His Music is the Message: Interview with Brad Corrigan `Karibu` to

A Public Forum for News, Opinion, and Creative Thought of The Governor’s Academy
MAY 1, 2008 VOLUME 49, ISSUE 10
His Music is the Message: Interview with Brad Corrigan
EDITORIALS
AP Exams
Forgiveness
2
2
OPINION
Best Selves
From Talking to Typing
Where Do YOU Stand?
2
3
3
NEWS
Beyond Byfield
Food Price Crisis
The Beijing Olympics
4
5
5
SPORTS
Bryce’s Banter
Interview with Coaches
8
9
FEATURES
Silent Lunch
6
Dear Advisors...
6
Commencement Speaker 7
Citizenship Questions
9
Geek Beat
10
Spotlight on Mr. Abusamra 10
Unsolved Histories
11
Mother’s Day
13
I Never Knew
13
Word Roundup
13
R EVIEWS
Movie: 21
12
Movie: Where in The World Is
Osama Bin Laden? 12
Movie Options
12
BACK PAGE
Birthdays
Angles of Perception
14
14
On April 21, Earth
Day, The Governor
put out a call for
Earth Day sayings.
They are placed
throughout this
paper. Try and find
all 15!!!
This issue of The
Governor is printed on
30% recycled paper.
by Coby Newton '09 and Perry Eaton '08
Brad Corrigan, formerly of Dispatch, and
now with his own group, Braddigan, visited
campus on Friday, April 24, to perform in the
Student Center. Following is an interview
with him that evening.
Gov: What is your message through
music now and how has it changed since
you were with Dispatch?
Brad Corrigan: I think it's pretty
much the same. [It's] really about finding your dream, finding your heartbeat
for whatever you're supposed to do,
making sure you fight for it at whatever
cost. The world isn't really wired to
encourage people to dream…if you
know people who know how to dream
and fight for it, they're the ones who give
other people hope and freedom to do the
same . . .That's pretty much where we're
at, using our gifts well.
Gov: Could you tell us about your
experience in Nicaragua and your website to benefit the children there?
BC: Our website is www.lovelightandmelody. org. That flowed out of a
couple trips to Nicaragua after having
by Katie Reilly ‘11
Two students and
a
teacher arrived in Byfield
two weeks ago as participants in the second year of
the Academy's exchange program with two schools in the
east African country of Kenya
. They have traveled a great
distance in order to experience the culture and meet the
unique people who live in the
United States. One student,
Jasper Lubeto , has traveled
all the way from Kisomeo, in
western Kenya, where he has
lived all his life. The other
visiting student, Christine
Atieno,
is from Nyanza,
Kenya. Both students are
studying as
juniors at the
Academy for the remainder
of the academic year and are
managing to take classes
while adjusting to the many
differences between the culture they are now a part of
and the one from which they
Braddigan in Student Center
raised some money for an orphanage
down there in the capital city, Managua.
In one of our earliest trips, we took a tour
from the wealthiest neighborhoods to the
poorest ones. And you can't even imagine how huge the homes are, it's beyond
what you can imagine, and right next to
it is just chaos. So we slid down the hill
and ended up in a trash dump. I've
Photo by Coby Newton ‘09
never seen a place like it before.
Gov: Could you describe the dump?
BC: A hundred acres of burning filth.
You know, I think Nicaragua is the second or third poorest country in the
Western Hemisphere. Roughly 65% or
70% unemployment. About 200 families
they squat in the acres of squalor and
when that truck comes in they just scavenge for metal, copper, anything. It's the
most toxic place I've ever been. Basically,
they live in shanties right inside this
dump. Wild dogs, cows, smoke, burning
filth, absolute twilight zone craziness.
Gov: During the show, you spoke
about Ileana, the girl who got you out of
your cab and basically changed your life.
Who is she and what has she done for
you?
BC: It was probably my tenth or
twelfth trip that year, and I had been
hanging around the orphanage with the
kids and then we would go into the
dump, but roll up the windows, lock the
doors, and hide behind my camera
because that's all the courage I had.
Finally this little girl knocked on the window, and I turned around. There was
Continued on Page 7
‘Karibu’ to Kenyan Guests
came.
Christine, 16 years old,
goes to Kenya High School, an
all girls boarding school. The
living arrangements there are
not exactly what we are used
lege of their own private
room. Jasper, eighteen, comes
from Alliance High School, an
all boys boarding school.
While here, both students
wasted no time creating a
Christine, Ms. Margaret Onimbo, and Jasper
to here. “Freshman and sophomores do not have their own
rooms,” explains Christine,
“There are long rows of beds
where they sleep in one large
room” about the size of the
back portion of the dining
hall. Juniors and seniors,
however, do have the privi-
Photo by Ms. Jackson
challenging course
load.
Christine is taking English,
Biology
and
Ceramics.
Although she had taken
English and Biology back in
Kenya, Ceramics was something she had never tried
before. Jasper is taking
Economics,
English,
Chemistry and SAT preparation. He explains that while
he had taken Economics,
English and Chemistry back
in Kenya, “The Economics
class is much more complex
here.” Jasper also adds that
while Biology and Business
were his favorite classes back
in Kenya, his favorite subject
after taking it here is English.
Jasper and Christine are
also active participants on
sports teams. Christine has
joined the JV girls’ tennis
team. She had played tennis
previously in Kenya in both
middle school and high
school. Jasper is playing
lacrosse for the first time. He
shared that this is the first
time he is playing a sport with
so much equipment. “Back in
Kenya, the games were simpler and required less equipment” says Jasper.
Jasper and Christine also
offered up the differences
between their school back
home and Govs. Both Jasper
Continued on Page 9
Send to:
IN THIS ISSUE:
Op/Ed
THE GOVERNOR 2
Editorial:
A Public Forum for News, Opinion, and Creative Thought of The Governor’s Academy
APRIL 10, 2008 VOLUME 49, ISSUE 9
Editors-in-chief:
Sean Andrews ‘08
Anna Perocchi ‘08
Claire Shin ‘08
Jen Tomich ‘08
Features:
Jen Tomich ‘08
Photography Editors:
Julia Blanter ‘09
Carlota Caicedo ‘09
Will Kavanagh ‘09
Production Advisor:
Ms. Christle Rawlins-Jackson
International Affairs:
Claire Shin ‘08
Managing Editors:
Bryce Johnson ‘09
Editorial Advisor:
Ms. Judy Klein
Sports:
Bryce Johnson ‘09
Mary Morrissey ‘10
News:
Gabriella Riley ‘09
Staff Writers:
Perry Eaton ‘08
Coby Newton ‘09
Anna O’Neal ‘09
Dylan Press ‘09
Taylor Angles ‘10
Jen Migliore ‘10
Annie Quigley ‘10
Lindsay Grant ‘10
Katie Reilly ‘11
Aboubacar Okeke-Diagne ‘11
Zoe Mackay ‘11
Editorial:
AP Exams: To Be or Not to Be
What are major events in May? A formal
dance, spring concert and a lot of AP exams.
After completing AP (Advanced Placement)
courses, which are college-level courses widely recognized as the best, most challenging,
and most rigorous courses high school students can take, students have to take national
AP exams developed by the College Board.
TGA requires students who have taken AP
courses to take AP exams at the end of the
school year. Scores of three to five on these
exams may allow students to place out of
introductory courses in college and may even
earn them college credit. However, as time
passes, less and less colleges give advanced
standing so that these scores become irrelevant while enrolling in the courses remains
important for college admission. In other
words, students endeavor to take as many AP
exams as possible in order to get into selective
colleges rather than for academic challenging
purposes. Those who desire acceptance to the
most demanding colleges may gladly take AP
exams. However, students who take AP courses, yet think they are not prepared for exams,
may not want to waste their time and money
on insanely long and costly AP exams. For
example, a student who spends a whole year
studying AP Biology might not feel confident
or comfortable taking the AP Bio exam, not
because he or she has not failed to do their
jobs, but because he or she is not just ready to
memorize every little detail of organisms'
structures and functions or all the long and
convoluted terms of the phylogenetic classification, which students frequently screw up
pronouncing correctly. Why can't students
choose whether they want to take AP exams
or not and save everyone's energy? (Mrs.
Ceglarski does not have to waste her energy
on registering for scores 1 and 2 on AP exams.)
- C.S.
A 21st century Modest Proposal: Go
green & ameliorate third world
poverty via biofuel & carbon taxes.
(Mr. Werner)
Opinion:
Forgiveness: A Most
Difficult Task
“Forgive, sounds good. Forget, I'm not sure I could.
They say time heals everything, but I'm still waiting.” These
lyrics from the Dixie Chick's song “Not Ready to Make Nice”,
acknowledge that the act of forgiveness is one of the hardest to
commit. When one has been wronged, it can leave the victim
emotionally hurt and less trusting of the perpetrator. The negative effects of a personal attack are instant and enduring, but
the reasons behind it may take longer to be brought to light.
The Governor's Academy was recently visited by
author Jeanette Walls, who, in her memoir, The Glass Castle,
portrayed how she was treated by her parents and peers with
a remarkable lack of care. She was forced by her alcoholic
father and self-centered mother to live in poverty. She slept in
cardboard boxes and was constantly moved around the country. The girls at her school refused to associate with her as she
was dirty and smelled “a tad funky” as a result of her situation. Despite profound pain caused by her parents' decisions,
she still found it in her heart to love her parents and offered
them shelter in her own home. When Walls spoke at TGA, she
discussed how, as an adult, she approached her mother concerning her manner of child-rearing. Her mother replied, “I
did the best I could.” It seemed that Wall made peace with her
parents after understanding their lack of poor intentions
toward their children.
Forgiveness was also a theme this week when the Pope visited Washington, D.C. and New York. He acknowledged the
horrendous, life-altering abuse and apologized on behalf of the
Catholic Church. His words were the first step toward forgiveness. When interviewed, some of the victims who had a private audience with the Pope said that they felt that his
acknowledgement of their pain caused by the church was
highly beneficial to them and that they drew hope and some
optimism from it. One victim even asked the Pope to forgive
him for “hating his church and hating him.”
It is remarkable that people like Jeanette Walls and the victims
of the church sexual abuse scandal can forgive those who have
caused them to suffer. To find the strength to do so is a significant step toward healing. Undoubtedly, to forgive, even
though all is not forgotten, is a truly difficult act indeed.
- J.T.
Committing to Be Our Best Selves
by Jen Migliore ‘10
At The Governor's Academy, where
accomplishments are thriving not only in the
classroom, but also on the sports fields and the
stage, there is rarely an event that causes us to
feel ashamed as a community. However, on
April 8, an admission revisit day, a so-called
“list” was posted on the walls of the Student
Center. This list had the name of roughly 35 girls
who were rated based on their physical appearance.
As one can imagine, this “list” created
much uproar from our tight-knit community.
However, not all responses were outrage; some
took the approach that “boys will be boys” and
were completely indifferent to the whole issue.
At first, I also took the approach that “boys will
be boys”; however, after processing the information in my mind, my feelings toward the whole
situation changed drastically. I became upset,
but also angry. Angry, because I never for once
thought that something like this could happen in
our community, but I was also angry at myself. I
was furious that at first I had not taken an
approach which was anything but outrage. I
thought, “why as a female, would I ever think
this way?” But as I thought about it more, I realized that maligning or objectifying a woman is
“okay” in our society. Earlier this year, when
responding to two protesters in New Hampshire
screaming “iron my shirt,” presidential hopeful
Hillary Clinton simply stated the “remnants of
sexism - alive and well." This is one of the very
few “true” statements heard so far on the campaign trail, because it brought up an issue which
few really discuss: sexism.
It's easy for anybody on campus to realize that in the locker rooms and in the dorms, the
physical appearance of girls will be brought up.
The troubling issue is that a tangible “list” was
created and then placed on the walls of the most
public building on campus for everybody to see,
including admission re-visitors. It is hard to put
the total blame on the boys of our campus who
first created such a list or the person who posted
it. In our cultural society, women are rated all the
time; it is even common for it to be their job.
Think about all the females whose photographs
are plastered on the covers of men's magazines
such as Maxim or Playboy. Turn the television to
American's Next Top Model, where the women
are fighting for the top spot based on how they
look in photos, or even best rated comedies such
as Two and Half Men aired on CBS every
Monday night. It's sad to say that this comedy
which is essentially about a drunken middleaged man, and how many hot 21-year-olds he
Continued on Page 3
Op/Ed
Where Do YOU Stand?
by Gabriella Riley ‘09
Marijuana, otherwise known as THC, is a controversial treatment for medical use. The
American Marijuana Policy Project , a pro-cannabis organization, claims that cannabis is an
ideal therapeutic drug for cancer and AIDS patients, and people who suffer depression. A
recent study by scientists in Italy has also shown that cannabidiol (CBD), a chemical found in
marijuana, inhibits growth of cancer cells in animals (wikipedia).
Pro:
Marijuana can relieve certain types of pain,
vomiting and nausea and other symptoms.
Marijuana is less toxic than many other drugs
that doctors readily prescribe. People living in
cities have a bigger health threat by breathing
the poor air than having a joint. Medical marijuana is proven helpful for improving
immune function for people with aids. There
is only a 10% chance of people who use medical marijuana becoming addicted.
Source: http://www.medicalmarijuanaprocon.org/top10.htm
Be kind to
the cosmos.
Con:
Some medical doctors, such as Bill Frist,
M.D, a U.S Senator (R-TN) believe that
“Marijuana is a dangerous drug and that there
are less dangerous medicines offering the
same relief from pain and other medical
symptoms.” Marijuana damages the brain,
heart, lungs and immune system. It hinders
learning and impedes with memory, perception and judgment. Marijuana has cancercausing elements and has been mixed up in a
high percentage of car crashes. Cannabis
smoking also causes lung infections. There are
also many other symptoms, such as a
decreased appetite, sleep difficulty, weight
loss, aggression, anger, irritability, strange
dreams and restlessness. The U.S Substance
Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration says, “Increases in the likelihood of cocaine and heroin use and drug
dependence are also apparent for those who
initiate use of marijuana at any later age.”
Want to respond? The Governor encourages members of the
academy to share their opinion on this issue and email
[email protected]. Tell us what you think!
Best Selves
Continued from Page 2
can “hook up” is a favorite among many
young people. Yes, this show is hilarious but
is that enough reason for us watch it? The
message is not even remotely moral.
So, why do we as a society, and we as a
community at TGA, find pleasure in watching shows and movies similar to this type of
comedy? Is it that much fun to mock a
woman's appearance and how well she is in
the sack? Is this really a “laughing issue”? For
many, it is just that. In essence, the list at our
school could just be considered a “laughing
issue,” as well. After all, wasn't our list just a
similar antic which is done on public television, and on the movie screens for not only a
small of population of people to see, but
available for the world to see every day? One
small person is not going to change the pop
culture's view on sexism. Sexist jokes may
always be in the funny movies, but there is
hope that the audience will stop laughing.
This whole list issue, and especially finding out that I was on the list, was very disturbing. I started thinking more about the
issue of sexism, and what it actually means to
be a sexist. As defined by the dictionary, sexism is “the belief that one sex (usually the
male) is naturally superior to the other and
should dominate most important areas of
political, economic, and social life.” Sexists,
also known as male chauvinists, believe that
women are innately inferior to them. So what
does this mean exactly? We all are aware of
the racists terms used for the different ethnic
and race groups, such as African Americans
and Jews. We are even well aware of the
many LGBT terms used to discriminate
against these people; however, as a community and also a world, we may not always
recognize a sexist comment. Is it sexist to call
a female “hot” or “banging,” or is it sexist to
stereotype women as a typical “housewife”
who does all the cooking and cleaning. Both
of these comments are demeaning and negative towards the worth of women, but which
is more sexist? The answer to this question
may be elusive, but I call upon my fellow
peers to ask themselves “what is sexist comment, and how can I intervene?” because,
based on the surveys which we took in fall
for the Gay/Straight Alliance, we do not
know the answer.
The survey outlined not only homophobic
and racist comments, but sexist comments as
well. Only “1% reported never hearing sexist
comments.” This means that 99% of people in
our community have heard sexist comments,
with “68% of people reporting hearing these
comments often or frequently.” As far as
intervention is concerned, “40% of students
reported that they never intervene when they
hear sexist comments.” As horrible, demeaning, and disgusting as the list was, some
good did come out of it. Women were given
a voice were able to spell it out loud - “defy
lists, and support equality.” Finally as a community, we are not completely oblivious to
the amount of sexism here on campus. It is
here and will probably exist in our community for quite some time; however, we now can
recognize it and vow to never create another
“list” which hurt the feelings of so many
wonderful and beautiful young women.
THE GOVERNOR 3
Opinion:
From Talking to Typing
by Annie Quigley ‘10
8:00 p.m. Time to start the English essay due tomorrow.
Power up the laptop, sign in, and - who knew? - my AIM
buddy list. Click on a few names, type some little messages
and hellos, then open up email. Oops. Inbox flashes with a
few new messages. Delete some and reply to some: a new history syllabus, club meeting notifications, and some friends
organizing plans for the weekend. Wait; there's more. Eleven
new updates from Facebook: So and so added you. You've
been tagged in a photo. You've been poked by so and so. Time
to click on the Facebook link…
An hour and 45 minutes later only my name appears on
my otherwise blank English paper, but, hey, I've added three
new friends on Facebook, had a few conversations (consisting
mostly of “lol”) on AIM, selected several new bumper stickers to my profile page, and run up the bill on my cell phone.
Most of us don't want to admit that this constant communication can have its downsides. But while our society is texting and checking the Blackberry for new inbox messages,
and that IM conversation is blinking at the bottom of the
screen, is there something being lost in translation? Besides
the obvious procrastination/ distraction issue, which is, personally, a major one, another problem can ensue: lack of faceto-face communication actually can cause disconnects rather
than bonds. In today's society, it's easy to get wrapped up in
the modes of communication that are so readily available. It
seems that more and more appear every day, so that it's possible to constantly check in and chat. New cell phones, of
course, now have Internet so that, not only is it possible to
talk on the phone, but also to check Facebook and email.
Apparently talking via old-school telephone is no longer
enough.
Moreover, all of the abbreviations and lingo seem to
detract and lose their luster; “ily” just doesn't carry the same
weight and meaning, typed hurriedly onto a tiny screen, as it
would spoken face-to-face. Really. At least type out the whole
thing.
And is it too idealistic and unrealistic to think that face-toface conversations are still possible? It's often hard to resist
the urge to type a quick message on someone's wall, instead
of just going up and talking in person. Maybe it's just that
here and now, in the 21st century, conversations between people are becoming more and more geared towards technology
instead of good old-fashioned one-on-ones. However, a level
of connection and understanding is lost when one is communicating through a screen instead of in person (Sarcasm on
AIM? Doesn't work so well).
Of course, it's unrealistic to think that immediately all
Facebook accounts will be shut down and screen names
erased; for better or for worse, these things are a big part of
today's culture and therefore aren't going to disappear completely. Yet, while face-to-face conversations are becoming an
endangered species in today's society, with the ever-increasing presence of different modes of communication, there are
still so many interesting and engaging conversations to be
had that just don't have the same effect when you're squinting to read the tiny font on your cell phone screen. So, next
time you see that person with whom you think you may be
friends on Facebook but with whom you've never really
talked… say hi and carry on a conversation. Actually looking
someone in the eyes and speaking usually really beats a mass
of insincere lols and irritating bright yellow smiley faces.
Hey, didn't I talk to you last night on Facebook? Yeah, I'm
talkin' to you!
belvederebungalow.com
News
BEYOND BYFIELD
Written and compiled by Jen Tomich ‘08
Timeline Predicts Demise of Newspapers,
Butchers, Free Parking
The “Extinction Timeline” has brought Australian developers Ross Dawson and Richard Watson much attention lately. The
timeline is meant to predict when particular social phenomena will
disappear. Among the predictions: in 2019 there will be no more
libraries, post offices (replaced by three-dimensional fax machines),
sit-down breakfasts, World War I survivors, butchers (fewer people
eating meat), or free parking. Global warming will result in the disappearance of the Maldives by 2024 and glaciers will cease to exist by
2036; the year 2040 will see the disappearance of national currencies,
a good night's sleep, and deafness; 2048 will bring the end to “physical newspapers,” Google, and blindness.
“I'm adding extinctions all the time,” said Watson, who
noted that, “someone reminded me that kids with grazed knees and
elbows appear to be on the edge of extinction also.” Let it not be said
that the futurists do not have a sense of humor. Among other predictions, they predict that the year 2046 will see the disappearance of
futurists and lists of predictions. The full Timeline can be viewed at
nowandnext.com/PDF/extinction_timeline.pdf.
Neighbors Fork Over Revenge
For years, Rick and Marilyn Jones of Dubuque, Iowa have
pulled pranks on their neighbors, Tom and Paula Tschudi, whenever
they left town. Over the years, the Joneses have put a for sale sign in
the Tschudi's yard, strung holiday lights around their home, and
placed crime-scene tape around chalk outlines of bodies on the sidewalk.
When the Joneses recently left town for a wedding, the
revenge-seeking Tschudis decided to turn the tables by telling their
prankster neighbors to put a fork in it….literally. The Tschudis
planted 3000 white plastic forks in the Jones' yard and dangled more
from the fence, roof, and garage. “We just wanted to do something
funny to them,” declared Paul Tschudi, “because every time we
leave, they pull some prank on us.” When he and his wife were
caught in the act by a passer-by, “We told him we were aerating their
lawn,” laughed Paula Tschudi.
Mysterious Object Makes Unwelcome
Appearance Through Roof
An unidentified falling object crashed through the roof of a
northern New Zealand house and slammed onto the floor. The
object, which looked to be made of cast iron and had a curved surface
on top, was about 4.4 inches long, 1.8 inches wide, and weighed
about 2.2 pounds. “We don't know what it's from,” said Civil
Aviation Authority spokesman Bill Sommer. “So it's a bit mysterious.”
Initially there was speculation that the object may have fallen from a plane passing overhead. “It looks like it's probably a brake
lining or brake shoe from a small plane,” remarked Snr. Sgt. Ross
Smith after he checked the house. But after aviation authorities
tracked down the pilot of a plane that was in the area at the time and
found nothing missing from the craft, authorities began to hypothesize about other origins of the object. Sommer told the Associated
Press that a “very experienced” aeronautical engineer examined the
item and said that the piece, which had no standard airplane part
number, neither resembled a part of an airplane nor space junk. “Far
be it for us to speculate…but it may have come off some agricultural
equipment that was spinning at pretty high speed and a piece shot off
it,” Sommer said. An investigation is ongoing.
THE GOVERNOR 4
Sources: New York Times, Reuters and Boston Globe
Student Bagged in Principal-Arranged Drug Sting
When 17-year-old Mark Huckins of Concord, N.H. arrived at
the back door of Bishop Brady High School, he was met by police who
promptly arrested him. The teen, who attends rival Concord High
School, was in possession of a quarter-ounce of marijuana. Police
reports state that Jean Barker, the principal of Bishop Brady High School,
confiscated a cell phone from one of her students and received a text
message from Huckins that said, “Yo, you need a bag?” Barker, pretending to be the phone's owner, texted back that Huckins should come
to the area outside the back door of the Catholic school. After his arrest,
Concord High School officials suspended him for the remainder of the
school year.
In response to the charges against him, Huckins has sued district officials over the suspension. The lawsuit alleges that the school
district failed to provide Huckins with written charges against him and
inform him of his right to bring an attorney to his suspension hearing.
“It is a crime in the state of New Hampshire to elicit a drug offense if you
are not either a police officer or working under the direction of a police
officer,” stated Huckins lawyer, Mark Howard who went on to say,
“John is very interested in staying in school and finishing out the school
year. He couldn't be any more embarrassed or humiliated about this.”
Until a judge reaches a decision, Huckins continues to attend classes.
“Skechy” Character
A man posing as Robert Greenberg, the CEO of Skechers shoe
company, pleaded guilty on April 16 to scheming to defraud using the
telephone and Internet. On December 14, 2007, Lance Coleman of
Racine, Wisconsin, called Dell Inc. and ordered about $44,000 worth of
televisions and computers. Saying that he was Greenberg, he provided
Skechers' tax identification number. According to court documents, he
told the company representative that Skechers was relocating to a new
address and then provided his own home address for delivery of the
equipment. He misspelled both Greenberg's name and the company
name. He followed up with e-mails and phone calls.
Coleman's actions roused the suspicions of a Dell employee who
contacted his normal contact at Skechers who said the order was fake.
After Coleman e-mailed a purchase order for another $47,300 of computer equipment, Dell shipped a package that looked like a computer
box to Greenberg's apartment. The delivery man was actually an undercover FBI agent who observed Coleman sign Greenberg's name for the
delivery.
A plea agreement requires that Coleman pay approximately
$101,100 before or at his sentencing scheduled for July 11.
Programmer Develops Unusual Proposal
The widely popular game “Bejeweled” had a hand in the marriage proposal of Bernie Peng to his girlfriend, Tammy Li. Peng, a computer programmer, reprogrammed Li's copy of “Bejeweled,” her
favorite video game, so that a marriage proposal and ring would show
up on the screen when she reached a certain score. It took Peng about a
month to accomplish the feat. “I thought it was pretty cool, in a nerdy
way,” Peng said. His efforts were rewarded with a yes by Li to his proposal after she reached the required level.
In response to Peng's alteration of the game, a spokesman for
PopCap, the Seattle company that makes “Bejeweled,” said, “Most
video game companies would frown on people manipulating their
games. But it won him a woman. As a bunch of geeks we have to say,
'Bernie, hats off to you.'” PopCap will fly the Peng and Li to Seattle as
part of their honeymoon and will also supply copies of “Bejeweled” for
their wedding guests.
News
THE GOVERNOR 5
A Silent Tsunami: Food Price Crisis
by Claire Shin ‘08
The main topic of the ongoing 12
th session of the United Nations
Conference
on
Trade
and
Development (UNCTAD) on Tuesday,
April 22 was the food price crisis.
More than 3,000 delegates from 193
nations congregated in Accra, Ghana
in order to resolve several global
problems. Of many topics, soaring
food prices worldwide became a hot
issue since it tends to make it harder to
meet development goals. “High prices
threaten to undo the gains achieved so
far in fighting hunger and malnutrition,” UN Secretary General Ban Kimoon said. He also put a great emphasis on increasing in investment and
expenditure in agriculture and pushing for an open trading system in agricultural commodities. Ban also urged
“to consider bold measures to guarantee affordable food to even the poorest
of the poor.”
The Millennium Development
Goals call for extreme poverty (which
is defined as living on less than one
dollar a day) to be slashed in half by
2015. Many countries are facing the
first global food crisis since World War
II. According to the World Food
Program, it threatens 20 million of the
poorest children. The food price rises
virtually started in 2002, yet have
accelerated in the past few years dra-
matically, especially since August
2007. In 2007, international grain
prices
soared by 42 percent.
According to a latest World Bank
report, global wheat prices have
jumped 181 percent over the last three
years, which overall food prices up 83
percent. The UN Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO) also estimated
that a total of 37 countries currently
face food crisis.
“A silent tsunami of hunger is
sweeping the world’s most desperate
nations,” said Josette Sheeran, the
WFP executive director, at a London
summit on the crisis. He also mentioned that “the skyrocketing cost of
food staples, stoked by rising fuel
prices, unpredictable weather and
demand from India and China, has
sparked violent protest across the
Coming Soon:
TheBeijing Olympics
by Ping-Chu Lin ‘09
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known
as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, will be celebrated from August 8, 2008, to August 24, 2008,
with the opening ceremony commencing at
08:08:08 pm (which in pronunciation is similar to
the Chinese character of “getting rich”) at the
Beijing National Stadium in Beijing, China. The
Olympic games of 2008 were awarded to Beijing,
People's Republic of China, on July 13, 2001.
The official logo of the games, titled "Dancing
upload.wikimedia.org
Caribbean, Africa and Asia.” Many
have concerned about soaring food
prices worldwide, which triggers riots
media.mcclatchydc.com
abc.net.au
and threaten hunger in many countries, such as Haiti, Egypt and the
Philippines. In Asia, where the diet is
built around rice, the soaring rice
price put many government leaders
under intense pressure since it causes
increasing strikes and protests. In
Africa, food riots have occurred in a
number of countries. Even Europe is
experiencing high inflation.
“Tackling hunger is a moral challenge to each of us and it is also a
threat to the political and economic
stability of nations,” British Prime
Gordon Brown said. United States
President George W.
Bush has
released $200 million in urgent aid
while Britain pledged an immediate
$59.7 million. Many analysts urge rich
countries running out of arable land to
transfer their agricultural know-how
to developing countries. The will to
increase food production exists, yet
there are many obstacles such as a lack
of government investment in agriculture and a scarcity of fertilizers, good
irrigation and access to markets. Other
possible solutions are ration cards,
genetically modified corps, end of
pile-it-high, sell-it-cheap supermarkets. Brown said “the impact of the
food crisis won’t just be felt in the
developing world, but also in the
checkout lane of Western supermarkets.” Furthermore, many analysts
claim that people in the West will need
to eat less meat and consume less food
in general in order to avoid food price
crisis.
There are no passengers
on Spaceship Earth. We are
all crew. (Kelly Ryan)
Beijing," features a stylized calligraphic character
jing (
meaning capital), referencing the host
city-Beijing
. The mascots of Beijing 2008
Summer Olympics are the five Fuwa, each
embedding the natural characteristics of four of
China's most popular animals -- the Fish, the
Panda, the Tibetan Antelope, the Swallow -- and
the Olympic Flame. The Olympic slogan, One
World, One Dream, reflects the essence and the
values of the Olympic spirit -- Unity, Friendship,
Progress, Harmony, Participation and Dream.
The slogan, inspired by the Olympic ideals,
expresses the common wishes of people all over
the world, striving for a brighter future for
mankind. Athletes will compete in 302 events in
28 sports, just one event more than was on the
schedule of the Athens games of 2004.
The Chinese government has promoted the
games to highlight China's emergence on the
world stage, amidst concerns about environmental issues and the human rights violations, particularly the recent Tibet controversy. There have
also been growing concerns of major nations boycotting the Olympics in protest of China's actions
in Tibet. However, despite the potential problems
that surround the event, confidence in the success
of the 2008 Summer Olympics is still strong. As
former IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch
commented, the Beijing games have a very good
chance in becoming "the best in Olympic history."
vancouver2010.com
Students from the Academy, Connor
MacLennan and Amanda Pease, will attend the
Beijing games this coming summer.
Features
THE GOVERNOR 6
Silent Lunch Speaks Volumes
by Aboubacar Okeke - Diagne '11
a message indicating that
silence speaks louder than words
Much of the Jacob Dining Hall was
silent on, Friday, April 25, when the
Academy participated in a national event
to raise awareness about problems that
lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender
(LGBT) students face. Earlier this school
year, the Academy's Gay/Straight
Alliance was reorganized in an attempt to
make the school a more accepting place
for LGBT students. The committee has
attacked and reduced the usage of potently homophobic language on campus,
including the once very commonly used
phrase, “That's so gay.” The organization
realized that when most people, including
themselves, used it to mean, “That's so
different,” or “That's so weird,” it could
also be interpreted as offensive, so the
GSA came up with some solutions. A
funny, but effective movie was shown at
morning meeting, showing everyday
ways people can intervene when homophobic language is used.
The Day of Silence, practiced in thousands of schools across the nation, is a
project coordinated by the Gay, Lesbian
and Straight Education Network (GLSEN)
as an event when “people of all sexual orientations and gender identities who support lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights take a vow of silence to
recognize and protest the silence that
LGBT people face each day.” The day was
observed by TGA's GSA encouraging a
silent lunch. Students were issued stickers
to wear, indicating their support for this
cause. In addition, school band director
Ms. Kristin Miller planned to hold prac-
Prove there are
intelligent signs of
life on the planet Protect the Earth
Congratulations!!!
Alice Tonry '10
Jenn Bascow '11
media.collegepublisher.com
tices in silence on Friday, except for the
music, since she feels that LGBT people
find it as a form of true expression.
The GSA was hoping for a positive
result, especially considering that most of
the student body signed a pledge, showing their support the end of homophobic
behavior on campus. Future plans include
extending the observance to a full day, as
it is done at many schools across America.
Dear Advisors...
Dear Advisors,
I am thinking about becoming physically intimate with my significant
other. However, I am a part of a very conservative society where the strict "soccer
Kevin Chang '11
The ceramic work of Kevin Chang '11, Jenn Bascow
'11 and Alice Tonry '10 was recently accepted to the
prestigious Shaped Clay 2008 exhibition sponsored by
Syracuse University at the Everson Museum. Only 50
works were chosen from 450 entries. "This is quite an
accomplishment," says Academy ceramics teacher Mrs.
Irina Okula, "to have the work of three students chosen from our small school for an show that only accepts
50 nationwide."
Der Stein Der
Weisen!
uniform" rule is employed. This rule advises that people do not touch anywhere
that would be underneath a soccer uniform. How should I go about this dilemma?
- Confused
Dear Confused,
Anytime physical intimacy becomes a part of the relationship
equation, things can change and become a bit more complicated. Matter
of fact, moving too quickly in this direction can actually harm the rela-
tionship and create stress. Your situation is challenging because you are
dealing with your personal choices but also trying to honor and respect
the values and morals established by a conservative society. If this particular society also encourages you to live by specific religious beliefs, this is
even more conflicting. As in any other situation, you may benefit from
blogigo.de
On May 1, Mr. Seufert’s German students will
perform an abbreviated version of Harry
Potter: The Sorcerer’s Stone at the Mount
Holyoke German Play Festival. The students
wrote the script in German and have been
rehearsing for the past month!
talking to your significant other about the dilemma. You will hopefully be
able to find a common ground where you can respect each other and be
understanding. In the end, you will have to follow your conscience and do
what you think is right for you personally. Ultimately, you have to answer
to yourself and others need to respect who you are and honor your decisions.
theimmoralminority.blogspot.com
Features
Globe Columnist to Speak
at Commencement
by Sean Andrews ‘08
The Governor's Academy community is
honored to have Boston Globe columnist
Bob Ryan as this year's commencement
speaker. “He's a journalist's journalist,”
Head-master Marty Doggett says. “He gets
behind stories, talks about the personalities
Bob Ryan selling his book
haleybooksellers.com
of the people involved, and the nuances of
situations.” Mr. Doggett has a distant, yet
somewhat personal connection with Bob
Ryan, who attended the Lawrenceville
School in New Jersey. Mr. Doggett was later
headmaster at Lawrenceville, and Ryan's
aunt was his secretary there for three years.
“I've met Bob before but don't pretend to
know him,” Mr. Doggett says. “He's developed a lot of life history in the interim.”
A graduate of Boston College with major
in history, Bob Ryan has written for the
Boston Globe since the 1970s and has been a
columnist since 1989. For many years he
served as a beat writer for the Boston Celtics.
Additionally, he has covered many NBA
Finals, Final Fours, World Series,
Superbowls, and Olympics. Ryan is also a
TV personality and hosts his own show,
Globe 10.0, on the New England Sports
Network. He also appears frequently on
ESPN and The Tony Kornheiser Show.
Kornheiser even described Ryan as the
“quintessential American sportswriter.”
Ryan is the author of many books and has
co-authored many others, including one
with John Havlicek and another with Larry
Bird. He was named National Sportswriter
of the Year by the Associated Press and the
National Sports-writers and Sportscasters
Association in 2000 and 2008, respectively.
His other awards include the Basketball Hall
of Fame's Curt Gowdy Award and the Dick
Schaap Award for Outstanding Journalism.
He votes for the Basketball Hall of Fame and
is a National Baseball Hall of Fame writer.
According to Mr. Doggett, Ryan has not
given a graduation speech in 10 years.
“We've been fortunate to have had outstanding commencement speakers in recent
years,” Mr. Doggett says. “I think [Bob Ryan]
will be engaging. He's more than just a
sportswriter.”
Ileana. Her smile is just
amazing. She started
Continued from Page 1 talking with me . . .And
since she invited me into her life and her family and
friends, they're my family now. And then, through
her family, I know lots of families down there.
Gov: What progress is being made down there
now?
BC: Now our dream is really becoming a reality.
Enough people are telling the story of La
Trudeca that many different ambassadors have become friends and
now a group of us are coming
up with a plan. Now we're
trying to come up with a
new profitable, sustainable trash dump where
people can work but not
live and generate jobs
and infrastructure.
Gov:
Popular music
today is a mixed bag; you have
your politically driven music and a
lot of generic music on the radio. Some
people might call it the voice of our generation.
What are your views on popular music today and
the direction it's headed? Are you pleased with
direction it's headed?
BC: True pop music, not at all. I don't think
there is a voice in true pop music. At least by my
definition, I think of popular being the most brittle
and plasticized and overproduced music. People
will sell an image. They'll sell a girl's body more
than her voice. I suppose we're pop artists in that
we're a part of popular culture, but what you hear
on the radio is a completely different feeling than
what you find in independent music. Because what
you hear on the radio is geared towards advertising
dollars. There's quality there, but it's not quality-
Brad Corrigan
Coby posing with Braddigan
Photo by Coby Newton ‘09
THE GOVERNOR 7
Students Head to UK
Staff Report
Two Seniors, Camila Connolly and Kerk
Soursourian, have been accepted into the
English Speaking Union. They will both spend
next year in England, studying at English
boarding schools before beginning college in
fall 2009.
Congratulations to ESU
accepted students!
driven.
Gov: You mentioned during the show the ability to look beyond the borders of our nations and see
the big picture and see there's more than privileged
private school. What advice would you give to
young travelers?
BC: I think you owe it to yourself to go out and
experience new cultures so you don't get lost in our
own. I really don't understand how we live in a
country that has all the money, all
the medicine, all the freedom, education, technology, and it's a
rarity to find
someone that's
happy.
We
have EVERYTHING
the
world has ever
asked for and
not asked for and
there are so many
people out there who are
completely the opposite. And
when you get to know them and see what they
make do with is unbelievable. They have one millionth of what we have and they'll give you that.
And we think we're generous when we give someone five bucks. Sacrificial giving - you need to get
out of your comfort zone, learn their culture, and
you think you're there to help them and serve them
- and they serve you. They love you. They give you
their best. We just need to learn how to love and not
be addicted to money.
Start giving away now. Learn what it feels like to
give what you have away now. Start living for other
people. Have a direction. Do your dreams now. We
need more people who are dreaming and take it to
the world.
During the concert, Brad Corrigan challenged the
Governor's community to create a drive to collect clothes,
Clean air,
warm heart.
Braddigan in Concert
books, toys, musical instruments and other items that he
will deliver to the children in Nicaragua. When he revisits campus in the fall, he promised a slide show of the children receiving gifts from the Academy.
Photo by Coby Newton ‘09
Academy
Happenings
Fine Arts Excellence Awards
Thursday, May 1
Spring Concert
Friday, May 2
Senior Art Show
Friday, May 2
Guild
Friday, May 9
Sports
THE GOVERNOR 8
Need for Speed: Need for Need
First off, let me applaud
the brave soul who decided
that last year’s six-hour first
round of the NFL draft was
cruel and unusual punishment. As someone who loves
watching the draft, and I
speak on behalf of all football
fans, 15 minutes per pick is
unbearable. This year, the 15
minute period was decreased
to 10 minutes, thus making a
much quicker and enjoyable
draft. Both the first and second rounds of the draft were
completed in 5 hours and 50
minutes, and within that time,
the traditional draft of the best
players changed to a game of
leap frog to nourish each
team’s need, for a need.
The draft’s first six picks
were precisely as expected by
both the experts and anyone
who follows both college and
professional football. The first
choice by the Miami Dolphins
had already been decided the
Tuesday before the draft as
senior offensive tackle Jake
Long signed a five-year deal.
Then, hours before the draft,
calls were coming into ESPN
correspondents telling which
team would be choosing
which player in the first cou-
ple picks. By the beginning of
the draft, the first four picks
had already been called in,
and the following two were
seemingly inevitable choices.
Dominant defensive tackle
Glenn Dorsey, whom many
analysts had at the top of their
draft boards, fell right into the
laps of Coach Herm Edwards
and the Kansas City Chiefs at
pick number five, and the
New York Jets followed by
stealing the versatile Vernon
Gholston from the Patriots
with pick number six. This is
where things got very interesting and hectic for both
2008 NFL Draft
First Round
1. Miami Dolphins: OT Jake Long, Michigan
2. St. Louis Rams: DL Chris Long, Virginia
3. Atlanta Falcons: QB Matt Ryan, Boston College
4. Oakland Raiders: RB Darren McFadden, Arkansas
5. Kansas City Chiefs: DT Glenn Dorse y, LSU
6. New York Jets: DE Vernon Gholston, Ohio State
7. New Orleans Saints: DT Sedrick Ellis, USC
8. Jacksonville Jaguars: DE Derrick Harvey, Florida
9. Cincinnatti Bengals: LB Keith Rivers,USC
10. New England Patriot s: LB Jerod Mayo, Tennessee
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24 .
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
Buffalo Bills: CB Leodis McKelvin, Troy
Denver Broncos: OT Ryan Clady, Boise State
Carolina Panthers: RB Jonathan Stewart, Oregon
Chicago Bears: OT Chris Williams, Vanderbil t
Kansas City Chiefs: Brandon Albert, Virginia
Arizona Cardinals: CB D. Rodgers-Cromartie, TSU
Detriot Lions: OT Gosder Cherilus, Boston College
Baltimore Ravens: QB Joe Flaaco, Delaware
Carolina Pan thers: OT Jeff Otah, Pittsburgh
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: CB Aquib Talib, Kansas
Atlanta Falcons: OT Sam Baker, USC
Dallas Cowboys: RB Felix Jones, Arkansas
Pittsburgh Steelers: RB R. Mendenhall, Illinois
Tennessee Titans: RB Chris Johnson, East Carolina
Dallas Cowboys: CB Mike Jenkins, South Florida
Houston Texans: OT Duane Brown, Virginia
San Diego Chargers: CB Antoine Cason, Arizona
Seattle Seahawks : DE Lawrence Jackson, USC
San Francisco 49ers: DT Kentwan Balmer, UNC
New York Jets: TE Dustin Keller, Purdue
New England Patriots: (Pick Forfeited)
New York Giants: FS Kenny Phillips, Miami (FL)
teams and viewers.
Multiple trades were made
throughout the draft so that
teams could ensure that they
drafted there need player no
matter the cost. Few teams
would even give up a later
round pick simply to move up
two spots in the draft. Instead
of drafting the best talent at
that particular pick, teams
took risks on players that
weren’t necessarily first
round prospects.
With this risk came many
positives for teams in the later
rounds as higher rated
prospects were available at a
much later round. Players
like Linebacker Dan Conner
and Wide Receiver Early
Doucet were available on the
second day of the draft, not
something that is seen very
often. Overall, a great draft
depth-wise, but not as many
superstar talents as years past.
THE SIDELINE SCORES
Varsity Boys Lacrosse vs. St. Mark’s 4/26
St. Mark’s
Govs
8
10
Varsity Girls Lacrosse vs. St. Mark’s 4/26
St. Mark’s
Govs
3
17
Varsity Baseball vs. Roxbury Latin 4/26
Roxbury Latin
12
Govs
1
Varsity Boys Tennis vs. R.L. 4/26
Roxbury Latin
Govs
12
3
Varsity Girls Tennis vs. Pingree 4/26
Pingree
Govs
6
3
Only clean air
and water keep
people off the
Endangered
Species List.
Interview with Spring Coaches
by Mary Morrissey ‘10
1. What makes the spring
season such a special one?
Mr. Moonves (Golf): The spring is
always special here in Byfield, especially for the coaches who have the
chance to be involved with terrific
young people. The golf team is
blessed with having team members
who are respectful and who, to put it
simply, love the game of golf.
Mr. Moore (Tennis): The game of
tennis and the weather. After so
many months of cold and snow and
such, you can be outside and warm
and enjoy the physical aspects of the
game.
2. What goal(s) does your
team hope to achieve this season?
Mr. Michael Moonves
Mr. David Moore
Mr. Moonves: The team has set
high goals for the year including winning the Sportsmanship Award again
and winning the Walworth Trophy
Every year, over a million people strive to become U.S.
citizens. Here are a few selected questions from a test
given to immigrants who hope to become citizens of
the United States. Think you have what it takes to
pass?
1. The House of Representatives has how many voting members?
2. Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the states. What
is one power of the states?
3. What is the name of the Speaker of the House of
Representatives now?
4. When is the last day you can send in federal income tax forms?
5. When must all men register for the Selective Service?
6. How many justices are on the Supreme Court?
7. What is the economic system in the United States?
8. How many amendments does the Constitution have?
9. What is the "rule of law"?
Continued from Page 1
and Christine found that the lessons
are different. “The learning here is
more detailed” said Christine. “The
students are more of a part of the class
here,” explained Jasper, “It is not just
the teacher teaching the students.
There are open discussions between
the class and the teacher.” Also different are the actual students who make
up the school. “The students in the
U.S. seem to be more relaxed. They
have more freedom” notes Jasper. He
also adds that his school in Kenya
allows only the use of books, unlike
here, where students can be seen with
ipods, cell phones and laptops
throughout the entire school day.
also hopes to win the Witherspoon
Cup in competition with Andover
and Exeter.
Mr. Moore: We hope to be better
players each and every day as we participate in a life long sport.
3. What game are you looking forward to most this season?
for the league, regular season champion and the Kingman Bowl for
the one-day, league championship
at the end of the season. The team
Could You Pass This Exam?
Kenyan Guests
THE GOVERNOR 9
Food is another great difference
between our two cultures. “There is
not much variety with the meals back
in Kenya” explains Jasper “Our meals
are mostly just rice and beans.” Jasper
recently tried a hamburger for the first
time and now considers it one of his
favorite foods. Christine misses the
food back home. Her favorite food,
Ugali, is what she misses most. It is a
sweet food made with corn flour and
a form of porridge. The chicken and
fish are cooked differently here as
well. Her favorite food that she has
tried here for the first time is macaroni and cheese.
While the two schools have many
differences, they share even more similarities. These similarities include the
multiple roles of teachers in the lives
of
students
as
teacher, coach and
dorm parent. Both
schools also share a
love of sports like
football and basket-
Air today...
Gone tomorrow
(Mrs. Guy)
Mr. Moonves: Our ladies, Courtney Dampolo and Jillian Cardarelli
will be competing in the Independent
School Girls' Golf Tournament in
Greenwich, CT in early May. This is a
very prestigious, and the golfers are
proud to be represented by Courtney
and Jillian.
Mr. Moore: Brooks!
It's Earth Day.
Hug a tree.
10. Who is the Commander in Chief of the military?
11. What are two Cabinet-level positions?
12. When was the Constitution written?
13. What is the name of the national anthem?
1. four hundred thirty-five (435)
2. provide schooling and education, provide protection (police), provide safety
(fire departments), give a driver's license, approve zoning and land use
3. (Nancy) Pelosi
4. April 15
5. at age eighteen (18) ,between eighteen (18) and twenty-six (26)
6. nine (9)
7. capitalist economy, market economy
8. twenty-seven (27)
9. Everyone must follow the law, Leaders must obey the law, Government must
obey the law, No one is above the law.
10. the President
11. Secretary of Agriculture, Secretary of Commerce, Secretary of Defense,
Secretary of Education, Secretary of Energy, Secretary of Health and Human
Services, Secretary of Homeland Security, Secretary of Housing and Urban
Development, Secretary of Interior, Secretary of State, Secretary of
Transportation, Secretary of Treasury, Secretary of Veterans' Affairs, Secretary
of Labor, Attorney General
12. 1787
13. The Star-Spangled Banner
Features
ball.
Christine and Jasper do more than
school work back in Kenya. They are
just like us in that they enjoy relaxing
with friends. In his free time, Jasper
plays sports like rugby and soccer for
fun. He is also part of a Debate program at his school where he discusses
economics and politics. Christine likes
to swim and dance along with spend
time with her friends.
When asked what they thought
about assumptions made prematurely
about Americans and Kenyans by one
another, both students had answers. “I
think Americans are ignorant about
Kenyans. They lack knowledge about
life in Africa” says Jasper. Christine
adds that many Americans are very
surprised by the fact that she speaks
English. Jasper also says that Kenyans
might think Americans are not generous, but after visiting the U.S. and
meeting them for himself, he knows
that they are “so caring.”
Students from the Academy were
not able to visit Kenya this year
because of the political unrest. This
has affected both Jasper and Christine
in a few ways. Both of their schools
were forced to open a few weeks later
than usual. The prices of everyday
item swent up and it became more
difficult for their parents to send them
what they needed. “My school is a
national school,” explained Jasper,
“The students there come from many
different tribes. The tribal alignment is
what caused some problems, but now
everyone is more united and the tension is beginning to melt down.”
Jasper and Christine are enjoying
their visit to the U.S. thus far. They
still miss the weather, food and friends
from back home. However, they are
rapidly adjusting to their fast-paced
life filled with athletics, academics,
and new friends. As they say in Lyo,
Jasper and Christine’s first language,
Oriti or Goodbye.
Features
Geek Beat:
by Anna O’Neal ‘09
On Saturday of last week I sliced
the tip of my finger off while cutting
potatoes. I didn’t cry immediately;
instead I looked at my friend, stated
calmly that I needed bandages,
gauze and my mother. Then it hit me.
It was hard to see what had happened through all the blood, and I
squeezed my finger below my cut to
stem the flow. I ran my hand under
the faucet to calm the pain. My heart
beat wildly and I screamed and cried
as I finally realized what had happened. Later on, while I was calmer,
it occurred to me that an article about
my experience, and the experience of
what everyone goes through when
they cut themselves, would be interesting. I know I want to know what
happens inside the body when your
outer
line of defense (skin) is
breached. Does an alarm sound?
Why did my finger bleed so much?
Why did I stay so calm for the first
moments of my accident? How is it
that here, a week later, the wound is
no longer painful and new skin has
begun to form around the edges?
This is the Diary of a wound.
The Body’s outer defenses are
made up of two types. There are
external defenses like mucous, tears
(lachrymal fluid) and skin. The other
kind of defenses are internal, mostly
THE GOVERNOR 10
The Diary of a Wound
specialized cells that destroy intruders (like white blood cells) raise
alarms and seal over cuts. All these
A white blood cell rushes to an injury
things make up what doctors call
immediate response and innate
immunity. Innate immunity is a rapid
response to invasion or accident by
the body. It can be effective in terms
of speed, but very general, and often
followed by acquired immunity,
which is a more specialized and
effective reaction. Acquired immunity can include antibodies, and B-lymphocytes, which are cells that are
custom-made to attack individual
threats.
When a foreign object breaches
the outer protective coat of skin, the
Spotlight on
Mr. Abusamra
by Lindsay Mackay '10
May is just around the corner and
those who have been taught French or
Spanish by the beloved Mr. Abusamra
have heard him say that “one day in
May” he will tell some of his stories
about blood. On Halloween, he gives
students a taste to keep them hooked
for the rest of the gray winter, saying
that he “loves blood,” therefore giving the impression that he is, in fact, a
vampire (why else would he be so
interested in biting noses?) The truth
is that Mr. Abusamra is no different
from other young people. He was
once a college kid who needed to earn
money.
In 1965, Mr. David Abusamra
went to the College of the Holy Cross
where he was a double major in premedicine and French. He was following his goal to someday work with Dr.
Albert Schweitzer, who cared for the
sick in Africa. At this time, his cousin
offered him his job in a hospital as a
diener, a laboratory assistant for a
doctor performing autopsies. Mr.
Abusamra took on the job with an
open mind. For his four years of college, where he was a day student, he
worked on-call (scheduled around
cross-country and track meets, of
course.) “It was a great way to earn
money and stay home and study!” he
says.
body responds by taking a series of
actions to stop loss of blood and prevent or fight the threat of a potential
As a diener, Mr. Abusamra
worked alongside many doctors on
“posts” (post mortems) to determine
the cause of death. Each autopsy
could take three hours or more, often
with more than one each day. “The
first autopsy I observed…I felt faint,”
Mr. Abusamra says. “I think I may
have passed out… But after that first
one, I didn't have any problems… I
mybloodyourblood.org
infection. Adrenaline is released to
help the body respond appropriately. This is what keeps people in a
very calm state even during an emergency. The blood clot cascade is the
next step. If any vessels are damaged,
they constrict, slowing blood flow
and consequently, loss of blood.
Platelets, little cells that travel in our
circulation system, rush to the scene,
ready to form a clot. This is what
makes up a scab when our cuts start
to heal. In a finger, tiny and numerous networks of capillaries are needed to feed the extensive nerve net-
Earth Day is every day.
(Ms. Loosigian)
from the post, a particular gland that
promotes growth. The glands were
collected and given to little people to
use to help them grow a few more
inches. “Dead people were helping
living people!” he exclaims.
“[Working as a diener] could be
dangerous, too,” Mr. Abusamra adds.
In some cases, the body would be
infected with a highly contagious disease, such as hepatitis. In that case,
Mr. Abusamra would have to treat
himself immediately to ward off the
disease from his own body, especially
if he had cut himself when he was
working. Sometimes, he would work
Mr. Abu smiling
saw one, and was able to do them all.”
To this day, Mr. Abusamra can still
describe his work as a diener with
unfaltering details. He recalls the
techniques he used to remove the
brain (his most noted task), and the
commendable job he did stitching the
head up once more to prepare the
body for the wake. The visible effects
of certain diseases on the human body
are still vivid to him, such as the “basketball”-like texture on the organs of a
person whose entire body had been
invaded by cancer, or the black paste
on a smoker's lungs, or the holes in an
alcoholic's liver. He also remembers
his job to abstract the pituitary gland
work. A cut to the finger will require
some serious clotting talent from the
platelets.
Histamines also are soon released
in the area. You may have heard of
histamines as something we try to
stop when our allergies are bad, as in
antihistamines. However, histamines
are just our body’s way of protecting
itself. Histamines are released by
mast cells during an inflammatory
response. They allow the blood vessels to dilate and become more permeable. This action allows cells to
diffuse more quickly through the
blood vessels and to the area of
injury.
Some of the cells that diffuse with
the help of histamine are phagocytes,
or white blood cells. These cells
engulf (literally!) their prey, which
can be anything from small particles
of dirt to dangerous bacteria trying to
move into your body through the
unfortunate door a cut provides.
When the white blood cells and other
defensive cells have swallowed their
prey, they begin to digest it, destroying it entirely.
All in all, the body has a pretty
foolproof way of defending itself. I
am happy to say that my innate
immune response was quick and
effective in the case of my finger, and
with the help of some triple antibiotic ointment, I have begun the healing
process nicely.
Photo by Julia Blanter ‘09
Mr. Abu demonstrating his technique
Photo by Julia Blanter ‘09
on posts that had contracted very rare
diseases or shapes as well. “My hands
may still be in medical textbooks,” he
says, describing how they would take
pictures of their findings for educational purposes.
Mr. Abusamra has no regrets
regarding his one 100-plus autopsy
jobs. He was glad to partake in helping find the cause of death. “It gave
me a keener sense of life after seeing
all of this death,” he adds. He recalls
the wonder and beauty of holding the
heart that once powered a human
being and finds it surreal that he ever
had the experience. He credits his job
to being a remarkable learning experience that has instilled in him the
desire to care for his own body.
Why did Mr. Abusamra not stay
in the field of medicine? “My life went
in a different direction,” he replies.
When Mr. Abusamra graduated from
the College of the Holy Cross, he
attended Middlebury College for oneand-a-half years where he was under
a strict contract to only speak French.
After his success in the course, he got
a chance to travel to France to complete his Master's degree. A year after
graduating, he found a teaching job at
Malden High School where he taught
French for two years, until he interviewed for a job at The Governor's
Academy, where he and his wife,
Laurel Abusamra (whom he met at
Middlebury College), began teaching
in 1972. Mr. Abusamra continues
teaching French, Spanish, as well as
coaching the cross-country team and
the long-distance track team.
With the truth revealed, Mr.
Abusamra seems harmless…but what
exactly does he mean when he talks
about “something that happened
behind Boynton, where you can find
bones on Halloween”?
Features
Unsolved Histories
I Buried Paul:
Evolution of a Myth
THE GOVERNOR 11
by Julia Blanter ‘09
Earth is our day
every day.
(Raphael Durand)
What if you heard that on Wednesday,
tar oriented for a lefty just like Paul. To the right of
to be the symbol of a funeral procession. Leading
Paul picked up a female hitchhiker on his way to
model of the car that Paul crashed. Even more mys-
Behind him, Ringo is dressed in black as an under-
November 9, 1966, at 5:00 a.m., a young man named
visit friends. Both Paul and his passenger were tragically killed and Paul was decapitated when the car
swerved and hit a stone wall. Now what if you were
the flowerbed is a little doll and at her feet sits a
terious is the drum in the center of the album cover.
If places a mirror across the middle of Lonely Hearts
told that the man's full name was Paul McCartney
the line of men is John wearing white (the clergy).
taker and then behind Ringo is Paul. Paul is in all
black and barefoot - said to be symbolizing a corpse.
Tailing the men is George who is dressed in work
clothes as a gravedigger would dress at the end of a
and he was a prominent member of a famous rock
funeral procession.
band, The Beatles.
Of course, after a few weeks of the rumors came
The myth of Paul McCartney's suspicious death
the truth; it was all a great hoax. Any serious believ-
Beatles published a greatest hits album on
enough and, besides, who doesn't enjoy the myste-
has been circulating the globe since 1969. The
er could find clues like that if he searches hard
December 10, 1966 and that is where the first clue
rious flavor of a rumor? Some claim that walrus is
begins. A nonspecific character is found on the front
Greek for corpse so when “I am the Walrus” was
of the album to be in the same position and place as
released in 1967, everyone believed that Paul was
Paul McCartney was on the cover of Please Please
the walrus but a personal quote from John Lennon
Me. In the background is a car heading right
can be found to disprove that. John himself once
towards the character's head, perhaps implying
said, “I was the walrus and now I'm just John” when
Paul lost his head in a car accident. Upon the release
of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, many suspi-
cious fans found more clues of Paul's supposed
his career was going solo. Paul could not be the walrus if John intended the name for himself. So is this
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band Album
n4abc10.abc.es
death. Next to the photo of the Beatles is a picture of
it spelled “1 ONE IX HE <> DIE.” 1 ONE IX or 11/9
all wearing black and looking sorrowfully down at
between “he” and “die” points to Paul himself.
them at a younger age but these younger Beatles are
the flowerbed, almost as if at a funeral. The only
instrument depicted in the flowerbed is a bass gui-
On
December
8,
is the date of the fatal car crash and the diamond in
Probably the second most suspect album cover
to be released by the Beatles is Abbey Road. It is said
really a myth or did Paul McCartney really perish in
a car accident in 1966? That decision is left up to you
but first play the original of “Strawberry Fields
Forever” and decide what is being said in the last 20
seconds of the song...
Celebrity Profile: Blast from the Past
1943
a
revolutionary
but transferred to UCLA film school. He believed
his part as lead singer of the famous 60s band, The
horrible criticism of his first class film, he quit
singer/songwriter was born. He is best known for
that he wanted to be a film director but after the
school. Although very shy, Jim offered to read some
of his personal poems and song lyrics to his friend,
Ray Manzarek. Ray immediately knew that they
had to make a band. After having a few coming and
going band members, The Doors finally established
themselves as John Densmore on percussion, Ray
Manzarek on organs and keyboard, Robby Kreiger
on guitar and Jim on vocals. They had no bass player! They couldn't find one so Ray played organ
instead, and so began their unique sound. Along
demango.com.au
with the starting of the band, Jim found a beautiful
Doors. His name is Jim Morrison. His father was a
agreed to be his girlfriend. Although with Pam, Jim
Jim in concert
military man and Jim, living in Florida, started FSU
woman, Pam Courson, and pursued her until she
had many one-night stands and there is said to be
The earth does not belong to
man, man belongs to the
earth (Chief Seattle by way
of Ms. Jackson)
an illegitimate son
of his out there but
no
one
really
knows if that is
true.
clubs
Playing
along
in
the
strip, such as the
Jim in the poster
Whiskey a Go-Go, Jim befriended many weird
demango.com.au
crowds (like Andy Warhol's crew) and was intro-
duced to many drugs. Eventually, Elektra Records
signed The Doors and they began touring. Through
1967-1969, Jim played all around the world with
The Doors but in Miami 1969 the self destruction
started. He began heavily drinking and hating the
life he lived. In 1971 he moved to Paris with Pam
and eventually died there from heart failure.
Reviews
THE GOVERNOR 12
Movie Review:
‘21’ Is in the Cards
nonchalant
by Anna Perocchi ‘08
Based on Ben Mezrich's
bestselling
book,
Bringing
Down the House, and adapted
for the screen by Peter Steinfeld
and Allan Loeb, 21 tells the
story of six MIT graduates who
learned to count cards and took
Vegas for millions. Directed by
Robert Luketic (Legally Blonde),
the movie encourages the view-
hand
gestures,
buzzwords, and a talent for
math, the students find a way
journeys from Boston to Vegas
each weekend to rake in some
serious cash. Using a system of
Morgan Spurlock, the
same guy who ate nothing
but McDonald's for 30 days
in his first hit movie, Super
Size Me, has done it again
with his new documentary,
Where in The World is Osama
Bin Laden? This time,
Spurlock is done attacking
fast food and is now going
after the most wanted man
in the world, Osama Bin
Laden or “OBL,” as they
often refer to him in the
movie.
The movie starts with
Morgan Spurlock’s finding
out from his wife that she
is expecting and his pondering all the dangers in
the world from which he
will need to protect his
soon-to-be-born child. This
train of thought leads him
to the conclusion that it's
up to him to make sure his
child grows up in a world
without Osama Bin Laden.
Off he goes on a ninemonth quest (he promises
to be back for the birth)
across the Middle East
interviewing civilians from
all walks of life about their
views on America, what
OBL is doing and, of
course, where he can find
machine.
counting cards to pay for
with an exciting and thought-
Harvard
Medical
clichés, superb acting coupled
provoking script keeps the
School
instead of using his poor, wid-
audience foaming at the mouth
cash.
is a case in which, like the lead-
to “beat the house.” This movie
owed mother's hard-earned
ing characters, everyone wins.
The previously slow plot
Ben and his team fly to Vegas,
and run. Amid the dim and
exciting casinos, Ben under-
takes different personas and is
Playing cards and chips on the blackjack table
belvederebungalow.com
always on the run from casino
that weekend to a stash above
ues his jaunts. The compassion-
trip, Ben returns to his dorm
enough to pay for graduate
goers met at the beginning of
executives. At the end of each
his bed. Soon, Ben has made
Movie Review:
‘Where in The World is
Osama Bin Laden?’
by Dylan Press ‘09
ous, greedy, money-making
21 does not disappoint.
and innocent Ben takes up
count cards, take the money,
MIT professor Micky Rosa,
cannot be denied; so he contin-
the film evolves into a danger-
Although ridden with subtle
(Jim Sturgess), who is solicited
The “team,” which is run by
thousands of dollars he made
school, but the allure of Vegas
apprehensive at first, our naïve
line skids and then takes off as
by his peers to join the “team.”
room at MIT and adds the
to beat the bank. Although
er to care about soon-to-be college graduate Ben Campbell
Peace, Love, and a
reduced carbon footprint . (Ms. Miller)
OBL (most people just
point to the mountains).
The movie gives a surprising view of what the
people in the Middle East
think of U.S. occupancy.
Contrary to popular belief,
they are not all extremely
opposed to the U.S. being
there, and not all of them
hate Americans; in fact,
ate Ben Campbell that movie-
OU 8 G
T
O
OF VS
10
Movie Theater Options
and Ratings
movie a repetitive feel. The
animated history lessons in
the movie are funny, and a
few more of those would
have helped to keep the
eyelids up. The soundtrack
was also kind of corny, but
if a corny soundtrack is one
of the only criticisms of a
movie, then the movie
can't be that bad. Definitely
Staff Report
There Will Be Blood
HHHH
Paris, Je T'aime
HHH
Prom Night
H
Doomsday
HHH
many of them said they
feel the exact opposite.
Where in the World is among
a very small group of
movies about the war on
terror that is un-biased, a
rare find in today's politically charged climate of
“propagandamentaries.”
The only hesitation to
be had with the movie is
that it gets pretty boring in
the middle. A lot of the
people being interviewed
say nearly the exact same
thing, which gives the
gdb.rferl.org
go to see this; you will
walk out of the theater
smarter. Besides, it's easier
than reading a book (especially knowing you can
nap through the middle 45
minutes and not miss anything).
OU 7 G
T
O
OF VS
10
10,000 BC
H
U2 3D
HHHH
Rated by Boston.com (best out of 4 hearts)
Give back for all
it's given you.
(Carlota Caicedo)
Features
THE GOVERNOR 13
Things We Really Need...
Give thanks for
a breath of
fresh air.
Word
Round
Up
rrrrrr
1. Six pieces of Furniture
T
T
A Z X K S
E
A I
R E R E G X
I
rrrrr
2. Five young animals
r
X Z I
J
r
Honor Thy Mother... on May!
“A mother understands what a child
does not say.” For 364 days of every year
this quote may be accurate but on one day
children around the world take the time to
tell their mothers how much they are appreciated. On the Academy's campus, generations celebrate this day in different ways.
2007-2008 has been a year of many new
faculty children and a few first time-mothers. Among these is Lisa Borgatti who is
looking forward to experiencing this holiday from the perspective of both a child and
a mother. “I am excited to be someone's
'mom' this Mother's Day!” says Ms.
Borgatti, “I realized I will have something
to celebrate.” For those who are more experienced with the day, there are still highlights to look forward to. Ms. Hamovit,
mother of two and always the English
teacher says, “We have never celebrated
Mother's Day that much but I always tell
my kids that a poem or card is nice.”
Then there are those like Mrs. Guy who
know how to work the day to their advantage. “I would always ask my kids for a day
of peace,” she says. “It was difficult for
them but very relaxing for me!” Teachers
like Ms. Ruhl have not forgotten their own
mothers this spring. “I look forward to
S E V L
C H A G O J
4. Drink
5. Scottish City
by Zoe Mackay '11
J
H C H C L S
rr
3. Two cranes
E
D D B K I
spending the day with my own mother,
now 81, whom I don't get to see that often,”
she says.
L X L
P C Z F
J
Z
T
R
E
R
S
T
F
E
X
A
R
N N T
D
Z
H
Z
I
H L
J
G
G
S
E
S
Z
A E
B
L
E
F
O Z
E
B
A
C
U
W B
I Never Knew...
attribution: www.puzzles.usatoday.com
Thirty-five percent of the people who use personal ads for
dating are already married.
Your odds of being killed by space debris are approximately
1 in 5 billion.
Americans on average eat 18 acres of pizza every day.
Average lifespan of a major league baseball is 7 pitches.
A newborn kangaroo is about 1 inch in length.
The microwave was invented after a researcher walked by
a radar tube and a chocolate bar melted in his pocket.
As of July 2005, the smallest country in terms of population was Pitcairn Islands with 45 inhabitants!
In ancient Egypt, priests plucked EVERY hair from their bodies, including their eyebrows and eyelashes.
In England, the Speaker of the House is not allowed to peak.
socpa.com
As for the gifts that community members have given and received on Mother's
Day, these come in all forms: linen handkerchiefs, a day of rest, or the stunning example set by our own mothers. Whether you
are home or not this May 11, try to take
some time out of your day to let these
women know how much you appreciate
them!
You share your birthday with at least 9 million other people
in the world.
Walt Disney was afraid of mice.
attribution: www.randomfunfacts.com/sumbin
Green is the
new black.
(Carlota Caicedo)
The Back Page
THE GOVERNOR 14
bnxHappy Birthday!yE
in May to:
Seniors
Zachary Menard
Vanessa Norkus
Thomas Durkin
05/08/89
Lindsey Keith
05/23/89
Caroline Gilbert
05/16/89
Thomas Adams-Wall 05/25/89
Mael Bibi
05/24/90
05/26/90
05/29/90
Sophomores
Javier Vargas
05/20/92
Anne Clayman
05/18/90
Joshua Stavis
05/12/91
Freshmen
Hunter Archibald
05/19/90
George French
05/24/91
Brendan Lang
Brandon Murray
Meghan Griesbach
05/20/90
Alexander Brierley
05/21/90
05/22/91
Merrin Wolfe
05/20/92
Devon Harrell
05/01/93
Alanna McDonough
05/24/93
Brandon Barulich
05/28/93
Prisca Mbiye
05/28/93
Taylor Reech
05/31/93
Connor Costello
05/34/94
Nicholas Wells
05/30/93
05/02/94
05/21/93
05/26/93
Angles of Perception
by Taylor Angles ‘10
Defy Gravity...
Lighten up on Earth
Answers for Word Roundup:
1. chair, desk, dresser, bed, table, sofa
2. kitten, calf, piglet, cub, colt
3. beverage 4. frasier, niles 5. glasgow
Zachary Burke
05/18/90
05/01/91
Christina Toomey
Jeffrey Lamson
Jonathan Harris
Juniors
Nina Wiesheu
05/10/92
05/09/92
05/10/90
05/16/90
Haley Gould
Benjamin Phippen
David Riedell
Trevor Hines
05/02/91