TO THE COMMUNITIES OF STUYVESANT HIGH SCHOOL, TRIBECA, AND BATTERY PARK CITY
The Stuyvesant Standard
Volume 6, Issue X
How Many Legislators Does It
Take To Change A Light Bulb?
Page 2
American Dream Drifts Farther From Reality
BY SANGHEE CHUNG
COLUMNIST
The American dream may not
become a reality for some a plan
by the Bush administration to
increase immigration plans by an
average of 86 percent comes into
effect.
According to the director of
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration
Services, Emilio Gonzalez, immi-
grants would be charged $905 to
apply for a green card or to
change residence status, com-
pared to the current $325. The
cost to apply for naturalized citi-
zenship would be $595, as op-
posed to the current $330 fee.
The agency stated that this
increase in revenue would im-
prove customer service, reinforce
the security of the system, and
modernize the agency’s business
infrastructure.
“Anytime you have to raise a
fee, you understand it's going to
affect people,” Gonzalez said.
Can It Be True: Cure for
Colon, Liver, and Other
Cancers Discovered?
BY OMAR AHMAD
STAFF WRITER
Most doctors cannot even
dream of accomplishing the enor-
mous task of curing a fatal preva-
lent disease. This disease is the
all-too-well-known condition
named cancer. Many doctors
across the world have raced to
discover a cure and many of these
specialists spend their entire exis-
tence and put all of their energy
into looking for a solution. All
have failed, and those who be-
lieved that they possessed the
cure were seen as either ineffec-
tual or lying for publicity, until
now. And in this case, the remedy
was found in a greatly unexpected
place.
Friday, February 16, 2007
Harry Potter Bares All,
7th Book is Announced
Page 6
The USCIS has often been criticized for its backlog, creating a delay in customer
service due to slow processing and failure to properly track applications of
“We also have a necessity to cre-
ate a system that will process…
people in a streamlined way.”
The USCIS has often been
criticized for its backlog, creating
a delay in customer service due to
Doctor Katherine Schaefer at
the University of Rochester Medi-
cal Center was searching for new
medications to treat inflammation
of the intestinal tract and prob-
lems such as diarrhea. Ordinary
human cells would not be able to
sustain themselves for testing
long enough to be sufficiently
examined. She attempted using
single mouse cells, but to no
avail. An idea formed in her mind
as she prepared her slides. Schae-
Corbis
fer decided to use cancer cells
because they are not known to die
during experiments, as there had
been no way to kill the cells at all.
To her annoyance, Schaefer
applied too much of the chemical
Continued on Page 8
“Your School, Your World—Your News”
Getting Through Binge Eating Nation
Program Changes
Page 4
corbis
slow processing and failure to
properly track applications of
immigrants. At the same time, the
2004 Government Accountability
Office report said that the agency
receives no money from Congress
Stressed Over Stress
BY RAMMIYA NALLAINATHAN
STAFF WRITER
Just as you get on the escala-
tor, you turn to your friends and
ask them how they are doing.
However, rather than getting a
quick response like, “Oh, I’m
doing fine,” you listen to a long
 
Free
Page 8
Corbis
and is not able to cover its own
Corbis
costs.
Some professionals and im-
migration advocates were in
strong objection to the proposal,
believing that rising costs would
severely affect members of the
lower socioeconomic levels.
“This drastic increase will
price the American dream out of
reach for qualified immigrants
wanting to be citizens of our
country,” said Senator Edward M.
Kennedy of Massachusetts. “We
are a nation of immigrants, and
Congress should recognize its
responsibility to support the vital
work of immigration services by
appropriating the necessar y
funds.”
Furthermore, White Plains
immigration lawyer Susan Henner
pointed out that, in addition to the
basic fees, immigrants must also
pay for fingerprinting, medical
exams and photographs.
Continued on Page 3
list of things they have to do.
First, you hear the different pa-
pers or projects that are supposed
to be handed in. After that you get
a list of tests within the next
week. Finally, they go on to tell
you about all the extracurricular
activities they have to do on top
of all that. By that time, the esca-
lator ride has ended and you won-
der what kind of life your friends
are going through. In most cases,
you see that you are in the same
situation and try to make them
feel better. In reality, everyone
knows they have to go through
doing everything one way or an-
other. Although we use the term
“stress” often, most people feel
that they do not know how to ac-
tually deal with it or even avoid
it. In fact, there are people who
do not even know what is going
on inside their bodies when they
undergo stress.
Continued on Page 9
Page 2 Friday, February 16, 2007 NEWS THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

THE STUYVESANT STANDARD  How Many Legislators

Founded 2001
 
 
Does It Take To
 
“Your School, Your  World—Your News” 
Change A Light Bulb?
BY HESHAM SALEH bulbs were first developed almost
Executive Leadership Team STAFF WRITER 125 years ago, and since that time
The Californian they have undergone no major
DR. JOHN NIKOL FACULTY ADVISER legislature is modifications. It’s time to take a
JENNIFER SCHLESINGER EDITOR IN CHIEF step forward.”
trying to pass
DEREK WENG MANAGING EDITOR This seems like a wise part
DIANE CHEN CO-CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER an act, known
as the “How on the part of the government; 20
KHOI NGUYEN CO-CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
Many Legisla- percent of the electricity con-
FANNY TANG LAYOUT EDITOR
DANNY ZHU COPY CHIEF tors Does it sumption in the United States
JIMMY ZHANG NEWS EDITOR Take to Change comes from lighting.
PRISCILLA MELO OPINIONS EDITOR Corbis
a Light Bulb This is not the first act aimed
EMMA RABINOVICH ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Act.” Led by at decreasing the consumption of
ERIC MAYO SPORTS EDITOR
Assemblyman Lloyd Levine, resources. Last year, Arnold
JOSEPH KRUTOV SCIENCE EDITOR Schwarzenegger, the governor of
HANFORD CHIU BUSINESS EDITOR Californians are trying to ban the
sale of the traditional incandes- California, signed a bill that com-
LADA KUKUY LITERARY EDITOR pelled all supermarkets to recycle
JESSE ZHANG WEBMASTER cent bulb, and replace it with
BENNETT HONG DIRECTOR OF PHOTOJOURNALISM compact fluorescent bulbs. If plastic bags. Schwarzenegger,
DANIEL EGERS (‘03) FOUNDER passed, the bill will not take ef- however, has not yet commented
ERNEST BASKIN (‘04) EDITOR EMERITUS fect until 2012. on the bulb act.
In a world where resources The passage of this act will
most definitely be a positive step
Publication are dwindling by the minute, it is
for the United States. Although it
necessary to conserve whatever is
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD is a nonprofit and nonpartisan publication pro- remaining of these resources. The seems such a minor topic, espe-
duced by the students of Stuyvesant High School. fluorescent bulbs, according to cially in a world filled with war
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD distributes 2,000 free copies on a bi-weekly Levine, use only 25 percent of the and oppression, it will signifi-
basis to the students and faculty of Stuyvesant High School and through- energy used by the incandescent cantly slow down the consump-
out the adjoining neighborhoods of TriBeCa and Battery Park City. bulb. tion of our resources, and thus
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD welcomes letters from its readers. Levine showed his support allow us to save them for the fu-
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD reserves the right to edit any published mate- for fluorescent bulbs in a recent ture. ◙
rial. The viewpoints of contributors do not necessarily reflect the views of statement. “Incandescent light
the Standard staff.

Copyright ©2006 THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

Mexican Tortilla Protest
Contact Us BY LIWEI MAO
Please direct all correspondence to:
STAFF WRITER
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD On January 31, the central
345 Chambers Street square of Mexico City contained
New York, NY 10282-1000 over 75,000 Mexican people pas-
readers@stuystandard.org sionately protesting against the
Find us on the web at www.stuystandard.org rising prices of their tortillas.
For us, the word “tortilla”
Advertising brings to mind images of crispy
the price of tortillas. He recently
signed a number of pacts with
different business groups to cap
the price of a kilogram of tortillas
at 8.5 pesos (77 cents). However,
because the pacts are not legally
binding, most business groups
ignored it as soon as they signed
Corbis

tortilla chips dipped in spicy salsa

If you would like to advertise in THE STUYVESANT STANDARD, please e-mail sauce, or of a hot, delicious wrap
advertising@stuystandard.org to request an advertisement form. We offer at Taco Bell. For many Mexicans,
a broad range of options including full color capability for your advertis- however, tortillas are as important
ing needs. a food source as rice is to the Chi-
nese. It is therefore unsurprising
Subscription that these Mexicans would be so
angry over the high price of tortil-
las, which had increased over 400
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD percent in the last year.
SUBSCRIBE TODAY Many of the protesters blame
the price increase on the eco-
1 YEAR — $15 nomic policies of their newly Tortillas are a staple for Mexicans.
Delivery Information
elected president, Felipe
Name:______________________________________________ it. Calderon and other government
Calderon. One banner of the pro-
Address:____________________________________________ officials blame the price increase
test reads “Calderon stole the
___________________________________________________ on private hoarding and other
elections, and now he’s stealing
Billing Information
the tortillas too!” When the presi- monopolistic practices of unscru-
Please circle your choices below: pulous merchants, though no evi-
dent goes on visits to poor
Check Money Order Cash dence of that has been found yet.
neighborhoods, local housewives
Billing Address:______________________________________ A more likely reason for the price
take turns screaming at him and
___________________________________________________ increase is America’s demand for
pleading with him to put a re-
Please cut and mail to THE STUYVESANT STANDARD, 345 Chambers corn oil as a base of ethanol fuel.
straint on the tortilla prices.
Street, New York, NY 10282-1000 OR send the above informa- Mexico is the land where corn
In response to this, Calderon
tion to subscription@stuystandard.org.
pledged to intervene and lower
Continued on Page 3
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD
Tornado in
Florida
BY NEETA MALVIYA
STAFF WRITER
The governor of Florida de-
clared a state of emergency in
four counties in southern Florida
on February 2 due to severe
storms and a tornado.
The storms killed at least 19
people, damaged hundreds of
houses, and left 10,000 people
without electricity. All of the
deaths reported occurred in Lake
County, where the worst of the
damage was reported. It will take
a few days to determine the exact
number of people killed. At least
1300 homes and buildings were
destroyed by three tornadoes. It is
estimated that there was a total of
$68 million of property damages.
The storms hit at about 3:15
a.m., when most residents of the
affected areas were sleeping.
Many were awoken by the violent
lightening and thunder.
“We have complete devasta-
tion of homes, of businesses, [and
of] religious institutions,” said
Christopher Patton, an emergency
official. Rescue teams with dogs
were deployed to search through
the rubble for any survivors. Ac-
cording to officials, the first pri-
ority was to find trapped survi-
vors and recover bodies.
A disaster recovery center
was set up by the Federal Emer-
gency Management Agency on
February 4 near Lady Lake. Sup-
plies were distributed and coun-
seling was provided. Two hun-
dred FEMA workers were set up
in the disaster area to help those
in need. Fifty National Guard
troops, consisting of residents as
well as volunteers, joined in the
cleanup after the storms. The Sal-
vation Army brought in mobile
canteens to provide counseling
and meals to the residents and
rescue workers.
A hundred people gathered at
the wrecked Lady Lake Church of
God on February 4 in the wake of
the disaster. “We felt this is
where we needed to be today for
ourselves, for other people, for
this church,” said Elden Jefferson,
who was one of the gatherers.
Currently, there are no warn-
ing sirens for tornadoes in place
in Florida. Some officials were
arguing that they might have
helped save lives if they had been
installed. Others say that sirens
would be ineffective because the
sound would not be able to pass
through the heavily wooded areas.
If sirens were to be installed they
would cost between $4 million
and $9 million per county. ◙
Friday, February 16, 2007 NEWS/OPINIONS
Mexican Tortilla Protest
Continued from Page 2
was first found, but a large part of
its imported corn today still
comes from the United States.
For many Mexicans... tortillas are as
important a food source as rice is to
the Chinese.
With more and more American
corn being diverted to produce
ethanol, the supply of corn avail-
able to make tortillas is dwin-
dling, making a price increase
inevitable.
Ken Shwedel, an agricultural
economist in Mexico City, be-
lieves prices are unlikely to drop.
Meet Dr. Nikol!
BY SANGHEE CHUNG
COLUMNIST
Classes Taught: AP European
History (H3XG), Global History 3
(H3G)
John Nikol has always had a
passion for history and has tried
to foster a love for the subject
within his students as well. Nikol
received his master’s degree and
his Ph.D. from Fordham Univer-
sity, with a major in European
history and a minor in American
history. Before entering Stuyve-
sant High School, he taught his-
tory at a private school for 15
years and had worked as a part-
time faculty member at a college.
This year will be Nikol’s
twenty-first year at Stuyvesant.
Up to this date, he has taught a
wide range of classes, including
American Government, Music
Appreciation, and English. He
ultimately decided to come to
Stuyvesant because he wanted the
challenge of teaching smarter
students.
“It’s just like teaching col-
Gender-Old Question: Who Is Smarter?
BY HUI TING JIANG
STAFF WRITER
Women have long been op-
pressed by the degrading com-
ments and expectations of men.
The female population is expected
to be obedient, docile and suppor-
tive. In addition to that, women
are expected to be the maids,
chefs and personal assistants of
their husbands and families. That
mold of “perfection” has long
been broken with the help of the
famous Seneca Falls Convention,
which led to the formation of the
Equals Rights Association, which
in turn guided the ratification of
He claims that there is really
nothing people can do, except
“live with it and know how to
deal with it.”
While this outlook is disap-
pointing, it is not entirely untrue.
Even now, America’s production
of grain-based ethanol is increas-
ing, with the corn supply gradu-
ally diminishing. From this view-
point, the future looks bleak for
the Mexican poor. ◙
lege,” he said. “I feel very privi-
leged to be able to teach the top
students of the nation.”
He felt that Stuyvesant had a
very warm and positive sense of
community. However, he ex-
pressed concern over the competi-
tive atmosphere of the school.
My goal here at
Stuyvesant is to
inspire an interest
and a love of
history.
“My least favorite thing
about Stuyvesant is its competi-
tive nature,” he said. “Some stu-
dents are just too grade-
conscious.”
On the other hand, Nikol
enjoys the challenge he gets in
trying to give his students an ex-
citing lesson and trying to get
them more involved in the class-
room.
“My goal here at Stuyvesant
is to inspire an interest and a love
the Nineteenth Amendment, oth-
erwise known as the Susan B.
Anthony Amendment.
Occupations that were once
held exclusively by men now in-
clude more females. Take Oprah
Winfrey for example. She is one
of the most influential, wealthy
and well-known people on Earth.
Although Winfrey is a female, she
has make numerous differences in
this world. She has continued her
voyage to make South Africa a
better place and informs her view-
ers about the daily horrors occur-
ring in Darfur and other places.
Continued on Page
Page 3
American
Dream Drifts
Farther From
Reality
Continued from Page 1
“I’ve had people call me to-
day and ask me if they can file
their applications sooner rather
than face these fees,” she said.
The previous immigration fee
increase was 76 percent in 1998.
“We've never seen regular
fees that were this high,” said
Fred Tsao from the Illinois Coali-
tion of Immigrant and Refugee
Rights. “I think a lot of people are
going to get discouraged.” ◙
of history,” he said. “I especially
want them to enjoy European and
world history.”
Nikol’s efforts in the class-
room have been successful. Stu-
dents found his lessons to be dy-
namic while making history an
exciting class.
“Dr. Nikol is a teacher who
not only makes the subject inter-
esting, but he inspires a love for it
in his students,” said junior Mich-
ele Plastrick, a former student of
his AP European History class.
“He is also very charismatic. He
has a great talent for blending a
straightforward textbook with
such humor.”
Outside of the classroom,
Nikol has two major passions:
tennis and classical music. He
enjoys spending time both playing
and watching the game. In addi-
tion, he has used his enjoyment
and knowledge of classical music
to teach the Music Appreciation
class. Nikol enjoys any type of
classical music from any time
period, with the exception of
overly-modern music. ◙
teachpol.tcnj.edu
Susan B Anthony worked for women’s
rights.
Page 4
Getting Through
Program Changes
BY DAVID MANNES
STAFF WRITER
Often, when students at Stuy-
vesant get their schedules, there’s
something about them that would
be nice to change. These changes
usually have to do with switching
teachers, or getting free periods
with friends. However, anyone
who asks for these types of
changes at the program office will
When a student wants to switch a
lunch or free period, I don’t see
why they shouldn’t do so.
almost always be refused. I can
understand why they wouldn’t let
students switch teachers, but
when a student wants to switch a
lunch or free period, I don’t see
why they shouldn’t do so.
Requests for teacher switches
are often based on that teacher’s
reputation, how strict he or she is,
or how much work he or she
gives — not on how well he
teaches. In addition, there are a
couple of teachers out of whose
classes so many students want to
Friday, February 16, 2007 OPINIONS
switch that granting these re-
quests would be impractical.
On the other hand, when re-
quests to change free periods are
denied, simply because they are
considered unnecessary, students
are forced to come up with ridicu-
lous excuses in order to get their
requests approved.
During my second term at
Stuyvesant, I had fourth period
lunch and all my friends had fifth
period lunch. So, when it was
time for schedule changes, I went
to my grade advisor and told him
that I’d had fourth period lunch
first term, hated it, and wanted to
have lunch later in the day. How-
ever, when he offered me sixth
period lunch and I didn’t want it,
he realized I just wanted to have
the same lunch period as my
friends. But instead of telling me
that I didn’t have a good enough
Continued on Page 5
Gender-Old Question:
Who Is Smarter?
Continued from Page
Winfrey is not only an inspiration
to females everywhere, but living
proof that women can achieve
anything they put their minds to.
The fact that women were
oppressed for more than hundreds
of years is the main defense
against women’s lack of
“intelligence” compared to that of
corbis
men. Freshman Jason Shum said,
“Girls are smarter I guess.” He
later hesitantly added, “But boys
have more potential.” If anyone
bothered to research, they would
find that a woman by the name of
Marilyn vos Savant is listed as
having the highest intelligence
quotient in the Guinness Book of
World Records.
According to Dr. Lucia Ja-
cobs, a neuroscientist at the Uni-
versity of California at Berkeley,
men’s brains are on “average fif-
teen percent larger than
women’s.” However, this does not
mean males are more gifted or
intelligent than females. Brain
size is attributed to the distinction
in body mass. While women are
typically of smaller build, men are
usually of larger build. Take a
look at a football player and the
difference is apparent. On the
other hand, Jimmy Yang insists
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD
O p r a h
Winfrey, one
of the most
influential,
wealthy and
well-known
p eopl e on
Earth, is an
inspiration to
females every-
where.
that there is “no gender differ-
ence” because “everyone in the
world is stupid.”
Dr. Jacobs also noted the dif-
ference in the way female minds
work. Women’s brains are more
apt at multitasking and speaking
due to the fact that “language abil-
ity is stored in both hemispheres.”
I agree with her stance on this
subject. Although males are seen
as being more intellectual and
having a greater cranium mass,
this does not in any way mean
they have greater aptitude than
women. Females can be viewed as
“intelligent” in other areas besides
academics. Women usually have a
better understanding of communi-
cation, photography and organiza-
tion. These can be seen as super-
fluous skills, but come in handy
later in life. ◙
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD Friday, February 16, 2007 BUSINESS/A&E Page 5

“Revenge of the Mooninites” in Explosive Publicity Stunt

BY HANFORD CHIU
BUSINESS EDITOR
In a marketing scheme gone
awry in Boston, Turner Broad-
casting Systems and Interference
Inc. were ordered to pay up $2
million in fines for causing bomb
scares throughout the city. In
January, TBS placed “bomblike”
blinking boxes of characters of
“Aqua Teen Hunger Force,” an
unconventional cartoon broadcast
on various networks such as Car-
toon Network. Over the course of
two weeks, this “alternative” TV
series got mainstream (and not so
mainstream) attention that such
guerrilla marketing techniques
rarely attain.
More than thirty blinking
zibland.com
Ignignokt and Err, two pixelated vil-
lains from the moon.
boxes of Ignignokt and Err, two
pixelated villains from the moon
(hence, Mooninites), were set up
in Boston and various other
American cities over the last few
weeks, conjuring up old fears of
bombs and terrorists in a post-
9/11 world. Bridges and tunnels
were closed, traffic and public
transportation were in chaos, and
both the mainstream media and
more unconventional venues of
information, such as blogs, re-
ported heavily on the story. Two
marketers were arrested for the
scheme, and many of the “bombs”
found themselves being auctioned
off on sites like eBay. However,
for all the trouble and frenzy it
cost, the publicity stunt did what
it was designed to do: reach the
group of young adult viewers who
do not react to conventional mar-
keting techniques. Given the
show’s late-night schedule and
the fact that its audience com-
prises mostly eccentric college
students, mainstream advertising
probably wouldn’t draw many
more viewers, whereas a market-
ing ploy such as this presents the
twisted sense of humor that the
show entails.
“Aqua Teen Hunger Force” is
an animated television series, first
released in December 2000,
which revolves around the ran-
dom misadventures of a wad of
meat, a milkshake and a floating
carton of French fries. A movie
spin-off of the show is set to be
released in March, which is the
reason for the timing of the adver-
tisements. The movie’s budget is
only $750,000, while the advertis-
ing stunt cost over $2 million. ◙

Disney Fulfills Financial Getting Through Program

Dreams
BY SI HONG HUANG
STAFF WRITER
Walt Disney reported huge
gains in sales and profits for the
quarter ending on Wednesday,
February 7. The gains came
mostly from the promotion of
Disney’s “Pirates of the Carib-
bean” and “Cars” DVD’s and
strong progress in its ESPN and
ABC networks.
Disney’s reported sales were
$9.7 billion, ahead of the $9.5
billion estimated by expert ana-
lysts. The California-based media
giant reported its net profit to be
more than $1.7 billion dollars (79
cents a share). Its earnings on
Wall Street were 11 cents above
the general feeling among the
investors, who thought the shares
would be around 39 cents. Bob
Iger, Disney’s CEO, said, “ I am
very pleased to report such strong
quarterly earnings to kick off
2007; these results are particu-
larly gratifying given the great
year we had in 2006 and are an-
other clear sign our strategy is
driving growth and creating
shareholder value.”
Among all the prosperity that
Disney achieved this fiscal year,
its cable networks continued to
perform well during the second
quarter, its studio entertainment
division created the majority of
the profit, and its ads during
popular shows such as “Desperate
H o u s e wi ve s, ” “ L o s t , ” a n d
“Grey’s Anatomy” helped add to
sales.
Expert investors are predict-
ing that Disney will have another
good year; they expect Disney to
report revenues of $35.7 billion
(up 4 percent from a year ago)
and earnings per share of $1.73
(up 7 percent). Investors think
their predictions will come true
due to the belief of another solid
year at the box office for Disney
movies. According to Joseph
Bonner, an analyst with Argus
Research, “Given the film slate
this year, it’s highly feasible that
Disney can match last year’s per-
formance. There is another
‘Pirates’ movie coming out and
another Pixar movie coming out,”
referring to the final movie in the
“Pirates of the Caribbean” trilogy
and “Ratatouille.”
It seems that Walt Disney is
not only realizing the dreams of
young children, but also of itself.
◙ – Sell Your Review Books, at the affordable and
Changes
Continued from Page 4 absurd. For example, a student I
reason to switch my schedule, he know said that his health would
decided to give me fifth period be at risk if he didn’t have friends
lunch. Having an enjoyable lunch in his lunch period to protect him,
period and a schedule you like and, using that excuse, he got his
makes the school day a lot easier, lunch period changed. If you are
which in turn allows you to work going to accept reasons like that,
much harder during your classes. which are obviously lies, then it
The story I gave was one of really would save everyone a lot
the more run-of-the-mill excuses of time and energy to just let stu-
used at Stuyvesant — however, dents tell the truth and still get
some of the excuses are really their schedules switched. ◙
Do you want to earn
some money?
Are you desperate to get
rid of those review books
that you will never open
again?
There is a solution to
your
problem!
The Stuyvesant Standard is now introducing new section
cheap introductory rate of 3 percent of the selling price.
You can advertise your review books to not only the student
community at Stuyvesant High School, but also to parents,
teachers, the surrounding Tribeca area. An email with your
books listed will also be sent to The Standard’s web group.

Interested? Email Khoi Nguyen, The Chief Finacial Officer, at

cfo@stuystandard.org with your Name, ID, contact info, and
list of books with prices and conditions the books are in
that you want to sell.
CNNmoney.com

This is an opportunity that cannot be missed.

Disney had better results on the stock market than most of its media rivals.
Page 6
Harry Potter, portrayed by Daniel Radcliffe, taking Occlumency lessons in Harry
Potter and the Order of the Phoenix the movie.
Harry Potter Bares All,
7th Book Is Announced
BY GARRY CHIEN
STAFF WRITER
This year ought to be good
for fans of Harry Potter: not only
is the fifth movie in the series,
“Harry Potter and the Order of the
Phoenix,” coming out in theaters
this summer on July 13, but the
release date for “Harry Potter and
the Deathly Hallows,” the seventh
and final book in the series, has
finally been announced.
Announced on February 1,
the book quickly rose to the top
spot on both Amazon and Barnes
and Nobles preorder lists within a
few hours. The deluxe edition,
which cost a whopping $65, rose
to the number 2 spot. However,
her last novel will not be avail-
able on the Internet anytime soon
as an e-book. J. K. Rowling has
stated that she wants her novels to
be read in book form, as the ex-
perience is totally different.
Although most details regard-
The Pursuit of Happyness
BY ROBERT COLBOURN
STAFF WRITER
It is very rare to see a movie
with a genuine plot make people
shed tears in a theater. Yet, walk-
ing out of “The Pursuit of Hap-
pyness,” I realized that it was
truly a touching movie. Based on
the real-life story of Chris Gard-
ner, it follows the character
played by Will Smith and his
struggle to keep his family to-
gether. The movie was an emo-
tional roller coaster, filled with
highs and lows, and points where
all hope seemed lost. Yet the mes-
sage of a man being able to over-
come all odds resonates through-
out, creating a memorable picture.
Chris Gardner is a man stuck
in a failing marriage and with no
Friday, February 16, 2007 A&E
Mugglenet.com
ing the book have been kept under
lock and key, Rowling has re-
vealed that the last word of the
last chapter of the last novel will
be “scar” and that two important
characters in the world of Harry
Potter will die in the last book,
while one will get a reprieve.
In other news, Daniel Rad-
cliffe, the actor who plays Harry
Potter on the big screen, has been
making big headlines for his role
in the London's West End revival
of the play “Equus” (the Latin
word for “horse”), which opens
on February 27. “Equus” is the
story of a teenage boy who muti-
lates horses. A psychiatrist begins
to analyze the boy, soon learning
that he has a sexual fascination
for the animals.
Playing the lead role in the
play, Radcliffe will bare all. Pro-
motional photos of the play have
stirred up quite a bit of drama
Continued on Page 7
stable source of income. He de-
cides not to go to college, so he
starts selling bone density scan-
ners, with little success. This
causes a lot of friction between
him and his wife, who is con-
cerned for their only child, Chris-
topher. After numerous marital
problems, Chris’s wife leaves to
New York, leaving him to take
care of Christopher. He believes
that he can get a great job, as long
as he is able to survive six months
without stable income, while he is
in a competitive internship with
Dean Witter. His quick mind,
skill and determination are all he
can rely on while he and his son
struggle to find a home and a
meal each day.
“The Pursuit of Happyness”
Ugly Betty
BY AMY QIU
STAFF WRITER
Scooping up the ratings in its
first season, “Ugly Betty” has
turned out to be a hit show for
ABC. This refreshing series re-
volves around Betty, a girl from
Queens who becomes an assistant
for Daniel, editor of top fashion
magazine Mode.
One of the best things about
the show is the cast, who all seem
to fit their roles extremely well.
The characters they play are all
such, well, characters that their
America Ferrara plays the intelligent and down-to-earth Betty.
personalities really draw you in.
Actress America Ferrara plays the
intelligent and down-to-earth
Betty, who doesn’t quite fit in
with her superficial coworkers.
Despite their intolerance for poor
fashion and their conniving ways,
beneath the surface we find that
there’s more to them. Mode staff
member Wilhelmina is not only
the woman who has plotted to
take over the company, but also a
single mother who has only re-
cently begun to smooth over her
gets more passionate, emotional
and inspirational every minute.
There are many scenes that make
you laugh and others that make
you cry, but it is not for a moment
cliché or over-the-top in any way.
Will Smith truly plays an Oscar-
worthy role. Unfortunately, even
though the great acting makes it
very entertaining to watch, the
story is too predictable at times.
Every time anything happens, you
can immediately tell what the
next high or low moment will be.
Despite that, the film proves that
the story of Chris Gardner is one
that everybody should experience
in theaters. (By the way,
“Happyness” is meant to be
spelled like that, and you’ll see
why.) ◙
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD
rocky relationship with her
daughter. In the end, we see that
the characters are really just hu-
man beings and that they all have
something for viewers to relate to.
Another plus is the fact that
“Ugly Betty” does not attempt to
overwhelm the audience with
heavy drama. It also does not re-
sort to the “all the characters have
been with each other at some
point” formula. Even without
these things, the show still man-
ages to hold your attention and
surprise you in ways impossible
TV.com
to anticipate. “Ugly Betty” fans
may remember the completely
unexpected twist of Sofia’s be-
traying Daniel in order to write
her article. Admittedly, parts like
this are also completely unrealis-
tic. Then again, a show doesn’t
have to be realistic to be good.
Everything happens for a
reason in all the episodes, which
is good to know for those who
would rather not watch conversa-
tions that don’t have much sig-
Continued on Page 7
movies.yahoo.com
Will Smith stars in Columbia Pictures'
The Pursuit of Happyness.
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD
Harry Potter Bares All, 7th
Book Is Announced
Continued from Page 6
among parents worrying for their
children. Revealing pictures of
the Harry Potter star feeling up a
horse have caused quite a stir but
Radcliffe feels the drama is un-
called for. “Equus is an iconic
play. The nude scene is part of it.
I can’t do it with my pants on.
That would be rubbish. We’ve
done the scene a couple of times
in rehearsal. I had no particular
qualms. There's nothing that
would stop me getting my kit off
if that’s what the work demands.
The key to serious acting is to
lose your inhibitions, to become
free and fearless.”
Emma Watson, the actress
Ugly Betty
Continued from Page 6
nificance to the plot. This also
goes for the characters, who all
have some sort of purpose. Even
Christina, who at first only seems
to be the seamstress and Betty’s
friend, eventually becomes the
one who unknowingly turns the
company upside-down.
The Truth
BY STEPHANIE TAM
STAFF WRITER
It’s always so hard
To understand
The things we feel
The things unplanned
Life is a game
Played by mankind
One we cannot escape
For its walls keep us confined
A Hard Decision by Robert Stevenson
Friday, February 16, 2006 A&E/LITERARY
who plays Hermione Granger,
will be following Daniel Rad-
cliffe as she stars in a movie
about St. Trinian, a fictional girls’
school. She will play a rebellious
ringleader, but will be keeping
her clothes on. She will star along
with Rupert Everett, who will
play the role of the cross-dressing
headmistress Millicent Fritton.
Much is anticipated in the
world of Harry Potter this year,
with the possibility of an eighth
Harry Potter book. Rowling has
said, however, that such a book
would not be a novel in the style
of the first seven books, but rather
in that of an encyclopedia. ◙
Though there are some mo-
ments of strong emotion here and
there, the show for the most part
is very light and humorous. The
fashion theme along with the
witty lines are a unique combina-
tion. Overall, it’s quite a fun show
to watch! ◙
They’re aspects of life
We just can’t control
Where fate can hurt
Our minds and souls
A little mistake
Can cost a life
So be careful
And play the game right
This is the truth
Page 7
Riddles
BY JEFFREY LIAW
PUZZLE COLUMNIST
So a couple comes home from a trip and is exhausted. The plop down and
built a fire to keep warm. The wind outside is below zero and is gusting at
40 mph. However, the fire was cozy and they soon fell asleep. A few hours
later, both were dead… why?
1. The house didn’t burn down
2. The house wasn’t blown down
3. No suffocation
4. They were not burnt
5. No burglaries, suicide, or foul play.
BY LILLIAN SU
STAFF WRITER
Riddle 1
"I'm telling you, Hobbs," said John Dough, "inheriting the Dough millions
has had some nerve racking moments. Do you remember Frack, the butler?"
"A smiling and mild mannered chap," said Hobbs
"That's the guy. I fired him after inheriting the house in the Hamptons.
Well, two days ago he came to my office and demanded one hundred thousand
dollars. He claimed to have been in the study when my father drew up another
will, naming his brother sole heir."
"You believed him?"
"I confess the news was quite a shocker. Dad and I had an argument over
Marilyn sometime during the last week of June. Dad opposed the marriage, and
it seemed possible that he had cut me off."
"Frack said he has this second will, which he said would be worth a lot
more than the blackmail money he was asking for. He said the new will was
dated June 31, only one day newer than the old will, but it would be legally rec-
ognized he claimed."
"You didn't pay him, I hope?" asked Hobbs.
"I paid---with my boot to the seat of his pants."
"Perfect," agreed Hobbs. "Imagine trying to peddle a story like that!?
Why did they decide not to pay Frack?
Riddle 2
Detective Palumbo had just ordered a drink at the bar in the Tahoe motel
when a young man with sun-bleached golden hair and tanned cheeks sat on the
stool beside him.
After ordering a scotch and water, the sunburned man nodded toward the
gaming tables. "My name is John Patmos," he said genially. "It's great to be back
in civilization and hear people and money talking out loud."
Palumbo introduced himself. "I guess you've been out in the desert?"
"Yeah, I got back yesterday," said Patmos. "Washed the dust out of my ears,
had a barber shave off my seven months of whiskers and trim my hair. Then I
bought a whole wardrobe on credit. All I had to do was show my assay report.
Boy am I going to celebrate."
"You found gold?," inquired Palumbo.
"Yes sir. Hit the big load." Patmos stroked his bronzed chin thoughtfully;
then in a low voice he said, "if I can find a backer, I'll take enough out of those
hills to buy ten pleasure palaces like this one. Of course, I'm not trying to inter-
est you. But, if you know someone who'd like to get in on a sure thing, let me
know. I'm staying in room 510. Can't give out the details here, you understand."
"I understand," said Palumbo, "that you'd better improve your story if you
want to sucker someone into a deal that's worthless."
How did Palumbo know the story was fictitious?
Riddle 3
Detective Hobbs was on his way to the big Detroit auto show when he de-
cided to visit his old friend, Dr. Sam. At Sam's home he was shocked to learn
that just two days earlier his long time friend had hanged himself.
"Sam was in excellent health and spirits when I heard from him last week,"
Hobbs told the sheriff. "I can't believe he committed suicide."
"But he did---I investigated it myself," said the sheriff. "Here's how it all
happened."
"Pete Porter, Sam's manservant, was returning to the house late that night
when he spotted a light in the attic. As Porter got out of his car, he saw through
the open attic window Sam knotting a rope around his neck. The other end was
tied to a rafter. Then he saw Sam calmly kick away the small stool he was stand-
ing on, and that was the end.
"Porter found the house locked. He had forgotten his key; so he went to the
neighbor to call me."
"He repeated to me exactly what I've just told you," said the sheriff.
"When I arrived at Sam's house, I had to force the front door open." Porter
and I then ran up the three floors to the attic. Sam was dead. The coroner has no
doubt that death was from hanging."
"The attic floor was clear except for the little stool that lay overturned by
the door," concluded the sheriff.
"Let's go out to the house," said Hobbs. "From everything you've told me
about Porter's story, I can tell you he's lying!"
How did Hobbs know that Porter was lying?
Page 8
Sudoku
BY JEFFREY LIAW
PUZZLE COLUMNIST
8 4
9 1
6 2
1 9
5 3
2 5
1 5
3 7
Marijuana and Its Diet-
Related Possibilities
BY RICHARD SHYONG
STAFF WRITER
Ever look at yourself in the
mirror and wish you were just a
little bit skinnier? You are in
luck, because a new kind of diet
is soon on its way, and it is a sur-
prising one. Scientists in Europe
have discovered that cannabis,
also known as marijuana, may
help prevent hunger.
Ever since the 1980’s, doc-
tors have known that marijuana
does in fact have a direct impact
on appetite. In fact, by controlling
the chemicals present in mari-
juana, it is possible to actually
Can It Be True: Cure for Colon, Liver, and Other Cancers Discovered?
Continued from Page 1
she was testing, known as PPAR-
gamma modulator, and destroyed
the cancer cells. At first, she con-
tinued working on a new set of
slides that she prepared. Then, a
curious colleague came by her
side and asked her a question that
she had not considered: “Did I
hear you killed some cancer?”
Schaefer then became excited at
the destruction of the epithelial
cells. Epithelial cells are the cells
that make up most of the gastroin-
testinal tract. These epithelial
cells were in the form of cancer-
ous tumors. The astounding result
of this occurrence is that all the
healthy cells in the compound
remained alive and unharmed.
After this odd event, Schaefer
performed an experiment and said
Friday, February 16, 2007 PUZZLES/SCIENCE
6 5
6 binge eating is the most common
8 4
2 eating, exceeding the point of
9 3
6
help solve the obesity problem.
Chemicals called cannabi-
noids, found in both marijuana
and the brain, play an important
role in regulating appetite. Scien-
tists at Sanofi-Synthelabo, a
French pharmaceutical company,
have been experimenting with
marijuana-derived drugs, and
have found ways to block the can-
nabinoid receptors to prevent
hunger. By doing so, it is possible
to dissuade people from eating
more, and thus hopefully prevent
obesity. The drug is already
showing promising signs, but test-
Continued on Page 9
Corbis
Human lung epithelial tumor, cancer
cells. Magnification of x440.
“pretty much every [one] of the
epithelial tumors” was killed. The
tumors were those of mice with
colon cancer.
PPAR-gamma modulator is
indeed helpful, but there is no
clear explanation for its ability to
destroy cancerous cells and tu-
mors. It mainly targets a structure
Binge Eating Nation
BY SANGHEE CHUNG
COLUMNIST
You have all heard about
bulimia, anorexia and many other
eating disorders. However, ac-
cording to a survey, frequent
eating disorder in the United
States, and is far more widespread
than the other, more well-known
disorders.
The study, conducted by
readers at the Harvard University
Medical School and the McLean
Psychiatric Hospital, is the first
national census of eating disor-
ders. The results have been pub-
lished in the medical journal Bio-
logical Psychiatry.
“I suspect that the connection
Binging is defined as regularly uncontrolled eating, exceeding the point of being
full.
known as tubulin that is in the
cytoplasm of an ordinary animal
cell. This substance maintains the
structure of the cells in the body
by organizing it into micro-
tubules. Most cancer treatments
involve the usage of a drug
known as Taxol or other similar
drugs called taxane drugs. These
drugs attempt to slow or end the
production of tubulin in cancer
cells. The problem with these
drugs is that their use is only tem-
porary. After normal use of these
products, the remaining cancerous
cells adapt to the loss of tubulin
and acquire resistance mecha-
nisms against tubulin-removing
drugs. This is where PPAR-
gamma modulator plays a crucial
role. PPAR itself is responsible
for disabling all ability of produc-
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD
that we have drawn in this study
is just the tip of the iceberg of the
problem of out-of-control eating
and its relationship to obesity,”
said Dr. James Hudson, the
study’s lead author. “The most
striking find of the study is the
emergence of binge eating as a
major public-health problem.”
According to the researchers,
binge eating is prevalent in 3.5
percent of United States women
and 2 percent of men. Binging is
defined as regularly uncontrolled
being full.
In comparison, fewer than
one percent of women and 0.3
percent of men were diagnosed
Continued on Page
Corbis
ing more tubulin and removing
that which is already there.
The characteristic of PPAR-
gamma modulator that makes it a
natural marvel is the how it
cause8 tubulin to disappear. Many
scientists have begun studying
this experiment and cannot come
to a conclusion as to why all the
tubulin leaves the cells. This topic
is being further examined and
may set a milestone in cancer
research.
This lucky occurrence may
just open the door to completely
curing gastrointestinal cancers. It
may also provide crucial informa-
tion about conditions involving
other cancers. Only time and re-
search will tell the outcome of
this scientifically spectacular
event. ◙
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD
Biofuels—Not So Safe After All
BY PAUL ROZENBERG
STAFF WRITER
As the price of fossil fuels
skyrocketed in recent years, a
search began for an alternative
source of energy that was both
cheap and eco-friendly. Palm oil,
a biofuel derived from plants,
quickly emerged as a front runner
because its carbon dioxide emis-
sions are lower than those of tra-
ditional fossil fuels. However,
when scientists examined the pro-
duction of palm oil in Southeast
Asia last year, they found that the
practices at palm plantations all
but negated any benefits that us-
ing the biofuel could bring. But
just how much damage are the
methods used in countries such as
Indonesia and Malaysia causing?
Rainforest land is often
drained and burned to clear
ground for palm plantations. This
releases over two billion tons of
carbon dioxide gas into the at-
mosphere per year, equivalent to
eight percent of the annual emis-
sions caused by burning fossil
fuels. A loss of biodiversity also
results from forest clearing. Indo-
Stressed Over Stress
Continued from Page 1
According to the Webster’s
dictionary, stress is difficulty that
causes worry or emotional ten-
sion. When I asked random Stuy-
vesant students to describe stress
using another word, the majority
of them simply answered school.
There is no doubt that schoolwork
can easily stress out teenagers,
especially when their grades
count for college. However,
while we sit worrying about our
grades, there is more going on
inside us than we might think.
There are certain situations that
cause one to become scared or
excited. These are called stress-
ors. When stressors are present,
the body’s adrenaline level rises
and lets out a stress response that
makes the body respond to the
sudden change that has happened.
The hypothalamus then alerts the
adrenal glands to produce more
adrenaline and cortisol. These
hormones increase breathing rate,
heart rate and blood pressure.
Stored glycogen is also released
in the form of glucose. These sud-
den changes allow the person to
be ready to respond or react to the
stressor. Stress cannot be com-
pletely avoided in reality. How-
ever, certain situations that put
people in a lot of stress can be
avoided in many ways.
One major thing that many
people in Stuyvesant are known
for is procrastination. Students
Friday, February 16, 2007 SCIENCE
Corbis
Palm oil plantations are in competition
with food crops.
nesia became the third-leading
producer of carbon emissions in
the world, largely as a result of
the palm plantations.
European countries that use
the palm oil are recognizing that
with such consequences, the pro-
duction of palm oil may cause
overall more harm than good.
Peter Jensen of the European En-
vironment Agency in the Nether-
lands stated, “It’s important to
take a life-cycle view, and not to
just see what the effects are here
in Europe.” Several companies in
the Netherlands now want to de-
tend to leave everything for the
last minute. For example, if a test
ends up on the same day a paper
is due in another class, that stu-
dent will just end up typing the
paper all night for the night be-
fore it is due, and then end up
studying for the test in school for
an hour before it is given. Appar-
ently, this seems to be the case for
many students. Some of these
major procrastinators are actually
very good at doing what they
have to do. They will be able to
write a decent essay that will re-
ceive an A, and end up passing
the exam they studied for at the
last minute with flying colors.
However, not everyone is like
this.
Some people have to take
time to absorb information for a
test in order to do well and they
need time to think to come up
with a great essay. So, if you
qualify as one of the worst pro-
crastinators, then you should
think of rearranging your sched-
ule. It takes very little time to
write a decent schedule for your-
self. However, the hard part is
actually following that schedule
to the very end until you have
actually accomplished what you
have to do.
Another piece of advice to
many students would be to take a
break. A break does not mean that
you have to literally stop what
you are doing and go play games.
velop programs to certify planta-
tions that produce palm oil re-
sponsibly.
When made properly, biofu-
els decrease greenhouse emis-
sions. They absorb carbon when
grown and release it back into the
atmosphere when they are used,
which neutralizes their effect.
Palm oil produces so much en-
ergy when it is burned that it can
even be used as a substitute for
diesel fuel.
The countries of Europe are
the chief importers of palm oil;
therefore, they are the ones that
need to take actions to ensure that
the catastrophe in Southeast Asia
stops. The major importers, such
as the Netherlands, have to buy
palm oil only from plantations
that satisfy basic environmental
safety requirements. In this way,
they will be able to ensure that
biofuels will achieve their origi-
nal goal of reducing the overall
carbon dioxide levels, and not just
serve as another cheap fuel
source. ◙
A wise break would actually be a
nap. Many students complain that
they have to stay up all night do-
ing work and therefore cannot get
enough sleep. However, taking a
nap for just fifteen or twenty min-
utes helps the body refresh itself.
With this extra sleep, students can
work more efficiently and there-
fore get their homework done
faster.
Finally, one other important
piece of crucial information is to
watch what you are eating. If you
see yourself eating or drinking
food or beverages that contain
large quantities of sugar, you
should try to start avoiding that
habit. If you are hungry, eat a
sandwich instead of a candy bar.
If you are thirsty, drink water
instead of soda. By changing your
diet, you can help control your
sugar level.So, if you find that
you are experiencing a lot of
stress, take some time to consider
what it is that you are doing
wrong. You may actually be able
to easily solve the problem by
following a simple formula. In the
end, your accomplishments can
be quite rewarding, especially if
you take your time and enjoy do-
ing whatever it is you are doing.
Make sure not to become stressed
about being in so much stress.
Just take a deep breath and relax.
Deep breath. Relax… ◙
Page 9
Binge Eating
Nation
Continued from Page 8
with anorexia, an obsession to be
thin by refusing to eat. Further-
more, only 1.5 percent of women
and 0.5 percent of men had buli-
mia, a syndrome where the person
overeats and purposely vomits.
The study shows that anorexia
lasts, on average, 1.7 years,
unlike 8.3 years for bulimia and
8.1 years for binge eating.
The researchers interviewed
over 9,000 people nationwide
from 2001 to 2003 about their
eating habits and psychological
backgrounds, said Hudson. How-
ever, the research team believes
that the conditions would be un-
derrepresented in the results,
since many people are ashamed to
reveal their eating habits.
“You can't think anymore,
you can't function, you can't
laugh. It just steals everything
away from you. It makes it very
hard to concentrate and hold rela-
tionships,” said Johanna Kandel,
founder of the Alliance for Eating
Disorders. “It was the first thing I
thought about in the morning and
the last thing I thought about at
night.”
Currently, there is no exact
science to understanding the
causes of binge eating, but the
constant images of thin movie
stars, fast-food advertisements,
and genetics may play a role in
the development of such disor-
ders. ◙
Marijuana
and Its Diet-
Related
Possibilities
Continued from Page 8
Marijuana may help prevent hunger.
ing will not be completed for a
few more months.
By August, the world may no
longer need another Atkins diet or
another exercise machine. In-
stead, we will turn to an unex-
pected but nevertheless important
source to solve our problem:
marijuana. After all this, mari-
juana does seem to have a posi-
tive effect after all. ◙
Page 10
US Figure Skating Championships: Victories and Losses
Continued from Page 12
Beatrisa Liang. Emily Hughes
was in third place and Alissa
Cziny was in fifth place behind
Katy Taylor. In the free skate,
Meissner put her hand on the ice
on her opening triple jump. How-
ever, she did manage to finish
strongly. Hughes, in her free
skate, fell on a triple jump, but
still skated well. In terms of the
free skate, Cziny stole the show,
skating flawlessly and bringing
the crowd to a standing ovation.
Cziny won the free skate with
Hughes placing second and
Meissner third. In the end, Meiss-
ner won the close competition by
less than a point. Hughes placed
second and Cziny third. Of the
competition, Meissner said, “The
third-place finish in the free skate
was a bit disappointing but win-
ning the title means a lot.”
In comparison to the close-
ness of the ladies’ competition,
the men’s competition was clear
cut. Evan Lysacek was looking to
the gold coming in to the compe-
tition after placing third in 2005
and second last year. Johnny Weir
was looking to capture his fourth
national title. Lysacek skated first
for the short program. He gave a
near-fla wless program that
brought the audience to its feet.
Weir skated after him, also per-
forming almost perfectly. In the
end, Lysacek was in the lead by
less than a point. In the free pro-
gram, Lysacek also skated first.
He skated flawlessly, including
landing his first clean quadruple
jump in competition. He was re-
warded with a standing ovation
Friday, February 16, 2007 SCIENCE/SPORTS
from the audience and the highest
score of the night. Weir skated
next, with a large amount of pres-
sure on him. He had an error on
his triple axel and his program
went downhill after that, with a
two-footed landing on a quadru-
Gold medal winner Evan Lysacek (C), silver medal winner Ryan Bradley (L) and
bronze medal winner Johnny Weir pose during the medal ceremony for the men's
competition at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Spokane, Washington.
ple jump, and a jump that was
missing revolutions. Of his skate,
Weir said, “I fought for every
inch of that program, and that’s
something that I am very proud
of. I know I fought for this day,
and I’m very proud that I could be
a fighter.” Lysacek won the
championship with a large lead
and Weir placed third, behind
Ryan Bradley.
In the pairs’ competition,
Inoue and Baldwin were aiming
to gain their third championship.
Naomi Nari Nam was looking to
win another medal since her last
one eight years ago in the ladies’
division. Since then, she has dealt
with injuries and made a switch to
pairs skating. The team of Brooke
Corbis
Castile and Benjamin Okolski
was looking to show the improve-
ments they had made in their
skating since last year. In the
short program, Nam and her part-
ner Themi Leftheris skated nearly
perfectly, but the winners of the
night by less than a point were
Inoue and Baldwin, who made
some minor errors. Castile and
Okolski were third with a near-
perfect performance that lacked
some of the advanced moves of
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD
the other teams. In the long pro-
gram, the two leading teams both
had falls, leaving an opening.
That opening was filled by Castile
and Okolski, who skated a solid
program. They won the long pro-
gram with enough points to take
home the championship. Of the
win, Castile said, “This is unbe-
lievable. It feels great.”
Ice Dancing is the only cate-
gory where skaters perform three
programs. The first program is the
Compulsory Dance, followed by
the Original Dance, and then the
Free Skate. Coming into the com-
petition, four-time champions
Belbin and Agosto were looking
for another championship, while
last year’s silver medalists,
Melissa Gregory and Denis
Petukhov, were hoping to beat
Belbin and Agosto. Meryl Davis
and Charlie White were excited to
be at the competition for the first
time and were looking to do their
best. After the Compulsory
Dance, Belbin and Agosto were in
the lead by three points over
Davis and White. Gregory and
Petukhov were in third. In the
Original Dance, Belbin and
Agosto boosted their lead to al-
most five points and Gregory and
Petukhov skated nearly perfectly,
moving to second with a 0.2-point
lead over Davis and White. In the
Free Dance, Belbin and Agosto
skated wonderfully and held on to
the gold. Gregory and Petukhov
skated near-flawlessly and re-
ceived a standing ovation. They
held on the silver medal. Davis
and White placed third. ◙
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD Friday, Feburary 16, 2007 SPORTS Page 11

Sports Calendar
Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday
February 15 February 16 February 17 February 18 February 19 February 20 February 21

Boys JV Basket- Indoor Track: The

ball Borough Champi-
Vs. Martin Luther King onships
Jr.
@MLK
@ The Armory
4:30 PM

The City Champi-

onships
Vs. Brooklyn Tech
@ NYU Pool
5:00 PM
February 22 February 23 February 24 February 25 February 26 February 27 February 28

Indoor Track: The Boys JV Basket-

City Champion- ball
Vs. Louis Brandeis
ships @Stuy
@ The Armory 4:30 PM

THE SPORTS BEAT

Just Too Good
Continued from Page 12
Roger Federer of Switzerland holds up
his trophy after defeating Fernando
Gonzalez of Chile at the Australian
Open tennis tournament in Melbourne,
Australia. Federer won the three
straight sets 7-6, 6-4, 6-4. .
ary 28, he will surpass Jimmy
Connors’s all-time record for
spending 160 weeks as the #1
player in men’s tennis.
Roger Federer reminds me of
the “perfect” student. You know
the type. They’re the ones who
have a 99 average, have five ex-
tracurricular activities, and volun-
teer on the weekend. They then
have the nerve to tell you they’re
concerned about getting into an
Ivy League school. Roger Federer
is all of that with a 120-mile-per-
hour serve.
Something must be done to
stop Federer. None of his current
adversaries on the men’s tour are
even close to his level. Nadal can
beat Federer on clay because that
is Federer’s worst surface and
Nadal’s best. Andy Roddick relies
on a blistering forehand that is
rendered useless against Federer’s
range. James Blake is too busy
complimenting Federer and gush-
ing over how great he is. If no
one’s going to beat him, some-
one’s going to have to change the
rules.
Personally, I’d make Roger
Federer play left-handed. Every
time his right hand touches the
racket, his opponent gets a point.
Sure, it would be hard at first for
him. But I’m sure he could win
every other tournament with
enough practice.
Tennis, unlike football and
baseball, has no mechanism for
inducing parity. Tournaments can
only be as competitive as the
players who play in them. All the
players have to raise their level of
play. Unfortunately it probably
won’t be enough.
Fifteen years from now, we
will be calling Roger Federer the
greatest tennis player who ever
lived. He will have doubled the
record for career majors won,
including a career grand slam.
There is nothing that can be done
to stop him. He’s just too good. ◙
Manning and the Colts Win
The Big Game
Continued from Page 12
a 4-yard pass to Muhsin Muham-
mad for another Bears touch-
down. At the end of this quarter,
the Bears were winning 14-6.
In the second quarter, the
Colts answered with a field goal
from Adam Vinatieri and a 1-yard
touchdown run by Dominic Rho-
des. At half-time, just before
Prince performed, the Colts took
their first lead of the game, 16-14.
Indianapolis Colts kicker Adam Vinati-
eri (R) tries in vain to tackle Chicago
Bears kick returner Devin Hester (L)
as he returns the opening kick-off for a
touchdown in the first quarter of Super
Bowl XLI in Miami, Florida.
During the third quarter, Vi-
natieri scored two field goals.
Robbie Gould, the Bears kicker,
also had a field goal during the
quarter. During the fourth quarter,
Kelvin Hayden intercepted a pass
from Grossman and returned it 56
yards for a touchdown, putting
away the game. In the end, the
Colts won, 29-17.
The Colts definitely outper-
formed the Bears, especially on
offense. The Colts ran for 191
yards and Manning threw for 247
yards. The Colts had three turn-
overs — one interception and two
fumbles. They converted on 8 of
18 third-down plays.
The Bears, on the other hand,
had five turnovers — three lost
fumbles and two interceptions
(both at crucial moments during
the fourth quarter). The Bears had
thirty-three fewer offensive plays
than the Colts had. Their total
time of possession was 16 min-
utes less than that of the Colts.
Whether the Colts won or the
Bears lost, Manning, coach Tony
Dungy and the Colts are the Super
Bowl winners. Manning, after
several record-setting seasons,
has finally managed to win a
championship ring. Dungy be-
came only the third player in NFL
history to win a championship as
both a player and a coach. When
asked about his great accomplish-
ment, Manning, who was named
MVP, replied, “It’s all happening
pretty fast right now. I'm excited.
It’s something we’ll enjoy for
quite some time.” ◙
Page 12
Manning and the Colts
Win The Big Game
BY HESHAM SALEH
STAFF WRITER
On February 4, 140 million
viewers from around the country
watched the Indianapolis Colts
and the Chicago Bears battle it
out for Super Bowl XLI. Peyton
Manning and the Colts defeated
Rex Grossman and the Bears by a
score of 29-17. Manning, without
a doubt, outperformed Grossman
in nearly every category. But that
does not mean that the Colts were
perfect; in fact, they were far
from it. Many believe that the
Colts did not win the game, but
rather that the Bears lost it.
The Bears could not have
wished for a better start to the
game. Devin Hester returned the
Indianapolis Colts players rush onto the field during the pre-game show at Super
Bowl XLI in Miami, Florida.
THE SPORTS BEAT
Just Too Good
BY ERIC MAYO
SPORTS EDITOR
Another tennis major, another
win for Roger Federer. In case
you lost count, that’s his 10th
Grand Slam title, nine of which
have occurred in the past four
years. He’s an unstoppable force
of tennis mastery. Take a look at
this incredible record.
Last year, Federer won 92
matches. He lost four times to
Rafael Nadal on clay in finals of
tournaments including the French
Open (the only major he has yet
to win), and once to Andy Murray
in a tune-up tournament for the
U.S. Open. There was only one
final he did not reach. On Febru-
Continued on Page 11
Friday, February 16, 2007 SPORTS
kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown,
giving the Bears a quick 7-0 lead.
This was the first time in Super
Bowl history that an opening
kickoff was returned for a touch-
down.
The Colts looked like they
were intimidated on their first
drive, and one of Manning’s
passes was intercepted. The Colts
regrouped quickly, however, and
managed to not let the game slip
through their fingers. Manning
connected with Reggie Wayne for
a 53-yard touchdown pass. The
Colts couldn’t convert the extra
point, however, and were down 7-
6. During the final minutes of the
first quarter, Grossman completed
Continued on Page 11
Corbis
Rafael Nadal of Spain reacts during a
semi-final match against Roger
Federer of Switzerland at the 2006
Masters Cup tennis tournament.
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD
US Figure Skating
Championships:
Victories and Losses Corbis
BY JENNIFER SCHLESINGER
EDITOR IN CHIEF
Both sorrowful and joyous
memories were made as the best
skaters from across the United
States took to the ice to compete
in the 2007 State Farm U.S.
Championships in Spokane,
Washington. For some skaters,
the opportunity to compete was
awe-inspiring. Other skaters had
their eyes set on medals. For
Kimmie Meissner, it was her
chance to claim her gold medal.
For Johnny Weir, the Pairs team
of Rena Inoue and John Baldwin,
and the ice dancing team of
Tanith Belbin and Benjamin
Agosto, it was the chance to re-
claim gold medals. Gold medal winner Kimmie Meissner
The most popular of the four stands on the winners' podium for the
events was the ladies’ competi- ladies competition at the U.S. Figure
tion. After finishing third in 2005 Skating Championships in Spokane,
Washington.
and second in 2006, Meissner was
predicted to reach the top of the
podium. However, it was uncer- Alissa Cziny was also looking for
the gold after a disappointing sev-
tain whether she would feel the
pressure of her position. Emily enth place finish in 2006. After
the short program, Meissner was
Hughes, after placing third last
in the lead by three points over
year, was also eyeing the gold.
Continued on Page 10