Given by Science Olympiad
Science Intel Science Talent Search:
Olympiad at States
News
►Page 5
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD
TO THE COMMUNITIES OF STUYVESANT HIGH SCHOOL, TRIBECA, AND BATTERY PARK CITY
“Your School, Your World—Your News” Visit us at: www.stuystandard.org
SING! Is an annual production put on
by Stuyvesant students. There are three
competing groups: seniors, juniors,
and sophomores and freshmen. Each
group produces its own production
and is ranked by a panel of judges.
Policy Changes in Stuy
by Jennifer Schlesinger,
editor in chief
In recent weeks, there have
been some changes in Stuyvesant
High School’s administrative poli-
cies. Unfortunately, for many of
these changes proper notification
was not been given out and reasons
behind the change are unknown.
The Student Union (SU) insti-
tuted a new policy that all Sing!
tickets had to be paid for with
checks. No concrete reason for the
new policy has been given, but it
has been suggested that the ad-
ministration thought checks were
safer because they could not be
stolen as easily as cash. Unfortu-
nately, proper notification of the
change was not given to ticket
purchasers. Up to last year, tickets
could be paid for either in cash or
with a check. Both the ticket-
buying website, www.singtix.com,
and the Class of 2008’s website,
www.stuy08.com failed to mention
this at first. Later, the Class of
2008’s website was changed to
Mysapce? Facebook?
2007 Competition
News
►Page 3
SING! Review
by Jerry Wang, staff writer
On Friday, March 23, as the
curtain was pulled back to reveal
the first production of the eve-
ning, Senior SING, the audience
were awed by the bright and crea-
tive set. The story revolved
around a terrorist group made up
of vegetables threatening to de-
stroy King Burger’s land and its
inhabitants. The cast was amazing
and gave great performances. The
costume crew did a fantastic job
making the various attires ranging
from a burger costume to a pickle
getup. All the dance crews were
spectacular. The dancers were in
sync and the band played some
great tunes. Personal favorites
based on the audiences’ claps
were Indian dance, Irish dance,
and Swing. Overall, the story was
creative with funny jokes in be-
tween, a spectacular cast, and
great dance crews.
Next up was Soph-Frosh
SING! and based on reviews of
the performance on Wednesday,
many did not expect to be enjoy-
reflect the new policy.
The spring college trip has
been cancelled. It was supposed to
allow students to visit colleges in
the Mid-Atlantic region. The can-
cellation was announced in the
Parents Association (PA) Bulletin
and on the Class of ’08 website,
where reasons were given. Stuyve-
sant Principal, Stanley Teitel, had
delegated the responsibility of col-
lege trips to Eleanor Archie, the
Assistant Principal of Pupil Af-
fairs. She has been sick and re-
cently returned to Stuyvesant,
leaving little time for planning.
Moreover, the dates set for the trip
were during spring break. Because
the dates contained a religious
holiday and were when many go
on vacation, there were concerns
over getting enough chaperones.
Furthermore, because of the recent
addition of guidance counselors,
Archie has more responsibilities.
The Junior President, Michelle
POLICY continues on page 3
Teen Obesity
The Perils of Online Friends
Op-Ed
►Page 7
ing the next hour. However, de-
spite the criticisms, the produc-
tion was tolerable. The story cen-
tered on a bunch of prisoners who
broke out of jail to run away to
Russia. The cast was funny and
believable enough but the set on
the other hand, encountered many
problems. A prop fell during the
middle of a scene,
the microphone
“Overall, it could be The Junior pro-
stopped working,
forcing us to strain
seen that all grades
to hear the chorus had given tremen-
sing during the Jazz
dous amounts of ef-
dance, and com-
pared with the other
fort into one of the
productions, the largest productions.” the big paper
scenery fell short of
outstanding. All the
dance crews did fairly well, with
the exception of the Step crew
and the Indian dance crew. The
Step crew was amazing and the
incorporation of a battle between
the dancers was a fresh and very
trendy idea. Even without music,
they were unbelievably great and
enjoyable. However, the same
could not be said of the Indian
Interview with Naomi Hinchen
by Allen Wang, staff writer
Naomi Hinchen, a senior at
Stuyvesant High School, was
recently a contestant on the game
show Jeopardy. Hinchen, as well
as 14 other teens from across the
nation, participated in the annual
Teen Jeopardy tournament. After
coming from behind to win her
quarterfinal match, Hinchen lost in
the semifinals to eventual
champion David Walter of
Wilmington, Delaware. Here, she
shares with us her thoughts about
this event.
The Stuyvesant Standard: What
did you do to prepare for the
show? Any specifics?
Naomi: I didn't do any sort of
formal preparation at all; I
figured that cramming wasn’t
going to help right before the
show, and I wouldn’t have known
what to study anyway. But my
parents made sure that I knew the
name of the new U.N. Secretary
General, Ban Ki-Moon, in case it
Science
►Page 11
April 12, 2007
VOL. 6, No. 12
dance. The dancers were not in
sync, the music was not even of
Indian culture, and the boys
looked like they would rather be
scrubbing toilets. However, even
though the production only lasted
forty five minutes instead of the
normal hour, compared to last
years’ Soph Frosh, this one was
not so bad.
duction was last
but certainly not
least. The scen-
ery with the
clown drawn
background and
mashay hand
was very well
done. The story centered on one
circus’s competition with another
circus that just moved into town.
The cast did a wonderful job and
the dancing was amazing. Favor-
ites included but were not limited
SING
continues on page 2
came up.
TSS: Were there any particular
q u e s t i o n t h a t yo u fo u n d
interesting during the show?
Naomi: There was one where they
showed a map of Australia, and
from seeing the map you would
know the answer without even
reading the clue. On the show,
there’s a pause as we all look at it
and think, “That’s way too easy. It
must be a trick question.” You
don't really notice the pause as
much when it’s on TV, but I’m
sure the entire studio audience was
wondering why no one rang in
sooner.
TSS: What do you think you
gained from this experience? What
are your plans in the future in
terms of game shows, contests and
etc.?
Naomi: The best thing that I
gained from the experience was
making friends with the other con-
testants. I don’t have any specific
INTERVIEW continues on
page 2
2 THE STUYVESANT STANDARD April 12, 2007—VOL. 6, No. 12 NEWS

EDITORIAL
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD
Founded 2001
 

THE STUDENT UNION

 

“Your School, Your World—Your News”

Earlier this year, we reported on the inconsistencies at Student Union
Executive Leadership Team budget meetings. The right people failed to attend; other people voted in
their place. Minutes from the meeting could not be produced, and
attendance could not be provided. We’re happy to say that, almost three
DR. JOHN NIKOL FACULTY ADVISER
JENNIFER SCHLESINGER EDITOR IN CHIEF months later, some of our concerns are finally being looked into.
DEREK WENG MANAGING EDITOR We applaud President George Zisiadis’s decision to make changes
KHOI NGUYEN CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER in his second-term cabinet. Just because were appointed once does not
FANNY TANG LAYOUT EDITOR mean that they are automatically guaranteed the same job again,
DANNY ZHU COPY CHIEF especially if they fail at their basic duties, such as attending meetings.
JIMMY ZHANG NEWS EDITOR However, two developments trouble us. For one, nowhere in the Student
PRISCILLA MELO OPINIONS EDITOR Union’s constitution does it say that appointments are made on a term-
EMMA RABINOVICH ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR by-term basis. Secondly, it was mentioned that the lone attendance file
ERIC MAYO SPORTS EDITOR
JOSEPH KRUTOV SCIENCE EDITOR
was on a hard drive that became corrupted. Valuable files such as these
HANFORD CHIU BUSINESS EDITOR should be backed up. The Student Union cannot risk losing files due to a
LADA KUKUY LITERARY EDITOR computer crash.
DANNY ZHU WEBMASTER We also applaud the Student Union’s decision to look into its
BENNETT HONG DIRECTOR OF PHOTOJOURNALISM constitution. We have reported on many of the flaws that the document
DANIEL EGERS (‘03) FOUNDER possesses, and a subcommittee is a step in the right direction. The
ERNEST BASKIN (‘04) EDITOR EMERITUS subcommittee should take a look at Issues 6 and 8 as a starting point for
discussion.
Publication Stuyvesant is lucky to have a Student Union so dedicated to its
student body, something which the general population should take
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD is a nonprofit and nonpartisan publication pro- greater advantage of. By fixing the flaws in the budget process as well as
duced by the students of Stuyvesant High School. outlining the specific duties of each officer, the Student Union can fulfill
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD distributes 2,000 free copies on a bi-weekly its duty as the representatives of the student body.
basis to the students and faculty of Stuyvesant High School and through-
out the adjoining neighborhoods of TriBeCa and Battery Park City. The Stuyvesant Standard
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD welcomes letters from its readers.
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD reserves the right to edit any published mate-
rial. The viewpoints of contributors do not necessarily reflect the views of
the Standard staff. INTERVIEW many times when I didn't get a
continued from page 1 question because I couldn’t ring in
Copyright ©2006 THE STUYVESANT STANDARD soon enough. Also, I would have
plans to go on other game shows thought over my wagers a little
Contact Us — in fact, I’m forbidden to go on more, because I was really terrible
at wagering. But other than that, it
any others for six months — but I
Please direct all correspondence to: was luck of the draw. In the first
was recently in the National Vo-
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD cabulary Champi- round I got a total
345 Chambers Street of $2800 for
onship, though I
New York, NY 10282-1000 “The best thing I knowing my car-
didn't win any-
readers@stuystandard.org toons, and in the
thing. gained from the
Find us on the web at www.stuystandard.org second round I
TSS: You said
“making friends” experience was kne w I was
Advertising was the best thing. making friends screwed when I
If you would like to advertise in THE STUYVESANT STANDARD, please e-mail Can you describe looked up and the
with the other last two categories
advertising@stuystandard.org to request an advertisement form. We offer that a bit?
a broad range of options including full color capability for your advertis- Naomi: It was contestants” were Biology and
ing needs. really great to French. And then
Naomi Hinchen
meet so many in- the next group got
Jeopardy Contestant
teresting people, a category where
Subscription and we had a lot of they could only
fun hanging out together before, answer two of the five clues, and I
during and after the taping. After- knew every single one.
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD wards there were a few jokes about TSS: How did you feel losing in
SUBSCRIBE TODAY the outcome, such as when we the semifinals? What were your
1 YEAR — $15 were playing Apples to Apples and overall reactions?
Delivery Information David played a card that said “My Naomi: I was disappointed, but
Name:______________________________________________ Bank Account,” but there were no not so much because I lost as
Address:____________________________________________ hard feelings about who beat because I didn’t do better. But then
___________________________________________________ whom. Frank was on the next show and
Billing Information TSS: You played extremely well just barely lost because he
Please circle your choices below: during the quarterfinals, but not as miscalculated his wager, and I
Check Money Order Cash well during the semifinals. If you think that’s a much worse situation
Billing Address:______________________________________ were to done something differently to be in. If that had been me, I
___________________________________________________ the second time, whether it be pre- would still be kicking myself over
Please cut and mail to THE STUYVESANT STANDARD, 345 Chambers paring or anything if any, what it. At least losing by a lot means
Street, New York, NY 10282-1000 OR send the above informa- would it be? that I don't have to think “If I had
tion to subscription@stuystandard.org. Naomi: Firstly, I would work on just done X, Y and Z I could have
my buzzer reflexes. There were so won.” ◙
 NEWS April 12, 2007—VOL. 6, No. 12
THE STANDARD NEWS
Intel Science Talent
Search Champion
by Liwei Mao, staff writer was able to split light and use a
camera to record the resulting
Each year, thousands of high spectra. Although there were limits
school students send in their of the inexpensive laser she used
application to the Intel Science as her light source, she could make
Talent Search competition; 300 relatively accurate measurements.
semifinalist and 40 finalists are A senior at Westmore High
chosen of them. This year’s School in Oklahoma City, Mary is
finalist, Mary Masterman, was hoping to enroll at either Stanford
awarded a $100,000 scholarship on or MIT.
March 13 in Washington for John Pardonfrom Chapel Hills
successfully building a home-made High School in North Carolina
spectrograph. won second place
A spectro- and a $75,000
graph is an optical “One spectroscope
scholarship for his
instrument that could cost as mathematics re-
uses the light fre- must as $100,000. search of the un-
quencies emitted folding of simple
by heated particles Mary was able to
closed curves.
to identify mole- build the spectro- Dmitry Vaintrob
cules. A standard was awarded third
spectroscope can
scope at home for
place for his pro-
cost as much as merely $300.” ject in mathemat-
$100,000. Mary ics involving loop
was able to build the spectrograph homology.
at home for merely $300. In total, over 1,700 contestants
“I wanted to build one that entered the competition this year.
was lower-costing so it would be The 40 finalists each received a
available to anyone interested,” personal computer and a scholar-
Mary said. “The most challenging ship of at least $5,000. New York,
part was trying to get it to work.” as in the previous years, had the
According to Mary, the spec- largest number of finalists. Twelve
trograph took her three months to New Yorkers were finalists; none
build and another three months to of them, unfortunately, were from
get working. She found machining Stuyvesant. Two of these students
the parts and aligning the optics to
be the most challenging part of the
project. The end result, however, INTEL CHAMPION
was rewarding. Her spectrograph continues on page 4
Principal Autonomy
Increased
by Jerry Wang, staff writer disparaged. Eric Nadelstern, chief
executive of the school system’s
Power. For centuries, men empowerment initiative was
have fought over it, and people criticized for over two hours.
have died for it. What exactly is Councilmember John Liu believes
meant by power? For kings, it that Nadelstern’s efforts are all talk
means more land; for businessmen, and no action.
it means money, but what does it As Peter Parker’s Uncle Ben
mean for a principal? Mayor used to say, “With power, comes
Bloomberg’s administration is great responsibility.” Schools
planning on giving New York City Chancellor Joel I. Klein tried to
public school principals more reason with the critics by starting a
autonomy starting September. new program called the
However, New York Cit y Achievement Reporting and
lawmakers are condemning the Innovation System which will hold
decision and justifying their principals accountable for their
opinion by stating that there were schools’ results. A five-year, $80
not enough achievements made by million contract with I.B.M. will
principals that deserved additional
authority this year. Those who
AUTONOMY
support the choice are being
continues on page 4
Not the Usual Intel
Finalists
by Hesham Saleh, staff writer
The Intel Science Talent
Search dinner, in which the top 40
finalists were commemorated for
their work, took place on March
13. For the third year in a row,
neither Stuyvesant High School
students nor Bronx High School of
Science students attended.
Although Bronx Science and
Stuyvesant students were the
“expected” finalists for this
prestigious competition, that is no
longer the case, due to an increase
in research programs in most high
schools.
The Intel competition is
spreading
throughout the
nation’s high
schools. Previ-
ously, most
high schools
that competed
in this program
were situated in
New York City,
but this has
changed. Now
there are 24
other h i g h The top 10 finalists of the Intel Science thrilled about that.”
schools that Talent Search 2007.
have finalists
Source: http://www.sciserv.org/sts/index.asp
on the top 40 list. Some of these
schools are just outside the city,
while others are in the Midwest,
such as the Illinois Mathematics
and Science Academy.
POLICY
continued from page 1
Lee, is pushing for a college trip to
the Mid-Atlantic region early next
year in order to make up for the
missed trip.
In response to concerns about
too much homework being given
to students during vacation, a new
policy was but into place. It was
announced on the PA’s website.
The new policy is the product of
collaboration between Teitel, the
Student Leadership Team, and the
teachers. The policy says that
teachers must not give more home-
work than necessary for students to
remember what they have learned.
Furthermore, ample time must be
given to complete any projects
either before or after break so that
students who are unable to work
can still do the assignment. More-
over, no assignments may be given
that mandate visiting places in
New York. The policy is open-
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD 3
Why has there been such a drastic
change in finalists over the past
few years? First, New Yorkers
were common finalists because
they had the benefit of the subway
system, which allowed them to
easily travel to laboratories or
hospitals to conduct their research.
But now, the Internet has nearly
eliminated this advantage by
making communication easier.
Second, most rural high schools
have started research programs
designed to motivate and teach
students about scientific studying.
The fact that more students from
different areas are receiving better
educations is outstanding, and has
excited many
teachers and prin-
cipals. Valerie J.
Reidy, principal of
Bronx Science,
said “Am I happy
that our kids aren’t
winning first
prizes? No. But
that it’s traveling
far and wide and
other kids are get-
ting hooked, I’m
Stanley Teitel,
principal of Stuyvesant, expressed
similar feelings. “They are not
INTEL FINALISTS
continues on page 4
ended because of the differences in
classes and teaching style. Any
complaints with the policy should
be addressed to the Assistant Prin-
cipals.
This term, parents were not
given the opportunity to visit on a
school day and see classes. This is
a traditional part of Open School
Week. It took place up to the fall
term of this school year. Unfortu-
nately, very limited notice was
given out, leading many parents to
show up at Stuyvesant. These par-
ents were told by the security
guards that the event was cancelled
and they could not enter the build-
ing. The only notification was a
sentence in the PA’s March Bulle-
tin. Most parents had not yet re-
ceived the bulletin via mail. The
PA did announce to its e-mail list
that the bulletin was up. However,
many parents are not on the mail-
ing list. In general, parents feel that
proper notification should have
been sent out. ◙
4 THE STUYVESANT STANDARD April 12, 2007—VOL. 6, No. 12 NEWS
INTEL CHAMPION
continued from page 1
made it to the top ten.
American Colleges in India
Catherine Schlingehyde, from by Hesham Saleh, staff writer is also beneficial for Indians. Forty dents in an attempt to reform some
Oyster Bay High School, won percent of the Indian population is aspects of the Indian government
Recently, many American under 18, and a general lack of concerning foreign universities. As
fourth place for her research in business colleges, including Cor-
micro-RNA repression pathways. higher education in the country of now, most foreign universities
nell and Rice Uni- could hinder in India are under great restrictions
The other New Yorker, Rebecca versity, have been
Kaufman, from Croton-on Hudson, economic devel- from the law.
spreading their in- “There’s a world out opment. Further- But Hughes is optimistic that
was fifth place for her medicine fluences to foreign
and health project dealing with the there and we need to more, only 7 Indian law will become more wel-
countries, with India
effects of male hormones in rela- as their newest tar- discover it. It’ll make percent of Indi- coming to foreign universities. He
tion to sclerosis. Of the top ten get. American uni- our grads more com- ans ages 18-24
enter a univer-
hopes that the law will give Ameri-
can universities more freedom in
finalists, six were female. Intel versities have been
Chairman Craig Barrett said he petitive. sity. terms of their curriculum, tuition
working with small American uni- and salaries. It is projected that
was “heartened by the fact that private Indian uni- Madeleine Green versities have 1,500 colleges will be created in
more women were finalists and top versities to give In- Vice President, American only begun test- India over the next few years. This
10 winners this year than in any dian students an Council on Education ing the effect of will definitely better Indian educa-
year since Intel assumed the title education that will
sponsorship in 1998. When I meet their expansion tion; India’s current universities
make them success- to India. Karen P. Hughes, the lack major financial support.
young scientists like Mary, John, ful in the business world.
Dmitry and the other Intel STS public democracy representative of
Although American universi- the Bush administration, traveled
finalists, I know that the future of ties have their own set of motives COLLEGES
American innovation is bright.” ◙ to India with six university presi- continues on page 6
for expanding to India, the change

Clinton on the Move for

Source: Yahoo News

Women Voters
by SangHee Chung, columnist luncheon in Emily’s List, an for her policy on national security,
While in the race for the organization raising money for which created more allies than
presidency, Democrat female candidates favoring enemies.
Hillary Rodham abortion “I hope you'll join me on the
Clinton will be “When we throw open rights. Clinton hopes
campaign trail,” she said. “When
we throw open the doors of
attempting to draw in the doors of opportu-
the majority of voters, that the opportunity and break those glass
namely women, on nity and break those n a t i o n al ceilings, then we give everyone in
her campaign as the go ve r n me nt America a chance to be all that he
glass ceilings, then we will work or she can be.”
first female president.
“Today, women
give everyone in toward equal Some women, including
are a majority of the American a chance to p a y for Ellen Malcolm, founder of
voters, a majority of w o m e n . Emily’s List, believed that a
be all that he or she Although she woman like Clinton was needed
students in college,
Clinton delivers a speech to voters and we are a growing can be. criticized the in office.
during her campaign. She hopes to win presence in the B u s h “We need her influence, her
Hillary Clinton administration power, her expertise, her
a large percent of women voters as Congress. But there Democrat
potentially the first female president of are still far too few for failing to experience in the White House,”
the United States of America. women in leadership keep record of
positions,” Clinton said at a any gender discrimination in the CLINTON
workplace, she was most honored continues on page 6
AUTONOMY I.B.M. contract, acknowledging INTEL CHAMPION certain behaviors of firstborn chil-
continued from page 1 the complaints of no-bid contracts. continued from page 1 dren. Other ideas were more fun
Last year, a $15.6 million no-bid and theoretical. Daniel Mark, for
allow the city to see every contract with consulting firm Alva- going to allow me to monopolize example, used math to prove that
individual student’s progress in rez Marsal was signed. In an effort this competition, and I think that’s aliens would not be able to use
school. The program will be to help save money for the admini- wonderful,” he said. modern technology to monitor the
running by September and will stration, Alvarez Marshal advised Natalie Kvetyana, a senior Earth.
give each principal a letter grade a change in bus routes. The ad- who participated in this year’s The Intel competition has
from A to F to show if principals ministration supported the idea, competition, said, “We might have been a success since it was
are meeting the standard education leading to complaints from angry started off the Intel roller coaster, founded in 1941. Six Intel
performance. parents and coun- but more schools are jumping finalists have gone on to win
Principals who fail aboard. It doesn’t matter. All of us
can be removed
“Starting September c i l m e m b e r s . love to do research.”
Nobel Peace Prizes. But more
Councilmen Jack- importantly, the competition has
from their schools. 2008, even parents son and Garodnick This year’s finalists have motivated students all around the
Starting September can track their both used the inci- made significant attempts in con- nation to conduct research and
2008, even parents dent as a reason in tributing to science. Some created contribute to the world. In the
can track their
child’s progress us- devices that would help the dis-
rejecting the deci- words of Leon M. Lederman, a
child’s progress ing the system” sion to increase abled. For example, John Granata Physics Nobel laureate, “We also
using the system. principals’ auton- created a device that allows dis- have to have innovation if we’re
James Liebman, the school system omy. Many council members are abled persons to communicate going to survive, so you have to
chief’s accountability officer stated upset and concerned that the ad- using brain waves. nurture the gifted kids.” ◙
that the administration has already ministration chose not to discuss Other projects studied the per-
received 19 bids from major the changes concerning the princi- sonalities of humans. Ashley Bah-
technology systems regarding the pals with them and the parents. ◙ nkan tried to find answers about
 NEWS April 12, 2007—VOL. 6, No. 12
ELECTIVE REVIEW
Genetics Research
by Neeta Malviya, staff writer determined the presence or ab-
sence of a certain gene. Another
Genetics Research is a one- aspect of the lab was gaining mito-
term elective course taught by Dr. chondrial DNA sequences, which
Nedwidek. It is offered in the fall is DNA that is used to trace mater-
term only and is open to sopho- nal lineage. Upon receiving their
mores, juniors and seniors who own mitochondrial DNA se-
have completed a semester of biol- quences, students were also intro-
ogy. It serves as a prerequisite or duced to an online server which
co-requisite for A.P. Biology. they used to compare their se-
The goals of the course are to quences to those in the database.
“explore the study of The lab experi-
heredity across spe- ence included a
cies, become profi- “The course is on the tour of the fa-
cient in the practice difficult side at times cility as well.
and interpretation of According to
classical genetic and shouldn't be
one sopho-
analysis, and to con- taken lightly, but it is more, “The
nect classical genetic course is on the
studies with modern
a very interesting
genomic approaches.” course and you learn difficult times
side at
and
The topics cov- a great deal.” shouldn’t be
ered in the class in- taken lightly,
clude Punnett squares, Student but it is a very
probabilities, linkage,
Stuyvesant High School interesting
epistasis, genetic dis- class and you
eases, pedigrees, learn a great deal. I found the trip
DNA and gene expression, the to the DNA Learning Center very
central dogma, human genomics
exciting, especially since we were
and ethics. A wide variety of or- able to analyze our own DNA and
ganisms are studied in this course, actually use the tools used by re-
including humans and model or- searchers.”
ganisms such as the fruit fly and In terms of the grading policy,
certain bacteria. 70 percent are exams and the final
During the term an all-day trip exam, 20 percent are lab reports
is made to DNA Learning Center and homework, and 10 percent are
West at Cold Spring Harbor in class participation and classwork.
Lake Success, NY. This is where
individual students have a chance ◙ Stuyvesant.
to analyze their own DNA and
write lab reports based on their For further information on the
elective classes available at Stuy-
own data and the use of various
databases. Students perform DNA vesant, be sure to check the Pro-
gramming Office online Course
fingerprinting and set up and run
gel electrophoresis. One of the Guide, located at
http://register.stuy.edu/program_
analyses from last year was Alu
Fingerprinting, in which students office/course_descriptions.html
Science Olympiad States Competition at West Point
by James Zhang, news editor minute studying-to do some last
delayed-and catch up with a well
On March 9, while most peo- sleep schedule. As a early to prepare for the big day.
ple were still slaving away in noncompetitor, I was able to
school, the Stuyvesant Science observe much of the inner
Olympiad team prepared to leave workings of the competition
for the biggest event of the year: without having to feel the pressure.
the states competition. Members Noncompetitors occupied their
have been preparing for this day time by watching tech events,
since the beginning of the school which were often exciting. The
year. Disappointed at their fourth- Sumobots in particular were the
place ranking at the regional com- highlight of the tech events. The
petition, the team was determined competition has 25 events, which
to win. This spirit even passed cover most of the major science
over to noncompetitors, who, in topics, such as physics, biology
some cases, were even more and chemistry. Each team is
thrilled than the actual competi- allowed only 15 competing
tors. members, and at most seven can be
The Science Olympiad team seniors. In the end, every
-three departed Stuyvesant for a competitor has to be able to
hour bus ride to West Point. Many .compete in more than one event
competitors used this opportunity
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD 5
FACULTY FOCUS: COUNSELOR
Ms. Ferrer
by SangHee Chung, columnist writer and being able to know the
students beyond their transcript.
Raised in Queens and Long “We go to the core of who
Island, Diana Ferrer may be new the student really is as a person to
at Stuyvesant High School, but provide a well-rounded
she is certainly not a newcomer to assessment,” she said. “It’s very
college advising. She started her exciting. I love it.”
career as a college counselor and Her only complaint about
received the bulk of her expertise Stuyvesant is the commute, which
working for 10 years at the takes 90 minutes on a daily basis.
Manhattan Center for Science and Upon arriving at the school,
Math. Afterwards, she worked as Ferrrer’s typical day involves
a counselor for the Bronx High working for two to three periods
School of Science and worked in on SSRs. She spends the rest of
Region 1 in the Bronx, serving all the time working with individual
the schools in the area. students, answering phone calls
So far, Ferrer has found her
from parents, and keeping up
transition into Stuyvesant to be with records to make sure that
smooth and very natural. s t u d e n t s a r e me e t i n g t h e
“My peers
are very
graduation standards.
receptive,” she “I want to give Stuy- “When I work with
students, I want to
said. “They vesant students a make them feel like
have made they’ve accomplished
tremendous sense of self-
efforts to reach confidence and have something,” she said.
“They’re all very
out and help an appreciation for bright and intelligent,
and train me but the y’re all
whenever they their talents.”
different. I want to
can.” Diana Ferrer give them a sense of
A l t h o u gh Guidance Counselor self-confidence and
Ferrer only have an appreciation
started at for their talents. Overall, I want
Stuyvesant this spring term, she to make sure they are happy
has already developed a fondness beings. They shouldn’t compete
for the students. She felt that against each other, but against
there is a very diverse and themselves — to be the best that
multitalented student body at they can be.”
When she is not busy
“They’re leaders and young ado- assisting students and parents,
lescents maximizing their poten- Ferrer spends her time outside of
tials,” she said. “It’s extremely the building reading, talking
stimulating.” walks, going to the theater and
Her favorite thing about enjoying the natural environment
working at Stuyvesant is her around her. ◙
opportunity to work as an SSR
On March 10, the day of most medal in Designer Genes. When
of the events, members woke up the long-awaited awards ceremony
came along, the members were
Many had very few hours of sleep. ecstatic when it was announced
Valery Li, president, complained that Stuyvesant won 10th place.
of her 46 minutes of sleep. Alvis This was the best Stuyvesant’s
Yuen boasted of his being able to Science Olympiad team had ever
get over three hours of sleep. Be- performed in the states
sides those who were studying, competition. Stuyvesant came
some noncompetitors demon- forth as the highest-ranked school
strated unconstrained altruism, of New York City, defeating long-
making coffee runs to aid wearied time rival Townshend Harris High
teammates. I, on the other hand, School, who was ranked first place
teamed up with a few other observ- in the regional competition. On the
ers and had the most fun we could bus ride going home, nearly
have, even kicking a competitor everyone was asleep, fatigued
out of our room. from the two days of studying and
In the end, this late-night competing. However, there is no
cramming paid off and the Science doubt that, even while asleep, they
Olympiad was able to earn medals were extremely content with this
in five events, including a gold
year’s victory. ◙
6 THE STUYVESANT STANDARD
COLLEGES
continued from page 4
Currently, the largest group of
foreign students in America comes
from China and India. Approxi-
mately 160,000 students currently
attend American universities.
The increase of American
universities in India benefits both
India and America. According to
Madeleine Green, the Vice
President of American Council on
Education, “The pull factor is the
interest of India and the
opportunity that India now
presents. The push is from
American institutions saying,
‘There’s a world out there and we
need to discover it. It’ll make our
grads more competitive.’ It’s part
of their push to internationalize.”
Glenn Hubbard of Columbia
Business School further empha-
sized the point that both sides
NEED MONEY
FOR
COLLEGE?
Enter the Stuyvesant High School
Alumni Association College Schol-
arship Competition
10 to 15 Scholarships Will be
Awarded
The Alumni Association will award
more than $85,000 in college scholar-
ships this year.
Deserving Stuyvesant students will re-
ceive $1,000 to $25,000 each.
Included are awards of $10,000 each to
two seniors who will attend NYU.
Pick up and application in the Alumni
Office, Room 271A, or download one
from the stuy.edu website.
The deadline for submitting your com-
pleted application is Friday, April 27,
April 12, 2007—VOL. 6, No. 12
benefit from this reform. “For us
it’s market access,” he said, “for
them it’s access to a bigger busi-
ness school.”
With an increase of Ameri-
can universities in India, more
students are going back to school.
Vijay Muddana, who has a bache-
lor’s degree in technology, has
decided to go to the United States
to receive another degree. Al-
though Muddana is very comfort-
able with his decision, his father
is not. He does not know why
Muddana would want to leave his
job, which pays well, and go back
to school in the U.S. Muddana
said, “He’s presently thinking
only of the investment, not the
outcome.” The outcome, and
hope, of becoming a success in
Indian business is what has been
driving so many Indian students
to go back to school and earn a
degree. ◙
CLINTON
continued from page 4
Malcolm said.
However, others believed
that a female candidate would not
win the females over. Rather,
they would look at the candidate
as a whole.
“The XX chromosome alone
is probably not enough to win the
female vote,” said Phil
Trounstine from San Jose State
University. “All other things
being equal, women voters tend
to favor women candidates, but
FACULTY FOCUS: COUNSELOR
Ms. Guthrie
by SangHee Chung, columnist
Homerooms Covered: 1C, D
Raised in Brooklyn, Undine
Guthrie brings charm and charisma
to Stuyvesant, even while much of
her time is spent inside the
guidance office on the second
floor. Her sparkling personality
makes her a wonderful match as a
guidance counselor for students.
She originally worked as a college
advisor for one year at a small
school in Brooklyn and came to
Stuyvesant five years ago as a
health teacher. She found the
transition from health teacher to
guidance counselor relatively
smooth because of the many
common lessons learned
between health and
“There is more to
counseling.
When asked why she life than competing. I dents, an-
chose to work as a want students to rec- swers
guidance counselor, she
quoted from one of her ognize their own val- phone
books: “We must always
change, renew and rather than just as a conducts
rejuvenate ourselves;
otherwise, we will
harden.”
However, the change Guidance Counselor
in experience is not the
whole reason that Guthrie
began counseling. She enjoys
interacting with her students and
getting to know them better as
people.
“I want to motivate my
students and help them to think of
themselves more as social and
emotional beings,” she said. “I
like having them not worrying
about their grades. There is more
to life than competing. I want
students to recognize their own
values as a person rather than just
as a student.”
She describes Stuyvesant
students as innovative, mature
and go-getters. Her favorite thing
about the community is the
NEWS
women voters are not one-
dimensional. They’re going to
look at a whole variety of
characteristics and assets that a
candidate has.”
A new website has also
launched for women as a means
to “offer a real opportunity for
her in getting the Democrat
nomination.” The website, which
c a n b e f o u n d a t
www.icanbepresident.com, links
to Clinton’s campaign Web page,
allowing users to support and
learn more about her policies. ◙
chance she has to interact with
students and faculty and the op-
portunity to learn something new
every day. However, her least
favorite thing is the pressure that
many of the students face, which
she believes can either motivate
them or cause them to crumble.
Within her small, busy of-
fice, Guthrie hopes to “try to have
students to lead meaningful lives
while enjoying themselves and
prepare for the future” and most
importantly to encourage them to
be themselves.
“I want them to make the
most out of what they have,” she
said. “I want them to be grateful
and appreciative of themselves.”
On a typical day, Guthrie
receives
updates
from stu-
calls from
ues as a person parents,
student.” inter-
views, and
checks
Undine Guthrie
students’
records.
Outside of
Stuyvesant, she enjoys working
out, which helps her to relieve
stress and feel better about her-
self. In addition, she likes to eat,
especially at restaurants. Her fa-
vorite foods are Caribbean and
Thai, and her favorite restaurant
is Footprints, which serves Carib-
bean food.
Overall, Guthrie enjoys
spending her time around other
people and helping those in need
by giving them words of encour-
agement. As I prepared to leave
our interview, she quoted from
her book, “Walking is the best
possible exercise. Habituate your-
self to walk very far.” ◙
 OPNIONS April 12, 2007—VOL. 6, No. 12 THE STUYVESANT STANDARD 7

Why the
‘F-Word’?
by David Mannes, staff writer
Recently, at the Conservative
Political Action Conference, Ann
Coulter enraged many people with
the following comment: “I was
going to have a few comments on
the other Democratic presidential
candidate John Edwards, but it
turns out you have to go into rehab
if you use the word ‘f-----,’ so I —
so kind of an impasse, can’t really
talk about Edwards.”
It was pointless for Coulter to
call John Edwards this word. She
clearly has strong political be-
liefs, and is most likely capable
of presenting an intelligent argu-
ment. While that would not have
gotten her as much publicity as
her controversial joke, it would
have probably convinced a lot
more people to agree with her.
In her defense Coulter said
that the word is a “schoolyard
taunt.” She also said that she was-
n’t speaking in a way that was
offensive to homosexuals, but
rather to suggest that John Ed-
wards is a “wuss.”
Sadly, this horrible word has
become a schoolyard taunt, a fact
Disregarding All Direction
by Amna Ahmad, columnist
Our lives are centered largely
around exams. We learn to know
the College Board better than our
own grandparents. We go to prep
programs, forcing our parents to
invest ridiculous sums of money to
improve our test-taking abilities. In
fact, we are so concentrated on
test-taking that we are able to sit
glued to the seat of a cold, rusty
metal chair conveniently decorated
with assortments of gum and graf-
fiti for three hours or sometimes
more just to make a few marks on
paper. It is my personal opinion
that tests are generally neither a
measure of competency in a field,
nor credible in deciphering intelli-
gence. Accordingly, I decided to
give a focus group of Stuyvesant
students the first fair test that they
had probably ever encountered.
Unfortunately, the majority of stu-
dents failed.
The test that I had adminis-
tered served no purpose other than
to test the ability of students to
follow directions. I gave the stu-
dents a test paper and told each of
them these exact words: “Fill this
out and follow directions. You are
not allowed to ask me any ques-
OPINIONS
STUY VOICE
Don’t ask the person giving you
the survey any questions. Do not
answer any questions. Then hand
in your paper.” Interestingly
enough, 76 percent of students
chose to answer the questions pro-
vided on the test paper when all
they needed to do to pass was
write their name, leaving the ques-
tions blank.
I think that perhaps it is fair to
attribute this trend of tackling the
questions first rather than reading
the directions to the idea that the
main goal of tests is to get the right
answers. Yet on some tests there
are multiple correct answers, but
just one that is “the most correct,”
as can be seen in the critical read-
ing section of the SAT, for in-
stance. Test answers over the years
have also been written biasedly,
utilizing subjective terms that we
are all too commonly expected to
identify, although such terms can-
not logically be presented in con-
junction with facts, but rather opin-
ions on a topic.
Perhaps I hadn’t noticed what
a nervous test taker looked like, or
the extent of blatancy of our
obsession with tests, because I had
never actually had a chance to look
around the room at all of my
would indeed be evident, and I am
nearly certain that reading
directions would be the last thing
on students’ minds, as they
disregard all directions to show off
what they “really” know, as if it
mattered.
Needless to say, the students
taking my “exam” displayed some
inappropriate behavior. As the test
“proctor” I was bombarded with
questions although the directions
had overtly stated that students
were not permitted to ask me any
questions. In addition to the shak-
ing, twitching, and sweating that I
had witnessed throughout the
course of administering the tests, I
watched as students aggressively
chewed on the pens that I had
given them to use. When I re-
minded one student that the pen
she was chewing on was mine, she
hastily removed the pen from her
mouth and made a gesture as
though she were shamefully offer-
ing it back, slobber and all. I’m not
sure if pen-loaners are typically
expected to accept chewed-up pens
back from those who borrowed
them, but I surely did not. ◙
Fo l l o we d
di r e c t i ons
( P a sse d

that anyone walking around Stuy-
vesant can attest to. However,
I’ve heard students at Stuyvesant
use a lot worse than this as a
tions.” The directions on the test t e st )
classmates during a test, but I
paper were as follows “Put your
D i d n ot
assume that similar behaviors f ol l ow
name on the top of the paper. di r e c t i ons
( Fa i l e d

Perils of Finding an Online Friend

taunt. Just because kids use a
phrase as an insult, it doesn’t
make that phrase appropriate or
politically correct. MySpace, Facebook and predators and stalkers to follow
Source: Facebook

Although Coulter shouldn’t Sconex are just a few of the their prey.
have used the word in reference websites that teenagers use daily An anonymous freshman
to John Edwards, she clearly did- to find friends or potential mates. confided to me that she stalks
n’t mean what she said as an in- Personal information such as their “[her] crush on MySpace and
sult to homosexuals. John Ed- full name, age, home address and Facebook every single day.” This
wards is married with kids, so the even cell phone number are is not only indicative of a
insult wasn’t directed at Edwards’ shown to attract physiological
sexuality. In addition, Coulter web users. As if
stood up for gay rights at another “The Internet is not problem, but also
Although the Internet is a great tool that isn’t enough, an unnecessary
point in the same speech. teenagers post only a form of ex- distraction from
for information, online predators may
Coulter did make one really suggestive photos changing ideas, but a more important
use information posted on online com-
good point about the joke, and munities to their advantage. of themselves for things like family,
that was that it wasn’t only a joke form of sharing in-
the world to see. friends and
about John Edwards. The state- This abundant formation as well. schoolwork.
by Hui Ting Jiang, staff writer
ment was also mocking the fact amount of Sadly, sometimes this Online predators
that an actor on the show Grey’s The Internet is probably one information might
Anatomy, Isaiah Washington, of the greatest inventions ever. It be useful for a
information is illicit are more common
than they used to
was forced to receive counseling not only connects people halfway fellow classmate or inaccurate.” be, mainly due to
after calling a fellow actor this around the world, but also allows to contact that the fact that
degrading term. The people who information to be sent in bulk individual for t e e n a ge r s are
got angry over what she said instead of the old-fashioned mail homework help or clarification on more trusting of “outsiders.” At
overreacted to a joke about how or fax. The Internet is not only a a lesson. However, that is not the first, predators pretend to be
form of exchanging ideas, but a case most of the time.
form of sharing information as Information, such as that listed
VULGARITY well. Sadly, this information is above, is usually used by ONLINE PERILS
continues on page 7 sometimes illicit or inaccurate. continues on page 7
8 THE STUYVESANT STANDARD
ONLINE PERILS
continued from page 6
fr iendl y, accepting and
sympathetic people. As their
re lationshi p deve lops into
something more complex, the
predator will pounce and pressure
its “prey” in illicit activities by
providing money, lavish gifts,
attention and promiscuously
taken photos. Usually, teenagers
cave into the pressure and
unwillingly do things they
normally would not do.
A show recently done by
NBC called “To Catch A Predator
III” illustrated tactics that online
predators use to lure susceptible
teenagers. Initially, the predator
introduces him/herself as a
prospective friend that would do
nothing to harm them and
everything to benefit them. As the
friendship progresses, he or she
will slowly incorporate topics
about sex into conversations. This
is a major red flag in identifying
predators, but teenagers’ interest
in such matters will often
overcome their instincts. Soon,
the predator will suggest a secret
meeting for the two to meet,
which later may culminate in
sexual activities. NBC
correspondent Chris Hansen
caught fifty men trying to engage
minors in sexual activity.
Surprisingly, all fifty men
pleaded not guilty in court. ◙
Letter to the
Editor
26 Homerooms — 13 Counselors
Do the math!
Why isn’t the college office writ-
ing SSR's?
Who knows better than the college
office what the colleges are look-
ing for in an SSR?
The members of the guidance de-
partment must serve as guidance
counselors and grade advisors, in
addition to writing all SSRs. Their
caseload assignment is as follows:
The college office has gone from 2
positions to 3 full-time counselors,
who have the following caseload
to advise on their college choices.
They also have two full-time sec-
retaries and a school aide to assist
them with the paper work. Their
caseload assignment is as follows:
PAT CLEARY : 5A-5E
GREGG W ALKES: 5F-5Q
KATE OLIVER: 5R-5ZD
How can we better serve our stu-
dents?
Regards,
Concerned for Stuyvesant Students
April 12, 2007—VOL. 6, No. 12 OPINIONS
HPV: The Human “Promiscuity”
Virus Vaccine?
Source: Corbis
vaccine, states have considered potentially life-saving vaccine
making the HPV vaccine a part of because it might promote
the regular vaccination schedule promiscuity.
for young girls. The first state to I ask everyone who opposes
make HPV vaccination ma n d a t o r y va c c i n a t i o n t o
mandatory was Texas. However, reconsider their unfair assessment
despite the benefits of the of the vaccine. First of all, the
vaccine, some parents are vaccine only prevents one
opposed to mandatory HPV disease, cervical cancer. If the
vaccination. In traditional areas, teen was to have sex, there are
such as the Bible Belt in the many other risks and STDs, such
South, the vaccine is opposed as syphilis, gonorrhea, and
primarily because parents are herpes, to consider. The idea that
Cypro-electron micrograph of the afraid that the new vaccine will the HPV encourages sexual
human papilloma virus. HPV may make adolescents more bold and behavior is as crazy as the idea
cause warts or papillomas in various more likely to have sex. As a
result, legislators are reluctant to HPV continues on page 10
by Alvis Yuen, columnist push for mandatory vaccination,
Source: Corbis
for fear of reprisal from
Every year, 250,000 women
unsupportive parents.
d i e fr o m c e r vi c a l c a n ce r
It is absurd to oppose
worldwide. In the last decade,
mandatory HPV vaccination on
scientists have discovered that
the grounds that the vaccine
more than 70 percent of cervical
would promote promiscuity. If
cancers are caused by HPV, the
there were a better reason, such
human papillomavirus. In 2006,
as possible damage to the body, it
the FDA approved a vaccine that
would be reasonable to oppose
would prevent cervical cancer by
mandatory vaccination. Millions
stopping HPV. Studies have shown
of dollars were invested to invent
that the vaccine was over 95
the vaccine. It is a disgrace to
percent effective in preventing
label the lifeblood of scientists as
cervical cancer. The onl y
something promoting
requirement of the vaccine is that it
promiscuous behavior, when their Gardasil, the world’s first cervical
must be administered before any
aim was to save lives. It is an cancer vaccine, is on display during its
sexual activity to prevent previous
insult to the victims of cervical launch in Sydney. It aims to halt the
transmission of the virus.
cancer when parents refused the spread of HPV, which causes cervical
With the advent of the HPV cancer.
Counselor Room Ext. Seniors Juniors Sophomores Freshmen
BIEGELSON Jay 236R 2385 7B 7J 7JA 5A 5G 3A 3B 3JA 1A 1B
FERRER Diana 236L 2383 7T 7V 5T 5V 5W 3T 3U 1T 1U
GUTHRIE Undine 236A 2362 7C 7D 5C 5D 5E 3C 3D 3E 1C 1D
MC CRAY Jan 236C 2363 7F 7H 7S 5JA 5JB 3F 3G 3H 1F 1G 1H
MUI John 236F 2366 7K 7L 7R 5J 5K 5L 3J 3K 1J 1K
NEGRIN Meredith 2360 2364 7E 7M 7N 5M 5N 3M 3N 3O 1M 1N 1O
RAJWANT Shaklra 2368 2361 5B 5F 3L 3W 3Z 1E 1W
SCHINDLER Mazra 236G 2367 7P 7Q 7W 5P 5D 3P 3O 1P 1O
VIBOCH Marev 236N 2386 7A 7G 7Z 5H 5R 5S 3R 1L 1R
WANG Jeremy 2360 2387 7X 7Y 5X 5Y 5Z 3X 3Y 1X 1Y 1Z
 OPNIONS April 12, 2007—VOL. 6, No. 12 THE STUYVESANT STANDARD 9

STUY VOICE Giving Retry Programs

The Other Side of a Two- a Try
Face Government by Hui Ting Jiang, staff writer grams such as Span Inc. and
America Works Incorporated aid
It is surprising to learn that in in their efforts to “turn over a new
by Amna Ahmad, columnist vesant students polled on this par- the 21st century, some families are
ticular topic claimed that only the leaf.”
Whether we like it or not, the barely making ends meet. As Correction programs are
actions made by politicians on the reported by ABC’s 20/20 on
types of politicians a country has campaign trail as well as in their similar to Alcoholic Anonymous
say a lot about its government and January 26, families residing in meetings. They are “safety nets”
work lives should be taken into Camden, New Jersey are faced
how effectively and justly solu- consideration, and that the per- that wrongdoers are put into after
tions to national problems are pro- with the sounds of gunfire and their release from prison. These
sonal life and police sirens every single day. Due
posed and executed. past decisions “nets” are guides to assist them in
Our futures depend to the dire circumstances, an not only realizing their wrongs, but
“These suggested made by a forth- alarming number of citizens have
on some of the deci- coming politi- also correcting them. In the proc-
sions that these poli- personal past choices cian have no turned to criminal activities to help ess of correcting their previous
ticians make, but it and experiences are affect on their pay the mortgage or support the thoughts and actions, ex-convicts
quite difficult to family. This can only lead to one are educated in skills needed in
trust politicians who
valuable in judging judgment of the thing: jail. life. Skills such
don’t even have the potential charac- politician. In As our as expressing
disagreement minds conjure “Skills such as convers-
themselves all fig- ter of a prospective with the student one’s thoughts,
ured out. While up images of ing one’s thoughts, being being able to
political candidate body, I believe penitentiaries
they are considered that politicians able to handle money and handle money
role models through- before reaching of- and convicts in and remaining
should be judged them, figures remaining diligent are
out their duration in fice.” in every area of diligent are
office, they are inca- of men bashing taught to prevent them taught to pre-
their life and each other’s
pable of erasing work. Accordingly, had the entire from falling into the same vent them from
their past lives and private affairs, heads and scat- falling into the
population of Bush supporters tered tattoos on trap and landing in a jail same trap and
which continue to haunt them as taken the time to do a little re-
they serve their terms in office. their bodies
search on our current president come to mind.
cell.” landing in a jail
Whereas politicians may hold the before they chose to reelect him, cell again.
title of senator, congressman, or However, soci- These skills are then applied by the
they would have learned that there ety has not given these human be-
even president, some have made is clearly nothing that is the slight- ex-convicts when they are finished
disreputable decisions before they ings the chance that they deserve. with their program, to support
est bit admirable or even compe- A criminal only turns to lying,
came to their elite status. This tent about him. We make fun of them in finding jobs and building
suggests that personal past choices stealing and cheating when pushed better lives for themselves. Ac-
all the stupid things leaders of to the limit, with nothing else to
and experiences are valuable in
judging the potential character of a turn to. It is unfair not to give them
prospective political candidate. GOVERNMENT an opportunity to become the best RETRY PROGRAM
However, 73 percent of Stuy- continues on page 10 that they can be. Correctional pro- continues on page 10

C-P-R: What it Really Should Mean

by Dennis Ng, staff writer
C-P-R. You see this three-
letter acronym on New York
Police Department (NYPD) cars
racing to a crime scene. You see it
on the NYPD traffic car that is
double-parked when tickets are
being given. You see it on the
NYPD School Safety car outside
Stuyvesant. What does it stand for?
No, it’s not cardiopulmonary
resuscitation. Rather, it indicates
the department’s motto courtesy,
respect and professionalism for its
members and the communities it
serves.
As one of the forces that keep
New York on its feet, the NYPD
helps the city curb crime, regulate
traffic and keep students be safe
in schools. Its motto to provide
C-P-R to the city is well-
intended. However, it is not
always followed.
Recently, the shootings that
killed the unarmed Sean Bell
brought international attention to
the brutality of some police
officers. The officers shot 50
times into a car outside a
nightclub in Jamaica, Queens,
killing Bell on the morning
before he was to get married.
Two of the officers who fired
sh ot s we re c ha r ge d wi t h
manslaughter and another was
charged with reckless
endangerment. Some years ago,
in another brutal police
manslaughter, the unarmed
Amadou Diallo was killed by
police with 41 shots and 19
beatings.
Clearly, not all police
officers serve the city with the C-
P-R policy in mind. In fact, many
school safety agents seem to be
unaware of such a guideline.
Even at Stuyvesant where safety
is usually not a concern, the
agents are disrespectful of the
students and walk in the building
as if they were the kings and
queens of the school.
I remember walking into
S t u yv e s a n t f o r t h e ma t h
placement exam several years
ago; one safety agent bid me
good morning. In fact, all of the
safety agents seemed to be
friendly to the students and in
turn they were treated the same.
Now, several new agents to the
school need to do the same.
On Parent/Teacher
Conference evening, I was
preparing to leave the building
and was walking with my parents
and a friend. It was around 9, half
an hour after the official end of
conferences. I went to my locker
to gather my books and my friend
did the same. Two security
guards threatened her and asked
her why she was in the building
so late. She replied that the
t e a c h e r s h e wa s h e l p i n g
continued conferences until 8:55.
The guards nastily told her she
should have gone to her lockers
earlier as it was “ridiculous” for
her to leave so late. Naturally, the
security guards did not tell me to
leave because my parents were
standing nearby. Are the security
guards justified in treating
students as such? Obviously not.
Other parents left around 9 as
teachers devoted extra time
talking to parents. Why didn’t the
security guards tell them and the
teachers to quickly leave the
building? It’s all because of the
ages of the students. What
courtesy, respect, and
professionalism was there?
Even more appalling was the
language of another security
guard. She was patrolling the
third floor and was asking
students to leave the floor. Many
students gathered outside the
gymnasium before class and were
in the atrium, conversing with
one another. The guard, annoyed
at the many students, exclaimed
that gym messed everything up,
but not as nicely. Again, C-P-R
was not applied here. It is
absolutely unprofessional for
school staff members to use such
atrocious language in school.
Also, some of the security
guards seem to be ignorant of the
school rules. For example, students
are allowed to congregate on the
second floor from the entrance to
the double doors near the
CPR
continues on page 10
10 THE STUYVESANT STANDARD
RETRY PROGRAM
continued from page 9
cording to America Works sur-
veys, over 70 percent of offenders
found jobs after being discharged.
You might be thinking: why
give these criminals a chance?
Simply put, it is not only beneficial
to the released criminals, but to
society as well. Correction pro-
grams need workers with dedica-
tion, loyalty and guidance which
supply the general public with a
surplus of jobs. In addition, the ex-
convicts are an example to other
criminals that there is still hope
and it is never too late to change,
thus decreasing the numbers of
thieves and robbers out on the
streets. In the end, re-try programs
are valuable not only to offenders,
but to everyday citizens as well. It
is wrong for anyone to think that
citizens who have been in jail are
worthless and disposable. Every-
one deserves a second chance, no
matter what they did wrong in the
past. ◙
VULGARITY
continued from page 8
people overreact when the word
is used.
Coulter’s intention in making
this joke was to get publicity.
She could have easily insulted
Edwards and mocked what hap-
pened to Isaiah Washington in
two separate jokes. She chose to
say something controversial, and
to see how many people would
become infuriated over a joke
about how society overreacts to
controversial statements. ◙
April 12, 2007—VOL. 6, No. 10
CPR continued from page 9
classrooms. After school, a
security guard asked my friends
and me to leave, stating “You all
have got to leave. Don’t stand
here.” Of course, she overstepped
her duties as we were standing to
the side, next to Ms. Damesek’s
office, and we were following all
GOVERNMENT
continued from page 9
other nations have done and laugh,
but unfortunately our president is
the first president to have a crimi-
nal record for drunk driving and
was neither a role model nor star
student in college.
I highly doubt that a cheese-
doodle choking drunk cheerleader
from Texas who struggles to
maintain a grade point average of
C is what we aspire to be as
Americans. So why did
Americans vote for one? The
answer to this question would be
that many Americans didn’t know
better. Sixty-three percent of
students stated that they knew
very little about the personal lives
of politicians, and I think that
perhaps this figure would hold
true for the population of
American voters as well.
Barack Obama has been sub-
ject to prejudice and bias as a
presidential candidate from poten-
tial voters who don’t seem to be
ready for an African-American
president born to a Muslim father.
Seventy-three percent of students
in believe that they would consider
the race of a politician before vot-
ing for them. In a similar regard,
64 percent of students believe that
school rules.
The school safety agents have
to remember one important thing:
If it were not for students, they
would not have their jobs! As a
student, I treat my fellow students,
teachers, and other school
employees well and expected to be
treated the same in return. The
they would consider religion as a
factor when voting in the future. I
don’t think anyone has the right to
appraise Obama based on his race
or religious background, and I
think that we should rather make a
point of looking further into
grounded conclusions that can be
made of his character. Perhaps,
instead of focusing so much atten-
tion on his race, we should ponder
his admitted drug-using tendencies
in college. If a politician made
such a foolish decision as an adult,
how could we possibly trust him to
make the correct decisions for the
nation in the future?
Although Al Gore isn’t run-
ning for president, he has still been
in the news for quite a while be-
cause of his fairly recent documen-
tary. I never personally cared to
unplug my coffee machine and
computer at night to conserve en-
ergy because frankly, whatever I
would be doing would not be at all
significant in our efforts to con-
serve energy and save Mother
Earth. I know what you’re think-
ing, I should listen to Gore, be-
cause he knows better. Why
should I have to conform to his
suggested actions, if his electric
bill comes in at $1,200 a month on
average? Correspondingly, 85
OPINIONS
school security agents are at
Stuyvesant to protect the school
and foster an environment in
which students can successfully
learn and have some of the best
four years of their lives in the best
high school in New York. Is it
really that much to ask to be
treated with C-P-R?
percent of students believe that
politicians have a general tendency
to not practice what they preach
and instead act out of hypocrisy.
Rather than regarding the race,
religion, or economic background
of potential politicians, we should
venture further to predict what
decisions they might make in of-
fice from what they’ve proven to
be their personal identity, con-
sciously paying mind to the other
side of our two-faced government.
HPV
continued from page 8
that a tetanus vaccine would
encourage people to step on more
rusty nails. On the flip side, the
vaccine could serve as a deterrent
of sex; the vaccine is a constant
reminder that sexual behavior can
lead to cancer. I hope people can
throw away their sensitivity to the
sexual aspects of the vaccine.
This vaccine is like any other
vaccine a person gets as a young
child.
If parents choose to believe
that the HPV vaccine promotes
sexual promiscuity, consider this:
would you rather your daughter
die from cervical cancer, or have
sex? ◙
 SCIENCE April 12, 2007—VOL. 6, No. 12 THE STUYVESANT STANDARD 11

SCIENCE
“Missing Is There Anybody Out There?
Chunk” of by John Yoon, staff writer numbing and difficult, while the SETI has currently only ob-

Earth Poses
chances of a reward are very served 750 solar systems, but
Of all the overly-debated and slim. “It’s like pulling the lever within the next 25 years, technol-
controversial subject matters in the on a slot,” states senior ogy is expected to improve enough
Threat to
field of science, few come close to astronomer Seth Shostak. “The that a few million more systems
the sheer passion generated by the next quarter might be it.” will be viewable. Shostak uses
possibility of extraterrestrial
Tectonic
So while many people find this fact to wager a Starbucks cof-
beings. The science fiction novels the search for life on other worlds fee with his interrogators that “the
inspired by these arguments are to be futile and hopeless, Shostak question of whether mankind is
Theory
limitless, ranging remains optimistic
from Orson Scott about the data that
Card’s Ender’s
“The question of EXTRATERRESTRIALS
whether mankind is SETI has collected, continues on page 12
Game to H. G. and the data it will
Source: zeenews.com

Wells War of the alone in the universe collect in the future.

Source: amazon.com
Worlds. To
many people, will be settled by the For example, it has
been proven that
however, the year 2025.” harsh conditions
idea of an alien can still propagate
civilization re- life, with the prime example
mains in the world of fiction, and being Earth, which has many
the few people who cling to their places with extreme weather and
faith are scoffed at, but there might temperatures that still give birth
A team of British scientists set out to
be more reason to “believe” than to organisms. In addition,
study a newly discovered “missing
chunk” in the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. previously supposed. astronomers now believe that
Many respected astronomers anywhere from 5 percent to 90
and physicists solemnly occupy percent of all stars are orbited by
by Omar Ahmad, staff writer
their time with the pursuit of planets; that is equal to 10 million
From elementary school to our extraterrestrial creatures. One other solar systems. SETI
current high school careers, we major organization is SETI, or theorizes that of these billions
have been taught that the Earth’s Search for E xtraterr estria l upon billions of planets, there H.G. Well’s War of the Worlds speaks
continents are in constant motion, Intelligence. The experiments exists at least one alien species. of the possibility of the existence of
in a process known as plate tecton- that they conduct are mind- extraterrestrial beings.
ics. This process involves the shift-
ing of “plates” that are beneath the
Earth’s crust, but above the Earth’s
mantle. These plates are said to be
Obesity Count Triples Among U.S.
in motion for certain amounts of
time, until they collide with other
plates. These plates should block
Teens, Raises Many Questions
our view of the mantle that is hid- left with many psychological age. In a study of 354 girls at the
Source: Yahoo News

den beneath. But is that really so? problems once the y reach University of Mott Children’s
A team of twenty British sci- adulthood. Obesity is becoming an Hospital in Michigan, those who
entists set sail to study a newly epidemic among the young and not were fatter at the age of 3 and
discovered phenomenon along the enough is being done to protect continued to gain weight for the
Mid-Atlantic Ridge: a gaping hole, them. next 3 years had reached puberty
approximately 2.25 miles deep, The number of teens that get by the age of 9. The trend is
that unveils the previously hidden a surgery believed to
mantle of the Earth. The problem t r e a t me n t for “Obesity is becoming contribute to the
is that a tectonic plate should be obesity is early maturation
visible at the site, but, currently, skyrocketing.
an epidemic among of girls in the
only the molten material of the Luckily, teens the young and not United States.
mantle resides there. Especially at Childhood obesity may cause earlier have been found enough is being done Early puberty has
this area, the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, puberty in some girls. to recover faster been connected
notorious for earthquakes and from the surgery
to protect them..” with negati ve
other happenings of the sort, a by Garry Chien, staff writer
than adults. In o u t c o m e s ,
plate should exist. Often, upon hearing of the 2003, teens recovered in an including psychiatric disorders,
One reason that people do not dangers of obesity, one average of 3.2 days as opposed to deficits in ps ychosocial
believe that it is indeed the mantle immediately thinks of heart 3.5 days for adults. However, functioning, earlier use of
at the entrance to the hole along disease, high blood pressure, they have been found to suffer alcohol, earlier sexual
the Ridge is that the Earth’s crust diabetes and cancer. However, more psychological problems intercourse, and increased rates of
is supposedly much thicker than a obesity may also trigger early than adults such as a crash in obesity and cancer.
mere 2.25 miles. If it is true that puberty, which is extremely weight, or identity issues. The These are not the only
the mantle is present only 2 miles unhealthy. Many teens are now at teens are put in situations they problems of the new obesity
under the surface, then there must risk as the occurrence rate of never believed they would be in. epidemic. A large problem is that
already be a large portion of the obesity continues to climb. For As if cancer or heart disease an obese person usually continues
crust missing. The missing instance, the rate of obesity is not bad enough, scientists have to become even more overweight.
surgery for teens has tripled in the discovered that the obese young
last few years, and while teen are also more likely to reach
MISSING CHUNK OBESITY
patients recover quickly, they are puberty before others of the same
continues on page 12 continues on page 12
12 THE STUYVESANT STANDARD April 12, 2007—VOL. 6, No. 10 SCIENCE
EXTRATERRESTRIALS
Our Thoughts: Once Private, Now Exposed continued from page 11

to the Public alone in the universe will be settled

by the year 2025.”
by SangHee Chung, columnist “The fact that we can volunteers were only focused on So i f, h ypot het ica ll y
determine what intention a person the two possibilities, rather than speaking, we finally made contact
Scientists in Germany, is holding in their mind pushes the infinite choices people may with an alien, just what should be
Britain, and Japan have found a the level of our understanding of have in other situations. expected? The sci-fi traditional
way to “read minds” using subjective thought to a whole Once the technology becomes image of an insect-like creature
functional magnetic resonance new level,” said Dr. Paul Wolpe, more developed, it can have a wide (the “Buggers” from Ender’s
imaging (fMRI) and computer a psychiatry professor at the range of uses, from criminal inter- Game) or an anthropomorphic
programs. This may seem straight University of Pennsylvania. rogations to airline security creature (such as the Alien or
out of a science-fiction novel, but Led by Dr. John-Dylan checks. It may even be used one Predator) is thought to be highly
it’s reality. Ha ynes, the day for people who are paralyzed. unlikely, and these images tell us
Volunteers research team By understanding intentions, the more about the human psyche
were slid into an than anything else.
MRI machine and
“These technologies, tried to identify technology could carry out instruc-
Many other theories of just what
which part of the tions such as changing television
asked to perform for the first time, give b r a i n stored channels or using the Internet. the first alien-human encounter
simple tasks, such us a real possibility intentions, and There are, however, ethical will be like are suggested. As
as adding and sub- eventually came issues involving potential abuse by some scientists frankly state, “The
tracting or decid- of going straight to universe is three times as old as the
across the authorities, marketers, or employ-
ing on buttons to the source to see prefrontal cortex ees. earth, so there’s opportunity for
push. The scien- what somebody is region. “These technologies, for the civilizations that are billions of
tists were able to “If you knew first time, give us a real years ahead of us.” Their superior-
accurately deter- thinking or feeling.” ity to the human race could be so
which thought possibility of going straight to the
mine their inten- Dr. Hank Greenly signatures to look source to see what somebody is huge that to humans, any form of
tions 70 percent of Stanford University for, you could thinking or feeling, without them technology or communications
the time. Although theoretically having any ability to stop us,” would be considered magic. But
scientists have predict in more said Dr. Hank Greenly from once again, this edges on the side
already known about detecting detail what people were going to Stanford Univer sit y. “T he of fiction, so while the possibility
physical motions before they ap- do in the future,” said Haynes. concept of keeping your thoughts of extraterrestrial life is out there,
pear, this is the first time they have Currently, however, the private could be profoundly one shouldn’t hope too much for a
identified decisions in more com- technology cannot be used to spy altered in the future.” What a visit from a Wookie any time
plex cases. on others. Furthermore, the 21 change that would be! ◙ soon.◙

MISSING CHUNK
continued from page 11
“chunk” of Earth would have to be
a vast 4-11 miles thick.
“It’s a real challenge to our
established understanding of what
the Earth’s surface looks like
underneath the waves,” said
Bramley Murton, a senior research
scientist at Southampton’s
National Oceanography Centre.
Scientists are hoping to discover
whether the crust was sliced off by
enormous geological faults, or if it
never even developed in the first
place. Yet another explanation
may also be relevant, however.
The scientists could have drilled
into a magma chamber along the
Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The hole in
the Earth’s crust could just be an
entryway to a small deposit of
magma above the Earth’s crust. ◙
OBESITY
continued from page 11
A suppressor called SOCS-3 is
believed to be associated with the
fat hormone leptin, which tells
the body if it is hungry. It is
believed that obesity occurs due
to a lack of leptin or a weakened
response to it As obesity rates
rise, even the generations that are
yet to come are suffering. Teens
who have not reached adulthood
and even youngsters who have
yet to reach their teenage years
experience ps ychol ogic a l
damage. The problems are likely
to affect them for the rest of their
lives. To make matters worse, as
studies on leptin responses
indicate, some people have no
control over obesity. In time,
however, scientists will surely
develop a cure for obesity. ◙

BUSNIESS
It’s Killing Cats and Dogs
by Hanford Chiu business editor
Menu Foods, a pet food
manufacturer based in Ontario,
Canada, has recalled over 60
million cans of wet dog and cat
food products over the past few
weeks. The voluntary recall,
“Godless” Dollars Hit the Market
by Paul Rozenburg, staff writer a coin, but the designers of the
Emporia, Kan. Menu Food, which George Washington dollar parted
supplies 1 percent of America’s An unknown number of newly with this tradition. Because of
pet food products, has stopped minted George Washington dollar
this, a new and more complex
coins were struck without the manufacturing system had to be
PETS phrases “In God We Trust” and “E
used, prompting the errors.
continues on page 13 Pluribus Unum” inscribed on their The George Washington
edges. The coins, part of the new
dollar was put into circulation
Presidential Dollar Program, were
Source: Yahoo News

which covers over 90 brands of partly as a result of the failure of

put into circulation on February the Sacagawea Golden Dollar,
dog and cat food in the United 15.
States, including Iams, PetCare first released in 2000. The Mint
It is believed that around responded to public demands for
and Science Diet, was due to a 50,000 coins containing the error
contamination that is believed to a new dollar coin, and was
were released, out of a total of hoping for success similar to that
have been caused by a supply of 300 million produced. All of the
wheat gluten (which is used to of the State Quarter Program.
coins without the inscriptions The Presidential Dollar Program
thicken the gravy used in wet food came from the Philadelphia
products, which means the dry will run until all presidents who
A toxin normally used in rat poison branch of the United States mint.
food products are not affected) to The two missing phrases are
has recently been found in pet food, DOLLAR
Menu Food’s main food plant in usually struck on the front face of
which has killed a number of pets. continues on page 13
 BUSINESS April 12, 2007—VOL. 6, No. 12
Google Search Engine… Google
Mail… and Now Google television?
by Si Hong Huang, staff writer tisers by Google and delivered to
the cable company so they appear
Google Inc., the Mountain in the normal breaks in program-
View, Calif. Company, has com-
ming as other ads do. Examples as
menced pursuing its next big ambi- to what consumers might see in-
tion: controlling the television ads
clude: an area with a lot of chil-
that viewers see and adjusting dren might be more likely to see
them to fit viewer interests. It
commercials for minivans than for
plans on taking its extremely prof- sports cars, or a consumer who
itable contextual online advertising
owns a dog might see constant dog
as the model for its test run for food ads.
television commercials to cable
Although Google is still in
subscribers in Concord, Calif. the early stages of bringing new
Google CEO Eric Schmidt told
ways of advertising to television, it
analysts in January that the com- comes to show that the way
pany is experimenting with televi-
advertisements are brought to
sion advertising. He said the com- consumers could be changed
pany intends to use its technology
forever. If Google succeeds in its
to better target television commer- plans, other media companies
cials to viewers.
might actually lose their positions
According to The Wall Street in the advertisement market due to
Journal, Google since last year has
Google’s popularity, stock price,
been steering television commer- and financial holdings. Google’s
cials to subscribers of cable pro-
foothold into television
vider Astound Broadband, a unit of commercials comes at a time when
WaveDivision Holdings LLC.
the cable industry itself is turning
When Astound’s customers watch to ads as a hopeful source of
television, some commercial spots
they see have been sold to adver- revenue. ◙
McDonald’s Trying to Change its McImage
by Hanford Chiu business editor
Source: YahooNews
McDonald’s, the fast food
chain known for its fatty foods and
low-prospect employment, has
been undergoing a publicity
campaign to completely turn
around its image. Most recently,
McDonald’s is trying to get the
Oxford English Dictionary to
change its definition of “McJob”,
which is currently defined as “an
unstimulating, low-paid job with
McDonald’s will try to define few prospects, especially one
“McJob” entries in British dictionar- created by the expansion of the
ies, believing it to be incorrect. service sector.” Here in the United
States, people working at
DOLLAR promised to alter the
continued from page 12 manufacturing process in order to
add the lettering on the edges for
have been deceased for more than all the coins, but another problem
soon surfaced.
two years have their likeness
A couple in Colorado found a
imprinted on a coin.
dollar coin without the face of
The entire program has come
George Washington on it: the
under speculation from those who
coin was blank on both the heads
remember the Sacagawea Dollar.
and tails side. Although this is an
When a coin of a large
isolated incident so far, it was
denomination is produced, critics
confirmed by Ron Guth, a
will naturally reply that bills are
professional coin authenticator in
easier and more efficient to use.
California.
Nevertheless, if the coin does not
The golden dollar will proba-
catch on with consumers, it will
bly never be as widespread and
still have a chance for success
successful as the state quarters, but
with coin collectors.
the series will still have a long run.
When the “godless” coins
No one will ever opt to carry
were originally discovered, they
twenty coins over one bill, but
fetched as much as $600 dollars
collectors will have the power to
online, but their price sank to $50
make this collection a popular one.
after it was realized how common
the mistake was. The U.S. mint ◙
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD
PETS
continued from page 12
shipments from the suspected
supplier, the identity of which has
not been disclosed by the FDA.
After several complaints of
pet deaths related to kidney
failure in mid-February, Menu
Food informed the FDA, which
promptly began an investigation
into the matter. Then, in a
quarterly taste test administered
to about 50 cats and dogs on
February 27, nine cats died due to
the tests in early March (no dogs
died, but it is not clear if any of
those who survived suffered
kidney damage).
The delay between the first
complaints and deaths has
prompted a lawsuit from a
woman in Chicago, whose 9-
year-old orange tabby became
sick about a week before the
recall after eating a single serving
of Special Kitty Select Cuts and
was diagnosed with kidney
failure. The cat was euthanized
on March 17. Since then, there
have been numerous other
complaints from consumers
whose pets have mysteriously
McDonald’s, especially on its shop
floor level, have long been
associated with high school
dropouts and disadvantaged
minorities. Some parents threaten
their kids with a future of working
at McDonald’s in order to
encourage them to study.
Now, in a drive for publicity
and more talented employees,
McDonald’s is working to change
this negative misconception about
its employment opportunities.
“It’s the complete opposite to
that,” said
Amanda Pierce,
a 15-year “McDonald’s is
McDonald’s working to change
employee and this negative miscon- and the government
s p o ke s p e r s o n ,
on OED’s ception about its em- McDonald’s has
definition. “It’s ployment opportuni- been the target of
stimulating, ties.”
rewarding and
offers a wide
range of opportunities. All the
ski l l s I ha ve l earn e d a t
McDonald’s will last me a
lifetime.” Meanwhile,
McDonald’s is sending a petition
(signed, of course, by
McDonald’s employees) to OED
in order to get the term’s
definition changed. Responding
to McDonald’s efforts, an Oxford
University Press spokeswoman
said, “We monitor changes in the
language and reflect these in our
definitions according to the
evidence we find.”
13
died recently after eating food
from the company, which may
lead to a class action lawsuit.
This pet food scare is reminiscent
of recent recalls of human foods,
such as the E. Coli infected spin-
ach in 2006. However, a contami-
nation of pet food products is
more serious than one of human
food products, since pets have a
more limited variety of edible
foods. Thus, if one of the main
ingredients in pet food products
becomes contaminated, then it
could end up affecting many pets
since they are all likely to con-
sume it. However, in this case, it
is due only to a single supplier
and distributor of food, unlike a
more widespread contamination
of food, such as the bird flu or
mad cow disease. ◙
If your pet has symptoms of kidney
failure such as a loss of appetite,
lethargy, vomiting, increased
urination and thirst, contact a
veterinarian immediately. For
more details on the recall, check
http://www.menufoods.com/recall/
or http://www.fda.gov for a list of
recalled products.
Nevertheless, McDonald’s is
pushi ng for wa rd wi th it s
campai gn to attract more
customers and better employees.
Last year, McDonald’s took
advantage of the term “McJob”
by using it in part of a slogan for
attracting employees.
“McProspects — over half of our
executive team started in our
restaurants. Not bad for a
McJob.”
McDonald’s has always had a
somewhat negative image here in
the United States.
Linked with the
rampant obesity
that many parents
is trying to fight,
multiple lawsuits
claiming that its
food has made
people obese. Furthermore,
stories have come up now and
then over the last decade of
random things being found in
people’s orders, such as syringes
or fried chicken heads, which has
further marred the image of its
food an d wo r ker q uali t y.
However, McDonald’s has been
responding responsibly by taking
actions such as making the food’s
nutrition facts available and
agreeing to comply with Mayor
Bloomberg’s trans-fat ban here in
New York City. ◙
 14 THE STUYVESANT STANDARD
Wickedly Uplifting
by Emma Rabinovich,
A&E editor
From the opening scene of the
Broadway hit “Wicked,” I felt my-
self leaving my seat and entering
Oz, a place from my childhood
that was green and familiar. But it
wasn’t familiar for long. “Wicked”
backtracks in order to tell the story
of Elphaba (the Wicked Witch of
the West) from the beginning, that
is, conception. “Are people born
wicked or is wickedness thrust
upon them?” asks Glinda the Good
Witch, and this musical definitely
takes the latter view. Chronicling
their time at school together and
Source: Corbis
Actress Allison Munn and Gregory Macguire, the author of the novel the musical is
based on, arrive at the Los Angeles premiere of the Broadway musical “Wicked”
hosted by Universal Pictures at the Pantages Theater.
“It Turns Out Persian Corpses are Slippery…”
Source: http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1809262865/
A Spartan boy taken for war training
in Warner Bros. Pictures’ 300.
by Robert Colbourn, staff writer
After graphic novelist Frank
Miller’s first commercial success,
“Sin City,” expectations were high
for his next motion picture adapta-
tion. Luckily, “300” met them all.
“300” begins with a short life
story of King Leonidas (Gerard
Butler), ruler of Sparta. He is
raised as a true Spartan warrior,
taught never to show fear or pain,
April 12, 2007—VOL. 6, No. 12
ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT
what puts Elphaba on the path to
wickedness, “Wicked” is based on
the best-selling Gregory Maguire
book of the same name.
The musical is strangely
consistent with the plot of the
classic book (“The Wizard of Oz”
by L. Frank Baum) while having
a completely different tone,
outlook and cast, mostly because
there’s no Dorothy. That’s the
only main character missing,
however, as the Scarecrow, the
Lion, the Tin Man and the Wizard
all make an appearance. The
WICKED
continues on page 16
never to retreat or surrender. He is
approached by a Persian messen-
ger who informs him of a plan to
enslave Sparta. Leonidas does not
take the threat seriously, and, with- actual battle something to behold.
out the help of the Spartan army,
he and 300 of his
best men ride off
to defend Sparta “What should be val- shaking of the
and to face the ued here is the stun- camera (a down-
largest army ever ning imagery. The
assembled, thus
beginning the fa- fight is beautifully
mous battle of choreographed.”
Thermopylae.
It is expected
that since this film is based on a
graphic novel, it is not going to be
historically accurate, easily seen
when certain creatures from
Xerxes’ armies come forth. Yet
importance should not be placed in
this area. What should be valued
here is the stunning imagery.
“300” was done all in a studio,
A&E
Final Fantasy III Review
Source: amazon.com
of the earliest games in the Final
Fantasy series. Like most RPGs,
there is not much dialogue except
before boss fights and in special
sequences, but the characters are a
bit better-developed than in the
1990 game. The story itself is typi-
cal — four teenage warriors are
chosen by a magic crystal to go out
and save the world, for reasons not
apparent until later in the game,
when more backstory is revealed.
What really makes this game shine
The Final Fantasy III is now available is the graphics, which, although
for the Nintendo DS. lackluster by the PSP’s standards,
are a great achievement for the DS.
The world itself is gigantic, and
by Jonathan Xikis, staff writer
every enemy is lovingly rendered
In 1990, Final Fantasy III was in 3D. The main characters them-
Source: COrbis
released in Japan for the Nintendo selves change in appearance when
Family Computer, better known as they take on new jobs, letting them
the “Famicom.” The only problem: use special abilities. For example,
it never came to America. Fast- the Knight can defend fellow fight-
forward 15 years, to 2005. A Final ers, while the Thief is fast and can
Fantasy III remake was open locked doors. Each character
announced, not for the Playstation has a unique style, and can show
2, but, in a surprise move, for the facial expressions during
Nintendo DS. Granted, the DS is cutscenes. Attack animations range
not known for its amazing from simple to downright immense
graphics, but FFIII lives up to its later in the game, especially when
expectations, delivering an using magic. The view can even be
amazing 3D world to explore and zoomed in to find hidden secrets,
addictive, though a tad repetitive, such as switches or items.
gameplay. This is not to say that there are no
Final Fantasy III is not in any downsides to FFIII, however, for
way quirky, and doesn’t stray far there are quite a few. A “feature”
from the classic RPG formula. In of the game which annoys many is
fact, this is the reason people
would want to buy it: to get a taste FINAL FANTASY
of how the whole thing began, one continues on page 15
Source: Yahoo Movies
using mostly blue screen and green
screen effects, allowing for breath-
taking backgrounds and amazing
visual effects. It also made the
The fight is beautifully choreo-
graphed. There is
no fast-paced
fall of Star Wars:
Episode III’s bat-
tles, in my opin-
ion), perfect clar-
ity, and every
character on
screen is always doing something
incredible. No one stands around
and waiting for a turn; everyone is
involved.
There is very little that one
could nitpick in this film. One of Although not historically accurate, 300
uses its breathtaking visual effects to
300 REVIEW portray the Spartan war.
continues on page 16
 A&E
FINAL FANTASY
continued from page 14
the inability to save except on the
world map. There is a “quicksave”
option, but the saved game is auto-
matically deleted when you return to
your game. In effect, this means that
if you spend three hours trudging
through a huge dungeon and are
vanquished by the boss, you must
Movie Watch: A New Batch of Movies To Look Forward To
by Amy Qui, staff writer
Now that spring has come along,
bright ,this means warm weather
flowers and yes, new movies!
Here’s what’s coming to a theater
.near you
Source: Yahoo Movies
Blades of Glory (March 30th)
After two skaters get into a fight
at the World Championships,
they’re both barred from compet-
ing ever again. Played by Will
Ferrell and Jon Heder, the skaters
find a loophole that will allow
them to compete. The problem?
It’s pairs’ figure skating.
A Reminder to All Students:
Phase One of Online Programming has begun. Remember to sign
up for Advanced Placement courses, 10 Tech and special classes by
April 16 at 3 PM.
Phase Two (for elective and selective courses) will begin on Mon-
day, April 30, and end on Monday, May 14.
If there is any problem with registering for classes, remember to
visit the Program Office at Room 239. For course advisement, see de-
partment chairpersons, teachers, and guidance counselors. Please see
the Online Course Guide for a description of classes.
April 12, 2007—VOL. 6, No. 12
start again from the beginning.
This also necessitates heavy train-
ing, or “grinding,” which is made
more uninteresting because of the
slow battle system — there is no
way to skip animations, and the
menus load slowly. Another gripe
is the undeveloped Wi-Fi mode,
known as “Mognet,” which only
allows you to send simple mes-
sages to others over the Internet,
TMNT (March 23rd)
The teenage mutant ninja turtles
are back to star in this 3D movie.
Strange things have been
happening in New York City and
only one man is to blame: Max
Winters, who’s creating an army
of ancient monsters to take over
the world. Looks like they’ll have
to save the day super ninja style.
The Hills Have Eyes 2 (March
23rd)
In this sequel to the horror film
“The Hills Have Eyes,” a group
of National Guard soldiers
embark on a search and rescue
mission in the hills. Though they
are responding to a distress
signal, they also land themselves
into the evils that lie within.
Source: Yahoo Movies
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD 15
and does not feature co-op or mul- onslaught of monsters, have the
tiplayer. To make matters worse, patience to reach level 99, relish
the keypad layout could be much defeating the unbeatable final boss,
more convenient. Sending mes- and have the guts to try it again if
sages is actually required to obtain they fail. Casual gamers beware —
the game’s strongest class and this game is probably not for you.
weapon, an impossibility to those With that said, FFIII, despite its
with no wireless Internet access. flaws, should be a part of the col-
Final Fantasy III is a game lection of any self-respecting
made for hardcore RPG fans, ones gamer. ◙
who enjoy the pain of braving an
on their kind, while the others
Source: Yahoo Movies
want things to stay the way they
are. In the end, the only one with
the real power to change their
destiny is Timothy, who is half-
human and half-wolf.
Shooter (March 23rd)
Mark Wahlberg and Danny Glover
star in this thriller about an ex-
Marine sniper who grudgingly
returns to the military after being
persuaded to head off a president
assassination. After he gets set up
and framed, he is determined to
find out who was really behind the
murder. ◙
Source: Yahoo Movies
The Last Mimzy (March 23rd)
Toys become truly educational
when two children find a
mysterious box containing
strange objects. As they play with
them, their intelligence level
grows drastically. It becomes
apparent later on that the objects
were sent for a different mission,
which the children become
entangled in.
Skin Walkers (March 30th)
Werewolves are more than just
bloodsucking creatures in Skin
Walkers, where two sects of
wolves fight for control. Some of
them are looking to end the curse
16 THE STUYVESANT STANDARD April 12, 2007—VOL. 6, No. 12 A&E

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Back from the Grave

by Robert Colbourn, staff writer his generals planned to conquer should see this movie is the CGI.
the world by opening a portal to Unbelievable graphics make
It’s been 14 years since a another dimension that could every scene shine, especially the
quartet of giant, adolescent, bring forth monsters to overrun fights. The choreography is top
martial-arts master amphibians the earth. In addition, the warlord notch, and the imagery only
graced the big screen. Finally, was granted immortality while his enhances it. The cinematography
these heroes make their transition generals were turned to stone, is well coordinated as well, with
from realism to CGI in TMNT thus bringing him eternal very nice camera angles set at a
(Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles). anguish. In the present day, the great pace, and the artistic work
While many of the portal is on the characters is excellent.
older generations, “It seems a typical supposed to Unfortunately, the movie hit
who grew up with open again, some major speed bumps. First
the comics, movies plot that one would
allowing him to off, the plot is pretty low on the
and 1980’s cartoon, see on any Saturday shed the curse quality scale. It seems like a
may be disappointed of immortality typical plot that one would see on
with the silly plot
morning cartoon.”
and rescue his any Saturday morning cartoon.
and relatively low- generals if he The movie also diverges from the
brow humor, they will surely recovers the 13 monsters that first movie’s style of humor,
appreciate the stunning visuals were released on the day the which was witty and had a
throughout. Newer fans will portal was first opened. sophisticated touch to it. This,
probably have an easier time Meanwhile, the turtles need some however, has very uninteresting
overlooking some of the time to reacquaint themselves and base humor. However, in the
differences between this and the with the ideas of brotherhood and end it did deliver on some key Although Teenage Mutant Ninja Tur-
original film, but everyone can still teamwork so that they can points (mainly visual effects), tles may be lacking in plot and has a
enjoy some aspects of the film. discover the mystery behind this which made it a movie for dry sense of humor, the artistic works
An evil has been brewing for new threat and put an end to it. youngsters but few adults. ◙ that it presents make the movie worth
3000 years that could threaten the The real reason why many
watching.
world’s existence. A warlord and

300 REVIEW
Source: http://www.beyondtherainbow2oz.com

Source: http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1809262865/
continued from page 14
its few downfalls is the lack of a
conclusion to the great side story
of the movie. Queen Gorgo (Lena
Headey) is the strong-willed wife
of Leonidas. While the battle is
occurring, she has to deal with
the Hellenistic, patriarchal Above: Persian battle stallions and
politics in Sparta. The story is their riders.
never really concluded, and Below: Gerard Butler at King Leoni-
das and Rodrigo Santoro as King
The cast of the Broadway musical “Wicked” therefore fells like just filler in Xerxes.
between the battle scenes. There
WICKED do exist between “Wicked” and
Source: http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1809262865/
is a good deal of character
continued from page 14 “The Wizard of Oz” make the development going on there, but I
storyline hard to place inside believe one more concluding
second half of “Wicked” seems Baum’s sequels but anyone who’s scene would have done the story
more to set the scene for not an avid fan of the thirteen more justice. Yet, this little
everything that happens in books probably won’t even care. problem aside, “300” can only be
Baum’s book, with such style and In fact, by the final scene, I had described as an epic movie that is
flair that it outshines the 1900 become acquainted with two the must-see of 2007. ◙
work. different versions of Oz and I
While the story is strong and definitely liked this one better.
the character development is
solid, the thing that I liked best
“Wicked” transforms Baum’s
endearing children’s book into a
Like what you’ve read?
was the music. The music and story engaging for everyone,
lyrics are by Stephen Schwartz, while Schwartz’s brilliant work
who’s won Oscars
for his work on
will leave you Check out The Stuyvesant Standard’s
“Pocahontas” and “’Wicked’ transforms bursting with website at:
glee.
“The Prince of Baum’s endearing Good tickets
Egypt.” The cast children’s book into a are hard to www.stuystandard.org
varies but Elphaba come by and
is currently story engaging for most evening
portrayed by Julia everyone while performances Here’s just a sample of what you can do at our
Murney, and Schwartz’s brilliant still play to a
Glinda is played packed theatre.
website:
by Kendra work will leave you Buying tickets • Post comments about articles you’ve read
Kassebaum. Both bursting with glee.” at least a
do a spectacular month in • Catch up on previous issues easily download-
job in terms of advance is practically the only
acting and singing, especially option. “Wicked” is playing at the
able from our website
Murney, whose fiery, sarcastic, Gershwin Theatre and tickets are • Check up on your favorite Stuyvesant sports
witty depiction of Elphaba leaves available at the theatre and online
nothing to be desired. at ticketmaster.com. ◙ team!
The minor discrepancies that
 SING! April 12, 2007—VOL. 6, No. 12 THE STUYVESANT STANDARD 17

SING! FEATURE

SING! REVIEW PHOTO CREDITS:

continued from page 1 Bennett Hong, Dennis Ng, Derek Weng
to Step, Girls Hip Hop, and Rave.
The production even included
pictures from a projector shown Final Scores for SING!
on the left wall, though the peo-
ple sitting in the mezzanine could FRIDAY SATURDAY TOTAL
not see them. Overall, it could be
seen that all grades had given
tremendous amounts of effort into
SOPH-FROSH 348 381 729
one of the largest productions. At
the end of the night, however, it JUNIOR 501 363 864
was unanimous from the screams
and shouts that Junior SING had SENIOR 381 491 872
 18 THE STUYVESANT STANDARD April 12, 2007—VOL. 6, No. 12 PUZZLES&LITERARY

PUZZLES&LITERARY
In The Mind The Circus
by Hui Ting, staff writer by Stephanie Tam, staff writer

In the mind of a bumblebee, People soaring in the air

Buzzing across the field Elephants roaming here and there
Searching for a delightful treat, Among them an audience cheering so loud
Applause spreading through the crowd
It dashes about looking for The Circus! The Circus!
The perfect meal that The Circus is in town!
Derives from the core Each and every one of you, gather around!
Monkeys and tigers doing tricks on the floor
This event is never a bore!
Of a savory honeysuckle Cotton candy and peanuts
Standing alone in the field and Distributed to and eaten by all
Apart from the muddle. Then there’s hotdogs and popcorn
Come one, come all!
Bumblebee flee in the air,
Through the autumn
Breeze, without a care

Or a worry in the world,

For it spots a flower that
Seemed impearled

With a sweetness beyond

Compare. Bumblebee swoops
In and suckles on the abscond

Honeysuckle that is truly beyond compare.

IN MEMORY OF
GABRIEL BLITZ AND EUGENE MARSHALIK
It is with deep sadness that The Stuyvesant Standard marks the death of
Gabriel Blitz, a member of the Stuyvesant High School Class of 2008 and
Eugene Marshalik, a member of the Class of 2005. Marshalik was a student
at New York University and an auxiliary police officer. He was killed in a
shooting in Greenwich Village while on patrol.
Source: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2007/03/16/2007-03-
Gabriel and I went to the same middle school, Manhattan East (M.E.).
Although he was two years older than I, I remember seeing him when he
came back to visit M.E. in his freshman and sophomore years. I am a very
garrulous person, so, naturally, I was inclined to ask him what high school
he now attended and other such things. I think that was when I first decided
to call him the “Green Guy” and that name stuck with him. He told me

Source: Koester

about his love of reptiles and herpetology and that explained the green
jacket that I will always remember him by. He was one of the nicest, most
sincere people. Then, when I came to Stuyvesant, I frequently saw him in
the hallways and always talked to him in between classes. It led to some
random (but meaningful) conversations about everything and nothing. It
was great. The last time I talked to him was on the platform of the 1 and 2
trains. We talked about how we have the same initials and the cool things
one can find on the Staten Island Ferry. I even remember his way of
waving “hello” which, for lack of better words, is best described as wiping
a window (without moving the wrist). He was also one of the very few
people at Stuy who reside in the Bronx and I always saw him as my fellow
Bronx-ite. Now every time I see someone with a green jacket in the
hallway, I think that maybe it’s Gabriel and that all of this has been just a
terrible misunderstanding. I start walking faster, to catch up to that
mysterious person who could put an end to this nightmare, and I am only
saddened to see that it’s not him. It’s not Gabriel.
I am very happy to have known him. I only wish that I could have spent
more time with him. I miss you, Green Guy.

Guergana Borissova
 LITERARY&PUZZLES April 12, 2007—VOL. 6, No. 12 THE STUYVESANT STANDARD 19

Video Surveillance by Robert Stevenson

Sudoku Created by Angel Wong Riddle

4 5 by Lillian Su, staff writer

“Thank heaven you saw me!" exclaimed Ted Long feebly, as he tried to
reach Dr. Hall's chartered fishing boat and tie his boat to Dr. Hall's. Hall
8 4 2 reached over and helped the weak boatsman aboard.
Long staggered into the shade of the cabin and sagged upon a berth. He
removed his cap to wipe the perspiration from his brow, revealing a
5 6 1 3 bald, freckled head.

"Drink this," said Hall, holding out a cup of water.

7 8 4 Long gulped it frantically, asked for a second, and when he had downed
it, told of his ordeal.

6 "Bill Smith and I were sailing for Bimini when the storm hit us. The
sails, rudder, and radio went in the first five minutes. We barely man-
aged to keep afloat. "We drifted five days, lost. Three days ago our fresh
1 4 9 water supply gave out. Bill went crazy with the heat and thirst. He
started to drink the ocean water. I tried to restrain him -- I hit him. He --
he struck his head against the starboard rail. He's dead! It's my fault!"
3 9 2 7 Hall climbed into Long's disheveled yacht. In the little cabin he found
Bill Smith laid out on his back, dead. The criminologist studied the
bruise on Smith's jaw and the one at the base of his skull.
7 2 5 Back on the fishing boat, he warned Long grimly, "You're going to have
to tell the police a better tale than the one you told me!"
4 6 Why didn't Hall believe Long?

The Case of the Knife Wielding Riddle

by Lillian Su, staff writer
by Jeffrey Liaw, staff writer
A notorious gangster, Scarface Joe, was found face-down on a barroom
floor by Detective Hobbs. He had a bullet wound in his left ear, where a Charlie was abandoned at a nearly age and had a terrible life. He couldn't
bullet had entered and must have lodged somewhere in his brain, as there stand his adoptive parents and their children One day, he couldn't take it
was no exit wound. The bullet matched the gun of Bernie the Bull, another and just killed his adoptive parents' offspring. Oddly enough, the parents
gangster and Joe's rival. It is widely known that though they hated each still worked hard and made sure he survived. Charlie later left when he was
other, they frequented the same bar. old enough.
Bernie said that he was the only customer when Joe came in and started
yelling at him. "He was like a madman," said Bernie. "He pulled out a knife
and started coming at me. I shot him in self-defense as he charged head-on The police, or social services were not called even though Charlie killed his
at me swinging that knife." Joe's body lying close by still had the knife adoptive siblings. Why?
clutched in his left hand. "He just wouldn't stop coming at me," exclaimed
Bernie. "I had to shoot, I had no choice."
The only witness was the bartender and another shady character, who 1) Nothing to do with being underage
agreed with Bernie's story. 2) His family had a habit of doing it
3) His adoptive parents did not blame him
Detective Hobbs just smiled and said, "you boys will have time to think of 4) He never joined the military
something better than that story on the way to the slammer." 5) He was born in the spring

How did he know?

20 THE STUYVESANT STANDARD
The Sports Beat: Why You Don’t Read Forbes for Sports
by Eric Mayo, sports editor
The Economist’s next issue is
going to feature the best rappers in
the world, and rate them on how
“gangsta” they are. Sports Illus-
trated is going to be doing a fea-
ture on the best hair and skin care
products. Don’t forget about The
Standard’s next issue, a special on
pension funds.
If you couldn’t tell by now,
the above samples are nonsense. A
magazine about economics has
nothing to do with rap. You
wouldn’t read Sports Illustrated for
hygiene tips. If you’re looking for
pension fund information here, you
obviously have the wrong newspa-
per. Print media should only write
about something they have a clue
about. That is why Forbes should
give up on its analysis of sports.
To be fair, economics and
Once Upon a Time in March Madness
by Hesham Saleh, staff writer
On March 11, after 24 long
hours of analyzing the NCAA bas-
ketball teams, the selection com-
mittee invited 65 teams to join the
tournament. From March 11 to
April 12, 2007—VOL. 6, No. 10
SPORTS
sports are much more closely re-
lated than sports and hygiene prod-
ucts. However, Forbes Magazine’s
latest dive into the world of sports,
an article titled “The Best General
Managers in Sports,” is wrong
beyond any imaginable belief.
To rank the general managers,
Forbes took two things into ac-
count: winning percentage com-
pared to their predecessors and
payroll relative to the league me-
dian when their predecessors were
around. Winning was factored
twice, so as to discount teams that
just slash their payroll consistently,
like the Florida Marlins.
The results? All over the
place. Leading the list was Kevin
McHale, GM of the Minnesota
Timberwolves. He’s managed to
waste the talents of Kevin Garnett
by surrounding him with medioc-
March 15, when the first game
took place, millions of Americans
from around the country filled out
brackets. Yes, March Madness has
officially started. Everyone knows
that during this time, 65 NCAA
teams battle each other and try to
rity like Ricky Davis, and prior to
that, Wally Szczerbiak. He’s
wasted free agent money on point
guard Marko Jaric, who averages 8
points and 3 assists a game for five
million dollars, as well as wasting
five million on Troy Hudson, a
bench player. This is the best GM
in professional sports? The guy
who is outspent only by the
Knicks?
Third on the list is Billy King,
GM of the Philadelphia 76ers. The
76ers were a near carbon copy of
Minnesota, surrounding a talented
player (Allen Iverson) with expen-
sive mediocrity. Though the 76ers
have traded Iverson to the Nuggets
and have since improved, it’s clear
that Iverson’s prime was wasted by
King’s mismanagement.
The best general managers of
sports are in baseball. Baseball has
reach the Championship. Fans test
their expertise by filling out, and
usually waging money on, brack-
ets. There are several interesting
tales that come with March Mad-
ness, many of which are virtually
unknown.
Fans use many different tech-
niques to predict the winning
teams, some of which are truly
absurd. Some people use colors to
predict the winning teams: the
team with the “fiercest color” will
go the furthest. Others imagine a
mascot fight, and pick the team
with the “unbeatable mascot.” Still
others choose their teams based on
graduation rate. The lower the
graduation rate, the more likely the
team is to win: if they’re not study-
ing, then they must be playing bas-
ketball.
NCAA tournament pools can
be found nearly everywhere — on
the Internet, at work, in school, at
restaurants, and many other places.
Believe it or not, they are also
found in MLB locker rooms during
spring training. MLB players take
their brackets very seriously. The
pool is usually created and super-
vised by a veteran. Each player
puts a certain amount of money
into the pool, usually somewhere
between $20 and $100. After they
pick their teams, it’s an all-out
battle. Players discuss their teams’
situations with other players in the
locker room, trying to analyze the
best and worst possible situations
for their teams.On a totally differ-
ent note, colleges try to come up
with their own “mathematical for-
SPORTS
no salary cap, so a team with
little payroll, like the Kansas
City Royals) has to compete
with the Yankees on a yearly
basis. General Managers who
spend little and win ought to be
rewarded. A perfect example of
this is Billy Beane of the Oak-
land Athletics. The Oakland
payroll is nothing when com-
pared to those of the Yankees,
Red Sox and Anaheim Angels.
Yet no matter what the circum-
stances, the Athletics compete
in the AL West. That is the sign
of a truly good general manager.
You don’t read The
Standard for retirement issues.
You don’t r ead S ports
Illustrated for beauty tips.
Above all, don’t read Forbes for
sports. ◙
mula” to predict their team’s most
likely seed number. After analyz-
ing the teams that reached the Fi-
nal Four since 1999, the experts at
Georgia Tech University created
the Logistic Regression/Markov
Chain Model, or LRMC. This sys-
tem is based on the number of road
wins, strength of schedule, and
most importantly, margins of vic-
tory. “Anything that doesn’t take
point differential into account ig-
nores the element of luck,” said
Joel Sokol, “If I beat you by 20, it
probably wasn’t by chance.”
This system showed itself to
be extremely accurate. In the 2004
NCAA tournament, four of the
teams the LRMC ranked top five
made it to the Final Four. Out of
all ranking systems, the LRMC
was the most accurate.
But at the end of the month,
the most important question will
not be about brackets or different
prediction systems. Who will reach
the Final Four, and who will be
proclaimed the Champions of
NCAA Basketball? ◙
Source: Corbis
Connecticut Huskies Emeka Okafor
puts a shot against the Duke Blue Dev-
ils during the NCAA semifinals.