THE STUYVESANT

STANDARD
Thursday, January 29, 2009 Volume 8 Issue 7

College Essays That MTA Fair Hikes

Important? By: Muhammad Tambra
help keep the MTA afloat. Many
commuters worry that they will
not be able to afford any more
With the economy in a fix monetary stress with the economy

TSS/Amna Ahmad
the MTA is also feeling the effects.
According to the MTA’s website
they will have to implement fair
This essay hikes and cut train and bus services
drastically. At a hearing the MTA
can’t be board said it was in a 2 billion dol-
lar deficit and needed to do this to
right.
the way it is.
However the MTA is still
trying to work a way around di-
rectly affecting the commuters.
New York City Comptroller Wil-
liam Thompson proposed increas-
ing the registration fee on cars
Continued on page 3

Ten Stuyvesant Intel

How to write

Semifinalists
the Perfect
essay in 5
minutes
Dimwits
for
Essays
College

“Intel Science Talent Search semi-

By: Rammiya Nallainathan
On January 14, 2009, In-
tel Science Talent Search (STS)
announced its Semifinalists. This
year, out of the 1,068 students
who participated in this competi-
tion, from 36 states and schools in
Korea and India, 300 high school
seniors were named semifinalists.
Ten of these semifinalists were
from Stuyvesant High School.
After going through at least four months writing and revising the college essay, seniors are finally getting good
news that some colleges don't factor in the essay all to the extent that they may have expected them to.
The Intel Science Talent
Search seeks to find students who
will “develop the skills to solve
the problems of tomorrow.” Top-
more than 50 percent of the selec-
ics for these projects include bio-
By: Rammiya Nallainathan tive colleges that took the survey,
chemistry, chemistry, physics,
ranked the essay as having
mathematics, engineering, behav-
"considerable importance." But
Seniors have finally fin- ioral science and medicine and
what about the other 40 to 50 per-
ished doing one of the most health. According to the STS
cent of colleges? Why is the same
dreaded tasks this year – writing Press Release, Craig Barrett, In-
emphasis not placed there?
essays for college applications. tel’s Chairman of the Board said,
According to the Philadel-
While some students spend the
phia Inquirer, “Some college ad-
finalists tackle today’s challenging
problems with solutions that have
great potential to positively impact
our world. To foster the next gen-
eration of innovators, the United
States must invest in encouraging
this passion for math and science
in more of our youth.”
The ten Stuyvesant semifi-
nalists (and their projects) include:
Charles Choi, Synergistic and An-
tagonistic Effects of a Visual Face
on Auditory Sensitivity and Com-
prehension; Aidan Daly, Investi-
gating the Effects of Single Popu-
lation Units on the Total Immigra-
tion Network in Endangered
Plants; Francesca di Domenico,
Elucidating the Relationship be-
tween the Symptoms Found on the
Reflux Symptom Index and Para-
doxical Vocal Fold Motion; Daniel
Jeng, On the Directions of Plane
Continued on page 3

In This Issue
course of a few weeks writing and
missions officials downplay its
polishing their essays, other stu-
importance, especially given the
dents only spend a day or two.
vastly different levels of support in
Seeing how much or how little em-
preparing it.” While some students
Page 3

Page 7

phasis is placed begs us to ask,

“How much are these essays
write and edit college essays on Blood Drive Koobface Virus
their own, other students actually
weighed when considering admis-
spend hundreds to thousands of Reels in Affects
sions to a college?”
Over the last few years,
dollars hiring their own personal Red Gold Computers
college counselor to look over their
college essays have grown increas-
essays and mold it into what col-
ingly important. About 40 percent
leges want. This only gives an
of four-year colleges require an
essay. According to a survey given
by the National Association for
advantage to students who come
from families that are willing and Point-Counter Point
College Admission Counseling in
2006, the essay was given
able to pay for counseling. How-
ever, if admissions counselors I Scream for Ice cream
think that the essay may be too
“importance" by 28 percent of the
colleges who completed the sur-
well written, they can compare it Vs.
with the student's writing portion
vey. Though this may not seem
like a lot, it is double the 14 per-
of the SAT and grades in English. Unsweetened is Sweeter
Though some colleges
cent from 1993. In addition to this,
Continued on page 3 Page 5
 2 The STUYVESANT STANDARD January 29, 2009–VOL.8, NO. 7

Staff Editorial:
Students Watch As
The Executive Board History Unfolds
AMNA AHMAD EDITOR IN CHIEF
HESHAM SALEH MANAGING EDITOR On Tuesday January 20, 2009 cussion in English class or a math
DAVID MANNES DIRECTOR OF FINANCE the Stuyvesant community came to- lesson. It is necessary to recognize,
ANGEL WONG DIRECTOR OF FINANCE gether to witness what has been very therefore, just how fortunate the
SHAYRA KAMAL LAYOUT EDITOR accurately deemed one of the most student body is to have been able to
GUERGANA BORISSOVA COPY CHIEF momentous events in American his- view that particular moment in his-
RAMMIYA NALLAINATHAN NEWS EDITOR tory—the inauguration of the 44th tory as it was taking place miles
MUHAMMAD TAMBRA NEWS EDITOR president of the United States of away in our nation’s capital.
MARINA TAWFIK OPINIONS EDITOR America. The administration’s deci- Teachers and students alike
ROBERT COLBOURN ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR sion to arrange the school’s schedule have argued that the administration
OMAR AHMAD SCIENCE EDITOR to give every student the opportunity revealed its bias in restructuring the
QI FAN ZHANG TECHNOLOGY EDITOR to see the event as it was being broad- school day for the inauguration of
ROBERT STEVENSON LITERARY EDITOR cast live is one that current Stuyvesant Barack Obama and not earlier presi-
MICHAEL BLOCK SPORTS EDITOR students should acknowledge and ap- dents, while others viewed the in-
ELISSA TAM DIRECTOR OF PHOTOJOURNALISM preciate. Watching as the first Afri- tentions of the administration to be
MEGAN BRESLIN FACULTY ADVISOR can American president was being motivated by the significant mile-
DANIEL EGERS (‘03) FOUNDER sworn into office is something we will stone in the centuries-old struggle
ERNEST BASKIN (‘04) EDITOR EMERITUS surely never forget. for civil rights that Barack Obama’s
The Stuyvesant student body election represents. The reason for
should consider it a privilege that making special arrangements for
Principal Teitel was willing to estab-
Publication lish a cadence in the regular instruc-
this particular inauguration is far
less important than the effect it had
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD is a non-profit publication produced by tional school-day for students to look- on students in general. The idea
the students of Stuyvesant High School. on as Barack Obama took his oath of that the thousands of people that
office and quite ardently addressed comprise Stuyvesant High School
the American people and the rest of were experiencing the same thing at
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD distributes 2,000 free copies on a bi- the world in his inaugural speech. the same time is almost unfathom-
weekly basis to the students and faculty of Stuyvesant High School and Students should not take that privilege able.
throughout the adjoining neighborhoods of TriBeCa and Battery Park City. for granted. The celebration of the inau-
While the inauguration cere- guration seems to have brought stu-
mony was playing in classrooms, and dents together in a way that perhaps
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD welcomes letters from its readers. For a gymnasiums, in addition to the even Principal Teitel would not
letter to be reproduced in print, a name and method of contact must be pro- Murray Kahn theatre at Stuyvesant have anticipated. The Stuyvesant
vided. High School, high school students Standard calls on the administration
around the country whose schools to continue to invite all members of
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD reserves the right to edit any published simply do not possess the means to
material. The viewpoints of contributors do not necessarily reflect the views of the Stuyvesant community to be-
have broadcasted the live inaugura- come first-hand spectators of his-
the Standard staff. tion, sat back in their seats for a dis- tory every four years. ◙
Copyright ©2008 THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

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 NEWS The STUYVESANT STANDARD January 29, 2009 –VOL.8, NO. 7 3

The Standard News

MTA Fair Hikes
Continued from page 1
based on established weight
classes. However this seems
unlikely to go through, as it would
Blood Drive Reels
portant things such as books for
school and such spending money
to go hangout on weekends might
in Red Gold
not be something they want to in-

upset the multitude of car drivers
in New York City. According to
the MTA website they would have
to increase the fee from $2.00 to
$2.50. They would also eliminate
all services of the M6, 8, 10, 18,
27, 30 and X25 buses. This is one
of the main points of contention
between riders and the MTA. And
along with that cuts of many week-
end and night services along most
lines.
Students at Stuyvesant also
express their concern over the pro-
posed hikes. Junior Anastassia
Kapeles said, “I don't like [the fare
hikes] because at this time when
most Americans are already
strapped for cash, increasing the
fare would make the current situa-
tion even worse.” Many students
also feel that this would be a deter-
rent to any plans they might have
on weekends when they cannot
utilize their school provided Met-
rocards. Senior Rofi Islam said,
“With many students already try-
ing to conserve many for more im-
TSS/Elissa tam
vest it preferring to stay home or
go somewhere within walking dis-
tance. Along with the MTA hikes
everything else is getting pricier
too so I think they might think
twice before going out. But regard-
ing some the idea that they will
lose customers; I highly doubt it.
Riding the train is a necessity in
New York City.”
Junior Manuel Castro be-
lieves, “fair hikes could be avoided
if the city and state government
worked together with the MTA to
reduce the costs of running their
services. They might want to in-
vest in ways to make the trains run
faster and on less energy alongside
with providing the MTA some sort
of stimulus. The MTA should also
think of cutting the pay of their
higher ups. That seems to get those
CEO types to do something pro-
The first of two Blood Drive of the year was held on January 8, 2008 at the 6th floor gym.
ductive instead of just asking for
money. However with the cost of
everything else going up it seems By: Hesham Saleh
that fair hikes are an annoying but successful, there were some organ-
izational problems. Canas com-
inevitable consequence.” ◙
On Thursday, January 8, mented, “I know a lot of people
Stuyvesant High School, led by the had to wait a long time. There
New York Blood Center, held its should’ve been a better order sys-

College Essays Winter Blood Drive.

Senior Rachel Canas was
one student who donated blood dur-
tem to prevent people from skip-
ping others in line.”
In the sixth floor gym, stu-

That Important? ing the drive. When asked whether

Continued from page 1
may continue to downplay the impor-
tance of college essays, colleges still
want to see the applicant from another
angle. "It's only through the essay that
I can flesh out a three-dimensional
character," said senior assistant direc-
tor of admissions at Bryn Mawr Col-
lege, Nancy Thaler. She continued, "I
will remember an essay where the
student tells a story about herself."
When asked about her opin-
she was scared, Canas replied, “Not
at all. I’ve been donating [blood]
since I was first able to in sopho-
more year. It doesn’t hurt at all; and
also, all the volunteers were really
ion on college essays, senior Na-
nice.”
ziat Zaman replied, “If you apply
Unlike Canas, Senior Anna
for a liberal arts college, then the
Zhang was not as lucky. After wait-
essays will matter a lot because the
ing for over two periods, she was
way you write about yourself often
rejected by NY Blood Center per-
reflects the kind of person you are.
sonnel. “I waited there for so long,
The essays provide a way for the
and then [the worker] took a finger
colleges to differentiate between
test, but my iron levels were too
the people they do and do not
low. I couldn’t donate. It was so
want. They are essentially crucial
disappointing, because I had waited
because of the human element they
so long for this day.” The strict pol-
add to a student’s application.” ◙
icy set by the Blood Center is to
ensure that only people who are
completely healthy donate blood.
Seniors Alexandra Larsen
dents were supposed to wait on
line, using the chairs that were ar-
ranged in rows. Instead, students
moved their chairs to the front of
the line, or took others’ seats. This
resulted in many people waiting
for several periods before they
could donate blood.
Senior Faiyam Rahman,
for example, was at the blood drive
for almost three hours because stu-
dents were taking his position in
line. “Because the line didn’t really
have a set system, anyone could
just throw a chair in there and cut a
few lines,” Rahman explained.
“And unfortunately, people will
cut if they’re given a chance to.
That’s what happened.”
Larsen commented on this
issue and proposed a change. “I

Issue 7 and Allen Granzberg were the blood

drive coordinators. Larsen com-
mented on the success of the event.
Corrections “My expectations for the blood
drive were really fulfilled. The
workers were very diligent and
stayed until 4pm, even though their
union contract did not require them
1.“President-Elect Confronts to [stay].”
Larsen considered the event
the Economic Crisis” on page 6 was actu- a great success because of the ac-
ally written by Shahzad Anwar. tions of others. “The Student Union
was very generous in donating T-
shirts and advantage cards, which
students seemed to love,” Larsen
2. “New York on Fire in Vegas” on page 12 said. These incentives motivated a
was actually written by Cody Levine. large number of students to donate
their time and blood to the event.
While the event was highly
never anticipated that this would
be a problem but we are certainly
going to have measures in place to
prevent this from happening at the
next blood drive. Each person will
be given a number upon entering
and a volunteer will be calling peo-
ple to the booths by their number
to prevent any line cutting.”
Stuyvesant students do-
nated a total of 179 pints of blood.
Larsen said, “I think the event was
a success mainly because Stuy kids
really want to help people. I know
it sounds cliché, but to have almost
200 students give up their free time
and sit in an overheated gym just
shows what true humanitarians we
are.” ◙
 4 The STUYVESANT STANDARD
Scandal Clouds
Politics in Illinois
By: Vivian Zeng
The latest political con-
troversy involves Governor
Rod Blagojevich of Illinois.
His name is spammed and
spewed all over the newspa-
pers of America. Just what
exactly did this man do to de-
serve all of this attention?
Nearly all major news sta-
tions have covered the scandal
that ensued after Governor
Rod Blagojevich and John
Harris, his chief of staff, were
arrested early December 2008
for what U.S. Attorney. Patrick
Fitzgerald called a “political
corruption crime spree,” in an
interview with the New York
Times. Governor Blagojevich
allegedly attempted to sell the
U.S. Senate seat that President-
elect Barack Obama had. The
arrests made the Illinois gov-
ernment more alert than ever.
The people of Illinois are ask-
ing questions about the leader-
ship of the state and the fate of
the vacant Senate seat. Under
state law, only the governor
holds the power to fill in Sen-
ate seats.
Although many people are
requesting that Governor
Blagojevich should resign or
temporarily step down from
office, he vehemently refuses.
Governor Blagojevich claims
that he is not guilty of im-
peachable offenses and will
fight "every step of the way."
The Illinois House of Repre-
sentatives voted 114-1 for his
impeachment (three represen-
tatives did not vote). This
overwhelmingly shows how
Governor Blagojevich’s ac-
tions will not go unanswered.
Governor Blagojevich
claims that the House voted to
impeach him because he
wanted “to get things done for
people.” “The House's action
today, and the causes of the
impeachment, are because I've
done things to fight for fami-
lies who are with me here to-
day,” says Blagojevich. It
seems as though he is vindicat-
ing the situation. Now Gover-
nor Blagojevich faces a trial in
the state Senate. A two-thirds
vote in the Senate is required
to remove the governor from
office.
Lieutenant Governor Pat
Quinn will become governor if
Governor Blagojevich is re-
moved from office over cor-
ruption charges. The reform
effort will be conducted under
January 29, 2009 –VOL.8, NO.5 NEWS
TSS/Elissa Tam
the Lt. Governor's office.
Meanwhile, questions
arise about the Obama and
Blagojevich’s relationship.
People of Illinois have wa-
vering faith in their state
legislature and demand an-
swers. “Obviously like the
rest of the people of Illinois
I am saddened and sobered
by the news that came out
of the U.S. attorney's office
today,” said President-elect
Obama. Obama says “I had
no contact with the gover-
nor or his office and so we
were not, I was not aware
of what was happening.”
Since there was no hard
evidence that Obama was
involved with the corrupt
deals, the FBI ceased inves-
tigations. Unfortunately
Obama’s aura has not been
substantially affected by
this scandal as a result.
The appointment of
Roland Burris (D-Ill) as the
person to fill in President
Elect Obama’s Senate seat
by Governor Blagojevich is
also an issue of much con-
tention. Although many
Senate Democrats vehe-
mently opposed Burris’s
appointment in the end they
had to concede to him. He
argued that he was not con-
nected in the scandal and
that he should not be denied
the seat. Many students had
differing opinions on the
issue. Senior Mehrab Islam
felt that, “Burris shouldn’t
be denied the Senate seat.
Although [Governor]
Blagojevich was involved
in the scandal there is no
evidence of Burris having
anything to do with it. And
Would you like to join us
plus Blagojevich is still the
governor of Illinois so the
appointment is still legiti-
as a staff writer?
mate.” Other students felt
otherwise. Sophomore
Garry Liang felt that,
“Burris should not be ap-
pointed. The Illinois Su-
preme Court should allow
Email us at:
the Lt. Governor to make an
appointment. Plus Burris is
now associated with a stain
on the American political
process and already has a
lot of enemies since he ba-
EIC@stuystandard.org
sically demanded his ap-
pointment be upheld.”
In an interview
with the New York Times,
Fitzgerald exclaims that
Blagojevich's “conduct
would make Lincoln roll
over in his grave.” ◙
 OPINIONS
Point Counterpoint
I Scream for
Ice Cream
By: Marina Tawfik
A student walks into a
classroom holding a most fa-
miliar box. Hungry students
awaiting late lunch periods rush
to the student, carrying wallets and
eager expressions. After a quick
search through the box, most stu-
dents make a selection and pay the
seller, happily walking away with
their newest purchase: a candy bar.
Sadly, the picture I just
painted is simply a distant memory,
one I remember from my past years
at Stuyvesant but seldom see now.
This year, when the administration
decided to ban the selling of candy
in school, students’ lives were
changed.
At first glance, it seems that
not letting students sell candy is a
good idea. After all, one can argue,
don’t we need to be promoting
healthy eating habits in school, so
that they will be taken and used for
the rest of a child’s life? However,
there are several flaws in this mind-
set, especially when the reasons for
selling candy are taken into account.
Selling candy was one of
the main means by which clubs
raised money for the things they
needed. Now that they are not al-
lowed to sell, many club presidents
find it harder to make enough
money for the things that are essen-
tial to their clubs. Junior Katrina
Koon, president of the Fun and
Strategic Games Club, explained
that “many clubs depend on candy
sales to make money to keep the
clubs going. In our club, candy sell-
ing allows us to purchase more sup-
plies for the club, such as games.”
Not only does banning the
selling of candy hurt clubs, but it is
also inconsistent with other policies
the school has. Why should students
be allowed to hold bake sales,
where sugary brownies, cakes,
cookies, and other treats are sold, if
they are not allowed to sell candy?
Sure, it may be another method for
students to raise money for clubs,
but it does so by the same means as
selling candy: providing students
with unhealthy foods. Banning
candy sales is also clearly seen as
hypocritical when one looks at the
things students can buy in our own
cafeterias. The dining halls, where
the food that is sold is selected by
New York City officials them-
selves, sell several different types of
cookies. They also sell Snapple
cans, one of which has 34 grams of
sugar. This is almost the same as the
sugar content in a can of Coca Cola,
which has 39 grams of sugar. If
The STUYVESANT STANDARD
The Standard Opinions
Unsweetened is
Sweeter
Eat
me!
CHOCOLATE
Some educators believe that selling candy will pro-
mote bad eating habits; however, students deem that
candy selling is the means for clubs to raise money.
New York City is going to ban un-
healthy food in schools, they should
check over all of the things already
in place, first.
Ultimately, the banning of
candy sales in school has been inef-
fective and harmful. Several students
still sell candy, just more discreetly.
This allows them to gain monopolies
on candy sales on entire floors, and
buyers who seek candy usually know
just who to go to in order to get what
they want. This ends up hurting eve-
ryone, because now the sellers, who
are often selling for personal profit
rather than for a club, gain an unfair
amount of customers. Also, as more
students bring their own snacks from
home to eat, our school’s economy is
hurt, as clubs no longer gain the
money they could have if students
were buying their snacks from them.
This ban has proved to be a
futile effort because no matter what
students are allowed or not allowed
to eat in school, the way they eat out-
side of school will not be changed.
There are many students who do not
eat in school at all, and instead either
go out to eat at the many unhealthy
fast food locations that surround our
school, or bring lunch from home,
which could include whatever they
want. Students who know they get
hungry during the school day can
bring their own snacks for eating
during the day. No matter what is
done, if a student has not been
brought up in a household where un-
healthy foods are frowned upon and
healthy foods are praised, the student
will not respect the efforts being
made by our school. ◙
January 29, 2009 –VOL.8, NO.7 5
perglycemia, and hypoglycemia.
TSS/Amna Ahmad
The list of damages is endless.
How are educators supposed to
convince students to eat healthily if
they are not going to restrict the
selling of candy in our schools?
The sweetness may taste good, but
in terms of the damage it does to
you, it is ultimately bad. Junior
Vivian Zeng says, “Most students
tend not to eat breakfast or lunch
and then buy a pack of Skittles.
One period later, they crash and
then the cycle of buying candy re-
occurs.” According to a survey of
40 secondary
schools in Califor-
Don’t eat nia in 2005, the
him. He’s most commonly
purchased com-
bad for petitive foods
were chips and
you! candy. In general,
these items were
higher in fat and sugar and had
lower prices than more healthful
Others believe that the banning of candy selling will
have an overall positive effect on student life,, par-
items. Although school lunches
ticularly health. and breakfasts have to meet certain
nutritional guidelines, competitive
foods do not have to meet the same
standards. As innocent as selling
By: Tiffany Choi candy seems, it poses a threat.
Critics have recently raised an eye-
Candy selling, a prevalent brow, claiming that access to
trend in Stuyvesant High School candy in schools is contributing to
nearly a year ago, does not neces- America’s growing childhood obe-
sarily benefit the student body by sity and diabetes problems.
providing expenses for clubs and Besides selling candy as
by selling food to the students. fundraising ideas, our school could
Schools throughout the United use some innovative ideas to con-
States have their own motives for tribute to the funds of clubs. Some
banning selling candy, and now ideas may include bake sales, raf-
Stuyvesant has joined, with good fles, a photo booth, or maybe even
reason. a Twister tournament. Sometimes,
Their main concern is the people simply need to think about
unhealthy aspect of candy. the long-term effects on their
Candy’s sugar content results in health, instead of indulging into
students who consume it getting candy. If they actually stop to think
sugar rushes. This generally will about all of the damages eating
have a crashing effect on the stu- candy brings about, they will be
dent’s performance in school and more motivated to switch to a
other aspects, and it sends the healthier lifestyle. In addition, if
wrong message to them about fit- one eats healthier, one will surely
ness and good health. Sugar can feel more refreshed instead of feel-
cause hyperactivity, anxiety, diffi- ing down after a sugar crash. It
culty concentrating, and crankiness may be a hard transition at first,
in children and teenagers. It is also but students will eventually see the
the leading cause of diabetes, hy- great benefits that eating healthy
foods provides. ◙
Do you have an opinion of your own
that you would like to share?
Email us at:
EIC@stuystandard.org
 6 The STUYVESANT STANDARD January 29, 2009 –VOL.8, NO.7
Can You Say…? No, I Can’t!
By: Yana Azova
TSS//Amna Ahmad
On the last day of winter
vacation, at 7:55 pm., I lost my
voice. It was sudden, unexpected,
and shocking, and it felt strange. I
felt like I could tell my mom what
I wanted for dinner or laugh at the
way my hamsters were running,
but I could not. All that came out
was a low, hoarse noise, not even
pleasant enough to be considered
sound.
The next morning I still
felt fine, and I was about to wish
my mom a good morning, when
nothing happened; no sound came
out at all! I then packed my bag
and grudgingly came to school, not
even able to cry out when the train
doors closed in front of my face. I
must admit I did get lucky: in Eng-
lish, we mostly checked over our
papers; in Math, I could afford not
to participate for one day; in Band,
you are not “allowed” to talk, and
in Italian, well, my teacher under-
stood.
Then came period six, the
hard part: lunch. My friends all had
exciting stories to tell about their
adventures over winter break, but
when it was my turn, once again
nothing came out of my mouth. I
did try mouthing my sentences
mimicking them with wild hand
gestures, and sometimes whisper-
ing them (which did not work be-
cause I was so quiet no one heard
me the first time, and by the sec-
ond, I had no voice left). It all
turned out to be more of a strange
Communication is the process of imparting information from a sender to a receiver through mediums such as audi-
tory means.
Ten Stuyvesant Intel Semifinalists
Continued from page 1 facilities to complete her experi- fying algorithm is an algorithm
ments. Gayatri worked with a that provides its user a piece of
renal (kidney) cancer cell line evidence, called the certificate,
Transversals to Convex Sets; and tried to determine if certain with each answer it gives to
Anissa Mak, A Certifying concentrations of growth factors show that the output has not
Algorithm for the Modular might indicate the presence of a been compromised by a bug in
Decomposition of Undirected tumor in the kidneys. After com- the implementation process.) “I
Graphs; Gayatri Malhotra, pleting her research, Dr. Ned- was ecstatic when I found out
Lysophosphatidic Acid, Epi- widek helped turn the data she that I was a semifinalist and I
dermal Growth Factor, and collected into a proper scientific was so happy for Daniel and
Hepatocyte Growth Factor paper. When asked about her Adam, who are in my math re-
Levels as Coincident Indica- initial reaction she responded, search class and are also semifi-
tors of Cell Proliferation; “Honestly, I never expected to be nalists,” said Anissa. “One ad-
Adam Sealfon, Complexity a semifinalist. So many other vice I have for future Intel Re-
Gap between Adaptive and students worked so hard and had searchers is to start their paper at
Nonadaptive Algorithms for amazing projects. I was really least a few weeks before the
Property Testing of Hyper-
happy though, when I found out deadline so they would have ade-
graphs; Ksenia Timachova, that I was a semifinalist. There quate time to ask for input from
Evidence for a Novel Kinase were a lot of people who put their mentors and teachers (Mr.
in the Regulation of Antibody their time and energy into my Brooks was great being our math
Diversification During B-cell project, making it a collaborative research adviser) and really pol-
Maturation; Adriana Weiss, effort. I could not have done it ish their papers before submis-
Study of the Variation in Risk without them.” sion. Especially for math re-
Adversity Due to Sentimental Anissa Mak worked with search, write down pieces of dis-
Bias; and Jenny Zhang, Over- Dr. Ross McConnell from Colo- covery as you do your research
Expression of BubR1 Can rado State University from May so you won't panic so much in
Produce Aneuploidy in Hu- to November 2008. Because her the end when the deadline is
man Cells.
mentor was in Colorado, they creeping closer and closer.”
Gayatri Malhotra
communicated through emails Daniel Jeng proved that
worked at NYU in the and telephone calls. Anissa’s given any family of convex sets,
OB/GYN Department. There, paper covered the first certifying the set of directions of plane
she learned various lab tech- algorithm for the modular de- transversals that intersects the
niques and was able to use the composition of a graph. (A certi- family in a specific strong 2-
OPINIONS
charades game than a conversation.
By day three, I was extremely an-
noyed and frustrated, but I was
also enlightened. Before this hap-
pened, I had never really noticed
that being able to communicate
through a common language is so
crucial. It is basically the only way
we can understand each other with-
out applying extraneous amounts
of effort. I can even say that it is
one of the pillars of civilization.
I am pretty sure the grunting and
mumbling cavemen got into quite a
few fights over miscommunica-
tions.
Just imagine how silent the
world would be if no one, nothing
at all, could emit a sound. Of
course, everyone would just use
sign language, but the beauty of
sound would be lost, and the feel-
ing with which we convey our
emotions would not be as deep.
Facial expressions and miming can
only get you so far, because the
slight undertones of sadness or the
wild shrieks of joy are things that
can only be experienced through
sound and the people who produce
it.
After four days of not be-
ing able to talk to my friends or
participate in class, and after ex-
tensively miming or whispering
everything I wanted to say, my
vocal chords healed. Although I
was extremely happy to no longer
be held back from expressing my-
self as I wanted to, I also learned
the importance of sound in its role
of communicating. Being able to
speak is an incredible ability, and I
hope you realize that. ◙
ordering is convex. He said,
“My first reaction to me being
a semifinalist was surprise and
disbelief, after working so hard
on my project, I came to
thought that the result was
pretty trivial. Also, its always
nice to get recognition for
something you work so hard
on.”
Ksenia Timachova
worked at the lab of Immunol-
ogy at Rockefeller University.
She studied one particular
regulatory mechanism, which
elucidated evidence for the
existence of a new kinase that
decreases the activity of AID
and controls this crucial en-
zyme in the immune system.
She said, “This has really been
an amazing opportunity be-
cause to be recognized by a
rather prestigious company
such as Intel, with the limited
skills and experience of a high
school student, really opens
the mind to the vast world of
possibilities and opportunities
in science, opportunities that I
hope to take advantage of in
the future.” ◙
 SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY
The Standard Science and Technology
By: Omar Ahmad
The masses of Stuyvesant
High School, as in any other high
school, often face situations of
overwhelming stress and intensity.
Much of this is due to the demand-
ing environment, as well as the
regular demands of both academic
and extracurricular obligations.
While many students at
Stuyvesant High School find them-
selves uncomfortable with visiting
the nurse, very few actually feel
comfortable approaching the
Health Faculty, the nurses and
aides stationed in the third floor
atrium.
Shivam Pappu, a very out-
spoken student professed that he
“would never go to them. They
Digital Broadcast Revolutionizes Television
By: Amy Chen
Effective February 18,
2009, American households in the
United States with at least one tele-
vision set will be required to con-
vert from analog to digital broadcast
TV. The United States government
is willing to make this change be-
cause some parts of broadcast spec-
trum will be used for public safety
communications, such as police, fire
departments, and rescue squads. In
addition, some of the spectrum will
be sold to companies that provide
customers with more advanced
wireless services, like wireless
broadband.
Currently, U.S. broadcast-
ing stations have both analog and
digital broadcasts. February 18 is
the set date for the transition to digi-
tal TV. To ensure that all are pre-
pared for the change, organizations,
Koobface Virus Affects Computers
By: Qi Fan Zhang
You log onto Facebook or
Myspace and you get a message
from one of your friends. The com-
ment consists of compliments about
a video that you are supposedly in.
According to “The Facebook Virus
Spreads: No Social Network is
Safe,” you will see phrases like,
“’Are you sure this is your first act-
ing experience?’, ‘Is it u there?’,
‘impressive. I’m sure it's you on this
video’, ‘How can anyone get so
busted by a spy camera?’ and
‘You're the whole show! I'm ad-
mired with you.’” They stimulate
your curiosity and you begin to
question whether you are actually in
the video. Thus, you decide to click
The STUYVESANT STANDARD
Hallway Healers
don’t seem very welcoming and
the risk of a grumpy teacher be-
lieving that you are cutting could
pose problems.” However, when
asked if he has ever felt ill, he said
that he’s “felt sick a few times. But
I feel like I should just wait until I
get home.”
This poses the ever-
prevalent problem. When does a
teacher draw the line between the
need for medical attention and cut-
ting and cutting a class?
When asked how to bridge
the line between cuts and nurse
visits, Dr. Li of the Chemistry De-
partment said that “many students
use the excuse that they feel ill and
cannot concentrate within class, so
I, as a teacher, must let them go.
But when the student does not ar-
rive to class, and returns later on to
say that they were in the nurse’s
such as government agencies, pri-
vate industries, and public interest
groups, are working hard to ac-
commodate everyone for the con-
version. The government is helping
consumers with the digital televi-
sion transition by issuing coupons
worth $40 to people who have pur-
chased DTV converter boxes.
These coupons are part of the Digi-
tal to Analog Converter Box Cou-
pon Program, administered by the
National Telecommunications and
Information Administration
(NTIA). Every United States
household is eligible to apply for
up to two coupons. These coupons
can be used at participating con-
sumer electronics retailers.
There are several advan-
tages to making this transition.
Digital broadcasting makes it eas-
ier for stations to offer improved
picture and sound quality. Broad-
casting stations are able to multi-
cast so they can offer multiple
on the film that you supposedly
starred in.
Once the link has been acti-
vated, you are directed to a web-
page that offers a free download of
the video from “YouTube.” Like
most other free download websites,
it requires you to install various pro-
grams, like the newest version of
Adobe’s Flash Player. You mind-
lessly click on the install button and
unfortunately, you have become the
latest victim of the Koobface or
Facebook Virus.
This virus has the ability to
change its infected computer’s
Internet preferences. Thus, when the
computer user browses through a
search engine, he will be directed to
dangerous, viral sites. Therefore,
the computer becomes further ex-
January 29, 2009 –VOL.8, NO.7
office, I have to make sure they
have a note present at that time.”
Although students like
Shivam Pappu may feel disen-
chanted with the school’s health
staff, there are still many students
who are pleased by the treatment
they receive, and feel perfectly at
ease with contacting the school
nurses in their time of need.
One of those students, Agniezka
Gugala stated that she “once came
down with a really bad headache
and [her] stomach hurt. When I
came to the nurse, she was very
nice, she let me lie down for a
while, and she didn't really ask any
questions.”
This brings to attention an-
other point: other than supplying
space for general rest, as well as a
phone with which to call parents,
what do the nurses do, and how are
channels of digital programming
while using the same amount of
spectrum needed for one analog
program. As a result, viewers have
more channel choices to choose
from.
However, the digital TV
transition also brings about much
confusion. According to a survey
conducted by the Consumers Union,
25 percent of Americans think that
one must subscribe to cable or satel-
lite after February and 41 percent
think that every household TV must
have a new converter box. Addi-
tionally, of the 40 million coupons
that have been requested so far,
only 16 million have been used. It is
estimated that over 35 million tele-
vision sets will lose their signal. If a
coupon has been requested, but not
redeemed, the person who requested
for the coupon cannot reapply for
vouchers after 90 days, when the
coupons expire. Furthermore, in
posed to Internet viruses, some of
which have the capacity to copy
the user’s personal information,
stealing his identity in the act. Fur-
thermore, the Facebook Virus has
a high transmission rate. In fact,
according to The Telegraph, over
120 million members of Facebook
have suffered from this malware.
The reason for the high contamina-
tion frequency is that the virus qui-
etly spreads to other computers,
unbeknownst to the user. It uses
social networks as vectors for
transmission, so that an infected
computer’s friends will also be
greeted with praises from a video
that supposedly features them.
There are many ways to
combat this virus. One way is to
install antivirus software, like
McAfee and Norton AntiVirus.
7
they restricted?
When asked this question,
nurse Ruth Dabrio, sarcastically
responded that the nurses do
“absolutely nothing.” They are not
allowed to prescribe or supply any
forms of medication, including
painkillers. They are also unable to
directly treat any physical ail-
ments, including swellings,
sprains, or broken bones.
The most that they can
provide are “info packets,” cover-
ing preventive measures that can
be taken to avoid contracting con-
tagious diseases.
While the problem of de-
termining whether a student was in
need of the attention of a nurse or
simply intended to cut class re-
mains a problem, students remain
in need of the support the Health
faculty provides ◙
February, more than 9 million
households could lose one or more
stations that they now receive, ac-
cording to a computer stimulation
run by Centris, a market research
business in Los Angeles. Digital
signals can be blocked more easily
by hills, trees, and buildings than
analog signals. Engineers refer to
the sudden disappearance of the
picture when there is a weak signal
as the "cliff effect." Thus, many
engineers and scientists are pre-
dicting that upon the conversion to
digital TV, there will be many cliff
effects in one’s “television watch-
ing career.”
Whether digital TV will
improve the quality of television
broadcast or whether it will bring
us confusion and cliff effects re-
mains to be debated. The important
thing is to purchase a DTV con-
verter box to prevent having to
stare at fuzzy, static television
screens after February 17. ◙
These programs are constantly updat-
ing their lists of Internet viruses so
that a computer would be fully pro-
tected from virtual worms. Another
method is to avoid suspicious sites.
That way, one’s computer would be
one hundred percent protected from
Internet viruses. Lastly, according to
McAfee's Craig Schmugar, “Search
terms are directed to find-www.net,
[that] enables ad hijacking and click
fraud." Therefore, beware of websites
that begins with www.net.
In a world where technology
flourishes and computers are consid-
ered essential elements for normal day
to day functioning, one should be
aware of Internet viruses. That way,
one’s enjoyment of the cyberspace
would not be dampened. ◙
 8 The STUYVESANT STANDARD January 29, 2009 –VOL.8, NO.7 LITERARY

The Standard Literary

By: Robert Stevenson

The Standard WordSearch

A L T A R A R E R E B S
H E S L E I E E S N A P By: Robert Stevenson

X O T S A F E E T A R E
T T N P R S R B U L G E Find all of the words
listed below.
C A E E R G N I D L A B
R R V A Y I S A I O I E The remaining letters
I D A R N R C P O P N P will spell out the
puzzle’s
M R E C E E P E U A D E secret word.
E I H I K A T N S D E P
A E S S I L V E R M S P
Look in the next issue
to find out what it
S O T N E M E S A B R E was.
R E B M O S Y G O L D R

Word Bank
Last issue’s
SPEAR [3 Rice ALTER SILVER REAR SOMBER
Krispies ALTAR GOLD BULGE SPUDS
secret word:
HEAVEN
MELT spokespeo- CRIME RARER LANE HONEY
BARGAIN ple] SALT SANE INCHES PAIN REVOLUTIONS
BASEMENT TEAL PEPPER STUDIOUS FEET GAME
PRICES BALDING LEOTARD BEEPS REALMS VENTS
ROSIER REPAIR
 ENTERTAINMENT
Best Games of 2008:
A Year of Sequels
By: Daniel Alfonin
As 2008 slowly drifted by
and disappeared around the corner,
it was impossible to notice what an
amazing year this has been for
gamers. With best sellers’ galore
for every system on the market, the
past year has brought back some
old favorites as well as gave birth
to some innovative new titles. Al-
though such a roundup of games
might have been hard on many
wallets, no gamer could complain
that this year was not short of
memorable moments. Whether it
was exploring the slums of Liberty
City or trying to beat Wave 50 in
Horde on insane, 2008 produced
some great experiences that gam-
ers will remember for years to
come. So without further ado –
The Top Games of 2008.
GTA IV
The Grand Theft Auto se-
ries has always stood out from
every other game in its aspect of
giving the player an enormous
amount of freedom, and GTA IV
certainly lives up to its reputation.
Whether you want to follow the
main storyline or immerse yourself
in the numerous side missions
available, you will be amazed by
how much detail has been put into
the game. The stunning visuals of
Liberty City and the variety of dif-
ferent locations presented in the
game wipe out any sense of repeti-
tion – no two houses look the same
and even every passerby on the
street has his own unique appear-
ance. In the game. you assume the
role of Niko Bellic, a newly ar-
rived immigrant who is integrated
in the booming crime industry of
Liberty City. The storyline’s twists
and turns do provide an extraordi-
nary experience, but do not pass up
an opportunity to spend some time
getting to know the city on your
own. Don’t forget that GTA is all
about exploring and doing abso-
lutely anything your heart desires
(and, of course, blowing things
up). A new aiming system as well
as a cover mechanism makes this
game ever the more exciting.
Modes such as cops and robbers
and racing in GTA style form a
totally new way of living the game.
All of this, in addition to tons of
more features that you discover
while playing. give GTA IV an
honorable place in this roundup.
LittleBigPlanet
In a world of blood-soaked
shooters, LittleBigPlanet shines as
a beacon of hope, proving that you
could have tons of fun in a game
without killing or causing massive
destruction. In the game, you play
the role of Sac-boy, a puppet-like
entity that you navigate through
multiple worlds and levels. Little-
BigPlanet places a huge emphasis
The STUYVESANT STANDARD January 29, 2009 –VOL.8, NO.7 9
The Standard Entertainment
A Look at the Life of
Harvey Milk
on environment, and the ones you
will encounter in the game go be-
yond our wildest dreams. But it
doesn’t end at that. The game gives
players a chance to express them-
selves by placing control in their
hands and letting them build their
own one of a kind level. The amount
of things you could create is truly
impressive and acts to provide a
unique experience not seen in any
other game. Accompanied by excep-
tional, extraordinary visuals and
some merry beats, this is a game
guaranteed to put a smile on your
face.
Fable II
If you ever thought that
modern games don’t give the player
enough choice throughout the cam-
paign you have not yet played Fable
II. Starting out as a street urchin in a
little medieval town, your character
is continuously shaped by the deci-
sions you make in the game; trans-
forming you either into Albion’s
most revered hero or its worst night-
mare. Everything in the game centers
around the choices you make, includ-
ing your appearance (and the appear-
ance of your dog, for that matter).
For example, being increasingly cor-
Milk, starring Sean Penn and Emile Hirsch, is a movie following the story of California's first openly gay elected
rupt may cause your character to de- official, Harvey Milk.
velop devilish looking horns; serve
as the symbol of goodness and you by the stellar acting, especially that of
might be rewarded with a halo. An- Sean Penn, James Franco, Emile
other aspect of the game that you By: Robert Colbourn Hirsch (playing Cleve Jones), and Josh
have control over is the kind of life Brolin (as the villainous Dan White).
that your character leads. Looking Brolin was able to portray a conflicted
after a family, being a dedicated Every once in a while, a character that went off the deep end,
worker, or simply ravaging and loot- movie comes along that makes peo- and as a consequence committed a hor-
ing the countryside are just a few of ple think that the only reason why it rendous act that affected the lives of
the options available. Integrating a received high ratings is because it’s thousands. Hirsch, a relative new-
handy expression wheel, Fable II lets controversial. Sometimes, this state- comer, developed his character from an
the player closely interact with the ment is true, yet these movies are apathetic bystander to an inspirational
people around him, playing on their still recognized and awarded. How- leader.
likes and dislikes. Elevate your ever, despite being released in the The cinematography is not
standing in somebody’s eyes and you midst of Proposition 8 (a law that something to be ignored either. The
just might receive a present from him would give gay couples the right to movie grounds itself in reality with
or her; go further and you could even marry,) being voted on in Califor- splices of actual footage and images
form an intimate relationship. Fi- nia, “Milk” does not fit this descrip- depicting the real Harvey Milk and
nally, the battling system of Fable II tion. “Milk” is a touching story that some of the events surrounding the
is also very easy to use and is highly went above and beyond expecta- homosexual equal rights movement
effective. Three different buttons for tions –its incredible acting and ex- during the 70’s. What is amazing is the
magic, hacking, and shooting let the cellent cinematography makes it parallelism between the actors and
player weave together combinations well deserving of all the attention it scenery with the actual setting and peo-
resulting in a more comfortable way is receiving. ple of the time--everyone and every-
of defeating your opponents. In con- Harvey Milk (Sean Penn) thing looks like perfect replicas, cer-
clusion, Fable II’s magnificent array is a New Yorker that attempts to tainly pleasing those who are already
of features and choices make it one balance his life as a homosexual well informed about Harvey Milk and
of the best RPGs on the market and man in a homophobic world. After his life. These elements make it feel
surely worthy of making the Top Ten falling in love with a much younger like a great mix of documentary ele-
Games of the Year. man, Scott (James Franco), Harvey ments and modern filmmaking.
On that note, I will moves to California to start his own It is hard not to give this movie
offer the reader a break. An issue can business. However, the hostile attention during this time in the context
handle only so much information at world around him pushes him to of our legal system’s dealings with
once and we all know that an over- become a gay rights activist – the Proposition 8. However it should be
whelming amount of details could beginning of his journey to becom- watched for many other reasons. Fortu-
lead to dire consequences. Therefore, ing the first openly gay man in U.S. nately, this film is receiving the atten-
with three games down I will bid history to be elected to a major gov- tion it deserves, already being nomi-
farewell to you all until next time. ernmental official. nated for a Golden Globe and being
This is certainly not the end of the Immediately, this true- carefully watched for an Academy
roundup of the Best Games of 2008 story’s plotline is compelling and Award Nomination. In any case,
so keep your eyes open for the con- convincingly takes the audience “Milk” is one of the few movies of
tinuation. For now, recollect, refo- through the life of a historical fig- 2008 that should not be missed, despite
cus, and get ready for more! ◙ ure. It is constantly driven forward any political or social views the audi-
ence may hold. ◙
10 The STUYVESANT STANDARD January 29, 2009 –VOL.8, NO.7 ADVERTISEMENT
 SPORTS The STUYVESANT STANDARD January 29, 2009 –VOL.8, NO.7 11

Pistons/Nuggets
Trade Working Out
For Both Teams
Continued from page 12
cause Iverson is the “answer”
that they need to make the
playoffs this year. Iverson is a
veteran shooting guard who
can not only dish off assists,
but can create his own shot in
the lane. Iverson hasn’t been
able to get a Championship
Ring all these years, and this
may be his last shot. If Coach
Michael Curry is willing to
bench Rip Hamilton, there
could be some real chemistry
between Iverson and Rodney
Stuckey, a second year guard
who averages 23 points, five
assists, and four rebounds.
But the real question
is whether Iverson’s scoring
ability really compensate for
Billup’s 3 point shot, tough as
nails defense, and solid point guard
skills. I believe that the deal bene-
fits both teams, because the trade
helped to fill in the holes in both
teams. The Nuggets got a more
balanced team, whereas the Pistons
got a veteran player who could
really step up when the game is
tight.
However, I feel that Iver-
son can’t really bring to the Pistons
anything new because Hamilton
can do most of the things that Iver-
son can do. Billups and Hamilton
would be able to handle most of
the scoring and guard work from
the perimeter. Truthfully, whether
or not the Pistons go far this year
might not even depend on Iver-
son’s performance. All Pistons
fans can hope for is that Iverson
develops some quick chemistry
with the players on his team. ◙

Gators March to
Second Title in
Three Years
Continued from page 12

seconds staring at the sideline for it."

a new play, slowing down any
momentum from the drive and the
crowd.
Bradford, despite only
scoring 14 points, did not have a
bad game by normal standards.
He went 26/41 for 256 yards with
two touchdowns and two inter-
ceptions. However, one of those
interceptions ended a drive more
or less on the goal line. Bradford
did hit his All-American tight end
Jermaine Gresham for two touch-
downs, and moved the ball some-
what consistently (with a lot of
help from the running game in the
first half). The
Sooner offense seemed to shut
Tebow, on the other
hand, could make plays. He took
one step closer to establishing
himself as a college football leg-
end. Though Tebow also did not
light up the stat sheet (he was
18/30 for 231 yards with 2
touchdowns and two intercep-
tions), the leader of the Gators
continued drive after drive by
picking up first down after first
down with his legs as well as his
arm. He finished with 109 yards
on 22 carries, and absolutely
dominated the second half. With
Tebow running the ball the Ga-
JV Basketball off to a
tors drained 20 minutes off of the
game clock in each half, and as

itself down as soon as they
needed a big play to keep a drive
going. They finished 6/13 on
third down, but more importantly
0/2 on fourth down. One of those
fourth downs was an impressive
goal line stand by the Gators in
the first half; the other one ended
all hope of a Sooners comeback in
the fourth. According to the Her-
ald Tribune, after the game, Brad-
ford lamented all of the chances
missed by the Sooner offense, “In
the first half, we squandered some
opportunities to score…in the
second half, when we needed to
make plays, we just couldn't do
any football fan, player or coach
will tell you: it’s not easy to
mount a comeback when you
only have the ball for ten min-
utes a half.
The Gators will return to
Gainesville to celebrate their
second National Championship
in three years. But for Oklahoma
and Coach Bob Stoops, the wel-
come will be different. Stoops’
teams have now lost 5 straight
bowl games, and he will un-
doubtedly face a lot of tough
questions. ◙
Great Start
Continued from page 12
Eddie Cytryn. “The real test will
be to see how we deal with prepar-
ing for the next game. We can’t let
the loss shake our confidence.”
Looking ahead at
the schedule, the boys play all
teams that they have already
beaten until February 6, when they
will look to avenge their loss at
home against Bayard Rustin. “We
fought hard in a tough game which
we really should have won. Up by
seven points with two minutes left
in the game, all we needed to do
was hold on and we couldn't capi-
talize. However, we are hoping to
come back and beat Bayard at
home by learning from our mis-
takes from last game,” says
Chiusano. As we eagerly anticipate
that game, the team has to focus on
the rest of its games to make sure
that it doesn’t mess up by being
overly confident. ◙
12 The STUYVESANT STANDARD January 29, 2009–VOL.8, NO.7 SPORTS

JV Basketball off to a Gators March to

Great Start Second Title in
By: Michael Block
their last game before winter
break by 12 points over Bea- Three Years
con High School, and came

After a disappointing
6-6 record last season, the JV
boys basketball team was off
to an excellent 4-0 start be-
fore losing to Bayard Rustin
Educational Complex. The
team is not disheartened,
though, as they know that
they are a good team and can
bounce back from the loss.
The JV squad opened
the season in December with
a 25 point win over Food and
Finance High School, then a
week later squeezed by Louis
Brandeis 43-40. They won
TSS/Elissa Tam
back from the break strong,
winning an impressive game
over Martin Luther King
High School, 67-42.
The recent loss comes
as a surprise to the team, but
they knew that they couldn’t
maintain a perfect record for-
ever. “Losing is part of the
game,” says sophomore cap-
tain Scott Chiusano.
“Hopefully we can use this
loss as a learning experience
for the rest of the season so
we can accomplish our goal
of winning the division.”
Chiusano’s feelings
are mirrored by sophomore
Continued on page 11

The Sports Beat:

Pistons/Nuggets The 2009 BCS National Championship was hosted at Dolphin Stadium in Florida on January 8, 2009, with the Florida

Trade Working Out

Sam Bradford came
By: Zack Goldberg into this game having thrown
48 touchdowns in 13 games

For Both Teams In a game between

for the Sooners, which helps
explain why they came into
Dolphin Stadium with an
two teams accustomed to
dominating their opponents, average margin of victory of
By: George Wu 29 points a game. Tim Te-
Coach George Karl will no the Florida Gators won the
2009 BCS title game simply bow led a less proficient but
longer have to start Anthony
because they had more oppor- still potent Gator offense
Carter, a good point guard, but
Many NBA fans were tunities than their opponent, into Miami also having lost
a weak offensive player.
astounded to find out that Al- the Oklahoma Sooners. The one game, to now #16 Mis-
Chauncey Billups is not
len Iverson, an All-Star player Gators’ resiliency made them sissippi on a blocked PAT at
only one of the toughest point
from the Denver Nuggets, was national champions for the the end of regulation.
guards in the NBA, but he can
to be traded for the Detroit second time in three years. Needless to say, eve-
efficiently hit the 3 point
Piston’s star point guard Both teams entered rybody expected some of-
jumper. He will also make up
Chauncey Billups and power the game aware of the count- fense.
for the sub-par defense that was
forward Antonio McDyess. less story lines surrounding While this game was
a problem with Iverson on the
“We just felt it was the right them, especially the Sooners, only a freak play turned in-
court.
time to change our team," Joe who were selected to play in terception and a blocked
In addition, there will
Dumars, the Detroit Piston’s the championship game while field goal away from 24-24
not be any more question as to
President of Basketball Opera- the Texas Longhorns watched and a healthy dose of over-
who should shoot the last shot
tions, told The Associated on TV despite having the time, it was fairly clear by
during tight games anymore.
Press. "Iverson gives us a di- same record and a head to the time Percy Harvin took a
Previously, Iverson and Car-
mension that we haven't had head victory over them. If direct snap into the end zone
melo Anthony may have had a
here and we really think it's that wasn’t enough, the teams early in the third quarter that
bit of trouble in deciding who
going to help us.” A few boasted the last two Heisman the Gators were on their way
should “take over” during
months later, we may ask our- Trophy winners (Florida QB to another title.
clutch plays. With Iverson out
selves, which side got the bet- Tim Tebow from 2007, Okla- While the Sooners at
of the way however, it is clear
ter trade? homa QB Sam Bradford from times looked capable of put-
that Billups will be creating
Surprisingly, it’s al- 2008) headed two offenses ting a 50 on the scoreboard,
shots for Anthony. If the oppos-
most about even. The Nuggets that averaged near a com- they often slowed them-
ing team tries to double team
lost Allen Iverson, a versatile bined 100 points per game. selves down and didn’t let
Anthony, then Billups will be
guard who can play as both a Not to mention the fact that their offense let loose and
the second best option.
one and a two, and in turn get the Gators hail from the SEC just go. It was too common a
The Pistons, however,
Chauncey Billups, a quintes- and the Sooners from the Big sight to see the entire offense
will do better with Iverson be-
sential point guard, and Anto- 12, two major conferences get set up and then spend 10
nio McDyess. With Chauncey with an old rivalry.
Continued on page 11 Continued on page 11
Billups on the team, Denver