TO THE COMMUNITIES OF STUYVESANT HIGH SCHOOL, TRIBECA, AND BATTERY PARK CITY
The Stuyvesant Standard
Volume VI, Issue XI
Should Diversity Week Be Changed
to Commonality Week?
Page 5
corbis
BY JIMMY ZHANG
NEWS EDITOR
On February 13 from 4 p.m.
to 8 p.m., Stuyvesant High School
held its annual Open House. This
year, 950 families were welcomed
with free admission; in total,
Stuyvesant accommodated over
3,000 guests. At 4 p.m., parents
and eager eighth graders stormed
into Stuyvesant looking forward
to checking out the environment
they will be involved in for the
next four years.
The program for the evening
was divided into three sections.
Each family had one of three
schedules, which all included the
same events, but in different or-
ders. The first section was in the
Murray Kahn Theater. It was an
orientation regarding their admis-
sions. In the second section, par-
ents and children went to meet the
assistant principals and depart-
Wikipedia Banned For Research
Within College Department
BY SANGHEE CHUNG
COLUMNIST
For many Stuyvesant stu-
dents, Wikipedia is the most com-
mon reference around. Informa-
tion from the encyclopedia is of-
ten used as a source for reports,
but students rarely spend the time
to confirm if this information is
actually true.
At Middlebury College’s his-
tory department, students have
been banned from citing Wikipe-
dia after several professors no-
ticed that students cited the web-
site in their reports. Students,
however, attributed this action to
their high school teachers, who
allowed them to use Wikipedia.
The straw broke the camel’s
back, however, when Middlebury
professor Dr. Neil Waters found
that half a dozen students stated
on his Japanese history exams
Thursday, March 8, 2007
The Obsession
With
Celebrity Gossip
Page 8
Stuyvesant Open House
Incoming freshmen arrive on the 2nd floor of Stuyvesant High School.
ment representatives. The y
learned about the requirements of
Stuyvesant and the possibilities in
that Jesuits supported the Shima-
bara Rebellion in the 17th cen-
tury.
This incorrect information
was picked up by students who
were cramming for their exams
using Wikipedia. As a result, the
history department stated that
Wikipedia could not be cited on
papers or exams, and students
could not “point to Wikipedia or
any similar source that may ap-
pear in the future to escape the
consequences of errors.” Stu-
dents, however, may continue to
use the website.
“In fact, I use it myself,” said
Dr. Waters. “But it is a useful
beginning point that can point to
better-vetted sources, or suggest
possible research topics. It cannot
serve as the end of the research
process, and it cannot stand as an
authoritative citation.”
“Your School, Your World—Your News” 
Free
Global Warming: The Im-
pending Doom on Earth
It’s Called
Vacation for a
Reason
Page 5
Page 15
Corbis
corbis
TSS/Elissa Tam
where they were able to meet
other parents and talk with people
from the Parents’ Association.
The PA’s goal for the night was
to recruit at least 90 parents. The
children went to either the third or
fifth floor, where they were bom-
barded with requests to join vari-
ous clubs and pubs represented by
their club members. “It was great.
I got a lot of people to sign up,”
replied one junior club member.
Even as the parents and chil-
dren entered the doors leading in
from the bridge, they were show-
ered in cries of “Pink here!,”
“Green Sheets here!,” and
“Yellow People Follow Me!”
These were the cries of Big Sibs
and Arista members who had vol-
unteered four hours of their free
time. These people were to act as
courses. In the last section, the guides and help lost parents and
parents and children split up. The children. They were to point peo-
parents went to the sixth floor
Continued on Page 2
America’s
Worst
Nightmare
Wikipedia
BY HESHAM SALEH
STAFF WRITER
The thought of another war
only four years after President
Bush led the United States into
the highly controversial war in
Iraq seems almost certain now. In
a United Nations resolution cre-
ated in December, Iran had a pe-
riod of 60 days to end its attempts
at enriching uranium, which could
be used for creating weapons. But
on February 22, the International
The logo of the free online encyclope- Atomic Energy Agency reported
dia, Wikipedia. that Iran had continued to expand
The Wikimedia foundation its uranium-enriching efforts.
also was in agreement with the The main nuclear center in
school’s decision. Iran is located in Natanz. The
“We think that this is a sensi- desert, which is very close by, is
ble policy,” said a statement. being used as an “experimental
Continued on Page 4 Continued on Page 4
Page 2 Thursday, March 8, 2007 NEWS THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

THE STUYVESANT STANDARD  A LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Dear Readers,
Founded 2001
  Even in today's technological world, newspapers play a
  prominent role in society. Whether their contents are viewed
online or in the more conventional print form, they have the ability
 
to bring news and information to their readers. Newspapers let
“Your School, Your  World—Your News”  people know what is happening in their world and give them opin-
ions on important topics. Furthermore, newspapers have sections
Executive Leadership Team that are for people's enjoyment, such as puzzle and literary sec-
tions.
DR. JOHN NIKOL FACULTY ADVISER The Stuyvesant Standard is a newspaper with a clear mission.
JENNIFER SCHLESINGER EDITOR IN CHIEF It dedicates itself to providing local and world news to Stuyvesant
DEREK WENG MANAGING EDITOR High School and the surrounding communities. There is often
DIANE CHEN CO-CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER more than one way to meet a mission and thus, The Standard has
KHOI NGUYEN CO-CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER decided to make changes to better serve its mission and thus its
FANNY TANG LAYOUT EDITOR readers. These changes will be enacted over the next couple of
DANNY ZHU COPY CHIEF issues.
JIMMY ZHANG NEWS EDITOR When newspapers give opinions they get people to talk and
PRISCILLA MELO OPINIONS EDITOR figure out what their own opinions are. In order to fulfill this role,
EMMA RABINOVICH ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR The Standard will be adding an editorial to each issue. For easy
ERIC MAYO SPORTS EDITOR
access, it will be located on the inside cover. We will also improve
JOSEPH KRUTOV SCIENCE EDITOR
HANFORD CHIU BUSINESS EDITOR our existing opinions section by including more articles and mak-
JESSE ZHANG WEBMASTER ing sure our topics are relevant to our readers. Furthermore, we
BENNETT HONG DIRECTOR OF PHOTOJOURNALISM want to hear from our readers. If you have an opinion on a topic
DANIEL EGERS (‘03) FOUNDER that was not covered, or an opinion on an article written, let us
ERNEST BASKIN (‘04) EDITOR EMERITUS know. Moreover, we have recently unveiled a new advice column,
Ask The T. If you would like advice, please send an e-mail to
Publication readers@stuystandard.org with Ask The T in the subject line.
News is one of the staples of a newspaper. We desire to im-
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD is a nonprofit and nonpartisan publication pro- prove our news section by covering more local events. If there is
duced by the students of Stuyvesant High School. an event happening, please let us know so we can send writers and
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD distributes 2,000 free copies on a bi-weekly photographers. We want to make sure that our news relates to you.
basis to the students and faculty of Stuyvesant High School and through- We aim to include more interviews when possible, so you can un-
out the adjoining neighborhoods of TriBeCa and Battery Park City. derstand the opinions of people involved. In our standard news
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD welcomes letters from its readers. columns, such as Meet This Teacher and Club Spotlight, we would
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD reserves the right to edit any published mate- like to highlight who and what you want to learn more about.
rial. The viewpoints of contributors do not necessarily reflect the views of In the past, some of our science and business articles have
the Standard staff.
been difficult to understand for some of our readers. We will en-
deavor not to have this reoccur.
Copyright ©2006 THE STUYVESANT STANDARD
We would like to see more people using our website. Al-
though we recently dealt with some technical difficulties, our web-
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eic@stuystandard.org
Subscription
Stuyvesant Open House
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD Continued from Page 1 tion was not as useful, I espe-
SUBSCRIBE TODAY cially liked the way they were so
ple in the right direction. Some
1 YEAR — $15 stood around in the hallways to honest in talking with us,” said
Delivery Information aid the newcomers. Others gave one satisfied father.
Name:______________________________________________ tours around Stuyvesant. Parents On the half floor, the band
Address:____________________________________________ asked these tour guides questions played a lively performance to
___________________________________________________ regarding the student lifestyle. entertain everyone throughout the
Billing Information “Although some of the informa- evening. ◙
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THE STUYVESANT STANDARD
A Weather Update: The Apocalypse of Global Warming
BY JERRY WANG
STAFF WRITER
When winter comes around,
people are usually bundled in lay-
ers of clothing. However, the
weather this winter has been very
different from what normally hap-
pens. What started out as a hot
November turned to an even hot-
ter December. People began to
exchange jackets for t-shirts and
then, out of nowhere, were sud-
denly hit with a snow storm. The
freaky weather was not caused by
vengeful spirits or extraterrestri-
als, but by something frighten-
ingly real and closer to home:
global warming.
Global warming may be the
answer to all our weather ques-
tions but it is a dangerous prob-
lem to our environment. Twenty
years ago, there were virtually no
articles on global warming, but
now the topic has become in-
grained into our minds as much as
Bradgelina and American Idol.
The promotion of global warming
is not uncalled for and should not
Meet Ms. Ambia!
BY SANGHEE CHUNG
COLUMNIST
Classes Taught: FS7, FS8
(Advanced Spanish Conversation
and Spanish Literature)
Raised in Peru, Frida Ambia
arrived at the United States at the
age of 12 and has nurtured and
fostered a love for Spanish in her-
self and her students ever since.
Her first teaching experience was
at a Seward Park high school,
teaching Spanish for one semes-
ter. She then taught at Norman
Thomas High School for one year
I really enjoy teaching...I also like kids.
I think that liking kids is an important
factor for a teacher.”
and eventually came to Stuyve-
sant. This is Ms. Ambia’s seventh
year teaching Spanish at Stuyve-
sant High School. She felt that
she had an innate desire to teach.
For her, teaching runs in the fam-
ily, from her father to all of her
siblings.
“I really enjoy teaching,” she
said. “I also like kids. I think that
liking kids is an important factor
for a teacher.”
Ms. Ambia believes that she
is lucky to be able to teach at
Stuyvesant, because she feels that
the students are bright and moti-
vated.
Thursday, March 8, 2007 NEWS
be ignored. With the exception of
a world war, an uncontrollable
plague or an attack from aliens,
global warming is the largest
threat to the human civilization.
For years, we have released a
hazardous amount of greenhouse
“My students are wonderful,
and I am thankful for that,” she
said. “My favorite thing about
Stuyvesant is that the students are
highly motivated and want to
learn for the sake of leaning. My
least favorite thing, however, is
that some students may be a bit
arrogant because they all know
that they are very bright.”
In the classroom, Ms. Ambia
hopes that her students become
more aware of other cultures
while trying and learning to like it
to speak Spanish. For her, merely
getting the lesson done does not
suffice — the students need to
have a love for the subject.
Outside of teaching, some of
Ms. Ambia’s passions include
reading and writing. However,
due to her busy lifestyle, she of-
ten finds it difficult to make time
for these activities. One thing she
does not miss out on is spending
time with her family. At home,
she enjoys being with her two
daughters, making desserts and
reading with them. In addition,
she spends time with them at the
movies, museums and parks. ◙
Corbis
gases into the atmosphere and the
environment has begun respond-
ing to the emissions. Hurricanes
Rita, Katrina and Wilma have
brought destruction to thousands
of lives. Venice has sunk ten cen-
timeters and there are now about
CLUB SPOTLIGHT
Model U.N.
BY YANA GONTCHAROVA
COLUMNIST
Joining Model United Na-
tions is a great opportunity for
people to learn more about the
policies of other countries, to
sharpen their debate skills, or to
just have a good time. This club
emulates the real United Nations
by holding mock conferences
where real world issues are dis-
cussed. Those who attend these
conferences must act like dele-
gates, representing the views of
their assigned nations on issues
such as the crisis in Darfur, AIDS
and children’s education.
This club emulates the real United Na-
tions by holding mock conferences
where real world issues are discussed.
Throughout the school year,
Model U.N. holds many of these
mock conferences, but the most
exciting and important ones are
the ones held at major universi-
ties. Every year, Stuyvesant’s
Model U.N. team attends confer-
ences held at schools such as
Brown, Yale and Harvard. These
conferences usually last three to
four days, and are held during the
weekend. Participants have to
miss a day or two of school.
Page 3
sixty floods a year. Scientists esti-
mate that in one hundred years,
beaches will be gone and the
ocean will try to claim continental
landmasses. What will happen in
two hundred years? Three hun-
dred years? According to the
Business and Media Institute, our
planet will continue to become
warmer each year until we be-
come like our sister planet, Ve-
nus, with a poisonous atmosphere,
acid rain and incredibly hot tem-
peratures.
There are many ways to help
prevent the earth from being de-
molished by global warming. The
simplest actions like turning off
the lights and picking up garbage
can help save the world. If no
attention is given to what is hap-
pening right in front of our faces
and we continue to overlook the
side effects of global warming,
then when winter comes around
again, bathing suits might be the
new trend. ◙
At the conferences, there are
many different committees, and
the chosen committee affects the
types of issues that are discussed.
For example, UNICEF usually
attempts to better the lives of chil-
dren around the world while
DISEC often concentrates on
stopping the illegal smuggling of
weapons. The goal of each com-
mittee is to come up with a suc-
cessful resolution to the problems
it discusses. Delegates will have
to work together to make a reso-
lution that will please, if not eve-
ryone, the majority of the coun-
tries at the conference. This is
because, in order for a resolution
to pass, it must be voted on.
Besides being informative,
Model U.N. conferences are a lot
of fun. Participants get to share
hotel rooms with three or four of
their friends, tour the university,
explore the area during lunch and
dinner time, and meet new people
from other high schools at the
conferences. If you’re interested
in international affairs, this is
definitely the club for you. ◙
Page 4
Wikipedia Banned For Research
Within College Department
Continued from Page 1
“Wikipedia is the ideal place to
start your research and get a
global picture of a topic. How-
ever, it is not an authoritative
source.”
Some schools, on the other
hand, choose to use Wikipedia as
a learning tool. Columbia profes-
sor Henry Smith had graduate
students create a Japanese project
America’s Worst Nightmare
Continued from Page 1
center.” The main components are
antiaircraft guns and a number of
buildings which contain centri-
fuges. These centrifuges use the
atomic weight differences be-
tween the two isotopes of ura-
nium to obtain weapons-grade
uranium. Iran also has pilot
plants, buried deep underground,
which also house centrifuges used
to experiment on enriching ura-
nium. Scarily, Iran has started to
increase the speed of its attempts.
One report said that Iran intends
to install 3,000 centrifuges by
May, less than three months
away.
Corbis
Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
(center) said his country would not
suspend uranium enrichment.
Despite the fact that Iran
seems to be moving forward with
a scary pace, they are still a great
deal behind where they wanted to
be at this point. For example, it
originally planned to begin in-
stalling centrifuges by 2005. This
delay suggests that Iran is having
“technical difficulties” with its
methods.
A European diplomat, who
wished to remain anonymous,
said, “They’re forging ahead.
They’re not moving at a huge
pace, but they’re moving.”
Of course, the United States
Thurday, March 8, 2007 NEWS/OPINIONS
on Wikipedia, where experts
could improve on their work.
“Most were positive about
the experience, especially the
training in writing encyclopedia
articles, which all of them came
to realize is not an easy matter,”
said professor Smith. “Many also
retained their initial ambivalence
about Wikipedia itself.” ◙
and Israel have not remained
quiet on this issue. The Bush ad-
ministration has accused Iran of
supplying Iraq with weapons,
possibly including explosives.
The United States under-
stands the possible consequences
of speed at which Iran is pro-
gressing. President Bush has sent
two aircraft groups to patrol cer-
tain areas in Iran. It is possible for
Bush to order these planes to at-
tack Iranian nuclear facilities.
However, the Bush administration
has confirmed that that strategy is
not one of its intended plans.
David Albright, President of
the Institute for Science and Inter-
national Security, said, “[The Ira-
nians] are very serious . . . They
are installing faster than ex-
pected."
The United States is also try-
ing to convince Iranians that their
nuclear program will only isolate
Iran from the rest of the world.
Secretary of State Condoleezza
Rice said, “There are people in
Iran who recognize that the path
that they’re on is not a useful
path, not a constructive path.”
Rice also said that the United
States will be ready to resume
negotiations with Iran “on what-
ever they would like to talk
about" only after Iran suspends its
nuclear activities.
Other countries are worried
about the recent activities of Iran
as well. Israeli Prime Minister
Ehud Olmert said that Israel was
deeply worried about the success
that Iran has recently had with
their nuclear attempts. Olmert,
however, did not comment on the
possibility of Israeli attacks on
Iran.
The situation in Iran, if it
keeps growing, will definitely
pose a major problem in the
world. Unfortunately, it is very
possible that the United States
will enter another war very soon
in the future. ◙
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD
Grades
On March 20, pandemonium will once again hit Stuyvesant High
School. Students will run about the hallways with white pieces of
paper in their hands, many with expressions of horror on their face.
What is this event? It is the distribution of report cards.
In general, Stuy students put much emphasis on their grades.
They are motivated and want to do the best they can. Unfortunately,
many students forget about what goes into the grade, knowledge
learned, participation in class, test scores and more. This leads them
to try to take courses in which they think they will get better grades.
Instead, they should take courses that interest them and suit their
abilities. This way, the course will challenge them and interest them.
Furthermore, this way they will be
moti vated to work hard out of
interest, and may, in the long
run, do better grade wise.
A l m o s t
has had a time
every student
when they felt
they were miss- graded. It is true
that sometimes students do not
accurately judge what their
grades should be. However, in
such cases, the students should
talk to the teacher. If it becomes the case where a grade cannot be
changed, students should try to look behind the grade. Maybe they
feel that they improved and the teacher failed to acknowledge this.
However, the student should remember that they improved and take
pride in this and the fact that they can motivate themselves to
achieve.
Many students compare their grades to their classmates' grades.
This is part of what leads to the competitive atmosphere at Stuy. It is
good to strive to do the best one can. However, one should value their
accomplishments based on their own merits. Thus, we encourage stu-
dents to look at their grades as a measure of how well they are doing
and not as a comparison to other students.
We are not trying to down play the importance of grades, but
encourage students to look at them in a new light.
Jennifer Schlesinger
Editor in Chief
eic@stuystandard.org
Power Struggle
BY AMNA AHMAD perienced in the U.S. and work
STAFF WRITER toward making our nation one
that is looked up to by others as it
America is a world power.
But, just what is it that makes it a once was.
I have proposed that perhaps
world power? It definitely is not
our education because we are lag- it is time for a new country to
take the spotlight as the U.S. con-
ging behind other nations in that
aspect. It also isn’t our economy tinues to struggle to meet the
prestige of its innovative past.
because while it is still thriving, it
just isn’t what it used to be. Our While America takes a good look
in the mirror, at the billions of
popularity among nations is at an
We must take into consideration that
this statistic looks pretty good for
China’s future, as it was never deemed
to be a world power before.
dollars we’ve spent on an unnec-
all-time low, so I guess we can’t
assume that the current status of essary war, on the irreconcilable
dropout rates of our nation’s stu-
the United States is a result of
good foreign relations. It is diffi- dents, and on the thousands of
people still suffering everyday,
cult to understand just what it is
that makes us call ourselves a dozens of months subsequent to
world power, assuming that we the disaster of a hurricane that
are at some unreachable level of tore our country apart, other na-
success. What we need to do is tions continue to improve, grow
end the midlife crisis being ex- Continued on Page 5
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD
Should Diversity Week Be Commonality Week?
BY SHADIA KARIM
STAFF WRITER
Aah, it’s Diversity Week
again. On my way out to the
bridge, I couldn’t help but give
the poster on the second floor a
wry smile, and wonder if mine
was the first one it received over
the week, or if even the people
responsible for posting it on the
wall themselves gave it wry
smiles. I hardly think a week
needs to be set aside to celebrate
diversity, simply because it makes
the embracing-the-cultures bit
seem somewhat imposed. For the
various and many ethnic groups at
Stuy, I’m sure that a week of
celebrating diversity can actually
be a tense and delicate matter, one
that is best remedied when some
of the misgivings are explored.
It may not come as a surprise
that most of Stuy is racially di-
verse, or that most cliques gener-
ally are not. Because it is diffi-
cult to determine whether or not
this occurs consciously, racism
might not be the right term to
describe it. Nevertheless, Stuy is
It’s Called Vacation For
A Reason
BY HUI TING JIANG
STAFF WRITER
Vacation is defined as “a
scheduled period during which
activity is suspended” by the Bri-
tannica Ready Reference. It is a
time to relax and unwind oneself.
It is a time to lie on a beach chair
and get a tan. However, vacation
means work, work and more work
for Stuyvesant students. Teachers
prefer to assign major projects or
essays during the vacation so as
to allow extra time for students to
complete their work.
On the other hand, sympa-
thetic and compassionate teachers
enjoy the idea of a vacation. Mr.
D’Alleva, a math teacher, is in
opposition to giving homework
during vacations and weekends as
well. D’Alleva lightheartedly tells
his students to inform their teach-
ers “not to give you guys home-
work.” Students uproariously
laugh at that comment and say it’s
impossible for projects or assign-
ments not to be given. “Most peo-
ple do their homework at the last
minute,” commented freshman
Jason.
On top of the idea of a relax-
ing vacation, there are also reli-
gious matters involved. For exam-
ple, the winter recess includes the
celebration of Jesus Christ’s birth
(Christmas) and the rededication
Thursday, March 8, 2007 OPINIONS
Is our clique-filled school as diverse as it claims?
divided on racial and ethnic lines.
Most people, when asked, will
say that it is more natural for
them to be part of a group with a
common culture, or which shares
common beliefs and values; and
of the Second Temple of Jerusa-
lem (Hanukah). This only applies
to students of that particular faith,
but it does not exempt them from
assignments. When students were
asked about their feelings towards
projects given during vacation,
many felt it is iniquitous and un-
just. “I don’t want to stay home
and work,” exclaimed junior Car-
rie. Freshman Sophia felt the
same, saying that “it sucks, be-
cause I can’t go out and have
fun.”
This is the price to pay for
being in such a prestigious school
as Stuyvesant. Teachers claim
homework “reinforces what you
learn” and helps students “apply
concepts learnt in class.” In addi-
tion, many parents say their child
does nothing productive and stays
home watching television all day
if no homework is given.
Personally, I think homework
should not be given. Stuyvesant
students are intelligent enough to
apply themselves in everyday
situations. When attending a
movie, math skills are used to
estimate the cost of tickets and
snacks. When attending a mu-
seum, history lessons are revived
in students’ minds. There are end-
less possibilities to what students
can achieve in their own time. ◙
Corbis
that, despite having such groups,
they are open to members of any
background. However, the stan-
dard for acceptance for new mem-
bers is unnaturally high, making
both those seeking inclusion and
Power Struggle
Continued from Page 4
Corbis
Is America too much of a world
power?
and prosper.
Perhaps that country that will
soon take the spotlight will be
China, as many political analysts
now believe. The potential for
China as a world power has arisen
as a topic of discussion increas-
ingly often, not only on the politi-
cal spectrum, but also by regular
everyday people worldwide. For
instance, a survey was conducted
by Germany’s Bertelsmann Foun-
dation, with some very remark-
able results. When 10,250 people
from across the world were asked
whether they thought that China
would be a world power in the
year 2020, 55 percent agreed,
while when asked the same ques-
tion about the United States, 57
Page 5
those accepting uncomfortable.
Worse still are groups who care-
fully avoid one another — in such
cases, preconceived notions, i.e.
stereotypes, take over. Of course,
we don’t expect to carry on this
way in the real world, but for
now, most of us are content to let
it be.
But the reality of social inter-
action is set aside for one week at
the end of February. What should
be a day to overcome the fears of
being judged often becomes a day
in which cultural groups conform
exclusively. In viewing cultural
dances, for example, the audience
may find steps that are distinctly
American; in beliefs and values,
they might find themselves agree-
able to liberal ones that hint heav-
ily of America. I don’t deny that
there is an emerging multinational
culture within today’s teenagers,
but a cultural group under scru-
tiny should not be compelled to
impress its audience. For us to
get a true sense of the culture, it
must be expressed without the
Continued on Page 6
percent agreed. We must take
into consideration that this statis-
tic looks pretty good for China’s
future, as it was never deemed to
be a world power before. How-
ever, the U.S. is usually the first
on our minds when we think of a
world power, while a consider-
able percent of people (43%) now
believe that the U.S. will not re-
tain its status for the near future.
I may be laying it down a bit
hard on the United States in this
respect, because there are in fact
other nations that are experienc-
ing a bit of a status slump accord-
ing to survey statistics as well,
including the United Kingdom,
Germany, France and Japan.
America’s status as a world
power should definitely not be the
first priority on our agenda,
whereas I do believe that if some
internal issues are solved and re-
lations with countries on an inter-
national level are fortified, there
is no doubt that our status will
slowly and steadily fall into place.
For now, the U.S. is just going to
need its ego constantly stroked by
the diminishing population of
undoubtedly loyal citizens who
would rather lie to themselves
about the current situation of the
country than face the truth: Amer-
ica is engaged in a never-ending
power struggle to salvage the lit-
tle respect and patience that the
world as a whole has left for the
nation. ◙
Page 6
Should Diversity Week Be
Commonality Week?
Continued from Page 5
pretentious flare, in its most natu-
ral form, not excepting the rituals
and beliefs that clash horribly
with our own.
Part of the confusion may be
that we don’t know what we’re
celebrating under the name of
diversity. If by “diverse” we
mean “different,” then what are
the cultures we are treated to dif-
ferent from? Our own culture? It
can’t be; our culture is multina-
tional. When assessing the differ-
ences between our culture
(whatever it may be) and another,
we should always ask ourselves
what those differences mean to
us. Do they capture the richness
of that culture, or do they, in a
strange catharsis, make us feel
better about our own, non-
wayward culture? Doesn’t diver-
sity simply establish inequality
and foster segregation, and in that
case, wouldn’t we be better off
celebrating commonality?
Not necessarily. The truth,
after all, is that each of us is dif-
ferent. Being a supporter of di-
versity means that you are willing
to accept a culture as a whole,
Thursday, March 8, 2007 OPED/BUSINESS
with or without its
“misconceptions” about America,
life, or otherwise. It means that
you are going to make an honest
effort to look past your life and
see what makes these values work
for other people, what makes
them who they are. Merely being
an aloof observer, or celebrating
diversity because you’ve been
told it is morally and politically
correct, can do you no good, and
may at least partially account for
why celebrating diversity has
never evolved into something
deeper and more meaningful inso-
much as the simple expansion of a
Stuy clique.
Diversity Week gives us all a
chance to appreciate the strength
and endurance of our own heri-
tages and those of others, as well
as our collective heritage as Stuy
students. Take advantage of the
opportunity, but why let it end on
the 6th? Remember that the most
important thing about celebrating
Diversity Week is not to let the
show be over when it’s done. ◙
Wal-mart prepares for the opening of their first Shanghai outlet.
Wal-Mart Looking to
Expand in China
BY HANFORD CHIU
BUSINESS EDITOR
Wal-Mart recently announced
its intention to purchase Bounte-
ous, a Taiwan-based company
with over 100 “Trust-Mart” su-
permarkets in China, by 2010, in
order to expand its global market
share and reproduce the effects of
its investments here in America.
Wal-Mart has already purchased
about 35 percent of Bounteous’s
stock, and will eventually buy
total control of the company if
certain undisclosed conditions are
fulfilled. The deal would make
Wal-Mart the main competitor to
French rival Carrefour as the larg-
est supermarket operator in
China.
The timing of this move is
most likely due to the fact that
Wal-Mart would like to capitalize
on the burgeoning market of
China, having seen China’s eco-
nomic rise and potential over the
past few years. Furthermore, Wal-
Mart hopes to replicate the suc-
cess of its American supermarkets
while avoiding the pitfalls that it
has made here. American sales
rose only 7.8 percent last year,
while international sales have
seen a near 30 percent boost.
Since its beginning here in Amer-
ica, Wal-Mart has been the enemy
of unions, small business and the
working class. Numerous lawsuits
and protests about its workers’
wages, discrimination against
women, and lack of medical bene-
fits have been prevalent for years.
Small “Main Street” businesses
have been shuttered due to their
inability to keep up with Wal-
Questions? Comments?
Contact Us at readers@stuystandard.org
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD
Corbis
Mart’s low prices. Furthermore,
many major United States cities,
including New York City, have
denied Wal-Mart access to urban
areas for fears of disrupting the
urban economy by introducing
relatively cheap “suburban”
prices, as well as resentment from
Democratic lawmakers for its
efforts to keep workers from un-
ionizing. Despite all this, Wal-
Mart has made a killing in earn-
ings from its United States mar-
kets, and many of these problems
would probably be avoided in a
country such as China, which is
not renowned for its human rights
policies. Non-unionized workers
are not uncommon, average
wages and benefits in China are
probably lower than those of Wal-
Mart employees here in the
States, and the Chinese govern-
ment would be supportive of Wal-
Mart’s activities because of the
boost to the economy, which is
agreeable with the government’s
attempt to raise its global stand-
ing.
If Wal-Mart’s Chinese en-
deavor succeeds, it is likely to
move on to Russia as another po-
tential market. A co-owner of the
Russian supermarket chain Ka-
rusel claims to be interested in
selling the chain, and that Wal-
Mart is among the possible buy-
ers. Wal-Mart’s international suc-
cess could mark a new consumer
era of cheap, quality goods
around the world, as well as a
centralization of economic power
not seen since the era of monopo-
lies. ◙
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD Thursday, March 8, 2007 ADVERTISEMENT Page 7
Page 8
XM and Sirius Merger, A Monopoly of Airwaves
BY HANFORD CHIU
BUSINESS EDITOR
Sirius and XM satellite radio
providers have announced a pos-
sible merger in mid-February,
bringing to mind the possibilities
and concerns of having a monop-
oly in satellite radio. While Earth
radio stations still exist and oper-
ate independently, it is likely that
they would soon become obsolete
when faced with the potential
benefits of satellite radio, which
provide a far larger array of nar-
rower radio programs (for exam-
ple, there would be a channel for
alternative rock or metal exclu-
sively, rather than just a rock ra-
dio station), commercial-free,
with better access than standard
radio (the FM radio band doesn’t
work well in large enclosed areas
such as cities with skyscrapers),
for only quarters a day. But could
this merger rouse the same trust-
busting incentives of the past
when commodities such as steel,
oil and trains were under the
mighty reach of a single corpora-
tion, which lead to price-gouging
and poor quality for lack of com-
The Obsession With
Celebrity Gossip
BY AMY QIU
STAFF WRITER
Anyone with a craving for
celebrity gossip can easily satisfy
it by picking up a colorful tabloid
and reading its made-to-shock
headlines. According to recent
sales data, it seems that more gos-
sip lovers have been indulging in
those pages of celebrity scandal
and passion. Tabloids such as
“Us,” “In Touch,” and “Star”
have experienced an overall in-
crease of about 50 percent in sub-
scriptions and sales during the
past two and a half years. It is a
known fact that people love ce-
lebrity gossip but the reasons be-
hind this are not as well publi-
cized.
For many, an interest in ce-
lebrities stems from the fact that
they’re so well known. After
you’ve admired actors or singers,
it’s only natural to want to know
more about their lives. In fact,
there are some people who have
received so much exposure that it
would be almost impossible not to
know about them. In some cases,
gossip can also turn out to be
good topics for conversation.
When faced with someone with
whom you barely have anything
in common, sharing your thoughts
about Britney’s developing melo-
Thursday, March 8, 2007 BUSINESS/A&E
The recent rumors of an XM-Sirius merger could lead to a monopoly on satellite
radio.
petition?
Sirius CEO Mel Karmazin,
who is slated to become the CEO
of the merged company if the
merger goes through, disagrees.
“If we want to get more than the
10 percent of the population cur-
rently subscribing, we have to
drama can lead to a bonding ex-
perience.
People who live in small
towns often know everything
about their neighbors. As city
dwellers, the familiar faces we
see in magazines are almost like
those “neighbors” that we like to
stay up to date on. Or maybe the
interest in their lives lies in the
simple fact that we never know
what they’re going to do next.
Their lives become a source of
entertainment that allows ample
room for speculation. “Are they
going to get back together?” “Is
she really pregnant with his
baby?” At times, the real-life
drama can prove to be as unpre-
dictable as a soap opera.
Unfortunately, what is at first
an innocent desire for gossip can
lead to unwanted consequences.
Celebrities become victims of
lack of privacy and harassment
from nosy photographers. Report-
ers write stories that probably
lean more towards fiction than
fact, completely twisting the
truth. It’s one thing to like gossip
but when Britney’s decision to
shave her head qualifies as break-
ing news, one cannot help but
think that our obsession with ce-
lebrity news has gotten out of
hand. ◙
Reuters
make it financially attractive,”
said Karmazin, ”and there are still
so many people that haven’t been
convinced that it’s worth their
while to pay for radio. If we can’t
get more subscribers at $12.95,
what would make us think that we
can get more at $15.95?” As for
Journey’s End Joins
Broadway
BY ROBERT STEVENSON
STAFF WRITER
When the audience of a
Broadway play walks out of the
theater in silent admiration, you
know the show must have been
good. This is what happens at the
Belasco Theatre on 44th Street
and 6th Avenue every Tuesday
through Saturday night at the end
of the new Broadway show,
Hugh Dancy (left) and Justin Blanchard (right) star in R.C. Sheriff's World War I
drama, “Journey's End.”
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD
programming choices, Karmazin
plans to renegotiate contracts with
XM’s content providers, whose
agreements had never anticipated
a merger between the two busi-
ness rivals. Although after the
merger, XM and Sirius plan to
run as separate brands, there
would also be savings passed
along to the consumers because
areas of redundancy would be
reduced, such as two different
R&D departments, customer ser-
vice centers, marketing plans, etc.
Nevertheless, consumer groups
are protesting the proposed
merger, citing the usual problems
with trusts and monopolies.
Separately, the two corpora-
tions seem like failures and poor
stock choices. Both satellite pro-
viders have reported losses in
most quarters, with XM never
having reported a profit. Both
stock prices have been on the de-
cline, but they are likely to rise
because of this news and probably
more so if the merger is success-
ful. It would go to show that two
failures put together have poten-
tial to be a success. ◙
“Journey’s End,” which began
previews on February 8.
Written in 1928 by R.C.
Sherriff, “Journey’s End” takes
place over a period of four days in
a British Army trench in France
during the First World War. The
main characters, all British sol-
diers, are forced to deal with
death and the reality of war.
Continued on Page 9
Paul Kolnik
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD Thursday, March 8, 2007 A&E/LITERARY Page 9

Helpless Outbreak of School Spirit Hits Stuy

BY LOREN OUMAROVA
STAFF WRITER
SINGivitis symptoms may
include great dedication, sudden
competitiveness and a strong
craving for the limelight. Given
the posters that line our walls, the
actors rehearsing their lines over
and over in the auditorium, and
the dancers practicing routines in
the hallways, it is undeniable that
an epidemic has hit our school,
and I’m afraid there is no cure. So
what is this event that has in-
fected so many high school stu-
dents?
SING! is the annual theatrical
competition between the grades
that usually gets everyone’s
school spirit pumping. The shows
are completely run by the stu-
dents, who are divided into three
teams according to grade (soph-
frosh, junior and senior). Al-
though the performances are offi-
cially scheduled for the end of
March in Stuy, the madness hits
our school as early as December!
The long process of creating
these traditionally outstanding
performances begins with the
selection of a slate of directors
and producers for each team.
Then, auditions are held to find
directors of various dance styles,
as well as the band, art crew, cos-
The best part of being in SING!, apart
from doing what you love, is all the fun
times you get to share with your friends.
tume crew and chorus. After-
wards, these chosen directors hold
another set of auditions to choose
their crews. By the time February
rolls around, all the positions are
filled and practice begins.
The ringing of the tenth pe-
riod bell is a sign of finality and
freedom for most Stuy students,
but for the dedicated members of
SING! it is only the beginning.
The crews scamper into the thea-
ter and hallways and classrooms
and stairwells. Then the rehears-
ing, directing, creating, dancing,
painting, acting, planning begins.
The students do not stop until
about 4:45, when they are literally
forced out of the building by the
staff.
All this hard work and prepa-
ration finally boils down to three
phenomenal nights, when all the
auditorium seats are packed and
the spotlights shine bright. Each
performance is reviewed by a
panel of judges according to a
special point system. The team
with the lowest number of points
at the end wins. Though juniors
manage to steal away the victory
once in while, first place is usu-
ally given to the seniors. Most of
the students participating in
SING! agree, however, that it is
the experience itself that is impor-
tant, rather than the prospect of
winning. “The best part of being
in SING!, apart from doing what
you love, is all the fun times you
get to share with your friends,”
exclaimed Masha Gindler, a soph-
frosh art crew member, as she
looked up from a freshly painted
prop piece.
And if the fun and excitement
of the competition isn’t enticing
enough, there is always the sur-
prise of achieving fame in later
life. Records show that since its
foundation in 1947, countless
stars have taken part in their New
York high school SING! before
making it big. These include Neil
Diamond, Barbra Streisand, Paul
Simon and Neil Sedaka, as well
as Tim Robbins and Paul Reiser
of our own Stuyvesant High
School! ◙

Journey’s End Joins

Broadway
Paul Kolnik

Continued from Page 8

Once he was finished writing
the script, Sherriff had a great
deal of trouble trying to get the
play produced because the war
had only ended ten years earlier.
Finally, in 1929, after sending the
script to dozens of producers, the
play was staged at the Apollo
Theatre, starring a very young
Laurence Olivier as Captain Stan-
hope. In 1930, the play moved to
Broadway and Sherriff co-wrote

the novelized version.
This newest production began
on London’s West End where it
was critically acclaimed, but now,
after more than seventy years,
“Journey’s End” has returned to
Broadway.
Sitting in the audience and
seeing this production gives the
feeling of actually being in a
cramped British dugout in mid-
March 1917. The sound of shells
crashing outside and the mortar
fire coming from across no-man’s
land complete the effect. The set
is very elaborate. It is made up of
dirt walls lined with small bunks,
a table with chairs, and a dirt
stairway leading to the fighting
lines. However, the most striking
element of the set is the faux
sunlight coming from the top of
the dirt stairs. At the beginning of
Act II, when the soldiers are wak-
ing up to the second morning of
the play, the bright light makes
you feel as if the morning sun is
The Flower
BY STEPHANIE TAM
STAFF WRITER
The blooming of the flower nears
R.C. Sheriff's gripping play "Journey's
End" wows Broadway. Drawing attention, joy, and cheers
With petals so pink and so soft
actually just beyond those steps. Sending spirits soaring and aloft
And later, at the end of Act III,
when the brown smoke and soft
light come from the top of the This particular flower is like no other
stairs, it makes you feel that just Glistening brighter than any other
beyond those steps, the regiment So precious this flower is to me
is making a midnight raid of the
Happiness it will guarantee
o p p o s i n g t r e n c he s i n t h e
moonlight.
“Journey’s End” packs a When the season of life returns again
strong and tearful punch, worthy My special flower will depend
of any number of awards. I just On sun and rain so it can grow
hope that it will receive the ac-
claim it deserves. ◙
My special flower, the delicate rose
Page 10 Thursday, March 08, 2007 COMICS/SCIENCE THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

Global Warming: The Impending Doom of Earth

BY DEVYN BUCKLEY sense of immediate danger is
STAFF WRITER what leads us to ignore possibly
Have you ever made a mis- one of the biggest issues facing
take such as touching a hot pan our planet and fate as human be-
and having to quickly jump back ings.
in pain? In these situations, we Through his video, Al Gore
quickly become aware of a prob- reveals many of the hidden facts
lem because it is immediate and about global warming, many of
salient. However, the most threat- which even the
ening problems are often those informed student
that increase slowly and steadily will be surprised
at an almost insignificant level at learning. As
but become extremely effective shocking as his
over a long period of time. Such statements may
is the case with global warming. be, research has
In his documentary on global only confirmed
warming, “An Inconvenient them. “I was
Truth,” Al Gore addresses the looking for er-
heart of the issue by stating that a rors,” said Eric
frog, when placed in a pot of boil- Steig, an earth
ing water, will jump out, immedi- scientist at the
ately sensing danger. However, University of
when a frog is placed in luke- Washington in
warm water and the temperature Seattle, to Na-
global warming and what evi- CO2 to O2; high energy cosmic
dence is there in favor of global rays or lightning discharges,
warming? What about this evi- which break molecular bonds;
dence makes it uncertain enough mixing of atmospheric gases into
for arguments to be made against the oceans at the boundary layer;
global warming?” Global warm- and physical change
ing is the overall increase of the (condensation and precipitation
earth’s temperature due to the remove water vapor from the at-
emission of green- mosphere). However, humans
house gases emit more gases than can be com-
(mainl y water bated by these natural processes.
vapor, carbon Thus, gradually raising the tem-
dioxide, methane, perature of the earth. The average
nitrous oxide and American generates approxi-
ozone), particu- mately 15,000 pounds of carbon
larly carbon diox- dioxide every year from personal
ide. All these transportation, home energy use
gases are naturally and from energy used in the crea-
occuring in nature tion of products and services peo-
and are required ple use. In fact, the emission of
to maintain a tem- CO2 in the atmosphere due to the
perature on earth burning of fossil fuels would re-
capable of sus- quire over 10,000 years to re-
taining life. How- move by the natural means men-
Corbis

is gradually increased, until the
water is brought to a boil, the frog
will not jump out, but will instead
boil to death.
The same situation arises
with human beings. The unaware-
ness of our situation and lack of a
tional Geo-
graphic magazine. “But nothing
much struck me as overblown or
wrong.” But before we can under-
stand the consequence of global
warming on our fragile and singu-
lar planet, we must first answer
the question, “What exactly is
ever, in nature
these forces are kept in check by
natural processes such as chemi-
cal reactions in the atmosphere
(CH4 degrades to CO2 and water
vapor, which are much less effec-
tive greenhouse gases, through
oxidation); plants, which convert
tioned above. However, green-
house gas emission is also com-
bined with the cutting down of
rainforests, removing thousands
of trees which provide a source
for the conversion of CO2 into
O2.
Continued on Page 13
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD Friday, Feburary 16, 2007 CALENDAR Page 11
Page 12
Is There Really A Safe
Way To Lose Weight?
BY RAMMIYA NALLAINATHAN
STAFF WRITER
Every time we turn on the
television, we hear numerous
commercials telling us that we
can lose weight quickly by just
taking a few pills a day. However,
these advertisements tell us that
there are numerous side effects,
and that the companies are not
responsible if something happens.
So, how safe are those pills?
Recent
studies have
shown that
using these
weight loss
pills is defi-
nitely not the
best way to
lose weight.
Although
some adver-
tisements
may claim
that people have lost weight using
these pills, there really is no sub-
stantial evidence showing that
using these pills has really helped
anyone. In fact there is much
more evidence to the contrary.
There is one known dietary
supplement called Ephedra that is
said to decrease appetite. How-
ever, the side effects are as fol-
lows: high blood pressure, irregu-
lar heart rate, sleeplessness, sei-
zures, heart attacks, strokes and
death. If people are informed
about this, they will realize that
Moisture on Mars?
BY OMAR AHMAD
STAFF WRITER
One of the most heated astro-
nomical debates of our time is
that of Martian life. Due to the
loneliness of our planet in an infi-
nite universe, there has always
This image provided by the journal Science shows colorful rock layers in a small
valley on Mars, a region of interest to scientists because of the presence of clay-like
minerals, which probably formed in the presence of water.
Thursday, March 08, 2007 SCIENCE
their overall health and their lives
are more important than just los-
ing a few pounds very quickly.
However, some people are
still deceived because of the in-
gredients listed on the bottle. Al-
though there may be many vita-
mins, minerals, and herbs listed,
there really is no way to see if all
of it is true. It may even be hard
to tell how your body will react
when all these ingredients are put
together. Other
dietary supple-
ments
Hoodia,
tea
include
green
extract,
Country mallow
(heartleaf), and
conjugated li-
noleic acid
(CLA), and
symptoms can
also include diar-
rhea, indigestion,
vomiting and bloating.
Overall, there really is no
shortcut to losing weight. Even if
you take these pills, you will still
have to eat less and may have to
continue using them so that the
weight does not come back. So,
rather than risking your life just to
lose a few pounds, it may be eas-
ier to go the simple way and just
cut down on how much you eat
and continue to exercise. So get
out there, and make the best of
your physical education class! ◙
been a hope that life exists be-
yond Earth. Scientists have re-
cently claimed that there is in-
deed water on our brother planet
Mars, which makes it possible
that life exists or existed on the
Continued on Page 14
AP
Fritz Berkthold, who is in charge of slope conditions at the ski resort Fellhorn,
watches a snow cannon fire a jet of powder onto the grounds.
Hits the Slopes
BY KENNETH LAM
STAFF WRITER
An extremely common winter
pastime in America is skiing.
People flock to snowy slopes dur-
ing the cold season to strap on
skis and simply have fun. How-
ever, skis come in many shapes
and sizes, and although they may
seem to serve the same purpose,
different skis perform differently.
The reason? The technology be-
hind each ski is different, and a
different shape will lead to a dif-
ferent pattern of use. Another
question remains: what does snow
have to do with it?
Skis are often pieces of fiber-
glass or aluminum wrapped
around a lightweight core. The
core is generally made of wood,
but can sometimes be made of
foam. The top of a ski is predomi-
nantly fiberglass, and this serves
well since it is light. However, the
base is usually a polyurethane
synthetic material surrounded on
the edges by steel; this configura-
tion is chosen for its low coeffi-
cient of friction. However, what
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD
WWW.STUYSTANDARD.ORG
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD
Corbis
exactly makes each ski so differ-
ent? One main difference between
skis is shape. A shaped ski gener-
ally provides more control, since
it is smaller and has more flexibil-
ity. Shaped skis are essentially
skis that curve inwards towards
the center and are wider towards
the ends. They are also shorter
than normal straight skis, and this
allows for greater control. B u t
what happens if Mother Nature is
feeling particularly dry? A winter
with few storms would leave very
little snow on the ground for an
intrepid skier to ski on, and he
may find himself skiing not on
snow, but on solid ground in-
stead! At this point, we must rely
on the next best thing: machines.
A snow machine is often used
when there isn’t enough snow on
the slopes for skiers to safely ski
on. This machine typically works
using water and pressurized air,
as well as a nucleator. Water first
enters the machine and is mixed
with a nucleating agent, which
breaks it up so that it is easier to
Continued on Page 14
Your School,
Your World,
Your News
Are all just a
short click
away.
Come visit
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THE STUYVESANT STANDARD
Global Warming: The Impending Doom of Earth
Continued from Page 10
Earth’s temperature, as pre-
dicted by the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change (IPCC),
is to increase by 2.0 to 11.5°F
between between 1990 and 2100,
depending on the amount of gas
emission. The most devastating
effect of such an increase in tem-
perature is the irreversible chain
reaction it begins. Increased tem-
perature results in the melting of
polar ice caps, which are in turn
replaced by land and water. Water
and land are less reflective than
ice and absorb radiation from the
sun, upping the temperature even
more. An increase in temperature
would also result in frequent pre-
cipitation, flooding, and less of a
distinction between seasons,
which would detriment agricul-
ture enormously. Thus, the
amount of CO2 -converting plants
would be lowered and allow for a
further increase in temperature.
The evidence for global
warming can be found in many
sources and is sound and agreed
upon by an overwhelming major-
ity of the scientific community as
fact. According to “An Inconven-
ient Truth,” “2005 was the hottest
year on Earth since the late 19th
century, when scientists began
collecting temperature data. The
past decade featured five of the
warmest years ever recorded, with
the second hottest year being
1998.” Furthermore, “the number
of Category 4 and 5 hurricanes
has almost doubled in the last 30
years.” Although there is no di-
rect correlation between global
warming and Hurricane Katrina, a
minor increase in temperature,
even of only a degree, could in-
fluence the formation of a hurri-
cane or allow a hurricane to con-
tinue in a destructive path and
build strength without the barrier
Regeneration of Fingers and Possibly Even Limbs
BY SANGHEE CHUNG
COLUMNIST
Scientists are attempting to
find methods of regrowing fingers
and possibly limbs to help the
injured.
They are planning to see if
powdered pig extract can help the
injured after one man was able to
regrow a fingertip that had been
sliced off. They are also trying to
uncover how animals are able to
regenerate and hopefully apply
this knowledge with humans.
Even a small repair could make
the difference between the ability
to pick up small objects and the
inability to button a button. Scien-
tists are hoping that eventually
parts of the heart and spine can be
Thursday, March 8, 2007 SCIENCE
of colder temperatures. In addi-
tion, global warming increases
chances of precipitation and
flooding. “Potential deaths due to
global warming are predicted to
double in just 25 years — to
300,000 people a year.” Besides
giving storms a mighty fist of
fury, global warming also gives
disease a more inviting environ-
ment to live. “Malaria has spread
to higher altitudes in places like
the Colombian Andes, 7,000 feet
above sea level,” due to higher
temperatures at higher altitudes.
Global warming also threatens at
least 279 species of plants and
animals, which are already re-
sponding by moving closer to the
poles.” Animals already at the
poles suffer, as they have no-
where to go. Polar bears cannot
find land as the “flow of ice from
glaciers in Greenland has more
than doubled over the past dec-
ade.” Those in opposition to
This salamander with an experimentally grown extra arm is being studied to find
ways to regrow limbs.
replaced and wounds can be
healed with new skin.
global warming often use the ar-
gument that the earth experiences
natural periods of warming and
cooling. This is not inaccurate. By
studying measurements of CO2
from ice core extractions, it was
found that during the Jurassic
Period there was a significant
increase in temperature, of up to 5
degrees. There was also a warm-
ing period during the Middle
Corbis
Ages. However, the drastic in-
crease in temperature, starting
from approximately the beginning
of the Industrial Revolution to
modern times, is far more dra-
matic than the increases found in
these periods of warming and is a
clear indicator of the effect of
human greenhouse gas emission
on the earth’s environment. (See
Graph).
Now, this brings us to the
final point. Is humanity doomed?
No. In fact, steps are being taken
by world leaders and various or-
AP Photo
Researchers at the University
of California-Irvine were able to
Page 13
ganizations to fight global warm-
ing, such as creating more en-
ergy-efficient products, hybrid
cars, searching for alternative
energy sources, banning products
harmful to the environment, en-
couraging recycling and, most of
all, providing you with the means
to reduce stress on the environ-
ment as well. James Inhofe, who
considered global warming farci-
cal and described it as “the great-
est hoax ever perpetrated on the
America people,” ceded his chair-
manship to Barbara Boxer, who
aims to pass a bill reducing
American CO2 emissions by 80
percent. Speaker of the House of
Representatives Nancy Pelosi has
created a committee to deal with
the issue of global warming. At
their last meeting, the IPCC fi-
nally recognized human responsi-
bility for climate change for the
first time. Here are some steps
you can take to reduce CO2 emis-
sions: 1. Using fluorescent light-
ing instead of regular lighting can
reduce CO2 emissions by 150
pounds a year. 2. Avoid cars and
emission-producing transportation
when possible. 3. Recycling can
save 2,400 pounds of CO2 per
year! 4. Check tires to insure no
wasted mileage. 5. Use less hot
water (which takes energy to
heat). 6. Avoid products with a lot
of packaging (in other words, do
not shop at Wal-Mart) 7. Moving
a thermostat down by 2 degrees
could save 2,000 pounds of CO2
a year. 8. Plant a tree 9. Avoid
electronic devices like television,
video games, computers, DVD
players and stereos. 10. Encour-
age others to help and visit this
w e b s i t e :
www.stopglobalwarming.org. ◙
bring back hind leg movements in
rats with severed spinal cords.
“Regeneration is considered
very difficult because the dam-
aged area apparently inhibits
growth of new nerve-cell connec-
tions,” said professor Dr. Vernon
Lin. “This study gets us closer to
arriving at the right combination
of growth factors, nerve cells and
physical stimulation to overcome
these inhibitions and successfully
treat spinal cord injury.”
Lee Spievack, a hobby-store
salesman, severed his middle fin-
ger one day while helping a cus-
tomer with the engine of a model
airplane. The missing piece of his
finger was never found. A hand
Continued on Page 14
Page 14
Regeneration of Fingers and Possibly Even Limbs
Continued from Page 13
surgeon advised a skin graft to
cover the finger’s remains. Adults
such as Spievack may not be able
to easily regrow fingers, though
children up to the age of two can
constantly regenerate their fin-
gers.
Rather than following the
surgeon’s directions, he tried us-
ing a powdered pig extract after
the advice of his brother, a sur-
geon who founded a company that
made the extract for healing and
regeneration.
By applying the powder
every other day for four weeks,
the finger went back to its origi-
nal length, and in four months, “it
looked like my normal finger.”
The only difference is a slight
scar and a faster nail growth rate
on the finger.
“I’m quite impressed,” he
Moisture On Mars?
Continued from Page 12
NASA
Tectonic fractures within the Candor
Chasma region of Valles Marineris,
Mars, retain ridge-like shapes as the
surrounding bedrock erodes away.
This points to past episodes of fluid
alteration along the fractures and re-
veals clues into past fluid flow and
geochemical conditions below the sur-
face.
fourth rock from the Sun. The
following discovery does not nec-
essarily indicate intelligent life
on Mars, or even life at this point
in time, but assists in proving that
ancient bacterial organisms
thrived on Mars many years ago.
NASA’s Mars Reconnais-
sance Orbiter recently transmitted
new footage of the surface of
Mars. This transmission was like
no other. The usual rocky layers
of rock were evident, but with
some features never seen before.
The breaks within certain rock
structures revealed leveled
weathering of rock, most likely
caused by the rapid flow of liq-
uids. One of which, scientists
Thursday, March 8, 2007 SCIENCE/SPORTS
After a model airplane accident, Lee
Spievack has found a new remedy that
helped regrow his finger -- pig blood.
said.
After this event, scientists
will try to use the powder this
summer in San Antonio for sol-
believe, is water. The lead author
of “Science,” Chris Okubo, has
released an article in this journal
describing the processes that go
into determining fluid action.
Okubo said that “halos” of
color were found surrounding
large fractures in rock. Similarly,
on Earth, “bleaching of rock sur-
rounding a fracture is a clear in-
dication of chemical interactions
between fluids circulating within
the fracture. These halos of color
represent the bleaching of sur-
rounding rocks.
The conclusion that this sub-
stance is in fact water was made
by Alfred McEwen, Okubo’s re-
search partner. McEwen stated,
“Water is the most abundant sub-
stance in our world, and the at-
mosphere would expel other com-
mon substances, although water
would remain.” This deposition
of minerals was also presented
earlier by the Mars Global Sur-
veyor indicating that certain
changes have occurred in specific
craters that have been viewed
constantl y. Th ese changes
strongly support the hypothesis
that Mars still retains water to-
day.
The investigation of water on
Mars is still in progress and will
not be claimed successful until
sufficient evidence is obtained.
For now, evidence points strongly
in the direction of scientists who
deem that there is indeed water
on Mars and forms of life still
preserved today. ◙
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD
The Best of he
diers who face finger loss due to
burns. Best
“Fingers are particularly vul- Continued from Page 16
nerable to burns because they are
small and their skin is thin, says Michael Jordan, and many other
wound specialist David Baer. superstars. Charles Barkley was
“The five to 10 patients in the named one of the 50 Greatest
project will be chosen because NBA Players of all time. Hakeem
they have major losses in all their Olajuwon, the number one overall
fingers and thumbs, preventing pick that year, led the Houston
them from performing the pinch- Rockets to their only two champi-
ing motion they need to hold a onship titles. You can’t forget
toothbrush, for example.” John Stockton, who, alongside
Currently, however, the only Karl Malone, led the Utah Jazz in
hope that these scientists are the late 1980’s and early 1990’s.
holding is to grow only a fraction Although all of the drafts
of the finger rather than an entire produced extremely talented play-
ligament. ers, the effect that the players of
“This is a real shot in the the 1984 draft have had on the
dark,” said Dr. Stephen Badylak, league is the greatest. They set
a regeneration expert. “There's “standards” for the NBA and have
literally nothing else these indi- been role models for the players
viduals have to try. They have after them. ◙
nothing to lose.” ◙
Hits the Slopes
Continued from Page 12 people to ski, and with improve-
spread. Afterwards, the water is ments such as a rotating base and
sent through an atomizer to make more efficient running methods,
it into a fine mist. Pressurized air skiing is not only fun, but cost
creates an even greater separation efficient as well.
in the water. The water then hits a Modern technology and sci-
nucleator, which freezes it, and entific developments have made
the “snow” is launched out of the possible simple enjoyments such
machine and at the ground for as skiing. There is no telling what
people to ski on. This snow ma- the future might bring next. ◙
chine has made it far easier for
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
– Sell Your Review Books, at the affordable and
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.
This is an opportunity that cannot be missed.
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD Thursday, March 8, 2007 SPORTS Page 15

Sports Calendar
Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday
March March March March March March March
8 9 10 11 12 13 14

March March March March March March March

15 16 17 18 19 20 21
Boys Boys
Baseball Tennis
Vs. High School of Vs. Herbert H Lehman
Graphic and Communi- @FDR Drive at Grand
cation Arts St.
@James Madison HS 4:00 PM
11:00 AM and 1:00 PM
(doubleheader)

2007 MLB Preview THE SPORTS BEAT

Continued from Page 16 Pujols. Pujols should cover eve-
ryone on offense, and a healthy
Gazing Into the Future
Corbis

Daisuke Matsuzaka of Japan reacts
during a press conference announcing
his contract with the Boston Red
Sox worth 52 million US Dollars.
the year to do it. Mark Prior is
said to be ready soon and Carlos
Zambrano isn’t upset anymore.
This year looks promising for
them in the National League.
Of course, there is still the
rest of the National League for
the Cubs to contend with. At the
top should be the New York
Mets, who made a few small but
important changes, which should
allow them to get the best record
again. Their pitching rotation
may be a little shaky because of
the veterans and health issues, but
the offense is amazing. David
Wright, Jose Reyes, Carlos
Jim Edmonds should make them
division champs.
In the American League, the
Tigers are contenders once again,
with the addition of Gary Shef-
field. Their pitching rotation is
strong and their relief, anchored
by Joel Zumaya, is hard to beat.
The Tigers are only a “contender”
because another team in their di-
vision is better than they are. The
Minnesota Twins have much bet-
ter starting pitching thanks to Cy
Young winner Johan Santana and
the dominant Francisco Liriano,
who is expected to return later in
the season due to shoulder sur-
gery. The Central division is
good but it is not the best.
The best division in all of
baseball would have to be the AL
East. The Red Sox added J.D.
Drew and Japanese phenomenon
“Dice-K” Diasuke Matsuzaka, the
Blue-Jays added Frank Thomas,
even the Devil Rays look good
with the outfield of Baldelli,
Crawford, and Young. The best
team in the league, however, has
to be the New York Yankees.
Their star-filled roster was wors-
ened a bit by the departure of
Sheffield, but the addition of
Andy Pettitte and Kei Igawa
should make up for it.
The best team in the league
Continued from Page 16
and Hernandez. Combine that
with Moises Alou in the outfield
and the ageless wonder Julio
Franco on the bench, the Mets
could be in serious trouble if any
one of these important parts is
injured for an extended period of
time.
Times Manny Ramirez is men-
tioned in a trade rumor: 27
It never gets old. Around July
1st, someone tells a reporter that
Manny wants to be traded. For the
next four weeks, we are bom-
barded with stories about the dif-
ferent trade scenarios and how
close the Red Sox are to dealing
away their problems. It has
started even earlier this year, with
the rumblings that Ramirez is
unhappy and doesn’t want to re-
port to Red Sox camp.
Times Manny Ramirez gets
traded: 0
If there’s one thing the Red
Sox aren’t, it’s dumb. No one on
Boston can protect David Ortiz in
the lineup like Ramirez does. JD
Drew, who is probably the third
best hitter on the Red Sox after
Ortiz and Ramirez, is injury
prone. The Red Sox can not af-
ford to trade one of their biggest
bats in the heat of a probable pen-
nant race.
Roger Clemens’s first start:
July 1, 2007 for Houston
If you consider the start of
the 2006 season the day Roger
Clemens made his first start for
the Astros last year, no one had a
lower earned run average than he.
There are two things that will get
Clemens to return to the Astros.
The Astros let Clemens come and
go as he pleases. He doesn’t have
to be at the game on non-start
days, and that flexibility will most
likely not be offered by the Yan-
kees or Red Sox. Finally, the NL
Central will allow Clemens to
have good stats. No lineup in the
NL Central can compete with the
depth of the lineup of the Yan-
kees or Red Sox, one of which
he’d have to face if he signed
with either team. Though friend
Andy Pettite is now on the Yan-
kees, that won’t persuade Clem-
ens to come to New York.
World Series Winner: ???
Why say? I’ll just eat my
words. ◙
Corbis

Beltran and newly-acquired seems to have only gotten better,

Moises Alou are a powerful group
to have in the lineup.
The defending champion St.
Louis Cardinals should be more
of a threat this year, even though
they had a somewhat weak regu-
lar season last year. They added
utility infielder Aaron Miles for
depth, making their infield very
strong with shortstop David Eck-
stein, second baseman Adam
Kennedy, third baseman Scott
Rolen, and first baseman Albert
and assuming that Alex Rodri-
guez does not have a slump like
last year, the New York Yankees
should be the favorites to win the
World Series. Their competitors
from the NL should end up being
the Mets, as they have the best
roster from that league. A Sub-
way Series in the World Series is
what everyone wants, and this
year, it should happen. ◙
Houston Astros pitcher Roger Clemens (0-2) during the Detroit Tigers 4-0 win over
the Houston Astros at Comerica Park in Detroit, Michigan.
Page 16
2007 MLB Preview
BY ZAKHAR SHTULBERG
STAFF WRITER
The 2007 Major League
Baseball season is fast approach-
ing, as spring training already
begun. The off-season was filled
with lots of surprises and new
teams are emerging as threats for
the playoffs. The divisional races
should be intense and the playoff
races even more so.
The big winners in the free-
agent market were the Chicago
After last year's disappointing performance, The Yankees' recent additions Andy
Pettitte(left) and Kei Igawa(right) are expected to make a big impact.
The Best of the Best
BY HESHAM SALEH
STAFF WRITER
The NBA, founded in 1946,
has seen a great number of drafts.
A common controversy among
experts and fans is the question of
which draft produced the best
players. Although there are a
great deal of choices, experts usu-
ally narrow it down to three out-
standing years: 1984, 1996 and
2003.
The 2003 draft was exciting,
to say the least. The NBA wel-
comed its next great superstar,
Lebron James, as well as other
talents such as Carmelo Anthony
and Dwayne Wade. Last season,
James led the Cleveland Cavaliers
deep into the playoffs, but James
and company were defeated by
the Detroit Pistons in Game 7 of
the Eastern Conference Semifi-
nals. Anthony has led the Denver
Nuggets to three straight playoff
appearances. Dwayne Wade,
alongside Shaquille O’Neal, car-
ried the Miami Heat to a NBA
Championship last year.
In 1996, another handful of
great talents entered the NBA.
Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson and
Steve Nash have all had remark-
able careers. Bryant has three
NBA Championship rings and
was named MVP of the 2007 All
Star Game. In 2001, Iverson
Thursday, March 8, 2007 SPORTS
Cubs. Not only did they sign Al-
fonso Soriano and Ted Lilly, as
well as resigning Aramis Ramirez
and Juan Pierre, but they also
managed to get one of the best
managers around, Lou Piniella.
He is coming off a year away
from managing and is very ex-
cited about the upcoming season.
The Cubs are still trying to re-
cover from the infamous Bartman
incident and this year seems like
Continued on Page 15
Corbis
Reuters
LeBron James of the Cleveland Cava-
liers (23) takes to the air as he drives
the lane past Antawn Jamison of the
Washington Wizards (4) during the
second half of their NBA game in
Washington November 18, 2006.
nearly single-handedly led the
76ers to the NBA Finals. Nash
has had the greatest impact on the
league in the last two years. He is
one of only three players to ever
be named league MVP in con-
secutive seasons. He has also led
the Phoenix Suns to the Western
Conference Finals, even with
Amare Stoudamire injured.
The best draft class, in my
opinion, is that of 1984. This draft
had the greatest NBA player ever,
Continued on Page 14
THE SPORTS BEAT
Gazing Into the Future
BY ERIC MAYO
SPORTS EDITOR
It’s March, which means
baseball is around the corner. All
the people who think they know
anything about baseball will be
predicting the results of the new
season. Most will be eating their
words in a few weeks. Here are
some predictions you can count
on.
Corbis
Carl Pavano throws live batting prac-
tice during New York Yankees Spring
Training at Legends Field in Tampa.
Carl Pavano’s first injury –
April 2nd, 2007
While walking out of the
dugout on opening day, Pavano
will strain a groin muscle. This
will add to a fascinating list of
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD
injuries which includes back
strains, bone chips in elbows,
bruised buttocks, and broken ribs
from a car crash. Just in case any-
one’s counting, the Yankees have
paid him around $4.3 million per
win.
Barry Bonds breaks Hank
Aaron’s homerun record – June
1st, 2007
After sitting out the last two
games so he could break the
homerun record in his home sta-
dium so as to not get booed,
Bonds finally hits number 756.
The fans give Bonds a standing
ovation, but neither Aaron nor
Commissioner Bud Selig is any-
where to be found. Debate rages
on for the next three months on
whether or not he took steroids.
Someone on the Mets files for
Social Security: Likely
The Mets are old. There’s no
real way around that fact. Their
pitching staff will be anchored by
one starter who’s over 40 (Tom
Glavine) and one who is probably
over 40 (Orlando Hernandez).
Pedro Martinez, when and if he
gets back, is just as old as Glavine
Continued on Page 15