Obama hopes to fix internal crises in morale and a public crisis in credibility for the U.S. Justice Department. Some have expressed their disapproval of Obama’s selection for the Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates. They believe that

wrong choices have been made in the past eight years, and they are condemning Gates for many actions. Gates served for 26 years in the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Council, and under President George H. W. Bush as Director of Central Intelligence. Disregarding critics, Obama decided to keep Gates as his Secretary of Defense, for at least one year. When Junior Tasha Kapeles was asked what her opinion of the selection was, she responded “I think Obama made good choices

for his cabinet. He chose the members based on their ability and experience with the responsibilities they will have in their new positions.” Sophmore Rebecca Chang answered, “I hope Obama chooses a cabinet that will help us out of the economic crisis… I think a lot of people hope that.” As Presidentelect Barack Obama is building his cabinet, he must consider what is important to the American nation with pending national difficulties and debates such as the wavering economy, national security, and foreign policy. ◙

ED Applications Rise Continued from page 3 lege process now.” According to a New York Times article, senior associate Dean of Admissions at Wesleyan said, “It’s hard to believe that one group of 17-yearolds has become more decisive than the group you saw the previous year. So maybe it’s that in a time of economic uncertainty, people want something settled.” Wesleyan was one of the ED schools which had its number of early decision applicants increase by 40 percent. Many other ED schools saw the same trend. Some of the other colleges which use ED include: George Washington University, which went up 30 percent; Duke, which went up 25 percent; Northwestern, which went up 15 percent; Dartmouth, which went up 12.5 percent, and New York University (NYU), which went up 2.3 percent. How-

ever, schools such as Brown and Williams actually had a decrease in ED applicant numbers, a 4.5 and 6.5 percent decrease, respectively. There was also an increase in applicant numbers for EA schools such as Yale, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T), and Stanford. Yale went up 10.4 percent, Stanford went up 18 percent, and M.I.T. went up 25 percent. M.I.T., as well as other schools, can credit its increase in applications because of their partnership in the Questbridge program, a nonprofit group that connects low-income students with top colleges. Now that application numbers have come out, all students can do is wait for the decisions. The impact of the economy on future financial aid packages for accepted early students can only be seen then. ◙

NEWS

The STUYVESANT STANDARD

January 15, 2008 –VOL.8, NO.6

6

President-Elect Confronts the Economic Crisis TSS/ Amna Ahmad

By: Tiffany Choi The nation’s economy is in a dire condition. The $700 billion bailout plan for financial institutions does not seem to be functioning effectively and the auto industry appears to be in a dismal state. So what is President-elect Barack Obama planning on doing to help the economy? Obama’s first priority is to get his own economic stimulus plan passed by Congress. At first, his administration was considering allocating about a half-trillion dollar package meant to lift the economy out of the recession and launch a massive public works program, which includes shoring up the nation’s infrastructure. That figure has possibly gone somewhere from $700 billion to $1 trillion now. According to the December 9 Wall Street Journal article “Santa Has to Bring a Reality Check” by Gerald F. Seib, Obama has two conflicting roles to play. Obama’s plan will allow the country to “spend hundreds of billions of dollars on economic stimulus,” but the nation must also “have something to show for it when the crisis ends.” Simply put, the money spent should not be “mindless spending.” Obama is in favor of supporting General Motors, Chrysler,

Obama now faces the challenge of achieving the perfect balance between what he believes is right for the American people and what needs to be done to save the economy.

and Ford, who are collectively known as the “Big Three. “The financial conditions of these companies have gone from bad to worse. Their top executives had first requested $34 billion from Congress in November, but were rejected. The figure dropped to $14 billion, and now it is somewhere in between $5 to $7 billion. In his first postelection interview, Obama said in “60 Minutes” that, under normal circumstances, it would be a viable

option for a company such as GM to declare bankruptcy. However, in the current economic condition, that option is no longer available. According to the December 13 New York Times Op-Ed piece “A Finger in the Dike” by Nicholas D. Kristof, Lehman Brothers employed 25,000 people, which pales in comparison to the 400,000 currently employed by the Big Three. It would therefore seem nonsensical to allow the Big Three to declare bankruptcy, when

the Lehman Brothers’ bankruptcy impacted the economy in such a negative way. Obama also said in the interview that it “may be a little harder politically, but it's more important” to do something about energy independence, referencing to the fact that the price of oil per barrel has decreased noticeably. It would therefore be more difficult to pass legislation when the problem has temporarily subsided, but is present nonetheless. On the subject of Obama and his general plan for the economy, junior Ayala Mansky said that "I think it's better for Obama to do a bit too much for the economy than too little. In addition, I do think that the auto industry should be bailed out, if not for the survival of economy, then for the sake of the many people whom they employ. However, there needs to be some balance, for the government just doesn't have the resources to bail out every industry that is on the verge of bankruptcy." Senior Danielle Lebenson voices the concern of many Stuyvesant students by asking, “these sectors of the economy are important. However, what about us, the students? We are the future of this country and we are losing money fast. Why doesn’t the government give us a bail out?”◙

Students React to Terrorist Attacks in Mumbai By: Rebecca Kim On November 28, terrorist attacks struck India’s commercial capital, Mumbai, wounding at least 205 and killing at least 101. The attacks began Wednesday night, leading to the destruction of several five-star hotels and many landmarks. Unlike previous terrorist attacks in India this year, these attacks were extremely upfront and coordinated. The target areas of the attacks were popular tourist attractions. Using boats to arrive at the peninsula, the terrorists used machine guns and grenades to attack several five-star hotels, a movie theater, a hospital, and Mumbai’s largest train station. Hours after those attacks, the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel, along with the Oberoi Hotel were in flames, still trapping numerous people. Although many were victims of the attacks, the terrorists singled out the Americans and Britons, many of whom were on

vacations or business ventures. As the attackers barged into hotel restaurants and rooms, they specifically targeted those with British or American passports, taking many, including executives of Hindustan Unilever, the multinational corporate giant, hostage and shooting the others. Nearly all the victims were taken to large rooms, and held in captivity. Some members of the European Parliament were also residing in target hotels during the attacks, hiding from the terrorists and making desperate phone calls to TV stations, describing the situation. While some survived by hiding, others, such as the chief of the antiterrorism squad and the commissioner of police were reported dead. An extremist group calling itself Deccan Mujahedeen claimed to have been responsible for the attacks, but the group was unknown, and the claim was not definite. In response to the attacks, Indian military forces and several

officers from the central government’s Rapid Action Force arrived at the scene to assist the police. Many hospitals in Mumbai have been graciously accepting blood donations, and schools and the stock exchange were closed the next day. When asked about the terrorist attacks, many Stuyvesant students were extremely shocked and upset. The incident has been discussed in various history classes and has been likened by a number of individuals to the attacks on the Twin Towers that took place just a stone’s throw away from Stuyvesant High School. "It was so unexpected. I didn't expect something like this to happen in India because I don't think anything this terrible has ever happened in India before,” said an anonymous source. Sophomore Sang- A Bae agreed. “They’re inhumane and cruel; no one deserves that kind of treatment!” Mehrab Islam, current Muslim Students’ Association

(MSA) Co-President condemned the terrorist attacks that took place as, “irrational and evil actions that no sane human being should ever think about doing. Hopefully the families of the victims, whoever they were, can get through this and move on and hopefully something like this never happens again.” This still developing story has continued to make an appearance in newspapers and on news broadcasts because of the damage that resulted from the incident. The Bush administration, along with President-elect Barack Obama and his transition team denounced the deadly attacks, and are offering help and support to unfortunate victims and their families. As the White House stated, “The U.S. government continues to monitor the situation, including the safety and security of our citizens, and stands ready to assist and support the Indian government.” As of now, many stand ready for action and the reconstruction of an injured India.◙

7

The STUYVESANT STANDARD

January 15, 2008 –VOL.8, NO.6

OPINIONS

The Standard Opinions Metal Gates Here to Widen the Gap

Pushing Past Our Limit

By: Marina Tawfik

By: Tiffany Choi TSS/ Elissa Tam

It is important to take the time to acknowledge our prospects as privileged students with a future in sight.

I am sure we can all agree on the fact that good grades lead to success. From a rather young age, I was always told that I needed a good GPA, extracurricular activities, and a great SAT score in order to get into a good college and ultimately succeed in life. At Stuyvesant, we have a huge workload. Many of my friends confess to pulling “all-nighters” the night before tests. Since extracurricular activities such as sports teams or Speech and Debate often drag on until 5:30 - 6:00, and students do not get home until 7:00 or later, even on nights when they do not have tests, students rarely sleep before midnight. We want to excel, but who can we blame for this pressure? Is it parental influence? Or is it simply ourselves, striving to reach towards that goal? The expectations of society are high upon us as well. Recently, I was asked what school I go to, and the reaction was “Oh, you’re smart.” Is this expectation from outsiders too much? The competitive nature among students in high school also contributes to the pressure. Many of us are so used to being the “best” in our old schools that we have trouble adjusting to a school as elite as Stuyvesant, and instead force ourselves to work into all hours of the night to retain our “number one” status. When asked what he thought puts the most pressure on students, Syed Rashid said, “I’d say that it’s the society. The Board of Education has made getting into good colleges very expensive, so high school students act in fear of not being able to pay for college without a scholarship.” When asked the same question, Maya Averbuch comments, “I feel that it is mostly the society we live in that is flawed. The environment we have in schools such as Stuyvesant is excessively competi-

tive, and students are expected to accomplish more than humanly possible. We have forgotten that we aren’t even adults yet, but it is hard to pull away from the competition if everyone else around you is part of it.” One student commented: “I think it’s the parents - after all, how many Stuyvesant students really wanted to get into Stuy? Not many. The parents pushed them to do it. Also, the school causes stress by giving too many tests at the same time. Teachers try to force us to do well and stand out in New York City.” “Parents and society,” says Julian Michaels, a freshman. “Why did you go to Stuy?” he asks. “Both my parents went there. People connect Stuy to Asians to Ivy League schools, because they think that Asian kids have a huge drive from their parents, which is why they become so smart. But then, their parents are stubborn, because they have ‘only Ivy League’ mentality, which is futile because there are other great schools.” When I asked a parent, she responded, “We want the best for our children, and the Ivy League will give them that.” However, at the recent Parent meeting, the topic of a “Fitting College” was discussed. The speaker elaborated on the point that students must go to a college that fits them. He stated that many students are pressured into Ivy League schools, but do very badly, because the schools do not fit them. Some students just cannot handle the pressure, hence the relatively high suicide rate at Stuyvesant and other elite high schools and universities. Maybe it is time for us to wake up and realize that the Ivy League is not always the best choice, and it is pressure from our families, as well as the ideals of society that push us to work so hard. ◙

Members of the administration have seen nothing stopping them from taking away many of the freedoms students possess, one by one. They have restricted the floors on which we can congregate, implemented scanners for scanning in and out of the building at the start of school and during lunch, and have introduced a locker system that provides each student with a locker in a nonnegotiable location with a lock purchased by the school. All these things they do for our safety, so there is no arguing their decisions despite the inconveniences they may cause us. However, recently the administration has made a proposal to further restrict what students do. It was explained that the administration hoped that during finals week, Monday, January 26 through Friday, January 30, the metal detectors would be implemented in order to stop students from bringing their cell phones into the building and using them to cheat. And although the administration was notified that such a desire would not be realized because metal detectors are intended for the purpose of protecting students at schools with serious safety risks, the fact that they would even make this decision is altogether difficult to understand. The use of metal detectors for the intended reason can be validated for several reasons, and indeed Principal Stanley Teitel and other members of the administration have legitimized it by claiming that the no-cell phone policy has been in effect for a while, and they are simply enforcing it. While this is undoubtedly true, their intentions remain questionable. The purpose of metal detectors is to prevent students from bringing in weapons and other harmful items into school, thereby protecting their right to a safe environment. However, by implementing metal detectors solely to check for cell phones, the administration would be abusing the purpose of the metal detectors. Cell phones do not pose risks to any student’s safety, and so should not be checked for as diligently as weapons are. By implementing these metal detectors only during finals week, it seems as though the administration would have only been making a halfhearted attempt at stopping students’ use of cell phones. If they check for them during this week and not any other, are they not suggesting that this is the only week during which students cannot have cell phones? This is not reinforcing the district policy as Principal Teitel suggests, but rather, it is presenting the policy as something that is only necessary

in extreme cases such as during finals. That is not to suggest that I believe implementing the use of permanent metal detectors would be a fair decision. Students need their cell phones as a means of communicating with their parents in cases of emergency. Some students’ parents insist that the student calls them when they are done with a test, or to let them know when the student has reached school safely. In a post-9/11 society, this is not too extreme of the parents, because there is always the chance that something could go wrong on a student’s commute to or from school. It is difficult to believe that metal detectors could solve the problem of students cheating on finals. Using cell phones as a means of cheating is riskier and much more tedious than other methods of cheating that students have been known to use. Junior Elsa Thomas believes that “it won't really work because kids have other ways of cheating besides just using their phones. They can always write formulas, key terms, etc on their arms or something without having a teacher ever notice, and some even bring little cheat sheets with them.” Indeed, it is much more common to see students using tricky methods of hiding answers than to see them using cell phones, because even the most determined of cheaters do not want to risk the extreme punishments of cheating on a final, and cheating with a cell phone greatly worsens the possible consequences. If the administration wanted to overcome the problem of cheating on finals, there are several ways that they could do so without taking away the single means of communication students have. Proctors could go around the room continuously and always keep their eyes open for suspicious behavior instead of just sitting at the front of the room as many proctors do. That way, it would be less likely that students would find opportunities to cheat. If cell phones are still viewed to be the major issue, there is a less extreme approach than using metal detectors: Thomas suggests, “It would just be better to have teachers do something like put all the phones in the front of the room while taking the test. That way, students can still use their phones to call their parents when they are done or things like that.” Instead of punishing the entire student body for the errors of a select few, the administration should be working towards helping those who are causing problems get back on track. If the administration were able to implement this policy, it would be punishing everyone and inevitably widen the gap between students and teachers.◙

OPINIONS

The STUYVESANT STANDARD

January 15, 2008 –VOL.8, NO.5

8

Point Counterpoint A Courteousness to be Appreciated

Thanks, But I’ll Hold My Own Door

By: Nada Elmansy

TSS/ Elissa Tam

TSS/ Elissa Tam

With women gaining more rights in society compared to than they had years ago, some women fear are very strongminded in their opinions that men can be sexist when it comes to certain issues. They view anything that a guy does for them as him seeing women as inferior to men. But since when was holding the door for a girl, a sexist act from a guy? Many women feel that doing things such as this or a guy giving up his seat on the train for a girl are all sexist actions. When you really think about it though, is it not it part of tradition and culture for men to do these things for women? Rather than let a door hit a woman in the face, most men have been raised and taught that the polite and gentlemanly act would be to hold the door for the woman. In fact, the same tradition applies to holding the door for anyone. It is simply an act of kindness and chivalry. When a guy does this for a woman, he is just trying to do what he was taught to do and what seems like the right thing. He is not acting chivalrous because he feels that women are not strong enough to hold the door for themselves or stand on the train. Rather, these small acts of kindness just show respect, whether you are a man giving up your seat for another man or for a woman. When asked what they thought about these acts of chivalry, most women thought that it was just a polite thing to do and should not be taken as a sexist act. In fact, it should just be considered when men do such things, they should just be seen as helping someone out, regardless of whether it’s that person is a man or a woman. There are some things that men only do for women, and not for one another. When it comes to only holding the door

By: Marina Tawfik

Some women believe that polite gestures toward women

Some women dismiss “chivalrous actions” as demean-

from men should be appreciated.

ing.

for a woman and not a man, then it is just the way traditions are and the way certain people grew up. It is often the case that men who do such things have been almost trained to show acts of courtesy since they were children. People that believes such an act is sexist should consider the opposing viewpoint many women have. These many women complain that men treat them badly, so why should they complain when they encounter men who they are just trying to show respect towards? Women have been working so hard to earn their current status that at times,; it almost seems ridiculous to pick on these small acts that go ages back. In the end, feel very strongly these acts are just polite and should not be complained about. In fact, the next time someone holds the door for you, or gives up their seat for you, rather than consider it a sexist act, think of it as a sign of respect and thank the person. After all, it makes a person feel good that their act was appreciated. There are and some traditions that just don’t die out over time. ◙

Ever since the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848, women have been fighting for more rights and independence, taking each chance they get to equal themselves with men. It seems insane to think that women could not even vote for the leaders of their own country until 1920. We seem to have made much progress, with women becoming CEOs of businesses, and recently, even attempting to gain presidency of the United States. However, there is one sexist practice that seems to be the same as it was hundreds of years ago: men continue to treat women as fragile porcelain dolls that need to be taken care of. Men need to realize that women have come a long way with their progress in becoming independent, and they are the only ones who are hindering further improvements. Holding doors open, pulling out chairs, and paying for all meals are practices that may once have seemed chivalrous. However, society needs to recognize that these practices are actually quite sexist, and when women allow men to do all of these things for them, they are portraying themselves as princesses that need to be rescued by their knights.

We cannot allow men to continue going about pretending that they are the superior gender. Women are trying to gain all the rights that men have in order to become equal to them in the workplace and in society in general. However, once alone with men, women fall back to their primitive instincts, allowing men to take charge over their lives and perform unnecessary tasks for them. This is simply contradictory behavior. If women want to be seen as men’s equals, they must act like they are. While it may be out of the ordinary and untraditional, women need to take a stand for their independence and say no to men treating them like fragile items once and for all. There are several ways women can fully gain their independence and become seen as strong, independent people in men’s eyes. First of all, the fight to gain independence in society must go on. There is no reason that women should be paid less than men to do any jobs, and women should not be discriminated against when trying to gain jobs or high positions in workplaces. If this does occur, both men and women should realize that it is wrong and fight the action through whatever means necessary. Secondly, women must stop acting like they need men to do things for them if they know they can do fine on their own. For example, if men try to insist on paying for meals each time they are out with women, women must take charge and refuse to leave without paying for their share. It may seem unconventional to many to let women do these things, since men have long taken pride in their dominance over women in such everyday situations. However, women cannot truly say that they have won the fight for independence and equality until they have gotten rid of every single thing that threatens them, and that means everything.◙

Reaching for the Stars By: Marina Tawfik In the past, many Stuyvesant alumni have been notable successes; as a result, many are now actors and actresses, Nobel laureates, and important government officials, including members of Obama’s cabinet. However, do Stuyvesant students still have this potential, and are these great things still possible? I think that all the students

here have the potential to achieve incredible feats. Since Stuyvesant is known as the best public high school in New York City, the students must still be exceptionally gifted. Because of Stuyvesant’s reputation, many people assume that if you attend this school, you are really smart. From what I have seen, the public’s assumptions are mostly true: we are smart and we all have talent. Attending Stuyve-

sant gives students a better chance at reaching for some of the higher ranks of society and achieving things that many others may not have the opportunities to do. However, the students of our generation seem to be less inspired to do great things compared to previous generations. I have seen people slacking off and acting as if they do not care about their future accomplishments. This be-

havior is senseless, because the fact that Stuyvesant has a better reputation than other schools does not give its students the right to slack off. On the contrary, it is a waste of their potential and a waste of their being at Stuyvesant. Many students in New York City would love a chance to go to our prestigious school, because going to a good high school would mean a better Continued on page 9

9

The STUYVESANT STANDARD

Unreasonable Grading By: Charlotte Ruby “Put away your books and take out a pen.” This is perhaps one of the most frightening sentences a teacher can say. It implies a pop quiz, and if a student is not prepared, possibly a failing grade. No one is smiling as the students grudgingly slam their binders shut and put them in their bags. Even announced tests strike fear into the hearts of many students – at least the students who want to do well. For many people, another test means another morning commute spent frantically studying, or an afternoon spent wishing you had studied that morning. Everyone knows the feeling when you find out from your friends that you got a question wrong on a test, but not many people feel that way when they get something wrong on their homework. There are many reasons why tests make people so nervous. The biggest reason, though, is that they count for so much. One failed test can bring your average down significantly. While teachers claim that tests are only part of your grade, they do make up a significant amount of it. Tests can make up as much as 80 percent of a student’s grade, depending on the teacher and the subject. In music appreciation, tests make up 100 percent of students’ grades for the first and second marking periods, and only in the last marking period is class participation taken into account. Tests really should not count as much as they do. Not only do they make things extremely unpleasant for students, but they are also not always an accurate way of determining how well a student is doing. While some people are amazing test takers, others do quite badly under pressure. In addition, some people just have bad days. In some ways, tests only measure how well you were feeling on a certain day. If a student has stayed up all night doing a project, he or she is not going to do as well as they might have if they had gotten some sleep. Tests also judge how much free time a student has to spend studying and how well they can study. I can memorize things pretty quickly, but one of my friends will study for hours and still not have all the material memorized. For one test, he studied for four hours, while I studied for less than one, and I got eleven points higher than

he did. Our teacher cannot say that he did not study and that is why he did not do as well as he would have liked. Either the material was taught badly or my friend is just a bad test taker. Either way, it is not his fault, but he is stuck with that grade. Teachers should make it so that test do not count as much as they do. They should put more emphasis on homework, class participation, and projects. Doing homework, although time consuming, is not very stressful. It does teach you some things, though, and it shows that you care about the class if you do the homework. Projects are also a fair way to grade a student, because they often have to do with everything the student has been learning. Ideally, they do not show how the student was doing on one day, but rather on all the days they were working on the project. Class participation is a tricky issue, because some students are genuinely shy, while others do not participate because they are lazy or asleep. However, it can be beneficial for some students who need class participation to balance out their lousy test grades. I think my math teacher, Mr. Stern, has the right idea. If someone participates a lot in class, then he will raise their grade by a couple of points when he is making up their grade. If, however, they do not participate, he will not lower their grade because of it. If a student is doing badly on tests, he or she can overcome their shyness or laziness and participate in class, which will boost their grade. If they are doing fine, they do not need to participate if they really do not want to, or if it makes them uncomfortable. There should not necessarily be a school-wide system for grading, because class structure does differ from subject to subject. Science classes have to take labs into consideration, while English classes generally have more writing and papers. If a class is very challenging, many students might be doing badly on tests, in which case the teacher should also see who does their homework and who participates. There really is no perfect system, but that does not mean that it should stay the way it is, with all the emphasis on tests. Stuyvesant might be a lot less stressful if students did not constantly worry about a number on a paper – and that is all that tests are: numbers on papers. Sometimes, tests only show as much about a student as their student ID number does.◙

January 15, 2008 –VOL.8, NO.6

OPINIONS

Unfair Loopholes By: Tiffany Choi As juniors are trying to take advantage of the new SAT score policy, some colleges are finding loopholes to get around it. A new policy will allow students to hide bad scores in their SAT records from colleges, which both lowers anxiety for high school students and creates an uproar among some colleges. Before this policy, students who took the SAT I or SAT Subject Tests more than once had to send all their scores to the colleges they were applying to. However, with this score choice policy, many juniors are signing up for consecutive tests, because it is simply another try at a good score without any penalty. Because they recognize that many students are now doing this, there is a loophole that some colleges are using: opting out of the SAT score choice and requiring applicants to report every SAT I and SAT Subject Test score. Next fall, Stanford, Cornell, the University of Pennsylvania, and other colleges will be opting out of the Score Choice and will require each applicant to send in all of his or her scores. An admissions dean at Pomona said that he was worried about the financial benefits that this Score Choice policy will give wealthy students, as wealthy students can afford to take the SAT multiple times, while others cannot. I disagree with this notion because wealthier students

would not be the only ones to stand to benefit from the policy as other students will also have the option of taking the test multiple times. The College Board provides two fee waivers for those who qualify, so poorer students are not necessarily at a disadvantage. Although it may be a hassle to pay for multiple SAT tests, this SAT Score Choice Policy will undoubtedly benefit both rich and poor. “With the new SAT score choice policy, I would be able to take the SAT without pressure. But with this loophole, I am not quite certain if I would be taking the test without pressure anymore,” junior Steven Lee said. In fact, the purpose of the Score Choice is to get practice without pressure. Some students are nervous test takers, and it will be to their benefit to practice taking the test under real conditions. Generally, if the College Board wants to enforce the score choice policy, colleges should respect that policy, just as they have with the ACT policy for years. It is simply unfair for colleges to put loopholes onto a policy that is meant to benefit the students. Many may oppose to this Score Choice policy because of financial problems. However, when it is seen from the perspective that the SAT assists the underprivileged, there should be no reason why colleges should be given the option to opt out of the Score Choice policy.◙

Reaching for the Stars Continued from page 8 chance of going to a good college. Students should work exceptionally hard at Stuyvesant, because since everybody here is so smart, it becomes rather hard to appear unique to colleges and to the world. Therefore, going to a good school and being lazy provides the same results as going to a normal high school would: the student appears to be nothing out of the ordinary. Everybody has the potential to be someone important, but each generation’s motivation seems to be sliding a little lower every year. People do not seem to care about others’ perceptions of

them and about the things that happen in their futures anymore. Nowadays, many students worry about the way they look, their social standings, and their grades, but people do not seem to care about using their talents to their advantage. Many people that I know just care about surviving Stuyvesant and going to college, but their plans for the future end there. However, I think that there is more to life than just that. Life is about proving that you have potential and using that potential to reach for the stars. If you are going to do something, you should use all of your energy to achieve your goal, and most importantly, you should never give up.◙

Do you have an opinion of your own that you’d like to share? Email us at: [email protected]

SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY

The STUYVESANT STANDARD

January 15, 2008 –VOL.8, NO.6

10

The Standard Science and Technology Medical Ethics Symposium: A Spiritual Awakening

TSS/ Omar Ahmad TSS/ Omar Ahmad TSS/ Elissa Tam TSS/ Elissa Tam

The 23rd Annual Medical Ethics Symposium: Mind, Body, and Beyond, was hosted by Medical Ethics instructor, Roz Bierig, and guest speakers included Dr. Bernie Siegel, author of Love, Medicine, and Miracles, Saranne Rothberg, a breast cancer survivor who promotes laughter as a means of medical treatment, and Wendy Burton, author of the book Joy is a Plum Colored Acrobat: 45 Life-Affirming Visualizations for Breast Cancer Treatment and Recovery. Dr. Siegel, an experienced physician, stated, “I noticed many patients lived longer than their doctors expected. I wanted to know why.” In order to do so, he began observing and inquiring, and ultimately discovering that the long-term survivors were “the ones who began to pay attention to their feelings.” As they expressed their emotions, made wise choices, and became more spiritual, their bodies benefited, and the physical changes were “the side effects of an altered life.” He mentioned that this altered life was made possible through understanding one’s environment, and, especially in the case of the terminally ill, to be of clear conscience, and remembrance of the fact that “success and healing refer to what you do with your life, not how long you avoid death.” Through spiritual renewal, Siegel claims that one is able to accept the disease or other misfortune, and marshal all of one’s energy towards countering it. Dr. Siegel even brought up that “You are better off denying your illness completely, than accepting a prediction that sounds like a death sentence.” Saranne Rothberg, CEO and founder of the Comedy Cures Foundation, visited with a more interesting perspective on how to deal with traumatic diseases, such as her personal struggle with breast cancer. Comedy Cures, a nationwide effort to educate patients of all ages, was started when Rothberg developed cancer. Being in a “little hole of despair,” Rothberg, the divorced mother of a 15 year old, discovered that the only way out of depression and self-denial was through optimism, and more remarkably, the simple act of laughing. Soon, after adjusting to a more sanguine and stable mindset, Rothberg was able to quickly receive proper treatment, and had a successful procedure done to

remove her cancerous tumors. After this triumphant experience, Rothberg had decided that it was her duty to spread the laughter and joy that benefited her so greatly to the rest of the world. At 44, she has traveled the globe to inspire patients of all ages to find reasons in their lives to laugh and look for a brighter state of mind. Rothberg has held therapeutic humor workshops for 9/11 victims, Iraq War veterans, and bombing victims in Israel. After getting the audience up and dancing, she concluded by stating, “laughter is the best medicine” and restating the Comedy Cures hotline, 1-888-HA-HA-HAHA. Wendy Burton picked up the baton of breast cancer discussion when she began by discussing her new children’s novel, Joy is a Plum Colored Acrobat, a collection of drawings that Burton had created as a cancer patient. She said, "I had an extraordinarily positive experience with breast cancer, due largely to the visualizations I did during treatment. After I finished six weeks of radiation therapy I woke up one morning and announced I was going to write a book. I sat down at the computer and literally didn't surface for 48 hours. I would guess that 50% of the manuscript had presented itself at that point.” One of the poems, accompanied by a drawing of a young girl, arms spread apart, and standing in the center of a vast yellow field, was entitled: A WheatColored Field. This work encompasses Burton’s readiness to confront the cancer that she would inevitably be forced to overcomw. There are also thematic chapters divided chronologically into visualizations for Protection, Treatment, Comfort, Energy, Overcoming Fear, Healing, and Continuing Health. This final speech concluded the 23rd Annual Medical Ethics Symposium, leaving the Stuyvesant Community with a renewed perspective on overall wellness. As in past years, the medical ethics symposium was ultimately successful in bringing together professionals in a field to lend their knowledge to those who are interested in what they have to say. The skits by the students of the Medical Ethics class and the raffles brought an air of lightness to very serious topics and helped to keep the audience fully engaged throughout the event.◙

TSS/ Omar Ahmad

By: Omar Ahmad

11

The STUYVESANT STANDARD

December 8, 2008 –VOL.8, NO.6

SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY

Genome Research Expands to Sports By: Omar Ahmad In a health-conscious world, the areas of genome research have largely dominated in terms of focus, as well as development. Particularly, in a high school setting, the primary focal point would be that of genetic intelligence, and those who have a particular advantage over others, based on genetic inheritance. However, recent studies have shown that certain genes within young children make themselves obvious, in pertaining to the ability to excel in sports. According to the New York Times, Atlas Sports Genetics, a nationally recognized physical therapy lab, is promoting the obsessions of parents by offering a $149 test that aims to predict a child’s natural athletic strengths. The process is simple. Swab inside the child’s cheek and along the gums to collect DNA and return it to a lab for analysis of ACTN3, one gene among more than 20,000 in the human genome. The test’s goal is to determine whether a person would be best at speed and power sports like sprinting or football, or endurance sports like distance running, or a

combination of the two. A 2003 study discovered the link between ACTN3 and those athletic abilities. In this era of genetic testing, DNA is being analyzed to determine predispositions to disease, but experts raise serious questions about marketing it as a first step in finding a child’s sports niche, which some parents consider the road to a college scholarship or a career as a professional athlete. Atlas executives acknowledge that their test has limitations but say that it could provide guidelines for placing youngsters in sports. The company is focused on testing children from infancy to about 8 years old because physical tests to gauge future sports performance at that age are, at best, unreliable. Some experts say ACTN3 testing is in its infancy and virtually useless. Dr. Theodore Friedmann, the director of the University of California-San Diego Medical Center’s interdepartmental gene therapy program, called it “an opportunity to sell new versions of snake oil.” “This may or may not be quite that venal, but I would like to see a lot more research done before it is offered to the general public,” he said. “I don’t deny that these

connection between ACTN3 and elite athletic performance was published in 2003 by researchers primarily based in Australia. Those scientists looked at the gene’s combinations, one copy provided by each parent. The R variant of ACTN3 instructs the body to produce a protein, alphaactinin-3, found specifically in fast-twitch muscles. Those muscles are capable of the forceful, quick contractions necessary in speed and power sports. The X variant prevents production of the protein. The ACTN3 study looked at 429 elite white athletes, including 50 Olympians, and found that 50 percent of the 107 sprint athletes had two copies of the R variant. Even more telling, no female elite sprinter had two copies of the X variant. All male Olympians in power sports had at least one copy of the R variant. In Stuyvesant High School, where sports activity is widely recognized and understood as a commitment of great value, this jump into the future of lives of students and children everywhere may soon have an affect pertaining to how students choose their sports teams, as well as who the teams will accept. ◙

genes have a role in athletic success, but it’s not that black and white.” Dr. Stephen M. Roth, director of the functional genomics laboratory at the University of Maryland’s School of Public Health who has studied ACTN3, said he thought the test would become popular. But he had reservations. “The idea that it will be one or two genes that are contributing to the Michael Phelpses or the Usain Bolts of the world I think is shortsighted because it’s much more complex than that,” he said, adding that athletic performance has been found to be affected by at least 200 genes. Dr. Roth called ACTN3 “one of the most exciting and eyebrow-raising genes out there in the sports-performance arena,” but he said that any test for the gene would be best used only on top athletes looking to tailor workouts to their body types. “It seems to be important at very elite levels of competition,” Dr. Roth said. “But is it going to affect little Johnny when he participates in soccer, or Suzy’s ability to perform sixth grade track and field? There’s very little evidence to suggest that.” The study that identified the

Sleep: The Secret to Active Learning In light of the very much evident consequences of not obtaining the prescribed number of hours of sleep, one may start thinking about the effects such deteriorating behavior may incur. To the juniors and the seniors, AP course loads, standardized tests, and college applications are the chief concerns and of paramount importance in their daily lives, and good deal of students are willing to sacrifice hours of sleep for studying, completing homework, and procrastinating– all for the sake of academic excellence. However, studying until two or three will not help one memorize much of what needs to be read for the test, and consistent sleep deprivation will only result in gradual instability of mental performance. When we sleep, our brain is doing something that is quite counterintuitive: it is active instead of resting. When we said that “our brains need rest”, what that really means, from a purely scientific perspective, is that our brain needs time to process and analyze what we have learned in the classroom and what we have done during the day, thoroughly. In essence, the brain, during the sleep cycle, is actively stabilizing and protecting memory formed during the day time. It has been discovered that

zzzzz zzzzz

π Sleep may just be the key to easier learning as students are constantly distracted by lack of sleep.

during sleep, the brain reactivates patterns of neural activity that it performed during the waking period. Through this reactivation, neurons that fire at the same time have their connection strengthened, thus locking the pattern of memory for future recall–this process is known as long-term potentiation. Wouldn’t it be more efficient and more beneficial to consolidate memory during our waking hours, thus enabling more memory consolidation in total? Harvard sleep researchers Saper and Stickgold point out that “an essential part of memory and learning consists of nerve cell dentrites

sending information to the cell body to be organized into new “neuronal connections.” Such a process demands that no external signal or disturbances can be presented to these dendrites; suggesting that memory stabilization and knowledge consolidation requires undisturbed sleep. This implies that sleep deprivation prevents the brain from undergoing long-term potentiation, and thus decreases in mental and memory recall. And the minimal amount of sleep required for this process to be effective is 6 hours. In simple terms: cramming all night will not help.

TSS/ Amna Ahmad

By: David Huang

In addition to stabilizing memory structure, experiments have demonstrated that the brain might even be dissecting out memories and retaining the most salient details and facts, such as the fact that you have a AP English essay due in two days or all the equations needed for your physics test on quantum mechanics. In addition, these new memories that form and consolidate during sleep are actively analyzed by the brain during slumber. Active analysis enables the brain to solve problems and infer new information from key memory and salient facts via correlation. So if you happen to have difficult and peculiar math problem that seem to have strange answers, take a nap, it will help. School work, tests, and college applications may be the most important events the academic lives of many students and many people would certainly do anything to excel academically. However, one must remember that by sacrificing sleep for study time, the amount of time in which one can recall the information the next day is reduced in some degree and chronic sleep deprivation will result in lower mental capability and memory function, which may lead to lower immunity and dietary side effects. Had Stuyvesant students been previously armed with this information perhaps lack of sleep would be less of a problem.◙

SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY

The STUYVESANT STANDARD

January 15, 2008 –VOL.8, NO.6

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Blackberry Storm: Pro or Con Research In Motion (RIM) has just released the much anticipated Blackberry Storm. However, many people found this new phone to be a disappointment because it fails to satisfy the demands of its users. Yet, others have ignored the phone’s negative aspects and have embraced the Blackberry Storm because of its numerous applications and uses. One of the things that RIM has boasted about is the new phone’s touchscreen keyboard. In fact, it is the first Blackberry to have a touchscreen keyboard that when pressed hard enough, emits a clicking sound. Yet, many people have complained about this feature because of the lost of originality of the phone. According to New York Times journalist David Pogue, one of the defining features of Blackberry phones is an actual keyboard. While RIM has tried to duplicate one of iPhone’s features, it fails because the touchscreen keyboard of its new phone is not as user friendly as

TSS/ Elissa Tam

By: Qi Fan Zhang

Despite some of its drawbacks, the Blackberry Storm introduces competitive features not included in earlier phones into the consumer market.

it strives to be. Despite the lack of a three dimensional keyboard, the Blackberry Storm has multiple typing systems, such as the SureType®, Multi-tap, and QWERTY. Aside from the SurePress™ touchscreen, the new Blackberry Storm also contains numerous capabilities. It can view and revise Microsoft files, such as Microsoft World, Powerpoint, and Excel. Additionally, like many other phones, it can be used as a camera and a music player. In fact, this new phone can stored up to

250 songs and has a 3.2 megapixel camera that can take crystal clear pictures. Furthermore, it has an expandable memory, with the use of microSD cards and can have a battery life of fifteen days. A Blackberry would not be a Blackberry if it did not contain web browsing features. While the Blackberry Storm has improved Internet functions over its predecessors, it is still technologically behind its main competitor, Apple’s iPhone. It does not have Wi-Fi connectivity so it is hard to connect to

the Internet. Verizon, one of the carriers of the phone, offers an Internet network in only 258 American cities, far from reaching the goal of Internet access everywhere. However, once the Blackberry Storm has connected to the Internet, it can load the webpages with a full html browser or with a mobile layout. While there are some kinks in the new Blackberry, it is still thought by users to be an innovative and user-friendly phone. ◙

Online Coupons Gain Popularity TSS/ Elissa Tam

By: Qi Fan Zhang

In light of the economic downturn, it is not surprising that many consumers are surfing the Internet, searching for online coupons that can potentially save them money when shopping online. By entering a secret code, consumers can get discounts that are not available in stores and save a lot of money on brand name items from companies like Victoria’s Secret and Dell. In fact, the month of November had over 27 million hits on coupon websites, such as RetailMeNot.com, FatWallet.com and CouponMom.com, according to KCBS. As shoppers said goodbye to Black Friday, they said hello to Cyber Monday, the Monday after Thanksgiving when shoppers begin the online shopping frenzy. Coined by Shop.org, Cyber Monday is one of the most congested online shopping days of the year. Many people are still in their vacation mode when they go back to work. As a result, they spend their free

With the recent economic collapse, online coupons are becoming popular.

time by browsing through online sales, looking for products that they were not able to buy on Black Friday. In fact, according to Scott Silverman, on the Cyber Monday of 2004, more than 77 percent of retail stores reported an increase in their sales. This number has sig-

nificantly risen over the years, as more people are becoming accustomed to Internet surfing and more retail stores offer Cyber Monday promotions. Yet, this year, with the recent economic situation, consumer spending is expected to

decrease. Even though 83.7 percent of online retail stores were estimated to have offered special promotions, celebrating the first Monday after Thanksgiving, ComScore is predicted that “online retail spending for November and December to be flat compared with the same two months in 2007” according to CNN. In order to counter the predicted decrease in online shopping, many websites are offered free shipping and instant rebates. Others offered one day specials or zero percent financing on select items. For example, Amazon.com is willing to decrease the prices of watches by more than 65 percent and is offering one-day deals on numerous items such as knife sets. In their attempts to stimulate spending, many retail stores are offering special deals. It is likely that consumers will respond to the online sales and begin to buy the merchandise that the Holiday season shoppers have left behind at much lower prices than usual.◙

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The STUYVESANT STANDARD

January 15, 2008 –VOL.8, NO.6

LITERARY

The Standard Literary The Standard WordSearch By: Robert Stevenson

Find all of the words listed below. The remaining letters will spell out the puzzle’s secret word. Look in the next issue to find out what it was.

Last issue’s secret word: COLLEGES

N E E X P O N E N T S S

M A L G N I R E E H C E

O E S I A R E D N U H T

N V Y T S A T R M R K A

D A I L Y U I I S S C R

A A E W E D N E S D A Y

Y E E S Q U A D U A U O

P C D H S Y L D A Y Q S

S A T U R D A Y O Y E N

Y P A R E N T H E S E S

H E A R D A B O O I N G

R R O Y A D I R F T I S

Word Bank PARENTHESES EXPONENTS TASTY NASTY THUNDER SODA

HURRY DRIED RETINA PIERS DANDY (x2) HEARD

CAPER SCUM DAILY MINUS ROSES RAISE

SLEEP SQUAD QUACK CHEERING BOOING HEAD RATES

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

When Fairytales Collide By: Robert Stevenson

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December 8, 2008 –VOL.8, NO.

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The STUYVESANT STANDARD

January 15, 2008 –VOL.8, NO.6

ENTERTAINMENT

The Standard Entertainment The Aftermath of the Apocalypse

Culture Fest: An Opportunity to be Cultured

By: Daniel Alfonin

By: Robert Colbourn TSS/Elissa Tam

Students perform a traditional Asian cultural dance at Stuyvesant’s Annual CultureFest.

Despite the general multiculturalism that makes up Stuyvesant High School, there aren’t very many events that celebrate or even take note of it. Several years ago, people had to be content with a couple of festivals dedicated to either east Asian or south Asian culture, which, while attracting large audiences, restricted the demographic to just that audience. Last year, however, the two separate festivals came together to create Stuyvesant’s Annual Culture Festival. For some, it was a chance to observe other people’s cultures openly. For others, it was an opportunity to eat some great food. No matter what the reason for attending was, the culture festival was an enjoyable night that demonstrated culinary and performing talent of certain members of the Stuyvesant community. The festival was divided into two portions: a buffet, featuring samples of various samples of Asian cuisine, and a show that represented popular culture within countries that included China, Korea, and India. The buffet portion was organized inside the cafeteria, with food tables placed around the periphery and tables set up for people to sit down and eat. There were several tables with separate lines, so even if there were a lot of people, the lines went by relatively quickly. While people had a cap as to how much they could take, there was enough variety so each student could try everything and be satis-

fied with the course. The food was of good quality and was a delight to try. The show itself began half an hour after the cafeteria closed its doors. Taking place in the auditorium, this portion of the fest (hosted by Niloy Iqbal and Angi Guo) contained a variety of talented performances, ranging from dances to skits. While many performances were based off modern culture (i.e. Korean hip hop and break dancing) there were many that represented more classical styles of art (i.e. the Guzheng and fan dance)—a refreshing reminder of entertainment long gone. The performances were organized in such a way that every culture represented was interspersed within each other; if one would only stay for half an hour, one would get a taste of everything. However it was truly a treat to stay for the entire show. Technical flaws were present, but did not fatally mar the production. There was some lack of coordination and there were performers clearly more talented than others, but that emerged as part of its charm. It demonstrated that we are a high school and as such, we aren’t professionals, and even then there is still enough to put on a performance this entertaining. The Stuyvesant Annual Culture Festival was more than just a thrilling night—it was a representation of just how far the students of this school have gone, and it showed just how unique we are as a community. ◙

Thousands of anticipated gamers rushed to the stores in order to be the first ones to get their hands on Fallout. Becoming a huge success from the start, Fallout took its rightful place among one of the best RPG’s of all time and gained millions of dedicated fans all around the world. Two years later developer Interplay Productions released a sequel. Improving on many aspects of the game and delivering a rich world to explore, the game was unfortunately marred by numerous bugs making it seem a little rushed. The third installation in the Fallout series has gamers rubbing their hands together in excitement. And they have a right to do so, for Fallout 3 was definitely worth the wait. In 2004, after it was announced that Bethesda Soft-

works bought over the rights for the Fallout series fans had mixed reactions. Many were worried that Bethesda would alter the game too much from its predecessors, taking away the elements that defined the series. Fortunately for everyone Bethesda made a highly memorable game that gamers will be talking about for years to come. The storyline of Fallout 3 takes place 200 years after a catastrophic nuclear war which wiped out most of humanity. The large portion of survivors now live in underground facilities known as vaults, led to believe that the surface is unsustainable for life. The beginning of the game takes place in Vault 101, located underneath Washington D.C., and takes you from childbirth to around the age of 19. This “growing up” stage of the game Continued on page 16

Quantum of Solace: Fans Can Certainly Find Solace Here By: David Mannes

The latest James Bond film, “Quantum of Solace,” did not disappoint: though it continued with the darker, lessromanticized style begun in “Casino Royale,” it held true to all the classic requirements of a Bond movie (almost). Daniel Craig played the part of the cool, suave superagent, and Olga Kurylenko played the beautiful female lead, Camille, whose own vendetta ends up aligning her with Bond. Together, the two combat Quantum – an enemy organization well suited to our times – which plans to become rich by monopolizing water and oil, in addition to other high value resources. As Bond’s pursues Quantum there is no lack of explosions, shootouts, or chases; however, while the action scenes were both exhilarating and visually stunning, they were so pervasive that by the end of the movie an axe-fight and subsequent escape from a burning building was beginning to seem almost mundane. The only reprieves from

the action were provided by Judi Dench’s character, M. Judi Dench did an incredible job of balancing out Bond’s character: her appearance on screen was always sure to signal an update on the plot, a justifiable setup for the next action sequence, a commentary on Bond’s character arc, or merely a reminder of what Bond had actually been doing when he got into the latest chase. To be fair, (with Judi Dench’s assistance) both Bond and Camille underwent a fair deal of character development, especial for a 007 film. The characters deal with themes of vengeance and duty – the major turning point for Camille occurred as she contemplates what to do next now that she has avenged her murdered parents, and for Bond when he finally leaves one of the bad guys alive for interrogation. In short, it is an exciting, action-packed film – which is, in essence, what a James Bond film is meant to be. It wasn’t the deepest or most complex picture of all time, but it didn’t have to be, and in the end, I think the most serious grievance to be had with the movie was that in an hour and forty-six minutes of screen time, Bond never slept with the female lead. ◙

ENTERTAINMENT

The STUYVESANT STANDARD

Recently Released Films May Deserve Oscar Nods By: Robert Colbourn The Academy Awards is an important tradition that is meant to recognize outstanding achievements in the film industry -- sometimes it recognizes an actor’s amazing ability to portray an alternate persona convincingly, and other times it is a reward for a director’s dedication and hard work to make all the pieces of a production fall into place perfectly. Every year, myriad films come out in December, hoping to receive Oscar nominations, and this year is no different. Within the next two weeks, many potential Oscar winners are being released, starting with: Doubt–December 12th Possibly the most likely film to get multiple Oscar nods is this story of the principal of a Catholic School who suspects a priest of inappropriate activity with a young male student and her quest to find evidence to support her claim. Not only is this a big contender for movie of the year, but Meryl Streep’s performance as the proud protagonist is a surefire nominee for Best Actress.

plot, so it could be the win he’s been trying to achieve. The Tale of Despereaux– December 19th This animated feature film starring Matthew Broderick and Dustin Hoffman depicts a story of a mouse that is fond of literature (contrary to his fellow mouse brethren) and his quest to save a princess. Last year’s animated picture winner, “Ratatouille,” was also about a rodent hero, and considering the all-star cast and veteran directors San Fell and Robert Stevenhagen, it is possible that this year’s animated film win will go to this film. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button–December 25th

Seven Pounds–December 19th

Finally, this fantasy/romance could potentially lead to a Best Actor or Best Actress nomination. “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” depicts just what the title says -- a very strange person who is born old and dies young (literally living his life backwards). The heart wrenching performances inspired by the story of starcrossed lovers is sure to at least get Brad Pitt and Kate Blanchett the nominations for Best Actor and Best Actress, respectively.

In this new Will Smith drama (a la “The Pursuit of Happyness”), a suicidal IRS agent attempts to change the lives of seven complete strangers. This is Will Smith’s second major dramatic vehicle. While he was only nominated for best actor in his last one, it has been said that his performance saves the film from a dull and uninteresting

While this list is nowhere near complete, it does account for most of the big releases of December. With the huge amount of great movies that came out this year, the Academy Awards (airing in February) are sure to be filled with surprises, and they are sure to highlight the amazing talent that was showcased in 2008.◙

Do you know an undiscovered talent? Do you have a piece of work you would like to share? Email us at: [email protected]

January 15, 2008 –VOL.8, NO.6

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The Aftermath of the Apocalypse Continued from page 15 is vital for this is where the player gets to choose his appearance, learn the controls, and ascend his first few levels. Leveling up in Fallout 3 gives the player three points through which he can upgrade his S.P.E.C.I.A.L. (strength, perception, endurance, charisma, intelligence, agility, and luck) skills along with secondary attributes such as medicine, science, and lock picking. Around the age of 19, your father suddenly disappears and you decide to escape the vault after him in a quest to track him down. This is the part when the real fun begins. In addition to the main storyline you can indulge yourself in a bunch of side quests which give the player a large amount of freedom in the sense of how the quest is completed. Quests always have alternative ways of experiencing them so no two players will always act the same. For example, imagine you have to retrieve a certain object from somebody. You can either sweet – talk your way through it, steal it at night by picking a lock, or simply by blasting the guy in the face with a shotgun and taking it. The new combat system is

another thing that makes Fallout 3 stand out in the market. Battling an enemy in the game is divided into two different perspectives: real time shooting and the Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System (V.A.T.S.). When you activate V.A.T.S. the battle pauses and different body parts of the enemy get highlighted, accompanied with percent values. The percentage is the probability that one of your bullets will hit that part of the body. When you make your choice a slow – motion cinematic shows the colossal amount of damage you inflict along with gushing torrents of blood. But the truly interesting part about this system is that according to the part of the body you choose you can make your enemy act differently. For example, by hitting his arm you can make him drop his weapon, or by hitting his leg there is a chance that you will make him limp. This, along with tons of more features makes Fallout 3 probably the only post – apocalyptic game you’ll be playing this gaming season. So whether you have an Xbox 360 or PS3 this game is definitely one that you should keep your eye out for.◙

Coldplay is About to Receive an 8th Grammy–For Copyright Infringement By: Jonathan Li “Viva la Vida,” Coldplay’s Grammy nominated song, is back in the headlines; this time involving “copyright infringement.” Joe Satriani, a “guitar rock god”, is suing Coldplay for stealing and copying portions of his own song “If I Could Fly” from the album “Is There Love in Space?” He is asking Coldplay to either share the profits made from the song or stop using it. In a recent interview with Satriani conducted by musicradar.com, Joe said: “I felt like a dagger went right through my heart. It hurt so much," when asked about his reaction toward the alleged act. Martin– Coldplay’s frontman and lead singer– insists that he dreamed up the song at question (“Viva la Vida”) “in the middle of the night” and that any similarities between the two pieces were “purely coincidental.” Fortunately for Coldplay, for the lawsuit to pass, Satriani not only has to prove that his own song

sounded “substantially similar” to Coldplay’s “Viva la Vida,” he also has to prove that Coldplay had access to his own work, which complicates the lawsuit. Interestingly enough, this isn’t the first time that the band was sued. Coldplay was accused of copying the melody of "The Songs I Didn't Write" by American alternative band Creaky Boards in 2007 for the Coldplay’s “Viva La Vida” hit single. Creaky Boards placed the blame on Chris Martin, lead vocalist, claiming that he had heard them performing in a live concert. However, the lawsuit was dropped when they found out that Coldplay had recorded a version of “Viva La Vida” five months before. In a statement released on December 9 on the band’s official site, they stated that: “Joe Satriani is a great musician, but he did not write the song ‘Viva La Vida.’ We respectfully ask him to accept our assurances of this and wish him well with all future endeavors.”◙

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January 15, 2008 –VOL.8, NO.6

ENTERAINMENT

Looking Back on Stuyvesant’s Annual Holiday Concert

Photos By: Elissa Tam

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January 15, 2008 –VOL.8, NO.6

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The STUYVESANT STANDARD

Titanic Season By: Michael Block The Tennessee Titans of the NFL have started this season off well – they have lost only one game (8-3), to the New York Jets. After a successful regular season in 2007 followed by a first round loss to the San Diego Chargers in the playoffs, the Titans came back this season motivated to get themselves to the top of the AFC South division and hopefully to Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa, Florida. The Titans had what originally seemed to be a nightmarish season opener. Vince Young, star quarterback and former rookie of the year, threw two interceptions and seemed to lack confidence during the game. Then, in the second half he sprained a knee ligament, meaning that he would have to miss about one month. This forced back-up quarterback Kerry Collins into the game. The Titans managed to squeeze out a victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars, 17-10. But the Titans had to decide – go with Collins for a month and wait for Young to return? Or try and sign or

trade a quarterback better than Collins, which would mean giving up money or players for a quarterback who would presumably play for four weeks? The Titans opted to go with Collins, and have never looked back. They went on to win nine games in a row after that, becoming the only 10-0 team in the league this season. On Sunday, November 23, they finally lost a game, 34-13 to the Jets. But in their next game, on Thanksgiving, the Titans were visiting the worst team in the league, the winless Detroit Lions. The Titans, probably upset over the slaughtering against the Jets, came out and blew away the Lions. They scored 35 points in the first half, and won the game 47-10. The Titans have a great chance of finishing with the league’s best record, as two of their remaining four games are against teams with 4-7 records this season. Behind veteran Collins, and with a solid defense anchored by Pro Bowl defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth, the Titans have to feel good about their chances of going deep into the playoffs and finding themselves in Tampa in February.◙

73-Year-Old Plays College Basketball Continued on page 20

Do you think you have a sports story that others should hear about? Email us at: [email protected]

SPORTS

New York On Fire in Vegas By: Michael Block Perhaps the most anticipated time of the baseball year, the winter meetings play host to a plethora of rumors and free agent signings. This year’s meetings have taken place in Vegas, a fitting location because of the “heat” going on in these meetings. Two teams in particular have come out firing to try to add significant players to their teams. These happen to be the two New York teams, the Mets and the Yankees. The Mets are coming off of another disappointing season in which they saw a division lead slip away from them down the stretch, largely due to the bullpen, or lack thereof. The Mets blew 29 saves this season, the most in the league, and they lost closer Billy Wagner for the year and all of the 2009 season due to Tommy John surgery. With this in mind, General Manager Omar Minaya had one main goal at these winter meetings: a closer. Well the Mets addressed that need and then some. They signed Francisco Rodriguez, the

single-season saves leader, to a 3 year contract. The following day they traded relievers Aaron Heilman and Joe Smith, beloved met Endy Chavez and minor leaguer Mike Karp for J.J Putz, the Seattle closer. This immediately bolsters a shaky bullpen with the presence of the great closers at the back at of the rotation. Across town, the need was for starting pitching, and starting pitching they got. Two days after signing huge (literally and figuratively) free agent CC Sabathia to a seven year, $161 million deal, the Yankees threw more money at A.J Burnett, landing him for five years, $82.5 million. You can’t but look at the projected Yankees rotation of Sabathia, Burnett and Wang as frightening. With a financial crisis sweeping the country, the Mets and Yankees wasted no time in digging deep into their bank account to address necessary needs. While more pieces of the puzzle are to be added, both New York teams have made significant leaps in the right direction.◙

Rangers Off to Fast Start Continued from page 20 ior Mike Kurfess, member of the Stuyvesant hockey team and longtime Rangers fan. “[The Rangers] seem to play with the feeling that they can get back into the game whatever the situation.” The Rangers have one of the best goalies in the league, Henrik Lundquist, and heavily rely on his sheer talent. They also have a great defense and use it to help Lundquist

fend off opposing attacks. They have executed the fore-check extremely well which keeps the puck in the offensive zone and creates more scoring chances. They boast the leagues best penalty kill percentage as well as an average power play percentage which is beneficial because it helps keeps opponents off the scoreboard. If they haven’t gotten your attention already, it’s about time to start watching the New York Rangers.◙

Rebels Run Away With Win Continued from page 20

TSS/ Amna Ahmad

Mink is adjusting to the lifestyle change of attending school again. He’s upholding a 3.0 GPA, and had to take sociology in lieu of Spanish, which was giving him a lot of trouble. Obviously, he also doesn’t have the luxuries of partying like a college kid either. When his teammates invited him to a party at another player’s apartment, Mink asked his wife for permission, who immediately replied no. In an interview with the New York Times, Coach Nesbit said, “If he starts breaking training, it’s all downhill”. Mink has stirred up a lot of attention after beginning to play college ball. Mink has increased attendance during games from about 100 people to 400. At the season opener game, Mink’s wife Emilia, wore a retro cheerleader outfit, along with saddle shoes and a poodle skirt, while holding up a

sign that said “Ken Can, He’s Our Medicare Man.” In a game against Lambuth University, Mink was open behind the three point line at the corner. He threw a pump fake, luring the opposing player to jump and foul him. Mink was awarded two foul shots, and he made both of them. Mink says that his goal for the season is to score in double digits. For the whole season, that is. Although the two aforementioned points are his only two points, it’s acceptable considering that he is only played during situations where his team is leading by more than 10 points. In order to achieve his goal, Mink has attended all of his games, traveling with his teammates in a less-thanroomy bus, receiving small amounts of playing time here and there. However you see it, Mink is proof that age hardly matters, in terms of eligibility, when it comes to playing sports at a college level.◙

January 15, 2008 –VOL.8, NO.6

Stuyvesant’s Boys’ Basketball team has shown itself to be making serious progress this year and celebrates its prospects.

against. However, says coach Phil Fisher, “I don’t look forward to any game but the next. You can’t, or you will not prepare well for the

game.” Diamond agrees, noting that “The most important thing is to stay focused and not get distracted.” The team is confident about their playoff chances. “If we can play with confidence without becoming cocky and learn to protect the ball we can make a very deep run into the playoffs this year,” says junior Zack Weiner. Hopefully they will have better luck than last year in the playoffs, when they lost a 4040 game on an alleged scoring error. They are as good, if not better, this year, however, and they have that chip on their shoulder. But like coach Fisher said, “let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”◙

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SPORTS

Rebels Run Away With Win By: Michael Block

Whereas some Stuyvesant students understand themselves to be well-suited for sports, other don not. However, most students seem to find it difficult to believe that a 73– Year– old man would be able to handle the physical demands of playing college basketball.

The Sports Beat: 73 -Year-Old Plays College Basketball By: George Wu If you visit Roane State Community College, you just might find Ken Mink, 73 practicing for his upcoming basketball game. No, he’s not number 73, he’s actually 73 years old. While others that are Mink’s age are popping pills to maintain their health, Mink is popping jump shots alongside players half a century younger than him. One teammate made a facetious remark regarding Mink’s age. After joking that he had friends in high places, guard Philip Helton replied, “Where? Heaven?” You might be asking yourself, what made Mink consider playing basketball at this late stage in his life? Newspapers from all over the world such as Telegram in the United Kingdom as well as more familiar papers such as The Daily News have been covering Mink’s story. He can also be found on YouTube. Mink had played basketball at Presbyterian Lees College in Jackson, Kentucky, when he was younger. Mink had earned

a four-year scholarship, and played as a shooting guard. One fateful day however, the coach’s office was vandalized with shaving cream, and Mink was accused. Although Mink denied the allegations, he was expelled immediately. Within a matter of days, Mink was on a bus headed home. All these years later, while shooting around at a neighbor’s basketball court, Mink noticed that he still has a soft touch on his jump shot. Subsequently, he picked up a pen and sent letters to about 8 colleges near his home in Knoxville, Tennessee. Nesbit, the Roane coach, was fascinated by Mink’s proposal. He himself was a former point guard at the Citadel, and was curious to see how a 73-year old player on his team would hold out. The next instant, Mink was attending Roane State and playing on their basketball team. Mink calls it unfinished business, because he felt that he was wrongfully thrown off the team in his initial college years. Aside from basketball, Continued on page 19

On Friday, December 12, well after school hours, the bleachers of the third floor gym were filled with nearly 300 students cheering on the Stuy Runnin’ Rebels against A.P. Randolph. The Rebels led the whole game and beat Randolph 52-41 to improve their record to 5-0 in the league and 7-1 overall. Despite being led by 20 points from senior guard Alan Tse, who hit several important three-pointers, and 15 points from senior center Nolan Becker, Stuy was held to its lowest point total all season. A. P. Randolph played tough defense throughout, and Stuy turned the ball over several key times that could have allowed their opponent back in the game. The Rebels were able

to make big defensive stops, however, when they counted, and pulled out the 11 point victory. The Rebels are off to their best start in many years. When asked about the keys to the team’s success, junior guard Ben Diamond says, “As a team we really have every threat. We have shooting, strength, speed...everything. We feel like we can beat anybody out there at any time.” He recognizes that the team has its weaknesses as well. “Our biggest problem of late has been that we occasionally get too confident and become lazy with ball,” he says. Looking ahead on the schedule, the Rebels must be looking forward to their rematches against High School of Economics and Finance, Landmark School and Seward Park, all of whom Stuyvesant either beat in overtime or lost Continued on page 19

Rangers Off

to Fast Start By: Cody Levine The New York Rangers, often forgotten about by the average sports fan in New York, are forcing people to take notice. They currently hold the best record in the Eastern Conference and the second best record in the entire league behind only the San Jose Sharks. The Rangers feature a team with a terrific blend of youth as well as experienced veterans. Youngsters like Brandon Dubinksy, Colton Orr, Ryan Callahan and Dan Girardi all play key parts in the team’s success while seasoned veterans such as Chris Drury, Scott Gomez and Markus Naslund provide great play and excellent leadership. This off-season was a very successful one for the Rangers as General Manager Glen Sather has done a splendid job of bringing these parts together and making a successful team. Having lost sure-fire Hall of Famers Jaromir Jagr and Brendan Shanahan, fans weren’t expecting the best. But Sather brought in former Vancouver Canucks star Markus Naslund as well as Aaron Voros and Nikolai Zherdev. Zherdev and Nas-

lund are first and second on the team in scoring, respectively. The team plays with a confidence and grit that is noticeable not only in the wins but in the losses as well. Take the defeat on November 19 for example. Playing the Vancouver Canucks the Rangers found themselves in a deep, 4-0 hole rather quickly. With one of the best goaltenders in the league, Roberto Luongo, in net, it would have been very easy to throw in the towel and call it quits. But not this team, not this year. After scoring a goal and letting another one up to make it 5-1, the Rangers turned it on. They scored two goals to make things interesting at 5-3 and then hit the post with another shot, which would have made it a one goal game. From then on the pressure was on and Luongo had to make spectacular save after spectacular save to keep his team on top. Though the Rangers came away with a loss, it was a classic example of how this year’s team is different from those of previous years. “You can just tell there’s a different atmosphere in the Garden,” said junContinued on page 19