volume 5 issue 7

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

INSIDE THIS ISSUE --------------

News.....................2-5 Puzzles..............................9-11 Business................5 Science……………….......11-12 Opinions................6-7 Arts & Entertainment........12-14 Literary..................8-9 Sports................................15-16

Volume V, Issue 7 December 1, 2005 Free

Inside Next-Gen Consoles

BY JONATHAN XIKIS STAFF WRITER

Continued on 1

Three high-tech consoles – Microsoft’s Xbox 360, Sony’s Playstation 3, and Nintendo’s Revolution – will hit stores in the next year. These three technology giants have each taken a different approach towards making the perfect console, but they have all used the newest technology to achieve their goals.

The Xbox 360 was released on November 22. The Xbox 360 is the second incarnation of the Xbox, which was first released four years ago. This time, Micro-soft is staying ahead of the game by releasing its console first, a tactic that was previously used by Sony with its Playstation 2. This will definitely test the patience of gamers, who must make a tough decision – whether to wait until next year for the other two con-soles or to buy the Xbox 360 im-mediately. The 360, like its predecessor, supports the online gaming service Xbox Live. It is compatible with games for the old system, good news for Xbox aficionados who still want to play popular games such as “Halo 2.”

The system is also being mar-keted as a “home entertainment

Holiday Movie Guide

BY EMMA RABINOVICH STAFF WRITER

If you don’t want to spend this holiday season at home with the annoying relatives or family but you’re not into skating in the frigid winds or walking through the icy Central Park, step into your local theater and buy a bag of popcorn and enjoy some of this season’s batch of big-screen ad-aptations. From the classic chil-dren’s story “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” to the musi-cal, “Rent,” this holiday season has movies for all types.

November 18 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

The film adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s fourth installment of the Harry Potter series is sure to impress. Ralph Fiennes joins the cast as the best villain since Darth Vader: Lord Voldemort. Mike Newell, whose previous credits include “Mona Lisa Smile” and Four Weddings and a Funeral, directs “Goblet of Fire.” To keep the movie at a reasonable length, minor story arcs such as Hermione’s attempt to free Hog-wart’s house elves were taken out of the movie.

November 23 Rent

An adaptation of Jonathan Larson’s Tony Award-winning Broadway musical, “Rent” chronicles a year in the life of eight friends. Starring Taye Diggs

Yahoo

“Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,” the fourth movie of the seven-part series, is kept short by eliminating some scenes from the original story.

Continued on Page 14

Principal Stanley Teitel has initiated a major restructuring of the Guidance Department, comb-ing three different roles – Guid-ance Counselors, Grade Advisors, and SSR Writers – into a single position.

The plan, proposed by Teitel and Assistant Principal of Pupil Services Eleanor Archie, involves hiring six or more additional guidance counselors, in addition to the four current full-time coun-selors. These 10 counselors

Five Friendly Mascots Welcome Games to Beijing

BY DEREK WENG JUNIOR STAFF WRITER

Officials of the Beijing Orga-nizing Committee of the 2008 Olympic Games surprised the world by marking the 1000 days until the Games with the launch

of a record-breaking five official mascots. The announcement was joined by joyful songs and dances at a televised gala event in Bei-jing by senior leaders of the Com-munist Party.

The five winning dolls, col-lectively given the name “the Five Friendlies,” are stylized car-toon renditions of a panda, a Ti-betan antelope, a fish, a swallow, and the Olympic flame. They were chosen from over 662 de-sign suggestions from people across China and were approved

Microsoft’s XBox 360 is the second incarnation of the Xbox.

Canadian Press

Continued on Page 5

Reuters

The unveiling of the mascots for the 2008 Olympics.

Guidance Department to Be Radically Restructured BY JOSEPH KRUTOV STAFF WRITER

would each have a caseload of approximately 300 students and be responsible for writing about 75 SSRs a year. According to the proposal submitted to the School Leadership Team, the current guidance-related Compensatory Time positions will be elimi-nated.

SSRs are letters of recom-mendation submitted by the school along with transcripts when students apply to colleges. Though they are more straightfor-wardly descriptive and less per-

Continued on Page 2

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Copyright ©2005 THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

DR. JOHN NIKOL FACULTY ADVISER WINNIE LEE EDITOR IN CHIEF SHO UEMURA MANAGING EDITOR JESSICA THAM CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER WINNIE DU LAYOUT EDITOR JACOB ARLUCK COPY CHIEF LAURA HAN IN SCHOOL NEWS EDITOR JENNIFER SCHLESINGER OUT OF SCHOOL NEWS EDITOR YANJIE HOU OPINIONS EDITOR JENNIFER WONG ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR OSMAN NEMLI SPORTS EDITOR DEEP PARIKH SCIENCE EDITOR MELISSA CHAN BUSINESS EDITOR LADA KUKUY LITERARY EDITOR KAREN LIU WEBMASTER KATIE BANKS DIRECTOR OF PHOTOJOURNALISM DANIEL EGERS (‘03) FOUNDER ERNEST BASKIN (‘04) EDITOR EMERITUS

Executive Leadership Team

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December 1, 2005 THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

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Alumni Return to the Halls of Stuyvesant

BY EILEEN L. CHANG STAFF WRITER

On November 23, recent Stuyvesant alumni returned to the school, dropping by classes to see their teachers and friends. After tenth period, alumni met in the Dining Hall and enjoyed an early Thanksgiving feast of pizza. Some tossed around the pizza boxes; others simply conversed with old fellows.

Alumni were enthusiastic and positive. They were pleased to be together again and welcomed current Stuyvesant students. Haitham Jendoubi ‘04, now a Yale student planning to major in cognitive science commented, “Who would pass up a chance to meet old friends, have leisurely conversations, and eat free pizza?” His friend, senior Sarah Ann Head said, “It feels great to see all my old friends who gradu-ated last year.”

Questions and answers were passed regarding college and shared memories were discussed. There were a few alumni like Jennie Goldstein ’05 who had signs taped onto their backs. Printed in bold on these signs

were the names of the college they’re currently attending. The signs were a part of a special pro-gram initiated about two years ago by alumna Meredith Gringer ’05 to encourage Stuyvesant stu-dents to ask questions about cer-tain colleges they are interested in.

The alumni had much advice to offer and experiences to share. Alumnus Ian Ferguson ‘05, a Princeton freshman hoping to major in engineering advised, “College is much different but you’ll have to deal with it.” He discussed his adventures with Princeton’s marching band and told students that he learned from his Californian roommate to lead a “SFL,” or stress-free lifestyle.

Matthew Polazzo, the Coor-dinator of Student Affairs, ac-companied the students. He had taught many in previous years and wanted to personally spend some time with the students. “A lot of my old students visited me during class as well and I gladly welcomed them,” he said.

Next year former Stuyvesant students will again return to their high school with new stories to share. ◙

Guidance Department to Be Radically Restructured

Continued from Page 1

sonal than the recommendations written by regular teachers, they still require a significant amount of time and effort, especially in a school with class sizes of 750.

An administration proposal last year to "outsource" some of the writing duties to a third party drew widespread condemnation and ridicule, both from student organizations and from major newspapers like The New York Times and The Daily News. The plan was withdrawn, and admin-istrators instead offered small bonuses to teachers who agreed to write 10 to 15 SSRs.

Teitel believes the restructur-ing will address the confusion of students and parents unsure where to turn for advice and sup-port. Program changes at the be-ginning of each term will also be conducted more easily. In addi-tion, the guidance counselors will be better prepared to write SSRs for students they have known for three years.

A letter by Parent Associa-tion Co-Presidents Lauren Cole-man-Locher and Sumiko Takeda Nakazato, which will appear in the next PA Bulletin, both praises the plan and critiques some as-

pects of it. The letter said that the school

must "maintain the current system alongside the new for the current junior and sophomore classes. We cannot sacrifice the interests of any group of children to rush into a radical change." The PA is anxious about the smoothness of the transition, especially as, come September, the majority of the guidance staff will be new and unfamiliar with Stuyvesant. A radical restructuring of the Guid-ance Office is "a huge change and should not be done rashly or without a consensus from the school community."

Parents have expressed con-cern that the school may be forced to choose less able appli-cants due to limited funding. Teitel, on the other hand, is sure that Stuyvesant's reputation will elicit many qualified applicants. A committee will be created to interview applicant, who will be asked to write sample SSRs.

Teitel is confident that "the new structure will quickly allow Stuyvesant to provide more effec-tive Guidance services to its stu-dents." Any such new structure must first, however, win over students and parents. ◙

THE STUYVESANT STANDARD December 1, 2005 News

Frank McCourt’s Return to Stuyvesant

BY JOSEPH KRUTOV STAFF WRITER

“One of the main flaws of the public school system is that teachers spout analyses of Shake-speare and kids say, Who gives a s***. They have other concerns — We’re hungry, we’re horny,” sa id Pu l i tze r Prize-winner and former Stuyvesant teacher Frank McCourt, speak-ing at the school to promote his n e w b o o k “Teacher Man.” The book describes his experi-ences as a public school teacher in New York, including the sev-enteen years he spent at Stuyve-sant.

Hundreds of alumni came, eager both to meet their former teacher and to catch up with old classmates. McCourt, who was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album for his first memoir “ A n g e l a ’ s Ashes,” de-lighted the au-dience with jokes and sto-ries. Coming from the ac-k n o w l e d g e d “authority on misery,” the humor was i n v i g o r a t i n g and welcome.

A l u m n i h a d f o n d memories of McCourt. Peter Le-mieszewski ‘77 said that McCourt often “spoke out against sliced and individually wrapped processed cheese.” Lemi-eszewski, currently a software programmer with IBM, took McCourt’s Creative Writing class

as a junior in 1976. He remem-bers his former teacher as ex-tremely funny and his classes as e n o r m o u s l y e n t e r t a i n i n g . McCourt filled every sentence with “juicy words” and taught that every word counts.

Susan Gilman ‘82, a former s t u d e n t o f McCourt and the best-selling au-t h o r o f “Hypocrite in a Pouffy White Dress,” was in-vited to speak. “I never thought I would write a

memoir,” she said. “I owe it all to McCourt.”

Much has changed at Stuyve-sant since Frank McCourt retired from teaching. Principal Teitel describes the current atmosphere as more intense and stressful than

in McCourt’s days, with more emphasis now placed on college acceptance. But the presence of students in the audience despite the $60 price of a ticket showed that the love of language and lit-erature is still part of the Stuyve-sant culture. ◙

Students Line Up to Make Up Mandatory Swim Test BY LIN LU GAO STAFF WRITER

On November 14, Stuyvesant freshmen who missed the first swim test got a second chance. The test was held in the pool dur-ing ninth and tenth periods. Late-comers were allowed to take the test after school but those who did so had to swim the length of the pool rather than just the

width. Those who came late also had to swim with the members of the swim team watching.

Unlike the original test, stu-dents learned their results on the spot. The judges looked for style, breathing pattern, and the ability to swim in a straight line.

Overall, those who took the test found that it had gone smoother than expected. “I’m not a super good swimmer or any-

thing but I thought I did okay. I just didn’t think it’d been so easy,” said freshman Henry Ou, who took the test during Camp Stuy.

Though the announcements for the makeup swim exam were posted on Stuyvesant’s official website, many people did not know about it.

“I don’t check the website; I thought they’d tell me through

mail or even email,” said fresh-man Kanta Sangchuntr, “[I] guess that’s okay, though… the test looked really simple, you just swim back and forth.”

Those who missed the makeup will have to wait for an-other time to take the test, al-though students must take the test before their senior year as it is a requirement to graduate. ◙

Terrorists Attack American Hotels in Jordan

BY EMMA RABINOVICH STAFF WRITER

A string of bombings of American-owned hotels in Jordan killed 57 people and wounded 110 on November 9.

The majority of the victims were Jordanians. Chinese authori-ties said that three Chinese were killed. Bashir al-Da’jeh, a police spokesman, said that five Iraqis, a

Saudi, and an Indonesian were among the dead. Five Germans, one American and a Swiss were wounded.

The bloodiest attack took place at a Jordanian weeding party at the Radisson SAS Hotel, a favorite of Israeli tourists. Min-utes later, a Grand Hyatt and Days Inn erupted in flames. Though officials suspect that all three attacks were the work of suicide bombers, they were hesi-tant to give details.

The Associated Press re-ported that a website often used by Al Qaeda posted a statement claiming responsibility for the attacks. "Some hotels were cho-sen which the Jordanian despot had turned into a backyard for the enemies of the faith, the Jews and crusaders," the website said, re-ferring to King Abdullah of Jor-dan, a moderate who has pursued generally cordial relationships with the United States and Israel.

Al Qaeda in Iraq, part of the

larger global organization, is cur-rently headed by the Jordanian-born Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. Zarqawi was jailed in Jordan in 1996 but was released only three years later in a general amnesty by King Abdullah of Jordan. The United States has offered a $25 million reward for any help in capturing him. Zarqawi is also believed to be behind many insur-

gent attacks against American-led forces in Iraq. Jordanian Deputy Prime M i n i s t e r M a r w a n Muashar said that these terrorist attacks were very similar to others carried out by Al Qaeda. Jordan was a valuable ally to the United States in the war against Sad-dam Hussein in Iraq and acted as a safe haven for 400,000 Iraqis who fled during the war. King Abdullah faces great resentment from Jor-dan’s majority Palestin-

ian population for his support of the war. Jordan and Egypt are the only two Arab nations that that have signed peace treaties with Israel.

Many world leaders, includ-ing President Bush and Pope Benedict XVI, have offered their condolences and condemned the attacks.

Tighter security measures were put into effect both in Am-man, Jordan’s capital. In New York, though Mayor Michael Bloomberg said that the city has not been threatened, dozens of hotels all over the city received extra security. The Department of Homeland Security did not in-crease security in Washington. ◙

TSS/Joseph Krutov

Frank McCourt speaks about his new book, “Teacher Man.”

Hundreds of alumni came,

eager both to meet their former teacher and to catch up with

old classmates.

Ass

ocia

ted

Pres

s

Jordanian soldiers stand guard outside a hotel after the recent bombings.

CORRECTIONS FOR NOVEMBER 16 ISSUE

• The songs in the Diwali-Eid Festival article were mis-spelled. The correct spell-ings are Salaam Namaste and Deedar De.

December 1, 2005 News THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

Oil Crisis Spurs Debate Over Drilling in Alaska

A proposal to allow oil pros-pecting in a remote Alaskan wild-life refuge has sparked debate and criticism. An omnibus budget bill to allow drilling was narrowly defeated.

The US national debt for the year was $319 billion on Sep-tember 30, and the budget bill was a major part of President Bush’s plan to cut back on spending. The $50.5 billion plan included cuts to benefit programs such as Medicaid and food stamps, and also opened the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling. Companies such as Irving, BP and Exxon Mobil Corp. would be allowed to drill for oil on 1.5 mil-lion acres in the refuge.

The inclusion of oil provi-

sions in the draft of the proposed plan resulted in heated contro-versy, with critics says that im-proving fuel efficiency in the United States would be a better way to conserve energy. Propo-nent argue for the importance of America reducing its dependence on foreign oil.

House Republican leaders op-posed the inclusion of drilling pro-visions in the b u d g e t -cutting plan on November 10 because there was

lack of support. Because passing th is def ic i t -reducing plan is essential to winning back dissenting members of the Republican Party, they feel that it needs to be approved. Republi-cans who did not support including oil provisions felt the best way to get the bill

passed was to cut out some of the more controversial suggestions. Many Democrats are also against the budget bill because it limits essential government programs, such as Medicaid. As a result of the discontentment, the House also took out a phrase that would allow states to authorize oil and gas drilling off the Atlantic and

Pacific coasts. President Bush is hopes that

this bill will be approved by the House, and that the ANWR pro-posal can be worked into the final negotiations. He said, "Increasing our domestic energy supply will help lower gasoline prices and utility bills." ◙

The Senate rejected a plan to drill for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Agence France-Presse

Senate Demands Accountability on War in Iraq

The US Senate has demanded that the White House send in regular reports about the progress of the war in Iraq. An amendment

to the 2006 Pentagon spending bill requires the President “to explain to Congress and the American people its strategy for the successful completion of the mission in Iraq.”

The demand came after the urging of several Democrats, but was widely supported by most senators, including Republicans. A stronger proposal that would require the White House to create a specific timetable for withdraw-ing troops from Iraq was rejected.

Harry Reid (D-NV), the Sen-ate Minority Leader, said “[The vote is] a victory for our troops and the American people.”

Bush administration officials

generally approved of the meas-ure. President Bush praised the outcome of the vote, saying “To me, [the vote] was a positive step by the United States.” Secretary

of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, though not rejecting the decision, said that the Pentagon already send reports to Congress about the progress of the war.

The vote came at a critical time. Public support of the Bush Administration has dropped drastically in the last few months, and critics of the war are win-ning over more and more people. De-mocrats are pushing for an investigation into how the Bush Administration used intelligence infor-mation on Iraq to argue for a war. De-mocrats also say that they will keep up the fight for a pull-out from Iraq. Rich-ard Durbin of Illi-nois said, “We’re going to press for-ward on this.” ◙

Senators speak at a press conference about accountability in Iraq.

Associated Press

BY JENNIFER SCHLESINGER OUT-OF-SCHOOL NEWS EDITOR

BY SYLVIA ABDULLAH STAFF WRITER

“The vote is a victory for our troops and the

American people.” -Harry Reid

The inclusion of oil provisions in the

draft of the proposed plan

resulted in heated controversy.

THE STUYVESANT STANDARD December 1, 2005 News/Business


Five Friendly Mascots Welcome Games to Beijing

by the International Olympic Committee. “The Five Friendlies are an incredible little family cho-sen by Beijing 2008 to reflect the cultural diversity of China as a multiethnic culture,” said Liu Qi, President of BOC.

Beijing has already begun an extensive marketing campaign for the mascots, with animated films featuring the Five Friendlies slated for China’s television sta-tions, capitalizing on the fore-casted record profit for an Olym-pic game in history

The Five Friendlies are more than a symbol. They are the spe-cial ambassadors of China for the

world. The quintet consists of Beibei the fish, Jingjing the panda, Huanhuan the Olympic flame, Yingying the Tibetan An-telope, and Nini the swallow. When put together, the first sylla-bles of their names forms a Chi-nese saying “Bei Jing Huan Ying Ni”, or “Welcome to Beijing.” The color of the bodies of each mascot matches the five colors of the Olympic rings.

The Five Friendlies represent the traditional Chinese philoso-phy of harmony between mankind and nature. They symbolize the sea, forest, fire, earth, and sky- the five time-honored elements of nature in Chinese culture. ◙

This Year, It’s Going to Be a Green Christmas

BY JIMMY ZHANG STAFF WRITER

As the holiday season begins, workers on Wall Street are in a good mood. Investment bankers, traders, and other employees are getting their presents early, as financial firms award their annual bonuses. This year, bonuses may rise 15-20% above 2003 levels. A typical global merger chief may be seeing a 20-25% increase from last year’s bonus to a total of $8-9 million. “Service-oriented architec-ture is getting more popular this

year. This technology brings in greater business agility in Wall Street financial firms. It will re-sult in higher efficiency and greater revenues,” said Jun Zhang, Senior Architecture Di-rector of Standard and Poor's. Wall Street profits will rise about 13% to a total of $14.4 bil-lion. Banks profited from merger

activity and energy trading. Oil and gas mergers have brought billions into the coffers of the largest companies. Not everyone will benefit from this trend. Gains became losses for high-yield convertible bond traders and equity traders as they saw a 10% drop in their bo-nuses. “Third quarter is typically the weakest quarter of the year, but this year it was an anomaly and was perhaps the strongest,” s a id Andrew Roost, a Johnson Associates vice president. “It helped solidify the year.” Some worry about changes in the market’s di-rection. Rising interest rates, the resurgence of oil prices, and major terrorist threats are all possibilities for a change

in the economic growth. After a steady increase in the late 1990’s, Wall Street saw a sudden decline in the early 2000’s. This decrease brought about a more cautious attitude towards growth. People became more selective about guarantees and were warned of top competitors. With global deal-making rising, some on Wall Street are optimistic. The week of Novem-ber 7 was a big one for corporate mergers and acquisitions activity, with global deal-making topping $100 billion. Often times, bonuses are more than just cherries that come with ice cream cones. On Wall Street, they are an important part of a worker’s salary package. Not only are they are a measure of the

financial service i n d u s t r y ’ s healthiness, but bonuses can also have a helpful effect on New York’s economy. Wall Street bonuses are also a source of revenue for New York City. When Wall Street does well, so does the rest of

the city. ◙

Ikea World BY STEPHANIE TAM STAFF WRITER

Even the most obsessed sho-paholic usually goes home to sleep. But Jordan Leopold, a manager at Costco Wholesale, had the unusual experience of spending three nights in an Ikea bedding department. He earned some $2000 for his trou-ble. Leopold won his three nights at Ikea in a contest held before the opening of an Atlanta, Georgia, store. He, along with four other winners, had to stay in the store as workmen complete the final construction work going on, so hardly any-one got enough sleep. Not to mention, the competi-tors had to participate in other contests in the store. The winner himself even said, “I got about eight hours of sleep total because of all the drilling and banging going on.” But what is this “Ikea cult?” Why does the store attract devo-tees like Leopold? What gives? And why is Ikea so successful in business? Ikea is the quintessential global cult brand, classic, yet trendy. In addition, its advertising methods works wonders. Another store offered $4,000 in gift cer-tificates to the first person in line

at the opening. Roger Penguino, an Ikea customer, heard about this challenge and decided that he had to win it. A week before the store’s opening, he parked his car at the shopping center and waited. Over 2,000 people joined him on June 29, the store’s opening day. It is no wonder why the Swedish company’s owner, Ing-var Kamprad, may surpass Bill Gates in wealth, though he has never disclosed the size of his fortune. According to some, Ikea

is an ideal world, “a state of mind that revolves around contempo-rary design, low prices, wacky promotions, and an enthusiasm that few institutions in or out of business can muster.” Other shoppers, like Bertille Faroult, from Paris, say, “They have this way of making you believe noth-ing is expensive.” She originally planned to buy a $40 coffee table, but wound up spending over $500 on everything from storage units to glassware. Adults have more time to shop too, since Ikea has a play place where they can drop

their kids off. Ikea also has a res-taurant for shoppers to rest in after a hard day of shopping. Ingvar Kamprad says that he owes Ikea’s success to the notion of foldable furniture. He knew what the economy wanted and needed- frugality. That is exactly why, according to MSNBC, no design — no matter how inspired — finds its way into the show-room if it cannot be made afford-able. Josephine Rydberg-Dumont, president of Ikea in Sweden says, “D e s i gn i n g be a u t i fu l -b u t -expensive products is easy. De-signing beautiful products that are inexpensive and functional is a huge challenge.”

The New York Stock Exchange, the source of revenue for New York City, is predicted to do well this holiday season.

Ikea currently has over 200 stores worldwide and posts a revenue of $12 billion a year.

Aug

usta

Chr

onic

le

Cool-m

an

“Third quarter is typically the weak-est quarter of the

year, but this year it was an anomaly and was perhaps the strongest.” -Andrew Roost

Although Mr. Kamprad has retired, Ikea lives on. Currently, Ikea has over 200 stores world-wide, employs over 75,000 peo-ple, and posts a revenue of $12 billion a year. Still, Ikea is par-ticularly concerned about sales in the U.S., since that is key to ex-pansion—and since Ikea came close to blowing this chance in the early 1990’s with their unrea-sonable prices. But Ikea shouldn’t worry too much about it. From its beautiful, yet affordable furniture line, to the famous Swedish meat-balls in the Ikea restaurant, there is no doubt the company will sur-vive just like it has been doing for the past 62 years. ◙

December 1, 2005 Opinions THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

Point-Counterpoint Freedom or Selfishness

BY YANJIE HOU OPINIONS EDITOR

BY HANFORD CHIU STAFF WRITER

The Bigger Picture

When I was little, I used to throw my father’s cigarettes down the toilet. Whenever my uncle came over, I made him go outside to smoke even when it was snowing and below zero. I was probably a spoiled, demand-ing, and selfish brat. But even now, I still feel annoyed when-ever the sickening, choking smell of cigarettes suddenly assaults my senses.

Freedom is a fundamental American value. We trust that our government will respect our free-dom to speak, to publish, to pro-test, to choose the way we want to live our lives. In America, nothing is sacred. People mock everything and everyone. The only thing sacred to us is freedom itself. So of course whenever the government restricts smoking there are inevitably gasps of out-rage from civil libertarians.

It is important to realize even though the government can pro-hibit people from smoking in cer-tain areas, it cannot prevent peo-ple from smoking altogether. Banning smoking in public places does not oppress those who smoke but protect those who do not.

Secondhand smoke has been classified by the Environmental Protection Agency as a Group A carcinogen. Each year, second-hand smoke causes approximately 3,000 lung cancer deaths and 35,000 heart disease deaths in adult non-smokers in the United States. Each year, secondhand smoke is responsible for between

150,000 and 300,000 lower respi-ratory tract infections in infants and children under 18 months of age and 1,900 to 2,700 sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) deaths in the United States.

Smokers talk about their

rights to smoke and to live their lives as they choose. But what about the rights of those 3,000 non-smokers who died from lung cancer? Did they have the right to be protected from the lethal ad-dictions and selfish choices of others? What about the rights of those 2,700 infants who died from SIDS? Did they not deserve the right to live?

I might have been selfish when I forced my uncle to smoke outside on a freezing, winter night. But I certainly am no more selfish than the smoker who re-fuses to walk twenty feet from a public park to protect playing children. ◙

To the smokers of America, the smell of freedom is a sweet one, but for those that abstain from cigarettes the smell seems noxious and lethal. On any given

street in Manhattan, somebody is probably carrying a lit cigarette and polluting the air. It can be quite irritating to breathe in un-pleasant chemicals, but what are a few coughs compared to the big picture?

Americans pride themselves on their devotion to personal rights. The freedom to smoke in public is one of these rights. Granted, there are definitely side effects of smoking that can harm others, but the Constitution pro-tects individual rights unless they interfere with the rights of an-other. Smoking does not infringe on the rights of others enough to merit prohibition.

Bans on smoking in enclosed

spaces, such as the New York City ban on smoking in restau-rants, are justified. However, smoking in open public spaces is little more than a nuisance. Oppo-nents of public smoking claim that even slight exposure to sec-ondhand smoke may cause can-cer. But if we curtail freedoms based not just on definite harm but on potential or theoretical harm, where will rights restric-tions end? If smoking is banned because of the dangers of second-hand smoke, what is to stop Christian conservatives from say-ing that people cannot have abor-tions because it harms the moral-ity of the country, or the FCC from censoring the media because it poisons the minds of the coun-try. To protect the rights of all individuals, some sacrifices must be made by everybody. Everyone is taxed to fund social programs to help the disadvantaged. Sol-diers train to protect the country from potential oppressors. Can’t we tolerate a little smoke to se-cure our freedom?

Philosophy aside, smoking provides benefits to society as well. The tobacco industry pays about $31 billion in tax revenue to the country annually, and ciga-rette taxes grow steeper every year. For people to smoke, they must pay for that right, and in turn benefit non-smokers by help-ing to fund health care. To ban smoking in public would reduce the tax revenue that is immensely helpful to our debt-ridden coun-try. Therefore, the next time a smoker walks past, take a deep breath and smile at the defender of civil liberties and donor to our nation’s coffers. ◙


Smoking can be seen as a personal freedom or a selfish act.

A Page Out of a Librarian’s Journal

BY CHETAN CHAUHAN & RAYMOND XU JUNIOR STAFF WRITERS

The Stuyvesant Library is a place to study, read, and do homework. It is clean, well lit, and decorated with a light green veneer. It provides a serene es-cape from the suffering and hard-ships of life.

Or is that just what they want you to be-lieve?

While some of these descriptions about our library are true, others are completely incorrect. Even though a library is supposed

to be a quiet and tranquil place, our library is actually a social gathering place.

Noise infiltrates the environ-ment. Boys and girls flirt, scream and throw papers around. Boys share seats while girls sit on each other’s lap. Ill-mannered students come to the desk to ask for books

that are not in stock and refuse to leave until they are reassured these books will be supplied. The noise

makes those who actu-ally want to study or work feel like tearing

their hair out. They would do homework outside

but the textbooks they borrow cannot be taken out of the library.

Amidst this chaos emerges one man who can help these des-perate, frustrated children. His name is Mr. Asch.

Everyday, Mr. Asch tries to restore calm and order in the li-brary by shushing the noisy and the rude. He protects those who works hard and punishes those who do not follow the library rules. Without him, the library

would be a scene of utter pande-monium.

Today the library is a place to interact and talk with friends. There are only a few people who actually follow the library guide-lines that are enacted inside the room. But if we were all to follow the rules that are on the desk, the library would be a much friend-lier environment for the students who wish to study. ◙

Publish pieces reflecting your thoughts and ideas! Send your work to

[email protected] Let your voice be heard!

THE STUYVESANT STANDARD December 1, 2005 Opinions

What Ever Happened to Equality? BY PRISCELLA MELO STAFF WRITER

nities in their classrooms. They need a better learning environ-ment. The Na-tional Center for Education Statis-tics reported that in schools in which fewer than 11% of students are eligible for a reduced-price lunch, 74% of the

classrooms have Internet access, but in schools in which more than 71% of students are eligible for such lunches, only 39% of the classrooms have Internet access. Although internet access is not cru-

cial, the data show the inequali-

ties in our educational system. Students in Stuyvesant do not

have to worry about this. The few Hispanics and blacks in the school are an almost invisible minority in a school of primarily Asians and Caucasians. Every ethnicity and race in Stuyvesant should be aware that they are lucky to be in a state-of-the-art school and make a push to end divisions amongst ourselves. Ra-cial inequalities have to stop and it should start here inside schools. ◙

We live in a country that loves to

promote racial equality but is, in

fact, a giant hypocrite.

BY WAI LING CHEUNG SENIOR STAFF WRITER

done in seconds by the old meth-ods? How can a student move on to other topics such as algebra, which requires a good grasp of basic computational skills, when he can barely multiply and di-vide? Constructivists favor using calculators to save students the trouble of arith-metic, some-times introduc-ing the devices as early as the first grade.

This action, though is wrong-headed. Calcula-tors are wonder-ful tools in mathematics but the y should merely assist one in solving a problem. Students should still learn how to add and multiply without calculators. After all, people cannot bring calculators with them everywhere they go. What would they do when they

I live in New York City. It is a city of lights, of bourgeoning dreams and sophistication as well as a city of rat infestations. It is a city where conservatives and lib-erals sit together in the same room and where ideas are not hidden and everything is new. But there is a problem that is seeping into the cement and shak-ing the foundations. We think that segregation was long ago ended by the civil rights movement. Yet segregation persists in the slums of the city. All cities have ghet-tos. All places have streets where the sleepless poor crowd around for protection from the cold, stale air. But neighborhoods are not just divided by social class but segregated by race.

Recently I walked through my neighborhood, desperately trying to buy a newspaper re-quired for a class. I went in and out of every bodega I could find, asking for the day’s New York Times. In every one, I got the same answer: “We don’t sell that here.” They also did not sell The Wall Street Journal or any broad-sheet paper. All I could find were heaps upon heaps of The New York Post and the Spanish news-paper Hoy. I decided to walk up a bit further, closer to the East Vil-lage, to a neighborhood filled with co-ops of mostly Puerto Ri-can families. No luck. Yet in every corner I found the free Em-ployment Guide. The stores did not sell respectable newspapers but sold cigarettes and liquor. A block down the street, a Con Edi-son building spewed toxic fumes.

More than 50 years after the civil rights movement began, sig-nificant economic and social ine-qualities still persist among racial groups in the United States. The National Survey of America’s Families shows that blacks, His-panics and Native Americans are twice as likely as Asians to live in poverty and more than three times as likely as whites.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was supposed to eliminate discrimination in the labor market. However, the white-collar employment gap between Hispanics and other groups has widened, with only 14% of Latinos working as man-agers or professionals. Since the 1960’s and 1970’s, U.S. colleges and universities have relied on preferential admissions to achieve racial equality among students. But colleges tuition are too much even for some middle class fami-lies to pay. If minorities cannot pay for college, they cannot go to college. Although there are need-based scholarships, minority chil-dren need to have equal opportu-

Whether you love or hate math, you have to admit that it is useful. The degree varies from person to person, but most people agree that simple mental addition and multiplication are fundamen-tal skills. It would be quite em-barrassing not to know how much to pay for six apples when the price is three apples per dollar.

Yet in Penfield, New York, where a constructivist education program is used, some middle school children are unable to do long division or multiply two-digit numbers. A third grader counted out fifty apples in order to solve a simple multiplication problem. .

Constructivists favor teach-ing children creative ways to solve problems instead of drilling them on their multiplication ta-bles. But do constructivists not see a problem when students take minutes to solve a problem easily

How Constructive Are Constructivists?

need to figure o u t w h a t amoun t t o leave for a tip or to calculate ho w much money they should bring for a shopping trip? Introduc-ing calculators too quickly not only leaves students un-able to do mul-tiplication but also undoes the purpose of constructivist education by making stu-dents think less and rely on calculators more After seven years of the constructivist system in Pen-

field, the long-term consequences are starting to reveal themselves. Test scores are up only when cal-culators are allowed. However on tests that prohibit their usage, the students perform miserably. Some college-bound students who did not have any traditional math education are worried about falling behind in college because they can barely even do math on paper.

Though the intentions of con-structivists are good, they empha-size critical thinking so much as

to make students rely on calcula-tors as a crutch. Students in high schools who can barely multiply on paper are certainly not going to be spending time pondering over calculus prob-lems. Hopefully, constructivists

and traditionalists can compro-mise and combine their two meth-ods, so students will use more critical thinking but still know how to multiply 32 and five in their heads. (It’s 180) ◙

In Penfield, NY, where a constructivist education program is implemented, some middle school chil-

dren are unable to do long division or even

multiply two-digit numbers.

By Stanislav Nikolov

December 1, 2005 Literary THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

BY JENNIFER LEE STAFF WRITER

BY PENNY MALAMUD STAFF WRITER

BY CAROLINE HUGH SENIOR STAFF WRITER

BY TINA YUE STAFF WRITER

Tests There is more to the meaning of tests. They are a miserable part of life. It's where it comes and comes. It never ends; it's filled with triteness. Tests bring bad luck. Tests bring tears, as well. It's a part of how the teachers grade your work. Doesn't that just ring a bell? Tests make you tired From all that studying "Just take a rest" your mind sings. You shake your head From the nagging voice "Leave me alone" Says it again.

Coffee Shop Jangle

Here roams the smell of cinnamon, coffee, chocolate, tea Waves of euphoria rise over me While I sip the legends doodled over the walls And spilling over the tables, coffee everywhere Waves of euphoria rise over me I see my current obsession And spilling over the tables, coffee everywhere I sicken my notes and scramble to hide I see my current obsession He is walking slowly by, mockingly I sicken my notes and scramble to hide I know he is too brilliant for me He is walking slowly by, mockingly He is out there waiting in the sun I know he is too brilliant for me In the gloom, in the shadows, is my comfort He is out there waiting in the sun While I sip the legends doodled over the walls In the gloom, in the shadows, is my comfort Here roams the smell of cinnamon, coffee, chocolate, tea

Little Toy Words

Words are such pretty playthings in thought They can’nae be bartered, they can’nae be bought They dance to a rhythm, they step to a rhyme They tap their shoes on the floor to keep time A poet lies high in his garret at night He ponders amid the flickering light That the rhythm is flawed, the words are all wrong He feels it is awful, the sentiment strong Ah, but what is a rhyme-less poem, in truth? A cat without claw, a shark without tooth No rhythm, no rhyme, no visible hold The words prance about, grown out of their mold No choreography, no little chains Nothing of the poet’s hard work remains He bows his head in grief and dismay He had decided to write, now he rues that day Then Lord Apollo alights on his bed And gives him a solid thwap on the head “Don’t depress, foolish mortal, nor feel so unmanned. Just start it over, from where you first began.” The poet, resolved, takes up his quill He captures the words as they start to trill He places them where they belong on the page Little toy dancers on a little toy stage He has won the words in their own game He has become his own master and brought them to shame He has’nae bartered, nor bought them with gold They hav’nae been captured, they hav’nae been sold They dance to a rhythm, they step to a rhyme They tap their shoes on the floor to keep time They bow to the readers at the curtain’s fall, Then return to their master who holds them in thrall.

My Cold Prince

Oh. As if I cannot stop the “oh” gasp From my uncovered mouth. He has returned It seems, From that unrequited dream. I still remember that Day. The way his eyes looked into mine When we were standing underneath That dying tree. The way the sky looked-a mesh of white Sewn with gray pearls. Sad smiles. That smile-his smile-only for me- Was broken. ”Goodbye” was all he said, And all he did was leave me a lingering touch On my forehead. Numb. Cold. That autumn wind he brought With him-underneath that dying tree. A shower of golden leaves rained down from that tree that day. His eyes, rimmed with frost now. I’m chilled by his stare. Ruthless smile-half smile. Remember me? How could I not, My childhood friend. My savior. My cold prince I’m broken again.

Join our Poetry Fests! Send your poems and stories to [email protected]

THE STUYVESANT STANDARD December 1, 2005 Literary/Puzzles

BY KIMBERLY YEE STAFF WRITER

BY NIAN ZHOU STAFF WRITER

BY EILEEN L. CHANG STAFF WRITER

RINGS OF A TREE

The mighty oak stands firm and tall, Its strength renewed each Spring’s recall. Adorned with garments, which alter with Season; Embellished in light of knowledge and reason. Arms branching up, absorbing sun ray; Fingers reach outward, hoping to stay. Branches elongate with time flowing by, Its wisdom increase as leaves multiply. The rings add on, tree ceases to grow; Its bark turns bitter and trunk hollow. The days ahead shorten dark, and cold; The oak is a threat, shaky and old. When crimson spilled into autumn, they came; My tree burned to ashes, demolished by flame. What once held a sight beautiful to see, Now lie broken limbs of what once was a tree.

Ah! The Plucking Season

The dazzling autumn leaves Gold, yellow, red and crimson Falling like flakes when the wind blows And that young tree over there Lost its coat to that rainy day Now it quakes in the wind Shakes in the cold But wait – What do I see there? A green leaf flapping furiously Still clinging tightly Defiant – Refusing to give in

my love for you

"Why do you love me?" You asked me last night, While holding me tight... And this was my answer, for all of the seasons and years to come, "I love you because you're the only one, Perfect in all description, Nothing can compare, To your sweet embraces, And your lovely, passionate kisses... You’re always there for me, Whenever I need you, For comfort or support, A shoulder to lean on, A warm, soothing hug, Or a kiss to kiss away all the problems of the day… Your sweet face, Your adorable smile, Your gleaming brown eyes, Staring into mine, You make me blush, From your sweet touch… I’ll love you forever, For all of eternity, I’ll be yours and you’ll be mine, Like two pieces that make up a perfect heart, I hope you love me the same way that I love you!”

Crypto Corner BY ANDY YEE STAFF WRITER

FPL RYCF LPPK CIS I LPPKCFYCG CFYCG UH I LPPKCFYCG CIS’J CFYCG LPPK

BY JEFERREY LIAW STAFF WRITER

What is a Cryptogram? Cryptograms are writing that

has been coded by substituting each letter with a different letter. For instance, if T=A, H=B, and E=C, then the word "the" would appear as "abc" throughout the puzzle.

Your answer:

If each letter is substituted for a number in this addition, what is the value of each letter? CELLAR + CORPSE + COLLAR + CLOSE + CASE + COPS = RECTOR Your answer: A=________ C=________ E=________ L=________ O=________ R=________ S=________ T=________

Last Issue’s Solution Crossword Puzzle

C A R L O O M B R A Y

L I E A N N A I O W A

I D A D E A N T A L K

P E R S I A H O E D

Y E L L O W S C I

H O R N S L O N I O N

A L O E D A D E D E N

H E M R A M S L E D S

A G A I M A G E S

N A G S A R A B I A

A N T S E T T E E R R

B A I T L O O N T K O

S P C A S O R E S S W

Solution to ‘Classic Novels’ Jumble 1. Jane Eyre 2. Frankenstein 3. Pride and Prejudice 4. Tom Sawyer 5. Don Quijote

6. Beowulf 7. The Great Gatsby 8. Moby Dick Alexandre Dumas’s novel: The Count of Monte Cristo

December 1, 2005 Puzzles THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

Like to puzzle people? Contribute to The Standard!

E-mail [email protected]

Crossword Puzzle BY JESSIE LUK PUZZLE COLUMNIST 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

12 13 14

15 16 17 18

19 20 21

22 23 25 2

24 25 26 27 28 29

30 31 32

33 34 35

38 36 37

38 39 40 41 42 43

44 49 45 46

47 48 49 50

51 52 53

Across 1. Concorde letters 4. Lariat 9. ___ Perignon 12. Besides 13. “Encore!” 14. Self-esteem 15. “I ___ Rock” (2 wds.) 16. Address book abbr. 17. Bridge costs 19. Took time out 21. Wooden hammer 22. ___-Mex 23. Front 24. Thought 26. Pilot a boat 30. Subaru or Toyota 31. Small film role 32. Eggy drink 33. Reduced to bondage 35. Sounded bells 36. Emulated 37. Dopey’s pal 38. “Great Escape” route 41. Church laws 44. Jacob’s father 45. U.S.A.’s “uncle” 46. Do __ disturb 47. Society gal 48. Chicago airport 50. AES opponent 51. Snaky letter 52. Fender 53. Nile viper

Down 1. Night twinkler 2. Small amount 3. Bagel warmers 4. Type of paint 5. Like Scotch 6. Mineo or Maglie 7. Roberto’s affirmative 8. Great Lake 9. Farmer’s place 10. Wolf’s glance 11. Greatest quantity 18. Designer Cassini 20. Hot drink 21. Changed residences 23. Renowned 24. Apply frosting 25. Newsman Rather 26. Orange variety 27. South American snake 28. Heavy weight 29. Poached item 31. Hyannis’s locale (2 wds.) 34. Actress Turner 35. Reagan’s nickname 37. British noblewomen 38. Neap ___ 39. Utilizes 40. Catches 41. Small wagon 42. Head gestures 43. “___ on it!” 45. ___ Andreas fault 49. Masculine pronoun

Weather Forecast BY JONATHAN XIKIS STAFF WRITER

K H L M E J T X L C D J T B G R T C A J

A J G V I H L Y J B C S G Q T V T J D E

M X Q W U L H Y I N I D E Y V L Z S D S

R F D N I W D E H G I O W A R M Q E Z B

Q B D A E U U G O U O A L I R A K T L M

U E R S O V R L R D R V R R D U N U C O

R H H L H F O Z Q K X R A G O O W P C O

J A C K A R E F E C W L I W U R R T L P

C H F T O D A N R O T I M C E T S O T E

T H U E L I G H T N I N G A A U R V S L

T S T C H I L L Y F Z C J S G N Q E E W

U E U O V P S H B H J P L R E R E R P O

M A V N D S T M W U Q L E W T F R C M N

E I T C N L O R W U R H H X O K Y A E S

X L R A N Y R H Q E L S X V K M T S T O

Q N Z Q K E M H L P L V V P C P S T N P

I Y T Z T W S U W E B T U Q Q T A I O B

V A M P I S G Q E C T T M O H Q R Y T Q

R D V S K R C T X Z M K O Q E W P G I P D P P C A G D B S K S Y K S W O R S J R

AIR CHILLY CLOUDY DRIZZLE GUST HURRICANE LIGHTNING METEOROLOGIST MILD OVERCAST

RAIN SLEET SNOW STORM SUNNY TEMPEST THUNDER TORNADO WARM WIND

Whose Life Is It Anyway?

20th Annual Medical Ethics Symposium

Thursday, December 8

3:30PM Murray Kahn Auditorium

Free Refreshments! Great Raffle Prizes

THE STUYVESANT STANDARD December 1, 2005 Puzzles/Science

Thanksgiving BY JESSIE LUK PUZZLE COLUMNIST

uyekrt ___ ___ ___ (___) ___ ___ ryrnebacr cause ___ ___ ___ (___) ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ocnr no hte ocb ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ (___) ___ ___ ___ oairucpnco ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ (___) ___

sdmhae toopat ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ (___) ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ redba udgndpi ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ (___) ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

dadince amsy ___ ___ ___ ___ (___) ___ ___ ___ ___ (___) ___ tuoaqsn ___ ___ (___) ___ ___ ___ ___ islmrgip (___) ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ Thanksgiving Dessert: ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

Inside Next-Gen Consoles


hub.” It is able to able to play many types of media, including music and video files. Microsoft will be releasing the console in two versions, a “Premium Edi-tion” for $400 and a “Core Sys-

tem,” for $300. The Premium Edition in-

cludes a 20-gigabyte detachable hard drive. The package also in-cludes a wireless controller, head-set, and high-definition audiovis-ual cable. The Core System will appeal to potential customers who simply can’t afford the full pack-age.

The Xbox 360 uses a custom IBM PowerPC-based Xenon processor with three symmetrical cores, running at 3.2 gigahertz each. The console also contains a custom ATI Graphics Processing Unit that clocks at 500 megahertz and 512 megabytes of RAM. The console ships with a DVD drive, but later versions may include HD-DVD capabilities, providing more disk space for future games.

The next highly anticipated system is the Playstation 3, which will be released around March 2006. A continuation of Sony’s vaunted Playstation and Playstation 2 con-soles, the PS3 is twice as powerful as the Xbox 360 in terms of sheer processing capac-ity. The PS3 will also be able to p l a y B l u - r a y discs, which can hold more data – 54 gigabytes – than any other current disc. Its

unique Cell processor will per-form at 2 teraflops, compared to the Xbox 360’s 1 teraflop.

Like the Xbox 360, the Play-station 3 will feature backwards compatibility, and will also be marketed as an entertainment

center, able to ana-lyze many forms of data. The PS3 is expected to be priced at around $300, the same price as the 360 Core System, al-though the price might be higher, depending on if any more technol-ogy is added on to it before launch. The final console - slated for release in April 2006 - is the Nintendo Revolu-tion. This console will be focused on technological inno-vation rather than pure power. The Revolution is the smallest of the

three consoles, about the size of three CD cases stacked on top of each other. Its signature feature so far is its strange controller, which is shaped like a television

remote control. This new control-ler will include wireless motion sensors, which will detect the controller’s movement in every direction and translate it into movement in the game. Accord-ing to Satoru Iwata, the president of Nintendo, another control stick will be bundled with the main c o n t r o l l e r . A n o t h e r “revolutionary” development is the option to play emulated games from all the past Nintendo consoles by downloading them from the internet and storing them on the Revolution’s hard drive, thus combating illegal ROM downloading. The Revolu-tion will include an IBM PowerPC based CPU code-named “Broadway,” although the exact technical specifications are un-known. It will accept both Gamecube mini-discs and stan-dard DVDs, for backwards com-patibility. ◙

PS3

Land

Sony’s new console, Playstation 3, can play Blu-ray discs, which can hold up to 54 gigabytes of data.

IGN

Ent

erta

inm

ent

Expected to be released in April 2006, the Nintendo Revolution comes with a new controller that looks like a television remote control.

The Nintendo Revolution is the

smallest of the three consoles, about the

size of three CD cases stacked on top

of each other.

December 1, 2005 Science/Arts THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

Interested in the

fascinating world of Science, Math, and Technology?

Write for The Standard Science Section!

Send all submissions to [email protected]

The Avian Flu BY KENNETH LAM STAFF WRITER

The avian influenza, also known as the bird flu or avian flu, is a deadly virus that is spreading across the world. Generally, avian influenza does not affect humans, but one strain, the avian influenza A strain, or H5N1 can sometimes make the jump from bird to person. It is this strain that has stricken people across Europe and Asia.

The avian in-fluenza is a relative of the normal hu-man flu virus. However, due to differences in the genetic coding, the avian influenza has a some-what different shape compared to the normal human influenza vi-rus. Since it is a virus, antibiotics have no effect, and there are very few medicines out on the market that can help fight the disease. The medicine Tamiflu has some

effect, but scientists worry that one strain of H5N1 may have developed a resistance to this drug.

All H5N1 cases in humans have occurred among poultry farmers and others who handle birds regularly. The strain is al-

most never contagious between humans. Yet scientists fear that if a person became infected with both avian flu and ordinary flu, the two strains could combine, creating a virus as deadly as avian flu and as virulent as regu-lar flu. Models suggest that a worst-case scenario could rival the deadly Spanish flu of 1918, which killed about 50 million

people world-wide. Symptoms of avian flu in-clude fever, runny nose, coughing and other respira-tory problems, not unlike regu-lar flu. Severe cases may be fatal, however, and about half of those who

have been infected with H5N1 have died, though a widespread pandemic would likely have a much lower mortality rate.

By September of this year, 58 people had died of the disease, mostly in southeast Asia. Since its discovery in 1997, a total of 124 cases have been documented,

63 of which were fatal. An enor-mous number of poultry have died, and many millions more were deliberately slaughtered to fight the spread of the disease. Although it has not reached North America yet, governments are bracing for an attack that could leave millions dead. ◙


Scientists fear that if a person be-came infected with both avian flu and

ordinary flu, a virus as deadly as avian flu and as virulent

as regular flu could be created.

British scientists are conducting tests on samples of the avian flu virus, hopeful that the virus did not mutate yet.

Food Bites: Tea & Sympathy

BY KAIDANA RI STAFF WRITER

Tea and Sympathy is a small and cozy restaurant in the West Village. The old-fashioned at-mosphere is akin to that of Pro-fessor Trelawney's classroom in the Harry Potter books. Because of the restaurant’s small size, there is almost always a line. In-side, the tearoom is often so crammed that it is hard to move around.

There is a wide selection of dishes ranging from regular sand-wiches to scones and pudding. The long list of teas offered may leave the tea lover paralyzed with indecision. These teas, coupled with the mouth-watering sand-wiches and snacks make the price range ($6 - $21) absolutely

worthwhile. For the truly indeci-sive, the expensive Afternoon Tea choice gives one a good idea of what Tea and Sympathy has to offer. The rather short main course menu has tasty entrees, such as Shepherd's Pie and lentil casserole. The dinner menu is shorter and much more costly, so it is better to come here in the mornings or afternoons rather than at night.

If you don’t want to wait in line for a table at Tea and Sympa-thy, you might want to try to Carry On Tea and Sympathy, the take-out partner restaurant next door. There you will find both take-out versions of the great foods of Tea and Sympathy, as well as souvenirs like cute British candies that aren’t sold at your local deli. ◙

Tea & Sym

pathy

Gilly, one of the family members that make up Tea & Sympathy, serves customers mouth-watering dishes and British tea.

THE STUYVESANT STANDARD December 1, 2005 Arts & Entertainment

Golden Dragon Leaps, Juggles, and Balances into the Hearts of New Yorkers

BY JENNIFER WONG ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

This holiday season, take a break from big blockbuster mov-ies and crowded ice rinks and

treat yourself to a circus like no other. The New Victory Theater welcomes the “Golden Dragon Acrobats,” straight from Xian, China. Perhaps the world’s lead-ing Chinese circus, the interna-

tionally renowned troupe is to present a show specially created for New Victory’s tenth anniver-sary season.

“Golden Dragon Acrobats” takes traditional Chinese circus to

a whole new level, combining traditional dance, original acrobat-ics and stunning cos-tumes. The 21-member troupe includes contor-tionists that rip and roll across the stage, daring men who perform death-defying jumps between two towering poles, exceptional jug-glers juggling anything

that can be juggled and a team of gymnasts that come together in a breathtaking grand finale.

While your inner child may enjoy the experience, your teen-age self might not wanted to be seated next to a bawling three-year-old. Teenagers can opt to participate in the New Victory Theater’s VicTeens: On The Town program. For $30, teens can watch “Golden Dragon Acro-bats” from a teens-only section of the New Victory and attend a luncheon at the B.B. King’s Blues Club & Grill before the show. This program takes place on Saturday, December 10 at 12:30 p.m. ◙

“Golden Dragon Acro-bats” will be showing in the New Victory Theater until January 1. Tickets for “Golden Dragons” are priced at $10, $25 and $50 and can be or-dered by visiting Tele-charge.com or by calling 212-239-6200. Tickets are also on sale at the New Victory box office (209 West 42nd Street, just west of Broadway), Sunday and Monday, 11 am to 5 pm, Tuesday through Saturday, 12 pm to 7 pm.

All photos courtesy of Loli K

antor

Be the Final Step Join The Stuyvesant Standard

Layout Department [email protected]

December 1, 2005 Arts & Entertainment THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

Holiday Movie Guide Continued from Page 1

and Rosario Dawson, the film is directed by Chris Columbus, who also directed the first two Harry Potter movies. Dawson, who plays the female lead, is one of only two cast members who did-n’t appear in the stage version. Though set in 1989, the film is made especially not “to look like a ’80s movie,” said Dawson.

December 2 Aeon Flux

Another year, another Oscar Best Actress winner in a cat suit. In this sci-fi action flick directed by Karyn Kusama, Charlize

Theron stars as the perfect assas-sin, Aeon Flux. This live-action adaptation of MTV’s animated series depicts a futuristic world devastated by an apocalyptic viral pandemic. The last survivors are assembled in the walled-up city of Bregna. Theron’s character begins to question her life and career after she is asked to assas-sinate her possible soul mate, Trevor Goodchild.

December 9 Memoirs of a Geisha

An inside look at what it means to be a real geisha, the movie is an adaptation of the

best-selling book by Arthur Golden. The story follows Sayuri, a poor country girl played by Ziyi Zhang of “Crouching Tiger Hid-den Dragon” fame, who becomes the world’s most famous geisha. Producers reportedly spend over $70 million to keep the movie, as director Rob Marshall put it, “very faithful” to the book. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Ward-robe

“The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” is the first chapter of C.S. Lewis’s chronicles of a fam-ily’s adventures in the magical land of Narnia. Director Andrew Adamson was recruited to bring the mysterious world to life with

the help of CG technology, which was used to create the wondrous creatures of Narnia including the lion, Aslan, voiced by Liam Neeson.

December 25 Rumor Has It

“Rumor Has It” is a blend of comedy and drama, sprinkled with an all-star cast including Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Costner, and Shirley MacLaine. Aniston stars as an unsure, engaged woman who gets cold feet as her wedding nears. Aniston soon learns that her family’s story might have inspired the 1967 movie “The Graduate,” and she begins a journey of self-discovery. ◙

All photos courtesy of Y

ahoo.

“Memoirs of a Geisha”, starring Ziyi Zhang, is based on the best-selling book by Arthur Golden.

“The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” is another novel-based movie.

“Rumor Has It,” starring Jennifer Aniston, is about a woman on her path to self-discovery.

“Rent,” based on the original Broadway play, is about a group of eight best friends.

“Aeon Flux” stars Charlize Theron as the perfect assassin.

Seen a good movie lately? An interesting exhibit? Arts show? Concert?

If so, send your review to: [email protected]

Questions? Comments? It is the policy of The Standard

to remain accessible to its readers. Please contact us at

[email protected]

THE STUYVESANT STANDARD December 1, 2005 Sports

Got a favorite team?

Follow a certain sport? Share your expertise at [email protected]

Violence is Just Too Violent Continued from Page 16

semi- riot among the Bahrain players who surrounded the refe-ree, and then started to push the Trinidad players. Trinidad would go on to win the game 1- 0.

The number of fouls in soc-cer is on the rise. In the past the game wasn’t as exciting, with a lack of contention for a player running up the pitch, but now it is

almost impossible for a player to go a yard without challenge.

An important question lead-ing up to the World Cup in Ger-many is: is there anything FIFA can do? Of course there is. The main thing at hand is for FIFA to recruit more reliable referees who don’t fix games, and call fouls correctly and impartially, as op-posed to applying subjective in-terpretations to subjective rules. ◙

Terrell Owens: Distraction or Star?


For a team to take on Terrell Owens, they need to have a few things set. First, they need a strong player’s coach. Second, he has to be the man. I know this idea sounds odd, but he needs to be the offensive superstar. A me-diocre quarterback and a medio-cre running back would be perfect for TO because he would be in the spotlight. Finally, the team needs to have strong veteran lead-ership in the locker room. While Donovan McNabb is many things, he has too many chips on his shoulder from not making the Super Bowl until Terrell Owens came along. A team with a re-spected quarterback like Brett Favre wouldn’t take this nonsense from Terrell, and could probably set him straight.

What teams would be willing to take on Terrell? The Raiders are historically known to take in these types of players, but they already have a problem-child in Randy Moss. The Broncos have been mentioned as a possible des-tination for TO. They have the strong coach and mediocre of-fense that TO could thrive in. Another team interested in TO could be the Jets. Herman Ed-wards is known as a player’s coach, and the Jets offense is in disarray. If the Jets get either run-ning back Curtis Martin or quar-terback Chad Pennington back at 100% and use their top 10 pick in the draft to improve another needed offensive position, Terrell fits in as the star wide receiver. If Pennington was able to deal with Randy Moss in college, he should be able to deal with Terrell. ◙

Familiar News in Kansas City: Holmes is Out for Season Continued from Page 16

Most notable is his record-breaking 27 touchdowns in 2003, which he accomplished after re-cuperating from arthroscopic knee surgery in the off-season. This season, Holmes has rushed for 451 yards on 3.8 yards per carry for 7 touchdowns.

“We're going to miss him,” Vermeil said. “He's more than a football player for this organiza-tion.”

Meanwhi l e , the Chiefs do have a reliable and explosive backup in running back Larry John-son, 25. Drafted as insurance for Holmes in the first round of the 2003 draft, he has demonstrated his potential in the last two seasons.

“Larry John-son has already carried the load. He knows he can do it,” Vermeil said. “He just doesn't have a Priest Holmes backing him up like he backed up Priest Holmes.”

Last year, Johnson rushed for 581 yards on 4.8 yards per carry with 11 touchdowns. Early this season, Vermeil had already be-

gun using both Holmes and John-son, trying to keep both players fresh and especially to keep Holmes healthy. Through Week 9, Johnson has accumulated 506 yards on the ground with 6 touch-downs.

Although the injury to Holmes will be a loss to the Chiefs, it should not be a major setback. With one of the best offensive lines in football, John-son will have no problem estab-

lishing a running game for Kansas City. What is most troubling is the lack of pro-duct ion from tight end Tony Gonzalez, who is on pace to have only 74 recep-tions and 752 receiving yards. He had 102 re-cep t ions and 1258 receiving yards in 2004,

both NFL records for tight ends. Kansas City’s first priority is

to get Gonzalez more involved in the passing game and in the red zone. With increased production from Gonzalez and a consistent running attack, the Chiefs will remain the top pick to win their division. ◙

The Kansas City Chiefs have placed Priest Holmes, 32, on injured reserve on Wednesday, No-vember 9, removing him from the roster and effectively end-ing his 2005 season.

December 1, 2005 Sports THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

BY YEE HONG STAFF WRITER

Terrell Owens: Distraction or Star? BY ERIC MAYO STAFF WRITER

Terrell Owens can be a lot of things. He is probably the best wide receiver in the entire Na-tional Football League. He is also the biggest club-house cancer pro-fessional sports has probably ever seen. So the ques-tion is there: Is “TO” worth it?

I n c a s e you’ve been un-der a rock the past month, here’s what has hap-pened. Star Philadelphia Eagles receiver Terrell Owens gave an interview to ESPN in which he said that the Eagles would be better off with Green Bay quar-terback Brett Favre than current Eagles QB Donovan McNabb, and that the Eagles should have publicly recognized his hundredth touchdown catch. Combined this with his alleged fight with ex-

defensive end Hugh Douglas, it’s no wonder Owens was suspended for the maximum 4 games and

will be put on the inactive list after the suspension is over. It’s increasingly obvious that TO is a coach’s nightmare. From h i s s h a r p i e -signing antics to his calling out his QB every time

there’s a microphone in his face, he obviously isn’t a model citi-zen. This is the second quality coach Owens has abused. You have to wonder if anyone can deal with his me-first attitude.

But this incident goes far beyond football. If you look in professional sports in the last 35 years, very few players have been the distraction TO has been. Den-

nis Rodman of the Chicago Bulls in the early and mid 90’s was crazy, but Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen kept him in c h e c k . B a r r y Bonds is never this problematic since he doesn’t vent his frustration to the media. Even La-trell Sprewell of the NBA was tamed under coach Jeff Van Gundy and the New York Knicks. While Gary Sheffield makes his remarks to the media, he knows when to keep quiet. The only person Terrell Owens can be compared to is Leon, the fictional egotist in the Budweiser commercials.

So he’s a clubhouse cancer. Why would anyone want him?

He’s still the top wide re-ceiver in foot-ball. His six f o o t t h r e e frame and blaz-i n g s p e e d makes him a co rne rba ck’ s nightmare. His vertical jump compares with some of the best basketball p la ye rs . I f paired with a top flight quar-terback (think M a n n i n g -Harrison) like McNabb was

in happier days or Mike Vick of the Falcons, he can be deadly.

Violence is Just Too Violent

BY OSMAN NEMLI SPORTS EDITOR

Violence erupted at World Cup qualifying matches between Turkey and Swit-zerland, and be-tween Bahrain amd Trinidad. This sort of brutality is rare, and during these tough times, the questionable deci-sions of some refe-rees aren’t helping. Soccer is going through a tough time and can need all the support it can get.

The inci-dent which occurred in Istanbul, Tur-key escalated after the final whistle blew. As the players rushed to their locker rooms, one S wi s s player kicked a Turkish coach. Several Turk-ish players fought with Swiss players, sending one to the hospital. Penalties dis-cussed include the possibility of banning

Turkey from the 2010 World Cup. The other incident involved a Bahraini player kicking the ball

away from the Trinidad player, followed by an interesting re-turn to the ball by the Bahrain p la ye r who launched the ball to the back of the net. The referee didn’t allow this goal due to the close proximity of the Trinidad goalie to the point of

origin of the ball. This caused a Continued on Page 15

Familiar News in Kansas City: Holmes is Out for Season

It has happened so often in such a short span of time that the people in Kansas City probably have already taken it for granted. Fans hold their breath every time number 31 touches the football, hoping he will get up and line up for the next play.

Chief fans need not suffer the agony any longer. The Kansas City Chiefs have placed Priest Holmes, 32, on injured reserve on Wednesday, Nov. 9, removing him from the roster and effectively ending his 2005 season. Holmes suf-fered a helmet-to-helmet hit in an Oct.30 game against the San Diego Chargers and then missed the following game against the Oakland Raiders.

The formal diagnosis of Holmes’s injuries is head and neck trauma. However, the hit in San Diego was not the pre-dominant factor that sidelined Holmes. The running back had complained of tingling in his arms during training camp.

“We did know he started getting what we say `burners' once in a while, a tingling in his fingers from some hits, which are very, very common,” said Coach Dick Vermeil. “Guys get burners in the first quarter and play the rest of the game. But he had never experienced that in his ca-reer.”

“Then I think the blow to the head in San Diego stimulated more concern. It wasn't a true

concussion, but he did get knocked dizzy.”

Holmes’s doctors have asked him to avoid contact for 30 days but say that surgery is unneces-sary.

“It's a head trauma and a neck trauma that has affected the cervical area of his spine. But he's not incapacitated. There's no reason for surgery,” said Chiefs general manager, Carl Peterson.

Holmes is a three-time Pro Bowler who is extremely produc-tive when he is healthy. He rushed for 1555 yards in 2001, 1615 in 2002, and 1420 in 2003.



The only person Terrell Owens can be compared to is Leon, the fictional egotist in the Bud-

weiser commercials.

Compared to soccer two decades ago, soccer in to-day’s world is in-

creasing in terms of fouls, making soc-cer appear to be a more aggressive

sport than it normally is.


Terrell Owens.


Priest Holmes.

Canadian Press

Aggressive playing in the World Cup qualifying match between Australia and Uruguay.

volume 5 issue 7

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