IHA Discovers the Abundant Treasures of Oz

Immaculate Heart Academy 500 Van Emburgh Avenue Township of Washington, New Jersey 07676
April 2007
IHA Discovers the Abundant Treasures of Oz
Stephanie Pavone ’07
On the evening of Saturday, March
31, 2007, IHA opened the doors to its
thirteenth annual Treasures of the Heart
auction.
Used throughout the year for basketball
and volleyball games, pep rallies, and gym
classes, the Immaculate Heart Academy
Gym was unrecognizable.
With this year’s Wizard of Oz theme,
enchanted guests wandered down the yellow brick road, met up with the Lollipop
Guild, ducked under the swooping Wicked
Witch of the West, and entered into the
Emerald Castle where all were granted the
option of wishing for one or many of the
items held inside.
Although the auction may have seemed
to come and go quickly for some of the
guests, March 31st was the result of
months and months of planning. With the
leadership of co-chairmen Lori Feery and
Tom Tucci, and the help of approximately
of profit that most benefits students.
Certainly, anyone in attendance would
realized that, as our version of the saying
goes, there really is “No place like Immaculate Heart Academy.”
In a complete contrast to last year’s
glitzy theme of “Puttin’ on the Ritz,” “Oz”
looked like a dream. The effort that was
put into creating this dreamlike ambiance was clear. The transparent bubble
centerpieces filled with flowers created
the illustion of floating alongside Dorothy
through fields of poppies.
Senior Karen Molloy was awed by the
decorations and commented that, “The
decorations looked truly amazing and
made me feel as if I was in Oz. The hard
work was definitely evident everywhere
and the atmosphere added a nice touch to
the special night.”
Aside from tables set up with lavish
centerpieces and loaded with food that
Photo by Julie Butler
Photo by Ms. Stephanie Abdallah
Photo by Ms. Stephanie Abdallah
The generosity and time of students, faculty, and parents
helped convert the IHA gymnasium into The Land of Ozz.
150 other parent volunteers, over 250 students, and the majority of the faculty and
staff, Immaculate Heart was busy at work.
Much emphasis is placed on this one
night since it is the major fundraiser for
Immaculate Heart. The money raised
through the proceeds of the auction goes
to benefit IHA students by improving
facilities and programs in the school.
Money from the auction also goes to
providing financial aid to current and
incoming students with need.
This year’s auction was its usual success. IHA was able to raise over 170,000
dollars in profit. This was the result of
countless donations, good planning, and a
lot of hard work.
Guests of the auction,dressed is suits
and dressess, wandered the gym stage, and
balcony scouting the seemingly endless
supply of items to bid on. Guests had the
option to participate in both silent and oral
auctions.
Every year, IHA strives to maximize
the profits from the auction. However,
these profits are not all monetary. With
the increase in school spirit and service
around the time of the auction every year,
it appears that Immaculate Heart is truly
more about the “treasures of the heart”
than about monetary profits. It is this type
looked, smelled, and tasted delicious,
there was more to the dream.
Little gifts were left for all of the
seniors. Large, colorful lollipops that had
the face of each and every senior glued to
the center were used to create the Lollipop Guild. These were later gifted to the
seniors.
But the seniors were far from being the
biggest winners of the night. Aside from
the silent auction and the oral auction,
there was a traditional raffle with three
main prizes. Mr. and Mrs. Robert Myers
(Ashley Kessler ’08) took home the first
prize: a new 2007 BMW X3 3.0 (retail
value of $38,695). Mr. and Mrs. Brian
Jones (Caroline Jones ’10) won the second
prize: a laptop personal computer (retail
value $2,500). Last but certainly not least,
Mr. and Mrs. Longobardo (Brittany Longobardo ’09) won the $1,000 shopping
spree to the Garden State Plaza.
Raffle tickets were sold in advance of
the auction and families had the opportunity to purchase one or more tickets.
Tickets were sold for $100 a piece with
sales limited to only 1000 tickets.
Another big winner was the Feery
family (Nicole ’08), who won the education raffle prize of $9,000, which can be
used toward a year’s tuition at IHA, col-
lege or an elementary school. Congratulations to all winners!
Of course, the auction would not have
been possible without the tremendous
efforts of students, parents, and friends.
These efforts began early in the school
year as each homeroom began collecting
new items to create a theme basket.
The College Corner committee began
early, requesting that each family contact
college students and relatives across the
country in an attempt to obtain sweatshirts, t-shirts, hats, and even baby clothes
from their favorite college. In the end,
there was quite a turnout.
Many students willingly donated their
time to sign up for one of the many tasks
such as checking coats, serving food, or
being a spotter.
All in all, this year’s auction was a
huge success and would not have been
possible without the help of everyone who
participated.
Senior Kaitlin Spillane who was cochair of the coat check committee put it
perfectly. “It seemed that everyone that
was coming and leaving had a smile on
his or her face. This is my fourth year
working at the auction and every year I’m
more amazed at how people work together
to make the auction so great.”
1
Upcoming IHA Events
April 16: School reopens.
April 18: Department Head
Meeting
April 20: Student Council
Elections
April 23: Faculty
Administration Forum
April 26: ACT Trip Curtains
April 30: Faculty Meeting and
12:40 P.M. dismissal
May 2: ACT Trip: Romeo and
Juliet
May 4: Senior Prom
May 7: AP Testing Week
May 8: May Crowning Service
May 9: REBEL Meeting
2:00 P.M
May 15: Graduation Practice
8:00 A.M. - 10:00 A.M.
May 17: Ascension Thursday
Liturgy
May 18: Awards Assembly
Accents
News
New technology Makes Available
“Unreachable” Oil
H3 is Helping Humanity
One Heart at a Time
Alexandria Correa ’09
Thea Simone ’07
America has always been dependent
on other countries for oil and gas. These
countries include Iraq and Venezuela,
two countries that have had a contentious
relationship with the United Stated for
quite some time. We Americans have been
suffering from the inconsistent rise and
fall of gas and oil prices that result from
all of this existing turmoil. Americans are
very reliant on gas and oil for not only
for mobility, but also for the heating and
cooling of our homes. Millions of products are made from oil and gas, including
plastic, life-saving medications, clothing,
cosmetics, and many other items we use
daily. The reduction of oil and gas affects
our lives dramatically, and recently, new
technology has increased the amount of
oil we get from America’s reserves.
The Ultra-Deepwater and Unconventional Natural Gas project’s purpose is to
provide research for deepwater drilling
technology and other technologies, which
includes methods for extorting natural
gas from on-shore shale (rock of a dark
sediment and clay) deposits. toward more
cost proficiency and speed. Manufacturers and service suppliers will continue to
As most IHA students know, the most
sarily get the media coverage need to be
popular club in IHA is undoubtedly
recognized as well. The club helps in any
CARE. But what about all the mini-clubs
way they can, usually through original
that CARE is composed of? H3 is one of
fundraising campaigns.
the main components of CARE and has a
H3 has about three main fundraisers
simple mission: to help those in need. So, throughout the school year. First, there is
what’s with the name H3 you might ask?
the Avon Mark™ fundraiser. The Avon
According to Group Leader Marina
Mark™ campaign is a line of makeup
Chamakala, “It
and toiletries geared
stands for Helptowards teenagers.
ing Hearts of
H3 often has very
Humanity,” and
unusual and fun
the club focuses
activities that are a
on helping
great way to raise
countries in
money for their
need. “Every
cause.
year we have
The most recent
a country that
campaign, the H2O
we sponsor, this
project, shows just
year’s country
how H3 integrates
is Kenya, and
originality and their
throughout the
goals into fundraisyear we have
ing. What exactly
various projects
is the H2O projto raise money
ect?
“It’s a project
Photo by Thea Simone.
for our counwhere you give up
try. Usually,
drinking coffee and
Marina Chamakala, the H3 group leader.
we support third
carbonated drinks
world countries, countries that are going
for a week, and just drink water. All the
through epidemics or are in need of help
money that you would have spent on those
in one way or another.”
drinks then goes to the foundation.”
Just how did H3 get started? Marina
Last not but least, the most popular H3
fundraiser, is International Day. “Intertold us that, “H3 used to be a club on
its own, but a lot of its objectives were
national Day, our main fundraiser is a
similar enough to CARE that it would
great way to raise awareness and funds at
be simpler to integrate it. When the club
the same time. We have girls sign up to
first started, in order to be considered a
bring in food from other countries, and
member of H3 you had to have 10 points
some girls dress in authentic clothes from
participating in activities and stuff, and it
foreign countries.” Through the food,
was just easier to integrate both clubs so
music, and clothes that come together
that girls who were in both groups could
in a bake-sale style fundraiser, students
get points for one club.” The goals were
are able to not only learn about new and
similar, but with one difference: the counforeign cultures, but also experience them
tries that H3 supports are often ones you
first-hand by enjoying the benefits of those
wouldn’t expect.
cultures in their own setting.
Marina explained it best by saying,
H3 is certainly a great way to get
“People are focusing mainly on Sudan
involved and help those countries that
but there are other countries facing cirneed aid the most. As Marina said about
cumstances that are just as bad. There is
the club, “It’s fun, especially International
currently a dysentery epidemic in Kenya,
Day, which is coming up, and you get to
because of dirty water. We take our achelp people at the same time. There are
cess to clean water for granted, but it’s
original activities, like the H20 Project,
a serious problem in other countries.”
and it’s an easy way to raise money for
When asked what country in Africa they
charity.” So next time you attend a CARE
thought had a real problem that needed
meeting be sure to make your way over to
solving, most people would not come up
the H3 sign up sheet to sign up for fun and
with Kenya. Yet, H3 recognizes that the
new ways to provide service and care to
dire issues in countries that don’t necesthose who need it the most.
sharpen their technology to provide more
advanced equipment to enhance the drilling procedure. George Boyadjieff, who is
part of the project comments, “I believe
we’ll see drilling become extremely common and even wide ranged. It’s not just
for reservoirs.”
The Research Partnership to Secure
Energy for America, a non-profit organization of research institutions and energy
companies, will manage the project from
its Sugar Land headquarters. RPSEA was
created with the idea of funding for energy
research. Being able to tap unreachable
reserves will help U.S. consumers from oil
price spikes, which usually occurs because
of America’s dependence on foreign oil.
These fuels improve our quality of life by
providing us with transportation, warmth,
light, and many everyday products. They
enable us to get where we need to go, they
supply products we need, and they create
jobs. Without oil and gas, quality of life
would decline and people in developing
nations would not be able to advance their
standard of living. Technology has been
helping Americans dissolve the decline
and disappearance of oil and gas.
Vacation Vocations
Nicole Meyer ’09
Summer—the time of the year to relax,
hang out with friends, and not have to
worry about a lot of schoolwork or stress.
However, many IHA girls have a job over
the summer. Some people might think
these girls are crazy to take on work over
the vacation, but others could argue that it
is a valuable experience. Exactly how important are summer jobs and internships?
Many people agree that having a job
is an important experience that instills a
sense of responsibility in a young person.
Sophomore Sarah Pagano feels this way
and believes that having a summer job,
“helps you to learn a lot, while the money
you make gives you a lot more freedom.”
It could be the aspect of achieving a
greater amount of freedom that attracts
teenagers to take on summer jobs.
They can also learn a lot and enjoy
their jobs. Work doesn’t have to be boring
or tedious if teenagers can get jobs doing
something they really enjoy or decide to
help a cause they care about. The valuable sense of responsibility is simply a
beneficial byproduct. However, others
disagree and think that summer jobs and
internships are not that important.
Many people argue that although having a summer job might be a good experience, it is not crucial. A lot of IHA girls
could agree that having a good education
means a lot of work during the school
year.
Most just want to relax, enjoy the
summer, and have a nice break. Sophomore Larissa Reynolds agrees and thinks
that since “we have basically ten straight
months of school as well as after school
activities, we need some time to be able
to relax and just be kids.” It is true that
young people need to experience to real
world, but it is also important to have
fun and be young while they are in high
school.
Summer jobs and internships can be
very important, but teenagers should find
balance in their lives. Work shouldn’t be
an extra burden for teenagers; it should be
a good thing that doesn’t add more stress
to their lives. Summer should still be a
time to have fun and relax, but a job could
also be enjoyable and should be considered.
Prince targeted by Al-Qaeda
Andrea Siclari ’10
Prince Harry, third in line for the British throne, will soon be shipped out with
his combat unit to serve in Iraq despite
the many dangers of war and terrorist
threats. In the past few weeks, threats
against the Prince have been posted on
several websites. One message stated,
“Prince Harry will be sent to Iraq to be
killed by Muslims.” Another said, “May
Allah, give him what he deserves - like his
fellow crusaders.” It is said that over 100
British soldiers have already been killed
since the 2003 invasion and Prince Harry
is next. The 22 year old has said he fully
comprehends the risks and is still going to
Iraq this coming May.
Many army officials fear that if the
Prince is kidnapped after he arrives in the
war zone, he will be shown publicly in
threatening videos. Although the military
has not been treating him any different
tion, other drills will involve crack troops
than any other soldier, they have now set
using both tear gas and stun grenades to
up a special
free him.
training section
Army officials
just for Harry
have
considered this
and his troop of
to
help
Harry in any
12 men. During
situation
that might
the training,
occur.
A
Blues
and
Harry and his
Royals,
Harry’s
milimen will pose as
tary
unit,
source
has
hooded hostagsaid,
“The
Thetford
es. Prince Harry
exercise could prove
will take part
vital for Harry and
in role-playing
his men. They will
exercises where
be taken through a
“armed enemy
number of scenarios
kidnappers” take
they may have to face
hostages. Then,
Photo by: Ms. Stephanie Abdallah in Iraq. It is important
several troops
will storm the Prince Harry could be targeted by terrorist groups. that the soldiers learn
how to react.”
building in a
If
Harry
is
kidnapped,
terror expert
“rapid reaction” rescue mission. In addi-
2
Mr. Doyle has said, “Harry would be the
ultimate prize for one of these insurgent
groups. He would be worth his weight in
gold in propaganda terms if killed or captured.” A Blues and Royals source said,
“Heaven forbid if Harry should be taken
into enemy hands.
It may well be the men next to him
who make the difference between a swift
solution or one of the biggest headaches
of the conflict. Officially, Harry is being
treated just like any other soldier, but in
reality everyone knows how desperate the
insurgents out there will be to get their
hands on him.”
In addition to setting up training for the
prince, from now to the end of May, Harry
will be patrolled in Scimitar toughened reconnaissance vehicles in Maysan. Hopefully, this will help protect him from any
terrorist attacks.
Accents
News
Junior Prom 2007 is a Fun Night for All
Allie Rocchio ’08
Dress: $200. Shoes: $50. Hair: $50.
Manicure/ Pedicure: $40. Countless
Memories: Priceless.
The Junior Prom, held on March 9th at
the Woodcliff Lake Hilton, was a night to
remember for all the juniors that attended.
The girls had the chance to feel like true
celebrities: their hair and nails were done,
and they were draped in gorgeous dresses.
Each felt truly beautiful, inside and out.
After an early dismissal, the girls set
out to get themselves ready for the night.
Some thought the tasks beforehand were
tedious, while others, such as Lisa Trucil,
said that the best part of the night “was
getting ready beforehand. All the preparation was well worth the wait!”
Junior Prom is a long awaited night for
all the juniors. It is a chance to let loose,
to forget about all your worries, and to
just have fun. For one night, there is no
need to think about what day to take the
SAT’s, what colleges to visit, or what AP
classes to take next year.
“Prom was amazing because I finally
had the chance to just be with friends
for the whole night without worrying
about any drama or stress,” states Jackie
Genovese, a junior at IHA. The juniors
certainly earned a stress free day after all
the hard work junior year entails.
The girls finally had a chance to see
their whole grade dressed up to the nines.
“It was such a nice surprise to see how
beautiful everyone looked outside of
school - without the wrinkled skirt and
messy bun,” says Jacqueline Gaul. It is
Photo by Allie Rocchio
Photo by Danielle Ceglio
Photos by Kelyn Bortz
Photos from the night of junior prom. (Clockwise from top) Barbara Farrell, Liz Garvey, Jacqueline Gaul, Allie Rocchio, Elizabeth Collopy, Lisa Trucil, Madeline McGohey, and Jennifer Daffron
pose for pictures before prom. Sam Antonietti, Alyssa Barrale, and Kelyn Bortz, along with their
dates, show off their prom attire before the dance. Victoria DeMarinis, Julia Kaczor, and Catriona
McDougall smile while enjoying prom.
amazing to see just how gorgeous each
and every girl in the grade really is. We
really do not have a chance during school
to see what everyone looks like when they
go out on the weekends. At school, we
do not wear makeup, we do not wear our
own clothes, and we barely do our hair. It
is great to finally get a sense of everyone’s
style by seeing their dress choices, shim-
mering hair, and polished nails.
The theme of the night’s prom was
“Love and Memories,” based on the popular song by OAR. The theme was wellreceived by the junior class. “It was a
very good theme, in my opinion, because
it embodies the whole feeling of our prom
night,” declares Trucil. “We all love and
respect each other a great deal, and there
were many memories made that night
that will remain with me forever.” The
class officers and homeroom representatives of the junior class did a tremendous
job decorating the hall, adding the classy
touch of placing roses at every table.
The prom king and queen dance competition was a big success. Jennifer Daffron thinks that “it was an awesome idea
to have a dance competition for prom king
and queen because otherwise we wouldn’t
have them at all. Since we go to an all
girls’ school, there would be no way to
determine a prom king because we don’t
know every girl’s date.
Plus, it was really entertaining to
watch.” A number of couples volunteered
to participate but only ten lucky couples
were chosen to compete. The faculty
members served as judges in the competition. In the end, Erika Santoro and her
date were triumphant. Their dancing was
extremely impressive to all, especially to
the judges, who could not help but fall in
love with this talented twosome.
All in all, the night was a success.
Afterwards, many groups set out to comedy clubs in the city or back to a friend’s
house. Either way, the festivities continued even after the juniors stepped out of
the Hilton. Tons of fun was had and many
new memories were created, memories
that the junior class will remember even
in college. As the juniors come closer and
closer to finishing here at IHA, their “love
and memories” of junior prom will always
bring them happy thoughts.
The Juniors ‘Ring’ in Spring
Parents’ Role in Teen Pressure
Every year, the junior class at Imceive their class rings. Since every junior
maculate Heart Academy has a junior ring had the opportunity to customize her ring,
ceremony. This ceremony helps to further
all the juniors were anxious to see the final
unite the junior class, because all memresult.
bers can now share the common bond of
The juniors could customize the insighaving class rings. The widespread popu- nia on the two sides of their ring, as well
larity of this
as choose the
ceremony
size and finish of
has allowed
the ring. Juniors
it to become
usually choose
an on-going
to put images
tradition at
that reflect their
IHA, and
personalities and
an event to
interests on their
which juniors
rings. As Ashlee
look forward
Burt, a junior
all year long.
at IHA, stated,
The
“I liked the fact
junior ring
that I could
ceremony is
customize my
comprised
ring. I chose to
of a liturgy,
get a cross and
the distribua soccer ball on
tion of class
my ring, since
rings, and a
those are two
social in the
important parts
cafeteria. Fr.
of my life.”
Steven FichThis year’s
ter lead the
junior ring
ceremony has
liturgy during
Photos by Ms. Jane Garnes. proven to be a
this year’s
very memorable
ceremony.
(Top) Theresa Pasteroelle, Maggie Meyes, Katie
The parents that
experience for the
Rigby, and Tena Elman, the junior class officers
come to the junior
junior class. As Alawait other juniors to have their ribbons cut
ring ceremony are off. (Bottom) The excitement in Junior hallway exa Maniaci stated,
given the oppor“singing the Alma
before the ceremony was evident.
tunity to see and
Mater was defiexperience the Immaculate Heart Acadnitely an experience I will never forget.”
emy community during a liturgy, and are
Another favorite moment was when the
always very impressed. The juniors are
juniors receiving their class rings. As jupresented with their class rings after the
nior Christina Rotolo stated, “My favorite
liturgy. Afterwards, there is an opportupart was getting my class ring. It was a
nity to take pictures and socialize during
symbolic moment. This ring is symbolic
the social sponsored by the Mother’s club. of my unity with my junior class, so I was
The juniors were very excited to rereally happy to get it.”
Pressure and parents; the inescapable
ties that are presented to you [teenagers].
words that every teenager has to deal
It was different back then. We were never
with. Both words hold a strong grip on
told we could. We were never pushed.”
a teenager’s life and as a student’s grade
Despite good intentions, many parents
level gets higher, these two words become don’t see the harm this causes their teens.
indivisible. Parents always want what’s
The disappointment aspect of when
best for their children, but how healthy is
teenagers fail to meet their parent’s extheir idea of “what’s best”? Is the pressure pectations can take a heavy toll on teens.
ever too much for teenagers to handle and Some teens feel that their parents are
deal with?
disappointed
Photo by Ms. Jane Garnes
Accordin them if
ing to Saige
they don’t
Subick, a
make high
fifteen year old
honor roll, or
sophomore at
captain of the
IHA, the presfootball team.
sure is “always
This disaptoo much.”
pointment
The pressure
causes teens
to do well in
to then feel
school, play
disappointed
sports, and get
in themselves
into a good
and think
Roni Cohen-Sandler talks to the IHA comcollege can take its toll
of themselves as
munity about stress.
on teenagers. There is
failures.
so much pressure that sometimes teens
According to Mary-Elizabeth C.
even feel like they just want to give up.
Fuhrman, a guidance counselor at ImOther teens, however, say that this presmaculate Heart Academy, a little pressure
is good for teenagers to push them to do
sure makes them want to work harder.
Kelsey Tynik, a junior at IHA feels that better. However, it’s important to limit
her parents don’t pressure her, but she still the activities that teens take on. Teenagers
drives herself to do well in school.She
and parents need to draw the line of when
tries to keep a “happy medium” with pres- activities are too much to take on.
sure where she balances her school life
Pressure clearly does affect teenage
with her social. Tynik believes that home
lives, and there is nothing that one can do
is a safe zone and she feels pressured
to avoid it. It’s best though for parents to
everywhere else. “The last place I need it realize that home shouldn’t be a place for
[pressure] is home.”
teenagers to avoid, rather a place for them
But what makes parents push their
to feel safe and to relax. Some pressure is
kids so far? Lynn Subick, mother of Saige good for teenagers to give them a push to
Subick, says it has a lot to do with making do well; however, too much can in the end
up for what parents couldn’t do thembreak a teen. Teens and parents alike need
selves as kids. “We realize now that we’re to realize when the pressure is truly too
adults, you can do anything you want to
much. When a teen does his or her best,
do. We were never given the opportunithat’s all one can ask for.
Libby Lynch ’09
Sara Shahmiri ’09
3
Accents
News
Lax Censorship Laws Resonate Poorly with Some Listeners
Jaclyn Schiemer ’09
Although music may affect people in a
positive way, the negative impact of some
popular music counteracts the positives.
Today, the music industry has built
itself up through supplying entertainment for its audience. Some music, like
Christian Rock, may help inspire a young
hopeless teenager. However, music containing explicit content may lead a young
hopeless teenager in the direction of self
destruction in later years.
The music industry has set restrictions
on negative music. However, the restrictions are not enough. MTV employee,
Richard Benkovic, believes that, “teenagers try to be independent and sometimes
don’t understand what is best for them.”
Benkovic believes the music industry
should put more restrictions on music
because the majority of parents no longer
get involved.
By trying to be independent teenagers,
they purchase the merchandize without
parent consent. Richard Benkovic plans
on improving the restrictions on music to
protect our future generation because of
the lack of parental concern. He believes,
“CDs that have suggestive lyrics should
also come out with all clean copies for
adolescents to listen to.”
Benkovic believes that music artists do
not think of their audiences when writing songs. This is because many artists
are trying to make it big. With freedom
of speech, musicians will write about
anything, without being aware of the great
effect they have on their audiences.
Benkovic’s opinion on artist awareness is proven accurate through a recent
Photo by Ms. Stephanie Abdallah.
Can some of the music we listen to have damaging effects on us?
for using it inappropriately.
The song, “Ohio Is For Lovers”, by
post-grunge group, Hawthorne Heights,
also contains explicit lyrics. J.T. Woodruff, Hawthorne Heights’ vocalist, sang,
“Cut my wrists and black my eyes, so I
can fall asleep tonight or die.” These type
of images could worsen a teen’s depresssion.
According to Noel Herbalario from
Cedar Drive also says “lyrics like these by
Hawthorne Heights are all metaphorical.”
Cedar Drive writes lyrics about their life
experiences, sometimes also using explicit
lyrics. They believe lyrics such as “Ohio
Is For Lovers” “contain explicit lyrics just
as metaphors to explain a situation more
fully and powerfully.”
However, the lyrics in that song may
be taken literally by a fan of their music.
interview with local band from Maywood,
Cedar Drive. Vocalist and rhythm guitarist, Noel Herbalario, states, “I don’t
consider the audience. The music is made
for me and the band.”
In a recent hip-hop song, Fat Joe continuously raps, “lets make it rain on these
ni**as.” Such explicit lyrics may cause
trouble in one’s life and may cause people
to view certain racial groups in a negative
light.
Michael Richards, also known as
Kramer from the well-known show Seinfeld, launched into a racial tirade during a
stand-up routine. One reporter, Mark La
Monica, once stated “He threw around the
‘N-word’ like he was DMX in concert.”
This shows that music artists can get away
with profane language, yet the regular person and even a celebrity can get in trouble
If one takes this explicit lyric literally,
he or she could risk damaging his or her
health and life. With Hawthorne Heights
having influence on their audience, fans
may find comfort by self-mutilation. Fans
may believe this is acceptable in their
lives because they are inspired by the
band and their lyrics.
The very controversial Britney Spears
shows she has no respect for herself
through the song, “I’m A Slave For You”.
She is a woman, yet she is degrading herself and other women around the world.
Britney Spears gives the impression to
young girls that it is alright to be a man’s
‘slave’. She should be encouraging the
young girls to respect themselves and not
need a man.
Music was partially blamed for the
Columbine High School Massacre in
1999. Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold,
the two teenagers who carried out the
shooting rampage, were heavy metal fans.
People blamed the incident on the heavy
rock band, KMFDM, which the two boys
were fans of.
KMFDM when roughly translated
means ‘no pity for the majority’. People
blamed their lyrics for the result of the
Harris and Klebold rebelling. KMFDM
had even posted material on their website condemning Harris and Klebold’s
violence and denied that their music had
anything to do with it.
With the wrong influence the music entertainment provides, greater restrictions
and guidelines should be set upon the
lyrics and the musicians. Adolescents are
at risk of potential harms if this situation
is not fully dealt with properly.
The Stress of Course Selections
Lorena Lopez ’09
The average student striving to do well
in his or her studies often feels besieged
when course selection time arrives.
“It is mind boggling on how many
electives, AP courses and honors classes
I have to choose from for my upcoming
junior year,” exclaimed Alyssa Tatakis, a
sophomore at Immaculate Heart Academy.
“It is very difficult for all of us to choose
what classes are right for us, I want challenging classes but I do not want to be
overwhelmed,” adds Hailey Barthel, also
a sophomore at Immaculate Heart.
Maria Antonucci, a high school mathematics teacher for about 27 years now
at North Bergen High School says, “It is
all up to the student how much work she
or he is willing to take on for the school
year, we as teachers are just here to guide
them towards the right direction.” Maria
Antonucci teaches an honors program for
Algebra I and teaches many other math
classes through the twelfth grade.
One of the first steps a student should
take for course selections is asking for
advice and opinions. Guidance counselors and teachers themselves are the best
people to go to for advice, not mom or
dad. “Because mom said so, is definetly,
100%, the wrong reason to take a certain
class in school,” stresses Antonucci “a
student should always consult a teacher
or guidance counselor if she is having
trouble choosing.”
Knowing yourself as a student is also
essential in course selections. If a student
comes to Antonucci for advice on how to
choose a course, Antonucci just simply
asks the student what she or he thinks is
best for him or her. “The student knows
what she or he is able to do, or for that
matter willing to do. I merely explain
what a class is like and the work expected
from the students and let them decide
what’s best.” Immaculate Heart Academy guidance counselor, Mary-Elizabeth
Fuhrman, also says if the student is willing to do the work, she should go for it.
The majority of high school students
want to make good impressions to colleges around the country. The courses a
student chooses is one of the ways a student can impress a university. “Colleges
like to see students taking a challenge,
I strongly encourage students to take a
challenge, but only if they are ready and
willing to take on the work,” states Peter
Arguetas, mathematics teacher at Paterson
High School.
“Talking to teachers, even upperclassmen, definetly helped me out a lot in
reducing the stress of picking my classes,”
said Kaitlin Barry a junior at Immaculata
High School in South Jersey. “I would
recommend definitely asking for help,
it’s the only way I got through it,” says
Stephanie Damilio a sophomore at Waldwick High school who also had a tough
time choosing her honors and AP courses
for the upcoming year.
Students all around have the same issues when it comes to choosing the right
classes for the upcoming year. Though we
IHA students may be done with course selection for this year, many students agree
that it does not get any easier.
Teachers, Guidance counselors, and
students themselves all concur that the
best solution is simply talking. Antonucci
also agrees, “Talking and asking questions of anyone around the school is the
only way a student will know what is right
for them, and knowing what is right is a
wonderful thing.”
Jacques Chirac is Not Coming Back
Sarah Mellea ’08
Jacques René Chirac, the 22nd president of the French Republic, has been the
president of France since 1995. However,
his term expires on May 17, 2007. On
March 11, 2007, Jacques Chirac inexplicably announced that he would not
choose to seek a third term as France’s
President. He stated, “Serving France,
and serving peace, is what I have committed my whole life to.”
He did say that he would find new
ways to serve France after leaving office.
Although he promises to aid France after
his termination, he did not give an exact
reason as to why he is leaving office.
Chirac did not give support to any of the
candidates running for the 2007 presi-
dential election. However, he did dedicate
several minutes to talking about radical
politics - a slightly disguised approach to
telling voters not to vote for Jean-Marie
Le Pen.
Jacques René Chirac completed his
education as L’Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris and L’École Nationale
d’Administration. He started his career
as a high-level social worker. As time
progressed, he eventually entered politics.
He was the 155th and 159th Prime Minister of France. He has also been labeled
Minister of Agriculture, Mayor of Paris,
and finally President of France.
In his time as president, he has been
able to lower tax rates, remove price con-
trols, induce strong punishment for crime
and terrorism, and encourage private
enterprises for businesses. He argued
for more socially accountable economic
policies, which include laissez-faire and
dirigiste ideas. After campaigning on a
platform for healing the social rift between economic classes in France, he was
elected for president in 1995.
Currently, he is the eldest member
of the G8. The G8 is an “international
forum” for the governments of Canada,
France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia,
England, and the United States. Together,
these eight countries represent about
65 percent of the world economy. G8’s
activities provide year-round meetings and
4
strategy research.
Although Jacques Chirac is not returning as ‘le president de France’ next
year, he has left an impact on French
culture. He is the source of a character
in an “Astérix” book. This book is of a
young public servant who just got out of a
bureaucratic school. The servant proposes methods to suppress Gallic unrest
to older Roman politicians. Jacques
Chirac was also featured in “Le Bêbête,” a
show about an overexcited, hyper character. Jacques Chirac is another favorite
character of “Les Guignols de l’Info,” a
satiric latex puppet show. “Les Wampas,”
a French punk band, wrote the local hit
“Chirac en Prison.”
Accents
Health and Technology
Mac vs. PC: Which is The Better Choice?
Krystal Green ’07
As the school year is drawing to a
close, the senior class is reaching that
point in time where they have to part
with what is old and familiar to them and
embark on a journey filled with wonderful new experiences – or in simple terms,
they begin to go computer shopping for
college. After spending the last four years
Photo by Victoria DeMarinis.
of our lives with our IBM ThinkPads, it is
time to look towards the future and invest
in a new computer for the college experience. In choosing a computer, most people
look for performance, some people look
for design, while others compare operating systems. The decade old discussion
of which operating system is better, the
Apple Mac or Microsoft Windows, may
arise when deciding what type of computer to buy. In truth, it all depends on what
exactly a computer user is looking for
The name of the Windows computer will
automatically appear in the Mac’s Finder,
and with just a click of the mouse files can
be shared back and forth between the two
computers. Mac PCs and Windows PCs
when buying a computer. The Mac was
always geared more for a visual person,
offering programs which catered to people
in the arts, designing industry, television
and movie industries, while Windows
worked for more industry and business
type jobs. Here is an attempt to lay out
the facts for the two operating systems,
as well as clear up any and all misunderstandings about both.
A common misconception that turns
people away from Mac PCs is that they
cannot use Microsoft Office. This is entirely false. A version of Microsoft Office
2004 was created specifically for the Mac
OS X which offers Word, PowerPoint, and
Excel. Although Microsoft Access and
Project are not a part of the package deal,
the basics are available and can be put to
use.
These programs can only be run on an
Intel-based Mac PC using parallel software which allows two operating systems
to be run simultaneously on a Mac, such
as Windows XP and Mac OS X at the
same time. In terms of other products, the
Mac is lacking due to the fact that there
simply are not many programs created
for it, but thankfully, if using the parallel software, the consumer could just buy
specific programs for Windows and use it
on his or her Mac.
Also, a person using a Mac PC can still
connect over a network with a Windows
PC that has its file sharing capabilities on.
Photo by Victoria DeMarinis.
are also capable of sharing printers over a
network.
When it comes to sharing discs with
each other, there is a bit of a problem. The
only types of CDs that both PCs can read
are ones which have the ISO 9660 crossplatform format. But if the particular Mac
PC has a SuperDrive, then a DVD-R can
be used to transfer data since Windows
PCs are capable of reading those as long
as a DVD-ROM drive is available.
Although the above is all true, Windows
has recently worked to bridge the gap
between the Mac and Windows operating
systems through their creation of Windows Vista. Many skeptics of Vista claim
that it is nothing more than Microsoft’s
attempt of copying what Apple has been
doing for years with their Mac PCs, when
in essence, it is only Microsoft’s attempt
of competing on a more balanced level
with Apple.
Keeping this in mind, there will not
be that much of a difference in whether
or not a person purchases a Mac or a
Windows computer since Windows Vista
will be the operating system on all new
computers anyway. But then again, the
operating system that a person wants can
also depend on the sense of ease that a
person wants when choosing computers.
One person could have Windows XP
and fight to upgrade to Vista and another
could just buy a completely new Windows
compatible PC, which already has Windows Vista on it. Another consumer could
very well just buy a Mac PC and then
install a parallel which allows Mac OS X,
as well as another operating system (either
Windows XP or Vista, for example) to run
along side it. The second option seems
like the best bet in that the consumer gets
a two for one deal!
So seniors, when going out to find that
perfect computer that will suit your needs,
keep this in mind and hopefully everything will work out. Happy hunting!
Stressed Out Families Render Children More Feverish
Dara LoBuono ’08
Just when one thought that stress
couldn’t possibly have anymore negative
side-effects, recent studies have revealed
that children in families with abundant
stress are more susceptible to feverish
illnesses.
People usually develop a fever when
their immune system is trying to battle off
an infection. A study by Dr. Mary Caserta
at the University of Rochester Medical
Center has found that children living in a
stressful household have not only shown
that they are susceptible to fevers, but
also have an increase in immune system
cells that offer a first line of defense
against infections.
The research team observed 169
children between the ages of 5 and 10.
They gave parents digital thermometers,
instructing them to record their children’s
temperatures and general health every
week. Parents also filled out surveys
Photo by Ms. Stephanie Abdallah stated that he
about stress
supports the
within their
theory and
family and
that stress is
any stressful
something
conditions
that cannot be
that their
avoided.
children
This was
might be
a surprise
exposed to.
to Caserta’s
Such condiresearch team
tions might
because these
be violence
natural killer
or financial
cells have a
distress. Dr.
tendency to
Shane Patent,
be weaker in
a pediatriadults who
cian, noted
are stressed
that “many
Tarah Wallace feeling stress.
out. Although
patients who are
shocking, it is quite an exciting discovery
stressed out abut sports tryouts or fambecause it opens doors for improving a
ily problems are most likely to come
child’s health.
to my office sick with a fever.” He also
Researchers found that when the parents’
stress level increased a unit, the general
illness rate among children increased 11
percent. It was also found that the rate
of illness with a fever increased by 36
percent.
Although the team has determined
the difference in the immune system of
adults and children, they are not sure why
this difference exists. One theorizes that
a child’s immune system is still developing. The next step is to determine what
the exact reason for the different immune
system is. They also aim to determine the
types of parental and family stresses that
can lead to an increase in illnesses. With
this, the researchers will then have clues
to design interventions that will lower
the stress level in the home and even
help families cope with stress. Once this
is accomplished, a better well-being of
children will be guaranteed.
Can We Prevent the Mini Y2K Scare?
Marilena Lisa ’10
This year, daylight savings time has
been changed on our calendars to try and
help save energy. The real problem has to
do with the fact that computers and consumer devices don’t know about this sudden change. If you have scheduled some
appointments from March 11th through the
first Sunday in April, you could potentially
be an hour off.
Experts say that this isn’t nearly as
major as the old Y2K scare, but there are
still a few minor concerns. “It’s a massive amount of work to get everything in
order,” said Kim Stevenson, vice president
of Electronic Data Systems. “And the donothing plan is a high-risk plan.” Technology executives refer to this daylight-time
shift as the “mini Y2K.” This term was
used because there was a fear that computers would go “haywire” as the millennium
was nearing. There were also supposed to
be many warnings, some of which include
planes falling from the sky and electronic
commerce coming to a screeching halt.
This Mini Y2K doesn’t only affect technology executives and other people who
work in the computer business.
Technology executives especially
warn people who use the program Microsoft Outlook. This program is used to
schedule dentist visits, soccer practices,
evening entertainment and other various
appointments. Using this program helps
make people’s schedules organized and up
to date. With the new Mini Y2K, people
have to become more cautious of the dates
and times on the date setting that was
initially installed in the program.
There are many ways in which to remedy this Mini Y2K scare. Just remember,
computers aren’t the only things that can
be affected by this. Other devices are your
cell phones, atomic clocks, DVD players,
TiVO and digital cameras; all items that
have a date setting.
In order to check for specific advice
for each individual device, see the manufacturers’ website. The Mini Y2K scare
can also influence the businesses that we
use, so be sure to check and save bank
deposits made during this period, particularly if there is a fee for a missing deadline. For all computer users, information is
available on the Microsoft daylight saving
time website. In order for your computer
to turn on automatic updates for the Mini
Y2K, visit your computer’s control panel.
Also, there are a few common sense
tips that you can use. Firstly, if you are
sending an email, remember to put the
5
time and date of your meeting in the body
or header of the email so you aren’t dependant on the system’s calendar.
Another tip to making the Mini Y2K
less stressful: you should check your
synchronized devices (like cell phone
calendars) to see whether one device has
overridden another and unintentionally
messed things up. An additional hint to
help ease this scare is to keep a printout
of calendars during this interval. This is
especially helpful for people who do a lot
of organizing through PCs.
Chief information officer at Capital
One, Gregor S. Bailar, suggested an option to the public that can help view the
Mini Y2K as a good thing. “What better
excuse to miss that boring budget meeting, at least for a month?”
Accents
Health and Technology
Determining the Value of A Discovery: New Testament Archaeology 101
Dara LoBuono ’08
Since the “Lost Tomb of Jesus” aired
on the Discovery Channel on March 4,
much debate has been in the air. Could Jesus’ remains really have been found? Was
Jesus married? Did he have a child? These
are only some of the questions that have
been floating in the air. But what about the
question of how one discovers just what
they have discovered? Some believe they
have found the lost tomb of Jesus, but
how do they arrive at this belief? Maybe
once this is understood, others can finally
understand the rest of the story.
The ossuaries discovered in the tomb
had inscriptions. To decode the meanings
of these inscriptions a little detective work
is required. First, it must be determined
what language corresponds to the epigraphs. This task is performed by actual
epigraphers. In the film, “The Lost Tomb
of Jesus,” one ossuary was inscribed in
Aramaic, saying Yeshua bar Yehosef.
The epigraphers then translated this into
English, decoding “Jesus Son of Joseph.”
gists. Could this really be the tomb of
Jesus and his family? They cannot stop
by simply accepting the names they have
decoded; they must go a step further.
After all, Mary, Jesus and Joseph
were all very common names during the
time that Jesus lived. As a result, statistical analysis must be conducted. Statistics
must be undergone to figure out what
the chances are for the hypothesis to be
proved true. In this case, it is trying to be
proved that Jesus’ family tomb has been
discovered. Although these names were
common, the odds of all 6 of them appearing in one tomb are 600 to 1.
Yet, any good “detective” would not
stop here. They would research more, look
for more proof. With the world of modern
science at our tips, the most logical step
would to perform DNA tests. The makers
of “The Lost Tomb of Jesus” profess that
one of the ossuaries could belong to Mary
Magdalene. How could they possibly
prove this? The next logical step would
Another epigraph stated in Aramaic script,
Maria, which in Latin is the Hebrew form
for “Miriam” or Mary.
Next, Jose was decoded which essentially means little Joseph and is found
in the New Testament to be the name of
one of Jesus’ brothers. Another ossuary
was inscribed with Yehuda bar Yeshua,
which decodes to “Judah Son of Jesus.” A
Matya was also found, which is decoded
to Matthew.
To relate this to the rest of the members of the tomb, the scholars think that
it is either Mathew the Evangelist or the
husband of one of the unmarked ossuaries that were in the tomb. Mariamene e
Mara was decoded to Mariamne, a similar
name found in the Acts of Philip. The film
believes that this could be Mary Magdalene, so they conducted a DNA test to
see if there is any relation between Jesus’
remains and the alleged Mary Magdalene.
Now that the names are decoded, many
thoughts run through minds of archaeolo-
be to take a DNA test to see the DNA of
Jesus and Mary Magdalene. This is done
through an analysis of mitochondrial
DNA. Because the DNA did not match
between Jesus and presumed Mary Magdalene, the film claims that the ossuary
very well could be Mary Magdalene and
implies that Jesus and Mary Magdalene
were married.
Yet, why wasn’t the investigation taken
further? Why didn’t the film reveal the
results of the rest of the DNA tests? Did
the answers not correspond to their belief?
Or did they simply not bother to conduct
further DNA testing? In any event, to
properly support a hypothesis, it would be
wise to compare the DNA of all 10 ossuaries found in the tomb.
Although there is some debate about
whether the Jesus’ ossuary has been
discovered, it is still fascinating in all
the work that goes into uncovering history and the mysteries that lay under the
earth’s surface.
MTV Lets Viewers Re-edit Shows
Color May Impact Test Performance
Kristina Gazivoda ’07
Stephanie Pavone ’07
for teenagers, Nicktropolis for children,
and Virtual Hills for young adults. MTV
officials predict more Websites can help
MTV delve deeper and promote individual shows and personalities. This is an
extremely risky move for Viacom since it
could just breed confusion and dilute corporate branding, especially for a company
whose Web strategy has been difficult to
discern. Even though there are many fears,
Viacom appears more aggressive than its
peers in freeing up its content lit by an
urgency to protect and grow its core youth
market.
In the
coming
months, the
organization plans
to open up
more of its
archives,
allowing
Internet
users to take
videos and
post them
on their own
sites and
also re-edit
some clips.
Photo by Victoria DeMarinis
In February, Viacom
MTV is ready to re-edit their web site and their shows to make viewers happier. appeared to
be making a
move
in
the
opposite
direction,
however,
hopes to entice its viewers by letting them
when
it
ordered
YouTube
to
pull
down
watch, contribute, and re-edit its television
more
than
100,000
clips
of
its
popular
shows.
shows that were uploaded by users withThe music channel was once synonyout
permission. Viacom has stated that by
mous with teenage culture but, due to
making
this move it has actually helped
popular social networks like Google Inc.’s
boost
traffic
to its own sites by 55 percent.
online video sharing site and YouTube,
The
company
still has left the door open
some viewers have been drawn away. The
to
deal
with
YouTube,
but, is offering its
network’s new strategy is part of an effort
shows
to
others
such
as
Joost. This is also
by Viacom to reach a wider audience that
an
online
video
service
that
uses the very
is spending as much time on the internet
technology
once
feared
by
media.
During
and video games as watching television,
this
time,
MTV
is
getting
its
house
into
and no longer care where or when the
shape
for
a
“transformative”
year,
when
programming is shown. Its aim is to build
Viacom will retool the entire organization
Websites related to every personality and
to capture more online advertising dollars.
aspect of its shows. Its hope is to catch
According to MSNBC, Viacom has said
viewers wherever they happen to be on
it expected to roughly double in revenue
the internet and on mobile phones. It has
to $500 million this year. with this new
already started by creating three virtual
online program.
worlds; already there is Laguna Beach
The same applies to taking an exam: when
Have you ever noticed the colors people
people are exposed to red, they are given
around you are wearing when you’re
the sense that the exam will dominate
taking a test? Well, if you haven’t, next
them in some way. Another idea is that
time you may want to take notice of who
red is often associated with mistakes and
you sit next to. If you are a fan of red,
failures; a classic example is teachers
this news may disturb you. A new study
found in the February issue of The Journal grading work in that harsh red ink.
To further investigate this study,
of Experimental Psychology: General
four
experiments
were conducted in high
shows that the color red has ‘influences
school
and
college.
Students were given
on behavior,’ and experts say it requires
tests
that
had
a
particular
element to it,
careful use because it may lower test
such
as
a
participant
number
found at
scores. In other words, watch out for the
the
top
of
each
test
page
and
each
had a
kid dressed in red on test day.
specific
color:
green,
red,
or
gray.
It was
According to this study, taking
found
that
in
the
times
when
red
was
used,
just a quick look at the slightest trace of
the color red can negatively affects your test
performance. In addition, the color red may
raise student test anxiety levels. Yes, this especially includes those
dreadful SATs! As if
you weren’t nervous
enough about doing
well on SATs, you now
have to consider diverting your attention
from those red hues.
Colors are linked to
different moods—blue
may evoke a sense of
tranquility and peace,
but, for many red
is connected with a
feeling of danger and
anxiety. Exposure to
red can also agitate
and “adrenalize”
people. Red is not bad
Photo by Victoria DeMarinis.
for all performances,
however. Research
Allissa Amodeo wears red to show her mood.
has shown that red outfits have
perforbeen advantageous for athletic
mance
was
negatively
affected.
Researchperformances, but unfortunately, it is not
ers state that these results show that
quite the same case for mental perfor“care must be taken in how red is used in
mances. Andrew J. Elliot, the lead study
achievement contexts and illustrate how
author and psychologist at the Univercolor can act as a subtle environmental
sity of Rochester claims, “Color clearly
cue that has important influences on behas aesthetic value, but it can also carry
havior.”
specific meaning and convey specific
So next time you do poorly on
information.” Elliot also explained that
a
test
or
get
low SAT scores, know that it
the main theory of study is that in a
may
not
be
entirely
your fault—you could
competitive situation, the more dominant
blame
it
on
the
kid
wearing
red.
ones will be the ones who display red.
Since the 1980s, MTV has been a
part of every teenager’s life. The original pioneer of ‘music television,’ MTV
has since become the home of many TV
shows popular with the teenage audience.
Now it is your chance to be a part of this
global music network. The owner of MTV
is pushing a risky new Web strategy to
win back young viewers from the recent
competing websites such as YouTube and
MySpace. MTV already has 150 Websites
in 162 countries and intends to build thousands more according to MSNBC. MTV
6
Accents
Health and Technology
Save the Turtles
Is Global Warming a Myth?
Jessica Scarpa ’09
Kelly McKee ’09
The media is devoting a huge amount
of attention to the so-called greenhouse
effect and global warming theory. Movies
such as An Inconvenient Truth and the
news media have really drawn attention to
the “global warming phenomenon.” This
theory may have some elements of truth,
however, many major scientists are now
seeing global warming as an exaggeration,
and claim that the increase in temperature
is natural. The earth undergoes shifts in
climate, cycles of temperature change,
as part of a normal, healthy process. This
conflict of ideas is creating a lot of contro-
In 2007, the sea turtle population has
reached an all-time low. The sea turtles
are a recently ‘endangered’ species,
meaning sea turtles around the world
are rapidly decreasing in number. Environmentalists have recognized that the
shelled species are in trouble, and some
are even taking it to the next step in aiding
to protect the turtles.
study.
The earth’s climate naturally goes
through cycles. During the 1970s, the
earth actually experienced global cooling.
Humans did not take significant steps to
stop it. Instead, the earth’s climate naturally worked itself out. Also, a number of
scientists are in agreement that the recent
increase in temperature has to do with
the sun’s heat, not the earth. According to
research by solar physicist Sami Solanki,
the sun has experienced a period of higher
than usual temperatures. Thus, human
activity may not be such a huge factor in
the warming
occurring right
now on planet
earth.
No one is
sure—scientists on both
sides of the
spectrum have
evidence to
support their claims. All we can do is
try to take care of our environment. If
environmental issues interest you, then
consider joining SAVE (Students Against
the Violation of the Earth), an IHA club
devoted to protecting wildlife. Also,
many clubs existing outside of school are
dedicated to preserving the health of our
planet. The Sierra Club publishes a magazine every month discussing environmental topics, and gives members the ability
to donate money to charitable organizations for protecting national parks and
endangered species, among other things.
Though we should be conscious of our
treatment of the environment, the assumption that we caused global warming
may perhaps be too hasty.
man behaviors, whether its endangerment
to their nesting area before their turtle
eggs or hatched, or in the actual marine
environment in which they live.
To many people’s surprise, the marine
environment also poses a very high threat
to seat turtles. Many natural occurrences
in the marine environment are causing this
dramatic decrease in turtles. Some of these
“Though we should be conscious of
our treatment of the environment,
the assumption that we caused global
warming may perhaps be too hasty.”
versy in our society.
There are certain politics behind
the global warming theory. Many scientists receive funding to prove that humans
are causing global warming. This has ties
to the agenda of the Democratic Party.
This is not necessarily wrong; however,
scientists who dissent are often barred
from sharing their views. When the UN
did a report on global warming, they only
interviewed scientists who were in agreement with the greenhouse effect/global
warming idea. Scientists who were in
any way skeptical about the theory were
not allowed to contribute. In addition,
many scientists are experiencing changes
of heart and are now suing the UN to get
their names removed from its official
Photo by Victoria DeMarinis
A sea turtle enjoying life in Cape May, New Jersey
Sea turtle
endangerment can be classified into two categories:
endangerment in their nesting environment, and endangerment in their marine
environment. Natural occurrences lead
to some of the harm that is endangering
the turtles in their nesting environment.
Hatchling mortality, predators, violent
storms, and natural beach erosion all contribute to the decline in the population.
Humans also play a factor in the decrease
in numbers. The turtle’s beach habitat is
disturbed by humans adding or removing sand and through beach cleaning, in
which large machines come in and dig,
destroying the nests and crushing the
eggs. Any interaction with humans or machinery can prevent females from laying
eggs. In addition, although there are laws
in the United States that strictly forbid
poaching and international trade for sea
turtle shells and meat, there are still many
places overseas where this is accepted.
Even here, many poachers are still getting
away with this egregious crime.
Another way humans are endangering
turtles is through catching them in fishing
US Prepares for Possible Iranian Attack
Sinead Casey ’09
The United States plans to develop an
anti-missile Shield in Europe. Although the
US welcomes approval from allies, the US
is not waiting for Europe’s green light and
will act on its own initiative.
The US wants to develop a radar system
in the Czech Republic and missile batteries in Poland as protection from what
Washington classifies as “rough states.” In
case of a missile launch by such a state as
Iran or North Korea, the US would have
the systems necessary to counter a missile
launch.
The US Missile Defense agency has
emphasized that the ten interceptor missiles based in Poland are to protect the US
and Europe from Iran, not Russia. (The
system is also in the wrong location to be a
direct threat to Russia.)
Last April, Iran, who is in disagreement
with the western power about its nuclear
program, confirmed that it had tested a
new generation of medium-range missile
featuring multiple warheads and radarevading technology. This news came as a
shock to an international community that
was already on edge.
European allies of the US fear that the
system will weaken ties with Russia, leading to multilateral tensions similar to those
of the Cold War. Germany is particularly
outspoken against the US’s plans, and
called for talks of a NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) anti-missile
shield for Europe. German officials were
disappointed that the US did not consult
Germany before going forward with its
ideas for the project.
A recent NATO study confirmed that it
would be both technically and financially
possible for Europe to build a similar
system of its own, although currently
no specific action is being taken by any
European states.
General Henry Obering, Director of
the US Missile Defense Agency, visited
Europe over the past month to engage in
talks with allies and gather data. In March
he clarified to a journalist that “This is
not something that is a unilateral action
where we just come out of the blue and
say ‘we’re going to do this’. We’ve been
talking about this for over a year. But we
do think that there’s a sense of urgency
behind what we see happening in Iran,
and we believe that it is time to further
those negotiations and discussions.” We
received approval to begin the discussions
with the Czech Republic and Poland just
these past several months.
Vice President Dick Cheney also sat
down with President Vaclav Klaus of the
Czech Republic in early March to discuss
the progress of project. If all goes well
with this program, the United States and
Europe will be taking the first steps to
protect themselves from whatever the
Iranians throw at us.
natural occurrences include:
diseases, parasites, and seagrass bed degradation. And,
as you may have already seen in one of
those ubiquitous Discovery Channel specials, turtles are the target of both marine
and airborne predators.
Now for the good news, there are a number of things we can do to help protect
these precious sea turtles. For starters,
people could simply reduce the amount of
plastic garbage they improperly dispose
of or start a beach cleanup group so that
no more plastic bags are confused for
sea turtle dinner. Another simple thing
everyone could do is reduce the amount
of chemicals used at home to ensure none
of that toxic waste gets into the water and
harms the sea turtles as well as all of the
other sea critters. If you are more serious
about saving the turtles, you could even
join Adopt-A-Turtle to support a local sea
turtle conservation.
Yousef Dizon, a sophomore at Hackensack High School, is a proud owner of
two beautiful baby turtles. “My turtles
may not be endangered sea turtles, but
they’re turtles nonetheless. I think what is
“The sea turtles are a recently ‘endangered’
species, meaning sea turtles around the
world are rapidly decreasing in number.”
lines and fishing nets. Not only do the
turtles become entangled in these nets,
but the nets also force the turtles to stay
underwater, which leads them to drown
slowly and painstakingly.
And, of course, the most common way
human beings harm the environment also
applies to turtles: pollution. Turtles could
be innocently thinking they are about to
eat a wonderful lunch or dinner, when
they eat a plastic bag which they mistake
for a delicious jellyfish. These poor turtles
are constantly being abused by many hu-
7
happening is absolutely horrible. We could
easily fix this problem if everyone was just
more conscience in the choices they make.
Turtles are the cutest animals out there.
It’d be such a disappointment to see them
become extinct!”
It’s a shame these beautiful sea turtles
are being harmed and more are being
killed day after day. We must not wait
until it’s too late and these one of a kind
animals are extinct for good. So spread
the word and be more conscience in your
every day life. Everyone can make a difference. Save the turtles!
Accents
Lose, Tone, Train, Perfect
Sports
Nicole Pantano and Corinne O’Neill ’10
If you read “Stallstreet” during the
month of January, then you know that one
of the top New Year’s resolutions for IHA
students was to get into shape. For some
students, this just means shedding some
extra pounds before prom, while others
are trying to lead a healthier life style
altogether. Then there are the student-athletes, who are training their bodies for a
specific sport. IHA students work out at
many different gyms in the surrounding
area, such as New York Sports Club, The
Odyssey, Jewish Community Center, and
local YMCAS.
We spoke with IHA junior Nicole
Vitrone, and she told us that she works out
almost every day at the Wyckoff YMCA.
She recently ended her short-course swim
season with the Hackensack team, Tide,
and now she works out at the gym instead
of swimming laps in a pool. Nicole stated,
“I believe that training within a gym environment not only improves my physical
aspect as a competitive athlete, but it also
improves my mentality as well. Pushing
myself in the gym to go that extra mile,
increasing to an extra rep, etc.—all conditions me mentally for the sport that I am
involved in.” J
Jackie Figueredo also is a member of
the Wyckoff YMCA. She participates in
the spin and yoga classes and says her
favorite part about the Wyckoff YMCA is
“the YMCA is really team friendly, and I
enjoy the team atmosphere that this facility has. I joined the Wyckoff Y because I
had heard other IHA girls talking about it
and how much they enjoyed working out
there.” In addition to Nicole and Jackie,
other IHA girls spend time at the gym;
while some work with personal trainers,
others prefer to take classes or work by
themselves.
I recently talked with Joe Cabibbo,
who is going on his third year as manager
and owner of Waldwick gym, The Odyssey. He told me all about what his gym
lose some of your belly weight, you can
do sit-ups for the rest of your life however
you will still have fat on your stomach.
This is because your ab-muscles are
underneath your belly fat. In order to lose
this excess weight, you
have to first lose the
fat (through nutrition)
in order to “show
off” your abs. I also
put cardio work last
because cardio will
help you lose weight,
however only weight
training will you shape
and tone your body.”
I asked Mr. Cabibbo
if he recommends
weights for girls, he
told me that of course
he does, however most
girls don’t use weights
because they are afraid
they will become
bulky. However, this is
not true because girls
don’t have the same
genetic make-up as
males. It is also a myth
that muscle turns to
fat if you stop workPhoto By Nicole Pantano
ing out. The truth is
that muscle will just
Nicole Vitrone getting fit on a treadmill at Wyckoff YMCA.
atrophy and become soft
has to offer, however he couldn’t stress
instead of hard.
enough that he believes nutrition is the
At the Odyssey, high school students
most important factor of losing weight
get either a four month membership or a
and getting into shape. He told me, “If I
full year membership. If they are a stucould put three things in order from most
dent-athlete they can “freeze” their year
important to least, they would be nutrimembership when they are playing their
tion, weights, and then cardio work. I say
sport and then “unfreeze” it when they
this because, for example, if you want to
are off-season. IHA students who play a
variety of sports, including softball, basketball, soccer, swimming, and cheerleading, come to The Odyssey to work with a
personal trainer. Mr. Cabibbo recommends
a personal trainer for teenagers, especially
if they do a sport. He also says that teenagers should look into massages. He told
me that massages are great stress relievers
and everyone should try and get one about
once a month.
One of the best parts about the Odyssey
gym is the different group classes. One
favorite among girls is the Zumba class,
which incorporates Latin dance and exercise to optimize each individual’s workout.
Mr. Cabibbo exclaimed to me, “The best
part about the class is that people can enjoy themselves and have fun, while at the
same time they are exercising and keeping
themselves healthy.”
Another wonderful class The Odyssey
offers is Pilates. For the Pilates class, The
Odyssey has a special machine called a
reformer, which is like a tanning bed on
rollers. You work with rings, weights, and
resistance bands to help lengthen your
body and work on your core. Other classes
that The Odyssey offers include step, taichi, yoga, kick boxing, and spin.
The Odyssey and the Wyckoff YMCA
are just two local gyms that offer excellent
classes, numerous different workout machines, equipment, and personal trainers to
help keep every IHA girl in shape. Whether you’re an athlete trying to keep in shape
during your off-season, or a student trying
to lead a healthier life style, exercising and
eating right are the most important things
you can do so stay healthy and fit. We all
want to live the healthiest life that we can.
We’re only a few months into the New
Year, so get out there and try a new class.
The Deal on College Basketball Betting
Christina Mitas ’09
The Super Bowl is a time when countless crazed football fans place a bet on a
team and hope Lady Luck is on their side.
Many might think that the Super Bowl is a
gambler’s highlight of the year, but really,
it is in mid-March that betting starts to
heat up. It is at this time that the college
basketball NCAA tournament begins. In
this tournament, 64 college teams compete
to become National Champion. However,
if they lose one game, they are taken out
of the running which makes competition
absolutely brutal and betting too tempting.
This year alone, over one million basketball fans signed up for March Madness
betting information online. On these sites,
there are the latest college basketball odds
which make picking the right team easier.
This tournament is called March Madness
for a reason. The competition is extreme
at the climax of the college basketball
season and players are out there to win or
else go home with nothing.
Only sixteen teams are selected from
each of the four geographical divisions
of the United States. They are “seeded,”
or, rated within a division from best to
worst from one to sixteen, and then the
teams are matched up to start the tournament. They have the best teams play
the worst to weed out the inferior teams.
That way, when it comes down to the two
teams who compete in each division it is
the best teams playing each other. The
winner from each division becomes one of
the Final Four to compete to become the
National Champion. All throughout this
tournament, fans are on the edge of their
seats because most of the time the scores
With increasing access to the internet
around the country, basketball fans are
more likely
to place
a bet or
two on a
good team.
Sports
betting
websites are
becoming
increasingly
popular
and these
websites
are making a huge
amount of
money. By
giving the
public odds
on college teams
Photo By Christina Mitas
March is the time to go cheer and bet on your favorite basketball team
“March Madness betting has become common
in an office environment where coworkers
enjoy a little competition, but it can easily turn
into more than just a hobby.”
are so close there’s no way to tell who’s
going to win. This is one aspect that
makes betting on the games so thrilling.
along with “betting specials” that give
you a good deal on placing bets for just
one game or maybe the entire season, they
8
make betting an even greater temptation.
Some sites even offer tips on betting on
the right team as well as stats on teams to
make tracking a team during the season
very easy.
These websites are great for adults
who are just enjoying the spirit of the
game but sometimes become an addiction,
not just for adults, but for teenagers as
well. March Madness betting has become
common in an office environment where
coworkers enjoy a little competition, but
it can easily turn into more than just a
hobby. The urge to make money or regain
it after it’s been lost is a great temptation
for both adults and teenagers.
Teenagers who do get involved in
sports betting are often very interested
in sports as a child and are looking for
a hobby that gets them involved. For
several high school students who start betting, they start off by simply making bets
among their friends for just a few dollars
when they are younger, but the amount
sometimes increases when they get jobs
and are able to place bigger bets.
Sophomore Megan Branagh thinks,
“Gambling is an addiction and to start it
at such a young age will cause future involvement that will get them into trouble.”
By the time they are eighteen and in college, students can legally gamble online
at any sports betting website and many
people take advantage of this. Getting
started gambling at such a young age fueled their desire to gamble online for big
stakes.
Accents
Sports Related Injuries are Widespread
Sports
Meaghan O’Neill ’08
Do you play a sport? Are you aggressive and driven to win? If the answer
is “yes” to these questions, then it is
probable that you have suffered a sportsrelated injury. All of us have dealt with
the pulled muscle, the sprained ankle, the
giant bruise, or even the broken finger, but
what about the major injuries: the injuries
that put your whole amateur sports career
in jeopardy. The infamous ACL tear, the
painful separation of the shoulder, and the
bothersome tendonitis are just a couple
of sports’ most painful injuries. These
are injuries that could make any athlete
cringe.
How many student-athletes here at
IHA. can you name who have torn their
ACL? Unfortunately, that number has
been growing recently. But, what exactly
is an ACL and why do so many female
athletes tear it? The “ACL” is the anterior
cruciate ligament. It keeps your knee in
joint along with three other important ligaments; the posterior cruciate ligament, the
medial ligament, and the lateral collateral
ligaments. Because the ACL is attached to
both the tibia and femur, it has many jobs.
The ACL controls the movement of the
tibia (shin bone) so that it does not slide
too far forward. Also, it assists in the
pivotal and rotational movements of the
knee joint. When the ACL tears, the knee
becomes unstable. Without the stability
given by the ACL, the knee joint is prone
Photo by Ms. Stephanie Abdallah.
Sports injuries are common among high school athletes and can be very serious.
to sliding around and eroding the cartilage
of the knee. This prevents athletes from
performing in high-intensity environments. In order to continue at their usual
level of competition, they need to make
the decision of whether or not they want
to undergo surgery in order to fix the problem. The ACL injury can be considered
one of the worst and most painful injuries
a female athlete can sustain; just ask your
fellow classmates.
Another painful injury caused by
sports-related events is the separation of
the shoulder. Three bones, the clavicle,
the scapula, and the humerus, converge
to form the shoulder joint. When the
clavicle and the scapula come together,
the shoulder is said to be separated. This
very painful injury is due to hard blows
to the shoulder caused by different sports.
There are six different types of shoulder
separations—each becoming progressively more complicated. Fortunately, type I
and II shoulder separations are the most
common and they do not need surgery to
repair them. Type IV, V, and VI almost always need surgery to reverse the damage.
The type that requires the “big decision”
Hockey Has a Tough Time Attracting Fans
Megan Garlasco ’08
on the football team because there are so
moment. With no set plays there are so
When Brendan Shanahan of the New
many. A football game is more of a social
many possibilities of what could happen
York Rangers was asked if hockey was
gathering with your
hard, he answered, “Is ice
Photo
Submitted
by
Alex
Melillo
friends. Most people go
hockey hard? I don’t know,
to hockey games if they
you tell me. We need to have
personally know one
the strength and power of a
of the players.” There
football player, the stamina
are many people who
of a marathon runner, and
think that they can only
the concentration of a brain
go watch a team play, if
surgeon. But, we need to
you know someone on
put all this together while
the team. This isn’t true!
moving at high speeds on
I have been to plenty
a cold and slippery surface
of high school games
while five other guys use
in my life where I have
clubs to try and kill us. Oh,
not known one player
yeah, did I mention that this
on the team, yet still
whole time we’re standing
had a great time rooting
on blades 1/8 of an inch
for whichever team I
thick. Is ice hockey hard?
wanted.
I don’t know, you tell me.
After talking to Liz CalNext question.”
lopy,
a junior at IHA, I
Hockey is one of the
Alex Melillo with friends cheering on their favorite hockey team
was
happy
to learn that
most difficult, physical, and exciting
others
felt
the
same
way
about
the lack of
games, yet has a hard time recruiting fans. when the players are on the ice. Whereas
hockey
fans.
“I
grew
up
around
hockey,
Football stops every 10 seconds and
Why do football games attract more fans
my
whole
family
plays
hockey.
I
think it
breaks for 40, hockey players skate hard
than hockey games? Do the girls here at
is
much
more
exciting
and
fast-moving
school even know that Don Bosco, Bergen for 40 seconds, get off the ice while the
than football. There isn’t a lot of down
play is still going on, sit for a minute,
Catholic, and St. Joes all have hockey
time like there is in football and it much
and then get back on before the play even
teams? Have girls from IHA ever been
more fun to watch,” she told me. With
stops!
to a hockey game before? Do the girls
New Jersey high school football being at
Unlike other sports, hockey keeps
even know what hockey is?! Okay well of
one of the most competitive levels, it’s
you thrilled and it is easy to become
course we all know what hockey is, but
no wonder why football games attract so
interested in. It is a game without a lot of
I’m sure there are many here who have
many fans. Although football is more
never even seen a game! Being a huge fan rules, which means less confusion for us
widely admired in the US, hockey is more
girls who sometimes don’t know what is
of hockey myself, I can tell you that it is
widely known around the world. Not only
going on during football games. So with
a great sport and is a lot of fun to watch.
does hockey have a World Cup, but it is
cute boys playing an exciting sport, why
What many people don’t know is how
doesn’t hockey have a huge following like also a major sport in the Winter Olympics.
hard hockey is and how little respect it
football? Confused by the lack of support, Football, on the other hand, is primarily
sometimes receives. Most people usuI decided to ask the students here at school played in the US.
ally stick with watching football games
With hockey going on during an enwhy watching a few hockey games aren’t
because they are more publicized. Unlike
tirely
different season than football, there
on their list of things to do. When talkfootball fields, hockey rinks are not situshould
be no excuses to not go to a game.
ing to Tena Elman, she told me that more
ated right next to the school, so many
Take
a
night
with your friends and go to
people go to football games because more
people forget about the sport.
the
ice
rink,
wear
a coat and gloves, and
people know football players. “Chances
Ice Hockey is a fast sport with no set
watch
an
exciting
hockey game!
are they probably know more of the guys
plays, which means there is never a dull
9
is type III. It is up to the patient and his
or her needs. Deciding whether or not to
have surgery can be considered one of the
hardest situations an athlete must face: it
can either make you or break you.
Another painful, often reoccurring
injury is tendonitis. Tendonitis can occur
in many different joints of the body due
to the constant and repetitive motion due
to stressful activities. It can occur in the
elbow, the shoulder, the knee, the ankle
or another joint in which there is overuse. Pain can be minor to severe and can
either occur during the activity or at rest.
Many athletes who overuse their joints
are prone to this disease. Constant icing
after practice, immobilizing after activity,
and the use of an anti-inflammatory are
all an athlete can rely on. By exercising
the affected area slowly and consistently,
the swelling and pain may subside. If the
pain is too severe for activity, a doctor
may inject the tendon with steroids to
ease the pain, otherwise, after a while, the
athlete becomes immune to the pain. As
a sufferer of tendonitis, I personally know
the pain that it can cause.
Although these are not the only injuries
one can sustain, they are very common in
the world of high school female athletics.
I hope you take away a little more knowledge about the severity and pain of these
common injuries. And remember…stay
strong and healthy!
A Couple Things to
Do to Get in Shape
Lauren Ferrari ’07
Wall Squats
Stand with your back against the wall.
Slowly bend your knees and slide your
back down the wall until your thighs are
parallel to the floor. Stay in that position
for 30 seconds. Then, slowly push with
the legs to return to the original position.
squats target the muscles of the hips, back,
abdomen and quadriceps. Repeat this 2 or
3 times.
Leg Lowerings
Lie down on your back. Lift up your legs
almost perpendicular to the floor, then lower them half-way to the floor. Keep them
in that position for a few seconds, then
lower them until they’re about to touch the
ground, but not quite. Keep them in this
position for a few seconds. Then lift them
up again and repeat.
Russian Sit-ups
Sit on the floor with your legs straight out
in front of you. Put your hands together.
You may hold a weight for greater resistance. Rotate your shoulders to the right
side, and touch the floor, then rotate your
shoulders all the way to the left side, and
touch the floor. Continue for about 20-30
times, each time consisting of a rotation to
the left and right.
Bicycles
Lie on the floor with your arms positioned
along the sides of your body. Pull your
ABs tightly inward and keeping your legs
fully extended raise them off the floor.
Keep the knees slightly bent and the lower
back pressed against the floor. As if you
were pedaling a bicycle, bring one knee
towards your chest while the other leg is
extended and return to starting position
while simultaneously pulling the other
knee to your chest. This is a continuous
movement.
Accents
Arts and Entertainment
The Truth about Gossip
Kelyn Bortz ’08
As IHA girls, we know better than
anyone what gossip is. Let’s put it this
way: If IHA had a magazine like People, it
would be sold out, without question, every
week. Let’s face it: teenage girls to drama
are like bees to honey. But does gossip
distract us from learning during school?
Can we get through each day without
caring who did what at a party or whose
boyfriend cheated with whom? Does being in an all-girls school decrease gossip
or enhance it? And does the media, the
commercials, the movies and the scandals
influence what we talk about in our lives?
We have all heard the saying, “If you
don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say
it all.” And I’m sure we’ve all used the
excuse, “Well, it’s the truth.” Both of
these phrases have one thing in common:
they both are used frequently in relation
to gossip. Gossip cannot be stopped, so
how do you dodge it during the school
day? One important step you can take is
not to go around telling everyone about
what you did that weekend and who you
did it with. People are interested in other
people’s lives; it is human nature, so keep
an eye on who is around when you are
telling your friends about your personal
life.
While wandering the halls of IHA, it is
easy to hear everyone talking about their
weekends; whether they spent it with a
boyfriend, at a party or with their family.
Being in an all-girls school does not seem
to slow the gossip down. According to
Maria David ’09, “I think co-ed schools
Photo by Kelyn Bortz.
Alyssa Baralle and Samantha Antonetti discuss the latest gossip.
someone wants the whole school to know
about something, they can announce it
over the intercom. If you know someone
is telling a friend something private or
something they do not want all over the
school, don’t go to the first person you see
and tell them every single detail about it.
Chances are you don’t have the full or real
story. And if you’re the one telling another
person, think twice about who you are
telling.
If they are well-known for spreading around confidential information, you
are better off confiding in a diary. Also,
parents, usually moms, are great listeners. Moms will be very open-minded and,
have more drama because in co-ed schools
girls are always fighting over the same
guy. In IHA, we have guys from all different schools to choose from.” This may be
true. But does all gossip revolve around
boys?
There have been many fights in these
aged hallways that are between the girls.
In classes, for instance, after tests we
always hear “_____ got a 95! She studies
too much, she needs a life.” Or “did you
hear that ____ was crying in class? She
just wants the attention.” There are many
crises in our lives that don’t involve boys.
The best thing we can do to eliminate the
nastiness is to keep our mouths shut. If
they’ll challenge you to do the right thing.
The media is another add-on that can
influence the way we function each day.
As I mentioned earlier, when Britney
shaved her head, it was the leading news
and everyone was running around going,
“Did you see what she did?!” We get a lot
of our beliefs and daily routines through
the media. We see everywhere everyone
else’s lives made public. Just like how
everyone in America knows about Justin
and Cameron’s split, everyone in IHA
will know about that one person who got
wasted that weekend and started dancing
on tabletops half naked.
IHA is like its own little world when
it comes to that. You wake up, you listen
to the radio and what happened over the
night, you go to school and hear what
happened to someone from your school
overnight, you go home and hear the
same thing you heard in the morning only
updated. Each day we walk into IHA
with the mindset that lives are made to
be publicized. We all hear people talking
about their own friends when normally
they would never say those things to each
other’s faces.
When it comes down to it, gossip will
never be totally eliminated. Being nosy is
part of human nature and I doubt that one
of us can say we’ve never talked about
anyone else. The point is to think before
you say something that you think you may
know is the truth. Wouldn’t you rather be
known for keeping secrets rather then the
one who sat and pointed at others all day?
Josh Groban: How is He So Popular?
Kaitlin Spillane ’07
In this day and age, it’s hard to find a
song on the radio that doesn’t include obscenities, references to drugs and sex, and
the glorification of promiscuous women.
From the popularity of these present day
songs, it seems like unless an artist is willing to format his or her music with this
sort of content, he or she will never make
it as an artist.
While everyone is entitled to enjoy
this kind of music—some people are
diehard fans of Z100, Hot 97, and Power
105—there are many successful artists
who choose to break away from the typical rap/hip-hop scene. Josh Groban is an
example of an artist and musician whose
relaxing, inspirational music has rocketed
him to fame, success, and the top of the
billboard charts.
Josh Groban started his musical career
early as a singer in the seventh grade.
Although he did take voice lessons and
attended arts camps, it was not until 1999
that Josh, almost accidentally, began to
break out onto the real music scene.
As a rehearsal singer working on several high-profile events, Josh was asked
to perform as a stand in for the renowned
Andrea Bocelli in a duet with Celine
Dion for the inauguration of Gray Davis
as governor of California. He attended
Carnegie Mellon University for one year,
and then left after only one year when
he was offered a recording contract with
Warner Brothers Records. The rest, for
Josh, is history.
In November 2001, at the age of
twenty, Josh Groban released his selftitled album. In one year, it went from
gold to double platinum—an amazing feat
for an album that contains a good amount
of songs that are not in the English lan-
guage. His second album, entitled Closer,
also reached the top of the charts with
the number one single “You Raise Me
Up.” Josh’s most recent album, Awake, is
already experiencing much success, and
the hit single “You Are Loved” is held
close to the hearts of IHA liturgical dance
lovers.
So what makes Josh Groban’s music
so popular? Senior Alana Brady, a Josh
Groban fan, says, “He has such a beautiful voice. I can’t help crying sometimes
when I listen to his music, and I even love
listening to the songs he sings in Italian
and Spanish.” I myself recently had the
opportunity to attend Josh’s March 12th
concert at Madison Square Garden in
New York City. Though I, too, am a fan
of Groban’s music, I was struck by the
singer’s amazing and powerful performance. Many artists are sometimes disap-
pointing live, but Josh’s voice sounded
just as good if not better than it did on his
albums. I was impressed by his ability to
play the drums and the piano as well as
his experimentation with different forms
of African music. He clearly knew how
to interact well with his audience, and the
concert was a very enjoyable experience.
At the young age of twenty-six, Josh
Groban is a millionaire who shows no sign
of losing popularity. His music inspires
and moves people without including
cursing or other rude references. Though
classical music of the sort Josh sings is
certainly not for everyone, his success is
a testament to the fact that one does not
have to be a loud-mouth, polarizing figure
in order to become popular and famous.
If you have talent, motivation, and a little
bit of luck, you can go far in the music
industry without sacrificing your integrity.
“gorgeousss <3”
Sinead Casey ’09, Hayley Downing ’09 and Ariel Gungil ’10
In your facebook network for Immaculate Heart Academy, you probably
have well over 100 friends. You’re a
regular myspace visitor, and whenever a
guy comes up who you’re unsure of the
first thing you do is check his page. After
a night out, the first thing you want to do
is upload you’re latest pictures and post
them. We’re teenage girls. This is what
we do. We take cute pictures, sometimes
a little ridiculous and create a facebook
album to post them in. it’s the time, it’s
society, whatever you want to call it but in
the fifteen seconds it takes to upload those
pictures do you ever consider who looks
at them? What does that picture say about
me? What am I implying by holding that
red cup? How about when you comment
your friend? It’s just a comment right,
its just something I’m saying to her, but
to deal with, are you ready to deal with
what about all of your
them?
friend’s other “friends”
The consewhat are they going
quences aren’t the
to think about your
first thing we think
comment. Can it be
of when we decidmisinterpret? Will that
ed what pictures to
post cause drama when
post. We first look
other people read it?
at our face to make
Photo by Victoria DeMarinis sure that our hair
When you get into
The welcoming page of facebook.com.
a “myspace war”
is good and our
could some use
smile is perfect,
your words as blackmail…or what about
than we consider the outfit and if that’s
that picture? And than there is always the
good and if you know the guys at BC will
serious consequences of our actions that
enjoy looking at it then we’re posting it!
no one really thinks of, the “oh that will
We post pictures online for fun, for atnever happen to me”, but the truth of the
tention, for the 75 people who comment
matter is that it’s our choice what we post
it saying “gorgeousss <3”, “HAHA what
online and the consequences are yours
are you doing? Funniest picture everrrr!”,
12
“umm love you”. We post because no
one wants a question mark as their icon
when they’re commenting their friends
and plus making facebook albums is the
easiest way to share pictures with friends.
Okay but first of all your picture icons
on myspace can be seen by anyone, even
if you are private. On Facebook anyone
in your network can see your profile. So
don’t worry about your hair, your smile
or the boys’ opinion. Worry about your
outfit. Is it too racy? What’s in the picture? If it something illegal or something
that gives away your location or specific
details about your life than DON’T POST
IT. That’s the easiest thing to do. Safety
should come before the boys, before your
friend’s opinion and before posting. Courtesy of ISS!
Accents
Arts and Entertainment
Easter Time Marks Media Controversy
Caroline Fulford ’09
Christianity is the world’s most widespread religion. At 2.1 billion adherents,
its influence can be felt in all corners of
the globe and is predominant on entire
continents. The Penitential season, running from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday, is considered the holiest time of the
year for all Christians. Why, then, would
the worldwide media, which touches every aspect of cultural life, especially here
in the United States, seem to be so bent
on creating controversy during this crucial
Christian season?
To put it nicely, the media and Hollywood seem to have a certain fascination
with Christianity, especially Catholicism.
Numerous episodes of Law & Order and
CSI have addressed religion. The shows
often center religious storylines around
gruesome murders or sordid affairs that
occur behind the seemingly ultra-conservative closed doors of the Catholic
Church. Serial killers confess their crimes
to a priest in Reconciliation, causing the
police to attempt to extract information
from the Church. In short, if a series desires to take on a new level of thought and
interest from its viewers, it often turns to
the “mysterious” practices of Christianity
for inspiration. These storylines are used
so often on crime shows now that they are
fast becoming cliché.
Many so-called “revealing” documentary films about Christianity have been released within recent years. Some include
Deliver Us from Evil, which tells the
story of a real-life pedophile priest, Oliver
O’Grady, and Jesus Camp, an observation of an Evangelist children’s summer
camp. Deliver Us from Evil questions the
Catholic Church’s initiative to stop sexual
abuse within the church and even outright
blames the Vatican for turning a blind
eye to cries of abuse. The film, directed
by Amy Berg, was very well-received
by critics, won Best Documentary at the
2006 Los Angeles Film Festival, and
earned a rare “100% Fresh” rating at the
movie review website RottenTomatoes.
com. As of March 10, 2007, Deliver Us
from Evil ranked third on Rotten Tomatoes’ list of the best reviewed movies of
all time. Jesus Camp is a study of religion
in America that “doesn’t come with any
prepackaged point of view” and attempts
to be “an honest and impartial depiction
of one faction of the evangelical Christian
community”, according to its distributors.
In the film, young children in the camp are
taught to “take back America for Christ”
and practice their “prophetic gifts”. Jesus
Camp was nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the 2007 Academy Awards.
Many Christians are most troubled by
the time of year producers choose to come
out with such films. A significant trend
is appearing; controversial Christianitythemed films and other forms of media
tend to premiere around the Easter season.
In 2006, the film version of the best sell-
In a society where the act of sexual
intercourse is performed as casually as a
friendly handshake, it should be of no surprise that a new generation has spawned
from this outbreak of loose sexuality.
While the act can still represent the intimacy and union between two people who
have chosen to commit their lives to one
another through holy matrimony, today
it has become less of a sacred bond and
more of a recreational activity. This cycle
of “hooking up” without moral obligations
or commitment has recently been subject
to scrutiny and happens to be the subject
matter of many books specifically written
to suit teenagers’ needs. One particular
book, Unhooked: How Young Women
Pursue Sex, Delay Love, and Lose at
Both, targets sexually active teenage girls
and attempts to open any eyes that may be
blind to the frightening consequences of
being a member of the turbulent hookup
culture.
Although the title may be a mouthful, author Laura Sessions Stepp has
no qualms about being blunt when she
and romance are postponed or seen as imdescribes the negative repercussions of
possible. Stepp concludes that while some
being a reckless, sexually active teengirls can handle sex without love, others
age girl. The book revolves around the
cannot. Tragically, many of these girls
daily lives of three
become part of a generahigh school and coltion that does not know the
lege-aged students,
meaning of a reciprocating
and draws from their
relationship.
own personal experiWhile it is obvious
ences in dating, love,
where Stepp, mother of
and sex. After talking
three, unflinchingly stands
with the young women
on the issue of hooking up,
on several occasions,
she is fair in that she does
Stepp came away with
not place all of the blame
the startling conclusion
for today’s whirlwind
that, because of the
of sexual activity on the
increasingly sexualized
newest teenage generaworld around them, the
tion. She is sympathetic
girls’ relationships with
towards those who feel lost
young men were messy,
in their unhealthy sexual
Photo by Kara Michelin.
non-committal, and
endeavors and wisely
not very gratifying. Stepp’s evaluation of teenage sexual activity is asks ‘where are young
as accurate as it is insightful.
Hooking up, in all of
women’s teachers?’ inits meanings, carries
stead of ‘what is wrong
no obligation on either side, and thus love
with the girls of today?’ Unhooked is not
Spring is finally here and as the last
flakes of snow melt off the ground in
even the coldest cities, so do those winter
layers. This spring, there’s something in
fashion that will suit everyone’s needs.
One of the biggest new trends of the
season is the playful dress. Dresses have
been hinting for a return of their own, and
now they’re here to stay. Most popular
through the winter were shirt-ish dresses
with leggings underneath. As spring
launches, look for these same above-theknee hemlines in dresses, but without
leggings. The most popular will be the
trapeze dress: a loose fitting mini dress
with an empire waist cut. “Mini-dresses
are definitely back,” says Lori Harris, employee at hip boutique, Ginger and Cream.
“What’s unusual is how style has changed
from being tight and fitted, to now baby
doll, loose fitting dresses. A lot of the
dresses we’re seeing have fun, colorful
patterns, a lot like the retro patterns of the
sixties.”
Are heals acceptable with these tiny
dresses? “Absolutely not,” says Harris
with a laugh. “Right now, flats are huge.
It doesn’t matter whether the shoes have
a rounded toe, a pointed toe, squared toe,
just the idea of a flat pair a shoes.” Harris
then adds, “We are seeing a lot of patent
leather, actually. Not only in shoes, actually, but in pocketbooks and belts as well.”
With the eighties comeback, be on the
look out for more delicate looking blouses. “I love these detailed blouses myself!
They really give a vibe of high fashion,
as well as femininity. These blouses will
especially be advertised in yellow,” adds
Harris.
ing novel The Da Vinci Code premiered
on May 19--Ash Wednesday. In many
early showings, protesters lined the streets
outside theaters and reviews of the movie
were mixed.
A new television documentary, The
Lost Tomb of Jesus, premiered on March
4 on the Discovery Channel. The special
focuses on the Talpiot Tomb in Israel and
claims that the ancient sanctuary is the
family tomb of Jesus and Mary. According to the documentary, the remains
contained in the tomb belong to those
of Mary, Jesus, and his theoretical wife,
children, and siblings. It was released
in conjunction with a book, The Jesus
Family Tomb. These ideas and supposed artifacts contradict many doctrines
essential to the Christian faith. In fact,
many of the ideas contained in both the
book and the television special can be
considered blasphemous to the Church. It
brings up issues such as the bodily ascension of Jesus Christ into heaven on Easter
Sunday, the physical ascension of Mary,
the celibacy of Jesus and the perpetual
virginity of Mary.
The important question, however, is
how the apparent hostility of the media
towards Christianity affects the faith
of Christians in America, specifically
Christian youth. Many practicing Christians fear the effect on young people of a
culture that questions religion and even
sometimes denies it. Young people may
Unhooking Up: No-Strings-Attached Sex
Kara Michelin ’08
Spring Fashion Has Sprung
Taryn Tonelli ’09
Yellow is the color of the season, according to People Magazine and In Style.
It’ll be everywhere from pumps, to mini
dresses, to Bermudas shorts. “They’re so
unexpected and fun, they kind of make
you laugh.” says Betony Toht of InStyle
magazine about dressing in yellow pumps.
To compliment these sophisticated
tops, throw on a pair of Bermuda shorts.
This includes mid-thigh length khakis, or
straight legged black dress pants. On the
other hand, a dressier shirt can be dressed
down with a pair of knee-length jeans.
Metallic accessories seem to be hot, as
well. This can include silver shoes, gold
clutches, anything that has a metallic
hue to it. Even if it’s just wearing a little
extra jewelry, metallic items allow shine
twenty-four hours a day! In jewelry, big,
bold rings are the way to go. Right now,
13
look at their faith differently and choose
to turn away from it as they are influenced
by the media. Historically, however, adversity has only made the church stronger.
Another possibility is that the media could
do nothing at all to affect the faith of modern Christians.
The issue is not as dire as it may seem
for Christian youth. As Kelsey Gatto,
an IHA sophomore said, “I think certain
forms of media do show prejudice against
Christianity. A lot of movies or TV shows
feature people mocking Christianity or the
idea of religion itself. Personally, it does
not shake my faith at all. [The producers]
are trying to reach a wide audience and
that includes people who are not religious.
If they choose to show a prejudice against
Christianity, they are most likely doing it
to aide the plot line or because that mindset suits a certain character, and that does
not personally affect the way that I feel
about my religion.”
While today’s youth have no choice
but to be constantly barraged by the
messages the media conveys to us, the
extent of its influence on one’s mind and
soul is purely one’s own decision. As we
grow older and more set in our beliefs,
it becomes harder for us to be easily
influenced or swayed by our peers or the
media. Although many see the American
media as a direct reflection of our culture,
in terms of Christianity, it all comes down
to true faith.
here to judge, and does not in any way
point the finger of shame in our direction.
But how do IHA girls feel about the
cultural shift in sexuality? Are we, as teenagers, explicitly responsible for the rise of
casual hooking up? “To be quite honest,
I think that there are more promiscuous
girls these days that are only feeding the
whole sex scene,” says Julie Kaczor, a
junior. “The media really promotes the
‘need’ for sex and we just buy right into
it.”
This, unfortunately, is the truth, and as
long as television, movies, and magazines
promote sex with the ‘freedom to unhook’
at any time, young women will continue
to jump into the “hooking up culture”
with reckless abandon. But Stepp’s words
should be taken to heart, and her evaluations mulled over: being intimate without
taking the time to build nonsexual intimacy can ruin future relationships and visions of self-worth. You can be a naturally
sexual individual without having to give
in to the destructive hook up culture.
Neiman Marcus is featuring both round
and oval shaped inch and a half stones.
The bigger and brighter the ring, the better
it is. As the sun stays out for longer, it’s
time to buy a seasonal pair of sunglass.
Owner of Sunglass Hut in Garden State
Plaza, Carol Caba, says, “It’s all about
color and bling right now. You’ll still see
the big, bug-eyed frames, but this time,
they’ll be gem encrusted glasses. And
red! Frames will be red this season.”
As the weather gets warmer, the
fashion industry is blossoming with tons
of fresh and exciting trends. “This is my
favorite time of the year!” says Harris,
ecstatic about spring fashion taking off.
“Spring gives us a new start, but more
importantly, another chance to max out
our credit cards and in return, feel glamorous.”
Accents
Arts and Entertainment
Do Talented Actors, Talented Singers?
The Fashionista Diaries
Lindsay Lohan, Eddie Murphy, Jamie Foxx, Beyonce, Madonna--what do these
people have in common? They all have been successful not only as actors, but also
as musicians and vocalists. Actors becoming singers and singers becoming actors has
recently become very common. The transition is sometimes subtle; an actor or actress
may choose to do low-key, underground music largely for his or her own enjoyment—
an example being Russell Crowe. At other times, however, the transition may be much
more visible, such as when an actor or actress sings on the soundtrack of a movie in
which they are featured. Are celebrities truly musically inclined? Or do they just want to
add another notch on their belt of stardom?
Most recently, 7th Heaven’s Beverly Mitchell released her first album entitled “Beverly Mitchell”. 7th Heaven has been running since before I, a high school senior, even
reached middle school. There is no doubt, however, that the once solid popular family
drama has gone passed its expiration date. 7th Heaven has basically put the Camden
family through every experience imaginable, and has been going through numerous
actors and actresses. Unfortunately for Mitchell, 7th Heaven is pretty much the only decent production she has been involved in, so it is not surprising to see that she is trying
to get her shoe in other areas of entertainment. But is country singing really for her?
In an interview with Belief.net, Mitchell states “I grew up with country music, so it
was the perfect fit because country music has always spoke to me. It’s music with a lot
of meaning, great stories, and great depth. And every great country song can be turned
into a movie, and being an actress, that definitely speaks to me.” Mitchell seems to truly
touch the hearts of religious fans and 7th Heaven fans alike, and this positive media attention can only help her B-list celebrity status.
Conversely, many singers have used their charisma to launch careers on the silver
screen. Madonna, who began her career 30 years ago, is the ultimate success story of a
singer turned Hollywood starlet. Her debut album, Madonna, which came out in the early 1980s, reached number eight on the U.S. albums chart and contained three successful
Hot 100 singles, “Holiday”, “Borderline”, and “Lucky Star”. This was only the beginning of Madonna’s skyrocketing musical career. Her famously controversial edge and
undeniable stage presence made her fit in ever so perfectly into the Hollywood world.
In 1990, Madonna received good reviews for her turn as Breathless Mahoney in Dick
Tracy. She also starred in the hugely successful movie A League of Their Own, a film
centered on a women’s baseball team during World War II that earned Madonna good
reviews. Madonna was most praised for her acting as Eva Perón in the film adaptation
of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Evita. In January 1997, she won a Golden Globe
Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for her role in Evita.
Beyonce Knowles is another prime example of a golden singer turned Hollywood actress. Starring as the constant lead in the R&B group Destiny’s Child, Beyonce’s amazing voice and tantalizing moves has always made her a popular artist. Unlike most who
baby-step into movies with bit parts and voice-overs, Beyoncé busted onto the scene as
the sassy and shimmering Foxxy Cleopatra Mike Meyers’ third spy spoof, Austin Powers in Goldmember. Now free of the chains of Destiny’s Child, Beyoncé’s solo career
is skyrocketing. She landed a role in the acclaimed Dream Girls, and shows no sign of
slowing down.
Mark Wahlberg, formerly known as “Marky Mark” spent his younger years (when
he wasn’t in jail) making music with Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch. His outrageous
physique made him extremely popular with the teenage girls and led him to become
Calvin Klein’s underwear spokesmodel. Through his years of singing, although he was
not taken very seriously, he made a name for himself as a definite player on the celebrity stage. He then segued into acting with his 1993 TV movie The Substitute. He later
went on to take decent roles in noteworthy films such as Boogie Nights, Three Kings,
The Perfect Storm, Four Brothers, The Italian Job and I Heart Huckabees. He is the
executive producer of the HBO hit Entourage. Most recently, he was nominated for an
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in The Departed. Mark Wahlberg is a perfect example of a star who came out of singing to become an extremely
successful actor.
Whether they have the talent or not, celebrities seem to have no qualms about dipping their feet in both the music and acting pond. As long as they continue to make millions in these industries, the trend of celebrity “dual careers” is sure to be one that lasts.
club that I couldn’t be a part because I
Check out the tabloids these days and
wasn’t cool enough to be a part of. I don’t
you’ll find the young and fresh faces of
really think of it as a club anymore…but
Lindsay Lohan, Hilary Duff, Mischa BarI do understand people’s style a lot more
ton, and Nicole Ritchie (this is not a new
and I do really
revelation).
understand my
So often are
own more.” Her
these young
modest nature
socialites
adds to her infiseen dining
nite list of rare
at the hottest
qualities found
spots in LA
in Hollywood.
and partying
Some memorable
at the hippest
images of Haclubs in New
thaway include
York City that
a canary yellow
it’s hard to
bubble dress
believe they’re
that she donned
also pursuing
for the premiere
acting careers.
of The Devil
For the past
Wears Prada, a
few years,
long, sequined
the media has
gown worn to
been bomthe premiere
barded by
of Brokeback
super skinny
Mountain, and
socialites that
most recently,
take on tempoa creamy white
rary positions
gown adorned
as goddesses
with a black bow
to the rest of
that was seen
the praising
Photo by Associated Press
at this year’s
world, driving
Anne Hathaway in The Devil Wears Prada.
Academy Awards.
away the genuHer comfort in her attire stems from her
ine talents in the business. But for just a
security in her self image, which was
moment, forget the recent trends of skull
apparent when she said, “I accepted long
printed scarves, oversized sunglasses, and
ago though that I’m a curvy girl and rather
skinny jeans. Anne Hathaway embodies
than saying that there’s nothing wrong
the real meaning of old Hollywood glamwith that I’ll just say that I’m a curvy girl.
our, while maintaining an effortless and
There’s nothing to justify.” If only the
humble air about her. It’s hard to believe
young starlets could be more influenced
that the same girl who played the dishevby real role models like Hathaway, the
eled and somewhat pathetic mess in the
movie The Princess Diaries would end up entire direction of Hollywood could be
revolutionized in an instant.
as one of Hollywood’s most fashionable
Hathaway has mastered so much
young celebrities. She has not given into
more than just fashion. Through the vast
the recent trends of stick thin figures and
spectrum of roles that she has taken on in
late night clubbing but instead has used
movies, from an experimental teenager in
her sophistication and elegance to prove
to the world that she’s not going anywhere Havoc to a naïve princess in The Princess
Diaries, she has certainly developed into
anytime soon. It was probably her role as
a graceful and refined young woman.
assistant to the fictitious Runway magaUnlike other celebs, it does not interest us
zine’s snarky editor, Miranda Priestley,
when Anne Hathaway goes grocery shopwhich really allowed Hathaway to burst
ping or when Anne Hathaway leaves a
onto the young Hollywood scene as the
restaurant to go clubbing. However, there
fashion icon that she has now become. In
is truly something to be said about someresponse to the great “wardrobe enhanceone who can maintain their true down to
ment” that her character, Andy, goes
earth nature in the midst of all the falsity
through in the movie, Hathaway said that
in the media.
she used to think that fashion “was a little
Fiona Gibney ’07
Lexie Toorock ’07
American Idol Runners-Up Surpass Winners
Emily Pandise ’10
When people think of American Idol
contestants, they don’t just think of the
winners, but the runners-up as well.
In many cases, the winners were great
singers and performers, but their popularity didn’t last for long after their debut
singles. Post-season two, Ruben Studdard released a two-track CD after his
American Idol win, but shortly thereafter
seemed to fall off the face of the earth.
The second place winner, Clay Aiken,
however, remained a star. Aiken’s first album, Measure of a Man, was number one
on the Billboard 200 list in October 2003,
selling roughly 613, 000 copies in its first
week. Season three runner-up Diana DeGarmo, who came in second to Fantasia
Barrino, briefly starred as Penny in Hairspray, one of the most popular musicals
on Broadway. In the most recent season,
runner-up Katharine McPhee, who lost to
“soul patrol” Taylor Hicks, has also been
doing extremely well. Her self-titled debut
album, which was released at the end of
January, hit number two on the Billboard
100 charts
shortly
after its
release.
Both
Aiken and
McPhee
have
surpassed
the actual winners from their seasons of
Idol in album sales. Why is it that these
runners-up are more popular than the winners?
Corinne O’Neill tells Accents how
she feels about it. “America gets things
wrong. Especially things like American
Idol. And to think about it technically, the
runners-up have more freedom in choosing their careers, because they’re not tied
down by the one-year contract that comes
with [the first place] win,” the IHA freshman says. But she also thinks America
gets things right - some
of the time. “Carrie
Underwood was my
favorite of all the Idol
winners and runnerups,” she adds.
Anna Gioni also
gave her two cents on
the matter. “Maybe
they have more drive to beat the winner
in record sales, because they were beat
[on the show],” she says. “Maybe they’re
more inspired to do better.” As for whom
IHA girls favor, Accents polled freshman
girls who have been watching Idol since
season one -- the year superstar Kelly
Clarkson won.
When polled, eighty percent of the
girls chose Kelly Clarkson as their favor-
“America gets things
wrong. Especially things
like American Idol.”
14
ite of the past five winners and twenty percent chose Carrie Underwood. A Mahwah
High freshman, who prefers to remain
unnamed, claims that Kelly Clarkson and
Carrie Underwood were the only rightful American Idol winners, and the other
winners didn’t win a singing competition
- they won a popularity contest.
As for second place winners, three of
the past contestants still have fans. Bo
Bice, who lost to Underwood in season
four, won twenty percent of the vote.
Diana DeGarmo, who lost to Fantasia
Barrino in season three, and Katharine
McPhee both held 40% of the votes.
Overall, though, the girls said their
favorites as a group were definitely the
runners-up, and record sales seem to agree
with them. Until this year’s vote, however,
viewers (and voters) can only keep watching and rooting for this season’s favorites
on American Idol.
Accents
Fun Page
Horoscopes
Aries March 21-April 19
You can handle any social situations easily today -- you are a real charmer! You’ll
save yourself much hassle if you insist on
sitting down and taking care of the pesky
details. It’s time to figure out who’s paid
what bill and whose turn it is to walk the
dog. Love is built upon such bagatelles.
Taurus April 20- May 20
Large group situations are to be avoided
today -- conflict is in the air. Pussyfooting
around the topic will get you nowhere and
confuse the people you’re talking to. Why
fool around when you know exactly what
you want? The stars give you the guts to
go for it today.
Gemini May 21-June 21
Do you have a hidden agenda? If so, you
should stop hiding it. Others can help
you.Unlike most people, you understand
that the end of something also means the
beginning of a new chapter. Starting over
is right up your alley. If you’ve learned
your lessons from the past, your future is
bright.
Cancer June 22-July 22
Avoid self-criticism today. Spend time
nurturing and appreciating yourself. The
difficulties between you and a loved
one dissolve in a wave of fun that arises
spontaneously between you two. Ride this
out for a while. Laughter isn’t just the best
medicine; it makes a great Band-Aid, too.
Leo July 23-August 22
Miscommunication is a potential problem
today -- try to be clear and concise.Money
matters are touchy subjects, especially if
you have had a more laissez-faire attitude
toward cash in the past. Now’s a good
time to start working on your attitude
toward money and how you handle it -- or
don’t.
Virgo August 23-September 22
You want to rush ahead in a project, but
you can’t -- this must be a group decision.
Yes, you know what you want, but that
doesn’t necessarily mean everyone else
wants the same thing. (Hard to believe,
but true.) Nix the royal attitude, and you’ll
find the situation gets much easier.
Libra September 22- October 22
Being grateful for the beauty in your life
will invite more beauty into your life.
You’re even more persuasive than usual
(and that’s saying something). Someone
important or close to you is willing to be
persuaded into almost anything. Explore
all your options right now.
Scorpio October 23- November 21
Be mindful of the impression your words
are making today. Be tactful. A tempting
offer crosses your path. Your immediate
reaction is to take it. Being hasty could
get you in hot water. It’s funny, that old
adage: You might get what you wish for.
Think this one through.
Sagittarius November 22 - December
21
Your self-confidence will grow if you put
yourself in more-challenging situations.
The little touches keep your day-to-day
routine lively; those details add lots of
quality of life. Be creative. Treat yourself
with kindness. Why not get a massage or
take an impromptu trip?
Capricorn December 22 - January 19
If a fretting friend is driving you nuts,
distract him or her with a fun outing.
It’s the little things in life that really count.
Create your own details: text message an
affectionate word or two to a loved one
during that dull meeting or jazz up your
place with some off-the-wall decor during
a craft night get-together.
Aquarius January 20 - February 18
Don’t be nervous about unsolicited invitations you receive today. Accept them.
A fresh burst of energy inspires you to put
the past to rest and get on with the new.
Take advantage of this rejuvenating attitude. It’s a great time to shake up the staid
parts of your life that need a little pizzazz.
Pisces February 19 - March 20
Slow down when you’re speaking today
-- think before you open your mouth.
You’re ready to leave the harbor, and
lucky for you, the stars have given you
fair winds and calm seas. All this forward
motion is even easier when you leave unnecessary baggage behind. So get to it.
Sources of N.J. Pride
You watched “Mallrats” and said “I’ve been to that mall!”
At least half the people you knew in high school went to Rutgers.
You know where Jimmy Hoffa is buried.
Your big class trip in elementary school was to Morristown.
You long for the days when the Devils wore Christmas colors.
You know that the only people that call it “Joisey” are from New York.
You’ve planned a local trip around ensuring you pass at least one Dunkin’ Donuts.
You don’t think of citrus when people mention “The Oranges”
You know that it’s called “Great Adventure”... not “Six Flags.”
You know that there are bakeries which are not part of a supermarket, but actual individual stores.
You’ve ordered a “hard roll with butter” for breakfast.
At least three people in your family still love Bruce Springsteen.
You don’t have to go to Red Lobster to get fresh seafood.
You once said, “It smells like New York in here,”
You can go bowling at 1:30 A.M. (with automatic scoring)!
In high school, you worked at a Friendly’s.
The Garden State Parkway doesn’t freak you out at night.
You know what a “jug handle” is.
You have mandatory recycling. Enforced by law.
You’ve eaten a pork roll and cheese on a hard roll...and like it.
You’ve pondered, “Maybe basketball would be more popular in NJ if the Nets didn’t
blow,”
You say “water” weird. (Wadder, Cawfee, Dowg, wadever)
Even your school made good Italian subs.
You’ve lived through hurricanes, nor’easters and fires, but have never seen a tornado or
earthquake.
You can’t believe MTV went to Seaside Heights.
You know that ACME is an actual store, not just a Warner Bros. creation.
You only go to New York City for day trips.
You’ve run out of money on the Parkway.
You’re Italian.
You know where to get the best bagel.
There are no self serve gas stations and you like it that way.
You know how to successfully handle a traffic circle.
The Jets/Giants game has started fights at your school.
Your car is covered with yellow-green dust in April and May
You can’t understand why there aren’t more 24-hr diners elsewhere in the county
You live within 45 minutes of at least three different malls
You’ve seen or been in a fight between a Rangers fan and a Devils fan
You’re related to someone who thinks the New York Jets should be called the New
Jersey Jets
You have at least one friend who drives a truck
You’ve been camping
You’ve been in a town or city where Spanish is spoken more than English
You’ve purchased fireworks in Chinatown
You liked the Jets even before this season
You know where to get a freshly cooked Taylor Ham, Egg and Cheese sandwich at 2
a.m.
At some time you got on the wrong highway trying to get out of Willowbrook mall
Z-100 used to be your favorite radio station
Anything less than three inches of snow ain’t anything .
You think people from South Jersey talk funny
You’re radioactive and proud of it.
www. funnylists.net
Sudokus
Fill in the blank squares so that each row, each column and each 3-by-3 block contain all of the digits 1 thru 9.
15
Accents
A Chew of Truth
Opinions
Sinead Casey ’09
The Immaculate Heart Academy handbook states, “Students are not permitted
to chew gum in the school building at any
time.” However, I believe that this rule is
ridiculous. It is scientifically contradictory, not to mention hypocritical.
UK psychologists have discovered that
“people who chewed [gum] throughout
tests of both long-term and short-term
memory produced significantly better
scores than people who did not.” When
students at IHA are tested on the elements
of 18th century poetry, or the events
leading up to the signing of the Declaration of Independence, wouldn’t it be quite
helpful to listen to these studies and allow
students to chew a piece of gum?
Why wouldn’t teachers allow us to
do something that would produce better
tests scores? If it is scientifically proven
that gum chewing will help students
to remember Abraham’s family tree or
properly imply Charles’s Law, then by
allowing IHA girls to chew gum during
memorization tests, students would produce higher grades.
Since as early as 1939, scientific studies have shown how chewing reduces
muscular tension and helps people feel
more at ease, in short, chewing gum also
helps people to relax. IHA Sophomore
Hayley Downing supports this claim,
“For me, chewing gum is away for me to
relive stress, when I am a presented with a
project I take my stress out on my gum.”
Perhaps if students were allowed to chew
gum at school, IHA girls wouldn’t be so
anxious while taking tests, quizzes, or
completing class work in general.
99% of truck drivers find that chewing
gum helps them stay alert at the wheel.
keep IHA girls’ teeth healthy and prevent
Chewing gum is so well-recognized for
them from decaying. Doesn’t the adminishelping people stay alert and at the same
tration want to see IHA students’ beautiful
time easing tension that the U.S. Armed
smiles?
Forces has supplied gum to its soldiers
Here at Immaculate Heart, responsibilever since World War I. One theory behind
ity is important.
this is
Responsibility is
Photo by Victoria DeMarinis
that the
seen as a fundaaction of
mental aspect of
chewing
IHA life, but that
stimuonly seems to
lates a
be true somepart of
times. Students
the brain
are responsible
called
to choose and
the hypractice their
pothalaown faith. Stumus,
dents enroll in
which
One of the many types of chewing gums we IHA girls enjoy (of
Driver Ed their
releases
course otuside of school).
sophomore year
hormones
so
they
can become
that serve
responsible
drivto keep
ers.
Students
are
people
responsible
to
prealert.
pare
for
their
SATs
Along
their junior year
with
and students are
increasing
responsible enough
memory
to leave IHA and go
retention
off to top tier uniby at least
versities. Students
37% and
are responsible to
keeping
Photo
by
Victoria
DeMarinis
study for their own
students at
tests and complete
ease and
Another
kind
of
gum,
most
fruity
than
Stride.
their work.
alert, the
Through
school of
their
measures
of
responsibility,
IHA has
Dental Science at the University of Melbecome
the
Blue
Ribbon
School
of Excelbourne in Australia conducted studies that
lence
it
is
today.
However,
IHA
does
not
show, “Chewing sucrose-free gum after
have
the
confidence
to
trust
their
students
meals provided a positive anti-cavities
with the responsibility to chew a piece of
effect.” So chewing gum after lunch will
gum and throw it in the garbage can when
they are through.
This preposterous no chewing gum rule
exists on the basis that the IHA faculty
is concerned about G.U.D (Gum Under
Desks); at least, that would be the only
logical reasoning for such a rule. The
G.U.D factor is a reasonable argument
to support such a rule, but remember
how responsible IHA students are. The
responsible students of Immaculate Heart
Academy should not have to sacrifice their
gum-chewing privileges and the scientifically proven benefits that come with gum
chewing at school all because of a G.U.D
fundamentalist.
There are other ways to prevent G.U.D
incidents without sacrificing responsible
students’ right to chew gum. Perhaps IHA
should change their policy on gum chewing; permit chewing and solve the G.U.D
problem by punishing G.U.D placers with
a more serious charge such as destruction of school property. People may be
surprised to find that G.U.D. incidents
were never an issue after all. Kristy
Walsh, a sophomore at Tappan Zee High
School, where gum chewing is allowed,
claims, “Destruction of school property
isn’t really a problem at my school. Kids
don’t really put gum under desks; it’s really elementary and gross and most kids
feel it’s easier to just throw out their gum
than get in trouble.” The chewing of gum
is said to be the world’s most common
habit, with about 100,000 tons of gum
being consumed every year. Chewing gum
is probably the most often defied rule at
IHA. A rule which is unnecessary to exist
because chewing gum can only help IHA
students; and that’s a chew of truth!
Have American Security Measures Made Us a Safer Nation?
Krystle Chen ’08
The United States has previously
encountered several issues that have
posed a threat against the security of the
nation. From the Civil War to Communism, throughout history there has always
been a problem in which the United
States’ government has taken some form
of action. Currently, the United States is
fighting a war; not against a country or
a political group, but instead against the
protect our nation. But have we done
enough?
Currently in airports, anything containing liquid or gel, such as makeup, water
bottles, or any types of beverage, is not
allowed to be carried onto a plane Heavy
metal screening of each passenger is done
terrorists and has helped the government
detect terrorist cells and plots. However,
the War on Terror itself does not make the
United States a safer from terrorism; it
actually creates more of a risk.
Even though the September 11 attacks
have truly caused the United States to
“wake up and smell the coffee,” or imple-
Photos by Victoria DeMarinis.
Deodorant is also no longer allowed on airplanes, due to the government trying to make
our country more safe.
Under new airline guide rules, make up is no
longer allowed as carry-on on airplanes.
abstract concept of terrorism.
Since September 11, 2001, the United
States has been involved in an ongoing
war against terrorism. After the attacks,
the United States passed the Patriot Act,
tightened airport security, and engaged
in the War in Iraq, which is also known
as the War against Terror, in an effort to
to ensure that no passenger is carrying
weapons or bombs. In day to day life
under the Patriot Act, the United States
can monitor and intercept e-mail, tap
phones and the Internet, as well as allow
the Secretary of State to label any foreign
group as terrorist organizations and deport
any suspected terrorists.
Despite being highly controversial, the
Patriot Act signed on March 9, 2006 has
been important in searching for suspected
Water bottles are also no longer allowed on
airplanes, due to the threats of terroist attacks.
ment tighter security measures engaging
in war with Iraq, the nation has not been
made safer, but actually weaker. Since
more troops are being sent abroad, there
are not as many soldiers here to take care
14
of domestic problems. With the attacks
on September 11, the United States realized that, although it may be one of the
superpowers of the world, it is still open
to terrorist attacks.
This is the wake-up call to take more
measures against terrorism. However,
fighting a war in one country does not
solve the problem since terrorism is a
broadly international term. Terrorists are
not limited to Muslim people, but could be
anyone with a malicious intent to destroy
human life. The United States is taking
measures to fight against terrorism, but at
the same time is making itself vulnerable
to terrorist attacks by sending more troops
around the world to fight the global war
on terror.
As for promoting peace in other nations, the United States’ government is not
doing much. With alleged stories about
“soft torture,” the United States is instead
violating the Geneva Convention. An
example of such a violation is the stories
of torture that are going on at Guantanamo Bay where three people committed
suicide.
Similarly, the war in Iraq has not
advocated peace but initiated political instability. With the mounting violence, Iraq
is on the brink of a civil war. Besides Iraq,
Sudan is in great need of help. However,
it is being highly ignored as the attention
is leaning toward the War in Iraq. Instead
of the government, private organizations
such as Amnesty International and Global
Exchange Peace Campaign are working
towards making and promoting peace in
other nations.
Accents
Opinions
Are Biases Learned at a Young Age?
Kathleen McCaffrey ’08
“Sticks and stones may break my
bones, but words will never hurt me.”
This childhood rhyme is far from true,
and there has recently been much chatter
surrounding the issue. The problem came
to light several months ago, when actor
Michael Richards burst into a racial tirade
at a comedy show. More recently, radio
host Don Imus was fired from his job due
to racially insensitive comments about the
Rutgers women’s basketball team.
These incidents launched controversy
in communities of all colors as to how
we, as a nation, should combat against
the traces of racism left in our country’s
system. We cannot teach some people
how to be understanding, and we cannot
suppress freedom of speech; however,
in outlets like the media and other forms
of entertainment, we should be able to
regulate and diminish the appearance of
derogatory racial terms whenever possible
as a society.
The first amendment is sacrosanct. In
no way or form should the freedom of
speech ever be stripped from an American
citizen. It is what gives us our greatest
forms of expression, protest, entertainment, and the freedom to think as we
please. To put a fine on a word, or to
have a rule against it, would be unconstitutional. If we were to start banning the
“n”-word, or any racial slur, what is to
stop communities from banning any other
word they hate? It would be absolute
pandemonium, and impossible to control.
If record or movie companies choose to
produce art with racial slurs, it’s their
right to – just as it is their right to produce
information about the history of struggles
wholesome, family-oriented work.
of each group or race, people will learn to
Self expression is a right of all Amerirespect each culture more willingly. The
can citigoal of
zens and
diminif one
ishing
person
racism
or group
isn’t to
chooses
mold
to
the
produce
Amerioffensive
can
content
public
and the
into one
Amerigiant
can
race
public
Photo by Victoria DeMarinis and to
strongly
weaken
dispride
The differences that makes these boys unique, may also set
agrees, then the
them up to be victims of bias.
within groups,
people should
but rather to
take it upon themselves to boycott the
highlight each one’s spectacular qualities,
albums or movies they disagree with. This and to learn to understand them. Ignorance
will not yield a profit for the group and,
is a threat to Americans achieving underin turn, will both send a message that we
standing with one another, and through
do not condone it as a nation and will not
education, it will hopefully subside.
give them the funding for another producThere is no excuse for bias crimes extion.
isting in America. The fact that one AmerPerceptions of other cultures and biases ican could have such a lack of respect
are developed at an early age. Since there
for another undermines the unity that we
is such a strong feeling towards diminpreach and need to sustain a stable social
ishing racial discrimination, the public
society. All Americans have the right to
education system should take it upon itself believe whatever they wish about a difto educate children about racial tolerance.
ferent culture, but acting out on disdain is
The issue of equality between both races
entirely unacceptable. Excessive verbal
and sexes should be stressed so that peoand physical harassment are both offenses
ple grow up with either a non-existent, or
that don’t have a sentence that is equal to
a dulled sense of bias. Perhaps with more
the seriousness of their crimes. Belittling
someone for a reason that they cannot
help or choose is a disgusting thing to do
to a human being. We don’t ask to be born
our respective race, creed, or sex, and we
should not be punished or favored for it.
By trying these cases harder in court, and
giving them longer sentences, the court
system will show that we as a culture do
not accept these crimes. By showing that
we do not accept these crimes, the inequitable in our society will think twice before
spewing out a slur offensive to any of the
300 million people in our country who are
protected by the law.
We cannot create change unless we
truly want it. The aftermath and reaction
to what both Michael Richards and Don
Imus said is great evidence to the fact
that the majority of America is intolerant
of racism. However, even though many
disagree to what both these men have said
and are disgusted by their actions, the
last thing we should do is to strip these
people of their rights to say how they feel.
Instead, we should address the problem of
racism as a united society. Ignorance is the
core of all racism and through knowledge,
this ignorance will subside. By putting a
harsher sentence on bias crimes, our legal
system can show that we do not tolerate any action that will further separate
our objective of becoming a truly united
America. Nobody in the United States of
America deserves to be attacked for their
differences, for our country has grown to
be a world superpower through the assimilation and representation of every single
culture in the world.
Media Approaches Global Warming
Liz Coda ’09
Global warming has been a topic for
debate for quite some time now. The
idea that all the energy human beings are
using and the waste they are producing is
increasing the planet’s climate is a prevalent theme in politics, the media, and even
in everyday conversation. A myriad of
views and opinions have been voiced on
the matter, and people just can’t seem to
come to a universal conclusion about it.
In the last few years, two very different movies have been produced that focus
on this topic – An Inconvenient Truth and
The Day After Tomorrow. The latter obviously was not very realistic; yet if you
didn’t spend the entire time gawking over
Jake Gyllenhaal, you would have noticed
the startling scientific possibilities it portrayed. A storm that puts half the country
in that kind of a dire weather predicament
is not as unreal as it appears.
Hollywood certainly over-exaggerated
the situation, yet the fundamental issue
and the possible long-term consequences
it could have on life and our planet are not
much different from the issues and threats
this movie addressed. Early in the film,
Dennis Quaid’s character says that it is
our children and grandchildren that will
suffer the effects of the rapid global climate changes. Even though the characters
in the movie face the trauma themselves,
his proposal that future generations could
be at risk holds true in reality. It may
seem as if nothing is wrong now, yet if
human beings continue to create so much
air pollution, the planet could potentially
be in grave danger.
In his Academy Award-winning documentary, Al Gore takes a bit of a more realistic approach to this world-wide issue.
While his arguments are all based on sci-
Photos by Victoria DeMarinis.
Many movies are being made about the problems of global warming.
The polar bear is one animal that is feeling the effects of climate change.
15
entific research,
study, and fact,
there are more
similarities between these two
films than one
might think. At
one point in An
Inconvenient
Truth, Gore
narrates that
there has been
seasonal melting in the past in
Greenland and
is now getting
worse. From
1992 to 2005, the amount of melting ice
on Greenland has more than doubled. If
this continues, it is projected that sea level
globally will rise up to twenty feet.
This would effectively destroy almost
all coastal and lowland areas all over
the world, killing or displacing nearly a
hundred million people. The amount of
sea water that would cover these areas can
be precisely scientifically measured, and
it is predicted that Manhattan would be
covered in ocean water from the southern-most tip up to the World Trade Center
Memorial.
The Day After Tomorrow portrays
a scenario in which all of Manhattan
is flooded over the course of two days.
While it is a far-fetched concept that
something this extreme would happen in
such a short period of time, the possibility
of devastation of this magnitude occurring
over time is not that unthinkable.
Politicians often address the issue
of global warming in campaigning, yet
one solid, lasting solution has yet to be
reached and put into action. Solving such
a crisis will take a world-wide effort, yet
there are tiny steps people can take everyday. Simply turning off a light when leaving a room or trying to recycle more than
throw away garbage can have long term
effects on the environment and the planet.
Many people debate that global warming
is merely a myth and human beings do not
have any effect on the climate or weather
of the world. Regardless of what is really
true, human beings are still harming the
environment every day in a multitude of
ways. It is up to us to do what we can to
keep the earth healthy and prevent any
more damage.
Accents
Should there be a Universal Language?
Opinions
Krystle Chen ’08
As a biracial person, I have often found
it difficult to learn more than two languages. Although my native language is
English, I also speak Hindi and Spanish.
Yet when it comes to learning how to read
and write the other languages, it can be
pretty challenging and time consuming.
When I try to learn the alphabets of a new
language, I am intrigued by the language
disparity in each existing race in the
world.
As human beings, are we to differentiate ourselves solely by the languages
we speak? Having different languages is
pretty neat, but when traveling to various
countries it can be a tremendous barrier.
Personally, I’ve had several problems
regarding people who don’t understand
English. Although I live in the United
States, where English is the native language, some people here still don’t speak
it! If I wanted to get directions or help,
they simply would not know what I’m
talking about. I had a bad experience once
when I got lost while walking down the
streets of West New York. Not one person
knew decent English. I spent several hours
trying to get directions to the store that I
had been looking for; it was frustrating
as I spent my whole day rushing up every
street to find out that every effort I had
made was futile. Besides the difficulty that
I face when I want to interact with another
foreign individual, foreigners also feel the
same way as I do.
Coming from a different country and
settling into a new one is challenging.
Starting life over again without knowing
the native language is frustrating. You
don’t know whether you’re being cheated
every time you make a purchase or if you
can trust what a native is saying. All this
paranoia and confusion can be cleared if
there is simply one language that every
human being on Earth is obligated to
know.
According to Becky Ryan, a junior at
IHA, an international language fosters a
common ground between people of different countries. “One universal language
could bring everyone in the world closer
and they might be able to relate with one
another more easily.” People of different
countries would no longer have to worry
because they would be able to read, write,
and speak a common language.
People could easily communicate with
each other and would not have to face the
problems of translating from one language to another. Human translators are
not completely objective either- they can
easily misinterpret what one person is saying and translate it completely differently
from its original meaning. It can get pretty
agitating to have to play telephone every
time you land into a foreign country or
meet an immigrant or foreign tourist.
In addition, having a uniform international language would encourage tourism
and international business, thus, benefiting
the global economy. With the economy
improving, more people would be able
to buy more products, thus, leading to a
beneficial cycle. The international language could be anything- from English,
the most commonly spoken language, to
sign language that even the deaf and dumb
could communicate through. Whatever the
language may be, it will be decided based
upon majority rule. The United Nations,
government officials, or best yet, popular
vote, should decide what the international
language should be.
If an international language is implemented, it could do worlds of good
– finally leveling the ground in promoting
international welfare and communication.
Putting U in the UK
A More Colorful Political Spectrum
Kathleen McCaffrey ’08
Sarah Camiscoli ’08
Being one-hundred percent Irish, I
always thought I was different than the
English, Welsh, and Scots. As it turns out,
I’m not that much different than the other
members of the British Isles, genetically
speaking of course. Until very recently,
many people have always thought the
Irish and the inhabitants of Britain were
the descendants of two entirely different
people. The Irish have always been associated with the Celts, and the British with
the Anglo-Saxons. However, geneticists
throughout the UK have dismissed this in
recent studies, and it is now hypothesized
that these two islands have been inhabited
for thousands of years by a single type of
people.
The new theory being put out by
scientists at Oxford says the principal
ancestors of today’s British and Irish
populations arrived from Spain about
16,000 years ago. Supposedly, these settlers spoke a language related to Basque,
which is still spoken in the northern
regions of Spain today. The British Isles
were unpopulated 16,000 years ago, left
uninhabited by glaciers for about 4,000
years. The former inhabitants fled to
southern refuges in Europe. When the
climate warmed and the glacier melted,
people moved back north. At the time of
the move the English Channel and the
Irish Sea were still land, making it easy
for settlers to migrate towards what we
Where do you stand? Are you a coning a war whose purpose is solely for ecoservative Republican, whose daily attire
nomic gain. As a liberal, you live under
consists of snazzy business suits, the latest the image of a free-loving hippy, defying
Bluetooth, and a costly leather briefcase?
the ideals of capitalism and demanding
Or are you more of a liberal Democrat,
incredible amounts of federal dollars to
who embraces barefoot
“milk the system.” Why
peace rallies dressed in
must our nation, one
ripped jeans and excesfilled with unbelievable
sive hemp jewelry?
potential, suffer political
If you find yourself
restraints made by our
somewhere between the
own society?
political extremes listed
It is foolish to say
above, you have most
that a more moderate
likely embraced a more
system, built upon a wide
modern, moderate politichoice of parties with
cal party.
equal prominence could
Probably your paronly occur in an ideal
ents, and definitely your
nation. We are living in
grandparents fit either
an ideal nation. We are
political stereotype
industrialized, powerful,
much better than you
and respected among the
do. There is a simple
international community.
explanation for this poWe have the resources.
litical phenomenon. The
We have the potential. It
Photo by Victoria DeMarinis.
traditional two party sysis merely our choice to
Obama’s book.
tem of democracy is quite
aim for a more “colorful”
outdated. In a nation whose foundation is
political spectrum.
built upon a variety of ideals, individual
Barak Obama, Senator from Illinois
beliefs, and a melting pot of cultures, why and potential 2008 presidential candidate,
does such a rigid two party system exist?
expressed a similar belief in his novel The
The American people, representing
Audacity of Hope. There is hope, Obama
a colorful spectrum of individuality, are
believes, in “a government that truly
bound by the rigidness of today’s political represents Americans - that truly serves
parties. As a conservative, you suffer the
Americans.” But, to reach this goal, it
stereotype of being an uncompassionate
will “require a new kind of politics that
corporate worker, hoarding tax money
will need to reflect their lives as they are
from those who need it most and supportactually lived.” He envisions politics
that “won’t be prepackaged, ready to pull
off the shelf.” Instead Obama supports
politics, “that will remind [us], despite our
Editor-in-Chief
differences, of how much we share: comSarah Salomon
mon hopes, common dreams, a bond that
Junior Editor
will not break.” But Obama is just one
Clare Geraghty
voice in a nation of millions.
News Editor
Yes, it is true that compromise is
Allison Gallagher
sometimes impossible between political
extremists; and yes, it is also true that a
Opinions Editor
more moderate political spectrum would
Jill Grimaldi
Arts and Entertainment Editor not appear over night. But it is up to us,
the people of “this great nation,” to aspire
Kaitlin Spillane
for a wider political spectrum. It is up to
Sports Editor
us: conservative or liberal; black or white;
Katie Kirbstat
rich or poor; urban or rural; to support a
Health and Technology Editor
political spectrum that better represents
Linda Alvarez
the interests and welfare of our people.
Layout Editor
For the sake of our nation, and “for the
Victoria DeMarinis
sake of future generations, we should collectively and passionately recommend” a
Moderator
more moderate system and a wider politiMs. Abdallah
cal spectrum. It is merely up to us.
Printer
now know as Ireland. The new population lived by hunting and gathering, and
even survived a cold spell that lasted from
12,300 to 11,000 years ago.
It is estimated that 75% of the current British and Irish populations settled
in their respective areas between 15,000
to 7,000 years ago when the two islands
were split from Europe and each other.
Since then, no invasion from another
country has dramatically impacted the
genetic makeup of the residents of the UK
or Ireland.
There is much debate about the
feasibility of this Oxford theory since it
relies not only on genetic data but also on
the impact of invasions on two separate
cultures, and language changing methods
developed by geneticists. However, as
more research is being done, it is becoming more accepted within the science community.
If this theory is proven true, then
residents of the British Isles have common genetics. That would mean all of
their differences can only be attributed to
Celtic influence in the west and northern
European influence in the eastern regions.
Despite this, scientists doubt their findings
will help diminish cultural differences.
Others are less skeptical of the impact
these findings will have on each culture.
Perhaps science will trace your gene pool,
or put U in the UK, through genetics.
Accents Editors
JB Offset Printers
IHA Comedy Theater By Angeli Rafer ’09
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