Features page 6:
Remembering Alexander McQueen
A&
page 10: Light in Winter Preview page 7: Chilean Miners
2010: YEAR IN REVIEW
page 6
ALL THE NEWS THAT’S fit
to tattle.
January 19, 2011 • Estd. 1892 • Vol. 119 • No.4• Published Monthly • www.ihstattler.com • Ithaca High School, 1401 N. Cayuga St., Ithaca, NY, 14850 • FREE
Changes to IHS Dance Policies
Violence in Arizona Spurs Discussion on Civility in Politics
By Khalid Vrede
IHS school dances are a time to listen to music and spend time with friends all the while raising money for the senior class’s upcoming graduation. Despite the positive aspects of school dances, many students, dance chaperones and school faculty have been reporting disturbing and overly inappropriate behavior from a small minority of dance patrons. Many outraged parents attended a site-based council meeting in early December to express their concerns. The two main problems site-based council members and school faculty must deal with concerning school dances include inappropriate dancing and general disrespect shown toward the volunteer chaperones. These chaperones are required in order to have school dances, and acquiring enough of them is becoming increasingly difficult due to the bad behavior being displayed at dances. To combat these extreme cases of inappropriate conduct, new material will be added to IHS’s dance policy. These revisions include, as stated above, the promise that any attending student will dance appropriately and respect any chaperones present. Specifically, new rules include “[no dancing] in a way that mimics sexual activity” as well as “no hands under clothes, and no hands placed on the ground.” These changes are included in the sobriety contract that all students wishing to attend the dance must sign before they purchase tickets. Other innovative ideas may be put into effect, such as an increased number of chaperones. These chaperones’ responsibilities will also be altered: shifts on certain areas of the dance floor will be equally observed by each chaperone as well as a shift in a break room where refreshments will be provided. Chaperones may also greet students as they enter the dance in an attempt to create an increased level of respect between students and chaperones. Other changes include a break in the middle of dances consisting of slowerpaced songs and/or dance competitions. continued on p. 3
Mark Kelly, husband of Congresswoman Giffords, receives support from First Lady Michelle Obama. By Larry Ge
On January 8, 2010, Arizona Democratic Representative Gabrielle Giffords was shot, along with at least 17 others, in an assassination attempt by a gunman who opened fire upon a supermarket where Giffords was meeting with her constituents. The shooting left six victims dead, including a nine year old girl, Christina Green, and a federal judge, John Roll. Giffords was rushed to the University Medical Center in Tucson, sustaining a gunshot wound to the head. However, she is expected to survive and the head surgeon Dr. Peter Rhee is “very optimistic about her recovery.” Police have identified the gunman as Jared Lee Loughner, 22, who has so far been uncooperative in the investigations. Loughner has been tied to several eccentric, threatening Internet postings which included his own political conspiracies, and in one instance, a photograph of his gun. The shootings in Arizona have launched a nationwide whirlwind of discussion focusing on topics ranging from potential political motives to gun-control laws. Almost immediately following the shootings, Pima County Sheriff Clarence W. Dupnik set the spotlight on the debate over increasing anger and violence in American politics when he said that it was time for America to engage in “a little soul-searching.” While both Democrats and Republicans have been united in sorrow following the shootings, there has also been much heated discussion between the parties on the atmosphere of current politics in the United States. Democrats were quick to denounce the extremely par-
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tisan atmosphere in Arizona, especially in Gifford’s district, where controversial issues such as immigration and the health care overhaul deeply divided the voters. They claim that this partisan atmosphere has led to an unneeded level of hostility among political figures, specifically citing a graphic featured on the website of Sarah Palin’s political action committee. This now infamous image displayed several Democratic House candidates with crosshairs over their districts, signifying Palin’s goal to target these districts in the last election. Ms. Palin quickly responded to these allegations, taking down the image from her website and issuing a statement in which she offered her condolences to Representative Giffords and the rest of the victims. Republicans responded to allegations by accusing Democrats of using the situation to overly victimize themselves. President Obama attempted to address these issues in a nationally televised speech given at the University of Arizona. Obama was careful not to directly cast blame on either political party, but instead called for a movement towards civility in modern politics asking Americans to “sharpen our instincts for empathy.” Obama also emphasized that the blame for the incident could not be easily placed on any one group, or even on the political discourse that has embroiled the government; instead, the shooting was the work of one violent man. The president suggested that in the aftermath of these events, people should look within themselves, yet not prompt a response against free speech and social conflict. Obama was joined by a bipartisan group including Senators John McCain of Arizona, who together made the call for a new era of cooperation and political courtesy.
January 19, 2011
Opinion
Editorial:
In Support of Michael Vick All Michael Vick could do was point to the heavens. It was all that needed to be expressed after another touchdown scamper gave the Philadelphia Eagles an imposing 59-14 lead over their division rivals, the Washington Redskins. The touchdown run capped off a masterful performance for Vick and put the Eagles in the NFC East driver seat. It was the game of a lifetime for Vick as his incredible all around performance caused the NFL Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio to ask for Vick’s game equipment. That night in suburban Washington, D.C., Michael Vick put himself in the middle of the Most Valuable Player conversation. New York Giants Head Coach Tom Caughlin said that game planning for how to stop Vick “gives me stomach aces.” The NFL fan had to have similar feelings regarding his MVP candidacy. Vick was in a federal prison just two years ago for brutally killing hundreds of dogs as a part of his dog fighting ring in Newport News, Virginia. He went through a media backlash spearheaded by PETA and other animal rights organizations. Vick being out of jail and in the NFL was uncomfortable for fans at first, but in his first season after his release from jail he was subjected to be the back up for guys like Donavan McNabb and Kevin Kobb. We had come to accept him as a backup in a league he was once the king of. But now? Now Vick has turned into a bigger game changer than when he was the franchise quarterback of the Atlanta Falcons. Now he is a legitimate MVP candidate and has the Eagles in the playoffs. Now we, as NFL fans, have to address the question we have all been avoiding: do we root for Michael Vick? On one hand, the answer to the question seems obvious. Michael Vick is getting the opportunity to do what so many other felons can’t do once they get out of jail; make something of himself and become successful. Americans love the stories of the fighters in sports, the guys who get knocked down and then rise back up. From bankruptcy to jail time no one fell harder or farther than Michael Vick. If Vick continues to play at this torrid pace, no one will have risen as fast and with such vigor. It is the classic story that American sports fans tend to throw their entire emotional selves. On the other hand, the crime is still so recent that it remains singed into the back of our minds. This is the same man who would drown, electrocute, and brutally kill innocent pit bulls.
Sure, he is making something of himself, but the only reason he even gets this second chance is because he is a world class athlete. The service he renders, it can be argued, is not dependent on a criminal record. How do we know this man has changed? How do we know he isn’t just a spoiled athlete who has gotten a second chance based purely on the physical gifts he was blessed with at birth? There are people who will never forgive Michael Vick. No matter what charitable act he commits, or how many lives he touches through his success, there will always be people who hate Michael Vick because they view him as an ungrateful athlete that would be on the streets if he couldn’t throw a ball 60 yards and run 40 yards in 4 and a half seconds. The idea, however, that Michael Vick is spoiled can’t be any less correct. Michael Vick owes his creditors $20 Million and is not playing the game of football for the lavish lifestyle and financial stability. Unless Vick signs a lucrative long term extension (unlikely at his age) he will never be able to enjoy the lifestyle most football players are accustomed to, much less pay back all his debts. The idea that Michael Vick should continue to endure harsh public criticism is another loosely supported theory. When someone is in jail for almost an entire year, loses every penny they accumulated, and is embarrassed publicly, is that not enough punishment? Michael Vick is scorned by legions of people who were faithful followers of his not too long ago. His fall from grace ranks among the most highlighted in recent sports history. No human deserves punished after the sentence has been met. No matter how prominent he or she may be. If you find yourself watching the playoffs in this upcoming month consider this: Michael Vick is making the most of his second chance as humanly possible. We are often regarded as a forgiving society when it comes to popular culture, but it is hard to see that with Michael Vick. Shouldn’t we be embracing a man who relishes in the second chance we give so many of our athletes? Every Thursday, Michael Vick visits Philadelphia schools and preaches with passion against the evils of dog fighting. Considering the heinous dog fighting problem in Philadelphia any kind of guidance is immeasurably valuable. It sounds as though Michael Vick is not about to spit on the second chance we have given him.
Editorial:
Overreaction to WikiLeaks Since the recent release of confidential documents by WikiLeaks, the reaction of American politicians have been overblown compared to the response of foreign nations. However, only in some special cases have foreign governments seriously reacted to or been affected by the leak, causing a minor backlash of foreign opinion. Despite this, Americans have overstated the implications of the embarrassment caused by the release of classified information. WikiLeaks became internationally prominent when, in late December 2010, it released over 250,000 secret American government documents. Julian Assange founded the site with the goal of informing the world community about the undercover actions hidden by our governments. The leaked government documents consist mainly of diplomatic cables gathered by American officials describing negative, and often embarrassingly candid, reports about foreign officials. As these confidential cables were being announced to the public, American officials started to deride the releases by WikiLeaks. Hillary Clinton described the leaks as “an attack against the international community” and Sarah Palin stated that Assange is an “anti-American operative with blood on his hands.” The fundamental reason behind American government officials taking this event too seriously is that they believe that the American reputation and diplomacy will be ruined by response from other nations to the leaked cables. The media has made matters worse by overanalyzing the meaning behind the cables. Meanwhile, many countries are receiving this information with little animosity; Iran has
not erupted from opinions about nuclear policies from neighbors in the Middle East and China has not become enraged over details about a Korean unification following the collapse of North Korea. David Brooks and Gail Collins, columnists for the New York Times, agree that they have found that other countries do not have a different view of the world because of WikiLeaks. Renaud Girard, a respected reporter for French newspaper Le Figaro, said he does not believe “leaks will jeopardize the United States. Most … see the diplomats as honest, sincere and not so cynical.” The international community, instead of being incensed by the leaked content, is in many cases more concerned about how Americans have been reacting to the release of information. Countries find the responses to be hypocritical and contrary to the values of the United States, including the right to information. From Britain’s newspaper, The Guardian, Seumas Milne concluded: “Not much truck with freedom of information, then, in the land of the free.” Although this event may result in the embarrassment of the United States government and reduce the trust that diplomats have with the United States, other countries will still rely on America for continuing political objectives. We must realize that WikiLeaks has provided the opportunity for us to be more in tune with the political climate overseas. By listening more to news sources about international communities, we can receive the same information that diplomats relay in regard to international sentiment and policy agreement. By being aware of international sentiment instead of overreacting, the American public and government can continue to work with foreign countries for future advancement.
Editor’s Note: All editorials published in The Tattler are not anonymous and represent the views of the sixteen students on the editorial staff. Editorials are written about topics the Tattler staff deems important. Such issues may be global or specific to IHS.
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The Tattler is the studentrun newspaper of Ithaca High School. The Tattler was founded in 1892, and is published monthly.
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DANCE
January 19, 2011
news
Overall these changes are mainly set forth to address severe and extreme cases of misbehavior and disrespect towards chaperones. The type of music played at dances won’t change drastically either. The goal of school faculty and chap-
continued from p.1
erones is merely to create a safer, more respectful environment at school functions while still maintaining the same level of enjoyment and excitement school dances have offered in the past.
Ithaca Community’s Response to Dr. Brown By Larry Ge
On January 11, Dr. Luvelle C. Brown took the oath of office as Superintendent of Schools, officially becoming ICSD’s new superintendent. This marked the end of a ten-month-long search following Dr. Pastel’s decision to leave at the start of 2011. Dr. Brown was revealed to be the new superintendent in November, and ever since then anticipation has been building. The process of finding a new superintendent involved search consultants, School Leadership LLC, who helped ICSD form certain specifications which they used in the search. The public was also consulted through open forums, surveys, and several focus groups including students, staff, and other members of the community. After many candidates were narrowed down to eight semi-finalists, and finally three finalists, members of the community were again invited to have an input on the selection, as more than 60 representatives had the chance to meet with each of the finalists. These representatives not only met with each candidate, but also rated the finalists according to set specifications. Through this process, Dr. Brown was chosen, rated as either the most qualified or second-most qualified in all categories. In a written statement to the Ithaca Journal, Board of Education President Rob Ainslie and Board Vice President Seth Peacock expressed their pleasure at having found such an “exceptional” candidate. They cited quotes from members of the community regarding Dr. Brown, which included such statements as, “[Dr. Brown is] a personable administrator who is a capable leader with solution-based plans to build equity and inclusion of all voices…” However, not everyone shared the board’s excitement for Dr. Brown, as demonstrated in a editorial
The Ithaca Journal sparks controversy with an editorial on ICSD’s new superintendent.
published by the Ithaca Times on December 8. In the editorial titled “$175,000 Is Too Much”, the writer expressed several controversial points, including a statement that ICSD had gone out of their way to hire Dr. Brown “just because he’s black.” The editorial continued on to state that simply hiring a black candidate would not “…change the educational journey for minority and poor students.” The author also discussed Dr. Brown’s salary, stating that the highest salary does not necessarily draw the most qualified candidate.
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Immediately following the publication of the editorial, reader backlash started to pour in, with members of the community calling it racist and insulting. In a letter from the Board of Directors of the Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce printed in the Ithaca Times, the board expressed their disappointment with the writer’s opinions, stating that, “Dr. Brown has outstanding credentials, and we are confident that the Ithaca City School District served the community and its children well by selecting the best candidate.”
Features Restaurant Review: Tamarind
Teacher Feature: Emily Schwan
By JULIE STOVER and YUQI YANG
“I’ve never eaten at Tamarind before,” someone confessed before we ordered. “Me neither…” someone else meekly stated. Chaos ensued. We could not believe there were people who had never been to the popular Thai restaurant located on North Meadow Street. The newbies to the restaurant were then subjected to a lecture about the wonderful, mouth-watering food. Although many of you are probably familiar with Tamarind, we decided it would be beneficial to write a restaurant review for those of you who live under a rock. Tamarind offers exotic, authentic Thai food and drink. Perhaps the most popular drinks on the menu are the Thai iced coffee and iced tea, served with extra cream on top to mix into the tea or coffee. Both drinks are extra sweet and have a pleasant spicy aroma. The usual coffee, sodas, water, lemonade and tea are also available for those who are more cautious. Appetizers include soups (won-ton and tofu) and salads (duck and lamb), which come with a sweet and slightly tangy salad dressing. Salads are followed by a few servings of spring rolls, served hot, fresh and crispy. Out of the many entrees available, we finally decided to order mango chicken and Panang curry with chicken. We also ordered beef and broccoli, which was not available on the menu, but the chef was happy to prepare a special order. All entrees feature a rating of one to five stars, indicating how spicy the dish is — five stars being the spiciest. However, dishes can always be made more or less spicy to fit the taste of the diner. The Panang curry with chicken was thicker and creamier than the typical curry, but the flavor was excellent, and the red and green peppers in the curry were an excellent addition. A large amount of rice was served with all dishes, especially the curry, so the diner could put the perfect amount of rice into his/her dish. The mango curry was also very flavorful; the mangoes were fresh and sweet, and the sauce sweet but tangy. It complimented the mangoes perfectly. The custom-made beef and broccoli dish was exceptional as well, with the beef perfectly cooked and plenty of sauce available to soak the rice. We give Tamarind four stars out of five for its pleasant atmosphere and exceptional food. Overall it was an enjoyable dining experience.
A Reminder from Link Crew:
After the holidays, the Red Cross has a major shortage of food donations. Don’t forget to bring in cans for the Link Crew food drive to help families in need in our community.
New Global teacher Ms. Schwan brings a fun and quirky atmosphere to the Combined classroom. By ANNELISE RAYMOND
Ready to reveal a little bit about herself, Ms. Schwan kindly smiled at me over a bag of pretzels as I entered her classroom during 6th period for a Teacher Feature interview. Ever since the news got out that Mrs. P-B, the longtime 10th-grade Combined Global teacher, would no longer be teaching the class, interest regarding the replacement teacher has been high. After a cancer episode last year, Mrs. P-B now works part-time; Ms. Schwan, replacing the much-loved Mrs. P-B, is young and stylish. The Combined team has completely turned over since Ms. Bach (the Combined English teacher before Ms. McKown) moved to China three years ago. Originally from an Albany suburb, Ms. Schwan has been teaching for 2½ years. In choosing a career, she knew that she “never wanted to have an office,” and wanted to go into a profession that included working with people. In college, Ms. Schwan ended up changing her major from nursing to teaching and history. While she’s still getting used to the school and getting into the hang of teaching, Ms. Schwan says that it’s nice having a teaching partner. Before coming to Ithaca, she taught grades 9 and 11, so the fact that she’s now teaching European history means that she has to re-learn some of the material along with the students. She also teaches Government 5th period, which she says is a “really fun class.” In teaching Combined (the highest 10th-grade
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English and Global classes, which are taught together in order to allow class time for larger projects and events), Ms. Schwan tells me, “Every day is interesting.” The curriculum includes a lot of in-depth analysis of primary sources and art, which she says she likes — but Ms. Schwan would like to incorporate the students’ interests into history class more by having them do fun things that are relevant to present-day tenth-graders’ lives. To help the students connect more to what they’re learning, Ms. Schwan did a project where students found songs whose lyrics matched that of their Theme papers, and analyzed the songs for the class. Students are always intimidated by the overwhelming Combined Theme paper (a major essay on any topic relating to European history), but Ms. Schwan assures me that students are doing a very good job with them. The general atmosphere in Combined class is really great: As Ms. Schwan puts it, there’s a “communal nerdiness in Combined.” Sometimes, the discussions go off-topic — in the midst of all the excitement leading up to the release of the first Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows movie, Ms. Schwan admitted that she’s never read Harry Potter, only watched some of the movies. This shocked and horrified her class; one student, Tiffany Zheng, is basing her Sophomore Theme paper on analysis of the characters Malfoy and Snape. Ms. Schwan found a common sympathizer (someone who is not obsessed with Harry Potter) in one of her students, Joon Park, with whom she shares a matching ring from The Lord of the Rings.
January 19, 2011
Features
Current Affairs Berni Searle: The Artist’s Body in South Africa
Colour Me (1998) is considered by many to be Searle’s most famous work. By REHAN DADI
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The South African artist Berni Searle visited Ithaca a few weeks ago and gave a presentation of her work at the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art. Born in 1964 and trained originally as a sculptor, Berni Searle is a photographer and installation artist. She is best known for her installations consisting of ordinary objects mixed with photographs and videos of her own body, marked in some way to suggest forms of ritual sacrifice to address the challenges facing women and Africans today. Searle’s work deals with issues relating to women, race, color, language and specific questions about Africa’s recent history. Using her own body as the subject and point of focus, Searle experiments with the surface of her skin, allowing it to be covered in layers of colored and aromatic spices. By leaving her bodily imprints on spreads of spices on the floor, or by staining certain areas of her body with various substances, she suggests trauma, or damage, in regard to the people of South Africa and of larger Africa. None of the marks are permanent and they are usually made with henna, spices, impressions,
or other natural substances. Searle has become one of the most visible South African artists. She has participated in art projects and exhibitions across the globe, and has presented her work in such prestigious locations as the 1997 Johannesburg Biennale, the 1998 Cairo Biennale, and the 2000 and 2005 Venice Biennales. Searle has won numerous awards including the UNESCO award (1998), the Minister of Culture prize at the Dak’art Biennale (2000), the Civitella Ranieri Fellowship (2001), and the Standard Bank Young Artist Awards (2003). Searle currently lives and works in Cape Town, South Africa. The use of spices in her earlier photographic work Colour Me (1998) is in part a reference to the spice trade, which brought white colonists to South Africa in the 17th century and led to the interbreeding with local inhabitants and slaves brought from other parts of Africa. Searle’s work confronts this history and the obsession with racial classification that was created during the Apartheid era. Searle herself was classified as “coloured” in the Apartheid system, and her work often explores the difficulties of being associated with the class above the “blacks” but below the “whites.” Searle has continued to make expressive and socially meaningful art, and her work is especially relevant today because while there is legal equality in South Africa, there is now perhaps greater economic disparity than even during the era of Apartheid. In her recent work, she has also addressed the prejudice against African migrants from other parts of Africa, who come to South Africa to seek a better life. Tragically, some of these migrants face violence from the same South Africans who had themselves suffered under the Apartheid regime. Searle thus continues to make very moving and powerful works about the challenges that Africans, women, and migrants face in Africa and beyond.
The Real American Way:
Inquiring Photographer What’s your favorite memory of 2010?
“When I met up with my friends from camp in the Czech Republic” -Filip Lillard ‘13
“Everytime the snow began to flurry outside” -Katie Tashman ‘13
WikiLeaks
By ALEJANDRO YOUNGER
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tacks. DDoS is used to send useless data packets at a server until it crashes from information overload. The source of these attacks is still unknown! Furthermore, at U.S. politicians’ request, Visa and PayPal have stopped processing donations to WikiLeaks. Our government is already doing everything possible to cover its behind in this situation when Assange hasn’t even released a small percentage of the information in his trove of diplomatic cables. Next, we have to wonder about the veracity of the rape charges presented against As-
“The first day of chemistry class with Mr. Rosen!” -Patrick Hollister ‘13
“Last day of eighth grade!” -Mandy Claben ‘14
PHOTOS/MANSI VOHRA
If you haven’t heard about WikiLeaks yet, there is something wrong with you. WikiLeaks is easily one of the most important political developments to occur in the past year. Firstly, WikiLeaks has shown us that our government is lying to us. The American government has given Yemen troops and missiles to use in air strikes against insurgents. Do I even have to talk about why that is wrong? From WikiLeaks we get high-level gossip: Putin is running an oligarchy (we knew that), there is a new crazy dictator in Kenya, etc. But what is more important and alarming than any of this, is the response from the Right. Sarah Palin has called for the assassination of Julian Assange, head editor of WikiLeaks. Others have called him a traitor to America when he isn’t even a U.S. citizen. This uninformed and questionably moral response to a sorely needed release of information is still not the worst part. WikiLeaks has been under cyber attack, and we don’t know the source. Three of the site’s mirrors have been mysteriously overwhelmed by DDoS (Direct Denial of Service) at-
sange in Sweden. First, the chief prosecutor in Sweden, on the basis that there was not enough evidence, dropped charges in August. Months later another lower prosecutor decided to resume the case. In this new charge, the names of the women were withheld for their “safety.” Furthermore, Assange’s arrest in Britain was far too efficiently handled for an international warrant, as the very next morning, Scotland Yard arrested Assange. The United States’ official statement on the situation has been that it is “still considering” pressing charges for the release of the information. No matter how sketchy our government has been acting throughout this whole ordeal, at least the damage has been done to its reputation. We now know that our government is lying to us. Perhaps it is not a surprise, but it is definitely disappointing to have it confirmed. And WikiLeaks is not synonymous with Julian Assange, so no matter what happens to the man, the world will still find out the information hidden away in the secret cables. The face of global politics will continue to be altered for many years by the actions of a whistle-blowing organization. Hopefully in a good way.
centers
in focus:
2010: Year In Review Remembering Alexander McQueen: Designer and Innovator
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By CAROLINE FLEISCHAUER
particular, titled “Manta,” was named for the manta ray inspired by a diving excursion McQueen took while When one thinks of great fashion designers, a few on a vacation. Everything that was McQueen pushed famous names immediately come to mind: Versace, the envelope, including his models. He was one of the Galliano, Cavalli and of course, McQueen. Lee Al- first designers in London to feature Indian models, and exander McQueen was born March 17th, 1969 in one runway show he headed at Givenchy showcased Lewisham, London to a taxi driver and social studies model and double amputee, Aimee Mullins, walking teacher. From a young age, he made clothes for his the catwalk on wooden legs designed specifically for three younger sisters and made it his life goal to pursue the event. His innovations didn’t stop at the catwalk, fashion design. He received his master’s degree in fash- however. His famous, career-defining “bumsters,” like ion design from Central Saint Martin’s College of Art jeans but low enough to expose the buttocks, instigated and Design in 1994, and by the time of his graduation, the trend of low-rise jeans which was later popularized his senior collection was completely bought out by in- in Britain and throughout the rest of the world in the fluential stylist Isabella Blow. So influential, in fact, that late 90’s. McQueen also popularized the skull symbol she persuaded McQueen to launch his fashion career as a prominent design. In particular, a McQueen scarf using his middle name. bearing the motif became immensely popular, and was copied and distributed around the globe. McQueen’s accomplishments and individuality did not go unnoticed by the fashion community. He received a plethora of awards throughout his lifetime, including “British Designer of the Year” four times in seven years as one of the youngest designers to ever receive the award. He was also awarded the honor of “Commander of the Order of the British Empire,” a British honor akin to knighthood, and was named International Designer of the Year in 2003. He served as head designer for Givenchy from 1996 to 2001, then partnered with the Gucci Group to expand his brand. In collaboration with Puma, he also designed a special line of sneakers. On his own, he fathered two brands, both bearing his name: Alexander McQueen, and the more affordable McQ, launched in 2006. Boutiques carrying the McQueen designed numerous one-of-a-kind looks for celebrities like Lady GaGa. brands were located in Paris, Milan, McQueen took the fashion world by storm with his Las Vegas, New York, London, and Los Angeles, and he controversial, unconventional and cutting-edge styles. boasted celebrity clients such as Rihanna, Nicole KidHis runway shows were shocking, including a ship- man, Penelope Cruz, and, most notably, Lady Gaga, wreck theme in 2003, human chess pieces in 2005, and who incorporated the brand into her song “Fashion.” a collection named “Highland Rape.” His clothes were Many troubles plagued McQueen outside of his as unique as his runway shows; with their daring bold career. He was diagnosed with mixed anxiety and deprints and silhouettes, they seemed fitting in fantasy and pressive disorder, and had drug overdoses in both May science-fiction novels. He drew inspiration from every- and July of 2010. His mother Joyce died of cancer on thing around him and from all experiences; one line in February 2nd, 2010, and after her death McQueen had
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even more trouble pulling himself together. Nine days later, he was found dead by his housekeeper, hanged in his wardrobe at his home in London. Paramedics proclaimed him dead at the scene and deduced that he had slashed his wrists with multiple knives, as well as had high levels of cocaine, tranquilizers, and sleeping pills in his bloodstream. A note was left, stating simply, “Look after my dogs, sorry, I love you, Lee.” The death was declared a suicide. His funeral was held on February 25th, and a memorial was held for the designer on September 20th, with over 2,500 people in attendance. He was only 40 years old at the time of his death. While he lived a short life, Alexander McQueen left behind a timeless legacy. His innovations and surprising tactics have added new extremes to runway shows and fashion as a whole. The unique style he created has inspired many other designers, promoted ideas of individuality and broke the traditional fashion mold. Few designers have ever been so rebellious, and taken so many risks as McQueen. His death, however tragic, is not his end. He lives on in his beloved collections, and in the hearts and minds of those whose lives were touched by his creative spirit.
The Polish Tragedy By PETER PILLARDY
On April 10th, 2010, at roughly 11 a.m, on the outskirts of Katyn (a small Russian town), a tragedy occurred. A plane flying through extremely dense fog that was carrying 96 highly ranked Polish officials, including President Lech Kaczyński, collided with trees, crashed to the ground, and killed everyone onboard. To better understand this incident in context, it is important to know how the political system functions in Poland. Poland has both a president and a prime minister. The prime minister has executive power while in office until party support changes. The president has veto power, a five-year term, and the ability to nominate top-level officials such as
the president of the National Bank (similar to the chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve). In 2005, Lech Kaczyński and his twin brother Jarosław (from the conservative Law and Justice Party) were both elected president and prime minister, respectively. They ran on a fairly lenient conservative platform, but after elected, instituted an entirely different agenda of extreme nationalism and hardcore conservatism. The Kaczyński brothers also passed many barely legal laws that went against many aspects of the Polish Constitution. These actions infuriated the people, and because of the extremely high disapproval rating of the prime minister, there was a special election in 2007 in which the prime minister was replaced
by Donald Tusk, a member of the centrist yet liberally leaning Civic Platform party. He helped institute many great reforms and raise morale among the people. Since the president and prime minister were of different parties, they fiercely tried to hinder the other’s proposed agenda. On a slightly humorous note, many jokes were made at the time about how the Polish government was filled with “ducks.” The last name “Kaczyński” is similar to the Polish word for duck and the name Donald brings to mind Donald Duck. For this reason their disapproval of one another was called “the fight between Donald and the Duck.” Regarding the actual incident, President Kaczyński and the other top government officials were going to Russia
for a ceremony to observe a very tragic event. During World War II, many Poles fled Poland to escape their fates at the hands of the Nazis. Many escaped to Russia to seek refuge, yet encountered quite the opposite. The Poles were taken prisoner by the Russians and many of them were slaughtered in the woods in Katyn, Russia. After World War II, when Poland was under Soviet control, the people were forbidden to speak of the event and it was denied time and again by the Soviets. After the fall of Communism in 1989, speaking and acknowledging the massacre became a symbol of independence for Poland. 2010 marked the 60th anniversary of the massacre and the acceptance of blame by the Russians. Prime Minister Donald continued on p. 8
January 19, 2011
Medical
Gulf Oil Spill
Breakthroughs of 2010 By MANSI VOHRA
Although 2010 hasn’t brought forth a cure for cancer, many breakthroughs in medicine have occurred this year, mainly in the study of stem cell research, HIV vaccines, and Alzheimer’s treatment. Leukemia Stem Cell Discovery: At King’s College London, researchers have been working this past year to find stem cell treatments for multiple cases of leukemia. On December 12, 2010, Medical News Digest published a paper describing a way to suppress a protein in the blood called beta-catenin, which turns leukemic stem cells back into the pre-leukemic stage. Although inactivating beta-catenin doesn’t change the mutation on the MLL gene, it does prevent the rapid increase of leukemic stem cells, therefore ameliorating the disease. The difference between this discovery and other anti-cancer therapies is that the protein beta-catenin isn’t essential for blood stem cells, so when given the treatment, healthy stem cells aren’t being attacked as they would with other therapies. Although research into this discovery is not yet complete, it’s definitely a step toward a cure for leukemia. The Development of an HIV Vaccine: In July 2010, scientists at the National Institute of Health made it clear that the search for an HIV/AIDS vaccine was just around the corner. Two powerful antibodies in an HIV-infected patient were found to neutralize 95% of HIV strains. Although the antibodies had formed after the virus spread throughout the body, scientists have developed resurfaced protein probes to trap the immunoglobulin using molecular techniques. With more research, scientists hope to have a vaccine that will activate these neutralizing antibodies before a person is exposed to HIV, therefore creating a solution to the puzzle that has baffled scientists for decades. This discovery gives hope to patients with HIV/AIDS, because with neutralizing antibodies already in 25% of patients, one half of the process has already been completed and the second half is slowly progressing each day. Alzheimer’s-Examining the Signals: Researchers
PHOTO/PROVIDED Cleaning up the polluted beaches after the spill has proven itself a difficult task. By AVALON BUNGE forgotten. Since the gusher was indeed capped, many
It’s been almost eight months since BP’s Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico in April 2010, disgorging 185,000,000 gallons of crude oil into the Gulf before it was finally capped in July. Since this figure is fairly incomprehensible, here’s another: assuming the average person fills their car’s gas tank once a week, that’s enough oil to power almost 30,000 mid-sized vehicles for a year. The BP oil spill is the biggest single spill in the world’s history, rendering last summer the environmental equivalent of 9/11 — yet less than a year later it’s been almost
people believe that the problem was solved; this, unfortunately, is not the case. The oil is no longer actively being poured into the Gulf, but is not gone. BP employed a variety of cleanup efforts, including burning, skimming, and chemically dispersing the oil, and the corporation has estimated that 75 percent of the oil is now gone from the Gulf. Scientists from various institutions (the Universities of Florida and Georgia, the National Science Foundation) have since stated that this number is purely fantasy. In its report, BP counted oil that was no longer visible as eradicated, continued on p. 8
The Rescue In Chile By ALEKSA BASARA
Scientists trying to find a marker for the electrical transmission emitted by cells.
PHOTO/PROVIDED
in Florida, led by James Hickman, head of the University of Central Florida (UCF)’s Nanoscience Technology, seem to have found an answer to Alzheimer’s. Though various scientists and researchers have hypothesized different causes for the disease, the most common is the amyloid hypothesis postulated in 1991, stating that the amino acid peptide amyloidbeta is the fundamental cause of plaque buildup in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients. With plaques clotting healthy brain cells, electrical signal generation in the cells is cut off, leading to dead brain cells and memory loss. While most researchers study the effects of high concentrations of amyloid-beta, the UCF team studied the effects of relatively low concentrations of the peptide. The results that they received were promising; the initial growth of the plaque is what prevents the electrical transmission between cells, not the other way around. With this information, Hickman and his researchers experimented by using microelectrode arrays (MEA) which measure the electrical signals that are transmitted. Through experimenting and recording their results each day, the UCF team is slowly on its way to finding a marker that will lead to a treatment of the most common form of dementia.
During the course of about 69 days, Chilean miners were experiencing the scariest days of their lives. On August 5th, 33 miners were trapped in the mountains in Northern Chile 2,230 feet underground. It is hard to imagine who were scared the most, the miners or their loved ones? It is also unbelievably hard to picture yourself being trapped that deep underground, with little food, water, and sunlight. And yet, these brave miners endured the months of darkness. The miners had a lot to battle against in those 69 days. Their lives depended on a 3.19-inchwide supply line delivering their food and water. Still, they had to ration everything in an orderly way; they needed someone to organize and to lead. This was credited to Luis Urzua, who rationed out the supplies and encouraged fellow miners to have hope that they will one day see sunlight and their families. However, even he couldn’t control factors like the the 90 percent humidity that they had to endure in constant darkness. These physical and mental chal-
Two Chilean miners await their rescue after 69 days trapped underground.
lenges only added to the stress. Miners had to pull it together to keep from getting depressed or losing their sanity entirely. In a space 2,230 feet underground with minimal amounts of rations with thirty-two other tired miners, insanity was not something they could afford to submit to; they had to keep positive at all times. Fortunately, they had the rescuers at the surface to keep them company as time progressed. To be trapped that deeply underground, even boredom could
have played a part in driving the miners to their own demise. At the surface, rescuers tried to keep the miners’ minds off of their situation. Through one of the supply holes, miners were kept entertained by a fiber-optic projector that showed movies or football games on a fifty inch picture on the cave wall. They also received some magazines when they had some light down there and an ipod with speakers for music. They were also given tasks to do to keep them busy and their continued on p. 8
POLAND
January 19, 2011
Former Polish President Lech Kaczyński.
Tusk was able to, after a series of debates and discussions, get Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin to acknowledge what took place in Katyn 60 years ago. To remember the tragedy, President Kaczyński invited 95 top government officials (excluding Donald Tusk) to attend the ceremony taking place in April 2010. The airport to GULF
whereas in reality much of that now-invisible oil had simply been dispersed, and is now hiding somewhere in the water column, like sugar dissolved in coffee. Even if the BP figure is correct, that leaves 50-60 million gallons unaccounted for, and if (as is almost certain) their number is way off, estimates of how much oil really remains in the water are as high as 103 million gallons. The total area of the spill holds more than 8,300 species, many of which are endangered. Petroleum CHILEAN
minds off the crisis. Some constantly monitored the supply holes to see if they were being given anything and figured out how to ration the supplies. Others were designated to clear rocks that fell down because of the drillers above ground, or examine
continued from p.6
which they were flying was very small and lacked electronic guidance systems. As the plane with Polish officials aboard was about to land, the pilot noticed an extremely thick fog and was advised by the control tower to seek an alternate location for landing. Before descending, the pilot suggested that they land at a different airport to be safe, although this meant that they would miss the ceremony. President Kaczyński would not stand for this and forced PHOTO/PROVIDED the pilot to land immediately. As the plane descended, it collided with many trees, killing all 96 people on board. To this day, what happened exactly in those last minutes before the crash remains unknown. The results of official investigations are expected to be released in the spring of 2011. There was a great deal of mourning among the Polish people after the
tragedy. Unfortunately, the death of the President overshadowed many of the others who lost their lives. Because of the accident, there was another special election called after the president’s death and Bronisław Komorowski (a member of the Civic Platform party) was elected, evidence of the Polish people’s discontent with the Law and Justice Party. Kaczyński, who was at first a mediocre president, became a martyr for the far-right conservatives in Poland. Overnight, supporters of the former president erected a wooden cross outside the Presidential Palace in Warsaw and stood over it at all times of the day. Many of the people protecting the cross were uttering all sorts of conspiracy theories about the accident, ranging from how the Russians did it to the people from the plane are actually alive but in secret government prisons. I saw the cross in Poland this summer, though it has since been removed. This tragedy was a huge loss for the Polish people. It became a rallying point for the far right conservatives in Poland who tried to pry on the sympathy of the voters, often ignoring the 95 others who lost their lives that day. But, for me, it seems like it was a fairly preventable tragedy brought on by a stubborn president who was desperate for a change in his dismal presidency, and would try to achieve this by all means possible, even if it involved risking the lives of others.
itself is immediately toxic and eventually carcinogenic to organisms, and also indirectly harmful since it promotes oxygen depletion. Furthermore, Corexit, a widely used chemical dispersant (which remains in the water today), is known to be toxic. Our outrage over the Gulf disaster has faded quickly since the well was capped and the most visually conspicuous areas--surface waters and beaches--were cleaned up. The tragedy’s short-term impacts have become old news, but we have yet
to see the long-term effects. We are fewer 185 million gallons of oil, that much closer to the end of the fossilfuel era. We have polluted--invisibly, but perhaps irrevocably--thousands of square miles of diverse, biologically rich waters, with no plan, as of this writing, to remove the dissolved oil. This is the state of the Gulf today: the well is capped, but the oil remains; the ecosystem is badly damaged, and we have no idea how the spill will return to haunt us in the years to come.
miners for their medical conditions so they could bring the news above ground to tell them how they were doing. With team work, they were able to survive it all. The rescue took about 24 hours, but on October 14th at 1:55 am, the
last of the miners escaped. It was such a big event that even the president, Sebastian, came to celebrate their safety. After all those days stuck way down in the Northern Chilean mountains, the miners’ lives have nowhere to go but up.
continued from p.7
continued from p.7
Facebook Explosion By ALEKSA BASARA
2010 was a year of flourishing businesses and companies — Facebook most notably. Ever since Mark Zuckerberg created Facebook as a social tool for friends, family, and business partners to communicate, more and more users have become a part of the Facebook experience. It only took Facebook about five years to climb up the ranks of the best social networks, leading its competitor website, MySpace, with nearly 400 million more active users. A survey done in 2010 estimated that Facebook had gained about 100 million users over the course of just five months; the difference alone rivals the number of active MySpace users. On top of being a large social networking site, Facebook has also been attracting students and working people with space for advertising their businesses. Facebook allows business owners to create groups or pages for their businesses to gather as many friends as possible so that more people would take notice of the business and make investments. It used to be that Face-
book was primarily used by college students to chat with their colleagues. Over the years, it has become evident that Facebook is also user-friendly for teens, businessmen, and a great way to reconnect with childhood friends. Now there are over half a million applications on Facebook. With this many applications, pages to like, and groups to be a part of, Facebook has become a cyber-vacuum that sucks people in. Even when people are on road trips or relaxing in a park, you can bet they are accessing their Facebook accounts through their cell phones or other gadgets to comment or update their statuses. With so many active users constantly paying attention to their electronics for a news feed, Facebook has been attracting investors, which means more money in the pockets of over one million developers and employees. If Facebook is consistent with their production of new applications and updates of their look, there is no doubt that Facebook will continue to flourish in the years to come.
The Eco
Standpoint By HANNAH GEORGE
As we enter a new year, it’s time to reflect on where we are, how far we’ve come, and where we’re going...all from an environmental standpoint. The atmosphere has 388 parts per million of CO2, 38 ppm higher than the highest amount deemed necessary for a healthy planet by scientists worldwide. If every human being lived like the average American today, we would need five planet Earths to support the vast amount of resources needed for this lifestyle. As the rainforests diminish, so does biodiversity. Nothing is ever thrown away; trash just gets relocated out of sight. It’s often relocated to the ocean, an obvious example being the Pacific Trash Vortex, which covers an area greater than the state of Texas. One million sea creatures died this year after swallowing a plastic bag or balloon. A little frightened? I am. And if you’re not, there’s still a long list of problems I haven’t mentioned. The point here is not to make you feel depressed, but aware. And one important part of being aware is looking at both sides of an issue. We hear about problems every day: an earthquake, a flood, a drought, and an oil spill are disasters we’ve seen this year around the world. What have you heard lately that’s good? In 2010, solar panels have become cheaper thanks to a technique that replaces the typical layer of silicon with a thin flexible layer of foil printed with solar cell ink. This is the next step to the future of solar technology, with entire buildings acting as solar panels with just a layer of paint. Cell phones are becoming greener with less packaging and built-in reminders to unplug your charger. Cars are evolving to new heights of stylish green, from hybrids to electric cars designed in 2010 such as the Chevy Volt and the Nissan Leaf. This past year was significant for the development of the Podcar as well, which is being used at London’s Heathrow Airport. The Podcar, an individualized and autonomous form of public transportation with zero emissions, is possibly coming to Ithaca in the future and revolutionizing the entire transportation system. Regarding the Trash Vortex, Project Kaisei launched a second expedition in August 2010 to figure out if bacteria can clean it up by using it for food. And let’s not forget the simple things that are doing a lot in terms of waste production: compost! It’s hard to believe that the 56 tons of trash we produced last year can be reduced this year by sorting out recyclables and compost from trash. Compost, “a mixture of decaying organic matter,” is used to improve soil structure and provide nutrients and can be considered “black gold” in that there is a high demand from landscapers, gardeners, and farmers for the nutrient-rich humus. It will be some time before there is compost pickup once a week along with trash and recyclables, but at IHS we are fortunate to have an industrial composter right in Ithaca. While we didn’t exactly see the planet get cleaned up in 2010, there were significant changes that are the stepping stones to a greener, cleaner tomorrow. As I like to say, it’s not about saving the world. The world will continue on with or without us, but it is up to us how long we’ll last if we don’t all take part in conserving what we have for the future. 2010 has ended, but our Generation Green, and a new time of environmentalism, has only begun. Learn more at http://www.projectkaisei.org/index.html http://www.350.org/en http://www.nanosolar.com/
January 19, 2011
Features
On Healthy Poverty By SEAN AUYASH
I don’t know poverty. I’m a privileged, upper-middle-class Caucasian male living in Ithaca, NY. I can only liken my experience with poverty to a metaphor: like viewing a realist painting in a museum. I know its form and function, but am ultimately distant from the process of its creation. I am a spectator, not a participant. I’ve peered out of car windows in Vietnam. I’ve ridden a bicycle through Laos, looking through my Oakley sunglasses. I’ve visited hospitals in Cambodia. In Nepal, I trekked through villages and spent more time thinking about the blood on my legs from leech bites than the villagers’ needs. From these views, I got a glimpse of poverty in the world that I never would have gotten from looking out through the lens of a white American male, whose parents have the resources to travel for their work.
be able to meet New York State requirements for standardized Regents examinations, nor would parents of the American middle classes want their own children to go to school in single-room schools infiltrated by dengue fever, malaria, or death by diarrhea. Inequality is a crucial link between poverty and health. It is the X factor, the smoking gun, the explanation that clarifies. In our Western culture, inequality has gradually been repositioned as more of a taboo than poverty. Sure, we can look at the poor of the world in Vietnam, Laos, Nepal or Cambodia, but looking at their living conditions does not provide us their experience with systems of inequality that continually impose horrific living conditions. Structural problems of globalization, war, and economic flaws can be captured on the screen of a Flip Video camcorder anywhere. It’s normal for an AP Language summer assignment to ask about poverty. It is something we, as college seniors living in
GLOBAL LINGUIST Words to Know in a Globalized World
Commonly Used Words of Russian Origin By REHAN DADI
Agitprop Political (originally Communist) propaganda, especially in art and literature. Apparatchik -A member of the Communist party (historical). -An unquestioningly loyal subordinate, especially of a political leader or organization. Babushka A headscarf folded diagonally and tied under the chin. Balalaika A triangle-shaped mandolin-like musical instrument with three strings. Gulag A coercive institution, or an oppressive environment. Mammoth Any of various large, hairy, extinct elephants, especially the Woolly Mammoth or simply something of great size.
Former Polish President Lech Kaczyński.
Poverty is not healthy. When people in Laos get sick but can’t afford antibiotics, they die. When impoverished people are hungry but can’t buy food, they starve. When the end result is inevitably death, poverty becomes more than an interesting story to share in a high school newspaper. Because natives of developing countries smile for the National Geographic photographs and look happy on endless Flickr sights of exotic vacations, viewers can afford to ignore poverty. Why help happy people, one might ask? It should be noted that poverty and stable mental health can coexist. It is true that children in some of these countries still play soccer, laugh at each other’s jokes, and go to school, but that does not negate their lack of access to universal rights like education, potable water and medication. Their school would not
PHOTO/PROVIDED
tranquil Upstate New York, should wrap our heads around. Yet, despite our good intentions to engage deeply with a world and with its people, inequality is rarely actually understood. How do you confront the unimaginable horrors of genocide, economic destabilization, environmental devastation and exploitation in a classroom? Its absence in our consciousness is a gaping hole. To fully comprehend inequality, both sides must be examined—the privileged and the oppressed. To be just, this process often requires that the author first confront his or her own position. Self-examination is a crucial beginning to confronting inequality. Inequality is the motor of global capital, but it should not be. Separation of the classes, the sexes, and the races only damages and limits us all. And that, of course, is not healthy.
HELP WANTED The Tattler needs
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Perestroika The reform of the political and economic system of the former Soviet Union, first proposed at the 26th Communist Party Congress in 1979, and later actively promoted by Mikhail Gorbachev from 1985. Politburo The principal policy-making committee in the former Soviet Union that was founded in 1917; also known as the Presidium from 1952 to 1966. Pogrom An organized, officially tolerated attack on any community or group. Taiga The swampy, coniferous forests of high northern latitudes. Trokia -A Russian vehicle, either a wheeled carriage or a sleigh drawn by three horses abreast. -A Russian group with three people, often one man and two women. -A group of three people or things working together, especially in an administrative or managerial capacity. Czar (also Tsar, Tzar, Csar, and Zar) -Title for the emperor of Russia from about 1547 to 1917. -A person with great authority or power in a particular area.
photographers, and most of all, editor@ihstattler.com for more information
writers.
Arts &
The Johnson Column
Construction Atop the Hill By INGRID SYDENSTRICKER
127 Hours: An Emotional Rollercoaster By KHALID VREDE
PHOTO/PROVIDED
127 hours, the film adaptation of Aaron Ralston’s bestselling autobiography “Between a Rock and a Hard Place,” lives up to the expectations set forth by the book. The movie begins with James Franco starring as Ralston riding his bike though the vast terrain of Robbers Roost, Utah. The cinematography is outstanding and is only out staged by the brown rocky scenery itself. From the very beginning of the film Franco does a phenomenal job portraying the adventure-seeking mountain climber Aaron Ralston. Along the way he meets two female hikers and the trio set out to explore the intricate canyons of Robbers Roost. In the end he leaves them with a promise, though the unlikelihood of him keeping that promise is evident when his hand is pinned to the wall of a narrow canyon by a heavy boulder. During this time, which is in fact most of the movie, Franco displays his superb acting abilities: screaming, laughing and crying all the while drawing you into his insanity and will to survive. This, coupled with the confined scenery, will undoubtedly send chills down your spine and make you feel as trapped and as hopeless and he is.
Despite the fact that the main character is trapped for most of the movie it never ceases to entertain the viewer. Video clips and a great soundtrack are strategically placed throughout the film to add excitement to what would otherwise have been slow parts of the movie. The film also calls on Aaron Ralston and his autobiography to accurately portray his experiences in Robbers Roost canyon. Throughout the film Ralston becomes increasingly crazy and upset, possessing only a video camera to entertain himself and record his final goodbyes to family and friends. As specified in Ralston’s book he even has a premonition that would turn out to be true in the years to come. The director Danny Boyle proved himself again in the daring rendition of a true story. Instead of shying away from making a film that consists mainly of one character trapped in a confined space, the director of the previously Oscar winning film Slumdog Millionaire jumped at the challenge. Boyle also showed his talent for casting through his decision to cast James Franco as Aaron Ralston in the film. Up until now Franco has not received many leading roles, but he has already been named best actor of the year by New York film critics online. This continued on p. 11
PHOTO/INGRID SYDENSTRICKER
After years of waiting for a bigger, grander space, the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art at Cornell University is taking steps toward an addition of a new wing and renovations within the original building. The original designs from 1973 by I.M.Pei envisioned an extension from the main building up unto the gorge near the site. Lack of funding hindered this extension to the gorge, though in 2008 the museum announced its pursuit of a new addition and invited Pei, Cob, Freed & Partners back to design the new wing. In June 2009, the museum had its official groundbreaking and since then, construction — led by Shawn Murphy of Murnane Construction with the new designs of Pei, Cobb, Freed & Partners — has not ceased. The new wing, funded mainly by private donations and grants, including the Kresge Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts, will cost a total of $22 million. This $22 million goes a long way. The new space will contain three floors: two below ground and one above ground, increasing the museum’s total space from 62,000 square feet to 78,000 square feet. The first floor will be used as an alternate lobby, mainly for school visits and larger groups. The first underground level will host a spacious lecture hall seating 150 people, a major improvement which allows the museum to expand upon their already busy lecture schedule, which is currently hosted in gallery space in the existing building. The same floor will be home to an art studio used for edu- A $22 million construction project is underway at the Herbert F. Johnson Museum cational workshops as well as the educational offices. Two small galleries will also for the new wing. The garden will recreate the Chinese and Japanese story of the be present for any art that walks through their doors. The second underground religious cohesion: the Three Laughers of the Tiger Ravine. The original plans level will contain restrooms and a museum library open to the public, while the of renowned landscape artist Daniel Kiley will be incorporated into the project rest will be closed off, containing curatorial offices, a large storage space, and me- beginning in Spring 2011. chanical rooms. But this is more than just another building, another room, another piece of On the fifth floor of the existing building, curatorial space and storage area will concrete, another tree. This entire addition and renovation will bring a new life be eliminated to allow for greater gallery space to exhibit the highly recognized to the museum and inspire greater things coming from atop the hill. The energy Asian Collection at the museum. Overall, gallery space will allow for 2,000 more brewing inside the museum only grows each day and in Fall 2011, we can all cross works from the permanent collection to be shown at any given time, a major our fingers and open our eyes to see all that it came to be. increase for the current 8,000 works. The museum’s total permanent collection consists of 33,000 pieces. H.F.Johnson Museum of Art A Japanese Garden, designed by Marc Keane, a Cornell University graduate Tuesday-Sunday 10am-5pm and lecturer and researcher at Kyoto University, will be created as a courtyard Free Admission
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A&
January 19, 2011
Big Day In 2010:
Ten Straight Hours of Music For Ithaca’s Underground By KYLE ROTHMAN
Fans of creative, independent and underground music spent nearly 10 hours at The Haunt on December 4th. As the third installment of Ithaca Underground’s Big Day In Festival, the event brought local and touring acts together for one day of noisy insanity, and all for the price of $5. Even after the show’s biggest act (hardcore rock outfit Young Widows) canceled the night before, the place was packed and energized all afternoon. The first bands to perform around noon consisted of some popular local acts, returning after long hiatuses. Ailments from Olean and Ithaca were an interesting introduction to the festival, this being their first show since their singer/guitarist returned from rehab. Before they began to play he stated this was his first sober show ever, and explained how strange it felt. The band then attempted their known hardcore punk/hard rock set, but were delayed several times due to broken strings and bad wiring, which left both the audience and the band fairly annoyed by the overall set. Cattle Drums from Oneonta followed Ailments lackluster set with high energy and hard driving rhythm. This up-and-coming IU act has been gaining a larger audience, and it’s not hard to see why. Breaking the line between loud and calm, the band creates a sound that parallels its guitar sounds with its vocalist. While subtle riffs were bent, the singer would contort on stage, belting out his strong raspy voice. Cattle Drums did a fantastic job of keeping the audience’s interest by creating a mold between calm indie sounds and hardcore beats. At the last Big Day In festival, Speak Daggers gave their first ever and very memorable show to IU fans. Needless to say, when they returned after a lengthy break, they received a great deal of attention. Featuring IHS students, Speak Daggers is an amazingly tight and explosive punk band that is known for their projected
energy. As soon as they started, fans broke into chaotic dancing and flailing, and screamed their way through classics like “Maybe It’s Art” and “Gumption.” The band released a new EP at the festival, and performed its hot tracks including the vocal layering of “Get Up” and the dominating “Outside Cat” that was once a Ballistic Sh*t Circus song. Speak Daggers blew up this Big Day In even more than their first performance. Following Speak Daggers’ popular set came a very disappointing set from the New York City band Ghost Robot Ninja Bear. Having seen some of the members perform in the now defunct rock outfit Nakatomi Plaza, I was intrigued to see what the band’s members went on to do once they split up. Their performance can be described as a cookie-cutter indie/pop-punk band with nothing going for it. Ghost Robot Ninja Bear is the indie band your sibling might have been in before they broke up after their first practice. The band’s performance did nothing to entertain the audience, and set a bit of a lull in the Haunt after such a knockout performance from Speak Daggers. Like Wolves took the stage to save the show from boredom, and did so with their gritty and energetic, yet very well-dressed, lead singer. Hailing from Rochester, this hardcore punk/thrash outfit blasted guitar buzz and throat howls at the audience nonstop. For music that sounded fairly basic to me at first, I couldn’t believe how much power and energy they could bring out. The singer’s feet were on the ground for less than half the show as he jumped in the air, shrieking deep, rolling around on the stage, leaping into the crowd, and altogether losing himself in his blast-beat heavy, metal punk madness. The audience loved the distorted and confrontational performance, and showed their appreciation through heavy moshing. Replacing the headlining band who canceled, Oak & Bone from Syracuse followed their friends Like Wolves. While both bands played metal influenced music, Like Wolves played from a hardcore punk per-
spective while Oak & Bone were strictly death metal. As they performed, there seemed to be no attention to detail in their music, and they seemed to put more focus in their stage presence, which was already lacking. Simple riffs and beats followed by overly throat-sung vocals seem pretty cliché in metal, yet this did not stop Oak & Bone from sounding just like that. While some metal-heads got into the music, the crowd shared my reaction for the most part: uninterested. Continuing in a string of strange transitions, following the metal-heavy Oak & Bone was the local folkpunk band Why The Wires. While not nearly as heavy or fast paced as the bands preceding them, Why The Wires did not disappoint. The dual power of the accordionist/saxophonist/percussionist detailed the band’s extreme attention to detail. Never has a band with folk influence made me want to dance and scream as much as they did. The band played old favorites like “New Pompeii” and the instrumental “Put A Paperclip On It,” as well as a collection of new songs set to be released in early 2011. Ithaca’s premiere punk-waltz troupe proved themselves to be one of the highlights of the night. Ithaca’s favorite, Beach Parade, was the last of the local acts to perform, and was possibly the most anticipated. With every show this powerful indie-punk band puts on, they get better and better, and the fans can tell. What was once a go-nowhere indie band with excessive stage banter has evolved into a catchy and driving experience like no other. I am still amazed by the rhythm that the drummer alone could posses, as he hammered out beats I could never have imagined. Fans went wild as they drove through heavy hitting tracks like “Summer of Stamos,” “Gene Wilderer,” and their infamous “Trav At It!” Using a unique blend of passionate vocals, guitar noise galore, and perfected drumming that could jump from subtle to extreme in an instant, Beach Parade ruled that night for many. Bridge and Tunnel from New York City played second to last and had a strong fan continued on p. 11
Light in Winter Festival Preview Jan 20-23 For schedule & tickets, check out http://lightinwinter.com/festival-events/ By REHAN DADI
Over this winter break, I interviewed Dave Bock, a former Ithaca High School teacher who is on the board of Ithaca’s Light in Winter Festival. What is the Light in Winter Festival? Light in Winter (LIW) is meant to embody the intellectual spark as well as the creative incandescence that the festival brings during the darkest days of winter. When we started in 2004 (planning started in 1999) there was nothing happening in mid-January at the State Theater or on campuses, so this weekend of activity really shined. What is the history of the event and the purpose of its founding? Founder and Artistic Director Barbara Mink was Chair of the Tompkins County Board at the time, and was interested in starting a festival that would build Light in Winter Festival provides “creative incandescence...during the darkest days of winter.” PHOTO/PROVIDED on Ithaca’s university, colleges, and creative people as natural resources, just like gorges and lakes, to create What community groups are involved? a form of “cultural tourism.” Putting artists and muThis year, we have a number of community groups Are there any events planned especially for teens? sicians together with scientists to examine interest- involved in various ways. Here are just a few: VilSure — Star Trek Live! at the State Theater explores ing ideas through different prisms turned out to be a lage at Ithaca, Cayuga Nature Center, Museum of the the marvels and perils of modern technology, with unique approach to planning public events. Earth, Hangar Theatre, Tompkins County Public Li- audience interaction and cutting-edge special effects. brary, CSMA, Cayuga Vocal Ensemble, and more. We’ve also scheduled two comedians, and the classic How are the events and overall themes chosen? film The Lost World accompanies a discussion about There are no overriding themes, but inevitably Does the festival bring in performances and events how we imagine dinosaurs. some common threads emerge. Mink collects ideas from places outside Ithaca? during the year from newspapers, books and radio I would say that more than half of our performAnything else you would like to add? shows, and contacts people early. She also gets ideas ers this year are coming from outside Ithaca. For exI think the most intriguing aspect of LIW is the from members of the LIW Board and people who at- ample, Lawrence Krauss, who will be presenting the way it explores and reveals connections between scitend the festival, so by February there are often many Physics of Star Trek, comes to us from Arizona. ence and the arts. In school we see history, music, more programs than can fit in a weekend. Then she physics, literature, art, and so on as separate subjects. and Executive Director Marie Sirakos begin the proHow is the affordability for students in high school? At LIW they blend in mind-expanding ways, at events cess of shaping a festival that is varied, exciting, and It has been part of our mission to offer affordable that connect science and poetry, biology and photogaffordable. ticket prices. Most of our performances are $10, with raphy, history and music, sculpture and the senses, several free events as well. Totally affordable! science and architecture, and more.
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January 19, 2011
The Nutcracker: An Ithacan Tradition
“In the ballet world, there are two seasons- Nutcracker and everything else.” By SIENA SCHICKEL
Every year, the Ithaca Ballet puts on the Nutcracker and gets everyone in the Christmas spirit with amazing performances of music and dance by Ithacans of all ages. In 2010, they performed on November 28 in the Smith Opera House for the Performing Arts in Geneva, NY, and December 10-12 at the State Theatre here in Ithaca. With the help of the Finger Lakes Symphony Orchestra, who performed in Geneva and Friday night in Ithaca, the Ithaca Ballet has graced the eyes and ears of an audience that often returns the next year for this Ithacan tradition. The Ithaca Ballet, founded in 1961, was originally called the Ithaca Civic Ballet and performed at IHS’s very own Kulp Auditorium. The first presentation of the Nutcracker was in 1989, and probably not coincidentally, the Ithaca Ballet received a New York State Arts Initiative Grant the following year. The show became so popular in Ithaca that it was performed every weekend from Thanksgiving to Christmas in 1998, and reached
BIG DAY IN
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record-breaking audiences in 2001. Many Ithacans in middle school or high school can say that they’ve been attending the Nutcracker since they were very little. When asked what it was like to be a part of this Ithacan tradition, First Year Senior Dancer Olivia Bryce ‘13 said, “My favorite thing about it is dancing and performing on stage, with all the little kids sitting up front.” When I went to the Friday night performance at the State Theatre, I’d have to agree with that last part — there were a lot of little kids dressed up and running around, probably seeing the Nutcracker for the third or fourth time. The Nutcracker is important to many dancers as well; in an Ithaca Ballet newsletter, it reads, “In the ballet world there are two seasons – Nutcracker and everything else.” There were several guest artists who were here in Ithaca for this winter season, including Lavinia Reid, Johann Studier, and Trenton Loughlin, each very experienced in ballet and a teacher as well. Most of the other dancers were from Cornell, Ithaca College, or IHS, with a couple of exceptions, and experience ranged from a
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base present from the start to the end of the show. A mix of indie and punk with intricate guitar breakdowns, the band had a definite presence that separated them from the other bands. Their use of subtle tempo change and dual male and female vocals was extremely powerful. As entertaining as they were, they were missing a certain edge that could have made them even greater. Their music was solid, but it seemed to be too overwhelming for its own good. Certain songs layered parts to the point that it sounded too convoluted to be engaging. The audience was in awe of the interesting band, and I admit that despite flaws, I enjoyed seeing them. I only stayed briefly for Soul Control from Providence, but that time was enough for me to understand that I was ready to leave. After 10 straight hours of music and dancing, there’s only so much one person can take. Yet all in all, I can say that Big Day In was an incredible experience and definitely a success. Not only was it a great indicator of live music set to launch this year, but it set the bar for the next Big Day In to be even bigger and better than ever.
few years to a lifetime. The Finger Lakes Symphony Orchestra was directed this year by Diego Garcia, who has been playing music since he was five years old and attended Eastman School of Music, a very prestigious university that has taught Grammy winners and legacies like William Warfield (a successful singer and actor in the 20th century). The orchestra usually does their own concerts in places such as area colleges and high schools, wineries, and churches, as well as the Smith Opera House, which was the location of the Geneva Nutcracker performance as mentioned before. They have been playing since 1971, and have played with the Ithaca Ballet often. For those who are unfamiliar with the Nutcracker, the plot is fairly basic. A girl named Clara is at a Christmas party with family, and her godfather, Dr. Drosselmeyer, gives her the Nutcracker, a toy soldier. Her brother Fritz, “accidentally” rips the toy’s head off, but Dr. Drosselmeyer fixes the toy, and the children go to bed. While sleeping, Clara dreams that the Nutcracker comes to life and fights the evil mouse king and his soldiers, then watches the performances of the Snow Queen, the Spanish Hot Chocolate performers, the Arabian Coffee performers, the Chinese Tea performers, the Russian Candy Cane performers, the Danish Marzipan Shepherdess performers, Mother Gigogne, and other mythical Christmas characters, all narrated with music and dance (and amazing costumes). It’s mind-blowing what can be expressed without words. I’m still puzzled how I could understand what was going on throughout the show just by watching the body language of the performers and listening to the music. Ballet was originally used for representing fencing with dance, but later evolved under French and Russian influence. When ballet reached Russia, many new “ballet masters” (creators of the dance and music in a show) emerged, including Tchaikovsky, the creator of The Nutcracker and Swan Lake. This all goes to show how the Nutcracker is Ithaca’s own great tradition, and we are lucky to have the Ithaca Ballet and the Nutcracker.
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may finally be the year Franco snags an Oscar. Admittedly I had low expectations of the film at first but was pleasantly surprised by the level of excitement and intellectual challenge the movie presented. Excellent directing, cinematography, acting and most of all story line all help to send you on an emotional roller coaster ride along with the main character. I encourage any picky movie goers with strong stomachs to get out and enjoy one of the best movies of 2010, but I’ll warn you in advance that it is not for the faint of heart.
Mouth to Mouth to Mouth By SIENA SCHICKEL
In the hustle of art-related happenings, the Ithaca Underground (IU) scene is growing and changing rapidly, and in this frenzy, the organization has been moving venues. Hosting shows at the Community School of Music and Art, The Haunt, The Shop, and very recently, the Greenstar Annex (located in the old Class Act Kitchen warehouse), new locations are introducing new acts for an underground audience. Recently, a new band has emerged, making their first appearance with IU along with the bands Beach Parade, Longitude, Cattle Drums, Sirs, and Johnny Lucas. Mouth to Mouth to Mouth’s first show was also the tour kick-off for Beach Parade and Longitude. Mouth to Mouth to Mouth has band members from other bands that often play for the scene, such as the noise-heavy Genital Holograms, the hardcore pop-noise Ballistic Sh*t Circus, and the hard-metal Makeshift. “Mouth to Mouth to Mouth plays the genre Mathpunk,” band member Gabe Millman ‘11 said in an email. “[It’s] a unique combination of the odd time signatures and rhythms of math music and the drive of
punk music.” For those who don’t know musical terms, this means that if you tap your foot to the music, eventually you won’t even be close to tapping to the right rhythm. As a musician, I can attest to the fact that weird time signatures are for only the more daring musicians. I can also say that for a band just starting to perform, they are off to an awesome start. The band has four members: Peter Pillardy ‘11 on guitar, Corey Mahaney ‘11 on guitar and vocals, Bubba Crumine on bass and vocals, and Gabe Millman ‘11 on drums and percussion. “About a year and a half ago, Corey, Peter, and [I] first discussed starting another band together because initially [we] were all in Makeshift together,” Millman wrote. Bubba Crumine joined later, and the band began to jam. Mouth to Mouth to Mouth has had two concerts so far, one coming up in February, and hopefully more after that. For those who attend IU shows, I assure you that future shows will be seeing this band often. For those who don’t, I recommend being openeared and listening to them play. Millman wrote, “We hope to play a show every month or two but you never know!”
Corey Mahaney ‘11 uses innovative guitar technique to produce mathrock sounds with Mouth to Mouth to Mouth
PHOTO/PROVIDED
My Take
By Geoff Preston
By GEOFF PRESTON
Time for the BCS to Go
I hate math. Always have, always will. I couldn’t care less about the area of a triangle or the quadratic formula. You’re better off writing Chinese on the blackboard; I’d probably understand that better. Maybe that was why I gravitated toward sports: as far as I could tell, not a whole lot of math was involved. Other than your basic calculator arithmetic, the results on the field were not dependent on the value of X. What I saw was what I got, and it was better that way. But then I learned about what went into deciding the college football national championship and my head nearly exploded. It was like calculus from Hell. Ok, maybe “calculus from Hell” is a little strong, but the BCS (Bowl Championship Series) goes against all that I stand for as a sports fan, and I think it is high time that we have a 16-team playoff with automatic births going to the 11 conference champions and the remaining five at-large bids going to the next highest finishers in the A.P. poll. I was raised to believe that you can’t play the games on paper. Try telling that to the BCS. The whole system is predicated on how, figuratively, the undefeated TCU (Texas Christian University) Horned Frogs wouldn’t beat Auburn or Oregon if the teams played. The word “figuratively” should never be used in conjunction with deciding a national champion. The presidents
of these prestigious universities (the only people who actually still want the BCS) will spout off three myths in their defense of the BCS. Don’t be fooled. The college presidents know their system is beyond flawed, and don’t really believe the BCS is a fair system. So why continue to be the only group of people foolish enough to support it? As with everything these days, the BCS is a money machine. Even though the college presidents don’t believe in the BCS, I thought it would still make sense to make sense of the ridiculous myths about their favorite, cash-producing son. BCS Myth #1: With this system, the regular season actually matters: Not a bad point; every Saturday in college football has turned into an elimination weekend. One loss can spell doom for a program. The problem is the third word in the last sentence: can. Some years you can go undefeated (TCU) and not play in the title game, but the 2007 National Champion (LSU — Louisiana State University) had two losses. You just don’t know what every game means in the grand scheme of things. With the 16-team playoff, I would argue the regular season becomes even more important because the most direct path to the playoffs is by winning your conference. Nearly 70 percent of the teams in the playoffs will be conference champions, so winning your conference becomes even more important. The regular season
Boys’ Varsity Swimming By SIENA SCHICKEL
Among the many sports available for boys in the winter, boys’ swimming has become more popular over recent years. The team has grown from 19 boys (in the 2008-09 season) to almost 30 boys this year (including Junior Varsity). Their coach, Mike Armitage, has only been around for two years, but effects of his leadership and instruction can already be seen. “We’ve got a massive core group that is the IHS Varsity Swim Team, and more and more people are joining and honoring their commitment through future years on this team,” Team Captain John Nord said in an email. After years of little mention, it looks as though the boys’ swim team will even win Sectional Finals this year, as they were un- Kevin Nicholson ‘11 takes a dive. defeated last year as well as this year after their third meet with Vestal. “After a win in our dual meet vs. Vestal (105-80) this year, I feel we do have a run at being repeat Section 4 Champions,” Nord wrote, which is quite a leap from where they stood two years ago with fewer than ten swimmers attending Sectional Finals.
It looks as though the challenges this year will be defeating each team with more gusto than last year, and bringing together a team already in the process of uniting. With more young people joining the team than in middle school, uniting the team takes more effort. On New Year’s Day, the team went out to Cayuga Lake in the morning for a dip in the lake. It’s a tradition for many Ithacans, but most of the crowd were members of the team. Later that day, there was a dish-to-pass at a local church, and the boys exchanged gifts and bonded over several hours of eating, chatting, and laughing over some of the sillier gifts, like a sack of potatoes, a shake-weight, and even a gerbil. Overall, I think it’s safe to say that there was some team bonding going PHOTO/PROVIDED on. The worst potential scenario for the team this year would be losing to Maine-Endwell, a team just as strong as Ithaca, but the boys have blown away everything in their path so far. It is only a matter of time before they begin to count the years (or even decades) rather than the meets won.
would also be shortened. Because we would have four playoff rounds, the regular season would have to be reduced to ten games. This means teams like Ohio State and Florida would have fewer games to use as warm-ups against Akron or Florida A&M. We would see more meaningful, and dramatic games. How can any fan not want that? BCS Myth #2: We have to protect the history of the Bowl Games: The Rose Bowl has been a New Year’s Day tradition since 1902. That is the kind of history college football should not mess with. That being said, are you seriously telling me we need to protect the honor and prestige of the Mieneke Car Care Bowl? Are you kidding me? Half of these bowl games have zero historical significance. Would you miss the ESPN ads for the Udrove Humanitarian Bowl? Of course not! As for the five or six bowls games that do have historical importance, why not just have one of the playoff games at the bowl site, and say the winner is the champion of that bowl? We call the NCAA “National Semifinals”; “The Final Four” has a trademark and an advertising campaign and the whole nine yards. Why not just call it the “National Semifinal?” Because it doesn’t sound cool enough. Or, instead of the “Elite Eight,” why not just say “The Regional Finals?” Again, you would have a hard time making a Coke commercial using “The Re-
Why High School Sports Matter By PAUL WESTIN
What is the world of professional sports coming to? With vain and pompous players (see Lebron James, Chad Ochocinco, Manny Ramirez, etc.) and a scandal every other week (Brett Favre, Gilbert Arenas, Tiger Woods, etc.), many fans, including yours truly, are getting fed up with the new climate of professional sports. Some would argue that college sports provide a safe haven from the loads of money and overly annoying punks that fill professional leagues today. Although that may have been true ten years ago, college games may be worse than the professional versions in many cases. Coaches violate NCAA rules left and right, players are offering their services in exchange for money, and players leave after one or two years to pursue more shenanigans. So where can we go for a stimulating sports experience that doesn’t contain a plethora of showmanship and scandal? I say turn to the high schools. Now, I realize that most high schools cannot have the level of athleticism and game mastery displayed by both college and pro-level games. But there are things that make high school sports better than any other kind of sport. First of all, there are many more of the good players: people who don’t take out a sharpie and sign the ball after a touchdown or ditch the hometown team. While there might be a few jerks, the percentage is much lower. Next, players and fans have known each other for a very long time, and there is nothing quite like cheering on your good friend in the game of their life. There are no massive stadiums with tens of thousands of people, which gives us a better view and more intimate feeling. And when a player or team succeeds at the highest level, it is something that they, and you as the fan, will remember forever. So go out and cheer for your school teams, whether it be basketball, tennis, field hockey or any other, because you never know if something unforgettable will happen.
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Distaste for the Bowl Championship Series is common among football fans BCS
gional Finals” as your bench mark. It’s simple: play the first round games at the home stadium of the higher seeded team, then play the remaining eight games at the eight most famous Bowl sites. What those Bowl sites would be is subject for debate, but if I were running college football, I would put a playoff game in each of the following: Dallas (Cotton Bowl), San Diego (Holiday Bowl), El Paso (Sun Bowl), Jacksonville (Gator Bowl), Tempe (Fiesta Bowl), New Orleans (Sugar Bowl), Miami (Orange Bowl), and the national title in the Rose Bowl. Hopefully the day will come when we can have this debate. BCS Myth #3: The playoffs would conflict with final exams. Let’s put this to bed right away: the NCAA and the collegiate presidents don’t care about the academic success of these student athletes. If the NCAA cared about their performance in the classroom, the college basketball season would not start until after the New Year to accommodate students taking final exams. The college lacrosse season would not go past Graduation Day, and countless academic infractions would not be ignored. The BCS is completely unaffiliated with
PHOTOS/PROVIDED
the NCAA and theoretically not attached to the “student” in the term “student athlete.” To the presidents of these universities, the football players are nothing more than cash-making cattle to be recycled in three or four years. Most of these players have the workload of a high school freshman and still have private tutors do half of it for them. The presidents of these universities have thousands of merit scholars as well as future doctors and lawyers. The football players are only there to make the university money, and contribute as alumni when they make it in the NFL. Whether or not the players pass their Intro to Ballroom Dance final is irrelevant to the university presidents. Not to mention the fact that these games would take place on Saturday, unlike college basketball, which actually has games the nights of some of these final exams. This excuse is a joke. But you and I both know that these excuses are poorly supported with supposed facts. The BCS officials know it too, but they hide behind these poor excuses to cover up their one true reason for stubbornly supporting a system that no one wants: money. The almighty dollar has struck again and it remains the only reason the BCS is still used as the governing body in
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deciding the national champion. The four BCS bowls, in addition to the National Championship, offer multimillion dollar payouts that university presidents will gladly take. The advertising dollars associated with naming rights, as well as marketing campaigns, make those suit-wearing-figureheads-in-BCS-offices salivate. College football is the one sport in which the majority of fans hate the way a champion is crowned, yet continue to come out in almost incomprehensible droves to support their favorite team. Teams in the South have football stadiums that can fit twice as many people in them as there are people in the respective town. The product of college football remains one of the most in demand in any economy throughout the world. So why in the world does the BCS try to ruin a religion in parts of the country with a system that has the back of about two percent of the collegiate fan base? Oh, and just one final point to satisfy the dollarhungry BCS executives: how much money does the NCAA make through its basketball tournament every March? Imagine that amount ten-fold, considering the popularity of football trumps that of basketball in this country. Chew on that, suit-wearing figureheads.
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Girls’ Basketball By GEOFF PRESTON
Last year the IHS girls’ basketball team capped off a successful season at 13-4. Under the guidance of Coach Gil Sandvik, the Little Red advanced to the semifinals of the Section IV tournament. The team lost a core group of seniors who were instrumental to the success of the group, but a new class of seniors spearheaded by Captains Miriam Bernstein ‘11
and Katie Peterson ‘11 hope to continue the success of the Little Red. “We have great chemistry this year,” says Suzie Hirasuna ‘11, “We all get along very well.” Despite the team’s 2-5 record, the Little Red feels confident they can turn their season around. “We are still aiming for sectionals,” new Head Coach Fay Young Miller told 1160 ESPN Radio in a January interview. According to Hirasuna, that goal is not unattainable:
“We play very well in the latter parts of the game,” she said, which can lead one to believe that if the Little Red improves their early game performance, anything is possible when sectionals roll around in early February. The Little Red is next at home against Elmira Southside on Tuesday, January 18. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:00 PM for the JV game with the varsity team following directly after.
After Elmira Southside, the Little Red embarks on an essential four-game stretch to end the regular season where they face division rivals Vestal, Union-Endicott, Maine-Endwell — and end the regular season on Friday, February 4 in Binghamton. Senior Night for Ithaca is on Wednesday, February 2 so go out and support a group of seniors who have done great things to enhance the Ithaca girls’ basketball reputation.
PENULTIMATE Quiz: Are You A Nerd? By ANNELISE RAYMOND and NAOMI RAYMOND
1) How do you spend your time between classes? a. talking to your friends while walking to class b. you’re anxious about getting to class on time and always hurry there c. chilling with the security guards d. going to your locker to switch binders e. you don’t go to class 2) What do you while waiting at the doctor’s office? a. read a book you brought b. play with your Rubik’s cube c. freak out about the shot you might get d. people-watch e. nothing 3) What do you normally discuss with your friends? a. school b. the turbulence on Venus vs. Saturn c. the ISS teacher d. somebody’s new Facebook status e. you have no friends 4) What do you keep in your pockets? a. cell phone b. calculator c. love note from a kid in your Photography class d. gum wrappers and a brownie you bought at the Tattler bake sale e. who knows what’s in there? 5) When your Geometry teacher suggests you have a “proof party” with your friends, how do you react?
a. give them a weird look b. immediately make plans for Friday night c. raise your hand and ask if they were being sarcastic d. force a laugh. It was supposed to be funny, right? e. you never heard them mention it 6) How do you wear your clothes? a. you leave your shirt untucked over your jeans b. respectably, with your shirt tucked in and your pants pulled up to your belly button c. your XXXXL shirt covers the fact that your pants go up to your knees d. low-cut jeans and a short, tight shirt to show off your thin stomach e. you don’t even notice what you put on in the mornings 7) What do you do when you’re done with your homework? a. practice your instrument b. go play Starcraft and COD (Call of Duty) c. you didn’t do your homework d. text your friends while following people on Facebook e. nothing 8) What are your grade expectations for yourself? a. to try your hardest b. anything below an A- is terrible c. pass high school d. please your parents e. nothing 9) What kind of slang terms do you use with your
FACT or FALLACY? By KELSEY SHANG
On the chopping block: “Carrots help improve one’s eyesight.” From our fond memories of childhood, we reminisce of old battles fought during dinner. We pushed aside our vegetables with disdain while our mothers attempted to fork them back into our mouths. For whatever reason, they always justified by telling us that “it’s good for you.” Heck, we were kids; we’d believe anything. Parents today still tell their kids that an overweight, white-bearded, jolly Caucasian watches their every move. Of course it’s good to eat your veggies. However, it is important to assess whether such statements are based upon medical evidence or merely a fishwife’s tale. Carrots contain both Vitamin A and β-carotene (an orange pigment). Vitamin A is a nutrient essential in proper metabolic retinal function and the development of the epithelial tissue. Such a vitamin is absolutely necessary in low-light vision and color vision. A deficiency in Vitamin A can lead to a worsened vision
and night vision. However, with a balanced intake of carrots or other sources of Vitamin A, normal vision can be restored and maintained. Although Vitamin A should be consumed for good vision, the body can only efficiently use a limited amount. Thus, gorging on carrots will leave the body with an excess of nutrients. It will help maintain a proper eyesight but not improve it. Be warned: overconsumption of carrots can lead to undesired effects. The pigment, β-carotene, is what gives the carrot that orange glow. This benign condition is called carotenemia or hypercarotenemia. In which people has carotenemia been most commonly found? — vegetarians and young children. Unless you plan on being a carrot or a member of Jersey Shore for Halloween, you would not want your skin to turn orange as well. The next time the dragon lady points a carrot at you and exclaims “carrots help improve eyesight,” PHOTO/PROVIDED shove these facts into her face. Figuratively. Don’t actually shove anything, please. The Verdict: FALLACY.
friends? a. chill, dude b. IWD and QNS (for ‘inventor working drawing’ and ‘question notification system’) c. fo-shizzle d. ttyl e. nothing 10) What do you read in your leisure time? a. Harry Potter b. your textbooks c. Dr. Seuss d. a romance novel e. nothing How many b’s did you get? 1-You aren’t typically nerdy, but you share a similar characteristic 2-You’re approaching nerd zone... 3 -You are now officially a nerd! Nice job! 4-You’re that person who’s always correcting people who overcorrect their grammar. 5-Who would you say is cooler, Luigi or Mario? 6-2 + 2 = 5 for extremely large values of 2. 7-Congratulations! You are the winner of the Distinguished Nerd Award for 2010! 8-You know, Steve Jobs and Bill Gates are nerds too. 9-And now, I’m gonna shoot laser beams! ‘Cause the “Force” is that incredible! (Incredible!) Ooh, you just got served an echo! 10-You are 100% nerdy. Like how your Mac’s systems specs are probably a lot lower than gaming PCs because of the RAM and CPU and Video Card; not to mention the compatibility of Macs to popular computer games.
Swimming Time By KEVIN HILGARTNER
Be still, my heart! I leap with joy And chuckle like a hen! The day is here: in gym class It is swimming time again! What joy have we to strip us down Into our swimming trunks. “This is so gay:” The constant cry Of big disgruntled lunks. We stand a-waiting, wrapped in towels Just shivering with the joy. Behold the teeth-clenched eager face Of every girl and boy. At last the door is opened! O! Breathe deep that chlorine scent! The teacher took attendance and Then in the pool we went. (When my grade was in freshman year This boon was all our own. But last year—joy of joys—we were Back in the water thrown. And sad when we at last were done, Some happy news we had: We’d swim in gym the next two years! And every heart was glad.) So after half an hour or so Out of the pool we climb Back to the chilly locker room! O wondrous, swimming time! Reminded of our happy swim By day-long moistened hair Still wet, we leave the locker room To chill hibernal air.
backpage Horriblescopes
By VALERIE VOODOO
Aries (March 21 to April 19): Actions speak louder than words, especially when you clap. Taurus (April 20 to May 20): If violets are red and roses are blue, I have some advice for you: Get your vision checked. Gemini (May 21 to June 20): Beat around this bush; those berries are poisonous. Cancer (June 21 to July 22): Beauty is in the eye of the Miley Cyrus bong.
Ask Aaliyah
Leo (July 23 to August 22): Don’t bite off more than you can chew. It all has to come out sometime. Virgo (August 23 to September 22): The breadwinner never brings cheese home. Libra (September 23 to October 23): It’s a small-cat-scares-big-dog world. Scorpio (October 24 to November 22): Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth and mudkip for mudkip. Sagittarius (November 23 to De-
Dear Aaliyah, My parents are out to get me. They took away my cell phone because “I talked to my friends too much.” This is completely unfair. It’s not like I send 6,000 texts per month; my average is only around 3,000. Aaliyah, how can I get my phone back? What can I do to convince my parents that they are being OUTRAGEOUS? -Miss. My Cell Phone Miss My Cell Phone, Parents can be a real bummer. Sometimes, you just have to remind them how much of a hormonal beast you really are. Once they see how selfish they’re being, you will get your cell phone back in no time. Here are some tips to help you: 1. Refuse to Communicate Outright refuse to talk to your parental units. The only form of communication in which you can truly express yourself is texting. Being expected to live without your phone is
cember 21): The stars have given you a fat chance with skinny luck. Enjoy. Capricorn (December 22 to January 19): The stars hate your guts, your stomach, and your small intestine. Aquarius (January 20 to February 19): Home is where the heart is, and your heart is only inside your body. Yeah, you’re going to be alone for the rest of your life. Pisces (February 20 to March 20): If you can’t stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen. If you can’t stand the cold, stay out of Ithaca.
ridiculous. No one will be able understand you now. 2. Wreck Their Social Lives and Reputation Plan on crashing all of your parent’s parties and outings. Hand out flyers describing the heart-wrenching pain from their actions. After all, they are responsible for your social development. You will never get a job nor sanity (and nor will they) after this traumatic event. 3. Violence IS the Answer Little children get what they want with violence, so throw a tantrum. Draw sad emoticons on the wall with Sharpie. Imitate the ring tone of your phone day and night. Be sure to take revenge and drop their cell phones down the toilet. Rinse and repeat until your parents have gotten the message loud and clear. Once your parents realize they can’t win against their superior offspring, you will get your cell phone back.
-Aaliyah
Random midweek days off
Fonetik Spellyng
French Bulldogs
Sticky Paws
Violet Beauregard
Band names
Jean Baudrillard
The Insert Mickey Mouse was banned in Romania in 1935 because they thought he would scare young children. The government thought that a 10foot mouse (on the movie screen) would be too much for Romanian children to handle. They must have reversed their decision since Mickey still appears on the Romanian Disney Channel. In the government’s defense, the old Mickey Mouse cartoons could sometimes get pretty creepy. According to Einstein’s theory of relativity, you age slightly faster standing on a staircase than you would on the floor below.
By the same token, a clock that is speeding away from an observer will appear to tick slower! In a nutshell, when an object experiences a stronger gravitational pull, time is also slowed down to a small extent. In the 1950s, the United States planned to drop a nuclear bomb on the moon. At the time, the U.S. was lagging behind the Soviet Union in the space race... Exploding a nuclear weapon on the moon was a way to one-up the Soviet Union. They planned on nuking the moon as a PR stunt, and they wanted to make sure the explosion could be
seen from Earth! This was part of a top-secret Air Force project, “Project A119,” which was called “A Study of Lunar Research Flights.” Details of the 1958 plan were made public in 2000 by Dr. Leonard Reiffel, the physicist who ran the project. He had worked on the project with famous astronomer Carl Sagan. The explosion likely would have ruined the face of the “man on the moon.” Thankfully, years later they decided to send Neil Armstrong to the moon, not a nuclear bomb.
Halal Pepperoni
Grapefruit Juice
Senioritis
Courtesy of OMGFacts.com
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Proofs parties on Sundays
No snow day?!