Volume 105, Issue 4

Volume CV No. 4

October 31, 2014

stuyspec.com

Justin Strauss / The Spectator

Cause of Broken Escalators Discovered to be Gremlins

The cause of broken escalators is gremlins, not shoes.

By Saif Zihiri Stuyvesant has become infamous for its broken escalators— so much so that the most recent edition of the Oxford Dictionary added the word “Stuyed,” meaning, “to be broken, particularly in relation to escalators.” But regardless of how many times the escalators are broken, most members of the school have no idea what causes the malfunctioning. In a recent poll, Stuyvesant students revealed their top three hypothesized causes to be shoes, rat carcasses, and senior Saif Zihiri. However, in an investigation conducted by both the members of Science Olympiad and Robotics, the real culprit was discovered to be a hidden colony

of Gremlins inside Stuyvesant.

The newly named Ftutctktitntg Arsrsrhrorlrers Gremlins have been living under the Stuyvesant escalators for at least 15 years. Surviving under hostile conditions, these creatures have become horrifically altered due to radioactive liquids (more commonly known as the sodas in the student vending machines), and have been forced into deeper hiding.

The Gremlins seem to nourish themselves through the smuggled snacks and drinks that students often bring from Ferry’s.

Yet what they value above all else is not half-eaten pizza bagels or stale popcorn chicken but sweat.

Gremlins view human sweat almost like Stuyvesant students view weed—a necessary want.

Whether it is sweat from escalator workers or from unhealthy sophomores, Gremlins will indulge themselves in it. Gremlins break the escalators simply in order to gather as much sweat as possible. When asked to comment, the Gremlins simply stated, “Groursh teklsdod sdklod.”

In light of this recent discovery, Stuyvesant students have been wondering whether these Gremlins pose a significant threat to the student body.

“First college apps and then this?” senior Matthew Cook said.

“What next, Ebola in New York?”

The administration has been divided on how to react to these newly discovered creatures, with opinions ranging from complete assimilation to excommunication. “Of course we have to let them stay,” biology teacher Marissa Maggio said. “Who else is going to clean the sweat of the escalators? They’re part of the ecosystem of our school.”

Principal Jie Zhang however, thinks otherwise. “These Gremlins have not passed the SHSAT in order to get into the school,” Zhang said. “Until they can be formally admitted, I see no reason to allow them into our community.”

As of now, the Gremlins are scheduled for relocation into the Staten Island Mall. With a plethora of escalators and a lack of civilization for miles, they will be able to live their lives in peace. While their disappearance will surely be noticed in Stuyvesant, they will not be missed.

Cynthia Sze / The Spectator

Featured Halloween Costume: The Invisible Man

By Adam DeHovitz and Ling Dong Each Stuylloween comes with its own trends, but certain costumes can be seen every year. There are several popular costumes, from the creative cat costume to the far less original Despicable Me minion costume, but one of the most underappreciated costumes is the Invisible Man. Although exactly how students go about dressing up as this American hero has varied, their hard work and effort have certainly gone completely and utterly unnoticed.

When history teacher Matthew Polazzo got to senior Shahruz Ghaemi on the roster on

Friday, October 31, he thought little of the seemingly empty seat before marking his student absent. “He must’ve thought that I was home writing my common app, but I finished that freshman year,” Ghaemi said, MCAT study guide in hand. “I actually spent the whole period taking notes—I got him real good!”

This elaborate spoof was the result of the three years of research Ghaemi did at the Harvard Center for Nanoscale Systems to create a costume layered in bristles of nanowires that bend light around the person wearing it. “Apparently most of the senior class has designed it, too, so I guess I’ll have to do something else to make my college apps stand out,” Ghaemi said with a disappointed pout before using his cloaking technology to hide his phone from the approaching Assistant Principal of Security, Safety, Student Affairs, Health, Ebola Response, and Physical Education Brian Moran.

Meanwhile, students who dressed up as the Invisible Man for their class at the end of the seventh floor hallway were sorely disappointed when they received neither candy nor baked goods from biology teacher Marissa Maggio, known for both her fetal pig dissections and festive holiday treats. We hope that the two are not related.

Nanotechnology wasn’t the

only way that Stuyvesant students dressed up as the Invisible Man. In fact, many students pulled off the costume with little to no effort. When junior Henry Kim was asked the secret to his amazingly accurate portrayal of the Invisible Man, he stared back with a confused gaze before answering the question.

“I guess I’m invisible, as always,” Kim said, before retreating to the attendance office to fix yet another day’s worth of wrongly marked absences. Well, that is probably what he said, but we did not remember to record his exact words, or if he is actually a junior, or if his name is indeed Henry Kim. Truthfully, he may be a figment of our imaginations, but he’s probably not.

Not everyone, however, seems as thrilled by the new trend as the student body. “Invisible students create a clear and present threat to Stuyvesant’s positive learning environment,” Assistant Principal of select titles.titles from titles where name == “Moran”; Brian Moran said.

“How can I expect our security staff to yell at kids to remove hats, confiscate headphones, and force students to throw away the cups of coffee that are their only hopes of making it through first period when they can’t even see the students?” Moran said. “They might even sneak into our highly exclusive library!”

How Many of These Halloween Sights Have You Seen?

By Jacob Faber-Rico

Take note of everything you’ve seen today. Send your results to donotreply@lolspechumor.com. The first person to spot all 28 items gets a free Hershey’s bar found on the street.

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Jack O’ Lantern with Kim Jong-Un smiley face Three dollar burrito from Chipotle Senior dressed up as a bear handing out free candy on the bridge Mr. Simon dressed up as Mr. Moran handing out free cell phones on the bridge Unattended bowl of Snickers Mom leading five-year-old away from unattended bowl of Snickers Crying five-year-old History test Crying fifteen-year-old People wearing random pieces of cardboard People in Hazmat suits Terry’s dressed up as Ferry’s Seven hundred and fifty-nine “The Scream” masks Student running away from Room 207 yelling that he just saw the ghost of Ms. Damesek Vomit containing candy corn Functioning 3-to-5 escalator Person wearing fake blood Actual bleeding person being neglected Left Twix Right Twix Center Twix Mom who’s worn the same witch hat for the last 25 Halloweens Girl dressed up as a cat Cat dressed up as a girl Ghost of Peter Stuyvesant eerily haunting a history textbook Student wearing a fat suit stuck in a doorway Ebola None of the above; busy finishing my college applications

Spooky Ghost Haunts Hallways

By Nathan Mannes

Earlier this week, a spooky ghost was reportedly seen passing through various classrooms in Stuyvesant High School. “It came into my class and spoke on and on about this book I had never read before. The ghost was talking about The Odyssey, I think, but nobody was paying any attention,” sophomore Kevin Poon said. “It was some of the best English instruction I have ever received at Stuyvesant High School.”

Other students have spotted the ghost absentmindedly pacing the halls. “The ghost was eerily walking in the hall like nothing was out of the ordinary,” senior Junhao Dong said.

“It was the palest, whitest ghost I’ve ever seen.”

Although the ghost has been haunting Stuyvesant for decades, the administration has done nothing to stop it. In fact, they invite the ghost back into the building day after day and even pay it a salary. This pissed

off alumnus Boaz Weinstein. “I donated a million dollars to this school with the expectation that it would go towards getting rid of this ghost,” Weinstein said.

“But you shitheads spent it on a library. Nobody in this school reads books anyway. What’s the point?”

Due to the number of students who have objected to the ghost’s presence, the Cahn brothers are considering a return in order to launch a grassroots movement in support of the ghost. “If you actually listen to what this ghost has to say, you will see just how wise it is,” David Cahn (’14) said. “The problem is that nobody pays attention to the ghost. They don’t respect it because it is very old.”

The Student Union gave the final word on this issue. “Guys, we can’t get rid of Mr. Schecter!

He’s a great substitute teacher,” Student Union Vice President Jonathan Aung said. “What is wrong with you people?”

These articles are works of fiction.

All quotes are libel and slander.

Victims’ Names Revealed to be Inscribed on Cocoros’ Pennants

By Jordan Hodder with additional reporting by Lev Akabas On the second day of parent-teacher conferences, beloved math teacher Jim Cocoros revealed to a small crowd of stunned parents that the names written on college pennants hung around his classroom are not just the names of his former students. They are actually the names of the many Stuyvesant seniors that he has sacrificed to Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli, the Aztec god of dawn.

“Haven’t you always wanted to worship a god named Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli?”

Cocoros said. “You’re not going to find a cooler name for a god than Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli!”

Cocoros is often heard telling his students, “You are all at a very important time in your lives, where you decide what kind of people you’re going to be.” He chooses to sacrifice high school seniors because they are poised between adulthood and childhood and have endless possible directions in which to steer their lives. This makes them ideal targets for Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli, who feeds on them by consuming their hope and replacing it with endless despair.

“Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli is a pretty ruthless guy. Apparently he tried to shoot the sun god with arrows, but he missed and somehow shot himself, transforming himself into Itztlacoliuhqui, the god of cold, which just goes to show you: never try to shoot the sun god with arrows,” Cocoros said. “I always tell my Pre-Calculus class that story to help them learn polar equations.”

After his third year hunting down and sacrificing students,

Stephanie Chen / The Spectator

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The infamous pennants in Mr. Cocoros’ room are revealed to list the names of his victims.

Cocoros began inscribing the students’ names on pennants and hanging them on his classroom walls. “I’ve always considered myself pretty loose about upholding the ritual the exact way it’s outlined by the ancient Aztecs,” he claims. “But when the era of the fifth sun ends and the universe is shattered by a catastrophic earthquake, I obviously want to be recognized for my devotion to the gods, so I try to use my classroom to remind them of my servitude.”

Though he doesn’t inscribe the names in blood on onyx tablets as commanded, Cocoros has decided that Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli will reward his creativity in the afterlife.

“Once this student came up to me and told me that seeing the success of his peers inspired him to turn his grades around,” Cocoros said. “I guess he just assumed that the names were the names of my graduating seniors. I’m actually glad it worked out this way though.

It’s pretty groovy. The students gain a lot of hope and inspira-

tion from what they think the pennants represent, which makes their sacrifice to Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli even better.”

Cocoros has since developed additional methods of giving students hope prior to their sacrifice. “Now I play music in all my classes. Nothing gives a bunch of high school kids more hope than listening to a great band like The Clash,” Cocoros said. “What? You’ve never heard of The Clash?”

Despite Cocoros’ heinous crimes, it is unlikely that he will be fired, however, because, under the new teacher evaluation system, Stuyvesant’s high standardized test scores and the fact that Cocoros writes an AIM on the board contribute to his “Excellent” rating. When asked whether or not he would consider resigning, Cocoros replied, “More tuba!”

At press time, Cocoros was seen muttering unintelligibly while putting what appeared to be a human soul into a stuffed giraffe.

By Fish Milnikiewicz and Daniel Goynatsky

2%

74%

Percentage of Stuyvesant population dressed as “cat”

Percentage of white female Stuyvesant population dressed as “cat”

71%

86%

Percentage of Asian dudes dressed as Anime characters

Percentage of that percentage dressed as female Anime characters

The Spectator The Stuyvesant High School Newspaper

Volume CV No. 4

• The New York Women’s Bar Association invited Social Studies teacher Linda Weissman and nine of her Criminal Law class students to attend a presentation by New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand.

• SPARK hosted an anti-bullying symposium on Wednesday, October 22 in the Boaz A. Weinstein library as part of its annual Stuyvesant Unity Day. Speakers at the symposium included Ms. Jaqueline Pitta, the United States Department of Education’s Region II Communications Director and Stuy Represents Club President Kumaran Chanthrakumar.

• On October 27, 2014, the Air Force Pop Marching Band performed in the Murray Kahn theater during third period. Third period was extended to last for one hour to accommodate for the band’s performance.

New School Quality Reports Introduced

By Sonia Epstein and Griffin Strout In a speech delivered on October 1, School Chancellor Carmen Fariña introduced the School Quality Snapshot and School Quality Guide, two accountability tools that are part of a new capacity framework for guiding and assessing New York City Public Schools. These new accountability tools will replace the old annual progress report given to schools and will likely give Stuyvesant a higher score in the coming years.

The progress report was first introduced by former mayor Michael Bloomberg in 2006. These reports marked the first time schools had been officially assessed. In an early 2006 press conference, former Chancellor Joel Klein said the goal was to change the school system “from a culture of excuse to a culture of accountability.” Four separate categories (student progress, student performance, school environment, and college and career readiness) were given letter grades. The grades in these categories determined the school’s overall letter grade. In elementary and middle schools, 85 percent of the overall grade was based on test scores.

Fariña made it clear that the new system will limit the emphasis on testing. “We are looking beyond test scores and focusing on making sure that each school has what it needs for sustained and continuous growth,” Fariña said in her speech. Instead of test scores, the quality reports will utilize information from formal educator assessments and achievement and progress measures such as graduation rates. In particular, the results from the annual School Survey given to students, parents, and teachers will be highlighted and the school environment portion of the report will be expanded.

The first new accountability tool, the School Quality Snapshot, was designed to be short, concise, and accessible to parents.

Instead of letter grades for each of the four categories, the report displays data like the percentages of students who take four and six years to graduate. Results from questions on the School Survey, like the percentage of students who feel safe in hallways, locker rooms, and bathrooms, are also shown. The borough continued on page 4

Abigail Edwards / The Spectator

Sandler Wins New York State History Teacher of the Year Award

Ms. Suri, Carmen Fariña, and Ms. Zhang gather to celebrate the presentation of the National History Teacher of the Year Award to Mr. Robert Sandler by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History.

By Sonia Epstein An intimate gathering assembled in the student cafeteria after school on Monday, October 20 to honor social studies teacher Robert Sandler as the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History presented him with the New York State History Teacher of the Year Award. A collection of Sandler’s students, fellow teachers, representatives from Gilder Lehrman, Principal Jie Zhang, Assistant Principal of Social Studies Jennifer Suri, and School Chancellor Carmen Fariña attended the event.

At the event, Gloria Sesso,

Features

the New York State coordinator who oversees selection and recognition of the winner, noted that Sandler was the unanimous choice among the state representatives who pick the winner. Sandler was originally nominated for the award by senior Mitchell Teper, who took Sandler’s AP United States History and Jewish History classes. “I nominated Mr. Sandler because I think that there aren’t many teachers who put so much effort into their classes, whether it’s making power points or organizing debates for our class or taking us on trips,” Teper said at the event. “Sandler’s Article on page 8.

Kim Manning: “I Guess I was a Little Bit of a Rebel” Ms. Manning had pink hair? Check out page 8 to read her interview with the Features department.

class is one you look forward to because it’s exciting; it’s vibrant.”

Anyone may nominate a teacher for this award. After Gilder Lehrman notifies the teacher of the nomination, the teacher must submit a variety of materials to continue the application process. These include a resume, a letter of support from a colleague or supervisor; a statement of the nominee’s teaching philosophy, specifically with regards to teaching American History; a sample lesson plan; and a sample student project. Committees in each state evaluate the applications, looking for a demonstration of dedication to teaching American history, creativity in the classroom, and effective use of primary sources. As a state winner, Sandler will receive a $1,000 prize, an archive of classroom resources, and an invitation to a Gilder Lehrman teacher seminar.

Sandler uses a variety of activities, both inside and outside the classroom, to make the course material more meaningful and engaging. For example, he has students blog about events they attend, create their own documentaries, and takes them on walking tours of historic areas in New York. “We learn about history through the landmarks, and that’s unique,” Sandler continued on page 4

stuyspec.com

Oliver Stone and Peter Kuznick Speak at Stuyvesant

Paulina Ruta / The Spectator

Newsbeat

October 31, 2014

“The Pulse of the Student Body”

Oliver Stone and Peter Kuznick answer audience members’ questions.

By Sharon Chao At around 8:15 a.m. on the morning of August 6, 1945, when most of Japan was just starting to get up, the United States dropped the first atomic bomb, “Little Man,” on Hiroshima, Japan. The impact immediately extended in 1.2 miles in every direction, wreaking havoc on the people.

“Fat Man,” a second plutonium bomb, was dropped on Nagasaki a mere three days later. By the end of the year, 140,000 people had died. Two hundred thousand people would eventually die from both the direct and indirect effects of the bomb by 1950.

On October 17, 2014, Academy-Award winning director Oliver Stone and American University history professor Peter Kuznick visited Stuyvesant to discuss their novel and documentary, “The Untold History of the United States.”

The novel and documentary discuss former president Harry Truman’s decision to drop the two

atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, ultimately condemning his decision as a bad one.

Stuyvesant students watched a segment of the ten-part documentary series, which focused on Truman’s role in employing the nuclear bombs that caused devastation in Japan and explained Stone and Kuznick’s perspectives on the time period.

History teacher Robert Sandler arranged the event. In October 2013, Sandler was named Outstanding Secondary Social Studies Teacher of the year by the National Council for the Social Sciences (NCSS). Part of his award included the chance to attend the annual NCSS conference in St. Louis, Missouri, at which Stone and Kuznick were guest speakers. Despite Stone and Kuznick’s busy schedule, Sandler was able to contact their research assistant, Eric Singer, and get them to speak at Stuyvesant. continued on page 4

Women in Cyber Security

By Sharon Lin During the second semester of the 2013-2014 Stuyvesant school year, the Cisco networking class was composed entirely of males.

The current Robotics classes have little more female representation. The most advanced computer science classes at Stuyvesant High School—some of the most advanced courses offered in the entire New York City public school system–attract few girls.

The problem with decreasing numbers of females in the computer science fields in recent decades has been explored extensively, with theories ranging from the lack of female hackers in movies to the popular conception of a “geek” as a male figure.

Regardless of its cause, the fact remains that girls pursue computer and tech-related fields of study far less frequently than do their male counterparts in school.

This was why the New York Article on page 16.

University (NYU) School of Engineering hosted the Career Discovery in Cyber Security: A Women’s Symposium on Friday, October 17. The event ran through Saturday, October 18, with activities ranging from guest speakers and question and answer sessions with professionals, to workshops on cyber education and networking opportunities for those looking to enter the cyber-security field. Attendance was limited to females, with registration open to students from around the city.

Chemistry teacher Samantha Daves invited her current and former students to attend the symposium. Prior to the event, Daves had participated in a cyber-security program at NYU Polytechnic Institute, which hosts Cyber Security Awareness Week (CSAW), as well as various related workshops throughout the year. continued on page 4

Sports 2014-15 NBA Preview

Sports Editor Chris Kim and Editor-in-Chief Lev Akabas make their predictions for the upcoming basketball season.

The Spectator ● October 31, 2014

Page 4

News New School Quality Reports Introduced continued from page 3

and city average results are displayed directly underneath the school’s results for comparison.

In addition, a Quality Review is included in the snapshot. This is an experienced educator’s evaluation of the school after observing classrooms and speaking to teachers and administrators.

Criteria for this review include “How interesting and challenging is the curriculum?” and “How well do teachers work with each other?” Results are shown on a scale of “poor” to “excellent.”

“The Snapshot will provide the first balanced picture of a school’s quality—and reflects our promise to stop judging students and schools based on a single, summative grade,” Fariña said in her speech. “Schools have unique qualities that cannot be captured in a letter grade. They are not restaurants.”

However, some students disagree with Fariña. “I think letter grades were a perfectly good way to see things at a glance,” sophomore Phillip Kucher said. “The most important thing is that the school is judged on the basis of quantifiable values,” he said, noting the subjectivity of the Quality Review. For those like Kucher who wish to view more data, the School Quality Guide is available. As in the School Quality Snapshot, letter grades have been replaced by ratings like “underdeveloped” to “well-developed” and “not meet-

ing target” to “exceeding target.”

Directed toward school administrators, this report contains the same amount of data that was available in the old progress report. One significant difference is that for each area of analysis, the report tracks the progress of the school during the past few years. Furthermore, this information is plotted on the same graph as the progress of that school’s “peer schools,” or schools with a similar student population. This allows administrators to easily view where they have excelled compared to other schools, and where they have fallen short.

At Stuyvesant, the de-emphasis of test scores progression will have a positive effect on the school’s rating. In the old progress report, student progress was 55 percent of the overall grade. This student progress was measured by comparing eighth grade state tests to high school Regents. Because most Stuyvesant students perform at a high level before entering high school, the report would indicate that students were technically not progressing. Thus, according to Principal Jie Zhang, Stuyvesant only scored 38 out of 55 in the student progress section. Now that test scores will be less influential in determining the school’s progress, Stuyvesant may earn a higher score. “The [old] progress report did not reflect our school,” Zhang said. “But it looks like by the chancellor’s conversation, that’s going to change.”

Oliver Stone and Peter Kuznick Speak at Stuyvesant continued from page 3

Stone grew up during the Cold War, a period when the fear of Communism in the U.S. pervaded. Voicing a different opinion was difficult during this time.

“If you talked this funny talk, you were labelled,” Stone said. It was especially hard for him to realize his own opinions, because Stone’s father was a supporter of thenPresident Dwight Eisenhower. As Stone matured, he developed his own opinions, going against his father by criticizing Eisenhower. He now thinks that Eisenhower unnecessarily caused trouble in the Third World, and greatly increased America’s nuclear capacity, which he believes was detrimental towards the country’s well-being.

Stone and Kuznick’s perspectives are shown through their documentary series. Instead of objectively recounting the events of that time, the movie used the history of the 1940s to support the idea that Truman’s decision to use nuclear weapons was utterly wrong.

Top government officials, such as Former President and Army Chief of Staff at the time Dwight Eisenhower, then Secretary of Commerce Henry Wallace, and General of the Army Douglas MacArthur, had voiced their opinions against using the atomic bombs.

The Japanese were also supposedly going to surrender within two weeks, and employing the newly created weapons would only cause deaths of innocent people.

Despite the mounting pressure against using the atomic bombs,

Women in Cyber Security continued from page 3

Daves was inspired to bring her female students due to the noticeable lack of girls in the more advanced computer science courses at Stuyvesant, such as Systems Programming, which only had eight female students enrolled in the Spring 2014 term.

The general attendance comprised women working in the cyber security industry and those looking to enter the field. A few of the attendees were undergraduate and graduate students from NYU and Columbia University. Not many high school-aged students attended the event.

“At the symposium, there were several college students, [but mainly] adults,” sophomore Louisa Cornelis said.

She agreed that the material was nonetheless very accessible for the student attendees.

The symposium opened up with a welcoming speech from Nasir Memon, a professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at NYU Polytechnic School of Engineering and director of the Information Systems and Internet Security (ISIS) laboratory at NYU. After a brief talk on the logistics of the conference and opening words, the keynote speaker rose to take the podium. Candace Worley, Senior Vice President and General Manager for the McAfee Endpoint Security Business, spoke about her experiences working specifically in the engineering and marketing sectors.

Kristin Hayduk, a manager in the Philadelphia-based PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), was the second speaker of the day. Afterwards, the audience had a short break to socialize and discuss computer science careers with the speakers.

Following the break was a presentation on career opportunities in cyber security, conducted by

Shayma Ross, Vice President of Information Security for Live Nation Entertainment. She talked about her own experience with hacking networks, current job opportunities in the field, and the various pros and cons of pursuing the cyber security track. Her presentation was later made available on the website for the event, for attendees to access from home. Despite the prevalence of computer science professionals, the speakers at the event were not from that field exclusively.

Judith Germano, a Senior Fellow and Adjunct Professor of Law at New York University School of Law, was the first speaker to come from a background other than a computer science one. As a founding member of GermanoLawLLC, she also helps protect Fortune 50 companies from cybercrimes. “[It] was really interesting,” sophomore Samantha Gendler said. “The speakers gave many good tips on how to excel in most fields of business, not just cyber security. I thought it was very informative.”

After the presentations were over, the attendees split up into two workshops, one focusing on the operations of cyber security and the other on hardware in computing. The remainder of the symposium was held in a similar format, in which the attendees gathered into two separate groups for three separate blocks of workshops, with topics including Governance Risk Management and Compliance, Incidence Response, Software, and Security Engineering.

“One really interesting presentation was from an agent with the U.S. Secret Service. She even carried a gun! She spoke a lot about how cybercrime is beginning to develop organized structures, kind of like the Mafia,” junior Ariel Levy said. “She also talked about several recent and ongoing cases. One involved

credit card information theft from the credit card machines inside airport taxis; another was an online black market for illegal items such as arms and drugs.”

The symposium ended with a final break and question and answer panel with executives in the cyber security field, featuring Christie Grabyan, a Managing Security Associate at Bishop Fox Enterprise Security; Ben Nell, a Research Scientist at Accuvant Labs; Amy Butler, an AVP Information Security and Compliance Engineer at GWU; and Renee Forney, the Executive Director of Cyberskills Management Support Initiative at DHS. The panel was moderated by Briana Farro, a Sales Systems Engineer at McAfee.

“The professional from Google was really interested in Tamagotchi growing up. As a side project, she decided to ‘reverse engineer’ her Tamagotchi, meaning use the end product to figure out how it was constructed. After acquiring and manipulating the underlying code [for] about three years, she was able to make the character do the Harlem Shake on screen, which was pretty awesome,” Levy said.

The students did not attend the cocktail and buffet held at the college afterwards, although the adult attendees were able to hear about networking opportunities from Michelle Shaw, a Senior Engineer at McAfee. Nevertheless, they agreed that the trip was very educational and a great opportunity.

The goal of inspiring more females to enter into computer and other tech-related fields seems to have been achieved, at least anecdotally. “I [don’t] know if I would like to go into cyber security, but a job dealing with technology and business is generally what I want,” Gendler said. “I’m not interested in being a doctor. This is potentially one of the fields I could end up in.”

Truman went ahead with his plans.

Because of this, the film supposed that there may have been an ulterior motive for his action. The Soviet Union had just entered the war against Japan, and the atomic bomb could have been a warning for the Soviets to tread lightly.

Moreover, the common American impression that the atomic bombs ended WWII is not true.

In reality, the Japanese feared the Soviet Red Army that had recently invaded Japan. Deputy Chief of Staff of the Imperial Japanese Army Torashiro Kawabe commented that if the Red Army was not stopped, it would have taken over Hokkaido, Korea, and Manchuria, all Japanese-owned land at the time. The atomic bombs were, for the most part, irrelevant.

After WWII ended, the U.S. maintained a short-lived nuclear monopoly while other European countries raced to catch up. Wallace, who served as vice president during former President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s third term, thought that sharing atomic secrets with the Soviet Union was in America`s long-term interest. He also tried to ease the tensions between the two countries to prevent the Cold War, but many people thought that he was a Soviet sympathizer.

Stone and Kuznick argue that had Wallace remained as vice president and become president after Roosevelt’s death instead of Truman, the U.S. would have taken a drastically different path in history. In the film, Stone and Kuznick portrayed Wallace as a man whose opinions rep-

resented the right choice for America and who was unjustly wronged and pushed to the side.

After the movie was shown, there was a question-and-answer session with Stone and Kuznick.

One of the questions pertained to the reason for creating a documentary series. Stone cited the lack of a complete picture in history textbooks. “The history in school is like a Disney film; it’s distorted to represent America’s views. The truth is a lot darker,” Stone said.

Kuznick and Stone oppose the use of bombs in other times in history as well. Although the U.S. bombed Vietnam during the Vietnam War, it still lost. Even today, they think that President Barack Obama’s decision to bomb ISIS is flawed. “Bombing only destabilizes the area [Syria and Iraq]; bombing is the opposite of what we are trying to do,” Kuznick said.

After the presentation, Stone and Kuznick signed copies of their companion book to the documentary series, “The Untold History of the United States.” Sandler’s Advanced Placement United States History classes use parts of this novel in their curriculum.

Sandler liked Stone and Kuznick’s clear, unabashed depiction of their opinions in the documentary series, because he generally considers American history too celebratory and triumphant of our accomplishments. “Nobody has to agree with [Stone and Kuznick’s] opinions, but I liked how they deconstructed the common myths and drew the information out nicely,” Sandler said.

Sandler Wins New York State History Teacher of the Year Award continued from page 3

said. “I always try to approach history from different angles.”

The award ceremony began with a short musical performance and a few short speeches. Sesso presented the award and congratulated Sandler, highlighting how he “combines experiential activities with history, literature, art, music so that students come away with real meaning.” Sandler accepted the award, expressing his gratitude in a short speech.

“This is a huge honor…. I respect [Gilder Lehrman] a lot and I look up to the fact that they respect me too.”

—Robert Sandler, Social Studies teacher Following this, Fariña spoke.

“Social studies is a particular passion of mine,” she said. “In other countries, people live and breathe

their history, and the kids know it early on. I feel the United States has lost this. I’m trying to bring art and history into the school system, and great teachers like Mr. Sandler really make a difference.”

Suri read a letter from the Dean of Admissions at Harvard to Sandler. “Already this year two of your students have written essays about the dramatic and beneficial effect you’ve had on their lives,” it said. “Quite literally, you are making the kind of difference most of us can only dream about.” The event concluded with a short reception, catered by Sophie’s Cuban Cuisine.

“Gilder Lehrman is a very prestigious organization and I’ve been working with them for years,” Sandler said. “They collect documents but they also pay for teacher programs because they think history is important. I respect the organization a lot, and I look up to the fact that they respect me too.”

In addition to a cash prize, Sandler explained that Gilder Lehrman will pay for a summer program of his choice. In the past, Sandler has participated in a Gilder Lehrman program at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, going on private tours of the Civil War Photography and Painting exhibit with the curator. This year, he considers using the prize to take a summer seminar on following the trail of Louis and Clark or studying George Washington with university professors. “These are the things that get me excited to come back in the classroom and to come up with new ways to make things interesting and engaging for the students,” he said.

The Spectator ● October 31, 2014

Page 5

News Sophomores Take Kaplan’s New SAT Challenge

By Sharon Chao, Kimberly Ho, and Namra Zulfiqar Although only juniors are held accountable for their scores on the Preliminary SAT (PSAT), Stuyvesant has typically also required sophomores to take the PSAT as practice. This year, instead of taking the PSAT, sophomores took Kaplan’s New SAT Challenge.

The Kaplan SAT Challenge, modeled after the new version of the SAT coming out in March of 2016, has no penalty for wrong answers and is scored out of 1600.

There are four sections in total: two English and writing structure sections and two math sections.

The entire test was no more than two hours long, with each section taking 15 to 35 minutes.

Assistant Principal of Guidance Casey Pedrick introduced the idea of administering the New SAT Challenge to the administration. Kaplan had sent an e-mail to Pedrick and guidance chairs of some other schools, including Bronx Science, about its newly released SAT Challenge. The test prep company offered the test for free.

Pedrick believed it would be better for the sophomores to experience a test similar to the PSAT that they will take next year, so she consulted Principal

Jie Zhang, Assistant Principal of Organization Sandra RodriguezTabone, and the parents of the School Leadership Team (SLT).

Zhang and Rodriguez-Tabone both agreed to the idea of using the New SAT Challenge.

“Knowing that the current PSAT

“Why get practice on a style of test you will not be taking in coming years? [It’s] better to have some experience with a test closer to the real thing.”

—Barbara Reiser, Senior SLT Representative

is not going to be used [next year] anyway, nothing would [have been] worse,” Zhang said.

Another reason for administering the test was that the sophomores needed something to do within the time frame for the PSAT. The seniors attended a workshop on college applications and interviews in the cafeteria, while the freshmen listened to guest speakers talk about antibullying and self-esteem in the auditorium. This left no space for the sophomore grade. “We wanted to at least take advantage of the time [for sophomores]....

Based on the availability of resources and the benefits of getting a taste of the new test, that was the best use of that period of time for 10th graders,” Zhang said.

As a final check, Pedrick discussed the implementation of the New SAT Challenge with parents at the SLT meeting on September 23. SLT Senior Representative Barbara Reiser wholeheartedly supported the test. “I thought this made a great deal of sense.

Why get practice on a style of test you will not be taking in coming years? [It’s] better to have some experience with a test closer to the real thing,” Reiser said in an e-mail interview, corroborating her views with those of Zhang, Pedrick, and Rodriguez-Tabonne.

Poll: Halloween

By The Spectator News Department In celebration of Halloween, we have conducted a poll about how Stuyvesant students are celebrating the holiday. An email was sent to 1500 randomly chosen Stuyvesant students. 457 students responded.

Their responses are shown below.

A Good Enseña-er

By Jan Wojcik and Henry Walker Enseña means “to teach” in Spanish. Technology teacher and Robotics faculty advisor Rafael Colon does just that, and even more, as the faculty advisor of the robotics team (StuyPulse).

For his efforts, Colon was awarded the Enseña award from Latino Magazine. Latino Magazine is a periodical, published quarterly, which profiles Latino leaders in the fields of business, education, technology, media and government.

The Latino Magazine 2014 Enseña Awards were held in San Antonio, Texas, on Monday, September 29. The award is for Hispanic teachers who teach in and contribute to Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields.

The award is new this year, and was given to three teachers in the United States—one from Texas, one from Tennessee, and one, Colon, from New York.

Colon’s successes coaching the robotics team attracted the attention of the editors of Latino Magazine. Under Colon’s guidance, the robotics team has found great success in competitions and was given the opportunity to coach newly formed teams in China over the summer. “They basically just heard what we were doing, not just in Stuyvesant High School, but throughout the state in robotics, and they were looking for a Latino teacher,” Colon said.

However, all of this searching, done by the magazine’s editors, happened unbeknownst to Colon. Colon says that the editors of the magazine went through many schools across America. Stuyve-

sant High School was a school that was mentioned in the selection process, so the editors did some online research about Colon to see if he fit their qualifications.

One day, Colon got a call from the editors, who filled him in on what the award is about.

“They told me that they were looking at me, you know, looking through the stuff that I was doing, and I was one of the Latino teachers that they picked from the East Coast,” Colon said.

He flew to San Antonio to receive the prize. “I was [in San Antonio] for 24 hours. I got there, [the editors] did their thing, and boom, I was back in New York the next day,” Colon said.

Colon was chosen for the award due in part to his devotion to the Robotics team. Colon works hard to make the team successful, and is extremely dedicated, sometimes staying long hours after school.

Before Colon received the award, he had to clear his reception of the award with the Board of Education. Teachers are not allowed to receive monetary rewards, so Colon’s award was changed so that it did not violate the rules. “What happens is that it’s called conflict of interest, if you get money, then you can’t get the award, so they just gave me a trophy,” Colon said.

Colon was happy about the award, but he remained humble.

He gave credit to other teachers doing good work in STEM fields, just like him. “There are a lot of teachers out there who are doing the same thing I’m doing, it’s just they broke it down from all those teachers to just Latinos, and just on the East Coast, and then they just went school to school,” Colon said.

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Page 6

The Spectator ● October 31, 2014

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The Spectator ● October 31, 2014

Page 7

Features

Hayoung Ahn / The Spectator

Print Me A Wrench, Will You?

The members of the 3D printing club learn how to use SketchUp, a computer-aided design program aimed to create digital 3D models.

By Michelle Chan “Like Chocolate? Join the 3D Printing Club.”

Have you seen this poster before? If you have, the following two questions probably crossed your mind: “Will I be able to 3D print edible chocolate?” and “We have 3D printers at Stuy?”

Before we address the more important question, let’s talk about the fact that yes, we do have 3D printers in Stuyvesant High School. Scott Thomas, the Assistant Principal of Physics and Chemistry bought these printers, and they are currently residing in room 815. They have been used for Intel projects and for a new club created last year: the 3D Printer’s Club.

Seniors Mika Jain and Phillipp Steinman, the president and vice president, respectively, created this club because they noticed that many students are interested in 3D printing. Jain built his own 3D printer as a sophomore with a few of his classmates as part of a chemistry final project. “I realized that a lot of people were interested in 3D printing, especially the members of my group.

I spoke to my Honors Chemistry teacher [Samantha] Daves, who is now the club supervisor, and I suggested we create a club out of this,” Jain said. The club officially started in the second half of the 2014 school year, and the two printers in room 815 were used primarily for practice. At the time, only a handful of people were in the club, because Jain and Philip only advertised through the word of mouth.

The user of a 3D printer must be able to use AutoCad to draw his/her object with accurate dimensions before sending it to the 3D printer. “There’s a few different types of technologies for 3D printing. The one we’re using involves taking solid plastic, which is in filament form. So then it melts the plastic and deposits it layer by layer and it kind of works like a very sophisticated hot glue gun, if you will,” Jain explained.

The colors of the plastic material used are white, green, and orange. The 3D printer itself is essentially a large rectangular box that resembles a microwave with a see-through screen and buttons on the side. Working with these printers is not dangerous and

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does not require that users wear goggles or gloves.

Though the concept of 3D printing seems daunting and sophisticated, the club itself is very carefree. Jain and Steinmann created this club for people to develop their interests in 3D printing. “It’s a free, very flexible place, where people can create.

We focus on giving people the tools, giving people the skills necessary to be able to create.

[It’s] totally free-reign in terms of their creativity,” Jain said. “And in our case, they can also learn from each other and print really cool things,” Steinman added. For example, one member of the club 3D printed key-chains last year.

Additionally, Jain and Steinmann 3D printed a functional wrench to demonstrate the technological aspect of 3D printing. Although it was flimsy plastic, the wrench was very detailed; its mouth could be opened wider through the use of a screw-like part.

This year’s club meetings will be much more structured than those of last year. The meetings will begin by Jain and Steinmann teaching the new members how to use designing tools such as AutoCad. “The goal of the first few meetings will be to create small things so people will get adjusted to the whole 3D concept,” Jain said. From there, bigger projects will be developed.

So back to the more important question: will people be able to print edible 3D chocolate in this club? The answer, unfortunately, is no. The reason why the club used that question on some of their posters is because the club once printed a mold for chocolate. However, it would be a smart move to get acquainted with 3D printing now, because in 20 years, the quickest way to get a chocolate bar might just be to 3D-print it!

Halloween Decorations By The Photo Department

The Spectator ● October 31, 2014

Page 8

Features Kim Manning: “I Guess I Was a Little Bit of a Rebel” Soham Ghoshal / The Spectator and Courtesy of Ms. Manning

of it was growing up. However, I still love going to see my favorite bands perform. Some of my closest friends are covered in tattoos and they look the part that I don’t.

Ms. Manning is an English teacher at Stuyvesant who had an unique lifestyle before becoming a teacher. On the right is a picture of her during her rebellious teenage years.

By Geena Jung and Kachun Leung English teacher Kim Manning talks to The Spectator about her former pink hair, her decision to become a high school teacher, and her favorite fictional characters.

the Road,” as a teenager, was a favorite; that book is very much a counterculture text. It was about hitchhiking across America, which was something that appealed to me. Because of that rebellious phase I didn’t want to work in a corporate office and follow this traditional root.

We heard that you used to have pink hair; can you tell us more about that?

In high school, I guess I was a little bit of a rebel. I pierced my nose and I dyed my hair various shades. I enjoyed a lot of expressions of my individuality. I am sure that it was also tied to rebellion against my parents, who are super conservative, and rebellion against the suburban environment that I grew up in. “On

When did you stop dressing that way?

It stopped in my early 20s, when I started working, ironically, in a corporate office. I had to dress conservatively. I definitely couldn’t have worked there with the nose ring, so I took it out. I think after a while it wasn’t important to me anymore; I didn’t feel like I needed to have some sort of expression of my rebellious sort of view, and a big part

What were the bands you used to listen to?

My favorite band in the entire world is The Cure. Growing up I used to really love Depeche Mode and The Smiths. Those are probably my top three; I still listen to them. It’s kind of sad, actually, that I am not exactly hip. That’s also part of why I am not dressing up and why I changed, because I’m just tired.

I feel old, like, who can keep up with all these new bands and the hip places to go? It takes a lot of work, and I guess I am just not all that motivated to be hip.

We heard that you’re very interested in history; what topics do you find most interesting?

I am especially interested in movements that led to significant changes. Whether it’s the Women’s Rights movement, the Civil Rights Movement, or even literary periods or movements where writers and artists challenged what was considered acceptable, going against the grain. The PreRaphaelites and Aestheticism period in Victorian art and literature are some examples, and the Beat Generation. My love of literature and history all stem from the same place. That’s why when I teach any work of literature, its historical context is so important to me.

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If you could travel back in time, where would you go?

I would visit the Roaring ‘20s and hang out with the flappers.

How did you end up teaching high school students?

Teaching Fellows accepted me as a high school English teacher. I’ve actually seen advertisements all over the subway, things like, “Who’s going to remember your name?” I would see these ads, and I thought, “really, I want to teach on the college level, but maybe this is something that I might be interested in.”

And that’s why I applied to the New York City Teaching Fellows.

When I got the acceptance package it said, “Congratulations!

You have been accepted into the New York City Teaching Fellows.

Your assignment is high school English.”

How did you get the job at Stuyvesant?

I knew [English teacher Emily] Moore as someone I would see socially, because she was a roommate of my friend from high school. I had been excessed from the school I was teaching at that first year, and was essentially in a substitute pool. While subbing, I received a voicemail during lunch. It was Eric Grossman.

Nobody warned me, and he said, ‘Hello, this is Eric Grossman from Stuyvesant High School. I’ve received your number from Emily Moore, and we’re looking for an English teacher, and I would love for you to come in for an interview.” That afternoon, I had an interview with Mr. Grossman,

and I guess the rest is history.

If you could be any character from a book, who would you be?

Despite loving Lily Bart, Jane Eyre, and Scarlett O’Hara, the character that I relate to is Catherine Earnshaw from “Wuthering Heights.” She struggles with what she truly wants in life.

Afraid to make the wrong choices, she tries to have it all. She is unable to reconcile the two parts of her—the one that desires freedom from the restrictions placed upon her by a conservative society and one that yearns for the stability that comes with following the rules. Her struggle over which life to choose definitely speaks to me.

What qualities of these characters do you admire most?

They’re women and they break stereotypes and they push back against expectations and the societies in which they live.

Lily Bart from “The House of Mirth” is someone who doesn’t want to be simply a lady who lunches. She’s flawed; there are things about her that sort of make her part of that society, but she’s also a rebel. Anna Karenina is another rebellious female character. She makes a lot of really poor decisions, but she makes them herself. Jane Eyre is such a strong female character, but in other ways she’s not.

There are things about her that I find bothersome, but she’s true to herself throughout.

This interview has been condensed and edited.

The Spectator ● October 31, 2014

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Page 9

The Spectator ●October 31, 2014

Page 10

Editorials Staff Editorial

THINGS WE FIND SCARY •

• • • • • • • • • • • •

• • • • • • • •

When you’re walking down the hallway and see someone that you used to have a class with but haven’t talked to for half a year and your hand awkwardly spasms because you don’t know whether you should say hi or not. If you say hi they might not remember you, but if you don’t they might hate you forever.

When you just met someone at the beginning of the semester and you kind of know them but you’re not sure if they remember you and you go through the same exact process described above.

When it’s 7:53 a.m. and your downtown 2/3 train is being held “momentarily” by the dispatcher at 14th Street. You’re so close, yet so far. The train thanks you for your patience even though you’re not being patient.

When you have a last minute assignment to print during 6th period and the end of the library line stretches all the way down the hall to 615A. When you have a test and the students in the period before you walk out of the classroom looking like they just saw a dead body.

Circling your answers on a scantron with a pen and knowing there is no going back.

The translucent water that comes out of the first floor water fountain.

Hearing the words, “clear your desks and take out a pen” as you enter class.

Remembering at 11:50 p.m. that you have online homework due at 11:59 pm.

When you swipe into school on your birthday.

When you swipe into school and the scanner screeches.

Those 30 seconds when your coffee is in your bag while you walk past the scanners and it could spill and ruin everything.

When the up escalator suddenly jolts to a stop and the people cruising on the down escalators smile and laugh but you just witnessed your entire life flash before your eyes as you attempted to hold your balance after almost being thrown backwards onto the masses of students standing behind you.

When you reach under a desk and don’t feel any gum and realize how alone we truly are.

COLLEGE! More specifically: Your early application to college is due tomorrow.

When you walk into Parent-Teacher conferences with your parent in order to hear what your teacher says about you. Alternatively, when you chicken out of going and wonder what they’re saying about you as you stand outside.

When you decide to take a quick evening nap before studying for tomorrow’s test and you wake up to your alarm clock at 6:30 a.m.

Crossing the “other” side of West Side Highway.

When you decide to be ambitious and take the elevator without a pass but the doors open and you immediately regret your decision as you catch a glimpse of a teacher and run.

Your freshman ID photo.

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• The author of “Stand Up Economist Stands up for Climate Change” in Issue 3 was Namra Zulfiqar, not Emma Lichtenstein.

Opinions Human Rights, People Wronged

By Munawar Rahman As several pious men pray in their cell, the atmosphere of tranquility is severed by heavy metal rock blasting through the halls. Still, they have their hands cupped in prayer, their recitations memorized. As they whisper their solemn words, a guard trots down the hall and forces open the bars, aiming a rifle straight at these men.

Most Americans would feel sympathy toward these men.

Their persecution echoes that of religious minorities during the dark years of the 20th century and is not unlike the form of torture and humiliation suffered by North Korean civilians and other victims of contemporary totalitarian regimes. Nor is it unlike the degree of religious persecution that spurred the population of the early United States, reinforcing America’s role as a “safe haven” for any religious acolyte, as well as separation of church and state.

And yet, the situation I described occurred in 21st century America: Muslim detainees in Guantanamo Bay are under a systemic prison regime hell bent on humiliation of the highest order. Is there now a loss of sympathy? After all, these men conspired against our nation, our family, our friends—their threat toward our rights should warrant punishment. Wouldn’t

we want to uphold justice?

The “threat” in question includes warriors of the War on Terror, mostly from Afghanistan and later from Iraq and South Asia. In 2002, Donald H. Rumsfeld stated that the purpose of the prison was to detain, interrogate, and prosecute terrorist threats. This is menacing, especially considering the Bush administration’s claim that the detainees weren’t protected under the Geneva Conventions—laws that establish the standards of humanitarian treatment for prisoners of war.

These laws restrict a number of practices, such as the torture of detainees via waterboarding (meant to simulate drowning) in order to extract confessions.

Now one has to doubt the existence of these “crimes,” which makes the religious violations even more harrowing. Perhaps most interesting is how, by the nature of demographics, the prison is almost exclusively Muslim. And because Muslim detainees tend to openly practice their religion more, and because of the guards’ familiarity with Muslim practice, religious discrimination becomes clear as these prisoners become easy targets of torture.

The plight of these men was brought to the Supreme Court in the case of Rasul v. Rumsfeld in 2004, which should have been a clear-cut decision. Ac-

cording to law practitioner Eric L. Lewis in his article “Who Are ‘We the People?’”, the 1993 Religious Freedom Restoration Act (R.F.R.A.) would have been sufficient to turn the case. It “prohibits the government from ‘substantially’ burdening ‘a person’s exercise of religion’ unless it serves some important government interest that cannot be accomplished in any other way.” Any rational person would acknowledge this. After all, religious persecution and humiliation don’t serve crucial government or population interests. But bigotry and human rights violations have little to do with rationality—the woefully inadequate response was merely that, as alien detainees, these victims weren’t “persons” in any sense. On April 24, 2009, the Court of Appeals dismissed the case based on “limited immunity,” saying the courts had not clearly established that the religious abuses suffered by the detainees were prohibited at the time. On December 14, 2009, The US Supreme Court declined to accept the case for hearing—so much for serving government interests.

I think we can agree the detainees Guantanamo are people—at least, we should.

No doubt, Americans harbor a strong resentment toward these “unlawful combatants” who would dare take arms

against the U.S. Not that the dislike is unwarranted—with the aid of the media and political rhetoric, the American public has been led into believing the very embodiment of Eastern evil and anti-American sentiments is imprisoned on our very shores. And yet, based on the level of legal ambiguity concerning the status of these convictions, who’s been committing the real crime? However, what must be noted is that these crimes are the reason why these men were detained in the first place; that in itself should serve as some form of justice. Ideally we should aim for rehabilitation, but at the very least we shouldn’t resort to torturing and abusing individuals who have already had their power taken away from them. Obama’s recent speech concerning the ISIL crisis called upon the image of American exceptionalism and our mission to halt human rights violations. And yet, our government officials are currently acting like the authoritarian dictators Obama was criticizing.

Rasul V. Rumsfeld is dated now, and the horrors of Guantanamo have been condemned by organizations internationally, including but not limited to members of the EU, Amnesty International, and Human Rights Watch. But there is something more troubling be-

hind this—that the right to be considered a person can so easily be taken away from us. Once one is considered “alien,” he or she is no longer a person and are denied not only the right to practice religion, but speech as well. The inmates of Gitmo weren’t considered people because they weren’t Americans— they were aliens who tried to act against America—but it was still their religion being targeted. The guard who gave sinful orders and aimed guns would have had no problem doing the same thing to a group of individuals at a Mosque—after all, many of them are just as innocent, but they all read the Qu’ran. The more we let these actions slide, the easier it becomes to justify acts of cruelty against Muslims and foreigners in our own communities, dismissing them as “alien.” Our culture is too reactionary, too eager to paint a demographic as the enemy. So who are “we” in “We the People” if we throw Qu’rans down lavatories like radicals burn the American flag? If we wish to avoid being hypocrites, we must abandon our xenophobic pretense and be more consistent in how we approach human rights. As fired up as we are to spread “peace” and “freedom” everywhere, easing our vengeful hearts is a prerequisite.

The Spectator ● October 31, 2014

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Page 11

The Spectator ● October 31,2014

Page 12

Arts and Entertainment Movie

Bonny Truong/ The Spectator

After 10 Years, an Angsty Twin Duo Stays Strong

By Claire Burghard It’s hard not to recognize the magic of “Saturday Night Live” when two cast members are put side by side, in any situation, acting or not. It seems as if they grew up together; they finish each other’s sentences and visibly try not to laugh every time they make eye contact. Perhaps this is why former “SNL” costars Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig play such an accurate, heart-melting fraternal twin duo in

the film “The Skeleton Twins,” directed by Craig Johnson. The characters’ deeply rooted identity problems, dysfunctional family, and complicated, but charming, friendship make for a set of roles that only “SNL” veterans could achieve.

In the film, Maggie (Wiig) and Milo (Hader) are reunited after ten strange years of separation by their almost simultaneous suicide attempts when Maggie receives a call from the emergency room about Milo’s drunken wrist-slitting episode as she stands nervously with

a handful of pills. The audience immediately encounters the characters’ depressed sides, and soon discovers their respective personalities. Milo, a gay unemployed actor waiting tables in Hollywood, radiates a devilishly witty but nevertheless lovable charisma. His disappointment in himself and his career is perfectly illustrated by a scene right after Maggie has picked up her brother from the hospital; when Maggie asks about his acting, Milo replies sarcastically, “Yeah, didn’t you hear? I won an Oscar.”

Maggie’s unhappiness stems from a lifestyle that is the polar opposite of her brother’s; he has gone out into the world and returned home without success, while she stayed in her hometown, married, and is now restless in her perfect and quiet suburban house. She is too polite and kind to admit her miserable state of boredom, her urges to cheat on her sensitive and sweet husband Lance (Luke Wilson), and her disinterest in having a child even though her spouse wants one. All she can bring herself to do is scream into a pillow in a fit of anger.

The twins’ reunion is awkward at first, but their unique bond quickly blossoms again, as if no time has passed since they last saw

each other. They point out each other’s flaws: Milo’s teenage-girllike defense mechanism of moodiness, or Maggie’s struggle to let go of the life she “should” be happy with. Their chemistry captures the connection that twins naturally build, as they can both seriously care about and understand each other, while also being hilariously silly. When Milo needs a cheering up on Halloween, his sister pulls out a collection of ridiculous costumes and dresses him up to lift his spirits (in drag, of course). He reciprocates by convincing his sister to take laughing gas with him when she is feeling blue; a scene then follows with the pair rolling around on the carpeted doctor’s office floor over childish fart jokes. In another scene, as Maggie has a meltdown about her irresponsibility as a wife, her brother takes the initiative to turn on an ‘80s pop song and lipsync and dance her into a good mood. The support system they have is not only accurately portrayed, but also wildly charming and worthy of envy.

The film’s strong points were the two main actors, but unfortunately, certain moments of scriptwriting were not worthy of their talent. While the comedic moments of the movie were perfectly

simple and laughable, the serious moments were slow and often predictable. Almost every scene in which the two twins were apart lacked humor and were therefore uninteresting. Visually, however, every scene had potential. The film crew did a beautiful job capturing not only the quaint and quiet atmosphere of a small town in upstate New York during autumn, but also the dynamic chemistry of the two leads. The film also created a detailed representation of ordinary life by focusing on and amplifying small moments. In one scene, Maggie is seen breathing deeply underwater as her scuba instructor subtly seduces her. In another more humorous moment, Milo finally overcomes his perpetual negative attitude as he performs manly tasks with Lance, in slow motion, with triumphant music in the background. By highlighting the simplicity of their lives, the movie makes Maggie and Milo real and understandable to the audience.

Despite its minor drawbacks, the “The Skeleton Twins” was creative in its character development, humor, acting, and cinematography. It was a serious yet sweet rendition of a rare but relatable relationship.

The Mathematical Probability of Happiness

By Shahruz Ghaemi and Emma McIntosh Add these to the list of things you didn’t know you didn’t know about Stephen Hawking, astrophysicist extraordinaire: the disease Hawking suffers from, called motor neuron disease (MND), is closely related to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, which should sound familiar), he was diagnosed at the age of only 21, when he was still a promising student at Cambridge, and he has fathered three children. “The Theory of Everything” is about precisely these little-known aspects of Hawking’s extraordinary life story, which is dramatic, tragic, heartbreaking, inspiring, and ultimately uplifting.

We were contacted by the press team at “The Theory of Everything,” who were kind enough to offer us a rare opportunity to watch the movie prior to its release. They thought that the movie’s subject would be of special interest to us Stuyvesant students, but the film speaks for itself.

Focusing heavily on Stephen and Jane Wilde’s romance, the movie intertwines the story of his physical challenges with his scientific discoveries and the couple’s complicated emotional and

personal journey. It all starts out well enough: Stephen (Eddie Redmayne) is a rising cosmology student who dreams of finding one elegant equation to explain it all and dispose of God, when he meets Jane (Felicity Jones), a literature and history student, and also a devout Anglican. Their eyes meet across the room at a party, and he invites her to lunch with his parents, and then to the May Ball. The emotional hurdles of their later lives are still bathed (in the Hollywood version, at least) in the sepia glow of this initial romance.

Then comes the world-shattering diagnosis: MND will destroy Stephen’s body, yet it will leave his brilliant mind untouched. But Jane refuses to let this change their romance, and so they ready themselves for the impending storm, prepared to embark on this perilous journey together.

Redmayne and Jones have an undeniable and enviable chemistry. They communicate in their own language, with subtle eyebrow movements, and smiles, and words half-mouthed across a dinner table. Their connection is only heightened as Stephen gradually loses his ability to speak and Jane becomes his connection with the outside world: in one dinner scene,

Jane steps in to explain his work on unifying quantum and Newtonian physics, comparing the two models to peas and potatoes.

At a press conference with the actors that we were also lucky enough to attend, they attributed this seemingly effortless emotional connection to how completely they were able to become Stephen and Jane. The real Stephen Hawking and Jane Wilde were consulted heavily for the movie, which is based on Wilde’s newest autobiography. Speaking about one heartwrenching scene towards the end of the movie (spoiler: the couple eventually separates), Jones said that staring into Redmayne’s eyes she saw not her fellow actor, but Stephen staring back.

The increasing severity of Hawking’s illness hindered him more and more as time went on, and Redmayne’s performance of this complex, unique, and by definition physical disease never ceases to impress. Right from the beginning of the movie, Redmayne drops hints of MND; he limps slightly, and occasionally a hand will move erratically, but it’s nothing particularly noticeable, until, of course, the disease actually begins to take over. Not only is his distress over MND’s onset evident through long

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stares at fingers he simply does not have the power to move anymore, but the motions of his entire body mimic those of actual MND patients. In addition, as the film and his disease progress, Redmayne’s portrayal develops as well. He revealed that he spent time in a MND treatment center to get to know the patients and their illness, culminating in the creation of a chart to determine what stage of MND he would have to embody for each day’s shoot.

One of the central themes of the movie is indefatigable optimism.

Stephen cracks jokes, pursues his PhD, and tries to take as large a part in raising his children as he can, all despite incredible challenges: it soon becomes an immensely difficult task to walk to his classes and even to climb up stairs just to comfort his children.

The movie also clearly shows the strains that are put on Jane, from Stephen’s developing disability to having to raise three children virtually on her own, and how this forces her to put her doctorate in medieval Spanish poetry on hold.

Stephen’s optimism often turns into cheery denial, which adds to Jane’s burden, such as when he refuses to hire nursing help despite his worsening condition.

In an earlier autobiography, Jane Wilde characterized an increasingly famous Hawking as a remote, “all-powerful emperor” and “masterly puppeteer.” His flippancy is somewhat present in Redmayne’s performance (remember, he was an arrogant Cambridge genius, after all), especially in his continued unwillingness to take things seriously the first time around. But although Wilde has since reconciled with Hawking to the extent that “The Theory of Everything” presents a slightly fictional Jane and Stephen (Hollywood can’t help but take some liberties in terms of its dramatization), it is still an utterly poignant story.

Soon after he is told by doctors that his life will be gone no sooner than it started, Stephen asks about the mathematical probability of happiness given his current state.

An older, world-famous Stephen Hawking, wheelchair-bound but capable of communicating through technology, answers that question: just as the universe has no limits, “there should be no bounds on human endeavor. As long as there is life, there is hope.”

“The Theory of Everything” opens November 7, 2014.

The Spectator ●October 31, 2014

Page 13

Arts and Entertainment TV

The Good, the Passable, and the Boring: Fall TV Though upperclassmen may only emerge from their fog of college-related activities long enough to marvel at the fact that the outside world goes on, the fall TV season is well underway. The big networks have a remarkable crop of shows this autumn, though NBC may be searching yet again for a perennial hit come next October (see: “A to Z”). Other shows look like they have staying power, while there are some that we’d like to see improve as they go on. It may truly be, as former principal Stanley Teitel used to say: of pumpkin spice lattes, a good Chemistry grade, and enjoying fall TV, you can only pick two.

Lydia Wu/ The Spectator

Scorpion

By Anjelika Amog

Gotham

By Michael Gao In the comic Batman Chronicles #6, Gotham is said to be named after a village where, according to common belief, “all are bereft of their wits.” Gotham City, is therefore, the city of the insane. Moral bankruptcy, if not insanity, is ubiquitous in the gritty, seedy city where politicians dabble with criminals, corrupt or inept cops languish in honorless positions, and mob leaders are influential.

“Gotham,” developed by Bruce Heller, is a reboot of the Batman mythos with some key differences. Unlike the comics or the movies, “Gotham” is not about a capable adult Bruce Wayne returning to fight against sinister villains, but rather a young, clean-shaven Jim Gordon (Ben McKenzie) who solves murders and engages in shootouts. Bruce is still just a child trying to cope with his parents’ murders. The show is about the city that raises not only Bruce, but also Catwoman (Camren Bicondova) and the Penguin (Robin Lord Taylor). “Gotham,” however, gives many of these classic Batman villains new origin stories, such as the Penguin’s relationship to crime-boss and original character Fish Mooney (Jada Pinkett Smith).

The fresh take is well done. First of all, “Gotham” is always dynamic, varying from fastpaced and punchy, to sinisterly insinuative, to lighthearted (but not laugh-out-loud). The one defining aspect of its many moods is a vaguely cynical sense of apprehension, which contributes to the drama. The characters also have interesting relationships, mostly because they clash constantly. Harvey Bullock (Donal Logue), a well-meaning crooked cop, is a foil to Gordon, a detective who has true moral rectitude. “Gotham” is, all in all, a good show, though it remains to be seen how it will develop. To search for the soul of Gotham is to search for the soul of a city, and that is not an easy thing to do; in conjunction with attempts to retain slivers of realism, it will be a struggle.

A to Z

By Frances Dodin NBC has released its latest attempt at the next hit sitcom, but it remains unclear whether its undeniable cuteness factor will keep it from becoming another name on the list of failures.

Ben Queens’s “A to Z” depicts the relationship between Andrew Lofland and Zelda Vasco, exploring the qualities of today’s stereotypical relationship. Ben Feldman from “Mad Men” and Christin Milioti from “How I Met Your Mother” portray the central couple as we see their fleeting, yet unrealistically inspiring, relationship. Each episode follows an example of a common relationship theme in a sequential and alphabetized manner, which is shown by the first three episode names: “A for Acquaintances,” “B for Big Glory,” and “C is for Curiouser and Curiouser.”

Unfortunately, in my first glimpse of the show, I can already see its impending doom. Admittedly, the show has a certain charm that makes you root for the quirky characters, but the fluff, along with many other flaws, may lead to its failure.

As much as the viewers want Andrew and Zelda’s relationship to shine, the start of first episode immediately points out that that the couple will break up in less than nine months.

This appears to contradict the ultimate gist of the show, which is to follow a relationship from beginning to end, from “A to Z” (cue the “oh”s). Andrew and Zelda seem too perfect, both in their personal and professional lives; Zelda is an accomplished attorney, and Andrew conveniently works for an online dating company across the street from her office. Even the supporting characters are borderline irritating and distracting; their storylines are meaningless and unimportant, and take away from the charm of the relationship drama. Finally, the lack of a commitment to the truth strikes the biggest blow. As much as I want to believe that what Andrew and Zelda have is real, the sitcom clichés make the storylines predictable.

So what does the show really have going for it? I see it as a puppy going to the dentist; it’s adorable, but you know what’s going to happen and you don’t want to be there when it does.

The only real question is when it’s going to happen. Will they end with the episode 26, “Z is for…”? Or will they grab another language altogether and go through that alphabet?

“Scorpion” is based on the true story of Walter O’Brien (Elyes Gabel), an eccentric genius (IQ: 197) who leads a team of brilliant minds recruited

by Homeland Security. The team, nicknamed Scorpion, consists of Sylvester Dodd (Ari Stidham), their human calculator and statistics expert; Happy Quinn (Jadyn Wong), a prodigious mechanical engineer; and Toby Curtis (Eddie Kaye Thomas), a behavioral analyst who can accurately read anyone. With federal agent Cabe Gallo (Robert Patrick), they defend the nation against complex, high-tech threats. Together, they’ve faced communication malfunctions at major international airports, reversed the effects of a bio-engineered virus, and saved a nuclear reactor from melting down.

But their team is not complete without Paige Dineen (Katharine McPhee), a “normal” person who acts as a translator between the team and laypeople. Paige is not intellectually gifted in the manner of the other members of the team, but she is indispensable because, for all their knowledge and intelligence, the members of team Scorpion are confounded by the outside world (a group of scorpions is called a “cyclone”). In the pilot, Walter, in a moment of panic, admits to Paige that people with a high IQ tend to have a low EQ, or emotional quotient, and that main theme holds the series together.

Each episode presents its own mind-boggling and harrowing problem, which promises catastrophe if not solved within a limited time period.

But what makes the show interesting is following these characters as they struggle to understand their emotions and their interpersonal relationships. Paige plays a key role in humanizing the group of geniuses, addressing the emotional issues that they have a tendency to ignore, thus making them more accessible to the audience. The team’s brilliance allows them to face suspenseful problems, but their emotions and interactions make the show intriguing.

How To Get Away With Murder

By Michael Gao On the heels of “Scandal” comes another show produced by Shonda Rhimes— “How to Get Away with Murder,” a serial legal drama. The show focuses on Professor Annalise Keating, J.D., and her carefully selected student aides, who are soon revealed to be involved in a murder. The fast-paced show focuses on both the present time, in which Keating and her students are involved in legal cases and relationship drama, and the future, seamlessly flashing forward to the night of the murder. The juxtaposition colors the audience’s perception of events while inducing expectation.

To understand the show, one must understand the complex character of Keating (Viola Davis), its broody, sharp star. Keating is a superb lawyer and teacher, whose words ring with truth. But for all her legal prowess, her advice is sadly self-parodic, often coiling back at her. Keating refers to her criminal law class as “How to Get Away with Murder,” igniting sparks in the audience’s heart; the title is dramatic, true (in many ways), and foreshows future events in the show.

Another time, she tells Michaela, one of her student aides, to “choose your husband carefully.” Keatings, herself, cannot follow this advice: her husband, Sam, is a murderer, and she has a romantic affair. Keating is embroiled in the events of the story, both as simply another character participating in the plot and in a larger-than-life sense, informing the audience thematically.

Other characters that might seem only moderately interesting in comparison to Keating are buoyed by flair. Michaela (Aja Naomi King), a law student, cheerfully manipulates her way into getting information. Connor Walsh (Jack Falahee), another student aide, puts his boyfriend’s hacker skills to use with firm arrogance. Wes Gibbins (Alfred Enoch) conducts intense research in his spare time, and at one point, fakes a lawyer ID in order to talk to a jailed person. All the main characters have similar predatory, sharp natures, but besides Keating, they lack significant depth.

“How to Get Away with Murder” doles out suspense and effortlessly grasps its audience’s attention, much more than is expected from a single season. If it becomes too slow, however, viewers will find themselves wondering just how to get away with murder.

After its premiere on October 7 this year, “The Flash” became the most-watched show in CW history and has joined the list of comic book-based TV series with huge potential. “The Flash” is a spin-off of “Arrow” featuring Barry Allen (played by “Glee” star Grant Gustin), a forensic assistant who was—literally—struck by lightning.

Produced by Geoff Johns, the creator of the comic book character, “The Flash” takes place in the same universe as that of Green Arrow from “Arrow.” Upon forming a friendship with the masked vigilante during a work-related trip, Barry returns to his hometown, Central City, where he begins a new chapter of his life.

Barry Allen is a boyish-looking and socially awkward adult who has grown up with his best friend Iris and her dad, Detective Joe West, after witnessing his mother’s mysterious murder and his father’s arrest as a young boy. Working with West as an intelligent crime scene investigator, he distances himself from his peers as he obsesses over his mother’s death and clearing his father’s name. One day, a scientific center called S.T.A.R. Labs publicly unveils a particle accelerator that explodes during an intense thunderstorm. Barry gets struck by lightning while working and wakes up from a coma nine months later, but with ability to run above 300 mph. With the help of Harrison Wells, the creator of S.T.A.R. Labs, Barry is able to identify himself as a “metahuman,” and soon learns how to use his powers and protect the city against villains.

“The Flash” promises a thrilling series about a good guy risking his life to catch bad guys, incorporating police work with superhero fantasy in a blend of action, drama, and romance.

Every episode ends with a cliffhanger that leaves viewers on the edge of their seats. It’s a classic superhero show, filled to the brim with code names, villains, costumes, and plenty of action.

Yuchen Jin/ The Spectator

The Flash

By Mahfuza Sabiha

The Spectator ● October 31,2014

Page 14

Arts and Entertainment STC Preview

La Vie: Behind the Scenes of “Rent” When the curtain rises on Wednesday, November 5, over a freezing apartment on the corner of 11th St. and Avenue B for the first of three performances of “Rent,” weeks of work from your fellow students will have come to fruition. Since September, during a few all-day sessions and after school, they have worked on creating the set, preparing costumes, memorizing lines, and trying to hit the right notes in “La Vie Boheme.” We visited the STC during one day of rehearsals for the Broadway musical about a group of young, starving artists living under the shadow of HIV/

AIDS in the late 1980s.

The Art crew has been notably ahead of schedule in creating an impressive backdrop of apartment windows, as well as covering the set in posters competing with “DO NOT BILL” notices, in true New York fashion. The only changes would be spontaneous ones, or as assistant art director junior Michaela Papallo puts it, “creative bursts of inspiration.”

Backstage, the Tech crew was busy putting finishing touches on some of the made-from-scratch set piece—under the watchful eyes of tech advisor Ms. Leslie Bernstein, of course. This included stress-testing the table that cross-dressing character Angel, played by senior Franco Caputo, will dance across during the song

“Today 4 U.” Caputo said that though he would be doing his own choreography, he would still be doing that particular stunt in four-inch heels, a feat that he called “a challenge.” The costume directors, seniors Eliza Hripcsak and Olivia Clark, said that the real challenge was managing Angel’s numerous costume changes.

Meanwhile, the dance directors, seniors Nadia Saleh and Danielle Isakov and junior Frances Dodin, were in the hallway outside trying to finalize other dance numbers, blending Broadway choreography with steps of their own creation. Talking with them, it seemed that their biggest concern was balancing faithfulness to the spirit of the music

Photography

with what they could confidently do.

That day, the cast was rehearsing a scene from the end of Act I at an abandoned lot-turnedprotest-site (“Homeless people, get in position! Junkies, get in position!” were among the memorable stage directions). With practically the entire cast onstage for that scene, the importance of getting the complicated blocking exactly right became clear.

The directors, sophomores Zora Arum and Livia Kunins-Berkowitz shouted revisions in real-time so as to minimize the number of complete halts, and the actors ran, adjusted, and re-ran the scene.

It wasn’t a perfect runthrough, nor was that what they

Music

Photography with a Purpose

Listening to New Sounds, Live

Courtesy of Bethany Michaela Jones

By Shahruz Ghaemi

Photoville is the largest annual photographic event in New York City.

By Mahfuza Sabiha On a summer night in Brooklyn Bridge Park, the sky is dark, but everything is illuminated—both by the enchanting Manhattan skyline and strings of warm fairy lights. Photographers, parents, and kids ride by on their bikes or walk around, licking ice-cream cones from the nearby Ample Hills creamery.

This is Photoville, New York City’s biggest photography festival. New York’s diverse cultural activities like New York Comic-Con, The NYC Film Festival, and Smorgasburg often have frustratingly high prices, but luckily, Photoville is not only fabulous and diverse, but also free!

Photoville is a project launched by United Photo Industries at Brooklyn Bridge Park Pier 5 as part of the annual DUMBO Arts Festival. This year, Photoville lasted for two weekends: September 18-21 and September 25-28. Inside more than 60 repurposed shipping containers hung the work of photographers from around the world, from the world-famous to high school students. Most of these photographers aimed to raise awareness of the harsh reality outside of gentrified Dumbo, Brooklyn (“I Am a Foreigner” focused on the lives of Central Asian migrants travelling to Russia in search of work), though some simply wanted to tell meaningful stories. Their work was showcased to a public numbering over 80,000.

The large turnout was due to how open and friendly Photoville was toward everyone. It welcomed families, including energetic children and pets (uncommon for art exhibits). Novice photographers or visual art lovers could get involved by learning how to properly use a camera in a hands-on workshop or by listening to professionals share their stories and images. What particularly struck me were

were aiming for. Pushing the boundaries of their preparation, some cast members hummed random lyrics in order to keep the scene going. Towards the end of the day, senior Claire Burghard addressed the cast and crew present, reminding them that there were only two weeks left, but encouraging them to show their full commitment and pull through.

“Rent” deals with themes of sexuality, illness, drug use, and individual expression. But Arum and Kunins-Berkowitz were fully confident in their cast of “intelligent adults who care about the issues presented in the play wholeheartedly,” Arum said. The lives of the STC members may be hectic, but they certainly are looking forward to opening night.

the “Gaia Squarci” audio tours for the visually impaired, which offered the opportunity to experience the visual medium through other means.

My two favorite exhibitions were the Instagram Mural and the Body-Imaging Exhibit. Featured on the walls of the Instagram display were photos taken by various users, snapshots of a lively world (a bright-eyed girl in a beautifully composed shot, a picture of embers flying over a campfire). There was also the Instagram Scroll—a canvas of 45 photos in a loop you could manually crank, much like scrolling through an Instagram feed.

What I really enjoyed about this exhibit was that all the photos were taken by ordinary people with just their phones. You don’t need an expensive camera to be a good photographer—you just have to be able to really see your subject.

The Body-Imaging Exhibit focused on the beauty of the human body. The shipping container was arranged like a doctor’s office—a curtain separating the waiting room from the examining room, where “the doctor” would “diagnose” the patient (asking them what part of the body they would like photographed).

One of the more interactive containers, this exhibit was popular. It focused on the beauty of various parts of the entire body, not just the face. On the walls were the photos of body parts of hundreds of people. The differences in skin tones, body art, and unique features highlighted the individuality of every person involved in the exhibit.

Not only was Photoville a great place for me to spend a night viewing incredible photos for free, but I was also able to see the world from the comfort of a quiet neighborhood set against the beautiful city lights. I can only wonder how much bigger and better Photoville 2015 will be.

The Winter Garden at Brookfield Place (otherwise known as the Financial Center), just down the street from Stuyvesant High School, is beautiful at night. The highvaulted glass ceiling and towering palm trees transform the space into an arboretum on a spaceship, with windows looking out into the fathomless darkness. What a splendid setting, then, for John Schaefer’s New Sounds Live concert series.

For those not raised on WNYC, New York’s local public radio station, Schaefer is the resident music guru. He hosts two different hour-long shows every weekday: Soundcheck (9 p.m.) and New Sounds (11 p.m.). There have been countless times when I’ve wound down the night while listening to Schaefer’s soothing voice introduce another Canadian ambient electroacoustic piece or a series of works written in the 21st century for 14th century instruments, both of which were featured on recent episodes. On New Sounds, Schaefer takes us to the borders between the genres of the world’s most eclectic music.

With New Sounds Live, he brings that musical creativity into corporeal form by hosting guest musicians and ensembles from all over the globe. This latest round of performances (10/14–10/16) featured three free nights of modern orchestral music: Julia Wolfe’s “Steel Hammer,” a collection of compositions by The National’s Bryce Dessner, and the world premiere of Grey McMurray’s new arrangement of “Tubular Bells” by Mike Oldfield. I was able to see both “Steel Hammer” and “Tubular Bells.”

Both epitomized exactly what New Sounds is about: seeing music in strange new ways.

In “Steel Hammer,” Wolfe re-tells the classic American folk tale of John Henry, a railroad worker who raced to out-dig a steam engine and won, at the cost of his life.

But, as with all folk tales, the versions differ. Wolfe collated the differences between more than 200 versions into a soaring choral and orchestral piece performed by the Bang-On-A-Can All-Stars, a genre-busting

ensemble that Wolfe helped to found.

In the section titled “Characteristics,” the lyrics (“He was small/ He was tall/ He was black/ He was white/ He was true/ He was false”) can only throw their hands up and show, in its most simplified form, how the singers whirl around each other in a mélange of descriptions. The same is true for the rest of the ensemble: the banjo player beats out a rhythm with tap shoes, the pianist gets up to pluck at the piano’s strings.

But when we reach the point in the legend when John Henry picks up his hammer to race the steam engine, bells ring out like dwarven hammers striking in the bowels of the earth. Wolfe and the All-Stars pull out all the stops in delivering this immersive masterpiece.

“Tubular Bells” is best-known for being the soundtrack to the first four minutes of “The Exorcist,” which may be unfair to the piece. However, the introductory piano solo (now a marimba solo in Mcmurray’s arrangement) definitely calls forth a nervous man in a trench-coat walking down a rainy street.

This is the underlying motif of the hourlong piece, appearing in each segment, sometimes loud and sometimes barely perceptible. What is most notable is how different each section of the composition sounds from the ones preceding or following it, despite the common theme and the use of the same instruments. The ensemble starts out with this pure motif but quickly moves into different waters, jumping across styles and genres, always keeping the sound fresh.

You won’t be able to fall asleep to this arrangement of “Tubular Bells” when a funky, lounge feel turns on its heels to become a modern rock assault.

When Schaefer takes to the stage to open each night’s performances, I finally get to see the man behind the voice. New Sounds is about finding the “melody in the rainforest and the rhythm in an orchestra of tin cans.” With the radio show and future New Sounds performances, the journey continues, though the concert may be over.

Anne Duncan/The Spectator

By Shahruz Ghaemi and Jenny Jiang

The Spectator ● October 31, 2014

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The Spectator ●October 31, 2014

Page 16

Sports 2014-15 NBA Preview LeBron James is finally back home, Derrick Rose and Kobe Bryant are finally back, Derek Fisher has finally retired, and J.R. Smith has finally realized that he plays a team sport. Linsanity may or may not have a second life in Los Angeles, Roy Hibbert may or may not be good at basketball, and LeBron James may or may not have a receding hairline (of similar importance, he may or may not pass Michael Jordan in MVP awards). There are a million ways to preview the upcoming NBA season, but we chose to each rank the top six teams in the league. Here are our predictions:

By LEV AKABAS

Michael Lim/ The Spectator

1) San Antonio Spurs Every season, people ask, “Is this season the end of the Spurs’ dynasty?” Every season, the answer is definitively no. With seven 1-seeds since coach Gregg Popovich and Tim Duncan came to San Antonio in 1997, they’ve never given us reason to not label them championship contenders. After demolishing the Miami Heat in the 2014 Finals, they’re finally getting the respect they deserve. If you play street ball in the park, you’re less likely to see players copying Kobe Bryant’s fade-away jump-shot; rather, you’ll see them passing to their teammates shouting, “Spurs ball movement!” After San Antonio brought back their entire championship roster, ranking them any lower than first would disrespect the beautiful brand of team basketball that they’ve popularized.

By CHRIS KIM 1) Cleveland Cavaliers Their number one ranking shouldn’t come as a surprise; the new big three is session, and this time, it’s with LeBron James coming home. LeBron, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love are undeniably going to be a force to be reckoned with offensively, and with a surplus of consistent supporting components, namely Anderson Varejao and Dion Waiters, and three-point shooting specialists like Mike Miller and James Jones, it would be silly of me to say that this team doesn’t have the highest potential ceiling in the league. Many have questioned whether the Cavaliers will be able to develop strong team chemistry in time for the playoff season with their newly composed roster, but I have confidence in veteran LeBron James, as his maturity and experience on winning teams will lead Cleveland to at least a Finals appearance.

2) San Antonio Spurs Season after season we choose to dismiss the Spurs’ chances simply because of their age. Well, whatever coach Gregg Popovich makes his team do during the off-season to stay in shape seems to work over and over again, so this time around I’m ranking last year’s NBA champions as the second best team in the league. With practically the same cohesive lineup as last year, I don’t see any Western Conference team that has improved enough over the summer to get by Coach Pop and the crew. But I’m still siding with the Cavaliers if they face the Spurs in The Finals; with as much talent as they have, the Cavaliers should have the upper-hand.

3) Chicago Bulls NO MORE INJURIES, PLEASE! Literally the only team that has a good chance of knocking off the Cavaliers in the East, the Bulls are coming in this season with high expectations.

Derrick Rose is back in the mix after missing two years due to knee injuries, and his flashy plays in the preseason remind us that Russell Westbrook isn’t the only point guard in the league who can drive to the basket at bullet speed.

The Bulls’ roster upgrades, specifically Pau Gasol and Nikola Mirotić replacing Carlos Boozer and Luol Deng in the front-court, have definitely given the team stronger scoring options and better ball movement. Known for their impenetrable defense, the Bulls now boast a top-notch offense, and will indefinitely give the Cavaliers a hard time in their quest to make The Finals.

4) Oklahoma City Thunder With 2014 MVP Kevin Durant out for the first eight weeks of the season, the Thunder will quickly come to two realizations: they don’t have a reliable bench, and Westbrook is not the superstar point guard who can lead a team by himself as he claims he can. That being said, Durant is only sidelined for limited time, and he proved last season when Westbrook was injured that he has the ability to single-handedly carry a team. If the Thunder are able to make some trades or develop young talent to construct a formidable bench in time for Durant’s return, which I believe coach Scott Brooks can do, then the Thunder will continue being the postseason threat that they’ve been for the past four seasons.

5) Dallas Mavericks Just think about this for a second; in last season’s playoffs, the Mavericks were the closest team to defeating the eventual NBA champions, battling the Spurs in a seven-game series. Of course, the Mavericks are not the same team they were last year, as they made bold moves to acquire Chandler Parsons and Tyson Chandler, two players who will immediately impact their offense and defense, respectively. We often forget how good Parsons actually is because he spent most of last season watching teammate James Harden flop in Houston, but I’m expecting great things from him and the entire Dallas team. With Monta Ellis and veteran leader Dirk Nowitzki as major scoring threats, it wouldn’t be a surprise if they were the ones giving the LeBron James a run for his money in The Finals, something familiar to Dirk and the Mavericks.

6) Golden State Warriors Similar to the Bulls, the Warriors have been victims of injuries far too often. I’d rank these hooligans in the top three if I knew for certain that they could stay on the court for the entire season. They have all the key components of a championship team; they’ve got superior three-point shooting, protection in the paint thanks to Andrew Bogut, and rebounding from a strong front-court. If team doesn’t suffer from injuries, the questions that remain are Stephen Curry’s consistency in the postseason and, in general, decisions that new coach Steve Kerr must make.

Should Andre Iguodala play more of a role in the offense or should he let Klay Thompson take a substantial number of shots each game? Regardless, the Warriors will make their mark in the post-season, and the enormous Curry fan-base will only grow bigger.

2) Cleveland Cavaliers In a matter of two weeks in July, LeBron James returned to his home and former team, and Cleveland traded for Kevin Love (who finally escaped from Minnesota) to team them up with Kyrie Irving.

Though they are unaccustomed to playing together, super-talented squads have been successful in their first year together, such as the Miami Heat in 2011, when the LeBron-Wade-Bosh triumvirate made The Finals. This Cavaliers’ trio will mesh perfectly. Love, an elite outlet passer, will set up his athletic teammates for fastbreaks. LeBron won’t have to play point guard like he did in Miami – Irving is a premier ball-handler who can dish to LeBron on the wing. LeBron is an excellent passing forward, and will find Love and Irving, fantastic three-point shooters, for the most wide-open threes they’ll have ever attempted.

The issues are clear, but not disastrous. While they lack shot-blocking and guards who play strong defense, Love will allow them to outrebound other teams, the key to decent defense. Another concern is experience. Neither Love nor Irving has played in an NBA playoff game.

However, the leadership of LeBron and first-year head coach David Blatt, a creative offensive mind who led Maccabi Tel Aviv to a European championship, should guide Cleveland to The Finals.

3) Los Angeles Clippers Despite distractions surrounding controversial former owner Donald Sterling, the Clippers nearly advanced to the third round last year. When point guard Chris Paul missed over a month due to injury, the ever-improving Blake Griffin became more assertive on offense. An offseason later, Griffin’s outside shot appears smoother and quicker, which helped him lead the league in scoring during the preseason (Paul led in assists). The Clippers still have key specialists surrounding their

two superstars, including league-leading rebounder Deandre Jordan and sharpshooter J.J. Reddick, who is healthy after a slew of back and hip injuries last year.

After nine seasons and seven All-Star appearances, Paul has never even reached the Western Conference Finals! With no clear favorite in the West and Paul in his physical prime at 29 years old, this may be his best chance to remove himself from the list of NBA greats who can’t win in the playoffs.

4) Chicago Bulls Derrick Rose. Derrick Rose. Derrick Rose. If Rose, who missed the last two years with knee injuries, can return to his 2011 MVP form, the Bulls will be even better than when they were heavy championship favorites in 2012 They’ve since added veteran seven-footer Pau Gasol to join Joakim Noah in a front-court that should provide enough interior passing to make any fan giddy. Over the offseason, they signed rookies Doug McDermott and Nikola Mirotic to deliver much-needed three-point shooting to a team that struggles to space the court. But it all comes down to Rose. If he can’t stay healthy, the Bulls won’t have enough offensive firepower. He appeared to have a spring in step during the preseason, which is good news for not only Chicago fans, but all NBA fans. Everyone wants Derrick Rose back, already. It’s been long enough!

5) Golden State Warriors The Warriors have suffered from poor coaching and poorly-timed injuries recently, consistently underperforming.

Over the summer, they fired coach Mark Jackson, who was well-liked by his players, but somehow couldn’t produce a top ten offense with Stephen Curry, the league’s best three-point shooter, and David Lee, a double-double machine. With Steve Kerr now running the show as the coach, the Warriors will push the tempo and use more off-ball movement to hopefully become a top-tier offense, if the preseason is any indication. With rim-protector Andrew Bogut finally healthy, they could also potentially be an elite defensive team.

6) Memphis Grizzlies Taking the 59 games last season in which Marc Gasol played and extrapolating them over an entire season, the Grizzlies would have had the league’s fifth best record and second best defense. With Gasol healthy, expect more of the same.

There’s no trick-or-treating with the Grizzlies. You get what you get and you don’t get upset! You get tough rebounding, scrappy defense, and an offense just good enough to get them over the hump, which will improve after acquiring veteran Vince Carter, making them much deeper than the Oklahoma City Thunder, who I see dropping out of the Western Conference elite.

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The Spectator ● October 31, 2014

Page 17

Sports The Royal Path to the World Series

By Daniel Wohl The 2014 Kansas City Royals are underdogs to say the least. Since the championship team of 1985, the Royals had not made the playoffs in twenty-nine seasons until advancing to the World Series this year.

The 2014 team has been a long time in the making. Built through the development of young players in the minor leagues as well as savvy trades, this Royals team has a foundation that should last for many years.

To truly understand the success of the 2014 Royals, you have to go back to the winter of 2011, when the Royals traded disgruntled pitcher Zack Greinke. The best pitcher and Cy Young award winner in 2009, Greinke endured a tough 2010 season. He had several years left on his contract before he was going receive a large payout, and the rebuilding Royals were looking for a big haul. That’s exactly what they got when they landed current center fielder Lorenzo Cain and speedy shortstop Alcides Escobar.

Fast forward to the winter of 2012, when the Royals, suddenly on the verge of contention, pulled off a blockbuster deal for current star pitcher James Shields and late inning bullpen arm Wade Davis. This bold move by GM Dayton Moore was highly criticized by analysts who were angered that the Royals gave up Jake Odorizzi and Wil Myers, who were both top fifty MLB prospects at the time, and now start for the Tampa Bay Rays. The key piece in the trade, Shields, was only under contract for two more years and would likely sign elsewhere after entering free agency. Moore stuck by his move, even when Wil Myers won Rookie of the Year in 2013. He knew that Shields would be not only the ace pitcher, but also a team leader. He was the piece that could finally make the Royals a playoff team. In these two trades the Royals landed several players integral to the 2014 pennant winning squad.

In addition to risky trades, the 2014 Royals are a homegrown team. A smaller market team, the Royals count on their farm system rather than attracting star freeagents, and it is safe to say they have succeeded. Star left fielder Alex Gordon, third baseman Mike Moustakas, first baseman

Eric Hosmer, and three more of their nine starters were all either drafted or signed by the Royals and raised exclusively by their minor league teams. The Royals’ farm system has also produced many pitchers on the 2014 team, including starting pitchers Yordano Ventura and Danny Duffy, and AllStar closer Greg Holland.

Now let’s get back to this year’s team team. After improving from 72-90 in 2012 to 86-76 in 2013, the Royals were looking to contend seriously in 2014. With the losses of pitcher Ervin Santana and outfielder David Lough, plus a hole at second base, the Royals needed to be active in the winter. Moore responded, trading for outfielder Norichika Aoki, and signing lefty Jason Vargas and second baseman Omar Infante. With these additions, the Royals’ spirits were high, but there were still questions surrounding their starting pitching depth and their offensive power. They also play in a tough American League Central that includes the perennially contending Detroit Tigers and the surprise 2013 playoff team, the Cleveland Indians.

After a lackluster first half, the Royals sat with just a 42-39 record. But, in late August, the Royals hit their stride, winning seven straight, and they eventually secured a wild card playoff spot. It became clear that the Royals were a team based on speed, defense, and a lockdown bullpen lead by setup man Wade Davis and closer Greg Holland. They lead the league in stolen bases and were ranked highly by various defensive metrics.

In the AL wild card game, the Royals defeated the Oakland Athletics 9-8 in a heated twelve-inning affair. The Royals went on to sweep the Los Angeles Angels and Baltimore Orioles in consecutive series, using their speed to defeat powerful teams.

Lorenzo Cain batted .533 and made several diving catches in the American League Championship Series. Though they lost the World Series to the San Francisco Giants in seven games, the Royals were a run here or a run there away from finishing their underdog story with their first championship in 29 years. The Royals are a young team, and they will have their eyes on the prize next season.

Boys’ Bowling

Bowldogs Come Out Barking

By Jeffrey Zheng Instead of making their usual subway trip to the Bowlmore Lanes at Chelsea Piers, the Bowldogs waited for an hour on a school bus that was packed with three other teams before finally arriving at the unfamiliar Astoria Bowl lanes for their first game of the season.

Unfortunately, the Bowldogs will have to endure more of these trips as failed contract negotiations between the Bowlmore Lanes and the PSAL have moved all of Stuyvesant’s games to Astoria Bowl, according to coach Di Wu. The move more than doubles their previous travel time of 30 minutes.

“The travel time is ridiculous; we’re a Manhattan school, so it’s really hard for us to travel all the way to Queens. In addition, the place has a very limited supply of bowling balls, so we had to use different balls of different weight,” senior David Li said.

Despite this new inconvenience, the Bowldogs seemed unaffected and dominated High School of Art & Design 3-0 on Thursday, October 2. After starting off rather slowly, Team A, usually the most skilled team, scored a 460-366 victory.

“I really wasn’t worried about losing since [Art and Design] only won three games last year,” senior Kenny Li said. Stuyvesant, on the other hand, finished at the top of their division with an 11-3 record a season ago.

Team A was led by David Li who bowled for a score of 135 out of 300. He converted three strikes, two spares, and an extremely difficult 7-9 split during the last frame. Seniors David Yao, Andy Chan, and Jonathan Li bowled scores of 112, 100, and 113, respectively.

At first, the Bowldogs struggled to spin the balls because they were slippery. “The bowling balls at the Astoria lane were kind of weird. I couldn’t grip them that well because they kept slipping,” Jonathan Li said.

Stuyvesant bowlers also had troubles with consistency as David Li and Chan converted numerous wombats (getting a spare after a gutter ball on the first throw).

The High School of Art and Design took the

lead at times, but Stuyvesant quickly put the game out of reach after they warmed up.

“David and Andy need to work on their consistency and their ability to focus. They both have decent forms and deliveries, but they lack consistency,” Wu said. “To gutter after either a strike or a spare is basically defeating the purpose of getting bonus points.”

Once the Bowldogs get into mid-season form, focus and consistency should not be a problem.

Team B, composed of Kenny Li, senior David Bang, and juniors Yin Ye Zhou and Sanil Dave, cruised to a 417-198 victory, while Team C, composed of Bang, senior James Kong, and sophomores Brian Chu and Shaeq Ahmed, narrowly pulled out a 371-369 win.

Although the Bowldogs finished first in their division last year, the departure of their former coach Timothy Pon and their new travel situation may cause some obstacles.

The Bowldogs missed about three weeks of practice due to the fact that Wu was not appointed as coach until early September. In addition, schools such as Beacon and the High School of Fashion Industries finished with 10-3 and 9-4 records last year, respectively, and may pose formidable threats.

“I believe there are teams much more challenging than the High School of Art and Design in our division. While we fair well historically with other teams in our division, there are still many other dangerous teams,” said Wu. Though the Peglegs did finish first in their division last year, they only finished 4-7 the year before that.

The Bowldogs, however, have many returning players in the lineup, who will give them an edge in experience. Senior Eric Zhao, who was out due to a cold, and junior Alexander Baren, who was unable to play due to incomplete medicals, will able to play and start in future games, making the Bowldogs an even stronger team.

“We probably have the best chance to make it to the playoffs in our division,” Jonathan Li said. “We have an amazing chance to take it all the way home. I believe we can finish with a 13-0 record.”

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October 31, 2014

Page 18

The Spectator SpoRts Saturday, November 1 Boys’ and Girls’ Freshmen/ Sophomore Cross Country City Championships @ Van Cortlandt Park 2:30 p.m.

Football @ Alfred E. Smith 11 a.m.

Monday, November 3 Boys’ Bowling vs. Bayard Rustin @ Astoria Bowl 5:30 p.m.

@ Pier 40 6 p.m.

Girls’ Volleyball @ Murry Bergtraum 4:30 p.m.

Girls’ Bowling vs. Chelsea Career and Technical Education @ Frames Bowling Lounge 4 p.m.

Sunday, November 9

Girls’ Volleyball

Boys’ and Girls’ Cross Country: PSAL Varsity & JV Cross Country City Championships

Friday, November 7 Football vs. George Washington

Tuesday, November 4

@ Seward Park 4:30 p.m.

@ Van Cortlandt Park 10:15 a.m.

Girls’ Swimming

School Record Falls as Penguins Defeat Wolverines in Round Two

By May Chen The Penguins defeated the Bronx Science Wolverines 52-45 earlier this season, so morale was high as the team warmed up before their meet against the Wolverines on Tuesday, October 21. The team, however, still worked hard for another victory, winning 56-41.

“We consider everyone competition because they could end up beating us if we take our wins for granted,” senior and co-captain Kimberly Wong said. The Penguins are seeded first in playoffs, earning a first round bye, which allows them to automatically move on to the second round of playoffs.

Though the Wolverines fell short in comparison to the Penguins, they are one of the better teams in the division, and the meets are often more exciting due to the long-standing rivalry between Stuyvesant and Bronx Science. “There was great energy at this meet because it was against Bronx Science, and we’ve had a long rivalry,” Wong said.

The meet featured a new

record by junior Krystal Lara, whose name dominates the Stuyvesant swimming record board. Lara had broken the school 200-yard freestyle record at the Penguins’ meet against Dewitt Clinton the day before, with a time of 1:56.97— nearly three seconds faster than the previous record. At the Bronx Science meet, she set out to beat the previous record of the 200-yard individual medley and succeeded with a time of 2:12:29—more than a second faster than the previous record. Now, Lara is the record holder of all but one of Stuyvesant’s individual events, as well as a member of two out of three of the record-holding relay teams. The only individual event record Lara has not broken is the 100-yard breaststroke, but this is because she does not swim that stroke.

The Penguins took the lead by placing first by three seconds in the 200-yard medley relay with a team of senior Grace Lu and juniors Carol Wang, Audrey Lee, and Clara Zheng, finishing with a time of 2:03.71. The Penguins continued to place first in eight out of the 11 total events. There

were several races, such as the 200-yard medley relay, where the second and third place swimmers were neck-to-neck between Bronx Science and Stuyvesant, but Stuyvesant placed first with a significant lead. The 100-yard freestyle, however, was much closer.

Sophomore Paulina Ruta narrowly beat Bronx Science with a time of 1:00:15, just 0.29 seconds ahead of her opponent.

As the regular season comes to an end, the Penguins remain undefeated. Being seeded first going into the playoffs not only boosts the confidence of the team, but also gives the team strategic advantages. It forces the stronger schools and their biggest competitors, such as Brooklyn Tech, to compete against each other in the earlier rounds before facing Stuyvesant. In contrast with the Penguins, Bronx Science is seated fifth. Stuyvesant’s biggest competition, as well as last year’s co-champion, Francis Lewis, is seeded second. With playoffs around the corner, the Penguins must size up their competition.

Overdependence on Stars Leads to Demise

By Joshua Zhu

There has been a recurring theme with Stuyvesant’s boys’ badminton team this season.

While Stuyvesant dominates first and second singles, players struggle to win in the other match-es.

This has led to six of Stuyvesant’s eight played games being decided by an end score of 3-2; Stuyvesant’s victory hopes hinge on whether the team can pull out with a win in third singles, first doubles, or second doubles. This trend continued on Tuesday, October 21, as Stuyvesant’s over-dependence on their strongest players led to a 3-2 loss to James Madison.

The first singles match pitted sophomore Jeffrey Wang against Madison’s Jia Quan Huang. A slow start by Wang in the first set left him in a 5-0 deficit. However, the nationally ranked player quickly regained his composure as he learned not to take his opponent lightly. He confidently outplayed Huang, and took the first set 2110. The second set was a different story, as Huang came back from a 7-0 deficit to tie the set at 12-12. In a tight race to 21 points, neither of the players led by more than two points at a time. The deciding factor turned out to be serving, as five service errors from Huang led to a 21-19 win by Wang, who went on to win the third set and the match.

“I feel that games should not be this close and was not expecting such a close game from a player who is not ranked, but it was definitely good practice for my mental battle,” Wang said.

Sophomore Charles Sang’s 10-0 start to the first set of the second singles match made it clear what the outcome would be. Sang won the first set with ease, 21-8.

In the second set, with Sang’s opponent more accustomed to his playing style, rallies lasted longer than in the first set. But with numerous service errors from his opponent and a consistently high level of play, Sang took the second set 21-12, the third set 21-7, and the match 3-0.

“My opponent provided little competition, but I never underestimate my opponents,” Sang said.

“You are guaranteed not to regret it if you play at 100 percent, so I did play at 100 percent and won without regret.”

With Stuyvesant’s top two players completing their job, the team began an upward climb toward securing a third win to seal the game. The first doubles team of freshman Evan Low and sophomore Christopher Ye were outplayed by their superior Madison opponents. Plagued by lack of communication, slow reaction times, and service errors, Stuyvesant suffered defeats of 21-10, 21-5, and 21-9, losing the match

Alice Oh/ The Spectator

SPORTS CALENDAR

Boys’ Badminton

Sophomore Jeffrey Wang aims for the birdie at badminton practice.

3-0.

“We lost pretty pathetically and have to do better next time,” Ye said. “We have to work a lot on our backhands. Despite our loss though, I felt that we did a good job covering our weak points, [namely] our backhand receiving.”

Soon afterwards, sophomore Brandon Zhang and senior Daniel Goynatsky suffered a similar defeat in second doubles, losing 21-18 and 21-11 in two sets despite tying the third set.

Tied 2-2, the third singles match would again decide the outcome.

Facing enormous pres-sure, sophomore Zhicheng Zhen fell into an early 6-0 deficit against Madison’s Jiawei Zhou.

Zhen began to calm down, coming back to tie the game at 6-6, but subsequently lost 10 straight points, breaking any confidence he had, and lost the set 21-17.

Although Zhen felt even more pressure entering the second and possibly last set of the game, he demonstrated resilience as he made several key defensive saves in a 21-17 win. Unfor-tunately, Zhen’s inconsistency receiving his opponent’s long serves would lead to a 21-14 loss in the third set, and he lost the match 2-1.

“I felt I did a good job calming myself down during the second game and winning it,” Zhen said.

“But I was not able to do the same thing during the third game, in part because he was attacking my weak backhand.”

With the loss, Stuyvesant’s record drops to 4-3, good for fourth place in the South divi-sion. Considering that there are championship aspirations for this team, this loss will certainly be a wakeup call to them, as they must play more consistently across the board.

The team, however, is still optimistic about their season. “We’re in a great position to make a deep playoff run,” coach Marvin Autry said. “We’re very motivated, and motivation can go a long way.”

Boys’ Soccer

By Louis Susser The Centaurs pulled ahead in the second half of their second to last game of the regular season against the Julia Richmond Educational Complex Fearless Panthers. The Centaurs overcame a difficult first half to win 1-0 on Monday, October 20, and recorded their ninth win of the season, making their record 9-4.

The match was tied with no

Centaurs’ Dominance in Doubt

score at halftime. The Centaurs, coming off a tough loss to Bard, were not very aggressive and did not show any on-ball intensity during the first half.

In the second half, Senior Julian Kalogerakis scored his second goal of the season, the only goal scored in the match.

“Julian came up with a big play for us, driving down the field and making a clutch shot for us,” coach Vincent Miller said.

Senior Mohammed Haque

passed the ball to the Centaurs’ athlete of the month, Kalogerakis, who curved his shot from outside the 18-yard box and celebrated the goal in a FIFA-inspired fashion. Senior and co-captain Sean Fitzgerald acknowledged the team’s ability to maintain focus despite its less-than-stellar first half. “Our goal came pretty late, so it was hard-earned,” Fitzgerald said.

The Centaurs have been playing stellar soccer, yet

Fitzgerald questions the team’s ability to maintain this high level of play. “At the beginning of the season we had great chemistry, but it has been declining the past few weeks,” Fitzgerald said. “During the playoffs, we need to use each other more and communicate. Right now we are too disjointed.”

Miller added, “We are a better team when we possess the ball longer and make smart passes.” The Centaurs proved

this notion in their game against Beacon, winning 2-1 in overtime—the first time the Centaurs have beaten Beacon in eight years. The Centaurs have clearly shown dominance as a top-notch team this season, but with threatening teams in the division, such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Beacon, the Centaurs will have to improve their communication and overall competitive level if they want to make a deep playoff run.

The Spectator ● October 31, 2014

Page 19

A&E

Halloween Art

Playlist Spooky Songs The spookiest night of the year is finally here, and whether you’ll be out trick-or-treating or staying in for scary movie marathons, this Ha l l owe e n - t h e m e d playlist is sure to get you in the mood to be spooked.

“Voodoo Doll” VIXX Dance “She’s Not There” The Zombies Rock “Hallowe’en” Sonic Youth Indie Rock “Werewolves of London” Warren Zevon Rock “Casper the Friendly Ghost” Daniel Johnston Lo-fi “Thriller” BtoB K-pop/Dance “Danse Macabre” Camille Saint-Saens Classical “Transylvania” McFly Pop Rock “Where Is My Mind?”

Pixies Alternative Rock “Roots of My Hair” CocoRosie Electronic “Thriller” Michael Jackson Disco/Funk “She Wolf” Shakira Disco “Monster Mash” Bobby Pickett Novelty/Pop “This Is Halloween” The Nightmare Before Christmas Soundtrack “Miette” DeVotchKa Alternative Rock

By Fish Milnikiewicz and Daniel Goynatsky

ALL

176

Number of students regretting costume choice in ceramics class

Number of Kanye West costumes

0

Number of successful Kanye West costumes

811 Number of students realizing that they have college apps to finish at a Halloween party

The Spectator ●October 31, 2014

Page 20

Features

The spooktator Spend This Year’s Halloween the Right Way

By Danielle Eisenman There are plenty of things that we never seem to be able to grow out of—hot chocolate with marshmallows, footie pajamas, and, of course, styling fake beards from bubble bath bubbles. However, when children cross over into adolescence, they have the unfortunate tendency to abandon possibly one of the most important pastimes of all—trick-or-treating.

Something about new body hair and sexual awareness encourages us to forget about the plastic tulle and the pillowcases of fun-sized chocolate. Instead, we may opt for some sort of swanky party, or a trip to Duane Reade’s seasonal aisle followed by a “Halloweentown” marathon. If you are considering keeping alive the (yes, juvenile, but) incredibly important tradition of asking complete strangers for sugary goods, break out the ol’ Spiderman body glove and plastic pumpkin bucket this year. Read on to find out which neighborhoods are hot and which are not.

Fort Greene Fort Greene is a neighborhood located in northwest Brooklyn, not far from Lower Manhattan and Prospect Park. Halloween spirit is high here, and anyone who goes is bound to leave with endless sugary bounty.

Candy acquisition: The most disappointing Halloween experience is, quite possibly, knocking on someone’s door, waiting for your sweet compensation, all excited and salivating—only to be totally ignored, or to be shooed away by an angry neighbor. Thankfully, this will not happen in Fort Greene. A map of the neighborhood is drawn up, and residents sign up if they are

planning on giving out candy, ensuring hours of disappointmentfree trick-or-treating.

Will your mom be okay with you staying out late in this neighborhood?: Fort Greene used to be a rough neighborhood. This has changed due to the somewhat recent effects of gentrification.

Sophomore Nadia Filanovsky has lived in the neighborhood for her entire life and remarked that, “[she has] watched the neighborhood change over time. Now, lots of families live [there], which makes it safer than safe.”

Other perks: - There’s the Fort Greene Park Halloween Festival.

- You can see free Halloweenthemed plays on the yard of 313 Clinton Avenue.

- The houses are decorated elaborately, and as Filanovsky pointed out, “people invest lots of money into buying funny gravestones and other nice, little things for their front yards. So many people put tons of effort into making the neighborhood feel Halloween-y.”

Middle Village In the middle of Queens is Middle Village, a little neighborhood far from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the city. A resident of the neighborhood, sophomore Zovinar Khrimian said, “You won’t get an intense, dark, and creepy Halloween experience. However, what you will get is a sense of what it’s like to trick-or-treat in a little suburban town.” If you value quaint simplicity over elaborate spookiness, Middle Village is the place to go.

Candy acquisition: Many houses and local businesses do participate. Houses are more accessible

than apartment buildings, so you definitely will be constantly entertained for hours, as you go from house to house. Any sized pillowcase will surely be filled to its brim by the end of the night.

Will your mom be okay with you staying out late in this neighborhood?: Middle Village is a perfectly safe, very family-oriented place. There are a lot of children that live in the neighborhood so many families are out and about on Halloween night. While you will not be in any inherent danger while you are there, getting home may be a problem. Middle Village is very far from the rest of the city, so it may be quite a hassle to get to from any of the other boroughs, or even from another part of Queens.

Other perks: - There is a Halloween Festival of some sort in Juniper Valley Park.

- Local businesses tend to organize little events. One Halloween, an education center focused on teaching architecture and engineering basics to children hosted a haunted house drawing contest, where Khrimian won third place.

“I was really happy because I got a gift basket and I was, like, seven.

Places are always putting together cute stuff like that,” she explained.

Chelsea Chelsea is on the west side of Manhattan, and serves as a happy medium between the Upper West Side and the West Village. While you may be expecting trick-ortreating abundance from this neighborhood, you may be disappointed.

Candy acquisition: You will get an adequate number of goodies.

The entire neighborhood isn’t as

collectively enthusiastic as others tend to be. While there are plenty of willing sugar-philanthropists, there are also plenty of people that will answer the door, confused as to why you aren’t dressed like a regular member of society, and proceed to slam the door in your face. You may have to scour the neighborhood for hours in order to come up with anything substantial. If you are a teenager trick-or-treating in Chelsea you might be prompted by the age-old question, “Aren’t you a bit too old for this?” but such questioners will not deny you candies.

Will your mom be okay with you staying out late in this neighborhood?: Chelsea is a safe and upscale neighborhood. However, as you venture closer toward the West Village, and more bars and sex shops begin to pop up, the atmosphere becomes less geared toward youths.

Other perks: - New York City’s 41st Annual Village Halloween Parade is taking place! You will see the most interesting and creative Halloween costumes. You are guaranteed to be totally in awe and/or plagued by “Why didn’t I think of that?” for the rest of the night. Keep in mind that if you go, you most likely will not be able to trick-or-treat before or afterward.

Dyker Heights Dyker Heights is on the southwest corner of Brooklyn and is known for its overdone Christmas decorations. However, Dyker Heights excels in celebrating more than one consumer-driven holiday.

Candy acquisition: “It’s a highclass neighborhood,” said veteran trick-or-treater and junior Jona-

thon Rafailov. “So people have money to give away lots of free candy.” Rafailov insisted that many of the houses hand out king-sized candy bars, to which the usual fun-sized pipsqueaks pale in comparison.

Will your mom be okay with you staying out late in this neighborhood?: Dyker Heights is an extremely safe neighborhood. There will be plenty of families with their children, as Dyker Heights is a very popular trick-or-treating location.

The only problem is that Dyker Heights is a long commute from the rest of civilization.

Other perks: - Though Dyker Heights in known for their Christmas decorations, the Halloween decorations are spectacular, as well.

- There is the 13th Avenue Halloween Festival, where in addition to trick-or-treating there is music booming on the block, and storefronts rent popcorn machines and cotton candy machines to cater to children.

This year, I challenge you to celebrate Halloween the right way. Trust me, that bucket of CVS candy corn begins to taste like candles one sixth of the way in.

“Hocus Pocus” was not good the first time you saw it, and won’t be good this time either. Get yourself a gimp costume, get out, and get your hands dirty, preferably with chocolate acquired from some stranger. Halloween is the heart and soul of Stuyvesant and, having been enrolled in this school, you are hereby required to indulge yourself in the essence of All Hallows Eve. As Rafailov said, “There’s a spirit thing at our school. I’m not sure what it is, but you just have to play along.”

Opinions Treats Without Tricks

By Claire Jin

When the leaves start to change color and the air begins to cool, Halloween nears and streets fill with jack-o’-lanterns, ghosts, and goblins. Everyone has something to fear on Halloween. For some people, the scariest part isn’t the ax murderers or the zombies—but the candy. As harmless as they may seem, for children with food allergies, these treats are much more dangerous than any trick. A tiny bite of one ingredient gone wrong can send a child into anaphylactic shock. Sadly, this is a common occurrence to children with food allergies on Halloween. Children are always reminded to trickor-treat safely, but can this be accomplished if they are inflicted with food allergies?

Allergies are commonly regarded as a minor illness, sometimes not even regarded as an illness at all. However, it is estimated by foodallergy.org that they cause 30,000 emergency room visits, 2,000 hospitalizations, and 150 deaths in the United States annually. About 15 million Americans have food allergies, or one in 13 children. In the past decade, food allergies have increased by almost 50 percent. Worst yet, almost any food is capable of causing an allergic reaction. Therefore, a person who has a severe food allergy, such as anaphylaxis, must strictly avoid allergy-causing food. Any trace of it can lead to severe or life-threatening consequences. Many children in the United States participate in the festivities of Halloween, and those with allergies may unknowingly gather candy that poses a threat to their health. To manage this, these children’s parents must take extreme cautions on Halloween, checking ingredients on each candy and looking up every label, since many candies do not include a full ingredient label.

This restricts children with allergies, requiring them to wait until they get home to inspect all of their candy.

In response to this life-threatening problem, the Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) has created the Teal Pumpkin Project. This initiative encourages people to place a teal-painted pumpkin outside their house on Halloween in order to exhibit food allergy awareness, as well as to indicate that they offer non-food treats. Houses with teal pumpkins pose no harm to children with this illness. These non-food treats are also very convenient to attain and can

be found at a local dollar store, online shops, or party supply stores for inexpensive prices.

These treats include glow-sticks, rings, balloons, stickers, and much more. Distributing non-food treats allows children with food allergies to still be included in the event of trick-or-treating, but in a safer way. Children can now walk up to a house on Halloween knowing that there is traditional candy or alternatives. They are given the ability to chose.

To raise awareness of the project, people can share images of a Teal Pumpkin on social media accommodated by the hashtag #TealPumpkinProject. People can also download posters, flyers, and stickers from the Food Allergy Research and Education website to spread the word and demonstrate support. By supporting the Teal Pumpkin Project, you are doing much more than starting a new Halloween tradition; you are supporting the 15 million Americans inflicted with food allergies and helping them overcome the struggle of a challenging Halloween.

The Food Allergy Research & Education’s (FARE) creation of the Teal Pumpkin Project gives children with food allergies a safe and fun experience on Halloween. The project encourages people to offer non-food treats, in addition to traditional candy, to promote a safer, inclusive, and respectful holiday. Children no longer have to feel excluded or less rewarded in their efforts to trick-or-treat. Parents are also relieved of their stress and have one less thing to worry about. Further, the Teal Pumpkin Project also helps accommodate children with diabetes and celiac disease.

You can also be a part of this heroic campaign! If you, or your parents, are handing out candy this Halloween, be conscious of who may show up at your door; place a teal pumpkin on your stoop and purchase allergen-free candy or even provide inedible treats. Your simple and small gesture has a tremendous impact. It can help prevent the risk of numerous life-threatening allergic reactions. These problems have no place on the festive day of Halloween. All children deserve the freedom to enjoy the holiday as an inclusive and safe event. They should be ensured that they will continue to collect buckets of treats and return home with the satisfaction of a fun experience. Let’s go teal this Halloween and give children treats they can fully enjoy.

Cultures are not Costumes!

By Samia Siddiqui Halloween is a great time for dressing up as beloved characters and eating candy… except for all of the ridiculous costumes ripping off other people’s cultures. These costumes fall under the concept of “cultural appropriation,” or the adaptation of cultural or religious concepts without the consent of a people.

A quick search on Spirit Halloween’s website of the word “Indian” will reveal 8 pages of face paint, feathers, and brown clothing with geometric patterns. I personally saw “hot on the trail” and “naughty Navajo”, which I felt hypersexualised Native American women and their attire. Today, it’s estimated that 1 out of 3 Native American women have been or will be raped and assaulted at least once in their lives. A similar search for “gypsy” (a term that shouldn’t even be used—it’s a slur) reveals costumes relating to stereotypes of Romani people as “fortune tellers,” featuring the shiny jewelry and baggy dresses associated with the term. Romani people face discrimination to this day. These costumes perpetuate cultural stereotypes and normalize the use of slurs against them. The word gypsy helped rationalize the killings of an estimated 250,000 Romani people during the Holocaust. That same word is being used to market Halloween costumes.

These costumes are usually made with the intent of being “exotic,” trendy, or funny. They reinforce stereotypes and contribute to the marginalization of entire populations of people. A culture may be appreciated due to its deviance from the cultural norm of that country. Though this appreciation may seem flattering, it trivializes the importance of those traditional dresses.

For instance, the Mexican holiday Día de Muertos, or Day of the Dead, holds a sentimental importance in Mexican culture. A friend of mine described her experience with the holiday: “[the] day of the dead is the day we honor everyone who has died in the past year (or

anyone important to us) by having their favorite foods and drinks and decorating their graves,” she said. “I think it’s cool to see the world taking notice to my culture and thinking it’s beautiful and creative —but that’s not what’s happening at all. No one knows what Day of the Dead is, they just think a skull with flowers on it is ‘cool’ and doing it to your face as a ‘costume’ is ‘creative’ and ‘different.’”

When it comes to appreciating beauty, those who do not belong to a certain cultural group can financially benefit from the creation and distribution of a tradition or style of another cultural group, often redirecting revenue that would normally benefit that cultural group. For example, Urban Outfitters has been seen using the Navajo nation’s name to sell Navajo-inspired products such as dreamcatchers.

Dreamcatchers are sometimes made and sold by the Navajo to profit from the adoration of their culture. But, by making cheaper dreamcatchers, Urban Outfitters is appropriating Navajo culture for profit. As a consequence of this threat to Native American industry, the Indian Arts and Crafts Act was passed, stating that it was illegal to brand clothing with tribal names, a practice that may falsely suggest that the clothing is produced by native people. According to the Bureau of Indian Affairs, an estimate of $500,000,00 is lost due to counterfeit production. In this way, non-native people are presenting a culture in an insincere fashion and also benefiting from its appropriation.

People elsewhere live within their cultures, often for their entire lives.

Those who use their way of life as a prop will take away something positive like beauty, a new style, or just a cheap laugh—while those who live within those cultures are forced to deal with discrimination that comes along with expressing their cultural identity. By reducing people’s cultural identities to things that can be bought and sold, we are degrading their cultural customs and what they stand for.