Vol. Xlii, issUE 9 12/05/11

soCCEr

Inside Scoop on the Back Page

THE RECORD

Vol. Xlii, issUE 9 12/05/11

tHE oFFiCial stUdENt NEwsPaPEr oF saiNt loUis PriorY

Greetings From China Recently, our school received numerous letters from our affiliates in China. While you enjoy the following letters, keep in mind these are young students based out of Changchun, developing skills in a language completely different from theirs. We left the letters raw and unedited to illustrate their learning process. Enjoy.

tling. Your economy developed and has well-developed muscles. I don’t know what life instinct can I ready?

And the school life is different from China. You are very relaxed. I am very busy. Yours is open type education is China students have long been yearning for.

Yours, Sam

Dear friend, Hey, what’s up. Which university do you want to go to? I’m Chinese, live in Chang Chun, study in Er Shiyan middle school. I know you never heard of it. In China, many students and families want to go abroad and settle, like America, Netherlands...America has many good corporations, like Apple, Facebook, Google...I love America, but I prefer China, because it’s my homeland. What do you think of China?

I’m looking forward to hearing from you soon, and if you want to travel to China, Facebook me.

Dear American friends, I am a high school student from Changchun, China. My Chinese name is Xie Tianwu, and my English name is Tim. Now, I want to study at the U.S, but I don’t know how to study English. Can you help me? I love the culture from America, and I want to know the culture more.

There’re many famous school in the America, can you tell me the difference from China?

Yours, Tim

Dear friends, Your friend, I’m a Chinese student from ChangToni chun. My English name is Kevin. I think we can become friends. I play Dear friend, computer games very well such as I think your country is very bus- Counter-Strike, Battlefield 3 and

Call of Duty. And I also like to play basketball. I can make dumplings and cook Chinese food for you. We will be good friends. My e-mail address is 526031601@qq.com. On the January 17th, I will go to the US next year.

Sincerely, Kevin Tamara: Dear American students, Hello everyone, my name is Tamara.

I’m China’s students. I will go there, it’s a good way to improve my English and help me know more about the American culture.

I want to go there to American college. I have questions to ask you: 1. How about American college.

2. Move about after the class is what 3. What’s your favorite like and American students?

I like American. I want to shopping. When I coming, please help me. Thank you. I believe I will make new friends with you. I’m happy. Do you?

Continued on Back Page

FEatUrE

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tHE rECord staFF t H E P r i o rY r E C o r d @ G M a i l . C o M

Editor iN CHiEF lUKE d slaBaUGH

laYoUt Editor trEVor JiN

CoNtENt Editor CartEr GaGE The Record is the official student publication of Saint Louis Priory School in St. Louis, Missouri. It is produced by student editors/ staff members. Its purpose is threefold: to inform students of events in the community; to encourage discussion of local, national, and international issues; and to serve as a training ground for budding journalists, photographers, and graphic designers. The Record accepts contributions from all members of the Pr iory community, including students, faculty, and alumni.

The Record will not publish content considered legally unprotected speech, including but not limited to:

libel,

copyright

in-

fringement, or unwarranted invasion of privacy, or material disruption of the educational process. Student edi tors apply professional standards to the production of the newspaper and are solely responsible for all content, both explicit and implicit.

Letters to the Editors are

always

appreciated.

Feedback not intended for publication is also welcome.

Perfection

By Peter Cogan

For the second time who finished runner-up in in six years, the Priory socthe class 3 championship.

Staff Writer cer team won the state chamThey were able to do this pionship with an undefeated season. This year through their team effort on defense and their was different because the state semifinals and ball control on offense. Even if the other team finals were did manage played at Blue to get into the Springs South Rebels’ half of High School the field, they in Kansas City, couldn’t get yet the Priory past the solid Soccer Faithful, defense of as well as many Andy Kopfenparents, faculty, steiner, Kyle and alumni reMartin, and mained loyal Nico Stillman. and came to A n d r e w support the Rhodes, a seteam. nior captain Pr i or y who led the capped off its perfect season with a 2-0 win Rebels in points, said, “I think the best qualover the Trinity Titans. Going into the game, ity of the team was simply that we were a team. there was tension to complete what the team Everyone understood their roles and executed had been working for all autumn. Five minutes them extremely well.” into the game Jeffrey delivered; he redirected Even though this Rebels team finished a free kick from Kyle Martin past the Titan’s the same way as the 2005 squad, they were both goalkeeper to give the Rebels the lead. “I knew very different teams. In 2005, the team had fewwe weren’t going to lose.” Jeffrey Hopson said, er college-caliber players than this year’s team, “I was sure this team had enough talent and but they had All-American Jimmy Holmes and determination.”In fact, Priory never fell behind Princeton standout Josh Walburn. “[The ‘05 in any game over the season. team] surprised more people and we even surWith ten minutes left in the first half, prised ourselves along that year.

Peter Reitz hit the upper corner of the net from “[This year’s] team was top to bottom outside the box to give the Rebels a 2-0 lead that at every position and our style of play was difwould hold until the end of the game. Coach ferent, but both teams were excellent. The skill, John Mohrmann said afterwards, “Our expec- mentality, and intensity of our team is a great tations were so high so part of my feelings were combination that most teams don’t have. ” relief, but also joy for the players who worked This year’s team was definitely top to so hard and were disciplined and focused so bottom; they were ranked the best team in Misthey deserved it.” souri, even over DeSmet, and finished as the Looking back on the season, and even thirteenth ranked team in the nation. The state the season before, the Rebels definitely did championship was a story-book ending for the deserve it. Last year as the #1 team, they were senior class, most of whom had been part of knocked out in the first round of districts by a the varsity program for at least three years and second half goal from Clayton. This year, they had been through several state runs that didn’t were ranked #1 in the preseason rankings, and quite go all the way. remained that way through the entire season. In “It was incredible,” said Rhodes, a fourthe St. Dominic Tournament they knocked off year Varsity player. “It took a couple seconds two large-school powers: Fort Zumwalt West, for it to sink in, but after that it was total euwho would later beat DeSmet, and Oakville, phoria.”

Editorial

Ben Folds Concert Review

By Carter Gage

Content Editor

As Ben Folds walked onto the stage at Powell Symphony Hall to join the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (SLSO) for the night, he looked more dapper than I had ever seen him. He was wearing black pants, a crisp black shirt, and a solid gray jacket. Having only seen him before wearing worn-out plaid shirts and faded khakis that I presume are one of maybe three at most that he owns, Ben might as well have been wearing a tuxedo. It was the most composed I had seen him.

In his concert at The Pageant this past spring, Ben had sprinted out onto the stage after a visibly inebriated a cappella group by the name of Street Corner Symphony had stumbled off. This past Sunday night, he walked out onto the stage completely composed, trying to match the composure of the high-class crowd (the gentleman to my left walked in wearing a tie and a 3/4 zip) and fantastic performers he was going to accompany.

Then, some brave man yelled at Ben across a silent Powell Hall: “Rock this [female dog]!” And that he did.

Ben played a wide variety from his repertoire, ranging from “Brick” and “One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces” to “Picture Window”, a song from his most recent full studio album, Lonely Avenue. Each song was accompanied by the SLSO and conducted by the esteemed Jayce Ogren, who has previously conducted the Boston Symphony and the LA Philharmonic.

Between each song, Ben gave an explanation for the inspiration behind the piece. During these shorts blurbs, the true quirkiness of Ben Folds shines through.

He confessed that many of his songs have come from impromptu on-stage performances, particularly his song “Cologne”.

Ben said that he was playing a show in Germany on over twice the subscribed amount of codeine he was prescribed for a bought of pneumonia he was suffering due to a “cleansing” diet where he would only eat raw food when he was inspired. He had noticed that morning the difference between reporting in international papers and the USA Today. He said that the local paper in

Germany reported stories from all around the world while the USA Today featured a story of a female astronaut putting on a pair of diapers to drive 18 hours and kill her boyfriend. The lyrics would eventually come out: “Says here an astronaut/ Put on a pair of diapers/ Drove eighteen hours/ To kill her boyfriend/ And in my hotel room, I’m wondering/ If you read that story too?/ And if we both might/ Be having the same imaginary conversation.”

Aside from that, Ben listed “those lights that come on at night as you walk past them” as his inspiration for his song “Jesusland” and a hippie who had all of his Grateful Dead tapes alphabetized as his inspiration for “The Ascent of Stan”. Ben also performed “Gracie”, a song dedicated to his 12 year old daughter, whose twin brother Louie also has a song written for him. Except Louie’s song, “Still Fighting It’, was recorded four years before his twin sister’s. Imagine the drama.

Backstories aside, Ben Folds and the SLSO were absolutely fantastic together. The orchestra versions of Folds’ songs, arranged by Folds and a collection of professional arrangers, did justice to both Folds’ originals records and the SLSO’s performance. The high point in the concert was their combined rendition of “One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces”, a song Folds said was originally intended to be arranged for an orchestra. He called the version they performed the “gay Broadway” version in comparison to the original. However “gay” and “Broadway” it was, it sounded phenomenal. The brass section played an emphasized role, making the piece sound much more jazzy than the grunge-inspired original.

At the end of the performance, Folds and the SLSO received a booming standing ovation. Each member of the sym-

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phony walked off the stage smiling widely, and the conductor shared a nice embrace with Folds as they walked off the stage together. In typical fashion of Ben Folds fans, the audience continued to cheer, still hungry for more music. After what seemed like ages, Folds snuck back on stage, unaccompanied by the SLSO (because apparently, symphonies are above encores).

Folds proceeded to play around with each instrument in the percussion section, from tambourine to timpani. Never before have I heard a louder ovation given to someone who had just played four quarter notes on a cowbell.

Eventually, Ben made his way to the piano to perform his anthem to teen angst, “Army”. Having heard Ben give solo piano performances before, I can testify that he has only improved in his age. After he finished “Army”, Ben clearly intended to leave the stage. Fortunately for the audience, that same brave soul from the concert’s beginning screamed: “Rock this [female dog]!” Ben chuckled, sat back down at the piano, and performed a completely improvised song centering around the lyrics “Rock this [female dog]!”.

He again appeared intent on leaving when he remembered that his last trip to St. Louis ended with an encounter with the legendary Chuck Berry. Folds said, “He was wearing sweatpants. How cool is that?” He then performed an inspired “Johnny B. Goode” in dedication to Berry, a St. Louis legend.

After forgetting the lyrics to the second verse, Folds could not leave his audience unsatisfied. He finished off his concert with the most eloquent and energetic version of “Annie Waits” I have ever heard.

Leaving Powell Hall, I was completely satisfied, and I still had goosebumps.

I think that it is safe to say: Ben Folds and the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra rocked this [female dog].

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Editorial

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword Review

By Spencer King Contributor

For years, Zelda fans have preached that Ocarina of Time is the greatest game in the series. After playing Skyward Sword, the latest installment in the series, I beg to differ.

Skyward Sword uses 1:1 motiontracking for all of the controls, something that sounds like it would end terribly. While there are a few minor hiccups, the controls are surprisingly accurate. Unlike the vast majority of Wii games, the motion controls are not at all gimmicky. Everything feels natural. I can’t understand how we could ever play an action game without controls like these. After five long years, motion controls are finally what we all – or at least I – imagined they would be back when the Wii was first introduced.

With Skyward Sword, Nintendo breaks from the traditional Zelda formula.

Anyone who has played a Zelda game is familiar with the typical exploration system.

In previous games you would simply journey to a new environment, explore a dungeon or other structure, and then move on to the next area. In Skyward Sword, it is difficult to determine where the “overworld”

ends and the dungeon begins. The area you have to explore to find the dungeon feels like a part of the dungeon itself. At least to me, the game felt like one long dungeon, which I loved.

Also, the old boring travel time between areas is almost nonexistent. Skyward Sword has you revisit previously explored areas at later points in the game. Although this concept is foreign to the series and sounds like it could potentially be very boring, Nintendo cleverly hides new places to explore that are only accessible after acquiring certain items. You would never notice many of these areas if you were not forced to return and explore them.

While we’re on that topic, let’s talk about level design. In this aspect, Nintendo has really outdone themselves in Skyward Sword. Puzzles are one of the main obstacles in any Zelda game. Many games have the typical methods (either pushing some blocks or lighting some torches) to open a door, but not Skyward Sword. From the very first dungeon it is clear that Nintendo has put quite a bit of thought into designing each and every puzzle. The puzzles are chal-

lenging, but never difficult enough to make you quit playing. The other main obstacle is, obviously, the enemies you encounter throughout each level. Remember, Skyward Sword makes use of 1:1 motion tracking. This means that Link’s sword will follow your arm motion exactly. This leads to many fun and exciting boss battles. However, you can not get through the game by simply flailing at every enemy you encounter; they will punish you. Consider yourself warned.

Over the years, the Zelda series has taken the time to explore just about every art style. In Skyward Sword, Nintendo manages to capture both the “cartoony” style of Wind Waker and the more mature, realistic style of Twilight Princess. Graphics are something everyone worries about nowadays, and I’ll be honest with you, it is a real shame that Nintendo does not have more powerful hardware for this game. If you stand still and pay close attention, this problem really shows in the not so well lit areas of the game; though, in typical gameplay, it is not noticeable. Nintendo decided to add in a distance-based filter which blurs objects and scenery as they move into the background. This blur greatly decreases the noticeability of any poor graphical performance and adds a nice watercolor feel to the game, which looks much nicer than it sounds.

Skyward Sword takes roughly 50 hours to complete, assuming you stick to the main story. In my opinion this is the best game in the series and quite possibly the best game of 2011. It should be a definite purchase for any Wii owner this Christmas season.

PUZZlEs

Crossword Puzzle ACROSS 1. Throat-clearing sound 5. Diplomacy 9. What we chew with 14. Part portrayed 15. Look at flirtatiously 16. Audio transmission 17. Violent disturbance 18. Thug 19. Impulses 20. Certain edible young shoots

22. Cubic meter 23. Inscribed pillar 24. The end of life 26. Finish 29. Remove the triggering device 33. Atomic number 81 38. Listener 39. Angelic headgear 40. Stop 42. Security for a debt 43. Assault 45. Fighter of the

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skies 47. Snuggle 48. Colloid 49. Abandoned ships 52. Beginning 57. Accumulate 60. Leeway 63. Swivel 64. Precipitation 65. Bit 66. Gunk 67. 5280 feet 68. Wander 69. Deacon 70. Picnic insects 71. Tallies

Sudoku Difficulty - Easy

DOWN 1. Wall hanging 2. Lift 3. Run off to marry 4. Steel or tin 5. Roman robe 6. All excited 7. Overcast 8. Anxious 9. Member of a governing board 10. Landslide 11. Border 12. Level 13. A flexible tube 21. Whirl

25. Stick 27. 5 cents 28. Payable 30. Murres 31. Caught in the act 32. Coastal raptor 33. Comparative word 34. Despise 35. Anagram of “Salt” 36. Offensive 37. Mouth 41. Droop 44. Bunch

Cryptogram

- Albert Einstein

46. Turn over earth 50. Fate 51. Killed 53. Nigerian monetary unit 54. Hair net 55. Outer or exterior 56. League members 57. Basilica area 58. Grind 59. Keen 61. A jaunty rhythm 62. 1 1 1 1

News

6 Response to China From Xavier Bick

亲爱的谢天伍：

我也是中学学生。我是 Saint Louis 人。我叫 Xavier，可是我的中文老师说我 的中文姓名是毕日龙。Saint Louis 是美国的最古老的城市之一。Saint Louis 有植 物园很好。它有城市和州出资。Saint Louis 的植物园中国园非常好，还有日本园非常 好。Saint Louis 园的日本园太好了，所以日本皇帝来看。Saint Louis 植物园也有花 圃，石庭，和外国园林。Saint Louis 植物园叫 Missouri Botanical Gardens。 Saint Louis 有美国的非常最高的纪念碑还有最好的动物园。长春好吗？ 你喜欢不喜欢长春？

我的学校叫 Saint Louis Priory School。它一九五六年建。Priory 没有很多学 生，可是有大校园。我喜欢去打拉格比。Priory 的拉格比队也是一九五六建的。Priory 的足球队非常好。他们赢 Missouri 州足球公开赛。他们今年一个球不输。他们国家等 级是十四。你的学校很多吗？你喜欢去打球吗？

我觉得你的信件只有两个错。 你写 “I am a high school students” 和 “there are many famous school in America“。 ”Students” 该是 “student“，”school” 该是 “schools”。 除了那两个错，你的信写得很好。 我信件有错吗？

我不喜欢美国文化。我觉得很多美国人不道德。我非常喜欢正宗的西部文化，可是 我不喜欢现在的美国文化 。中国人想美国人不道德吗？

毕日龙 2011年12月5日

Dear Xie Tianwu,

I am also a high school student. I live in Saint Louis. My name is Xavier, but my Chinese teacher says that my Chinese name is Bi Ri Long. Saint Louis is one of America’s oldest cities. Saint Louis has very good gardens.

The gardens are funded by the city and the state. Saint Louis’s gardens are called the Missouri Botanical Gardens.

The Botanical Gardens have a very beautiful Chinese garden, and a very beautiful Japanese garden. The Japanese garden is so good that the Emperor of Japan came to visit it. The Botanical Gardens also have many various types of foreign gardens. Saint Louis also has America’s tallest monument and one of America’s best zoos. How is Changchun? Do you like it there?

My school is called the Saint Louis Priory School. It was founded in 1956. Priory doesn’t have a lot of students, but we have a large campus. I like to play Rugby. Priory’s Rugby team was also founded in 1956. Priory’s soccer team is excellent. This year they won the Missouri State Championship. They did not lose a single game this year. They are ranked 13th in the country. How many students does your school have? Do you like to play any sports?

I think your letter only had two mistakes. You wrote “I am a high school students” and “There are many famous school in America.” “Students” should be “student” and “school” should be “schools.” Besides those two things, I thought your letter was very good.

I generally don’t like popular American culture. I think that many people in America are immoral. I greatly respect traditional Western culture but I don’t like modern American culture. Do Chinese people think that Americans are immoral?