Features
page 3: New Roots Charter School Update
page 4: Summer Travels in India
news
page 12: Why Soccer Will Never Be Popular in America
WELCOME IHS
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September 8, 2010 • Estd. 1892 • Vol. 119 • No.1• Published Monthly • www.ihstattler.com • Ithaca High School, 1401 N. Cayuga St., Ithaca, NY, 14850 • FREE
Progress is Slow in the Gulf By KATHERINE HAMBURY
On April 20, 2010, BP’s Deepwater Horizon oil rig, offshore of Louisiana, exploded. Out of the 126 people on board, seventeen people were injured and eleven died in the explosion. There were three reported leaking points, and for each day that they went unplugged, tens-of thousands of barrels of oil were released into the Gulf Waters. One month later, the oil damage had resulted in almost 19 percent (46,000 square miles) of the Gulf ’s federal waters being closed to fishing. The thick, heavy oil blanketed some of the state’s wetlands and shores. On July 15, a cap was successfully placed on the well to contain the crude oil that had been previously gushing into the Gulf. The incoming BP CEO, Bob Dudley, told CNN, “I think – no guarantees – but I believe there will be no more oil flowing into the Gulf as of the 15th of July.” Dudley’s not alone in his hopes that there will be an end to the gushing oil, resulting in the largest offshore oil spill in United States history. Even though there is no more oil being released into the gulf, there is still the issue of cleaning up. Crude oil (directly from a well) doesn’t evaporate as easily as lighter oil (such as gasoline). BP decided to use a chemical dispersant, which mixes the oil with the water, in their clean up. The dispersant may reduce the
potential that the oil slick will reach shore, but the chemical has been said to be more toxic than the oil slick itself. One thing that the 1.84 million gallons of dispersant that BP applied to the Gulf does do is make the puddles of oil on top of the water disappear. BP might be hoping for an “out of sight, out of mind” result, but the effects of the oil will be lasting whether the oil can be seen or not. The spill has affected more than just wildlife and BP’s credibility. The Gulf Coast travel economy, over the next three years, could potentially lose $22.7 billion. Many Gulf families have built their lives around Gulf seafood (fishing, oysters, etc.) and the spill has potentially ruined everyPHOTO/PROVIDED thing they have. The spill has also damaged the habitat of many marine and coastal animals. While people are working to help clean up the birds, turtles, and other distressed animals, the crisis is beyond our control. It took two months for BP to get a handle on stopping the spewing oil. It’s hard to believe how slow the process has been to stop and clean up this disaster when we have such advanced technology in our world. The Gulf oil spill should be a wake-up call to everyone: America needs to take action and set regulations to help ensure that a disaster such as this will not repeat itself.
Effects of the ICSD Budget Cuts By JULIE STOVER and YUQI YANG
Entering the 2010-11 school year, the Ithaca City School District (ICSD) is once again faced with a stricter budget. All schools will have programs affected by district-wide funding cuts. “As is the case with many districts, the significant loss of state aid resulted in a lower-than-normal increase in the budget as well as a disproportionate increase in the tax levy,” stated Assistant Superintendent of Business Services, Margaret Boice. The budget adopted by the Board of Education (BoE) on April 20, 2010, calls for a 3.97 percent increase in the total school tax levy, resulting in decreased course availability, as well as the elimination of numerous positions. Ithaca High School Math Department Chair Todd Noyes stated, “We have already cut one position here in the Math Department. We are hoping that it is not worse beyond the 2010-11 school year. We will be cutting some sections of classes, while class sizes will increase as well.” When asked what his major concerns are about the budget, Noyes replied that he is “concerned that [the Math Department] will continue to lose funds, and it will then become a struggle to provide the classrooms with the necessities to pro-
mote a productive learning environment.” Students have voiced concerns as well. Bennett Winters ‘11 stated his fear that the high school might not offer summer school in the coming years, which he “has a moral problem with, because some seniors that screw up during the school year won’t be able to graduate without summer school.” There is a possibility that this fear may become reality, given that BOCES has eliminated summer school for secondary school students. New Roots, a recently established charter school, is another component that needs to be considered in an already tight budget. Money from ICSD is supporting New Roots, a separate facility with many students from other school districts. Board of Education Discusses the budget PHOTO/PROVIDED The Fine Arts Bolster Group declared that “all schools are affected by cuts, elementary and ($4,918) decrease in funding music programs. There secondary. Cuts are being made to teaching staff, ad- is also a total 41.1 percent ($669,909) decrease in comministrative, athletics, arts and support staff.” There puter education/technology spending throughout the is a total 9.4 percent ($6,479) decrease in funding to district. In addition, there has been a $38,533 cut for district wide art programs, a 10.3 percent ($2,229) de- after-school buses (late runs) district-wide, which continued on p. 3 crease in physical education funds, and a 0.8 percent may result in fewer children
September 8, 2010
Opinion
Editorial:
The New Addiction The addiction our generation has to technology is ridiculous and extreme. We have become addicts, and the thought of being disconnected sends a chill. The cell phone has become one of the most poignant examples. Nielsen reports that the average teen sends about 3000 texts per month and 15% of texters send about 6000 texts per month. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, teens spend two hours per day texting and Common Sense Media shows a 566% increase of texting in the past two years. Michael Seyffert, a neurologist at Seton Hall University, has done research on texting and the brain. He reports that, “Neuro-imaging studies have shown that kids who are texting have the same area of the brain light up as an addict using heroin.” His research has also shown that dopamine, a mood enhancer, floods the brain when texting. And just like heroin or cocaine, texters may experience withdrawal systems when they stop texting. Computers have also come to dominate our lives. Kaiser Family Foundation stated that in 2009, the average teen spent about 1 hour and a half every day on the computer. According
to Nielsen, 23% of this time is spent on Facebook and other social networking sites. Common Sense Media found that 51% of teens check their profiles more than once a day and 22% check more than 10 times daily. There are currently more TVs than humans across the United States and in all, teens spend seven hours and 40 minutes using media daily, an one hour and 17 minutes increase from 2004, declared Kaiser Generation. This extensive use is defining our generation as bodies with TV heads, thumbs worn out by texting all night, and eyes with no light after staring at a computer for two hours straight. Our minds know more about texting abbreviations than politics, art, or even the science that allows us to do all that we do. Our time is spent “OMG-ing” and “LOL-ing” rather than becoming informed citizens. So, IHS, here is a challenge: put down your phones, laptops, and game consoles and see how long you can go “unplugged”. Talk to someone face-to-face, go ride a bike, read a book, and take it old-school. It just might do our generation good.
Editorial:
Ground Zero Controversy: What Is It Really About? Before we go on and discuss why the “Ground Zero Mosque” controversy is ridiculous to the point of embarrassment, there are a few things that need to be cleared up, especially since the name given to this debate is so deliberately misleading. First off, the mosque proposed to be built near Ground Zero by Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf is not strictly a mosque. A mosque, by definition, is a purely religious structure. Yes, this is an Islamic community center that includes a place for Muslims to pray, but it’s also open to all residents of the Lower Manhattan area and has, among other things, a pool. The only reason people are using “mosque” instead of “community center” is because the latter sounds disappointingly non-threatening. Secondly, the proposed location for this center is not even at the Ground Zero site, but two blocks from the World Trade Center in an abandoned Burlington Coat Factory at 45-51 Park Place. It should also be noted that there are already several mosques in place in the Lower Manhattan area; they’ve been there for a while, but no one had a problem with them and the world has not ended. Apparently, being two blocks away from Ground Zero is “too close,” but being three blocks away isn’t. Some, like President Obama, have argued that there is a difference between having the right to build an Islamic center near Ground Zero, and the wisdom of such a decision. But is there? What exactly are we saying to Muslims? That they, as citizens of the United States, have every right to do something, but shouldn’t if they are “good Americans”? And who gets to make that decision of what’s “wise” and what’s not, anyway? Is it the logic-deficient Fox News, Sarah Palin, or Newt Gingrich? The U.S. government has no right and no authority to stop them from building on private property if the local zoning board gives them the go-ahead, and it has. There is no restriction to the freedom of religion in the Constitution; there is no sub clause in there which states “unless you’re within two
blocks of Ground Zero, THEN you can’t exercise your freedom of religion.” To tell people they have the right to do something but shouldn’t is antithetical to everything Americans stand for. And then there are others who ask, “Why can’t these American Muslims just build somewhere where it’s easier for them? Why would they want to build where they’re not wanted?” This may sound familiar, because it was what blacks were told once upon a time. “Why can’t you stay in your neighborhood?” or “Why don’t you eat in your own restaurants?” Discrimination is the same, regardless of which group of people is victimized. If it wasn’t ethical for African Americans to be discriminated against, it’s not ethical for any other people to be discriminated against today. And to those who argue that some Muslim countries don’t tolerate other religions so we have no obligation to honor freedom of religion either, we’d like to point out the millions of people who have shed blood to preserve the spirit of democracy and tolerance in this country. The last point we’ll make, one which seems obvious but somehow manages to escape the attention of the herd-mentality opponents of building the Islamic center, is the fact that “people who were killed on 9/11” and “Muslims” are not mutually exclusive groups. There were American Muslims among the 3,000 who died on 9/11. Muslims worked in the towers, for emergency services, and for the fire department. They lived and worked, and still do, in Lower Manhattan. The argument that “they’re Muslims so they don’t know what it was like” is lacking when Muslims were among those who were killed or lost loved ones. In conclusion, this entire controversy is full of either outright lies or intellectually dishonest arguments designed to instigate public outrage. Those who argue against building the Islamic center use rhetoric so flawed, illogical and stupid that it almost seems unreal.
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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September 8, 2010
news PHOTO/PROVIDED
BUDGET
continued from p.1
being able to attend activities and get academic help after school. However, not all is lost. The school district has received a few new sources of funding - a number of federal and state grants are included in the new budget, totaling $5,820,249. Among the most notable are the Section 611 grant, the Preschool Special Education grant, and the Title I grant. The Section 611 grant is an ongoing grant that provides the district with $1,258,490 and targets students with disabilities, in addition to supporting existing services including psychological assessment, speech therapy, and resource room instruction. The Preschool Special Education grant provides the district with $903,823 towards school-year and summer programs for preschoolers with disabilities. The Title I grant provides the district with $831,033, based on the number of low-income children and the number residing in institutions. Although the budget cut has led to difficult circumstances, BoE President Rob Ainslie stated, “We’re trying to maintain the excellence of the district, but the circumstances for a lot of the cuts are out of our control.”
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New Roots Charter School Update By ANNELISE RAYMOND
As New Roots Charter School begins its second year this fall, administrators are expecting to make a few improvements to the curriculum based on what they learned from the first year. New Roots is expecting the same number of students to enroll this year as last — about 150 according to the school’s principal or 90 according to the New Roots website — of whom 40 or 45 are from Ithaca. Either way, this is a decrease in class size, since the school is increasing from teaching two grades to teaching three. For the 2011-12 school year, New Roots is planning to expand to become a full, four-year high school. The dream of founding a sustainable school with a community-based curriculum was originally that of Tina Nilsen-Hodges, now the school’s principal. There was a significant amount of opposition to the formation of another alternative school (in addition to LACS) in Ithaca. Many thought that since IHS has much to offer in course diversity, along with many more enrolled students (about 1600), the money for New Roots should go instead to fostering successful programs at IHS. According to the New York Times article Despite Push, Success at Charter Schools is Mixed, written by Trip Gabriel on May 1, “But for all their support and cultural cachet, the majority of the 5,000 or so charter schools nationwide appear to be no better, and in many cases worse, than local public schools when measured by achievement on standardized tests, according to experts citing years of research. Last year one of the most comprehensive studies, by researchers from Stanford University, found that fewer than one-fifth of charter schools nationally offered a better education than comparable local schools, almost half offered an equivalent education and more than a third, 37 percent, were ‘significantly worse.’ “Researchers for this study and others pointed to a successful minority of charter schools — numbering perhaps in the hundreds — and these are the ones around which celebrities and philanthropists rally, energized by their narrowing of the achievement gap between poor minority students and white students.” New Roots was a topic of great dispute in the Ithaca community because of financial concerns. According to Brad Grainger, a representative of the Board of Education, some money from Ithaca City School District was put towards New Roots’s founding. With an unknown number of Ithaca students who would attend the school, this made budget plans and cuts difficult.
According to Nilsen-Hodges, student and parent reviews after their first year have been mainly positive. New Roots has “learned from some things in its first year,” as it’s just starting up, and “can learn to grow into the future.” The teaching style at New Roots, Nilsen-Hodges explained, was designed to “adjust to the needs of a variety of learners”; instead of a traditional classroom, “the teachers use a variety of approaches to learning.” Students who graduate from New Roots earn Regents diplomas, as they’re required to take the same standardized tests as at other high schools throughout New York State. In addition, NilsenHodges said students take beginningand end-of-year assessments of English and math. As for the school week, two mornings per week are set aside for field trips “related to the course of study,” Nilsen-Hodges said. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, New Roots students’ school day is an hour longer than usual, so “students have a proportionately smaller amount of work to complete at home.” According to New Roots’s website, www.newrootsschool. org, “New Roots teachers aim at offering work that averages about one hour per day. Research does not show a correlation between the amount of homework and student achievement.” Thus, NilsenHodges said, students are expected to spend more time doing activities they enjoy — they “want the students to strike a balance between learning and spending time with family,” strengthening personal skills at home such as playing music or sports. Wednesday afternoons at New Roots are spent doing community service— such as having a reading/homework buddy group at the Greater Ithaca Activities Center or “teaching technology skills to older adults at Lifelong”—because, according to the website, “research consistently shows that servicelearning is a powerful way to engage students with diverse learning styles and levels of academic achievement, and that students who engage in service learning projects in high school are more likely to be community leaders later in life.” A student who was an 8th grader at New Roots this year said that the classes at New Roots were “different”; they did more teaching outside the classroom, especially for environmental science classes. He said he attended New Roots for about two weeks, and they were given “not a lot” of homework. As New Roots School is just starting out, they are still making improvements according to parent and student feedback and needs. Some of their education techniques are new and experimental, so it may be too soon to fully assess their success.
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Link Crew Enters its 5th Year By SUNNY JOO
Link Crew is a student-run program that exists in high schools across the United States, and the Ithaca High School Link Crew is preparing to welcome incoming freshmen for the fifth year in a row. The program serves to help freshmen have an easy transition into high school, with Link Leaders providing support and help for the freshmen as well as forming lasting friendships. Judy Cogan, who coordinates Link Crew with Kelly Metzler, captured the essence of the program when she said, “We hope to break down the myth of IHS as a scary place, and to create a warm, helpful, inclusive, and respectful environment for all students”. Cogan stated that this can be achieved through the guidance of Link Leaders. Staying in contact with freshmen students throughout the year is crucial, whether it is in person, by phone, or by email. Over the years, Link Leaders have
been asked during their leader meetings to brainstorm new and innovative ideas for the monthly social events. The idea is that if students themselves plan the events, then other students will be more willing to participate in these events. Some examples of the events that have been popular with freshmen in the past are the Cocoa and Cram (before midterms) and the Cookies and Cram (before finals). Link Leaders, as well as teachers, help students prepare for their midterms, finals, or portfolios while eating tasty snacks. In previous years, approximately 200 freshmen attended each of these events. IHS Link Crew’s fifth year is already off to a great start. This year’s new Link Leaders are prepared to meet and get to know the new freshmen class. According to Cogan, “Every year, Link Crew is a little different than the year before. We like that because it reflects the strengths and desires of our leaders as well as the characteristics of that particular freshman class.”
ICSD Searches for a New Superintendent By CAROLINE ESTILL
The Board of Education (BoE) is in the midst of a search for a new Superintendent of Schools for the Ithaca City School District. This search was initiated because the current superintendent, Dr. Judith Pastel, will be retiring this December. Dr. Pastel has held the position of superintendent for fourteen years Applications for the position were accepted until August 12. According to BoE member Sean Eversley, 20 to 25 applications have been submitted so far, with more expected before the close of the deadline. The primary stages of the search are facillitated by School Leadership, LLC. The company will narrow the field of applicants and perform reference checks before presenting semi-finalists for the position by early September. Finalist interviews will be conducted in early October with the hope that a definite successor will be found by early November. The District is offering a three-year contract that will begin on January 1 of the coming year. Earlier this year, the BoE compiled a consensus of experience required by candidates, as well as challenges they would face in the position of superintendent. Top among these priorities is maintaining the high academic standards of the district despite a decrease in budget. Additionally, the new superintendent will work with the BoE to meet recent federal and state education policies and to resolve previously-identified disparities within the schools. In addition to a New York State Certification as a School District Administer or School District Leader, the District is searching for an applicant who has shown prior success in working in a diverse district and someone who displays a knack for fully utilizing community resources as an integral part of the school system. The search is also focusing on finding a candidate who values the importance of agreement and cooperation while working as a team with the BoE.
Features
PHOTO/MANSI VOHRA
CURRENT AFFAIRS Climatology vs. Meteorology
By REHAN DADI
In the ongoing debate on how to best understand and reverse climate change, a surprising development involves two related groups of experts who disagree over the interpretation of data, and the nature of the drastic climate change. This is a struggle between climatologists, who almost unanimously support the global warming theory, and meteorologists who refute this claim. The meteorologists are far less united on this issue, with a good portion disagreeing with the existence of the global-warming phenomenon altogether. This difference stems from the way the two fields look at weather and climate patterns. Climatology is the study of the world’s climates, and uses a much longer time frame to study climate change. Meteorology is the study of current weather conditions to produce short-term weather forecasting. It attempts to predict precipitation, wind direction, and track storms for the immediate future. Meteorologists are probably best known as the TV “weather man.” The difference between climatologists and meteorologists is most evident in a character like Joe Bastardi, who is a meteorologist at AccuWeather. According to a New York Times article by Leslie Kaufman dated March 29, 2010, “Among Weathercasters, Doubt on Warming,” Bastardi astonishingly claims that the climate is in fact cooling, a diametrically opposite conclusion to the global warming theory. Bastardi has also recently appeared on the Colbert Report making the same claims. Indeed, researchers at George Mason University and the University of Texas at Austin found that only about half of the television weathercasters they surveyed believed that global warming was
occurring. They also found that fewer than a third believed climate change was mostly caused by human activities. And finally, about a quarter of the weathercasters in the survey claimed that global warming is a fraud. The lack of consensus by experts is the major reason why the public remains confused about climate change. In order to overcome this division and to provide a scientific understanding of climate change, some scientists at research universities are finding new ways to communicate with the public. In some cases, scholars in these research centers were themselves meteorologists before they became climatologists. An example is Joe Witte, who, as a meteorologist, has worked for many years at NBC News, MSNBC, and other channels. But his previous background in climate science as a graduate student and a glaciologist led to his current PhD work at George Mason University and the Center for Climate Change Communication, which, in collaboration with other universities such as Yale’s Project on Climate Change Communication, is spreading awareness of climate change and global warming among the public and weathercasters. As Witte’s experience spans both being a weathercaster and a climate researcher, advocacy by him and other scientists who are aware of the need for public communications is key. If climate change is indeed a very urgent issue, then the public needs to be well informed so they can make educated decisions on how to reverse this process. And since the American public receives most of its news and information from the media rather than from scientists, it is important for the weathercasters on television to be convinced of the direction of climate change.
My Summer Travels in India By MANSI VOHRA
Usually, a person travels to India either in February or December when the temperature isn’t up to 100 degrees as it is in summer. However, since my family and I go to India every year, it means sometimes having to travel in the summer, as was the case this year. Almost all of my extended family lives in India, but more specifically in the country’s capital, New Delhi, and in the capital of the growing state Panjab known as Chandigarh. Both of these cities are located in the north of India, near the Himalayan range. Although the North and South differ in culture and traditions, the dominant religion in India is Hinduism. The population is roughly 1.18 billion, making it the second most populous country in the world after China’s 1.3 billion. The growing population does lead to rigid social class divides that even a tourist can sense the second they step out onto the streets. When my family and I reached the Indira Gandhi National Airport in
New Delhi, we first went through immigration, got our bags, then went through customs. As usual, we were greeted by one of my paternal grandparents’ faithful housekeepers who, to this day, has been with them for over 30 years. Similar to many other foreign countries, in India almost everyone has trusted chauffeurs and housekeepers who look after them. Since my grandparents aren’t able to drive anymore, we were greeted by their driver who’s also been with them for a long time. Luckily, we always seem to find both the housekeeper and the driver right away despite the swarm of people and honking cars that greet us at the exit of the airport. It always seems to be a madhouse, and watching it all in the car makes you realize that you’re definitely nowhere but India. Going to my grandparent’s house in Delhi is like going back home with the familiar aroma of Indian sweets and the sounds of Hindi being spoken around the house. When we reached the house it was continued on p. 6 around midnight,
By ARI LEWENSTEIN and CURRAN MCKEE
On a warm June day, Duncan Smith ’12, Phil Cornelius ’12, Thomas Manning ’12, Curran McKee ’12, Owen Kay ’12 and Ari Lewenstein ’12 all gathered at Sammy’s Pizza Buffet to see if it was a buffet worth trying. One of the first things that we noticed when going in was the ceiling, which was designed to look like the night sky (complete with constellations). This, along with the waterfall with colored lights and the AC, made it a nice place to spend a couple of hours. Unfortunately the entire restaurant seemed to lack normal ceiling lights, so it was fairly dark inside. While some people were cautious with their choices, others were willing to go out on the edge. In our one hour at Sammy’s Pizza Buffet, here are some things that we noted. First of all, the pizza wasn’t nearly as good as the Sammy’s downtown that we all know. The crust seemed crispier and thinner and everyone agreed that it simply wasn’t as good. However, they did have a good selection of pizzas, ranging from regular cheese pizza to the “dessert pizza” (that one brave soul was willing to try), which had powdered sugar, chocolate sauce, and marshmallows. Quite frankly it looked terrible, but according to Smith, it was delicious. Secondly, if you’re interested in eating healthy
food, the salad bar would be the best place to go. That being said, it wasn’t the most impressive salad bar we have seen - there wasn’t much of a selection, and what was provided wasn’t top quality. For example, the broccoli didn’t look particularly appetizing. On a brighter note, our pizzas came with various side dishes that looked more promising. The garlic knots were quite good; everyone agreed those knots were a great side dish. People who tried the chicken wings there said that they tasted “sweet”, though it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, as people commented that the wings were pretty good. The French Fries, however, were a different story. Almost no one described them as good, mostly because they were not crispy at all. In the end, everyone agreed that their soft serve ice cream was probably the best part of lunch. Even if it was just a basic machine with only three flavors (chocolate, vanilla and twist), everyone went back for at least one more cone. So was the buffet worth it? It’s tough to say. On one hand, there is a lot of variety on the buffet and it is an inexpensive place to go eat; lunch is only around eight dollars. On the other hand, if you’re not particularly hungry or if you really want only a couple slices of good pizza, then the downtown location of Sammy’s probably makes more sense.
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Restaurant Review: Sammy’s Pizza Buffet
September 8, 2010
Features
TEACHER FEATURE: Lauren McKown By CHRISTINA SEUNG
Combined English and Global are considered two of the most challenging course for sophomores. Unlike regular Honors English and Global classes, Combined goes beyond the curriculum. Students learn to think in depth by studying a wide variety of classic literature and primary sources. Moreover, it is a class in which students have the opportunity to show leadership skills through presentations and projects. While some students may cringe at the independent nature of the studies and responsibilities expected of a Combined student, Lauren McKown, the Combined English teacher, offers a different outlook on the course. McKown is well suited as a Combined teacher; she is a Classical Studies major and has studied Greek literature in depth. Some of the literary works that students will read include Beowulf, The Iliad and Tain Bo Cuailnge, all of which McKown absolutely loves. Aside from her love for war literature, she likes expanding her views of the world by traveling and most important of all, she is an enthusiastic teacher. During my interview with her, she revealed that not only does she have a “real passion for European literature and history,” but also en-
joys “sharing the passion and seeing it grow in [her] students.” Talking about a book’s theme and underlying meanings can be quite boring to some students, but McKown’s presentation skills, mixed with her sense of humor and highly polished experience in theater, make every lesson an adventure. On the side note, McKown is also a savvy fashionista, admired by many students. Unfortunately for her students, her unique sense of style is hard to emulate because she revealed that most of her clothes are of foreign origin. Perhaps more than anyone, McKown knows that Combined is a rigorous course; she is extremely eager to help out students who are in distress about projects, assignments and presentations. When asked why Combined is worth the difficulty, she replied, “We all work very hard in Combined, but we also play hard too.” Amidst all the reading, writing, thinking and presenting, McKown added that Combined students are rewarded with four very special events: Greek Olympic Day, The Palio, Victorian Tea and the 40’s Soiree. All four events correspond to the PHOTO/PROVIDED different units students will be learning. Through these events, which are mostly coordinated by students, they are given the opportunity to have fun. “Learn for the love of it, and stay organized and prioritized. Any student can succeed in Combined,” stated McKown.
7 Keys to Doing Well in School By CHRISTINA SEUNG
GLOBAL LINGUIST Chinese Words in English
By REHAN DADI
Brainwashing A direct translation from Chinese, a term and psychological concept first used by the People’s Volunteer Army during the Korean War. The term “brainwashing” was introduced to mainstream English language after Western media sources first utilized the term to describe the attitudes of POWs returning from the Korean War. Chi or Qi, energy of an object or person, from Mandarin (air or spirit). It is frequently translated as energy flow, or life force. The ancient Chinese believed chi permeated everything and linked the parts of our surroundings together. Dim sum from Cantonese (dimsam), lit. little heart. A dish that involves small individual portions of food, usually served in a small steamer basket or on a small plate. Feng shui from feng (wind) and shui (water); (slang) denotes an object or
scene is aesthetically balanced, generally used in construction or design. Ketchup from Cantonese, lit. tomato sauce/juice. Tycoon via Japanese, lit. high official or great nobleman. A person who has reached a prominent place in a particular industry. Typhoon via Arabic, a tropical storm/ cyclone that develops in the northwestern part of the Pacific Ocean. Shaolin from Mandarin, One of the most important Kungfu clans. Used today in many martial arts films. Shih Tzu from Mandarin, lit. Chinese lion dog. Among the most ancient of dog breeds. A small dog with long silky fur. Yin Yang from Mandarin: Yin meaning feminine and dark, and Yang meaning masculine and bright.
1. Get rid of electronics- If you have a TV, a cell phone or a computer within your reach, turn it off, unplug it and put it out of sight. You’ll definitely be tempted to check your Facebook, text your friends or surf the channels. Instead, set a routine—study for an hour and then check your Facebook for thirty minutes. 2. Get creative and interactive- While reading textbooks, take notes in a designated notebook. Use highlighters, colored pencils, glitter glue or colorful pens to underline or emphasize main points in the lesson. Don’t be afraid to make your notes pretty and colorful! This will definitely get your creative juices flowing and make studying more fun. 3. Use every minute- Going from one class to another doesn’t always take five minutes. In the extra time until the second bell rings, look over your notes. If it really does take five minutes to go to your next class, review your notes for a few minutes before you go to sleep. This will help you in the long run. 4. Eat- When you study, you burn calories, so you need fuel to keep going. Make
sure snacks are low-cal and healthy because although cupcakes, sour skittles and ice cream taste great, they don’t do anything to benefit your studying—they just add unnecessary fat and calories. Instead, munch on some almonds, blueberries or dark chocolate. They will enhance your memory skills and give you lots of energy. 5. Move- You don’t have to hit the gym every day in order to move around. Go for a walk around the neighborhood or dance around in your room. If you’re too swamped with homework, simple stretches are a great way to get rid of stress. 6. Meditate or Pray- School stresses everybody out. By meditating or praying, you connect to yourself spiritually and clear your mind. After several deep breaths or minutes of praying, you’ll be ready to hit the books again. 7. De-clutter- A messy room or book bag will only lead to a messy mind. Try your hardest to keep your room and book bag organized. Promise yourself that you’ll organize them, say, every three days. That way, you won’t get distracted or overwhelmed by all the mess.
Word du jour Served by KELSEY SHANG Braised by Merriam-Webster
Attractive word: pristine adj. belonging to the earliest period or state, not spoiled, corrupted, or polluted Ugly word: regurgitate v. to become thrown or poured back Snobbish word: prolegomenon n. a formal essay or critical discussion serving to introduce and interpret an extended work Intimidating word: inenarrable adj. incapable of being narrated, indescribable Sexy word: salacious adj. appealing to desire Outrageous word: vehemently adv. marked by forceful energy, as intensely emotional
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INDIA
September 8, 2010
Features
continued from p.4
so after we said our “hellos” to everyone, we went to sleep. The day after reaching India is always the longest day, because everyone is so jet-lagged. We usually just spend that day resting and spending time with my grandparents. After that day, everything is usually a blur. Since we visit my maternal grandparents who live in a different city, we have two to three days in Delhi, then we go to Chandigarh to visit my other grandparents for three days, and then we come back to Delhi for three more days. That gives us about nine days in India, which is nowhere near enough with all the relatives to visit, sights to see, and places to shop. Since I have so many relatives who live in Delhi, visiting them all can sometimes be difficult. Fortunately, this year my uncle and aunt decided to gather everyone at their house to make matters easier. Of course, in India, meeting and greeting also comes with eating. So, a person doesn’t get away from visiting people without taking a handful of samosas—which is not necessarily a bad thing. Also, as a special treat this year, one of my aunts invited us to lunch at her restaurant set on a beautiful golf course. The setting of the restaurant was so magnificent that I was gaping in surprise when the gates opened to the beautiful waterfalls and greenery surrounding the restaurant. The food was delicious consisting of so many different courses that in the end I was stuffed to the brim. Every day that we were in Delhi, my dad and I would take an auto rickshaw at around eight in the morning to go and play tennis at a club. That was the first time I had ever ridden in an auto rickshaw, and let me say that it was quite the experience. An auto rickshaw is basically a three-wheeled vehicle with seating space for a maximum of three passengers. The scary part of riding in one is that first of all, it’s not difficult to slide out of the vehicle, and secondly, the people who drive the auto rickshaws usually try to avoid traffic as much as possible—meaning driving on the sidewalk and in between cars isn’t out of the question. One day, when we were taking the rickshaw from the club back to the house, my dad decided that I should see the national monument of India known as India Gate. The monument was built in 1931 in honor of the Indian soldiers who fought for the British Indian Empire during World War I. The structure of the gate is an arch about 160 ft. high, which was completed by Sir Edwin Lutyens. The best time to visit India Gate is after sunset, when the monument is lit up and looking as magnificent as ever. Along with visiting relatives and sights, there’s always a handful of shops and restaurants that are the best in Delhi. Normally my mom, grandma, and I go to outdoor shopping complexes called Connaught Place and South Extension that are filled with shops that deal with jewelry, shoes, and clothing. Some of the shops are even common in America such as Lacoste, Tommy Hilfiger, Nine West, Puma, and Gap. Since Connaught Place is structured as a circle, there are shops in the outer, inner, and the middle of the circle. The restaurants in the outer circle are the best. Kwality’s restaurant has anything and everything Indian, as well as some American dishes such as chicken and vegetables. As for South Extension, the complex is divided into two parts: South Extension
I and South Extension II. Around this strip mall, one will usually find shoe-shiners and food/drink stands all around the market—however, the shops in South Extension tend to be more up-scale than the shops at Connaught place. Although South Extension II has more variety of restaurants than South Extension I, the quality and taste of the food in both complexes are equally good. In South Extension I, my mom, grandma, and I usually end up at Barista, a café similar to Starbucks. On a hot, hot day when one is tired of walking and shopping around the complex, getting a cold beverage from Barista is definitely the solution. As for South Extension II, a restaurant that I highly recommend is called Moti Mahal Delux. This restaurant, similar to Connaught Place’s restaurant Kwality’s, has traditional Indian dishes that include chicken curry, kebabs, and prawn masala. Locals love the restaurant because of the quick service, delicious food, and exciting ambience. Although my family and I spend twice the amount of time in Delhi as we do in Chandigarh, it doesn’t mean that there aren’t any fascinating sights to explore. In fact, my maternal grandfather and I used to get up every morning at around 5 a.m., and go for walks in rose gardens and beautiful parks. The house that my grandparents live in is right next to a temple, so we’d go there early and pray for some time. One of the gardens that my grandfather and I used to walk in was called the Topiary Gardens. All around the gardens there are animal shapes made from the twigs and shrubs of trees. Afterwards we’d walk through a countless number of parks, and in each one of the parks we’d try to identify the flower or tree that was in front of us. Chandigarh is located on the foothills of the Himalayan mountains. From where I start walking at my grandparents’ house in Delhi, I can be in the mountains in the time it takes for a person to watch Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. This summer, we made a trip to a hill station called Kasauli. The average elevation of the town is 5889 feet, so it’s no Everest; however, it’s still an exciting experience to be up that high because from our hotel we could see the clouds coming in from the window. In Kasauli, we went to the market, shopped a bit, and hiked on a few trails that led to Monkey Point, the highest point located on the hill station. There’s also an excellent restaurant in Kasauli called Gianni’s Dhaba which serves my favorite Indian dish of all time: biryani. Biryani is chicken and rice with a little touch of spice and zest. This restaurant makes this dish so well that each time we go to Kasauli I insist and beg that we go there. With travelling to Kasauli and visiting relatives, time goes by fast in Chandigarh considering the fact that we usually only have 2-3 days there. After Chandigarh, we went back to Delhi again, and did the same old visiting of relatives, sights, and shopping as we did the first week. Before we knew it, our India trip came to a close, and it was time to go back to the States. I hope after reading this that if you are ever in a position to visit another country, you’ll pick India. Although it’s crazy and hectic, there’s still so much to see even after ten days.
Waffle Frolic: Unique Waffle Recipes of Extraordinary Virtue There were colorful little polka dots on the walls In swirling patterns, circles of color ‘Twas set up like a café Ye go and order, then pay And find a place to sit down where you doth prefer
I hadst ordered a stylized cornbread waffle Homemade turkey chili on top had zest The other waffle that we split Had blueberries and chocolate No doubt, of the meals that we got that was the best
‘Twas reminiscent of the Nightmare Before Christmas Twirly black gnarled trees hadst crept up the wall With red and orange and green And a distinctive cuisine Methinks ‘twas aesthetically pleasing, above all
Raymond’s waffle burger was teeny tiny Soggy sweet-potato chips filled the plate But the burger was dry ‘Twas strange with mayonnaise, thought I The giant waffles made up for ‘t, at any rate
Michaela Brew ’14 didst taketh a menu Naomi Raymond ’13 didst followed suit There art waffle this- and -that Cornbread waffles, whole grain, low-fat Thou could have chocolate, peanut butter, syrup, fruit
At the end of our meal, we were all nice and full Zounds! There surely had been plenty to eat Twenty-eight dollars we’d spent Leaving us all quite content Eating out at Waffle Frolic sure was a treat!
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Smoothies, ice cream, and frappes were available We ordered our brunch, then settled down to wait We sat down on the upper floor Amongst contemp’rary décor But the background music, slow jazz, was not that great
By ANNELISE RAYMOND
We waited 15 minutes for our food to cook And amused ourselves preparing for our meal Of napkins, we took a thick stack We took condiments from the rack Raymond took ketchup — we didn’t get the appeal
The sun, ‘twas rising up high in the hot July sky Nigh the end of my days of driver’s ed. With my parasol and ‘shades And a stock of Band-Aids Only three more early mornings left to dread
Betwixt the sofas and Internet connection ‘Twas like a café, with a unique style Expensive paintings art sold It’s not too hot and not too cold ‘Tis a comfortable place to stay awhile
Waffle Frolic, this late morning, was the place to go As I arrived thither, a monstrous truck roared ‘Twas something from outer space Blasting air, in any case Whence people ran screaming, amongst much discord
Ceiling-light tracks are arranged like rays of the sun The chairs are mismatched; no table’s alike Our names were called; our food was done The burger had a waffle bun Raymond’s burger manners were quite un-ladylike
Mine reflective thoughts were interrupted suddenly By the swift approach of two young maidens We hath goeth unto the shoppe We were struck by awe from the top From the old café, there’d been major upgradin’
Ere digging in, us three first split up our meals The meal sizes contrasted rather a lot The fist-sized burger was small The plate-sized waffles were tall The waffle recipe twists were clever, we thought
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Arts &
The Bittersweet Ending of Lost By KATHERINE HAMBURY
PHOTO/PROVIDED
Monumental:
Truly Monumental
By INGRID SYDENSTRICKER
A provocative, political, modern exhibition that really catches the eye is currently on exhibit at the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art at Cornell University. Monumental: Contemporary Figurative Sculpture brings two pieces to the museum: Pick Nick by Folkert de Jong and Hot Dog Vendor by Will Ryman. Pick Nick is a shocking scene that firmly confronts modern society. A man jumps joyfully in the air with bombs attached to his torso as a head is placed on a grill (barbeque being a favorite American pastime). A neurotic other is in the distance: a distorted, skull-like man ironically plays guitar atop a collapsing car. Every object in Pick Nick is made out of the most unrecyclable materials on the planet — Styrofoam and polyurethane foam — a critique of the oil-based economies that dominate. De Jong forcefully and creatively critiques our world of terror, oil dependence, and the balance between both. Hot Dog Vendor takes a much more personal note, showing a common New York view: a hot dog stand. There is a genuine connection between both the viewer and the characters, and between the characters themselves. Americana is written all over the piece, from the theme to the soda cans to the personalities of the people themselves. The simple and universal topic that the artist touches upon is relatable to all. Monumental addresses a variety of issues of today’s society as well as general views on humanity. The direct exposé by both artists creates a truly must-see exhibit. Monumental: Contemporary Figurative Sculpture is on display at the HFJ Museum of Art at Cornell University until September 12. Free admission. Open Tuesday through Sunday 10am-5pm.
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Ever since I started watching Lost, I wondered: “How will the writers ever get all of these loose ends tied up?” The writers made up the plot as they went along, and as they continued this trend, they continued to dig a deeper hole filled with questions and loose ends. With only one episode of Lost left, I still didn’t have any idea how they could bring this complicated show to an end. There were millions of unanswered questions, such as: What is with Kate and that black horse? Who airdrops supplies onto the island? Why are there polar bears on the island? Why can’t women on the island have babies? Why is Walt “special?” And what happened with Claire’s baby Aaron? Lost attracted many dedicated viewers who stuck with the show through every one of the 121 episodes. The writers needed an ending that would satisfy everyone. On May 23, 2010, the last Lost episode aired. Like many devoted fans, I sat through the twoand-a-half-hour finale and hoped that my questions would finally be answered. Personally, I wanted to see the writers explain what had been happening for the last six seasons in a way that would leave me satisfied with a sense of understanding. After watching the finale, the feelings I had were nothing of the sort. I was glad that the ending of Lost wasn’t totally lame and predictable. It is impossible to sum up the whole finale without spoiling something to those who missed it, so consider yourself warned. But honestly, if you haven’t seen it by now, you probably never will. In “The End,” Flock (Fake Locke) wants to sink the island so he sends Desmond down to remove a cork that has
been holding the island together. Jack and Flock fight and Jack kills Flock. Jack, who is mortally wounded, sacrifices himself to move the cork back and save the island, but makes sure to give the title of Protector to Hurley. Lapidus, Miles, Clair, Sawyer, and Richard all leave the island by repairing the crashed plane enough to fly. In the “Sideways Life,” Jack saves John Lock by fixing his legs so he can walk again. But really, we learn that the “Sideways Life” is actually the afterlife. It’s where all of the characters (except Michele and Walt…) meet up after they die and live their after-
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life happily ever after. Lost fans are divided on their opinions of the big finale. For those viewers like myself who wanted answers and an interesting plot, the show didn’t deliver. The writers chose to focus instead on the characters finding peace. Ever since the first episode, Lost has been about the characters and their individual stories. Fans should have realized long ago that their questions would not be answered so easily. In the end, we must accept this and move on. While I can accept unanswered questions, I cannot accept a drawn-out and sub-par ending to such a groundbreaking series. If the whole series Lost was one long joke, this season finale would be the punch line that the audience didn’t expect,
Summer Blockbuster Likely to Drive You Insane in the Membrane By AVALON BUNGE
It’s not all that complicated. It’s quite simple, in fact. I can just hear the director of Inception, Christopher Nolan, pitching the concept to the suits at Warner Brothers. Setting: Tokyo in the near future (or parallel world, whatever). Boy: world-class thief who specializes in pinching ideas from other people’s heads in a process called extraction, via a shared dreamworld where
physics and nature don’t apply. Girl: hot French chick with serious mental issues. Boy loses girl, acquires his own serious issues, is banished from his country and children, and an all-powerful Tokyo businessman hires him to perform one last job — after the successful completion of which the businessman will clear the boy’s
PHOTO/PROVIDED
name and allow him to finally go home. The name of the game: inception, the supposedly impossible opposite of extraction (the planting, or genesis, of an idea). continued on p. 11 To
in focus:
centers
BACK TO SCHOOL
Invisible Children: Revolution in Uganda By INGRID SYDENSTRICKER
For 23 years a bloody battle has been fought in Northern Uganda, led by the rebel leader Joseph Kony. A lunatic murderer, he charges forward with the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), abducting children to become his soldiers and massacring thousands of people. For most of its history, it has appeared as a war without end, ignored by all. In 2003, three young friends traveled to Africa, and while there, discovered the horrors of this war. Inspired to create change and make a difference, they founded Invisible Children, a grassroots organization based on volunteering and radically changing Uganda. Today, seven years later, the organization has grown large with various programs, events, and thousands of volunteers. In the United States and other developed countries, they raise awareness
and funds to help build schools, give scholarships, create jobs, give medical aid, and so much more to these families and children who have nothing. While many of you know of this terrible story, hammered into your ear by the Invisible Children club at Ithaca High School, now is the time to help. We are so close to seeing greater change in Uganda. In May 2010 the LRA Disarmament Bill was passed in Congress, pushing the United States to seek an end to the war. Invisible Children continues to push on, to grow and to bring peace. Every action helps, every person makes a difference; as you stand by, a child dies in Africa. Keep your ears open to club announcements, meetings, and events — and join! Visit www.invisiblechildren.com or search “Ithaca is Invisible Children” on Facebook. PHOTO/INGRID SYDENSTRICKER
10 Ways to Survive IHS By CAROLINE ESTILL and SUNNY JOO
1. Set goals for yourself for the school year. Have a plan of what you want to do. 2. Don’t procrastinate! Work piles up quickly, so try and get ahead. 3. Ask teachers and guidance counselors for help when you need it. It’s their job to help you…don’t be afraid to ask. 4. Join clubs and after school activities to have fun and get to know new people. 5. Try making friends with people you don’t know, maybe the person sitting next to you in math class could be your new BFF! 6. Don’t get too stressed out over schoolwork! Set aside some free time to relax, play sports, or watch your favorite TV show. 7. Go to fun school events like games, plays, and dances. 8. Make sure you get enough sleep at night, so you’re energized for the next day. 9. Take classes you like and don’t be afraid to try new things! 10. Remember to HAVE FUN!
Teachers to Know By CHRISTINA SEUNG
Of course, not all of IHS’s great teachers fit on this list… you’ll just have to meet the rest yourself! Lana Craig- She is the notorious Spanish teacher with dry humor and wit, yet every student who has her loves her to death. The tests she gives out are extremely challenging, but the hilarious action inside the classroom makes it all better. Ross Creagan- His love for nature and English make him an irresistible English teacher. He encourages his students to think in depth, and always write — anytime, anywhere. Ian Krywe- He’s the savvy tech teacher who’s always full of spunk. His classes may be hard, but with his helpful assistance, anyone can do it. Lauren McKown- She teaches the English section of Combined and she teaches the class with pure joy and
enthusiasm. She pushes her students to think outside the box and improve their writing skills throughout the year. Her talent in teaching and her humor make her lessons fun. Karl Mellander- Both math lovers and math haters can agree on one thing—learning math with Mr. Mellander is amazing! He never stops until students fully understand the problems, and helps every student reach their goal in mathematics. Kelly Metzler- As the Link Crew organizer and leader (working along with Judy Cogan), Mrs. Metzler definitely knows how to welcome her freshman students into her English class. With her positive attitude and bright smile, the first year of English in high school is great! George Myers- This orchestra teacher is full of energy and passion for the musical improvement of each and every student. No matter how much musical experience they’ve had, all students who sign up for orchestra are
welcomed with warmth and get the opportunity to participate fully. Jeannette Palmer- Her love for sports and playing outside is palpable for her gym students. She even eagerly helps out the “athletically-challenged” students and motivates them to be fit and healthy! David Pepe- Before the existence of SmartBoard, many students had the chance to witness the “full body chalk” experience, where Mr. Pepe would be bathed in chalk. Mr. Pepe is just as well known for his amazing geometry skills and dedication to teaching. Mai An Rumney- Her sweet personality and quiet confidence attract every single one of her students and encourages them to learn more about Global History. Robert Tuori- With Mr. Tuori, anyone can have a spark of chemistry with Chemistry. His passion for his subject is shown through his hard work and great efforts to make students understand the concepts.
Welcome Class of 2014!
BY GEOFF PRESTON
If you ask people to describe their high school experiences, their responses will vary from “my glory days” to “I don’t remember” to “no one has ever had a worse four years, ever, anywhere.” The reality is that for most of us, high school is somewhere in the middle. It’s not the best years of our lives but they also aren’t the worst. I am sure all you freshmen have heard some truly grotesque high school stories, but I think that if everyone is honest with themselves, we will find that high school is not as impossible to navigate as is commonly perceived. In fact, as an established expert on navigating through high school, I have thought of three easy-to-follow keys that all freshmen should pay attention to in order to survive high school: •Don’t draw attention to yourself: The upperclassmen don’t like you; time to move on. It does not help to be loud, obnoxious, or try to make friends with the upperclassmen. It is just the way the natural pecking order works. Did I like it as a freshman? Of course not. The great thing is that the issue has an easy fix: just don’t interact with upperclassmen. I’m not saying to keep your head down and sprint past them, but yelling at your friend about how excited you are to have lunch with him in a shrill, high-pitched voice is a bad idea.
• Pay attention in class: Honestly, this is really important. Take it from a guy who may not have paid attention in all of his freshmen classes; it is essential. Academics in high school are important. We can’t all throw a ball 60 yards or hit a ball 400 feet, and unless you could dunk in 8th grade, you need a solid academic record to be noticed by colleges. No pressure though. You don’t need to ace freshmen year to get accepted into college, but it doesn’t hurt. You may still be four years away, but it is never too early to think about college. Just don’t think about it during Algebra. •Don’t take everything so seriously: This may not make sense after I just said how important high school is. Yes, high school is important, but it will not be your “glory days”. You are at a stage in your social development when everything seems like the most important thing you have ever done. The fact is this: in four years none of what you did will matter as much as it seems to right now. The fact that you were the Quarterback or head cheerleader will not mean much, so don’t worry about it if you are not. It may sound cliché, but it is the actual truth. To the class of 2014: you will get through high school, some of you with more flying colors than others, but I promise you it will happen. Until then, all you have to do is follow the three steps, grit your teeth and deal with any problems that come your way. Make no mistake about it - high school can be a lot of fun. And if it’s not, it will all be over soon.
September 8, 2010
Dear Class of 2011, We’re now seniors. And let me tell you, I’m pretty disappointed with this whole senior business so far. I guess I was expecting to shoot up another six inches, gain the power of flight, and become even better looking (if that was possible) simply by passing my junior year. I mean that’s what happened to all the other seniors, right? They gained their godlike status by just existing. All they had to do was show up and lounge in H-Courtyard and wow, they were definitely the coolest kids around. Now that we’re the coolest kids around, I realize that the job of being the big man on campus may be a bit tougher than it seemed the past three years. And as I spend my summer contemplating what the year will bring, I wonder...Did those slick, confident seniors of the past have the same nervous twitch about this school year as I do? Common application? Last-minute college visits? Who will write my recommendation? Deadlines....are when?! Senioritis? Is it too early to find my prom date? I could go on, but I don’t want to bore the underclassmen and seniors, I know your stress levels are already through the roof. But it can’t be denied that we have a lot to think about this year, things like “Where will I be PHOTO/MANSI VOHRA next year?” This is the question that haunted me when I discovered that I don’t have senior superpowers after all (though I’m still hoping...). What I am learning is that senior year brings a lot of uncertainty and upheaval, and that as seventeen and eighteen-year-olds, we’re expected to know how to handle whatever comes our way. When faced with endless questions and an uncertain future, I turn to the Internet, as any respectable teenager would. When asked to define senior, dictionary.com comes back with 1. A person who is older than another. and 2. A person of higher rank or standing than another, esp. by virtue of longer service. Great, I couldn’t have told you that? Thanks a lot dictionary.com! My next move was to peruse urbandictionary.com and the first entry for senior was: The very last year of high school. At the end of this school year comes graduation. Most
HELP WANTED The Tattler needs
cartoonists, columnists,
kids are relieved that the hell of homework, drama, friends, and boring shit is over. Urban Dictionary was a bit more helpful, but not entirely satisfactory to me. After considering these entries I’ve made some decisions. First of all, I don’t want relief to be the only emotion I feel at my graduation, as Urban Dictionary informs me it will be. I want to be nostalgic, yet hopeful. I want my senior year to be so fantastic that graduating is sad—an end to an era that will always be remembered as one of the best times of my life. I want to celebrate my time at IHS and always look back with fondness, knowing that IHS prepared me for the future. I want senior year to be the best year of my life to date and I’m going to make sure it happens. And is that too much to ask? After toiling away for three years, I think not. We deserve time to enjoy each other, our school, and our town before we plunge into the real world. The next thing I’ve decided is that there really isn’t a good definition of “senior.” If someone can find one source that encompasses every aspect of our final year in the secondary school system, please pass it along. But since I haven’t found anything pleasing yet, my final decision is that we have to define what being a senior is. That’s right: it’s up to the IHS Class of 2011 to define their senior year. What better, in all this uncertainty, than to have a goal to lead us through? I challenge you to start thinking, seniors. Because as it turns out, we’ve already started our final year here and there’s no going back now. In what ways do you want to grow and change throughout this year? How will you manage your work and deal with the pressure of gigantic life decisions, while still having fun every day? Will you use your H-Courtyard power for good or evil? I encourage you all to get involved and leave nothing behind in your final year. Time flies while you’re having fun, so make the most of being a senior. Don’t count down the minutes, make those minutes count. At the end of this year I’ll be interested to see what our definition of being a senior is. I have faith that we will overcome our doubts and uncertainties with ease, and who knows, maybe I’ll discover my super senior powers when senioritis kicks in. Just remember, seniors: we’re all facing the same problems, the same decisions, the same deadlines. But never fear, we’re facing them together, which is what makes the future a little more manageable. Good Luck, Mary John, Class President P.S. Don’t forget to buy your senior t-shirts! On sale now!
photographers, and most of all,
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writers.
The Principal’s Take By MEDEEA POPESCU
For all of you returning to Ithaca High School this fall, I’m sure you’ve noticed the big changes around campus: the new and improved B-Building, class modifications and staff switches, among others. Don Mills, IHS’s principal beginning his second year, shares his thoughts on the upcoming 2010-11 school year and the various changes on campus. To start off, Kulp Auditorium’s renovation is nearly done and the plan in September is to “start everything up right off the bat,” said Mills. That is, to start using the new facilities for band, orchestra, and choir. In addition to practice spaces, the auditorium itself has a new catwalk and sound booth as well as refurbished seats and bathrooms. But before you get too excited, the construction isn’t done just yet. In October, a new fitness center will be built in the gym. Unfortunately, students will have to deal with fewer parking spaces in the parking lot due to the presence of trucks, as well as all the other inconveniences associated with construction work. Another big issue this year is the 2010-11 budget, which includes both the money coming in and out of the school. Due to the current economic downturn, the amount of money that the school receives from the state has decreased. Keeping this in mind, the new budget plan is 2.3 percent higher than last year, a difference of about $2,200,000. This means that even though we have a smaller student body (approximately 1,397) and lower staff/spending cuts this year, the school is spending a little bit more due to the higher cost of living in the Ithaca area. Prospects of state aid is gloomy - the New York government has forecasted that next year schools may receive even less money. “The outlook is grim,” he states. In terms of how the budget will affect students,
most of us have heard about teacher changes and the elimination of certain classes, due mainly to the new scheduling policy - classes with an enrollment of less than 15 will not be run. This explains why forms and letters were sent out way back in January to prepare our schedules for this school year. All this planning is made more complicated by the fact that people change their schedules. For example, an increased interest in AP Geography and AP Physics has given these two classes the longest waitlists. However, this year’s early scheduling will hopefully prevent a situation like last year’s, when the student service offices were booked solid all through September with schedule messes. Fi-
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nally, the silver lining of the black budget cloud: according to Mills, money available to clubs this year will stay “basically the same.” Mr. Mills’ goal for next year is to continue what he began last year: providing a “positive learning climate,” a “community aspect” to our high school, and the feeling of “welcome and belonging.” Emphasis is placed on respectful interactions between students and teachers, and students with their peers. Another goal is to increase attendance. With the relocation of the Attendance office to the main office, it will be easier for everyone to sign in and out before leaving or entering campus. Mills hopes that this will motivate people to do so and save the office a lot of headache when figuring out who skipped class versus who simply arrived at school late and forgot to stop by attendance. An additional program that he hopes to start is a monthly raffle for people who have exemplary attendance, with prizes donated by the community. On the other hand, for students who skip class or are consistently late, harsher penalties will be implemented, such as the complete retraction of privileges like being able to leave campus for lunch, drive a car to school, eat lunch in the cafeteria, and have free periods. Finally, Mr. Mills encourages everyone to sign up for the Principal’s Advisory Council in order for students to voice their opinions on school policy issues. He also notes that from this year on, the quad will be closed in wintertime during lunch to prevent old and new lunch tables from rusting. Also, continuing with last year’s changes, there will no longer be a color day, but Mr. Mills is looking forward to a “great Homecoming” and working with the Ithaca Fire Department to plan a bonfire. Apart from that, it is “business as usual” and he’ll be doing everything he can to ensure “every student is successful.”
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September 8, 2010
[adult swim]
An expose on the most innovative television station today, and how it melts our brains and steals our sleep. by KYLE ROTHMAN
Remember the days when you watched kids’ cartoons like clockwork? Remember when you stopped watching them, feeling too old to be spending your time with kids’ shows? It’s happened to all of us at one point or another, and it gives the illusion that animation is a field limited to only young audiences. So much has changed since those days, and now a glorious beast of a television network is making it all happen, right as we sleep. Cartoon Network may run its average kidoriented programming during the day, but once the clock strikes 10 p.m. it’s time for the kids to get out of the pool. It’s time for [adult swim]. In 2001, Adult Swim (or as they choose to present their title, [adult swim]) began as a spin-off programming block for Cartoon Network, airing animated adult-oriented comedies and anime. Many readers might remember staying up late when they were younger, seeing cartoons that they’ve never seen before, and having no idea what was taking place. Little did we know how this quirky late night station would expand to become one of the most original and artistic television network to date. What makes this late-night network so different? Stylistically, [adult swim] presents itself in a fashion that defies logic. While most stations choose to advertise their shows by using a cast of characters, excitement, constant action, or whatever will urge the audience to tune in, [adult swim] uses minimalism, surrealism, and intelligible wit to attract an audience. The network communicates to the viewers through white text on a black screen with assorted underground electronica music in the background. These intertitle cards update the audience about programming news, respond to fan mail, express staff opinions, and unleash havoc on your television screen. Along with these messages, [adult swim] also broadcasts what they call “bumps,” which can range from surrealist collage to tilt-shift landscape pictures of Japan (during anime lineups) to Atlanta, Georgia (where [adult swim] operates). [adult swim] manages to find some amazing underground acid jazz and electronica artists such as Yesterdays New Quintet, Chris Clark, Tycho, and many more. Unique bumps are shown to update viewers on the night’s show schedule, while Indian flair music plays in the background and an asterisk notes “all times and music eastern.” This presentation requires the viewing audience to pay close attention to what’s happening in each image or in each statement. While most television networks allow for the audience
to tune out, [adult swim] requires more concentration from their audience, expecting them to get the quick side jokes and hidden imagery. By helping the viewer appreciate single images and statements, [adult swim] teaches us to appreciate images and written language for its detail and range of possible uses. As interesting and complex as the presentation may be, it is not what drives the 17 to 34-year-old viewing audience to tune in from 10:00pm until 6:00am. It’s the diversity and creativity of the shows hosted by [adult swim] that keeps late-night audiences so busy. Since the network began in 2001, it has been running programs that appeal to a multitude of groups, creating a televised community unlike any other. Many viewers begin to watch [adult swim] so they can watch some
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of the network’s syndicated programming that they are already familiar with, such as King of the Hill, Family Guy, American Dad!, and live-action shows like The Mighty Boosh and the original British version of The Office. By tuning into these shows, they’ve also caught several bumps and ads for original programming on the station, and become intrigued. I’ve never seen a station that houses so much art that is so independent and so fearless. For instance, The Boondocks uses animeinfluenced animation and African-American humor to poke fun at the current icons of black entertainment (rappers, UPN, MTV) and confront current political issues. Frisky Dingo uses fast-paced, quick-witted humor and top-quality dialogue for their complex story
5 Records that Simply “Bring the Noise” By DYLAN WELLS
“Noise” is a term that has caused many arguments over its legitimacy as a musical genre. Some people say that “noise” defines music that is exceedingly discordant or that utilizes nontraditional instruments. On the other hand, there are people who dismiss noise as a genre by definition, that “noise” is anything but musical. As one who argues the former, here are the
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The Chrome Panthers perform
top five noise-rock albums of the 2000’s. Enjoy. Pre – Epic Fits A buzzsaw guitar squeals and shreds while two basses drone and chug. Round this out with simplistic drums and shrieking child-like vocals, and you have Pre’s debut album, Epic Fits. It’s worth noting that this is their first album, because these fifteen songs feel fully realized. With song names like “Nope Fun” and “Fudging on Our Folks,” one can tell that Pre doesn’t want to be overanalyzed (the former song’s vocals consist solely of “ha ha ha”s). Just turn on, turn up, and go wild. Ex Models – Chrome Panthers With their entire discography able to fit on a single CD, Ex Models are no strangers to compressing material into a scant minute or two. At least that’s what they did with their first two albums. With their third and last album, Ex Models take their angular no-wave-on-speed style and spread it out over a continued on p. 11
arcs, which could have been torn from a Quentin Tarantino flick (the guys who would later make Archer on FX). Moral Orel mocks the family sitcoms of the 1950’s and Davey and Goliath by using detailed claymation while shedding a dark light on modern repressed middle-America Christian society. Venture Bros. combines super-science fiction mockery, boy-adventuring, and organized arch-villainy, and brings them to life in a show made for comic-book lovers. Tim and Eric Awesome Show Great Job! stars two of the most quirky and confident personalities on television who take the viewer through their hilarious, trippy variety show using detailed and insane video editing to try and make the viewer feel as uncomfortable as possible. Superjail! contains some of the most detailed hand-drawn animation to depict the ultra-violent and surreal, chaotic happenings of a privatized prison system. Aqua Teen Hunger Force stars three fast-food items trying to get by living in South Jersey in a world of uncertainty and impending doom at the hands of screwball villains. These are only a few of a long list of fascinating and dynamite programs [adult swim] has to offer. One could get lost for hours on end getting sucked into the chaos of this brilliantly-insane station. If there is any downside, it’s that it’s late night programming. While the station will spawn devoted fans who will excitedly stay up all night for their favorite programming, most people are sane and sleep at night. Because [adult swim] shares a station with Cartoon Network, and only plays late at night, it alienates itself from reaching an even broader audience. While [adult swim] has modeled itself to be late-night entertainment, it could still become a new and more powerful entity if it were independent. However, come January 1st, 2011, [adult swim] will gain even more time from Cartoon Network to air its own programming, which proves the potential of a growing art-based television station. Currently premiering on [adult swim] are new episodes for their shows Children’s Hospital (a mockery of every medical-based TV drama by Rob Cordry), and Mary Shelly’s Frankenhole (a science fiction, historical comedy by the creators of Moral Orel). Soon, new episodes of Venture Bros. will premiere along with new episodes from the guitar-shredding epic Metalocalypse, and new shows galore. If there’s anything worth checking out on television, it’s the world that [adult swim] is creating and changing for you, the viewer, daily. Sit back, stay up, and tune into a lineup of entertainment the likes of which have never been seen before.
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lengthy (for them, at least) 27 minutes. The album starts with a minute of the most disgusting sounds ever produced by an electric guitar followed by five minutes of more disgusting guitar noise and frantic drums playing the same riff. The first minute of the song is unintelligible yelping, but the other four minutes are spent playing a two-note riff. Many of the other songs are similar, where slight differences make a song a song, not just a riff. So why is this among the top five albums? Because those slight changes are so much more important than slight changes in any other album. The songs challenge the listener to look past the repetition and see the songs for what they are. Or maybe Ex Models wanted to make a dance album. Who knows with these guys. Child Abuse – Eagle Album This techno-grind band is my personal favorite because of their ability to replace standard metal instruments with the cheesiest keyboard sounds and create a completely new sound. The vocalist sounds like a demon from the seventh layer of Hell, and thankfully that is kept to a minimum so he can let his keyboard do the talking (or screaming). On their first and most obscure release, more than half of the album’s length – a scant twenty
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minutes – comprises the first and last songs with lengthy keyboard introductions. The songs in the middle range from one to two minutes with blasts and shrieks that are over just after they start. HEALTH – HEALTH Twenty seconds into the album and there hasn’t been anything more than a faint organ. Then, BAM. BAM. BAM. BAM. The full band kicks in with crisp, reverb-heavy guitar stabs while tribal drums carefully plod along. The band crescendos to the end and all of a sudden everything is crazy. It then explodes into a mess of feedback and noise for all of 36 seconds. The third song, “Triceratops,” brings the elements of the first two songs together; pretty, reverberated organ/guitar combo and sharp bursts surrounded by airy vocals. It’s the blend of the pretty with the ferocious that sets this album apart from countless other noise bands. The songwriting is incredibly tight, with room for improvisation, but no room for screw-ups. Lightning Bolt – Hypermagic Mountain Hypermagic Mountain is much more than an album. It’s a story; it’s a journey; it’s a new, wondrous, and often incomprehensible trip where your senses are constantly bombarded by dense and
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vivid stimuli. Lightning Bolt heave and hurl, rock and lurch through twelve songs that don’t quite reach the hourlong mark. The drums are in constant-fill mode throughout the album, which isn’t as annoying as it might seem. This is because there are only two
members in Lightning Bolt (both named Brian) and Brian’s drumming style has him playing standard beats about as often as most drummers do fills. The other Brian’s bass is heavily distorted and affected with delay, pitch-shift and phaser to the point where it
stops sounding like a bass. This is especially notable in “Bizarro Zarro Land,” where the pitch-shifter makes the bass groan and sound wobbly. It’s worth noting that Lightning Bolt consists of two members, because that can get lost in the Hypermagic confusion.
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INCEPTION
continued from p.7
be honest, it doesn’t sound simple, does it? Well, let’s say these Warner Bros. suits throw you $160 million so you can go have your fun finding your Hollywood superstars and your amazing CGI techno-eye-candy maker. A year later, voila! We have a summer blockbuster that everybody likes, even if nobody understands it. Inception’s mind-twisting plot involves several levels of dreams within dreams that makes it difficult, if not impossible, to tell whether one is actually dreaming. One way to see if you’re dreaming or not would be to try and remember how you got to where you are. Leaving the theatre, it’s hard to remember how you got to the middle of the action. The film’s beginning is blurred, skipping across time and reality like stones on a pond; you’re half an hour into the film before you know what’s hit you and it doesn’t get much clearer from there. Leonardo DiCaprio plays the star of your dreams as Dom Cobb, a broken man who possesses all the character twists intended to sucker us into believing he’s interesting. And of course, it works. This broken man misses his children, his country, and Mal, his deceased wife. To make matters worse, Dom has
a history of being thrown into a thoroughly creepy aspect of this never-ending dreamworld, a world that can cost you the ability to dream in real life if you stay there too long. This leaves Dom lying on a gray couch in a dim warehouse most evenings, artificially creating a world with Mal with disastrous results. As if performing inception wasn’t tricky enough on its own, Mal, now a figment of Dom’s disintegrating subconscious, keeps popping up to sabotage all his work. Just another one of the myriad obstacles Dom and his team encounter as they wend their way through three increasingly unstable dream levels on their way to inception. Somehow the film unwisely makes time for some unfulfilling supporting-character development. To perform extraction/inception, you need a hefty team: a chemist, for the sleep potions; an architect, to create the dreamscape; a forger, a sort of shape shifter; and a manager who gets to do cool things like have ninja fights in zero gravity, but whose function is never really explained. There is an unexplained mutual dislike between Eames (the forger) and Arthur (the manager), a possible love interest between Arthur and Ariadne (the young architect, played by the always re-
freshing Ellen Page), and a satirical side to Saito (the team’s employer, apparently omnipotent, able to clear Dom’s name with a single phone call). All of these potentially interesting relationships are introduced like sketches on a drawing board, wihtout following through. Director Christopher Nolan is wrangling a many-headed beast with this film; it might have been better as a miniseries, because a great deal of the delicacy and subtlety gets lost here amid sweeping panoramic landscapes, nonstop explosions, and contorted laws of physics. The weakest link, in my opinion, is Dom’s dead wife, Mal, and the odd chemistry, or lack thereof, between the two. DiCaprio has the star-crossed lover character down to a science, as we saw in Romeo & Juliet and Titanic, and he delivers here as well. It’s obvious that Dom truly loves his wife, but a clear indication as to why is never given. For all the glittering tears in her puppy-dog eyes, Mal doesn’t seem worth it, except for her smooth accent and tight JamesBond-mistress-type gowns. The concept surrounding the couple, and ultimately the driving force of the film, is nothing short of brilliant. Frankly, you have to see it to believe it.
Why Soccer Will Never Be Popular in America By GEOFF PRESTON
On July 11, 2010, Spain hoisted the FIFA World Cup to a background filled with confetti, parties and celebration. The reaction was met with a collective yawn back in the United States. Not to say that what the Spanish soccer team accomplished in South Africa was not impressive; in fact, I was happy to see such a historically proud soccer country win their first title. The aftermath is everything I love about sports - the Spanish people banded together to celebrate a title that has been years in the making, and their win uplifted the country. That is all fine and good, but I am only here to say what I believe should be obvious to everyone: soccer has not, nor will it ever be, a popular sport in America. There was some excitement after the Americans moved on past the group stage, but I think we all need to be realistic - the “soccer fever” that ensued after Landon Donavan’s goal is about as hyped about soccer as this country will ever get. The reasons abound for why we will not have a soccer epidemic anytime soon. The first and foremost is that soccer is too simple of a game to catch on in the American mainstream. I hear the argument every day about how soccer is the most popular sport in the world, but that is because a startling number of countries are so steeped in poverty that playing such a complex and expensive game like football or basketball is out of the question. All you need to play soccer is a makeshift ball and two goals; this means that even if you live in an impoverished country you can still play soccer. That is not so with football or basketball. Just because a large percentage of the world plays the sport does not make it a great game. I always say the fact that soccer is the world’s most popular sport is the world’s problem. Americans love statistics - it validates predictions and theories we have about sports, defines legacies for our athletes, and brings me to the second important
reason why soccer is not likely to catch on in America. Americans like sports with a lot of stats, and stats are something that soccer lacks. Goals, assists, and save percentage are about the only stats soccer fans have to go by. Perhaps the average London pub enthusiast doesn’t need statistical evidence backing up his devotion to Wayne Rooney, but John in St. Louis is going to need a little more than “he is an artist with the ball” for him to believe that Rooney really is the real deal. Baseball is a sport driven by numbers; football has more numbers than arguably any other sport, and we use a variety of stats to create expansive lists of our favorite basketball players. Soccer is a sport that seems to be numberless, causing many Americans to switch the channel come soccer time. The third and final reason has been said over and over again, but it is for a good reason. Americans value entertainment; it is why we have an unhealthy obsession with celebrities and public entertainment figures. If entertainment is what you seek, soccer is not the sport you want. Have you ever actually watched soccer? What it amounts to for me is essentially two hours of sweaty players kicking a ball back and forth and kissing each other. That may sound like good TV to you, but honPHOTO/PROVIDED estly I would rather watch football or baseball. When I watch a sport, I need to know that I am going to see points being scored, or at least see opportunities for points being scored. Going into a soccer game, I know I may see four or five shots on goal, but how many of those score is a completely different matter. Americans love offense-heavy, entertaining sports. Soccer is neither. Maybe we, as Americans, are fools to not see soccer’s “beauty.” If that is the case, I have never been happier to be a fool. I just do not know what the rest of the world sees in soccer. Just give me football on Sundays, baseball in the summer, and basketball in March. The rest of the world can have soccer; just don’t expect me or the rest of this sporting nation to jump on the bandwagon anytime soon.
Chess Boxing: A Look into the World of the Thinking Man’s Contact Sport By KYLE ROTHMAN
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While many sports require either a rigorous mind or physical prowess, it is rare for a sport to necessitate great levels of both. Yet the strange European sport of chess boxing needs sufficient mental and athletic will. Originally created in 1991 by French cartoonist Enki Bilali, the concept was brought to life years later by Lepe Rupingh. This popular European sport is exactly what it sounds like: back-to-back rounds of boxing and speed-chess. All the same rules apply, meaning that someone can win after achieving a knockout in boxing, a checkmate in chess, or a judge’s decision. Hitting below the belt or taking more than ten seconds to make a move in chess can lead to penalties and even disqualification. During the chess rounds, players must wear headphones to block out hints from the audience. Luckily, this hybrid sport separates the two different modes during play, avoiding some of the most violent and brutal chess-piece related wounds. The World Chess Boxing Organization (WCBO) has governed chess boxing since 2003. The organization’s slogan is: “Fighting is done in the ring and wars are waged on the board”. For years the WCBO has held matches and world championship games. Chess boxing has spawned many talented athletes all over the world, such as Tihomir Atanassov Dovramadjiev of Bavaria, Leo “Granit” Kraft of Russia, and world champion Nikolai Sahzin. These men were all between 17 and 20 years of age and had the capacity to take blows to the face yet still think hard and fast enough to engage in the complexities of chess. As whacky a sport as it is, chess boxing requires a great deal of dedication and time from those who bravely withstand simultaneously being physically and mentally battered.
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September 8, 2010
Cardboard Showdown: Last Tube Standing Wins
simple as the players choose. During tournament seasons, one can see knights, robots, samurais and even sushi rolls walking around with cardboard tubes in their hands. Perhaps those who put such effort and time into making their cosBefore fancy-schmancy lightsabers, brave warriors fought many a duel with tumes have their eyes on the “Legendary Cardboard Tubes” - prizes offered by the less elegant weaponry. Cardboard tubes, more specifically. Founded in Seattle CTFL for tournament winners. These tubes are often associated with historical or in 2007 by cardboard-enthusiast Robert Easley, the Cardboard Tube Fighting mythical weapons; for example, prizes in the past included Thor’s Hammer, Heaven’s Will, and d’Artagnan’s League (CTFL) is now a Saber. At times, the CTFL global organization, hosting tournaments and batalso offered their offitles in which brave souls cial tees with the slogan engage in head-to-head “Training elite militia’s of combat in an attempt to cardboard tube wielding break their opponent’s ninjas” as grand prizes. tube without breaking The potential for this their own. Never heard sport to expand can be of the sport? You’re probseen from its currently ably not alone; so far, the small but nevertheless sport is only played by passionate and diverse fan a few loyal adherents in base. Die-hard cardboard Seattle, San Francisco, warriors vary from eightWashington, D.C. and year-old kids to 20-yearSydney. old college students; from Part of the appeal of computer programmers this sport also lies in the in tees to businessmen simplicity of its rules. in suits. There was even The official CTFL site will a Blackwater (the company that trains the milihave you believe there are tary) guy who came up to nine rules to the game, Ravine Pierre, one of the but it’s not fooling anyone. The three real rules co-founders of CTFL, and are 1. Don’t break your thanked him for providing “such a great stresstube. 2. Don’t stab your reliever.” opponent and 3. Especially not in the face. And Turns out, however, PHOTO/PROVIDED A way for people who never grew up to justify themselves though it may be tempting that the CTFL doesn’t have to underestimate the dangers of a three-foot long cardboard tube usually used a monopoly on the sport. “We didn’t know this, but there is a rival league in for Christmas wrapping paper, risks of the sport, according to its waiver, “in- Scotland called ‘Box Wars,’” Pierre said. “They’re more hard core and into body clude but are not limited to the loss of eye(s), decapitation, impalement, bloody slamming. I didn’t know who they were, but they declared war on us.” lips, bruises, welts, paralysis and/or death.” Fortunately, there have been no casSo, will the impending war hinder the growth of cardboard tube fighting? Or es of decapitation to this day. are the cardboard warriors unstoppable? No one knows the answer, but no one While some contestants prefer to fight with tubes only, others show up in seems to be fretting either. After all, there is a petition going around to make full-out, handmade cardboard costumes. The equipment can be as elaborate or cardboard tube fighting an Olympic sport. By JADE FANG
Top Five All-Time Greatest Hitters By GEOFF PRESTON
Baseball has forever been a sport that is built on numbers. We hold some numbers so close to our hearts that the mere idea they could be broken seem incomprehensible. Hank Aaron’s 755 home runs, Ted Williams hitting .406 in 1941, and Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak are all numbers that we will forever tie in with greatness. All of these hallowed numbers are of the offensive variety, and people will scream and moan about who they think is the greatest hitter of all time based on their location or age. I am here to start, not finish, an age-old argument. Who is the greatest hitter of all time? Now this is a hard debate to get your mind around. Hitting consists of a number of different things; you can have separate debates about who is the greatest power hitter, or who is the greatest clutch hitter, or who could hit for the best average…(as you can see the list drags on and on), but we are not here to have those debates. Instead, we need to break down who is the best overall hitter. That means someone who could hit for average, drive in runs, and hit home runs. The following is a list that, it should be warned, was done by a Yankee fan. 5. Joe DiMaggio The numbers are surprisingly unspectacular. 361 homers, 1,537 runs batted in (RBI), and 2,214 hits are by no means great hitting numbers. However, you have to explore the impact that The Yankee Clipper’s bat had on the success of his team. In a 13-year career that saw 13 All Star selections, the Yankees won ten pennants and nine World Series. Of course by that argument Yogi Berra would belong on this list, but he certainly does not. I usually believe the numbers don’t lie and can tell a pretty clear and precise story about the career of a player, but Joe DiMaggio is one exception. A career pull hitter, DiMaggio was subjected to play half his career as a right-hander at the old Yankee Stadium before the 1975 renovation. That means he had to deal with Death Valley, the spacious right field “power alley” that yielded few home runs because it was a staggering 457 feet away from home plate. Had DiMaggio played in a normal-sized yard and not lost three seasons to the war, he would have amassed staggering home run totals because it is commonly perceived that
DiMaggio had one of the sweetest, most graceful swings in baseball history. 4. Ted Williams Any delirious Red Sox fan will tell you Ted Williams is the “greatest hitter of all time!” They are wrong, plain and simple. Now Teddy Ballgame was an incredible hitter, an unbelievable .344 career average, 521 home runs, and was a two time MVP. That, however, does not mean he is the greatest of all time. His achievements were constantly overshadowed by Joe DiMaggio, including when he hit
Babe Ruth
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.406 in 1941 but lost the MVP because Joltin’ Joe had a 56 game hitting streak. While Ted Williams may have had an incredible stroke, it failed in comparison to the likes of Ruth, Aaron, or even the number three man on the list… 3. Mickey Mantle Mickey Mantle is one of the most recognizable names in baseball history. He is on this list for his overall numbers (536 homers, a .298 batting average), but also for his performance on the biggest stage. Reggie Jackson captured Yankee lore for being “Mr. October,” but it was Mickey’s star who shined the brightest in the fall classic. He still holds the record for most World Series home runs
(18), the most RBI (40), runs (42), walks (43), extra base hits (26), and total bases (123). He remains the most celebrated switch hitter of all time, and the best clutch player in history. His 13 walk-off homers remain a career record. Add a triple crown in 1956 and it is easy to see why the Mick cracks the top three. 2. Hank Aaron Does it make sense to put the all-time home run king (excluding Barry Bonds) behind the person he passed? Yes, and here is why: Hamerin’ Hank was a mark of consistency but lacked the flare that the Babe possessed. He never hit 50 home runs in a season, and had Aaron not played 24 years he would have never passed the Babe. That is not to say that Aaron was not a complete baseball player. His staggering 3,771 hits can certainly attest to that. The word with Aaron was consistency; the word with Ruth was flare. While some place a higher value on consistency, to me the flare Ruth showed was unmatched by anyone in sports history. 1. Babe Ruth That unmatched flare I was talking about? Think of it like this: when Babe Ruth started hitting home runs, the regular season record was 20. He, of course, obliterated that. What he did had never been seen before, and no one thought it was possible. It would be like Stephen Strasburg picking up a bat and hitting 100 home runs in the regular season. That would be the equivalent to what those fans saw during the Ruth era. To say he “took baseball out of the dead ball era” is a gross understatement; he roundhouse kicked baseball out of the dead ball era. The reason he has to be number one is the way he dominated the sport during his time. It has never been matched. Jordan didn’t dominate the NBA the way Babe dominated pitching during his career; the 2007 Patriots offense was not as feared as Ruth was in his prime. That dominance has never, nor will it ever, be matched. And that is why he has to be number one. What do I love about making lists like this? They don’t end arguments, they only start them. I hope this list starts an argument or two. In fact, I know it will most definitely start one...or two...or three.
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September 8, 2010
NFL Preview
PHOTO/MANSI VOHRA
By GEOFF PRESTON
For many years baseball has served as America’s heart, soul, and pastime. The key phrase here is “for many years.” Fans now wait in anticipation for the start of the season the same way a twelve-year-old girl would for a signature Edward Cullen hair flip (and there go half of my readers…). Now I am as big of a baseball fan as anybody, but even I must bow to the power that NFL has in the sporting world. Fact is, football is watched by over 30 million people per game on average. Not per week, not per month, no. For every NFL game you watch on TV, you should know that 29,999,999 more are probably watching with you. That does not happen in any other sport. With the demand for football at an all-time high, great football commentary is also in the highest of demands. Now I could probably write a book about the upcoming season and all of its enticing storylines, but I will try not to. Instead I will go division by division and eventually pick a Super Bowl winner. Let’s start with the AFC East: AFC East: New York Jets This division is going to be the kind of dog fight we are used to seeing in other conferences in eastern division. The Jets and the Dolphins got better, and the Patriots are as good as anyone as long as they have Brady and Bellichick. That being said, I think the Jets did more than any other team for improvement. The run game will take a hit; count me as one of Ladamian Tomlinsion’s many doubters. I think he is done — getting the ball 400 times a year for half a decade does things to a running back’s body that are hard to bounce back from. Yes, they made defensive improvements by signing Antonio Rodgers Cromardie to help Darrell Rives. They have receiving weapons, I know the Dolphins got Brandon Marshal, but they don’t have a good enough quarterback to get him the ball. AFC North: Cincinnati Bengals For those who think T.O. is done, allow me to point to the fact that in Buffalo he had three awful Quarterbacks trying to feed him the ball. Now I am a Bills fan, but even I can’t say Trent Edwards, Ryan Fitzpatrick, or Brian Brohm are going to be the QB’s of the future. T.O adds an element to the defending division champs that make them similar to the greatest show on turf. Okay, maybe not as prolific but certainly an offense that can score from anywhere on the field. This is also not the strongest division. Write off the Steelers because of the Big Ben issue, and the Browns because they are one of the worst run franchises in sports. The Ravens will challenge, but are frnakly too old in some sports. AFC South: Indianapolis Colts How much analysis do you need? Peyton Manning equals division title: it’s a rather simple equation. I look at the Titans and they pose some promise as a wild card threat, but I think we should be realistic. Not to say that this is an easy division. The Texans always seem to be the sleeper everyone can’t get enough of, but then they under-perform. Even the Jaguars are always tough. At the end of the day though, none of them have Peyton Manning. AFC West: San Diego Chargers The Chargers win this division by default because every other team is awful, and I don’t mean kind of bad, or not great. I am talking about the full-fledged atrocious football that will be coming out of this division. The Broncos gave up any viable piece and don’t have a clue who their quarterback is. I liked the addition of Jason Campbell by the Raiders, but I doubt it will help much. This was the guy who led the Redskins to a 4-12 record despite having talent at most positions. The Chiefs are not usually mentioned as one of the worst-run NFL franchises, but they should be. Overpaying for Matt Cassel, not being able to hold onto good running backs, and general roster mismanagement have seen this team turn from a proud franchise to a laughingstock. Do I believe in the Chargers? Not in terms of long-term playoff stability. This is a team with a running back who is too small to handle an NFL-sized workload, but because this division is so bad, I have to go with the Chargers. AFC Wild Card: Baltimore Ravens, Tennessee Titans AFC Championship game: New York Jets over Indianapolis Colts NFC East: Washington Redskins I think this division is the most interesting in football. The Cowboys will always have the talent to at least contend. This year is no different from any other, but an interesting player has emerged in my opinion. Think of how good Mike Shanahan was when he had a great quarterback (John Elway). Super Bowl good, right?
Guess what — in the capital he now has that kind of quarterback again. Not only that but also a sure-fire offensive tackle (Trent Williams from Oklahoma) and a defense that has some pro bowl caliber players. I said all of last year that Redskins had talent; they were just a waste of said talent. With a winning QB and coach I think this team now has what it takes to win the division. I know the Cowboys and the Giants are good, but I really think that McNabb is probably the most underappreciated quarterback in the league. The man has been to four NFC Championship games and a Super Bowl. Not since Doug Williams and Joe Gibbs have the fans of Washington seen anything like this. This division will be fun — that is a guarantee. NFC North: Minnesota Vikings It is the question we have been asking for the past three or four summers. Will Brett Favre play this fall? Honestly, the entire NFC hinges on that question. I say he does; as far as I’m concerned, until he tells me to my face (which would be cool, not gonna lie) that he is retiring, he isn’t. We have all been to this rodeo before and it always ends the same. Brett Favre will play this fall. Now, if he doesn’t play, this thing is blown wide open because every team just got better. The Bears added Julius Peppers, the Lions will be respectable because of a plethora of free agent signings, and the Packers added Offensive line help through the draft. Without a respectable QB the Vikings will drop this year. Good thing history tells us one of the best of all time will be suiting up for the purple and gold. NFC South: New Orleans Saints The defending champs will look to buck the recent NFC South trend that finds the division winner usually on the bottom of the following year. The Saints won’t finish near the bottom, but they do play in a much improved division. I don’t worry about a Super Bowl hangover as much as I worry about the Falcons. The Falcons are a solid team with a solid core of offensive balance and a no-name defense that has proven effective. The Panthers are an upstart team that lucked out by getting Jimmy Clausen in the second round. Watch out for this team. In a year or so the Panthers will be a formidable team. Until then, this will be an interesting fight between the Saints and the Falcons. NFC West: San Francisco 49ers Remember when I said that the AFC west was engaging in some of the worst football in the league? Consider this division the unequivocal worst division in football. The Cardinals lost Kurt Warner, and although they still have weapons at many offensive positions they also have … gulp ... Matt Leinhart getting those weapons the ball. Enough said. Matt Leinhart is still living in Hollywood and trying to redo the glory days of Troy. Sorry Matty, Washington St. isn’t rolling in anytime soon. The 49ers have a decent quarterback, decent running back, decent receiving core, and a decent defensive group. Honestly, that’s enough to win this division. Seattle is a year or so away from contending, and the Rams will win two games again this year. NFC Wild Card: Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers NFC Championship game: Minnesota Vikings over Dallas Cowboys So here it is, time for the ultimate Super Bowl pick. Last season I picked the Steelers over the Vikings, which obviously did not pan out the way it was supposed to. With unbridled determination, I forge forward. Here is the Super Bowl pick: Super Bowl: Minnesota Vikings over New York Jets This may be the only Super Bowl pick that could already be proven wrong by the time this issue goes to press. If Brett Favre does not come back to play for the Vikings, this whole operation goes down the drain and the Vikings miss the playoffs. Hopefully history repeats itself, and if not, feel free to make fun of me in the hallway.
PENULTIMATE Ask Angelika… Dear Angelika, I am entering high school this year as a freshman. I am really scared that I won’t fit in, my friends will leave me, and there won’t be cute boys! I heard from my older friends that high school is difficult, and now I’m scared. Angelika, what can I possibly do to fit in and have the best four years of my life? -Little Freshie Dear Little Freshie, You have heard correctly, high school is very hard. However, do not worry; we’ll suffer through it together! If you follow the right crowd, you’ll be dating a senior in no time. I’ve included some tips to help you do your best: 1.Always Look and Smell Like Everyone Else In high school, you should never stand out or be original. You must color-code your outfits to match all of your friends. Carry gum and, more importantly, flavor-code your gum. No one likes the girl chewing mint gum on fruity gum days, no one. 2.Follow the Popular Kids Once someone is proclaimed cool in school, you must never let them leave your sight. Even if this means following them home from a party (the one you didn’t receive an invitation to), and spying on them from their closet. Imitating their casual eating habits, swagger, and brushing patterns is the only way to succeed in life. Just don’t let them catch you. 3.Date Everyone Who Knows Your Name Do not let any opportunity pass you by, literally. If someone takes the time and effort to remember your name, date them. Besides, it’s important to update the ‘Relationship Status’ on Facebook. When you guys break up, complain a lot to collect pity from others.
4.Control All Bowel Movements Nobody wants to be friends with someone who has a malfunctioning GI tract. Thus, you are prohibited to excrete strange odors, flatulence, or other categories of excrement. However, it is socially acceptable to relieve yourself during these certain intervals: 9:37,12:06, and 2:41. 5.Learn to Text like a Pro If you can’t text, you will not survive. Your phone
needs to be in perfect condition. If your old phone is less than pristine, a tragic toilet-flushing ceremony is in order. You must learn the honored ways of texting to become a full-fledged master. You know you have succeeded wh3n Y0u c@n t3Xt l!k3 d!$. Yours truly, Angelika
Quiz: Which Hogwarts House Are You? By ANNELISE RAYMOND and NAOMI RAYMOND
1) Your family is going on a Caribbean cruise, and you can choose one of four activities to do for the day. Would you: a. Go to an informative dolphin show b. Enter a diving contest — the winner gets an iPod touch! c. Hang out in the pool on deck with your cousins d. Go snorkeling with a group and photograph cool sea creatures 2) You’re at the library picking a summer read. Which book would you choose? a. Sherlock Holmes — a mystery you can solve yourself b. A science-fiction book about someone trying to take over the world c. ttyl, of course — a book written in texting language d. A horror book that will give you chills at night 3) For your dream vacation, where would you go? a. To Egypt, where you can visit the pyramids and learn cool history about mummies b. Be the first person to visit all the countries in the world c. Take three of your best friends to France d. Go zip-lining and skydiving in Central America 4) Which job would you be most willing to volunteer to do? a. Help fix the school computers and program them correctly b. Enter a triathlon to raise money for breast cancer c. Teach little kids in a summer camp to plant flowers d. Be a snake-tamer at the Sciencenter
5) If you were working on a group Biology project to show how cells work for school, you would be the person to... a. Research the information and write the essay b. Decorate the poster — the most realistic diagram in the class will get extra credit! c. Take charge of the group. Present it to the class. d. Invent a cool model to display how the cell processes function 6) Which of the following clubs would you be most willing to join? a. The Academic Quizbowl Team b. Debate Team c. A language or international club d. WIHS (school announcers) 7) Which pet would you get? a. A dog b. A horse c. A parrot d. A tarantula 8) What would be your dream for your future? a. Inventing the next big Apple product b. Finding the cure to AIDS and cancer c. Solving the issue of world peace d. Being the first person to live on Mars 9) At a family reunion, you have to babysit your little cousins; what would you do with them? a. Teach them how to play Monopoly — it’s educational, right? b. Get out your spy kit and spy on your aunts and uncles, trying to figure out their topic of conversation without being discovered
c. Draw with sidewalk chalk d. Have a water balloon fight 10) Which of the below sports would you play? a. Lacrosse b. Swimming c. Ultimate Frisbee d. Gymnastics
Mostly a’s — Ravenclaw You are clever and witty and smart. You’re eager to learn new things, and can’t wait to teach others what you know! Some people in this House: Cho Chang, Luna Lovegood Mostly b’s — Slytherin You’re ambitious and cunning, and very competitive. You will go far to reach your goal, whether it be winning a race or becoming the first woman president. Some people in this House: Draco Malfoy, Pansy Parkinson Mostly c’s — Hufflepuff You’re friendly, social, and hardworking. You enjoy spending time with your friends, but will also try hard at whatever you do. Some people in this House: Ernie Macmillan, Justin Finch-Fletchley Mostly d’s — Gryffindor You’re brave, adventurous, and chivalrous. You’re willing to go new places and try new things. You’re not afraid to take chances. Some people in this House: Harry Potter, Hermione Granger
backpage Horror-scopes:
By JANICE JINX
Aries (March 21 to April 19): It’s finally time to unleash the inner you. Join the nudist colony. Taurus (April 20 to May 20): Your next relationship will last as long as the temperature stays constant in Ithaca.
Leo (July 23 to August 22): The results are in! Maury’s paternity test proves that Darth Vader is, in fact, the father.
Sagittarius (November 23 to December 21): Invest in second-hand underwear. It’s in style this school year.
Virgo (August 23 to September 22): Eat ramen, and the ninjas might just leave you alone…for now.
Capricorn (December 22 to January 19): Polly no longer wants your crackers. Please give her an iced latte instead.
Double Rainbow
Aquarius (January 20 to February 19): Stay away from liquid nitrogen this month. Your privates will thank you later.
Trilingualism
Pisces (February 20 to March 20): You will be sent to jail this month. Do not pass go. Do not collect 200 dollars.
Pannapictagraphists
Gemini (May 21 to June 20): Your intestines will be home to a very friendly parasite. You might even consider naming it.
Libra (September 23 to October 23): Face it; the stars don’t care about you anymore.
Cancer (June 21 to July 22): It’s time to come out of the closet. Your shoes really aren’t in there.
Scorpio (October 24 to November 22): Vitamin Water is out. Nail polish remover is in.
Down Clues 1. Grading System. 2. BTW guys, don’t take this seriously: it’s a ____. 4. Awesome meme. 6. Editor finds these...mediocre. 7. Hey, do you have ____? 8. La dictadora. 10. Dept. Head of English. 13. Best Newspaper. Across Clues 3. Way too hard to fail this class. 5. Where friends become a commodity. 8. Rented out in math, don’t lose these. 9. Dept. Head of Fine Arts. 11. Overpriced memories. 12. Reserved for Koreans and guys. 14. Mark of summer. 15. Better than Debate Team. 16. Place to get kicked out for talking.
“All the Hurr that’s fit to Durr” Tildes New Kulp Haircuts Watermelon Propane Jet lag Belly-Flop Rashes Pricey 3D Movies
Confessions of the Month My friend and I were at a convenience store. I had bought a Gatorade. He begged for me to buy him a drink, but I only had enough money for myself. On the way home, he whined for at least a sip. I said that I wanted to save the rest of the drink for later. Five minutes later, I entered my bedroom only to find him finishing my Gatorade. Well, joke’s on him; I’ve got mono. - bbcool
There was this one time where I was taking my history test. I was really nervous, and I had not slept well the night before. I was halfsleeping while taking my test. Somehow, I marked all the right answers on the wrong lines on my scantron. I managed to get 23 out of 50 questions correct; not bad for someone who was in the wrong class. - Anonymous
I was sending this embarrassing photo to my boyfriend. However, I accidentally sent the email to my grandparents, my mom, and my boss. Say hello to the hurricane. - Emma
Have your own confessions? Submit your stories at the Tattler Office in H-Courtyard or email: backpage@ihstattler.com If you wish to stay Anonymous, name confidentiality is guaranteed.
If you like what you see (or don’t), submit your own content! Submit cartoons, photography, questions, comments, stories, letters of complaint, or literary pieces. Hey, maybe you’ll see your name printed on this page. Drop off your stuff at either of these two places: - Tattler Office (that door in H-Courtyard) - Backpage Editor E-mail: backpage@ihstattler.com So what are you waiting for? I’m waiting for my soufflé of your thoughts. Chop chop.
Umlauts Shape-Ups “Beliebers” BP’s Credibility Sunburns