March 26, 2004 - Niskayuna Central Schools

Since 1974,
Now Weekly
March 26, 2004
Niskayuna High School
Volume 30, Issue 21
Veterans give third annual presentation
needed by the History Channel. While the
excitement of having a film crew appealed
to many students who anticipated
World War II veterans Al
making their Hollywood debuts, the
Cohen, Richard Marowitz, and
focus was truly on the veterans,
Doug Vink made a presentation
who shared their experiences
and answered questions for
throughout the war, including fightWorld Connections students on
ing in the Battle of the Bulge.
March 10 in the Little TheMarowitz also shared with the stuater. Although it was the third
dents an experience that no one else
year that veterans presented
could claim fame to: having acquired
to the class, this was the first
and worn the hat of German dictator
time that this occasion became
Adolf Hitler. Marowitz was among
a national event.
many soldiers who raided Hitler’s
Authors Paul Rutherford and
home in Munich to try and find the
Dan Lynch (also a local radio
deposed leader. When they arrived,
personality) recently completed
they found that Hitler had left, and
a book entitled Into The
that most of his belongings had been
Dragon’s Teeth, which details
taken. While searching for intellithe travels of these veterans.
gence in a bedroom, Marowitz came
(The book’s opening chapter, in
across a top hat embroidered with
fact, takes place in Niskayuna
Warrior Photo / Evan Ballan
High School, where the very A HISTORIC ARTIFACT: Sophomore Birant Akbay and vet- the initials A.H. He immediately cast
the hat down upon the floor and
same veterans are making the eran Richard Marowitz hold the hat of Adolf Hitler.
stomped on it. Regarding the
same presentation to students.
(continued on page 2,
) The History Channel decided to make a when the veterans arrived this year, so
CONNECTIONS)
documentary based on the book, and did cameras, microphones, and other gear
by Evan Ballan
NEWS
wanted to gather footage of this year’s
presentation at Niskayuna. Therefore,
First Youth Service Day planned for April
by Julie Granka
NEWS
The First Annual Youth Service Day, sponsored by the local
community
organization
Schenectady’s Promise, will be
held at Schenectady’s Central
Park and other various areas
around the community on Friday, April 16, conveniently during the high school’s April break.
Schenectady’s Promise is a
branch of America’s Promise, a
respected nationwide organization that builds upon the power
of communities to help the youth
in America. Niskayuna High
School student Stephanie
Bomeisl was a very active member of this organization, and her
recent passing is truly a loss for
our entire community. As a result, Youth Service Day, its
events, and all of its efforts are
dedicated to her memory. Said
Assistant Principal Shelley
Baldwin-Nye, “There is no bet-
ter way to recognize Stephanie
and all that she stood for in
her involvement and service
to the community.”
Participants in Youth Service Day will have a wide variety of activities in which to
contribute. From 10 am to
noon, volunteers have the option of doing a spring clean up
at various recreation areas and
parks including the Niskayuna
bike path, the Rotterdam bike
path, or Collins Park. Volunteers can also visit with seniors at Senior Homes, help
the elderly with computer
skills, do a clean up at various
senior centers, or assist in setting up or cleaning at the event.
In the afternoon, around 1 pm,
volunteers and other community members can participate in
a fundraising walk around Central Park’s duck pond. Funds
raised during the walk will benefit various service agencies,
such as food banks and shelters,
in the Schenectady area.
Students are encouraged to
sign up, whether alone, with a
group of friends, or even with
their homerooms, to participate
in the service activities and/or
the fundraising walk. Information packets, which are available in the school main office,
include the fundraising form and
sign up sheet where students
can select the service activity
that appeals to them the most.
Students should return these
forms to the main office by the
deadline of Wednesday, March
31. “I’m hoping that we can support Schenectady’s Promise and
all the work they’ve done for Youth
Service Day and encourage as
many students as possible to participate,” said Baldwin-Nye.
Over 400 teenagers and children from all across Schenectady
County are anticipated to be involved in this day’s event. The
Service Advisory Board at the
high school, comprised of students, teachers, and administrators, is brainstorming how
participants from the high school
can honor Stephanie, whether
by wearing t-shirts or carrying
balloons. Said Service Advisory
Board member junior Shannon
Smigen, “I think that everyone
should come out and help to show
their support for Stephanie and
her family, because she was very
involved in our community.”
Participants will enjoy service
around the community as well
as meeting other teenagers and
children throughout the area.
Said senior Colleen Donovan,
“I think the day is a great opportunity for our students to
give back to the community,
and I hope that many will be
interested in volunteering...”
This Youth Service event is
anticipated to be great fun, and,
most of all, rewarding.
2
News
26 March 2004
The Warrior
NEWS BRIEFS
NICS BLOOD DRIVE: A blood drive
will be held on March 31st by NICS.
However, only students who meet age
and weight requirements will be permitted to give blood.
ATTENTION SOPHMORES: Class
ring orders will be sold during all lunch
periods on Thursday and Friday. Please
see Mrs. Primeau in the main office for
a packet.
NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY: Members who missed last Friday’s meeting
must see Jeff Boghosian, Mrs. Hughes, or
Mr. Jennings ASAP.
ATTENTION SENIORS: Pep club is
offering four scholarships to seniors
who have a 3.0 GPA or better and have
participated in at least one varsity
sport. See Mr. Bianchi in the main
office for details.
SOCCER REFS: Referees are needed for
the spring. See Mrs. Ferencik in Media.
BLAST FROM THE PAST: There will
be a dance this Saturday from 8-11 pm.
Tickets are $3 in advance and $5 at the
door. All proceeds will go to the Stephanie
Bomeisl Scholarship Fund.
Compiled by Eric Zhou
Connections treated to WWII discussion
(continued from page 1,
VETERANS)
topic of Hitler’s suicide the next
day, Marowitz joked with the
students that Hitler had killed
himself only after “he heard that
some skinny little Jewish kid
stomped on his favorite hat.”
The audience was filled not only
with students, but also parents
and members of the community
wishing to hear the soldiers’ stories. Connections English
teacher Brandi Weidman was
also in attendance. “Every year
it amazes me, everything that
they went through and their
ability to articulate it so well
and share their experiences with
the students,” commented
Weidman. Community members in the audience were also
moved, many citing their being
impressed with the students’
ability to focus and take in what
the veterans were saying. History teacher Peter Warren, also
in attendance, commented that,
“It’s great that these guys are
here to make it real for [the
students]. It’s very important to
keep track of that history
through the veterans. They and
these artifacts tell a story.”
Warren was referring to the many
WWII memorabilia that the soldiers brought with them, including three Nazi flags that they had
picked up during their travels.
Considering the negative subject matter of the tough times
faced during the war, the soldiers
were overall jubilant and had few
problems discussing their experiences. They punctuated many of
the intense parts of their story
with humorous anecdotes about
their time spent overseas. Cohen
told about his acquisition of his
Nazi flag, which he sent to his
mother for safekeeping. The flag,
which had gotten muddy during
Cohen’s travels, was sent by his
mother, unknowing of what was
due to its dirtied condition, to the
laundromat to get cleaned, shortly
after which his mother found a
call from investigators concerned
that she might be a member of the
Nazi party. Fortunately for Mrs.
Cohen, upon explaining the story
behind what had happened, she
was let off the hook. When it came
to the details of battle itself, however, no joking was to be found.
Cohen talked about how all of the
food and water that they could
manage to get their hands on froze,
and Marowitz talked about his
experience as being a member of
one of the first troops to arrive at
the Dachou concentration camp.
“We smelled Dachou three or
four miles before we saw it,”
Marowitz told the students, referring to the odor of the massive bodies that were strewn
throughout the camp.
Also described were the
weather conditions that the soldiers were forced to endure, including periods in which it was
constantly around thirty degrees
below zero. The soldiers were
told to make certain that, if stopping to rest, they didn’t fall
asleep, since freezing to death
was highly probable. “The
weather was almost as bad as
the Germans,” Marowitz
explained,“there were two wars:
the German war, and the
weather war.”
Overall, students seemed to
find the veterans’ visit a rewarding experience, and made use of
the opportunity given to ask
questions at the end, inquiring
about topics ranging from the
estimated value of Hitler’s hat
to their reaction to the atomic
bomb. In response to the latter,
the soldiers explained that due to
inferior conditions back then, they
were unaware that the atomic
bomb had ever been detonated. In
response to the former, Marowitz
explained that the highest value
he had ever read for the hat was
$35,000, but Marowitz was quick
to add that, “I don’t know where
the hell he got his numbers from.”
He also referred students to
hitlershat.com, the site regarding a movie that has been made
about his hat-finding experience.
The questions also reminded
the veterans of more anecdotes
from their wartime, including
an explanation of throwing
bombs they were equipped with
into bodies of water they passed
to attain fresh fish. When
asked to compare the wars of
today to the war back then, the
soldiers seemed to feel as if no
comparison could be made.
Cohen commented that, “There
was more patriotism then than
there is today.”
Vink made reference to a letterhead he had seen emphasizing the role of veterans, which
said,“If you can read this, thank
a teacher. If it’s in English,
thank a veteran.
The Warrior
March 26, 2004
News
3
Junior wins ESYO concerto competition
Percussionist Jim Benoit to perform tomorrow at Troy Music Hall
the “unanimous and unequivocal choice Virginia Gao.
of the three judges,” according to the
In addition to Benoit’s concerto, the
ESYO website.
orchestra will perform the lengthy first
In 1989, ESYO percussionist Stefon movement of Gustav Mahler’s Second
Harris won the Lois Lyman Concerto Competition playing the same
piece, and has since gone on to
achieve significant fame in the music industry, publishing several
jazz vibraphone albums and solo
works, including the Grammy-nominated Black Action Figure in 1999.
“Stefon Harris is really amazing, and he studied from the same
teacher I go to,” said Benoit. “It’s
really an honor that [my teacher]
suggested I play it.”
Benoit has been playing percussion
for seven years, and plays a wide
variety of percussion instruments, inWarrior photo / Jeremy Wolos
cluding snare drum, timpani, drum LIKE STEFON: Junior Jim Benoit, pictured above,
set, and several forms of mallets, in- recently won the Lois Lyman Concerto Competition,
cluding marimba and xylophone.
performing the same piece as 1989 winner Stefon
Benoit’s undeniable talent has Harris (pictured bottom left).
already been noticed by several
sources outside of ESYO. Last summer, (Resurrection) Symphony, and the
he was the Principal Timpanist with the Dragon and Phoenix movements from
New York State School of Orchestral Tan Dun’s Heaven Earth Mankind: SymStudies, and he is the Principal Percus- phony 1997, a piece written for the end
sionist in the high school’s Symphonic of the British lease over Hong Kong. The
Band and Symphony Orchestra. Last Repertory Orchestra, which also includes
year, at the NYSSMA solo festival, Benoit a few Niskayuna students, will perform
was judged on four solos, receiving per- at the concert as well.
fect scores of 100 on mallets, snare drum,
Availability of tickets at this time is
and timpani, to go along with a 99 on uncertain, but tickets cost $15 for adults
drum set. Based on these performances, and $10 for students, and can be purBenoit was selected as the top mallet chased through the ESYO office at 382player for All-State, where he performed 7581 or the Troy Saving Bank Music
with the Wind Ensemble.
Hall box office at 273-0038.
After high school, Jim
plans to audition for several
of the nation’s top conservatories,
including
the
Eastman School of Music,
Julliard, the Manhattan
School of Music, Boston ConAfter excelling at Odyssey of the
servatory, and Ithaca, where
Mind Regionals, two teams of
he will pursue a music perforNiskayuna students participated
mance major. Benoit again apin the statewide competition,
pears to be following in Harris’
footsteps, as Harris attended
held at SUNY Binghamton on
both Eastman and Manhattan.
March 13. The Strategy Sphere
Niskayuna High School as
Photo courtesy: Jazz-over-Hanover.de
and Fantastic Art teams placed
a whole has a strong presLIKE JIM: Stefon Harris has been called “one of the most
4th and 5th in their respective
ence in ESYO, as its thirteen
important young artists in jazz” by the Los Angeles Times.
divisions. Congratulations to all
students
in
the
orchestra
far
Junior Jim Benoit is building an increasingly similar resume.
exceed the number from any
the OMers on their hard-won
solo instruments such as violin and cello. other individual high school. For
accomplishments.
Fantasy on Japanese Woodprints re- tomorrow’s concert, the first three vioquires such a high degree of skill, how- lins will all be Niskayuna students:
ever, that Benoit’s execution made him Chan, junior Manuel Possolo, and senior
by Jeremy Wolos
NEWS
Jim Benoit, a junior at Niskayuna High
School and the Principal Percussionist
in the Empire State Youth Orchestra,
was the winner of the recent Lois Lyman
Concerto Competition, and will perform
with the orchestra tomorrow, Saturday,
March 27, at 8 pm at the Troy Savings
Bank Music Hall.
The competition, which is open to all
members of ESYO, allows these young
musicians to audition for a chance to
perform a concerto (a piece written for a
solo instrument, with the orchestra playing as accompaniment) along with the
orchestra in a concert. About fifteen of
the eighty-seven students in ESYO auditioned, Benoit, performing as the marimba soloist in Fantasy on Japanese
Woodprints by esteemed twentieth century composer Alan Hovhaness, was selected as the winner. Niskayuna senior
Heather Chan, Concertmaster of the
prestigious orchestra, came in second
place for her performance of Felix
Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto, tying
with Principal Clarinetist Tom Lowery
of The Waldorf School of Saratoga
Springs, who performed Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto. Both Chan and Lowery
will perform with the Empire State Repertory Orchestra, the training orchestra
for ESYO, later in the year.
As he is a percussionist, Benoit’s selection as the winner was somewhat rare.
Winners in the recent past have played
more classical concerti, on conventional
“Odyssey” team
succeeds at states
4
Opinion
March 26, 2003
The Warrior
Hall monitoring too much The Warrior
If there is one policy that should be
abolished for its absurd frustration it’s
the hall monitoring system. It doesn’t
appeal to the students, the teachers, or
anyone else in the staff. So why in the
world do we still have it?
For the students there are the hassles of
getting the passes, enduring the questioning process, proving the
pass is legitimate, and still
not being able to go where
they want to because the
hallways are “forbidden.”
The teachers then have the pleasure of
being assigned the duty of being hallway
monitors and enduring the mundane task
of sitting or standing at a certain spot
continuously asking “Do you have a pass?”
or “Where are you heading?”. The staff has
the same problem, in addition to the fact
that they actually have to be the “enforcers,” meaning they have the pleasure of
hosting the conferences with offenders or
running the detentions that the offenders
receive. The entire process is lose, lose,
lose for all parties involved.
The sad thing is that we all go through
this difficult process for the simple task of
keeping the hallways quite during classes.
Is this task that hard? No, or at least it
shouldn’t be. Students should be allowed
to move through the school to get where
they need to go, and they should be re-
sponsible enough to do it quitely. Staff
should be trusting enough to let quiet
students head to where they need to go.
Obviously if they are noisy or disruptive,
they shouldn’t be in the hallway or they
need a reminder to be quiet. However it is
very frustrating for those students who
have things to do, to be stopped or refused
passage in the hallways.
Passes are not as easy to get
as some staff would argue,
and to prove the point any
student could argue that nobody other than a student has to get a pass
of every little trip he/she has to make.
It seems to be that there is some fear that
every student in the hallway is cutting a class,
or committing some other unspeakable crime.
This is obviously not the case and, even if it
were, it’s the students’ problem if they do
something such as cutting a class. Hall monitors should not be there to make sure every
child is being a perfect student, merely to make
sure everyone is non-disruptive. The teachers
will make reports if students skip or are not in
class and the proper channels can then be
taken. End of story.
So, in conclusion, all the school needs is a
few people to walk around the halls, or sit a few
key locations to make sure things are in good
order. Which is what we have, but we need to
leave it at that. A very simple concept that
doesn’t require an elaborate process.
EDITORIAL
Make use of all snow days
by Joshua Xiong
OPINION
It’s March, that time of
the year when students are
dragging through the days
in a dreary state of being,
forced to toil away for weeks
on end, and without an intermission until Spring
Break. And, because it’s
upstate New York, this is
the time when the winter
season refuses to let loose
its hold, instead trying one
last time to fill our lives
with its cold, godforsaken
white powder. One would
think, of course, that with
all this misery we, the students, might expect a break
(the words “snow day” immediately come to mind).
I’d like to first comment
on how disappointed I was
on Wednesday, March 17,
when, although the need
for one was visible, we did
not get a snow day. As a
student toiling away during the mundane time period that represents the
transition between Winter
to Spring, I was shocked
when my hopes for just one
day off were dashed. It was
evident that we needed one,
as snow litered the ground
that morning, continuing to
fall till that night. More importantly, the two-hour delay was not only unsatisfying, it was dismaying to
many students who had to
attend school that day.
Because students had expected a snow-day the previous night, many opted to
not do their homework, and
took it easy or relaxed. To
find on the next day that
their long-awaited break
had not been handed to
them must have been devastating. It certainly was
for me. However, the misfortunes of the student
population on that Wednesday really reflect the more
unsettling problem of unused school days and the
lack of notification abut
them by the administration.
Most students, when the
administration begins to
take precautions, such as
early dismissals, or cancellation of after-school activities, envision no school
the next day. Because of
this pleasant prospect, the
student population generally keeps track of the five
snow days that we get, and
how many are used. We
can then come to the conclusion that students generally
(Continued to page 5,
SCHOOL)
Niskayuna High School
1626 Balltown Road
Niskayuna, NY 12309
(518) 382-2511, Ext. 351
http://www.nisk.k12.ny.us/nhs/
warrior/
T H E S TA F F
EDITORS -IN -CHIEF : Tae Andrews,
Elspeth Edelstein
NEWS EDITORS : Jesse Conti, Leanne
Merrill, Julia Napolitano, Jeremy
Wolos
ASST . NEWS : Nate Staudinger
OPINION EDITORS : Kishori Rajan, Alec
Wilson
ASST . OPINION : Evan Ballan
ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR: Stephanie
Blair, Matt Larkin
S PORTS E DITORS : Jonathan Chow, Lisa
D’Aniello
ASST . S PORTS: Peter Chalfin
M AGAZINE E DITORS: Alice Lee, Anna Yu,
Kathryn Fantauzzi
ASST . MAGAZINE : Anjana Rajan
GRAPHICS COORDINATOR : Evan Fenaroli
DISTRIBUTION MANAGER: Jackie Nguyen
BUSINESS MANAGER: Erik Donhowe
ADVERTISING M ANAGER: Jonas Chang
Web Site Manager: Scott Brainard
COPY EDITOR: Abby Alger
ADVISORS : James Edgar, Russell
McDowell
EDITORIAL POLICIES
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR are welcome from all members of the
school community. The Warrior
reserves the right to edit letters
for grammar and length.
SIGNED OPINION ARTICLES AND CARTOONS express the opinions of
their creators.
UNSIGNED EDITORIALS represent
the consensus of the paper’s editorial board, which may not reflect
the majority of the students’ views.
THE OP-ED PAGES are a forum for
students’ opinions and ideas.
The Warrior is published each Friday the high school has classes (33
times a year).
For a one-year subscription, send
a check for $25 payable to Niskayuna
High School to The Warrior, Attn:
Subscriptions, 1626 Balltown Rd.,
Niskayuna, NY 12309.
The Warrior
March 26, 2003
Opinion
5
Living in new times,wishing for the old
by Kishori Rajan
OPINION
Somewhere between reading about the
Scalia/Cheney duck hunting trip, listening to a disco version of the “milkshake”
song, and hearing about Hanson’s possible comeback tour, it occurred to me that
somewhere, somewhat recently, our society had taken a very bad, very sharp turn.
It seems only yesterday when Daria
was the coolest MTV show on, Darrell
Hammond was parodying Bill Clinton every Saturday night, and hearing the letters “Y2K” struck more fear in people than
hearing the words “code orange”.
Remember the days when we couldn’t
find Fifty Cent in the club, when Trista
and Ryan had not yet met, when the biggest debate during the presidential elections was how to deal with a budget surplus? Maybe it’s E!’s “101 Reasons the 90’s
ruled” countdown that has got me nostalgic, or the fact that I’m graduating in a few
months into a world where stepping onto
a train or a plane gives people a valid
sense of trepidation. But it’s hard to forget the morning of January 1, 2000,
when the newspapers were plastered
with children’s artwork of large peace
signs and smiling suns and exuberant
rainbows, not rioting elections and a
death toll figure. It’s hard to forget that
headily optimistic feeling.
From religious fanatics, to SARS, to
new found uses of duct tape, the 21st century started off with an explosive, toxic
bang. We couldn’t open our mail without
fear of anthrax; we were unable to walk
around D.C. without fear of a lurking
sniper. Getting through plane security
took longer than the plane ride itself. It
seemed that the worst of humanity had
blasted its icy fingers through all four
corners of the world, and our response
only seemed to feed it’s predatory nature.
It’s not too hard to pinpoint where the
trouble began- it’s as crystal clear as two
towers in a New York skyline. From a U.S.
perspective, 2001 brought an onslaught of
changes: wars, internal division, intensified nationalism, fear.
2004 brings new worries, but with an
KISH AND TELL
election around the corner, there is promise of change. And even if we decide to
keep the current administration, elections
have the healthy habit of exposing and
reaffirming what we look for in our government and its leaders. Is this political
process coming too late? How many White
Warrior Art / Alice Lee
House administrations will it take to
restore the country back to any resemblance of peace?
Of course, we can’t ignore the accomplishments of this century. The invention
of freedom fries. Gigli. Paris Hilton’s wardrobe. Can we even recall the days when
the O.C. was a pair of meaningless initials? When rap placed second to the Spice
Girls, when wearing a peace sign didn’t
get you arrested at Crossgates Mall? No,
those were the old days, and dare I say it,
the good ones at that.
These are battle years, and trying
times. Are we learning from them, or
slowly moving backwards? At long last
the uproar of gay marriage has let loose,
and all I can think is, finally. Of course,
with it comes the extreme backlash, but
I believe that equality, that what is
morally right, will eventually prevail.
Of course, with this current administration, that “eventually” will be taken very,
very literally. But I do have this much
faith in this country. Americans, though
stubborn, have a wonderful tendency to
wake up. People like Jason West, New
Paltz’s young mayor, will be the heroes
of future generations. A non-Christian/
non-white/non-male will be elected
president, and Muslims will be accepted
into mainstream America. Pigs might
also fly before things like this even start
to occur, but it’s that grating resistance,
however quiet, however censored, that
is going to push through eventually. Of
course, I have the luxury of being optimistic. After all, I’m still a registered
Canadian. But even we, with our public
health care and marijuana-filled homes
can look positively down on our southern neighbor. Because if William Hung
can sign a multi-million record deal, if
Hollywood’s terminator can be governor
of California, if Bennifer can stay together as long as they did, who says that
Bush won’t suddenly decide to say something truthful.
After all, isn’t that what the American
dream is all about?
ALL OPINIONS expressed on the
op-ed pages represent the individual
viewpoints of their authors. The content does not necessarily represent
the views of The Warrior, the high
school, the school districtor the board.
School shouldn’t hesitate with cancellations
(Continued from page 4,
MAKE)
ally set high hopes when
they see that the administration is taking the logical steps
for a snow day and that there
are snow days left to be used.
Thus, it is far more beneficial
for the entire community if
the administration carries
out its plans for a snow day
the next day, rather than letting down the hopes of so
many students and disrupting their daily habits. When
the administration inadvertently plays around with the
high expectations of breaks that
seem imminent, it generally
isn’t a healthy way to start a
school day. When students are
let down and come to class not
wholly prepared or not wholly
in the mindset to learn, it also
makes the entire learning environment within the school
more stressful and unsettling.
Furthermore, given that
the school is given five snow
days per year, it may be best
to expend all of them in a
reasonable manner, giving
one when the administration
is aware that students and
staff are feeling bogged down
or overly stressed. For example, at a time when students are feeling more sluggish and less motivated be-
cause of the transition between seasons, the growing
amount of homework, and the
lack of spiriting-raising holidays or breaks to look forward to, a snow day would
have been welcome. Perhaps
the administration should be
health-conscious enough as to
realize that more stress and
less motivation means less
productivity and worse performance by students.
6
Entertainment
March 26, 2004
The Warrior
Reality addicts predict Survivor winners
Larkin picks Rupert, Prior picks Mariano, but Larkin’s always right
By Matt Larkin
By Jack Prior
ENTERTAINMENT
Name: Rob Mariano
Occupation: Construction Foreman/
Part-Time Bartender
Tribe: Chapera
PRIOR Survivor Experience:
Voted out seventh on Survivor:
Marquesas.
Pros: This self-titled “Robfather” has
been controlling the game ever since day
one. Immediately into the game Rob aligned with Survivor: Australian Outback’s own Amber Brkich for the unbelievably intelligent
reason that she was, and I quote, “beautiful”. Later in the game
Mariano combined brainpower with original survivor Jenna Lewis,
and the viewer’s favorite, Rupert Boneham. It appears that this
fantastic four will remain the stars of the show all the way until the
final episode. Furthermore, aside from Rob’s alliance he is also the
team leader of Chapera, which currently has the advantage in
numbers. Rob can talk the talk and the walk the walk, as he has
already manhandled competitors such as “pretty boys” Colby
Donaldson and Ethan Zohn. When Rob isn’t outplaying his opponents, he is “playing” the females on his tribe. Whether Mariano is
kissing Brkich or cuddling with Jenna Lewis, he certainly is
solidifying his place in this fun-loving and dominant tribe.
Cons: With the good come the bad, and in this case the bad is
Amber Brkich. This woman could have finally decided to play the
game of Survivor rather than leading the same role as a boring
follower. Quite possibly this kissing and cuddling could be the
ultimate strategy in this vicious game. In addition, Rob’s cockiness
and arrogant demeanor could hurt him when the losers return to
vote for a winner.
Runner-Up: Tom Buchanan will fall just short. This prediction
is merely being made with hopes that Rob Mariano wises up and
gets rid of the excess baggage a.k.a Amber Brkich. This game is for
fighters, not lovers, and I am hoping that this man will think
correctly. Rob will turn his back on Amber and bring Tom Buchanan
into the final two. However, Tom has stepped on some toes and has
made rather ignorant comments. In the end, Mariano will be the
first Boston Red Sox fan to win anything ever.
ENTERTAINMENT
Name: Rupert Boneham
Occupation: Teen Mentor
Tribe: Chapera
Prior Survivor Experience: Voted
out seventh on Survivor: Pearl Islands.
Pros: Rupert is the strongest contestant in the game. He has been a vital
part in all of his tribe’s victories. If
Chapera wants to enter the merge with more people than
Mogo Mogo, it needs to keep Rupert around. He has also been
a constant source of food throughout the game, keeping
Chapera’s energy and spirits up.
Rupert recently formed an alliance with tribemates and
power players Rob Mariano, Amber Brkich, and Jenna Lewis.
If this alliance can stick together, it is destined to become the
final four. In this case, if Rupert can win immunity challenges
and make it to the final two, it’s in the bag: nobody will vote
against Rupert. He is the most honest, caring, and worthy
contestant. Unfortunately this strategy didn’t work for him
on Pearl Islands, so he’s had to be a bit more cutthroat this
time around.
Cons: Once again, Rupert is the nice guy out there. He finds
it hard to be sneaky and lie, which could definitely hinder his
chances. Rupert’s main contribution in the last game was
catching fish. While he hasn’t lost this talent, other contestants, like Lex and Rob, have picked up the feel for the
“Hawaiian Sling” they use to fish. Also, he joined forces with
Rob, which could be good or bad. Rob has often proclaimed
that he is running the game, and he’s not far from the truth.
He’s been responsible for each contestant voted out of his
tribe. If for some reason he wants Rupert gone, it will be so. If
Rupert can realize this and make his teammates realize it, the
path to the million dollars becomes a lot less rockier.
Runner-Up: Rob. Even if Rob makes it to the final four and
doesn’t win any immunity challenges, he’ll be in the final two
simply because he is disliked by many in the game. When the
jury is deciding who they want to win, Rob has no chance, no
matter who he’s against.
Photo courtesy cbs.com
Photo courtesy cbs.com
FOOD!?: The members of Chapera react to finding a table of food with
utter excitement when they are rewarded for winning a challenge.
THE TOSS-UP: Contestant Amber Brkich competes in a reward challenge as tribemates look on.
The Warrior
March 26, 2004
Sports
7
One million meters of ultimate madness
by Diana Mitsche
SPORTS
After 17 hours and 42 minutes, the
Niskayuna Rowing team took the final
stroke of its 1 million meter race.
For the third time in five years,
Niskayuna has completed the challenge
of rowing one million meters. The crew
team first accomplished this feat in 2000,
and the n again in 2001.
Casa Grande High School in California challenged the team to the race this
year in hopes of beating Niskayuna’s
current record. "We did this three years
ago, and we had a much larger team to
divide the distance between," said senior Sara Weinstock. “This year was a
lot more intense since each of us was
responsible for a larger part of the whole."
On Friday, March 19, the team set up its
equipment in the gym of Hillside elementary school. With sleeping bags and pillows scattered throughout classrooms, and
a video feed of the opponents projected on
a screen, Niskayuna started racing.
A total of four ergs (rowing machines)
were used, each counting down from
250,000 meters, for a total of one million. The team was divided into three
shifts, with four groups for each shift
Warrior photo / Lisa D’Aniello
THE FINISH IS IN SIGHT: Head coach Matt
Hopkins gives the team a pep talk in the wee
hours of the morning. Behind him is the
makeshift map of the ergs’ progress.
(each group occupying one of the four
ergs). Each of the groups was comprised
of four rowers, and while their shifts
was occupying the erg, the groups were
responsible for 8,000 meters (2,000 per
rower). As soon as one group finished, a
group from the next shift was up. The
erg handles never stopped moving, as
transitions were quick and efficient. As
soon as one rower finished his piece,
another would grab the handle and begin pulling. When the third shift finished, the rotation began again. In total,
forty-eight rowers participated, and each
pulled an average of over 20,000 meters,
or the equivalent of thirteen miles.
Within the first hour and a half of the
challenge, the fifty athletes had all pulled
their first pieces, the press had arrived,
and numerous visitors had come to see
what the event was all about.
“There is not much strategy for getting (and keeping) the ball rolling,” said
head coach Matt Hopkins. “After the
first piece everyone clicks into survival
mode, thinking about food, sleep, and
the unavoidable erging." Varsity boys’
coach Nathan Smith agreed around 4
a.m., stating, "They are like machines,
not humanity, just machines."
The event was clearly a test of physical and mental strength. Waking up every hour throughout the night to complete an erg piece left little time for
recovery, and even less time for sleep.
Around 10 a.m., Niskayuna came into
its last half hour of erging, with over an
hour and a half lead on Casa Grande.
"Looking back, all the middle blurs together,” said Hopkins. “But gearing up
for the sprint is amazing. As you reach
the last hour, the finish becomes reality
and there is a transformation from simply getting the job done to getting the job
done well.”
As the team approached the end there
was an overwhelming sense of commitment, and an enormous drive to finish.
Warrior photo / Lisa D’Aniello
A MILLION METERS IS A LOT: As the night
wears on, sophomore James Herrington continues to pull hard, while teammate, junior Dan
Naylor, flexes to demonstrate his strangth.
"As we got down to the final meters
everyone was cheering for their teammates,” said sophomore Ashley Penik.
When the last stroke was pulled, excitement exploded in the gym. Freshman Ali
Tepper commented, "It was a lot of fun to
see everyone come together and achieve
one goal. When we finished our last stroke
there was a great feeling of completion, a
lot of hugging and high fives, and a good
feeling to be part of it."
"I was really impressed by the strength
of the team,” added senior Andy Mack. “A
lot of people surprised me. I think just
being with the team motivated me to keep
going; I couldn't have erged all night alone.”
The event was not a fund-raiser; it
was simply a great leap into the heavy
training of the spring season. The fact
that Niskayuna was racing another team
made the event more exciting because
everyone knew that there was a group of
teenagers at the other end of the country
going through the same pain that they
were. Yes, the crew season may have
just begun, but Nisky has already covered a great distance.
Thanks to assistant Crew Coach Justin
Gorsage for his assistance with this article.
8
Sports
March 26, 2004
The Warrior
Dan Halayko named March student athl
e
t
e
by Jeremy Wolos
Jeff Howe, who will look to bring the
team greater success in the future.
On the football field, Halayko had to sit
out his freshman year because of a serious
back injury suffered over the summer,
which would plague him throughout his
freshman year. His sophomore year started
off with an undeniable bang, however, as
he received for 126 yards and a touchdown
as a wide receiver in the Silver Warriors
season-opening loss to Monroe-Woodbury.
In the same game, Halayko showed his
excellence on the defensive side of the
field, recording two interceptions.
Over the course of the eight games
Halayko played this past fall (most of
them starts), he notched four touchdowns
and 9 interceptions, as the Varsity Football team finished with a respectable 54 overall record.
Halayko’s third sport, lacrosse, was
least affected by injuries in his freshman year; he started about one-third of
the varsity team’s games as a long-pole
mid-fielder, helping it advance to the
Section II finals and finish the season
with a 15-5 record. Regarding his expectations for this season, Halayko explained “If we work as a team, we have
the talent to be very successful and go
father than ever before.”
Varsity lacrosse Mike Vorgang reiterated Halayko’s importance in the future
success of the lacrosse team, commenting, “I have big expectations for Dan this
season... he learns quickly and keeps making improvements to his abilities.”
In the classroom, Halayko maintains
an unweighted grade point average of
3.75, despite carrying a rigorous course
load filled with several Honors and Acc e l e r a t e d
classes. On his
freshman Varsity Lacrosse
team and his
Freshman Basketball team,
Halayko was the
recipient of the
scholar-athlete
pin, an award
which is distributed to the athlete on a varsity
team with the
highest GPA, on
a team where the
average GPA of
Photo courtesy Dan Halyako
all team memCENTER IT!: Midfielder Dan Halyako catches a pass in a victory against
bers is over a cerBethlehem last year. He is a successful three-sport athlete, as well as a
tain level.
good student.
SPORTS
The vast majority of Student Athlete of
the Month award recipients have been
upperclassmen, but when one of
Niskayuna High School’s top athletes is a
sophomore, as well as an excellent student and leader, it seemed wrong for Dan
Halayko to not receive this distinction.
The six foot three inch, one hundred seventy-five pound sophomore has made a
major impact on the Varsity Football, Basketball, and Lacrosse teams, and will most
likely help to carry Niskayuna athletics
over the next few years.
Halayko recently completed his strongest high school season yet, his second
year of Varsity Basketball, where, as a
starting forward, he averaged 12.0 points
per game, making him the second leading scorer on the team, to go along with
his team-leading 9.2 rebounds per game.
Halayko also demonstrated his accuracy,
shooting 54 percent from the floor and
91 percent from the free-throw line, missing only seven free-throws over the span
of 22 games.
Early in the 2003-2004 basketball season, it became clear that he would be a
major presence on the team, with highlight performances including 21 points
in a 55-42, December 16 win over Suburban Council rival Columbia, and 18
points in two consecutive contests at a
tournament in Boston, against East Boston and Lynn Tech.
Although the this year’s basketball
team finished with a disappointing 7-15
record, the team was led by several underclassman, including sophomores
Halayko and Brian Grastorf, and junior
Photo courtesy Dan Halyako
ALL EYES ON ME: Sophmore Dan Halayko
poses for the camera in his football gear on a
sunny September morning.
Halayko says that his most difficult
course this year is Honors Biology, but
also credits this course as his most rewarding, noting, “I find science interesting, and I really enjoy the labs and other
classroom activities.”
Asked whether he sees himself as more
of a student or an athlete, Halayko answered “Somewhere in between, because I
realize that I’m definitely not going to be
a professional athlete, so I need to work
hard in school to succeed in the future.”
For now, however, Halayko is enjoying
his athletic career at Niskayuna, and has
outlined some goals for the rest of high
school. “I’d like to continue to improve
myself, but I want my accomplishments to
better the team... By the time I finish high
school, I’d really like to play on a team
that goes far [into the post-season] and
gets a lot of recognition.”
After high school, Halayko intends to
further his enjoyment of science, studying engineering, while still playing a
sport, depending on the athletic options
afforded him after high school. Vorgang
was optimistic about Halayko’s collegiate career, asserting “He could play
Division I lacrosse for sure.”
With several Niskayuna Varsity teams
recording successful seasons from their
young players, Halayko seems to be one
of the most obvious reasons to expect big
things out of Niskayuna sports over the
next few years.