Watchu talkin` `bout, son?

Transcription

Special Humor Wrap
June 2007
Watchu talkin’ ’bout, son?
Page 2: See These Two Bust Rhymes Of Fire,
And Lay it Down Like Only True Gangstas Can!
2A —
The Beak — June 2007
Special Humor Wrap
Folsom vs. Sheldon: Gang Warfare
some cred in the community doesn‘t mean they can go around endangering the lives of students.‖
In the wake of last weeks
Alan Capasso declined to
student center freestyle battle, the
dispute between Folsom‘s own
MC Housemastah and the Sheldon
House‘s Yhung Gahngstuh has
erupted into a full on battle of the
ages. After hurling insults at
Housemastah‘s momma, and making brazen remarks about Housemastah‘s biddy, Yhung Gahngstuh
left the student center. En route to
the science wing, he was assaulted
by a group of individuals that he
claims were from MC Housemastah‘s crew. These allegations
were refuted by Housemastah‘s
representatives, but the Head of
Security at GHS is investigating
the claims.
Says a security guard who
wished to remain anonymous,
―These
teacher-rappers
think
they‘re so street. But all they are
doing is creating chaos among the comment, but his secretary was all
students. The last thing we want ―Jigga whaaat?‖ Opinionated
here at GHS is a reenactment of members of the faculty had a lot to
the Biggie-Pac Debacle. Just be- say about the feud. Said esteemed
cause these fools are trying to get history teacher and hip hop aficioby Ben Millstein
Editor-in-Chief
nado, Sean Harriman, ―every time
I walk the city streets I see the ongoing fight for turf. It‘s no different here in the concrete jungle they
call Greenwich High School. If
fact, this violence is as bad as
Compton was in the early 1990‘s.
I poured out several forties of Colt
45 for my dead homeys back in the
day…it looks like I‘ll be doing
more of the same in the future if I
keep working here at the high
school.‖ When asked if he had
any dope rhymes of wisdom to
share with the student body, Harriman responded, ―Who doesn‘t?
Let me bust one out for you…yo
yo, we gots to stop the hatred, the
halls are turning red; we gots to
put this to bed. You know what
I‘m sayin‘, it be can‘t denied, just
like this rhyme, I don‘t want to see
another homey die.‖
Mr. Epstein, head of the
Folsom history department, supported a more stringent approach.
―I believe we need to out fit the
entire security staff with motorcycles so they can constantly patrol
the student center. Leather jackets
and sunglasses should be standard
issue, and every security guard
member should get one. Except
Alan Capasso, he can have a golfcart.‖
Until this matter can be
cleared up, the school administration encourages students to stay
out of dark alleyways, freestyle
challenges, and more crowded ar-
Dump Ups Ante In O’Donnell Feud
by Bob Johnson
Associate Editor
In an exclusive report discovered by our very own investigative journalist Turg Ferguson
concluded that, entrepreneur and
hair-obsessive TV producer Donald Dump has gone too far with
regards to the Rosie O' Donnell
feud.
In a recently released statement,
Dump said resolutely that a lawsuit
was in the works; however, he did
not say for what. Now, we all
know that Dump's decision to offer
Cara Tonner, winner of last year's
Miss USA Pageant, a second
chance concerning her alleged
drug and alcohol abuse started the
conflict. What we don't yet know
is how it will all play out.
That's where Mr. Ferguson
comes into the picture. After a
long and grueling six-week stakeout at both the Dump and O'Donnell residences, he has come to the
conclusion that Donald Dump is
taking this a bit too seriously. Dump has previously called
Rosie a "slob," "loser" and
"degenerate," but now he has now
added to his list of insults and
childlike retorts.
Yesterday, in response to
Rosie's claims that Dump went
bankrupt three times, is bankrupt
now, and most importantly is a
"snake-oil salesman". Dump called
Rosie simply "fat. Just really,
really fat and unattractive."
Dump has taken aggressive
measures to both get back at her
and also ensure a win in the courtroom. He has reportedly "paintballed" her house personally on
several occasions, put cameras in
her kitchen (in the hopes that she
might defame his character over
dinner, and thus, use it against her
in court), and even sent over a couple of his "buddies" to try and woo
O'Donnell's girlfriend Kelter Carpenli. It is quite clear that Mr.
Dump has overstepped his boundaries.
The following is an in-depth
interview between Mr. Ferguson
and Mr. Dump concerning the details of the feud.
Q: Mr. Dump. It's truly an honor
to be in your presence, sir, and I
thank you for taking some time out
of your day of Rosie-bashing to
answer a few questions. My first
question is this. Why do you insistently keep this conflict going? Is
it all just a publicity stunt to get
higher ratings for your dwindling
TV show "The Apprentice: Los
Angeles"?
no facts. Am I right?
reflection. She is just so huge.
Q: Aaaaaahhhhh… I'm sorry, I
can't comm.–
Q: Mr. Trump, for the past several
questions, all you've done is call
A: You're damn right she is! And Rosie "disproportionate" and
I'll tell you what else Turg, "The ugly. Is there anything of subApprentice: Los Angeles" is the stance that you can say that would
biggest show on television, bar elucidate your point against her a
none.
little better?
Q: Well, then why does my source A: Let's cut right to the chase,
tell me that your latest episode did- Turg, I'm worth billions of doln't come close to breaking into the lars. I'm a very powerful man.
top 20?
Q: ….
A: Simple. It's obvious that you're
source is a die hard "The View" A: ….
fan trying to diminish the massive
shadow I cast on Network Televi- Q: Ah, is there anything else you'd
sion.
like to add to that?
Q: I'm not even going to respond A: You see, in my line of work I
to that.
try not to deal with "lesser lifeforms", however, I live my life
A: Here comes another lawsuit! I firmly along the lines of the agegenuinely enjoy suing people be- old saying "if you can't beat 'em,
cause, like an unstoppable rebel destroy 'em." Rosie is the pest and
force, I always win.
I'm the pesticide, if you know what
I mean.
Q: But sir, there's a war going on
and you're concerned about Rosie Q: Well, ah, that's just about all
O'Donnell's name-calling an- the time we have for today. Are
tics? Don't you think you're blow- there any last words you'd like to
A: I'll tell you why I keep this feud ing this out of proportion?
close with?
going Mr. Ferguson and that's because "I like to see bad people A: Absolutely not, Rosie is a slob A: Rosie's like a rat. Her very exfail." I mean let's be honest here, that has got to be done away istence serves no more of a purRosie O'Donnell is a disgusting with. I mean, I honestly don't pose than eating leftovers and irrihuman being with no morals and know how she can stand her own tating people. Just give me a
VOLUME XXXIX, NUMBER 6
GREENWICH HIGH SCHOOL, GREENWICH, CT 06830
June 2007
Inside This Issue
News In Brief
Trip to China
By Doug Johnson
Opinions Editor
The GHS
Band traveled to
China over the April
break. Jay Polansky
provides us with his
personal experience
in China. Page 3
Senate Postpones Decision
On Illegal Immigrants
Recently a bill has been being passed by Congress which, if
passed, will give a legal status to all
illegal immigrants currently in the
US. This bill also will harden the
border security and workplace enforcement. Although it is being
backed by many diverse groups, both
left and right, there are many who are
against the bill. As a result of the
opposing side, the Senate leaders did
not push for the bill into being passed
by Memorial Day as they had
wished. Instead they decided to wait
until June to attempt to pass the bill.
The Yankee Era
During the past century many
similarities between the New York Yankee baseball
team and the
United States
have
developed. These
similarities
include Bush‘s
frame of mind
in the Iraq
War
and
George Steinbrenner‘s approach to spending for the
benefit of the Yankee performance. See
more Page 13
Cigarette Addiction Linked
To Certain Part Of Brain
Bush Approval Rating
A GHS student poll shows the
students‘ opinion of President George
Bush‘s presidency. Page 12
All-American Rejects
Sammie Lazar spent her Friday
morning at the Today Show meeting the
band members of the
A l l American
Rejects and
watching
their
performance
live.
See
more Page 5
Start School Earlier?
How badly is GHS‘ early start
time affecting its students? Many are
asking this question as they see students
dose off throughout their first class every
day. See more Page 9
Senior Survey
See where seniors will be after
life at GHS. Pages 10-11
Box Office Pulling in the
Cash
During
the past month
record breaking
movies
have
arrived in theaters. First Spider
-Man 3 opened
with $151.1 million overtaking
Pirates of the
Caribbean: Dead
Man’s
Chest
which pulled in $135.6 million on its
opening weekend. Then Shrek the Third
opened with a stunning $121.6 million
putting itself atop the rankings for biggest opening for an animated movie ever.
Most recently, Pirates of the Caribbean:
At World’s End emerged as number one
for the biggest Memorial Day holiday
opening, making $142 million over the
four day weekend. See what summer
2007 holds. Page 4
Zimmerman And Chou: Keeping It Real
By Ryan Fazio
Associate Editor
Ben Millstein
Editor-in-Chief
―I have a disease, and the
only prescription is more Choubell.‖ In case you missed it over the
constant roar of the crowd, that was
the one sentence Ryan Chou managed to articulate in his speech for
senior class elections. For two years
now, thunderous applause for Mr.
Chou‘s sheer presence has prevented
him from completing his speech.
This year, Mr. Chou kicked it up a
notch, rallying supporters to hold up
signs and even ringing his own custom-molded ―Chou-bell‖ for the
class of 2008.
Yet, for the second straight
year ovations did not translate into
votes for Mr. Chou. Next year‘s senior class president will be Victor
Zimmerman. In spite of a speech that
did not illicit much crowd energy,
Mr. Zimmerman managed to pull off
a victory in the presidential election.
Mr. Chou credited the lack
of votes to an administration policy
that required students to present their
school ID in order to vote. Mr. Chou
believed that much of his constituency consisted of students who do
not carry their student ID and who
cost him many potential votes. In
spite of this, Mr. Chou had only kind
words to share about his opponent:
―Vic is a good guy. My advice to
him is: don‘t take it from nobody.‖
Whatever the outcome, the
Class of 2008 can never be robbed of
the momentous performance that
Ryan Chou gave two years in a row.
Said junior Zade Constantine; ―Chou
was an event, not just a speech.‖ The
president-elect, Victor Zimmerman,
was certainly thrilled about his victory. But he also felt pangs of remorse seeing a pol as mighty as
Ryan Chou fall in battle. Mr. Zimmerman told the Beak, ―I said to
Ryan, ‗I may not like you much, but
damnit, I respect you.‘‖
With Mr. Chou walking off
into the sunset, the Zimmerman administration begins. Backed by Vice
President Bridget Bauer, Secretary
Mike Lewis, and Treasurer Charlotte
Kline, the next year will be dynamic
for the Senior Class. President Zimmerman aims for a successful SRO,
a sound graduation, and a prom that
costs significantly less than the $90
it cost for junior prom.
Of his cabinet, Zimmerman
opined, ―They‘re a dedicated bunch
of kids, who are willing to work hard
to create an optimal senior year for
our class.‖ Rising seniors have already spoken, now all they can do is
hope that Mr. Zimmerman will be
able to perform as well as he has
promised. If he cannot, then we may
very well hear cries of, ―We wish we
had more Chou-bell‖ resonating at
next year‘s graduation.
A scientist
study concluded that
an injury to a specific
part of the brain could
immediately end a
person‘s cigarette addiction. The part of
the brain is located
near the ear and is
called the ―insula‖.
The experts on the
subject do not believe
that anyone will actually injure that part of their brain but
different therapies will be concentrated on the insula.
Iraqi Students’ Dream Lost
Before the US invasion of
Iraq many Iraqi students entered collage with great expectations. Now
the same students are anxious to
leave Iraq. A survey taken of thirty
Iraqi students showed that twenty-six
believed it would take at least ten
years to stabilize Iraq according to
the New York Times. The students
are waiting to receive their degrees
and Then flee the country immediately.
Blair Visits Bush
One Last Time
Britain‘s Prime Minister Tony
Blair visited with President Bush and the
White House in mid-May. Mr. Blair and
Mr. Bush
discussed
issues together and
then had a
joint news
conference.
Mr. Blair‘s
visit
was
meant
to
show gratitude to Mr.
Bush
for
what they
a c c o m - May 16, 2007 Bush walks
with Blair
plished together. Mr.
Blair plans to leave office June 27, 2007.
2 —
The Greenwich High School Newspaper
Greenwich High School
10 Hillside Road
Greenwich, CT 06830
(Phone) 203-625-8053 ext. 2224 (Fax) 203-863-8823
E-mail: [email protected]
The Beak is published by the students of Greenwich High School and is
distributed, free of charge, to members of the high school community.
The Beak is part of the high schools communication program, and it
also serves as a medium for the expression and exchange of responsible
opinions. While recognizing the United States Constitution a guarantee
of a free press, The Beak also acknowledges its role as a school
newspaper. Consequently, The Beak will not publish material which it
deems will disrupt the educational process nor will The Beak coerce a
particular point of view, or violate the right to disagree with a particular
point of view. In addition, The Beak will not publish material that is
obscene, profane, libelous, or slanderous. The Beak reserves the right to
edit or to refuse to publish material that advocates unlawful activity that
unfairly criticizes or demeans any individual or group, or that encourages
action that endangers the health and safety of the Greenwich High
School community. Editorials are the opinions of The Beak editorial
board. Signed commentaries and columns are the views of the writers.
The Beak welcomes letters from its readers. Upon request, a writers
name will be withheld. The Beak accepts appropriate and responsible
paid advertising as a means of defraying publication costs, but it does
not endorse or guarantee any product, services, businesses, or
organizations mentioned or described in any advertisement.
THE STAFF OF The Beak
Ben Millstein
Editor-in-Chief
Bob Johnson
Ryan Fazio
Associate Editors
Jessica Blanton Lindsey Kim
News Editors
Doug Johnson Ricky Lurito
Opinion Editors
Sarah Gordon Frank Rinaldi
Features Editors
Sammie Lazar Zade Constantine
Safari Motorboat
Doug Johnson
Ricky Lurito
Opinions Editors
Christina Gestal
Staff Assistant
Micheal Drittel
Sports Editor
Colin Peck Gray Ryan Haid
Business Managers
Jay Polansky
Online Editor
Juliana Collamer
Photography Editor
Mr. Dwight Wall
Student Advisor
Have something to say?
Drop off a letter to the
editor or an idea in the
BEAK BOX in Student
Activities. It may be
published in our next
issue.
News
Bocce Court
May Come To GHS
By John Rocco
Special Correspondent
The Greenwich High
School Italian Club has been
working with the Town of Greenwich and the school for the past
two years in an effort to build a
bocce court on campus. The
bocce court program has been led
by the club‘s president John
Agostino, treasurer Logan Brain,
John Biagiotti, and Nabeel Kurji.
The club‘s plan is to begin building the court near the end of this
school year and have it open by
the next school year. The court
would be built near the pond outside of the D building. The club
has been playing bocce after their
weekly meeting on grass
Bocce is a classic Italian
sport that is closely related to
bowling and pétanque. The main
objective of the game is for one‘s
team to throw balls toward the
target ball.
―Bocce is one of the most
popular sports in Italy and building this court would be an excel-
lent way to celebrate our culture,‖ said Michael Remesic, Italian language student. The club
meets every Monday after school
in room 517 (lower Cantor
House). Anyone who is interested in supporting this project is
encouraged to join.
GHS Makes Appearance
On Montel Williams Show
By Jessica Blanton
Features Editor
Headmaster Alan Capasso, social studies teacher
Carol Sutton, and seven Greenwich High School seniors traveled to Montel Williams‘ studio
in New York City last month. All
were scheduled to be interviewed
by the talk
show host for
their involvement in the
Names
Day
Program. In
response to the
Virginia Tech
massacre, Mr.
Williams
want ed
to
have an episode devoted
to
bullying
and the sometimes terrible
consequences
as those who
were bullied
take their revenge.
Montel Williams,
who lives in
Greenwich,
read an article
about
the
Names
Day
program at GHS that appeared in
a January issue of the New York
Times. Mr. Williams contacted
the school, and invited Mr. Capasso, Ms. Sutton, and the students who are part of the Steering
Committee of the Names Day
program to come onto his show.
The Montel Williams
show sent a van to pick up Mr.
Capasso, Ms. Sutton, and the students, but unfortunately there was
not room for the one junior in the
group to accompany them. As
soon as they arrived at the studio,
they were accidentally brought to
the line where all the audience
members were waiting. After
they explained that they were
actually going to be on the show,
they were brought backstage,
where they were given food and
had to sign many release reforms.
After much waiting
around, Mr. Capasso and Ms.
Sutton went into the make-up
room. ―It was very strange,‖ Mr.
Capasso said. ―I never had makeup put on before.‖ As soon as the
seven students (Lewis Corson,
Shawn McGee, Siwen Wu, Mike
Waxman, Rachel Wilf, Lauren
Lodato, and Amy Goldstein)
were brought out into the audience, they disappointingly realized that they were not going to
be interviewed.
While they were getting
miked and waiting backstage,
Mr. Capasso and Ms. Sutton
were a little surprised they never
got to meet Mr. Williams. They
also did not realize that the show
was not going to focus entirely
on the prevention of bullying.
More than three-quarters of the
show was actually spent recounting the experiences of many chil-
dren who were bullied themselves. Finally, Mr. Capasso and
Ms. Sutton walked out on stage.
They were joined with the current
Miss Virginia, who was bullied
as a child, along with a psychologist and the superintendent of
Tenafly, New Jersey.
In the interview, Mr. Capasso and Ms. Sutton talked
briefly about
the
Names
Day program.
Montel especially wanted
to relate the
program
to
the Virginia
Tech massacre and the
consequences
of someone
being bullied
like Mr. Cho.
In a preinterview Ms.
Sutton
was
asked
if
something
like Names
Day
could
stop someone
like Cho. Ms.
Sutton
responded by
explaining
that
the
Names Day
pro gra m
would have made Ms. Cho realize that there were other kids like
him and that perhaps he would
not have felt so alone.
Overall, Ms. Sutton explained that she was a little disappointed that the students who
came to the show never got to
talk and that she and Mr. Capasso
were only on air for a few brief
minutes. However, she was
happy with the publicity that
Names Day received, and she
predicts that many more school
administrators will become interested in introducing this unique
program in their schools.
interviewed.
News
June 2007 — The Beak — 3
GHS Music Groups Tour China
By Jay Polansky
Online Editor
It echoed through the urban
Beijing courtyard eighty-one times.
The Chinese People's Association for
Friendship with Foreign Countries'
bell welcomed the Greenwich High
School Bands to the People's Republic
of China. The bell's bold tone served
as a fanfare to the bands' thirteen-day
musical and cultural odyssey through
Beijing, Xi'an, Shanghai, and Suzhou.
Nine students rang the bell
nine times in honor of the Emperor‘s
number, a highly regarded symbol
that gained its meaning in ancient
times. Although, the nine rings
seemed endless to me as they sounded
in my ears and in my memory. They
marked the beginning of thirteen lifechanging days for my friends
and me.
As the harmonious
sounds of an overture played
by the Beijing No. 80 High
School Band fill the air, the
music and setting seemed
familiar. I can nearly envision myself sitting in the
same chair with the band
playing similar music at the
GHS. For the first time during my stay in China, I felt a
common affinity with the
local people. As they peered
out into the audience, I felt
that they could relate to us as
well.
Later that evening,
both bands had the opportunity to meet each other, in
person. Back at the Friendship Hotel, the GHS band's
Beijing residence, the Beijing No. 80 High School treated us to
a welcome banquet. As we arrived in
the room, I was surprised by the ornate setting. The seemingly innocuous
hotel restaurant that we had dined in
the night before had become a festive
room. A heartwarming red welcome
banner hung above the stage, welcoming our band in English and Chinese.
As we walked into the room, Chinese
students in their school uniforms displayed wide grins. They eagerly exclaimed ―hello‖ and welcomed us to
join their tables.
After we exchanged the customary greetings, we ate the exotic
food waiting on the Lazy Susan, a
circular revolving tray in the center of
the table. After a little experimentation, I realized that the Chinese food
on the table tasted just like Chinese
food at home, just much better. After
a brief lesson on the proper use of and
the proper method for construction of
a Peking Duck sandwich by my new
Chinese friend, I began to eat like a
native...almost.
Towards the end of the dinner, Chinese and American students
performed in a talent show. Chinese
students first played folk songs on
traditional instruments. Then a few
Chinese trombonists wearing American-style black cowboy hats took to
the stage. They dazzled the audience
with a rendition of a melodic American jazz song played nearly perfectly
as they tipped each other's hats to the
beat of the song. After the Chinese
jazz performance, the GHS Percussion Ensemble performed an interesting piece, ―Me Tarzan‖. GHS percussionists played the piece with their
hands and feet, impressing the audience.
The next morning, the band
rode in six buses traveling with a police escort out of Beijing. Within minutes the flat urban landscape of service roads, Sinopec gas stations, and
modern glass buildings gave way to
mountains and tall terraces. The bus
exited the highway and pulled towards the magnificent meandering
stone structure ahead, the Great Wall
of China. Excitement brewed inside of
me as drove towards our first public
concert in China.
As we walked into the concert
police escort, navigating the roads out
of Xi'an. We drove towards Huxian, a
town in the environs of Xi'an, a provincial capital located in the center of
the nation. As we arrived at yet another concert venue, Huxian High
School, we looked out the windows to
find a royal welcome waiting for us.
Teachers and students lined the school
driveway; and a farmer's drum band
played a drum cadence. We marched
into the school compound, instruments and black folders in hand, sunglasses shielding our eyes from the
mid-morning sun.
We walked across the country
sand for at least a half a mile before
we arrived at the concert site, a large
recreational area. The school's basketball court was packed with students,
staff, and stools. Once again, our Chi-
Mr. John Yoon directs the GHS orchestra in one of its concerts in China.
site, the sheer grandeur of the place
nearly overwhelmed me. A large pagoda provided a thematic backdrop to
the stage; and a red banner welcoming
the GHS band adorned the site. The
decorations made us feel important,
like VIPs. And according to Mr.
Yoon, Director of GHS Bands, the
band had celebrity status of sorts.
Usually only professional performing
ensembles have had the opportunity to
play on such a historic relic.
When it came time for my
group to perform, I stepped on to the
stage, slightly nervous, trying to act as
professional as possible. I sat up in
my chair, squinting at my music as the
sun glared in our eyes, forcing us to
play our music from memory. It also
made my view brighter and created a
surreal, dreamlike aura. The thematic
setting continued as the trumpets
blared a loud fanfare that echoed
through the valley and attracted tourists and locals. Having such a gracious audience allowed me to see the
reward of practicing for many months.
It also compelled me to appreciate the
gift of the generous anonymous donor
who had the vision to send us to
China. This band supporter made a
wonderful experience possible by donating the airfare for each band member.
However, the experience of
the crowds and splendor did not cease
at the Great Wall. A few days later,
the band once again traveled with a
nese friends welcomed us with a
standing ovation and smiles. All the
while, we realized the importance of
the concert, and many of us were
touched by the support of the local
community. After a welcome speech
in both English and Chinese the concert commenced.
The first few songs sounded
fantastic and fit into the smooth landscape and perfect climate. However,
the weather suddenly changed. Dust
blew onto the court and droplets of
rain dribbled down onto the audience.
The weather remained mildly inclement for the rest of the concert, creating
a truly authentic outdoors Chinese
performance. The storm ceded for a
twenty-second Beatles tuba solo, before it finally cleared in time for a
magnificent dance performance by
Huxian High School dance students.
On the way back to the buses
we waved good-bye to our enthusiastic audience. A few nights later, a
similar enthusiastic audience appeared
at the Sofitel Grand Theater in Xi'an,
cheering us on.
One of the most remarkable
moments occurred when the band
played ―My Heart Will Go On‖, the
theme from ―The Titanic‖. After the
first few notes of the melody circulated throughout the ornate wood
auditorium, the crowd drowned out
the melody in applause. Musical arrangements from pop music such as
The Beatles and Chinese folk songs
such as ―Where is the Spring‖ generated amazing reactions from the audience as well.
As the performance drew the
close, Mr. Walker, Assistant Director
of GHS Bands, called the groups that
had completed their portion of the
concert back inside. The bands lined
up behind the stage and as the Wind
Ensemble played the last few notes of
the march, we filed onto the stage
joining behind the group in solidarity.
The photo-op created a grand finale to
the musical high-point of the trip.
The day after the concert, we
migrated to the airport and boarded an
Airbus to Shanghai. Once in Shanghai, the bands spent a few days touring the city proper and the historic
city of Suzhou. The Wind Ensemble
played a concert at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music.
The next morning at 5 A.M., we received our wake-up
calls. An hour later we
were on the road heading
to Shanghai Hongqiao
Airport, observing the
modern skyscrapers of
Shanghai, enjoying our
last day on our China
trip. As we exited the
bus, wished our tour
guides well, and received our boarding
passes, we came to the
realization that in about
twenty four hours we
would be back in the
United States.
Late in the afternoon we took off from
Beijing Airport in Continental Airline's ―Peter
Max‖ 777, an artsy jumbo jet whose
paint scheme was designed by Peter
Max, an American Pop artist. The city
and the Great Wall appeared through
the windows as the plane climbed towards the United States. Daylight
turned to sunset as the plane crossed
the polar regions of Russia and the
North Pole.
Thirteen hours later we
opened the shades on the windows in
preparation for landing. The lush treeridden terrain of upstate New York
sharply contrasted the open agricultural terrain of China as the plane descended towards New Jersey. When
the plane landed at Newark Liberty
International Airport, the band applauded in honor of the good landing.
American folk rock music played over
the loudspeakers as ―Peter Max‖ taxied to the gate.
Two hours later, the buses
pulled into Greenwich High School.
Although no farmer's drum band
played in our honor, the sight of our
waving and grinning parents, coupled
with the sight of familiar stomping
grounds served as a good welcome.
And as much as I felt happy and relieved to be home, I still missed the
sights that I had seen and the friendly
people that I had met on the Greenwich High School Band's Musical and
Cultural Exchange Trip to the People‘s Republic of China.
4 —
Entertainment
An Arcade Fire Experience
By Andrew Stevens
I was going to die. A horrific
smoothie mix of anxiety and tension
pounded on me every second of the
ride up. I was about to see Arcade
Fire perform in Harlem, at the United
Palace Theater. This was the Arcade
Fire that I‘d love since I was 14. It
was the Arcade Fire that got me
through boarding school. The Arcade
Fire that produced the masterpiece
debut album, Funeral. I was about to
see them.
The waning hours of the day
slowly strayed by as we approached
Harlem. Even the scent of the economically challenged area did little to
break my focus. My friend was yammering on about the democratic contenders for the presidency, the new
French president Sarcozy, and other
political satire. The taxi driver was
interested in the subject and got involved too.
To my bewilderment, the two
of them both egged me on to participate. Who cares about Sarcozy‘s new
capitalist-based economic system?
The opening band came on five minutes after we had taken our seats. The
band started off with an interesting
song with elements of Joy Division
and Daft Punk. My friend and I both
looked at each other, and nodded
heads in agreement. This band appeared to be good. Then I suddenly
realized that the song they performed
was a cover song!
In horror I watched as the
band played the rest of their hour long
set, performing horrific Indie/Emo/
Pop tunes that would have surely been
on ―The OC.‖ I could already envision the materialistic dialogue of the
show. The band finally finished and
reminded us of their name, The Nationals. Good! I wouldn‘t have to listen to them again. 20 minutes passed
by. The stage was being reset with
Arcade Fire‘s equipment.
My friend and I bounced in
excitement when we saw the stand up
bass, mandolins, and other exotic instruments pulled on stage.
Then it happened.
The theatre dimmed. Videos of Christian fanatics were played on the visual
systems all over the theatre. They
The Canadian band Arcade Fire performs live, led by front-man Win
Butler (www.google.com)
Why weren‘t they talking about Arcade Fire? I dismissed their subjects
of conversation with lines like
―mmmhhmmm‖ and ―oh gee, that‘s
pretty neat!‖, and began to picture
front man Win Butler‘s unique moaning into a microphone.
Then all of a sudden the taxi
driver stopped. Why did he stop?
Didn‘t he realize that I was enjoying
the rapture of my daydream of Arcade
Fire? He quickly informed me that
we had arrived at the venue, and with
spare time. I thanked the taxi driver
for his quick driving, gave him a tip,
grabbed my friend, and ran for the
entrance.
We got in almost immediately. The theatre was expansive,
beautiful… almost sacred. Rich Victorian satin walls with gold leaf accents embellished the ceilings and
walls, with illustrations of angels and
other iconic symbols. My friend and I
sucked in the visuals with infant eyes.
Nevertheless, the divinity of the theatre was quickly crushed. ―Indie‖ kids
with overalls, scarves (despite the 80
degree whether), polka dot dresses
and other ―Look at me! I‘m different!‖ clothing articles littered the
place, with the occasional Arctic
Monkeys t-shirt. We retreated to our
seats only to find a new terror.
screamed rants of God‘s will and
spoke as ―God‘s voice‖. It sent shivers down the agnostic spines of me
and my friend. Sure, the band is displeased with organized religion, but
the screaming fanatics were quite
enough. Then I forgot all about my
displeasure, and looked at the stage.
Arcade Fire was in front of my eyes.
They opened with ―Black
Mirror‖. It was a strange choice.
Why not ―Neighborhood #1‖ or
―Laika‖? Then Win Butler began to
sing. That strong vibrato, the raw passion he put into each word: It was like
hearing Springsteen howling ―Jungle
Land‖...only better. The music immediately had me thrashing in my seat.
The band followed up with ―No Cars
Go‖, a single from their original EP,
and a revised edition on their latest
album, Neon Bible. The acceleration
was absolutely intoxicating.
The
Fire‘s violinist, Kelley, fiercely
jabbed and stroked her violin, creating
powerful leads that put to shame any
synth or guitar lead.
The song then came to a
close.
The lights faded for a moment, and a powerful orchestration
began.
I knew that sound. They were
playing ―Laika‖, a classic hit from
Summer 2007
Coming Attractions
By Bob Johnson
Associate Editor
Who will live? Who will die?
And what‘s the deal with Daniel Radcliffe and his play Equus? These are
three of the biggest questions for
Harry Potter fans as the fifth movie,
Harry Potter and the Order of the
Phoenix, comes out on July 13 and the
seventh book, Harry Potter and the
Deathly Hallows, comes out on July
21.
Both are guaranteed to attain
monumental success, for the Harry
Potter buzz has already been building
since the trailer for the movie and the
title of the book were released in the
fall. Even at the smallest details or
rumors regarding the film or the novel
fans of the series rejoiced and voiced
their opinions.
According to USA Today,
chat rooms at scholastic.com/
harrypotter post message boards open
for discussion among thousands of
fans. Is this too much? Or are we all
simply caught up in a cultural phenomenon?
Regardless, Harry Potter and
the Deathly Hallows will undoubtedly
make its mark, for there have already
been nearly 500,000 preorders on
Amazon.com alone.
With the inevitable success of
‗Potter #7‘, the movie, adapted from
the fifth book, is looking to ride the
hype only eight days before the seventh book‘s release. Though a curious
marketing scheme, critics are certain
that it will pay off for both Scholastic
and Warner Brothers.
Another movie that‘s looking
to gross some
big bucks at the
box office is
the
action/
adventure
Transformers,
directed
by
Michael Bay
(The Rock, Armageddon, Bad
www.imdb.com
Boys II, The
Michael Bay…
Texas ChainGenius
saw Massacre)
and starring ―Disturbia‘s‖ Shia Leboeuf. Bay has solidified himself as a
director committed to making films
for ―13 year-old boys‖. Transformers,
is no exception.
Funeral. In minutes my friend and I
were screaming lines: ―Older brother!
Bit by a vampire! For a year we
caught his tears in a cup! And now
we‘re gonna‘ make him drink it!
Come on Alex! Don‘t die or dry up!‖
We shrieked the lyrics as the
music sailed across the expansive concert hall, and screamed the next song,
and the next. Skeptics of Arcade
Fire‘s newfound mainstream presence
should not be afraid. They‘re still the
good old Arcade Fire we knew and
loved when they played in bars and
dancehalls.
The group played with intricacy and familiarity with their instruments. These guys weren‘t just a rusty
old Indie/Folk band… they were a seasoned Indie/Folk band!
Tim and
A big buzz has already accumulated for the July 4 release and will
almost certainly top the box office
that weekend. The executive producer also happens to be Steven Spielberg: another reason for moviegoers
to see the movie.
Nevertheless, some critics
believe that with success of SpiderMan 3, Shrek 3, and Pirates of the
Caribbean: At the World’s End, those
very moviegoers will feel burnt out,
though not likely. With a movie as
bombastic as Transformers, it‘s almost impossible for it not to make
some sort of a dent in the competition.
Another movie that is giving
viewers even more of a reason to look
forward to the summer happens to
have the highest rated action trailer in
20th Century Fox‘s history. Live Free
or Die Hard, the fourth installment of
the Die Hard franchise starring Bruce
Willis, comes out on June 27 and will
most likely fair quite well at the box
office, as well.
The combination of a successful franchise, a series of unstoppable
action scenes, and the comic relief of
Dodgeball‘s Justin Long calls for a
winning formula that shouldn‘t go
wrong. Though it is rumored to potentially be rated PG-13 (in contrast to
the other R ratings of the first 3 Die
Hard films) and thus, lose its core
fans to a milder movie, critics are still
confident in its money-making ability.
With Harry Potter, Transformers, and Live Free or Die Hard
all on the radar screens of moviegoers
around the world, this summer may
prove itself to be one of the biggest
ones yet.
Robert (two other members) were outstandingly clean with their bass and
keyboards. The previously itchy winds
section was fresh and fantastic. I
thought I was going to an Arcade Fire
concert, not a Sufjan Stevens or Joanna
Newsom concert! But don‘t worry all
you noise-oriented hipsters, the guitars
and bass were still dangly and noisy as
ever, so don‘t expect too much mundane precision.
They were perfect.
From
tunes like the calm and soft ―Haiti‖ to
the newer aggressive sound of
―Intervention‖, Arcade Fire has something for every fan. The finale was
fantastic and too bombastic to write
down. You‘ll just have to hear for
yourself!
Entertainment
All-American Rejects
By Sammie Lazar
Entertainment Editor
―You guys, that was only the
warm-up, so you better kick the crap
out of that for the actual thing, okay?‖
About two hundred fans roared
their agreement as Tyson Ritter descended from the stage for a brief respite for about five minutes between his
band‘s sound-check and their actual
performance. For a five member ensemble of twenty-something guys from
Oklahoma, a gig on the number one
morning show in America, the Today
Show, is not a bad way to spend a Friday morning.
I was able to meet the band
before its show and for a few minutes
after; needless to say the experience
was surreal. The All-American Rejects have actually been around much
longer than most people think, with
their hit album ―Move Along‖ actually
being a rare sophomore breakthrough
after about five years being underground legends with their first album,
―The All-American Rejects‖.
I have been a fan for as long
as they‘ve been around, introduced to
them when they were really nobodies,
a die-hard ―Swing, Swing‖ and ―Paper
Heart‖ fan, so seeing them perform for
all of these people who had literally
waited days outside of 30 Rock to see
them. I stood in the green room (their
prep room before the show) and my
entire pretense of melting in with their
music and management entourage was
shattered as I saw them start milling
around right in front of me.
They are now larger than life
rock stars and here they were standing
around next to me complaining about
the early hour and tuning their instruments. One of them, Nick Wheeler
(guitarist), accidentally stepped on my
foot and mumbled an apology as he
By Sammie Lazar
stepped away, transfixed by the huge ever, stood out among the rest. One of
plasma screen panning over the expec- them had seen AAR eight different
tant fans outside. I, too, turned to- times and tried to coerce each member
wards the screen and was mesmerized. individually as they exited the stage for
I had come in just about half their quick breaks into remembering
an hour before and was to be placed in each time and to take individual picthe front near the stage with no prob- tures with her. She apparently had an
lems. To get to the front, some of the AAR wall at home and had the imporfans had been camping out all night. tant personal statistics of each band
One of the assistants on the show told member memorized.
me about a group of friends so desperI was standing next to one of
ate to meet this
AAR‘s
girlband that she had
friends,
who
seen them as she
smirked as she
was leaving work
heard her boythe day before
friend‘s
perwaiting outside of
sonal
history
the building for the
rattled off by
concert the next
this girl, who
day. She told them
had no clue as
that if they gave
to the girlher their names,
friend‘s idenshe might be able
tity, or she
to pull a few
p r o b a b l y
strings and get
wouldn‘t have
them in with the
continuously
VIPs, and yet she
been announcstill found them
ing her undying
there the next
love for him so
Sammie Lazar with Lead Singer Tyson
morning, leaving
profusely.
The
nothing
to
other girl had
chance.
seen them about four times each and
As the band tuned up outside had thrown a scrapbook that she had
in the bleak morning, with the tech made for them onstage at a show in
people pulling down the tent that had Chicago, and nearly ripped off the arm
been meant to shield them from the of the drummer to get his attention to
imminent rain that didn‘t appear to be find out if they had received it. To his
an immediate threat any longer, they credit, Chris Gaylor listened to her for
kept on yelling encouragements at the a minute before looking like he foggily
crowd, who roared back approval and had some recollection of it, as though
song requests along with the occa- hundreds of fans didn‘t send them
sional ―Tyson, We love you!‖ or things every day.
―Nick, throw us your pick‖. Each fan
Their show appeared to go
seemed more excited than the next, completely smoothly, with the band
and it would turn out that AAR fans playing their top three songs of the
(or the AARmy as they‘re called) are a moment ―Dirty Little Secret‖, ―Move
very dedicated and eccentric bunch.
Along‖, and ―It Ends Tonight‖. The
Two girls in front of me, how- sound on Tyson Ritter (lead singer/
Reviews Of The Month
By Zade Constantine
Inside In, Inside Out- The Kooks
♪♪♪♪♪
One of the best new Euro-Indie bands
to come out this year, smacking
strongly of
The Strokes
if that‘s your
taste. Their
purposefully
loose guitar
sounds and
bass movements are all http://www.amazon.com
tightened up
by a strong drum beat with liberal use
of cymbals. They have also been
compared to The Who and Supergrass, both supreme English bands of
similar roots. The Brighton group
named themselves after the Bowie
song of the same name and is surprisingly young to be a Coachella headliner with a sold-out tour under their
belts. Their sound ranges from slow
powerful garage rock ballads to fast
dance music and everything in between.
Best Songs: Naïve, She Moves in Her
Own Way, Eddie‘s Gun, Ooh La,
Seaside, You Don‘t Love Me, Crazy
(Gnarls Barkeley Cover)
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s
End
is the final installment of a
trilogy that was never planned. The
first film, Pirates of the Caribbean:
The Curse of the Black Pearl, opened
to rave reviews and quickly established
a fan base. The unexpected success
led the cast and crew back for two
more sequels that were shot back to
back. Dead Man’s Chest, the second
installment, was a forewarning that the
sequels were diverging from the fun of
the first film and delving deep into a
confusing and overwhelming mythology. Gone was the fearless performance of Johnny Depp as the iconic Jack
Sparrow, now reduced to a gimmick
lost in a haze of a plot filled with romantic triangles and action set pieces
that were a blend of sound and special
effects.
At World’s End takes all the
failures of the second film and throws
them onto the screen leaving the viewers feeling as if they had just consumed a bottle of rum without the buzz
and with twice the headache. The
film, based so heavily on double
crosses and treachery, fails to amount
to anything over the course of its three-
hour run.
The direction of the story
switches focus on a whim. The film
begins with the rescue of Jack Sparrow, who in the last film was consumed by the Kraken, a squid like
creature. The film, which has the insurmountable
task of concluding all of
the story lines
presented in
the second
film, cannot
www.worstpreviews.com maintain the
pace that
Is that Keith Richards?
would be necessary to wrap everything up. In this
film the Kraken is seen dead, washed
up on a beach, with no explanation as
to what has happened.
At World’s End wants to be
chaos. It tries so hard to take so many
twists and turns to a story which is and
should be essentially quite simple.
The standout scene in the film was also
the most confusing. In a scene that‘s
nearly impossible to follow, Jack Sparrow aligns himself with the East India
Trading Company, only to distance
himself later, while Will Turner
(played by the vapid Orlando Bloom)
helplessly stands unremorseful as his
girlfriend, on rocky terms mind you,
bassist)‘s microphone was inexplicably
shut off for small sectors of the last
song (angering the band slightly after
the show), but the best part about a
band as popular and easy to sing along
with as the All-American Rejects is
that their overzealous fans are always
singing along anyway, so it was completely imperceptible.
It was kind of crazy being
wedged in the freezing cold between
CrazyFan (as we dubbed the eighttimer) and the girlfriends and friends
of the band, famous in their own right,
but it got easier as the show went on
and all considerably calmed down.
AAR sounds just like they did in recordings, and they had an intangible
energy that whizzed through the crowd
as they jumped around the stage and
played their songs. They are now such
a hot ticket act that they were able to
change their instruments several times
for a three-song gig, and had a stage
presence that woke up even the sleepiest of concert-goers. They became
completely different people on the
stage, taking the quick transition from
sullen guys backstage staring in disbelief at their hoards of fans to confident
to the point of being cocky rock stars
unfazed by the early hour, the cold,
and the heavy gray clouds overhead.
After the show, the band gathered around right inside the building
warming up and congregating with
their management on a show well received. We took some pictures with
them and congratulated them, and they
were instantly whisked away to deal
with some sound troubles, but they
were nothing but friendly. For a bunch
of guys thrust into the limelight of the
rock scene, they still seem to be the
same bunch of guys from Oklahoma
that America has fallen in love with.
Elizabeth (played by the vivacious
Keira Knightley) agrees to board a
Chinese vessel in order to help Will‘s
motives, unbeknownst to him.
Confused yet? Without providing closure to the characters the viewer
has invested close to nine hours in, the
film has the audacity to set up a forth
film. The first two films had short and
whimsical scenes after the credits.
However, this film places a crucial
scene that adds closure after the credits
when the average viewer is already
home.
The film is heavy on visual
effects. Why you ask? The answer is
simple; the film is completely dependent on the visuals as its selling point.
This is the fatal flaw in the modern
trilogy. The Pirates saga is reminiscent of the sci-fi extravaganza that was
the Matrix.
With two sequels, that were
never originally planned, the standards
are higher. Audiences needed to be
blown away, even if that means sacrificing a cohesive story. At World’s
End is another failure in a long line of
films this year who have overstayed
their welcome. Like Spiderman 3 and
Shrek 3, the latest pirates is an excuse
for guaranteed box office gold. Pirate’s of the Caribbean left me at my
patience‘s end.
6 —
Feature
Saying Goodbye To The Housemasters
Frank Rinaldi
Features Co-Editor
Next year Greenwich High
School will be losing two magnificent
housemasters and people. Mr. Saggese of Bella House and Mr. Frank of
Sheldon House will both be retiring at
the end of the year. I was fortunate
enough to have the opportunity to exchange emails with both of them and
discuss why they are leaving, their
years at GHS, and their plans for the
future. Excerpts from this exchange
are included below:
Beak: Why have you decided to
leave this year?
Mr. Frank: It‘s complicated. When
I first came to GHS, I was 58 years
old and retired from school administrative work in New York State. I
thought I‘d be here for two or maybe
three years and then retire for good.
Well, this is such a spectacular place
to work that I kept postponing my
―retirement‖ for one more year, and
one more year, and one more year.
The one deciding factor this year was
that my calendar was increased from
205 days to 225 days. The bottom
line is that I was just not willing to
give up four weeks of my summer
vacation. So, this was the moment,
the time to ―call it a day.‖
Mr. Saggese: I was 60 in February
and therefore eligible to retire.
Twenty-two years as a housemaster
seemed to be enough (Mr. Saggese is
the longest tenured headmaster in
GHS history).
Beak: What will you be doing next
year?
Mr. Frank: I have no specific plans
at this point. I usually stay in my
Berkshire cottage until mid-August
before returning to work. This summer, however, I will probably stay in
the mountains, swimming and kayak-
ing and attending concerts and plays
and operas, until Columbus Day. I
also have an apartment in the city,
Greenwich Village. So, after Columbus Day, I expect that I‘ll spend
weeks at a time hanging out there,
going to all the museums I‘ve missed
and New York City sites and plays
and dances and operas that I‘ve put
off. However, all this depends on
what my wife tells me to do. I am a
Beak: Do you know who your successor is yet? If so have you helped
to train him or her, and please provide
some details about him/her. If not,
when do you think your successor will
be named?
Mr. Frank: My successor is Mr. Joseph Russo, currently the Program
Administrator for Special Education
at GHS. This is a smart, caring man.
He is knowledgeable. We will have a
Mr. Saggese relaxes for a moment in Bella House
Jewish husband, so, after all is said
and done, I just do what I‘m told.
Mr. Saggese: I will be reading to
some classes at Dundee and grandfather- sitting
Beak: Have your years at GHS
helped to prepare you for any new
challenges you may meet in the future?
Mr. Frank: I have learned that we
can have fun joking around while caring about each other and making new
friends. BUT, nothing is more satisfying than working together productively on a common mission – a mission that is worthwhile and helps people/students. That is the most fun of
all. I think that‘s a good lesson at any
time, no matter what you are doing.
Mr. Saggese: Being a housemaster
has prepared me for everything
Photo by Juliana Collamer
short transition period. He doesn‘t
need much training by me.
Mr. Saggese: Luckily, Mrs. Lorraine
Termini has already been named to
follow me. She was my first choice
personally and professionally, and
Bella‘s choice.
Beak: Is there anything in particular
(such as a specific program or policy)
that you hope to leave as a sort of legacy at GHS? If so, please describe.
Mr. Frank:
Joan Lowe, Social
Worker at Sheldon House, started the
―ABC Program‖ now the ―Stand By
Me Program‖. My role was number
one cheerleader. I believe it is one of
the best, innovative programs in education today. I would like to think
that my encouragement helped grow
that program. It is now in all five
houses. I started the Peer Mediation
Accepted, How-To
Phil Thalheim
Senior Class President
Sometime in mid-December,
Percy, having swept the lines of your
clay tennis court and fed your AKC
Newfoundland show dogs, will go to
the distant mailbox and retrieve for
you one large envelope. This, of
course, merely provides a superficial
means of confirming those ideas which
have, for years, been developing
within you, like the body of a 1945
Mouton Rothschild: you are decidedly
better than everyone else, in all aspects
of life. Although your cumbersome
array of varsity letters, stacks of gubernatorial commendations and innumerable requests for interviews with Esquire are certainly proof enough to this
end, the endorsement of some family
friends in Cambridge can only help
your New York Yacht Club application.
It is imperative that the accepted student make haste in festooning a decal for the rear windshield of
his late model import. You applied to a
school for its value in providing im-
portant business connections; in a
town like Greenwich, with more than
900 resident Yale alumni, such relationships can be initiated even before
registration for Economics 10 in the
Photo by Juliana Collamer
fall.
In addition to your auto, your
stationery must also be updated. It is
permissible to write, ―Stanford,‖ above
or in place of, ―Deerfield‖. However,
numerical allusion to graduation annum is best reserved for the personalized golf balls, which you casually
requested from Aunt Beatrice some
time before ―applying.‖
Of course, the distinguished
accepter needn‘t flaunt his accomplishment. Taking in stride an occurrence as mundane as being accepted to
Princeton is the mark of a true scholar.
As F. Scott Fitzgerald writes in The
Great Gatsby, ―Just remember that all
the people in the world haven‘t had the
advantages you‘ve had.‖
With the great American essay
of less-than-three-hundred-words behind you, more time is available to
pursue your interests in dressage, falconry and offshore yacht racing. Freelancing for The Paris Review is easily
arranged through your father, who cofounded the Exeter Literary Society
with George Plimpton.
Most of all, it is important to
enjoy all that life has to offer after college admission. The course of your
successful life is practically set in
stone, and really need only concern
yourself with the 06830/06831 debate,
as you look to home ownership in the
latter years of your undergraduate career.
Program here at GHS. We have had
some real successes with that program. I don‘t think it is adequately
utilized here. Freshmore Day was
started by me and the Sheldon House
parents. That was a unqualified success. Hundreds of Freshmen students
entered GHS with more confidence
and comfort as a result of that program. Stacey Gross, then housemaster for Cantor House, picked up that
program after four years and, next
year, it is scheduled to be utilized by
all five houses. The Student Recognition Program started in Sheldon
House the year before I came. I continued that program. After a few
years, that program is now in all 5
houses. It has been my policy to observe classes and share instructional
ideas at House meetings. That has
been a very satisfying practice here in
Sheldon House. Finally, I think my
greatest contribution is that I really
like high school kids. As a result, I
think that in one way or another, that
more students are comfortable here
and more productive here.
Mr. Saggese: I helped develop and
institute the Pupil Review Team in the
mid-80‘s. This weekly team meeting
is still in place in every house. Also I
am proud of the young PPS staff I
have hired the past few years. I anticipate they will all become excellent
educators.
Beak: Are there any other thoughts
or comments which you would like to
share?
Mr. Frank: A special thank you and
good wishes to some of the very best
educators and people I have ever met
– THE FABULOUS STAFF OF
SHELDON HOUSE.
Mr. Saggese: The strength of this
school is the professional staff, and it
is the responsibility of this community
and district to continue to hire and
retain excellent people.
Fashion Going Green
Allegra Grunberg
The fashion world is going
green. Going green refers to the radical reforms of old environmental
standards. Going green means using
less gas, less electricity; in short,
making the world a cleaner and more
energy efficient place. Entrepreneurs,
Fortune 500 companies, and fashion
houses are suddenly introducing new
global friendly and, well, ―green‖
merchandise.
Top fashion magazines, such
as Vogue and Elle, along with teen
magazines like Seventeen all have
featured articles and, at times, full
articles, regarding the eco-friendly
trend. Designers like Hermes and
Anya Hindmarch have even come out
with small fold up handbags to take
the place of throwaway paper and
plastic grocery shopping bags. Designers and major fashion houses like
Prada have items such as hemp clogs
and all natural sweatshirts flying off
the racks.
So pull out your parent‘s old
hippie relics, stash up on some soy
socks, and go green!
Feature
Teaching A Man To Fish:
Introducing GHS‘s Heifer Club
Brooks Walker
Maybe you‘ve seen a few cowspotted posters hanging up around the
student center and science wing, heralding the Heifer Club, ―Mondays in
the Art Room at 2:30.‖ Responding to
these posters, some people ask: ―Why
would they waste their time on a club
for cow-lovers? Is it to stop people
from eating meat or something?‖ ―Is
that a hint that we need to lose
weight?‖
It‘s none of those. To understand the Heifer Club, think
global. Co-founders and Presidents
Austin Simon, Joanna Cohen and I
(Brooks Walker) started the Heifer
Club at GHS as a branch of Heifer International, a non-profit organization
created to bring about an end to world
hunger – not by distributing handouts,
but by providing families with livestock and educating them in how to
support themselves by managing that
livestock.
Families in third world countries on nearly every continent receive
animals purchased with donations to
Heifer. Recipient communities choose
which animals they would like, and
then Heifer teaches these communities
how to care for the animals and mate
them. The communities use the offspring for food or for milk and eggs
and farm labor, and maybe sell a fraction of their animals to bring money
into their homes. In this way the families will be able to develop a source of
steady income and a source of protein
to feed themselves.
Sarah Gordon
Heifer is about selfsufficiency. A Heifer article reads: ―In
Cameroon, Yinla Anna can buy school
books, pay medical bills and feed
her children by selling livestock and
vegetables from her garden. She even
started her own business — a hair salon. It‘s part of our Integrated Livestock Program, which ensures sustainable futures for those who were once,
as Yinla describes herself, ‗the poorest
of the poor.‘‖
But that‘s not all it‘s about; by
providing families in need with food
and money, Heifer International helps
the impoverished battle AIDs and
achieve gender equity in their communities. Heifer can bring about societal
changes as well as economic
ones. Independence and education are
the keys to combating world hunger. As the adage says – give a man a
fish, and he‘ll eat for a day, but teach a
man to fish, and he‘ll eat for a lifetime.
During the first two weeks of
June, the Heifer Club will be selling
tickets for a prize drawing, one dollar
per drawing ticket, for a chance to win
4 tickets to see Dave Matthews Band
on Saturday, August 4. The drawing
tickets will be sold during lunch in the
Student Center, and the drawing winner will be announced before finals.
Every cent of every dollar Heifer receives goes towards purchasing animals, and any monetary amount makes
a difference – if donating an entire animal is too expensive, ―shares‖ of an
animal are available for donation. For
more information on Heifer International, visit their website at
www.heifer.org.
Joining The Leadership
Development Program
Noel Sander
-Overnight camping/canoeing
trip to the Androscoggin River
-Eight day canoeing trip down
the Allagash Wilderness Waterway in
Main
-American Red Cross lifeguard training course instruction
-American Red Cross CPR
and general First Aid certifications
-Six day backpacking trip in
the White Mountains, including a 24
hour solo
Apprenticeship at several different camps as a counselor
Improving facilities of camps
Alton, New Hampshire, on
Lake Winnipesauke, offers a two
month long leadership training seminar. This is a discipline-training program that will train each individual to
get along with students 16-18 years of
age. Twelve participants will be selected from the approximately 40 candidates who apply.
Here, selected participants
will work at a summer camp for
younger kids and intern for several
weeks. This program serves as an
opportunity for each participant to be
challenged and to grow through challenges, while at the same time developing friendships made in the process.
This program encourages participants
to push beyond their limits.
Leadership Development Program is a two-month program that
runs for two years. The first year
LDP participates in a series of community service activities. With a
group of six males and six females,
they will go on fellowship trips such
as an eight-day canoe trip down the
Allagash River in Maine. In the second year, six participants intern as
counselors in camps. They intern at
Camp Acorn, a camp for disabled
children.
In the first summer of the program, applicants are expected to participate in the following activities,
emphasizing group skills, learning
skills, and spiritual development:
Participants in the second
year of the program are expected to do
similar activities, however with larger
emphasis on leadership and selfmotivation.
Ivy League schools have recently taken an interest in applicants
who have gone through this program.
For those who are looking into
schools this will be an impressive support to that résumé.
In addition, there is a similar
program in Maine called the WILD
program, which offers the same activities as the LDP in New Hampshire,
however each applicant is only expected to participate for a month as
opposed to the two months you have
to spend in New Hampshire.
For more information on this
program, go to www.brookwoods.org.
This website provides information
about the camp that the applicants will
stay at, and there will be a PDF file of
the application that can be printed.
-Low and High Ropes course
activities
Super Choir Takes The Stage
Features Editor
―Where were you the last
week in August of 1999?‖ choir director Patrick Taylor asked the surrounding eighty-seven faces of choristers
staring back at him. Amid the loud
shouts of replies, only one voice was
smart enough to yell back, ―Why do
you ask Mr. Taylor?‖ The dim of rumbling noise came to a halt.
―Because that‘s when I started my
job here, and ever since that day I‘ve
been thinking about and working towards this goal, waiting for the group
that would have the capability to accomplish this. And here we are,‖ he
responded, which of course, earned
him a heart-felt ―Awwww‖ from all
the girls in the room.
And truly, what Mr. Taylor has
pulled off this spring is no small feat.
The world has heard of Superman, the
Super Bowl, and even Super Mario.
This year however, to stand among the
greatest legends of all time, there is
now…Super Choir.
―I always had a vision of having a
really top-notch, large choir here – so
this was an opportunity to do highquality music that can only be
achieved with a certain amount of musicians. And this is the first year I‘ve
felt that we have all three groups
cookin‘,‖ Mr. Taylor said. The three
groups being the select choirs of the
school – Witchmen, the all-male
group; Madrigals, the all-female
group; and Chamber Singers, the top
choir, which is coeducational.
All members of the choirs are
selected through auditions designed to
test their sight-reading ability, to en-
Www.life.com
sure the high quality performance that
has come to be expected from Taylor‘s
students, and is obtained year after
year. And now, for the first time, these
well-trained young musicians joined
forces to make an incredible blend of
sound. It was clear from their stunning
performance on May 8th at the 1st Presbyterian Church in Stamford, also
known as the ―Fish Church‖, that their
reputations as irregularly advanced
high school singers are rightly justified. ―It was fantastic,‖ an audience
member gushed after the concert. ―It‘s
unbelievable that high school kids can
produce such sound.
The concert had of two sections with an intermission between.
The first half was Lux Aeterna by
Morten Lauridsen, who, to the amazement of the choristers, personally emailed Mr. Taylor upon hearing his
song was to be performed by the choir,
expressing delight and explaining his
personal journey when composing the
song. During the second half, Frostiana was performed, a collection of
seven Robert Frost poems set to music
by composer Randall Thompson.
When asked about the unique
venue of the concert, Mr. Taylor replied, ―The auditorium just wouldn‘t
work for us for a number of reasons.
Mainly, in order for an orchestra to
play with us, we would have to be way
up against the back wall, and then the
chorus wouldn‘t be heard, and then
everybody, the choir and orchestra,
would get swallowed up in that wonderful air conditioning sound.‖
Laughing when asked to
choose the worst aspect of the extremely out-dated auditorium, he finally said, ―Well, even to just say ‗the
acoustics‘ is too general. But really,
the room is too noisy, and it doesn‘t
have any reverberation. Plus, regard-
less, I wanted everyone to be in a special place; it needed to feel like a special concert, not just a school concert.‖
It certainly was more than just
a school concert. The choir received a
standing ovation at the end of each
half. One audience member, Carolyn
Paulus, who also is a voice teacher to
some of the students in the choir, commented, ―I couldn't help thinking how
lucky all of you are to be in such a fine
choral program. I know rehearsals can
be grueling at times, but the level of
excellence you achieve and the life
time memories you will take with you
are, as they say, priceless.‖
So, what does the future
look like? It was evident from the
spectacular performance that the demand for another Super Choir concert
is high. But unfortunately, it isn‘t that
easy. Since Mr. Taylor takes all the
choirs on a trip every other year, the
years they do travel for competitions
should be dedicated to much shorter
pieces. ―Super Choir will be for every
other year when we‘re not traveling.
Plus, it gives people two years to get
excited about the next one,‖ explained
Mr. Taylor. ―So this was Super Choir
One. Two years from now it‘ll be Super Choir Two. And eventually it‘ll be
in roman numerals of course, just like
the Super Bowl.‖
8 —
Features
SENIOR
Jenna Adimari …………………………………… University of Rhode Island
Angela Akinyemi ……………………………..…..…. Georgetown University
Emily Anatole …………………………. Hobart and William Smith Colleges
Mason Amato ……………………………. University of Southern California
Lauren Anstey …………………………………………….…. Williams College
Santiago Assalini …………………..…………..………. New York University
Rebecca Assing ………………………………...………. New York University
Adrianna Avila ………………………. University of Connecticut, Stamford
Max Barresi ………………………………………….……. Gettysburg College
Lisa Bautista ……………………... Southern Connecticut State University
Michael Beckerman …………..……………...…………. University of Tampa
Christina Bedos …………………………..………………. La Salle University
Stephanie Berlic ………………….……………………………. Eckerd College
Andrew Beyda ……………………………..……………. Syracuse University
Jonathan Biagiotti …………………………...…………..……. Yale University
Paola Bianchi ……………………………………………. New York University
Dana Bourne ……………………….…………………..…………. Bard College
Alexandra Bucklin ………………..………………...………. Brown University
Lisa Carmona ……………………………………………. Princeton University
Francesca Carpenteri ……...…………..…………… University of Redlands
Christina Chen ………………..…………..……………. Vanderbilt University
Frank Chiodi ………………….……………………………………. Iona College
Danielle Clark …………….………...…. University of California, San Diego
Heather Conlon……………...…..…………..……………. University of Maine
Elizabeth Connors……………….…………..……………. Fairfield University
Cameron Cox ………………..…………..…………………..…. Colby College
Jake Crosby………………..…………..…………………. Brandeis University
Pablo Quezada Cruz……..………. American Institute for Foreign Studies
James Dailey………………..…………....……………. University of Vermont
Niveidita Devaraj ………………..………..……………. Syracuse University
Greg Diddel ……………..…………..……….……. Miami University of Ohio
Mallory Dixon ………………..…………..……………. Quinnipiac University
Lucas Ferraro ………………..…...……The George Washington University
Paul Fields ………………..…………………..……………. Indiana University
Xander Fraum ………………..……………..……………. Hampshire College
Melissa Fulgieri ……..………..…………..……………. New York University
Alex George ………………..…………..……………. Georgetown University
Mark Giannetti ………………..…………..……..…………. Colorado College
Kristina Gillick ………….…………..……………. University of Connecticut
Mark Gioffre ………………..…………....……………. Colby-Sawyer College
2 0
Megan Golden ………..…..…………..
Maya Craffagna ………..…..…………
Thomas Ryan Guasco ……………..…
Timothy Hannigan ……...…………..…
Lindsay Herzog ……………….………
Ally Hopper ……………….…………..…
Michael Illescas ………..…….…………
Henry Jackson ……………………….…
Latelynn Jones ……………..…………
Jordan Karp ……………….……………
Caroline Kelly ……………….…………
Kristin van der Kloot ……………….…
Courtney Krois ………...…………… C
Dung H. Le ……………….……………
Maria Leinbach ……………….………
Chris Lettich …….……………….…..…
Alexandra Levy ……….………………
Lauren Lodato ………….………………
Alesander Lopatin ………….…………
Meaghan Lynam …...…..………… So
Rachel Maggin ………….…….………
Brooke Maloney ………….….……….
Amanda Marini ………….………………
Robyn Marrone …………..………… E
Evan Marx ………….………………….
Art Mason ………….…………..…..……
Megan Mast Roianni ………….………
Shannon MacKenzie …………………
Andrew McDermott ………….……….
William Micik ………….………………
Leah Milbauer ………….………………
Katelyn Miles ………….………………
Darius Mossavar-Rahmini ………….
Samia Mousa ………….………………
Kelley Murphy ………….………………
Bianca Neri ………….……....…………
Margaret Nihoul ………….……………
Oriel Nissim …………..……….…..……
Kate Noe ………….……………………
Nicholas Oropall ………….………….…
Nolan Pacchiana…….……………….…
These seniors announced their post-GHS plans to the Beak in a surv
Features
0 7
.…………. University of Connecticut
……. Maryland Institute College of Art
……………. Plumbing Apprenticeship
……………. University of New Haven
…...…………… University of Michigan
………...………… Bucknell University
…..…………… University of Vermont
…………..…………… Kenyon College
…..……...… University of Connecticut
…...…………… University of Vermont
….…..…………… New York University
……..……..…………… Vassar College
Central Connecticut State University
…….…..…………… Fairfield University
……………..………… Emory University
………… College of William and Mary
….…..….……… University of Michigan
….….....………… Syracuse University
……….…..………… Haverford College
outhern Connecticut State University
…….…..………… Vanderbilt University
.…..………… St. Lawrence University
….……….…..………… Elmira College
Eastern Connecticut State University
.……….…..………… Goucher College
……… Franklin and Marshall College
…….…..………… Syracuse University
……….…..………… Dartmouth College
.…..………… University of Richmond
…….…..………… Monmouth University
………….…..………… Duke University
…...…….…..………… Brown University
.……………Ohio Wesleyan University
….………………………… Smith College
….………..………… Hofstra University
… The George Washington University
….………....………… McGill University
……… Pennsylvania state University
…..………….…..………… Curry College
…..….……… Wake Forest University
…..……………… New York University
vey taken between May 1 and June 1 in the Student Activities Office.
SURVEY
Colleen Parker …….……………….…….………… Old Dominion University
Elizabeth Pelle …….……….……….…..………… University of Connecticut
Aimee Pijpers …………..………… Minneapolis College of Art and Design
Joey Poletsky …….……………….………...………… Quinnipiac University
Tameeka Pollard ……………... York College, City University of New York
Chelsea Pompador …….………….…..………… University of St Andrews
Alex Portera …….………….…..………… Washington University, St. Louis
Robert Pruett …….……………….………….………… College of Charleston
Johnny Rabe …….……………….…..………………….……… Ithaca College
Caroline Ranieri …….……………….…………….………… Roanoke College
Jessica Reardon …….……………….…..……..…… Polytechnic University
Nora Reasoner …….……………….…..….……… University of Connecticut
Elizabeth Reynolds …….………… Barnard College, Columbia University
Ma Katrina Ricalde …….………..………… College of Mount Saint Vincent
Lee Richman …….……………….…...………… University of Pennsylvania
Ashley Roina ………….…..………… Central Connecticut State University
Sarah Romaine ……….…..………… Central Connecticut State University
Holly Schiff …….……………….………………………… Fordham University
Alessandra Screnci …….…..………….…..………… Quinnipiac University
Jeremy Selbst …….……………....………… The Johns Hopkins University
Emily Shaw …….……………….………………..………… Colgate University
Alan Silverio …….……………….…..……….……… College of Westchester
Steven Strazza …….………...….…..………… University of Massachusetts
Philip Thalheim …….……………………..…..………… Princeton University
Juliette Teinturier …….……………….…..………… Mount Holyoke College
Megan Tincher …….…………………………….…..………… Boston College
Amanda Tripp …….……………….…………...………… Bucknell University
James Tanner …….………...………… The George Washington University
Marlotte van den Bergh …….……………….…..…………… Boston College
Laura Van Leeuwen …….………………..…..………… American University
Salvador Vega …….………...… Fogarty, Cohen, Selby and Nemiroff, LLC
Amy Videtto …….…………..………… The George Washington University
Melissa Vitti …….……………….………………..…………Adelphi University
David Wardell …….……….………… Savannah College of Art and Design
Michael Waxman …….……………….…..…………Northwestern University
Mike White …….……………………..…..…………University of Connecticut
Rachel Wilf…………………………………………….………….Yale University
Zachart Wolff …….……………………...…….…..………… Emerson College
Katherine Wren …….……………….…...………… Miami University of Ohio
Roger Yarett …….…………………………...….…..…………Carleton College
Ashley Young ………………………………………….……Occidental College
10 —
Features
Come to Thataway for great food
and a great time!
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(203) 622 0947
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JT‘s College Tips
By James Tanner
Don’t Leave It All To The Last
Minute. I‘m sorry, I didn‘t mean for
this tip to insult your intelligence. But
you‘d be surprised how many people
leave it all (and I mean it all) to the
last minute. All the paper work, phone
calls concerning questions for specific
colleges, etc. Get it done early! Do it
all in moderation over a span of time.
If you‘re not busy in the summer, do
some of it then. I know school is
enough work as it is but you‘ll be
happy when you‘re not cramming the
night before the application is due.
People make the biggest and most
common blunders on their applications because of the last minute time
crunch. One friend of mine ran around
screaming because he realized he misspelled one word repeatedly on an
essay to his first choice school. Don‘t
be like my friend. He‘s homeless right
now, seriously.
Visit Your Schools! Perhaps another
piece of advice that asks of basic intelligence. If you are going to apply to
a college, visit it. That‘s the rule of
thumb, gang. Nearly every college in
the United States takes care to take
note of who visits the college for a
tour or interview, and then the school
keeps a record of the visits. When the
college is reviewing your application,
often times they will check to see if
you visited. If you did, it looks great
for you. It shows you truly care and
are interested in their school. If you get to it later.‖ ―I‘ll write it next
didn‘t visit, the college may question week.‖ ―I have a math test tomorrow,
how seriously if (upon acceptance) when can I write it?‖ It is a common
you will actually attend their college. fact that even if you had six interns
Students have not been accepted be- working around the clock for you, the
cause of not visitcollege appliing! Like sex, colcation process
lege is best played
would still feel
when played safe.
like
twenty
Visit the college
hours of work
because it can only
due in what
help you. Granted,
seems like ten
you may not be able
minutes. You
to visit a college too
really need to
far away for a simset aside time
ple trip, like all the
to not only
way in California or
write your colScotland. But if the
lege essay, but
school is in New
to review it,
York, Boston, or
edit it, and edit
Washington D.C.,
it again.
visit it. You have no
Sendgood reason not to.
ing in an essay
Plus, do you really
that has misJT contemplates
want to go to a colspelled words,
the application process.
lege you never vispoor grammar,
ited? It‘s like marrying someone for a and typos is a poor decision. Sending
four year duration without even see- in an essay to American University
ing them. Four years is a long time. that ends with the sentence: ―And
You want to see the goods first, right? that‘s why I would be a great member
of the George Washington UniverThe College Essay. They Actually sity‖ is likewise a poor choice (that‘s
Do Really Read It. Between S.A.T.s, a true story. I wrote my college essay
grades, extra-circular activities, lead- on a mission trip to the Dominican
ership positions, community service, Republic I took the summer before
guidance counselor recommendations, senior year. College essays about
formal recommendations, and infor- community service or mission trips
mal recommendations, (throw having are certainly popular, but if it really
a life on that list as well) the college meant something to you, write about
essay is often times over looked. ―I‘ll it. The importance of the trip will
shine through the essay. Once you
have a topic, find someone to read and
edit it for you. Maybe a good friend
can look your essay over for you. I
met several times with my English
teacher and reviewed my paper.
These conferences really did help. I
would recommend that to anyone. It‘s
not a timely process and I‘m sure your
teacher would be happy to meet with
you. Colleges always say that the essay is not only the opportunity for the
applicant to be creative but also to
really show their personality and
what‘s important to them. Colleges
will admit that while grades and
scores are important, they are really
just numbers. The essay really shows
you for who you are.
Apply Early. Who wants to wait until
April to hear from their first colleges?
I didn‘t. If you have a first choice
school, apply there early. No question.
Getting into your first choice college
in December is the best feeling in the
world. You may ask: What‘s the
worst thing that could happen? You
will probably just get bumped back to
regular decision and hear back again
in April. And even if you are rejected,
that‘s one less rejection you have to
feel in April. April is full of different
emotions for seniors, its good to have
to feel one less negative one. If you
also have schools you want to apply
to that have early action or rolling,
apply there as soon as possible. They
may not be your favorite schools but
it‘s great to get in somewhere early.
Opinion
Gun Control
bad dealers are. In addition, more attention has to be called to the illegal
Opinions Editor
gun market. This includes securing
Gun control is dead; the
the border and focusing more removement and its advocates have less sources on catching gun smugglers.
power than ever. It is a good-hearted
While the expense of this might be the
attempt to solve the problem of viosame as imposing mandatory registralence in America; however, it is pation and bureaucracy, this method is
thetically ineffective.
far more effective in reducing the
There is no feasible way to
amount of guns flowing into America
enforce stricter gun laws, licensing,
thus keeping them away from terrorand registration without exorbitant
ists and keeping guns in the hands of
costs and cumbersome bureaucracy.
the right people.
Some regulation is necessary. MandaThe solution to violent crime
tory records of sales accomplish most is not to ban guns in the most violent
of the goals of gun registration. Gun
urban areas of the U.S. The problem
shows that allow easy access to guns
centers on the illegal guns and the
should be banned. People with mental straw buyers, not the legal gun ownillness should not have the right to
ers. With these ludicrous laws in
own a gun; this is not discrimination,
place, citizens are not able to defend
this is reasonable. Nevertheless, none themselves because they cannot buy
of the aforementioned ideas are the
guns. These citizens are generally the
true nature of the issue. The illegal
good citizens who are plagued by the
gun market and the constitutionality
violence. Banning the ownership of
of the ―right to bear arms‖ are the
guns just encourages law abiding citimost important aspects of what is lazens to buy guns through extra-legal
beled ―gun control.‖
means, thus perpetuating the same
The real issue does not
issue. Of course, under such anti-gun
involve the average American who is
laws, citizens always have the oppora responsible gun
tunity to be shot and
owner; the issue forobbed without any
cuses on straw buymeans of selfers and the illegal
defense.
gun market. Straw
Criminals will albuyers are people
ways be criminals,
would are legally
and they will aleligible to buy guns,
ways obtain guns.
buy them, and sell
Having ―gun-free‖
Courtesy:
google.com
them to those who
zones is simply nawould otherwise not
ïve. The fact is, any
be able to access guns. This is how
sort of shootout or massacre would
guns get to the people who should not quickly come to an end if people on
have them. Most gun owners know
the scene had guns. Almost no one
which gun dealers are selling to straw attacks a police station, but a school is
buyers. Law enforcement has to be
always a great target, or a mall. At
more consistent and better funded to
most only a few shots would go off
combat this selling of firearms to enbefore the killer would be brought
courage gun owners to rat out who the down. As for the right to carry con-
By Ricky Lurito
cealed weapons, or carry permit laws,
the police should not have the authority to decide who gets the permits.
Since the police are often biased, they
would keep guns away from minorities and poorer people, those most
vulnerable to crime.
Read the second amendment.
―A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State,
the right of the people to keep and
bear arms, shall not be infringed.‖ It is
obviously clear that the intent of the
founding fathers was to protect the
existence of the militia and the right
of the people to keep and bear arms in
militias. The Supreme Court has said
that the militia is the National Guard.
However, at the time the second
amendment was drafted, the idea of
the militia was more like the militia
that fought off the British at Lexington. The purpose of having the second
amendment is not for the National
Guard, i.e. the president, to have control over the guns of the country. This
is a horrible misconception. The intent
of the amendment is so that the citizens of the United States can have the
means necessary to fight against potential oppression at the hands of the
government. It is essentially a check
by the people on the government.
Thus, the individual, not the National
Guard, is the one with the right to
bear arms. In addition, this right
should be reserved only to citizens of
the United States.
No permanent resident or person
with a visa should be able to purchase
a gun. The intent of the second
amendment is for citizens, those who
vote, to check up on their government.
Those who are citizens and who in the
process of voting elect the government should exclusively have the
right to own guns. The right is a privilege for citizens, those who would
have been members of the original
militia. In the process, gun ownership
is further regulated, keeping guns out
of the hands of potential threats, with
a simple check of legal status.
Finally, an education program for
young people who are most likely to
have access to guns and be exposed to
violence should be funded and supported. Education is a key step in reducing gun crime, as it did in Boston
after the Boston Gun Project. In this
program students were educated about
the consequences of violence and the
negative effects it has on their lives.
This program dramatically reduced
violence among youth in Boston by
66%. If this sort of program were
adopted in urban areas across the
country, gun violence would be
greatly reduced. As a result the statistics of young people killed due to gun
violence would greatly decrease and
the lessons learned would stay with
those young people for the rest of
their lives. Once the consequences of
violent crime and the devastating
power of guns are shown to young
people, they are far less likely to commit violent crime.
Gun control advocates are targeting the wrong catalyst of the problem.
Those who support the right to bear
arms and have limited regulation are
also not truly doing anything to target
the source of the problem. However,
advocating the right to bear arms for
U.S. citizens, supporting the effort to
combat the illegal gun market, and a
comprehensive education program is
the best feasible way to ameliorate the
situation of gun violence in the United
States. The real answer lies in improving the circumstances of the poor and
combating self-fulfilling cycles of
violence that occur among the lower
classes, not in eliminating the presence of guns.
Start School Later!
By Doug Johnson
Opinions Editor
Anyone who has a problem
with getting up for school around 6:00
a.m. to get to school at 7:30 A.M. has
every right to be upset. The premature school mornings are not only
very annoying, but are also very bad
for a teenager‘s health. Vincent W.
Hevern, Ph. D. in the Psychology Department at Le Moyne College, stated
that teenagers should get about nine
hours of sleep per night. At GHS,
getting those full nine needed hours
means going to bed at 9:30 p.m. and
getting up at 6:30 a.m. With the
overly excessive amount of homework assigned every night, just about
no one can get to bed at 9:00 p.m. and
still be able to balance school work
with their after-school activities. It is
more realistic to say that the average
GHS student goes to bed around
11:00 p.m. every night.
Eleventh grader, Ben Millstein, summarized his personal experience, ―I
normally go to bed around 11:30 p.m.
and find it very hard to get up at 6:00
a.m.‖ Dr. Heavern also wrote on
www.helpguide.org that teenagers
―are biologically programmed to want
to stay up later and sleep later in the
morning, which usually doesn‘t mesh
with school schedules.‖ The bad timGetting up so early, as we
ing for school is causing GHS stucurrently do, is counterproducdents to loose their needed hours of
tive. Having an extra hour of sleep
sleep and become less productive dur- every night will benefit everyone treing the school day.
mendously. School needs to start at
Harvard University researchers
8:30 so that the students can do their
have substantiated this by showing
best while in school, and not sleep
that during sleep the brain is conthrough their first class. The schools
stantly organizing and reorganizing
and the states need to realize the negaitself. During
tive effects of
the last few
starting school so
hours of sleep
early and take acbrain notifies
tion.
itself to stay
Louis
focused on
Libby, M.D., Pulthe subject at
minologist and
hand throughmedical Director
out the
of the Sleep Disday. When
order Center at
these sleep
Providence Porthours are lost
land Medical Centhe results
ter, was asked in
include ―poor
Students try desperately to keep their an interview, ―Is it
decisionpossible to make
eyes open during their first class
making, poor
up for sleep hours
judgment, increased risk-taking; poor lost during the week by sleeping in on
performance in school, on the job, and the weekend?‖ Dr. Libby responded,
in sports; impaired driving perform―Sleep can‘t be fully made up until
ance and more car accidents; impaired you get back into a regular pattern…
memory concentration, and ability to
After a night of getting only 6 hours
learn; physical impairment, poor coor- of sleep, many people try to catch up
dination, delayed reaction time; anxiby sleeping until 9 or 10 the next
ety, depression, and other emotional
morning. But when they try to fall
problems.‖
asleep the next night at 10 o‘clock,
their sleep clock won‘t let them, because they haven‘t yet been awake for
16 hours. They may not be able to
fall asleep until 1 o‘clock in the morning, and if they‘re up early the next
day, the whole pattern starts again.‖
This pattern occurs every
week at GHS. Students get seven
hours of sleep on Monday, and Tuesday…and by Friday all anyone can
think about is getting home and relaxing. School work becomes less important because students are so exhausted from getting up so early every
morning.
Allowing GHS students to
sleep later would benefit them in so
many ways. The students would be
able to go to bed when their body
naturally goes to bed (around 11:15)
and they could get enough sleep to be
able to concentrate and actively participate in each of their classes. They
would become more productive during class and when doing other work
outside of school. And students
would not suffer from the bad effects
of sleep deprivation listed above. The
argument that supports keeping school
times the same cannot be substantiated. Students should be able to do
their best at school and not have their
work negatively affected by a lack of
adequate sleep.
12 —
Opinion
The Global Warming Farce
By Cody Kittle
Staff Writer
To say the forbidden, manmade global warming is simply nonexistent. Whatever Al Gore is telling
you is wrong. It is not a political issue. It is not a moral issue, and it is
barely a scientific issue. At this point
you may stop reading, close your eyes
and ears and accuse me of being paid
off by Exxon. But for those open to
free thought and not bound down by
the religion of global warming, please
read on.
The claims of global warming
activists are simple: the world is heating up, humans are responsible, and
scientists
unanimously agree about
this. It started in
1988 when James
Hansen, director of
the Goddard Institute
for Space Studies,
told the Committee
on Science, Technology and Space,
headed by Senator Al
Gore, that he was 99
percent certain that
temperature had increased and that
there was some
greenhouse warming. His temperature
measurements were
based on a surface
temperature network
which covers only
about twenty percent
of the globe. He
made no indication
of what the relationship was.
But before going into an
examination of these
claims, it is important to examine a
brief history of popular climate beliefs. In the 1970‘s
the crisis was not
global warming, but
instead global cooling. The consensus
at the time was that
the world was on the
brink of entering into another ice
age. In February, 1973, Science Digest reported that ―the world‘s climatologists are agreed‖ that we ―must
prepare for the next ice age.‖ On September 14, 1975, the New York Times
published that the ―recent cooling
may mark the return to another ice
age.‖ Newsweek in their April 28,
1975, issue agreed that meteorologists
―are almost unanimous that catastrophic famines might result from this
global cooling.‖ Science Magazine
and Christian Science Monitor also
published similar articles. Time on
May 21st, 1975, reported ―A major
cooling of the climate is widely considered inevitable‖ now that it is ―well
established‖ that the Northern Hemisphere‘s climate ―has been getting
cooler since the 40‘s.‖ All of this was
based on a study that suggested that
the global temperature had dropped
off 1.4 degrees Celsius.
Now the beliefs have come
full circle. Largely due to the highly
publicized and popular movie An Inconvenient Truth, global warming
zealots have emerged all over. Hybrid car enthusiasts, politicians, and
actors are jumping on the bandwagon
to protect the world from its immanent doom. Their claims are fairly
straightforward: there is a scientific
consensus that the world is heating up
due to the greenhouse gasses emitted
by humans. From this comes a multitude of beliefs that branch off - the
polar bears are dieing off, the polar
ice caps are melting, devastating hurricanes and tornadoes are increasing
in numbers. All of this has lead people to start carbon credit suppliers,
have adopted as the enemy, for it is
emitted by humans in so many things
that we do. When we bite into a carrot, drive a car, or fly in a plane, carbon dioxide is emitted.
Carbon dioxide is a
strange greenhouse gas to worry
about. Most people nowadays label it
a pollutant; when in fact it is one of
the most essential ingredients to life
on this planet. One of the major misconceptions of carbon dioxide is that
humans produce a significant amount
of it. Among humans it is by far the
most produced of all greenhouse gasses but among nature it is rather insignificant. The National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
green consulting firms, and a multitude of other businesses to capitalize
off human induced global warming.
But what about the science? It would be appropriate to start
by discussing the greenhouse effect. The earth‘s atmosphere is the
essential ingredient to the survival of
all life on the planet. Without that
slim membrane, all heat would
bounce off the planet and the earth
would be bare. Fortunately, there are
greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere
that trap heat within our planet‘s atmosphere.
The most significant
greenhouse gas is water vapor. The
second in line is water droplets and
water ice crystals in clouds. Somewhere down the list of greenhouse
gasses is carbon dioxide: the number
one accomplice of man in the destruction of the world, according to global
warming alarmists. Carbon dioxide
contributes to global warming. It is
what the global warming alarmists
reports that 98% of total global greenhouse gas emissions are natural; only
2% are from man-made sources. Of
that 98% the vast majority is produced
from the oceans, but it also comes in
significant amounts from volcanoes
and decaying plant life. When Mount
St. Helena‘s erupted, it created a massive ash cloud that grew to 80,000 feet
and was estimated to have produced
45 billion tons of greenhouse gasses,
including sulfur and carbon dioxide. That is roughly seven times the
amount produced by the U.S. every
year. The role that humans play in
greenhouse gas emissions is almost
insignificant.
But does any of this even
matter? If greenhouse gasses are
heating up the world shouldn‘t we be
fighting to stop its emission? No, we
should not for two reasons: economics
and science.
First, economics. Fighting
carbon dioxide emissions only hurts
poorer people. Putting restrictions
and taxes on emissions makes costs
go up on basic necessities of life;
transportation, heat, electricity. While
the Al Gores and Laurie David‘s of
the world can deal with these costs,
the lower class families in America
can not. The poor will bare the burden of punitive policies towards carbon emissions as the rich trust-fund
zealots lead the march on them. It is
worth noting at this point that a private jet flight from L.A. to New York,
which most politicians and celebrity
activists take regularly, burns more
gasoline than the average hummer
does in an entire year. Gary Yohe,
Professor of economics at Wesleyan
University, wrote in a
prepared statement presented to Congress in
March
2006:
―Stabilizing emissions at
1990 levels by 2010
would reduce the
growth of US per capita
income by 5% per
year.‖
Despite the damaging economic effects of
legislation aimed at
fighting energy consumption, legislators
have already begun their
blindly lead crusades on
battling global warming. Recently in California, Assembly Bill
722 was introduced. If
passed it will ban the
sale of all incandescent
light bulbs in the state of
California.
Incandescent light bulbs are the
regular light bulbs that
are used everywhere and
that are less efficient
and less expensive than
fluorescent bulbs. Beyond the price though,
one has to ask themselves, what has this
come to?
With this legislation it
would be legal to go to a
store to buy a bottle of
hard liquor, a gun, cigarettes, maybe some medicinal marijuana, pornography but not a light
bulb? Why? Global warming activists would say: ―Because this is a
moral issue, and as humans we have a
moral responsibility to protect our
planet.‖ The hypocrisy is unbelievable since California is known for
general permissiveness regarding
moral issues
Now let me stop for a second. What if man‘s small contributions to the greenhouse gasses in the
atmosphere had some kind of effect? Then it would be okay to be
devoting so much time and energy (no
pun intended) to help curb this. The
truth is we are wasting our
time. Carleton University paleoclimatologist Professor Tim Patterson
spelled it out very nicely in a testimony in front of the Commons Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development last year, "There is
no meaningful correlation between
CO2 levels and Earth's temperature
Opinion
over this [geologic] time frame. In
fact, when CO2 levels were over ten
times higher than they are now, about
450 million years ago, the planet was
in the depths of the absolute coldest
period in the last half billion years."
Patterson asked the committee, "On
the basis of this evidence, how could
anyone still believe that the recent
relatively small increase in CO2 levels would be the major cause of the
past century's modest warming?"
Carbon dioxide does not
cause temperature to increase. Believe it or not, the most significant
factors in our earth‘s temperature are
the intensity of the sun and the eccentricity of the earth‘s orbit around the
sun. That is a profound idea, that the
sun is the source of heat for the
planet. The sun is like a big heat
lamp, a really big one that burns at
different intensities emitting different
levels of heat. These come in the
form of solar flares. A Harvard study
found that the correlation between the
intensity of solar flares correlated almost perfectly global temperatures.
One of the major mistakes
made by global warming believers is
the idea that there is a linear relationship between carbon dioxide in our
atmosphere and the amount of heat
trapped. In fact the relationship is
logarithmic (ask a math teacher to
draw a logarithmic function for you),
meaning that its effects top off at a
certain point that can not be exceeded. The effects of greenhouse
gasses are very limited, and have
reached a point where they simply
cannot be the factors influencing
global climate.
Al Gore presents one significant piece of evidence in his popular movie An Inconvenient Truth. The
problem with the correlation chart that
Al Gore shows is that it leads people
to a conclusion opposite to the
truth. Gore‘s chart, which is the entire basis to his movie, is not accurate
in its representation. It is corrected
about 400 years so that the two variables line up. The Vostok Core, the
second deep-core ice sample ever
taken, allowed scientists and researchers to look back more than 100,000
years in the earth‘s climate. The findings showed that carbon dioxide levels always came after average increases in temperature. Since then, in
every major ice core survey taken,
warming periods precede increased
levels of carbon dioxide. This is best
explained by Carl Wunsch, professor
of oceanography at MIT, visiting professor of oceanography at Harvard,
and senior visiting fellow in mathematics and physics at Cambridge University, ―The ocean is the major reservoir into which Carbon dioxide goes
when it comes out of the atmosphere,
or from which it is remitted to the atmosphere. If you heat the surface of
the ocean it tends to emit carbon dioxide, similarly if you cool the ocean‘s
surface, the ocean can dissolve more
carbon dioxide.‖ The ocean is the biggest contributor of carbon dioxide to
the atmosphere. When the earth is
warmed by more intense solar activity
from the sun, the ocean produces
more carbon dioxide; and when the
intensity dies down; the ocean absorbs
more carbon dioxide. The reason
Carbon dioxide levels correlate about
400 years after temperature changes is
that the oceans are so large that it
takes a few centuries to heat or cool.
Now you may have read
all of this, and you are not convinced. You are asking yourself if
this is all true, why has global warming become such a popular belief? Why is it accepted by most scientists? First of all, it is actually refuted by most scientists. A 2004
Gallup survey indicated that only 17%
of the members of the American Meteorological Society and the American
Geophysical Society thought the
warming of the 20th century was the
result of an increase in greenhouse gas
emissions.
Global warning‘s popularity is in large part due to the fact that
it has been transformed into a religion, one that ostracizes non-believers
and employs scare tactics to maintain
support. There are lots of underlying
interests within the world of global
warming. Nuclear power lobbyists
are able to get environmentalists on
their side by pushing global warming. Business‘s are able to profit and
enhance their image by becoming
green. Politicians win votes and elections by running as green candidates. This new found environmentalism an attractive idea to most people
that rich S.U.V. driving Republicans
are insensitive and are destroying the
world. Global Warming gives people
something to fight against. Unfortunately the global warmers put their
own political agendas ahead of the
science and maliciously avoid all confrontations and questions to the basis
of their beliefs. They shout about
Exxon and oil interests and conspiracies, but in reality the true biases lie in
the politicians and all those who have
to gain by finding an enemy to fight
against. Al Gore, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and the rest of them all have
a lot to gain by waging an environmental war. These are the people that
the media constantly covers. Meanwhile the experts, the researchers, and
the scientists are kept mostly in the
dark.
But one has to look back
thirty years to see how the mentality
of the masses and popular beliefs can
be so utterly wrong. Global cooling
took such a strong foothold in America and turned out to be completely
false. In large part it has to do with
the media. The media reports results
from computer models that are totally
unreliable and consistently wrong;
computer models that grossly extrapolate data to make it seem as if the end
of the world is imminent. Next time
you watch TV or listen to the radio,
and you hear someone say something
about global warming all I ask you to
do is question it. Ask yourself: is this
person credible? Is what they are saying biased? Are they well informed?
However, the biggest
problem lies in the realm of human
nature. Looking beyond global cooling, we can see a long trend of attractive ideologies such as eugenics, creationism, witchcraft, and racism that
are taught as rooted in science or fundamental truths while in reality they
are the results of a desire by people to
believe something.
Free yourself
from the boundaries and the temptations of your own nature to believe in
mob mentality and instead question.
Here are a few things that
have been said on the topic. As you
read question these statements and
thoughts. Question the bias and credibility of these men, and look beyond
simply this article for more information. With the right approach the answers are easily available:
On Global Warming
―…as a scientist, I can find no
substantive basis for the warming scenarios being popularly described,‖
Richard S. Lindzen, Alfred P. Sloan
Professor of Meteorology at MIT.
On Computer Models…
"These models have been consistently wrong in all their scenarios. Since modelers concede computer outputs are not "predictions" but
are in fact merely scenarios, they are
negligent in letting policy-makers and
the public think they are actually making forecasts," University of Winni-
peg climatology professor Dr. Tim
Ball.
On those clips in the news of
glaciers “melting”
Dr. Boris Winterhalter, former
marine researcher at the Geological
Survey of Finland and professor in
marine geology, University of Helsinki, takes apart Gore's dramatic display of Antarctic glaciers collapsing
into the sea. "The breaking glacier
wall is a normally occurring phenomenon which is due to the normal
advance of a glacier," says Winterhalter. "In Antarctica the temperature is
low enough to prohibit melting of the
ice front, so if the ice is grounded, it
has to break off in beautiful ice cascades. If the water is deep enough
icebergs will form."
On the IPCC
Concerning Gore's beliefs
about worldwide warming, Dr. Dick
Morgan, former advisor to the World
Meteorological Organization and climatology researcher at University of
Exeter, U.K. points out that, in addition to the cooling in the NW Atlantic,
massive areas of cooling are found in
the North and South Pacific Ocean;
the whole of the Amazon Valley; the
north coast of South America and the
Caribbean; the eastern Mediterranean,
Black Sea, Caucasus and Red Sea;
New Zealand and even the Ganges
Valley in India. Morgan explains,
"Had the IPCC used the standard parameter for climate change (the 30
year average) and used an equal area
projection, instead of the Mercator
(which doubled the area of warming
in Alaska, Siberia and the Antarctic
Ocean) warming and cooling would
have been almost in balance."
These are just a few of many,
go out and look for yourself and you
will find the truth. Some things I recommended: talking to Mr. Taylor,
Physics teacher at GHS and a very
informed individual on what information is available on the subject, watching ―The Great Global Warming
Swindle‖ easily available online at
www.junkscience.com.
Comic Corner
By Zara Wright
14 —
Opinion
Global Warming: Issue Of A Generation
By Lindsey Kim
News Editor
The defining question forced
upon our generation is, does global warming really exist? The answer, of course, is
yes. The evidence comes from tree rings,
corals, boreholes, retreating glaciers,
ocean and lake sediments, ice cores, cave
deposits and other "proxies" of past surface temperatures. In central England,
there are written temperature records going back to 1659, and they indicate that
2006 was the warmest year ever in that
region. The National Academies of Science, an independent research panel created by Congress, reported last year that
the last few decades of the 20th century
were warmer than any comparable period
in the last 100 years.
Overall, the global mean temperature has increased about 0.4°F over
the past 25 years, and it is projected to
rise 3 to 7 °F over the next century. Some
areas are warming up faster than others.
The arctic surface air temperatures are
warming roughly twice as fast as the
global average, according to National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA). Craig Pittman, Times environmental writer, explains, ―There may be
more pollen allergies, mosquito-borne
diseases and heat-stroke deaths. Hurricanes will begin to hit Florida. The insurance companies are already factoring that
into their rates. And as the polar ice caps
melt, the seas rise - a reasonable estimate
is 20 inches by 2100 - which ought to
concern people who live in a state nearly
surrounded by water.‖
First, the facts need to be identified. Was Hurricane Katrina a cause of
global warming, will it happen again?
Well, it seems so according to Kerry
Emanuel, professor of atmospheric science at MIT. Current models show that
the intensity of hurricanes and typhoons
should increase by 5% for every 1ºC temperature rise in sea surface. The strength
of hurricanes overall increased by 50%
over the past three decades. The UN International Panel on Climate Change
agrees that global warming will cause
more species extinctions, water shortages,
droughts, and floods.
Global Warming causes more
water to evaporate in deserts and therefore more water will come down on flood
areas. And you were probably thinking
with all the baseball games and schools
snowed out this year, how could the globe
possibly be getting warmer? Well, global
warming also causes hotter summers and
colder winters. That‘s because of more
precipitation resulting from the hot temperature and increased water levels in the
ocean.
But why does any of this information matter? One reason is that
we helped cause it. Pittman says, ―It's
us. The National Academies reported
in 2001 that this big warming trend is
‗a result of human activities.‘ A U.N.
group, the International Panel on Climate Change, came to the same conclusion. Among the other groups that
agree: the American Meteorological
Society, the American Geophysical
Union, and the American Association
for the Advancement of Science.‖
There will always be fluctuations in
temperature in nature, but what really
caused these fluctuations to increase
more? Humans and industry. According to the NOAA, ―There were significant climate changes before humans were around and there will be
non-human causes of climate change
in the future. Nevertheless, with each
year, more and more climate scientists
are coming to the conclusion that human activity is also causing the climate to change. Humans are influencing warming. This can be illustrated
by the increase in concentration of
greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
Other human activities are thought to
drive climate as well. As the ice-core
data show, the increase in carbon dioxide is unprecedented and well outside the range of natural variations.
The recent increase matches the increase calculated from the fossil fuel
emissions.‖ It looks like all the leading environmental groups believe that
humans have caused global warming.
It also says that there is an increase in
CO2 emission, outside of natural
causes. Meaning that aside from the
usual temperature fluctuations, there
is even more CO2 from humans that
is actually creating global warming, as
opposed to a natural temperature
change that could have gone away.
“The world's leading climate
scientists said global warming has
begun, is very likely caused by man,
and will be unstoppable for centuries…The phrase very likely translates
to a more than 90 percent certainty
that global warming is caused by
man's burning of fossil fuels. That was
the strongest conclusion to date, making it nearly impossible to say natural
forces are to blame”-New York Times.
“There is also clear evidence
that the abundance of greenhouse
gases in the atmosphere has increased
over the same period. In the past decade, significant progress has been
made toward a better understanding
of the climate system and toward improved projections of long-term climate change... Human activities have
become a major source of environmental change. Of great urgency are
the climate consequences of the increasing atmospheric abundance of
greenhouse gases... Because greenhouse gases continue to increase, we
are, in effect, conducting a global climate experiment, neither planned nor
controlled, the results of which may
present unprecedented challenges to
our wisdom and foresight as well as
have significant impacts on our natural and societal systems.”-American
Meteorological Society
This has been a human cause
since the 1700s during the Industrial
Revolution. In 2005, CO2 concentrations
were 35%
higher than before the Industrial Revolution.
Some
people claim
that humans
did not cause
global warming and that
our use of CO2
has little affect
on the environment. In the
coming years,
850 new coalfired plants are
opening up
between the
U.S., India,
and China.
The Kyoto
Protocol has
been ignored, trampled on, and forgotten. Lets give you a figure of how
much CO2 that is; an extra 2.7 billion
tons of carbon dioxide. 2.7 billion
tons. The nations in the Kyoto Protocol have worked to save 483 million
tons of CO2 from being put into the
air, now all of that is undone with ignorance. 2.7 billion tons seems like
the unit that measures the quantity of
the gas, a ton.
An industrial practice that effects
global warming is the digging up of
methane from the ground. As industries
take to digging for renovations, coal, and
other natural resources, methane, which
has been trapped in the ground for centuries, is released into the air. Brazilian scientists have found evidence that the largest dams emit 115 million tons of methane per year. This would put the dams as
one of the top contributors to man-made
greenhouse gases. Scientists claimed that
52,000 dams in the world make up 4% of
man-made global warming.
Ivana Lima, Brazilian scientist,
came up with a solution that ―If we can
generate electricity from the huge
amounts of methane produced by existing
tropical dams we can avoid the need to
build new dams with their associated human and environmental costs.‖
But can we put a price on our
ecosystem? Can we price our future? Recently, the Senate 55-43 voted against a
new global warming bill. The bill prosposed to stabilize our CO2 use, to reduce the emissions of carbon dioxide and
other greenhouse gases to 2000 levels by
2010. What was the argument against the
bill? The possibility it could somehow
affect our economy that our energy and
gas prices could go up a few dollars. The
new bill most likely would not decrease
already skyrocketing gas prices. Would a
few dollars really be big deal when it
came to the lives it could save (Hurricane
Katrina and the disturbance in the ecological system), and our future generation?
Craig Pittman’s responses to a few
questions an interview:
Have any solutions ever worked before?
Sort of. A scheme was created years ago
for trading in the pollution that causes
acid rain. While acid rain hasn't gone
away, it isn't the looming crisis it was 20
years ago. Rather than a carbon tax, the
government could create "offsets," which
cap emissions at a certain level and allow
a cleaner factory to sell its pollution credits - in effect, sell the pollution it is not
creating to a company that isn't clean
enough yet and will pay for the right to
pollute. Those offsets are bought and sold
on an open market.
Are there any political advantages in
trying to tackle global warming?
Sure. As Friedman points out, if we wean
ourselves off those fossil fuels that produce greenhouse gases, we will be cutting
off the flow of money to hostile states that
rely on oil revenues. And the U.S. economy could benefit from creating new
markets for high-tech green solutions.
American produces more CO2
than any other country. Our coal plants
cause 40%, passenger vehicles 20% according to the Environmental Protection
Agency. As Americans, if we take the
initiative, every other country will follow
our example. Many undeveloped countries are ignorant of this problem, and
cannot solve it. Let‘s make a standpoint,
build an idea. The U.S. is the greatest
nation in the world, and if we decide to be
ignorant about it, there is no hope at all
for the other countries to create restraints
on their industrial power plants and its
emissions. In countries like China, Brazil,
and Malaysia, we can no longer enjoy the
natural beauty that these nations once had.
Malaysia has gotten so bad that the government is giving its people smog masks.
SMOG MASKS. Looks like another exotic, vacationing spot had to shut down
for those who didn‘t care.
This fight isn‘t even about global
warming, it isn‘t about numbers, and it
isn‘t even about movies. Our environment
is being harmed, global warming or not.
This is about taking care of our future and
our world. Regardless of whether there
was even global warming or not, these
policies should have been in effect a long
time ago. If we cared at all, ―The Inconvenient Truth‖ documentary shouldn‘t
have been a wake-up call.
―As human-caused biodiversity loss and climate disruption gain
ground, we need to keep our sights
clear and understand that the measure
of a threat is not a matter of whether it
is made on purpose, but of how much
loss it may cause. It's an ancient habit
to go after those we perceive to be
evil because they intended to do harm.
It's harder, but more effective, to "go
after," meaning to more effectively
educate and socialize, those vastly
larger numbers of our fellow humans
who are not evil, but whose behavior
may in fact be far more destructive in
the long run." -Ed Ayres, editor of
Worldwatch magazine
GHS Bush Approval Rating
5%
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Approve
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81%
Sports
Milan Ousts Liverpool In Champions League Thriller
By Kwan Ng
AC Milan completed its search
for a seventh UEFA Champions
League title with a 2-1 victory over
Liverpool on May 23. AC Milan‘s
Filippo Inzaghi had two goals for his
team, and was the main reason for the
Liverpool defeat.
It‘s unfortunate that the world‘s greatest game is not appreciated here in the
US. The game of soccer is overlooked
by most American sports fans. However, Greenwich High School has an
overwhelming amount of students who
are familiar with the game and who
love the sport.
Now what do these soccer fans
do when the legendary FIFA World
Cup isn‘t on television? Many leagues
in Europe, South America, Asia, and
possibly even the struggling MLS
(professional soccer league in the US)
can keep one‘s attention for a decent
amount of time. But none of them
compare to the renowned tournament,
the UEFA Champions League.
The Champions League is an three parts, the round of 16, the quarter
annual tournament which any club finals, and the semi finals. This years
team in Europe can attempt to play in semi finals came down to Liverpool,
during the first stage of the tourna- Manchester United, Chelsea, and AC
ment. At this level 32 teams are ulta- Milan. The superiority of the English
mitely chosen after a series of qualify- Premiership League was evident as
ing matches against each other for three of its teams have advanced to the
a b o u t
final four of
t h r e e
the tournamonths
ment. Manleading
c h e s t e r
up to the
United and
start
of
Chelsea were
the toureliminated
nament.
by their adThese 32
versaries,
teams are
and the final
divided
for the Eurointo eight
pean tournagroups of
ment is now
AC Milan’s Filippo Inzaghi
f o u r
complete.
celebrates the first goal of the game.
w h e r e
Livthey play the other three teams in the erpool and AC Milan played each
division in a round robin. The top two other again for the championship and
teams in each group move on to the glory. Before, in 2005, the two teams
next stage and the latter half is elimi- faced one another in Istanbul, where it
nated.
is considered the most spectacular
The next round is split into game ever played in the tournament
was played. AC Milan donning white
jerseys tore apart Liverpool and by half
time was winning 3-0. Amazingly, the
Reds pulled it together and tied it up
by the final whistle. At 3-3 they went
into a dramatic penalty shootout. With
Liverpool winning 3-2, Andriy
Shevchenko, was Milan‘s last kicker,
and he was blocked by Jerzy Dudek,
clinching Liverpool the title. Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry said
the next morning to BBC News, ―This
morning we couldn‘t find the
[Champions League] Cup until we realized that it was in [Captain] Steven
Gerrard‘s room. He was so happy he
wouldn‘t let go of it!‖
Many of the same players
from the 2005 squad returned eager to
play each other again. Star players like
Gerrard, Kewell, Dudek, Alonso,
Crouch, Kuyt, Riise, Carragher, Dida,
Paolo, Kaka, Nesta, Ronaldo and others participated. The success of AC
Milan now gives the club two more
Champions League titles than Liverpool, also a soccer team rich with a
tradition of winning.
GHS Crew Gets It Done
By Juliana Collamer
Photography Editor
Whether crew is considered a
sport or not, it is undeniable that the
Greenwich Boys First boat dominates.
After an extremely successful season
the crew team has been ranked as fifth
in the entire nation. The Boys First
boat petitioned to compete in the Scholastic Rowing Association of America
(SRAA) National Regatta at Cooper
River in New Jersey and was accepted
into the race due to their phenomenal
times in previous races. The regatta
took place from the 25th and 26th of
May and the rowers raced brilliantly
on both days. Led by Coach Chris
Cabrera and coxswain Ella Damiano,
they came in an extremely close second in the primary qualifying race with
a time of 4:29:9267 to Mainland High
School‘s 4:29:0067. In the next heat
our First boat was victorious was a
time of 4:300:0020.
In the semi-finals in Camden,
NJ, the Greenwich Boys First boat our
crew finished in fifth place after a
fierce race with a time of 4:28.3370.
They lost to the currently first nationally ranked boat of Thomas Jefferson
High School of Fairfax, Virginia, by a
time of only a bit over eight seconds.
Their astounding accomplishment in
Jersey was not unexpected after a very
successful season.
The spring races were supposed to be kicked off with the Greenwich Invitational held at Grass Island.
Yet, the ―home game‖ had to be canceled due to inclement weather and the
lack of shelter for spectators. However,
the team‘s first race was at Mercer
Lake in New Jersey, and the Freshmen
boys took home first place gold medal,
the first of many to come. At the Cooper Cup in New Jersey in late April,
Greenwich came home with a whole
slew of new medals, including a victory for the Boys First boat.
Come May, Greenwich Crew
participated in the St. Luke‘s Invitational in Norwalk, CT, one of our only
local races. The girls First boat, girls
Freshman, and boys four all came in
first in their heats, while the Boys First
boat dominated their race and set the
course record for the day. The Girls
Second boat was placed in a difficult
race against their own First boat and
New Canaan‘s varsity boat. Yet in a
fury of strength and technique, the
girls managed to pull ahead of New
Canaan‘s varsity and received a much
better time than their junior varsity
team.
At a novice regatta in Glastonbury, CT, Greenwich Crew won every
single one of their races, individual
teams losing only to other Greenwich
Crew boats. The freshmen girls looked
particularly great cruising down the
river with a steady lead, strong strokes
catching together.
Greenwich Boys First boat
also retained the title as champions of
the Connecticut Public Schools Rowing Association State Championships
on May 20th at Lake Waramaug. Simsbury High School had dominated the
race for years, excluding the one year
in which the race was snowed out
(welcome to regatta weather); but for
the past two years, our boys eight have
won with outstanding times and a
fierce passion for the Connecticut title.
While Greenwich Crew came in a
close third place against the many
crews there to win the allover Team
Award, the regatta official did make a
special announcement acknowledging
the sportsmanship of the Boys First
boat. Looks like Greenwich Crew has
mixed success with class.
A Successful Season; Cards Fall Just Short
By Michael Drittel
Sports Editor
The Greenwich Cardinal baseball team was on its way to the state
playoffs, as a 24-7 victory over Bassick High School concluded the regular season. It was a slow beginning as
the Cards won only three of their first
ten games, falling way behind in the
FCIAC playoff hunt. However, since
that start, a 6-4 record in has propelled
the team back into the state playoffs,
and had it narrowly missing out on a
FCIAC playoff bid.
Just a year ago, the Cinderella
Cardinals knocked off top seeded Naugatuck despite a low seed in the state
playoffs. This year, following an extra
innings victory in a play-in game
against Hamden High School, the
Cards faced another remarkable challenge, as they set to square up against
the second seeded Bristol Central High
School baseball team. Despite quality
pitching performances by juniors Jason
Grabowski, Mike Stolfi, and senior
Mike Zaccardo, the Cards would go to
extra innings again, this time only to
lose 3-2 in the bottom of the eighth.
Nonetheless, the final game was valiant closure to an admirable season.
The year began with a record
of 3-1 for the Cardinals, until a Saturday game against the very talented
Norwalk Bears, ranked first in Fairfield County and fourth in the state,
came from behind a 6 run deficit following a first inning grand slam by
sophomore Ricky Riscica to win 9-6.
That loss began what would be a 6
game losing streak.
However, the baseball team
remained resilient, as the ace of the
pitching staff, Zaccardo, delivered a
great game on the mound against Trinity Catholic, en route to a 6-1 victory
and a turning point in the season. Following that game, the Cardinals
clinched five other wins, cruising past
Ridgefield, Bridgeport Central, and
Bassick, and in between an extra in-
ning victory of Brien McMahon and a
thrilling win against second seeded
Westhill High School.
The win over Westhill was ―a
must win,‖ as coach Mike Mora
claimed. A two run home run by senior Tyler Hermann off of Westhill
sophomore Steve Rivera in the seventh
inning launched the Cards ahead, while
a determined Zaccardo sealed the victory on the mound in the bottom of the
inning, thanks in large part to a catch
on a line drive to outfielder Matt
Pessy‘s left.
The win was shortly followed
by consecutive tough losses, one to
Trumbull because of a shaky defense,
and the other to Danbury, both of
which came in extra innings. However,
the Cardinals got back on track with a
victory against Bassick.
The Cardinals were led by
third base captain Mike Micik, a senior
who hit cleanup for most of the year.
Micik was surrounded by a senior
filled infield, with Mike Colodny
catching, Joey Poletsky at shortstop,
and Tyler Hermann at second base.
Riscica started at first, with a mix of
Pessy, Matt Berdoff, James Dillard,
and Christian Marchand in the outfield.
Excluding Pessy, the entire outfield is
relatively young as juniors, leaving a
strong possibility that the outfield next
year is stacked with seniors.
In fact, next year the pitching
staff should also be strong, while the
Cards might be losing an ace in Zaccardo, and another senior pitcher Scott
Wellington, the staff should have some
familiar faces. Juniors Stolfi and
Grabowski, as well as Ryan Fazio all
appear to have a shot at throwing a lot
of innings as upperclassmen next year.
2007 was a rebuilding year for
the Cardinals; however, the season was
not all for naught. The ball players on
this club will have the memory of
fighting through adversity with their
backs against the wall to hand in an
overall successful year.
16 —
Sports
Stars and Pinstripes
Striking Similarities Between Two Glorified Traditions
products of some industrial nations. arms in the Yankee pitching staff has
The mindset of the Bush administra- been neglected while the team action mirrors that of the Yankee front quired bigger and more home run caA winning tradition has been office, as it seeks to dominate the pable hitters. The only focus on pitchan important part of American culture western hemisphere and flex control ing has been to sign and trade for
throughout its history. Since its inau- on the rest of the world without pecu- older stars well past their primes such
guration into the international world niary concerns or any form of global as Randy Johnson, Mike Mussina, and
in the eighteenth century, the United consideration. To both institutions, Kevin Brown. All the while, the YanStates has risen to the ranks of world domination has no price that is too kees have ignored the pathway to sucsuperpower and by the early twentieth great; and no objective is more crucial cess other teams have chosen, which
century, it had established itself as than their present self-interest.
is youthful pitching and strong emarguably the world‘s foremost democIt is becoming more and more phasis on the minor league farm sysvalid to claim that tem. While the Yankees have watched
the United States is six different teams win the World Senow the largest ries in the past six years, they continsource of interna- ued to pursue more expensive, older,
tional resentment in and more injury prone talent, as opthe global commu- posed to future prospects.
nity. Poor countries
Since 2001 when George W.
despise us; our Bush took over the presidency, it is
competitors hate us; fair to say the United States have
and even those we adopted a similar policy of ignorance.
use to call allies in Once again, military spending for the
the ―coalition of the War in Iraq which has proved failure
willing‖
h a v e is still in key focus, while a sturdy
turned
on
us. fiscal budget, immigration policies, a
Meanwhile,
the disastrous Gulf Coast, and increasing
Yankees are infa- threats in other Middle Eastern namously referred to tions and in North Korea have been
as the ―evil em- pushed aside. Surely, the United
pire.‖ Fans around States has averted economic collapse,
the country pile into total chaos in the south, and another
their local ballparks major terrorist attack. The Yankees
The 2000 Yankees celebrate their 26th World Champion- to see their teams too, have indeed made the playoffs
ship with a victory over the cross town rival New York beat the Yankees, and won their division all of those
Mets at Shea Stadium.
whose gaudy pock- years, but are these modest achieveetbook and spend- ments really acceptable when the caratic, industrial, and international ing habits make them a target of an- pability for achievement is so much
force. Around the same time, another tipathy. Both the Yankees and the higher?
tradition was born and would soon be American government see no problem
The world order which the
at the forefront of American culture. with exercising their power and US has attempted to purchase has
That tradition was the New York Yan- wealth that they view as rightfully never looked so insecure. Along with
kees.
theirs.
nuclear threats in Asia and the Middle
Entering Major League BaseWhile one would assume, at East, Latin America once more poses
ball in 1903 as the New York Highlanders, the Yankee franchise would
soon develop and dominate a century
of America‘s national pastime. Since
the Yankees became a part of Major
League Baseball, they have won 26
World Championships, more than any
other team in any of the four major
sports. To many the Yankees symbolize the success and prosperity that is a
part of the American experience. To
be sure the Yankees and the United
States display striking similarities; but
as a fourth generation American and a
third generation Yankee fan, I believe
that both of their natures have led
them down a slippery moral slope.
Much like the hawkish right
wing currently in control of this nation‘s executive branch, George Steinbrenner, the principal Yankee Owner,
and his sons and partners have followed an aggressive plan of acquiring
talent in the free agent market. Every
From left: Vice President Dick Cheney, President George W. Bush, Former
year, the Yankee owner supplies GenSecretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld
eral Manager Brian Cashman with
over $200 million in players‘ salaries,
by far the most in the league; while least in baseball, that money could an allied threat to our enemies, as
the payroll and talent of lower market buy success, the Yankees have been Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez
teams (i.e. the Royals, Devil Rays, without a championship in the last six has committed support behind the IraMarlins, et al.) pale in comparison.
years, despite having a higher payroll nians. The US also now sees competiThe United States govern- over that time than any other team by tion from another nation for the first
ment under the Bush administration a long shot. The main difference be- time in decades, as China is vastly
has pursued a policy of similar spend- tween the Yankee teams in past sev- approaching the economic strength
ing with the military. The ―War on eral years and the Yankee team in the and influence held for a while solely
Terror‖ is costing the U.S. govern- years before when the franchise won by America. The Yankees too, are
ment billions of dollars each year, and the World Series four times in five watching as smaller market teams
it has far exceeded the gross national years, is that the presence of young who committed themselves to a farm
By Michael Drittel
Sports Editor
system and franchise-bred players are
achieving greater success, most notably the Detroit Tigers who knocked
the Yanks out of the 2006 playoffs.
Perhaps it is somewhat of a
relief to claim that both are about to
go through severe transitional periods.
The GOP just lost their hold on congress in last November‘s midterm
election, and the United States people
have clearly stated their desire for a
change of course in Iraq. One of the
instrumental leaders of the Neo Con-
Roger Clemens, 44, is preparing to
make his second Yankee debut sometime in early June. The “Rocket” will
be earning an estimated $900,000
per start
servative faction, Donald Rumsfeld,
resigned as Secretary of Defense this
year, symbolizing that the period of
stagnant success in Iraq was over. The
Yankees have focused this past offseason on reloading the farm system
to what it looked like in the successful
90‘s, and they have done away with
older names including Johnson and
Gary Sheffield. Top prospect Phil
Hughes made his major league debut
for the Yankees on April 26th although just a week later he would succumb to an ankle injury. Both have
noticed that their advantage over the
competition has eroded, and possibly
that poorly spent money doesn‘t result
in championships or world order.
However, despite this progress, Bush has firmly campaigned for
increasing the troop levels. This year,
30,000 more young Americans have
made their way to an unstable Baghdad. The Pentagon has recently reported 35,000 more will be Iraq
bound in the fall. The Yankees have
just spent $28 million to have soon-tobe 45 year old Roger Clemens pitch a
half a season this year. While a clear
message of disapproval of the current
policies of Washington has been sent
visible by the midterm election and a
28% presidential approval rating, and
while the Yankees continue to nurture
what seems to be a talented future
pitching staff, one must still wonder
how closely the new paths will be followed.
The greatest connecting
thread between the New York Yankees and the United States is that the
answers to their recent struggles can
be found in their respective pasts.
June 2007 — The Beak — 3 A
4A —
Special Humor Wrap
Students Boycott GHS
David‘s cause. At that point David But the baby is like waaa and
created the HSSAWTESST, or you‘re like shut your face.‖
High School Students Against
After getting David to refoIn the past few weeks the Way Too Early School Start cus on the topic at hand, the interGreenwich High School Board of Times. Because of the long name viewer finally responded: ―School
Administrators have been debating whether to start school h t t p : / / w w w . a r t s a l i v e . c a / u p l o a d / d a n /
at an earlier time. Some want
school to start at 7:00a.m. because they lack the right side
of their brain. They have said
that starting school earlier creates discipline in the students
which will train them for later
years in their life.
Students have not reacted too well to this new
idea. They, in fact, have
started a boycott of school.
The time issue started with
one distraught high school
student by the name of David
Stoecker. During the past few
years, he has been conducting
a small controversy about the
early school start time. Everyday he skips first class and
Distressed Students Getting Their Protest On
comes in at 8:30a.m. because
he so strongly believes that it
title, most just called the group is bad for the brain. We shouldn‘t
is ridiculous that students have to ―Team David‖.
get up so early if were going to
get up so early. In the past he has
David reflected on life hurt our brain. It hurts our brain
tried recruiting more and more stu- when he said: ―Yea, um, so like even more. And its bad for the
dents, but to no avail.
the school time is way too early… brain cuz brains need to think, but
Recently his plan gained and, um, don‘t you get annoyed by all school does is make me tired.‖
steam. When he heard about the crying babies. Your trying to think
David‘s movement, howattempt to open school even ear- about which wire you would cut if ever, is going much better than his
lier, he started up his recruiting you were in a movie (the red or the interview. His recruitment has
again. Unlike in the past, students blue), but this baby is all up in brought in 183 students who are
actually accepted recruitment into your grill. You‘re like back off. assigned to do specific things
by Doug Johnson
Opinions Editor
weekly. Over the past week the
183 students have all been assigned to revolt against the early
school time by coming to school in
their pajamas and sleeping through
the first two periods on the
student center floor.
For this past week the
school heads are fearing a
revolution of students over the
GHS faculty. David, speaking for the HSSAWTESST,
has said many times that the
students will soon fight back.
David stated during his interview that he is willing to use
force and that his revolutionaries are aiming to completely
overthrow the school system.
In response to the uprising, teachers throughout
GHS have created their own
organization entitled TASR,
or Teachers Against Student
Rights. No particular person
has been named the leader of
this tribe, but voting will occur on next week. This group
of teachers believe that students
should have no rights concerning
the time of school. Some students
have been seen standing outside
school holding picket signs saying
things such as: ―Make the School
Time Later,‖ ―I Want Sleep,‖
―Honk for a Later School Start
Time,‖ and ―End Suffering from
Crying Babies‖…?
Sundown Saloon
403 Greenwich Avenue
Greenwich, CT 06830
203.629.8212
At the Sundown Saloon, located in
central Greenwich towards the bottom of Greenwich Avenue, we can
offer you an exceptional menu of
tasty lunch and dinner fare with delicious daily specials and a wide variety of your favorite refreshments.

Watchu talkin` `bout, son?

Transcription

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