SPORTS
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT page 10: Science Olympiad
page 13: Boys’ Swimming
childhood
page 6: Student Musician Interview
page 8
March 1, 2012 • Estd. 1892 • Vol. 120 • No.4• Published Monthly • www.ihstattler.com • Ithaca High School, 1401 N. Cayuga St., Ithaca, NY, 14850 • FREE
2012 Graduation Finalized
New Systems and Low Cost Attract Faculty
639 Prepares For March Competition By REX LEI Staff Writer
PHOTO/PROVIDED
Ithaca College’s Athletic and Event Center will be the new site for IHS graduation.
By MANSI VOHRA Instead of using past years’ graduation site of Cornell’s Bartels Hall, this year, IHS faculty members announced that the ceremony is to take place at the new $65.5 million Athletic and Events Center at Ithaca College. In making their decision, the committee, which include Principal Jarett Powers, Activities Director Karl Mellander, Senior Class Adviser Matt Holl, and Family Liaison Barbara Bergman, among others, took into account IC’s smaller cost and efficient sound and heating systems—advantages not available at Cornell. The overall weight of the budget for 2012’s graduation is roughly $13,000; approximately $1,500 cheaper than last year’s. Reasons for such a low budget were mainly due to IC’s cheaper cost. IC’s rental and chair fee, signage, and EMTs all total $7,815, while the cost for diplomas, flowers, and sign language interpreters, among other details, approximate to $5,800. “It looks likes it’s gonna be cheaper,” said Mellander. “All of these estimates are a little high; we have to do that to make sure if any unexpected costs pop up.” Like last year, the district budget gave the committee $10,000 to finance the event; however, the rest of the money is to be taken care of by the superintendent. As a result, this year’s senior class did not have to raise any money for graduation, while last year, they ended up having to raise around $5,500. “I know that financial times are tough,” said Mellander. “But the fact that this happened makes us feel very lucky.” IC’s cost wasn’t the only reason faculty members
chose the location—their biggest reason for their choice was because of its elaborate sound and heating systems. Members said that a sound system has been hired—one that functions much better than at Cornell—another incentive for choosing the site. Mellander was also quick to point out that the lack of air conditioning at Bartels was a major problem for seniors, staff, band and orchestra members, as well as other graduation attendees. The Athletic and Events Center, in contrast to Bartels, encompasses a brand new heating system. “The biggest thing is the heat,” said Mellander. “Complaints about sound and heat, I would say, were the biggest concerns.” The field house within the facility covers 130,000 square feet, allowing for limitless attendance. The indoor track and field center also follows 200 meters of track in addition to an arena able to expand to 6,700 people. With the indoor track, the overall layout of the area has large windows, ceilings, and bleachers for approximately 1,000 people off to the side. “It’s a much bigger place than Bartels,” said Mellander. However, despite the grand size, the committee plans to shrink the area for the event by placing hanging drapes on the track: an entry way for people. In addition to a track, the field house contains locker rooms, athletic training areas, and indoor practice rooms for softball, lacrosse, tennis, and other sports. After frequenting their location and finally choosing their site, committee members are eager to plan. “At this point my favorite thing is that I can reinvent the wheel,” said Mellander. “It’s exciting.”
For six weeks, Code Red Robotics has created and designed a new robot for their annual FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science & Technology) Regional Competition, which is to be held from March 8-10 and March 29-31 in both Rochester and Washington, D.C. This year, FIRST has posed a new challenge for competing teams: Rebound Rumble. This game is somewhat akin to basketball in that in order to score points, robots can either shoot small, foam basketballs into hoops or balance on seesaws. Code Red members have used new techniques to build their robot, including using a T-slot frame, laser-cut aluminum, and other means to ensure success in their competition. “I’m very excited that we are breaking Code Red paradigm,” said Ian Krywe, advisor to Code Red. In order to kick off the build season, nearly all 60 Code Red members gathered on January 7 at Duffield Hall at Cornell. The group split into five teams: shooter, machining/assembly, frame, control, and acquisition. Additionally, they divided tasks for each week: the first focused on strategy and design, the second, prototyping and building, with designing and fabrication, machining, and final assembly/ testing following suit, respectively. “Our team has stepped up to the plate and met the challenge with new tactics and possibilities,” said Code Red President Istvan Burbank ‘13. “Having a team that is growing as quickly as ours has allowed us to conquer facets of our challenge previously unattainable.” The shooter team designed two types of shooters for the robot—a one- and twowheel—both of which, according to members, worked quite well. The team managed to finish early among other groups and were commended for accuracy and consistency. The machining/assembly team saw a new system introduced by the club. In previous years, sketches that were given to machinists had gotten lost; however, this year, members used a big board on which sketches were posted in order to simplify the work of the machinist. Similarly, the frame team deviated from the norm in that this year, they used T-slot
continued on p. 2
March 1, 2012
BoE Update 2/14 By CHRISTINA SEUNG
Kira Johnson was recently sworn in as the Ithaca City School District clerk for the year 2011-2012. According to a study conducted in May 2011, New Roots has been failing to monitor students’ academic progress. Pat Ehrich, co-founder of the Coalition for Sustainable Schools, said that charter schools in general “are opened primarily for political purposes rather than to serve at-risk populations.” In response, Niaome Hickman ‘12, who attends New Roots, told the Board how the school has helped to educate her and to shape her goals. She informed the members that she had found Candor High School and community to be “segregated based on income, academics and race” whereas she felt welcomed by “the warmth of the [charter school’s] staff.” Hickman is now a member of Student Council, consistently advocating for New Roots, and has been an intern at Planned Parenthood and Greenstar. In regards to the Students With Disabilities (SWD) plan, Dr. Luvelle Brown stated, “We want bold, innovative approaches” toward improving special education. According to the Hehir Report conducted in March 2006, there has been a “lack of vision” and “lack of management structure” for special-education students in the district. ICSD is aiming to integrate special-education students in schools, targeting to improve math and reading skills, hiring instructional trainers and improving graduation rates and attendance by fall 2015. Code Red
World News Africa The United Nations officially declared the famine in Somalia over. They warn, however, that there is still a risk for regression, and that aid efforts in the region should not be stopped. A bill has been reintroduced in the Ugandan Parliament that would make the death penalty illegal for gays who are “repeat offenders” — those who have been charged with having homosexual relations on multiple occasions. Much of the opposition to homosexuality in Uganda is due to the high percentage of Christians (85.2%) who believe homosexuality to be a sin. The Americas The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals struck down a ban on same-sex marriage in California, calling it unconstitutional. In its latest efforts to bring Iran back into line with international standards and laws, the United States has unleashed another round of sanctions on Iran. These sanctions are meant to specifically target Iran’s Central Bank. Tehran dismissed the sanctions as “physiological warfare.” Asia The small island nation of Maldives has recently undergone a change in leadership. On February 7, the former President of Maldives, Mohamed Nasheed, resigned following protests around the country. Protesters, who were eventually joined by the police, took over the country’s government-run television station and changed the broadcast to messages from the opposition calling for continued protests. Nasheed was credited by many in the West as bringing democracy to Maldives. Europe The Prime Minister of Romania, Emil Boc, stepped down in response to recurring protests against his austere measures. The Romanian President appointed Mihai Ungureanu of the Democrat-Liberal Party to take his place.
continued from p.1
-MIKE HALL
Local News Brief New ICSD District Committees Established for Curriculum and Instruction
PHOTO/DAVE BURBANK
Since January of this year, central administrators have installed teaching and learning committees in eight elementary schools within ICSD that focus on math, science, and literacy. At least two representatives have to be elected to each respective committee: for math, one has to be from the primary level, and the other intermediate. Additionally, the Elementary Math Committee has and will continue to focus on providing feedback, resolving inconsistencies, and seeking more resources for math education within each school. The Elementary Science Committee, coordinated by Karen Griffen, an educator at Enfield Elementary, is focusing on similar goals as the math committee in addition to increasing communication regarding science and improvement around the community. In contrast to the Math Committee, the Literacy Committee requires two representatives as well as classroom, ESOL, special education, and reading teachers, who, after carefully analyzing NYS standards and current data, issue an ICSD Elementary Balanced Literacy Framework for Instruction and Assessment. The 18 members that make up the committee are guided by Liddy Allee, a Caroline Elementary reading teacher, Adam Piasecki, an Enfield Elementary 2nd grade teacher, and Lynn VanDeWeert, a ICSD primary literacy staff developer.
Code Red member and sophomore James Eddlestone works on the T-slot frame for the robot.
framing rather than square tubing. The control team subdivided into programming, electronics, and pneumatics. Of the three, the busiest team was electronics, because they had to deal with the control board (the item that commands the robot during competition). Due to lack of space and frequent changes in design frame, difficulties arose among the group; however, the entire control team was able to finish on time. The acquisition team focused on issuing a large portion of the robot to pick up basketballs before shooting them. Consequently, the frame and electronics groups had to accommodate this, and the team was forced to redesign many times. Overall, members and staff feel confident and happy with the amount of progress they’ve accomplished in just six weeks. “Predicting the success of our robots any time before empirical trials is premature,” Burbank was quick to point out. “That said, I am very proud of our progression from receiving the challenge to starting to assemble our robot.”
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email ads@ihstattler.com for more information
March 1, 2012
In Memoriam:
PHOTO/PROVIDED
Jack Gallagher
PHOTO/RACHEL POLLAK
PHOTO/PROVIDED
March 1, 2012
Editorial:
Be green! The Green Team members’ hearts would plummet at the waste of paper. It would seem that by now, high-school students would recognize the harmful consequences of using too much paper. However, the library printers tell a different story: at least twice a week, students can witness an inch-thick stack of warm paper waiting for its long-gone owner. This problem stems from the fact that people prefer to print out the entire website, which leads to the 20 or 30 pages of text, unnecessarily large images and widely spaced-out advertisements. Those who commit such civil offenses may be in a hurry—but is it really too much work to open up a Word document, copy the content, paste it, delete the ads and then print it? Students may lose two more minutes with this new addition to the careless routine, but they will also gain the satisfaction of saving school money, saving paper for other students and saving trees. What happens to the papers after they are printed? If that inch-thick stack has been resting on the printer tray for the last ten minutes, the owner most likely won’t come back. So what now? Those perfectly good pages will be recycled without hav-
Editor-in-Chief
ing ever felt the caress of a student’s hand. On the flip side, what will happen to the printed documents that students do use for class? After referring to it once or getting it back from a teacher, those get thrown in the recycling bin too—or in the worst case, a trash can. It is wasteful of students to discard good quality paper. Until IHS purchases printers that print on both sides, let’s maximize the paper’s utility. If there’s an upcoming math test, it would be silly to solve practice problems in a math notebook because students should save their notebook pages for note taking. Instead, this would be the perfect time for students to take out the typed journal entry the teacher handed back or the outdated Spanish article and start solving the problems on the back of those sheets. This method is not only applicable to mathematics but also to chemistry and physics problem sets, biology study guide questions and French verb conjugation practices. So the next time there’s a pile of abandoned paper slumping over the printer tray, feel free to grab several pages to give them a well-deserved second chance!
Christina Seung ‘12 editor@ihstattler.com
News Editor
Mansi Vohra ‘13 news@ihstattler.com
Opinion Editor
Mike Hall ‘13
opinoin@ihstattler.com
Features Editor
Medeea Popescu ‘13 features@ihstattler.com
Centerspread Editor
Kelsey Shang ‘12 centerspread@ihstattler.com
Arts & Entertainment Editor
Leo Winters ‘13 arts@ihstattler.com
Sports Editor
Where in the wolrd is the IHS main entrance? Visitors to IHS are inevitably confused upon confronting the multibuilding school from the parking lot. Frequently, visitors will be found wandering the hallways of the new buildings, nowhere near academic classrooms, looking for the main office. Many of our lost visitors can be seen at IHS after the school day is over, when parents and other visitors come to school to watch drama productions or sporting events. Occasionally there will be the confused transfer student or guest speaker, having altogether missed the helpful sign outside the gym (which points towards the main office) by having wandered into Activities or the ABuilding lobby. It’s pretty well known that IHS was designed for California’s mild climate. Why constructing such a school design in Upstate New York was thought to be a good idea is beyond many of us, but
that’s the way it is. Recently, A-Building’s renovation was accompanied by the transformation of the small parking lot and parent drop-off loop near the main office into a grassy “extra quad,” making the bus loop the main entrance vantage point for both cars and buses. With this design, the first buildings that one comes upon when entering IHS are “extracurricular” buildings — Activities, Kulp, and the gym — and with the lack of directional signage, there’s little to point visitors towards the main office and academic classrooms. People don’t have to be directionally challenged to be unsure of where to go and with the new grand gym entrance currently under construction, the gym will likely be the first place school visitors try — only to end up in the gym lobby quite confused. The root of the problem is that IHS has no main entrance. The new con-
struction additions and renovations are much appreciated, but they do make our extracurricular buildings appear more prominent, which confuses visitors as to which entrance will lead them to the main office. Perhaps IHS is already dealing with this problem; perhaps the plan is to have a sign that says “MAIN ENTRANCE” above the new pillars outside the gym. Perhaps IHS should have color-coded footprint paths, with signs in the parking lot telling people which colored footprint will lead them where: blue leads to the gym, red to the main office, and green to the music building. The solution need not be complicated, but whatever it may be, clearly something needs to be done. IHS would like to create positive first impressions for our visitors. One way to do so is to ensure that they don’t get lost on their way into the school.
Siena Schickel ‘13 sports@ihstattler.com
Penultimate and Back Page Editor
Aryeh Zax ‘14
backpage@ihstattler.com
Copy Editor
Annelise Raymond ‘12 copy@ihstattler.com
Photography Editors
Maya Patt ‘13
photo@ihstattler.com
Layout Editor
Caroline Estill ‘12 layout@ihstattler.com
Webpage Editor
Sunny Joo ‘12
webmaster@ihstattler.com
Business and Advertising Manager
Emily Szpiro ‘14
business@ihstattler.com ads@ihstattler.com
Distribution Manager
Greg Chu ‘12
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Faculty Adviser
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Deborah Lynn
advisor@ihstattler.com
The Tattler is the student-run newspaper of Ithaca High School. The Tattler was founded in 1892, and is published monthly. As an open forum, The Tattler invites submissions of opinion pieces and letters to the editor from all members of the community. Drop off submissions in H134, or e-mail them to editor@ihstattler.com. Letters can be mailed to The IHS Tattler 1401 N. Cayuga St. Ithaca, NY 14850 We reserve the right to edit all submissions. These submissions do not necessarily reflect the views of The Tattler editorial staff.
March 1, 2012
Opinion:
A Word on politics By MANE MEHRABYAN
Who would have thought that I would be writing about politics? I generally try not to entangle myself with its hassles since I am not even allowed to vote yet. However, sometimes irrelevance should not affirm ignorance, as everything in this world is connected in one way or another. The current Republican presidential race has plucked a very important moral note in me because it not only begets the next presidential candidate, but attests to this country’s morals. It is widely accepted that to slander and suborn is flagrantly immoral. After all, it wouldn’t be acceptable if a math teacher gave an A+ to a rich pupil who couldn’t add 2+2. Yet this is the state to which the highest framework of government is coming. Candidates have not only been paying millions for pejorative advertisements, but issuing thorny promises to rich donors. Campaign contributions do not just come from minor and modest households, but also from large affluent companies which the government has authorized to become powerful and domineering entities: in 1886, the Supreme Court established corporations as persons, and in 2010, corporations were given the right to make unlimited political expenditures in the landmark decision Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. What this now means is that corporations have unrestrained power in aiding and influencing candidates. So are they being bought? Paradoxically these millions and millions of dollars collected are not even used to find the cure for cancer or give scholarships to striving students but to show the voters childish banters between candidates during advertise-
ments. Recently in Florida, former Governor Romney spent $15.3 million for advertisements disparaging the other candidates, and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich likewise spent $3.4 million. Interestingly, Romney won by a landslide. It would seem these negative advertisements are working, as the winner of that particular primary also happened to have spent the most money. So, are we being bought? There are some who find no issue in being shown subversive advertisements, and who have no problem with corporations donating large amounts of money to political candidates; perhaps these people are not sure where the hazy line rests between being influenced and being bought. We are however, influenced daily, from the latest styles to the newest scientific theories, but where influence goes too far is when money is used to mold and bend. After all, did the above math student really deserve the A+? This reveals much about our political system, but it also reveals much about our candidates. I have always thought that spouting zealous bigotry spoke negatively about one’s character. Is this a characteristic which we want in a president? Additionally, if one receives mounds of “free” money, then the obligations this person would face as president would be overbearing— as we know, nothing is ever free. When a presidential campaign spews money left and right, it is no longer a way to represent the people but a way to win a contest of corruption. Once this becomes encouraged in those who are seeking the highest position in government, then all the millions of people who do not have the means — the capital — to make their opinions known now have the duty to broadcast their convictions. This is the meaning of democracy.
Letters to the Editor: To The Editor: When man crawled out of the metaphorical waters of primordial sludge and onto land, it was implied that swimming would never be needed again. It only makes sense that after evolving out of the water, one would never again need to go back in. Man guessed wrong. Our modern society has grown an obsession with fitness quite diverse from old culture. In the 18th century, it was the vogue to be large and portly—in fact, it was a status symbol. Now, it is frowned upon to the point that some women mutilate their bodies, or even starve themselves to reach the image our culture has defined as ‘pretty.’ The situation is not ideal, but there are solutions other than the drastic ones that some use. One of the leading solutions is exercise, and a particularly easy way to exercise is swimming. Swimming is an interesting sport, if it can be called one. The Oxford English Dictionary defines sport as “An activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.” By this definition, swimming can either be considered a sport or not; many times, there is no competition whatsoever. This is what makes swimming such remarkable exercise: there need not be competition. If I want to
In a generation where it seems no one is unconditionally polite, it is so rare to hear people compliment each other. It never ceases to amaze me how rude and puerile high school students are, and I’ve never understood it. Insults are sprinkled in daily conversation and screamed throughout hallways. While most should be taken with a grain of salt, it is crucial we be kind to one another. Don’t hesitate to compliment people, even if you don’t know them. In this age of doltish neuroticism, it is automatically labeled “creepy” if you dare say something like “I really like that sweater” to someone you do not know. Not every high school student is rude; some are kinder than others. For those who do, in fact, shower people in put-ups instead of put-downs: keep doing it! While the year presses on I just ask you one thing: try being kinder and more considerate. It will certainly make you look good and make the receiver feel good.
SIMON BOHN ’13
Conor Coutts ‘15
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To the Editor:
swim, I will do it by myself, at my own pace, rather than be dictated by the gods of physical education. Furthermore, since staying afloat is a part of nature, and requires the full use of the body, swimming is a full-body exercise. From the pecs to the biceps, swimming helps build not only muscle, but endurance. However, swimming is not all positive: There are some negative sides. It is clear that it can be dangerous: in 2004, according to the World Health Organization, there were an estimated 380,000 deaths by drowning. This is more than 8 times the number that die in car crashes in the United States alone. That is thirteen times the population of Ithaca. Because the motto and mission statement of the Ithaca City School District is “All Students Achieving their Dreams,” I must point out that when swimming, my dreams are not even close to being achieved. In fact, swimming pulls me further away from my dreams by making it statistically more likely that I do, in fact, drown, and never achieve them. I therefore recommend that we cease any further swimming in gym class, no matter how low-impact it may be to the body, and regardless of the so-called positive effects.
@ r o t i d e
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Student Actor/Musician Interview: Haley Evanoski just wasn’t what they were looking for. When you set your heart on a part it makes it more complicated. CS: What’s the worst part about being an actor? HE: Lines. I just cannot memorize lines. It takes me forever. I will sit there for hours and hours and just recite them. And then go to rehearsal and say them all wrong. You can ask anyone I know and they will tell you how awful I am at it. It is so frustrating. CS: What’s the best part of being an actor? HE: There are so many best parts, but I think the very best part of it is the people. That sounds so cliché, but I have made many friends through theater and all the people are genuinely nice. I love all of my previous castmates very much and miss a great deal of them. CS: Why do you think so many aspiring actors end up giving up on their dream? HE: Well first of all, it is hard to get a job. You have to be willing to work very hard and some people just aren’t up to that. It isn’t just glitz and fame; it is also a lot of waiting on tables and teaching voice lessons. I think actors realize as they get older that if they do not 100% want to do this then it isn’t worth it. I have great respect for those who decide to go into the performing arts. They are some of the hardest workers and most determined people I know. CS: What is something embarrassing or unexpected that happened to you on stage? HE: Embarrassing things happen to me all the time. I tend to have a problem with clothing falling off. It seems just about every show some costume of mine always has some kind of malfunction. Clothing malfunctions in real life are embarrassing, but accidentally stripping in front of hundreds of people is a little more intense. It is always best to just laugh it off. These things happen and there is nothing to stress about. CS: Do you have any plans for the future? HE: I plan to graduate high school; that’s first on my list of life plans. As I was saying earlier, I would like to go to college for music education. I hope to become an elementary school music teacher.
PHOTO/GEORGE CANONN
Christina Seung ’12: What and when was the first show you did? Haley Evanoski ’12: Oh wow--that was a long time ago. I think it was in 3rd grade. I was in a production of The Little Mermaid with the Galway Theater Company—I was a puffer fish. CS: What has been your favorite role so far? HE: I will begin by saying that I’ve enjoyed all of the roles I have played, but I think the role that has had a really big impact on me was Tracy Turnblad in Running to Places’ production of Hairspray. It was new and challenging and the cast was brilliant. CS: What role do you want to play that you haven’t yet? HE: That’s a really hard question. There are so many parts! If it could be anything at all, even guys, it would have to be someone in 1776. If you haven’t seen that musical I would highly recommend it. It is probably one of the corniest shows ever but I enjoy it. CS: What is the scariest part of an audition? HE: Auditions all around are scary. The degree of terror also depends on what you are auditioning for. For example, the degree of scary for college auditions is somewhere between being so scared you are going to vomit and cry; a lesser degree is when you are auditioning for something like Running to Places, where you are a little nervous, just like before a test you didn’t study well for. CS: What show could you do for years? HE: I would have to say that would be Hairspray. I really enjoyed that show a lot. It was just the perfect cast. I wish it could have gone on longer. CS: What are you auditioning for next? HE: Well, since I am majoring in music education, I am now auditioning to get into college. My next audition is in a little over a week. I only have three more schools to go. Even though I love music, I don’t like auditioning. It isn’t very fun. CS: What show are you doing next? HE: This very second I am in Shakespeare in the Basement’s production of Twelfth Night. I am also in Running to Places’ production of Oklahoma this summer. I will be playing Ado Annie and I am very excited for that. CS: What is the strangest thing a role required you to do? HE: I have had to do some strange things. Nothing too drastic but still not everyday sort of things. I had to tease my hair into an Afro for a role. It doesn’t sound that crazy, but if you saw it you would understand just how bizarre it was. When I say “Afro,” I mean like giant frizz ball on my head. I got my hair—which was just a few inches longer than shoulder length—to stand straight up. It looked like I had just survived a tornado. CS: Besides acting, what other training have you had (voice, dance, etc.)? HE: I have been trained in voice for six years now. I take lessons for 45 minutes every Saturday morning. CS: Have you experienced any actor’s nightmares? HE: Thankfully I have never experienced anything worse than forgetting a line or song lyric. But I have seen a lot. I have seen people fall off the stage, and people fall and break themselves but still complete the show. Some crazy stuff happens. CS: Have you ever forgotten your lines, or a prop, or choreography during a performance? What happened? HE: Oh yeah—it happens. You just fake it ‘til you make it. One of the big things you learn in theater is how to cover up and think on your feet. I have forgotten things during performances; everyone does. You just have to be ready to cover yourself. CS: Have you ever been injured on stage or on the set? HE: Other than the occasional splinter, bruise and cut, I have never really hurt myself on stage. After a performance, I will always find these random wounds, and I never know how I got them. You are so focused on what is happening that you don’t realize that you get these little things until afterwards. There was this one time that I jabbed myself in the head with a bobby pin during a scene, and my scalp was bleeding, but that was my most serious injury--gruesome stuff. CS: Have you ever missed a performance? If so, why? HE: Thinking back, I don’t think I ever have. It just isn’t something that happens. You only miss performances if you or a loved one dies; something really, really serious has to happen for you to miss a performance. CS: What is something that you know now that you wish you had known when you were first starting out as an actor? HE: I wish I knew that I didn’t have to worry about every little thing. It was just a lot of wasted energy. Oops. CS: Is there a particular role that got away—a role you really wanted, but wasn’t cast in? HE: As a rule, when I audition for a musical or play I try not to pick a part that I want. It just adds extra nerves and everything gets overly emotional. It isn’t worth the effort. After years of auditioning I have come to realize that you may just not be what the director is looking for in the character. You shouldn’t take anything personally; it
Haley Evanoski as Tracy Turnblad in Running to Places’ production of “Hairspray.”
March 1, 2012
IHS Band Honors Abraham Lincoln
A&
R2P Presents: “Hairspray”
Chicago: Why It Was Cancelled By EMILY SCARPULLA
By SIENA SCHICKEL
At the State Theatre, the seats were filled as the musical “Hairspray” started. The brightly colored set came down, the lights whizzed around the stage, and the singing raised the roof. Once again, Running to Places Theatre Company (R2P) put on a masterfully done Broadway musical that made it look both professional and fun. The musical, set in the 1960’s, is about Tracy Turnblad and her dream to dance on the Corny Collins Show. When she finally gets a role in the TV show, she starts a movement for integration on the show in the town of Baltimore, Maryland. After an incident where nearly everyone is sent to jail for protesting the racial injustice, the show becomes integrated. The musical is based on the real-life show, the
Buddy Deane Show, which was cancelled in 1964 because of the station’s inability to allow both black and white dancers. R2P, founded in 2007 by Joey Steinhagen, features over 200 students grades 6-12 who act onstage or run the technology offstage. According to their website, approximately 6,000 people attend each show. With the help of professionals, students are able to set up a performance and learn about the field of stage production at the same time. “For such a large cast with so much happening, everyone was very close and very friendly. I had so much fun and would totally relive the experience if I could. Everyone had a great time,” said Caleb Harris ’13, part of the tech crew. The time and effort put into the production was obvious to see, and made a very enjoyable performance.
PHOTO/PROVIDED
If the recent Lincoln concert by the IHS band were a vehicle, it would be a tricycle, the first 20 minutes being the third wheel. This 20-minute introduction focused on Lincoln’s famous speeches, including the Gettysburg and Second Inaugural Addresses. As historic and memorable as these speeches are, I found the introduction to be repetitive, considering that some of the same quotes were used in the narration during the actual performance of the Portrait of Lincoln by Aaron Coplan. In addition, the introductory quotes tended to be the usual go-to quotes about Lincoln (“Four score and seven years ago”, “government of the people, by the people, for the people”, etc.). While these quotes are no doubt important in understanding Lincoln, these jewels only make up part of Lincoln’s crown of achievements rather than the entire thing. On the other hand, the performance of the piece Portrait of Lincoln in my view was the best part, as this performance gave the audience a depiction of Lincoln different from what we’d see in a textbook or Wills’s renowned Lincoln At Gettysburg. This was due to the well-choreographed dance between the narration and the music. The narration contained various quotes from Lincoln throughout his life, from his humble beginnings in Kentucky to political stardom in D.C. The music and the IHS Band’s interpretation reinforced and accurately depicted the narration’s character. This gave the audience a sensual learning experience, as not only did they hear and see the quotes, but they felt them through each note and beat the band played. There were only a couple minor adjustments I’d make concerning the performance such as the balance between the sections, and an increase of expression and contrast of emotion. I felt that the finale lacked that final oomph and feeling of grandeur any finale should have. Overall, I found the Lincoln Concert an enjoyable and enlightening experience. It took awhile, in my opinion too long, to hear Coplan’s Portrait of Lincoln. However, it was well worth the wait, and given the chance, I would go to hear it many more times in the future.
PHOTO/PROVIDED
By GREG CHU
When word got out that the IHS drama department wouldn’t be able to perform IHS’s scheduled musical Chicago, there was a lot of speculation as to why the production had suddenly been dropped. The problem was that Samuel French, the company that owns the rights to the production, would not let the IHS Drama Department know if they had the rights to the show or not as showtime drew near. The Drama Department has previously had problems with Samuel French being flaky over rights, but it’s never been bad enough to have to cancel a show after having already announced it. Many were disappointed by this cancellation because Chicago is a very popular show; unfortunately, some of the cast quit after hearing the news. Chicago has been replaced with The Pajama Game, a show about a labor union in a pajama factory. People are excited with rehearsals starting for The Pajama Game, which promises to be just as fun to be in and to see. Many people in the cast had not heard of The Pajama Game before, so some were wary coming to the first rehearsal, but after starting the first readthrough of the script, it was clear that the cast was already taking to it. “We were all very excited for Chicago, as it is a great show with a very unique style and really classic music, so when the rights issues came up, we were all extremely disappointed,” said Allison Mollenkamp ‘14. “However, after all of that, we’re still really excited for The Pajama Game. It’s been a rough start, but the show is already starting to sound amazing and we can’t wait to do another great show here at IHS.” So everyone put The Pajama Game on your calendars: it will be showing March 22-25.
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childhood Memories: The Forecast of Our Future? By SIENA SCHICKEL
Memories thread together the pieces of human existence. A bright personality can come from a lifetime of structure and happiness or from the determination to escape a stressful existence (and the same can apply to a completely opposite personality). People often look towards childhood for answers, expecting to find them in memories. They are not entirely wrong to do so. Memories can be broken down into specific scientific processes. A certain smell, for example, can stimulate a memory involving a similar odor. The two most common triggers are sight and sound. Memories can vary in intensity depending on how many senses are involved. The more intense the experience, the more vivid the memory is. In a 2007 study published in Scientific American, neurologist Dr. Joe Z. Tsien and his colleagues genetically altered mice to create a better memory span in a series of experiments. For example, after the altered mice, or Doogies, experienced an “earthquake sensation,” they were more fearful to be in the same space later. Dr. Tsien then discovered that there was physical evidence in the brain suggesting that extreme situations are chemically imprinted into our minds because of the reactions of neurons located in the hippocampus (the part of the brain associated with forming and organizing memories). As Dr. Tsien believes mice and men to possess similar memory-controlling genes, he argues that such findings can also apply to the human brain. According to Dr. Tsien, “We remember such episodes—with striking clarity and for years afterward—because that is what our brains evolved to do: extract information from salient events and use that knowledge to guide our responses to similar situations in the future.” Stepping back from the science of it all, childhood memories play an important part in the future of every individual. According to WebMD’s studies, families who have dinner together five to seven days a week are five times less likely to have a child or teen abuse drugs or alcohol. This study emphasized the aspect of conversations, stating that communication within families often helps the buildup of positive memories. On the other hand, alcohol can have a big impact on how childhood memories affect a person’s future. Sources from Alcohol Addiction indicates that about 43% of all adults in the U.S. have been exposed to alcoholism within the family. Although this does not necessarily lead to alcoholism in those exposed to it, it tends to cause other problems, such as depression, aggression, impulsive behavior, and trust issues. Positive memories tend to last longer but are not as intense as negative memories. Every kind of memory is stored away in the brain to allow for coping with the present; however, people suffering with clinical depression tend to have negative emotions that are not as easily fogettable as others. Despite this, people still have control over their futures. Memories serve not as a controlling factor in a person’s life, but act as an aid in guiding decisions.
What’s in a Name? By Teta Alim
Shakespeare once pondered, “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” Basically, according to Shakespeare, names shouldn’t really matter. Wrong. They matter; they really do. Take my name, for example. When my mother decided to nickname me “Teta,” she had no idea what sort of implications it would have outside Indonesia. “Teta” is fine in Indonesia, but for some reason, it poses a lot of problems in America. People have so much trouble pronouncing a simple four-letter name; from the bizarre “Tah-ta” to the somewhat endearing “Tey-dah,” I loathed my name to the point where I secretly wanted to be called something normal and pronounceable like “Ashley” or “Sara.” Besides the mispronunciations, “Teta” has various meanings: in Egyptian it means “grandmother,” and in Spanish and Portuguese it means …“boobs.” Seriously, what was my mother thinking? But the thing is, I am not an “Ashley” or a “Sara.” I am a “Teta.” In the end, names become a major part of a child’s identity. A person without a name has less of an identity and may struggle to find his or her place in society. For when we introduce ourselves, our names come first because that is our initial identification. Names are the first reflection of our personalities. A rose by any other name may smell as sweet, but perhaps would not be as unique.
Dear Thirteen-Year-Old Me . . . Dear Little Christina, You’re probably wondering what will happen in the future. But as much as I would like to tell you everything, kiddo, I’m not going to. However, I will tell you that math gets harder—significantly harder—so don’t be too shocked when you get there. You might think of taking easier math or science classes, but stick to your goals! It may seem like it’s not paying off right now, but you’ll learn so many interesting and mind-boggling facts, theories and techniques of math. Also, try new kinds of food! I know you’re a bit obsessive with it (i.e. eating peanut butter sandwiches for five months), but be more creative with what you eat, because right now, I’m sick of peanut butter. One more noteto-self: don’t use wireless Internet so much, because around sophomore year, it’s going to stop working. Oh—and don’t get your hopes up about getting a 2400 on your SAT. Sincerely, Older Christina Seung Dear Tits (don’t worry, you’ll get used to it), Chill. Just take a deep breath and relax. In fact, stop doing your homework, lean back in your seat for a moment, and close your eyes. In a few months, you’ll be graduating 8th grade and entering high school, and I promise you it’s not as scary as you think. In fact, it’s not really scary at all, and after a while, it’ll become really monotonous and slightly torturous. Some days will be really good and some days will be really bad, but hey, you’re already used to that! Don’t be afraid to stare at senior guys. It’s okay; they’re probably used to it. In fact, I encourage you. If it’ll help you take your mind off school for a few minutes, just ogle that extremely attractive—if not vain—senior boy. Just please don’t Facebook-stalk him or memorize the exact time he walks through H-hallway, because that’s just creepy. Please stop reading romance novels (especially books like Gossip Girl and The Clique) because they’ll definitely rot your brain and distort your perception of reality. Take the time to read the news a bit and, maybe, something with a little more substance. Because trust me: life does not work like those books. Also, stop hating. Don’t hate on people, don’t hate on their swag. Just stop judging people before you’ve even met them. That also goes for hating celebrities and rich people; it just creates bad vibes and bad vibes mess with your soul. So, keep an open mind and accept people for what they are and not what they could be. You may be pleasantly surprised. And seriously, get over yourself. Stop whining about not having the latest phone or iPod, because you could do much worse. You could live in a cardboard box with an abandoned puppy behind a McDonald’s in the rain. Yeah. So life is not that bad. You’ll get used to it; you’re good at adapting. Most importantly: be happy. Stop worrying about what others think of you, or what your grades are, or whether or not you’ll get into college, because you know what? No one cares, your grades are fine, and you’ll get in. Definitely. Have faith in yourself and don’t be afraid to let loose and just go crazy. You know you’re an oddball, so embrace it. Anyway, I wish you all the best. Best of luck, The 17-year-old you, Teta Alim
To my 13-year old self, I’ll make it short and sweet: Stop listening to your brother. Sure, he’s a mathematical genius with an almost perfect GPA, but in the end, that stuff doesn’t matter. You have self-worth, so it doesn’t hurt to have some faith in your abilities. Besides, in four years’ time, you two will find some way to reconcile. As a rule of thumb, teenage boys are idiots. It’s not the end of the world if you get rejected. When you’re this young, you don’t need a boyfriend to be happy. Just wait until you meet college guys; they’re delicious. Lighten up—you’re way too serious and cynical for a tiny Asian girl. Before I leave, in the event of a time paradox, don’t panic. Just break the glass and look for the Bad Wolf. —Kelsey Sh.
How I Learned About Death
March 1, 2012
By CHRISTINA SEUNG
I was introduced to the concept of the afterlife (Heaven and Hell) from my parents as soon as I was early enough to understand it. Therefore, I was never particularly concerned with what happens after death as much as I was with the the process of approaching it. My earliest encounter with death was with ants. When I was eight or nine, I spent my summers sitting on the sidewalk with my friends and stabbing ants with tree branches. As I got older, I realized that death doesn’t simply mean that the body stops functioning. Sometimes, there’s another component called “torture.” I first grappled with this idea when I heard about the effect of salt on slugs. Curious to see if this was true, I grabbed a handful of salt and started pouring it on a peaceful slug crawling on my doormat. As the white salt crystallines soaked into the slug, it violently squirmed and twisted its body for a few minutes. I don’t know how long it took to die because I was so alarmed that I left. A few years ago, my grandfather passed away—that’s when I truly realized the effect death has on other people. I was upset and I shed a few tears, but since I hadn’t seen him for seven years, the magnitude of my emotions was nothing compared to what my grandmother, my aunt, my uncle and my mother were feeling. Compared to them, I was feeling nothing at all. Through these experiences, I have become more aware of death but I have not learned it yet.
By RYAN HAWTHORNE
By KELSEY SHANG
When I was about 8 years old, I would visit my grandmother as often as possible. Shewas sick in bed all of the time; and before I knew it, she had lost all of her hair and couldn’t easily move on her own. My father told me that she was going to be fine; my mother told me that if I prayed to God, everything would turn out all right. As naive as I was, I felt that something wrong was going to happen to her. A couple weeks after my last visit, my mother told me that my grandmother was too tired to keep up with her sickness and needed to take a rest for a very long time. Not understanding what she meant by “a very long time,” I smiled and continued the rest of the trip happily. My mother and father bought me a new dress and shoes, and a new outfit for my little brother. At the time, he was five and understood just as little as I did. We drove in a nice car to a building where I noticed that everybody was crying. My dad and my uncle, especially, couldn’t explain to my brother and me what was happening. I looked at my new shoes, smiled, and walked to the front of the room with the rest of my family. My brother decided to tag me, and we ran around the building laughing and screaming with joy. It was only after a few minutes when I noticed the woman in the bed was my grandmother. I asked my mom, “How much more sleep does she need?” My mother couldn’t stop crying. Later, at the second funeral, held in a larger church, relatives came up to me and apologized. They said they wished I had had more time with her. But I was confused and thought, “Won’t she come back someday to play with me? To sing me songs again?” At this point, I really questioned what was going on. Soon enough, there were bagpipes playing “Amazing Grace” and several people were singing along. My relatives from all over the country came and I began to catch on as to why everybody was so sad. Months after the funeral, I realized that my grandmother wasn’t going to come back. Every night before bed, I started to cry just as my parents did. I asked God to have her come back, but my parents said she was in a better place and that I’d meet her again one day. I was mad at them for lying. I didn’t understand why they couldn’t say she was “dead.” Later on, when I tried to talk about it, I found myself avoiding the “D-word” as much as possible. Although I was young, careless, and happy, I wish my parents had told me what was happening, so that I could have prayed with them at both of my grandmothers’ funerals.
Around the time I was about nine or ten, my father worked as a pathologist. So, his work on disease and autopsies would often come into conversation. At the time, I had a very “cartoonized” impression of death. Like Daffy Duck or Wile E. Coyote, death was something laughable. Like my other counterparts, I found it silly when I “killed” my friend’s stuffed animals. However, my impression was quickly changed when my dad decided to bring me to work. One day, my father brought me to the autopsy room where a young, cold man lay upon the table. The things I remember so vividly: only dressed in boxer briefs, the man looked to be at least 25 years old. There was a blue and white noose, made of twine, tied around his neck. His face was calm as if he was sleeping. He had hung himself. For a moment, I found it hard to believe that he was dead. To me, he seemed to be simply knocked out or drugged. But he was dead. I didn’t cry. I just stood there silently, looking from my dad, to the body, to my dad. There are those who may object to bringing a young child to this sort of scene. And while I admit it was grim, it taught me more about death than any teacher or words could. No, I’m not mentally scarred or disturbed; I believe I came out quite normal. However, that image remains imprinted on my mind. I left with one thought: death isn’t glamorized or child’s play. Death is death. There’s no soul leaving the body for ascension to heaven. There’s nothing special. It’s a piece of meat. To this day, open casket procession makes me very uncomfortable. The deceased should be left to rest, not to play dress-up. But with that in mind, I can understand why so many are afraid of death and of nothingness. However, had I not experienced this, I would not have had this understanding today.
How Names Affect Children By KHALID VREDE
Names are very important to human beings regardless of their race, gender, or creed. Names provide people their heritage and identity, which some believe determine a person’s future or destiny. For this reason, people dedicate books, magazines, websites and even careers to finding the perfect name. Although giving a child a certain name may provide the parents the opportunity to shape their child’s identity, there may be certain economic implications associated with the decision. With this in mind, parents are faced with a tough decision between honoring their heritage and guaranteeing their child’s future economic success. We can specifically observe this in the subculture of ethnic names in the United States. After the Civil Rights Movement, the Black Power Movement became popular in the late 1960s and early 1970s, which took a radical stance toward achieving equality and encouraging cultural pride for African Americans. During this time, African Americans began to change their naming practices. Instead of “John” and “Mary,” they began using more non-white names, many of which were Muslim. Although the media pokes fun at stereotypical African American names, these names may be indicators as to the future of an individual. There are two schools of thought: first, the name itself doesn’t affect a person’s future economic and social status, but rather indicates the type of environment in which they may grow. Studies show that people who give their children distinct, stereotypically black names are more likely to live in poor intercity areas. These areas are shown to have poor educational systems, high rates of violence, and a staggering 80% of singleparent households. The second (and more popular) school of thought suggests that potential employers are more selective in hiring people with distinctly black names. Harvard Professor of Economics Dr. Mullainathan conducted a study of 5,000 identical resumes, of which half belonged to “Greg” and the other half belonged
to “Tyrone.” The study found that “Tyrone” was 33% less likely to get a call back than “Greg,” and would be job hunting for about one-third times longer than “Greg” despite their identical qualifications. Another similar study used 7,000 resumes with traditional Chinese, Indian, and typical white names. The results were strikingly similar to the previously mentioned study. When employers were asked why they did not choose the resumes with Chinese or Indian names, many employers declined to comment or said they had no such bias. Some, however, said that having seen an overtly ethnic name, they thought the individual had poor English skills and/or cultural differences which may strain relationships with their coworkers, customers and employers. This information may cause people to think twice about giving their child a name that reflects their race. Based on the studies shown, parents who give their children clearly ethnic names tend to saddle their children with future economic hardships. However, should one give in to this social pressure? Personally, I believe they shouldn’t. For example, my name greatly differs from the overwhelming majority of Americans’ names. My first name, “Khalid,” means ‘one who does not grow weak’ in Arabic. My middle name, “Olufemi,” means ‘God loves me’ in Yoruba, a West African language. Finally, my last name, “Vrede,” means ‘peace’ in Dutch. Despite the fact that no part of my name reveals my heritage, except for my last name, I value my name wholeheartedly. At certain points in my life, I have wondered what it would be like to have a more American name. Upon asking my parents for their reasoning behind my name, they said that they wanted me to have a unique and meaningful name that did not help me assimilate, but instill pride and uniqueness in myself as a person. Today, the economic implications of certain names are substantial, but not impossible to overcome. If a person values their heritage, they should pass its value to their children. Losing a culture is worse than losing a few weeks of work.
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New Visions:
Science Olympiad Succeeds at Regionals
A New Perspective on Senior Year By LUCY DUAN
PHOTO/ANNA FU
Senior year is supposed to be grand. Seniors are finally at the top of the food chain again: free periods, H-Courtyard, and senioritis! But let me describe the day of a typical IHS senior. At 8:55am, you will most likely be sitting in an uncomfortable chair through 45 minutes of scribbles on the whiteboard and the droning voice of an over-exhausted high-school teacher. When the bell rings, you trudge through the hallway that reeks of deodorant, sweat, and school lunches. Do you really want this for what is supposed to be your glorious senior year? This year, Abbie Teeter ‘12, Amelia Kaufman ‘12, Karly Nocera ‘12, Lucy Duan ‘12, Lucy Lagoze ‘12 and Rachel Sampson ‘12 along with several other seniors have decided to leave the beloved IHS for four hours a day to explore their own interests. I’ll take you through the day of a New Visions student. At 8:55am, you could still be scrambled in the fluffy feathers of your soft and comfortable bed. New Visions doesn’t start until 10am, so you could choose to take a class at IHS or sleep. Instead of sitting in a traditional classroom every day, New Visions students only have to be in the classroom twice a week in comfortable chairs on wheels! Many times, class is discussion-based, so your eardrums will be able to experience the 14 different but sweet voices of your fellow classmates (from different school districts). On the days not spent in the classroom, students decide their activities based on their interest. From planting seeds or shadowing vets at the Cornell Veterinary School of Medicine to performing research with Cornell graduate students and professors, falling asleep from boredom is unheard of. Last year, when I was a junior, I was reluctant to even apply. However, New Visions has provided me with so many intellectual opportunities that I could not imagine senior year otherwise. It has given me “new visions”: a new interest to explore, new friends, and a new perspective on learning. New Visions Life Sciences Open House is March 7 at the Guterman Bioclimatic Laboratories at Cornell University. New Visions Health Sciences Open House is March 6 at the Cayuga Medical Center. Please come to learn more! Did I mention that we have food?
The members of the IHS Science Olympiad Club pose in front of their bus at Regionals. By MEDEEA POPESCU
On a recent Saturday morning, the seven members of the IHS Science Olympiad Team were riding quietly in a school bus, reviewing notes and doing some last-minute prepping. The Southern Tier Regionals, with 17 other schools participating, would be our first-ever competition. The club was started late last year by Anna Fu ’13 and me, Medeea Popescu ‘13, prompted by the lack of sciencebased activities at IHS. The beginning was not easy; fundraising and attracting members were major problems, but an IPEI grant and our dedicated advisors, Ms. Petrillose and Mr. Slattery, made our jobs much easier. Eventually, with a small group of committed students, we began preparing for our events at the one-day competition. The topics ranged from optics to microbiology, including various building projects like Towers and Gravity Vehicles. There was a mad rush in the final week before Regionals, but finally, on the morning of February 11th, we were all huddled in the pre-dawn cold in front of the school. The competition, held at Broome Community College this year, began at 8:00am with the testing of our tower structure. It held about 15 kg, a respectable amount for
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a balsa wood toothpick construction built by a first-time team. Then, our members split up to participate in their events. The structures of the events varied: some were written tests, as in Anatomy and Physiology and Astronomy, and some were hands-on, like Chemistry Lab and Technical Problem Solving. We generally worked in teams of two, and had around three events each. It was a new experience for all of us, but when we finally met for pizza at 1:30, we agreed that it was pretty fun; definitely something worth coming back to next year. Sure, there was tough competition from the other well-established schools, but what we had seen made us confident that next time, we could come back prepared. In the next few days, we found out our rankings: first in Microbe Mission, third in Chem Lab, fourth in Disease Detectives and Astronomy, among other events. Overall, we placed 8th out of 18 teams, despite being one of the smallest. We were overjoyed at how well we’d done, and excited to do it all over again next year. Our season is over now, but we will continue doing science activities until the end of the year, such as hosting the National Chemistry Olympiad on March 17th. We do, of course, welcome new members who are interested in science and would like to be part of our team: we meet Mondays in H114.
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March 1, 2012
Jew Crew: IHS’s Jewish Culture Club By NOAH MACHLIN
When I tell people that I’m the president of the IHS Jewish Culture Club, I’m typically met with, “What, that exists?” I can assure you that this is the case. I got the idea for the club earlier this year when I saw the gargantuan list of clubs sprawled across a bulletin board in Activities, accompanied by various club posters. As I read about clubs such as African Latino club, Asian American Club, and Undivided, I thought to myself, “Why not a Jewish club?” After all, IHS, as well as Ithaca as a whole, is home to a significantly diverse Jewish community. You’ve got the common nonobservant Americanized people like me. Then you’ve got Orthodox Jews, a local synagogue dedicated to secular Jews, and every degree of piety in between. Most high-school students and Ithacans are woefully ignorant of this. To take such a unique mishmash for granted would be foolish. That’s where my club comes into play. My goal for this club is to create an environment where people can have fun but at the same time connect with Jewish
Teen
Authors: Inklings Writing Club By GWEN OBER
At IHS there is a library, and in that library are computer labs. In the computer lab at the back, there is a group of writers of screenplays, novels, poems, and short stories. What is this group called, you ask? It’s the Inklings! Okay, so maybe the members of the club haven’t published any works of literature yet, but they have started writing. Hey, everyone has to start somewhere—that’s why the club is here! Inklings also represents a forum for constructive criticism. Here’s a completely opinionated question: what’s better, a group of friends and family who don’t want to hurt your feelings, or a group of people who are your friends but also want to help you write something great and achieve your dreams? The latter, of course, but the Inklings aren’t harsh criticizers; we just try to make helpful comments on writing. Think about it; having a few second opinions on a piece you’re writing may eliminate a lot of annoying grammatical errors, and maybe even save a book from being torn up with corrections and suggestions from the editor. The club has also had a local author come in and talk about publishing a book. If writing and literature are your passions, and if you might be interested in having your work published, stop by the Inklings in Lab Two, on Mondays.
culture on some level. This is not a religious club in any way. Approximately a third of our members aren’t Jewish at all. “I was very excited when I first heard about this club! It’s a great way to have fun with my Jewish buddies,” Michelle Jang ‘13 said. Without a doubt, my favorite part of being club president is watching and helping those around me connect with Jewish culture while having fun. In some cases, people from diverse cultural backgrounds discover a previously unknown Jewish identity. Katherine Peck ‘13 made such a discovery recently. “Earlier this year I learned about conversos: Jews who converted to Catholicism in order to escape persecution [during the inquisition],” Peck explained. “Spain needed people to colonize the New World and allowed conversos to do so. Many of the conversos continued to practice Judaism in secret. My ancestors settled in Monterrey, Mexico, a town founded and populated by conversos. They retained some Jewish customs, such as the eating of a certain type of unleavened bread called ‘Pan de Semita.’ It was really fascinating to learn about this Jewish ancestry because my mom’s family is predominantly Catholic and I just assumed that
they always had been.” Because we’re a new club, things have played out slowly; we currently have around 15 members. Due to sports it’s often tricky for people to show up, myself included. Despite this, we’re in the process of accomplishing a great deal. We’re planning a two-day club trip to NYC in June to visit unique areas of Jewish significance and eat delicious food. This trip isn’t limited to club members, so if you’re an interested nonmember don’t hesitate to contact me. Also, later this year we’ll take a trip to Cornell to see what Jewish life on campus is all about. If enough people show interest, I will arrange for fascinating professors, Holocaust survivors, and rabbis as guest speakers. Upon hearing of IHS’s club, a group of ACS students decided to form their own informal spinoff. They’re planning plenty of activities as well, such as visiting Longview residents and volunteering at camps. If you wish to know more details about club activities or wish to participate in some capacity, you can contact me at yourhebrewhomie@ gmail.com and the members of the ACS club at acsjewcrew@gmail.com.
Law and Order, High School Style By ALEKSA BASARA Staff Writer
both teams play both the prosecution and the defense lawyer roles. The goal is to get the witnesses, also played by members from both teams, to vocalize a certain piece of information that will end up either convicting the defendant or saving him. As the rounds are held in real court rooms, the students really get a feel for what it’s like to be a lawyer asking questions, trying to put someone behind bars or prevent such an occurrence from happening. The winner is decided by a real lawyer who acts as the judge. He looks out for who asked the better questions, and determines which team best played out the roles. The taste of victory is what keeps the Mock Trial Club members motivated to work hard during the year. During meetings, the students practice their questioning skills and make sure that they know the packets inside and out. The students are assigned to play certain roles when the packets are received and then practice these roles as the year goes on. They go in pairs to practice their questions and answers. Questions vary, from the basic ones such as, “What is your name?” to the ones that many of us jokingly ask our friends such as, “Where were you on this particular
night?” The lawyer of the pair tries as hard as possible to keep the answers concise without suggesting an answer. The witness also plays an important role in this. Their goal to answer the question without giving away too much information, because the object of the game is to make your opponent think of the questions that need to be asked. Once the pair is finished, Mr. Galbraith gives helpful advice to both members. He may advise the lawyer to “get in character” and to vocalize questions when they are being asked. To the witness, he gives advice such as, “play up the witness’s case.” This sort of advice is valuable to the members because staying in character is key, and having emphasis on certain lines is what separates the good competitors from the very best. There are also times within the meeting when the members split up into two groups: the prosecution lawyers and the defense lawyers. During these times, the members go over their notes and what they think the main points of their cases are. Mock Trial Club is a great experience for anyone interested in a real taste of the legal professions.
Tucked away in E-building, a group of dedicated club-goers meets every Tuesday to prepare for court. But don’t worry; they aren’t in any legal trouble! I’m talking about the members of Mock Trial Club. Located in E-41 and supervised by Jay Barnes, these lawyers-in-training attend the club every Tuesday, although most work is completed outside of the club. In a single meeting I was able to tell just how committed these students are to learning about law. Local lawyer Dirk Galbraith comes in to teach the students about practices that he uses in the real world. The members of Mock Trial Club also spend their year preparing for competitions in May and June. The club captain, Tracy Lai ‘14, works to organize her members and to make sure they are ready for the challenges ahead of them. For the first few meetings of the year, the members meet to “go over the basics: rules, objections, procedure, what to expect, etc.” as Lai puts it. This is essentially to familiarize the new members with the format of the club and the competitions that they will attend. She later added, “We get our trial packets before winter break and prepare for the competitions in late May and early June.” Each year, Mock Trial Clubs all over the state get the same case packet. This packet contains a scenario that the clubs have to learn for the competitions. For this scenario, the crime scene is typically described in great detail. The packet also describes the characters involved and what happened on the day of the incident. Students are assigned roles, and they try to memorize the information that will help their cause. Ideally, students memorize almost all of the information provided in the packet about the scenario, because at the competitions the students play multiple roles. During the competition, the rounds are played out by Members of the Mock Trial Club experience the excitement of being a lawyer. two schools. Members from
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March 1, 2012
Bounced Chapter 6
Hallway Ambiance: Café Dewitt
By KELSEY SHANG
During a mysterious fire in the Subbies, Danny was taken in for questioning by the head of Orderly Affairs, Paul Bruce. After the interrogation, we learned that Bruce and the Bookie are no strangers to each other, leaving Danny now entangled in the middle.
Read the next chapter in the April issue of the Tattler!
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Leaning against the metallic counter, a knobbly-boned woman peered into the Telemonitor that was precariously perched atop an old grandfather clock. It was a quiet day. As she rubbed the crudely spliced surface stained with Victory coffee, the ticking of the old relic seemed to be muted by the rampant vibrations resonating from the perky newswoman onscreen. Yes, it was quiet with clear skies ahead. And the coffee tin, glowing upon the Oldage stove, was nearly finished. Danny entered The Greasy Spoon, silently waving to the woman. Muttering, she led him down the brown corridor of booths, dotted with the occasional vagabond enjoying a steaming gruel of somewhat-reconstituted unmentionables. As he took his seat, the woman briskly took out a pad and pen. “What’ll it be, sweetheart?” she briskly asked, clicking her pen impatiently. Danny noticed her eyes struggling to decide if they should pay more attention to the screaming Telemonitor or to theircustomer. Without looking up, he felt them swivel back and forth in their sockets, swinging like a pendulum. Between the frenzied lights and sounds emitted from the Telemonitor and the warmth billowing from her slouching body, Danny could easily tolerate the former. “Ehm, just a coffee will do,” Danny said. “Thanks.” With a slight grunt, she traveled back to the scrapped counter and disappeared below. It was better this way, Danny thought. So much had happened in the past few hours; there was too much information to process or even begin to wrap his brain around. Every moment stored inside his mind fumed and whirled madly, leaving him vulnerable to the vivid nightmares all of which were only alive for mere seconds. “Olivia,” Danny called, opening the door. “I need to pick up some things, but I forgot our account number.” Turning a corner, he found her: crumpled and lying in a puddle of her faded hair. Panicking, he tightly held the limp body against his chest as if the sound of his heart would somehow revive her. It was all too soon. “Mr. Sorrel, I’m very sorry,” the doctor replied. “We need to keep your wife with us a bit longer. She has been suffering from a severe ulcer and we need to stabilize her first.” Danny stood incredulously. Starting for the door behind him, the doctor grabbed his shoulder. “Mr. Sorrel, we can’t—” Danny shoved the man with a look of disgust. “You won’t let me see my own wife? We can’t be here,” Danny hoarsely snapped. “How can we even afford to be here?” Danny abruptly began to put on his coat. The Bookie stared with horror, nearly tripping as he beckoned the troubled man to sit again. “Danny, please think about this. I know things are getting hard, but think about this decision. I don’t want you to do—” Danny’s eyes darkened, as if they threatened to kill, and stopped the Bookie in mid-sentence. “I’m selling everything I have, all my years.” And in that brief moment of conviction and weakness, Danny felt in control of his life for the first time. The woman returned, placing a steaming mug of putrid liquid on the tabletop. The acrid stench of what was supposedly coffee tickled his nostrils, whistling for him to bring the concoction to his lips. Suddenly, the woman let out a bloodcurdling scream as she abandoned her post, fleeing behind the counter. A wire was tightly looped around Danny’s throat, stifling his cries for air. His hands wildly clawed at his neck, digging his nails into flesh. His legs violently kicked and wriggled like the fish he remembered catching as a boy. Someone was pulling the wire tighter and tighter. Danny reached for the coffee mug and flung the boiling liquid behind him. He heard the hiss of the coffee hit target, and his attacker howled in pain, releasing the wire. Relief flushed over Danny’s face as he violently coughed and gasped terribly. His perpetrator, a hulking beast of a man, rubbed his scalding face and eyes, blinded by beverage and rage. Furiously, the man rushed towards Danny; however, he was prepared. With a swift motion, Danny broke the hefty mug over the man’s face, feeling the weight disassemble in his hands. The man staggered back, swinging his fists with a renewed frenzy. Although Danny had done the job of blinding the beast, he was clearly no match for the man’s unbridled strength. The man roared and hurled his mass forwards. Danny hardly dodged the attack, covering his head as he took refuge underneath a cabinet. And in his little dark haven, he heard a deafening smash! Glong! And crash! Then all was silent. And after the earthquakes had stopped, Danny cautiously reemerged. The man laid on the tiled floor and the blood had begun to trickle down his peeling face. He had collided with the old grandfather clock, leaving its beautiful wooden frame and cogs in shreds. And about the remains of an old past lay the Telemonitor, now broken and unwanted on the floor. Shuddering and weak, Danny bitterly took in the wreckage, despite feeling slightly proud of himself. He shook the dust and pebbles of debris from his coat. To his left, the sobbing woman remained cowering below the counter. Burying her face in her arms, she was afraid to face the man who had just cheated death. “Excuse me, ma’am,” Danny gently said. “Do you have a Telecom I can use?” And in the back of his mind, Danny thought he heard that old clock chime six.
The funky décor at Café Dewitt on the Commons. By ANNELISE RAYMOND, CHRISTINE GERDING and NAOMI RAYMOND
Deep in the heart of DeWitt Mall, Chrissy Gerding ’12, Annelise Raymond ’12, and Naomi Raymond ’13 met at Café DeWitt on an unusually warm winter day. Upon arrival, we were drawn to the line of eight fish aquariums, which housed attractive goldfish. The tables were adorned with lovely pink roses, and we enjoyed the spiritful Christmas dangly lights and pine garlands overhead, even though the holiday season was over. We investigated the menu and selected our sandwiches, which were all chock full of local ingredients, such as bacon and chèvre goat cheese. While waiting for our meals to arrive, we enjoyed people watching, which was made relatively easy by the mirror posts (which are clearly intended for preventing basilisk petrification). Also, we could look into the stores, which have windows looking out onto the café. All in all, the restaurant had quite a nice atmosphere. Gerding ordered a curried tuna sandwich for $8.95, which was a unique blend of seafood and curry. The pumpernickel bread was “the perfect finish for such a delightful treat.” A. Raymond and N. Raymond split a Michel sandwich — local bacon, cranberry chutney, spinach, and Brie on baguette toast — and a grilled Charlotte sandwich, which had turkey, avocado, gouda cheese, and other tasty fillings. Unfortunately, we found the cups to be too small for our liking, as the waitress had to refill our empty cups multiple times. Also, N. Raymond would like to add that “the chairs were not very comfortable.” Overall, we thought that Café DeWitt’s sandwiches were creative and flavorful for a decent price, and the surroundings were quite welcoming, though N. Raymond felt awkward to be eating in what was previously a school hallway (the Dewitt Mall used to house IHS). We’d recommend this restaurant as a nice place to sit and chat with friends or simply to enjoy a lunchtime experience in a new and unique setting.
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Boys’ Swimming: A Season of Success By CASHEL STEWART Staff Writer
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It has been a long and challenging year for the IHS Boys’ Varsity Swimming and Diving Team, but it’s been rewarding. Every practice was physically and mentally challenging. The team worked for another undefeated season. They were able to defeat their rival, Vestal, as well as MaineEndwell, at their own pool. The MaineEndwell meet was the closest meet, with a score of 96-89. They also won dual meets against Binghamton, Union-Endicott, Elmira, Corning, and Horseheads. They also placed second at the Oswego Invitational, and first at the Beecher Invitational. The most important meet of all was also a victory. The season finished for most of the swimmers at the Section IV Class A Sectionals. Nearly every swimmer had a best time or met a season goal. Even exhibition swimmers had outstanding times in winning gold. The final score was Ithaca 518, to second-place Vestal 398.5. Ithaca was victorious for the second time in three years. Ithaca won all three relays; the 200 medley relay (1:42.18), with the team of Nadav Hendel ‘13, Dave Miller ‘13, Ryan Nicholson ‘14, and Francis Schickel ‘16, won by over three seconds. They also placed first and second in the 200 Individual Medley, Nicholson went a state-qualifying 1:57.13 and Miller went a best time 2:04.94. Emmett Kotlikoff ‘12 went an astonishing 1:48.17 in the 200 freestyle. Will Fisher ‘13 placed 3rd in the 50 freestyle. Luciano Servetto from LACS placed 8th in diving. Charles Chang ‘14 placed 2nd in the 100 butterfly (58.03). Nicholson went a 47.30 in the 100 freestyle, which was the pool record for EFA and the school record for IHS. Danny Carroll ‘12 and Miller took 3rd and 4th in the 500 freestyle. Hendel and Faadhil Moheed ‘14 took 4th and 5th in the 100 backstroke. The 100 breaststroke was very surprising; Miller got second and went
The Boys’ Swim Team poses after their well-deserved victory.
a 1:05.24, Kyle Markwardt ‘14 got 4th and went 1:06.17, and Noah Frostclapp ‘14 got 5th and went 1:06.31. This shows that the team has recovered the breaststroke core they lost at the end of last year’s season. After sectionals, the team sent four swimmers to States to swim. The team of Kotlikoff, Fisher, Nicholson, and Schickel met State requirements in both the 200 freestyle relay and the 400 freestyle relay. Kotlikoff also got the State cut in one event at sectionals, the 100 butterfly (53.96). Nichol-
Tebowed Out By RUBIN DANBERG-BIGGS Staff Writer
With the stupor of Tebowmania having sufficiently worn off, we can now fairly evaluate Tim Tebow as a “quarterback.” I put quarterback in quotations because any player that attempts fewer than 20 passes per game, which ranks him 30th in a league of 32, is only a quarterback in the loosest sense of the word. To me, he is more of a slow tight end who lines up in the backfield and gets credit for his team’s achievements. Although Tebow did win a surprising number of games in 2011, it was only surprising because of how poorly he played in those games. Had he played well, it would not have been such a big topic of discussion. This buzz is helped by his popularity among America’s responsible citizens and parents who want the best for their children. It’s understandable that Tebow has been so adored. Of course, this clean-cut guy who prays before games is more popular than players like Michael Vick, who was convicted of animal abuse. But we cannot let the fact that he is a nice guy keep us from seeing how far below average this quarterback is. Tebow finished outside of the top 25 quarterbacks in quarterback rating, passing yards per game, touchdown passes, and completion percentage, leaving him far and away one of the worst quarterbacks in the game today. Even his wins were not as impressive as they felt. Excluding the miracle win against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the playoffs, with Tim Tebow leading them, the Broncos didn’t beat a team that finished the year with more than nine wins. Now Denver has to make a choice of whether or not to keep Tebow as their starting quarterback. This will ultimately come down to John Elway, the general manager of the Broncos, but as they did at the beginning of this season when they chanted Tim Tebow into his starting spot, the fans of the Broncos will have a say in this decision. So I implore you, fans of the Denver Broncos, do not be swayed by this man’s incredible likability, and think about the welfare of your team. Please, make him your congressman, not your quarterback.
son has yet to choose his two individual events for sectionals, since he’s met the requirements for five of them. Coaches Mike Armitage, Drew Hilker, Paul Ruane, Mike Phelps, and even team manager Chris Archer were thrown into the pool, mirroring the dumping of a cooler of ice on coaches after winning an important game. Winning sectionals was a season goal for everyone on the team, and everybody is so excited that they were able to bring home the gold.
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March 1, 2012
Cashel’s Corner Linsanity
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By CASHEL STEWART Staff Writer
Lin racks up two of 28 points against the Dallas Mavericks.
Without a doubt you’ve heard something of Jeremy Lin, whether you follow basketball or not. ‘Linsanity’ is rockin’ the sports world. Lin played for Harvard in his college years and had been playing on the bench for two years, here and there, since the beginning of the season for the New York Knicks and for the entire season last year. This season, he played at most eight or nine minutes in a game, hardly noticeable in a world of players like Kevin Durrant, or a fellow Knick, Carmelo Anthony. But where all the Linsanity started was on the fourth of February, in a game against the Nets. That day marked the beginning of their winning streak. Jeremy Lin scored 25 points, leading the Knicks to an uncommon win. Lin barely spent any time on the bench in that game, and that’s why he was able to thrive. His talents were hidden because his lack of playing time. The streak continued through seven games, where Lin averaged almost 25 points and 9 assists. The most impressive win had to be against the top-of-the-league Lakers, in which he scored 38 points. Kobe Bryant, a star on the Lakers, had no clue who Jeremy Lin was, as seen in an pregame interview with him. Boy, was he surprised! Though the streak ended at seven, Lin continues to score in the 20s, putting him among the best players in the league. He has changed from a lesser-known player into a remarkable sensation. Seeing Lin pop out of nowhere with his teammates Anthony, Stoudemire, and Chandler, there are high hopes for the struggling New York Knicks. Lin may be all they needed to turn their flop of a season around. Perhaps it’s just a passing fad, but maybe he’ll stick around. Undoubtedly, the Knicks are hoping for the latter. The hype is so huge, even Saturday Night Live dedicated their opening sketch to Jeremy Lin! In addition, he was mentioned on recent episodes of The Daily Show With John Stewart and The Colbert Report, John Stewart called the whole thing “linsensitive”.
Cheerleaders with a Cause By JULIA JOHN
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This past fall, the IHS Cheerleading Team began a campaign called “Help the Flood Victims of the Southern Tier” to help those suffering from the effects of severe flooding in our area. You may have heard the radio ad, or seen the boxes around the school, but what you might not have known is how hard these cheerleaders worked to help their surrounding Southern Tier teams and their families. The team collected items throughout the fall needed by families from around the school community that were affected by flooding. They gathered clothing, cleaning supplies, movies, and toiletries, and other basic necessities. Matty Kuhar ’12 and captain Alexa Miller ’12 recorded an advertisement on the Q-Country radio station to let as many people as possible know about their cause. In addition, when they went to a game in an area affected by the flooding, they brought supplies by the busload to the families. It was Miller’s as well as the coach Tammy Manning’s idea initially. In an interview, Miller said, “One of the best things you can do is help someone in need; there is always someone to help, and someone who needs it more than you do. I wasn’t aware of what the families were going through until I actually began to research and help out… Seeing how happy this made the families made all the hard work worth it.” After driving through the areas and seeing the damage, the The IHS Cheerleading Team spreads cheer outside of the football stadium. team felt compelled to help. ”The people were really happy when we dropped off the stuff,” Sacha Rady ’14, a team member, said. Each on how lucky we are for what we have.” cheerleader I talked to seemed so happy to have helped, and surprised by the impact The IHS Cheerleading Team spent time working with Camp Good Days. This of their project. was coordinated by Sammis and Miller. They each took shifts working a table at Haley Sammis ’12, a captain, also recounted how she felt about the efforts made the mall selling kazoos and pens for Camp Good Days. “We had a lot of fun,” said by her and her team during the fall. “I have pride because I know I helped someone Kuhar. Miller added, “It’s important for our team to come together and help out; it rebuild a life. The whole experience helped our team grow stronger and build bonds teaches us to work together, and we are able to learn new things about each other that we probably would not have had without it. We also really got an understanding every day.”
Quiz: What Type of College is Right for You? By ANNELISE RAYMOND and NAOMI RAYMOND
1) If you got a summer job as a tour guide for Ithaca tourists, which of the below places would you be sure to include on each tour? a. The Farmers’ Market b. The mall for an afternoon of shopping c. The Cornell Plantations d. The Sciencenter e. The physics lab at Cornell 2) What would be the perfect senior trip? a. A folk music concert b. An amusement park c. Hiking in the Adirondacks d. A Broadway show e. Museums in Washington, D.C. 3) If these classes existed, which would you take? a. Sustainable Studies for a Green Future b. Fashion Modeling
c. Religious Studies d. American Sign Language e. Video Game Designing 4) Which U.S. city most fits your personality? a. Ithaca b. L.A. c. Oklahoma City d. Boston e. Seattle 5) Which club fundraiser would you be most willing to participate in? a. Picking up trash around town and depositing the bottles for 5 cents each b. Hosting a school dance c. Ringing a bell at the mall d. Selling chocolate bars around school e. A LAN party 6) Which afterschool job would you take? a. CTB runner b. Cashier at the mall c. Babysitter d. Tutor for middle school kids
e. Lab assistant at Cornell 7) If you were to go back in time and live in a different time period, what would you be? a. An Indian chief b. A court jester c. A Pilgrim d. A Greek philosopher e. A mad scientist 8) If you owned a farm, what would you grow? a. Various healthy veggies, like kale and carrots b. Cute animals for a petting zoo, such as llamas and bunny rabbits c. An enormous apple orchard — a nice atmosphere for reading and contemplating life d. Corn - everyone loves corn mazes! e. All sorts of animals so you can practice your veterinary skills 9) You just had a stressful test, and you need to relax. What do you do? a. Jam out to some tunes on your gui-
tar
b. Throw a huge party at your house c. Do some yoga to clear your mind and center your soul d. Go running or biking e. Play video games Which letter did you get the most? Mostly a’s: A small, liberal arts college would be just right for you! You’d like knowing everyone in your classes and living a healthy college lifestyle. Mostly b’s: You belong at a large “party school”! State schools with lots of spirit are a lot of fun. Mostly c’s: You’d feel comfortable at a specialized school, such as one that’s single-sex or religious. You want to be serious about your studies. Mostly d’s: You’d be happy at a large research university, which provides you with plenty of options for internships and majors to choose from. Mostly e’s: A technical school would be good for you! There are lots of jobs out there for engineers and computer programmers.
I Heart You by Kelsey Shang
January Mindbenders Solutions 1. O, T, T, F, F, S, S, E...is followed by N, for nine. 2. A 5-foot sword in a 3 x 3 x 3 box? No problem! The longest diagonal of the box is 3 times the square root of 3 feet long — or about 5.2 feet. 3. Indiana Jones and his sidekick cross in 10 minutes, and Indiana goes back in 5 (total time: 15). His father and his father’s sidekick cross in 25, and Indiana’s sidekick crosses back in 10, then crosses with the famed adventurer in another 10 — all inside of an hour.
4. Lockers are only opened if they are “switched” an odd number of times, which means they have an odd number of factors. All numbers have an even number of factors, because each factor has a pair — for example, 4 and 6 are a pair for locker 24 (4 x 6 = 24) The only exception is when one factor is its own pair, which happens when the number is a perfect square. For example, 25 is “switched” 3 times: by persons 1, 5, and 25. Only the perfect-square-numbered lockers remain open at the end.
Horoscopes Pisces (February 20 to March 20): You’ll get an A on the math test you were cramming for, your crush will ask you out, and you’ll find the perfect inner balance despite being a hormonal teenager. And then you’ll wake up. Aries (March 21 to April 19): What if you’re really insane, and everyone else is just playing along? Taurus (April 20 to May 20): You’d do better with a fortune cookie. Gemini (May 21 to June 20): Have you ever wondered if all the IHS teachers could possibly be disguised grizzly bears? Cancer (June 21 to July 22): It’s a party, and everyone except you is invited! I’ll get the cake. Leo (July 23 to August 22): I sense great turmoil in your future, but then your life will go back to being bland and uninteresting, and you will once more be single. Poof! Virgo (August 23 to September 22): Nothing treats a broMath Lessons “You didn’t answer this question,” The teacher said to her, “Is the problem too confusing? Or the method just a blur?” “No, not at all I just don’t like this math I think I’m anti-parabola And anti-curvature graph Some are too skinny While some should be skinnier These graphs would be better If parabolas were just linear There are odd graphs that are too weird And even graphs that I hate But not even the even ones Are one hundred percent straight This curve may be a cosine Or maybe even a sine But I am on a tangent To simply draw a line!”
ken heart quite like Nutella. Libra (September 23 to October 23): If you can’t beat ‘em, beat ‘em with a stick. Scorpio (October 24 to November 22): One day soon you will start speaking in iambic pentameter. You’ll completely miss how amazing it is if you aren’t constantly counting syllables. Sagittarius (November 23 to December 21): Give in and ask out your secret crush. As ugly as you are, you’ll never get a date by just waiting for someone to ask you. Capricorn (December 22 to January 19): A great decision will soon be thrust upon you. I can’t say you’ll handle the pressure well. Aquarius (January 20 to February 19): If life gives you lemons, make lemonade. If life makes you an underclassman, consider writing for The Tattler.
Underclassmen Tattler writers Benedict Cumberbatch
Half-price chocolate on
“But student,” said the teacher, “Where is your affinity If your toleration doesn’t range From negative infinity to infinity?
February 15
And that depressed polynomial, Doesn’t it seem so forlorn? Please don’t ignore that equation Because it’s not in standard form
College acceptance
You over-use parenthesis That makes some feel excluded Your range should be in brackets So that others can be included.” “Alright,” sighed the student, “You have a valid suggestion Will my grade concave up Since I now accept this question?”
letters
Pho Tai Nam Bo Vien The White Stripes
Blair & Louis
-Amelia Kaufman
getting married
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Necco wafers
A winterless winter Senioritis
Spring potential energy
Eic becoming a Francophile