TO THE COMMUNITIES OF STUYVESANT HIGH SCHOOL, TRIBECA, AND BATTERY PARK CITY
The Stuyvesant Standard
Volume V, Issue 7
Holiday
Movie
Guide
BY EMMA RABINOVICH
STAFF WRITER
If you don’t want to spend
this holiday season at home with
the annoying relatives or family
but you’re not into skating in the
frigid winds or walking through
the icy Central Park, step into
your local theater and buy a bag
of popcorn and enjoy some of this
season’s batch of big-screen ad-
aptations. From the classic chil-
dren’s story “The Lion, the Witch
and the Wardrobe” to the musi-
cal, “Rent,” this holiday season
has movies for all types.
November 18
Harry Potter and the Goblet of
Fire
The film adaptation of J.K.
Rowling’s fourth installment of
the Harry Potter series is sure to
impress. Ralph Fiennes joins the
cast as the best villain since Darth
Vader: Lord Voldemort. Mike
Newell, whose previous credits
include “Mona Lisa Smile” and
Four Weddings and a Funeral,
directs “Goblet of Fire.” To keep
the movie at a reasonable length,
minor story arcs such as
Hermione’s attempt to free Hog-
wart’s house elves were taken out
of the movie.
November 23
Rent
An adaptation of Jonathan
Larson’s Tony Award-winning
Broad way musical, “Rent”
chronicles a year in the life of
eight friends. Starring Taye Diggs
Continued on Page 14
“Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,” the fourth movie
of the seven-part series, is kept short by eliminating some
scenes from the original story.
December 1, 2005
Guidance Department to
Be Radically Restructured
BY JOSEPH KRUTOV
STAFF WRITER
Principal Stanley Teitel has
initiated a major restructuring of
the Guidance Department, comb-
ing three different roles – Guid-
ance Counselors, Grade Advisors,
and SSR Writers – into a single
position.
The plan, proposed by Teitel
and Assistant Principal of Pupil
Services Eleanor Archie, involves
hiring six or more additional
guidance counselors, in addition
to the four current full-time coun-
selors. These 10 counselors
Five Friendly Mascots
Welcome Games to Beijing
The unveiling of the mascots
for the 2008 Olympics.
BY DEREK WENG
JUNIOR STAFF WRITER
Officials of the Beijing Orga-
nizing Committee of the 2008
Olympic Games surprised the
world by marking the 1000 days
until the Games with the launch
Yahoo
would each have a caseload of
approximately 300 students and
be responsible for writing about
75 SSRs a year. According to the
proposal submitted to the School
Leadership Team, the current
guidance-related Compensatory
Time positions will be elimi-
nated.
SSRs are letters of recom-
mendation submitted by the
school along with transcripts
when students apply to colleges.
Though they are more straightfor-
wardly descriptive and less per-
Continued on Page 2
Reuters
of a record-breaking five official
mascots. The announcement was
joined by joyful songs and dances
at a televised gala event in Bei-
jing by senior leaders of the Com-
munist Party.
The five winning dolls, col-
lectively given the name “the
Five Friendlies,” are stylized car-
toon renditions of a panda, a Ti-
betan antelope, a fish, a swallow,
and the Olympic flame. They
were chosen from over 662 de-
sign suggestions from people
across China and were approved
Continued on Page 5
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
--------------
News.....................2-5
Business................5
Opinions................6-7
Literary..................8-9
Free
Inside
Next-Gen
Consoles
BY JONATHAN XIKIS
STAFF WRITER
Microsoft’s XBox
360 is the second
incarnation of the
Xbox.
Canadian Press
Three high-tech consoles –
Microsoft’s Xbox 360, Sony’s
Playstation 3, and Nintendo’s
Revolution – will hit stores in the
next year. These three technology
giants have each taken a different
approach towards making the
perfect console, but they have all
used the newest technology to
achieve their goals.
The Xbox 360 was released
on November 22. The Xbox 360
is the second incarnation of the
Xbox, which was first released
four years ago. This time, Micro-
soft is staying ahead of the game
by releasing its console first, a
tactic that was previously used by
Sony with its Playstation 2. This
will definitely test the patience of
gamers, who must make a tough
decision – whether to wait until
next year for the other two con-
soles or to buy the Xbox 360 im-
mediately. The 360, like its
predecessor, supports the online
gaming service Xbox Live. It is
compatible with games for the
old system, good news for Xbox
aficionados who still want to play
popular games such as “Halo 2.”
The system is also being mar-
keted as a “home entertainment
Continued on Page 11
Puzzles..............................9-11
Science……………….......11-12
Arts & Entertainment........12-14
Sports................................15-16
Page 2 December 1, 2005 THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

THE STUYVESANT Alumni Return to the Halls

STANDARD of Stuyvesant
BY EILEEN L. CHANG were the names of the college
STAFF WRITER they’re currently attending. The
signs were a part of a special pro-
On November 23, recent
Executive Leadership Team Stuyvesant alumni returned to the
gram initiated about two years
ago by alumna Meredith Gringer
school, dropping by classes to see
DR. JOHN NIKOL ’05 to encourage Stuyvesant stu-
FACULTY ADVISER their teachers and friends. After
WINNIE LEE EDITOR IN CHIEF dents to ask questions about cer-
tenth period, alumni met in the
SHO UEMURA M ANAGING EDITOR tain colleges they are interested
Dining Hall and enjoyed an early
JESSICA THAM CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER in.
Thanksgiving feast of pizza.
WINNIE DU LAYOUT EDITOR The alumni had much advice
Some tossed around the pizza
JACOB ARLUCK COPY CHIEF to offer and experiences to share.
boxes; others simply conversed
LAURA HAN IN SCHOOL NEWS EDITOR Alumnus Ian Ferguson ‘05, a
with old fellows.
JENNIFER SCHLESINGER OUT OF SCHOOL NEWS EDITOR Princeton freshman hoping to
Alumni were enthusiastic and
YANJ IE HOU OPINIONS EDITOR major in engineering advised,
positive. They were pleased to be
JENNIFER WONG ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR “College is much different but
together again and welcomed
OSMAN NEMLI SPORTS EDITOR you’ll have to deal with it.” He
current Stuyvesant students.
DEEP PARIKH SCIENCE EDITOR discussed his adventures with
Haitham Jendoubi ‘04, now a
MELISSA CHAN BUSINESS EDITOR Princeton’s marching band and
Yale student planning to major in
LADA KUKUY LITERARY EDITOR told students that he learned from
cognitive science commented,
KAREN LIU WEBMASTER his Californian roommate to lead
“Who would pass up a chance to
KATIE BANKS DIRECTOR OF PHOTOJOURNALISM a “SFL,” or stress-free lifestyle.
meet old friends, have leisurely
DANIEL EGERS (‘03) FOUNDER Matthew Polazzo, the Coor-
conversations, and eat free
ERNEST BASKIN (‘04) EDITOR EMERITUS dinator of Student Affairs, ac-
pizza?” His friend, senior Sarah
companied the students. He had
Ann Head said, “It feels great to
taught many in previous years
Publication see all my old friends who gradu-
and wanted to personally spend
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD is a nonprofit and nonpartisan publication ated last year.”
some time with the students. “A
produced by the students of Stuyvesant High School. Questions and answers were
lot of my old students visited me
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD distributes 2,000 free copies on a bi-weekly passed regarding college and
during class as well and I gladly
basis to the students and faculty of Stuyvesant High School and through- shared memories were discussed.
welcomed them,” he said.
out the adjoining neighborhoods of TriBeCa and Battery Park City. There were a few alumni like
Next year former Stuyvesant
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD welcomes letters from its readers. Jennie Goldstein ’05 who had
students will again return to their
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD reserves the right to edit any published ma- signs taped onto their backs.
high school with new stories to
terial. Printed in bold on these signs
share. ◙
The viewpoints of contributors do not necessarily reflect the views of the
Standard staff.

Copyright ©2005 THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

Guidance Department to Be
Contact Us Radically Restructured
Please direct all correspondence to: Continued from Page 1
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD sonal than the recommendations
345 Chambers Street written by regular teachers, they
New York, NY 10282-1000 still require a significant amount
readers@stuystandard.org of time and effort, especially in a
Find us on the web at www.stuystandard.org school with class sizes of 750.
An administration proposal
Advertising last year to "outsource" some of
the writing duties to a third party
If you would like to advertise in THE STUYVESANT STANDARD, please e- drew widespread condemnation
mail advertising@stuystandard.org to request an advertisement form. and ridicule, both from student
We offer a broad range of options including full color capability for your organizations and from major
advertising needs.
newspapers like The New York
Times and The Daily News. The
Subscription plan was withdrawn, and admin-
istrators instead offered small
bonuses to teachers who agreed to
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD write 10 to 15 SSRs.
SUBSCRIBE TODAY Teitel believes the restructur-
1 YEAR — $15 ing will address the confusion of
Delivery Information students and parents unsure
Name:______________________________________________ where to turn for advice and sup-
port. Program changes at the be-
Address:____________________________________________
ginning of each term will also be
___________________________________________________
conducted more easily. In addi-
Billing Information tion, the guidance counselors will
Please circle your choices below: be better prepared to write SSRs
Check Money Order Cash for students they have known for
Billing Address:______________________________________ three years.
___________________________________________________ A letter by Parent Associa-
Please cut and mail to THE STUYVESANT STANDARD, 345 Cham- tion Co-Presidents Lauren Cole-
bers Street, New York, NY 10282-1000 OR send the above in- man-Locher and Sumiko Takeda
Nakazato, which will appear in
formation to subscription@stuystandard.org.
the next PA Bulletin, both praises
the plan and critiques some as-
pects of it.
The letter said that the school
must "maintain the current system
alongside the new for the current
junior and sophomore classes.
We cannot sacrifice the interests
of any group of children to rush
into a radical change." The PA is
anxious about the smoothness of
the transition, especially as, come
September, the majority of the
guidance staff will be new and
unfamiliar with Stuyvesant. A
radical restructuring of the Guid-
ance Office is "a huge change and
should not be done rashly or
without a consensus from the
school community."
Parents have expressed con-
cern that the school may be
forced to choose less able appli-
cants due to limited funding.
Teitel, on the other hand, is sure
that Stuyvesant's reputation will
elicit many qualified applicants.
A committee will be created to
interview applicant, who will be
asked to write sample SSRs.
Teitel is confident that "the
new structure will quickly allow
Stuyvesant to provide more effec-
tive Guidance services to its stu-
dents." Any such new structure
must first, however, win over
students and parents. ◙
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD
Students Line Up to Make Up Mandatory Swim Test
BY LIN LU GAO
STAFF WRITER
On November 14, Stuyvesant
freshmen who missed the first
swim test got a second chance.
The test was held in the pool dur-
ing ninth and tenth periods. Late-
comers were allowed to take the
test after school but those who
did so had to swim the length of
the pool rather than just the
Terrorists Attack American
Hotels in Jordan
BY EMMA RABINOVICH
STAFF WRITER
A string of bombings of
American-owned hotels in Jordan
killed 57 people and wounded
110 on November 9.
The majority of the victims
were Jordanians. Chinese authori-
ties said that three Chinese were
killed. Bashir al-Da’jeh, a police
spokesman, said that five Iraqis, a
Jordanian soldiers stand guard outside
a hotel after the recent bombings.
Associated Press
Saudi, and an Indonesian were
among the dead. Five Germans,
one American and a Swiss were
wounded.
The bloodiest attack took
place at a Jordanian weeding
party at the Radisson SAS Hotel,
a favorite of Israeli tourists. Min-
utes later, a Grand Hyatt and
Days Inn erupted in flames.
Though officials suspect that all
three attacks were the work of
suicide bombers, they were hesi-
tant to give details.
The Associated Press re-
ported that a website often used
by Al Qaeda posted a statement
claiming responsibility for the
attacks. "Some hotels were cho-
sen which the Jordanian despot
had turned into a backyard for the
enemies of the faith, the Jews and
crusaders," the website said, re-
ferring to King Abdullah of Jor-
dan, a moderate who has pursued
generally cordial relationships
with the United States and Israel.
Al Qaeda in Iraq, part of the
December 1, 2005 News Page 3
width. Those who came late also thing but I thought I did okay. I mail or even email,” said fresh-
had to swim with the members of just didn’t think it’d been so man Kanta Sangchuntr, “[I] guess
the swim team watching. easy,” said freshman Henry Ou, that’s okay, though… the test
Unlike the original test, stu- who took the test during Camp looked really simple, you just
dents learned their results on the Stuy. swim back and forth.”
spot. The judges looked for style, Though the announcements Those who missed the
breathing pattern, and the ability for the makeup swim exam were makeup will have to wait for an-
to swim in a straight line. posted on Stuyvesant’s official other time to take the test, al-
Overall, those who took the website, many people did not though students must take the test
test found that it had gone know about it. before their senior year as it is a
smoother than expected. “I’m not “I don’t check the website; I requirement to graduate. ◙
a super good swimmer or any- thought they’d tell me through
Frank McCourt’s Return
to Stuyvesant
larger global organization, is cur-
rently headed by the Jordanian- BY JOSEPH KRUTOV as a junior in 1976. He remem-
born Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. STAFF WRITER bers his former teacher as ex-
tremely funny and his classes as
Zarqawi was jailed in Jordan in “One of the main flaws of the
enormously entertaining.
1996 but was released only three public school system is that
McCourt filled every sentence
years later in a general amnesty teachers spout analyses of Shake-
with “juicy words” and taught
by King Abdullah of Jordan. The speare and kids say, Who gives a
that every word counts.
United States has offered a $25 s***. They have other concerns
Susan Gilman ‘82, a former
million reward for any help in — We’re hungry,
student of
capturing him. Zarqawi is also we’re horny,”
McCourt and the
believed to be behind many insur- said Pulitzer Hundreds
gent attacks against best-selling au-
Prize-winner and of alumni came,
American-led forces in t h o r o f
former Stuyvesant
Iraq. eager both to meet “Hypocrite in a
teacher Frank
Jordanian Deputy Prime McCourt, speak- their former teacher Pouffy White
Dress,” was in-
Minister Marwan ing at the school
Muashar said that these to promote his
and to catch up with vited to speak. “I
terrorist attacks were old classmates. never thought I
new book
very similar to others would write a
“Teacher Man.”
carried out by Al Qaeda. memoir,” she said. “I owe it all
The book describes his experi-
Jordan was a valuable to McCourt.”
ences as a public school teacher
ally to the United States Much has changed at Stuyve-
in New York, including the sev-
in the war against Sad- sant since Frank McCourt retired
enteen years he spent at Stuyve-
dam Hussein in Iraq and from teaching. Principal Teitel
sant.
acted as a safe haven for describes the current atmosphere
Hundreds of alumni came,
400,000 Iraqis who fled as more intense and stressful than
eager both to meet their former
during the war. King teacher and to
Abdullah faces great catch up with
TSS/Joseph Krutov
resentment from Jor- old classmates.
dan’s majority Palestin- McCourt, who
ian population for his support of was nominated
the war. Jordan and Egypt are the for a Grammy
only two Arab nations that that Award for Best
have signed peace treaties with Spoken Word
Israel. Album for his
Many world leaders, includ- first memoir
ing President Bush and Pope “Angela’s
Benedict XVI, have offered their Ashes,” de-
condolences and condemned the lighted the au-
attacks. dience with
Tighter security measures jokes and sto-
were put into effect both in Am- ries. Coming
man, Jordan’s capital. In New from the ac-
York, though Mayor Michael knowledged
Bloomberg said that the city has “authority on
not been threatened, dozens of misery,” the
hotels all over the city received humor wa s
extra security. The Department of invigorating Frank McCourt speaks about his new
Homeland Security did not in- book, “Teacher Man.”
and welcome.
crease security in Washington. ◙ Alumni
had fond
in McCourt’s days, with more
memories of McCourt. Peter Le-
CORRECTIONS FOR emphasis now placed on college
mie sze ws ki ‘77 s ai d that
NOVEMBER 16 ISSUE acceptance. But the presence of
McCourt often “spoke out against
• The songs in the Diwali-Eid students in the audience despite
sliced and individually wrapped
Festival article were mis- the $60 price of a ticket showed
processed cheese.” Lemi-
spelled. The correct spell- that the love of language and lit-
eszewski, currently a software
ings are Salaam Namaste erature is still part of the Stuyve-
programmer with IBM, took
and Deedar De. sant culture. ◙
McCourt’s Creative Writing class
Page 4 December 1, 2005 News THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

Oil Crisis Spurs Debate Over Drilling in Alaska

BY SYLVIA ABDULLAH sions in the draft of the proposed passed was to cut out some of the Pacific coasts.
STAFF WRITER plan resulted in heated contro- more controversial suggestions. President Bush is hopes that
versy, with critics says that im- Many Democrats are also against this bill will be approved by the
A proposal to allow oil pros- proving fuel efficiency in the the budget bill because it limits House, and that the ANWR pro-
pecting in a remote Alaskan wild- United States would be a better essential government programs, posal can be worked into the final
life refuge has sparked debate and way to conserve energy. Propo- such as Medicaid. As a result of negotiations. He said, "Increasing
criticism. An omnibus budget bill nent argue for the importance of the discontentment, the House our domestic energy supply will
to allow drilling was narrowly America reducing its dependence also took out a phrase that would help lower gasoline prices and
defeated. on foreign oil. allow states to authorize oil and utility bills." ◙
The US national debt for the House Republican gas drilling off the Atlantic and
year was $319 leaders op-
billion on Sep-
tember 30, and The inclusion of oil posed the The Senate rejected a plan to drill for oil in
inclusion of
the budget bill provisions in the drilling pro-
the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
was a major part visions in the
of President draft of the
b u d g e t -
Bush’s plan to proposed plan cutting plan
cut back on resulted in heated on November
spending. The 10 because
$50.5 billion controversy.
there was
plan included lack of support. Because
cuts to benefit programs such as p as si n g t h i s de fi c i t -
Medicaid and food stamps, and reducing plan is essential to
also opened the Arctic National winning back dissenting
Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling. members of the Republican
Companies such as Irving, BP Party, they feel that it needs
and Exxon Mobil Corp. would be to be approved. Republi-
allowed to drill for oil on 1.5 mil- cans who did not support
lion acres in the refuge. including oil provisions felt
The inclusion of oil provi- the best way to get the bill Agence France-Presse

Senate Demands Accountability on War in Iraq

BY JENNIFER SCHLESINGER
OUT-OF-SCHOOL NEWS EDITOR
The US Senate has demanded
that the White House send in
regular reports about the progress
of the war in Iraq. An amendment
“The vote is a
victory for our
troops and the
American people.”
-Harry Reid
to the 2006 Pentagon spending
bill requires the President “to
explain to Congress and the
American people its strategy for
the successful completion of the
mission in Iraq.”
The demand came after the
urging of several Democrats, but
was widely supported by most
senators, including Republicans.
A stronger proposal that would
require the White House to create
a specific timetable for withdraw-
ing troops from Iraq was rejected.
Harry Reid (D-NV), the Sen- generally approved of the meas- of Defense Donald Rumsfeld,
ate Minority Leader, said “[The ure. President Bush praised the though not rejecting the decision,
vote is] a victory for our troops outcome of the vote, saying “To said that the Pentagon already
and the American people.” me, [the vote] was a positive step send reports to Congress about
Bush administration officials by the United States.” Secretary the progress of the war.
The vote came at a
critical time. Public
support of the Bush
Administration has
dropped drastically
in the last few
months, and critics
of the war are win-
ning over more and
more people. De-
mocrats are pushing
for an investigation
into how the Bush
Administration used
intelligence infor-
mation on Iraq to
argue for a war. De-
mocrats also say that
they will keep up
the fight for a pull-
out from Iraq. Rich-
Senators speak at a press conference ard Durbin of Illi-
about accountability in Iraq.
nois said, “We’re
going to press for-
Associated Press ward on this.” ◙
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD
BY JIMMY ZHANG
STAFF WRITER
As the holiday season begins,
workers on Wall Street are in a
good mood. Investment bankers,
traders, and other employees are
getting their presents early, as
financial firms award their annual
bonuses.
This year, bonuses may rise
15-20% above 2003 levels. A
typical global merger chief may
be seeing a 20-25% increase from
last year’s bonus to a total of $8-9
million.
“Service-oriented architec-
ture is getting more popular this
The New York Stock Exchange, the source of revenue for
New York City, is predicted to do well this holiday season.
Augusta Chronicle
Ikea World
BY STEPHANIE TAM
STAFF WRITER
Even the most obsessed sho-
paholic usually goes home to
sleep. But Jordan Leopold, a
manager at Costco Wholesale,
had the unusual experience of
spending three nights in an Ikea
bedding department. He earned
some $2000 for his trou-
ble.
Leopold won his
three nights at Ikea in a
contest held before the
opening of an Atlanta,
Georgia, store. He, along
with four other winners,
had to stay in the store as
workmen complete the
final construction work
Ikea currently has over 200 stores worldwide
going on, so hardly any- and posts a revenue of $12 billion a year.
one got enough sleep. Not
to mention, the competi-
tors had to participate in other
contests in the store. The winner
himself even said, “I got about
eight hours of sleep total because
of all the drilling and banging
going on.”
But what is this “Ikea cult?”
Why does the store attract devo-
tees like Leopold? What gives?
And why is Ikea so successful in
business?
Ikea is the quintessential
global cult brand, classic, yet
trendy. In addition, its advertising
methods works wonders. Another
store offered $4,000 in gift cer-
tificates to the first person in line
December 1, 2005 News/Business
This Year, It’s Going to
Be a Green Christmas
year. This technology brings in
greater business agility in Wall
Street financial firms. It will re-
sult in higher efficiency and
greater revenues,” said Jun
Zhang, Senior Architecture Di-
rector of Standard and Poor's.
Wall Street profits will rise
about 13% to a total of $14.4 bil-
lion. Banks profited from merger
at the opening. Roger Penguino,
an Ikea customer, heard about
this challenge and decided that he
had to win it. A week before the
store’s opening, he parked his car
at the shopping center and waited.
Over 2,000 people joined him on
June 29, the store’s opening day.
It is no wonder why the
Swedish company’s owner, Ing-
var Kamprad, may surpass Bill
Gates in wealth, though he has
never disclosed the size of his
fortune. According to some, Ikea
Cool-man
is an ideal world, “a state of mind
that revolves around contempo-
rary design, low prices, wacky
promotions, and an enthusiasm
that few institutions in or out of
business can muster.” Other
shoppers, like Bertille Faroult,
from Paris, say, “They have this
way of making you believe noth-
ing is expensive.” She originally
planned to buy a $40 coffee table,
but wound up spending over $500
on everything from storage units
to glassware. Adults have more
time to shop too, since Ikea has a
play place where they can drop
activity and energy trading. Oil
and gas mergers have brought
billions into the coffers of the
largest companies.
Not everyone will benefit
from this trend. Gains became
losses for high-yield convertible
bond traders and equity traders as
they saw a 10% drop in their bo-
nuses.
“Third quarter is typically
the weakest quarter of the year,
but this year it was an anomaly
and was perhaps the strongest,”
said Andrew
Roost, a Johnson
Associates vice
president. “It
“Third quarter is
helped solidify typically the weak- have a helpful
the year.” est quarter of the
Some worry
about changes in year, but this year it York’s
the market’s di- was an anomaly
rection. Rising
interest rates, the
and was perhaps
resurgence of oil the strongest.”
prices, and major -Andrew Roost
terrorist threats
are all possibilities for a change
their kids off. Ikea also has a res-
taurant for shoppers to rest in
after a hard day of shopping.
Ingvar Kamprad says that he
owes Ikea’s success to the notion
of foldable furniture. He knew
what the economy wanted and
needed- frugality. That is exactly
why, according to MSNBC, no
design — no matter how inspired
— finds its way into the show-
room if it cannot be made afford-
able. Josephine Rydberg-Dumont,
president of Ikea in Sweden says,
“Designing beautiful-but-
expensive products is easy. De-
signing beautiful products that
are inexpensive and functional is
a huge challenge.”
Five Friendly Mascots
Welcome Games to Beijing
Continued from Page 1
by the International Olympic
Committee. “The Five Friendlies
are an incredible little family cho-
sen by Beijing 2008 to reflect the
cultural diversity of China as a
multiethnic culture,” said Liu Qi,
President of BOC.
Beijing has already begun an
extensive marketing campaign for
the mascots, with animated films
featuring the Five Friendlies
slated for China’s television sta-
tions, capitalizing on the fore-
casted record profit for an Olym-
pic game in history
The Five Friendlies are more
than a symbol. They are the spe-
cial ambassadors of China for the
Page 5
in the economic growth. After a
steady increase in the late 1990’s,
Wall Street saw a sudden decline
in the early 2000’s. This decrease
brought about a more cautious
attitude towards growth. People
became more selective about
guarantees and were warned of
top competitors.
With global deal-making
rising, some on Wall Street are
optimistic. The week of Novem-
ber 7 was a big one for corporate
mergers and acquisitions activity,
with global deal-making topping
$100 billion.
Often times, bonuses are
more than just cherries that come
with ice cream cones. On Wall
Street, they are an important part
of a worker’s salary package. Not
only are they are a measure of the
financial service
industr y’ s
healthiness, but
bonuses can also
effect on New
economy.
Wall Street
bonuses are also a
source of revenue
for New York
City. When Wall
Street does well,
so does the rest of
the city. ◙
Although Mr. Kamprad has
retired, Ikea lives on. Currently,
Ikea has over 200 stores world-
wide, employs over 75,000 peo-
ple, and posts a revenue of $12
billion a year. Still, Ikea is par-
ticularly concerned about sales in
the U.S., since that is key to ex-
pansion—and since Ikea came
close to blowing this chance in
the early 1990’s with their unrea-
sonable prices. But Ikea shouldn’t
worry too much about it. From its
beautiful, yet affordable furniture
line, to the famous Swedish meat-
balls in the Ikea restaurant, there
is no doubt the company will sur-
vive just like it has been doing for
the past 62 years. ◙
world. The quintet consists of
Beibei the fish, Jingjing the
panda, Huanhuan the Olympic
flame, Yingying the Tibetan An-
telope, and Nini the swallow.
When put together, the first sylla-
bles of their names forms a Chi-
nese saying “Bei Jing Huan Ying
Ni”, or “Welcome to Beijing.”
The color of the bodies of each
mascot matches the five colors of
the Olympic rings.
The Five Friendlies represent
the traditional Chinese philoso-
phy of harmony between mankind
and nature. They symbolize the
sea, forest, fire, earth, and sky-
the five time-honored elements of
nature in Chinese culture. ◙
Page 6
Freedom or Selfishness
BY YANJIE HOU
OPINIONS EDITOR
When I was little, I used to
throw my father’s cigarettes
down the toilet. Whenever my
uncle came over, I made him go
outside to smoke even when it
was snowing and below zero. I
was probably a spoiled, demand-
ing, and selfish brat. But even
now, I still feel annoyed when-
ever the sickening, choking smell
of cigarettes suddenly assaults my
senses.
Freedom is a fundamental
American value. We trust that our
government will respect our free-
dom to speak, to publish, to pro-
test, to choose the way we want
to live our lives. In America,
nothing is sacred. People mock
everything and everyone. The
only thing sacred to us is freedom
itself. So of course whenever the
government restricts smoking
there are inevitably gasps of out-
rage from civil libertarians.
It is important to realize even
though the government can pro-
hibit people from smoking in cer-
tain areas, it cannot prevent peo-
ple from smoking altogether.
Banning smoking in public places
does not oppress those who
smoke but protect those who do
not.
Secondhand smoke has been
classified by the Environmental
Protection Agency as a Group A
carcinogen. Each year, second-
hand smoke causes approximately
3,000 lung cancer deaths and
35,000 heart disease deaths in
adult non-smokers in the United
States. Each year, secondhand
smoke is responsible for between
A Page Out of a
Librarian’s Journal
BY CHETAN CHAUHAN &
RAYMOND XU
JUNIOR STAFF WRITERS
The Stuyvesant Library is a
place to study, read, and do
homework. It is clean, well lit,
and decorated with a light green
veneer. It provides a serene es-
cape from the suffering and hard-
ships of life.
Or is that just what
they want you to be-
lieve?
While some of these
descriptions about our
library are true, others are
completely incorrect. Even
though a library is supposed
December 1, 2005 Opinions
Point-Counterpoint
150,000 and 300,000 lower respi-
ratory tract infections in infants
and children under 18 months of
age and 1,900 to 2,700 sudden
infant death syndrome (SIDS)
deaths in the United States.
Smokers talk about their
Smoking can be seen as a personal freedom or a selfish act.
rights to smoke and to live their
lives as they choose. But what
about the rights of those 3,000
non-smokers who died from lung
cancer? Did they have the right to
be protected from the lethal ad-
dictions and selfish choices of
others? What about the rights of
those 2,700 infants who died
from SIDS? Did they not deserve
the right to live?
I might have been selfish
when I forced my uncle to smoke
outside on a freezing, winter
night. But I certainly am no more
selfish than the smoker who re-
fuses to walk twenty feet from a
public park to protect playing
children. ◙
to be a quiet and tranquil place,
our library is actually a social
gathering place.
Noise infiltrates the environ-
ment. Boys and girls flirt, scream
and throw papers around. Boys
share seats while girls sit on each
other’s lap. Ill-mannered students
come to the desk to ask for books
that are not in stock and
refuse to leave until
they are reassured
these books will be
supplied. The noise
makes those who actu-
ally want to study or
work feel like tearing
their hair out. They
would do homework outside
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD
The Bigger Picture
BY HANFORD CHIU spaces, such as the New York
STAFF WRITER City ban on smoking in restau-
rants, are justified. However,
To the smokers of America,
smoking in open public spaces is
the smell of freedom is a sweet
little more than a nuisance. Oppo-
one, but for those that abstain
nents of public smoking claim
from cigarettes the smell seems
that even slight exposure to sec-
noxious and lethal. On any given
ondhand smoke may cause can-
cer. But if we curtail freedoms
Agence France-Presse
based not just on definite harm
but on potential or theoretical
harm, where will rights restric-
tions end? If smoking is banned
because of the dangers of second-
hand smoke, what is to stop
Christian conservatives from say-
ing that people cannot have abor-
tions because it harms the moral-
ity of the country, or the FCC
from censoring the media because
it poisons the minds of the coun-
try. To protect the rights of all
individuals, some sacrifices must
be made by everybody. Everyone
is taxed to fund social programs
to help the disadvantaged. Sol-
diers train to protect the country
from potential oppressors. Can’t
we tolerate a little smoke to se-
street in Manhattan, somebody is
cure our freedom?
probably carrying a lit cigarette
Philosophy aside, smoking
and polluting the air. It can be
provides benefits to society as
quite irritating to breathe in un-
well. The tobacco industry pays
pleasant chemicals, but what are a
about $31 billion in tax revenue
few coughs compared to the big
to the country annually, and ciga-
picture?
rette taxes grow steeper every
Americans pride themselves
year. For people to smoke, they
on their devotion to personal
must pay for that right, and in
rights. The freedom to smoke in
turn benefit non-smokers by help-
public is one of these rights.
ing to fund health care. To ban
Granted, there are definitely side
smoking in public would reduce
effects of smoking that can harm
the tax revenue that is immensely
others, but the Constitution pro-
helpful to our debt-ridden coun-
tects individual rights unless they
try. Therefore, the next time a
interfere with the rights of an-
smoker walks past, take a deep
other. Smoking does not infringe
breath and smile at the defender
on the rights of others enough to
of civil liberties and donor to our
merit prohibition. nation’s coffers. ◙
Bans on smoking in enclosed
Publish pieces reflecting your
thoughts and ideas!
Send your work to
Opinions@stuystandard.org
Let your voice be heard!
but the textbooks they borrow
would be a scene of utter pande-
cannot be taken out of the library.
monium.
Amidst this chaos emerges
Today the library is a place
one man who can help these des-
to interact and talk with friends.
perate, frustrated children. His
There are only a few people who
name is Mr. Asch.
actually follow the library guide-
Everyday, Mr. Asch tries to
lines that are enacted inside the
restore calm and order in the li-
room. But if we were all to follow
brary by shushing the noisy and
the rules that are on the desk, the
the rude. He protects those who
library would be a much friend-
works hard and punishes those
lier environment for the students
who do not follow the library
who wish to study. ◙
rules. Without him, the library
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD December 1, 2005 Opinions Page 7

What Ever Happened to Equality?

ties in our educational system.
Students in Stuyvesant do not
have to worry about this. The few
Hispanics and blacks in the
BY PRISCELLA MELO nities in their classrooms. They classrooms have Internet access, school are an almost invisible
STAFF WRITER need a better but in schools in minority in a school of primarily
learning environ- We live in a which more than Asians and Caucasians. Every
I live in New York City. It is
ment. The Na- country that loves to 71% of students ethnicity and race in Stuyvesant
a city of lights, of bourgeoning
tional Center for are eligible for should be aware that they are
dreams and sophistication as well promote racial
Education Statis- such lunches, lucky to be in a state-of-the-art
as a city of rat infestations. It is a
tics reported that equality but is, in only 39% of the school and make a push to end
city where conservatives and lib-
in schools in classrooms have divisions amongst ourselves. Ra-
erals sit together in the same
which fewer than
fact, a giant Internet access. cial inequalities have to stop and
room and where ideas are not hypocrite.
11% of students Although internet it should start here inside schools.
hidden and everything is new.
are eligible for a access is not cru- ◙
But there is a problem that is
reduced-price lunch, 74% of the cial, the data show the inequali-
seeping into the cement and shak-
ing the foundations. We think that need to figure
segregation was long ago ended out what
by the civil rights movement. Yet amount to
segregation persists in the slums leave for a tip
of the city. All cities have ghet- or to calculate
tos. All places have streets where how much
the sleepless poor crowd around money they
for protection from the cold, stale should bring
air. But neighborhoods are not for a shopping
just divided by social class but trip? Introduc-
segregated by race. ing calculators
Recently I walked through too quickly not
my neighborhood, desperately only leaves
trying to buy a newspaper re- students un-
quired for a class. I went in and able to do mul-
out of every bodega I could find, tiplication but
asking for the day’s New York also undoes
Times. In every one, I got the the purpose of
same answer: “We don’t sell that constructivist
here.” They also did not sell The education by
Wall Street Journal or any broad- making stu-
sheet paper. All I could find were dents think
heaps upon heaps of The New less and rely
York Post and the Spanish news- on calculators
paper Hoy. I decided to walk up a more
bit further, closer to the East Vil- After seven
lage, to a neighborhood filled years of the
with co-ops of mostly Puerto Ri- By Stanislav Nikolov constructivist
can families. No luck. Yet in system in Pen-

How Constructive Are

every corner I found the free Em-
ployment Guide. The stores did
not sell respectable newspapers
but sold cigarettes and liquor. A
block down the street, a Con Edi-
son building spewed toxic fumes.
More than 50 years after the
civil rights movement began, sig-
nificant economic and social ine-
qualities still persist among racial
groups in the United States. The
National Survey of America’s
Families shows that blacks, His-
panics and Native Americans are
twice as likely as Asians to live in
poverty and more than three times
as likely as whites.
Title VII of the Civil Rights
Act of 1964 was supposed to
eliminate discrimination in the
labor market. However, the
white-collar employment gap
between Hispanics and other
groups has widened, with only
14% of Latinos working as man-
agers or professionals. Since the
1960’s and 1970’s, U.S. colleges
and universities have relied on
preferential admissions to achieve
racial equality among students.
But colleges tuition are too much
even for some middle class fami-
lies to pay. If minorities cannot
pay for college, they cannot go to
college. Although there are need-
based scholarships, minority chil-
dren need to have equal opportu-
field, the long-term consequences
are starting to reveal themselves.
Test scores are up only when cal-
culators are allowed. However on
Constructivists? tests that prohibit their usage, the
students perform miserably.
Some college-bound students
who did not have any traditional
BY WAI LING CHEUNG done in seconds by the old meth- math education are worried about
SENIOR STAFF WRITER ods? How can a student move on
falling behind in college because
to other topics such as algebra, they can barely even do math on
Whether you love or hate which requires a good grasp of
math, you have to admit that it is paper.
basic computational skills, when Though the intentions of con-
useful. The degree varies from he can barely multiply and di-
person to person, but most people structivists are good, they empha-
vide? Constructivists favor using size critical thinking so much as
agree that simple mental addition calculators to
and multiplication are fundamen- to make students
save students the rely on calcula-
tal skills. It would be quite em- trouble of arith- In Penfield, NY,
barrassing not to know how much metic, some- where a constructivist tors as a crutch.
Students in high
to pay for six apples when the times introduc-
price is three apples per dollar. ing the devices
education program is schools who can
Yet in Penfield, New York, implemented, some barely multiply
as early as the
where a constructivist education on paper are
first grade. middle school chil- certainly not
program is used, some middle This action,
school children are unable to do dren are unable to do going to be
though is wrong-
long division or multiply two- headed. Calcula- long division or even spending pondering over
time
digit numbers. A third grader tors are wonder-
counted out fifty apples in order ful tools in
multiply two-digit calculus prob-
to solve a simple multiplication lems. Hopefully,
mathematics but numbers. constructivists
problem. . they should
Constructivists favor teach- and traditionalists can compro-
merely assist one in solving a mise and combine their two meth-
ing children creative ways to problem. Students should still
solve problems instead of drilling ods, so students will use more
learn how to add and multiply
them on their multiplication ta- critical thinking but still know
without calculators. After all,
bles. But do constructivists not how to multiply 32 and five in
people cannot bring calculators their heads. (It’s 180) ◙
see a problem when students take with them everywhere they go.
minutes to solve a problem easily
What would they do when they
Page 8 December 1, 2005 Literary THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

My Cold Prince Tests

BY TINA YUE
BY JENNIFER LEE STAFF WRITER
STAFF WRITER
There is more to the meaning of tests.
Oh. They are a miserable part of life.
It's where it comes and comes.
As if I cannot stop the “oh” gasp It never ends; it's filled with triteness.
From my uncovered mouth.
Tests bring bad luck.
He has returned Tests bring tears, as well.
It seems, It's a part of how the teachers grade your work.
From that unrequited dream. Doesn't that just ring a bell?

I still remember that Tests make you tired

Day. From all that studying
The way his eyes looked into mine "Just take a rest"
When we were standing underneath your mind sings.
That dying tree.
The way the sky looked-a mesh of white You shake your head
Sewn with gray pearls. Sad smiles. From the nagging voice
That smile-his smile-only for me-
Was broken. "Leave me alone"
”Goodbye” was all he said,
And all he did was leave me a lingering touch Says it again.
On my forehead.

Little Toy Words

Numb. Cold. That autumn wind he brought
With him-underneath that dying tree.
A shower of golden leaves rained down from that tree that day.

His eyes, rimmed with frost now. BY PENNY MALAMUD

I’m chilled by his stare. STAFF WRITER
Ruthless smile-half smile.
Words are such pretty playthings in thought
Remember me?
They can’nae be bartered, they can’nae be bought
They dance to a rhythm, they step to a rhyme
How could I not,
They tap their shoes on the floor to keep time
My childhood friend. My savior.
My cold prince I’m broken again.
A poet lies high in his garret at night
He ponders amid the flickering light
That the rhythm is flawed, the words are all wrong
He feels it is awful, the sentiment strong

Coffee Shop Jangle Ah, but what is a rhyme-less poem, in truth?

A cat without claw, a shark without tooth
No rhythm, no rhyme, no visible hold
BY CAROLINE HUGH The words prance about, grown out of their mold
SENIOR STAFF WRITER
No choreography, no little chains
Here roams the smell of cinnamon, coffee, chocolate, tea Nothing of the poet’s hard work remains
Waves of euphoria rise over me He bows his head in grief and dismay
While I sip the legends doodled over the walls He had decided to write, now he rues that day
And spilling over the tables, coffee everywhere
Then Lord Apollo alights on his bed
Waves of euphoria rise over me And gives him a solid thwap on the head
I see my current obsession “Don’t depress, foolish mortal, nor feel so unmanned.
And spilling over the tables, coffee everywhere Just start it over, from where you first began.”
I sicken my notes and scramble to hide
The poet, resolved, takes up his quill
I see my current obsession He captures the words as they start to trill
He is walking slowly by, mockingly He places them where they belong on the page
I sicken my notes and scramble to hide Little toy dancers on a little toy stage
I know he is too brilliant for me
He has won the words in their own game
He is walking slowly by, mockingly He has become his own master and brought them to
He is out there waiting in the sun shame
I know he is too brilliant for me He has’nae bartered, nor bought them with gold
In the gloom, in the shadows, is my comfort They hav’nae been captured, they hav’nae been sold
He is out there waiting in the sun They dance to a rhythm, they step to a rhyme
While I sip the legends doodled over the walls They tap their shoes on the floor to keep time
In the gloom, in the shadows, is my comfort They bow to the readers at the curtain’s fall,
Here roams the smell of cinnamon, coffee, chocolate, tea Then return to their master who holds them in thrall.

Join our Poetry Fests! Send your poems and stories to

Literary@stuystandard.org
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD December 1, 2005 Literary/Puzzles Page 9

RINGS OF A TREE Ah! The Plucking

BY EILEEN L. CHANG
STAFF WRITER Season
The mighty oak stands firm and tall,
Its strength renewed each Spring’s recall. BY NIAN ZHOU
Adorned with garments, which alter with Season; STAFF WRITER
Embellished in light of knowledge and reason. The dazzling autumn leaves
Gold, yellow, red and crimson
Arms branching up, absorbing sun ray; Falling like flakes when the wind blows
Fingers reach outward, hoping to stay. And that young tree over there
Branches elongate with time flowing by, Lost its coat to that rainy day
Its wisdom increase as leaves multiply. Now it quakes in the wind
Shakes in the cold
The rings add on, tree ceases to grow; But wait –
Its bark turns bitter and trunk hollow. What do I see there?
The days ahead shorten dark, and cold; A green leaf flapping furiously
The oak is a threat, shaky and old. Still clinging tightly
Defiant –
When crimson spilled into autumn, they came; Refusing to give in
My tree burned to ashes, demolished by flame.
What once held a sight beautiful to see,
Now lie broken limbs of what once was a tree.

Last Issue’s Solution

Crossword Puzzle

my love for you C A R L O O M B R A Y

L I E A N N A I O W A
BY KIMBERLY YEE
STAFF WRITER I D A D E A N T A L K
"Why do you love me?"
You asked me last night, P E R S I A H O E D
While holding me tight...
Y E L L O W S C I
And this was my answer,
for all of the seasons and years to come, H O R N S L O N I O N
"I love you because you're the only one,
Perfect in all description, A L O E D A D E D E N
Nothing can compare,
To your sweet embraces, H E M R A M S L E D S
And your lovely, passionate kisses...
A G A I M A G E S
You’re always there for me,
Whenever I need you, N A G S A R A B I A
For comfort or support,
A shoulder to lean on, A N T S E T T E E R R
A warm, soothing hug,
Or a kiss to kiss away all the problems of the day… B A I T L O O N T K O

Your sweet face, S P C A S O R E S S W

Your adorable smile,

Crypto Corner
Your gleaming brown eyes,
Staring into mine,
You make me blush,
From your sweet touch…
BY ANDY YEE BY JEFERREY LIAW
STAFF WRITER STAFF WRITER
I’ll love you forever,
For all of eternity, What is a Cryptogram? If each letter is substituted for a
I’ll be yours and you’ll be mine, Cryptograms are writing that number in this addition, what is
Like two pieces that make up a perfect heart, has been coded by substituting the value of each letter?
I hope you love me the same way that each letter with a different letter.
I love you!” For instance, if T=A, H=B, and CELLAR + CORPSE + COLLAR
E=C, then the word "the" would + CLOSE + CASE + COPS
appear as "abc" throughout the = RECTOR
puzzle.
Your answer:
Solution to ‘Classic Novels’ Jumble FPL RYCF LPPK CIS I
LPPKCFYCG CFYCG UH I A=________
LPPKCFYCG CIS’J CFYCG C=________
1. Jane Eyre 6. Beowulf LPPK E=________
2. Frankenstein 7. The Great Gatsby L=________
Your answer: O=________
3. Pride and Prejudice 8. Moby Dick
R=________
4. Tom Sawyer S=________
5. Don Quijote Alexandre Dumas’s novel: The T=________
Count of Monte Cristo
Page 10 December 1, 2005 Puzzles THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

Crossword Puzzle Weather Forecast

BY JESSIE LUK BY JONATHAN XIKIS
PUZZLE COLUMNIST STAFF WRITER
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
K H L M E J T X L C D J T B G R T C A J
12 13 14 A J G V I H L Y J B C S G Q T V T J D E
M X Q W U L H Y I N I D E Y V L Z S D S
15 16 17 18
R F D N I W D E H G I O W A R M Q E Z B
19 20 21
Q B D A E U U G O U O A L I R A K T L M
22 23 25 2 U E R S O V R L R D R V R R D U N U C O
R H H L H F O Z Q K X R A G O O W P C O
24 25 26 27 28 29
J A C K A R E F E C W L I W U R R T L P
30 31 32
C H F T O D A N R O T I M C E T S O T E
33 34 35 T H U E L I G H T N I N G A A U R V S L
T S T C H I L L Y F Z C J S G N Q E E W
38 36 37
U E U O V P S H B H J P L R E R E R P O
38 39 40 41 42 43 M A V N D S T M W U Q L E W T F R C M N
44 49 45 46 E I T C N L O R W U R H H X O K Y A E S
X L R A N Y R H Q E L S X V K M T S T O
47 48 49 50
Q N Z Q K E M H L P L V V P C P S T N P
51 52 53 I Y T Z T W S U W E B T U Q Q T A I O B
V A M P I S G Q E C T T M O H Q R Y T Q
Across Down R D V S K R C T X Z M K O Q E W P G I P
1. Concorde letters 1. Night twinkler
4. Lariat 2. Small amount D P P C A G D B S K S Y K S W O R S J R
9. ___ Perignon 3. Bagel warmers AIR RAIN
12. Besides 4. Type of paint CHILLY SLEET
13. “Encore!” 5. Like Scotch CLOUDY SNOW
14. Self-esteem 6. Mineo or Maglie DRIZZLE STORM
15. “I ___ Rock” (2 wds.) 7. Roberto’s affirmative GUST SUNNY
16. Address book abbr. 8. Great Lake HURRICANE TEMPEST
17. Bridge costs 9. Farmer’s place LIGHTNING THUNDER
19. Took time out 10. Wolf’s glance METEOROLOGIST TORNADO
21. Wooden hammer 11. Greatest quantity MILD WARM
22. ___-Mex 18. Designer Cassini OVERCAST WIND
23. Front 20. Hot drink
24. Thought 21. Changed residences
26. Pilot a boat 23. Renowned
30. Subaru or Toyota 24. Apply frosting
31. Small film role 25. Newsman Rather
32. Eggy drink
33. Reduced to bondage
26. Orange variety
27. South American snake
Whose Life Is It Anyway?
35. Sounded bells 28. Heavy weight
36. Emulated 29. Poached item
37. Dopey’s pal 31. Hyannis’s locale (2 wds.)
38. “Great Escape” route
41. Church laws
34. Actress Turner
35. Reagan’s nickname
20th Annual Medical
Ethics Symposium
44. Jacob’s father 37. British noblewomen
45. U.S.A.’s “uncle” 38. Neap ___
46. Do __ disturb 39. Utilizes
47. Society gal 40. Catches
48. Chicago airport 41. Small wagon
50. AES opponent
51. Snaky letter
42. Head gestures
43. “___ on it!” Thursday, December 8
52. Fender 45. ___ Andreas fault
53. Nile viper 49. Masculine pronoun 3:30PM
Murray Kahn Auditorium
Like to puzzle people?
Free Refreshments!
Contribute to The Standard! Great Raffle Prizes
E-mail puzzles@stuystandard.org
 THE STUYVESANT STANDARD December 1, 2005 Puzzles/Science Page 11

Thanksgiving Inside Next-Gen

Consoles
BY JESSIE LUK
PUZZLE COLUMNIST Continued from Page 1 unique Cell processor will per-
hub.” It is able to able to play form at 2 teraflops, compared to
uyekrt the Xbox 360’s 1 teraflop.
many types of media, including
music and video files. Microsoft Like the Xbox 360, the Play-
___ ___ ___ (___) ___ ___ station 3 will feature backwards
will be releasing the console in
two versions, a “Premium Edi- compatibility, and will also be
ryrnebacr cause marketed as an entertainment
tion” for $400 and a “Core Sys-
center, able to ana-
___ ___ ___ (___) ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ lyze many forms of
data. The PS3 is
expected to be
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ priced at around
$300, the same
ocnr no hte ocb price as the 360
Core System, al-
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ (___) ___ ___ ___ though the price
might be higher,
oairucpnco depending on if
any more technol-
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ (___) ___ ogy is added on to
it before launch.
sdmhae toopat The final console -
slated for release in
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ April 2006 - is the
Nintendo Revolu-
tion. This console
(___) ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ will be focused on
technological inno-
redba udgndpi
PS3 Land

vation rather than

Sony’s new console, Playstation 3, can play Blu-ray discs, pure power. The
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ which can hold up to 54 gigabytes of data. Revolution is the
tem,” for $300. smallest of the
The Premium Edition in- three consoles, about the size of
(___) ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ three CD cases stacked on top of
cludes a 20-gigabyte detachable
hard drive. The package also in- each other. Its signature feature
cludes a wireless controller, head- so far is its strange controller,
set, and high-definition audiovis- which is shaped like a television
dadince amsy
ual cable. The Core System will
___ ___ ___ ___ (___) ___ ___ ___ ___ (___) ___ appeal to potential customers who The Nintendo
simply can’t afford the full pack- Revolution is the
tuoaqsn age.
The Xbox 360 uses a custom smallest of the three
___ ___ (___) ___ ___ ___ ___ IBM PowerPC-based Xenon consoles, about the
processor with three symmetrical
cores, running at 3.2 gigahertz size of three CD
islmrgip
each. The console also contains a cases stacked on top
(___) ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ custom ATI Graphics Processing of each other.
Unit that clocks at 500 megahertz
and 512 megabytes of RAM. The
console ships with a DVD drive, remote control. This new control-
Thanksgiving Dessert:
but later versions may include ler will include wireless motion
HD-DVD capabilities, providing sensors, which will detect the
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
more disk space for future games. controller’s movement in every
The next highly direction and translate it into
Expected to be released in April 2006, the Nintendo Revolution comes with a new controller that looks anticipated system movement in the game. Accord-
like a television remote control. is the Playstation ing to Satoru Iwata, the president
3, which will be of Nintendo, another control stick
released around will be bundled with the main
March 2006. A controller. Another
continuation of “revolutionary” development is
Sony’s vaunted the option to play emulated
Playstation and games from all the past Nintendo
Playstation 2 con- consoles by downloading them
soles, the PS3 is from the internet and storing
twice as powerful them on the Revolution’s hard
as the Xbox 360 drive, thus combating illegal
in terms of sheer ROM downloading. The Revolu-
processing capac- tion will include an IBM
ity. The PS3 will PowerPC based CPU code-named
also be able to “Broadway,” although the exact
play Blu-ray technical specifications are un-
discs, which can known. It will accept both
hold more data – Gamecube mini-discs and stan-
54 gigabytes – dard DVDs, for backwards com-
than any other patibility. ◙
IGN Entertainment

current disc. Its

Page 12 December 1, 2005 Science/Arts THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

The Avian Flu Food Bites:

most never contagious between
humans. Yet scientists fear that if
a person became infected with
both avian flu and ordinary flu,

Tea & Sympathy

BY KENNETH LAM
STAFF WRITER
The avian influenza, also
known as the bird flu or avian flu,
the two strains could combine,
creating a virus as deadly as
avian flu and as virulent as regu-
lar flu. Models suggest that a

Tea & Sympathy

is a deadly virus that is spreading worst-case scenario could rival
across the world. Generally, avian the deadly Spanish flu of 1918,
influenza does not affect humans, which killed about 50 million
but one strain, the people world-
avian influenza A wide.
strain, or H5N1 can Scientists fear Symptoms of
sometimes make that if a person be- avian flu in-
the jump from bird clude fever,
to person. It is this
came infected with runny nose,
strain that has both avian flu and coughing and
stricken people other respira-
ordinary flu, a virus tory problems,
across Europe and
Asia. as deadly as avian not unlike regu-
The avian in- flu and as virulent lar flu. Severe
fluenza is a relative cases may be
of the normal hu-
as regular flu could fatal, however,
man flu virus. be created. and about half
However, due to of those who
differences in the genetic coding, have been infected with H5N1
have died, though a widespread Gilly, one of the family members that make up Tea & Sympathy, serves customers
the avian influenza has a some- mouth-watering dishes and British tea.
what different shape compared to pandemic would likely have a
the normal human influenza vi- much lower mortality rate. BY KAIDANA RI worthwhile. For the truly indeci-
rus. Since it is a virus, antibiotics By September of this year, 58 STAFF WRITER sive, the expensive Afternoon Tea
have no effect, and there are very people had died of the disease, choice gives one a good idea of
mostly in southeast Asia. Since Tea and Sympathy is a small
few medicines out on the market what Tea and Sympathy has to
its discovery in 1997, a total of and cozy restaurant in the West
that can help fight the disease. offer. The rather short main
124 cases have been documented, Village. The old-fashioned at-
The medicine Tamiflu has some course menu has tasty entrees,
mosphere is akin to that of Pro-
such as Shepherd's Pie and lentil
fessor Trelawney's classroom in
Agence France-Presse

casserole. The dinner menu is

the Harry Potter books. Because
shorter and much more costly, so
of the restaurant’s small size,
it is better to come here in the
there is almost always a line. In-
mornings or afternoons rather
side, the tearoom is often so
than at night.
crammed that it is hard to move
If you don’t want to wait in
around.
line for a table at Tea and Sympa-
There is a wide selection of
thy, you might want to try to
dishes ranging from regular sand-
Carry On Tea and Sympathy, the
wiches to scones and pudding.
take-out partner restaurant next
The long list of teas offered may
door. There you will find both
leave the tea lover paralyzed with
take-out versions of the great
indecision. These teas, coupled
foods of Tea and Sympathy, as
with the mouth-watering sand-
well as souvenirs like cute British
wiches and snacks make the price
candies that aren’t sold at your
range ($6 - $21) absolutely
local deli. ◙

Interested in the
fascinating world of
Science, Math, and Technology?
Write for
British scientists are conducting tests on samples of the
The Standard Science Section!
avian flu virus, hopeful that the virus did not mutate yet.
Send all submissions to
effect, but scientists worry that 63 of which were fatal. An enor-
mous number of poultry have
Science@stuystandard.org
one strain of H5N1 may have
developed a resistance to this died, and many millions more
drug. were deliberately slaughtered to
All H5N1 cases in humans fight the spread of the disease.
have occurred among poultry Although it has not reached North
farmers and others who handle America yet, governments are
birds regularly. The strain is al- bracing for an attack that could
leave millions dead. ◙
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD
Golden Dragon Leaps, Juggles, and Balances into
the Hearts of New Yorkers
BY JENNIFER WONG
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
This holiday season, take a
break from big blockbuster mov-
ies and crowded ice rinks and
Be the Final Step
Join The Stuyvesant Standard
Layout Department
Layout@stuystandard.org
December 1, 2005 Arts & Entertainment
treat yourself to a circus like no tionally renowned troupe is to
other. The New Victory Theater present a show specially created
welcomes the “Golden Dragon for New Victory’s tenth anniver-
Acrobats,” straight from Xian, sary season.
China. Perhaps the world’s lead- “Golden Dragon Acrobats”
ing Chinese circus, the interna- takes traditional Chinese circus to
a whole new level,
combining traditional
dance, original acrobat-
ics and stunning cos-
tumes. The 21-member
troupe includes contor-
tionists that rip and roll
across the stage, daring
men who perform
death-defying jumps
between two towering
poles, exceptional jug-
glers juggling anything
Page 13
that can be juggled and a team of
gymnasts that come together in a
breathtaking grand finale.
While your inner child may
enjoy the experience, your teen-
age self might not wanted to be
seated next to a bawling three-
year-old. Teenagers can opt to
participate in the New Victory
Theater’s VicTeens: On The
Town program. For $30, teens
can watch “Golden Dragon Acro-
bats” from a teens-only section of
the New Victory and attend a
luncheon at the B.B. King’s
Blues Club & Grill before the
show. This program takes place
on Saturday, December 10 at
12:30 p.m. ◙
“Golden Dragon Acro-
bats” will be showing in
the New Victory Theater
until January 1. Tickets
for “Golden Dragons”
are priced at $10, $25
and $50 and can be or-
dered by visiting Tele-
charge.com or by calling
212-239-6200. Tickets
are also on sale at the
New Victory box office
(209 West 42nd Street,
just west of Broadway),
Sunday and Monday, 11
am to 5 pm, Tuesday
through Saturday, 12 pm
to 7 pm.
All photos courtesy of Loli Kantor
Page 14 December 1, 2005 Arts & Entertainment THE STUYVESANT STANDARD
best-selling book by Arthur the help of CG technology, which
Holiday Movie Guide Golden. The story follows Sayuri,
a poor country girl played by Ziyi
was used to create the wondrous
creatures of Narnia including the
Continued from Page 1 Theron stars as the perfect assas- Zhang of “Crouching Tiger Hid- lion, Aslan, voiced by Liam
and Rosario Dawson, the film is sin, Aeon Flux. This live-action den Dragon” fame, who becomes Neeson.
directed by Chris Columbus, who adaptation of MTV’s animated the world’s most famous geisha.
also directed the first two Harry series depicts a futuristic world Producers reportedly spend over December 25
Potter movies. Dawson, who devastated by an apocalyptic viral $70 million to keep the movie, as Rumor Has It
plays the female lead, is one of pandemic. The last survivors are director Rob Marshall put it, “Rumor Has It” is a blend of
only two cast members who did- assembled in the walled-up city “very faithful” to the book. comedy and drama, sprinkled
n’t appear in the stage version. of Bregna. Theron’s character with an all-star cast including
Though set in 1989, the film is begins to question her life and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Costner,
made especially not “to look like career after she is asked to assas- Lion, the Witch and the Ward- and Shirley MacLaine. Aniston
a ’80s movie,” said Dawson. sinate her possible soul mate, robe stars as an unsure, engaged
Trevor Goodchild. “The Lion, the Witch, and the woman who gets cold feet as her
December 2 Wardrobe” is the first chapter of wedding nears. Aniston soon
Aeon Flux December 9 C.S. Lewis’s chronicles of a fam- learns that her family’s story
Another year, another Oscar Memoirs of a Geisha ily’s adventures in the magical might have inspired the 1967
Best Actress winner in a cat suit. An inside look at what it land of Narnia. Director Andrew movie “The Graduate,” and she
In this sci-fi action flick directed means to be a real geisha, the Adamson was recruited to bring begins a journey of self-
by Karyn Kusama, Charlize movie is an adaptation of the the mysterious world to life with discovery. ◙

“Aeon Flux” stars Charlize

Theron as the perfect assassin. “Rent,” based on the original
Broadway play, is about a group of
eight best friends.
All photos courtesy of Yahoo.

“The Chronicles of Narnia: The

Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe”
is another novel-based movie.

“Memoirs of a Geisha”, starring Ziyi Zhang, “Rumor Has It,” starring Jennifer
is based on the best-selling book by Arthur Aniston, is about a woman on her
Golden. path to self-discovery.

Seen a good movie lately? An interesting exhibit?

Arts show? Concert?
If so, send your review to: arts@stuystandard.org
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD
Violence is Just Too Violent
Continued from Page 16
semi- riot among the Bahrain
players who surrounded the refe-
ree, and then started to push the
Trinidad players. Trinidad would
go on to win the game 1- 0.
The number of fouls in soc-
cer is on the rise. In the past the
game wasn’t as exciting, with a
lack of contention for a player
running up the pitch, but now it is
Got a favorite team?
Follow a certain sport?
Share your expertise at
sports@stuystandard.org
Familiar News in Kansas City:
Holmes is Out for Season
Continued from Page 16
Most notable is his record-
breaking 27 touchdowns in 2003,
which he accomplished after re-
cuperating from arthroscopic
knee surgery in the off-season.
This season, Holmes has rushed
for 451 yards on 3.8 yards per
carry for 7 touchdowns.
“We're going to miss him,”
Vermeil said. “He's more than a
football player for this organiza-
tion.”
M e a n wh i l e ,
the Chiefs do
have a reliable The Kansas
and explosive Chiefs have placed
backup in running
back Larry John-
Priest Holmes, 32,
son, 25. Drafted on injured reserve
as insurance for on Wednesday, No- Gonzalez,
Holmes in the
first round of the vember 9, removing
2003 draft, he has him from the roster tions and 752
demonstrated his
potential in the
and effectively end- He had 102 re-
last two seasons. ing his 2005 season. c e p t i o n s a nd
“Larry John-
son has already
carried the load. He knows he
can do it,” Vermeil said. “He just
doesn't have a Priest Holmes
backing him up like he backed up
Priest Holmes.”
Last year, Johnson rushed for
581 yards on 4.8 yards per carry
with 11 touchdowns. Early this
season, Vermeil had already be-
December 1, 2005 Sports Page 15
Terrell Owens:
almost impossible for a player to
go a yard without challenge.
Distraction or Star?
An important question lead- Continued from Page 16 What teams would be willing
ing up to the World Cup in Ger- to take on Terrell? The Raiders
For a team to take on Terrell
many is: is there anything FIFA are historically known to take in
Owens, they need to have a few
can do? Of course there is. The these types of players, but they
things set. First, they need a
main thing at hand is for FIFA to already have a problem-child in
strong player’s coach. Second, he
recruit more reliable referees who Randy Moss. The Broncos have
has to be the man. I know this
don’t fix games, and call fouls been mentioned as a possible des-
idea sounds odd, but he needs to
correctly and impartially, as op- tination for TO. They have the
be the offensive superstar. A me-
posed to applying subjective in- strong coach and mediocre of-
diocre quarterback and a medio-
terpretations to subjective rules. ◙ fense that TO could thrive in.
cre running back would be perfect
for TO because he would be in Another team interested in TO
the spotlight. Finally, the team could be the Jets. Herman Ed-
needs to have strong veteran lead- wards is known as a player’s
ership in the locker room. While coach, and the Jets offense is in
Donovan McNabb is many disarray. If the Jets get either run-
things, he has too many chips on
his shoulder from not making the
Super Bowl until Terrell Owens
ning back Curtis Martin or quar-
terback Chad Pennington back at
100% and use their top 10 pick in
came along. A team with a re- the draft to improve another
spected quarterback like Brett
Favre wouldn’t take this nonsense
needed offensive position, Terrell
fits in as the star wide receiver. If
from Terrell, and could probably Pennington was able to deal with
set him straight. Randy Moss in college, he should
be able to deal with Terrell. ◙
gun using both Holmes and John-
son, trying to keep both players
fresh and especially to keep
Holmes healthy. Through Week
9, Johnson has accumulated 506
yards on the ground with 6 touch-
downs.
Although the injury to
Holmes will be a loss to the
Chiefs, it should not be a major
setback. With one of the best
offensive lines in football, John-
son will have no problem estab-
lishing a running
game for Kansas
City City. What is
most troubling is
the lack of pro-
duct ion from
tight end Tony
on pace
who is
to have
only 74 recep-
receiving yards.
Questions? Comments?
1258 receiving
both NFL
yards
records for
in
tight
2004,
ends.
It is the policy of The Standard
Kansas City’s first priority is
to get Gonzalez more involved in to remain accessible to its readers.
the passing game and in the red
zone. With increased production
from Gonzalez and a consistent
Please contact us at
running attack, the Chiefs will
remain the top pick to win their Readers@stuystandard.org
division. ◙
Page 16 December 1, 2005 Sports THE STUYVESANT STANDARD

Terrell Owens: Distraction or Star?

BY ERIC MAYO
STAFF WRITER
Terrell Owens can be a lot of
things. He is probably the best defensive end Hugh Douglas, it’s nis Rodman of the Chicago Bulls So he’s a clubhouse cancer.
wide receiver in the entire Na- no wonder Owens was suspended in the early and mid 90’s was Why would anyone want him?
tional Football League. He is also for the maximum 4 games and crazy, but Michael He’s still the
the biggest club- will be put on the Jordan and Scottie Agence France-Presse
top wide re-
house cancer pro- inactive list after Pippen kept him in ceiver in foot-
fessional sports The only person the suspension is check. Barry ball. His six
has probably ever Terrell Owens can over. Bonds is never this foot three
seen. So the ques- It’s increasingly problematic since frame and blaz-
tion is there: Is be compared to is obvious that TO he doesn’t vent his ing speed
“TO” worth it? Leon, the fictional is a coach’s frustration to the makes him a
In case nightmare. From media. Even La- cornerback’s
you’ve been un-
egotist in the Bud-
his sharpie- trell Sprewell of nightmare. His
der a rock the past weiser commercials. signing antics to the NBA was vertical jump
month, here’s his calling out his tamed under coach compares with
what has hap- QB every time Jeff Van Gundy some of the
pened. Star Philadelphia Eagles there’s a microphone in his face, and the New York best basketball
receiver Terrell Owens gave an he obviously isn’t a model citi- Knicks. While p l a ye r s . If
interview to ESPN in which he zen. This is the second quality Gary Sheffield paired with a
said that the Eagles would be coach Owens has abused. You makes his remarks top flight quar-
better off with Green Bay quar- have to wonder if anyone can to the media, he terback (think
terback Brett Favre than current deal with his me-first attitude. knows when to Manning-
Eagles QB Donovan McNabb, But this incident goes far keep quiet. The Terrell Owens. Harrison) like
and that the Eagles should have beyond football. If you look in only person Terrell McNabb was
publicly recognized his hundredth professional sports in the last 35 Owens can be compared to is in happier days or Mike Vick of
touchdown catch. Combined this years, very few players have been Leon, the fictional egotist in the the Falcons, he can be deadly.
with his alleged fight with ex- the distraction TO has been. Den- Budweiser commercials. Continued on Page 15

Violence is Just Familiar News in Kansas City:

Too Violent Holmes is Out for Season
BY YEE HONG concussion, but he did get
BY OSMAN NEMLI Turkey from the 2010 World STAFF WRITER knocked dizzy.”
SPORTS EDITOR Cup. The other incident involved Holmes’s doctors have asked
It has happened so often in
a Bahraini player kicking the ball him to avoid contact for 30 days
Violence erupted at World such a short span of time that the
away from the but say that surgery is unneces-
Cup qualifying people in Kansas City probably
Trinidad player, sary.
matches between have already taken it for
Compared to followed by an granted. Fans hold their breath
Agence France-Presse

Turkey and Swit- interesting re-

zerland, and be-
soccer two decades every time number 31 touches
turn to the ball the football, hoping he will get
tween Bahrain amd ago, soccer in to- by the Bahrain
Trinidad. This sort up and line up for the next
day’s world is in- p l a ye r wh o play.
of brutality is rare, launched the
and during these creasing in terms of ball to the back Chief fans need not suffer
tough times, the the agony any longer. The
fouls, making soc- of the net. The Kansas City Chiefs have
questionable deci- referee didn’t
sions of some refe-
cer appear to be a placed Priest Holmes, 32, on
allow this goal injured reserve on Wednesday,
rees aren’t helping. more aggressive due to the close
Soccer is going Nov. 9, removing him from the
sport than it proximity of the roster and effectively ending
through a tough Trinidad goalie
time and can need normally is. his 2005 season. Holmes suf-
to the point of fered a helmet-to-helmet hit in
all the support it origin of the ball. This caused a
can get. an Oct.30 game against the San
The inci-
Continued on Page 15 Diego Chargers and then
dent which missed the following game
Canadian Press

occurred in against the Oakland Raiders.

Istanbul, Tur- The formal diagnosis of
key escalated Holmes’s injuries is head and
after the final neck trauma. However, the hit
whistle blew. in San Diego was not the pre-
As the players dominant factor that sidelined
rushed to their Holmes. The running back had
locker rooms, complained of tingling in his Priest Holmes.
one S wiss arms during training camp.
player kicked a “We did know he started
getting what we say `burners' “It's a head trauma and a
Turkish coach. neck trauma that has affected the
Several Turk- once in a while, a tingling in his
fingers from some hits, which are cervical area of his spine. But
ish players he's not incapacitated. There's no
fought with very, very common,” said Coach
Dick Vermeil. “Guys get burners reason for surgery,” said Chiefs
Swiss players, general manager, Carl Peterson.
sending one to in the first quarter and play the
rest of the game. But he had Holmes is a three-time Pro
the hospital. Bowler who is extremely produc-
Penalties dis- never experienced that in his ca-
reer.” tive when he is healthy. He
cussed include rushed for 1555 yards in 2001,
the possibility “Then I think the blow to the
Aggressive playing in the World Cup qualifying match head in San Diego stimulated 1615 in 2002, and 1420 in 2003.
of banning between Australia and Uruguay.
more concern. It wasn't a true
Continued on Page 15