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Wednesday, November 21 Volume 7
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Cleveland School
Shooting Raises Safety
Concerns
TSS/ Jschlesinger
Security cameras watch students exiting school on the bridge of Stuyvesant High School
by Garry Chien
staff writer
with additional reporting by Tim Chang
news editor
On October 10, a 14-year old student, dressed
in a black Marilyn Manson concert shirt, black
jeans, and black-painted fingernails, opened fire
at his local high school, SuccessTech Academy,
in downtown Cleveland. The shooter, Asa H.
Coon, wounded two teachers and two students
before killing himself. The shooting began after
Coon bumped into fellow SuccessTech student
Michael Peck while coming out the bathroom.
Peck punched Coon in the face and was shot as
he began to walk away. Coon had been suspended
for a fight over the existence of God. After his
suspension he said, “I’ve got something for you
all.”
The SuccessTech Academy shooting could
have been prevented with metal detectors and
security guards. There was only one security
guard on duty on that day, and the metal
detectors were not being used. Also, Coon had
Issue 4
managed to sneak past 26 security cameras into
the school. Despite being suspended from
school on that day, nothing stopped Coon from
entering the building with two handguns.
The last two school shootings in New York
City were in 1992 and 2002. Two students at a
Brooklyn high school were gunned down in
1992, while two were wounded in the 2002
shooting at Martin Luther King Jr. High School
located in the Upper West Side. Since 1992,
the city has installed metal detectors and
stationed police to patrol 130 of the roughest
schools. Teachers have also been given special
training, and students are taught conflict
resolution. Laws on bringing guns, knives, or
other weapons have been tightened. Since then,
the number of confiscated guns and assaults on
teachers has fallen dramatically. The
possibility of a school shooting in New York
City is now a lot lower than in other regions of
the country. At Stuyvesant High School metal
SAFETY CONCERNS
continues on page 4
National Scholastic
Press Association
The
(Empty)
Glass Boxes
by David Yin
staff writer
Scattered throughout the building, fixed
between tiles, are the glass boxes that previous
generations have filled with objects of their time.
These glass boxes embed within them pieces of
Stuyvesant history for future generations such as
ours to admire.
The boxes were built into the old building
back in 1904. They are located all across the
school, from stairways and hallways to the glass
walls in offices and classrooms. Many of the
boxes are labeled with a year, signifying the year
that the object was placed into the box. Others do
not have a specific year and instead are filled
with objects to note important events or scientific
specimens. Mr. Teitel estimates that the boxes
that have dates go all the way up to year 2100.
Teitel said, “I’ve seen 2084 and there is a 2074
right outside my office.”
Who decides what gets placed into the glass
boxes each year? The senior committee of the
graduating class that year works alongside with
Mr. Lonardo to determine what will be placed
into the box. Over the summer, they get together
to figure out what should be inside the box. Most
of the time, the objects placed in the box repre-
sent a major event or something important that
happened during that year. For example, the for-
mer principal left the school in 1994, so the com-
THE (EMPTY) GLASS BOXES
continues on page 4
In this Issue
Child-rearing Styles Can Justify
Cheating
Opinions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 5
Bye Bye Birdie — The Strength of
a Stuy Production
Entertainment. . . . . . . . . .. p. 9
2 THE STUYVESANT STANDARD November 21, 2007—VOL. 7, No. 4 NEWS

EDITORIAL
Safety and
Security
It seems that we often hear stories of shootings, vio-
lence, and theft taking place in the school setting. In this envi-
ronment of crime, one wonders what kids are really learning
from schools these days. When security overtakes education
The Executive Board on a student’s list of priorities, the student loses out on a valu-
able education.
JENNIFER SCHLESINGER EDITOR IN CHIEF The numbers are clear: Stuy students feel a definite dis-
ERIC MAYO MANAGING EDITOR trust towards the safety of their lockers. The school safety of-
DIANE CHEN DIRECTOR OF FINANCE ficers (SSOs) are seen primarily herding students off of floors
ANGEL WONG DIRECTOR OF FINANCE and confiscating items rather than protecting the student body.
SANGHEE CHUNG LAYOUT EDITOR Whether the floor policy or the cell phone policy is
DANNY ZHU COPY CHIEF justified or not, SSOs at Stuyvesant have a more difficult job
TIM CHANG NEWS EDITOR than most students would believe. There are not enough guards
HESHAM SALEH NEWS EDITOR to cover every floor of the building at all times. Even with the
JIMMY ZHANG NEWS EDITOR security cameras, not everything can be seen. SSOs are only
AMNA AHMAD OPINIONS EDITOR trying to do their job, contrary to what the student body might
EMMA RABINOVICH ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR think.
RICHARD MAI SPORTS EDITOR With the recent attacks on our fellow students on the
OMAR AHMAD SCIENCE EDITOR rise, students need to take caution. Just because you feel safe
inside the halls of Stuyvesant doesn’t mean that you are safe
HANFORD CHIU BUSINESS EDITOR
on the streets outside of Stuyvesant. The best thing the student
ROBERT STEVENSON LITERARY EDITOR
body can do is take extra precaution when traveling after dusk.
JESSE ZHANG WEBMASTER
Traveling in well lighted areas in groups will decrease the risk
KIRIL GOURUV ASSISTANT WEBMASTER
of students coming under attack.
ELISSA TAM DIRECTOR OF PHOTOJOURNALISM
It is our hope that no more students need to be attacked
MS. MEGAN BRESLIN FACULTY ADVISOR
before Battery Park City and the New York City Police De-
DANIEL EGERS (‘03) FOUNDER
partment step up patrol of the park area and surrounding
ERNEST BASKIN (‘04) EDITOR EMERITUS
streets.

Publication
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD is a non-profit publication produced by
the students of Stuyvesant High School.
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD distributes 2,000 free copies on a bi-
weekly basis to the students and faculty of Stuyvesant High School
and throughout the adjoining neighborhoods of TriBeCa and Battery
Park City.
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD welcomes letters from its readers. For a
letter to be reproduced in print, a name and method of contact must
be provided.
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD reserves the right to edit any published
material. The viewpoints of contributors do not necessarily reflect
the views of the Standard staff
Copyright ©2007 THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

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NEWS
Attempted Robbery Leads to Shooting
by Nada Elmany
staff writer
On Tuesday, November 6, an
eleventh grade algebra teacher at
Carol City High School in Miami,
Florida was shot across the street
from his school.
Sergio Miranda was on a
cigarette break with another
t e a c h e r wh e n t h e y we r e
approached by the suspect. The
suspect had intended to rob the
teachers but, upon encountering
resistance, shot Miranda with a
Meet this Teacher: Mr. Dibbs
by Jimmy Zhang
news editor
and Kenneth Lam
staff writer
Brian Dibbs is a teacher well
known for his sarcasm and cutting
sense of humor. Dibbs currently
teaches AP Chemistry and Regents
Chemistry, and enjoys his job very
much. This year marks his fifth
year as a Stuyvesant teacher.
Prior to his Stuyvesant
career, Dibbs taught at the High
School of Graphics
Communication. While there, he
despised the hard work that went
into being a teacher. At
Stuyvesant, though, Dibbs enjoys
the atmosphere, and does not
mind the workload as much. He
feels, though, that with the lack
TSS/ TKhan
of a common meeting place, he
cannot meet as many people as he
could in other high schools.
His favorite part of
Stuyvesant is the swimming pool.
Dibbs goes swimming every
morning when he has the
opportunity.
Dibbs fills his free time with
many hobbies. One such hobby is
the guitar, which he played as
part of a band in college. He also
enjoys photography and painting,
as well as gardening and hiking.
Dibbs also enjoys reading very
much, and he had trouble
deciding which book was his
particular favorite, having read so
many.
His policy on balancing work
with family and leisure is simple.
“I don’t balance. I do it.” After
finishing work, he helps around
the house.
Dibbs remarked that teaching
“pays the bills,” highlighting his
sarcastic yet humorous side. For
November 21, 2007—VOL. 7, No. 4
THE STANDARD NEWS
pistol, which was taken as
evidence of the crime. Sergio was
seriously injured and was taken to
Jackson Memorial Hospital. The
shooting caused chaos in Miami.
Police arrived at the scene of the
crime at 11:27 a.m. after
receiving a 911 call. Immediately,
the cops put five schools under
lockdown while they searched for
the suspect. Three people were
taken for questioning by the
police. After two were released,
19 year-old Patrick Lively was
arrested. He was charged with
Dibbs, his career defines who he
is, as he believes is the case for
90 percent of all men and 50
percent of all women.
Meet this Teacher: Mr. Dibbs
Fast Facts
Classes Taught: AP Chemistry, Regents Chemistry
Favorite Animals: Dog (particularly his black lab “Jupiter”)
Favorite Book: Pale Fire
Zodiac Sign: Sagittarius
Favorite Color: Brown
In the classroom, Dibbs has
high expectations for his students.
He truly expects students to try to
do the work he assigns and to do
each assignment to the best of
their abilities. He wants students
to be aware of the environment
and how science affects it,
“Because we’re all surrounded by
s c i e n c e . ” H o we ve r , D i b b s
dislikes some aspects of the
Stuyvesant community.
For one, is disgusted by the
coffee served in school, and feels
that the rights to sell coffee
should be franchised to
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD
attempted robbery and attempted
first-degree murder. Miranda
underwent surgery later that day.
Jackson Memorial Hospital
refused to release any information
about his post-surgery condition.
Statistics show that there is a
continued increase in the rate of
shootings of this type in the
United States. However, these
statistics are not being
acknowledged.
This crime did take place in
Florida, far awa y from
Stu yvesant High School.
Starbucks, which would provide
better quality coffee as well as
donuts. He also wants the school
to sell a greater variety of food,
Favorite Show: Seinfeld
Favorite Food: Lobster (dipped in butter)
although he is against candy
selling. “My third period class is
getting fat right in front of me,”
he exclaimed about candy sales.
“Why not sell drugs or bullets?”
He quipped. He would rather his
students sell his old exams or
periodic tables than candy ,he
further joked.
Dibbs has solutions to many
of the problems he sees at
Stuyvesant as well. If he had his
way with it, Stuyvesant would be
run differently. Not only would
Dibbs have school uniforms, but
he’d also mandate that students
3
However, some students still feel
affected by this incident.
Freshman Aia Sarytcheva, said
that the fact that this event
occurred so far away tends to
decrease the worry. However,
Sarytcheva also said that,
“Regardless of this, we should
still try to increase awareness
about these crimes. Just because
this particular crime is happening
in Florida, doesn’t mean it can’t
happen in our community.” ◙
joined a sports team in order to
get fit. In his eyes, the students
today are too fat, and eventually
would graduate with a “size 10
cap!” Many of Dibbs’s ideas
came from how high schools
were run during his high school
days. In Brooklyn’s Midwood
High School, students would lift
weights for fitness. “Look at this
body!” he said to prove his point.
He also feels that a science
section in the admissions test
should be implemented, to help
students realize that science is in
their lives everywhere as well as
making Stuyvesant the “showcase
school in the city.”
Dibbs is well known for his
in-class demonstrations. After
completing a demonstration,
Dibbs has mixed feelings. If a
demonstration goes as planned,
then nothing went wrong, and he
has less to explain. However, if
something does go wrong, then
he can go into what exactly
caused the error. Unfortunately,
demonstrations nowadays are not
what they used to be, he laments.
During his high school days,
schools had better equipment,
such as an electric balance to
each table. Less attention was
paid to safety when he was in
school. Demonstrations that
involved potentially dangerous
chemicals were done, such as the
creation of chlorine gas. With
today’s emphasis on safety, all
the fun is taken out of learning. If
there’s no element of danger in
learning, after all, then learning
becomes less fun. The schools
have “taken the chemistry out of
Chemistry.” ◙
4 THE STUYVESANT STANDARD
The New gPhone
by Gosha Kolyshev
staff writer
On November 5, Google and the
Open Handset Alliance announced
the Android platform, or the gPhone,
as it is called on online forums.
Currently there are three major
mobile development platforms:
Symbian, Windows Mobile, and
Mac OS X. Symbian and Windows
both run on a wide range of devices
and currently have an SDK. Mac
OS X is the most relevant, but
unfortunately only runs on the
iPhone and doesn't yet have an
SDK, although Apple does promise
to create one within the first quarter
of the next year.
The premise behind Android is
SAFETY CONCERNS
continued from page 1
detectors are not used. However,
there are security guards who
patrol the hallways and the two
entrances to the school. Despite
this and new, more secure locks,
there is still much distrust among
the student body concerning locker
safety, as indicated by a Standard
Mini-Poll shown to the right. The
students responded using a scale
in which 1 was strongly disagree
and 10 was strongly agrees. ◙
November 21, 2007—VOL. 7, No. 4
that developers want an open
platform. As such, Android is
based on the Linux kernel. Since
Linux is so flexible and powerful,
Android is capable of supporting a
virtually infinite number of
configurations, ranging from real
VGA to smart phone resolutions,
from standard number pads to
touchscreen-based interfaces, and
dozens of audio and video formats.
The advantages are clear, but
nobody would take Android
seriously if there weren’t any
serious corporate powers behind it.
Android is pushed by the Open
Handset Alliance, a consortium of
several tech and mobile phone
companies, among them Google, T-
Mobile, HTC, and Qualcomm. ◙
Statement
I feel safe in the school building.
I am comfortable leaving my valuables in my
locker.
The same for gym lockers?
I can walk around school without fear of in-
timidation.
The school safety officers work to keep me
safe in the building.
Outside of school, I can walk around TriBeCa
without fear.
I feel safe walking alone outside the school
building.
NEWS
THE (EMPTY) GLASS BOXES
continued from page 1
mittee decided to place a picture
of him in the glass box. The Yan-
Source: googlephone2.yahoo.com.jpg
kees had also won the World Se-
ries that year, so they added a pair
of Yankee tickets as well.
Some have noticed that the
boxes of the past few years,
namely 2004-2007, have been
empty. Mr. Teitel commented that
he was “aware that some have not
been filled in.” However, he
cannot offer an explanation as to
why this is the case because Mr.
Lonardo and the senior committee
of that year oversee the filling of
the box.
Many of the students find an
interest in observing the various
Google Inc. has developed a cell phone and
boxes around the school that help
plans to offer consumers free subscriptions by
bundling advertisements with its search en- piece together the school’s
gine, e-mail and Web browser software appli- history. When asked what her
cations.
favorite box is, senior Nancy Zhu
replied, “I like the scientific ones
Freshman Senior Total Average
such as the one with the beetle
Average Average (All Years)
and the one with sand.” There are
8.82 9.13 8.75 also others who really do not care
about them. When asked the
7.57 6.13 7.02
same question, senior Linda Ng
7.18 5.00 6.27 replied, “I don’t look at them.”
Whether or not these students
8.86 8.56 8.88 take interest in these glass boxes,
it is clear to see that they play an
7.68 6.50 7.10 important role in saving a piece
of Stuyvesant history. ◙
8.57 7.62 8.41
For suggestions about what to
place in your year’s box, contact
8.43 7.86 8.41 Mr. Lonardo at lonardoj@stuy.edu
OPINIONS
THE STANDARD OPINIONS
Stuy Voice: Child-Rearing Styles Can
Justify Cheating
by Amna Ahmad
opinions editor
Stuyvesant, as we all know,
is acclaimed (or in other instances
envied) for its highly intelligent,
creative, gifted, and motivated
student body. After all, it is the
students who are responsible for
developing a reputation, and for
setting standards for the school
they attend. However, there are
many elements of Stuy life that are
bluntly unapparent to others
looking at Stuyvesant from the
outside, with its seemingly well-
19%
81%
When are your parents harsher on you?
63%
When you get a bad grade.
When you do som ething w rong that is
academ ically irrelevant.
Motivation for Community Service Debatable
by Marina Tawfik
staff writer
Performing community
service is a great way to help out in
the world and earn credit for
college at the same time. However,
it is questionable how many people
participate in community service
activities for either reason.
Everyone knows that being an
active member in a community
service group is a rewarding way
to show colleges that you are
interested in helping out, and with
over 25 community service clubs
at Stuyvesant, finding one to join
is definitely not a difficult thing to
do.
November 21, 2007—VOL. 7, No. 4
behaved, moral, and honest
students. As the misanthropist that
I am, I’d like to direct attention to
some internal corruption. I
apologize for pointing out the
obvious, but it’s clear: Stuyvesant
students cheat for personal gain.
Although oftentimes we fail
to recognize it, there is an
underground market for cheating,
and everyone has access to it,
because whether one is tempted
to steal a copy of the test
administered first period, or to
pass someone else’s work as
one’s own, one is indeed
cheating. Teachers have had no
Pare nts
assum e that
you know
better than to
cheat.
Pare nts
explicitly
discourage
cheating.
37%
Stuyvesant is home to clubs
that assist in building schools,
helping underprivileged
countries, and cleaning up areas
to promote an all-around clean
world. Many students who join
these clubs do so not because
they care about the issue the club
is tackling, but instead because
they simply think that the premise
of the organization sounds like
something colleges would love.
Sophomore Elsa Thomas
believes that “Most [students at
Stuyvesant] volunteer because
they are either forced to by their
parents or they volunteer for
college. They don’t really care
about ‘helping the community.’”
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD
choice but to take extreme
measures, because ultimately,
they have no reason to trust in the
honesty of their students after
they have been forced to do
otherwise. Hence, I find it all the
more inconvenient that although I
myself do not cheat, it is an
inevitability that I must be
indirectly punished for it.
By junior year, I had
basically gotten used to all the
cheating I had seen floating
around the school, until a recent
discovery re-established my
disgust of the underground
cheating community. When
flipping through a history
textbook of mine, I discovered a
piece of loose-leaf paper folded
in fourths. I had opened it, and
read it over, realizing that what I
Indeed, at a school where
academics rule and students do
all that they do so as to gain
admission to a top-notch college,
not much thought is put into
joining clubs just for fun.
Students are too concerned about
scoring that perfect 100 on their
genetics test to think about ways
to entertain themselves.
If a school administration
wanted to promote community
service, an easy way to do so
would be to make participating in
community service mandatory for
all students. While it would do
the world a great service to have
so many students helping to make
it a better place, it is not likely
5
Source: cheating.wikimedia.org.jpg
held in my hand was a “cheating
contract.” It was dated and signed
by the people to whom the terms
discussed in the contract had
applied, as well as a witness to
the transaction. One student had
agreed to do the homework of
another student for a month
among other terms in the contract
while code names were used to
hide the identities of those
involved should the contract be
found, which was definitely a
smart move. As much as it tempts
me to publish this document, I
must refrain for obvious reasons.
It may be possible that the
parents of the Stuyvesant student
body have served as the “silent
STUY VOICE
continues on page 6
that the hearts of the students
would be in their work. Students
would do the work reluctantly,
hoping to get it over with and
move on to do things that they
find more amusing. In our current
era in which the world relies
considerably on technology,
many students find that they have
better things to do than help
others.
I believe that the motivation
for community service should not
be a compulsion by school
regulation, nor should it be the
COMMUNITY SERVICE
continues on page 6
6 THE STUYVESANT STANDARD
STUY VOICE
continued from page 5
catalysts” to such an obvious rise
in ch ea ting an d d is hon est
academic behavior. In a recent
poll of the Stuyvesant community,
81 percent of students noted that
their parents simply assume they
know better than to cheat, rather
than explicitly discouraging such
behavior. A considerable number
of students (37 percent) also
admitted that their parents are
COMMUNITY SERVICE
continued from page 5
notion that it will guarantee you a
spot in that Ivy League college
you’ve been dreaming about
since you were ten. Instead,
people should start to get
involved in their community and
take some initiative to stop the
world from crumbling. Some
students are completely oblivious
to the fact that people are dying
of starvation and poverty. Even
worse, some students pretend that
THE STANDARD SCIENCE
The Reincarnation of a Goddess
or a Developmental Mishap?
by Qi Fan Zhang
staff writer
Two years ago, a girl named
Lakshmi Tatma was born in India
with eight limbs. She suffered
After 27 hours on the operating table, a 2 year-old Indian girl who was born with eight limbs
is now on the road to recovery.
November 21, 2007—VOL. 7, No. 4
harsher on them when they get a academic performance of their
bad grade than when they do children. It is unfortunate that
something wrong but morality has taken a back seat in
academically irrelevant. the world of academics, and that
Correspondingly, 31 percent of students worry about “failure”
students agreed that they are before they weigh the possible
punished by parents if they c o n s eq u en ce s o f t h e La s t
receive a bad grade. Judgment, if even they believe in
These statistics seem to an eventual moral evaluation.
indirectly imply that the parents of Nonetheless, I don’t see the
our generation have taken it upon situation getting any better as the
themselves to take a very population of the school continues
Machiavellian “The ends justify to rise each year and inter-peer
the means” approach to the competition seems to be escalating
they do not realize it. If we can
get a handful of students to raise
some money for a cause that they
believe in, the results would be
tremendous.
Students who participate in
community service because their
parents force them to will not
make any noteworthy impact on
the world, because you only help
out when you are doing
something you believe in. I think
students should help out because
they care, or not help out at all. ◙
Performing community service is a great way to help out in the world and earn credit
for college at the same time.
from Ischiopagus, a rare condition the surviving fetus, absorbed the
that causes twins to conjoin at the limbs and kidneys from her
front pelvis and the lower spine. “parasitic twin.”
During her mother’s pregnancy, When Lakshmi was born into
one of the two fetuses stopped a poor, rural Indian family, villag-
developing. As a result, Lakshmi, ers in the remote settlement of
Rampur Kodar Katti, in the north-
ern state of Bihar, believed she
Source: eight-leggedgirl.keprtv.com.jpg
was sacred. As news of her birth
spread, locals waited in line for a
blessing from the baby.
Her parents, Shambhu and
Poonam Tatma, named the girl
after the Hindu goddess of wealth,
who also has four arms. However,
they were forced to keep her in
hiding after they were approached
by men offering money in ex-
change for putting their daughter
in a circus. It’s horrible,” said jun-
ior Francine Yung. “You can’t buy
humans.” Junior Jak Phu expressed
similar sentiments. “It’s morally
wrong because you are taking ad-
vantage of someone who cannot
make their own decisions.”
Fortunately, the Spanish hos-
pital, located in Bangalore, India,
was willing to surgically remove
SCIENCE
with every newly admitted
freshman.
As is intimated by the
mentioned statistical information
gathered on the relationship
between one’s upbringing and
academic standing, I believe it is
fair to conclude that such a system
of child-rearing renders cheating
justifiable, as unfortunate as it
may be for the Stuyvesant
community to acknowledge. ◙
Source: communityservice.yale.edu.jpg
Lakshmi’s extra limbs. The opera-
tion, which had never been per-
formed in India before, totaled
over $625,000, but Narayan Health
City was willing to perform the
surgery free of cost.
During the grueling twenty-
four hour operation, over thirty
doctors transplanted a functional
kidney into Lakshmi from the
parasitic twin, removed her extra
limbs, and reconstructed her pelvic
area. In an interview with Gavin
Rabinowitz of the Associated
Press, Sharan Patil, who led the
operation, said, “[The operation
was] beyond our expectations, the
reconstruction worked wonderfully
well.” Lakshmi is scheduled to
have another operation to fix her
clubbed feet.
Currently, Lakshmi is in a
stable recovery period, expecting
to return home on short notice. She
awoke from her operation and was
able to move her two feet and her
two arms. Nevertheless, doctors
plan to keep her for further
observation and monitoring. ◙
BUSINESS
THE STANDARD BUSINESS
The Dollar’s Rocky Ride
by Si Hong Huang
staff writer
The U.S. dollar has been
gradually weakening for the past
few years. Concerns about U.S.
account deficit, the difference be-
tween America’s import and ex-
port of goods and services, a
budget deficit, and a president who
appears unconcerned about dollar
weakness all contributed to the
dollar’s fall. In addition to all of
that, the U.S. is running a nearly
$60 billion trade gap per month,
further pushing the dollar down-
ward. Statements about the dollar
being absolutely weak are ques-
tionable, but there’s no doubt that
the dollar is significantly weaker
than it was a few years ago. It
seems highly probable that the
dollar will continue to weaken as
Asian countries that were protect-
ing the dollar by boosting their
own exports are starting to back
off.
For business owners out there,
if your competition is primarily
international, then a weakening
dollar is sublime, but if you import
goods and sell them domestically
then you’re in a sticky situation.
Mega Man ZX Advent Review
by Jonathan Xikis
staff writer
Mega Man ZX Advent, the
sequel to Mega Man ZX, is the
most recent “direct” descendant of
the Mega Man series of platformer
games. Like its predecessor, it of-
fers a number of different areas to
blast your way through, along with
a colorful assortment of bosses and
a double storyline. While it has
instituted some interesting new
features, the developer, Inti Cre-
ates, sticks too close to the over-
done Mega Man formula to be
called innovative in any way.
ZX Advent offers a meager
storyline, as is traditional with
Mega Man games. It is based on
the events of past series, and takes
place a century after the finale of
the Mega Man Zero series. In a
nutshell, sentient armor, called
“biometal,” allows a certain
“chosen one” to become a super-
hero of sorts. There are many dif-
ferent models of biometal, each
with its own characteristics. The
game’s main character starts out
with Model A, a biometal with the
November 21, 2007—VOL. 7, No. 4
“If you’re competing with overseas
companies or selling overseas;
you’ll like this,” said David Wyss,
chief economist at Standard &
Poor’s Corp. “If you’re importing
stuff from overseas, you might
want to look around to see if you
can get it cheaper somewhere
else.”
The dollar’s weakening may
deter many people from visiting
European countries where Ameri-
cans were originally able to pur-
chase many goods and services for
cheaper prices than in the United
States but now have to pay $1.47
per euro. On the other hand,
American tourists can still enjoy
cheaper prices in many Asian
countries such as Japan and China
where the weakening of the dollar
hasn’t had too big of an impact
(more on Japan’s yen, than China’s
renminbi).
As the dollar weakens, more
and more foreign investors are
looking to acquire property in the
United States as it is cheaper here
and would financially benefit
them. For Americans, however, the
weakening dollar will mean bad
news for them in terms of housing.
For example, if the dollar is worth
ability to change shape, much like
the T-3000 from Terminator 2.
Then, they must embark on a quest
to decipher their mysterious
past…but you don’t really care, do
you?
The real fun in any Mega
Man game comes from gameplay,
and ZXA is no exception. How-
ever, it seems that the developers
have lost focus of the real goal of
the Zero series: to slice and dice
robot foes with your trusty energy
sword. Biometal Model A is only
equipped with a weak buster and a
weaker homing shot, leaving you
without a sword of any kind for
half the game. Its transforming
abilities are equally lacking, since
most of the bosses are situational,
and therefore only useful to pass
obstacles. Basically, instead of
obtaining the actual biometals, you
get to become bootlegged copies
of them. Whoop-de-do.
A major improvement from
the previous game is the new map
system. No longer is the map ex-
tremely difficult to read — now it
is crystal-clear, and even includes
a cursor. This is complemented by
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD 7
half as much as it used to be worth ruining stocks and curb the descent
against the euro, and an American of the ever-falling dollar. I
who bought a house eight or nine personally hope the dollar
years ago sells it for twice the strengthens — I don’t know about
amount of what it was worth when you guys, but I would like to visit
he bought it, he really doesn’t Europe without having to spend
make anything from it if he wants too much money. ◙
to invest it in Europe.
Source: dollar.corbis.jpg
With so many foreign inves-
tors buying or renting up property
in the U.S., the supply of housing
in many major cities such as New
York has decreased. This is bad
news for New Yorkers who are
trying to rent an apartment and
have to deal with the high prices
thrown into their faces due to in-
creased demand and diminishing
supply. An apartment that could be
rented for a few hundred dollars
five or six years ago is now nearly
impossible to obtain unless you
have at least a thousand dollars
available.
According to Chistopher
Orndorff, head of equities for
Payden & Rygel, whenever the
dollar turns, it will probably mark
the beginning of the next bear The monetary value of the one-dollar bill
market, but many investors are still has been decreasing steadily over the past
harboring hope that Federal few years.
chairman Ben Bernanke will be
able to fight inflation without
“Warp Points,” which allow you to talks like your mean elementary
teleport to different sections of an school lunchlady. This is one as-
area; however, teleportation be- pect of the game that could have
tween save points is now prohib- benefited from better directing
ited for no good reason. skills.
ZXA’s graphics are incredible To sum it up, Mega Man ZX
for a sprite-based game, with su- Advent is an enjoyable game, with
perb animations and lifelike back- polished graphics and an amazing
grounds. There are also a couple of atmosphere. Its lack of any real
cutscenes thrown in for good replay value, unemotional voice-
measure. The game’s music in- acting, linear gameplay and subpar
cludes some great tunes, and im- plot subtract from its value. The
portant lines are fully voice-acted. continued absence of multiplayer
Unfortunately, some of the voice battling is also frustrating, when
acting leaves much to be desired. this feature could be easily
It’s not very intimidating when a implemented. ◙
bomb-throwing gargoyle robot
Quick Rating
Graphics: 9/10 Clean, animated, side-scrolling graphics. There should
have been more cutscenes, though.
Gameplay: 8/10 The game is decidedly linear, and, in some parts,
annoyingly difficult.
Content: 5/10 The plot is very sparse, and resembles many other Mega
Man games.
Replayability: 6/10 Hard mode, boss medals, and an assortment of mini-
games give some replay value. There is barely a multiplayer mode to speak
of.
Value: 6/10 With its length of only 10+ hours, it could have easily sold for
cheaper.
Overall score: 7/10 (Rent)
8 THE STUYVESANT STANDARD November 21, 2007—VOL. 7, No. 4 ENTERTAINMENT

THE STANDARD ENTERTAINMENT

Bye Bye Birdie — The Strength of a
Stuy Production
by Jennifer Schlesinger

TSS/ G Kolyshev and TSS/ E Tam

editor in chief

“Bye Bye Birdie” debuted on

Friday, November 9 amid the
singing of “We Love You
Conrad.” Two additional shows
were done on Saturday, November
10. As the play proceeded, the
audience was wowed with the
t a l e n t i n t h e S t u yv e s a n t
community.
After the singing gave the
audience an introduction, the first
scene began, setting up the
conflict that was played out over
the course of the play. Albert
Peterson (Robert Stevenson) is
the head of a record company in
financial distress. He would like
to dissolve the company but is
controlled by his domineering
mother, played by Miryam
Coppersmith. Albert’s secretary
and love interest Rose Alvarez
(Hannah Temkin) wants to resign
as she feels that Albert will never
change. At the end of the scene, a
plan is hatched to go to Sweet
Apple, Ohio with the record
company’s main singer and
teenage heartthrob, Conrad Stevenson seemed a little dimension to town men. As she convinces them
Birdie, who has just been drafted nervous, while Temkin was his character. In this scene, the to become more carefree, she real-
in the army. Conrad will give one sometimes hard to hear. audience meets Albert’s mother, izes with horror what she has done
last kiss to a teenage girl from The next scene opens with Mrs. Peterson, and sees her and decides to run back to Albert.
there before leaving for the army. teenagers singing into their domineering nature and her The choreography in this scene
This will solve the company’s telephones. It was hard to follow dislike of Rose. Coppersmith began to border on ridiculous as it
financial problems. The opening at the beginning as some singing pla ys up M rs. Pet erson’s came to an end. In the meantime,
scene includes the singing of “An was hard to hear. The scene character without going too far both Albert and Rose find the
En gli sh Te ac her. ” Te mkin reveal that Kim MacAfee (Ella and accurately adds a subplot and courage to stand up to Mrs. Peter-
powerfully sang the song; Gibson) is now seriously dating humor. son. Mr. MacAfree finds that Con-
however, the choreography, done Hugo Peabody (Issac Miller). As As the first act continues, rad has run off with Kim and has
by Valentina Zarya, seemed to Scene Two melds into Scene other strong characters begin to the police arrest him. Albert man-
become repetitive. On the chorus Three, the MacAfee family is emerge. Kim’s father, Mr. ages to free Conrad and he leaves
of the song, Temkin always put introduced. Kim decides that she MacAfree, adds humor through on the train with Mrs. Peterson.
her hand up above her head in the is a woman now and must give up exaggeration. The first act Kim and Hugo reunite. Rose then
same way. Overall, the acting is her infatuation with Conrad. Her culminates in Conrad singing arrives at the train station to find
the first scene was decent. parents (Samantha Shokin and “One Last Kiss” to the frenzy of only Albert there. Albert confesses
Billy Ferrer) are confused by her Conrad’s teenage fans. However, his love for her and that he has
changing behavior. While Shokin Rose has had enough with being finally stood up to his mother,
is not particularly maternal, she ordering around by Albert and bringing the okay to an end. The
managed to add touches of controlled by his mother. Hugo is play ended with a standing ovation
humor. Then, Kim receives a call upset that his girlfriend is being from the audience.
that Birdie is coming to kiss her, kissed on TV. The act closes with Overall, while there were
and she reverts back to being a Hugo punching Conrad right occasional lapses in “Bye Bye
teenager. before he kisses Kim and Rose Birdie,” the performance was very
The fourth scene takes place taking the blame. well put together. The acting and
in the train station where Rose, In the second act, the actors singing were strong. The play
Albert, and Conrad are getting seemed more confident. Rose and showcased Stuyvesant’s talented
ready to leave for Sweet Apple. Kim are fed up with the men in theater community.
Albert notices a “Sad Girl” their lives and, along with the teen- Please note: Robert
(Allison Weiner) and decides to agers and Conrad, seek new ex- Stevenson nor any other Standard
cheer her up. The choreography periences. Conrad and Kim run off member associated with the play
shone during this number and together while the teenagers decide was involved in the writing or
Stevenson seemed more to stay away from their parents. editing of this article. ◙
confident. His singing was well Rose begins to act promiscuous
done and he added a new and invades a meeting with local
PUZZLES November 21, 2007—VOL. 7, No. 4 THE STUYVESANT STANDARD 9

by Emma Rabinovich
entertainment editor
Writers Guild went on strike on
November 5 as contract negotia-
tions broke down over what share
of internet revenues writers are
entitled to. As watching television
shows online has become more
popular, writers have demanded a
greater share of the profits.
How this will affect television
schedules depends on how long the
strike will continue. Late-night talk
shows, like the ones starring Jay
Writers on Strike
Leno and David Letterman, have
already started airing reruns, and
soap operas are likely to be next on
the list. Most networks ordered
enough primetime episode scripts
in advance to last through next
year, but what happens next is any-
one’s guess. The majority will
probably lean heavily on reality
shows to help fill in empty spots.
Fox has the strongest reality line-
up with “American Idol” and “Are
you smarter than a 5th grader?”
while CBS is preparing a winter
season of “Big Brother.”
The last strike to hit Hollywood
took place in 1988 and lasted 5
months, resulting in over half a
billion dollars in lost revenues. It’s
still unclear who will end up cav-
ing in on this one, since both sides
have a lot to lose. While networks
now have more financing than ever
before, they also have to face the
fact that the Internet is becoming
an increasingly popular entertain-
ment medium and a delayed sched-
ule could cause viewers to aban-
don television for good. Mean-
while, writers need to eat and their
financial resources can only sup-
port them for so long. TV viewers
are probably going to be the ones
who suffer most, however. Some
may even have to start watching
the news.
Moviegoers are going to end up
feeling the strike well into 2009 as
most big-budget films usually start
production about two years prior to
release, which means all of the
upcoming year’s releases have
already been prepared and it’s the
ones further on that are in
jeopardy. ◙

THE STANDARD PUZZLES

Crossword
Puzzle #3
by Amna Ahmad
opinions editor

ACROSS
3: Bush publicly insinuated the
death of this still, very much alive
African activist.
6: Day of the week in which the
first day of autumn fell this year
9: A tendency common among
teachers
10: Uneasily pleased or satisfied
14: Official language of Sudan
15: Zodiac sign of Principal
Stanley Teitel
19: Former Peruvian President to
face charges of corruption
22: Architect responsible for the
design of the recently praised Gug-
genheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain
23: Synonym for the verb "revere"
24: The condition of having con-
flicting emotional attitudes toward
a person or situation
26: City where missing child
Madeline McCann was recently
sighted twice
27: Last name of winner of best
actress in a drama category during
the Emmys
30: Month in which independent
film actress Camilla Belle was DOWN government forced many Gazans to Brooklyn is being named after
born 1: Birthplace of British singer Nata- refrain from making a religious 20: State University at which two
31: University at which President sha Khan pilgrimage to this city. students were shot on September
Ahmadinejad visited 2: Synonym for unpredictable 11: Host of the 2007 Emmys 21st
32: Last name of winner of best 4: Country in which the birthrate 12: Holy month of fasting for Mus- 21: Middle name of lead actress in
actor in a drama series during the remains at a disappointing low lims "Across the Universe"
Emmys 5: Fashion designer with a new fall 13: Country in which chewing gum 25: Feature film star to have re-
33: Name of the popular video line in Kohl's is illegal cently experienced a motorcycle
game series of which the third 7: The anthology of the preferred 16: Capital city of Iran accident
game was released on September poems of this popular Latin Ameri- 17: Chef made millionaire due 28: Unable to be corrected
25th can socialist was released recently largely to efforts by Oprah Winfrey 29: Synonym for quarrelsome
in Mexico. 18: Last name of poet after which
8: Complications of Palestinian the new Arabic studies school in
10 THE STUYVESANT STANDARD November 21, 2007—VOL. 7, No. 4 LITERARY

THE STANDARD LITERARY

Freshman Woes by Robert Stevenson
literary editor

It’s Getting Cold! By Jensen Cheong

staff writer

D O P I S K J M Z F J N V H P L K I V D Z F N M Q Word List

D A B T J O Y I M E V P G E T T I N G A C O L D A MITTENS
HOT CHOCOLATE
B K A L H F N I E V D N X A P I E V X V W Z Y C J
SWEATPANTS
J H H D N P E L Z O I V U G G I M A T B L I E A B
SWEATERS
F P A J M E H I N L S I K Z L H A E H W N Y C B G EARMUFFS
N O E G L I B E G R U E A A I O U Y A B G K D O O HATS
B Z F P X A T G E D F Z Q P A T V N N N E A K A Y GLOVES

R A O I L K U T B C U A E E Q C R E K T S T I F T FIREPLACE
THANKSGIVING
O H E D R N A O E L P U E H I H N S S W A N Q T T
RUNNY NOSES
W O M A S E U O O N I D R B E O C O G M I N G S F
WINTER IS NEAR
N O O T W N P O T E S D U T O C H I I S T O K R O JACKETS
L Y T S H H E L G A I A N N T O S S V M I I G H T ROAST TURKEY
E N I D G G U P A B B E N I N L G T I H I E I Y R FLURRIES

A A L A I G S H O C K E Y T I A H O N N P E T E H SNUGGLING
BROWN LEAVES
V A R T W A A S T T E E N C O T N S G E N S U K S
BARE TREES
E X B M E N Q S P E N T O Y E E S O T E R D S R A
SKIING
S B Y U U N D E O J R G S O I Z N G T R E E A U T
HOCKEY
M E A N T F A W N D S W E A T P A N T S I T E T E GETTING A COLD
S E T R S O F N H J I S S I N J U R E R D A R T I SHORTER DAYS

W I N T E R I S N E A R T G H M T F R O O T A S M
W I D U F T E A R S H I E C O Y U U L D B E S A I Finished the Crossword?
D E E L I N R E Z I M M D F O R L A U N M I E O U Check out the
Standard’s website at
X T E Q V N E E D J M P E R I F O D A S I V A R G www.stuystandard.org
U U J K E L Y R E E C A M X L L T H I E R E Q S N for the answers!
O O L T O H Q I N S H O R T E R D A Y S G W O R A
SPORTS
NBA Season Preview
by Ankit Singh
staff writer
It has been said that a basket-
ball team can’t win a champion-
ship with only one amazing player
— you need two. I always thought
this was wrong until I saw that the
only teams winning championships
were teams like the Detroit Pis-
tons, Miami Heat, and San Anto-
nio Spurs: teams that featured two
stars as opposed to one. I had to
admit it was right; the more talent,
the easier it is to win a champion-
ship. So if that is the case who is
going to win it this year? Lots of
teams feature multiple stars with a
lot of talent. Let’s now take a look
at every division to see what teams
might be going to the playoffs:
Eastern Conference
Atlantic Division: The Boston
Celtics are the best team in this
division, if not the Eastern Confer-
ence. They have the inside-outside
game with Kevin Garnett and Ray
Allen, and also have Paul Pierce
who can simply do it all. They are
the most efficient team in the
league, scoring an average of 16
more points than their opponents. I
take them to win at least 60 games
and the division and possibly enter
the playoffs as the number one
seed. The only team in this divi-
sion that doesn’t have a shot at the
playoffs is the Philadelphia 76ers.
Which means the Nets, Raptors,
and, yes, even the Knicks can still
make the playoffs without winning
the division. In this conference
teams with 30 wins make the play-
offs, so don’t count out the Knicks
just yet.
Central Division: Just because
the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the
Detroit Pistons in the playoffs last
year doesn’t mean that they can
win this division this year. That
honor still belongs to the Pistons.
Their ability to play as a team on
both the offensive and defensive
sides of the ball makes them a
force in this division. The Cleve-
land Cavaliers are a very good
team, as long as LeBron James
stays on the court. It seems that
when LeBron exits the court so
does the Cavaliers’ offense. They
have to find a way to score with
LeBron on the bench, because let’s
face it — no one can play all 48
minutes of every game, not even
LeBron James. The only other
team in this division that can make
the playoffs is the Chicago Bulls;
any team that makes Ben Gordon
come off the bench has to be a
very good team. The Bucks and
the Pacers just don’t have the tal-
ent to win consistently as the sea-
son progresses.
November 21, 2007—VOL. 7, No. 4
Alex Rodriguez, since his first season as a Yankee in 2004, is faced with a decision whether he
will opt out of hs contract after 2007 or remain with the Yankees.
Southeast Division: It is safe
to say that neither the Atlanta
Hawks nor the Charlotte Bobcats
will be making the playoffs this
year. That brings this division
down to three teams: the
Washington Wizards, Miami Heat,
and Orlando Magic. Washington is
really just an average team; they
are not very good. The talent is
there but a combination of injury,
lack of hustle, and ver y
inconsistent scoring makes it hard
for me to believe that they will be
going anywhere this year. The
Magic on the other hand will make
the playoffs because of their hustle
in combination with their talent.
However they will not win this
division. The Heat may struggle
early on until the return of Dwayne
Wade, but when he is back this
team will return to its former glory
and win this division. Shaquille
O’Neal is still the best post player
in the league and when D Wade
returns this will be the best one-
two punch in the league.
Western Conference
Northwest Division: With the
arrival of Kevin Durant the Seattle
Supersonics may be a better team,
but they are still not a playoff
team. Nor are the Portland Trail
Blazers or the Minnesota Timber-
wolves. So that leaves the division
to two teams, the Denver Nuggets
and the Utah Jazz, two very good
teams. This will be a fun race to
watch down the road but I can’t
imagine a team with as much talent
as the Denver Nuggets not winning
this division. The Nuggets have
two of the top ten scorers in the
league, Allen Iverson and Carmelo
Anthony, and former defensive
player of the year Marcus Camby.
The magic number for them is 100;
the Nuggets have a 90 percent
chance of winning a game if they
score 100 points, and they only
have a 20 percent chance of win-
ning if they don’t. If they can score
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD 11
THE SPORTS BEAT
continued from page 12
most people began to realize why
Source: bostonceltics2.espn.com/
Americans don’t like soccer, or
hockey, or any sport where
there’s low scoring. You can
control an entire half like the
Ballerz did, and end up with
nothing to show for it. Once the
second half started, Flushing
started controlling the tempo.
Three breakaways in the second
half led to a Flushing victory.
Although everyone was
disappointed, it was definitely an
experience.
Yet my da y was onl y
beginning. After the bus ride
back, I hopped on the R train to
Long Island City to watch the
Penguins take on Curtis. The heat
generated from the pool was a
welcome relief from the polar
climate of before. Although the
a hundred points night in and night water was cold, the competition
out they will win this division; if was hot.
they can’t the Jazz will win it. But If you go to any swim meet,
I give the edge to the Nuggets. The you’ll notice that the swim team
Jazz will make the playoffs but is loud. Artificially-pumped-
will not win this division. noise-into-the-RCA-Dome loud.
Pacific Division: This division is a They are easily louder than the
joke; the Phoenix Suns are one of cheerleaders, and have a few
the best teams in the league, and more creative cheers in their
the rest of the teams in this divi- repertoire. During each and every
sion are only average. The Kings race, all the swimmers scream at
and Warriors are terrible, the Kobe the tops of their lungs for their
Bryant-less Lakers will be terrible, teammates, making a usually
and the Clippers are average. The individual event a true team
Suns are too good — they win this sport.
division hands down. Did I mention the Penguins
Southwest Division: Probably the can swim too? After claiming the
best division in basketball, four nine out of ten points in the 200
teams from this division will make medley relay, the Penguins never
the playoffs — everyone besides relinquished the lead. They didn’t
the Memphis Grizzles. The Dallas win every race, but they never let
Mavericks are still a very good Curtis catch up. A slow and
team; the San Antonio Spurs are efficient victory propelled the
the returning champions and also a Penguins to take on Townsend
very good team, the New Orleans Harris in the finals.
Hornets are better than most peo- Spending an entire day with
ple take them to be, and the Hous- Stuyvesant sports teams allow
ton Rockets are again a very good you to recognize the dedication
team. The team that will win this these athletes have to their craft.
division will be the Houston Rock- They all practice after school,
ets, but it will be very close. The sometimes before school, and
Rockets have a lot of talent, and I sometimes on weekends. They
think this is their year. For most of play for other clubs, in addition to
these teams it is not about winning their regular schoolwork. For all
the division, it is about getting a that dedication, the least I can do
ring. Tune in to the next issue for is show my support by attending
an in-depth look at the playoffs. the game. Thank you, athletes, for
making my Election Day a
Upcoming Event:
The 22nd Annual Medical Ethics Sympo-
sium, "Designer Bodies: The Cutting Edge." is
on Thursday, December 13, at 3:30 pm, in
the Murray Khan Theatre.
There will be free food and raffle prizes!
 12 THE STUYVESANT STANDARD
Penguins Waddle Into Finals
TSS/ RMai
Stuyvesant defeated Curtis 55-43 in the semifinals before losing to Townsend Harris in the finals."
by Richard Mai
sports editor
On Tuesday, November 6 Stuyvesant’s Girls’
swim team defeated opponent Curtis High School 55-
43 in the Manhattan/Bronx Division Semifinals. Held
at Long Island City High School, the Penguins
battled Curtis to advance to the championships,
where swimming powerhouse Townsend Harris will
be waiting.
There were two meets being held
simultaneously at the crowded pool that day. First
seed Townsend Harris faced fourth seed Bronx
Science at one side of the pool, while second seed
Stuyvesant faced third seed Curtis on the other. The
pool was filled with the cheers and chants of girls,
supported by the packed stands.
The first event was diving. Both Stuyvesant and
Curtis had few divers, and tried their best to
squeeze points for the event. Stuy was
unsuccessful, however, as both their divers were
disqualified. The 200-yard medley relay was next,
in which Stuy’s B Team placed first at 1 minute 72
seconds, with the A Team finishing a close second.
The Penguins did pretty well in the relays,
which are important because they earn the team
more points — up to 6. In the 200-yard freestyle
relay, the Stuyvesant A and B Teams placed first
and second place, respectively. In the 400-yard
freestyle relay, Curtis’s A team finished first at 4
minutes 99 seconds, while the Stuy B team finished
only 1.3 seconds later.
In individual events, the Penguins swam
strongly as well, earning points in key areas. In the
200-yard individual medley, junior and co-captain
Abigayle Erickson won first at 2 minutes 21.72
November 21, 2007—VOL. 7, No. 4
seconds. For the 50-yard free, junior Nora
Cunningham sprinted a fast 26.38 seconds to finish
first, and in the 100-yard free, junior Marta
Sowinski also placed first with a time of 58.87
seconds.
Even when Stuyvesant did not earn the top spot
in an event, they made up for it by placing second
and third, which are the only other places that
score points. In the 200-yard free, sophomore
Stephanie Jou and junior and co-captain Kei
Okochi’s second and third place earned a
combined 4 points. For the 100-yard butterfly,
freshman Maria Torres and junior Gayatri
Malhotra finished second and third as well. The
500-yard long-distance was one of the closest races
of the meet, culminating to a final showdown
between Stuy’s Erickson and Curtis’s Caputo.
Erickson finished less than 2 seconds behind, a
very narrow margin considering the length of the
race.
The Penguins’ next challenge is swimming
against defending champions Townsend Harris.
Asked on her outlook against Townsend, senior
Jennifer Sung replied, “Townsend is an extremely
fast team with many crazy fast swimmers, but we
have a chance of beating them. It’s not going to be
easy, but it’s possible. It’s definitely going to be a
crazy exciting meet.”
The Penguins lost to Townsend Harris Turtles
on Tuesday, November 20th by the score of 64-
38. The Turtles took nine out the possible ten
points in the 200 yard medley relay and never
looked back. Stuyvesant finished one-two in the 50
yard freestyle with a strong swim from juniors
Marta Sowinski and Nora Cunningham. Stuyve-
sant's only other win came in the 400 freestyle
relay. ◙
SPORTS
Following
Stuy from
Grass to
Water
“Hi, my name is Eric, and I’m a sports
addict.” Thankfully, Sports Fans Anonymous
doesn’t exist; otherwise I’d probably be a
member. If writing college essay after college
essay about my love for sports failed to make
me realize how obsessed I am, Election Day
2007 probably did.
The Boys’ Soccer team had their
quarterfinal match against Flushing at 11:30
at New Dorp High School on Staten Island.
The girls’ swimming team had their city
semifinal against Curtis at 4:00 in Long
Island City. Could I attend both games
without running into a transit delay? Ten
hours, four boroughs, and 75 miles later, the
answer is that I’m a lot more addicted than I
thought.
The soccer game was the equivalent of a
Stuyvesant home game. There were around
thirty of us, bundled up to avoid the polar
winds that invaded Staten Island. The Ballerz
seemed to enjoy the support. After all, most
of their “home” games are nowhere near their
actual home.
That isn’t a problem at New Dorp, though.
While Stuyvesant teams have to transverse
the borough for most home outdoor sporting
events, New Dorp has their own personal Pier
40 a few steps from the school. Miller Field, a
187-acre former Air Force base, is right
across the street. If that were in Manhattan,
the site would be the Miller Field Condos.
After a few close calls in the first half,
THE SPORTS BEAT
continues on page 11